ã€ŠHarry Potter and the Secret Treasuresã€‹


 Chapter 1 The Boy and the Owl

    <h4>Chapter 1 The Boy and the Owl</h4>

    Twilight glows with a light golden color as the sunset slowly disappears from the horizon of Grand House, 6 King¡¯s Road, London.

    It is a ssic English style vi, Spacious, Bright and Stylish

    The three-story wall is covered with creeping ivy, the roof is covered with beautiful brown tiles, the grass and the flower bed in the yard were all neatly organized, a luxury Bentley car was parked outside the garage.

    It was a gorgeous sunset picture, serene and tranquil.

    On the third floor balcony, a dark-haired boy is looking at an owl and can not tell the difference between it and any other owl.

    Ivan Mason Looked nkly at the owl with eyes full of curiosity. The owl is not extraordinary, it is just like any other bird that can be found in any other home, but on its talons was a brown envelopeposed of thick parchment.

    Ivan has a peculiar feeling that the letter is for himself.

    But he is not sure how to get it because the owl seems to want to get some kind of reward for itself and then it will be willing to hand over the letter.

    ¡°Hello there.¡±

    Ivan said hello, trying tomunicate with the other though it made him look silly.

    ¡°Hooo~¡±

    The owl gently shouted, tilting its head looking at the boy¡¯s brown pupils, on full alert.

    ¡°Do not be nervous, I hold no ill will.¡±

    Ivan tried to make his voice sound pleasant, he slowly extended his right hand, ¡°I think the letter at your feet is written to me.¡±

    As he was about to voice his words, he was interrupted by a loud shout from downstairs. ¡°My bibiche, are your ready, we¡¯re already halfway out the door.¡±

    Then there was a sound of someoneing upstairs.

    ¡°oops, it¡¯s my mother, I can not let her see you!¡±

    Ivan suddenly snapped back to his senses, and refused to try tomunicate with the owl further, he swung his right hand to try to drive it away.

    ¡°Hooo!¡± The Offended owl hurried aside.

    ¡°Sorry, my mom is terrified of all kinds of birds, big and small, she sees them as the devil incarnate¡± Ivan waved his hand while hurriedly exining, ¡°you have to get out of here!¡±

    It seems that Ivan¡¯s unwarranted move, finally convinced the owl, this boy will not give you anything to eat. A secondter it fluttered its wings and flew up to peck Ivan while throwing the letter to his feet.

    ¡°Ow!¡±

    Ivan shouted a painful cry while watching the owl fly out of the balcony like a whirlwind, disappearing from his eyes.

    Before his mother came in, he bent down and picked up the envelope under his feet, written in emerald green ink it clearly read: third floor, 6 King¡¯s Road, Little Surrey, Surrey, Mr. Ivan Mason.

    ¡°This letter, as well as that owl just¡­ ¡­¡±

    Ivan narrowed his eyes, in front of these obviously peculiar things, let him fell a deja vu familiarity.

    ¡°Ivan, we have to be faster, your father has been waiting for us in the car.¡± A well dressed middle-aged woman came in with a slightly serious tone and said, ¡° It is insulting to bete for someone¡¯s first visit.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Mom.¡±

    Ivan did not have time to ponder, she did not pay attention to the envelope stuffed in his pants pocket.

    Their family had a small family gathering tonight with his father¡¯s business partner, to be more precise his father¡¯s constructionpany was preparing to buy arge number of rigs from the other.

    Ivan would normally not have to participate, but the other family had a child one year older who so happened to just be in the Si Mei Ting High School.

    Ivan is Eleven years old this year, and in a month or so he is going to further his studies at Si Mei Ting High School, so his parents find it necessary to get him in contact with future seniors.

    ¡°Mom, you have not told me what the name of my senior is.¡±

    Along the way, Ivan felt that he had to divert attention away from the letter in his pocket, and he was not sure if he would tell his Parents about it until he had a clear idea of what the letter contained.

    Maybe it was a bad joke made by someone, and it is not necessary for my mother to worry about it.

    ¡°My bibiche, I told youst week that the child¡¯s name is Dudley¡± answered Mrs. Mason, promptly

    ¡°Darling, I dare say, you¡¯re certain to be good friends,¡± Mr. Mason, added while driving.

    ¡°Dudley Dursley, this really is a good name ah!¡± Irvin went into deep thought.

    In fact, he does know a person who is also called that name.

    If he remembers correctly, Dudley should have been a character in the Harry Potter Novels before he was reincarnated. In the book, Dudley is an arrogant, spoiled child, who made Harry¡¯s childhood way more tragic then it should have been.

    Ivan had a big impression of him, but it was not a good impression.

    However, they were characters in a novel, although he reincarnated to eighties and nies Ennd. But there is no evidence that this is Harry Potter¡¯s magical world.

    ¡°Rx, it should just be the same name.¡±

    Ivan tried hard to convince himself, but he was suspicious at the thought of seeing the owl just now.

    Taking advantage of his parents not paying attention, Ivan sneakily took out the letter in his pocket, quickly flipping the envelope over, the back of the envelope had a wax seal with a shield coat of arm, capital letter H around the circle a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake.

    Ivan widened his eyes, holding the envelope tightly, the letter read:

    HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

    Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

    (Order of Merlin, First ss, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

    Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

    Dear Mr. Mason

    We are pleased to inform you that you have been epted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

    Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by noter than 31 July.

    Yours sincerely,

    Minerva McGonagall

    Deputy Headmistress

    God, this is a letter of entry to Hogwarts, he should have expected it, other than a magic school, who else would send an owl with mail.

    ¡°Dear, you do not have to be so nervous¡± Mrs. Mason turned and whispered, ¡°I heard your daddy say that the Dursley¡¯s are very friendly and Dudley is also a polite child, you will love him as a new friend.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mom,¡± Ivan replied unconsciously. ¡°I¡¯m not nervous, I¡¯m just excited.¡±

    In the past eleven years, he has been preparing himself for the future ording to the familiar real world, now that he is told that this is a totally foreign world of magic. ¡°Is this not a joke?¡±

    Fortunately, before he reincarnated he was very fond of harry potter novels and familiar with the contents. Even if he could not remember all of the plots, he could more or less recall the events.

    The question now is how will I tell my parents about this.

    Also, if he is not wrong, he will be able to see Harry Potter in addition to the Dursley¡¯s.

    As Ivan pondered about this, his father slowly stopped the car and softly said, ¡°Darling we¡¯re here, Privet Drive on the 4th!¡±

 Chapter 2 Future Senior

    <h4>Chapter 2 Future Senior</h4>

    Ivan calmed himself down and followed his parents into the house.

    The first thing he saw was Vernon Dursley in formal attire, a bow tie, and standing there sturdy and daring like a lion.

    ¡°Good evening!¡±

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Mason and Mrs. Mason¡± There was a disgusting smirk on his face. ¡°May I take your coats.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ivan!¡± Ivan¡¯s mother pulled Ivan out from behind her and introduced her to Dudley. ¡°This is Ivan. you should take of him once he starts schoolter.¡±

    ¡°It would be an honor, mydy.¡±

    Seeing Dudley wanted to hug him, Ivan quickly backed half a step away from him swiftly following his parents into the living room while talking politely and quietly looking around.

    For them to meet today, the room was apparently carefully organized.

    Not being far from the kitchen the scent of today¡¯s pudding dinner drifted in, the table was piled with cream cake and the sounds of arge barbecue could be heard from the oven.

    But these are not what Ivan wanted to locate, as the book described there is nothing of Harry¡¯s in in sight, so it is clear that the Dursley Couple does not want others to know about their peculiar nephew.

    Ivan slightly frowned, this unfortunate child, he should be quietly hiding in a small room upstairs, not making a single sound so that no one will be aware of his existence.

    He feels that it is necessary to do something.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Dursley¡± Ivan interrupted the boring joke about a Japanese golfer ¡°you know, I do not always visit other people. I¡¯m curious about everything here. If you don¡¯t mind, I would like Dudley to show me around before dinner.¡±

    ¡°No problem, let Dudley apany you to his room and check out his new console.¡± It seems that considering Ivan¡¯s age he could not understand the joke he was telling, Vernon Dursley agreed very readily, ¡°You can go y until the food is done, I will get Petunia go up and get you once it is time.¡±

    Dudley Very reluctantly apanied Ivan and left the living room, ording to the n he should stay and continue to use those nauseating words topliment the Mason couple, rather than apany a child around the house at home.

    He restrained himself from saying anything offensive, and this is a challenging task for Dudley to aplish.

    They walked up to the second floor, while Ivan listened to Dudley introducing his new console while curiously looking into a tiny room at the end of the corridor where the door was closed.

    ¡°What is that room?¡±

    ¡°That is my cousin¡¯s room, he is not at home at the moment.¡±

    Dudley¡¯s face was a bit unnatural, ¡°We still need to go to my room hurry up its this way..¡±

    Before he had time to finish his words, they were interrupted by a loud banging noise from the little room. In the next second, before he had time to stop him he saw the boy beside him walking up and opening the door.

    Ivan opened the door, and with dim lighting, he saw a boy standing in front of a wardrobe.

    The boy was thin, with a pair of bright green eyes, dark hair, and a thin lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

    Harry Potter had a surprised expression, he had just Dobby the House Elf in the closet, and the door was opened. Surprisingly, it was not uncle Vernon, but a boy who he had never seen before.

    ¡°Good evening, you must be Dudley¡¯s cousin, I am Ivan Mason, nice to meet you!¡±

    Ivan stretched out his right hand, his heart full of joy, for finally getting to meet Harry Potter.

    ¡°Hello, My name is Harry Potter, and its a pleasure to meet you,¡± Harry said hesitantly, reaching out and shaking Ivan¡¯s hand.

    If he had to guess, he should be the kid who visited the prosperous building business today, but Harry was not sure whether he should be in contact with the other. ording to uncle Vernon, he should stay quiet in his room and pretend he did not exist.

    For the importance of today¡¯s dinner, Harry had heard uncle Vernon say it for exactly two weeks. If the dinner was screwed up, he could not imagine how bad it would be in the days toe.

    Outside the room, Dudley is urging Ivan to leave, and although he feels terrible about it Harry has to admit that it was the only thing he agreed with Dudley about During his Summer Vacation, Especially since in the wardrobe next to him, there is a house elf not suitable for Muggle eyes.

    Ivan did not seem to hear Dudley because his attention shifted entirely to the birdcage next to the window which contained a snowy white owl.

    ¡°It is a pure white owl!¡± Ivan turned to Harry and asked, ¡° What¡¯s her name?¡±

    ¡°Hedwig, she¡¯s my pet.¡± Harry quietly closed the opening door.

    ¡°I also wanted a pet like that, but my mother is afraid of birds,¡± Ivan turned and continued looking at Hedwig¡±Can I feed her?¡±

    ¡°No problem, but I don¡¯t have any food¡± Harry sighed since uncle Vernon prevented him from feeding Hedwig, Harry has been feeding her some of his food since the summer started.

    ¡°What does she eat, theirs a lot of food downstairs in the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°Ivan, my mother shouted for us toe down and eat!¡± Ivan¡¯s words had yet to finish; they were abruptly interrupted, Dudley finally mustered the courage to walk into Harry¡¯s room to get Ivan

    ¡°Well, I think I can finish dinner ande back.¡±

    Ivan followed Dudley, but after two steps he saw Harry did not move. Somethings weird, ¡° Harry are you not going with us?¡±

    ¡°I, I will not go, I have already had dinner!¡±

    There was a growling from Harry¡¯s stomach, but he was sure aunt Petunia would not be happy to see him at the table.

    ¡°Come on, even if you have already eaten you can still have some dessert,¡± Ivan stepped forward and grabbed Harry¡¯s arm and continued, ¡°Then we can get something to feed Hedwig, I think she seems hungry!¡±

    ¡°You can not do that, he cannot eat with us¡± Dudley quickly stopped Ivan.

    ¡°Why, is he not your cousin?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but¡­¡± Dudley struggled to find the words, exining to Ivan. ¡° He¡¯s not like us. He¡¯s a freak.¡±

    ¡°Geek?!¡± Iran frowned as he saw Harry who was beside him, too excited to remember to keep closing the door.

    In the next second, a green monster jumped out of the closet, with tworge bat-like ears and a pair of prominent green eyes like tennis balls.

    Ivan Immediately guessed who it is, but did not think a house elf was so ugly.

    ¡°In the presence of Dobby, how dare you insult the great Harry Potter!¡± Screamed Dobby as he jumped out of the closet.

    Before any of them could react, he reached out his right index finger and pointed it towards Dudley.

    Suddenly a light green shed and lit up the room, a whistle-like noise, a scream, and then Dudley clutched his fat buttocks with both hands, and jumped straight up in pain and cried. As he turned around, Ivan saw a curly pigtail sticking out of the hole in his pants.

    Poor Dudley, he suffered again this year following the creation of a pigtail by Hagridst year.

 Chapter 3 Be my Guest

    <h4>Chapter 3 Be my Guest</h4>

    ¡°Mother!¡±

    Dudley Clutched his butt while howling, stumbling and running downstairs.

    Dobby seemed like he was very pleased with his masterpiece. As he bowed towards Harry, he said, ¡°Harry Potter must not return to Hogwarts this year, sorry sir, Dobby has no other choice.¡±

    As soon as Dobby finished he snapped his fingers and slowly disappeared leaving only the two stunned boys in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I hope that did not scare you!¡±, sighed Harry

    ¡°What was that?¡±, asked Ivan curiously.

    ¡°Dobby the House Elf,¡± said Harry frustratedly

    ¡°I¡¯m done, uncle Vernon will kill me over this¡±

    ¡°But you did not do it, and I can testify for you.¡±

    ¡°It would be no use, they would not believe it,¡± said Harry as he grabbed the wall trying to support himself.

    He guessed everything correctly.

    Momentster Vernon Dursley ran up the stairs into Harry¡¯s room with a sly face, eyes like a demon, andpletely ignoring Ivan as he looked at Harry and yelled, ¡°Boy, I warned you, to not even think of using magic on Dudley¡­¡±

    ¡°I did not¡± argued Harry

    ¡°Read this !¡± He threw a letter from his hand to Harry and said, ¡°Take it read it!¡±

    As Ivan looked at Harry¡¯s face he peaked at the letter, It Reads:

    Dear Mr. Potter,

    We have received intelligence that a Transfiguration was used at your ce of residence this evening at twenty minutes past eight.

    As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).

    We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magicalmunity (Muggles) is a serious offense under section 13 of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

    Enjoy your holidays! Yours sincerely,

    Mafalda Hopkirk

    IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

    Ministry of Magic

    Harry felt speechless as he looked up.

    ¡°You did not tell us that you couldn¡¯t use magic outside of school.¡± There was a twinkle in Vernon¡¯s eyes, ¡° Forget it, I guess¡­¡±

    Like a vicious dogs grin, he said, ¡°I have good news to tell you, boy, I will lock you up in here so you can never go back to that school! If you use magic to escape they will expel you !¡±

    ¡°Mr. Dursley, you can not do that¡±, Ivan hurriedly said trying to stop him, ¡°I can vouch for him and say he did not do anything.¡±

    ¡°Kid you do not understand!¡± Vernon gasped for breath as he remembered who Ivan was, thinking himself for notpletely losing his mind.

    ¡°I saw the entire process which involved a house elf¡± as Ivan looked up seeing that everyone wasing to the room, his parents looked worried about him, since Dudley was in Mrs. Dursley¡¯s arms covering his butt and crying loudly.

    ¡°There¡¯s no difference..¡± Vernon murmured.

    Ivan went up to his parents and whispered something.

    Harry pitifully stood there thinking of his fate.

    He knew that Uncle Vernon meant it. Now that they knew that he could not use magic outside of school, he had lost his only weapon and would likely be expelled from school if trapped here.

    If he tried to escape with magic, then he also faced being expelled. Ron and Hermione may find a way to save him, but Dobby cut off allmunications to them.

    (Note: Remeber that Dobby intercepted his mail to and from his friends)

    Dobby may have saved him from the terrible catastrophe of Hogwarts, but he has lost the only joy of his life, and he is not sure how the Dursleys will treat him, so he may starve to death here.

    Unless Ivan can help him.

    Harry obtained a small glimmer of hope when he heard what the other was saying to his parents. Ivan took out a letter out from his pants pocket and showed it to his parents.

    The Mason¡¯s expressions were first one of astonishment, but then they were persuaded by there son to do something. Then, the Mason¡¯s and the Dursley¡¯s got together and whispered.

    Suddenly the atmosphere became a bit weird, Dudley stopped wailing and tried to make out what they were saying, Harry wanted to do the same, but then he saw Ivan turn around to reveal a reassuring smile.

    Time Passed by rather quickly, after a fierce argument, nearly half an hourter, the four adults finally reached an agreement.

    ¡°Boy do not ask anything, get your stuff and get out!¡±, Yelled Vernon Dursley with his forehead full of veins.

    ¡°What?!¡±, Harry wondered if he had misheard, Uncle Vernon let him out of the house while Aunt Petunia was pouting without any objection.

    If Harry were not confident, the Mason couple were Muggles he would think they gave the Dursley¡¯s a powerful confusion charm.

    ¡°Come on, what are you doing,¡± said Ivan as he pulled Harry

    ¡°What did you do and why do I feel something wrong,¡± Said Harry looking surprised while looking at the smile on Ivan¡¯s face.

    ¡°Its Nothing, I¡¯d like to invite you to visit my house for the summer.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?!¡±, Harry¡¯s voice rose sharply but then dropped again, ¡°Aunt and Uncle will not agree, I can not go anywhere, they will always shut me up.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you heard your uncle just now!¡± Ivan blinked his eyes, ¡°My mother and father would be delighted to have youe to our house until the end of the summer after my dad promised to order a lot of rigs.¡±

    ¡°Ow my God! Thak You Ivan!¡± Harry did not think something like this would happen to him, ¡°I would love to as long as I can leave but why do you want to help me, we just met for the first time¡­..¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s nothing, but I think as my senior you would not mind talking to your friend about Hogwarts.¡±

    While looking at Harry¡¯s surprised expression, Ivan pulled out the letter from his pocket and said: ¡°I want to use Hedwig for a moment, you know I don¡¯t have my own owl to reply to the school.¡±

    ¡°Ivan your actually a freshman at Hogwarts, that¡¯s fantastic!¡± Harry was pleased he never thought he would be so lucky.

    He felt like today was his lucky day. First, it was unlucky, but now he will not be punished, and he will also get rid of the Dursley¡¯s a month ahead of schedule, but the luckiest one of all he actually met a new ssmate.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, unless you want to stay and bid farewell to the Dursley¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 4 Diagon Alley

    <h4>Chapter 4 Diagon Alley</h4>

    For the time being, Harry Potter lived in Ivan¡¯s Home.

    Compared to the Dursley¡¯s it is basically paradise. Moreover, the Mason Couples soon epted the fact that their son has be a wizard.

    Additional, they are also very good to Harry.

    Every time Mrs. Mason ate she made Harry¡¯s favorite dishes. Here he could finish his summer work without any qualm, and when he¡¯s free, he can y video games with Ivan or talk about Hogwarts.

    Harry loves this feeling, he is free to talk about the magical world.

    In fact, Ivan likes Harry very much.

    For a week Harry gave a general introduction to each ss.

    It can be seen that Harry has a prejudice against Professor Snape, the potions teacher, he has a high talent in Defense against the dark arts.

    Harry also introduced Ivan to Hogwarts castles, secret passages, ghost, the banquet, Gryffindormon room, Hagrid, his friends Ron and Hermione, and Quidditch, the most Popr wizarding sport in the world.

    ¡°Ivan you have toe to Gryffindor its the best house in Hogwarts, its where Dumbledore was sorted.¡±After a week Harry finally summed everything up at breakfast.

    ¡°Well, After listening to everything, I also feel Slytherin is pretty horrible, not to mention my parents are muggles so I shouldn¡¯t be sorted into that house.¡± Ivan paused, ¡° But I¡¯m not sure, I might not be able to enter Gryffindor, I may be assigned to Hufflepuff.¡±

    ¡°Be at ease the level of fresh wizards are all about the same, besides Hermione I have never seen anyone learn as fast as you.¡±

    Harry was honest, and when Ivan heard about Professor Snape embarrassing his students in the ss, he spent a week or so, going over the material for potions ss.

    It¡¯s incredible because the only textbook for potion ss was the O.W.L.s(Ordinary Wizarding Level) exam book, Harry also started on his homework, but he even stopped to ask Ivan¡¯s advice.

    Just as Harry was about to ask him something two owls flew in threw Ivan¡¯s balcony one after the other, it was Hedwig and another owl with beautiful brown feathers, that he had never seen before.

    ¡°If my mother saw them, she would faint.¡±, joked Ivan

    ¡°I hope Mrs. Mason doesn¡¯t see them¡±, said Harry. From his short stay he found out that Mrs. Mason had an extreme fear of birds, so he had to let Hedwig stay at Ron¡¯s house.

    ¡°Ivan take care of Hedwig for me.¡±

    Harry turned to look at the other owl, ¡°This is a school owl which brings the supply lists.¡±

    Ivan fed some food to Hedwig, and Ivan looked together with Harry at the list which read,

    Second-year students will require:

    The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

    Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart (Term of 92-93 only)

    ¡°These are the textbooks needed for Defense against the dark arts ss, which were also required for the first year too, I bet the new teacher is a Lockhart admirer.¡±

    ¡°They seem like novels instead of magic textbooks.¡±

    Harry remembered Quirrell and what happenedst year, he had Voldemort on the back of his head, but he luckily stopped his conspiracy. It is said that The Defense against the dark art ss was cursed by Voldemort, and no one could teach for more than a year.

    ¡°Just think of something happy and see what the letter that Hedwig brought says.¡±

    ¡°Its Ron¡¯s Reply!¡±

    Harry finally smiled, ¡°Ron and Hermione are going to buy textbooks from Diagon Alley next Wednesday, and are asking if we should go together that day too.¡±

    ¡°I have no objection¡± Ivan could not wait to see the streets of Diagon Alley, and saw that Harry was a little hesitant, Ivan said in a somewhat strange way, ¡°What did he say in the letter?¡±

    Ron asked me if I wanted to stay at his house for a while, ¡°Harry was a little embarrassed and obviously concerned about how the Mason family would feel,¡±

    ¡°Really, that¡¯s great, I would like to see what a wizard¡¯s home would look like,¡± said Ivan, ¡° Don¡¯t worry about my mother, I¡¯ll convince her.¡±

    In no time it was already next Wednesday, Mrs. Mason woke both of them up early, the two packed their bags, and after a hasty meal, Mr. Mason drove them to the Leaky Cauldron.

    ¡° Here it is!¡± Harry said, pointing to dirty, narrow bar, ¡°This is the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley.¡±

    ¡°I never thought there would be a ce like this in this city, it looks like a building fromst century,¡± Mrs. Mason sighed, and with Harry¡¯s advice, she seemed to notice a small bar sandwiched between a big bookstore and a record store.

    ¡°Mom, The Leaky Cauldron is a very famous ce, there are a protection spell and Muggle deportation curse, it cannot be marked on a map, Muggles that don¡¯t know the address cannot see it¡­.¡± Ivan said while trying to recall what he saw in the Magical theory book.

    ¡°Well, my dear little wizard, I think it¡¯s not the best idea for us to stand on the street and discuss a dirty pub.¡± Mr. Mason stopped Ivan and pushed him and Harry into the bar.

    But for a famous ce, it is too dark and dirty.

    With the dim candlelight, Ivan saw a few strange dresses, like an old medieval looking witch sitting in a corner drinking a small ss of sherry, sitting at the edge of the bar was a sneaky looking man with bandages, in front of him a little dish of raw liver.

    ¡°Wee, Mr. Potter!¡± The bartender was a hunchback old man who quietly appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Hello¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just the Mason family, but even Harry seemed cautious of him because when he was herest year, Hagrid was with him.

    They quickly returned to there usual selves, they were out of there element.

    ¡°Harry, Harry!¡±

    Hermione quickly ran from the other side of the bar to greet them, not far behind her, was the Granger couple standing there with a bizarre expression.

    ¡°Harry, I heard that you woulde today, and wait here very early, thankfully you look good, Ron said that you have been to the Ministry of Magic because of use of Transfiguration Magic, I was anxious, I hope they didn¡¯t mistreat you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hermione, I¡¯m fine!¡± ¡°This is Ivan Mason, the New Year¡¯s freshman, and thanks to his help, I escaped from the Dursley¡¯s this summer,¡± Harry smiled, pointing to Ivan. Ivan this is Hermoine Granger, I told you about her a while back.¡±

    Looking at the girl with the bushy brown head of hair in front of him, Ivan knew it, that she was the brain of the three-man group.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Miss Granger!¡± Ivan stretched out his right hand, ¡° I heard Harry say that you ced first in the final examst year.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing but a little cleverness from being a bookworm!¡± Miss Granger said with her face blushing, then Miss Granger shook his hand and said, ¡° you can call me Hermione, so can I Call you Ivan?¡±

    ¡°No Problem, Hermione, actually, I¡¯ve been flipping through Harry¡¯s textbooks for a while, and I have a lot of question for you.¡±

    Harry had a headache from listening to the topic of these two people gradually change into textbook trivia; fortunately, it did notst long, Ron soon arrived to save him.

    The firece shed green fire, with the Weasley familying out of the firece.

 Chapter 5 The Weasley Family

    <h4>Chapter 5 The Weasley Family</h4>

    I have to admit the Weasley¡¯s are a lovely family.

    Mr. Weasley, who has extensive experience dealing with Muggles, after being introduced to Ivan and Hermione eased the anxiety of both couples, but he did asional show his obsession with muggle items.

    As for Mrs. Weasley, the first thing she did once out of the firece was to give hugs to a few children including Ivan whose hug was even longer than Harry, she also repeatedly thanked him for helping Harry, Ivan was a bit embarrassed though.

    As for the Weasley¡¯s few children, Percy Weasley Courteously gave Ivan and Hermione a meticulous gesture reminding Ivan of an aristocrat.

    Behind Percy are Fred and George, A interesting pair of twins, except for the asional prank they are really hard to hate.

    As for Harry¡¯s best friend, freckled, and clumsy in appearance, he intended to drive a car a week ago to save Harry, with Hermione¡¯s strong dissatisfaction.

    Ginny, who is staying with Mrs. Weasley, is the same age as Ivan, A beautiful Girl with a head of red hair, but she¡¯s too shy to say a word around Harry.

    After a brief introduction, they prepared to go to Gringotts Wizarding Bank to exchange their money.

    This is the first time Ivan sees the goblins, they are not much better than the house elves, but he realized that they are very different to house elves from seeing their cunning eyes sh.

    The walked up white stone steps into a tall marble hall.

    About a dozen goblins are sitting behind the long counter, some counting coins, others are inspecting gems. Countless doors lead to different ces, with many goblin guidesing and going.

    Harry and the Weasley¡¯s, led by a goblin called a handcar, they are going to withdraw money from their vault, Ivan and Hermione needed to change pounds into the wizarding world money in the hall.

    The Grangers exchanged ¡ê10, and the Masons traded for arge sack of galleons, far beyond the total value of the items on the school¡¯s shopping list.

    After about fifteen minutes, Harry and the Weasleys came out from the underground vault.

    Outside of the bank on the marble steps, Percy was muttering about buying a new feather pen, Fred and George saw there friend Lee Jordan, and as for Mr. Weasley, he insisted on taking the Mason couple and the Granger couple for a drink at the Leakey Cauldron.

    Ivan looked at Harry, he seemed to have something to say to Ron and Hermione privately, and when he thought about it, Ivan decided to go with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny to buy school robes and wands.

    ¡°In an hour gather at Flourish & Blotts,¡± Mrs. Weasley said, leaving with Ginny and Ivan.

    ¡°Also, do not go down Knockturn Alley!¡± she shouted at the back of the twin brothers.

    ¡°Mrs. Weasley, where are we going to buy wands, as you know this is my first time at Diagon Alley?¡± Ivan said.

    ¡°Dear, we are going to Ollivanders since you and Ginny both need a wand.¡± Mrs. Weasley turned and looked at Ivan with a smile, ¡°But we have to seize the moment, there are so many things to buy, and today there is a signature signing of the new book by Gilderoy Lockhart, and we cannot bete.¡±

    ¡°Gilderoy Lockhart?¡± Ivan frowned. ¡°I saw the books I needed on my school¡¯s list, and I did not know what the new Defense against the dark arts professor was thinking, the prices of those books aren¡¯t cheap.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe your new teacher is a Lockhart admirer, after all, he¡¯s so great, but they are really overpriced to buy five Lockhart books at once.¡± Mrs. Weasley looks a little sad, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ginny, I think you have to buy a lot of second-hand goods this year.¡±

    ¡°It does not matter, mom!¡± It seems Ginny could not see how depressed Mrs. Weasley was about it. She blinked at Ivan and whispered. ¡°My mom is hooked on Lockhart and really adores him.¡±

    ¡°Do not talk nonsense, Ginny!¡±

    Mrs. Weasley blushed, ¡°You have to admit it¡¯s really fascinating to be such a great wizard.¡±

    It is particrly attractive to middle-aged to elderly women, Ivan pped his forehead thinking about how big of a lier Lockhart is, he did not have any goodwill toward him, anyway sooner orter he will be exposed, he did not want to continue thinking about this topic.

    What surprised him was Ginny.

    The little girl was not as shy as she was when he first saw her. As long a Harry was away, she immediately returned to normal, a very talkative and energetic little girl.

    Along the way, she told Ivan a lot of thing about her home.

    It can be discerned that unlike Ron she does not really care about using second-hand items that her brother have used. Except for one thing and that is to use a second-hand school uniform which makes her very frustrated.

    The three came to an old small shop while chatting.

    The signboard on the door was peeling off, and says: ¡°Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.¡±

    In the dusty window, a wand was ced all alone on a faded purple cushion.

    When they entered the chop, a chime came from the back of the room. Ivan looked around, the shop is tiny, there was only a bench in front of the counter.

    Not far away, were almost a thousand small cardboard boxes nearly reaching the ceiling.

    There were all kinds of wands in them, and somehow Ivan felt that the dust and silence of the ce seemed to hold mysterious magic.

    Mrs. Weasley led them to sit on the bench and shortly afterward, a gentle voice came from the shop.

 Chapter 6 Ivanâ€™s Wand

    <h4>Chapter 6 Ivan¡¯s Wand</h4>

    ¡°Good morning,¡± a pale old man stood in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you, Mrs. Molly. If I remember correctly your wand is cherry and twelve inches long, it¡¯s strong and good at magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Ollivander, I love the wand.¡± ¡°Ginny hurry up and stand up and say hello, this is Ivan Mason and my daughter Ginny Weasley, they are both freshmen at Hogwarts this year and need a new wand.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Mr. Ollivander¡¯s gaze turned to Ginny and Ivan, ¡° The wizard needs a wand to cast spells, but remember the wand chooses the wizard!¡±

    Ivan swallowed his saliva, unsure how to answer him.

    ¡°Ok, let me have a look!¡± Olivander without stopping pulled out a long strip of silver tape from his pocket and came to Ginny. ¡° Ladies first, Ms. Weasley, which hand do you use?¡±

    ¡°My right hand,¡± Ginny whispered.

    ¡°Please raise your arm.¡± Ollivander measured her arm, starting with her shoulder to her fingertips, and then from wrist to elbow, knee to her armpit and finally her height.

    He exins to both of them, ¡° Each Ollivander wand has a strong magic core which is its essence.¡± I usually use unicorn hair, phoenix tail feather, and dragon nerves, each and every Olivander wand is unique because there are no two identical unicorns, dragons or phoenixes, of course, if you use a wand belongs to other wizards, the spells will never be as good.¡±

    ¡°Please remember, The wand chooses the wizard!¡±

    Soon Olivander disappeared into the packed shelves, and before Ivan had time to rx, he saw Olivandere out with a box.

    ¡°There is no doubt that the Weasley¡¯s are favored by unicorns¡± Olivander whispered softly, ¡°Try this one, 14 inches, ebony, unicorn hair, and a little bent.¡±

    Ginny gripped the wand but gave it back as quickly as it came.

    ¡°No, I suppose this should be one, 8 inches, Willow, unicorn hair, and stic!¡±

    (Trantor¡¯s note: I¡¯m aware that in the book her wands is Yew and not Willow.)

    Ginny took it, and red sparks came out of the wand like fireworks.

    ¡°Extraordinarybination, very suitable for maniption of magic spells, your spells will surely be splendid.¡± Then Olivander turned to Ivan and whispered, ¡°Mr. Mason, I think it¡¯s your turn now.¡±

    Like Ginny, Ivan uses his right hand, he is measured, but his selection process is not as simple as Ginny¡¯s.

    Ivan tried one after another, but none of them was suited for him.

    ¡°Like Mr. Potterst year, you are a picky customer, but that doesn¡¯t matter, we will always find the wand best for the wizard!¡± Olivander looked very happy, ¡° Let me think, oh, here it is 14.5 inches, Vinewood, Thestral Hair, this is thest wand my grandfather made, he was a very famous wandmaker.¡±

    As Ivan received the wand heat flowed from his finger, the tip of the wand produced a white halo.

    ¡°Marvelous!¡± Olivander¡¯s voice softened. ¡°I do not really like Thestral hair, but I have to admit you and the wand are a really fantasticbination.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir!¡± When there were only him and Olivander in the shop, Ivan whispered, ¡° What is so fantastic about thebination.¡±

    Ivan was curious about the Thestral hair which formed his wands core, unlike the other wands made by Olivander.

    ¡°It is a well-known fact that Thestrals are considered a symbol of bad luck.¡± Olivander stared at Ivan, ¡°It¡¯s a very rare wand core that can only be controlled by wizards who can control death.¡±

    Olivander¡¯s voice seemed to slowly drift into his ear after hearing his exnation, Ivan had an impulse to throw his wand away, he did not want to enter school and be considered by others as the Dark Lord Sessor.

    ¡°Mr. Mason, you have a powerful positive energy, which is theplete opposite of the Thestral hair so it will produce extraordinary results.¡± Olivander got close to Ivan¡¯s face, and whisper in a low voice, ¡° Remember, the wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Mason, there is no doubt that you¡¯ll achieve extraordinary things.¡±

    Ivan was horrified with the feeling of having all his secret seen through.

    He heaved a heavy sigh after leaving Ollivanders.

    Next, Mrs. Weasley led Ivan and Ginny to Madam Malkin¡¯s Robes for All asions, butpared to earlier Ginny spirits were low, because she would have to choose from the second-hand robes.

    Ivan felt he was cruel now, especially as he got his measurement down while looking at Ginny being depressed not far from him, he felt like a sinner.

    ¡°Mrs. Weasley, thank you for inviting me to your home.¡±

    ¡°Dear Ivan, you do not have to be so polite, you and Harry are both good children, and Arthur and I wee you to our home.¡± Mrs. Weasley came over to Ivan and rubbed his head with a happy look.

    ¡°Thank you, I would like to give you a gift.¡±

    Ivan said somewhat awkwardly. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to give Ginny a new gown.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s too expensive!¡± said Mrs. Weasley with an expression of dismay, while Ginny, looked happy about it.¡±

    It seems that Mrs. Weasley wants to refuse. Ivan quickly said, ¡°you can think of it as a Christmass present for Ginny, after all, we are friends.¡±

    After more than 10 minutester with Ivan¡¯s insistence, Ginny¡¯s gaze, and Madam Malkin giving a good discount, Mrs. Weasley finally promised to take the gift.

    In the next second, Ginny gave Ivan a hug, looking at Ginny¡¯s red face, as well as Mrs. Malkin¡¯s smile, Ivan felt embarrassed for a while.

 Chapter 7 The dispute at Flourish & Blotts

    <h4>Chapter 7 The dispute at Flourish & Blotts</h4>

    Because it takes a while to make a new robe, Mrs. Weasley agreed to let them go ahead and buy other items on the school supply list, then together they went to Flourish & Blotts.

    Of course, it was primarily Ivan buying stuff.

    Ginny had a lot of hand me downs from her brother, Percy Weasley obtained top grades in all 12 of his O.W.L.s, so Mrs. Weasley bought him new school supplies and gave Ginny his old thing.

    ¡°Ivan, thank you this is the best Christmas present I¡¯ve ever received!¡± Ginny blushed while thanking Ivan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, it was just an excuse to make Mrs. Weasley agree, I¡¯ll give you something else for Christmas.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll give you a red diary,¡± Ivan was thinking of what will happen to Ginny this year.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a bad idea, I¡¯ll give you a ck one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I need!¡± Ivan thought it would be perfect if it had Tom Riddle¡¯s autograph in it.

    They walked along the cobbled streets, and the shops called out to Ivan, and the money in his pocket sounded happy, demanding aloud to spend them.

    But after browsing through several magical shops, seeing the prices, Ivan became gloomy. Compared to what he wants to buy the money in his pocket was far too little.

    But for a Hogwarts student, Ivan definitely hade a colossal sum of money, He wanted to buy a lot of stuff, but they were not on the supply list.

    ¡°It seems I need to find a way to make money!¡±

    Although Ivan could get more money from his parents, they wouldn¡¯t give much money to a child, especially if he wants to buy a lot of things a student shouldn¡¯t have.

    He had an excellent idea on how to make money, but he had to wait until he goes to Hogwarts.

    Next, led by Ginny, Ivan bought a cauldron, crystal phials, a telescope, and a brass scale. At Slug and Jiggers Apothecary the two purchased a standard dose of herbs which was used for the first-grade potions ss. They also bought a Magical Quill, ink, and parchment.

    When they passed the Magical Menagerie neither of them went in.

    Ivan thought he wasn¡¯t ready to buy a pet because his mother is allergic to birds and the other pets are a little helpful but you also have to take care of them in turn, so it is just to much trouble.

    However, he collected nearly every mailing list of the store of Diagon Alley. He may need to purchase additional material from here while he attended Hogwarts.

    Ivan knew precisely what he would face in the next few years.He could not slowly learn from textbooks, especially since he is a year younger than Harry.

    It was horrifying to think about him being left at Hogwarts and suffering under the Death Eaters while the trio was running around in there seventh year.

    Ivan and Ginny happily chatted along the way, and the two of them soon became good friends.

    At Gambol and Japes, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who purchased a lot of ¡°Dr. Filibuster¡¯s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks.¡±

    Percy was looking at a store full of tattered wands, old scales, and spotted cloaks while reading a boring book,¡° Gaining the Power of a Leader.¡±

    Without disturbing Percy, they passed Florean Fortescue¡¯s Ice Cream Parlour, Ivan bought himself and Ginny tworge chocte-lemon ice creams and then saw Harry, Hermione, and Ron walking out of Knockturn Alley.

    Behind them was Hagrid who was yelling at the three of them, ¡°Don¡¯t you know Knockturn Alley isn¡¯t a ce for you to run around, and don¡¯t let me see you in there again!¡±

    ¡°You went to Knockturn Alley, you know mom doesn¡¯t let us go there¡± Ginny¡¯s face had a worried expression

    ¡°Go away, Ginny!¡± Ron said impatiently.

    ¡°Wait, Ron!¡± Harry looked at Ivan and hesitated and exined, ¡° we saw Draco, go to Borgin & Burkes with his father, its a shop that specializes in Dark Magic goods.¡±

    ¡°Harry!¡± Ron raises his voice. Apparently, he didn¡¯t want his little sister to know about these things.

    ¡°OH, what did you do?¡± Ivan asked curiously, ignoring Ron¡¯s overreaction.

    ¡°Nothing, we observed them for a while, but they left without buying anything!¡± Hermione turned and looked at Hagrid, ¡°Hagrid we were following Malfoy but what were you doing down Knockturn Alley?¡±

    ¡°I was looking for Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent to get rid of them from the school¡¯s cabbage patch.¡± Hagrid looked at Ivan and said in a quiet voice, ¡° you should be Ivan Mason, Thank you for helping Harry out of that house, those damn Muggle¡¯s, if I knew¡­¡±

    Before Hagrid finished speaking, Mrs. Weasley was hurriedly walking over with the newly made robes, and behind her was Mr. Weasley, and Hermione and Ivan¡¯s Parents.

    When Mrs. Weasley saw them, she knew that they had gone down Knockturn Alley.

    ¡°You went down Knockturn alley!, Thank you Hagrid.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gone.¡± Hagrid was embarrassed about his hand being clutched by Mrs. Weasley., ¡°I¡¯ll see you at Hogwarts.¡± said Hagrid to the kids.

    By the time Hagrid disappeared from sight, Mrs. Weasley had turned around and scolded Harry, Ron, and Hermione, while Mr. Weasley was interested in what Harry Said.

    ¡°It seems he was going to sell something but chickened out at thest minute.¡± Mr. Weasley said solemnly but with a bit of satisfaction, ¡°I really want to get evidence on Lucius Malfoy.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Arthur!¡± Mrs. Weasley warned him, ¡° The Malfoy family should not be offended, do not bite off more then you can chew.¡±

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t fight Malfoy?¡± said Mr. Weasley angerly, but then his attention was soon drawn to arge crowd outside the door of Flourish & Blotts.

    Most of them were the same age as Mrs. Weasley, all huddled in the doorway, trying to get in, and through the crowd they saw Gilderoy Lockhart in Blue wizard robes, sitting in the middle of the shop, signing books.

    Around him, there wererge photographs of him everywhere, and all the face in the pictures winked at the crowd while shing bright white teeth.

    While Lockhart was an idiot when it came to magic, Ivan had to admit he was a sessful writer.

    It goes without saying that Harry was spotted by Lockhart and then he was dragged into a photo with Lockhart while he announces that he will be teaching at Hogwarts. By the time Harry came back, Mr. Weasley and Lucius Malfoy were fighting, while Lockhart stood beside them not interfering, but the two were separated by the sudden appearance of Hagrid.

    ¡°Little girl are those the best things your dad can give you.¡±

    Lucius Malfoy broke away from Hagrid¡¯s arm waved to Draco to follow him and stormed out of the store.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t associate with him, Arthur.¡± Hagrid reached out and fixed Mr. Weasley¡¯s robes but almost most lifted him up when he did, ¡° that guy is bad news, his who family is, and everyone knows it.¡± ¡°The Malfoy family is not worth listening to.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Mr. Weasley, while Ivan was observing Ginny¡¯s cauldron which held a broken copy of ¡°A Beginner¡¯s Guide to Transfiguration¡± and if everything goes like it should there should be a ck diary in it too.

    After Lucius left the shop. Ivan put the fight to the back of his mind as soon as he looked at the impressive collection of books.

    ¡°Ivan, what are you doing are you trying to buy the whole bookstore?¡± Ron stared at Ivan list of books in his hands, Flourish & Blotts probably has over 8000 books.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be possible, I¡¯m not that rich, I¡¯m choosing what I need.¡± Ivan couldn¡¯t buy all of them at once, so he¡¯s going to pick out the books he needs first and then slowly buy the rest.

    ¡°Oh. that¡¯s a lot!¡±

    ¡°Learning more is not a bad thing, Ron!¡±

    ¡°You sound like Hermione,¡± Ron said, seeing Ivan pick up an Advanced Potion-Making by Libatius Borage. I heard it is an N.E.W.T. level textbook used in Potions ss, students who achieved an ¡®Outstanding¡¯ or an ¡®Exceeds Expectation¡¯ on their Ordinary Wizarding Level, advance to N.E.W.T. get the chance to study advanced potion-making and by extension this book.

    ¡°I think Ivan is right, and it¡¯s never bad to learn more!¡± Hermione looked at Ivan¡¯s list and was happy to add some magic books to her list as well, Hermione said, ¡° Ivan, I think we should check the list in a minute so we can avoid duplicates.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Hermione!¡± said Ivan

    ¡°Harry the two of them are crazy!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Ron!¡± Harry hesitated for a moment before he picked up ¡°A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions¡± which he wanted to buyst year, but Hagrid didn¡¯t let him buy it. ¡°However, learning more is necessary especially when dealing with someone like Malfoy, is it not?¡±

 Chapter 8 Life at the Burrow

    <h4>Chapter 8 Life at the Burrow</h4>

    Ivan could not buy a lot since there would be no way to care all of it, so he ced orders at the shops until all his money was spent, it would be delivered to Hogwarts once he starts.

    By the time they made it back to the firece in the Leaky Cauldron, it was close to dusk.

    After saying his farewells to his parents, Ivan, Harry, and the Weasley family used floo powder to travel to the burrow, while the Mason and Granger family went to their home by bus and car. Mr. Weasley was tempted to follow them out to see what a bus station looked like, but after seeing Mrs. Weasley¡¯s expression, he had to dispel the idea.

    Because it was Ivans first time using floo powder he choked on the ashes, then he felt dizzy once he arrived at the burrow, Ivan saw Harry¡¯s face and knew both of them felt the same.

    Once Ivan climbed out of the firece he looked around curiously.

    It was finally his first visit to a wizard home. The kitchen was small and packed, but it had a clean wooden table with chairs. On the wall hung a clock, in ce of hours on the clock¡¯s face were a series of possible locations, including ¡°home,¡± ¡°school¡±, ¡°work¡±, ¡°travelling¡±, ¡°lost¡±, ¡°hospital¡±, ¡°prison¡±, and ¡°mortal peril¡±, as well as more lighthearted activities like ¡°time to make tea¡±, ¡°time to feed the chickens¡± and ¡°you¡¯rete¡±.

    Beside the firece was arge mirror.

    Ivan had just passed in front of it, and the mirror suddenly shouted, ¡°Tuck your shirt in scruffy!¡±

    Above the mirror was a bookshelf containing ¡°Charm Your Own Cheese,¡± ¡°Enchantment in Baking,¡± ¡° One Minute Feasts ¨C It¡¯s Magic!.¡± and so one, most of them were domestic magic books, not far away was an old looking radio.

    ¡°All right, kids go back to your room and put up your stuff.¡± Mrs. Weasley came out of the firece and looked at Fred and George and said, ¡° especially you two, don¡¯t bother me while I¡¯m making dinner.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mom! we¡¯ll be quiet in our room¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Quite as a house elf,¡± said George.

    The twins ran out of the kitchenughing, Percy and Ginny followed them with their belongings.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you my bedroom,¡± said Ron, while escorting Harry and Ivan.

    The three of them walked up the narrow staircase.

    The staircase twist and turns, the second floor of the staircase has a door adjacent to it, Percy is sitting at his desk, with his newly bought quill, not far from him is a gorgeous brown owl.

    ¡°That¡¯s Percy¡¯s new owl that mom and dad bought him for doing so well on his O.W.L.s, but he refused to lend it to me, in fact, he has been very strange this summer, he has been receiving a lot of letters.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not anything strange, your brother probably has a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± shouted Ron when he heard what Ivan said, ¡°But its Percy who would date him, I mean.. of course, he¡¯s ambitious, he always has a n, he want to be a minister of magic, but¡­..I think I¡¯ll tell Fred and George and see what they think about it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, it¡¯s just my guess.¡±Ivan bluntly said to Ron.

    When the three made it to the third floor, Ivan says a glimpse at a pair of bright brown eyes staring at them, but in the next moment, the door mmed shut.

    ¡°Ginny,¡± said Ron, ¡°That¡¯s amazing, her door is never closed!¡±

    ¡°Obviously, she saw Harry, and was a little shy.¡±

    Ivan looked at the door and pondered how to get Tom Riddles¡¯s diary from her.

    ¡°Yeah she talked about you for the whole summer,¡± said Ron while looking at Harry, ¡°Fred said she wanted your signature, maybe you should give it to her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Ron,¡± said Ivan while walking. ¡° It¡¯s not as simple as giving her Harry¡¯s signature, she wants to be his girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Ivan!¡±

    Ron looked shocked, while Harry was blushing like a ripe apple, pretending he didn¡¯t hear the conversation between Ivan and Ron.

    ¡°Well, these are only my thoughts.¡± Ivan rubbed his forehead, these two are dull even for there age, no wonder they almost couldn¡¯t find a date in their fourth year.

    They climbed up one more floor and stood outside the twin¡¯s room, the door was closed, and there was no sound, the three had no idea what Fred and George were doing.

    The three finally climbed to the top floor, they came to a door that had paint peeling off with a small sign saying ¡®Ron¡¯s room.¡±

    As soon as Ivan and Harry walked in the sloping ceiling nearly touched their heads.

    It was like walking into a giant stove, everything in Ron¡¯s room was a burnt orange color: Bedspread, walls, and even the ceiling.

    Ron put posters of the Chudley Cannons wearing bright orange robes on every inch of the wall.

    ¡°Is that your quidditch team?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°They are the Chudley Cannons, they are ranked ninth in the Quidditch League!¡±

    Ron¡¯s Bedspread was oranges and printed with tworge letter C¡¯s and a speeding cannon Ball.

    Harry and Ron continued to talk about Quidditch while Ivan looked at a fat brown rat lying in the corner of the room.

    While ignoring Ivan¡¯s gaze, he continued to snore.

    Ivan observes it for a while without noticing anything strange about it. If he didn¡¯t know it was an animagus, he would think it was just a pet rat with a missing toe.

    Then a sound of pipes being banged on from above startled Ivan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just the Ghoul in the attic, it always bangs on the pipes.¡± ¡°I wanted to get rid of it, but dad likes it,¡± exined Ron.

    Just like Ron said the life at the Burrow is captivating.

    For over a month, Ivan and Harry followed Fred, George, and Ron to clean out the gnomes from the garden, and a few of them went to the mountains to y quidditch time to time.

    At night, Harry and Ron were busypleting their summer homework while Ivan used that time to ask Percy some questions about his studies since Percy was an excellent in almost every subject, especially in History of Magic and Magic lessons.

    Ivan had a chance to talk to Fred and George, but they were still in their infancy, however after he made a few suggestion to them, they locked themselves in their room researching and making strange noises at night.

    For over a month Harry and Ivan became very familiar with the Weasley family.

    Mrs. Weasley patched their socks, made them eat four times as much each meal, and Mr. Weasley kept questioning them about Muggle life.

    Except for Ginny, the others quickly adapted to Harry and Ivan in their home. To be more precise, as long as Harry is present Ginny will always get nervous about touching anything, but when she¡¯s alone with Ivan, she ispletely normal.

    Because Ivan and Ginny are the same age, they get along very well, but Ivan still didn¡¯t seed in getting Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary from Ginny even up to thest day.

    Ivan hinted at it several times, but Ginny didn¡¯t respond.

    He could not just exin it to her, and he couldn¡¯t sneak into her room to find it, Ivan isn¡¯t even sure if she has the diary.

    He isn¡¯t in a hurry, there is still time if worstes to worst based on the plot Ginny will just be in a little trouble.

    But to be rescued by her hero Harry, it might not be a bad thing.

 Chapter 9 Flying to Hogwarts

    <h4>Chapter 9 Flying to Hogwarts</h4>

    On thest day of summer vacation, Mrs. Weasley made a huge dinner.

    Everyone was having a great time, eating an borate pubbing made by Mrs. Weasley, watching Fred and George¡¯sborious fireworks show, these fireworks were apparently improved by them, orange, red and blue stars filled the kitchen, bouncing between the ceiling and walls for at least half an hour.

    10 o¡¯clock in the evening, after drinking thest cup of hot chocte, everyone went to bed.

    Because he and Harry shared the same bed, Ivan could feel that Harry was continually turning over, which made him very ufortable as he tried to sleep.

    The next morning, Harry got up early, with a grave-looking face.

    ¡°Ivan, I dreamed that I became a big snakest night, and¡­¡­ Anyway, the dream sucked!¡±

    ¡°Harry, you¡¯re just nervous about starting school.¡± sighed Ivan

    ¡°I hope everything goes well today,¡± said Harry

    Apparently his wish backfired, after eating breakfast, everyone was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, Mrs. Weasley rushed to search for spare sock and quilts, the twins ran into each other on the stairs, while Mr. Weasley ran to the car to put Ginny¡¯s suitcase in but tripped on a chicken in the yard, almost breaking his neck.

    Everyone got into the car, Mr. Weasley started the car and drove out of the yard. In less than half an hour, they returned three times. By the time Ginny got into the vehicle, everybody was already aggravated.

    When they finally arrived at King¡¯s Cross station, there were only five minutes left until departure.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much time to go through the walls as quickly as possible go through and be careful not to let Muggles notice you. Mrs. Weasley looked nervously at the clock andmanded, Percy first!¡±

    By the time Percy went through, Mr. Weasley had grabbed his bags and went through, followed by Fred and George.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take Ginny, First then you three go.¡± Said Mrs. Weasley to Ivan, Harry, and Ron, right before she grabbed Ginny¡¯s hand and went through.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go through at the same time on the count of three,¡± said Ron.

    ¡®Well, what should we do now?¡¯ thought Ivan, he had intended to follow Percy, but who knew the car would be so slow, and Mrs. Weasley would arrange him together with Harry and Ron.

    If I¡¯m not mistaken, the wall should be sealed now.

    ¡°Ivan, stay with me and don¡¯t be nervous, just like I told you before the tform is through the wall.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re afraid you can run,¡± said Harry.

    Both Ron and Harry ran up to the wall with confidence and hit it.

    Ivan could not bear to see them like this, so he quickly closed his eyes. Based on the way they were running he knew it would be excruciating.

    In the next second, he heard them crash into the wall.

    Ron¡¯s suitcase hit the ground heavily while Harry was knocked down and Hedwig¡¯s cage hit the ground, she screamed angrily. Many people stared at them, while a guard shouted, ¡° what the hell are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Sorry we lost control of the trolly,¡± Harry said while moaning in pain.

    Ivan ran over and picked up Hedwig, many onlookers shouted that they were animal abusers.

    ¡° Why can¡¯t we get through?¡± whispered Harry to Ron.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ron walked over and pushed on the wall, ¡°It has never happened before, we¡¯ll miss the train!¡±

    ¡° I don¡¯t know why the passage is sealed¡­..¡±

    Harry looked at the clock, and carefully pushed the trolly to the wall, but it didn¡¯t go throw one bit.

    ¡°It looks like the wall was sealed with a barrier; obviously someone deliberately did it,¡± Ivan said while checking the wall, with our current level of magic we won¡¯t be able to break it.

    ¡°Who would want to make us miss the train?¡±

    ¡°It must be Malfoy!¡± Ron said, ¡°It¡¯s over, the train has already left, and if Mom and Dad can¡¯te and pick us up, do any of you have Muggle Money on you?¡±

    ¡°The Dursley¡¯s never gave me any!¡± said Harry

    ¡°I exchanged all of mine to wizarding world money and spent it at Diagon Alley.¡± Ivan dug in his pocket, and know knew he should have saved a little.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it will take for mom and dad toe back and find us, so what do we do now?¡± Ron looked around nervously, and as Hedwig screamed, many people stared at them.

    ¡°I think we should write a letter to the school to exin what happened,¡± Ivan suggested.

    ¡°Ivan is right, but before we do that we should go back to the car,¡± said Harry while trying to calm down Hedwig.

    ¡°Harry!¡± Ron¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°We can drive the car to Hogwarts, it has been modified by my father so it can fly!¡±

    ¡°Ron, this is not a good idea, we can¡¯t use magic outside school.¡± Ivan shook his head in a hurry, trying to persuade the other to dismiss the idea.

    ¡°Come on, Ivan!¡± Ron¡¯s eyes were shining brightly, ¡° We¡¯re trapped, right? We have to get to school, don¡¯t we?

    Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it¡¯s a real emergency, section neen or something of the Restriction of Thingy ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can you drive?¡± after hearing Ron¡¯s exnation Harry turned from panic to excitement.

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ve seen Fred and George drive countless times!¡± Ron said, ¡°We¡¯ll be able to catch up to the Hogwarts Express in no time ¡° Ivan you especially need to be on time this year, you¡¯re going to be sorted into a house, so we can¡¯t bete!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Ivan,¡± Harry agreed.

    ¡°It¡¯s terrifying to ride in a flying car to school.¡± Looking at the two people that had a look of excitement, Ivan powerlessly followed.

    After They made up their minds, Ivan had no choice but to cooperate, and at his moment Ivan missed Hermione because if she were here, she would be able to stop these two.

    Ivan also wanted to see the flying car, but after thinking about the oue, he wasn¡¯t happy.

    They will be seen by Muggles, and Mr. Weasley may lose his job, and for a freshman who hasn¡¯t even been sorted into a house yet, he wasn¡¯t sure what will happen to him.

    ¡°I think we shoud..¡± Ivan was trying to make onest effort.

    ¡°Ivan,e on!¡± Ron didn¡¯t wait for him to finish. ¡° Harry, make sure no one is watching.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one on the street.¡± Harry stretched out his arm and pulled Ivan into the car.

    The next second, Ron pressed a small silver button on the dashboard, the three of them and the car disappeared.

    Ivan felt the seat shake, he could hear the engine roar, and in the next moment, they were floating above the street where the car had been parked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ron shouted

    The ground and building on both sides shrank as the car climbed higher and higher, a few secondster, they could see the entire city of London beneath them.

 Chapter 10 Professor Snape

    <h4>Chapter 10 Professor Snape</h4>

    If Ivan had to evaluate the trip in one word it would be bad.

    Especially considering when they got to Hogwarts the car was losing power and ended up crashing into the whomping willow, making it a disastrous trip.

    The branches pounded the car, Ivan closed his eyes from the fear while hearing Ron and Harry scream.

    The car was severely damaged, and ss shards cut the boys faces.

    Ivan tried to pull out his wand but was unsessful, the car was shaking vigorously making Harry and Ron bump into him. Outside, a branch that was as big as the car was pounding the roof of the car making the roof cave in.

    ¡°Run!¡± Ron shouted and pushed the door open with all his might, but was beaten back by another branch.

    ¡°We¡¯re done!¡± If the branch hits the roof once more, it was certain that the roof will copsepletely.

    Just as the three gave up hope, the car suddenly started and drove them out of the trees reach.

    Before Ivan had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, he was thrown out of the car, and beside him was Harry, Ron, and the baggage of the three people.Then he saw the car drive off into the distance.

    ¡°Can you believe our bad luck, so many trees, but we hit the one that can hit back!¡± said Ron angerly as he looked at his wand that broke onnding that only had a few pieces of wood holding it together.

    He looked back at the tree that threateningly swung its branches.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Harry tiredly. ¡°We need to make it to the castle quickly since Ivan needs to be sorted into a house.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t how Ron and Harry thought they would arrive at school, the three boys were cold and in pain. They grabbed their trunks and began dragging them towards the two oak doors.

    ¡°Look it has already begun!¡± said Ron while pointing at a window, ¡°We better hurry up, I saw Professor McGonagall take out the hat.¡±

    Harry and Ivan looked through the window which Ron pointed at.

    In the Great Hall, countless candles floated in mid-air, below were for long tables full of people, glittering with golden tes and goblets, matching the stars on the ceiling.

    Based on what Ivan Read in Hogwarts a history, the ceiling was enchanted to mirror the outside sky.

    Ivan saw a long line of freshmen and among them was Ginny who was looking around for them.

    Soon after Professor McGonagall put the Hogwarts sorting hat on a stool in front of the freshmen.

    Professor McGonagall began to announce names and a skinny blonde boy was called and put on the sorting hat.

    ¡°From the corridor to the Great hall will take five minutes, I hope Peeves doesn¡¯t bother us.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± said Harry in a low voice. ¡± There is an empty set at the teacher¡¯s table, where is Snape?¡±

    ¡°Who knows. maybe he¡¯s ill!¡± said Ron hopefully.

    ¡°Maybe he resigned since he wasn¡¯t able to be a defense against the dark arts teacher,¡± said Harry excitedly.

    ¡°Maybe he was fired since a lot of people hated him!¡± said Ron with excitement.

    ¡°Perhaps, he is standing outside the gate, waiting to hear us exin why we didn¡¯t take the train to school.¡± sighed Ivan

    He saw a thin man with sallow skin, arge, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth, standing outside the castle gates, looking at them coldly.

    The smile on Snape¡¯s face told the three that they were in a lot of trouble.

    ¡°Look who I met, the famous Harry Potter, and two of hispanions,¡± Ivan felt Snape¡¯s disgusting gaze sweep over him, ¡°You must be tired of the school train and decided to have a little fun.¡±

    ¡°Sir, we couldn¡¯t go through the barrier at King¡¯s Cross and ¡­¡±

    ¡°Silence¡± Snape said coldly, ¡± Come with me!¡±

    Harry, Ivan, and Ron followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with ming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.

    ¡°Sir, we have to go the Great Hall,¡± said Harry summoning his courage.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Snape interrupted Harry again, ¡°In!¡± he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.

    Under Snape¡¯s gaze, the three boys trembled into his office.

    The shadowy walls were lined with shelves ofrge ss jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things. The firece was dark and empty.

    Snape closed the door and turned around and looked at them.

    The serpent watched his prey for a while before he coldly asked, ¡°what did you do with the car?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± yelled Ron, ¡± he wondered how Snape knew about the car and whether the other could read minds.¡±

    ¡°Weasley, though I know your head is empty, I can¡¯t read minds,¡± said Snape as he throughout the Daily Prophet, ¡°You were seen!¡±

    He showed them the title of the Paper: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES

    He began to read aloud: ¡°Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower . . . at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing . . . Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police . . . Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?¡± he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. ¡°Dear, dear . . . his own son . . .¡±

    Ivan noticed that Harry and Ron had a Depressed look, and seemed to think that if people found out, Mr. Weasley bewitched the car the consequences would be disastrous.

    ¡°I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow,¡± Snape went on.

    ¡°That tree did more damage to us than we ¡ª¡± Ron blurted out.

    ¡°Silence!¡± snapped Snape again, his gaze turned to Ivan, ¡°and you, Mr. Mason, I think you will be the first person in history to be expelled on the first day.¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t expel Ivan!¡± shouted Harry

    ¡°Obviously, I have this right!¡± Snape¡¯s eyes turned back to Harry and Ron, ¡°Most, unfortunately, you are not in my House, and the decision to expel you does not rest with me so I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here while I go find someone who can.¡±

    Harry looked at Snape¡¯s back as he left, and tried tofort Ivan, but could not think of anything to say, and if Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off.

    She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict.

    If Ivan were expelled by snape, he and Ron would be punished the same way by McGonagall, and he wasn¡¯t sure where to go after he left Hogwarts, The Dursleys would never wee him, maybe he could help Hagrid and be a gamekeeper for the school.

    Just as Harry imagined what would happen, Professor McGonagall Came in with snape.

    Professor McGonagall lips were so thin, as soon as she entered she raised her wand making all three boys flinch, but she merely pointed it at the empty firece, where mes suddenly erupted.

 Chapter 11 Late to the Sorting Hat Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 11 Late to the Sorting Hat Ceremony</h4>

    Ivan wasn¡¯t worried about being expelled.

    This is the benefit of knowing the plot unless it changes he didn¡¯t have to worry about a thing.

    When he saw Snape¡¯s face, he knew Snape¡¯s hatred was at its peak which was a pity.

    He was interested in Professor Snape and potions ss. But from the current situation he knew if he kept hanging around Harry he to would be despised by Snap.

    When he was trying to think of how to get Snape to not despise him, Professor Dumbledore came in.

    Ivan curiously looked at the wizarding worlds current greatest wizard, he was an old man with a silvery white beard.

    He has to admit Dumbledore has a very imposing temperament.

    Dumbledore¡¯s gaze was unusually serious, he looked down at them with a pair of eyes filled with silent reproach.

    ¡°Please exin why you did this.¡±

    In the face of Dumbledore¡¯s gaze, both Harry and Ron turned pale, as if they had been beaten to an inch of there life.

    Harry looked at his knees with his head lowered while describing everything that happened. He was very detailed but didn¡¯t mention that it was Mr. Weasley¡¯s car, he made it seem like that they were on a London street and just so happened to find a flying car.

    Ivan was positive that Dumbledore would see through this.

    Ivan watched Dumbledore¡¯s expression, but then Ivan saw Dumbledore suddenly wink at him. Ivan didn¡¯t act like a kid who was in trouble.

    ¡°Professor, you can¡¯t expel Ivan, he wanted to send a message to the school with Hedwig, it¡¯s all my fault I pulled him into the car,¡± said Harry depressingly

    ¡°And I started the car. Ivan had nothing do with this, we¡¯ll take the me¡± said Ron,

    ¡°What are talking about, Weasley?¡± shouted Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°We are being expelled, are we not?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Not Today, Mr. Weasley,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°But I must make you realize how serious your actions were so I will write to your parents tonight, and I will also warn you that if you do this again, I Will have to expel you.¡±

    Snape¡¯s face looked like a child¡¯s that was told Christmas was canceled.Snape cleared his throat and said,¡±Professor Dumbledore these students disregarded the rules and used magic outside of school and caused serious dame to the whomping willow, so these students behavior should be punished.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly, after hearing Harry¡¯s story, it is obvious that Mr. Mason had nothing to with this. As for the other two.¡± Dumbledore calmly said, ¡°Let McGonagall decide on their punishment, they are her houses students, she is responsible.¡±

    ¡°I must go back to the party.¡± He turned to Professor McGonagall and said, ¡± Mr. Mason needs to be sorted into a house, and I have to announce several things.¡±

    ¡°But, Professor,¡± said Snape

    ¡°Come, Severus, there¡¯s a splendid custard pie that I need to get back to.¡±

    Ivan followed Professor Snape and Dumbledore to the Great Hall, once there Dumbledore went up to say a few words, the formerly lively busy hall suddenly became dead silent.

    Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Ivan who was standing in front of the teacher seats, they were trying to see his face clearly.

    Ivan was nervous, the feeling of being watched by everyone was a horrible feeling, and then he heard a wave of whispers around him.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s the boy who was missing!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s all bloody, was he just in a fight with a monster?¡±

    ¡°Did you not read today¡¯s Daily Prophet, he was in the flying car with Harry.¡±

    ¡°A flying car sounds cool!¡±

    ¡°I just overheard the ghost talking, saying they hit the Whomping Willow.¡±

    The chatter went on, and after a while, Ivan quit listening to what they were saying. He saw Professor Snape take out the sorting hat and go in front of a chair.

    ¡°Ivan Masson!¡± said Snape with a gloomy face.

    Because Professor McGonagall had not returned yet, he had to take over the sorting ceremony, he pressed the sorting hat onto Ivan¡¯s head.

    In the next second, the great hall turned silent.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Ivan heard a subtle but sharp voice, ¡°Ate freshman can be seen, very intelligent, very talented, not bad, you should go to Ravenw, where a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind.¡±.

    Ivan Nodded, Ravenw, was a good choice.

    It¡¯s said that Ravenw has its own library, there are many non-published books inside which can help you learn faster. And Rowena Ravenw was very knowledgeable about soul magic, she left notes behind, which should be helpful in fighting Voldemort.

    ¡°But I just heard about you.¡± the cap continued to twist around on Ivan¡¯s head, ¡°For all the years I have been here I have not seen any freshmen enroll in such an impressive way, courage, I think Gryffindor may be more suitable for you.¡±

    Without waiting for Ivan¡¯s Opinion, the sorting cap screamed loudly, ¡°Gryffindor!

    Snape took off the sorting hat and fiercely stared at Ivan.

    He didn¡¯t remember how he had got to Gryffindor¡¯s table after he heard the thunderous apuse it was like he had be a hero.

    ¡°Great,¡± said a boy as he stood up and shook his hand, Ivan recognized him as the twins friend Lee Jordan. ¡± what a wonderful way to get to school! People will talk about this for years toe, to school in a flying car and hit the whomping willow.¡±

    The Gryffindor table was very festive, and a lot of seniors that he had never heard of came up to Ivan to shake hands with him.

    A few secondster, Fred and George squeezed in and asked, ¡°Why not call us back to go with you?¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t know how to answer, but luckily they were pushed out of the way by a blonde headed little boy holding a camera.

    ¡°Hello Ivan, my named is Colin Creevey and like you, I¡¯m new this year.¡± Colin was quick and a little timid, ¡°I heard you, and Harry Potter came to school in a car which is awesome, can I take a picture of you?¡±

    Colin took the camera and painted it at Ivan.

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    However before Ivan even posed the person in front of him changed to Hermione, she looked like the distant Percy, not happy at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous how you didn¡¯t take the school train.¡±Hermione¡¯s tone was almost as severe as McGonagall¡¯s, ¡°Did you really fly to school?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Hermione!¡± said Ivan as he nodded cautiously.

    ¡°How dare you¡­..¡± Hermione began to grumble.

    Luckily it didn¡¯tst long, the person in front of Ivan changed to Ginny, who gave a heavy sigh of relief.

    ¡°Ginny, are you not going to be like Hermione.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Hermione, when she didn¡¯t see you on the train she was anxious.¡±Ginny asked with a worried look,¡±What about Ron and Harry?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good.¡± said Ivan as he put pudding on his te, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter, for now, let me eat something, you already know I haven¡¯t eaten anything for awhile.¡±

    Before he could put the pudding into his mouth, the food in front of him disappeared, as if it never existed in the first ce, dinner had ended.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± said Ivan as he copsed in his chair.

 Chapter 12 Hogwartsâ€™ Magic Newspaper

    <h4>Chapter 12 Hogwarts¡¯ Magic Newspaper</h4>

    After half an hour Harry and Ron left Snape¡¯s office towards Gryffindormon room.

    The castle was silent since dinner had ended.

    ¡°I wonder how Ivan is doing, I wish we could have gone to dinner.¡±

    ¡°Professor McGonagall doesn¡¯t want us to show off.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t want anyone to think that it is a good idea to drive a car to school,¡± said Ron

    ¡°Yes, but at least she could let us know what house Ivan is in.¡±

    ¡°He has to be in Gryffindor like Ginny,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Since he¡¯s so smart he might be put in Ravenw.¡± Harry looked a little worried, he likes Ivan and wants him to be in Gryffindor.

    ¡°As long as it is not Slytherin, Ravenw is a good choice too.¡±

    The two of them walked along and chatted until the came to Gryffindor¡¯s entrance, which was hidden behind an oil painting of a fatdy in a pink dress.

    ¡°Password,¡± said the fatdy as they approached.

    ¡°oh¡± Harry couldn¡¯t answer.

    They hadn¡¯t met a Gryffindor, so they didn¡¯t know the password for the school year, but soon their savior appeared. It was Hermione who was running towards them.

    ¡°Hermione, do you know which house Ivan was sorted in?¡±

    ¡°Gryffindor! You took him to school with a flying car and risked being expelled,¡± Hermione said impatiently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lecture us, we¡¯ve been lectured all night. Tell us the password quickly,¡± said Ron

    ¡°The password is Wattlebird¡± Hermione did not give up.

    She waited outside to lecture them and try to make them realize their mistake before they enter themon room.

    As the entrance to themon room opened her words were immediately interrupted by apuse, and Harry and Ron were dragged in.

    The Gryffindor students were still awake all huddled around themon room, Harry and Ron became the new topic.

    Ivan was delighted to see theme in, he was finally free, so he quietly snuck away from the center of the crowd.

    ¡°Ivan!¡±

    Ivan saw Hermione¡¯s solemn face seated opposite of himself, and in a pitiful voice said, ¡°Let me go Hermione, and lecture me tomorrow, I¡¯m starving!¡±

    Hermione zipped her mouth but she didn¡¯t go anywhere, she took a chunk of chocte out of her pocket. Ivan ate it making him feel much better.

    With Percy¡¯s Nagging the Gryffindor¡¯s celebration didn¡¯tst long, so everyone went back to their bedrooms to sleep.

    ¡°Congrattion on being sorted into Gryffindor, I know I shouldn¡¯t be the one proud but¡­.¡± Said, Ron, as he walked to Ivan¡¯s side, he saw Hermione looking at him with a horrifying face.

    ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t see Fred and George?¡± Harry said awkwardly.

    ¡°I asked them to go to the kitchen and get me something to eat,¡± answered Ivan.

    ¡°OH,¡­.¡± Ron rubbed his belly and looked at Hermione cautiously, ¡°Nevermind, Harry, and I have already eaten in Snape¡¯s office, so we are going upstairs now, we¡¯re a little tired!¡±

    After a few minutes, only two people were left in themon room him and Hermione, the fire was silently burning, and the atmosphere was somewhat bizarre. Ivan saw Hermione was going over her schedule while circling Lockhart¡¯s sses.

    ¡°Hermione, you know I bought a lot of stuff in Diagon Alley, and I think they should arrive tonight,¡± said Ivan.

    ¡°Yes I remember, you promised to lend me some of the books, remember?¡± said Hermione with a curt tone while raising her head.

    ¡°Of course, you can read whatever you want.¡±

    Ivan could see that Hermione was still dissatisfied with the way they came to school.

    As soon as his words were said, he could see several owls appearing outside Gryffindor tower¡¯s window, so Ivan hurriedly opened the window.

    Around fifty magic books appeared in front of the two people.

    Hermione¡¯s attention shifted to the books that Ivan bought, there were many types of books, evenplete series.

    Next, the topic of the two people shifted to knowledge of magic, they were chatting merrily, Hermione had now be as friendly as before.

    While they were chatting the doors of themon room were opened, Fred and George came in with tes filled with food.

    ¡°It seems we came back to soon, our hero Ivan is dating Hermione,¡± said Fred

    ¡°And they seem to have moved the school library,¡± said George.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back, I¡¯m starving!¡± said Ivan while hurriedly running over to them.

    ¡°Of course, our dear Mr. Mason, it is our pleasure to serve you!¡± said Fred as he moved away from Ivan and took out some red candles.

    ¡°There is your food, so we shall not disturb you and Miss Granger¡¯s candlelight dinner!¡± said George as he stepped forward and lit the candles.

    Both Ivan and Hermine blushed as Fred and George put the tes in front them like a waiter at a high-ss restaurant.

    Fred and George looked at the two embarrassed people while smiling, as they were getting ready to turn and leave they saw something out the window.

    ¡°Look, what is that?¡± said the two in unison.

    With Ivan and Hermione¡¯s eyes, they saw something giant approaching Gryffindor tower.

    A few secondster Ivan could see it was a transport team of dozens of owls. The owls kept falling and looked worn out, so Ivan hurried them in.

    As the owlsnded, the floor trembled a little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s something I bought,¡± exined Ivan hastily. The look on the three people¡¯s faces was one of surprise.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Fred and George in unison.

    ¡°It¡¯s a device for printing newspapers that I spent a lot of money on in Diagon Alley,¡± Said Ivan as he fed the owls and signed for the package.

    ¡°What did you buy professional printing equipment?¡± asked Fred loudly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell us you¡¯re going to start a newspaper,¡± said George.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to start a newspaper, just like the Daily Prophet, I think I¡¯ll name it Hogwarts¡¯ Magic.¡±

    Ivan opened the outer packaging of the printing press, a silvery whiteplex magic device appeared in front of the four people,pared to the muggle printing press it waspletely reliant on magic to operate it and also had a precise calibration function.

    ¡°Think about all the wizards graduating from Hogwarts, they have countless good memories, Hogwarts is full of secrets so we can start a newspaper that recalls, explores, and interprets those mysteries¡± whispered Ivan. ¡° Believe me we will be sessful, even more, sessful than the Daily Prophet, we will be the most widely read newspaper in the wizarding world.¡±

 Chapter 13 A Howler

    <h4>Chapter 13 A Howler</h4>

    Ivan turned and looked at Fred and George, and said ¡°I thought about it, the money earned by the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper can be used to fund all the students studying magic, and it is my honor to inform both you that you will be my first sponsor so you can advertise your products in the newspaper to bring people joy.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ivan,¡± said Fred and George as they looked at him.

    ¡°as for you, Hermione, I would like you to be the editor of the newspaper,¡± said Ivan as he turned and looked at Hermione, who looked like she had been petrified.

    ¡°What?¡± yelled Hermione.

    ¡°You will be responsible for the final edit of all articles if you like you can share your homework.¡±

    ¡°No, Ivan!¡±, Ivan was surprised to see Hermione shook her head in refusal.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that, I mean share my homework, but I¡¯m happy to be the editor of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic, in fact, I think your idea is fantastic,¡± said Hermione quickly.

    ¡°Yeah, a newspaper that¡¯spletely ours!¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Ivan you are going to go down in Hogwarts History,¡± said George.

    No one of the four students went back to the rooms, they all had a look of excitement on there faces as they discussed things about the newspaper, identifying the main issues.

    Due to theck of manuscripts and the limited Manpower, Hogwarts¡¯ Magic was scheduled for once a week release. It will be divided into ten sections, with news and current affairs covering both basic and in-depth articles on school life, edited by Hermione. As for the source of the news, Ivan will have a few people to collect it, but he decided to rely mostly on the ghosts in the castle.¡±

    The mystery section was given to Fred and George who wanted to introduce Various ces, passages, and the secrets of the castle.

    The Magical creatures of the forbidden forest section can be given to Hagrid, as for the Quidditch section it can be given to Harry and Ron while the Hogwarts a History section can be assigned to himself.

    As for the entertainment section, Ivan decided on Lockhart as the primary target of the school year. He believed that Lockhart should be popr with girls until he is exposed.

    As for the Novel and Academic exchange section, it will be open to school teachers and students, and as for the advertising section, it will be handled by Ivan.

    Besides Fred and George advertising their magical fireworks Ivan intends to make a trip to Hogsmeade, Ivan believes businesses will be happy to advertise in the newspaper, but first, he has to ensure that Hogwarts¡¯ Magic sells well.

    ¡°Hermione, you will be responsible for editing the manuscripts, and if you need help ask Ginny, I will be responsible formunication with others, and finally Fred and George will be responsible for advertising the paper, so if all goes well, a weekter we will be able to print our first issue,¡± concluded Ivan

    By the time Ivan returned to his bedroom, it was nearly two o¡¯clock.

    Inside the circr room, there were five poster beds decorated with red velvet surrounded by tall windows.

    Ivan noticed that his box had been moved when he was getting on his bed but then he saw a boy named Colin in the bed next to his.

    He now had a great idea to use Colin as a photographer for the newspaper. And after he thought of some new ideas, he quickly fell asleep.

    The next morning when Ivan entered the Great Hall he saw Harry and Ron sitting at the Gryfindor¡¯s table next to Hermione, they were looking down at a piece of paper.

    ¡°Hermione, you¡¯ve written an article to condemn us,¡± said Ron with a surprised tone.

    ¡°Morning!¡± said Ivan

    Ivan sat across of the three, in front of him was a bowl of porridge, a te of pickled herring, a small hill of bread, and a saucer of eggs and bacon.

    ¡°Ivan look what Hermione wrote, its an article condemning our drive to school citing several rules of the protection of underage wizards, she suggesting that the school should impose severe punishment on several of us, she is even asking to can the school Quidditch match,¡± said Ron to Ivan

    ¡°Shut up, Ron!¡± Hermione stiffly said, ¡°It¡¯s just an article I¡¯m going to submit to the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic, calling attention to the safety of underage wizards.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what newspaper?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic,¡± exined Ivan, ¡°I¡¯m going to finish writing,¡± said Hermione as she went back to work.

    ¡°The truth is ¡­..¡±

    Ivan had just finished exining to Harry and Ron about the newspaper, and they didn¡¯t have time toment before they heard amotion above their heads.

    ¡°Hundred of owls came in circling the Great Hall, delivering letters and packages, a big gray owl suddenlynded into Hermione¡¯s kettle, suddenly milk and feathers sshed all over them.

    ¡°Errol!¡± shouted Ron as he pulled the owl out of the kettle.

    This is the Weasley family owl, Ivan saw the owl lying on the table with a wet red envelope in his mouth.

    He immediately knew what it was, a howler.

    Ron hesitated for a moment before stretching out his trembling hand to open the envelope. The next second, Mrs. Weasley¡¯s voice rang out shouting 100 times louder than usual.

    Everyone in the Great Hall turned to see who received a Howler, and Ron sank into his chair.

    ¡°WHEN WE RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM DUMBLEDORE LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN¡¯T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS, YOU, Ivan, and HARRY COULD HAVE DIED. STEALING THE CAR, I WOULDN¡¯T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED IF THEY¡¯D EXPELLED YOU, YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON¡¯T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT WAS GONE¡±

    When Ivan heard his name, he pretended not to hear as he ate his eggs like they were the best thing in the world.

    ¡°I¡¯M ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED ¡ª YOUR FATHER¡¯S FACING AN INQUIRY AT WORK, IT¡¯S ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE¡¯LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT BACK HOME.¡±

    Soon the roar of Mrs. Weasley ceased.

    The Red envelope fell from Ron¡¯s hand to the ground, it burned and curled up into ashes.

    Ivan looked up and saw Harry and Ron sitting in the same ce as if they had been petrified.

    In the Great Hall, several people smiled, and voices began to sound out once more.

 Chapter 14 Colin Creevey

    <h4>Chapter 14 Colin Creevey</h4>

    After the sorting ceremony yesterday Ivan became famous throughout Hogwarts, almost every Hogwarts student knew who he was.

    At least the first year students did, Ivan has be a new celebrity, enjoying the same treatment as Harry when every there is a crowd.

    The most enthusiastic roommate was Colin Creevey after breakfast Colin invited Ivan to walk to ss with him, but Ivan suspected that his purpose in doing so was Harry.

    He saw Colin sneakily trying to take pictures of Harry.

    ¡°Colin if you want, I can introduce you to Harry. You look like you worship him,¡± said Ivan.

    ¡°Yes please do Ivan!¡± Colin responded eagerly, ¡°I know everything about Harry Potter, everyone has told me how he survived the one that must not be named, how the one who must not be named disappeared, and how he got his lightning-shaped scar, can you ask him to show it to me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not polite to ask, Colin!¡± Ivan had a headache talking to this guy, ¡°But I think he¡¯ll agree.¡±

    ¡°Really.¡± Colin looked like he received an early Christmas present, ¡°Colin said excitedly, ¡± you know, before I heard from Hogwarts, I never knew what I would do, My father is a milkman, and he can¡¯t believe that me and my brother are wizards, so I¡¯m going to take a bunch of pictures and send them to him.¡±

    ¡°Did you know you just need to use the right developing potion to make the photos move.¡±

    After Colin finished talking about photos Ivan invited him to be the photographer for the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic, Ivan worried that Colin would refuse, but his worried for nothing because Colin seemed happy so happy that he looked like he would run around in celebration.

    By the time they arrived to ss, everyone was already seated.

    Professor Flitwick was standing on a stack of books behind the desk holding up the student roster, so Ivan and Colin quietly slipped in and sat by Ginny.

    Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were together for the lesson, Professor Flitwick taught the students on how to use a wand for about an hour.

    Before it was time for the lesson to end, he asked everyone to take out their wands and practice some wand gestures.

    These things were simple for Ivan, but at the sight of Colin and Ginny seriously practicing he decided to pretend to do so as well.

    The next ss was the History of Magic which was taught by a ghost named Professor Binns.

    Many Gryffindors¡¯s thought that Professor Binns would be as entertaining as Nearly Headless Nick, but they were soon disappointed. In ss Professor Binn talked in a monotone voice while writing down several names and dates which confused some of the students.

    When Ivan arrived at the Great Hall for lunch, he met Harry at the door.

    Ron looked ill as if he hadn¡¯t recovered from this morning¡¯s howler, while Harry and Hermione whispered to each other, seemingly discussing Hogwarts¡¯ Magic.

    Ivan went up to say hello to Harry while introducing Colin to him.

    After meeting each other, Colin begged Harry to take a picture with him, ¡± Maybe I should stand next to you while Ivan takes the picture and then can you sign it for me?¡±

    Harry looked at Colin a little embarrassed and then looked at Ivan but before Ivan could say anything they heard someone mocking them from afar.

    ¡°Signing photos Potter.¡±

    Draco Malfoy walked behind Colin with his two henchmen Crabbe and Goyle.

    ¡°Everybody line up! Harry Potter is signing photos,¡± shouted Draco.

    ¡°I¡¯m Not,¡± Said Harry angrily while clenching his fist.

    Ivan noticed that Ron and Hermione were getting nervous and getting ready to fight.

    ¡°Shut up, Malfoy!¡± shouted Ron.

    ¡°You¡¯re jealous!¡± said Colin with a sharp voice.

    ¡°Jealous?¡± said Malfoy as he squinted his eyes, he didn¡¯t need to shout again as everyone in the auditorium was listening, ¡°Jealous of what an ugly scar no thank you I don¡¯t think that cutting your head will make you special.¡±

    After hearing Draco¡¯s words Crabbe and Goyle started tough.

    ¡°Eat slugs, Malfoy!¡± Ron pulled out his wand angrily, he had patched it with magic tape.

    ¡°Stop, Ron!¡± whispered Hermione.

    Once Crabbe and Goyle say Ron¡¯s wand theyughed once more and began to crack their knuckles.

    ¡°Be careful, Weasley!¡±

    Malfoy sneered, ¡± You mustn¡¯t get into trouble again, or your mother will take you out of school if you don¡¯t behave!¡±

    Malfoy mimicked the voice of Mrs. Weasley which caused a group of five Slytherin students to burst outughing.

    ¡°Weasley wants a signed photo, Potter!¡± said Malfoy with a mocking smile, ¡°It should be worth more than his house.¡±

    Harry pulled out his wand angrily, Ivan thought about it for a moment and also pulled out his wand. The Gryffindor and Slytherin students beside them even pulled out their wands.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, What¡¯s going on?¡± Gilderoy Lockhart ran towards them in a set of green robes, ¡°Who is signing photos?¡±

    Harry wanted to exin, but Lockhart pulled him away and said: ¡°Let us go, Harry!¡±

    Harry was pulled away by Lockhart, he saw Malfoy return to the crowd proudly.

    ¡°Come on Mr. Creevey,¡± said Lockhart, ¡°Me and Harry together in a photo with both of us signing them.¡±

    Colin clumsily took out the camera while taking the photo.

    Ivan quickly went into the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron followed angrily while Ron kept talking about Malfoy.

    Harry was dragged to the sidelines by Lockhart, Harry was wondering what they were saying, and a few minutester Harry came back with apletely red face and sat next to Ron.

    ¡°You can probably fry an egg on your face!¡±

    ¡°You better hope that Creevey and Ginny don¡¯t meet because if they do they¡¯ll set up a Harry Potter fan club,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous Ron!¡± Harry feared that he would be heard saying ¡°Harry Potter fan club.¡±

 Chapter 15 Hagridâ€™s Cabin

    <h4>Chapter 15 Hagrid¡¯s Cabin</h4>

    Harry and Ron whispered to each other, while Ivan and Hermione sat on the other side of the table.

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome, isn¡¯t he?¡±, whispered Hermione.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ivan surprisingly, as he followed her gaze he realized who she was talking about, her gaze was towards the teacher¡¯s table to be more precise Lockhart sitting at the table.

    ¡°Order of Merlin, Third ss; Honourary Member of the Dark Force Defence League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly¡¯s Most Charming Smile Award, not everyone can receive these awards.¡±, said, Hermione, while she took out a book called ¡°Voyages with Vampires,¡± ¡°We have a defense against the dark art ss this afternoon, it¡¯ll be his first ss at Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a great wizard, but it¡¯s a pity that the first grade has to wait until tomorrow to hear his lessons.¡±, said Hermione

    Ivan was, in fact, happy he didn¡¯t have to go to Lockhart¡¯s lesson today.

    He distinctly remembers what happens in Lockhart¡¯s first ss, so he didn¡¯t want to be attacked by a group of Cornish Pixies. I hope this ss teaches Lockhart a lesson, to not take out things he can¡¯t control.

    Soon the four parted ways, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to Lockhart¡¯s ss, while Ivan went back to Gryffindor¡¯smon room since the first years had no sses at that time.

    In the Gryffindormon room Ivan worked together with Fred and George to finalize the posters for the newspaper, slogans were written in bold text, with information on postings, requests, royalties, ordering methods, and prices.

    To help grow the user base, Ivan decided to give away the first issue of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic free, as long as the content is good enough to attract buyers it will be well worth it.

    After Fred and George left Colin invited Ivan to y a game but he rejected his offer, afterward, he went to the library to look for information for Hogwarts History section of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic.

    He ns to divide the section into two parts, the first part shall be titled ¡°Hogwarts a History¡± which will mainly focus on prominent historical events that have happened in the school¡¯s history.

    The first story will be about the founders of Hogwarts.

    It is written about in the book named ¡°Hogwarts a History, ¡± but Ivan believes that only a few wizards actually read it, at least Harry and Ron have never read the book.

    He will also write about stuff not introduced in the book.

    For the information not introduced in the book, he will talk to Professor Binns.

    As for the second part of the ¡°Hogwarts a History¡± section, I think I will call it ¡°Forgotten Memories.¡±

    This part is mainly to introduce information about Hogwarts graduates, Ivan has yet to decide who to write about.

    He wanted to talk about Dumbledore, but he could not find anything rted to the headmaster other than what was already wildly known.

    As for another well-known figure, Ivan found a ton of information rted to Tom Riddle, but he doesn¡¯t want other people to think that they are propaganda for Voldemort.

    ¡°Who should I write about, they need to be famous enough, so other students know who they are, but they can¡¯t be a Dark wizard.

    For the whole afternoon Ivan sat in the library flipping through Hogwarts books, each book was very thick and stacked together in stack taller than himself.

    Irma Pince, the librarian, looked at Ivan trying to figure out what the student was doing. She had never seen a freshman like Ivan, sitting in the library on the first day of school, reading these boring history books.

    Around three o¡¯ clock in the afternoon, Ginny came to find Ivan.

    ¡°I heard Colin say you be in the library.¡± said Ginny, ¡°I just received a letter from Hagrid inviting us to his cabin.¡±

    ¡°OK, I¡¯m ready to take a break anyway.¡± Ivan stood up while rubbing his eyes and returned the books he had on hand, but he still had not decided on who to write about.

    When they finally walked out of the castle door and breathed in a breath of fresh air, Ivan felt revived.

    ¡°Ivan, I heard Hermione say you are going to start a newspaper.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am!¡± said Ivan while nodding his head, ¡°Since you reminded me about it I can take this chance to tell Hagrid about the newspaper and try to make him join, I think he¡¯ll be happy to introduce the creatures of the forbidden forest.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Yeah!¡±

    Ginny looked at Ivan with a hint of admiration and said, ¡°A newspaper is amazing, I¡¯ve never heard of a student that started his own before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible when you have people helping you, Hermione, Harry, and a few of your brothers are helping me.¡±

    ¡°Since everyone is helping, can I help too, I mean if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Ginny shyly.

    Ivan looked at her and decided to tease her.

    ¡°Ginny, it¡¯s not easy to run a newspaper.¡± said Ivan deliberately in a serious tone, ¡°You know, we only need the best wizards.¡±

    ¡°I think I know what you mean, Ivan!¡± said Ginny as she bowed her head and sulked a little.

    ¡°Ha!¡± After seeing her look Ivan couldn¡¯t help butugh a little, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Ginny, I was going to invite you to help Hermione, so many manuscripts, she can¡¯t finish them alone.¡±

    ¡°But you said you only need the best wizards!¡±

    ¡°Our dear Ginny is the best!¡±

    While smiling Ivan said, ¡°Harry is in charge of the Quidditch section, and if you join there will be plenty of opportunities to meet him.¡±

    Ginny¡¯s blushed and nodded her head, Ivan hadn¡¯t waited for her to stop blushing before he moved on to the topic of Tom Riddle¡¯s diary, but to no avail, soon the two of them came to Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    When Ivan knocked on the door, he heard a muffled dog¡¯s bark and then came the sound of Hagrid¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Fang sit!¡±

    Soon Hagrid opened the door slightly but all Ivan saw was Hagrid¡¯s bearded face. In the next second, a gigantic ck hound jumped out of the door.

    Fang pushed Ivan down and started licking his face. Ginny screamed in horror behind him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, get off Fang!¡± Hagrid approached and dragged the hound off.

    Ivan stood up and wiped the saliva from his face.

    Like Hagrid, The Hound is not as fierce as it looks.

 Chapter 16 Preparing Manuscripts

    <h4>Chapter 16 Preparing Manuscripts</h4>

    Ivan and Ginny followed Hagrid into the cabin, the cabin had hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling, there is also a firece where a copper kettle is used to boil water, and in the corner stands a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

    Hagrid poured a cup of tea for them and took out arge basin of rock cakes from the firece. Ivan picked up one out of curiosity and tried it while almost breaking his teeth, Ginny just smiled, she apparently knew what these things where.

    The two had a delightful time while Hagrid told the two of his impressions of every Weasley, he thought Fred and George was a pain in the rear, but he also praised Charlie Weasley.

    Then the three talked about Harry.

    Once again Hagrid thanked Ivan for saving Harry from the Dursleys.

    ¡°Poor Harry, those odious Muggles dared to do that to him.¡± said Hagrid while wiping his eyes with a big handkerchief, ¡°He was just a little baby when I took him out of the remains of the house.¡±

    ¡°Remains of the house,¡± said, Ivan, when he thought of a brilliant idea.

    ¡°Yeah, it was his home, in Godric¡¯s Hollow where Lily was killed by the one who should not be named,¡± said Hagrid with his eyes filling with tears.

    Ivan and Ginny took turns to hug Hagrid, who had a rich mixture of emotions and kindnesspared to other hybrid giants.

    Thanks to Hagrid Ivan finally found out who to write about, and it will be Harry¡¯s mother, Lily, about her life before she died.

    She is well documented and was part of the most famous magical event of modern times.

    As one of the key figures, there should be plenty of people who wish to know more about here. Ivan also knows that Snape had feelings for Lily, so if he ys it right it could help get people from Slytherin to read the newspaper.

    After Hagrid calmed down enough a few minutester, Ivan told him about the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic and invited him to join and write about the magical creatures of the forbidden forest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ivan!¡± said Hagrid, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can handle the job.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Hagrid, no one canpare to you when ites to taking care of magical creatures,¡± said Ivan, ¡°And no one in Hogwarts knows more about them than you either.¡±

    In fact, no one needed this job more than Hagrid.

    After so many years of working with magical creatures, Hagrid desperately wanted to convey his experiences he had, and Ivan¡¯s newspaper provided a way.

    Given that Hagrid¡¯s sense of cuteness is not the same as ordinary people, Ivan advised him to start with unicorns as the first creature. Otherwise, Hagrid would probably start with a three-headed giant dog, a giant spider or something worse.

    The next thing was a lot easier, it was to find the magical creature.

    So Hagrid was in charge of finding the unicorns, andter Ivan will take people to take pictures of itter and write about Hagrid¡¯s experience with the creature.

    When Ivan and Ginny returned to the castle, they saw people talking about the announcement of the newspaper. Fred and George had already posted posters on the school¡¯s bulletin boards.

    Everyone was talking about things rted to the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper.

    ¡°This is awesome, Ivan, a newspaper that belongs to Hogwarts students!¡± said a third year, Hufflepuff while patting Ivan on the shoulder.

    From the gate to the Great Hall some people constantly came up to greet him, most of whom Ivan had never seen before, but they seem to know him.

    At Gryfindor¡¯s table, Fred and George were together with a gigantic grin on their faces.

    ¡°The response and effect is excellent,¡± said Fred

    ¡°We¡¯ve already begun to receive orders,¡± said George.

    In fact, the sess of the poster, made several people feel happy but also a little pressured.

    At night, in Gryffindor¡¯smon room, all the students of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper held their first meeting, chaired by Hermione.

    ¡°So far, we have received a total of 168 orders, most of them are from Gryffindor,¡± said Hermione while looking at a piece of parchment, ¡°but no one is contributing any manuscripts.¡±

    ¡°Rx, Hermione!¡± said Ivan whileforting her, ¡°We still have time.¡±

    ¡°But there are only five days left, and a few of you haven¡¯t given me your articles you¡¯re responsible for.¡± said Hermione,¡±Besides the manuscripts, weck the photos, and I wonder if we can get everything done by next week.¡±

    Once Hermione said something about photos it made Colin shrink back.

    He was responsible for the preparation of photos, but he spent the afternoon in the lounge with his roommate ying chess.

    While Hermione continual nagged them Ivan remained silent, and when he looked over to Harry and Ron sitting opposite of him, Harry winked at him, and Ron nodded telling him that it was the right choice to remain silent.

    When Hermione shows interest in something, try to pay attention, and if you have a different opinion, it is best to be silent.

    In this way, everyone remained silent except for Hermione, and a whileter the meeting ended.

    Harry and Ron were taken away to interview Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch captain and write an article about the Quidditch team.

    ¡°She¡¯s terrible just like our mother!¡± said Fred.

    ¡°We have to make a good article,¡± said George.

    ¡°Or she will kill us.¡± said the twins in unison.

    Then they pulled their little sister Ginny to a corner of the Common room to help them write something about the Grand Staircase of Hogwarts.

    Colin went to mail an order for developer¡¯s potion while Ivan sat in front of the firece and began to write a letter to Bathilda Bagshot, a famous historian, and Dumbledore¡¯s friend, who lived in Godric¡¯s Hollow, and a neighbor to the potters.

    She was there until the night when Lord Voldemort attacked, so she knew a lot of details.

    Half an hourter Ivan finished the letter.

    He is satisfied with what he wrote. In the letter, he gave his purpose of wanting to know the information in a tone of admiration from the younger generation, hoping to get her help so wizards could know more about Lily and sincerely invite her to be the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper History consultant.

    He went to Owlery and sent the letter, he watched the owl fade into the night with a smile on his lips and believed that it would not be long before Professor Dumbledore, know about this from his old friend.

    Ivan was confident that, with Dumbledore¡¯s help, Mrs. Bagshot would be happy to tell him everything that happened.

 Chapter 17 Luna Lovegood

    <h4>Chapter 17 Luna Lovegood</h4>

    The next day first years had the defense against the dark arts ss.

    Lockhart ss became a joke after yesterday, but that doesn¡¯t prevent him being loved by the girls. For example, Hermione is stubborn and says that Lockhart deliberately let the Cornish pixies out to give the students practical experience.

    When Ivan got to ss, he didn¡¯t feel surprised that all the girls were sitting in the front row of ss.

    After everyone was seated, Lockhart walked into the ssroom and acted like he was the most brilliant person in the world.

    ¡°Hello everyone, I think all of you should know who I am!¡± said Lockhart, revealing a charming smile, ¡°Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third ss; Honourary Member of the Dark Force Defence League; and five-time winner of Witch Weekly¡¯s Most Charming Smile Award, but I never talk about this, I didn¡¯t get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him.¡±

    ¡®So cliche¡¯ thought Ivan.

    ¡°I see everyone bought my books, so I think I¡¯ll give a little quiz today, you all probably have some answers from your seniors, but I regret to inform you that today¡¯s exam is quite different from yesterdays.¡± said Lockhart while giving everyone test papers, ¡°You have thirty minutes, start now!¡±

    ¡°Ivan looked at his test paper, it asked What is Lockhart¡¯s favorite food?, What is Lockhart¡¯s greatest desire? and so on, there were more than fifty questions like this.

    Ivan had a headache from looking at so many stupid questions. Ivan didn¡¯t know the answer to a single question since he didn¡¯t buy Lockhart¡¯s books.

    But it didn¡¯t matter, he took his quill and thought about it for a while and began to write on the paper. He told Lockhart about the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper and invited him to join, and of course, Ivan asked it in a tone of absolute worship.

    Ivan tried to portray himself as an absolute admirer.

    Although Ivan was not even an admirer, it was effortless because many people around him actually admire him so he can just reference how they speak of him.

    He tried to imitate Hermione¡¯s tone, and in his description, he said the newspaper was dedicated to Lockhart himself, and Ivan intended to pass the paper around at Hogwarts to expand Lockhart¡¯s influence.

    Ivan spent a lot of time describing the benefits of Lockhart joining and by the time he finished the parchment full of exaggeratedpliments thirty minutes were already over.

    Then Lockhart took up the papers and looked at them.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit disappointed that there is no one in the first years like Miss Granger form the second year, who answered all the question, if you read through the books carefully everyone would have got everything right, for example in the book Year with the Yeti you would know my favorite food, and I also made it very clear in chapter four of Gadding with Ghouls.

    Lockhart quickly flipped through the text papers until he saw Ivan¡¯s.

    ¡°Here¡¯s an interesting test paper¡± whispered Lockhart while looking intently at the paper, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to do, further expand my influence, and be the most admired wizard, its written very well!¡±

    All the students looked at Lockhart curiously.

    People were wondering what Lockhart was muttering about, Vicky Frobisher who was one of Ivan¡¯s roommates, tried to see the content of the paper.

    ¡°Yes, I will!¡± said Lockhart while putting the test paper down, ¡°One hundred Percent! Where is Mr. Ivan Mason?¡±

    Ivan quickly stood up and as soon as he did everyone¡¯s gaze turned to him.

    ¡°Great, Ivan! I would love to share my stories with my most loyal fan.¡± said Lockhart with a smile, ¡°Very good, points to Gryffindor!¡±

    When Ivan sat down, Colin whispered to him, ¡°Ivan, what did you write.¡±

    ¡°Nothing much, I just invited him to pose for a few photos, get your camera ready.¡± said Ian while smiling, ¡°We don¡¯t have long to take pictures after ss.¡±

    After the lesson, the rest of the time is rtively dull.

    The defense against the dark arts ss has almost be a reading ss, Lockhart asked the students to stand up and read his books in order making the ss boring. All the student left the ssroom in a hurry except for Ivan who dragged Colin to the podium.

    Lockhart praised Ivan and told him that if anything went wrong during the newspaper¡¯s preparation, he would help.

    Knowing that the novel section had yet to receive any manuscripts, Lockhart expressed his willingness to give some manuscripts he didn¡¯t publish.

    Afterwards, Lockhart did a variety of poses for Colin to shoot.

    Ivan was surprised that no matter what angle, Lockhart revealed a charming smile.

    Ivan could only admire this.

    Because of Lockhart¡¯s enthusiasm, they were five minuteste for the next ss and when Ivan learned that the next ss was transfiguration ss, his heart sank.

    Unlike other professors, Professor McGonagall was very strict.All freshmen were warned not to cross her and Professor Snape, and if you do, you will be miserable.

    Now that they werete for the first ss, Ivan became afraid to go. When the two arrived outside of the ss, they saw a strange looking Ravenw girl standing outside.

    She had straggly, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look. She wore a piece of Butterbeer cork as a ne and Dirigible plum earring.

    ¡°What are you doing, it¡¯s time for ss,¡± asked Colin

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for traces of a Nargle.¡± said the girl in a daze, her gaze was resting on the ssroom door.

    ¡°Sorry, what are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°A Nargle.¡± said the girl as she fixed her eyes on Ivan, ¡°You are Ivan Masson.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Luna Lovegood,¡± said Luna as she turned to look to Colin, ¡°But I don¡¯t know who you are.¡±

    Before Colin could introduce himself, the ssroom door was opened from the inside by Professor McGonagall who looked at them with eyes that could kill.

    ¡°Mr. Mason, Mr. Creevey, and Mrs. Lovegood, you¡¯rete!¡± she had a very tight mouth, ¡°If you¡¯re not going toe in nevere again.¡±

    Ivan and Colin hurried into the ssroom, and Luna sat next to them.

    ¡°What a bummer, we met Luna¡± whispered Colin, ¡°She is a Ravenw freshman, everyone calls her crazy, I heard that she believes that Nargles and Crumple-Horned Snorkack actually exist.¡±

    ¡°But they do exist.¡± interrupted Luna

    ¡°How can they, they are just imaginary¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet down, Colin!¡± said Ivan, ¡°don¡¯tment on things you don¡¯t know anything about.¡±

    ¡°Very wise choice.¡± said Luna in a very low sing tone, ¡°Wit beyond measure is a man¡¯s greatest treasure.¡±

    Colin tried to say something but he saw that Professor McGonagall was ring at him, so he hastily closed his mouth.

    ¡°Transfiguration is one of the mostplex and dangerous spells you will learn at Hogwarts. Anyone messing around in my ss will leave and note back. You have been warned.¡±

    After that, Professor McGonagall turned her desk into a pig and back again to demonstrate transfiguration.

    The students were all amazed and started learning immediately, but they soon realized that it would take a long time to achieve a feat such as turning furniture into an animal.

    After a lot ofplicated notes were written down, Professor McGonagall gave each of them a match and began to make them try to transfigure it into a needle.

    It¡¯s challenging for a new student to achieve it though. By the end of ss Ivan turned the match head into a needle tip, he was the fastest student in the ss.

    Ivan noticed that Professor McGonagall¡¯s mouth loosened slightly.

 Chapter 18 Ivanâ€™s Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 18 Ivan¡¯s Revenge</h4>

    All the Gryffindor students think that potions ss is worse than Transfiguration.

    Potions ss was in the basement the ssroom had a faint smell of herds, with different specimens in jars that makes one shiver.

    The worst part of potions ss is Professor Snape. As long as he stood there, no one dared to even whisper.

    In the first lesson after mocking everyone, Snape turned to Ivan and prepared to embarrass him.

    But Ivan was prepared and answered all the questions correctly.

    ¡°Another one like Mrs. Granger, Mister Perfect,¡± said Professor Snape contemptuously.

    Mister perfect was another nickname that he received from Snape after thest one ¡®Poter¡¯s follower,¡¯ matching Hermione¡¯s Miss Perfect.

    After Snape asked about almost everything from One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi and Magical Drafts and Potions Snape decided to change his strategy but Snape still deducted a point from Gryffindor on the basses of his uniform was not neatly worn.

    He decided to treat Ivan like he treats Hermione, that is with indifference.

    This was a lot easier for Ivan, but it was hard to be happy when Snape was still looking for any reason to deduct a point from Gryffindor students.

    But Ivan had to admit that Snape waspetent.

    For example, Snape wrote a simple potion recipe for the treatment of scabies on the ckboard, it differed slightly to the one written in the book.

    It was a small change, but it was superior to the book¡¯s recipe.

    Everyone except for Ivan hadn¡¯t practiced this potion before, so he knew how superior the quality was.

    Snape acted like it wasn¡¯t a big deal but Ivan knew that it was. Each potion was refined and documented by countless potions masters over the years so to improve the recipe just a little would require countless hours of research by numerous potions masters, but for Snape, it was a simple feat.

    Even improving the most basic of basic potions should prove to people he was one of the best, if not the best potions masters.

    ¡°Snape is terrible just like everyone told me,¡± said Colin who looked like he still had not recovered from potions ss.

    He seemed to be haunted by what might have happened, if Ivan had not stopped him from putting the wrong ingredient in the potions, Colin would have been spending the night in the hospital wing. But then again if Snape didn¡¯t stare at Colin he might not have messed up.

    For Colin¡¯s mistake, he was deducted two points and got the grade of Troll from Snape.

    ¡°Colin, cheer up, even if people seem to mean that doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t still good people,¡± said Ivan trying tofort him.

    When Ron who had just sat down heard his remark, he immediately stood up and said, ¡°Oh my God you are praising Snape.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just honest,¡± said Ivan, he decided not to respond to Ron and eat his pie.

    ¡°Hello, Harry!¡± said Colin when he saw Harrye along while hurrying to his feet.

    ¡°Hello, Colin!¡± replied Harry reluctantly, Colin has told him hello six or seven times today so far. Harry may be getting tired of it, but Colin still enjoys it, as if it was the most exciting thing in the world.

    Harry looked like he wanted to ask for help but Ivan can do nothing about this.

    He can¡¯t stop Colin or Ginny from worshipping Harry even if he tried, just as he can¡¯t stop Hermione from worshipping Lockhart.

    Ivan turned to Hermione and said, ¡°Professor Lockhart has agreed to help us, he invited me toe to his office after dinner and promised to put some of his unpublished manuscripts in the newspaper.

    ¡°Really, Ivan!¡± said Hermione with a look of pure joy, ¡°Can I go with you?¡±

    ¡°I think there shouldn¡¯t be a problem but I have something to write tonight so I will not be able to go so you can go with Colin and remember to take some pictures.¡±

    ¡°I thought you realized after yesterdays ss, what that guy¡¯s nature was, Hermione!¡± said Ron, ¡°He¡¯s a fraud¡± muttered Ron.

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± yelled Hermione while ring at him, ¡°You¡¯ve all read his books and all the amazing things he¡¯s done¡­.¡±

    ¡°Only he said he had done anything.¡±

    After dinner, Hermione and Colin went to Lockhart¡¯s office while Harry and Ron went to find nearly headless Nick and ask him to contact the other ghost to discuss the newspaper.

    Ivan had intended to go with them but he received a reply from Bathilda Bagshot, detailing the life and death of Lily Poter, the day Voldemort was defeated, including a lot of small details.

    These were things that had never appeared in any other book.

    Ivan didn¡¯t even tell Harry about what he was writing about, he returned to Gryfinndormon room quickly, and after reading the letter several times he started to write.

    ¡°The Guardian of Love, The Greatest Mother Lily Potter!¡±

    Ivan briefly introduced the life of Lily first, including her excellent performance at Hogwarts, and how she escaped Voldemort three times before.

    Then wrote about thest days of Lily with a slightly pompous and rigorous tone, as if he had seen all these things happen, and added countless details from Bathilda¡¯s reply.

    At the end he wrote how James was killed by Voldemort and how Lily fought to protect Harry, causing the article to reach its climax.

    Ivan highlighted how great a mother Lily was, her love for Harry, and the tragic battle scene, he believed that as long as one was not a death eater they couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear.

    Ivan omitted the magic that Lily hadst used, he didn¡¯t know what it was, and he was not sure whether Dumbledore wanted people to know because Bathilda¡¯s reply didn¡¯t mention it.

    As the rumor went, Voldemort killed Lily and tried to kill Harry, but failed whether it was a spell rebound or something else, people never knew.

    The truth couldn¡¯t be told but that didn¡¯t stop him from conceiving a few details.

    In his description he stated, after the death of Lily as she slowly fell to the ground, her hands still griping Voldemort¡¯s robe, stopping his march towards Harry, in her hands was a locket on one side a family photo of the Potters, on the back her childhood friend a ck-haired youth. And the text ends.

    Ivan wrote what the youth looked like and if anyone could guess who it was, it would be their problem.

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s my revenge on Snape.¡± thought Ivan maliciously, ¡®Since you dare deduct points from me, I have to let you suffer a little!¡¯

 Chapter 19 Ivanâ€™s Concern

    <h4>Chapter 19 Ivan¡¯s Concern</h4>

    The fire burned quietly as Ivan wrote, and when the others came back, he had finished the article, leaving only a few details to be edited.

    ¡°Ivan!¡± called Hermione as she and Colin entered themon room, she ran in with a happy face, ¡°That was awesome, we took a myriad of photos, and got a manuscript from Professor Lockhart.¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡± said Ivan as he wrote thest letter

    ¡°Let me have a look.¡± said Hermione while she took the parchment, and immediately became astonished when she noticed the contents., ¡°Oh my God, this is¡­..¡±

    Before she could finish what she was going to say Harry and Ron walked into themon room, they seemed to be in a horrible moodpared to Hermione and Colin.

    ¡°Guys, tonight sucks!¡± said Ron in a monotone voice, ¡°When we left we ran in Peeves the Poltergeist on the second floor who through a Dungbomb and then we were almost caught by Filch who thought we did it.¡±

    Wait, what were you doing there, if I remember correctly there shouldn¡¯t be anyone there.¡±Ivan focused on the reason they were on that floor since it had Moaning Myrtle¡¯s Bathroom on it.

    Ivan had tried to talk to Moaning Myrtle before but before he could he was caught by Filch¡¯s cat, Mrs Norris, and had to waste a lot of time trying to exin why he was trying to sneak into the girls bathroom.

    ¡°We thought we saw Ginny pass, but that¡¯s beside the point.¡± said Ron as he waved to dismiss it, ¡°The point is we managed to escape from Filch and find Nick on the fifth floor, he agreed to convince other ghosts to help us gather news on one condition, and that is¡­.¡±

    ¡°To attend his 500th Deathday party on Halloween.¡± said Harry with a feeble voice, ¡°And we have promised to!¡±

    ¡°Think about it, on Halloween in the basement at Nearly Headless Nicks Deathday party,¡± said Ron as he took a deep breath. Ivan, Colin, and Hermione who were sitting by the fire seemed to fell indifferent to the matter.

    Ivan was thinking about Ginny, while Hermione was utterly engrossed in Ivan¡¯s story and didn¡¯t hear a single word that Ron was saying.

    ¡°What the hell is going on with the two of you, are you not surprised, It¡¯s a ghost¡¯s party¡­..¡± said Ron but before he finished his words Harry pulled him aside since he noticed Hermione Had an unusual expression, her hands were sped tightly and her eyes were bloodshot.

    Ron stopped because he was unsure if he had angered Hermione.

    ¡°Hermione, are you all right?¡± whispered Harry.

    ¡°I¡¯m ok, Harry!¡± said Hermione as looked up while wiping her eyes with her hands.

    In the next second, she suddenly stood up and gave Harry a hug.

    ¡°Hermione, what¡­.¡± said Harry he was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Harry, this is the article that Ivan wrote, I think you should read it,¡± said Hermione while shoving the parchment into Harry¡¯s hands.

    Harry shifted his gaze to the parchment, and a momentter he turned pale after he realized what had been written.

    ¡°Ivan, this¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what happened from Bathilda Bagshot, she was your parent¡¯s neighbor in Godric¡¯s Hollow, she saw what transpired that day,¡± exined Ivan.

    The tension in the air grew causing everyone to stay silent.

    ¡°Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?¡± murmured Ron, so Hermione hastily whispered the details to him.

    After Hermione finished exining stuff to Ron, Harry who looked even paler now stood there with a look of fear on his face. ¡°Harry, Ivan wrote these things about your mother, didn¡¯t you know about this stuff already?¡± asked Hermoine

    ¡°I never knew, no one has ever taken the time to tell me exactly what happens before,¡± answered Harry with a trembling voice, trying his best to keep his tears at bay.

    But try as he must small droplets began to fall to the parchment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harry!¡±, whispered Ivan, he noticed how much the things he wrote hurt Harry.

    For over ten years Harry had never known his parents, and now to write about their death in detail is a very cruel thing for him to do.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault?¡± sobbed Harry while rubbing his eyes.

    Harry didn¡¯t want others to see him cry so he ran to his bedroom while clutching the parchment tightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll calm him down,¡± said Ron as he ran after Harry.

    Beside the firece, there was only a frustrated Ivan, a red-eyed Hermione, and Colin who was left clueless through the entire ordeal.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not consulting Harry before I wrote about his mother.¡±

    ¡°I think you write well.¡± said Hermione as she came over and hugged Ivan, ¡°Harry just needs some time to digest this matter.¡±

    When Ivan heard Hermione consoling him, his mood became somewhat better. He gave Bathilda Bagshot¡¯s reply to Hermione and soon the topic switched to the newspaper content and typesetting.¡±

    Time went by, Colin sat for while before leaving, and Hermione stayed until midnight before going back to bed with arge stack of papers.

    When the fire was about to burn out, only Ivan was left in themon room, but then he saw Ginny sneak in.

    She looked very embarrassed, she looked like she had been wrestling a troll. her robe was full of dust, her face was slightly pale, and she was covered with traces of blood.

    Ivan¡¯s heart sank as he wondered has the chamber of Secrets been opened!

    ¡°Ginny, you¡­..¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ivan!¡±

    Fred soon walked in and said, ¡°Ginny helped us to confirm a secret passage but we had a little trouble.¡±

    ¡°Peeves through a box full of Dungbombs, but luckily we ran fast,¡± said George as he walked in.

    ¡°I hope Filch can handle it!¡± said Ginny

    Hearing their exnation Ivan breathed a sigh of relief since he thought Ginny had opened the Chamber of Secrets but now it seems his worry had been for nothing.

    After they had eaten some chocte, they headed to bed as Ginny was walking up the staircase Ivan asked, ¡°Ginny do you know who Tom Riddle is?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Ginny since she seemed not to hear what he said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, good night.¡±, said, Ivan, as he went to his bedroom.

    ¡°Good night, Ivan!¡± said the girl who had unusually bright brown eyes under the candlelight.

 Chapter 20 Humbly Accepting Cowardice

    <h4>Chapter 20 Humbly epting Cowardice</h4>

    Ivan slept very soundly that night as he dreamed of various thing.

    He dreamed he was there at Godric¡¯s Hollow the night that Voldemort killed Harry¡¯s Parent, he wanted to help them, but he was powerless.

    Afterwards, he dreamed about Ginny, the girl fell powerlessly in front of him, her body was as cold as a corpse, Tom Riddle stood beside her, Tom¡¯s face was full of arrogance, mocking his powerlessness in front of true strength.

    Ivan quickly pulled out his wand but in the next moment Ivan was sent flying by Tom, and in the next second a green spell was fired at Ivan, then he suddenly woke up from his dream and sat up.

    When Ivan woke up, Ivan was drenched with sweat.

    It was barely dawn outside, so heid down again, he realized that he is too weak, he isn¡¯t Voldemort¡¯s opponent.

    But luckily he had time, and fortunately, they had Dumbledore, the only wizard Voldemort fears.

    Ivan knew he needed to improve his strength step by step, he couldn¡¯t learn advanced magic at the moment. But for now, he needs to figure out how to defeat the Basilisk and how to deal with the diary.

    ¡°I know the Basilisk is scared of crowing roosters.¡±

    When he was thinking about how to defeat the Basilisk, he heard somethinging from the corner of the room.

    ¡°Lumos,¡± said Ivan, casting a spell and looking for anyone.

    It was a creature with green eyes wearing a pillowcase, a house elf, and it was tidying up the room.The light from Ivan¡¯s wand frightened the house elf, and it let out a suppressed scream and vanished into thin air.

    Beside his bed was Colin¡¯s but through the whole ordeal, he slept like a log.

    Ivan couldn¡¯t sleep, so he decided to think about Voldemort, perhaps in Voldemort¡¯s eyes, he was as humble as a house elf.

    This feeling was horrible, so Ivan put on his robe and snuck out of bed.

    This morning at Hogwarts was very quiet, the portraits were sleeping, and not even a shadow could be seen. Ivan walked through the empty castle, wondering why he suddenly wanted to see the sunrise.

    Ivan walked up the staircase to the top of the castle, to where he had never been before.

    By the time he climbed to the top floor, he saw one of the entrances to a house¡¯smon room it had elegant arched windows, surrounded by blue and bronze colored silk and an eagle-shaped bronze knocker on the door.

    It was the entrance to Ravenw¡¯smon room, Ivan approached a balcony, and he could see the beautiful scenery outside the castle.

    In the next moment, Ivan noticed that someone came here earlier than himself.

    As a light breeze blew, the sun slowly rose from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. With the sun shining Ivan saw a beautiful golden hair girl sitting on the edge of the balcony. The girl had ethereal qualities that made one think of a fairy.

    ¡°Good morning, Ivan!¡± said Luna calmly as turned towards Ivan, as if she knew from the start he would appear here.

    ¡°Good morning, Luna!¡± sighed Ivan as he sat down beside her, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m writing an article about finding a Horned Snorkack, and I¡¯m going to contribute it to your newspaper,¡± said Luna

    Ivan didn¡¯t know how to respond to her contributing something, he should be happy but when he thought about the content ¡®How to find a Horned Snorkack,¡¯ it let him feel happy and a little unhappy at the same time.

    ¡°In the morning it is often easier to be inspired!¡± said Luna as she put her parchment down and stared at Ivan with bulging eyes, ¡°Are you also looking for inspiration, no, you look like you have something on your mind.¡±

    ¡°Well, Yes!¡± said Ivan hesitatingly, and continued, ¡°I am just feeling how cruel reality is, the power of man is too small, even if one knows everything one cannot change anything.¡±

    Ivan was vague, so he wasn¡¯t sure if Luna could understand him.

    Two people watched the sunrise for a while, Luna said in a peculiar trance-like voice, ¡°Power is never absolute, people who can face their own cowardice and remain humble, is a kind of courage, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ivan while nodding, courage is important.

    ¡°But I believe more in wisdom than strength or courage,¡± said Luna in a singing tone,¡±Wit beyond measure is a man¡¯s greatest treasure.¡±

    This is Ivan¡¯s second time hearing Luna say this sentence, he went back yesterday and checked the origin, this was one of Rowena Ravenw¡¯sst words.

    Perhaps it is a famous saying, but Ivan doesn¡¯t know how this sentence is able to help defeat Voldemort.

    ¡°My mother once told me before dying, it is important to choose your own direction, and then no matter how many people oppose you, you must stick to it and pursue your belief.

    On the balcony, Luna¡¯s voice left Ivan in a trance-like state.

    ¡°Direction!¡± said Ivan and asked subconsciously ¡°Your mother?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Luna, ¡°She was an excellent witch and liked to do experiments but one day one of her spells backfired and died, I was nine years old.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, Luna!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Ivan!¡± said Luna, ¡°I¡¯m okay since I was loved why she was still alive, although I do feel depressed sometimes, at least I still have my father. What I want to say is no matter how difficult it is you will always have someone to help you through it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I will always have someone to help.¡± Nodded Ivan as he realized this.

    Ivan has had a profound sense of anxiety since he knew he had crossed into the wizarding world of Harry Potter, always putting himself on the opposite side of Voldemort while ignoring the existence of others.

    When he listened to Luna, he remembered Harry, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else, who in the original story helped ovee Voldemort, even if it was at a high price, but still, in the end, they won.

    Now that he is here he must save the lives of those who were lost.

    ¡°Believe in your friends, it might not do anything earthshaking but it will change many ordinary things but essential things.¡± said Luna, ¡°I think one of Helga Huffle puffs quotes is the best, ¡®I¡¯ll teach the lot and treat them just the same¡®, she seems to be the best of the founders.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Luna!¡± said Ivan who was feeling much better.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee toe with me to Ravenw¡¯smon room.¡± said Luna, ¡°We can read The Quibbler which is a magazine my father writes, it might give you some inspiration.¡±

    ¡°No thank you, I¡¯m a little hungry, I want to go downstairs and eat some pudding!¡± said Ivan while shaking his head, although he was interested in Ravenw¡¯smon room he didn¡¯t want to read The Quibbler.

 Chapter 21 To Hogsmeade

    <h4>Chapter 21 To Hogsmeade</h4>

    Luna¡¯s words helped Ivan¡¯s mentality change, and after breakfast, he began to look on the bright side of things.

    Harry returned the parchment and agreed to let Ivan publish the article in the newspaper, Ivan noticed that the parchment was full of tears, it must have been a tough night for him.

    At least Gryffindors nevercked the courage to face hardships.

    Harry recovered quickly and thanked Ivan for letting him know the details of his parent¡¯s death. Ivan gave Bathilda Bagshot¡¯s reply to Harry.

    After Herbology ss Ivan followed the first years to Flying ss.

    Since he spent the summer at the Weasley¡¯s house, he had learned how to fly a broom, but Ivan had a strong phobia of flying after he told this to Madam Hooch she told him to stand on the sidelines.

    It made the Slytherins mad since they wanted to teach Ivan a lesson ording to the two houses rivalry.

    But now there was no chance, so they had to find another Grifendor, so they turned their gazes to Colin but Ivan¡¯s ssmate Vicky Frobisher didn¡¯t let them.

    They fought on their brooms leading to aedic ending, besides Ivan, all the Gryffindor and Slytherin new students were severely reprimanded by Madam Hooch and deducted five points.

    After seeing Frobisher, he thought of rmending her to join the Quidditch team as a keeper.

    However, he didn¡¯t have the energy to try this, since the release of the newspaper is getting closer.

    Hermione has now reced Snape as the most terrifying person in Ivan¡¯s opinion.

    In the next few days under Hermione¡¯s supervision he spent almost all the time in the library, the two of them reviewed and revised all the manuscripts, so he had to finish his homework after 10 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    While Harry and Ronined that Hermione hadn¡¯t lent them her homework, but after she red at them, they shut up.

    Compared to Ivan they were lucky enough to just work on an article about Hogwarts¡¯ Quidditch.

    Everyone was busy preparing the manuscripts, but Hermione was still dissatisfied with the academic section.

    ¡°Ivan we¡¯ve only received two submissions so far.¡± Said, Hermione, while looking at the two manuscripts, ¡°One is from Percy, ¡°The Present and the History of the Crucible,¡± and the other is ¡°How to find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.¡±

    ¡°If there is no other choice do Luna¡¯s article first.¡± said Ivan as he stopped writing,¡±Her father does a magazine that publishes such articles, I heard the sales are good, so there are people who like to see such things.¡±

    ¡°Ok?!¡± said Hermione in a voice full of doubt.

    The Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper which is mostlypleted is in his opinion no better than the Quibbler.

    It wasn¡¯t the same quality as he imagined since the manuscript quality was too low.

    Page three introduced interesting Hogwarts News of the week but is limited by the source of the articles with most of theming from Gryffindor students.

    Ivan, Harry, and Ron flying a car to school was the front page. Only a handful of things were rted to Ravenw and Hufflepuff, and as for Slytherin, there was almost no other news besides Malfoy provoking people on several asions.

    Afterwards was an article about the safety of young wizards which took up five-pages, it was full of legal terms, Ivan was unsure whether anyone would read it.

    He believed Hermione¡¯s articles would be skipped by most young wizards.

    As for Fred and George¡¯s articles, it covered the Grand Staircase and the frequently used secret passages, which could help some of the new students and attract some readers.

    They must have left a lot out because with these secret passages it would be impossible to escape Filch who was familiar with the secret passages.

    Ginny helped Hagrid with his article about magical creatures, Harry and Ron wrote about Quidditch, in Ivan¡¯s opinion, he didn¡¯t find any good thing to highlight.

    And Luna¡¯s article for the academic section ¡°How to find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.¡±

    ¡°So it seems that the story I wrote about Lily will be highlighted.¡± thought Ivan as he turned the newspaper, and what he saw next was more than ten pages of photos of Lockhart.

    Lockhart in ss, Lockhart grading homework, Lockhart at dinner, Lockhart waving his wand, Lockhart helping other professors, Lockhart in ¡­¡­¡­..

    Lockhart¡¯s smile was everywhere it made Ivan a little dizzy.

    After the photos was Hermione¡¯s story about Lockhart.

    Under Hermione¡¯s description of Lockhart, it made him seem greater than Dumbledore.

    Following that was Lockhart story. Since Lockhart announced to the ss that he would publish a story in the newspaper, the girls in ss came to him wanting to see the content ahead of time.

    Although it wasn¡¯t ideal, Ivan had to admit that the sess of the first issue of Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper was entirely up to the charisma of Lockhart.

    ¡°Almost done, it looks like everybody did there best!¡±

    Ivan put the newspaper down and turned to Hermione and said: ¡°I¡¯m going to Hogsmeade Saturday to talk to the businesses there.¡±

    ¡°Hogsmeade, only third years get to go there and only on a specific Saturday.¡± said Hermione in a serious tone, ¡°And you need a parent or a guardian¡¯s signature.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t Hermione!¡± said Ivan, ¡°I learned from Fred and George that there is a secret passage to Hogsmeade.¡±

    ¡°Secret passage,¡± said Hermione as she shook her head, ¡°If you are caught you will be expelled.¡±

    ¡°As long as you don¡¯t tell anyone, no one will know. We need advertisements and sponsorships. or we will not have enough money to print one issue of the newspaper, you know ink and paper aren¡¯t cheap.¡±

    ¡°But..¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione!¡±ughed Ivan, ¡°I remember Saturday is Gryffindors first Quidditch match, I will be back before it is over to cheer on Harry!¡±

 Chapter 22 Conflict and Fight

    <h4>Chapter 22 Conflict and Fight</h4>

    Ivan¡¯s Hogsmeade trip was not as easy as he expected, businesses were not keen to spend money on an obscure newspaper that they¡¯ve never heard of.

    However, through Ivan¡¯s effort to persuade them, there were still some businesses that agreed to sponsor the newspaper.

    For example, Honeydukes gave him two big cans of chocte Cauldrons that they couldn¡¯t sell, Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop owner gave him a lot of Dungbombs, and The Three Broomsticks offered him a ss of free lemonade.

    The owner of The Three Broomsticks said: ¡°Kids can¡¯t drink so here¡¯s some lemonade!¡±

    ¡°Well nothing is easy in the beginning but at least its better than nothing,¡± said Ivanforting himself, and after drinking the lemonade, he carried a giant pile of things through the long narrow secret passage and walked back to Hogwarts.

    As he made it back to Hogwarts, he saw that Slytherin and the Gryffindor students were on the Quidditch field arguing about something.

    Draco Malfoy was at the center of the crowd, he seemed to have said something nasty to Hermione, and it looked like Fred and George would pounce on him, Ron red at Malfoy while pointing his broken wand at him.

    ¡°You will pay for what you said¡± shouted Ron.

    In the next second arge explosion resounded through the field, a green colored spell shoots out of the back of Ron¡¯s wand and hit him in the abdomen, causing him to fall to the ground.

    ¡°Ron, Ron! Are you okay?¡± screamed Hermione

    Ron opened his mouth to answer but what came out were not words, but slugs were spat out and fell to the ground.

    The Slytherin team¡¯s yers couldn¡¯t stopughing and their captain Flint turned red fromughing so much. Malfoy fell to the groundughing so hard at Ron¡¯s blunder. The Gryffindor team surrounded Ron who continued to spit out slugs.

    Ivan hurried to the crowd when Colin saw him he happily said, ¡°YOu¡¯re back, Ivan, Ron was hit by his own spell. Harry, can you help him?¡±

    Colin excitedly held up the camera and pointed it at Harry.

    ¡°Ivan took out his wand and uttered the spell ¡°silentium¡± at Ron, but the spell didn¡¯t work, and Ron spat out a new batch of slugs.

    ¡°Look at the little smelly mud blood¡±ughed Malfoy while looking contemptuously at Ivan, ¡°look at your pathetic magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Malfoy?¡± Ivan looked at Malfoy coldly and pointed his wand at Malfoy that formed a red light on the tip.

    In an instant, Malfoy was struck by Ivan¡¯s spell.

    ¡°Damn how dare you..¡± The smile on the Slytherin students faces vanished in an instant and looked at Ivan coldly, several seniors quickly pulled out their wands.

    Soon more and more Slytherin pointed their wand¡¯s at Ivan, while the Gryffindor students soon pulled out their wands and red at each other, the tension was reaching its peak. (Note: This is what I imagine but with a lot more people.)

    ¡°Stupid mud blood, I will kill you!¡± Shouted Malfoy as he got up from the ground while picking up he wand, ¡°Bumbler falls!¡±

    It seemed to be a signal that made each side nerves stretch to the extreme, Gryffindor and Slytherin read out their own mantra, and then the whole Quidditch stadium turned into a battleground.

    Students who were originally sitting in the stadium poured into the field, so the situation became even more chaotic. When several students in Hufflepuff saw what was going on the turned towards the castle and ran.

    In the field, Ivan was Slytherin¡¯s primary target.

    After escaping from three spells, he realized he was too slow to cast a spell of his own, so he decided to throughout all the Dungbombs he got earlier.

    When he threw a Dungbomb, it only hit the Slytherin students, this interrupted their spells, the stench was apanied by Slytherin Screams.

    Malfoy was his primary focus, so he is now covered with dung.

    ¡°Attaboy, Ivan!¡± Chered Fred and George.

    It didn¡¯t take much longer before Ivan made the Slytherin¡¯s abandoned their wands and pounce on the nearest enemy in the most primitive way.

    The Slytherin students took advantage of the moment since no one wanted to be near the dung covered Slytherins which deprived the Gryffindors of fighting them.

    Ivan ran into one of Malfoy¡¯s roommates ine Zabini, the two people soon fought, making Ivan¡¯s lips to break and causing Ivan blood to pour out.

    Ivan didn¡¯t let the other side get the better of him, he gave Zabini a few punches, and when he was ready to finish the other off, a big hand suddenly separated the two.

    Ivan raised his head up and noticed it was Hagrid.

    ¡°My God, what are you all doing?¡± Said Hagrid with a shocked face.

    Not far away Harry and Malfoy were in a scuffle, Ron kept spitting slugs up at Goyle, Hermione was fighting here and there, but she was still holding onto her wand, as for Colin and Neville, they were fighting Crabbe together, and the Quidditch yer was fighting each other.

    As for Fred and George, they somehow got more Dungbombs and were throwing them at Slytherin students.

    A few secondster, a loud noise echoed throughout the Quidditch field.Almost all the professors came out. Dumbledore stood there with his wand raised high.

    ¡°Group fights, I¡¯ve been at Hogwarts for so many years, but I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before!¡± said Professor McGonagall while being a little perplexed, ¡°Gryffindor and Slytherin are deducted a hundred points each, and if this happens again, I¡¯ll cancel your Quidditch game.¡±

    ¡°But Professor ¡­¡±The Gryffindor Quidditch caption Oliver Wood quickly argued.

    ¡°Quiet, Wood!¡± I thought you would be better than this, ¡± said Professor McGonagall with an expression of disappointment.

    ¡°Who started it?¡± said Professor Snape as he gazed at Harry and Ivan who was standing beside him.

    ¡°It was Ivan Masson and Harry Potter!¡± Said almost all the Slytherin students while pointing at the two people.

    ¡°They are lying, Malfoy started it!¡± said the Gryffindor students.

    ¡°He called Ivan and Hermione mud bloods!¡± said Ron while puking up slugs.

    ¡°Shut it, Weasley! I can tell who is lying.¡± Snape turned his eyes to Harry and Ivan, ¡°As for you¡­..¡±

    ¡°Severus, I believe they are students of my house, so I¡¯ll decide how to punish them,¡± said Professor McGonagall.

 Chapter 23 The first issue of the newspaper

    <h4>Chapter 23 The first issue of the newspaper</h4>

    The punishment for the fight was decided quickly, and everyone involved in the fight was sent to detention.

    Harry, Ivan, and Hermione helped Lockhart respond to his admirers because Lockhart wanted help, while Ron, Colin, and Neville helped Filch clean the trophies in the trophy room.

    Malfoy had to clean up Snape¡¯s office, while Slytherin and Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch team had to clean up the Quidditch field since Fred and George threw too much dung.

    At dinner, Harry looked frustrated, he told the others that it was the worst punishment, he preferred to help clean the trophies or clean the Quidditch field.

    Hermione was even more frustrated than Harry, she said with a sullen face, ¡°Look at everything you¡¯ve done, there¡¯s only a day left before the official release of the newspaper and everyone is in detention. Ivan, you shouldn¡¯t be so impulsive and Ron you¡¯re still spitting up slugs for Malfoy¡¯s sake.¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯sints, Ron didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Ron whispered to Harry with his head down, ¡°When we were fighting, Hermione looked more excited than anyone else. Of course, his voice was shallow, so except for Ivan who was seated beside Harry, no else heard him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, Hermione!¡± said Fredforting her, ¡°After all, we won, didn¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°This was the first time we used Dungbombs to attack others, the effect was amazing!¡± said George while looking at Slytherin¡¯s long table with satisfaction, There was stench everywhere, so no one wanted to go near them.

    ¡°To celebrate this victory, we should have a party.¡± said the two in unison.

    ¡°I should write and tell your mother about this,¡± said Hermione while looking at them angrily.

    ¡°Let them be, Hermione!¡± said Ivan quickly, ¡°They helped us after all, it was Malfoy who called us Mud Bloods.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± asked Harry, of course, he could tell it was something vulgar.

    ¡°It is an offensive remark. The word Mud Blood is a pejorative term for people who are muggle-born with no recent magic ancestry.¡± Exined Ron, ¡°Some wizards, like the Malfoy family always feel superior to others because they are so-called purebloods.¡±

    ¡°Discrimination based on ancestry.¡± Ivan added, ¡°Voldemort used this reason to ughter Muggles.¡±

    After hearing the name of he who must not be named, everybody at the table shuddered, especially Ginny, she looked terrified.

    ¡°Let us change the subject, what are we going to do now?¡± asked Hermione.

    ¡°I have a way to persuade Professor Lockhart to let us leave early.¡±

    ¡°Really, Ivan!¡± said Harry excitedly

    ¡°Of course, Harry, but you need to be the sacrifice and stay with him.¡±

    When Harry heard what Ivan said Harry went back to being depressed.

    When they arrived at Lockhart¡¯s office after dinner, Ivan asked Lockhart to let him and Hermione go back and finish the manuscripts because there was only a single day left until the official release of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper, and they still had a lot of work to do.

    Lockhart very readily agreed to Ivan¡¯s request, after all, in Lockhart¡¯s eyes he was the center of attention of the newspaper.

    Ignoring Harry¡¯s pitiful look Ivan and Hermione rushed to the library with a pile of paper.

    ¡°This will be a lot of work!¡± said Ivan while smiling, ¡°We can find Ginny to help us since she shouldn¡¯t be in detention.¡±

    ¡°She went to help Fred and George clean up the Quidditch field, there is still traces of Dungbombs left, with two brothers like that I feel bad for her,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Well, Hermione!¡± sighed Ivan, ¡± Fred and George are good people, and we all like them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying they are bad people, but they are just too mischievous, perhaps¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Well, Hermione, I just wanted to ask, What are you going to write?¡± Seeing that Hermione was going to go on forever, he changes the subject of the conversation.

    ¡°An article that calls attention to school violence.¡± answered Hermione with a slight pause, ¡°But after hearing you talk about Mud Bloods, I am going to change it to The legitimate rights and interests of Muggle-born wizards, that is my task, so the rest is up to you!¡±

    Afterwords Hermione got up and searched for books rted to her article.

    Ivan rearranged the front page and put the fighting incident as the headline.

    Time passed, and the Gryffindor¡¯s were still in a festive mood.

    A lot of people heard about the fight Saturday, though the end result was close, at the sight of the smelly Slytherin students, people knew that Gryffindor came out on top with a few cheap tricks.

    The gossip was spreading everywhere, and Ivan was once again the focus of attention, there was gossip about him everywhere, there were a least ten versions of him taking Malfoy on.

    Ron was also the subject of discussion since he is spitting out slugs, so everybody is talking about what kind of spell can do this, so a lot of the library¡¯s books on charms have been borrowed.

    The four houses were regretting not seeing the group fight with there eyes.

    As a result, people were full of anticipation for the uing first issue of the Hogwarts¡¯ magic newspaper because the newspaper had details of the battle and the spell Ron used.

    On Monday morning, Ivan woke up early and came to the Great Hall with a newly printed newspaper.

    Following his strategy, the first issue is free, it had all the staff, article author¡¯s name and order method on it. Fred and George made a song, but Professor McGonagall made people stop singing it. But this didn¡¯t stop everyone¡¯s enthusiasm, except for Slytherin¡¯s boycott of the newspaper, all the copies were soon taken by the other houses.

    Inside the great hall, everyone was looking through the newspaper or discussing the articles.

    The Slytherin long table was out of tune with the other three since they didn¡¯t speak but just ate breakfast with a gloomy face. It was like a funeral at Slytherin¡¯s long table, the atmosphere was scary and chilling.

    Ivan set aside a bunch of newspapers after he printed them for the teachers. He took over ten thick newspapers and gave them to every professor.

    Dumbledore happily epted it, while Professor McGonagall just nodded but looked a little proud of Ivan, and Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout smiled and picked it up; as for Lockhart he took it and immediately turned it straight to his pictures and started giggling, and asked Ivan to send him a few copies.

    The trouble was Snape, he nced at Ivan with a gloomy face, he seemed to have no intention of talking to him, like the Slytherin students.

    Ivan pretended to be careless and dropped it where Snape could see the article about Lily, but Snape still showed a disgusted face while looking at it.

 Chapter 24 Extraordinary Sucess

    <h4>Chapter 24 Extraordinary Sucess</h4>

    ¡°Unprecedented sess, Ivan!¡± this was Fred and George¡¯s evaluation of the newspaper.

    Now the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper is the most popr thing in the entire school, all the student are talking about it.

    The front page introduced the fight at the Quidditch field which greatly satisfied everyone¡¯s curiosity. Colin even captured a few photos that showcased the handsome side of Ivan.

    Handsome, intelligent, and the creator of a newspaper, Ivan is now almost as famous as Harry, he is now one of the most popr students, most people hade a positive evaluation of him, and even the girls were thinking of writing love letters to him.

    The advantage of the newspaper was that he could change public opinion, so in his article, he showed that Slytherin was the primary cause of the battle.

    Of course, it was the truth.

    Now that everyone knew what happened they decided to condemn Malfoy which made Malfoy angry. Malfoy red at Ivan and Harry from afar but didn¡¯te up for trouble.

    Also, Hermione¡¯s articles were doing better then he expected, even though most young wizards will not care about this stuff. However, at lunch Ivan noticed several professors reading the contents of the articles carefully.

    Introducing secret passages, Quidditch, and magical creature articles were popr with the young wizards, although most of the stuff was covered in books many young wizards won¡¯t read those books.

    Some of the articles can help new students integrate into school life quicker. The twins made word games and joke that the seniors like.

    As for Luna¡¯s article, ¡± How to find a Horned Snorkack,¡± wasn¡¯t very popr.

    But Luna was still very Happy and gave a recent issue of the Quibbler to Ivan and said her father would like to cooperate with them in depth for a joint publication of Horned Snorkack research results.

    The most popr articles were Lockhart¡¯s pictures and novel.

    It was mainly popr among girls and Hermione was not an exception. Even a lot of Slytherin girls secretly got a copy of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper.

    But what was more surprising was that a few people got a new newspaper from Ivan to mail back to their parents, most of them were fans of Lockhart.This would increase the number of buyers, but then Ivan had to consider printing them.

    Someone finally noticed Ivan story about Lily by breakfast, The descriptive article brought everyone back to Godric¡¯s Hollow.

    As one of the most well knows modern wizarding events, the young wizards knew the basics of what happened, but no one knew the details that Ivan wrote in his article.

    For a while, this story reced Lockhart¡¯s novel as the primary focus.

    Today¡¯s breakfast was destined to be much longer than usual, as everyone was immersed in this tragic story, no one care about their food.

    Besides the Slytherin¡¯s the other houses were all quiet while reading the article. This made Slytherin¡¯s curious, but because of the boycott, they couldn¡¯t look.

    After a while, the Slytherins went back to their housesmon room, but the Slytherin students were still looking at them curiously.

    Ivan had a smirk since he had to stay upte that night and work.

    Slytherins boycott was soon almost nonexistent. Ivan also noticed that Snape was absent at breakfast that night, it seems that the article had a significant impact on him.

    In fact, in the following week, Professor Snape¡¯s mood was bizarre, Snape was the first to leave the ss, he didn¡¯t eat in the great hall either, apart from Ivan no one else knew what was wrong with Snape, Snape wasn¡¯t even making it hard on Gryffindor students which was inconceivable to some students.

    Everyone now knew how Voldemort failed, people were unaffected by the duel between James and Voldemort but were touched by the love that Lily showed.

    As the article said, she had a chance to live, but for Harry¡¯s sake she gave it up. Ultimately the power of love caused Voldemort¡¯s magic to rebound and usher in a new era.

    An hourter when Ivan and Harry left the Great Hall, all the students apuded Harry.

    They were paying tribute to Harry and his parting, as heroes who saved the wizarding world.

    That evening Gryffindor held a party where all the staff of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper became the primary focus, It made Colin excited, which made him slightly concerned about him.

    ¡°Hogwarts Magic newspaper¡± achieved unprecedented sess, they originally printed 700 copies but had to print another 300 copies afterward since the demand was so high.

    Even the businesses that advertised in the newspaper benefited, as well as Fred and George¡¯s modified magical fireworks, all of which were sold in under a day, so they are creating new ones.

    After the businesses advertised in the paper, their sales increased around 30%, for example, a lot of ordered lemonade by owl from The Three Broomsticks which made Madam Rosmerta wish she let Ivan drink Butterbeer. Another example is after Ivan rmended the Cockroach Clusters, they instantly became the most popr candy at Honeydukes. (Note: The other chapter said Chocte Cauldrons, but it was supposed to be Cockroach Clusters. My bad and I¡¯ll change it.)

    This allowed the Flume couple to sell a lot more than they usually would which made them delighted.

    Of course, when the student bought them people instantly became nausea and lost their appetite, Ivan also got the terrible title ¡®Cockroach killer.¡¯

    A few dayster the businesses sent a letter to Ivan and invited him toe again that weekend to discuss future cooperation.

    While the price they were willing to pay was lower than the Daily prophet but a least it was a step forward after he got them to sign a long-term contract.

    As a result, the necessary cost of printing the newspaper was solved.

    It made him feel relieved that he could afford to pay for the next issue of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper.

    Three dayster, while Ivan was eating his breakfast and whispering to Hermione about the next issue of the newspaper, he received an unexpected letter.

    ¡°Look guys!¡± said Ivan excitedly, ¡°The editor in chief of the Daily Prophet wants to buy the rights to reprint Professor Lockhart¡¯s pictures and novels, my story about Harry¡¯s mother, and ¡­¡­.¡±

    Ivan paused, and everyone stared at him nervously.

    ¡°And Hermione¡¯s two articles, ¡®Calling for the Ministry of Magic to focus on the safety of underage witches¡¯ and ¡®The legitimate rights and interests of Muggle-born wizards.''¡±, said Ivan dryly

    ¡°My goodness!¡± said Ron in a surprised tone with mouth wide open.

    ¡°Is it true, Ivan?¡± asked Hermione

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ivan as he wrinkled his nose and added, ¡°In fact, Barnabas Cuffe thinks your articles are brilliant, and if you want you can sign the contract that came with the letter and they will mail the reprint costs and royalties tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am willing!¡± said Hermione as she grabbed the contract.

    ¡°The editor of the Daily Prophet is insane, why would he want to buy Hermione¡¯s articles.¡± said Ron, ¡°Is it because she wanted the ministry of magic to bane the Quidditch game.¡±

    ¡°Who knows maybe he has acrophobia like me.¡± said Ivan as he stood up, ¡°I¡¯m going to go talk to Professor Lockhart and take Colin with me to take some new pictures.¡±

    Harry looked at Ivan¡¯s back and blinked innocently, he couldn¡¯t understand why someone would want to publish the article in the Daily Prophet.

    Harry agreed to let Ivan put the article in the Daily Prophet, he felt it was necessary to let more people know what she did.

 Chapter 25 Deviation from the Story

    <h4>Chapter 25 Deviation from the Story</h4>

    He signed the contracts with the daily prophet, but Ivan underestimated the influence of the Daily Prophet, when he sat to eat some toast the next morning, he saw a parliament of owls fly into the great hall.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    I didn¡¯t know who shouted when all the students looked up and saw a fantastic scene.

    Countless owls poured into the Great Hall, covering almost the entire ceiling.

    ¡°Hogwarts Great Hall, Ivan Masson!¡±

    Ivan saw his name and address on an envelope, he frowned and reached for it, but soon three, four, five owls pped their wings to his side, they stepped on the butter, knocked over the salt, each one wanted to give him their letter first.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Colin curiously.

    No one answered, and then seven more owls flew down, but this time they were looking for Harry.

    ¡°I think I know what¡¯s going on guys, look at this!¡± said Hermione excitedly, she grabbed a Parcel from the owls. But before she could open the parcel over ten owls flew in and surrounded her instantly.

    Ivan opened the parcel Hermione handed over, it contained thetest issue of the Daily Prophet. The article about Harry¡¯s mother was ced on the front page with the other articles by the editor and Bathilda Bagshot.

    Lockhart¡¯s photos and novels upied the entertainment section and the novel section. Hermione¡¯s two articles upied a space under Rita Skeeter¡¯s article.

    ¡°These are letters from people who read our articles.¡±

    ¡°The letter she held was sent by a witch who was over 50 years old, thanking Hermione for efforts to keep underage wizards safe since she lost her daughter in a flying ident when her daughter was eight. A lot of the letters came from Muggle-born wizards, who thanked her for saying what they always wanted to say.

    Unlike Hermione¡¯s thanks she received, Harry received a much more touching thanks. People used some gorgeous but over the top statements to express their sorrow over Harry¡¯s unfortunate life.

    As for Ivan, he got more criticism.

    Peopleined about some of the things he wrote, such as how Voldemort failed, what Lily¡¯sst spell was, and who was the ck haired boy on the pendant.

    A man said they had the right to know the truth.

    Ron opened one of Ivan¡¯s letters and muttered, ¡°What does he want to know, why not just ask he who should not be named?¡±

    ¡°Look this woman is suggesting you go to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries,¡± said Colin, ¡°She might be a follower of he who should not be named?¡±

    In fact, the professors are more stressed than Ivan.

    Almost every professor received arge number of letter, including Dumbledore and McGonagall, the readers who read Ivan¡¯s article hope that the professors will take better care of Harry.

    In the face of an endless stream of owls, they were overwhelmed.

    Professor Snape, cast a spell causing all the owls to fly away.

    Unlike Snape who was angry, Lockhart was extremely excited, Lockhart received the most letters, he put all the letters in a particr pocket so that in his free time he can write back to his fans.

    Anyway, Ivan¡¯s articles had an unforeseen result.

    Many older wizards were surprised that young wizards could write so well, but most people think they make a lot of sense, although in some ces the wording isn¡¯t urate considering the age of several people the w is negligible.

    The good news about all this is the editor of the Daily Prophet said he was willing to reprint the articles of Ivan, Hermione, and Lockhart for a while, which will significantly enhance the sells of Hogwarts¡¯ Magic. In addition to the students in school, there are even adult wizards willing to order the newspaper.

    With the advantage he achieved so far, Ivan sessfully printed around 800 follow up papers per issue.

    Everything was going right, and the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper became part of the everyday life of a few wizard, the newspaper received more and more contributions and made some modest profits. Professors and students got ustomed to the countless owls that rained down for breakfast every Wednesday.

    Because of the small amount of money he earned, Ivan bought a few herbs for himself and bought Hermione a new quill. The rest of the money was spent on Fred and George¡¯s research.

    Under the supply of materials, the twins achieved excellent results.

    In addition to the magical fireworks, they also developed Extendable Ears, Self-Writing Quill, Nosebleed Nougat, and Ton-Tongue Toffee.

    These things were brilliant but fraught with danger.

    Fred and George received a lot of orders, and many young wizards expressed their excitement for their new product. However, Percy and Hermione didn¡¯t let them turn other people into their guinea pigs, which led to the twins almost living in the school hospital.

    The matron of Hogwarts Madam Poppy Pomfrey was mad, even without Fred and George she was busy every day.

    Since October the weather became cold.

    Ginny and Ivan who was sick recently were not spared by Percy who forced them to drink some of Madam Poppy Pomfrey¡¯s Pepperup Potion which caused steam toe out of their ears for hours.

    His cold, the revies of the manuscripts, and the increasing ss assignments greatly reduced Ivan¡¯s focus of the Chamber of Secrets.

    Thankfully Ginny had not had any abnormalities, she had gone to the library every night to help Hermione to help edit the manuscripts, so she shouldn¡¯t have the time to open the Chamber, or she hasn¡¯t been controlled by Tom Riddle.

    Ivan found time to talk to her about the diary, but Ginny said she had never seen a ck diary.

    This surprised Ivan, if Ginny didn¡¯t have Tom Riddle¡¯s diary who did, did Lucius Malfoy not give it to her, perhaps since crossing over it produced more than a simple ripple from the butterfly effect. (Note: Trantors punches Ivan and says, ¡°no sh*t Sherlock¡±)

    But anyway, the plot has changed, Ivan¡¯s most significant advantage gone!

    After worrying about it for a while, Ivan cleared his mind and decided to worry about it some other time.

    Hopeful Tom Riddle does not appear as for a way to destroy the Horcrux¡¯s, not my problem so Dumbledore should worry about it.

 Chapter 26 Nearly Headless Nickâ€™s Deathday Party

    <h4>Chapter 26 Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s Deathday Party</h4>

    In the face of the unknown Ivan choose to wait with caution.

    If the diary was given to someone by Lucius, then the Chamber of Secrets should be opened.

    Ivan remembers that the first attack was initially on Halloween.

    On Halloween, he intended to stay with Ginny to monitor her, or to see if anyone else was acting suspicious, but Hermione disagreed, she wanted Ivan to go with them to Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s Deathday party.

    ¡°Hermione, I¡¯m sick so let me stay in the living world. Besides, I¡¯m going to be doing the article about the Halloween party for next weeks headline.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been sick since Tuesday, Ivan!¡± said Hermione as she shook her head refusing to let Ivan stay, ¡°The article can be handed over to Colin and Ginny, Nearly Headless Nick has already helped us with gathering news so we can¡¯t be absent tonight.¡±

    ¡°But Dumbledore booked a troupe of dancing skeletons for the entertainment,¡± said Harry with hesitation since he nor Ron wanted to attend the Deathday party.

    Hermione turned her head to remind Harry and said, ¡°You and Ron were the ones that promised Nearly Headless Nick that you would attend his Deathday Party.¡±

    So at seven o¡¯clock in the evening, the four walked through the door which led to the Great Hall. There were numerous decorations, candles, and gold tes on the table, it was very tempting, but instead of going to the party they went towards the dungeons.

    Even though they go to potions ss this way, it¡¯s especially scary tonight.

    Some candles lined the hall, but the effect wasn¡¯t great since the thin candles burned a very light blue, which made them feel gloomy.

    Every step the four took the temperature fell.

    Which made Ivan sneeze and wrap his clothes around himself tighter.

    He soon heard a sound that was like a thousand nails scratching on a ckboard.

    ¡°What that sound?¡± said the terrified Ron.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s music,¡± whispered Harry.

    They turned a corner and immediately saw Nearly Headless Nick, who was standing beside the doorway.

    ¡°My dear friends.¡± said Nick, ¡°I¡¯m so d that you came, wee, wee.¡±

    He took off his hat and bowed slightly while asking them to enter.

    The sight was unbelievable, the Dungeon was packed with hundreds of translucent figures, most of them swinging dancing on the crowded dance floor, they were waltzing to the terrible sound of the musical saws, the orchestra yed on a ck-draped raised tform.

    The chandelier had thousands of candles lit on it releasing a magnificent glow.

    Ivan could see his breath, it was like he was in a freezer.

    ¡°Well, what shall we do now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s look around first!¡±, Suggested Harry.

    ¡°Be careful not to walk through anyone,¡± said Ron nervously.

    They carefully walked around the edge of the dance floor, they saw a group of Gloomy nuns, Ragged man wearing chains, and Fat Friar

    They then came across Bloody Baron who was a ghost of Slytherin with nk staring eyes, a gaunt face, and robes stained with silver blood. No one dared to go near him, so the other ghosts gave him ample space to be by himself.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Hermione, ¡°Turn around quickly, I don¡¯t want to talk to Moaning Myrtle!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± whispered Harry.

    ¡°She¡¯s a ghost that haunts one of the girl¡¯s bathrooms,¡± answered Hermione.

    ¡°Haunts the Bathroom?¡±

    ¡°Yes because of that the bathroom is always out of order since she keeps flooding it. As long as we can avoid her you¡¯re good but if you go to the bathroom she screams at you, it¡¯s really annoying!¡±

    Hermione¡¯s heart sank when she saw Ivan head towards Myrtle.

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe Myrtle is Ivan¡¯s type.¡± said Ron with a big grin, ¡°haha, this is big news.¡±

    Hermione red at Ron, and then the three followed Ivan quickly.

    Since the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets was in the bathroom where Moaning Myrtle is located, Ivan wanted to ask if she has seen anyone strange enter recently.

    At present the location of Tom Riddles¡¯ diary is unknown, so any clues should not be overlooked.

    Before Ivan got the chance to speak to Moaning Myrtle, he saw a being with an orange jesters cap, pale skin, ck hair, and ck eyes appear in front of him.

    ¡°Little kids would you like some?¡± said Peeves while holding out a bowl of moldy peanuts.

    ¡°No thanks,¡± said Ivan, quickly refusing.

    ¡°I just heard you talking about poor moaning Myrtle, that¡¯s impolite!¡±

    Peeves took a deep breath and roared, ¡°Hey, Myrtle!¡±

    ¡°Peeves please don¡¯t tell her what I said she¡¯ll be very sad.¡±, Said Hermione, who was standing beside Ivan. She whispered in a hurry, ¡°I was just joking¡­¡­..¡±

    Her words were cut short when she saw Moaning Myrtle float closer and closer.

    Moaning Myrtle¡¯s expression was filled with the most mncholy and gloom that Ivan had ever seen before.

    ¡°What?¡± asked moaning Myrtle with a sullen face.

    ¡°Hello, Myrtle, it¡¯s good to see you outside the bathroom,¡± said Hermione in a charming voice.

    ¡°Miss Granger was talking about you just now,¡± said Peeves slyly.

    ¡°We were saying you looked so beautiful tonight,¡± said Hermione as she red at Peeves.

    ¡°You were making fun of me.¡±

    Moaning Myrtle looked at Hermione suspiciously, but then tears suddenly flowed down her ssy eyes.

    ¡°No, really, didn¡¯t I just say that Myrtle looked beautiful?¡± said Hermione while elbowing Harry and Ron¡¯s side.

    ¡°Yes¡­..¡±

    ¡°She did!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, you think I don¡¯t know what people call me behind my back,¡± said moaning Myrtle with tears falling from her checks, ¡°Fatty Myrtle, Ugly Myrtle, Poor sobbing sullen Myrtle!¡±

    ¡°You forgot ¡­.¡± said Peeves as heughed.

    ¡°Enough Peeves!¡± said Ivan as he quickly interrupts Peeves, Ivan had something to ask so he couldn¡¯t let Peeves mess it up.

    ¡°We Really believe you¡¯re beautiful tonight, you¡¯re very friendly unlike the other ghosts, you are the best one, believe me¡­..¡±

    Hearing Ivan¡¯spliments about Myrtle, Harry, Ron, and Hermione opened their mouths wide in astonishment.

    ¡°Does he actually like Myrtle?¡± Whispered Ron to Harry, but unfortunately, he was heard by Peeves and Myrtle.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying, nobody, likes me,¡± said Moaning Myrtle as she burst into tears once more and ran out of the Dungeon.

    ¡°No one likes Myrtle, pimple face Myrtle!¡± shouted Peeves as he ran behind her throwing moldy peanuts.

 Chapter 27 Special Correspondent

    <h4>Chapter 27 Special Correspondent</h4>

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Ron, you shouldn¡¯t have said that I¡¯m going to go talk to her,¡± said Ivan while looking at Ron angrily.

    ¡°Ok!¡± said Ron while blushing, ¡°You don¡¯t really like Moaning Myrtle right?¡±

    ¡°Ron!¡± said Hermione

    ¡°I don¡¯t like her, but she is an important source of information.¡± grunted Ivan, ¡°I had something to ask her, but now it¡¯s all messed up.¡±

    ¡°You should apologize to her even though I don¡¯t really like her, but you shouldn¡¯t have said that near Peeves,¡± said Hermione

    ¡°Apologize?!¡± said Ron while blushing a little.

    ¡°Yes, Ron!¡± said Harry as he elbowed Ron, ¡°I think Ivan and Hermione are right, we said things we shouldn¡¯t have said.¡±

    ¡°Well since you all think I should, I will go and apologize to her now,¡± said Ron

    After that, he turned around and ran out of the Dungeon while the three people looked at him while being a little worried.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ve looked around, and the food here is not for the living.¡± sighed Ivan, ¡°And I do have something to ask Myrtle.¡±

    ¡°The three of them walked towards the door, and nearly Headless Nick floated from the crowd.

    ¡°My friends, did you enjoy yourself?¡±

    ¡°We enjoyed ourselves very much.¡±, They lied

    ¡°The number of people who have attended is excellent.¡± said Nearly Headless Nick proudly, ¡°the Wailing Widow came all the way from Kent.¡±

    Nick told the orchestra to stop ying, he stood at a podium with a blue colored spotlight shining on him.

    ¡°Myte Lords, Ladies, and gentlemen, I am deeply grieved¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Before his words could finish a sound rang out through the Dungeon, the ghosts looked around excitedly while Nick¡¯s expression looked a bit painful.

    Suddenly twelve headless ghosts rode in on horses. All the people who attended pped warmly, the three pped to, but when they saw Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s face, they stopped.

    The twelve horsemen went to the center of the dance floor and demounted their horses.

    The one leading the ghosts was a man that carried his bearded face under his arm. The man took his head and held it high up in the air so he could see the crowd while making everyoneugh.

    He strode to Nearly Headless Nick.

    ¡°Nick!¡± said the man, ¡°How are you, is your head still hanging ?¡± the man shouted.

    The manughed and patted Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Wee, Sir Patrick,¡± said Nearly Headless Nick stiffly.

    ¡°Living!¡±

    Sir. Patrick nced over towards Ivan, Harry, and Hermione, he dropped his head causing everyone tough once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s hrious,¡± said Nearly Headless Nick.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so gloomy Nick!¡± shouted Sir. Patrick¡¯s head from the floor, ¡°Nick still has a grudge since we didn¡¯t let him join the Headless Hunt!¡±

    ¡°I think¡­¡­¡± said Harry but before he finished his words he noticed Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s meaningful gaze and remembered his engagement, and hastily said, ¡°Nick is terrifying!¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha¡±

    Sir Patrick¡¯s head shouted, ¡± I guess he told you to say so.¡±

    Then he ignored Harry and started ying a hockey game with his head with the rest of the Headless Hunt, all the ghost turned to watch the Headless Hunt, and no one paid attention to Nick standing at the podium anymore.

    Seeing Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s pathetic appearance, Ivan sighed and felt like he needed to do something.

    He stepped to the podium and stood next to Nick, he produced a loud noise using his wand which brought the attention back to the podium.

    ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen, I would like to share my perspective as a living person,¡± said Ivan.

    All the ghost looked at Ivan curiously, wondering what the young wizard was going to say, a living person¡¯s speech seemed more interesting than the Headless Hunt¡¯s game.

    ¡°As a ghost, Nearly Headless Nick may not be as scary as Sir Patrick in appearance, but he is still a very respectable being, even in the living world.¡±

    There was suddenly a lot of chatter, many ghosts doubted what Ivan said.

    ¡°To get more people tomemorate his deathday, and to thank him for the help he offered me,¡± Ivan continued, ¡°I decided to Invite Sir Nichs to be a special correspondent for the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper, and to publish his life¡¯s story in the newspaper.¡±

    The voices of the ghost grew louder and made everyone curious about the work of a ¡®special correspondent.

    A ghosts life is so dull even though they had endless life, there are very few things that one could entertain oneself with, through the years their memory fades, some ghost even stand in a dark corner, but those ghosts forget who they were all together.

    This is the horrifying reality for a ghost, all ghost desperately look for things to do, but the choices are insufficient, this is one of the reasons the Headless hunt is so popr.

    But only a few ghost head and body are separate, the vast majority of ghosts are still one being.

    Ivan¡¯s newspaper correspondent job offers them something to do, but they have never heard of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic.

    ¡°The Hogwarts¡¯ Magic Newspaper is a newspaper that specializes in things rted to Hogwarts¡¯ wizards, the current sales have reached 800, but the sales are steadily improving.¡± Ivan saw that Everyone still had doubts, so he continued to exin, ¡°We have been cooperating with mainstream media such as the Daily Prophet, Witch Weekly, and the Quibbler. For example, the article about Sir Nichs¡¯ life will simultaneously be printed in the Daily Prophet and the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic.¡±

    As Ivan¡¯s voice faded, the entire room erupted.

    Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s life will appear in the Daily Prophet, this is a great honor for a ghost who has been dead for hundreds of years.

    Everyone was staring at Nearly Headless Nick with envy.

    Afte a minute, Nearly Headless Nick reacted, he looked at Ivan excitedly, he wanted to thank Ivan for everything he did. Ivan believed if Nearly Headless Nick could cry he would have been weeping long ago.

    Ivan¡¯s words helped Nick win the respect of all the ghosts, put his deathday party back on track, and no one was paying attention to Sir Patrick and the Headless Hunt anymore.

    The ghosts congratted Nick and floated around Ivan, Harry, and Hermione, eagerly asking if there was any vacancy for special correspondents for the newspaper.

    Ivan thought, the more articles, the better.

    There were over a thousand ghost from all over the U.K. here, if he could convince them and their friends to help collect new, the news sources of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper would soon be greater than the Daily Prophet.

    Ivan looked at the enthusiasm of all the ghost, Ivan even considered looking for someone to write down their life stories.

    However, this work would be too big and boring. The young wizards simply could not do the job so he would have to wait to hire specialized staff for this task.

 Chapter 28 The first attack

    <h4>Chapter 28 The first attack</h4>

    Ivan, Harry, and Hermione were the most popr people at the Deathday party, countless ghosts encircled them.

    ¡°Incredible, I¡¯ve never seen such passionate ghosts before,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re really enthralling.¡± said Ivan as he walked down the hallway, ¡°I¡¯m starving, I hope all the pudding hasn¡¯t been eaten.¡±

    ¡°Wait, we should find Ron first.¡± said Harry, ¡°I wonder if he was sessful in apologizing to Moaning Myrtle.¡±

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be easy so let¡¯s go the girl¡¯s bathroom and see since I have something to ask her.¡± said Ivan as he rubbed his belly, ¡± the party will be over soon, perhaps Colin and Ginny remembered to bring us something back to eat.¡±

    The three of them walked up the steps, but Harry came to a halt soon.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Harry?¡±

    ¡°Did you hear a voice?¡± said Harry, his face was very unnatural.

    ¡°What voice?¡± asked Hermione while staring at him.

    ¡°It was a cold, murderous voice, I heard it in Lockhart¡¯s office a few days ago too,¡± said Harry, ¡°. . . soo hungry . . . for so long . . .¡±

    ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s the basilisk!¡± thought Ivan as his heart sank, ¡°The Chamber of Secrets was opened, was it, Ginny?!¡±

    ¡°I smell blood, it¡¯s going to kill someone.¡± said Harry while staring at the ceiling, ¡°It¡¯s moving hurry up, follow me.¡±

    After that, Harry ran up the stairs, they could hear the echoingughter of the Halloween party from the Great Hall.

    ¡°Harry where are we going?¡± asked Hermione while gasping for breath.

    ¡°Shhh!¡± Harry listened.

    He heard the voice again and again.

    ¡°Harry, let¡¯s hurry up, where is it?¡± said Ivan eagerly while wiping away the sweat from his face.

    ¡°What are you looking for? I haven¡¯t heard anything,¡± said Hermione, she was exhausted and gasping for air, she suddenly pointed to a corridor.

    ¡°Look!¡±

    Something was sparkling on the wall in front of them. They slowly approached the wall, they squinted their eyes in the darkness to try to identify what it was. Between two windows and one foot above the ground were a few words shing under a burning torch.

    ¡°THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.¡±, read Ivan as he felt like he was going to faint.

    ¡°What¡¯s that hanging under the words?¡± asked Hermione as she grabbed Ivan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s get closer and see.¡±

    They cautiously approached, there was a big puddle of water on the floor which almost made Harry slip.

    The tree moved closer and closer, but when they saw what it was, they jumped back which caused water to ssh.

    Even though Ivan knew the plot in advance, it still was frightening to see Mrs. Norriss hanging on the wall. Her tail was hanging on the torch¡¯s bracket, her body as stiff as a nk, eyes wide open as if she was terrified.

    They suddenly heard someoneing down the corridor, which frightened the three kids making them hurriedly turn around, their hearts nearly jumped out of their chests.

    It was Ron who came out of a room at the end of the corridor, he was staring at the three people with big eyes and a pale face.

    ¡°Harry what¡¯s going on?¡±, Ron was obviously frightened, ¡°What did you do to Filch¡¯s cat?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t us, we just got here,¡± exined Harry.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked Ivan looking at Ron doubtfully.

    ¡°What else but doing what you said and apologizing to Moaning Myrtle.¡± said Ron while raising his voice,¡±But then I saw you and the cat!¡±

    ¡°Apologizing?!¡± said Ivan when he noticed that Ron was in the bathroom with Moaning Myrtle, so he hurriedly asked,¡±Was there anyone else in the bathroom beside you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was in the stall with Myrtle the whole time, she cried so badly she made water go everywhere, it took a lot of effort to make her listen to me.¡± said Ron as he wrinkled his nose and looked disgusted, ¡°This is the stupidest thing that I¡¯ve ever done, and if Percy ever finds out that I sneaked into the girls bathroom, I don¡¯t know how I should exin it to him that it was to apologize to a crying ghost.¡±

    ¡°Ron think again, when you were apologizing to Myrtle, was there anything unusual, it¡¯s imperative,¡± said Ivan with a severe tone.

    ¡°Well, I think I heard a hissing sound, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± said Ron as he swallowed his saliva, ¡°Why do you ask, The girl¡¯s toilet is out of order, and beside me and Myrtle who else would be in there or was there someone else?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡± answered Ivan as he nodded stiffly, but know Ivan¡¯s was even more worried.

    Someone unlocked the chamber of secrets when Ron was in the stall but he didn¡¯t notice anyone, so he wasn¡¯t sure who did it.

    Although Ginny made it clear she had never seen Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary, she could have been lying. If she were under Tom Riddle¡¯s control at the time, Tom Riddle would have be suspicious which is the worst case scenario.

    But at the same time, he was fortunate that Ron had been in the stall because if he hade out, he probably would have been killed.

    ¡°Ivan, Ron, can you stop going back and forth for a moment.

    Harry said, ¡°We should see if we can still rescue the cat.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that a good Idea.¡± said Ron, ¡°Since we haven¡¯t done anything to the cat it is better to get out of here, so we don¡¯t get med.¡±

    But it was toote, he had just finished speaking when he heard peopleing down the corridor, the feast was over. They could hear the sound of hundreds of feet on the stairs, and the cheerfulughter of people.

    The students crowded into the hall.

    When the people leading the groups saw the cat hanging upside down, they all stopped, the happy chattering soon disappeared as well.

    Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood alone in the middle of the corridor, the students were dead silent, people were trying to see the terrible scene. Ivan saw Ginny and Colin standing in bewilderment, they looked like they wanted toe over but they didn¡¯t dare to approach.

    Someone suddenly spoke loudly breaking the silence.

    ¡°ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE! You¡¯re next mudblood!¡±

    Draco Malfoy was already at the front of the crowd, his cold eyes were sweeping across them, and his usually pale face was rose red.

    He looked at the hanging cat and looked at Ivan with a gigantic grin.

 Chapter 29 Mrs. Norris petrified

    <h4>Chapter 29 Mrs. Norris petrified</h4>

    ¡°What going on, what happened?¡±

    Filch was attracted by Malfoy¡¯s shout, he pushed his way through the crowd.

    ¡°My cat! My cat! What happened to her?¡± Screamed Filch while almost fainting

    ¡°It was you, you killed my cat,¡± said Filch as he walked over and grabbed Ivan, I¡¯m going to kill you.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± said Ivan as he knocked Filch¡¯s hand off of himself, ¡± I didn¡¯t touch a single hair on your cat, no one touched her, when we came she was already like this.¡±

    ¡°Liar, you are lying! Someone saw you didn¡¯t they¡± cried Filch

    ¡°Filch!¡±

    Dumbledore arrived at the scene, followed by other teachers. In an instant, he made it to Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and took the cat off the torch.

    ¡°Come with me, Filch.¡± told Dumbledore to Filch, ¡°And you, Mr. Mason, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger,¡± said Dumbledore

    Lockhart hurriedly said, ¡°My office is closest to here, you can use it if you wish.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Gilderoy!¡± nodded Dumbledore.

    The Silent crowd parted letting them pass.

    They were led into Lockhart¡¯s dark office, followed by Professor McGonagall and Snape. Ivan saw that Lockhart was quickly cleaning off his photos from a table.

    Lockhart then lit a candle on a table and retreated to the back. Dumbledore put the cat on the clean table and began to scrutinize her.

    Dumbledore carefully observed the cat while professor McGonagall was so close while observing the cat she almost touched it.

    Snape stood behind them, half hidden in the shadows while looking gloomy, his face had a very peculiar look, as if he was trying to restrain himself fromughing. Lockhart wandered around them and kept giving advice.

    Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were nervously exchanging nces, they were sitting on some chairs that weren¡¯t illuminated by candlelight. Filch stood behind them while staring at Ivan as if he had already identified him as the murderer.

    ¡°It must have been a curse that killed it, it is likely that it was a spell that deforms and tortures the subject,¡± said Lockhart, ¡°I¡¯ve seen this spell used many times, I¡¯m sorry I was not there because I happen to know the spell that could have saved her.¡±

    When Filch heard Lockhart words, it made him twitch a little with grief.

    Then he suddenly slumped to a chair next to the table while clutching his face with his hand, he didn¡¯t dare to look at Mrs. Norris¡¯ miserable state.

    At that time, Dumbledore whispered a few words and used his wand to lightly knock on Mrs. Norris, but there was no response, Mrs. Norris stilly there stiffly.

    ¡°Headmaster, this cat is dead! I remember a simr event in one of my books, where there was a series of attacks,¡± said Lockhart, ¡°At the time, I gave themon people a variety of amulet to solve the problem.¡±

    ¡°Professor, she¡¯s not dead, she¡¯s just petrified.¡±

    Ivan felt like he had to say something before Lockhart caused Filch to try to kill him.

    ¡°Nonsense, you killed her!¡± roared Filch.

    ¡°Mr. Mason is right, she¡¯s not dead,¡± whispered Dumbledore to Filch,¡±She was petrified by a strong curse, first-year students cannot do this.¡±

    ¡°He did it, he did it! You saw the words written on the wall with Mrs. Norris, she has repeatedly prevented him from entering the girl¡¯s bathroom on the third floor,¡± said Filch, ¡°He must have harbored a grudge.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch your cat!¡±

    ¡°So what was the famous Mr. Mason doing entering the girl¡¯s bathroom? Is there anything that can be posted in your fancy newspaper?¡±

    ¡°I am looking for ghosts of the castle to help provide me news sources for my newspaper, I think it is necessary to talk to Moaning Myrtle, she is very familiar with Hogwarts, and many girls like her,¡± exined Ivan, but Filch didn¡¯t believe his words.

    ¡°I am deeply doubtful about that.¡± said Snape with a hint of ridicule while turning his eyes towards Harry, ¡± The whole thing is filled with holes, why did you go to the floor above and not attend the Halloween party?¡±

    Snape raised a series of question that made Ivan feel like he was old.

    Luckily he didn¡¯t have to exin since Harry, Ron, and Hermione scrambled to exin they were at the Deathday Party.

    ¡°Hundreds of ghosts can prove that we were there.¡±

    ¡°But after this why didn¡¯t youe to the Party?¡± asked Snape with his eyes shing in the candlelight, ¡°Why did you go up the corridor?¡±

    ¡°Since Ron had a little misunderstanding with Moaning Myrtle we were going to go apologize to her.¡±

    ¡°Going to apologize to a ghost instead of having dinner?¡± said Snape with a proud smile, ¡°I don¡¯t think the food at a ghost¡¯s party is suitable for the living.¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t hungry,¡± said Ron loudly, but his stomach growled, which cause Snape¡¯s smile to be even more prominent.

    ¡°In my opinion headmaster, I don¡¯t think they were entirely honest. So we should probably cancel some of their privileges until they are willing to tell us the truth,¡± said Snape, ¡°Personally I think we should suspend Mr. Mason¡¯s newspaper and make Mr. Potter leave the Quidditch team until they are honest.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, Severus,¡± snapped Professor McGonagall, ¡°I see no reason to make these kids stop their favorite extracurricr activities since the cat wasn¡¯t hit in the head with a newspaper or a broom, and there is no evidence that they have done anything wrong.¡±

    Dumbledore looked at the four people with an inquisitive nce, his eyes seemed to see through everything.

    ¡°As long as they aren¡¯t proven guilty, they are innocent, Severus,¡± said Dumbledore firmly.

    Snape and Filch seemed irritated.

    ¡°My cat is petrified, and I want to see somebody punished!¡±

    ¡°We can cure her, Filch,¡± said Dumbledore patiently, ¡°Mrs. Sprout recently got some Mandrake¡¯s, and once they fully grow, we can make a potion to cure Mrs. Norris.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it,¡± interjected Lockhart, ¡°I¡¯ve made it hundreds of times, I can even make in my sleep.¡±

    ¡°Pardon me! I believe I am the school¡¯s Potions teacher,¡± said Snape

    There was an awkward silence with Lockhart feeling a little uneasy.

    ¡°You may go,¡± said Dumbledore to Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

    They speedily left, almost running out. When they left Lockhart¡¯s office, they went into an empty ssroom and gently closed the door.

    In the dark, Hermione squinted at Ivan, Harry, and Ron.

 Chapter 30 The Chamber of Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 30 The Chamber of Secrets</h4>

    ¡°Exin, gentlemen!¡± said Hermione while she gazed at their faces.

    ¡°Exin what?¡± asked Ron while looking a little rmed.

    ¡°Professor Snape is right, you weren¡¯t telling the truth.¡± said Hermione, ¡°First you, Ron, you were in the bathroom while Filch¡¯s cat was attacked right outside the door.¡±

    ¡°Why are you suspicious of me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡¯ be silly Ron.¡± said Hermione, ¡°Dumbledore said it was an advanced curse that we can¡¯t cast, I want to ask you, did you notice anything unusual?¡±

    ¡°I just got done speaking with Ivan about this, I think I heard hissing, but I¡¯m not positive, Myrtle was just crying too loudly.¡±

    ¡°Maybe that is a clue.¡± Hermione turned her head towards Harry and said, ¡°Harry can you tell me what you heard around that time?¡±

    ¡°The voice said it was starving, it wanted to kill, it was just like a ghost the way it went from one floor to another of the castle.¡± whispered Harry, ¡°Then we saw Filch¡¯s cat petrified on the wall so it must have been the owner of the voice.¡±

    ¡°But who or what was it, I didn¡¯t hear anything at the time,¡± said Hermione as she frowned.

    ¡°Who knows.¡± hesitated Harry, ¡°Do you think I should tell the professors about the sounds I heard?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t! It isn¡¯t a good sign to hear voices, even in the wizarding world,¡± replied Ron without thinking

    ¡°You believe me don¡¯t you?¡± asked Harry to Ron

    ¡°I believe you, but you have to admit it¡¯s weird,¡± answered Ron quickly

    ¡°I know it¡¯s weird.¡± replied Harry, ¡°The whole thing is weird, you hear a hissing sound in the bathroom, and then Filch¡¯s cat is attacked, What did the words on the wall mean?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, we should consider it from another angle, the cat was attacked but who would feel happy about it?¡± said Ron

    ¡°Except for Filch everyone else will feel happy.¡± answered Harry after thinking about it, ¡± and What does it have to do with the Chamber of Secrets?¡±

    ¡°I mean who would be ecstatic about it, or who hates the cat the most,¡± added Ron.

    ¡°I think I might know some information about the Chamber of Secrets.¡± said Ivan after seeing Hermione wasn¡¯t involved in Harry and Ron¡¯s discussions but kept looking at him, so he had to tell them something.

    After hearing his words, Harry and Ron turned around and looked at Ivan in amazement.

    ¡°Have you read Hogwarts: A History?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry and Ron as they shook their heads

    ¡°Ivan, you mean¡­..¡± Hermione seemed to remember something.

    ¡°Yes, it should be the secret room Szar Slytherin left behind. It is well known that Hogwarts was created by Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenw, and Szar Slytherin they initially coborated together but as time went on a rift formed between the others and Slytherin.

    ¡°Slytherin wanted to be a bit more selective about the student that came to Hogwarts. He was unwilling to ept Muggle-born students. After a few years Slytherin and Gryffindor had a quarrel which caused Slytherin to leave the school, but he left a secret room in the school that the other founders knew nothing about.¡±

    ¡°The Chamber of Secrets?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Ivan, ¡°But Slytherin closed the Chamber so that no one could open it until his heir came to school. Only the heir may open the Chamber of Secrets, releasing the horror from within, purify the school, and remove all who don¡¯t deserve to learn magic.¡±

    The dark ssroom suddenly became eerily silent, and the atmosphere was almost unbearably tense.

    The three of them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who didn¡¯t speak, waited for Ivan to go on.

    ¡°The story is over,¡± whispered Ivan after a while.

    ¡°But what is the horror in the Chamber of Secret?¡± asked Hermione quickly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± said Ivan, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s some kind of monster that only Slytherin¡¯s heir can control.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s very consistent with Slytherin¡¯s style, I already knew Szar Slytherin was a crazy old lunatic, but know that I know that he came up with this pure-blood nonsense, I wouldn¡¯t go to his house even if he paid me too.¡± said Ron, ¡°To tell the truth, if the sorting hat put me in Slytherin, I would have taken the train home.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Hermione¡¯s suddenly said something, ¡°Think about the words on the wall, the chamber was opened by his heir, and Harry just heard a strange voice, and found Filch¡¯s Cat petrified on the wall, then ¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    She did not go on anymore, the other three already knew what she meant.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Harry to be the heir. If you want me to say it, the sessor has to be Malfoy. All of them are pureblood so maybe he is a descendant of Szar Slytherin¡± said Ron

    ¡°Hermione, Harry has been with us the entire night, he wouldn¡¯t have time to do this, ¡± said Ivan.

    ¡°I know that, but it¡¯s a little weird that he can hear voices that we can not.¡± Said, Hermione, as she turned her gaze back toward Ivan, ¡°And you haven¡¯t exined why have you been trying to break into Myrtle¡¯s bathroomtely.¡±

    Seeing the way they were looking at him, he didn¡¯t want to make them think he was trying to peep in the girls¡¯ bathroom especially the one that Moaning Myrtle was in.

    ¡°Well, to be honest, I have some more information on the Chamber f Secrets,¡± said Ivan bitterly

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked the three in unison

    ¡°You know, to prepare articles for the history section of the newspaper, I look over the events of Hogwarts chronologically.¡± said Ivan, ¡°I saw that in a book there was a newspaper clipping that stated around 50 years ago the Chamber of Secrest was opened!¡±

    ¡°What? Who opened it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know it was not written.¡± said Ivan as he shook his head, ¡°It stated that a girl named Myrtle Warren died because of an ident but I¡¯m not sure if her death was rted to the Chamber of secrets, but the girl is¡­¡­..¡±

    Ivan took out a yellowed newspaper from his pocket, showing them a picture of the girl.

    ¡°It is ¡­¡­Moaning Myrtle!!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is her.¡± said Ivan promptly, ¡°I just wanted to ask her if she might have noticed anything.¡±

 Chapter 31 Infinite Loop

    <h4>Chapter 31 Infinite Loop</h4>

    After listening to Ivan, the three could not wait to go back and talk to Myrtle. But ever since that day Filch took a chair and sat in front of the bathroom every night, he seemed to think Ivan would break into it when he wasn¡¯t there.

    In fact, the four of them intend to do so.

    But even Hermione wasn¡¯t allowed to enter since Filch decided that Ivan was the culprit, even though Filch didn¡¯t know why Ivan wanted to go into the girl¡¯s bathroom, he would prevent him from entering.

    For a few days, Filch paced around where Mrs. Norris was petrified and hung earlier, he wanted to scrub it with Mrs. Skower¡¯s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover but it was to no avail, the words were still shining as brightly as they were before.

    His failure to clean the walls made Filch even more hysterical.

    Filch secretly hide in the corner of the third floor and stared at every student that came near with two red eyes, he punished people for anything possible, they were breathing too much, or your clothes are too wrinkled.

    ¡°God, I must beat up the madman that did this, but before he gets expelled I only hope he is able to petrify Filch,¡± said Ron after failing to enter the bathroom again.

    But when he saw Ginny¡¯s face turn pale, he hastily added it was only a joke.

    Ginny was in a bad mood these days, she seemed uneasy after what happened to Mrs. Norris.

    Ivan asked Colin if Ginny stayed at the Halloween Party and he said she went out for five minutes.

    It was quick, but it¡¯s enough time to open the chamber and let out the basilisk.

    In the present situation, Ginny was the most likely one to have opened the Chamber of Secrets, but no matter how Ivan asked she denied she knew anything about Tom Riddle and the diary.

    In recent days, Ginny even began to hide from Ivan.

    Things got a lot more confusing when he forced himself into an infinite loop with the way he kept asking Ginny questions.

    On the one hand, ording to the original plot, Tom Riddle controlled Ginny and opened the chamber. The questions Ivan asked Ginny were somewhat obscure, but they would undoubtedly alert Tom Riddle.

    If so, the next target will most likely be Ivan.

    On the other hand, because of the butterfly effect, Lucius may have not given Ginny the diary, but the Chamber of Secrets has been opened, so Tom Riddle is in control of someone in the school.

    Ivan tried to remember everything he knew about the Malfoy family, but he only could remember a few vague details and the more he thought, the more confused he became.

    In the end, he had to give up on his n to find Tom Riddle.

    So he had to go back to his original n, no matter where Tom Riddle is hiding, as long as he can defeat the basilisk, everything is fine.

    Ivan knew where the Chamber is so Harry can open it, but the problem is his strength.

    It is easy to say, but for a young wizard, it is difficult to defeat a powerful magical creature, so Ivan has to speed up his Curse learning, and he also has to learn the standard dueling spells in a short amount of time. (Note: Coming up Ivan defeats Tom Riddle by cursing at him.)

    Besides that, he ns to ask Hagrid for a rooster.

    But he had no way to carry it, so he had to figure out a way to record it crowing.

    The Basilisk is only scared of the rooster crowing, but there isn¡¯t a spell to record sound.Ivan had to spend a lot of time researching in the library which made him look very haggard.

    In fact, the attacks have had an impact on almost every student.

    The young wizards were concerned about what was in the chamber of secrets, so almost every Hogwarts: A History was borrowed from the library.

    There were rumors everywhere, people were panicking, and gossiping.

    By the time thetest issue of Hogwarts Magic came out, it immediately sold over 1300 copies, because Ivan and Hermione analyzed the chamber of secrets.

    The paper was based on reliable historical facts, and Ivan added some of his guesses to but everyone wasn¡¯t satisfied, they wanted to know who was the heir.

    The students then began to suspect Harry.

    On Halloween, the four people who found Mrs. Norrs petrified, were Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ivan. Hermione and Ivan were out because their parents were muggles, Ron¡¯s home is full of wizards, but they are all Gryffindors, and Ron is just too weak, so the only one left is Harry who defeated Voldemort, in the minds of young wizards only the most powerful dark wizard can defeat the dark lord.

    At dinner, Ivan saw Justin Finch-Fletchley hurriedly avoid Harry and say ¡°Slytherin descendant¡± and so on.

    It made a few people feel bad, Harry secretly pulled Ivan, and the four people left the great hall and went to the third floor, luckily this time Filch wasn¡¯t here. When they were about to open the door, someone came out of it.

    It was Penelope Clearwater, she looked at the eyes of the four people and turned and hurriedly ran away.

    ¡°She must think we are going to do something bad!¡± muttered Ron while taking the lead to the bathroom.

    At this time, a person¡¯s voice suddenly shouted out.

    ¡°Ron what are doing?¡± said Percy with an expression of utter astonishment on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s the girls¡¯ bathroom!¡± gasped Percy, ¡°What are you¡­¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to take a casual look,¡± shrugged Ron, ¡°We¡¯re going to look for clues, you know.¡±

    ¡°Looking for clues?!¡± said Percy, ¡°I don¡¯t think there would be any clues in a girls¡¯ bathroom so get out of here now.¡±

    Said Percy toward them urging them to go quickly.

    ¡°Others are eating, but youe here and try to enter a girl¡¯s bathroom.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t wee here, you don¡¯t know anything,¡± said Ron as he stopped and stared angrily at Percy, ¡± I know what you¡¯re thinking, listen we didn¡¯t do anything to that cat!¡±

    ¡°I told Ginny the same thing, but she still thinks you¡¯re going to be expelled, I¡¯ve never seen her so sad where she cries all of a sudden. you should think of her, freshmen students have been distracted by this incident!¡± said Percy

    ¡°Ivan is a freshman too, but I haven¡¯t seen him upset about it,¡± said Ron with his ears turning a bright red, ¡°But you don¡¯t care about Ginny, you just worry that I¡¯ll spoil your future as a Prefect.¡±

    ¡°Gryffindor loses five points!¡± said Percy stiffly as he used a device to take away points, ¡°I hope this will teach you a lesson, not to engage in any detective activity, or I¡¯ll write mom!¡±

    Percy strode away with his neck as red as Ron¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Ron you shouldn¡¯t quarrel with Percy he is just concerned about us,¡± whispered Ivan

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m bothersome?!¡± said Ron as he turned around and looked at Ivan, ¡°First it was flying to school, then the slugs, apologizing to Myrtle, and until now trying to enter the girls¡¯ bathroom, you are all right, the wrong is always mine.¡±

    ¡°Ron, Ivan didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­.¡± said Harry hastily

    ¡°I¡¯m fed up!¡± eximed Ron, ¡°The madman could only attack a cat, so let him go and attack.¡±

    After that, he ran towards Gryffindor Tower.

    Harry and Hermione froze momentarily before they hurriedly chased after Ron, leaving Ivan alone in front of the bathroom.

 Chapter 32 Out of Control Bludger

    <h4>Chapter 32 Out of Control Bludger</h4>

    After the incident, Ron seemed to have made up his mind not to speak to Ivan or Percy, and avoided them as much as he could, which embarrassed Harry and Hermione.

    As time went on, no one mentioned moaning myrtle anymore.

    The talk of the chamber of Secrets was getting less and less. Everyone came to think just like Ron, no matter who the heir was, if their only ability was to petrify a cat, then they had nothing to worry about.

    Hermione spent most of her time reading books. She went through thick books detailing events of Hogwarts to find clues about the chamber of secrets. Ivan used his spare time to practice curses in a room where no one was present.

    It was getting closer and closer to Harry¡¯s first Quidditch match, so Harry¡¯s Quidditch practice increased significantly.

    Every day after dinner, he would be taken by wood to the Quidditch stadium.

    Thanks to Malfoy¡¯s sponsorship, the Slytherin¡¯s Quidditch team¡¯s brooms have all been upgraded to the Nimbus 2001¡¯s, which is far better than Gryffindor¡¯s broomsticks.

    Since they were unable to get the same broomsticks, Wood decided to increase the team¡¯s training intensity. They flew in almost every weather condition imaginable. He hoped to narrow the gap between the two teams caused by the broomsticks.

    Since the fight between the two teams, the conflicts between the two houses have grownrger, so many of the Gryffindor and Slytherin students are hoping for a big fight, the uing Quidditch match is just adding fuel to the fire.

    The day before the Quittichpetition there was a fierce confrontation between the two houses but ever since the firstrge fight every professor in the school has be very vignt and stopped it before anything major could happen.

    In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday morning.

    Ivan and Colin went to the auditorium to have breakfast. Ivan could feel the depressing atmosphere around the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Wood let all the yers eat as much as they could but he didn¡¯t eat anything himself, and when every one had finished, they went to the Quidditch stadium.

    Because of Ron, Ivan didn¡¯t go with them but waited until Eleven o¡¯clock and went with the school teachers and students to Quidditch stadium.

    Ivan was in the stadium next to Colin and Ginny.

    The game soon begun, the dazzling figures flew through the air.

    From the very beginning of the game you could see which team was more dominant, in less than ten minutes Slytherin scored three consecutive goals, Fred and George¡¯s broomgged behind their opponents, nevering close to the ball.

    ¡°All of our brooms are too slow, and no one but Harry can keep up with Slytherin,¡± said Colin feebly.

    ¡°I hope Harry can catch the snitch soon,¡± said Ginny while being a little disturbed at how many goals the Slytherins are scoring.

    The situation gradually became more beneficial to Gryffindor as in begun to rain.

    Wood¡¯s training worked, and because the Slytherin¡¯scked practice in different weather conditions, the Slytherin yers became slower.

    Everyone soon saw a crazy bludger that seemed to be attracted by some maic force towards Harry. The bludger tried its best to try to knock Harry out of the air. Ginny screamed while grasping Ivan¡¯s arm tightly.

    To avoid the bludger¡¯s ferocious attack, Harry had to rise fiercely.

    He turned, rotated, twisted, flew in a zigzag route but nothing he did worked, the bludger kept following him without going after other people.

    With Fred and George protecting him, Slytherin scored two more points.

    ¡°The Slytherin¡¯s must have done something to the ball,¡± shouted Ron as he stood up and waved his fist in anger.

    ¡°Ivan, what should we do?¡± asked Ginny.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ginny!¡± said Ivan whileforting her and turning to make his way through the crowd, ¡°Someone should be controlling the bludger, I¡¯m going to take a look.¡±

    This should be the house-elf Dobby¡¯s handy work.

    Ivan didn¡¯t know where Dobby was but one thing was for sure, he must have been hiding somewhere in the vicinity.

    Ivan wandered around the stadium, looking far and wide until he found the horrendous creature near Ravenw¡¯s bleachers. Before he could stop Dobby, he saw Wood calling the team together in a huddle.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Wood, ¡°Where were you when the bludger prevented Angelina from scoring.¡±

    ¡°We were twenty feet above her preventing another bludger from killing Harry.¡± said George angrily, ¡°someone has bewitched the ball.¡±

    ¡°But since we practicedst night the bludger has been locked up in Mrs. Hooch¡¯s office since this morning¡­.¡±

    ¡°Listen, you can¡¯t keep flying around me, I have no chance of catching the snitch unless ites around me.¡±

    Harry saw the Slytherin team sneering at him and said,¡±Fred and George, go deal with the other bludger and let me deal with the one chasing me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Harry!¡± said Fred, ¡°It will knock your head off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all about you!¡±

    George looked at Wood angrily and said, ¡°Catch the Snitch or die in the game, you must be crazy for telling Harry such a thing!¡±

    ¡°What now?¡± said Wood while looking at Harry, Fred, and George.

    ¡°Oliver, be sensible.¡± said Alicia Spi angrily, ¡°You can¡¯t let Harry deal with that thing alone. We should ask for an investigation!¡±

    ¡°If we stop now, we will be disqualified.¡± said Harry as he shook his head, ¡°We can¡¯t lose to Slytherin because of a rogue bludger, we practiced for this game for three months.

    ¡°But¡­.¡±

    ¡°Let me deal with the Bludger, I think I can solve the problem,¡± said Ivan as he ran over.

    When the Gryffindor Quidditch yer heard him, they turned their heads and looked at him.

    ¡°Ivan what are you going to do?¡± asked Harry eagerly

    ¡°You just need to worry about catching the snitch leave the rest to me,¡± said Ivan, ¡°Come on, Harry! I¡¯ve already written the article about Gryffindor winning, and you can¡¯t let me rece it.

    ¡°Well!¡± said Wood while looking at Ivan and Harry with a firm expression, ¡°Fred, George, you both heard them let Harry deal with the bludger.¡±

    With Mrs. Hooch¡¯s whistle, the game resumed.

    Ivan knew he had to hurry. He pulled out his wand while rushing to Ravenw¡¯s bleachers, Ivan ignored Luna who stood up and greeted him.

    Ivan shouted ¡± Stupefy¡± which caused a red light to fly out from his wand.

    When Dobby heard Ivan¡¯s shout, he turned his head while looking a little surprised, Dobby stared at him for a second, but he vanished before the spell hit him.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± said Ivan as he clenched his fist since he forgot that house elves could freely apparate within Hogwarts.

    At that time there was an exmation within the stands.

    Ivan hurriedly up and saw that Harry caught the snitch but was hit by the wandering ball from behind and fell to the ground.

 Chapter 33 The House Elf

    <h4>Chapter 33 The House Elf</h4>

    Ivan saw Harry fall into the mud.

    The rain poured down on Harry¡¯s face, his arm dangled in a bizarre angle. Ivan hurried to the center of the field. He didn¡¯t want to see Lockhart use a spell that gets rid of the bones.

    By the time he crossed the crowd, Lockhart was standing in front of Harry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it all to me, children!¡± He said in aforting tone, ¡°it¡¯s just a simple spell that I¡¯ve used countless times.¡±

    As he spoke, he rolled up his emerald green sleeves.

    ¡°No, no!¡± said Harry weakly.

    But it didn¡¯t work, Lockhart was already casting the spell. A secondter, he pointed his wand at Harry¡¯s arm.

    It was toote to stop it, so Ivan had to cast a spell to save Harry.

    ¡°Protego¡± shouted Ivan

    The next second, a red light flew out from the tip of his wand, and the light blue Spell struck Harry.

    Perhaps this time his training was adequate, or maybe Lockhart was terrible at casting spelling. In short, everyone saw that Lockhart¡¯s spell rebound.

    The light blue bolt flew through the air and hit Percy, who was standing beside Lockhart.

    Percy fainted, and the people around him gasped.

    They saw that Percy¡¯s left arm, which had been struck by the spell, was limp and boneless.

    ¡°Oh my God, his bones are gone?¡± ¡±

    ¡°Lockhart looked equally panicky. Yes, yes, sometimes that happens, it must be some reaction to the Protego spell that Ivan cast and my spell. But don¡¯t worry, which ssmate can carry him to Madam Pomfrey, she can help him. ¡±

    Fred and George gave Lockhart a deadly stare before they carried Percy to the school infirmary, Ginny was pale, with tears in her eyes.

    In the school hospital, it only took a second for Madam Pomfrey a second to heal Harry¡¯s bones, but when she saw Percy¡¯s arm, she looked unhappy.

    ¡°What did you do to him? Poor boy, all of his bones are gone, and I need to regrow them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Percy, I didn¡¯t think this would happen.¡±

    ¡°It was an ident, Ivan!¡± said Percy as he shook his head.

    Ivan, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley family all gathered around Percy¡¯s bed, and though Gryffindor won the Quidditch game, no one was happy.

    ¡°It¡¯s all Lockhart¡¯s fault, ¡°said Fred.

    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault, it was Ivan¡¯s Protego spell and Lockhart¡¯s spell that produced an awful effect,¡± said Hermione as she defended Lockhart.

    ¡°Everyone knows that Protego only bounces back the spell,¡± said George

    ¡°But ¡­¡±

    ¡°Why are you still defending Lockhart, Hermione?¡± ¡±

    ¡°If Harry or Percy wanted to remove their bones, they would find a better way,¡± said Ron aloud

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡± said Hermione as she blushed ¡°Lockhart was only trying to help. ¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t helping, if it weren¡¯t because of Ivan, Harry would beying in this bed now.¡±

    ¡°Keep quiet, children!¡± said Madam Pomfrey while she was carrying a giant bottle of Skele-Gro, ¡°You should let him rest, regrowing bones is an excruciating process.¡±

    Said Madam Pomfrey as she poured Percy a cup and handed it to him.

    Everyone looked at Percy¡¯s pained face as he drunk the potion, Ginny hurriedly helped him swallow it.

    By the time Percy felt better, Madam Pomfrey had made them leave, the Weasleys had insisted on spending more time with Percy.

    But Madam Pomfrey disagreed with so many people staying with him. Finally, Ivan, Harry, and Hermione went back to themon room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ivan! ¡±

    Harry patted Ivan on the shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Percy was just unlucky. ¡±

    ¡°Harry, Professor Lockhart just wanted to help you, the problem was the crazy bludger, someone must have bewitched it!¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°But, who is ¡­?¡±

    ¡°I think I know.¡± ¡±

    Ivan pulled them to an empty ssroom, and exined, ¡°It¡¯s the house elf Dobby, he bewitched the ball.¡±

    Ivan told him what he saw, and then Dobby suddenly appeared in front of them.

    In the dim ssroom, the three-starred at Dobby¡¯s tennis ball sized eyes.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± said Harry while being a little bit surprised.

    ¡°Harry Potter went back to school.¡± whispered Dobby sadly, ¡°I repeatedly warned Harry Potter. When Harry Potter missed the train, why did you not go home? ¡±

    ¡°Wait, how do you know I missed the train?¡± asked Harry suddenly.

    Dobby¡¯s lips trembled, and he looked suspicious.

    ¡°Did you do it?¡± said Harry slowly, ¡°you sealed the wall and wouldn¡¯t let us through!¡± ¡±

    ¡°Precisely, sir. ¡°said Dobby as he nodded his head,¡±I waited inside, and when I saw Harry I sealed the entrance, afterward I Ironed my hands! ¡±

    He held ten long fingers with bandages on it for the three people to see.

    ¡°Why do you have to iron your hands?¡± said Hermione in a surprised tone.

    ¡°Because Dobby must punish himself, Dobby thought Harry Potter was safe. Dobby never dreamed that Harry Potter and his friends would find a way to go to school!¡± ¡±

    Dobby shook himself back and forth and kept banging his head, which made Ivan wonder about Dobby¡¯s IQ.

    ¡°Hearing that Harry Potter was back at Hogwarts made Dobby burn master¡¯s supper! Master gave me a furry of whips unlike ever before, sir¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You almost got Ivan, Ron, and me expelled!¡± snarled Harry, ¡°you¡¯d better go away before I strangle you.¡± ¡±

    ¡°Dobby doesn¡¯t care!¡± said Dobby with a faint smile, ¡± Dobby has be ustomed to the threat of death, more than five times a day at home.¡±

    ¡°Wait, who¡¯s threatening you?¡± said Hermoine as she frowned.

    ¡°Dobby can¡¯t reveal master¡¯s name. Dobby can¡¯t reveal secrets of the master¡¯s family.¡±

    Dobby blew his nose on a corner of his dirty pillowcase while looking miserable.

    ¡°Why are you wearing that, Dobby?¡± asked Harry curiously, he wasn¡¯t as angry as before.

    ¡°This symbolizes a house elf¡¯s ve status!¡± said Dobby

    ¡°ve?!¡± said Hermione as she frowned even more.

    ¡°Yes, Dobby is only free when his master gives him clothes to wear. People at home are cautious, not to give Dobby as much as a pair of socks because if Dobby is free, he would be free to leave home forever. ¡±

 Chapter 34 The House Elvesâ€™ Light

    <h4>Chapter 34 The House Elves¡¯ Light</h4>

    ¡°Why did you attack Harry with a bludger?¡± asked Ivan

    ¡°What do you mean by that Ivan!¡±

    Harry became angry once more, ¡°Were you trying to kill me with the bludger?¡±

    ¡°I would never kill sir!¡± said Dobby, ¡°Dobby was trying to save Harry Potter¡¯s life, you are better hurt than staying here.¡±

    ¡°Dobby wanted to hurt you enough so you would go back home!¡± said Dobby with a little fear, ¡°But Dobby failed, Harry Potter¡¯s friend attacked Dobby with a spell, so Dobby had to suspend the magic.¡±

    ¡°Luckily Ivan attacked you.¡± said Harry angrily, ¡°Otherwise, I would most likely be sent home.¡±

    ¡°I wish Harry Potter knew!¡± said Dobby with tears rolling down his face on to his tattered pillowcase, ¡°I wish he knew how much he meant to our humble, enved race in the wizarding world! Before the one who must not be named was defeated, we house-elves were treated like pests!¡±

    Ivan listened to Dobby and the tragedy that house elves are, he felt awful, he also saw Hermione¡¯s brow be even more wrinkled.

    ¡°Of course, they still mistreat us.¡± said Dobby as he wiped his tears on his pillowcase, ¡°But on the whole, our lives have improved greatly since Harry Potter defeated the one who must not be named. This was the light in the dark for the ones who thought the dark days would never end, Harry Potter shines like a beacon of hope within the dark.¡±

    ¡°But is this any way to repay your benefactor?¡±

    ¡°Harry Potter doesn¡¯t understand, terrible things are about to transpire. Dobby can¡¯t leave Harry Potter here because history will repeat itself since the Chamber of Secrets is open once more¡­..¡±

    ¡°You said the Chamber of Secrets?¡± shouted Harry and Hermione in unison.

    Then Dobby apparated to a desk and begun fiercly inflicting pain on to himself, but Ivan soon stoped Dobby¡¯s self-harm.

    ¡°Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby, Very bad Dobby¡± muttered Dobby

    ¡°How much do you know about what¡¯s in the Chamber of Secrets?¡± asked Hermione eagerly.

    ¡°Why am I in danger, I am not Muggle-born?¡± asked Harry

    ¡°Dobby can not say anymore, don¡¯t ask more, don¡¯t overthink it!¡± stammered Dobby

    ¡°In short, people are plotting things, things that will put Harry Potter and his friends in danger, Harry Potter must not stay here. Please go home, Harry Potter! Go home, Harry Potter! You must not meddle in this matters, they are too dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Who opened the Chamber of Secrets? Who¡¯s plotting the conspiracy?¡±

    ¡°I can not say more, I absolutely can not say more¡± Screamed Dobby loudly, ¡°Go home, Harry Potter, Go Home Harry Potter,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t go, I¡¯ll stay here and not go anywhere. Two of my best friends are Muggle-born, Ivan, and Hermione, and if the Chamber of secrets is really open then they will¡­..¡±

    ¡°Harry Potter is willing to risk his life for his friends! How noble, how brave!¡± Cried Dobby with sadness and joy but he must make Harry and his friends go home.

    Ivan suddenly had a bad feeling, he saw that Dobby stretched out his finger, everything in the ssroom trembled.

    ¡°What are you doing, Dobby?¡± said Ivan as he pulled out his wand

    ¡°Harry Potter and his friends must be sent home, even if Dobby is punished, I do not care!¡± said Dobby as he waved his fingers forward causing the tables and chairs to shoot out at the three.

    It was truly spectacr, it was like arrows raining down on them. Harry and Hermione were petrified, they didn¡¯t understand how a pitiful and humble, little house elf became so terrifying.

    ¡°Portego!¡±

    Ivan¡¯s wand shot out a red light and hit a table that was flying toward them causing it to bounce backward and crash.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, this is serious!¡±

    After hearing Ivan, Harry and Hermione pulled out their wand and started casting spells.

    But this didn¡¯t work, over eighty chairs and tables were under Dobby¡¯s control, they were surrounded by them, the three young wizards casting spells didn¡¯t even manage to open a gap so they could not rush out.

    A few secondster, the three people were pushed tightly together, gasping for breath, casting so many spells were taking its toll on them, they looked like they had just run a marathon.

    ¡°Dobby stop, you are going to kill us,¡± begged Hermione

    ¡°Harry Potter must leave Hogwarts, and there is no alternative to this,¡± said Dobby as he stared at them with his big eyes, ¡°Promise, sir, promise you will leave, or you will be hurt and sent home.¡±

    Ivan never thought Dobby¡¯s request would be so lethal. There was no doubt in his mind when Harry refused, the table and chairs would fly over and hit them in the next second.

    If you get hit, it is not as simple as being hurt.

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°This is the Defense against the Dark arts ssroom, maybe Professor Lockhart will hear the sound ande running to help us,¡± said Hermione with great anticipation.

    ¡°I would rather Snape!¡±

    ¡°Please, go home, Harry Potter. You can not stay at Hogwarts this year because of the plot,¡± said Dobby once more in a shrill voice.

    ¡°Damn it, who orchestrated this plot? Who let this Crazy house elf out?¡± gasped Harry

    Ivan had a bright idea and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Malfoy, it¡¯s Lucious Malfoy who sent you, right?¡±

    All the tables and chairs fell to the ground with a bang, Ivan¡¯s words seemed to have frightened Dobby.

    ¡°Do not mention the name of master, Dobby revealed the secret of master¡¯s family, Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby!¡±

    Dobby picked up a chair and started to intensely beat himself with it and disappeared from the three¡¯s sight.

    Ivan, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other before they hurriedly ran out of Defense of the Dark arts ssroom before Dobby had the chance toe back.

 Chapter 35 The Second Attack

    <h4>Chapter 35 The Second Attack</h4>

    The weather was gloomy, so the dark castle became particrly grim.

    Ivan, Hermione, and Harry raced to the Gryffindormon rooms. They were disturbed by what just happened.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Malfoy is the one trying to kill us!¡± said Harry while looking pale.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, why would Malfoy want to kill us?¡±

    Ivan shook his head while looking at Harry¡¯s expression and said, ¡°Well even if he wanted to, he wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to send a house elf to do so.¡±

    ¡°Then did Dobby¡­..¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he was lying, he must have overheard his master talking about opening the Chamber of Secrets, and came to try to save you, Harry.¡±

    ¡°Yeah save me, not letting me get on the train, breaking my arm, and controling over eighty chairs and tables to attack us.¡± sighed Harry, ¡°If he keeps trying to save me like this, I might end up dead.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me him too much, house elves are creatures of immense servility. They can¡¯t vite their masters¡¯ orders, they can¡¯t reveal their masters¡¯ secrets, and if he does, he has to bear server punishments.¡±

    ¡°Servile?!¡± grunted Hermione, ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable that in this day and age, that there is still very in our country!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that.¡± said Harry, ¡°I wished he would have told us who opened the Chamber of Secrets, or what lies with in it. How can no one notice a monster walking around the school!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it can make itself invisible.¡±

    Hermione thought for a moment and said, ¡°Or maybe it can disguise itself into another object.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, this thing has something to do with Malfoy,¡± said Ivan quickly, ¡°Lucius Malfoy is plotting something, but¡­¡­.¡±

    His words couldn¡¯t go on, when the three turned a corner, they saw a horrible scene.

    Ivan felt his heart sink, and his face became pale.

    A Ravenw girl wasying on the floor, she was cold and stiff, she had a terrified look on her face, her eyes were gazing at the ceiling. It was not just her, there was another figure beside her, Ivan had never seen such a strange spectacle before.

    It was Moaning Myrtle, she was no longer milky white and transparent, dark smoke filled her, she was lying six inches above the ground, with the same expression as the Ravenw girl.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we seen this Ravenw girl before? What was her name?¡±

    Harry gasped while looking around the hallway, he saw spiders quickly fleeing.

    ¡°Penelope Clearwater, she is a Ravenw student,¡± replied Hermione with a sad tone.

    ¡°Another attack, we should find someone toe and help.¡±

    Before they could react, they heard a door m open, it was Peeves.

    ¡°Ah, it is you three!¡±

    Peeves bounced around while giggling, ¡°What are you doing, why are you sneaking around?¡±

    He did a somersault but suddenly stopped when he noticed what was lying on the ground.

    He quickly straightened up, took a deep breath, before Ivan was able to shop him, he screamed at the top of his lungs. ¡°You did it again! Even ghost aren¡¯t spared! Run for your lives!¡±

    The whole castle instantly became lively, people quickly flocked to where they were.

    In the next few minutes, the scene was incredibly chaotic, Penelope was endanger of being squished. People stood in Moaning Myrtle¡¯s body while squeezing Harry, Ivan, and Hermione to the wall.

    In the next moment, the teachers came and regained order.

    Professor McGonagall hurriedly ran to the scene and cast a spell that produced a tremendous bang which made everyone quiet down. She ordered everyone to go back to their houses¡¯mon room.

    Ivan heard Justin whisper that Harry was the sessor as he left.

    This remark was apparently heard by Peeves, Peeves suddenly opened his mouth producing a gigantic smile.

    When the teachers were looking at Penelope and Moaning Myrtle, Peeves sang, ¡°Oh, Potter, oh, Potter, you¡¯re a pain, you ruin lives, and think it¡¯s a hoot.¡±

    ¡°Stop messing around, Peeves!¡± roared Professor McGonagall, Peeves stuck out his tongue and hurriedly ran away.

    Professor Flitwick along with several other students carried Penelope to the school infirmary. The didn¡¯t know what do with Moaning Myrtle.

    Finally, Professor McGonagall transfigured a big fan and handed it to Ron, who had just arrived, and told him to fan Moaning Myrtle up the stairs. Ron looked at Ivan and the others with worried expression before leaving.

    ¡°Come with me, Mason, Potter, and Granger.¡± Professor McGonagall led them to a gigantic statue of a Griffin.¡±

    McGonagall spoke the words ¡°Sherbet Lemon.¡±

    As soon as her words finished the statue jumped aside, revealing a slowly ascending staircase.

    Ivan and the other two followed Professor McGonagall and heard a bang, the entrance closed once again. The staircase went up higher and higher, making Ivan feel a little dizzy. Ivan then saw a double oak door, on it was a brass knocker in the shape of a Grifin.

    Ivan knew where this was, it was the entrance to Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    He has been secretly looking at it for four weeks. He could not help but be amazed at its beauty. Harry and Hermione were worried about their impending fate.

    It was too coincidental that the three were there for the first attack and the second one as well. If they said, they had nothing to do with the Chamber of Secrets, no one would believe them.

    Dumbledore¡¯s office is very interesting, it is a very spacious, beautiful round room and a few funny little sounds filled it. The spindly tables had a lot of silvery devices.

    The walls were filled with portraits of the former headmasters, who were softly snoring in their respective frames. On a shelf sat a ragged, wrinkled sorting hat.

    On a perch behind the door sat an ill-looking bird with red and gold feathers.

    This should be the Phoenix Fawkes, Ivan looked at it curiously.

    After Observing it carefully, Dumbledore came out.

    ¡°Albus, it was Miss Clearwater and Moaning Myrtle¡­¡­.¡± said Professor McGonagall eagerly.

    ¡°I know Minerva!¡± replied Dumbledore calmly, ¡°The Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened again.¡±

    ¡°But Albus, you must know¡­¡­Who is it?¡±

    ¡°The question is not who.¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°The question is, how¡­¡­¡­¡±

    Ivan¡¯s was slightly startled, Dumbledore must have noticed something.

    Then he saw the look on Professor McGonagall¡¯s face and knew like himself, Harry, and Hermione, no one understood what Dumbledore meant.

    Afterward, the expected inquiry was not born, Dumbledore only asked them about the Phoneix Fawkes, and let them go.

    Ivan turned around, wondering whether if he just imagined it or not but it felt like Dumbledore¡¯s eyes were on himself.

 Chapter 36 Polyjuice Potion

    <h4>Chapter 36 Polyjuice Potion</h4>

    Very few people are as wise as Dumbledore. News of Penelope and moaning Myrtle spread throughout the entire school.

    Rumors spread, making everyone suspicious.

    Even the ghost were a little scared, they wondered what kind of power can actually hurt a ghost.

    During this time, multiple students bought things to protect themselves. Ivan saw Nevil Longbottom buy a gigantic onion, an amethyst, and a rotting smander tail.

    As a result, the other boys in Gryffindor told him he was not in danger since he was pureblood so he shouldn¡¯t be attacked.

    ¡°They started with Filch.¡± said Nevil with a face full of fear, ¡°As you know, I was almost a squib.¡±

    Colin approved of Nevil¡¯s words. The amethyst that Nevil bought it is said to protect one¡¯s self from harm.

    Percy was acting rather abnormal too.

    His arm was already fixed, but when he saw the petrified Penelope he was horrified. He wasn¡¯t interested in trying to maintain order in themon room, he just sat in front of the fire alone every night, not knowing what to think.

    Ginny seemed to be worse off then Percy, she has been distractedtely.

    Several times she found Ivan while looking rather pale, she seemed to want to say something but in the end, she did not say anything.

    It was suspicious after Ivan kept asking what was wrong she gave in. She told him that she was having nightmares every night, she dreamed of Harry, Ivan, and another Weasley family member being killed by the monster in the chamber, which made her very worried.

    Ivanforted her for a while, he was unsure if Ginny became like this because she noticed she had been controlled by Tom Riddle.

    He was told that Ron, Ginny, and the twins left the hospital soon after he left, but they went their separate way, so he did not know if she went to the bathroom of the third floor during that time or not.

    The situation is so bad that the first years are now always grouped together, it was like they were afraid if they acted alone they would be attacked. No one except Colin wanted to be with Ivan. No matter where he went someone was always pointing at him.

    He received the same treatment as Harry and Hermione. People kept their distance from the three as if they were serial killers.

    The prime suspect is still Harry, the young wizards even gave a reason. It was that Moaning Myrtle offended Harry at Nick¡¯s Deathday Party and she ran back to the bathroom after talking to Harry. The girls have seen Harry try to break into the bathroom, they suspect that he was caught by Penelope so he decided to kill her.

    In the wake of this rumor, the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper sold a record low, thetest issue only sold 300 issues.

    No one wanted to buy a suspected criminals¡¯ newspaper until he was proven innocent. All of the young wizards energy was focused on the Chamber of Secrets, they were no longer interested in the Quidditch games.

    The only benefit of the attack was that Ron was willing to talk to Ivan again.

    It may be because Ivan¡¯s spell struck Percy and made him think Ivan was on his side or because the Chamber of Secrets was once again opened and made him realize the importance of these things and think now isn¡¯t the time to act like this.

    They huddled in a corner in the Common room for several nights in a row and whispered.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione agreed that they had missed the chance to get a key clue. Moaning Myrtle may have known something but she is now out of the picture.

    Ivan knew where and how to open the Chamber of Secrets, but he was not ready for the battle and he also didn¡¯t know where Tom Riddle was hiding.

    ¡°There must be something wrong with our thinking.¡±

    Ron felt a little puzzled, ¡°Who do we know that thinks Muggles are rubbish?¡±

    ¡°Malfoy?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s him! Look at his ugly face,¡± said Rong, ¡°And the house elf that attacked you was theirs.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dobby did mention the Chamber and the plot. But we can¡¯t be sure Malfoy is the heir to Slytherin,¡± said Hermione

    ¡°Come on, Hermione!¡± said Harry, ¡°Look at the family, everyone is in Slytherin. He might as well be the descendant of Slytherin since his father is evil enough.

    ¡°They might have held the key to the Chamber of Secrets for centuries!¡± said Ron, ¡°It was probably passed from generation to generation, father to son.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­..¡± said Hermione cautiously, ¡°Ivan, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Malfoy should know something if he is the heir.¡±

    Ivan had to find Tom¡¯s diary and pay attention to Ginny, asking Draco Malfoy himself is a good way.

    Lucius probably didn¡¯t disclose his ns to Draco but there might be some clues like if they were in contact with any other student from Hogwarts other than the Weasley, as long as there is one clue, it will narrow down his search.

    ¡°Ivan is so predictable but the question is how can we get Malfoy to tell the truth,¡± said Harry pessimistically.

    ¡°I have a solution!¡± said Hermione slowly, she hurriedly looked to make sure no one was eavesdropping and lowered her voice, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not easy, it¡¯s very dangerous, we are going to vite at least fifty school rules.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so secretive if you want to tell us,¡± said Ron impatiently.

    ¡°We need to enter Slytherin¡¯smon room and ask Malfoy a few question without letting him recognize us,¡± said Hermione calmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡±ughed Harry and Ron

    ¡°No it is possible!¡± said Ivan as he narrowed his eyes, ¡°As long as we make polyjuice potion.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Harry and Ron in unison.

    ¡°Polyjuice potion!¡± said Hermione while being a little surprised, ¡°How did you know, Ivan?¡±

    ¡°I have read about it in books that this kind of potion can turn you into another person.¡±(Note: The funny thing is he is not lying.)

    ¡°Yes, we can turn into Slytherin students. Malfoy will not know it was us and might tell us everything.¡± said Hermione, ¡°He is probably in the Slytherinmon room bragging, it is a pity we can¡¯t hear him.¡±

    ¡°This potion seems a little peculiar.¡±

    Ron said while frowning, ¡°What if we be Slytherin students and never change back?¡±

    ¡°The effect will vanish after a while.¡± said Hermione a little impatiently, ¡°Snape said the potion is written in a book called Moste Potente Potions in the library¡¯s restricted section. But it shouldn¡¯t be a problem, Professor Lockhart should be willing to sign a note to let us get it.¡±

    ¡°That guy will sign anything,¡± whispered Ron.

    ¡°The problem now is the raw materials, We should be able to obtain those from Snape¡¯s personal collection.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, that is too risky, Snape is not Lockhart, we can¡¯t easily get it from him.¡± hesitated Harry.

    ¡°But¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a problem, we can use the profits from The Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper to buy the herbs. And we can use the third floors girl¡¯s bathroom to concoct the potion.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± said Ron feebly while Harry¡¯s face looked grave.

    ¡°It is the safest ce since Filch is no longer guarding it. After the two attacks, no one is willing to approach the corridor.¡±

    In addition to making potions, Ivan was prepared to risk it.

    He will be right by the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets, no matter who Tom is controlling, as long as they want to enter the Chamber of Secrets, they must go through him.

    Ivan also wants to see, will it be the same as the original plot and will he find Tom¡¯s Diary there.

 Chapter 37 Duelling Club

    <h4>Chapter 37 Duelling Club</h4>

    Hermione got the potion book the next morning and Ivan ordered the herbs that afternoon.

    That night, they gathered in the girls ¡® bathroom on the third floor. There was no moaning it was very peaceful. Moaning Myrtle was no longer present in the bathroom anymore, Ivan looked around and saw a tiny snake on the side of a copper faucet.

    ¡°That faucet is broken .¡±

    Hermione turned the thick potion book to the page of the Polyjuice potion and checked the form for the herbs she had just acquired.

    ¡°It¡¯s the mostplicated potion I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± muttered Hermione, pointing to the ingredient list with her fingers, ¡°Fluxweed, Knotgrass, Lacewing flies stewed for twenty-one days, Leeches, Horn of Bicorn, Lacewing fly boomng skin and a piece of a person¡¯s hair you want to turn into.¡± ¡±

    ¡°God, Ivan, how much did you spend on these things, they aren¡¯t cheap!¡±

    ¡°300 Galleons, this is all the money the newspaper recently made.¡± Shrugged Ivan, ¡°I was going to use the money to buy a Christmas present for everyone but there are more important things¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying all these herbs are worth 300 Galleons?¡± said Ron while being a little distressed over the price.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ivan was also a little distressed.

    ¡°Well, we have everything we need for the potion except something from the person we want to turn into. ¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, something from the person? I will not drink it if it has Crabbe¡¯s toenails in it! ¡±

    Hermione seemed to not hear him.

    Ron turned to Harry, speechless, and Harry¡¯s face was the same as his.

    ¡°The question now is, how long will it take to concoct the potion?¡± asked Ivan.

    ¡°Well, you need to boil the Lacewing flies for 21 days.¡±

    ¡°21 days! Malfoy will take out half of the muggle-born students by then,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Then do you have a better idea?¡± Hermione snapped the book and red at Ron.

    ¡°What about the house elf that has been causing Harry trouble. What if we make Malfoy a horrible meal when he is at home for the holidays, that makes him stay at home for the entire term.¡± Ron¡¯s voice was getting smaller and smaller as Hermione looked at Ron angrily.

    ¡°We aren¡¯t sure if it¡¯s Malfoy.¡± said Ivan as he shook his head, ¡°Besides the herbs have already been bought, so there is no turning back.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right Ivan!¡±

    Ron seeing Hermione about to argue with him, hastily agreed, ¡°It is bad to waste Galleons, but please don¡¯t use toenails, okay.¡±

    The people discussed the n once more, and after confirming that there were no omissions they started preparing the materials ording to the recipe.

    Time gradually passed by, the atmosphere of the school was still a little grim.

    Ivan stopped by Lockhart¡¯s ss during one of his sses.

    He had been asked by Lockhart to act as a creature he wrote in one of his books, it was a new teaching activity recently created by Lockhart.

    ¡°Ivan, your performance was marvelous¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to be of help, Professor.¡±

    ¡°What else do you have for me to do? My next ss is Professor McGonagall¡¯s transfiguration, I shouldn¡¯t bete,¡± said Ivan

    ¡°Is that so.¡± said Lockhart while showing off his iconic smile, ¡°I¡¯m hoping to start a dueling club in the wake of the current events at the school.¡±

    ¡°Duelling club?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you know I have more experience with dealing with magical creatures than the other professors.¡± said Lockhart, ¡°I¡¯m not bragging but I don¡¯t mind imparting some of this experience on you to help you improve your fighting power.¡±

    ¡°Excellent idea, what do you need me to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll put the message on the bulletin board, and you can advertise in the paper, that¡¯s about it,¡± said Lockhart.

    Lockhart wanted to put it on the front page, but he didn¡¯t want his name published, he said it was to keep it mysterious and give everyone a big surprise. Thinking about it made Ivan have a wry smile.

    ¡°What can¡¯t Lockhart teach us, how to get rid of bones?¡± thought Ivan

    But he readily consented to the other party¡¯s request, after thinking that there wasn¡¯t anything worth promoting. Perhaps it would be a chance to redeem the newspaper¡¯s ever-lowering sales with the dueling clubs influence.

    ¡®The school will start a dueling club¡¯ read the article.

    In thetest issue of the newspaper, Ivan paced a big question mark, following that was a list of possible teachers for the Duelling club, their strengths and past achievements. After a lot of publicity, this issue of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper sold like it did before the second attack.

    Under the wording of Ivan¡¯s article, most people thought that the teacher would be Dumbledore.

    It was shocking because Professor Dumbledore hadn¡¯t used magic in public for many years, he used it slightly before Voldemort¡¯s downfall.

    Needless to say, it excited many young wizards, many adult wizards who ordered the paper wanted toe to school to have the opportunity to learn from the greatest wizard of the modern ages. It was exciting just thinking about it.

    The editor of the Daily Prophet wrote him shortly after he heard the news of the dueling club. He wanted to send some to interview the dueling club.

    However it was rejected which made students even more curious, most people thought it would be Dumbledore.

    Because of Ivan¡¯s propaganda, the dueling club which was originally supposed to be in a small area of the dungeon had to be moved to the great hall because of the number of students.

    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening on Wednesday, the students returned to the great hall after they rested in themon room after dinner. The long tables vanished and were reced by a magnificent stage illuminated by hundreds of candles floating above.

    Soon the ceiling once again became as dark as a moonless night.

    Ivan who knew the truth was dragged by Colin and Ginny from the library to the Great Hall. In their words, I hope Ivan will guide them on defensive spells so that all the freshmen will know that Ivan¡¯s spells are the best of his peers.

    Everyone was squeezed together, each holding this wand while being excited.

    ¡°When is the headmastering, what do you think he will teach us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly Ron!¡±

    Because of how loud the crowd was, Hermione had to raise her voice and shout, ¡°It can¡¯t be, Professor Dumbledore hasn¡¯t taught in years. Besides if it was him there was no need to be mysterious, he is just a gimmick.¡±

    ¡°Not Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Flitwick a dueling champion when he was young, maybe he will be the one to teach us,¡± said Hermione while being unsure.

    ¡°Ivan must know, he wrote the article.¡±

    Harry and Ron hurriedly went to Ivan, who was near Colin and Ginny, Nevil also joined in with a look of anticipation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, I thought when you saw the article you could figure out who it was!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, you don¡¯t mean¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    Before Harry¡¯s words finished they turned into a groan as he saw Lockhart go onto the stage wearing a radiant purple robe.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him!¡± said Ivan, ¡°And he seems to have brought a special guest with him.¡±

    The lively atmosphere of the great hall suddenly became a bit grim when they saw who was beside Lockhart.

    It was Snape who was dressed in his usual ck clothes.

 Chapter 38 The Unexpected Duel

    <h4>Chapter 38 The Unexpected Duel</h4>

    All the students were soon disappointed.

    Lockhart was supposed to show them how to fight but he picked the wrong opponent.

    After the count of three, Snape waved his wand, producing a dazzling red light. Lockhart was hit and was flung off the stage onto the wall and fell to the floor curling up into a ball.

    Ivan breathed in a breath of air and breathed out a heavy sigh.

    After the girl¡¯s started screaming, Lockhart staggered to his feet and quickly regained hisposure.

    He jumped onto the stage with a wry smile after thinking what to say.

    ¡°I think everybody saw what happened, it was a disarming charm, as you can see, I have lost my wand.¡±

    ¡°And crashed!¡± shouted the audience.

    Everyone underestimated Lockhart¡¯s mindset. He treated the booing aspliments.

    ¡°Professor Snape it was an excellent idea to show the students what it is like to receive a disarming charm but I could have easily deflected it. I think the students should broaden their horizons, let them¡­¡­¡±

    Seeing Snape¡¯s murderous face made Lockhart hastily say, ¡°The demonstration is over. Now everyone will form a pair of two, Professor Snape, you can help me¡­¡­¡±

    They walked through the crowd and paired students up.

    Lockhart made Neville and Justin a pair, and Snape walked towards Harry and Ron.

    ¡°The Dream team should be broken up, I think¡­!¡± Snape sneered and said, ¡°Weasley you can be a pair with Mason, as for you Potter¡­.¡±

    Hearing his words made Harry subconsciously move closer to Hermione.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Snape with a smirk, ¡°Come here Malfoy, let¡¯s see what the famous Harry Potter is made of. Miss Granger, you can pair up with Miss Millicent.¡±

    Malfoy arrogantly walked over with a smirk on his face.

    He was followed by a tall and strong looking Slytherin girl. She stretched out her chin in a threating manner, Hermione reluctantly gave her a slight smile but the girl ignored her.

    The next duel was a disaster, Lockhart had finished counting down.

    Harry and Malfoy were struck by each other¡¯s spells Snape soon walked up to help them. Neville and Justin were bothying on the floor gasping. Hermione and Millicent were still in action, she gripped Hermione¡¯s hair which made Hermione shriek, their wands were bothying on the floor forgotten in their brawl.

    Harry jumped up and pulled Millicent away.

    The worst duel was Ivan and Ron¡¯s, Ivan let Ron destroy himself, Ron produced the same spell as Snape but instead of the intended result it was Ron flying away but it was less powerful than Snape¡¯s.

    In the next second, something unexpected happened.

    A dark blue light flew out from Ron¡¯s wand. It was a spell that Ivan had never seen before, the glow made it seem like it is evil. This was not the killing curse but Ivan felt the fear of death from it.

    He loudly shouted ¡°Portego¡±

    The spell seemed to have worked, the dark blue light couldn¡¯t be bounced back by the spell but it did slow down.

    It was like the spell was made of acid, Ivan saw that the floor was corroding quickly which made all of the young wizards gasp.

    ¡°God, Ron, what did you use?!¡± eximed Ivan in fright.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Ron as if he had just awoken, ¡°I just used it but I didn¡¯t know it would¡­.¡±

    Snape hurried over, he looked at the dark marks on the ground. He then stared at Ron with a peculiar look.

    ¡°Weasley did you go and peek at the books in the restricted section?¡± said Snape, you could tell by his tone it was more of a rhetorical question.

    ¡°NO, no!¡± answered Ron while stuttering and looking suspicious, Ron remembered the potion book they had taken.

    ¡°It must be your broken wand,¡± said Ivan, Seeing Ron¡¯s face, Ivan knew if Ron got questioned more he was going to give away that they were making the Polyjuice potion so he hastily shifted the subject, ¡°Ron, I will never duel with you again until you change your wand.¡±

    ¡°But the spell is¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± said Snape, ¡°If you are allowed to duel with that empty head of yours, I will probably bury you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°That right, Professor Snape. I think it¡¯s best to teach them how to stop unfriendly spells like that.¡± said Lockhart, ¡°How about we have someonee up and demonstrate, how about Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley?¡±

    ¡°Not the best idea, Professor Lockhart¡± Snape quickly made it to Lockhart like a serpent, ¡°Longbottom is just like Weasley. We would be sending Finch-Fletchley to the hospital wing in a matchbox.¡±

    This caused Neville to blush with embarrassment, Snape said: ¡°What about Malfoy and Potter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Lockhart motioned for Harry and Malfoy toe to the center of the stage, People retreated to make room for them.

    Harry and Malfoy were standing on opposite sides of the stage, Lockhart and Snape imparted somebat knowledge to their respective students. Lockhart didn¡¯t know what to say to Harry, he waved his wand and dropped it to the floor.

    Next was as Ivan remembered.

    The long ck snake came out of Malfoy¡¯s wand andnded on the stage with a loud thud it then raised its head and was prepared to attack.

    The crowd screamed and stepped back.

    Snape had intended to frighten Harry a bit but Lockhart had made it worse. He cast a spell which sent the snake high into the air which caused it tond in the crowd.

    It was furious it went straight to the closest person which was Justin, it raised its head while exposing it fangs and got into an offensive posture.

    Everyone then heard Harry speak to the snake in a hissing voice, this made everyone hold their breath and be motionless, the auditorium was deadly silent.

    The snake stopped and Harry looked up at Justin while grinning.

    After seeing his gaze, everyone took a step back. Justin¡¯s face was full of rage and horror.

    ¡°What are you ying at?¡± shouted Justin in horror with tears rolling down from his eyes, he then turned and ran out of the Great Hall.

    Ivan hurried up with Ron and dragged the confused Harry off the stage.

 Chapter 39 Rift

    <h4>Chapter 39 Rift</h4>

    Nobody cared about the dueling club anymore. Ivan, Ron, and Hermione pulled Harry out of the Great Hall they were followed by Colin and Ginny.

    People were moving out of the way quickly like they were afraid Harry was going to get them.

    Harry looked slightly puzzled, he didn¡¯t know what was going on. No exined anything to him as they dragged him to the empty Gryffindormon room.

    Then Ron pushed Harry into an armchair and said, ¡°You¡¯re a parseltongue, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a what?¡± asked Harry

    ¡°parseltongue! It means you can talk to snakes.¡±

    ¡°I know I can, this is the second time I¡¯ve done it,¡± said Harry. I did one time in a zoo when I identally let a big snake out and my cousin Dudley¡­.. it¡¯s a long story but I bet a lot of people can do it.¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t,¡± said Ron while frowning, ¡°It¡¯s notmon, Harry.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is bad!¡± said Ginny who was sitting by Ivan.

    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it?¡± asked Harry, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with everybody? Look, if I didn¡¯t tell the snake not to attack Justin then¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you said to him.¡±

    ¡°Ron, what do you mean, you were there, you to Ivan, Hermione, Colin, and Ginny, you were all there, you heard me.¡±

    ¡°I only heard a hissing sound.¡± stammered Colin, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you said.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s parseltongue, Colin! It¡¯s thenguage of snakes,¡± exined Ron.

    ¡°You said I used thenguage of snakes?¡± said Harry with his eyes wide open.

    ¡°Yes, none of us understood you. You could have said anything. No wonder Justin was so terrified and listening to your voice it was like you were encouraging the snake.

    ¡°Yes!!¡± nodded Colin and Ginny

    Harry stared at them and said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t know I could speak anothernguage,¡±

    Ron shook his head.

    Colin and Ginny¡¯s face had a look of horror on it and Hermione sat aside and took out a book from the pile, reading it quickly while Ivan sank down in thought, Harry wondered what he was thinking. The atmosphere grew heavier and heavier.

    ¡°Well, would you like to tell me that it is wrong to stop a serpent from killing Justin?¡± shouted Harry suddenly, ¡°Justin didn¡¯t join the ghosts so what does it matter how I did it.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Hermione finally spoke, she turned the book to a certain page and showed Harry, ¡°Look here it says that Slytherin could talk to snakes too, he was the first ever proven parseltongue, so the symbol of Slytherin house is a snake.¡±

    Harry opened his mouth in surprise while looking at the book in front of him.

    ¡°Exactly, Harry so now the whole school will think you are the heir especially since the chamber has been opened.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not, I didn¡¯t open the chamber,¡± said Harry in a panicky tone.

    ¡°I believe you, Harry!¡± said Ginny with shallow voice.

    ¡°We all believe you but it will be hard to prove it to others.¡± said Hermione calmly, ¡°Slytherin lived over a thousand years ago for all we know you could be the heir.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s absurd, so that¡¯s why everyone else was avoiding me,¡± said Harry.

    Harry stood up and looked at Ivan who hadn¡¯t spoken yet and said: ¡°Ivan, you don¡¯t think I¡¯m the heir to Slytherin or that I opened the Chamber of Secrets right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I don¡¯t feel very surprised that you are a parseltongue.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy Harry!¡± said Ivan ¡°Although being a parseltongue is very rare, it is not unique, there are many wizards who can do it in additions to Slytherins heirs. I can name a few if you wish.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s words made Harry feel relieved but he didn¡¯t say that the wizards who were parseltongue were all evil without exception.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t really matter but what I want to know is what spell Ron used,¡± said Ivan as his gaze turned towards Ron who stood beside him.

    ¡°What, What!¡±

    Ron¡¯s face turned red, ¡°It was just a disarming spell maybe my wand made it change.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ron!¡± said Ivan impatiently, ¡°That¡¯s just what I said to Snape so he wouldn¡¯t ask more questions. If a broken wand could make a disarming spell mutate into such a dark magic then dark wizards would be walking around with broken wands.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± eximed Hermione, ¡°Dark magic?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the spell was definitely dark magic. That why snaped asked Ron if he had been in the restricted book area.¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t¡­¡± said Ron, rmed.

    ¡°Who knows!¡± said Ivan as he stared at Ron, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not you.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t¡± repeated Ron. Ron then jumped up in fury and confusion,¡±Ivan what do you mean? Do you think I¡¯m someone else and used Polyjuice Potion to be Ron?¡±

    Ron gave a harshugh, Colin and Ginny were a little scared, and Harry and Hermione looked puzzled, they weren¡¯t sure what Ivan really meant.

    ¡°I believe he is really Ron,¡± hesitated Hermione, ¡°Ivan you probably been too pressured by current events.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, this joke isn¡¯t funny.¡± said Harry as he shook his head, ¡°Today must be April fool¡¯s day because I saved Justin and now I¡¯m considered the heir to Slytherin and now Ron is suddenly a dark wizard.¡±

    ¡°However it is a simple task for dark wizards to control a person¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you mean?!¡± eximed Ron loudly.

    ¡°Where were you on Halloween and when the first attack happened,¡± asked Ivan coldly.

    ¡°I was apologizing to weeping Myrtle in the damn bathroom!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one!¡± said Ivan, ¡°Where were you when the second attack happened?¡±

    ¡°In the hospital wing with Percy because of your spell my brother¡¯s arm bones were gone.¡±

    ¡°No, you weren¡¯t there!¡±

    Ivan shook his head and said, ¡°Soon after we left the hospital wing you left to and no one knew where you went.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rtionship between them and me being gone!¡± said Ron while looking a little hysterical, ¡°If students are attacked and if no one is with you when it happens then every student is suspicious because they might be the Slytherin heir.¡±

    ¡°Only you can use a broken wand to leave a corpse.¡± said Ivan as he narrowed his eyes, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡±

 Chapter 40 The Unforgivable Curse

    <h4>Chapter 40 The Unforgivable Curse</h4>

    After Ron heard what Ivan said he jumped up and stared at him.

    ¡°You say I purposely cast a curse that I have never heard of,¡± shouted Ron

    ¡°That¡¯s funny, you¡¯ve just used a powerful corrosion curse on me and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± said Ivan as he flicked out his wand and pointed it at Ron, ¡°Unfortunately I¡¯ve seen this spell in a book about dark magic before and the description is exactly the same as the one you used.¡±

    ¡°Ivan, calm down!¡± said the others quickly as the stood to their feet.

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s hrious.¡± said Ron as he drew his wand, ¡°I finally understand, it must have been that book that gave you the illusion that I was attacking you with dark magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calm and I know what I¡¯m doing.¡±

    Ivan calmly said, ¡°Give it up, Ron, if I go find Dumbledore¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Nooo!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, no matter what I¡¯m not going with you. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±

    Everbody saw Ron lower his wand and head to his room.

    He had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped in ce, his wand lightly quivered. Themon room suddenly turned gloomy.

    ¡°Ron, are you all right?¡± asked Harry, worriedly

    There wasn¡¯t an answer, there was just an eerie silence.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ivan meant anything, he just..¡±

    Before Ivan words were finished Ron turned and pointed his wand at Ivan, it produced an eerie green light. But before the spell was fully cast Ivan subconsciously fired a spell, interrupting it.

    Ron slowly fell down making everyone else dumbfounded.

    After a few seconds Ginny¡¯s scream echoed in themon room, she quickly ran towards Ron.

    ¡°Ivan what did you do?¡± said Harry while panicking, ¡°You attacked Ron.¡±

    ¡°He attacked me first, you should have seen the green light that his wand was producing.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡± asked Hermione eagerly.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was the killing curse, he was trying to kill me,¡± said Ivan as he recalled the green light which made him think of the Avada Kedavra curse.

    ¡°An unforgivable curse, that¡¯s impossible!¡±

    Hermione gasped while the others were confused.

    ¡°Hermione, what do you mean by an unforgivable curse?¡±

    ¡°I have read in books that there are three unforgivable curses, The Killing Curse, The Cruciatus Curse, and The Imperius Curse.¡± exined Hermione, ¡°They are extremely evil, dark magic, once used, you will get a one-way ticket to Azkaban.¡±

    ¡°Azkaban?!¡± said Colin with a trembling voice, ¡°Ivan said Ron was about to attack him with the Killing Curse.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was Ron, something must have been controlling him!¡±

    Since being attacked by Ron in the Great Hall with the corrosive spell, Ivan knew that this wasn¡¯t a spell that a second year could master especially one with a broken wand.

    Was it a coincidence?

    But even if there was a mutation, there should be a limit.

    Think of Ron spells in the past, except for catching a few thing on fire, or making him vomit slugs for a week, he can¡¯t do much.

    When dueling with me, he suddenly produced a powerful dark magic, it¡¯s too suspicious. But if Tom Riddle was controlling him, everything can be perfectly exined.

    As a student, Voldemort must have read countless dark magic books.

    This also exins why Ginny didn¡¯t know anything about the diary.

    Ivan sighed, If all goes well the Chamber of Secrets will be settled soon.

    There won¡¯t be any more attacks, and Riddle won¡¯t control Ron in front of Dumbledore. When he wakes up he will know where the diary is hidden. The Mandrakes will mature soon, Snape will use them to brew an antidote.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand who would control Ron?¡± said Harry cautiously, ¡°And what is his rtionship with the chamber?¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, the question is what do we do now?¡±

    Hermione was looking at the door with anxiety. Ivan was holding his wand, Ron wasying on the floor like a corpse, and Ginny was crying beside Ron. If someone else saw this how would they exin it to them?

    ¡°Let us go to Professor McGonagall or Dumbledore, they will know what to do.¡±

    In the hospital, Dumbledore stood in front of Ron¡¯s bed with an unusually serious face.

    Beside him was Professor McGonagall and Snape, who was bending over examining Ron carefully.

    ¡°Albus, Weasley, this is¡­¡­¡­.¡± said Professor McGonagall, Worried.

    ¡°A powerful curse is cast on his soul, poor child, he must have not known what he was doing,¡± said Dumbledore as he gazed at the still resting Ron.

    ¡°Obviously, this is why Weasley with that empty head of his can suddenly cast such a powerful corrosive curse.¡± said Snape as he looked up in disgust, ¡°But luckily he hasn¡¯t been cursed long enough to be an idiot who knows nothing.¡±

    Snape took out a bottle of potion from his bosom and poured it down Ron¡¯s throat.

    At the same time, Ron awoke, he stared at them with a confused expression.

    ¡°Where an I?¡±

    Then he noticed the Professors standing beside him and with a surprised tone said, ¡°How are you, Professors¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness you awoke, Weasley!¡± said Professor McGonagall, ¡°You were under the Imperius Curse!¡±

    ¡°Imperius Curse?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is a very wicked dark magic, the people who are put under this curse loss their free will, it allows one to control the minds of others.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t remember anything, what did I do?¡± asked Ron as he shook his head.

    ¡°You used a corrosive curse on Mason, and afterward you tried to kill him with the Killing Curse.¡± Snape said with a slight sneer, ¡°But you obviously didn¡¯t seed, with your poor magic strength, even if it hit him, I suspect it will only give him a slight nosebleed.¡±

    ¡°But I ¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Weasley, it isn¡¯t your fault, even some powerful wizards are susceptible to the Imperius Curse.¡±

    Dumbledore said with a dignified expression while looking at Ron and gently said, ¡°But I must ask you, do you have anything you wish to tell me?¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± said Ron while looking pale, he didn¡¯t know what to say, and hesitated for a long time before he softly answered, ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything, Professor!¡±

 Chapter 41 Rumors

    <h4>Chapter 41 Rumors</h4>

    After the professors left, Ivan, Hermione, Colin, and Ginny hurriedly went to the ward to see Ron.

    Ron apologized to Ivan and told him that he didn¡¯t remember anything.

    Madam Pomfrey didn¡¯t let them stay very long, ording to her, Ron needed to rest. The impact of the imperious curse on the soul isn¡¯t easy to recover, poor Ron probably needs to spend the uing Christmas in bed.

    Ivan was surprised he thought they would find out more.

    Ivan wanted to tell Dumbledore about Tom Riddle and the diary but ended up saying nothing. He didn¡¯t know how he could exin what he knew about Voldemort and Horcruxes. This information is secretive, and so far even Dumbledore is just guessing.

    The situation is bing more and moreplicated, so Ivan had to do things himself.

    It wasn¡¯t Ron who opened the Chamber of Secrets. Trying to control a weak-willed wizard is fairly easy, and anyone under Tom¡¯s control can use the imperious curse on Ron. Ron had contact with a lot of people, Ivan can¡¯t investigate them one by one.

    So he is back to square one.

    Ron who was under the imperious curse used a corrosive curse and the killing spell, which means Tom has be suspicious of him and wants to get rid of him.Ivan shifted his suspicions to everyone around him, but almost everyone was suspicious.

    In the next few day the school increased its vignce, professors often patrolled the corridors and escorted students.

    Slytherin¡¯s sessor was bad enough but now there is the imperious curse.

    The young wizards were unaware of the truth, they were discussing Ron¡¯s disappearance. People kept peeking into the hospital wing to see if he had been attacked, Madam Pomfrey had to put a curtain around the bed.

    Professor McGonagall announced that Ron¡¯s wand backfired and was struck by a very bad curse but no one believed it.

    People agreed that Ron had been attacked, rumors spread through the school, and the young wizards were talking about who the heir of Slytherin was.

    People were certain that Harry was the heir, especially after he exposed he was a Parselmouth at dueling club. It made Harry feel horrible, he wanted to talk to Justin about what happened but he was avoiding Harry.

    On Friday evening, Ivan and Hermione were in the library preparing the next issue of the Hogwarts magic when they saw several Hufflepuff students whispering about something.

    Ivan and Hermione looked at each other and crept closer.

    ¡°Anyway, I told Justin to hide in his room and not to let Potter find him,¡± said a burly boy, ¡°I mean, if Potter is out for him, he¡¯d better hide for a while.¡±

    ¡°But why¡­.¡±

    ¡°Since Justin identally told Harry he was a muggle born, Harry will most likelye after him.¡± said a boy

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said a few Hufflepuff students while nodding, ¡°but Ernie, are you sure he¡¯s Slytherin¡¯s descendant?¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand, he¡¯s a Parselmouth, and everyone knows that is the mark of a dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a good wizard that can speak to snakes?¡±

    ¡°But he seems friendly, not like a dark wizard.¡± said a girl with golden hair.

    ¡°Hannah!¡± said Ernie seriously, ¡°He can speak thenguage of snakes and every time an attack happens he is the first to appear at the scene.¡±

    After hearing this they began to whisper.

    ¡°Do you still remember the words written on the wall?¡± said Ernie, ¡°The cat didn¡¯t allow Potter to enter the girl¡¯s bathroom on the third floor.

    ¡°And Penelope had met Potter outside the bathroom, and then she was petrified along with Moaning Myrtle,

    ¡°But why does Potter have to go to adies bathroom?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe he is practicing evil magic in there, or the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is in there,¡± said Ernie

    Ivan had been eavesdropping and was shocked, who would have thought that Ernie¡¯s nonsense was actually correct.

    ¡°Come on, Ernie, that doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± hesitated Hannah, ¡°In addition to Potter, Granger, and Ivan could fit the bill too but they can¡¯t be the descendants of Slytherin since their parents are muggles.¡±

    When they heard Hannah¡¯s words, several girls hurriedly nodded.

    ¡°They are Potter¡¯s helpers!¡± said Ernie, ¡°Ivan isn¡¯t a normal first year, he even runs a newspaper and his curses, I would say no first years are his opponents.¡±

    ¡°But I think he is handsome¡­¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by his appearance, Hannah!¡± said Ernie as he lowered his voice, the Hufflepuffs moved closer together, ¡°Look at Ron, who was recently attacked, he tried to stop them before but was attacked.¡±

    ¡°But Professor McGonagall said it was caused by his wand.¡±

    ¡°A wand backfiring isn¡¯t going to keep people in bed. And one more thing, think about how Harry defeated the one who must not be named.¡±

    He whispered in a barely audible voice.

    ¡°No one knows how he survived when he was attacked. You¡¯ve all seen Ivan¡¯s article, he should have died so only truly powerful dark wizards can escape that spell. That¡¯s probably why he who should not be named tried to kill him.

    ¡°Only Hufflepuff is left now, and I dare say the next attack¡­..¡±

    Hermione couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, she walked out from the back of the shelf and Ivan hurriedly followed. The scene he saw next was hrious. He saw each Hufflepuff be terrified and Ernie¡¯s face became dark.

    ¡°You, you heard us,¡± Ernie hurriedly said, ¡°I might as well tell you that you can go back nine-generations to see my bloodline is as pure as anyone, so¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Bad!¡± said Hermione as she turned away in disdain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of ancestry you have!¡± said Ivan as he leaned over and squinted at Ernie, ¡°Listen, if you¡¯re still spreading this rumor in public, even if I¡¯m not Slytherin¡¯s heir, I can make you like Filch¡¯s cat.¡±

    After Ernie heard these words from Ivan, he waspletely and utterly terrified.

 Chapter 42 Christmas Presents

    <h4>Chapter 42 Christmas Presents</h4>

    They didn¡¯t mention what happened in the library to Harry but everything that happened spread like wildfire.

    Now almost everyone is dodging them.

    It is like they have grown fangs and they are dripping poison.

    On Monday morning, while Ivan, Harry, and Hermione sat together, people were whispering and pointing fingers at the three.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny but I¡¯m sorry about what Ron did,¡± said Fred as he walked over

    ¡°Yeah, Harry¡± followed George, ¡°You make everyone terrified and this is what Snape has always wanted.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny!¡±

    Ivan was now in a horrible mood, in addition to being questioned, the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper¡¯s sales have lowered even more.

    ¡°Cheer up, Ivan,¡± said Fred as he patted Ivan shoulders, ¡°our items are also selling poorly, but there isn¡¯t anything we can do.¡±

    ¡°In this difficult time, we need a littleughter,¡± said George.

    After they finished breakfast, Fred and George came in front of Harry and shouted: ¡°Give way to the heir of Slytherin, the most wicked Wizard!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny,¡± said Percy with an angry look.

    ¡°Get Percy, Harry is tense,¡± said Fred

    ¡°Yes he will go to the Chamber of Secrets and drink tea with his toothless servants.¡±ughed George.

    This is what Fred and George considered a joke, Ginny wanted to stop them.

    Harry doesn¡¯t mind, at the very least, the twins think it was ridiculous to think he was Slytherin¡¯s heir.

    But their antics seemed to have angered Draco, each time he saw them doing this, his face looked like he was going to kill them.

    When they went to see Ron in the Hospital ward, they told him about everything that had happened.

    Ron seemed to have recovered well, Ron said, ¡°You know how much Malfoy hates others outdoing him in any way, now Harry you know.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before the Polyjuice potion is done,¡± said Hermione in a satisfactory tone.

    ¡°I wish I could leave, but Madam Pomfrey has insisted that I stay here until the end of Christmas.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry we will stay with you Ron¡±

    After three days the semester will be over.

    Given what has happened most of the wizards have chosen to go home. The snow inside the castle was mostly untouched by anyone.

    This caused Harry to let out a sigh of relief, he was free to walk around without anyone messing with him saying he the heir of Slytherin. Ivan has also stopped his research, he still hasn¡¯t found a spell to reproduce the crow of a rooster, what was even worse was Hagrid¡¯s rooster was almost dead.

    Hagrid said that either a fox or a vampire was attacking his Rooster.

    Hermione insisted that it was weird, he didn¡¯t know if she had noticed anything as of yet.

    In the morning when they went to visit Ron, they saw several people discussing things rted to the Chamber. After lunch, Ivan and Harry practiced dueling while Hermione went to the library to read a book.

    Except for a few of them, Colin, Ginny, Fred, and George stayed at school, they were making a snowman outside the castle.

    Percy didn¡¯t care about the student¡¯s behavior, he often went to the school hospital.

    Ron was surprised that he was so concerned about him since he came to the hospital to see him more than anyone else, even though Ron had little to say to him.

    Percy was frequent to the school hospital and he proudly told others that he stayed for Christmas only because he was an excellent student, and helped the teachers during this turbulent period and watching Ron kept him from getting into trouble.

    At dinner, Ivan saw Malfoy with his twockeys Crabbe and Goyle but he was surprised to see that Justin actually stayed for the holiday.

    Justin looked horrible, he looked even more so after he saw them, it looked like he was still worried that Harry was going to attack him.

    Harry wanted to apologize but he has never seeded.

    When Justin saw Harry approaching he took a few slice of bread from the table and ran out as fast as he could which made Harry¡¯s mood be terrible.

    The next morning Ivan was awakened by Colin.

    ¡°Ivan, thank you for giving me a magic camera, it must have been expensive!¡± shouted Colin in a surprised tone.

    Ivan saw Colin sitting on his bed while opening his gifts, he seems to have a few in front of his bed too. His parents ordered him a Nimbus 2001 it seems they want him to participate in sports. (Note: who forgot he had parents because I did.)

    Colin gave him a picture of everyone standing together that has helped with the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper.

    Lockhart¡¯s gift was also a picture, but it was a signed picture of Lockhart, Ivan was prepared to give it to Hermione. Hagrid gave him arge thing of fudge but it was almost as hard as a rock.

    Ron gave him a book called How to Better Manage a Magic Newspaper, and Harry and Hermione sent him a book to, Basic rules of Quidditch and The secret of Duels: A detailed list of spells. it seems that him reading a lot has left a deep impression on their minds.

    Fred and George sent some of theirtest joke products to him, and as the two agreed in Diagon Alley, Ginny gave him a ck diary of superb quality.

    Ivan would have preferred to make a Horcruxter.

    Mrs. Weasley predictably gave him a hand knit sweater with a card, thanking him for helping Ron. They had learned what happened from Dumbledore, and if Ivan had been killed by Ron, the consequences would have been disastrous.

    When Ivan finally finished opening the pile of presents, Harry and Hermione had alreadye to themon room with the Polyjuice Potion.

    The three of them went to the school hospital to find Ron and go over their n.

    After making sure there were no ws, they decided to act tonight, and get a clear answer out of Malfoy.

 Chapter 43 To Slthyerinâ€™s Common Room

    <h4>Chapter 43 To Slthyerin¡¯s Common Room</h4>

    There was a Christmas party going on in the Great Hall and it looked magnificent.

    There was beautiful silver looking Christmas trees, and mistletoe and holly decorated the ceiling. The ceiling was enchanted to make dry and warm to the touch snowfall.

    Ivan and Harry had just finished their third pudding. Hermione led them out of the great hall to start their n.

    It wasn¡¯t difficult getting Crabbe and Goyle¡¯s hair

    With two cupcakesced with a sleeping potion, those two were at their mercy.

    But the hard thing was Ivan and Harry hiding them in the closet of the hallway, making sure no saw them, and finally pulling out a few hairs and taking their clothing.

    The trouble was Hermione, Ivan insisted that the ck hair in her hand wasn¡¯t McGonagall¡¯s hair, but a cat¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Impossible, Ivan!¡± said Hermione stubbornly, ¡°This is what I got from her clothes.¡±

    ¡°But her animagus form is a cat, you have the hair from that form since it¡¯s is almost identical to it, so be careful.¡±

    Finally, after Ivan¡¯s insistence, the three had to return to the great hall to look for an opportunity to get another person¡¯s hair.

    When they saw Pansy Parkinson stand up from the table and go towards Snape, Hermione hurriedly headbutted her. And pulled some hair from her before the other had a chance to say anything.

    When Hermione apologized to her, Ivan and Harry saw Snape look at them with a hostile sneer, the two of them stood up and hurried to the bathroom without a second to spare.

    ¡°This is the best opportunity since students will begin to return after Christmas.

    ¡°It says after the user drinks it they will have exactly one hour before they change back to themselves. Our n is foolproof, people will just see Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson.¡±

    Hermione then scooped up the potion and poured it into three goblets.

    Her hands trembled as she put the hair of Parkinson in the goblet.

    The polyjuice potion made a bubbling noise and a secondter it became an ugly brownish ck color.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you,¡± said Hermione

    Harry hastily threw in Goyle¡¯s hair and Ivan threw in Crabbe¡¯s hair.

    The two cups started bubbling and hissing. Goyle¡¯s became an earthy yellow while Crabbe¡¯s became a dark dark brown.

    ¡°Well what shall we do now?¡± asked Harry

    ¡°Of course we shall drink it,¡± said Hermione nervously

    ¡°Hopefully the taste isn¡¯t too bad, cheers¡± Ivan took the goblet, and chugged it down in a single gulp, he then turned and ran to the nearest toilet.

    The polyjuice potion tasted horrible, when he swallowed it he felt a burning sensation spread through his stomach, finger, and toes, he felt like he was going to melt.

    His skin felt like bubbling hot wax which made him drop to the ground, he watched as his hands began to grow, his finger grew thicker, his nails widened, and his knuckles bulged like bolts.

    As Ivan¡¯s shoulders stretched he began to fell an acute pain.

    A tingling sensation on his forehead told him that his head was changing, and as his chest swelled his robe burst.

    Everything happened quickly and quickly stopped.

    Although in the book he read about this countless times, the feeling of bing Crabbe is an indescribable feeling. Ivan effortlessly took off his small uniform and put on Crabbe¡¯s clothes. He then heard Goyle¡¯s voice shout out.

    ¡°Are you two all right?¡±

    ¡°I ok!¡± answered Ivan in Crabbe¡¯s voice.

    Ivan went to the mirror to look at himself, he looked exactly like Crabbe.

    Harry and Hermione have also be Goyle and Parkinson.

    ¡°Are you done looking, we have already wasted over five minutes of precious time! We better go to Slytherin¡¯smon room and hope that Malfoy is there.¡±

    They then carefully opened the door of the bathroom and saw that no one was there.

    They then mimicked the movements of the person they were supposed to be.

    Under Hermione¡¯s leadership, the trio went toward Slytherin¡¯smon room, but they stopped when they saw the person standing in front of them, it was Snape.

    ¡°Good evening, Parkinson, Goyle, and Crabbe.¡± said Snape in in a slow and low voice, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I, We¡­¡­¡±

    Ivan and Harry looked at each other, the didn¡¯t know what to say, ¡°

    But Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be like this normally, Snape then ignored them and watched Hermione with interest.

    ¡°Professor, we¡¯re going back to themon room,¡± said Hermione cautiously.

    ¡°Oh, why?!¡± said Snape softly, ¡°Miss Parkinson, pleasee to my office before that, I think it is worth discussing a bit about the party.¡±

    ¡°But, professor¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± said Harry, he couldn¡¯t go any further he didn¡¯t have a reason to stop Snape from taking Pansy Parkinson.

    Ivan and Harry watched as Hermione was taken away by Snape.

    ¡°Is this also called foolproof?¡± asked Harry anxiously, ¡°I wonder if she will be alright.¡±

    ¡°I think we should follow the original n, and when we are finished with Malfoy, then we try to save Hermione,¡± said Ivan

    ¡°That¡¯s easy to say, but do you have any idea where the Slytherinmon room is?¡±

    Ivan shook his head when he realized this problem.

    The empty dungeon corridor is like a maze, after a quarter of an hour they were back where they started.

    They came to a hallway with three ways the could go, one was toward Snape¡¯s office, the other was where nearly headless nick held his birthday party, and the other was one where they have never been down before. But Ivan saw a painting of a silver bowl of fruit which should be the secret path leading to Hogwarts¡¯ kitchen.

    ¡°Not here, I remember this mirror, we just saw it, Maybe we should go to the left,¡± said Harry while being unsure.

    ¡°No that leads to the Hufflepuffmon room.¡±

    Just as the two where full of despair, they saw Draco Malfoy walking toward them, this was the first time Ivan has ever been happy to see him.

    ¡°What are you two standing here for, I thought you¡¯d be back already?¡±

    Ivan and Harry just nodded, and Malfoy took them to the right side of an empty damp stone wall.

    ¡°What¡¯s the new password?¡± said Malfoy to harry

    ¡°well..?¡± Harry faltered

    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s pureblood!¡± said Malfoy

    As soon as his voice fell, they saw an opening slowly form in the wall, and Malfoy strode in, followed by Ivan and Harry.

 Chapter 44 Beating up Malfoy

    <h4>Chapter 44 Beating up Malfoy</h4>

    Slytherin¡¯smon room was big, the walls and ceiling were made out of rough stones, and green lights hung from the ceiling. There was a beautifully carved firece, that was surrounded by several Slytherin students.

    ¡°You two wait here, my father just sent me something¡± Malfoy instructed them to sit in two empty chairs by the fire.

    They didn¡¯t expect to see what Lucius Malfoy had sent him without asking.

    They wondered if what Lucius sent was rted to the chamber of secrets.

    A momentter Malfoy returned holding a newspaper clipping and stuffed it under Harry¡¯s nose.

    ¡°Goyle you willugh when you see this.¡±

    Ivan saw Harry tremble slightly, he could see what was written on it.

    The ministry of magic investigation of Mr. Weasley, head of the misuse of Muggle artifacts, was fined fifty-plus galleons for his enchantment of a muggle car today.

    The enchanted car reportedly smashed into the whomping willow at Hogwarts earlier this year, and Lucius Malfoy has asked Mr. Weasley to resign.

    ¡°Mr. Weasley has destroyed the ministry¡¯s reputation. Mr. Malfoy has told me that he was clearly unfit to writews for us and his ludicrous muggle protectionw should be abolished immediately.¡±

    Mr. Weasley didn¡¯tment, but his wife told reporters to leave or she would let the ghoul out to bit them.

    ording to an article published earlier in this newspaper, it asked the ministry to pay attention to the safety of underage wizards, the author of the article was a twelve-year-old named miss Granger.

    ¡°How about it?¡± asked Malfoy when Harry handed the clipping back to him, ¡°Do you find it funny?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha,¡± Ivan and Harry smiled dryly.

    ¡° I wonder what the Weasley family expressions looks like since it was an article written by the conceited mud blood, Granger,¡±

    Ivan wasn¡¯t sure how Mr. Weasley would feel but he was d Hermione hadn¡¯t followed them, or she would have been sad.

    ¡°We must find a way to make her read the Daily Prophet tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m not surprised to hear the Weasley¡¯s are being attacked.¡± said Malfoy contemptuously, ¡°Look at the behavior of the Weasley family, they are a disgrace to pureblood wizards.¡±

    Ivan tried to hold on to Harry so he wouldn¡¯t try to kill Malfoy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Weasley family anymore. You must know who has opened the chamber of secrets and who is the heir of Slytherin.¡±

    ¡°You know I don¡¯t know, Goyle, how many time do I have to tell you?¡± snapped Malfoy, ¡°Dad wouldn¡¯t tell me the details of thest time it was opened, he wasn¡¯t born yet, but he knows everything. He told me it was a secret and if I knew too much it would be suspicious. But thest time the chamber of secrets was opened a mud blood died.,¡±

    ¡°We know that it was Moaning Myrtle,¡± added Ivan

    ¡°Of course, I told you.¡± said Malfoy, ¡°It is only a matter of time, I hope it¡¯s Granger or Mason, he is also an excellent choice.¡±

    Harry violently trembled while Ivan took a deep breath to restrain himself from beating up Malfoy.

    ¡°Did you know that the man who opened the chamberst time was caught?¡±

    ¡°It was said he was caught and expelled.¡± said Malfoy, ¡°You can check and see, whoever it is, they are probably still in Azkaban.¡±

    Ivan remembered when they learned that the expelled student was Hagrid but Hagrid was actually innocent.

    ¡°Malfoy your father must know something.¡± asked Ivan cautiously, ¡°Can you tell me who he has been in contact with recently? Maybe this can be a clue to help us figure out who the heir is.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Crabbe?¡± Malfoy red at him and said loudly, ¡°are you doubting my father¡¯s taste in friends, unlike the Weasleys, my father is in contact with genuine pureblood wizards.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°Although I want to help the heir, dad told me not to be in the spotlight.¡± said Malfoy, ¡°But you know the daily prophet hasn¡¯t reported on the attacks yet, which surprised me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t worth reporting since they are only petrified and Dumbledore will cure that soon enough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah it must be Dumbledore who is hiding everything.¡± said Malfoy, ¡°I hope everything will be exposed soon. My dad said that making Dumbledore the headmaster was the worst thing that has ever happened to the school. Dumbledore likes muggles, a decent headmaster would never let people like Mason and Grangere to school.¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore is the best headmaster, Granger is first in her grade, and Mason¡¯ spells are great.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a typical Gryffindor, that rude house is simply horrible,¡± said Malfoy viciously, ¡°Especially that damn mud blood Mason, he dared attack me, I will make him pay sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°In addition to spells, he also runs a newspaper¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I guess the mud blood knelt down and licked Potter¡¯s shoes so Potter would agree to let him put Potter¡¯s mother¡¯s article in that poor newspaper.¡± exaggerated Malfoy,¡±It was to attract people with Potter¡¯s mother¡¯s death, and the only thing that woman can do except give Potter a ridiculous scar is to show off.¡±

    I have to admit Malfoy is a pain in the neck.

    When Harry head Malfoy insult his mother, he turned as red as an apple.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you tonight?¡± asked Malfoy while looking at them strangely

    ¡°Nothing, I just¡­¡­.. I just have endured you for too long,¡± said Ivan as he cracked his knuckles and looked at Malfoy with an evil look.

    ¡°Crabbe, what are you doing?¡± Malfoy suddenly had a bad feeling.

    ¡°That¡¯s simple, I¡¯m going to beat you up,¡± as soon as Ivan finished, he threw a punch at Malfoy.

    Harry paused for a moment before he threw a punch out to, with the two of them punching, Malfoy didn¡¯t even get a chance to fight back.

 Chapter 45 The Third Attack

    <h4>Chapter 45 The Third Attack</h4>

    A few Slytherin students sitting by the fire just stared at Goyle and Crabbe beating up Malfoy.

    ¡°God, what are you doing?¡± asked a surprised fifth-year student

    ¡°I¡¯m fed up with him!¡± shouted Ivan

    ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± answered Harry loudly

    The two people were enraged, Ivan kicked Malfoy again, all of a sudden they leaped out of the Slytherinmon room and ran towards the third-floor bathroom.

    ¡°Ivan, that was great! Make sure no one is around¡± grinned Harry, ¡°That was the best Christmas present I¡¯ve ever had in my life, beating Malfoy up on Christmas day.¡±

    ¡°The look on Malfoy¡¯s face, I wished I could have taken a picture and put it in the newspaper,¡± said Ivan

    ¡°But we were a little too impulsive,¡± said Harry when the excitement subsided

    From making the polyjuice potion to turning into Slytherin students and beating up Malfoy, everything is a serious vition of the school¡¯s rules. If we are caught we are bound to be expelled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nobody knows we did it.¡± said Ivan, ¡° in the eyes of others, it was Crabbe and Goyle, that beat up Malfoy.¡±

    ¡°As long as we act normal we should be good¡­.¡±

    Harry suddenly stopped and said, ¡° wait we can¡¯t go back yet, Hermione is still in Snape¡¯s office.¡±

    ¡°I almost forgot, we need to find a way to rescue her.¡±

    The two quietly snuck to Snape¡¯s office door, they listened but there was no sound inside.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hear anything,¡± said Ivan softly

    ¡°Maybe we can cause amotion to lead Snape out,¡± said Harry

    As soon as his voice fell he saw that they were changing back.

    Their time was up the two where gradually changing back to themselves.

    It was horrible, and worse still, Hermione was still in Snape¡¯s office.

    Thinking about Hermine transforming back into herself under Snape¡¯s cold gaze, was horrible to think about.

    ¡°No, there is no time!!¡± said Ivan as he kicked the door open

    They then saw Snape sitting at his desk with a frightening grin on his face and a potion vial in front of him.

    Hermione sat opposite of him, she was as pale as the moon.

    ¡°Crabbe, Goyle, what are you doing here?¡± Snape looked at them with a horrifying frown.

    ¡°Professor, something big has happened! It is Draco someone has attacked him in themon room, he is lying on the ground covered in blood, and we don¡¯t know what to do,¡± shouted Ivan

    ¡°Yes you should go and take a look,¡± said Harry hastily

    ¡°Attacked?! You two idiots, why didn¡¯t you send him to the school hospital.¡±

    ¡°WE¡­..¡± Ivan paused, he then panicked and said, ¡° we weren¡¯t sure if it had anything to do with the previous two attacks,¡±

    Because of the dim light in the office, Snape didn¡¯t notice that Ivan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look like the usual Crabbe.

    ¡°You wait here, watch her until Ie back.¡± Snape drew his wand and ran towards Slytherin¡¯smon room.

    ¡°Let¡¯s Go!¡± said Harry and Ivan when they saw Snape disappear, Ivan and Harry grabbed Hermione and ran.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Hermione as she breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°He threatened to give me Veritaserum if I didn¡¯t tell him the truth.¡±

    ¡°Veritaserum?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡± nodded Hermione, ¡°But he didn¡¯t do so, he certainly guessed who I was so he was just waiting for the effects of the Polyjuice potion to wear off. But thanks to you bursting in at that time, the effects didn¡¯t wear off yet.¡±

    ¡°We better hurry back to the third floor¡¯s bathroom.¡±

    Harry felt that his feet were bing smaller so his shoes were now too big and he now had to pick up his clothes when he ran.

    He then seemed to stumble over something and fell heavily to the ground.

    Ivan and Hermione stopped, and by the dim candlelight, they could see what Harry had tripped over.

    The two people were amazed.

    ¡°It was Justin, he¡¯s been attacked¡­..¡± Hermione put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming.

    In front of them,y Justin on the floor, he was stiff with a horrified expression. Whaty in front of him were the shattered remains of the big mirror, the pieces of ss covered Justin¡¯s whole body.

    Harry stood up and he noticed Justin Petrified on the ground.

    Harry looked at each other in a hurry, he had a terrified face with a strange red tint.

    The three have nowpletely changed back now.

    This was the worst case scenario, the third attack has happened and they were the first to arrive at the scene again.

    What would people say if they were seen by them?

    Think about it, Justin had a conflict with Harry at the Duel Club recently, and there are rumors going around that Harry was going to attack him and now he is petrified right in front of him. In particr, they are now wearing Slytherin¡¯s uniform, so if people saw this they would truly think Harry was the heir.

    But Ivan wasn¡¯t sure if Snape wouldn¡¯t wee them.

    ¡°Leave him, let¡¯s go,¡± said Ivan eagerly.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave him here, we have to find someone to help.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Hermione, if we are present can you prove that Harry isn¡¯t the heir? Especially since we are wearing Slytherin¡¯s uniform, How do we exin it to others, we just took some Polyjuice potion and beat up Malfoy, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Now it is Christmas, he may not be found for a while.¡± hesitated Hermione.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Snape will rush back soon, and he¡¯ll send Justin to the school hospital,¡± said Harry

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we need to change back to our clothes if you want to help him.¡±

    After Ivan finished, Ivan took her hand and started running again.

 Chapter 46 Tom Riddleâ€™s Diary

    <h4>Chapter 46 Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary</h4>

    The three people dashed up the stairs and went to the closet that Crabbe and Goyle were in and threw the shoes in it. They left and rushed to the third floor while only wearing socks.

    They then saw Ron.

    ¡°Ron what are you doing here?¡± asked Hermione who was surprised.

    ¡°Madam Pomfrey said I could leave and she suggested that I should join the Christmas party but I wanted to see you first.¡±

    ¡°Then what did you see?¡± asked Ivan eagerly, Justin had been attacked when they weren¡¯t in the bathroom.

    ¡°I just came in, when you came back.¡± stuttered Ron, ¡°How did the n go?¡±

    ¡°Everything went well, we even beat up Malfoy but when we were leaving Snape¡¯s office we saw that Justin had been petrified. He was lying in front of the big mirror in the dungeon,¡± said Harry while being dejected.

    ¡°Another attack?!¡± gasped Ron, he looked more frightened than the three of them, ¡°Was it not Malfoy¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°My guess would be no,¡± said Harry, ¡°He was with us in Slytherin¡¯smon room when the attack happened¡± Harry shook his head, ¡°But it wasn¡¯t aplete waste of time, we got an important clue from him.¡±

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione whispered amongst each other while Ivan saw a ragged ck book underneath a cracked mirror behind Ron.

    His heart suddenly tightened, his pupils dted, and he clenched his hands.

    God this is Tom Riddle¡¯s diary!

    He had been looking for it for half a year at school but now it suddenly appears in front of him just as he was getting nowhere.

    Ivan stepped forward and tried to pick it up but Ron suddenly stretched out his hand to stop him.

    ¡°Ivan don¡¯t touch it!¡± said Ron who looked pale and frightened.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Harry who also saw what was in the sink, ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, a book can¡¯t be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°There are countless books that are dangerous!¡± said Ron while he looked at the diary, ¡°My father told me that some of the books confiscated by the Ministry of Magic would burn your eyes and there are also books that once you pick them up you can never put them down and so on.¡±

    ¡°Well I understand what you mean,¡± said Ivan while trying to pick up the diary.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand!¡± shouted Ron while the other three looked at him in surprise, he then lowered his voice, ¡°Believe me, Ivan, it¡¯s dangerous so let¡¯s not touch it.¡±

    ¡°Being careful is an excellent trait but we have to read it to know what it is don¡¯t we?¡± said Ivan as he took the diary.

    As soon as he opened it he could be sure if it is really Tom Riddle¡¯s diary.

    He opened it and saw a name written in it ¡®Tom Riddle¡¯

    ¡°Tom Riddle, who is that? I never heard of anyone by that name at Hogwarts but I feel like I have seen it somewhere before.¡±

    ¡°Tom Riddle won the special award for service to the school fifty years ago,¡± whispered Ivan.

    ¡°I remember, I read about it before but it didn¡¯t say why he won it,¡± said Hermione

    ¡°Anything is possible, maybe he saved thirty owls or rescued a teacher from a giant squid,¡± whispered Ron, ¡°Why don¡¯t we just throw this thing away, it looks dirty,¡±

    ¡°Fifty years ago was thest time the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Perhaps this diary has something to do with it,¡± said Ivan as he carefully studied the diary in his hand.

    ¡°Really let me see!¡± said Harry as he hastily took the diary and looked through it, ¡°There isn¡¯t a single word written in it,¡±

    He turned the diary to the back and saw that it was from a Muggle shop called Vauxhall Road in London.

    ¡°He must have been a muggle-born,¡± he mused, ¡°So he bought diary¡¯s from there.¡±

    ¡°Well it isn¡¯t very useful to us anyway,¡± said Ron hurriedly, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave it here,¡±

    ¡°No I think Ivan is right,¡± said Hermione as she narrowed her eyes which made her look like Professor McGonagall, ¡°Think about it since Riddle went to school here fifty years ago, he must not be at Hogwarts anymore but why is the diary here and who threw it away?¡±

    ¡°We know from Malfoy the person who opened the chamberst time was expelled and Tom Riddle won a special contribution to the school at the same time so could he have won it for catching the heir? His diary is our best bet for us to find out the things we want to know. The man who orchestrated these attacks wouldn¡¯t want this diary to wander around would he?¡±

    ¡°Excellent reasoning,¡± said Ron while slightly cringing, ¡°But he didn¡¯t write anything in his diary.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he wrote in invisible ink!¡± said Hermione as she pulled out her wand and uttered the phrase, ¡°Aparecium¡±

    But nothing happened, Hermione wasn¡¯t discouraged though, she then pulled out a bright red eraser.

    ¡°It a magical eraser that I got in Diagon Alley.¡± she then rubbed in on the first pages date January 1st but nothing happened.

    ¡°Anything else¡±

    ¡°This Riddle,¡± said Ron, ¡°Maybe he just didn¡¯t spend time writing things in it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­..¡± Hermione was unwilling to give up

    ¡°I feel like he was a friend of mine that I forgot about, it must seem absurd since I never had a friend before I came to Hogwarts and this Tom Riddle is a person who went to Hogwarts fifty years ago,¡± said Harry

    ¡°That is just your mind ying tricks on you so let¡¯s just leave it here and go to the Christmas party instead of staying in a girls bathroom with a ragged diary that has nothing written in it.¡±

    ¡°There must be something hidden in it that we haven¡¯t discovered yet,¡± said Ivan as he took the diary back.

    ¡°Well since you all think so, I have an idea,¡± said Ron as he lowered his voice, ¡°Ivan, give it to me, and I¡¯ll mail it to my father who is an expert in dealing with this stuff,¡±

    ¡°No, Ron!¡± said Ivan as he shook his head and put the diary in his bag, ¡°I think it is better for me to hold on to it since I recently saw a potion in a book that may make it reveal its secrets.¡±

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s an illusion or just the dim candlelight in the bathroom but Ron¡¯s face seemed to be paler.

 Chapter 47 First Contact

    <h4>Chapter 47 First Contact</h4>

    After confirming his current strength and his inability to destroy the diary, Ivan decided to try tomunicate with Tom.

    I should not believe whatever he says.

    That night, Ivan sat on his bed, he took out a quill and wrote, ¡®Hello my name is Ivan Masson.¡¯

    The ck ink shined brightly for a second but then in the next, it seemed to be sucked into the paper and disappeared without a trace.

    Then a set of words that he had never written appeared, ¡®Hello Ivan Masson, my name is Tom Riddle, how did you find my diary?¡¯

    Seeing the other person respond made Ivan¡¯s heart skip a beat.

    The words disappeared when he began to write more.

    ¡®You seem to have offended someone so they threw your diary in the toilet where I found it,¡¯ wrote Ivan

    ¡®Luckily I recorded my thoughts in a moresting way than ink since I knew there will always be people who didn¡¯t want this diary to be read. This diary records some terrible things from the past, some of them are from Hogwarts,¡¯

    ¡®Oh, so you were a student at Hogwarts?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, when I went, the Chamber of Secrets was¡­¡­.¡¯

    Before riddle had finished, he was interrupted by Ivan writing in the diary, ¡®Great, you will be able to help me with my homework,¡¯

    ¡®Homework?¡¯ Tom was stunned, he didn¡¯t reply for a while.

    ¡®Yes, I¡¯ve been looking for a senior to help me, but they seem to be only interested in Quidditch. Professor Snape and Binns gave us some difficult work.¡¯

    Ivan¡¯s handwriting was quick and sloppy, like a first-year who hasn¡¯t adapted to Hogwarts and finally found someone who could help him with his homework.

    ¡®These assignments are very difficult, and with my ability, it ispletely impossible toplete them. Tom, won¡¯t you help me?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Ivan, but I think homework should be done by yourself. If you want, I can tell you something else, such as things about the Chamber of Secrets! When I was in my fifth year, the Chamber was opened, and the creature inside attacked several students and killed one. I finally caught the man who opened the chamber of secrets and he was then expelled.¡¯

    ¡®Yeah, good for you! But if I don¡¯t finish before the holiday ends forget the monster, the professors will kill me, so nice talking to you, bye!¡¯

    With a flick of his writ, he closed the diary.

    Ivan breathed in and fell backward on to his bed. Today he was only making first contact with Riddle so there isn¡¯t a need to do an in-depth conversation with him.

    And he has to be careful when he is dealing with Voldemort, he can be led on by him, so Ivan took the initiative in the conversation.

    Anyway, he has the diary, he doesn¡¯t need to worry about the attacks continuing, for now, there is still time for him tomunicate with Tom before he has to deal with the Basilisk.

    A few dayster all the students returned to Hogwarts.

    The news of Justin being attacked, already spread throughout Hogwarts. And the few joys that Christmas created vanished in an instant.

    The atmosphere was depressing, panic filled all the teachers and students minds. They all became more vignt and suspicious.

    As long as there was the slightest hint of trouble, they would run away.

    Although Harry wasn¡¯t there for the third attack, it doesn¡¯t prevent anyone from suspecting him. Especially in the face of inquiries, Harry couldn¡¯t exin to them why he left the Christmas party early, which is very suspicious.

    More and more people began to whisper to each other and Hufflepuff¡¯s Ernest Macmin said, ¡°Ever since Justin identally told Potter that he was a Muggle-born, I have been expecting this!¡±

    But what was worse about him saying this was that people actually believed him because they thought Ivan and Hermione were aplices to Harry and this caused their newspaper to do even worse.

    Peeves wasn¡¯t any help because he kept popping up in crowded hallways and loudly singing, ¡°Oh Potter oh Potter, you¡¯re up to no good, you kill students and find it a hoot!¡±

    He also danced when he sang.

    Besides Colin, Luna, and the Weasley family, almost no dared to approach Ivan, Harry, or Hermione.

    It also seems that Malfoy guessed that Ivan and Harry had beat him up on Christmas Day so he was always leading Goyle and Crabbe around them, provoking them, like a hyena looking for a chance to attack.

    Besides ss, they spent most of their time in the library.

    Hermione wasbing through books from fifty years ago, trying to find who opened the chamber. Their only clue was that they had been expelled from school and had been held in Azkaban until now.

    As for Harry and Ron, they decided to learn more about Tom Riddle, the found an award for services to the school, that he was a Prefect, and head boy.

    ¡°You know he sounds like Percy¡± frowned Ron

    ¡°It seems he was an excellent student,¡± said Hermione

    ¡°Yeah, I never thought he would be that kind of person¡± replied Ron, he then turned his head and looked nervously at Ivan, ¡°How is your investigation on the diary?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve learned nothing,¡± said Ivan as he shook his head, he thought it was for the best to not let them know anything about Riddle for now.

    ¡°Just like I said, it¡¯s just a regr diary.¡±

    ¡°I would hardly call it ordinary, I made sure it was waterproof, fireproof, and spell proof, I can¡¯t find a way to destroy it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, Riddle must have wanted to protect his diary,¡± said Ron with an unnatural expression.

 Chapter 48 Second Contact

    <h4>Chapter 48 Second Contact</h4>

    Time flies, in the blink of an eye it was already February.

    After his brief conversation with Tom Riddle on Christmass, he didn¡¯t try to contact Tom again, Ivan thought it was necessary to ignore him for a while.

    The atmosphere in the school is still tense even though the attacks have stopped and the Mandrake grass has matured but most students were still in a panic.

    Lockhart seemed to think he needed to do something.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, the chamber of secrets will never be opened,¡± that¡¯s what Lockhart said at the end of every defense against the dark arts ss. ¡°The culprit must have known I would catch them sooner orter, so they wisely stopped before I did.¡±

    ¡°What is needed now is to eliminate the bad memories,¡± said Lockhart, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say but I think I have the answers,¡±

    By the time they had breakfast on February 14 everyone knew what Lockhart was doing to boost morale.

    When Ivan entered the Great Hall early that morning, he saw that all the walls were covered with big, bright pink flowers. Worse still there was countless heart-shaped confetti that kept following from the light blue ceiling.

    Lockhart sat at the teacher¡¯s desk, wearing a bright pink robe that matched the decorations, and the professors sitting beside him had a strange face. Professor McGonagall slightly twitched and Snape looked like he was going to barf.

    Next, Lockhart announced he arranged a small surprise.

    In the next moment twelve dwarfs walked through the doors, unlike regr dwarfs, they all had golden wings and a harp on their backs.

    Lockhart called them friendly little cupids.

    He told the students they could use them to deliver Valentine¡¯s cards or ask Snape for advice on how to brew a love potion.

    Ivan didn¡¯t know if anyone dared to ask Snape about the potion, but the dwarfs kept rushing around the school delivering Valentine¡¯s cards.

    Among the teachers, Lockhart received the most cards, nearly 200 or more.

    It made him the least popr among the teachers and when a dwarf came into the ssroom for the twelfth time, Professor McGonagall ran Ivan out with a nasty stare.

    Next, a dwarf brought him a song for his Valentine¡¯s day gift.

    But Ivan was quicker than the dwarf and cast ¡®Silencio¡¯.

    To prevent other dwarfs from finding him, Ivan went back to themon room.

    Ivan decided to talk to Tom Riddle once more, it seems after more than a month of neglect made the other side impatient.

    When Ivan opened the diary an article that answered hisst question for potions ss appeared.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already done that assignment myself and Professor Snape gave me a lousy grade, so my question now is¡­¡­.¡± said Ivan with a wry smile, he wrote his recent magical research question.

    After about a minute, there was an answer written on the page. (Note: Magical world¡¯s Google)

    Riddle gave him a perfect answer which gave him a deep sense of enlightenment, it seems Riddle¡¯s understanding was even deeper than the professors.

    In this way, Ivan began tomunicate with Tom Riddle for the second time.

    Every night, after everyone was asleep, he quietly took out the diary, he wrote his difficulties in his magical studies, the problems became more and more difficult, there are many questions young wizards wouldn¡¯t normally ask.

    But Riddle didn¡¯t seem to notice, Riddle wanted to talk to Ivan about the Chamber of Secrets, and the man who opened it.

    But every time Ivan changed the subject, Riddle was adapting to Ivan¡¯s way. A strange agreement formed between the two, first Riddle told a story about the chamber of secrets and then Ivan asked his questions.

    As a young Voldemort, Tom Riddle had a vast reserve of knowledge and could answer almost every question that Ivan raised if he wanted to.

    From the simplest ssroom assignment to the most esoteric magical theory.

    For example, the method of recording sound that bothered Ivan for so long was given to him by Riddle which could save a sound to any item.

    Thanks to Riddle¡¯s help the ¡®Academic research¡¯ section of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic was booming, there was no longer any boring articles like the ones Luna wrote but actual research articles.

    After Transfiguration ss, Professor McGonagall even told Ivan that she was surprised at the depth of his research on Animagus.

    In addition, the editor of the Daily Prophet, who had been following his newspaper, had offered to reprint some of his research articles, and Ivan even received some manuscripts from a number of professional magical academic journals.

    But of course, most of the articles were Tom¡¯s.

    In just a month, Ivan¡¯s progress had soared to new heights.

    He learned a lot from Riddle, such as theoretical knowledge that wasn¡¯t taught in ss, including dark magic. In fact, the other side seems to have been intentionally or unconsciously teaching Ivan the Dark Arts and encouraging him to use these spells.

    At first, Ivan didn¡¯t feel anything unusual.

    After consulting with Professor Flitwick, he learned that Tom had been teaching him dark magic.

    Until then, Ivan was unaware how serious the problem was, he thought it would be helpful to know more about dark magic.

    After a while, he finally noticed what was wrong, and the dark magic seemed to have affected his thinking. He grew more irritable and sensitive, and every time he practiced the dark magic there were cruel thoughts that appeared inside his head.

    In particr, when he recently shed with Malfoy, Ivan was tempted to pull out his wand and use a new spell he had just learned.

    It was simr to Snape¡¯s ¡®Sectumsempra¡¯ spell but way more powerful and if Malfoy gets hit Malfoy might die.

    Because he stopped himself at thest moment, it didn¡¯t lead to any irreversible consequences.

    This made him terrified, this was a dangerous sign.

    He now realized why Riddle would uncharacteristically teach him magical knowledge.

    Riddle was looking for a way to weaken Ivan¡¯s will since Ivan was always wary of him and not interested in the Chamber of Secrets so he tempted Ivan with magical knowledge and when Ivan is lost in power, that would give him a chance to control Ivan.

    Even if Riddle can¡¯t control him, Ivan¡¯s final result was likely to be the same as Voldemort, an evil dark wizard.

    Since then, Ivan never dared to touch the diary again, Tom Riddle is truly evil he can gradually take control of one¡¯s mind.

    Even people like Ivan who were on high alert from the beginning can fall into his clutches.

 Chapter 49 Fifty Years Ago

    <h4>Chapter 49 Fifty Years Ago</h4>

    Ivan kept the diary with him at all times since there was still the threat that Tom Riddle would control the other person to take it back but he never opened it.

    Thanks to Ivan being cautious, there was not any attacks in the castle.

    It has been four months since Justin was petrified.

    Almost everyone seems to think the attacker has given up.

    One day when Ivan was at breakfast Ivan heard Professor Sprout and several students talk about the nearly matured mandrakes.

    This made people extremely happy.

    Hufflepuff isn¡¯t hiding from them anymore and Peeves has gotten bored of singing. The sales of the newspaper were picking up and people were turning their attention to the uing Gryffindor vs Hufflepuff Quidditch match which will determine who wins the Quidditch cup this year.

    Ivan saw all the third years sitting in the public lunge depressed on Easter Sunday.

    ¡°The school has asked us to choose a ss for next year.¡±

    Harry and Colin, walked in with a list of curriculums, ¡°It looks like we have to add more lessons.¡±

    ¡°Professor McGonagall told us to take it seriously,¡± said Hermione as she looked at Harry and Ron with a deadly stare, ¡°This will affect our future.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but I want to give up potions,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± said Ron in a depressed tone, ¡°If we could ditch the core sses I would have quit defense against the dark arts,¡±

    ¡°But that course is extremely important!¡± said Hermione in a surprised tone.

    ¡°With Lockhart, I haven¡¯t learned anything,¡± said Ron

    The students who are from wizarding families received owls from their families which told them what to choose. This made it more difficult for some students such as Neville who couldn¡¯t decide.

    As for Harry who grew up in a Muggle family, there wasn¡¯t any advice.

    In the end, he closed his eyes and pointed randomly with his wand to chose a course.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Harry!¡± said Hermione as she hurriedly stopped him.

    ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± asked Harry with a frown.

    ¡°We can choose everything, the school didn¡¯t say it¡¯s not allowed, right?¡± said Hermione, unsure.

    ¡°Yes but I don¡¯t want to do that,¡± said Harry as he hurriedly shook his head.

    ¡°The divination ss looks interesting, you should choose that,¡± said Ivan as he went over and looked at Harry¡¯s list, ¡°I¡¯m interested in it and I¡¯d like to go over the material if you have the chance.¡±

    ¡°Ivan¡¯s advice is excellent since divination can help you see the future.¡± said Percy, after knowing that the Mandrakes will mature soon, he seemed to be back to his usual self, ¡°What course you choose depends on what you want to do in the future.¡±

    ¡°People always say that it¡¯s stupid to choose Muggle studies but I personally think wizards should have a thorough understanding of muggle society especially if they want to work closely with Muggles. For example, my father took it and he deals with Muggle rted stuff. My brother Charlie likes the outdoors so he chose care of magical creatures and he now works with dragons. So take sses that will help you in what you want to do.¡±

    Percy¡¯s advice didn¡¯t make much of a difference since beyond Quidditch Harry didn¡¯t know what he wanted to do.

    ¡°Professor McGonagall wants us to turn in our choices tomorrow so think about it Harry,¡± said Hermione as she checked all the subjects, ¡°You to Ron¡±

    ¡°You sound like my mother!¡± said Ron as he wrinkled his nose.

    That night, Ivan, Harry, and Ron sat in front of the fire and discussed each ss.

    Finally, Harry and Ron chose the same sses. They thought even if the lesson is boring they will pull through if they are together.

    When they had just written down their course, they saw Hermione running in.

    ¡°I found out who was expelled from the school fifty years ago.¡±

    Hermione then lowered her voice and said, ¡°It was Hagrid, Hagrid opened the Chamber fifty years ago.¡±

    ¡°That is impossible!¡± said Harry hastily as he stood up.

    ¡°I wish it wasn¡¯t him to but the evidence I found was concrete.¡± said Hermione, ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t find anything in the library I wrote to the editor of the Daily Prophet and asked for his help.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He sent me a newspaper from fifty years ago,¡± said Hermione as she took a newspaper out, ¡°Look here, it says Hagrid was expelled from the school after a serious ident.¡±

    ¡°We already knew Hagrid was expelled!¡± said Harry unwilling to ept the truth.

    ¡°Look when it was reported, Harry,¡± said Hermione, ¡°There was the article that reported Myrtle¡¯s death and shortly afteres this article about Hagrid being expelled.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t a connection between the two,¡± said Harry distressedly.

    ¡°But after Hagrid was expelled the attacks stopped!¡± sighed Hermione, ¡°What would be serious enough to expel a student from school? Think about it, thest time we met Hagrid in Knockturn alley¡±

    ¡°He was just buying potions to get rid of slugs,¡± said Harry while raising his voice, ¡°Hermione, Hagrid would never intentionally kill anyone!¡±

    ¡°He certainly would not but what about the creatures he keeps¡± hesitated Hermione, ¡°Hagrid likes to keep dangerous creatures and he thinks they¡¯re all marvelous. Think about the three-headed dog and the dragon. We should go ask Hagrid about these things?¡±

    ¡°That would be a pleasant visit. Hello, Hagrid, have you recently put any horrifying thing in the castle?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Ron, I think ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Hermione! Hagrid must be innocent, I believe in him,¡± said Harry stubbornly.

    The four people were silent, the atmosphere tense and for a while, no one spoke.

 Chapter 50 Hagrid and Aragog

    <h4>Chapter 50 Hagrid and Aragog</h4>

    Late that night only Ivan was left in themon room.

    He looked at the diary in front of him and realized he couldn¡¯t keep distrusting every one or he would not get anywhere. Although there haven¡¯t been any more attacks, his business with the chamber of secrets has yet to be finished.

    Maybe I should give it to Dumbledore!

    He must be able to recognize this is a Horcrux and he should know exactly how to deal with it.

    Before Ivan made up his mind on what to do he saw Harrye in.

    ¡°Ivan why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡± said Harry, surprised.

    ¡°I should have asked you,¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep because I¡¯m thinking about the things dealing with Hagrid. He is certainly innocent, but I have to go to him to confirm it.¡± Harry looked at Ivan with expectant eyes, ¡°You think so to right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± nodded Ivan.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± whispered Harry.

    ¡°Go where?¡±

    Harry took Ivan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I was going to go alone but I didn¡¯t expect to see you.¡±

    Ivan wanted to cry since he knew he should have gone to bed.

    He didn¡¯t want to sneak out of the castle to find out what he already knew, but Harry didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to refuse, Harry pulled him out of the Gryffindormon room.

    Before they walked out they saw Hermione standing beside them looking at them with a serious expression.

    ¡°Hermione!¡± said Harry, surprised.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Harry, did you think I would let you go alone?¡± said Hermione, ¡°I said we had to talk with Hagrid but I don¡¯t believe he did it, he must know something though.¡±

    ¡°Well since everyone is going,¡± said Harry as he put the cloak over them.

    The caste that night was exceptionally grim as they walked down the empty corridors.

    It was clear that Harry had wandered the castle countless times at night as he guided Ivan and Hermione out the castle gate.

    The three people hurried to Hagrid¡¯s house, they went to his door and took off the cloak. And a few secondster they knocked, Hagrid flung the door open and the hound barked loudly behind him.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you!¡± said Hagrid as he stared at them, ¡°Why are you threeing here sote?¡±

    ¡°We have something to ask you,¡± said Harry as he walked into the hut but he hesitated, ¡°Can you tell us about¡­.¡±

    ¡°About what?¡± asked Hagrid as he took a kettle and poured each of them arge ss of boiling water, ¡°Can¡¯t this wait until tomorrow, you three should hurry back and go to bed now, it can¡¯t be so important that you must sneak out of the castle.¡±

    ¡°But, Hagrid¡­.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d like to ask you about the chamber of secrets,¡± said Ivan

    ¡°The chamber of secrets?¡± said Hagrid as he identally hit a teapot dropping it to the floor.

    ¡°Hagrid you know someone was attacked by a monster around fifty years ago,¡± said Harry quickly.

    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± said Hagrid as his face turned pale and began to sweat.

    ¡°Fifty years ago when the chamber was opened you were expelled from the school for something,¡± said Hermione as she took out the newspaper, ¡°Hagrid it isn¡¯t that we don¡¯t believe you but you must know something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything!¡± shouted Hagrid, he seemed to be uneasy and he nearly caused the kettle to put out the fire.

    Harry and Hermione thought this was suspicious.

    ¡°We need your help, Hagrid! When the Chamber wasst opened the monster killed a student and if we don¡¯t take action, the monster will probably¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Aragog didn¡¯t attack anyone,¡± said Hagrid

    ¡°Who is Aragog?¡± said Harry hastily.

    ¡°He is an Acromant, a traveler gave him to me when he was just an egg, it was terrified when the chamber was opened, it only told me that it was an ancient creature that all spiders were afraid of,¡± said Hagrid as he wiped his tears with arge handkerchief.

    ¡°An ancient creature, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, even though I asked countless times, Aragog never told me. And after a Ravenw girl was killed, the one who must not be named med it all on Aragog.¡±

    ¡°Hagrid you don¡¯t mean Voldemort?¡± said Harry as he stood up, he was pale.

    Hagrid was visibly shaken, and he seemed to have awakened from his thoughts.

    ¡°What have I said, it¡¯s not something you should know about,¡± said Hagrid ruefully, ¡°you should go back to bed immediately, don¡¯t ask any more questions, I won¡¯t tell you anything.¡±

    They were then driven out by Hagrid, Harry and Hermione whispered as they walked.

    ¡°Hagrid said Voldermort med it all on his spider, but I think it must have been Voldermort that opened the chamber of secrets fifty years ago and killed Myrtle, so then Hagrid was wronged.¡± said Harry angrily, ¡°I knew it wasn¡¯t him but who opened it this time, it can¡¯t be Voldemort?¡±

    Harry suddenly thought of what happenedst year, Voldemort snuck into school to steal the Philosophers stone but thanks to him and his friends he stopped Voldemort.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Hermine with a trembling voice and shaking her head, ¡°Maybe, likest year, Voldemort snuck in on someone¡¯s head. Remember the curse that was on Ron, he must have been the one to do it.¡±

    ¡°Where is he hiding and what is the monster hidden in the Chamber of secrets?¡± said Harry

    ¡°Hagrid said it was an ancient creature that spiders are afraid of, I seem to have seen simr creatures somewhere.¡± said Hermione as she tried to remember what it was, she then turned to Ivan and asked, ¡°Ivan do you know anything?¡±

    ¡°That is simple, the creature that hides in the Chamber of Secrets is a basilisk, it¡¯s a spider mortal enemy,¡± said Ivan.

    Ivan had decided to give the diary to Dumbledore, it was time to end it.

    As for the person, Tom Riddle was controlling, no matter who it was, as long as there is no Horcrux, they should return to normal sooner orter.

 Chapter 51 The New Plan

    <h4>Chapter 51 The New n</h4>

    ¡°Basilisk, what is that?¡±

    Seeing Harry and Hermione looking at him curiously, Ivan took out a sheet of paper that was torn from a very old book. This was the information he prepared a few days ago, he kept it with him to deal with this when it urred.

    ¡°This is the introduction to the basilisk, but don¡¯t tell the librarian, if she knew I was destroying books she would not let me in ever again.¡±

    Harry and Hermione couldn¡¯t wait to read:

    Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam ournd, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken¡¯s egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.

    ¡°The basilisk is the mortal enemy of spiders, so that¡¯s why Aragog was afraid of it¡­..I get it, Ivan!¡±

    It was like someone had suddenly lit a light in the dark, Harry excitedly said, ¡°No wonder every time there was an attack I could hear a voice!¡±

    ¡°Look at this, it says that the Basilisk¡¯s stare is deadly.¡± said Hermione while pointing at the page, ¡°But the students aren¡¯t dead¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because no one directly looked at it.¡± exined Ivan, ¡°Rember the first time it attacked water was on the ground, so Filch¡¯s cat must have seen it in the water¡¯s reflection so it was petrified.¡±

    ¡°So when the second attack, happened Penelope saw the basilisk through Moaning Myrtle.¡± said Hermione, ¡°And Myrtle can¡¯t die a second time.¡±

    ¡°As for Justin, he must have seen it when he was looking in the mirror.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, I still don¡¯t understand, if the basilisk is really big like the book says, how can it travel through the school and not be seen?¡±

    ¡°It must travel through the pipes, Harry, so that must be why you can always hear it.¡±

    Hermione looked at the page in her hand.

    ¡°The rooster¡¯s cry is fatal to it so Hagrid¡¯s Rooster was killed when the Chamber of Secrets was opened because the heir would never want a rooster to be near the castle, and we know now everything.¡±

    ¡°Except for one thing, we don¡¯t know who the heir is,¡±

    Seeing Harry and Hermione suddenly look at him, Ivan smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me, I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°We need tob through the clues from fifty years ago, Voldemort opened the chamber of secrets, killed Moaning Myrtle and then med Hagrid. We now know what the monster is in the Chamber of Secrets, Hagrid¡¯s rooster has been killed, and Ron has been cursed so the heir must be among us,¡± said Hermione

    ¡°If they are from outside of the school we can¡¯t know. Wait a minute we found a strange diary on Christmas day, it belonged to a student from fifty years ago, Tom Riddle, but there wasn¡¯t anything was written on it, it can¡¯t be a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Riddle won a Special Award for Services to the School fifty years ago,¡± added Harry, ¡°Ron and I saw the trophy in the trophy room.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he win it because he caught who opened the Chamber of Secrets.¡± Frowned Hermione, ¡°But Hagrid said, it was Voldemort who caught him¡­. Oh my God!¡±

    The atmosphere was eerily silent, they all thought of one possibility.

    ¡°Tom Riddle is Voldemort!¡± Whispered Ivan after a while had passed.

    ¡°Ivan what about the diary? I can¡¯t believe we kept Voldemort¡¯s stuff around us. We need to give it to Dumbledore, it¡¯s probably dark magic.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry I have been keeping it with me¡­¡± Ivan touched his pocket but it was empty, he froze, his face turned pale, ¡°This is bad, I left it in themon room.¡±

    The three looked at one another and hurried to the castle.

    In the diary, Tom felt very strange, even somewhat crazy.

    In the past four months, he revealed a lot of dark magic to Ivan Masson to gain his trust.

    But the other party suddenly stopped talking to him for a long time.

    What is his n?

    Tom Riddle suddenly thought of an idea but rejected it entirely.

    That damn mud blood, an eleven-year-old child can¡¯t simply give up powerful magic at their fingertips.

    In his opinion, Ivan should be the same as himself, addicted to power, he had seen the weakness in Ivan¡¯s mind, only a little bit more before he could control him.

    But the damn mud blood disappeared at the most crucial time, his painstaking efforts and nning were all in vain.

    If possible, Tom Riddle would rush out and kill Ivan.

    The diary was suddenly opened, was it the previous child.

    It was so wonderful, Tom could feel the other person injecting their life into the diary which was allowing him to regain his strength.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to end it,¡± said Tom with a sneer, he came up with a new n to kill the abominable mud bloods.

    He will personallyplete Slytherin¡¯s noble cause and purify the mud bloods from Hogwarts.

 Chapter 52 Slytherinâ€™s Heir

    <h4>Chapter 52 Slytherin¡¯s Heir</h4>

    The three hurried into the castle but before they could enter themon room they saw Snape emerge from the shadows.

    ¡°What a pleasant surprise!¡± said Snape as he looked at them with a sneer, ¡°Potter, Granger, Mason, I thought using Polyjuice potion to disguise yourselves as Slytherin students was bad enough but I did not think you would make wandering around at night a habit.¡±

    ¡°Professor, this is an emergency, we need to get back to themon room,¡± said Hermione hastily.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk!¡± Snape had a smug smile on his face, ¡°I am afraid you won¡¯t be going into themon room, Gryffindor is deducted 150 points, let me think¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, professor! It was Voldemort, he opened the Chamber of Secrets, we have to stop him, there is a diary¡­¡­..¡± said Hermione

    ¡°Shut it, miss know it all!¡± Snape stared at them for a while and then slowly said, ¡°This is Hogwarts, that person can¡¯t be here,e with me, I want to see what Dumbledore will do with you.¡±

    Harry looked down, he didn¡¯t know what to do, no matter what he says, Snape would not believe him, the other side just wants to find excuses to punish him.

    Harry was already filled with anxiety but when he heard a voice he decided to say something.

    ¡°Time to kill¡­¡­..let me tear¡­¡­ let me rip¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I hear the voice again, it¡¯s the basilisk, it¡¯s moving towards themon room!¡± Harry¡¯s heart sank, he knew if the basilisk was allowed to enter themon room, the consequences would be disastrous.

    Think about it, a group of defenseless students, in the face of a creature who can kill people with a simple stare, how many will die.

    ¡°Ivan, Hermione it¡¯s here!¡± Harry didn¡¯t wait for Snape before he shouted out the password and ran into the entrance of themon room.

    Ivan and Hermione froze for a moment before the hurriedly followed.

    Themon room was exactly the same as before, the only difference was the fire had faded.

    Through the dim light, Ivan could see that the stand he had left the diary on was empty, it must have been taken by the student Tom Riddle was controlling.

    But who was it, Ginny or¡­..

    He then noticed the writing on the wall above the firece:

    Hogwarts shall be purified and the heir of Slytherin shall fulfill his greatest mission!

    Ivan¡¯s pupils shrank, Hogwarts will be purified, and Slytherin¡¯s heir will fulfill his greatest mission, what does Tom Riddle want to do?

    A figure then came out from the shadows, it was Ron.

    Ron looked strange, he was elegant and calm with a bit of oppression, he waspletely different from his usual self.

    ¡°Ron, thank goodness you¡¯re here, the basilisk ising, we have..¡± eximed Harry anxiously.

    ¡°I know it is, I am the one who summoned it,¡± said Ron with a strange smile.

    ¡°You did, what do you mean?¡± Harry and Hermione looked at him with surprised expressions.

    ¡°I mean everything was done by me.¡± said Ron with a more visible smile, ¡°Harry Potter, I have long wanted to see you, among all the students at Hogwarts you are the one I wanted to see the most!¡±

    ¡°Ron what are you talking about,¡± said Harry as he stepped forward.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go over there, Harry, he¡¯s not Ron, he¡¯s Tom!¡± eximed Ivan.

    ¡°Ivan Masson!¡± The smile on Ron¡¯s lips was getting colder, ¡°You damn, nauseating mud blood, I expected you to be trouble, but I didn¡¯t think you would tease the great heir of Slytherin, I will make you pay the price, you will regret¡­.¡±

    ¡°Enough, what the hell are you four doing?¡± Snape interrupted Ron, He entered themon room with a gloomy face.

    He had stood outside and heard their conversation, Snape frowned, he thought these four were crazy.

    Weasly as the heir to Slytherin was the greatest joke to him, those four must be pranking him.

    Snape drew his wand, he was ready to use Stupefy to knock them out.

    But before he could cast it, he heard a loud noise inside themon room, it was loud enough to wake up the entire castle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you idiot Gryffindors know what time it is, or do you want to be expelled from Hogwarts¡± shouted Snape

    He then stopped when he heard a roaring noise from the bathroom not far away. It seemed as if something gigantic had fallen from the sky andnded on the stone floor, the whole Gryffindor tower was shaking, which was clearly not something a student could make.

    Snape turned around and looked at the bathroom, and pointed his wand at it.

    Ron had a strange smile, while the others stared at the bathroom door with horror.

    Stange sounds came out from it, what wille out, the atmosphere was tense.

    Ivan, Harry, and Hermione quickly drew their wand, Snape stepped forward with a faint fluorescent tip being produced by his wand.

    With a bang, the bathroom door fell down and dust flew everywhere.

    In the dust, Ivan saw an ugly giant snakee out, it was green, as big as an oak tree¡¯s trunk, and the upper body was high up in the air.

    ¡°It¡¯s a basilisk, don¡¯t look at its eyes!¡± shouted Ivan, while pointing his wand at the Basilisk.

    Snape was faster then he was, as soon as the basilisk rushed out of the bathroom, the faint fluorescence on his wand intensified, it produced three dark silver rays and shoot out like an arrow, it urately struck the basilisk and left three bloody scars on its green scaly skin.

    The basilisk shook its head, the pain seemed to have angered it. It produced a mad hissing sound, its two yellow eyes looked for anyone who was willing to attack it.

    It then saw an orange ball of light flying towards it.

    Ivan¡¯s Conjunctivitis Curse struck the basilisk causing it to close its eyes in agony.

 Chapter 53 The Crazy Basilisk

    <h4>Chapter 53 The Crazy Basilisk</h4>

    Harry and Hermione cast a couple spells but they all bounced off the scales of the Basilisk.

    Only Snape could leave a wound on its body, strands of ck blood sshed to the ground. The basilisk swung its tail crushing the walls of themon room.

    The huge fighting sounds woke up all of the Gryffindors, the students ran out of their bedroom, the expression on their faces turned to panic.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Colin wiped his eyes, he couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in front of him, he then had a bright idea, he turned around and ran to the bedroom and got his camera.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, What¡¯s going on here?¡± asked Percy as he came out.

    In the next second his eyes almost shot out of his head, he couldn¡¯t believe the sight in front of him, there was a gigantic snake in themon room running amok. Percy¡¯s reaction was fast, he subconsciously drew his wand.

    A red light struck the basilisk but was bounced back.

    The continuous attacks made the basilisk a bit crazy, it wanted to rip these people to shreds but before it could, Snape¡¯s magic hit it again, it jerked backward.

    In the other corner of the Common Room, Ivan, Harry, and Hermione were attacking Ron who was under the control of Tom Riddle, spells were cast from time to time.

    Riddle seemed to be in a hurry but he was still calm.

    Riddle tried to escape the curse that flew over to him but was unable to dodge. With a simple gesture of his hands caused the three spells that were flying at him to dissipate.

    Ivan narrowed his eyes.

    After Ivan cast Stupefy he quickly recited a new more powerful spell, the magic quickly gathered, the spell felt very oppressive, the wand produced a pale blue light.

    ¡°That is hrious, you want to use the dark magic that I taught you to attack me! But I will admit that I do despise you Mud blood! I¡¯d love to keep ying with you if it wasn¡¯t for this wand,¡± Said Tom as he red at Ivan.

    He suddenly turned around and said a few words to the basilisk.

    When the basilisk heard the call it ignored its fight with Snape and rushed over to Ivan. Its mouth is enormous, it is big enough to swallow them whole, the fangs were like silver swords, thin, light, and dripping venom.

    It darted to them, Ivan stopped his incantation, and Hermione stood behind him, pale.

    The two hurriedly dodged, but it was toote, the basilisk was too fast.

    Without thinking he hugged Hermione, turning his back towards the basilisk, he could fell the girl in his arms trembling.

    In the next second, Harry rushed towards them, holding a wooden seat in his hands and fiercely threw it at the basilisk.

    But it was of no use at all, the basilisk¡¯s speed didn¡¯t slow at all.

    Just as they thought they were going to be swallowed by the basilisk, Snape appeared in front of them.

    His face was gloomy, the light produced by his wand grew stronger.

    Boom!!!!!!

    Snape was hit to the wall, and then slipped to the floor, he was oozing blood from his head, he was knocked unconscious!

    ¡°That is finally solved so now¡­..¡± Riddle looked contemptuously at the fainted Snape on the floor.

    From the way the basilisk was moving now, Ivan could tell the curse he put on it was wearing off.

    Ivan¡¯s heart tightened, if he could get the thing he made a few days ago, then the problem of the basilisk will be solved.

    Without the basilisk, Tom Riddle would be more likely to fall since from the earlier fight Ivan realized Tom was manipting the magic produced by the broken wand to cast powerful magic but the wand was at its limit.

    Apparently, Tom had realized he didn¡¯t have much time left so he ordered the basilisk to kill Ivan.

    Just as Tom Riddle spoke with a hissing sound, a red-headed girl ran down from upstairs it was Ginny!

    ¡°Ron, what are you doing?¡±

    She looked pale and had a fearful expression but her eyes were one of determination. She was still wearing her pink pajamas, she gripped her wand and cast a red colored spell at the snake.

    Her spell interrupted the conversation between Riddle and the basilisk, the basilisk dodged and went for Ginny.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± shouted Harry and Hermione in horror.

    Ivan hurriedly cast a spell but it was no use.

    They tried to save her but Ginny was too close to the basilisk.

    Just as everyone closed their eyes and didn¡¯t dare to watch, Ron suddenly rushed over and rescued Ginny.

    Ron seemed to be back to normal, tears were falling from his eyes uncontrobly.

    ¡°Run, run, I¡¯ll stall him. It¡¯s my fault for trusting that guy, I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡­¡±

    Ron¡¯s pale face then turned to one of pain, Tom seemed to be taking back control. Soon Tom was once again in control, he looked disgusted, he then threw Ginny who was in his arms.

    ¡°He unexpectedly took control but he is too weak, his body doesn¡¯t have that much life left. It is time to end this ridiculous farce, I will represent Szar Slytherin, I will purify Hogwarts of all mud bloods and this body¡¯s friends will die!¡±

    ¡°s, you don¡¯t have a chance, Tom Riddle!¡±

    Ivan held up a music box, it was a magical tool that he finished a few days ago which records sounds.

    As soon as he opened it there was a rooster¡¯s crow.

    The gigantic body of the basilisk shook violently as it heard the sound.

    It was afraid, it wanted to escape, it no longer listened to Tom¡¯smands, it was trying to go back to the bathroom.

    ¡°No! You fucking, goddamn mud blood!¡± Screamed Tom loudly, he climbed up on the basilisk¡¯s body, ¡°You will regret this, this boy¡¯s body will forever remain in the chamber!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t take Ron.¡±

    When the basilisk was trying to slip away from them, Harry grabbed Ron¡¯s body, Ivan paused for a moment before he grabbed Harry.

    In the next second, like a race car, they were pulled out of themon room and disappeared into the dark pipes of the bathroom.

 Chapter 54 The Chamber of Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 54 The Chamber of Secrets</h4>

    Ivan and Harry tightly held on to Ron, it was like they were on a roller coaster.

    Since the pipes were so narrow Ivan had to stay close to the basilisk.

    Every time they turned he felt pain all over his body.

    He never thought that Hogwarts had suchplex plumbing.

    They soon turned and went into a very old looking pipe, Ivan calcted they were around Ravenw tower, the tallest ce in the school.

    The basilisk took them to a strange oval room, there were light blue draperies, books on one side of the room, and thick dust umted everywhere it is certain no has been here for ages.

    Tom Riddle who was still controlling Ron was visibly astonished had no idea where this ce was.

    ¡°Damn!¡± said Tom in a hissing voice.

    He wanted the basilisk to stop but it was clearly frightened by the rooster¡¯s crow so it didn¡¯t listen to Tom¡¯smands, it then quickly fled with its fastest speed.

    The blue draperies soon vanished, Ivan quickly grabbed an object with a long chain.

    He held it tightly and before he could look down, the basilisk took them to another ce. After a minute the basilisk rammed into the pipeline and lept into the third floor girls bathroom.

    Suddenly the sink let out a dazzling light, it began to quickly rotate.

    The sink soon disappeared from sight, Ivan soon saw a very thick pipe, the basilisk rushed in.

    It seems to be a pipe specially prepared for it, and Ivan also saw there were numerous pipes going in all directions but they weren¡¯t as thick as the pipe that the basilisk went down.

    The pipe twisted and turned, for around seven or eight times, it was also had a very steep slope all the way down.

    Ivan knew they had gone down to the deep depths of the school, even deeper than the dungeon. Just as he was getting used to the sharp turns, theynded on the wet ground.

    They hade out of the pipe, Harry and Ivan then lost their grip and fell to the ground, they saw the basilisk and Tom disappear into the distance.

    They were in arge dark stone tunnel.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± said Harry as he stood up while rubbing his butt.

    ¡°We were taken several miles underground.¡±

    Ivan¡¯s voice echoed in the dark tunnel, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, we are probably under the greatke.¡±

    He then narrowed his eyes while looking at dark slimy walls.

    ¡°Lumos¡± his wand then produced a faint light.

    Using the faint light, Ivan looked at the object he had grabbed, it looked like a pocket watch, but there was only a single hand without numbers.

    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Harry

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± answered Ivan, I grabbed it from a room that the basilisk went through,¡± Ivan hesitated to touch the hand of the clock.

    ¡°We can figure out what it istter, we need to hurry up and find Ron,¡± said Harry eagerly.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± said Ivan as he put the strange object into his pocket, they had to hurry since Tom was absorbing Ron¡¯s vitality, and the longer they took the worse Ron would be.

    The two people ran through the damp tunnel, they then heard a loud sound.

    It was dark around so they could only see a few feet in front of them.

    A faint light shined from the two wands.

    ¡°Harry, Tom¡¯s wand is broken so it will take time to cast powerful magic,¡± said Ivan as they walked, ¡° I¡¯ll catch the basilisk¡¯s attention and you¡¯ll find the diary.¡±

    ¡°Diary?¡± Harry paused,

    ¡°The diary is the source of Tom¡¯s power, remember if you find it, try to destroy it, and Riddle doesn¡¯t know we know this so it¡¯s our only chance.¡±

    ¡°Ok!¡± nodded Harry, he suddenly grabbed Ivan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Look isn¡¯t that¡­..¡±

    Ivan stretched out his wand, and with the faint glow he saw the outline of a coiled snake, it was lying on the ground motionless.

    ¡°This is the skin of the basilisk,¡±

    In front of the two people lied a huge snakeskin, it was a light green, coiled around the tunnel, it was hollow, and around twenty feet long. It was obvious it was from when the basilisk had shed its skin.

    They started walking again, they carefully turned another corner, what stood before them was a wall with two snakes coiled around each other and they each had emerald eyes.

    ¡°Harry, try speaking to them in Parseltongue,¡± whispered Ivan.

    As Harry approached, he felt his throat dry.

    He tried to imagine the two stone snakes as real snakes but he didn¡¯t need to, their eyes looked like they were alive.

    ¡°Open!¡± said Harry in a low dull hiss.

    The two snakes parted, the stone wall split from the middle, and they slowly slid apart and disappeared.

    Ivan hurried in, in front of them was a dimly lit room. Many of the stone pirs were engraved with entangled snakes, towering to the ceiling, they dissolved into the darkness, and cast shadows over the whole room.

    ¡°It is the Chamber of Secrets!¡± whispered Ivan.

    The chamber was dead silent, the two people held their wands and slowly moved forward.

    Each step was more careful than thest.

    As they went past thest pair of pirs, they saw a statue as tall as the room itself, it ng to the dark wall, Ivan looked up and saw the huge face, it was an old, monkey-like face.

    At the foot of the statue was Ron lying there like a dead man.

 Chapter 55 The Truth

    <h4>Chapter 55 The Truth</h4>

    Ron was like a discarded doll, his face was as pale as marble, cold and colorless.

    ¡°Ron!¡± Harry dashed to him, knelt down, and shook him, ¡°Ron, don¡¯t die, please, don¡¯t die!¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t wake up.¡± said a voice softly.

    Ivan turned towards the voice, he saw a tall boy leaning against a nearby pir.

    ¡°Tom Riddle!¡± said Ivan softly while he pointed his wand at Tom.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use mud blood, it¡¯s all over! There¡¯s only us here, no one wille and save you, and there¡¯s no rooster! Victory shall be mine, you will soon be like this boy and stay here forever.¡±

    ¡°What did you do to Ron, why is he like this?¡± shouted Harry as he stood up.

    ¡°That is a very interesting question, it¡¯s a long story,¡± said Riddle cheerfully, ¡°But let me tell you before you take the eternal sleep. As far as I know, the real reason Weasley is like this because he opened his heart to aplete stranger and told all his secrets to that person.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Harry, surprised.

    ¡°The Diary!¡± said Riddle, ¡°Ever since my servant gave my diary to Ron, he has written his secrets in it for several months, he told me his troubles and sorrow. He is the most ordinary one of his family, his friends are better than him, no one notices him, he is weak and poor.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harry paused.

    ¡°Harry Potter, you are the famous savior, you have never understood that Weasley is jealous of you, he envies your fame, he envies your talent!¡± Riddles eyes twinkled, ¡°He told me he is worse than a first year even though he himself is a second-year student.¡±

    Riddle nced cautiously at Ivan, and turned back to Harry, his eyes concealed an almost greedy expression.

    ¡°It was so boring to hear a twelve-year-old boy talk about his childish troubles.¡±

    Tom continued, ¡°But I am tolerant, write a few words to answer him, I am kind considerate. I gradually gained his trust, he thought I was his only friend.¡±

    Harry looked pale as a ghost, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he would think that but we have been friends since we meet.¡±

    ¡°Obviously you haven¡¯t!¡±, Tom gave a cold, shrillugh, ¡°After months of talking, Ron opened his soul to me, it was exactly what I needed.¡±

    ¡°I swallowed his most secret fears, his deepest secret, his most intense jealousy. I grew stronger, stronger than little Weasley, strong enough to control him, to aplish what I had always wanted to do, and it was all in ¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°Stop your tricks, Tom! It isn¡¯t going to work, when Ron wakes up I will kick his but until he figures out that we have always treated him like our best friend.¡±

    ¡°Fucking Mud blood! I knew you were a problem, I wanted to kill you the moment you took out that fifty-year-old newspaper clipping,¡± said Tom as he turned his head to look at Ivan in disgust.

    ¡°So is that why you, attacked me with a corrosive curse at dueling club.¡±

    ¡°Ron¡¯s broken wand weakened my magic but it was a mistake of mine, you were more cunning than I thought and I should not have exposed myself so early if Dumbledor had noticed that it was me that put Ron under the imperious curse I would have.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you tried to make him use the killing curse on me?¡±

    ¡°No, without me controlling his body he couldn¡¯t pull it off so it was just a simple green light.¡± said Riddle proudly, ¡°The imperious curse was just to throw off Dumbledore but he was still suspicious. Ron didn¡¯t disappoint me though, he was cowardly and concealed the diary from everyone. He was afraid that people would figure out that he was a person that helped in the attacks.¡±

    Upon hearing Riddle¡¯s words, Ivan held his wand tightly and Harry clenched his fists tightly.

    ¡°But since that moment, Ron didn¡¯t trust me anymore,¡± said Riddle, ¡°He finally got suspicious and tried to throw away the diary. Harry how I hoped that you would pick it up, as I said I desperately wanted to see you!

    ¡°Why did you want to see me?¡± asked Harry angrily

    ¡°Oh, Harry, Ron told me everything about you,¡± Said Riddle, ¡°you are breathtaking, your enchanting past.¡±

    His gaze turned to the lightning-shaped scar on Harry¡¯s forehead, his face began to look like a starved beast.

    ¡°I must know more about you, talk to you, and see you in person if possible.¡± Riddle once again turned his eyes to Ivan and said in disgust, ¡°But I didn¡¯t think it would be a filthy mud-blood to pick up my diary. I tried to control you like I controlled Ron, I tried to gain your trust, I even wanted to tell you about the chamber of secrets opening fifty years ago but¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I saw through you,¡± said Ivan with a face full of disdain.

    ¡°You are indeed a crafty mud blood, a nuisance, as I initially thought.¡±

    Riddle¡¯s voice soon returned to being calm, ¡°I felt you were on guard against me, but you had a powerful lust for magical knowledge so I changed my ns, I decided to slowly lure you in with the promise of power.¡±

    ¡°You failed once again, Tom!¡± said Ivan as he began to umte magic.

    ¡°Obviously, but can you tell me why?¡± asked Riddle eagerly.

    ¡°A girl once told me Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure.¡± said Ivan as Luna figure came to mind, ¡°The most important thing is to believe in friendship, believe in family, believe in love, believe in all things good! Tom, you can never do this, besides your own strength, you do not believe in anything so you are doomed to fail.¡±

    ¡°Love?! It¡¯s ridiculous that you think these things are more reliable than power, typical mindset of the weak. Well, let¡¯s get back to business, I have a lot of question to ask you, Harry Potter!¡±

 Chapter 56 Ivan and Harry vs Tom Riddle

    <h4>Chapter 56 Ivan and Harry vs Tom Riddle</h4>

    ¡°What are your questions?¡± Harry snapped, his fists were still tightly clenched.

    ¡°There are many, for example¡­..¡±

    Ther was a wry smile on Riddle¡¯s face, ¡°How does a baby, without any powerful magic, defeat the greatest wizard of all time? How could you escape unharmed, leaving only a scar and kill Voldemort?¡±

    HIs eyes were like a starving wolf with a strange red glow.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny that you were defeated by Harry but you don¡¯t know how you failed. Voldemort, is this you so called powerful magic?¡± smiled Ivan

    Ivan was looking for the diary.

    Now Riddle is just a memory without a physical form, he is absorbing Ron¡¯s vitality and forming a body, attacking him would not get anywhere.

    Only if we find the Horcrux can we solve everything?

    ¡°I underestimated you again, Mud blood! It seems that you already know who I am, I am Voldemort, he is my past, present, and future.¡±

    He took Ron¡¯s broken wand and wrote in the air: Tom Marvolo Riddle

    ¡°Voldemort is my own new name!¡± whispered Tom, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to use my filthy Muggle father¡¯s name my entire life? In my veins flows the blood of Szar Slytherin, I won¡¯t keep that repulsive muggle name. He abandoned me before I was born because his wife was a witch!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible! I¡¯m going to give myself a new name, which means freshman! I know that one day when I be the greatest magician in the world, wizards everywhere will be afraid to say my name!¡±

    Although Harry already knew Tom was Voldemort, Harry still froze when he saw the name written in the air.

    He looked at Riddle, the man, who had killed his parents and so many others.

    ¡°No, you are not.¡± Harry forced himself to speak, his quiet voice was full of hate.

    ¡°Not what?¡± asked Tom sternly.

    ¡°Not the greatest wizard in the world!¡± Said, Harry, while being a little short of breath, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you but the greatest wizard is Albus Dumbledore. Everybody says that even when you were strong, you didn¡¯t dare step foot in Hogwarts. You feared Dumbledore then and you still fear him now.¡±

    The smile on Riddle¡¯s face vanished, and he put on a very ugly expression.

    ¡°From the first time we meet to the end, Dumbledore never believed me, when I first saw him in the orphanage, I knew. But it doesn¡¯t matter, I know spells that he never imagined, I am the most powerful. Now tell me, Harry Potter, how long do you think your words can keep you and that mud blood next to you alive.¡±

    ¡°Why did you fail once youid hands on me? I don¡¯t know myself,¡± said Harry stiffly, ¡°But I can see why you didn¡¯t kill me, as Ivan said, because my mother died trying t save me, she stopped you with her love for me!¡±

    Harry was shaking with anger, ¡° She stopped you from killing me, I saw the real you, I saw youst year. All that is left of you is a husk, it¡¯s the end of the line, you are evil, you are ugly, and you are disgusting!¡±

    Riddle turned and looked at the statue of Slytherin, his grinning face was more visible.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s see can you and that mud blood escape from the greatest dark wizard of all time.¡±

    Tom spoke in Parseltongue, the huge stone statue¡¯s mouth opened and formed a giant dark hole.

    Ivan looked at the face of the statue of Slytherin which was barely visible. He then saw the diary that he was looking for above the statue.

    The basilisk slowly slithered out of the statue, its body was full of scars, Snapes attacks, and the rooster¡¯s crow has made it unusually tired and weak.

    But for two young wizards, the basilisk is still deadly even in its weakened state.

    ¡°Kill them!¡± cried Tom frantically.

    The basilisk slithered towards them, Ivan wand produced a pink light, it was the Conjunctivitis Curse but it was neutralized by a spell from Riddle.

    ¡°Are you stupid, do you think I would let you do the same thing twice.¡± Riddle screamed, ¡°Now mud blood smell the sweet embrace of death¡­¡­¡±

    Before his words finished, music filled the chamber of secrets.

    It was eerie, spine-tingling, unearthly.

    Ivan saw a crimson bird descend suddenly, it was the size of a crane, ying its entric music. It had a glittering tail which was as big as a peacock¡¯s, a pair of glittering ws, and a parcel on his talon.

    ¡°It¡¯s Fawkes, Dumbledore¡¯s Phoenix!¡±

    He flew over and threw a tattered hat to the two men¡¯s feet, Ivan saw that it was the school¡¯s sorting hat.

    ¡°That¡¯s hrious!¡±

    Riddle suddenly burst outughing, he smiled, and trembled, it was as if there were ten of themughing at the same time, ¡°This is what Dumbledore sends his defender, a singing bird, and a tattered hat! Do you feel brave, Harry Potter? Do you feel safe now?¡±

    As Tom¡¯s voice fell, he saw Fawkes fly towards the basilisk and circle its head.

    The basilisk tried to attack the Phoenix with its fangs.

    But it was no use, Fawkes swooped down, and plunged its long golden beak into the head of the basilisk. Fawkes sang a strange song, from time to time it pecked the basilisk, ck blood soon gushed out, the Phoneix had pecked it blind.

    ¡°No, kill the boys! Leave the bird alone, the boys are behind you!¡± screamed Riddle loudly.

    ¡°Harry, believe in yourself, Ivan shoved the sorting hat into Harry¡¯s hand, he then turned towards the statue of Slytherin and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll get the diary, you have to destroy it.¡±

    Harry nkly stared at the tattered hat, he then felt something hard in the hat, he looked down and saw a glittering silver sword, the hilt was studded with dazzling rubies the size of eggs.

    Harry pulled it out, the rubies faintly glowed.

    The proof of courage, the sword of Gryffindor!

 Chapter 57 Hogwarts a Thousand Years Ago

    <h4>Chapter 57 Hogwarts a Thousand Years Ago</h4>

    While the Phoenix was fighting the basilisk, Ivan ran to the statue. Tom seemed to realize what he was going for so Tom cast a few spells towards Ivan, the few spells that Tom cast barely missed him.

    ¡°Kill the mud blood, don¡¯t let him get near the statue, he is on your right,¡± shouted Tom.

    The basilisk ignored the Phoenix and pounced towards Ivan.

    Ivan looked back and saw two gigantic, bloody eyes,e closer and closer.

    Just as he thought he was going to be swallowed by a basilisk, Harry appeared between him and the basilisk, he threw his wand to the ground, gripped the sword in his hands tightly, his face was pale but it also showed he had the courage to face the basilisk.

    The basilisk didn¡¯t notice Harry, and Riddle wanted to tell him but he was a moment toote.

    Harry mercilessly stabbed the basilisk, leaving a deep wound where you could see bone, it was more damaging than all the previous spellsbined.

    The basilisk jumped back, a loud hissing sound filled the chamber, it twisted its body wildly, and it coiled around the pirs causing the whole chamber to shake.

    Harry was flung and hit a wall causing him to lose conciseness.

    The basilisk pounced towards Harry, it then went for the kill.

    Fortunately, Fawkes flew up and stopped the basilisk and continued its assault on the basilisk.

    Ivan didn¡¯t have time to focus on the fighting, he quickly climbed up the statue while struggling to escape the spells that Tom cast.

    These spells were powerful, each spell that Tom cast caused stone to fly everywhere, the statue of Slytherin statue has be unrecognizable. But him casting and controlling the spells with a broken wand takes a lot of energy.

    ¡°Damn it, damn it!¡± Riddle threw Ron¡¯s wand down.

    Ivan saw him go to where Harry had thrown down his wand and pick it up.

    Ivan climbed faster, he was so close to the diary, but Tom then cast a green colored spell, it was a lot thicker than before, ¡®Run!¡¯ thought Ivan as he gritted his teeth and jumped up and grabbed the diary, he then threw his self towards Harry.

    In the very next second, the green light struck him.

    ¡°Ivan!¡±

    An excruciating pain spread throughout his entire body, Ivan heard Harry shout his name, he wanted to respond but he could feel his life fading, he only had a little strength left.

    He fell down into the opened mouth of the Slytherin statue.

    It was a dark, bottomless cavern, it devoured Ivan mercilessly.

    With the little light that was left, Ivan saw the object that looked like a pocket watch fly out from his pocket, the pointer turned counterclockwise and whirled.

    Ivan didn¡¯t know how many times it had spun, when thest glimmer of light disappeared, the luster in Ivan¡¯s eyes soon followed.

    He didn¡¯t know how much time had past, Ivan gently opened his eyes.

    ¡®Is this the feeling of death,¡¯ The chamber of secrets had not only be dark but it also became gradually clear.

    ¡®No, this isn¡¯t the chamber of secrets!¡¯

    Although the room was simr in size to the Chamber of secrets, itcked the dreaded snake carvings on the pirs and the statue of Slytherin was nonexistent.

    It was very messy, it looked like an erged version of Snape¡¯s office, there were a variety of herbs and magical potions, which were filled with colorful liquids and stuffed animals, it would make anyone feel happy.

    ¡°Who are you to enter my room without permission?¡±

    Ivan saw a young man with ck hair wearing dark green retro style wizard robes, he was unusually handsome and looked like a noble. The young wizard eyed Ivan with suspicion and wonder, he then pulled out a silver wand.

    ¡°Hello my name is Ivan Masson, where is this¡­¡­..¡±

    Ivan was puzzled, he was in the Chamber of secrets, fighting Voldemort and the basilisk but now he was lying in a room with a wizard that he had never seen before.

    Ivan is positive that the other person isn¡¯t a Hogwarts student or professor, no matter who, they always have a certain temperament.

    ¡°It used to be my father¡¯s castle but now it¡¯s a magical school called Hogwarts,¡± said the man slowly, ¡°My name is Szar Slytherin, one of the founders of this school.¡±

    Hearing his words left Ivan speechless.

    Szar Slytherin.

    One of the four founders of Hogwarts, this young man, how can he be over a thousand years old while looking so young.

    ¡°This chamber is my secret chamber so no one should know about it.¡± said Szar while carefully looking at Ivan with his eyes narrowed, and you just said your name is Ivan Masson, I have never heard of a wizarding family called Mason, are you a mud blood?¡±

    Under the icy gaze of the other, Ivan cautiously nodded, he saw the apparent disgust on Slytherin¡¯s face.

    For a moment Ivan felt a sense of danger from the other.

    He was able to sense that this young man was powerful, he wasn¡¯t much different from Dumbledore or Voldemort. Ivan noticed that the room was decorated in a rugged medieval style.

    This can¡¯t be Hogwarts a thousnad years ago, this unusually handsome young man can¡¯t be Szar Slytherin himself.

    Ivan felt his brain fry, he suddenly thought of the magical item that looked like a pocket watch, he touched his chest and it was still there.

    ¡°Sir, I am a student at Hogwarts, I am from Gryffindor,¡± said Ivan before Slytherin made him disappear.

    ¡°Godrick¡¯s student?¡± Szar looked at Ivan, ¡°You¡¯re lying, I¡¯ve never seen you!¡±

    ¡°I, I did not lie to you, you haven¡¯t seen me before because I came from Hogwarts a thousand years in the future. I don¡¯t know whats going on myself but I may have been brought here by this thing,¡± said Ivan while showing the item that looked like a pocket watch.

    ¡°A time turner, that¡¯s fascinating!¡± said Szar as he carefully looked at the pocket watch, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a typical time turner, there is strange magic on it, this has a very sophisticated design, it looks a bit like Rowena¡¯s work.¡±

    Seeing Slytherin¡¯s expression, Ivan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the other side finally believed him. Otherwise, he would have met a miserable fate, after a thousand years, Szar was still feared, who knows how Szar would have disposed of him.

    ¡°Come with me, I will take you to see Godrick and Rowena.¡± said Szar with a glimmer in his eyes and a sneer on his face, ¡°If I learn that you lied to me, you will regret doing so.¡±

 Chapter 58 The Founderâ€™s Dispute

    <h4>Chapter 58 The Founder¡¯s Dispute</h4>

    Szar Slytherin grabbed Ivan¡¯s shoulder, though there was thick clothing separating them Ivan still felt cold, the others hands were as cold as ice. In a moment they apparated.

    Ivan felt a strong stretching force, it was as if he was being pulled through a hole as small as a pea. He was stretched in all directions, his chest felt like a thousand pounds was on it.

    His eyeballs were stretched into the back of his head, his eardrums were pressed deep into his skull.

    Ivan was spinning, it was dark, he couldn¡¯t breathe, and it was like every part of his body was being stretched to its limit. Just as he thought he was going to suffocate they arrived in a room, he breathed in the fresh air.

    This should be the headmaster¡¯s office, the decorations were very elegant, thick draperies hung by two sets of silver armor, exquisite murals were painted on the walls, the floor had a decorative pattern carved into it, in the center of the room was four tables.

    ¡°Szar, I¡¯m d to see you, I thought you would be shut in the basement for a week so you could brew your new potion.¡± said a young woman with short brown hair.

    She seemed to be full of vigor, she was surrounded by papers and a glittering gold cup in front of her, the ss contained a bluish ck drink.

    ¡°I was but this mud blood appeared, Helga!¡±

    Salzar grunted while pushing Ivan forward, ¡°Keep an eye on him while I go find Godrick and Rowena.¡±

    Szar soon disappeared, only Ivan and Helga was left.

    Ivan seemed overly formal while Helga was looking at him.

    ¡°Take it easy, kid!¡± said Helga as she smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you, Szar may seem fierce on the outside but he is a good person at heart, he is just bad at expressing himself.¡±

    She snapped her fingers and a house elf soon appeared in the room.

    ¡°Toto, give this gentleman some of my homemade snacks.¡± whispered Helga, she then turned her head and looked at Ivan, ¡°Right, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Helga Hufflepuff, What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Ivan Mason.¡± Ivan tasted the cake the House-elf brought over, he didn¡¯t know what it was but it tasted sweet.

    ¡°A muggle-born wizard, that a rarity. You know Muggles have a deep prejudice against wizards, they seem more interested in tying us to a stake and burning us.¡± said Helga, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a young muggle-born wizard for many years, Ivan can you tell me who your teacher is?¡±

    ¡°In fact, I am also a student at Hogwarts¡­.¡± Ivan quickly summarized what had happened.

    ¡°So you came from Hogwarts a thousand years in the future?¡± said Helga, the expression on her face was a shocked one, Ivan gave her the time turner and she studied it for a while before sitting it on the table, ¡°I¡¯m not proficient in time magic, this is more of Rowena¡¯s field but it looks like it can take you back to a period where you didn¡¯t exist, the power of this time turner must be immense.¡±

    It can be seen that Hufflepuff is interested in the Hogwarts that he came from.

    She asked Ivan quite a few question about her house and from the look on her face, she seemed to be very satisfied with its performance.

    ¡°The sorting hat is doing well, it is sorting people into my house with simr philosophies,¡± said Helga, ¡°The other three are all the same, they ignore the innate qualities, they don¡¯t nurture those qualities so the young wizards can¡¯t grow in the right way which is a very dangerous thing,¡±

    ¡°I think aptitude is the wisest choice!¡± said a hoarse, ethereal female voice.

    Her voice had just fallen and three figures appeared before Ivan.

    Standing on the left side was Slytherin and next to him was Rowena Ravenw, she had a slender figure, with waist long hair and pale blue eyes full of wisdom, wearing a crown with a glittering gem, which made her seem mysterious.

    On the right was Godrick Gryffindor, he was tall, handsome, his hair was fiery red, with a thin scar on his left eye which made him look a bit rugged.

    Rowena apparently heard what Helga said just now, Rowena continued with a hoarse voice, ¡°You are too kind we have to be cautious when we select a young wizard to teach, we have to carefully choose the student.¡±

    She then noticed the time turner on the table, she looked interested when she looked down.

    But the topic is still going.

    ¡°Look at what Hogwarts has fallen to after a millennium, they let mud bloods into the school,¡± said Szar while scornfully ncing at Ivan.

    ¡°Choose your words wisely, Szar, this child is from my house.¡± said Godrick, ¡°Face reality, many muggle-born children have excellent magical talent and their heart is good. In contrast, those who inherit their pureblood status for a long time often turn to dark wizards, they bully muggles and kill muggles for joy. If this situation continues, the wizarding world will struggle to survive.¡±

    ¡°I have told you countless times, Godrick!¡± Szar slowly said, ¡°I am writing a letter to the Ministry of magic to set up a prison to imprison the dark wizards! But we must maintain, the purity of the wizarding bloodlines, those muggles aren¡¯t reliable, they just want to burn us at the stake and you still want to ept such people as students.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they don¡¯t have the knowledge that wizards have so the wizarding world creates fear. We need to guide the young wizards that have magical gifts so we can give them the right ideals.¡±

    ¡°That is an idiotic idea, you want to help them destroy us,¡± Said Szar in a cold voice.

    ¡°You and your stubborn prejudices, the times are different and if you continue to think like this Hogwarts will sooner orter be the school to cultivate dark wizards.¡± Godrick put his hand on his sword.

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, the dark wizards will never step into Hogwarts!¡± said Szar as he pulled out his wand, the temperature in the room dropped, ¡°But I will only choose the most pureblood wizards because they are the most trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°Helga and Rowena have decided to enroll Muggle-born students this year,¡± said Godrick, ¡°We have made a magical object that can pinpoint all children who are eleven years of age and have magical abilities,¡±

    ¡°To enroll Muggle students in the school without my consent, do you dare to do so?¡± Szar looked shocked and snapped, ¡°This is my father¡¯s castle!¡±

    ¡°This is also the Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry,¡± shouted Godrick loudly, ¡°Go back to your basement with your stubbornness and prejudice.¡±

    Godrick then drew his sword.

    ¡°Do you want it to be a real man¡¯s duel to determine the future of Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°That is my intention, let me see¡­..¡±

    ¡°Enough, you two!¡± , Helga stopped the both of them, ¡°You discuss these things in front of a guest, that is very impolite. Especially since our little guest came from the future, perhaps you should listen to what he has to say about Hogwarts after a thousand years.¡±

    After Rowena finished talking, the room calmed, Gryffindor and Slytherin turned their heads and looked at Ivan.

    Ravenw who has been looking at the time turner also raised her head and stared silently at him.

 Chapter 59 The Founders Secret Treasures

    <h4>Chapter 59 The Founders Secret Treasures</h4>

    Under the watchful eye of the four, Ivan told them everything he knew.

    They were very interested in the status of Hogwarts, the students, school curriculum, and etc. Gryffindor, Ravenw, and Hufflepuff frequently interrupted Ivan to ask questions.

    Only Slytherin didn¡¯t say a word, he quietly listens to Ivan, his face became darker.

    It was obvious that he was amazed that wizards and muggles were at peace. But the most difficult thing for him to ept is that more and more pureblood families began to marry muggles, purebloods seemed to be a joke, not an honor of supremacy.

    It wasn¡¯t until Ivan said something about Slytherins¡¯s family that he stood up.

    ¡°Enough, mud blood, you say my descendant will be a dark wizard, you are insulting the great Slytherin family.¡±

    Ivan felt a strong sense of oppressioning from Szar, it was crushing him to the point where he could barely breath but the feeling of oppression quickly faded, Gryffindor stood up.

    ¡°Ivan is not insulting the Slytherin family he is just stating the facts, obviously your descendant, the dark wizard called Voldemort has a few ideas that resemble yours and I have already told you your mindset is dangerous,¡± said Godrick.

    ¡°Blood, strength, and power, Szar this is what you and purebloods want, in your opinion, it isn¡¯t wrong to do whatever it takes to get there but you should be more principled sometimes,¡± said Helga.

    ¡°To indulge in excessive power will blind a person! Only the brightest can avoid such a fate,¡± said Rowena softly, ¡°Wizards should control magic, magic shouldn¡¯t control the wizard.¡±

    After the three finished, Slytherin didn¡¯t retort, he sat down, his face was pale, you couldn¡¯t see the slightest color.

    Gryffindor motioned for Ivan to go on, Ivan decided to leave out that Slytherin left the school after a dispute with the other three. By the look on Slytherin¡¯s face, it was likely he would try to kill Ivan if he said anything like that.

    He hesitated for a while before he told the story about the chamber.

    ¡°God, Szar, you built a secret room inside the school and left a basilisk in it? I would have never imagined you would do something like that,¡± said Godrick.

    ¡°Well it is my castle, I have the right to make the necessary modifications to it and give my descendants something to help them. And don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know about the secret rooms you all built.¡±

    ¡°Ok, but I¡¯d never thought you would leave a basilisk¡­.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point, gentlemen! The point is the diary that Ivan mentioned if I¡¯m not mistaken, it is most likely a Horcrux,¡± said Rowena softly.

    ¡°Horcrux?¡±

    The other three seemed stunned for a moment, and after a while, Godrick murmured, ¡°You mean that vile spell that Herpo the Foul made,¡±

    Ravenw nodded lightly, the room became silent, no one made as much as a murmur.

    ¡°What crazy idiot would actually split his soul? Unless you want to turn yourself into a monster, I see no other use.¡±

    ¡°You can live forever, but when you divide your soul, you will be trapped forever in an illusion, you can neither die nor can you be a ghost.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of ideals anymore!¡± Godrick stood up, ¡°Salzar, the Horcrux needs to be destroyed, this evil goes against thews of nature, will you let your offspring gradually go crazy, and ultimately destroy everything he touches, including Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°If you say that, then I will personally deal with him, the honor of the Slytherin family can¡¯t be tainted?¡± said Szar, ¡°But my opinions stays the same, the mud bloods of the future still make me ufortable.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, you may choose what you leave your heirs but we must also leave something for the future of Hogwarts, I don¡¯t want the school to be destroyed by a man like that,¡± said Godrick while pacing back and forth.

    ¡°Your secret room, Szar!¡± whispered Rowena, ¡° we can build a real chamber of secrets and leave something inside. A true heir will only be able to open it at the most critical moment when Hogwarts is endangered.¡±

    ¡°This idea is genius we can leave a few test and secrets treasures to ensure the future of Hogwarts. We can use our own personal philosophy and ensure the destruction of the dark wizards.¡± said Godrick excitedly, ¡°I agree with Rowena¡¯s proposal, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I have no opinion!¡± said Helga while smiling and nodding.

    ¡°Whatever you want but I¡¯ll do it my way,¡± said Szar with a gloomy hum.

    Ivan looked at the four excited people, the Hogwarts founders left secrets treasures, ¡®What is this a treasure hunt?¡¯ thought Ivan.

    ¡°In that case let¡¯s take a look at the secret room first.¡± said Rowena, she then turned towards Ivan, ¡°As for you, I just finished looking at the time turner, it was started in the wrong way so it took you to a time you didn¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Then what should I do now, can I go back?¡± asked Ivan, worried.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, but we do have to hurry when the magic runs out you will be sent back to your previous time.¡± said Rowena, ¡°Before that you have to go back where you were before so there won¡¯t be any surprises.¡±

    When they heard her words, Gryffindor thought about visiting Ivan and Hufflepuff regretted that Ivan could not have tasted the food she had made. The five of them went directly to the chamber with Slytherin¡¯s key.

    The Chamber of Secrets, Gryffindor, Ravenw, and Hufflepuff looked around in satisfaction, it was indeed the best ce to store treasure.

    ¡°Here, mud blood, you fell from this ce.¡±

    Slytherin led Ivan to the ce that he was at on the statue, Ivan then felt time warp around him.

    ¡°Intelligence is man¡¯s greatest treasure!¡± said Rowena with a peculiar Huskey, ethereal voice, ¡°Goodbye, Ivan Masson, in the future when Hogwarts faces its most perilous moment, I hope you can pass the tests and find the treasures we left behind.¡±

    ¡°Ivan!¡± said Helga cheerfully, ¡°I¡¯ll leave my recipes here so if you find them, they¡¯ll be yours.¡±

    ¡°Listen, boy!¡± said Godrick loudly while clenching his fists, ¡°I¡¯ll leave a few powerful Gryffindor exclusive weapons so kick that dark wizards ass. Don¡¯t let me down if you fail I will beat you up.¡±

    Szar had not spoken, he looked very unhappy, he stared at Ivan¡¯s face but right before Ivan disappeared he stepped forward and put something into Ivan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°This potion is, I¡¯m sorry my descendant hurt your gift.¡±

    Before Ivan could reply he was sent spinning, he was back to the spot he originally was.

    He was lying in the statue of Slytherin, it was like everything that had just happened was a dream.

 Chapter 60 The Keys

    <h4>Chapter 60 The Keys</h4>

    Ivan struggled to sit up, his body ached all over.

    He should be inside the Slytherin¡¯s statues mouth now, he was in arge space, just above him was a hole where the basiliskes in and out.

    ¡°Strange, very strange, I went back a thousand years, was it a dream?¡± Ivan shook his head and gripped his wand.

    While he gripped his wand, he turned his attention to something in his hand.

    ¡°Lumos¡± whispered Ivan, with the faint light from his wand he saw that it is a small potion with a darkish gold color.

    ¡°This¡­¡­.is Szar¡¯s potion.¡±

    Ivan paused for a moment, he was now certain that what had transpired was not a dream but reality, he used the time turner to go back a thousand years and meet the founders.

    As Hufflepuff said, Slytherins wasn¡¯t as mean as he looked, and at the end of the day, Szar gave him a potion which is unbelievable!

    Ivan then remembered a potion that was introduced in a magic book, the potion that he held matched its description, the recipe has been lost for ages.

    He carefully put the potion in his pocket, if others knew he had it they will most likely try to take it for themselves, even the Ministry of Magic might take it from him.

    He was prepared to take the potion when no was around, then Ivan thought of something when he was about to leave, the school¡¯s founders said they were going to leave a few secret treasure in the Chamber of Secrets to help him protect Hogwarts from Voldemort.

    If he is right the treasures should be somewhere in this statue.

    He hurriedly looked around.

    As their of the Basilisk, the inner part of the statue wasrger than the outside, it was filled with bodes of small animals.

    After searching a little he found a hidden door.

    He opened the dark door, dust flew everywhere.

    When the dust settled, Ivan was standing in the doorway of a round room.

    The room was exactly the same as the room he had visited a thousand years ago, it was beautifully decorated, it contained statues of the four founders in the four corners.

    Unlike the old Slytherin statue outside, the four statues here where the four giants of the Age: Power hungry Szar Slytherin, Benevolent Helga Hufflepuff, Fair Rowena Ravenw, and Bold Godrick Gryffindor.

    They looked exactly the same as the people he had just met.

    In front of the four stone statues where four stone alters with rounded grooves.

    This should be the real chamber of secrets of the founders with the secret treasures they left behind but I must pass the tests first.

    Ivan took a step forward and saw different words on the walls.

    It was like a gigantic sorting hat, on Gryffindor¡¯s wall in golden paint was: Bold Gryffindor from wild moor he gives the most courageous people the highest reward, the key to open the treasure is the courage buried in one¡¯s heart, you need your proud follower¡¯s recognition.

    Hufflepuff was written in ck: The benevolent Hufflepuffes from valley broad. She treats everyone equally, everyone has a chance to get her treasure. The key to open the treasure is integrity and loyalty, all you need is to trust in your most humble friend.

    Ravenw was written in blue paint: Fair Ravenw, from glen. The brightest of minds deserves a reward. The key to unlocking my treasure is an extraordinary intellect which you will inherit forever from your equally intelligent alley!

    Thest one was Slytherin¡¯s wall, it was written in silver: Power hungry Slytherin, from fen. He only believed in the most pureblood wizards, mud bloods can¡¯t get anything from me. The key to unlocking this treasure is a mighty power, it is kept in the depths of the earth by his cunning servant.

    Ivan finally finished reading, he didn¡¯t see any more words, these four guys had really bad taste, the whole room seemed to be a riddle.

    He couldn¡¯t understand these hints.

    Ivan didn¡¯t have the slightest clue where the keys to the secret treasures were , who are the followers, friends, allies, and servants mentioned above?

    He had to remember all these words, he had to find clues when he gets out of the chamber.

    By the time Ivan remember everything he heard a terrible scream from outside the statue.

    He finally remembered about Tom and the basilisk, he hurried out of the room.

    Just as he came out of Slytherin¡¯s mouth, Ivan heard Harry shout his name, he hurriedly responded, Fawkes flew down to carry him away.

    Harry seemed to be sessful in settling everything.

    The scream must have been Tom, in the middle of the chamber was the basilisk lifeless body, it was pierced by the sword of Gryffindor. Beside it was Tom¡¯s diary, which was prated by the fangs of the basilisk, the venom had burnt a hole in the diary.

    ¡°Ivan we won, I defeated Tom, I destroyed the diary-like you told me to!¡± said Harry when he saw Fawkes bring Ivan down, Harry hurriedly asked with a concerned look, ¡°How are you, are you okay? I saw you get hit by Tom¡¯s spell.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right, it¡¯s a long story, I¡¯ll tell youter.¡±

    Ivan shook his head, he saw Ron, who was still beneath the statue, he hurriedly said, ¡° Let¡¯s check on Ron¡¯s condition.¡±

    By the time Ivan and Harry made it to Ron he was already upright.

    He had a vacant gaze when he saw the basilisk corpse, he fell on the bloodstained robes of Harry and the equally tattered robe of Ivan¡¯s, when he saw the diary at his feet.

    He shivered and gasped, tears streamed out.

    ¡°Ivan, Harry, it was all me, I shouldn¡¯t have believed in Tom, I wanted to tell everyone, but I was afraid. Riddle said if I do it you would never think of me as a friend again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you are a real jerk. If I wasn¡¯t dead tired now, I would beat you up Ron!¡± said Ivan angrily, ¡°you believed in Voldemort, not in your friends.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, I should be expelled!¡± said Ron, ¡°After the first attack, I felt abnormal, I was naive enough to think everything would be fine if I got rid of the diary but everything just kept getting worse and worse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over now Ron,¡± Harryforted him and said, ¡°We all believe in you, you where just under Riddle¡¯s control, you didn¡¯t do it with your own free will.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I forgive you since you saved Ginny in themon Ron,¡± said Ivan, he dragged Ron to his feet, ¡°But in the future, tell us the first time and don¡¯t try to solve it yourself.¡±

 Chapter 61 Lockhartâ€™s Final Day

    <h4>Chapter 61 Lockhart¡¯s Final Day</h4>

    Fawkes kept circling the entrance of the chamber of secrets it was waiting for them.

    Before they could leave Hermione and Lockhart stumbled in, Lockhart looked terrified, he was trembling, Hermione was pointing her wand at his back.

    ¡°Miss Granger, we may already be toote, we cannot save your friends, I am sorry, you know me and Mr. Mason¡­.¡±

    Before Lockhart¡¯s words finished, they saw the huge basilisk¡¯s body, Lockhart¡¯s knees gave, he copsed to the ground and with a panicked scream he shouted, ¡°Snake, snake, big snake!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, are you alright?¡±

    Hermione then saw Ivan, Harry, and Ron, they were standing by the corpse of the basilisk, she ran up with flushed eyes and hugged everyone.

    ¡°We¡¯re all right, but if you keep holding me so tightly I won¡¯t be sure!¡± Ivan was weak, he felt that their hug felt longer than the other two people, ¡°By the way, how did you get in here, with Lockhart?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­..¡± said Hermione, she then lightly blushes as she ended their embrace.

    Having heard her exnation, Ivan now knew after they were taken away by the basilisk, Professor McGonagall and the other teachers hurried to themon room where the incident transpired, they intended to go to Dumbledore but the headmaster was entangled with the minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and Lucius Malfoy.

    When the chamber was opened fifty years ago the first victim was Moaning Myrtle, with that information she spected the entrance was in the girl¡¯s bathroom on the third floor, she then decided to ask professor Lockhart for help.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect him toe down with me to save you, he even tried to escape when he heard the basilisk was attacking the students.¡±

    ¡°So I forced him toe with my wand, I couldn¡¯t find anyone else to help, I didn¡¯t want to dy it, I feared if I did you guy would¡­¡­¡± said Hermione while looking down at Lockhart, who had copsed on the floor.

    Ivan hurriedly held Hermione in his arms and patted her head, she looked frightened.

    ¡°But why was he trying to run away? I mean he is the defense against the dark arts teacher, he wrote so many amazing books,¡± said Harry in disbelief.

    ¡°This is how do you say¡­¡­ When I took this position, there were not any requirements¡­..I didn¡¯t think¡­..¡± The four people turned and stared at him, Lockhart mumbled, ¡°Books can be deceptive.¡±

    ¡°You lied?¡± Hermione looked up in astonishment, ¡°Did you write those books?¡±

    ¡°My dear Miss Granger!¡± Lockhart moved to the side, ¡°Think about it for a moment, if you don¡¯t let people think it was all my doing, it will be bad for sells.¡±

    ¡°Readers won¡¯t be willing to read the stories if they knew it was an ugly old American wizard who saved a vige from the scourge of a werewolf. Put my picture on the cover, it¡¯s not hard to fool people. And the witch who banished the banden banshee, she had a hairy chin. I mean, think about it¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°So you took credit for all the thing that other people have aplished?¡± Said Hermione

    ¡°It is not as simple as it sounds!¡±

    Lockhart shook his head impatiently and moved a few meters to the side, ¡°I do a lot of work, I have to find these people and ask them how they aplished these feats. And then I erase their memories with a charm so they forget it.¡±

    ¡°Memory Charm?¡± Ivan was secretly wary, he had almost forgotten that this guy was a master of Memory Charms.

    ¡°Yes, if I have anything to be proud of it is memory charms. You know I have to work hard, I have to sign books and pictures. If you want to be famous, you must be prepared to work hard for a long time.¡±

    It seemed Lockhart grabbed something from the floor, he then stood up panting, he had Ron¡¯s wand in his hand, he showed a peculiar smile revealing his bright teeth.

    ¡°Well, children, it¡¯s over!¡± said Lockhart, ¡°I will bring the corpse of this serpent back to school and tell them you lost your minds in grief!¡±

    ¡°Professor, how can you do this!¡±

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione where astonished, Ivan was going to knock him down with a Stunning spell but when he noticed he had Ron¡¯s broken wand in his hand, he gave up.

    Ivan could feel Hermione tremble in his arms, he patted her on her shoulders and motioned her to rx.

    Lockhart isn¡¯t anywhere near as talented as Tom, he won¡¯t be able to cast a spell properly with a broken wand.

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid enough to let you expose me so say farewell to your memories, children!¡±

    Lockhart lifted the broken wand high above his head and shouted, ¡°Obliviate.¡±

    Boom! The wand exploded, it was at least the strength of a small bomb.

    Lockhart was struck by his own magic and went flying, hended on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets.

    Seeing the effect, Ivan knew it was very powerful.

    ¡°God is he all right?¡±

    ¡°He was struck by his own memory charm, he shouldn¡¯t remember who he is anymore. It may not be a bad thing for him, or Professor Lockhart will go crazy when we expose him,¡± whispered Ivan.

    ¡°Professor?! Who are you talking about?¡± Lockhart looked up at them kindly, ¡°This ce is so strange, do you live here?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Harry shook his head.

    ¡°Well, let us get out of here, we have been here all night, and we all need a good rest. Besides Professor Dumbledore is still waiting for us, don¡¯t let him worry too much.¡±

    He had a headache when he thought of Dumbledore¡¯s questioning.

    Who knows what the greatest wizard of the modern age will think, though he doesn¡¯t mind helping Harry with Voldemort, it isn¡¯t good to be manipted by others.

    After they defeated the basilisk and Tom, there was little to do.

    First, he must be careful of Dumbledore, he doesn¡¯t want to be controlled like Harry but this doesn¡¯t concern him too much.

    Second, the four founders left some secret treasures.

    ¡®I don¡¯t know what they are but from what the four founders said, it must be something that can greatly help against their fight with Voldemort and save Hogwarts. But the question is where are the four keys hidden?¡¯ thought Ivan.

    Now that Lockhart has lost his memory, he will be exposed, he will be ruined.

    This isn¡¯t good news for the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper, Ivan now had to find something new to lure people in.

    Ivan saw Ron standing there with a perplexed face, Harry stood beside him. Hermione was wondering what to say she wanted to ask them about Tom. But Ivan hurriedly stopped Hermione, ¡°Leave Ron alone for a while, it can wait until tomorrow.¡±

    Ivan believed that after this, Ron and Hermione will learn to take what is written in books with a grain of salt.

 Chapter 62 Headmasterâ€™s Lively Office

    <h4>Chapter 62 Headmaster¡¯s Lively Office</h4>

    At that time, the atmosphere of Dumbledore¡¯s office had be tense.

    Dumbledore sat silently behind his desk, no one could figure out what he was thinking. Not far behind him stood a pale, frightened Professor McGonagall and a gloomy bandaged Snape.

    In front of the desk was a man who looked very strange.

    The man was short and stout with an anxious look on his face, his clothes were strange: A fine striped suit, a bright red tie, a long ck cloak, and purple pointy boots. He was the minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.

    Sitting across from him, in an ufortable looking chair, shaking his body, wiping his tears with a big handkerchief, and muttering the names of Ivan, Harry, and Ron was Hagrid.

    Mrs. Weasley was sitting in front of the fire, Mr. Weasley sat by herforting her. They came as soon as they knew Ron had been taken but they didn¡¯t expect the situation to be so bad.

    The only thing that pleased him was Lucius Malfoy, he was sitting in the corner, he wrapped himself tightly in a ck cloak, he looked at the other with a cold, contented smile.

    Beside Lucius was a strange creature wrapped in bandages, it trembled silently, it was the house elf Dobby. Dobby seemed to be saddened by the disappearance of Harry.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Albus!¡± said Cornelius Fudge in a crisp ton, ¡°The situation is very bad, a basilisk broke into the castle attacked, and took three students. Compared to the previous three attacks this is too much, the ministry must take action!¡±

    ¡°Cornelius, I hope you understand there is no point in taking Hagrid away, he is sitting among us now, not in the Chamber of Secrets,¡± said Dumbledore softly.

    ¡°But, Albus!¡± said Fudge unnaturally, ¡°Hagrid¡¯s record is against him, the ministry has to take some kind of action, we must consult the board of governors.¡±

    ¡°Please allow me to but in, Minister!¡± Lucius Malfoy softly coughed, ¡°The board of Governors not only agreed to the ministry¡¯s arrest request but the Governers felt it was also necessary for you to leave. This is an order of Suspension, it is signed by all twelve of the governers. Until next year the students will be left without a headmaster.¡±

    ¡°You are going to get rid of Dumbledore, that is insane!¡± shouted Mr. Weasley as he stood up, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, it must be one of your plots, Malfoy!¡±

    ¡°That is very vile nder, Weasley! It¡¯s hard to imagine a magicalw enforcement official whocks control but with the absurd things you¡¯ve done before.¡± said Lucious as he turned his head and smiled, ¡°Minister, if I were you, I would drive this guy out of the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°Dear Lucius! I don¡¯t think these things¡­..¡± said Cornelius Fudge, ¡°His son was taken into the Chamber, he is just a little agitated. And I don¡¯t think it is the best idea to dismiss Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°This is Hogwarts¡¯ Internal affairs, all twelve governors have voted!¡± winked Lucius in triumph.

    ¡°Malfoy, how many people have you threatened and ckmailed to make them agree!¡± Hagrid fiercely stood up, ¡°You can¡¯t dismiss Dumbledore if you do Hogwarts won¡¯t have a chance to survive.¡±

    ¡°Good heavens, your bad temper will get you into trouble someday Hagrid!¡± said Malfoy with a sneer, ¡° I want to give you a piece of advice don¡¯t shout at the dominators, they don¡¯t like it. Isn¡¯t that so, minister.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, I mean, what we need to do now is to find out the truth as soon as possible.¡± nodded Fudge, ¡°Hagrid, I want you toe with us.¡±

    ¡°So you send innocent people to prison¡­¡±

    ¡°Look at it from my point of view, Minerva! I¡¯m under a lot of pressure, I have to do something,¡± said Fudge nervously, ¡°If we find out it wasn¡¯t Hagrid, he wille back in a snap.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think we will all know the truth soon!¡± Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall and said, ¡°Minerva, will you please go out and greet Mr. Mason, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± everyone was surprised. The children actually came back from inside the chamber!

    Twenty minutes before that, the kids took Lockhart and left the Chamber of secrets.

    While no was paying attention, Ivan pulled out a basilisk fang, the venom makes it an excellent tool for attacking.

    With it, they don¡¯t have to worry about destroying the Horcruxes.

    They then exited the chamber with the basilisk and went back to the tunnel. With Fawkes help, they flew through the water pipes and back to the girl¡¯s bathroom on the third floor.

    Ivan nned to go to the school hospital first but Fawkes went to the entrance of Dumbledores¡¯s office.

    Professor McGonagall was informed that they wereing so she waited there when she saw Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione covered with mud and mucus, especially Ivan and Harry¡¯s robes that had blood on it, her heart skipped a beat and gasped.

    A few secondster, she sent Lockhart to the school hospital and sent the other four to the headmaster¡¯s office.

    The door opened, everyone was silent.

    ¡°Ron!¡± screamed Mrs. Weasley as jumped up and ran towards him, behind her was Mr. Weasley the two of them stretched out their arms and hugged Ron.

    Behind the two of them was Hagrid, who in a sh embraced Ivan, Harry, and Hermione, all three of them were hugged tightly.

    Ivan nced around the room. He had a wry smile, it seemed that the Headmaster¡¯s office was very lively before they came in.

 Chapter 63 Special Award for Services to the School

    <h4>Chapter 63 Special Award for Services to the School</h4>

    ¡°Thank god!¡± said Mrs. Weasley as she walked up to Harry and Ivan, ¡°You saved Ron, you saved him! How did you do it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what we all want to know,¡± said Snape as he stared at them.

    Ivan and Harry looked at each other quietly, Ivan motioned Harry to recount what happened. Harry hesitated for a moment, Harry went to Dumbledore¡¯s desk and put the sorting hat, the silver sword, and Riddle¡¯s diary on it.

    He then began to tell the story to everyone.

    He talked for about a quarter of an hour, everyone listened intently, the room was silent.

    He told them that he had been hearing the basilisk¡¯s voice, and then after investigating, they figured that the monster must be a basilisk, it lurked in the water pipes, wandered around the school and attacked the students.

    He then spoke of the battles, the one in themon room and in the Chamber of Secrets, how he and Ivan were brought to the Chamber of secrets by the Basilisk, how Ivan was struck by Riddle¡¯s spell, how the sorting gave him the sword, and how he used the sword to kill the Basilisk.

    But his voice became hesitant.

    He avoided mentioning Riddle¡¯s diary and Ron¡¯s involvement in the plot.

    When they heard him say Voldemort¡¯s name, the room turned eerily quiet. The Weasley¡¯s, Hagrid, and Fudge shuddered, Snape¡¯s expression was also a little strange and Lucius Malfoy who had been huddled in the corner had an unnatural expression.

    ¡°You mean this is all the one who shall not be named doing? It wasn¡¯t Hagrid that did it fifty years ago, he was caught and framed by that person, we even gave a reward for his contributions to the school,¡± said Fudge.

    ¡°Cornelius, I told you before, Hagrid was wronged, he was innocent the entire time,¡± Dumbledore said calmly.

    ¡°Yes, yes, you did say that but the student who caught Hagrid¡­¡± Fudge said with uncertainty.

    ¡°His name was Tom, the student was Voldemort, he orchestrated a series of attacks inside the castle but Harry and I stopped his plot,¡± said Ivan.

    When he heard Ivan¡¯s words, he stepped back, though he listened to Harry he could not imagine how two young boys not even in their teens could defeat the most powerful dark wizard and a basilisk.

    The whole thing sounds like a fairy tale.

    ¡°Minister, since we have stopped Voldemort¡¯s plot and we saved Hogwarts.¡± said Ivan as he stared at Fudge with a smile, ¡°Can Harry, Hermione, Ron, and I get a Special Award for Services to the School?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Fudge paused for a moment and said, ¡°Well, since you defeated the one who shall not be named, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem but the board of Governors need to approve it first so it should take a few days.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great, thank you, minister!¡± said Ivan as he jumped up happily, ¡°If I may, I would like you to give us the award personally and the news can be published in the Hogwarts¡¯ magic and Daily Prophet. I believe everyone appreciates the work that the ministry does.¡±

    ¡°No problem, my dear child! I¡¯ll probably visit Hogwarts tomorrow with your award and Hagrid¡¯s pardon.¡±

    Fudge looked very happy to hear that the ministry¡¯s reputation would not go down, ¡°Albus, since everything has been cleared up, I must leave. You know, there are a lot of things that are waiting for me to do.¡±

    He said farewell to everyone and turned and left the headmaster¡¯s office, and Snape followed.

    ¡°Although we all know that Voldemort nned this we still don¡¯t know how Ron came across Voldemort and came under his control in the first ce.¡± said Dumbledore when Fudge left, ¡°Because ording to my sources he is hiding in the forest of Albania.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± said Mrs. Weasley in a startled voice, ¡°You mean the one who shall not be named controlled Ron but Ivan just said it was them the defeated Voldemort together¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, the diary is the culprit.¡±

    Harry hesitated to say anything, he grabbed the diary and showed Dumbledore, ¡°It was written by Riddle when he was sixteen.¡±

    Dumbledore took the diary from Harry and stared down at it for a long time, he gazed at the damp scorched pages.

    By the way, Dumbledore looked at the pages he knew Dumbledore must have realized what it really was.

    ¡°This is amazing!¡± said Dumbledore softly, ¡°Needless to say, he was probably the most gifted student that Hogwarts has ever produced.¡±

    He turned around and told the Weasley¡¯s about a few of Voldemort¡¯s school days.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t understand, what does Ron have to do with this?¡±

    ¡°It is because of the diary!¡± said Ron, ¡°I have had it for an entire year, he¡¯s been talking to me. Ivan is right I¡¯m a jerk, I trusted a diary more than my friends.¡±

    ¡°Ron, did I not teach you better?¡± gasped Mr. Weasley. ¡°Don¡¯t trust things that can think independently. That suspicious diary was apparently full of dark magic!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Ron, Mr. Weasley.¡± said Ivan hastily, ¡° when the basilisk attacked in themon room, Ron saved Ginny.¡±

    ¡°Very few wizards can break away from Voldemort¡¯s control!¡± Dumbledore added, ¡°Arthur, you should be proud of Ron and I believe you must have taught him a lot regarding this matter.¡±

    ¡°So touching!¡± just when everyone thought it was over, Lucius Malfoy suddenly stood up from the corner with a sneer, ¡°Dumbledore, don¡¯t you remember the board suspended you. You should care more about your position rather than a ridiculous diary and the self-esteem of a child.¡±

    Before his words were finished, a letter suddenly appeared on Dumbledore¡¯s desk.

    ¡°I just wanted to tell you about it, Lucius!¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡° I just got in touch with the other Governors and they told me that they think I¡¯m the best person for the job.¡±

    ¡°So it is¡­¡­..¡± said Lucious while squinting.

    ¡°On top of that they told me something fascinating, it seems a certain someone was threatening to curse their families if they didn¡¯t agree with suspending me,¡± Said Dumbledore while smiling at Lucius.

    ¡°What a good joke!¡± Lucius¡¯s face was paler than usual, his eyes were seething with anger, ¡°In that case, I shall leave, I hope this attack will not happen again! Otherwise, as a school Governor, I will be very troubled!¡±

 Chapter 64 Dumbledoreâ€™s Test

    <h4>Chapter 64 Dumbledore¡¯s Test</h4>

    Lucius was ready to leave but the house elf who stood behind him was behaving strangely.

    His two gigantic eyes stared at Harry, it was pointing at Dumbledore¡¯s desk and then to Malfoy while pounding his head with his fist.

    Harry then understood what Dobby was trying to tell him.

    He nodded at Dobby, and Dobby backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.

    ¡°Mr. Malfoy, don¡¯t you want to know how Ron got the diary?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°What!¡± Lucius looked at Harry with disgust, ¡°My time is precious, I have no interest in learning how a twelve-year-old got a diary.¡±

    Harry raised his voice, ¡°Ron said that he got it from Ginny¡¯s Transfiguration book, and I remember at Flourish and Blotts you picked up Ginny¡¯s book, that must of been when you secretly stuffed the diary in. Am I right?¡±

    When Mr. Wealey heard this he jumped up and stared at Lucius angrily. He would have rushed over if Mrs. Weasley didn¡¯t stop him.

    Ivan noticed that Lucius clenched his hands into fists and then loosened them.

    ¡°Where is your evidence?¡± said Lucius with a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Thre is no way to provide evidence!¡± Smiled Dumbledore and said, ¡°Riddle has vanished from this book but Lucius, I would like to give you a piece of advice. Don¡¯t give out any more of Voldemort¡¯s things and if anymore find there way into innocent hands, I think for one, Arthur will make sure it is tracked back to you¡­¡±

    Lucius stood still for a moment, his right-hand twitched, as if he was about to draw his wand but he restrained himself.

    ¡°I will remember your advice, Dumbledore.¡± He turned to the house elf and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Dobby!¡±

    He wrenched open the door and as the elf hurried over, Lucius kicked Dobby out of it. Everyone could hear Dobby squeal in pain as he was kicked along the corridor.

    While Ivan was looking at the back of Lucius, he felt a little bad for him since when the dark lord returns in a few years he will have a horrible time.

    Harry stood in silence while staring at the diary, he frowned and pondered for a moment.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore!¡± said Harry hurriedly, ¡°May I return this diary to Mr. Malfoy?¡±

    ¡°Of course you can, Harry!¡± said Dumbledore calmly, ¡°But after that, you need to go to the school hospital so Madam Pomfrey can treat your wounds.¡±

    Harry then grabbed the diary and rushed out of the office. Ivan thought for a moment, he then whispered something in Hermione¡¯s ear, she nodded and ran. Ron, Hagrid, and the Weasleys looked worried so the followed.

    In the blink of an eye, only Dumbledore and Ivan were left in the office.

    ¡°Sit down, Ivan!¡± Dumbledore pointed to a chair, ¡°It seems you have something to say to me.¡±

    Ivan nodded and sat down since he had caught Dumbledore¡¯s attention, it would be better to avoid it then to take the initiative.

    ¡°Rx would you like some cockroach clusters, I heard you like.¡± Dumbledore took a jar of sweets and offered it to Ivan.

    ¡°No thank you, Professor!¡± Ivan shook his head in a hurry, he only advertised the candy in the paper once and even the ghost knew how he liked it.

    ¡°In fact, I have something I would like to say to you. First, I must thank you for helping Harry in the Chamber of Secrets.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen an excellent young wizard like you in a long time, excluding Riddle of course. Seeing you reminds me of an old friend.¡±

    Ivan was still secretly wary even though the other side told him to rx.

    He knows Dumbledore¡¯s history, and he knows who his old friend is. He is probably thinking about the dark lord before Voldemort so it wasn¡¯t a goodment.

    ¡°You tter me, Professor! I just know a little more than others in the same year.¡± said Ivan modestly, ¡°But in Hermione¡¯s words, I¡¯m just a bookworm.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t a simple bookworm though, I have read your articles and they are brilliant. I have subscribed to almost every issue of the Hogwarts¡¯ magic.¡±

    ¡°Professor, if you¡¯re talking about the articles in the academic research section, I¡¯m sorry but they were given to me by Riddle before I knew he was Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, those studies were really profound, and like I said Riddle was the best student Hogwarts has ever had.¡± Dumbledore stared at Ivan, ¡°You are like him in some ce but you are different and you have friends.¡±

    Ivan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Dumbledore¡¯s remark.

    He knew it was his rtionship with Harry, his attitude toward power and his Muggle origins the finally put the other person on his guard.

    Otherwise, with Dumbledore paying attention to him, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep a single secret at Hogwarts.

    If I am even a little bit dangerous, I will probably be illuminated.

    After all, Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t let a third dark lord rise to power.

    But then again, Ivan doesn¡¯t have an interest in power, immortality, or anything like that.

    So Dumbledore is just a little worried.

    When Ivan was preparing to leave to look for Harry, Dumbledore suddenly asked, ¡°Ivan do you know what this diary is?¡±

    ¡°That is simple, it is a Horcrux!¡± said Ivan without thinking.

    ¡®Damn it isn¡¯t a wise thing to expose what I knows prematurely, even though I intend to fight Voldemort but I don¡¯t want to be a disposable pawn.¡¯ thought Ivan.

    He didn¡¯t know why he said it but Dumbledore¡¯s voice seems to have a magic about it. It can make people unconsciously say what they are thinking.

    Dumbledore was surprised when he heard Ivan¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t think the boy would have guessed what it was. He was going to disclose some information but he didn¡¯t think Ivan knew so much.

    ¡°Yes, it is a Horcrux but can you tell me how you know?¡± said Dumbledore kindly.

    ¡°Rowena Ravenw told me, she said it was a wicked spell, capable of splitting the soul.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±When Ivan mentioned Rowena Ravenw, Dumbledore really froze.

    To avoid the suspicion of the other, Ivan hurriedly told him what had happened, including that the four founders left secret treasures.

    ¡°Ravenw¡¯s time turner is marvelous!¡± Dumbledore soon regained hisposure, ¡°I hope you can find the hidden treasure through the four founders test.¡±

    Ivan nodded, Dumbledore seemed to believe him.

    ¡°You must already know Voldemort is thest descendant of Szar Slytherin, he should be thest Parseltongue but Harry can speak parseltongue to. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he shifted some of his self to Harry the night he left that scar.¡±

    Ivan shrank back, he wondered what Dumbledore meant. Of course, he knew what the other side said and he even knew Harry was a Horcrux.

    ¡°I mean, no matter the circumstance, no matter the incident, you will certainly stand on Harry¡¯s side, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± replied Ivan hastily, ¡°He is my friend and I will help him in the face of Voldemort and anyone else.¡±

 Chapter 65 End of the Year

    <h4>Chapter 65 End of the Year</h4>

    Ivan didn¡¯t remember how he exited Dumbledore¡¯s office, he only knows his back was full of cold sweat.

    Dumbledore sucks, he may have no malice towards me but it isn¡¯t a good feeling to have no secrets.

    Ivan made it his new goal to learn how to shield his mind.

    The school was very lively at that time.

    He didn¡¯t know who told them but all the portraits are buzzing about the Chamber and all the things that happened. When he passed a portrait he was stopped and asked by the portraits how he and Harry beat the basilisk.

    Ivan ignored the portraits and went straight to the school hospital.

    In the next second, he heard a bang, Dobby appeared in front of him.

    ¡°Sir, Harry Potter has freed me, he gave me a sock!¡± said the elf with a shrill sharp voice, his eyes were wide open with tears falling from them.

    ¡°Congrattions, Dobby!¡± Whispered Ivan, he saw Dobby wearing Harry¡¯s slimy smelly socks.

    ¡°Mrs. Granger told me you had something to ask me,¡± said Dobby

    ¡°I want to ask you, now that you have freedom, what are you going to do?¡± asked Ivan.

    ¡°Dobby will look for work that pays.¡± said the elf but the suddenly became a little frustrated, ¡°But this is difficult, sir! People may not be willing to pay an elf.¡±

    ¡°I actually have a job for you if you would like, I would pay you to. So would you like to?¡±

    Ivan wanted to make the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic bigger and bigger but to do this he needs to use magic but it will be summer soon so he needs either a grown wizard or an intelligent magical creature to help him.

    A house elf may not be able to write articles or edit but they can be helpfully in collecting news, newspaper printing, and other aspects of the work.

    When Dobby heard Ivan would pay him for his work he wept with joy. Dobby stretched his arms around Ivan¡¯s waist and hugged him tightly. Ivan went from being Harry Potter¡¯s great friend to as great as Harry Potter.

    In this way, Dobby has be a full-time employee of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper.

    Considering the amount of work, Ivan nned to give him ten galleons and weekends off but Dobby said that so much money and leisure time was a horrible thing. He bargained with Ivan and the final sry was four galleons a month and one day off.

    In addition to his work for the paper, he will also take on service work like a servant. If Malfoy knew about this matter, he might faint from the anger.

    After finishing up with Dobby, Ivan came to the school hospital and with the help of Madam Pomfrey¡¯s sleeping potion he had a good night¡¯s sleep.

    It wasn¡¯t until the next morning that he work up.

    The bed where Lockhart was in was empty, Ron told him that after the school found out Lockhart was hit with a powerful memory charm he was sent straight to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    Dumbledore hade to see them but they decided not to wake Ivan. Looking at Harry¡¯s face, Ivan knew Dumbledore must have spoken to him alone. The expression on his face could only be described as someone being brainwashed.

    Ron waspletely back to normal and his mood had also improved by leaps and bounds.

    The three of them happily ate the lunch that Madam Pomfrey had prepared. Ron described what it had been like under Tom¡¯s control and Harry gave him a detailed talk of the two battles.

    When Harry had finished his story, Hermione, Colin, and Ginny came into the hospital ward.

    They brought good news and bad news, the good news was Dumbledore gave the three of them two hundred points at breakfast. This meant Gryffindor won the house cup.

    The bad news was the exams and the Quidditch match where canceled which made Harry and Hermione frustrated.

    The few people chatted for a while and when Ivan was about to tell them about the secret treasures, he saw Ron¡¯s rat. He couldn¡¯t let Peter Pettigrew know about these things.

    ¡°Come tell us, Ivan! What did you do in the statue of Slytherin?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°It was something dealing with the basilisk, it wasn¡¯t a big deal,¡± said Ivan as he looked at the mouse, he decided to keep it a secret for now.

    By dinner time, Cranilis Fudge came to the school with the award and Hagrid¡¯s pardon. Ivan asked if Colin could take a picture of them, he made sure to put the rat in a clear spot.

    Filch took the trophy carefully to the trophy room and Ivanbined the photos with the pictures of the basilisk Colin took in themon room before writing a story about the Chamber of Secrets.

    Besides the article being on the front page, it would most likely be picked up by the daily prophet.

    It would be perfect if Fudge brought the paper to Azkaban for Sirius ck to look at. It won¡¯t be long before the ministry of magic is busy with the escape of ck.

    The rest of the semester was peaceful.

    Hogwarts has returned to normal, with only a few minor changes: the defense against the dark arts ss was canceled, Lucius Malfoy was fired from the board of governors, and Draco was no longer acting like he owned the school. Draco instead had a gloomy face all day and he seems to be filled with resentment.

    After the mandrake matured and the students recovered, the Hogwarts magic newspaper returned to its sales number before the Chamber of secrets. Ivan now had to find a new attraction to rece Lockhart¡¯s novels.

    He decided to write an introduction of Hagrid since he was wronged because of the chamber of secrets so many years ago.

    For the novel section, Ivan decided to try to write one himself. He borrowed Lockhart¡¯splete works from Hermione and imitated his writing and wrote a book called, ¡®Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts¡¯ it was unexpectedly sessful, many fans wrote to him every day.

    In a blink of an eye, the semester was over, they are going home by the Hogwarts¡¯ Express train.

    Ivan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin, Fred, George, and Ginny were alone in thepartment. They took advantage of thest few hours they could use magic. Fred and George set off theirst few fireworks.

    Ginny told them that Percy and Penelope were secretly dating. She saw them kissing in an empty ssroom on Halloween night but it also exined why Ivan always felt Ginny was hiding something from him.

    As the Hogwarts express slowed down, Harry wrote the Dursleys phone number but Ivan doubted that Harry¡¯s aunt and uncle would be willing to receive a call from a wizard.

    When the train entered the tform, Ivan got up to get his luggage, he touched his pocket to make sure the potion was there. This summer he had to learn how to defend his mind and how to protect himself. He had a wry smile, it seems this summer will be very substantial.

 Chapter 66 Busy Summer

    <h4>Chapter 66 Busy Summer</h4>

    As expected, Ivan was busy all summer.

    On his first day back he woke at four o¡¯clock in the morning. The house elf hurried to Ivan¡¯s home, like in the past at Hogwarts or Malfoy¡¯s home he began to do the housework.

    Mrs. Mason gets up early for work and to get breakfast ready. When she got up the trash was taken out, the floors, windows, furniture were all cleaned, even thewn was trimmed neatly.

    It was amazing, she hurriedly to Ivan¡¯s room and asked him what was going on.

    After figuring out what happened, Ivan had to tell his mother it was magic.

    It took a while to convince here but at the end, she still didn¡¯t fully believe him. She knew her son too well, she knew he wouldn¡¯t just do the housework without anyone telling him to especially early in the morning.

    Seeing his mother¡¯s suspicious gaze made Ivan smile bitterly.

    By the time she left his room, he called Dobby and told him not to do it again but it seems Dobby took it the wrong way.

    Dobby¡¯s two gigantic eyes looked pathetic. In the end, Ivan had tofort Dobby.

    Ivan is trying to persuade a house elf to cut down on his workload, he is just asking for failure.

    Fortunately the work for the newspaper is a lot, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t know how to deal with a workaholic house elf.

    Surprisingly, the newspaper didn¡¯t sell less in summer than at school.

    Even without pictures and Lockhart¡¯s novels, the ¡®Me and the Basilisk¡¯ that Ivan wrote aroused great interest.

    In addition to young wizards, many adult wizards subscribe to the newspaper. At first, they wanted to know about the chamber of secrets and the basilisk but then they were attracted to the rest of the paper which most people thought was interesting.

    This is mainly due to nearly headless Nick and all of the ghosts help across the UK, they are the main source of news for the paper. Since they don¡¯t sleep at night they can give Ivan a lot of interesting stories and mysteries.

    In the next few days, the sess of the newspaper caused arge number of owls to fly to his home, which frightened Mrs. Mason. So he wouldn¡¯t scare his mother to death, Ivan changed his address to Hogwarts and made it where he only gets his mail after it has been piling up for an entire day.

    Due to the enthusiasm of readers and ghost, manuscript editing and auditing work became increasingly heavy.

    The Weasley¡¯s where going to help but they had won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw and went on a trip to Egypt in the first two weeks of the summer vacation. They were visiting their older son Bill and waiting for the summer toe to an end.

    Hermione followed her parents to France, though none of her articles were short the rest of the work was up to Ivan.

    Harry and Colin hade and helped him a few times but it wasn¡¯t very helpful.

    They tended to talk about Quidditch, summer jobs, or the escape of Sirius ck. They only visited Ivan during the first few days of summer.

    Shortly thereafter, Colin went to his home in the countryside with his father and brother for the summer.

    Harry was in a lot of trouble since Ron had called the Dursleys on the fifth day of summer vacation, Harry had been confined and kept in his room.

    Ivan visited the house himself but they wouldn¡¯t let him in.

    Just as Ivan was about to rescue Harry, Harry got Hedwig to send him a letter. Harry told him he had to be nice to them so they would sign a permission slip to visit Hogsmeade.

    From then on, Ivan sent Harry some food so that the Dursleys wouldn¡¯t starve him to death.

    Although there are a lot of manuscripts to edit Ivan could handle the load by himself for now.

    In his spare time, he went to Diagon Alley to buy magic books about potions, lumency, and how to defend against curses. These books ate almost all of his savings.

    It takes a wand to cast a spell to defend against curses, for now, he can¡¯t practice it so after learning the spell theory Ivan¡¯s focus turned to Oclumency and potions.

    Oclumency closes one¡¯s mind from legitimacy, it stops people from essing one¡¯s thoughts or influencing them.

    The trick to casting this spell is to empty your mind so no one can get the memory out of your mind through magic. Experienced users such as Snape can even fabricate a false memory to deceive others.

    Ivan couldn¡¯t do that, in fact, he had a problem with getting started, he was having trouble emptying his mind.

    There was always strange ideas in his head or he unconsciously starts to study a magical problem. After trying for a while he had to make practicing Oclumency a long-term goal, he hopes he can master it before the school year starts.

    In addition to Oclumency and protection against curses, Ivan¡¯s potion wasn¡¯t what he originally thought. This potion doesn¡¯t help a wizard permanently increase their magic power but only significantly increases it for a period of time.

    Ivan thought it was a waste of a lost potion to help him improve his battle endurance.

    After finishing all the magic books he bought, he finally decided to use it to help him be an Animagus.

    Animagus is aplex, transfiguration spell that can make a wizard into an animal and for most wizards even adult wizards this spell is extremelyplex and dangerous not to mention a wizard who is just twelve like Ivan.

    When bing an Animagus, it is for the practitioner to get distracted for various reasons, resulting in the transformation to fail or possibly death.

    As a result, the ministry of magic requires all Animagi to register with the Ministry of magic. But for the entire 20th century only seven people have registered.

    Of course, this is not the total of Animagi.

    Ivan knew a lot of Animagi, such as Peter Pettigrew, who had been hanging around him, and Sirius ck, who was about to debut. They were all Animagi in their school days and with that in mind Ivan who had the potion to help him, decided toplete his Animagi form this summer.

    He carefully studied transfiguration theory so he could have a strong foundation but he also needed a lot of magical support.

    The theoretical knowledge wasn¡¯t a problem, when Ivan had the diary he consulted Tom on Animagus transformations, from that he received a lot of help. Voldemort may not be a good character but his magical knowledge may beparable to Dumbledore.

    The trouble in the first transformation process needs to consume a lot of magical power to turn people into animals. When an adult wizard ties they will only seed one out of five tries, this is why most witches and wizards fail toplete the transformation process.

    You usually buy a lot of magic potions to practice.

    The price of these potions are expensive though but those potions effects are far from the one he has.

    Therefore with the help of this potions, he will not have a problem with transforming and bing an Animagus.

    He practiced many times and gradually mastered the ropes and after a month of preparations and the beginning of the fifth week of summer vacation Ivan shut himself up in his room to prepare for his first attempt at bing an Animagus. He didn¡¯t allow anyone in his room without consent during this process.

 Chapter 67 Animagus

    <h4>Chapter 67 Animagus</h4>

    In the room, Ivan opened a thick magic book, he turned to the Animagas page, it showed ever step one must take.

    After confirming everything, he took a deep breath and picked up the potion and drank it.

    It was like a cup of strong liquor, dark gold syrup flowed down his throat, a powerful mana began to appear from his body, it grew stronger and stronger.

    (Note: I know there is nothing like mana in the original works but that is what the author wrote.)

    The Mana was like a surging river, it constantly gushed out of his body.

    He breathed in, he could feel his body change.

    His body was full of restless mana, the mana began to overflow from him uncontrobly. It gave Ivan the impression that he was capable of anything.

    But the feeling was very short, he felt his body had reached its limit, the mana within his body felt very ufortable. He needed to use this mana on something or he feared he might die.

    ¡°Animagus!¡± said Ivan as he drunk another potion.

    His body began to change as soon as his voice fell.

    Powerful mana filled the room in an instant, under the impact of the mana, everything in the room was scattered.

    Even the things that were kept outside the room where affected by the mana. Dobby quietly opened a small gap in the door, he was too terrified to go inside, his hands were holding the door handle firmly, two gigantic eyes where staring inside and looking at Ivan.

    In the center of the room, Ivan¡¯s muscles were cracking. It was as if he was a slime, his whole body was morphing.

    When he used the Polyjuice potionst year, Ivan felt like his skin, blood, and bones were melting.

    But the feeling was much strongerpared to the Polyjuice potion, the intense pain almost made him faint. Ivan bite his lip, he told himself ¡®he must insist, if I faint now I fail, then everything I have done will be for naught.¡¯

    He concentrated and tried to control the spell.

    In his insistence, his body shrunk, it began to change to an animal.

    His bones morphed, ck fur appeared on the surface of his skin and a pair of big furry ears grew on his head.

    After about twenty minutes, there was a new shadow in Ivan¡¯s bedroom.

    The restless mana gradually calmed down, the effect of the potion gradually faded. Ivan knew he was sessful, he shook his head, his hands now had ws and everything in the room had be gigantic to him.

    Although it isn¡¯t clear what the animal was the size was certainly small.

    Ivan remembered what the book said about Animagi: Animagus transformations are usually limited to non-magical creatures, this is because the wizard¡¯s mana and magical creatures mana have a subtle but essential difference if you be something such as a Phoenix, Dragon, or etc, it will have unpredictable consequences.

    In addition, Animagi cannot change into any random animal, the transformation is based on one¡¯s character and weight.

    Ivan¡¯s body was smaller so he turned into a smaller animal.

    The key is personality, he is more cautious so he thinks he turned into an animal that is more cautious.

    ¡°A small, non-magical creature with a cautious personality¡­¡­God, am I a mouse like Peter Pettigrew!¡± Ivan¡¯s heart sank, that would be the worst result.

    He wanted to be a bird the most, it was the most convenient, but given his strong fear of heights, this possibility is not likely. But as long as he is not a mouse any other animal is ok. Because he came from China before crossing over he thought he might be a panda!

    But based on his size, a panda is not possible, ¡°maybe¡­¡­¡±

    When Ivan was thinking, the house elf entered the room while trembling, he looked at Ivan in horror and cautiously approached.

    ¡°Oh, my God, sir has turned into a ck cat!¡±

    ¡°What, I became a ck cat?¡±Ivan sighed in relief knowing he hadn¡¯t be a rat.

    A ck cat was an unexpected result.

    In the wizarding world, it has been a symbol of expelling evil spirits since ancient times and it has great significance. ck cats are widely believed to have strong mana, Ivan has looked through all the records of Animagi in thest millennium but no witch or wizard has turned into a ck cat.

    ¡°Mr. Ivan Masson¡¯s magic has run amok,¡± said Dobby. ¡°Stupid, useless, you could have done something,¡± screamed Dobby loudly while pulling his ears.

    ¡°Stop, Dobby, my situation is excellent, you don¡¯t have to do anything, don¡¯t punish yourself,¡± said Ivan hastily, but no words came out, only a meow.

    ¡°Dobby knows, Mr. Ivan Masson must go to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries! Dobby must save Ivan Masson¡±

    Hearing Dobby wants to save him made him think ofst year when he wanted to save Harry, he didn¡¯t want to die at the hands of a house elf.

    He can not change back to his original form for now but he saw the other wasn¡¯t going to wait for him to change back naturally.

    Ivan jumped to the side to dodge Dobby.

    ¡®Damn what can a ck cat do besides be cute?!¡¯ thought Ivan

    With the reflexes of a cat, Ivan is very agile, he dodged Dobby a few times but he saw that the other was about to use magic, he knows if Dobby does he won¡¯t be able to escape.

    Ivan suddenly jumped on the balcony through the open window.

    This feeling is wonderful, Ivan is like a real cat, he then smoothly jumps down to the first-floor¡¯s windowsill, he is not hurt one bit.

    Seeing that the other is following him, Ivan did not dy one bit, he ran and after going around a corner, he hid behind a garbage can.

    After a few seconds, he saw arge teary eye house elf running along the street.

 Chapter 68 A Stray Dog

    <h4>Chapter 68 A Stray Dog</h4>

    Ivan watched the house elf disappear from his sight, it seems a cat is notpletely useless, at least its hiding ability is excellent.

    Almost all Animagi are hiding masters, look at Peter Pettigrew, he has hidden in the Weasley¡¯s home for twelve years, you have to at least admire that.

    Ivan suddenly heard a loud noiseing from the trash can behind him, something wasing out of it.

    He hastily jumped back a couple steps, if it is a stray cat what should he do.

    But what came out of the garbage can was much worse than a stray cat.

    Ivan saw a ck dog emerge, it looked at Ivan with its two eyes.

    In the dimly lit alley, a ck cat and a ck dog were looking at each other.The two sides looked at each other for about three seconds each side showed an extremely human look on their face.

    Ivan realized immediately that the other side was not a stray dog but Sirius ck.

    His luck is really good, he hides behind a trash can and out pops Sirius ck who the Ministry of Magic hasn¡¯t even been able to find.

    Just like Ivan realized who he was, Sirius ck immediately realized that the ck cat was an Animagus, he gave Ivan a ferocious look and growled twice.

    The atmosphere was tense, Ivan felt a hint of danger.

    His muscles were tense before he could even react, Sirius ran away.

    The other side escaped, Ivan froze for a moment, he realized what just happened, he soon chased after him.

    A cat was chasing a dog in a dimly lit alley in London, what would other people think if they saw this strange scene.

    The two people were fast, much faster than ordinary cats and dogs.

    Ivan¡¯s ck cat form was powerful he only needed to lightly push on the ground before he lept over a meter, he quickly shortened the distance between him and Sirius ck.

    Sirius cks endurance was better than Ivan¡¯s but twelve years in prison and one month of hiding will take a toll on someone.

    Ivan had a wry smile, he forced the other one into a dead end.

    Sirius ck cautiously stepped back, he had nowhere to retreat to, he bared his teeth, his growl grew louder, he stared at Ivan. He paused for a while before he made up his mind and rushed toward Ivan.

    Not anticipating that the other party would suddenly dash toward him, Ivan jumped back a meter.

    He suddenly realized that he did something stupid, why did he chase Sirius ck.

    He wants to talk to the other in human form, maybe make a n to catch Peter Pettigrew and let this year¡¯s events resolve smoothly.

    But he doesn¡¯t have any mana left, he can¡¯t transform back into a human within a short time, seeing that Sirius ck kept getting closer and closer made Ivan constantly step back.

    The atmosphere became tenser, Ivan weakly meowed, ck¡¯s footsteps did not falter but became more vicious.

    He was unable tomunicate with him so Ivan decided to turn and flee.

    He could feel Sirius ck chase him so Ivan had to speed up. When he turned and ran through a garden he saw a figure holding a huge box on the dimly lit corner.

    Ivan was surprised when he came closer he realized who it was.

    Harry was unable to stand, he was trembling all over, he just made Marjorie Dursley inte like a balloon but she shouldn¡¯t have insulted his parents.

    He knew from his friend Ivan that his parents died fighting Voldemort. He was so proud of his parents, they died protecting him. So he doesn¡¯t regret using magic on her.

    He took his things, walked a few block, and now he is in the dark Muggle world with nowhere else to go.

    Worst of all he had just used magic which meant he was almost certain that he will be expelled from Hogwarts. He knew he had severely undermined thew that restricts the use of magic by minors so the Ministry¡¯s response failed to surprise him.

    What should he do now, he asked Hedwig to send a letter to Ivan maybe he should go to the others home since it¡¯s near here. But Harry hesitated immediately, he didn¡¯t want to get in trouble with Ivan since he was almost certain he will be expelled.

    Harry looked down at his wand in his hand and if he was destined to be expelled then a little magic wouldn¡¯t hurt. His suitcase had his father¡¯s invisibility cloak, if he cast magic on the suitcase to make it lighter and then strap the suitcase on his broom, he could cover himself with the cloak and fly to London to take out all his money from Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

    Then he can go exploring!

    The idea was terrible but he couldn¡¯t sit on the curb all the time or he would have to exin to the Muggle police why he was on the street at midnight with a suitcase full of spell books and a broom.

    After about a minute Harry made up his mind, he opened his suitcase and looked for the invisibility cloak.

    He suddenly felt someone or something was approaching him.

    ¡°Lumos¡± whispered Harry, a small pale white light was produced by the end of his wand.

    In the next second, he saw a small, pure ck kitten rush at him, it hen jumped into his arms.

 Chapter 69 Knight Bus

    <h4>Chapter 69 Knight Bus</h4>

    Harry stepped back half a step, his immediately ran into his suitcase and tripped.

    He had a kitten in one arm and bncing his self with the other.

    But it was useless, he fell to the ground.

    He quickly sat up, the ck cat jumped to his shoulders, the cat had a strange smile which made him think of Ivan.

    He shook his head, he must have been mad, how can a cat have Ivan¡¯s expression. But it really seemed like his smile, but before he could think about it anymore he saw arge shadow in the distance with dimly lit eyes.

    It was as big as a dog, Harry stretched out his wand.

    As soon as he lifted his wand a deafening thud sounded and he was blinded by a bright re.

    Harry shouted and jumped back while Ivan held on to Harry¡¯s shoulder.

    It was very timely, a pair of huge wheels and headlights appeared exactly where Harry had just stood.

    Ivan looked up and saw a three-story bus on it written in golden letters was: The Knight Bus

    ¡°Wee to the Knight bus, this is a bus that assists stranded individuals of the wizardingmunity through public transportation, just stick out your wand to hail the bus, we take you wherever you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, I will be your conductor for the night!¡±

    Shunpike was either eighteen or neen at most, he had a few pimples on his face withrge, protruding ears.

    ¡°A strange passenger with a ck kitten, where do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°There was a big ck thing just over there did you see it?¡± asked Harry but when he looked back he saw nothing.

    ¡°No, what is that on your forehead?¡± Stan seemed to see the scar on Harry¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Its nothing!¡± said Harry while hiding the scar on his forehead, if the ministry is looking for him, he doesn¡¯t want to make it easy.

    ¡°Well what¡¯s your name?¡± asked Stan

    ¡°Longbottom!¡± whispered Harry, his gaze shifted to the bus, ¡°So this bus can go anywhere, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, anywhere you want but you can¡¯t go underwater.¡± Stan looked at Harry with suspicion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you signal us to stop? You stretched out your wand didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Harry quickly, ¡°How much does it cost to go to Diagon Alley?¡±

    ¡°Eleven sickles but if you take a pet, it is five more, if you pay three more, you can get chocte and one more to get a thermos and a toothbrush, you can pick the color too.¡±

    ¡°Wait this isn¡¯t my pet!¡± Harry then remembered the ck cat on his shoulder, ¡°A second before you came it jumped on me.¡±

    ¡°Ok it is up to you if you want to take it but I will tell you it is a very rare breed.¡±

    Harry thought for a moment and then quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out some sickles and gave it to Stan.

    Then he and Stan brought his suitcase and Hedwig¡¯s cage into the Knight Bus.

    ¡°You sleep on this one!¡± stan introduced Harry to the driver and then led him to the bed where Ivan was sitting, Stan took a big chunk of chocte out of his pocket and handed it over, ¡°Here, I¡¯ll get some cat food for your pet.¡±

    He searched under a bed and took out a bowl of rice and put it in front of Ivan, he then poured a whole pile of cat food in it.

    Ivan refused to eat the cat food.

    If only Sirius ck wasn¡¯t outside, Ivan would not have tagged along with Harry.

    At home there were a lot of things for him to do, he doesn¡¯t know what to worry more about.

    Ivan had no choice but to wait for his mana to recover, he estimates that he will be able to recover his mana by morning.

    If he doesn¡¯t want to be torn to pieces by Sirius ck, he needs to stay with Harry since the other side won¡¯t go near Harry for the moment.

    The bus started moving and with a huge bang, Harry fell on to the bed, the Knight bus threw him backward, he pressed Ivan down on the bed.

    Ivan struggled to get out, he saw that Harry wasn¡¯t interested in eating the Chocte so he lightly lept up and put the chocte in his mouth. Stan and Harry had an astonished gaze, they were amazed how a cat could skillfully tear a chocte wrapper off and eat it. As for the cat food, what regr person would eat it?

    Ivan was exhausted, he chased and got chased by Sirius ck, he consumed too much energy, he quickly swallowed a whole piece of chocte.

    ¡°Your cat is cool, my sister has a cat but it only knows how to scratch up furniture,¡± said Stan as he looked at Ivan with interest.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Seeing the ck cat eat chocte made Harry think it looked more and more like Ivan.

    Harryid t on the bed, he raised the ck cat high above his chest and carefully observed it.

    Ivan waved his paw feebly.

    The cat was so entric thought Harry.

    A violent collision, Harry subconsciously loosened his hand.

    Ivan ran to the pillow and sat down, he looked out the bus window, the knight bus always hit the sidewalk but it always avoidsmp posts, mailboxes, and trash cans. When carse at it, it goes back to its original position.

    Harry left Ivan alone for now.

    It¡¯s been a bizarre night, a strange bus, a big dog, and a ck cat, he doesn¡¯t know what to do next.

    Then as he rubbed his stomach, he wondered whether the Dursleys had managed to get Marjorie off the ceiling.

 Chapter 70 Sirius Black

    <h4>Chapter 70 Sirius ck</h4>

    Ivan tried to make himself morefortable, he squinted and saw Stan give Harry a copy of the Daily Prophet. On the front page was a giant photo of Sirius ck.

    ¡°He looks scary doesn¡¯t he?¡± Stan carefully observed the expression on Harry¡¯s face, ¡°Its been all over the news recently, Sirius ck was considered the most notorious prisoner in Azkaban¡±

    ¡°He killed people.¡± whispered Harry, ¡°With the killing curse.¡±

    ¡°Yes! In front of witnesses, in broad daylight, he caused a great deal of trouble!¡± Stan came up and lowered his voice and said, ¡°ck is a supporter of you know who, he has a very close rtionship with you know who.¡±

    Ivan saw Harry act a little nervous.

    ¡°All the supporters of you know who have been hunted down and these people know since you know who has vanished they are finished. He once killed a wizard and twelve muggles in one go. Scary isn¡¯t it? Do you know what he did next?¡± said Stan in an exaggerated whisper.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Harry nervously.

    ¡°Laugh!¡± Stan said, ¡°He just stood there andughed and when the Aurors arrived, he quietly followed him whileughing all the way.

    ¡°Is he crazy?¡±

    ¡°If he wasn¡¯t before he had gone to Azkaban he should be mad now,¡± said Stan. Stan whispered, ¡°You know no one can escape Azkaban but he somehow did and the dementors cannot find him.¡±

    Harry nodded uneasily and Stan was also pale he seemed frightened by his own words.

    Ivan was a little amused if the two of them knew they had just passed Sirius ck they would have fainted.

    No one uttered a word.

    The Knight Bus kept on going it ran past telephone booths and trees while Harryid on his bed, he was restless and miserable.

    Ivan stretched out his paw and rubbed Harry¡¯s head, Harry seemed to want to hug him so he hurried aside.

    The sky outside the window was brighter than before and Ivan soon saw a ragged little baring up, The Knight bus skidded and stopped.

    Ivan jumped on Harry¡¯s shoulder and they exited the bus, Stan put Harry¡¯s suitcase and Hedwig¡¯s cage on the sidewalk, the Knight bus soon drove off.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go into the Leaky C¡­.¡± Harry suddenly stopped, he looked at a man in amazement.

    ¡°You¡¯re here, Harry!¡±Said a figureing out of the doorway of the Leaky Cauldron, it was the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.

    Harry was nervous, he dragged his suitcase while being brought into the bar by Fudge, a bald toothless man stood at the bar next to antern.

    This is Tom, he is the Leaky Cauldron¡¯sndlord.

    ¡°You fond him, Minster!¡± Tom stopped and saluted, ¡°What would you like to drink, beer or brandy?¡±

    ¡°A cup of tea.¡±Fudge looked haggard, he pointed at a chair beside the firece and said, ¡°Sit down, Harry.¡±

    Harry sat down, Ivan could feel Harry¡¯s body tremble slightly, he seemed very nervous.

    Fudge took off his green striped robe and threw it aside, he then pulled up his dark green trousers and sat down opposite of Harry.

    ¡°We met three months ago Harry. I am Cornelius Fudge the Minister of magic,¡± said Fudge quickly, he nced at the ck cat that was lying on Harry¡¯s shoulder.

    Harry nodded stiffly, he couldn¡¯t believe he had been caught by the Minister of Magic himself. Three months ago the other side had given him, Ivan, Hermione, and Ron an award but now he will expel him.

    Before he said anything else thendlord Tom appeared again with a tray of tea and pastries.

    He put the tray on the table between Fudge and Harry, he then left the two alone.

    ¡°Well, Harry!¡± said Fudge as he poured the tea, ¡°I sure you know you left us worried about you when you ran away from your aunt and uncle¡¯s home. But fortunately, you didn¡¯t have any mishaps.¡±

    Fudge put butter on his pastries and pushed the te toward Harry.

    ¡°Eat, Harry, you look pale. You will be d we resolved the situation a few hours ago, a few ministry employees were sent to Privet Drive, Marjorie was fixed and her memories wiped, don¡¯t worry it doesn¡¯t hurt.

    Ivan jumped on the table and grabbed a pastry.

    He saw Fudge smile at Harry, like an uncle looking at his beloved nephew. Harry didn¡¯t believe his ears, he opened his mouth to speak but he didn¡¯t know what to say so he shut it once more.

    ¡°Ah, are you worried about your aunt and uncle¡¯s reaction? Well, I won¡¯t deny they are extremely angry, Harry but as long as you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter they will take you back next summer.¡±

    ¡°I always stay at Hogwarts during the Holidays. I don¡¯t want to go back to Privet Drive,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Take your time and calm down a little, I am sure you will change your mind. They are family after all and I¡¯m sure you love each other deeply,¡± said Fudge with a tone full of fear.

    Harry didn¡¯t want to change Fudge¡¯s view, he was still waiting to hear if he will be expelled or not.

    ¡°Now the only question left is where are you going to stay for the remainder of your holiday?¡±

    ¡°I thought, I might go to my ssmates Ivan¡¯s house, he invited me to go there several times,¡± said Harry, unsure.

    ¡°Are you talking about Ivan Masson, he is a really good child, he helped us by writing the article about the chamber of secrets. He helped improve peoples faith in the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Fudge as he buttered another pastry.

    ¡°But I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be any help since the man¡­.I suggest you rent a room here in the Leaky Cauldron and stay in it until the end of the summer.¡±

 Chapter 71 Giving the Cat a Name

    <h4>Chapter 71 Giving the Cat a Name</h4>

    ¡°Wait a minute Minister!¡± said Harry hurriedly, ¡°What about my punishment?¡±

    ¡°Punishment?!¡± Fudge winked, ¡°As if we would do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°I broke thew that decrees that minors may not use magic outside school!¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear child, we don¡¯t punish people for such a small trifle! It was an ident, we don¡¯t send people to Azkaban for inting their aunts!¡±

    These words confused Harry somewhat, it waspletely differentpared to his past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.

    ¡°Last year, a house elf gave my cousin Dudley a tail and I received a warning that said if I do any more magic Hogwarts will expel me!¡±

    It was an excellent question, Ivan was happy to see Fudge a little embarrassed.

    ¡°Things often change, Harry! With the present circumstance, we must consider your¡­¡­Well, you don¡¯t want to be expelled do you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± answered Harry hastily.

    When he heard Harry¡¯s word, Fudgeughed, he shouted and told thendlord to give Harry a room and repeatedly ordered Harry to stay in Diagon Ally for the next two weeks and not to go wandering about in Muggle London.

    He then put his robe on and was ready to leave.

    ¡°Minister have you heard of Sirius ck.¡±

    When he heard Harry¡¯s words, Fudge¡¯s fingers twitched.

    ¡°Oh, you heard about it! Well, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we catch him. The Dementors of Azkaban have never failed before and they are furious this time.¡± said Fudge with a slightly trembling voice.

    ¡°Goodbye, Harry,¡± said Fudge as he shook his hands.

    Harry asked if he could sign his permission form.¡± Fudge was slightly ufortable.

    He rejected Harry, with a more unnatural expression on his face, Ivan saw him quietly wiping away some cold sweat from his forehead as he turned and left.

    When Ivan and Harry finished their pastries, they followed Tom up a beautifully built wooden staircase and came to a door with a brass number te indicating it was room eleven, Tom opened the door. There was a bigfortable bed in the room, a few shiny oak furniture, a crackling fire in the firece, and Hedwig standing on a wardrobe.

    ¡°Hedwig!¡± eximed Harry, ¡°There you are, did you send that letter to Ivan, What did he say?¡±

    When he had left the Dursleys, he hastily wrote a letter to Ivan, it was still with Hedwig though.

    Harry was suddenly a little worried, Hedwig couldn¡¯t find Ivan, did some kind of ident ur.

    As he stood there a little puzzled, Hedwig flew to the ck cat that had been following him.

    Ivan jumped onto the bed and saw Hedwig looking at him, those amber eyes where full of vignce, Ivan gestured to say hello and the owl dropped the parchment in front of him.

    It¡¯s strange that a cat is reading a letter.

    Harry sat down on the bed while looking at Ivan absentmindedly.

    He couldn¡¯t believe he had only been away from Privet Drive for only a few hours, he had so much to do, he hadn¡¯t been expelled and for two weeks he is free from the Dursleys.

    But why didn¡¯t Ivan write to him, or did he go abroad like Hermione and Ron. So is that why Hedwig couldn¡¯t deliver the letter to him?

    And the sudden appearance of the ck cat with an appearance simr to Ivans.

    Harry turned over and stretched out his hand to hold the cat but Ivan dodged and looked at Harry with discontent. Harry never knew a cat could have such a human expression, it was really strange.

    Then he suddenly thought he didn¡¯t have anything to call it if he intended to raise it then should he give the cat a name?!

    Harry thought of a lot of names while looking out the window at the sunrise.

    The next day when Harry woke up, he felt something on him, he opened his eyes and saw it was Ivan.

    It startled him, he immediately jumped up.

    ¡°Ivan, Ivan, wake up!¡± Harry shook the sleeping Ivan, ¡°When did you get here, did you see the letter I wrote you and how did you get into my room?¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Harry!¡±

    Ivan rubbed his eyes, he was now back to his original form, his mana has been fully restored, his mana was slightlyrger now too.

    Seeing Harry staring at him, he hurried to tell him what had happened, he was now an Animagus, how he was attacked by a ck dog in the street. But he left out that the ck dog was Sirius ck.

    ¡°You say that the ck cat was your animagus form? No Wonder I felt it was a little weird.¡± said Harry, ¡°A normal cat won¡¯t eat chocte or pastries, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± nodded Ivan as he turned into a ck cat and back again.

    ¡°I should have known, you are just like Professor McGonagall, what was the spell called again?¡± said Harry as he looked at Ivan with envy.

    ¡°Animagus and I hope you will help me keep it a secret,¡± said Ivan

    ¡°No problem but how did you do it, Professor McGonagall said it was a veryplex and dangerous spell?¡±

    ¡°I got a little help from Tom and Szar Slytherin,¡± said Ivan as he sat up, ¡°And if you want to learn it I can teach you but the main problem is the umtion of mana so if there are no idents you¡¯ll probably be able to learn this spell in a few years.¡±

    Next, Ivan and Harry talked a little more about Animagi.

    Then the two people went downstairs to eat breakfast, he then called for the house elf Dobby.

    After a whole night of looking for Ivan, Dobby looked horrified, his fingers were covered with bandages from punishing himself, he wept for a while in front of the two people which made Ivan feel terrible.

    Ivan consoled Dobby for a while and let him go back to pack Ivan¡¯s bags.

    He went out and made a phone call to his mother, telling her that he would live in Diagon Alley for the next two week until school began so she didn¡¯t have to worry. Mrs. Mason argued with him but she finally reluctantly agreed to his request.

 Chapter 72 Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron

    <h4>Chapter 72 Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron</h4>

    In this way, Ivan and Harry lived in the Leaky Cauldron for the two remaining weeks of summer vacation.

    Ivan had more to do now since Harry was so excited.

    In the next few days, he visited almost every magic shop in Diagon Alley. He persuaded the business to advertise in the newspaper, thanks to the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic gradually increasing sales, many businesses were willing to do so, this gave Ivan more advertisers.

    Ivan increased his savings a little now, he bought a lot of thing for himself such as potions materials that far exceed what a young wizard should have.

    Last year when he was preparing the Polyjuice potion, the book that recorded the form had many practical potions that improved yourbat ability which is very helpful. If you wanted to buy the finished product it would cost a ton of galleons, it is more cost effective to make your own.

    In addition, he bought a fascinating realtime constetion model.

    With it, he didn¡¯ have to go to astronomy ss anymore, Ivan was fed up of freezing every Wednesday night in the astronomy tower, it didn¡¯t help that he was afraid of heights.

    He then went with Harry to buy some things on his school supply list.

    They went to Madam Malkin¡¯s Robes for All asions first to buy a new robe, the two people had juste out of the shop and they saw a crowd surrounding another shop.

    They went up to see what all themotion was about, Ivan noticed it was Quality Quidditch Supplies, it had a beautifully crafted broomstick in the shop¡¯s window.

    ¡°The firebolt, it was the current best broom on the market! The broom is made from ebony wood, has birch or hazel twigs, and has golden numbers engraved on it.¡±

    Ivan only nced at it for a moment without showing a bit of interest but Harry almost got so close that his face was almost touching the ss.

    (Note: I always imagined Harry saying my precious me loves precious. Anyone else or is it just me.)

    ¡°Come on Harry you already have a broom so you don¡¯t need to buy a new one,¡± said Ivan, he knew Sirius would give Harry one for a Christmas present this year since his current one will break.

    ¡°But this is the firebolt, it is the fastest broomstick in the world.¡±

    ¡°But it is also the most expensive!¡±

    Harry nodded in agreement, he looked at thebel that says the price and it says it is not negotiable, he couldn¡¯t imagine how much it was, there is one thing to be sure of, he might not be able to afford it.

    It took a lot of effort to pull Harry away if he would have left him he would have stayed there all day staring at the broom.

    After leaving Quality Quidditch Supplies, they went to Flourish & Blotts to buy new textbooks.

    He needs a new defense against the dark arts book while Harry needs a book for the care of magical creatures and divination.

    As soon as they entered Flourish & Blotts, the bookstore was a mess, the original bookshelves were reced by a fewrge iron cages, which probably contain around two hundred Monster book of monsters.

    These books were locked up together, they where fighting and biting each other, broken pages were flying everywhere.

    ¡°Are you Hogwarts students? Are you here to buy a new book?¡± the manager greeted them impatiently when he saw Ivan, he squeezed out a smile, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Mr. Mason, what book do you need?¡±

    In a single year, Ivan bought over two hundred magical books from Flourish & Blotts which made him the most popr customer.

    ¡°Well what are these books about?¡± said Ivan as he pointed at the iron cages.

    ¡°Forget about them, these monster books are horrible. I have never seen such a horrible book in my life they are worse than the invisible book of invisibility. I have been bitten five times this morning.¡±

    When his voice fell, two monster books ganged up on another, the resulting force tore it apart.

    ¡°No! Stop it, stop it!¡± the manager yelled, he stretched a stick through the iron bars and shouted, ¡°I will never order these books again, never! It is a nightmare, I want to know which idiot choose this book for a textbook, if I could I would kill him.¡±

    When he heard his words, Harry acted like he didn¡¯t know anything.

    Hagrid had given him a copy of the book the other day which gave him a sense of unease, he knew Hagrid must have assigned the book as a textbook. No other professor would do it except for Hagrid.

    Ivan seeing how the manager was struggling decided to tell him how to tame the book, he said, ¡°It is actually pretty simple to deal with these books, just stroke the spine and they¡¯ll calm down!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± eximed the manager.

    Ivan motioned the other to take out a book from the cage, the book tried to bite but Ivan gently stroked the spine, the book shook and calmed down.

    ¡°God, Mr. Mason, that is unbelievable!¡± eximed the manager, ¡°You saved me a ton of trouble!¡±

    The manager then told several employees to take out the monster book of monsters, stroke there spins like Ivan had shown him and tie them together with a rope.

    The manager gave Ivan and Harry the best discount possible.

    Ivan was blunt, he took a few books including a few for the third year.

    The second-year curriculum is exactly the same as the first year, and most of the material has already beenpleted by Ivan. Going to ss would be aplete waste of time so he decided to attend third-year sses which Professor McGonagall agreed to at the end ofst year.

    Harry bought Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk, and Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vatsky.

    But he didn¡¯t read his new books, his gaze fell on another book, Death Omens: What to Do When You Know the Worst is Coming.

    ¡°Oh, if I were you, I would not read a book like that.¡± said the manager of the bookstore when he saw Harry¡¯s gaze fall on the book, ¡°When you read this book, you start to see signs of death everywhere, the book will scare you to death.¡±

    Despite the managers warning Harry still stared at the cover of the book: there was a dog on the cover, it was almost as big as a bear with two big eyes. The dog looked strangely familiar.

    Harry pulled Ivan and motioned him to look at the cover.

    Ivan nced at the cover, the ck dog did look like Sirius ck, he looked like the harbinger of death, it was no wonder Harry felt a little uneasy.

    ¡°Ivan didn¡¯t you say that night you¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it was just a stray dog!¡± Ivan thought about when he was chased by Sirius and ran through several streets, Ivan added, ¡°Yes, a very annoying stray dog.¡±

 Chapter 73 Crookshanks and Scabbers

    <h4>Chapter 73 Crookshanks and Scabbers</h4>

    Days passed by, thest day of summer vacation was soon here.

    Early in the morning, Ivan and Harry had juste downstairs when they saw the Weasley¡¯sing out of the firece, it looked like they had just returned from Egypt, they were dressed in a mixture of normal wizard robes and traditional Egyptian costumes which looked peculiar.

    Mrs. Weasley then came up and hugged the two of them. Mr. Wealey then booked several rooms at the bar, they were going to spend the night at the Leaky Cauldron.

    A few minutester, old Tom brought over their breakfast.

    After having breakfast, Percy came over and greeted Ivan and Harry and showed him his head boy badge, Percy acted like he was the king of the world.

    Fred and George didn¡¯t let Percy talk too long, theyughed at him and imitated his gestures.

    Mrs. Weasley snapped at them since she was proud of Percy.

    The topic was changed to Egypt, the Weasley family told them all about their travels.

    Next, Ron showed Ivan and Harry his new wand, it was 14¡å long, made of willow, and had a core of unicorn hair. As for Ginny, she still blushing at the sight of Harry but she was much more calm around him now.

    After everyone finished eating, Hermione and her parents entered the bar.

    Hermione was wearing a sky-blue gown, with a pale yellow dome hat on her head, she had a healthyplexion. She seemed happy, she had a radiant smile. She greeted everyone with delight.

    They chatted for a while, but the Grangers had to leave early because they had a few matters to deal with. They left Hermione within the care of the Weasleys and let her stay at the Leaky Cauldron tonight.

    By the time they went their separate ways, Harry started telling Ron how he had inted his aunt and Hermione pulled out arge stack of papers that she had written while she was in France.

    ¡°I heard everything from my dad, he said she was on the ceiling for two hours.¡± Ron broke outughing, he thought it would be hysterical to inte his aunt.

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Ron, to be honest, I¡¯m surprised he wasn¡¯t expelled,¡± said Hermione with a sharp tone.

    ¡°I thought I was going to be sent to Azkaban. Ron, does Mr. Weasley know why Fudge didn¡¯t give me a punishment at all?¡±

    ¡°It is probably because you are you.¡± Ron Shrugged andughed, ¡°Famous Harry Potter or something like that, If I blew up my aunt, the ministry wouldn¡¯t let me go with a simple warning. But they would have to dig up my grave first because my mom would kill me.¡±

    ¡°I think you two should learn from Ivan, he would never¡­.¡±

    ¡°I know I was wrong, Hermione! I just lost control.¡± Seeing Hermione was a little angry, Harry hastily shifted the conversation, ¡°Where should we go next?¡±

    ¡°I think we should go to the Magical Menagerie.¡± Hermione nce at her purse and said, ¡°My birthday is in September so my parents gave me some money so I could buy a birthday present and I want an owl.¡±

    ¡°I think I should get Scabbers a check-up, I think Egypt wasn¡¯t a suitable ce for it,¡± said Ron as he dug the rat out of his pocket.

    Ivan¡¯s sight moved from the parchment in his hand to the rat, which looked thinner than before, his fur has lost most of its luster.

    ¡°Ron, your rat justcks exercise,¡± said Ivan with a wry smile, Peter Pettigrew must be stressed out by Sirius ck¡¯s escape.

    ¡°Excercise?!¡± said Ron while looking at Ivan suspiciously.

    ¡°Yes, I suggest Hermione buy a cat so she can help you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Hermione!¡± said Ron as he subconsciously put the rat back in his pocket,

    ¡°There is the Magical Menagerie!¡± said Harry, after two weeks of wandering Diagon Alley, Harry was now very familiar with it, ¡°You can buy almost anything there even an owl or a cat.¡±

    ¡°You mustn¡¯t buy a cat!¡± said Ron with a tinge of fear.

    The four people crossed the street and came to the store called Magical Menagerie.

    There wasn¡¯t much room in the shop, cages lined every inch of the wall. The little creatures in the cages were all smelly and noisy.

    ¡°Hello, this is my pet!¡± said Ron to the witch standing behind the counter, ¡°Can you tell me what¡¯s wrong with him? Ever since I brought him back from Egypt, he has seemed a bit sick.¡±

    ¡°Put it on the counter.¡± said the witch, she took out a pair of sses from her pocket and observed Scabbers.

    ¡°Hum!¡± The witch said, ¡°How old is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ron, ¡°But he should be very old since he used to be my brothers.¡±

    ¡°What powers does he have?¡± asked the witch as she carefully observed him.

    ¡°Um¡­¡­..¡± Ron didn¡¯t know what to say, the reality was the rat had never shown the slightest trace of any interesting powers.

    The witch observed his torn ear, his missing toe which mad here Tutt loudly.

    ¡°He has been through a lot,¡± said the witch.

    ¡°He was like that when my brother gave him to me,¡± said Ron, defending himself.

    Harry nodded in agreement since he knew Ron¡¯s rat was always like this, it usually just slept, ate and slept some more without showing any abnormalities.

    ¡°You can¡¯t expect a normal rat or a garden rat like this one to live more than three years.¡± The witch then pointed to the ck rats in the cages beside him and said, ¡°If you want a more durable one, you might like one of those.¡±

    Ivan slightly snickered, he wondered if he told her that the rat who she said would only live for three years at max had lived in Ron¡¯s house for over ten, would she have been frightened.

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to rece it, try this rat tonic,¡± said the witch, she reached under the counter and pulled out a small red bottle.

    ¡°Okay, how much is¡­¡­.¡± said Ron, but before he finished he saw something huge and orange jump from the top cage andnd on his head.

    It was an odd-looking cat, very big, bandy-legged, ginger colored and had a squashed head.

    The cat then propelled itself towards Scabbers.

    ¡°No, Crookshanks, No¡± cried the witch.

    The rat slipped through her hands like a piece of slippery soap,nded on the floor and scampered for the door.

    ¡°Scabbers!¡± shouted Ron while rushing outside the shop, Harry soon followed.

    After Scabbers disappeared, Crookshanks turned docile, it turned its head and looked at Ivan, it wasn¡¯t as fierce as before perhaps it was because his animagus is a cat, Crookshanks took a liking to Ivan, it even took the initiative to lick his hand.

    It surprised the witch behind the counter, she had never seen Crookshanks take an interest in a witch or wizard before without out them taking the initiative.

    ¡°What a lovely creature, its fur is beautiful, isn¡¯t it, Ivan,¡± said Hermione as she squatted and petted Crookshanks.

    The cat was wary but it soon epted her.

    ¡°It fur is a very vibrant orange, it is like a big wool ball,¡± said Ivan while looking at the cat while thinking its face wasn¡¯t very pleasing to the eye.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided!¡± said Hermione as she held Crookshanks in her arms and stood up.

    ¡°What have you decided?¡±Ivan looked at the other in amazement, he had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to buy a cat so I decided to buy Crookshanks!¡± said Hermione while pointing to Crookshanks

    ¡°Buy this cat? But if you do, Ron will kill me,¡± said Ivan with a wry smile.

 Chapter 74 The night before School

    <h4>Chapter 74 The night before School</h4>

    When Ivan and Hermione came out with Crookshanks, Ron and Harry had just made it back.

    ¡°Oh, my God, Hermione how could you buy that monster?¡± said Ron in surprise.

    ¡°So what, Ivan and I thought he was cute,¡± answered Hermione with a smile.

    Seeing Harry and Ron look at him, Ivan quickly shook his head, their eyes then moved back to Hermione.

    ¡°Hermione, you can¡¯t buy him. I mean, what about Scabbers?¡± said Ron while pointing to his pocket, ¡°He needs rest and rxation, how can he rest and rx with that monster around?¡±

    ¡°That reminds me, I was going to help you buy the rat tonic but Ivan said he could make the potion. With that Scabbers would be better in a second.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, leave everything to me!¡± said Ivan as he patted his chest while thinking of a few interesting potions he was going to experiment with on Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°But if it weren¡¯t for your horrible idea, Hermione would have never bought a cat¡± Said Ron while looking at Ivan angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m not to me, I didn¡¯t insist on buying Crookshanks. The witch told Hermione it had been there for years.¡±

    ¡°Beside you who would¡­¡± said Ron sarcastically.

    ¡°Well, Ron!¡± Ivan hastily interrupted what he was about to say, ¡°Crookshanks will sleep in Hermione¡¯s room so there is not a chance it will be around Scabbers.¡±

    The debate concluded, they bought a few more things and returned to the Leaky Cauldron, the rest of the Weasley family had also returned.

    Everyone enjoyed the dinner that night, Tom had put three tables together for the Seven Weasleys, Ivan, Harry, and Hermione ate together.

    When everyone was trying to eat a luxurious chocte pudding, Mr. Weasley told everyone that the ministry would provide a couple of cars to take them to kings cross tomorrow.

    They were curious why the ministry would send cars to pick them up, especially Percy, he asked a lot of questions but Mr. Weasley gave him vague answers.

    Ivan noticed that Mr. Weasley¡¯s ears were red.

    It seems the disappearance of Sirius ck is making the ministry very nervous, they fear he might attack Harry.

    He wonders how many Aurors will escort them tomorrow.

    After they finished dinner it was already past ten o¡¯clock, everyone was exhausted. They went upstairs to their rooms to make sure they had all their supplies and to get ready for bed.

    Ivan went towards the bar to ask Old Tom for a cup of hot chocte but as he passed one of the rooms he heard two angry voicesing from a small room.

    He immediately knew it was Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, they were arguing over whether to tell Harry about Sirius ck, Mr. Weasley insisted that Harry should know everything, he shouldn¡¯t be treated like a child.

    Mrs. Weasly didn¡¯t want to increase Harry¡¯s mental burden.

    Ivan chuckled a little, he was the one with the greatest mental burden.

    Mrs. Weasley is right, sometimes knowing too much may be a horrible fate.

    Mr. and Mrs. Weasley kept going back and forth.

    ¡°Molly, you must know that Sirius ck is said to be insane but he was smart enough to escape Azkaban. That is something that cannot be done by ordinary people.¡± said Mr. Weasley with a deep tone, ¡°The ministry hasn¡¯t made any progress in finding him, the only thing we know for sure is what he is after.¡±

    ¡°Arthur, Hogwarts is the safest ce for Harry!¡±

    ¡°If ck can escape from Azkaban he can find a way into Hogwarts.¡± Mr. Weasley paused, ¡°The children are always sneaking off to y andst semester they even went into the Chamber of Secrets, they fought a basilisk and you know who. Think about it, if on that night the Knight bus didn¡¯t pick Harry up before the Ministry of Magic found him, he would have died already!¡±

    ¡°No one can be certain ck is after Harry.¡±

    ¡°Molly, how many times must I tell you. This wasn¡¯t reported in the paper because Fudge didn¡¯t allow it, the dementors told him that ck had been talking in his sleep for some time, he kept saying: He is at Hogwarts, he is at Hogwarts!¡± said Mr. Weasley uneasily, ¡°ck is out of his mind, Molly, he wants Harry dead!¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t feel like listening to their quarrel any longer. He tried to quietly sneak away. He didn¡¯t intend to disturb the Weasley because it would be too much of a pain. He then heard footstepse from the staircase behind him, someone wasing down.

    He hurried and changed into to his Animagus form, once he finished his transformation he saw it was Hermione who wasing back for a book she left on the table.

    Hermione heard the Weasley quarrel but she ignored it when she saw Ivan as a ck cat.

    Ivan tried to pretend to be a cat and slip past Hermione.

    Before he could react, Hermione came and held him in her arms.

    Ivan¡¯s face blushed red, his body became stiff, he could feel the warmth of her body and something soft. His thoughts went back tost year in the chamber of secrets where Hermione hugged him for an extended amount of time.

    He was so nervous, it felt like Hermione was hugging herself.

    It was clear that Hermione had not recognized that the ck cat in her arms was Ivan, she had just felt a sense of familiarity with the cat and unconsciously held him in her arms.

    To keep from eavesdropping on the Weasley¡¯s quarrel she decided to return to her room, she decided to look for her book tomorrow.

    Ivan didn¡¯t dare move, he was dragged by Hermione into her room.

    In the room, Crookshanks was lying on the bed, When it saw Ivan it jumped up and angrily growled at it, it acted like it would pounce at any second.

    Ivan quickly meowed a few times, he didn¡¯t want to get into a fight with Crookshanks.

    Crookshanks tilted its head and stared at Ivan for awhile, because of Ivan¡¯s cries, it seems Crookshanks recognized who Ivan was.

    Crookshanks calmed down and showed a little bit of intimacy.

    ¡°Get along with this little guy, Crookshanks!¡± Hermione looked at the both of them happily, ¡°I don¡¯t know whose pet this is, it¡¯s toote now, maybe I¡¯ll ask old Tom tomorrow.¡±

    Hermione rubbed Ivan¡¯s head, she then jumped down from the bed.

    ¡°Crookshanks, you need a bath before you go to bed and the little guy can get one with you,¡± said Hermione while smiling.

    In the next second, Ivan opened his eyes and saw Hermione undressing.

    ¡°God should I look or not,¡± thought Ivan, ¡°Wait she just said that she is going to give us a bath, does that mean¡­..¡±

    A few momentstter Ivan shook his head, he didn¡¯t dare think about it, he hurried out of the room when Hermione entered the bathroom. Crookshanks looked at Ivan strangely, it wondered why Ivan was in such a hurry to leave, he looked like a runaway.

    ¡°What a strange cat, didn¡¯t we agree to take a bath together?¡±

 Chapter 75 First Encounter with Dementors

    <h4>Chapter 75 First Encounter with Dementors</h4>

    Ivan ran back into his room at full speed, he made sure to remember to be careful with his animagus form from now on, he must not let Hermione find out it was him or the only thing waiting for him would be death.

    There was a noiseing from the room next door, Percy was looking for his head boy badge. He suspected that Ron had hidden it, When Ivan went upstairs earlier he saw that Fred and George took Percy¡¯s badge and changed it from head boy to bighead boy.

    He rolled over and gazed at the dimly lit ceiling, his thoughts soon drifted further and further away.

    The next morning, Ivan awoke and went downstairs to eat breakfast, everyone else was already up. Mr. Weasley was there reading the Daily Prophet while frowning and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were talking.

    Ivan walked up to his seat and heard Hermione talking to old Tom about the cat, he turned his head and acted like he knew nothing.

    On his left was Ron angrily talking about Percy with Harry.

    ¡°The sooner we get on the train, the better! At least at Hogwarts, I don¡¯t have to be around Percy all the time,¡± said Ron, ¡° He was using me of dropping tea on a picture of his girlfriend, Penelope.¡±

    Harry tried to persuade Ron to calm down while Fred and George who sat opposite of them were delighted, they giggled and congratted Ron for sessfully making Percy angry.

    Theughter of the two made Percy even more furious, he looked at them angrily, he then quickly ate his breakfast and took his belongings out of the bar.

    Then there was chaos, everyone was rushing to the ministry¡¯s car. Ivan saw Mr. Weasly call Harry to the corner and after a minute Harry came out with an ashen face.

    Hermione was still looking for the ck cat fromst night, Ivan hurried to help her with her luggage, Crookshanks was in a little wicker basket noisily meowing.

    After hearing Crookshanks cry, Ron unconsciously held Scabbers tightly.

    The journey to king¡¯s cross was safe, they arrived at the station twenty minutes early. The Ministry driver helped them find a trolly to push their luggage.

    Everyone went through the wall of tform nine and three quarters, this is Ivan¡¯s first time here, he was curious to see what it looked like. The tform was full of children, on the rack was an old-fashioned scarlet steam lotive bowling smoke.

    They went to the train, Mr. Weasley helped them load there luggage.

    They said goodbye to the Weasley couple and Mrs. Weasley kissed every child goodbye, Mr. Weasley was still whispering to Harry.

    Harry face looked confused and uneasy when the train started Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione, ¡°I need to talk to you in private!¡±

    ¡°Go away, Ginny!¡± Said, Ron, while waving her away.

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Ginny proudly while walking away, Ivan froze for a moment and followed.

    ¡°Ivan, you don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°You guys talk first, I have a few things to do, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t pause for a second, he knows what Harry was going to say but he had his own ns. If he was going to be easy to solve this year¡¯s series of events, Peter Pettigrew is much easier to deal with than Tom.

    He followed Ginny to apartment near the end. Colin and Neville were sitting in it, the two of them went in and greeted them.

    Colin excitedly told them about his summer vacation in the countryside, the Hogwarts Express steadily went forward, the scenery outside the window became more and more rustic but it also became darker.

    Knowing that Ivan was sitting here, people constantly came by and greeted him.

    Most of them were readers of the Hogwarts¡¯ Magic newspaper. It didn¡¯t take long before Luna came over and stuffed a quibbler into Ivan¡¯s hand, she told him it was thetest article about Snox.

    Although Ivan has repeatedly told Luna he isn¡¯t interested in Snox or anything like that, Luna still gives him each issue of the Quibbler.

    The sky outside was getting darker, it was starting to rain, the windows were fogging.

    The door was soon opened, in came three unweed guests, Malfoy came in followed by his two minions Goyle and Crabbe.

    As if they had just visited Harry¡¯spartment, Malfoy said in a long slow tone, ¡°Mudblood why aren¡¯t you sitting with Potter?¡±

    ¡°None of your business!¡± said Ivan softly, Neville, Colin, and Ginny nervously raised their heads.

    ¡°Potter has abandoned you, he must have be fed up with you and your stupid newspaper.¡± after Malfoy finished Crabbe and Goyleughed.

    ¡°Go away, you are not wee here!¡± shouted Ginny.

    ¡°Did you hear Ginny?¡± Ivan pulled out his wand and narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Or do you want me to experiment with a few new spells.¡±

    ¡°Pay attention to your tone mudblood or you¡­¡­..¡±

    He was interrupted when Harry, Ron, and Hermione came.

    ¡°Fuck off, Malfoy!¡± shouted Ron when he came in, ¡°We do not have time to listen to your nonsense.¡±

    Malfoy hesitated, he was now outnumbered, he involuntarily stepped back.

    Just then the train abruptly stopped.

    All the lights went out, they were thrown into utter darkness.

    ¡°Damn it, what happened?¡±

    Ivan heard Malfoy scream, there was constant movement of people outside.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± whispered Ivan, a light appeared on the tip of his wand.

    Thepartment temperature dropped more and more, it dropped until it felt like the artic.

    There was a strange noise outside, something was approaching. Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe hurried back into to thepartment.

    The door slowly opened, Ivan felt Hermione who was standing beside himself, hold his arm tightly, her body slightly trembled.

    He patted Hermione on the should, which gave the girl a little reassurance.

    The door waspletely opened, standing in the doorway, illuminated by the lighting charm of Ivan was a creature cloaked in ck and as tall as the ceiling.

    His face waspletely hidden under the hood, a hand stretched out from the cloak, the hand was gray, thin and filled with scabs, it was like something dead had rotted in water.

    The creature under the cloak seemed to fell the gazes of the several people. The thing under the hood took a long slow breath, it was as if it was trying to suck something out of the air.

    Several children in thepartment screamed, their voices seemed very depressing.

    Ivan tightened his grip on his wand, ¡°Dementors!¡±

 Chapter 76 Ivanâ€™s Patronus

    <h4>Chapter 76 Ivan¡¯s Patronus</h4>

    They felt a chill, it was like all the happiness was sucked away.

    Harry¡¯s face was pale, his expression was terrified, it was like he experienced the most horrific tragedy that has every befell man.

    Everyone froze, Harry fainted to the ground.

    Ron hurried to his side.

    Malfoy looked terrified, he didn¡¯t have a chance tough at Harry.

    ¡°Go away, We don¡¯t have what you seek!¡± said Ivan while trembling.

    Hering his words made the dementors pause. A rotten smell filled the air as the dementors turned to leave. Ivan breathed a sigh of relief.

    In the next second a clicking sound filled thepartment, Colin had pulled out his camera and taken a picture.

    The act seemed to have annoyed the dementors, it jerked forward.

    ¡°Expecto Patronum¡± shouted Ivan, he had studied the spell during his summer vacation for this unavoidable incident, Ivan tried to think of the happiest thing he could think of, A thin wisp of silver shot out from his wand and hovered like mist before him.

    His spell soon attracted another dementor, Ivan could feel his spell failing, he can¡¯t hold on much longer, behind him where nine people that looked like they were about to faint.

    The barrier was bing smaller and smaller, Ivan stepped back.

    He was panting violently, his wand hand was shaking.

    As the two dementors came closer, he could feel all the happiness fade.

    Ivan felt that his courage and hope were also fading, leaving only despair.

    Ivan tightly gripped his wand, Ivan had reached his limit, the silver barrier was full of cracks, it was constantly breaking and reforming. The light was bing dimmer, just when he thought it was all over, a hand suddenly helped him hold onto his wand.

    It was Hermione, her hand was cold to the touch.

    In the dark, Hermione courageously stood beside Ivan, the two people supported the light in the dark.

    Hermione might be cold but she sparked a fire within Ivan, his despair was burned away, only courage remained.

    The light from his wand grew stronger and stronger, the shield became wider. His Patronus was begining to take form, the animal looked familiar, the animal seemed familiar, Ivan¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°this¡­¡­..¡±

    In the next second, he saw a silver wolf knock the dementors down, it then disappeared without a trace.

    The lights were soon restored, and then a strange middle-aged man came in wearing an extremely shabby robe with patches in several ces. He looked very sickly and tired, his light brown hair was mingled with white.

    ¡°He is Professor Lupin, he was sleeping in thepartment we were in.¡± whispered Hermione, ¡°What were those creatures and what was the spell that you used? Why did I seem to see¡­..¡±

    ¡°It was the Patronus Charm!¡±

    Before Ivan could answer he heard Lupin, Lupin took out arge chunk of chocte from his bosom and divided it into small pieces.

    Ivan ate a little, he felt a warm sensation feel his body. He saw the other people scramble to wake Harry, Harry slowly opened his eyes.

    ¡°Harry, are you okay?¡± asked Ron nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay!¡± Harry looked at the door and saw the dementors had gone, he breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Where did those creatures go? And who was screaming just now?¡±

    ¡°Those creatures were warded off by Ivan and no one was screaming.¡±

    ¡°But I heard screams and saw a green light¡­¡± said Harry as he shook his head stubbornly.

    ¡°Harry, I think you should rest!¡±

    Lupin looked worried, he handed a particrlyrge piece of chocte to Harry, ¡°Here you go, eat it, It¡¯s good for you.¡±

    ¡°Professor, what were those things?¡± Harry didn¡¯t eat his chocte, he just looked at Lupin.

    ¡°They are Dementors from Azkaban!¡± Lupin crumpled the empty chocte wrapper and put it in his pocket, ¡°The fact is this little guy has done an excellent job before I got here. You need to eat the chocte now, I need to go talk to the driver!¡±

    Ivan saw Lupin exit thepartment and disappear down the hallway.

    By the time he turned his head back, everyone was staring at him, even Malfoy, Goyle, and Crabbe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, professor Lupin already told you they are Dementors, they are the guards of Azkaban.¡±

    ¡°Dementors, Azkaban!¡± said Harry, Harry raised his head awkwardly, ¡°Did anyone faint besides me?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Ron looked at Harry anxiously.

    Although everyone was afraid, no one fainted which made Harry face a little pale. He didn¡¯t understand why he felt so weak.

    Harry began to feel a little embarrassed.

    ¡°Ivan, what did you do to ward off the dementors, howe I saw¡­¡± whispered Hermione.

    ¡°Well, well, it was the..¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute Ivan!¡± Ron hurried and stopped Ivan, he turned his head and looked at Malfoy and the others, ¡°I don¡¯t think it is appropriate for Slytherin students to hear about such a good spell.¡±

    ¡°That is ridiculous, Weasley, do you think I would listen to a mud blood¡¯s nonsense.¡± Malfoy gaze slowly crossed a few faces before it finally fell on Harry, when it did it glowed with malice, ¡°Be careful, Potter and stop acting like a dazed child.¡±

    ¡°You wern¡¯t any better when the dementors came in, you started trembling.¡± Said Ron.

    ¡°Hum but at least I didn¡¯t faint!¡± muttered Malfoy, they left thepartment with their chocte.

    ¡°Well go on Ivan!¡±

    After Malfoy¡¯s departure, the atmosphere was much lighter.

    ¡°There isn¡¯t really a reason to keep this magic a secret, I just used the Patronus Charm. It is very unpopr but it is also very advanced magic, it can be used to resit the dementors. This was the first time I used is so it wasn¡¯t very powerful and I couldn¡¯t fully form the guardian. If you want to learn it I can teach it to you, In fact, I¡¯m going to put the instruction on how to use it in the newspaper so no one has to be afraid of the dementors.¡±

    Ivan had just finished when he suddenly thought of what kind of Guardian was forming, it seemed to¡­¡­¡­.

    He shook his head, it must have been an illusion, ¡°How can it be something like that.¡±

 Chapter 77 Opening Banque

    <h4>Chapter 77 Opening Banque</h4>

    t

    The cold rain poured down, everyone walked into the castle, everyone felt a sense of relief.

    The sent of food floated out from the Great Hall, it made all the young wizards fell happy.

    Ivan sniffed and rubbed his belly.

    It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t see the sorting ceremony or eatst year.

    As he was about to enter the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall¡¯s voice suddenly sounded out.

    ¡°Mason, Potter, and Granger, I want to see you three!¡±

    They turned their heads in surprise, they saw Professor McGonagalle over with a stern look, Ivan tried to think if he had done anything.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so sad, I just want to talk to you in my office.¡± She turned her head, ¡°Weasley, Creevey, you may go to the party first.¡±

    Ron and Colin stared at Professor McGonagall as she lead Ivan, Harry, and Hermione away.

    They walked to her office, it was a small room with a weing fire in the firece.

    The three of them were astonished to see that Madam Pomfrey was there waiting for them.

    ¡°Professor Lupin sent an owl, saying you passed out on the train, Potter.¡± Professor McGonagall looked worried, ¡°As for you, Mason, Lupin said that you used the Patronus Charm, which is incredible considering your age but the strain on your body must be immense.¡±

    ¡°No, Professor¡­¡­..¡±

    Before they could finish their words, they were interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

    ¡°You two!¡± said Madam Pomfrey in an enlightened voice, ¡°I thought¡­¡­¡­¡­You¡¯re not going to do anything dangerous like you did with the basilisk.¡±

    ¡°Dementors at Hogwarts,¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    They exchanged an inconspicuous wink and Madam Pomfrey exhaled a deep breath of cold air with an unfavorable giggle.

    ¡°Setting Dementors around the school.¡± muttered Madam Pomfrey while examining Ivan and Harry, ¡°He won¡¯t be thest one to copse. You are all mmy. They surely are terrible creatures, the effect they have on people who are already delicate¡­..¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not delicate!¡± said Harry angrily

    ¡°Of course you¡¯re not.¡± said Madam Pomfrey absentmindedly, ¡°You look good, what do you need, bed rest or¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°I think we are fine, I think I have a lot of happy things to remember. The spell wasn¡¯t as hard as I thought it would be,¡± said Ivan hastily.

    Since taking the potion, his mana has clearly increased by a good margin. The use of the Patronus charm is too much for a regr young wizard¡¯s body. Ivan was curious as to why he had started to form the guardian even though he couldn¡¯t remember anything happy in his mind.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need anything!¡± nodded Harry, ¡°Professor Lupin gave me some chocte and I feel much better now!¡±

    ¡°So we have a Professor who knows his remedies,¡± whispered Madam Pomfrey.

    After Ivan and Harry repeatedly insisted they were all right, they went out with Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall had something to say to Hermione.

    ¡°What does Professor McGonagall have to talk to Hermione about?¡± asked Harry curiously.

    ¡°It should be about some of her sses time conflicting so perhaps Professor McGonagall is persuading her to give up a few sses.¡± Said, Ivan, even though he knew Professor McGonagall is giving Hermione a time turner.

    He used one at the end ofst year but the time turner he used was made by Rowena Ravenw herself, it was powerful enough to bring him back a thousand years.

    Unfortunately, when he came back Ravenw didn¡¯t just say Merry Christmass take your stuff.

    Ivan thought there might be something else in the secret room he got the time turner but the basilisk was going to many different ces he couldn¡¯t be sure of its exact location. And he didn¡¯t have a clue where to find the secret treasures.

    As Ivan was in thought frowning, Hermione came out looking very happy, behind her was Professor McGonagall, she walked down the stairs to the Great hall with them.

    In the great hall was a sea of ck hats, each table was filled with student, thousands of candle lights shone on their faces, the candles were suspended in mid-air above the table. Professor Flitwick was walking out of the Great Hall with an old hat and a three-legged stool.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± said Ivan as he pped his forehead, ¡°I missed it two years in a row, how.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are very unlucky!¡± said Colin while looking at Ivan sympathetically.

    By the time Ivan sat down he noticed there were a few new faces at Gryfindor¡¯s table which should be the new first years.

    He doesn¡¯t know them but they seem to know him.

    They turned around and looked at Ivan and Harry, he told them a summary of what had happened on the train.

    The people where all very interested in the matter, whether it was Harry who had fainted or Ivan¡¯s use of Magic to defeat the Dementors.

    Perhaps after the story of ¡°Me and the Basilisk at Hogwarts,¡± will be ¡°Me and the Dementors at Hogwarts,¡± as long as it¡¯s in Lockhart¡¯s style it will be very popr.

    After a while a warm sound of apuse filled the great hall, he saw Hagrid¡¯s flushed face, he stood in the teacher¡¯s seat with his smile hidden by his messy ck beard.

    Dumbledore had just finished introducing the two new professors, Lupin was as expected a professor of defense against the dark arts and Hagrid was the professor of the care of magical creatures.

    Hagrid didn¡¯t have to say much since most of the students were already familiar with him.

    As for Professor Lupin, the students who had experienced the Dementors attack on the train apuded even though he was dressed very shabbily, everyone was delighted to finally have a proper Professor for defense against the dark arts.

    Even Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe apuded but they soon stopped.

    Ivan saw Snape staring at Professor Lupin.

    The expression on Snape¡¯s face seemed a little irritated, the look on his face wode make any person shudder.

    Next Dumbledore announced that the Ministry of Magic has stationed Dementors on the school grounds and everybody should stay clear of the dementors since they would take any action of not cooperation as provocation and attack.

    When Dumbledore finished, the atmosphere turned heavy.

 Chapter 78 Quiet and Warm

    <h4>Chapter 78 Quiet and Warm</h4>

    Soon the opening dinner was over, everyone was immersed in the news of the Dementors.

    Dementors are some of the evilest creatures known, they live in the darkest dirtiest ces, and suck all the joy from the air.

    If you get to close to dementors all your happy memories will vanish. You will only be left with the worst memories of your life.

    These horrible creatures have guarded Azkaban for years, they guard the most wicked dark wizards of the wizarding world.

    But now they are at Hogwarts, what shall happen now?

    Everyone seemed to realize something but no one wanted to think about it.

    Everone silently returned to theremon rooms, it was eerily quiet but Ivan did hear the asional small talk, Dementors, Azkaban, Sirius ck and Harry Potter¡¯s name were repeatedly mentioned. Quite a few people are keeping their distance from Harry especially those born from wizarding families, they must have heard something from their parents.

    The reason Sirius ck was arrested thirteen years ago was the furthest thing from a secret but no one wanted to talk about it.

    The Atmosphere was gloomy, everybodycked knowledge about the dementors. Ivan decided to strike the iron while it was hot, if the young wizards were so interested in Dementors, he might as well write a few introductory articles about them.

    He spoke to Colin and went directly to the library to find the information.

    In the library Madam Pince looked at Ivan suspiciously, she apparently had an impression of him.

    Last year, Ivan had looked at almost everything in the Library in a single year. He looked at the simplest spell to the most taboo one, the vast majority of information were things not meant for his age.

    Madam Pince shook her head, she thought while she was in her second year she could only cast simple spells like making her wand glow but this child¡­¡­

    She remembered the headmaster¡¯s reaction when she told Dumbledore about it.

    Dumbledore calmly told her to not bother with him and he even allowed the child to look at the books in the restricted section.

    Madam Pince thought Dumbledore might have lost his mind.

    She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he became a dark wizard in the future, look at the book he¡¯s reading it¡¯s all about the Dementors.

    When she saw the name of those vile creatures, she shivered, they were too scary. It is something a normal second year shouldn¡¯t look at.

    Ivan was clueless that the image in Madam Pince¡¯s eyes was one of a dark wizard.

    When he came back to themon room with over ten books everyone had already gone to their bedrooms except Hermione.

    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Hermione looked up at Ivan while pointing to a steaming ss and said, ¡°I heard from Colin that you went to the library to look for information on the dementors so I decided to wait for you for a while and I prepared some hot chocte for you!¡±

    ¡°Thank You!¡± said Ivan gratefully while taking a cup to drink, this is nice, after searching in the library for awhile anding back¡­¡­¡­.

    Before he swallowed it, he immediately spit it out, he wore a pained expression, there was no sugar in the hot chocte what so ever, the taste was extremely bitter.

    It seems Hermione expected this reaction, she smiled and said, ¡°When I need a bit of energy this helps me wake up!¡±

    She had the same stuff in her cup, it was already half drunk.

    Ivan forced himself to take a sip and swallow it but he couldn¡¯t, he saw Hermione organizing her schedule so he curiously asked, ¡°Hermione what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m redoing my schedule, you know, I have a lot of sses this semester, I¡¯m afraid¡­..¡±

    By the light of the fire, Ivan saw Hermione¡¯s full schedule.

    If he didn¡¯t know she had a time turner, he would have thought she had made a few mistakes.

    ¡°You have almost everything marked, don¡¯t push yourself Hermione!¡± said Ivan, ¡°Even if you have the help of a time-turner, you still shouldn¡¯t take so many lessons at the same time. With that workload, your body won¡¯t be able to handle it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I guess you should know, after all, you used onest year.¡± Hermione took a pocket watch out from her dress, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ivan, I¡¯ve had a thorough conversation with Professor McGonagall!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do, you will ignore your physical condition.¡± said Ivan hurriedly, ¡°Hermione, you are not like a ghost, you can¡¯t forgo sleep. In my view, there are some courses that you don¡¯t need at all. For example, Divination, Arithmancy, and Muggle studies will bepletely useless to you.¡±

    ¡°But it would be fascinating to study it from the viewpoint of the wizarding world,¡± said Hermione while looking at Ivan with a sincere face.

    ¡°Listen to me, you need to give up a few¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I want to a lest try!¡± insisted Hermione, ¡°You know we are muggle-born wizards, I want to prove that I¡¯m not any worse than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to prove anything, you¡¯re already the best!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not enough, Percy obtained top grades in twelve owls andpared to you, I¡¯m¡­¡­¡± Hermione¡¯s voice was getting lower.

    The atmosphere became silent, the two people didn¡¯t speak.

    Crookshanks was grooming himself in front of the firece.

    ¡°Well, if you insist.¡± sighed Ivan, ¡°But you have to promise me you will take good care of yourself, okay?¡±

    Hermione nodded with a red face, she felt a bad vibe, Ivan was a little bit like¡­.

    She hurriedly said to Ivan, ¡°Well, have you found any books about the Dementors?¡±

    ¡°Every book on Dementors is right here in this pile, I need to write a topic on dementors so are you ready to help?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± nodded Hermione.

    The silvery moonlight slowly crept in and illuminated themon room while the fire was silently burning.

    The Gryffindorsmon room was serene while the Dementors were roaming the grounds of the school.

    Ivan and Hermione studied everything about the Dementors, their habits, their ways of attacking, their histories, and the ways to defeat them.

    ¡°The Patronus Charm is used by thinking of the happiness thing one can think of.¡±

    With her finger on the contents of the book, Hermione softly said, ¡°When the spell is at its most powerful, it can summon the guardian, and each person¡¯s guardian is unique, a guardian generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity.¡±

    Hermione read, ¡°a guardian generally takes the shape of the animal with whom they share the deepest affinity.¡± she kept looking at those words and said, ¡°Ivan, I remember the Guardian you summoned on the train¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it, Hermione!¡± Ivan¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall on the firece where Crookshanks has been sleeping, he stared at it for a while, he slowly exined, ¡°It must have just been a coincidence, just that!¡±

    ¡°Ok?¡± said Hermione

    Thepartment was dim and Ivan¡¯s Patronus was shing so Hermione was unsure if she had seen it correctly, perhaps it was just a coincidence.

 Chapter 79 Omen of Death

    <h4>Chapter 79 Omen of Death</h4>

    Happiness always fades, the dementors have brought panic, despair spread throughout the castle followed by a horrible thing.

    The first thing was Divination ss, Ivan witnessed the entire thing.

    Because there wasn¡¯t any ss in the morning for the second years, he followed Harry to divination ss for the third years.

    To be honest, Ivan has always been interested in divination and Professor Trwney.

    In the past when he read the books, Trwney¡¯s prophecy was very urate, Harry¡¯s fate was determined from the very beginning.

    But Professor Trwney¡¯s actual performance was disappointing to Ivan.

    If most people are afraid of the unknown, Professor Trwney is afraid of the future, the first divination lesson was spent intimidating people.

    She made a horrible prediction about everyone in the room, the first to be killed is Neville, Professor Trwney brought up his grandmother for no reason, this made Nevile and the whole ss paranoid.

    Next was Parvati Patil she cautioned her to beware of the red-haired man.

    She then told the ss that a vicious flu would force sses to be disrupted in February.

    After she said her words, the ss was tense and silent.

    Ivan wasn¡¯t surprised when Hermione stormed out, Professor Trwney¡¯s divinations were more like a curse than a prophecy.

    If it wasn¡¯t for being polite, he would go now.

    If Professor Trwney didn¡¯t enter a certain state she was nothing more then a deranged liar. As she has said, if you do not have the sight little progress will be made in divination.

    Maybe Professor Trwney has actually seen something but Ivan would bet it would most likely be nonsense.

    Ivan paired with Hermione in the subsequent deviation.

    They mixed up their tea, followed Professor Trwney¡¯s instructions and then dried the tea leaves and exchanged cups.

    ¡°You know what Ivan,¡± said Hermione while staring at the tea leaves, ¡°It makes me feel stupid predicting fate with tea leaves.¡±

    ¡°Yeah I know.¡± nodded Ivan, he then saw Professor Trwneye closer so he hurriedly said, ¡°But we better follow the book and see what they mean.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­¡­¡± Hermione frowned, ¡°It looks like a bug but I¡¯m not sure or maybe it looks like¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me see boy,¡± they passed the cup to the Professor, her face immediately revealed a panicked expression, ¡°It is a spider.¡±

    ¡°It means your n will be frustrating.¡± Professor Trwney whispered to Ivan, ¡°And you¡¯d better watch out for this creature, I see doom in your teacup.¡±

    ¡°Yes?!¡± Hermione stood behind Professor Trwney and said in an unfavorable tone, ¡°From my point of view it is like a sun in the book it means happiness, so it seems Ivan will have good luck.¡±

    Ivan looked nervously at the two of them talking about the cups, they acted as if it would really determine their destiny.

    Whether it is bad luck or good fortune, he dares not say.

    But he couldn¡¯t see why he had to fear a spider, the only spider that he had to fear in Hogwarts is probably the giant ones in the forest and he doesn¡¯t have a reason to go there this year.

    Is his n going to be frustrating, Ivan frowned.

    Next was Ron and Harry who were sitting by themselves, they burst intoughter which attracted Professor Trwney¡¯s attention.

    She came over and quickly snatched the teacup from Ron¡¯s hand.

    Everyone was quiet and focused on Professor Trwney, who stared at the tea leaves.

    ¡°It is a Falcon, my dear, you have a deadly enemy,¡± whispered Trwney.

    ¡°But everybody knows that.¡± muttered Hermione, ¡°Everyone knows Harry and you know who¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°This is not a lucky teacup, she turned the cup again, your future will be dangerous.¡±

    Everyone gaped at Trwney, who turned the teacup again, she suddenly gasped and screamed. She then sat in an empty chair, her hands were over her heart and her eyes were closed.

    ¡°My dear child, my poor, dear child! No, I shouldn¡¯t say it, don¡¯t ask me anything¡­¡­..¡±

    ¡°What the matter, Professor?¡± Everyone stood up and slowly gathered around Harry and Ron¡¯s table to seel the tealeaves clearly.

    ¡°Well, it looks like a donkey,¡± said Hermione hesitantly.

    ¡°That is a grim,¡± said Professor Trwney while opening her eyes, ¡°Poor boy, you have a Grim.¡±

    Her words seemed to bewilder the children in the ss.

    ¡°Excuse me, professor, what do I have?¡± asked Harry

    ¡°Grim, what is a Grim.¡± Seeing that Harry didn¡¯t understand caused Trwney to exim, ¡°The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen ¨C the worst omen ¨C of death!¡±

    Harry¡¯s face was unnatural he recalled the big dog on the cover of and the dog that he had seen on the street.

    He turned his head and looked at Ivan who had also seen the dog.

    ¡°You think it was a Grim, it was just a stray dog. I¡¯ve seen it and if bad luck is contagious¡­¡¯

    Hearing Ivan¡¯s words made everyone involuntarily step backward, they were afraid of them both. Ivan tried not tough, it was really fascinating to be suddenly so frightening, no wonder Professor Trwney loves it.

    Hermione gave Ivan a nasty stare, she went toward Professor Trwney¡¯s chair and said, ¡°Professor, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an omen.¡±

    Professor Trwney surveyed Hermione and said ¡°Forgive me for saying so but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.¡±

    Professor Trwney looked at Hermione and Ivan with displeasure, she was dissatisfied with the panic they had created.

    Trwney said in a vague voice, ¡°I think we will leave the lesson here for today, please pack away your thing¡­¡±

    Silently the ss took their teacups back to Professor Trwney, packed away their books, and closed their bags, even Ron didn¡¯t dare meet Harry¡¯s eyes.

    Everyone was thinking about what the professor had said.

    Hermione seemed to want to continue the debate, Ivan hurried out of the ssroom.

    Only Harry and Ron were left in the corridor.

    Ivan¡¯s bad luck is contagious and makes everyone nervous.

    They all lowered their heads and ran down the stairs at full speed, it was as if they had the gue.

    Ivan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were left standing alone, they watched as people fled from them, no knew what to say.

    A secondter, Ivan looked back and saw Hermione was now gone.

 Chapter 80 - Blood Omen

    <h4>Chapter 80 ¨C Blood Omen</h4>

    Harry and Ron then rushed to Transfiguration ss, and Ivan went to Charms ss.

    Withing a few minutes, what happened in Divination had been spread throughout Hogwarts, and Ivan immediately paid for his bad jokes.

    In the second year of Charms, no one except Colin and Ginny was willing to approach him.

    Professor Flitwick exined the levitation spell on the podium, and the students ate the desks were absent-minded. Form time to time, some people cast sneaky eyes on Ivan. They all heard about Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy.

    Of course, the Grimm in Harry¡¯s teacup was death, and if bad luck is contagious, then the next must be Ivan who also had an unexpalianed omen.

    But then again?

    All the young wizards took a sniff of air and tried to shrink their bodies back.

    Ivan had never known before that wizards were so superstitious, they clearly have strong powers, but they are afraid of a ck stray dog.

    Ginny exined the ominous meaning to Ivan and Colin. She said he uncle had once seen one before and he died after 24 hours.

    Seeing her face, it seems as if she is worried that Harry might fall at any moment.

    When they arrived at the auditorium for lunch, Ivan saw Harry and Ron equally grieved, Hermione was filled with disdain.

    ¡°Ron, please, you are scaring Colin and Ginny!¡± Hermione pushed a saucer to him and turned to exin, ¡°McGonagall just told us in ss about Omens of Death are Professor Trwney¡¯s favorite way of weing new students, she predicts a student¡¯s death every year, but the uracy rate is zero.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Hermione!¡± Ron muttered, scooping a handful of snacks onto his te and slowly said, ¡°Harry and Ivan have seen one. It¡¯s really, really bad!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything bad. If those people see omens, then they are scared to death. Then the omen is not a harbinger, but the cause of death!¡± said Hermione with a sense of superiority, ¡°Think of Trwney¡¯s other prediction, she told Ivan to be care with spiders!¡±

    Ron wrinkled his nose in uneasy, because what he feared most was spiders.

    ¡°She was right, we really should be careful of spiders. I mean, Harry¡¯s omen in the teacup is clear.¡± Ron said fiercely, ¡°ept the truth Hermione! Professor Trwney said that your aura is not right, and you just don¡¯t like what you can not do.¡±

    As soon as his voice fell, Hermione dropped on the table her Arithmetic book, an the action was so heavy that the minced meat and carrots went everywhere.

    ¡°If Divinations is good, it means that I must pretend to see scorpions, spiders, or death in tea dregs. I haven¡¯t learned this lesson yet! Compared to my arithmetic ss, this ss ispletely rubbish!¡±

    Under the gaze of the others, she grabbed her bag and left the auditorium.

    ¡°What is she talking about ?¡± Ron smiled uneasily. ¡°Her arithmetic ss hasn¡¯t started yet.¡±

    ¡°Hermione was just worrying about me and Harry. You didn¡¯t want us to see a dog and then die?¡± Ivan said, stuffing the pie into his mouth.

    ¡°Of course not, but . . . it¡¯s really, really bad!¡± Ron grimly replied.

    His prediction seems to have been verified or that this is the second sign.

    At four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, just outside of the History of Magic ssroom, Ivan saw Hagrid hurrying past him with Malfoy. Malfoy had a deep, long gash in his arm, and the blood flowed out dripping onto the floor, and many Slytherin students followed.

    The second years who had juste out of the ssrooms were all stunned. They opened their mouths in surprise and did not know what happened.

    It was Harry who had the Omen of Death. Why would Malfoy be injured?

    Things passed quickly afterwards, Malfoy was attacked by Hagrid¡¯s hippogriff.

    If you want to ask why there was a hippogriff in the ss? That is because it was Hagrid¡¯s first ss of Care for Magical Creatures, and in order to leave a deep impression on everyone, he brought 12 hippogriffs to ss.

    Not surprisingly, this lesson ended inplete failure. Although he saw Madame Pomfrey cure Malfoy in only a minute, he still looked pale and said that his arm hurt and his mouth screamed something about telling his father to get Hagrid fired.

    If not for too many people being around, Ivan would have given him a ¡°Silencing¡± curse.

    After about five minutes, Snape rushed in and he nced at Ivan. Ivan then left the school hospital.

    A momentter, Hagrid walked out from the inside with a look of defeat.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is a new record, Ivan!¡± he said frustratingly. ¡°I think they haven¡¯t seen it before. They just spent a day teaching. I crewed everything up. Professor Snape said I shouldn¡¯t have made my first ss about Hippogriffs, and he said he would report this to Dumbledore and the School Board.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you. I heard all about it. It¡¯s all Malfoy!¡±

    ¡°No, its because I¡¯m too aggressive. I should have spent some time to do Flobberworms or something else than taken out the Hippogriffs. I thought I could make the first lesson fun.¡± Hagrid pulled out his hand to wipe his eyes.

    ¡°Anyways, I¡¯m hear for you Hagrid!¡± Ivan sighed. He didn¡¯t know how tofort a person. ¡°If there¡¯s any trouble,e to me for help.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I feel better.¡± Hagrid said.

    Then he walked out of the castle, wiping his tears away, and Ivan looked at him with worry.

    He went to the Main Hall to eat dinner and returned to themon room. He never saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They didn¡¯t know what to do. He say absent-mindedly in front of the fire and discussed with Colin about Charms today.

    After it got dark, the three of them hurried back.

    They just went to see Hagrid . After the farewell with Ivan, Hagrid went back to his cabin and drank alot. When they arrived, he was drunk and lying on the ground. His cheeks still full of tears.

    This is not the worst yet, Hagrid received a letter from the school board. It said that Lucius Malfoy officially filed aint with the board and the Ministry with this matter. It seems that is is convince to get Hagrid fired.

 Chapter 81 - Omens of Despair

    <h4>Chapter 81 ¨C Omens of Despair</h4>

    It was not until Wednesday morning that Malfoy reappeared at the Slytherin table. When he entered the Main Hall the the Slytherin¡¯s table started to cheer. His right arm was wrapped in a bandage and hung from his neck with a sling, like a hero who survived a terrible battle.

    When they saw him like this, Harry and Ron looked disdainful, but Malfoy himself was proud, and he provoked them with a grimace.

    Harry turned his head to the side and tried hard to restrain himself, and acted as if he had not seen Malfoy¡¯s provocation. He found that everyone beside him looking down at the Daily Prophet.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Harry asked strangely.

    ¡°It¡¯s about Sirius ck¡¯stest news!¡± Hermione whispered and put a newspaper in front of him.

    Harry saw that it read: ck was seen by a Muggle somewhere not far from Hogwarts. When the Ministry of Magic arrived, he had left and is currently in the process of tracking him down.

    Presumably, Sirius ck is trying to enter Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    Harry swallowed. What did Sirius ck want in Hogwarts? Did he really want to kill him, as Mr. Weasley said?!

    At the thought of being hunted by such a madman, Harry suddenly lost his appetite and made him feel sick. He wanted to rely on the Dementors outside the castle to protect him.

    ¡°It¡¯s terrible. He¡¯s has been seen somewhere not far from here!¡± Ron said worriedly. ¡°This ck, how did he escape the Dementors?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a Patronus Charm?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. He doesn¡¯t have a wand. there are two hundred Dementors outside.¡± Hermione said quickly. ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±

    Seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione whispering in silence, Ivan did not participate in their discussion. The question he now needs to consider is how to control Peter Pettigrew and get in touch with Sirius ck.

    These two things are easy to say, but they are full of difficulties.

    The simplest method is undoubtedly to go to Dumbledore and tell him that Ron¡¯s rat is the Animagus Peter Pettigrew, and that Dumbledore¡¯s wily ns will be able to get through the incident as long as he get the news.

    The problem is that this is the same asst year¡¯s handling of Tom Riddle¡¯s diary book. Ivan doesn¡¯t know how to exin to the other that Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew.

    Obviously knowing everything, yet not being able to do anything is a very bad feeling.

    Ivan sighed, as it seems that he will have to rely on himself. Sirius ck wasn¡¯t an urgent matter. He needed to control Peter. He then remembered a useful potion in Power of Medicine.

    As Ivan contemted his thoughts, Malfoy suddenly cam over to the table and stood behind Harry with a malicious re in his eyes.

    ¡°Have you seen your pal Hagridtely?¡±

    No one bothered with him, Harry and Ron held their fists and tried hard to restrain themselves.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity, I¡¯m afraid he can¡¯t be a teacher anymore.¡± Malfoy pretended to be sad and said, ¡°My dad was very upset about my injuries!¡±

    ¡°before I tten you, go away, Malfoy,¡± Ron growled.

    ¡°If I were you, I would not be so impulsive. It would not be any good for you and you good pal, Hagrid. You will know immediately. . .¡± Malfoy¡¯s eyes fell on the newspaper Harry had in his hands, ¡°How about it Potter, do you want to single-handedly try to catch ck?¡±

    ¡°What does this have to do with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, if I was you . . .¡± Malfoy¡¯s thin lips bent into a humble smile, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be such a good school boy, I would go and find him everywhere?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about Malfoy?¡± said Ron harshly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know Potter?¡± Malfoy¡¯s pale eyes froze, and he made a lowugh, ¡°If I was you I would chose revenge. I would find him myself.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you trying to say?¡± Harry said angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m really disappointed. You may not want to risk your life. Probalbly hoping the Dememtors will deal with him. Isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    ¡°Malfoy, if you have anything to say, speak now or just get sent flying.¡± Ron pulled his wand out.

    ¡°Five Points from Gryffindor!¡± Snape stepped forward without a word, and said, with a sly grin, ¡°Weasley, put your wand away. I don¡¯t want to see you throwing up slugs everywhere.¡±

    Ron¡¯s face flushed and Malfoy smirked and followed Snape away.

    ¡°Abhorrent, Snape¡¯s deductions. Obvioulsy it was Malfoy who came to provoke us and said something he didn¡¯t understand.¡± said Ron irritably.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t give him a chance. Snape just stared at us. He just waited for you to show a w,¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°He wants to deduct points and he can just find an excuse.¡± Ron picked up his schoolbag. ¡°There are two full potions this morning. I hope it¡¯s not too difficult. (Note: FLAG)

    In fact, the third year potions ss was a disaster. Harry and Ron had to cut materials for Malfoy all ss. Snape threatened to poison Neville¡¯s pet toad unless he could fix his antidote. (Note: Called it)

    Finally, with Hermione¡¯s help, Neville¡¯s antidote was sessful, but Snape still took away five points, on the grounds that the cockroach was not dead. (Note: Didn¡¯t know they could die)

    All the students thought that this was them enduring Snape to the extreme, but this is obviously not the limit for Snape.

    Soon, everyone would know what despair really was this may be the third omen.

    The incident took ce in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss in the afternoon. Prof. Lupin brought them a Bogut. This kind of dark creature was able to transform. It looks into a person¡¯s heart and bes the thing you fear most.

    Ivan didn¡¯t know what other people were afraid of but Neville¡¯s fear in the world was Snape.

    With Lupin¡¯s encouragement, Neville used a spell to turn Snape into a funny image: He wore a long,ce dress, a witches hat with a stuffed old eagle, which was moth eaten, and he held a huge, scarlet handbag in its hands.

    This story spread widely all over the school very quickly.

    The Gryffindor studentsughed for a whole night and the revenge that followed Snape, everyone soon couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Now when hearing Professor Lupin¡¯s name, Snape¡¯s eye shed with threatening brilliance; he bullied Neville more than ever before.

    In the second years potion ss, Snape walked around at each Gryffidor student in a gloomy way and deducted points when ever.

    Lesson than an hourter, he had deducted more than fifty points and sessfully caused three girls to cry. (Note: No wonder he is still single)

    In this ss, no one seeded inpleting their potions except for Ivan.

    Snape just nced at Ivan and ignored him. He satirically satirized the others andid out a lot of homework. Which was almost impossible toplete.

    As for the poor Bogut, Ivan heard that Snape used a spell to blow it up and kill itpletely. (Note: RIP Bogut)

    Ivan felt sorry for this, he also wanted to see what his innermost fear was.

 Chapter 82 - The Beginning of Fear

    <h4>Chapter 82 ¨C The Beginning of Fear</h4>

    Under the impetus of several things in session, Hogwarts was caught in a strange and depressing atmosphere at the beginning of the new semester.

    Ivan had a felling that several people around him were being slowly crushed.

    The first was Neville, what waspletely scared by Snape.

    In the third potions ss for third years, he was give detention by Snape for a full two months on the grounds that he did not peel the figs and just threw them in the cauldron. But in fact everyone knows what is going on and that Snape is out for revenge. from then on, as soon as Neville saw Snape, he would involuntarily turn pale and cold.

    Followed next was Hagrid, who seemed to be losing confidence.

    In the Care for Magical Creatures ss, students were learning how to care for Flobberworms in one lesson. The existence of such a creature is almostpletely meaningless. In addition to eating, they always stay still and do nothing.

    Once again, Harry, he is now inreasingly afraid of divinations.

    Professor Trwney always looked at him with tearful eyes. Unpredictable prophecies spread through out the school. No matter who he was, whenever they spoke to Harry, their voices became softer, as if he was on his death bed.

    In addition, he has to worry about going to Hogsmeade. Professor McGonagall refused to sign his application. This means he is likely to be the only third year not to visit Hogsmeade.

    Even more worried than him was Colin and Ginny.

    Theypletely believed Professor Trwney¡¯s prediction. In their eyes, Ivan and Harry may die at any time. Therefor the two collected a lot of things that could allegedly ward off evil spirits and curses. Most of them were the popr items used during the basilisk attacks.

    As for Hermione, she also became more and more nervous.

    This is mainly because she has chosen to many sses causing her body and mind to be overloaded for a long time and her limit being reached. Ivan say her bag packed with more than 10 books every day. He wondered whether Hermione would faint if this was to continue.

    Finally, Ron, he was always suspicious.

    After several attempts by Crookshanks to attack Scabbers, he was ready for the cat. he showed everyone that Scabbers was getting skinnier and skinnier.

    In Ivan¡¯s eyes, the reason why Scabbers looked like this had nothing to do with Crookshanks.

    Peter Pettigrew surely knew that the real reason for ck¡¯s escape was to find revenge. After all, he had betrayed the Potters. He was scared, and as ck got closer to Hogwarts, panic rose in his brain.

    He wanted to run away but he didn¡¯t know where to go.

    Hogwarts was currently the safest ce. After all, there were so many terrifying dementors keeping watch. It stands to reason that ck has no reason to try to break in, but since he had broken out of Azkaban, entering Hogwarts was only a matter of time.

    The mental suffering made Peter worried.

    In fact, it is not just them. Ivan was also busy at this time.

    In addition to preparing newspaper articles, he focused his energy on the preparation of potions, which he prepared for the Peter Pettigrew. He put a tracking agent in the ¡°Strength Elixer¡±. As long as Peter took the drug, with in a certain range, he would be able to sense his potion with a certain spell.

    In this way, you would have to worry about him bing a mouse and running away.

    Ivan¡¯s n is to mix this tracker into the rat tonic, and Ron will make Scabbers drink it. The only problem now is that it is too time consuming to make the potion. Even though he has made adequate preparations, he wouldn¡¯t be able toplete the potion until the eve of Halloween at the earliest.

    Harry had sent off Ron and Hermione to Hogsmeade on the eve of Halloween.

    Ivan rejected Colin¡¯s suggestion to y wizard chess. He ran to the eighth floor of the castle alone. After making sure that no one was paying attention to him, he quickly walked back and forth three times before entering the room.

    The room he requested was was simr to Snape¡¯s office. The central table was full of ssware of various shapes, two metal cauldrons and a heating device. The cabs on both sides were filled with potion materials.

    These thing were all bought by Ivan in Diagon Alley. Sincest year, he has been here to make the medicines he needs, review the contents in advance, and so on.

    After a long time, Ivan¡¯s technique has be very skillful.

    He ced the prepared materials in the order ording to to the ¡°Strength Potion.¡±

    After about five hours, he finally finished the preparations for the potion. He blended it with his own tonic. The potion showed a dark red color, exactly the same as the rat tonic used during the holidays. Ivan satisfied with the drug, bottled it and went down to the Great Hall to the Halloween Party that had already begun.

    The Great Hall was filled with Jack-o-Lanterns, a group of fluttering bats and many me filled orange streamers. They floated under the ceiling like brilliant water snakes.

    The food at the banquent was very delicious. Everyone looked happy.

    Since the start of the school year, the atmosphere of tension was swept away, and Harry seemed to have forgotten the damn prophecy. Hermione is finally not thinking about studying. After Ivan gave Ron the ¡°rat tonic¡±, the other person¡¯s mood gradually improved. No longer worrying about Scabbers.

    Everything was going well. Even Hagrid, who had not been there recently, sat happilyin the hall.

    The dinner ended with the entertainment provided be the ghosts. The ghosts suddenly appeared throught walls and tables and made a parade. Gryffindor¡¯s ghost, Nearly Headless Nick, sessfully reproduced his murder.

    Everyone felt that they had enjoyed a pleasent evening, but less than ten minutester, everything reversed.

    Some of the joy umted duringthe party disappeared and panic re-entered the castle.

    When the whole thing happened, Ivan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin and Ginny were walking slowly back to Gryffindor¡¯s Tower along the usual route.

    When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found that the corridor was full of people.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, whe doesn¡¯t anyone go in?¡± Colin asked curiously.

    ¡°Maybe they forgot their passwords?¡± Ron said with a smile.

    How is this possible? It is impossible for some many people to forget the password. Ivan saw Peeves jumping on the crowd¡¯s heads. he is very happy. Suddenly this is a bad feeling. Peeves only like destruction. And the scenes of sadness will only reveal this expression. It will not be . . .

    Wading through the crowd, Professor Dumbledore, who got the news, hastily arrived. He rushed to the portrait of the Fat Lady. The students crowded together to give him room. Ivan, leaned a bit closer, to see what was.

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Hermione suddenly shouted, clutching Ivan¡¯s arm. (Note: Hey now don¡¯t get too close)

    Before them, the protrait of the Fat Lady was maliciouly vandalized. Portrait, small pieces of canvas, were everywhere andrge canvas was torn from the frames.

    ¡°Professor McGonagall, go to Filch immediately and tell him to look for the Fat Lady in each of the paintings in the castle.¡± Dumbledore said quickly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be luck!¡± Peeves grinned.

    ¡°What do you mean, Peeves?¡± asked Dumbledore calmly.

    ¡°Sorry Headmaster!¡± Peeves smile faded a bit. He dared notugh at Dumbledore. Instead, he turned to a slick tone. ¡°She didn¡¯t want to be seen. She was messed up. I saw her running through thendscape on the Fifth floor, sir. Hiding in the middle of the trees, she cried and said something terrible.¡±

    ¡°Poor thing.¡± Peeves added one sentence, but it meant nothing to others.

    ¡°Who did she say?¡± asked Dumbledore quietly.

    ¡°Oh, say, Professor!¡± Peeves was like holding a bomb in his arms. ¡°She didn¡¯t let him in. He is very annoyed. You understand. He is bad-tempered. Sirius ck!¡±

 Chapter 83 - Second Contact with Stray Dogs

    <h4>Chapter 83 ¨C Second Contact with Stray Dogs</h4>

    Hearing Peeves, everyone sucked in a breath. Sirius ck actually broke into the castle and tried to enter Gryffindormon room.

    This is terrible. Fortunately, it is now the eve of Halloween and everyone was not in the tower.

    Professor Dumbledore asked all students to return to the Great Hall immediately. To ensure safety, the faculty would conduct a thorough search of the castle. Ivan hurried downstairs with the others, and everyone whispered about what just happened.

    ¡°You said that ck is still in the castle?¡± Hermione asked anxiously, whispering.

    ¡°Look at Dumbledore¡¯s meaning. He obviously thinks that way.¡± Ron whispered, ¡°I want to say that he picked tonight. Its really our luck.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Colin¡¯s uneasy nodded, he looked around nervously, as if Sirius ck was hiding in a corner, ready to rush out.

    ¡°I guess he has been confused because he¡¯s been fleeing. He didn¡¯t think that today is Halloween. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t havee in.¡±

    Ron¡¯s words won everyone¡¯s approval. In addition, everyone asked each other the same question: How did hee in?

    ¡°Perhaps he knows how to disapparate?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. As long as you have read the book ¡°A History of Hogwarts¡±, you would know that it is not only protected by walls.¡± Hermione quickly says, ¡°The castle has been enchanted to prevent outsiders from sneaking in. It¡¯s impossible to get in through apparating. Moreover, I¡¯d like to see what kind of enchantment can fool the dementors. These guys guard every entrance, it they fly in, they will see. Filch knows all the secret passages and they have sealed these passages!¡±

    (Tn: You know know if I had a dor every time I have heard Hermione exin about this concept and about how Ron and Harry never read History of Hogwarts, I would probably be a millionaire. Just saying.)

    ¡°Who knows, this is Sirius ck after all. Second only to He-Who-Must Not- Be-Named.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose nervously his eyes fixed on the girl¡¯s bathroom at the end of the third floor corridor. He remembered the nightmare experience fromst year.

    (Note: Has any one else noticed that everything seems to happen on the third floor?)

    Harry looked pale after Ron, and couldn¡¯t see any blood on his face. ck had entered the castle to kill him. This feeling was bad enough.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be happy, no matter what trick ck yed he would have been discovered by Dumbledore. What do you think, Ivan?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Ivan said.

    He stared out the narrow window on the left side of the hallway. and his sight fell on thewn out side the castle. There was a huge ck dog covered with rough hair, Sirius ck! Not far from ck¡¯s side, is a ginger-colored Crookshanks, both of which were sneaking across thewn.

    What seemed to feel like it, ck suddenly looked back and looked in that direction.

    The next second, following Ivan¡¯s gaze, Harry also saw the two creatures on thewn. He ran to the window and widened his eyes.

    ¡°Guys look outside, do you see it, the big ck dog?¡±

    ¡°Harry, you aren¡¯t seeing the Grimm again??¡± Ron said uneasily and he mumbled vaguely, ¡°Its the damn cat!¡±

    ¡°You mean Crookshanks!¡± Hermione followed, worried, and said, ¡°What is Crookshanks doing outside the castle, and ck may be in the school.¡±

    ¡°Please Hermione, ck will not kill a cat. The purpose of entering into the castle is to. . .¡± Ron stopped suddenly and stared at Harry nervously.

    Harry didn¡¯t seem to understand what he meant. He said eagerly, ¡°That dog, it was just around Crookshanks. Didn¡¯t any of you see it?¡±

    ¡°Outside is so dark, you may be wrong. Maybe it¡¯s just a big tree or a stone or something.¡± Ron swallowed and he saw everyone else staring at him.

    ¡°Impossible, Ivan, did you see it?!¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t answer. He secretly calcted the distance from the outsidewn.

    As long as you are fast enough, it¡¯s not toote to get in in touch with the other person.

    ¡°You go first, I¡¯ll go to the toilet!¡± Ivan said hurriedly.

    With a surprised gaze from the others, he turned another corridor and ran towards the castle gates.

    When it was decided that no one was around, he said, ¡°Animagus!¡± When his voice fell, Ivan¡¯s body quickly turned into a ck cat. He crossed the deep marble hall with a fast speed. Silently slipped out the castle.

    The cold winds of the night greeted Ivan and blew at him.

    Tonight¡¯s Hogwarts Castle is particrly gloomy. Under the dim moonlight, strand statues on the ground revealed something strange. A few bats glided past from low altitudes, and from time to time, owl hoots rang into the ears.

    In the distance around the walls, the shadow of the dementor is looming, where thend has been ridiculed and all nts are gradually withering.

    ck could not go in the direction of the walls. Ivan hurriedly turned to look at the side of the Forbidden Forest. By the moonlight, he saw the big dog and Crookshanks disappearing in the shadow of the Forbidden Forest. Ivan rushed to catch up.

    Just as he entered the shadows, a figure rushed out behind a tree.

    It was a surprise attack!!

    Ivan felt the warm air around him and looked up to see Sirius, the big dog Sirius, growling with a row of fierce one inch teeth. With a bang, ck threw himself on him with a powerful impact.

    Ivan fell and his body rolled back across thewn until he hit a tree and stopped.

    He dazed and felt that his ribs seemed to be broken.

    He wanted to stand up, but ck did not give him the chance. He stared at Ivan fiercely, growled and rushed again.

    Looking at the huge figure getting closer and closer, Ivan hurriedly undid the Animagus transformation, and at the same time his want pulled out his wand from his waist.

    The tip of the wand sent out a red light and hit Sirius ck.

    ck flew out into the grass, sending out a painful moan.

    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t try to attack me again, or you won¡¯t be his with a stun charm next time!¡± Ivan wiped his mouth of the traces of blood, his left hand holding the tree trunk as he struggle to stand up.

    He was gasping, and ck was breathing heavily.

    For a whole three seconds, no one spoke and the atmosphere was dreadful.

    Ivan saw ck¡¯s eyes sh through with mad light from time to time in the dark, staring at his wand. He stretched his muscles tight and bared his fangs like a animal.

    ¡°Listen, I am not malicious, I know who you are and I know what you are here for!¡± Ivan pointed at ck with his wand. ¡°I just want to talk to you about Harry, my friend. Ron. . .¡±

    His words weren¡¯t finished yet, and a rush of footsteps were approaching from far and near.

    Ivan hurried to turn his head and saw a re of dazzling light. He blinked and took advantage of it for a moment before he could clearly see Professor Lupin.

    ¡°It turned out to be you, Ivan! I heard the noise while checking the owl house. What happened here? Why are you outside the castle?¡± Lupin looked at Ivan in surprise. The one of concern said, ¡°Sirius ck had just entered the castle and it is dangerous. Dumbledore asked all the students to go to the Great Hall.¡±

    ¡°I, I . . .¡±

    Ivan didn¡¯t know how to answer. Do you tell the other person that his is out to meet ck for a pleasant meeting?

    Although Lupin was a good friend during their time as students, but in the absence of truth with the current situation, would he believe that ck was framed?!

    Ivan shook his head. In the absence of real evidence, Lupin¡¯s character, even if he did believe that ck was innocent, Ivan was afraid that the first thing he would do would be to tie him up and hand him to Dumbledore.

    The they are going to have to catch Peter Pettigrew.

    If all goes well, it¡¯s fine. If Peter escapes, Ivan was afraid that it wouldn¡¯t wait until the next day and ck would be given to the dementor, to receive the Kiss.

    This is too bad, so Ivan hesitated and decided to hide the truth.

 Chapter 84 - Lupinâ€™s Remorse

    <h4>Chapter 84 ¨C Lupin¡¯s Remorse</h4>

    Sorry for the dy. . . . . . Does anyone else think it was a smart idea for me to take 6 ss that involve major writing for the summer???

    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    Lupin looked at Ivan in disbelief. He did not know why the boy appeared outside the castle at this time. This obviously did not meet themon sense. Just like himself, everyone has his own secrets.

    In fact, for two consecutive months of contact, Lupin¡¯s impression of Ivan was very good.

    In his ss, Ivan always answered all the questions the first time. From the several homework assignments he had arranged, he could also see Ivan had a deep understanding and unique insights about Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    Lupin had not seen such a good, young man in many years, not to mention the good rtionship between Ivan and Harry, just like James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius ck.

    When he thought of ck, Lupin was distressed for a while. He could not believe the Sirius would betray James and vowing allegiance to Voldemort. The were obviously best friends.

    He shook his head, maybe he always saw the wrong person.

    ck was so good at the time, but he eventually chose to betray, the more clever a person is, the more profitable the pros and cons are, and the friendship in their eyes is just amodity that can be exchanged at any time.

    Will the boy behave like ck and sell his friend for his own benefit?!

    Lupin looked at Ivan carefully and hoped to see something from it.

    The next second, his eyes widened and he seemed to see a familiar figure in the grass opposite Ivan.

    The tip of his wand issued a light and flew into the grass with nothing in it.

    Was it an illusion?

    Lupin felt relieved and with that relief he was now conflicted with his heart.

    On one hand he wanted to see ck to be clear about the whole thing; on the other hand, he was afraid of meeting him, fearing that ck would tell him personally how he sold James and Lily to Voldemort.

    Lupin did not remember how many times he was awaken by such a nightmare.

    It had been 12 years since the time had passed. He had been condemning himself and he med himself for why he had not discovered ck¡¯s true colors earlier, so that he had the opportunity to sell James and finally killed Peter Pettigrew.

    Lupin thought this guilt would always be with his life, but ck escaped from Azkaban. Everyone was saying that the reason for his escape was to kill Harry.

    Lupin would not allow this to happen, this is why he epted Dumbledore¡¯s invitation to return to Hogwarts to teach. He wanted to protect Harry. Maybe he could also grab ck himself and let him exin what happened that year.

    Lupin took a deep breath. Now is not the time to think about these things.

    ¡°Ivan, you should go back to the Great Hall and be with the others.¡± Lupin took two steps forward, and then he stopped suddenly.

    He saw in the patch of grass opposite of Ivan. There was indeed something there. He was not mistaken. It must have been the Animagus of Sirius ck. He had seen it countless time. In this life he would never forget it.

    The boy is in contact with ck, is it just a coincidence or . . .

    When Ivan saw Lupin¡¯s expression, he knew what he was thinking. He doesn¡¯t know what to do or how to exin this situation.

    However, he will not have to worry about this matter immediately.

    Just has he hesitated, something climbed out of the grass. Lupin clearly heard a sound and a strong light flew past. It was Crookshanks. It was startled by the sudden light and jumped into Ivan¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Professor, I cam out looking for this cat. It is my friend Hermione¡¯s pet. I just saw it run out of the castle. I was afraid it would meet with an ident, so I came to get it.¡±

    Ivan did not know whether Luping would believe that he was looking for an excused. Lupin looked at Crookshanks for a moment, then showed a sign of relief.

    The two returned to the castle. They just turned around the corner of the hall and saw Dumbledore and Snape standing outside of the auditorium talking to each other.

    ¡°The entire castle was checked and no traces of him could be found,¡± Snape whispered.

    ¡°Very well, Severus, I don¡¯t really ting that ck would stay.¡± Dumbledore said calmly.

    ¡°But there is one thing that I must tell you,¡± Snape said with a wink. ¡°We had a teacher missing during the time of the castle inspection. It was the one I told you about before.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say, Severus?

    ¡°I mean, how did ck get into the castle, what do you think about this, headmaster?¡± Snape said.

    ¡°Many, Severus, everyone is a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Do you remeber out conversation, just before the semester began?¡± Snape¡¯s voice was low, and he apparently did not want anyone to hear the conversation.

    ¡°I remember, Severus.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice contained simr warnings.

    ¡°It seems almost impossible that ck can¡¯t enter this school without internal help. Especially if that person has not been seen yet, you understand what I mean. I did express concern and you believe in life. . .¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe anyone in the caslt will help ck enter.¡± Dumbledore said, his tone clearly showed that this matter has been talked about so Snape did not continue.

    The person that Snape suspected was apparently Lupin. Ivan turned and saw Lupin was calm, as if he had not heard a word of what the two said.

    ¡°Severus, I must go to the dementors,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I said that we would notify them when we have finished the search.

    ¡°Do they n to help?¡± Snape said.

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± said Dumbledore coldly. ¡°But I am afraid that as long as I am headmaster, I will never allow them to cross the threshold of the school.¡±

    Ivan saw Dumbledoreing towards the hallway when he looked over and after a slight glimpse of himself and Lupin, Snape followed.

    ¡°You¡¯re eavesdropping on our conversation?¡± Snape¡¯s eyes continued to wander between the two men, and he finally locked eyes with Lupin with a look of hatred.

    ¡°Professor, we didn¡¯t. . .¡±

    ¡°Be careful when fabricating lies, Mason!¡± Snape¡¯s gaze shifted to Ivan. ¡°I have to remind you first, ording to themand of the headmaster, you should be asleep in the Great Hall, instead of going out of the castle with someone you don¡¯t understand, and doing something sneaky.¡±

    ¡°I. . .¡± Ivan was speechless, and Snape and Dumbledore were better than each other.

    ¡°For this stupid cat, Gryffindor has lost some point,¡± Snape said disgustingly. ¡°Now hurry and get to the Great Hall to sleep. It is where you should be.¡±

    Ivan hurried towards the auditorium and just as he was about to enter, he looked back and saw Dumbledore, Snape, and Lupin still standing there, not knowing what to say.

 Chapter 85 - Hermioneâ€™s Worries

    <h4>Chapter 85 ¨C Hermione¡¯s Worries</h4>

    In the Great Hall, the four house tables were stacked against the walls and hundreds of purple sleeping bags wereid on the ground. There was no sound and everyone seemed to be asleep.

    Ivan, under Percy¡¯s gesture, got in a sleeping bag near the door.

    The Magical Ceiling was like the sky outside, filled with stars. With a faint starlight, Ivan saw a slender, white origami crane flying over quietly from the corner of the wall. It hovered in the air and urately fell in front of him.

    The paper crane made a slight noise and turned in to a silvery white note with Hermione¡¯s delicate hand writing on it.

    ¡°What did you do, why did it take you so long?¡±

    The handwriting was slightly scribbled and the girl¡¯s worry could be seen.

    Ivan thought for a moment, took out his wand from the sleeping bag and gently tapped it on the sheet of paper. The ck lettering on top of it dissappeared like smoke, reuniting into new words.

    ¡°I went to get Crookshanks. I found it in the grass next to the Forbiddon Forest.¡±

    Then he used his wand to re-tap the sheet of paper. The paper refolded itself and fluttered itself back to Hermione.

    ¡°Fortunately you found it! But you shouldn¡¯t run out of the castle. It¡¯s too dangerous. ck maybe hidden in the school. You may meet him at any time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I just heard Dumbledore talk to Snape. They did not find him in the castle. Dumbledore thought he had left.¡±

    ¡°But how did he do it he could not have apparated out of the castle, and quietly leave! The castle has applied a variety of spells to prevent outsiders from sneaking in, he is certainly not invisible or able fly in. Perhaps some kind of Transfiguration, like in ourst year when taking the Polyjuice or . . .¡±

    Looking at the paper that Hermione returned, Ivan felt she should talk about this topic anymore. Otherwise, with the smartness of Hermione, he was afraid it would not take a long time to guess that ck is an Animagus.

    Since he is not prepared yet, it is too early for ck to be revealed yet.

    ¡°I forgot to mention this, it¡¯s almost midnight. Why are you not asleep?¡±

    Hermione¡¯s face turned slightly pink when she saw Ivan¡¯s question. Fortunately, the Great Hall was very dark and there was no need to worry about getting discovered.

    She can¡¯t tell Ivan the she was waiting for him toe back. It¡¯s too embarrassing! She hesitated for a moment and tapped her wand to the note.

    ¡°I was worried since Harry kept say that he saw the dog again. It was an unknown death omen, but it was obviously absurd! And you, you hadn¡¯t arrived back so in case something happened. . .¡±

    ¡°The little problem is not a problem. You have not forgotten that Harry and I had entered the chamber of secretsst year. We defeated the Basilisk and the young Voldemort¡±

    ¡°I was just so worried. I was afraid that you would go to ck alone and Ivan promise me not to do anything dangerous anymore, okay?¡±

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s handwriting, Ivan had a weird feeling, even though the other person said it very vaguely. He could feel the other person¡¯s heart that is hidden behind a strong appearance. Hermione was that this time like any other ordinary, weak girl who couldn¡¯t help but care.

    He didn¡¯t know how to answer, and an ¡°ok¡± wasn¡¯t the right word.

    Regardless of the current situation or the returning of Voldemort, what is ce in front of Ivan is a road taht is full of danger an hardship. He cannot do nothing, and the result may be even worse.

    Ivan sighed and looked up to if any was paying attention to himself. He decided to do something . . .

    In the dark, Hermione was nervously waiting for Ivan¡¯s reply. Harry and Ron were giving off a slight snoring sound.

    Looking at the stars in the ceiling, her mind unconsciously recalledst year. When the basilisk was in the Gryffindormon room, suddenly rushed over to them Ivan ignored himself and hugged her into his arms and turned his back to the basilisk. That scene. (Note: Sounds like she is falling hard.)

    This picture reappeared in Hermione¡¯s head. She thinks this is something she would never forget in her life.

    Suddenly, she felt something was approaching herself. Hermione looked up and was surprised to see that Ivan¡¯s sleeping bag was rolling over to her quietly.

    Ivan rolled over to Hermione, and he reached out and tried to take a shot of her sleeping bag, which might have cause Hermione to feel at ease.

    Unexpectedly, his hand met another soft, cold little hand in the darkness.

    In the next second, Ivan found that his hand was being held tightly.

    The opposite little hand trembled slightly but never seemed to let go.

    . . . . . . . . . . .

    At the same moment, in the secret tunnel under the Weeping Willow to the Shreiking Shack, Lupin moved forward cautiously, with his wand giving off a weak light, he looked thoughtful around the familiar and strange scene.

    He never thought that he still had the oppourtuinty to return here and re walk the secret tunnel that he had once walked countless times.

    Everythign was just like yesterday. He seemed to have returned to his time at Hogwarts more that two decades ago, the best days of his life.

    Prior to Hogwarts, Lupin never had friends.

    When he was four years old, his father offended Fenir Greyback, a werewolf. In retaliation, the werewolf attacked him. Since then, he has be a werewolf.

    Because of this identity, everyone hides from him. Regardless of where they go, werewolves are discriminated against. Lupin still remembers asking his father why they did so, but his father did not say anything and just held him silently crying.

    At that moment, Lupin secretly vowed that he would never cry again no matter what he encountered.

    Before eleven years old, his life was very dark and without any color.

    Lupin thought that he could not go to Hogwarts like other children. Other parents would not want their children to be close to a werewolf , but Dumbledore gave him hope.

    Dumbledore ordered a willow to be nted on the school grounds and used it to conceal the passage to the Hogsmead shrieking shack.

    When there was a full moon, he would go there.

    This was to protect the safety of the other ssmates, because he became very brutal, Hogmead¡¯s vigers heard the noises and screams and thought it was a fierce ghost. Dumbledore uncouraged the idea and had people spread the rumor so that people would stay away from it.

    Lupin still remembers those days when he was afraid that his ssmates would know his identity. He concealed this secret from everyone.

    Every night of the full moon, he had to tell people he was going to visit his sick mother or some other reason. Then he came here alone and became a brutal monster in the shrieking shack, mming, sabotaging, and howling in the hut.

    Although he tried to cover it up, several ssmates quickly guessed the truth of the matter.

    At that time, Lupin felt that he was definately finished and he would be driven out of Hogwarts and return to a life without color.

    But James Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius ck epted him and became his first friends in life. They even went to study Animagus for this purpose. After the fifth year, they woulde to stay with him everynight of the full moon.

    They traveled through Hogwarts, under the influence of his friends, Lupin felt hatred that he became a werewolf.

    If possible, how much he wished he could freeze time in that moment.

 Chapter 86: Lupinâ€™s Memory

    <h4>Chapter 86: Lupin¡¯s Memory</h4>

    Lupin pushed the gate of the secret passage aside, sshing a lot of dust.

    He quickly climbed out of the secret road into a messy, dusty house. The wallpaper had been detached from the wall. There were stains everywhere on the floor. A piece of furniture has been damaged. It seemed that it had been broken. The windows were nailed with boards.

    This was the Shrieking Shack. Lupin and his friends had been here numerous times. Since ck invaded the castle, it was very likely that he would hide here.

    Lupin sniffed the familiar smell in the air. He put his wand across his chest, cautiously crossing the dark aisle and climbed the stairs that were about to copse.

    Like the first floor, everything on the second floor was covered with a thickyer of dust.

    But this did not apply to the floor. Something had recently passed from here. It was a paw mark left by a canine.

    Lupin looked down and he was too familiar with the footprint. It was a sign left by Sirius ck Animagus. ck must have been here recently, and he was still very likely to remain hidden in the house.

    Lupin tightly grabbed his wand and carefully looked at the closed doorway at the end of the corridor. ck might be hiding behind this door, ready to rush out. Although Sirius did not wand, Lupin still felt that he should keep up his guard.

    He approached slowly, trying not to make any sound, and focused all the power he had into the tip of his wand that started glowing faintly.

    ¡°Come on, Sirius, I know you are in there!¡± Lupin shouted outside the door, his voice echoed in the empty room.

    Nothing happened; nothing could be heard but silence.

    Lupin blinked and the next second, his wand quickly emitted a stout red light and knocked out the door.

    In the room, there was only a luxurious four-poster bed, and the curtains around the bed were all dusty. No one was in there, only he was standing at the door and gasping.

    Lupin dazedly dropped his wand. ck was not here. Maybe he had been there. But after he knew he had been seen this evening, he would hide in another ce.

    ¡°Desperate coward!¡± Lupin whispered.

    ck¡¯s behavior did not meet Lupin¡¯s expectations. He was not a man who would run away. He was the bravest among them when he was a student, but when he kneeled down and kissed the robe of Voldemort, courage of the past may have disappeared.

    Now ck was no longer a brave Gryffindor, more like a sinister crafty Slytherin.

    Lupin stood for a minute at the entrance of the room and there was an unclear desteness on his face.

    He sighed deeply and turned to leave. But he stopped immediately and he saw something left on the bed. It was a photo.

    Lupin went over and picked up the photo.

    There were four boys on the picture. From left to right, they were himself, James Potter, Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew.

    The four people in the photo wereughing so happily.

    Lupin suddenly felt a little sad. He still remembers that this picture had been taken on thewn in front of the castle gate when they graduated. Everyone was given a memorial.

    His own photograph was sent out by Hagrid for Harry in the previous year when he collected photos; James¡¯s piece was lost in the ruins on the night he was attacked. Peter¡¯s piece should have been blown to fragments by ck along with his body.

    The only one who still had this picture was ck himself.

    It was possible that he had identally left it behind in the Shrieking Shack. Unexpectedly, ck kept this photograph. Lupin thought he had already lost all sense of friendship.

    Looking at this yellowed photo, Lupin¡¯s thoughts returned to the time at which they had just graduated, the darkest age of magic.

    At that time, the ck wizards led by Voldemort were raging in the magical world. They openly resorted to violence, spreading terror everywhere, killing mud-bloods and Muggles in the name of ¡°pleasure¡±, and evenunching a war of wizards to change the face magical world.

    In that protracted war, Lupin witnessed the deaths of many people, including his former elders, ssmates, and many innocent bystanders.

    The year they graduated was three years before the end of the war. They could not wait to join the Order of the Phoenix and stand on the front line against Voldemort, even though Voldemort and his Death Eaters had far more power than the Order of the Phoenix

    However, relying on close cooperation, they have repeatedly stopped the plots of Voldemort and escaped from his hands.

    Lupin thought this will carry on until Voldemort is defeated.

    But in thest year of the war, everything changed. Dumbledore got a tip that, for some reason, Voldemort was chasing Harry, James and Lily¡¯s son. James originally intended to fight, but for Harry¡¯s sake, he finally listened to Dumbledore¡¯s proposal and hid himself, protecting himself with Fidelius Charm.

    In addition to Dumbledore, he and Peter Pettigrew were the only two who knew where James was. James chose Sirius ck, he used to think that ck was his closest and strongest

    Lupin also naively believed that this was the best choice.

    But he was wrong¡­ They were all wrong!

    Less than a week after ck became James and Lily¡¯s secret keeper, he sold them out to Voldemort. Voldemort broke into their house that night. He killed them, but he didn¡¯t know why he had failed at killing Harry!

    After knowing this news, Lupin still remembered his reaction at the time. He was madly searching for ck. He needed to ask his to understand the truth. There must be a something that went wrong. Why did James and Lily die and why did the Fidelius Charm fail?

    Until that time, he did not believe that ck would sell them to Voldemort.

    Two dayster, Lupin found ck.

    But he was one step toote, and Peter Pettigrew had found him before him.

    When Lupin saw ck on that street, he was surrounded by Aurors. He shattered Peter and the Muggles of the entire street into pieces a minute ago.

    Everything was clear. ck sold James and Lily out to Voldemort. In the subsequent questioning, he admitted that he killed Peter Pettigrew.

    Lupin helplessly stood on the corner of the street. He saw ckughing wildly there and he silently wept in the corner. This was the only time he had shed tears since he had been a child when he took the vow to never cry again.

 Chapter 87: Peterâ€™s Memory

    <h4>Chapter 87: Peter¡¯s Memory</h4>

    The moonlight spread through the windows into themon room of the Gryffindor¡¯s Towers.

    In a ce where the moonlight could not reach, a small figure was shivering under the chair.

    Peter Pettigrew was rubbing his hands, almost out of breath.

    The thing he had always feared in thest twelve years has finally happened. His former friend, Sirius ck, escaped from Azkaban. He broke into Hogwarts, and there was just a wall separating them.

    Peter knew that because he had sold Potter and his wife out to Voldemort, ck came to seek revenge and wanted to kill him.

    He instinctively wanted to run away, but he did not know where to hide. He knew ck too well. Now that he knows that he was still alive, he will never stop.

    Even if there were hundreds of Dementors here, even if Hogwarts was entirely turned upside down, ck will not give up. He wouldn¡¯t stop before catching him. This was Sirius ck, a true Gryffindor, a monster who never knew fear or cowardice.

    Maybe, it would be the same as twelve years ago, and he would fake death.

    This thought had just surfaced in Peter¡¯s mind but he rejected it rapidly.

    This was not the Muggle¡¯s Street twelve years ago. This time he was not facing ck alone.

    Here is Hogwarts. In the castle, there were Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, McGonagall, Harry, James and Lily¡¯s son, and the young man named Evan Mason, each one of them was better, smarter, stronger and braver than him.

    Even if he can fool Sirius ck, fooling all these people would be impossible!

    ¡°Where can I go if I escape again?¡±

    If the surviving Death Eaters found out that he was alive, they would not let him go. After all, the Dark Lord¡¯s defeat came right after Peter gave him the tip.

    Until now, Peter did not understand how the man who was so powerful that no one dared to even mention his name, could be defeated by a baby. He felt that he had clearly chosen the strong side. How did it all get to this point?

    Everything seemed to return to the starting point, back to the time when he first entered school twenty years ago.

    Peter, the little dwarf, still remembers the sorting ceremony that he entered at the school. He was thin and weak as tremblingly moved to the Sorting Hat. He wore it, and the big hat covered his eyes, he couldn¡¯t see the audience at all.

    He was too scared. He was like this when he was a child. He did nothing at all. He was weak, not smart enough, and had no talent in magic. He was afraid he would be driven out by the hat. He was afraid to see his mother¡¯s disappointed eyes again.

    ¡°Difficult, very difficult!¡± The Sorting Hat began to speak in his ear. ¡°You are not a brave child. You are not smart enough, you are not determined, and you are not willing to work hard. Although you are pureblood, it will be very difficult to live in Slytherin, and you don¡¯t have the qualities required by Ravenw and Gryffindor. Even mediocre, you are not willing to stay in the practical and ordinary Hufflepuff, let me think it over. Where should you go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, where should I go?¡±

    He lost his father when he was young. Although his family was poor, his mother did her best to buy all the magical tools for him. She had great expectations from him. She was telling him his father¡¯s story before going to bed every night.

    Peter still remembered the story of his mother. In her story, his father was a heroic Gryffindor. Even if he was not the strongest, he was fearless, even in the face of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

    Peter could hear it from his mother¡¯s tone: She was proud of his father.

    ¡°Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor. I want to go to Gryffindor. I want to have courage. I¡¯m a brave man!¡± Peter shouted loudly at the Sorting Hat in his heart. I want to change my cowardice. I want to be a warrior like my father. I want to be admired. I cannot disappoint my mother!¡±

    ¡°Gryffindor?!¡± The Sorting Hat felt it was weird. ¡°You say you want to go to Gryffindor. Well, this may not be the best choice, but I hope it could be in the future. On your path, find the courage that is buried deep in your heart.¡±

    ¡°Gryffindor!¡±

    Peter Pettigrew, above the chair smiled happily. It was the most glorious moment of his life. He seemed to hear again the moment the Sorting Hat shouted his choice to everyone with a loud voice. He¡¯ll finally be able to look at his mother¡¯s satisfied eyes.

    But his grin soon settled down and the Sorting Hat was right. He didn¡¯t fit Gryffindor. What he got in this school was only being mocked of.

    Everyone mocked him that he was not brave enough. Hogwarts¡¯s studies made him feel pressure. He found that there was nothing he was good at. The professors looked into his eyes and there was no other feeling besides disappointment. He was farther and farther from his mother¡¯s expectation.

    He did not find courage in this school, and he found himself bing more and more ordinary and inferior.

    He could not go on like this anymore; he needed someone to help him.

    Peter quickly discovered the goal. James Potter, Sirius ck, and Remus Lupin were the best three in his ss. The three of them were always shining in their small group, maybe they needed one more member.

    ¡°Yes, I can y this role perfectly.¡±

    Fortunately for him, they epted him. Peter Pettigrew felt hope and happiness because of this. He thought that even if he could not be as good as them, he would at least have a presence and make his mother proud of him!

    For this presence and pride, Peter was willing to endure everything.

    To outsiders, he was a member of this small group. He was a friend of James, Sirius and Lupin.

    But only Peter Pettigrew knew that he was just a follower and nothing more.

    James regarded him as an object to show off his Quidditch talent at any time, and he was just there to make Sirius seem braver and stronger. Even inparison to Lupin, the werewolf, he always looked down on himself.

    True, he never saw the three of them as friends. They were justpanions at best, but more often, he was just a follower.

    With these feelings of cowardice and humbleness, thetter faded eventually, as he was mostly afraid that this was also everyone¡¯s idea of him.

    But Peter was contented with it for a while. He did not want to stand in the center-stage and receive attention from everyone.

    As long as he was in his humble position in the corner, it was enough for him.

    He might not find his courage in this ancient school, but he relied on other ways to find the presence and honor he needed. Although not much, at least he will not let his mother feel disappointed.

    He hoped to have just enough of them to go through his years of Hogwarts.

    The seven-year Hogwarts career finally allowed Peter to understand that what he needed was not courage, but brute power.

    If his father ever had that kind of power, he wouldn¡¯t have died like that and he and his mother¡¯s life would not be so bitter.

    Brute power, this was what he had been pursuing.

    After graduating, his threepanions wanted to join the Order of the Phoenix to fight against Voldemort. Peter originally wanted to refuse because he knew the strength of both sides. But he did not dare. He had be ustomed to obey the orders of the other three.

    He did not dare to say ¡°No¡± to hispanions. It also required strong courage. He had never had such a thing. Besides, he was also afraid to disappoint his mother. He knew that she wanted him to join the Order of the Phoenix.

    His mother¡¯s expectations had always made Peter under pressure, but it was not until that moment, that he discovered that the pressure had be a heavy burden not allowing him breathe.

    Peter Pettigrew remembered the time, when James, Sirius and Lupin were pleased that they defeated Voldemort¡¯s conspiracies again and again,it made him more and more affraid.

    He could feel the anger of the Dark Lord, and he could feel his hatred for those four people. It was like a never-ending nightmare.

    No longer can this go on, Peter couldn¡¯t see any benefit in fighting against Voldemort himself. Even if he risked his life to do these things, only James, Sirius, and Lupin would get the spotlight.

    Not to mention Dumbledore was gradually aging, his power was declining; and Voldemort was in his prime, his power and strength were stronger than ever.

    It was time to choose his camp. For a weak person, the most important thing was not to do anything dramatic, but to make a wise choice.

    He could not stupidly die for Dumbledore, like his father, in obscurity. This stupid courage had no meaning other than leaving a heavy burden and grief for his wife and children.

    He wanted to choose his own destiny. He wanted to gain brute strength.

    The Dark Lord has promised him. As long as the magic world was unified, he would gain power, and status that he never imagined before.

    Although the method was different, as long as he had these, his mother would certainly feel proud of him.

    As for the jealousy and guilt of betraying hispanions, Peter never felt that.

    In his eyes, he was just a follower. And he would always be.

 Chapter 88: Evolving Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 88: Evolving Conspiracy</h4>

    He knew that if he was to be just a follower, he had to pick his master well.

    Peter Pettigrew had a strange smile on his lips. If hispanions were all killed by the Dark Lord, who could know that he had betrayed them?

    His n seemed foolproof. He began to sell the information about the Order of the Phoenix to gain the trust of the Dark Lord. Although Dumbledore doubted him, James, Sirius and Lupin testified for him, even though he was humblest member in their small group.

    Peter Pettigrew knew too much about his three friends. They didn¡¯t believe himpletely, but the pride and blind arrogance blinded their eyes. Even if they didn¡¯t trust him, they would still support him in the face of Dumbledore¡¯s inquiry.

    As long as he was still a member of this small group, the three of them will unconditionally support him.

    ¡°Stupid Gryffindor. They¡¯ providing me with the perfect cover!¡±

    After knowing that Dumbledore began to doubt him, Peter Pettigrew would no longer leaked information because he was not sure whether or not they were a trap by Dumbledore. He knew that he had to endure and wait for an opportunity that would allow the Dark Lord to fully trust him.

    He still remembered that rainy night twelve years ago, when Sirius, James, and Lily found themselves in a pinch, and they asked him to be the Secret Keeper of James and Lily.

    That was based on Sirius¡¯s rmendation. Voldemort would be sure toe after ck, but he shouldn¡¯t pay attention to such a weak, talentless one like Peter.

    .

    That was also what they have always thought of him, a humble, weak, stupidpanion who had never dared to refute them. They considered him the most appropriate secret keeper.

    They did not tell anyone about this matter. Even Lupin and Dumbledore didn¡¯t know it. It was just a secret between the four of them.

    That night, Peter felt he both happy and sad!

    He had always waited patiently for his chance, and now he¡¯s be Potter¡¯s secret keeper! When he determined that Harry that the Voldemort had been looking for was in the house, he could not wait to find the Dark Lord.

    He bowed down and sold James and Lily out to the Dark Lord. As expected, he obtained the trust he had always dreamed of. The Dark Lord was also told the way into that ce, the ancient relic he had found together with James, ck, and Lupin in the forbidden forest.

    There was a strong dark power hidden in that relic. The Dark Lord must have been there during his school days.

    It was said that there might be a strong source of strength for the Voldemort himself, certainly not all, but Peter was not greedy enough to want to be powerful ck wizard like the Dark Lord.

    As always, as long as he had his hidden spot in the backstage, he was satisfied. Before in Hogwarts, he relied on James, Sirius, and Lupin to get that position. Now, the Dark Lord, a far more powerful wizard, will help him find his ce.

    Peter Pettigrew thought so, but who could think that the Dark Lord would actually fail and lose against a newborn baby?

    For some time, he used to think that he was very close to sess, and that he was able to see power and status before beckoning to him. However, this dream instantly shattered, and he had no alternative but to flee.

    Peter Pettigrew had no choice. Apart from Sirius¡¯s unending wrath, he had to avoid the chase of other Death Eaters.

    The method he chose was to fake his own death. When the curse of Sirius hit him, he used a spell to make the whole street explode, leaving only one finger and letting everyone think he was dead.

    Sirius ck took his spot as the chief culprit of the whole incident. Like he imagined, the proud Sirius did not exin to others. He felt that he had killed James and Lily by rmending Peter as a secret keeper. He wanted to go to Azkaban.

    He managed to escape and his mother lost her son but received a first-grade Sir Merlin Medal, although he should have received much more than this.

    Peter Pettigrew had seen with his own eyes that his mother had buried this medal and his own finger at his father¡¯s tomb. On his tombstone was engraved: A brave and fearless soldier, a deserved Gryffindor, who gave his life against the dark forces of evil, making his parents proud.

    Yeah, from his mother¡¯s point of view, he finally became someone like his father, and for such a foolish reason she should be satisfied with her life.

    Peter Pettigrew closed his eyes in pain. From now on, he has to hide in the Weasley¡¯s house as a Rat. He knew he had to keep in touch with the magic world so that he could know the Dark Lord¡¯s movements whenever he returns.

    In the previous year, he saw the Dark Lord again in Hogwarts.

    The once powerful ck Wizard had be a weak shadow. To tell the truth, Peter had been very disappointed. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. If Voldemort was no longer strong enough to be scary, what was the significance of his own betrayal?

    He did not immediately reveal himself. He decided to observe at Voldemort and see if he was as strong as before.

    Pettigrew was thankful that he had done so. In the next two years, he witnessed Voldemort¡¯s failing twice.

    After seeing Voldemort fail again and again, Peter Pettigrew was in fear. He did not understand why the Dark Lord had failed. He obviously was incredibly powerful. But against a child, he kept on failing

    It seemed that the tide had really changed; perhaps he should change camps again!

    Peter Pettigrew awakened from his memory, something was moving outside. He quietly stretched his head and gave it a look. The time had already arrived at 3 o¡¯clock in the middle of the night. Outside was the house-elf, called Dobby, who was packing things.

    Peter Pettigrew narrowed his eyes as he felt like they were in simr positions.

    They were all so humble, so weak. The elf used to be the Malfoy¡¯s ve, but he was now the servant of the boy Evan Mason.

    Perhaps he could, like Dobby, turn to Harry Potter and take refuge with this savior who defeated Voldemort several times.

    This was not impossible. The events of that year were only known to Sirius ck. As long as Sirius is dealt with, he would be able to reappear in front of the crowds as a hero.

    The situation hadpletely changed. Since Voldemort had lost his power, his party members and the Death Eaters who had not been caught in Azkaban should not pose any trouble to him. It was time to return to the magic world. .

    The only trouble now was that of Sirius ck. As long as he was eliminated, nobody should know what happened.

    Peter Pettigrew had a new strange smile on his lips. He thought about it. He could tell the others that he had endured the burden of humiliation for many years. He had guarded the only legacy of his former friend and protected Harry from the evil forces.

    He could re-emerge as a sad hero. He was the greatest hero who defeated Voldemort. He could even apply to be the only guardian of Harry.

    Even if Dumbledore and Lupin were skeptical, they had no valid reason to object.

    This was really wonderful. Maybe the Ministry of Magic would consider re-awarding him with a Medal of Merlin. And then, he would be able to get back the power source hidden for him deep in the forest. Those honors, powers, he should get it all back.

    Peter Pettigrew knew he needed a n, a n to get rid of Sirius ckpletely.

    First of all, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the n, he needed to disappear from the crowd.

    He wanted to avoid the pursuit of Sirius ck and the cat named Crookshanks, and he could not exin why, but Peter could feel that the boy named Evan Mason seemed to doubt him. He had to be careful. After all, he was able to beat Voldemort despite his young age. As he knew, Evan did not rely on luck or Dumbledore¡¯s help as Harry did. The boy was totally on his own and he defeated Voldemort by his own strength and wisdom.

    This was terrible. Peter was afraid that Evan already knew something. He should hide first.

    Then he needed a wand.

    Of course, those two things were not too difficult!

    The hard part was that he wanted to know Sirius¡¯ position. If Sirius was found, someone in the castle would be willing to help him deal with him.

    Pettigrew suddenly remembered that he had once made the Marauder¡¯s Map with James, Sirius, and Lupin. This map could help him. He remembered that the Marauder¡¯s Map was confiscated by Filch in their seventh grade.

    If there was no mishap, it should still be there.

 Chapter 89: Identifying and Killing Werewolves

    <h4>Chapter 89: Identifying and Killing Werewolves</h4>

    A few days after Halloween, the whole school was talking about Sirius ck.

    Discussions were focused on how he managed to infiltrate into the castle. Evan heard people saying that ck is invisible and other things of that sort. Hufflepuff¡¯s Hannah even wrote an article about it as a contribution to the Hogwarts Magical News. She swore to witness ck¡¯s incarnation as a flowering bush.

    This article was submitted while Evan was not there but it had been rejected by Hermione.

    Thanks to a series of articles introducing the ¡°Dementors¡±, since the beginning of the school year, sales of the Hogwarts Magic News had been good, and the ¡°Patronus Charm¡± issue hit the highest record with a full print of more than two thousand copies.

    In addition to the school¡¯s wizards, many adult wizards learned about this defensive Charm through the Hogwarts Magic News. Evan had just discovered that so many people never knew about this spell before. He was worried about the overall level of power in the magic world.

    In addition to the increasing esoteric rumors, there were many changes in the castle.

    For example, the portrait of Fat Lady, which had been damaged, had been taken from the wall and reced by a portrait of a fully armed Sir Cadogan and his obese gray pony.

    No one was happy about this matter. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people and asking them to fight him. The rest of the time was spent on ponderingplex and ridiculous passwords. He actually changed his password twice a day

    As another example, Harry was now under surveince.

    The professors walked with him in the corridor for various reasons and various excuses; Percy followed him everywhere, as if he was his guard dog.

    ck invaded the castle. The most affected should be Peter Pettigrew.

    Ron told Evan that the rat¡¯s tonic he gave him had no effect. Now, besides drinking water, Scabbers did not eat anything. It stayed in the corner of his bed all day and did not move, as if it were dead.

    A more urate description should be that he was waiting for his death. Evan already tested it. The tracing potion was effective; he could feel the rat¡¯s presence whenever he was less than a 100 meters away from him.

    The next step was to look for opportunities to contact Sirius ck. This would be the end of the year¡¯s event. But the first two failed contacts made ck wary of Evan. He became more cautious and Evan did not know where he was hiding.

    ording to the original story, ck should hide in the Shrieking Shack, but Evan checked after Halloween and he was not there.

    On Halloween eve, Lupin also saw ck. He knew the Shrieking Shack. With ck¡¯s caution, he could not stay there.

    Just like Lupin did not trust ck, ck did not trust Lupin either.

    Twelve years of life in Azkaban left little of his sanity. He didn¡¯t trust Dumbledore. He had only revenge on his mind.

    ck was now very likely to be hidden in the Forbidden Forest. Evan was not interested in finding a dog all over the woods. He decided to design a n to bring him out.

    At the lunch table, Evan saw Crookshanks running out of the auditorium with a big loaf of bread. It suddenly shed in his mind; maybe he could use it¡­

    Hermione¡¯s cat was clever and iprehensible, and sometimes Evan suspected that it was also an Animagus. It must have be a friend with Sirius ck. The bread he had just taken was for ck.

    Just as Evan stared at Crookshanks, who had slipped past him, he saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione entering the auditorium with a look of frustration.

    ¡°You know what Snape told me to do! He actually asked me to wipe the pots in the school infirmary. And I wasn¡¯t even allowed to use magic!¡± Ron gasped, his fists clenched tightly.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t ck hide in Snape¡¯s office, so he could take care of him for us!¡±

    ¡°How, Ron! Don¡¯t the 3rd year students have the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss this morning?¡± Colin asked. ¡°How could you be punished by Snape?¡±

    ¡°Good question, Colin!¡± Ron yelled heavily. ¡°I actually was punished by Snape in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss in the morning. Then I went to the Potions ss in the afternoon and I had to endure him once again. .¡±

    ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Because Snape said Professor Lupin was ill and couldn¡¯t attend sses, this session of Dark Arts defensive was his.¡± Harry sat down angrily. ¡°Snape must have something to do with this. You guys remember when I said that he had given Professor Lupin a recipe of potion a few days ago? What did he put in that potion?!¡±

    Harry¡¯s words were approved by Ron. Evan knew that Snape¡¯s potion was a scorpion venom agent. The potion needed to be taken one week before the full moon night.

    Today should be the day of Lupin¡¯s transformation. No wonder no one did see him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Harry, why would Snape do this?¡± Hermione took out her Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook.

    ¡°He has always wanted to teach this course.¡± Ron shouted, ¡°Look at what he did in ss, he spent half the time criticizing Professor Lupin¡¯s teaching methods and the rest half of ss time asking us a strange question!¡±

    ¡°What did he ask?¡±

    ¡°It was about werewolves, Colin!¡± Ron turned and said, ¡°Snape has been asking us the way we recognize the werewolf. Hermione knew the answer. But he didn¡¯t let her talk. I asked him: if he didn¡¯t want to hear the answer, why did he keep asking. And that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been punished!¡±

    ¡°But there must be a reason for this. Why does he want us to know how to identify werewolves?¡± said Hermione thoughtfully.

    ¡°Anything is possible; maybe he was bitten by a crazy werewolf, so he came out of his mind!¡± Ron said yelling, ¡°I mean check this out. Snape left us with homework that discusses the identification and killing of werewolves. At least two parchment papers. He is absolutely crazy!¡±

    ¡°The difference between the werewolf and the real wolf, the symptoms of the werewolf in the human form¡­¡± Hermione looked through her Dark Arts defensive textbook.

    ¡°God, Hermione, you¡¯re not really going to finish the assignment, on how to identify an evil werewolf and kill him?¡±

    ¡°The middle finger and the ring finger are the same length, weak, full moon, change of time, fear of¡­¡± Hermione ignored him. Her hands quickly crossed through the book. Then it seemed like she found something. She raised her head sharply, and her beautiful chestnut eyes were full of shock.

    ¡°A werewolf is not necessarily evil, Ron!¡± Seeing Hermione¡¯s look, Evan knew she had discovered the truth and he sighed. ¡°Wizards usually think that he has no reason and feelings, and that he only knows destruction and Killing, being full of bloodthirsty desires. In fact, this image is incorrect.¡±

    ¡°You must know that even a pure hearted person, a person who does not forget to pray at night, will inevitably be transformed into a wolf on a full moon night when exposed to the moonlight.¡± Evan calmly looked at Hermione, ¡°but he is kind in nature. Just because he is a werewolf, that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t trust him.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it, Evan?!¡± Hermione asked this question, being troubled. But with his regard, she became less worried.

    ¡°Yes, I trust him!¡± Evan nodded.

    Harry, Ron, and Colin looked at Evan and Hermione. They were confused and they couldn¡¯t understand what the two were saying.

 Chapter 90: 1st Quidditch Opponent

    <h4>Chapter 90: 1st Quidditch Opponent</h4>

    Although Evan said he trusted him, Hermione¡¯s face was still as gloomy as the dark night sky. She could not believe that Professor Lupin actually would be a Werewolf, the news was simply too shocking!

    ¡°I tell you what, are we missing something here?¡± Ron looked suspiciously at Evan and Hermione.

    Harry and Colin nodded along with him wanting answers.

    Evan and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione was not sure if she should tell them that Professor Lupin was a Werewolf. Since both Dumbledore and Evan believed in him, she should also keep it secret. What¡¯s more, Professor Lupin was particrly friendly, and nothing like the image of a vicious Werewolf.

    Hermione quietly kicked Evan under the table and nodded so that he answers Ron¡¯s question.

    Evan didn¡¯t have an idea on how to put it for his friends. Fortunately, he saw Oliver Wooding over with an angry face and the Gryffindor Quidditch team gathered.

    ¡°Bad news, we won¡¯t y against Slytherin tomorrow!¡± he said angrily. ¡°Professor McGonagall just told me that our opponent tomorrow will be Hufflepuff.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± the other yers asked in one voice.

    ¡°Slytherin¡¯s excuse is that their injured yer¡¯s arm is not healed yet.¡± Wood frowned, furiously panting. ¡°But the purpose of this is obvious. They just don¡¯t want to y in such weather and think it would destroy their chances to win.¡±

    Hogwarts had been stormy in recent days. As Wood finished his words, everyone heard the rumbling of thunder outside the castle.

    ¡°Slytherin¡¯s Seeker?¡± Angelina said in surprise.

    ¡°It is Draco Malfoy. His arm was injured in the Care of Magical Creatures ss in the first week of school when he was attacked by Hagrid¡¯s Buckbeak!¡± Ron whispered. ¡°But that was exactly what he deserved. If I were Buckbeak, I would¡¯ve given him a harder time.¡±

    ¡°Malfoy¡¯s arm has nothing anymore!¡± said Harry furiously. ¡°It¡¯spletely healed!¡±

    ¡°I understand, but we can¡¯t prove it,¡± Wood said bitterly. ¡°They used this as an excuse when talking to professor Snape¡­¡±

    ¡°I knew it was him!¡± Harry and Ron shouted in disgust.

    ¡°The problem now is that we have been practicing for Slytherin and we are ying against the Hufflepuff team tomorrow. Their style is quite different. Even more troublesome is that this year, they have a new Captain and Seeker: Cedric Diggori.¡±

    As soon as his voice fell, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie suddenly giggled.

    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Wood said curiously disapproving this carefree behavior.

    ¡°You mean that tall, handsome looking boy, right?¡± Angelina said.

    ¡°The strong, non-talkative one.¡± Katie added, ¡°He¡¯s really charming.¡±

    They began to giggle again, and Wood and Fred looked very unhappy.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk often because he¡¯s too stupid to say two words in a row¡± said Fred impatiently. ¡°Oliver, I don¡¯t understand why you should worry. The Hufflepuff team is an easy opponent. When west yed against them, Harry took the Golden Snitch in only five minutes. Don¡¯t you remember?¡±

    ¡°We were in apletely different situation!¡± Wood shouted, his eyes slightly protruding. ¡°Diggory organized a strong team. He is an excellent Seeker! Your thinking worries me. We must not underestimate the enemy! We must tackle the main issues. Slytherin wants to observe us on every step of the way looking for our mistakes. We must win this year!¡±

    Wood¡¯s voice was loud; loud enough to make most people in the auditorium turn his way curiously.

    ¡°Oliver, take it easy and don¡¯t get angry.¡±

    Fred panicked a little: ¡°We will take Hufflepuff seriously, we are serious!¡±

    ¡°All team training, at 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, all the yers should gather at the Quidditch stadium. We muste up with a set of coping strategies.¡±

    No one spoke. Everyone nodded palely.

    In their eyes, Evan saw the storm of thoughts within their minds. He silently prayed for these guys.

    Evan could understand Wood¡¯s mood. This year was hisst year at Hogwarts. He had to get the Quidditch Cup. Since Harry joined the team, the Gryffindor team had clearly been the strongest in the school, but in the past two years, they had always encountered all kinds of idents, and eventually missed the Quidditch Cup.

    To be more precise, it was Harry who was really unreliable. Apart from being an outstanding Seeker, he had to get a career as a part-time hero! If Gryffindor would not get the Quidditch Cup this year because of him, there would be no need for Voldemort, because Wood would kill Harry himself.

    Yeah, he had it in his eyes!

    The sudden training continued until seven o¡¯clock in the evening. Evan had just persuaded Hermione not to tell anybody that Professor Lupin was a Werewolf. Then, he saw the members of the team crawl into themon room looking exhausted. After a bit of talking, they went to the Dormitory and fell asleep.

    The next day, about five o¡¯clock in the morning, Evan woke up. He was awakened by the roaring winds outside the castle. He could hear the rumbling thunder in the air, the turmoil of the wind hitting the castle walls, and the sound of the trees in the Forbidden Forest.

    He walked out of the bedroom with his sleepy eyes and saw that Harry had been dressed and took his light Nimbus 2000 quietly in front of the firece in themon room.

    There was no light in the firece, and the entire public lounge was really dark.

    ¡°Oh, Harry! When did you get up?¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Evan!¡± Harry said with a worried voice. ¡°About three o¡¯clock, I was awakened by Peeves. He kept blowing air on my neck.¡±

    ¡°And then you have been sitting here all this time?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Crookshanks wanted to sneak into our dormitory. I sat on the stairs so that he wouldn¡¯t get there. The guys needed to rest.¡±

    ¡°But you need to take a break, too!¡± said Evan in surprise. ¡°In three hours, you¡¯ll have to spend a whole day outside flying in such ghostly weather.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy, Evan, I have an ominous hunch.¡± Harry waved his hand weakly. ¡°The big ck dog, the unknown¡­ When I trainedst night, I saw it in the direction of the Forbidden Forest. It was watching us in the woods.¡±

    ¡°It should be just a stray dog!¡± Evan couldn¡¯t understand what Sirius would be doing in such a messy weather.

    Any normal sane person would try to find shelter from the rain! However, judging from the current situation, Sirius ck was not normal.

    ¡°But this is the third time. I can¡¯t be seeing the same stray dog ??all the time.¡± Harry sighed. ¡°You know that ck is chasing me. If that means death, I¡¯m afraid¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about a stray dog. I have seen it many times.¡±

    Harry¡¯s words reminded Evan of what happened in the original story during the game. He looked out at the sky and added, ¡°Harry, you need to save your strength for now. If there is anything you should worry about, I¡¯m worried about the Dementors¡­¡±

    ¡°Dementors?!¡± Harry looked up and his face paled instantly.

    ¡°Yes, those guys are stationed not too far from the Quidditch field, and the happy atmosphere on the field should make a great feast for them. If theye, then ¡­¡­¡± Evan paused, then said, ¡°You need to prepare your wand, and be ready to cast the Patronus Charm¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making any good progress with that spell!¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t seem to have any happy memories to recall.¡±

    For the next few hours, Evan practiced the Patronus spell several time with Harry. No matter how hard he tried, Harry¡¯s wand could only emit a blur of white fog.

    Evan sighed. Although this might not be able to drive away the Dementors, it was better than nothing. It should be enough to resist for a while, giving him enough time tond safely.

    Besides, with Dumbledore watching the game, Evan didn¡¯t really think that over hundred Dementors could do anything.

 Chapter 91: Strange thoughts

    <h4>Chapter 91: Strange thoughts</h4>

    After breakfast, Evan walked out of the castle under the heavy rain.

    The cold rain made him shiver. He saw Hermione, Colin, and Ginny beside him trembling.

    Even so, they did not lose their enthusiasm.

    As a pseudo-fan with a severe fear of heights and not much enthusiasm about Quidditch, Evan did not understand why the sport was so popr.

    The weather outside the castle was raging with winds and heavy rain, but in order to watch this game, the teachers and students of the school rushed outside as usual. They ran across thewn to the Quidditch pitch, sat down in the wet stands, and lowered their heads to resist the strong winds.

    He felt bad. Half an hour earlier, Evan intended to spend the day in thefortable, warm library.

    He had already made up his mind that no matter what Colin would say, he would never take a step outside of the castle under such weather conditions, it was out of the question!

    But Colin did not evene to call him; he actually went to Hermione and Ginny directly. Evan was pulled out by both of them, saying that he should go out to support the team, because this game was very important to Gryffindor.

    Looking at their faces, Evan felt that if he would not agree toe out, and Gryffindor lost, then he would be held responsible by the two of them.

    With no way out, he sighed and followed them out of the castle.

    Unlike him, Colin, Hermione and Ginny were all smiling.

    Needless to say, Colin¡¯s smile was honest. Over the past two years, he knew Evan well enough to know how to pressure him.

    Ginny smiled because she found Evan¡¯s appearance funny. After all, his usual image, that of one who¡¯s too mature, calm, and omniscient, is nothing like the twelve-year-old boy that he looks like now.

    As for Hermione¡¯s smile, it was rtively moreplex. Sure, she shared the same reasons as Colin and Ginny, but that wasn¡¯t the main factor that created her smile. Pulling Even out of the castle, she felt likeughing. She didn¡¯t know the source of thatughter, but deep down in her heart, she felt happy. Could it be ¡°that kind ofughter¡±?

    The four of them had different expressions as they went to the stands.

    Ron had already kept ces for them. Even didn¡¯t know if this was just in his mind, but he felt that Ron was staring strangely at his eyes. It¡¯s hard to say, but it actually reminded him of the way Snape stares at him.

    Evan shook his head. It must¡¯ve been a wrong impression!

    In fact, Evan¡¯s conjecture was right. Looking at Hermione and Ginny, who wereughing and walking with Evan behind them, Ron didn¡¯t know why he had a weird feeling; constituted mostly out of envy and jealousy.

    These two emotions, he has been very familiar with, in the past few years, he had this feeling for his brother, and for his best friend Harry.

    But he is now looking at Evan. Apart from jealousy; there was a strange sense of distaste in his heart that he had never felt before.

    Ron suddenly remembered the dream he had been repeatedly having in the few past nights and the girl who appeared frequently in them. She looked a bit like Hermione¡­ He shook his head ruthlessly. Hermione appeared in his dreams. Could it be just a coincidence?

    Besides, why did he dream of doing that kind of thing with Hermione¡­?

    Hermione was just his friend, but when he saw her with Evan sitting together, Ron felt very ufortable inside.

    Intuition told him that there must be something he did not know between the two of them.

    These things make up the main source of this unfamiliar hatred in his heart.

    Under the influence of this sentiment, Ron¡¯s attention shifted from the Quidditch match to people beside him.

    He found that the more he looked at Evan, the worse he felt.

    He was obviously one year younger than him. What makes him any better?

    Ron forced himself to not think about it. After all Evan managed to save himst year. The thoughts in his mind were definitely bad. He took a deep breath and suddenly it came back to his mind: what happenedst year, the ck diary, and what was written in it for him by Tom Riddle.

    Although it was the incarnation of Voldemort as a Student, although he was evil, deep down inside, Ron had to admit that he found some truth in his words. Against Malfoy¡¯s bad treatment, he stepped up to protect her, causing him to spend a week vomiting disgusting slugs. In face of Snape¡¯s unreasonable manners, he stood up for her, and was punished by being obliged to spend full night cleaning urinals. Faced with¡­

    He clearly, did all of this for her. But now, the one by her side, is Evan. It¡¯s really like Tom Riddle said.

    No, no! There must something wrong with him to have such dangerous ideas.

    Ron forced his eyes away from Evan and Hermione, looking in the center of the court. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams began to appear.

    Under the cheers of the audience, Evan saw the Gryffindor Quidditch yers walking out of the locker room; the wind blew badly, and when they walked into the stadium, they all staggered. He could not even see clearly Harry¡¯s thin silhouette.

    It was the same for Hufflepuff, and Evan could only vaguely see seven people dressed in canary yellow robes standing on the court. The guy who was shaking hands with Wood was supposed to be Cedric Diggory.

    Although he had never met him, Evan was very impressed by the name.

    In addition to remembering that he was in the next year¡¯s Triwizard Tournament, which ended up by getting him killed by Voldemort, Diggory made many contributions to the Hogwarts Magical News this year.

    From his submissions, it could be seen that Diggori was an excellent Wizard, and had very in-depth research on Metamorphosis.

    But Evan didn¡¯t know how good he would be in Quidditch, especially in such a bad weather. If he and Harry couldn¡¯t see the Snitch, it would be very bad for everyone to sit all day in the cold rain.

    A few secondster, with the whistle of Mrs. Hooch, the game began!

    A blur of red and yellow figures leaped up and down the pitch. Evan couldn¡¯t know how the game was progressing, and couldn¡¯t even hear thementary in the wind.

    Although he had a raincoat on, he became soaked in water. He felt like he was freezing. Through the intensive rain, he saw Harry moving at top of the pitch, and his condition was much worse than his.

    Evan saw Hermione sitting beside him cold and shivering, but she seemed to be in high spirits, as if someone had given her a Potion of Happiness!

    It was strange to him that Hermione liked Quidditch so much. How did it not show before? He remembered that when Gryffindor yed against Hufflepuffst year, Hermione chose to note see the game in order to speed up the making of the Polyjuice potion.

    If there was any difference between this year and the previous one, it was that Cedric Diggori became Hufflepuff¡¯s captain.

    He also remembered that Angelina said yesterday that the guy was very handsome. Evan suddenly became inexplicably nervous, and he unconsciously looked up and searched for Diggori¡¯s presence. Then he saw that Ron was still looking at him and his expression was bing more and more bizarre.

    What¡¯s going on today? What is it with these two?

 Chapter 92: Dementorsâ€™ Feast

    <h4>Chapter 92: Dementors¡¯ Feast</h4>

    Evan saw Ron panicking and turning as if he wanted to avoid eye contact.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good. Is he hiding something from me?!¡± He looked at Ron thoughtfully.

    Does it have anything to do with Peter Pettigrew? But from Ron¡¯s expression, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, it looks like¡­

    A momentter, thunder roared in the air, and Evan turned his head as a fork-shaped lightning bolt crossed the sky. He saw Harry flying over his head.

    In the air, Harry was so cold and numb that he had to press himself down on his broom, directing it through the turbulent airstream and looking for the Snitch everywhere. As he avoided a Bludgering from his right, he saw Diggory sneak down under him. Diggory was flying in the opposite direction. Did he spot the Snitch?!

    They could no longer go on like this and the situation was bing more and more dangerous.

    Harry turned quickly and wanted to go back to the middle of the pitch. But just then, a sh of lightning lit up the stands. Harry saw something thatpletely distracted him: the silhouette of a huge ck dog, which was clearly reflected in the sky above the empty seats of the Slytherin stand.

    Harry¡¯s numb hands slid on the broomstick, and his Nimbus 2000 fell several feet.

    He moved his wet hair away from his eyes, and squinted to look up. The dog had disappeared.

    ¡°Harry!¡± Wood¡¯s distressed cry came from Gryffindor¡¯s goal. ¡°Harry, behind you!¡±

    Harry panicked and Diggory went down to the field. A small Golden Snitch shed between them in the rain. Harry panicked on the broomstick and rushed towards it.

    Everyone stopped straight away and looked at the two seekers who were approaching the Snitch. Diggory was closer to the snitch, but Harry was faster.

    On the stands, Hermione¡¯s cold little hand suddenly gripped Evan¡¯s left arm and she screamed in horror. ¡°Look, look!¡±.

    Turning to where she was looking, Evan¡¯s heart shook fiercely as he saw the sky behind Harry and Diggory turning pitch ck.

    Like ink spreading out in the water, more than a hundred Dementors were attracted by the cheerful atmosphere on the Quidditch pitch, and they came quickly with the terrible cold currents.

    The Dementors seemed to be invited to a feast. They were dressed in dark gray, tattered cloaks, floating in the air. A pair of hand rotting with pus slowly shook both sides of their hoods, and the air got filled with the smell of rotten meat.

    Along the strings of Ice being formed around the Dementors, Evan saw something flying out of the stands to be taken away by the Dementors above. It was their happiness.

    The whole world instantly became ck and white, and there was nothing left but silence on the stepped stands around the runway. Although the wind was still as strong as before, he couldn¡¯t hear it howling anymore, as if someone had turned off the sound.

    Evan saw Hermione shouting at him, but he couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    He yanked his wand out and aimed at the Dementors in the center of the field.

    ¡°Expecto Patronum!¡± he shouted, but he couldn¡¯t hear his own voice.

    His wand emitted a silver light, swaying like a me in the wind and rain, bringing a moment of color to this ck and white world of savagery.

    But no, this fment dissipated instantly and turned into a faint green smoke.

    ¡°Damn, there are too many Dementors!¡± Evan uttered the spell again, and kept thinking about happy memories.

    The surprise of receiving Hogwarts¡¯ letter, the joy of learning his first spell, the happy times he had with his friends, and the light of the tip of his wand grew stronger and stronger.

    Aplete animal was gradually being formed.

    But this wasn¡¯t enough, and the dark fear brought by the Dementors came from all sides.

    Evan tightened his wand and remembered the scene when he first released theplete patronus on the train. At the time, he also couldn¡¯t hold on. Hermione gave him hope and he tried to recall that feeling.

    Evan suddenly felt a quivering, weak body clinging to him; he turned to see Hermione staring at him nervously.

    Yeah, that was the feeling!

    The next second, a dazzling silver-white animal emerged from Evan¡¯s wand.

    The power of the Patronus Charmes from the positive energy of one¡¯s heart. Apart from the happy moments that one can remember, ites also from hope, the desire to live and from the desire to protect.

    When you want deep down in your heart to protect someone, you be able to send out aplete corporeal guardian.

    The Patronus released is stronger as long as the determination to defend is stronger.

    It was not a happy memory; it¡¯s Evan¡¯s determination to protect Hermione that inspired the spell.

    His Patronus was a cat, but one that¡¯s much stronger and more ferocious than an ordinary one. It was dotted with silver bands and it was like a tiger.

    ¡°Is that a cat or a tiger?¡±

    All the young wizards in the stands eximed loudly, they have never seen such a strange, rare creature.

    But Evan knew that his Patronus and Animagus had the same image and were all ck cats.

    Because at that moment, his desire to guard Hermione was deep inside, it made this guardian really powerful.

    The Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality. It is the awakened secret self that lies dormant until needed. Evan¡¯s Patronus majestically took his determination to protect Hermione, fiercely rushing over to the Dementors in the center of the field, and chasing them away.

    In the air, Harry quickly approached the Snitch.

    He was only a little bit behind, but was faster than Diggory. But then, it seemed like time froze.

    Harry felt like he had entered a ck hole from which he could never fly out. He helplessly tried moving forward. The surrounding temperatures were getting lower and lower. His breathing began slowing down as if his lungs were freezing, and the frozen Rain drilled into his body cutting him up from the inside out.

    He heard the voice that he heard that time on the train. Someone was screaming in his head. It was the voice of a woman.

    ¡°Not Harry, Not Harry, Please, Not Harry!¡±

    ¡°Stand aside you silly girl, stand aside now¡­¡±

    ¡°Not Harry, please no! Take me! Kill me instead!¡±

    Harry¡¯s brain got numb. He didn¡¯t what was going on or what he was doing; he didn¡¯t know why he was flying. He getting closer and closer to the snitch, but his attention was focused on the woman in his mind.

    He must help her. She¡¯s going to die. No, she¡¯s going to be murdered!

    ¡°Not harry, please! Have mercy! Have mercy!¡±

    Answering her, there was only a sharp coldughter. In face of her pleading voice, it sounded extremely cruel.

    Harry felt lost. He couldn¡¯t help the woman. He felt like he¡¯s about to slide down from his broom. Just as he thought he was going to fall like this, a silver-white animal suddenly flew over from below.

    It was Evan¡¯s Patronus that was, just like his Animagus, a ck cat.

    As harry regained some vague awareness, he found himself surrounded by Dementors. Their faces hidden under their headscarfs were all facing him.

    Behind their headscarves, the darkness looked like it had nothing within it.

    No, Harry saw something in it. It was¡­

    His eyes went wide open and he was full of horror. He wanted to pull out his wand, but he found himself falling off his broomstick. His Nimbus 2000 flew towards Forbidden Forest along its original trajectory.

    The cold rain fell rapidly and mmed Harry¡¯s pale face. He could not reach out to his broom with his right hand.

    His efforts were in vain. More and more Dementors were approaching the ce. The light of Evan¡¯s Patronus was getting weaker and weaker. The woman¡¯s plea and the harshughter were re-emerging in Harry¡¯s mind. They are still talking, and the man seemed to have said something terrible.

    Harry tried to recall what the man just said, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    He was trying to withstand this, but his eyelids get heavier and heavier.

    Then, all he saw was darkness.

 Chapter 93: The Young Wizardsâ€™ Patronuses

    <h4>Chapter 93: The Young Wizards¡¯ Patronuses</h4>

    Endless darknesspletely filled the Quidditch pitch, and the young wizards silently watched the Dementors floating over them, with terrible things flooding their minds.

    They felt depressed, powerless, and terrified, as if the end of the world hade.

    ¡°Expecto Patronum!¡±

    Just when everyone was in despair, a slightly young but firm voice rang from the Gryffindor stand.

    Like a ray of dawn in the darkness, a silver-white animal popped up, bing the only source of color and light to that ck and white dark world.

    The little wizards turned their heads together. They saw a thin boy with his wand standing up to over a hundred hideous Dementors. The light from the tip of his wand formed a strong wall in front of the Dementors, just like the light of dawn ends the darkness.

    This picture is to be printed in their memories for many years toe.

    ¡°It¡¯s Evan Mason, that¡¯s his Patronus.¡±

    Nobody knew who shouted that, but everyone suddenly remembered that they saw an article on the Dementors in the ¡°Hogwarts Magic New¡±, and how ¡°Patronus Charm¡± was the only thing that can resist them.

    The little wizards hurriedly pulled out their wands and casted the spell at the sky.

    Like little stars in the night¡¯s sky, silver-white lights shined on the stands.

    Soon, Evan knew how many people secretly practiced the Patronus Charm. About 600 silver-white lights appeared in the grandstand.

    The thick fog of light made by all of their wands blew away the fear and coldness of the moment.

    Many of them began to condense a corporeal Patronus.

    Percy¡¯s Patronus took the lead in rushing out of the fog. It was like a weasel. Behind it were more than a dozen patronuses of all kinds.

    Evan also saw an otter on the tip of Hermione¡¯s wand. It circled around twice then flew to the Dementors.

    Following thoseplete ones, the white light fog floated upwards and countless Auras began to emerge.

    Like a sharp arrow, the light fog hit the Dementors under its caster¡¯s will.

    The Dementors never seemed to have encountered such a situation. Faced with so many Patronuses and arge amount of smoke made out of happy emotions, they panicked and retreated. These creatures that have always brought fear and despair to others, felt for the first time the taste of fear themselves and they instinctively wanted to run away.

    A momentter, a beautiful voice came from the top of the castle.

    That was the Phoenix¡¯s voice. Evan once heard it in the secret room in the previous semester. He turned back and saw a giant silver-white phoenix flying out of the Headmaster¡¯s office. It was the Patronus of Dumbledore, a very rare and powerful magical creature.

    It moved closer to the Quidditch pitch with a huge white Aura more dazzling than all the other Patronuses. Under its illumination, the Dementors, who were slow to escape, turned into a cloud of smoke under the sight of everyone present andpletely vanished.

    Common Patronuses can only chase away the Dementors, but Dumbledore¡¯s Phoenix can actually kill them.

    The Dementors who broke into the castle, made the greatest White Wizard of modern Times really angry.

    Next to the path of the Phoenix flight, Evan saw Harry falling from high altitude and hurried to the center of the Quidditch pitch.

    Ron and Hermione were stunned for a moment and hurried to follow.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°Luckily the ground is so soft.¡±

    ¡°I thought he would die, but he didn¡¯t even break his sses.¡±

    Harry heard their whispers, but he couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about.

    He didn¡¯t know where he was, nor did he know how he came there, or what he was doing before he got there.

    All he knew was that he was feeling pain all over his body, as if he had taken a beating.

    ¡°Fortunately, Evan and his Patronus woke us up from fear and despair!¡±

    ¡°A hundred Dementors, this is the most terrible thing I have ever seen in my life.¡±

    Yeah, the most terrible and scariest thing! Harry remembered the dark shadows of the scarfs and the terror underneath it¡­

    And also he remembered the chilling screams that constantly mmed his mind, and the man who seemed to say something in the end.

    The next time Harry opened his eyes he was lying in the hospital¡¯s bed.

    Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch team members were sshed with mud from head to toe, and they were surrounding his bed. Evan, Ron, and Hermione were also there, looking like they just climbed up from the swimming pool.

    ¡°Harry, Harry! How do you feel?¡± Ron¡¯s face looked pale.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Harry¡¯s consciousness came back quickly; he suddenly sat up and saw several people around him startled.

    ¡°You fell down from above fifty feet.¡± said Ron.

    ¡°We thought you were dead!¡± Alicia followed. She was standing there trembling.

    When she heard her, Hermione uttered a shrill, low-pitched voice, and her eyes went red.

    ¡°But the game¡­¡± Harry said. ¡°What happened? Can we y again?¡±

    No one spoke, and Harry started realizing the horrible truth.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t¡­ lost?¡±

    ¡°Diggori caught the Snitch!¡± said Fred. ¡°Just after you fell, he didn¡¯t understand what was going on. When he looked down and saw you fall to the ground, he nned to interrupt the game to rey itter.¡±

    ¡°But they won with fair y, and even Wood admitted this.¡± George followed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Wood?¡± Harry looked around and suddenly realized that Wood wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°He¡¯s still in the rain!¡± Fred said. ¡°We think he¡¯s going to drown himself.¡±

    Harry buried his face between his knees and grabbed his hair with both hands.

    ¡°Well, Harry, you used to always catch the Snitch,¡± Fred said.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to miss so of them!¡± Said George. ¡°The tournament is not over yet!¡±

    ¡°We lost a hundred points, didn¡¯t we? So if Hufflepuff loses against Ravenw and we defeat Ravenw and Slytherin¡­¡±

    ¡°Hufflepuff must lose at least two hundred points,¡± said George. ¡°But if they beat Ravenw¡­¡±

    ¡°No way, Ravenw is great. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff¡­¡±

    ¡°It all depends on their scores; whoever wins gets a hundred points.¡±

    Harryid in his bed and listened to the discussion between Fred and George. He didn¡¯t say a word.

    They lost because of him. He lost for the first time in Quidditch.

    About ten minutester, Madam Poppy Pomfrey came to tell the team members to let Harry rest.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see youter.¡± Fred told Harry, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself, Harry! You¡¯re still our best Seeker.¡±

    The team went out leaving a trail of mud behind them. Madam Pomfrey closed the door behind them and looked unhappy.

    Evan, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other and stayed.

 Chapter 94: Filchâ€™s Office

    <h4>Chapter 94: Filch¡¯s Office</h4>

    ¡°He needs to rest. You three don¡¯t stay too long.¡±

    Madam Pomfrey looked at Evan, Ron, and Hermione with dissatisfaction; and she drew their attention to the water stains and mud falling down from their clothes.

    ¡°Besides, I need one of you toe to get his nutritional supplements. This will help him regain his strength!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle.¡±

    Evan saw that Ron had something to say to Harry and that he shouldn¡¯t make a girl do madam Pomfrey¡¯s task. He rose and followed her out of the ward.

    ¡°Did I actually see many Dementors?¡± Harry whispered, but in his mind, he was thinking about the dog¡¯s appearance once again.

    ¡°It was more than a hundred Dementors, Harry!¡± said Hermione in a trembling voice. ¡°I was scared and I didn¡¯t know what to do. All I could think about was terrible things. But thanks to Evan and His Patronus, we were able to wake up¡­¡±

    She suddenly thought of Evan¡¯s Patronus which was exactly the same as the strange ck cat she met at the Leaky Cauldron that night before the school started.

    Would there be any connection between the two? Hermione remembered that Evan had told her himself, he learned Animagus in the summer vacation, but he always refused to tell her what his deformation form was. She was a little skeptical when she first met Evan¡¯s Patronus on the train. It was too simr to the ck cat she had seen before, and Evan was obstinate at the time. Is that strange ck cat his Animagus form?!

    Hermione¡¯s face instantly turned red as she remembered holding the cat in her arms.

    God, if it is really true, that means she got undressed in front of Evan¡­

    ¡°OK, Hermione!¡± Ron looked furious as he watched Hermione. He shouted, ¡°Evan¡¯s Patronus was useless. It was Dumbledore who saved Harry and drove the Dementors away.¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Hermione yelled.

    ¡°Everyone saw it, Evan¡¯s Patronus rushed to those Monsters and they escaped and couldn¡¯t take it for more than seconds.¡± Ron didn¡¯t look at Hermione and said to her, ¡°His Patronus was of no use at all. Harry finally fainted and we lost the game!¡±

    ¡°But it was Evan¡¯s Patronus that brought courage and hope to everyone. All the others could release their Patronuses. I also released myplete Patronus for the first time, it was like an otter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you still understand?!¡± Ron gasped. ¡°There were so many Dementors out there. If there weren¡¯t Evan¡¯s Patronus, maybe Diggory would have fainted too. If that happened, Gryffindor wouldn¡¯t have lost.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Ron!¡± Hermione said in surprise. ¡°If Evan did not gain time for Dumbledore, Harry would have fallen earlier from a higher distance!¡±

    When he saw Hermione¡¯s look, Ron became more and more irritated.

    There was an inexplicable anger within his heart that he wanted to let go. He was at the Quidditch pitch as well and wand glow for a little while, then the light immediately disappeared.

    It was far from beingparable to theplete Patronus of Evan, or even to that of Hermione.

    This made him feel very ufortable. He shouted, ¡°He was more of a hindrance than a help, and nothing of all this would have happened if it was not for him. Percy was just slower than him¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, you two can¡¯t let me have some quiet for a bit!¡± Harry whispered.

    Ron¡¯s voice went low and the room was embarrassingly silent.

    Harry did not understand what happened between Ron and Hermione. It was weird that they did not care about his physical condition. Instead, they were discussing whether Evan¡¯s Patronus yed a role in saving him or not. In particr, the fact that they were talking in Evan¡¯s back, made Harry feel bad.

    ¡°Forget those damn Dementors. Did anyone get my Nimbus2000?¡±

    When they heard him, Ron and Hermione quickly nced at each other.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry suddenly had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Oh, when you fell down, it was blown away.¡± Hermione said hesitantly. ¡°Then it crashed and hit the Whomping Willow.¡±

    Harry felt anguish in his heart. He saw the Whomping Willow thest semester. It even shattered Mr. Weasley¡¯s car.

    ¡°And then?¡± Harry whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

    ¡°Harry, you know that Whomping Willow,¡± said Ron. ¡°It doesn¡¯t like anything bumping into it.¡±

    ¡°Professor Flitwick has just brought it back before you awoke.¡± said Hermione in a low voice.

    She slowly reached for her schoolbag at her feet and turned it upside down.

    A dozen pieces of wood and debris from the broom¡¯s tailnded on the bed. That was the wreckage of Harry¡¯s defeated loyal Broomstick.

    When Evan returned to the ward with nutrients, he saw that none of them was speaking. The atmosphere was terrible.

    Harry sat in bed and stared at his broomstick fragments in a daze. Ron and Hermione also sat silently on the chairs as though they had just quarreled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Harry!¡± said Evan, putting the potion on the table aside,forting him and saying, ¡°You can use my Nimbus 2001. I¡¯ll give it to you. You know that thing is of no use to me.¡±

    After receiving the broomstick, Evan threw it under the bed. It hadn¡¯t been moved except for a few times when it was borrowed by Ron.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan! I just¡­¡± Harry looked at the fragments of his Nimbus 2000 and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    This broomstick was beyond repair. He should throw it. But Harry did not want to do that. He felt like he had lost one of his best friends.

    By nine o¡¯clock in the evening, Evan, Ron, and Hermione left Harry.

    They just came out of the school hospital, and Evan saw that Ron walked alone in themon room, without waiting for him and Hermione.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him?¡± Evan said.

    ¡°Maybe the Dementors had an impact on him!¡± Hermione didn¡¯t know what to say, nor did she know if she should tell him about what Ron said.

    Then, when she thought of the ck cat, Hermione¡¯s face suddenly turned red. She did not know whether to confirm it with Evan.

    In case there was a misunderstanding, there should not necessarily be a link between the Patronus and the Animagus, and if so, wouldn¡¯t it be too embarrassing to ask?

    Hermione thought for a moment that this matter should be a secret for a while, at least until she would find out the truth.

    Wait, if the ck cat is really Evan, what should she do?

    Evan and Hermione walked back in silence. They had just turned the corner of the stairs on the second floor, and they saw Nearly Headless Nick suddenlying in through the wall. His long hair was curled with a very stylish, plumed hat, wearing a knee-length tunic, with a wheel-shaped wrinkled cor.

    Just like he was made out of thin cigarette smoke, Evan could look at the dark sky and heavy rain outside through his body.

    Because Nick had often provided articles to the¡± Hogwarts Magic News¡± over the past year, Evan and Hermione became very familiar with him.

    ¡°You are good!¡± Nick said in a mncholy voice. ¡°I just heard what happened at the Quidditch pitch. It¡¯s terrible. There¡¯s nothing wrong with Harry, is it?¡±

    ¡°He is fine. He has no choice but to ept reality,¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°You know, this is his first Quidditch loss.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, Gryffindor is clearly the most powerful, but we always lose the game for a variety of reasons.¡± Nick took a deep breath. ¡°This time it was because of Dementors. I had already been¡­¡±

    Nick¡¯s words were not finished yet, and Evan saw a cat with yellowmp-like eyes that suddenly came out from behind him and screeched.

    It was Mrs. Norris, the dust-colored cat that was raised by the caretaker Filch and that served as his deputy in the never-ending battle between him and the students.

    ¡°You¡¯d better get out of here!¡± Nick quickly said. ¡°Filch is not in a good mood. He caught a cold. When he was on the Quidditch pitch, someone turned his office upside down. Things were thrown everywhere. He is looking for the assant in the castle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Evan pulled Hermione hurriedly up the stairs and was about to go to bed. He didn¡¯t want to be stopped by Filch and interrogated again.

    But it was strange, who would go to Filch¡¯s office to make trouble?!

    Fred and George may do this, but they¡¯ve just been in the Quidditch game and obviously didn¡¯t have time; Peeves is also possible, but it shouldn¡¯t be him, and it¡¯s not his style to run away without bragging about his deeds.

    In addition to them, who else would it be?!

    Nick said that Filch¡¯s office has been turned upside down. Maybe someone wanted to find something in it. Filch had confiscated a lot of things from the students.

 Chapter 95: Scabbersâ€™ Death

    <h4>Chapter 95: Scabbers¡¯ Death</h4>

    Evan pulled Hermione and hurried back into Gryffindor¡¯s Common room.

    Although it waste, the Common room was very lively.

    None of students went to sleep. They were all discussing the Dementors attack.

    Gryffindor lost the game, which have really saddened them. But excluding the Quidditch yers and some die-hard fans, most of them have put this matter behind already.

    Anyway, as long as they didn¡¯t lose against Slytherin, losing against Ravenw or Hufflepuff was not particrly difficult to take.

    Now, they are more interested in talking about the way to cast a Patronus Charm. Several students who were able cast a Corporeal Patronus got surrounded by their peers. Percy, for example, was proudly showing off his Patronus to more than a dozen junior students.

    Evan and Hermione just entered, and they were warmly weed.

    The atmosphere at the scene reached its peak. They were both in the center surrounded by their friends. Everybody was asking for advice about the Patronus charm.

    Many girls wanted especially to see Evan¡¯s Patronus again.

    Everyone was excited, except for Ron.

    He seemed to be even less happy when he saw Evan and Hermione being weed. He stared at them for a while before turning back to the dormitory with a sly face.

    Just a momentter, everyone heard a muffled screaming from the Boys¡¯ Dormitory.

    The atmosphere became so heavy that no one spoke in the Common room. They all stared at the door with fear. The hurried footsteps rang louder and louder, and then Ron jumped out under everyone¡¯s eyes carrying a bed sheet with him.

    ¡°Look, look at this, look at it!¡± he growled, striding to Hermione and shaking the sheet in front of her.

    ¡°Ron, look at what?¡± Hermione said confusedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s Scabbers, look!¡± Ron rudely stretched out his sheet to Hermione¡¯s eyes.

    Hermione avoided Ron¡¯s sheet and waspletely at a loss.

    Evan looked at the sheet that Ron was holding and there was something red on it. It looked terrible, like¡­

    ¡°Blood!¡± Ron shouted panicked under the silence of everyone. ¡°It¡¯s dead! Do you know what else was on the floor?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know.¡± Hermione¡¯s voice was trembling.

    Ron threw something at Hermione, and everyone leaned forward. They saw long ginger hair scattered on the floor.

    ¡°Ron, a few cat hairs don¡¯t mean anything. You should go to all the boys¡¯ beds and look for stains. It might be¡­¡± Hermione said palely.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ron shouted, shocking everyone. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you, Hermione! You¡¯ve always been like this and never took Crookshanks intentions to eat Scabbers seriously. You never bothered to carefully watch Crookshanks. Now Scabbers is dead, and you are still pretending that your cat is innocent!¡±

    ¡°This cat¡¯s hair may have been there since the beginning of the school term. You have been prejudiced against Crookshanks since he jumped on your head in that Magical Menagerie¡± Hermione said stubbornly.

    ¡°Prejudice?!¡± Ron waved his arm madly. ¡°That monster, it jumped over my head. It ate Scabbers. Am I expected to praise it for doing it?!¡±

    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean that¡­¡± Hermione¡¯s voice dropped again, and tears fell from her eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking!¡± Ron had no mercy at all for Hermione, he went shouting. ¡°You¡¯ve always treated me as a fool or an idiot who didn¡¯t understand anything. I protected you in front of Malfoy, I helped you with Snape in ss, it was me¡­¡±

    The more Ron talked, the more he saw Hermione¡¯s fear and sadness. He felt pain in his heart, but along with the pain, there was an unusual sense of happiness creeping into his heart.

    Revenge does bring some pleasure.

    Immediately afterwards, he remembered the dream he¡¯s been having recently, and Hermione, who had been in the dream all the time.

    He didn¡¯t know why, but he suddenly felt that his nose was sour and he had to force himself not to cry.

    ¡°All right, Ron!¡± Seeing that something was wrong, Fred hurried over and said in a hurry ¡°weren¡¯t you always talking about how disgusting it was? Moreover, this was going to happen soon orter with the way it¡¯s been eating for a long time now. Dying fast is probably better for it. It probably didn¡¯t feel that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just sleeping all day long. This is what you said, Ron¡± said George.

    ¡°It had once bitten Gore for us!¡± said Ron sadly.

    ¡°That was its most glorious moment.¡± Fred couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°It made a scar on Gore¡¯s finger as a permanent reminder of it. Oh, OK, Ron! Reconcile with Hermione, and buy another rat, what¡¯s the use ofmenting?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ron lowered his head and wiped his tears with his sleeves.

    ¡°Actually, I think Hermione¡¯s right. Scabbers may not be dead. It¡¯s just hiding somewhere.¡±

    Peter Pettigrew could not have died like this, and it was even less likely that he would be killed by Crookshanks.

    He was just scared of Sirius ck and wanted to escape by faking his death again.

    With the help of the tracing potion, Evan could feel that the Rat was hiding in the right corner of themon room and following the scene with his eyes.

    He was going to pull him out. He just took two steps and Ron stopped him. What he just said seemed to have angered Ron again.

    ¡°Do you think Scabbers is not dead?!¡± Ron looked angry at Evan, gasping, as if ready to rush over. ¡°I knew you would stand on the Hermione¡¯s side. It¡¯s your fault. If you didn¡¯t suggest that Hermione should buy Crookshanks, Scabbers wouldn¡¯t have died!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Evan was surprised. All day long, he felt that Ron had something wrong with him.

    ¡°Yeah, it was all your fault. It was you who killed it!¡± Ron clenched his fists and his tearful eyes were red. ¡°It was just the same at the Quidditch pitch, if it wasn¡¯t for your ridiculous Patronus, Gryffindor wouldn¡¯t have lost.¡±

    Evan was frozen in his ce. He did not know how Ron came to that conclusion.

    Ron must¡¯ve gone mad. This is so ridiculous that Gryffindor lost the game because of his Patronus!

    ¡°Ron, it was Evan¡¯s Patronus who saved everyone!¡± Colin, who had been standing aside, whispered.

    ¡°Of course you think so. You¡¯re just a ridiculousmuter for this guy.¡± Ron shouted to Colin and quickly turned to look at Evan, as if he was hypnotized, his mouth was murmuring. ¡°Tom Riddle said so, you killed Scabbers. Gryffindor lost the game because of you. You took Hermione. She should¡¯ve been mine¡­.. .¡±

    There was nothing but silence in the Common room, and the young students were afraid and shrank back. Everyone looked at Ron silently. No one could ept what he was saying.

    Evan took another step forward. He wanted to bring out the Rat. Maybe seeing it would calm Ron down.

    As soon as he moved, he saw Ron rush towards him!

 Chapter 96: The Imperius Curse Reappears

    <h4>Chapter 96: The Imperius Curse Reappears</h4>

    The scene was confusing and nobody knew what was going on.

    They saw Ron scurry into Evan¡¯s body with his eyes all red. Both of them fell to the ground beating each other.

    ¡°Stop it, stop it, Ron!¡± Hermione shrieked loudly, trying to separate them.

    Evan hadn¡¯t reacted yet, and he took a bad punch to the stomach. He used his knees to hold Ron back, while his right hand subconsciously reached for his wand.

    A bright red light shed and Ron flew away.

    His body smashed the table and he fell to the ground, struggling twice to stand up and continue to rush toward Evan. Fred and George pulled him quickly.

    ¡°Ron, what do you have with Evan?!¡± Fred said with surprise.

    ¡°Yes, do you really realize what you were doing?!¡± George said.

    Ron gasped and looked at Evan with his eyes all red.

    Everyone held their breaths and stared at Ron. The whole Common room was stunned by what happened.

    Evan¡¯s clothes got all messed up. His right hand was holding his wand tight, pointing against Ron. His left hand was gently patting Hermione¡¯s shoulder. She was standing by his side sobbing uncontrobly.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing guys?!¡± Percy walked through the crowd and stared at Ron, he looked like Mrs. Weasley. ¡°Ron, I know you¡¯re sad to lose the rat, but it¡¯s not Evan who killed it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him, it¡¯s him!¡± Ron shouted. ¡°It was him who asked Hermione to buy the cat. If it wasn¡¯t for that damn cat, Scabbers wouldn¡¯t have died.¡±

    ¡°It was not Crookshanks who killed Scabbers¡­¡± Hermione argued weakly, and her eyes were full of tears.

    ¡°Ron, you¡¯re crazy! For a rat, you¡­¡± Ginny, who came over tofort Hermione, whispered. She turned to Ron and stared at him angrily.

    ¡°Rat? Scabbers is my friend!¡± Ron interrupted Ginny, and he roared angrily. ¡°My best friend is dead. Both of them and that damn cat killed it. You¡¯ve been supporting them all the time. Has anyone ever thought about my feelings?!¡±

    Aside from Ron¡¯s roars, there was no sound, only dead silence in the Common room.

    ¡°In fact, your rat is not dead at all, and nobody touched it!¡±

    Evan let Ginny take care of Hermione and rushed to the corner of the lounge to pull a struggling rat out of the gap, and then he threw it to Ron.

    Watching the trembling Scabbers in his hands, Ron suddenly quieted down.

    He looked stunned. He wanted to say something, but he could not find anything to say. He could not exin it to others. The rat was just a fuse. When he exploded out of anger and rushed at Evan, the only thing he had on his mind was Evan image as he had Hermione¡¯s arm in his hand when entering themon room.

    ¡°Well, Ron, things have been cleared up, and your rat is actually not dead.¡± Percy said with a tight voice ¡°Apologize to Evan and Hermione at once.¡±

    Ron was annoyed by Percy¡¯s words.

    He gasped and stared coldly at Evan and Hermione.

    Reason told him that he should apologize, but there was a voice in his heart that kept whispering that if someone needed to apologize, it would be them. It was clearly their fault.

    He suddenly remembered what Tom Riddle had told himst year. His fists got tighter and all his body shivered.

    If he could choose, he would rather rush over and fight Evan again.

    ¡°Say sorry, Ron!¡± Ginny whispered anxiously to remind him.

    Ron woke up suddenly and he saw everyone looking at him. He took a deep breath and vaguely said: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    After that, he turned and ran back to his Dormitory.

    In the dark bedroom, Ron was alone.

    Heid on his four-poster bed and pressed his head against the pillow. Tears flowed out uncontrobly.

    He must have lost his mind a moment ago. He unexpectedly yelled at Hermione and fought Evan¡­

    Ron couldn¡¯t tell why he wanted to do that; maybe it was too hard to suddenly lose Scabbers. Perhaps Tom Riddle¡¯s words fromst year yed a role, or maybe it was the feeling he had during the day that was a mix of envy, jealousy, and unsavory hatred.

    In a word, the more he looked at Evan, the worse he felt.

    Thinking of what everyone had just done to support Evan, Ron felt really lonely.

    If it was just everybody else, he could¡¯ve let it go easily; but with them were Percy, Fred, George, and Ginny. These are all his family. None of them stood on his side.

    And Hermione¡­ Ron became more distressed just by thinking about her.

    Ron tried not to think about her. He thought of Harry, his best friend. If Harry was here this evening, would he support him?!

    Ron hesitated. At first he believed that Harry would support him. He did it against Malfoy, but that was different. Harry and Evan¡¯s rtionship was also very good. He might also be like the others and support Evan.

    He had already lost Hermione, and when he thought he could lose Harry, Ron was indescribably upset.

    He always treated Harry as his best friend, but does Harry think the same way of him?!

    Harry is not only a famous savior but also the Seeker for the Quidditch team. Harry has always been surrounded by the elite. Ron was on the other hand just a normal guy. What would make Harry pick him as his best friend?!

    Perhaps, in Harry¡¯s eyes, he¡¯s just a follower.

    ¡°I¡¯m all alone!¡± Ron murmured. ¡°No one will support me. I¡¯m a downright loser. Everyone looks down upon me.¡±

    His body curled up in pain, and a momentter, he felt something shivering in his coat¡¯s pocket. It was Scabbers!

    Ron wiped his tears and got up to take the rat out.

    It looked terrified, its body kept shivering and its small eyes were filled with fear.

    In fact, Peter Pettigrew was really frightened. He hid ording to his n. This certainly would not fool Sirius, but it could buy him some time.

    However, the n did not go smoothly. He benefited from the opportunity of the Quidditch match when all the students were out and searched Filch¡¯s office but found nothing. The Marauder¡¯s Map was not there.

    When he graduated, the map was certainly confiscated by Filch, and thetter would have certainly kept it. It shouldn¡¯t be lost. But, after all, that was twenty years ago. That¡¯s a long time in which anything could happen.

    Pettigrew returned to the Gryffindor Common room. He wanted to redress a n to lure Sirius out and let the people inside the castle find him.

    Since Sirius thought he was close to Ron, he¡¯d better stay around and wait for the opportunity.

    However, Peter Pettigrew did not expect that he would be found by Evan.

    That was impossible. How did he find him?!

    When he hid in that gap, there was obviously no one in the Common room.

    It stands to reason that the boy should not be able to find him.

    Peter Pettigrew was scared, and Evan surely had some way he didn¡¯t know. If Sirius ck knew the same method, Peter¡¯s life would certainlye to¡­

    ¡°Scabbers, you¡¯re the only left for me. You are definitely supporting me, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ron put the rat on the pillow.

    When he heard Ron, Peter Pettigrew woke up of his daze. He felt that there were too many variables in the n he had thought of before. He couldn¡¯t fight against Sirius ck and Evan alone. He needed a helper, one hidden in the dark.

    ¡°Those people think of me as a footman, as a joke!¡± Ron said bitterly. His expression was slightly grim. ¡°Those who despise me, I will make them regret it. I want to make them pay the price.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will help you!¡± A sharp man¡¯s voice suddenly could be heard in the room. ¡°I will make those who look down upon us pay the price.¡±

    ¡°Imperio!¡±

    A strange light shed across the bedroom which was quickly restored to peace. Only Ron was alone in the bed with tears. His eyes were full of confusion and emptiness.

 Chapter 97: Hagrid and Buckbeak

    <h4>Chapter 97: Hagrid and Buckbeak</h4>

    A few dayster, Harry was discharged from the school hospital and his life seemed to return to its daily routine.

    But losing the Quidditch match and what happened in the Common room still had an effect.

    Gryffindor Tower¡¯s students looked less energetic, and everyone was really depressed.

    Because of what happened with Ron, Hermione was crying all the time. It was a big blow to her. Harry often looked at his Nimbus 2000¡¯s wreckage dumbfounded. Although everyone tried many things to make him happy, it did not work. Wood lookedpletely unemotional, as if he had lost his life¡¯s purpose. Fred and George were no longer keen on pranks; they were working less and less on new tricks and goods.

    However, nobody has changed as much as Ron.

    Ron¡¯s behavior became increasingly bizarre. Aside Harry, he hardly spoke to anyone. His temper became really bad and he was unfriendly to all.

    He was like an active volcano that had been repressed for a long time and that was ready to erupt at any time.

    In Monday¡¯s Potions ss, because Malfoy imitated the Dementors to mock Harry, Ron immediately threw arge, gooey crocodile heart at him, right on his face. Snape therefore deducted fifty points from Gryffindor.

    Evan did not know if it was just a wrong impression, but he always felt like Ron was someone else.

    His eyes were often empty and sluggish, but every time he saw him, he was full of vignce and hostility, as if he would rush to sh with him at any time.

    Evan was not against the idea of a fight if it could solve all problems.

    In short, the unexpected failure made the atmosphere in the entire Gryffindor Tower be heavy.

    The only thing worth being happy about that happened recently was Professor Lupin¡¯s return to ss

    In Wednesday¡¯s Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, Evan saw Professor Lupin.

    It was noticeable that he had been sick. His old robe was worn loose on his body. There were dark shadows underneath his eyes. The Werewolf¡¯s transformation must be a very heavy burden for his body.

    Everyone was concerned about Lupin¡¯s physical condition andined about Snape¡¯s actions during his illness. ording to Evan¡¯s knowledge, Snape¡¯s teaching of the Defence Against the Dark Arts sses for all grades when he substituted professor Lupin was the same, revolving around how to identify and kill Werewolves.

    Of course, almost none of them took it seriously.

    For the young Wizards, in this day and age, Werewolves were like mythical creatures. They thought that they would nevere into contact with them in real life.

    Apart from Hermione, Evan was not sure who else would have discovered Lupin¡¯s true identity.

    Expectedly, Snape was disappointed, as his efforts did not have any effect besides doubling their annoyance.

    Professor Lupin has returned, making the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss enjoyable again.

    In that ss, Evan saw Hinkypunk, a new dark creature brought by Lupin. It was a one- legged creature with the appearance of wispy blue, grey-white smoke. It was very frail and looked pretty harmless.

    But in reality, it often lured travelers into bogs.

    It had a proclivity for luring travelers off of their paths at night, into treacherous bogs or wends under the guise of a helpful,mp-bearing being. When the travelers followed it, they fell into the bogs and died. Hinkypunk made a living from the dead carrions.

    Seeing it through the tank, you would never guess that this creature could be so terrible.

    The pleasant atmosphere brought about by Professor Lupin¡¯s return onlysted for two hours. When Evan went downstairs to the Common Room for lunch, he saw Hagrid standing in the hall surrounded by Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    Hagrid had just returned from the Owlery. He stood there, with his eyes red and swollen, and his tears falling down on the front cket of his leather vest.

    ¡°Hagrid, What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Evan walked over and was surprised to see Harry, Ron, and Hermione looking at an official letter.

    Evan nced over and read:

    ¡°Dear Mr. Hagrid, further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your ss, we have epted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident.

    However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the officialint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.

    The hearing will take ce on January 25th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee¡¯s offices in London on that date. In the meanwhile, the hippogriff should be kept tethered and isted. Yours in fellowship¡­¡± There followed a list of the school Governors.

    ¡°They want to kill Buckbeak!¡± Hagrid couldn¡¯t help sobbing. His face was full of tears that went on to fall on his tangled beard.

    ¡°But Buckbeak isn¡¯t a bad hippogriff!¡± Harry said with a bit of doubt. ¡°Hagrid, I bet he¡¯ll get off.¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t know those gargoyles at the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.¡± Hagrid wiped his tears with his sleeves. ¡°They¡¯ve got it in for interesting creatures!¡±

    Hagrid¡¯s words made them look at each other not knowing how to answer.

    Hippogriffs, which Hagrid called ¡°interesting animals¡±, were in the eyes of others absolute ¡°terrifying monsters.¡±

    Even if Buckbeak didn¡¯t hurt anyone, no one would like it.

    In fact, by Hagrid¡¯s usual standards, it was actually cute.

    However, Evan knew that it had nothing to do with whether or not Buckbeak was cute. Behind all of this was Lucius Malfoy¡¯s mischief.

    After failing to remove the Headmaster Dumbledorest year, he was dismissed from the Board of Governors. The reputation of the Malfoy family was worse than ever. In the headmaster¡¯s office there was a discussion about the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, and how a student was able to get Tom Riddle¡¯s diary. Now, rumor has it in the upper sses of the magic world that Lucius Malfoy is giving students Voldemort¡¯s childhood items.

    That was not a good reputation. Lucius Malfoy urgently needed something to divert everyone¡¯s attention and restore his family¡¯s prestige.

    Hagrid provided him with such an opportunity and he is now strangling him with Buckbeak tightly. That attack had be a rivalry between him and Dumbledore. As long as he is able to keep Hagrid from teaching or to kill the hippogriff, he can regain his lost pride.

    Needless to say, the politicians in the Ministry of Magic and the Governors must have made some tradeoffs between the two. They were not willing to offend Dumbledore, nor did they want to abandon therge amount of gold sent by Malfoy.

    They could support Dumbledore to allow Hagrid to stay at school to teach. The corresponding exchange condition was to agree that Lucius Malfoy could get Buckbeak killed.

    Apart from Hagrid, no one would care about the life or death of a Hippogriff.

    The hearing was just a formality. Themittee was almost under the control of Malfoy. No matter what Hagrid said, it would not be useful.

    In other words, the oue of this incident was already predetermined.

    Regardless of Hagrid¡¯s wishes and whether or not Buckbeak was really mischievous, it was no longer important.

    Buckbeak was bound to die. Although cruel, it was a fact!

    Perhaps, this is what politics is all about!

 Chapter 98: Defending Buckbeak

    <h4>Chapter 98: Defending Buckbeak</h4>

    Looking at Hagrid¡¯s pitiful look, Evan sighed.

    He didn¡¯t know much about politics, but he knew exactly what he had to do. He could not keep watching while Buckbeak was going to be beheaded. Hagrid would certainly copse.

    ¡°Listen, Hagrid!¡± said Evan. ¡°You can¡¯t give up. You need to prepare your speech for the defence. Harry, Ron, and Hermione can prove that Buckbeak is innocent. I can help you advertise it in the newspaper.¡±

    ¡°Evan is right; I definitely have read a case of a Griffin¡¯s attack on a Hippogriff.¡± Hermione mused. ¡°In that case, the hippogriff had nothing to do with it. We can find something useful if we go back on the matter and make a good research.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we will help, too.¡± Harry and Ron hurriedly followed.

    Although everyone said so, the work eventually fell on just Evan and Hermione.

    After holding on for some time, Harry and Ron seemed to havepletely forgotten about that matter.

    However, they were not to me. First of all, Harry has been very busy recently.

    Inte November, Ravenw defeated the Hufflepuff team which breathed life into Wood¡¯s carcass. After all, Gryffindor still had the chance topete even though they could not afford more losses.

    He then asked the yers to train day and night. Evan saw Harry several times training in the cold and biting snow of December.

    Fortunately, since thest incident, no Dementors were seen on the campus. The lessons they had been givenst time and the anger of Dumbledore seemed to havepletely confined them to their posts at the school entrance.

    In addition to busy Quidditch training, Harry needed to learn the Patronus Charm from Professor Lupin.

    He must be able to release theplete patronus as soon as possible to ensure that no more idents would ur in the next match.

    As for Ron, his status has be more and more abnormal recently.

    He hardlymunicated with most people and was not close to neither Evan nor Hermione. When Harry was training, he wandered around the castle alone.

    In order to protect Scabbers from Crookshanks, he put it in his shirt¡¯s pocket wherever he went.

    On several asions, they were beyond the scope of the Tracing Potion so Evan couldn¡¯t figure out where they went.

    But he didn¡¯t have the mind to think about Ron and Peter Pettigrew. He and Hermione spent almost all their time in the library and could not care about anything else.

    Let Peter Pettigrew be for a few days. In twenty days, it will be Christmas. At that time, the castle will have the fewest number of people in it, so Evan will be able to draw out Sirius ck and solve this whole dilemma.

    Now what¡¯s more urgent is to think of ways to save Buckbeak. He and Hermione found a lot of information and files in the library referring to the famous case cited above. He prepared the defense arguments for Buckbeak. The titles of these dossiers were: ¡°Summary of the Magical Animal Cases¡±, ¡°Handbook of Hippogriff Psychology¡±, ¡°The Poultry of Hippogriffs,¡± and ¡°A study on Griffin¡¯s Barbarism¡±. Each of them was very thick¡­

    ¡°Evan, you should look at this!¡± Hermione put a dusty volume in front of Evan and whispered, ¡°This is a case of a Manticore in 1926. It killed a human being, but was eventually acquitted.¡±

    ¡°That was because everyone was scared and no one dared to approach it.¡± Evan frowned and looked at the small number of words on the file.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± said Hermione disappointedly and threw the thick volume aside.

    Evan picked up the file and continued to read it. The following was a brief introduction to the magical creature: the Manticore.

    The Manticore is an incredibly dangerous animal with a human head, a lion¡¯s body, and a scorpion¡¯s tail. It is very rare and it is reputed to croon softly to its victims as it devours them.

    ording to reliable documents, the Manticore skin repels almost all known spells. Anyone stung by its tail will die immediately.

    This horrible creature was created by wizards and goblins. They were used to guard properties or important forbidden ces and were once all the rage. However, since the ¡°Ban on Experimental Breeding¡± decree was enacted, the numbers of Manticores had been gradually reduced.

    In recent decades, it has even disappeared.

    Evan put the dossier aside. From the text above, the danger level of the Hippogriff is nothingpared to that of the Manticore.

    If Buckbeak had half the power of the Manticore, they wouldn¡¯t have to sit there and worry about it.

    In the following two weeks, in addition to assisting Hermione in perfecting the defense speech, Evan also wrote several articles defending Buckbeak.

    He intended to put pressure on Lucius Malfoy and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures through public opinion, but things were not as smooth as originally envisaged.

    The Daily Prophet refused to publish these articles written by Evan. They considered that the matter didn¡¯t have much importance. The whole incident was at best a minor event at Hogwarts that couldn¡¯t arouse people¡¯s interest to read it.

    Although Evan eventually published these articles in the Hogwarts Magic News, their effect was limited.

    Mr. Barnabas Cuffe, the editor-in-chief of The Daily Prophet, was right. Most readers did not care about the life and death of a Hippogriff, and the young Wizards already knew about the matter.

    In contrast, they were more interested in ck¡¯s connection to the Dementors.

    Evan was notpletely without supporters. Colin, Ginny, and Luna all expressed their support for his point of view. Luna even persuaded her father to publish those articles written by Evan in ¡°The Quibbler¡± instead of the original headline about the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks.

    However, that didn¡¯t make much difference. The current prints of ¡°The Quibbler¡± were not selling even as much as the Hogwarts Magic News.

    As time passed, it was getting closer to Christmas, but Evan and Hermione were not making much progress.

    Although they wrote a full ten parchments of defenses, Evan was very skeptical about the effect that it could have apart from being drowsiness-inducing and lethargic.

    Not to mention whether those officials who deal with the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures would adopt that defense. It was doubtful that Hagrid could write down all these things. With his ability, it might be difficult for him to read the arguments in conjunction. The whole thing was strenuous.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless, Hermione!¡± looking at Hermione sitting across from him, Evan sighed heavily.

    Hermione was still struggling with the boring files. She was often thest to leave the Common room at night. She was the first to go to the library the following morning. She was burdened with heavy school work, Ron¡¯s intangible pressure, and the preparation for Buckbeak¡¯s defense argument. Those things were superimposed on one another, which had caused her to have dark shadows under her eyes like Lupin.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Hermione raised her head from the data.

    ¡°Our thinking seems to be wrong. Whatever the reason, Buckbeak really hurt Draco Malfoy, didn¡¯t he?¡± Evan said slowly. ¡°We can¡¯t defend Buckbeak¡¯s innocence, as long as Lucius Malfoy focuses on this fact, Hagrid¡¯s hope of winning is rather minimal.¡±

    ¡°Then what shall we do? nothing? Like Harry and Ron?!¡± Hermione looked annoyed. ¡°We just watch Buckbeak being beheaded and wait for Hagrid to copse!¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, we should change our thinking.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes fell upon a Newt Scamander¡¯s book entitled ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, and the author¡¯s experience gave him Great inspiration.

 Chapter 99: Marauderâ€™s Map

    <h4>Chapter 99: Marauder¡¯s Map</h4>

    ¡°Think about it, Hermione. It is the duty of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to deal with and to punish them.¡± Evan continued, ¡°We can¡¯t prove that Buckbeak is innocent, it did attack Malfoy, even if it had justifiable reasons. But what we can prove, is that Hippogriffs are not dangerous.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Hermione was immersed into thinking.

    ¡°ording to the ssification of dangerous creatures in the book ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, Hippogriffs are not that risky. They can be tamed by Wizards. Such docile animals should not be within the scope of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.¡± Evan opened the book and turned to the page of the author¡¯s introduction.¡± Moreover, we can go around this problem from the perspective of protecting rare species. Mr. Scamander may give us some help.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Scamander?!¡±

    Hermione took the book. She frowned as she saw the author¡¯s introduction:

    The author of the book, Mr. Newt Scamander, is currently the most prestigious Magizoologist in the Magic World. He graduated from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1915, and served as an office clerk of the Ministry of Magic, a researcher at the Ministry¡¯s Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau and in the Office for House-Elf Relocation, the Director and inceptor of the Werewolf Registry, and the Director of the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures.

    Mr. Newt Scamander spent 30 years traveling around the world and recorded the forms and habits of the 75 magical creatures currently known in the Magic World. This is his best-selling work world-wide, ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, the book has been revised to print fifty-two times.

    Under his leadership, the Ministry of Magic established the Werewolf Registry in 1947; in 1965 it amended the ¡°Ban on Experimental Breeding¡± Act, which effectively suppressed the prevalence of new untamable animals in British territory.

    Thanks to his contributions to magical animal research and Magizoology, Newt Scamander was awarded the Order of Merlin, Second ss in 1979. Later on that year, he founded an organization for the conservation of magical species and was engaged in the protection of magical creatures.

    ¡°As the former Director of the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, Mr. Scamander¡¯s influence on the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures is veryrge, and is definitely muchrger than that of Lucius Malfoy.¡± Evan exined, ¡°And he is The President of the Magical Creatures Protection Association, we just need to write him a letter to tell him about Buckbeak, and I believe he would help us.¡±

    Evan¡¯s idea sounded great. He and Hermione sent a letter to Mr. Newt Scamander on the same evening and received a reply the following morning.

    ¡°Evan, see what¡¯s written.¡± said Hermione excitedly. ¡°Mr. Scamander said in his reply that he was very supportive of our ideas. He was willing to save Buckbeak. He said his mother was once a hippogriffs¡¯ breeder, so he was often exposed to these animals when he was a child.¡±

    Evan took the letter and saw that Newt Scamander wrote that he had been worried about the sharp decrease in the number of hippogriffs over thest hundred years due to excessive hunting. Therefore, he promised to modify and perfect the article written by Evan to protect the hippogriff. In addition to that, he also promised to contact the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures to get them to handle the case as carefully as possible.

    After that, things started to look brighter.

    Thanks to the ties of Mr. Newt Scamander, the Daily Prophet finally published the articles on the introduction and protection of Hippogriffs that were written by Evan and Hermione.

    They provided detailed description of the habits of hippogriffs, their current living conditions, and the people¡¯sprehension of this animal, etc.

    They also told the whole story about Buckbeak¡¯s attack on Malfoy.

    In the following days, many readers wrote to them and Hagrid and expressed willingness to support them. They evenunched a ¡°Save Buckbeak¡± campaign, officially making a petition to the Ministry of Magic on this incident, asking them to pardon the hippogriff. Many people participated.

    Public opinion continued to develop, making great pressure on the Ministry of Magic.

    The governors and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures wrote three letters to Hagrid. They stated that they were cautious. Before the hearing was held, the incident of attacking students by Buckbeak will be re-investigated.

    The way things were developing, there was a high probability that Buckbeak would be spared.

    With so much attention, Lucius Malfoy was looking like the bad guy, and for that he felt concerned.

    Hagrid gradually recovered, he appeared more and more in the castle, feeling more cheerful every day.

    Evan and Hermione felt more at ease. With the continuous efforts of Harry, the tension between them and Ron was also a bit relieved.

    At the very least, Ron went back to sitting down with them, rather than just wondering around the castle with Scabbers.

    Two weeks before the semester¡¯s end, the sky cleared up suddenly, showing a dazzling opalescence. The muddy grounds were covered by a thin beautifulyer frost.

    As Christmas approached, the festive atmosphere in the castle was getting stronger.

    The Charms Master, Professor Flitwick, decorated his ssroom with glimmering light sources. Those light sources were actually real fairies constantly fluttering their wings.

    The students were happily discussing their vacation ns. Most of them were getting ready to go home for Christmas because of the presence Sirius ck.

    In fact, with the exception of Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all other Gryffindor students were about ready to go home.

    Evan was preparing to implement his n. Ron said that he could not stand spending two weeks with Percy. Hermione wanted to spent more time in the library.

    Although all three of them had their own reasons, it really made Harry feel moved. He thought that they wanted to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas to be with him.

    In thest week of the semester, students from the third years and above could go to Hogsmeade again.

    Everyone was happy. The whole chat around the breakfast table revolved about buying Christmas gifts.

    ¡°Ron, where is Harry? Why hasn¡¯t hee to breakfast yet?¡± asked Hermione.

    ¡°He¡¯s still in his bedroom. You know, he can¡¯t go to Hogsmeade.¡± Ron said to her, his voice was a bit dull. ¡°He borrowed a ¡°Cleansweep Broom¡± from Wood and he¡¯s spending all his time on it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame!¡± Evan remembered Harry¡¯s disappointment in the Common room before going to bedst night. He wasn¡¯t sure. ¡°Maybe I could take Harry to Hogsmeade through the secret passage. I have went through it many timesst year, and there should be no problem.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work, Evan!¡± Hermione put jam on her bread, and said firmly, ¡°This year is not the same asst year. There are so many Dementors at the entrance. Besides, what if Sirius ck knew the secret passage?¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Rx, Ron and I will buy you Christmas gifts. Which kind of sweets did you likest time?¡± Hermione said with a smile, ¡°My dad and mom loved Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s possible, you can bring me some Orange¡­¡±

    Evan had not finished his words yet, when he saw Harry hurrying into the Common room with his schoolbag. He ignored Malfoy in the doorway as he fell from his broomstick and didn¡¯tugh at him. He walked straight toward them looking very happy.

    ¡°Guys, look at this, Fred and George have just given it to me¡­¡±

    Harry cautiously pulled out arge, square-looking, old parchment from under the cloak with nothing written on it.

    ¡°Harry, what is this?¡± asked Hermione oddly.

    Before Harry could answer, he heard Ron whispering, ¡°Marauder¡¯s Map!¡±

    Evan wasn¡¯t sure, but despite his dull and monotonous voice, Ron seemed to be pleasantly surprised.

 Chapter 100: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

    <h4>Chapter 100: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good</h4>

    Evan suddenly raised his head. Harry hadn¡¯t mentioned it yet. How could Ron know that this old parchment was the Marauder¡¯s Map? This sounded really suspicious.

    ¡°How did you know, Ron?¡± Harry looked surprised, and said, ¡°Oh, Fred and George told you, didn¡¯t they?!¡±

    Ron nodded hastily looking a bit strange.

    ¡°Well, you two, who can exin to me and Evan what this tattered parchment is?¡± said Hermione impatiently.

    ¡°Hermione, this Marauder¡¯s Map was found by Fred and George in Filch¡¯s office. It can reveal all the details of Hogwarts Castle and all its venues, including every secret passage. It can also identify the location of every person in the grounds.¡± Harry looked up cautiously, checked out the surroundings, and then whispered, ¡°As long as I have its help, I can wear the invisibility cloak and avoid other people to join you in Hogsmeade.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Hermione stood up in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, Hermione!¡± Harry hurriedly pulled her down.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really like you said, you should give this map to Professor McGonagall, Harry!¡± Hermione said with an anxious voice.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t hand it to her!¡± Harry said sharply. ¡°If I do that, I¡¯ll have to exin where I got it from, and Filch will know Fred and George took it!¡±

    ¡°But, what about ck?!¡± Hermione said, biting her teeth. ¡°With this Map, the Professors will know if he uses any of these secret passages to enter the castle¡­¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯te in from these passages.¡± Harry said quickly. ¡°Fred and George said that Filch knew most of them, and the remaining entrances and exits are also well hidden. It¡¯s impossible for ck to know them.¡±

    ¡°You are taking a risk. What if he knew them? ¡°

    ¡°ck can¡¯t go to Hogsmeade, Hermione!¡± said Harry stubbornly. ¡°You told me when you came backst time that there were Dementors patrolling in the evening. If ck appeared, they would discover him.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Hermione bit her lip and looked worried.

    ¡°Ok, Hermione, are you going to report me?¡± Harry asked, grinning.

    ¡°Oh, of course not! But honestly, Harry¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost Christmas Herm, let me rx.¡± Harry took out his wand from underneath the cloak and looked excited. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the mapter. If ck appears on it, we¡¯ll be the first to discover him.¡±

    Hearing his words, Evan had a sudden realization!

    Will it just be Sirius ck? He didn¡¯t want to say it, but Peter Pettigrew was still in the pocket of Ron¡¯s coat. If Harry uses the Marauder¡¯s Map at this time, he will find Peter¡¯s name among them. .

    Evan¡¯s first intention was to stop Harry, but it immediately came to his mind. This doesn¡¯t seem like a bad idea. Why should he stop him?!

    He had been tangled and unable to solve this year¡¯s problem. The main reason that he could not hand Peter Pettigrew to Dumbledore was that he couldn¡¯t exin, without causing doubts, how he knew Peter was an Animagus.

    After all, this matter is not known to outsiders.

    If he recognized that the rat was no else but Peter Pettigrew, it would be too suspicious.

    That was the case for Tom Riddle¡¯s diaryst year. He actually told Dumbledore unintentionally that he knew it was a Horcrux. Fortunately, he did return to Hogwarts a thousand years before that, so he can always im that he¡¯s been told about that by the Four Founders.

    Dumbledore is so terrible. In addition to being the greatest white wizard in the world today, he is also a thorough conspiracist.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to reveal his own cards, and then wait foolishly to be countered.

    His stubbornness didn¡¯t give him much progress, so he must be very careful this year. This is why he had not dared to get involved until he got in touch with Sirius ck.

    But now with the help of Marauder¡¯s maps, this problem can be solved perfectly.

    If the four of them found out that Peter Pettigrew was still alive, then he could easily turn him over to Dumbledore.

    After the whole truth is revealed, he¡¯ll go to the forest to look for Sirius ck and things will probably go smoothly.

    ¡°So stupid, why didn¡¯t I think of this idea before?¡±

    Evan looked at the teachers¡¯ table and Snape and Professor Lupin were there.

    He nodded happily and reached with his right hand for the wand on his waist, with his eyes locked tightly on Ron¡¯s pocket. He focused on his mind and prepared himself to cast Petrificus Totalus right when Peter¡¯s name appears on the map.

    ¡°I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.¡± Harry gently raised his wand, ready to point to the parchment.

    ¡°Wait a minute, we¡¯d better not show it here.¡± Ron hurriedly stopped Harry and said in a frantic voice.¡± There are too many people around us, so if we get caught¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just be careful and it will be fine. I want to see if this map is as magical as Harry said.¡± Evan looked at Ron with some insight.

    Ron turned his head and looked at Evan¡¯s face. He could not dissect the weird look in his eyes, and he quickly looked away from them and focused again on the map.

    ¡°Just like Evan said, we only need to be careful and we won¡¯t be discovered,¡± said Harry, tapping his wand on the parchment. ¡°I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± Hermione eximed, covering her mouth with her hands

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the parchment, and Evan saw thin ink lines began to spread like a spider¡¯s web from the point that Harry¡¯s wand had touched. They joined each other, they crisscrossed, they fanned into every corner of the parchment; then words began to blossom across the top, great, curly green words, that proimed:

    Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present:

    THE MARAUDER¡¯S MAP

    Although he already knew this, Evan was stunned by the transformation on the parchment.

    Back in his previous life, he didn¡¯t know how Harry¡¯s father had made such a map. Now with his current knowledge, he spected that its creation required on top of a great knowledge of Hogwarts¡¯ terrain, an extremely advanced knowledge of magic spells, Transfiguration, ancient magic literature and other magic mechanics.

    And this theoretical knowledge is just a required basis for its creation. The more critical thing is that they need a source that provides a great deal of magical power. That¡¯s the only way to implement such fine magic into a simple parchment, and breathe life into it just like it was the case for the Sorting Hat.

    Needless to say, the makers of the Sorting hat had enough magical power to make such a thing.

    Although making the Marauder¡¯s Map doesn¡¯t require as much magical power, it still requires a good amount that ordinary wizards shouldn¡¯t be able to provide.

    However, when remembering that James Potter, Sirius ck, and Peter Pettigrew all learned Animagus during their school days, having such a map being made by them bes something that¡¯s much less strange. Evan, who has mastered Animagus himself, knows how much magical power it requires during the first transforming; hence he relied on magical potions toplete it.

    What did James Potter, Sirius ck, and Peter Pettigrew rely on?

    Especially Peter Pettigrew, that man is by no means a talented magician. But still; hepleted Animagus, and was able to be a Rat with no problems.

    Evan initially thought that they hadpleted this spell by relying on arge amount of potions to supplement their magical power, but now it seems that wasn¡¯t the case. Simply relying on potions is not enough to make living items like the Marauder¡¯s map.

    They must have found other ways. Maybe he canter ask Sirius ck.

 Chapter 101: Snapeâ€™s Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 101: Snape¡¯s Jealousy</h4>

    The ck lines on the Marauders map together formed every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. Tiny ink dots were moving around it, eachbeled with a name in minuscule writing.

    Evan leaned forward, holding his wand firmly in his right hand.

    He gathered all the magical power in his body because of the immense tension; he could almost hear the sound of his own heartbeat. He was waiting for the name of Peter to appear.

    And then, BANG!

    The rat suddenly ran out of Ron¡¯s pocket. It jumped to the table knocking Ron¡¯s te and milk cup over. A lot of milk was spilt and went in the map¡¯s direction. Harry hurriedly took the map.

    Ron hurriedly stood up and wiped the table, but more tes were knocked to the ground.

    Minced meat, butter, bread, dishes, and milk were sttered everywhere, and Evan, Harry, and Hermione hurried to their feet.

    While the panic, Scabbers quickly jumped on the floor and ran outside the Common Room.

    ¡°Oh, Scabbers!¡± Ron took to steps towards his direction.

    Evan¡¯s eyes were locked on him tightly and his hand firmly held his wand. He was ready to petrify him, but this was useless. When he took his wand from underneath his cloak, his arm was stumbled upon by Ron idently.

    Ron wanted to go after Scabbers, but he was tripped over by the chair, and he brought Evan down along with him.

    By the time Evan raised his head again, Scabbers had already disappeared.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Evan waved his fist and put his want back on his belt.

    He knew that he had missed a great opportunity to catch Peter. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t cast his spell and his hand motion when lifting his wand was very subtle, it shouldn¡¯t have been detected. Peter who was focused on running shouldn¡¯t have been able to realize what he was doing. If had had noticed it Evan should be in a pinch.

    But since Peter shouldn¡¯t be rmed about him, Evan shouldn¡¯t be worried.

    After all, as long as he has the Marauder¡¯s Map, he doesn¡¯t have to get in touch with Sirius ck. Catching Peter Pettigrew was just a matter of time. He could run, but he couldn¡¯t hide.

    ¡°Evan, Ron, what are you doing?¡± said Hermione anxiously. She stepped forward and lifted Evan. Her face was very heavy. She obviously remembered what had happened in themon room a month ago. She became afraid that Evan and Ron would fight again.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay. I identally got knocked over by a chair!¡± Ron hurried up and patted the dust on his clothes, saying:¡±I¡¯m going to look for Scabbers. I don¡¯t know what happened, he just suddenly went out.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ron, I think¡­¡± Harry didn¡¯t finish his words, when he suddenly froze and stopped talking , and his eyes stared across Evan¡¯s shoulders.

    It was Snape. Harry quickly stepped behind Evans who heard him whisper ¡°The game is over!¡±

    ¡°Potter, what are you doing?¡± Snape walked over with a sullen face. His eyes wondered between the four of them turns and were finally locked in on Harry.

    ¡°Nothing. Ron¡¯s mouse identally knocked over his milk ss. We¡¯re cleaning it up,¡± Harry said anxiously.

    ¡°Is it?!¡± Snape¡¯s voice was full of suspicions. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just conspiring on how to vite school rules?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The four of them shook their heads in a hurry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on inside your blind and arrogant Gryffindor heads. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, and the Basilisk. What are you going to do this year? catch Sirius ck on your own?¡± Snape¡¯s mouth had a familiar sinister sneer. ¡°That¡¯s it isn¡¯t it? Everyone in the Ministry of Magic has been trying hard to make sure that the famous Harry Potter is not attacked by Sirius ck. But the famous Harry Potter himself just keeps on breaking thew, making all these ordinary people worry about his safety. He doesn¡¯t care about them. He doesn¡¯t consider the consequences at all. He is definitely going to catch ck alone. ¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Harry¡¯s face looked oblivious. Why did they all think that? Whether is was Mr. Weasley, Malfoy or Snape, they all thought he would go looking for Sirius ck. Why did they think that he wanted that? There must be something that he does not know.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand?!¡± Snape murmured, dismissively. ¡°Potter, what did you hide under your cloak just now?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Harry tried to hide his emotions.

    ¡°You are lying. I see clearly what you put in there.¡±

    Snape¡¯s eyes wondered again between them, finally staring back at Harry¡¯s eyes.

    Like whening into contact with a Hippogriff, Harry tried not to blink.

    Snape originally intended to use his momentum to oppress Harry into telling the truth, but when he saw Harry¡¯s emerald green eyes, he fell into memory.

    The atmosphere was a bit bizarre. The two just stared at each other and nobody spoke.

    Seeing how they were like, Evan was speechless. It is said that Harry¡¯s eyes are very simr to his mother¡¯s. Was Snape just remembering Lily?!

    ¡°Professor, we¡­¡± Hermione tried to exin.

    ¡°Quiet, Granger!¡± Snape regained hisposure, and his eyes turned back to Harry¡¯s face, his expression turned into disgust. ¡°Why are you being so much like your father, Potter!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The group looked at Snape with surprise.

    ¡°James Potter, he was also extremely arrogant, and his little talent on the Quidditch field also made him think that he was better than other. He and his friends and admirers were just strutting around the castle all day.¡± Snape¡¯s eyes glew ¡°Both of you are just terrible.¡±

    ¡°My dad wasn¡¯t a strut!¡± Harry said without thinking, it was toote to shut up. ¡°He isn¡¯t one, and neither am I.¡±

    ¡°Your father also didn¡¯t obey the rules¡± Snape continued. He leaned forward, and his thin face was full of malice. ¡°He thought that rules are for lesser people to obey, not for the Quidditch champion. The cup person made it, he was so full of him¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Harry shouted suddenly. He had never been so angry.

    ¡°What do you want to say to me, Potter?¡± Snape¡¯s ck eyes shed dangerously.

    ¡°I told you to shut up and say nothing about my dad!¡± Harry shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know anything. Dumbledore told me the truth. My dad saved your life. If it weren¡¯t for him, you wouldn¡¯t be able to be standing here!¡±

    Hearing Harry, Snape¡¯s yellow skin took the color of bad milk.

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that he saved me, but did the Headmaster told you why your dad saved my life?!¡± he whispered, ¡°Or did he think that the details were too harsh for the precious ears of Potter to hear?¡±

    Harry bit his lip and the others in the Grand Hall looked at both of them in panic.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to keep carring a wrong image about your dad, Potter.¡± Snape twisted his terrible smile. ¡°Dumbledore must not have told you all the details. Let meplete the story. Your Saint of a father and his friends had pulled a very funny prank on me. If your father did not flinch at thest moment, I would¡¯ve died. Nothing he did could bebeled as brave! He saved me to save himself. If their prank waspleted, Hogwarts would¡¯ve expelled him with his stupid friends.¡±

    Snape¡¯s untidy teeth were exposed, his eyes quickly nced at the teacher¡¯s seat, and Professor Lupin was sitting there.

    Harry gasped and the situation seemed to return to where it started. The two men looked at each other with their eyes open. No one was willing to show weakness.

    ¡°Professor, I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your wonderful memory.¡± Evan¡¯s voice came at the right time. ¡°But I think that at this moment and on this asion, it seems somewhat inappropriate to recall these things. Don¡¯t you think? ¡±

    Snape raised his head as he heard Evan¡¯s words.

    He seemed to realize what he had just said, and when he saw almost all the students are watching them, his face became more and more gloomy.

 Chapter 102: The Marauderâ€™s Map Controversy

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Marauder¡¯s Map Controversy</h4>

    ¡°Turn over what¡¯s in your pockets, Potter!¡± Snape suddenly snapped.

    Harry did not move, and his friends roared in his ears.

    ¡°Professor, we¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mason! Shut up, Granger!¡± Snape shouted angrily. He looked really pissed off.

    ¡°Severus, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to yell at these children.¡± Professor Lupin came over and said softly, ¡°They didn¡¯t vite any school rules.¡±

    ¡°There was no vition of school rules?!¡± Snape¡¯s anger seemed to have grown even more. He smirked. ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know them well enough. I don¡¯t know how many of them have¡­ Ah! I have forgotten that you were just like them, or worse!¡±

    ¡°Severus¡­¡± Professor Lupin frowned.

    ¡°Enough, Lupin, don¡¯t scrutinize my education methods. You say they don¡¯t vite school rules? Then I shall prove it to you.¡± Snape turned and shouted again at Harry. ¡°Turn over what¡¯s in your pockets. Come out, or we¡¯ll go straight to the headmaster! Turn it over, Potter!¡±

    In the great hall, all the students were stunned looking at them.

    Evan saw Fred and George who heard the news and rushed in. both of them were carryingrge eggs and thinking about throwing them out.

    Looking at their faces, it was clear that they knew that the map was in Harry¡¯s pocket. If it is discovered by Snape, the consequences would simply be unimaginable.

    Evan hurriedly shook his hands at Fred and George, pleading them not to act rashly. Throwingrge eggs in the great hall to divert Snape¡¯s attention was a terrible idea.

    Even if it seeded, daring to do such a thing would bring them great misery.

    Evan gently pushed Harry and asked him to follow Snape¡¯s order.

    They clearly were unable to confront the teachers. Again, Evan was thinking that there was absolutely no need to worry about this matter, because James Potter and his friends have probably made the map in such a way that their rival Severus shouldn¡¯t be able to use it.

    Harry saw everyone staring at him, and he was filled by fear.

    He slowly took out the contents of his pocket. Besides some candy, he only had the map.

    Seeing the map, Lupin showed a strange, mysterious expression on his face.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did their best to calm themselves. They watched Snape immediately pick up the map.

    In the following few seconds, Hermione was so nervous and her cold little hands clung to Evan¡¯s arm.

    ¡°What is this, a small piece of nk parchment?!¡± Snape turned the parchment over and looked at them. ¡°Potter, you certainly don¡¯t need such an old parchment. Why don¡¯t you throw it away?!¡±

    He took out his wand and gently waved it. The point of the stick emitted a little blue me. His left hand was holding the map and slowly moving it toward the me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Harry said quickly.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Snape¡¯s long nose fluttered and said with a sneer. ¡°Why do you need such a nk parchment, or is it something else? A letter¡­ perhaps; written with invisible ink? Or, is it a way to enter Hogwarts without being detected by Dementors?¡±

    Harry blinked and Snape¡¯s eyes were brighter.

    ¡°Let me see, let me see¡­¡± he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on the table. ¡°Reveal your secret!¡± he said, touching the wand to the parchment.

    Evan looked closely at the map, but nothing happened. He noticed that Harry was too nervous, clenching his hands to stop them from shaking.

    ¡°Show yourself!¡± Snape tapped the map with his wand.

    The map was still nk. Harry and his friends were relieved and everyone¡¯s heart is back from their stomachs.

    ¡°Professor Severus Snape, master of this school,mands you to yield the information you

    conceal!¡± Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.

    As though an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the

    map.

    ¡°Mooney presents hispliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally

    rge nose out of other people¡¯s business.¡±

    Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn¡¯t stop there. More

    writing was appearing beneath the first.

    ¡°Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Mooney and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.¡±

    It would have been very funny if the situation hadn¡¯t been so serious. And there was more¡­

    ¡°Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.¡±

    Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he¡¯d opened them, the map had had itsst word.

    Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.¡±

    No one knew what to say, it was so quiet that the falling of a needle could be heard.

    Everyone saw that Snape¡¯s face was heavier than ever before. They were all waiting for him to be furious.

    ¡°It turned out to be this way, it was like this, I should have thought ¡­¡± Snape said softly, and he seemed to finally realize what this parchment was.

    Evan noticed his expression, he was looking at harry, with his mind clearly absorbed by the past. His memories were definitely no good, as his face only showed anger and disgust.

    The atmosphere was depressing, but he quickly came back to the present.

    The following second, Snape quickly turned and looked at Professor Lupin. His face was full of anger.

    He said with an extreme disgust. ¡°Lupin, what do you think this is?¡±

    Snape pointed at the parchment, on which the words of Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs were still shining. An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin¡¯s face.

    ¡°This parchment is inly full of Dark Magic. This is supposed to be your area of expertise, Lupin. Where do you imagine Potter got such a thing?¡±

    Lupin looked up and, by the merest half-nce in Harry¡¯s direction, warned him not to interrupt.

    ¡°Full of Dark Magic?¡± he repeated mildly. ¡°Do you really think so, Severus? It looks to me as though it is merely a piece of parchment that insults anybody who reads it. Childish, but surely not dangerous. I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Indeed?¡± said Snape. His jaw had gone rigid with anger. ¡°You think a joke shop could supply him with such a thing? You don¡¯t think it more likely that he got it directly from the manufacturers?¡±

 Chapter 103: The Secret Behind the Marauderâ€™s Map

    <h4>Chapter 103: The Secret Behind the Marauder¡¯s Map</h4>

    Harry, Ron and Hermione didn¡¯t understand what Snape was talking about. Nor, apparently, did Lupin.

    ¡°You mean, by Mr. Wormtail or one of these people?¡± he said. ¡°Harry, do you know any of these

    men?¡±

    ¡°No¡± said Harry quickly.

    ¡°You see, Severus? It seems to me that this is a product of Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop.¡± Lupin turned to Snape.

    ¡°It¡¯s us!¡± Fred and George rushed in from the crowd. They exined to Lupin and Snape. ¡°We bought thus Parchment a few years ago from Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop. We have just given it to Harry.¡±

    ¡°Very good, everything has been cleared up then!¡± Prof. Lupin said with pleasure. ¡°Harry did not vite the school rules. He just showed this prank parchment to his friends in my opinion, and he just didn¡¯t want the teacher to know about thi¡­¡±

    ¡°Lupin!¡± Snape took a step forward and whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. You and I both know what this parchment is.¡±

    ¡°Yes obviously, I said just now that this is a mischievous product. Whoever wants to read it will be insulted.¡± Professor Lupin blinked.

    ¡°Not this, I¡¯ve seen it before¡­¡±

    Snape suddenly stopped talking and looked indignantly at Lupin.

    Although he had seen this parchment more than once in the hands of James Potter back when they were students, he really did not know what this parchment was or what it was for. Its four makers made sure that it was kept a secret.

    Since Lupin doesn¡¯t want to talk about it, there was no point in continuing this stalemate. Snape also didn¡¯t want his past as a youngster exposed in front of the students.

    ¡°Very good, very good, Lupin!¡± Snape turned back to his usual unpleasant tone. He grinned and said: ¡°I suddenly remembered that it was just a full moon tonight and I hope you will be home alone. Don¡¯t forget to lock the door! By the way, I¡¯ll send you your medicine. Later, we can talk about the pleasant topic of this parchment.¡±

    Snape looked at Lupin with an unpleasant gaze. He deliberately stressed on the words: at night, full moon, and lock the door, as if he was giving everyone a hint.

    ¡°No problem, my door is open to you at any time, Severus!¡± Professor Lupin said briskly. ¡°And thank you for your potion.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Snape¡¯s face was not smiling; he looked fiercely at Lupin, Harry, and Evan, and continued, blinking, ¡°I made a full pot, if you still want more, just tell me know.¡±

    ¡°I started taking it a week ago, and a little bit more this afternoon should be enough!¡± Prof. Lupin turned to look at Evan and the rest of his group. ¡°Harry, Evan, Ron, Hermione,e with me, I have something to tell you about the homework that I gave¡­¡±

    Professor Lupin took two steps forward and seemed to think of something. ¡°Severus, I¡¯ll take this away. You don¡¯t mind?!¡±

    Snape didn¡¯t speak, but from his gloomy face, one could know that it bothered him.

    Lupin pretended not to see Snape¡¯s expression. He quickly approached and took the map, folded it and tucked it inside his robes.

    Evan and the three of them walked behind Prof. Lupin and left the Grand hall. None of them dared to look back at Snape.

    When they reached the lobby, they dared to speak.

    ¡°Professor, we¡­¡± Harry said quickly, apparently, he seemed to want to get the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear exnations. Harry!¡± Lupin looked around the empty lobby. Other students were still behind in the grand hall. There were no other people besides them. He said in a low voice, ¡°In fact, I just learned that this map was Many years ago, confiscated by Mr. Filch, I know this Parchment¡±

    Harry and Hermione looked at him with great interest. Ron looked down and wondered what he was thinking, and Evan couldn¡¯t bury his head in his arms.

    Professor Lupin was not just know the map, he was one of its makers.

    Harry¡¯s luck was terrible. It was useless once it was handed. Professor Lupin would never give the map back to harry.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know how you got it. To my surprise, you didn¡¯t n to hand it over, especially with Sirius lurking around the castle!¡± Lupin turned to Hermione.¡± What you did was wrong, Hermione. I thought that unlike them, you would be more sensible. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Hermione. She just told me to hand it over.¡± Harry asked curiously. ¡°Professor, how do you know this map?¡±

    ¡°This is not something you should know, Harry.¡± From Lupin¡¯s face, it was clear that he did not to want to say more on this topic.

    ¡°Well, then why did Snape think that I got it from its maker?¡± Harry continued to ask.

    ¡°That was because¡­¡± Lupin hesitated. ¡°Because the person who made the map may want to seduce you out of school, they think it would be fun.¡±

    ¡°Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs¡± Evan interrupted.

    It turned out that after the four of them graduated, this map fell into Filch¡¯s hands. This was the reason why it stayed within the school¡¯s perimeters.

    This makes it look like James Potter, Sirius ck, Peter Pettigrew, and Professor Lupin back in their schooldays must have been as mischievous as Fred and Goerge are now, also making Filch feel a headache.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s them.¡± Lupin nodded.

    ¡°Professor, do you know them?¡± Harry asked, looking impatient.

    ¡°We have met before.¡± Lupin answered shortly and looked at Harry more seriously than usual.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor, about this map.¡± Evan asked hastily. ¡°If you know it, then you must know how it was made?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it requires a very deep knowledge of magic, not appropriate to your age¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, I don¡¯t want to know the specific way to make this map.¡± Evan continued, ¡°Just tell me how those four were able to make it. I think they needed a source of great magical power.¡±

    Professor Lupin looked at Evan in astonishment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione also looked at him in surprise, wondering why Evan suddenly asked such a question.

 Chapter 104: Legendary Magical Items

    <h4>Chapter 104: Legendary Magical Items</h4>

    That was indeed what Evan most urgently wanted to know. Other information, such as the identity of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, or the rtionship between Professor Lupin and Sirius ck, the truth of ck¡¯s escape, etc, he already knew all of that.

    What he doesn¡¯t know right now is the Marauder¡¯s Map making method. Well, not everything about that. After all, the production principle and the magic knowledge involved with making it are things he can find in books in the library.

    But the most crucial thing was the method with which Professor Lupin, James Potter, Sirius ck, and Peter Pettigrew got the magical power necessary to make it.

    From what happened with Snape a short while ago, it was obvious that the Marauder¡¯s Map was endowed with thoughts,

    About the other two magical objects that have thoughts, one of them is the Sorting Hat made by the Four Founders of Hogwarts. Each of them had a lot of magical power. They also possessed a lot of profound magical knowledge that had been lost, so it was normal that they would be able to integrate their thoughts into the Sorting Hat.

    As for Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes, killing was the source of their power. Only the power of death is strong enough to make one¡¯s soul split.

    The Marauder¡¯s Map is notparable to the Sorting Hat or the Horcruxes, but it also possessed its own thoughts.

    Like what Evan had previously spected, Professor Lupin and the other three must have obtained some source of magical power to create the map andplete their own Animagus transformation.

    There are many ways to do this: taking a lot of magical potions to increase a person¡¯s magical power to an unimaginable level, or using the help of a powerful magic item.

    For example, the Elder Wand in Dumbledore¡¯s hands has this ability!

    ¡°Professor?¡± Evan whispered to Lupin.

    ¡°Oh, they had found that ce in the Forbidden Forest¡­ They needed to get their approval to go in¡­ In short, it is dangerous. It isn¡¯t something that you should not know at this age. ¡°Professor Lupin said ambiguously, ¡°What you should do is to follow the school rules and not expect me to cover up for you again.¡±

    Hearing his words, Evan was lost in thought.

    ¡°There is obviously something hidden in the forest that I do not know about. It is probably a very powerful magical item.¡±

    Judging from Lupin¡¯s expression and reading between the lines, that ce or thing should be very dangerous.

    What could it be?

    At the beginning, Evan thought that it was Dumbledore¡¯s Elder Wand. It does not seem to be the case anymore. Lupin and his friends should have made the Marauder¡¯s Map behind Dumbledore¡¯s back.

    In addition to the Deathly Hallows, there are many other powerful magical items.

    For example, the legendary Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the Sword of Gryffindor, the Gordian Knot, the Stonehenge¡­ Evan also remembered that he had seen a Book of Magic dedicated to this topic, which recorded a lot of simr legendary magical items.

    Each of them is very powerful, with strong magical power and once existed in real life, leaving a wonderful epic legend behind in the history of magic.

    Unfortunately, the vast majority of them are lost in the long river of history.

    The remaining few pieces, such as the Stonehenge, were also collected and studied by the Department of Mysteries and were top secret in the Ministry of Magic.

    Of course, those legendary objects that have been lost did not really disappear, because magical objects of this caliber are almost impossible to damage.

    They are likely to be hidden somewhere or inherited as family heirlooms in certain pure blood wizard families, but no one knows their locations.

    It is like the three of Deathly Hallows. They are gifts given by Death to the three brothers. It is said that the man who possesses all the Deathly Hallows bes master of death itself.

    The three Deathly Hallows are legendary magical items. They are also believed to have been lost in the book that Evan read.

    But in reality, the Elder Wand was in Dumbledore¡¯s hands and the cloak was in Harry¡¯s.

    The Resurrection Stone was made into a Horcrux by Voldemort.

    Judging from the current situation, there is a good chance that the Forbidden Forest hides a legendary magical item. Like the Elder Wand, it can provide a lot of magical power for a wizard.

    It seems that they needed to go to the forest to check it out.

    In addition to that, Professor Lupin just mentioned that they had to get ¡°their¡± approval to go in. ¡°Their¡±? What does that refer to?!

    What strange creatures are living in the forest?

    In addition to knowing that there are Centaurs, Acromants, unicorns and hippogriffs, there are other magical animals that Evan knew nothing about.

    And this phrase reminds him of the four founders and the secret treasure keys that they have left.

    Evan remembered thest sentence of the golden writing behind Godric Gryffindor¡¯s statue: ¡°The key to unlocking the treasure is the courage buried deep in your heart. You need to get recognition of his proud followers!¡±

    The followers, and the ones Professor Lupin has just mentioned, could they be the same group of people? Themon thing between them is the need to get their recognition.

    If they were the same people, wouldn¡¯t the legendary magical item in the forest be the key to Gryffindor¡¯s treasure?

    All seems to fit together. This exins why such a powerful magical item is hidden in the school¡¯s forbidden forest, without Dumbledore doing anything about it.

    ¡°You guys must abide by the school rules and shouldn¡¯t sneak out of school. The current situation is particrly grim. I can¡¯t allow you to underestimate the Dementors or get other misunderstandings. Although Evan¡¯s corporeal Patronus can resist them, the most horrible thing about these monsters is the¡­¡±

    ¡°Dementor¡¯s kiss?!¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°Yes, Hermione!¡± Lupin¡¯s face showed a little smile. ¡°That¡¯s the most horrible and powerful weapon of the Dementors. They only use it at the end and the worst. They will put back their hoods before those that they want to destroy¡­¡±

    ¡°What is under the hood, Professor?¡±

    ¡°No one knows. I think there will always be something like a mouth under the hood because they mp their jaw around the victim¡¯s mouth and consume his or her soul.¡±

    Harry suddenly thought of the terrifying image he saw on the Quidditch pitch through the Dementor¡¯s hood before he fainted.

    ¡°If it is really done, it will be worse than death.¡± Lupin said, ¡°You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you¡¯ll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no¡­anything. There¡¯s no chance at all of recovery. You¡¯ll just exist as an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever¡­ lost.¡±

    No one spoke. Everyone was trying to portray the fearful picture in his mind and thinking about having his soul consumed through his mouth.

    ¡°You guys must be careful not to think that you¡¯ve driven away the Dementors and take them lightly,¡± Lupin continued. ¡°What happenedst time on the Quidditch pitch made them very unhappy. I just saw from The Daily Prophet that the Ministry of Magic had promised the Dementors that they would get to do it after they catch ck.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what he deserves,¡± Harry said suddenly.

    ¡°Do you think so?¡± Lupin asked softly. ¡°Do you really think anyone deserves this?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Harry. ¡°I heard everyone say he was the most evil ck wizard under Voldemort¡¯s hand. He killed a lot of people!¡±

    ¡°Among all those who were finally confirmed to be Death Eaters, Sirius ck was thest one I ever expected!¡± said Lupin. ¡°I used to think I knew him well. He was very dangerous, more than what you¡¯d ever think¡­.¡±

    Professor Lupin stopped and seemed to suddenly realize something.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Harry, you didn¡¯t n to use the map to find Sirius ck?!¡± he said in a serious tone.

    Harry¡¯s expression was full of surprise when he heard Lupin.

    So strange, why does everyone think he would take the initiative to find Sirius ck?

    First, it was Mr. Weasley, then Malfoy, and then Snape. Now even Professor Lupin thinks so.

    Are all four of them mental?

    Why would he go behind someone who wants to kill him? Is there anything he does not know about it? This is really too suspicious.

 Chapter 105: Hidden Truth

    <h4>Chapter 105: Hidden Truth</h4>

    ¡°Professor, why would I want to find ck?!¡± Harry asked slowly in a skeptical tone. ¡°He escaped from Azkaban to kill me, didn¡¯t he? He came to find me and get his revenge for Voldemort, isn¡¯t that the case?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the way it is.¡± Prof. Lupin¡¯s expression was somewhat unnatural. He subconsciously avoided Harry¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°But that is certainly not the whole truth. I can feel that you are hiding something from me!¡± Harry continued staring at Professor Lupin.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing at all¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, I¡¯m not a child anymore!¡± Harry said quickly, ¡°You once told me that you were my father¡¯s friend, and that you were also very familiar with ck. You must know something! Why does ck want to kill me? Why do you want me not to look for him?¡±

    Hearing Harry, Professor Lupin went silent for a moment, then said: ¡°Harry, there are things that I shouldn¡¯t tell you. I don¡¯t have such qualification.¡±

    ¡°So you just avoid me and say nothing, as if I were a fool!¡± Harry took a deep breath and said in a lost, sad voice. ¡°Professor, when the Dementors approached me, I saw and heard something, you know?¡±

    Professor Lupin shook his head and looked worried.

    ¡°I could hear my mother screaming and entreating Voldemort. If you heard my mother screaming like that before being killed, you wouldn¡¯t forget it.¡± Harry¡¯s eyes were red ¡°I can feel it, Professor; ck has something to do with my parents¡¯ death! Malfoy once told me: ¡°If I were you, I would choose revenge. I would find him by myself!¡±¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, Malfoy was talking nonsense¡­¡± Hermione said worried.

    ¡°No, he must have known something.¡± Harry shouted, looking back at Professor Lupin. ¡°Please Professor, tell me the truth, for my parents!¡±

    Professor Lupin¡¯s expression was very sad. Harry¡¯s words greatly touched him. He looked at Harry and vaguely seemed to see his former friend, James.

    ¡°I need to talk to you alone, Harry!¡± Lupin sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. We shouldn¡¯t keep it from you. If his son doesn¡¯t know about Sirius, James will be disappointed.¡±

    Lupin led Harry to his office. Evan, Hermione, and Ron stood in the dark hall following them with their eyes anxiously.

    ¡°Evan, what do you think Professor Lupin would say to Harry?¡± asked Hermione.

    ¡°Anything about his parents¡¯ past is possible.¡± Evan thought for a moment and didn¡¯t know how much Lupin was going to tell Harry. He was afraid that Harry wouldn¡¯t take it well at that time.

    ¡°Well, can you wait for Harry in the Common room? I still feel that there¡¯s something wrong.¡± Hermione said in an uncertain tone. ¡°Ron and I will go to Hogsmeade to buy everyone¡¯s Christmas gifts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Scabbers!¡± Ron, who hadn¡¯t spoken yet, suddenly talked, with a dull and monotonous tone.

    ¡°Ron?!¡± Hermione wanted to tell Ron not to worry about his rat and that it would be back by itself.

    But when she saw Ron¡¯s appearance, she hesitated and said nothing.

    Because of Crookshanks, she felt very awkward dealing with the rat¡¯s issue.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for Scabbers!¡± Ron repeated again, not caring about Evan and Hermione¡¯s reaction, he then went back to the tower.

    Under the torchlight, his silhouette seemed extremely gloomy and strange.

    Evan frowned and looked at Ron. Thetter¡¯s behaviour was too unusual today. Whether it was when facing Snape or Professor Lupin, he was too calm and different from the Ron that he knew.

    And how did Ron know that the parchment was the Marauder¡¯s Map?!

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Ron?!¡± Hermione said in surprise.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go to Hogsmeade alone. There are so many things to buy. I won¡¯t be able to handle it!¡±

    ¡°If you do not mind, I can apany you, Hermione,¡± Evan suggested.

    ¡°No, Evan, you will be discovered by professors.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ve been there many times and I¡¯m very familiar with the Hogsmeade stores. I just have to avoid being noticed by Filch.¡± Evan picked up the schoolbag in his hand. ¡°Moreover, Harry¡¯s invisibility cloak is still here.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Hermione was hesitant. She knew that Evan had been to Hogsmeade many times before, and that unlike Harry, Evan didn¡¯t have to worry about Sirius ck and the Dementors.

    Since there was not much risk, and he would not be discovered by professors, it seemed that she had no real reason to oppose it.

    Although it might vite school rules, Hermione was no longer as strict as she used to be when she first entered school. After all, she couldn¡¯t even count the times that she vited the rules herself.

    Hermione¡¯s also had a strange feeling deep down in her heart that she could not tell.

    She hoped that Evan could apany her to Hogsmeade, especially on Christmas Eve.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the secret passage beneath the one-eyed witch statue on the third floor, Hermione.¡± Evan said in a rxed tone. ¡°The secret passage leads to the Honeydukes Sweetshop. You can wait for me there. See you soon!¡±

    Evan left the hall and quickly walked behind the one-eyed witch statue on the third floor. He looked around in the hallway and didn¡¯t find any one besides him.

    ¡°Dissendium!¡± Evan gently knocked on the stone witch.

    The hump on the statue immediately opened just wide enough for a small person to slide down to the hidden passageway.

    Evan climbed into the hole and then moved forward.

    Compared with this narrow secret passage, he preferred the more spacious one behind therge mirror on the Fourth floor. He passed through that passage to Hogsmeadest semester.

    But just a few days after the start of the school year, Fred and George told him that the secret passage copsed and waspletely blocked. Now, among all the routes in the castle that lead to Hogsmeade, the one he¡¯s taking now was the only one left that¡¯s unknown to Filch.

    Evan slipped a long way forward. This road was just like a stone slide. Then he fell into a cold, dampnd.

    He stood up and looked around, and found only darkness.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± Evan raised his wand.

    The path in front of his eyes was curved, it was no different from a rabbit¡¯s tunnel.

    Evan hurriedly walked, and because of the unevenness of the ground, he was staggering from time to time. He held his wand in front of him all the way.

    About an hourter, Evan reached the bottom of a broken stairs, and found that the stone steps stretched out to where he could not see.

    He rested for a while, gasped, and began to climb upwards. One hundred, two hundred steps, Evan climbed the stairs, putting all his attention on his feet. After over three thousand steps, he mmed into something hard.

    It was a floor door. Evan pushed it open and climbed out.

    When he came out of the floor door, he smelled a strong odor of blood, as if there was a dead body hidden in the cer.

 Chapter 106: Cho Chang

    <h4>Chapter 106: Cho Chang</h4>

    Evan hurriedly pulled out his wand and looked around vigntly.

    The room was full of chairs and boxes that surrounded him, and not far away from where he was, there was a wooden staircase leading upstairs. He could hear the voices of several people above him, a bell ringing, and the creaking of the opening and closing of doors.

    In the cer, the sweet smell of candies mixed with the pungent odor of blood made Evan feel nauseous. He cautiously approached a wooden box beside him.

    The closer he was, the stronger the odor was!

    He was about to open the wooden box when he heard footsteps going downstairs and a woman shouting.

    ¡°Honey, take another bucket of Jelly Slugs. We¡¯re about to be out of stock!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± A man came downstairs.

    Evan hurriedly turned around and he saw a bald middle-aged man walking down.

    It was Mr. Ambrosius Flume, the owner of the Honeydukes Sweetshop. He walked into the cer and suddenly froze. He was surprised to see Evan standing in front of him.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Flume,¡± said Evan softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, Evan, you scared me. I thought it was someone else in our warehouse.¡± Flume sighed and patted his chest. ¡°What are you doing with your wand?¡±

    ¡°I smelled an odor of blood¡­¡± The wand in Evan¡¯s hand did not drop.

    ¡°Oh, you have already smelled it!¡± Flume said hastily. ¡°I was intending to talk to you about it. I want you to publish an ad for our newly developed candy.¡±

    ¡°An ad?!¡± Evan looked at him strangely.

    Flume walked over and opened the wooden box next to Evan and it was full of Blood-voured Lollipops.

    Evan was a bit embarrassed. The odor of blood he had smelled was that of this candy. He went too quickly for his wand. Fortunately, no acquaintances were there.

    ¡°We don¡¯t think it¡¯s too much for our new product bloody lollipops.¡± Flume frowned and said, ¡°I sometimes don¡¯t understand your taste, young wizards. It was the most requested vor in ourst poll.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure this is not for vampires?¡±

    ¡°Of course not! I thought this candy would be cool!¡± Flume continued. ¡°But virtually nobody bought it. The stock of these bloody lollipops is almost backlogging the entire warehouse. I need your help, Evan. Thest time, the propaganda on the Cockroach Clusters was very effective.¡±

    Evan remembered his first advertisement for Honeydukes in thest semester. The Cockroach Clusters were piled up in the warehouse and never bought. But now after the ad, there are still some people in the school who say they kept eat that stuff until today.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, Mr. Flume!¡±

    Evan could not understand the fact that even though the Honeydukes traditional sweets are clearly popr and well received, they have kept developing these unorthodox new products.

    Anyway, when he heard Evan words, Flume was so happy that he packed a lot of Blood-voured Lollipops and gave them to him.

    When Evan climbed out of the cer with those almost un-eatable candies, he saw the Honeydukes store full of Hogwarts students.

    There were so many people around that he couldn¡¯t see where Hermione was.

    Evan walked between them, trying to find Hermione from one shelf to another. Suddenly, at the corner of a chocte-covered shelf, he identally bumped into a girl and knocked her candies into the ground.

    ¡°Excuse me!¡± Evan lowered his head and picked up her sweets. He looked up just to see a beautiful girl standing in front of him.

    The girl had long, shiny, dark hair. She was wearing a Wizard¡¯s robe from the Ravenw House with a smile on her face that gives off a feeling of kindness andfort.

    ¡°I was too absorbed in choosing chocte. Are you okay?¡± The girl smiled at Evan.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Cho Chang from Ravenw.¡±

    Evan was shocked. It turned to be Cho Chang, and she was indeed very beautiful. No wonder that Harry, the guy who so hard to move, was so attracted to her.

    ¡°Oh, hello, I¡¯m Evan Mason, from¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you!¡± she blushed saying and she hurried to exin. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Luna that you have a newspaper and I¡¯ve got a subscription for each issue. I think it¡¯s very helpful, and¡­ In short, all Ravenw girls are talking about you.¡±

    The atmosphere was a bit embarrassing. Evan didn¡¯t know that he was so popr with girls.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you, too. You¡¯re Ravenw¡¯s Seeker!¡± Evan had no words to say. In addition to this information, he only remembered that Cho Chang was the girlfriend of Cedric Diggori. After the guy died, she and Harry had a fruitless short rtionship.

    Although her emotional experience is rtively rich, he has to admit that Cho Chang is really beautiful.

    ¡°Do you like Quidditch too?!¡± Cho seemed to be happy to find amon topic with Evan. ¡°I have watched the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Your team is very strong, especially the Seeker Harry Potter; he is very fast.¡±

    ¡°But we still lost to Hufflepuff,¡± continued Evan. ¡°I heard that in thest few days, you beat them!¡±

    ¡°It was just a fluke. Their Seeker Cedric is also very good.¡± Cho paused. ¡°However, the rest of the Hufflepuff team is not on his level. The score would have been in Gryffindor¡¯s favor if you didn¡¯t meet the Dementors¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Evan nodded, even though he didn¡¯t really know what she was talking about.

    This is a rare opportunity to get in touch with such a beautiful girl. He was there, endlessly talking about Quidditch even though he had no interest at all in this stuff.

    ¡°I was almost desperate when we faced so many Dementors. Fortunately, your Patronus brought hope back to all of us!¡±

    In Cho Chang¡¯s mind, came out the picture of the thin boy facing over a hundred Dementors on his own. That feeling¡­ she would never forget it.

    ¡°Evan, are you free?!¡± She hesitated for a moment then she said, ¡°We can go to the tea shop outside and sit for a while. I want to ask you about the use of the Patronus Charm. Is there any trick to learn it? No matter how hard I tried, all I manage to do is just making my wand shine a little bit.¡±

    There was indeed a trick to casting the Patronus Spell, and Evan was also willing to have an in-depth conversation about it with her.

    Afterall, Cho Chang invited him herself, he would be too stupid if he didn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    But, he saw Hermione just entering Honeydukes and looking for him with a smile. When she saw Cho with him, she looked very alert.

    Choosing between these two beauties is really hard.

    Deep down in his heart, Evan still preferred Hermione. With Cho, it was just her stunning beauty that stunned him.

    There was nothing else he could think of! Or maybe¡­

    Evan looked again at the girl in front of him. Is that really the case?

 Chapter 107: Madam Puddifootâ€™s Tea Shop

    <h4>Chapter 107: Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; my friend is waiting for me there!¡±

    When she turned to where he was looking, Cho Chang saw Hermione standing in the doorway.

    ¡°Oh, well, I¡¯m d I¡¯ve met you.¡± Cho looked a bit disappointed. She said in a gentle tone, ¡°Goodbye, Evan!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye!¡± Evan waved.

    ¡°Who is that girl?¡± Hermione came over and looked suspiciously at Cho¡¯s back.

    ¡°Her name is Cho Chang and she¡¯s a fourth-year Ravenw student. I just identally knocked her over. I helped her pick up her candies, and she invited me to the Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop across the street¡­..¡±

    ¡°Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop?!¡± Hermione repeated it in a low voice, with her eyes narrowing. ¡°She looks beautiful!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s really pretty¡­¡±

    Evan felt that something was wrong. He hadn¡¯t finished his words yet, but Hermione, who was standing in front of him, suddenly looked a bit sad.

    ¡°Cho looks really good, but she¡¯s not my type.¡± Evan said cautiously. ¡°To me, you are always the most beautiful, Hermione!¡±

    When she heard him, Hermione blushed and the tense atmosphere softened.

    ¡°This is so unlike you Evan!¡± Hermione said in a serious tone, but her face grinned. ¡°You must have learned this from Vicky.¡±

    Vicky Frobisher is Evan¡¯s roommate and a handsome boy. He goes around chasing girls a lot, and has bad grades.

    ¡°I really think so.¡±

    Evan looked at Hermione seriously, thinking hard and trying to remember Vicky¡¯s tricks that he pulls off when talking to girls every night before going to bed.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll believe you for the time being.¡± Hermione was embarrassed and tried to avoid Evan¡¯s eyes.

    The mood was awkward. Evan remembered that Vicky had said that such moments are crucial, and that he should use them to win the girl¡¯s heart. He must not give her an opportunity to sidestep.

    But what should he do next?!

    Before crossing over, Evan had no romantic expertise. He had no time to think about such a thing with all the studying and exams he had.

    Even if he liked a girl, he would just look at her from afar.

    Facing Hermione, Evan didn¡¯t know what to do, be he knew he needed to say something!

    ¡°Hermione, I¡­¡± Evan gathered his courage.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Evan!¡± Hermione seemed to have realized something and her eyes that were dodging Evan¡¯s regard gazed back at him. ¡°You¡¯re too careless. You haven¡¯t been allowed to Hogsmeade by the school. If you¡¯re discovered, then you¡¯d be¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think that Cho is the kind of person who would go tell on me.¡± Evan blinked, and the momentum and atmosphere that he had built up all copsed in a second.

    ¡°Of course she wouldn¡¯t, but what would you do if you were seen by Malfoy? You would be in big trouble, especially since we just offended Professor Snape in the morning.¡± Hermione said worriedly. ¡°Hurry up; you should put on Harry¡¯s invisibility cloak.¡±

    Evan realized that Hermione was right. Right then, he saw from the shop window the trio of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. He quickly took out the invisibility cloak from his back and put it on his head.

    Right when disappeared, he heard Malfoy¡¯s voice getting close.

    ¡°This year¡¯s Quidditch Cup belongs to Slytherin. Who would have thought that Potter would be so afraid of the Dementors? The next time they have a game, the three of us could juste in with Capes and scare him, he would fall off again and they¡¯d have to install a parachute on his broomstick!¡±

    Crabbe and Goyle snickered, Malfoy smirked. He felt better about what he said when he suddenly saw Hermione standing alone in the corner, and had a malicious smile on his pale face.

    ¡°In addition to that incident, my dad will attend a hearing organized by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures in January to tell its members that I couldn¡¯t move my arm for three months!¡± Malfoy deliberately raised his voice. ¡°I really hope I¡¯ll be able to take part of it when it happens, so I could see that stupid furry behemoth trying to defend that creature: It¡¯s not harmful! Really, it¡¯s safe!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Evan!¡± Hermione ignored Malfoy.

    She knew that he was just talking nonsense. With their recent efforts, both Hagrid and Buckbeak should be fine. There was no need to answer Malfoy.

    Because of this, Malfoy must actually be Mad.

    He squinted as Hermione walked past him. He seemed to have wanted to stop her, but he hesitated and did nothing.

    Hermione was on her own here, with neither Evan nor Harry nor Ron by her side. Malfoy didn¡¯t want to look like he was bullying a girl.

    ¡°Think about it, when they cut off that stupid big-headed Hippogriff¡¯s head, I think he¡¯d cry, ha-ha!¡± Malfoy deliberately said that, looking at Hermione¡¯s back as she was leaving.

    Hearing Malfoy¡¯sughter, Evan was in rage. Then he saw a barrel of Jelly Slugs on the side and suddenly had an idea.

    ¡°You open the door and wait for me a bit!¡± Evan whispered to Hermione.

    This opportunity is too good to be missed.

    He walked quietly behind Malfoy, aimed at his butt, pulled his foot back, and then kicked back with all he had!

    Next thing you know, Malfoy was upside down with his head in the Jelly Slugs¡¯ barrel. The green juice was sttered everywhere.

    His legs were struggling and he was screaming inside the barrel. Crabbe and Goyle looked at each other in panic, and then went to try to pull him out.

    The scene was a mess, and everyone in the shop looked at him in surprise and wondered why he would stuff his head into the slug barrel. After all, even if he likes that Candy so much, there¡¯s no reason for him to take it so far!

    Ignoring the chaos behind him, Evan ran out of the Honeydukes Shopughing, and thinking of how happy Harry and Ron would be when they hear about this. Unfortunately, Colin wasn¡¯t not there. Otherwise, this would¡¯ve made the cover of next week¡¯s newspaper.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done that Evan!¡± Said Hermione, whileughing and being worried at the same time. ¡°If Malfoy finds out you¡¯re here¡­¡±

    ¡°I have the invisibility cloak on, Hermione. He can¡¯t see me. No one will know that it¡¯s my doing.¡± Evan shivered, and noticed that he wasn¡¯t wearing a coat. ¡°We need to find somewhere to go. How about the Three Broomsticks Inn? Butterbeer would be perfect in this weather!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better not to go there. That shop is so popr. Malfoy could also go there. We¡¯d better go to Hog¡¯s Head Inn or¡­¡±

    Across her thick scarf, Hermione suddenly saw a small teahouse on the corner that she had never noticed before. The sign on the outside read ¡°Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop¡±.

    She still remembers what Evan said just now. Ravenw¡¯s Cho Chang just asked him to go there. Perhaps she should also have a look.

    (Trantor Note: Vicky Frobisher is actually a girl! She was Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch Keeper at some point in time.)

 Chapter 108: Contact with the Stray Dog

    <h4>Chapter 108: Contact with the Stray Dog</h4>

    ¡°We can go there!¡± said Hermione, pointing to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop and squinting. ¡°This shop seems to be¡­ very special!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?!¡± Evan looked at the tea shop with surprise.

    If it hadn¡¯t been just mentioned by Cho Chang, he would have never noticed this ce. It was full of pink, pretty girlish ornaments, with cheesyce, and Evan doubted the owner¡¯s taste.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure, hurry up and go in, Evan; I don¡¯t want other people to think I¡¯m just standing alone in the snow.¡± Hermione said, ¡°It looks like it¡¯s cubicle inside, you shouldn¡¯t worry about being discovered, and you will be able to take off the cloak.¡±

    Evan and Hermione crossed the street and entered the small Tea Shop.

    There was a sweet scent in the air. The tearoom was small and misty. It seemed that everything was decorated with frills or bows. Over every small round table was flying a golden cherub, and from time to time, it threw pink confetti over the people below.

    They sat down at the only remaining round table, next to the steamed up window.

    Next to them was a big Christmas tree. Through the gaps between the leaves, a fifth year Hufflepuff boy could be seen. He was with a beautiful blond girl and they held hands.

    Evan was a bit ufortable and Hermione too.

    They seemed to have just discovered that there were only couples in the ce, all holding hands.

    ¡°What do you take?¡± A middle-aged stout woman with a shiny ck bun squeezed herself through the two tables.

    ¡°Two cups of coffee, please!¡± said Evan.

    As he raised his head, his face was sprinkled with pink confetti by the golden cherub in mid air.

    While waiting for coffee, Evan noticed that the couple next to him began to kiss each other over the sugar bowl between them. He stuck his lips together and really wished they didn¡¯t do that.

    Hermione apparently noticed it as well. She turned her head and looked at Evan¡¯s eyes, and then they looked away from each other in panic.

    The atmosphere was very embarrassing. Evan was focused on not messing things up.

    But he couldn¡¯t hold his imagination. He felt that the couple in front of them was making a model that Hermione would soon want to emte.

    He was not sure if he wanted to do so. He and Hermione have not yet reached this point.

    ording to the protocol, shouldn¡¯t the two confess to each other before doing such a thing?!

    Evan said to himself: ¡°I really like Hermione so much. Besides, since she invited me toe to this Tea Shop, shouldn¡¯t that be a hint?¡±

    If so, should he take the initiative?!

    Hermione¡¯s cheeks were so red, so lovely, just like a ripe apple, that anyone could not help but take a bite.

    ¡°No matter what, get over it!¡± Feelings of fear and excitement soared, and Evan was determined to swallow it.

    His body leaned forward slightly, reached out and held Hermione¡¯s cold hands, and they instantly stopped breathing.

    Hermione trembled slightly and seemed to want to pull her hands back, but she immediately stopped and let them go. Her face never looked so red.

    Her eyes blurred and looked at Evan. The sweet smell in the air almost stopped her brain from thinking.

    She saw Evan¡¯s bodying over, as if he was to do something. She wanted to dodge backwards, but her right hand was tightly held by his. Hermione¡¯s body trembled slightly; although this was not the first time she had her hands held by Evan, this time was exceptionally electrifying.

    Hermione couldn¡¯t remember the precise moment in which this boy had taken her heart. Perhaps it wasst year, when he protected her from the basilisk; or this year, when he faced over one hundred Dementors, in a time of fear and helplessness, or¡­

    Before now, she had heard of this Tea Shop from other girls.

    The appearance of Cho Chang gave her an inexplicable feeling of threat. She used to think that it was just an ordinary meeting ce. She did not expect that everyone would be there¡­.

    She knew what Evan was going to do next, but she didn¡¯t feel offended at all. Yet, wasn¡¯t it too soon for that?

    Her palms were all sweaty, and her heart thumped and flopped. She should stop Evan. They shouldn¡¯t do it, but she didn¡¯t have any strength.

    She saw Evan getting closer and closer, and she could feel his breath.

    The distance between the two of them was getting shorter and shorter¡­

    Just as Evan¡¯s lips were about to touch Hermione¡¯s, Madam Puddifoot came over with two cups of coffee.

    They hurriedly split up like kittens that had done something bad. The action of their movement was so big that they nearly turned the table over.

    Madam Puddifoot said nothing, but the unfathomable smile on her face caused them to be embarrassed.

    Evan¡¯s face was hot and he turned to look at the window.

    Just then, through the thick water vapor, he saw the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid and two Aurors that he did not recognize proudly walking across the street. They six of them marched hard in the snow, and it seemed that they were going to the Three Broomsticks Inn across the street.

    Evan hurriedly nced at them and his attention waspletely drawn to two short figures beside them: a big ck dog and a ginger cat gliding through the street: they were Sirius ck and Crookshanks. .

    It was not surprising that ck was so bold that he appeared tantly in Hogsmeade, and they passed by Professors Fudge, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Hagrid.

    ck stopped and looked guiltily at the back of Fudge and the two Aurors.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Crookshanks. What is it in Hogsmeade for?!¡±

    Looking at were Evan was staring, Hermione saw Crookshanks through the window. She did not see Sirius ck because of her viewing angle.

    ¡°Wait, Hermione, I¡¯ll go and bring it back!¡±

    Evan hurried up, and under the astonished eyes of Hermione and Madam Puddifoot, opened the door and rushed into the blizzard outside.

    He didn¡¯t know why when he thought of Ron¡¯s recent unusual behaviors; he felt a sense of unease. Although he had a n, it would be nice if he could contact Sirius ck before that.

    On the street, the shadows of ck and Crookshanks disappeared on the corner of the street, leaving two rows of shallow and deep footprints on the thick snow.

    Evan followed the footprints and came to the Owl Post Office. The inside was gloomy. There were owls on the shelves, at least 300 of them, ranging frommon Great Grays to palm-sized Scops owls. They shouted low.

    Besides the owls, there was no one in the shop.

    ck and Crookshanks seemed to be on the second floor, where there were the Post owls which were trained to bring postage from a distance.

    Evan pulled out his wand. The post office had only one door. If he enters there, ck wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to go.

    Evan did not know why ck had to send a letter, but it was indeed a good opportunity to make contact with him.

 Chapter 109: Lonely Avenger

    <h4>Chapter 109: Lonely Avenger</h4>

    Evan climbed up the dark stairs to the second floor, and the old ck wooden floor creaked under his feet. From time to time, owls hovered over his head.

    Theyouts of the post office on the second and first floors are simr. There were owls everywhere. On the shelves under them, there were codes of various colors.

    Crookshanks was lying on a semi-circr balcony. When it saw Evan, it purred with satisfaction.

    Hold on, where is Sirius ck?!

    Evan suddenly realized what was happening; he quickly turned around, and behind him in the shadow of the hallway, a ck figure rushed out.

    Right then, Evan was thrown to the ground and sshed with dust.

    Several gray long-eared owls spread their wings and flew higher, in fear of the scene of Evan and the big ck dog on top of him.

    Sirius ck leaped swiftly and took the wand from his hands.

    His body was quickly morphed in mid air, and when he fell back on the floor, Evan saw a middle-aged man who looked exactly the same as the one wanted by the Ministry of Magic: his filthy, tangled hair was hanging down to his elbow. In the dark pupils of his eyes, there was no light at all, and his waxy skin clung to his face¡¯s frame making him look more like a skeleton.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been too careless, kid!¡± ck held Evan¡¯s wand tightly and grinned showing his yellow teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t resist. Since you¡¯re a friend of Harry, I¡¯ll only use the Obliviate Charm on you and wipe out all the memories about me from your head.¡±

    ck¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. It sounded like he hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time.

    ¡°Listen, I need to talk to you, Sirius!¡± Evan whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to resist. You can keep my wand if it makes you feel safer.¡±

    ¡°Huh, safety means nothing to me!¡± ck smiled with a ridiculous sneer. ¡°If you, like me, were locked in Azkaban for twelve years, and like me, were tortured by hundreds of Dementors day and night, with your head full of the darkest memories, and enduring the suffering made by the loss of your best friends that¡¯s frying your mind; if you¡¯ve endured all of that, you¡¯d also forget all about fear and safety.¡±

    ¡°That sounds really bad,¡± Evan said worried.

    ¡°Do you know how I got through it?!¡± ck¡¯s expression suddenly became ferocious. ¡°It was revenge. It was the power of revenge that kept me sober. That¡¯s how I didn¡¯t be a walking corpse like everybody else in there.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I can help you get your vengeance.¡± Evan sat up from the ground.

    ¡°Help me?!¡± The smile on ck¡¯s face became even more pronounced. The wand in his hand pointed steadily at Evan. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯d better be honest and not y tricks with me. I¡¯ve been observing you for the past few months since our first meeting in Muggle World in August. I know that your skills are actually amazing. I wasn¡¯t near that strong at your age.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment. If I were as powerful as you said, I wouldn¡¯t have been in this situation right now!¡± Evan paused and continued, ¡°But I do want to help you. You remember when we met at the edge of the forest for the second time on Halloween¡¯s eve. I covered for you so you could flee; otherwise you would¡¯ve been discovered by Professor Lupin!¡±

    Evan secretly gathered magical power. Since he saw Tom Riddle¡¯s use of Ron¡¯s broken wand to release the curse in thest semester, he has been studying Wandless Magic.

    Although he found many theoretical books on this topic were, the actual process was extremely difficult. Evan had to practice for nearly a year, but he could not control well his magical power and all he was able to make was light that¡¯s even less impressive than the doing of a young wizard with his wand.

    Such a light was of no value in actualbat.

    But perhaps, it could distract ck if it took him by surprise.

    Evan had to be careful. Ifmunication fails, he¡¯ll have his back against the wall. He did not want to be turned into an idiot by ck¡¯s Memory charm.

    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have never been discovered.¡± ck hummed and the wand gleamed slightly. ¡°And I don¡¯t need anybody¡¯s help!¡±

    He waved his wand, but Evan was faster than him.

    His Magic spouted out, and a dazzling white light flew by like a lightning bolt, ck closed his eyes subconsciously.

    Hundreds of owls rose into the sky and the whole second floor was in chaos.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Evan stood up from the ground and he mmed into ck. Although he was short and thin, far from his tall opponent ck, but it was a fast dash and Sirius did not have his guard up.

    ck didn¡¯t raise the wand in time. One of Evan¡¯s hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of his other hand collided with the side of ck¡¯s head and they fell, backward, into the wall.

    The heavy impact finally brought ck back to his senses. The wand in his hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Evan¡¯s face by inches; thetter felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of ck it could find.

    But ck was far stronger than him, and his free hand had found Evan¡¯s throat.

    Just as Evan felt desperate, Crookshanks that was crouching on the balcony suddenly jumped to join the fight. His stuck his two front paws deeply into ck¡¯s arm.

    ck grunted and let go of Evan. He wanted to throw Crookshanks off, but he did not seed. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Evan took a few punches at ck¡¯s stomach, and thetter was in pain. He curled up loosening his hand and releasing his wand.

    Evan grasped his wand and quickly stood up. He pointed it at ck¡¯s chest and looked down at him.

    ck sprawled across the wall with his limbs spread out, and his thin chest swelling quickly.

    ¡°Good job, Crookshanks!¡± Evan gasped.

    Crookshanks meowed softly and jumped back onto the window¡¯s balcony, as though he had finished a trivial matter. The owls in the air came back.

    Evan looked at ck. He could vaguely see the handsome man that he used to be in his faint sallow face. Twelve years of prison life have made his character cold- blooded. Before killing Peter Pettigrew, he will not believe anyone, nor will he need any help.

    As a lonely avenger, he will use his own power to seize Peter.

    He¡¯s not as good as a cat in trusting others.

    ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you. You are much better than I thought. Wandless Spell! I haven¡¯t seen a Wizard with such skill since a long time.¡± ck¡¯s lips hung up again with his sarcastic sneer. ¡°What do you intend to do, hand me to the Aurors of the Ministry, or to the Dementors?!¡±

    ¡°I repeat, I just want to help you, whether you believe it or not!¡± Evan wiped the blood from his mouth and there were a few sparks on the tip of his wand. ¡°But if you like this way of conversation, we shallmunicate well.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of that, I really want to thank you!¡± said ck calmly. ¡°I thank you for to the Hogwarts Magic News that you run. When Fudge visited Azkaban, he gave me an issue. There were photos of him giving special awards to several of you. On the front page of the newspaper, on the boy¡¯s shoulder, I immediately recognized him. I saw him so many times transforming. He was still alive. He was actually in Hogwarts, near James and Lily¡¯s son¡­ That night, I escaped from Azkaban because I knew I had to kill him. That¡¯s the only way I can make up for my mistakes, even if I had to face death.¡±

    ck¡¯s body trembled slightly, and his voice was full of sorrow.

 Chapter 110: Evan and Blackâ€™s Deal

    <h4>Chapter 110: Evan and ck¡¯s Deal</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in jail for murder, and I¡¯ming back here tomit it again!¡± Sirius shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him with my own hands. I¡¯ll avenge James and Lily!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything in your present state¡­¡± Looking at ke¡¯s appearance, Evan quietly shook his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless to say more. You¡¯ve won, turn me in, go ahead!¡±

    ck closed his eyes weakly and his head leaned back against the wall. He waspletely decadent like never before.

    Suddenly, his eyes snapped open again; he flew into a rage and shouted reluctantly. ¡°That boy who lives in the same bedroom as Harry, the Weasley boy, that boy¡¯s rat is an Animagus, he is Peter Pettigrew!¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew?!¡± Evan blinked.

    ¡°Believe me, you¡¯re also an Animagus, you just have to take a closer look at that rat, or use the Animagus reversal spell on him¡­¡± ck suddenly stopped and said, ¡°You must think I¡¯m Crazy, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, you don¡¯t look any different from a mad man right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re confused. Do you know who Peter really is?¡± ck suddenly burst into a grin. His smile was filled with hatred. ¡°Let me tell you, let me tell you about the true face of that hero in people¡¯s eyes. When we were in Hogwarts¡­¡±

    Evan did not say anything. Looking at ck¡¯s appearance, he knew that he wanted to recall his past student days, and Evan did not mind listening to this hidden history.

    However, it is not the right time, nor is it the right asion.

    Here is the Owl Post Office. There may be other peopleing in at any time. Before all the truth was to be revealed, he did not want people to misunderstand them and didn¡¯t want to be linked to ck.

    Besides, Hermione was still waiting outside for him. He couldn¡¯t stay here much longer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt your memories. Sirius, we¡¯ll get into the subject as soon as possible. About Pettigrew, he is Ron¡¯s rat. I believe you!¡± Evan said quickly. ¡°Actually, I know lots of things about him.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± ck¡¯s eyes widened and he suddenly screamed with excitement. ¡°How much do you know about that man?!¡±

    ¡°A lot! Definitely more than you think. Of course I still need you for more details, but not here!¡± Evan said in a rxed tone. ¡°And, you¡¯d better lower your voice, unless you really want to draw Aurors and Dementors¡¯ attention.¡±

    ¡°What did Lupin tell you about Peter??¡± ck said in a low voice, his face full of suspicious looks. ¡°No, he wouldn¡¯t say anything about us; maybe Dumbledore, it¡¯s so much like him, but if it were to be really him, you wouldn¡¯t be standing here alone right now.¡±

    ¡°I investigated the events of that year, what happened before you were arrested, and what you did in school was no secret,¡± Evan said, blinking. ¡°To be honest, the only thing that makes me curious is the Marauder¡¯s Map, where did you get enough magical power to make it? I heard from Professor Lupin that you got help from a certain item in the Forbidden Forest. That ce needs the approval of certain creatures to get in. Who are they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Centaurs; the Centaur colony in the Forbidden Forest was hiding some kind of treasure left by Godric Gryffindor. That stuff can provide a Wizard with a lot of magical power.¡± ck was excited again. ¡°I can take you there, and help you get the Centaurs¡¯ approval, but getting that thing depends on whether or not you can pass that final test. In exchange, you only need to bring Peter Pettigrew to me!¡±

    ¡°Deal!¡± Evan said hurriedly.

    He listened to Sirius ck¡¯s statements, andbined them with the information he already had.

    If there isn¡¯t any misshapen, the legendary magical item hidden deep in the Forbidden Forest with the Centaur colony should be the key to Gryffindor¡¯s secret treasure.

    Yet, he didn¡¯t know how to get the Centaur¡¯s approval, nor did he know what the final test was?

    This will certainly not be simple, or else ck would have taken it long ago. Since all four of them have failed, Evan is not sure that he will seed. However, he will not give up this opportunity to try. Besides, he originally intended to help ck.

    ¡°You go back and grab that rat, no, no, it¡¯s too risky. Peter is weak, but he¡¯s an adult Wizard. It¡¯s not safe for you, a young Wizard to handle this. You just help me get into Gryffindor¡¯smon room. All the rest will be left for me to solve.¡±

    ¡°I have a better idea. Why don¡¯t we tell the professors about this?¡±

    ¡°Tell them?¡± ck shook his head. ¡°Besides you, who else would believe me? They think that I betrayed James and Lily, and then killed Peter Pettigrew and twelve innocent Muggles. They all think I am crazy and no one will believe me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin would still believe you.¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t take such a risk. Now that they don¡¯t believe in me, I can¡¯t trust them, especially Lupin, he¡­ In short, it¡¯s my own fault that I¡¯m alone. I should solve this by myself!¡± ck stubbornly said, ¡°I convinced James and Lily to let Peter Pettigrew be their Secret Keeper. They were killed because of my foolishness; it is entirely my fault. I must kill him myself to avenge James and Lily!¡±

    ck was talking; tears flowing uncontrobly down his skinny cheeks.

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Looking at ck, Evan had a headache.

    ck¡¯s decision increased the difficulty of the whole problem by several times. He stubbornly believed that the death of James and Lily was entirely his fault. In order to preserve his pride and self-esteem, he wouldn¡¯t ept any help in aplishing his revenge.

    It was as if he preferred to stay in Azkaban for twelve years to make atonement, rather than defending himself.

    Not only could he not defend himself, but he also felt it wasn¡¯t worth it!

    No wonder he did not seek Dumbledore¡¯s help after his escape from prison; it¡¯s no wonder that he hadn¡¯t tried that for so long.

    Even if this deal with Evan was somewhat of apromise, he is forced to do so.

    In ck¡¯s eyes, Evan was helping him catch Peter Pettigrew, and he was helping him to get the Centaurs¡¯ approval in return. The whole thing was more like a transaction than help.

    ¡°The password to enter the Gryffindormon room is ¡°Strange Skins¡±. Sir Cadogan will let you in.¡± Evan continued, ¡°But I suggest you wait one more day, as the semester will be over tomorrow.¡± I have confirmed that this Christmas holiday, only four Gryffindor students will be in Hogwarts: Harry, Ron, Hermione and me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, the typical weak thinking, I wonder if you¡¯re really a Gryffindor?!¡± ck waspletely dismissive of Evan¡¯s advice. ¡°For this day, I¡¯ve been waiting for twelve years. I will not wait any longer; I¡¯ll do it tonight!¡±

 Chapter 111: Identity Exposure

    <h4>Chapter 111: Identity Exposure</h4>

    ¡°We must be careful. Peter Pettigrew is a cunning opponent. We shouldn¡¯t underestimate him. I noticed that you don¡¯t even have a wand?!¡±

    Looking at ck¡¯s appearance, Evan couldn¡¯t help but facepalm.

    In the course of these events, ck was like an ultra version of harry.

    Well, at the very least, Harry sometimes listened to other people¡¯s advice, but ckpletely disregarded them.

    Evan noticed a white card that ck had just left on the floor. It was an owl mailing payment confirmation sheet.

    The item ordered was a Firebolt and the recipient was Harry Potter.

    This was ck¡¯s Christmas gift to Harry. He looked at the astronomical price tag. Evan wondered, this guy had the time and the ability to buy such a valuable product for Harry, but he can¡¯t afford to get a wand for himself? It¡¯s just unbelievable!

    ¡°Wand?!¡± Sirius ck said dismissively. ¡°I don¡¯t need such a thing. I can handle Peter Pettigrew with my bare hands.¡±

    ¡°This is not an issue of strength. He might not be on par with you when ites to power, but if he goes for an escape, anything could happen, just like 12 years ago!¡± Evan continued to persuade ck, ¡°We¡­ You must catch him this time. That¡¯s the only way with which you can clear your name.¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, kid.¡± ck roared loudly. ¡°I repeat, I don¡¯t care what others think of me. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m seen as guilty. I just want him to die. I can¡¯t wait anymore!¡±

    His loud voice shook the dust on the owl¡¯s post office roof.

    ¡°I can appreciate your desire for revenge, but at the very least you have to think about Harry. I have heard that you are his godfather. This is your final mission, thest thing that his parents entrusted you with!¡± Evan still had more, ¡°Do you want Harry to have a ¡°murderer¡± for a godfather? Do you want him to think that of you? That his father¡¯s best friend sold out his friends to Voldemort?¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, Sirius calmed down.

    His body was trembling gently, with his eyes full of pain.

    ¡°In the past 12 years, Harry had a very bad life at his aunt¡¯s house. The Dursley¡¯s don¡¯t like him. You know that.¡± Evan said softly, ¡°Maybe he¡¯d be willing to live with you, if you manage to clear up your name.¡±

    ¡°James and Lily¡¯s child, living with me¡­¡± Tears flowed out of ck¡¯s eyes; he wiped his tears and sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re right. For Harry¡¯s sake, I shall let that rat live on for a few more days.¡±

    ¡°Well, you cane to the Gryffindormon room at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow evening.¡± Evan said happily. ¡°The goal should not be killing Peter Pettigrew, but rather catching him alive. I¡¯ll make sure that the rat will be there for you. If possible, I¡¯ll catch him myself, in advance.¡±

    Evan still had more to say, and as he prepared to further discuss the details of tomorrow¡¯s n with ck, Hermione¡¯s voice suddenly came from downstairs.

    ¡°Are you up there, Evan?¡±

    ¡°I am, I¡¯ll be down right away.¡± Evan hurriedly responded, beckoning to Crookshanks on the window sill, who jumped into his arms.

    ¡°Who is this girl, your young girlfriend?¡± ck had a smile at the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°No, just my ssmate.¡± Evan hurriedly exined, ¡°You should know her. Her name is Hermione Granger. She¡¯s good friends with Harry.¡±

    ¡°I do know this girl, a beautiful young girl indeed. Judging from your appearance, she looks like she¡¯s your senior student.¡± ck looked at Evan¡¯s face and saw his embarrassment.¡± However, I just saw you with her at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop¡­¡±

    ¡°What I do with Hermione doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you!¡± said Evan, blushing.

    ¡°I was more popr than you in my student days. Many girls wrote love letters to me, but I was not as good as you. I have never been with my senior¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up and quickly change back to your Animagus form. Stay here until we leave.¡± Evan raised his wand and said politely, ¡°Remember, the time is tomorrow night at eight o¡¯clock!¡±

    Evan finished his words and put his wand back in his waist.

    He patted the dust off of his body and took Crookshanks down the stairs. He saw Hermione¡¯s little face blushing in the cold and looking at him worriedly.

    ¡°I found Crookshanks, Hermione!¡±

    ¡°What is it doing here?¡± Hermione held Crookshanks. ¡°How did it get to Hogsmeade on its own? It¡¯s so far from school¡­¡±

    She hadn¡¯t finished her words, when she stopped and looked behind Evan.

    Following her regard, Evan turned his head hurriedly. He saw a big ck dog walking slowly down the stairs, slouching and acting decently, like a noble gentleman walking into a high-level banquet. It didn¡¯t look a bit like a lonely stray dog.

    Damn Sirius ck, getting down and adding to the mess. Didn¡¯t he just tell him to stay in the top floor?

    ¡°Evan, this big ck dog!¡± Hermione looked at ck in panic, and said in an uncertain tone, ¡°Is it the thing that harry saw?¡±

    ¡°What thing? I said before, it was just a stray dog!¡± Evan walked over and tried to kick ck, who leaped to the side, dodging Evan¡¯s foot.

    His eyes went back and forth over Evan and Hermione, with his mouth showing a really human smile, and looking at Evan with a look that all men knew.

    Immediately afterwards, he ran to Hermione, squirting his tongue and shaking his tail and finally starting to look like a normal dog.

    ¡°Before I turn you into a slug, get off!¡± Evan pulled out his wand and gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Evan!¡± Hermione hurriedly stopped him. She looked at ck in disbelief for a while and suddenly said to him in a whisper, ¡°I always feel that this dog is not normal. Harry said he saw it many times before, from the streets of London, to Hogwarts, and now it¡¯s in Hogsmeade. Ordinary stray dogs cannot go so far.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a coincidence. The stray dog that Harry was talking about, I¡¯ve seen it. They¡¯re not the same.¡±

    Because he was so close to Hermione, she kept whispering in his ear and her breath met his skin.

    His face flushed with the heat of the moment. His heart was bumping fiercely and his thoughts returned to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop.

    He was one second away from her lips. They still have time; maybe he should go back with her in there and finish what he hadn¡¯t done.

    ¡°No, Evan! This is definitely not a coincidence. I saw this dog in the vicinity of the forest in the past few days. It was watching Harry¡¯s Quidditch practice. It wasn¡¯t a different dog.¡± Hermione looked back at Sirius ck.

    ck looked at her strangely, and he approached slowly to hear what she was saying to Evan.

    ¡°Evan, this big ck dog¡­¡± Hermione lowered her voice a bit. ¡°I think it¡¯s an Animagus!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Evan was choked.

    Sirius ck, who had juste close, apparently heard the same thing as Evan, and the smile on his face suddenly froze.

 Chapter 112: Better Be Honest

    <h4>Chapter 112: Better Be Honest</h4>

    Sirius ck vowed that he would never underestimate children again.

    Although this young brte was only 13 years old and looked vulnerable, she was definitely smarter and sharper than most adult wizards.

    ck originally wanted to use Hermione¡¯s presence to embarrass Evan a bit. Who would have thought thating out shaking his tail would do nothing but expose his identity?

    He realized that the joke that he made, was actually on him.

    When hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Sirius ck¡¯s first instinct was to escape.

    Despite their appearance, the two in front of him were no pushovers. First Evan, and then Hermione, each of them was more difficult to deal with than the other.

    ck was fully alert as he took two steps back.

    Intuition told him that it was better to have little contact with the two.

    However, when he saw Hermione pull out her wand again, he stopped in his ce.

    He couldn¡¯t just turn around and run away. Even though he had a good chance of avoiding Hermione¡¯s curse, here is Hogsmeade. The shops on both sides of the street are stuffed with heavily armed Aurors. Outside the town, there are hundreds of Dementors waiting for him.

    Hermione only needed to yell, to make it almost impossible for him to escape.

    Should he pounce on the girl to stun her? Seeing that Evan had his hand on his wand, he quickly dismissed that idea. Three consecutive contacts made him know Evan well enough to realize that he was a really powerful magician. And although he was inferior to him inbat, his overall strength wasn¡¯t much worse than his, not to mention the fact that he now has no wand.

    Maybe he should behave just like a real stray dog, thus giving himself the chance to slip away.

    Sirius ck hurried to give Evan a look, and then he tried to make himself expressionless. He looked at Hermione with his big eyes straight and appeared very silly.

    Seeing ck¡¯s appearance, Evan sighed feebly.

    What a terrible teammate he was doomed with! He clearly told him to stay up and hide, yet he stilles out with no warning exposing his identity to Hermione.

    This is the true dilemma. Forget all about catching Pettigrew, getting though Hermione is the real challenge.

    ¡°Hermione, this stray dog can¡¯t be an Animagus!¡±

    ¡°No, I have a feeling. The third years recently studied Animagus in the course of Professor McGonagall¡¯s ss. For personal reason, I looked up the matter after I finished my homework.¡± Hermione quickly looked at Evan¡¯s eyes, her face got red and she pointed her wand steadily to Sirius ck. She said in a hurry. ¡°Believe me, Evan, this dog is definitely an Animagus.¡±

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s expression, Evan secretly admired her learning efforts.

    ¡°Hermione, since you have read the book we studied carefully, then you know that the Ministry of Magic has made a register with all the wizards and witches who could be animals. There are detailed records showing what animals that they have managed to be, and the marks that they had on their bodies. There were only seven sessful Animagus transformations that were recorded in the past century. This dog wasn¡¯t mentioned among them.¡±

    ¡°I thought so initially, but he could be an illegal Animagus!¡± Hermione carried on, ¡°You said to me before, you finished Animagus in the summer. You didn¡¯t register with the Ministry of Magic, did you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, what is your Animagus form?¡± Hermione suddenly asked.

    Since thest time she saw Evan¡¯s patronus at the Quidditch Pitch, Hermione has secretly been doing a lot of research on Animagus for the whole month.

    So now, she has more knowledge on the topic than most wizards.

    But she still wasn¡¯t sure what Evan¡¯s Animagus form was.

    She was also unable to confirm any rtionship between the Animagus form and the Patronus.

    On thest day of summer vacation, she met a ck cat. She was always wondering if it was Evan. She has always wanted to ask him this question, and now she has finally gathered the courage required to do so.

    ¡°My Animagus form is a ck cat. You have seen it before¡­¡±

    Evan froze! Hermione indeed had seen his Animagus before. Not only did she see it, she also embraced it. Not only did she embrace it, she also¡­

    Obviously, Hermione also remembered all of that. The atmosphere became totally awkward.

    Sirius was surprised that the two totally ignored him. He quietly took a few steps back, and Evan and Hermione hardly responded.

    The corners of his mouth rose. This scene is so familiar to him; he has seen it countless times with James and Lily.

    Love, is the quickest way for one to lose his IQ.

    ck knew that Evan and Hermione weren¡¯t going to deal with him any time soon.

    He quietly turned around, and ran out of the Owl Post Office, disappearing quickly into the street corner.

    ¡°Evan, your Animagus, the ck cat, that night¡­¡± Hermione said, biting her lip.

    ¡°Hermione, I don¡¯t mind giving you a demonstration of my Animagus transformation, but that dog seems to have run away!¡± Feeling the awkwardness of the situation, Evan said that to divert her attention.

    ¡°What?!¡± Hermione woke up and realized that the big ck dog had disappeared. She said anxiously, ¡°Oh no, Evan! That big ck dog, he might be Sirius ck, we should report this to Professor McGonagall.¡±

    ¡°Rx, Hermione, there is no evidence that the stray dog was an Animagus. It¡¯s just your hunch.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t risk it. If he¡¯s Sirius ck, then this is probably how he could get into the castle. Professors certainly don¡¯t know that ck is an Animagus, so they will not be prepared for this.¡± Hermione said seriously ¡°We must tell the professor about this matter. It is very important.¡±

    Yeah, it was really important indeed.

    Evan¡¯s mouth showed a bitter smile, if she waited one more day, he could have solved the whole thing.

    Without her recognizing him, ck could¡¯ve gone wherever he wanted; he could¡¯ve even gone to Minister Cornelius Fudge¡¯s office without ever being noticed.

    Who could¡¯ve thought that this would happen at thest moment?

    If Hermione reported this to the professors, forget about entering the Gryffindor Tower to catch Peter, just approaching the castle would be a great hassle.

    Knowing Snape, Evan was sure that he wouldn¡¯t even, sleep at night, and even go to the forest before dawn to catch ck, if he ever knew his Animagus form.

    He should try to stop Hermione, but he didn¡¯t want to lie to her either.

    Lies will be exposed sooner orter. Regardless of whether or not they have goodwill behind them, they will hurt her and cause irreparable rifts between the two.

    In particr, considering that Hermione had discovered that the ck cat that she met on thest night of the summer vacation was his Animagus form, Evan felt that he was better off being honest.

    Perhaps, he could consider telling Hermione everything about his n, Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew. She would surely believe in him.

    In this case, he will get another helper and his odds of catching Scabbers would be even greater.

 Chapter 113: Convincing Hermione

    <h4>Chapter 113: Convincing Hermione</h4>

    ¡°You guessed it right, Hermione!¡± said Evan suddenly. ¡°The dog was indeed Sirius ck. Like you thought, he is an Animagus.¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Hermione did not respond, as if she were still digesting the news.

    She looked up and saw that Evan was looking at her seriously, not looking one bit like he was joking.

    ¡°I said that the big ck dog was Sirius ck!¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, I knew it! Incredible, ck was just in front of us!¡± Hermione¡¯s eyes widened and she said in horror. ¡°Evan, we should tell Professor McGonagall at once. She is in The Three Broomsticks Inn.¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell the professor about it.¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°ck is innocent. I believe him.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Hermione screamed and stepped back. She looked at Evan in horror. ¡°ck is supporting Voldemort. He killed thirteen people. He fled from Azkaban and is going now to Hogwarts to kill Harry, and you actually believe him?!¡±

    ¡°Hermione, let me exin!¡± Evan said hurriedly. ¡°ck just told me upstairs. He was defamed. That year, He didn¡¯t kill¡­¡±

    ¡°If he was defamed, why didn¡¯t he say so to others? Many of them could¡¯ve helped him!¡± Hermione didn¡¯t seem to understand Evan, she eximed, ¡°Look at what he did, he escaped from Azkaban, and on Halloween, he also broke into Hogwarts Castle and tried to enter the Gryffindor Common room to find Harry. What innocent person would do such things?!¡±

    ¡°ck was looking for Pettigrew. It¡¯s Ron¡¯s rat. He¡¯s an Animagus. Everything was of his doing.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Evan, how could Scabbers be an Animagus!¡± Hermione¡¯s voice almost went out of control. ¡°It must be ck¡­¡±

    Hermione¡¯s voice went louder and louder. Two Hufflepuff girls were attracted by it. They were Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. They curiously looked at Evan and Hermione who were still standing at the door of the Owl Post Office.

    Evan had a headache and he was concerned about his future ns. Some things should not be heard by outsiders.

    In particr, they shouldn¡¯t be known by Abbot and Bones. Knowing them, Evan was sure that whatever they learned, all students in school would know about it by tomorrow. He didn¡¯t want them to hear what he and Hermione were talking about.

    ¡°Shhh, Hermione!¡± Evan whispered.

    However, this was useless. Hermione was still talking enthusiastically about Sirius ck, while Hannah and Susan were getting closer and closer.

    Hold on, when men and women quarrel and argue, how do men go about it?

    Without even thinking, Evan subconsciously held Hermione¡¯s little hands and pulled her with a little bit of force into his arms, pressing her head against his chest.

    Hermione suddenly stopped talking; his arms were tight around her body, her face turned red from top to bottom, and her thoughts drifted far away.

    ¡°OH MY GOD!¡± Hannah and Susan screamed with a squeaking voice, and the two looked at each other with excitement in their eyes.

    Evan and Hermione¡­ This is big news!

    They hurried to turn around, as though they did not see Evan and Hermione, quickly walking to the far corner. They could not wait to share the news.

    Seeing the two of them leaving, Evan breathed a sigh of relief.

    He could feel Hermione shivering in his arms, like a warm soft kitten.

    Feeling her special scent, Evan was able to feel his heartbeats.

    In fact, the two stopped moving and stayed in that position holding their breaths.

    A few secondster, Crookshanks, that was in Hermione¡¯s arms, suddenly started to struggle, as it was nearly suffocated by the two.

    Hermione started to realize what was happening. She hurriedly pushed Evan aside, gasping for breath with her face all red.

    ¡°Hermione?!¡± Evan opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to convince myself to believe you, Evan!¡± Hermione tried not to think about what had just happened, and the thoughts in her head were all distorted.

    ¡°Believe me, Hermione!¡± Evan looked at her seriously. Going by the protocol, should he now confess?

    But before he could speak, he heard Hermione say, ¡°I believe you, but I still can¡¯t imagine how he can be an Animagus, he obviously has been living in Ron¡¯s house for so long!¡±

    ¡°To be urate, it¡¯s been 12 years! Have you ever seen a rat living for so long?¡± Evan stopped talking for a second as his mind went back to the main topic. He had to carry on, ¡°Remember, during the summer vacation, in the Magical Menagerie; what did the saleswoman say? An ordinary house rat like Scabbers should¡¯nt live more than three years.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Hermione hesitated.

    ¡°Do you know Peter Pettigrew?¡± Evan suddenly asked.

    ¡°I do, I checked the data of that year,¡± Hermione looked pale as she tried to remember, ¡°He was the wizard who had been killed by ck, and the Ministry of Magic awarded him the Order of Merlin, First ss. It is said that all what people found of him was his finger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this, you know, Scabbers¡¯ front paws are missing a toe!¡±

    ¡°It may just be a coincidence. It might be that it lost it in a fight with other rats or something of that sort¡­¡±

    As Hermione spoke, her voice lowered. The more they talked, the more it felt suspicious indeed, and the further Scabbers was from an ordinary Rat.

    Since the big ck dog they saw just now was actually Sirius ck, why couldn¡¯t the Rat be Pettigrew?

    ¡°ck told me that he was chasing Peter¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on a minute, Evan!¡± Hermione said quickly. ¡°Why did ck chase Peter twelve years ago? It doesn¡¯t make sense. Since Voldemort had failed at the time, he should¡¯ve¡­¡±

    ¡°ck was not on Voldemort¡¯s side, he never was!¡± exined Evan. ¡°It was Pettigrew who went with Voldemort. He had sold Harry¡¯s parents out to him. ck wanted to avenge them so he chased Peter. .¡±

    Hermione did not speak and was trying to absorb the shocking information.

    ¡°ck was chasing Peter, and Peter was shouting that it¡¯s was ck that had betrayed Harry¡¯s parents. Before Sirius managed to attack him, Pettigrew sted the entire street with a spell, killing everyone within twenty feet of him. He then fled to the gutter where other rats were, and ck was the one caught by the Auror who had arrived.¡±

    ¡°If ck hadn¡¯t betrayed Harry¡¯s parents, why didn¡¯t he exin it to others?¡±

    ¡°Because the Ministry did not give him the opportunity to exin, they sent him to Azkaban without trial. And, ck felt that he had killed Harry¡¯s parents. After killing Peter, he wanted to go there to atone for his sins,¡± said Evan. ¡°Harry¡¯s parents have chosen to use the Fidelius Charm to protect themselves. They wanted to make ck their Secret Keeper. At thest moment, ck suggested that they should make it Peter. You know everything that happened afterwards. That¡¯s why everyone thinks ck is guilty.¡±

    ¡°So, is ck really innocent?¡± Hermione said with doubts.

    ¡°Yes, Sirius ck was Harry¡¯s father¡¯s best friend before his death. He¡¯s Harry¡¯s godfather. He can¡¯t hurt Harry!¡± Evan looked at Hermione. ¡°I know what I said should sound really bizarre, but it is the truth. Will you believe me, Hermione?¡±

    Hermione looked up at Evan and didn¡¯t immediately answer.

    ¡°Hermione?!¡± Evan looked with surprise at Hermione, and her maroon eyes went bright.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me this question again, Evan!¡± Hermione¡¯s voice was as strong as steel. ¡°I¡¯ve just answered it; I¡¯ll always believe you, forever!¡±

    Crookshanks, that had been in Hermione¡¯s arms, yelped and meowed of boredom. The two were standing there talking for so long that they made him impatient.

    In its view, Sirius ck was innocent, and it could not understand why it took Evan so long to convince Hermione.

    Besides, what about the confession? Where did that go?

    Crookshanks waited for so long, yet it didn¡¯t get to see the show. Evan, your confidence, where did it go?!

 Chapter 114: Luciusâ€™ Christmas Gift

    <h4>Chapter 114: Lucius¡¯ Christmas Gift</h4>

    While that was happening, the atmosphere in Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, Ennd, was tense.

    All the House-Elves in the manor were very careful. They looked at the master¡¯s drawing room¡¯s door in horror, and did not dare to make any sound; fearing that it would disturb their master.

    The drawing room is a spacious circr room with a luxurious interior.

    In it, there was luxurious furniture, dark green and silver-white in color. It was beautifully organized around a handsome ornate marble mantelpiece with a gilded mirror which has an intricately scrolled frame on top.

    Just at the ceiling were two precious crystal chandeliers. The floor tiles were covered with gorgeous carpets. The huge bookshelf that surrounded half the room was full of magic books that were out of print. There were a dozen portraits hung next to them. They are all heads of the Malfoy family.

    Beneath the portraits, Lucius Malfoy was looking gloomily at the roating fire in the firece. From the look on his face, it was obvious that he was in a bad mood.

    He just received a letter. The contents of the letter were very simple. The old folks at the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures said that they were returning all of the Galleons he had sent before, which meant they were refusing to support his official demand to kill the Hippogriff.

    It was unbelievable that they actually rejected the demand of the Malfoy family!

    Such a thing used to be unthinkable in the past.

    Lucius had originally thought that the politicians of the Ministry of Magic had always been under his own control, relying on the prestige and financial influence of the Malfoy family, giving him the power to do whatever he wanted.

    Even when the Dark Lord failed 12 years ago, the Malfoy family¡¯s power was not affected at all.

    But now, they are rejected?!

    Lucius had a bitter smile on his face. He wanted to do something but found himself unable to do anything.

    In recent years, the reputation of the Malfoy family was no longer as good as it used to be. And now, his influence is so weak that he cannot even get a Hippogriff killed.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s that damned Dumbledore and those dirty mud-bloods!¡± Lucius said madly.

    In his opinion, this was all schemed by Dumbledore.

    Pure blood families were having a hard time and their status has been deteriorating. On the contrary, Muggle-born mud-bloods are increasingly upying high positions.

    Lucius found himself nostalgic to some of the days of the Dark Lord. Although he himself did not feel much affection for Voldemort, thetter¡¯s idea was what the pure blood families really needed. They were the noblest, those damn mud-bloods and Muggles should naturally be enved by them.

    Lucius took a deep breath. He knew he had to keep calm. Although he thought this way, he could not reveal those dangerous ideas.

    Judging from the current situation, this does not benefit him at all.

    The Malfoy family was able to survive for thousands of years, not relying on a short-term strength, but on unparalleled wisdom.

    But he could do nothing, as he waited for hisint to be rejected!

    Since the beginning of this year, after being driven out of the board of governors of Hogwarts School of Magic, the Malfoy family had no face; if this time, he was to be defeated by the rude Hagrid and two mud-bloods, the Malfoy family would really be aughing stock of everyone.

    If they can¡¯t reflect their own nobleness and status of power, what is the difference between the pure-blooded wizards and those despicable mud-bloods? !

    If a few dumb Mud-bloods can bring the face of the Malfoy family to the ground, then the name Malfoy will soon be as worthless as the pure blood traitor Weasley!

    No, no, he can¡¯t let this happen! What must he do?

    It may be possible to use some hidden power or more Galleons.

    Just as Lucius Malfoy was considering the next move, a beautiful ck long-eared owl suddenly flew in from the window and interrupted his thinking.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Lucius yelled in disgust.

    Did all thezy house- Elves in the manor die? How did the owl fly directly into his drawing room?

    Or do they all want to leave the Malfoy family like that traitor Dobby?

    As soon as he remembered Dobby, Lucius¡¯s anger grew at the thought of the hateful house-elf that dared to betray him and his family.

    Because of that incident, he was mocked by his friends for a whole year.

    Lucius pulled out his wand and he was up to make the reckless owl pay the bloody price.

    Yet, he suddenly stopped.

    He saw a mark on this owl that meant it came from Hogwarts.

    Lucius was a bit curious. Who would write to him?!

    It was definitely not Draco. He has other channels to contact him.

    Nor would it be Severus. Lucius had never seen him use an owl.

    In addition to these two people, Lucius couldn¡¯t really think of anyone who would be in Hogwarts and that would contact him at this time. And he didn¡¯t know what would be in the letter?

    He walked past, took the letter paper on the owl¡¯s foot and unfolded it. The handwriting on it was ugly and sloppy and the words were very rude.

    On the paper was written: ¡°To Lucius Malfoy, my dear old friend, I am going to give you a big gift at Hogwarts for the approaching Christmas. I hope you will be satisfied and I beg you to help me¡­¡±

    Lucius frowned, and he couldn¡¯t remember when he had such an old friend in Hogwarts.

    And what kind of a gift would he prepare for him?!

    He continued reading, and a few secondster, his brow stretched out.

    Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Remus Lupin is actually a Werewolf!

    Looking at the filthy paper in his hand, Lucius¡¯s mouth suddenly showed a cold, contented smile.

    That was really an unexpected Christmas gift. If all this is true, it is big news.

    But this was not enough. If the fact that a tamed werewolf had be a teacher was the only thing making the cover of the Daily Prophet, that could not shake Dumbledore¡¯s reputation,.

    As the greatest white wizard recognized by the wizarding world in modern times, Dumbledore¡¯s status and power are beyond imagination.

    He is more than just a wizarding school¡¯s Headmaster. As an example,st year, the Basilisk attacked students in Hogwarts Castle. After so many attacks, Lucius sessfully persuaded other governors to agree to dismiss Dumbledore.

    Of course, a Werewolf cannot bepared to a Basilisk; he should also add some oil on the fire. That¡¯s the only way that he could make it burn Dumbledore.

    But the most important thing is to write personally to the person that sent him this letter and see what he will do.

    If both things are sessful, then they have good enough odds to get Dumbledore out of Hogwarts.

    Nothing is impossible if he prepares well. Even Dumbledore¡¯s reputation could crumble.

    After all, unlike the Chamber of Secrets¡¯ incident, this one was entirely caused by Dumbledore. Compared to that, what¡¯s the grief of that dumb Hagrid and the death of his stupid Hippogriff? Lucius¡¯s thoughts are nowpletely revolving around the content of this letter.

    Although he didn¡¯t know who the sender was, it didn¡¯t matter.

    All that mattered was the information he gave and what he was willing to do. That¡¯s the most important!

    As for the sender¡¯s request, he could fulfill that with the flick of a finger. He only needs to pay attention to it in time.

    Lucius looked at the wall clock, ten minutes to two in the afternoon.

    Although he was in a hurry, he still had time to ponder for a moment, and make up his mind silently.

    Afterall, despite the importance of this matter, it isn¡¯t in line with the Malfoy family¡¯s values to reveal oneself. He should stay hidden behind the scenes to fan the mes, and let others charge forward.

    ¡°Bobby!¡± he shouted.

    In a sh, a weak house-elf appeared in the room.

    ¡°I¡¯m here, Master,¡± said Bobby in a sharp voice. He looked at Lucius Malfoy in horror, fearing that he was willing to punish him.

    ¡°Go get my robe ready, hurry up; I¡¯m going to see the Minister of Magic.¡± Lucius paused and continued, ¡°And, prepare Galleons, the more the better. Besides Fudge, the appetites of my greedy old friends are not small.¡±

    He hurried to his desk. Before meeting with Fudge, Lucius was ready to write several letters for old friends who hadn¡¯t seen him for a long time. At the same time, he also wanted to tell the news to other pure blood families who were willing to see Dumbledore¡¯s copse.

 Chapter 115: Darkness Falls

    <h4>Chapter 115: Darkness Falls</h4>

    Before the Hogsmeade Owl Post Office, Evan sessfully persuaded Hermione and told her about his ns for tomorrow night.

    It was still too early to return to school. He had nned to take Hermione back to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop and finish what he had started.

    The atmosphere there is very good; perhaps he can also take the opportunity to make his deration.

    But Hermione didn¡¯t give him any more chances, she kept avoiding going to that ce. Whenever Evan mentioned it, she hurriedly opened another topic.

    She was visibly very nervous.

    She felt like there was a rush of boiling blood in her body, burning her, and getting her cheeks to sting in the cold.

    She bit her lip gently; avoiding Evan¡¯s scorching eyes that made her heart throb.

    Things developed in a way that she had never imagined. When she first looked up on Animagus in the library, she had nned to teach Evan a good lesson if he turned out to be that wicked ck cat.

    Now she knows it for a fact. On thest day of the summer vacation, she was not just holding this naughty guy in her arms, she also¡­ in front of him¡­

    Her face blushed and she didn¡¯t know what to do next. What happened in the Tea Shop and in the Post office made her afraid. She feared that Evan would make another move that would make her heart throb again, or maybe confess to her; she had never thought about an answer.

    Although deep down in her heart she had feelings for him, isn¡¯t all of this just too fast?

    Also, how would she go about telling Harry and Ron about the matter? She felt weird and very embarrassed at the thought of this.

    She really liked Evan, but she was not sure whether or not she should enter a rtionship with him so quickly.

    Maybe it would be more fitting to wait a year or two until forth or fifth grade.

    She heard from Angelina and Alicia that girls in Hogwarts usually start having rtionships at that age.

    In short, she couldn¡¯t get with Evan so quickly.

    She took a deep breath, and clenched her fist.

    She took a peek at his eyes and suddenly realized how clueless she was when it came to rtionships.

    If Evan was to ask her to be with him, she didn¡¯t even have a clue how to reject his request.

    Perhaps she should go to the library to look it up in the books that were there, or maybe she should ask Ginny.

    In addition to Evan¡¯s issue, the fact that Peter Pettigrew was Ron¡¯s rat also made her worry.

    Unbelievable, an evil murderer was lurking near them for so long.

    For three whole years, nobody noticed anything!

    From a sensible point of view, Hermione believed that this information should be reported to Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall as soon as possible, to seek their help. This was the wisest choice.

    However, she promised Evan that she would not do that.

    She wasn¡¯t sure that Evan and ck¡¯s n would seed. She had a strong feeling of unease. Maybe things would not go as smoothly as they thought.

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s appearance, Evan, knew what she was worrying about.

    He knew what he had to say to divert her attention and alleviate her nervousness.

    As for the confession, there was no need to hurry, since the mood had been destroyed. He¡¯ll look for opportunitiester.

    ¡°Hermione, aren¡¯t you going to buy Christmas presents? We can go to the store on the other side to take a look¡± said Evan. ¡°By the way, what are you going to give me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret, Evan, and you¡¯ll know when you get it.¡± Hermione was relieved when she saw Evan getting away from the topic of confessing. She looked happy and smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t be buying your gift here, I¡¯ve been preparing it for a long time and I am sure you will be satisfied.¡±

    When she saw Hermione¡¯s look, Evan suddenly panicked. He remembered that he hadn¡¯t thought about giving Hermione anything.

    He had originally intended on sending her a ¡°Spellbook of Practical Spells,¡± but now it seems to be unfitting.

    Since she had to carefully prepare his gift for a long time, it was clearly too shabby to send an ordinary spell book.

    Evan thought, what do girls like? Candy? Plush toys or something cute like that?

    Knowing Hermione, she would love a book. If it¡¯s going to be that, he just needs to find a better one.

    Next, Evan and Hermione wandered through Hogsmeade and bought many things.

    Time went by and night fell early.

    After four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the sky began to dim. The young wizards returned to Hogwarts one after another, and the shops on both sides of the street lit up.

    In the doorway of drags Wizardwear far from the main road, Evan got out of the cloak.

    There was only the two of them in this alley, they didn¡¯t need to worry about him being caught.

    ¡°Evan, it¡¯s about time. We should go back to school.¡± Hermione said satisfied. It was very pleasant to spend the day at Hogsmeade.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m really hungry. I really should go back for dinner.¡± Evan looked up and saw a huge full moon looming in the sky.

    He didn¡¯t know what happened to Harry and Ron, yes, and Professor Lupin. He must be hiding in his own office.

    ¡°See you in the Grand Hall. I¡¯ll go through the secret passage of the Honeydukes¡­¡±

    Evan suddenly stopped as he saw a ragged, fierce looking silhouette of a man appearing in the alley, about ten meters away from him and Hermione.

    He was immediately alert and he felt a dangerous aura from this person.

    Through the dim candlelight in the shop, Evan noticed that the man¡¯s slender limbs were in front of him. His gray hair and beard were knotted together. A torn ck robe was very ufortably tight on his body, and his dirty fingers had long yellow nails.

    He looked extremely excited. He raised his hear and growled.

    His voice was weird, and Evan never heard it before. In addition to that, he could smell the strange odor of that man¡¯s body. He smelled like mud, sweat, and ¡­ and without a doubt, there was also a smell of blood!

    ¡°Delicious little children, what a great pleasure!¡± The man saw Evan and Hermione, and suddenly grinned and showed his sharp teeth.

    Looking at his eyes, Evan saw danger. He and Hermione were his prey. He hurriedly pulled out his wand.

    ¡°Be careful, Hermione!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°What?!¡± Hermione blinked, not responding.

    ¡°This guy looks a bit off, just take out your wand quickly.¡± Evan put Hermione behind him and shouted, waving his wand. ¡°Stupefy!¡±

    A thick red light flew out of his wand, and the other person¡¯s face was still in shock. He did not expect that Evan would attack so quickly.

    The next second, he was knocked up in the air by Evan¡¯s spell and fell to the ground.

    He quickly Rose, evading Evan¡¯s next spell, and a terrible roar in his mouth.

    Seeing the man¡¯s reflexes, Evan¡¯s pupils shrunk. Not only did he not faint when hit with Evan¡¯s Stupefy, he also still had enough strength to avoid his next one.

    Evan was sure that his spell wasn¡¯t weak at all.

    This only means that the man¡¯s body was just too resistant to it.

    Strong beyond imagination, far more than ordinary people, and even beyond the limits of a human being!

 Chapter 116: Fenrir Greyback

    <h4>Chapter 116: Fenrir Greyback</h4>

    ¡°Damn, you dare to attack me. I so want to tear your throats off, they look so tasty! The boy can make for a nice supper, and the girl can be the sweet dessert!¡±

    He raised his filthy hand to wipe the bloodstain off his forehead. He then stuck out his tongue and licked the blood off of the back of his hand, slowly, gently, disgustingly. His face showed that he was still craving more.

    Seeing that, Hermione¡¯s little face turned pale.

    She hurriedly pulled out her wand and approached Evan.

    ¡°Go away, this isn¡¯t where you should be. The Aurors and the Dementors are nearby¡­¡± Evan¡¯s wand was still pointed at his opponent, and its tip emitted a faint glow.

    ¡°Before they rush over, I would be long gone!¡± The man scratched his teeth with his yellow fingernails and smiled grimly. ¡°You two are just too unlucky. I thought it would take me much longer to find my prey. Ever since I received the letter from him, mypanions, those cowards, all went to the Muggle streets. Only I came to Hogsmeade, because I know that a young wizard¡¯s blood is far more mesmerizing than that of a little Muggle.¡±

    Just as he finished his words, a sharp voice was heard. It was that of a man with a ck mask that appeared beside him.

    ¡°Hurry up Greyback! You only have one minute. I took the risk and promised toe all the way here with you just for Galleons, not to listen to your nonsense. Hogwarts is not too far from here and I don¡¯t want to provoke Dumbledore.¡± He looked disdainfully at Evan and Hermione, and said in an anxious, sharp voice. ¡°As for these two, take a bite off each of them, and remember to keep them alive. Along with the Muggles that the others prepared, they should make him satisfied.¡±

    A bite off each of them? That doesn¡¯t sound very pleasant.

    Evan¡¯s body was stiff, and his mind was fully focused. The conversation between the two reminded him of someone. That, along with the man¡¯s appearance made him almost sure of his identity.

    He¡¯s Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf that transformed professor Lupin.

    As everyone knows, he is, perhaps, the most savage werewolf alive today. He regards it as his mission in life to bite and to contaminate as many people as possible.

    He specialises in children¡­ Bite them young, he says, and raise them away from their parents, raise them to hate normal wizards. Thus, they would spread fear and despair themselves. Because of his long-term consumption of human flesh and blood, he always wanted to eat that, even when it wasn¡¯t a full moon.

    Greyback was Voldemort¡¯s most loyal supporter. During the first Wizarding War, he was one of the most deterrent weapons that the Dark Lord had on his side.

    Voldemort assigned him to bite those who did not obey him, and such threats often worked.

    After Voldemort¡¯s fall, Greyback was lucky enough to escape and not be captured in Azkaban. However, because of the Aurors¡¯ pursuit, he also hid himself and rarely made any public appearance. Many wizards had even hoped that he actually died.

    Obviously, their expectations werepletely wrong.

    Evan did not know how Greyback suddenly appeared here in Hogsmeade, and unluckily in his and Hermione¡¯s way.

    First, it was Sirius ck, and now it¡¯s Greyback. This year¡¯s Hogsmeade has been really busy! They are the most dangerous fugitives pursued by the Ministry of Magic. Fudge certainly would send over another 500 Dementors if ever he knew about all of this.

    Moreover, after listening to the man with a ck mask next to Greyback, Evan knew that they were clearly plotting something. Does this have anything to do with Voldemort?!

    Evan looked at Greyback with vignce. Although curious, he knew very well that it was not time to study such a man.

    No matter what they were plotting, the most critical thing now is to protect Hermione.

    ¡°This guy is a werewolf, you go!¡± Evan kept Hermione behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off and you go find a professor to help!¡±

    Hermione shook her head, although her eyes were full of tears, they were also unwavering.

    She did not speak, took her wand and took a step forward, standing in line with Evan, showing her determination to stand by him.

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s determination, Evan sighed as he knew that no matter what he would say, she could never leave him alone and run away. Just as it was impossible for him to abandon Hermione, it was out of question for her as well, there was no other way to do this but for them both to hold their ground.

    ¡°So be it. On the count of three, we attack together!¡± Evan whispered. ¡°Make sure that you protect yourself, and remember that if all goes wrong, you should run.¡±

    Just as Evan finished talking to Hermione, they both heard the man with the ck mask talking anxiously.

    ¡°Hurry up, Greyback. We don¡¯t have time!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, coward!¡± growled Greyback. ¡°Don¡¯t push me around. You just came to help¡­¡±

    Halfway through his words, he stopped talking.

    He saw a red lighting his way, and he hurried to his right to evade Hermione¡¯s spell.

    Just as he wanted to take a breath, Evan¡¯s spell followed.

    He fell to the ground to dodge Evan¡¯s spell, but in vain. He was too careless. Evan¡¯s spell had a tricky pathing. He rolled on the ground, but his right leg was eventually hit.

    Evan knew that Greyback¡¯s body was very resistant to magic. He didn¡¯t use Stupefy. This time, he used Petrificus Totalus

    Under its effect, Greyback¡¯s body turned blue-gray in the blink of an eye, and it became as stiff as a wooden board.

    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Greyback screamed, struggled to stand up, and then quickly fell to the ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you stupid werewolf!¡± The man with the ck mask hurriedly took out his wand. ¡°I must have been out of my mind! I only came with you here for Galleons.¡±

    As he said that, he cast a few spells that were sent towards Evan and Hermione.

    The rays emitted by his wand were all green, like fireflies. Needless to say, they were all curses, and the two hurried to dodge them.

    The masked man took the opportunity to rush over to Greyback wanting to undo the spell.

    But Evan did not give him the chance to do so; he hurriedly cast a spell towards him.

    He evaded it and attacked the two.

    Both sides wereunching spells and it was an all out battle.

    Although he was stronger than Evan and Hermione, the masked man was struggling to deal with them. And with their joined effort, they were both struggling to cope with him.

    After a while, it was impossible to determine who was to win the battle, and the masked man wasn¡¯t getting any chance to undo Evan¡¯s spell.

    Over time, he looked very anxious as the situation became more and more unfavorable to him. He screamed anxiously, and that obviously affected his focus, and his following spells flew over Evan and Hermione.

    Although it was very exhausting, the two of them clung to their teeth. If they persist for a few more minutes, recue should arrive eventually.

    As the battle went on, it seemed that they might actually be able to capture their two enemies.

    Just as Evan thought that the victory was at hand, the situation suddenly turned.

 Chapter 117: Evanâ€™s Fear

    <h4>Chapter 117: Evan¡¯s Fear</h4>

    Seeing that hispanion wasn¡¯t able to get time to undo Evan¡¯s spell, Greyback, who had fallen to the ground, suddenly made a screeching roar. His voice was so loud that it shook the clouds in the sky. A huge full moon appeared from behind them.

    In the moonlight, his body started to change.

    The sturdy shoulders were hunching, and ck hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, and the dirty fingers curled into sharp ws.

    Crookshanks cried uneasily, and its hair was on end.

    Evan and Hermione stopped attacking. They stepped back in horror and couldn¡¯t believe the transformation the man was having.

    No, it was a transformation of a monster.

    Greyback¡¯s chin was lengthening. His sharp fangs came out, and his ck hair grew denser and denser, making him look like a true wolf.

    He rose up from the ground as if he was not hit by a Full-Body bind curse.

    Greyback¡¯s resistance to magic is stronger than that of ordinary wizards. Now that he is transformed into a werewolf, his physical functions have reached a new level. With just brute strength, he was almost immune to allmon low-level spells.

    His odor became heavier and heavier. Through the gray dirty hair on Greyback¡¯s face, Evan saw a pair of yellow crazy eyes. The smell of sweat and blood was over a hundred times more pronounced.

    In the cold wind, vapor came through Fenrir¡¯s throat.

    He raised his dark paws and his neck, and howled to the full moon in the sky. That was followed by a burst of hoarse roars.

    ¡°Oh my..¡± Hermione gasped, looking in horror at the werewolf in front of her.

    ¡°Run, Hermione!¡± yelled Evan. ¡°Run quickly, right now!¡±

    Without hesitation, he grabbed Hermione¡¯s little hand and turned to run.

    If he was alone, Evan might have tried to stay and fight Greyback.

    But he couldn¡¯t take the risk of endangering Hermione¡¯s life. If he didn¡¯t go with her, Hermione, being the girl she was, would¡¯ve not left him alone.

    Faced with Greyback, who was transformed into a werewolf, Evan did not have any chance of winning.

    What¡¯s more, besides him, there was another dark wizard who was no weakling.

    In his situation, escaping is the most sensible choice.

    ¡°Enough, idiot! Shut up! Do you want to bring all the Aurors and the Dementors?!¡± the man with the ck mask snapped. ¡°Hurry up and bite them, the two young wizards are fleeing. Go!¡±

    Hearing his partner¡¯s words, Greyback made once again a harsh horrific roar, and he rushed out at a terrific speed.

    Evan could hear the sound of his enemy¡¯s ws getting closer, and he and Hermione struggled to make their way through the snow.

    The two leaned over each other, gasping heavily, and trying to bring out all the power they still had. But still, they were getting slower and slower.

    ¡°Damn, damn it!¡± Evan turned, gathering all the magical power of his body in the tip of his wand. He waved it and sent out a silvery light.

    This was the most powerful spell he could think of under all that pressure. It was magic that he learned from Tom Riddle during thest semester.

    It was a curse simr to Sectumsempra, but much more powerful than that.

    As a bolt of lightning crossing the dark sky, the silver arrow- like spell flew over to Greyback with a dazzling light. Thetter faced it head on running through. He had lost his mind in that state. Besides the urge to kill, he felt no emotions, not even pain.

    Evan¡¯s spell passed across his body, going from his chest to his shoulders and drawing a long wound.

    Greyback took a step back, and his skin was split open as if cut by an invisible sword. A lot of blood gushed out.

    Evan had a glimmer of joy in his heart, but it was extinguished once again.

    Greyback was damaged, but that was useless. Before he knew it, his wound healed in the blink of an eye, leaving only a red scar behind. The wound¡¯s pungent smell of blood further irritated Greyback, who picked up speed.

    Evan remembered the description of werewolves that he read in the book ¡°The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection¡± written by Quentin Trimble. It was known that werewolves have a strong physique: fast, powerful and explosive. Their attack power is far beyond that of ordinary people. But the thing they had that was most horrible and despair inducing was their amazing vitality. Wound created by ordinary spells and weapons were usually healed within no more of two seconds when it came to werewolves.

    ¡°No, no, we can¡¯t both run off like this.¡± Evan turned and shouted at Hermione. ¡°I¡¯ll hold him back, run, RUN!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going Evan, I¡¯m not!¡± tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrobly. ¡°I¡¯m staying to help you. There must be something we can do! Let me think, I know for sure, it was on Professor Snape¡¯s paper ¡°Identification and Killing Methods of Werewolves¡± I know¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, Hermione!¡±

    Looking at Greyback who was closing in, Evan had a sense of powerlessness and fear that he never had before. Whether it was when facing young Voldemort, the Basilisk, or the Dementors, Evan never panicked like now.

    It¡¯s wasn¡¯t fear for his own safety. It was induced by Hermione¡¯s presence by his side.

    Evan felt heartbroken. He had never despised his weakness as much as now. He hated that he could not protect Hermione, he could not protect his precious lover.

    In the past, he had far exceeded the level of all young wizards of his age. He had read thousands of magic books and mastered dozens of ck magic spells and even had theoretical knowledge of taboo magic. These seemingly powerful things were a joke in front of true power.

    Evan originally thought he was fearless. Even when faced with the most evil ck wizard, even when facing Voldemort, he could be calm, but now, looking at the werewolf rushing at him, he felt Hermione trembling behind, and he got scared for the first time.

    He was afraid of what woulde after his falling. He could not imagine it.

    If Hermione was bitten by Greyback, she would be a werewolf herself.

    If that happens, her only option would be to avoid society just like professor Lupin, avoiding the mainstream, living on the edge of the magic world, relying on stealing and killing to get food, and enduring the blind discrimination of this world. All of that, she would have to face it on her own, wandering on the streets alone.

    At the thought of such an image, Evan felt a great pain.

    No, he can never let this happen, no way!

    ¡°Evan, let¡¯s go to that shop in there!¡± Hermione¡¯s screams interrupted Evan¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Rescue shoulde soon. Let¡¯s go to that ce. There must be a way to stop him.¡±

    Looking at where she was pointing, Evan saw a shop with an open door at the end of the alley. The ce was empty and the staff inside had escaped more than ten seconds ago.

    ¡°Yes, Hermione, let¡¯s go there!¡± Evan decided.

    He blocked Greyback¡¯s way with a Cursed Barrier, pulling Hermione forwards and rushing to the door of the shop.

    He let Hermione and Crookshanks advance, then closed the shop¡¯s door and waved his wand to lock it.

    He turned quickly and resolutely looked at Greyback.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t that strong, even if he was far weaker than a werewolf, the thought that Hermione was behind him, and the responsibility upon his shoulder fired courage in his heart. He had no more fear.

    Since we must fight, let¡¯s fight!

 Chapter 118: Battle with the Werewolf

    <h4>Chapter 118: Battle with the Werewolf</h4>

    Hermione rushed into the shop, and it was empty.

    The room was very dark, and Crookshanks jumped to the counter between two thin candles burning half-half. Their light was dim in the dark room.

    Next to the candles, there was a cup of coffee that was still steaming hot. The chair in front of the counter was on its back, and a few newspapers were scattered on the ground. That all told, without words, about the haste of the owner¡¯s departure.

    ¡°Come in, Evan!¡± Hermione quickly looked around, trying to find something that would help them resist the werewolf. She said anxiously, ¡°Professors wille soon, we must keep on¡­¡±

    She hadn¡¯t finished her words when she heard a loud bang behind her.

    She hurried back and saw that Evan didn¡¯t follow her in. He actually closed the door behind her.

    Hermione was taken aback and immediately understood Evan¡¯s purpose behind this: He wanted to protect her. He wanted to stop the werewolf outside on his own!

    ¡°No, no!¡± Hermione¡¯s eyes widened suddenly, and she hurried to the door, pushing it in panick.

    The store door was not budging as it was locked by Evan from the outside.

    ¡°Alohomora!¡± Hermione gasped violently, she had fear in her heart that she never felt before. She was worried about Evan¡¯s safety.

    To her, the monster outside was almost invincible.

    With Evan staying outside, it won¡¯t take the beast too long before he kills him, she could not let that happen. She franticly hit the lock with her wand.

    With a click, the door lock was opened.

    Hermione used all her power to push it outwards, but it was useless. Although the door was unlocked, Evan blocked it with his own body and she could not make it budge.

    Outside the shop, Evan used his thin body to build thest line of defense between the werewolf and his lover.

    ¡°Come in, Evan!¡± Hermione kept on shedding tears, she copsed and fell to the floor. She shouted with a horrible voice. ¡°Please,e in! Come! You can¡¯t deal with that monster alone. You will be killed.¡±

    Outside the shop, Evan¡¯s back was against the door.

    He heard a sore, horrified voice from Hermione. His heart was almost stopping beating. He could feel her hitting the door behind him and wanting to save him

    ¡°No, No, don¡¯t let her out!

    ¡°This is too dangerous for her, you must protect her.¡±

    Hermione was right, if they can hold Greyback off for enough time, the professors who got the news will eventuallye over.

    But before that, he cannot let this monster approach her.

    This is his responsibility, his duty as a man.

    Evan might not be able to exin his actions. All he knew was that when you like someone so much, you must protect them in times of danger.

    He took a deep breath and made up his mind.

    From now on, this battle was his, alone.

    Even if he was shredded by Greyback, even if he became a werewolf, he would never, absolutely never let him pass.

    Here is his battlefield. Behind this door is hisst line.

    Evan held his wand steadily at the approaching werewolf. The light at its tip became brighter and brighter. He waved his wand and cast several spells.

    Before the silvery lights shot from Evan¡¯s wand, Greyback did not flicker, and his mouth made a terrible growl. He was hit by a spell, he flew backwards, and then he rose up from the ground rushing over with an even faster pace.

    Turning into a werewolf has caused Greyback to lose all his senses.

    He is now just a monster who knows nothing but biting and killing; he does not seem to feel any pain.

    Evan¡¯s curse left a scar on Greyback. Just like before, it did not stop him.

    Instead, it further infuriated him.

    He was getting closer, and under the moonlight, Evan was even starting to be able to see his own reflection in the beast¡¯s big yellow crazy eyes.

    Greyback rushed over at a terrific speed, and Evan sent another spell that hit him, making him bleed.

    By now, he had so blood all over his body that not a single one of his scars could be seen. Yet after being hit by Evan¡¯s spell, he was getting braver and more and more crazy.

    This is what werewolves are like. When in their human form, they, like ordinary wizards, canmunicate with others in a normal way. Many of them are as gentle and rational as Professor Lupin.

    But after transforming, they be the most dangerous magical creatures in the magic world.

    In Newt-Scamander¡¯s ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, werewolves are right at the top when ites to how dangerous they are. Their danger level isparable to some other magical creatures such as fire dragons, basilisks, centaurs, quintapeds, chimaeras, and so on¡­

    A werewolf can handle dozens of adult wizards at a time. As their leader, Greyback is the most brutal and fiercest of them. It should be impossible for such a young wizard of the age of Evan to handle him.

    The masked wizard on the other hand had stopped attacking. He stood there with his wand and it seemed like he was waiting there to see Evan being shattered by Greyback.

    Evan leaned back against the shop breathing heavily, behind him was Hermione crying.

    She was still pushing the door, never giving up, and yelling Evan¡¯s name even after her voice went hoarse.

    In front of them, Greyback was approaching steadily.

    Evan stopped his attacks. With his levels of magical power, if he continued to use such spells to attack Greyback, he would be only wasting whatever he had left in him.

    He looked as if he had given uppletely, but the light at the tip of his wand was getting brighter and brighter.

    Evan¡¯s eyes were still locking Greyback, as all his magical power was being gathered on his wand.

    Since ordinary spells have limited damage on werewolves, he thought of resorting to ck magic.

    As long as it could protect Hermione, Evan would not hesitate to use the evilest, most taboo spells he could find. He was watching the werewolf getting closer and closer, and he knew he had no way out.

    In the biting wind, the bloody monster Greyback rushed over to Evan.

    He waved his ws wanting to shred the boy in front of him.

    He wanted to tear the boy¡¯s throat open. He couldn¡¯t wait to taste his blood.

    Looking at Greyback getting closer, Evan was motionless. He could smell the pungent odor of blooding his way. All his body shuddered, but his right hand holding his wand was as steady as rock. He was ready to use a dark magic that he had not yet fully mastered, which would consume all his remaining power. He had one chance to do it, and failure meant death.

    He must wait for the opportunity; Greyback must get close enough to him!

    Doing this is tantamount to gambling his own life. It was either ripping the werewolf apart, or being torn up himself.

    For Hermione¡¯s sake, Evan will not retreat. He saw Greyback¡¯s deformed, sharp fangs closing in on his neck.

    Just then, he jerked his wand up and pointed at the werewolf¡¯s head, emitting a deep blue light.

 Chapter 119: Hermioneâ€™s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 119: Hermione¡¯s Decision</h4>

    Evan¡¯s wand emitted a blue light, dark blue like the sea!

    Greyback, who was about to chomp Evan¡¯s neck, suddenly froze. The horrible wolf¡¯s face, in addition to the madness, revealed a look of fear for the first time. He felt the threat of death from Evan¡¯s curse.

    He retreated. Although he was in his transformation, without any glimpse of reason, but instinct told him that he should not be hit by that spell.

    He wanted to run away, but he was too close to Evan. Even with the speed given to him by his transformation, he couldn¡¯t evade.

    Just then, the deep blue light hit him.

    Greyback uttered an unprecedented sigh of grief. On his face, the area hit by the spell quickly eroded at a blink of an eye, and the erosion out-paced his healing.

    Evan¡¯s spell was a corrosive curse!

    As one of the deepest and evilest Dark Magic curses, even a tough body of a werewolf can¡¯tpletely stop its damage.

    Last semester, Tom Riddle controlled Ron to use this magic against Evan which ate through the hard marble floor of the auditorium.

    The image was still vivid in Evan¡¯s memory.

    After that, he used Professor Lockhart¡¯s approval to borrow the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±, which contained the corrosion spell, and borrowed it from the library¡¯s restricted section. He studied the spell deeply and carefully.

    With the help of Tom Riddle, Evan fully grasped the curse.

    Although this was the first time he used it, and although the magical power he had remaining was insufficient, and although his heart was not evil, in order to protect Hermione, Evan broke through his potential. He bit his teeth as released the curse that urately hit Greyback.

    After releasing this spell, Evan felt that his magical power was quickly depleted.

    Sweat flowed down his cheek like pearls falling down from a broken ne.

    He was hit by an overwhelming feeling of fatigue and weakness. Because of magical overdraft, Evan¡¯s face turned pale, and it looked that he would faint at anytime.

    But he tried to focus and stay awake.

    In front of him, Greyback screamed backwards. The wolf¡¯s head was bloody and he kept terrifyingly screaming and squeaking.

    Evan gasped, leaning heavily on the shop¡¯s door behind him, and giving Greyback a cold look. He held his wand tightly in his right hand, afraid to lose his vignce.

    If it was an ordinary person who was hit by this spell, he should¡¯ve been already dead.

    But the man in front of him was a werewolf, the most powerful werewolf. Evan knew that if the damage he dealt wasn¡¯t absolutely fatal, Greyback should eventually survive.

    Evan didn¡¯t expect that he could kill Greyback. It was too unrealistic. He only hoped that this spell would gain enough time for himself and Hermione.

    As long as they could wait for rescue toe, this battle is his victory.

    Evan tried hard to make himself look like he still had more energy. But in fact, he now had no strength at all, his legs were quivering constantly, and almost all the magical power in his body was lost. If Greyback was to rush over again, Evan would certainly fall.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, stupid werewolf!¡± the dark wizard, masked in ck who had been standing there to watch the show from the back, screamed. ¡°You¡¯re a long-haired bluff who could be defeated by an underage wizard.¡±

    He waved his wand and rushed over to Greyback, treating him with a spell, and Greyback¡¯s screaming stopped.

    Evan wanted to stop him. He raised his wand to use Stupefy.

    What used to be easy to perform, was now an unbearable burden to him.

    A red light flew from across the road and hit Evan.

    He felt his body¡¯s muscles starting to be stiff, and all his remaining strength suddenly disappeared.

    The wand, which had been held by Evan in his hand, fell to the ground and rolled aside.

    His body also fell backwards. Surprisingly, he felt no pain at all. The ground was so soft,fortable and warm.

    No, that is not the ground!

    Evan immediately realized that he was in Hermione¡¯s arms.

    He didn¡¯t know when she ran out of the store. She was holding him, repeating his name. Besides the redness of her swollen tearful eyes, he couldn¡¯t see half the color of her little panicked face.

    I¡¯m fine, Hermione!¡± Evan said difficultly. ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡±

    Hermione whimpered, tears falling across her cheeks towards Evan¡¯s face.

    She seemed to have a thousand words to say, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. Images from the time that she spent with the boy in front of her, kept rolling through her mind.

    At the moment when Evan closed the shop¡¯s door, Hermione thought she lost him forever.

    She held Evan tightly in her arms and dared not to let go of him. She feared she would lose him if her arms were ever loosened.

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s sad face, Evan wanted to reach out and wipe off her tears, but he didn¡¯t have enough strength for that, he didn¡¯t have strength to breathe. He could only lie quietly in Hermione¡¯s warm arms.

    Her tears flowed across her cheeks to fall into his mouth. They were salty, but to him they were so sweet.

    If there wasn¡¯t a dark wizard and a werewolf in range, Evan would¡¯ve been at his happiest.

    ¡°Get up and bite them, hurry up!¡± In front of them, the anxious man with the ck mask began to urge, ¡°We have wasted too much time. We must get out of here fast.¡±

    Greyback roared and rushed back at them again.

    Because of the corrosion curse, the flesh on his face was all exposed.

    That, along with his reckless madness and ferocious nature, made him look more horrible than he ever was!

    ¡°Go, Hermione, leave me alone!¡± Evan shouted anxiously.

    ¡°I won¡¯t leave. So far, you¡¯ve been protecting me. Now it¡¯s my turn!¡± Hermione made up her mind and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Evan!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t do something stupid. You¡¯re no opponent for that guy!¡± Evan had an ominous hunch hearing Hermione¡¯s words.

    He struggled to stand up, but he had no strength.

    But then, his eyes widened as he saw Hermione standing in front of him. She held her wand against the approaching Greyback. Her face was full of panic, but her eyes were so determined. She was ready to block the werewolf with her feeble body.

    Hermione knew that she was no opponent of Greyback, but there was only one thought going across her head, and that was giving her all to protect Evan!

    ¡°No!¡± Evan wanted to stop her.

    To Greyback¡¯s strong body, hers was like that of a rag doll. Evan could not imagine what was going to happen next.

 Chapter 120: Werewolf vs. Dog

    <h4>Chapter 120: Werewolf vs. Dog</h4>

    Just when both were in despair, thinking that everything wasing to an end, Evan saw a ck dog, huge like a bear, emerging suddenly from the side alley.

    It was Sirius ck who swung fiercely on the werewolf¡¯s body from the side.

    The two men rolled over to the side of the snow. ck caught the werewolf¡¯s neck and pulled it back, keeping him away from Evan and Hermione.

    Greyback was madly wing and trying to tear up the big ck dog.

    The werewolf and the dog tangled together, their jaws against each-other¡¯s chins, and their ws ripping each other¡¯s skin.

    The other three stood aside and werepletely overwhelmed by the spectacle. If Evan¡¯s orthodox magic fight against Greyback was impressive, then how about ck¡¯s full-out physical encounter with the werewolf?

    The two beat each other in the most primitive of ways, biting each other¡¯s flesh till the point of bleeding.

    ¡°Stupid, leave the dog, and go bite the two young wizards.¡± The dark wizard shouted.

    He waved his wand and was ready to separate the werewolf from the big dog on top of him.

    But he stopped immediately as he saw a huge figure far beyond the ordinary man rushing in his direction from the alleyway.

    It was Hagrid, who shouted the names of Evan and Hermione.

    The Dark Wizard shot a stunning spell at Hagrid. Just like it was with Greyback, it shook him slightly, and he yelled.

    ¡°Damn, damn!¡± The Dark Wizard screamed, as he got ready to use ¡°Avada Kedavra¡±.

    Before he could do it, a few red lights came from behind Hagrid, and he had to bow down to avoid the spells.

    Evan struggled to raise his head and he saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and the two Aurors from the Ministry of Magic following behind Hagrid.

    It was rescue. He and Hermione were saved.

    Evan finally was able to settle down. He really got tired and exhausted today, and he had nothing left in him.

    It didn¡¯t take him long to see nothing but dark.

    ¡°Enough, that¡¯s enough! I will never cooperate with a werewolf again, NEVER!¡± The ck masked man got up from the ground. He rushed towards Sirius ck and Greyback, rudely, waving his wand.

    They were separated and ck wanted to rush back but failed.

    The dark wizard immediately grasped his wolf manpanion and it looked as if they were turned into a phantom as they vanished.

    ck blinked, his body was bruised, and he groaned back, looking at Evan and Hermione. Then he disappeared into the dark corner of the street.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    When Evan regained his consciousness, he realized he had returned to the school hospital. His limbs were like lead, and his eyes were too heavy to lift.

    He forced himself to open his eyes and found himself lying in afortable bed. He could see Madam Pomfrey at one end of the ward, giving him her back and leaning over the edge of the bed.

    Evan moved his head on the pillow. Hermione wasying on the bed on his right. The moonlight shined over her head with her eyes open.

    She seemed terrified, and when she saw that Evan woke up, her face was relieved.

    Seeing that Evan wanted to speak, Hermione hurriedly put a finger on her lips, and then pointed to the side door of the school hospital. The door was half open, and Evan heard the voice of the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge from the outside hallway passing through the door.

    ¡°This is so shocking and rming. The werewolf Fenrir Greyback appeared in Hogsmeade. And he actually attacked two students. It was a miracle that neither of these two children died!¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, Mason¡¯s child is very strong. He resisted the monster for a while, if it wasn¡¯t for that¡­¡± That was Professor McGonagall¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Yeah, Minerva, thanks to Evan!¡± Fudge agreed uneasily. ¡°Who would have thought that this would happen? When the attack happened, we were actually sitting in the Three Broomsticks Inn nearby.¡± If it was a graver incident, I can hardly imagine what the Daily Prophet would say tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°The Ministry has already been in a mess because of Sirius ck¡¯s jailbreak, and here¡¯s Fenrir Greybacking to add fuel to the fire. Both of them are the most dangerous wanted criminals at the moment.¡± Fudge sighed. ¡°And the Dementors, I just saw them. They demanded reinforcements and an increase in their numbers.¡±

    ¡°You will not approve their demand, right Fudge? There are already 200 of these monsters lurking outside Hogwarts. This is not Azkaban. Those horrible creatures are floating everywhere. How are we supposed to teach?!¡± Professor McGonagall said sharply, ¡°Albus will not agree with this matter.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Professor Flitwick, screaming. ¡°I think we can¡¯t just keep increasing the number of Dementors. They haven¡¯t been of any effect except for spreading fear. They¡¯re not doing anything. Not the capture of Sirius ck, not stopping Greyback. Two months ago, they even tried to get into the school.¡±

    ¡°Just like you, I don¡¯t like them either. But with the current situation, it¡¯s very difficult for me to not approve. Like we did after the Basilisk¡¯s attack during thest semester, the Ministry of Magic must take action to preserve the safety of young wizards who attend school in Hogwarts.¡± Fudge twisted his body. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dumbledore about this and he will agree.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about in this matter. I¡¯ve told you about my position concerning this, Cornelius.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice came in. He had just arrived at the school hospital. ¡°Do you remember the conversation we talked before the beginning of the semester? Two hundred Dementors is the limit of what I can ept.¡±

    When he heard Dumbledore¡¯s words, Fudge smiled and he remembered the conversation.

    More precisely, it was more like a tradeoff. He agreed to support Dumbledore in hiring a werewolf to be a professor at Hogwarts, while Dumbledore supported his decision to bring the Dementors around the school to help the Ministry of Magic seize Sirius ck as soon as possible.

    Looking at Dumbledore¡¯s calm face, Fudge was embarrassed. There was a strange feeling in his heart. Even if he was the Minister of Magic, the man he was facing was the greatest white Wizard in the world today. He had nothing to do but ept his choices.

    It felt really bad, but Fudge had to admit that he needed Dumbledore¡¯s support.

    With Dumbledore¡¯s prestige, if he had to rece him with anyone else, he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be an easy task!

 Chapter 121: Luciusâ€™ Plot

    <h4>Chapter 121: Lucius¡¯ Plot</h4>

    For a while, no one spoke, the corridor was very quiet, and Evan thought they had already left.

    Then, he heard a sound again. It was Hagrid¡¯s resonant, loud cry.

    ¡°Keep it down, Hagrid, you will wake up the two children inside¡± Professor McGonagall said sternly. ¡°I know you are worried about them, but can you please calm down for a moment? It¡¯s been an hour since we came back from Hogsmeade, and you¡¯re still crying!¡±

    Hagrid wiped his tears with hisrge handkerchief and tried to calm himself down. His sad cry was repressed into a moan, sounding even more ufortable.

    Evan moved a bit, and Madam Pomfrey walked towards him from the end of the dark ward. He turned to look at her.

    She took thergest piece of chocte he had ever seen. It looked more like a small boulder.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake!¡± said Madam Pomfrey, vividly, putting the piece of chocte on the table bedside Evan and starting to crack it with a small hammer.

    ¡°I have something to say to the Headmaster.¡± Evan sat up in his bed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s best for you. Both of you are absolutely exhausted, both physically and magically. You¡¯d better lie in bed and wait until I think you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°No, this is very important.¡± Evan remembered the ominous dialogue between Greyback and his ck Maskedpanion. It was obvious that they were nning on doing something really bad.

    Evan jumped out of bed, as did Hermione. Madam Pomfrey wanted to stop them, but their voices had already reached those who were in the hallway, Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Hagrid. All five immediately walked into the ward.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, how are you now?¡± Hagrid rushed in anxiously, hugging both of them tightly, with tears of sadness falling on his tangled beard. He sobbed and said, ¡°It was all my fault, I drank too much and it took me a while to react after I heard the werewolf howl.¡±

    ¡°We are all the same, Hagrid!¡± said Professor McGonagall. ¡°We¡¯re all responsible for this matter. We should have responded more quickly.¡±

    ¡°Who would have thought that in Hogsmeade, this kind of thing would happen on Christmas Eve? But now that we are here, you will not be bothered. You two better lie back.¡± Fudge turned to Pomfrey, Asking her ¡°Did they eat chocte?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Minister, I have something to say.¡± Evan looked at Dumbledore and hurriedly said, ¡°Those who attacked me and Hermione, they seem to be plotting something. They mentioned werewolves and Muggles¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Hermione hurriedly nodded. ¡°There seems to be a gathering of werewolves, and they are going to attack Muggles.¡±

    ¡°Kids, you must have heard it wrong.¡± Fudge¡¯s expression changed when he heard Evan and Hermione, and he looked uneasy at both of them. ¡°It must be that attack that made your brains confused, both of you. Greyback, that horrible monster, must have terrified you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid, and I¡¯m not confused!¡± Evan said irritably. Fudge¡¯s indolent attitude bothered him so much.

    He could feel that all the Minister wanted was peace of mind.

    If it was true that there were werewolves that are plotting to attack Muggles, such a thing would surely bring panic to the entire magic world. It was much more serious than ck¡¯s Jailbreak.

    After all, ck was only one person, but werewolves were by the hundreds.

    If what Evan and Hermione said actually were to happen, it would drive the angry crowds to submerge the Ministry withints. Fudge probably would end up losing his seat. This was certainly not something that he wanted to see.

    ¡°Kids, I know what you have endured¡± His lips moved up with difficulty to show a grudging smile. ¡°What you need to do now is to stay in bed and rest until tomorrow morning. Then your minds will get back to being cle¡­¡±

    ¡°My head¡¯s very clear now, and I know what I¡¯m talking about!¡± Evan said loudly,¡± Minister, the attack is far from over. Someone had nned for all of this from behind the scenes. Only Greyback came to Hogsmeade, and the other werewolves were¡­¡±

    He did not finish his words when Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed his mouth with arge piece of chocte.

    He was stunned and she seized this opportunity to force him back to bed.

    ¡°Gentlemen!¡± said Madam Pomfrey with exasperation. ¡°I must insist that you should leave. These two children are my patients. You shouldn¡¯t bother them!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not upset. I¡¯ll tell them what happened.¡± Evan desperately forced therge chunk of chocte down his throat.

    ¡°Professors, what Evan said is true. I also heard the werewolf saying these things.¡± Hermione followed quickly.

    ¡°For God¡¯s sake, you should hurry to lie back!¡± Madam Pomfrey turned and looked at Dumbledore and said hysterically. ¡°Headmaster, please leave at once. These children need care. Is this the right ce for this? In the hospital? I must insist¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Poppy, but I think it¡¯s necessary for Mr. Mason and Miss Granger to continue.¡± Dumbledore said calmly, carefully staring at Evan through his pair of semi-circr sses. ¡°Cornelius, I think the information they gave is very valuable, and that Fenrir Greyback¡¯s actions tonight were very suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, Albus, since you think so, then I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    Fudge¡¯s words were not finished yet, and the ward¡¯s door was opened. Snape, who was in a ck robe, and Lucius Malfoy, who also wrapped his body tightly in a ck travel cloak, came in. Both men¡¯s faces were gloomy.

    ¡°Good evening, gentlemen!¡± Lucius¡¯ face had a cold smile.

    ¡°Malfoy, what are you doing here?!¡± Hagrid stood up and looked up at Lucius with his big, hairy head. He shouted angrily. ¡°Get out and leave Hogwarts. You are not wee here!¡±

    ¡°My dear friend, please believe me. If it wasn¡¯t an emergency, I wouldn¡¯t havee here. I am not too happy to be here either.¡± Lucius looked at Hagrid disdainfully, smirking and saying, ¡°And please be careful about your use of words. Three months ago, the Hippogriff, which you bred, attacked my son in your ss. I had reason¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, dear Lucius! That thing has been taken care of by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. They will give you a statement in due time.¡± Fudge¡¯s hand wiped the sweat off of his forehead and he didn¡¯t want Malfoy to continue talking.

    Thanks to the intervention of Newt Scamander and his association, the public opinion around the incident had been putting a lot of pressure on him, and there was no needplicate the matter anymore than that.

    ¡°Of course, Minister!¡± Lucius¡¯ eyes nced at Dumbledore, and then swiftly turned back to Fudge. ¡°That little mishap is not a big matter. In fact, I have more urgent things. I learned from the ministry that you were here and I asked Severus to bring me in. I hope that I¡¯m not disturbing anything. Dumbledore, you don¡¯t mind that I hadn¡¯t notified you of my arrival, do you? ¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Hogwarts is always open for people with goodwill. Come at anytime you like.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice sounded very polite, but sparks of anger could be seen in his blue eyes.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. I just heard from Severus that an unfortunate attack had happened in Hogsmeade. Two students were attacked by a werewolf that had suddenly appeared.¡± Lucius¡¯ clod gray eyes blinked as he looked at Evan and Hermione.

    Evan immediately understood that he was the one who had nned for all this.

 Chapter 122: Werewolf Riot

    <h4>Chapter 122: Werewolf Riot</h4>

    Evan suddenly realized that the one who was paying Greyback and hispanion was none other than Lucius Malfoy.

    As a former Death Eater, Lucius surely knew those guys, and only he had enough money to summon them.

    The question now is, what does he want to do?

    Evan couldn¡¯t see how this could ever be good for the Malfoy family. If it was ever discovered that he was the puppeteer behind the scenes, Lucius would be in great trouble.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong, there must be something I don¡¯t know about.¡±

    He hurriedly looked at Dumbledore beside him, who looked calm. Evan couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking.

    ¡°Those things really happened, but what does this have to do with you?¡± Dumbledore¡¯s blue eyes kept staring at Lucius.

    ¡°It has nothing to do with me, but it has a lot to do with this unpleasant news that I¡¯m bringing.¡± Malfoy said with a plummy ent. ¡°It¡¯s so terrible. You may not have realized what happened.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Fudge asked subconsciously. He twisted his body and felt a little uneasy.

    ¡°A werewolf riot!¡± Lucius said slowly, and his tone was too calm for the words he was saying. ¡°While Hogsmeade was being attacked by that werewolf, there were many other attacks in Muggle cities. On this unfortunate full-moon night, the werewolves spontaneously gathered and attacked the Muggles. urate numbers of casualties were yet to be determined, but before I came, it was said that over thirty people had been bitten. The injured Muggles had been rushed to the St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Fudge¡¯s eyes widened and his face turned pale. ¡°You are kidding, Lucius, how could there be werewolf attacks? No one has told me of this thing until now!¡± ¡±

    ¡°These are my personal sources of intelligence, Minister!¡± Lucius said with a wink and continued, ¡°My sources are very reliable. I don¡¯t think it will take long before the Ministry reports details to you.¡±

    ¡°This is not possible. All werewolves are under the control of the Werewolf Registry. They cannot be¡­¡±

    Fudge stopped suddenly. Just an hour ago, under his nose, a werewolf attack had urred.

    When Evan and Hermione mentioned this matter, he thought that it was just the rambling of two children, and was instinctively unwilling to believe that this would ever happen.

    But now that Lucius Malfoy had also reported this to him, what Evan and Hermione were talking about was no longer just a conspiracy, the attack actually happened!

    And it wasn¡¯t just one or two isted attacks, it was a full out riot!

    Fudge wished that someone would pop up telling him that this is just April Fools. He looked back at Lucius just to make sure that he was not kidding, but that fantasy of him was instantly shattered.

    Whether he wants to believe it or not! There has been a massive werewolf attack indeed!

    The ward was quiet and the mood was terrible. No one spoke. They were shocked with terrible news brought by Lucius Malfoy.

    Evan was lying in bed with thoughts running through his head.

    He analyzed the whole situation with what information he had. Lucius Malfoy has summoned these werewolves tounch arge-scale attack on Muggles. How does this benefit him?

    Obviously, Lucius¡¯ biggest goal is to drive Dumbledore away from Hogwarts. How would triggering a werewolf riot help him with that?

    Hold on one second! Werewolves? Hogwarts? Professor Lupin is a werewolf!

    He then thought that Lucius shouldn¡¯t know about Professor Lupin¡¯s secret.

    However, Evan can never know that for sure. After all, there were many who knew that Professor Lupin was a werewolf. When employing him, Dumbledore told the other professors about the matter, and also told Cornelius Fudge, in order to get the consent of the Ministry of Magic.

    Even if they did not trust Lupin, he did not take part in the attacks on Muggles.

    In fact, he did not harm anyone. He was safe. This makes Lucius¡¯s actionpletely meaningless.

    If he was to reveal the identity of Professor Lupin to the masses after such attacks, the most that he would be able to get with that was driving him away from the school. This wouldn¡¯t imply Dumbledore in anyway.

    Unless! If he can find a way to prove that Professor Lupin also participated in this riot, he would¡­

    Evan looked at Lucius. He had a smug smile on his face. Yet, Snape¡¯s face beside him was gloomy.

    Just as Evan was about to say something, arge gray owl suddenly flew in through the window. It was a messenger of the Ministry of Magic. It went straight to Fudge.

    He hurriedly took the letter out from the owl¡¯s mouth. He took the envelope apart and read it carefully. His face showed well just how bad it was.

    ¡°Dear Lucius, what you said has been verified. There really was a massive werewolf riot.¡± Fudge¡¯s voice was not loud, but it rang through the quiet room. He turned and looked at Dumbledore, saying in panic ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Albus! I must get back to the Ministry as soon as possible to deal with this unexpected incident. If you can, I hope you would¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished his words when he was interrupted.

    The ward¡¯s door was opened again. And this time, it was Percy who went through it. He hurried in looking scared.

    ¡°Professor! Professor!¡± Percy gasped and looked anxiously at Dumbledore. He was so agitated that his voice trembled. ¡°You have to see this Professor! A Werewolf has appeared in the castle. It is attacking students!¡±

    Hearing his words, everyone held their breath as they looked at Percy in astonishment. The mood in the ward went extremely heavy.

    Evan noticed that Lucius¡¯s face had an expression of triumph just for a second.

    Snape, who was standing aside, actually looked a little surprised. But then his face went back to its disturbing state again.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    One hour before these events, Harry was sitting alone in the Great Hall.

    He didn¡¯t know where Ron went, and they hadn¡¯t seen each other in the afternoon. As for Evan and Hermione, he heard Fred and George say they went to Hogsmeade. He didn¡¯t know what went wrong to make them be sote.

    Before that, Colin and Ginny came in to invite him to sit along with them, but he refused.

    He just wanted to be alone, he was so confused. All he wanted to think about was what Professor Lupin told him in the morning about his parents. He couldn¡¯t even remember how he got from Lupin¡¯s office to the Gryffindor Common room, and how he then reached the Great Hall.

    He only knew that he was out of tune with the cheerful atmosphere around him. Besides him, everyone around were happily discussing the arrangements for Christmas holidays.

    Harry was indifferent to all of that. Even when the news reached him from Hufflepuff¡¯s table that Evan and Hermione were dating, it didn¡¯t faze him at all.

    He stared nkly at the te in front of him, and all he thought of was his parents and Sirius ck.

 Chapter 123: Hard Time

    <h4>Chapter 123: Hard Time</h4>

    For the first time, Harry knew that ck actually used to be his father¡¯s best friend back when he was alive.

    Before now, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr. Weasley, Cornelius Fudge¡­ none of them had ever mentioned the fact that Harry¡¯s parents had died because their best friend had betrayed them.

    Harry felt most angry thinking that his parents probably did not believe until they died that it was actually their best friend who betrayed them.

    He tried to imagine their feeling. If Evan, Ron or Hermione ever sold him out to Voldemort, that would be the saddest way to die.

    He felt distressed and broken, and wondered if his father felt the same before he died.

    He spent the rest of the afternoon in his empty bedroom. He found the photo album Hagrid had given him two years ago, which was full of wizard pictures of his mother and father. He sat down on his bed, drew the hangings around him, and started turning the pages, searching, until¡­

    He stopped on a picture of his parents¡¯ wedding day. There was his father waving up at him, beaming, the untidy ck hair Harry had inherited standing up in all directions. There was his mother, alight with happiness, arm in arm with his dad. And there¡­ that must be him. Their best man¡­ Harry had never given him a thought before.

    If he hadn¡¯t known it was the same person, he would never have guessed it was ck in this old photograph. His face wasn¡¯t sunken and waxy, but handsome, full ofughter.

    Harry couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had been already working for Voldemort when this picture had been taken? Was he already nning the deaths of the two people next to him? Did he realize he was facing twelve years in Azkaban, twelve years that would make him unrecognizable?

    But those Dementors didn¡¯t affect him. Harry tried to carve the handsome smile on the photo in his mind.

    Immediately afterwards, he flipped the page. He saw a photo of his father¡¯s graduation. Four people appeared on it.

    In addition to his father, a young Professor Lupin, and ck who still had that smile on his face, there was a small, fat, cowardly-looking boy hiding behind them. He looked a little like Neville Longbottom.

    He should be Peter Pettigrew, the wizard who had been killed by ck.

    Professor Lupin told him that after his father¡¯s death, only Peter Pettigrew went after ck everywhere. He wanted to avenge his parents, but he was no opponent of Sirius. He paid the price with his life. After killing Harry¡¯s parents, he followed by Killing peter.

    ¡°Filthy, stinkin¡¯ turncoat!¡± Harry clenched his fist.

    A hatred such as he had never known before was coursing through Harry like poison. He could see ckughing at him through the darkness, as though somebody had pasted the picture from the album over his eyes.

    He watched, as though somebody was ying him a piece of film, Sirius ck sting Peter Pettigrew into a thousand pieces. He could hear a low, excited mutter. ¡°It has happened, My Lord¡­ the Potters have made me their Secret-Keeper¡± and then came another voice,ughing shrilly!

    It was when the Dementors drew near, when he first heard that voice, Voldemort¡¯sughter!

    Harry knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to find Sirius ck. He wanted to avenge Peter Pettigrew and his parents.

    Although Professor Lupin repeatedly warned him not to look for ck, and he promised him not to; but when he thought of ck¡¯s impunity, the idea of sitting there doing nothing almost made him sick.

    Harry secretly made his decision at that moment. But then, he suddenly heard a loud noiseing from outside the Great Hall.

    In a few moments, people ran in pale.

    They were all students who had just returned from Hogsmeade. They went in one by one, with their faces devoid of the usual Joy that apanies returning from there. The expression on their faces made it clear that something terrible had happened.

    Harry felt his heart in his throat. Could this be that Sirius ck had appeared in Hogsmeade?!

    He saw Neville panting in front of him with a flustered face, a nting big scarf around his neck, a few bags of Honeydukes¡¯ candies in his hand, and even his cloak which he had not found time to take off. Harry hurriedly held him by the shoulders.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Harry asked eagerly.

    ¡°It was a werewolf!¡± Neville gasped, trembling and saying, ¡°There was a werewolf in Hogsmeade, and it attacked Evan and Hermione.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry¡¯s heart sunk to his stomach. Evan and Hermione faced a werewolf? He could not imagine what happened next.

    ¡°How are they?¡± Harry looked into Neville¡¯s eyes. ¡°Did anything happen to them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Harry!¡± Neville was almost out of breath. ¡°I was in the hall just now and saw the professors running with both of them to the school hospital. Hermione kept crying, but she looked fine. But Evan was unconscious in Hagrid¡¯s arms. His robe was stained with blood.¡±

    Hearing Neville¡¯s words, Harry felt cold all over his body.

    He didn¡¯t have time to think about ck anymore. He should go to the school¡¯s Hospital to check on Evan.

    ¡°Although Evan is very powerful, it is impossible for an underage wizard to defeat a werewolf. I hope his injuries aren¡¯t too bad.¡±

    As soon as Harry stood up, he saw Hagrid¡¯s huge figure bursting into the Great Hall.

    Hagrid¡¯s face was full of tears. Ever since he received the letter from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, telling him Buckbeak might be executed, Evan never saw Hagrid be so sad.

    He shouted his name and tried to reach him to ask about Evan and Hermione. But in vain, the entire Hall was so messy. Everyone was talking loudly about the werewolf attack in Hogsmeade.

    Hagrid stormed to the Professors table and talked to Dumbledore who quickly got up and walked down. Everyone looked at him and hoped that he would have a few words that exin the current situation.

    But he didn¡¯t. Dumbledore just whispered a few words to Percy while he passed by his side. He then followed Hagrid and hurriedly left the Great Hall. It looked like he was heading towards the school¡¯s hospital.

    ¡°Silence!¡± When Dumbledore and Hagrid left, Percy shouted at once. ¡°As Head Boy of the student body, I can assure everyone¡¯s safety. Please believe me; no monster can enter the castle.¡±

    No one listened to him, and the chaos continued.

    Everyone suddenly noticed that there was not a teacher in the Great Hall tonight and the Headmaster had just followed Hagrid. Professor sprout went back home early to take care of some familial problems. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Snape and Lupin all weren¡¯t there. It was as if they had agreed on this in advance. They all disappeared.

    Without teachers maintaining order, the noisy arguments in the Great Hall were louder than ever. Percy could do nothing to control the scene.

    However, a few minutes after that, something happened. It immediately calmed them down, and everyone was silent.

 Chapter 124: Anomalous Slytherin

    <h4>Chapter 124: Anomalous Slytherin</h4>

    It was the owls that calmed down the young wizards. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred owls streamed into the Great Hall, and circled over it hooting.

    It was just like the daily morning owl shower, but even more spectacr.

    In fact, it was dinner time. How could there be so many people writing at such a time? Furthermore, the day after was the first day of the Christmas Holiday. Almost all the young wizards were going back to their homes. No matter how they looked at it, there were no letters or parcels to be sent to them at this time.

    This was really abnormal. Harry looked at the owls distracted.

    The werewolf attack on Evan and Hermione, the professors¡¯ disappearance, and the sudden emergence of over a hundred owls, it all made him get an ominous feeling, as if something bad was about to go down.

    Harry wanted to know what news these owls had brought, but there was no letter for him.

    Fred and George stood on the table, waving their wands. They tried to catch an owl, but Percy hurried to stop them.

    The owls huddled together, all flying towards Slytherin¡¯s long table. They all had envelopes in their mouths, and they raced to be the first to deliver their letters.

    The other three Houses quietly looked at them. All of them extended their necks hoping to get some clues from the expressions on the Slytherins¡¯ faces.

    Harry saw that Malfoy received his envelope as if he got a great honor.

    He smirked at the envelope in his hand and sarcastically scorned his face. Harry clenched his fist as he saw Malfoy reading the letter in his hand. At first, he looked terrified. But then, a malicious smile appeared on his pale face.

    Harry didn¡¯t just focus on Malfoy; he also looked around him to see the other Slytherin students¡¯ reactions.

    Several of the senior students nodded and they were all children of some of the most powerful pureblood families. Among them was Marcus flint, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, and its ss leader.

    He stood up from his seat, and that gave the signal to all Slytherin students to do the same.

    None of them spoke; all of them kept quiet and looked fearful.

    Under the horrified eyes of the other three Houses¡¯ students, they started walking out in an organized manner. Everyone¡¯s demeanor was both intense and exciting.

    Everyone wanted to ask them about what exactly happened, but no one actually dared to do so.

    Percy looked pale as if he wanted to stop the Slytherin students. He moved forward slightly but eventually didn¡¯t take any action.

    It all looked really abnormal. Seeing how the Slytherin students started leaving one after another, the Great Hall burst with the buzzing of the murmuring students. The mood was bing more tense, and everyone had that kind of feeling which one has before a storm.

    By now, even the dumbest of students could feel that something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°Malfoy, what are you trying to do? What kind of plot are you making this time?¡± Harry stood up and shouted at Malfoy, who was about to leave the Great Hall.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why, but he was extremely angry.

    The truth about his parents¡¯ death, the fact that they were betrayed by their best friend, the fear for Evan and Hermione who were attacked by the werewolf, and the repression and difort brought by the Slytherins¡¯ abnormal behavior were all converged to make him furious.

    He looked at Malfoy angrily and wanted to pounce on him.

    The Slytherin students who were on the move stopped when they heard Harry¡¯s voice. All of them held their breaths and looked back and forth between Harry and Malfoy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know, Potter?!¡± Malfoy said quietly, and his mouthughed maliciously. ¡°That¡¯s pitiful. It seems that you are not qualified to know this news.¡±

    ¡°Keep talking, Malfoy, and I¡¯ll give you a real news!¡± Harry growled loudly and pulled out his wand against Malfoy.

    Gryffindor and Slytherin students all pulled their wands out. Ravenw and Hufflepuff students who were familiar with the scene leaned back to give them more space.

    ¡°Stop, that is enough!¡± Percy walked to the center of the Great Hall. The badge of the Head Boy on his chest glowed under the candlelight. He said to the Slytherin students, ¡°Quickly, get your wands down or I¡¯ll start taking points away!¡±

    ¡°Say that to someone who cares, Weasley!¡± Malfoy looked sarcastically at Percy who was standing in the middle of the crowd.

    ¡°Five points from Slytherin. I don¡¯t like your attitude Malfoy. You need to show the Head Boy of the student body more respect!¡± Percy looked extremely indignant. His ears were red. ¡°Now, hurry back to your table before I deduct another 5 points!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve all finished eating, and you still want us to stay here, Head Boy?!¡± Malfoy sneered. He looked past Percy at Potter and said provocatively. ¡°Want to know what we¡¯re about to do Potter? Come along then. But you ought to be mentally prepared, or you won¡¯t be able to stand it!¡±

    As he finished his words, he followed the rest of the Slytherin students out of the Great Hall.

    Harry hurriedly went through the crowd to catch up with Malfoy. The other students all looked at each other and then followed them out of the Great Hall.

    Everyone was curious: What do the Slytherins really want to do?

    They walked out of the Great Hall, passed through the empty Entrance Hall lit with torches. They then climbed the stairs, reaching a long dark corridor where no sound was heard except for that of their footsteps that fell on the floor simultaneously by the hundreds.

    Slytherin students took everyone to the third floor and Harry did not understand why they were there.

    He nced at the girl¡¯s bathroom at the end of the corridor, which was the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

    Do they know the secret? Even if they did, it would bepletely irrelevant. He had already killed the Basilisk himself during thest semester. Even though it was a weapon left by Szar Slytherin himself to his heir, Harry knew that there was no use for a dead Basilisk.

    But what shocked him was that he saw that they weren¡¯t heading there. Instead, they all walked straight to the door of Professor Lupin¡¯s office and stopped. Their faces all looked focus and tense.

    They pulled out their wands again and carefully faced the door as if there were monsters inside.

    Seeing what they were doing, Harry was even more confused.

    What kind of game are the hateful Slytherins ying? Does professor Lupin have a Troll or something like that in his office?

    He still remembered that the Professor told him in the morning that he had something to do and that he had to leave Hogwarts. He shouldn¡¯t be there at all! All the students were just staring at an empty room!

 Chapter 125: Tears of the Werewolf

    <h4>Chapter 125: Tears of the Werewolf</h4>

    Harry had enough; he didn¡¯t want to y with Malfoy anymore.

    He was ready to go to the school Hospital to look for Evan and Hermione to check out on their injuries.

    ¡°By the way, I have to find Ron; I haven¡¯t seen him since we split up in the morning.¡±

    Ron certainly doesn¡¯t know that Evan and Hermione were attacked by a werewolf. Harry thought he should deliver the news to him, and they could all discuss the matter of Sirius ck together.

    Yet, he stopped in his tracks when he heard a miserable hoarse cry for helping out of Professor Lupin¡¯s office.

    It really sounded like Ron¡¯s voice!

    Why would Ron be in Professor Lupin¡¯s Office? And why would he ask for help?

    Harry had no time to think about such things, and he rushed over to the door.

    But Malfoy was faster than him. He was already standing in front of the door. He gently waved his wand and it opened.

    Almost instantaneously, crowds rushed into the office. The decoration inside was very in and shabby; with few ornaments. The most eye-catching thing was a veryrge tank of water that stood in the corner. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the ss.

    It was a Grindylow, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

    In front of the tank, Ron stood pale, his hands clenching his wand in front of him, his body trembling and his face filled with horror and anxiety.

    He looked back and saw Harry rushing in and he immediately copsed to the ground.

    Harry saw Ron¡¯s mouth wide open, as if he was making a silent cry. His eyes were popping out. He seemed to be calling his name.

    ¡°What happened, Ron?!¡± Harry rushed forward, anxiously asking, ¡°What are doing you here?!¡±

    Harry stopped talking, and turned to where Ron was looking, where he saw a suffocating creature shrunk under Professor Lupin¡¯s desk staring back at him with its yellow eyes.

    The creature had its hands over its head, and it curled up under the table. Its body simr to that of a normal human, but it was covered in long dark grey hair. It was his head that was horrible. It was a wolf¡¯s head.

    It was a werewolf. Harry hurriedly pulled out his wand as fear rushed through his heart.

    Evan and Hermione had just been attacked by a werewolf in Hogsmeade; and now there is a werewolf breaking into Hogwarts Castle. Is it also here to attack the young wizards?

    But underneath the table, that creature wasn¡¯t going for any drastic actions, nor was he attempting to use his sharp fangs and ws to carve the young bodies of the students. He just curled up looking at Harry incapable, with pain all over his face.

    Harry was surprised to see the tears flowing out of the werewolf¡¯s eyes. As he looked at them, he suddenly felt that his gaze was really familiar.

    Harry felt that those eyes weren¡¯t fitting of such a creature. He had a feeling the werewolf who was in tears in front of him was none other than Professor Lupin.

    How could this be possible? How in the world could Professor Lupin be a werewolf?

    Something must have gone wrong. Perhaps it was a failed experiment; perhaps it was a spell that backfired turning him into this.

    Otherwise, how could he exin that the beast in front of him has not rushed to shred him to pieces just yet?

    Harry felt it necessary tomunicate with him. At the very least, from what it looks like here, this werewolf ispletely different from the legend. It didn¡¯t seem to be dangerous at all.

    ¡°Professor Lupin?¡± Said harry softly. He said it so quietly the even he couldn¡¯t hear himself, as if only his lips were moving.

    The werewolf further curled underneath his desk and nodded. His tearful eyes were full of pain.

    ¡°Good god!¡± Harry¡¯s eyes went wide open. His guess was correct, the werewolf was Lupin indeed.

    But now, he was no longer afraid, and warmth got back to his body. He put his wand down and approached him. He must help him.

    But before he reached him, he heard Malfoy yelling behind him. ¡°Look at what we found, a werewolf that broke into the castle!¡±

    Malfoy closed in and looked at Professor Lupin curling up under his desk, and then immediately ran back to his fellow Slytherins. It seemed like not a drop of blood was running through his pale face. However, his mouth was showing an unprecedented malicious smile.

    Harry looked furiously at Malfoy who was pretending to be surprised.

    He and the other Slytherin students must have known all about this in advance; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have taken everyone straight to Professor Lupin¡¯s office.

    It was an obvious conspiracy. Perhaps, it was them who made him into this.

    Harry wanted to exin to everyone that the werewolf in front of them was Professor Lupin, and that he wasn¡¯t dangerous.

    But it was of no use. Hearing Malfoy¡¯s cry everyone gasped as they took a step back.

    The mood was dreadful and everyone thought of the attack that just urred in Hogsmeade. There are too victims lying already in the school¡¯s hospital, and rumor has it that the 2nd grader named Evan Mason was Killed by the werewolf.

    Now, a werewolf actually got into the castle and was right in front of them.

    Is he here to attack them? That¡¯s just too horrible. Panic spread amongst them gradually. After all, werewolves used to be more like mythical creatures. But now, they have been appearing one after another. And furthermore, whoever is bitten by one of them will be a werewolf himself.

    No one dared to approach the table. Only Harry and Ron were still there.

    Harry turned and saw Percy running out of the crowd. So he wanted to ask him to keep any more people from seeing Professor Lupin¡¯s current appearance.

    He could tell from the Professor¡¯s eyes that it hurt him.

    Harry thought about persuading everyone to understand that there wasn¡¯t a werewolf under there, and that it was just professor Lupin. But there was no time for him to do that; Ron, who was besides him, suddenly whispered: ¡°Diffindo!¡±

    At once, his wand emitted a dazzling red light!

    ¡°No, Ron!¡± Harry shouted loudly. But Ron¡¯s curse went over him to hit the poor Lupin was curled up underneath the table.

    No, it actually missed him!

    The red light did not hit Professor Lupin; it actually hit his table instead!

    Bang! It flew backwards, and Professor Lupin who had been hiding underneath it appeared as a werewolf to everyone.

    ¡°Look!¡± Seeing Professor Lupin¡¯s appearance, all the young wizards held their breaths as they took one more step back.

 Chapter 126: Covered Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 126: Covered Conspiracy</h4>

    Professor Lupin, who had been holding his head huddled, arose painfully and stood there alone and miserable.

    His eyes wandered between all of them, to finallynd on Harry again.

    He seemed to be looking for a ce to hide, but Ron took the opportunity to cast another spell. Professor Lupin howled measurably and avoided his attack.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing, Ron?!¡± Harry shouted angrily. ¡°Stop attacking. He is Professor Lupin. He is not dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Get away from this monster, Harry!¡± Ron said, coldly. ¡°He¡¯s a werewolf. He¡¯ll hurt everyone. I¡¯m saving you!¡±

    ¡°No, he won¡¯t. He is Professor Lupin. He is safe. Hurry¡­¡±

    Harry wanted to stop him, but Ron didn¡¯t seem to be listening to him.

    The light on his wand¡¯s tip grew stronger and stronger, and without any sign of hesitation, he cast another spell.

    Never had never seen Ron¡¯s spells be so strong.

    Is that really Ron? Everything is really abnormal today!

    If Slytherin students were given an early warning and knew that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, why would Ron also appear here?!

    This all looks just like a well scripted y that had been prepared well in advance; and all it needed was the audience¡¯s presence to give the show its cue.

    Harry couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on, from Evan and Hermione being attacked by a werewolf in Hogsmeade, then Dumbledore¡¯s departure, the owl rain in the Great Hall, and now Professor Lupin transforming to a werewolf, and Ron appearing in his office. All this was just too abnormal.

    It was as if an invisible was constructed by itself, which overwhelmed Harry. He could sniff the existence of a strong conspiracy.

    He shook his head and tried to sober himself up. Regardless of what was hidden behind the scenes, he must first stop what was happening in front of him.

    However, the scene gradually began to get out of control. Under Ron¡¯s leadership, all Slytherin students began to cast spells on Professor Lupin.

    Dozens of lights went his way at the same time. He was hit and flew away.

    He crashed into the back wall andnded heavily on the ground, covered in blood. He shook his head and stood up again. The wounds recovered in the blink of an eye. Prof. Lupin raised his neck with a miserable, horrifying roar.

    The whole office was a mess, and there were incantations, shouts, screams, cries in every direction.

    Some were retreating, and others were moving forwards. More and more students were pulling out their wands to attack the werewolf.

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Harry shouted, trying to stop them, but the scene was too chaotic.

    He saw Ron attacking Professor Lupin again. He hurriedly waved his wand and shouted, ¡°Protego!¡±

    Harry stopped Ron¡¯s spell and he wanted to protect Professor Lupin. But there were too many spells going Remus¡¯s way. His shield couldn¡¯t absorb them all. Not to mention the magic level of many senior students was much stronger than his, so the shield broke instantly.

    Prof. Lupin moaned, waving his ws with anger and sending a terrible growl to the young wizards.

    ¡°Stop the attack. Stop it. He¡¯s not a werewolf. He¡¯s Professor Lupin!¡± Harry was powerlessly shouting.

    As soon as stopped yelling, he saw a curseing his way!

    It was Malfoy¡¯s. He was looking at him maliciously. He took this opportunity to attack him.

    Just as the curse was about to hit Harry, the horrifying werewolf behind him jumped up and blocked the spell for him.

    Harry knew that Professor Lupin was saving him, but in the others¡¯ eyes, this picture looked more like that of a murderous werewolf rushing over to Harry.

    ¡°You monster, get away from Harry!¡±

    Harry heard Ginny¡¯s cry, and he looked over Professor Lupin¡¯s shoulders and saw Ginny shouting at him and Ron, her eyes reddened with tears.

    At the sound of Ginny¡¯s voice, Prof. Lupin clearly shivered.

    But when he saw the curse that was getting closer and closer to Harry, he resolutely rushed over and he wanted to protect him from being hurt.

    Lupin covered Harry with his body. Because of the terrible appearance of the werewolf, that was misunderstood by everyone.

    Previously hesitant, Gryffindor, Ravenw and Hufflepuff students who did not take action initially pulled out their wands and joined the battle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯m okay. He is protecting me¡­¡± Harry shouted miserably.

    Next to Lupin and Harry, Ron¡¯s spell attacked once again, disregarding the fact that Harry was in Professor Lupin¡¯s arms.

    Or maybe, like Malfoy, he was targeting Harry.

    Seeing the red lighting, Lupin hurriedly protected his students!

    Ron¡¯s spell flew past his friend¡¯s cheeks, hitting Professor Lupin right in the head.

    Lupin growled, his voice filled with pain, and blood ran down his forehead.

    Although he turned into a werewolf, due to the Wolfsbane Potion, Lupin also kept his human mind. With the strength brought to him by his transformation, it was easy for him to counterattack.

    But he can¡¯t do this; these children in front of him are his students.

    Lupin did not know how the boy named Ron Weasley knew his identity as a werewolf. Ten minutes earlier, he suddenly rushed into his office and held his wand at him. He didn¡¯t say anything, just stood there and seemed to be scared.

    Just as Lupin was ready to take action, footsteps came from outside the door. Ron, who had not acted, suddenly shouted for help, obviously he had done nothing.

    More and more students came in and he hurried to hide under the table.

    But this was useless. Lupin did not understand what was going on. Maybe he should leave the ce first. He must have frightened this group of children.

    Just as Lupin hesitated, another round of spells flew over.

    As the students of Gryffindor, Ravenw and Hufflepuff also joined in the attack, this wave that over hundreds of curses.

    Even with the mighty vitality and physique of the werewolf, he should not be able resist so many attacks. If hit by these spells, Lupin would die.

    Looking at the approaching spells, Lupin wanted to hide. But he immediately gave up on that idea. If he turns away now, Harry who was in his arms would be hit by these spells. It was almost impossible to escape.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m going to die here. My only regret is that I could personally catch Sirius ck for James, Lily, and Peter Pettigrew. Fortunately, I told Harry the truth this morning. This child is simr to his father, James. He will seize ck on my behalf.¡±

 Chapter 127: I Believe in Him

    <h4>Chapter 127: I Believe in Him</h4>

    Harry¡¯s eyes looked over Professor Lupin¡¯s shoulders. He saw hundreds of spells flying at the same time toward him. It looked spectacr.

    As the spells drew closer, Harry stared in horror and looked pale.

    Before this, he had never faced so many curses.

    He was very scared, but as he saw Professor Lupin standing in front of him gazing at him gently and calmly, courage suddenly rose from within his heart. The oppressive feeling of fear brought by the hundreds of spells faded. Harry suddenly realized that he had to remind Professor Lupin to dodge.

    ¡°Get out of the way, Professor, hurry up!¡± Harry screamed miserably and his tears flowed uncontrobly.

    When he heard Harry¡¯s cries, Lupin remained stationary. He turned his head back to see the curses that were getting closer.

    His body trembled slightly, and he opened his mouth as if to say something to Harry.

    But being transformed into a werewolf, Lupin lost his ability to speak. At this time, he could only made a strange voice.

    Lupin took a final look at Harry, and closed his eyes epting his fate. The face was full of pain.

    The hundreds of spells were getting closer, the intense light was bing more and more dazzling, almost blinding Harry.

    Just when he felt desperate, arge dark blue shield appeared before them to stop the spells from hitting them.

    All the spells were instantly blocked and bursts of disturbances appeared on the shield.

    It was Dumbledore¡¯s magic. Lupin and Harry hurriedly opened their eyes. They saw Dumbledoreing in through the crowd. Behind him were the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Hagrid, Evan and Hermione.

    All the young wizards stopped their attacks and they crowded together to let Dumbledore pass.

    Evan stood in the middle of the crowd and looked at the poor Professor Lupin, and at Harry who was pale under him, and Ron who was sitting in the corner.

    ¡°God!¡± Professor McGonagall covered her mouth with her hand and could not believe what she was looking at.

    Professor Fudge and Professor Flitwick could not help but shout. It looked as if they could faint at any moment.

    Hagrid looked at Harry and Ron with concern to see if they were injured.

    Only Dumbledore, Snape, and Lucius were still calm. Dumbledore¡¯s face didn¡¯t show a slight ripple, and nobody could guess what he was thinking.

    Snape¡¯s face was cold with a grin and he looked at the werewolf form of Lupin. Lucius had a cold, satisfied smirk. He looked back and forth between Dumbledore and Lupin and it really looked like he has nned for all of this to happen.

    Evan felt Hermione¡¯s cold hand gripping his arm and her body trembling slightly. He turned his head to give her a reassuring look.

    But Hermione still looked worried. She had just experienced Greyback¡¯s attack at Hogsmeade and the terror that the werewolf brought was still fresh in her memory.

    Although she had long known that Professor Lupin was a werewolf, she had never thought that she would see him in his beast form.

    And there were Harry and Ron, who were pale next to him. They all had wands in their hands. Was it that Professor Lupin was attacking them? Have they been harmed?!

    Immediately afterwards, Hermione noticed Ginny crying in the crowd.

    She hurriedly let go of Evan¡¯s arm and went over tofort her quietly.

    ¡°A werewolf¡¯s attack inside castle is not surprising at all. I knew from the first day of the semester that this kind of thing would happen.¡± Snape said softly, with a sarcastic sneer on his face. ¡°I remember that I specially warned you about this matter. Do you still remember Headmaster?¡±

    That was Halloween¡¯s eve, Snape did said that to Dumbledore, and Evan still remembers Dumbledore¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Of course, Severus!¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°If you live to my age, you will know that anything in this world may happen. But with this kind of incident, I¡¯m confident in your potion¡¯s efficiency. And Remus is taking the Wolfsbane potion that you¡¯ve prepared on time.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, he is nowpletely harmless, a tame werewolf.¡± Judging from Snape¡¯s expression, he didn¡¯t really want to say that.

    ¡°Good!¡± Dumbledore nodded quickly and turned to Harry and Ron in the middle of the crowd. ¡°Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, I hope you kids can exin it to me. What¡¯s going on??¡±

    ¡°Professor, we¡­¡± said Harry eagerly.

    Before he finished his words, he heard Ron pointing to Professor Lupin and saying in a dull, monotonous voice. ¡°This monster was attacking us. He wanted to bite me and Harry.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense, he didn¡¯t do it. He¡¯s¡­¡± Harry looked at Ron indignantly. He didn¡¯t understand why he said so.

    But his voice was once again interrupted, and this time it was Lucius Malfoy.

    ¡°A shocking allegation, I never thought before that a Hogwarts professor would actually be a werewolf!¡± Lucius said in an arrogant voice. ¡°Also attacking his own students in a full moon night?! I am worried about the safety of this school. We must act immediately, Minister!!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Fudge moaned. His finally stopped staring in shock at Lupin¡¯s werewolf form, as if he was just awakened. He said worriedly, ¡°You¡¯re right, Lucius, I can¡¯t I believe this. The Ministry of Magic must¡­¡±

    ¡°Cornelius, we must be careful before we make a decision. There must be a misunderstanding about this this evening.¡± Dumbledore looked calmly at Fudge. ¡°I hired Remus to teach the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss. I specifically talked to you about this before the semester began.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you did talk to me, Albus!¡± Fudge wriggled nervously. He took a handkerchief and wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°But no one thought that a werewolf riot would happen. Isn¡¯t it? Not that I don¡¯t believe you, but in the current situation, I think it¡¯s best for security reasons before we can clearly prove that Lupin is absolutely safe¡­¡±

    ¡°I can prove it!¡± Harry shouted, ¡°I can prove he is safe.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Potter, you don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Snape said disgustedly.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor!¡± Evan hurried out, ¡°I think Harry is right. I also believe that this werewolf is safe. He ispletely different from the werewolf we met at Hogsmeade. I believe in him!¡±

 Chapter 128: Warmth of Trust

    <h4>Chapter 128: Warmth of Trust</h4>

    ¡°I believe he is safe. He could not attack anyone!¡±

    Evan¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was heard clearly by everyone in the silent office.

    Everyone turned their heads and looked at Evan in surprise. He instantly became the focus of all the students and Professors in the school. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Evan walked through the crowd, and all the young wizards opened the way for him.

    ¡°Evan!¡± Harry shouted in surprise.

    Evan nodded and went to stand beside him. His eyes looked across the faces of the crowd, and all their expressions were different.

    Hearing what he said just now, most of the young wizards were both amazed and puzzled. They did not know why Evan would say so; and Snape, Lucius, and the Slytherin students were gloomy, and their faces were full of malice and disgust.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that everyone already knows¡­¡± Evan took a deep breath and said slowly. ¡°This werewolf in front of you is Professor Lupin!¡±

    His words came like a huge stone thrown into a calmke, sshing a lot of water. There was a hugemotion in the crowd.

    Since they¡¯ve entered this office, everyone had an ominous hunch about this. And then when they heard the confusing discussion between Dumbledore, Fudge, Snape and Lucius, they all became almost sure of it. But it was one thing to guess, and a whole other thing to hear it clearly being confirmed by Evan.

    Deep down in their young hearts, they just could not believe, nor would they believe, that the kind and friendly Professor Lupin could actually be an evil and cruel werewolf.

    It took a moment until they gradually all went quiet.

    Almost everyone held their breath and looked at Evan, waiting for him to carry on.

    ¡°And also, I¡¯m sure that everyone knows that Hermione and I had just faced a werewolf in Hogsmeade that had attacked us.¡± Evan¡¯s voice was steady, and he raised it gradually, ¡°Perhaps now you think that Professor Lupin was going to attack everyone, but let me tell that Prof. Lupin is nothing like the werewolf that we¡¯ve met. He¡¯s not dangerous, and he wasn¡¯t going to attack anyone this evening. He has been taking the Wolfsbane Potion a week ago, and that helps him keep enough soberness and reason when bing a werewolf.¡±

    The young Wizards had just heard Dumbledore¡¯s dialogue with Snape and knew that Professor Lupin had taken the Wolfsbane potion. The vast majority of them didn¡¯t know about the effect of such a medicine, and they understood it well when hearing Evan¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°The Wolfsbane potion can guarantee his safety. Although he is a horrifying werewolf now, his heart is indeed that of Professor Lupin whom we are familiar with. He cannot¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Mr. Mason! As a Potioneer, I have a few words to say.¡± Snape squinted at Evan with a sneer at the corner of his mouth, and said, ¡°I have to remind you that the Wolfsbane potion only allows the werewolves to be sensible, but it doesn¡¯t guarantee that they will not bite people! In fact, after taking the potion, a werewolf like the one before you may be more dangerous. Because he gets to keep his mind, he bes more cunning and difficult to deal with than an average werewolf.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Professor Snape!¡± Evan turned and continued, ¡°What you¡¯ve said is absolutely correct, and there may be many people who, just like you, would think that Prof. Lupin is not trust worthy just because he¡¯s a werewolf! Yes, he is one indeed, but that is no reason to fear him and discriminate against him! Let¡¯s just think about it! Think about his usual behavior, and the way he treats everyone. Do you still think that he would hurt others??!¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, many of the young wizards bowed their heads and pondered.

    They remembered how professor Lupin treated them. He was the best one that they¡¯ve ever seen at the position of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. His ss has always been interesting. He patiently responded to all questions, and did his best to teach them how to face dark creatures, even with doctrines that are not found inmon textbooks.

    Remembering such a professor, almost everyone stopped believing that he might hurt them.

    However, the buzzing of controversy continued. After all, although they¡¯ve all remembered Professor Lupin¡¯s behavior, many of them were repulsed as they saw his horrifying werewolf form.

    Evan understood what Lucius was going for, so he knew that he had to strike while the iron was hot and take immediate actions to prove that Professor Lupin is nothing like Greyback.

    He wasn¡¯t dangerous, and he wasn¡¯t about to attack anyone.

    So under everybody¡¯s eyes, he went on and reached out to touch professor Lupin.

    He extended his right hand to him, and several girls screamed in the crowd.

    All the young wizards looked at him nervously and held their breath as if he was to be killed by the horrible werewolf at any moment.

    Lupin trembled softly and let Evan touch him.

    Completely different from normal people¡¯s soft skin, a werewolf¡¯s skin is unusually hard, and the long hair on it pricks the hand and is a bit difficult to grip, which makes people feel ufortable.

    The strange feel at his fingertips and the terrifying wolf head in proximity of him made Evan feel a bit nervous. He felt the hot breath of the beast on his face. But his right hand was able to go beyond the horrifying looks of the werewolf to touch the heart of the man inside.

    He could feel that Remus was even more nervous than him.

    Then, without thinking about it, Evan opened his arms and tightly embraced Professor Lupin.

    Hugged by Evan, Lupin¡¯s body jerked.

    Tears flowed out of his eyes. He never expected that Evan would do such a thing. For the 1st time in over 12 years, he felt this level of trust once again.

    For a werewolf loitering on the edge of society, trust is probably the most precious thing in the world.

    Suddenly he saw Sirius ck in Evan. At that time when his true identity was discovered by his friends for the first time at Hogwarts, he was equally nervous and terrified. He feared that the three of them would tell others, and he was afraid of being driven out of school.

    Like Evan, Sirius ck hugged him at the time.

    Faced by Evan¡¯s hug, Lupin did not know what to do. He was like a child. He saw Dumbledore, who stood not far away nodding smilingly at him, just as he did at that time, when he insisted on epting him in the school.

    Tears flowed down Lupin¡¯s cheeks. He hesitated for a moment and tried to stretch his arms and embrace the thin boy in front of him. Twelve years after James and Peter Pettigrew died and Sirius ck was caught in Azkaban, he felt such warmth again.

    Lupin knew that this was the warmth of trust.

 Chapter 129: Bravery

    <h4>Chapter 129: Bravery</h4>

    All the young wizards held their breath, and their eyes focused on Evan who was being hugged tightly by the werewolf.

    It appeared on their faces that they suspected that this thin boy might be bitten at any time by the ferocious werewolf.

    But that did not happen, and Evan was calm as if there was nothing to be afraid of.

    On the flipside, the werewolf who was clinging to him wept as in whisper. Everyone saw the horrifying wolf¡¯s face soaked in tears.

    After Evan, Harry also stepped forward and embraced Professor Lupin.

    He was a little bit clumsy in his movements, but he hugged him much longer than Evan.

    ¡°Professor, whether you are a werewolf or not, I trust you.¡± Harry wiped off his own tears and choked. ¡°You are my father¡¯s friend and you¡¯re the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±

    Professor Lupin shuddered when he heard Harry¡¯s words.

    If Evan reminded him of Sirius ck, Harry was on the other hand exactly like his father, James.

    Looking at Harry¡¯s face, Lupin went back in time remembering his feelings in his schooldays.

    The office was silent and nobody spoke.

    What Evan and harry provided them with was a concrete demonstration. The young wizards were considering the possibility that Lupin was safe.

    Everyone was familiar with Harry and Evan.

    At Hogwarts, the two kids were almost equally famous.

    In fact,pared to the savior Harry, many young wizards had a better impression of Evan and it seemed like it was so natural for them to trust him.

    Despite the fact that Harry had a better reputation, because they thought he had defeated Voldemort, many young wizards inexplicably thought of Dark wizards whenever they saw Harry. Because of his character and his ability to speak parceltongue, there were still rumors floating around that he was to end up as the third generation of Dark Lords.

    As for Evan, although his parents were both ordinary Muggles, since enrolling in the school, the boy has revealed to everyone his own noble self-confidence, excellent learning ability, easy-to-reach character, unparalleled courage and innate kingship and leadership qualities.

    Although such things might sound empty, there was a reason why everyone believed in Evan. With his unprecedented magic newspaper, handsome appearance, and strong magical power, Evan left a deep impression on all students, especially girls.

    Last semester he went deep into the Chamber of Secrets to hunt down the Basilisk. Then he drove the Dementors away at the Quidditch pitch a few months ago. And just today, he faced and survived a werewolf attack. Evan was bing very popr; and the center of attention of all school students.

    Although no one talked about the matter, many young wizards and even senior students were secretly admiring him.

    If Harry alone trusted Professor Lupin, many people would still doubt it.

    But even Evan said that this horrifying werewolf was safe, he told everyone that Lupin had taken the Wolfsbane potion. He also proved that by embracing Remus. Almost all the young wizards began to think about whether they should trust Lupin or not.

    The discussion started to heat up gradually, but it suddenly stopped.

    Everyone was surprised to see Hermione stepping out of the crowd. Her tearful eyes were glowing as she looked at the three, Evan, Harry, and Lupin. She seemed to be touched by the scene.

    Step by step, she went to Professor Lupin in his werewolf¡¯s form. Thetter could see that the young girl still had some fears in her heart, but her eyes were very firm.

    She stepped forward and hugged Professor Lupin.

    ¡°We all trust you, Professor!¡± Hermione whispered.

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Lupin plunged into uncontroble trembling.

    Hermione¡¯s actions were even more moving than those of Evan and Harry.

    After all, he didn¡¯t have much contact with Hermione before now. Lupin never expected that she would do so.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Hermione!¡± Evan looked at the other young wizards and asked gently, ¡°Who else trusts the werewolf, and who wants toe and hug him?¡±

    No one did speak, nor did anyone move.

    Under Evan¡¯s burning gaze, everyone lowered their heads.

    Many thought that they would easily hug Lupin in the past. But with his current horrific appearance, they became hesitant.

    Knowledge wasn¡¯t enough to make them move. Not everyone had such courage.

    After a short while of silence, someone unexpected stood out from the crowd.

    It was Neville. He trembled as he was walking out, and his face was red. And he flinched as he got close to Professor Lupin.

    As he passed by Snape, thetter gave him a sly nce. It scared him so much that he almost fell down.

    However, he was able to remain standing. He still remembered that in ss, when facing the Boggart, it was professor Lupin that gave him courage to face his deepest fears.

    Although he usuallycked such courage, he remembered the feeling from that day.

    It was bravery!! !

    Neville slowly walked to Professor Lupin and silently embraced him.

    He didn¡¯t say anything. His blushing round face was full of pride. Hugging was just a simple gesture. But here, the one to hug was a werewolf. To do it in front of the whole school, it required great bravery. Not anyone could do such a thing.

    Evan knew right there and then that Neville just overcame many difficulties in his heart.

    Compared to himself, Harry and Hermione, this simple hug was especially meaningful for both Neville and Professor Lupin.

    Seeing Neville¡¯s actions, the young wizards were in turmoil again.

    Unlike the three who were ahead of everyone, Evan, Harry and Hermione, Neville was just an ordinary, unremarkable student in the eyes of everyone. He usually had nothing to do with the limelight, and his name amongst those who knew him was synonym with forgetfulness and cowardice.

    No one ever thought that he would have the courage to do such a thing.

    Neville was gasping for breath. In the eyes of others, he just briefly embraced Professor Lupin, but to him, it was a challenge of a caliber that he had never faced before.

    Evan hurried to walk over and brought Neville up. He looked a bit weak on his legs.

    ¡°I did it, Evan!¡± Neville said with a trembling voice. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I embraced Professor Lupin. I believe he will not hurt everyone.¡±

    It all was like a dream. Even Neville himself could not believe that he just embraced a werewolf.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the best Neville!¡± Evan took Neville to a chair next to him.

    In all honesty, Evan did not expect that after he had finished his words, Neville would be the first to step up.

    He had to admit that this forgetful, ordinary boy beside him did have courage that no one else could match.

    Unlike Harry, Neville¡¯s character is introverted and delicate. The courage within his heart was usually well hidden. But as a true Gryffindor, Neville was definitely the most trustworthypanion at critical moments.

 Chapter 130: Not the Usual Ron

    <h4>Chapter 130: Not the Usual Ron</h4>

    In the crowd, Fred and George looked at each other, and a smile appeared at the corner of their mouths.

    Next thing you know, the two went straight to Professor Lupin rxed.

    ¡°You look so handsome, Professor!¡± Fred walked over and embraced him.

    ¡°Yes, this is the best disguise I¡¯ve ever seen on you!¡± George also followed and hugged Lupin.

    Fred and Georgeughed as if they were attending a masquerade party. The two people had a few good jokes with Lupin and the mood gradually lightened up.

    Behind them, other Gryffindor students were alsoing to embrace Lupin.

    Right before the hug, their professor¡¯s horrifying looks made them nervous as if driven to death. But after it, every one of them showed a sense of honor and pride like never before. Their fear of the werewolf was fading out, and Colin even took a picture of professor Lupin.

    Dumbledore, Fudge and the professors did not speak. They quietly watched Gryffindor students stepping up to hug Lupin in his werewolf form.

    With the exception of Dumbledore with the faint smile on his face, all the other were surprised to assist such a scene that they had never seen in their lifetime: a terrifying werewolf standing there silently all in tears and before him, young wizards lining up to hug him. Everyone whispered a few encouraging words to Prof. Lupin.

    It was absolutely overwhelming to watch such an ¡°Arabian Nights¡± kind of event happening in real life.

    They were letting go of discrimination and prejudice, and believing and embracing the werewolf with absolute trust.

    Such a thing can only be done by young wizards, and perhaps it can only be done at Hogwarts.

    Everybody came forward one after another. Thest was Ginny, whose tearful eyes were all red.

    Needless to say, she had cried the most among those who were scared.

    After hearing that Evan and Hermione were attacked by a werewolf, she was so afraid that Lupin was losing his senses and attacking Ron and Harry.

    Now that she found out that it was all a misunderstanding, she really felt embarrassed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor!¡± Ginny said as she approached to hug Lupin, with her face all blushed, ¡°I just shouldn¡¯t have yelled at you. I shouldn¡¯t have said that you are a monster. I hope that you can forgive me!¡±

    Ginny finished her words and tightly embraced Professor Lupin.

    Then she walked to Hermione. Now, with the exception of Ron, all Gryffindor students stood behind Professor Lupin and they all chose to trust him.

    Expectantly, everyone looked at Ron who was standing in the corner, waiting for him toe over with them.

    As time passed, the anticipation on their faced gradually faded. All the Gryffindor students were actually surprised that he did note. He actually did not move at all. He stood alone in the corner with his head down and they didn¡¯t know what was going through his mind.

    Besides Ron, Ravenw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin students were all in their ces. None of them stepped up to embrace professor Lupin.

    ¡°Ron, what are you waiting for? Come on!¡± Said Harry anxiously. This night, he had felt that Ron was acting stranger than ever.

    ¡°I can¡¯t! It¡¯s not safe!¡± Ron raised his head sharply and replied bluntly. ¡°He¡¯ll bite us. He¡¯s a werewolf!¡±

    ¡°Professor Lupin is safe!¡± Harry shouted angrily. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Evan just said? The Wolfsbane potion helps him keep his mind!¡±

    ¡°No, he just attacked me¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Ron!¡± Hermione also looked at Ron, her eyes shining with crystal tears. ¡°Please wake up! There must be a misunderstanding here!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any misunderstanding!¡± Malfoy said suddenly, with a malicious smile on his lips.

    ¡°Only idiots would believe in a werewolf, even if he was taking some kind of ridiculous potion!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Malfoy!¡± said Harry fiercely. ¡°Ron, what the hell are you doing? Are you just going to fall to Malfoy¡¯s lies?!¡±

    ¡°I only believe in my own eyes, Harry!¡± Ron said in a monotonous voice. ¡°I won¡¯t pass. It¡¯s not safe. Before you came in, the werewolf was ready to attack me. We should have him locked up in Azkaban.¡±

    Evan looked at Ron in surprise and he felt that there was something really strange.

    Ron¡¯s behavior this night has been just too unusual. And he was the first to arrive on the scene, so his testimony was very important.

    Evan had clearly said enough to prove that professor Lupin was safe. He told everyone that he was taking the Wolfsbane potion. All Gryffindor students stepped up to side with the professor. They are Ron¡¯s family and best friends. But still, Ron insisted on using Lupin. This was not the Ron that Evan knew.

    And then, there was Lucius Malfoy who had been standing by sneering, with his plot to drive Dumbledore out of school.

    That used to be impossible to achieve on any given day. But it has be unusually easy tonight. As long as it can be proved that Lupin was attacking students, Dumbledore will have to bear the responsibility for that. He would have to resign from his position under pressure of the worried parents in shadow of the coinciding werewolf riot.

    After all, he was the one who hired Professor Lupin as a teacher for the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss.

    This should make the bulk of Lucius¡¯ conspiracy. But Evan didn¡¯t think it was that simple.

    He didn¡¯t know where Lucius found out about Lupin¡¯s secret. After all, many people knew about it.

    It wasn¡¯t important. What was key in Lucius¡¯ n was proving that Professor Lupin was as dangerous as other werewolves. For that to happen, Lupin should actually attack students.

    That was the only way for Lucius¡¯ conspiracy to work.

    If the one that professor Lupin was used of attacking was to be a Slytherin, Evan would have understood that, and it would fit well his idea of the possible conspiracy.

    But thest one he expected to help Lucius was Ron. Everything seemed to go back to Ron. With his recent behavior, Evan felt clearly that there was something wrong with him.

    It was the same feeling that he¡¯s hadst year, back when Tom Riddle controlled Ron.

    Evan suddenly realized it, Ron should not be¡­

    In the Office, Harry felt betrayed when he heard Ron¡¯s answer.

    It felt simr to what he felt when he tried to think about his parents being betrayed by their best friend, Sirius ck.

    Heartbroken, he burst into tears.

    He wiped off his tears hard, and he still had more anger within his heart than ever.

    ¡°You are lying. Professor Lupin did not harm us at anytime. He did not attack anyone!¡± Harry shouted madly.

    ¡°You should shut up, Potter! Stop shouting like a mindless troll,¡± said Malfoy with a sly grin. ¡°The way I see it, Weasley is just making the wise choice! Anyone with a bit of intelligence would never take even half a step towards the monster next to you!¡±

    Malfoy was right. Besides Gryffindor students, no one had stepped up to side with Professor Lupin.

    It meant that they did not trust him. They did not believe he was safe in his werewolf form.

    All that Evan and the rest of the Gryffindor students have done was in vain.

 Chapter 131: Girlsâ€™ Minds

    <h4>Chapter 131: Girls¡¯ Minds</h4>

    ¡°Only people who are truly intelligent can make the right choice!¡± As soon as Malfoy finished his words, a squeaky voice came from within the Ravenw crowd.

    Evan¡¯s heart moved. Of all the people he knew, there was only one who would talk like this.

    He saw a pretty girl with straggly, waist-length, blonde hair walking out of the crowd. She was wearing a Ravenw coat, and a pair of eye-catching radish earring on her ears, and indescribably quirky temperament.

    It was Luna!

    She did not reach professor Lupin like the others before her, but instead she walked up to Evan and looked at him with her protuberant eyes.

    Her silver-gray pupil gave her a mysterious sense of serenity.

    Evan was surprised, and didn¡¯t know what she was up to in front of him. Over a year of contact made him really familiar with Luna, but he was never able to guess whatever was going on inside that pretty girl¡¯s head.

    Unlike ordinary wizards, Luna has always had many entric beliefs. She always saw things differently from others. That¡¯s what made her so unpredictable.

    ¡°Intelligence is the greatest asset of mankind! Evan, I want to say that you are the wisest wizard I¡¯ve ever met, so I believe what you said.¡± Luna said earnestly, ¡°I believe you, and I believe in Professor Lupin!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan suddenly felt awkward, as he saw unprecedented trust from Luna.

    ¡°My mother once said that often, only a few know the truth!¡± Luna continued. ¡°There are some truths that many cannot understand throughout their whole lifetime. People are easily confused by appearances, and they usually ignore the more important essence. Just like most people believe that there are no such things as the Blibbering Humdinger or the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they are things of fiction!¡± Malfoy looked at Evan and Luna and said dismissively. ¡°Brilliant, now he has the trust of that lunatic!¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to deal with Malfoy, because Luna suddenly extended her arms and embraced him!

    His eyes widened as his body felt her softness; he knew that his face must¡¯ve gone all red.

    Luna seemed to have a misunderstanding. Whenever a Gryffindor embraced professor Lupin, they would say loudly that they trust him.

    She might have understood that when trusting someone, you must embrace them.

    So she embraced Evan who went all embarrassed. He actually didn¡¯t know how to exin to her that in fact, she didn¡¯t need to do such a thing.

    Fortunately, there was nothing unusual about Luna¡¯s expression. It looked like what she had just done was trivial matter. She embraced Evan, and then turned to professor Lupin, looking at him closely in his werewolf form. There was no fear on her face, only curiosity.

    Under the girl¡¯s gaze, Lupin shivered slightly.

    He bent down as he did for the Gryffindor students to let Luna hug him.

    But she did not do that. She actually reached out and gently patted on Professor Lupin¡¯s head. It looked like she saw the werewolf as a cute puppy.

    Although Luna looked crazy, she was the only non-Gryffindor young witch willing to trust Evan and Professor Lupin.

    After a short silence, just as Evan thought it was all over, another girl came out of the Ravenw crowd.

    She bit her lip and looked blushingly at Evan.

    Like Luna, it seemed that she believed in Evan who was trusting Professor Lupin.

    She had supple ck hair, and her temperament and Luna¡¯s were on two different extremes. She didn¡¯t have her serene disposition, but she had a graceful beauty. With her faint smile, she looked veryforting.

    Cho Chang came out of the crowd. She gave Evan a sly look, and her face was red. He didn¡¯t know what she was thinking.

    Seeing her expression, Hermione immediately felt inexplicable hostility.

    Her girl instinct told her that Cho liked Evan, and she remembered the fact that in this morning, she invited him to Madame Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop.

    She turned around and saw both Evan and Harry staring at Cho.

    Hermione had to admit that she was indeed very beautiful. She should be the type of all boys alike.

    Compared to her, Hermione felt she was a lot less beautiful. She started feeling worried. If she was Evan, she would also choose Cho¡­

    Although the current situation was grim, she couldn¡¯t help but to think about this.

    Evan had no idea about what was going through Hermione¡¯s mind, but he was keenly aware that she looked different.

    She didn¡¯t look quite the same as soon as Cho came out.

    Evan understood that girls¡¯ minds are too difficult toprehend. Unpredictable as the weather, sometimes they¡¯re smiling like a sunny day, and next thing you know, they be as gloomy as the cloudiest of winter days.

    After all, he doesn¡¯t know what bad hemitted.

    And it wasn¡¯t just Hermione. On the opposite side, Cho Chang¡¯s behavior also made him suffer.

    Looking at her, it seemed like she wanted to hug him as well, just like Luna!

    Luna¡¯s hug was more than enough for Evan. If he would be hugged again by Cho, he didn¡¯t know what Hermione would think.

    Besides, Professor Lupin is the one who should have the attention here.

    But if Cho really came over, he had no idea about how to turn her away.

    After all, when a normal boy is faced by a girl throwing her arms around him, how should anyone expect him to say no?!

    In fact, she was as confused as Evan. She was hesitant to go over, but she ultimately opted not to.

    Unlike Luna, she didn¡¯t just respect Evan. To her, a hug doesn¡¯t just represent trust.

    The way she saw things, embracing a boy in front of all the students in the school sounds actually more frightening than embracing a werewolf.

    She sighed and gave up on the idea. She quickly walked up and hugged Professor Lupin, whispering a few words in his ears.

    Seeing that she didn¡¯te, Evan was relieved.

    After Cho Chang, Percy¡¯s girlfriend Penelope Clearwater and Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff also stepped forward to embrace Professor Lupin.

    The two of them were leaders of their respective Houses: Ravenw and Hufflepuff. So following their leads, more and more young wizards and witches came to embrace andfort Professor Lupin.

    Looking at the long queue in front of him, Lupin was extremely pleased. Ever since he became a werewolf, he never thought he would get so much trust.

    At the same time, a sense of guilt and remorse took over his heart.

    He knew that he had to leave Hogwarts. He wasn¡¯t worthy of such unconditional trust. If it wasn¡¯t for the Wolfsbane potion, he was likely to bite anyone of them after transformation. He should never let such a thing happen.

    With so many people choosing to trust him, Lupin felt unprecedented satisfaction.

    However, a werewolf is doomed to be lonely, and destined to live on the edge of society.

 Chapter 132: Ronâ€™s Accusations

    <h4>Chapter 132: Ron¡¯s usations</h4>

    The students lined up and came forward to embrace Professor Lupin. Everyone embraced the werewolf.

    Such a seemingly simple action did not just represent their great courage; it also was a sign of trust.

    They whispered to Professor Lupin and spoke words from the depths of their hearts. Many students were moved bursting into tears.

    Only Ron and Slytherin students stood still giving the cold shoulder as if they had nothing to do with them.

    ¡°This is moving and all, but what does this tell us?¡± Lucius said softly. ¡°All I saw was a group of fools who were not afraid of being killed by a werewolf.¡±

    ¡°You just said you needed a proof. Here it is!¡± Harry looked at Lucius and shouted, ¡°What else do you want? Professor Lupin is obviously innocent; he did not attack us at all. He is safe.¡±

    ¡°Tut-tut, stupid kid, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t think so. Werewolves are not trustworthy.¡± Lucius looked at Harry disdainfully, and said with a smirk, ¡°He didn¡¯t bite you for now. Probably because he is full, or¡­¡±

    ¡°Or because there are so many people here that it affects his appetite.¡± Snape followed Lucius, gloomily. ¡°We all know that, like a real wolf, werewolves have the habit of killing lonely preys.¡±

    He looked at Lupin with malice, and his small ck eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Severus¡­¡± Dumbledore gently reminded.

    ¡°I know you trust him, Headmaster!¡± Snape didn¡¯t look at Dumbledore. His gaze was fixed on Lupin, and he said in a very disgusted tone. ¡°But he has betrayed your trust, although he took the Wolfsbane potion tonight, because of the nature of the werewolf, he still could not help but attack the students, Weasley can prove it.¡±

    ¡°I can prove that this werewolf tried to attack me¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron, do you know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± Harry looked at Ron angrily, clinching his fists as his body trembled.

    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, Harry!¡± Ron didn¡¯t look at Harry¡¯s eyes. He turned his head to the side and continued in a dull, monotonous voice. ¡°That werewolf is untrustworthy. It may hurt us. We can¡¯t risk it!¡±

    ¡°Unlike other werewolves, Professor Lupin is innocent!¡± Harry shouted, Ron¡¯s words made him shiver, he gasped heavily. ¡°We proved it, we just embraced him. We¡­¡±

    ¡°Just a bunch of brave fools!¡± Lucius sneered. ¡°You may not even know that a werewolf riot is taking ce outside the school tonight. You may not realize the seriousness of this incident. But as a student¡¯s parent, I absolutely do not agree that a werewolf continues to stay in Hogwarts. What do you think, Minister?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think what you said makes sense. Dealing with werewolves, we must be careful, especially in this current situation, we can¡¯t take risks anymore.¡± Fudge said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lupin, we must take you away!¡±

    Fudge¡¯s words fell like a final judgment. Professor Lupin trembled. Harry looked extremely frustrated. He couldn¡¯t believe this decision.

    ¡°You can¡¯t take Professor Lupin away. He didn¡¯t attack anyone!¡± Harry shouted, and he hurriedly stood before Professor Lupin.

    Behind him, other young wizards came up one after another.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, kids, I know you all believe in Lupin!¡± Fudge said hesitantly. ¡°But he is a werewolf after all. Some people in the school don¡¯t believe in him. Someone even used him of attacking students. We can¡¯t ignore any usations!¡±

    As he spoke, he turned around and looked at Ron standing at the corner.

    ¡°Mr. Weasley?¡± asked Fudge in an uncertain tone.

    ¡°Yes, this werewolf attacked me!¡± Ron whispered back, ¡°I¡¯ll formally file awsuit to the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°You are lying! Prof. Lupin is innocent!¡± That was thest straw; Harry¡¯s voice came up violently. He mumbled reluctantly, and his tears flowed out of control.

    ¡°As I said before, I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Mr. Weasley! With regard to your usations, the formal eptance of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will be sent to you tomorrow. We must now hurry up and go back. This evening has been really terrible!¡± continued Fudge ¡°There is still a werewolf riot waiting for me to deal with. Fortunately we caught one of them.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Harry quickly stopped Fudge and tried to make a final effort.

    Fudge took a step back and stared at Harry and the other young wizards standing in front of Lupin.

    ¡°Keep off, Potter! You¡¯ve caused enough trouble already!¡± Snape shouted. ¡°We are saving you from this werewolf!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine; I don¡¯t need your salvage!¡± Harry gasped, reluctantly shouting, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to Ron tonight, but I can prove that Prof. Lupin is innocent. He had one hundred chances to hurt me this year! I have been alone with him for many times and I learned from him how to resist Dementors. If he wanted to bite me or kill me, why didn¡¯t he do it back then?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me about a werewolf¡¯s mind.¡± Snape pulled his out wand and said sharply. ¡°I repeat, move away, Potter!¡±

    Harry did not speak. He stood with his arms wide open in front of Professor Lupin and showed his determination with actions.

    Evan, Hermione, and other young wizards also took a step forward and looked firmly at Snape.

    ¡°All right, Snape!¡± Fudge said franticly. ¡°Don¡¯t me them. These children have experienced very terrible things today. Greyback has just attacked in Hogsmeade. They now find themselves before their most trusted professor transformed to a werewolf. These things are sure to disturb them¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, Minister!¡± Evan hurriedly said. ¡°I think Ron¡¯s allegations are invalid. It may be because¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, about that matter, I want to talk to you alone!¡± said Dumbledore suddenly, interrupting Evan¡¯s words.

    Evan blinked and looked at Dumbledore in astonishment. He clearly hadn¡¯t said anything yet. What did the Headmaster want to talk to him about?

    Or rather, did he already know that Ron was being controlled?!

 Chapter 133: Wings of a Butterfly

    <h4>Chapter 133: Wings of a Butterfly</h4>

    Ron¡¯s behavior this evening has been extremely bizarre. Evan has had this feeling about him before.

    In the Gryffindor Common roomst year, something simr happened!

    Evan was almost certain that Ron must be under the Imperius Curse, he was controlled to frame Professor Lupin.

    Evan intended to tell the matter out. Dumbledore was there. He could check it and find out whether what Ron said was from his own will or not.

    He didn¡¯t expect that his exposure of the possible plot would be interrupted by Dumbledore.

    What the Headmaster meant was obvious. He did not want Evan to expose this matter, and he wanted to talk to him about it alone.

    Evan wondered what Dumbledore really wanted.

    What was he going to talk to him about? Did he know that Ron had been controlled? Or did he have any other ns?

    Evan looked at Dumbledore whose eyes were on Ron and he didn¡¯t know what was going through his mind.

    Seeing Dumbledore¡¯s appearance, Evan did not have the heart to pay attention to what Harry, Hermione, Fudge, Snape, and Lucius were saying. His thoughts drifted further and further.

    If Ron was really being controlled, who would be the one pulling the strings?!

    Lucius Malfoy? Evan shook his head. Lucius did not have a chance to contact Ron. Besides, with Malfoy¡¯s character, he might be the type to hide behind the scenes to fan up the mes of trouble and make the plot, but he would certainly not charge into the scene himself in any case.

    As for Snape, it couldn¡¯t be him. Yes, he did hate professor Lupin because of their student years; but he was never the type of person who would control a student.

    Evan squinted, who would it be? Who would be able to get in touch with Ron and use the forbidden Imperius Curse?!

    ¡°Hold on a second, can¡¯t Peter Pettigrew be the one behind the scenes?!¡± Evan suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t know much about Peter.

    After all, he had an image of him as a very timid, cowardly, humble, inferior and stupid man.

    But is that really the case?

    After all, his deeds speak for themselves. For the sake of strength and status, he sold his best friend out to Voldemort. He hid his renegade status for many years, not to be found by Dumbledore until it was toote. He had escaped from Sirius ck¡¯s hunt. He was able of bearing humiliation hiding as a rat for as long as twelve years. He came back to find the lost Voldemort by himself alone; and to help him resurrect, he had the guts to cut off his own hand as tribute.

    While he was thinking about what Peter did, Evan suddenly noticed that all his back was soaked by cold sweat.

    It all proved that Peter was not as weak as he looked. He was a tough, sly and very cruel opponent.

    Not only to others, but also to his best friend; and furthermore, he was even cruel to himself.

    Evan had a bad hunch. He actually realized that he had been relying too much on his prejudices and wasn¡¯t being careful enough with Peter Pettigrew. He never thought of how he would react.

    What he was facing is not the plot that has been set in the book, but a living person that has his own thoughts.

    Evan concluded that he really needed to talk to Dumbledore.

    Although ck did not allow him to tell the professors about this matter, he thought that he should at least tell the Headmaster.

    In his original n, once he had contact with ck, he would immediately tell Dumbledore about Peter being an Animagus.

    This was the safest way. As long as Dumbledore gets involved, there should be no bad incidents.

    It¡¯s true that he knew the plot, but the enemy was not a fool who didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Whether they were Voldemort, Malfoy or Peter, all of them were tough opponents and evil Dark wizards.

    ¡°This is harder to deal with than I originally thought.¡±

    He remembered the Chamber of Secrets incident of the previous year. In the book, Tom Riddle controlled Ginny. He was bent on contacting Harry and wanted so bad to know how he had defeated his older self, Voldemort. However, due to Evan¡¯s arrival, Ron was the one to receive the diary. With that, Tom Riddle had more knowledge on Harry, and things went really different.

    And it wasn¡¯t just that. Evan himself tried to use all ways possible to get rid of Riddle and purify Hogwarts as a whole. Indeed, it seemed that the problem was solved. But that made the changes happening to the timeline be more prominent.

    Evan realized that he had always ignored that in order to be able to predict how things go, his ns should not interfere with the original story.

    However, even if he tried to do so, it wouldn¡¯t have worked. Any change that might seem trivial can cause dramatic repercussions.

    A gentile p of a butterfly¡¯s wings can eventually cause a hurricane.

    Moreover, he had done a lot of things differently this year as well. It was impossible that Peter Pettigrew would just sit there without reacting. He didn¡¯t do anything silly like in the original timeline. No, he had taken control of Ron. Who knows what kind of conspiracy he¡¯s hiding?

    ¡°Professor!¡± at the thought of this, Evan hurriedly looked at Dumbledore.

    ¡°Evan, you can go to my office in a minute. About that question you asked mest time, I have a very interesting idea!¡± Dumbledore nced at Evan and said calmly, ¡°You will be interested, I promise!¡±

    ¡°I have to remind you, Dumbledore!¡± Lucius had a cold smile on his face. He looked at Lupin in a malicious manner. ¡°Before you talk to your students, what we need to discuss first is the werewolf!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said Dumbledore happily. ¡°I just want to say this. Do you have any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a suggestion, I think everyone has just heard Mr. Weasley¡¯s usation. As a parent, I think this dangerous werewolf should no longer stay in Hogwarts. We should immediately get him back to the Ministry of Magic. I think it is necessary to judge his guilt through the Wizengamot.¡±

    ¡°I think the same as you, Lucius!¡± Fudge agreed. ¡°The current bad situation is enough to start the Wizengamot¡¯s special trial process. I hope you can go back with us, Lupin. We will give you a fair trial. If you can prove your innocence, we will let you go without objection!¡±

    ¡°No, Professor Lupin is innocent and he will not go with you,¡± Harry shouted hoarsely.

    He still refused to budge, and he felt that his tears were running dry.

    It was the same for the other young wizards. They clung closely together and stood in front of Professor Lupin making a human wall.

    Seeing how they were, Fudge looked back at Dumbledore embarrassingly and asked for help.

    Dumbledore had not spoken yet. Professor Lupin who had Harry standing in front of him, gently pushed him aside.

    ¡°Professor!¡± Harry shouted miserably.

    Lupin did not turn to look at Harry. He quietly walked beside Fudge. He knew he had to leave and quit Hogwarts. He tried not to let his tears flow out.

    Perhaps that¡¯s his fate as a werewolf.

 Chapter 134: The Departure of Professor Lupin

    <h4>Chapter 134: The Departure of Professor Lupin</h4>

    Lupin did not look back. He knew that Harry, Evan, Hermione and other children must be looking at him.

    All he could do was holding his tears.

    Legend has it that the ferocious and terrifying werewolves can only get endless bleakness and inarticte destion.

    Everyone looked at the lonely figure of Professor Lupin, and many of them cried.

    Evan couldn¡¯t dare move as Hermione and Ginny were crying over his shoulders.

    Although he knew that Professor Lupin should be fine, he was affected by the surrounding sad mood and he still felt sour.

    Nobody knew who started it, but before they knew it, practically all the young wizards were whispering Professor Lupin¡¯s name. As they were moving from the scene, they all had a feeling that it was thest time they would see him.

    If he¡¯s proven to be guilty with the charge of attacking Ron, he would have to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

    ¡°Professor!¡± Harry shouted miserably, and he rushed to grab Professor Lupin.

    Remus stopped, his body shook slightly, but he still didn¡¯t look back.

    ¡°Let go, Harry!¡± Evan walked over and said gently.

    ¡°No!¡± Harry whimpered, and he saw Dumbledoreing beside him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a very good job, Harry!¡± said Dumbledore calmly, his gaze moving slowly across the faces of all the young wizards behind Harry, and his voice was extremely gratifying. ¡°And you all, I¡¯m very proud of the efforts of every one of you on this evening, and I think Remus also feels the same. Let me deal with the rest of this matter.¡±

    Harry shook his head stubbornly, and he was about to say something, but he stopped. It was professor Lupin. He turned around and hugged him again.

    The two people stayed like that silently for a minute. No one spoke. Even Lucius and Snape did not urge them.

    Then Lupin let Harry go and stood up.

    Dumbledore walked past and patted his shoulder. They went out of the office together with Fudge, Lucius and Snape.

    ¡°Okay, Lupin¡¯s matter is handed over to the Headmaster. It¡¯s toote. Now you should go back to your respective Common rooms!¡± Professor McGonagall twiddled her nose and her eyes were red.

    Next to her, Hagrid was crying loudly and Professor Flitwick wiped his tears off with his handkerchief.

    Everyone left one after another. When they passed by Ron, they looked at him with deep contempt.

    Even Percy, Fred, George and Ginny; they were no exceptions, especially Ginny. The young girl was weeping uncontrobly. She couldn¡¯t believe that Ron would use Professor Lupin.

    Ron stood there quietly, unmoved.

    Just then, unexpectedly, Harry suddenly approached him.

    Just as everyone was guessing what he was intending to do, Harry took a hit at Ron¡¯s face punching him brutally.

    Ron was brought to the ground, and the office became a mess.

    Malfoy smiled with pride, staring at Harry and Ron maliciously. It was a wonderful day. He didn¡¯t know what his father had plotted, but he looked down on the two guys he hated the most and watched them scuffle together. That was simply the best Christmas present he could ever get.

    The only one missing was that Mud-Blood Mason.

    ¡°Potter, stop it!¡± Professor McGonagall shouted harshly, and went to separate them.

    However, she did not need to do that. Harry did not beat Ron any more.

    He just stood and looked at him with cold, terrible eyes!

    ¡°Give me a reason. Why?¡± Harry shouted to Ron. ¡°Tell me, why?!¡±

    Ron didn¡¯t answer Harry. He didn¡¯t say a word. He stood up, keeping his head down and not looking at anyone.

    Hermione looked at him with tears in her eyes and her face was full of worry.

    The image she was looking at felt awfully familiar. She also thought of what happened in the Common roomst year when Ron was up to attack Evan. It felt exactly the same as now.

    Ron is too abnormal. Maybe he¡¯s not¡­

    ¡°Evan, I got it¡­¡± Hermione hurried to Evan and said breathlessly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it here!¡± Evan hurriedly reached out to cover Hermione¡¯s mouth. He knew what she was going to say.

    She must have found out the fact that Ron was under control. But exposing things now, although it might rescue Professor Lupin, it could also scare Peter Pettigrew away. And if this were the case, there would be no way to help Sirius ck clear his name.

    Evan also was thinking that Dumbledore should have concerns in that regard, although he couldn¡¯t think of a way for him to know about ck and Peter.

    But anyway, now is not the time to panic. He has just found out that Peter was not in this office, and that the cunning guy didn¡¯t take part in this evening¡¯s events.

    Although Peter was not there, Evan still had to be careful facing the controlled Ron.

    He peaked at him rapidly, and it didn¡¯t seem that he was concerned, nor was he looking at him and Hermione. Evan felt a little relieved. If they identally get exposed, Peter Pettigrew would run away. Before doing anything, he had to see what Dumbledore had arranged.

    ¡°Evan?!¡± Hermione blushed and removed Evan¡¯s right hand from her face.

    Looking at her, Evan was also a bit embarrassed. He was anxious as what he just did seemed a bit bold.

    He gulped as he intended to withdraw his hand, but before he knew, feeling her tension, he moved without thinking. His hand fell from near her mouth just to hold her cold hand naturally. She struggled for bit, as her hand was held tightly by Evan. Her face blushed even more.

    Hermione¡¯s thoughts drifted further and further, and she began thinking again about the question she had after seeing Cho Chang¡­

    She had no time to check if Ron was really being controlled. Actually, no one but herseemed to realize that he was just too abnormal.

    Actually, no one was ming Harry for what he did to him. They all thought that he had the right to be so angry.

    Not even Fred and George did. They walked over and patted Harry¡¯s shoulders, not looking at Ron, as if he had never been their brother.

    No one understood what had happened to Ron, nor did they understand what difficulties he had.

    No one thought about these things. As Ron said just a while before, they only believed in their own eyes. They saw that Ron had betrayed Professor Lupin, sold out Gryffindor and betrayed Hogwarts. Even Slytherin students looked down on him.

    ¡°Okay, Potter!¡± Professor McGonagall came over and stood between Harry and Ron. ¡°I know you¡¯re sad, but this can¡¯t solve anything! You should trust Dumbledore, and Remus will be fine.¡±

    Like everyone else, she did not look at Ron, as if he did not exist.

    ¡°I know, Professor!¡± Harry wiped his tears off and said, ¡°I believe in the Headmaster!¡±

    ¡°We all believe in him. Dumbledore has never let anyone down.¡± Professor McGonagall sighed and said slowly. ¡°There were so many things happening tonight. Do you and Weasley need to go to the school hospital?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine; I¡¯m not going to the hospital!¡± Harry shook his head. He didn¡¯t feel anything wrong except for anger.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Ron whispered, as if he were a wooden man. He had no response to Harry¡¯s punch.

    ¡°Well then, hurry to go back to sleep!¡± Professor McGonagall turned and looked at Evan and Hermione. ¡°Mason, Granger, you need to go to the school hospital for treatment. I promised Poppy to get you back there.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor!¡± said Evan. ¡°I want to go to Professor Dumbledore¡¯s office. He seems to have something to say to me. Can you lead me through?¡±

    ¡°If there is anything, you can say it tomorrow, what you need now is bed rest.¡± Professor McGonagall frowned. She saw Evan looking at her as if begging and she puffed. ¡°Well, I will take you, but you¡¯d better hurry up. We can¡¯t linger too long.¡±

 Chapter 135: The Sorting Hat Is Never Wrong

    <h4>Chapter 135: The Sorting Hat Is Never Wrong</h4>

    Professor McGonagall took Hermione back to the school hospital, and Evan walked into Dumbledore¡¯s office alone.

    Likest year, the Headmaster¡¯s office was very interesting. Fawkes, the phoenix looked at him graciously. A table not far was full of magical props, and Evan had no idea what they were for. The curious silver instruments were whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke.

    Beforeing in, Evan heard voices in the office. It was a heating discussion about the events of the night. Evan thought it was Dumbledore and Fudge, but when he came in, he discovered that there was no one in the office.

    What were just talking were portraits of wizards and witches hung on the surrounding walls. They were former headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts.

    Unfortunately, Evan didn¡¯t see the Four Founders¡¯ portraits amongst them, or else he could ask Gryffindor about his treasure key, the legendary magical item hidden in the Forbidden Forest and what it was.

    The old headmasters and headmistresses were snoozing gently in their frames, but Evan noticed that some of them asionally secretly opened their eyes, looked at him, and then immediately closed them, for fear of being discovered.

    Evan did not focus on them. He noticed a shabby, tattered wizard¡¯s hat on the shelf, the Sorting Hat.

    He hesitated for a moment. There was always a question in his heart that he wanted to ask it about. Now was a rare opportunity to do so.

    He went over, lifted the hat from its shelf, and lowered it slowly onto his head. It was much toorge and slipped down over his eyes, just as it had done thest time he¡¯d put it on.

    ¡°Long time no see, Evan Mason!¡± a sharp voice whispered. ¡°Do you seem to have something in your mind?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are things I don¡¯t understand. About the Sorting ceremony, I was curious as to why Peter Pettigrew had been¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ assigned to Gryffindor, is that the question?!¡± the hat said softly. ¡°My duty is to sort the young wizards into the right House ording to the wishes of the four founders. For more than a thousand years, I have seen so many young wizards. Some of them were kindhearted, some were ambitious, some were talented, and some were¡­ but you have to know that during the Sorting ceremony, In addition to these inherent qualities, the young wizards¡¯ choice is also a crucial factor.¡±

    ¡°So, Peter himself asked to enter Gryffindor?¡±

    ¡°That child wanted to go to Gryffindor and find the courage he¡¯d never had.¡± The Sorting Hat said, ¡°But in fact, he didn¡¯t need to look for it. Courage had been buried deep within waiting for him to look into his heart. When he bes able to lower his head, he would find what he has been looking for.¡±

    ¡°But he did not do that. What he didter was not fitting of a Gryffindor.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt! I¡¯m never wrong. The magic of the four founders allows me to see through people¡¯s hearts. My job is to assign the people to the right House.¡± Said the smart hat, ¡°However, it doesn¡¯t necessarily guarantee that the House will be suitable for him, nor can it guarantee that he will not take a detourter.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡± Evan hurriedly asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask for my opinion at all. You know, I had nned to be in Ravenw, but you sorted me into Gryffindor.¡±

    ¡°Is that really true? Is that what you really wanted?¡± The patched Sorting Hat made augh. ¡°Yes, like Harry Potter, the two of you are not particrly easy to sort, but I still maintain my sayings, I¡¯m never wrong. Gryffindor can help you achieve your dream.¡±

    Evan was stunned! What is his dream, learning more magic? Defeating Voldemort? Or is it bing a great white wizard like Dumbledore?

    He was lost in his thought. He still wanted to have a few words with the hat, but he heard someoneing in. He hurriedly took it off and put it back in ce.

    The office door opened and Dumbledore came in with a heavy look.

    ¡°Professor!¡±

    ¡°Sit down, Evan!¡± said Dumbledore, pointing to the chair at the desk. ¡°I need to talk to you, but it will have to be short. I don¡¯t have much time. Cornelius is waiting for me in the hall. We have to go to the Ministry of Magic tonight to deal with the werewolf riot and Remus¡¯s charges.¡±

    Evan sat down. He gathered his thoughts to make sure that nothing he wants to say is missed, and the steps to use lumency.

    ¡°First of all, I must ask you, Evan, is there anything you would like to tell me?¡± Dumbledore looked closely at him and his ten slender fingers touched together. He said gently, ¡°Anything!¡±

    ¡°I do have something to tell you, Professor!¡± Evan nodded and said slowly. ¡°But before that, please allow me to ask a question. You just discovered that Ron was being controlled, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°In fact, in that office, I believe I am not the only one who has noticed Mr. Weasley¡¯s anomaly.¡± Dumbledore said mildly, ¡°What he did this evening was so obvious. It was as clear as candlelight in the dark!¡±

    ¡°Well, do you know who¡¯s controlling him?¡±

    ¡°Although many people think that I know everything, but I am not omniscient as it is rumored!¡± Dumbledore sat in the high chair behind the table; and he stared at Evan with his light blue, prating eyes. ¡°I have a few possible ideas, but I still want to hear your opinion!¡±

    ¡°I suspect that Peter Pettigrew took control of Ron!¡± Evan looked away, trying not to look at Dumbledore.

    Although he was willing to report some things to the Headmaster, he didn¡¯t want to reveal all the information he had.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew, that¡¯s really a surprising answer.¡±

    Despite his words, Dumbledore didn¡¯t seem to be too surprised, as if everything was within his expectation.

    ¡°This afternoon, Hermione and I have met Sirius ck at Hogsmeade. He told us that Pettigrew sold Harry¡¯s parents out to Voldemort, and that he did not die. He was an Animagus. He is now Ron¡¯s rat.¡±

    ¡°Animagus?! This is important information!¡± Dumbledore closed his eyes and mused. ¡°Evan, your information verifies my conjecture. To be honest, I didn¡¯t really pay much attention to Peter Pettigrew. That¡¯s my fault; I could¡¯ve prevented that child from falling to what he did today.¡±

    Evan waited for him to continue, but Dumbledore seemed to fall into memory and did not speak.

 Chapter 136: Dumbledoreâ€™s Expectations

    <h4>Chapter 136: Dumbledore¡¯s Expectations</h4>

    The room suddenly quieted down, and the figures on the walls opened their eyes to check what was going on.

    Evan and Dumbledore sat silently at the ends of the table, neither of them spoke.

    Dumbledore closed his eyes and no one could figure out what he was thinking; Evan looked like he was staring at the curious silver instruments on the table that were emitting little puffs of smoke.

    But in fact, he was thinking about Peter Pettigrew. Peter was in Hogwarts. With Harry¡¯s father James Potter, Sirius ck, and Professor Lupin, they were a small group of four, just like himself now with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

    The rtionship between the four of them was very good, but due to Peter¡¯s betrayal, the other three¡¯s fate was very tragic.

    Dumbledore has just said that that was mainly due to his fault. What did he mean by that?

    Was it just simple regret or was there something deeper?

    Evan waited a while and saw that Dumbledore was still not talking. He had to try and say, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how it all went down, Professor! But I don¡¯t think you need to me yourself for Pettigrew. We all choose our own paths, and we all have to walk down those paths and bear the joy and sorrow that they bring. If one loses his path, he¡¯d have only himself to me!¡±

    ¡°Though it is true, but as an elder, before you walk, I should help you as much as possible and guide you to the right direction. That is my duty!¡± Dumbledore opened his eyes and continued, ¡°You must know that choosing the right path is much more important than the effort put into walking! Peter Pettigrew initially wanted to find courage, but he eventually lost his way in his pursuit of power.¡±

    Evan was startled as what Dumbledore just said was not much different from what he heard from Lunast year.

    ¡°Evan, when are you and Sirius going to start?¡± Dumbledore asked all of a sudden.

    ¡°At eight o¡¯clock tomorrow evening, he wille to Gryffindor¡¯s Common Room. I n with him.¡±

    ¡°Well, you only need to do what you think you should, and leave the rest up to me!¡± Dumbledore didn¡¯t ask Evan for any more details.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor!¡± Evan hurriedly said. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why don¡¯t we just proceed directly to catching Peter? He¡¯s in Ron¡¯s bedroom right now. Ron is still under his control. I think the sooner we act the better!¡±

    ¡°That is indeed a good suggestion. But sometimes, simple and effective methods are not suitable for dealing withplicated issues.¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan and said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s worrying me more than ck and Peter right now is Ron!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried about Ron?!¡± Evan said. He didn¡¯t understand what Dumbledore meant.

    If he was so worried about Ron, why didn¡¯t he just interfere when they were in Lupin¡¯s office? Why didn¡¯t he tell Ron that he was under the effect of the Imperius curse?

    And now, he doesn¡¯t want to go straight to catch Peter and rescue Ron!

    ¡°As I just said Evan, I made mistakes when dealing with Peter. Some mistakes wemit are one that we never get the opportunity to correct, but they still leave important lessons behind for us so that we nevermit them again.¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°I don¡¯t want Ron to be another Peter.¡±

    ¡°Professor, you mean¡­¡±

    ¡°The best way to fight back the Imperius Curse is not finding out about it. It is having the strong will to resist its invasion.¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan, ¡°Unlike you and Harry, Ron doesn¡¯t have enough willpower. I hope that the two of you can help him.¡±

    ¡°Help Ron?¡± Evan repeated. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±

    ¡°You just have to do what you think you should.¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Along with Tom, you are the best young wizard I¡¯ve ever met. I believe in you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try!¡± Evan sighed.

    Looking at Dumbledore, he knew that he had been already counting on him. It is no wonder that he focused on Peter Pettigrew and med himself for what happened with him. He was waiting for Evan here, hoping that this conversion would end up with them talking about saving Ron.

    Evan sighed as things seemed to have be more and more troublesome. All he thought he needed to do was catching Peter Pettigrew and clearing ck¡¯s name. Now, in addition to those things, he also must help Ron resist the Imperius curse.

    In his opinion, this was making things more risky. Itplicates simple issues, and makes idents more probable.

    Although Dumbledore had said that everything else could be left to him, Evan still felt bad about this.

    Peter Pettigrew was not a simple opponent. He has to be cautious! However, since it¡¯s Dumbledore who¡¯s asking him, he had no way to refuse.

    Besides, what Dumbledore said makes sense. Evan can¡¯t just watch Ron be a Dark wizard selling out his best friends to Voldemort just like Peter, and then end up probably dying at the hands of his new master. Yes, maybe he doesn¡¯t have much affection for Ron, but for Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley¡¯s sake, he cannot just watch as Ron continues to fall.

    This is the second time that Ron is being controlled, it seemed like there was no guarantee that he won¡¯t just be controlled by other Dark wizards.

    As an extremely evil Dark Magic, the Imperius Curse definitely leaves its permanent marks on its victim¡¯s soul. The more times it¡¯s used on Ron, the less he¡¯ll be able to resist it in the future. And Ron wasn¡¯t bing an idiot because of the curse; it was actually making him look more like a Dark Wizard!

    Judging from the storyline that he knows, with the return of Voldemort, the situation in the next following years should get increasingly grim.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Evan thought, ¡°Why should I wait for Voldemort¡¯s return before thinking of ways to defeat him?

    After all, that just seems like the most dangerous way to think. Over two years of experience made Evan convinced that relying on the original storyline to predict what¡¯s going to happen is no longer a safe bet.

    Yes, he did know how the events developed in the original story, but that¡¯s not the case for his life as well. Every word you say, everything you do, has either a good or bad impact on the people around you. They will also react and things will go differently.

    Peter Pettigrew is a perfect example: In the original story, he never controlled Ron.

    Andpared to Voldemort, he is nothing.

    Perhaps, after dealing with this year¡¯s incident, he should face the future less passively.

    After all, he was doomed to change the future anyway. He had to catch Peter Pettigrew and clean the name of Sirius ck. So why not go all out and try to prevent Voldemort¡¯s return from ever happening?

 Chapter 137: Howlers to the Headmaster

    <h4>Chapter 137: Howlers to the Headmaster</h4>

    Because of Professor Lupin¡¯s issue, the mood in the castle was gloomy.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how many other people couldn¡¯t sleep on that night. Anyway, he didn¡¯t get good sleep himself.

    Hermione who was lying in her bed beside him seemed to be the same. She kept turning all night worrying about Lupin and Ron.

    In the second half of the night, Evan was awakened by a nightmare again.

    He sat up in the middle of his bed, and through the dim candlelight in the hallway, he stared at the snow fluttering outside the window.

    He thought of his discussion with the Headmaster. He did not know if his lumency worked. However, the discussion was dominated by Dumbledore anyway.

    Also, he had no idea about the Headmaster¡¯s ns.

    Evan was not convinced by his reason for not capturing Peter Pettigrew directly, which was to allow him and Harry to help Ron resist the Imperius curse. But doing that is just too risky.

    As a masterful strategist, Dumbledore must be hiding something else that he did not tell Evan about.

    He sighed! No matter how much he thought, he couldn¡¯t figure out what that was. But the only thing he was sure about was that Dumbledore had him included as a part of his n to defeat Voldemort because of his rtionship with Harry and his outstanding performance over the past two years.

    Well, if he just can¡¯t understand it, he¡¯s better off not thinking about it!

    Dumbledore had his strategy, and Evan should just work with his own n.

    He was no toy for Dumbledore to manipte at will, and then ultimately be another sacrificialmb of his confrontation with Voldemort.

    Evan was prepared to act ording to his own mind. He wanted to change his destiny and everyone¡¯s fate.

    No matter what, he will not sacrifice Sirius ck, Fred, Colin, etc¡­ nor will he just stand and watch Hermione marry Ron. All these things must be changed, and he¡¯s going to start with Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°By the end of this year, I¡¯ll prevent Voldemort from returning and I¡¯ll be much stronger¡­¡±

    Evan was thinking that, and his eyelids were getting heavier.

    The battle with Greyback made him terribly tired andpletely exhausted. After a few moments of determination, he fell back asleep.

    The following morning, Evan was awakened by a tremor inside the castle.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He hurriedly got out of his bed and held his wand in his hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Hermione shook her head as she just woke up.

    ¡°Both of you better not move! Lie back in your beds!¡± Madam Pomfrey came in from the outside looking worried. ¡°I knew these voices would wake you up. It¡¯s terrible, a huge mess outside.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of Lupin, that poor man!¡± Madam Pomfrey handed Evan thetest issue of the Daily Prophet and said, ¡°Look! Now almost everyone knows that he is a werewolf.¡±

    Evan hurriedly looked down at the newspaper in his hands and Hermione joined in. The whole issue was dedicated to report the news about the previous day¡¯s werewolf riot, events, casualties, in-depth analysis, etc., as well as articles criticizing Fudge and the Ministry of Magic.

    The worries and anger started building up back when Sirius ck escaped from prison all of a sudden.

    The one who took most of the me was Cornelius Fudge. People were extremely enraged with the Ministry.

    And along with Fudge, Dumbledore was also criticized. Although the wording on the Daily Prophet was more subtle, many people, especially parents, were deeply shocked by the fact that he had hired a werewolf. The Pure-Blood families, led by Malfoy, collectively went as far as asking him to resign.

    In short, both Fudge and Dumbledore were under a lot of pressure and the situation was really bad!

    As for professor Lupin, being the only werewolf caught by the Ministry, many wizards called for his immediate sending to Azkaban. Many even suggested that he should be sentenced to death or left for the Dementor¡¯s kiss to deal with him.

    Reading that paragraph in particr, Hermione¡¯s face went pale.

    She remembered what professor Lupin once said about those who were kissed by a Dementor, and how they would be walking dead with their souls lost forever.

    If that was to be his fate¡­ Hermione didn¡¯t want to imagine such a thing.

    Just as she was going to talk to Evan, another heavy tremor hit the castle. It was like an earthquake. Even the walls were trembling.

    A few seconds after the shock, a loud and wacky echo came from below, sounding like¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s that voice?¡± Hermione raised her head and asked worriedly.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a Howler! Since the morning, owls have been constantly bringing the parents¡¯ letters to the school. It¡¯s been terrible!¡± said Madame Pomfrey, ¡°While each professor had his fair share, most of them were directed to the Headmaster.¡±

    ¡°Howlers sent to the Headmaster?!¡± Hermione didn¡¯t seem to have a reaction to that, ¡°Where¡¯s Professor Dumbledore?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?! He hasn¡¯t returned since he leftst night,¡± said Madam Pomfrey, worried. ¡°He must be busy with these matters about werewolves and Professor Lupin. Although he isn¡¯t in Hogwarts, letters are stilling endlessly. They¡¯re about to flood the Great Hall!¡±

    Right as Madam Pomfrey finished her words, Harry entered the ward.

    He looked bad, depressed, and distracted, and had heavy dark circles under his eyes.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan! Good morning, Hermione!¡± Harry said weakly.

    ¡°Good morning, Harry! Your face looks very bad!¡± Hermione looked anxiously at his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s really bad. If you saw that scene in the Great Hall, your face would look just as bad as mine!¡± Harry sat down on the chair next to Evan¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Snape and Malfoy¡¯s plot had seeded. At breakfast, hundreds of owls arrived with Howlers, all using Dumbledore and Professor Lupin! You didn¡¯t see the disgusting look on the faces of Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin students!¡±

    ¡°But with their exception, everyone believes in Professor Lupin¡¯s innocence!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. No one wants to believe us! All the adults are listening to Ron¡¯s nonsense. using Professor Lupin of attacking the students¡­¡± Harry said angrily, ¡°I really want to beat him up until he gets back to his senses!¡±

    ¡°Harry, there must be some misunderstanding with that!¡± She said worriedly, ¡°Ron is¡­¡±

    She stopped. When Evan came backst night, he told her about his conversation with Dumbledore. She knew that Ron must¡¯ve been so abnormalst night because of that spell.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she could talk about it, the n between Evan, Dumbledore and Sirius ck!

 Chapter 138: Plan Begins

    <h4>Chapter 138: n Begins</h4>

    ¡°Don¡¯t make up excuses for that guy, Hermione!¡± Harry shouted. He felt a ze of anger burning in his chest. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it long ago. Like Sirius ck, he used to be my father¡¯s best friend, he is still my godfather, but who could have thought that in the end he would sell my parents out to Voldemort? Ron and ck are the same, I always thought Ron was my best friend, but he betrayed mest night and betrayed Professor Lupin!¡±

    Because he was too agitated, Harry¡¯s body was trembling all over.

    To his eyes, what Ron didst night was not that different from what ck did to his parents twelve years ago.

    He sold him and professor Lupin out to Snape and Lucius Malfoy!

    Such a deed is absolutely unforgivable!

    ¡°Harry, ck didn¡¯t betray your parents, he¡­¡±

    Hermione had not yet finished her words, and she was abruptly interrupted by Harry. He said violently, ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, Hermione! Yesterday morning, Professor Lupin told me everything, Twelve years ago, it was ck who sold my parents out to Voldemort. He also killed¡­¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew!¡± Evan whispered.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡± Harry moaned, and he turned to look at Evan and continued, ¡°Peter was my father¡¯s good friend before his death. He went to ck to avenge my parents, but he was no opponent for that despicable viin.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not as noble as you think,¡± said Evan slowly. ¡°He did not avenge your parents. In fact, Peter is not dead.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry looked up in confusion.

    He did not understand what Evan meant. How possible could it be that Peter Pettigrew was alive!

    ¡°You heard me well, Harry!¡± Evan raised his head and looked around. Madam Pomfrey returned to her office. Only the three of them were in the ward. He said in whispering. ¡°Yesterday afternoon, Hermione and I met Sirius ck in Hogsmeade¡­¡±

    Evan told Harry the whole truth of the incident of ck and Peter.

    Now that Dumbledore knows about this matter, there was no longer a need to hide the truth from Harry.

    He only had to be careful so that Ron wouldn¡¯t know about it. Now that Dumbledore doesn¡¯t just want them to catch Peter, but also wants them to help Ron resist the Imperius Curse, he felt that it was an impossible mission without Harry¡¯s assistance.

    ¡°Peter is still alive; he is actually Ron¡¯s rat!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t believe it when he heard Evan¡¯s words.

    It was absolutely unthinkable andpletely different from what he heard from Professor Lupin.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Evan lowered his voice again. ¡°And he is still controlling Ron. That¡¯s why Ron was acting so abnormalst night and that¡¯s also why he used Professor Lupin!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harry immediately stood up, and he said eagerly. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder that I have always felt that Ron had something wrong. I remember that he was controlled by Tom Riddlest year. He must have been under Peter¡¯s control all this time. That¡¯s why he sold Professor Lupin out. We must save him.¡±

    Harry had his doubts about what the two said to him, but that was only until he heard that Ron was being controlled.

    Deep down inside, Harry never could believe that Ron would betray him.

    Everything became clear, Peter is the ultimate culprit. It was him who killed his parents and framed Sirius ck in Azkaban for the past 12 years. Now he has again framed Professor Lupin by controlling his best friend.

    It was simply unforgivable. All old and new grudges melt together and Harry felt an unprecedented hatred flowing all over his body.

    He must catch Peter Pettigrew. He wants to avenge his parents. He wants to clear ck¡¯s name and he will save Ron.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Evan hurriedly stopped Harry. ¡°We can¡¯t just rush over like this. It¡¯s very easy to have an ident and give Peter the opportunity to escape. I talked to Professor Dumbledorest night. We¡¯ll catch Peter. But at the same time, we must also help Ron resist the Imperius curse. If he does not wake up on his own, this ck magic will affect his soul!¡±

    ¡°What should we do to save Ron?¡± said Harry eagerly.

    ¡°If you simply want to undo the curse, there are many ways.¡± Evan thought for a moment and continued, ¡°But if you want the cursed man to wake up, there is only one way. That is relying on his own willpower. His willpower must be strong enough.¡±

    ¡°Strong enough?!¡± Harry repeated his expression, puzzled. ¡°What should I do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how to go about it.¡± Evan sighed. ¡°Perhaps, before we catch Peter, we can try saying something to Ron. Then Ron will have to choose between us and Peter Pettigrew! I believe he can wake up on his own. When the Basilisk was about to attack Ginnyst year, Ron broke free of Tom Riddle¡¯s control.¡±

    ¡°Evan, will Dumbledore help us?¡± Hermione asked worriedly.

    ¡°Maybe, he will!¡± Evan murmured.

    In fact, he had no idea about the Headmaster¡¯s n, nor was he sure what he meant when he saidst night ¡°Leave the rest up to me!¡±

    Did he mean that he would protect them secretly? This looks like Dumbledore¡¯s style. In Harry¡¯s first year, to make Harry stronger, he turned a blind eye to all of Quirrell¡¯s abnormal behaviors, but he silently watched over Harry and his two friends without their knowledge.

    Dumbledore is not currently in Hogwarts, perhaps deliberately to give Pettigrew a fake sense of security.

    ¡°Dumbledore wille out to help us at the crucial moment. Before that, ck and I already made a n.¡± Evan looked at Harry and Hermione. ¡°Now, we just need to make sure that both Ron and Peter would be in the Common room.¡±

    ¡°When I left this morning, Ron was still in bed.¡± Harry said, ¡°Remember that today is the first day of the Christmas holidays. Everyone else is going home for the holidays. There will only be four of us in the Gryffindor Tower.¡±

    They nervously waited throughout the time that followed. The three of them looked over the n¡¯s details again and again.

    Madam Pomfrey examined both Evan and Hermione and waited until lunch, before allowing them to leave.

 Chapter 139: Unhappy Lunch

    <h4>Chapter 139: Unhappy Lunch</h4>

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione left the school hospital. When they arrived at the Great Hall, they found that the long tables used by the four Houses were moved to the wall. Only one square table four twenty people, was avable in the center of the room. Those who decided to spend the Christmas holidays in the castle this year were sitting around the table.

    Evan did not see Dumbledore. His seat was empty.

    Apart from him, Professor McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Hagrid were all there, as was the caretaker Filch.

    Filch had already taken off his usual brown coat and wore a very old and quite outdated tuxedo. Next to Professor Flitwick were two very nervous first-year students, both from Ravenw; on Snape¡¯s left was a sixth-year student from the sinister Slytherin House.

    There was also Ron, sitting alone at the very end of the table. No one wanted to be near him.

    Harry hesitated for a moment and walked over to Ron, his face full of worry.

    Evan hurriedly pulled Harry. He couldn¡¯t just go over. Because of what happened to Professor Lupinst night, Harry had to have a normal reaction. It should look like he hates Ron.

    If he was to get close, he would beat the grass and frighten away the snake. That¡¯s to say, Peter Pettigrew is a sly opponent and they have to be careful.

    The three of them looked at each other, away from Ron, and sat down side by side with Hagrid.

    Apart from the erratic smiles on Snape¡¯s mouth, the mood around the table was very heavy and depressed; it didn¡¯t look much like Christmas. Everyone was eating lunch silently and nobody spoke until¡­

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, how are you two?¡± asked Hagrid with a gloomy face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam Pomfrey said we¡¯re okay. We just need to¡­¡± Before Evan finished his words, he saw three owls flying into the Great Hall.

    They had three red envelopes in their mouths, and they flew straight to Dumbledore¡¯s empty seat.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Those Howlers, they¡¯ve been screaming ever since the morning!¡±

    Professor McGonagall stood up. She looked furiously at the three Howlers that the owls threw on the table. The corners of the envelopes were burning slowly.

    She pulled out her wand and waved gently to them.

    Three blue mes sprang up on the red envelopes, tuning them to ashes in the blink of an eye, and sparing those around the table from their horrible sounds.

    ¡°Unbelievable, unbelievable!¡± said Professor Flitwick in a sharp voice, ¡°Are all these people mad?! They actually sent Dumbledore Howlers. I haven¡¯t seen such insanity for years.¡±

    ¡°Stupid owls, and equally stupid Howlers!¡± Snape smirked.

    ¡°I noticed that all these Howlers were sent by parents of students from your House, Severus?!¡± Professor McGonagall said with a grin.

    ¡°Thank you for reminding me. I didn¡¯t notice that before!¡± Snape had a grim smile on his lips. ¡°But, I can understand why the parents of the students did so. In my opinion, what the Headmaster did was really improper. Who would have thought that the school professor could be a werewolf? And who would have thought that this tamed werewolf would attack his own students? With this lesson, I believe that the Headmaster will definitely be very, very careful when employing staff members in the future!¡±

    ¡°Professor Lupin is innocent!¡± Harry looked at Snape angrily and shrieked helplessly. ¡°He didn¡¯t hurt anyone, he¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet, Potter! Five points from Gryffindor.¡± Snape turned to look at Harry and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know about what¡¯s between you and that werewolf, but I have to remind you watch your tone. Don¡¯t yell at me like an uneducated wolf cub!¡±

    Harry sat down sulkily, and forced himself not to look at Snape.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry! With Dumbledore in there, Professor Lupin will be all right.¡± Hagrid whispered consoling him. But he didn¡¯t look very confident. ¡°It¡¯s been really awful; I can¡¯t count how many owls came before these three with Howlers. They¡¯ve beening in steadily!¡±

    ¡°It was like this the whole morning?¡± Evan asked surprised.

    ¡°Yes, you and Hermione weren¡¯t there at breakfast so you didn¡¯t see that scene. In front of the entire school, more than 400 Howlers exploded at the same time!¡±

    ¡°I told them just now.¡± ¡°Harry said weakly.¡± Hagrid, is there any news from Dumbledore or Professor Lupin?

    ¡°There is indeed a bad news,¡± said Hagrid hesitantly. ¡°I just heard that the Ministry is preparing to send Professor Lupin to Azkaban directly!¡±

    ¡°How could they do such a thing without trial?!¡± Harry nced at Ron and his eyes quickly shifted back. He whispered, ¡°Ron¡¯s usation is obviously ridiculous. Professor Lupin will be proven innocent.¡±

    ¡°I know; it¡¯s all Lucius Malfoy. That guy has been ying tricks all along!¡± Hagrid replied angrily. ¡°Not that I don¡¯t believe in Lupin, but if it was me, I¡¯d rather die than go to Azkaban again.¡±

    ¡± Is it dreadful there, Hagrid?¡± Hermione asked cautiously.

    ¡°You can¡¯t imagine it. I¡¯d been there, fifty years ago, for a couple of months when I was wrongly used of using the Acromant to kill a student in the Chamber of secrets.¡± Hagrid said calmly, ¡°Nowhere is that bad, I thought I was going insane, with all sorts of terrible things going through my head. The day I was dismissed from Hogwarts was the day my father died¡­¡±

    ¡°Because of the Dementors?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve seen those monsters this year, but you probably haven¡¯t seen thousands of them together, the feeling of horror¡­¡± Hagrid closed his eyes and the painful memories showed on his face. ¡°Azkaban prison was built on a desert ind far away from the coastline. The ind is full of Dementors. If you stay long enough in there, you would no longer know who you are or what it means to live. I still remember that I often wished I would sleep and never wake up when I was alone. When they released me, it felt like I¡¯ve been revived, and I remembered who I was and why I wanted to live once again. That is really the most wonderful feeling in the world. I Remember the Dementors did not want to let me go.¡±

    ¡°But you weren¡¯t proven guilty! ¡°Said Hermione.

    ¡°Guilty?!¡± Hagrid grunted angrily. ¡°Do you really think that they value such a thing? They don¡¯t care. They¡¯ve already got 500 people there, and they¡¯ve been sucking happiness out of all of them. They don¡¯t care about who is guilty and who is not.¡±

    Hearing Hagrid¡¯s words, Harry felt sick to his stomach and was in cold sweat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Seeing Harry and Hermione¡¯s face, Evan hurriedly said, ¡°Professor Lupin will not be sent to Azkaban. Tonight, we¡¯re going to prove his innocence. ¡±

    Harry did not speak, he was still thinking about Azkaban.

    Suddenly, he remembered that Sirius ck had been held there for twelve years. It must have been terrible for him.

 Chapter 140: Sybill Patricia Trelawney

    <h4>Chapter 140: Sybill Patricia Trwney</h4>

    Just as Evan, Harry, Hermione and Hagrid were talking about Azkaban; the Hall¡¯s door was opened again.

    Professor Trwney came in and she glided over to everyone, as if she was on roller skates.

    She wore a green dress decorated with metal round discs, making her look more like a shiny oversized dragonfly.

    ¡°Good afternoon,dies and gentlemen!¡± said Professor Trwney, using her most misty, ethereal voice. ¡°I have been looking at my crystal ball in the tower. To my surprise, I saw myself abandoning my lunch to take part in your meal. How could I refuse the urge of fate? I immediately came out of my building so I sincerely ask you to forgive me beingte¡­¡±

    No one spoke, and everyone looked at her in surprise.

    Evan noticed that Professor McGonagall¡¯s mouth was tight and her face became even heavier.

    Professor Trwney did not sit down directly. She turned half a turn around the table, putting invisible pressure on everyone. She stood for a long time behind Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Evan. Her big eyes were wandering all over the table.

    Suddenly, she screamed!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Professor?¡± asked the first year student in front of her uneasily.

    ¡°Dear child, you can¡¯t believe it. I saw¡­¡± Her eyes were just staring at Evan. Her expression was as if he had died.

    ¡°Sit down, Sybill!¡± Professor McGonagall suddenly interrupted her. ¡°Those owls and Howlers were disheartening enough. You don¡¯t need to put more pressure on everyone!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t sit down, Minerva!¡± Professor Trwney seemed to have just noticed Professor McGonagall. She said panicking, ¡°I can¡¯t do that. If I sit down, we¡¯ll be thirteen around the table! There¡¯s nothing more unlucky than thirteen! Never forget, if thirteen people eat together, the first one to stand up after the meal will be the first to die!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re willing to take that risk, Sybill.¡± Professor McGonagall said impatiently. ¡°Sit down, it¡¯s Christmas Holyday!¡±

    Professor Trwney hesitated and then she sat down next to Evan. He had a bad feeling about that and he could feel that she had deliberately chosen that spot. She was looking at him with her big crazy eyes and seemed to have something to say to him.

    There was no need to guess, it certainly won¡¯t be good!

    Knowing her, what she had to say to him was definitely something ominous and mysterious.

    Evan tried not to look at her, so he focused his attention on the te in front of him. The situation was already troublesome enough. He did not want to take Professor Trwney¡¯s curse before this evening¡¯s action.

    ¡°Dear¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you want cow tripe, Sybill?¡±

    Professor McGonagall once again interrupted her as she put a serving spoon into the nearest big bowl.

    Professor Trwney ignored Professor McGonagall. She looked at Evan and then looked up around. She asked softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t see our dear Headmaster and Prof. Lupin. Where have they gone?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, everyone knows what happened in the castlest night! I also know where Albus and Lupin are now!¡± Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow and said impatiently, ¡°Even if no one told you, you must have known it, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course I know!¡± Professor Trwney looked at Professor McGonagall indifferently. ¡°But people don¡¯t show off that they know everything. I often behave as if I don¡¯t have this gift. That way, people will not feel nervous.¡±

    ¡°That exins a lot.¡± Professor McGonagall said bitterly, ¡°What is that gift?¡±

    ¡°If you have to know, Minerva!¡± Professor Trwney¡¯s voice suddenly became less blurred.¡± Two months ago, I had already seen the poor Professor Lupin¡¯s ending from the crystal ball. He stood alone in a ce full of fear and despair. ¡±

    Obviously, the ce in her words referred to the Azkaban Wizard Prison.

    That ce is full of Dementors, all there is in there is fear and despair. Hearing her words, everyone gasped. She seemed to have predicted the tragic oue of Professor Lupin. He would spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.

    Apart from Snape¡¯s mouth that was still smirking; the others¡¯ faces were getting heavier.

    Harry looked at Professor Trwney awkwardly; he rarely argued with her. Maybe he thought it was not worth it.

    Throughout the semester, Professor Trwney was prophesying death for him, but nothing happened. Harry was used to it.

    And now, predicting that Prof. Lupin was to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban was like child-y to her.

    Evan heard Harry and Hermione discussing Azkaban with Hagrid quietly. They asked him for further details about the prison and tried hard to imagine Professor Lupin and Sirius ck being locked up there, and then the topic turned to the hippogriff Buckbeak and Hagrid¡¯s ns after Christmas.

    Evan turned around and didn¡¯t look at Professor Trwney next to him. He listened to Harry¡¯s conversation absentmindedly.

    Harry and Hermione seemed to be desperately looking for words to divert attention away from Ron.

    Apart from the three of them, no one around the table spoke and the mood was gloomy.

    That was definitely the most unpleasant meal Evan had ever had. He ate up the contents of his te as fast as possible. He whispered something to Harry and Hermione, refraining from taking a look at Professor Trwney.

    Fortunately, until the end of lunch, Professor Trwney¡¯s behavior was almost normal.

    About ten minutester, Ron was ready to leave the table.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other and quickly stood up.

    ¡°Oh my God! You four people, who was the first amongst you to leave their seat? Who?¡± Professor Trwney suddenly screamed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ron said in a low voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it makes any difference!¡± Professor McGonagall said coldly. ¡°That is unless there is a crazy axe killer waiting outside the door to cut off the head of the one who¡¯s first to leave.¡±

    Everyone smiled a bit. Professor Trwney talked no more and looked greatly offended!

    She looked at Professor McGonagall contemptuously, grabbed a bottle of sherry from the table, and left the Hall without looking back.

    She was followed by Ron. Evan, Harry and Hermione also hurried to follow up. ording to the n that the three discussed in the school hospital this morning, the first step was talking to Ron. While inquiring intelligence, they would strive to keep Ron and Peter in the Gryffindor Common room.

 Chapter 141: Crookshanks and the New Password

    <h4>Chapter 141: Crookshanks and the New Password</h4>

    Evan, Harry and Hermione stepped out of the Great Hall. Actually, there was no crazy axe killer in the hallway.

    Professor Trwney and Ron disappeared around the corner. She went in the direction of the basement, while he followed the stairs back to the Gryffindor Tower.

    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry up!¡± Evan said hurriedly, he noticed that the stairs leading to the second floor were moving.

    The three of them were just one step toote. When they arrived, the stairs had already moved and they had to turn around. That slowed them down and got them five minutes behind Ron.

    Right when they entered the Gryffindor tower, Evan noticed a ginger figureing out from the shadow.

    It was Crookshanks, which had a white piece of paper in its mouth.

    When it saw the three of them; it came closer, purring and strangely meowing.

    Hermione picked the paper up, looked at it curiously and said: ¡°Crookshanks, where did you get this paper? What¡¯s written on it?¡±

    Evan and harry were curious, they looked together and found that a few letters on the paper were wriggling to form together: ¡°Scurvy Cur¡±!

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What does that mean?¡± Harry said strangely.

    ¡°That¡¯s very rude! Maybe it¡¯s some prank made by a student!¡± Hermione said with a frown. ¡°Crookshanks; didn¡¯t I tell you not to pick up random stuff?¡±

    Crookshanks meowed and purredzily in Hermione¡¯s arms.

    Evan didn¡¯t speak. Looking at the dirty little piece of paper, he had a peculiar feeling. Knowing Crookshanks, that clever little pet was no ordinary cat. It shouldn¡¯t be picking up useless notes for no reason.

    Scurvy Cur, is that really just a simple prank?

    Still, someone had deliberately written this note to Crookshanks, hoping it would deliver it to them.

    On their way, they discussed the matter of the paper for a while. When they reached the portrait hole they found Sir Cadogan enjoying a Christmas party with a couple of monks, several previous headmasters of Hogwarts and his fat pony. He pushed up his visor toasted them with a gon of mead.

    ¡°Merry ¡ª hic ¡ª Christmas! Password?¡±

    ¡°Oddsbodkins!¡± Harry said to Sir Cadogan.

    ¡°Wrong password, that¡¯s not it!¡± Sir Cadogan came to him immediately, pulling his big, outrageous sword out of its sheath and violently shrieking and shouting, ¡°Are you prepared to do it? Into this room behind me?! I will not let you in. Stand and fight, you mangy cur!¡± yelled Sir Cadogan.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± said Harry, puzzled. ¡°How could the password be wrong? It was that just this morning.¡±

    ¡°I just changed it and I have notified you of the new password!¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know it! Let us pass, we¡¯re in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t let you in, not without the correct password.¡± Sir Cadogan shouted, ¡°Draw your sword you filthy cur! Face the wrath of Sir Cadogan, I¡¯m going to defeat you! Otherwise, I¡¯ll be dying bravely inbat!¡±

    Harry looked helplessly at Sir Cadogan. Facing such a madman, he waspletely helpless.

    ¡°Perhaps he told Professor McGonagall the new password and we should go back¡­¡± Hermione said with some doubt.

    ¡°Hold on a second, the words on that piece of paper!¡± Evan suddenly remembered.

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry turned and looked at him strangely.

    ¡°The words on the paper may be the new password.¡± Evan said to Sir Cadogan, ¡°Scurvy Cur!¡±

    ¡°And the same to you, sir!¡± roared Sir Cadogan, as the painting swung forward to admit them.

    There was no one in the deserted Common Room.

    ¡°This is stupid; this guy just keeps on changing those ridiculous passwords all the time!¡± Harry was the first to enter the room and said angrily, ¡°This time he¡¯s actually giving the cat the new password, if we didn¡¯t meet Crookshanks, we would¡¯ve¡­¡±

    ¡°That piece of paper could not have been written by Sir Cadogan!¡± Hermione said. ¡°He is a portrait. How can he write?!¡±

    ¡°Who else would it be?¡±

    ¡°It must be Ron!¡± Evan narrowed his eyes and analyzed.¡± Sir Cadogan actually just said it; he said that he had notified us of the password. There are only four Gryffindor students in the castle, and all three of us didn¡¯t know about it. So yeah, it can only be Ron.¡±

    ¡°But why would Ron write the password on a note? Isn¡¯t that too weird?!¡±

    Hermione looked worried. She looked around and whispered, ¡°Evan, what is that guy going to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan shook his head. He felt it was really strange, and he couldn¡¯t understand why Pettigrew would do such a thing.

    Why would he write down the new password and then hand it to Crookshanks?

    No matter how he looked at it, it was meaningless, too dumb, and even too dangerous for Peter Pettigrew to do such a thing!

    He knew too well that ck was looking around Hogwarts for him. He even broke into the castle and tried to enter the Common Room back on Halloween Eve. He couldn¡¯t do it back then because he had no password. Now, it¡¯s one of two possibilities: it¡¯s either that Pettigrew made Ron write the note and then it was found by Crookshanks; or, he deliberately gave it to the cat himself.

    It was too strange. Pettigrew should know well the rtionship between Crookshanks and Sirius ck. The cat had been chasing him in his Animagus form for the past 6 months!

    But now he gives him the password, meaning that he was giving it to Sirius ck!

    In other words, Peter actually wants ck to enter the castle!

    Evan had a bad feeling about this whole matter. What does Peter want to do? Last night, Ron used Professor Lupin of attacking him, and from that moment on, everything has been just too different from the original storyline and progressing in a really unpredictable way. All of these changes were beyond Evan¡¯s control.

    Evan tried to think of the whole matter from Peter¡¯s perspective: He first controlled Ron and framed Professor Lupin, and with that, he managed to get professor Dumbledore away from the castle. Now, he¡¯s taking that opportunity to bring ck inside!

    This all was obviously too abnormal. After all, Pettigrew had been hiding from ck all this time! Why get him into the castle now?

    Evan suddenly remembered that Peter couldn¡¯t have known about his plot with ck, and shouldn¡¯t actually know that ck wasing to the castle tonight. It means that he wanted ck toe into the castle and into the Gryffindor Common Room.

    He is not mad, he has a new plot!

 Chapter 142: A True Prophecy

    <h4>Chapter 142: A True Prophecy</h4>

    Peter Pettigrew cannot be just mad. He is definitely plotting something!

    They have been trying to catch Peter, but from the current situation¡­

    Evan finally understood, wouldn¡¯t Peter also want to capture ck?! Dumbledore was not at Hogwarts this evening, but Snape was there. Peter knew that Snape was against ck and he was ready to take advantage of it.

    Just make Snape know about the news that ck will be sneaking into the castle this evening, and there will be no need for Peter to do it with his own hands. Snape will take care of everything. After all, with how much thetter hates ck, he might just make a first and turn him in to the Dementors outside the castle himself, rather than bringing him for trial.

    If ck is gone, no one will ever know that Peter Pettigrew is still alive. No one would ever be able to prove that he had sold Harry¡¯s parents out. Then, he can actually reappear publicly in a grandiose manner, telling everyone that he has been enduring humiliation for 12 years at a rat, sticking by Harry¡¯s side, silently protecting him from ck¡¯s harm¡­

    Evan¡¯s back was soaked in cold sweats. That was terrible!

    That must definitely be Peter Pettigrew¡¯s plot. Ever sincest night, when the identity of Professor Lupin as a werewolf was revealed to everyone, the plot had already begun.

    Even without their n, this evening, Peter will lure ck to the castle!

    Evan forced himself to calm down. It stands to reason that Peter Pettigrew could not know when ck woulde. After all, even if he passed him the password through Crookshanks, ck won¡¯t necessarily be acting ording to his n. So Peter Pettigrew would need to keep Snape in the Gryffindor Common Room.

    This was too unrealistic. Unless, if he can keep up with Sirius¡¯ moves.

    There are many ways to do this, but for Pettigrew, the only one practical was¡­

    ¡°The Marauder¡¯s Map!¡±

    Evan suddenly realized that he had been ignoring this magical item that can locate all people in the castle!

    When Professor Lupin confiscated the Marauders map yesterday, Ron was also there. Peter must know that it had been in Professor Lupin¡¯s possession. He then made Ron go to Lupin¡¯s office. He must¡¯ve been there to find the Marauder¡¯s map!

    ¡°Ron?!¡± Harry shouted.

    The three of them stood in the bedroom¡¯s doorway. Inside, through the faint lighting from outside the window, Evan saw Ron lying on his back over his four-poster bed. It looked like he was asleep, with the curtains around the bed being put down.

    He could feel that Peter Pettigrew was hiding in Ron¡¯s jacket pocket. Maybe he didn¡¯t get the chance to take the map, maybe he didn¡¯t find the time. He couldn¡¯t just search the office in front of everyone in the school, so the map must be in Professor Lupin¡¯s office.

    Evan hurried to turn around, as long as he finds the Marauder¡¯s map before Peter Pettigrew, there won¡¯t be any bad incidents this evening.

    ¡°Evan, what are you doing?¡± Hermione said in panic.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to Professor Lupin¡¯s office to find the Marauder¡¯s Map!¡± Evan said in a low voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also go with you¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you and Harry stay here to watch Ron!¡± Evan looked at Hermione and told her with unease. ¡°Remember, until Ie back, be careful!¡±

    ¡°I know, you too!¡± Hermione hesitated, then quickly stepped forward to embrace Evan.

    He held her tightly and felt her warmth in his arms, then turned and left the Common Room, rushing to Professor Lupin¡¯s office as fast as he could. He went down the winding staircase, and all he thought about was the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    At the corner of the fourth floor, he and Professor Trwney bumped into each other heavily.

    She seemed to have just returned from the kitchen. She had the smell of Sherry all over her body. She also had two bottles in her hand. She was knocked to the ground when hit by Evan.

    ¡°Be careful and watch where you are going!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor!¡± Evan hurriedly helped her up.

    ¡°Aaah, it¡¯s you, my dear child!¡± Professor Trwney clutched Evan¡¯s arm tightly, and she suddenly approached, her enormous eyes watching him, whispering in a vague voice. ¡°My dear, I found that the signs on you are bing more and more clear¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Professor! I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Evan broke away from her, and the heavy smell in her body made him ufortable.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand!¡± Professor Trwney murmured, ¡°Disaster, misfortune, getting closer¡­¡±

    Ever so fittingly, a cold wind blew, and the nearby candle that was lighting up the surroundings was blown out!

    The dim corridor became even gloomier. In the darkness, Evan could only see Trwney¡¯s vague figure.

    ¡°It¡¯s death, my dear!¡± Professor Trwney¡¯s voice was like a whisper, intermittent, and faint. ¡°It¡¯sing, getting closer, and it¡¯s hovering like a vulture above your head. It¡¯s getting lower and lower, it¡¯s just above the castle!¡±

    Evan did not speak, he looked around uneasily, and he did not want to be seen in such an embarrassing scene by others.

    Fortunately, only the two of them were in the corridor.

    Professor Trwney did not stop talking. Listening to her words, Evan began to feel someone would die in the castle soon.

    This is definitely not good news. Will it be Sirius ck, or¡­

    Of course, to Evan, she¡¯s probably just saying nonsense.

    ¡°My dear, will you choose Divination ss next year?¡± asked Professor Trwney suddenly.

    ¡°Maybe I will!¡± Evan whispered.

    In his heart, he secretly decided that he would never choose Divination ss. That woman would scare him to death in no time.

    From the first day he met her, he never heard a happy prophecy from her.

    ¡°You are the same as Potters¡¯ child; you¡¯ve never got good seers. The halo on your head is very small!¡± said Professor Trwney. ¡°But both of you are very ideal prophetic objects. The signs are clearer on both of you than they are on others.¡±

    She seemed to be praising him, but Evan was not sure if he should be happy.

    It¡¯s only with death prophecies that omens of fate are clear. That is really an unfortunate trait.

    ¡°Professor, I have some urgent things to do. I must go!¡±

    Evan turned and left, but a loud, hoarse voice suddenly spoke up behind him.

    ¡°It will happen soon!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor! What did you say?¡±

    Evan quickly turned around and he saw Professor Trwney as if she had turned to apletely another person. She leaned against the wall, her body went rigid, her eyes were unfocused and her mouth sagging.

    Evan¡¯s heart was thumping. Was he about to hear a prophecy? A true prophecy?!

 Chapter 143: Chosen by the Dark Lord

    <h4>Chapter 143: Chosen by the Dark Lord</h4>

    The chilly wind blew over the castle, and Evan could hear its howling sound.

    In the dusky, narrow corridor, the atmosphere became strange.

    Professor Trwney stood before Evan, her body trembling slightly, and her eyes started to roll. She looked as though she was about to have some sort of seizure.

    Evan was not sure whether he should go or not. As he was hesitating, Professor Trwney began to speak again. Her voice was still hoarse, nothing like usual.

    ¡°The Dark Lord Ising back, but he is unusually weak. He will personally mark the chosen one for this purpose. That Dark Lord will rise again with his servant¡¯s aid, greater and more terrible than ever before. It shall happen soon! In the dark Temple full of taboos, his old ck Magic will be¡­¡±

    Professor Trwney¡¯s head fell forward onto her chest. She made a grunting sort of noise. Then, quite suddenly, her head snapped up again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear boy!¡± She said dreamily, ¡°I must have drunk too much sherry, you know, alcohol makes my brain drowsy, I drifted off for a moment!¡±

    Evan was still standing there staring at her, thinking in his mind about what she had just said.

    ¡°Is there anything wrong, my dear?¡±

    ¡°Professor, you just made a prophecy.¡± Evan hesitated and continued, ¡°You told me that the Dark Lord was going to rise again and it was stronger and more terrible than ever before, because he personally marked a chosen one, and that this chosen one will help him¡­¡±

    Professor Trwney looked thoroughly startled.

    ¡°The Dark Lord? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? My dear boy, that¡¯s hardly something to joke about¡­ Rise again, indeed¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did mention the Dark Lord and his old Magic.¡± Evan frowned.

    Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy was clearly not finished. What he has gathered so far, is that from the information that is currently known, Voldemort will use his old Dark magic to mark a person, and this person will help him to rise again. What is this magic? Who is the person he wants to mark?

    Also, she mentioned the ce where this thing is going to happen. Where is this dark temple full of taboos?

    ¡°I think you must have dozed off too, dear!¡± said Professor Trwney. ¡°I would certainly not presume to predict anything quite as far-fetched as that! We all need to get sober.¡±

    Professor Trwney stumbled away and disappeared into the corner of the hallway.

    Evan did not move, he was still standing there, thinking about what she had just said.

    Unlike Prof. Trwney¡¯s usual prophecies, if this one is true, then it provides a veryrge amount of information, and it also foreshadows what¡¯s forting in the future. Voldemort must be nning something.

    ording to what he knows about the original story, Voldemort will be getting help of his servants Peter Pettigrew and Bartemius ¡°Barty¡± Crouch Junior next year. They¡¯ll be using his father¡¯s bone, Peter¡¯s flesh, and Harry¡¯s blood to get him back.

    But ording to Prof. Trwney¡¯s new prophecy, things will be taking apletely new different path.

    First of all, the prophecy mentions that the Dark lord will return, but abnormally weak.

    His return this time maybe the same as when Harry was a first year, affixed to Quirrell¡¯s head; or with the help of Pettigrew and Barty Crouch Junior, perhaps¡­

    As long as Voldemort is willing to return, anything can happen.

    Evan initially intended to use his advantage of knowing the storyline to undermine the return of Voldemort by catching Peter Pettigrew and Bartemius ¡°Barty¡± Crouch Junior. That way, he could make sure that the following year¡¯s event would never happen.

    But from the current situation, it seems to be useless, and that Voldemort was still returning!

    Also, Professor Trwney just mentioned: The Dark Lord would personally mark the chosen one. With his help, he will rise again and be stronger and more terrible than ever before!

    Who is this chosen one?

    Evan didn¡¯t have a clue; so many people are willing to follow Voldemort.

    For example, there¡¯s the weirdo, Peter Pettigrew. There¡¯s also Voldemort¡¯s loyal servant Barty crouch, the ambitious opportunist Lucius Malfoy, anyone seeking strength like Quirrell, the werewolf Fenrir Greyback who loves the darkness itself, and many more¡­

    If they would get the chance, any of these would be willing to help Voldemort rise.

    He just might choose one from them, marking him while passing his strength off. Knowing the Dark Lord, his followers would actually take pride in the act.

    However, this matter is far from being so simple. Professor Trwney mentioned in the end that it was going down in the dark temple full of taboos, and that the Dark Lord was going to use his old magic¡­

    What is that ce? What¡¯s that Magic? With his current knowledge, Evan can¡¯t associate them to anything he already knows.

    Needless to say, Voldemort had a great wealth of magical knowledge. He mastered a lot of dark magic, some of which not even known to Dumbledore, let alone Evan who¡¯s knowledge is mostly obtained from the library.

    As for the dark temple full of taboos, that sounds like an extremely evil ce.

    Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy wasn¡¯tplete. Evan could not imagine. Where is this dark temple full of taboos? What kind of person would appear in that evil ce?

    What Professor Trwney said was too vague, and Evan had to be careful.

    A prophecy is in itself and illusory thing. The difference between its meaning and his interpretation could have heavy impacts on the future.

    For example, the Prophecy the Professor Trwney made twelve years ago, the one that had decided Voldemort¡¯s and Harry¡¯s fates, that one made Voldemort rush to face Harry as he didn¡¯t hear its entirety. He thought he had a huge advantage over the little baby, but it all ended up with him spending over 12 years as a fugitive.

    Evan thought it over and never found any clue.

    He decided to tell Dumbledore about this prophecy. He should be very interested in it.

    The most urgent thing he needs to do right now is seizing Peter Pettigrew and to not allow his conspiracy to seed or him to escape again. If such a thing happens, this vague future he¡¯s thinking about would only be even grimmer.

 Chapter 144: Whatâ€™s in the Wardrobe

    <h4>Chapter 144: What¡¯s in the Wardrobe</h4>

    Evan thought about the prophecy as he went down the stairs.With that prediction, he started considering taking Divination next year!

    Professor Trwney wasn¡¯t usually that reliable. She was more of a vulgar liar always making up some tragic predictions about her students. But once she enters her real prophetic state and makes a prophecy, her words be crucial in the development of all future events.

    ording to her teachings, the signs of fate should be clearer with the approaching of Voldemort¡¯s return.

    Evan must maintain constant contact with her to ensure that he¡¯d be the first to know the new predictions.

    Five minutester, he came to the door of Professor Lupin¡¯s office. There was no one in the narrow corridor on the third floor. Even the portraits in the hallway were empty.

    The third floor was much colder than the rest of the castle. Evan couldn¡¯t find out where the bleak wind was blowing from there, making it particrly gloomy. He then thought that perhaps it was because Voldemort¡¯s rtionship with the Defence Against Dark Arts course, these rooms were also a little dark, as if all the misfortunes were to happen on this floor.

    ¡°Aberto!¡± He pulled out his wand and gently knocked on Professor Lupin¡¯s office door.

    With a click, the door was opened. All the furnishings inside the house were the same asst night, but the atmosphere was colder and cheerless.

    Evan waved his wand and ignited the firece. The warm mes dispelled the coldness. The green monster, Grindylow, was soothing its limbs in therge water tank at the corner. It floated on the water and continued to bubble upwards. After seeing the light, it immediately buried itself in a mess of nts in the corner of the tank.

    Although it is not very good to search through other people¡¯s things, Evan believed that Professor Lupin would forgive him after knowing his reasons. He stood in front of the firece and carefully checked the room out. There were few ces where things could be hidden, and it did not seem to be a particrly difficult task to find the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    But in reality, that wasn¡¯t even close!

    Ten minutester, Evan still did not find the parchment.

    He had carefully searched Professor Lupin¡¯s desk, and he found nothing except for a few missing teacups, an old-fashioned kettle, textbooks, and after-school students¡¯ assignments.

    Prof. Lupin certainly wouldn¡¯t take the map away. Since it was not on the desk, then it might be ced elsewhere.

    Evan¡¯s eyes went to the old wardrobe next to the tank, where the teachers put extra robes.

    He walked to it, but it suddenly shook and mmed against the wall.

    Evan was shocked. He raised his wand against the old wardrobe and didn¡¯t know what was inside. He cautiously opened its door and there was nothing except a worn, almost faded, small suitcase and two extremely old, patched wizard robes.

    From these things, one can see just how tight Prof. Lupin¡¯s financial situation was.

    No one wants to hire a werewolf. He had been wandering alone. Even the only two sets of robes left on his body were fifteen years old. Evan vaguely remembered seeing Professor Lupin when going through Harry¡¯s album. He was attending the Potters wedding.

    It was so pitiful, Evan sighed. He simply stepped forward and found the map in a robe.

    It was exactly the piece that Professor Lupin wore yesterday. Evan has never been so happy before. The old wardrobe in front of him shook again. This time, he noticed the location of the robe¡¯s dangling. He lowered his head and found a smallpartment under the wardrobe.

    He hesitated and pulled the door open. It was very dark and something seemed to be hidden in it. It was like¡­

    Evan took two steps back in a rush, gasping and his eyes wide open.

    ¡°This¡­ This is impossible!¡± He just saw a face in the wardrobe.

    Hermione¡¯s face!! !

    It was not her familiar smiling face, but a face full of fear, bloodied, and as pale as a dead man¡¯s face.

    That was terrible. Evan never expected to see such a thing. The feeling of fear rose from the depths of his heart. He gulped, and his whole body was in sweat. His right hand that was holding his wand trembled slightly. He wanted to be sure of what he saw, but was afraid to see that face again.

    He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

    This fact is too absurd. How could Hermione run to be there in Professor Lupin¡¯s wardrobe? She clearly stayed with Harry in the Gryffindor Common Room upstairs and had just embraced him.

    Could it be that Hermione was dead and her body was cut into pieces and hidden in the castle?! And the one who has been in contact with him is actually someone pretending using the Polyjuice potion? Or is it that Professor Lupin has a special appetite and he hid Hermione¡¯s face in his wardrobe?!

    Evan shook his head hard to sway those absurd ideas.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± he muttered softly, and the tip of his wand glowed brightly, lighting the dim officepletely, and he was ready to go and confirm what he saw.

    He has not acted yet. He saw Hermione crawling out of the old wardrobe in a strange posture.

    In the strong light, Evan clearly saw a grinning smile on her lips, her face was cold, and her body was all bloody.

    She was approaching him. Because of her injuries, she took every step with extreme difficulty.

    Evan stepped back and involuntarily tightened his wand.

    ¡°Hermione?!¡± he tried to shout, but his voice was so low that he couldn¡¯t hear himself.

    There was no response from her. She was still getting close to Evan and her body was stiff like a walking corpse.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not Hermione! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Evan suddenly shouted, and his body¡¯s magical power gathered at the tip of his wand.

    Hearing him, ¡°Hermione¡± stopped suddenly. Regardless of what she was, she seemed to feel the danger from the wand in Evan¡¯s hand.

    The next second, her body began to deform.

    When Hermione disappeared, her body was shrunk into what seemed like a ck dot in the air, and then a stout humanoid monster appeared in front of Evan, who saw him with long ck hair. Further up, it was a ferocious, terrifying head! It was Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf that attacked him and Hermione yesterday in Hogsmeade.

    His eyes were full of blood and madness. They looked a 1000 times more terrible and fierce than Hermione¡¯s.

    But Evan didn¡¯t feel scared. He didn¡¯t know why. He suddenly wanted tough.

    He knew exactly what it was. It was a Boggart!

    Harry told him the other day that in order to help him practice the Patronus spell, Professor Lupin found a new Boggart in Filch¡¯s filing cab. They had been using it to simte Dementors.

 Chapter 145: Peter Pettigrew

    <h4>Chapter 145: Peter Pettigrew</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of werewolves, nor am I afraid of Greyback!¡± Evan whispered. ¡°The reason why that guy got me scared yesterday was because I was afraid I couldn¡¯t protect Hermione.¡±

    Evan¡¯s inner fear was not the danger itself!

    In fact, he fears that when dangeres, he will not be able to protect the people he wants to protect. This was his greatest worry.

    Yesterday in Hogsmeade, he was afraid that Hermione would be hurt and bitten by the werewolf.

    Since she wasn¡¯t here right now, he had no such worry.

    Evan¡¯s calmness made the Boggart perplexed. With a bang, its body began to change again, and it wanted to take on the form of what Evan really feared.

    Evan did not act. He looked at it with interest and wanted to see what it could be.

    A momentter, a tall, thin man emerged, whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was t as a snake¡¯s but with slits for nostrils. All over and out his body, his cold chilling temperament was overwhelming.

    Evan was a bit surprised that this Boggart turned into Voldemort.

    Voldemort¡¯s face was cruel and proud; his bright red eyes stared at Evan.

    The air seemed to be thinning all at once and the atmosphere was getting heavier. Evan did not shy away. He didn¡¯t even blink an eye. He looked back at Voldemort¡¯s eyes and looked calm and indifferent. Perhaps it was because he knew that the one he was facing was a Boggart, but there was not much fear in his heart.

    The two looked at each other for a moment, until Evan was bored.

    There was no point in what the Boggart was doing. The one before Evan was not Voldemort, but a weak little monster.

    He hoped that whenever he would meet the real deal, he¡¯d be still able to look into his eyes as fearlessly as he does now.

    ¡°Riddikulus!¡± Evan gently waved his wand.

    The evil and murderous Voldemort turned into a funny clown, with a ridiculous hat on its head. It hadrge clown suit with red and green paint on its face. It¡¯s tworge eyes were ck like those of a panda. It was a scene to beughed at by anyone.

    Evan¡¯s lips were raised slightly, revealing a smile.

    If Voldemort knew he had turned him into such a look¡­

    It was so funny that he didn¡¯t know what he was going to do with it. He looked at it for a while and was ready to take care of this Boggart, when suddenly, he had a strange feeling, he felt danger.

    Even didn¡¯t even think about it, and he fell to the ground by instinct. Before he knew it, a red light brushed his body as it flew past him, hitting the Boggart in front of him.

    With a bang, the Boggart flew backwards and fell heavily on the floor.

    its form was lost in mid-air, and Evan saw the clown Voldemort, that had only half its body left, and struggling to escape to the old wardrobepartment as fast as possible. Because of the excessive force, the entire wardrobe was making a buzzing sound

    Evan did not have time to take care of this fleeing Boggart. With the help of the tracing potion, he felt that the man was standing behind him.

    He turned around quickly and took a few steps back, his wand close to his chest, and his was fully vignt.

    Before him, a hideous middle-aged man was standing in front of the door of Professor Lupin¡¯s office.

    The man was really short, not even much taller than the young Evan himself. His thin pale hair acquired arge bald patch. He looked as though he was an obese man who had lost plenty of weight in a short time.

    He had grubby skin, small watery eyes, and a pointed nose, all of which were lingering attributes of his Animagus rat form.

    Almost instantly, Evan recognized him: It was Peter Pettigrew that just attacked him!

    He must have taken the opportunity to sneak up on him while he was too focused on the Boggart.

    His eyes quickly looked at the door behind Pettigrew. That door that was initially open was now closed tightly.

    Evan could not help but to hold his wand in his hand, but he didn¡¯t understand why Pettigrew appeared here. Arguably, shouldn¡¯t he be staying with Ron in the Common Room upstairs?! Did he juste here like Evan for the Marauder¡¯s Map?

    He tried to look as confused as possible, as if he had never known Peter.

    But on the other side, Pettigrew¡¯s face looked horrified. He didn¡¯t think that Evan would be able to escape his curse. It was at point nk and yet, he was able to avoid it unexpectedly. If this was no coincidence, then this child¡¯s fighting instincts are absolutely terrible and way beyond anything he had imagined.

    Seeing Evan staring at him, Peter hurriedly hid his wand behind his back.

    Evan recognized it, it was Ron¡¯s. On thest day of summer, He had shown it to Evan and Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. He remembered that the wand was made out of willow, was 14 inches long, and had unicorn hair core.

    ¡°Dear child, are you okay?¡± Peter said with a panicky, ufortably shrieking voice. ¡°It¡¯s terrible! I just saw that who should not be named!¡±

    ¡°It was just a Boggart. Maybe Lord Voldemort is what my heart fears the most.¡± Evan¡¯s wand was pointing steadily at Peter and he asked gently, ¡°Who are you? Howe I¡¯ve never seen you before in the castle?¡±

    Hearing Voldemort¡¯s name, Peter was shaken, and his face looked even more rmed.

    He looked at Evan¡¯s confused face; it didn¡¯t look like the kid knows him. Pettigrew hesitated, holding his wand hidden behind his back, and he was thinking about whether he should just stun the boy who had just taken the Marauders Map, or take it from him with words.

    Remembering how Evan responded to hisst curse, Peter decided to adopt the more secure approach.

    He couldn¡¯t take any risks. Regardless of Evan¡¯s actual level, the fight should make a noise. Being heard should be really bad for him.

    Before catching Sirius ck and getting him killed, he shouldn¡¯t get exposed. He must wait patiently and wait for his foe, just like it was twelve years ago, when it ended by him being eventually chosen as the secret keeper.

    Pettigrew looked at Evan again and nodded with satisfaction. His heart fell back to its ce. He had managed to fool Dumbledore, James, Lily, ck, and Lupin. This one was just a child. No matter how smart he was, he¡¯d never see through his disguise.

    That¡¯s all he needs to do. After all, what everyone thought was that he had been killed by Sirius when trying to avenge James and Lily.

    He was a Hero, but not dead. And he¡¯s back now to save Harry and his young friends from ck¡¯s ws.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Evan asked gently.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew, my dear child!¡± he had a strange smile on his lips. ¡°I¡¯m d to meet you!¡±

 Chapter 146: Peterâ€™s Lies

    <h4>Chapter 146: Peter¡¯s Lies</h4>

    Although Peter said that he was, Evan wasn¡¯t d to see him at all.

    In his n, Pettigrew and him shouldn¡¯t meet at that time, but a few hourster, at the time of his victory. Sirius ck, Harry, Hermione and others would be present. But now, he is meeting Peter alone.

    Evan quickly thought about the situation, he might be able to take the risk of trying to defeat Peter right now. But that way, he won¡¯t be able to guarantee that he would not escape.

    It would be so terrible if he could flee away in his Animagus form.

    Evan was ready tomunicate with him, while looking for an opportunity to attack or trying to gain time. Harry and Hermione know that he hase to Prof. Lupin¡¯s office. If he doesn¡¯te back to them, they will certainlye to him with Sirius after he enters the castle.

    So be it! As none of them was sure of winning the duel and both wanted tomunicate, the unimaginable suddenly happened in Professor lupin¡¯s office: the two people who were obviously on the alert to the extreme suddenly began to chat happily together and the initially tense mood seemed to be rxed.

    But in reality, both of them were sping their wands secretly, and their minds were highly focused with no ck.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew?!¡± Evan said in astonishment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of you. You are the wizard killed by Sirius ck twelve years ago, aren¡¯t you?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me!¡± Finding out that Evan knew about that gave Peter a sense of satisfaction. This would save him a lot of trouble. He had a strange smile on the corner of his mouth and asked,¡± Aren¡¯t you Evan Mason, dear boy?¡±

    Evan nodded briefly as in telling him to carry on.

    ¡°You know, Evan!¡± Peter drew a nce at the wand in Evan¡¯s hand, and quickly moved his eyes elsewhere as though he didn¡¯t notice Evan¡¯s hostility towards him, and continued, ¡°That year, ck sold Harry¡¯s parents James and Lily out, then he wanted to kill me, but he did not seed and I ran away at thest minute.¡±

    ¡°But, everybody said that you were killed?¡± Evan said slowly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t die. I was just hiding away.¡± Peter¡¯s voice trembled and he looked at Evan tearfully. ¡°I had to do that. After all, I caught ck. I personally sent him to Azkaban. That madman must have hated my guts.¡±

    ¡°hiding?!¡± Evan looked at him strangely. ¡°Since ck had been caught, why did you hide, you¡¯ve even been hiding for twelve years?!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, dear boy! ¡°The voice of Pettigrew was sharper than before.¡± I had to hide. ck defected to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Thetter taught him some tricks. He had Dark Magic that we could only dream of. His Magic is very evil and strong. I¡¯m no opponent for him! ¡±

    ¡°Evil and strong Magic?!¡±Evan squinted.¡± You mean Voldemort¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention this name!¡± Peter Pettigrew was pale, as if Evan hadshed him with a whip. He wiped his sweat off his face with his sleeve and continued, ¡°In a word, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named gave ck a lot of Dark Magic. That is why he escaped from Azkaban. ¡±

    ¡°Well, since you hid, why did you suddenly appear in the castle now?¡± Evan said tly.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to save you! ¡°Peter Pettigrew took out the wand from behind his back. His face was full of grin; it looked very distorted and ugly.¡± We all know that ck escaped to kill Harry. He wants to avenge You-Know-Who, I cannot let his conspiracy seed. I must stop him. Even at the risk of further danger, I will not hesitate to, because I was Harry¡¯s parents best friend before they passed away. Before that tragic incident happened, they had entrusted their child to me¡­¡±

    Looking at Peter Pettigrew¡¯s appearance, Evan felt sick. .

    Twelve years ago, he had sold his friends James and Lily out to Voldemort, making Harry be an orphan; he got Sirius ck framed and had him spend twelve years in Azkaban; just yesterday, he also controlled Ron to reveal Professor Lupin¡¯s werewolf status and use him of assaulting his students.

    Now, he wants to continue to deceive him and use Harry to nder Sirius ck again. Can a man be so shameless to speak out with such words?

    Evan took a deep breath and resisted the urge to beat Peter Pettigrew. His heart was full with anger. He really felt bad for Harry¡¯s parents, Sirius ck, Prof. Lupin, and all those who had been sold out by him. At Hogwarts, they obviously took Peter as a friend.

    But this man has his own selfish interests before all. He betrayed them. He is the chief culprit of their tragic fates.

    The muttering of Peter Pettigrew made Evan upset, his right hand held his wand tightly and he said bluntly. ¡°So; you really have a good heart!¡±

    ¡°Believe me, Evan! It was my effort that got ck captured and it was I who put him in Azkaban!¡± Pettigrew continued. ¡°I¡¯m here to save you. You just have to¡­¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t Said, how did you get into the castle?¡± Evan interrupted. ¡°There is a strong protective magic around Hogwarts. No one cane in.¡±

    ¡°This is not a problem for me. You know¡­¡± Peter¡¯s eyes once again looked at Evan¡¯s hand holding his wand firmly. He hesitated and said, ¡°I¡¯m an Animagus!¡±

    ¡°Animagus?¡±

    ¡°It is a spell that can turn a wizard into an animal!¡± Pettigrew lowered his voice, and didn¡¯t want anybody to hear what he was going to say next. ¡°My Animagus form is a Rat, I¡¯m Ron¡¯s pet, Scabbers. Over the years, I¡¯ve been around you, protecting you day and night. ¡±

    ¡°Protect us day and night, as a rat?!¡± Evan sneered. In addition to eat, he did not know what a pet rat could do, he continued, disdainfully, ¡°So you are Scabbers!! It¡¯s amazing to me that a person would endure spending 12 years as a rat.¡±

    ¡°I had to do that. I¡¯ve long guessed that ck wille out. I must protect you.¡± Pettigrew licked his lips, looking eagrly at the Marauder¡¯s Map in Evan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Believe me, son! Counting it out, it¡¯s almost two years since we met. You¡¯ve held me before, and you fed me. Remember that, a few days ago, you even made a rat tonic for me. ¡±

    Evan nodded and he was d that he did it.

    If it weren¡¯t for the bottle of a tonic supplement with tracking agents, he probably would¡¯ve be a corpse now.

 Chapter 147: Future Star of the Magic

    <h4>Chapter 147: Future Star of the Magic</h4>

    The wand in Pettigrew¡¯s hand pointed at Evan. And he said what he could say, he even revealed that he was an Animagus, but the thin ck haired boy before him was not moved.

    He seemed to be skeptical about him. Peter knew that it was too sudden.

    ording to the original n, he should have been re-emerged in front of the crowd after Sirius ck was kissed by the Dementors. At that time, he could tell others how he had nned for all of this behind the scenes. He revealed Lupin¡¯s evil werewolf identity, and he introduced ck into the castle and plotted to catch him.

    Half of his n was sessful. Lupin had been removed. Even the pesky Dumbledore was not at Hogwarts. ording to the agreement, Lucius Malfoy would detain him in the Ministry of Magic. .

    Now, the only troublesome guy left was Sirius ck.

    For most people, trying to catch Sirius ck seemed to be a very difficult matter. The Dementors and the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic spent more than half a year, without even meeting ck¡¯s shadow.

    However, for a smart person, it is a piece of cake.

    Peter Pettigrew smiled proudly. He thought that he will seize ck, that reckless, stupid dog. He doesn¡¯t even have to use his own hands. He will just attract him into the castle and tell Snape his whereabouts. Because of the hatred that had built up during their school days, Snape would be very willing to help him eliminate ck.

    Everyone was just like puppets; and all the strings were in his hands.

    ording to Peter Pettigrew¡¯s n, when everything is over, he will appear on the scene.

    It should be an endless honor that awaits him, not a suspicious twelve-year-old boy.

    Under Evan¡¯ burning gaze, Pettigrew felt a little irritated. His eyes were fixed on the Marauder¡¯s Map in the boy¡¯s hand. His n went smoothly. He now only needs this map. Whenever he gets it, he can know ck¡¯s whereabouts.

    He eventually nned to talk his way out with the kid which should save him a lot of trouble.

    But judging from the current situation, this does not seem to work. The kid in front of him is skeptical. He¡¯s unlike Ron, whom he can easily manipte; and unlike Harry, who can be influenced by impulsive emotions.

    In fact, Evan is different from all the young wizards Peter had ever seen. He had his own vision.

    In Pettigrew¡¯s eyes, Evan was like Dumbledore, an exceptional Gryffindor. He has almost all the qualities required by the four Houses: Gryffindor¡¯s bravery, Ravenw¡¯s intelligence, Hufflepuff¡¯s hard work and also Slytherin¡¯s cunning.

    When these idiosyncratic qualities are concentrated in one person, He¡¯s destined to be a tough opponent.

    Although Evan now looks harmless to humans and animals, as a pet rat that was next to him, Peter Pettigrew knew what Evan has done since he entered school.

    For a freshman who has just entered the school for less than two years, it is incredible to be able to do such things. Even him as an adult cannot do many of them now.

    With a boy¡¯s body, he did a lot of mighty work. Even James Potter and Sirius ck couldn¡¯t match him. Perhaps only Dumbledore and the Dark Lord could do those things during their school days.

    At the thought that Evan might grow up into such a beast, Peter was so nervous that he suffocated and even felt breathless.

    He grasped his wand in his hands, since he had to do something; he¡¯d better surprise him and take the initiative.

    While the boy is still hesitating, it is better for him to seize the opportunity and defeat him in one fell swoop.

    Peter Pettigrew was suddenly distracted. He was considering how he should deal with the boy. The Memory Charm is a good spell, but it is not safe. Maybe he should give him the Avada Kedavra curse!

    Then he can leave him there, and when his body is discovered, everything would be over!

    Everyone would think that Sirius ck or Lupin killed him. One of them is an evil Dark wizard, and Voldemort¡¯s most powerful man; the other is a ferocious werewolf, who attacks his students in order to satisfy his bloodthirsty instincts on a full moon night.

    As long as there are the two of them, no one would suspect him.

    No matter how outstanding and talented he is, Evan is still just a child, and certainly no opponent of him

    An immense talent is meaningless unless one grows up to see its potential.

    ¡°Dear child, please believe me.¡± Peter Pettigrew¡¯s small eyes stared at Evan tightly. He covered his wand with his body, and said, pitifully, ¡°The situation is very urgent; ck may break into the castle at any time. I¡¯m here to save you.¡±

    ¡°Well, I believe in you!¡± Evan suddenly said, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±

    Peter seemed to be stunned for a moment; he did not expect him to say so.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You just need to give me the Marauder¡¯s Map!¡±

    ¡°Is it this thing?¡± Evan raised the parchment in his hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Peter looked eagerly at the map and yelled, ¡°Give it to me, Evan! With its help, we can join our forces together and catch ck. It is a shortcut to sess. All the people will praise you, and you will get an unprecedented honor.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Evan closed his eyes and seemed to be immersed in the future that Pettigrew talked about.

    ¡°Think about it, ck escaped to kill Harry. You caught him and you saved your friend.¡± Peter Pettigrew took a step closer to Evan, and in a bewitched voice he said, ¡°What a man who is even greater than the Savior, how would people describe you, THE FUTURE STAR OF THE MAGIC WORLD!¡±

    ¡°The future star of the magic world!¡± Evan repeated, opening his bright eyes, firmly looking at Pettigrew, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. ¡°What you said was great and it was really exciting. But unfortunately, you¡¯ve missed a point, a crucial point.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Pettigrew was surprised.

    ¡°You neglected¡­¡± Evan said slowly, with unprecedented confidence in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m not the same as you, Peter! I will not sell innocent people out for my own benefit, for my strength. Nor will I betray my friends! I will rely on my own efforts to be a great wizard!¡±

    ¡°Great wizard?!¡± Peter seemed to have failed to respond.

    ¡°Yes, even greater than Dumbledore and Voldemort.¡± Evan said, throwing the Map aside in the ming fire.

 Chapter 148: Evanâ€™s Nerves

    <h4>Chapter 148: Evan¡¯s Nerves</h4>

    ¡°NO!¡± Shrieked Peter Pettigrew in horror. He saw Evan throwing the Marauder¡¯s Map into the fire.

    He rushed subconsciously and reached for the map.

    This map was the key to Sirius ck¡¯s capture; he couldn¡¯t let it get burned.

    So he grabbed the parchment. In the fire¡¯s glow, the expression on his face twisted; greed, chock, lowliness, joy and other emotions merged together, and looked ugly.

    While Pettigrew was absorbed by the map, Evan waved his wand and shouted, ¡°Stupefy!¡± A red light emerged from the tip of his wand and hit Peter Pettigrew.

    Thetter rose from the ground, bumped into the wall, and then slid to the floor. He lost his consciousness, lying there motionless and the wand in his hand rolled aside.

    Evan gasped, he walked over to get the Marauder¡¯s Map back.

    The room calmed down again, and the Grindylow got out of the weeds looking at them in amazement. Evan pointed his wand at Pettigrew, its tip issued a snake-like belt that entwined Peter¡¯s neck, wrists and ankles, and it wrapped him tightly.

    A few minutester, Pettigrew woke up.

    ¡°What do you mean by this, dear child?¡± Peter said trembling. He was surprised looking at his rope in horror, and his breathing almost stopped.

    ¡°Obviously, we both understand what this means.¡± Evan pointed his wand at him. ¡°You were going to attack me, I did it first.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about!¡± Peter looked at Evan as if being kind. The sweat ran down his cheeks. ¡°There must be some misunderstanding. Just now, I was helping you to get the map¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand?! The Marauder¡¯s Map was just a bait. I deliberately threw it into the firece. And as I expected, you really got hooked.¡± Evan looked at Peter and said scornfully, ¡°Otherwise, I was not sure if I could knock you down with the Stunning Spell.¡±

    ¡°Seeing you doing that, of course I would rush ahead. I can¡¯t watch you destroy this map!¡± Pettigrew screamed ¡°Dear Evan, you may not know that I made it!¡±

    ¡°I was not as ignorant as you thought, Mr. Peter!¡± Evan swayed the Marauder¡¯s Map in his hand and continued, ¡°You are only one of the Map¡¯s makers. Besides you, there were three other people: Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs.¡±

    ¡°The three of them are my friends, and we made it together.¡± said Peter with no self confidence; he avoided Evan¡¯s gaze and his face was full of sweat.

    ¡°Friends?!¡± Evan¡¯s wand issued a few sparks. An unprecedented anger rose from the depths of his heart. ¡°Do you really see them as friends? Or just props for profit, ready to be sold?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about!¡± Peter said in panic, and he looked uneasy at the wand in Evan¡¯s hands.

    Things had developed in a way thatpletely exceeded his expectations. He felt really bad.

    He could feel that the boy in front of him surely knew the truth about what happened on that year. No matter what he told him, it wouldn¡¯t go well for him.

    ¡°It seems like I need to make it clearer.¡± Evan looked at the cowardly Pettigrew. ¡°You are Wormtail. Moony is Professor Lupin, Prongs is Harry¡¯s father, James Potter, and Padfoot is Sirius ck!¡±

    ¡°Sirius ck!¡± Peter Pettigrew was like a drowning man; hanging to thest straw. He shouted with a sharp, thin voice. ¡°I just said, Evan! ck sold James out to that man. He also tried to kill me, we both know that. He wanted to kill Harry first, for that man¡¯s sake¡­.. ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Voldemort!¡±

    Hearing this name, Peter Pettigrew shivered and looked as if he could faint at any moment.

    ¡°What, afraid to hear your old master¡¯s name?!¡± Evanughed. ¡°Give up, Pettigrew! Since I was first to find the map, your conspiracy tonight is doomed to fail.¡±

    Peter did not speak, his gaze cruising between the wand in Evan¡¯s hand and his wand on the floor.

    ¡°For me, the Marauder¡¯s Map is just a good magical prop, but it is an essential thing for you to catch Sirius ck this evening.¡± Evan continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t have this map, how can you tell Snape that ck is in the castle? Snape is not Lucius Malfoy. With his character, he is not likely to trust a person who was in the dark. He could not possibly believe you. Oh and if he finds out anything about what happened that year, he might just kill you with his own hands!¡±

    ¡°That was indeed my initial n, Evan! ck is a powerful Dark wizard, and if you rush at him, that can be dangerous. So I wanted to use Snape to get an edge!¡± Peter said eagerly. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, we can change the method. We don¡¯t need Snape. We two can join our forces, take down ck together, and we can share all the honor. Perhaps, like me, you¡¯ll get the Order of Merlin. ¡± ¡±

    ¡°Like you?! Evanughed,¡± like you, living as a rat for over 12 years?! ¡± ¡±

    ¡°No! ¡°Pettigrew screamed,¡± Now the situation ispletely different, we do not have to worry about ck¡¯s revenge, a few days ago I saw ¡°The Daily Prophet¡±, when we catch him, the Dementors will get rid of all the troubles and they will use their Kiss against ck. Then, he will be an empty shell, with no soul, a corpse, not ¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not say anymore, you make me feel sick!¡± Said Evan in disgust and the tip of his wand issued a few sparks. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth, I¡¯ve met ck before. He told Harry, Hermione and me everything about that year. You don¡¯t need to keep the act up anymore. This farce is over.¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, Evan!¡± Peter was trembling, and out of breath, ¡°I don¡¯t know what ck told you, but what happened that year was not what you imagined.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no idiot. I can recognize who is telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°We need to talk about this, Evan!¡± said Peter Pettigrew, gasping and yelling. ¡°What about doing this? Catch ck. And the honors are all yours. I don¡¯t want anything. And there¡¯s no need to worry about Harry and Hermione, I can use the Memory Charm or the Confundus Charm on them. No one will know¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Evan kicked Peter Pettigrew so hard that he could not even believe himself, ¡°Don¡¯t get on my nerves, otherwise I will kill you with my own hands! And I¡¯m telling you again. What you call honors doesn¡¯t mean anything to me.¡±

 Chapter 149: Gryffindorâ€™s Test

    <h4>Chapter 149: Gryffindor¡¯s Test</h4>

    Peter Pettigrew screamed, tumbling back and forth on the floor.

    Evan was surprised to see that Pettigrew started crying. That looked terrible: He looked like an oversized bald baby shivering on the floor.

    ¡°Listen to me, Evan! You are a smart kid¡­¡± Peter whispered.

    He struggled up to Evan, shaking forward, grabbing the edge of his robe.

    ¡°You said enough today, Peter Pettigrew!¡± Evan pulled his robe out of Peter¡¯s clutch; he stepped back and retreated to the office door. ¡°If you have anything more to say, you can wait for a while and tell Dumbledore and the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic. I think they will be interested.¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± Peter murmured. ¡°It was Sirius ck¡­. ¡±

    ¡°Of course, if you are innocent, they will naturally let you go.¡± Evan looked at him, ¡°But if you are found guilty, you will get what you deserve. The Dementors outside the school are already too impatient. Maybe they will give you a kiss¡­¡±

    Hearing ¡°the Dementors¡± and ¡°the Dementors¡¯ kiss¡±, Peter Pettigrew¡¯s face paled instantly, it was as if it was drained out of blood.

    ¡°Let me go, boy!¡± Peter begged. ¡°You gain nothing out of doing this. Don¡¯t you want to be a powerful wizard? I will help you. I know a secret, that thing with its magical power; it is in the Forbidden Forest. I know how to get it.¡±

    ¡°If you mean the Magical item left by Gryffindor hidden in the Centaur colony,¡± Evan said slowly. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that ck promised to take me there before you.¡±

    ¡°Without my help, you won¡¯t seed!¡± Peter said hurriedly. ¡°Even after a thousand years, the guardian magic that Gryffindor exerted is still active. You must ovee your deepest fears in the depths of your heart and pass the final test to get that thing. The magic is so powerful that no one could seed. But I know a way, a shortcut. The Dark Lord told me, I can¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just take shortcuts to everything, Pettigrew!¡± Evan looked at Peter with some pity, and with an incredible confidence in his voice he said: ¡°If that is the test that Gryffindor has left, then I believe I can ovee it.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, I have another¡­¡±

    ¡°We have wasted too much time. After handing you over to the professors, I have to reach for Sirius ck, to save Ron and go to the Great Hall for dinner. So many things are waiting for me to be done; I¡¯ll end this as soon as possible. Let¡¯s see where Professor Dumbledore is. He may havee back! ¡°Evan pointed at the Marauder¡¯s Map with his wand.¡± I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. ¡±

    With Evan¡¯s words, thin ink lines began to spread like a spider¡¯s web on the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    On the Map, green and ck lines, borately showed every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. It had tiny ink dots moving around it, eachbeled with a name in minuscule writing.

    Evan looked at Dumbledore¡¯s office first, and it was empty. He looked down and most of the people who stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas were gathered in the Great Hall. It was time for dinner, but Evan didn¡¯t see Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He quickly moved to the Gryffindor Tower . He scanned it, and found that Harry and Hermione were there, and in front of them was Sirius ck.

    As Sirius ck entered the castle, he should take Peter to him right away.

    Hold on, where did Ron go?!

    Evan looked around the map, but he didn¡¯t see Ron anywhere.

    A momentter, in the third floor of Professor Lupin¡¯s office, where he was, he suddenly saw that there was another person besides Pettigrew and himself, standing in front of the door, outside the office¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    In the Gryffindor Common room, Evan had just left, and Crookshanks also contacted Sirius ck with the new password.

    Now, only Harry and Hermione are still here, they were standing outside the third-year boys¡¯ dormitory.

    ¡°Ron? Harry shouted in fear.

    No one responded. Harry and Hermione looked at each other. Both of them thought Ron was asleep.

    But when he turned back, he found Ron lying on the bed, staring at them with open eyes.

    In the dim bedroom, Ron¡¯s appearance was extremely strange and the atmosphere was terrible.

    After a while, Hermione said timidly, ¡°You seem to be sick, Ron?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Ron responded stiffly, and he got out of bed.

    Harry and Hermione looked at each other again and saw the worry on each other¡¯s faces.

    ¡°No, you look bad. You should go to Madam Pomfrey. She will help you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any help. I¡¯ve never been as good as I am now.¡± Ron came over to them as if he was leaving the room.

    ¡°We need to talk to you!¡± Harry reached out and stopped Ron. He eximed. ¡°I have something to tell you about what happenedst night.¡±

    Harry¡¯s anger turned to worry after knowing that Ron was being controlled.

    The only thing he wanted to do was to awaken Ron. He also remembered Evan saying that the best way to resist the Imperius Curse was a strong will. As long as his willpower is strong enough, he can resist the curse¡¯s invasion.

    When a man is a victim of the Imperius charm, he would feel a nk in his mind and be very happy. Then, there will be a voice asking the cursed person to do something. As if hypnotized, the cursed man enters a subconscious state, and he subconsciously obeys the caster¡¯s orders.

    But this is not absolute. The cursed person can still receive all the information from the outside world. That information could have an impact on everything he does. If these things seriously touch his heart and make him feel rebellious, then he will take the initiative to resist the Imperius Curse, and weaken its power to a great extent.

    ¡°Ron, I know!¡± Harry gripped Ron¡¯s shoulder with both hands and looked at him in distress, and he shouted, ¡°I know. I know all about it. I don¡¯t me you for what happenedst night. I shouldn¡¯t have punched you by the end. You¡¯re also¡­¡±

    ¡°What happenedst night?!¡± Ron lowered his head and repeated that slowly, in a monotone voice. ¡°You can understand that was the best thing to do, Harry! Last night, I saved you, I saved Hermione and everyone. Once the werewolf is allowed to enter the castle, the consequences would be unimaginable.¡±

    ¡°Professor Lupin is innocent, he will not attack anyone.¡± said Harry panting. He shook Ron vigorously and sadly wailed ¡°Please, Ron! Just wake up. You shouldn¡¯t be like this. ¡±

 Chapter 150: Hero

    <h4>Chapter 150: Hero</h4>

    ¡°What am I supposed to be like?!¡± Ron looked at Harry coldly.

    Harry was stunned. He didn¡¯t know how to answer him. Tears ran down his cheeks and flowed out of control.

    ¡°Ron!¡± Hermione shouted softly, and crystal tears were swirling in her eyes.

    Her memory went back to Ron¡¯s usation that Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers. It was also in the Common Room that afternoon. Ron had also looked terrible back then. He first criticized her and then fought with Evan. Ron was very unusual at the time, but his current expression made Hermione feel stranger than ever.

    ¡°I saved youst night. I discovered the vicious werewolf. I¡¯m your hero!¡± Ron didn¡¯t look at Hermione. He stared at Harry tightly, and revealed an unprecedented resolution in his dull voice.

    ¡°Hero?!¡± Harry and Hermione groaned, wondering why Ron said so.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m a hero! But you¡¯re telling me now, I shouldn¡¯t be like this?!¡± Ron didn¡¯t look like he was being controlled by the Imperius Curse; he looked as someone feeling injustice. He shouted angrily ¡°How do you think I should be? Should I innately be a foil to the famous Savior? A lowly, coward follower, with a dispensable andical existence?!¡±

    ¡°Ron, I¡¯m not¡­¡± said Harry sadly.

    ¡°Enough, Harry!¡± Ron broke away of Harry¡¯s hands. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say to you. I know you all look down on me! Who I really am, I will prove it to you with practical actions. I will personally catch Sirius ck. I want to aplish things that no one else has done.¡±

    ¡°Catch Sirius ck?!¡± Hermione stepped back half a step, looking scared, a vague feeling rose from the depths of her heart, she panicked and asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°To do what a hero should do!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave before you wake up.¡± Harry grabbed Ron¡¯s robe again. ¡°Sober up, Ron, think about ourst three years¡­¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t finish his words yet, and two sturdy red lights shed across the Dormitory, hitting Harry and Hermione respectively with a bang! The two fell down andid motionless on the ground. Seeing Harry and Hermione fainting, Ron seemed hesitant. He moved towards them a little but then stopped immediately.

    ¡°Come on, dear child, my merciful Master!¡± A sharp voice suddenly rang in the room. ¡°It¡¯s time to aplish what we should do! Both of them just passed out. After we catch ck, they will know your greatness. ¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    In Professor Lupin¡¯s office, Evan saw from the Marauder¡¯s Map, Ron actually standing on his own behind him. He hurried back, but it was toote. Just as he turned, the office¡¯s door was smashed open, and Ron rushed in clumsily, with strong inertia, and threw himself on him.

    The two people fell to the ground, tussled and entangled in everything.

    Evan wanted to use magic, but Ron did not give him a chance.

    He gripped Evan¡¯s right hand closely, with a terrible force, andpletely ignored his own safety.

    He seemed more like a sandbag that feels no pain, and Evan couldn¡¯t get rid of him.

    His wand emitted a few rays of light outward, shattering the water tank in the corner, and the Grindylow fell on the floor dying.

    ¡°Let¡¯s loose hands, Ron! Evan eximed angrily, ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡±

    He saw that Peter Pettigrew, not far away from him, was deforming. Peter¡¯s body quickly shrank into a rat¡¯s shape.

    He was getting rid of his magical bondage, and the tightly tied rope began to slide off to one side.

    ¡°This is bad!¡± Evan hurriedly forced Ron away with his knees, and gave him several hard punches with his free hand.

    Ron swayed for a while because of the pain, and ducked aside.

    Evan took the opportunity to point his wand to him. The light shed across. Ron flew out and hit the wall behind him.

    Before he could turn to look at Pettigrew, a red light had flown from side to side.

    With a bang, it mmed into Evan¡¯s hand. His wand drew a parab in the air andnded at Pettigrew¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Dear child, this farce should really end!¡± Peter picked up Evan¡¯s wand with a dreadful expression on his face. ¡°And at its end, I WIN!¡±

    Evan said nothing. He saw Ron crawling again, his face full of bruises.

    ¡°Tut tut, look at your wand.¡± Pettigrew stroked Evan¡¯s wand, like a child with a new toy, with a cheerful smile on his face. ¡°Well maintained, more beautiful than my little master¡¯s.¡±

    Peter returned the other wand to Ron, and pointed Evan¡¯s at him.

    ¡°Evan, I¡¯ll give you another chance. You just have to¡­¡±

    ¡°You can change your face really fast, Peter!¡± Evan interrupted, dismissively. ¡°You¡¯ve just been kneeling on the earth, begging me, willing to give everything for a new life, but now it turns out to be like this.¡±

    ¡°Because I am a smart person, smart people can oftenugh at the end.¡± Peter Pettigrew said with a weird smile, ¡°It was fifteen years ago. My three stupid Gryffindor friends, all of whom were brainwashed by Dumbledore, were going to fight against the Dark Lord. What¡¯s the advantage in doing that? ¡±

    ¡°So, you betrayed them and became a traitor!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it so bluntly, I just chose the strong side to lean on.¡± Peter carried on, ¡°Let me tell you, Evan! For small people, the most important thing is to choose the strong side to get the best benefit. The Dark Lord¡¯s power is something you can never imagine.¡±

    ¡°Strong power?! It sounds like a Slytherin¡¯s tone.¡±Evan said quietly,¡± I heard the Sorting Hat saying that you asked for Gryffindor back in the day, and that you were trying to find the courage you didn¡¯t have. ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what my mother expected out of me. My father was a brave and fearless Gryffindor.¡±

    Peter closed his eyes and it looked like he was remembering.

    ¡°But you¡¯ve let your mother down!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so; Ipensated her with the Order of Merlin, first ss.¡± Peter said slowly, ¡°As I grew older, I gradually figured out everything, my mother does not want me to be brave like my father. She needs honor that can make her feel proud.¡±

    ¡°But those honors are not yours, you¡¯ve deceived everyone!¡±

    ¡°Does that make a difference?!¡± Pettigrewughed. ¡°As long as I am a hero in other people¡¯s eyes, that¡¯s more than enough!¡±

 Chapter 151: Ronâ€™s Resistance

    <h4>Chapter 151: Ron¡¯s Resistance</h4>

    ¡°Young people are always silly, Evan!¡± Peter stared at Evan greedily, and said in a bewitched voice. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the power of the Dark Lord. But I¡¯m still on my word. You are a clever child, if we both join forces¡­¡±

    ¡°I would rather die than betray my friends; nor would I frame innocent people for profit.¡±

    ¡°Then we have nothing to talk about!¡± Peter said with disappointment. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen such a fine wizard like you for a long time. I had intended to help you, to help you get unimaginable power and honor!¡±

    ¡°Those things you value are actually meaningless!¡± Evan turned his head and refused to look at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so! Well, since you don¡¯t care, I have to give this honor to the people who need it!¡±

    His small watery eyes looked at Evan trying to know what he was thinking, and then they turned to Ron. He said, ¡°Come on, dear young master! Those honors are yours. Just catch ck and you will be a hero with a great reputation.¡±

    Hearing Pettigrew¡¯s call, Ron picked up the Marauder¡¯s map off the ground.

    ¡°Wake up Ron!¡± Looking at Ron¡¯s figure, Evan clenched his fist and shouted angrily. ¡°Come on, don¡¯t listen to this guy. He killed Harry¡¯s parents. Now he wants to frame ck and Professor Lupin. You can¡¯t help him. Do you want Harry to hate you for the rest of your life?¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s name, Ron hesitated.

    He stood there, pain showing on his face, and he was resisting the Imperius Curse.

    ¡°Come on, Ron!¡± Evan screamed. ¡°Think of Harry, think of Hermione, think of everyone. We are all waiting for you. You don¡¯t need to prove anything. You¡¯re the best already!¡±

    ¡°Evan, Harry, Hermione, and everyone¡­¡± Ron murmured.

    He looked even more in pain, but his eyes were clearer.

    It was visible that the Charm effect on him was getting weaker. At that moment, Evan even thought he was sessful.

    But Peter¡¯s shrill voice rang again. ¡°My dear young master, do you still remember what you said to me that night? Those whom you thought were friends, have always treated you as a follower, as a joke. They don¡¯t care about you at all!¡±

    Evan saw a strange ethereal glow shing from the tip of the wand in Peter¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Remember?!¡± Peter, with a strange smile on his lips, said with a screech, ¡°You want to let those who look down on you repent and make them pay the price.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I want them to regret it! I want them to pay!¡±

    Ron turned to Peter, and his painful expression calmed down.

    His eyes that were getting clearer had returned to being dull and sad.

    ¡°Stop it Pettigrew!¡± Seeing Ron¡¯s face, Evan¡¯s chest was full of anger. He gritted his teeth and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t use my wand to cast these dirty spells. Don¡¯t use your evil, despicable magic to control Ron.¡±

    He wanted to rush at him, but Peter quickly turned his wand and pointed it at him.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know, Evan!¡± Peter said softly. ¡°Just like James, Sirius, and Remus, talented wizards like you will never know what we think. You will not know the pressure and pain caused by your unconsciously unting behavior to your fellow mediocre peers.¡±

    In the quiet office, only Pettigrew¡¯s shrill voice could be heard.

    ¡°Ron has had enough with you, Harry and Hermione. Like me in that year, I had enough of James, Sirius and Remus!¡± Peter continued, ¡°In order to get their approval, like a fool I was willing toplement them and even risked my life to protect Lupin by learning Animagus. But what did I get? They never treated me as an equal friend. I was just their cowardlypanion! Ron is just like me¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron is nothing like you!¡± Evan looked at Pettigrew furiously. ¡°He¡¯d never sell us out! He¡¯s just being controlled by your Imperius Charm!

    ¡°Do you really think so? Do you know what Ron thinks of you, Harry and Hermione?¡± Peter said slowly,¡± Here¡¯s a fact, I¡¯m no Dark Lord, I¡¯m not that proficient with this spell, and I don¡¯t have that much magical power. But Ron would never be able to get rid of my Imperius Charm. You know why?¡±

    Pettigrew looked down on Evan and his lowly cowardly expression was getting more intense.

    ¡°Because what I¡¯ve made him do is exactly what he had always wanted to do. I¡¯m not controlling him; I¡¯m helping him achieve his desires!¡±

    Peter looked closely at Evan, hoping to see his eyes flooding with despair.

    For a moment, he even saw James, Sirius and Remus in this kid. Those three used to be his best friends. He¡¯d always wanted to tell them about how he really felt, and to watch their reaction, but never had the courage.

    Now, none of that matters. This boy is so simr to James and Sirius. As long as Pettigrew manages to see his pain, he can feel healed inside.

    However, Peter was immediately disappointed, as Evan wasn¡¯t even looking at him.

    Evan was looking at Ron. He calmly said, ¡°Ron, I know you¡¯ve been under pressure for a long time! I know, you might not be regarded as the ¡°best¡±. But we¡¯ve always seen you as our best friend. For Harry, Hermione, myself, and everyone, that is the case.

    Believe me, you¡¯re nothing like Pettigrew. When you¡¯ve been under Voldemort¡¯s Imperius Charmst year, you¡¯ve managed to break through it to protect Ginny! Remember what Dumbledore said about that? Many excellent adult wizards would never be able to do such a thing! We¡¯re all proud of you, Ron! You¡¯re unique. Please wake up for yourself, for your family and for your friends. I believe you can get rid of Pettigrew¡¯s control. You can¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Evan¡¯s actions disappointed Peter, who felt unprecedented emptiness within his soul.

    His eyes were blurred, and he suddenly felt he wanted to cry. James, Sirius and Remus would¡¯ve probably been just like this boy. He¡¯ll always be a failure, seeding at nothing! Even with betrayal, he fails to impress. He¡¯s been a lowly looser all along.

    ¡°Ron won¡¯t wake up. This is a waste of time.¡± Peter wiped his eyes and shrieked, ¡°I see through you. You self-righteous people should pay for your contempt. Ron, let¡¯s go back to our n. Just get ck caught, and everything will end.¡±

    Peter drew his wand, and Ron walked out with the Marauder¡¯s map, turning a deaf ear to Evan¡¯s screams.

    ¡°By just telling him of ck¡¯s position, I¡¯ll guarantee getting Snape¡¯s help. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be able to re-emerge as a guardian angel, as a sess, a Hero! And those brilliant friends will all be dead!¡± Peter pointed Evan¡¯s wand at him, and his eyes had a strange light in them. ¡°As for you Evan, do you want to know how I¡¯ll be dealing with you?¡±

    ¡°Obliviate I guess?!¡± Evan gently moved his tense body.

    He might try use the trick he used against ck yesterday.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not that idiot Lockhart! The Forgetfulness Charm is reversible.¡± Pettigrew licked his lips and cruelly said, ¡°Dumbledore is around, I must be careful! I believe, Avada Kedavra should be my safest bet. No dead man ever revealed a secret! Goodbye Evan!¡±

    He said that, shaking his wand gently, and a deep green light shed.

 Chapter 152: Tom and Jerry

    <h4>Chapter 152: Tom and Jerry</h4>

    The green emerged from the tip of Evan¡¯s wand, but then immediately disappeared.

    Pettigrew looked at the wand in his hand. He could feel that it was resisting him, and his magic didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Damn, even a freaking wand looks down on me!¡±

    Peter screamed, covering the wand with both hands, and putting all his magical power through it. He wanted to force it to kill its master.

    But right then, he felt an unfamiliar, horrible magicing back at him from the wand.

    Pettigrew stopped. He was scared. His eyes widened like never before and he stared nkly at the wand in his hand. He couldn¡¯t believe that he actually felt strengthparable to that of the Dark Lording out of it, bringing him down to his knees.

    ¡°This is just not possible. What is this wand?!¡±

    Peter Pettigrew looked up in horror hoping to get an answer from Evan.

    But he saw nothing but a dazzling white lighting at him, just like a lightning bolt.

    It was Evan¡¯s wandless spell!

    Pettigrew closed his eyes subconsciously. He squealed, and felt like he was stunned.

    Evan took the opportunity to jump at him. He didn¡¯t know why Peter gave up on using the Killing Curse. But that was a window that he dly took. He grabbed Peter¡¯s arm that had the wand and put all of his strength into grabbing it. The two wrestled silently, and as sparks came out of the wand, Peter¡¯s hand reached Evan¡¯s throat.

    Since magic wasn¡¯t working, he decided to kill to boy in an even more brutal way.

    With a bang, the office door was opened once again and Harry and Hermione rushed in.

    ¡°Harry, Hermione!¡± Shouted Evan!

    ¡°Evan, we¡¯re here!¡± Hermione, with tears in her eyes, panicked as she looked at the two who were tangled up on the ground, and looked sadly at the scarred Evan.

    She waved her wand and used magic to separate them.

    A red light hit Peter, who left Evan and flew backwards.

    ¡°You filthy traitor, let go of Evan, let go of Ron¡­¡± beside Hermione, Harry was also waving his wand. Compared to Hermione¡¯s panic and distress, Harry¡¯s eyes were full of rage. He furiously attacked Peter Pettigrew, and several red lights flew past Peter¡¯s body and flew over.

    Pettigrew gasped, ducking on the ground.

    He wanted to fight back, but from the moment the wand didn¡¯t obey him as he wanted to kill Evan, fear overcame his heart, as he didn¡¯t know what kind of magic wasing out from Evan¡¯s wand.

    He was really scared. He couldn¡¯t face the 3 alone, and he didn¡¯t understand why Harry and Hermione were here. They should be in the Gryffindor Common Room, watching Sirius getting caught by Snape in helplessness and despair.

    But both were here, so something unexpected must¡¯ve happened.

    Maybe it was that Ron didn¡¯t find Snape, or maybe Snape did not believe him. In short, since the two were here, ck should be following soon.

    As soon as he thought of ck, Pettigrew felt nervous and almost choked.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that the plot he¡¯s been working on for so long had failed. He had to run away. He couldn¡¯t let that madman ck catch him. Knowing him, once he seizes him, he¡¯d surly tear him up to pieces.

    ¡°No!¡± Peter yelled loudly.

    Before ckes, he must seize the opportunity to escape, as he did twelve years ago.

    Pettigrew left Evan¡¯s wand far aside. He rolled to dodge Harry¡¯s next attack. His body was rapidly deformed and shrunk. He turned into a Rat under the eyes of the panicking Harry and Hermione.

    Evan picked up his wand and hurried to send a Stunning Spell at Peter. However, the Rat¡¯s size was too small. He wiggled his way around the curse easily, and went straight beyond the furious Harry. At his fastest, he ran out of Professor Lupin¡¯s office.

    Evan hurriedly put his wand back on his waist and flew towards Pettigrew.

    He turned into a ck cat and made a beautiful ck arc in the air. Peter rushed out of the office. Evan heard Harry and Hermione shouting behind him, but he now ignored all of that. His mind was nk, and the only thought within it was catching Pettigrew.

    Peter and Evan, a gray rat and a ck cat.

    The two, one chasing the other, started an unprecedented chase through the Hogwarts castle.

    They passed through the narrow, dark hallway, past the swiveling staircase, and reaching the Grand Staircase. Peter Pettigrew was very familiar with the secret passages in the castle. More than once, he would just suddenly disappear in front of Evan¡¯s eyes. But that was futile. Evan followed him with the help of the tracing potion.

    The two rushed and knocked down the talking armor and ornaments of the Hallway to the ground. Along their way, all the ghosts and portraits on the walls were surprised to see them. For centuries, the castle had never witnessed such a surprising scene.

    Pettigrew looked back at Evan from time to time. He did not imagine that the young boy would be an Animagus.

    He couldn¡¯t imagine himself being captured by Evan. He just admitted everything and the boy would certainly hand him over to ck. Or worse, he might give him straight to the terrifying Dementors outside.

    ¡°Waiting for you is a Dementor¡¯s kiss!¡±

    At the thought of that, Pettigrew felt devastated and had to escape, but he was unable to get rid of Evan.

    But right then, on the staircase of the second floor, Peter stopped all of a sudden. He could feel that something was approaching, and he took back a few steps trembling. He saw a ck, furry,rge dog suddenly rushing out of the dark corner.

    It¡¯s ck!!!

    He stared at his fangs, and his red eyes watching him. Behind him, was the ginger Crookshanks.

    ¡°NO!¡± Seeing ck, Peter issued an unprecedented scream.

    All the hair on his Rat¡¯s body stood up. He ran faster than ever, going down the stairs, and not returning to the hall.

    He couldn¡¯t stay in the castle. He was going to the Forbidden Forest. That was his only hope for escape.

    Just as Peter was about to step out of the castle¡¯s gate; a white light, like a barrier, shed across.

    Evan was surprised to see Pettigrew being blown backwards.

    How could that be?!

    Evan hurriedly turned his head and blinked. Behind a curtain, he saw an unexpected figure.

 Chapter 153: Strange Feeling

    <h4>Chapter 153: Strange Feeling</h4>

    Peter Pettigrew was sprang back heavily and fell to the ground.

    He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Things were too weird this evening.

    The gate of the castle was clearly open and there was nothing in front of it, but he couldn¡¯t go through it, as if there was an invisible wall blocking it.

    Pettigrew shook his head to dispel the dizziness. But before he could do anything, Sirius ck turned into a giant ck dog, leaped up and mmed down from the stairs. With his front paws, he pressed heavily against his body.

    Pettigrew quickly rolled backwards and shook violently in despair.

    He felt the warmth of ck¡¯s body. He saw the one-inch-long sharp teeth, and those eyes that were filled with hatred and anger.

    Bang!!!

    ck rolled over Peter¡¯s body with a surge of wrath and powerful force.

    Pettigrew felt that his ribs were broken. He resisted the pain, stood up and was ready to escape again.

    Before he could do anything, a hand came from the side and Evan grabbed him. Peter struggled, but it was useless. Evan firmly grasped his long, bald tail and he could not escape. Crookshanks jumped over to Evan¡¯s shoulder and meowed low.

    ¡°You caught him!¡± Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed down the stairs panting.

    Harry had the Marauder¡¯s Map in his hand and his face was full of joy. Hermione looked at Evan worried, and Ron looked at Peter with a dull gaze.

    ¡°How did you get here, Evan? I thought you and Professor Snape¡­¡± Hermione came to embrace Evan.

    Evan blinked and couldn¡¯t understand what Hermione was saying.

    Why did she mention Snape? He obviously did not meet him. Looking at Harry and Hermione¡¯s excitement, Evan felt a little weird. It was too strange that Harry and Hermione had apparently saved him in Prof. Lupin¡¯s office. How could they be with ck and Ron?

    Evan looked at both of their expressions, and he didn¡¯t understand anything at all. Besides, the figure that he had just seen behind the curtain¡­

    Before he could perceive what was going on, he heard ck¡¯s angry roar.

    ¡°Give him to me, boy! Give me that rat!¡± Sirius ck has returned to his adult form. He rushed to Evan.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him!¡± he shouted furiously, his eyes full of hatred staring at Peter hard, his face twisting distorted, revealing a terrible longing.

    Looking at ck¡¯s appearance, Peter Pettigrew squealed like a pig, constantly twisting, his small ck eyes seemed to bulge out. He tried his best to bite Evan¡¯s arm, trying to escape.

    Evan pulled out his wand and threw Peter out.

    His wand glowed blue-white, and for a moment, Peter hung in the air, his gray little body wriggling wildly, then he fell down heavily.

    Then another light came out of the wand, and it looked like the fast sprouting of a magical tree.

    A head appeared on the ground and limbs stretched out. Eventually, a man was standing where the rat used to be.

    Peter Pettigrew winced and looked at the five in front of him panting powerlessly.

    ¡°Sirius!¡± said Peter in a low, trembling voice, panic-stricken. ¡°My dear, old friend!¡±

    ck did not respond, and he showed his anger with actions.

    While Peter was screaming, he rushed forward with great strength and almost shredded him. Harry and Evan hurried to separate the two of them.

    The blood flowed out of Peter¡¯s mouth, and his pale face was full of big beads of sweat.

    He shivered behind Evan and Harry, panicking. His eyes looking away from Sirius ck, quickly nced at the others, paused for a moment on Evan and Ron, then looked at the open gates of the castle. There was obviously nothing there, so why couldn¡¯t he just get out through it?!

    ¡°You are Peter Pettigrew, the guy who sold my parents out to Voldemort and killed them??¡± Harry pointed up at him with his wand and said angrily.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, boy!¡± Peter stared at Harry with disorientation. Harry was just in the office and he clearly attacked him. Now why did he say this, as if there was still a doubt? He didn¡¯t understand what was going on. But instinctively, that inspired him what to do. He screamed pointing at ck with his broken right hand, pointing at him. ¡°It was his murder, he killed James and Lily. He is going to kill me again. He is Voldemort¡¯s spy!¡±

    ¡°How dare you,¡± he growled, sounding suddenly like the bearsized dog he had been. ¡°I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter, I¡¯ll never understand why I didn¡¯t see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who¡¯d look after you, didn¡¯t you? It used to be us¡­ me and Remus¡­ and James¡­¡±

    Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.

    ¡°Me, a spy¡­ must be out of your mind¡­ never¡­ don¡¯t know how you can say such a¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, I just told you in the Common Room and in front of Snape that it was my advice that made James and Lily trust that guy as their Secret Keeper!¡± ck hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. ¡°I thought it was the perfect n¡­ a bluff¡­ Voldemort would be sure toe after me, would never dream they¡¯d use a weak, talentless thing like you¡­¡± He closed his eyes and instantly opened them and red at Peter. ¡°It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters.¡±

    ¡°Absurd ! You¡¯re insane!¡± Peter mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend. We know everything. You killed my parents. You framed Sirius ck!¡± Harry shouted, his face covered with tears. ¡°Now youe back. You Framed Professor Lupin; and Ron, you controlled him with the Imperius Curse.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to ck, Harry! He¡¯s a murderer; he is a madman¡­. ..¡± Peter turned to Harry and pleaded, ¡°I admit that I took control of Ron. It was me who revealed Lupin¡¯s werewolf status. What I did was not proper, but I did it for your safety. Lupin and ck are very dangerous! Believe me, Harry! I¡¯m helping Ron and helping you!¡±

    Peter dipped on the ground, shaking out of control.

    Evan noticed that Ron, who was standing behind Harry, had moved. So he was immediately vignt and pointed his wand at him. Ron¡¯s face was full of confusion and everything that happened in front of him seemed to touch him very much. Just like in Professor Lupin¡¯s office just now, he was resisting the curse. It looked like he was about to seed.

    Seeing Ron¡¯s expression, Evan hesitated for a moment and did nothing. He decided to just observe.

    If Ron can ovee the Imperius Curse on his own, it will be very good for him.

    Things have progressed to this point. Although there were many strange things that have not been made clear, this year¡¯s event is destined to an end.

    If Ron could seed in resisting the Curse with his own will, that would be the perfect ending.

 Chapter 154: Harryâ€™s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 154: Harry¡¯s Choice</h4>

    ¡°Children, I¡¯m helping you, I¡¯m protecting you from harm!¡± Peter mumbled, pleading. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to ck, that madman wants to kill me!¡±

    ¡°Protecting us?! This is ridiculous; you didn¡¯t say that in Prof. Lupin¡¯s office just now.¡± Evan whispered. ¡°Do I need to remind you, Wormtail? Here¡¯s what you were going to do with the four of us. You first used the Imperius Curse to control Ron, you nned to use the Memory Charm against Harry and Hermione, and you just wanted to kill me with the Killing Curse. That¡¯s the way you¡¯ve been protecting us, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°God!¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s words, ck, Harry, and Hermione eximed.

    They looked at Peter¡¯s eyes, and whateverpassion they had for him in their hearts was gone. All that remained was horror and anger.

    ¡°How could you do this, filthy fellow?! How did you dare to treat these kids like that?!¡± ck growled wildly, he shook and he rushed toward Peter again.

    ¡°No, don¡¯te over!¡± Seeing ck, Peter¡¯s face paled.

    He knelt on the ground, hurriedly crawling forward on his knees to reach Evan, his hands sped together, as if he was crying, and praying.

    ¡°Evan, Evan, there must have been some misunderstanding between us. Although I said those things, I didn¡¯t do anything, did I?!¡± Pettigrew cried out. ¡°Believe me; what I have just said to you was just to make you understand, for¡­¡±

    ¡°I already know!¡± Evan squinted, looking at Peter, ¡°Controlling Ron with the Imperius Curse to frame innocent Prof. Lupin, and after getting the Marauder¡¯s Map, notifying Snape to catch Sirius ck. You secretly contacted Lucius Malfoy and other pureblood families who were dissatisfied with Dumbledore, allowing them to join forces to control public opinion and exert pressure on the Ministry of Magic thus giving you the proper ying field and helping you make up for any unreasonable loopholes. When it¡¯s all over, you¡¯ll be able to reappear as the hero who captured ck and protected Harry, and all the other young wizards.¡±

    ¡°No No, not¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me anything, Pettigrew! And don¡¯t touch me with your dirty hands!¡± Evan avoided Peter and walked up beside Hermione.

    Hermione looked scared and her body was trembling slightly.

    Evan gently held the girl¡¯s cold little hands. Feeling the warmth of Evan¡¯s palm, Hermione gradually returned to peace.

    Looking at the boy beside her, although his body was not particrly strong, Hermione felt inexplicable relief. She had a feeling that as long as Evan was here, no matter how crazy things would get, it shouldn¡¯t make her feel the slightest wavering in her heart.

    ¡°Good girl, smart girl, you can understand, help me, you will not let them ¡­¡± As Evan rejected him, Pettigrew looked at Hermione.

    He seemed to want toe over, but he saw that Evan was standing beside Hermione and pointed at him coldly with his wand. He was afraid. He hesitated backwards, his body shaking uncontrobly, and he slowly turned his head to Harry.

    ¡°Harry, Harry, you are really like your father, like he was¡­¡±

    ¡°How dare you to say this to Harry?!¡± ck shouted. ¡°How dare you face him? How do you dare to mention James in front of him?¡±

    ¡°Harry!¡± ck¡¯s roar made Peter more frightened. He sped up, crawling forward with his knees to the kid, opening his hands, whispering, weeping and begging, ¡°Harry, James and Lily wouldn¡¯t let me be killed, they would understand! They would be merciful to me!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯ll never know how they would think, they were both killed by you!¡± said Harry sadly.

    He wiped his tears hard, but the tears kept flowing out of control.

    ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Harry said, as if he had sentenced Peter to death.

    Peter sobbed; his face¡¯s skin was all tangled and contorted together. It looked terrifying and weird.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to end all of this; I¡¯ll kill you to avenge James and Lily!¡±

    Sirius ck walked over, rolled up his sleeves, and there was a glimmer of joy on his thin face.

    ¡°No, Sirius! I¡¯m Wormtail, I¡¯m your friend, and you¡¯re not¡­¡± Peter struggled to hold ck¡¯s robe tightly.

    ¡°Get out of the way. I don¡¯t need you touching it. My robe has enough filth!¡± ck kicked Peter away.

    ¡°I know, I admit, I was really confused, but you have to think about it. What could I do? You don¡¯t know the Dark Lord and his powerful weapons, you can¡¯t even imagine it. I was scared, Sirius!¡± said Pettigrew, trembling. ¡°I have never been as brave as you, Remus, and James, but believe me, I never did it intentionally, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± growled ck. ¡°Before James and Lily died, you had been sending him information. For a year, Dumbledore suspected that there was a spy among us, but James and I supported you in front of him. I was blind, and I even suspected Lupin!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. You-Know-Who was interfering anywhere. I couldn¡¯t do anything!!¡± Pettigrew gasped. ¡°Besides, what¡¯s the advantage of rejecting him?¡±

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the advantage of fighting against the most vicious, wicked man in history?!¡± ck¡¯s face showed a fearful rage, ¡°to save innocent Lives, Peter!¡±

    ¡°You do not understand!¡±Pettigrewmented,¡± He would have killed me, Sirius! ¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯re damned!¡±ck shouted, ¡°It¡¯s better to die than to betray a friend, as we would have done for you.¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t die. There are so many things waiting for me to do. I haven¡¯t got what I deserve¡­¡± Pettigrew screamed, but this simply couldn¡¯t prevent ck from approaching him.

    ck walked step by step toward Peter, and each step meant that Peter was a little closer to death.

    Ron looked pale and watched everything that was happening before him. That touched him so much that he seemed to be able to break free from the control of the Imperius Curse.

    Pettigrew pleaded helplessly, and Hermione turned her face away and gently rested on Evan¡¯s shoulder.

    Looking at the frantic ck, Evan hesitated.

    In his opinion, it was quite inappropriate to let ck kill Pettigrew. They should give Peter to Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic to let them judge him and make him pay the right price for what he did. That was the wisest thing to do.

    But Evan did not move. He saw Harry stepping out. In dealing with Peter, he had a more right to speak than him.

    Harry ran up and stopped in front of Pettigrew. He gasped and said, ¡°Sirius, you can¡¯t kill him!¡±

    ¡°Harry, do you know what you¡¯re doing? This scum has caused you to lose your parents. !¡± ck growled. ¡°This despicable filthy bastard could watch you die without feeling anything. You heard what he had just said. His own stinky skin bag is more important to him than your family¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Harry gasped. ¡°He killed my parents. He framed Professor Lupin. He took control of Ron and he tried to kill Evan. I will never forgive him for doing all these things, never! But you can¡¯t kill him, Sirius. I don¡¯t think my father would want his best friend to kill anyone! Especially, such a worthless person!¡±

 Chapter 155: Blackâ€™s Expectations

    <h4>Chapter 155: ck¡¯s Expectations</h4>

    ¡°Thank you, Harry! Thank you for saving me. James would be proud of you¡­¡± Peter Pettigrew gasped, and opened his arms to hold Harry¡¯s knees.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention my dad¡¯s name, you¡¯re not worthy of it!¡± said Harry spitting on the ground, and throwing Peter¡¯s hands off him in disgust. ¡°Get off me. I¡¯m not doing this for you. I¡¯m doing it for Sirius! I don¡¯t want him to be a killer because of you!¡±

    ¡°Harry!¡± ck looked at Harry, with no anger, and he looked calm for the first time.

    Harry looked back at him. No one but Peter moved and no one made a sound. Pettigrew clutched his chest, panting and gasping for breath.

    ¡°You¡¯re the only person who has the right to decide, Harry!¡± ck looked with great relief, as if looking at his old friend James, he slowly said, ¡°But before making any decision, I hope you would think it over and consider carefully what he has done!¡±

    ¡°I know, he did a lot of bad things that I will never forgive. He should pay for what he did. For that, we can hand him over to Dumbledore or to the Dementors! He can go to Azkaban. If anyone deserves that ce, he does!¡±

    Little Peter, panting behind, hearing ¡°Azkaban¡±, and hearing ¡°Dementors¡±, his pale face was bloodless. He remembered that he had just talked to Evan in Lupin¡¯s office. The Dementors would not let him off. They would certainly give him a kiss!

    That is the worst fate possible, worse than death.

    From then on, his soul would be irretrievably lost. He would live in a dead body and will always be the Dementors¡¯ food in the terrible Azkaban.

    No, he cannot let this happen!!!

    Pettigrew had a sh of resoluteness in his eyes. He couldn¡¯t allow himself to be caught and sent to the Dementors. He had to flee.

    Twelve years ago, he paid a finger to escape from Sirius ck; he could also escape this time, whatever the price.

    He touched Harry¡¯s robe and hesitated.

    His eyes peeked at the open gate of the castle. He had a great chance. Outside was the Forbidden Forest. It was very suitable for hiding in his Animagus Form. Besides, Dementors were not far away. They were stationed at the wall, and they did not know that ck was innocent.

    If ck ever went out, they would catch him instantly, and even proceed directly to giving him the kiss.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t lost yet. If I can just run out of this door¡­¡±

    Pettigrew thought of the magical barrier that had just blown him back, as Evan¡¯s wand that did not listen to his orders; he did not understand what was going on. It was beyond his reach, but he had to try again.

    Maybe he can kidnap Harry to flee with him!

    That magic on the portal might only work when one person passes through. Perhaps if someone is with him, they would both go out.

    Peter gripped Harry¡¯s robe tightly. He hesitated and did not act immediately.

    He was too close to Evan and ck, and he was not fully confident; if Harry struggled, if he didn¡¯t get his wand as soon as he tried, the consequences would be disastrous.

    A momentter, Pettigrew saw Ron standing beside the door. Ron¡¯s face was as pale as his, full of pain and confusion.

    Peter knew that Ron was trying to resist the Imperius Curse, but he had not yet broken away from his control.

    His eyes were fixed on the wand in Ron¡¯s hand. He needed that wand. It was his only hope.

    While Pettigrew was making up his mind, the conversation between ck and Harry continued.

    ¡°Do you know what it means to turn Peter in instead of killing him directly?¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Harry said, ¡°That means you be free!¡±

    ¡°Yes ¡­¡­¡± ke hesitated and said, ¡°I do not know if anyone ever told you, Harry, I am your godfather!¡±

    ¡°Evan told me!¡± Harry said softly.

    ¡°That kid knows everything. This time, I could catch Peter thanks to him. I really owe him too much. I¡¯ll try to repay him!¡± ck thought about the words that Evan had said to him in the Owl Post Office, yesterday. He said indifferently, ¡°But Harry! There is one thing I must tell you about. I am your godfather. Your parents have assigned me to be your guardian if anything happened to them¡­. ¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione were waiting for ck to carry on. They all had a hunch on what he was about to say

    Under their gaze, ck was hesitant. He never seemed to be so nervous.

    ¡°Think about it, Harry! Once my name¡¯s cleared¡­ if you wanted a¡­ a different home¡­you can¡­¡± ck looked at Harry. ¡°I¡¯ll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle.¡±

    ¡°What ¡­ live with you?¡± Harry looked at him closely and couldn¡¯t wait to say, ¡°Leave the Dursleys?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to,¡± said ck quickly. ¡°I understand, I just thought I¡¯d¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as ck¡¯s. ¡°Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?¡±

    ¡°You want to?¡± he couldn¡¯t believe what Harry said. ¡°You mean it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I mean it!¡± Harry replied. ¡°This is something I have always dreamed of.¡±

    When he heard Harry, ck¡¯s gaunt face broke into the first true smile Evan had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask.

    .

    Everything was over. That was probably the best oue possible for this year¡¯s event.

    They caught little Peter and they saved ck. In the summer vacation next year, Harry could move and live with Sirius. As for leaving the Dursleys and its effect on the Blood Protection given to Harry through his mother¡¯s sacrifice, that¡¯s something for Dumbledore to worry about.

    Everything seemed to have been perfectly resolved, except that Ron did not break away from the Curse yet.

    The conversation moved Ron very much, but it seemed that it was not enough. It did not help him strengthen his willpower sufficiently to resist Peter¡¯s control.

    Evan sighed. If Ron does not seed this time, it means that he might still be controlled by Voldemort or other Dark wizards over the next few years. He had to be careful with him. This time being controlled by Peter is already a lesson! Once Ron has any unusual behavior, he must act decisively.

    Evan¡¯s eyes turned to Ron, who was standing by, and he was ready to use the counter-curse on him.

    But he suddenly realized that Ron had imperceptibly walked from the corner where he was standing before to Peter Pettigrew¡¯s side.

    In that position, he was like a human shield,pletely blocking everyone¡¯s wands against Peter.

    Evan had a bad feeling, but he had not reacted yet, when Peter Pettigrew who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly stood up¡­

 Chapter 156: What a Friend Is

    <h4>Chapter 156: What a Friend Is</h4>

    Pettigrew suddenly caught Ron from behind. No one expected him to do such a thing; he was too close to him.

    Ron did not evade him; he stood there with his face pale, allowing Peter to seize him.

    As Pettigrew grabbed his wand, he was like a rag doll, not doing anything to stop him.

    The warmth brought by the scene between ck and Harry was instantly washed away. The mood became tense again, and Harry and Hermione hurriedly aimed their wands at Pettigrew.

    ¡°Ron!¡± said Hermione worriedly, looking at them in tears.

    ¡°You dirty coward, let go of Ron!¡± Harry shouted angrily.

    Evan did not speak, but the tip of his wand shined brightly.

    That was him gathering magical power. He stared closely at Peter, looking for an opportunity to shoot.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew, You filthy bastard, you miserable coward, let go of that boy!¡± ck roared angrily, ¡°you¡¯re hopeless, I should have killed you!¡±

    ¡°Sending me to the Dementors instead of killing me directly, that makes no difference. It¡¯s even worse!¡± Peter¡¯s face showed extreme horror as he was trembling and begging, ¡°I cannot go there. They will suck my soul away. Come on, let me go. Sirius, we used to be friends!¡±

    ¡°Friends?!¡± ck walked over to Peter, gritted and said, ¡°I was so blind at the time that I made a friend like you. That¡¯s one of my greatest regrets!¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯te any closer!¡± shrieked Peter Pettigrew pointing his wand at ck, and then he swung again, pointing back at Ron¡¯s chest, ¡°Keep away from me, put your wands down, if you want Ron to live, do as I say, or else ¡­¡­¡±

    His voice was the only one being heard, as no one else even moved.

    ¡°Quick, do as I said!¡± A glimmer of madness shed in Peter¡¯s eyes. He cried, ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯ll give you ten more seconds. If there¡¯s anyone who hasn¡¯t dropped his wand, expect to bury Ron¡¯s corpse.¡±

    Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ck looked at each other and they hesitated.

    Little Peter was obviously being serious, he really would kill Ron, his wand¡¯s tip began to give out a faint green light, it was the Avada Kedavra Curse.

    Harry gasped and looked indecisively at Pettigrew.

    He regretted that he had just stopped ck from killing him. If he hadn¡¯t done that, they wouldn¡¯t have been in that spot. In order to help Sirius ck clear his name, he must not let Pettigrew run away, but he cannot disregard Ron¡¯s life.

    Harry hesitated. He didn¡¯t know what to do.

    On one side, there was his best friend; on the other side was his godfather. Regardless of which party he would let down, he would feel bad.

    ¡°Just do what he said, Harry!¡± ck said suddenly. ¡°Put your wand down, we must ensure the boy¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no but!¡± said ck eagerly. ¡°That boy is your friend. We can¡¯t let him die. Remember, Harry, if a friend is in danger and needs your help; you have to do everything you can to help him, even if it costs you life. Never hesitate!¡±

    Hearing ck¡¯s words, Harry sobbed and threw his wand on the ground.

    ¡°Ron, I know you¡¯re under Pettigrew¡¯s control. I don¡¯t know if you can hear me, but I still want to say¡­¡± Harry looked up at Ron and his eyes were very firm. He yelled with all he had, ¡°Ron, you¡¯re my best friend, forever! Like Sirius just said, I¡¯m willing to give away my life to help you! So please, wake up already. ¡±

    No one spoke. Everyone was watching Harry quietly and listening to his whole hearted cry.

    ¡°You are your father¡¯s good son, Harry!¡± said ck in relief. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you!¡±

    ¡°Very well, another two!¡± Pettigrew shouted, He was also in tears that blurred his eyes.

    He tried to keep himself from crying. He saw James in young Harry. He thought that he would also be willing to offer his life for his sake. He thought of his school days with James, Sirius and Lupin. Over those years, they ventured together in Hogwarts, and their footprints were everywhere in the campus.

    But now, he has nothing. He destroyed it all with his own hands.

    Hearing Harry¡¯s cries, Peter Pettigrew kept telling himself that he did nothing wrong and that hiding behind the stronger one was the right choice.

    If he went against the Dark Lord, he might¡¯ve not survived for so long!

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, I don¡¯t have the right to ask you anything, but¡­¡± ck looked at Evan and Hermione who were still holding their wands.

    ¡°I know, Sirius!¡± Evan put his wand down on the ground. He looked at Ron slowly and said, ¡°Like I told you in Professor Lupin¡¯s office, despite all your shorings Ron, you¡¯re nothing like that man behind you! There¡¯s a key difference between both of you: You will never betray your friends. We all believe in you. Don¡¯t let us down.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ron, we all believe in you!¡± Hermione also put her wand down and her eyes were red. ¡°Remember how we became friends? Remember that in first year, you and Harry rescued me from the troll? The moment you came out? At that time, it was you who defeated the giant monster! Without you¡­ Without you I might have died! I would offer my life for you as well.¡±

    Seeing the scene in front of him, Ron stood pale and his face was full of pain.

    He was being led by Peter to retreat slowly from the ce.

    Ron¡¯s body shuddered uncontrobly. Peter was issuing new orders in his mind, but Ron could not hear a single word. All he could think of was what Harry, Evan, and Hermione said to him.

    He did so many bad things to them, but they still regarded him as a friend.

    He trembled. He thought before that he was simr to Peter Pettigrew, a misunderstood hero. But what he saw now is that Peter was a lowly, cowardly wretch and the culprit behind all these misfortunes. And now, he¡¯s assisting him and betraying his friends.

    Although still under the control of the Imperius Curse, Ron suddenly burst into tears and cried like never before.

    He suddenly found himself a bastard, a bastard of the worst kind!

    It was just likest year, when he preferred to believe in a strange diary and an evil Dark wizard, over believing in his friends!

 Chapter 157: Power of Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 157: Power of Friendship</h4>

    Ron trembled. The memories that should be lost of what he has done over the past month were yed through his mind like a film.

    He remembered what he had done while being controlled by Peter: He¡¯s been the one who secretly broke into the professor¡¯s officete in the night to search for the Marauder¡¯s Map, wrote a letter to Lucius Malfoy to make an evil plot, used innocent Professor Lupin in front of all the students in the school, and told Snape about Sirius ck¡¯s whereabouts¡­

    All along, he was thinking that¡¯s he¡¯s been doing the right things. While he was indeed being controlled by Pettigrew, he actually never tried to resist.

    It was because he believed he was saving Harry, Evan, Hermione, and everyone, he was a HERO!

    But now, that no longer seems to be true.

    He was no hero, just an all-out loser. He was the aplice of the ruffian who killed Harry¡¯s parents.

    Ron¡¯s eyes gradually returned to rity, he could hardly believe what he had done.

    He actually helped Pettigrew, the murderer who fought for Voldemort and killed Harry¡¯s parents. He betrayed Harry, Evan, and Hermione. He failed to honor his friends¡¯ trust; he framed Professor Lupin, and was also plotting to trap Sirius ck¡­

    Ron shivered looking at Evan, Harry and Hermione¡¯s eyes. They were full of worry, disappointment and disbelief.

    He felt distressed. He knew he was just being a scum all this time. He must find ways to make up for that.

    Peter Pettigrew was taking Ron slowly to the castle gate. He asked ck, Evan, Harry and Hermione to remain in their ces.

    He was pleased to realize that he had actually passed the gate. The strange magical barrier that prevented him from passing through it did not stop him this time. He could feel the fresh, cold air outside the castle.

    The sky waspletely dark and the bright full moon light was creeping through the air.

    In the moonlight, Peter Pettigrew guided Ron. They passed through the site outside the castle and walked towards the Forbidden Forest not far away.

    In the distance, the figures of Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ck became more and more blurred. They gradually disappeared into the castle¡¯s huge outline.

    Seeing that he was getting closer and closer to the Forbidden Forest, Peter was so excited that he had finally escaped.

    Just then, when he thought he was going to seed, Ron suddenly rebelled.

    He tightly grasped Peter¡¯s right hand, the one missing a finger, and struggled with all he had to retrieve his wand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ron rebelled against Peter, crying loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harry! I¡¯m sorry, Evan! I¡¯m sorry, Hermione! It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you, I should have believed you. Look at what I¡¯ve done¡­¡±

    He shouted and cried heartbroken.

    Hearing Ron¡¯s voice, Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ck were all stunned for a moment. They were delighted to discover that Ron had actually recovered and had seeded in oveing the Imperius Curse¡¯s control with his own willpower. They hurriedly grabbed their wands from the ground and rushed to him and Pettigrew outside the castle.

    ¡°Damn, damn, what are you doing?!¡± Peter screamed, and he didn¡¯t understand how Ron could break away from his control.

    He quickly read the spell and was ready to regain control of him.

    But he was surprised to find that the curse had lost its effect. His magic could no longer control Ron. The boy before him sessfully resisted the Imperius Curse with his strong will.

    That was impossible. That was simply incredible.

    ¡°No!¡± Pettigrew could not believe that Ron could do that.

    Is this actually Ron?

    Is this still the same lowly weak kid that he felt simr to for so long?

    Is this still that mediocre loser who was full of envy and resentment against his friends?

    Peter couldn¡¯t understand what just happened to Ron!

    With the help of the force born from within his heart, Ron¡¯s will was stronger than ever.

    That was the power of friendship. Pettigrew, who had used his friends as an exchange of interests, and was an evil traitor, would never understand that.

    Ron broke free from the Imperius Curse, and defeated Peter!

    Now, among the six people in front of Hogwarts Castle¡¯s gate, Peter was the only loser.

    ¡°He¡¯s here, here, Harry! Here, Evan! I¡¯ve caught him!¡± Ron¡¯s eyes were red. He sped Pettigrew¡¯s right hand holding the wand and cried. ¡°Don¡¯t care for me; hurry to attack him, you can¡¯t let this guy run away!¡±

    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be!¡± Peter screamed, his voice was hoarse and powerless.

    He tried to get rid of Ron¡¯s control, but thetter was like a madman, ignoring his injuries and the harm he suffered and clutching him with both hands.

    Looking at the four who were getting closer and closer, Peter uttered a curse in panic.

    Since it was impossible to control Ron, at least he would stop the boy from moving.

    But before he could check if it was sessful, something suddenly passed under his feet and jerked him.

    Bang!

    Both Peter and Ron fell heavily on the ground, sshing a lot of dust.

    Peter Pettigrew raised his head a few inches in surprise and saw a creature in the grass near him. He felt it was familiar. He tried hard to see what it was, but the sweat blurred his eyes, the ck, thin, agile figure shed through.

    In the distant horizon, the winter night was getting particrly colder and colder really fast.

    Then Peter found out what it was. It was The Dementors, at least 200 of them. They were attracted by Ron¡¯s cries, and they huddled together in ck bringing suffocating cold and gliding over around Hogwarts¡¯ walls.

    The icy feeling prated his internal organs and the fog began to blur his sight.

    The Dementors were getting closer and closer, they gathered from the darknessing from all directions ready to surround him.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Pete murmured, shaking unsteadily.

    He was very, very frightened, almost scared to death!

    Once again, he thought of what Evan said to him. Those Dementors came to catch him. They wanted to suck his soul away!

    Pettigrew no longer paid attention to Ron, who was constantly fighting him. He could no longer think of him, and he looked at the approaching ck, Evan, Harry, and Hermione, as well as theing Dementors. He instinctively wanted to run away!

    What happened tonight was really too much, and things wentpletely out of his control.

    He didn¡¯t want to stay another second. He realized that he was just too weak, too cowardly, and too lowly for all of this. He was not ready to carry out this failed conspiracy. He did not have the courage to stay any longer!

    He was going to look for the Dark Lord. He wanted to hide behind the strongest man just like he did before¡­

    For a weak fellow, hiding behind the strong is always the wisest choice.

 Chapter 158: Ron Breaking Free

    <h4>Chapter 158: Ron Breaking Free</h4>

    Evan was surprised to see such an absurd scene in front of him. Peter Pettigrew and Ron were rolling and wrestling on the ground. Ron screamed and shouted at him, Harry and Hermione, calling for their names. Peter, who was over him, gave a sharp scream from time to time, like a pig being brought to ughter.

    Pettigrew wanted to escape, but Ron held him and did not let him run away.

    Ron¡¯s strength was so great that Peter was unable to point his wand¡¯s tip at him.

    ¡°Come on, I caught him¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me loose, Ron! Please, my benevolent master!¡± Pettigrew screamed. ¡°You won¡¯t let them catch me, will you? I am your RAT; I am your good pet.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t believe you anymore, I¡¯ve been a jerk, look at what I have done¡­¡± Ron¡¯s tears flew out uncontrobly.

    ¡°Child, I am helping you, I am on your side¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Ron interrupted him, looking at him in extreme disgust. ¡°You ugly, dirty bastard, because of you, I betrayed my friends!¡±

    ¡°That was your own wish!¡± Peter said hurriedly, his expression was more distorted because of madness. ¡°Think about it, Ron! How many times have you been secretly crying under your sheets? How envious and jealous of Harry were you, how often did you crave his spotlight? And that Evan, the damned guy stole Hermione and took away what¡¯s yours. You said you will make him regret, you will make him pay for it.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Ron was heartbroken, Pettigrew¡¯s words were touching his nerves, and he did not want to think about those things. He shook his head hard, shouting without fear, ¡°I would rather die than believe you again! I would rather die, than betray my friends again.¡±

    ¡°Well said, Ron!¡±

    ¡°You are the best, Ron!¡± Hearing Ron yelling, Harry also cried and said: ¡°You relied on your own willpower to break free from the control of the Imperius Curse. You are a hero, a true hero.¡±

    ¡°You are our best friend, we all believe in you!¡±

    Evan, Harry and Hermione ran forward, approaching the two people fighting.

    In front of them, ck took the lead.

    ¡°No, don¡¯te over!¡± Seeing ck¡¯s grim expression, Peter gave a shrill cry.

    His eyes were wide open; he looked terrified to the extreme.

    He knew that if he was caught by ck, he would kill him without waiting for the Dementors toe out.

    This time, no one would help him again!

    He couldn¡¯t let it happen. He shook his arm roughly and waved his wand.

    Ron, who was nging to his right hand, rolled like a broken rag doll on the ground, and his body was covered in blood.

    But no matter how hard Peter tried, Ron, clenching his teeth and persisting, didn¡¯t loosen his hands. In his physical state, he was no opponent of Peter Pettigrew.

    But in the face of mad Ron, Peter was unable to get rid of him rapidly.

    Pettigrew did not dare to get into his Rat¡¯s form. He was too afraid that if he was to still be grabbed by Ron while in that state, he would fall into an even more passive situation.

    ¡°Release me, Ron, let go¡­¡± Pettigrew struggled screaming, and his wand emitted a light from time to time, and he was floundering barely with his brute strength.

    They were both rolling on the ground. Peter¡¯s left hand seemed to touch a stone; he lifted it and hit Ron¡¯s head hard.

    (Trantor Note: And ck and the lot still didn¡¯t reach them, sounds like a scene from Captain Tsubasa XD)

    Bang!

    Through the faint moonlight, Peter saw Ron¡¯s bloody face, and he seemed to be losing consciousness.

    Ron loosened his grip of Peter¡¯s hands, and thetter¡¯s heart moved. Before he could do anything, he found himself being caught by Sirius ck. ck¡¯s strength was so great that he almost ripped him apart.

    ck grabbed Peter¡¯s neck with his left, and he clenched his right swinging it at his face.

    One punch, two punches, three punches¡­

    Under ck¡¯s angry onught, Pettigrew didn¡¯t even have the power to plead.

    ¡°Stop, Sirius, you are killing him!¡± Evan, Harry and Hermione followed running towards the fainting Ron to lift him up. ¡°We¡¯d better hurry, the Dementors areing soon, we must go back to the castle!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the Dementors; I want to kill this¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me go, Sirius¡­ Dementors¡­¡± Peter muttered powerless.

    His eyes were sloppy, but his right hand was firm, holding Ron¡¯s wand tightly. He seemed to be talking vaguely. Evan was the only one to see his lips moving. It seemed to be a spell, a very evil dark magic, and he felt that something bad was about to happen.

    He wanted to stop Pettigrew, but it was toote!

    ¡°Look out, get away!¡± Evan shouted.

    The others raised their heads looking at him in astonishment, and even ck stopped.

    They didn¡¯t know what had happened, nor did they know why Evan said so.

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to exin anything. He pulled Hermione behind him and held her tightly.

    The wand in his hand gave out a dazzling light, like the Shield Charm, forming a silver-white shield to protect them.

    At the same time, Pettigrew¡¯s wand¡¯s tip emitted five strange orange fire-like lights, which shined through the dark.

    Sirius ck froze and his memory instantly returned to the Muggle Street 12 years ago. He also remembered this magic. Peter Pettigrew, who had been sobbing in front of him at the time, his wand¡¯s tip also abruptly gave out five orange lights, and then¡­

    Bang!! !

    The fire was shining, and there was a loud explosion on Peter¡¯s wand!

    There was a big pit on the ground, and ck had only time to leave Peter, and he rolled hard to the side, and then the violent explosion drove him far away from the impact. Under the gazes of the children crying out in astonishment, his body fell heavily on the ground.

    The cheer impact made the soil go straight towards them.

    Evan¡¯s hasty magic shield was instantly broken. They were too close to Pettigrew. He held Hermione tightly in his arms. Both of them closed their eyes. As he thought everything was over, a white light flew from the castle. The magic that had just stopped Peter from leaving the gate reappeared, setting a new barrier in front of them.

    The power of the explosion was too great. Although there was magical protection, the four of them were still flying like a boat floating in a storm, and they were violently shaken away.

    The tremendous explosion made Evan dazed, and its sound gradually dissipated!

    They didn¡¯t seem to have serious damage. Evan heard Hermione and Harry shouting. He tried to raise his head and saw that Peter Pettigrew was running away.

    Peter looked extremely miserable, he was badly mutted, and most of his body was bloody. Ron¡¯s wand was thrown aside. Peter¡¯s right hand, the one with which he held the wand, the one that used to miss a finger, now disappearedpletely. It turned into a lump of rotten meat on the ground as a price for his use of this magic.

    This extremely evil forbidden magic requires the flesh and blood of the caster as a catalyst.

    Twelve years ago, Pettigrew paid a finger for using this magic, and now it¡¯s his entire right hand!

    But he was still moving, flouncing forward slowly, and gradually disappeared into the dark Forbidden Forest.

    Evan hurried over; he knew that he couldn¡¯t let Peter Pettigrew run away.

    Ron has relied on his own willpower to break away from the control of the Imperius Curse. If he ever caught Peter, that would be the perfect ending for this year¡¯s event.

 Chapter 159: One Cannot Escape Death

    <h4>Chapter 159: One Cannot Escape Death</h4>

    The Forbidden Forest, in the night, was dark and silent.

    With the help of the Tracing Agent, Evan could feel that Peter was in front. He was slow, but he kept moving forward.

    There were still scattered spots of blood on the winding path.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± There was a crisp, subtle sound, and the tip of Evan¡¯s wand emitted a faint light.

    He hurried forward and walked for about ten minutes. There was no other noise besides the sound of branches and the rustling of leaves. Around him, the old trees that have grown over the centuries have be much denser, so that the stars overhead were no longer visible. If it weren¡¯t for the help of the Tracing agent, Evan would have lost his target.

    In the old Forbidden Forest, Evan¡¯s wand shone alone in the sea of dark. He saw Peter Pettigrew leaving the path.

    After crossing a mossy tree stump, he could hear the murmuring sound of the flowing water.

    He realized there was a stream nearby.

    Through the faint light at his wand¡¯s tip, Evan saw the figure of Peter Pettigrew disappearing behind a towering oak tree. He clenched his wand and hurriedly chased him up. Although anxious, he couldn¡¯t move very quickly now; there were tree roots and stumps in their way, barely visible in the near ckness.

    Evan¡¯s clothes were getting caught by the low branches and thorns nearby, and he noticed that the ground seemed to be sloping downward, though the trees were as thick as ever.

    Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and held his wand firmly to his chest.

    He could feel that, besides himself and Pettigrew, there was something that was approaching quickly, apanied by a strange sound of groaning, gliding on the fallen leaves near him.

    Evan had to be careful. He heard Hagrid say that there were many dangerous and magical creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

    He focused his magical power in his wand and squinted, carefully advancing a few steps.

    Peter had stopped and hid behind the oak tree in front of him.

    While Evan was approaching the oak tree, under the faint light of the wand, he suddenly saw the shadow of a huge, astonishing monster appearing on the ground. He didn¡¯t even have time to turn around; a long, furry thing grabbed his waist and hung him face down in the air.

    He was struggling, waving his wand!

    He heard the groaning sound, and it was the monster that seized him. It was dragging him back into the dark bush¡­

    While Evan was being attacked, Peter Pettigrew was shivering, hiding behind the humongous oak tree.

    He was gasping heavily, his amputated right hand wrapped in his robe. This was a huge injury, making him approach death.

    The boundless darkness enveloped him, and he felt that he was dying. His heart was full of fear as never before.

    He didn¡¯t understand why things had developed to this point. His plot was wless, but since he met the twelve-year-old boy in Lupin¡¯s office, things started to go south really fast. He even forced him to use the forbidden magic that the Dark Lord taught him.

    Thest time he used this magic, he paid a finger as a cost.

    This time, he paid a palm, and the huge impact brought by the explosion took away even his ability to move.

    Clicks, clicks, clicks¡­

    A strange sound approached, and Pettigrew struggled to raise his head.

    His frightened little eyes bulged outward as he saw something crawling down the tree.

    Clicks, clicks, clicks¡­

    The sound was getting closer and closer, and that thing was just above his head.

    The unknown monster seemed to be attracted by the smell of blood on his body.

    Peter wanted to run away, but his body was too weak. He fell back down heavily. His face was sweaty showing his utter panic, he was overwhelmed with fear.

    He didn¡¯t know what was the monster approaching above his head, but he knew that death wasing over to him, which was the price he deserved.

    He didn¡¯t remember how many nightmares he has had. He has been waiting for this day since he sold James and Lily out to Voldemort.

    Now, death has finallye to him!

    He remembered his childhood, the fairy tales from ¡°The Tales of Beedle the Bard¡± that his mother used to read to him before he went to bed every night.

    He still remembered the story he was most impressed with, ¡°The Tale of the Three Brothers¡±. Peter has forgotten most of the story, but there was a sentence he would never forget: One cannot escape death, but only dy it.

    If he was destined to meet death, he only hoped that the process would not be too painful.

    Evan¡¯s head was suspended in the air, and he stretched to his wand.

    Its tip glowed red, and the monster behind him was shot and flew away, leaving him to fall heavily on the ground.

    He hurriedly scrambled up, only to see the monster that just grabbed him.

    It had eight long, bizarre, thick, hairy legs, and a pair ofrge ck fangs on top of its head.

    Behind it, there was another one, starring at him with its frightening ck eyes.

    These two monsters looked like spiders, not tiny spiders like those surging over the leaves below, but the size of carthorses, eight-eyed, eight-legged, ck, hairy, gigantic.

    They were Acromants!!!

    They were terrible, and Evan was aware of what he had encountered. Pettigrew fled blindly, bringing them along with him into the territory of the Acromant.

    ording to the book ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, the Acromant is a giant, ferocious spider with eight eyes, inhabiting dense jungles, covered in thick ck hair; with a leg span that can reach up to fifteen feet, if adult.

    They also secrete venom, are terrible carnivores, and eat almost everything.

    Evan knew that there were Acromants in the Forbidden Forest. They were all descendants of Aragog raised by Hagrid. Hagrid had even found a spouse for his furry friend to breed. He still remembers it being mentioned in the book, that the female cany up to one hundred soft, wide, beach ball-sized eggs at a time.

    Spawning several times a year for 50 whole years, the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest can reach a terrible number!

    Evan clenched his wand, and the two monsters did not immediatelye up.

    Maybe they were observing for Evan¡¯s weakness, maybe they felt danger, maybe they were waiting for theirpanions, or maybe¡­

    In short, Evan and the two grotesque Acromants had a strange face off.

    Just then, Peter¡¯s miserable, powerless shout came from behind the oak tree beside Evan. He was attacked as well!

 Chapter 160: Change of Mind

    <h4>Chapter 160: Change of Mind</h4>

    Clicks, clicks, clicks¡­

    Evan saw that just like himself, Peter Pettigrew¡¯s short, fat body was picked up by an Acromant. With his head suspended in the air, and his hands floundering down, he was extremely frightened.

    ¡°Help me, Evan! Please, help me¡­¡± Seeing Evan, Peter¡¯s horrified face shed a glimmer of joy.

    He stretched his arms to him and pleaded miserably.

    He wanted to break free from the Acromant¡¯s control, but his weak resistance had no effect.

    It sped Peter tightly with its two front furry long legs, dragging him to the center of the woods.

    Clicks, clicks, clicks¡­

    It passed by Evan and disappeared into the dark trees.

    Evan just moved, and the two Acromants in front of him rushed over.

    They stopped him and prevented him from saving Pettigrew.

    Sixteen glittering fierce ck eyes were all locked on Evan. the sharp big Fangs clicked loud enough to give any normal man goose bumps.

    Evan took half a step back, and through the faint light on his wand¡¯s tip, he saw an Acromant hurrying with its long, fluffy eight legs, attacking directly from the ground, while the other one quickly climbed to the towering oak tree beside him then rushed down.

    They were ready to attack from up and down, and the situation was very crippling.

    Evan did not hesitate. He left the oak tree beside him and rushed to the Acromant in front of him.

    His wand made a ray of light, like a sharp sword, and directly divided the monster in front of him into two halves from the middle.

    After killing it, he hurriedly raised his head up.

    His mouth quickly said his spell as his hand moved his wand from the bottom up, and the same curse with dazzling light hit the spider that had just came down from the trunk.

    Pop!!!

    Green, sticky innards of the spider sshed out and flew everywhere.

    The remains of the corpse fell heavily to the ground, and the dead body broke into two pieces.

    But their horrifying fangs were still moving at full speed, biting the air at insane speed as if they had caught Evan.

    The absolute brutality of the eight-eyed creature was incarnate in that scene.

    In the book ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, the Acromant was right there with the Werewolf being one of the most dangerous magical species known to date.

    Yesterday in Hogsmeade, Evan fought a werewolf.

    Fortunately, an Acromant does not have the horrifying defense and resilience of the werewolf. Rtively powerful magic can damage them. One just needs to be careful not to be touched by their sharp, massive, poisonous fangs.

    The forest was quiet again, as if nothing had happened.

    Evan gasped for a while and chased the ce where Peter was towed away.

    With the help of the Tracing Agent, he could know where he was being taken, and he seemed to be moving towards the center of a huge hollow.

    As before, the ground was sloping downwards, but the surrounding trees were not as dense, and were getting sparser and sparser. The trunks also showed an unhealthy gray color, they seemed to have been eroded by any pests, and were covered with spiders.

    The scenery on the ground was even more disturbing, with animal wrecks everywhere. Evan saw a lot of white pupae. He didn¡¯t know what was wrapped inside them. It should be the Acromants¡¯ food. Some of them shook violently as he passed by.

    Obviously, the creatures inside have not yet died.

    Because of the tension, Evan¡¯s palm was full of sweat. He had probably realized that he was about to encounter something horrifying if he was to go on.

    He was considering the possibility of giving up Pettigrew. With his current injury, he certainly couldn¡¯t escape from the Acromantt. Chasing him sounds like straight path to death. Evan hesitated, asmon sense told him to retreat and get back to his friends.

    But he could still hear Pettigrew¡¯s screams.

    He sighed heavily, and he knew that he couldn¡¯t leave him there.

    After all, he still needs him to clear up Lupin¡¯s and ck¡¯s names. Knowing Cornelius Fudge, unless Evan brings Pettigrew himself in, the Minister would never believe that the two are innocent.

    Not to mention, Lucius Malfoy stirring up his own plots. Even with Dumbledore¡¯s authority, there¡¯s no way to face them. No matter how powerful or great is the Headmaster, he cannot persuade other people in the Ministry to side with him.

    Therefore, Evan had to bring back Pettigrew.

    Adding to that, Evan was not the type to watch someone die before his eyes without moving a muscle.

    Even if the victim was Pettigrew, even with the danger awaiting him, he would never back down.

    He walked forward, worrying about ck¡¯s injury. He didn¡¯t know about the state of Harry and Hermione either. As he was leaving, it seemed like the Dementors were approaching. But seeing the powerful barrier going out of the castle, he was relieved.

    As long as they have that person, they will not be in danger.

    Nevertheless, with the way things had developed this night, Evan found his responsibility being great.

    In the face of an evil Dark wizard like Pettigrew, he found himself not being decisive enough.

    The correct approach to this matter should¡¯ve been stunning Pettigrew directly and then bringing him in to Dumbledore, or incapacitating him in order to wipe away any chances of his escape, or¡­.

    Evan had that habit of putting himself in everyone¡¯s shoes.

    He had this impression of Pettigrew. On top of his cowardice and stupidity, he felt that he had a conscience that had never been annihted. With this image,bined with Peter¡¯s tragic ending, Evan thought that when overpowering him and facing him with the truth, Peter would give up all resistance and confess.

    To him this would have been a perfect ending to this year¡¯s event.

    With ck seeding to clear up his name and get what he was supposed to get and Ron seeding to rely on his own efforts to resist the Imperius Curse, having Peter pay the price for his actions and sincerely apologizing to ck and Harry would¡¯ve been perfect.

    However, things did not develop in that direction!

    In order to escape, in order to evade the Dementors¡¯ wrath, Pettigrew resorted to that forbidden Dark Magic, not caring one bit about the safety of the four innocent children in front of him.

    Pettigrew¡¯s reaction was totally different from what Evan ever imagined.

    Evan realized at that moment that he was just too na?ve.

    This is a real magical world, not a game where he could guess events basing on the original plot. These characters were real living people.

    They all had their own ideas, making decisions based on the dynamics of their surroundings, rather than sticking to what was in the book.

    Even Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard in the contemporary Era, had his own unknown ns. Otherwise tonight he¡­

    And among all the Death Eaters, Pettigrew was the lowliest and weakest of all. And still, even he proved to be so evil and difficult to deal with.

    Evan sighed again. He realized that if he kept being this na?ve, he would never be an opponent to Voldemort.

    ¡°Changing other people fates is starting to look more like a fairy tale. It seems like the one I need to change the most is myself!¡±

    Evan¡¯s eyes gradually became firm. Although his heart did not change, he made up his mind to use more practical ways to solve these real problems.

 Chapter 161: The Acromantulasâ€™ Reward

    <h4>Chapter 161: The Acromants¡¯ Reward</h4>

    Going down the steep slope for about twenty minutes, Evan came to the ridge of a vast hollow, a hollow that had been cleared of trees. Looking up, he could see the vast starry sky.

    The open space in the center of the hollow was covered with thick leaves. Stepping on them, Evan had a feeling of walking on a carpet. He saw Peter Pettigrew and the spider that took him in the middle of the open space. In front of them was a huge, misty, domed spider web.

    ¡°Evan, Evan, you came to save me! I knew you woulde!¡±

    Pettigrew wept in a low voice, he looked extremely miserable. He shivered on the ground with no dignity. He crawled over like a worm, trembling and said, ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me alone here, don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Evan said furiously.

    Peter continued to cry and he was disturbed. His appearance made Evan feel sick and look down on him.

    He was sad, weak, stupid to the extreme¡­ Why does such a person even exist?!

    Evan did not look at Pettigrew; he turned his eyes to the spider on the side.

    It lingered on the thick leaves, its eight legs swayed slightly, four of his eyes on one side were watching him and Pettigrew, and the other four eyes looked at the huge spider web not far away.

    Click, click, click¡­

    It moved its pincers rapidly, giving a sharp hasty clicking.

    Evan suddenly realized that the spider was saying something. It had been hard to tell, because he clicked his pincers with every word he spoke.

    ¡°Aragog!¡± it called, ¡°Aragog!¡±

    And from the middle of the misty, domed web, a spider the size of a small elephant emerged, very slowly. There was gray in the ck of his body and legs, and each of the eyes on his ugly, pincered head was milky white. He was blind.

    Seeing Aragog, Evan involuntarily clenched his wand in his hand.

    This monster should be Hagrid¡¯s pet, the ancestor of all the Acromants in the forest.

    The image in front of him was too frightening, although he was mentally prepared, when this giant spider appeared, Evan discovered that he had been underestimating the size of the monster.

    It had eight legs, each of them was even thicker than Evan¡¯s own body!

    Peter Pettigrew, who had been curling up on the ground, suddenly stopped shaking; his mouth widened, and seemed to be making a silent cry, his eyes bursting out.

    This was simply a nightmare. No, this was a thousand times worse than that!

    With the advent of Aragog, countless Acromants came out from nowhere.

    Each of them was bigger than the three that attacked Evan and Peter Pettigrew. They crowded together. When they saw the people in the center of the field, they were excited and moved their big pincers, sending out terrible and disgusting clicking.

    Pettigrew got goose bumps, and he swore that if he could choose the way of death, he would rather be shredded by Sirius ck, or get his soul sucked out by a Dementor, than be the food of these spiders.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he said, clicking his pincers rapidly, sounding a bit majestic, ¡°Why do you call for me?¡±

    ¡°Men,¡± clicked the spider who had caught Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°Is it Hagrid?¡± said Aragog, moving closer to them, his eight milky eyes wandering vaguely.

    ¡°No, strangers.¡±

    ¡°Kill them,¡± clicked Aragog fretfully. ¡°I was sleeping¡­¡±

    Hearing Aragog, all the other spiders were excited.

    They gathered around the center of the field, waiting for Aragog to return into his domed web, so that Evan and Peter would be their food.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t, think of a way out!¡± Peter squatted on the floor, holding on Evan¡¯s robe tightly, and looking at the Acromants around him in panic.

    Evan kicked him aside, and took a step forward; he could even see Aragog¡¯s fluff clearly.

    He gulped, His heart seemed to have left his chest to pound in his throat.

    ¡°Hold on, Aragog!¡± Evan shouted. ¡°I am a friend of Hagrid¡¯s!¡±

    ¡°Hagrid¡¯s friend?!¡± croaked the old spider, he paused and said slowly, ¡°Hagrid has never sent men into our hollow before.¡±

    ¡°My name is Evan Mason, I am from the castle, I¡¯m close to Hagrid¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your name!¡±Aragog clicked his big pincers,¡± Hagrid told me that a few months ago, you killed that thing in the castle. ¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan replied eagerly, ¡°Harry and I killed the Basilisk!¡±

    Hearing the Basilisk¡¯s name, all the furious clicking suddenly stopped, and the whole ce suddenly became quiet as never before.

    Besides his heavy breathing and Peter¡¯s sobbing, Evan could no longer hear anything else.

    He even thought that all the Acromants had left. He turned his head and saw that they were still crowded there, but they were all quiet and even stepped backwards.

    Their ugly spider faces were very humane and showed fear.

    ¡°How dare you mention this name!¡± Aragog madly clicked his pincers and made an unprecedented click. It said with intense emotions, ¡°The thing is our nemesis!¡±

    Aragog clicked his pincers furiously, and all around the hollow the sound was echoed by the crowd of spiders; it was like apuse. Evan saw again the rustling of many long legs shifting angrily;rge ck shapes shifted all around him.

    ¡°Hurry up, say something else, don¡¯t mention that thing!¡± Pettigrew reminded Evan with an almost suffocating voice.

    It was clear that Aragog thought the same. It changed the subject and said to Evan, ¡°Hagrid¡¯s friend, what did youe to our hollow for?¡±

    ¡°I followed this guy and identally came here. He is an evil ck wizard. He nned a despicable plot in the castle!¡± Evan hesitated and continued. ¡°This guy is working for Voldemort¡­ ¡­¡±

    Hearing the name, Pettigrew convulsed.

    ¡°Voldemort?!¡± Aragog repeated slowly, seemingly without any particr reaction. It said, ¡°I have heard of this name. Fifteen years ago, this wizard sent someone to contact me. You humans were going on a war at the time. He asked us to join his camp, but I refused. I was not interested in the war of the wizards, although my children were very eager to follow him. Voldemort promised them a very generous reward.¡±

    Hearing ¡°Voldemort¡±, the spiders around them became significantly more excited. They all seemed to recall Voldemort¡¯s promise in those years, the promise that they simply could not refuse: as long as they were loyal to him, they could get fresh human flesh as food.

 Chapter 162: Aragogâ€™s Lair

    <h4>Chapter 162: Aragog¡¯s Lair</h4>

    Evan silently looked at the Acromants that turned suddenly excited around him. These monsters were really purely dark creatures.

    He didn¡¯t know what Voldemort could¡¯ve promised them to make them this excited, but it certainly was no good. Aragog was still talking, but seeing the spiders that were gradually gathering from all sides and feeling more and more excited, Evan did not want to continue to discuss this topic.

    ¡°Fifteen years ago, my children approached me many times. They advised me to join Voldemort¡¯s camp. Even if his reward was really exciting, I didn¡¯t want to get involved in your human disputes! I know that Hagrid is against Voldemort!¡± Aragog seemed to be tired, and it was backing slowly into its domed web.

    However, his fellow spiders around the hollow continued to inch slowly toward Evan and Pettigrew.

    ¡°Well, I think¡­¡± Hearing leaves rustling behind him, Evan hurried to Aragog. ¡°I should go, then, thank you for your help, Aragog, I will talk to Hagrid about this!¡±

    ¡°Go?¡± Aragog said, ¡°I think not¡­¡±

    Evan¡¯s heart bet in a rush. The worst of his expectations was happening, and Aragog did not intend to let them go.

    He slowly receded, as there were so many giant spiders around him that he could never be able to face. He quickly nced at Peter Pettigrew. If only that guy could use the evil ck magic that caused the violent explosion earlier, maybe they could still stand a chance.

    But Pettigrew had already copsed to the ground, his body trembling uncontrobly. He had lost a lot of blood; his skin was pale and his face was bloodless.

    In his current state, he was unable to continue to fight, cast magic, or even stand up.

    Really, a good for nothing!

    Evan clenched his wand in his hand, as the present Pettigrew wasn¡¯t a fighting force, but rather aplete burden.

    Evan¡¯s eyes looked around and finally fell on Aragog.

    Fighting against so many fierce Acromants was unrealistic. His only chance was to catch Aragog first. However, as soon as he saw Aragog¡¯s small elephant sized body, Evan gulped again. Catching that big monster wouldn¡¯t be that easy. He thought that even Hagrid could not do it.

    ¡°My sons and daughters do not harm Hagrid, on mymand. But I cannot deny them fresh meat, when it wanders so willingly into our midst. I can¡¯t, friend of Hagrid. Thank you for helping us by killing the thing inside the castle¡­¡±

    Evan spun around. Feet away, towering above him, was a solid wall of spiders, clicking, their many eyes gleaming in their ugly ck heads. Like a ck river, they quickly gathered in the middle of the hollow.

    Pettigrew seemed to be stunned, andid motionless on the ground.

    Evan¡¯s legs were shaking, but his heart was determined, he knew that he had to engage in this desperate fight. If he doesn¡¯t take the initiative, he wouldn¡¯t get any chance.

    He may not be able to capture Aragog, but he can threaten him with magic, opening a way for himself to leave with Pettigrew.

    The next second, Evan violently turned around and rushed to Aragog who was in the center of the spider web.

    His wand emitted a red light, hitting the Acromant between them. Without stopping, he avoided its dark sharp pincers that were clicking unceasingly, and the huge waving legs of the spiders around Aragog.

    Aragog waved his huge eight legs, trying to prevent Evan from approaching.

    But he was getting old, and did not have enough strength to make a quick reaction. His huge size did not allow him to move and dodge quickly.

    Evan, breathing heavily, climbed up the misty, domed web. The spider¡¯s web under his feet was sticky, but it didn¡¯t stop him. He clenched his wand and casted a Stunning Spell, causing Aragog a short dizziness. He took the opportunity to rush on top of him.

    That was definitely the craziest thing Evan ever made. He pointed his wand against Aragog¡¯s rough exoskeleton.

    He looked at the spider that was covered in barbed, hard ck fur, and he felt unprecedented nausea.

    Just touching an Acromant¡¯s exoskeleton, he did not know how Hagrid could deal with them.

    Evan¡¯s heart was beating fast, almost getting out of his chest. He was sweating all over his body as the cold wind of the night blew over. The winter night was very cold, and the temperature in the forbidden forest was a few degrees lower than outside it, but the spider web was very warm, and a warm current was blowing from bottom to top.

    The difort caused by the cold wind dissipated instantly.

    Evan turned his head and saw a hole behind the spider web. A gentle slope nted downward. Deep in the bottom, there should be Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    The warm air was blowing from the inside out. That exined why from the outside, this domed web was always misty. Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on below, maybe there was an underground hot spring, or something else that could emit heat¡­

    If it were not for the present situation, he would really like to go in and check it out.

    As it was the Lair of the King of Spiders, Aragog must have collected a lot of extremely valuable things.

    If nothing else, there will definitely be plenty of potion materials and magical nts. Or there will be powerful magical items. You know, even for an over 50 year old Acrumat, Aragog was really massive in size.

    This was very abnormal; there must be something that helped that to happen.

    Now is not the time to think of such things. Evan shook his head, pointing his wand to Aragog¡¯s head, and saying briefly, ¡°Let us leave, or else¡­.¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish his words, but his wand¡¯s tip was shining brightly.

    Aragog trembled a bit, and he could feel the temperature from Evan¡¯s wand. He didn¡¯t expect the young human to be so bold and dare to threaten him.

    What Evan meant was clear. If Aragog did not agree to let them go, even if he couldn¡¯t kill him on the spot, he was absolutely sure that he would use magic to break his head. Aragog was getting too old, and such an injury could be fatal.

    Even more, if there was a chance, Evan could even set Aragog¡¯s Lair on fire.

    ¡°You won, friend of Hagrid, you are really brave, no wonder you could kill that thing in the castle!¡± Clicking, Aragog¡¯s big pincers moved fast, ¡°Take the guy down there and leave, I will restrain my children.¡±

    Clicking, under themand of Aragog, the spiders moved backwards.

    A few secondster, the center of the hollow was empty, and only Pettigrew was lying there, panting weakly.

 Chapter 163: Death in Fire

    <h4>Chapter 163: Death in Fire</h4>

    Although Aragog said so, Evan was somewhat hesitant.

    He was not stupid enough to trust an Acromant. As highly intelligent creatures, honesty and trustworthiness have never been synonymous with Acromants. In fact, they are exactly the opposite; they are some of the most purely evil and ferocious dark creatures to exist.

    Even if Hagrid had raised Aragog as his pet, this can only guarantee that he has some affection for him and him alone. This doesn¡¯t make him care one bit about other human beings! This shows most prominently from his initialmand to his children to kill Evan and Pettigrew.

    Evan hesitated. If possible, he hoped to take Aragog away with him, leaving the spiders¡¯ territory and the Forbidden Forest. Thus, he would not have to worry about the spider¡¯s trustworthiness.

    But Aragog was really so huge that his eight massive spider legs couldn¡¯t support his own weight. If they left this spider web, he probably won¡¯t be able to even move.

    ¡°Reducio!¡± Evan whispered, he was trying this magic.

    It was one of the 7th year N.E.W.T exam requirements. Evan had seen Professor Flitwick use this spell to reduce a spider. He tried to use it on Aragog. If he could reduce him, it should be great.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was hisck of mastery over the spell, or if Aragog was immune to this magic. In short, it did not work.

    Seeing what Evan did, the spiders around the hollow clicked with anger, as countless pairs of hateful eyes glittered on their ugly ck heads.

    ¡°Friend of Hagrid¡­¡± Aragog¡¯s voice carried a hint of resentment. ¡°Don¡¯t make useless attempts. I will not hurt you out of respect for Hagrid, but don¡¯te back here again to bother us. We, spiders like darkness and quiet!¡±

    ¡°Well, I hope you can keep your word!¡± Evan tried a few more magics, and it didn¡¯t work. It seemed that Aragog¡¯s hard shell and huge body made him immune to some of the most powerful attacking spells.

    He couldn¡¯t take any more time. It was nighttime; no one knew that he went there. The rescue from the castle shouldn¡¯t being anytime soon, and the situation of Peter Pettigrew seemed to be getting worse. He simply bandaged his right hand and couldn¡¯t stop the blood loss.

    Constant tossing had taken away so much strength and energy from him. Looking at him, Evan feared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay alive for much longer.

    Evan slipped down from the domed web. He stepped back, his wand still pointing to Aragog as he slowly retreated to Pettigrew.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan, you saved me, I will repay you¡­¡± Peter grabbed Evan¡¯s robe and said weakly.

    This sentence did not make him happy at all. Unless something goes wrong, Peter Pettigrew should be spending the rest of his life in the Azkaban Wizards prison. So yeah, he couldn¡¯t expect him to repay him, nor did he even want to ever see him again.

    Pettigrew struggled to stand up, but his legs were extremely weak. He just stood halfway and fell back down immediately to the ground.

    ¡°Evan, Evan, I have no strength, help me, don¡¯t leave me alone here¡­¡± he said in panic.

    ¡°Shut up! Keep your filthy hands away from my robe!¡± Evan frowned, watching his ck school uniform being soiled by Pettigrew¡¯s blood, he gently waved his wand, muttering, ¡± Mobilicorpus! ¡±

    As though invisible strings were tied to Peter¡¯s wrists, neck and knees he was pulled into a standing position, head lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet. He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t resist it, if you break free of this spell¡¯s control, I won¡¯t take care of you anymore!¡± Evan warned Pettigrew that he was also getting weaker.

    So many things happened tonight that he just wanted to go back and get a good sleep.

    Surrounded by hundreds of huge Acromants, Evan, who was slowly leaving the hollow with Peter, noticed that the number of spiders around him seemed to be increasing.

    After getting the news, the spiders that were hunting for food outside, were graduallying back.

    They were crowded together, making a scalp-tingling clicking sound, with their murderous ck eyes staring closely at the two humans walking through. Evan could even hear what sounded like them salivating over them.

    Fresh human flesh was too tempting for them.

    Fortunately, they all obeyed Aragog¡¯s orders and did not attack.

    In the center of the hollow, Aragog remained on the misty giant spider web. His big pincers slowly joined together. It was as if he was staring at Evan tightly. It was like his eight white blind eyes could actually capture the boy¡¯s movements.

    Then, he slowly began retreating back into his Lair.

    In the slope around the hollow, all the roads leading back to it were filled with the Acromants.

    Evan left with Pettigrew. They climbed to the ridge of the hollow to see the trees again. Aragog and the other Acromants were disappearing from their eyes.

    Evan had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Aragog¡¯s low tter clicking,ing from the deep bottom of the Lair.

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    Hearing themand of Aragog, all the spiders immediately became excited, and they couldn¡¯t wait to rush to their prey.

    Like a raging ck river, with a roar of death, they rushed straight to Evan.

    ¡°Damn, this old fellow is really not trustworthy!¡± Evan had no time to think about it. Under the screams of Pettigrew, he hurriedly pointed his wand at the leaves on the ground and shouted, ¡°Incendio!¡±

    A red me emerged from his wand¡¯s tip to instantly ignite the yellow, dry leaves.

    After being umted by the Acromants for over 50 years, no one knows how many leaves where in the hollow. They were stacked up and dried up, corroded and dissipated, leaving some extremely mmable grass fibers.

    With those fibers on the ground, Evan¡¯s magic had achieved amazing results.

    Aragog¡¯s Lair, the holynd of the Acromant, turned into a burning fire pit in an instant, and the thundering mes were twenty feet high.

    Amazing heat waves surged, and the giant spiders in the hollownd made a shrill voice.

    It was not the usual clicking, but screams from the depths of their souls.

    Looking at what happened in front of his eyes, Peter Pettigrew was pale. He looked at the hundreds of Acromants being scorched and was suddenly hit by the same feeling he used to get from the Dark Lord. From the thin ck-haired boy in front of him all he felt was those sinister sensations: fear and horror.

    At that moment, Evan was Death!

 Chapter 164: Death of Wormtail

    <h4>Chapter 164: Death of Wormtail</h4>

    The fire in the hollow was burning more and more vigorously. The red-ck mes spread through the leaves of the slope from top to bottom, passing from the outermost side of the ridge to the center, engulfing everything they touched.

    The leaves and the Acromants were scorched, and the ashes were fluttering, as if the door of Hell was slowly opening. There were loud, shrill screams in the fire pit. Just to stop Evan from returning to Aragog, many of the Acromants gathered there, and now, they were desperately fleeing around.

    Evan stood on the ridge of the fire pit and gave the whole scene a cold look.

    The scene did touch him greatly. The oing scorching heat, the burnt smell of flesh and blood and the wails of the spiders before their death, as ifing out from the depths of Hell, made his legs quiver constantly.

    But Evan¡¯s right hand holding the wand was extremely firm, and from time to time it emitted a red light, shooting down the giant spiders trying to escape from the fire pit.

    On the side, Peter Pettigrew was looking at Evan in awe. He seemed to want to say something, but after a long hesitation, he said nothing.

    With this boy, he couldn¡¯t think about resisting anymore.

    The Acromants that were not burned in the pit were equally frightened and looked at the human boy above. Countless pairs of eyes stared at him, as if they wanted to carve Evan¡¯s appearance deep into the soul. Starting on that day, on top of their nemesis, Evan was destined to be a nightmare for all Acromants.

    They were constantly retreating and gathering at the center of the hollow.

    Click, click, click¡­

    Evan heard Aragog¡¯s voiceing from the depths of the Lair, and the remaining giant spiders began to force the leaves and the soil, and the mes were separated and blocked out with a belt.

    The mes in the hollow ground were too strong, and Evan didn¡¯t know if they could seed.

    He didn¡¯t have time to continue watching. Hearing Aragog¡¯s call, more Acromants came out of the Forbidden Forest, waving their sharp pincers and rushing over to them. He hurried to leave with Pettigrew.

    These Acromants that came closely followed behind them. Although they were much smaller than the ones in the hollow, the power of their sharp big pincers was exactly the same. Messing up around them meant inevitable death.

    Evan¡¯s wand shined from time to time, throwing back the approaching spiders, and his remaining magic power was quickly depleted.

    But the spiders wereing from all directions; their steady stream seemed to be endless.

    Peter Pettigrew screamed with horror. Blood and sweat almost drenched his entire robe, and the clot that had already begun to solidify on his wound began to crack and ooze with blood. He wanted to do something, but he didn¡¯t dare to move. He didn¡¯t even dare to speak, fearing to interrupt Evan¡¯s magic moving him.

    If that was to happen, the consequences would simply be unimaginable.

    About five minutester, Evan was almost unable to hold on. Even if he killed more spiders, that would not help at all. There were simply too many of them. He insisted on moving forward for a while, then gasped and leaned heavily on the trunk of an oak tree.

    The faint radiance at his wand¡¯s tip slowly dissipated, and the surroundings plunged into endless darkness.

    ¡°Save me, I have been bitten by a spider, save me, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± The scream of Pettigrew came over.

    Under the starlight, Evan seemed to see the size and shape of Pettigrew lying, and the giant spider biting his right leg, tearing his flesh and blood with his big ck pincers, and pulling him back.

    Peter¡¯s arm clenched the trunk next to him. There was a clicking. The Acromant behind him snapped arge piece of his flesh, and blood squirted out of his leg. The sound of the monster chewing his flesh was absolutely disturbing.

    Smelling the odor of blood, the other approaching Acromants became more insane.

    Another spider rushed to Pettigrew. The scene was too horrible. Evan hurriedly stretched out his wand and wanted to save him.

    But there was no magic power in his body. He casted a spell, and his wand emitted a faint red light, that disappeared immediately like a candle that was blown out by the wind.

    ¡°Save me, save me, please¡­¡± It started to sound like a broken record. Pettigrew screamed and cried more and more, louder and louder.

    He struggled, wept, pleaded, and his face was full of tears. He regretted taking the path that led him to this. He wished he had not betrayed James and Lily. The promise of power he received from Voldemort was empty.

    Evan couldn¡¯t bear to hear Peter¡¯s screams, and closed his eyes.

    Perhaps, he¡¯s going to end up the same. Suddenly, a loud, long note sounded, and a ze of light med through the hollow.

    Evan opened his eyes in surprise. He saw the old car he had taken before schoolst year. Mr. Weasley¡¯s car was thundering down the slope, headlights ring, its horn screeching, knocking spiders aside; several were thrown onto their backs, their endless legs waving in the air. The car screeched to a halt in front of Evan and the doors flew open.

    Evan didn¡¯t think twice. He jumped up and his previously depleted magical power seemed to be revived with hope. His wand emitted sessive red lights, hitting the spider behind Pettigrew. He held Peter¡¯s left hand and dragged him over towards the front seat of the car.

    They just walked two steps forward, when he spider that had just bitten Peter¡¯s right leg suddenly rushed out from the shadows. Once again, his big pincers sped Peter and his front legs surrounded his waist holding him tightly.

    Evan and the spider started a disparate struggle over the body of Pettigrew.

    As for Peter, he had already fainted. Because of the pain, the muscles on his face were still contorting.

    Evan pulled out his wand with difficulty and pointed at the spider behind Peter. He tried a few times and failed to cast a spell.

    Suddenly, Pettigrew woke up again. His pupils were wide open with fear, his eyes moved from Evan¡¯s to look around, watching at the growing number of spiders around them. They were graduallying over, ready to attack them.

    Looking at the firm expression on the boy¡¯s face, Pettigrew once again remembered Sirius ck, his former best friend.

    ck just said that if he did not sell James and Lily out to Voldemort, he would also be willing to die for him.

    If ck was here, he would certainly be just like Evan, holding him tight and not letting him go, wouldn¡¯t he?

    If he didn¡¯t betray James and Lily in the past, how good would life be right now?

    Pettigrew closed his eyes, and his tears flowed out again, and there was a trace of regret and resolution on his painful and distorted face.

    A secondter, he violently broke away from Evan, watching the boy springing right back into the car as he was pulling too hard.

    As he was dragged by the spider to the Acromants behind them, Pettigrew had a little penitence in his heart.

    The car¡¯s engine roared and they were off, hitting more spiders.

    Through the dirty window, Evan saw Peter Pettigrew fade away.

    The spiders made a triumphant loud clicking. Evan knew what it meant: Wormtail had died!

 Chapter 165: Two Patronuses

    <h4>Chapter 165: Two Patronuses</h4>

    Over an hour before that, in Hogwarts, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    After the violent explosion, Harry and Hermione stood up difficultly from the ground, and the huge impact of the explosion made them feel sore. Evan had already chased Peter Pettigrew into the Forbidden Forest. Only the two of them were there.

    Ron and Sirius ck were unconscious, lying on the ground; ck was bleeding.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Hermione said desperately, looking at the Forbidden Forest uneasily. ¡°Evan ran after him in there!¡±

    ¡°We must first get the two into the castle; Sirius needs treatment. Then we should tell someone able to save Evan!¡± Harry said quickly, brushing his hair away from the front of his eyes.

    Then he saw the Dementors approaching.

    Almost instantly, the center of the field became misty and the temperature plummeted.

    He spun around, the familiar, icy cold prating his insides, fog starting to obscure his vision; more Dementors were appearing out of the darkness on every side. It seemed that they have noticed ck.

    They were excited, and their rotting limbs stretched out from their ripped ck cloaks.

    They were encircling them¡­

    Hermione raised her wand and tried to summon her Patronus. Her wand¡¯s tip emitted a white light, but she couldn¡¯t get it to be corporeal.

    There were too many Dementors. Her fear was closer to be corporeal than her patronus.

    Hermione couldn¡¯t think of anything happy at that moment. She was too worried about Evan. He went to chase Peter Pettigrew alone. What should she do if anything bad happened to him?

    There are many unknown dangers that hide in the Forbidden Forest at night.

    She thought of her only nighttime experience in that forest. It was during her first year, she was there with Hagrid, Harry, and Malfoy, and she saw the unicorn being killed by Voldemort.

    Thinking of Voldemort, the little light at the tip of Hermione¡¯s wand dissipated instantly.

    ¡°Hermione, think of something happy!¡± Harry yelled, raising his wand, blinking furiously to try and clear his vision, shaking his head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside it¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m going to live with my godfather. I¡¯m leaving the Dursleys.¡±

    He forced himself to think of ck, and only ck, and began to chant: ¡°Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!¡±

    ck gave a shudder, rolled over, andy motionless on the ground, pale as death.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be all right. I¡¯m going to go and live with him.¡±

    ¡°Expecto patronum! Hermione, help me! Expecto patronum!¡±

    ¡°Expecto¡­¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°expect¡­ expecto¡­¡±

    But she couldn¡¯t do it. The Dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Harry and Hermione, and were getting closer¡­

    ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡± Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears. ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡±

    A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like mist before him. There were many Dementors, and this feeble resistance didn¡¯t work at all. At the same moment, Harry felt Hermione copse next to him. He was alone¡­pletely alone¡­

    He couldn¡¯t let the Dementors get close to ck, he wanted to drive those monsters away and get rid of them.

    ¡°Expecto¡­ Expecto patronum¡­.¡±

    Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding his eyes and all his unpleasant memories shed in his mind. Harry tried not to think about such things. He tried to remember that Sirius was innocent and his name was going to be cleared. Everyone will be fine, Professor Lupin will return safely, Ron will graduallye back, Evan will sessfully catch Peter Pettigrew, and he, Harry will live with Sirius.

    ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡± Harry gasped hard and shouted with all his strength.

    By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, he saw a Dementor halt, very close to him. It couldn¡¯t walk through the cloud of silver mist Harry had conjured. It was starring at ck behind Harry, and from underneath its ck cloak, a dead, slimy hand slid out.

    It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Harry gasped. ¡°You can¡¯t hurt him. He¡¯s innocent! Expecto Patronum!¡±

    He could feel them watching him, hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest Dementor seemed to be considering him. Then it raised both its rotting hands, and lowered its hood.

    Harry had seen the same Dementor on the Quidditch pitch. Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched nkly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth¡­ a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.

    With that, Harry felt that his soul was being sucked in. A paralyzing terror filled Harry so that he couldn¡¯t move or speak. His Patronus flickered and died.

    White fog was blinding him. He had to fight¡­ Expecto patronum¡­ he couldn¡¯t see¡­ and in the distance, he heard the familiar screaming¡­ the voice of his mother before her death.

    Harry gasped heavily, and he fumbled for Sirius in the mist¡­

    He found ck¡¯s arm, and he held him tightly. He couldn¡¯t let the Dementors take Sirius away.

    But a pair of strong, mmy hands suddenly attached themselves around Harry¡¯s neck. They were forcing his face upward¡­ He could feel its breath¡­ It understood Harry thoughts and was going to get rid of him first¡­ He could feel its putrid breath¡­ His mother was screaming in his ears¡­ She was going to be thest thing he ever heard.

    She was shouting his name. That was herst sentence before her death.

    The fog was drowning himpletely. Harry knew he was going to die. He was going to see his mother. He was going to reunite with his parents!

    But then, two silver-white lights slid from the distant horizon bing brighter and brighter.

    The Dementor who was about to kiss Harry stopped suddenly. Just like what happened on the Quidditch pitch two months ago, it felt the danger of terror. It knew that if it didn¡¯t run away, it would disappearpletely from this world.

    The Dementors fled, and Harry felt that he had fallen forward to the grass. His face was down and he couldn¡¯t move. He shivered and barely opened his eyes.

    The dazzling light illuminated thewn around him, and the screams in his ears stopped, the cold feeling was passing away, and something was driving the Dementors back.

    The two silver-white Patronuses surrounded him, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius, and the sucking sound of the demons gradually faded away.

    Harry gathered his strength lifted his head a few inches. He saw two animals in the light. They were so simr, very bright, much like a unicorn, one tall and one short. One had a stout sharp horn on top of its head, and the other was iparably pure, looking like¡­

    They revolved around them and flew back into the castle.

    Through the starlight in the sky, and by the light of the Patronuses, He tried to see who saved him, but the sweat blurred his eyes.

    He only saw two Patronuses separating over the castle, one flew into the Hall through the gate and the other disappeared into a narrow window on the third floor.

    Harry didn¡¯t understand why, he felt that hisst glimmer of force had left him, his head hit the ground and he fainted.

 Chapter 166: Dialogue in the Ward

    <h4>Chapter 166: Dialogue in the Ward</h4>

    When Evan woke up, he found himself back in the school hospital.

    He was lying on the bed like yesterday, and his body was aching all over. It was as if his bones were split open. And his magical power was even more exhausted than the time after he fought Greyback.

    Hisst memory was of what happened in the depths of the Forbidden Forest. He was taken away by Mr. Weasley¡¯s car, and Peter Pettigrew was dragged into the spider herd by that Acromant.

    After that, what happened?

    He tried to Remember. The old car was carrying him out of the Acromants. They were rampaging in the forest. After ten noisy, bumpy minutes, the trees thinned in the distance, and they returned to the Hogwarts field.

    Then, likest year, he was thrown out by the car.

    Before fainting, he seemed to see a maning over to him. The figure seemed to be that of Professor Snape¡­

    Evan shook his head, raised it and looked around. The ward was very dark.

    On the bed next to him, Ron wasying there, his body covered with thick bedding; only his red hair was exposed.

    In the corner of the ward, Harry and Hermione were arguing with Mrs. Pomfrey in a low voice, and Evan seemed to hear words such as his name, injury, and so on.

    They immediately found out that Evan woke up and hurried over. Harry and Hermione came up in turn and embraced him. Their faces were full of joy, especially Hermione. Her eyes were red and her voice was twitching, showing clearly the depth of her worries about him.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯ve just been sent in by Professor Snape, and I thought ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right, Hermione!¡± Evanforted her patting her shoulder, but the girl was blushing and she hugged him tightly, as if she was afraid of losing him.

    ¡°Well, children, Evan has woken up, so now you should believe me when I say he¡¯s fine!¡± Madam Pomfrey put her hands on her waist and said harshly, ¡°You two should go back to sleep immediately. You are in a bad state and you need to stay in bed. ¡±

    ¡°How about Ron?¡± Evan asked with difficulty.

    ¡°He¡¯ll live!¡± said Madam Pomfrey grimly. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, the effect of the Imperius curse. The impact of that evil magic on his soul should take a very long time to be undone. I will advise the Headmaster to send him to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, right?¡±Evan, Harry and Hermione asked at the same time.

    ¡°This poor child needs to rest in bed for a while, but he will recover.¡± Madam Pomfrey wrinkled her nose and said nervously, ¡°I really don¡¯t understand when Hogwarts became a hub for Dark Wizards! Last year was He- Who-Should-Not-Be-Named. Today is Sirius ck. Who knows who it will be next year?¡±

    Evan wanted to tell her that next year¡¯s may be Barty Crouch Junior.

    He didn¡¯t know how urate her hunch could be. Hopefully, it won¡¯t be as urate as Prof. Trwney¡¯s. She told him to be careful about the spiders during his 1st divination ss, and then he actually encountered them, at the most critical moment.

    ¡°Right, Sirius!¡± Harry seemed to have remembered something. He asked quickly. ¡°Where is he, why didn¡¯t I see him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. They¡¯ve got ck. He¡¯s locked away upstairs¡± said Madam Pomfrey, uneasily. ¡°I just saw his injury, it¡¯s bad but it should heal slowly. However, I think he should not need treatment, those Dementors¡­¡±

    ¡°Sirius is innocent, we have proved this, everything was¡­¡±

    Harry had not finished his word, when he heard Mrs. Pomfrey continue to say, ¡°Ah yeah! If, more than a decade ago, someone told me that ck would be what he is today, I wouldn¡¯t believe him at all. He was always together with that Potter, roaming around the campus. He was the most popr boy, had a very good character, and was very smart and likable. Who could believe that he would go with He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named¡­¡±

    ¡°That was not Sirius¡¯s doing! He did not sell my parents out, it was all done by that Pettigrew.¡± Harry hurriedly turned to look at Evan and asked urgently. ¡°Pettigrew is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Dead!¡± Evan replied whispering.

    Harry mmed quietly, and he and Hermione looked at Evan with disbelief.

    ¡°You, what are you talking about, how could he die?!¡± Harry closed his eyes and shivered. ¡°If he¡¯s dead, what should Sirius do?¡±

    Looking at Harry, pale, Evan slowly shook his head.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s for the Headmaster and the Ministry of Magic to consider!¡± Madam Pomfrey looked at Harry ufortably. ¡°You two must go back to bed immediately, especially you, Harry! I heard Professor Snape who sent you in say the Dementors were even about to kiss¡­¡± She said forcing Harry and Hermione back to their beds. Then she gave everyone a piece of chocte and turned back to her office.

    No one spoke in the dark ward. Harry and Hermione were still absorbed by the shocking news of Pettigrew¡¯s death. They didn¡¯t know what happened in the Forbidden Forest. It should be so grave since Pettigrew had died.

    After a few moments of silence, Evan told them about what happened in the Forbidden Forest. Harry and Hermione listened quietly to his narrative. Hearing how Evan had to face the siege of the small elephant-sized Aragog and his thousands of Acromants, they were extremely nervous.

    ¡°Remember?¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°We heard Hagrid talk about Aragogst year. Fifty years ago, people mistakenly thought that he was the oneing out of the Chamber of Secrets and killing Myrtle. Hagrid was expelled at the time because of that. With that entire time passing, I actually thought that the spider had died!¡±

    ¡°Not only did it remain alive. It¡¯s been reproducing in the Forbidden Forest. Now, no one knows how many Acromants reside in there. Arge portion of the forest is their territory.¡± Evan continued, ¡°I bet that Hagrid must have thought that Aragog would never hurt his friends.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Hagrid¡¯s problem. He always thinks that monsters are not as bad a people imagine!¡± Harry clenched his fist, ¡°Those Acromants have killed Pettigrew, that¡¯s what he deserved. But now Sirius¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t know why, but because of Pettigrew¡¯s death, Harry couldn¡¯t keep himself from feeling a little happy.

    He was so worried about ck, and then he thought of his parents.

    Tonight, seeing their traitor¡¯s death, will they be happy?

    Evan and Hermione were still talking. Harry blinked, reaching out to wipe the tears from his eyes. He heard Hermione talking about the time when they encountered the Dementors.

    Hermione had already fainted at the time, but he clearly saw the two silver Patronuses.

    The two that saved them from the Dementors looked like..

    Who would conjure those two Patronuses; would it be¡­ his father and mother?

    Then he thought of Sirius ck, and Madam Pomfrey saying that he was locked upstairs. He had to save him. If he doesn¡¯t move in time, it would be toote!

    Just as Harry made up his mind, the door to the ward was opened, and through it entered a calm Professor Dumbledore who had just returned from the Ministry of Magic.

 Chapter 167: Time-Turner

    <h4>Chapter 167: Time-Turner</h4>

    When they saw Dumbledore, Harry and Hermione were stunned for a moment, and they both burst into speech at the same time.

    ¡°Professor, ck is being wrongly used, we saw Peter Pettigrew!¡±

    ¡°He is Ron¡¯s rat. In the Hall, he said everything!¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew took control of Ron. Last night, he framed Professor Lupin, and today he was still preparing¡­¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew died; he has been killed in the Forbidden Forest by the Acromants¡­¡±

    But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of exnations, his light blue eyes, carefully looking at Evan through his semi-circr sses.

    ¡°I already know what you¡¯re telling me, please listen to me now, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time, Cornelius and the Aurors areing to Hogwarts, they are likely to arrive at the castle at any time.¡± Dumbledore said quietly, ¡°In fact, you¡¯ve done very well this evening, but there is not a shred of proof to support ck¡¯s story, except your word, and the word of four twelve, or thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody.¡±

    ¡°But Peter Pettigrew¡­¡±

    ¡°Twelve years ago, a street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters¡¯ Secret-Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew did not die at the time, Professor! We can prove it, his body is still in the Forbidden Forest, in the Acromants¡¯ territory.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote, Evan! By the time we find his body, it will be toote!¡± Dumbledore turned to Evan. ¡°We don¡¯t have time, the Dementors have already asked for it. The Ministry of Magic agreed to directly execute ck.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius¡¯s sentence, nor can we stop the Dementors. No one will believe ck.¡±

    ¡°But you believe us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do,¡± said Dumbledore quietly. ¡°But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic¡­¡±

    Hearing this sentence, Harry and Hermione¡¯s faces became pale, especially Harry. He stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. He had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything.

    Just now, when he heard Evan say that Peter Pettigrew was dead, he had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air. But no¡­ theirst hope was gone!

    Evan didn¡¯t talk, looking at the calm Dumbledore, he knew that he would definitely have a way to turn things around; otherwise he would not have been there this evening.

    ¡°In fact, we are not out of opportunities. What we need,¡± said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry to Hermione, ¡°is more time.¡±

    ¡°More time?! Harry repeated, his expression was confused, and he didn¡¯t know what Dumbledore meant.

    Evan suddenly thought of it, Hermione¡¯s Time-Turner.

    No wonder that he had been feeling strange all night. From the moment Harry and Hermione rushed into Professor Lupin¡¯s office, history had changed. He met Harry and Hermione from the future in normal time flow.

    Evan became confused. He couldn¡¯t understand how the Time-Turner worked. If they change their history with time travel, then the time and space before the trip will not exist, creating a paradox in this trip, and a contradiction between history and time.

    If they caught Peter Pettigrew and saved ck before, then they wouldn¡¯t have needed to use the Time-Turner to go back to the past at this point in the future; if they don¡¯t return to the past, they will naturally not be able to change history.

    Evan shook his head and he felt like he was in a vicious circle.

    But it¡¯s not the time to think about it, he is going to include the Time-Turner in his magic research. However, he didn¡¯t see rted books in the library. He can only ask at the Flourish and Blotts Bookseller shop to see if they can help him find something.

    While Evan was thinking about these things, Hermione¡¯s eyes became very round. She clearly understood what Dumbledore meant and said with surprise, ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Now, pay attention,¡± said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. ¡°Miss Granger, you know thew, you know what is at stake¡­ You must make sure that you can¡¯t be seen, especially by yourselves. You¡­must¡­not¡­be¡­seen!¡±

    Hermione nodded, nervously touching the ne on her chest.

    Harry didn¡¯t have a clue what was going on. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

    ¡°I am going to lock you in. Now, it¡¯s five minutes to midnight!¡± Dumbledore consulted his watch, ¡°Miss Granger, six turns should do it, I wish you good luck!¡±

    ¡°Good luck?¡± Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore, he said in amazement ¡°Six turns? What¡¯s he talking about? What are we supposed to do?¡±

    He saw that Evan and Hermione had left their beds, and Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, what are you doing?¡± Harry said confused.

    ¡°We will exin to youter,e here now,¡± Hermione said urgently.

    ¡°Quick, we must hurry up!¡± Evan also followed.

    He saw Hermione¡¯s nervous face and subconsciously held her cold little hand.

    Hermione turned and smiled at Evan.

    Upon hearing the urging of the two, Harry hurried toward them.

    He saw Hermione holding the chain out, with a small tiny, sparkling hourss hanging from it.

    ¡°Here!¡± Hermione had thrown the chain around Evan and Harry¡¯s necks, asking breathlessly, ¡°Ready?¡±

    Evan nodded, and Harry waspletely lost. He hurriedly asked, ¡°Hold on, what are we doing?¡±

    Before he finished his words, he saw Hermione turn the hourss over six times.

    In the blink of an eye, the dark ward dissolved!

    Harry had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colors and shapes rushed past him, his ears were pounding.

    He tried to yell but couldn¡¯t hear his own voice. And then he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus again. He was standing next to Evan and Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors.

    Harry was surprised to see the familiar scene around him. He didn¡¯t understand how it was just midnight, and now it became daytime. What did Hermione and Evan do?!

    ¡°What happened, where are we?¡± Harry hurriedly turned his head to Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°In the past!¡± Evan replied softly. ¡°We¡¯ve gone back in time!¡±

 Chapter 168: A Plan to Change History

    <h4>Chapter 168: A n to Change History</h4>

    In the bright Entrance Hall, Harry felt that everything was bing unreal.

    He remembered the feeling of flying in the clouds. It was misty, ethereal, just like a dream.

    ¡°In the past?!¡± he muttered, looking at Evan with amazement. ¡°What does this mean? I don¡¯t understand. What happened?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve gone back in time,¡± Hermione whispered, lifting the chain off Evan and Harry¡¯s necks. ¡°Six hours back¡­¡±

    ¡°Back in time!¡± Harry found his own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream.

    Harry still wanted to say something, but Evan suddenly said, ¡°Shh! Someone ising, it should be Madam Pomfrey. We have to hide first.¡±

    The three of them hurriedly left, running through the entrance hall, and going into the dark empty corridor. They then stopped immediately as they saw Prof. Trwney stumbling down the stairs in front of them.

    She didn¡¯t see them. In fact, she looked very flustered as if she was hiding something.

    Professor Trwney was drunk and stumbling. She almost tripped over the stone steps underneath her feet.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s Professor Trwney!¡± Evan nced out and looked: ¡°Look at her, she should have finished that prophecy!¡±

    ¡°What prophecy?¡± Harry and Hermione asked at the same time. .

    ¡°A prophecy about Voldemort, he will select a person to help him rise. With the help of the chosen one, he will gain the power that ordinary people cannot imagine, bing stronger and more terrible than ever before!¡±

    When they heard Voldemort¡¯s name, the mood became gloomy.

    ¡°How could this be, how could Voldemorte back¡­?¡± Hermione said anxiously.

    ¡°This is obviously ridiculous!¡± Harry said. ¡°Don¡¯t buy it. Professor Trwney must be talking nonsense, she is a liar! Always pretending to be mysterious, and always predicting something bad. Remember? She¡¯s been predicting my death the whole semester.

    ¡°No, I think this is a real prophecy!¡± Evan was thinking about the content of the prophecy.

    Since Peter Pettigrew had died, the future had changed and the way Voldemort will return would also change.

    What will he do, with the help of his chosen person?

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about this prophecy! There were so many strange things happening today, more than I have seen in the past six months.¡± Harry turned and looked at Hermione, eagerly asking, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it until now, we actually went back to the past. Hermione, where did you get that hourss thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s called a Time-Turner,¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I¡¯ve been using it all year to get to all my lessons. No one knows about it except Evan and me. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn¡¯t tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I¡¯d never, ever use it for anything except my studies¡­ I¡¯ve been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that¡¯s how I¡¯ve been doing several lessons at once, see?¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s exnation, Harry nodded and hurriedly shook his head.

    ¡°What are we supposed to do now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back six hours? How¡¯s that going to help Sirius?¡± Hermione turned and looked at Evan¡¯s shadowy face, and said perplexed, ¡°Evan, do you know?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea what Dumbledore meant. There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change,¡± Evan said slowly, ¡°Think carefully, I was looking for the Marauder¡¯s map in Professor Lupin¡¯s office at this time. Peter Pettigrew was also there. Where were you two?¡±

    ¡°Six hours ago?! Hermione recalled, ¡°We should be in the Common room. Soon after you left, the two of us were stunned by Peter Pettigrew. It was Sirius ck who saved us.¡±

    ¡°Then we saw Ron taking Snape into the Common room,¡± added Harry. ¡°Snape had the Marauder¡¯s map in his hand, he wanted to catch Sirius and hand him to the Dementors. But it didn¡¯t take long before you rushed in. Hold on, it wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Harry¡¯s eyes widened and he looked at Evan.

    ¡°Yes, that should be meing back from the future, but not me at this time!¡± Evan rubbed his forehead with his left hand and continued. ¡°I also saw you two in Professor Lupin¡¯s office. What we should do is very clear.¡±

    Harry and Hermione nodded, with a strange look of uneasiness and disbelief on their faces. Both of them felt that this was incredible.

    The three of them were actually saved by themselvesing from the future.

    ¡°Well, I should go to the Common room now, stop Snape from catching Sirius, and you two should go to Professor Lupin¡¯s office to save me!¡±

    By the faint light, Evan looked at his friends. Hermione looked frightened, and Harry was eager to go.

    ¡°After that, you will stay in Professor Lupin¡¯s office and wait for me to find you!¡± Evan anxiously exhorted. ¡°Remember, don¡¯t go to the Hall, we mustn¡¯t be seen by ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Evan! Pettigrew, we have to catch him.¡± said Harry quickly,¡± If we let him die or run away, there will be no change in the futurepared to before we came back.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, I know what happened inside the Forbidden Forest, I will find a way to catch Peter Pettigrew.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Hermione looked worriedly at Evan; she did not want him to return, at night, to the Forbidden Forest which was full of danger.

    She was trying to imagine carthorse and small elephant sized giant spiders. Imagining how horrifying the Acromants would be, and remembering their description and danger rating in ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡± made her extremely worried.

    To her, such a ferocious dangerous dark creature cannot be dealt with by young wizards of their age.

    Still, Evan was going for it, definitely putting himself in danger.

    If anything bad happened to him¡­. Hermione couldn¡¯t even imagine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione. I¡¯ll be back safely.¡± Seeing how worried she was, Evan stepped forward and hugged Hermione.

    Then he hugged harry too and said with a firm voice: ¡°This time, I WILL catch Peter Pettigrew!¡±

 Chapter 169: Plan in Progress

    <h4>Chapter 169: n in Progress</h4>

    The winter sun fell early, and golden rays of light slid through the leaves and shot into a hidden tree hole in the forbidden forest, shining on a man.

    Inside the tree hole, Sirius ck¡¯s body curled up very ufortably. His fight against the werewolf left him scarred, dirty, with his tangled hair hanging down to his elbows. Long-term malnutrition and running day after day made his face very gaunt and sunken. Still, he kept a smile on his lips.

    He was thinking about what the boy named Evan told him yesterday when they met in Hogsmeade.

    Provided he can clear his name, he can return to the world, and live with James¡¯ son, Harry Potter.

    ck, who had never been afraid of anything, felt suddenly nervous. He didn¡¯t know how to fulfill his godfather¡¯s duties.

    He had never had a simr experience before, and happiness was too sudden for him.

    In his mind, his stern, old fashioned, swearing father¡¯s face appeared. He shook his head. Since he left home at the age of sixteen, he had never seen his parents and never returned to his family, The Noble and Most Ancient House of ck.

    Sirius had a sarcastic smile. He couldn¡¯t recall any aspect of his father other than the pure blood theory which was not worth a single penny.

    Maybe, he should be like James¡¯s father, funny, kind, friendly, with an encouraging, tolerant attitude¡­

    Just as ck thought about how he should get along with Harry, he suddenly heard a distant sound in the woods, a sound of treading over the snow and fallen leaves. Something was approaching.

    He immediately became alert, he turned over and climbed up from the ground.

    ck squinted, and by the light of the sunset, he saw a ginger figure appearing in his field of vision. Crookshanks seemed to bring something.

    Crookshanks came over, arched his head, and handed a piece of paper to ck. Then he jumped sideways to the side of the branch, meowing with satisfaction.

    ck squinted and looked at the note in his hand.

    On it was the new password for the entrance to Gryffindor Common room. It was Evan who sent Crookshanks.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why, but he had a sudden ominous hunch.

    He hesitated for a moment, and then turned into his Animagus form.

    ck was ready to go to the castle, and he couldn¡¯t wait to catch Peter Pettigrew.

    As for his n with Evan, he didn¡¯t care. He had to act ording to his guts.

    In the morning, he saw that the students had all left by train. There were no other people in the castle. No one could stop him from catching the rat.

    Ten minutester, a massive ck dog and a ginger cat appeared on the grounds of Hogwarts, both of them skillfully bypassed Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    There was a canine¡¯s bark in the house, it was Hagrid¡¯s hunting dog Fang. From the window, it saw ck and Crookshanks passing through the field. It was warning Hagrid, but thetter did not look back, he was busy preparing food for Buckbeak, arge te of dead ferrets.

    Before the hearing of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, he will live with Buckbeak for the time being, and he must make sure that it will livefortably.

    ck and Crookshanks entered the castle and followed the empty staircase to the Gryffindormon room.

    Standing in front of the portrait, ck¡¯s body shook.

    ¡°A dog and a cat?! Do you know the password, without the correct password, I won¡¯t let you in!¡± Sir Cadogan seemed to have drunk too much, he staggered and stood up, his body¡¯s armor making a loud noise, and finally he had to put the big outrageous sword on the ground to support his own body.

    ¡°Scurvy cur!¡± ck said quietly, he had changed back.

    ¡°And the same to you, Mr. disguised as a dog!¡± Sir Cadogan took another drink, and he did not seem to recognize that ck was not a student at Gryffindor House.

    Or to be precise, as long as he had the correct password, he did not care who he was.

    The painting swung forward and ck climbed in.

    Behind him, the two former Hogwarts Headmasters who had been drinking with Sir Cadogan looked at him with surprise. They looked at each other and disappeared into the frame.

    The Common room was very quiet and ck was about to go into Harry¡¯s bedroom.

    He had seen it many times before, and Peter Pettigrew became the rat in the red-haired boy¡¯s jacket pocket next to Harry.

    He just had walked two steps forward when he saw Harry and Hermione fainting on the ground.

    ck stopped abruptly; there was a glimmer of dismay on his exhausted face. His bad hunch re-emerged and became more intense.

    ¡°Harry, Hermione, wake up, why are you lying here, what happened?¡±

    ck shook Harry, his hands shaking uncontrobly because of over-excitement.

    ¡°You are¡­¡± Harry woke up and looked at ck in confusion. Then he thought about it. There was a glimmer of joy in his eyes when he said: ¡°Sirius ck?!¡±

    ck nodded, looking at Harry, and tears swirled in his eyes.

    He seemed to have thousands of words, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He only knew that this boy in front of him was the son of his best friend, James.

    The thirteen-year-old Harry looked very much like James, and ck almost thought that he was seeing histe best friend in his younger years.

    The exception was those green eyes, Harry had his mother¡¯s eyes.

    Looking at Harry, ck opened his mouth and closed it, so many times. He seemed to have lost his ability to speak, and every time he wanted to talk, he swallowed back his word.

    ¡°Oh, Mr. ck, Sirius?¡± Hermione¡¯s voice suddenly came over. She said timidly, ¡°Can I call you like that?¡±

    ck was really shocked to hear such a name. He stared at Hermione, as if he had forgotten other people would speak to him politely.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here now, you will be discovered!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Harry seemed to have just thought about it, he stood up from the ground, and said in a hurry, ?Evan said you shoulde here again at eight in the evening, if you are seen by other people¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care; I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m discovered.¡± ck¡¯s voice was extremely hoarse, ¡± Where is that rat, where is Peter Pettigrew?¡±

    Harry and Hermione hastily looked at each other then at him in panic.

    They suddenly realized that they didn¡¯t know where Peter Pettigrew was. He should be with Ron.

    Ron had just stunned them with Stupefy, and then, they didn¡¯t know where he had gone with Peter Pettigrew.

    They are definitely nning a plot, and ck was in a very dangerous situation.

    ¡°You should leave here immediately, Sirius!¡± Harry said quickly.

    ¡°I think, he has no time to escape!¡± Harry¡¯s voice just fell, and a cold voice came in.

    The three of them hurriedly turned their heads. They saw that the portrait door was opened again. Severus Snape walked in slowly with his wand pointed directly at ck.

 Chapter 170: The Taste of Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 170: The Taste of Revenge</h4>

    Seeing Snape, Hermione screamed; ck leapt to his feet, and the two men looked at each other angrily; Harry jumped up as though he¡¯d received a huge electric shock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised, I got a little help from Mr. Weasley, it¡¯s very useful, I have to thank him!¡± Snape turned sideways, his wand firmly pointed at the chest of Sirius ck. .

    On his side, Ron walked into the Common room with no expression, his eyes staring at Harry, Hermione and Sirius ck.

    Harry and Hermione couldn¡¯t believe it. They looked at Ron with heartache. They couldn¡¯t understand why he was doing this. Why did he bring Snape over?

    Even though he knew that Ron was controlled, Harry still felt that he could not forgive him. He had never hated Ron so much.

    ¡°Mr. Weasley has provided me with a very useful prop.¡± Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. He took the Marauder¡¯s Map out and threw it on the ground. ¡°Remember this pranking parchment, Potter?¡±

    ¡°The Marauder¡¯s Map!¡± Harry and Hermione were shocked again, and even ck was surprised to see the parchment that Snape threw on the floor.

    Hermione suddenly burst into tears. She remembered that before he left, Evan told her that he had gone to Professor Lupin¡¯s office to find the Marauder¡¯s map.

    But this map is in the hands of Ron and Snape. Does this mean that Evan had already met Peter Pettigrew?

    Where is he now, what happened to him?

    ¡°This map!¡± Snape stared at ck, his eyes shining. ¡°Just looking at it, I understood everything I needed to understand. I saw you walking down the aisle into the Gryffindor Tower. You are now¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Snivellus!¡± ck looked at Snape violently, looking for any chance to rush on. ¡°Why are you at Hogwarts?!¡±

    ¡°Obviously, when you were confined to Azkaban for murder, I have be a professor, a Potions ss professor!¡± Snape looked at ck, his eyes glowing fiercely. ¡°Who could have imagined this situation before more than ten years?! However, I have to say, that for you to murder James and Peter Pettigrew, although many people were shocked, but I was not surprised at all. After all, in your student days, you had already shown the potential of bing a murderer.¡±

    ¡°It served you right!¡± ck clenched his fist and sneered, ¡°Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to¡­ hoping you could get us expelled. So I told you how to enter the Shrieking Shack, let you follow Lupin, and see him in there for once. I still remember that day, when James rescued you. You were even so scared that you pissed your pants. ¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Snape shouted, and a few sparks appeared at the end of his wand.

    ¡°Afraid to recall the embarrassing memories of your student days?¡± ck looked at Snape disdainfully. ¡°You are still the same as before, a runny nose! James shouldn¡¯t have saved you on that day! ¡±

    ¡°He was not saving me, he was saving himself.¡± Snape¡¯s face was distorted, and his breathing became rapid. ¡°Look at what the werewolf did, attacking his students¡­¡±

    ¡°You despicable wretch, Lupin would never do that.¡±

    ck roared to Snape, but thetter pointed his wand directly between his eyes.

    They red at each other, and one could not recognize who had deeper hatred on his face.

    ¡°Professor Lupin is innocent; Sirius is also innocent!¡± Harry shouted, and he took a step and stopped between Snape and ck.

    ¡°Professor Snape, please believe us.¡± Hermione also said, ¡°All this is Pettigrew¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Potter! Shut up, Granger!¡± Snape spit a mouthful of spittle and said with a squint. ¡°You are already facing suspension from this school. You are out-of-bounds, in thepany of a convicted murderer and a werewolf proven to be guilty!¡± ¡±

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t, it¡¯s all Peter Pettigrew¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep quiet, Potter! For once in your life, hold your tongue.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening now is a conspiracy. Peter Pettigrew is controlling Ron. Last night he wronged Professor Lupin, he¡­¡± Hermione said eagerly.

    ¡°SHUT UP, YOU STUPID GIRL!¡± Snape shouted, looking even more deranged. ¡°If Weasley, whose head is empty, can¡¯t learn to protect his own brain and get his mind under control, of course anyone could control him. But I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t care if he is being controlled, I don¡¯t care if the werewolf is innocent, I don¡¯t care about any conspiracy, I¡¯ll just catch ck, and I¡¯ll give him to the Dementors!¡±

    He was shouting in rage. His face was distorted, and a few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at ck¡¯s face.

    Harry and Hermione took a step back, pale, and didn¡¯t know what to say. They had never seen Snape looking like this.

    ¡°Vengeance is very sweet,¡± Snape breathed at ck. ¡°How I hoped I would be the one to catch you. It is time for revenge¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just catch the rat, Peter Pettigrew, and I will quietly return to Azkaban, even if I¡¯ll stay in there for the rest of my life¡­¡±

    ¡°Azkaban?!¡± Snape showed a cold smile. ?I don¡¯t think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Castle. They¡¯ll be very pleased to see you; ck¡­ pleased enough to give you a little kiss¡­¡±

    Hearing his words, whatever little color remaining on ck¡¯s face left it.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this; you must listen to me, the boy¡¯s rat¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you scared?!¡± there was a mad glint in Snape¡¯s eyes. ¡°When you betrayed them to that person, when you told him about their house¡¯s location, you should have imagined that there would be such a day.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°You killed her, so you should die!¡± Snape said in a word, his voice was very strange. He seemed beyond reason.

    Harry noticed that Snape¡¯s eyes seemed to be shining with tears.

    It must have been an illusion. Harry blinked. When he looked carefully, he could only see the frenzied hatred from Snape¡¯s eyes.

    Hatred hadpletely engulfed Snape¡¯s entire body, and he was savouring the taste of revenge.

 Chapter 171: Evan vs. Snape

    <h4>Chapter 171: Evan vs. Snape</h4>

    ¡°Come on, ck! I can¡¯t wait to see the Dementors suck your soul away!¡±

    The tip of Snape¡¯s wand was shining brighter, but before he could release his magic, Harry stepped forward blocking his wand with his own body.

    ¡°Get out of the way, Potter, you¡¯re in enough trouble already,¡± snarled Snape. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t been here to save your skin¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Sirius is innocent; he didn¡¯t kill anyone, and is not likely to hurt me.¡±Harry gasped,¡± I believe him, we all believe him. It¡¯s all the doing of Ron¡¯s rat, Scabbers, he is¡­¡±

    ¡°Move away, Potter, I don¡¯t have time to listen to your nonsense here.¡± Snape said sharply, ¡°ck has cast a spell on both of you, I can clearly see that! Judging from your present behavior, it should be a kind of ck magic, making you actually think that ck is innocent.¡±

    ¡°My heart and Hermione¡¯s are not disturbed by any ck magic. It¡¯s Ron, he¡¯s the one controlled by Peter Pettigrew with the Imperius Curse. Everything was Pettigrew¡¯s conspiracy, he nned all this.¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew died twelve years ago and was killed by ck. A whole street¡¯s worth of witnesses can confirm that!¡± Snape said sullenly, ¡°I will say it for thest time, GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!¡±

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE PATHETIC!¡± Harry yelled. ¡°JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL, YOU WON¡¯T EVEN LISTEN, YOU WON¡¯T EVEN CONSIDER THAT THERE¡¯S TRUTH IN WHAT SIRIUS SAID¡­¡±

    ¡°SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!¡± Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. ¡°Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he¡¯d killed you! You¡¯d have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in ck. Now get out of the way, or I will make you!¡±

    Harry did not move, he made up his mind in a split second, and raised his wand.

    ¡°Expelliarmus!¡± he yelled¡­ except that his wasn¡¯t the only voice that shouted. There was a st in the Gryffindor Common room that made the entire tower shake¡­

    A red light shed across, but Snape was still standing in his ce, safe and intact.

    Before Harry showed his magic, someone was faster than him. His wand flew high in the air and fell on the floor in front of Ron, rolling forward and making a creaking sound.

    Ron was holding his wand, lifeless and looking at Harry with no expression.

    ¡°Ron!¡± Harry fell to the ground and he looked at Ron with his eyes wide open, his face full of anger.

    Hermione hurriedly ran over to help Harry, and she sobbed in whisper, looking at Snape and Ron with fear.

    ¡°Disappointing, Potter! You are even worse than Weasley, whose head is empty. I am really worried about your level of magical skill!¡± Snape nced at Harry with pity, his wand re-aimed at ck.

    ¡°Snivellus¡­¡± ck looked at Snape with abhorrence. He clenched his fists tightly and was ready to rush in.

    ¡°Say goodbye to the world, ck!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, the tip of Snape¡¯s wand emitted a green light.

    ck hurried to dodge to the left, but he did not retreat and rushed to Snape.

    But Snape was quicker and another spell followed, and ck had to step back and dodge.

    Creak..Creak!

    Just as ck dodged the spell, the three sofas that had been in the corner suddenly turned and flew over to him. ck was hit hard and flew away. He was lifted off his feet and mmed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, panting and lying there, looking at Snape angrily.

    ¡°Your reaction rate has dropped a lot. I expected you to hold your own for a few more seconds!¡± Snape squinted and looked down at Sirius ck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so proud, I¡­¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t have a chance, you will pay for your past deeds,¡± Snape said indifferently.

    His wand¡¯s tip emitted the flickering light of yet another spell.

    Just as his magic was about to hit ck, a boy¡¯s slightly tender but firm voice rang in the Common room.

    ¡°Protego!¡±

    A red light came first, and there seemed to be an invisible wall in front of ck. Snape¡¯s magic was bounced back to the side. Everyone turned around in surprise and saw Evan panting from the portrait¡¯s entrance. The spell he just used saved Sirius ck.

    ¡°Evan!¡± Harry and Hermione yelled with joy.

    Evan nodded to both of them, he finally caught up.

    He nced at the situation in the Common room, Harry and Hermione had fell to the ground, the two had Ron¡¯s wand pointed at them. Sirius ck was down at the side of the wall. Evan¡¯s eyes fell on Snape whose gloomy face was looking back at him in disgust.

    ¡°Professor Snape, you shouldn¡¯t hurt Sirius ck. What¡¯s going on tonight is a conspiracy. Sirius is innocent, all¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Mason!¡± Snape shrieked explosively, ¡°Before you came, Potter and Granger have told me that countless times. Don¡¯t tell me that Peter Pettigrew is still alive. You three have been brainwashed by ck, and you don¡¯t know what you are doing.¡±

    Evan looked at Snape in surprise, and he realized that he was in a bad state. Snape looked different from usual. He never imagined in his life that he would see such a distorted expression of loss of control on Snape¡¯s gloomy face. Hatred had blinded his eyes.

    He seemed to be mad, desperate to catch and kill Sirius ck.

    ¡°Professor¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mason!¡± Snape shouted. ¡°You and Potter are too arrogant. For a long time, you have done too many unruly things. Dumbledore¡¯s indulgence allowed you to enjoy too many privileges, to see what you have done since you entered school, to create a ridiculous newspaper, to think that you can single-handedly catch the Basilisk, to vite the rules and go to Hogsmeade, to fight a dangerous werewolf, to lead a friend to be in danger, and now to believe in a dangerous murderer! That¡¯s enough! I will advise the Headmaster to give you a temporary suspension¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any punishment!¡± Evan interrupted him. ¡°We don¡¯t have time; Peter Pettigrew can run away at any time.¡±

    ¡°Where is he, where is that vile coward?¡± ck roared.

    ¡°He is in Professor Lupin¡¯s office, but he is about to run away. He wants to go to the Forbidden Forest! We must stop him. If he manages to leave the school borders, he¡¯ll be able to hide and disappear.¡± Evan said anxiously. ¡°Hurry up, Sirius!¡±

    Hearing Evan, ck turned into a ck dog. He rushed out of the Common room and jumped aside avoiding Snape¡¯s Spell.

    ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere, ck!¡± Snape snapped, and his wand started emitting spells towards Sirius.

    ¡°Impedimenta!¡± Evan shouted, as he stopped Snape.

    The two fought in the Common room. After freezing for a moment, ck turned and rushed out of the ce.

    Crookshanks jumped on ck¡¯s body. Harry and Hermione grabbed their wands and the Marauder¡¯s Map from the ground and hurriedly followed.

    Ron hesitated for a while then left.

    Now, only Evan and Snape were left in the Common room. They were fighting and sending out their spells.

    The atmosphere grew more and more tense. Looking at Snape¡¯s furious eyes, Evan could only clench his hand on his wand.

 Chapter 172: Evan and Snapeâ€™s Duel

    <h4>Chapter 172: Evan and Snape¡¯s Duel</h4>

    ¡°Get out of it, Mason!¡± Snape said coldly, he quickly waved his wand, not seeming to slow down at all just because Evan was his student.

    ¡°Be reasonable, Professor, you know very well that ck is innocent!¡± Evan dodged Snape¡¯s curse and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s all Peter Pettigrew¡¯s doing. He used the Imperius Curse to control Ron. Everything was part of his n.¡±

    Snape turned a deaf ear to Evan¡¯s arguing.

    His eyes, filled with vengeance and anger, were fixed on ck.

    ck became a huge ck dog, jumped over Evan, and went out through the portrait entrance. Snape rushed to catch up, but immediately stopped to evade Evan¡¯s stunning spell.

    ¡°Evan Mason!¡± Seeing ck¡¯s fading figure, Snape¡¯s face was distorted, and he said with a grin, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again for thest time, GET OUT OF MY WAY! Otherwise I¡¯ll make you regret stopping me.¡± ¡­..¡±

    Evan gasped and stopped in front of the Common room¡¯s entrance.

    He held his wand and didn¡¯t move away. He answered Snape with his actions.

    ¡°Very well!¡± Snape said madly, his face shing a desperate expression.

    His mouth quickly recited a spell. His wand was whizzing in the air, and several spells were issued. Like daggers, with a cold light, they flew over to Evan.

    Evan hurried to the right, tumbling on the ground, dodging Snape¡¯s magic. He issued a Protego to shield himself as quickly as he could.

    Under the protection of the Shield, a red spell rubbed his body and flew to the side.

    The powerful impact force made him lose his bnce and he fell heavily to the ground.

    Evan hurriedly rose up ignoring the pain in his back.

    He saw a blue ray of a curseing towards him, and he hurriedly waved his wand to the round wooden table in front of him.

    The wooden table drifted, rotated quickly, and stood erect to block Snape¡¯s attack.

    With a bang, the previously tough, solid desk was struck hard by the blue light that made arge hole in it.

    It quickly flew backwards and then mmed down. Under the influence of Evan¡¯s spell, the worn wooden table flew back to Snape.

    In midair, it began to deform, and fell heavily on the ground, turning into a big ck snake, revealing its sharp fangs and sliding towards Evan.

    Evan took a deep breath, held it as the tip of his wand emitted a silver white light, which turned into a sword that cut the ck snake in front of him in two. The silver-white sword was relentless, and fiercely passed over to Snape.

    Snape¡¯s face was somewhat surprised. He didn¡¯t seem to have imagined that Evan could use such powerful magic.

    He waved his wand in his hand and his mouth whispered a Spell.

    The next second, a semi-circr white barrier magic suddenly appeared in front of Snape, and Evan¡¯s curse mmed into it, leaving a ripple on it.

    Evan looked at the barrier in front of Snape with astonishment. The doubts that had troubled him all night were unraveling.

    It was him; it was Snape who had done everything: At the hall, he stopped Peter Pettigrew from leaving the castle, protecting him, Harry and Hermione from being hurt by Peter¡¯s ability to explode with his evil magic. When Evan finally fainted, it was Snape who sent him to the school hospital.

    Originally, Evan wasn¡¯t sure about it. But now, there were no more doubts about it being Snape¡¯s white barrier magic.

    This defensive barrier magic, like Sectumsempra, should have been created by Snape himself, for Evan never saw such a spell before.

    Unlike the Shield Charm, which forms an invisible wall blocking attack, Snape¡¯s magical protective barrier is visible. This barrier has a strong defense. It doesn¡¯t rebound the attack hitting it, it absorbs itpletely. As long as the magic trying to pass does not exceed that of the caster itself, the barrier cannot be broken.

    Besides, the barrier can also prevent people from passing through.

    In the Hall, Evan saw Peter Pettigrew being bounced back heavily.

    Snape must have been there, and Evan was sure that his previous judgment waspletely correct. He was convinced that he saw Snape behind the curtain.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief, and his struggles at that time did not seem to be in vain anymore.

    He took a risk of giving Pettigrew the chance to escape, and did not directly use Stupefy to stun him, but deliberately guided him and Sirius ck, who was in a frenzy of anger, and made them both fully expose the truth about that year.

    He intentionally gave Peter Pettigrew an opportunity to defend himself. Evan¡¯ purpose of doing so, besides his promise to Dumbledore to do everything he could to save Ron, was mainly to let Snape know the truth about that year.

    Snape, who must have been hiding behind the curtain, should have heard everything clearly, and he should have known who sold Harry¡¯s parents out to Voldemort¡­ who killed Lily, the only woman he ever loved in his life.

    However, Evan still found some difficulty in understanding Snape¡¯s ideas.

    Since he already knew the truth about the incident, why didn¡¯t hee out at the time? Why didn¡¯t he stop Peter Pettigrew but gave him a chance to escape into the Forbidden Forest?!

    Looking at Professor Snape, whose face was gloomy, Evan sighed heavily. He didn¡¯t know what he was thinking of at the time, but he suddenly had an unusual feeling of sadness.

    Unable to exin why, he suddenly felt that Professor Snape was very pitiful. Even though he didn¡¯t spend twelve years in Azkaban like Sirius ck, his heart had been suffering no less than his childhood foe during the past twelve years.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to continue to fight. He was going to tell Snape about everything. Besides Harry, he was the one who had the most right to know the truth about Lily¡¯s death.

    But Snape did not give him the opportunity to exin. He took a step forward, still waving his wand,pletely absorbed by the duel.

    The big snake, which Evan had cut into two halves, suddenly turned into ck smoke. In a few seconds, the ck smoke deformed and solidified, bing dense small cobras. They hissed and surrounded Evan from all directions.

    Evan¡¯s face was full of sweat, his wand swept, and a circr, ring-shaped blue me appeared, quickly spreading from the center of his sole as the starting point, burning quietly on the floor. Touched by the blue me, all the cobras in front of him turned back into ck smoke and disappeared.

    This is a magic he learned in the library, and it was very magical power-hungry.

    The cobras in front of Evan disappearedpletely, but the number of new born cobras around him increased. He stepped back and fell on the sofa behind him.

    About two secondster, the sofa underneath Evan suddenly came to life, and then changed into a ck giant python, which unexpectedly entangled Evan¡¯s body. It roared and opened a mouth bigger than Evan, and it was about to swallow him whole.

 Chapter 173: A Paradoxal Existence

    <h4>Chapter 173: A Paradoxal Existence</h4>

    Just as the giant python was about to swallow Evan, it suddenly became a snake-like ck belt that wrapped around his neck, wrists and ankles,yer afteryer, from head to toe, tying him up solid.

    Evan was tied like a mummy, lying on the ground weakly.

    ¡°I should have done this to you before. You and Potter are nothing but trouble!¡± Snape said sullenly, ¡°Remember, Mr. ¡°know it all¡±! In the future, before a duel, you need to first understand the strength gap between you and your adversary. Don¡¯t try to challenge opponents that you can never defeat. Doing that is just looking for death!¡±

    ¡°Professor¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, and lie here quietly; I¡¯ll catch ck first.¡± Snape turned his head and inserted his wand back into his waist. ¡°You¡¯re stupid enough to help a murderer! If I were the Headmaster, the first thing I would do is to expel you and Potter.¡±

    Snape bypassed Evan and was about to leave the Common room.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor!¡± Evan hurriedly shouted. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t catch Sirius ck. He is innocent. It¡¯s all Peter Pettigrew¡¯s¡­¡±

    Snape ignored Evan¡¯s shouts. His face was gloomy, his footsteps did not stop, and he walked out of Gryffindor¡¯s Common room.

    ¡°Twelve years ago, it was Peter Pettigrew who sold Harry¡¯s parents out to Voldemort, who killed Harry¡¯s mother!¡± Evan continued to shout, hoping Snape could hear him, ¡°If you want to avenge Lily, you must believe me.¡±

    His voice echoed in the empty Common room.

    He didn¡¯t know if Snape hadn¡¯t heard his words, or if he heard them, but still didn¡¯t believe him just like before.

    Believing that Sirius ck was innocent was a very difficult thing for Snape, who had been blinded by hatred. At this time, he seemed to bepletely irrational. He only wanted to catch and kill ck.

    Evan only wanted him to hear Lily¡¯s name so that it could calm him down.

    A few secondster, he no longer heard the footsteps outside, and it seemed like Snape got really far away.

    Just as Evan gave up hope, he saw Snape returning again.

    His wand was again in his hand, his face was gloomy and terrible, and he quickly walked over to Evan.

    ¡°Repeat what you just said, Mason! Snape looked down at Evan, and not a shred of feeling could be sensed in his cold voice. ¡°Tell me what happened that year. If you dare to lie, I will make you pay the price.¡± ¡±

    ¡°Trust me, Professor!¡± ¡°Evan hurriedly said,¡± In those days, Peter Pettigrew betrayed Harry¡¯s parents for Voldemort. He was a traitor. Everything was done by Peter. He killed Harry¡¯s mother, Lily. ¡±

    ¡°ck was their Secret Keeper!¡± Snape said in a word.

    ¡°No, at Sirius¡¯s suggestion, Harry¡¯s parents changed their Secret Keeper to Peter Pettigrew at thest minute. No one knew this except for the four of them. They thought it was a brilliant idea. No one would have thought that the Secret Keeper of Potter and his wife would be the weak and lowly Peter Pettigrew. ¡±

    ¡°These are all ck¡¯s lies. He is lying; he is shirking his responsibility of betraying them.¡± Snape¡¯s eyes became hollow, and he stared nkly.

    Evan knew that his eyes were that way because Snape was using lumency. He didn¡¯t want anyone to know what he was thinking. He didn¡¯t want to show his true intentions. He didn¡¯t want others to know his feelings for Harry¡¯s mother, Lily Evans, which was the softest and most vulnerable part of his soul.

    Snape kept his heart behind walls. He didn¡¯t reveal the slightest gap in his lumency.

    He now looks like he is trying to figure out the truth of what happened that year, but in fact, he only cares about Lily, only Lily. He will not confess it. If possible, he will bury this in his heart forever until the day he dies.

    He clearly loved her, and he was willing to give her everything, but he never spoke his heart.

    His most hated enemy married the woman he loved most in his life, and he could only send her a blessing behind his back.

    The only true love, for whose protection he was willing to give everything, was finally murdered because of this leak.

    As one of the most outstanding wizards, even Dumbledore had to rely on his magic, but in the end he met a horrible death.

    And as the greatest double agent in history, he lied to everyone, including the Dark Lord, and was only really understood after his death.

    That was Snape, an existence paradoxal to the extreme.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew is not dead. He is an Animagus. He is now Ron¡¯s rat, and he controls Ron with the Imperius curse.¡± Evan looked at Snape¡¯s empty eyes and continued. ¡°Trust me, Professor! I will prove it to you.¡±

    Snape stood there quietly, without speaking. He was waiting for Evan to continue.

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew is now preparing to run away. He is in Professor Lupin¡¯s office! If you¡¯re fast enough, you can meet him in the hallway of the first floor.¡± Evan gasped. ¡°Believe me, just stop the rat who is about to escape from the Castle, and you will know the whole truth of what happened that year.¡±

    Evan just finished his words, and Snape immediately turned around and left. He was so abrupt and violent that his ck robe¡¯s hem moved in the air, making a burst of shaking sound.

    Looking at Snape¡¯s quick departure, Evan froze.

    Was it because he didn¡¯t change his mind? Or maybe he couldn¡¯t wait to verify what Evan said that he left so quickly?

    Evan struggled hard, and the rope on his body became tighter.

    ¡°Animagus!¡± he whispered.

    In the blink of an eye, Evan¡¯s body changed rapidly and turned into a small ck cat, which jumped abruptly before the rope tightened again.

    He left the Common room and ran to the hallway quickly along the empty dark path. When he got close to it, he heard the crazy roar of Sirius ck in the hall, and he was questioning Peter Pettigrew.

    Everything was exactly the same as he had experienced before. Snape stopped Peter Pettigrew from fleeing the castle at thest minute. He was quietly standing behind the second floor curtain, holding his wand tightly in his hands and listening to the dialogue in the hall. .

    ¡°I know, I admit, I was really confused, but you have to think about it for me, what could I do? You don¡¯t know, the Dark Lord, his powerful weapon, you can¡¯t imagine it, I was Scared, Sirius!¡±

    Evan heard the sharp, trembling voice of Peter Pettigrew as he admitted everything.

    Hearing this sentence, Snape, standing behind the curtain, took a step back.

    He couldn¡¯t believe this, and his face was full of anguish.

    Evan sneaked away, and he noticed that Snape seemed to be crying.

    Tears soaked Snape¡¯s eyes, he did not notice Evan. He seemed to fall into the memories of the past, back to that dark night twelve years ago.

 Chapter 174: Make an Ambush and Wait

    <h4>Chapter 174: Make an Ambush and Wait</h4>

    As Peter Pettigrew¡¯s sharp screams echoed in the hallway, Snape¡¯s memory returned to that night twelve years ago.

    That night, when he got the news and rushed to the house, it was in ruins.

    He had already made up his mind to protect Lily from the Dark Lord, and he was willing to pay any price for it.

    Even against Lord Voldemort, even if his life was at stake.

    But what he saw was only her corpse, lying there lifeless.

    She was dead, she was killed by Voldemort!

    In the following days, when all the wizards were celebrating the news of Voldemort¡¯s downfall, Snape shut himself up alone in the house. He was ming himself. If he hadn¡¯t told Voldemort the prophecy, Lily would not have died. It was him who killed her.

    Thinking of that, Snape hated himself and wished only to die.

    Later, Dumbledore told him that after getting his own warning message, Lily and Potter originally intended to hide with the Fidelius Charm, an ancient magic that could conceal a secret forever in someone¡¯s soul.

    The secret will never be discovered unless the Secret Keeper divulges it.

    Under the protection of this Charm, even Voldemort himself should not be able to find them. This was originally the most foolproof way, but they chose the wrong Secret Keeper and wrongly believed in Sirius ck.

    ck sold them out and he revealed the location of their house to Voldemort.

    If they just had contempt for each other in their student days, then after ck killed Lily, hatred was growing in the depths of Snape¡¯s heart. Over the past 12 years, countless days and nights, Snape could not wait to kill Sirius to avenge his beloved one.

    But now he had heard the truth, everything was done by Peter Pettigrew.

    All of the hatred he had gathered over the years for ck almost instantly shifted towards Peter Pettigrew and was on the tiny guy he had never noticed before.

    Snape clenched his wand in his hand and he was about to kill that despicable traitor.

    He moved a little and soon hesitated. He didn¡¯t want other people to know his feelings for Lily. In the dark hall, the conversation was over. ck was about to kill Peter Pettigrew. Maybe to let him do it was the best choice.

    Evan was behind a curtain, looking strangely at Snape.

    Snape seemed to be moving into action, but then he stopped immediately. He didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. His face was gloomy and terrible, his body was constantly trembling, speaking with no words of his innermost anger.

    Evan didn¡¯t have the time to guess what thoughts really dwelled within Snape¡¯s mind. His attention waspletely focused on Peter Pettigrew. He had to find a way to catch that guy and not let him run or die again.

    He looked out secretly. This was undoubtedly the strangest sensation in his life: standing behind the curtain on the second floor, he saw himself in the hall on the floor beneath him.

    ¡°Sirius, you can¡¯t kill him!¡±

    ¡°Harry, do you know what you¡¯re doing? This scum has caused you to lose your parents. !¡± ck growled. ¡°This despicable filthy bastard could watch you die without feeling anything. You heard what he had just said. His own stinky skin bag is more important to him than your family¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± Harry gasped. ¡°He killed my parents. He framed Professor Lupin. He took control of Ron and he tried to kill Evan. I will never forgive him for doing all these things, never! But you can¡¯t kill him, Sirius. I don¡¯t think my father would want his best friend to kill anyone! Especially, such a worthless person!¡±

    The conversation in the hall continued, and Evan saw Harry stopping Sirius.

    They decided to hand Peter Pettigrew over to Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic, so that he could pay the price he deserved to pay. Then, Ron, who had been standing in the corner, began to walk over to Peter Pettigrew who fell to the ground. Evan knew what was going to happen soon. He wanted to stop Ron, but he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    He had to be careful not to be seen by himself.

    Evan hesitated a moment and gave up on his intention to move in. He must keep his acts within the scope of the rules. If an ident was to ur, it would have irreparable consequences.

    There have been many simr incidents in history. The wizards got confused, attacking the sudden emergence of themselves. Many went insane, killing their past or future selves, and even distorting time and history themselves.

    You cannot mess with time, that¡¯s one of the most important rules of the magic world.

    If he wanted to catch Pettigrew, he had to find a way to do it in the Forbidden Forest. So Evan was ready to wait for him to escape there.

    He nced back at Snape again, then turned and leaped tightly onto the side ledge, slipping out of the castle.

    By night, he slid along thewn in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

    Evan¡¯s Animagus form is a ck cat. The sky outside was dim enough for him not to be discovered. Even if he would be seen by anyone in the hall as he went there, all they would see should be the shadow of a small animal gliding through the grass.

    In the grass next to the wood, Evan did not rush into the Forbidden Forest. He saw Peter Pettigrew holding Ron out of the castle. They quickly approached the Forbidden Forest. Pettigrew showed excitement of one he was able to stay alive, while Ron¡¯s otherwise dull and emotionless face suddenly looked distorted as if he was in immense pain.

    Evan knew that Ron was about to break away from the control of the Imperius Curse.

    Just beside the grass where he was hiding, Ron suddenly reacted fiercely.

    He tightly grasped Peter¡¯s right hand, the one missing a finger, and struggled with all he had to retrieve his wand.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Ron rebelled against Peter, crying loudly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harry! I¡¯m sorry, Evan! I¡¯m sorry, Hermione! It¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you, I should have believed you. Look at what I¡¯ve done¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn, damn, what are you doing?!¡± Peter screamed, and he quickly uttered the spell and was ready to stop him from moving.

    Evan, who had been hiding in the grass, quickly rushed out. He passed under Peter¡¯s feet, and jerked him, interrupting his spell casting.

    Bang!

    Both Peter and Ron fell heavily on the ground, sshing a lot of dust.

    Evan saw himself, Harry, Hermione, and ck approaching quickly, and he rushed back to the grass beside him.

    Next, Peter Pettigrew will be forced into the desperate situation that forced him to use that powerful evil ck magic. Evan knew that there was nothing he could do to prevent that. He had to make an ambush in the Forbidden Forest in advance, and wait for Pettigrew.

    And yes, there were also those dreadful Acromants waiting for him to deal with them.

 Chapter 175: Centaurs and Divination

    <h4>Chapter 175: Centaurs and Divination</h4>

    Evan returned to the Forbidden forest, and walked along the path for a while.

    He was looking to find a ce where he could ambush Peter Pettigrew, but he stopped immediately when he heard something trampling on the fallen leaves.

    Evan hurriedly hid behind a big tree and listened attentively. He left his Animagus form and pulled out his wand. The sound was like a galloping on the ground, getting closer and closer. Could it be an Acromant?!

    Suddenly, an arrow flew through the air, and he heard it mming on the tree, right on top of his head. That was creepy, extremely creepy.

    Evan¡¯s curse almost flew instantly as well. Through the light of the spell, he saw something appearing in the open space in front of him. It looked like a man, with ck hair and beard. But waist down, it was a brown-ck shiny horse with a long ck tail behind it.

    It was a Centaur. He dodged Evan¡¯s spell agilely and pulled his bow to aim at Evan.

    ¡°Who are you, human?¡± The Centaur¡¯s face was full of anger, and he said rudely, ¡°You break into our woods, and intend to attack me with magic?!¡±

    ¡°I am sorry, this is a misunderstanding! I thought you were an Acromant. You know, I¡¯ve just been attacked by them.¡± There was a faint light on the tip of Evan¡¯s wand, ¡°I introduce myself, my name is Evan Mason, from Hogwarts.¡±

    In his mind, Evan tried to recall what information he had rted to the Centaurs. In most wizardry books he read, the introduction of these humanoid creatures was full of contempt.

    For example, in Article 7id down by the ¡°Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures¡±, the definition of the Centaur is:¡±A being with human head, torso, and arms joined to a horse¡¯s body and a magical animal with near-human intelligence.¡± Their use of words is worth noticing, saying that they have near-human intelligence. This very humiliating vocabry represents the absolute views of wizards on all humanoid creatures.

    But that was not the case at all. The Centaur is a very proud creature.

    They are generally speaking as mistrustful of wizards as they are of Muggles and indeed seem to make little differentiation between them. The Centaurs are reputed to be well-versed in magical healing, divination, archery, and astronomy.

    They often live together in herds forming colonies.

    The Centaur¡¯s colony in the Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts is currently thergest known Centaur¡¯s ethnic tribe, and it has been in existence for more than a thousand years. Before the Four Founders established the Hogwarts School of Magic, the ancestors of the Centaurs lived in this magical forest that waster called the Forbidden Forest.

    Evan was not dumb to treat a Centaur in ordance with the contents of what he read in book, unless he wanted to infuriate him and die faster. He tried to think of him as an equal person, and he tried not to look away from his eyes to his lower limbs, even though they were indeed different and strange.

    ¡°I am avoiding the Acromants¡­¡±

    ¡°Acromants!!!¡± Rage became even more apparent on the centaur¡¯s face. He said angrily. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the number of these ferocious, hateful creatures started to increase in the woods. They are arbitrarily attacking other creatures, and they have upied much of the territory that used to belong to us.¡±

    Evan was amazed. It¡¯s no wonder that the Acromants had been ssified one of the most dangerous magical creatures by the Ministry of Magic, and were clearly listed as a ss A Non-Tradeable Goods by the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures.

    Yes, maybe their single attack ability is slightly weaker. But the ferocious personality, super high intelligence and strong ability to multiply, give the Acromants strong ability to invade other species, causing great damage to the ecological system. It can be seen from the tone of this Centaur that Aragog and its descendants must have been giving the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest hell.

    There was a sudden movement in the bush, and Evan hurriedly raised his wand.

    He thought it was an Acromant. But it turned out that it was only a second Centaur, with red hair, a gleaming chestnut body, looking thinner than the first one.

    ¡°Good evening, Evan Mason!¡± The second Centaur¡¯s character was much milder. He said in a mncholy voice, ¡°My name is Ronan, this is Bane. I hope we have not scared you! You are the foal from the Castle? Do you learn much, up at the school?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I get to learn a bit¡­¡± Evan said modestly, deliberately ignoring his other words. For the Centaurs, a foal is probably how they describe any child.

    ¡°A bit. Well, that¡¯s something!¡± Ronan sighed. ¡°Although you humans waste most of your lives on useless things because of ethnic restrictions, I have to admit that you still have achieved some remarkable magical achievements.¡±

    This sentence sounded like apliment, but Evan did not know how to answer.

    Ronan didn¡¯t seem to expect Evan to answer. He flung back his head and stared at the sky. He said in a very mncholic tone, ¡°Mars is bright tonight.¡±

    He seemed to have forgotten about Evan and the Acromants. His eyes stared up and seemed to see something from it.

    Evan also looked up and saw that Mars was indeed really bright.

    He didn¡¯t know what that meant. In his opinion, that was only one of the natural phenomena of the stars running. But for the Centaurs, that was obviously not the case. For centuries, they have been persistently observing and recording the operation of various celestial bodies, trying to find out the symbols that show the waves of great evil or transformation there.

    ¡°What does this mean?¡± Evan asked softly.

    Considering that the key to the Gryffindor Secret Treasure was being preserved among the Centaur¡¯s colony, Evan felt that it was necessary to have a good rtionship with them.

    Perhaps, he could also ask them to help him catch Peter Pettigrew. With so many Acromants, it was impossible for one person to win.

    ¡°The war is about to ignite, and always the innocent are the first victims!¡± Ronan sighed a few more times. ¡°So it has been for ages past, so it is now.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Evan dragged his voice, he didn¡¯t know what the other had seen, he said, ¡°I am going to the Forbidden Forest this evening to catch an evil wizard and not let him run away. Otherwise, it will have a very bad effect on the future, and you will also be involved. Presumably, you¡¯ve noticed this abnormality too¡­¡±

    ¡°Mars is bright tonight.¡± Ronan repeated it again, adding to the tone, ¡°Unusually bright!¡±

    ¡°I know, as you just said, I hope that you can help me with the evil Dark wizard.¡±

    He turned his head and looked at Bane. Thetter didn¡¯t seem to be looking at him.

    He walked over to stand next to Ronan. He looked skyward for a long time. ¡°Mars is bright tonight,¡± he said simply.

    Again, Evan sighed. He found that it was really difficult tomunicate with the Centaurs. They probably knew a lot of things, but they never said it straight out. They kept their mouth shut about what they observed.

    Like Professor Trwney, they always like to tell others about the divinations they observe, the warnings from the sky, but they often turn a blind eye to what is happening around them.

    Evan realized that ascending to the heavens might prove to be easier for him than getting help from the centaurs with catching Pettigrew.

 Chapter 176: Firenze the Centaur

    <h4>Chapter 176: Firenze the Centaur</h4>

    ¡°About what I just said, seizing that evil Dark wizard¡­¡± Although he knew that it was unlikely, Evan was still willing to try again.

    ¡°We will not help human beings, and we must not vite God¡¯s will.¡± This time, Bane did not look at Mars in the sky. He answered Evan¡¯s question urately and with a little warning in his serious voice. ¡°Like two years ago, the trajectory of Mars has already shown its harbingers, and things that are destined to happen should not be changed.¡±

    ¡°Although there are some changes, the result is the same.¡± Ronan added, with his sad voice, ¡°Mars tonight is brighter than ever, indicating that the most terrible of all disasters ising.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Evan was not sure if they were referring to Voldemort¡¯s forting re-emergence. ording to Professor Trwney¡¯s prediction, after this rise, Voldemort will be stronger and more terrible than ever.

    He didn¡¯t know who the man to be chosen by Voldemort was, but if these Centaurs could help him catch Peter Pettigrew, he might be able to stop Voldemort¡¯s return.

    ¡°There is no but. I know what you are thinking, but the war between the wizards has nothing to do with us. Centaurs are interested in astrological divination; we have no obligation to help humans.¡± Bane replied stiffly. ¡°We can absolutely not change what¡¯s going to happen. We have made an oath!¡±

    Evan also wanted to say more, and ask about the Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure Key, but from the depths of the Forbidden Forest suddenly came a re of red and white light, apanied by heat waves, illuminating the dark forestpletely like the midday sun.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Ronan unsteadily trampled on the ground with his hooves. ¡°There seems to be a fire; that direction is¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Acromants¡¯ territory. Something must have happened!¡± Bane took the bow and the arrow off his back.

    The two of them did not look at Evan anymore; they turned around and quickly rushed over. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the depths of the jungle, leaving behind only the sound of their hooves echoing in the open space.

    Evan hurriedly rushed there himself. He knew that he was burning Aragog¡¯s Lair. His had to hurry up, and there was not much time left for him. He did not follow the direction in which Ronan and Bane left, but ran in another direction. He knew that he would meet himself and Peter Pettigrew if he went that way.

    He ran forward for a few minutes and entered the territory of the Acromant.

    The terrain was clearly tilted downwards, and the surrounding trees began to wither, showing unhealthy gray, with spider webs and white pupae appearing from time to time.

    Evan was highly focused, and he clenched his wand in his hand as he was moving in.

    Hearing Aragog¡¯s call, the Acromants scattered throughout the Forbidden Forest were gathering in the center of the hollow, and their number was increasing.

    Click,click,click¡­

    Just as Evan was on the alert, three spiders of the size of a millstone came down from the surrounding trees.

    They were waving their sharp pincers, making frightening clicking.

    Evan quickly dodged to the right, rolling on the ground.

    The tip of his wand issued a red light, striking the spider in front of him. Then he turned quickly, and suddenly stopped. He was surprised to see that the two Acromants behind him had been bowed. They werepletely prated and nailed to the ground.

    The two spiders struggled and made a heart-rending voice.

    Evan looked up in surprise and saw a centaur standing on higher grounds, not Ronan or Bane; this one looked younger; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± said the centaur, pulling Evan to his feet.

    ¡°Yes, thank you, my name is Evan Mason, from Hogwarts!¡± Evan patted the dust on his body, and then he was attracted by the Centaur¡¯s eyes.

    He had astonishingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard Hagrid talking about you, Evan!¡± The Centaur said softly, ¡°My name is Firenze!¡±

    Evan was surprised: it turned out to be him!

    Like most of the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, Firenze stood also in awe by fate, and was always looking at the skies for truth and knowledge. He was really wise, and mentally strong.

    Butpared to the other Centaurs who disliked and refused to work with wizards, Firenze was not so repelled by humans, and was not reluctant to give a helping hand. This made him lose status, as his actions were deemed as inappropriate by the likes of Bane and Ronan who believed that Centaurs should not go beyond being mere observers.

    Evan still remembered that at Harry¡¯s fifth year, Firenze even epted the invitation of Dumbledore to rece the expelled Professor Trwney and be a professor of divination. He epted the post and was banished by his own tribe, who called him a ve who was captive of human beings.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why you are here, but for a young wizard of your age, the Forbidden Forest is not safe tonight.¡± Firenze looked at Evan. ¡°These Acromants are all getting mad. They are more aggressive than usual, I have to send you back¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave, I have to catch Peter Pettigrew.¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew?!¡± Firenze slowly repeated it.

    ¡°Yes, he is an evil Dark wizard, he is¡­¡±

    Evan had not finished his words yet, and he heard Firenze saying, ¡°I know him, Peter Pettigrew, he and James Potter, Sirius ck, and Remus Lupin hade to our tribe a few times 20 years ago. I was still a foal. Every time they came to me, they brought me magical items, food, and very interesting stories that you humans make.¡±

    Firenze seemed to be lost in memory, and Evan looked at him with surprise. It turned out that things went that way: No wonder then that Firenze had such good feelings for mankind. Now it seems very likely that he had been influenced by the Marauders when he was young.

    ¡°The rtionship between the four of them was very good at the time, because our ancestors had an agreement with the Founders of the castle. They were recognized by the Centaurs and came to the tribe for final trials to decide if any of them was qualified to get that thing.¡± Firenze said faintly, ¡°But they all failed. It was clear that they were not the ones chosen by fate.¡±

    ¡°That thing?!¡± Evan was stunned and his heart suddenly jumped up. Firenze was referring to the Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure Key. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is that thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Firenze shook his head and said slowly. ¡°No one knows its specific shape. For over a thousand years, respecting the ancient agreement, it has been stored in the temple in the middle of the tribe. Every night, it emits the same light as the stars. Only those who will be allowed to get it could actually get to know what it is!¡±

 Chapter 177: Split Treasure Key

    <h4>Chapter 177: Split Treasure Key</h4>

    ¡°Temple, starlight¡­¡± Evan also wanted to ask about that, but before he spoke, he was interrupted by Firenze.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to continue discussing this matter now. There are more urgent things waiting for us to do.¡± Firenze looked worriedly at the distant fire, and from time to time Acromants¡¯ loud clicks came out from the trees. He said softly, ¡°Evan, you just mentioned Peter Pettigrew. If I¡¯m not wrong, shouldn¡¯t he have died?¡±

    ¡°He is not dead, everything was a conspiracy.¡± Evan hurriedly told him briefly what had happened twelve years ago and just a while ago in the Castle.

    Firenze listened quietly, with no expression on his face.

    What Evan said about the surprising truth between James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius ck, Firenze seemed to believe it instantly, as if he had already known the truth.

    ¡°So, everything was done by Peter Pettigrew, Sirius has just been wrongly shackled.¡± Evan said quickly, ¡°We must catch him and not let him run away. This is very crucial as upon it, relies the fate of many people. ¡±

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s fate has long been doomed. For example, concerning Peter Pettigrew, the harbinger from the sky told me about this unfortunate matter twenty years ago.¡± Firenze took a step forward, ¡°I once warned James and Sirius, but they didn¡¯t believe me.¡±

    The harbinger from the sky, twenty years ago?!

    Evan was not reluctant to believe in Firenze, nor did he know if he could really see some glimpses of the future. Still, he did not seem to have entered the true prophetic state; like Professor Trwney who was usually not worth believing at all.

    ¡°Where is Peter Pettigrew?¡±

    ¡°He should have been seriously injured near Aragog¡¯s Lair, but he wille soon. There are a lot of Acromants chasing him.¡± Evan, who was lost is thoughts, came back to his senses. He pointed ahead and said: ¡°We are heading in that direction, to an open space from which he¡¯ll be passing around half an hour from now.¡±

    ¡°Time is tight!¡± Firenze did not ask why Evan knew about this. He lowered himself on to his front legs. ¡°We must hurry! You can get up. It will be quicker this way.¡± Firenze said, letting Evan mber onto his back.

    Evan had never had such an experience. He rode the Centaur and felt like riding a horse, but this was a bit different. He didn¡¯t feel even the slightest bump. Firenze was as delicate as a reindeer, and very fast.

    Walking through the jungle, it took them less than five minutes to arrive into the ce where Evan used Mr. Weasley¡¯s old car before.

    The dark woods were quiet, and what was happening in the far-away Aragog¡¯s Lair seemed to have nothing to do with it. Through the sparse trees, the starry sky could be seen.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s wait here, thank you for helping me, Firenze!¡± Evan slipped from his back. ¡°I just met Ronan and Bane. The two of them refused to help me¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising that Centaurs usually don¡¯t help humans. We must never disobey what¡¯s told by the sky. If a¡¯s trajectory had predicted your death, then even if you die beside them, they would never help you.¡±

    ¡°But you helped me, you are different from other Centaurs.¡±

    ¡°Everyone has different understandings of the signs in the sky, so our practices are different. I once said, if necessary, I will stand side by side with humans.¡± Firenze looked up at the sky. ¡°I have to admit though; I am a different kind in my ethnic group.¡±

    As he finished his words, silence ruled for a while, as none of them uttered a word.

    In the darkness, Evan thought of the thing that was preserved within the Centaur¡¯s tribe, the magic item that was said to have massive power, the Secret Treasure Key left by Gryffindor.

    ¡°Firenze, if I want to get the thing that is kept in your tribe, what should I do?¡± Evan suddenly asked, ¡°I heard that I need to get the approval of the Centaurs, what does that really mean?¡±

    ¡°For those who are chosen by fate, thes will give a clear omen, and then the elders will make specific requests and ask you to do something for us.¡± Firenze replied gently, he was still looking at the sky.

    ¡°An omen from thes?¡±

    Evan was speechless at that point.

    He wanted to be epter, and the Centaurs made specific requirements for this. He could understand that as long as they were ones that could be fulfilled.

    But what is the clear omen from thes?

    He could not see any connection between the¡¯s and his own fate. These mysterious things are really a headache.

    Firenze did not answer Evan¡¯s question. He pointed to the brightest star in the sky and said calmly, ¡°Mars is bright tonight.¡±

    ¡°I know, Ronan and Bane have just said that. What does this mean?¡± Evan sighed. The Centaurs were all like this. He thought that Firenze would be a little bit normal, but it seems that his normalness has its limits after all.

    ¡°That is an omen.¡± Firenze simply said, ¡°The harbinger of cmity, the worst omen of all. It is not a coincidence that you¡¯ve appeared here tonight, Evan. Maybe you are the one chosen by fate, but I must warn you¡­¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t talk; he waited for Firenze to continue.

    ¡°No matter what your purpose is, the one that makes you want to get that powerful magic item.¡± Firenze looked down at Evan, his sapphire-like eyes glittering under the night sky, ¡± I have to remind you, that thing ispletely different from what you think.¡±

    ¡°Completely different?!¡±

    About the Key to the Gryffindor Secret Treasure, Evan did have a few conjectures, but Firenze did say that it was totally different from what he imagined. Why did he say that? He did not even hear Evan¡¯s guesses, and yet he dared toe to such a conclusion?

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s totally different! In fact, it¡¯s not evenplete. It split up back in the day with the internal division of the Centaurs. We did not fulfill our original oath. For centuries, our tribe elders have been feeling worried for this.¡±

    ¡°What did you say? It¡¯s notplete?¡± Evan was stunned.

    ¡°This is a very long story, a dark history about Centaurs.¡±

    Firenze turned around and avoided Evan¡¯s question.

    He just vaguely said that the Secret Treasure Key that Gryffindor left behind was split because of an internal division of the Centaurs¡¯ tribe. He obviously did not want to exin the matter in detail.

    It could be seen from his expression that, for the Centaurs, this was not something to be proud about.

 Chapter 178: 4 Ways to Improve Magic

    <h4>Chapter 178: 4 Ways to Improve Magic</h4>

    ¡°The elders of the tribe have said that the sky has given us a warning that the splitting of that thing was something destined to happen, and that no one could stop it. In fact, it is also a test, for both the centaurs and the one chosen by fate. If through the test, both will get satisfactory remuneration.¡±

    Firenze did not continue, and Evan did not ask.

    He didn¡¯t know what the test¡¯s satisfactory remuneration meant, and he did not know what the omen from the sky that Firenze repeatedly mentioned was, nor did he know who the one chosen by fate was.

    At the time, Evan was still immersed in the shocking news.

    Although he looked calm, deep in his heart he was flustered.

    The key to Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure was actually split up!

    That was really terrible news.He didn¡¯t know if it could actually return to being fully integrated after being split into several pieces.

    If he couldn¡¯t get it, what would he do with the Secret Treasures left by the Four Founders?!

    He had an ominous feeling in his heart. It became clear that opening the Four Founders¡¯ Secret Treasure was not as simple as he had thought. If the other three keys were lost or split like the one left by Gryffindor, what should he do?!

    What the Four Founders left behind was always around the school from the very beginning.

    The main purpose why they left these treasures was to protect the school from the Dark Wizard who was toe; and the four of them handed down keys for them to protect the school, and to test if their teaching philosophies and ideas had been well carried out.

    The four keys correspond to four tests. Only the students who pass the test can get the corresponding keys. Entrusting the keys to the intelligent creatures living around the school at that time was done to keep people who were not Hogwarts students from getting the treasures.

    They didn¡¯t need to divide the keys into pieces and make the students go around the world collecting them.

    But over the course of a thousand years, anything could happen.

    There have been numerous changes in the intelligent creatures that they hadmissioned to keep the Treasures¡¯ Keys.

    No one could guarantee that these intelligent creatures would always live around Hogwarts. Even if they were still there, the keys left by the Four Founders would not necessarily be there anymore, or they could be split into several pieces, or lost, or¡­

    At the thought that he might run around the world, looking for the Secret Treasure Keys left by the Four Founders of the school, Evan had a headache.

    A really long time had passed; the traces left by those years must be very vague.

    It might be easier to directly defeat Voldemort rather thanplete the collection of four Treasure Keys.

    Evan shook his head hard. It was not the time to think about those things.

    In any case, a fragment of Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure Key remained in the Centaur¡¯s tribe, and he had to get it. He heard Professor Lupin, Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew saying that the thing had quite powerful magic.

    Even if he wouldn¡¯t get theplete key in the end, this piece of debris alone would be very helpful, going by the information he had collected so far.

    Evan knew he had so far gained a lot of magic theory knowledge from the library area and Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, but because of his magical power limitation, he couldn¡¯t use most of it.

    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so easily in his duel with Snape.

    There are very limited ways to increase magical power. Besides of the natural increase thates with age, there are three main methods:

    The first one is a variety of potions and medicaments, such as magic potions. These potions are rtively simple to obtain, but the power obtained by this method is very unstable and its duration is very short.

    The second is to rely on the help of legendary magic items, such as the elder¡¯s wand in Dumbledore¡¯s hand, the Gryffindor¡¯s key fragments kept in the Centaurs¡¯ tribe, etc¡­ As long as you are equipped with these items, you can get the corresponding upgrade. This kind of magical improvement is more durable and stable, but such legendary magic items are very rare, and they are very difficult to obtain. Many wizards haven¡¯t even seen one their whole life.

    As for thest one, Evan was still in the research stage and was not very sure about it.

    He once looked into the source of Voldemort¡¯s immense magical power, along with his inner wickedness. He could wantonly use the most profound of dark magic, and in addition to using Horcruxes to insure his immortality, his power might also be the result of his ck magic experiments and research on transforming his own body. Last year, when Evan met Tom Riddle, he found a very handsome young man, nothing like the terrifying Dark Lord that heter turned into.

    What had happened to him to gain so much power? He must have modified his body, such as epting the baptism of the purest dark power or the blood of a powerful magical creature.

    These evil ck magic transformations must have eventually led to the changes in his appearance.

    The magical power gained by this method is more stable than the second one, and the speed of promotion is very fast. Also, it is easy to obtain a lot of power this way, but it is very dangerous, and idents may ur in the process of transforming one¡¯s own body.

    Voldemort is one of the most obvious examples. Evan is not even sure that he is no longer a pure human being.

    Thest method is naturally out of question. The only practical and fast way to improve the magic is the second.

    Evan sighed. Although he was eager to improve his magic, although Firenze told him these things about the key to the treasure left by Gryffindor and the dark history of the Centaurs that he didn¡¯t want to exin, Evan hadn¡¯t yet been approved by the Centaurs, nor had he obtained the thing preserved among their tribe.

    It is still early to think about such things now.

    He was going to look into this after catching Peter Pettigrew and helping Sirius ck to clear his name.

    ¡°Firenze, do you know the Time-Turner?¡± Evan suddenly said, he was going to tell him about it, otherwise he would see two of them in a while, and it was not good to have more idents.

    ¡°The Time-Turner?!¡± Firenze blinked, and his usually calm face showed some confusion. He was obviously hearing about it for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s a magical item that helps users travel in time.¡± Evan exined, ¡°I have returned to the present from the future with its help, so I know that Peter Pettigrew will pass by here because I was here too. In fact, I was the one to set the Acromant¡¯s Lair on fire.¡±

 Chapter 179: Catching Peter Pettigrew

    <h4>Chapter 179: Catching Peter Pettigrew</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing to be it in two ces at the same time!¡± Firenze looked at Evan in awe, his blue eyes shining.

    Evan nodded. He concisely told him about what happened in Aragog¡¯s Lair, and Firenze looked more interested.

    ¡°The elders often warn us to pay attention to human magic. Although you have wasted too much time on many meaningless things, you have indeed made many remarkable magical achievements. I have never thought before that there would be something able to make people shuttle through time.¡±

    Listening to Evan¡¯s introduction to the Time-Turner, Firenze sighed with emotion.

    For the Centaurs, time magic is too esoteric.

    It could be seen that he was very interested in the Time-Turner; he asked about many details, and Evan told him all he knew.

    Evan also told Firenze that ording to the rules of the Time-Turner use, he must not be seen by himself in the past. This point is very critical; otherwise it would have an irreparable impact. Firenze agreed to his request, and got ready to wait for Evan to leave and then grab Peter Pettigrew.

    He looked very cautious and careful in the face of this unfamiliar magic field.

    As time went on, about fifteen minutester, Evan saw himself holding his wand in the open space, followed by Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°Nox!¡± He hurriedly said, and the light on the tip of his wand disappeared immediately.

    Darkness was back, and only the stars in the sky were still shining.

    Evan¡¯s heart began to jump wildly. He saw that he was breathing heavily in the center of the field. He was unable to rely on the huge oak tree. The faint light at his wand¡¯s tip eventually dissipated.

    Evan knew that this was because he had no magical power left. When his magic waspletely exhausted, Peter Pettigrew, who has been floating beside him, fell heavily to the ground.

    Pettigrew struggled to move and cling to the trunk in front of him.

    Behind the two of them were the Acromants that followed, countless of ck eyes shining on their horrible foreheads, and their sharp ck pincers clicked making the scalp break out into goose bumps.

    Seeing the two people in the center of the open space, the Acromants apparently hesitated. Perhaps the fire that Evan just set in the hollow left its scare on their hearts.

    They did not rush directly to Evan, but went straight over to Peter Pettigrew.

    Thetter¡¯s legs were bitten by an Acromant. He struggled fiercely. It seemed as if he was looking back, and his screams and crying were getting louder and louder.

    ¡°Save me, save me, please¡­¡±

    A mournful cry for help came to the ear, it was downright disturbing.

    Evan stood nervously in the bushes, looking attentively at what was happening in front of him in the open space. It was like the rey of a horror movie. He saw Peter Pettigrew and himself besieged by the Acromants, but he could do nothing.

    So did Firenze who held his bow and arrow in his hand and was ready to go.

    In the next second, a loud, long beep sounded, and a ze of light illuminated the entire forest. Mr. Weasley¡¯s car was thundering down the slope, knocking aside the spiders besieging Evan and Peter Pettigrew.

    Evan saw that he had seized Peter Pettigrew and wanted to drag him into the old car, but it didn¡¯t work. He was not the opponent of the Acromant that clung tightly around Peter¡¯s waist. The two rivalsunched a disparate battle.

    Because of the pain, the muscles on Pettigrew¡¯s face were contorting in a sly manner. Then, he seemed to wake up suddenly, struggling to let go of Evan¡¯s hands.

    Evan saw himself flying straight back into the car which started instantly, leading him away from the open space. Peter Pettigrew was dragged by the spiders, and the Acromants made a triumphant loud clicking.

    Peter Pettigrew shrieked suddenly and he seemed to faint again.

    Evan rushed out of the woods where he was hiding. He knew that if he didn¡¯t interfere, he would never have a chance to do it again.

    The red light shed past over Pettigrew. The Acromant that was greedily gnawing at his flesh was instantly shot, and the other spiders who were preparing to take part in the feast looked up in dismay and watched the sudden appearance of Evan.

    They didn¡¯t understand how this human boy, who had just left in a car, suddenly got out of the nearby bush.

    As they did not react, Evan incarnated as a valiant and fearless warrior. He quickly rushed to Peter Pettigrew, waving his wand, with a white light like a sword, and the Acromants who dared to approach were killed one by one.

    With a bang, behind Peter Pettigrew, the body of the spider closest to him was instantly smashed, and its green, sticky blood sshed out, flying everywhere.

    A lot of it sshed on Evan, but he didn¡¯t care about it. His footsteps suddenly stopped, his body turned to the right, his wand swung from top to bottom, the curse shed past, and the Acromant on the tree was killed instantly.

    The remaining spiders seemed to have just reacted. They were waving their big pincers, madly rushing over to Evan.

    In the face of Acromants¡¯ swarming, Evan held his wand tightly in his hand, not showing the slightest fear on his face. He did not recede; he screamed and rushed forward to face them.

    At this moment, he was fearless, as if he was a God of War.

    Among the trees behind him, Firenze¡¯s bow and arrows were like guardian angels, perfectly making for the loopholes in Evan¡¯s defence. He was extremely quick when it came to archery, and each arrow urately pierced the Acromants from the middle nailing them firmly to the ground.

    The Acromants that he shot could not even struggle, as the precise shots took them down instantly.

    In under a minute, the two killed over than ten Acromants, and the remaining spiders watched them both in horror, turned around and fled to the jungle.

    Evan gasped, he wiped his sweat and the innards of the Acromant that had just spattered on his face, and looked down at Peter Pettigrew, who was unconscious in front of him. His breath gradually calmed down, and he knew he had finally changed history. He stopped Peter¡¯s death, and he caught him.

    ¡°The injury on his leg is very serious, but it is not fatal.¡± Firenze came up to check the bloody legs of Peter Pettigrew. He took some herbal powder out of a leather package and sprinkled it.

    Evan saw that Peter¡¯s legs gradually stopped bleeding, his breath stabilized, but because of the pain, his face was still contorting.

    ¡°Can you cure him?¡± Evan remembered that the Centaurs were very versed in healing magic.

    ¡°No, this not good! His leg was just bitten by Acromants, just some trauma. What¡¯s problematic is his right hand, from which I can sense a very evil smell ck magic, my healing magic can¡¯t work.¡± Firenze scavenged Peter¡¯s right arm. The ce that was supposed to be his right hand was tangled with a few pieces of cloth. It waspletely soaked with blood. He said quickly, ¡°You¡¯d better send him back to the castle as soon as possible. Human magic should be able to help him.¡±

 Chapter 180: The Stag and the Doe

    <h4>Chapter 180: The Stag and the Doe</h4>

    Going back in time, in Professor Lupin¡¯s office, Harry and Hermione were waiting anxiously.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here doing nothing, Hermione!¡± Harry paced back and forth in the room irritated and said, ¡°Peter Pettigrew is about to run away. We should go to the Forbidden Forest and help Evan catch him.¡±

    ¡°No, Harry!¡± Hermione shook and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°We can¡¯t go out, have you forgotten? We should all be in the Hall on the first floor. You can¡¯t take risks, if someone finds out¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, since we can¡¯t get out, isn¡¯t it the same for Evan?¡±

    ¡°He is different from us. He is an Animagus; his Animagus form is a ck cat. He can sneak out of the castle at will without being noticed.¡± Hermione looked worried too, but quickly recovered her calm. ¡°I believe in Evan, Harry, he will catch Peter Pettigrew alive.¡±

    Hearing her words, Harry clenched his wand in his hand, and kept silent.

    ¡°Harry, there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand¡­ Why didn¡¯t the Dementors get Sirius? I remember theming, and then I think I passed out¡­ there were so many of them¡­¡±

    Harry sat down too. He exined what he¡¯d seen; how, as the nearest Dementor had lowered its mouth to Harry¡¯s, and two silver things flew out of the castle, forcing the Dementors to retreat and escape.

    ¡°Silver things?¡± Hermione repeated it, seemingly with no reaction.

    ¡°There¡¯s only one thing they could have been, to make the Dementors go,¡± said Harry. ¡°Real Patronuses, powerful ones.¡±

    ¡°But why were there two?¡± Hermione¡¯s mouth was a little open, looking puzzled. ¡°Would it be Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick who summoned them?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was them, they should have been in the auditorium, they didn¡¯t even know what was going on outside.¡± Harry shook his head. He tried to think about the shape of the two Patronuses.

    ¡°Was it Dumbledore or other Professors?¡±

    ¡°No, those two Patronuses were certainly not summoned by any Professor.¡± Harry whispered, in his heart he was more and more certain.

    ¡°But they must have been really powerful wizards, to drive all those Dementors away¡­ I still remember the Patronus that Evan summoned at the time, in front of more than a hundred Dementors, only for a dozen seconds. If the Patronuses were shining so brightly, didn¡¯t it light them up? Couldn¡¯t you see¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see who summoned them. The two Patronuses finally separated over the castle.¡± Harry said slowly, ¡°but I think, I should know who they were!¡± ¡±

    Hermione did not speak, she firmly stared at Harry.

    ¡°I think ¡­¡± Harry swallowed, knowing how strange this was going to sound,¡± I think it was my dad and mom. ¡±

    Harry nced up at Hermione and saw that her mouth was fully open now. She was gazing at him with a mixture of rm and pity.

    ¡°Harry, your parents have¡­ ¡°She said quietly, ¡°Well, you know, they are already dead!¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Harry said quickly.

    ¡°So do you think you saw their ghosts?¡±

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy, but the two Patronuses¡­¡±

    Harry hadn¡¯t finished his words yet, and there was the faint sound of an explosion on the outside of the castle. The distance is too far away. If he didn¡¯t listen carefully, he wouldn¡¯t have heard it at all.

    ¡°This was the magic of Peter Pettigrew. He immediately fled to the Forbidden Forest.¡± Harry hurriedly climbed up from the ground. ¡°We must go out, Hermione!¡± ¡±

    ¡°No, we can¡¯t, we will be discovered¡­¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be discovered, we don¡¯t have to go to the Hallway;¡± Harry hurriedly said, ¡°If only I go to the corridor window, I just want to see who had summoned the two Patronuses.¡±

    Harry turned around and rushed out of the office. Unable to tell why, all of a sudden he was thinking of his father, and his three old friends, Moony, Wormtail and Padfoot.

    This evening, Wormtail reappeared; everyone thought he had died long ago!

    But he was still alive, so is it possible for his father and mother? Harry couldn¡¯t be sure that the two Patronuses had something to do with his parents.

    If they did, he had to know, he needed to see it.

    He rushed to the narrow window in the corridor, opened it, and the air whizzed outside, and he saw himself and Hermione sitting beside the Forbidden Forest, Sirius ck and Ron lying behind them. The four of them were in the center surrounded by the Dementors.

    He looked hastily towards the castle gate, and there was nothing there.

    Hermione came up too, she pouted, and looked at what was happening outside in horror, the two of them were trying to call their Patronuses, but it was useless. There were too many Dementors.

    Next to the Forbidden Forest, two small silver lights were struggling.

    It was their own Patronuses, one of them suddenly went out, and Harry knew that Hermione had fainted. He almost plunged himself out of the window, and he was desperately looking around, but there was nothing, not even the other professors.

    A few secondster, thest silver light also dissipated.

    Harry had a shudder of fear all over his body, and the two Patronuses could appear at any time¡­

    ¡°Come on!¡± he murmured, looking around. ¡°Where are you? Dad, Mom, Come on¡­¡±

    But nobody came, and Harry looked up at the circle of Dementors outside the Forbidden Forest, one of them was the one lowering his hood for him.

    The rescuers were supposed to be there, but this time no one came to help.

    ¡°We have to do something, Harry!¡± Hermione screamed,¡± It would be toote if we don¡¯t stop the Dementors.¡¯

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s cry, Harry suddenly understood something. He lifted his wand high and shouted, ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡±

    And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screwed up his eyes, trying to see what it was.

    It looked like a horse, with a sharp corner on his head, one of the two Patronuses he saw at that time. It left him, crossed the ck night sky, and rushed over to therge group of Dementors outside the Forbidden Forest. At the same time, a silver-white figure rushed out of the hall.

    The two Patronuses intertwined and looked so simr, so perfect. They got together and rushed towards the Dementors.

    Outside the Forbidden Forest, the Dementors were falling back, scattering, retreating into the darkness¡­ They were gone¡­ Then, the two Patronuses turned around and ran slowly through the night sky towards the castle.

    Harry saw it this time. The two Patronuses were not horses, nor unicorns. They were shining brightly as the moon above. The Patronus that he had called stared at him with itsrge, silver eyes. Slowly, it bowed its antlered head.

    And Harry realized that it was a stag.

    The Patronus beside his own Stag was much smaller, with no horns on its head. It looked like¡­

    ¡°A DOE!¡± Hermione said softly, ¡°This is a doe, Harry!¡±

 Chapter 181: Would it be Snape?

    <h4>Chapter 181: Would it be Snape?</h4>

    Harry squinted and looked at the two silver-white Patronuses who where shining brightly, watching the stag and the doe in the night sky.

    ¡°Harry, I can¡¯t believe it¡­ You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those Dementors! That¡¯s very, very advanced magic.¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t answer her; he looked at the silver doe.

    Intuition told him that there must be some unclear and close tie between this Doe and his Patronus! If his patron is like his dad¡¯s, it¡¯s a Stag, then this Doe, it would be¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Hermione seemed to be aware of what Harry was thinking. She stretched out her hand and gently pulled him. She murmured, ¡°You have done well, we can only stay here now, we can¡¯t intervene again¡­¡±

    Harry did not seem to hear what she was saying. He suddenly turned around, threw away Hermione, and rushed toward the hallway of the first floor with a great leap in his heart. He had to know who conjured up the Patronus.

    If he and his father¡¯s Patronuses are both stags, then this doe may have been summoned by his mother.

    Otherwise, it is impossible to be so coincidental.

    Yes, the other one who summoned the Patronus must be his mother herself, she is not dead yet!

    As soon as he thought of his mother, Harry gasped a little more.

    In the dim, narrow corridor, he rushed downstairs with the fastest speed. He had to know who it was, he had to see his mother¡­

    Then Harry stopped behind the huge curtain on the second floor.

    He heard a voice from the downstairs hall. Just a few seconds before he rushed down, the professors and students who had been dining in the Great Hall all came out. They were surprised to look at what was happening in front of them.

    Harry gasped and hid behind the curtain snooping into the Hall on the first floor. He saw Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Hagrid¡­

    There were more than a dozen people in the Hall, but not his mother.

    Would she have gone outside the castle to save him? Harry moved forward again to see clearly.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Hermione gasped and caught him up.

    She dragged Harry back to the curtain and said with anger, ¡°We must go back, Harry, you will be discovered!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t go back, I have to know who conjured up the Patronus¡± Harry was reluctant to utter out his guess, ¡°I have to know¡­¡±

    ¡°There are so many people outside, everyone has this possibility!¡± Hermione carefully looked out of the curtain, and then she jerked Harry¡¯s arm ¡°Look, it¡¯s Snape, he is taking us back to the castle.¡±

    Snape summoned four hanging stretchers, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius ck¡¯s motionless bodiesid quietly on the stretchers, and ck was tied up by ck ropes.

    The people inside the castle took Harry in, Hermione dragged him back.

    They silently returned to Professor Lupin¡¯s office on the third floor, and no one spoke.

    Harry felt that his head was a mess. If his mother summoned the Patronus, where could she be right now?

    Just outside the castle, Snape saved him, Hermione, Ron and Sirius. If he was there at the time, would he have seen her?

    Right then, Harry suddenly remembered the Marauder¡¯s Map that had always been in his arms. He hurriedly took it out. He hated himself for not thinking about it before.

    ¡°I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.¡± He took out his wand, touched the parchment lightly and hurriedly looked down.

    He saw that four people, Hermione, Ron, Sirius, and himself were in the Hall on the first floor. In fact, almost everyone in the castle was there. Harry¡¯s gaze hurriedly searched the castle, but did not see his mother¡¯s figure.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about that Patronus, Harry! It can¡¯t be your mother. It must be a professor who conjured up the Patronus. It happened to be a doe.¡± Hermione also came over. ¡°Think about it carefully. It was Snape who brought the four of us back; maybe he conjured up that Patronus¡­¡±

    ¡°Snape?!¡± Harry was stunned.

    ¡°Exactly, just at that moment, there was only one of him there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible; Snape¡¯s Patronus can¡¯t be a doe!¡± Harry shrugged stubbornly. He preferred to believe that Professor McGonagall conjured up the Patronus, not Snape.

    ¡°Instead of the Patronus, you should worry more about Evan and Sirius!¡± Hermione looked at her watch, nervously saying, ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Why hasn¡¯t Evane back yet? Dumbledore had locked the Hospital ward¡¯s door a while ago. There are still forty-five minutes left. We have to go back there before anyone finds out we are missing.¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Harry¡¯s thoughts turned to Evan and Sirius, if Evan did not grab Peter Pettigrew, then they must find a way to save Sirius. They shouldn¡¯t let the Dementors suck his soul away¡­

    The dark office was quiet, Harry and Hermione were waiting.

    They saw from the Marauder¡¯s Map that Professor McGonagall sent the three of them to the school hospital, and Professor Flitwick shut Sirius at the top of the tower. As for Snape, he left the castle again, as if he was looking for something, Hagrid was with him.

    Harry immediately became nervous. What were they looking for, could it be his mother?!

    They approached the Forbidden Forest. A few minutester, Harry saw Evan¡¯s name appearing on the edge of the Map, and then Snape went and sent him back to the castle.

    Snape didn¡¯t go out again. He went to the top of the tower where Sirius was held. They didn¡¯t know what to say. In a short while, Dumbledore¡¯s figure appeared in his office. He did not stop and went straight to the ward.

    ¡°There are still fifteen minutes left. Why hasn¡¯t Evane back yet?¡± Hermione said ufortably, ring at her watch.

    Harry shook his head. His mind was full of unclear spections.

    If Evan didn¡¯t catch Peter Pettigrew, they had to find a way to save Sirius, but Snape remained at the top of the tower.

    With him there, they won¡¯t have a chance.

    As time passed, Harry clenched his fists. He knew he had to make a try. When he was ready to act, he saw Evan¡¯s figure appearing on the edge of the map with Peter Pettigrew, and Firenze the Centaur.

    Harry still remembered that he had met this Centaur in the Forbidden Forest in his first year, and thetter had saved him from Voldemort¡¯s hands.

    He didn¡¯t know why Evan was with Firenze, nor did he have time to think about such things. They immediately rushed down.

    Harry thought excitedly that as long as he grabbed Peter Pettigrew, he could prove that Sirius was innocent. He would be able to move out of the Dursleys next summer and live with his godfather. That would be the best Christmas gift he could ever receive in his life.

    Then he thought of the silver doe¡¯s Patronus.

    If it wasn¡¯t his mother, who would have summoned it?

    Could it be Snape like Hermione said?

 Chapter 182: The Prisonerâ€™s Final Chapter

    <h4>Chapter 182: The Prisoner¡¯s Final Chapter</h4>

    At the edge of Hogwarts site, Evan slipped from Firenze¡¯s back.

    ¡°We are separating here, Evan.¡± Firenze whispered, ¡°Go ahead to your human castle, I am not fit to enter.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Firenze!¡± Evan waved his wand, and Peter Pettigrew floated beside him. He walked two steps forward and suddenly thought about it. He turned and said, ¡°Yes, about what is preserved in your tribe¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to get it, you¡¯re wee to our tribe at any time.¡± Firenze looked up at the sky and said softly, ¡°The stars have told me that you may be the one chosen by fate. Good luck, Evan Mason!¡±

    He turned and left Evan and Peter Pettigrew, and slowly returned to the depths of the forest.

    Evan waited until his figure disappearedpletely, and finally looked at the unusually bright Mars in the night sky before he walked with the stunned Peter Pettigrew to the castle.

    A few minutester, he met Harry and Hermione in the Hall.

    ¡°You¡¯ve caught Peter Pettigrew, you¡¯ve seized this traitor! I knew you would seed!¡± Harry rushed over to look at Peter Pettigrew, putting the Patronuspletely aside, only thinking about helping Sirius to clear his name. He said excitedly, ¡°Tell us, Evan, how did you do it? I just saw Firenze on the Marauder¡¯s Map!¡±

    Evan had not time to answer Harry; Hermione immediately went in front of him.

    Her eyes were glistening with tears. Her face was mixed with excitement, nervousness, worry and all sorts of other emotions. She did not speak; she walked forward and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right, Hermione!¡± Evan patted her on the shoulder. ¡°I met the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. Firenze helped me¡­¡±

    Evan climbed up the steep stone spiral staircase, and gave them a briefing about what happened inside the Forbidden Forest.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible; we haven¡¯t been as sessful as you¡¯ve been here!¡± Harry said he and Hermione met the Patronus.¡±I don¡¯t understand; who would conjure up the doe?¡±

    ¡°I agree with Hermione. It should be Snape.¡±

    ¡°Snape?!¡± Harry shook his head and said stubbornly, ¡°This is impossible, how can he¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Harry! We will discuss about thister. Now, we¡¯ve got more urgent things, we only have ten minutes left, we have to go back to the ward. Before anybody can see us, we should be where Dumbledore locked us up¡­¡± Hermione looked down at her watch.

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, the three of them quickly hurried up.

    The castle corridor was quiet. Apart from them, there was no one else. Evan the portraits on both sides of the corridor were empty. Everyone seemed to be concentrated in the tower, inquiring about Sirius ck¡¯s matter.

    It wasn¡¯t until they reached the fourth floor that they heard the giggling sound from the front.

    ¡°It¡¯s Peeves!¡± Harry muttered, pointing to Evan and Hermione to stop.

    In front of them, Peeves seemed to be in high spirits and was bouncing up and down in the front corridor. He was full of joy.

    The three of them looked at each other and hurriedly hid in an empty ssroom on the left.

    ¡°He is terrible!¡± Hermione whispered, she put her ear on the door. ¡°I bet he is so happy because the Dementors areing to Sirius¡­¡±

    ¡°He seems to be gone, we must hurry up.¡± Evan alsoid on the door listening for a moment. Peeves¡¯s gloating voice faded in the distance.

    ¡°Three minutes left!¡±Hermione looked at her watch again.

    The three of them slipped out of the ssroom, and ran out at full speed. Evan waved his wand, and Pettigrew¡¯s body also picked up speed, tightly floating behind him strangely, like a kite made of an extremely ugly man.

    ¡°Hermione, what will happen if we don¡¯t go back before Dumbledore locks the door? Harry asked with a gasp.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to think about it!¡± ¡°Hermione muttered, and looked at her watch again, ¡°There is only one minute left!¡±

    The three of them gasped, they had already reached the entrance to the school hospital at the end of the corridor.

    ¡°I heard Dumbledore talking.¡± Hermione said nervously, ¡°Come on, Evan! Come on, Harry! ¡±

    They bent down and walked along the corridor, the ward¡¯s door was opened, and Dumbledore¡¯s back appeared in front of them.

    ¡°I locked you here, now it¡¯s five to midnight!¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°Miss Granger, turn six times, good luck!¡±

    Dumbledore withdrew from the room and closed the door. He pulled out his wand and locked the door with magic.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione ran forward in panic. Dumbledore looked up and smiled under his long moustache.

    ¡°Well?¡± he said quietly.

    ¡°Professor, we did it!¡± Harry said, ¡°We caught Peter Pettigrew.¡±

    ¡°Well done, now hand him over to me, I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± Dumbledore smiled looking at them. He gently tapped his wand and made a stretcher out of thin air.

    Peter, who had been floating in the air, fell on the stretcher. Evan felt that he had lost control of him. A powerful force instantly blocked his magic.

    ¡°Professor, I have something to ask you.¡± Evan hurriedly said.

    He wanted to tell Dumbledore about Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy. He also wanted to ask him what his intentions were, the purpose of arranging this evening, and so on. Besides, the key to the treasure left by Gryffindor, and preserved in the tribe of the Centaurs was split up. Evan wanted to know what Dumbledore had to say about that.

    ¡°Certainly, Evan, but not now, you need to rest.¡± Dumbledore said calmly,

    ¡°Professor, I have something to say to you, about the Patronus¡­¡± Harry followed. .

    ¡°So do you, Harry, you¡¯ll say what you want tomorrow!¡± Dumbledore seemed to be listening to whether there were any voices in the ward. ¡°Very good, I think you¡¯ve left too. Go in. Leave everything to me. You three need to rest, I¡¯ll lock you up.¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione slipped back to the ward which was empty. Only Ron was there, he was still unconscious lying on the bed.

    The door was locked behind them, and Evan, Harry, and Hermione crawled back to their beds, and Hermione tucked the Time-Turner back under her robe.

    Madam Pomfrey came back from her office. She checked them and gave them a few pieces of chocte.

    Evan ate two pieces, his consciousness became more and more heavy, and he gradually fell asleep.

    He knew that this year¡¯s event was finally resolved. He finally changed the storyline; he caught Peter Pettigrew and saved Sirius ck.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what impact his deeds would have on his future, but no matter what he would have to face, he was ready. He was prepared to gradually get stronger, first by finding a way to obtain the piece of the Treasure Key left by Gryffindor and preserved in the Centaurs¡¯ tribe, and then ¡­

 Chapter 183: The Order of Merlin

    <h4>Chapter 183: The Order of Merlin</h4>

    Next thing, all started moving in the right direction.

    The following morning, Evan just woke up when he saw Ron apologizing to him, Harry, and Hermione endlessly.

    He burst into tears and said that he was a jerk. He said that he had been controlled by Peter Pettigrew. He said he should not stop believing everyone thates like him.

    Although Evan felt that Ron had concealed some details, he eventually forgave him like Harry and Hermione.

    After all, not anyone could sessfully break away from the control of the Imperius Curse.

    Ron¡¯sst night¡¯s performance was enough to prove that he was different from Peter Pettigrew. He is worthy of being a hero.

    Ron didn¡¯t stay in the school for too long. With Madam Pomfrey¡¯s suggestion, at 7 o¡¯clock in the morning, after breakfast, he was sent to the St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries for examination. He should probably spend the rest of the Christmas holidays there.

    Although everyone was very worried, Madam Pomfrey repeatedly promised that he should recover, without keeping any seque.

    Just after being separated from Ron, the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, walked into the ward apanied by Dumbledore. Behind them, there were three adult wizards, one man and two women, who were all in their forties to fifties.

    Evan¡¯s eyes wandered between the three, and thedy who followed Fudge was wearing a ck robe, she was a square-jawed witch with close-cropped grey hair and a monocle.

    For this person, Evan didn¡¯t have any impression at all.

    But when he saw the witch next to her, he had a clump in his heart, a bad feeling. Wouldn¡¯t she be the legendary Umbridge?!

    Umbridge wore a fluffy pink cardigan. She was a short squat woman resembling arge pale toad. She had a broad, bby face, a wide, ck mouth, and little neck. Her eyes were bulging and pouchy.

    Even the ck velvet bow worn in her mousy brown hair reminded Evan of a big fly, and it was as if she was about to stick out her sticky long tongue to catch it.

    Behind Umbridge, there was a serious wizard; he was a stiff, upright, elderly man, dressed in an impably crisp robe. The parting in his short gray hair was almost unnaturally straight, and his narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished. Evan had never seen a wizard who was so strict like this. If he was not wearing a robe but a suit, he could simply pretend to be a Muggle bank manager.

    This guy is absolutely the object of Percy¡¯s worship.

    In Evan¡¯s impression, there was only one person who could be the object of Percy¡¯s worship in this respect, that is, Barty Crouch, who was finally killed by his Death Eater son Batty Crouch Junior.

    Evan looked closely at him, wondering if he had already hidden Barty Crouch Junior at home.

    If possible, he would like to report it or say something about it, but he knew that no one would believe him.

    As an influential Ministry of Magic official, Bartemius Crouch had a very high reputation. If it was not for his son, he would now probably be the Minister of Magic.

    When Evan looked at the three people, they also looked seriously at him, Harry, Hermione, and especially at Harry, for a longest time.

    ¡°Good morning, children!¡± Fudge looked tired and in a poor mental state. It seemed that he didn¡¯t sleepst night. He said with a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable. Everything was actually done by Peter Pettigrew. ck is innocent. Look at what we have done, the Ministry of Magic is going to be aughingstock, and the Daily Prophet can have a chance tough at it, if others know about it¡­¡±

    ¡°We are now aughingstock, Minister!¡± Bartemius Crouch interrupted him, with a hint of impatience in his voice. ¡°We actually shut Sirius ck in Azkaban for 12 years. Who knows how many innocent people are inside it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right!¡± Fudge seemed to understand what he meant, he hesitated and said with vignce, ¡°This is indeed the consequence of our negligence, but I remind that you were Head of the Department of Magic Law Enforcement, the allegations against Death Eaters at the time, were all presided over by you¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your reminding, Minister!¡± Bartemius Crouch said dryly, ¡°No matter if it was me personally, or the Wizengamot, this is a shame that will never be washed. Fortunately, the children have given us the opportunity to make up for this mistake.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really fortunate.¡± Fudge didn¡¯t seem to be happy at all. He pointed to the three wizards beside him and briefly introduced them to Evan, Harry, and Hermione. ¡°Children, this is Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation; the twodies are Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic.¡±

    Crouch did not look at them, he kept staring at Dumbledore. Bones showed a smile to Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and she looked more cordial.

    As for Umbridge, she had a fake smirk on her face, and then she said hello to the three of them, and made a bell likeughter. The hairs on the back of Evan¡¯s neck stood up.

    Harry and Hermione had a bad face, especially Hermione. Under Umbridge¡¯s gaze, her small body shrank as much as possible into the bedding she wasying upon.

    ¡°Well, children, about ck¡¯s case, Wizengamot has set up a special investigation team, and all five of us are members of it.¡± Fudge said shortly, ¡°although I have just heard Albus say it, we still want to hear more about what happenedst night.¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other, and finally Evan spoke again about what happenedst night. He deliberately concealed the details concerning Ron, the Time-Turner and the Centaurs, but said that he caught Peter Pettigrew in the Forbidden Forest.

    ¡°It¡¯s shocking, at your age! I couldn¡¯t, all by myself, catch an evil Dark wizard.¡± Umbridge looked at Evan, speaking with a simpering high-pitched voice that was girlish and breathless.

    ¡°It¡¯s just luck, ma¡¯am!¡± Evan replied cautiously.

    ¡°There is nothing to be modest about, Evan, you have always been excellent.¡± Fudge turned his hat and continued, ¡°Things are simr to what I imagined. The problem now is if someone is asking you about how you caught Peter Pettigrew, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, Minister!¡± Evan nodded. He knew what Fudge was going to say. ¡°Although I finally caught Peter Pettigrew, the Ministry of Magic made a lot of efforts in this matter, likest year¡¯s incident of the Basilisk. I would have told you if I had the chance.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Evan, you have helped us a lot.¡± Fudge breathed a sigh of relief. For him, as long as it did not affect the reputation of the Ministry of Magic and his career, there was no problem with ck¡¯s innocence.

    ¡°You have done very well this time. You three besides the boy of the Weasley¡¯s family have just been mentioned. The Ministry is going to apply for the Order of Merlin, Third ss for all four of you!¡± Fudge continued, ¡°Especially you, Evan, even if I have to fight for it; I think the Second ss will be most fitting.¡±

 Chapter 184: â€œHogwarts Magicâ€ Development Plan

    <h4>Chapter 184: ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± Development n</h4>

    The Order of Merlin was founded in the middle of the eleventh century by the famous medieval wizard Merlin. It was the earliest organization in the magical world and is highly regarded.

    Merlin wanted wizards to help Muggles, so he created the Order of Merlin.

    The Order of Merlin Organization was created to help Muggles, which stiptes that the wizards prohibit the use of magic against them, and that every wizard in the order is responsible of the protection of the Muggles around him.

    At the end of the thirteenth century, as a result of social unrest, most wizards were persecuted by Muggles, and the order of Merlin was suspended. Merlin himself was a victim of the persecution, and that ended up making him disband the organization. Later, with establishment of the Ministries of Magic and the 1689 International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, all wizards transferred to covert, and the order of Merlin began to operate again.

    All of the most reputable wizards have joined the order and awarded medals to wizards who have made outstanding contributions to the harmonious coexistence with Muggles.

    After centuries of development, the Order of Merlin has be thergest outstanding wizarding organization in the magic world, and the only wizarding group in the entire magical world that is not within the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Magic, and is also recognized by the Ministry of Magic as an international elite wizard organization. .

    In the magic world, the best honor for a wizard is to be rewarded with the Order of Merlin. There were three different sses of Order of Merlin that were awarded: First ss, Second ss and Third ss. Dumbledore is the winner of the first-ss medal, and Gilderoy Lockhart has won the Third ss medal, enough to be the capital he boasted for.

    Evan had never thought that he would have the chance to win the Order of Merlin, Second ss, which was definitely unexpected for him.

    For a young wizard like him who is a Muggle-born, and who is only twelve years old, it is a miracle.

    If Malfoy knew about it, he would die of envy.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want the Order of Merlin!¡± Fudge had not finished his words, and heard Harry saying eagerly, ¡°Minister, Sirius and Professor Lupin are innocent, they¡­¡±

    ¡°ck¡¯s case needs to be decided after the Wizengamot trial. From the current situation, it should not be a problem.¡± Fudge turned to look at Harry and barely smiled. ¡°As for Lupin, he is now being cast. All his charges have been revoked, and you will see him in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Then will he stay and continue to teach?¡± Harry asked quickly.

    ¡°I am sorry, Harry! Lupin has submitted his resignation to me. He said that he could no longer take such a risk, fearing that a simr incident would happen again.¡± Dumbledore said calmly.

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Professor Lupin actually resigned.

    Dumbledore looked at Harry and turned and said to Fudge. ¡°Cornelius, I think of those Dementors; can they be withdrawn from school?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, they have to go.¡± Fudge was absent-mindedlybing his hair with his fingers. ¡°They have no business here. I have never thought that they would try to kiss an innocent boy, that¡¯spletely out of control! I will be out in a while and tell them to go back to Azkaban.¡±

    There was a sudden silence in the ward and no one spoke.

    Harry also wanted to ask Dumbledore about Professor Lupin, and he heard Barty Crouch saying seriously, ¡°Minister, Dumbledore, there should be nothing else to understand. We should hurry back immediately; I want to meet Peter Pettigrew and Sirius ck. If necessary, I rmend using the Veritaserum.¡±

    ¡°Veritaserum?¡± Fudge said in amazement. ¡°Are you crazy, Barty?! That is illegal. You know¡­¡±

    Fudge said a few more words, and the five people quickly left the ward.

    From the expression on their faces, it could be seen that overthrowing ck¡¯s verdict and the retrial of Peter Pettigrew definitely spoke disaster for the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot, and that they were hoping they could solve it all before Christmas.

    After that, Evan, Harry, and Hermione discussed the things that happened a while ago andst night, and Dumbledore was there. They didn¡¯t worry much about the sess in proving ck¡¯s innocence. However, Professor Lupin¡¯s resignation was quite a concern.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it; Professor Lupin will quit his job!¡± Harry said with concern. ¡°We have gone so far to prove that he was innocent.¡±

    ¡°If he made up his mind to resign, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to do anything¡­¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t do anything?!¡± Evan had something in his mind as he raised his head and continued. ¡°I have an idea. After Professor Lupin leaves his job, he certainly won¡¯t be able to find a new one. No one will be willing to hire a werewolf, even if harmless. However, I can always invite him to take charge of the daily operation of the ¡°Hogwarts Magic Newspaper¡±.¡±

    Looking at the strange expression of Harry and Hermione, Evan thought more and more that this idea was feasible. Professor Lupin¡¯s werewolf identity was made public, and he was doomed to not be able to stay in Hogwarts to teach. But he could hire him for a job different from the original one!

    After more than a year of development, the ¡°Hogwarts Magic News¡± had been able to further increase its sales, expand its business scope, and to be promoted outside the school.

    Evan didn¡¯t have to worry about news sources. Almost all the ghosts of the UK were actually providing news to the Hogwarts Magic Newspaper, and they were proud to see their articles being published. Many of the news they provided were from outside the school.

    Evan had long wanted to expand his business. The only problem was that he didn¡¯t have much energy.

    Whether it was himself, Hermione, Fred, George, Harry or Ginny, all the managers of Hogwarts Magic were students, and it was impossible for them to run out of the campus. The house-elves were not good at management, which limited the newspaper audience to only the young wizards at school.

    Prior to this, even with a lot of influential news, Evan had to cooperate with the Daily Prophet.

    If he hired other wizards to be responsible for the issuance and management of off-campus newspapers, Evan would not be at ease. But Professor Lupin could solve this problem perfectly.

    Evan was preparing to use ck and Pettigrew¡¯s news event as a development opportunity to open up to the off-campus market. He nned to rent a house in Diagon Alley as the newspaper¡¯s headquarters, and gradually expand the sales of issues to be like the ¡°Daily Prophet¡±.

    After the series of events he witnessed, Evan had fully realized the importance of public opinion. It was absolutely essential to develop the Hogwarts Magic Newspaper.

    In addition, he was also willing to discuss this with Sirius ck. If he was willing toe, it would be even better. But from some of Fudge¡¯s words, it seemed like he wanted ck to be an Auror.

    Just when Evan was going to write to ck, Professor Lupin returned to Hogwarts. He looked even more haggard, but mentally stable.

 Chapter 185: Hiring Lupin

    <h4>Chapter 185: Hiring Lupin</h4>

    Professor Lupin was all haggard. His worn robe was covered with dust. He looked thinner than usual, and had deep shadows beneath his eyes, but his face had arge smile upon it.

    When they saw Lupin, Evan, Harry, and Hermione all climbed up from their beds and shouted with joy, ¡°Professor!¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Harry; Good afternoon, Evan; Good afternoon, Hermione!¡± Lupin said with a smile.

    ¡°Professor, I heard Hagrid saying yesterday that they shut you into Azkaban. What did the monsters do to you?¡± Harry asked eagerly.

    ¡°I am fine, Harry!¡± Lupin nced through Harry, Evan, and Hermione. ¡°In fact, I want to thank you three. It was thanks to your efforts that I could get out from there so quickly.¡±

    ¡°You are innocent, and Ron was only controlled by Peter Pettigrew to frame you.¡±

    ¡°Peter Pettigrew!¡± Lupin repeated, with a glimmer of regret on his face. He slowly closed his eyes, and then immediately opened them, and said gloomily, ¡°I saw Sirius in the Ministry of Magic, he and Dumbledore told me everything. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted him that year; I actually thought he had betrayed James and Lily¡­¡±

    When it came to Harry¡¯s parents, no one spoke, and the atmosphere became somewhat heavy.

    ¡°Professor, I sessfully conjured a full Patronusst night, it¡¯s a stag!¡± After a long silence, Harry whispered.

    ¡°Your father always turned into a stag when he deformed.¡± Lupin smiled again. ¡°You¡¯re right, Harry, so we called him Prongs.¡±

    ¡°But there was another Patronus then, and it was a doe.¡±

    ¡°A doe?!¡± Lupin was stunned and seemed to be without reaction for a moment.

    ¡°The doe, I mean, would it be my mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Lily¡¯s Patronus was indeed a doe.¡± Lupin looked at Harry with concern. ¡°I once told you that the shape of the Patronus varies from person to person and is rted to the character and inner world of the wizard. You know, the Patronus will not always stay the same; it will change when the conjurer is subjected to big blows and emotional changes.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Harry, the Patronus you saw can¡¯t be Lily.¡± Lupin continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know who summoned it, but that person must have something to do with Lily. Otherwise, his Patronus couldn¡¯t be a doe! ¡±

    In fact, hearing Harry¡¯s description of Lily¡¯s Patronus, Lupin thought of Snape, maybe it was his Patronus. Lupin knew more or less about some of the history between Lily and Snape. Beforeing to Hogwarts, they came from the same ce. Lily was very nice to Snape, butter¡­

    Lupin hesitated for a moment and finally said nothing.

    In his opinion, some things are not suitable for Harry to know.

    Besides, he did not have such qualification. The fact was that James and Lily had made Sirius ck Harry¡¯s godfather.

    Harry, who was lost in thought, did not notice Lupin¡¯s strange reaction. His expression was confused and he thought hard. Who would be rted to his mother?

    At that time, only Snape was there, would it be him?

    Harry knew that he had a bad rtionship with his father during his school days, just like he and Malfoy did not agree with each other.

    From the information that he learnedter, Snape hated his father.

    As for Snape¡¯s rtionship with his mother, Harry didn¡¯t know anything about that. It was supposed that the two of them should¡¯ve had no intersection.

    But with this, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case anymore.

    But even if Snape conjured up the Patronus, Evan did not expect him to be fair and friendly. In his first year, Snape had saved Harry, butter he became more and more hostile towards him. Dumbledore once said that it was because he felt that this should make him even with his father. And with him not owing anyone anything, he could relive the hatred he had for James with no qualms.

    Harry didn¡¯t go deep into it at the time, but now he still felt that something wasn¡¯t right, and that Snape¡¯s rtionship with his parents was far moreplicated than that.

    He tried hard to think about it, but it gave him a headache so violent, that he had no choice but to stop thinking about it.

    Harry looked up and heard Hermione saying worriedly. ¡°Professor, is there nothing wrong with Sirius? When will hee back?¡±

    ¡°He is all right, but it will take him a while toe to see you.¡± Lupin said, ¡°The Wizengamot hasunched a special trial procedure and should make a final judgment before Christmas ends. Since you caught Peter and Dumbledore is there, you don¡¯t have to worry about him at all.¡±

    ¡°And you, Professor?!¡± Harry asked. ¡°I just heard from Prof. Dumbledore that you have resigned. You didn¡¯t do that, did you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I did, Harry!¡±

    ¡°Why, you obviously didn¡¯t attack Ron?¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with whether or not I attacked Ron. You should have seen during those two days. Students¡¯ parents are not willing to have a werewolf teach their children. I think they are right; I may bite any of you. ¡­this kind of thing can never happen again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go, Professor! You¡¯re the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher!¡± Harry shouted, and Evan and Hermione rushed to agree.

    Lupin shook his head and did not speak.

    Just as Harry was thinking about the reasons for him to stay, Lupin continued. ¡°Harry, Evan, Hermione, teaching at Hogwarts was a happy time that I will never forget all my life. If there is anything that makes me proud, it¡¯s you! The three of you are the best students I have ever taught.¡±

    ¡°Professor!¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s gettingte; I should go back and pack my bags.¡± Professor Lupin rubbed his eyes to wipe off his tears with the back of his hand.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Professor!¡± Evan hurriedly stopped Lupin. ¡°What are you going to do after you leave Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably go on looking for the next job.¡± Lupin smiled bitterly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    Lupin¡¯s heart was full of bitterness. As a werewolf, there should be no one other than Dumbledore who would hire him.

    He didn¡¯t know where he should go. After Sirius clears his name, he may move to live with him for a while, and then find a way.

    Lupin did not say anything about it. There was no need to tell Evan, Harry, and Hermione about these things.

    ¡°Professor, you know that I have ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡±, I am going to expand the sales scope of this newspaper, selling it to all wizards in the magic world, and changing it to a daily newspaper.¡± Evan looked at Lupin. ¡°But I don¡¯t have enough time. If you want, I hope you can help me manage it.¡±

    Evan gave a detailed ount of his own ideas. Lupin seemed to be stunned. He was silent for a long time before he asked in disbelief. ¡°Are you going to hire me?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°Managing a newspaper?¡± Lupin continued.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Evan said, smiling a little bit more.

    Seeing Lupin¡¯s reaction, Harry and Hermione alsoughed at the side. If Evan hired Lupin, they could still see him often.

    ¡°Say yes, Professor!¡± Harry and Hermione said in a chorus.

    ¡°But, I didn¡¯t have any relevant experience before¡­¡± Lupin hesitated.

    ¡°I believe in you, Professor, you will prove qualified for this job.¡±

 Chapter 186: Wave Effect

    <h4>Chapter 186: Wave Effect</h4>

    As Christmas approached, the festive atmosphere in the castle was getting stronger and stronger.

    Perhaps it was because the Sirius ck incident was perfectly solved, perhaps because the Dementors who had been stationed outside the castle finally left, no matter was it was, this year Hogwarts¡¯ Christmas atmosphere was particrly strong, and people had a happy smile on their faces.

    In the Great Hall, Hagrid had chosen 12 huge Christmas trees, and Professor Flitwick used magic to hang small candles and shiny stars on them.

    The stars were twinkling, changing from silver to gold from time to time, and they looked extraordinarily spectacr.

    In the rest of the castle, the usual magnificent Christmas decorations had been put up. Thick streamers of holly and mistletoe were strung along the corridors, mysterious lights shone from inside every suit of armor. A powerful and delicious smell of cooking pervaded the corridors.

    Unfortunately, Evan, Harry, and Hermione couldn¡¯t go and see in person.

    Madam Pomfrey insisted that the three of them should not leave; they stayed in the ward and heard from the people who came to see them about the great changes in the castle.

    Apart from Snape, everyone else who stayed at Hogwarts had visited them, and Lupin and Hagrid came almost every day.

    Even Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had been there, and they brought them thetest news from Ron. Ron was recovering very smoothly and he should be able to return to Hogwarts after the Christmas holidays.

    The only regret was that there had been no sign of Sirius ck.

    However, the news about him never stopped. In fact, it was as if the sky was raining them.

    At the beginning of the Christmas holidays, people still rebuked the Ministry of Magic for the case of Sirius ck and the Werewolf, using Dumbledore of hiring a werewolf to be a school professor. The Howlers of the Slytherin students¡¯ parents rushed to Hogwarts, and the entire castle was full of loud echoes.

    By the third day of the holidays, the situation began to reverse.

    It was still an endless stream of owls. This time, there were no longer Howlers, but all of them were letters from readers. The owls flew into the ward one after another andnded on the three: Evan, Harry, and Hermione. There were so many letters that the ward was getting filled.

    Madam Pomfrey had to use the Repelling Spell to stop the owls froming in.

    The main reason for this phenomenon was a statement by the Ministry of Magic. Shortly after leaving the school hospital, Fudge issued this short statement.

    From the statement, people knew that the Ministry of Magic finally caught Sirius ck.

    But the result waspletely different from what they originally thought. ck was innocent, and the culprit was a guy named Peter Pettigrew.

    The news, like throwing a huge stone into the calm water, instantly detonated the entire magic world, and everyone¡¯s interest was mobilized.

    The identity of Peter Pettigrew, the truth of the event, how Peter was arrested in Hogwarts, etc., had be the hottest topic of those days, and there had been a lot of discussion about it in the magic world.

    After a brief shock, people began to explore the details of the incident.

    But the Ministry of Magic¡¯s statement was too brief, and even the usually omniscient ¡°Daily Prophet¡± had nothing much to give about the matter.

    This great event which shocked everyone was so abrupt.

    Peter Pettigrew had seeded in recing ck, bing the most evil ck wizard under Voldemort¡¯s hand. But people were surprised to find that no one knew exactly what he did, what plot he had nned, and how he finally was caught.

    These were all mysteries. Just a few hours after the Ministry of Magic¡¯s announcement, rumors flew all over the Magic World, and there was gossip everywhere.

    The names of the Dark Lord, Sirius ck, Peter Pettigrew, Harry Potter, and Evan Mason were on every tongue. Whenever you would walk along the Diagon Alley, you could hear everyone talking about them.

    Some people said that this was rted to the truth of Voldemort¡¯s failure in the past; others said that they have seen Lucius Malfoy¡¯s pale faceing out Fudge¡¯s office¡­ After a brief calm, there was a strong outbreak.

    Just when the wizards couldn¡¯t wait, and they were ready to gather spontaneously and ask the Ministry of Magic to publicly disclose the truth about the incident, thetest issue of the Hogwarts Magic newspaper was released.

    The Wizards who ordered the newspaper were delighted to find out that the obscure campus tabloids had detailed reports on the hottest topics in the current magic world.

    Moreover, all were first-hand news!

    The whole story went through, the unknown truth between Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew, the arrest process of Peter Pettigrew after being caught by Evan Mason, etc. These were all exclusive reports.

    One, ten, 100 copies sold, and the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± sales soared. Orders for more came like snowkes, and people couldn¡¯t wait to know the truth of the matter. Although Evan and Lupin were fully prepared, they still printed more than 10,000 copies.

    With this news and follow-up reports, the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± cirction surpassed the ¡°Daily Prophet¡± in one fell swoop, bing thergest selling newspaper in the magic industry.

    Under such circumstances, Mr. Barnabas Cuffe, the editor-in-chief of the ¡°Daily Prophet¡±, which was already dying, had written dozens of letters to Evan, asking for the right to reprint these reports.

    On the basis of the pleasant cooperation experience in the past and the fact that the other party offered a veryrge amount of Galleons, Evan agreed to let the ¡°Daily fProphet¡± reprint these reports.

    But in time, it had to be a dayter than the Hogwarts Magic.

    One day seemed to be short, but it was enough.

    Because there were so many things to report about Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew, Evan didn¡¯t give the masses everything all at once. Wizards who still were dying to know more about the incident weren¡¯t willing to wait for even a second, let alone a whole day.

    The Hogwarts Magic newspaper was selling more and more, and wizards who bought it found that its other contents, ones unrted to ck and Pettigrew, were also really attractive. The views provided were really unique, and almost all reports were exclusive.

    The paper was hiring ghosts as special correspondents, and they had exclusive ess to knowledge nobody else knew about. This made people more interested in the paper.

    Over the course of a few days, throughout the magic world, especially in London, with continued spread of the Hogwarts Magic, its increase in sales somewhat stabilized, and it was able topete with the ¡°Daily Prophet¡± and gradually became one of the mainstream newspapers.

    In other European countries and remote areas however, the ¡°Daily Prophet¡± continued to spread the truth of the incident by virtue of its channeling advantages.

    With Evan¡¯s reports and under the public opinion¡¯s pressure, and despite the fact that the Wizengamot had not yet made a final judgment, Sirius ck was no longer a fugitive, but a worthy hero.

    ck became the most famous war hero after the Second Wizard War.

    In order to adhere to his own beliefs and fight against the most evil dark forces, he had been in Azkaban for a full 12 years,pletely unseen and unheard. In order to protect his friendship and protect the only orphan of his friends, he chose to bear the un-understanding eyes of the world and pursue the evil Dark wizard alone.

    ck¡¯s stories and deeds were praised by everybody and spread out at a very fast speed.

    In that era that had no Heroes, he was thest warrior to fight against evil, a worthy Gryffindor.

 Chapter 187: Hermioneâ€™s Christmas Present

    <h4>Chapter 187: Hermione¡¯s Christmas Present</h4>

    Because of the newspaper, although Evan, Harry, and Hermione were still being hospitalized, they were very busy every day.

    Especially Evan, he stayed up almost every day to the middle of the night.

    In such an atmosphere, the dawn of Christmas came quietly, the weather was cold, and there were only three people in the ward, Evan, Harry and Hermione.

    On Christmas morning, Evan was awakened by Harry throwing his pillow at him.

    ¡°Merry Christmas!¡±

    ¡°Merry Christmas, Harry! Merry Christmas, Hermione!¡±

    Evan climbed up with sleepy eyes, squinting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a big heap of parcels had appeared.

    Harry and Hermione were already ripping the paper off their own presents, and Evan noticed that the three of them received more presents this year than they ever did in previous years.

    ¡°Strange, why are there so many presents?¡± Evan murmured.

    ¡°Most of these presents are sent by readers of the Hogwarts Magic, and many of them are simple Christmas cards,¡± Hermione exined.

    Since the series of reports on Peter Pettigrew, Evan, Harry, and Hermione, had be famous. Although the focus was on Sirius ck, people were amazed at the fact that three young wizards, aged twelve and thirteen, could capture an evil Dark wizard.

    Many of their peers began to worship them and write letters to them regrly.

    In addition to the young wizards in the UK, Evan noticed that many of these Christmas cards were mailed from abroad. For example, the pink greeting card in his hand came from a 10-year-old girl named Gabrielle Dcour, from France.

    Gabrielle wished Evan a Merry Christmas on the greeting card, and then expressed her admiration for his capture of Peter Pettigrew in short words, and hoped that he could write back to her.

    Looking at the cute little angel pattern in the greeting card, Evan smiled, and when he was ready to see other Christmas cards, he heard Harry¡¯s annoyed voice.

    ¡°Look at it. The Dursleys gave me a worn old sock. It is worse than the toothpick ofst year and the fifty penny coin of the year before. They must have thought that I was a house-elf!¡± Harry threw the sock under the bed and opened a short message attached to the package.

    It was written to ask him to see if he could stay in Hogwarts for the summer vacation.

    ¡°Thank God, I finally got rid of them this summer. Sirius said I can live with him, I don¡¯t know if he has a house?!¡± Harry rejoiced, he put a scarlet sweater on his body, and continued, ¡°This is a scarlet sweater that Mrs. Weasley sent. You two seem to have it too.¡±

    ¡°I see, my piece is maroon, but there are no letters on it.¡± Hermione picked up a box, hesitantly looked at it for a while and gently put it aside. ¡°This is Hagrid¡¯s minced meat pie. It smells very special. There is a mixture of cabbage and pork liver. I think it¡¯s better not to try it easily.¡±

    Evan also began to open his presents, in addition to the Christmas card, Mrs. Weasley and Hagrid¡¯s gift, his parents ordered a golden crucible for him.

    He had seen this in a Diagonal Alley store before, and its price was shocking.

    In Evan¡¯s view, this golden crucible ispletely an art collection item. No wizard would waste it to use it to curb the potions.

    Evan sighed and carefully closed the gold crucible.

    His parents had no knowledge of the magic world, and used to look at the wizards from the perspective of Muggles, and considered that whatever was most expensive was the best.

    Since Evan went to Hogwarts, they bought him too many things that were not used by him. The most typical was the Broomstick Nimbus 2001 sentst Christmas. Before Harry borrowed it, it was ced under Evan¡¯s bed and never been taken out.

    When Evan went back home during the summer vacation, he exined matter and they realized that the wizards did not always fly in the air with a broom like in the stories.

    And it seemed for them that their son had serious fear of heights. Even with magic, it couldn¡¯t be cured.

    In addition to his parents¡¯ presents, Harry gave him a set of Quidditch model toys, inside a huge ss ball in which there was a miniature Quidditch pitch. Whenever it was touched with a wand, the model would automatically fly to y.

    Ron gave him a book, Ginny a gorgeous quill, Colin a wizard chess game, Luna a very valuable photo that was said to be a proof of the existence of Crumple-Horned Snorkack, Fred and George¡¯s presents were pranks they developed. The other young wizards gave him all kinds of sweets and food, most of which were ordered in Hogsmeade.

    To Evan¡¯s surprise, Cho Chang also gave him a present. It was a dark blue scarf, and the workmanship was very fine. It should be the product of Madam Malkin¡¯s shop.

    ¡°Evan, thank you for sending me the watch.¡± Hermione looked up at the scarf in Evan¡¯s hand, and the lovely smile on her face gradually solidified. She hesitated and said, ¡°This scarf is¡­¡±

    Hermione squinted, and Evan Knew that this meant she was thinking.

    ¡°It¡¯s a present for me from Cho.¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t know¡­ I thought my present was¡­¡±

    Evan looked strangely at Hermione, who was flushed, not knowing what she was talking about. Following her eyes, he saw thest package under his bed.

    This should be Hermione¡¯s present, which was bulging inside.

    Under Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan ripped the package. And it was actually a scarf.

    On the red-yellow scarf, the Gryffindor lion was knitted, but it looked a little distorted. The workmanship was much worse than the scarf that was sent by Cho. It was very likely that Hermione herself sewed it up.

    Evan realized why Hermione had such an expression.

    Her Christmas present is exactly the same as Cho¡¯s, it was a scarf.

    Evan remembered that Hermione told him in Hogsmeade just a few days before that she was ready to send her Christmas present after a long time she put into it, and that she believed that he would be satisfied.

    No one would have thought that her present would be a scarf.

    This scarf should have been made by Hermione herself, he didn¡¯t know how long she had been sewing it, but it was definitely not easy.

    Before today, he had no clue. No one knew that Hermione was secretly making a scarf. She should have been secretly sewing it by night after everyone went to sleep in the dormitory.

    Touched by a slightly rough scarf, Evan¡¯s heart was full of emotion.

    In terms of values, this scarf was not very expensive; on the level of fineness, it was much worse than that of Cho, but the top of the needle and thread were full of the girl¡¯s heart.

    Evan raised his head and looked at Hermione, who was flushed.

    He knew that she must be very nervous now, as the present that had been carefully prepared for so long was sent to him by someone else as well. If she was herself, she would be very frustrated.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know, Evan!¡± Hermione said with a blush. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Cho Chang would send you a scarf. If I knew it earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Hermione!¡± Evan interrupted her and whispered, ¡°I really like this scarf very much, this is the best Christmas present I have ever received.¡±

 Chapter 188: The Best Christmas Present

    <h4>Chapter 188: The Best Christmas Present</h4>

    Evan and Hermione looked at each other, and the mood in the word became strange.

    ¡°This scarf!¡± Hermione hesitated, her voice dwindling. ¡°I originally intended to sew a Gryffindor lion on it, but I couldn¡¯t do it. So in the end¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this, Hermione!¡± Seeing Hermione¡¯s appearance, Evan smiled and said, ¡°In fact, I really like this pattern, and this scarf.¡±

    ¡°But it isn¡¯t as good as the one sent by Cho Chang. It¡¯s too badly sewn.¡± Hermione¡¯s face was a seductive crimson. She said nervously, ¡°I did this kind of thing for the first time. I¡¯m not very skilled in some areas. I should have¡­¡±

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand, Hermione? This scarf may have many shorings, and its workmanship is not too fine, but I did receive the first thing that my girl had personally sewed for me. In fact, this intention is what touched me the most.¡±

    Hermione blushed more and more when she heard Evan¡¯s words. She looked down and couldn¡¯t speak, and she seemed to be shy to the extreme.

    It was rare to see Hermione like this. Evan couldn¡¯t help but be moved. From the top down, his eyes fell uncontrobly onto the girl¡¯s skin outside her pajamas. Looking at Hermione¡¯s slender, white wrists and ankles, Evan gulped and couldn¡¯t tell why, a strange, but very strong, strange feeling rose from the bottom of his heart.

    Evan had a feeling that if he did something at this time, Hermione would not object.

    ¡°Hermione ¡­¡±

    As he was about to continue, Harry suddenly looked up and said, ¡°Evan, Hermione, do you see Sirius¡¯s present, how can I find it?¡±

    ¡°Sirius¡¯s present?!¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s reminder, Evan and Hermione paused for a moment, and the strange feeling vanished instantly. They hurriedly looked down.

    In the pile of presents, they saw the presents of Hagrid and Lupin, and even Professors McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout wrote Christmas cards to them, but there was no present from Sirius ck.

    This was impossible. He didn¡¯t dare to say it, but Evan saw Sirius personally ordering a Firebolt for Harry at the Owl Post Office. This should be the most important Christmas present of this year. Nobody but ck was generous enough to buy a Firebolt for a young wizard, not even Lucius Malfoy.

    As thetest model, limited edition world-ss flying broom, the price of the Firebolt was out of this world, more expensive than the broomsticks of all the young wizards in the school.

    ¡°How is it that Sirius¡¯s present is not here, Professor Lupin clearly¡­¡±

    Harry was halfway through his sentence, when he suddenly stopped. He saw the door of the ward being opened, and Sirius ck came in with a smile. .

    The appearance of Sirius was different from what Evan, Harry, and Hermione remembered of him. Just a week ago, when they met in the castlest time, Sirius¡¯s face was thin and sloppy, and it was surrounded by unkempt, ck and long hair.

    But now?!

    Sirius wore a brand new sky blue robe, he had shorter hair, clean and tidy, and full cheeks, which made him look younger, closer to Sirius from 12 years ago, closer to his handsome image before he was caught.

    ¡°Sirius?!¡± Harry sat up from the bed and looked at ck in disbelief. He rubbed his eyes hard and thought he was in a dream.

    When Professor Lupin came yesterday, he also told them that Sirius¡¯s case was on going the Ministry of Magic. The Wizengamot¡¯s trial had reached a critical point, and he couldn¡¯t get out just yet.

    But now, what is he seeing?!

    It was simply unbelievable that Sirius actually appeared in the ward of the Hogwarts School Hospital in front of them.

    ¡°Merry Christmas, Harry, Evan, Hermione!¡± Sirius opened his arms and smiled. ¡°How are your three little bodies recovering?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine, Sirius!¡± Harry hurriedly yelled. He jumped out of bed and walked over to give ck a big hug. Evan and Hermione also embraced him.

    The three of them had their firstrge, burden free smile in a long time.

    Ever since they knew that Peter Pettigrew was Ron¡¯s rat, and knew the truth of all the events of the year, knowing that Sirius ck was being wrongly shackled, Evan, Harry, and Hermione were having a depressed and tense mood.

    They had to be cautious in dealing with everything; for fear that Peter Pettigrew would run away.

    This uneasiness peaked when Ron was controlled by Peter Pettigrew, Professor Lupin was used of attacking his students, and Sirius was caught by Snape, almost pressing everyone out of breath.

    However, now that Sirius was swaying in Hogwarts, the three of them knew that everything was over, and they finally seeded in proving ck¡¯s innocence.

    ¡°Sirius, how are you?¡± Harry said with a red eye, his tears flowed out of control.

    ¡°I am fine, Harry!¡± Sirius gently rubbed his head, his face full of kindness and love. ¡°I dare say that you three certainly haven¡¯t looked at the ¡°Daily Prophet¡± this morning. With your help and effort, I have been acquitted by the Wizengamot, just earlier.¡±

    Hearing his words, Evan hurriedly found the ¡°Prophet Daily¡± mixed in the pile of presents. The front page headlines of the magazine were the smiling Sirius ck and the haggard and sad Peter Pettigrew. The photos of the two people were in stark contrast.

    Below the photo was a big article title: ck was found innocent by the Wizengamot, and Peter Pettigrew is found guilty of treason and will be sent to Azkaban.

    Evan briefly looked at the case. The article described the trial process, the story of Sirius ck, the evidence against Peter Pettigrew and so on.

    Taking into ount the impact of this incident, the Wizengamotunched a special approval procedure. After the routine evidence and inquiry, there was the final vote, which was amazingly quick. After ck¡¯s case, there was the trial of other crimesmitted by Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°It¡¯s really a shame that I can¡¯t kill Peter Pettigrew myself, but I have to say that things are actually quite good now.¡± Sirius said with a smile.

    ¡°This is already the best oue possible!¡± Harry rubbed his tears, hugged Sirius tightly again, his body trembled and he looked very excited.

    Next, the four people talked a lot.

    They kept talking about the truth of the events of the year, about what happened in the castle a few days ago, about the future, and so on.

    Especially Harry, he kept talking about his future ns.

    ¡°Ok, ok, you three, these words can be saidter, we have time.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°Today is Christmas, you are not going to stay in the ward all day.¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked up at Sirius in amazement.

    ¡°Come on, I have seen Dumbledore before I came. He agreed to let me take you three out to go shopping.¡± Sirius said happily, ¡°I haven¡¯t sent you a Christmas present yet, but I¡¯ve got a surprise ready for each of you.¡±

 Chapter 189: 12 Grimmauld Place

    <h4>Chapter 189: 12 Grimmauld ce</h4>

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione wore their robe as fast as possible. Evan also deliberately wrapped Hermione¡¯s scarf around his neck.

    They went to Hogsmeade with Sirius ck in the lead.

    Before leaving the castle, they met Professor McGonagall. Although she agreed to let the three of them leave Hogwarts for Christmas, but from her serious face and wrinkled brow one could see that she did not agree at all with Sirius.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione were very happy that they didn¡¯t have to stay in the ward.

    Standing on the empty, snowy streets of Hogsmeade, Sirius told them that he would take the three of them to Diagon Alley, where Lupin was.

    Tonight, everyone will be there for Christmas, a perfect Christmas.

    Then, after the Christmas holiday, he would send them back to Hogwarts.

    ¡°How do we go to Diagon Alley? Will we be using the Floo Network?¡± Harry asked Sirius.

    ¡°No, I have already booked the Knight Bus. However, before going to Diagon Alley, we have to go to an unpleasant ce, which is not connected to the Floo Network.¡± Sirius did not consider it. ¡°We are going there to get Evan and Hermione¡¯s Christmas presents. Although I don¡¯t really want to go back in there, there is really no better ce than that.¡±

    ¡°An unpleasant ce?¡± Evan froze. ¡°Where there¡¯s a Christmas present for me and Hermione?!¡±

    He didn¡¯t know which ce Sirius meant, nor did he know what he was about to give him, just as he was about to ask, the Knight Bus appeared in the thin air, rushing over.

    The four hurried to dodge, and the Knight Bus stopped at the ce where they were just standing, with a deafening voice.

    The conductor, Stan Shunpike, jumped onto the sidewalk and greeted him with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Merry Christmas,dies and gentlemen, wee to the Knight Bus, just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go¡­¡±

    Shunpike suddenly stopped, and he first saw Harry.

    ¡°Look at who we met, isn¡¯t this Neville? How are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Neville?¡± Sirius repeated it in a strange way, ¡°This is Harry Potter!¡±

    ¡°Harry Potter?!¡± Stan paused, and then became excited and cried happily. ¡°I knew that I had already seen this scar.¡±

    Stan looked excited, but Harry was embarrassed.

    A few months ago, he took a ride on the Knight Bus from the Muggle Streets to Diagon Alley. He inted his aunt, left the Dursleys alone and helpless, and then he met Evan, and saw Sirius for the first time.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that you were Harry Potter, Neville?¡± Said Stan, his face smiling at Harry, ¡°Yes, what about your strange little ck cat?¡±

    It was Evan¡¯s turn to be embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t imagine what it would be like if Stan knew that he was the ck cat at the time.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get on the bus, it¡¯s too cold outside, I¡¯m freezing!¡±

    ¡°Of course,e up.¡± Stan stepped back, then he looked up and saw Sirius, ¡°God, you are Sirius ck, I just saw your photo on the ¡°Daily Prophet ¡°.¡±

    Stan¡®s eyes moved from Sirius to Evan and Hermione, and his face became more and more excited. He shouted, ¡°You are Evan Mason, you are Hermione Granger! I saw you on the newspaper as well¡­¡±

    The four of them took the bus. Perhaps because it was Christmas today, there was no one else on the car except for the conductor.

    They sat down on the bed of the brass column, and Shunpike took out the newspaper he had recently collected. The entirety of the paper was dedicated to the incident of Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew.

    Evan saw photos of himself and Harry, Hermione, and Ron. The photos were taken when Fudge gave them a special contribution awardst year. The following was a detailed introduction to the story of the four of them.

    Shunpike kept telling them that he never knew about any of this, and asked the four people to sign him autographs. In this environment, Evan could not ask Sirius, where they were going.

    More than an hourter, the knight bus docked in the middle of a small square with long awnings.

    Evan walked out of the bus, and the houses around the square had a dirty appearance and did not seem to wee visitors. Some of the houses had broken windows, and they were lifeless. The paint peeled off from many doors, and a lot of rubbish piled up on the front steps.

    ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°Grimmauld Square!¡± Sirius¡¯s expression became serious, with mixed feelings of nostalgia and disgust on his face.

    Grimmauld Square?!

    Evan¡¯s heart moved; this was the ce where the ancestral home of the ck family is.

    ck led them three along a deserted street full of pungent smells, stopping in front of a house with a door sign on the outside, which was 12 Grimmauld ce.

    Unlike all the ordinary houses in the surrounding area, No. 12 Grimmauld ce was very grand and noble, but it was also dpidated, like a ghost house.

    The ck paint on the door had been ruined and scratched, and the silver door handle had been twisted into a serpentine shape. It had no keyholes or mailboxes.

    Sirius pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. Evan heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the tter of a chain. A few secondster, the door creaked open.

    ¡°Get in quick!¡± Sirius said in a whisper. ¡°But don¡¯t go far inside, and don¡¯t touch anything.¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione were nervous and walked into the almost total darkness of the hall. They could smell damp, dust, and a sweetish, rotting smell.

    The ce had the feeling of a derelict building. Harry stood in front, and Evan and Hermione looked over his shoulders.

    Inside the foyer, where the sun shines, there was gorgeous, precious aristocratic decoration, but it was covered with dust. This house gave a strange feeling, as if they had entered a room of a dying man.

    ¡°Where are we Sirius?¡± Evan heard Harry talking; he was smashed by thick dust and coughed fiercely.

    ¡°My parents¡¯ house, the ck family¡¯s mansion!¡± Sirius followed, with a hint of disdain in his tone. ¡°But now it belongs to me.¡±

    He gently waved his wand. They heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gasmps sputtered into life all along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-ckened portraits hung crooked on the walls.

 Chapter 190: The Black Familyâ€™s Collection

    <h4>Chapter 190: The ck Family¡¯s Collection</h4>

    Standing in the dim hall, Evan looked around curiously.

    As the mansion of the ck family, 12 Grimmauld ce is a typical pure-blood wizard¡¯s house. The decorations that could be seen everywhere are hundreds of years old. If ever put on the market, they would definitely be valuable antiques.

    In front of them is a narrow corridor, the end which couldn¡¯t be seen.

    Right in front of the hall was a tree-shaped decorative light. Both the chandelier and the candbra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents.

    After Voldemort returned, the house was used as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Right now, it should be in use by anyone, and naturally it wasn¡¯t being protected by magic. It can be seen from the thick dust around it that no one has been there for a long time.

    Evan didn¡¯t know why Sirius had to bring them here. It would be reasonable to say that thetter held an awful lot of disgust for the house. However, ck just mentioned that he woulde here to get a Christmas present for him and Hermione. Evan didn¡¯t know what it was?!

    ¡°There has been no one living here for more than a decade. We¡¯d better hurry up and leave here when we finish this.¡± Sirius whispered, he took the lead into the hall.

    There was a crunch from the old floor, which sounded particrly creepy in the old, empty house.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what they were going to get, but he knew that Slytherin¡¯s locket was kept there. If he could find it and destroy it, it would save him a lot of trouble.

    The locket should be kept in the room of Sirius¡¯s younger brother, Regulus. He had put it there, and Evan did not know where it was exactly.

    If he had a chance, he was going to look for it.

    Evan hurriedly caught up with Sirius, and Hermione couldn¡¯t help but hold his arm. Harry walked in front of them, his face mixed with inexplicable tension and excitement.

    In the dim, narrow corridor, they bypassed arge umbre stand made from the severed leg of a troll.

    On the left side of the umbre stand was a dark staircase, and the wall next to it seemed to be decorated with something.

    Sirius did not go upstairs, and Evan, Harry, and Hermione were full of curiosity and gathered to see the blurring decoration on the wall. Then, the three of them took a breath of cold air, and they saw a row of shrunken heads, mounted on the wall on ques.

    They were all house-elf heads, and they all had the same ugly big nose.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, this house looks like that of the most evil of dark wizards.¡± Harry whispered, ¡°Why did Sirius¡¯ parents live here?¡±

    ¡°Remember, except for Sirius, All members of the ck family are from Slytherin House.¡± Evan also whispered, ¡°Think about their taste, and you should be able to understand.¡±

    ¡°Why are they hanging house-elf heads on the wall?¡± ¡°The expression on Hermione¡¯s face was full of fear and confusion, and there was still some anger hidden.

    ¡°It¡¯s not them who hang them up. It¡¯s the tradition of house elves. They have been serving in a wizarding family since birth. When they grow old in age, they get beheaded and their heads get sickeningly stuffed and mounted on the house walls. This is, no doubt, considered by the house-elves as the very highest honour.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, this is the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever heard!¡± Hermione hesitated, ¡°Dobby is not like this¡­¡±

    ¡°He is an exception; he is different from other house-elves.¡± Evan patted Hermione¡¯s shoulder gently. ¡°We¡¯d better wait to go back to school to discuss this matter, here I feel very bad.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion. Evan always felt that something was hiding in the house and secretly watching them in the dark. This feeling was very strong.

    But looking around, he didn¡¯t see anything.

    Sirius did not stop at all during their conversation; his figure had disappeared into the corner of the narrow corridor.

    They hurried to follow, and then they walked through two long, worm-covered curtains that looked like they were hiding a door.

    When Harry passed, he nced at the curtain.

    The next second, he involuntarily stepped back a few steps, in panic, as if he had seen something extremely horrible.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Harry?¡±

    ¡°Inside, there is a portrait inside, above¡­¡±

    Evan turned his head and he saw the drapery on the wall automatically slide to the sides, revealing something hidden behind him, and a portrait of a fierce olddy hanging on the wall.

    Seeing the three people, Evan, Harry, and Hermione, the olddy screeched louder than ever, brandishing wed hands as though trying to tear their faces.

    ¡°Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Halfbreeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this ce! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers?¡±

    The olddy¡¯s face was just horrible. Just as Evan and the two others stood there still, not knowing what to do, Sirius ck rushed back.

    ¡°Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!¡± he roared, trying to pull the curtain back.

    ¡°Yoooou!¡± The old woman¡¯s face nched, and her eyes popping at the sight of Sirius. Then she roared. ¡°Blood traitor, abomination, shame of my flesh! You have a face toe back?! you are this¡­¡±

    ¡°I said ¡­ shut ¡­ UP!¡± roared the man, and with a stupendous effort he managed to force the curtains closed again.

    The old woman¡¯s screeches died and an echoing silence fell.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Harry whispered, still looking worried.

    ¡°My mother, I think you should know it. When she was alive, she had this look.¡± Sirius said keeping a straight face.

    ¡°She, she is your¡­¡±

    ¡°My dear old mum, yeah,¡± said Sirius, ¡° Didn¡¯t I say before? This was my parents¡¯ house, and they had intended to leave it to my brother, but only me lived on in the family, so this house is all mine now.¡±

    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°We came to get Christmas presents for you and Hermione.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°I asked Lupin, Hagrid and others about your preferences. You and Hermione both like to read books, and the ck Family Library is in this house. There are many out-of-print magic books here. Many of them were in the ck family for centuries and were not seen outside at all. I think you will be interested.¡±

    ¡°Precious magic books?!¡± Evan was stunned.

    Compared with Harry and Hermione who were out of it, he knew the value of such books

    Because he had asked in Flourish and Blotts Bookseller to collect books of magic, Evan knew their actual value.

    An out-of-print magic book is priceless and of immeasurable value.

    These were the inheritance of a pure-blood wizard family. No-one was going to get it. If it wasn¡¯t for such a chance, no outsider would¡¯ve been able to check out these books.

    The longer the pedigree of a wizard family is, the greater the value of the collection of magic books gets.

    The history of the ck family can be traced back to the dawn of millennia, as The Noble and Most Ancient House of ck. It can be said that they are some of the only few true pure blood wizards in the magic world. Their family collection¡­ Evan was so excited when he thought about it.

    He wanted to hurriedly take a look, but weren¡¯t such magic books too expensive for Christmas gifts?!

    Sirius seemed to be aware of Evan¡¯s fear, he exined in a in tone, ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, you guys helped me, a few magic books cannot repay you. Besides, if you don¡¯t read those books, they will stay there gathering mold.¡±

 Chapter 191: Kreacher the House-Elf

    <h4>Chapter 191: Kreacher the House-Elf</h4>

    Leaving Mrs. ck¡¯s portrait, they went through the door at the end of the corridor and entered the basement.

    The ground floor seemed to be the kitchen. It was scarcely less gloomy than the hall above, a cavernous room with rough stone walls.

    Most of the light wasing from arge fire at the far end of the room. A haze of pipe smoke hung in the air like battle fumes, through which loomed the menacing shapes of heavy iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling.

    Close to the kitchen were a small dining room with a sink in the corner and two wooden cupboards with spider webs on both sides, filled with silver cutlery.

    Beyond the mouldy carpet, you could see that the green marble floor was engraved with beautiful patterns. In the center of the house was a table that could amodate many people sitting down and a lot of chairs. The temperature there was much lower than above, and the smell of mould and decay in the air was more powerful.

    ¡°Go this way!¡± Sirius pulled a green tapestry with the ck family emblem on the north side of the dining room, revealing a ck brick wall.

    He knocked on the wall with his wand and opened a hidden secret door.

    Just like the wall that led to Diagon Alley through the Leaky Cauldron, the wall swirled away, revealing a narrow, steep staircase and continued down.

    Evan noticed that there was a silver snake on the brick, but it was so obscure that he couldn¡¯t have noticed it if he hadn¡¯t looked carefully.

    ¡°In the ancient pure-blood wizard family, there are usually such secret rooms, hiding some unknown secrets of the family.¡± Sirius said as he stooped and walked in. ¡°This is the ce where the ck family is collecting books, at the very least when I left this house, they were still preserved in it¡­¡±

    He said half his words, and immediately stopped.

    From above Sirius¡¯s shoulder, Evan saw a house- elf standing in the dark way.

    It was not a decoration hanging on the wall, but a living house-elf.

    He looked very old. His skin seemed to be several times too big for him and though he was bald like all house-elves, there was a quantity of white hair growing out of hisrge, bat-like ears.

    His eyes were a bloodshot and watery gray, and his fleshy nose wasrge and rather snout-like.

    Apart from the filthy rag tied like a loincloth around his middle, he waspletely naked.

    Evan was stunned; this guy should be the house-elf Kreacher. He was just wondering when he would see him.

    Kreacher was like a statue, standing still on the corner of the dark way.

    He bent over, his head up, and looked at Sirius ck with amazement, his face mixed with a strange expression that was unclear, and then he muttered under his breath all the while in a hoarse, deep voice like a bullfrog¡¯s.

    ¡°Poor old Kreacher saw something; the lost Master who had disappeared for over ten years came back, leading a bunch of young kids back to spoil my Mistress¡¯s house.¡± Kreacher¡¯s voice was very slow, his eyes were full of disdain, and as he spoke, he bowed to Sirius, as if instinctively asking him to do so.

    ¡°Long time no see, Kreacher, I didn¡¯t expect you to be alive.¡± Sirius said calmly.

    Although he was meeting an acquaintance, his voice held no shred of happiness.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Harry whispered.

    ¡°Kreacher, the house-elf serving the ck family.¡± Sirius paused, and then added, ¡°A crazy guy.¡±

    ¡°The young master always likes to make some jokes, Kreacher is not crazy, Kreacher just didn¡¯t see the three young Masters.¡± The elf bowed again to Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and then said in a very light but clear voice, ¡°Kreacher smells the odor of the mud-blood, oh my poor Mistress, if she knew, if she knew the scum they¡¯ve let in her house, what would she say to old Kreacher, oh the shame of it!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Kreacher, Don¡¯t call them mud-bloods in the future.¡± Sirius shouted angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay! This house- elf doesn¡¯t seem to know what he is talking about.¡± Hermione looked at Kreacher with fear. She stepped forward and tried to say, ¡°Hello, Kreacher! I am Hermione Granger. This is Evan Mason, the one next to him is Harry Potter.¡±

    Seeing Hermione talking to him again, Kreacher¡¯s pale eyes widened and he muttered faster and more furiously than ever.

    ¡°The Mudblood brought back by the Master is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher¡¯s Mistress saw him in suchpany, oh what would she say¡­¡±

    ¡°I will say it again, shut up, Kreacher!¡± said Sirius, gnashing his teeth.

    Upon hearing themand of Sirius, Kreacher immediately shut his mouth.

    He stepped out of the darkway, his eyes sliding over Hermione, Evan, and Harry, and then his eyes widened, and he began to mutter again.

    ¡°Is it true? Is it Harry Potter? Kreacher can see the scar, it must be true, that¡¯s that boy who stopped the Dark Lord, Kreacher wonders how he did it¡­¡±

    ¡°We all know how it went,¡± Sirius said loudly.

    ¡°Kreacher only knows that the young master has just returned from Azkaban.¡± Kreacher¡¯s gaze turned back to Sirius. ¡°My poor Mistress, she vowed not to recognize his son, and now he is back. It is said that he is still a murderer¡­¡±

    ¡°Sirius proved to be innocent, he did not kill, he is now a hero!¡± Hermione hurriedly exined.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell him this!¡± Sirius stared at Kreacher very disgustedly. ¡°He won¡¯t listen. He used to be like this, a hateful house-elf.¡±

    ¡°How can the young Master say so to Kreacher, Kreacher has never done anything out of the ordinary, Kreacher just obeys the Master¡¯s orders, and works for the noble ck family for the rest of his life!¡± said Kreacher, bowing again, and continuing in a low pitch, ¡°Even if the young Master did not kill, he was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother¡¯s heart¡­¡±

    ¡°My mother didn¡¯t have a heart, Kreacher,¡± Sirius snapped. ¡°She kept herself alive out of pure spite.¡±

    ¡°Whatever Master says,¡± Kreacher muttered furiously. ¡°Young Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother¡¯s boots, oh my poor Mistress, what would she say if she saw the young Master back, how she hated him!¡±

    ¡°Enough, what are you doing here?¡± Sirius said scornfully, ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. As soon as we entered the house, you showed up.¡±

    ¡°Kreacher is guarding thest legacy of the ck family.¡± Kreacher turned around Sirius and picked up the tapestry that had had just been still on the ground. The young Master came back, and he¡¯s wrecking havoc. Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out. For seven centuries it¡¯s been in the family, Kreacher must save it. Kreacher will not let the young Master and these three cubs destroy it.¡±

 Chapter 192: Slytherinâ€™s Locket

    <h4>Chapter 192: Slytherin¡¯s Locket</h4>

    ¡°Don¡¯t think Kreacher doesn¡¯t know, the young master wants to take the tapestry¡­¡±¡±I won¡¯t do anything, and no one wants to have anything to do with that mouldy tapestry.¡± Sirius shouted, ¡°Enough Kreacher! Before I can¡¯t help but kill you, go away, now!¡±

    Kreacher dragged his feet and moved to the side. He did not dare to disobey a direct order.

    Sirius, Harry, Hermione, and Evan passed by Kreacher one by one. It felt terrible. He stood there, staring at them with bloodshot eyes. His look was redolent of deepest loathing.

    His stares felt like a curse being put upon them.

    ¡°Sirius, he¡¯s not right in the head,¡± said Hermione pleadingly, ¡°I don¡¯t think he realizes we can hear him.¡±

    ¡°That guy understands everything, but he¡¯s been alone too long. Since my mother died, he has never been in touch with anyone else.¡± Sirius said, ¡°I suspect that he¡¯s been taking mad orders from my mother¡¯s portrait and talking to himself, but he was always a foul little¡­¡±

    ¡°If you just set him free!¡± Hermione said hopefully, ¡°maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°The fright¡­ the shock would kill him.¡± ck exined, ¡°You don¡¯t know house-elves, Hermione. They have to serve the wizard family for generations, and the history of Kreacher¡¯s ancestors serving the ck family can be traced through the centuries. He cannot leave. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can give it a try and suggest to him that he should leave this house, see how he takes it.¡±

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were talking, and their figures disappeared into the dark way.

    Evan hesitated for a moment and stayed. He wanted to ask Kreacher about the Slytherin¡¯s Locket.

    He looked closely at him, and Kreacher was quietly looking back.

    Kreacher didn¡¯t talk. If it wasn¡¯t for his chest that went up and down as he breathed, Evan wouldn¡¯t have a way to know that he was alive.

    ¡°Kreacher, I have a question for you, about¡­¡±

    ¡°The nasty little brat wants to talk to Kreacher. It¡¯s a shame. The young Master took the other two brats to see the ck family¡¯s collection. Kreacher must tell the Mistress about it.¡±

    Kreacher once again bowed to Evan, his face full of disdain and disgust.

    Then he took the thick, dusty green tapestry and turned away from the basement as if to go to the portrait of Mrs. ck in the upper hall.

    Evan¡¯s eyes followed him until he left the basement.

    He sighed. In the current situation, it was very hard tomunicate with Kreacher. Even normalmunication was out of the question, let alone asking him about the Slytherin¡¯s Locket. This was impossible.

    The house was so big, and Evan wanted to find it by himself.

    In his mind, he tried to remember the details rted to that Horcrux. After Slytherin¡¯s Locket was made into a Horcrux by Voldemort, it was hidden in a cave on an isted ind far from Hogwarts, where he put the locket in the bottom of a bowl, and then used a spell to fill the bowl with potions that made who ever tried to drink them feel like hell. And it was made so that one could only get ess to the Locket after drinking the bowl empty.

    Voldemort borrowed Kreacher from Sirius¡¯s younger brother, Regulus ck, and used the house-elf to test the Locket¡¯s defences.

    Through Kreacher, Regulus went to the cave to take the Locket.

    He turned against Voldemort and prepared to stop his ns. He drank the potions and put a fake locket back into the container. Then, he ordered Kreacher to take the Locket and escape without him and find a way to destroy the Horcrux. When he tried to get water from theke to quench his thirst, he was dragged to his death by the Inferi, and his corpse remained there forever.

    The Locket was taken away by Kreacher, but he couldn¡¯t destroy it.

    One could make a very ordinary item into a Horcrux. But once it is injected with a part of the user¡¯s soul and made into a one, that item bes the most evil ck magic item in the world. The incredible power of the evil magic used to make it renders the Horcrux almost indestructible.

    Now, Slytherin¡¯s Locket is hidden in the house by the house-elf Kreacher.

    Evan thought carefully and recalled other details.

    Kreacher couldn¡¯t destroy this Horcrux, and then Mundungus Fletcher stole it from him and sold it to Umbridge. Harry sneaked into the Ministry of Magic and found Umbridge wearing the Locket. Ron finally destroyed it with Gryffindor¡¯s sword.

    Further details, the most important ones, like the Locket¡¯s cement in the ck¡¯s ce at that moment were unknown to Evan.

    He thought about it carefully and never recalled anything else.

    But he shouldn¡¯t be too eager. He needs to be careful. This matter is not too frustrating. He just needed to tell Dumbledore that the Locket in the cave was fake. With that, the Headmaster would no longer need to risk his life drinking those wicked potions.

    Evan immerged from his trip in thoughts, and started preparing to go down with Sirius, Harry and Hermione. But right then, he stopped.

    God, what did he see?!

    He suddenly saw what he had been looking for, Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux, Slytherin¡¯s Locket. The gold pendant was quietly ced in the cupboard in front of him, one that was particrly ugly. Silverware and the Locket were ced all over it, less than two meters away from him.

    It was absolutely the one. When Evan went back in time, he saw this locket on Slytherin¡¯s neck.

    On top of the golden pendant was a serpentine S, iid with glittering, green stones. It was the characteristic emblem of the Slytherin House.

    Evan couldn¡¯t hold himself from jumping on it. He couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists. He should have thought of where a house-elf would hide things!

    He looked around, and found no one looking¡­

    Evan gulped. It was as if he expected such a thing to happen, as he had always carried around the Basilisk¡¯s fang.

    This was his opportunity to destroy this Horcrux once and for all.

    He walked over, his hands sweating from the tension.

    He slowly opened the cupboards rusty door and reached for the Locket.

    Next to Slytherin¡¯s Locket was a spider-like tweezers with plenty of legs.

    Right when Evan stepped over, it seemed like the tweezers had sensed something. It came to life all of a sudden and jumped on his arm, crawling on it like a spider and wanting to puncture his skin.

 Chapter 193: Destroying the Second Horcrux

    <h4>Chapter 193: Destroying the Second Horcrux</h4>

    Evan took half a step back. Before the pair of tweezers punctured his skin, he grabbed it with the other hand, mming it away and throwing it to the ground.

    The instrument regained its silence, as if it had never lived.

    Looking at the tweezers on the ground, Evan did not dare to be careless anymore. He panted for a while, pulled his wand out, held it in one hand, and went back into the cupboard with the other hand, slowly and carefully approaching the Locket, ready to defend against any possible danger.

    However, this time he did not encounter any obstacles, and he smoothly held the Locket in his hand.

    Just as his left hand touched the Locket, Evan¡¯s eyes widened.

    He could not believe that he got one of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes so easily. Thinking about Tom Riddle¡¯s diary that he metst year,pared with it, the Slytherin¡¯s Locket¡¯s whole process was so easy that he started thinking that it was just a dream.

    He did not encounter any obstacles except for a spider-like tweezers that had a very weak attack power.

    Evan suspected that the multi-legged tweezers was also a protective magic cast by Kreacher, as it was like the style of a house-elf.

    He looked up again and nced at the entrance hall. Although there were thick walls blocking it, Mrs. ck¡¯s crazy screams still came in from time to time.

    It seemed that Kreacher was not toe back there for a while.

    The three Sirius, Harry, and Hermione who disappeared into the dark way seemed to be gone without a trace. They seemed to have gone down underground so deep that they could not even be heard.

    Evan took a deep breath. He still had time.

    He gently rubbed the dust off the surface of the pendant with his hand and carefully looked at the Horcrux.

    Then, he took out the Basilisk¡¯s fang he had with him, and in order to avoid any incidents, he prepared to destroy it right there.

    Evan had been in contact with Tom Riddle¡¯s diaryst year. He knew that the Horcrux itself was magical, able to influence the minds of the people around it, and to draw vitality from those who touched it, to gradually live and to cast magic. It was not that different from the real Voldemort.

    In this case, it was too dangerous for Evan to wear this thing on his body and then identally be controlled by it or have some other problems.

    He didn¡¯t know the exact age at which Voldemort made this Horcrux.

    But one thing was certain. At that time, he was definitely more dangerous than the sixteen years old Tom Riddle who made the diary. He was more evil inside and had more ck magic.

    Evan didn¡¯t want toe into contact with Voldemort once again, so destroying this Horcrux immediately was the wisest choice.

    He squinted looking carefully at the Locket in his hand.

    Needless to say, the most striking thing on the pendant was the capital letter S in glittering green stone iy on the front, which was marked by Slytherin.

    Anyone who knew a little about the history of magic or the pureblood wizard families¡¯ crests would know the true meaning of this letter. Szar Slytherin was so famous that in addition to being the co-founder of Hogwarts with the other three founders, he had made a lot of great acts.

    Around the capital letter, there was a very obvious circle.

    Further outward, around the circle were a lot of hazy, yellow and ck lines of strange andplex patterns, like some ancient text which conveyed a message.

    Evan didn¡¯t know these words. To be more precise, he didn¡¯t even know whether the lines were writing or not. Maybe they just happened to be arranged together.

    These quirky patterns seemed to be full of magic, and from time to time a dull golden light shed over them, gathering from the eight corners of the pendant box to the emerald in the center.

    Evan observed the locket for a while and found nothing but these words.

    Then he stopped hesitating!

    He made up his mind to put the locket on the dusty table in front of him, holding the Basilisk¡¯s fang in his right hand.

    In the dark, his posture was unusually strange.

    It seemed to feel what Evan was going to do, and it seemed like there was something in the pendant at that moment, like cockroaches in a box.

    ¡°One¡­two¡­¡± Evan breathed heavily, and he counted in silence, trying to ovee the growing uneasiness of his heart.

    ¡°One¡­two¡­three¡­open!¡±

    Evan counted thest number, and the wand gently flicked upward. As he moved, the golden doors of the locket swung wide open with a little click.

    Like a music box, the ominous voice rang, and Evan found himself beginning to inexplicably be weak and drowsy.

    Inside the locket was a ss door with something in it.

    He looked carefully. Behind both of the ss windows within blinked a living eye, dark and handsome as Tom Riddle¡¯s eyes had been before he turned them scarlet and slit-pupiled.

    As the music progressed, the two eyes began to change, and they gradually turned red, and the pupils began to be lines, bing Voldemort¡¯s eyes.

    In the music, there was a voice hissing from the Horcrux and it was talking to Evan.

    ¡°I have seen your heart, and it is mine.¡± Voldemort whispered, ¡°I have seen your dreams, child, and I have seen your fears. All you desire is possible, but all that you dread is also possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Evan whispered, his right hand holding the Basilisk¡¯s fang trembled.

    ¡°Yes, I can help you, help you seed, I can give you whatever you want, strength, power, glory, I can¡­¡±

    The temptation of the voice was getting stronger and stronger. Evan¡¯s head was in a mess. He knew that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Voldemort was trying to control him. He had to do it.

    From the Horcrux, Voldemort¡¯s whispering continued.

    But Evan took the Basilisk¡¯s fang and his right hand was no longer trembling. He gasped a heavy breath, his eyes locked the Locket tightly, and his right hand stabbed from top to bottom.

    There was a bang, the sound of ss shattering.

    As the sound of the whispering stopped, the soul of Voldemort saved in the Horcrux sent a shrill scream, as if to prate the human soul. Riddle¡¯s eyes were gone, and the stained silk lining of the locket was smoking slightly.

    Evan¡¯s body was shaking and he knew he was sessful.

    He gasped heavily, and his face was pale, his legs were constantly shaking, and he held the table in front of him down forcibly so that he would not fall.

    He stooped and picked up the broken Horcrux.

    He had pierced the ss in both windows, and there was nothing left. There was no trace of Voldemort¡¯s soul, as if he had never existed there.

    Like the ss window, the silk lining at the bottom of the pendant was also pierced by Evan, but the whole was not damaged.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Evan suddenly noticed that the bottom of the pendant seemed to be the same as the outer cover. There were many strange andplicated lines inside the silk lining.

    He hurriedly tore all the silk down, and he was surprised to find that the inside of the pendant was exactly the same as the yellow and ck and sly quirky text.

    He couldn¡¯t be sure that these were definitely not the lines that gold originally brought, but that they were engraved on purpose, just like a magical array.

    Slytherin¡¯s locket was not just a Horcrux.

 Chapter 194: The Black Family Tree

    <h4>Chapter 194: The ck Family Tree</h4>

    Just as Evan destroyed the Horcrux, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were hovering down the stairs in the dark way.

    ¡°Where did Evan go, he didn¡¯t keep up?¡± Hermione asked worriedly, looking back and forth from time to time, there was nothing but darkness.

    ¡°He may want to say a few words with Kreacher, or visit the house. Don¡¯t worry, there is no danger except for the portrait of my old mother. I will go to himter.¡± Sirius said lightly, ¡°We will be there soon.¡±

    Ten secondster, they came to a wide room deep underground.

    The scene in front of them was very spectacr. The room was like a huge library. The rows of bookshelves were full of books, all precious magic books.

    On the surrounding walls, there were green tapestries with ck family badges and ornamentation. Although many ces on the tapestries were as if gnawed by doxies, the golden thread with which they were embroidered still glinted brightly.

    The most striking thing was the tapestry facing the stairs, which was veryrge covering almost the entire wall.

    Sirius walked over and Harry and Hermione hurried to follow.

    The more they moved forward, the more they could discover the magnificence of this tapestry. Harry clearly saw a family tree with branches and tendrils, dating back to the Middle Ages.

    And that wasn¡¯t all, it went on and on till the top of the wall.

    On the right side of the tapestry, from top to down, embroidered with a few big golden characters: THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK ¡°TOUJOURS PUR¡±

    ¡°This is the ck family tree!¡± Sirius said softly. ¡°In addition to this one, there is another piece stored in my mother¡¯s room. She regards these two family trees as the most beloved baby. They are the most direct proof that the family is pure blood. When she was alive, nobody else but her could touch them!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not on here!¡± said Harry, after scanning the bottom of the tree.

    ¡°I used to be there,¡± said Sirius, pointing at a small, round, charred hole in the tapestry, rather like a cigarette burn. ¡°My sweet old mother sted me off after I ran away from home. I guess that was the same thing in her room, no ident, with my understanding of her, she would definitely do this.¡±

    ¡°You ran away from home?¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Yes, ¡°When I was about sixteen,¡± said Sirius in a in tone. ¡°I¡¯d had enough.¡±

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± asked Harry, staring at him.

    ¡°Your dad¡¯s ce,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Your grandparents were really good about it; they sort of adopted me as a second son. Yeah, I camped out at your dad¡¯s during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a ce of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold, he¡¯s been wiped off here too, that¡¯s probably why.¡±

    Sirius pointed to another small round hole on the tapestry and continued, ¡°Anyway, after that I looked after myself. I was always wee at Mr. and Mrs. Potter¡¯s for Sunday lunch, though. They were all good people.¡±

    ¡°But ¡­ why did you ¡­?¡±

    ¡°Leave?¡± Sirius smiled bitterly. ¡°Because I hated the whole lot of them. You don¡¯t know them, Harry: my parents, with their pure-blood mania, convinced that to be a ck made you practically royal ¡­ my idiot brother, soft enough to believe them ¡­ that¡¯s him.¡±

    Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name REGULUS BLACK.

    There was a date of death after the date of birth, about 13 years ago. That is one year prior to Voldemort¡¯s fall and ck¡¯s imprisonment.

    ¡°He was younger than me,¡± said Sirius, with a trace of disdain in the corner of his mouth, ¡°and a much better son, as I was constantly reminded.¡±

    ¡°But he died,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t feel a bit surprised about it.¡± said Sirius. ¡°Stupid idiot ¡­ he joined the Death Eaters.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± Harry and Hermione said in unison.

    ¡°Come on, haven¡¯t you seen enough of this house to tell what kind of wizards my family were?¡± said Sirius testily.

    ¡°Were¡­ were your parents Death Eaters as well?¡±Harry hesitated.

    ¡°No, no, but believe me, they thought Voldemort had the right idea, they were all for the purification of the Wizarding race, getting rid of Muggle-borns and having purebloods in charge.¡±

    Hearing Sirius, Harry and Hermione¡¯s faces were even paler.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t alone either, there were quite a few people, before Voldemort showed his true colors, who thought he had the right idea about things¡­ Some pure blood wizard families believed him and thought he could lead them back to the glory of the past. But they got cold feet when they saw what he was prepared to do to get power, though. But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.¡±

    ¡°Was he killed by an Auror?¡± Harry asked tentatively.

    ¡°Oh no,¡± said Sirius, and the disdainful smile on the corner of his mouth grew stronger. ¡°No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort¡¯s orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don¡¯t just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It¡¯s a lifetime of service or death.¡±

    It could be seen that although Sirius¡¯s tone was full of mockery, there was still a trace of grief. He was very concerned about his brother¡¯s death.

    Otherwise, Sirius would not bother to investigate his death.

    Harry wanted to say something tofort Sirius, but his scar suddenly hurt.

    He couldn¡¯t help but scream and cover his forehead with his hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Harry?¡± Sirius asked worriedly. ¡°Are you¡­¡±

    He did not finish his words, on the stairs, there was a sudden deafening scream, a scream of a dying man.

    Sirius stared for a moment and hurried to the top. Harry and Hermione also followed, and Evan was still there. Did he encounter any ident?!

    They didn¡¯t know what was going on, especially Harry, who had an unusual ominous hunch, as if something was approaching.

    This feeling he had had twice, that was, when facing Voldemort in the first year and Tom Riddle in the second year, the voice just sounded like Voldemort¡¯s. As soon as he thought that Voldemort might be in this house, Harry was almost suffocated and was afraid to even imagine it.

    With all the strength in their bodies, they rushed to the top of the stairs as fast as possible, and then bumped into something on the stairs.

    They all fell, and Sirius jumped up with his wand.

    Through the light of his wand, he saw that Evan was standing intact in front of him, he looked calm and not at all like someone in danger.

 Chapter 195: Kreacher and Regulus

    <h4>Chapter 195: Kreacher and Regulus</h4>

    ¡°What happened above?¡± Sirius pulled Evan up and asked in a hurry. ¡°We just heard the scream, a dying man¡¯s scream.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that horrible sound was terrible; it seemed to reach the deepest part of the soul, giving a chilling feeling.¡± Hermione nodded, her eyes fixed on Evan, and then said with concern, ¡°What happened to you Evan?¡±

    ¡°My scar hurts, I feel like ¡­ ¡°said Harry.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m all right. That sound was made when I broke this thing.¡± Evan passed Slytherin¡¯s Locket.

    Although this Horcrux was no longer useful, he did not throw it away.

    Not to mention its possible link to Slytherin¡¯s treasure, this pendant itself has great collection value.

    The weird text lines above also made Evan very concerned.

    Szar Slytherin could not have left these things on the locket box for no reason. They couldn¡¯t be simple decoration; he should be conveying some kind of message.

    Evan spected that if those lines were not words, they should be a very rare magical array that even Voldemort himself had not found.

    Although this possibility was very low, it could not be denied.

    Evan was going to head back and study to see if he could make any new discoveries rted to them.

    ¡°Is this?¡± Sirius stared at the locket in his hand, his eyes focused on the uppercase letter S, and he seemed to have seen a simr pattern somewhere.

    ¡°This is the Locket handed down by Szar Slytherin himself. The uppercase S letter is a special emblem of the Slytherin family.¡±

    Sirius was so stunned, no wonder he felt he had seen this pattern before.

    In the book ¡± Nature¡¯s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy ¡°, the third series of pure blood wizards introduced is the Slytherin family. The most memorable thing about it is the snake-like family emblem.

    ¡°This Slytherin¡¯s Locket, I just found it in the dining room¡¯s window. Because of curiosity, I took it out, and then I found something wrong. This pendant was talking to me. It¡¯s a ck magic item.¡± Evan exined, ¡°Harry, Hermione, do you remember Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary we metst year? If I¡¯m not mistaken, this locket and the diary are the same kind of thing.¡±

    Hearing him, Harry and Hermione turned pale in an instant, and they understood what Evan wanted to say. This Locket was a magic item left by Voldemort.

    Looking at Harry and Hermione¡¯s eyes, Evan nodded.

    In fact, he had just thought the matter through and finally decided to say it, instead of continuing to conceal it.

    Now that this Horcrux had been destroyed, it was natural to tell Dumbledore about it, and there was no more need to conceal the matter. Although it was a coincidence, it was good luck to discover and destroy this Horcrux.

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were also there. Dumbledore would have no doubts and would not think too much.

    What¡¯s more, through the capture of Peter Pettigrew, Evan suddenly realized that Dumbledore was not as he imagined. Since he was that tolerant, Evan could get more freedom with his actions.

    The mood on the stairs was heavy, and Harry and Hermione were pale and bloodless. They were still immersed in the horrible news brought by Evan.

    ¡°Tom Riddle¡¯s diary, what are the three of you talking about?¡±

    Only Sirius did not know what was going on. They hurriedly exined to him and told him about what happenedst year.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If this Locket is a ck magic item made by Voldemort, why is it in this house?¡± Sirius¡¯s face became more serious.

    ¡°This question should be asked to Kreacher, he should know.¡± Evan whispered.

    They returned to the dining room and Sirius immediately summoned Kreacher.

    Kreacher was still holding the old, dusty and wormhole filled green tapestry. He stood in front of the cold, empty firece and looked at them four contemptuously.

    ¡°Young Master, what do you call old Kreacher for?¡± Kreacher said hoarsely with his bullfrog voice, bowed low and whispered to his knees. ¡°After destroying the ck family¡¯s collection, the young Master and the three nasty little brats he brought back still have more ns¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say these words in front of me again.¡± Sirius said, ¡°I have a question to ask you, you must answer truthfully, understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Kreacher bowed low. .

    Evan saw his lips squirming silently, undoubtedly meditating on the insulting words that he had just been forbidden to say.

    ¡°This Locket!¡± Sirius threw Slytherin¡¯s Locket over. ¡°It¡¯s not something from the ck family. Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°This, this is the Locket of young Master Regulus!¡± Holding the Locket, Kreacher shivered and shook.

    ¡°My brother¡¯s?¡± Sirius stared. He had just heard the exnations from the three of them, knowing that this was a magic item made by Voldemort.

    It seemed to be simr to what he imagined; it should be Voldemort who made Regulus save this thing.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what they nned to do, it was definitely not a good thing.

    ¡°The Locket of the young Master Regulus!¡± Kreacher gasped, and his dry chest was undting. ¡°Kreacher made a mistake and failed to execute the young Master¡¯s orders!¡±

    Then he let out a scream to coagte blood.

    In the next second, Kreacher rushed to the fire stick at the fireside with extraordinary speed. Harry standing beside him instinctively reacted and rushed to catch him.

    Kreacher was still resisting, and Evan rushed to help Harry.

    Hermione¡¯s screams mixed with Kreacher¡¯s cry, but Sirius¡¯s snoring was louder than all of them.

    ¡°Enough, Kreacher, I order you not to move!¡±

    Kreacher immediately stopped struggling, tears flowing down his long nose into his open mouth, into which a gray tooth could be seen.

    Evan and Harry were panting on top of him, and Sirius came over to separate them. He held Kreacher in his hand and swayed him violently, as if the house-elf were a ragged dress.

    ¡°Tell me everything you know, where did this Lockete from? And what did my brother Regulus have to do with it?¡± Sirius shouted loudly. ¡°Imand you; tell me everything about the Locket!¡±

    Kreacher¡¯s reaction towards Sirius was abnormal. He told him that this Locket had a lot to do with the death of his brother, and what they had done in that year.

 Chapter 196: The Story of Regulus

    <h4>Chapter 196: The Story of Regulus</h4>

    ¡°Speak up; what did my brother do back then?¡±

    Sirius threw Kreacher to the ground as if he was throwing a dirty rag.

    The elf sat up, curled into a ball, ced his wet face between his knees, and began to rock backward and forward. When he spoke, his voice was muffled but quite distinct in the silent, echoing kitchen.

    ¡°It was fifteen years ago. Unlike Master Sirius who ran away, good riddance, for he was a bad boy and broke my Mistress¡¯s heart with hiswless ways, Master Regulus had proper order; he knew what was due to the name of ck and the dignity of his pure blood. For years he talked of the Dark Lord, who was going to bring the wizards out of hiding to rule the Muggles and the Muggle-borns.¡± Kreacher sobbed, ¡°And when he was sixteen years old, Master Regulus joined the Dark Lord. Master Regulus knew!¡± Kreacher argued, ¡°He was so proud, so proud, so happy to serve¡­¡±

    ¡°Just cut to the chase, Kreacher! I don¡¯t want to hear about my idiot young brother bing a Death Eater!¡± Sirius brutally interrupted him, and it was as if the blue veins on his forehead were about to burst up.

    Thest time he looked like this, he was facing Peter Pettigrew.

    Kreacher was afraid to look at Sirius, his head rocking faster. He said intermittently, ¡°And one day, a year after he joined, Master Regulus came down to the kitchen to see Kreacher. Master Regulus always liked Kreacher. And Master Regulus said ¡­ he said¡­ ¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Everyone was looking at the old house-elf.

    ¡°He said that the Dark Lord required an elf.¡±

    ¡°Voldemort needed an elf?¡± Sirius repeated, and Harry and Hermione looked just as puzzled as he did. It sounded absurd.

    How could the mighty Voldemort need a house-elf? Everyone did not understand. Only Evan knew what was going on.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± moaned Kreacher. ¡°And Master Regulus had volunteered Kreacher. It was an honor, said Master Regulus, an honor for him and for Kreacher, who must be sure to do whatever the Dark Lord ordered him to do ¡­ and then to ce home.¡±

    Kreacher rocked still faster, his breathing in sobs.

    ¡°So Kreacher went to the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord did not tell Kreacher what he was to do, but took Kreacher with him to a cave beside the sea. And beyond the cave was a cavern, and in the cavern was a great ckke ¡­ ¡°

    Sirius did not speak.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione also listened to Kreacher¡¯s narrative.

    In the gloomy basement, Kreacher¡¯s croaking voice was particrly terrifying. It seemed toe from across the dark water, and the hairs on the back of everybody¡¯s neck stood up.

    ¡°There was a boat beside the Great Lake. Theke was full of dead bodies. There was a b-basin full of potion on the ind. The D-Dark Lord made Kreacher drink it ¡­¡± The elf quaked from head to foot. ¡°Kreacher drank, and as he drank he saw terrible things ¡­ Kreacher¡¯s insides burned ¡­ Kreacher cried for Master Regulus to save him, he cried for his Mistress, but the Dark Lord onlyughed ¡­ He made Kreacher drink all the potion ¡­ He dropped a locket into the empty basin ¡­ He filled it with more potion.¡±

    ¡°And then?¡±

    ¡°And then the Dark Lord sailed away, leaving Kreacher on the ind ¡­ ¡°

    Evan could see it happening, he could see Voldemort¡¯s white, snakelike face vanishing into darkness, those red eyes fixed pitilessly on the agonized elf.

    He probably thought that the elf¡¯s death would ur within minutes, whenever he sumbed to the desperate thirst that the burning poison caused its victim.

    However, Kreacher escaped and Evan didn¡¯t know how he did it.

    ¡°Kreacher still remembers how it was at the time. Kreacher needed water, he crawled to the ind¡¯s edge and he drank from the ckke ¡­ and hands, dead hands, came out of the water and dragged Kreacher under the surface ¡­¡±

    ¡°How did you get away?¡± Sirius asked, and found himself unusually whispering.

    Kreacher raised his ugly head and looked at Harry with his great, bloodshot eyes. ¡°Master Regulus told Kreacher toe back,¡± he said.

    ¡°But?!¡± No one knew how Kreacher came back. Voldemort could have never left him alive.

    ¡°Master Regulus told Kreacher toe back,¡± he repeated.

    ¡°I know ¨C but how did you escape the Inferi?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s obvious, he Apparated! Elf magic isn¡¯t like wizard¡¯s magic, Voldemort probably neglected this.¡± Evan exined, ¡°Or, he would have considered the ways of house-elves so far beneath his notice¡­ it would never have urred to him that they might have magic that he didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Master Regulus told Kreacher toe back,¡± The house elf repeated it again and intonated, ¡°The house-elf¡¯s highestw is his Master¡¯smand, Kreacher was told to return home, so Kreacher returned home ¡­ ¡°

    ¡°So what happened when you got back?¡± Sirius continued to ask. ¡°What did Regulus say when you told him what happened?¡±

    ¡°Master Regulus was very worried, very worried,¡± croaked Kreacher. ¡°Master Regulus told Kreacher to stay hidden and not to leave the house. And then ¡­ it was a little whileter ¡­ Master Regulus came to find Kreacher in his cupboard one night, and Master Regulus was strange, not as he usually was, his mind was disturbed, Kreacher could tell ¡­ and he asked Kreacher to take him to the cave, the cave where Kreacher had gone with the Dark Lord ¡­ ¡°

    And so, under Regulus¡¯s orders, they had set off. Evan could visualize them quite clearly; the frightened old elf and the thin Death Eater who had resembled Sirius,ing to the ce where Voldemort hid the Horcrux.

    Kreacher went there and he knew how to get in.

    ¡°Regulus?!¡± Sirius coldly asked with a hint of disgust in his voice, ¡°He made you drink the potion again?¡±

    Kreacher shook his head, crying and crying.

    Everyone looked at him with surprise! If Kreacher didn¡¯t drink the potions, they guessed what happened next.

    ¡°M-Master Regulus took from his pocket a locket like the one the Dark Lord had,¡± said Kreacher, tears pouring down either side of his snout-like nose. ¡°And he told Kreacher to take it and, when the basin was empty, to switch the lockets ¡­¡±

    Kreacher¡¯s sobs came in great rasps now; Evan had to concentrate hard to understand what he was going to say next.

 Chapter 197: The Black Familyâ€™s Devotion

    <h4>Chapter 197: The ck Family¡¯s Devotion</h4>

    ¡°Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to leave¡­ to leave him alone. No matter what happened to him, Kreacher couldn¡¯t intervene.¡±

    Kreacher¡¯s voice was sharp and twisted. He sobbed and said intermittently with a sorrowful tone: ¡°He ordered¡­ Kreacher to leave ¡­ without him. And he told Kreacher¡­ to go home¡­ and never to tell my Mistress¡­ what he had done¡­ but to destroy ¡­ the first locket. And he¡­¡±

    Everyone looked at Kreacher, waiting for him to continue; even Evan was no exception.

    Although he already knew that Regulus had finally drunk the potion and died in the cave, it waspletely another feeling to listen to the house-elf retelling the scene at the time.

    Evan was almost able to see it in the dark cave; surrounded by the Inferi, Sirius¡¯s younger brother looking hesitantly at the potion in the stone altar, with his heart constantly struggling.

    He knew what he was going to do next. He also knew the consequences of doing it. If it was discovered by Voldemort, the ck family would be devastated. But he had to do it, even if he died.

    Because of his pure blood ideals, Regulus was one of the first to support Voldemort. ck, the most ancient and noble house of wizards, made him ¡°lucky¡± enough to be a Death Eater at the age of sixteen. Like other evil Death Eaters, he thought that serving the Dark Lord was the ultimate glory.

    However, this teenager was not the same as the rest of the Death Eaters.

    When Voldemort gradually revealed his true face, when he discovered that Voldemort was not pursuing wizarding blood purity, but using brutal means to rule others, when Voldemort tried to kill the innocent Kreacher, Regulus finally realized the difference between the real, cruel world and his fantasies.

    The hot blood of youth finally cooled down, and his beautiful dreams were shattered.

    From that moment on, although he still identified as a Death Eater, his innate sense of justice drifted him away from Voldemort.

    Even in the end, he preferred giving his life to resist, and to get rid of Voldemort¡¯s dirty lies.

    There is no doubt that Regulus was clever. If Evan remembered correctly, he was the first to discover that Voldemort was making a Horcrux, even earlier than Dumbledore, despite the fact that he did not get any help besides Kreacher¡¯s vague description. It was entirely through his own efforts that he made a thorough investigation of this matter.

    At the same time, he is also brave.

    Knowing Voldemort¡¯s true face, when he was determined to prepare to fight against him, that was in the era in which the Dark Lord was at his peak.

    In the face of such a powerful and evil Voldemort, besides an elderly house-elf, Regulus did not even have a decent helper. But still, he chose to destroy the myth of the Dark Lord¡¯s immortality with his own life.

    Undoubtedly, he was also kind.

    As it could be seen from Kreacher¡¯s words, Regulus was very friendly to the house-elves, unlike most wizards.

    Until thest moment, he did not have the idea of sacrificing Kreacher.

    The man who once worshipped the Dark Lord fanatically, did not take the elf¡¯s death for granted. He chose to drink the deadly potions and told him to go home. That was thest order he issued before his death.

    He preferred dying in obscurity over getting his family into trouble.

    He was using his own ways to protect Kreacher and protect the ck family.

    Evan suddenly realized that there seemed to be an innate sense of devotion in the blood of the ck family members.

    This was probably the most distinctive quality of this most ancient and most noble family of pure blood wizards.

    With this devotion, Sirius threw all he had away, just to chase freedom.

    His cousin Nymphadora Tonks was devoted to following love, disregarding the world¡¯s judgments, and eventually ended up with the werewolf, Lupin.

    Voldemort¡¯s most fanatical Death Eater, Betrix was devoted to getting power, bing the most dangerous and the cruelest of Voldemort¡¯s followers.

    Lucius Malfoy¡¯s wife, Narcissa, was devoted to protect her family. In thest battle, for Draco¡¯s sake, she preferred betraying Voldemort and made a huge risk by helping Harry to hide the fact that he was alive, thus determining the fate of the final battle.

    As for Regulus ck, this devotion drove him to protect his entire family.

    He chose to pay silently. Besides the house-elf, no one ever knew what he had done. No one knew that his thoughts had changed.

    In Sirius¡¯s mind, his stupid brother became a Death Eater because of his worship of Voldemort and his upholding of pure blood ideals.

    In his opinion, Regulus did not even know what this identity meant.

    Then, because of his weakness and timidity, he died in the shadows, not even leaving a corpse behind. It was ironic to the extreme.

    However, the truth couldn¡¯t be further from that.

    Like Sirius, he was also a hero, an unknown hero.

    He was different from Sirius. The devotion within the depths of his heart and the rebellion buried in his bones had not erupted until thest moments of his life.

    Regulus grew up under the care of Sirius and the protection of his mother. When his brother fled the house to pursue freedom, in order not to worry his old mother, he epted the family¡¯s arrangement and epted to bear the fate he should not have undertaken.

    He wanted to protect the ck family, guarding the pure wizarding ancestry of the millennia, and getting it to regain its former glory.

    However, the unique treats of a ck made his final death an inevitable oue, and everything was destined to happen as it did.

    Although his methods were different and the events went differently, he ended up following the path of his brother.

    Standing in the dim basement, looking at the decoration of the ck family surrounded by historical traces, Evan had a vague realization.

    He finally understood that perhaps, this was the power brought by blood.

    The experience of the two brothers Sirius and Regulus made Evan have a deeper understanding of ck¡¯s ancient surname.

    ¡°Then, the young Master Regulus¡­he¡­¡± Kreacher sobbed.

    ¡°Then what happened? What did Regulus do?¡± Sirius asked aloud.

    ¡°Then he drank ¡­ all the potion ¡­ and Kreacher swapped the lockets ¡­ and watched¡­ as Master Regulus ¡­ was dragged beneath the water, by the hands of the Inferi¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kreacher!¡± wailed Hermione, who was crying.

    She dropped to her knees beside the elf and tried to hug him.

    At once he was on his feet, cringing away from her, quite obviously repulsed.

    ¡°The Mudblood touched Kreacher, he will not allow it! What would his Mistress say?¡±

    ¡°I told you not to call her ¡®Mudblood¡¯!¡± snarled Sirius, but the voice was weak as never before.

    It was not until this moment that he knew how his brother died.

    He rubbed his eyes, and while Hermione cried, his tears flowed out of control, but he didn¡¯t want them to be seen.

 Chapter 198: Kreacherâ€™s Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 198: Kreacher¡¯s Friendship</h4>

    The next second, unprecedented anger upied Sirius¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Kreacher!¡± he growled. ¡°You actually watched Regulus die, and did nothing. He, he was still a child¡­¡±

    Although he already had a hunch, but now, Sirius couldn¡¯t believe it, that this was actually the truth behind Regulus¡¯s death.

    He hadn¡¯t finished his rebuke yet, and the house-elf was already punishing himself.

    When everyone did not respond, Kreacher fell to the ground and banged his forehead on the floor, exhausting all his strength.

    ¡°Stop him! Stop him!¡± Hermione cried. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you see now how sick it is, the way he¡¯s obliged to obey the Regulus¡¯ orders? He didn¡¯t move, so he could only stand there and watch the things happen¡­¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Sirius was silent, and looked at the house-elf who was seeking for death, with hatred and anger in his eyes.

    Seeing Sirius not moving, Harry hurriedly tried to stop Kreacher.

    But it didn¡¯t work. The old house-elf was so powerful as he desperately mmed his head to the ground.

    If no one stopped him, he¡¯d beat himself until inevitable death.

    In the end, Evan had to cast a spell on him, forcing him to stop.

    The elfy on the floor, panting and shivering, green mucus glistening around his snot, a bruise already blooming on his pallid forehead where he had struck himself, his eyes swollen and bloodshot and swimming in tears. Evan had never seen anything so pitiful.

    ¡°Sirius, we should be nice to him¡­¡± Hermione whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

    ¡°You ask me to be nice to him?!¡± Sirius¡¯s low voice had cruelty within it, ¡°He killed my brother! He watched Regulus die, and he didn¡¯t do anything!¡±

    It actually looked like Sirius wanted to kill Kreacher himself.

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t think like that.¡± Hermione hurriedly argued, ¡°Kreacher is a ve. He can only obey orders. Regulus ordered him to do so. He had no way to resist. It¡¯s unfair to push all responsibilities on him. Look at him now, the death of Regulus is, to him, crueler than it is to any of us, and it is extremely hard for him to ept. ¡±

    Sirius opened his mouth and seemed to want to argue, but Hermione did not give him a chance.

    ¡°Sirius, I know the truth about the death of Regulus is difficult for you to ept, but from the information we currently got, Regulus¡¯s thoughts changed, and that is the most important thing. Hermione looked at Sirius. ¡°Just below, you told us what you think of him. But he is totally different from what you¡¯ve had in mind. He is not weak at all. In order to protect Kreacher and the ck family, Regulus went against Voldemort. He is a hero, and even more courageous than any Gryffindor I know¡­¡±

    Sirius had no retort, his brother made him proud.

    He suddenly thought of Regulus when he was a child. At the time, he often followed him like a shadow and looked at him with adoring eyes. Their rtionship was very good. They nned to go to Hogwarts and enter Slytherin together.

    But everything changed when Sirius arrived first at Hogwarts, and ended up entering the Gryffindor House.

    He remembered that day when he returned home on his first summer vacation, and Regulus had a fight with him.

    After that, they never talked.

    He always thought that Regulus was such a fool, bing a Death Eater, and then dying out of weakness. But his thoughts could not be further from the truth

    He was like him, standing against Voldemort.

    Although he did not publicly resist him and join the Order of the Phoenix, he did more bravely and perseveringly than any of the Order¡¯s members.

    Looking at Kreacher, who was lying on the floor, for the first time in Sirius¡¯s eyes, was a little feeling towards the house-elf. After all, he apanied Regulus and took the pain of having to watch him die all by himself.

    It also needed a lot of courage. Sirius looked at Kreacher with confused eyes, and seemed to finally see the house-elf as a creature emotionally equal to human beings¡­

    In the basement, the mood was terrible.

    After Hermione said those words, Sirius remained silent.

    Kreacher was sobbing silently, and by his side, Harry gasped and his face was as heavy as ever.

    Evan sighed and he said slowly, ¡°Kreacher, after Regulus was dragged into theke by the Inferi¡­ you brought the Locket home and tried to destroy it, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but Kreacher could not inflict a single scratch upon it.¡± the house-elf moaned and wanted to punish himself, but could not move, ¡°Kreacher tried everything, everything he knew, but nothing, nothing would work ¡­ So many powerful spells upon the casing, Kreacher was sure the way to destroy it was to get inside it, but it would not open ¡­ Kreacher punished himself, he tried again, he punished himself, he tried again. Kreacher failed to obey orders, Kreacher could not destroy the locket! And his mistress was mad with grief, because Master Regulus had disappeared and Kreacher could not tell her what had happened, no, because Master Regulus had f-f-forbidden him to tell any of the f-f-family what happened in the c-cave ¡­¡±

    Kreacher began to sob so hard; he was totally devastated.

    Tears flowed down Hermione¡¯s cheeks as she watched Kreacher, but she did not dare touch him again.

    ¡°I just destroyed the Locket and helped youplete Regulus¡¯sst wish. You won¡¯t have to me yourself anymore.¡± Evan opened the broken locket to Kreacher.

    The elf¡¯s eyes were goggled, and he made a howl of surprise and pain. His eyes were asrge as ever, looking at Evan incredulously, and looking at the locket in his hand.

    After nearly half an hour, he gradually calmed down.

    Kreacher was twitching weakly and seemed to have no more strength to cry.

    Sirius, who had not spoken until that point, calmed down as well. He whispered to the house-elf, ¡°Sit up, Kreacher, I have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Now I will relieve you of your curse, and stop hurting yourself.¡± ¡°Evan waved his wand and whispered, ¡°Finite Incantatem.¡±

    Kreacher sat up and rubbed his eyes with his fists like a child.

    Then, he staggered to the front of Evan, reached out and touched the Locket in his hands, and immediately retreated.

    ¡°You, you helped Kreacherplete themand of Master Regulus! You destroyed this Locket!¡± Kreacher couldn¡¯t believe it, his face showed an expression of relief for the first time.

    He looked at Evan and Hermione¡¯s eyes, not the previous look of disgust and disdain. He seemed to have forgotten their Muggle-born origin and bowed to Evan, Harry, and Hermione.

    Although the action looked a bit awkward, it wasn¡¯t perfunctory by any mean.

    Evan knew that because he destroyed the Slytherin¡¯s Locket and helped Kreacherplete the order of Regulus, he finally gained this house-elf¡¯s friendship.

    Like Dobby, Kreacher now respected him from the heart.

    This was indeed a happy thing. It might have been the most positive and optimistic change brought by destroying this Horcrux.

    Although Evan did not know what use he could have from the friendship of this house-elf , maybe at a critical moment, it woulde in handy.

 Chapter 199: Going to the Cave

    <h4>Chapter 199: Going to the Cave</h4>

    The house elf was so excited about seeing the locket destroyed. He was too weak at the knees to stand properly. There were a few words of thanks to Evan in his mouth, but Sirius didn¡¯t give him enough time.

    ¡°Kreacher, take me to that cave.¡± Siriusmanded, with a flicker of determination on his face. He intended on bringing back Regulus¡¯s body.

    He grabbed the house-elf and wanted to Apparate.

    ¡°Wait a minute, Sirius, we¡¯ll go with you.¡± Harry hurriedly stopped him.

    ¡°No, you three stay here and wait for me.¡± Sirius refused.

    From Kreacher¡¯s narrative, he knew that the cave was very dangerous. There was evil magic left behind by Voldemort. He was going to find the body of Regulus, and there was no need for the three children to take the risk ofing along.

    ¡°I know what you are thinking, but the three of us are no longer children.¡± Harry looked at Sirius. ¡°Over the past two years, we have beaten Voldemort many times. If there is any danger in that cave, we can help too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let us go with you, Sirius.¡± Harry had just finished his words, and Hermione followed, ¡°After listening to Kreacher, no one can remain indifferent. We all want to do something for Regulus, even if it¡¯s just bringing back his body for proper burial.¡±

    Listening to Hermione¡¯s words, Kreacher made a loud mourning.

    Evan saw easily from Sirius¡¯s face that he was really hesitant. He knew that Harry and Hermione would convince him. It was only a matter of time.

    When it came to such adventures, Sirius was never a man of reason.

    In reality, Evan didn¡¯t think about going to the cave.

    From the known information, the cave was very dangerous. There were a lot of Inferi and other evil ck magic left by Voldemort. Since Slytherin¡¯s locket had been destroyed, it didn¡¯t make any sense to go there.

    Especially considering that it was Christmas day. This whole thing looked even more out of ce.

    But if Harry and Hermione were to go, he had to follow.

    Hermione was right. After listening to Kreacher telling the story of Regulus, no one could be indifferent. They had to do something in his honor.

    Since they had to go, it would be best to go with Dumbledore, he just had to talk to him¡­

    ¡°Well, I can take you three.¡± Sirius rxed. He straightened and continued. ¡°We¡¯d better hurry, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯d be best to inform Dumbledore about this.¡± Evan suddenly said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Kreacher just said that Regulus had been dragged into theke by the Inferi. No one knows how many of those monsters are in that cave.¡±

    ¡°The Inferi¡± Sirius, Harry and Hermione froze.

    ¡°To say it briefly, they¡¯re the dead bodies controlled by the Dark Arts. They have no life, no souls or thoughts. They are practically fearless to all things except for fire and light. If there are a lot of corpses in the cave, we would not be able to face them, let alone finding Regulus¡¯s body.¡± Evan turned his head and said to the elf, ¡°Kreacher, do you remember the number of dead people you saw at that time?¡±

    ¡°The big ckke, Kreacher saw the hands of the dead peopleing out of the wholeke.¡± Just talking about it, Kreacher¡¯s big eyes were full of fear.

    ¡°It seems that the number of corpses is reallyrge indeed.¡± Evan looked at Sirius. ¡°We must be careful, don¡¯t forget, besides the Inferi, there should be other magic left by Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°But Dumbledore is still in the Ministry of Magic. He is very busy. The Wizengamot is now having the hearings of the case of Peter Pettigrew.¡±Judging from his appearance, Sirius didn¡¯t seem to want to tell Dumbledore about this. He didn¡¯t want to waste any time.

    He longed to go to the cave immediately and bring Regulus back.

    As soon as he thought of his brother¡¯s body lying alone in the dark, damp cave, there was an unprecedented sorrow in Sirius¡¯s heart.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what the Inferi are; I don¡¯t want to waste any more time¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we have to tell Dumbledore, this is very important.¡± Evan insisted, shaking the locket in his hand. ¡°Dumbledore must also know about this locket.¡±

    Perhaps it was out of consideration of the safety of the three, Evan, Harry, and Hermione; perhaps Evan saved him not long ago, perhaps¡­

    No matter what it was, under Evan¡¯s insistence, Sirius reluctantly went to inform Dumbledore.

    He Apparated to the Ministry of Magic, Evan and the others stayed there waiting for news. He was thinking of using this time to go down and see the collection of the ck family¡¯s library.

    ¡°Come this way, three little Masters!¡± Kreacher was much more enthusiastic than before, taking the initiative to lead the way and introducing the history of each decoration around.

    The house elf knew a lot about the house.

    He could tell exactly when and why each piece of ornament was ced, he could even clearly state the origin of each stone.

    Just entering the underground library, Evan noticed the huge green tapestry on the middle wall and the family crest on which the gold thread was sewn: a mountain symbol, two five-pointed stars and a short sword shield. On both sides of the shield were two big dogs standing up.

    Evan did not know the meaning of this coat of arms; his attention waspletely focused on the series of names at the top of the ck family tree.

    Many of these names recurred in the history of magic and were of extremely famous wizards.

    It could be seen that the ck family¡¯s past was glorious and honorable.

    Evan was interested inparing these names with the history of magic in his own mind. In addition to that, he also found that the ck family was rted to almost all pure-blood wizard families, including many extinct wizarding families.

    Even the families of the Four Founders of Hogwarts were linked to the ck family.

    Looking at the names of these familiar and prominent wizards, and recalling the things they have done that affected the development of the magic world, Evan could feel the depth of this family tree full of history.

    But the lower he went, the less pleasant the names that he found were.

    For example, Kreacher¡¯s introduction of Phineas Nigellus, Sirius¡¯s great-grandfather, and Evan just saw him in Hogwarts¡¯ portrait a few days ago. A snide, sarcastic fellow, with a pointed beard, wearing the green and silver colours associated with Slytherin House.

    Although Kreacher described him as a great man, it was known to all historians that this guy was probably the Hogwarts¡¯ least popr Headmaster in history.

 Chapter 200: Secrets of the Darkest Art

    <h4>Chapter 200: Secrets of the Darkest Art</h4>

    For example, Araminta Meliflua, the cousin of Sirius¡¯s mother, was mentioned as a dignifieddy by Kreacher.

    But in the novel, was she really as good as Kreacher said? If Evan remembered correctly, the most famous thing that this ¡°Lady¡± did was to try to force through a Ministry Bill to make Muggle-hunting legal.

    And under the influence of Galleons, this inhumane bill had almost passed. But it had been turned down, as its content was too horrible.

    There was also Edora, Sirius¡¯s aunt.

    In the ck family, she started the family tradition of beheading house-elves when they got too old to carry tea trays, and that was quickly emted and promoted among other pure-blood wizard families.

    It was surprising that this behavior, which was extremely ridiculous to all normal people, had won the high praise of the ck family¡¯sst house-elf, Kreacher. He actually looked like he wanted to have his head hang along with his predecessors as well!

    Besides, there were many others simr to them and praised by Kreacher.

    In short, unlike Harry and Hermione, who were confused and bewildered, Evan saw the names appearing on the family of the ck family tree getting worse and worse.

    Especially in this century, the ck family was almost all evil ck wizards or disgusting pure-blood idealists. They have done a lot of evil and cruel things, and these evil ones were so many that almost not a decent person could be seen among them.

    This did not mean that there were no decent figures in the ck family, but immediately after their appearance, like Sirius, they were quickly isted by all family members and removed from the family tree as if they had never existed before. .

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, look at this ce.¡± Harry pointed to a name on the right side of the tapestry and said with curiosity, ¡°It¡¯s Malfoy, he is also on this family tree.¡±

    In the direction of Harry¡¯s finger, Evan saw a double line of gold embroidery linking Narcissa ck with Lucius Malfoy, and a single vertical gold line from their names leading to the name Draco.

    ¡°Miss Narcissa, Draco¡¯s mother, she is the cousin of Young Master Sirius.¡± Kreacher hurriedly exined, ¡°When my Mistress was still here, Kreacher has seen her many times, Miss Narcissa came to visit the Mistress every week. Unlike the unspoken and unruly Sirius Master, she is a respectable wizard. She had a good rtionship with the young Master Regulus. She is also very, very fond of Kreacher¡­¡±

    Evan understood what Kreacher meant. It could be seen that this house-elf was very fond of Narcissa.

    No need to guess, Narcissa was friendlier to him than Sirius.

    That was also one of the main reasons why Kreacher eventually revealed information to Malfoy, leading to the death of Sirius.

    It seemed that in the future, he had to be careful.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Sirius is actually rted to the Malfoys!¡± Listening to Kreacher¡¯s exnation, Harry was shocked. ¡°How is this possible?¡±

    ¡°Nothing is impossible. A pure blood wizard family can only be connected by marriage to a pure blood wizard. Needless to say, a Muggle, even a half-blood wizard cannot be epted. ording to this standard, the choice of marriage partners is very limited.¡±

    Next to Narcissa, Evan sees Betrix ck, a double-stranded gold line connected her to the name of Rodolphus Lestrange.

    At the thought of the most insane Death Eater under Voldemort¡¯s hands, Evan had a strange, gloomy feeling in the depths of his heart. He was not willing to continue watching this unpleasant genealogy. He wanted to see the ck family book collection.

    In front of them, the entire room was divided into four collection areas, of which the area near the northwest side wall stored the history of magic and the ck family¡¯s archives; on the east side of these books, there was the history study notes of the ck family members. That section was thergest with more than 30 bookshelves.

    On the south side near the exit, there were a lot of white magic books such as metamorphosis and potions, many of which had duplicates in the Hogwarts Library.

    The most striking one was the collection of books in the southwest corner, separated by ropes and other areas. The bookshelves there were different from the brown bookshelves in the other three areas. They were all unpleasantly ck, and the collection of books was very small. Only four bookshelves were there, and they weren¡¯t fully filled.

    If Evan didn¡¯t guess wrong, all the ck magic books should be ced there.

    He hesitated and saw Hermione in the section of the magic history books, there were many internal ck family members¡¯ internal notes, all of which were secret and not open to the outside world. She was very interested in this information.

    Apanied by Kreacher, Harry went to the other side of the bookshelf, and Evan heard him asking about the defense against the Dark Arts books.

    Seeing that no one was watching him, Evan quickly went to the area where the ck magic books were ced.

    He walked to a huge shelf full of magic books. These old bookshelves were covered with thick dust and tiny cracks.

    The thick magic books ced above were also covered with dust, and the scalded, faded hot stamping letters on the spines were no longer able to urately show the titles.

    Evan looked very hard, and most of the words and grammars in the books were very esoteric and difficult to understand. They all used grammatical vocabry from centuries ago, or an ancient magical text, and even some books had no text on the cover.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if it was hallucination, but he could feel a wave of whispersing out of the book in front of him.

    Under the gloomy, dim candlelight, all his body¡¯s hair stood up.

    Fortunately, Sirius was not there, as Evan was sure that Sirius would not allow him toe over to see this section. He must have intended to give the normal magic books to him and Hermione as a Christmas gift.

    Evan looked at it for a while, and excluded several books that he had seen before, along with those that had no names and were written in ancient magic.

    Unlike a normal magic book, a ck magic book is very dangerous and he had to be careful.

    Also, most of these ck magic books were manuscripts. The authors themselves were often very evil. Many were extremely fierce dark wizards. They were likely to leave evil on them while copying the magic book. Such ck magic, if one¡¯s not careful, could be very life-threatening.

    Thenguage itself, the ancient magical text itself had magic power. If it¡¯s arranged andbined correctly, it means that magic hase into effect.

    In history, there were many people who wanted to be Dark wizards. When they just opened their first ck magic book, they sadly lost their lives.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to end up like that. He hesitated, and then picked up the ck and silver book that was closest to him, and put it out on his knees. This book had a few centuries old paper, its title had been peeled off, and it was covered with several dark prints, much like blood, which looked very scary.

    Evan did not rush to open it, he gently groped it with his fingers.

    Just by touching it with his fingers, he recognized the name of the book in his arms, and it was Secrets of the Darkest Art.

    What, how could this be possible?

    He looked at the magic book on his knee with horror, and it was actually a book on the secrets of the sophisticated ck magic, recording the way the Horcrux was made.

    From the information that Evan had found before, this magic is extremely rare. As the top ck magic book, the Secrets of the Darkest Art is even known to have been lost by the magic world. Except for one copy in Hogwarts, it can¡¯t be seen anywhere else.

 Chapter 201: The Method of Making a Horcrux

    <h4>Chapter 201: The Method of Making a Horcrux</h4>

    Hogwarts¡¯s copy of the book was originally put in the library area.

    The exact origin and timing of its addition to the Hogwarts library was unknown to Evan, but it was indeed the only known copy of the Secrets of the Darkest Art.

    Evan didn¡¯t expect the cks to have the same book in their collection. This was his greatest gain after destroying Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux today.

    He had long wanted to read this book, and hoped to learn more about the Horcruxes.

    But the copy in Hogwarts had been removed from the library by Dumbledore and hidden away.

    Even though the book used to be in the library along with many other precious magic books, Evan couldn¡¯t locate it now.

    He once saw its name in the library catalogue, followed by a small red writing: ¡°Warning, this book is extremely dangerous. If you need to borrow it, in addition to sufficient reasons, you also need the Headmaster¡¯s personal approval.¡±

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, getting the book used to be practically impossible.

    The sessive Headmasters of Hogwarts were knowledgeable and powerful wizards. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t agree to let a young wizard see the most evil book of the dark magic; unless they had lost their mind, or they were under the Imperius Curse.

    The library borrowing record also proves this. Before Dumbledore hid it, the book was quietly ced there for centuries. Besides a few professors, no students had ever moved it. In fact, most of the young wizards didn¡¯t even know that there was such a dark magic book in the library.

    This situation continued until a bit over 50 years ago, when student Voldemort, Tom Riddle sessfully borrowed the book from the library.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how he did it. He didn¡¯t know whether it was a coincidence that he borrowed the book, or if he had already got clues about Horcruxes.

    But there is no doubt that Voldemort had obtained a detailed method of making a Horcrux from this book. He believed that this ck magic can help him obtain the eternal life that he dreams of.

    From the information that Evan had, after knowing how to make the Horcrux and confirming several key problems, Voldemort immediately began experimenting. He relied on killing to split his soul and became a monster that would never die.

    This is also the main reason why Dumbledore has never been able to defeat Voldemort.

    When he was at his peak, he might¡¯ve been able to beat Voldemort, but he could never kill him.

    Any effort is futile until all the Horcruxes are destroyed.

    What¡¯s more, Dumbledore¡¯s strength is weakening because of age, while Voldemort¡¯s strength is growing day by day.

    Dumbledore apparently also noticed signs of anomalies, and he certainly had some doubts in his heart, although he had not been able to be sure until he saw Tom Riddle¡¯s diaryst year.

    But after bing the Headmaster, he still removed the book from the library.

    Besides preventing the emergence of a second Voldemort, his decision was also driven by the fact that the contents of this book are really not suitable for the young wizards.

    As one of the top dark magic books, the ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± reveals a lot of extreme evil taboo magics. The Horcrux is just one of them, and may not even be the most evil.

    Evan gently rubbed the book with his hand and made up his mind to open it. The yellow, crunchy pages made a sparse, unpleasant sound.

    The first ck magic introduced by the ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± is the Horcrux. At the top of the page is a portrait of a sly, distorted figure of one whose soul is being separated. He seems to suffer great pain, but in the corner of his mouth, there is a cruel smile.

    It could be seen that,pared with the other pages, the dozens of pages about the Horcrux were marked and read everywhere because of being flipped a lot more. Regulus must have opened this book many times. He was looking in it for clues, and thus deduced that Voldemort¡¯s locket hidden in the cave was a Horcrux.

    Evan took a look at the contents and found that they were very detailed.

    It introduced the Horcrux, the source, principle, and method of this ck magic, as well as a lot of test records, and points to be noted each step.

    The more Evan read, the more terrible it was. The content of this book has gone beyond the scope of ¡°general evil.¡±

    The first step in making a Horcrux is to split the soul, and to split the soul relies on killing or other evil forces.

    Then, through a series of veryplicated steps, the split souls are separated from the main one.

    ording to thebel below, Evan knew that although killing was the easiest way to split the soul, it did not mean that the soul would be split at once if a murder was carried out.

    The power needed to split a soul is very strong, and ites from evil and cruelty. The key is not to kill, but to be evil to that extent.

    Therefore, one does not simply split his soul by carrying out a murder.

    It depends on the way of murder¡¯s cruelty and on how evil the soul of the caster is. The whole process is very harsh. As the number of soul splits increases, the degree of evil and difficulty required are also increasing linearly.

    Most Dark wizards are able to split the soul once, which is already the limit.

    No wizard can split his soul into more than two halves and create more than one Horcrux. The pain is enough to shatter the spell-caster.

    Moreover, splitting the soul will make the main soul unstable.

    What Voldemort managed to do, splitting his own soul many times and sessfully making multiple Horcruxes seemed to be almost impossible to Evan.

    After the soul is separated, the next step is to choose the right Horcrux and inject the soul into it.

    Any item can be made into a Horcrux, but with the transfer of the soul, you need an extremely powerful spell to protect your Horcrux, and enough magical power to support thepletion of the entire transfer process. This means that even if a Dark wizard is evil enough to split his own soul, but is not strong enough to support the transfer process, he can¡¯t sessfully create a Horcrux.

    The book emphasizes that the Dark wizard must properly protect his own Horcrux.

    Damaging the Horcrux will inevitably affect the soul of the Lord, and the main soul that has already be extremely unstable will be more fragmented.

    The most immediate consequence is to make the Dark wizard lose his mind and go insane.

    And his power will not be affected. On the contrary, his soul will be evil enough for him to use the darkest of magic more easily.

    Eventually, a Dark wizard whose Horcrux is destroyed, would end up being devoured by the forces of darkness, and would be a monster who knows nothing but killing.

 Chapter 202: Horcruxes and Confession

    <h4>Chapter 202: Horcruxes and Confession</h4>

    Evan¡¯s heart was thumping, this was not good news.

    So far, he had destroyed two Horcruxes made by Voldemort, Tom Riddle¡¯s diary and Slytherin¡¯s locket.

    In terms of quantity, he seemed to have gained an advantage, destroying Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes and making him go closer to death, but in fact, this did not effectively weaken the power of Voldemort¡¯s body, but actually made him more dangerous.

    ording to the notes in the book, the essence of Horcruxes is soul fragments stored in specific containers. The Dark wizard relies on the evil power brought by cruel killing to force the pieces of the soul to be split and then strips them from his body, but they still keep a weak connection with the main soul.

    It is because of this silk connection that no matter how much damage the body receives, it will not really die until all Horcruxes are destroyed.

    The connection between Horcruxes and immortality is the main principle of this dark magic.

    But also, because of this silk connection, once a Horcrux is destroyed, it is bound to affect the Lord¡¯s soul and make it more unstable.

    As for Voldemort, no matter how many parts he divides his soul into, he still has aplete soul before Horcruxes are destroyed.

    He just used the Horcruxes to keep his soul in different ces.

    Voldemort in this state may be ferocious enough, but he is still an evil Dark wizard, a man. Even if he has a very strong dark power, his heart would still be scrupulous, and still have the emotions that all humans have.

    But with the destruction of the soul fragments stored in the Horcruxes, Voldemort¡¯s soul bes iplete, and the already unstable soul bes more fragmented.

    In this state, he will gradually lose all emotions and reason, and transform from a human into a monster, and will have no other thoughts besides bringing endless killing and insance destruction.

    His soul has be fragmented, which means that he is also more evil.

    This is one of the reasons why Voldemort will be stronger. One must know that in addition to the powerful magic of casting ck magic, the power of the spell will also depend on evil the wizard¡¯s soul is.

    The more evil is is, the stronger the power of ck magic is.

    Splitting the soul is the purest evil. The greater the degree of fragmentation is, the more evil the soul bes.

    The destruction of the Horcruxes means that Voldemort will be more dangerous.

    Fortunately, in this process, he gradually loses his reason and bes a monster that is engulfed and controlled by the inner evil forces.

    From this perspective, Voldemort is substantially weakened.

    In Evan¡¯s view, Voldemort¡¯s horror is not the amount of ck magic he holds, or how many unimaginable forces he has. It actually lies within his ability to figure out people¡¯s hearts.

    From his childhood in the orphanage, to his student era in Hogwarts, all the way to when he the Dark Lord, from Voldemort¡¯s past experience, he was very good at confusing people, spreading fear among them and dividing them into weakened fronts.

    One by one, the destroyed Horcruxes take his reason along with them, making him lose that great strength and resort more and more to brute force to conquer others. This made him doomed to fail.

    Making Horcruxes seems to make Voldemort stronger, be giving him the power of immortality, but in essence it distracts his power and buries the foreshadowing of failure. It was all ironic to an extent.

    Before making a Horcrux, one should be aware of that.

    For the caster, using this evil ck magic, will bring him more loses than gains.

    Voldemort certainly knows this, but he still chooses to make the Horcruxes and divide his soul into multiple parts. Evan doesn¡¯t know why he chose to go that route, but he knew that he would never do such a thing.

    He sighed and continued to flip the pages.

    Behind the Horcrux¡¯s production method is the relevant experimental records, data and mentioning of information on how to destroy the Horcruxes.

    First of all, through confession, the soul can be reintegrated.

    ording to the book, if you truly feel what you are doing and repent of it, you can re-integrate the split soul.

    This method seems simple, but for the Dark wizard whose soul has split, it is extremely painful to do so, and this pain alone should be overwhelming enough to destroy the confessor.

    What¡¯s more, Voldemort would never do such a thing.

    Since Voldemort will not voluntarily fuse back his soul, the only way to destroy the Horcruxes is to destroy them directly, with something that is too destructive and powerful for the Horcrux to be repaired by magic.

    The reason why one must do this is because the soul fragment in the Horcrux is different from the soul of the normal person.

    How the soul fragments survive is entirely dependent on the protection magic used on the carrier. Otherwise, the soul fragment won¡¯t even survive.

    Also, while the magical container is still intact, the bit of soul inside it can flit in and out of someone if they get too close to the object, and absorb their life force strengthen itself.

    Of course, this proximity is unrted to how long the Horcrux remains in your hand; it is not at all the sort of cantact required. The key is emotional closeness. Last year, Ron poured all his feelings into Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary, which made him very vulnerable to being controlled.

    If you like or rely on the Horcrux, you are in deep trouble.

    The same was true of the Slytherin Locket, the soul fragment there hoped to lure Evan by hiding within the depths of his soul

    Because the Horcrux itself is a fragment of the soul, it can inherit all the memories and ideas of the original owner. Every Horcrux could be as dangerous as Voldemort himself.

    In thest page about Horcruxes, a lot of records were made. This should be the handwriting that Regulus had left in the past, most of which was about the name of the destructive items that could destroy a Horcrux.

    Because such items aretoo rare, until the end, Regulus did not find a way to destroy the Horcrux, and could only tell Kreacher to take it with him.

    Evan was very fortunate that he had brought along the fang of the Basilisk.

    The Basilisk¡¯s fang can destroy the Horcrux, not because of how sharp it is, but because the poison of the basilisk has only one antidote, which is the extremely rare Phoenix tear.

    There are very few things that are as destructive as snake fangs, and Regulus could not find one at the time.

    Beyond the Horcruxes, the ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± reveals a lot of other evil ck magic. Evan simply took a look. If one word could describe what he was reading, it would be shocking.

    For example, the evil curse behind the Horcrux is based on the study of the Dementor¡¯s kiss, directly targeting at a person¡¯s soul, pulling the soul out of the body, so that he can never be taken back. After, there are several other curses, Inferi production, control methods, detailed descriptions of the three Unforgivable Curses, how to summon demons and have contracts with them¡­

 Chapter 203: Reducio and Departure

    <h4>Chapter 203: Reducio and Departure</h4>

    Although Evan himself would never use this ck magic, this book was indeed very informative, and the ck magic recorded in it inspired him a lot.

    On top of the Horcruxes and the three unforgivable curses, there were other dark magic that Evan had never heard of before. Now, with this book, Evan knew exactly how to deal with them if Voldemort or one of his followers ever used any of them.

    He read some more and then, he raised his head.

    He suddenly remembered that it was not the time for leisurely reading. Dumbledore and Sirius should be back soon, so he didn¡¯t have much time.

    They won¡¯t let him touch these ck magic books, especially the ¡°Secrets of Dark Art¡± in his hand that also contained the method of making Horcruxes.

    He couldn¡¯t read it there, he had to take these ck magic books in front of him away, and study them thoroughly when no one was there.

    Evan frowned at the ck magic books in front of him. They were too big and too thick to be carried easily.

    Just hiding and carrying ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± was hard enough. It should be impossible to carry off all the other books, but he had to find a way around it.

    The best method would be the Undetectable Extension Charm that magnifies the space. Using it on a carry-on backpack or handbag allows one to put things that he need to carry with him, regardless of size or weight.

    However, this spell was veryplicated and extremely difficult to use. Evan had tried it several times before but he was not sessful. It should be impossible for him to do it in a hurry.

    He thought for a moment and pulled out his wand.

    Since the Undetectable Extension Charm should not work, he was going to use the Shrinking Charm.

    A few days ago, when he met Aragog in the Forbidden Forest, Evan originally intended to use this spell, but it was not sessful at the time.

    When he returned to the castle, he practiced it many times and mastered itpletely.

    ¡°Reducio!¡±

    With Evan¡¯s word, the wand glowed purple. The heavy and thick magic book on his knees quickly shrank to only half the size of his palm.

    Evan nodded with satisfaction and looked at it. The current size of this book was very small, but its weight had not changed. If it was not because of Reducio, it would be difficult to believe that this kind of pocket magic book would have this weight.

    He put the shrunken Secrets of the Darkest Art into his arm, and then selected a few magic books to shrink them down until he could no longer hold anymore.

    Shortly after Evan had finished, Sirius came back with Dumbledore.

    Dumbledore wore a long ck travel cloak with Slytherin¡¯s locket in his hand, and his face was more serious than ever.

    ¡°Professor, we just heard Kreacher say¡­¡±

    ¡°Regulus is in that cave, and we have to¡­¡±

    Seeing Dumbledore, Harry and Hermione rushed over, muttering.

    Evan also walked slowly and stood beside Sirius. He was afraid to go too fast, and let the magic books hidden in his arms fall out.

    ¡°Harry, Hermione, I know, Sirius has told me everything on the road.¡± Even though he was talking to Harry and Hermione, Dumbledore¡¯s eyes were fixed on Evan. His light blue eyes were full of scrutiny. He said slowly, ¡°To tell the truth, I did not expect that you would actually discover and destroy this thing.¡±

    ¡°It was just a coincidence. The Slytherin emblem on this Locket was so striking, I was curious to pick it up and look at it. I didn¡¯t expect it¡­¡±

    ¡°And then, you happened to wear the Basilisk¡¯s fang on you. It¡¯s an amazing coincidence, Evan!¡± Dumbledore gave the Locket back to Evan, ¡°But I have to thank you, thanks to all your coincidences and efforts, the Locket has been destroyed thoroughly, and the things inside have disappearedpletely.¡±

    Evan stepped back half a step and hang the Locket around his neck.

    Looking at Dumbledore¡¯s wrinkled face, he wasn¡¯t sure if he noticed anything. Under Dumbledore¡¯s gaze, Evan felt cornered, and all his secrets were known.

    Without talking, he seemed to have seen the Dark magic books hidden in his arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Professor.¡± Harry¡¯s expression was confused. He and Hermione couldn¡¯t understand what Dumbledore was saying to Evan. ¡°What is this Locket? Why does Voldemort want to hide it? And why did Regulus also secretly rece it?¡±

    ¡°Likest year¡¯s diary, this is a Dark Magic item made by Tom Riddle himself. It is very evil and very important. Tom probably never thought that Regulus would take it from the cave under his nose.¡± There seemed to be a glimmer of disappointment in Dumbledore¡¯s tone. ¡°In my opinion, he certainly had a blind confidence in his defensive magic. He didn¡¯t think that Kreacher would leave the cave. He had always been like this and never wanted to pay attention to such things.¡±

    ¡°Professor, what is this Locket?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it should be a Horcrux.¡±

    ¡°Horcrux!¡±

    Harry¡¯s face was even more confused, and he turned his head to look at Hermione.

    Hermione shook her head, and she didn¡¯t know what the Horcrux was. She hadn¡¯t even heard of it before.

    Unlike them, Evan was really surprised. He did not expect Dumbledore to say it directly. He thought that the he would keep it secret.

    It seemed that after seeing Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary and Slytherin¡¯s Locket, Dumbledore had confirmed that Voldemort had made Horcruxes. If not, if he had a new n, he would not tell them about it.

    As for Sirius, after hearing Dumbledore¡¯s words, his face became pale. Although he had his own spections about the Locket before, he never imagined that this thing would be a Horcrux.

    Sirius had heard of this ancient, evil magic.

    Even if the specific use of the Horcrux was not known, there was no doubt that it was very important.

    No wonder Regulus would rather lose his life to steal it from Voldemort.

    Thinking of what his brother had done, Sirius, who was originally in sorrow, felt infinite pride in his heart; he was proud of Regulus.

    ¡°Professor¡­¡± Harry continued to ask, he wanted to know what the Horcrux was.

    But Dumbledore didn¡¯t seem to want to answer this question. He looked down at Kreacher and continued. ¡°I just heard Sirius say that this Locket was originally hidden in a cave by Tom Riddle. I want to go to that cave and take a look; there may be clues left there. Would you like to help us, Kreacher?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Kreacher replied hoarsely in a bullfrog voice. ¡°Kreacher is willing to lead you to the cave. But Master Regulus¡­¡±

    ¡°We will bring Regulus back.¡± Dumbledore looked at Kreacher. ¡°No doubt, he is a hero and deserves to be honored like one.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, Professor, we¡¯re going too,¡± Harry said quickly, not continuing to ask about what the Horcrux was.

    He was afraid that he said too much and lost the opportunity to apany Dumbledore.

    ¡°I can take you three together.¡± Dumbledore¡¯s eyes wandered between them and then finally were set on Evan. ¡°But you must promise me to keep this secret before I agree. You can¡¯t tell anyone else, including Mr. Weasley, is that OK?¡±

    Evan nodded; Hermione hesitated, and then nodded as well.

    ¡°We can¡¯t even tell Ron?¡± Harry looked a little hesitant.

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    They looked at each other for a moment, and Harry nodded. ¡°Okay, Professor.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I think we can leave now.¡± Dumbledore turned and pulled his wand out.

 Chapter 204: Traces of Magic

    <h4>Chapter 204: Traces of Magic</h4>

    ¡°Kreacher, please let me hold your right hand. After I count to three, take us with Apparition to the cave.¡± Dumbledore looked around, muttering, ¡°Now ce your hand upon my arm, the four of you. There is no need to grip too hard, I am merely guiding you.¡±

    There was a strange scene in the room. Sirius, Evan, Harry, and Hermione ced their hands on Dumbledore¡¯s arms. On top of that, Dumbledore held Kreacher¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°One¡­Two¡­Three¡­¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s voice just fell, and Evan felt that he was spinning. He had the same uneasy, bad feeling that he had back when he time traveled into Szar Slytherin¡¯s room.

    Evan could not draw breath, He felt as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube, every part of him was beingpressed almost past endurance.

    And then, just when he thought he must suffocate, the invisible bands seemed to burst open, and he was standing in cool darkness, breathing in lungfuls of fresh, salty air.

    Evan could smell salt and hear rushing waves. He looked up, he found himself standing upon a high outcrop of dark rock, water foaming and churning below him.

    A light, chilly breeze ruffled his hair. In the distant sky, the winter sun, with its faint, warm temperatures was shining on him, making him feelfortable all over his body.

    Then he turned his head and looked backward. A towering cliff stood behind them, a sheer drop, ck and faceless.

    A fewrge chunks of rock, such as the one upon which they were standing, looked as though they had broken away from the cliff face at some point in the past.

    It was a bleak, harsh view, the sea and the rock unrelieved by any tree or sweep of grass or sand.

    ¡°Hermione, are you all right?¡± Evan said with concern, supporting Hermione standing beside him. She had just Apparated for the first time in her life.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Evan, have we just experienced Apparition?¡± Hermione rubbed her ear and said, ¡°Well, it is like being suddenly stuffed into a tube and forced topress into a liquid¡­¡±

    ¡°The sensation does take some getting used to. When you¡¯re grown up, you can pass the Apparition Licence Exam.¡± Dumbledore said slowly, ¡°We should be at the destination, what do you think of this ce?¡± He asked, looking carefully at the cliff.

    It seemed as if he was asking their opinion on whether it was a good site for a pic.

    ¡°If it was summer, it would be a good site for a pic.¡± Harry shook his head, his face mixed with emotions of tension, excitement, anxiety, and so on.

    Then he noticed that Sirius standing next to him did not look very good.

    ¡°How do you feel, Sirius,¡± Harry hurriedly asked. ¡°You look a little¡­¡±

    ¡°Very bad, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sirius¡¯s pale face was very ugly. He said disgustedly. ¡°I just remembered some bad things. Azkaban also has such a cliff. It was the only sight that could be seen from the narrow window of my room.¡±

    ¡°Azkaban!¡± It was the first time that Evan heard Sirius mentioning the ce.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it was almost exactly the same, the dark sea and the ck rocks are endlessly deste, and no one would go there, apart the Dementors who were ready to throw the dead from there¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Sirius!¡± After hearing him, Evan, Harry, and Hermione were worried. They went up to hug him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, everything is over now!¡± The fragile side of Sirius got back into hiding. He instantly returned to normal. He said loudly, ¡°Kreacher, is this where my brother died at the time? Where is the cave?¡±

    ¡°On the cliff over there, young Master!¡± Kreacher pointed at the steep cliff, and they hurriedly looked there, but they didn¡¯t see anything.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Why don¡¯t you take us directly into the cave?¡±

    ¡°Kreacher can get in, but he can¡¯t get you in. There is magic in there to stop Kreacher from doing that!¡± Kreacher stared anxiously and said, ¡°Master Regulus climbed from here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Tom Riddle¡¯s magic that prevents others from entering the cave through Apparition, but he neglected the magic of the house-elf, which is like his style. He always dismissed the house-elves.¡± Dumbledore said briefly, and asked again, ¡°How do you feel about it, Evan?¡±

    ¡°I agree with Harry, this is a good camping ce right here!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really a good idea; it gives me a lot of inspiration, very magnificent!¡± Dumbledore pondered for a moment, and calmly said, ¡°If I remember correctly, there should be a vige nearby. In the summer, they usually bring the orphans here for a little sea air and a view of the waves. ¡±

    Harry and Hermione looked at Dumbledore puzzled. Only Evan knew what he was talking about.

    ¡°Riddle certainly had been here before he went to Hogwarts,¡± Dumbledore carefully observed the bare cliffs. ¡°It¡¯s perfect that no Muggle could reach this rock unless they were umonly good mountaineers, and boats cannot approach the cliffs, as the waters around them are too dangerous. I imagine that Riddle climbed down; magic would have served better than ropes. And he brought two small children with him, probably for the pleasure of terrorizing them. ¡±

    They walked a few steps forward to the very edge of the rock.

    Evan saw a series of jagged niches that made footholds leading down to boulders thaty half-submerged in water and closer to the cliff.

    It was a treacherous descent. The lower rocks were slippery with seawater. Evan could feel flecks of cold salt spray hitting his face.

    ¡°Where is the cave?¡± Sirius asked Kreacher again.

    Kreacher looked anxiously at them, muttering the entrance of the cave, but Evan saw nothing but the ck rock and the rough waves.

    ¡°It must be right here, we must be close to it, we can¡­¡±

    ¡°That way, I already feel its position.¡± Dumbledore suddenly said.

    He pulled out his wand. ¡°Lumos,¡± he said, as he reached the boulder closest to the cliff face.

    A thousand flecks of golden light sparkled upon the dark surface of the water a few feet below where he crouched; the ck wall of rock beside him was illuminated too.

    ¡°You see?¡± said Dumbledore quietly, holding his wand a little higher to control the light.

    Below the water surface, Evan and Harry saw a fissure in the cliff into which dark water was swirling.

    It was so hidden behind the big rock, and with the reflection of the sea. If it wasn¡¯t for Dumbledore¡¯s guidance, it would have been impossible to notice it.

    ¡°Professor, have you been here before?¡± Harry wiped his eyes and asked in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time, like you, ¡°Dumbledore stood up.

    ¡°But how did you see the fissure?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it with your eyes, Harry!¡± Dumbledore whispered. ¡°With the heart, magic will always leave a trace, sometimes very obvious, I have been able to feel the magic of the fissure, but it was more obvious than a candlelight in the dark.¡±

 Chapter 205: The Cave under the Cliff

    <h4>Chapter 205: The Cave under the Cliff</h4>

    Hearing Dumbledore, Evan tried to sense those traces left by the magic, but he just stood there blinking as he felt nothing.

    By the expressions of Sirius, Harry, and Hermione, they should be like him, not getting what Dumbledore was talking about.

    This showed the gap between them and Dumbledore.

    ¡°You three will not object to getting a little wet?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we don¡¯t mind.¡± Evan, Harry and Hermione hurriedly shook their heads.

    ¡°Very well, now the tide is rising, the entrance will get deeper and deeper, we must hurry up, let us take a chance and try it.¡± Dumbledore turned his head and continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go first, the three of you follow me, and Sirius behind. As for you Kreacher, you go to the cave and wait for us.¡±

    After some preparations, they started to act.

    And with the sudden agility of a much younger man, Dumbledore slid from the boulder,nded in the sea, put his wand in his mouth and began to swim with a perfect breaststroke toward the dark slit in the rock face.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione also rushed to follow, and Sirius was behind them.

    The water was icy and biting, and everyone felt bad. Especially Evan, he had too many magic books in his arms. His waterlogged clothes billowed around him and weighed him down.

    He took deep breaths that filled his nostrils with the tang of salt and seaweed.

    Then he sank to the bottom of the water, struggling to find Dumbledore in front of him, and the narrow gap in the depths of the cliff.

    But he didn¡¯t see anything, not even Harry and Hermione, who were supposed to be next to him. There seemed to be a strong suction in the depths of the sea. Like a bottomless ck whirlpool, he was going deep into it, dragged to the bottom.

    In the dark, cold waters, Evan was lonely and helpless, and couldn¡¯t even breathe.

    Just as he could hardly keep up, someone pulled him up.

    It was Sirius, his strength was great, pulling Evan to swim in the other direction.

    Soon, they entered the gap in the depths of the cliff, and the fissure opened into a dark tunnel. They quickly moved up in the dark passage, and Evan was able to breathe again. So far, the seawater had not filled the whole dark tunnel, but it had reached his chest.

    Now that the tide was rising, and while the tunnel would hold on for a while, it should definitely be filled with water at high tide.

    ¡°You¡¯re all right, Evan¡± Sirius patted Evan¡¯s shoulder and said with concern, ¡°Don¡¯t be too reluctant, I saw you falling behind¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine¡±

    Evan, Harry and Hermione hurried up, because they were too cold, and all three of them were pale and shivering in the water to the chest.

    Not far ahead, the end of Dumbledore¡¯s wand was shining bright golden. He was looking around. The slimy walls were barely three feet apart and glimmered like wet tar.

    He did not say anything, just waving his hand and signaling them to keep up.

    Going a little further, there was a crossroads, and Kreacher was not there. They didn¡¯t know which way to go, but Dumbledore turned left without hesitation.

    They continued to follow Dumbledore, and the temperature in the cave was much lower than the outside, for there was no sunshine and the biting water was even colder. Their numb fingers were rubbed against the rough, wet rocks as they stumbled forward in the sea.

    At the end of the dark tunnel, Dumbledore rose out of the water, his silver hair and dark robes gleaming.

    They swam there and found steps leading into arge cave.

    Evan struggled to mber up them, water streaming from his soaking clothes.

    He finally emerged, shivering uncontrobly, into the still and freezing air.

    He saw that Kreacher was already standing in the middle of the cave and was talking to Dumbledore next to him.

    Dumbledore was standing in the middle of the cave, his wand held high, whispering as he turned slowly on the spot, examining the walls and ceiling.

    ¡°There is no doubt that this is the ce.¡± Dumbledore said briefly, ¡°These walls have been enchanted, the traces that Riddle left¡­¡±

    Evan watched as Dumbledore continued to revolve on the spot, apparently focusing on something Evan couldn¡¯t see, studying the traces left by Voldemort.

    ¡°Yes, Kreacher, I know that this is merely the antechamber, the entrance hall,¡± Dumbledore whispered. ?We need to prate the inner ce¡­ Now it is Lord Voldemort¡¯s obstacles that stand in our way, rather than those nature made¡­ ¡±

    Dumbledore approached the wall of the cave and caressed it with his ckened fingertips.

    The wand in his hand swayed slightly, and his mouth was murmuring in a strange tongue that Harry did not understand. It seemed to be a magic Spell, or perhaps it wasn¡¯t.

    Because nothing happened, twice Dumbledore walked right around the cave, touching as much of the rough rock as he could, asionally pausing, running his fingers backward and forward over a particr spot.

    ¡°Pro¡­ Professor¡±

    Evan took a few steps forward. Dumbledore was identifying the magic traces left by Voldemort. He wanted to know how Dumbledore did it. He had never seen a wizard work things out like this, simply by looking and touching, and using his mind to sense it.

    It¡¯s the work of a master, devoid of bangs and smoke that were more often the marks of ineptitude than expertise¡­

    Evan wanted to learn from Dumbledore how to distinguish the magic traces left on the object, but then found that he had no energy at all to do such things.

    Because the cold invaded the bone marrow, he was shaking all over.

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione beside him were not much better either, and they were shaking uncontrobly.

    Evan saw that Sirius pulled out his wand and wanted to use magic to warm them up, but it didn¡¯t work. Because of the cold, his teeth were ttering, and his magic failed.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, I forgot.¡± Dumbledore noticed them. He pointed to the four of them with his wand.

    With Dumbledore¡¯s gesture, Evan felt that his body became immediately dry and warm, and there was no trace of moister in his clothes as if they had been hanging in front of a zing fire. .

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Evan, Harry, and Hermione gratefully, but Dumbledore had already turned his attention back to the solid cave wall.

    He did not try any more magic, but simply stood there staring at it intently, as though something extremely interesting was written on it.

    ¡°Where is Regulus?¡± Sirius suddenly shouted, ¡°Kreacher, tell us how to get in.¡±

    There was a hint of impatience in his voice. They had wasted too much time, and this dark, strange hole in front of him was beyond his grasp.

    This was not something he was good at. He would rather fight the underworld than stay here¡­

 Chapter 206: The Great Black Lake

    <h4>Chapter 206: The Great ck Lake</h4>

    ¡°Tell me, Kreacher,¡± Sirius clenched his fist and snarled loudly. ¡°How can I get through here?¡±

    ¡°Need blood, young Master,¡± said Kreacher intermittently, pointing to arge, smooth-faced rock in front of Dumbledore. ¡°Kreacher saw the Dark Lord spread the blood on the rock, and Master Regulus did the same at the time. He cut his arm, and then¡­ ¡±

    Sirius stared for a moment, and didn¡¯t seem to understand exactly what Kreacher meant.

    Behind him, the expressions on Harry and Hermione¡¯s face were full of uneasiness, looking at the rock in horror, as if something was going to crawl out of it. They heard Kreacher mentioning the blood, and they couldn¡¯t help but imagine all sorts of bad images.

    Unlike them, Evan stepped forward.

    He stood behind Dumbledore and carefully observed the rock that Kreacher pointed at.

    In fact, from the moment he entered the cave, he felt that there was a difference in that side, although the rock did not look any different from the surrounding rock wall.

    However, Evan could feel something wrong. This feeling was ethereal. He didn¡¯t know how to describe it, not in the sense of sight or touch, but in the sense that magic was more abnormal there than anywhere else.

    It was like a normal light that suddenly broke at a certain position.

    ¡°All magic will leave traces, and you should use your heart to sense.¡± Dumbledore whispered, and he stepped back a few steps, and watched to see if Evan had realized it.

    ¡°Use my heart¡­¡± Evan did not know what to do.

    He just instinctively felt that the magical reaction on the rock in front of him was abnormal, but he couldn¡¯t say what the abnormality was.

    Dumbledore did not just keep on watching, he used his wand to point to the rock in front of him.

    For a moment, an arched outline appeared there, zing white as though there was a powerful light behind the crack.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done it!¡± Harry shouted cheerfully.

    He had just fallen into uneasiness because of Kreacher¡¯s words, but Dumbledore¡¯s deed immediately raised a glimmer of hope within his heart.

    Dumbledore was there, they didn¡¯t want to spill blood on the rock at all, and now they could get through it without that.

    But before the words left his lips, the outline was gone, leaving the rock as bare and solid as ever, and there was nothing on it.

    ¡°Professor¡±

    ¡°Kreacher is right; we really need to give blood to get through here.¡± Dumbledore looked at him and said calmly, ¡°He thought he was sessful, but it is so crude.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we need blood to get through here,¡± Harry said doubtfully. ¡°And, so crude, what does it mean?¡±

    ¡°urately, Riddle¡¯s magic is asking us to make a payment; we must weaken ourselves to enter, so I said it was so crude.¡±

    Dumbledore sounded disdainful, even disappointed, as though Voldemort had fallen short of higher standards Dumbledore expected. ¡°Once again, Lord Voldemort fails to grasp that there are much more terrible things than physical injury.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but still, if you can avoid it¡­¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, however, it is unavoidable; we have to deal with the rules of magic,¡± said Dumbledore, putting his uninjured hand inside his robes and drawing out a short silver knife of the kind used to chop potion ingredients.

    ¡°No, Professor¡±

    Seeing Dumbledore raising his short knife, Evan, Harry, and Hermione rushed to stop him.

    Everyone knew what Dumbledore wanted to do, but they didn¡¯t know what to say. If someone had to bleed, they should choose one of them instead of letting Dumbledore do it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯m ¡­¡± Harry rushed.

    But someone was quicker than he was. Just as they blocked Dumbledore, Sirius had made up his mind. He quickly rushed to the side of the rock. The end of the wand shed through, his arm erupted red, and the rock face was peppered with dark, glistening drops.

    ¡°Sirius¡± Harry turned his head slowly and couldn¡¯t believe it. His face turned pale, and he rushed to Sirius in panic.

    Dumbledore, Evan, and Hermione also hurried up. They saw that the wound on Sirius¡¯s arm was veryrge, and a lot of blood was flowing out of control.

    ¡°You should let me do it, Sirius; your blood is worth more than mine.¡±

    Dumbledore passed the tip of his wand over the deep cut Sirius had made in his arm, and the wound healed instantly.

    ¡°No, it must be done by me. This is for Regulus¡­¡± Sirius looked up and replied weakly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, I¡¯m fine. Is this blood enough? If you want, I can do it again.¡±

    ¡°I believe that¡¯s enough.¡± Dumbledore looked at the changing wall and said softly, ¡°The effect is very obvious.¡±

    The zing silver outline of an arch had appeared in the wall once more, and this time it did not fade away.

    The blood-spattered rock within it simply vanished, leaving an opening into what seemed total darkness.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, you¡¯d better follow me and take out your wands,¡± Dumbledore said, passing the door.

    Sirius, Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Kreacher followed him and walked in, hurriedly lighting up their wands.

    In front of them, it was an eerie sight.

    Although they heard about it before from Kreacher, the real scene they saw was more shocking than any words or imagination.

    At that moment, they were standing on the edge of a great ckke.

    Theke was so vast and endless that they could not make out the distant banks.

    The cavern was so high that the ceiling too was out of sight.

    A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of theke; it was reflected in thepletely still water below.

    The greenish glow and the light from the five wands were the only things that broke the otherwise velvety ckness, though their rays did not prate as far as they would have expected. The darkness was somehow denser than normal darkness.

    It was hard to imagine that they were in the cavern inside the cliff.

    Through that arch, Evan thought that they hade to a different space. He didn¡¯t know how Voldemort did it. He couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful it would be to transform an ordinary cave into what this looked like.

    ¡°Kreacher, Regulus¡¯s corpse¡­¡± Sirius suddenly said, in a strange voice, not the usual shouting, but rather with a hint of sadness, ¡°Tell me where his body is.¡±

    ¡°There is an ind in the middle of theke, young Master.¡± The tears flowed out of Kreacher¡¯s big eyes uncontrobly. He whimpered as he wiped his tears. ¡°Kreacher was there back then; Kreacher saw Master Regulus being dragged into theke by the hands of the Inferi.¡±

 Chapter 207: Inferi in the Lake

    <h4>Chapter 207: Inferi in the Lake</h4>

    When he heard Kreacher, Sirius rushed forward.

    It was really clear how much he wanted to rush into theke to find Regulus¡¯s body.

    ¡°No, Sirius!¡±

    Looking at Sirius, Harry and Hermione screamed, fortunately Dumbledore stopped him at thest minute.

    ¡°Let me go!¡± Sirius gasped and said, ¡°I am going to find Regulus.¡±

    ¡°I can understand your feelings, Sirius, but we must be careful.¡± Dumbledore whispered, ¡°The ck Lake is very dangerous. You have heard Kreacher¡¯s description and you know what is hidden inside. In addition to the Inferi, thiske also¡­¡±

    ¡°I am not afraid of danger, I don¡¯t fear the Inferi!¡± ¡±

    ¡°I know, but rushing directly into theke, that doesn¡¯t help Regulus. What you were about to do is just more of a hindrance than a help.¡±

    Sirius was silent and gradually calmed down.

    ¡°Very well, let us walk. Kreacher just mentioned the ind in the center of theke, and the stone altar that was originally used to store the Horcrux. I want to go there and have a look.¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°Be very careful not to step into the water. Stay close to me.¡±

    He set off around the edge of theke, and Evan followed close behind him.

    Their footsteps made echoing, pping sounds on the narrow rim of rock that surrounded the water.

    On and on they walked, but the view did not vary: on one side of them, the rough cavern wall, on the other, the boundless expanse of smooth, ssy ckness, in the very middle of which was that mysterious greenish glow¡­

    No one spoke. The ce and this silence were oppressive and unnerving.

    Evan had been looking into theke. The dark water was like a ck ss. It was bright and smooth. Although nothing could be seen, he knew that under the calmke, countless ferocious Inferi were watching them quietly.

    ¡°How long will we go this way?¡± Sirius said impatiently, his voice echoed in the silent darkness.

    ¡°There is a boat that can carry us to the center of theke, but Kreacher can¡¯t remember where the boat is.¡± Kreacher shuddered and said, licking his ears and punishing himself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will find it.¡± Dumbledore stopped Kreacher.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we must go to the ind in the middle of theke and not go straight into theke to find Regulus¡­¡±

    ¡°Into theke? Only if we are very unfortunate.¡± said Dumbledore, ¡± You can try it, Sirius, don¡¯t touch theke with your hands, use magic or throw something into it, and see what happens.¡±

    Sirius picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into theke.

    Along with a loud noise, countless marble white Inferi hands stretched out from the calm surface of theke.

    They came out of nowhere, with no warning or sign, as if they came from hell.

    A secondter, theke instantly boiled up, and the hands of the Inferi covered the entireke.

    They struggled and twisted as if they were going to catch something in the air.

    Seeing this scene, Hermione screamed and held Evan¡¯s right arm.

    Evan also stepped back and looked at the crazyke with a lingering fear. Although he was ready, his heart was still beating wildly.

    Sirius and Harry looked at theke in dismay, and the number of Inferi in front of them waspletely beyond their imagination.

    A few secondster, the dead bodies and ripples disappearedpletely, at an extraordinary speed, as if they had never existed. The stone that Sirius had thrown in thekepletely disappeared, not sinking into the bottom of theke, but being dposed and dissipated.

    ¡°Professor!¡± Harry yelled, his voice sounding much sharper than usual, hardly like his own.

    ¡°You see, this is not the right way to wake them up.¡± Dumbledore said calmly. ¡°There are too many Inferi, and it is impossible to destroy them all. We must find the ce where Regulus had been dragged into the water.¡±

    ¡°If they rush out, what should we do?¡±

    ¡°Like many creatures living in the cold and the dark, they are afraid of light and warmth. If necessary, we can use fire.¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡°The light and warmth brought by the fire can effectively restrain them!¡±

    ¡°But ¡­ ¡°Harry¡¯s face was still full with terror.

    ¡°You have to know that there is nothing to be feared from a body, Harry, any more than there is anything to be feared from the darkness.¡± Dumbledore stared at the darkke. ¡°Lord Voldemort, who of course secretly fears both, disagrees. But once again he reveals his ownck of wisdom. It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.¡±

    No one said anything, no one wanted to argue.

    However, it could be seen from everyone¡¯s expressions that they did not agree with what Dumbledore said. They felt particrly scared when they thought about all the Inferi in the hugeke in front of them.

    Perhaps only a powerful wizard like Dumbledore was qualified to say such a thing. He was not afraid of anything, even death.

    Evan tried to recall the information rted to the Inferi he had just got from the book ?Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±: zombies are not part of British folklore, but associated with the myths of Haiti and parts of Africa. The sorcerer turns the ¡°cursed resurrected corpse¡± into ¡°a horrible servant¡± which can be manipted.

    In those tribal traditions, the Inferi was considered to be a warrior or a guardian with no regard for its own safety.

    They have many uses and are easily recognized and respected by other tribal residents.

    Only those bodies that had made great contributions to the Horde while alive are qualified to be made into Inferi, and continue to guard the Horde after death which is the supreme glory.

    After this witchcraft came to Europe, after centuries of development and change, it was gradually transformed by the ck wizards into what it is now, bing a pure ck magic.

    Compared with African witchcraft, these Inferi made by ck wizards may have a weaker individual strength, but the method of making them became simpler and less risky, and was considered to be one of the most evil ck magic.

    The creation of an Inferius requires the use of any dead body. From the hugeke area in front of them, the number of Inferi in should be extremelyrge.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Voldemort found these bodies, and he could only specte that they had been killed.

    The clothes on these dead bodies were all ordinary Muggle styles. They were probably the ones killed by Voldemort and other Death Eaters during Voldemort¡¯s rise.

 Chapter 208: Strange Feelings

    <h4>Chapter 208: Strange Feelings</h4>

    Thinking of this, Evan felt particrly ufortable.

    He remembered the book ¡°The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts¡±, which describes Voldemort¡¯s strongest decade: ¡°The era of Voldemort¡¯s rule was marked by destruction, and he and his suitors, the ck wizards known as Death Eaters, used all kinds of coercion and seduction to strengthen themselves and spread violence and fear. Many Muggles were killed in the name of ¡°amusement¡± as they tortured those who obstructed them with unforgivable spells.¡±

    Evan thought that this was an exaggerated description of the brutal rule of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. They might have killed a lot of people, but most of them should be the wizards who resisted them, so he thought.

    But now it seems that this was not the case at all.

    They had already put their doctrines into practice and had actually killed a lot of innocent Muggles.

    The great ck Lake in front of him was testament of their heinous crimes. There were thousands of corpses in it.

    In front of such powerful Dark wizards, those ordinary people who had no magic power could not even resist, but Voldemort and Death Eaters still killed them, and cruelly made them into Inferi.

    And even after death, their bodies and souls did not get peace.

    This kind of actions was not warfare; it was genocide.

    Evan didn¡¯t know why Voldemort and the Death Eaters did this, maybe as said in the book, they just wanted to have fun; or Voldemort needed them to make Inferi, guarding his own Horcruxes; or¡­

    Evan felt a puff of ice-cold all over his body, strange feelings rising from his heart.

    Looking at the ckke in front of him, he felt exceptionally angry thinking of what Voldemort had done.

    He thought about those things while silently following Dumbledore. Then, thetter suddenly stopped and Evan almost walked into him.

    He lost his bnce and toppled on the edge of the dark water. Dumbledore grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

    ¡°So sorry, Evan, I should have given warning. Stand back against the wall, please; I think I have found the ce.¡± Dumbledore said, hinting that the others would follow.

    Evan didn¡¯t lean back, but instead approached one step.

    This patch of dark bank was exactly like every other bit as far as he could tell, but Dumbledore seemed to have detected something special about it.

    Evan knew that Dumbledore has discovered the location of the sailboat and he wanted to figure out how he did it.

    He concentrated on seeing Dumbledore¡¯s hand running not over the rocky wall, but through the thin air, as though expecting to find and grip something invisible.

    A few secondster, his hand closed in midair, as if he had caught something that no one else could see.

    Along this thing, Dumbledore slowly moved closer to theke and Evan followed.

    The closer Evan was to theke, the more awkward he felt.

    It was an unusual reaction to magic, very simr to the feeling at the entrance of the big rock, but more intense.

    Harry watched nervously as the tips of Dumbledore¡¯s buckled shoes found the utmost edge of the rock rim. Keeping his hand clenched in midair, Dumbledore raised his wand with the other and tapped his fist with the point.

    Evan could feel something abnormal, but he didn¡¯t know what Dumbledore had found and how he found it.

    He knew that he would have no chance to open his mouth again anytime soon, and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Professor?!¡±

    ¡°I just reminded you to feel it with your heart!¡± Dumbledore looked back at Evan for a moment, saying calmly, ¡°You¡¯ve got the hang of it, you¡¯re only one step away. I can give you a little more help.¡±

    The wand in his hand swayed slightly, and his mouth muttered something.

    With the movement of Dumbledore, Evan suddenly had a strange feeling, and there was a deep click inside him, as if something was broken.

    Then there was a cool feelinging out of his heart.

    Evan found that the light around him began to drift, everything was ethereal; his soul seemed to float out of his body, and the world became dark ck and white.

    He was somewhat curious, what kind of magic did Dumbledore use on him?

    Evan suddenly found that he no longer looked at things with his eyes, but looked at everything around him with a different strange perspective.

    It was like what Dumbledore said, heart feeling.

    ¡°Now, pay attention to the things in my left hand, Evan!¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s voice seemed toe from a distant ce, very vague, but the meaning of his words was urately transmitted to Evan¡¯s mind.

    He hurriedly bowed his head and looked at Dumbledore¡¯s hand.

    He saw what Dumbledore really caught in his hand, a ck rope that was significantly darker than the surrounding.

    It was held in Dumbledore¡¯s hands and extended into theke in front of him.

    Down, in the depths of theke, where the rope was tied, the eerie ck became more intense, and the contrast with the surroundings was more obvious.

    The ck appeared in a strange shape and looked like a boat.

    Evan was amazed. He knew that there was a wooden boat there, but it was hidden by magic and he could not see it before.

    Now in contrast, he suddenly realized that those ck things, which were obviously much darker than the surrounding colors, should be the traces of what Dumbledore called Magic.

    ¡°Very well, remember this feeling, and then slowly raise your head.¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s voice came again, and Evan did what he had ordered, and the surrounding light began to return to normal.

    By the end, he saw the whole image of theke in front of him.

    Theke water was distinctly different from what it had just been. It was no longer dark and opaque, but an abnormal green color, darker and darker toward the center of theke.

    It looked like the juice of a slug, extremely revolting.

    If this was also a trace of magic, then there should be something bad in the water. No wonder that Dumbledore insisted that they should never touch this water.

    Under the greenke, there were countless gray spots.

    No doubt, they should be Inferi.

    Evan thought so, and everything gradually returned to its original appearance.

    It was dark everywhere, and only a few wands gave out a faint glow.

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were standing pale on the edge of the rock, staring anxiously at Dumbledore and his fist hanging tight.

    ¡°Come on, Evan!¡± Hermione whispered, and she gently grabbed Evan¡¯s right arm and pulled him back. ¡°Dumbledore told to stand back against the wall, and you¡¯re stuck there.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Dumbledore¡¯s magic, he just¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Hermione said in surprise, ¡°Dumbledore has not cast a spell yet. Look, he seems to have found something.¡±

    ¡°I know, he found the boat, I just saw the traces of magic.¡± Evan exined, ¡°Dumbledore has just cast a spell on me. I felt a cold gush in my heart. Everything in front of me was strange. It was totally different from what I see right now¡­¡±

    Evan suddenly stopped, and he found Hermione¡¯s face stunned, apparently not understanding what he was talking about.

    Not far away, it was the same for Sirius and Harry. They didn¡¯t notice any anomalies, and they didn¡¯t see Dumbledore casting a spell on him, nor could they know what he had just seen.

    Everything that happened just now was so ethereal, as if only Evan himself and Dumbledore knew about it.

    In fact, the others just saw that Dumbledore seemed to find something on the ground. He told them to stand back, but Evan suddenly went over and stood behind Dumbledore for about two or three seconds, Hermione then pulled him back.

    The whole process was like this, although strange, it was unseen.

 Chapter 209: The Amount of Magic

    <h4>Chapter 209: The Amount of Magic</h4>

    Evan squinted and looked at Dumbledore in astonishment.

    On the shore of the darkke not far away, Dumbledore did not turn around. He turned his back to everyone, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione had their eyes wide, waiting for his next move.

    Everything was just the same as before, everything became unreal again, and Evan tried to recall the wonderful feeling and look for the traces of magic.

    It wasn¡¯t as strong as it just was, but he still could clearly feel the location of the boat.

    Even if his eyes couldn¡¯t see it, Voldemort¡¯s magic traces staying on the boat were still very clear.

    Evan bowed his head and tried to remember this feeling.

    Of course, it¡¯s one thing to be able to notice the traces left by magic. Identifying this magic and breaking it is another matter.

    He focused to see what Dumbledore did.

    In front of them, keeping his hand clenched in midair, Dumbledore raised his wand with the other and tapped his fist with the point.

    Immediately a thick coppery green chain appeared out of thin air, extending from the depths of the water into Dumbledore¡¯s clenched hand.

    Dumbledore tapped the chain, which began to slide through his fist like a snake, coiling itself on the ground with a clinking sound that echoed noisily off the rocky walls.

    The chain pulled something from the depths of the ck water. Everyone gasped as the ghostly prow of a tiny boat broke the surface, glowing as green as the chain, and floated, with barely a ripple, toward the ce on the bank where they stood.

    ¡°How did you know that was there?¡± Harry asked in astonishment.

    Sirius and Hermione also looked at Dumbledore curiously, and Evan tried to remember the strong feeling of the magical changes when the chain and the boat appeared.

    ¡°As I just said, magic always leaves traces,¡± said Dumbledore, as the boat hit the bank with a gentle bump, ¡°sometimes very distinctive traces. I taught Tom Riddle. I know his style.¡±

    ¡°Is¡­ is this boat safe?¡± Harry didn¡¯t understand Dumbledore¡¯s words. He scratched his head and continued to ask, ¡°It won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I think so. Voldemort needed to create a means to cross theke without attracting the wrath of those creatures he had ced within it, in case he ever wanted to visit or remove his Horcrux.¡±

    ¡°So the things in the water won¡¯t do anything to us if we cross in Voldemort¡¯s boat, will they?¡±

    Looking at Harry¡¯s expression, he was obviously worried.

    What should they do if the boat reached midway to the ind and suddenly sunk?

    In fact, not only Harry, but also Sirius, Evan and Hermione were equally worried, and a horrible image emerged in their minds: the moment they were out of sight of the bank, the hands that had just appeared woulde out of the dark water.

    ¡°I think we must resign ourselves to the fact that they will, at some point, realize we are not Lord Voldemort¡­¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡°We can¡¯t escape. Don¡¯t forget the purpose of our trip. We will definitely have to face them. This is almost inevitable. Thus far, however, we have done well. They have allowed us to raise the boat; we must be allowed to use it. ¡±

    ¡°But why did Voldemort let us?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°Too proud, he only believes in his own strength, this is another weakness of his, Harry,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Voldemort would have been reasonably confident that none but a very great wizard would have been able to find the boat. I think he would have been prepared to risk what was, to his mind, the most unlikely possibility that somebody else would find it, knowing that he had set other obstacles ahead that only he would be able to prate. If there is no ident, it should be the stone altar and the liquid inside to store the Horcrux. I can¡¯t wait to see what is inside. ¡±

    Everyone gathered around and looked down at the boat. It was really very small.

    ¡°I do not understand, Professor, ¡°Hermione said softly,¡± this boat, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it was built for us. Will it hold all of us? Five people and Kreacher? Will we be too heavy together?¡±

    Hermione¡¯s fears were very justified. Though measured in terms of area, they could barely stand on it, It wasmon sense that the boat could only hold one or two people at most.

    When he heard Hermione, Dumbledore chuckled.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about it, ¡°Voldemort will not have cared about the weight, but about the amount of magical power that crossed hiske. I rather think an enchantment will have been ced upon this boat so that only one wizard at a time will be able to sail in it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°We need to take a chance.¡± Dumbledore took a step forward, the boat weighed down, deep in the water, and stopped a quarter further from the edge of the boat.

    The boat swayed and looked as if it might sink to the bottom of the water at any time.

    Harry and Hermione couldn¡¯t help but scream, and Sirius took a step forward and tried to hold Dumbledore.

    But nothing happened. After the swing, the boat gradually stabilized.

    ¡°Very well, as I guess, you cane up. I think it unlikely that your powers will registerpared to mine.¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°Be careful not to touch the water.¡±

    Dumbledore moved aside and Sirius walked up.

    Everyone¡¯s heart was lifted, and they looked nervously ahead. The boat sank a little more, shook slightly and stopped at once.

    This time, the depth of draught could not bepared with that of Dumbledore when he went up.

    If the boat¡¯s ¡°heft¡± was not measured by weight, but by the amount of magical power, then the difference between Sirius¡¯s magic and Dumbledore¡¯s was very striking.

    To describe it, it was as the gap between a tank and a bottle of water.

    Then came Harry and Hermione.

    The two of them climbed into the boat cautiously, as what was left of it above the surface was so narrow that it looked like it could sink at any moment.

    But nothing happened. The boat didn¡¯t even flutter, and it kept floating steadily, and the draught was almost unchanged.

    It was incredible; Harry and Hermione seemed to have no weight.

    This also meant that, in terms of magical power, the two of them together were not even equal to Sirius, let aloneparable with Dumbledore.

    If Sirius¡¯s magical power was a bottle of water, the magic of Harry and Hermione was more like a ss.

 Chapter 210: The Power of Evan

    <h4>Chapter 210: The Power of Evan</h4>

    The four people on the boat were tightly gathered, and they didn¡¯t dare to move.

    Because of the small space, Harry and Hermione could not even sitfortably, they could only kneel down, knees on the boat.

    ¡°Professor¡± Harry said anxiously, looking at theke that was close at hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry, as I said earlier, this boat is measured by the power of magic. In my opinion, Voldemort would not count the three of you.¡± Dumbledore exined, ¡°You are underage and unqualified. Voldemort would never have expected three twelve or thirteen-year-old wizards to reach this ce.¡±

    Harry heard Dumbledore¡¯s words, and looked both worried and dejected.

    Dumbledore probably noticed that, he added, ¡°Voldemort¡¯s mistake, Harry, Voldemort¡¯s mistake¡­ Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth. You all have unlimited potential and possibilities¡­ Well, Evan, you cane over, and be careful not to touch the water.¡±

    ¡°But there is no ce on the boat, Professor¡± Evan blinked, even if magically, this boat could hold several of them without the risk of sinking, there wasn¡¯t enough space on board for him to sit.

    ¡°You cane up after metamorphism.¡± Dumbledore said calmly. ¡°If I remember correctly, your Animagus form is not a veryrge animal.¡±

    Evan was surprised; he did not know how Dumbledore knew about his Animagus form.

    Although it was a semi-public secret, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione all knew about it, Evan was very careful every time he transformed, and Dumbledore was absent. It stood to reason that he should not have known about this.

    But that was Dumbledore. He could not hide anything from him. He knew everything. There was no such thing as a secret for him.

    Evan didn¡¯t know his specific source of intelligence, but it wasn¡¯t just with him: even everything that Voldemort did was also as clear as daylight to Dumbledore.

    It was amazing, admirable, but thinking about it, it was also terrifying.

    Dumbledore was that kind of a person.

    Evan whispered a word and turned into a ck cat.

    There was no ce above the boat, he looked around, then gently jumped onto the boatnding right into Hermione¡¯s arms.

    Hermione¡¯s little face turned red and she looked very embarrassed. She did not think that Evan would do this, especially in front of Dumbledore, Sirius, and Harry.

    She turned her head and saw that the others were not looking at them. They were trying to pretend that they hadn¡¯t noticed anything, but the faint smile on their lips exposed everything.

    Hermione¡¯s face became even redder, almost to the extreme.

    Just as she hesitated, the boat suddenly swayed and sunk down fiercely.

    Hermione screamed and subconsciously hugged Evan.

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to feel Hermione¡¯s warmth. He was surprised to find that the boat was sinking quickly.

    The boat reacted much more when he jumped aboard than when Harry and Hermione climbed aboard, even more than when Sirius came up. Originally, there was less than a quarter of the space left at the edge of the boat, it quickly sank more and more, and its sinking speed was getting faster and faster, showing no signs of stopping.

    If they didn¡¯t take any action, the boat would soon be overturned and sink.

    Dumbledore looked at Evan in surprise. He quickly swayed his wand and muttered a spell with his mouth. A white mist came out of the end of the wand, passed around the crowd, and then gathered under the sinking boat and pushed it back up.

    The boat swayed violently and gradually stabilized. It was almost at the level of theke propped by Dumbledore¡¯s magic.

    Now, everyone is floating on the water, and were under the danger of the boat being overturned at any time.

    Everyone was in state of fear, and even their breathing became cautious.

    They looked at Evan in Hermione¡¯s arms in disbelief. They didn¡¯t know how he did it. How could a young wizard have such magic power?

    In fact, even Dumbledore was like them.

    A look of astonishment shed across his face, and it was the first time that Evan saw it on Dumbledore.

    He didn¡¯t seem to have thought that Evan would have such a strong magic. For a 12-year-old wizard, this was almost impossible.

    Perceiving the others¡¯ gaze, Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    Normally, he might have more magic than Harry and Hermione, but he should have a lot less than Sirius.

    The four ways to increase magical power are the natural growth with increasing age, the increase after taking various potions, the enhancing effects of magic items, and the use of ck magic to transform one¡¯s body.

    Needless to say, when it came to natural growth, Evan was only 12 years old, he belonged to the stage where the magic of the body has just been developed, and didn¡¯t even reach the rapid growth stage.

    As for magic potions, though the actual level of Evan¡¯s magic power has increased considerably sincest summer¡¯s vacation, far exceeding that of the younger Wizards of his age, they shouldn¡¯t be able to cause such an effect. Even though he made various potions this year, many of them did help the magic increase, but their effect was very small, and it would take a long time to see a certain progress.

    As for the use of ck magic to transform the body, that shouldn¡¯t even be mentioned.

    Evan had no knowledge of such advanced ck magic, and there was no record of it even in the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±.

    While Evan knew that such highly advanced ck Magic existed, he had no idea about how such magic was used.

    Besides Voldemort, no wizard had mastered this ck magic, not even Dumbledore.

    Since none of those three was to consider, then only the magic items were left.

    Dumbledore had just said that the depth of the boat¡¯s draft wasn¡¯t measured by weight, but by magical power.

    While Evan did not feel that his magical power had increased significantly, he did not rule out the possibility of him carrying very powerful magic items.

    Evan tried to remember what he had, and besides the college standard wizard¡¯s robe and wand, there should be a few pieces of candy that he had been carrying around since he bought them at the Honeydukes shop, like that bloody lollipop he couldn¡¯t eat.

    Besides that, the things that were weighing him down the most should be those magic books.

    Although Sirius offered his family¡¯s entire library as Christmas gifts, allowing them to take whatever they were interested in, Evan chose almost only books of the Dark Arts.

    He shrunk them down and carried them on him.

    Before he took them away, these ck magic books had been inherited by the cks for centuries. Many of them had not even been opened at all, and perhaps there was a strong magical power or something hidden in the books.

    Although this possibility was not that great, it couldn¡¯t be ruled out.

    In addition, Evan kept thinking about Slytherin¡¯s Locket.

    He recalled the Slytherin¡¯s emblem, which was iid with emeralds, a serpentine capital S.

 Chapter 211: The Liquid in the Stone Basin

    <h4>Chapter 211: The Liquid in the Stone Basin</h4>

    What Evan most cared about was the strange lines on the Locket.

    He kept feeling that a secret was hidden within them, although Dumbledore and Voldemort had contacted the Locket and found nothing.

    But Evan couldn¡¯t know why he kept having that feeling.

    Dumbledore looked at Evan and immediately returned to normal. His face was extremely calm, as if nothing had happened.

    He waved his wand and dragged the boat with his own magic. Now, no one but him knows how much magic Evan has.

    Sirius, Harry, and Hermione were also a little surprised, but didn¡¯t think much.

    It seemed to them that it was a miracle that such a small boat could hold so many people. They thought that Evaning up made the boat reach its maximum load, which exined its rapid sinking.

    Under Dumbledore¡¯s tug, the boat set off immediately, and there was no sound other than the silken rustle of the boat¡¯s prow cleaving the water.

    The boat was moving automatically, without their help, as though an invisible rope was pulling it onward toward the light in the center. Soon they could no longer see the walls of the cavern; they might have been at sea except that there were no waves.

    As the boat progressed, the gold reflections of the wandlights were sparkling and glittering on the ck water.

    The boat was carving deep ripples upon the ssy surface, grooves in the dark mirror¡­

    Just then, Harry suddenly screamed in horror. ¡°I saw it, those Inferi are not far below the water.¡±

    Evan looked where Harry was pointing. His wandlight slid over a fresh patch of water and showed him, this time, a dead man lying face up inches beneath the surface, his open eyes misted as though with cobwebs, his hair and his robes swirling around him like smoke.

    Obviously it was a dead body, but his cobweb-covered eyes followed them in a most bizarre way, and the eyes inside turned quietly.

    The Inferius seemed to be able to jump out and attack them at any time, but it didn¡¯t move until the boat crossed.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t discover our identity, but I am sure that once we take the Horcrux, we shall find them less peaceable.¡± Dumbledore whispered. ¡°We¡¯re nearly there; Voldemort¡¯s purpose has been achieved. In order to keep this boat from sinking, a lot of my magic has been consumed. ¡±

    Evan turned to Dumbledore, thinking about what he meant. The white mist he used to drag the boat was very magical; it should have drained much of his magical power to be able to life all the magical power on board.

    He suddenly had some concerns. What would they do if Dumbledore had no magic power at the end of this?

    Besides Dumbledore, no one there was an opponent of thousands of Inferi.

    A few minutester, the greenish light seemed to be growingrger atst, and the boat hade to a halt, bumping gently into something.

    Evan could not see it at first, but when Harry raised his illuminated wand he saw that they had reached a small ind of smooth rock in the center of theke.

    .

    ¡°Here we are, Careful not to touch the water,¡± said Dumbledore again.

    Everyone climbed out of the boat, and Evan was the first. He got off the boat and returned to his usual stance. He quickly pulled out his wand.

    Behind him was Hermione, she looked relieved atst.

    Then there was Harry, Sirius, and thest one, Dumbledore, who used his wand to retrieve the mist that floated under the boat.

    Evan carefully looked at the ind. It was norger than Dumbledore¡¯s office, an expanse of t dark stone on which stood nothing but the source of that greenish light, which looked much brighter when viewed close to.

    Evan squinted and looked at it. He saw that the light wasing from an old circr stone basin, which was set on top of a pedestal.

    Dumbledore approached the basin and the others followed.

    They came close to the stone basin and stood side by side around it. The basin was full of an emerald liquid emitting that phosphorescent glow.

    ording to the way Dumbledore had just handed it to him, Evan tried to feel the traces of magic left on the liquid.

    The magic power was very strong, but it was not the magic he was familiar with. It was very strange; he couldn¡¯t tell what it felt like.

    In addition to this liquid, the stone basin and pedestal used to load the liquid did not seem ordinary, and there was a strong defensive magic.

    Evan carefully observed. The more he looked at it, the more frightened he felt.

    This green liquid had strong magic hidden in it, and it was very evenly distributed. He didn¡¯t know what kind of potion it was, and what kind of magic had been cast on the stone altar. He felt that none of what he had learned before could be applied here.

    If he didn¡¯t already know about it, and tried to figure out what to do on his own, he¡¯d be absolutely clueless.

    As for the ones standing on the side, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione, who were confused, they were even less likely to know.

    It could be seen that Voldemort¡¯s strength and magic theory surpassed them, and exceeded that of ordinary wizards.

    ¡°Professor, what is this?¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡± Dumbledore carefully observed the stone basin and the liquid inside, and whispered, ¡°However, it¡¯s something more worrisome than blood and bodies. I am d that what was hidden in it was taken out.¡±

    Dumbledore observed it for a while, then pushed back the sleeve of his robe over his hand, and stretched out the tips of his fingers toward the surface of the potion.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch it,¡± everyone shouted in unison.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple, I cannot touch,¡± said Dumbledore, smiling faintly. ¡°See? I cannot approach any nearer than this. You try.¡±

    Sirius, Evan, Harry and Hermione hesitated, and at the same time, their fingers reached the stone basin and tried to touch the potion.

    However, they met an invisible barrier that prevented theming within an inch of it.

    No matter how hard they pushed, their fingers encountered nothing but what seemed to be solid and flexible air, and the liquid itself had not changed.

    ¡°Out of the way, please, I think I can try a spell, maybe it will work,¡± said Dumbledore. He raised his wand and madeplicated movements over the surface of the potion, murmuring soundlessly.

    However, nothing happened.

    The phosphorescence of the green liquid seemed to be brighter, and they watched Dumbledore silently until he withdrew his wand.

    ¡°Professor¡±

    ¡°Great, really great,¡± Dumbledore said with appreciation. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be the potion that Voldemort himself invented. I have to say, he¡¯s really the best of all the graduates Hogwarts has ever had.¡±

    ¡°But you can definitely get through it, right?¡± Harry said hopefully.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t, Harry.¡± Dumbledore shook his head. ¡°This potion cannot be prated by hand, Vanished, parted, scooped up, or siphoned away, nor can it be Transfigured, Charmed, or otherwise made to change its nature. I can only conclude that this potion is supposed to be drunk.¡±

    ¡°Drunk¡± Besides Evan, everyone looked at him in astonishment.

    ¡°Yes, at least I think so: Only by drinking it can I empty the basin and see what lies in its depths.¡±

    Dumbledore said calmly. ¡°Knowing this, I have to admire Regulus, his sacrifice is very meaningful.¡±

 Chapter 212: Challenges to Be Faced

    <h4>Chapter 212: Challenges to Be Faced</h4>

    ¡°Kreacher, Regulus, that year¡­¡± said Sirius sadly.

    ¡°Yes, Master Regulus was drinking this green liquid here.¡± Kreacher wiped his tears and said, ¡°This thing should have been done by Kreacher. That was what the Dark Lord asked Kreacher to do, but young Master Regulus did not agree. He let Kreacher go home alive. He drank the potion himself. How good and kind he was¡­¡±

    Talking about it, Kreacher suddenly burst into tears.

    Since he stepped on this ind, tears had been spinning in his eyes. Now he heard Dumbledore¡¯s evaluation of Regulus, and remembered what had happened, he finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. He punished himself and banged his head against the ground.

    The scene was a mess, and Sirius and Hermione hurried to stop him.

    ¡°Professor!¡± Looking at the out of control of Kreacher, Harry was full of panic. He hesitated for a while and continued to ask, ¡°But if, I mean, if some of us drank this liquid, what would happen? Will he be poisoned?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I doubt that it would work like that,¡± said Dumbledore easily. ¡°Lord Voldemort would not want to kill the person who reached this ind.¡±

    Harry blinked. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Was this more of Dumbledore¡¯s insane determination to see good in everyone?

    ¡°Sir,¡± said Harry, trying to keep his voice reasonable, ¡°sir, this is Voldemort we¡¯re facing¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Harry; I should have said, he would not want to immediately kill the person who reached this ind,¡± Dumbledore corrected himself. ¡°He would want to keep them alive long enough to find out how they managed to prate so far through his defenses and, most importantly of all, why they were so intent upon emptying the basin. Do not forget that Lord Voldemort believes that he alone knows about his Horcruxes.¡±

    Harry made to speak again, but this time Dumbledore raised his hand for silence, frowning slightly at the emerald liquid, evidently thinking hard.

    ¡°Undoubtedly,¡± he said, finally, ¡°this potion must act in a way that will prevent me from taking the Horcrux. And based on Kreacher¡¯s description, we can infer that it might paralyze the user, cause him to forget what he is here for, create so much pain that it makes him distracted, or render him incapacitated in some other way. ¡±

    ¡°He will feel that his internal organs are on fire, he would want to drink water, and the only ce around with water is this Lake.¡± Evan added, ¡°But the Lake is full of Inferi, and it is also under ck magic¡­¡±

    ¡°What if magic changes the water?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work. Voldemort has nned it. There is only one way to get water on this ind. If you don¡¯t believe it, we can try it.¡± Evan took out his wand and said gently, ¡°Aguamenti!¡±

    Clear water came out from the end of his wand and fell to the ground. The water sshed, but it disappeared in an instant.

    The water that fell to the ground was evaporated in an amazing speed. And, there seemed to be an invisible force from the bottom of the ground up to the top. The water at the end of the wand in Evan¡¯s hand was pouring out, quickly returning at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    ¡°Aguamenti, Aguamenti!¡± He hurriedly shouted.

    He increased his magic output, but it didn¡¯t work much. The water at the end of his wand became smaller and smaller until it disappearedpletely.

    He could feel an invisible force preventing him from using this magic.

    Harry looked surprisingly at what was happening in front of him. He also tried it with his own wand, and the final result was exactly the same as Evan¡¯s.

    ¡°Good reasoning, good reasoning.¡± After seeing the experiments of Evan and Harry, Dumbledore admired, ¡°The thoughts of both of you are very good. This is probably the essence of Voldemort¡¯s design. To get the Horcrux, you have to drink the potion in the stone basin. After taking the potion, you will be extremely hot and thirsty, and want to drink water. But, we have just seen that spells such as Aguamenti have been banned here. There is only one way to get water and that is theke. And people near theke will be dragged into it by the Inferi, just like what happened to Regulus¡­¡±

    Everyone listened to Dumbledore¡¯s description, and the horrible images recurred in their minds. All their faces looked really gloomy.

    Looking at this eerie, gloomy ind, surrounded by the silence of the repressive ckke, and the floating bodies that emerged from theke from time to time, the fear deep inside everyone was awakened.

    They thought of Regulus, the handsome, 18-year-old young man. He drank the potion inside the stone basin, and was dragged into theke by the Inferi. He suffocated in despair and became one of them.

    For the past 13 years, his body had been immersed in the dark, coldke water without rest. That was the truth of his death.

    The feeling of infinite sadness gradually took over, and everyone was silent.

    In the darkness, there was only a strange whimpering out from Kreacher from time to time.

    ¡°In thiske, Regulus¡­¡± Sirius said sadly.

    ¡°We will find him. First of all, I want to bring out those guys in theke.¡± Dumbledore pulled out his wand and turned his head to Kreacher, who had just calmed down. ¡°Kreacher, please tell me from where Regulus was Dragged into theke.¡±

    ¡°Here, sir!¡± Kreacher wiped her tears and went to a ce.

    ¡°Very good, when you¡¯re ready. Take out your wands!¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°Sirius, you and Kreacher are responsible for finding Regulus; Evan, Harry, Hermione, you three can stand behind me and help me deal with those Inferi.¡±

    Everyone concentrated, clenched his wand and looked at theke nervously.

    They will have to confront the Inferi, which will definitely not be a pleasant experience.

    Evan tightened his hand around his wand, and his heart was thumping like a drum. He saw Harry and Hermione standing next to him shaking slightly, with pale and bloodless faces.

    For them, facing thousands of Inferi at the same time was just too much pressure.

    Just thinking about it was suffocating.

    This was definitely a scene that would not be seen in school. Except for the three of them, none of the young wizards would experience it.

    It wasn¡¯t just about their age. In fact, facing thousands of horrible, bloody Inferi at the same time was also a very difficult challenge for trained Aurors or operating wizards like Sirius, and Dumbledore shouldn¡¯t be able to handle this on his own.

 Chapter 213: Fighting the Inferi

    <h4>Chapter 213: Fighting the Inferi</h4>

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s legs trembling slightly, Evan approached her.

    Hermione turned her head and looked back at Evan uneasily. Panic showed in her brown eyes, as if she was to say something, but she opened her mouth and nothing came out.

    Evan knew that she should be nervous to the extreme.

    Compared to the rest of them, she was the only girl present, facing monsters like the Inferi. The pressure put upon her must be immense.

    Without hesitation, Evan gently held Hermione¡¯s little hand, her palm was all sweaty.

    Hermione, like a frightened fawn, subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back.

    Evan didn¡¯t let go, then she seemed to realize that it was him holding her hand and her face turned red.

    ¡°Evan¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Hermione¡± Evanforted her and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be all right, believe me, no matter what dangers maye, I will protect you.¡±

    ¡°I know, I believe you,¡± Hermione nodded stiffly. With a reassuring smile, she took Evan¡¯s hand and said in a firm voice,¡± I said it before; I¡¯ll always believe in you.¡±

    Looking at Evan and Hermione whispering, Harry hesitated for a moment and quietly moved forward to Sirius.

    He also had something to say to Sirius, his godfather.

    ¡°Harry, are you scared?¡± Sirius did not look back. He looked gloomy as he looked at theke in front of him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± Harry shook his head, unsure, ¡°But I¡¯m a bit nervous. I never thought that things would turn out like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think things would develop like this.¡± Sirius was silent for a moment, and said with aplicated look: ¡°I thought my brother Regulus was a stupid weak fool, but he was braver than I thought. In order to stop Voldemort¡¯s plot, he paid with his life. I thought that Pettigrew was trustworthy, and suggested that he should be James and Lily¡¯s Secret Keeper, but he was a despicable traitor. It was me who killed James and Lily.¡±

    Harry heard Sirius speaking about his parents, and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He didn¡¯t know how tofort Sirius. In his opinion, ck didn¡¯t have to me himself for the death of his parents.

    ¡°Sirius¡­¡±

    ¡°I have been looking at the wrong person, I didn¡¯t think about it, and I never thought of it¡­¡± Sirius¡¯s mouth showed a bitter smile, frustrated, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I screwed up everything, that was the case with James, and the same goes with Regulus. If I could have talked to him that year, he probably wouldn¡¯t have died¡­ ¡±

    ¡°He is a hero, Sirius.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Sirius wiped his eyes and said with relief, ¡°Harry, although I have been always misreading people, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m sure about: you¡¯re very much like your father, James. This is something that that I can¡¯t be wrong about. I am proud of you.¡±

    Harry looked at Sirius. Although he had always heard others say that about him, said by Sirius, it was especially meaningful.

    ¡°Well, this is not the right ce for such a pleasant chat.¡± Sirius regained his usual regard and continued. ¡°Come on, you can stand in front and let me see your dueling skills.¡±

    When everyone signaled that they were ready, Dumbledore tapped the stone basin with his wand and made a faint echo.

    In the stone basin, the center of the green liquid, which could not be touched by anyway, suddenly appeared a ripple, spreading from the inside to the outside.

    It was like a signal. The surface of theke was no longer mirror-smooth; it was churning.

    Evan looked up and saw arge herd of Inferius appearing in the darkke.

    White heads and hands were emerging from the dark water, men and women and children with sunken, sightless eyes were moving toward the rock.

    ¡°Petrificus Totalus!¡± yelled Harry in panic.

    He pointed his wand at the nearest Inferius, and a red light hit him. He fell backward into the water with a ssh; but immediately scrambled to his feet.

    His withered hands crawled across theke. His hollow, misty eyes stared at Harry. He was dragging his waterlogged rags behind him, and his sunken face looked grim and disdainful.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry, it shouldn¡¯t be done like that,¡± Sirius said. ¡°The Full Body-Bind Curse does not have such range. You have to wait until they get into the right range to attack.¡±

    Harry nodded, held his wand in his hand and kept an eye on the Inferius.

    Two secondster, the Inferius climbed onto the rock, holding up his white hands by theke and crawled forward as if to pounce on Harry.

    ¡°Petrificus Totalus!¡± Harry bellowed again, swiping his wand through the air.

    The red light shed, the Inferius stumbled and fell down to the ground without scrambling to his feet.

    ¡°A good attack, that¡¯s what it¡¯s like, aiming at their heads.¡± Sirius waved his wand and screamed a few spells. At the same time, he knocked down the three or four Inferi and shouted excitedly. ¡°Good, Harry. Let¡¯s try the Impedimenta and the Incarcerous Spells. You have learned these two spells I believe.¡±

    On the other side, Evan and Hermione were also fighting.

    It could be seen that Hermione¡¯s theoretical knowledge was very strong. She knew a lot of curses, and she mastered the specific skills of their casting. However, she was weak in actualbat ability, and she always shot off or pissed the critical hit.

    Evan knew that this was mainly due to a psychological factor.

    Although Hermione didn¡¯t say anything, and she didn¡¯t want Evan to worry about her, deep down she was afraid of those Inferi.

    For this, the others had no way to help. Only Hermione could ovee it.

    Evan looked at Hermione while knocking down a few Inferi.

    He turned his head and looked at Dumbledore. The Headmaster held his wand and didn¡¯t attack. He kept watching them all the time. There was no emotion in his blue eyes.

    Evan thought about it and understood that Dumbledore was protecting them. He began to try stronger magic.

    A white light flew out from the end of his wand. But though gashes appeared in their sodden rags and their icy skin, they had no blood to spill. They walked on, unfeeling, their shrunken hands outstretched toward him.

    Evan nodded. As he had imagined, a spell like Sectumsempra, which had a greater damage to the body surface, was of little use against the Inferi.

    They didn¡¯t feel pain, they were not afraid of such injuries. That didn¡¯t even slow them down.

    With such enemies, this powerful magic wasn¡¯t as useful as the Full Body-Bind Curse, Impedimenta and other magic of that kind.

    Evan tried to attack a few more times. Dumbledore had just said that the best way to deal with the Inferi was to use fire, but Regulus had not yet been found, and it couldn¡¯t be done. He was not in a hurry, but instead treated those Inferi as experimental subjects, ready to try Transfiguration and several other powerful spells.

    A few days ago, he had a duel with Snape, which gave Evan a great inspiration. He had never thought that magic could be used in that way before.

    He was going to practice with these Inferi, which was a rare opportunity, not only without danger but also to improve his spell-casting skills.

 Chapter 214: Evanâ€™s Attack

    <h4>Chapter 214: Evan¡¯s Attack</h4>

    ¡°Impedimenta!¡± Evan shouted, and a red light appeared at the end of his wand.

    He used the Impediment Jinx tripping up an Inferius that had just climbed the ind.

    On the rock behind, more Inferi emerged from the water, merely stepped over the fallen bodies and walked over again.

    Evan kept issuing several curses to dy the progress of the Inferi.

    Then he pointed his wand at the rock under their feet and focused on the stone. When he had his duel against Snape a few days ago, he saw thetter turn a round wooden table into a big ck snake, and cast a continuous spell to turn the snake into small, dense cobras.

    These powerful, seemingly wonderful spells belong to the category of Transfiguration.

    The principle is exactly the same as that of turning a hedgehog into a teapot that Evan learned in Professor McGonagall¡¯s Transfiguration ss.

    But the moreplex things are, and the shorter thepletion time is, the higher the difficulty of casting bes.

    What Snape did, turning a round wooden table into a giant python, and then transforming the giant python into dozens of cobras, required a high degree of casting skills, theoretical knowledge of Transfiguration and a lot of magical power.

    Evan was not yet able to do such a thing, but it gave him a hint.

    In a situation where magic can¡¯t grow and improve rapidly and one can¡¯t use powerful ck magic at will, mastering various spells and techniques such as Transfiguration is very helpful to enhance thebat strength and win a battle.

    The Dueling club held by Lockhartst year, where two people held their wands and stood in ce to spell at each other, showed a rtively low-level form ofbat.

    A real wizard duel, besides the spellpetition, depends on whose reaction is quicker.

    More flexible use of the surrounding terrain, as well as the ability to mix and match different spells can win duels.

    As the basis of all magic, Transfiguration is an important part of this.

    Of course, this concerns only battles between wizards in the general sense.

    When talking about wizards as strong as Dumbledore and Voldemort, the battle between them would have apletely different style, beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    Evan pointed his wand at a rock not far away, and quickly recited a spell in his mouth, focusing on his target.

    He had never tried to make such a big stone change before.

    He wasn¡¯t skilled to make it work, not before a lot of Inferi passed. But then the rock gradually began to change.

    ¡°Sess!¡± Evan looked at the stones on the shore of theke happily.

    Under his control, this blue-ck boulder rose slowly.

    It seemed to be alive, and it began to change, growing arms and legs that, although extremely rough in outline, were visible, in a monstrous shape.

    It is well known that the Troll is a notoriously fearsome creature that is 12 feet tall and weighs more than a ton. It is extremely aggressive, powerful, but stupid.

    The rock was changing towards the shape of a troll and then suddenly stopped.

    That was already Evan¡¯s limit. Although he did not seed in making a montrollster, but for a 12-year-old wizard like him, it is an achievement to turn a boulder that¡¯s over a dozen feet long into a living object.

    Now, this boulder looks more like a stone giant.

    It staggered and stood up, debris and dust flying, with a sultry momentum.

    In front of it, those dark, terrifying Inferi were like children.

    Crash, crash!

    Between the rock and rock, there was a huge, heart-rending rubbing sound.

    On the ind, everyone stopped their attacks, surprised to see the giant who suddenly appeared. Even the thoughtless Inferi were stunned, staring expressionlessly with their nk spider web filled eyeholes.

    No one could imagine that Evan had actually created such a big creature.

    Looking at its appearance was enough to make everyone feel scared¡­

    Only Evan himself knew that this stone giant was only really powerful on the outside. In fact, the attack power was nothing to rave about. Because of its massive size, it consumed a lot of magical power.

    Feeling the magic draining inside him, Evan knew that he couldn¡¯t take much more time. He hurriedly controlled the stone giant tounch an attack.

    The Inferi seemed to be scared and dumbfounded. With an amazing explosive force, the Stone Giant swept all the Inferi that had climbed up on the right side of the ind back into theke.

    Bang! ! !

    The violent impact of the collision, and the deafening sound continued.

    In just a few seconds, after a storm of attacks, Evan gasped and let go of control of the stone giant. It fell heavily to the ground, crushing around six Inferi, causing the horrifying sound of their bones as they cracked.

    Everyone was stunned by what happened in the blink of an eye, and even Dumbledore looked at the stone giant that fell to the ground and broke into pieces.

    In his opinion, Evan¡¯s magic was somewhat shy, there were a lot of ws in his execution, his magic was not perfect enough, and¡­

    But considering Evan¡¯s age, it was really good that he was able to do this. That was not easy at all.

    Dumbledore could see that the kind of childish attack that Evan had just made was actually an exercise and a bold attempt.

    Giving him enough time and training, this child¡¯s future holds limitless potential.

    There was a glimmer of anxiety in Dumbledore¡¯s eyes, and he re-thought about the fact that when the boat arrived, it quickly sank after Evan came up.

    No one knew that he had consumed nearly a quarter of his magical power to drag the boat down.

    That showed that Evan had already a quarter of Dumbledore¡¯s magic.

    That was of course impossible. Dumbledore was well aware of his own current magic status. At his age, although his actualbat power might be getting weaker due to physical reasons, etc¡­ the magic within him was at the pinnacle of what a wizard could aspire to have.

    It¡¯s not just Evan, even Sirius couldn¡¯t have so much magic.

    Dumbledore had just quietly thought it over, and while Evan¡¯s current magic status was extremely goodpared to his peers, it was iparable a quarter of his own.

    This wasn¡¯t Evan¡¯s own magic. That meant that Evan must have carried a powerful magic item on him. What could it be?!

    Dumbledore looked at Evan carefully, and his pale blue eyes were full of curiosity.

    Like Tom Riddle back in the day, this student brought too much surprise to him.

    In all honesty, Dumbledore did not like the feeling of Evan being beyond his control.

    However, he did not intend to take action. What happened to Tom Riddle had taught him enough.

    Over the years, Dumbledore had been thinking about Riddle going further and further along the wrong path, and he had an escapable responsibility for what he did.

    Gellert Grindelwald, his once intimate friend, left a deep impression on him.

    Dumbledore had thought that he had forgotten those things, but many yearster, when he saw the young Tom Riddle in the orphanage, it was like seeing Gellert again.

    He knew he had to stop the young Riddle, preventing him from bing the second Grindelwald and preventing him from going astray to be the second Dark Lord.

    But he failed, and the end result was even worse.

    Dumbledore sighed; the idea came to his mind that he was maybe doomed to fail.

    Perhaps that was the root causing of all the unfortunate events that followed.

 Chapter 215: Finding Regulus

    <h4>Chapter 215: Finding Regulus</h4>

    Dumbledore knew that he had to be careful. Power¡¯s temptation was infinitely luring, and the more talented a wizard is on his path of magic, the more likely he was to go astray.

    For most wizards, magic is just waving wands and casting a few spells.

    Only a handful of wizards with superior talents know clearly what the essence of magic is and what power it could bring them.

    Immense power and unconstrained ambitions can bring only disaster and destruction.

    Voldemort is the most obvious example. His excellent magic talent and being one of the descendents of Szar Slytherin himself made him think that he was unique.

    He felt superior; arrogance was taking over his heart, till the point where he thought of himself as a god.

    Everything he did was self-centered and non considering of others¡¯ feelings. In his dark path of growth, he didn¡¯t get to know what love is.

    Going back on the things he did in the past, the wanton killing of others, and the advocacy of pure blood wizards over the mud and Muggles and so on, these things were not as ideal rted as Voldemort and the Death Eaters made them sound.

    For Dumbledore, the reason Tom did this was entirely because he wanted to do that. He wanted to prove that he was different.

    He therefore misused his magic in disregard of life.

    In order to obtain eternal life, he even split his soul to make the Horcruxes.

    More than twenty years ago, Dumbledore was keenly aware of his soul¡¯s instability when Riddle, who had been missing for a long time, returned to Hogwarts with a new look and applied for the position of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts.

    Dumbledore then suspected that Riddle was doing some sort of evil Dark magic research, andter there were indications that he was making Horcruxes.

    The worst scenario urred, and Dumbledore did not know how many times Voldemort had split his soul.

    This evil dark magic made him into a monster that cannot be killed.

    Dumbledore looked at Evan again. Up until now, he had destroyed two Horcruxes.

    All these things revolving around this child, is it a coincidence or¡­

    Besides these ¡°coincidences¡±, what surprised Dumbledore was that Evan had already found the path of strength, and it all happened in a short time.

    Evan was as good as Tom Riddle in his school days, too far beyond his peers.

    The only thing to be thankful for was that he was different from Riddle. He had aplete family, friends, knowing what love was, and understanding of the meaning of life.

    Judging from what he had shown, Evan was unlikely to be the second Voldemort.

    Dumbledore¡¯s mouth showed a smile. He knew about what happened in Hogwarts a few days ago, although he hadn¡¯t shown up until the end.

    What gratified him most was Evan¡¯s decision concerning the life and death of Peter Pettigrew.

    Even in the face of the Acromants¡¯ threat, Evan did not give up on Pettigrew to escape, but instead insisted on taking him along.

    Dumbledore was very pleased with Evan¡¯s performance that night.

    He thought, maybe he should give this child more help.

    He was getting old, and in case he doesn¡¯t seed in finding all Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes, Evan would be an indispensable force.

    In the middle of the ind, Evan released his control over the Stone Giant and estimated his magic consumption. With his current ability, it was still impossible to turn this blue boulder into something moreplex, but it had been a great sess just being able to activate it.

    He wanted to try other spells. If it wasn¡¯t for everyone being here, he would have tried the Demon Summoning Spell recorded in the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±. Reading that book was his first time encountering that spell.

    On the ind, more and more Inferi emerged from theke in all directions.

    Under their attack, everyone retreated and gathered around the stone basin.

    The Inferi were hard to destroy, their magic had been exhausted, and Sirius, Evan, Harry, and Hermione used various spells to dy their pace.

    The pressure was still mounting, and when everyone was about to copse, Dumbledore took over, using the same spell as Evan.

    He waved his wand, and four heavy ck boulders floated up from the ground, and in a moment, with a great scratch, turned into four massive monsters.

    It was not Evan¡¯s monster¡¯s iplete state. They were exactly the same as real Trolls, barely showing any signs of pre-Transfiguration. The four monsters made brutal roars and held thick big clubs in their hands.

    Evan looked at Dumbledore in surprise and found that he was also looking back at him calmly and signaling him to pay attention to his next move.

    The wand in his hand swayed in a strange way, as if conducting an Orchestra.

    Under Dumbledore¡¯s control, the monsters rushed from the center of the ind in all four directions and ran rampant amongst the Inferi.

    There were several loud bangs. The trolls were so powerful that many Inferi were directly hit back into the ck Lake.

    The strong impact of the scene in front of their eyes gave everyone a feeling of joy from the bottom of their hearts.

    The Trolls were covered with Inferi, but they did not take a step back. They were fighting hard with them.

    Evan looked at Dumbledore with amazement. He could hardly imagine how much magic such a rampant would consume.

    After Dumbledore took over, the pressure was much less intense. They focused on finding Regulus amongst the Inferi.

    Evan¡¯s eyes swept over a pale, grim-faced Inferius, looking at them in an indescribable way.

    Hard to find the word to say it, but it was absolutely awful.

    At that moment, Kreacher suddenly shouted, ¡°Young Master Regulus! Kreacher has found young Master Regulus!¡±

    Evan hurriedly looked in the direction the house elf pointed at. He saw an 18-year-old young man¡¯s body just crawling out of theke wearing a ck wizard¡¯s robe different from the surrounding Muggles with a distinctive ck family emblem on his chest.

    Regulus looked very much like Sirius in his younger years. Under the influence of magic, he remained almost unchanged from the moment before his death. He looked darker than Sirius but also healthier and less meager.

    His body had been somewhat swollen because he had been in the water for a long time.

    Like the other Inferi, he looked around in a daze and walked toward the stone basin in the middle of the ind, not recognizing the people standing in front of him.

    He was not the hero who bravely resisted Voldemort, but an Inferius who, under magic¡¯s control, guarded Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux.

    ¡°Regulus!¡± cried Sirius mournfully, and his heartbreaking voice echoed in the dark cave.

    Before anyone else could react, he had already rushed over. He desperately rushed into the Inferi, trying to pull Regulus out.

 Chapter 216: Letâ€™s Go Home

    <h4>Chapter 216: Let¡¯s Go Home</h4>

    Just a few seconds before Kreacher discovered Regulus, Dumbledore¡¯s four gigantic Trolls had pushed countless Inferi into the dark waters of theke, setting off waves.

    Dumbledore triumphed, and the monsters he made defeated the Inferi.

    But there was no time for delight. Evan noticed a ck smokeing out of the Troll¡¯s body immersed in theke. There was an expression of fear on its face.

    It was the first time he had seen the deformed creatures having a thing such as fear. He didn¡¯t know what they had encountered, but it must have been the dark magic Voldemort had left in theke.

    In a blink of an eye, they all turned into smoke and disappeared.

    Just like nothing happened, the dense, endless herd of Inferi floated from the bottom of theke and crept out.

    Dumbledore calmly looked at the approaching Inferi, not too surprised, as if he had expected this to happen. He continued to sway his wand with his hand.

    But before he seeded in casting spells, Kreacher¡¯s shouts suddenly rang. ¡°Young Master Regulus! Kreacher has found young Master Regulus!¡±

    Hearing his shouts, everyone shook and looked in the direction he pointed.

    Only Sirius, without hesitation, rushed out at the moment Kreacher screeched, and run toward Regulus.

    ¡°Watch out, Sirius, there are so many Inferi there, don¡¯t go! ¡± Harry screamed, trying to stop Sirius.

    But it didn¡¯t work, Sirius was faster than expected.

    ¡°Regulus¡±, he shouted in a hoarse voice as he rushed forward. ¡°Regulus, I¡¯ve finally found you. I¡¯m taking you home¡­ Let¡¯s go home¡­¡±

    Sirius repeated his sad cries, as tears flowed out of his red eyes.

    He did not care about rushing into the group of Inferi,pletely ignoring his own safety. The end of his wand emitted a reddish ray at a speed beyond imagination, sending away the Inferi that prevented him from moving forward.

    Behind him, it was the same for the mad Kreacher.

    ¡°Fight for my Master, for young Master Sirius, for young Master Regulus, Kreacher wants to fight¡±

    Even in such a bustle, his bullfrog-like voice was still clearly audible.

    This old house elf broke out all the vitality in his body. He waved the stones he had just picked up from the ground and followed Sirius into the Inferi.

    Harry followed closely, then Dumbledore, Evan, and Hermione. Their defensive lines werepletely broken, and the Inferi almost instantly rushed up.

    Evan¡¯s heart was beating so hard. He just stood on the high ground where the stone basin was ced in the center of the ind. Looking at these grim-looking Inferi from far away was enough to make people feel scared.

    Close contact now made him feel terror.

    He couldn¡¯t help but shudder. All around him were the Inferi that kept sending out cold air. They had just climbed out of theke. Their loose, pale skin was covered with cold water droplets. They were very ufortable and disgusting.

    There were so many Inferi, and Evan couldn¡¯t see clearly the way forward.

    Besides the nightmare-inducing Inferi, Evan couldn¡¯t see Dumbledore, Sirius, Harry, and Kreacher who were also caught in the same crowd.

    The only thing he was thankful for was that Hermione was always by his side. When she was just about to be swallowed up by the Inferi, Evan held her right hand at thest moment and did not let go.

    Hermione gasped and nestled up to his side.

    Her small, pale face was almost bloodless. Because she was afraid, her face was as pale as the Inferi around her. Her beautiful, inspirational brown eyes were wide open at the moment, full of panic and uneasiness.

    Tears were spinning in Hermione¡¯s eyes, but she refused to let them flow out.

    Besides the scream she made when she first saw the Inferi, she had been forcing herself to make no other sound. She knew that she was fighting. Crying, screaming and weakness were of no use to distract herself and Evan.

    Although very scared, Hermione forced herself not to let go of her emotions.

    She didn¡¯t know why, but seeing Evan beside her, she had a familiar sense of peace. No matter how many Inferi there were, no matter what they faced, even if they were to die, as long as Evan was by her side, she could face it calmly and persevere until the end.

    Both of them leaned together and sent various spells to the nearby Inferi.

    ¡°Use fire, Hermione, use fire magic,¡± Evan shouted. ¡°Dumbledore just said that the Inferi fear light and warmth. We can attack them with fire.¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯s reminding, Hermione remembered what Dumbledore said.

    ¡°Incendio,¡± she hurriedly shouted.

    A faint red me appeared in front of her, not far away, and a few Inferi ready to pounce on her obviously hesitated.

    When they saw the fire, they instinctively wanted to escape.

    But Hermione¡¯s mes were too weak. The Inferi were hesitating. The sense of threat they felt was not strong. It was as if they were hunting for a window to attack.

    Hermione gasped for breath. After using this spell, all the magic in her body had been exhausted. She looked at all the Inferi that were about to rush to her. She knew that she could not dodge them.

    She closed her eyes resigned to her fate, and her right hand held Evan¡¯s tightly.

    But Hermione¡¯s eyes opened again. She was pleasantly surprised to see that Evan also sessfully cast the spell of ¡°Incendio¡±. A red me of half-human high circled on the ground and surrounded them with its zing heat.

    The Inferi retreated, and they were getting farther and farther away from them.

    ¡°Evan¡± Hermione turned and clung tightly to Evan. Her tears could not help but flow out.

    Evan gently patted Hermione¡¯s shoulder and whisperedforting her.

    At this moment, though surrounded by countless Inferi in the eerie cave, the atmosphere became extremely warm inside the circle of fire.

    Outside the ring of fire, near the shore, Harry was not sofortable, just a few seconds ago he followed Sirius and Kreacher amongst the Inferi.

    Seeing Regulus, these two became totally mad.

    They were like the giant monsters that Dumbledore had made, ramming themselves into the crowd of Inferi. Sirius burst with an incredible, powerful fighting force. Harry couldn¡¯t remember how many of them he took out, when the Inferi that tried to stop them.

    Under heavy encirclement, they marched miraculously at an rming speed, and in less than three seconds they rushed to the side of Regulus who had just climbed ashore.

    ¡°Come home, let¡¯s go home, Regulus¡± Sirius embraced him and burst into tears, making a heart shattering cry.

    It was so sad that Harry couldn¡¯t help but cry as well. He never thought that Sirius would be like this. He told him before that he was tired of Regulus, just like he was bored of the rest of the cks.

    It was only when he saw the scene that Harry knew that Sirius had a lot of worries about his brother; he finally understood their brotherhood.

    ¡°Back home, let¡¯s go home, I want to take you home, Regulus¡­¡± Sirius murmured.

    He used all his strength to hug Regulus¡¯ body, in fear of losing him again.

 Chapter 217: A Humble Funeral

    <h4>Chapter 217: A Humble Funeral</h4>

    Witnessing this touching scene, Harry couldn¡¯t help but cry.

    In front of him, Sirius held Regulus¡¯s body in tears. He cried so sadly and kept muttering. ¡°Home, Regulus, let us go home¡­¡±

    In Sirius¡¯s arms, Regulus was oblivious to all of that.

    His open eyes were misty, and there seemed to be a cobweb inside them. He stretched out his pale, dry hands and hugged Sirius tightly. Not a normal hug, but one full of malice, to drag Sirius into theke and drown him.

    ¡°Be careful, Sirius¡­¡±

    Harry hurriedly shouted, but his voice stopped abruptly.

    He felt arms enclose him from behind, thin, fleshless arms, cold as death, and his feet left the ground as they lifted him and began to carry him, slowly and surely, back to the water.

    Harry struggled to get away, but unsessfully. The Inferi were much stronger than he was, and he was dragged and slowly moved toward theke.

    The magic wand in his hand sent out a few spells in vain and rpsed into silence.

    Harry was desperate. He knew there would be no escape, that he would be drowned, and be, like Regulus, one more dead guardian of a fragment of Voldemort¡¯s shattered soul¡­

    But then, through the darkness, fire erupted, which was much stronger than the red mes of Evan and Hermione.

    Crimson and gold, a ring of fire surrounded the rock so that the Inferi holding Harry so tightly stumbled and faltered.

    They did not dare pass through the mes to get to the water. They dropped Harry.

    He hit the ground, slipped on the rock, and fell, grazing his arms, then scrambled back up. He saw Dumbledore, Evan, and Hermioneing out of the me. Evan and Hermione were pale, but they looked fine. In front of them, Dumbledore looked grave and the golden fire was dancing in his pale blue eyes.

    His wand was raised like a torch and from its tip emanated the mes, like a vastsso, encircling them all with warmth.

    The power of these mes was astonishing. The Inferi that encountered it were instantly turned into ashes. The remaining Inferi bumped into each other, attempting, blindly, to escape the fire in which they were enclosed¡­

    ¡°Professor,¡± Evan, Hermione and Harry shouted with delight.

    He ran forward two steps and stopped immediately.

    He heard the cries of Sirius, and he hurried back to see that Sirius and Regulus were fighting at the edge of the mes, and Kreacher stood aside without a move.

    Because of the fire, Regulus struggled fiercely and wanted to escape to theke, but Sirius clung to him and did not let go. He flushed because of too much effort.

    Harry hurried to help, and Evan and Hermione hurriedly followed.

    The three of them worked together to help Sirius hold Regulus down, and Evan even conjured a few ropes to tie him.

    But Regulus¡¯s strength was amazing,pletely beyond the reach of humans, and they were no opponents to him.

    Just as everyone was about to give up, Dumbledore came over.

    Without gorgeous magic, he just tapped Regulus on the head with his wand in his hand, and Regulus immediately calmed down and turned back into a normal corpse.

    In the dark cave, Evan gasped, watching the horrible, eerie sights around him, and the quiet Regulus. He knew that everything was over, and they finally freed Regulus from his endless torture.

    They fulfilled Regulus¡¯s wishes, destroyed the Locket, and found his body, relieving him of the evil Dark magic.

    At this moment, his soul could finally rest in peace.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    By sunset, in an out-of-the-way graveyard near Grimmauld Square.

    It was the ck family¡¯s cemetery, with a tall, imposing dark marble monument carved with the ck family¡¯s emblem and a remarkable sentence made of jadeite beside it: ¡°The Noble and Most Ancient House of ck: Toujours Pur.¡±

    Around the monument, there were many tombstones of different ages, they had different shapes, but they had one thing inmon that is the materials were extremely exquisite.

    On the right side of the cemetery were the three tall yews and the ck outline of a chapel; on the left side of the cemetery, you could see the exquisite old house at 12 Grimmauld ce.

    Like 12 Grimmauld Square, everything here, due to negligence, could only vaguely show the glory of the past.

    There were weeds in the cemetery, and from time to time crows fell on the tombstones, watching the intruders in front of them.

    Under the ruthless destruction brought by the years, most of the tall and exquisite tombstones had been damaged. They stood there quietly, silently telling the story and the loneliness of the cks.

    In the innermost corner of the cemetery, Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Kreacher stood solemnly in front of a very narrow and ordinary tombstone, which was not very consistent with the surrounding style. They gathered there for the final farewell of Regulus.

    Lupin arrived after receiving the news. He was waiting for everyone at the Leaky Cauldron pub, preparing to spend a perfect Christmas along with them. He did not expect to recieve such news.

    There was no one other than Lupin.

    In fact, they had nned to invite some more people to Regulus¡¯s funeral, but Sirius thought and didn¡¯t know who to invite.

    Regulus had madly worshiped Voldemort before his death. He wanted to be a Death Eater, and most of his former rtives and friends were such people. Almost all of them were students of Slytherin House, and eventually became Death Eaters, now either dead or locked up in Azkaban, and could not be invited at all.

    So, in the end, there were only a few of them.

    Kreacher¡¯s stern, dry cries sounded intermittently, like someone ying a violin that¡¯s out of tune.

    Evan had never attended a funeral before, and he didn¡¯t know how the normal funeral should be, but the funeral of Regulus was undoubtedly humble, and everything had been prepared in a hurry.

    On the tombstone, was shortly written: Regulus Arcturus ck, a kind-hearted Death Eater. He defended his dignity and justice with his own life. He sacrificed his life against Voldemort, he was a worthy hero, and the eternal source of pride for the ck family.

    Before that, Evan never thought that the words kind and Death Eater could be linked together.

    That might be greatly ironic for other Death Eaters, but it was indeed the most faithful evaluation for Regulus.

    As mentionedter, Regulus defended justice with his own life and resisted Voldemort. He was a true hero.

    Next to the tombstone, Sirius looks haggard, with no tears, just silently looking at his younger brother¡¯s coffin.

    For a long time, Lupin patted Sirius shoulder, and then they slowly filled the grave and buried Regulus.

 Chapter 218: Christmas Party

    <h4>Chapter 218: Christmas Party</h4>

    The brief funeral ended in a solemn silence. In the end, only the house-elf Kreacher was still screaming, and Sirius basically recovered.

    In his opinion, this was already the best possible oue.

    The message of Regulus¡¯s death was confirmed thirteen years ago. This funeral was only ate ceremony.

    All his wishes had been fulfilled, and his soul could now rest in peace.

    To Sirius, Regulus was no longer a weak and evil Death Eater, no longer a fool who knew nothing at all and was eventually killed by the family¡¯s pure blood philosophy. His brother was a well-deserved hero. He was proud of Regulus.

    Although the funeral was humble, everything was perfect.

    The same was true for Evan. The only regret was that they did not get the Locket that Regulus used to rece Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux, and the letter that was used to record hisst words.

    He still remembered the words above, which should roughly be: To the Dark Lord, I know I will be dead long before you read this, but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match, you will be mortal once more. R.A.B

    This note written to Voldemort, between its lines, fully reflected the heroic fearless character of Regulus, as well as the shattered dream of the young man.

    It is to be known, Regulus was once the wildest worshiper of Voldemort.

    It could also be seen from the words in this note that, that unlike all other wizards who were determined to resist Voldemort, until thest moment of his life, he still called Voldemort the Dark Lord, which was the Death Eater¡¯s honor for Voldemort.

    This showed how Regulus regarded Voldemort.

    However, for the sake of his inner justice, for his own faith and persistence, Regulus finally chose to steal and destroy Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux. He chose to pay his life as price.

    From this point of view, Evan wanted to take a look at the note he wrote.

    But Dumbledore said there was no way to go through green liquids Voldemort had ced in the stone basin besides drinking them.

    Only when Voldemort checks on his own Horcrux in the future can Regulus¡¯sst words be seen again.

    Although regretful, this was no doubt exactly the same as what Regulus had thought before he died. In that way, thest words of Regulus¡¯s life could be conveyed to Voldemort, letting him know that there were still many people who resisted him in obscurity, even among the Death Eaters.

    Thinking of this dramatic scene, Evan could not wait to the time he would see Voldemort¡¯s expression.

    He might be full of wrath, but he should not be surprised. After all, from the beginning to the end, Voldemort never trusted anyone but himself. The Death Eaters who thought they were trusted by him were just mere pawns, nothing more.

    It was getting dark. After Regulus¡¯s funeral, Dumbledore rushed back to the Ministry of Magic, where he was to attend the Wizengamot¡¯s trial of Pettigrew.

    Peter¡¯s trial had reached a critical stage, and the impact of this case was enormous, and countless people were waiting for the final verdict.

    Even at Christmas, the Wizengamot had no time to rest.

    After Dumbledore left, Lupin, Sirius, Evan, Harry, and Hermione did not return to 12 Grimmauld Square. Instead, they went to the Leaky Cauldron pub to participate in the Christmas party as nned.

    Kreacher was also taken with them, although Sirius thought he should be left at home alone, just like before. But the others insisted that it might be good for him to let Kreacher live in Hogwarts and let him get in touch with other house-elves.

    After Apparition, Evan came to the Leaky Cauldron.

    He was incredulously looking at the shabby little pub in front of him, sweeping through the dark, dirty style of the past. The whole hall was dressed like a dream with green Christmas trees, mistletoe and glittering gold stars and other Christmas decorations were everywhere.

    The rich food scent came out of the kitchen, and Tom, the bar owner, stood behind the bar in a funny red Christmas costume, cracking his mouth and showing an ugly smile, weing everyone who came to the party.

    Although the Christmas decoration there was not as spectacr as Hogwarts, it was more of a festive atmosphere.

    Inside the bar, cheerful wizards could be seen everywhere, many of whom were Evan¡¯s ssmates at Hogwarts.

    People sitting in the bar with their sses scattered, gathered together and talked cheerfully,ughing happily from time to time.

    In the middle of the bar, a grotesquely dressed band was ying a rxing Christmas tune. From time to time, magic was used to create a couple of colorful bubbles and golden fireworks. There were many young people around the band jumping and dancing merrily.

    Evan rubbed his eyes. It was incredible. He couldn¡¯t imagine that a few hours ago, they were still fighting thousands of Inferi in a grotesque, gloomy cave, and now they are caught in a sea of festivals.

    It was Christmas, and that was a real Christmas party.

    When they went in, the atmosphere in the bar was at its peak.

    Sirius and Harry were recognized almost instantaneously, and there was silence in the Leaky Cauldron pub, and then a sudden burst of warm apuse almost toppling the roof. They all crowded over, shook hands with them over and over again, and sent the most sincere holiday greetings.

    Evan was much less famous there than Harry, who had the reputation of being a savior. And he enjoyed his leisure by going to the bar with Hermione to pick up a drink.

    Not far away, Lupin went to the bar owner and booked several rooms for the night.

    Evan leaned back on the bar and looked at Sirius and Harry, who couldn¡¯t get away from the crowd for a while. He thought for a moment, pulled Hermione¡¯s little hand and prepared to go to Diagon Alley to look around.

    He had just heard from Lupin that there were celebrations throughout Diagon Alley tonight, not just in the Leaky Cauldron. ording to previous years, people would always celebrate until the early hours of the morning.

    Evan and Hermione passed through the bar and went to the small walled patio outside.

    It waspletely dark, and the festive atmosphere in the bar was isted by the door, and only a faint sound could be heard.

    The two of them were huddled in the narrow patio, and they were very close to each other.

    Hermione¡¯s heartbeat was getting faster and faster as she felt Evan¡¯s breath drawing near, and her face turned red.

    Hermione, who had just faced the Inferi in the cave, had been so tightly strained. But now, she had rxed.

    She was thoughtless, when foolishly letting herself be pulled out by Evan out of trust. She had no idea what he wanted to do. But sweet joys, nervousness, and strange feelings mixed up in the depths of her heart.

    Is this what a date is?

 Chapter 219: Christmas Carnival in Diagon Alley

    <h4>Chapter 219: Christmas Carnival in Diagon Alley</h4>

    A date¡­ it was another date!

    Hermione¡¯s face was red, and she remembered thest time she was alone with Evan. The two of them went to Hogsmeade on thest day of thest semester, spent a whole day there, and even went to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop¡­

    Hermione¡¯s heart beat increased slightly, and her thoughts returned to the lovers¡¯ Tea Shop, which was all pink with its air filled with lovely aromas.

    She thought of what Evan was going to do to her under the big Christmas tree, he was about to kiss her, and almost seeded.

    When it came to Evan¡¯s actions, Hermione couldn¡¯t tell whether she was surprised, expecting them or¡­

    Anyway, her heart was beating stronger and stronger, and her face was getting redder.

    In fact, she didn¡¯t expect Evan to be so bold at the time as to kiss her, and if he did, she didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Fortunately, he wasn¡¯t sessful at that time, and reason told Hermione that it was the right thing.

    It was undeniable that she really liked Evan. But Hermione was not sure if Evan liked her, or if he was just influenced by the atmosphere in the Tea Shop.

    She was overwhelmed at the time, and there were so many couples doing that.

    In that atmosphere, anyone couldn¡¯t help but do something stupid.

    In Hermione¡¯s view, Evan was so good, so magical, always the focus of people¡¯s chats, and there were many girls in the school who liked him.

    For example, Ravenw¡¯s Cho Chang, she was much more beautiful than her.

    Hermione was a bit frustrated. She was just a bookworm who only knew how to read. She was not very good-tempered, nor was she very good looking.

    She was nothing like Cho, boys should all like girls like her.

    Every time Cho passed by them, Evan, Harry, and Ron, the three of them looked up at her.

    Therefore, Hermione had always been unsure whether Evan really liked her.

    But after that, they had experienced this series of events together.

    Whether it was the horrible werewolf attack, or next when Professor Lupin was used by Ron, the plot of Peter Pettigrew, the rescue of Sirius, the search for Regulus in a dangerous cave, etc. The things that kept happening in the past few days felt like theysted centuries to Hermione.

    Many times, they had been near death.

    While maintaining a high degree of mental stress, Hermione and Evan became more and more intimate.

    At any time, Evan kept protecting her, disregarding his own life.

    While Hermione was moved, she trusted Evan in the depths of her heart, and other unclear emotions were getting stronger and stronger.

    She suddenly regretted that she had not taken the opportunity to rify their rtionship at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shopst time, perhaps she should had been more outgoing¡­

    It was really a pity to miss that chance, and one thing was certain, that she had absolutely no courage to go there again with Evan.

    But she still had the chance to have a Christmas party tonight.

    They were all in the festive Diagon Alley, where the atmosphere was even better than Hogsmeade, and there should never be disturbances from monsters like werewolves and Inferi.

    Hermione was increasingly expecting this evening to be a real date with Evan.

    She peeked at Evan, and if there was a chance like thest time at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, she would take it.

    The atmosphere in the narrow little patio behind the Leaky Cauldron was somewhat different.

    Neither of them knew how it started, but Evan and Hermione suddenly quieted down. They were talking about Regulus, and then neither of them spoke.

    Evan was scratching his head, his heart pounding.

    Through the bar¡¯s neon lights, he saw that Hermione¡¯s face showed an attractive pink color, like a ripe apple, ready to be bitten.

    He subconsciously took a half step forward and was getting closer and closer to Hermione.

    Their palms were all sweaty, and the strange atmosphere was getting more and more intense.

    Evan looked carelessly into Hermione¡¯s eyes, and he found that the girl¡¯s fascinating gaze had a hint of fanaticism that looked particrly appealing.

    He and Hermione looked at each other and the two of them hurriedly looked away.

    Evan couldn¡¯t exin why he just felt Hermione¡¯s special beauty tonight.

    Just as he summoned up his courage and was about to say something, the stone wall in front of him suddenly began to move, scaring them.

    Evan and Hermione hurriedly turned their heads. In front of them, a small hole appeared in the middle of the stone wall leading to Diagon Alley. The hole grew bigger and bigger, and in a short while, a wide archway appeared in front of them, enough to let them pass through, leading to a winding, invisible cobblestone street.

    ¡°Merry Christmas, Children¡± A group of wizards dressed in red and green festive costumes stepped out and cheerfully greeted Evan and Hermione.

    They hurried through the two people, ready to have a drink in Diagon Alley.

    Evan and Hermione looked at each other, slightly embarrassed, and Evan was so clumsy that he didn¡¯t know what to do or where to put his hands.

    Seeing his nervous appearance, Hermione suddenly smiled. The corners of her mouth rose slightly, her smiling eyes bent into a beautiful crescent shape.

    She bit her lip, took Evan¡¯s right hand and stepped forward into Diagon Alley.

    This evening, Diagon Alley had a special charm, almost all the shops were brightly lit.

    The streets were filled with cheerful Christmas songs. There were rows of Christmas trees on both sides, which were covered with various decorations and Christmas gifts. Some of them had small icicles with sparkling crystals, and some trees were littering with hundreds of candles. Through the Christmas trees, you could see that behind the brick wall there was also a special magic, hanging with holly and mistletoe flower ribbons, color changing.

    There were also those grotesque mascots, each of which looked extraordinarily odd, some dressed up as wizards, and some transformed by Transfiguration.

    The scent of sweet food perfumed the streets, and the whole street was filled with revellers, dancing and celebrating the arrival of Christmas.

    ¡°Look over there, Evan,¡± said Hermione happily, with a sweet smile on her face and a look of high spirits.

    Along the direction of her finger, Evan saw a small square at Gringotts on the front, with a red Christmas hat, more than 20 inch Paper Dragon flew over the head of the crowd, over which was a goblin that continued to throw Christmas gifts into the crowd below.

    Those gifts were glittering golden galleons; many wizards were grabbing these gold coins below, bursting into loudughter from time to time.

    Evan knew that those gold coins should be fake, or else the Goblins would not have done such a thing with their stinginess and greed.

    Instead of joining the carnival crowd, they strolled aimlessly on the lively streets and chatted happily.

    Every shop had a celebration and free Christmas gifts.

    The sound of magical fireworks rang from time to time above their heads, and was not muffled like ordinary firecrackers, but made explosions like artillery bombardments, engulfing the crowd in smoke of various colors.

    Inside the fireworks¡¯ smoke, there were various kinds of egg gifts.

    Evan picked up an Admiral¡¯s hat and put it on the top of his head, it was especially funny.

    Hermione wanted a straw hat that looked particrly cute in pink, and they ran around in Diagon Alley with other wizards.

    They followed the direction of firecrackersnding and collected gifts everywhere on the ground.

    At the door of Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, a gift box burst open with a bang, a burst of green smoke drifted by. Evan saw the pink hat fall into the alley not far away, and he hurriedly pulled Hermione and ran over.

    In front of them, there was a lonely and quiet alley, and there was no one walking in. Like the outside, there was a towering Christmas tree in the alley with mistletoe and dozens of candles hanging out, emitting a faint, hazy light that looked very romantic.

 Chapter 220: Sweetness Under the Mistletoe

    <h4>Chapter 220: Sweetness Under the Mistletoe</h4>

    Mistletoe, as the name suggests, is a parasitic nt that grows on other trees.

    It is evergreen, representing hope and fertility.

    There is a popr saying in the United Kingdom, that is: No mistletoe, no happy!

    Even in the magic world, it is regarded as a traditional evil repellent, with great magic power, often hung by wizards in doorways to prevent bad luck or evil ck magic invasion. On top of that, it had many other uses.

    For example, in divination, the green branches of mistletoe are used for divination.

    The white or red berry juice that it produces in winter is one of the essential ingredients for making Felix Felicis potion, which can bring good luck to the user.

    Mistletoe is also known as the ¡°Golden Bough of Life¡± in Muggle traditional history and culture.

    It is said that on Christmas Day, as long as the girl passes by or stands where the mistletoe hangs, the man next to her can walk up and kiss her.

    Looking at the Christmas tree shining in front of her eyes, and the mistletoe hanging from it, somehow, Hermione suddenly remembered this old custom.

    She looked at Evan slyly, her eyes both expecting and a little scared.

    She seemed to want Evan to take the initiative. But if Evan really came over, she had no idea what to do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find it, Hermione, I saw that hat drop here¡­¡± Evan gasped, not noticing Hermione¡¯s strange reaction.

    He held up his wand and whispered Lumos Spell, and began to look for it in the dark alley. There was nothing on the ground. Evan thought for a moment that when the hat fell, it might hang on the huge Christmas tree in front of him.

    He looked up and looked at the branches of the Christmas tree from top to bottom.

    ¡°Evan¡± Hermione shouted softly, her heart beating fiercely.

    She remembered the determination she had just made in the patio that she should take the initiative tonight and seize the opportunity. It was an excellent opportunity.

    ¡°Did you find that hat?¡± Hermione called, and Evan hurriedly lowered his head and suddenly stopped when she spoke.

    Hermione was very close to him, ant they looked at each other in the eyes.

    When their eyes met instantly, he even stopped breathing.

    At that moment, Evan waspletely conquered by Hermione¡¯s beauty.

    His heart was full of strange feelings. Perhaps this was the feeling of love. He made up his mind that the girl in front of him was the one he liked, and he was willing to give everything to protect her, even his life.

    Hermione¡¯s face was reddish, and her glowing eyes looked back at Evan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that hat, do you know that custom?¡±

    ¡°What custom!¡± Evan tried to concentrate.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s about the mistletoe. You know, on Christmas Day, if only a girl stood under it, the mistletoe, then¡­¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t say it, her face blushed to the extreme, she bit her lip gently, her face full of shyness.

    She felt that she was very hot up and down all over her body.

    She could hardly believe what he had just said.

    In this way, it was like she was asking Evan to do the same to her.

    The candles on the Christmas tree shone and the atmosphere became beautiful.

    Along with Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan saw therge mistletoe over their heads. He instantly thought of the custom that Hermione talked about: On Christmas Day, as long as the boy and the girl were standing under the mistletoe, the boy could kiss her, and the girl has no right to refuse.

    Hermione just talked about this custom, did she want herself¡­

    Evan was lost in various fancies, under the dim candlelight on the Christmas tree; he felt Hermione was particrly beautiful, much more beautiful than usual.

    Deep in his heart, he felt a sudden urge to kiss Hermione.

    An invisible air field attracted Evan. He took a deep breath and couldn¡¯t help but step forward and try to hold Hermione¡¯s little hand.

    A feeling like that of a slight electric shock came from the tips of his fingers. Hermione trembled and did not resist.

    Evan felt her breath, the peculiar sweet scent of the girl.

    His brain stopped working, and all his thoughts were converted into nk spaces.

    He gulped and leaned forward.

    The distance between the two was like an un-crossable gully. He felt so tense that even his breathing stopped.

    Evan¡¯s right hand bottom-up surrounded Hermione tightly.

    In his arms, Hermione dodged as far back as she could, looking a little scared, and then, as if remembering something, stopped abruptly and closed her eyes tightly.

    The long eyshes on her eyelids trembled in the winter night wind, and the merry Christmas melody slowly came from far away. Hermione¡¯s heart trembled as it loomed.

    Her body was tight, and she was full of both anticipation and nervousness.

    The distance between the two was getting closer and closer. Looking at Hermione in his arms, Evan gavemand to his heart and made up his mind, and then closed his eyes, and his lips gently touched Hermione down.

    The girl¡¯s body trembled again and, in panic, she pushed him away hard.

    Evan did not flinch this time. He felt that he had kissed Hermione, a sweet, cold feeling, very soft, just like eating sugar.

    Her lips were pure and refreshingly cold.

    Soon, he was immersed in this enchanting feeling.

    For a moment after pushing Evan, Hermione also had the strange feeling between her lips, she closed her eyes tightly and dared not open them. She felt the coolnessing from her mouth and the taste of Evan¡¯s lips.

    The two remained standing and didn¡¯t move.

    It was for just a second, but for both of them, it seemed to be a century.

    If, in the eyes of others, their movement was not so much a kiss as a gentle touch between their lips, for Evan and Hermione, that was already an extremely difficult challenge.

    Evan could feel Hermione¡¯s tension. She bit her teeth and did not loosen.

    He knew that at this time, the boy must take the initiative, and Evan was ready to take further action, but at that moment, Hermione jerked him away.

    She was short of breath, avoiding Evan¡¯s eyes, bowing her head, and her little face was red¡­

    ¡°No, no, Evan, we can¡¯t do this¡­¡± Hermione gasped, her eyes involuntarily moved to another ce, panicked and said, ¡°I just saw the hat fall in, I¡­ I¡¯ll go and find it.¡±

    When she finished, she turned her head and ran deep into the alley.

    Evan paused, Hermione must be nervous now, and he is the same. He didn¡¯t know if he should chase her or what to say.

    He began to think again. Since this started, it should happen properly.

    This kind of half-done behavior, forck of better words, could only be described by being really awkward.

 Chapter 221: Strange Girl

    <h4>Chapter 221: Strange Girl</h4>

    With kissing and such matters, one really cannot afford be too hasty.

    The normal ¡°protocol¡± should be to make a contact first, and then do it.

    Under the Christmas tree, Evan¡¯s face was red and hot. He looked up at the dark night sky and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

    Since ¡°this¡± has be an established fact, he¡¯s now responsible of it, and he should take up the appropriate responsibilities. It doesn¡¯t make much sense to continue to struggle.

    However, it was cool, soft and sweet when he thought he had just touched Hermione¡¯s lips¡­

    Evan¡¯s face turned red again, and he wondered if Hermione would agree if he asked for it.

    If she agreed, would that mean that he could do that with her again in the future?

    Evan shook his head hard and couldn¡¯t think about it anymore.

    He tried to adjust his breathing rhythm, was ready to look for Hermione in the Alley, and had just taken two steps away before he immediately stopped.

    He heard a crisp, subtle sounding from the dark corner where someone was humming a song in a low voice.

    It was a very strange tune, not a Christmas song, but a slow, beautiful melody. There was a bit of mncholy in the crisp voice. Evan had never heard a simr song before.

    He hurriedly turned his head, and in the faint light of his wand saw a girl crouching in a dark doorway, humming a song.

    The girl had long blond hair, slightly curled.

    On her head, she was wearing the pink straw hat Evan and Hermione had been looking for, the brim of which was so low that he could not see exactly what she looked like.

    Outwardly, she was very slender and thin, about the same height as Ginny and about the same age, about eleven or twelve years old.

    The girl was wearing a shabby ck wizard¡¯s robe. It was pretty old fashioned. It was very unfitting of her. It seemed to be arge-sized adult wizard¡¯s clothes. It was slightly modified and put on her body. The cuffs had been rolled up several times just to be kept from falling down.

    On the dusty robe, red stains were scattered from top to bottom, everywhere.

    It wasn¡¯t known what kind of liquid left these stains behind.

    It looked shocking, as if a kind of potion or blood left its traces.

    Evan, squinting, carefully moved forward half a step.

    He was on the alert. He did not know whether the dark red spots on the girl were magic potions or blood stains, but they were obviously not normal stains.

    ording to Dumbledore¡¯s method that he learned in the cave, Evan felt danger from the girl.

    This seemingly delicate girl had a strong magic power, and the traces of the powerful magic left on her side were looming.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what magic marks were left behind. It should be a curse that he had never grasped.

    Apart from the suspicious stains on the robe and the unusually powerful magic ipatible with her age, it was unreasonable for a young girl of this age to sit alone in this remote, dark, silent alley at night.

    Even though there was a Christmas party in Diagon Alley this evening, and lots of people were gathering there, it was still very unusual.

    As the distance between the two narrowed, Evan noticed the girl¡¯s skin outside her clothes.

    Her skin was very white, but it was not the healthy milky white of a normal person. It was the paleness of someone who had not seen the sun for a long time.

    It was like the Inferi¡¯s, but it didn¡¯t seem to be very disgusting.

    Of course, this might also be because the girl was too beautiful.

    Evan saw her face hidden under the brim of her hat, and her facial features were more beautiful than all the girls he had ever seen, just like a porcin doll. She had an indescribable special temperament.

    The most striking thing was her eyes. The girl¡¯s smart eyes were notmon colors, but very rare wine red. The red was very pure and thorough.

    When Evan took a look, he fell deeply into it. He shook his head in a hurry and made his mind sober.

    ¡°Merry Christmas!¡± Evan briefly nodded, and said softly, ¡°My name is Evan Mason, Hogwarts second-year student. Who are you and why are you here?¡±

    As he spoke, he ced his wand naturally across his chest and looked at the girl with vignce.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s voice, the girl stopped singing. She did not answer, and even did not move.

    She just looked up at Evan, with a slightly surprised look, as if she hadn¡¯t expected anyone to speak to her.

    Then her delicate nose shook a little, as if smelling something

    ¡°Tasty food!¡± She said softly, with a little hoarse sound in her crisp voice.

    The girl¡¯s confusing words made Evan step back.

    He looked at his opponent in horror, focusing his energy, and the magic of his whole body naturally converged to the wand in his hand.

    Imagine that you are not carrying anything eatable, but when a stranger sees you, the first thing he says mentions the taste of food as he looks at you with consternation, as if you were the food itself in his eyes. What would you feel like?

    This was bizarre, creepy and horrifying!

    Thest time Evan heard something like this; it was from the Werewolf Greyback who said it to him and Hermione.

    Greyback had been obsessed with the taste of human flesh for a long time. In his eyes, human beings were just ordinary food. Even if not transformed, he had always liked eating human beings, especially children.

    If the girl, like the Werewolf Greyback, saw him as food in her eyes, then she was probably not human.

    Looking at the blood stains on her ck robe, and the powerful magic, Evan felt a chill down his spine.

    That was not good news. It was still Christmas. He didn¡¯t want toplicate matters, and then encounter some puzzling things again. However, Evan was not worried. It was different from Hogsmeade. There was a carnival crowd just outside the alley. If there was a fight, they would be there soon.

    Evan stepped back. He was going to leave to find Hermione.

    But the girl opposite seemed to be interested in him. She wrinkled her nose and sniffed in the air.

    She repeated again, ¡°Tasty food!¡±

    There was hoarseness in her crisp voice which was very pleasant to hear, but what she said was absolutely abnormal.

    She stood up and walked over to Evan, as if she had not seen the wand in his hand, nor was she aware of its dangerous capabilities, such as casting spells, Transfiguration, and so on. In fact, her body looked even thinner and weaker in her ck robe, and she did not look dangerous at all.

    Evan hesitated and did not know what to do.

    If only the girl used ck magic to attack him, or said a few words more, Evan would not have been so flustered.

    He stood there with his wand, not knowing what to do. Was he tomunicate with her or directly use magic attacks?

    At the very least, the present situation should be cleared now!

 Chapter 222: Sudden Duel

    <h4>Chapter 222: Sudden Duel</h4>

    In the dark alley, Hermione was without a trace, and he did not know where to go.

    Evan and the strange girl in front of him were deadlocked. Two people stood under the Christmas tree. The shadows were reflected in the dark candles hanging on the trees. They stretched long and extended to the depths of the dark alley without any light.

    Evan looked at the girl across the street with a headache. She was wearing arge, tattered ck robe, her white, cute nose, sniffing the air. Like a kitten, she came up to him. Getting closer and closer¡­

    Her movements were lovely, not seeming to be dangerous at all, but Evan was under great pressure. He also sniffed hard like she did, and there was no other special smell in the air except for the cold night air and the faint smell of wineing from the distant revellers.

    At the very least, Evan didn¡¯t smell anything.

    Looking at the girl¡¯s appearance, she seemed to want to stick to him, relying on her nose to find the food she should have.

    Evan took half a step back, even if he didn¡¯t feel danger, it was extremely inappropriate for a girl he had just seen to get so close to him.

    Under the Christmas tree, the girl walked to the position where Hermione had just stood. Through the faint candlelight around her, Evan clearly saw her appearance.

    In the dark corner just a moment ago, he just instinctively felt that she was very beautiful, petite, fine features, fair skin, like a porcin doll.

    Looking closely at the girl by the candlelight, Evan found that her appearance could only be described by a word:¡±AMAZING¡±.

    It was a kind of beauty that could directly touch the depths of the soul.

    Especially her burgundy red eyes. Like two rubies, they were shining smartly.

    On the contrary, her skin was still half-colored, as if all the blood of her body was concentrated in her eyes.

    ¡°Food¡­¡± The girl said vaguely and looked a bit weak.

    ¡°Hold on, if youe closer, I will attack!¡± Evan shouted.

    He raised his wand in his hand, and as the magic gathered, the light at the end of the wand became stronger.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, the girl stopped and seemed to hesitate.

    ¡°Very good, we need to talk. As you can see, I am not malicious. I just identally heard your song. I was curious seeing you in the corner.¡± Evan patiently said, ¡°My name is Evan Mason. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason?! The girl repeated it. She didn¡¯t say her name. She continued to sniff and said slowly, ¡°The scent of food¡­¡±

    Her state was very strange. She looked very weak, and looked like she had been hungry for a long time.

    Besides food, there seemed to be nothing else to could attract her.

    ¡°I do not have anything to eat on me. If you do not mind, I can lead you to the Leaky cauldron, where a Christmas party is being held, with lots of delicious food.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t go, I have to stay here. There are important things!¡± The girl shook her head obstinately. ¡°I smell the scent of food, it¡¯s on you¡­¡±

    She finished her sentence and came closer to Evan.

    She had no reason to say this sentence, which made Evan puzzled.

    He was sure that he had nothing to eat except for a lot of Dark magic books that had been reduced by the Shrinking Charm.

    Looking at the girl getting closer, Evan did not hesitate; he clenched his wand and shouted, ¡°Petrificus Totalus!¡±

    The white light flew out of his wand and hit her urately.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what the girl wanted to do, Evan decided it would be better to be careful. The girl¡¯s behavior was too abnormal.

    He nned to use the Full Body-Bind Curse to freeze her, and then, have a good chat.

    If there was really no way out, he could take her back to the Leaky Cauldron pub and ask the barkeeper, Lupin, Sirius or anyone else to go find the girl¡¯s family or find things out about her.

    Evan¡¯s petrifying spell went towards her, and just as he thought he was sessful, the white light suddenly turned to the right, changed its course, brushed the girl¡¯s body andnded on the opposite wall.

    Evan was stunned. He saw the girl¡¯s little hand hidden in her big sleeve, holding a ck wand.

    The wand wasvery short, about seven inches long.

    It was amazing that she actually had a wand.

    On top of this wand, what Evan cared most about was that this girl was very strong.

    She had just released a Protective Spell almost at the same time as the Full Body-Bind Curse was about to hit her, and she used a silent spell, a spell silently recited in her heart.

    Casting a silent Spell at this speed, Evan thought that it should prove very difficult even for him to do that.

    Thinking of her blood spot-like strange stains, and the faint powerful magic, made Evan focus so strongly. He could not afford to be careless.

    He waved his wand and issued several spells in session.

    The girl did not counterattack, but Evan¡¯s Spells which were all about to hit her, were deflected at thest second, and grazed her body to the side.

    There was a magic Shield around her body that protected her from harm.

    Evan was sure that she was not using the Shield Charm.

    It should be a protective spell that he didn¡¯t know. Every time his curse attack was about to hit her, there was always a sh of red light around her body.

    He could not continue that way. Evan could confirm that she was stronger than him.

    He was about to use more powerful magic, or perhaps, more spectacr, to create a huge sound, attracting the crowds from the streets.

    But before he could do anything, a red chain suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was like a viper, and it tied Evan firmly from the bottom up.

    ¡°Damn, it was a silent spell!¡±

    Evan fell to the ground heavily. It was then that he realized what was happening.

    He found himself too inexperienced in battle. In fact, he had faced this problem since hisst battles with the werewolf Greyback and Snape.

    They were two different styles of fighting, but there was one thing inmon. That was, Evan had made a lot of mistakes that he should not have made, and there were too many opportunities for him that were not grasped. Just like this time, his real strength had not been fully exerted.

    In the exchange with Sirius, he also pointed out that Evan had this problem.

    Like Hermione, they both read a lot of magic books and mastered a lot of spells, but in actualbat, because ofck of experience, they could not fully demonstrate their strength.

    And this gap had be increasingly evident in his sessive battles.

    Before that, Evan had never fought an enemy who used a Silent Spell. He did not master this spell-casting technique nor did he know how to deal with it.

    His opponent used silent spells to take the lead, and used two magic Spells that Evan did not know. So, he could not defend himself at all. He was so muddled and overpowered.

 Chapter 223: Vampires

    <h4>Chapter 223: Vampires</h4>

    Evan was tied tightly by the red chain that suddenly appeared, and fell heavily to the ground.

    Unable to manage his pain, he struggled to get up and failed. He was all cold and sweaty, and he didn¡¯t know what the girl wanted.

    Evan tried several spells in session, but none of them had been released.

    These red chains not only bound his body, but also gave off a strange magic smell, which hindered the magic in him.

    Evan looked up and saw the girl swaying like a kitten.

    She seemed to be dazed, as if she had just woken up, and her expression had not changed at all. To her, subduing him with this unprecedented power of magic seemed like a trivial task.

    The girl did not speak, and went straight to Evan¡¯s side. Her crimson eyes fell on his neck. She seemed hesitant and gulped.

    Under the wide, dark robe, you couldn¡¯t pinpoint where she had put her short wand. The girl wrinkled her nose and sniffed again, and then extended a pale little hand to Evan.

    Despite her thick clothes, Evan could feel the girl¡¯s hand like ice, really cold, even colder than the winter night air.

    Because he was very close, he could smell a strange odor on her.

    It was not the peculiar girl¡¯s smell like Hermione¡¯s, but a faint smell of blood.

    Evan could be sure that the spots on her ck robe were not traces of magic potions or drinks, but blood drops that fell on it.

    Wine-red eyes, pale skin, cold body temperature, smell of blood, when these are all descriptions of one person, they are enough proof to conclude that¡­

    This girl is a vampire!!!

    Evan just had doubts, but now he waspletely sure.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that his luck was really that bad. In Diagon Alley, on the opposite corner of the most prosperousmercial street in the wizarding and magic world, where there were so many wizards, he was the one to casually meet a vampire that other wizards had never met in their lifetime.

    Even in a dark alley, if you want to meet a vampire, you need to be lucky as to win the jackpot.

    It is to be known that in the wizarding world, vampires do exist. But they are very rare; their numbers are scarce and many mysteries revolve around them.

    Vampires usually pay great attention to the protection of their own secrets, and generally do not actively contact the mainstream magic society. They have their own closed society and survival rules.

    Even if there¡¯s asional contact, it is difficult to identify them.

    With this, many wizards even thought that vampires were extinct, or that they were simply fabricated magical creatures, existing only in mythological stories.

    Evan vaguely remembered that in the original book, there was no excessive description of the vampires.

    After Voldemort returned, he sent a Death Eater to contact various dark creatures to overthrow the Ministry of Magic. The three most desired allies were werewolves, giants and vampires, especially vampires, but they rejected Voldemort¡¯s invitation. .

    In the original book, there seemed to be something big that happened inside the vampiremunity. They had no energy to care about anything else, and finally they were gone.

    Looking at the vampire girl in front of him, she seemed to be hungry, wanting to pounce on his neck, and suck his blood¡­

    Evan gulped, and his body mmed back to dodge.

    Because he did not expect to encounter a vampire, he did not collect relevant books, and the second-year Defence Against the Dark Arts ss did not have content about them.

    Normally, Defence Against Vampire is a seventh-grade course, or an elective course, relying entirely on the professor¡¯s personal mood and preferences.

    asionally, there may be questions rted to vampires on the Advanced Wizard¡¯s level test, which were also very simple.

    The only thing Evan had in mind about vampires was fromst year, when he was bored enough to flip through Lockhart¡¯s ¡°Voyages with Vampires¡±.

    With Lockhart¡¯s peculiar hyperbole, the book describes in detail a vampire he met on his journey, and how he fought with wit and courage, went through life-and-death battles, and ultimately defeated him.

    Although there are many exaggerations, and although it was not Lockhart¡¯s personal experience, this book was based on a true story.

    The girl in front of him corresponded exactly to the Vampire¡¯s description in the book.

    ording to ¡°Voyages with Vampires¡±, to deform into a vampire is, like the werewolf, acquired.

    But unlike the werewolves, where anyone, as long as they are bitten, may be infected to be a werewolf; the way to be a vampire is called the first embrace.

    The entire process is extremely demanding and the sess rate is very low.

    The first embrace can cause great harm to the vampires themselves. They don¡¯t do it at random, and usually choose only intimate and talented wizards.

    All kinds of restrictive factors stack up, which greatly limits the number of vampires.

    In the traditional sense, the first embrace is regarded as a kind of a magic ritual.

    This magic evolved from the ancient dark magic that specialized in the study of the dead spirit, the devil¡¯s dark wizard, the sacrifice to the undead, and the summoning of the demon. Because of this, unlike other magical creatures such as goblins, house elves, Centaurs, and werewolves, the first embrace is the only way to be a Vampire, and Vampires are considered to be the result of wizards¡¯ mutation.

    They are not magical creatures in essence, but wizards whose magical power had been mutated under the influence of magic, and are more taboo than the evil dark wizards.

    This point can be seen from the internal settings of the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures.

    As it is known to all, the Department is divided into a number of Divisions, responsible for all matters rted to the management of magical creatures in the wizarding world.

    Up to now, the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures includes the Centaur Liaison Office, the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, the Dragon¡¯s Research and Control Office, the Pest Advisory Board, the Troll Management Office, the Werewolf Registry, the Werewolf Capture Unit, the Goblin Liaison Office, the Office for House-Elf Relocation, the Spirit Division, etc.

    None of them is rted to vampires.

    When a wizard is unfortunately bitten by a transformed werewolf, and bes a werewolf like Lupin, he has to report to the Werewolf Registry.

    If he refuses the support of the Ministry of Magic, then the werewolf will be tracked by the Werewolf Capture Unit.

    However, if a wizard is turned to be a vampire, his shape and appearance do not change a lot.

    He will still be considered a human, a wizard, just like a dark wizard, not epted nor trusted by the mainstream society, or considered to be a more evil being.

    But as long as he does not infringe upon others and suck blood from them, he has nothing to fear.

    It sounds simple, but it is practically impossible. Unlike ordinary wizards, the strength of vampireses mainly from blood.

    The stronger the magic contained in blood is, the more power they gain. Although it is possible to survive on the blood of an animal, the power of a vampire slowly fades when it is consumed for a long time, unless it is a magical creature of extraordinary power.

    In the end, it is even possible for them to lose magic for good.

    Because they must consume magical blood, among the target objects that can be hunt, the blood of the wizard is easier to obtain than the dangerous powerful magical creatures. So although it is banned, there are still vampire attacks on wizards.

    But with the number of vampires getting smaller and smaller, such attacks have gradually disappeared.

 Chapter 224: History of Vampires and the First Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 224: History of Vampires and the First Embrace</h4>

    Evan hadn¡¯t studied the specific origin of this Dark Magic yet..

    But there is no doubt that the special species of vampires was born at the same time as the original ck wizards studied the magic of the ¡°First Embrace¡± from the evil ck magic rituals such as undead sacrifices and summoning demons.

    Through the First Embrace, the magic within the wizard¡¯s body will be integrated into his blood. Without physical obstruction, the magic will run faster and be more pure.

    The Dark wizards were delighted to discover that their magical power had be stronger, and it was easier to grasp the essence of dark magic without forcing their heart to be evil.

    On top of the magical operation and the use of ck magic being handier, the biggest advantage after the First embrace was physical change.

    Their physical strength had been enhanced, but their senses had not changed.

    For wizards who had been engaged in magic research for a long time and who were generally weak physically, this was a miracle.

    There seemed to be a lot of benefits, but the essence of the ¡°First Embrace¡± was evil magic.

    In the Middle Ages, believing in the existence of gods, this astonishing power to radically alter the body of a wizard was thought toe from evil spirits or powerful demons.

    In fact, after the first embrace, the wizards were surprised to find that their skin grew paler and paler, eventually bing white and totally bloodless.

    Moreover, they began to be afraid of the sun and could only move in the dark.

    ck wizards generally believed that this was a curse, the price that should be paid for gaining such immense strength.

    The most worrying thing about these changes was that after the first embrace, they were no longer interested in ordinary food.

    With the transformation, their stomachs could no longer adapt to ordinary food. Any food they swallowed made them feel nauseous and they quickly vomited.

    Instead, they began to be extremely sensitive to blood.

    The first Dark wizards to pass through their first embrace soon discovered that only by sucking blood could he be fed and not remain hungry, and that they became monsters who live on blood.

    For ordinary people, this change was enough to create a strong sense of guilt. Consume blood like a demon, every day, would make people fall into madness.

    But for the evil Dark wizards themselves, this was not a problem, not even a psychological burden.

    They devoted themselves to the new magic experiment with great enthusiasm. Through numerous experiments, they even found that taking the blood of different animals haspletely different effects on them. To put it simply, the more magical the creature, the greater the gain from its blood bes.

    Because they could no longer rely on natural growth to enhance and restore magic as normal wizards do, they began to suck the blood of magical animals.

    After this behavior was discovered, other wizards began to call these special wizards vampires.

    Because of bloodsucking, vampires were not understood by the mainstream magic society, they were gradually being squeezed into the edge or shadow of the magic world to form a special existence.

    Within the vampires, this direct physical change was regarded as a gift from the devil.

    They did not agree with what other wizards called them. They called themselves ¡°Blood n!¡±

    The time when the vampires lived in peace with other wizards did notst long.

    Because the creature they were choosing to suck were getting more and more magical, the more time the vampires got, the faster their own magical level grew.

    But everyone knows that the magical creatures with stronger magic often mean more danger.

    Needless to say, the rare vampires were normal wizards, and relied on absolute numerical superiority to seed in hunting a dangerous and magical creature.

    It¡¯s not known when the vampire first sucked the blood of a wizard.

    After hunting magical creatures, other wizards were targeted. They were significantly less dangerous and had a muchrger payoff.

    Perhaps forpatibility reasons, the wizard¡¯s blood has an irresistible allure for vampires, tastes better, is easier to absorb. The magic grows and changes faster.

    Of course, this evil act of extermination was immediately condemned and unanimously opposed by all wizards after being discovered by the mainstream magic society.

    The Ministry of Magic quickly passed a bill that would prohibit vampires from being allowed to exist, and the ¡°First Embrace¡± was listed as a prohibited ck magic.

    The Aurors began to arrest vampires, trial them, and even execute them on the spot.

    Arge number of books on vampire magic were destroyed, and the word ¡°vampire¡± became a taboo, more evil than ¡°Dark wizard¡± and was not allowed to be mentioned.

    Through severalrge-scale cleanings, the number of vampires had be scarcer.

    The remnant vampires moved from the top of the earth to the underground, and they gradually disappeared from people¡¯s eyes, eventually vanishing.

    But they were not extinct. After centuries of development, the vampires had fully developed to aplete and independent mysterious existence.

    They live in families in unknown ces.

    The dark magic of the ¡°First Embrace¡± had been constantly improved, and wasn¡¯t as difficult as the original, which had many limitations, requiring arge number of creatures to be sacrificed to the devil.

    Now, if they want to turn a wizard into a new vampire, the vampires only need to suck a certain proportion of his blood, and then use their special magic to inject their blood back into the other person. If it can be merged, the magic is sessfullypleted.

    What has not changed is the degree of danger of the entire process, and the initial sess rate is very low.

    During the first embrace, the selected wizard could die at any time because of a failed blood fusion.

    Moreover, the source of the vampire¡¯s own strength is blood, and when it is injected into the other¡¯s body, it¡¯s particrly harmful to him.

    Therefore, vampires are very cautious in selecting objects and preparing them, rather than using the precious ¡°First Embrace¡± on passers-by who are unfitting.

    The same is true of this vampire girl in front of Evan. She must now regard him as food, rather than wanting to give him the ¡°First Embrace¡±.

    It is said that vampires can smell blood that is difficult for ordinary people to smell, and use the magical power contained in it as a standard to distinguish between good and bad blood.

    With Evan¡¯s current magical power, the magic in his body is stronger than most young wizards.

    The vampire girl in front of him, at first nce, looked like she had been hungry for a long time. When she saw the lonely Evan, she couldn¡¯t help bute close to him and kept saying that she smelled food. She probably thought of Evan as that.

 Chapter 225: Blood-Flavored Lollipops

    <h4>Chapter 225: Blood-vored Lollipops</h4>

    Evan guessed that the girl in front of him was a vampire, and he looked at her nervously.

    Deep down inside, it didn¡¯t seem too bad to be bitten in the neck by such a beautiful, lovely girl.

    But at the thought that her bite was not that simple, Evan¡¯s body shivered just imagining it. In Lockhart¡¯s book ¡°Voyages with Vampires¡±, the vampire feeding process had been described in details.

    After selecting a good subject, a vampire usually uses magic to tie it down.

    He uses his sharp teeth to cut through the softest skin on his prey¡¯s neck, piercing its vessel, and the blood will spray out. Without wasting a drop, the vampire will suck up all its blood in one minute.

    Evan was crying without tears. Maybe this was the end of his life.

    A vampire feeds upon amazinglyrge amounts of blood. Regardless of her petite size, it wouldn¡¯t take her long to suck his blood dry.

    When Hermione woulde back, she might only see a mummy.

    Evan once againmented that he was too unlucky. He actually met a vampire in Diagon Alley on Christmas Day and was about to be her food. Was it the retribution after he had just kissed Hermione?!

    Evan tried tomunicate. No matter what he said, the girl did not respond.

    She bent down and started groping around Evan¡¯s body as if she were looking for something.

    However, her gaze was involuntarily aimed at Evan¡¯s neck, and then there was the obvious action and sound of gulping, sounding heart-rending.

    The girl¡¯s throat moving looked very cute, but its meaning was creepy.

    She seemed to be patient and resisting the temptation of biting Evan. However, she seemed to be almost incapable to bear it, and looked like she could bite him at any time.

    After anothermunication failure, Evan decided to go straight to the point and shouted, ¡°I know you¡¯re a vampire. You don¡¯t want to bite me; you don¡¯t want to suck my blood, do you? I would advise you not to do so. Here is Diagon Alley, my friends¡­ ¡±

    The girl stopped and her burgundy eyes stared at Evan quietly.

    For a long time, she did not speak, and when Evan thought he had failed tomunicate again, he heard the girl¡¯s distinctive crisp, husky voice.

    ¡°Besides Dragons¡¯ blood, I generally don¡¯t take the blood from any lower creatures.¡±

    When Evan heard what the girl said, he was directly stunned. He blinked speechless for a long time to confirm what she had just said. Did she actually mention Dragons¡¯ blood?!

    Evan was not sure about this girl. Was she kidding him?!

    She didn¡¯t look to have such sense of humor.

    After Dumbledore¡¯s ount of the twelve uses of Dragon blood, the greatest discovery recognized by modern alchemy, Evan finally found the thirteenth.

    ¡°Are you not kidding me?¡± he tried to speak in a rxed tone.

    In fact, this joke would be pretty funny if he didn¡¯t take into ount the fact that he was currently bound by a red chain and there was a vampire watching him.

    ¡°No!¡± The girl looked at Evan seriously. After a pause, she replied softly. ¡°Look at you, it seems like I want to bite you, but I don¡¯t know what the taste will be like.¡±

    ¡°Definitely not tasty!¡± Evan hurriedly said.

    The girl¡¯s remark was very lethal, especially when she just finished, she began to look at his neck, and gulped, looking extremely impatient.

    It was too dangerous, and Evan decided not to continue discussing the issue.

    Anyway, the vampire girl didn¡¯t look like she was going to suck his own blood right now, so why did she say she smelled food and rummaged through him for something?

    Just then, Evan suddenly thought of something.

    Besides the ck family collection that he had just brought out at 12 Grimmauld Square, and the Slytherin¡¯s locket, he had some candies on him.

    They were the candies he and Hermione had bought from Hogsmeade, because they were not very big, they just put them in their pockets and took a piece whenever they wanted to eat.

    Ordinary candies were nothing, of course, but there were a few pieces from Honeydukes sweet shop¡¯s owner Mr. Flume, who asked Evan to help him promote his new product¡­

    Blood-vored lollipops!!!

    The Honeydukes sweet shop conducted several questionnaires in the Hogwarts Magic newspaper about the vor of their next product. The one that was most popr was Blood vor. Many wizards thought it would be cool, but the actual product sold badly after it was made.

    Because the taste was exactly the same as real blood, almost no one bought the candy, and the finished products were piled up in the basement of the Honeydukes sweet shop.

    Evan remembered that he had sighed at that time that those candies were specially designed for vampires. He never expected a random word to be actually so true.

    Because of blood-vored lollipops, there really was a vampire that came to him.

    ¡°Stop searching, I know what you are looking for!¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s cold little hand rummaging through him for a long time, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That thing is called bloody lollipop, it should suit your vampire¡¯s taste. Besides sweetness, it is simr to the taste of blood. Release me, I can find it for you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± The girl hesitated, shook her head and refused; she said vigntly, ¡°My uncle warned me not to believe in wizards and in the Ministry of Magic. You are not trustworthy. You will only kill us with all kinds of intrigues.¡±

    These dark creatures were even more extreme in their thoughts than werewolves. No wonder Voldemort first thought of vampires when he wanted to find allies.

    Their mind is dark enough and their overall strength is powerful enough to be some of the strongest allies.

    Evan didn¡¯t know where the girl grew up, but it was no surprise that vampires think so cynically.

    For centuries, there was an antagonist rtionship between wizards and vampires.

    If anyone else knew that this girl was a vampire, it would not take a long time for all the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Aurors to be deployed, filling the whole Diagon Alley.

    They would arrest her and send her to the Wizengamot for trial.

    Even if it turned out she didn¡¯t suck human blood, the girl would be locked up in Azkaban for life because of her taboo status as a vampire.

    Only death would be waiting for her there. Dementors don¡¯t usually provide fresh blood for their prisoners.

    There was a short silence; Evan did not know what to say.

    Since she did not believe in him, he had to tell her in words where the candies were, rather than letting her rummage through him.

    In a few seconds, the girl found the few bloody lollipops.

    She tried to eat a piece and looking at the expression on her face, she seemed to enjoy the taste.

    ¡°Well, your purpose has been reached, could you unchain me?!¡± Evan tried to say, ¡°I am not malicious, I don¡¯t want to hurt you, and I don¡¯t want to talk about it to anyone else. You can rest assured¡­¡±

    The girl looked at Evan again and seemed to be thinking about it.

    Because of the bloody lollipop, her mental state looked much better than before.

    Under the dim candlelight, the girl¡¯s burgundy eyes sparkled with strange shine.

 Chapter 226: Arrangement of Fate

    <h4>Chapter 226: Arrangement of Fate</h4>

    In the dark alley, Evan looked at the vampire girl.

    It was obvious that she did not intend to bite him and suck his blood. Her aim had also been achieved, and there should be no reason for her to stay here.

    A long time passed, and the continued stalemate was very unfavorable to her.

    However, she did not move, nor did she unchain Evan. She looked at him with her red eyes wide open, as if in a daze.

    ¡°What else do you want to do?¡± Evan said badly, thinking he had fallen on hard time. This vampire girl was really hard to deal with. She seemed to have other things to tell him.

    ¡°Nothing, after eating this candy, I feel even hungrier!¡± She picked up another bloody lollipop and looked at it for a while, put it in her mouth and said vaguely, ¡°It tastes a bit like it, but there seems to be no real blood inside.¡±

    Of course, there was no real blood in the bloody lollipop. That was just a voring.

    If the Honeydukes sweet shop dared to use blood to make candy, it would have been sealed off long ago.

    Evan flinched back as he noticed that the girl couldn¡¯t help but look at his neck again, as if she had a great attraction for it.

    It looked like she might pounce on him at anytime.

    ¡°Are you afraid?¡± The girl jokingly said, her lips were slightly upturned.

    ¡°Not afraid, I am thinking about how you are going to do to let me go¡­¡± Evan said stiffly, while trying to gather magic, but it didn¡¯t work.

    The strange magic fluctuations emitted by the red iron chain on his body prevented him from using any magic.

    Because their source of power is different, the vampire¡¯s magic is very different from normal wizards¡¯ magic. If you don¡¯t know the principle of such magic, it is hard to break it.

    ¡°You have courage. My uncle said that ordinary people like you have a natural fear of us, fear of contact with us, fear of our strength!¡± The girl¡¯s cold little hand touched the skin of Evan¡¯s neck and she said slowly, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, let me take a bite. I haven¡¯t eaten anything since this morning.¡±

    After the girl finished her words, she did not ask for Evan¡¯s consent, but she bowed her head directly and approached him like a lovely cat.

    Evan could see two sharp teeth in her slightly open mouth. They weren¡¯t very prominent; they were just like a normal girl¡¯s canine teeth, but just a little more protruding.

    ¡°Hold on! Don¡¯t bite¡­¡± Evan hurriedly shouted. He looked at the girl who was getting closer and closer to him and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    He struggled to shrink back and the chain on his body made a constant noise.

    Deep down, he would rather face a cunning Death Eater or a horrible Inferius over having to deal with such an unscrupulous unreasonable vampire girl.

    She was stronger than him, and there was no way tomunicate.

    Evan did not feel it in Hogwarts before. Now thinking about it, the magic world is really full of danger everywhere.

    Who would have thought that you could meet a vampire casually on Diagon Alley, the most bustling street in the wizarding world?

    It was full-fledged unexpected cmity, an unexpected hazard.

    Fortunately, this girl looked a bit confused. If it had been another vampire, Evan¡¯s blood would have been sucked out, and he would have been a mummy by now.

    ¡°My blood tastes bad. If you are hungry, I can lead you to find the blood of other animals. What vor do you like? ¡°Evan hurriedly said.

    It wasn¡¯t until he had finished that he realized that the topic was weird. He was actually discussing blood vors with her, as if he was inviting her to supper.

    ¡°Besides Dragon¡¯s blood, I generally do not take blood from other lower organisms. I was just trying it. You are obviously scared, but you said you were not afraid!¡± The girl gulped again and forced herself not to stare at Evan¡¯s neck. ¡°My uncle was right, wizards are very cunning, and they never say the truth.¡±

    Evan was speechless. In fact, he waspletely unable to tell whether the girl herself was telling the truth.

    Looking at her, she was clearly hungry and about to faint. She couldn¡¯t help but want to suck blood, but she refused to be frank.

    Fortunately, she couldn¡¯t say it. If she was honest enough, it would be a real misfortune for Evan.

    The mood was getting warmer and less awkward, and the girl was getting more and more talkative.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will let you go.¡± She curled up and sat next to Evan, with her peculiar hoarse voice, she said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for that man, and then I will leave. I will use Obliviate to make you forget what happened tonight.¡±

    Damn It, it is Obliviate again!

    In Evan¡¯s view, though this spell was not ck magic, it was more evil than most ck magic.

    He didn¡¯t want to be an idiot not knowing anything and lying in the hospital like Lockhart.

    ¡°Who are you waiting for?¡± he hurriedly asked, maybe this was an opportunity.

    Listening to the girl¡¯s tone, the person she waited for should not be a vampire. As long as it was a normal-minded wizard, he still had a chance.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, in the prophecy passed down in the family, we¡¯ve only been told that we will meet that person. He will help us and help the family out of the crisis.¡± The girl shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. My uncle has already set out to look for him. I also wanted to help, so I left the family when nobody was there today. This street is the ce where wizards are mostmon. If it is the arrangement of fate, I believe that I will meet him here¡­ ¡±

    Evan blinked, and the girl now spoke in exactly the same tone as Professor Trwney and the Centaurs. It was an incredibly illusory prophecy.

    He didn¡¯t know why so many magical creatures believe in this kind of thing?!

    The results of prophecies aren¡¯t absolute. This magical power from nowhere can only make people see some fragments vaguely. Everyone has different understanding of these fragments and adopts different coping strategies. The final results can be quite different.

    The most obvious example is the prophecy about Voldemort and Harry.

    If Voldemort hadn¡¯t heard the prophecy and didn¡¯t take the initiative to choose Harry to be his opponent, the following sequence of events would not have happened.

    Evan didn¡¯t have much belief in such things.

    So far, counting the one that the girl just said, he has known three real prophecies.

    Butpared with the first two prophecies he knew, this girl was too casual.

    She talked a lot about the man she was looking for, but on second thought, she knew nothing about him. Just because she felt like she could meet the one mentioned in the prophecy, she ran away from home to Diagon Alley, where all the wizards were, and said it was the arrangement of fate¡­

 Chapter 227: Forgotten Inheritance

    <h4>Chapter 227: Forgotten Inheritance</h4>

    Away from home, the arrangement of fate¡­

    It was really a naive idea for

    an eleven or twelve year-old girl, even if she was a terrifying vampire herself.

    If fate was really so casual, odds were that she was not to find the person in the prophecy that could help their family out of the predicament, but because he had not sucked blood for a long time, she would be more likely to faint out of hunger, or starve to death, or be discovered, identified as a vampire, and finally detained in Azkaban.

    What Evan thought, this should be her fate.

    Now that time was approaching the early hours of the morning, the Christmas Carnival in Diagon Alley was about to end. At that time, she could only stand alone in this dark alley, waiting for the person who was doomed to never appear¡­

    Evan wanted to help, but he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    He couldn¡¯t take the girl back to the Leaky Cauldron pub and tell Lupin and Sirius that he identally picked up a vampire girl. Even though she was in such a pitiful state, he couldn¡¯t just take her back, hoping that they would not tell anyone else.

    Regardless of whether Lupin and Sirius would agree, the current scene was not quite fitting for that. He was tied there with this girl¡¯s magic.

    Looking at the situation, he was the one needing help.

    When Hermione would get back, what would she think of this scene?

    Moreover, the girl just said that she would not leave until she found the man. During this time, she apparently regarded Evan as just a chat mate.

    Or more urately, a chat mate, and a reserve food supply, that could be consumed at any time.

    She was now bearing hunger and enduring the temptation of his blood. When she would be too hungry and unable to restrain herself, she shouldn¡¯t care about anything else. She would just bite on Evan¡¯s neck and suck his blood. That¡¯s what a vampire would do.

    Thinking of that, Evan was in shivers.

    No matter what, his best bet to help the girl was to find the person mentioned in the prophecy as soon as possible, or find a way to escape from there.

    ¡°You are too naive. There are at least a few thousand wizards in Diagon Alley. There is no way to find him. It is impossible to determine which one he is. The person mentioned in your family¡¯s prophecy should have a more specific description, for example, a condition he must satisfy¡­¡±

    ¡°Since he can help my family out of difficulties, it must be a very powerful wizard.¡± The girl blinked her wine red eyes.

    She said remembering, ¡°I heard from my uncle that the prophecy mentioned that the person would carry with him an item inherited from an ancestor of the family from a thousand years ago that would prove his identity.¡±

    ¡°The ancestor from a thousand years ago, who was he?¡± Evan paused for a moment wondering who the girl was talking about. Would it be a vampire from a thousand years ago?

    ¡°Szar Slytherin!¡± The girl gently gave out a name.

    ¡°What?!¡¯

    If he wasn¡¯t tied up by chains, Evan would¡¯ve jumped in his ce.

    He looked at the girl with astonishment. Szar Slytherin was her ancestor. How could that be? How could Slytherin be a vampire?!

    This was simply nonsense. It was widely known that the only surviving descendants of the Slytherins were the Gaunts, an ancient pure-blood family famous for its restlessness and irritability.

    In order to maintain the so-called pure bloodline, they had been marrying their close rtives for generations.

    That was until Voldemort¡¯s mother, Merope Gaunt, who did not marry her brother or other pure-blood wizard, but fell in love with a Muggle, Tom Riddle Sr. She bewitched him with the Love Potion, married him and eventually gave birth to Voldemort.

    Voldemort is Szar¡¯s only sessor, and this is the thing he is most proud of.

    Now it¡¯s ridiculous for a vampire girl from God knows where to say that Szar Slytherin was the ancestor of her family.

    ¡°Szar Slytherin was one of the founders of Hogwarts. Everyone knows all about him. He can¡¯t be a vampire!¡±

    Evan stared at the girl. His voice was full of doubts.

    Slytherin had almost everything to do with snakes. Like Voldemort, his descendants were almost all Parselmouths, but they had nothing to do with vampires.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s face, the girl knew that he did not believe her and hurriedly argued, ¡°Szar is not a vampire himself, but our family is indeed a direct descendant of Slytherin. If you don¡¯t believe it, you can look at my wand!¡±

    She clumsily rolled up her sleeves and pulled out the short wand.

    Evan noticed that inside herrge sleeve, there was a special groove for the wand. The design was very clever. As long as the alignment position was right, she could just put the wand in it and just pull it out by surprise.

    He looked at the wand carefully and couldn¡¯t tell why he felt that it was strangely familiar.

    ¡°Look at this!¡± The girl reached down to Evan with the tip of her wand. She almost touched his eyes. ¡°This is my family emblem.¡±

    Evan saw a strange pattern carved on the girl¡¯s wand. It was the Slytherin family emblem, a snake like S letter.

    But it was different. In the upper right corner of the letter was something resembling a bat.

    ¡°This is also the family emblem of Slytherin, and my wand is also made by imitation of Szar¡¯s own wand.¡± The girl exined, ¡°In the family, the wand that he used before was preserved for over than a thousand years, I have seen it, it is a¡­¡±

    ¡°A silvery wand, simr in shape to this one, with a lot of tiny red lines on it, about ten inches in length!¡± Evan muttered.

    The handsome young wizard wearing a dark green old style resurfaced in front of him, holding the striking silver-white wand.

    Last year, Evan went back to Hogwarts a thousand years ago, and saw Szar himself in Slytherin¡¯s closet, and the wand in his hand.

    The wand looked so special that it left a deep impression on him.

    Evan was amazed. It was no wonder that he always felt that the wand in the girl¡¯s hand was familiar. It was originally made by mimicking Slytherin¡¯s wand.

    With that being said, the words she just said were true, she was really a direct descendant of Slytherin. The descendants of Szar Slytherin inherited the items he had carried with him during his lifetime, such as rings and lockets. There was no reason why the most important wand should not be inherited.

    Although incredible, it was a fact.

    A thousand years is too long of a period, and anything could happen.

    From the perspective of Slytherin¡¯s own characteristics, it was not impossible for one of his descendants to be a vampire through the ¡°First Embrace¡± in order to gain more strength.

    This descendant disappeared from the world because of his vampire¡¯s taboo status, but his descendants have been lurking in the shadows until this day.

 Chapter 228: Do You Want to be a Vampire?

    <h4>Chapter 228: Do You Want to be a Vampire?</h4>

    The explosive news that some of Szar Slytherin¡¯s descendants became vampires would have shocked the entire wizarding world.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the others would think.

    But knowing Voldemort, thetter himself would never tolerate the existence of these vampires who tarnished Slytherin¡¯s reputation.

    He was the only descendant of Slytherin and he was unique.

    If there were other Slytherin¡¯s descendants, then he would be nothing special.

    No wonder after Voldemort¡¯s second rise, no vampires had joined his camp. This certainly had something to do with it.

    Now it seemed to Evan that fate was really that wonderful. Who would have thought that Slytherin¡¯s descendants would actually be vampires¡­?

    Just then, thinking of fate, Evan suddenly thought of what the girl had just said.

    She mentioned that the person who would help their family in the prophecy would carry with him a token from Szar Slytherin to prove his identity.

    Evan suddenly realized that Slytherin¡¯s locket was on him right at that moment. The person mentioned in the prophecy would not be him, would it?!

    Looking at this kitten-like girl in front of him, Evan had a feeling that he was going to be involved in something strange.

    Vampires are stronger than ordinary wizards, and even them couldn¡¯t solve their dilemma. Evan was very skeptical about what he could do to help with his own strength.

    ¡°Since you know the wand, you should believe me now¡­¡± The girl suddenly stopped and seemed to realize something. There was a trace of doubt in her red eyes. She looked at Evan with vignce. ¡°Wait a minute, even within our family; the wand left by Szar himself is a secret. How do you know?¡±

    The short wand in her hand immediately pointed to Evan, as if threatening him silently.

    In fact, when it came to magic, Evan was more afraid that she woulde and bite him. With the two sharp canine teeth in her mouth, a bite should be very painful.

    ¡°This¡­¡± he muttered, ¡°You know, Slytherin was one of the four founders of Hogwarts. There is a portrait of him in the school with a wand.¡±

    In fact, besides the two statues of Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets, Hogwarts had no statues or portraits associated with him. But Evan couldn¡¯t tell the girl that he had once returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago and met Slytherin himself. It was impossible for anyone to believe this kind of incredible thing.

    The more he exined the odd situation, the more careful he had to be, especially when facing a vampire girl who woulde up and bite him.

    Evan vaguely exined, and the girl nodded when she heard him.

    ¡°I also wanted to go to Hogwarts to study. I heard that it is thergest magic school in Europe.¡± The girl¡¯s hoarse voice was slightly lost, ¡°I received the Hogwarts admission letter from the owlst year. But my uncle didn¡¯t agree with me to go there. He said that the wizards were all evil. If they knew my identity, they would kill me¡­¡±

    Evan realized that the girl was the same age as him.

    However, the things she worried about were absolutely impossible. With Dumbledore¡¯s character, if he knew that a vampire wasing to Hogwarts to go to school, he would definitely give him extra privileges and care, just like he had been treating Hagrid and Professor Lupin.

    Especially considering her identity as a direct descendant of Slytherin, it would be even more valuable and would y an unexpected role in fighting Voldemort.

    However, going to Hogwarts is not mandatory.

    Under the influence of the magical items left by Gryffindor, Ravenw and Hufflepuff, every young wizard who is 11 years old will receive a Hogwarts admission notice, but whether or not theye to school is entirely up to their personal wishes.

    There are many ancient pure-blood wizard families who, following their inherited educational philosophy, will choose to train their children within the family instead of sending them to Hogwarts.

    There are also some Muggles who do not believe in the existence of magic.

    Therefore, after Voldemort came to power, he ordered all the young wizards of the appropriate age to go to Hogwarts for school. His purpose was not only to train ck wizards more conveniently, but also to fundamentally eliminate the Muggle-born wizards.

    Looking at the girl¡¯s face, Evan knew she wanted him to tell her about Hogwarts.

    However, Evan thought it over, and felt he had better get straight to the point and tell her of Slytherin¡¯s Locket on him as soon as possible. It was not a pleasant experience to be tied up on the cold ground on a cold winter night.

    ¡°You just said that the person mentioned in your family¡¯s prophecy will carry with him a token of Szar Slytherin as proof.¡± Evan said slowly, ¡°Actually, I have one on me right now. Slytherin¡¯s locket is on me.¡±

    After Evan finished, the girl did not respond.

    Her burgundy eyes looked at him in confusion, as if she didn¡¯t know what he was talking about.

    ¡°Did you hear me? Slytherin¡¯s Locket is on me.¡± Evan repeated it again, helplessly saying, ¡°If your family¡¯s prophecy is true, I might be the one you¡¯re looking for, and what is destined to be¡­¡±

    ¡°You are the person I am looking for?!¡± It took a few seconds for the girl to realize what Evan had said, she shouted, ¡°Where is that locket?¡±

    Her voice was full of surprise. She rose up from the ground shaking.

    The next second, she lost her bnce because of excessive exertion, and she fell down on him.

    ¡°It hurts!¡±

    Because of the pain, Evan also took a breath of cool air.

    He had a headache and looked at the girl who was as clumsy as a kitten. Suddenly, Evan had a bad feeling

    Was it too impulsive for him to say something about the Locket? At the very least, he should first listen to what difficulties he would encounter before making a decision. If it was tooplicated and dangerous, he still had room to refuse, unlike now.

    Under Evan¡¯s guidance, the girl took Slytherin¡¯s Locket from his neck.

    She looked at the locket carefully, especially the upper one, which was iid with emeralds, with a snake-like S.

    Then she looked up again and stared quietly at Evan who wondered what she was thinking.

    ¡°Do you believe me now?¡±

    ¡°This Locket is real. It is indeed the item left by Szar Slytherin. I can feel the magic in it, just like the magic on the wand he left behind.¡± The girl continued staring at Evan, ¡°But I doubt that you are the person mentioned in the prophecy!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Evan was surprised.

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. You¡¯re too weak to be him. You can¡¯t even duel. How can you help the family resist those guys? My uncle is so strong and is no opponent of them.¡±

    Looking at the girl¡¯s serious look, Evan was speechless.

    He was belittled by this girl. He had been determined to tell the story of the Locket. Who would have thought that the girl would simply look down on him?

    ¡°I just lost to you because I was just too careless!¡± said Evan. ¡°Still, how many people you think are going to run around with what Szar Slytherin has left behind?¡±

    ¡°All right!¡± The girl nodded as if she agreed with Evan. She moved closer to him, almost to his face, and she said earnestly, ¡°I believe in the arrangement of fate. Since it is you, then do you want to be a vampire? I can give you the First Embrace, you will feel absolutely no pain!¡±

 Chapter 229: Elaine Slytherin

    <h4>Chapter 229: ine Slytherin</h4>

    The girl was very close, and Evan could sense her scent.

    ¡°Do you want to be a vampire?¡± she asked softly, her voice was low, and there was hoarseness in her crisp tone as if she was whispering.

    The girl, with her wine-red eyes fixed on Evan, said earnestly, ¡°If you like, I can give you the First Embrace!¡±

    After saying this, she seemed to think of something, holding her legs and curling aside. Her face turned red and her expression was somewhat unnatural.

    For the first time, Evan saw red on her pale, half-bloodless face. For her, the word ¡°First Embrace¡± seemed to hold a special meaning.

    She looked like Hermione when she spoke of mistletoe, nervous and shy, with a bit of anticipation.

    She looked at him and waited for his answer.

    ¡°No way!¡± Evan didn¡¯t even think about it. He shook his head and refused.

    Although they were in the same ce, beneath the huge mistletoe patches of the Christmas tree, and the two girls looked alike, this was a far cry from the feeling when Hermione spoke about mistletoe customs and wanted Evan to kiss her. The mood was also quite different.

    One could say that the first was akin to a sweet and warm love story, and thetter to a shocking horror story.

    Do you want to be a vampire?!

    When he heard this, Evan¡¯s hair stood up all over his body instantaneously. He shrank back as hard as he could to stay away from the girl.

    It was really terrifying. Just thinking about it was enough to give him goosebumps.

    What did she just say? Did she actually invite him to be a vampire?!

    Seeing that she was looking serious, it seemed that if Evan nodded, she woulde and bite him.

    This time not to suck his blood and full her appetite, but to give Evan the First Embrace and make him into a vampire!

    In Evan¡¯s view, the two different behaviors of blood-sucking and First Embrace were practically the same. He must be bitten by the girl in front of him, and she must suck out a certain amount of his blood.

    With the former, he would be used as food, in a one-way sucking process.

    In thetter case, after biting Evan, the girl would instill her blood back and pour it into Evan in a special manner, making the blood of both of them fuse.

    No matter what, Evan felt that it all was just too evil¡­

    He thought of that scene, and hurriedly shook his head. It was totally uneptable.

    And on top of being ideologically uneptable, another key point was that he did not want to give up his human identity and be a vampire.

    For evil dark wizards, bing a vampire may be a rare opportunity. This means that their power can grow rapidly; they can use ck magic more easily, and master the magic of many blood races.

    Because of the scarcity of vampires and their extremely strict requirements for new members, few wizards can get this opportunity.

    It¡¯s to be known that the magic of the ¡°First Embrace¡± can cause great damage to the casting vampire himself.

    So unless they¡¯re very intimate with their subject, vampires hardly ever agree to give a wizard the First Embrace.

    But this girl, within less than ten minutes of first meeting Evan, and not even knowing what kind of person he was, she offered him a First Embrace.

    In theory, the odds of such an event urring was practically zero.

    Looking at the serious girl in front of him, Evan, apart from shaking his head, didn¡¯t know if he should be happy, or just cry out.

    If it was anyone else, eager for strength, they would never refuse this kind of temptation falling into theirp like a pie from the sky.

    One needs to give up a lot when bing a vampire, but what he could get in return is even more.

    Compared with other wizards, they can go further on the road of strength.

    Of course, this concerns only regr wizards.

    Someone like Voldemort, for example, would never take the First Embrace.

    In pursuit of powerful strength, he directly used ck magic to carry out various fundamental transformations on his body, transcending above humans in magical ability.

    The strength brought by bing a vampire was nothing in his eyes.

    After Evan refused, the girl did not give up. She came up like a kitten, and kept whispering in his ear the perks of being a vampire.

    But she didn¡¯t seem to know too much. She repeated the same words over and over.

    It appeared that she was thinking that the main reason why Evan refused to be a vampire was because he was afraid of pain. So what she emphasized most was that the magic of the ¡°First Embrace¡± would never cause any pain, as if it were done in a sleep.

    It took Evan a good while to figure out why she had been emphasizing this ¡°painless¡± aspect.

    It turned out that a few years ago, when her uncle was about to give her the 1st Embrace, she was afraid of pain and death and disagreed, and he had to make a lot of effort to get her to ept it.

    Judging from her own experience, she also thought that Evan refused for this reason.

    Evan looked at her silently, not knowing how to exin the problem. He didn¡¯t know what to say to make her understand that he didn¡¯t want to be a vampire not because he was afraid of pain, but because the vampire itself was an evil taboo¡­

    Because she rarely contacted with the outside world, she seemed to be totally unable to understand this.

    Evan spent all his time trying his best, only to find out that it was in vain.

    He had no idea what the girl was thinking, and why did he have to be a vampire when it appeared he was the one in their family¡¯s prophecy?!

    ¡°I never did it before. You are my first subject, but I have seen this magic many times, and it will not go wrong¡­¡±

    The girl continued to persuade, and Evan only shook his head and hoped that Hermione woulde to him as soon as possible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it may hurt a little bit when the teeth pierce the skin. I have never bitten someone else, and I don¡¯t know what it feels like. My uncle prepared all the food before, but¡­¡± The girl opened her mouth and revealed two canine teeth. ¡°My teeth are very sharp, and one bite will definitely seed.¡±

    Evan looked at the two sharp teeth in her mouth and shook his head.

    He was almost certain that if he let this girl bite him, she would have to bite hard enough to get to the blood vessels. It was painful enough to think about it.

    ¡°Why do you have to start with me?¡± Seeing the girl still trying to persuade him, Evan hurriedly interrupted her. ¡°Even if I am the one who appears in your family prophecy, there is no need to make me a vampire.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too weak, if you don¡¯t be a vampire, then, they would not agree to let you participate¡­¡± The girl said and suddenly stopped.

    She seemed to feel something, hurriedly stood up and looked around nervously.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan said strangely, not knowing what the girl wanted to do.

    ¡°My uncle came for me. I¡¯d better stay away from you. He doesn¡¯t like wizards. Don¡¯t let him know you¡¯ve been in contact with me. Otherwise, you will be brought back to be food.¡± The girl knocked on the chain around Evan¡¯s body with her wand, and the chain instantly turned into a red mist and dissipated.

    She didn¡¯t care about Evan¡¯s reaction, and hurriedly ran outside the alley.

    Looking at her back, Evan was totally out of the picture.

    To tell the truth, if possible, he hoped he would never see the girl who wanted to give him the First Embrace.

    In addition, he couldn¡¯t keep up with her ideas. Just like now, Evan did not understand why she wanted to run?

    Since he was the one who could help her family get out of trouble, he should meet her uncle and make the whole matter clear with him.

    In particr, this family is a direct descendant of Slytherin. If he could win them over, that would be very helpful in resisting Voldemort, and it would have an unexpected impact.

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason! I¡¯ll remember you; I will go to youter.¡± The girl ran and shouted. ¡°Remember, my name is ine Slytherin!¡±

    She ran very fast, and in a blink of an eye, her figure disappeared from the alley, as if she had never been there before.

 Chapter 230: Forest in Albania

    <h4>Chapter 230: Forest in Albania</h4>

    When Evan came out from the alley, he could not see the girl.

    The main streets of Diagon Alley were filled with carnival crowds, cheering, celebrating, drinking warm butterbeer, dancing along the streets apanied by Christmas music, and the atmosphere was full of bustling noises andughter.

    Looking at the lively scene in front of him, Evan was in a daze.

    He thought of the mysterious vampire girl named ine, and felt like he was in an unreal dream. In his mind, he kept thinking about what she had just said, the mysterious vampire, the forgotten descendants of the Slytherins, the arrangement of fate, and the dangerous prophecy¡­

    Evan took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t know what fate was waiting for him.

    When he returned to the Leaky Cauldron pub, not far from the bustling Diagon Alley, the silent and gloomy nocturne alley showed another image.

    Under the pale, bleak moonlight, no one could see in the dark, dirty alley, and the shabby shops on both sides of the street were all dark.

    These were all ck magic shops. In the windows, there were some shrunken heads on disy, dead nails and the like, which looked creepy.

    At the corner of the street, an old wooden street sign hung in front of a shop selling poisonous candles, with ck letters screwed on it, telling people that it was a turn down alley.

    Across the two facades, arge cage was ced in front of the main entrance of the store, and huge ck spiders were crawling inside, making a strange sound.

    Everything there looked unpleasant and had nothing to do with Christmas.

    Near the entrance to the street, in a dark doorway, a shabby old witch was hiding there.

    Her yellow eyes were glinting maliciously, no doubt well staring at the street outside, and her iplete teeth were covered with green moss.

    She smiled gloomily as she found a rare prey.

    Not far from her, a little girl, dressed in arge ck robe, with delicate features and a stunningly beautiful face, was hurrying into the down alley.

    From time to time, she raised her head and looked around, as if she didn¡¯t know where she was.

    The old witch licked her teeth. To her, the girl looked like a poor kitten that got lost and fell into the alley. She was a good prey.

    She opened her mouth and grinned even happier.

    Look what you¡¯vee across: a nice Christmas present, her body will be the perfect collection.

    ine gasped, unaware that someone was watching her in the dark, and she tried her best to run as far as possible.

    She felt that her uncle¡¯s scent was getting closer and closer. She found herself unable to let him know that she had already talked about the family¡¯s prophecy, and the most important point was that she could not let him know about Evan¡¯s affairs, otherwise¡­ ..

    Just as ine was thinking about what to do, a voice suddenly came to her ear and startled her.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you lost, dear?¡±

    She saw an old witch standing in front of her and looking at her greedily.

    ine stepped back, and before she could speak, a long, narrow, sharp red magic with a triangr tip came flying.

    Like a blood-red arrow, it passed through the body of the old witch in front of her.

    The old witch¡¯s body was drawn with a long wound. The peculiar thing was that there was no blood gushing out of the wound.

    She screamed loudly, and her face twisted as she agonized.

    ine raised her head in surprise beyond the witch who was running away. She saw the air rolling from the bottom up and down like a small tornado.

    A middle-aged man in a ck wizard robe with a cold face suddenly emerged from the whirlpool of the air.

    ¡°Uncle¡­¡± she shouted weakly and feebly.

    ¡°ine, what you¡¯ve done this time is too outrageous. You¡¯ve ran away to the wizard¡¯s street alone while I was not there, and you didn¡¯t dare to think about the consequences. What would you do if anyone found out about your identity?¡± The middle-aged man med, walking straight ahead.

    ¡°I want to help, too!¡± ine had some grievances and whispered, ¡°I also want to help the family find the person mentioned in the prophecy as soon as possible, this time¡­¡±

    ¡°There are already some positive signs about the matter. I¡¯ve been out all this time to verify the news. He has been recently seen in the forests of Albania.¡±

    ¡°Forest in Albania?!¡± ine said, ¡°Who would be in that ce? Is it the wizard you mentioned before, the guy named Voldemort?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s him. He is the only descendant of Szar among the wizards.¡± The middle-aged man sighed when he mentioned Voldemort, and his face became gloomier.

    ¡°But¡­¡± ine hesitated and continued. ¡°Is it possible that it is not him? I mean, maybe we made a mistake. The person in the prophecy who can help us is not Voldemort. In fact, there is someone else¡­¡±

    She remembered Evan, who had Slytherin¡¯s Locket, which was also in line with the requirements of the prophecy. ine believed that it was the arrangement of fate to meet Evan.

    ¡°I also hope that it is not him.¡± The middle-aged man meditated and said, ¡°No matter how you look at it, it is extremely stupid to cooperate with the most evil Dark Wizard in history. If we do this, it would probably lead to our end, and he will not be willing to help us. But Voldemort is the only one right now, and I just want him to look at Slytherin¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Uncle, I found one this time¡­¡± Hearing that Voldemort was the only person selected, ine hurriedly wanted to exin and tell her uncle about Evan.

    However, she immediately hesitated. Although Evan satisfied the conditions of the prophecy, he was weak, too weak to even beat her.

    In ine¡¯s opinion, making Evan enter the ce was equivalent to looking for his death.

    ¡°What did you find?!¡± The middle-aged man looked at ine strangely.

    ¡°No, nothing, I found that the streets of the wizards were so lively, more interesting than home, I want to go to Hogwarts to study, I received the admission letterst year, why not let me go?¡± ine said in a hurry.

    She decided to keep Evan¡¯s affair secret, and to go to Hogwarts to find him by herself, to make him a vampire by the First Embrace.

    In this case, Evan¡¯s strength should be enhanced.

    ¡°Hogwarts?!¡± The middle-aged man snorted and resolutely refused. ¡°I have said it many times. This matter is not to be discussed. Our identity is a taboo in the outside world. If you let other wizards know, they will definitely kill you.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± ine argued that when Evan just knew she was a vampire, he didn¡¯t look very surprised.

    ¡°But nothing! Don¡¯t run around these days, and practice the magic I¡¯ve taught you at home!¡± He walked over and pulled ine. ?We have to be ready to go to the forests of Albania to find Voldemort and try to get in touch with him. No matter what the future is, this is a fate that the family cannot escape. ¡±

    There was a slight noise, they Apparated, and disappeared, and silence was restored in the deserted streets of the knockturn alley.

 Chapter 231: The Firebolt

    <h4>Chapter 231: The Firebolt</h4>

    By the time Evan returned to the Leaky Cauldron, Hermione had alreadye back. She was sitting at the bar, listening absently to Harry beside her.

    In front of the two people were tworge sses of orange juice, constantly blowing bubbles.

    It looked very delicious, but neither of them seemed to have a heart to drink juice.

    Hermione was ruddy, unconsciously ying with her own cup, remembering over and over again how Evan kissed her under the mistletoe.

    She did not expect that they would actually kiss on that night!!

    It seemed like it felt good. Hermione still remembered Evan¡¯s scent.

    Of course, despite the sweetness of that moment, she now had to calm down and think about it. This behavior was too embarrassing, too outrageous.

    The more Hermione thought about it, the more blushed she was, and her head was a mess;pletely unaware of what Harry was saying, sitting next to her.

    She didn¡¯t know how to face Evan again, whether things would remain as they were, or ¡­

    Because she was too shy, Hermione ran straight back to the Leaky Cauldron pub without thinking. She thought that Evan would be back soon, but now that she had been there for so long, and she did not see Evan¡¯s figure, she became restless again.

    She was not sure if she should go out and look for Evan. He might be still waiting for her in that alley, or he was angry because she suddenly left.

    Perhaps, she should exin herself¡­

    Unlike Hermione, who was lost, Harry was in high spirits.

    He looked around excitedly,ughing happily all the time. This was Harry¡¯s first Christmas party. He was surrounded by Lupin, Sirius, Evan, and Hermione. He waspletely free with no scruples. There was no need to talk about so many rules.

    In his past thirteen years, this kind of thing was simply unthinkable.

    Every Christmas at the Dursleys, he sat sadly by Dudley¡¯s side, eating the terrible food that Aunt Petunia gave him, watching, with envy, Dudley showing off his Christmas gifts, or hiding in a cupboard under the stairs, alone.

    Even if he had been at Christmas in Hogwarts for the past two years, there was no such feeling.

    In Harry¡¯s opinion, this year¡¯s Christmas was the best. And to make everything even better, he just received a Christmas present from Sirius.

    First, he thought that Sirius had forgotten about it, and he felt a little down.

    He knew that Sirius was not to me. There were so many things happening today, especially after Regulus¡¯s matter, Sirius must have been sad to death.

    It never urred to Harry that Sirius had not forgotten it, and that he had carefully prepared a Christmas present for him.

    And this gift was a real Firebolt, the same as the one he used to look at and dream of every day when he was in Diagon Alley in the summer vacation.

    This was really incredible, and Harry could not believe it until now.

    He knew the price of the Firebolt, which was astronomical. As Evan said, a Firebolt might be more expensive than all Hogwarts students¡¯ broomsticksbined, and even Malfoy would not receive such a valuable Christmas gift.

    The Firebolt had surpassed the general gift category, and this amazing world-ss broomstick, which costs a staggering price, was by all meaning a piece of art

    Only professional Quidditch yers were eligible to own it.

    And now, he himself had a Firebolt!

    Harry had dreamt of it countless times, but in the end he woke up in a cruel reality. He thought he would be satisfied with his beloved Nimbus 2000!

    When his Nimbus 2000 was smashed into wreckage by the Whomping Willow in the game against Hufflepuff two months ago, Harry thought that his Quidditch life had lost its meaning.

    But now, Sirius had given him a Firebolt.

    Harry would never forget the scene in his life, although Sirius had repeatedly exined that this Firebolt was thepensation for Harry¡¯s inadvertent slip down when ck appeared in the Quidditch pitch in his Animagus form, scaring him.

    But Harry knew it wasn¡¯t his fault. He just wanted to see what he looked like at the game. It was the Dementors who eventually shattered his Nimbus 2000.

    Looking at the restless Sirius, Harry had no idea what he should say.

    He just held him, exhausted all his strength, and tears of joy and emotion flowed uncontrobly.

    From Sirius, Harry felt the long-lost family affection.

    He sat in front of the bar in excitement, staring at the passageway to Diagon Alley, waiting for Evan toe back. He would first lead him to look at his Firebolt.

    Evan had just opened the door and entered the Leaky Cauldron when Harry and Hermione came running towards him, both of them rushing as if they had something to say.

    He was standing there, wondering what was going on.

    All he had currently in mind were things rted to vampires. He was going to collect some magic books about those bloodsuckers, and learn more about their magic.

    If ever he would meet again that girl named ine, he would not be so passive.

    Evan¡¯s thoughts forcibly removed from the vampire and he looked at Harry and Hermione, who had strange expressions on their faces. He didn¡¯t know what was going on with them!

    Harry smiled and it seemed that something pleasant had happened.

    Hermione standing behind him was ruddy and looked at Evan very unnaturally. The girl must still be thinking about what had happened between them.

    Evan just looked at her, and she hurriedly looked away.

    As if aware of her misconduct, Hermione apparently took a deep breath and switched her fist-clenched hand through the air.

    In the next second, her gaze moved back and she took the courage to look back at Evan.

    Hermione¡¯s expression returned to normal, looking the same as usual except for her rosy face.

    In fact, Hermione¡¯s face seemed to be calm, but deep down her heart was thumping.

    When Evan finally stopped looking at her, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

    Evan didn¡¯t know Hermione¡¯s actual state. Deep down inside, he was somewhat disappointed.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the vampire girl who came out from nowhere, he was going to confess to Hermione this evening.

    This was a rare opportunity, but now he missed it!

    Although it was a pity, Evan carefully thought it over. This was the usual Hermione.

    There will be other days. He suddenly looked forward to the next Christmas¡­.

    Beside them, Harry did not notice anything unusual about them. He said happily, ¡°Come on, Evan, I¡¯ll show you something¡­¡±

    He run upstairs with Evan, Hermione followed behind them.

    ¡°Show me what?¡± Evan said strangely. ¡°What happened, why are you so happy?¡±

    ¡°I just received a gift from Sirius. It¡¯s incredible. Guess what Sirius gave me?¡± Harry turned to look at Evan.

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s a Firebolt!¡± Evan realized why Harry was so excited.

    He already knew about it. If it wasn¡¯t because of so many things happening today, Sirius would have already taken this gift out, and wouldn¡¯t have waited until now.

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Harry looked at Evan in surprise.

    ¡°You forgot, on thest day of the Christmas holiday, I secretly apanied Hermione to Hogsmeade. I saw Sirius, who was on the run there, risking being caught. He went to the Owl Post Office to order the broom.¡° Evan exined, ¡°I thought you had already received it!¡± ¡±

    Harry heard Evan¡¯s exnation and thought that Sirius had gone so far for him. He became even more moved.

 Chapter 232: Sleepless Christmas Night

    <h4>Chapter 232: Sleepless Christmas Night</h4>

    It is one thing to know that Sirius sent a Firebolt to Harry, and it is another matter to see it with your own eyes.

    Evan expressed deep shock at how much Sirius was capable to endure.

    In the room, Harry showed Evan and Hermione the shining broomstick.

    Unlike ordinary brooms, even if no one touched it, the Firebolt could be suspended in mid air. Without any support, its height from the ground was just right for people to ride.

    The top of the broom was engraved with a golden registration number, showing that the broomstick was the twenty-second Firebolt produced in the world.

    At the end of the broom was a perfectly smooth, streamlined curve that looked extremely perfect without any need for trimming.

    Harry was already Hogwarts¡¯s best Seeker, and now with this international level broomstick, it would be impossible for anyone in school to be faster than him.

    With his current level, he could even take part in a professionalpetition.

    Evan could imagine that the future Quidditch match-ups between the various colleges would be Harry¡¯s time to shine, and he suddenly looked forward to Malfoy¡¯s reaction when he would see the Firebolt.

    The mood in the room was pleasant, the fire was sizzling. Evan and Hermione were each holding a cup of hot cocoa and sitting on thefortable sofa in front of the firece.

    In front of them, Harry held the slightly trembling broomstick and kept talking to them in various technical terms to exin the superior performance of the Firebolt from a professional perspective.

    He talked about everything he knew.

    It could be seen that Harry had done his homework. Although it was his first contact, he knew everything about the Firebolt.

    Unfortunately, neither Evan nor Hermione were too interested in broomsticks and Quidditch.

    Besides the initial surprise, when knowing that this broomstick was very expensive, their reaction to the Firebolt gradually faded.

    They continued to listen to Harry for a while, until both of them had finished their hot cocoa, and in the warm heat of the fire, a strong sense of drowsiness and fatigue came at the same time. They lost interest in the Firebolt and Harry¡¯s exnation, and did not want to hear it anymore.

    Evan and Hermione exchanged a look, and they nodded at the same time with a tacit agreement.

    Through eye contact, without even a word, they both knew what was going in other¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry Harry!¡± Hermione stood up and stretched out. ¡°I am very d that you have received a Firebolt, but there have been so many things happening today. It is a bitte now. I want to go back to bed¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, it is really toote.¡± said Harry as if he had noticed the time that was approaching midnight. ¡°Good night, Hermione!¡±

    ¡°Good night, Harry, sweet dreams!¡± Hermione said happily.

    Evan just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Harry turning his gaze to him.

    ¡°Evan, aren¡¯t you sleepy? We can continue to discuss the possibility of using the Firebolt to do the Plumpton Pass, which, you know, is almost impossible to pull off with a normal broomstick.¡± Harry continued, ¡°But with the record of the Firebolt, in theory¡­¡±

    In fact, Evan was not lucid at all.

    He was just listening to Harry only to know what he meant by ¡°Plumpton Pass¡±. It is a term move in Quidditch where the Seeker casually scoops the Snitch up in their sleeve.

    This action was named after the Tornados Quidditch team¡¯s Seeker Roderick Plumpton, in 1921, used this technique in his famous game of breaking the Golden Snitch¡¯s capture record.

    While critics allege his ¡®Plumpton Pass¡¯ was an ident, and the Snitch had merely flown up his sleeve, Plumpton insisted until his death that it was intentional.

    Anyone who knows a little bit about Quidditch knows that, for a Seeker, pulling off this move is miraculous.

    Because the broom¡¯s performance and reaction speed can¡¯t be faster than the Golden Snitch, unless it is a coincidence, it would be impossible toplete this action.

    In fact, the Plumpton Pass had been done only once in history.

    But now with the Firebolt, in theory, this fantastic Quidditch movement, for the first time, would be possible for harry.

    It seemed that Harry would like to go on talking.

    Evan had a headache and hurriedly stood up and said that he had to apany Hermione back to her room first.

    Harry nodded helplessly, and as such, they both left the room in a hurry.

    There was no one in the dimly and narrow corridor on the second floor of the Leaky Cauldron pub. The doors on both sides were closed, and the carnival sounds from downstairs were faint.

    Evan and Hermione walked slowly and neither of them spoke.

    The mood was a bit awkward, and the tacit understanding of the two people disappeared instantly.

    This was the first time they¡¯d been alone together after kissing under the Christmas tree.

    ¡°Hermione¡­¡± Finally, Evan couldn¡¯t help but break the silence.

    It was currently an opportunity. He could try to finish what was left unresolved.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, Evan, I know!¡± Hermione looked up sharply at Evan. Her face was lovely rosy. She said seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t refuse you, but I hope you can give me a little time. That thing hasn¡¯t happened for the time being, okay?¡±

    Looking at Hermione in front of him, Evan nodded helplessly, and once again, he med the vampire girl, ine.

    If he didn¡¯t get caught up with her, then he would have caught up with Hermione, and things would not have been asplicated as they were at the moment.

    Seeing Evan nodding, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and looked a lot more at ease.

    ¡°Merry Christmas, Evan!¡± she said softly, ¡°And, good night!¡±

    As Hermione turned and walked into the room, the door closed gently, and the brass sign hanging on the door swayed. Evan sighed.

    He kept telling himself that this was the normal thing to happen. If Hermione was to ept his confession and let him in to her room, this would be nothing but a dream.

    When Evan swayed back to the room, he saw that Harry had not slept yet. He simply washed his face, rinsed his mouth and was waiting for him with his Firebolt.

    He could see that he was too excited tonight.

    In fact, not just Harry, everyone seemed to be like this.

    There were so many things happening today, and he didn¡¯t know how many people were sleepless tonight.

    Harry was still trying to say something about the Firebolt and Quidditch, and Evan was lying on his bed, not knowing how much he heard.

    He could imagine that if Ron was there, he would sit with Harry in the room for a whole day, staring at the broom foolishly, praising it from all angles. He couldn¡¯t do that, but he didn¡¯t have to worry, because ording to the n, they should visit Ron at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries after lunch at five o¡¯clock the following day.

    Harry could show off his broom at that time, and if all went well, Sirius would convince Mrs. Weasley to let Ron leave the hospital early.

    With that, he could liberate himself.

    Evan thought about that. His eyes were getting heavier, and his thoughts gradually blurred.

 Chapter 233: Planning and Arrangement

    <h4>Chapter 233: nning and Arrangement</h4>

    Although there had been many idents, this year¡¯s Christmas ending was undoubtedly pleasant.

    Evan didn¡¯t know when he fell asleep. He vaguely remembered that after ¡°Plumpton Pass¡±, Harry seemed to tell him about the ¡°Wronski Feint¡±.

    To put it simply, this tactic is one where a Seeker pretends to spot the Golden Snitch far below and races to catch it, rushing to the ground.

    He deceives the opposing seeker and let him think he has found the Snitch, hoping he will copy.

    But at thest second before reaching the ground, the feinting seeker pulls out of a dive, usually causing the opposing seeker to crash because he was not prepared.

    This action is not as difficult as ¡°Plumpton Pass ¡°. The only requirement is that the seeker must be fast enough, as fast as the wind, and it was rarely seen in games before.

    It is conceivable that after the advent of the Firebolt, the probability of Harry achieving the ¡°Wronski Feint¡± will increase, and this action will be the best individual Seeker¡¯s performance.

    All these analyses were made by Harry and Evan before they went to bedst night.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if he remembered it urately. Anyway, no matter what, he didn¡¯t listen for these Quidditch terms at all.

    Because of a day¡¯s hard work and ate night¡¯s sleep, Evan didn¡¯t wake up until after nine o¡¯clock the next morning.

    He stretched out and climbed up from the bed.

    The fire in the firece was extinguished, the room was slightly cold, and the window was covered with mist.

    Evan walked over and wiped it. He was delighted to find that everything behind it was covered in white, and no passersby could be seen on the street.

    The goose feathers-like snow was slowly falling from the sky, and the smell of Christmas was more fragrant.

    Because the room was facing the Muggle Street, just when Evan turned away, an old city tram rattled past, making a loud noise.

    The tram was very loud, but Harry was still not awake in the bed on the other side of the room.

    His quilt fell to the ground, and a tin of high-precision polisher was ced on the bed beside him, while he himself was clinging tightly to the sparkling Firebolt.

    Harry had a smile on his lips as if he had a sweet dream.

    Evan did not disturb him, got himself dressed and walked down the stairs.

    After Christmas, there were many things waiting for him to do, and he simply sorted out the things to do next.

    First of all, the matter of improving his own strength must be put on the agenda.

    Even though Evan was the strongest wizard among his peers or the fifth and sixth year students, he was a far cry from an evil Dark wizard, vampires, or other dark creatures. What he had already reached was nothingpared to what he had to attain.

    A series of recent events had also made Evan aware of this gap in strength, which was his biggest shoring and could have fundamental constraints on the development of the event.

    A lot of things, not that Evan did not want to do, but that he didn¡¯t have the ability to finish.

    He could only do his best to make use of the advantages of other aspects such as prophecy and try to make up for the disadvantages caused by the age and strength gap.

    However, with the development of events, in the next few years, Evan¡¯s own advantages should get smaller and smaller, and the difficulty of facing challenges would be greater and greater.

    It was easy to understand that the more he changed the original story, the more blurred and unknown the future became, and any idents could happen.

    The unknown gives rise to fear, which is the main reason why so many powerful wizards especially believe in illusory prophecies.

    Just like now, Evan saved Sirius and changed his fate.

    On the contrary, Peter Pettigrew was caught by the Ministry of Magic and would soon be sentenced. His soul had not been suck by the Dementors, but was to be imprisoned for life in Azkaban.

    The established destiny had changed, and Evan would not naively believe that if there was no Peter Pettigrew to help, Voldemort would be willing to stay in the forest of Albania and do nothing, hide in the shadows for a lifetime and would nevere back.

    This was impossible. He would definitely return. It was only a matter of time and way.

    Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy also explicitly mentioned this matter, and in that dark unknown temple, the magic that Voldemort had left in the past would personally select a person to help him regain his unprecedented power.

    Voldemort was strong enough. He mastered a lot of evil ck magic. The Horcruxes guaranteed his immortality. Evan could hardly imagine what would happen if he got more powerful strength.

    At that time, even Dumbledore might not be able to stop him.

    Evan did not dare to continue thinking about it anymore. Anyway, he had to upgrade his strength as soon as possible to cope with the uncertain future.

    He was going to go over the dozens of ck family books that he brought out yesterday, which were very precious books on dark magic.

    If he mastered all the magic in those books, the improvement would certainly not be small.

    Besides, there were the Secret Treasure Keys left by the Big Four Founders, and Evan decided to start with the key pieces left by Gryffindor in the Centaur tribe.

    Regardless of whether it had been split or not, from what he knew, that thing could help a wizard to improve his magic, which was Evan¡¯s most urgent need at the moment.

    In addition to boosting his strength, ording to the n, Evan was also preparing to further enhance the influence of the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± to gain control of public opinion.

    Most wizards use newspapers to get to know about all kinds of news in the wizarding world because of the rtively closed channels of transmission. The opinions of mainstream newspapers have a great influence on people¡¯s views on certain things, which is very important.

    Before the Christmas holidays end, Evan and Professor Lupin should look into renting a shop in Diagon Alley as the headquarters of the Hogwarts Magic.

    He had all well nned to set up a stronghold in the most prosperous streets of the British magic world, officially open to the public, responsible for newspaper printing, sales and advertising contacts.

    That was the first step in the expansion of the Hogwarts Magic newspaper, and at the same time, the most important point.

    It was only by appearing in front of the public that he could gradually increase the influence of the newspaper.

    Otherwise, in the eyes of other wizards, no matter how many explosive news it would give, the Hogwarts Magic would be just an in-house unknown school magazine for young wizards to amuse themselves and would neverpete with the ¡°Daily Prophet¡±.

    Although he had to rent a ce, Evan wasn¡¯t sure if he could find the right shop, given the limited funds and the high rent fees on Diagon Alley.

    If it was too remote, he might not be able to promote it.

    In addition to this, Evan would also take part in Sirius, Harry and Hermione¡¯s collective activities, starting with visiting Ron at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    In the previousmunication, Mr. Weasley and his wife also invited them to The Burrow, where they would stay for a few days until the end of the Christmas holidays.

 Chapter 234: The Black Familyâ€™s Wealth

    <h4>Chapter 234: The ck Family¡¯s Wealth</h4>

    Sirius received a gift from the store owner for all the Quidditch League Games next year, a full set of 10, all privileged seats, for the purchase of the Firebolt.

    The Quidditch League is the abbreviation of the British and Irish Quidditch team¡¯s Super Contest, which is held by the 13 best teams in the magic world.

    Unlike the simple confrontation between the four Hogwarts Houses, the Quidditch League is a professionalpetition.

    They have a high level ofpetition and recruit yers from all over the world.

    Gryffindor Quidditch team¡¯s captain Oliver Wood¡¯s biggest dream was to join Puddlemere United after graduation and be a professional yer.

    In school, he always brought thetest news of the Puddlemere United team. He contributed to the Hogwarts Magic newspaper with articles all about this aspect, discussing the new tactical analysis used by the team and so on.

    Because they usually listened to what Wood said, Evan, Harry and Hermione were also looking forward to see what the professional league looked like.

    They checked the schedule of next year and found that on the first day of the New Year, there was a match between Puddlemere United and Wimbourne Wasps.

    Because it was the first Quidditch match after Christmas, and both teams were in high demand for the championship, and next summer would be the Quidditch World Cup and many other reasons, the game was very popr and it was hard to find a ticket. Fortunately, Sirius got the tickets.

    After discussion, they decided to watch the game before they returned to school and invited the Weasleys to join them.

    Evan went down the stairs, and these were the things that he needed to aplish during the rest of the Christmas holidays, the most important of which was to improve his own strength.

    The first floor of the Leaky Cauldron was a mess, and didn¡¯t seem like yesterday was Christmas at all.

    Almost overnight, the little pub returned from its bustling Christmas party to its once small, dirty appearance, as if it hadn¡¯t been cleaned for centuries.

    However, there was no unpleasant odor in the air, but it was full of the aroma of food.

    Bar owner Tom stood behind a dpidated bar, grilling a string of sausages, and his face showed an ugly smile when he saw Evan.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Mason!¡±

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Evan made a greeting.

    In the entric hall not far away, Lupin, Sirius, and Hermione were already up. They were sitting around a round table having breakfast, happily discussing something.

    It seemed that they expected Evan toe and they had prepared a breakfast for him.

    ¡°Just in time, Evan, we were just talking about you!¡± Sirius waved as Evan walked in, motioned him to sit next to him, and spoke uping straight to the point, ¡°I just heard Remus and Hermione say it, are you nning to rent a house in Diagon Alley?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded, wondering why Sirius had mentioned it. He took the milk that Hermione handed over and exined. ¡°I have carefully considered it. If I want to further expand Hogwarts magic¡¯s sales and influence, I have to move the newspaper¡¯s headquarters to Diagon Alley, like the ¡°Daily Prophet¡±. It is also convenient for Professor Lupin to manage things¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Have you chosen the right location yet?¡± Sirius asked,¡± Diagon Alley shops rent is not cheap; it costs a lot of galleons! ¡±

    Evan shook his head. In fact, this was exactly his problem.

    Although he had made a lot of money from the Hogwarts magic¡¯s lucrative advertising fees over the past two years, he had also spent a lot.

    Aside from the cost of sponsoring various magic research projects by Fred, George, Hermione, and other young wizards, the vast majority of his ie was spent simply on the collection of valuable magic books at Flourish and Blotts Bookseller, and the bulk purchase of potion materials.

    The money that Evan could afford to spend at the time was around two hundred gold galleons. This money could only allow him to select a shop in a remote ce, just hoping that the location would not be too far away.

    But to top it all, what was most frustrating was that he could not spend all this money.

    He had to leave some of it as a daily newspaper turnover, as well as to buy the necessary magic test materials, and things that needed to be upgraded¡­

    The amount of money that needed to be spent on the improvement of magic was a bottomless pit.

    Two thousand galleons wouldn¡¯t have been nearly enough, let along two hundred.

    Evan sighed; from all angles, he had to find a long-term, profitable project that could make a lot of money.

    Although the operation of newspapers could be profitable, it was far from enough. The main purpose of operating newspapers is to enhance influence and control public opinion. Making money was an added perk.

    Moreover, the ie of the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± had reached a teau, and it was hard to get a big boost in a short time.

    As for the viable profitable projects, Evan currently only knew one.

    That is the Weasley prank product developed by Fred and George, and it was very popr with other young wizards. If nothing went wrong, it could even be the biggest prank product brand in the magic world, and making money was not a problem.

    The problem now is that if they wanted to realize all the ideas in their heads and open up the market, they still needed arge amount of money to invest at the begining.

    Evan didn¡¯t have the money. Fred and George were even less likely to have it. All of their previous research and development expenses were almost sponsored by Evan.

    Besides, if they wanted to open a joke shop, they also needed to rent a shop in Diagon Alley.

    All the problems went back to the original point. They didn¡¯t have enough money to rent a suitable shop in Diagon Alley right at once.

    The Weasley¡¯s joke shop was put back, but the newspaper headquarters issue was imminent and had to be resolved during the Christmas holidays. It couldn¡¯t be dyed until next summer.

    Evan calcted that for a location not too remote, ording to the surrounding situation and the flow of people, the annual rent was about three hundred up to five hundred gold galleons.

    This meant that he should at least find a way to get two hundred gold galleons.

    Evan was ready to determine the specific store first, and the money on hand could be used as rent. If there was really no way at the end, in his personal collection, there were many precious magic books and some refining potions that he could sell.

    However, Evan would not do so, unless it was hisst resort.

    He was thinking of a quick way to get two hundred gold galleons. Even if he reached out and asked for it from his family, his parents would not give him so much money at once.

    He just wanted to borrow money, which was almost impossible.

    Whether it was the Weasleys or Lupin, Harry, Hermione, and the people around Evan, their financial level was rtively average, or even could be called difficult, unless¡­

    Evan suddenly thought of Sirius. Although he had been in Azkaban for twelve years, he still had an incredible fortune being the sole heir to the noblest and oldest ck family.

    From the fact that he casually bought a Firebolt for Harry as a Christmas gift, it could be seen that he was not in a bad financial state at all. A few hundred gold gallons were not to pose a problem for him.

    Evan¡¯s eyes became bright. Sirius didn¡¯t wait for him to open his mouth and continued.

    ¡°I can help you with the locale. If I remember correctly, the ck family still has several shops in Diagon Alley. They¡¯re an ancestral legacy. You can use them whenever you want.¡± Sirius said indifferently, ¡°Otherwise they would be idle there. If I rent them out, I don¡¯t have time to manage or collect rent.¡±

    When he heard Sirius, Evan was stunned. The idea had just been raised, and Sirius had already put it forward. Obviously, he had already nned to do so. It turned out that he just said this to Lupin and Hermione.

    Evan hurriedly thanked Sirius, but thetter said that he shouldn¡¯t worry about such things.

    In Sirius¡¯s eyes,pared to what Evan had done to help him, it was nothing to offer him a few stores.

    Because it had been a so long time, Sirius couldn¡¯t remember the exact number and location of the stores.

    When Harry arrived, they discussed it for a while and decided to go to the ck family¡¯s vault in the Gringotts Wizarding Bank after breakfast and look for those deeds.

    Evan was also curious about the ck family¡¯s vault. He wanted to see how amazing was the wealth umted by this pure blood family in the past thousand years .

 Chapter 235: A Dragon Deep Underground

    <h4>Chapter 235: A Dragon Deep Underground</h4>

    Although Evan had been to Gringotts Wizarding Bank many times before, he had never been to the underground vaults, and he just took his Galleons back then on the go.

    Hermione, like him, had never been to the depths of the old vault.

    Only Harry, because his parents left him an inheritance, had to go to his vault every year to take some gold galleons as tuition before the school.

    No matter they had been to the underground at Gringotts or not, they were all very interested in the cks¡¯ vault.

    Although, ording to Sirius, there was nothing to look at, it was just full of boring gold.

    But gold enough to fill a room was enough to bring shock to those thinking about it.

    It was the first day after Christmas. Just like the Muggle Street outside, Diagon Alley was cold and clear, covered with white snow everywhere.

    On the street, apart from them, there were no other people, and many shops had not opened.

    Everyone was worried, fearing that the Gringotts was not open.

    But when they reached the towering snow-white attic in the central square of Diagon Alley, the thick snow on the ground had been cleared, and the shiny bronze door had been opened. A goblin in a scarlet and gold uniform was standing there.

    ¡°The goblins are devoted to their work. They don¡¯t take any rest all year round. During the Christmas holidays, only the Gringotts will open as usual.¡± Lupin whispered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mislead the children, Remus! We all know why the goblins don¡¯t rest, not because they are dedicated, but because they are that greedy. To me, these goblins don¡¯t care about Christmas.¡± Sirius said disdainfully. ¡°For them, gold is more important than festivals.¡±

    Sirius did not lower his voice. The goblin in front of the bronze door apparently heard the remark, and looked at them with eyes that were even less friendly than usual.

    He still bowed to everyone, but his movements were stiff.

    Evan saw that the goblin looked to be his own height, and had a smart, dark face and a sharp beard. His fingers and feet were particrly long.

    ¡°Gentlemen, this way, please!¡± He led them into the Gringotts.

    Behind the bronze gate was a second silver gate.

    When he first came to Gringotts, Evan just felt that the door was beautifully made.

    Later, by reading the rted literature, he knew that the door was the gate of the Gringotts when it was first established a thousand years ago. It was made of pure silver by the goblins, and the greatest alchemist of the time used a lot of magic on it.

    Such ancient magic might not be functional anymore, but the door itself had historical value.

    A row of words was engraved on the two doors. It was a warning sign left by the goblins. It seemed to be a curse. It was said in a verse that a thief shall suffer badly.

    In Gringotts, behind the long counters, the goblins sat on high stools, receiving the first customers of the day, and the goblin who led them in led them to a very old goblin in the center.

    ¡°Sirius ck!¡± Seeing Sirius, the goblin was obviously very surprised. ¡°What a rare guest, what can I do for you today?¡±

    The goblin shivered; perhaps, at the thought of Sirius¡¯s dark past in Azkaban, and the rumors outside that he was a frightening Death Eater.

    ¡°I want to go to the vault, not my own vault, but the ck family¡¯s vault.¡± Sirius added an ent on the ck family.

    ¡°The ck Family¡¯s vault?!¡± The old goblin flinched and then leaned out of the counter. ¡°Do you have the key?¡±

    ¡°I do!¡± Sirius took out a rusty key and threw it on the counter.

    Evan noticed that the key was long and it was engraved with the emblem of the ck family.

    ¡°Fine, no problem.¡± The goblin kept frowning and continued. ¡°We can let you in, but you know, the old vault of your family is in a special area, surrounded by strong protective measures, and you¡¯d better be alone¡­¡±

    ¡°We have to go down together. I don¡¯t care about this special area!¡± Sirius said impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time, there are still many things waiting for me to do.¡±

    The two stared at each other for a moment before the goblin backed down.

    Lupin stayed on top waiting for them, and Sirius went down with Evan, Harry, and Hermione. While the Goblin agreed with ck proposal, he still looked at the three as children, who should not be careful enough.

    Seeing the goblin being so cautious, Evan was more curious about the vault of the ck family in the special area, trying to imagine what might be there.

    ¡°Griphook, you take the four of them to the underground vault.¡± The old goblin beckoned, and said to the goblin that had just led them in.

    Griphook seemed to be waiting for this, and his eyes shed with malicious intent.

    Behind the counter was a narrow side door that he ran to open it for them.

    When Evan walked in, he didn¡¯t see the same architectural style as the tall marble hall outside, but before his eyes was a narrow stone corridor, illuminated by a burning torch, like an ancient cave.

    The stone corridor formed a steep slope leading to a small railway underneath.

    Griphook whistled and a small cart rushed toward them along the tracks.

    Harry was the first to climb into the cart skillfully. Evan and Hermione followed and Harry introduced what they should pay attention to.

    ¡°This cart will run very fast for a while, you¡¯d better grasp firmly,¡± Harry warned. ¡°The road inside is twisted and tortuous like a maze.¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s words, both Evan and Hermione got themselves mentally prepared.

    But the speed of the cart far exceeded their imagination, and just when Sirius came up, Griphook pulled the lever.

    The cart suddenly started moving, and it was getting faster and faster, and there seemed to be no limit to its celeration.

    It took them wriggling into a crack in the wall, twisting and turning through thebyrinthine passages, sloping downward all the time.

    The dark, cold air in the deep underground hit their faces.

    Evan could not hear anything over the rattling of the cart on the tracks. All he knew was that they kept swerving between the stctites, flying ever deeper into the earth.

    Beside Evan, Sirius, Harry, and Hermione¡¯s hair flitted backwards. The three of them didn¡¯t look too good, and they were looking nervously around.

    Only the goblin, Griphook, was particrly happy. He turned his head and looked at them with a gloating joy.

    Griphook waved his fingers from time to time, and the speed of the cart got quicker after each shaking.

    Because of what Sirius had just said, he was retaliating against them.

    In addition to being so greedy, goblins are definitely the most grudge-holding creatures in the world, seeking revenge for the smallest grievance.

    If you identally offended a goblin, he might remember it his whole life.

    Although he knew that they were in trouble, Griphook was still trying to scare them to death.

    Evan clenched his teeth. In about twenty minutes, the four of them had already rushed to the deeper ce under the ground.

    They passed through an undergroundke with huge stctites and stgmites hanging down to the ground.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been to such a deep ce before!¡± Harry shouted, ¡°I just went through those rocks and it seemed like I saw something blowing out¡­¡±

    His cry suddenly stopped, they quickly turned a sharp bend, and the cart slowly stopped.

    ¡°Please get off, everyone! We have to change the cart. We have to use a cart that goes deeper to get to the ck family¡¯s vault.¡± Griphook took the lead and jumped. ¡°This way, please. We need to walk for a while.¡±

    But no one besides him moved, and everyone stared at the front.

    In front of them, Evan saw what Harry had just seen, a gigantic dragon tethered to the ground not far away, barring ess to the deeper vaults.

    The dragon¡¯s scales had turned pale and ky during its long incarceration under the ground, and its eyes were milkily pink, both rear legs bore heavy cuffs from which chains led to enormous pegs driven deep into the rocky floor.

    Its great spiked wings, folded close to its body, would have filled the chamber if it spread them. Sensing that someone was approaching, the Dragon turned its ugly head toward them and roared with a noise that made the rock tremble. It opened its mouth and spat a jet of fiery fire with an astonishing heat wave.

 Chapter 236: Ukrainian Ironbelly

    <h4>Chapter 236: Ukrainian Ironbelly</h4>

    Under the threat of the dragon and the fire, everyone recoiled.

    ¡°Unbelievable, the outside rumors are true. There is actually a dragon in Gringotts!¡± Harry shouted in surprise, his eyes mixed with curiosity and panic.

    ¡°The Ukrainian Ironbelly, thergest dragon species in the world. Very dangerous.¡± Sirius cautiously said, ¡°These goblins should have a way to subdue it. It looks like they¡¯ve tormented it enough, but we should be careful. Evan, don¡¯t be so close!!¡±

    Evan stood next to Griphook and looked curiously at the dragon at the corner.

    Although he had seen dragons in many magic books, this was the first time he saw a living one.

    As thergest fire dragon known in the current magical world, the Ukrainian Ironbelly can weigh up to six tons. Its body is round and the scales on its belly are extremely hard. Compared with the Peruvian Vipertooth or the Romanian Longhorn, it flies slower, but it is more dangerous.

    It is used tonding from high altitude and capable of crushing the dwellings on which itnds to power.

    Normally, its scales are metallic grey, its eyes are deep red, its ws are particrly long, and it¡¯s particrly vicious.

    Ironbellies have been subject to constant observation by the Ukrainian wizarding authorities, ever since a particr Ironbelly carried off a sailing ship from the ck Sea in 1799.

    The dragon¡¯s blood and scales are extremely precious magical materials. The heartstrings and the nerves are used to make wand cores. In ancient times, only a handful of powerful wizards could get these things, because only they were able to y dragons.

    Although there are already ces to raise dragons for profit, the price of dragon blood and scales still exceeds their weight in gold.

    Different types of dragons have different dragon blood, scales, nerves and values.

    Among the dragons, the magic of the Ukrainian Ironbelly belongs to the weaker kind. Its dragon blood is not the best magic potion material. Its heart strings and nerves are rarely chosen to make wands, but the hard scales on its belly have high magic power and are essential ingredients for many magic props.

    Nevertheless, Evan doubted the value of the scales of the Ukrainian Ironbelly in front of him and whether anyone would need them because they looked extremely haggard and unhealthy.

    ¡°It¡¯s partially blind!¡± At the side of Evan, Griphook gasped and said, ¡°It was brought here when it was a baby dragon. It has been over two hundred years now. Its power is declining, but its temper is more brutal than the dragons outside. But we have a way to control it. It has formed a conditioned reflex to the nkers.¡±

    Griphook took out a number of small metal instruments that when shaken made a loud, ringing noise like miniature hammers on anvils.

    He gave them to everyone and demonstrated how to use them.

    ¡°Well, you know what to do,¡± Griphook continued. ¡°It will expect pain when it hears the noise, it will retreat back. We will take the opportunity to run past him to the little room at the end.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I hateing here!¡± ¡°Sirius mumbled, ¡°Crazy dragon, and equally crazy goblins¡­¡±

    They lined up, Griphook stood at the front, followed by Evan, Hermione, Harry, and Sirius. Everyone had a nker in his hand.

    Evan¡¯s left hand sped Hermione¡¯s tightly, and her palm was full of sweat.

    They followed the goblin, and advanced around the corner again, shaking the nkers, and the noise echoed off the rocky walls, grossly magnified, so that the inside of Evan¡¯s skull seemed to vibrate with the din.

    The huge dragon let out another hoarse roar, then retreated.

    Evan could see it trembling, and as they drew nearer he saw the scars made by vicious shes across its face, and guessed that it had been taught to fear hot swords when it heard the sound of the nkers.

    Because he was close enough, Evan could feel the amazing heat from it.

    A few secondster, when everyone passed by the dragon and entered the small room at the end, they were pale, wiped off the sweat, and breathed a sigh of relief.

    Close contact with a dragon was definitely a remarkable experience.

    In front of them was a circr downward staircase, which looked very old, with a faint fluorescence of blue rock on the ground and a mysterious smell.

    As they went down, the roars of the dragon gradually faded away.

    Back into the calm, on both sides of the stairs wererge and small coffers.

    Besides the numbers used to identify the rocks, Evan could only see all kinds of odd-shaped gates.

    Not surprisingly, the vault of the Death Eater Betrix was in it, with another Horcrux, Hufflepuff¡¯s Golden Cup, ced by Voldemort in her custody.

    Evan didn¡¯t know which one it was. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t a lot of vaults there. He tried to remember the terrain nearby and carefully observed it in front of a suspicious door. He was wondering how to destroy this Horcrux¡­

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better stay away from that door.¡± Griphook suddenly turned back and said, ¡°The doors of the vault are all enchanted with great defensive magic and curse, and only the goblins can open them in the right way, otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just looking at it!¡± Evan exined. He really meant to have a look, memorize the surrounding terrain, and prepare for the rush to find the Horcruxter.

    ¡°I know, but I must remind you that greed, in the end, fails even the greedy.¡± Griphook grinned unkindly. ¡°Remember, if you want to take something that is not yours from the Gringotts, death is waiting for you. All kinds of magic arranged here arepletely beyond your imagination.¡±

    ¡°Evan is just curious. No one will be interested in that scrap.¡± Sirius said impatiently, ¡°Come on, we¡¯d better hurry up. I don¡¯t want to spend all day in the cave.¡±

    The circr staircase zigzagged downward, seemingly endless, and they went on for about ten minutes, to the edge of the staircase, and Griphook suddenly stopped.

    Evan also hurriedly stopped, and the surrounding area was dark and there was no light.

    They all pulled out their wands. Under the faint fluorescence of their tips, Evan saw something different from above. It should be a naturally formed cave.

    Cracks were everywhere on the rock walls, and a whirring sound came out of the cracks.

    Shout, shout, shout!!!

    The sharp and harsh sound did not stop. It was extremely strange, as if it were the screams of countless banshees.

    The atmosphere was getting tense. They had just seen the dragon. No one could tell what else was there. Did these crazy goblins use the banshees to guard the vaults deep underground?!

    Evan felt Hermione leaning towards him, holding his hand tightly.

    ¡°What are these sounds, what¡¯s underneath?¡± Harry whispered.

    ¡°It¡¯s the wind!¡± Sirius¡¯s voice, too, was a little repressed. ¡°As for the following things, you will know immediately. It is definitely an unpleasant scene that¡¯s beyond imagination. I was brought here once by my father 16 years ago and I never wanted toe back here again¡­¡±

 Chapter 237: Vault Number One

    <h4>Chapter 237: Vault Number One</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the unpleasant scene Sirius talked about would be, but it seemed a little strange to see the wind blowing through the seams in the surrounding rocks.

    This was tens of thousands of feet deep underground, and it was reasonable to say that there should be no wind. Moreover, these winds were not the kind of cloudy gusts that would blow from the depths of the cave, but with a little warmth, like a warm midday wind.

    In a ce where there should be no wind, there was a strong wind with high temperature. Was there a legendary magic item underneath?! But then would it be too big?

    At the edge of the stairs, Griphook pped his hands, and a small cart rushed out from a dark, hidden gap in the rock wall. He signaled everyone to climb up.

    Everyone climbed up in order, crammed together; nervously looking ahead, wondering what was awaiting them.

    Griphook snapped his fingers and the cart started moving again. This time, it was not as fast as the 1st one.

    As it slowly turned over the corner and rushed out of the cave, Evan felt a stronger warm wind blowing from below.

    He hurriedly looked out, and in the endless darkness, he noticed that he was floating in the air.

    In front of them, all the rocks disappeared, and a huge, bottomless hole suddenly appeared, and gusts of wind whistled up from below.

    The hole was deep and straight down, as if extending to the earth¡¯s core.

    Everyone grabbed the edge of the cart tightly and looked out carefully.

    If they identally fell from there, they would definitely shatter into pieces, and even their corpses would not be found.

    Below the cart, a narrow track extended forward at a weird angle.

    The old wooden brackets that were supported upwards on the rough rock walls were their only reliance. The rusty track routes were intricate, extending from the seams in the rock wall, not at the end, sometimes intertwined, and quickly separated.

    Evan looked back and saw where they had juste out, and in the blink of an eye they were in a small seam, not different from the seams that were all over the rock.

    He tried to memorize the route, but found it impossible to do.

    The route of the track was tooplicated, and the seams on the rock wall looked exactly the same .

    Even if someone was to break in, find a treasure from the depths of the underground; if he didn¡¯t remember the road, it would be impossible for him to get out of it.

    Evan was sure that what awaited an intruder going through the wrong seam should not be pleasing to encounter.

    The track zigzagged downward, and as everyone approached the deepest part of the vault, the wind blowing from below became hotter and hotter, quickly turning into an ascending heat wave.

    The whistling sound was getting stronger and stronger, as if there were countless dragons firing up below.

    Evan looked out again and saw a round, red-glowing object right below them, like a gate to the depths of hell.

    He blinked for a few seconds before he realized what it was¡­

    It was the magma deep in the earth¡¯s crust!!!

    Underneath them was a seemingly endless sea of magma, whistling and breathing, creaking and shining red all around them.

    The temperature of the magma was amazing, and even the surrounding rocks were roasted red.

    A few secondster, the cart slowly stopped on an irregr ind in the center of the red-ck magma.

    Everyone walked down, everyone was sweating, and their faces were red. They never thought that they would feel such a temperature in cold winter.

    In fact, no one ever imagined that the deepest underground part of Gringotts would be such a scene, in sharp contrast to the prosperity above Diagon Alley.

    Sirius was right. These goblins were simply mad. They have been digging down to the depths of the earth¡¯s crust. If something happened there, theva would break out, and not only Diagon Alley, but even the entirety of London would be engulfed by mes.

    On the ind there were dozens of stone sculptures, all kinds of shapes, which seemed to be the entrance to the vaults.

    Evan felt a bit strange, because the shape of these statues looked familiar, and he must have seen them somewhere before.

    He looked carefully for a moment, and then it hit him that the statues were all emblems of ancient pure-blood wizards. Many of these wizard families were prominent in the history of magic thousands of years ago, but most of them are now extinct, remaining only in history books.

    ¡°These are the earliest vaults built at the time of Gringotts¡¯ founding. There are a hundred of them, all owned by the strongest Wizards of their time or by the most powerful pure-blood wizard families.¡± Griphook exined, ¡°As centuries passed, many wizard families have disappeared into the stream of history, and they haven¡¯t been here for many years.¡±

    The ind carved with emblems looked like a graveyard of pure blood wizards.

    These significant statues not only testify to the glory of the past of the pure-blood wizard families, but also tell endless loneliness in silence. No matter how powerful and illustrious they were, they no longer existed, and the treasures preserved in the Gringotts will remain here forever.

    Regardless of all that, the ancient wizard family emblems show that this should absolutely be the holynd for magic historians and heraldry enthusiasts.

    Evan carefully observed andpared with the wizard¡¯s emblems in his mind.

    After watching it for a while, he found that it was exactly the same as Griphook said. There were big numbers on the statues, all within one hundred. Below the statues were gates of various shapes, which should be the vaults of these pure-blood wizards.

    On the magma not far away, there were several irregrly shaped inds.

    Just like here, on some inds were also ced statues of varying sizes and shapes. Among them, Evan saw the Slytherin family¡¯s emblem at a nce because it was too conspicuous. The huge statue iid with many emeralds was glowing softly green, forming a capital letter S.

    It was located on a small ind in the center of theva, it was abnormally elevated.

    Evan saw that the number above the S letter was the number one, which meant it was the first vault of Gringotts.

    Underneath the statue was a ck door with exquisite patterns. He didn¡¯t know what metal it was made of. It looked veryplicated.

    Because it was too far away, Evan didn¡¯t see it clearly.

    The patterns on the gate seemed to be the same as the invisible lines on Slytherin¡¯s Locket in his arm that he couldn¡¯t understand. They seemed to be a whole¡­

    Evan shook his head and wondered what that meant. Was it a special word left by the Slytherins?

    He was going to go back and check out the relevant books. If it didn¡¯t work, he could also ask the vampire girl named ine.

    Next to the Slytherin¡¯s vault, Evan also saw the sky-blue coat of arms of the Ravenw family, simr to the Ravenw House¡¯s emblem, but somewhat different, not a giant raven waving its wings in the sky, but an eagle-shaped sculpture standing with an unknown nt in its mouth, wearing a crown symbolizing wisdom on its head.

    At the center of the crown, a brilliant diamond sparkled, echoing a thick neb at the top of the statue.

    No one knew how many gems had been used on this seemingly ordinary stone statue.

    The huge diamond in the center of the crown alone should be extremely valuable, and the family treasures hidden in it could be imagined how precious.

    Unfortunately, the Ravenw family had no descendants, and whatever was inside, those things should basically belong to the goblins now.

    Evan felt curious and looked around again.

    For some unknown reason, he didn¡¯t see the signs of the Gryffindor and the Hufflepuff families. They didn¡¯t seem to have set up a vault here.

 Chapter 238: Treasures Beyond Imagination

    <h4>Chapter 238: Treasures Beyond Imagination</h4>

    A thousand years ago, the magic world was different from what it is now. At that time, the British society was in chaos, the territory was not unified, and the whole European continent was in the wilderness and darkness.

    Besides wizards, many magical creatures were also prosperous.

    They didn¡¯t live in seclusion like they do now. On the contrary, they frequently appeared in the wizarding world, making frequent exchanges and transactions with wizards, and even being hired by them to participate directly in the Muggle war.

    Among the many magical creatures, the goblins were absolutely unique.

    Because of their natural greed and love of gold, they were most closely rted to humans. They directly opened stores in wizarding societies, providing wizards with arge number of well-made magic props, weapons, armors and other services.

    But the innate pride and deceit in their character kept them from believing in humans.

    In the eyes of goblins, they and the human wizards were cooperating on equal terms and had the same status. Putting it in a more direct way, it was purely about money and how to use it in their rtionship.

    In case they were not satisfied, they couldunch a riot and make a fuss.

    In this environment, many powerful wizards and pure-blood wizard families did not believe in goblins, and they were skeptical about the Gringotts established by the goblins.

    In their view, they preferred to bury family treasures in their castles or in hiding ces, rather than in Gringotts which degree of security was questionable.

    This prevailed in the Middle Ages and before that, and this was the main reason why many precious magic relics were discovered inter generations.

    After centuries of excavation, the remains of these magical relics had be very rare, and the remains that had not been found or sessfully excavated were the remains of very powerful wizards. For example, the Pyramids of Egypt, Gringotts and Egyptian wizarding authorities had long worked together to excavate and decipher the ancient magic monument, where Ron¡¯s brother Bill Weasley worked as a Curse-Breaker.

    Thousands of years ago, Egypt¡¯s rulers, powerful elders and wizards,id out countless powerful magic and curses in the pyramids, and cracking through them was progressing very slowly.

    Like the pyramids, the once eminent Gryffindor and Hufflepuff families did not preserve their wealth in Gringotts, as Slytherin and Ravenw did, but in other ces and had not been discovered so far.

    How much wealth did Godric Gryffindor have? Evan was not sure.

    But in the rted history books of magic, Helga Hufflepuff¡¯s description was urate: her hobby, besides cooking, was collecting gold.

    With her strength, the property she left should definitely be an amazing astronomical number, but it was not known where she hid it, and the Hufflepuff family also had no descendants. Evan suddenly thought: ¡°She would not hide her wealth in the Hogwartsmon room! This is really..¡±

    What if, after facing all the hardship he had to face in order to get to the Secret Treasures left by the founders, he would find a great amount of gold left by her?

    Evan grinned bitterly and hurriedly removed the idea from his mind. Although gold was good, it had no use at all in defeating Voldemort. He could not kill Voldemort with gold.

    After observing for a while, Evan discovered that in addition to these family emblems, there were many strange implements on the inds above theva in the distance.

    They were all made of metal, and they looked so grand and spectacr, like weapons left by some ancient civilization.

    Evan knew that those things were not weapons, but instruments used by the goblins to forge and refine magical objects.

    It¡¯s known that, in addition to greed, the goblins are also famous for being good at creating excellent magical equipment.

    Historically, many legendary magic items had been made by them.

    One of the most famous is Excalibur, made by Merlin and the goblins, which was the most famous magic sword in history. At that time it decided the ascendancy of the British throne and the future direction of the magic world.

    It was also since then that many non-human magical creatures had gradually withdrawn from the magical ¡°public¡±.

    Of course, there is also the Sword of Gryffindor, which Godric Gryffindor purchased from the goblins while he was alive. He put magic on it, and only a true Gryffindor could find it. Last semester in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry used the sword to kill the Basilisk.

    Evan regained his gaze, and by his side, Harry was still looking around and shouting, ¡°It¡¯s incredible. How did they do it?¡±

    ¡°Goblins have strong magic power, and they have their own unique magic culture.¡± Hermione then eximed, ¡°If you look closely, you¡¯ll find that all these inds are floating onva, but not melted by magma, which requires extremely powerful magic. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know how the goblins built such a huge institution. In my opinion, it should be impossible to aplish all of ¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing is impossible!¡± Griphook said proudly, ¡°The goblins have their own special Magic, which is much more advanced than that of the human wizards.¡±

    He took the key from Sirius and walked up to the carving that marked 68, which was covered with the ck family¡¯s emblem. The most striking thing was the two leaping ck dogs carved from obsidian.

    There was a narrow gap above the bronze door below the statue, and Griphook went over and put the key in and turned it gently.

    An organ like sound was made, and there was a loud rumbling on the ground.

    The gate was slowly opened, and a stone staircase appeared in front of everyone. The vault of the ck family showed its true face, with arge rectangr room in front.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione rushed in excitedly. They all wanted to see what it looked like in the vault, and how shocking was the cks¡¯ wealth!

    Just looking at the environment where the vault was located, the dangerous hot magma and the frightening emblem of the ancient pure-blood wizard family on the ind, all this was enough to get everyone more intrigued.

    They all wanted to know what was in the ck family vault, though Sirius had said it was boring and full of gold. But filling a whole room with gold was, in a sense, a remarkable achievement.

    Evan, Harry and Hermione rushed in, thinking they would see mountains of gold, silver bars and other valuable antiques.

    But there was nothing in front of them. The vault was very empty, as if it had just been robbed, and not a piece of gold could be seen.

    It was shocking alright, but it was exactly the opposite of their expectations.

    It was not so much a vault, but more like a storeroom for an evil ck wizard.

    The shelves on both sides were full of strange and entric ck magic items, of which they did not know the specific use.

    For example, on the shelf on the left side of Evan, there was a ck skull with a crown.

    That slightly sunken bone, with its ornate ornamentation, exuded an eerie air that looked horrible and disgusting.

    In the corner of the room, a huge white skeleton of an unknown species of fire dragon was magically rearranged standing there. Every bone was engraved with the emblem of the ck family. It was not known which ancestor in the cks¡¯ history had left such an ¡°amusing¡± collection.

    What in the world was going on there? And what was really the wealth of the ck family?!

    Everyone scratched their heads and turned to look at Sirius who had just walked in, waiting for his exnation.

 Chapter 239: The Black Family Deeds

    <h4>Chapter 239: The ck Family Deeds</h4>

    ¡°Sirius, what in the world is this?¡± Harry asked in surprise.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s not the same as when I came here 16 years ago!¡± Sirius looked around, and wondered, ¡°From what I remember, mountains of gold coins and gold goods filled the whole room, till the point where we could not set foot inside¡­¡±

    For the moment, the vault was empty. In addition to all sorts of bizarre treasures and ck magic items that were very evil at a nce, even the shadow of gold could not be seen.

    ¡°Griphook?!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t reveal the secrets of our customers, but this doesn¡¯t seem like something that needs to be concealed.¡± Griphook sullenly said, ¡°This vault was opened 13 years ago, and at the behest of its owner at the time, Mrs. Walburga ck, we sent our staff to transfer all the gold and goods here to the personal vaults of Ms. Betrix Lestrange and Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy. Because there was so much gold, the task took us two whole days.¡±

    Hearing Griphook¡¯s description, Evan could imagine the scene at the time.

    The goblins lined up and walked in and out of the ck family¡¯s vault, carrying gold in their arms and carrying them up to the personal vaults in carts.

    ¡°Not surprising, after Regulus¡¯s death, my dear old mother redistributed the family¡¯s wealth.¡± Sirius said sarcastically, ¡°Each of my cousins has a share. One of them is married to a Death Eater, and the other is one of the craziest of them all. My mother must¡¯ve been so proud! It¡¯s no surprise. I should have guessed she¡¯d do it. She certainly didn¡¯t want to leave me anything.¡±

    Sirius walked over to a skull and kicked it to the side with his foot.

    The cracked old skull rolled on the ground, making an ufortable rough sound, rolling into the dark corner of the room.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other and saw the fear in each other¡¯s eyes.

    As if noticing that the atmosphere was not quite right, Sirius immediately raised his head and said, ¡°Well, you three don¡¯t let this get you down. Nobody cares about the gold. We are here to find the deeds. Let me see, they should still be here. ¡±

    He went to a cupboard and rummaged, and Evan hurried over to help.

    Sirius was right, everything that looked dangerous, ck magic items and things apparently bearing the ck family emblem were left here, unmoved.

    The absence of gold wasn¡¯t the only bizarre thing in the vault.

    Many of them were simply weird ornamental essories, belonging to the personal collection of former members of the ck family.

    There were also many items that had magical power, and Evan even felt a powerful magical reaction from several items. Unfortunately, most of them were ck magic items, and could not be used.

    Before a big, dark red stone table, Evan saw a simple card.

    The card showed that everything on the table belonged to Arcturus ck, and Evan remembered the ck family tree he had seen the day before. This guy was Sirius¡¯s Grandfather, a person who had remained alive until 3 or 4 years ago.

    On the stone table, the most striking thing was bloodstained motionless eyeball, in a ss box.

    It looked as if being ripped out directly from someone¡¯s head.

    There were various bones ced on the inner side of the stone tform, most of which were the bones of magical creatures, but many of them were of the shape of the known that human bones.

    There couldn¡¯t be a title deed on the top, and Evan went to the side to open another closet.

    Under the cover of thick dust, he saw dozens ofrge ss bottles filled with unknown yellow and green liquids.

    He narrowed his eyes, moved closer, and looked curiously.

    The nearest ss bottle contained an Ashwinder, very slender, the size of a thick thread. It was bent in a strange way, very simr to the Ashwinder pattern in the book.

    The Ashwinder is a rare magical creature. It¡¯s a serpent born with magic.

    The Ashwinder is created when a magical fire is left burning for too long. A thin, pale-grey serpent with glowing red eyes, would rise from the embers of an unsupervised fire and slither away into the shadows of the dwelling in which it finds itself, leaving an ashy trail behind it.

    The Ashwinder lives for only an hour and during that time seeks a dark and secluded spot in which toy its eggs, after which it will copse into dust.

    Ashwinder eggs are bright red and give off intense heat.

    They will ignite the dwelling within minutes if not found in time. These Ashwinder eggs have a strong magical power, and if they can be frozen with a Freezing Charm, they can be used in a Love Potion or eaten whole as a cure for ague.

    Because of the high demand for fire, this kind of serpent is actually hard toe into being.

    It is impossible to preserve an Ashwinder as a specimen, and Evan had never seen anything simr except this one in the bottle.

    Just as he was about to get closer and look at what was interesting in the other bottles, Hermione¡¯s voice came from the side.

    ¡°Come here, I found the deeds!¡± she shouted.

    Hermione took a lot of yellow paper from a file cab, which was full of text and was very hard to read. It was in old English. At the very back, there was the seal of the ck family and the seal of the Ministry of magic, proving that the title deeds were legal and valid.

    ¡°This is 6 Spider Tail Alley!¡± Hermione picked up the top deed and looked at it carefully. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this ce, where is the Spider Tail Alley?¡±

    ¡°In the north side of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, there is arge Muggle area in the middle.¡± Sirius came over and exined, ¡°It¡¯s an ancient wizard gathering area, about 500 years old. Because there were many ck wizards who had gradually abandoned it in recent decades, this ce doesn¡¯t have any importance.¡±

    Under this deed, was the 12 Grimmauld ce¡¯s deed. It belonged to the cks for centuries. In addition to the house, it also included arge area ofnd. The deed had the emblem of the Presbyterian Church of the Ministry of Magic, and the emblem of the then Muggle King.

    The fourth deed was for a shop in Knockturn Alley, and there was a long-term rental agreement in each of the two deeds.

    One of them, No. 21 was rented to an old witch, for a period of 40 years to sell things like poison apples and poison candles. As for the 83rd, it was rented to McGonagall family for a period of one hundred years to sell the fur and skulls of various magical creatures.

    After that, the fifth deed was finally a shop on Diagon Alley, No. 36 Diagon Alley.

    ¡°36 Diagon Alley!¡± Hermione recalled carefully. ¡°It seems to be between the Eeylops Owl Emporium and Ollivander¡¯s Wand Shop, there¡­¡±

    In Evan¡¯s memory, there was indeed a big ce, there, that has been idle for a long time.

    That ce should be 36 Diagon Alley. This location was not the best, but there were many people around. Especially at the beginning of school every year, many young wizards would buy magic wands or an owl as a pet.

    It was a good fit for the newspaper headquarters. If the ce wasrge enough, the first floor location could be fully utilized to sell things like Weasley joke products.

    Inside the file cab, thest deed was the cks¡¯ Manor in the countryside. It was veryrge and seemed to have a deserted castle on it.

 Chapter 240: Siriusâ€™s Wand

    <h4>Chapter 240: Sirius¡¯s Wand</h4>

    They sessfully found the deeds, the purpose of this trip had been aplished, and no one touched the apparently dangerous Dark Arts items and the other curious collections.

    They went back to where they came from led by Griphook.

    More than half an hourter, the cart finally reached the surface after another wild ride.

    Breathing the fresh air, and looking at the familiar buildings in Diagon Alley and Professor Lupin, who smiled and greeted them, Evan, Harry and Hermione all had a sense of rebirth. The location of the vault and the innumerable secrets beneath Gringotts were really exciting, though they did not get to see the wealth of the ck family as they had anticipated.

    The three of them discussed with Lupin what they saw and heard deep underground, the chained Ironbelly, the small inds in the meltingva, the vaults of the pure blood wizard families of thousands of years ago, and so on.

    The vault number one, with the Slytherin family emblem was the most interesting.

    Evan was absolutely convinced that there was a connection between the ornament on the vault door and the weird ornament on the Slytherin¡¯s Locket he had on him.

    There was another point about the secret treasure keys left by the Four Founders.

    Evan had spected about the hints of the keys location.

    In literal sense, since Gryffindor¡¯s treasure key was preserved among the Centaur tribe, the key to Slytherin¡¯s treasure was likely to be hidden by the goblins in Gringotts, right in the mysterious vault that he had just seen.

    The question then was: how to make sure of that and get the key out?!

    It was impossible to ask a goblin about that, and entering directly into Gringotts meant nothing but death.

    Evan thought for a moment that if Slytherin¡¯s treasure key was really in Gringotts, he would have to start looking it up with the vampire girl called ine and her family.

    Even though vampires, they were also descendants of the Slytherin family.

    Like Voldemort, they were the legitimate heirs of the vault.

    While Evan was thinking about this, Lupin talked with Harry and Hermione about the magic that the goblins ced in Gringotts and the weakness that everyone had just seen on the Ironbelly.

    Sirius followed behind and did not participate in the conversation.

    He didn¡¯t look very happy and they didn¡¯t know if it was because of the crazy bumpy cart or the empty vault.

    He stared nkly to the front, and nobody knew what he was thinking of.

    Harry and Hermione quickly noticed that. They exchanged an uneasy look with each other, their faces were full of worry, and the atmosphere was silent.

    Hermione pocked Evan gently and signaled him to look back at Sirius.

    Evan looked back, and he could understand Sirius¡¯s feelings at the moment.

    Although he didn¡¯t care about those treasures and gold, it was the wealth umted by the cks over the centuries, passed down from generation to generation, and now it was all the property of other families.

    No matter who would be encountering such a thing, he would be unhappy.

    In particr, Sirius¡¯s mother, who allocated the property, preferred to trust his two cousins rather than leave something for her own son.

    If Evan himself encountered such a thing, he would be sad to death.

    ¡°Sirius¡­¡± Harry shouted anxiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay, just recalling some unpleasant memories!¡± Sirius took a deep breath of cold air, cheered up and joined them in the conversation. ¡°Remus was right, the Ironbelly¡¯s weakness lies in its eyes, you can use Obscuro or other spells to attack that part and make it retreat out of pain. In addition, each dragon has a particrly fragile scale. If you want to kill the dragon, then¡­¡±

    As they walked along, Sirius lookedpletely recovered.

    Before returning to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, they decided to go to 36 Diagon Alley to have a look.

    They left the main road and turned into a narrow, backlit street, where the snow had not been cleared for a long time and the deepest point was enough to reach the knees.

    The streets were very depressed and all the shops were not open for business.

    Only a small shop opened its door. An old wizard with two big, pale silvery eyes was sweeping the snow in front of the store. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

    Seeing Mr. Ollivander, Evan was very surprised that he did not change a bit from the time hest saw him.

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Ollivander!¡± Everyone hurried forward to greet.

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone, nice to meet you!¡± Ollivander looked up, his pale pupils slid across the five faces, stayed the longest on Evan and Harry, and eventually fell on Sirius, ¡°Sirius ck, It¡¯s a great pleasure to see you again. It¡¯s been more than twenty years since Ist saw you, and I didn¡¯t think there would be such a chance¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, I thought I had no chance toe back to Diagon Alley.¡± Sirius said cheerfully, ¡°You¡¯ve seen thetest reports! With the help of these three children, I¡¯ve been proved innocent.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Ollivander happily said ¡°Ebony, twelve inches long, good at Transfiguration, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that wand had been broken when I was caught by the Ministry twelve years ago.¡± Sirius pulled out a wand and said sadly, ¡°That¡¯s a good wand, but it doesn¡¯t feel as right as the other one.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not easy; it¡¯s resisting your power!¡± Ollivander came over and whispered softly, ¡°This wand does not belong to you. I don¡¯t know where you got it. It is my grandfather¡¯s work, very ancient craftsmanship, elm and dragon nerves, a bit tough. In those days, dragon materials were very rare, and only the richest families of pure blood wizards could afford to buy¡­¡±

    Ollivander took the wand from Sirius and observed it carefully, talking about how good and how old it was, as if he were appreciating a work of art.

    ¡°Mr. Ollivander?!¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Ollivander handed the wand back to Sirius. ¡°This wand is great, but it doesn¡¯t fit you! If you can, I suggest that you choose a wand from my shop. ¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary. I¡¯m no longer a young wizard. I can handle any wand skillfully.¡± Sirius said with pride.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity!¡± Ollivander continued. ¡°You know, it¡¯s the wand that chooses the wizard, and using someone else¡¯s wand affects your strength.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Ollivander is right. You really should change your wand.¡± Evan followed and persuaded him; he knew the importance of the wand for the wizard.

    For wizards, using someone else¡¯s wand could be extremely difficult, affecting the power of their spells and the transmission of magic. Powerful wands can even resist the will of the user, going against itpletely.

    In the original book, for this reason, the Elder Wand in Voldemort¡¯s hand resisted the use of the killing curse against its real owner Harry, and he finally died unknowing of that.

    So did Sirius, who, in the original book, had been running away, and could possibly not pick a wand of his own. He had to use this wand belonging to one of his ancestors.

    When he dueled Betrix, he lost his life, perhaps as he couldn¡¯t use his true strength with that wand.

    Yes, in order to deal with the dangers to be encountered in the future, changing this wand was very necessary.

    ¡°Sirius, Since Mr. Ollivander and Evan said this, just go and change your wand¡­¡± Harry said with concern.

    ¡°No need, I can control this wand!¡± Sirius answered stubbornly.

    ¡°That¡¯s only temporary. As time goes on, it will affect you more and more.¡± Ollivander whispered, ¡°The core of this wand is the dragon¡¯s nerves. You know, dragons are powerful creatures, and they don¡¯t obey at will¡­¡±

    Hearing Ollivander¡¯s words, Harry hastened to shout, ¡°Sirius!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I cane backter when I have time!¡± Sirius patted Harry¡¯s shoulder and said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember guys? We are going to the store now, and we¡¯re going to the hospital to see the Weasley boy after that. We can¡¯t afford to waste time here.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take much time. We can wait for you in the shop.¡± Evan pointed to a very shabby house near the wand shop and said, ¡°I saw the sign. It¡¯s 36 Diagon Alley!¡±

 Chapter 241: Store Planning and Design

    <h4>Chapter 241: Store nning and Design</h4>

    Under the joint persuasion, Sirius finally agreed to rece his wand.

    He sighed and followed Mr. Ollivander into the wand shop, rubbing his untidy hair, like a young wizard.

    ¡°He used to be like this, very stubborn! But as long as it is a reasonable advice, he will most likely give in¡­¡±

    Looking at Sirius¡¯s back, Lupin told Evan, Harry, and Hermione a few anecdotes about Sirius¡¯s schooldays and made everyoneugh.

    Inughter, they came to 36 Diagon Alley, the ck family¡¯s shop.

    It was a three-storey street-front shop, located on the corner of the other side of the street, just across the street from Ollivanders Wand Shop, next to the Apothecary, and across a dark alley north of it was the Eeylops Owl Emporium.

    That was where Hagrid purchased Hedwig, Harry¡¯s pet, and gave it to him.

    In addition to the pet store, the Apothecary was also a famous potion ingredient shop in Diagon Alley.Because the prices were low, Evan often mail-ordered a lot of magic potion ingredients from them.

    The outer wall of the magic store was a dark brown brick with only a narrow window. Inside, Barrels of slimy stuff stood on the floor; jars of herbs, dried roots, and bright powders lined the walls; bundles of feathers, strings of fangs, and snarled ws hung from the ceiling.

    The goods inside were fascinating, but because of their nature, the store smelled horrible, like a mixture of bad eggs and rotted cabbages.

    Worse than that, 36 Diagon Alley was right next to it.

    The old bricks were iplete, and they looked extremely deste and worn. The two semi-circr windows were covered with dust thick enough to make the inside invisible from outside the shop. Between the windowsid a ck, bruised wooden door, covered with worm holes and traces of people scratching it with sharp objects, giving off a rotten smell.

    Evan wiped the dust off the window and stood on tiptoe to look inside.

    Through a curtain full of dense dust, he saw scattered pieces of furniture and trash everywhere. In a crack in the top corner of the window, there was a brown spider the size of a saucer. The whole ce looked like a haunted house.

    ¡°It seems like this shop has been idle for more than ten years and has never been used.¡± Lupin exined, ¡°A lot of people wondered if there was something wrong with it, so it¡¯s been idle, but they didn¡¯t expect it to be the cks¡¯ property!¡±

    He pulled out his wand and knocked on the wooden door of the shop.

    With a bang, the door opened.

    At the very moment of opening the door, a great deal of dust sshed.

    Everyone hurriedly covered their nose and stepped back several steps.

    Seeing the unexpected intruders, inside the shop, a frightened mouse scurried past, squeaking.

    They walked in and left clear footprints on the creaking floor.

    The store was decorated with the usual luxury of the cks, and its shabby furniture was made entirely of precious mahogany and teak.

    Perhaps because of this, it was also the object of thieves¡¯ focus.

    Everything of slight value in the store disappeared or was destroyed, and the wreckage of various gorgeous ornaments and furniture was scattered on the ground.

    The rear windows were also smashed, and a cold wind blew in. No doubt, the thieves crawled in from there.

    From the outside, this shop was bad enough; the inside was terrible to the extreme.

    If they wanted to use it and open it for business, almost everything needed to be renewed.

    ¡°It really takes a lot of effort to clean this up.¡± Hermione wrinkled her nose, took out her wand and said to a carpet, ¡°Scourgify!¡±

    Pink soap bubbles immediately appeared on the carpet, but it didn¡¯t work. There was so much dust that the bright soap bubbles instantly turned ck and muddy.

    Hermione was not willing to give up. She waved her wand and read the spell several times.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your efforts, Hermione, throw the carpet away.¡± Evan said covering his forehead, ¡°Furniture and office supplies can be purchased. But you¡¯re right, and as you just said, this ce really needs a cleaning. This is not a small workload!¡±

    ¡°This house has been empty for many years, enough for a lot of things to breed. You must be careful when you clean it up.¡± Lupin squatted in front of a cupboard and peeped through the keyhole. ¡°It seems to be a Boggart here. You¡¯d better let him out before you clean it up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy to clean up a ce that¡¯s been abandoned for more than a decade. I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my Christmas vacation here.¡± Harry walked upstairs and gasped. ¡°This store is much more spacious than it looks from outside. The space above is veryrge, and there is even more garbage than there is downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, Harry! I think three days should be enough. We can get Dobby and Kreacher to help. House-elves are very good at doing this kind of thing.¡± Evan also went upstairs and looked around, nodding with satisfaction. ¡°We will visit Ron in a moment, so we can also ask the Weasley family to help with the cleaning. Here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking the first floor and the second floor are enough for the newspaper headquarters. The groung floor can be used for other purposes, for example, selling Fred and George¡¯s joke products¡­¡±

    ¡°Both of them will be happy. Sincest semester, they¡¯ve started owl mail-order services at school!¡± Harry said, ¡°The products they developed are very interesting and very popr.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re also very dangerous and disgusting.¡± Hermione disagreed. ¡°Look at what they didst semester. They made big Dungbombs that smelled all over the hallway. The whole corridor was full of stink. It was hard to clean them up!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for Filch to worry about. Besides the Slytherin Tower, they have not used that kind of thing anywhere else in school.¡± Evan said with a guilty conscience.

    He did not dare to tell Hermione that the birth of Dungbombs was actually his suggestion. The theory used, however, was inspired by Hermione¡¯s contribution to a newspaper article on metamorphosis, to find a way to activate Dungbombs in a way that makes them obey the user¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°There is a lot of space here; lots of counters can be ced. In addition to Fred and George¡¯s joke products, they can also sell whatever other young wizards need for their studies.¡± Seeing Hermione still wanting to continue on the joke products, Evan hurriedly said, ¡°For example, with potions made by our Potion ss; besides taking out a little for Snape to score, all the rest is thrown away, it is such a waste. We can put them here, and sell them at a much lower price than thepetition.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, provided that Snape can agree with us.¡± Harry interrupted.

    ¡°He will agree. The potions are originally made by the students themselves. He has no reason to refuse.¡± Evan walked down to the ground floor of the store, contemting future ns and projects. ¡°In addition to the potions, everything made by the young wizards can be sold. Hogwarts¡¯ name should be the ideal promotion tool!¡±

 Chapter 242: St Mungoâ€™s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

    <h4>Chapter 242: St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries</h4>

    Evan, Harry and Hermione excitedly discussed the store¡¯s future design and nning, the goods that could be sold there, pricing and so on.

    Lupin was alone in the house to check whether there were perils andtent dangers. In less than ten minutes, he discovered two Boggarts, a dozen nests of mice and spiders, arge group of Doxies, in addition to Bundimuns.

    The Bundimun is a kind of miraculous creature that could survive and thrive with ease.

    At rest, Bundimuns resemble a patch of greenish fungus with eyes. Skilled at creeping under floorboards and behind skirting boards, they infest houses.

    The presence of a Bundimun is usually announced by a foul stench of decay.

    Once it appears in a house, The Bundimun oozes a secretion which rots away the very foundations of the dwelling in which it is found.

    ¡°Very bad, we have to deal with these Bundimuns as soon as possible!¡± Lupin turned a piece of floor open, indicating to Evan, Harry, and Hermione to look inside.

    Evan saw a whole lot of Bundimuns under the rotten floor, and because they were rmed, they hurriedly scuttled away on their numerous spindly legs.

    ¡°Generally speaking, Scouring charms will rid a house of an infestation of Bundimuns.¡± Lupin pped his hands and stood up. ¡°But there are too many Bundimuns here, and it is not easy to take action. It is likely to have extremely serious consequences, and even the ce may copse. We need to contact the Pest Sub-Division of the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures. They will send someone to deal with this matter.¡±

    As Lupin said, the house had been abandoned for a long time, and unlike 12 Grimmauld ce, it was not protected by magic and it was in a very bad condition.

    Just as they studied how to deal with the troublesome creatures living in the store, Sirius came in.

    He had reced the wand with a new one: a beautiful ck wand, hawthorn wood, and Dragon heartstring core. In addition to the new wand, he carried a cage in his hand. There was a beautiful little owl inside, and after seeing them, Evan shouted excitedly.

    ¡°I just went to the owl shop next door and bought this owl, ready to give it to the Weasley boy named Ron.¡± Sirius said, ¡°He may be willing to raise this owl. After all, because of my fault, he lost the rat¡­¡±

    ¡°He will be delighted. Ron has always wanted a pet of his own.¡±

    ¡°As long as he likes it!¡± Sirius smiled, put the cage on the ground, walked into the store and looked around. ¡°Evan, how do you feel about it?¡±

    ¡°Theyout is very good. It¡¯s simr to what I imagined, but it needs to be cleaned up. Before you came, we¡¯ve found a lot of Bundimuns. ¡±

    ¡°This shop hasn¡¯t been used for too long, so it is not surprising to have such things.¡± Sirius opened the floor and looked at it. He frowned and said, ¡°These things are not easy to handle. We should go for lunch first, and then visit your friend. During this period, I will tell Kreacher to clean up in here.¡±

    ¡°Bundimuns can be handed over to me.¡± Lupin said, ¡°I have an acquaintance in the Pest Sub-Division. He is an expert in dealing with this aspect of biology.¡±

    They talked for a while and then went back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.

    Then they set out to see Ron at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. This time, they did not take the Knight Bus, but Sirius and Lupin took Evan, Harry and Hermione with them in Apparate.

    After a loud bang, they appeared on a wide Muggle street.

    ¡°Where is St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital?¡± Harry looked around curiously. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just Apparate into it?¡±

    ¡°When the hospital was first established, people used to be able to do it. But as the number of patients gradually increased, the Ministry of Magic banned Apparate in the hospital, as it led to idents in many cases.¡± Lupin exined, ¡°As for the location, we are now standing at the door of the hospital. ¡±

    In front of them was arge, old-fashioned, red brick department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd.

    The ce had a shabby, miserable air; the window disys consisted of a few chipped dummies with their wigs askew, standing at random and modeling fashions at least ten years out of date. Large signs on all the dusty doors read CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT.

    In the vicinity of a particrly ugly female dummy, Evan felt a strange magic.

    ¡°Go this way!¡± Sirius muttered, pushing Evan, Harry and Hermione in front of him. ¡°There are too many Muggles here. There¡¯s not enoughnd in Diagon Alley. The Ministry of Magic had a hard time finding this address to build a hospital so that patients coulde and go and fit in with the crowds.¡±

    Next to them was a Mugglemercial street, with endless flow of people and cars, in sharp contrast to Diagon Alley.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t these Muggles going to spend Christmas at home?¡± Sirius asked strangely. ¡°What are they all running out for?!¡±

    ¡°There is a business district nearby, where people can gather, have dinner, shop, sing, watch movies and so on during the holidays.¡± Evan noticed Sirius¡¯s puzzled face. He continued to exin, ¡°A movie is recording people¡¯s specific actions through a machine, to be reyed for themter on a big screen¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s Muggle special magic, the effect is almost the same as the Pensieve!¡± Sirius looked up around him and put his right hand unconsciously on the wand in his waist. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss thister. You three had better get closer to me. If anything happens, I¡¯ll take action.¡±

    Looking at Sirius¡¯s appearance, Evan was very doubtful whether he really understood what he had said.

    In fact, apart from rare cases like Mr. Weasley¡¯s, pure blood Wizards knew very little about the Muggle world and most people knew it only a few hundred years ago.

    For the rapid development of science and technology in the Muggle world, the magic circle basically took a disregarding attitude.

    An idea popped into Evan¡¯s mind that he might try to work with Mr. Weasley to bring some of the more advanced machinery of the Muggle world into the wizarding world, which might have unexpected effects.

    Unfortunately, Hogwarts¡¯ defensive magic prohibited the operation of all electronic devices and they could only be promoted in Diagon Alley.

    Evan thought about the feasibility of this idea as he followed Harry to the dummy in the Green Nylon dress he had just felt to be abnormal.

    ¡°We have to go in. Are the three of you ready?¡± Sirius asked.

    Everyone nodded, clustering around him.

    Evan saw Lupin, standing in front of him, leaning close to the ss, looking up at the very ugly dummy, his breath steaming up the ss.

    ¡°Wotcher¡­ We¡¯re here to see Ron Weasley. ¡±

    For a split second, Evan felt that Lupin looked funny, talking that quietly through a sheet of ss, when there were buses rumbling along behind him and all the racket of a street full of shoppers.

    So did Harry and Hermione, who looked up at Lupin and Sirius doubtfully, and then their mouths opened in shock as the dummy gave a tiny nod and beckoned its jointed finger.

    The next second, they stepped forward through what felt like a sheet of cool water, emerging quite warm and dry on the other side.

    There was no sign of the ugly dummy or the ce where she had stood. They entered St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

 Chapter 243: Visiting Ron

    <h4>Chapter 243: Visiting Ron</h4>

    Evan looked up and found himself in a crowded reception.

    Rows of witches and wizards sat upon rickety wooden chairs, some looking perfectly normal and reading out-of-date copies of Witch Weekly, others sporting gruesome disfigurements such as elephant trunks or extra hands sticking out of their chests.

    The room was slightly less quiet than the street outside, for many of the patients were making very peculiar noises.

    A sweaty-faced witch in the center of the front row, who was fanning herself vigorously with a copy of the Daily Prophet, kept letting off a high-pitched whistle as steam came pouring out of her mouth, and a grubby-looking warlock in the corner nged like a bell every time he moved, and with each ng his head vibrated horribly, so that he had to seize himself by the ears to hold it steady.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked around curiously in disbelief.

    On top of normal disease patients, there were almost all kinds of curses and dark magic patients in the hospital.

    Witches and wizards in lime-green robes were walking up and down the rows, asking questions. The badge embroidered on their chests was a wand and bone, crossed.

    ¡°Look at those people, are they doctors?¡± Harry asked quietly.

    ¡°That is the Muggle hospital¡¯s status, they¡¯re called Healers here.¡± Hermione replied, ¡°Requirements to be a Healer include, as far as I know, N.E.W.T.s of at least the grade ¡®Exceeds Expectations¡¯ in the subjects of Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Potions ss! Then I guess it¡¯s no good. Snape won¡¯t let me pass!¡± Harry said, ¡°But you definitely won¡¯t have a problem, Hermione!¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be a Healer; it¡¯s a job of great responsibility.¡± Hermione looked up at Evan, not far ahead and whispered, ¡°I prefer being the editor in chief of a newspaper over being a Healer¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I forgot!¡± Seeing Hermione¡¯s look, Harry smiled. ¡°You¡¯re going to run a newspaper with Evan.¡±

    Seeing Harry¡¯s expression, Hermione blushed and nodded with embarrassment, which was for sure a confirmation.

    While Harry and Hermione were chatting, Evan followed Lupin to the queue in front of a plump blonde witch seated at a desk marked inquiries. The wall behind her was covered in notices and posters saying things like ¡°A CLEAN CAULDRON KEEPS POTIONS FROM BECOMING POISONS¡±, and ¡°ANTIDOTES ARE ANTI-DON¡¯TS UNLESS APPROVED BY A QUALIFIED HEALER¡±.

    Beside the counter, there was also arge portrait of a witch with long silver ringlets that wasbeled DILYS DERWENT, ST. MUNGO¡¯S HEALER 1722¨C1741, HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY, I741¨C1768

    As the most famous Headmistress, she had a high reputation in history and her portraits were on many important ces.

    Derwent was a very amiable person. When meeting them in the school corridor, she always greeted the students and provided the new ones with guidance.

    Dilys was eyeing the people in front of the counter as though counting them.

    When Evan caught her eye, she gave a tiny wink. ¡°Hello, Evan Mason. Nice to see you outside school!¡±

    Derwent greeted him, walked sideways out of her portrait, and vanished.

    Meanwhile, at the front of the queue, a young wizard was performing an odd on-the-spot jig and trying, in between yelps of pain, to exin his predicament to the witch behind the desk.

    ¡°It¡¯s these ¡­ouch ¡­ shoes my brother gave me ¡­ ow¡­ they¡¯re eating my ¡­ OUCH ¡­ feet ¡­ look at them, there must be some kind of ¡­ AARGH ¡­ jinx on them and I can¡¯t ¡­ AAAAARGH ¡­ get them off¡­ ¡° He hopped from one foot to the other as though dancing on hot coals.

    ¡°The shoes don¡¯t prevent you reading, do they?¡± said the blonde witch irritably, pointing at arge sign to the left of her desk. ¡°Go to Spell Damage on the fourth floor. Next!¡±

    The wizard hobbled and pranced sideways out of the way, Evan hurried forward a few steps.

    His attention shifted to the sign that the witch had just pointed at, reading the above text: ARTIFACT ACCIDENTS, Ground Floor (Cauldron explosion, wand backfiring, broom crashes, etc.); CREATURE-INDUCED INJURIES, First Floor (Bites, stings, burns, embedded spines, etc.); MAGICAL BUGS, Second Floor (Contagious mdies, e.g., dragon pox, vanishing sickness, scrofungulus); POTION AND PLANT POISONING, Third Floor (Rashes, regurgitation, uncontroble giggling, etc.); SPELL DAMAGE, Fourth Floor (Unliftable jinxes, hexes, and incorrectly applied charms, etc.); VISITORS¡¯ TEAROOM AND HOSPITAL SHOP, Fifth Floor.

    If you are unsure where to go, incapable, of normal speech, or unable to remember why you are here, our Wee Witch will be pleased to help.

    ¡°Ron was under the Imperius Curse, we should go to the fourth floor!¡±

    As Evan read the sign, Lupin moved forward to the desk and asked softly. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to see Ron Weasley. What ward is he in, please?¡±

    ¡°Ron Weasley?¡± said the witch, running her finger down a long list in front of her. ¡°Oh, yes, he has been delivered from Hogwarts a week before Christmas. Fourth floor, second door on the right!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Everyone followed Lupin through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, which was lined with more portraits of famous Healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling, looking like giant soapsuds.

    More witches and wizards in lime-green robes walked in and out of the doors they passed; a foul-smelling yellow gas wafted into the passageway as they passed by one door, and every now and then they heard distant wailing.

    They climbed a flight of stairs and entered the ¡°Spell Damage¡± corridor, on the fourth floor.

    Before they even looked for it, they heard the Weasleys¡¯ voices. Mrs. Weasley was losing her temper and ming Fred and George for a nasty joke they had just yed.

    ¡°Ron is recovering, and you two just can¡¯t behave¡­¡±

    Mrs. Weasley suddenly stopped, and she was surprised to see Evan and the others walking into the ward.

    In the next second, she hurried over and held Evan, Harry, and Hermione in her arms, red-eyed and thanked them for helping Ron at school.

    Evan looked up in embarrassment, and he saw Fred and George winking in front of him, with a cheerful smile on their faces.

    Behind them, Percy, with a book in his hand, followed with a serious look.

    Ginny, sitting in a chair in front of the bed, nodded as if to say hello, and looked at Harry with a red face.

    Beside her, Ron, who was lying in the bed, sat up and looked excitedly at the three of them, looking both happy and embarrassed.

    The Weasleys were exactly the same as always.

    ¡°Although you said it before, I didn¡¯t expect you toe back today, after all, it¡¯s just been christmas!¡± Mrs. Weasley said gratefully, ¡°Arthur has just left. Because of Pettigrew¡¯s affair, the department has be a messtely.¡±

    After she hugged Evan, Harry, and Hermione, she stood up to greet Sirius and Lupin.

    Apparently, she and Sirius knew each other and were very familiar.

    After a brief introduction, Harry hurriedly asked Ron about his recovery.

    ¡°Basically there are no problems. The Healer just came over and confirmed that I will be able to leave the hospital after a few days of observation!¡± Ron patted his chest and signaled that he was healthy.

    Since they entered the ward, he noticed the small owl that had kept hooting in the cage. Ron looked at Sirius puzzled.

    ¡°This is a gift for you. After all, it¡¯s my fault that you lost that rat¡­¡± Sirius exined.

    ¡°This owl is for me, I can¡¯t believe it. This is the best gift I¡¯ve ever received!¡± Ron took the cage, looked at the owl inside with joy, and then raised his head. He said with embarrassment, ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this. I was¡­ I was so dizzy at the time, I doubted you, to help Scabbers¡­¡±

    ¡°It was not your fault, Ron.¡± Harry hurriedly said, ¡°You broke free from the control of the Imperius Curse at thest moment.¡±

    Sirius and Lupin also hurriedly followed the persuasion and said they had forgiven Ron for what he had done.

    ¡°Who could think that Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus, he was hiding too well!¡± Fred said.

    ¡°Yeah, I still can¡¯t believe that Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew!¡± said George. ¡°Unbelievable, he actually lived in our house for more than ten years.¡±

    Hearing his words, Mrs. Weasley and Percy showed a lingering expression on their faces. It was horrible enough just to think about it.

    If Peter Pettigrew had other ns, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

 Chapter 244: Weasleysâ€™ Wizard Wheezes

    <h4>Chapter 244: Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes</h4>

    Everyone deliberately neglected Ron¡¯s control by Peter Pettigrew, and their focus quickly shifted to Sirius. The Weasleys were very interested in his fugitive journey over the past six months and the truth of the events 13 years ago.

    Fred and George kept asking questions, and their eyes shone with admiration.

    Sirius made a few simple remarks about the details not mentioned in the newspaper, and everybody listened carefully. Percy even took notes and recorded them with his pen.

    After talking for more than half an hour, the topic was transferred to other matters.

    With the optimistic and cheerful character of Sirius, the Weasleys soon became intimate with him.

    The atmosphere in the ward became more and more rxed, and from time to time cheerfulughter sounded, in sharp contrast to the gloom of the other wards around.

    Lupin, Sirius and Mrs. Weasley sat together to reminisce the past, while the rest sat around Ron¡¯s bed to exchange Christmas gifts and news of the past few days.

    Ron took the owl out of the cage and he was discussing with Harry about giving the little pet a name, and Ginny was listening.

    On the couch in front of the bed, Percy and Hermione whispered about the vacation assignments given by the professors before Christmas, future jobs, career arrangements, etc.

    In half a year, Percy was going to graduate from Hogwarts.

    He had already nned to work in the Ministry of Magic. He excelled in the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, and was able to choose almost any department at his discretion. He was then hesitating between the Department of Magical Law Enforcement or the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

    In the corner, Fred and George showed Evan two of their new joke products developed in recent days, and Evan told them about the store.

    Fred and George were so happy that they could not wait to go to the store immediately.

    Since they were preparing for public sales, they decided to increase the output of joke products. Subject to funding constraints, they had finished only a few products and most of the research and development of products had not been achieved.

    ¡°Skiving Snackboxes, Fake Wands, Dungbombs, these products are selling particrly good right now. Demand exceeds supply; we can start from these things and raise sales volume a little.¡± Fred took out a small notebook from his arm, full of various products blueprints and test data.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with Fake Wands!¡± Evan looked back and carefully nced at Hermione, lowering his voice and saying, ¡°It¡¯s best to be careful about the Skiving Snackboxes and Dungbombs. Hermione especially hates these things. She thinks they are too unsanitary. ¡±

    ¡°My mother thinks the same. She almost confiscated all our products!¡± Fred said with annoyance. ¡°She found our order when she was cleaning the room. She had a big sh with us and burned it all up.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve lost a lot of money, and she will not allow us to do further research in this area.¡± George went on to say, ¡°She thinks it¡¯s not a good business. She asked us to devote more energy to our studies. Looking at her, she must hope for us to work in the Ministry of Magic like Dad and Percy. That would be terrible!¡±

    Apparently sensing that the three of them were discussing something on the sly, Mrs. Weasley suddenly came up and Fred hastened to put his notebook back into his arms.

    ¡°What are you doing? Is it rted to Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes?¡± Mrs. Weasley asked gravely.

    ¡°No, we are exchanging holiday homework with Evan.¡± Fred hurriedly said, waving his hand.

    ¡°Evan, didn¡¯t you say you were a little thirsty? Let¡¯s go and have a drink, and by the way, get some drinks for everyone!¡± George pulled Evan.

    The three of them hurried out of the ward under Mrs. Weasley¡¯s suspicious eyes.

    ¡°Mrs. Weasley is¡­¡± Evan was still a bit confused.

    ¡°You know, we¡¯ve been keeping it a secret from Percy, Ron and Ginny about studying joke products.¡± Fred exined, ¡°Actually, only the three of us knew about this before mom found out.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows now. Mother was so angry.¡± George sighed and said with dismay, ¡°Evan, you¡¯d better be careful from now on. Mom has been investigating our funding sources and she is beginning to doubt you!¡± ¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Weasley¡¯s reaction may have been a little overdone. It is not as bad as she thinks.¡± Evan said, ¡°In my opinion, opening a joke shop is no worse than going to the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°We think so too. In fact, that¡¯s the only career we want.¡± Fred and George said in unison.

    ¡°Maybe we can talk to her¡­¡±

    ¡°Better not!¡± said Fred. ¡°She won¡¯t say anything to you, but if she knows that we took so much money from you for research, it¡¯s definitely going to be bad!¡±

    ¡°Yes, mom will kill us both, without hesitation!¡± George made a gesture on his neck.

    Evan listened to Fred and George¡¯sints and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    In any case, Mrs. Weasley would not agree with them opening a magic joke store unless they seeded first.

    They walked to the Tearoom on the fifth floor, and Hermione and Ginny chased them from behind.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Fred asked vigntly.

    ¡°Mother asked us toe and watch over the three of you. She looked worried, afraid that you would throw some Dungbombs in the corridor.¡± Ginny said with a grin.

    ¡°Oh!¡± George looked at Ginny pitifully. ¡°My dear little sister¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to tell on you. I think the joke products you¡¯ve created are very interesting! They¡¯re very popr in school!¡± Ginny said.

    ¡°But you can¡¯t deny that those things are dangerous and extremely unsanitary. The Dungbomb is the most obvious example.¡± Hermione didn¡¯tugh, ¡°Mrs. Weasley is right, you can¡¯t sell those things to others. This is¡­¡±

    Before Hermione finished, Fred and George hurriedly pushed Evan out.

    ¡°She¡¯s all yours, brother!¡± They took Ginny and hurried to the fifth floor. There were only two people in the corridor: Evan and Hermione.

    Because Evan was so close, Hermione¡¯s face suddenly turned red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Fred and George. They just want to bring a little joy to everyone.¡± Evan could feel the breath of Hermione.

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Hermione whispered, and hurriedly took a step back.

    The two of them stopped talking about the matter and talked about the decorations inside St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    Evan and Hermione walked along the corridor through a set of double doors and found a rickety staircase lined with more portraits of brutal-looking Healers.

    As they climbed it, the various Healers called out to them, diagnosing odd symptoms and suggesting horrible remedies.

    They didn¡¯t know where Fred, George and Ginny had gone, and didn¡¯t see them anywhere.

    They both bought a few cans of drinks from the fifth floor and when they returned to the fourth floor, they suddenly stopped.

    Not far ahead, behind the small window set into the double doors that marked the start of a corridor sign posted SPELL DAMAGE; a man was peering out at them all with his nose pressed against the ss. He had wavy blond hair, bright blue eyes, and a broad vacant smile that revealed dazzlingly white teeth.

    ¡°Oh my goodness,¡± Hermione suddenly screamed, ¡°Professor Lockhart!¡±

 Chapter 245: Permanent Spell Damage

    <h4>Chapter 245: Permanent Spell Damage</h4>

    Under Evan and Hermione¡¯s amazed gaze, their ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher pushed open the doors and moved toward them, wearing a long lc dressing gown that looked the same as before.

    ¡°Well, hello there!¡± he said. ¡°I expect you¡¯d like my autograph, would you?¡±

    Evan and Hermione shook their heads, indicating that they didn¡¯t need it.

    Looking at Professor Lockhart in front, Hermione did not have much sympathy.

    She just felt particrly awkward. She felt that she used to be too naive to worship such a person.

    Because of the books Lockhart wrote, Hermione once thought that he was the greatest wizard in the world, and she even was able to recite the contents of each book.

    But all of that was fake, and Lockhart was just stealing other people¡¯s achievements.

    A year ago in the Chamber of secrets, he was going to erase the memories of Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione with the Memory Charm. Fortunately, he used Ron¡¯s broken wand, and the spell ended up hitting him.

    In short, Hermione fully recognized the true face of Lockhart as she faced him now.

    In reality, Evan somewhat missed the days of Lockhart. He might not be a good professor, but his presence was really convenient.

    Whether it was the difficulties encountered in the operation of the newspaper, the approval of the Restricted Section of the library, escaping Snape or Flich¡¯s punishment, or giving Gryffindor points, in many ways, Lockhart provided a lot of help to Evan.

    Of course, in his opinion, Evan was also his most loyal reader.

    ¡°Er ¡­ how are you, Professor?¡± Evan hesitated and asked softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m very fine indeed, thank you!¡± said Lockhart exuberantly, pulling a rather battered peacock-feather quill from his pocket. ¡°Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!¡±

    ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t want any at the moment, thanks,¡± Hermione quickly waved her hand.

    At the end of thest semester, she threw all of Lockhart¡¯s signatures she had collected into the stove and burned them, leaving none.

    ¡°Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn¡¯t you be in a ward?¡± Evan looked around, as Lockhart¡¯s ward should be nearby.

    ¡°You call me Professor; have we met before?¡± The smile faded slowly from Lockhart¡¯s face. For a few moments he gazed intently at Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°Yes, we have. You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?¡±

    ¡°Teach?¡± repeated Lockhart, looking faintly unsettled. ¡°Me? Did I?¡±

    After getting a positive answer, the smile reappeared upon his face so suddenly it was rather rming.

    ¡°Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I?¡± Lockhart said with a smile. ¡°Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends then and nobody will be left out!¡±

    Evan and Hermione looked at each other and they quietly stepped back.

    ¡°We have to go, Professor!¡± said Evan. ¡°You know, the two of us just came out to buy drinks, and our friends are still waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Are they also Hogwarts students?!¡± Lockhart said cheerfully, ¡°I can go with you. Maybe they will need my autograph too.¡±

    No one would ask for his autograph, and with the temper of Sirius, the mad Lockhart would definitely be thrown out.

    But just then, a head poked out of a door at the far end of the corridor and a voice said, ¡°Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?¡±

    A motherly looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°Oh Gilderoy, you¡¯ve got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poormb, and I can¡¯t think why, he¡¯s such a sweetie, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Evan and Hermione both knew why, they could tell her that with the current Lockhart¡¯s notoriety in the wizarding world, no one would visit him.

    Currently, whenever Lockhart was mentioned, people often added the word ¡°fake¡±.

    For Lockhart, living in this delusion for the rest of his life might be the best possible oue.

    ¡°Autographs!¡± Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. ¡°They want loads of them, won¡¯t take no for an answer! I just hope we¡¯ve got enough photographs!¡±

    ¡°Listen to him,¡± said the Healer, taking Lockhart¡¯s arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. ¡°He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might being back a little bit. Will you step this way? He¡¯s in a closed ward, you know, he must have slipped out while I was bringing in the Christmas presents, the door¡¯s usually kept locked ¡­¡±

    Noticing the expression on Evan and Hermione¡¯s faces, she lowered her voice to a whisper, ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s dangerous! But¡­bit of a danger to himself, bless him¡­ Doesn¡¯t know who he is, you see, wanders off and can¡¯t remember how to get back¡­ It is nice of you to havee to see him!¡±

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the wand he was using, it would have been Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione to be in the ward.

    They had just finished fighting with the Basilisk, all of them were at the end of the battle, and they had no ability to resist.

    Thinking of this, Evan and Hermione lost any trace of sympathy that had built up in their hearts for Lockhart.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we just happened to pass by!¡± Hermione shook her drink. ¡°We¡¯vee to see Ron Weasley. He¡¯s in that room.¡±

    ¡°I know Ron, a cute red-haired boy. I heard that he helped the famous Sirius ck clear up his name, which is really amazing!¡± The Healer smiled and said, ¡°Although you are not specifically visiting Gilderoy, can youe to his ward for a while before you go back? He looks familiar with both of you. It shouldn¡¯t take much time, and this may help him.¡±

    Hearing what she said, both felt that refusal would seem too unreasonable.

    Evan and Hermione could only nod, and followed Lockhart and his Healer along the corridor to the opposite direction to Ron¡¯s ward.

    The Healer pointed her wand at the door of the Janus Thickey ward and muttered ¡°Alohomora¡±, and the door swung open.

    She led the way inside, keeping a firm grasp on Gilderoy¡¯s arm until she had settled him into an armchair beside his bed.

    Compared to Ron¡¯s ward, it was cold and clear.

    Everything was white, even the temperature was a few degrees lower than the outside.

    There are no recreational facilities in the ward, only cold treatment equipment. Evan could hardly imagine how terrible it would be to live there all the time.

    ¡°This is our long-term resident ward,¡± she informed Evan and Hermione in a low voice. ¡°For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement¡­ Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself, but most of the others show no signs of improvement.¡±

 Chapter 246: Lonely Heroes

    <h4>Chapter 246: Lonely Heroes</h4>

    Evan looked at the ward, which seemed to be a permanent home to its residents.

    They had many more personal items around their beds than in Ron¡¯s ward; the wall around Gilderoy¡¯s headboard, for instance, was papered with pictures of himself, in all of which he was beaming toothily and waving at his fans.

    He had autographed many of them to himself in disjointed, childish writing. The moment he had been deposited in his chair by the Healer, Gilderoy pulled a fresh stack of photographs toward him, seized a quill, and started signing them all feverishly.

    ¡°You can put them in envelopes,¡± he said to Hermione, throwing the signed pictures into herp one by one as he finished them, just like he used to do at school. ¡°I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a great deal of fan mail¡­ dys Gudgeon writes weekly¡­ I just wish I knew why¡­¡±

    He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigor. ¡°I suspect it is simply my good looks¡­¡±

    Evan looked into the distance, and there were two patients in the ward besides Lockhart, a man and a woman, lying in the corner of the room, staring at the ceiling. They were mumbling to themselves and seemed quite unaware of anything around them.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Longbottom couple!¡± Noticing Evan¡¯s gaze, the Healer exined, ¡°They have been here for a long, long time, for more than a decade. They were here before I came to work.¡±

    Evan was stunned. They turned out to be Neville¡¯s parents!

    They used to be Aurors and were also members of the original Order of the Phoenix. During the first wizarding war, they fought bravely against Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

    After Voldemort¡¯s defeat and escape, and just when people thought the war was over, they were captured by Betrix Lestrange, Barty Crouch Jr. and other Death Eaters. The Death Eaters tormented both of them madly with the Cruciatus Curse, hoping to get information about Voldemort and where he might have escaped.

    Eventually, they were tortured into insanity, did not recognize their family, or even know who they were, and were sent for treatment at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    Undoubtedly, both of them were heroes, but unfortunately their ending was very tragic.

    ¡°You just said the Longbottoms?¡± Hermione said in surprise, as if she had noticed something.

    ¡°Yes, they are Mr. Frank and Mrs. Alice Longbottom,¡± said the Healer. ¡°The old mothers of both of them, Mrs. Longbottom, came to visit them every day, and there was a round-faced boy. I remember his name¡­¡±

    ¡°Neville!¡± Hermione eximed.

    At the same time, the ward door was opened again.

    Evan saw Neville, who was unhappy,ing in, followed by a formidable-looking old witch wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur, and a pointed hat decorated with what was unmistakably a stuffed vulture.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, you, you¡­¡± Neville jumped and cowered, as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.

    He looked extremely surprised, and then became horrified. Neville looked at Evan and Hermione, and looked at his parents lying in the back beds. He obviously didn¡¯t want his ssmates to know about his parents.

    The atmosphere was so embarrassing that Evan wished that he had note to this ward.

    ¡°Friends of yours, Neville, dear?¡± said Neville¡¯s grandmother graciously, and came over to Evan and Hermione.

    Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact with any of them.

    ¡°Are you Evan Mason?!¡± said his grandmother, looking closely at Evan and sticking out a shriveled, wlike hand for him to shake.¡±Yes, I know you. I saw your photos and read your stories in the newspaper the other day. They said you and Harry Potter saved the cks¡¯ kid. You did a great job!¡±

    Mrs. Longbottom patted Evan¡¯s shoulder and turned her eyes to Hermione next to him.

    ¡°As for you, you must be Hermione Granger.¡± She shook hands with Hermione and continued, ¡°Neville¡¯s told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven¡¯t you? He speaks most highly of both of you.¡±

    Neville did not look at them, but stared at his own feet, the color deepening in his face all the while.

    ¡°Neville is a good boy!¡± Mrs. Longbottom said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville, ¡°but he hasn¡¯t got his father¡¯s talent, I¡¯m afraid to say¡­¡±

    She jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled rmingly.

    Evan and Hermione were silent, and looked back at the two people lying on the side of the bed, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you told your friends about your parents, Neville?¡± Mrs. Longbottom asked sharply, and she noticed the anomaly in the atmosphere.

    Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head.

    Unconsciously, Hermione gently held Evan¡¯ hand. She looked very sad. She was worried about Neville, but did not know what to do.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of!¡± said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. ¡°You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn¡¯t give their health and their sanity so that their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ashamed,¡± said Neville very faintly, still looking anywhere but at Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°The way you¡¯re behaving is very strange!¡± Mrs. Longbottom looked at him, then turned to Evan and Hermione proudly and said, ¡°My son and his wife were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who¡¯s followers. They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the Wizardingmunity.¡±

    Hermione covered her mouth with her little hand, and she looked back at Neville¡¯s parents.

    Hearing the noise, Neville¡¯s mother sat up from the bed. Her face was thin and worn, her eyes seemed overge, and her head was white, wispy and dead-looking. She didn¡¯t seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, just sitting on the bed and motioning at Neville.

    Seeing her movements, the Healer hurried up to greet her.

    ¡°s!¡± Mrs. Longbottom sighed, looked at Neville again, and staggered up to her son and daughter-inw.

    In her old back, there was a lonely destion.

    Neville didn¡¯t move. He took a deep breath, raised his head violently and looked at Evan and Hermione, his expression defiant, as though daring them tough.

    Evan thought he could never find anything less funny in his life. His eyes moved to other ces, and he did not look at Neville.

    Beside him, Hermione¡¯s tears swirled in her eyes, watching Neville worriedly.

    The two of them didn¡¯t know how they left the ward atst. In the corridor, Hermione, who looked tearful said, ¡°I never knew¡­¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t speak, and his heart was equally heavy.

    Neville¡¯s life was simr to that of Harry. In a sense, he was even more pitiful than Harry. Although he could often see his parents, they couldn¡¯t recognize him. He didn¡¯t even dare mention them to his friends.

    For Neville, this was an endless pain.

    Evan sighed and once again realized the cruelty of the Death Eaters and the cruelty of war.

    Facing a dangerous future, enhancing their strength as much as possible was the only hope they had.

 Chapter 247: Pettigrewâ€™s Verdict

    <h4>Chapter 247: Pettigrew¡¯s Verdict</h4>

    On top of his forgetfulness, Neville¡¯s problem was having too little self-esteem. Because of his parents¡¯ matter, Mrs. Longbottom¡¯s excessive expectations, and his own bad magic talent, he had been suffering from losses and self-doubt, unaware of the hidden courage in his heart.

    But he was to grow up slowly as time went by.

    Evan and Hermione did not tell anyone about Neville¡¯s parents. If he wanted them to know, he would had told them himself.

    Ron recovered the next day and was discharged from the hospital. Evan, Harry and Hermione also went to the Burrow that afternoon. The Weasleys weed them warmly.

    For the rest of the Christmas holidays, Evan had a very good time.

    Since Sirius¡¯s incident, he had not been as rxed as he was at the moment, with no conspiracies, Dark Wizards, vampires, or any threat of death to face.

    He discussed Muggle Machines with Mr Weasley, and followed Fred and George to work on new joke products in secrecy.

    On the first day of the New Year, Sirius also took some of them to see the match between Puddlemere United and Wimbourne Wasps.

    The game was held deep in the mountains, and everyone nned to sleep in the wild for that night, but the Puddlemere United¡®s Seeker caught the golden Snitch in only twenty minutes.

    Although the game was short, it was still very exciting.

    The caliber of technique and the high level of confrontation were all higher than what Evan was used to watch, and the teams¡¯ performance kept his eyes wide open.

    The fans of Wimbourne Wasps all wore yellow and ck wizard robes, and a wasp was sewn on their chest and back. Whenever a yer scored a goal, they made a wave, with a rhythmic buzz in a spectacrly coordinated manner.

    When the Seeker of Puddlemere United seized the Snitch to end the game, the entire Quidditch pitch sounded their team anthem ¡°Beat Back Those Bludgers, Boys, and Chuck That Quaffle Here.¡± The cheerful melody echoed throughout the audience, and even Evan muttered a few words along with them.

    For fans like Harry and Ron, the game that ended so fast was certainly not satisfying.

    Evan didn¡¯t care about this. He paid attention to the setting of the Quidditch pitch, the advertisements ced around it, and the souvenirs, badges and the like of the two teams sold by the staff. He was considering whether it was possible to refer to these experiences in the Hogwarts Quidditchpetition.

    In addition to these things, Evan spent most of the time in the shop in Diagon Alley, where everyone worked together to clean up and repair the store.

    This matter was mainly handled by Lupin, Sirius and Mrs. Weasley. The House-elves Dobby and Kreacher helped. Every morning after breakfast in the Burrow, Evan and the others would fly to Diagon Alley to help.

    ording to Evan¡¯s n, the ground floor of the store was to be mainly used to sell Weasley¡¯s joke products.

    Therefore, Fred and George were the most active people. They designed and decorated the ce ording to their own ideas. If it wasn¡¯t for Mrs. Weasley, they would have definitely stayed up in the store for a couple of nights.

    Although Evan did not participate himself, he was not idle.

    He and Hermione wrote a lot of promotional articles, used two sections in ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± newspaper to publicize the store that was about to open in a week, and even bought ads in the ¡°Daily Prophet¡±.

    With everyone¡¯s efforts, the store opened sessfully on thest day of the Christmas holidays.

    The ground floor of the store was full of exquisite goods, that were both numerous and diverse.

    They were all made by the Hogwarts wizards, and Evan had contacted and collected them with his ssmates through owls and Dobby in the past few days.

    Among them, Fred and George made most of the joke products.

    With the persuasion of Evan and Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley finally reluctantly agreed to let Fred and George continue their research on Weasley¡¯s magic tricks, provided that she got to check those things for safety and that the matter wasn¡¯t affecting their studies.

    Mrs. Weasley quickly found a helper. She and Hermione joined forces to rigorously sift through the joke products that Fred and George were preparing to sell, such as Dungbombs, Skiving Snackboxes, Canary Creams, and all of the things that were listed as prohibited.

    Most of the joke products currently ced in the store were mild, not dangerous, and very hygienic.

    Fred and George hadined more than once to Evan about this, saying it affected their mischievous inspiration.

    However, they did not give up the development of other mischievous products that they themselves called ¡°really valuable¡±, but moved underground.

    Fred and George were going to work hard and save money and then open a joke shop on their own.

    In addition to the various things made by the young wizards, in the corner of the ground floor, Evan also deliberately opened up a small ce to sell Muggle items, such as light bulbs, video cameras, game consoles and other products that wizards rarely touched.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how it would work. He was ready to try to sell them.

    These things were very practical, and should be very interesting to some people. And from Evan¡¯s understanding of wizards, they would not go to the Muggle world just to buy them.

    On the other side of the ground floor, there was a spacious wooden staircase leading to the first and second floors of the store. It was the headquarters of the Hogwarts Magic newspaper, mainly run by Lupin and used as a ce for daily newspaper operation and advertising contacts.

    In order to celebrate the store¡¯s smooth opening, Evan also printed a special issue featuring the facts of the event and the experience of Sirius when he fled.

    He even got inspiration from Lockhart to persuade Sirius to sign up autographs in the store on the opening day to attract more public.

    Despite all the preparations, Evan was caught off guard by the number of customers waiting outside the store on the first day of business.

    Many wizards gathered outside the store, and there were thousands of people, including many foreign wizards, almost all of whom came for Sirius.

    After all, the case of Sirius ck and Peter Pettigrew was the hottest topic in the magic world, especially since it was rted to Voldemort¡¯s secret. Everyone was very interested.

    Two days before the store opened, the Wizengamot, after a lengthy trial, finally sentenced Pettigrew to life in Azkaban.

    Evan heard the grapevine from Mr. Weasley that most of the Wizengamot members had nned to make Pettigrew¡¯s verdict to be kissed by a Dementor, but there were many peace organizations outside demonstrating and writing to the Ministry of Magic against such a cruel verdict.

    In the current low support rate, Fudge worried that this incident would cause unnecessary trouble, and he finally decided to adopt a more conservative judgment by keeping Peter Pettigrew in Azkaban forever.

    After all, such a judgment had a precedent to follow. After Voldemort¡¯s fall, many evil Dark wizards were also punished the same way.

    To Fudge, what was most important was dodging being questioned by the masses.

    It was said that after Peter Pettigrew heard the judgment, he copsed on his knees in an instant, like a child, crying loudly on the ground.

    Not out of fear, but out of overwhelming joy.

    He didn¡¯t expect to escape death, and Azkaban, no matter how bad, was better than losing his life or having his soul sucked away by a Dementor.

    He even had a bit of illusions about the day when Voldemort would return.

    For all the Death Eaters who were trapped in Azkaban, as long as they were alive, there was hope!

 Chapter 248: The New D.A.D.A Professor

    <h4>Chapter 248: The New D.A.D.A Professor</h4>

    The Wizengamot¡¯s verdict on Peter Pettigrew was half praised and half protested, and many people were not satisfied with the oue. They thought that Peter should be executed, whether it was by having him be killed directly, or through the Dementor¡¯s Kiss.

    When the truth of the incident was first revealed, such voices were very loud.

    As time went on, wizards gradually calmed down, and some people began to think that such a practice was too cruel. Even if Peter Pettigrew deserved it, the Dementor¡¯s kiss was too inhuman. The number of wizards who held this view gradually gained the upper hand.

    However, when Peter was ced in Azkaban Wizard Prison, people were not at ease. After all, there was the instance of the escape of Sirius.

    Even with the Ministry repeatedly guaranteeing that Pettigrew was to be strictly monitored, the outside world was still full of doubts. They did not believe in Fudge and the Ministry of Magic.

    Under such circumstances, wizards became more and more curious about Sirius ck, the only wizard who managed to escape from Azkaban guarded by the Dementors.

    Many wizards lined up early to wait for the store to open after learning that the day¡¯s special issue from Hogwarts Magic Headquarters, 36 Diagon Alley, would publish the first exclusive report on Sirius¡¯s escape.

    Besides those loving novelty and adventure, many people simply worshiped Sirius.

    Just like they worshiped Lockhart a year ago, after the truth was revealed, the brave and fearless Sirius became the object of admiration of many people.

    Unlike the Muggle world, the magical world worshiped power, wizards needed their heroes.

    After Lockhart¡¯s true face was made public, people were disappointed and began to look for new people to rece him. The emergence of Sirius ck filled the gap.

    He was a well-deserved hero, a fighter against the Dark forces.

    To top it off, the new hero looked very handsome, and everything about him was even better than before. Many witches of Mrs. Weasley¡¯s age worshiped him madly.

    The signing of the day was the first public appearance of Sirius ck after being acquitted.

    Although it was thest day of the Christmas holidays, his admirers gathered there to see him and get his autograph.

    In the crowd, there were also many young wizards. They didn¡¯te for Sirius ck, but to buy the Weasley¡¯s magic tricks and other interesting magic items made by other Hogwarts wizards that were about to be sold on the ground floor of the store.

    In the newspaper, Evan had publicized almost everything.

    His strategy was sessful and he was able to move the entirety of the magic world.

    At this time, a long queue was arranged outside the store, and it was all the way to the corner of the street. More and more people were joining in.

    ¡°Rx, Sirius, you just have to sit here and sign. It¡¯s very simple.¡± Evan was looking at Sirius who seemed to have some uneasiness.

    ¡°I would rather fight the Death Eaters than do this again!¡± Sirius ck clenched the quill in his hand, and almost broke the pen holder because he was too rough.

    Unlike Lockhart, he had not yet adapted to being in the spotlight.

    ¡°Harry, Ron, Hermione and I will help you, and the sales of the ground floor are all handed over to Fred, George, Ginny, Dobby and Kreacher.¡± Evan ordered, ¡°Especially Dobby and Kreacher, you two must work hard to get used to it. After today, you¡¯ll be in charge of the day-to-day camp and sales work.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Dobby said excitedly. It was the first time he had done such a thing.

    Kreacher didn¡¯t answer. He looked suspiciously at the Weasley fireworks in front of him. It seemed that he was studying this thing; and looking at his eyes, he was apparently thinking that what was happening in front of him was absurd. If not because of the orders of Sirius, he would have long turned and left.

    In Evan¡¯s n, due to financial constraints, he did not intend to hire too many people. Theption of newspaper manuscripts could still bepleted as before. In the store, there would usually be Lupin and Dobby. Kreacher should also be able to help.

    As for Sirius, he was also ready to help in the store.

    But this morning, he received a letter from Dumbledore, inviting him to rece Lupin as Hogwarts¡¯s new Defence Against the Dark Arts ss Professor.

    He epted the invitation and everyone was very happy after knowing the news.

    Harry, in particr, was the most excited. He couldn¡¯t believe that his godfather would be the new professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, his favorite ss.

    Evan was also very much looking forward to see Snape¡¯s face after seeing Sirius.

    Unlike Professor Lupin, who was gentle and unwilling to fight with others, Sirius would definitely be tit-for-tat with Snape for his explosive personality.

    There was no doubt that the second semester should be very exciting. It was not just between the two of them, it was also a confrontation between Gryffindor and Slytherin. This year¡¯s House Cuppetition should definitely be fierce.

    On the top of that, Sirius promised Evan to help him get the recognition of the Centaur tribe in the Forbidden Forest, and then get the key to Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure.

    Evan had been unable to wait for this item that could enhance magic.

    In fact, the happiest people, besides Evan and Harry, were Fred and George. The more confusion was created, the more they had a chance to y tricks. Many of the mischievous products that Mrs. Weasley and Hermione thought were dangerous and banned could be sold.

    ¡°Are you ready? It¡¯s almost time. We are going to open the door.¡± Evan went over to help Lupin open the store door.

    Dobby, the House-elf stood nervously behind the counter on the ground floor, watching the crowds pouring in like the tide. They were talking excitedly, and headed straight for Sirius into the center of the hall.

    Just as Lockhart was selling well before, the Wizards bought a special issue of the Hogwarts Magic newspaper, and took with them two photos each that Sirius signed.

    Sirius smiled stiffly, and struggled hard to cope with this matter.

    While queuing, the Wizards looked curiously at the vast array of goods on the counter, many of which were very interesting and practical. It was hard to believe that these were the works of the young wizards. When they saw something interesting, they would buy it.

    In front of the counter where Fred and George were in charge, there were early crowds of young wizards buying prank products. Their products were very popr and quickly swept away.

    Evan noticed that Fred and George would sneak up on Mrs. Weasley and Hermione and put a thick order in the hands of a young wizard who bought their wares, full of items that had previously been banned by Mrs Weasley.

    In short, the opening of this shop that seemed to be a hodgepodge had been a massive sess. Even the Muggle items that Evan deliberately ced in the corner had attracted many people to buy.

    Although the number was not thatrge, little by little people were beginning to flow into that corner. For wizards, these were very novel gadgets, and there would definitely be more and more interested people.

 Chapter 249: Reopening the Dueling Club

    <h4>Chapter 249: Reopening the Dueling Club</h4>

    Due to the unprecedented sess of the store sales and the good news that Sirius was going to teach at Hogwarts, the dinner atmosphere was very pleasant.

    With the help of Hermione and Ginny, Mrs. Weasley made arge table full of dishes.

    In the courtyard of the Burrow, everyone sat happily around the table, eating delicious dishes and watching the fireworks disy of Fred and George.

    Professor Lupin and Mr. Weasley also told a few jokes that made everyoneugh.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re going to be a school professor!¡± Harry smiled at his side.

    He had beenughing all night long.

    Harry was still immersed in the great surprise that Sirius was going to teach at Hogwarts. He felt like he was dreaming: Ron recovered from the damage of the Imperius Curse, his godfather was going to be a Hogwarts Professor, Evan¡¯s shop had achieved unprecedented sess and he received the Firebolt as a Christmas gift¡­

    The recent events made Harry feel the happiness he had never felt before.

    ¡°Nor did I think of it a few months ago, I just wanted to take revenge on Peter Pettigrew, even if my life was at stake. But now it¡¯s good this way. Evan was right. It¡¯s probably the best oue for me.¡±

    Sirius¡¯s face was filled with a cheerful smile, making him look younger and more like he was at Hogwarts more than a decade ago. .

    ¡°Speaking of that!¡± Hermione asked curiously. ¡°Sirius, I¡¯ve been wondering, what are you going to do about the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss in the next semester?

    ¡°I¡¯ve just talked to Remus. I am going to continue with his methods, so that you can see other Dark creatures. Besides, I am going to teach you some real dueling skills. I¡¯ve seen a few of you fighting, and yourbat experience is scarce. Take Evan for example. He has a lot of magic, he masters many magic spells, not even worse than me, but he can¡¯t use them to their full potential. What you need now is more skill and experience, something that can only be learned in realbat.¡±

    ¡°Battle experience and skill, you mean¡­¡± Evan suddenly had an idea in his mind, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to reopen the dueling club?¡±

    The club, which aimed to teach dueling skills to the wizards and enhance theirbat experience and strength, was formedst year on Lockhart¡¯s suggestion.

    At that time, the response was so great that everyone expected that almost all the young wizards in the school would join in.

    But the club had be a joke. Lockhart was no opponent to Snape at all, and could not even resist a move.

    In the end, they all saw that Harry was a Parselmouth, and that was just awful for the club¡¯s debut.

    ¡°I have that idea, but I need to get Dumbledore¡¯s consent.¡± Sirius slowly turned his wand in his hand and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve heard aboutst year, and if Snape wants to, I¡¯d like to invite him to be my opponent and show you a few things about a real duel.¡±

    He added an ent on the ¡°duel¡±, and it seemed that he could hardly wait to y with Snape. The new hatred and old grievances between the two men were not clear at all.

    They were sick of each other, and their feud exceeded that of Harry and Malfoy.

    ¡°God, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Ron raised his head from his te and swallowed the contents of his mouth. ¡°Teach the old bat a lesson! He always looked for Harry¡¯s trouble, he¡¯s got us locked up, and he¡¯s deducted points from Gryffindor. We¡¯ve put up already enough with him¡­¡±

    ¡°RON!¡± Mrs. Weasley grabbed Ron¡¯s ear and said harshly, ¡°How dare you say that about your Professor?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mom, you don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    Everyoneughed at Ron¡¯s embarrassment.

    This topic did not go on, but looking at their faces, they all couldn¡¯t wait to see Sirius and Snape¡¯s duel, even for Percy and Hermione, who had always behaved properly.

    After a brief calm, there was another burst ofughter on the table.

    Fred and George tricked Percy who ate a new variant of their transfiguration biscuits. Percy became a frog and then reverted to his normal appearance.

    Under everyone¡¯sughter, Percy chased Fred and George around the yard, and Mrs. Weasley hurriedly stopped them.

    Just then, a small gray figure flew out of the house andnded at Ron¡¯s te.

    It kept on twittering and fighting with Ron for food on the te.

    ¡°Shut up, Pig,¡± Ron hurriedly waved his hand and the owlet in front of him rushed to the side. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything on my te.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling that owl Pig?¡± Hermione asked curiously, she had been busy with Evan in the store recently, and had no time to care about the name Ron gave to the owl.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s being stupid.¡± Ginny, sitting next to her, grinned and said, ¡°the name Ron gave it before was Pigwidgeon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that name is not stupid at all.¡± Ron said sarcastically, ¡°I thought about it for a long time with Harry, and I came up to the name of Pigwidgeon, which is very well matched with Hedwig. But when we were about to call it, Ginny had already got the name. ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think this name is very cute?¡± Ginny asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything cute. I tried to change this name, but it was toote, he won¡¯t answer to anything else. So now it¡¯s gone, he¡¯s Pig.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and said.

    Pigwidgeon zoomed happily beside him, hooting shrilly.

    ¡°Pig is a pretty good name, it is really cute.¡± Hermione used the breadcrumbs to bring the owl over.

    It flew up to Hermione at once, which made her giggle.

    The dinnersted until more than ten o¡¯clock, and ended inughter.

    The next day, because Sirius was also on his way to Hogwarts, he rushed back on the Knight Bus instead of returning to school on the Hogwarts Express at King¡¯s Cross Station tform 9?.

    They hurried to have breakfast, put on their coats and scarves, and got ready to go on the road.

    The early morning of January was cold and the sky was grey.

    At 7 o¡¯clock in the morning, a violently purple, triple-decker bus had appeared out of thin air in front of them on the doorstep of the Burrow. The Weasleys stood at the door and waved them away.

    The first stop of the Knight Bus was Diagon Alley, and Sirius was already waiting for them on the top of the bus.

    Evan climbed in. He saw all kinds of mismatched chairs on the bus, grouped haphazardly around windows.

 Chapter 250: Tit for Tat

    <h4>Chapter 250: Tit for Tat</h4>

    The chairs on the Knight Bus looked like ones that could be found casually on different Muggle streets, and several wizards were sitting on them, muttering, looking forfortable postures.

    Because the bus stopped abruptly, somebody¡¯s shopping bag slid over the length of the bus; an unpleasant mixture of frog spawn, cockroaches, and custard creams was scattered all over the floor.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to split up. Today is the first working day after the holidays. There are a lot of people on the bus.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°Harry, you sit in the seat next to me, and the others sit behind me. Percy, you take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry, leave it to me!¡± Percy promised with a look of pride. He raised the Head Boy badge on his chest, and led by Evan they walked towards the rear.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go on this thing,¡± said Ron happily, sitting in the seat behind Harry, looking around excitedly.

    Evan and Hermione continued to move backwards, and they found two empty seats at the back of the carriage.

    When the two had just sat down, the bus set off again, swaying ominously. It rumbled around the Burrow, weaving.

    With another tremendous BANG, they were all flung backward.

    Ron¡¯s chair toppled right over and Pigwidgeon, who had been on hisp, burst out of his cage and flew twittering wildly up to the front of the bus where he fluttered down upon Hermione¡¯s shoulder instead. Since Hermione had fed it with breadcrumbsst night, the owl particrly liked herpany.

    Hermione¡¯s right hand held on to Evan, who grabbed the candle bracket beside him. They both managed not to fall.

    They looked out of the window: they were now speeding down what appeared to be a motorway.

    ¡°This is outside Birmingham.¡± The conductor, Stan Shunpike, came over and said hello enthusiastically. ¡°Hello, I went to the shop in Diagon Alley yesterday. I didn¡¯t buy a newspaper. There were so many people. By the time it was my turn, the newspapers were sold out. But it doesn¡¯t matter, for I already have ck¡¯s autograph.¡±

    Evan and Hermione each handed Stan eleven sickles, and he gave them the tickets.

    On the streets of Muggles, the Knight Bus was ntingly nted, over the inside of a small car, rushing straight into the surrounding sidewalk.

    Hermione covered her eyes in fear, Pigwidgeon still swaying happily on her shoulder.

    With a bang, chairs slid backward again as the Knight Bus jumped from the Birmingham motorway to a quiet countryne full of hairpin bends.

    Hedgerows on either side of the road were leaping out of their way as they mounted the verges. From here they moved to a main street in the middle of a busy town, then to a viaduct surrounded by tall hills, then to a windswept road between high-rise ts, each time with a loud BANG.

    ¡°Can¡¯t they slow down a bit?!¡± Hermione shuddered.

    ¡°This bus has only one speed!¡± Evan held Hermione with one hand and the other hand held the candle bracket next to him so to keep them from being thrown out.

    Compared with the Hogwarts Express train, the Knight Bus was very ufortable.

    This was especially true when it was full of people, the environment in the bus was even worse than when Evan came to school in Mr. Weasley¡¯s car with Harry and Ronst year.

    ¡°Attention, our next stop is Hogwarts,¡± said Stan brightly, swaying toward them, not affected at all.

    In the carriage, people were retching, followed by a horrible spattering sound.

    Evan opened a small aperture in the window, and with the cold fresh air, he saw the Knight Bus speeding through a shabby bar, squeezing itself out of the way to avoid any collisions.

    It was the Hog¡¯s Head Inn, and the severed boar¡¯s head sign was creaking in the wintry wind. Not far away, there was the snowy Hogsmeade, with no one on its streets.

    Flecks of snow hit therge window at the front of the bus. Atst they rolled to a halt outside the gates to Hogwarts.

    ¡°Here we are, kids!¡± Sirius helped them off the bus with their luggage.

    Immediately afterwards, Ron rushed out of the bus.

    He looked very bad; he had picked himself up from the floor six times along the way. He muttered, ¡°I never want to ride on here again.¡±

    Evan also got off the bus and everyone waved to Stan.

    The Knight Bus restarted and disappeared in thin air.

    The nine of them struggled up the slippery route toward the castle dragging their trunks. Although it was cold, everyone was very excited and talked about topics of interest.

    A few secondster, the voices stopped instantly.

    In front of the gate of the school wall, Evan saw Snape in a ck robe, with a cold fake smile on his face, and his ck eyes squinting. Sirius looked at him with hatred.

    Evan had naively thought that Snape would improve his attitude after knowing the truth about Lily¡¯s death and helping them catch Peter Pettigrew.

    But he found out he was wrong, and Snape showed even more contempt than before.

    ¡°Wee, wee!¡± he said in a low, sarcastic tone.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Sirius immediately said with vignce, his hand instinctively ced on the wand on his waist.

    ¡°I¡¯m here on Dumbeldore¡¯s orders.¡± Snape said disgustedly, ¡°It is a terrible errand to be ordered to meet the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.¡±

    ¡°What about other professors?¡± Harry asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Hagride?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, apart from me, the rest of the staff are reluctant to ept this unpleasant duty. They have loud opinions about a murderer bing a professor at the school.¡± Snape said, his voice was getting more and more sinister. ¡°But it¡¯s not surprising. The Headmaster has always liked to hire some strange fellows¡­¡±

    ¡°Go away!¡± Sirius shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to wee me. Get out of my sight before I can¡¯t keep myself from beating you up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just right; I didn¡¯t intend to waste too much time here.¡± The cold smile on Snape¡¯s face was more obvious, ¡°I am not like you, I don¡¯t have unlimited leisure time.¡±

    Snape turned around and was about to leave.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± Sirius suddenly shouted. He frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lottely about what you did to Harry at school during my absence. I have to remind you that if you are trying to bully Harry, you¡¯ll have me to answer to.¡±

    ¡°How touching, the loving godfather¡¯s concern for the godson!¡± Snape sneered, ¡°But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± said Sirius proudly.

    ¡°Well then, you¡¯ll know he¡¯s so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him,¡± Snape said sleekly.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Sirius pulled out his wand and he strode toward Snape.

    Snape whipped out his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape measuring his opponent, his eyes darting from Sirius¡¯s wand tip to his face.

    ¡°Sirius!¡± said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you, Snivellus,¡± said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape¡¯s, ¡°I don¡¯t care if Dumbledore thinks you¡¯ve reformed, I know better¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, but why don¡¯t you tell him you think so?¡± whispered Snape. ¡°Or are you afraid he might not take a murderer¡¯s word seriously? Hiring a pug to teach at Hogwarts is the most ridiculous thing I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

 Chapter 251: The New Semester Begins

    <h4>Chapter 251: The New Semester Begins</h4>

    Dumbledore ordered Snape to meet Sirius, apparently to create an opportunity for the two of them to reconcile and so that their rtionship wouldn¡¯t remain as tense as before.

    In the eyes of others, there was nothing that couldn¡¯t be resolved between the two men, besides a few unpleasant memories of the student days.

    But the degree of mutual disgust was beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    Snape seemed to transfer all his hatred from Harry¡¯s father James to Sirius, as did Sirius, who inherited the hatred of his friend James to his counterpart.

    They couldn¡¯t agree with each other, and wished they could hit each other on the spot.

    Hoping they could make peace was just a dream. Dumbledore¡¯s work waspletely in vain and it even backfired.

    ¡°Pug?!¡± Sirius raised his wand and snarled loudly. ¡°that¡¯s really interesting. Which of us two is more like a running dog? Me, or you, looking forward to your old master Voldemort toe back, so that you turn to him again?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t mention that name in front of me.¡± Snape said with a grin, and raised his wand.

    The two were on the verge of dueling, and Harry, who was the closest to them rushed to get in between them.

    ¡°No, Sirius,¡± Harry yelled.

    ¡°Move away, Harry. Do you think I¡¯m a coward?¡± roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way, but Harry would not budge.

    ¡°Why, yes, I suppose I do,¡± said Snape sarcastically.

    ¡°Harry, get out of it!¡± snarled Sirius, pushing him out of the way with his free hand.

    As Harry budged, the end of his wand shone a thick red light that flew straight over to Snape.

    Snape was ready. He stepped back and waved his wand to scatter Sirius¡¯s curse. A brilliant green spark shed by and a branch beside him turned into a python. It hissed and slipped over to Sirius.

    Sirius did not retreat, he waved his wand substantially and casted three spells.

    One of them hit the giant python approaching him, and making it disappear into smoke. That left two curses that flew at Snape with great speed.

    Snape took another step back and quickly recited a spell.

    At thest moment, a pale white barrier appeared before him, blocking Sirius¡¯s attacks.

    The sudden duel made everyone dumbfounded.

    Evan took a moment and hurriedly pulled out his wand and rushed over to stop them.

    Seeing that Evan rushed in, Sirius and Snape did not attack again. They gasped and looked at each other with extreme contempt on their faces.

    ¡°Stop it, stop it, are you both mad?!¡± Evan shouted. ¡°Sirius, here is Hogwarts, if other students see this¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Sirius roared.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to fool around with a mad dog.¡± Evan¡¯s words seemed to have restored Snape¡¯s sense of reason. He could not let other students see their feelings.

    Snape looked horribly somber and disgusted at Sirius, pocketed his wand, turned around and strode toward the school castle.

    He was gone. Sirius red after him, his wand at his side.

    When Snape¡¯s figure disappearedpletely, loud cheers broke out in the crowd.

    ¡°Great, we have long wanted to do this, and teach Snape a lesson!¡± Fred and George said excitedly, and came over to pat the shoulders of Sirius.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. What have I just seen?! We don¡¯t have to be afraid of this old bat! You knocked him down, Sirius, fiercely.¡± Ron also recovered from the shock and became excited.

    ¡°This is not a joke, Ron!¡± Hermione looked serious. She and Ginny looked very scared. ¡°Sirius, you just got too excited, you shouldn¡¯t have attacked Snape. This could get you into trouble.¡±

    ¡°I am not afraid of any trouble,¡± said Sirius, who was breathing heavily as though he had just run a long distance.

    ¡°But you are a professor at the school, I mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Hermione, no one will know about this, just a little chat about the past between two old ssmates¡± Sirius waved his hand and signaled to Hermione not to mind.

    The short-lived fight that happened unexpectedly seemed to indicate what would happen in the second half of that year.

    With the tension between Sirius and Snape, that battle was not the first, and certainly was not going to be thest.

    There was no doubt that all Gryffindor students would support Sirius, and Snape was the dean of Slytherin House.

    If such a battle was to happen again, it should be more than just the battle between the two men.

    Evan could imagine that the uing semester would be very exciting.

    As Sirius said, no one besides Evan, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys knew about this little skirmish at the school gate.

    Twenty minutester, at the castle gate, Evan and the others separated from Sirius, who went to Dumbledore¡¯s office and the others went back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

    Everywhere in the corridor were the young wizards who had returned to school a few days earlier. Seeing Evan, many of them greeted enthusiastically, except for the students of the Slytherin House who continued to be indifferent.

    In fact, the others¡¯ attitude was much more enthusiastic than before.

    There were even many girls who rushed over to Evan and Harry to get their autographs.

    Evan could feel that after Sirius¡¯s incident was repeatedly hyped up by the media, he and Harry as direct participants had a greater reputation in the school than before.

    When Evan returned to the Gryffindor Tower and found the portrait of the Common Room, the Fat Lady had returned, and she also greeted him with enthusiasm.

    He had just climbed in, and thunderous cheers broke out in the Common Room.

    The students of the Gryffindor House all rushed over. They surrounded Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the center and asked them about things rted to Professor Lupin, Sirius, and Pettigrew.

    Although everyone learned about the incident from the newspapers, it was still very exciting to hear about it from those who lived the experience.

    They talked together for a long time, and Evan seized the opportunity to rush into his bedroom.

    The bedroom was exactly the same as when he left a few days ago, and the house- elves had already arranged his luggage and bed.

    Behind him, Colin came in.

    ¡°Evan, did you have a good Christmas holiday?¡± He smiled and asked, sitting on his bed.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, a lot of things happened, but in the end it worked out!¡± Evan fell wearily on his bed.

    Many things had happened indeed: looking for Regulus in a cave full of Inferi, meeting a mysterious vampire girl, and busy preparation for the store¡¯s debut. Evan had never been so tired in his life. Fortunately, what happenedter kept getting better and better, and everything was developing in the right direction.

    ¡°I saw the truth of all the incidents in the newspaper, and the things in your shop.¡± Colin continued, ¡°I was going toe cheer for you yesterday, and get Sirius¡¯s autograph. My brother and I adored him very much after knowing his story. But my dad thought it was too dangerous and didn¡¯t agree to take me to Diagon Alley. ¡±

    His face was full of regrets, and with Evan¡¯s knowledge of Colin, he knew how much he admired heroes like Sirius and Harry.

    Otherwise, he would not have taken photos of Harry for a whole yearst year. Even now, he would be very excited whenever Harry talked to him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can always ask Sirius for an autograph, and take a few photos. By the way¡­¡± Evan rolled over and turned to Colin. ¡°I forgot to tell you, Sirius had promised the Headmaster to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor.¡±

 Chapter 252: Echoes of The Firebolt

    <h4>Chapter 252: Echoes of The Firebolt</h4>

    ¡°What?!¡± Hearing Evan¡¯s words, Colin¡¯s open mouth could be stuffed with an egg.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that Sirius ck would be a professor of Hogwarts¡¯ Defence Against the Dark Arts.

    Seeing Colin¡¯s expression, Evan knew that Sirius had another admirer.

    In fact, the young wizards who were as surprised and excited as Colin were not a minority.

    Not too long after that, Sirius ck was announced to be the sessor of Professor Lupin as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, and the whole castle exploded in cheers.

    Everyone was delighted, and they weed that a legendary figure such as Sirius ck had be a professor of the school, and even many students of the Slytherin House were looking forward to it.

    At that evening¡¯s dinner, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was undoubtedly warm.

    As Sirius walked in, there was a long apuse in the Great Hall, and everyone craned their necks and looked curiously at him to see how he looked.

    The chatter continued, and it was only when Dumbledore stood up and spoke that the Great Hall went quiet.

    Dumbledore looked older than he was a few days ago.

    The Wizengamot¡¯s trial of Peter Pettigrew for many days seemed to have taken a lot of efforts from him.

    However, his gaze was still shining, and through the semi-circr sses, his light blue eyes looked as if they were seeing through people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°Wee!¡± said Professor Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. ¡°After the Christmas holiday, I am very happy to see you at Hogwarts. Before we begin our banquet, I will introduce a new teacher, Professor ck, who will seed Professor Lupin as the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. ¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s voice just fell, and the deafening apuse filled the hall.

    The apuse on the Gryffindor table was particrly warm. They went so overboard that Harry¡¯s and Ron¡¯s palms turned red.

    Sirius ck stood up and waved, he was sitting next to Hagrid, on the other side, next to Professor McGonagall. At the teachers table, besides Snape who looked disgusted as if he had swallowed a fly, all the other professors smiled and apuded.

    ¡°Look at Malfoy!¡± Hermione hissed in Evan¡¯s ear.

    Evan saw Malfoy gloomy over at Slytherin¡¯s long table.

    Instead of looking at Sirius, he gazed at him and Harry with disgust.

    Noticing Evan¡¯s gaze, he hurriedly shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    Evan was not surprised. In the case of Professor Lupin, Lucius Malfoy took great risks and drove the werewolf riots on the basis of Peter Pettigrew¡¯s n, because he wanted to drive Dumbledore out of Hogwarts.

    In the trial, Peter Pettigrew said everything. He confessed that he controlled Ron to write to Lucius Malfoy, hoping that Lucius could help him deal with Lupin, to upy Dumbledore and stop him from returning to the castle at the crucial moment.

    Although everyone suspected that Lucius orchestrated the werewolf riots behind the scenes, there was no other evidence. Lucius did not admit that he received the letter from Peter Pettigrew and the Ministry of Magic had not caught the Werewolves with Greyback, not even a single hair.

    Under such circumstances, Lucius eventually escaped punishment.

    Of course, he also paid a big price. Fudge and those politicians were not so easy to buy, and it needed to offer an astronomical fee to be able to impress them.

    Perhaps the most frustrating thing for Lucius was not the gold, but losing the chance to defeat Dumbledore, wasted in vain by Peter Pettigrew. If he could have known the truth earlier, he would never have been as foolish as Pettigrew who had been defeated by several twelve or thirteen-year-old wizards.

    Lucius currently abominated Evan, Harry, and the others, and hated them to death.

    With that, it was natural that Draco did not have any good will for Evan. His attitude was much worse than usual, and he was no doubt wondering how to deal with Evan.

    But Evan didn¡¯t care. At Malfoy¡¯s level, if he wanted to provoke him, he was asking for trouble.

    That evening, the Gryffindor Common Room was still hotly talking about Sirius bing the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Everyone was looking forward to his first ss.

    Unfortunately, it was not until Thursday that the second year had the Defence Against the Dark Arts course.

    The discussion on this mattersted until Harry took out his broomstick. Almost in an instant, he was surrounded by people who were dying to see the Firebolt.

    ¡°God, this is a Firebolt! I have seen it in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley. The price of this broom is astronomical. Where did you get it?¡±

    ¡°Will you let me have a go?¡±

    ¡°Have you ridden it yet, Harry?¡±

    ¡°Can I just hold it, Harry?¡±

    The Firebolt was passed around and admired from every angle.

    When they learned that the broom was a Christmas gift given to Harry by Sirius ck, the crowd immediately burst into a more intense exmation, and everyone looked forward even more to the experience of Sirius bing the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss Professor.

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand, it¡¯s just a broomstick, and it made them all excited like this.¡± Hermione frowned and said; she was sitting on the sofa in front of the firece to check her Christmas holiday homework.

    ¡°It¡¯s the most expensive broomstick in the world, more expensive than all the brooms in the school together!¡±

    Evan sat on the sofa beside her, looking at the book he had just borrowed from the library about vampires. He looked up at Hermione¡¯s long parchment. ¡°You¡¯ve got a mistake here. The ingredients of the Shrinking Potion do include puffer-fish eyes.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Hermione¡¯s pen nib hurried across the parchment.

    ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re not nning to go to so many sses next semester, will you?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡° sighed Hermione, ¡°That Time-Turner is driving me crazy, I¡¯ve got to be in different ces at the same time, and it¡¯s hard for me not to be seen. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I am going to give up the Muggle Studies and Divination sses next year. With that, I will have a normal schedule.¡±

    ¡°Next year?!¡± Evan immediately noticed the time Hermione said.

    ¡°I should finish what I¡¯ve started, Evan!¡± Hermione looked down again at her history of magic assignment and continued, ¡°I should live up to Professor McGonagall¡¯s expectations of me. You know, she did a lot of hard work to help me get this Time-Turner, and it also helped us a lot.¡±

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s determined eyes, Evan didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Hermione was right, thanks to the help of this Time-Turner, they were able to catch Pettigrew, and otherwise, the situation would have been disastrous.

    He was not against Hermione¡¯s insistence. He just didn¡¯t want her to be so tired, and wished that she cared more about her health.

 Chapter 253: Abnormal Snape

    <h4>Chapter 253: Abnormal Snape</h4>

    When it came to moderation, Evan was not qualified to talk about Hermione.

    On top of his normal school schedule, he also had many things to do.

    Every afternoon when there was no ss, he went to the Room of Requirement to prepare potions. In the evening, he checked andpiled the newspaper articles together with Hermione in the library. After returning to the Common Room, he finished the homework assigned by the professors with Colin and Ginny. Late at night, he quietly studied the dark magic books in his bedroom.

    There wasn¡¯t enough time at all, and Evan felt that he also needed a Time- Turner to make more flexible time arrangements so that he could withstand all he was doing.

    Looking at Hermione¡¯s thick magic books and parchment, Evan was going to make some potions for her to concentrate and improve her attention.

    In short, after the holidays, he returned to his familiar and busy school life.

    Early the next morning, when Evan and Colin walked into the Great Hall for breakfast, they saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting at the table and discussing their new schedule.

    ¡°After Professor Lupin¡¯s departure, there are new changes in this semester¡¯s schedule.¡± Ron looked at the timetable and said with delight, ¡°It¡¯s fantastic. In third ss, there¡¯s only Sirius¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss today.¡±

    ¡°This is Sirius¡¯s first lesson. The only bugger is that he has to work with Slytherins.¡± Harry followed, while taking some sausages and tomatoes.

    ¡°What do you think he has prepared for us?¡± Ron asked expectantly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope that Sirius¡¯s first lesson will go smoothly. If Malfoy dares to make trouble in ss, I won¡¯t let him get away with it.¡±

    ¡°Rx, Harry! Sirius is not Hagrid; he won¡¯t let Malfoy make trouble. I hope that Malfoy can look for trouble, so that we could watch Sirius handle him.¡± Ron spread a thickyer of butter on his bread.

    ¡°The third ss is lucky! The second ss has Potions this morning and History of Magic in the afternoon. We won¡¯t have Defense Against the Dark Arts until Thursday.¡± Colin said disappointedly as he also put the schedule he just got out.

    ¡°Bloody hell, I saw Snape on the first day of school before!¡± Ron wrinkled his nose, seemingly remembering something bad.

    Thinking of Snape¡¯s face when he left yesterday, Evan nodded in agreement.

    ¡°By the way, Evan!¡± Harry looked up and said, ¡°Hagrid just wrote me a note inviting us to go to his ce for tea this afternoon and help him see what he would need for the new semester.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there. What has Hagrid prepared for it?¡± ¡°Evan picked up his bread.

    ¡°Probably some other species of caterpirs. After all the flobberworms had died , he needs something new to carry out the course.¡± Harry said uncertainly, with a hint of worry in his voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t he promise us not to rush to carry out new dangerous creatures before the verdict of Buckbeak¡¯s case came out?!¡±

    ¡°He did say so, but the problem is that Hagrid¡¯s definition of danger is different from others.¡± Ron tucked arge piece of bread covered with jam into his mouth. ¡°Those fanged monsters may just be cute babies in his eyes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to help him choose the right creatures.¡± Hermione stuffed a thick magic book into her schoolbag. ¡°I¡¯ll go first. See youter.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Hermione? I just saw her schedule. Unlike us, she had three courses this morning.¡± Looking at Hermione¡¯s back, Ron frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s what happenedst semester. There was something wrong with her schedule. I can¡¯t understand. She must have something she¡¯s hiding from us¡­¡±

    At Ron¡¯s words, both Evan and Harry hurriedly bowed their heads. They knew why, but they promised to keep Hermione¡¯s Time-Turner secret.

    Ron was still whispering until Harry said that when they would go to Hagrid this afternoon, he could take the Firebolt out to test it, and let Ron ride it. So he forgot all about Hermione¡¯s secret.

    Twenty minutester, the hall was starting to empty as people headed off toward their first lesson.

    Evan was separated from the cheerful Harry and Ron, and he followed the frustrated Colin to the underground ssroom. It was best not to bete as it was Potions ss.

    They just pushed the door open and they saw Snape standing gloomily on the tform.

    ¡°Mason, Creevey, you two arete, this ss started five minutes ago!¡± Snape looked at them both in disgust. ¡°Ten points from Gryffindor. Now hurry to your seats and sit down.¡±

    ¡°But, Professor¡­¡±

    ¡°Five more points from Gryffindor.¡± Snape said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask questions before I agree.¡±

    Evan and Colin did not go on arguing with him. They saw Ginny winking and they hurried to their respective seats.

    As he sat down, Colin whispered, ¡°He doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing. It¡¯s still ten minutes too early for ss!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better be careful; Snape is in a bad mood today.¡±

    As Evan said, Snape¡¯s attitude was a hundred times worse than usual.

    For students not from Slytherin House, the day¡¯s Potions ss was a painful torment.

    Snape firstmented on vacation assignments one by one in a bitter, acrimonious tone. In his ount, they were all useless, even for first-year students. He directly gave many people a zero point and asked them to resubmit a new paper on the moonstone next week.

    Then, he put them all into pairs and ordered them to mix up a simple potion to cure boils.

    He swept around in his long ck cloak, watching them weigh driedtles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone.

    There were several girls from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff who even cried because of Snape¡¯s attitude.

    Under the Snape¡¯s supervision, no one besides Evan could sessfullyplete his own potion. Snape therefore deducted a lot of points from everyone. Gryffindor took the hardest hit. By the end of the Potions ss, Gryffindor lost two hundred more points.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand, what exactly does he trying to do?¡±

    At lunch in the Great Hall, Ginnyined to Evan, ¡°Is he trying to scare all the girls and make them cry?¡±

    ¡°I was just about to cry. If Evan hadn¡¯t reminded me not to add the porcupine quills into boiling water, the cauldron would have definitely exploded!¡± Colin said with a lingering fear.

    ¡°Yeah, Evan had twenty points taken away from him.¡± Ginny said bluntly, ¡°because he sessfully prevented his ssmate¡¯s cauldron from exploding.¡±

    Evan did not participate in their discussion. Snape was really very abnormal today, and that should be rted to Sirius.

    What must have happened between themst night?!

    With Evan¡¯s understanding of Sirius, he might be eager to y a game on Snape and score a little victory.

    It was not clear what the oue would be, but Snape seemed to have transferred all his hatred of Sirius to the students at the Gryffindor House.

    His behavior this morning was abnormal to the extreme, and his attitude was worse than it was with Neville¡¯s previous incident. Usually, he would only treat Harry like that.

    When Evan walked into the Great Hall, he found that the atmosphere was as abnormal as Snape¡¯s.

 Chapter 254: House War

    <h4>Chapter 254: House War</h4>

    Among the four Hogwarts Houses, Ravenw and Hufflepuff belong to rtively moderate centrists, while the two Houses, Gryffindor and Slytherin were at opposite extremes, with a hostilepetitive rtionship, and they never agreed with each other.

    However, this hostility andpetition were within the scope of the school rules.

    In the words of Fred and George, they all knew where to draw the line. There might be people, who would asionally cross one or two toes, but before getting into trouble, they would immediately withdraw, otherwise they would be severely punished by the school rules.

    But at noon that day, the atmosphere in the Great Hall was very strange.

    Evan was keenly aware of what seemed to happen between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses.

    The tension between the two sides had reached the limit. That was something that had never happened before.

    Evan, Colin and Ginny just walked in and saw the students of Slytherin House, headed by Malfoy, staring at them with contempt.

    Harry and Ron hurried up to meet them, and weed them to the Gryffindor table.

    Looking carefully at the way they were cautious with each other, Evan suspected that if not for the professors sitting on the teacher¡¯s seats, they would fight immediately.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Evan sat down beside Hermione.

    ¡°It spread everywhere in the school, Sirius and Snape had a duel.¡± Hermione whispered, and her voice was full of worries.

    ¡°Duel?!¡± Evan froze. ¡°We saw it at the school gate yesterday¡­¡±

    ¡°Not that time, it happened this morning. The two of them fought in the staffroom. Several passing Hufflepuff students witnessed the whole duel!¡± said Hermione. ¡°The movement was very big at that time, until Dumbledore came forward and the two men stopped.¡±

    Evan was amazed. No wonder he didn¡¯t see Sirius and Snape in the Great Hall this morning. He thought that they had finished their breakfast early. Who could have imagined that they were actually fighting upstairs?! No wonder Snape was so abnormal this morning and was so bad for everyone.

    ¡°Sirius is too impulsive. He had already fought Snape twice with the first day of school¡­¡± said Hermione.

    Evan was not much surprised, Sirius and Snape¡¯s duel, anyway, was bound to happen, but he did not expect it toe so soon.

    Until one would emerge as a clear victor, the two of them will definitely keep on fighting.

    ¡°Now since we know that there was a duel, what is the oue?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯tpleted; they¡¯ve been separated by Dumbledore!¡± Hermione continued. ¡°But after ss Sirius told us that he could beat Snape within just a few more minutes.¡±

    In Evan¡¯s view, this sentence should be Sirius speaking out to save face. Snape should be stronger than him.

    Over a decade ago, they might had been evenly matched. But Sirius had been in Azkaban for thirteen years after all, and his magic and fighting skills have regressed, while Snape had made great progress.

    If they continued the fight, Sirius was likely to lose to Snape.

    But with Sirius¡¯s fighting style, Snape would certainly pay a considerable price even if he finally won the duel.

    In short, if other external forces and environmental impacts were not taken into ount, the oue of the duel should be defeats and losses for both sides.

    ¡°Well, Sirius and Snape fought, but what happened to Malfoy and those Slytherin students?¡± Evan asked curiously, ¡°Look at them; it¡¯s as if they can¡¯t wait to eat us!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you understand, Evan?¡± Harry came up and said, ¡°Since Sirius and Snape are confronting each other, we must support Sirius.¡±

    ¡°Support Sirius?!¡± Evan became more puzzled.

    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve all nned to find a chance to fight Slytherin, and we will win the fight. We are now recruiting people. Look at Malfoy and Slytherin House, they must think the same. They all support Snape.¡±

    A face to face confrontation between the Houses, winners and losers, the whole idea was really childish.

    Evan knew that Dumbledore would never let this happen. He would certainly restrain Sirius and Snape to prevent further deterioration of the situation.

    ¡°You feel it¡¯s ridiculous, too, don¡¯t you?¡± Hermione asked. After seeing Evan nodding, she continued. ¡°But Harry and Ron both think that way. How can I persuade them if they won¡¯t even listen? ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not our idea, Hermione. After knowing about this matter, many Gryffindors are ready to fight the Slytherins. That¡¯s what everybody wants to do.¡± Ron said innocently, ¡°What¡¯s more, this time, Sirius took the lead.¡±

    ¡°This is just a few of your private ns. Sirius will not agree with such a crazy idea.¡± Hermione said with concern, ¡°Did you forget that it happened oncest year, and Professor McGonagall was mad at the time, and she said that if anyone dared do that again, he would be expulsed.¡±

    ¡°You mean the melee of the Quidditch pitch.¡± Harry recalled, ¡°Fred and George threw a lot of Dungbombs at the time, and Malfoy was the focus.¡±

    ¡°He deserved it, who told him to say that to Hermione!¡± Ron added, looking at Hermione at a nce, and quickly turned his eyes away.

    ¡°But none of us got the advantage atst, and everyone was punished.¡± Hermione tried to pull the topic back to what she wanted to say, ¡°This time¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, Hermione, it¡¯s not a punishment to help Lockhart reply his mail. I heard Harry say that you and Evan didn¡¯t go there at that time.¡± Ron waved his hand. ¡°I spent the night under Filch¡¯s surveince wiping the trophy, and also spitting up slugs for more than two weeks.¡±

    ¡°The reason why, is that you are not supposed to¡­¡±

    ¡°The situation is different this time, Hermione! Malfoy was clearly preparing for an attack,¡± Harry said in a low voice. ¡°Sirius and Snape¡¯s duel was just the fuse. He must be nning something on this pretext. We have to be defensive.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we should tell the professors.¡± Hermione said uncertainly.

    ¡°Oh my God, do you want us to tell Professor McGonagall that Malfoy might be ready to attack us in the hope that the school would provide protection?¡± Ron waved his fork and refused. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing. If we do, we¡¯ll be jokes.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten what happened this morning? Malfoy is provocative. We must fight.¡± Harry said firmly, ¡°There is no way out, Hermione! This is for Sirius, and for us!¡±

    For the conversation between the three of them, the more Evan heard, the more confused he was.

    He didn¡¯t know how Harry and Ron managed to escte Sirius and Snape¡¯s duel into a war between the two Houses, and what happened in between the two situations to cause this esction. But just by analyzing the situation, Malfoy might indeed be nning what conspiracy. This morning¡¯s duel was very likely to have its repercussions.

    The required defense was indeed quite necessary, but wouldn¡¯t it be too trivial to engage in direct fight on such arge scale?!

 Chapter 255: The Calm Before the Storm

    <h4>Chapter 255: The Calm Before the Storm</h4>

    Considering Malfoy¡¯s and other Slytherin threats, Harry and Ron finally persuaded Hermione, who excitedly invited Evan to take part in the war between the two Houses.

    ¡°What happened in the morning?¡± Evan asked strangely. ¡°How was Sirius¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts? Wasn¡¯t there something unexpected?!¡±

    ¡°The course went smoothly, and he showed us a Banshee, a very interesting Dark creature, always making a shrill, miserable sound. However, there was something inappropriate, even though it didn¡¯t cause actual harm.¡± Hermione exined. ¡°It was Sirius, he didn¡¯t hide his disgust with Slytherin students in ss and deducted them a lot of points, maybe over a hundred¡­¡±

    ¡°Sirius is not to be med, Malfoy was too provocative.¡± Harry argued, ¡°He messed up in Sirius¡¯s ss and didn¡¯t do what he was told to do.¡±

    ¡°I know, but Sirius is still too emotional. He is now a professor and should treat every student as fairly as Professor McGonagall does.¡± Hermione pouted, which made her look like Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Bloody hell, do you really know what you are talking about?!¡± Ron shouted in surprise. ¡°A professor who is biased towards Gryffindor is the greatest expectation of my life. Now you tell me you hope he could be fair!¡±

    ¡°Sirius did not do too much. Think about Snape, how he treated everyone before, if it was him¡­¡± Harry added.

    ¡°Snape deducted at least two hundred points from Gryffindor this morning, and even scared a few girls to tears.¡± Evan talked about what had happened in the morning Potions ss.

    ¡°I knew it would be like that. Damn old bat,¡± Ron said loathing.

    In short, because of Snape¡¯s duel with Sirius, their unreserved disgust, and other long-standing grievances, the hostility between Slytherin and Gryffindor reached its highest level ever.

    In the following week, the students of the two Houses were all cautious. Everyone walked in the castle in pairs, in fear of any ident.

    Although they were on the alert, nothing actually happened.

    With the intervention of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, the castle had strengthened its management, and neither Harry nor Malfoy had the opportunity to wage their so-called House war.

    As time went on, Snape and Sirius also held back, and their deductions to Gryffindor and Slytherin slowly ceased, but Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts became the two favorite and most hated sses for Gryffindor and Slytherin students.

    Compared with the heavily differentiated Potions ss and the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, Hagrid¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures ss was unexpectedly well received.

    At the suggestion of Evan and Hermione, Hagrid chose a smander fire as the magical creature for the first ss of the new semester. He had provided a bonfire full of smanders for their enjoyment, and they spent an unusually good lesson collecting dry wood and leaves to keep the fire zing while the me-loving lizards scampered up and down the crumbling, white zing logs.

    Almost everyone reflected that this was the best lesson Hagrid had ever taught.

    A week after the start of school, Ravenw and Slytherin yed a Quidditch match, Slytherin won the game, but the score was very close.

    ording to Wood, this was good news for the Gryffindor team, because otherwise, even if Gryffindor won Ravenw, they would still be ranked second.

    This game allowed everyone to turn their attention to the Quidditch match, andpared to the illusory House war, they found that it might be more practical to score the oue in this way. Gryffindor lost to Hufflepuff before, but because of Harry¡¯s Firebolt, they were still the favorite team to win the title this year.

    Currently, Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch team had to train at least five times a week.

    In the cold wind of January, Harry flew outside for five or six hours almost every day, and he didn¡¯t even have time to finish his homework.

    Evan also felt he was inck of time. He had reached a teau in his magic research and needed to invest more time. Tom Riddle¡¯s diary gave him guidancest year. Evan had done all the research rted to it. And now he was working hard to study the Dark Magic books he had taken from 12 Grimmauld Square.

    Those magic books, especially ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± were very esoteric andplicated. There were many things that Evan couldn¡¯t understand at all.

    He couldn¡¯t ask Dumbledore or Sirius about those Dark magic books. He had to do some research on his own. He spent more and more time in the library, and Madam Pince, the librarian, looked at him more and more strangely.

    With the approval of Sirius, most of the books that Evan borrowed and referenced were very old and unpopr magic books, all of which were books in the Restricted Section. These books were not to be in the hands of twelve-year-old wizards. Even adult wizards rarely used them.

    The only one busier than Evan was Hermione. She had chosen so many sses that the immense workload finally seemed to be getting to her.

    Every night, if she was not studying in the library with Evan, she was definitely to be seen in a corner of themon room, several tables spread with books, Arithmancy charts, rune dictionaries, diagrams of Muggles lifting heavy objects, and file upon file of extensive notes.

    Besides Evan, she barely spoke to anybody and snapped when she was interrupted.

    ¡°What happened to the two of them?¡± Ron finally couldn¡¯t help but yell at Harry one night. ¡°I have never seen anyone busier than Evan and Hermione, not even Percy, who is preparing for the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test. The books they read in two days are much more than I have read in a semester.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Harry didn¡¯t look up. He was finishing a nasty essay on Undetectable Poisons for Snape, ¡°What if we borrowed Hermione¡¯s Potions ss homework?¡±

    ¡°We better not, she won¡¯t agree.¡± Ron looked up again at Hermione. She was barely visible behind a tottering pile of books.

    ¡°Hermione is so strange, how can he get to so many sses?¡± Ron continued. ¡°I heard her talking to Professor Vector, that Arithmancy witch, this morning. They were going on about yesterday¡¯s lesson, but Hermione can¡¯t have been there, because she was with us in Care of Magical Creatures! And Ernie McMin told me she¡¯s never missed a Muggle Studies ss, but half of them are at the same time as Divination, and she¡¯s never missed one of them either!¡±

    Harry certainly knew why, but he had to keep it secret.

    He couldn¡¯t talk about the Time-Turner, and he really needed to get on with Snape¡¯s essay at the moment.

    Although the confrontation between Snape and Sirius had seemingly calmed down, it was still a raging undercurrent. Harry had to be more careful. At this time, if he had any leads falling into Snape¡¯s hands, it would be hard to see.

    ¡°What if we asked Evan for help? He¡¯ll borrow Hermione¡¯s homework for us. She will certainly not reject him.¡± Harry transferred the topic.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but only if we can find Evan,¡± said Ron. ¡°In addition to Hermione, I also want to know what Evan is doing these days. He is in the library every night, I saw him there several times. He¡¯s always there with a thick magic book that nobody could understand.¡±

 Chapter 256: Seeds of Distrust

    <h4>Chapter 256: Seeds of Distrust</h4>

    ¡°Yeah, the books he reads are really profound andplicated, and it has always been like this.¡± Harry continued to say, ¡°Evan and Hermione are the best young wizards I have ever met.¡±

    ¡°Harry, this is not a good thing. Don¡¯t you understand still?!¡± Ron looked around, lowering his voice and eagerly saying, ¡°Evan and Hermione are different, although I don¡¯t understand how Hermione can have so many sses at the same time, at least we know what she is doing, but Evan reads those magic books¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Harry looked away from the parchment.

    ¡°I mean, the magic books that Evan looks at are all in the Restricted Section. He must be studying something behind our backs. I peeked at his research notes the other day, and there were some terrible patterns on them, which didn¡¯t look like any decent magic.¡± Ron hesitantly said, ¡°Harry, he might be studying¡­¡±

    Harry looked up at Ron in surprise, and he finally knew what he wanted to say.

    Neither of them spoke, and a terrible feeling of uneasiness took over.

    From Ron¡¯s expression, he was obviously suspecting that Evan was studying BLACK MAGIC.

    Harry instinctively wanted to refute that possibility, but didn¡¯t know what to say. Evan had always given an impression of omniscience. He knew a lot about magic. After Ron was controlled by the Imperius Curse, it was also Evan who first discovered it. If Evan hadn¡¯t studied it, how could he know about such an evil ck magic?!

    But Evan studying ck magic was something that Harry just couldn¡¯t believe. In his mind, ck magic was extremely evil, and it should be absolutely prohibited. Those who study ck magic are also Dark wizards like Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew.

    They were ruthless, cold and emotionless, and Evan couldn¡¯t be such a person.

    But Harry couldn¡¯t refute Ron¡¯s remarks. The idea that Evan was studying the Dark Arts was like a big rock pressing down on Harry¡¯s heart, making him breathless. He felt a panic he had never felt before.

    ¡°Maybe, he just wants to know¡­¡± Harry said softly.

    His voice was very low. He did not want anyone to know about his conversation with Ron.

    ¡°Harry, this is not a joke. I¡¯ve been controlled by mysterious people, and I know that feeling. Dark Arts should be absolutely banned.¡± Ron also lowered his voice and said, ¡°We must take action.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but at the very least, we need to understand what Evan is doing.¡± Ron continued, ¡°If he¡¯s really studying the Dark Arts, we can tell other people about it and make sure they know what he really is. For example, Dumbledore or Sirius, they would never allow Evan to do such a thing. They will help us.¡±

    There was a short silence. Ron saw that Harry was obviously hesitating. Strange emotions re-emerged in Ron¡¯s body. After guessing that Evan was studying the Dark Arts, he had a brief feeling of surprise, followed by a strong sense of injustice.

    He remembered the eyes of the others looking at him, and the rumors in the school.

    Ron felt that was very unfair. He was only innocently controlled twice by the Imperius Curse. He was also a victim. But the others looked into his eyes, with evident distrust, as if he had really wanted to do those bad things.

    Evan was studying ck magic, which was more evil than the things he did. But no one said anything about him. On the contrary, many people worshiped him as a hero, and Evan was bing even more famous in school than Harry.

    In Ron¡¯s opinion, all of them were being deceived by Evan.

    The more he thought about it, the more he felt that everyone was blinded by the appearance of Evan. So was Harry, Hermione, his family and others.

    Everyone believed in Evan, but he betrayed everyone¡¯s trust. He was studying ck magic behind their backs. He was doing something very evil on the sly.

    A strong sense of responsibility rose deep in Ron¡¯s heart, and he felt obliged to reveal Evan¡¯s true colors and stop the ongoing plot. The strange feeling that appeared at the Quidditch pitch a few months ago was also the main reason that prompted Ron to do this.

    ¡°Harry, we¡­¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean, Ron, but I believe in Evan. There is no evidence that he is working on the dark arts. He can¡¯t borrow those magic books from the Restricted Section without the permission of a professor and the Headmaster.¡± Harry thought for a moment and continued to persuade, ¡°Evan is not the same as those Dark wizards. Even if he is studying ck magic, he just wants knowledge. I believe in him!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t feel at ease, we can talk to Evan. Whatever he is doing, he will certainly tell us.¡±

    ¡°Ask him if he is doing evil ck magic research, and who he¡¯s going to sacrifice. That¡¯s an interesting topic,¡± Ron whispered.

    The atmosphere was awkward. Both of them did not talk about it anymore, but the seeds of distrust slowly grew invisibly and sprouted.

    Harry and Ron didn¡¯t go to the library to disturb Evan, or dare to disturb Hermione, who seemed a little irritable, and they both ended up asking Sirius to help them finish their paper on the Undetectable Poisons.

    Although Potions was not Sirius¡¯s forte, the third year assignment was too simple for him. He gave Harry and Ron a lot of useful advice.

    To be fair, with the help of Sirius, Harry¡¯s paper should at least be good enough, but Snape gave him a bad appraisal. Harry didn¡¯t care. He had expected such a result.

    As long as he had a good rtionship with Sirius, his after-school assignments and the Potions he made would never be appreciated by Snape.

    Evan was probably the only exception, because he had studied all of Snape¡¯syouts and the magic potions required for the second-year wizards, and hade up with the best recipes and cooking methods. Even if Snape was seeking faults, he wouldn¡¯t find them.

    Snape tried several times and even asked Evan toplete an Ordinary Wizarding Level exam before dealing with difficult potions.

    But Evan could finish it smoothly every time, and the process was more perfect than the textbooks.

    As he grew gloomier and more frightening to the other students, Snape¡¯s attitude toward Evan returned to its former state of indifference.

    When he had to shout his name, he used ¡°Mr. Know it All¡± instead.

    In the Potions ss, Evan was the only Gryffindor student who could get Snape to refrain from criticizing him or deducting points, which made others envy him.

 Chapter 257: Sprouting Seeds

    <h4>Chapter 257: Sprouting Seeds</h4>

    Regardless of recognition, Evan was the most famous among all Hogwarts students.

    He founded a very sessful newspaper, he was far more powerful than his peers, defeated the horrible Basilisk, proved Professor Lupin¡¯s innocence, rescued Sirius ck, defeated the evil Peter Pettigrew, he made many famous and could even change the views of the magic world¡­

    In less than two years, Evan did so many things that a wizard could not do in his lifetime.

    Considering his age and Muggle origins, it was unbelievable.

    While envious of Evan, everyone had to admire his efforts.

    Both he and Hermione spent most of their time in the library every day, longer than all the other young wizards, and even the students preparing for the Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations were not as hard working as them.

    Everyone could often see such a scene: Evan and Hermione sitting on the long ck table at the innermost side of the library, surrounded by thick magic books or other materials, quietly reading and taking notes under candlelight, and asionally exchanging a few words in a low voice.

    In the quiet atmosphere, there was a touch of warmth.

    The long table was their spot, and Evan and Hermione used toe an hour after dinner and stay there until about 10 o¡¯clock in the evening.

    When she came early, Hermione would prepare two cups of hot chocte. It was so bitter because there was no sugar in it. Evan frowned and drank it every time under Hermione¡¯s smiling gaze, but it was good for a boost in spirit.

    After leaving the library, the two of them would walk in the dark castle, then go back to the Gryffindor Common Room and chat with others, y wizard games, or help Harry, Ron, and Colin finish their homework.

    Evan and Hermione had a very regr schedule, and everyone was used to that with them.

    But since the beginning of the new semester, everything had changed unconsciously.

    First of all, Hermione, because of too many courses, she had to shuttle back and forth between different sses every day, with no free time. Every night, she started to do homework in the corner of the Common Room instead of reading in the library.

    Evan spent more and more time in the library. He was currently hardly involved in any House activities. As long as there was no ss, he sat alone in the library.

    Close to his seat, sometimes you could smell pungent potions.

    Any wizard who had an in-depth study of Potions would know that those drugs taken by Evan were stimnts, allowing the user to concentrate, improve his attention, and extending his alertness.

    The materials needed for this kind of potion were extremely precious, and young wizards generally did not use it.

    But Evan was forced to do it. What hecked most was time.

    He hadpletely reached a teau in the study of the ck magic collections taken from 12 Grimmauld ce, and needed to add more theoretical knowledge as a basis.

    Because it was all the most sophisticated ck magic, the theoretical knowledge that Evan needed to supplement was also very profound andplex. He could only read and study in the library during the day.

    While everyone was asleep at night, he would take out the taboo Dark magic books and study them secretly to test some of his theories.

    With the deepening of research, Evan¡¯s pool of magic had increased rapidly.

    The side effects were also very obvious. In the long run, his body would not have been able to carry them without the help of magic potions.

    In fact, Evan¡¯s recent abnormal behavior had also attracted some people¡¯s attention.

    For example, the librarian, Madam Pince, could reveal her thoughts about Evan from the growing worry on her face.

    If anyone took time to talk to her, Madam Pince would be very willing to express her views on Evan.

    In her opinion, Evan was likely to be an evil Dark wizard.

    Many of the magic books he borrowed were taboo, full of theoretical knowledge about ck magic or dark creatures. Although there were no direct books on ck magic after school screening, frequent borrowing of those books did not bode well in itself.

    However, Evan had the approval of Sirius in his hand. Dumbledore also acquiesced in his conduct, and Madam Pince, though worried, could not say anything.

    Besides her, Ron also paid special attention to Evan¡¯s behavior and research fields.

    Since he had inadvertently discussed Evan¡¯s topic with Harry that night, the seeds of mistrust had sprouted in his heart.

    Although he repeatedly reminded himself in the depths of his heart that Evan had saved him from the Basilisk and Peter Pettigrew many times before, and that he should unconditionally believe in him; the thought that Evan might be carrying out evil ck magic research made Ron¡¯s innermost strange feelings stronger and stronger.

    It was undeniable that he was very jealous of Evan, and envied him for everything he had.

    Ron was used to this feeling. From his childhood, he was very jealous of his brothers, of their new magic supplies, their achievements, and so on.

    After entering Hogwarts, he was jealous of Harry.

    But in general, he was willing to believe in them. Ron¡¯s innermost feelings were not so much jealousy as envy of what they had, power, achievement, fame, etc.

    But with Evan, he was currently jealous and full of suspicion and distrust. As time went on, Ron became more and more suspicious of what Evan was doing, wondering what he was studying, what he had done, even his purpose of saving him, and so on.

    Ron knew that his thoughts might be a bit abnormal or even terrible.

    He was sure that he was not affected by any confusing curse. This was his innermost real thought, and the seeds of distrust had sprouted.

    Ron hesitated for a long time and finally found the answer.

    He was not doubting Evan, he was helping him. If Evan was really studying ck magic study, he had to stop it as soon as possible.

    When Evan would understand it, he should be grateful to him.

    Unlike Madam Pince, the librarian who discovered the clues but was not prepared to take any action, Ron decided to investigate the content of Evan¡¯s research.

    He had argued with Harry many times about this issue, but there was no result. Although Harry was somewhat worried, he still believed in Evan. He repeatedly admonished Ron that he might have thought things tooplicated.

    Even if Evan was really studying ck magic, he should have legitimate reasons.

    In Ron¡¯s opinion, it was not theplexity of his thoughts, but Harry¡¯s simple-mindedness. Like everyone else, he was bewildered by Evan¡¯s appearance.

    Since Harry was not willing to help, Ron was ready to act alone.

    He was going to start with a notebook that he had seen stealthily the other day with a terrible design on it to figure out what Evan was doing.

    Knowing Evan¡¯s influence in the school, Ron did not intend to speak out or talk about it with anyone else before he investigated everything. This was just his own secret.

    After several discussions with Ron, he never mentioned it again, and Harry gradually put it behind him and devoted himself wholeheartedly to Quidditch training.

    He didn¡¯t even realize that Evan was deeply impressed with his study of ck magic.

    Unlike Ron, who was ready to take action, Harry was just reluctant to think and did not want to believe it.

    However, the seeds of distrust had been buried, quietly waiting for the day they sprout.

 Chapter 258: Evanâ€™s Power

    <h4>Chapter 258: Evan¡¯s Power</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t notice Ron¡¯s abnormality, but one incident that caught him off-guard awakened him and he realized that he had been too immersed in the study of Dark Arts recently.

    Such a behavior was extremely dangerous and simply wrong.

    So he changed his research subjects, focusing more on the analysis of the principles of magic, using the dark magic as a supplementary knowledge that needed to be understood as a starting point, to study the principles and structure of magic, involving many theories and so on.

    In his subsequent study, Evan¡¯s use of the magic principles described in the magic books was more to enhance his strength, instead of trying to use the ck magic recorded above.

    Although it made his research more difficult and required him to get more magic books, it essentially prevented Evan from bing a Dark wizard.

    Last year, Tom Riddle¡¯s diary had tempted Evan to practice and use the Dark Arts frequently, hoping that he could indulge in the power of strength.

    Ever since then, Evan had noticed that excessive use of ck magic could make the wizard¡¯s soul evil and unstable. With the use of dark magic, there would be many cruel thoughts in the heart, and a person could evenpletely change.

    In recent research, the knowledge gained from many ancient magic books also confirmed Evan¡¯s initial conjecture.

    Although the magic world has not yet reached a consensus on the source of magic, but while magices through blood, the essence of magic spell depends on the power of the spirit and the soul, this theory has been getting more and more recognized by wizards.

    In addition to the magic power of the wizard, the power source and size of the ck magic depend mainly on whether the user¡¯s heart is evil enough.

    Using ck Magic for a long time will gradually make a wizard evil.

    Evan had no such intentions. His purpose in studying Dark Magic was to enhance his own strength, to gain a deeper and moreprehensive understanding of Dark Wizards, to understand Voldemort, to know the enemy he was about to face. He never wanted to turn himself into an evil Dark wizard. .

    Therefore, after making sure of this, he hurriedly changed his research topics.

    Evan destroyed his previous research notes, which led to the fact that Ron, who had been secretly investigating, found nothing. He had stolen a lot of Evan¡¯s stuff, but could never find the notebook he had seen with the horrible design.

    Although no evidence was found, his views of Evan were still getting weirder and weirder.

    After a brief confusion, Ron felt strange anger. He thought that Evan must have found out that he was investigating him, so he had destroyed all the evidence of his ck magic research.

    Evan didn¡¯t notice Ron¡¯s anomaly. What actually awakened him was rted to the so-called House war.

    Gryffindor and Slytherin did not fight because of strengthening management in the castle, but there was some friction. Snape and Sirius didn¡¯t take a good lead in that either, and Malfoy practically came daily to provoke them as the Quidditch match, which was to decide this year¡¯s Academy Cup holders, was approaching.

    This situation continued until Sirius¡¯s Dueling Club was re-established.

    Shortly after Ravenw and Slytherin¡¯s Quidditch match, Sirius¡¯s proposal to resume the dueling club was pasted on the bulletin board.

    Not surprisingly, this was unanimously weed by the school¡¯s young wizards.

    Although the Dueling Club held by Lockhartst year turned out to be a joke, Sirius was recognized as strong and powerful. Everyone was excited at the thought of being able to learn the dueling skills and curses with him.

    Even more anticipated than the re-formation of the Dueling Club itself was the duel between Sirius and Snape, which had be a hot topic at school, and there had been much debate about who was the stronger one of the two.

    Unfortunately, Snape did not appear at the first meeting of the Dueling Club.

    Because of Dumbledore¡¯s intervention, both Snape and Sirius were restrained a lot. Even if both sides did not hide their dislike and resentment against each other, at least they did not have a duel or tit-for-tat in front of the students as before.

    In the Dueling Club led by Sirius, Snape did not appear, and Sirius asked Professor Flitwick to be his opponent.

    The event was quite normal at the beginning and it went very smoothly. Everyone learned about dueling etiquette, Professor Flitwick exined several spells that were moremon in the duel, and Sirius also taught them some of hisbat experience.

    For Evan, it might be a little lower, but other small wizards, many being senior students, still felt very interested, and learned with great interest.

    That was not surprising. Hogwarts had never taught the young wizards any knowledge rted to the dueling. The Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, which should bear the main responsibility, was also terrible. The Defence Against the Dark Arts ss professors changed every year, including the disreputable wizards such as Lockhart, or unscrupulous guys like Quirrel.

    Their teaching methods were also quite different, and it was difficult for young wizards to systematically andprehensively learn about resisting dark magic from their courses.

    Most of the young wizards were self-taught of the magic spells associated with Dueling and the defence against Dark Magic.

    They were more interested in prank magic than regr spells and charms.

    Admittedly, these magic spells might have an unexpected effect in battle, but their effectiveness was notparable to the standard dueling spellsmonly used.

    Sirius¡¯s club was an unprecedented sess, and the dueling skills he and Professor Flitwick showed were a great hit.

    Before group practice, everything went very smoothly. But then the situation began to turn sharply down, whether intentionally or inadvertently; and Sirius paired many Gryffindor and Slytherin students together in group practice.

    Evan¡¯s opponent was a second-year boy whom he didn¡¯t remember the name. The kid seemed to want to use a curse against him. However, when he had not raised his wand yet, Evan¡¯d made it fly far away from his hand.

    He looked at Evan with amazed eyes and couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in front of him. Although Evan was very famous, before the test, he did not think that his strength was much worse than that of Evan. He was the strongest among Slytherin¡¯s second year students.

    Instead of getting ready to use his wand attacks and armor spells as Sirius said, he was thinking of teaching Evan a hard lesson and make him lose face in front of the whole school.

    Evan had no idea of the thoughts of the Slytherin student in front of him, and he did not have any interest in doing naive magic practice with him.

    He had been analyzing his duel with Snape. With the research and mastery of ck magic and other magical theories, his recent magical power had advanced by leaps and bounds.

    Evan believed that he could stand for longer against Snape. And if his magic was strong enough, it was not impossible to counteract him to a certain extent.

    In this case, the strength of this guy opposite waspletely inadequate.

    Evan had then a deeper understanding of his wand, and was morefortable using it, almost instantaneously.

    He didn¡¯t know what the other guy wanted to do, but ended the battle with the fastest speed.

 Chapter 259: Evan and the Dark Arts

    <h4>Chapter 259: Evan and the Dark Arts</h4>

    Compared with the end of Evan¡¯s duel, the other groups were in a much worse situation.

    Gryffindor and Slytherin young wizards were inextricably involved. They seemed to see this spell practice in pairs as the long-awaited House war, and that this was the battlefield to determine the victors of that war.

    Besides the charms and the shields that Sirius required, the students used various kinds of evil curses. Crabbe and Goyle even recurred to their fists against Ron and Neville.

    Likest year¡¯s Lockhart¡¯s dueling club, the scene was a mess.

    But Snape was not there this time, and Sirius was unreservedly biased towards Gryffindor. With his help, Harry and his friends quickly gained the upper hand, defeating Slytherin¡¯s students andpletely suppressing them.

    The first meeting of the dueling club ended under the cheers of Gryffindor.

    Not surprisingly, Malfoy and the other Slytherin students were all mad. That was the greatest disgrace for the proud Slytherins.

    Because of this, the long fragile bnce of the two Houses had finally been broken.

    Slytherins were ready to take revenge and make Gryffindors feel their wrath.

    After a long discussion, they decided to take a more direct approach by ambushing a Gryffindor student and provoking war between the two Houses.

    Nobody knew who it was the one to suggest it, but Evan was the one to be their target.

    First of all, Evan was famous enough.

    He was the icon of the Gryffindor House. If they could teach Evan a good lesson, that would be enough to make them feel relieved and achieve the desired effect of revenge.

    Secondly, Evan¡¯s schedule was very regr.

    Almost all the young wizards knew that Evan was thest one to leave the library every night, and that he would be alone without any help.

    They just had toy in the dark, so that they could ambush him.

    No matter how strong he was, he couldn¡¯t be a rival of such arge amount of people ganging up against him at the same time.

    They would attack him all in one strike.

    Since the incident with Buckbeak, and then with Lupin, Malfoy hated Evan¡¯s guts, and in a way, he had more contempt towards him than he had against Harry. He despised the mere idea of being suppressed by a Mudblood.

    He didn¡¯t care about the way; he was ready to attack Evan himself. Malfoy thought that if he took action swiftly enough, Evan wouldn¡¯t see iting and no one would be able to use him. He just had to take him by surprise and use the Stunning Spell.

    Even if Evan guessed that it was a Slytherin who did it, even if he spected that it was Malfoy, he wouldn¡¯t have any proof.

    In fact, Evan didn¡¯t notice Malfoy¡¯s conspiracy.

    After the dueling club ended, he returned to his rigorous daily routine. His study of the Horcruxes with the records in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± had entered a critical stage.

    He had read a lot involving this matter, and it was all that dwelled within his mind on that night.

    That night, as he left the library, crossed the dark corridor, and walked up the steep spiral staircase leading to the Gryffindor Tower, Malfoy and several other Slytherin students that had been waiting for him for a long time rushed out of the corner.

    They looked at Evan with a ghastly manner, preparing to attack him with several powerful spells.

    ¡°Go to hell, despicable Mudblood! STUPEFY!¡± Malfoy shouted with disgust, and a red light went towards Evan.

    In the dark, Evan did not recognize who had suddenly appeared in front of him. He instinctively felt threat, stepped back dodging his foe¡¯s curse, pulled out his own wand and cast the spell that popped up first in his mind.

    The next second, a terrible green light emerged from the tip of Evan¡¯s wand and flew over to Malfoy.

    As Evan cast this spell, the temperature in the ce quickly dropped, and the air was filled with uneasiness, as if Dementors were drawing near.

    Malfoy¡¯s face turned pale. He forgot all the spells he knew and didn¡¯t continue to attack Evan.

    He snorted and stared at the curse that struck him.

    In the infiltrating green light, he saw a sly-shaped face approaching him, and fear from deep within his own soul took away Malfoy¡¯s breath.

    All of his happy memories disappeared, and only the despair and coldness brought forth by the dark remained. The feeling was overwhelming, as if hundreds of Dementors had attacked at the same time.

    The green light of the curse was getting closer to Malfoy, and the owner of that sinister skull-shaped face was getting clearer.

    Malfoy saw a monster in a ripped ck cloak approaching him, sweeping over like a god of deathing from the depths of hell.

    He felt the threat of death, gasped, and then screamed with all he had before falling to the ground.

    Beside him, Crabbe, Goyle and several other Slytherin Students stood there watching Malfoy with unease, not understanding what was happening. They only saw Malfoy sneak attacking Evan, thetter evading Malfoy¡¯s attack and responding with a green lighting out of his wand. The spell didn¡¯t seem to hit Malfoy, but it looked like he saw a ghost.

    He was there on the floor, staring at Evan in panic.

    From his eyes, tears flowed out of control. He snorted loudly and looked at Evan as if he was scared of him to death.

    This was just ridiculous and incredible, and hispanions didn¡¯t know what to do, nor did they know what Evan did to him.

    The ck Magic cast by Evan came straight out of the ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±. It was mentioned after the Horcruxes, and it had an effect simr to that of the Dementor¡¯s kiss, which directly affected the soul causing it to have irreparable damage.

    The scary pattern Ron saw before on Evan¡¯s notebook was rted to this curse.

    This was a very advanced curse that went beyond what people usually perceived as evil.

    Evan had been studying it for a long time, making substantial progress, but he never was able to cast it smoothly. So he thought that his own magic power wasn¡¯t sufficient.

    Now threatened by Malfoy, he used it unintentionally.

    After casting this magic, Evan realized what he had done.

    In a heartbeat, he was in cold sweat. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how severe the consequences would be if Malfoy was hit by that magic.

    At thest second, he hurriedly lifted his spell.

    On the other side, Malfoy sat on the ground, and not a drop of blood could be seen on his pale face. Seeing his appearance, several other Slytherin students did not dare to act rashly. They got closer to each other, and watched Evan leave without doing anything.

    In the dark corridor, only Malfoy could not stop sobbing.

    The ambush against Evan had failed, and no one besides Evan and Malfoy knew what had just happened.

 Chapter 260: Hermione, and Evanâ€™s Original Intention

    <h4>Chapter 260: Hermione, and Evan¡¯s Original Intention</h4>

    In fact, Evan was not less frightened than Malfoy. He didn¡¯t think he would even cast this ck magic, let alone seed at it.

    This ck magic that attacked the soul was very esoteric andplex, and required strong magic and deep magic theory as the basis.

    At Evan¡¯s level, he didn¡¯t think he could cast it.

    Even if it was only inadvertently sessful, it also showed that Evan¡¯s recent strength has indeed improved a lot, but he was not happy about it at all.

    He stumbled back to Gryffindor¡¯s Common Room. No matter who would have spoken to him, he could not hear anything.

    He sat alone on the sofa in front of the firece for a long time and kept thinking about it.

    Thinking of the consequences of that dark magic, Evan realized that his inner fears were being fulfilled.

    He kept asking himself why he had originally studied Dark Magic when he knew there would be such an oue.

    At that moment, He also did not know whether he should continue such studies.

    If he continued, he might have great power, but he couldn¡¯t guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t get lost and be an evil Dark wizard like Voldemort.

    The temptation of power makes it sometimes very difficult to decide.

    Maybe, he should change his way¡­

    In the middle of the night, besides Evan, there was no one in the Gryffindor Common Room.

    He stared at the jumping fire in the firece, sitting alone in a daze.

    Suddenly, a footstep sounded on the stairs and someone walked out of the bedroom.

    Evan turned back and saw Hermione in pink pajamasing over to him.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± He asked in surprise.

    ¡°I was worried about you. What happened?¡± Hermione sat on the sofa next to Evan and said uneasily, ¡°You look very abnormal tonight. When I said goodnight to you, you just nodded.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about¡­ things; I didn¡¯t hear your voice.¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°What were you thinking about?¡± Hermione moved closer.

    She stared closely at Evan, and under the candlelight, her brown eyes shimmered with fascinating light.

    Seeing Hermione¡¯s beautiful, intelligent eyes, Evan was slightly lost.

    It took him a moment to get back to his senses.

    Evan was too familiar with Hermione. He knew what she might have noticed. If he did not exin it clearly, she wouldn¡¯t just give up on him and let things be.

    He hesitated for a moment and decided to tell her everything.

    Although the study of the Dark Arts was taboo and should be kept a secret, Evan did not want to hide anything from Hermione.

    He believed in her, not to mention that he also wanted to hear her opinions.

    ¡°I just met Malfoy and his mates on the stairs; they were ready to ambush me!¡± Evan hesitated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, I wasn¡¯t hurt or anything. I used a magic to knock them back, it was a¡­ dark magic, very esoteric, veryplicated, and very evil. I did not think that I would sessfully cast it!¡±

    ¡°Dark magic?!¡± Hermione looked up at Evan with horror.

    ¡°You know, I have been doing magic research recently. In fact, I¡¯ve been working on ck magic books from the cks¡¯ collection.¡± Evan said with a stiff head, he noticed the more and more surprised expression on Hermione¡¯s face.

    ¡°God, are you studying the Dark Arts?!¡± Hermione didn¡¯t dare to believe the news. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. How can you do that? This is wrong. All textbooks say that ck magic is very evil. Only Dark Wizards would¡­ ¡±

    ¡°In order to enhance my strength, in the face of Dark wizards and the uncertain future, it is always good to know a thing or two about ck magic.¡± Evan¡¯s voice was getting fainter and fainter, his words seemed unfounded, and he looked at Hermione with pleading eyes.

    ¡°You mean, you don¡¯t learn these Dark Arts to use them, or to use that knowledge to do something bad, but to better understand them?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s it!¡± Even Evan himself felt that this reason was somewhat entangled.

    Regardless of whether others would believe it or not, he really thought so.

    From the beginning to the end, Evan was not ready to learn and master these Dark Arts, and his purpose of research was not to use them.

    He didn¡¯t want to be an evil Dark wizard, perhaps because of preconception, and he had always been deeply prejudiced and vignt against the dark magic.

    But as an important part of magic, ck magic was indispensable. To be a powerful wizard, he had to study ck magic. This was an indispensable part. Only by deep understanding of ck Magic could he better cope with it. This was what the Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching philosophy had been insisting on.

    But it is undeniable that ck magic is too strong, giving one a very easy path to power.

    As the research progresses, one will inevitably be subject to various temptations and tests.

    Facing these temptations, many people did not stick to their original intentions and got eventually lost.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem if you just study it to understand it.¡± Hermione said worriedly, ¡°But after all, it¡¯s BLACK MAGIC, you have to be careful!¡±

    ¡°I know, in fact, what happened tonight led me to realize that my recent study of magic has gone in the wrong path, which is very dangerous! That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± Evan exined, ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to do, I¡¯m hesitating.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself.¡± Hermione looked at Evan carefully for a long time, and then suddenly stretched out her little hand, held Evan¡¯s tightly and slowly said, ¡°I once said that no matter what happens, I will always believe in you. Evan, promise me, don¡¯t let me down, OK?¡±

    ¡°I promise you, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Evan nodded and answered very seriously, ¡°Thank you, Hermione. Thank you for believing in me all the way!¡±

    Seeing Hermione in front of him, Evan finally made up his mind.

    On thefortable sofa in front of the firece in the Gryffindor Common Room, they chatted for a long time, until midnight, and then Hermione went back to sleep in the bedroom.

    When he was alone again, Evan took out his recent research notes and threw them into the fire, watching them burn to ashes.

    Since the study of Dark Arts was inevitable, he could not just give up, but he decided to change his research strategy. Basing on these Dark Arts, he intended to analyze the principles, structures and theories of magic in depth, to study ways to resist them, and to enhance his own strength.

    In doing so, hid magic research was several times more difficult than before.

    But his gains were much smaller, and Evan couldn¡¯t improve as quickly. However, he didn¡¯t regret it. As promised, he didn¡¯t want Hermione to be disappointed.

    Evan had the impression that Dumbledore had been involved in the Dark Arts in his youth, and he might have faced the same choice.

    He finally paid a terrible price, and his sister lost her life, and he repented and sobered up.

    This was the regret of Dumbledore¡¯s life, after which he had bemitted to fighting ck Magic.

    Evan reminded himself not to repeat the same mistakes, to only know the right path after loss like Dumbledore, or be a power¡¯s puppet like Voldemort.

    For Hermione, for himself, he had to always remain vignt.

 Chapter 261: Rumors of Black Magic

    <h4>Chapter 261: Rumors of ck Magic</h4>

    That night, Malfoy was really terrified.

    After Evan left, he was eventually taken back to Slytherin¡¯s Common Room.

    He kept repeating to others what he had seen at that time. He saw the God of death when Evan cast the skeleton shaped green curse, and he felt the breath of death.

    Slytherin¡¯s students listened to Malfoy¡¯s description, but no one knew exactly what magic Evan had used.

    After discussion, they generally thought that Malfoy saw nothing but Fantasy. It wasn¡¯t that no one thought of ck magic, but the spell used by Evan was too rare. Besides him, no one in Hogwarts had ever read the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±.

    The spell, whether difficult or evil, was beyond the young wizards¡¯ imagination.

    They could only go with the most probable conclusion within their own cognitive scope.

    That seeing death was just a fantasy was a conclusion that reassured Malfoy.

    But every time he recalled the scene and the suffocation of death that reached deep into his soul, he still felt a palpitation. Evan¡¯s spell directly attacked the soul, and although it did not hit Malfoy in the end, it had an impact on him.

    Currently, whenever he met Evan in the castle, Malfoy made a detour. He had been quite honesttely, and he was no longer as provocative or troublesome as he used to be.

    Though he never admitted it, his expression was full of fear.

    After the failure of the ambush, neither Malfoy nor the rest of Slytherin students continued to take action.

    Hogwarts did not calm down. It wasn¡¯t known when it started; but there was a growing rumor that Evan was studying ck magic in the castle.

    The source of the rumor had been elusive, but it was really detailed, and the witnesses seemed to have seen, with their own eyes, Evan studying ck magic.

    That rumor was like stone thrown into a calmke.

    The young wizards talked for a while and soon lost interest. It seemed too ridiculous to everyone that Evan was studying ck magic!

    They would rather believe that Harry was a descendant of Slytherin and would rece Voldemort as the third generation of the Dark Lord than believe the rumor that Evan would be the Dark Wizard.

    After all, what Evan had done over the past two years could not be ignored.

    Moreover, as the time approached for the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenw, the wizards¡¯ energies shifted to the Quidditch match.

    There was no doubt that Ravenw¡¯s Quidditch team was great, but they all used Cleansweep Sevens. Compared with Harry¡¯s Firebolt, they were simply vulnerable.

    All Gryffindor students had high confidence, waiting for this match toe.

    Although they had the Firebolt, the Gryffindor team did not rx at all, and they trained harder than before. At thest training session before Saturday¡¯s game, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had breakfast in the Great Hall as usual.

    Wood suddenly came over and gave Harry thest intelligence instructions before the game.

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯ve just found out who Ravenw is ying as Seeker. It¡¯s Cho Chang, a girl, and she¡¯s pretty good!¡±

    ¡°Cho Chang?!¡± Harry was stunned; his heart was beating fast, and in his mind, images of the dark-haired girl smiling at him flowed uncontrobly.

    ¡°Ravenw fourth year, Evan seems to like her very much.¡± Hermione said with a sigh, ¡°On thest day before Christmas, they even wanted to go¡­¡±

    Hermione couldn¡¯t speak any more, and her face turned red, remembering what she and Evan had done that day at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop.

    Officially, that was the first date between Evan and Hermione. In that little teahouse filled with sweet scents, Hermione sensed that her mind had stopped working, and she could not help but hope that Evan would kiss her like other lovers around them¡­

    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Harry asked strangely.

    ¡°No, nothing!¡± Hermione¡¯s face was red. She returned from memory to reality and hurried to hide it.

    Just then, an owl flew over to her, and she hurried to take the letter from its leg.

    Hermione concentrated on reading the letter, which made her look less embarrassed.

    ¡°I know that Cho Chang is very beautiful.¡± Ron looked at Hermione with a puzzled look and continued, ¡°She is more beautiful than all the girls I know.¡±

    ¡°This is not the point; the focus is on her Quidditch level. Harry, you can¡¯t be confused by the other Seeker like what happened to Diggory with Angelina and Alicia. WE HAVE TO WIN THE GAME. this is ourst chance.¡± Wood waved his hand in disapproval. ¡°I had hoped that she was in a bad state. She had suffered some injuries, but I just got the news that she hadpletely recovered.¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t know what to answer. In Wood¡¯s opinion, this may be bad news. But he was relieved inexplicably.

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry too much!¡± Wood frowned and continued. ¡°She rides a Comet Two Sixty, which is going to look like a joke next to the Firebolt.¡± He gave Harry¡¯s broom a look of fervent admiration.

    ¡°This broomstick is our hope; you and it are the bestbination.¡± Wood concluded, ¡°Well, I will go to the field to warm up first, you¡¯d better hurry.¡±

    ¡°Oliver is about to drive us crazy. This year is hisst chance to win the Quidditch Cup. In order to win the game, he¡¯s practically gluing us to our brooms.¡±

    ¡°I heard Fred and George say that Wood ns to join a club as a professional Quidditch yer after graduation. This Quidditch Cup is very important to him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so everyone worked so hard. We don¡¯t want to leave him with any regrets. We are obviously the best team, but we always lose games because of idents.¡± Harry sighed and turned to see that Hermione was reading the letter she had just received. She seemed a little excited. He couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Hermione, what happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Hagrid, he won thewsuit.¡± Hermione waved the note in her hand, raised her head and replied with a smile. ¡°The verdict has juste out. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures considers Buckbeak safe. Malfoy¡¯s injury was just an ident.¡±

    ¡°I knew it would be like this. Hagrid and Buckbeak were wronged.¡± Harry said happily that he was sincerely delighted for Hagrid.

    ¡°This thing couldn¡¯t be so smooth without the help of Mr. Newt Scamander. Evan and I have written so many reports in the newspaper before, but it didn¡¯t work until Mr. Scamander agreed to¡­.¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words, Harry had just thought that he and Ron had basically not helped much, and that almost all the work was done by both Evan and Hermione.

    At that thought, he was a little embarrassed.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s enjoy Malfoy¡¯s reaction. Hagrid won, he must be furious!¡± Harry quickly shifted the subject. ¡°But he didn¡¯t react, it¡¯s too strange, we¡¯d better be careful, he must be plotting something again. You know, he was very abnormal after the Dueling Club. With the help of Sirius, I obviously defeated him at the time, but he didn¡¯te for trouble, which is really strange! ¡±

 Chapter 262: Ron and the Rumors

    <h4>Chapter 262: Ron and the Rumors</h4>

    ¡°I didn¡¯t catch any abnormalities. He looked as annoyed as before.¡± Ron raised his head and looked across. ¡°He must be making some plot!¡±

    Malfoy was walking out of the Great Hall among a group of Slytherin students, and before going out he looked back in disgust at the three of them, with malice in his eyes.

    ¡°I can feel that there must be something wrong with him.¡± Harry said with certainty, ¡°He rarely approaches us now, it looks as if he is afraid.¡±

    ¡°Malfoy is afraid, this is really funny!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Ron!¡± Hermione collected the note sent by Hagrid and said disapprovingly, ¡°Harry is right. Malfoy is really scared. However, he is not afraid of the three of us, but he is afraid of Evan.¡±

    ¡°Why should he be afraid of Evan?¡± Ron asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± Hermione hesitated, not sure if she should tell the truth. She finally said vaguely, ¡°You know, Malfoy wanted to find trouble a few days ago, and Evan taught him a good lesson.¡±

    ¡°Just being taught a lesson, got Malfoy so scared?!¡± Harry was stunned. ¡°I never knew he was so timid.¡±

    ¡°There must be something wrong with it, Malfoy won¡¯t be scared unless¡­¡± Ron looked around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping on their conversation before he lowered his voice, ¡°I think I know why, have you both heard of that rumor?¡±

    ¡°What rumor?¡± Hermione asked curiously, because she was busy with her studies, she had been much upiedtely, rarelymunicating with others, and had heard nothing about it.

    ¡°Evan is studying ck magic!¡± Ron¡¯s voice was getting lower and lower. ¡°He must have used ck magic on Malfoy to frighten him. He must have¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron, we¡¯ve talked about this before, and there¡¯s no evidence that Evan¡¯s studying the Dark Arts. It sounds obviously ridiculous.¡± Harry quickly said, ¡°You really believe such lies?¡±

    ¡°But Malfoy¡¯s reaction¡­ and the rumor¡­¡± Ron argued.

    ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. Evan¡¯s magic has always been powerful. It may have caused misunderstandings from others. He must have used other methods to make Malfoy feel scared.¡± Harry said, ¡°Rememberst year¡¯s snake incident? At that time, everyone thought that I was a descendant of Slytherin. Those Hufflepuffs even said that I was more evil than Voldemort. They have always been like this. When they have free time, they love to imagine and spread around baseless rubbish¡­ ¡±

    When he heard Harry mention Voldemort, Ron clearly shivered.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just rumors.¡± I¡¯ve seen Evan¡¯s notes with my own eyes, and there was a terrible pattern on them. It was of a crazy, twisted-looking man whose soul is splitting,¡± he said.

    ¡°Maybe you have read it wrong, even if it is not, a picture can¡¯t exin anything.¡±

    ¡°That is his research note. In addition to the pattern, there were a lot of esoteric words that cannot be drawn casually.¡± Ron gasped and said, ¡°Evan has been secretly studying something, and it must be ck magic. I asked Colin, and he got up many times in the middle of the night to find that Evan was not asleep. He was reading a magic book in his bed. ¡±

    ¡°None of this proves anything¡­¡± Harry said stubbornly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to investigate for more evidence.¡± Ron raised his voice slightly, trying to persuade Harry and make his friends understand the importance of the incident. ¡°Malfoy¡¯s reaction is a lead, and we can use him to find out the truth. Believe me; Evan¡¯s recent behavior is really suspicious. He may be curious and studying some magic that he can¡¯t master. We must stop him. That¡¯s for his own good. ¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to cooperate with Malfoy to investigate Evan?¡± Harry said in amazement.

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving an example. We must determine what Evan is doing. If he is really studying dark magic, we can tell¡­¡± Ron said eagerly.

    ¡°Over the past two years, Evan has proved that he has nothing to do with Dark wizards. I believe in him. Besides, I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with Malfoy.¡± Harry said irritably, ¡°Ron, you must also believe in Evan, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Seeing Harry staring at him, Ron¡¯s eyes dodged a bit, and then he returned to normal, whispering, ¡°Yes, I believe in him!¡±

    ¡°Well, in that case, don¡¯t think about it again. You can go to see us for Quidditch training in a minute, and after that you can ride the Firebolt.¡± Harry seemed relieved and turned to Hermione, who had never spoken. ¡°Hermione, you too, you and Evan both need to rx and breathe some fresh air, and you¡¯ve been putting too much pressure on yourselvestely to keep up with your tasks.¡±

    Hermione subconsciously nodded, still thinking about what Ron had just said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call Evan. He must be reading books in the library or sorting the newspaper articles.¡± Harry handed the Firebolt to Ron and continued. ¡°After breakfast, you two can go to the Quidditch pitch and wait for us.¡±

    When he finished, he hurriedly turned and left, looking a bit flustered.

    The conversation with Ron just made Harry have an ominous presentiment.

    He didn¡¯t know how the unfounded rumors of ¡°Evan is studying ck magic¡± came out. He was very worried because Ron had discussed it with him before. Ron also suggested investigating Evan, and Harry did not agree.

    He tried to persuade Ron to give up on the idea, and Harry wondered if he had listened to what he said.

    Doubting his friends made him feel bad.

    Like he did with Sirius, Harry believed in Evan unconditionally. He couldn¡¯t imagine how bad things would¡¯ve been without him over the past two years, facing the Basilisk, Tom Riddle¡¯s diary, Peter Pettigrew, and so on.

    Even if Evan did, as Ron said, study the dark magic, Harry believed he had sufficient motives and would not do anything bad with it.

    Harry once talked about this with Ron, and since then, thetter had never mentioned it again.

    But it was not long before the rumor began to appear in the castle.

    That was not a good sign; Harry did not want anything bad to happen.

    Since Sirius was proved innocent and became a professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts at school, Harry was very satisfied with his current state of life.

    Sirius said that Harry could move to live with him during the summer vacation.

    Harry could hardly imagine leaving the Dursleys, without scruples to his godfather¡¯s house, where they could invite Evan, Ron, and Hermione.

    He had never been as happy as he was then. He didn¡¯t want to have any idents.

 Chapter 263: Hermioneâ€™s Trust

    <h4>Chapter 263: Hermione¡¯s Trust</h4>

    In the Great Hall, the mood was somewhat awkward.

    Ron and Hermione looked at Harry fading away, and no one spoke.

    Ron said savvy, with a long sigh, ¡°Harry has always been like this, blindly trusting others; he¡¯s always too optimistic.¡±

    Ron turned to look at Hermione as if expecting something.

    ¡°Like Harry, I believe in Evan, too.¡± Hermione repeated, ¡°He¡¯s done a lot to prove that he¡¯s not like an evil Dark wizard¡­¡±

    ¡°I believe in him too. We all believe in him!¡± Ron said ruefully, waving his tableware vigorously. ¡°I know; Evan is very good. He has done a lot of great things I can¡¯t do all my life. But the problem now is that he is just an ordinary person, and he may not be able to resist the temptation of power. The evil ck magic is much stronger than ordinary magic, maybe that¡¯s why he is strong. You understand what I mean, Hermione?¡±

    The more Ron spoke, the more he leaned towards this possibility. If Evan did not study ck magic, how to exin all the magical power he had at such a young age?

    Evan was just an ordinary Muggle-born. He never had any encounter with magic before he came to Hogwarts. If it wasn¡¯t for some special ¡°reasons¡±, he couldn¡¯t have be so powerful so fast, even surpassing all the pure-blood young wizards.

    Ron did not deny that Evan was really hard-working. But with just hard work, he should be at most in Hermione¡¯s league, not more.

    This was very abnormal. He must be studying the evil ck magic secretly. At the thought of this possibility, Ron felt this was more unfair than frightening. In his opinion, Evan was cheating.

    Evan deceived others and got what he should not have.

    Thinking of this, Ron¡¯s breathing became a bit faster. After being saved by Evanst semester, he had intended to give up on all of his wicked thoughts and decided to see Evan as his true friend, just like Harry and Hermione.

    But Ron was ufortable with the thought that Evan might be studying the Dark Arts, and that everyone was blinded, and that he currently got everything. The idea kept creeping into his mind that if he had studied the Dark Arts himself, he might not be much worse than Evan.

    Immense strength, great fame, others¡¯ eyes worship, supreme glory, and the affection of Hermione¡­ All those things were initially out of reach, but there was suddenly a shortcut, and he had just to stretch out his hand to get there.

    Ron had this fantasy, and then shook his head and repeatedly told himself that he would not do it.

    Unlike Evan, he would not degenerate into the study of evil ck magic. Such a thing should be absolutely prohibited.

    Hermione didn¡¯t answer when she heard Ron¡¯s words. She shook her head nkly.

    ¡°I mean, Evan is also likely to make mistakes.¡± Ron was dissatisfied with Hermione¡¯s reaction, and he continued, frowning. ¡°We have to be careful, and if Evan is really working on the Dark Arts now, we have to take action.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Hermione looked scared.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet, but at least I should stop him and publish it so that everyone knows what he¡¯s doing. That¡¯s fair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, Ron!¡± Hermione took a deep breath and made up her mind to say, ¡°If you want to ask others what they think about this, I don¡¯t think Evan¡¯s study of the Dark Arts would be anything to be surprised about. Others would probably think the same, and that¡¯s the main reason why no one believes that ridiculous rumor. We all know what kind of person Evan is. He studies magic not to use it, but to enhance his power against future powerful enemies.¡±

    ¡°What a noble reason. What enemies does he need to face?¡± Ron scorned and said, ¡°Pettigrew has been caught. This is HOGWARTS. Dumbledore is HERE. How could there be any enemies?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget the prophecy that Evan told us the other day in the Christmas holidays?¡± Hermione said, ¡°Voldemort wille back, and he will be stronger than ever, with the help of some chosen one.¡±

    ¡°You mean the prophecy made by Professor Trwney, I thought you never believed it?!¡± Ron waved indifferently. ¡°We all know she¡¯s faking it again, bluffing Evan to make Christmas more exciting.¡±

    ¡°Professor Trwney may be a liar, but you can¡¯t deny that she might make a real prophecy.¡± Hermione continued, trying to persuade Ron, ¡°Besides this, Evan mentioned the Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders. There must be something they knew wasing that made them leave something behind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that Evan himself is the one who said that he had seen it, or that he had returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago. No one can guarantee it¡¯s true.¡± Ron said stubbornly, ¡°Even if the Four Founders really left any magic items, it¡¯s another matter if they would work properly. After all, it¡¯s been so long, any kind of magic should be ineffective! ¡±

    ¡°But Evan said that in the Centaur¡¯s colony in the Forbidden Forest¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic, Hermione. We¡¯re all talking about Evan doing research on the Dark Arts. It¡¯s not about the Four Founders or the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Ron looked at Hermione and said expectantly, ¡°Come with me to look for evidence, Hermione. I¡¯m sure Evan¡¯s working on the Dark Arts. We can go and uncover him. I feel like I¡¯m on the verge of getting to the truth.¡±

    ¡°No, whatever it is, I believe in Evan!¡± Hermione repeated again, with a firm voice.

    There was no need for any evidence. What Ron said, Evan had already told her about it, and she had also made her decision.

    ¡°I know, I believe in him too!¡± Ron stood up straight and said violently. ¡°I can¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the matter with you two? Look at you and Harry. It looks like I am doing the wrong thing again. I¡¯m just kind enough to remind you that if you¡¯re not careful, you¡¯ll probably regret it in the future. ¡±

    Attracted by Ron¡¯s cry, everyone in the Great Hall turned to him in surprise, wondering what had happened and what he was talking about.

    Feeling everyone¡¯s gaze, Ron sat down with a red face, and ears as red as bricks.

    A few secondster, seeing Hermione¡¯s unchanged eyes, he was like a deted balloon, powerlessly saying, ¡°Well, maybe you¡¯re right, I¡¯m just too sensitive. You know, because when ites to ck magic, I want to be more careful. ¡°

    ¡°I understand what you mean, Ron!¡± Hermione patted Ron¡¯s shoulder andforted him. ¡°We really should be careful. I will persuade Evan. But I still say that I believe in him. He promised me that he would never let me down. ¡±

    The corner of Gryffindor¡¯s long table was quiet again, and neither Ron nor Hermione spoke. They ate breakfast silently.

    The two of them seemed to have their worries and didn¡¯t know what the other was thinking.

 Chapter 264: The Marauderâ€™s Map Making Process

    <h4>Chapter 264: The Marauder¡¯s Map Making Process</h4>

    Before Harry found him, Evan was in Sirius¡¯s office discussing the matter of the Centaurs and the item they had.

    After talking to Firenze that night, he became sure that it was the key to Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure. The only thing that he did not expect was that it would be split.

    Anyway, Evan needed to get that thing.

    In his n, this was a key to enhance his magical power.

    Lack of magic had be the biggest constraint to Evan¡¯s strength.

    If his magic could not be improved, even if he gathered more knowledge, knowing the magic spells that were more powerful, it was just mere talk, with no practical value.

    Evan couldn¡¯t wait for his magic to grow with age, like any other wizard. He had no time.

    Voldemort was likely toe back at any time. He had to be prepared.

    He saved Sirius and the future had changed. He could no longer rely on Voldemort being defeated and killed for using the wrong wand. He had to take a more practical approach.

    Dumbledore had his n, and Evan also had his own ideas. In this case, Gryffindor¡¯s magical item that would enhance his magic was particrly important, not to mention that it was one of the keys to a secret treasure.

    Sirius had promised to help Evan win the approval of the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    They were discussing this matter; and Sirius told Evan how he had been recognized by the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    ¡°You know, during our student days, I worked with James, Remus, and Peter to make the Marauder¡¯s Map.¡± Sirius proudly said, ¡°That Map not only shows the names of everyone in Hogwarts, but also has the simple thoughts of the four of us. Only those who satisfy our requirements can use it. When someone like Snape touches it, it would just humiliate them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really amazing. I¡¯ve studied that map. It involves a veryplicated and esoteric knowledge of magic.¡± Evan said with amazement, ¡°Especially when names are disyed on the map, this magic has gone far beyond the general sense of magic.¡±

    ¡°About that magic, I found a book in the Restricted Section, the one above¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, ¡°the Magic of the Names.¡± Evan took out a magic book from his backpack,ughed and said, ¡°I just borrowed it a few days ago. I saw the research notes on it. These notes gave me a lot of inspiration.¡±

    When he studied the dark magic of summoning a devil in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±, Evan came up with the magic book about names.

    ording to the book, the key to summon a devil is to know their real name. Only by knowing the real name can the caster enve the summoned devil. Otherwise the one doing the summoning would be killed by it, or controlled by the Devil to be the ve himself.

    Evan was very skeptical of this magic. He did not believe in the existence of devils.

    He had never seen any records of this ancient ck magic in any other ce except the one recorded in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±.

    He didn¡¯t know what he would summon with this ck magic!

    However, based on this, it was a good opportunity to study the magic of the names.

    As for the magic of summoning the devil, Evan estimated that he would never use it in his life.

    Like making a Horcrux and the previous ck magic that caused damage to the soul, summoning the devil required a sacrifice. In the summoning method described in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Arts¡±, the caster is required to kill a person with a special spell when summoning.

    The soul of that man is a sacrifice. Different souls can summon different degrees of devils, in short, the more evil the caster¡¯s methods are, the more painful the sacrifice is when it dies, and the more powerful the summons are.

    This evil magic sounds chilling.

    Sirius took Evan¡¯s magic book and smiled bitterly. ¡°I knew there was nothing to hide from you!¡±

    For Evan¡¯s omniscience, he had changed from shock to numbness.

    Looking at the thin boy in front of him, Sirius shook his head helplessly.

    When he was running away, he once managed to escape the pursuit of the Ministry of Magic.

    But just seconds after meeting Evan on that Muggle Street, he recognized him, which was simply too incredible.

    Perhaps that was what made Evan different.

    Sirius remembered his conversation with Dumbledore before, and he looked at Evan again from head to toe. If no incident took ce, he believed that Evan would eventually grow up to be a great wizard like Dumbledore.

    ¡°I¡¯ve studied this book and your notes carefully, and it¡¯s clear that names are magical, but it¡¯s very difficult to mark the names of everyone in Hogwarts on a piece of parchment.¡± Evan frowned. ¡°Not to mention, the four of you have merged your simple thoughts into the Marauder¡¯s Map. To do this, magic theory is secondary and, what¡¯s most crucial is very, very powerful magic.¡±

    ¡°Your analysis is absolutely correct. If it was in ss, it would grant Gryffindor fifty points.¡± Sirius put the magic book aside, smiled and said, ¡°You guessed it. None of the four of us could do it by their own magic.¡±

    ¡°I heard Professor Lupin mention that you got the help of the item collected by the Centaurs¡¯ colony, which had powerful magic.¡± Evan said, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know!¡± Sirius shook his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t see the shape of that thing. I remember that it was a night when, under the starlight, it reflected a soft light and had a very strong magic power.¡±

    ¡°Light?!¡± Evan was surprised.

    ¡°Yes, the magic in those rays was incredible.¡± Sirius recalled, ¡°The four of us, following the Centaurs, went up in turn and tried to get the object, but no one seeded. Finally, before we left, James suggestedpleting the Marauder¡¯s Map there. We had been studying it for a long time, and we did not find a source of magic that¡¯s powerful enough. The parchment used to make the map was James¡¯s spell ss assignment, and fortunately he had it on him at that time.¡±

    Listening to Sirius¡¯s description, Evan could imagine the whole process of making the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    Since even Sirius didn¡¯t know what the key left by Gryffindor was, then Evan could only see it with his own eyes.

    The crucial question was, how could he get the approval of the Centaurs?!

 Chapter 265: The Centaursâ€™ Recognition

    <h4>Chapter 265: The Centaurs¡¯ Recognition</h4>

    In the office, Sirius told Evan how they got into the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest and how they got their recognition.

    ¡°Because Remus was a werewolf, I started learning Animagus with James and Peter. It didn¡¯t work out as smoothly as it did for you; it took us exactly three years to do that.¡± Sirius said to Evan, ¡°In our fifth year, we learned to transform. Since then, before the full moon, we three went to the Shrieking Shack in our Animagus forms with Remus who became a werewolf.¡±

    ¡°Werewolves do not attack animals?!¡±

    ¡°Werewolves are dangerous only to humans and do not attack other animals.¡± Sirius recalled, a smile on his lips.¡±At first, the four of us were just staying in the Shrieking Shack, but there was nothing there. It was too boring. Since we were able to transform, we soon left and wandered around the school grounds, in the castle, in the depths of the Forbidden Forest, and in Hogsmeade at night. At that time, we were very excited and we nned our adventures for every month, and then proceeded ording to the n.¡±

    With Sirius¡¯s description, a scene appeared in Evan¡¯s mind.

    Late at night, four animals ventured through the ancient, mysterious Hogwarts to dig into the unknown secrets of the school.

    From the number of secret passages marked on the Marauder¡¯s Map, it was obvious that Sirius had gone to many ces at that time, almost all over Hogwarts.

    ¡°In the second half of the fifth year, I remember that it was around May; we saved a Centaur during one of our adventure. While he was hunting, he was injured by a violent Graphorn and he was badly hurt. We drove away the Graphorn. After thanking us, he invited the four of us to the Centaur¡¯s colony in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.¡±

    Though Sirius was understating the incident, Evan knew how great it must have been.

    The Centaurs had always had little affection for wizards. They did not allow humans to wander into the Forbidden Forest, and would never allow them to visit their colonies.

    However, the Centaurs had extra preferential treatment for human children. Besides, the Centaur that Sirius had rescued must have been particrly injured, so they had the opportunity to take him back to his colony.

    Because of the long-term study of the potions, Evan was very familiar with the Graphorn.

    Powdered horns of Graphorn are used in many potions and are an essential material.

    But it¡¯s immensely expensive due to the difficulty in collecting it.

    It was very clear to Evan, how hard it was to defeat a violent Graphorn.

    After all, the Graphorn is a massive hump-backed magical animal, with grayish-purple skin tougher than that of dragons. It has two very long, sharp horns and walks onrge, four-thumbed feet.

    In the past, wizards often saw mountain trolls riding on Graphorns in an attempt to tame them. However, this was in vain, and the Graphorn was extremely aggressive, so it wasmon to see a troll covered with scars of wounds inflicted by Graphorns.

    The poor Centaur who was rescued by Sirius must have been badly hurt. It was better to invite Sirius and his friends to the Centaurs¡¯ colony than to ask them to go back. Otherwise, the Centaur would have probably died midway.

    ¡°It is a big colony, and the houses inside are different frommon ones.¡± Sirius had crossed his hands and continued, ¡°In the center of the colony, there is a magnificent temple built with cyan rocks. It looks very ancient, covered with green vines, very spectacr.¡±

    ¡°Temple?!¡± Evan repeated it gently.

    Certainly, what Gryffindor left was in that temple.

    Unable to exin why, Evan remembered Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy: In the dark temple full of taboos, the magic of the Dark Lord would mark the chosen person, who would help him return and regain unimaginable power.

    The dark temple full of taboos, would it be the one in the Centaurs¡¯ colony?!

    Evan suddenly had an ominous hunch, as if something big was going to happen.

    ¡°In order to thank us for saving the Centaur, they decided to repay us.¡± Sirius did not notice anything unusual about Evan, he continued. ¡°After some discussion, they told us that there was an item left by Gryffindor himself in their colony. ording to the agreement of their ancestors and Gryffindor, we could enter the temple and try to get the item¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, Sirius!¡± Evan hurriedly interrupted. ¡°You haven¡¯t said how to get the recognition of the Centaurs?¡±

    ¡°It seems to be rted to astrology.¡± Sirius scratched his head and said in some embarrassment, ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t know what was going on. I remember a couple of very old centaurs looking up at the stars for a long time and then saying that the four of us were connected to some fate and qualified to be recognized by them.¡±

    Astrology, omens, fate?!

    The Centaurs¡¯ recognition was all too vague!

    However, Evan bowed his head and thought it over. It all seemed to go along well with Centaur¡¯s methods.

    For a long time, they had persistently observed the orbit of thes to unscramble the illusory fate and future.

    Evan did not know if they could really see fate, but when it came astrology and divination, the Centaurs apparently formed their own distinctive theoretical system.

    ording to Sirius, Evan did not need to do anything to get the approval of the Centaurs. He had only to go to the Centaurs¡¯ colony and ask them to look up at the stars in the night sky to see the final oue.

    It sounded absurd, but it was the case indeed.

    Evan suddenly remembered the night he was hunting Peter Pettigrew, the Centaur Firenze he met in the Forbidden Forest, and what he told him about the signs that Mars gave, and the people chosen by fate¡­

    He didn¡¯t understand it at the time, and thinking about it, what Firenze said reflected Sirius¡¯s experience.

    Did that mean that Evan had already been recognized by the Centaurs?!

    Evan carefully recalled what Firenze had said at the time. He remembered that Firenze told him that thes would give a clear omen to those who were chosen by fate. The elders of the Centaurs would make a clear request and ask him to do something for them.

    Sirius saved a Centaur at the time, and the showed that they were rted to this so-called fate, so they could enter the temple.

    The burning question was, what would the Centaurs make Evan do?!

    He discussed with Sirius for a while and did note to a clear answer.

    ¡°All in all, one had to try to know.¡± Sirius concluded, ¡°After the Quidditch match tomorrow, I can take you to the Centaurs¡¯ colony. We can take Harry, Ron and Hermione as well. Let the three of them also go and see.¡±

 Chapter 266: Quidditch Training

    <h4>Chapter 266: Quidditch Training</h4>

    Evan left Sirius¡¯s office and headed for the library, thinking about the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    Since he was going to the colony the following day, he had to be prepared.

    In order to ensure that, Evan was going to the library to study the trend of the constetion in recent days, and see what it stood for. He remembered that there were some magic books in the library that specifically introduced the astrology of the Centaurs, which coulde in handy.

    Also, he had to inform Harry, Ron and Hermione about this as soon as possible.

    A few minutester, Evan had just arrived at the door of the library when he saw Harry panting out of it. Behind him, Madam Pince, the librarian, was shouting harshly, and she was scolding Harry for running around the library.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Evan said in amazement, reaching out to stop Harry.

    ¡°I, I am looking for you, Evan!¡± Harry replied with a gasp.

    ¡°Very nice, I am also looking for you.¡± Evan looked around. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°You remember the other day, in the Burrow when I told you, Ron, and Hermione about the Secret Treasures left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts?¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t expect Evan to say that. He froze, looked serious, and nodded carefully.

    ¡°ording to my reasoning, the treasure key left by Gryffindor is kept in the Centaurs¡¯ colony deep in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Evan said, ¡°I just talked to Sirius, he is going to take us four to the Centaurs¡¯ colony tomorrow evening.¡±

    Harry seemed surprised when he heard Evan¡¯s words.

    It took him a long time to understand what Evan meant.

    ¡°You mean the magic item that was kept in the Centaurs¡¯ colony and left behind by Gryffindor himself to enhance magic?!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Tomorrow night, Sirius will take us four to the Forbidden Forest to look for it?!¡±

    After seeing Evan nod and confirm, Harry became more and more excited.

    It was the greatest adventure to be able to explore the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest, to find what Gryffindor himself had left behind, to explore a mystery that had not been solved for a thousand years.

    It took a while before Harry calmed down.

    ¡°Tell Ron and Hermione about this and let them both get prepared.¡± Evan continued, ¡°By the way, you just said you were looking for me. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I hope you can go to the pitch with me to see Gryffindor¡¯sst training before the game.¡± Harry said excitedly, ¡°Ron and Hermione are there too. You can talk to them about this.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, Harry, you tell them both.¡± Evan hurriedly said, ¡°I still have something to do, I am going to the library to study the trajectory of the nearest constetion. It¡¯s very helpful to understand the Centaurs.¡±

    ¡°When the training is over, we can study together. Let¡¯s go, Evan. Ron and Hermione are waiting for us on the field!¡± Harry didn¡¯t seem to hear Evan¡¯s refusal, he couldn¡¯t help but push him to the direction of the Quidditch pitch. ¡°You can¡¯t always remain in the library. You need to rx and breathe fresh air!¡±

    ¡°All right!¡± Evan thought about it. He really needed Hermione¡¯s help.

    His astrology was not particrly good, and Hermione might be able to give some professional advice on this. Many parts of arithmetic divination involveary orbits, and Hermione had been observing and recording them for a whole year.

    It was known that Hermione¡¯s divination scores were the best of Hogwarts.

    Evan was dragged to the Quidditch pitch by Harry. He stood on the edge of the field. They were forming a circle and listening to Madam Hooch¡¯s exnation of the Firebolt.

    Madam Hooch was just as impressed with the Firebolt as everyone else had been.

    She took it in her hands and gave them the benefit of her professional opinion.

    ¡°Look at the bnce it has! If the Nimbus series has a fault, it¡¯s a slight list to the tail end. You often find they develop a drag after a few years. They¡¯ve updated the handle too, a bit slimmer than the Cleansweeps, reminds me of the old Silver Arrows; a pity they¡¯ve stopped making them. I learned to fly on one, and it was a very fine broom too¡­¡±

    She continued in this vein for some time, until Wood interrupted her. Madam Hooch returned the Firebolt to Harry, and went to the edge of the stands and sat down.

    Wood conveyed the tactics to the yers. Evan waved to Ron and Hermione. The three of them climbed to the top of the stands and found a ce where no one was sitting down.

    In the center of the field, the Gryffindors Quidditch yers kicked off from the ground.

    Evan saw Harry flying in the air with the Firebolt. He was very fast, almost like the wind, and could see only a vague shadow.

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m letting the Snitch out!¡± Wood called, standing in the middle of the field and waving to Harry in the air.

    As soon as his words were finished, Harry turned sharply from the sky.

    He looked like he had no weight. He went into a perfectly controlled dive, brushing the grassy field with his toes, then he stopped abruptly, with a slight twinkle of his shadow, shed out of Wood¡¯s back and grabbed the newly released Snitch.

    The whole process took less than ten seconds.

    On the pitch, there were the deafening cheers of the Gryffindor team, Harry let the Snitch go again, gave it a minute¡¯s head start, then tore after it, weaving in and out of the others; he spotted it lurking near Katie Bell¡¯s knee, looped her easily, and caught it again.

    ¡°Great, the Firebolt is the best!¡± Ron screamed. ¡°Come on, Harry, we will win tomorrow!¡±

    Hermione was very happy to see Harry¡¯s performance.

    The two of them looked as usual, but Evan was keenly capturing the faint tension and weirdness of the air. What must have been born between Ron and Hermione? They almost never looked at each other¡¯s eyes.

    Evan shook his head, not thinking too much.

    In his opinion, that was how Ron and Hermione were. It was too normal for both of them to quarrel.

    But most of the time, Hermione was right.

    Evan stood at the top of the stands and looked at the Forbidden Forest in the distance.

    It was as quiet as ever; not even a bird could be seen. Looking into this green sea, the towering trees at its edge barely left anything to be seen.

    As the oldest living creatures in the Forbidden Forest, the Centaurs had been there for so long, and before Hogwarts was established, their footprints spread all over thend.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what they would ask him to do. Thinking of Firenze¡¯s mncholic expression when he left, his feeling of uneasiness gradually increased.

    He also thought of Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy that Voldemort would mark the chosen person in the temple, perhaps the ce where the Centaurs used to preserve the key to Gryffindor¡¯s secret treasure.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to expect next, and he shook his head hard.

 Chapter 267: The upcoming Quidditch Match

    <h4>Chapter 267: The uing Quidditch Match</h4>

    Evan then told Ron and Hermione about his discussion with Sirius, the treasure key left by Gryffindor preserved in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, his spections about the Centaurs and the item, and the ns for the night of the following day.

    After he finished speaking, the two of them reacted like Harry. They were very surprised.

    Ron seemed to have been struck by lightning, and Hermione covered her mouth with both hands.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. We are actually going to find the magical item left by Gryffindor in the Centaurs¡¯ colony.¡± After a few seconds, she dropped her hands and said, ¡°You just said that the Centaurs would ask us to do something. What do we need to do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°Nobody knows what the Centaurs will ask for, but I think it is necessary to know more about astrology.¡±

    ¡°I have a whole semester constetion observations, and I remember in the library¡­¡± Hermione was trying to sort out the information at hand when hearing that knowledge in astrology was needed.

    ¡°The magic item preserved in the Centaurs¡¯ colony is the secret treasure key left by Gryffindor himself?¡± Ron asked uncertainly.

    He didn¡¯t fully believe in Evan like Hermione, although Evan had repeated it many times before.

    But until then, Ron had been skeptical about the Four Founders of the school leaving their treasures.

    He thought it was Evan¡¯s fabrication to divert their attention.

    Ron was fixated on the thought that Evan was studying the Dark Arts, and the more he looked at Evan, the more suspicious he became. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t calm down.

    ¡°I think so. That item was indeed handed down by Gryffindor himself, and it is exactly in line with the tips on the wall of the Chamber of Secrets about the Treasure Keys.¡± Evan said cautiously, ¡°But this is just spection. There¡¯s no guarantee that anything will happen until you see it with your own eyes.¡±

    ¡°That magic item¡­¡± Ron said suspiciously. ¡°Professor Lupin said before that it had great power. Can it help a wizard improve his magic?¡±

    ¡°It should. It¡¯s a legendary magic item.¡±

    ¡°When you get it, will you be very powerful?¡± Ron murmured.

    He didn¡¯t talk any more. He looked down and didn¡¯t know what to think.

    On the stands, Evan and Hermione went on to talk about constetions,ary trajectories, etc. They also spected on the requirements that the Centaurs might ask.

    Time flew as Evan and Hermione talked, and by the time Harry finished training, night had fallen.

    Madam Hooch urged everyone to hurry back to the castle. Ron didn¡¯t ride the Firebolt. He followed Harry gloomily, listening to him, Evan and Hermione talking about the Centaurs and the Secret Treasure Key left by Gryffindor¡­.

    When he reached the castle gate, he seemed determined.

    He took a deep breath and gave Evan aplicated gaze. He quickly moved his eyes before others noticed him.

    By the time he walked into the Great Hall, he hadpletely recovered.

    In fact, like Ron, it took Harry and Hermione a long time to fully digest the news and gradually calm down.

    Harry, in particr, was thrilled to think of his adventure in the depths of the Forbidden Forest the following night, and it was even more interesting to him than the uing Quidditch match.

    Just as he entered the Great Hall, Evan saw Hagrid sitting at the table.

    He was talking to Sirius and seemed to be more excited than everyone else.

    He beckoned to them and came up with a tearful look, wiping his tears with a handkerchief as big as a tablecloth, and smiling at the four of them.

    ¡°You all know, we won thewsuit!¡± Hagrid said happily. ¡°Buckbeak was acquitted. They thought it was an ident. Lucius Malfoy¡¯s im was withdrawn.¡±

    ¡°Great, Hagrid!¡± Hermione stepped forward and hugged him.

    ¡°Thanks to your help, this verdict is there.¡± Hagrid, in turn, embracing them, wiping his tears, said cheerfully, ¡°Evan, Hermione, especially the two of you, if it hadn¡¯t been for your help, I couldn¡¯t imagine what the consequences would have been. You saved Buckbeak, and I don¡¯t know how to repay you¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing needs to be done. Buckbeak was originally wronged. We just said the truth.¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, Hagrid gulped heavily. He was too excited, and he hugged Evan so hard that he could hardly breathe.

    The evening atmosphere was undoubtedly pleasant, and everyone except the gloomy Malfoy felt happy about what happened for Hagrid.

    After dinner, Evan and Sirius talked for a while, and then went to the library to look up a lot of information about centaurs and astrology.

    It was not until eleven o¡¯clock that everyone went back to sleep.

    The next morning, when Evan and Colin went downstairs to have breakfast, almost all the young wizards in the school were whispering excitedly.

    They were looking at the Gryffindor table and staring at Harry¡¯s Firebolt.

    It was Harry¡¯s first game since he got the Firebolt, and they looked forwards to the Firebolt¡¯s effect, with a hint of anticipation and enthusiasm in their eyes.

    The Slytherins, on the other hand, seemed to be thunderstruck, because Wood asked Harry to keep it secret, they just got the news.

    ¡°Look at Malfoy¡¯s face!¡± Colin said happily, and pulled Evan¡¯s sleeve motioning him to look back at the shocked Malfoy.

    All Gryffindor House students were proud, as if they had already won the game, and even Wood was basking in the reflected glory of the Firebolt.

    ¡°Put it here, Harry,¡± he said,ying the broom in the middle of the table and carefully turning it so its name faced upward.

    People from the Ravenw and Hufflepuff tables were sooning over to look. Cedric Diggory came over to congratte Harry on having acquired such a superb recement for his Nimbus, and Percy¡¯s Ravenw girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, asked if she could actually hold the Firebolt.

    ¡°Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!¡± Percy said heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely.

    Hearing his words, Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry and went back to her table.

    ¡°Penelope and I have a bet on.¡± When Penelope was not paying attention, Percy whispered to Evan and Harry. ¡°Ten Galleons on the oue of the match! Make sure to win, Harry, I haven¡¯t got ten Galleons¡­¡±

 Chapter 268: Dating Ravenclawâ€™s Seeker

    <h4>Chapter 268: Dating Ravenw¡¯s Seeker</h4>

    After a while, Sirius also came over to cheer for Harry.

    After knowing that the Firebolt was a Christmas gift from Sirius to Harry, the mood on Gryffindor¡¯s long table reached its climax.

    The young wizards talked excitedly and envied Harry.

    Malfoy was standing in front of the door with a gloomy face, as everyone left the Great Hall, gathering around Harry and the Firebolt. He seemed intentionally waiting there.

    ¡°Sure you can manage that broom, Potter?¡± Malfoy said in a cold, drawling voice, staring at Harry¡¯s broom closely.

    ¡°Yeah, reckon so,¡± said Harry casually.

    ¡°Got plenty of special features, hasn¡¯t it?¡± said Malfoy, eyes glittering maliciously. ¡°Shame it doesn¡¯te with a parachute to stop you from falling down.¡±

    Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered.

    It was reminiscent of Gryffindor¡¯sst Quidditch game against Hufflepuff when Harry fell off the broomstick because of the Dementors.

    ¡°Pity you can¡¯t attach an extra arm to yours, Malfoy!¡± Harry replied bluntly. ¡°Then it could catch the Snitch for you.¡±

    The Gryffindor teamughed loudly. Malfoy¡¯s pale eyes narrowed even more. He stepped forward and clenched his fists tightly as if wanting to hit Harry.

    Then he saw Evaning just behind his opponent.

    Malfoy stopped abruptly, with a flicker of uncontrolled fear on his face, and he remembered the terrible magic Evan had used on him that night.

    He stepped back inexpicably, he instinctively felt fear, and this Gryffindor second-year Mudblood was too wicked.

    He did not want to provoke Evan before everything was cleared up.

    ¡°Hold on to your broomstick, Potter, today you¡¯ll have thest flight of your life.¡± Malfoy threatened evilly and turned and walked away slowly.

    ¡°What does he mean?¡± Hermione looked at Evan, trying to understand, ¡°I thought he would not approach to us anymore!¡±

    ¡°Vain provocation!¡± Ron didn¡¯t care, ¡°After Hagrid and Buckbeak were acquitted and he knew that Harry had a Firebolt, he must be mad. Look at the shocked expression on his face.¡±

    ¡°Malfoy can¡¯t believe I got a Firebolt. This is the happiest day of my semester!¡±Harry nodded approvingly, and said happily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, he¡¯s bluffing, he won¡¯t ¡­¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Better watch out, Malfoy has a plot.¡± Evan warned, ¡°Just in case, in the game, you should keep your wand on you.¡±

    Evan remembered thest time he went to Hogsmeade; he heard Malfoy talking to Goyle and Crabbe in the Honeydukes Sweetshop. Just before he kicked Malfoy, in Harry¡¯s Invisibility cloak into the Jelly slugs¡¯ barrel, he heard him talking about wearing cloaks as Dementors to frighten Harry in the game.

    Although this should have little impact on Harry, protection was really necessary.

    After a few minutes, everyone separated outside the castle gate.

    Evan, Ron, Colin, Hermione, and Ginny went to the stands to find a spot, and Harry followed the Gryffindor team to the locker rooms.

    The weather couldn¡¯t have been more different from their match against Hufflepuff. It was a clear, cool day with a very light breeze; there should be no visibility problems this time.

    Evan sat in the noisy stadium, and the rest of the school sat down in session. He greeted people he knew. The most exotic outfit was Luna¡¯s. She had arge blue crystal ne on her neck. It was particrly conspicuous outside her ck school robes. It was matched with her silver-gray eyes and looked particrly ethereal.

    ¡°It¡¯s a blue crystal. It can bring good luck and help Ravenw win the game.¡± Luna sat down beside Evan and said in a trance, ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very helpful. After knowing Harry got a Firebolt, Ravenw actually gave up. Everyone talked for a long timest night, studying strategies and tactics, but atst they had no good ideas and went back to the bedroom one by one in frustration.¡±

    Evan saw the Ravenw yers silent in the pitch, as the Firebolt should absolutely mop the floor with the other brooms.

    Needless to say, among the four Houses, Harry was the best Seeker.

    In today¡¯s game, the confrontation between the two Houses was no longer important. All focus had been shifted to the Firebolt and Harry¡¯s performance.

    Topics andments about the Firebolt could be heard everywhere. The young wizards were excited to talk and cheer, and Evan was excited by the mood around him, which was characteristic of a Quidditch game.

    On his left, Luna did not return to Ravenw¡¯s stands.

    She was not interested in the game, but she shared with Evan thetest research oues rted to the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

    After the newspaper¡¯s financial sess, Evan also sponsored Luna with a lot of Galleons to support her research on the Blibbering Humdinger and the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

    After that, she regrly reported to Evan on her research progress and thetest developments.

    Although Evan was totally uninterested in those things, Luna seemed not to care. Looking at her, it seemed that she simply wanted to speak to him.

    On Evan¡¯s right, Hermione was holding a thick magic book rted to the Centaurs¡¯ astrology, and was busy reading it quickly.

    Unlike Evan, Harry and Ron, she was very worried about the adventure of going to the Centaurs¡¯ colony tonight for fear of any ident.

    She advised Evan to get prepared. Between the previous night and the game, she quickly read a lot of information about the Centaurs.

    Among the young wizards of Hogwarts, she had the most knowledge on Centaurs.

    More than 10 minutester, the Quidditch teams of the two Houses, Gryffindor and Ravenw, officially appeared. Under the deafening cheers and thunderous apuse, the Ravenw team, dressed in blue, took the lead.

    They all rode old-fashioned Cleansweep Sevens, but they were very skilled and their technique was very good. They flew low around the stadium full of spectators.

    A few secondster, Evan felt that someone had stopped above him. He looked up in surprise and saw Cho Chang smiling and waving at him, looking very cute.

    After Evan greeting her back, she quickly flew to the center of the pitch.

    ¡°Cho asked me about you!¡± Luna suddenly said. She smiled and looked at Evan.

    Evan didn¡¯t smile. He felt that Hermione, who had been reading by his side, followed the subject and looked up, seeming very interested.

    ¡°Why did she ask about Evan?!¡± Hermione said casually, her eyes narrowing and looking at Cho that had fallen to the center of the field.

    Cho was shaking hands with Harry, and Harry seemed to be very excited and looked a bit clumsy.

    ¡°Probably worshipping Evan, she wants to date him or something!¡± Luna said in her own unique voice. ¡°It¡¯s not just Cho, many girls are asking about Evan. He is now the most popr person in school.¡±

    Hearing Luna¡¯s praise, Evan¡¯s face turned red.

    He didn¡¯t know that he was so popr, but if like Luna said, Cho asked him out on a date, should he agree?!

    Seeing the beautiful girl in the center of the field, Evan¡¯s thoughts gradually became chaotic.

 Chapter 269: Malfoyâ€™s Stupidity

    <h4>Chapter 269: Malfoy¡¯s Stupidity</h4>

    Hermione squinted slightly and looked at Cho with vignce.

    Then, she looked back at Evan next to her. Because of Luna¡¯s words, Evan seemed to be lost. He looked, with a red face, at Ravenw¡¯s Seeker.

    Hermione hummed and unconsciously closed the magic book at hand and mmed it on Evan¡¯sp.

    With that bang, Evan came back to himself; he turned his head and looked at Hermione.

    Hermione didn¡¯t look at him, she was talking to Ginny.

    Evan scratched his head and didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    Seeing his stunned and overwhelmed appearance, Ginny and Luna, who had just witnessed the whole matter, couldn¡¯t help but secretly giggle.

    In the middle of the pitch, after Wood and Ravenw¡¯s captain Davies shook hands, with the whistle of Madam Hooch, the game officially began.

    All the yers kicked off into the air, and Evan looked up to find Harry. He saw a red shadow sweeping high.

    He heard Lee Jordan¡¯sment on the game. Jordan was the game¡¯smentator. He was a friend of Fred and George, and they could often be seen together.

    ¡°They¡¯re off, and the big highlight of this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor.¡± Jordan shouted excitedly. ¡°This is a Christmas gift from Professor ck to Harry. ording to ¡°Which Broomstick¡°, The Firebolt¡¯s going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year¡¯s World Championship ¡­¡±

    ¡°Jordan, would you mind telling us what¡¯s going on in the match?¡± Professor McGonagall¡¯s prating voice interrupted, and could be heard by the whole audience.

    ¡°Right you are, professor¡­ just giving a bit of background information. The Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and¡­¡±

    ¡°Jordan!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal¡­¡±

    Evan looked quickly at Ravenw¡¯s goal posts and saw Harry flying there, too, very fast. He was looking around for the Golden Snitch.

    Cho noticed that as well and was tailing him closely.

    She was a good seeker, although not as good as Harry, but she kept cutting across him, forcing him to change direction.

    Because of Cho¡¯s disturbance, Harry lost track of the Snitch.

    At that moment, Katie got seeded in scoring the first goal of the match, and the Gryffindor end of the field went wild, and Evan heard deafening voices.

    In the cheers, the Gryffindor team became more and more brave, and the score gap was getting bigger and bigger.

    ¡°Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter¡¯s really putting it through its paces now, see it turn¡­ Chang¡¯s Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt¡¯s precision-bnce is really noticeable in this long¡­¡±

    ¡°JORDAN!¡± Professor McGonagall said, ¡°ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!¡±

    The game was very intense. Ravenw was pulling back; they had now scored three goals, which put Gryffindor only fifty points ahead.

    If Cho got the Snitch before Harry, Ravenw would win.

    The key to Gryffindor¡¯s victory was entirely in Harry¡¯s hands, but he now seemed a little tied up, and every time Cho came up to stop him, he had to shift direction to avoid collision.

    ¡°HARRY, THIS IS NO TIME TO BE A GENTLEMAN!¡± When he saw Harry¡¯s performance, Wood roared. Most of the pitch could hear his voice. ¡°WE WANT TO WIN THE GAME. KNOCK HER OFF HER BROOM IF YOU HAVE TO!¡±

    Hearing his shouts, there was a buzzing sound in the stadium below.

    Cho¡¯s broom stopped in front of Harry, and she grinned as if they had exchanged a few words.

    Then, Harry turned the Firebolt and let it rise. Soon he was twenty feet above the field, and everyone could only see him flying straight into the thick clouds.

    Cho was following him, she¡¯d decided to mark him rather than search for the Snitch herself.

    Harry made a fake action. He pretended that he saw the Snicker and dived again. Cho hurriedly turned the broomstick and wanted to keep up with him. Harry pulled out of the dive sharply, and she hurtled downward.

    Harry rose fast as a bullet once more, and then really saw it. The Snitch was glittering way above the field at the Ravenw end.

    Followed by Cho who had also seen the Snitch, and was a few feet closer than Harry, They both flew forward, racing against time¡­

    The audience held their breath, and now was the critical moment.

    The Firebolt¡¯s superioritypletely came out, and Harry was as fast as the wind.

    He passed Cho, getting closer to the Snitch, his fingertips were about to touch it, and Gryffindor was about to win the game.

    Just then, Cho suddenly pointed her finger to the ground below. She let out a cry of surprise, as if she had seen something, and everyone looked down.

    Distracted, Harry looked down.

    In the direction of Cho¡¯s finger, three tall, ck, hooded Dementors were seen running into the Quidditch field. They were looking up at Harry.

    There was a scream in the stands, and all the young wizards took a breath of air.

    They didn¡¯t understand what was going on. The Dementors had evacuated Hogwarts and returned to Azkaban. Why did they appear on the field?

    Out of instinctive fear, the young wizards felt subconsciously afraid and the scene was chaotic.

    Because of Cho, Hermione, who had been secretly angry and did not n to talk to Evan, was now subconsciously close to him, her small face full of tension.

    Unlike other people, Evan saw at a nce that the three guys below were not Dementors, but Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle!

    They should be pretending to be Dementors to scare Harry, so that he could be distracted, or so that he falls of the broomstick out of fear likest time.

    Malfoy was really stupid enough to pull off such a silly prank. Evan waspletely speechless. He didn¡¯t know what to say. He wondered where Malfoy¡¯s IQ had gone. !

    Last time, he was at the stairway to ambush him. This time, he thought of dressing up as a Dementor to frighten Harry in front of the Wizarding School.

    Couldn¡¯t he use his brain before acting?!

    In the surrounding panic, Evan pulled out his wand as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Expecto Patronum!¡± he shouted, easily summoning his Patronus.

    With dazzling brilliance, Evan¡¯s Patronus rushed towards Malfoy.

    Harry didn¡¯t stop to think. Because Evan reminded him to keep his wand before the game, he plunged a hand down the neck of his robes, he whipped out his wand and pointed it at Malfoy. A huge silver-white stag erupted from the end of his wand.

    The stag glided away and Harry did not pause to watch.

    His body leaned forward, almost leaping out of the Firebolt, and his fingers sessfully closed on the struggling Snitch in front of him.

    Just as Harry caught the Snitch, the young wizards reacted.

    They pointed their wands at the Dementors. Suddenly, various Patronuses appeared from the stands, twice as many as the Patronuses that appeared in the previous game.

    The scene was spectacr, and the glory of the Patronuses was even stronger than that of the sun.

    With an astonishing momentum, hundreds of Patronuses rushed over to the ground, and all the three Dementors stood in their ce, watching them rushing in amazement, and they subconsciously stepped back. They wanted to escape, but because their legs were soft, they knelt directly on the ground.

    The three of them seemed frightened and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Malfoy¡¯s heart almost stopped beating, his eyes dted, and he looked incredibly at hundreds of patronuses getting closer and closer. He seemed to have just realized that it was a foolish idea to act as a Dementor to frighten Harry.

 Chapter 270: The Patronus Charm, and the Wrong Path

    <h4>Chapter 270: The Patronus Charm, and the Wrong Path</h4>

    A rxed atmosphere, months of practice, and Sirius¡¯s detailed exnation of the principles of the Patronus Charm in the previous Dueling Club had now enabled almost half of Hogwarts¡¯ young wizards to conjure their own Patronuses.

    Even the second-year Ginny and Luna were able to cast it, let alone senior students.

    Beside Evan¡¯s, Ginny¡¯s Patronus was a silvery white horse, while Luna¡¯s was a very lovely hare, looking very smart.

    The more the Patronuses were, the stronger the positive emotion was, and the easier it was to use the Charm.

    A few secondster, even many of the first-year wizards sessfully used the Patronus Charm.

    Because of their low levels of magic, they weren¡¯t able to maintain a corporeal Patronus.

    But the junior students were still very happy, knowing that the Patronus Charm was an extremely deep magic, and it was a great achievement to sessfully use it before passing the Ordinary Wizarding Level test.

    After Evan, Ron also sessfully conjured his Patronus.

    It was a Jack Russell terrier. Ron¡¯s smile did notst long; his corporeal Patronus persisted for only a few seconds, turning again into a mist of light.

    Ron forced waving his wand, and tried several times to cast the spell again.

    He looked anxious, perhaps because everyone around him had been sessful, and because of the pressure, he never was able to pull it off again.

    Ron let his wand down dejectedly. He had been practicing the spell for a long time since thest incident, but he had not mastered it yet.

    In his view, this was mainly because of low levels of magic.

    He knew that his magic talent was mediocre. He did not have his brothers¡¯ talent, and his talent and eye-catching abilities were far inferior to Harry¡¯s and Evan¡¯s.

    Looking at the Patronus Ginny sessfully conjured, Ron took a deep breath.

    He thought for a long timest night and finally decided that all his difficulties would be no longer a problem if he could get the legendary magic item that had been handed down by Gryffindor and preserved in the Centaurs¡¯ colony to enhance his magic.

    He would rece Evan and get an unimaginable reputation.

    He would re-emerge as Harry¡¯s most important friend and be the most remarkable young wizard of Hogwarts.

    The more Ron thought about it, the more he felt it was possible, and he was very excited about this bright future.

    In doing so, he didn¡¯t feel anything wrong, although both Harry and Hermione thought that if they could get that thing, they should give it to Evan.

    But in Ron¡¯s opinion, Evan was already strong enough. He even studied dark magic when no one else knew it. He didn¡¯t need the help of this magic item. Evan should be grateful to him for not revealing his research on ck magic.

    In any case, Ron thought he was the one who really needed the help of that magic item.

    He was also a Gryffindor and was naturally qualified to get it.

    What¡¯s more, Evan repeatedly emphasized that to get that item, they needed to pass the final test. The item would be whoever¡¯s could pass it. It was all fair y.

    Compared with Harry and Hermione, Ron thought he only valued the matter more.

    Despite a lot of discontent, because Evan saved him, Ron still regarded Evan as his friend, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything to be sorry about to his friends.

    He was just more serious than anyone else about this evening¡¯s adventure, more eager for power, for the magic item that would help him get powerful magic.

    He didn¡¯t see that he was doing anything wrong; he just wanted to be stronger.

    Ron made up his mind and stopped trying to conjure the Patronus.

    In fact, if Sirius or Professor Flitwick were here, they would definitely have pointed out why Ron couldn¡¯t sessfully conjure the corporeal Patronus.

    It wasn¡¯t because of hisck of magic, his magic was weak, but he was stronger than Ginny, Luna and most other first and second-year young wizards.

    Ron could not seed, mainly because his understanding of the Patronus Charm was not deep enough, and the happy memories in his mind were not strong enough.

    As an advanced white magic, the Patronus Charm¡¯s magic demands were secondary to its requirement of the caster¡¯s inner positive emotions and determination.

    When trying to master such a Charm, caring too much about power is definitely the wrong path.

    At the end of the game, the Quidditch pitch was a sea of pure joy and light, with all sorts of strange Patronuses springing up.

    They rushed to the paralyzed Dementors, passing through their bodies again and again.

    The Patronuses could not do any real harm to the human body, but they frightened Malfoy and his friends, who were lying there pitifully, as if they had just experienced a typhoon, with a messy, haggard look ahead.

    Without being affected by them, Harry sessfully caught the Golden Snitch before Cho.

    With the sound of Madam Hooch¡¯s whistle, the match ended.

    Gryffindor students made deafening cheers as they celebrated Harry¡¯s grasp of the Snitch and Gryffindor¡¯s victory.

    ¡°We won!¡± Hermione smiled happily and looked very lovely.

    Her Patronus returned to her side and circled around her happily for several times before disappearing into thin air.

    Hermione was very excited by the surrounding atmosphere, and she hugged Evan hard.

    While he didn¡¯t ask for it, Evan wasn¡¯t about to refuse the hug.

    He hugged her back, and she realized what she had done. She hurriedly wanted to stop. But Evan wasn¡¯t about to let go, and in turn hugged Hermione more tightly, until she had to push him hard enough to let her go.

    Hermione¡¯s face was so red and she stared fiercely at Evan¡¯s eyes.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s serious eyes, she hurriedly moved away, not daring to look at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What happened to the three Dementors?¡± Hermione hurriedly shifted the topic. ¡°The Patronuses didn¡¯t work, they are not destroyed. Also, why didn¡¯t I get any unpleasant feelings from them?¡±

    ¡°They are not Dementors; they¡¯re Malfoy and his sidekicks in disguise!¡± Evan exined.

    They followed the other young wizards to the center of the field, carefully gathering around the Dementors. In front of everyone, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint, the Slytherin team Captain, were lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.

    Feeling people approaching, they wanted to run away.

    They all struggled to rid themselves from the long, ck, hooded robes. It looked as though Malfoy had been standing on Goyle¡¯s shoulders.

    Seeing this scene, all the students knew what this farce was all about.

    Gryffindor¡¯s studentsughed at Malfoy¡¯ group, then stopped looking at them, and walked to the Gryffindor team that had justnded from the sky, cheering for Harry Potter, the biggest hero of today¡¯s game.

 Chapter 271: Carnival Party and Preparation for Departure

    <h4>Chapter 271: Carnival Party and Preparation for Departure</h4>

    Under the roars of the Gryffindor students, Harry and the rest of his team hovered down. They gathered in mid air, and returned to the ground inplete disarray.

    Harry smiled happily, and in the cheers of everyone, Alicia, Angelina and Katie had all kissed him.

    He turned shyly and saw Evan and Hermione, standing on the edge of the field, trying to fight their way over, waving to him.

    Before Harry had time to greet them both, he was surrounded by Gryffindor supporters.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Ron seemed to recover from the shock he had just received. He yanked Harry¡¯s arm into the air and shouted, ¡°Yes! We won!¡±

    ¡°Well done, Harry!¡± said Percy, looking delighted. ¡°Ten Galleons to me! Must find Penelope, excuse me¡­¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, Harry!¡± Colin yelled. ¡°I took your picture at the moment you caught the Snitch.¡±

    ¡°Ruddy brilliant!¡± boomed Hagrid over the heads of the milling Gryffindors.

    ¡°Your father was also an excellent seeker. He will be very proud of you, Harry!¡± Sirius was pleased to say that; he came over looking both shocked and happy. ¡°Your Patronus is exactly the same as James¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°The Dementors didn¡¯t affect me at all, Sirius, I didn¡¯t feel a thing!¡± said Harry excitedly. ¡°After sessfully conjuring the Patronus, maybe I have managed to adapt to them¡­.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that would be because they weren¡¯t Dementors, but disguised people.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯d like to see who they are!¡±

    He led Harry out of the crowd until they were able to see the edge of the field.

    Evan and Hermione, who had just squeezed out of the crowd, hurried up. They first congratted Harry on catching the Snitch and then talked about the Dementors.

    ¡°It¡¯s Malfoy, Goyle, Crabbe, and Marcus Flint. The four of them pretended to be Dementors to scare you.¡± Hermione said with a smile. ¡°But they had miscalcted; Malfoy probably didn¡¯t expect to meet so many Patronuses. He was terrified. ¡±

    In front of them, Professor McGonagall was bending furiously over Malfoy and the others, and Snape was standing beside her, with a slightly awkward look on his gloomy face.

    It never urred to him that the students in his House would be so foolish!

    ¡°An unworthy trick!¡± Professor McGonagall shouted. ¡°A low and cowardly attempt to sabotage the Gryffindor Seeker! Detention for all of you, and fifty points from Slytherin! I shall be speaking to Professor Dumbledore about this, and yes, I¡¯m going to tell your parents what the four of you have done!¡±

    Malfoy shivered and turned to Snape for help.

    Snape gave him a hard look and turned around to plead for Malfoy, but Professor McGonagall did not give him a chance. She didn¡¯t even look at Snape.

    If anything could have set the seal on Gryffindor¡¯s victory, it was this.

    They watched Professor McGonagall ignore Snape and Malfoy stand in a state of panic. Behind him, Goyle and Crabbe¡¯s heads were still wrapped in robes, struggling so hard that they could not helpughing.

    Colin madly took pictures of the scene as fast as he could.

    ¡°I dare say that this is enough for me to be happy for a year!¡± said Ron who had fought his way through to Harry¡¯s side.

    ¡°This is the happiest day of my life!¡± Harry replied.

    ¡°Come on, Harry!¡± Fred and George also fought their way over. They shouted in unison, ¡°Party! Gryffindor Common Room, now!¡±

    The Gryffindor House had not been so busy for a long time. Harry and the rest of the team led the way, still in their scarlet robes, out of the stadium and back up to the castle.

    Everyone followed them, and it felt as though they had already won the Quidditch Cup.

    Everyone crowded into the Gryffindor Common Room, and even Sirius was there. The party went on all day and well into the night.

    When the house-elves brought the dinner up, Fred and George Weasley disappeared for a couple of hours and returned with armfuls of bottles of butterbeer, pumpkin fizz, and several bags full of Honeydukes sweets.

    Everyone was happy, and the mood in the tower was at its best.

    Only two people weren¡¯t joining in the festivities. First of all Hermione, incredibly, was sitting in a corner, attempting to read a book entitled ¡°The Civilization and Habits of the Centaurs¡±, which was a thousand pages thick and looked daunting.

    Beside her, Evan was drawing the trajectory of Mars on a notebook.

    Unlike Hermione, he had nned to participate in the party before.

    But he imagined what it would feel like to have to watch people party to their hearts¡¯ content while he was doing all the work on his own.

    In short, halfway through the party, Evan honestly had to sit down next to Hermione and study the astrology she had recorded this semester.

    Everyone asionally looked oddly at the two people. After seeing Hermione¡¯s face, they were careful not to approach. No one wanted to be preached.

    As everyone began to pay attention to Fred and George starting to juggle butterbeer bottles, Harry took three drinks and walked up to them.

    ¡°Rx, Evan, Hermione!¡± said Harry. ¡°You¡¯ve been sitting here reading since the end of the game, and I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Obviously, if you and Ron were a little more concerned, neither of us would be so tired!¡± Hermione said sharply, closing the book heavily and looking at Harry angrily. ¡°In a few hours, we will go to the Forbidden Forest, looking for the Centaurs. I can¡¯t believe it, you are still partying, not even thinking to get prepared!¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Harry shook his head and remembered that there was such a thing.

    He was looking forward to tonight¡¯s adventure, but he was overwhelmed by the joy of winning the game and the subsequent joyful atmosphere and forgot about it.

    Ron seemed almost the same. He seemed to havepletely forgotten about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry. Sirius will be there, we¡­¡± Harry prevaricated.

    ¡°He is more excessive than you and Ron. I doubt if he still remembers what we are going to do tonight.¡± Hermione looked angrily at Sirius, who was quarreling with several seniors. ¡°He¡¯s drunk. Is he going to take us to the Centaurs¡¯ colony like this?!¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t know how to answer Hermione, and he turned to Evan for help.

    Evan gave him a helpless look. He knew that Hermione was too nervous about going to the Centaurs¡¯ colony, so she was a bit irritable.

    Faced with Hermione in this state, he didn¡¯t know what to say either.

    Moreover, facing tonight¡¯s unknown adventure, he also became nervous.

 Chapter 272: Boysâ€™ Talk and the Forbidden Forest

    <h4>Chapter 272: Boys¡¯ Talk and the Forbidden Forest</h4>

    Under Hermione¡¯s insistence, Harry and Ron reluctantly sat beside her and began to study the Centaurs.

    However, the two of them could not focus, always whispering about the match.

    Harry thought he should have caught the Snitch sooner; he had a chance before.

    Ron told him that he was too polite to Cho Chang, and he was tied up in his early performance.

    Then the conversation shifted from Quidditch to Cho and the other girls, bringing Evan into the discussion when Hermione wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    ¡°All in all, Ravenw¡¯s Seeker flies very well. She is probably the best among all the girls in the school.¡± Ron covered himself with a book and whispered, ¡°But she¡¯s still iparable to you. On top of that, your broomsticks are also on totally different levels. The Firebolt is the best, it is a world-ss broomstick. It¡¯s not popr even in the professional league.¡±

    ¡°Cho Chang is Great, I am not much better than her.¡± Harry said objectively, ¡°if it hadn¡¯t been for the Firebolt, I might not have won this easily today.¡±

    He smiled slightly; the appearance of Cho in sky blue robes popped up again in his mind; she was extraordinarily beautiful.

    ¡°You are just too kind with her because she is a girl.¡± Ron disagreed with Harry. ¡°Like Wood said, you¡¯ve been too much of a gentleman.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Harry wanted to exin.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Evan; he also witnessed the whole process.¡±

    ¡°Let me say, while Cho is really good, but her forte is that she¡¯s also really beautiful.¡± Evan said with a sigh, ¡°Harry, if you have a crush on her, you can try to ask her out. I heard Luna say that she doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend yet!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that idea¡­¡± Harry tried to exin.

    His face was red and it looked hard to be convincing.

    In fact, as Evan said, he really liked Cho.

    To be more precise, he liked her deep down inside. However, Harry was rather clumsy and inexperienced in this regard, and he was not aware of it.

    He was just thinking about Cho, and he felt pure excitement and his heartbeat raced.

    As the topic went deeper, Harry felt that his face was getting redder and redder, and in order not to let Evan and Ronugh at him, he quickly shifted the subject to Hermione.

    ¡°Evan, how are you getting along with Hermione?!¡± Harry gave Hermione his back and lowered his voice. ¡°Tell us the truth, have you ever done that?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Evan looked at him strangely.

    ¡°That is¡­¡± Harry hesitated and whispered, ¡°Kissing!¡±

    Hearing his words, Ron spit out the sip of juice he had just taken.

    He coughed hard and stood up from the sofa. He almost knocked the small round table because of his exertion.

    Hermione looked up as she heard Ron¡¯s noise.

    She squinted and stared at them three suspiciously, her eyes full of doubt.

    ¡°You kissed Hermione?!¡± Ron said in surprise, he looked at Evan hesitantly, then looked back at Hermione.

    Before Evan had time to exin, Harry went on to say to Ron, ¡°On Christmas Eve, Evan and Hermione went out alone off the Leaky Cauldron pub. About twenty minutester, Hermione herself came back with her face red and looked very unusual¡­.¡±

    Harry and Ron all looked at Evan, and their eyes were full of inquiry.

    ¡°Well, in fact, it can¡¯t be considered a kiss.¡± Evan argued. ¡°At the time, under the mistletoe in Diagon Alley, it was just a slight touch.¡±

    Time seemed to stagnate, his thoughts returned to that night, and his heart beat slightly faster.

    Harry and Ron looked at Evan with amazement; their expression was even far more lost than his.

    Harry lookedpletely stunned. He opened his mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say. He just wanted to make a joke. He didn¡¯t expect Evan to admit it. However, he quickly recovered and became extremely excited, and sincerely, he was happy for Evan and Hermione.

    Ron was not in a state of shock; he was deeply concerned about this matter, and seemed to want to say something.

    Without waiting for him to talk, Fred and George came to toast with butterbeer.

    Theyughed happily, disturbing Hermione who was upset. She raised her head irritably, chased them all away, and let Harry and Ron leave to join the party so that she could catch up and concentrate on reading the remaining four hundred pages of the book at hand.

    The rave seemed tost forever.

    ¡°Does he know what we are about to do in a moment?!¡± Hermione whispered as she huddled on the sofa and stared at Sirius. ¡°The Forbidden Forest at night is very dangerous. We should be prepared, not drinking and reveling here¡­¡±

    At about ten o¡¯clock in the evening, she suddenly put down her magic book.

    She seemed to have made some kind of decision. She walked over and had a few words with Sirius. Evan saw that Sirius seemed very regretful, as if apologizing to Hermione.

    A few minutester, Hermione walked straight back with a satisfied smile on her face.

    ¡°Get ready to go, Evan!¡± she whispered.

    Hermione pulled Evan out of the Common Room, and behind them, there was a mess of whistles. They were not the first couple to go out. Everyone had a clear look on their faces, as if they already knew what Evan and Hermione were going to do.

    Both Evan and Hermione blushed and tried to pretend that they didn¡¯t hear the whistles.

    ¡°What did you say to Sirius?¡± Evan asked curiously.

    ¡°Nothing, just reminded him to pay attention to time.¡±

    In the dark corridor, Hermione recounted to Evan what she had just said to Sirius.

    But Evan kept thinking of what he talked about with Harry and Ron. He looked at Hermione in front of him, and his thoughts drifted away.

    Time passed, and at about 10:30 p.m., Sirius, Harry, and Ron came out in turn.

    Fred and George seemed to be performing a show, the Common Room was still noisy, and the party showed no sign of ending.

    ¡°Let¡¯s set out, and go to the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Harry said excitedly, not feeling fatigue after the entirety of this active day.

    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry up, don¡¯t let others notice that we left the castle.¡± Sirius waspletely back to normal, not looking drunk at all. ¡°I just asked Fred and George, and they¡¯ll just try to keep the party go on.¡±

    Sirius led them all to the hall, telling them what to pay attention to. They walked through the gates of the old castle, striding through the dark ground. The closer they approached the dark, silent Forbidden Forest, the tenser the atmosphere became, and the more careful they were.

    The moon was bright and clear, but there were cloudsing up to cover it, causing them to fall into darkness.

    It was hard to imagine that just a moment ago, they were reveling in a well-lit Common Room, but now they were wandering into the dangerous Forbidden Forest.

    Harry and Ron looked more and more gloomy, and had no energy to think about the mess.

    They seemed to realize that venturing into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night was not as simple as they had imagined.

 Chapter 273: Whereabouts of Another Key

    <h4>Chapter 273: Whereabouts of Another Key</h4>

    In the dark, Evan saw the bright windows on Hagrid¡¯s hut.

    Instead of approaching, they went in another direction, slowly advancing in the breeze along a narrow, twisting path that gradually faded into the depths of the dark forest.

    Besides Ron, Evan, Harry, and Hermione all had experienced entering the Forbidden Forestte at night.

    But those experiences were very bad.

    Harry and Hermione were once penalized in the first year.

    They went into the Forbidden Forestte at night with Hagrid and Malfoy in search of the unicorn that Voldemort had injured. Harry even met Voldemort himself at the time.

    Evan chased Peter Pettigrew into the Forbidden Forest a month ago.

    In addition to dealing with Peter, he also fought the horrible Acromants. In the end, he burned the Lair of their leader Aragog and hundreds of them along with it. These monsters must now hate him to death.

    The Acromants have a high degree of intelligence and a great sense of revenge. If they knew that Evan had entered the Forbidden Forest again, they would surely flock in to fight him.

    Fortunately, they did not go to the Acromants¡¯ territory.

    With Sirius leading the way, they went deeper along the twisting path.

    There was silence in the dark Forbidden Forest. Under the faint light of their wands, everyone walked silently, close together, the mood became more and more depressed, and their voices became lower and lower. Nobody knew what would be waiting for them.

    Every time they moved forward, they would reach a crossroad.

    It could be seen that Sirius was very familiar with the area. He did not hesitate much before taking the right path.

    Soon, Evan saw a swift, meandering stream at the end of the road. They went upstream and walked for over an hour, getting farther and farther from the castle.

    The five of them had entered the core of the Forbidden Forest. On both sides of the stream were tall and unchanging trees, and the ground was covered with thick moss and unknown nts as if they had been untouched and never stepped on for centuries. From time to time, they could see magical creaturesing to drink.

    Behind a dark green rock, Evan found a rare Moke.

    It was about ten inches long and had silver-green skin.

    It was shrunken in the corner motionless, looking like a rock itself.

    When Evan was just approaching, it quickly got out and fled to the distance.

    If it weren¡¯t because of important things waiting for him, Evan would try to catch this lizard. Moke skin is highly prized to wizards in the making of purses and money-bags. A Moke-skin purse will shrink at the approach of a stranger, making it virtually impossible for the stranger to find. Moke-skin wallets and money bags are therefore very difficult for thieves to snatch.

    Paired with the use of the Undetectable Extension Charm, it definitely bes extremely valuable equipment to any wizard.

    Evan felt it was a pity, and they walked forward for a while, and then took a short break near a riverbank full of round stones.

    ¡°We will be there soon. This is the territory of the Centaurs.¡± Sirius carefully inspected the surroundings. ¡°I had been hiding in the Forbidden Forest, looking for food, when I fled the Dementors and the Ministry of Magicst summer. But I rarely get around here. The Centaurs do not want humans to approach. ¡°

    ¡°I saw in the book that the Centaurs are very disgusted with wizards!¡± Hermione looked around nervously, and said worriedly, ¡°What if they attacked us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s going to happen. Although the Centaurs are not very friendly to humans, they don¡¯t usually take the initiative to attack.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°They just don¡¯t want to talk to us, but if you want to talk andmunicate with them, they¡¯re willing to do that, and tell you about the fate they see in the sky, the warnings and so on.¡±

    ¡°Evan and I have recorded all the trajectories of this semester constetion, hoping to use it.¡± Hermione said still not assured. ¡°In addition, I have studied their lifestyle and customs.¡±

    ¡°Centaurs are very smart. When you¡¯re in contact with them, just remember one point, think of them as creatures of equal status with you, and that should be enough!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, they are not as terrible as they are portrayed in the books!¡± Harry said, breathing a little heavier than usual. ¡°Evan and I have met a Centaur named Firenze, and he¡¯s willing to help people.¡±

    ¡°I have to say that the guy is an exception in the Centaurs¡¯ colony.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°But he is trustworthy. I have known him for a long time. When we were students, James, Remus, Peter and I often ventured into the Forbidden Forest. He was still a little pony back then, and we met at that time.¡±

    ¡°I heard from Firenze, he seems to miss the wizards¡¯ items, the food and all sorts of interesting stories you brought him.¡±

    ¡°He is very interested in the human world, and things that seem mundane to us are very novel to him.¡± Sirius recalled, ¡°But that¡¯s just him; the other Centaurs are still very stubborn, and they do not easily make contact with humans. Compared to them, the Merpeople living in theke in front of the gate are much more enlightened. They activelymunicate with us and exchange the contents of theke for things made by wizards.

    ¡°Merpeople?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, James once met them when he fell into theke. It was an unforgettable experience. I remember they exchanged a lot of things with the four of us, some of them high-level magic stuff, and they seemed to want to tell us something. ¡°Sirius frowned and went on.¡±I don¡¯t know theirnguage and Remus learned a little. He said the Merpeople let us into the water, for there was something underneath. Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t do that atst. ¡°

    Hearing Sirius, Evan kept silent.

    It was so strange, why did the Merpeople want Sirius to go under the water, what was there underneath?!

    Ever since he knew that Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure Key was in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, he rethought the tips left by the Four Founders.

    ording to the same way of reasoning, it was not difficult to think that the mermaids might also have a treasure key in hand.

    He just didn¡¯t know who had left it, and if it was split like Gryffindor¡¯s.

    Evan sighed. It seemed that after getting the key fragment of the Centaurs, he had to learn the Merpeople¡¯snguage and try tomunicate with them.

    ¡°There are Merpeople living in theke in front of the castle?!¡± Harry said in amazement. ¡°I never knew that. I thought there were only giant squids.¡±

    ¡°Hogwarts has a lot of secrets waiting to be explored. The four of us discovered a lot, but certainly not all of them!¡± Sirius looked at Harry and said cheerfully, ¡°The rest of the secrets will be dug up by you guys.¡±

 Chapter 274: Unfriendly Centaurs

    <h4>Chapter 274: Unfriendly Centaurs</h4>

    They discussed the Merpeople for a while, and Evan asked for some details.

    Then, the topic returned to the Centaurs again. Hermione kept whispering about what they should pay attention to when they woulde into contact with the Centaurs from what she had seen in the book.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care much about getting in touch with the Centaurs!¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and threw a stone heavily into the stream. He said impatiently, ¡°What about the magic item that can enhance magic power? What are we going to do to get the Treasure key they have?¡±

    This was the key to this trip, the key to changing one¡¯s destiny.

    Ron was thinking about it all the way. He wanted to get that thing, but he didn¡¯t want to be seen as too eager.

    ¡°I mean, we all know that we have to be recognized by the Centaurs.¡± Seeing everyone staring him, Ron tried to make himself look more natural. ¡°The question now is what should we do after getting the Centaurs¡¯ approval? That final test¡­¡±

    He heard Sirius say that to get the item he needed to pass the final test, and he wanted to know what the test was in order to be ready.

    ¡°In the temple where the item was kept, a phantom magic wasid out, and only through the test of that magic could it be obtained.¡± Sirius said slowly, ¡°That magic is so powerful that everyone sees something different in it, and I don¡¯t know exactly what to do! For example, on that year, I saw¡­ ¡°

    He suddenly stopped, looked at the woods with vignce, and raised his magic wand swiftly

    ¡°Hold it!¡± He whispered and signaled everyone to keep quiet.

    His wand pointed to the dense bush in front, his whole body gathered magic. The tip of his wand fluoresced faintly.

    Evan also hurriedly pulled out his wand. No one spoke. Everyone could hear the movement from the woods and something was approaching.

    The next second, BANG!

    As Sirius¡¯s wand shone a red light, a sharp arrow flew from a distance andnded on the trunk overhead, nging.

    Hermione muffled her scream, and Evan quickly shielded her behind him.

    Sirius¡¯s face was heart, while Harry and Ron were pale, the atmosphere was tense, as everyone felt a battle was about to start, but there was no further attack from the opposite side.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± A deep male voice came out of the bushes.

    Almost in the blink of an eye, a man seemed to be floating toward them through the dappled green half-light.

    In the bright moonlight, Evan saw that he was a Centaur; his waist was smoothly and naturally joined with a horse¡¯s chestnut body.

    He had a proud, high-cheekboned face and long ck hair.

    ¡°Hey, human!¡± There was a slight disdain in the arrogant tone of the Centaur, ¡°Leave our forbidden forest, this is not where you shoulde¡­¡±

    ¡°Long time no see, Magorian!¡± Sirius seemed to reconize him, but he didn¡¯t sound pleased to meet him.

    ¡°You are¡­ Sirius ck!¡± Magorian was stunned. He stared at Sirius for a long time and seemed to recognize who he was.

    The trees behind the Centaur rustled and four or five more emerged behind him.

    Evan recognized the ck-bodied and bearded Bane, whom he had met a month ago. But Bane gave no sign that he had ever seen Evan and Harry before.

    ¡°ck!¡± Magorian said with vignce, he did not put the bow and arrow, still pointing at them, ¡°What are you doing back in our Forbidden Forest?¡±

    ¡°I have brought these children here in the hope that they may earn the item that had been handed down by Gryffindor himself in the custody of your tribe.¡± Sirius said loudly, ¡°They want your recognition and to try to challenge that final test.¡±

    ¡°Get our recognition?!¡± Magorian¡¯s eyes left Sirius, and he looked at Evan and the others.

    ¡°This is Evan Mason, Hermione Granger,¡± Sirius said. ¡°The red-haired boy at the back is Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter is next to him.¡±

    ¡°Harry Potter!¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s name, the Centaurs whispered for a while.

    Their eyes were all focused on Harry, full of curiosity and wonder. They seemed to be looking for the scar on his forehead, the evidence of victory over Voldemort.

    Harry stepped back and pulled his hair down ufortably.

    ¡°Only a respectable and trustworthy friend can get the friendship of the Centaurs!¡± Magorian said disdainfully. ¡°This is not a joke, ck! The four of them are too young, foals. I don¡¯t think they meet the requirements, you should take them out as soon as possible before we kill you.¡±

    ¡°Magorian, I know your rules.¡± Sirius did not flinch, and said tit-for-tat, ¡°You have no right to refuse, as your forefathers and the Founders of the castle had agreed.¡±

    ¡°We are not ves of humans; we are not obligated to take care of things for you to take them away when you need them.¡± Magorian said fiercely, ¡°ck, get out of here with these four foals, or else, don¡¯t me me if I get rough.¡±

    ¡°You have no right to stop us!¡± Sirius raised his wand again and frowned. ¡°You are as stubborn as ever, Magorian! If you want to y another game like twenty years ago, I¡¯m here right now!¡±

    The two looked at each other angrily. It seemed that something had happened between them before.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked scared. They tried to stop Sirius from being too rash, hoping he would calm down. They didn¡¯te to fight with the Centaurs tonight; they needed to get their approval.

    While they stopped Sirius, Evan looked at the Centaurs across, looking for their weaknesses. If a battle was to take ce, he needed to be able to act as soon as possible.

    Although the Centaurs are not proficient in magic, they are verypetent inbat.

    Without using ck magic, Evan was not absolutely sure he would beat them.

    ¡°Calm down, Magorian!¡± As the situation was about to get out control, Bane stepped out and said gently, ¡°It would be a terrible crime to kill foals!¡±

    He walked over to Magorian and whispered something.

    Evan saw him pointing to him, and then Magorian raised his head and looked at him in astonishment. He seemed to be convinced by Bane, waved his hand, and a young Centaur with a dark ck body turned away, and ran deep into the Forbidden Forest.

    ¡°We need the elder to know if you meet the requirements!¡± Bane raised his head and said loudly, and then returned to the Centaurs.

    No one acted, no one spoke.

    There was confusion and tension in the air. Everyone was waiting for the arrival of the Centaurs¡¯ elder.

    About a dozen minutester, the thundering sound of horses¡¯ hoofs rang from all sides. Evan felt the whole ground shaking and over forty Centaurs appeared in session from the Forbidden Forest.

 Chapter 275: The Elder Centaur

    <h4>Chapter 275: The Elder Centaur</h4>

    The Centaurs formed a circle and tightly surrounded the five of them.

    All around them, Evan saw a variety of Centaurs dressed in various colors, most of them looking very strong, arrows and long bows were slung over their shoulders.

    In the center was a silver-gray Centaur.

    He was apparently very old, about a hundred years old, with deep wrinkles on his face and a whitish beard that almost reached the ground.

    He was the elder of the Centaurs, the oldest and wisest Centaur in the tribe.

    As Evan observed him, he also looked closely back at him.

    His eyes were very light in color, and he could only see shrouds of white when looking far.

    Magorian walked over and bowed down his head, not showing his previous irritable temper.

    He respectfully reported their story to the elder. Evan heard him tell them that the four human foals wanted to be recognized by the Centaurs and then try to get the magic item that had been kept in the sacred temple in the center of the colony.

    Although he was very disgusted with human beings, he did not deliberately discredit them, or try to sabotage them. All he said was facts.

    The elder of the Centaurs nodded and motioned that he knew the matter, and Magorian retreated to the side. The older Centaur took a step forward. He didn¡¯t speak, and he looked closely at Evan for a while. Then he looked up at the night sky as if he were observing thes¡¯ trajectories.

    Just as Evan felt that the elder would stay like this for ever, thetter suddenly took out an non-identified ck herbal powder from the bag he carried.

    Evan didn¡¯t see when he made it happen, but red mes suddenly rose before the elder.

    He slowly threw the powder into the rising mes, and the color of the mes immediately changed from red to a fantastic dark blue, apanied by a lot of smoke.

    ¡°Centaurs can prophesy by burning several herbs and leaves, and observing smoke and fire.¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it in the book, and the principle is probably simr to the crystal ball we saw.¡±

    ¡°Except for the lines on the table, I have never seen anything from that ball.¡± Ron muttered, looking at the Centaur suspiciously.

    Harry nodded and agreed with Ron.

    Perhaps Professor Trwney left a too much of an impression on him.

    Until now, he thought that prophesying such things was deceptive.

    Unlike the three of them, Evan saw something different from the blue me through the way Dumbledore taught him. He felt a strange wave of magic, a trace of magic hidden in the smoke, drifting toward him.

    He hurried back and hoped to dodge.

    The elder Centaur looked up again at Evan, who smelled the burnt leaves as the smoke came straight in the breeze. Unlike the usual spells, the entric magic in the smoke didn¡¯t harm him. It just revolved around Evan and floated to Harry next to him.

    Like stargazing, this type of divination was particr to the Centaurs.

    Not surprisingly, this magic should be very advanced. Besides to the elder, Evan had never seen any other Centaur using it.

    They usually observe the stars in the night sky and draw a harbinger of fate.

    This time, however, the Centaurs did not do so, and waited for the elder to make his prophecy. They were alert, surrounding Evan and the others, just like cherishing animals in the zoo, watching the five of them silently in the distance.

    Most of the Centaurs were looking at Harry, and they whispered, just like many wizards who first met him.

    Only a few Centaurs who knew Sirius gave him a cold nod and immediately shifted their eyes elsewhere, pretending not to know him.

    Evan had met Ronan and Bane a month ago, and they didn¡¯t even look at him.

    In the silent crowd, the atmosphere was tense. The Centaurs had different faces, some with simple curiosity, some with harsh scrutiny, some with inexplicable anger, but more with suspicion and distrust.

    They were watching from afar, and even took out their weapons.

    Sirius told everyone not to put down their wands. If anything was to happen, they would have to not worry about him and leave the forest ahead of him. No matter what, Centaurs would not hurt children.

    Evan felt that Hermione was unconsciously approaching him. He knew that she must be worried. He skillfully held her small hand and reassured her with his eyes.

    Because of the overwhelming tension, Hermione¡¯s palms were all sweaty. She looked at the Centaurs in front of her in awe, and an unknown fear emerged deep within her heart. These Centaurs looked very aggressive and frightening, as if they were going to attack at any time.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Evan being there, she would have no idea what to do.

    As the Centaurs watched from afar and whispered, Firenze, with long, blond hair, came out, and he didn¡¯t seem have changed much during the past month. In this atmosphere of hesitation and distrust, he was moving in casually.

    Everyone looked at Firenze in surprise, amazed at his daring behavior. No one spoke; even the whisper of the Centaurs came to an abrupt end.

    ¡°I am very d to see you again after twenty years, Sirius ck!¡± Firenze whispered, he did not seem to notice the anomaly and came calmly.

    He shook hands with Sirius, the old friend whom he had not seen for a long time.

    After greeting Sirius, he turned his attention to Harry.

    ¡°Harry Potter!¡± Firenze said softly.

    ¡°Hello, Firenze, nice to meet you!¡± Harry hurriedly shook hands with him.

    ¡°And you!¡± said the Centaur in an unquestionable tone, inclining his white-blond head.¡±It was foretold that we would meet again.¡±

    His expression was calm and there was no smile on his face. Nobody could see through what he was thinking.

    ¡°The orbit of thes has already given signs, and our shared fate will not end here.¡± Firenze nodded to Harry again. ¡°We will meet again.¡±

    He left Harry and walked slowly to Evan, holding out a hand.

    ¡°The same for you, I knew you woulde, Evan Mason!¡± His astonishing blue eyes looked at Evan without blinking, and he said softly, ¡°On the night we first met, Mars that brought war shone brightly on our heads, brighter than ever. After that, I carefully observed its trajectory. I saw you in this uing war¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Firenze!¡± Magorian rushed angrily and shouted. ¡°We vowed not to reveal what we see so easily..¡±

 Chapter 276: Firenzeâ€™s Warning

    <h4>Chapter 276: Firenze¡¯s Warning</h4>

    ¡°Like anyone cares!¡± Sirius immediately responded.

    Faced with Magorian¡¯s provocation, he went to the confrontation. The oppressive atmosphere in front of him made him feel ufortable, and there was a feeling of depression that could not be released.

    If he could choose, he was more than willing to face Magorian.

    But Harry and Hermione stepped in to stop him with a pleading look, hoping that he would not do so. Sirius stared for a moment, and then gradually calmed down.

    Before meeting the Centaurs, he repeatedly warned everyone to regard them as human beings with equal status and to not despise them.

    Obviously, he did too well in this respect, even without basic politeness, andpletely regarded Magorian as another Snape.

    ¡°Calm down, Sirius!¡± Harry turned to Magorian. ¡°Firenze didn¡¯t mean anything else. He just wanted to help us¡­¡±

    Harry¡¯s ¡°soothing¡± remark was obviously counterproductive. More intense shouts broke out among the Centaurs, who looked at them even more unfriendly.

    ¡°You made a big mistake, human!¡± Magorian shouted. ¡°Centaurs are not the servants of humans. We have no obligation to help you.¡±

    Harry stepped back in panic, and Firenze helped him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too hasty, Magorian!¡± he said calmly. ¡°I did not reveal anything that could change destiny. I just wanted to warn Evan. Those who can read the stars, see the fate of all races.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you have to be careful. We all know the boy¡¯s fate, which is doomed to be unchanged.¡± Magorian looked at Evan again and continued addressing Firenze ¡°Remember; don¡¯t betray our race and leak our knowledge to humans. Such a shame will never be recovered.¡±

    He turned to the Centaurs and stood quietly beside the elder, he and Sirius staring at each other with anger. It was hard to say who looked angrier.

    ¡°Magorian has a bad temper, but nothing more.¡± Firenze looked at Evan again, and his sapphire eyes glowed in the night sky. ¡°Evan, I hope you can understand no matter what omen we see is not important, what matters is your own choice. The trajectory of thes may change at any time; sometimes even Centaurs look away, so it¡¯s foolish to believe too much in such things.¡±

    Evan nodded. He didn¡¯t care much about prophecies.

    But what did Magorian just talk out? What did he see?

    There was also Firenze, who repeatedly emphasized this matter tonight, hoping that Evan should not believe too much about the arrangement of fate, but firmly believe in his choice.

    This was too unusual. With Evan¡¯s understanding of the Centaurs, he should not have said such a thing, which was totally contrary to the centaurs¡¯ way.

    Unless, Firenze did indeed see some bad signs in the sky¡­

    The atmosphere was getting heavier in the dark woods.

    In the darkness, everything around was shadowed, and a breeze blew over him. Evan found that he was soaked in cold sweat. Looking at the elder of the Centaurs who was focused on observing the shape of the smoke rising from the blue me, he felt a strong foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen.

    Evan thought; Firenze just mentioned Mars and war.

    Not surprisingly, this should mean a war with Voldemort. The question was what role would he y in it?

    What eventually happened that actually made Firenze feel uneasy?

    Everything was too vague, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt worried.

    ¡°Remember, Evan!¡± Firenze said softly. ¡°Nothing is foolproof; even the Centaurs¡¯ knowledge is no exception. When you need to decide your fate, I hope that you can make the right choice.¡±

    When he finished, he did not give Evan time to ask any question, and directly went back to the Centaurs.

    ¡°What exactly does Firenze mean?¡± Looking at his back, Harry said strangely. ¡°He seems to have something to tell us.¡±

    ¡°These Centaurs make me feel sick.¡± Ron whispered. He looked at Evan in awe. ¡°You listened to what he said. It seems that something terrible is going to happen to you. It¡¯s weird, you know, it¡¯s usually Harry¡­¡±

    ¡°What terrible things? How do you still believe in such things?!¡± Hermione said quickly, ¡°Just like Professor Trwney¡¯s tricks, I can see no essential difference. Seeing what she thought was the grim in the tea cup, she began to predict the death of Harry for a whole semester. We finally learned that the big ck dog, representing the unknown omen, was no other but Sirius. Not only did Harry not encounter any unfortunate events, but everything has been going well.¡±

    ¡°This is not the same. Hermione, Centaurs¡¯ prophecy is much more urate than ours.¡± Ron murmured in a vague, careful look at Evan¡¯s eyes.

    Firenze mentioned war. If there was war, then the enemy should be a very evil Dark wizard. It¡¯smon sense that this Dark wizard should be Voldemort, but he had been defeated and lost all his power, not to mention that Dumbledore, should make it difficult for him to rise again.

    If it wasn¡¯t Voldemort, who could this Dark wizard be?

    It was unclear why Ron thought of Evan¡¯s study of ck magic at that moment. At that time, there were no signs that Evan was probably the Dark wizard.

    ¡°However, the Centaurs would not have been duped; they must have seen it all!¡± Ron thought. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was usible. All the pieces were falling into ce, and he reminded himself of the need to be careful.

    ¡°Hermione, prophecies are real!¡± Harry continued. ¡°Think about Evan¡¯s hearing of the realnguage¡­¡±

    ¡°I mean, Professor Trwney is a liar in a state of true prophecy, and so are the Centaurs.¡± Hermione said sharply, ¡°I decided to give up Divination ss, for it is a waste of time.¡±

    ¡± You need to learn to use such opportunities, Hermione!¡± Ron interjected. ¡°Why give up this ss?! You just have to predict in your homework that something bad will happen to you, and she will give you a high score. It is the easiest course I¡¯ve ever had.¡±

    Evan was not involved in their discussion, and he was still thinking about what Firenze had said and what Professor Trwney had predicted.

    Gryffindor¡¯s key was preserved in the temple of the Centaurs, and Professor Trwney predicted that the ce where everything was going to happen was also a temple.

    Could there be any connection between these two ces, or was it a simple coincidence?!

    With a growing sense of uneasiness, Evan remembered what Peter Pettigrew had said when he had caught him. He learned from Voldemort how to get the key to Gryffindor¡¯s secret treasure. Voldemort must have been to that temple!

    Evan suddenly realized: if he got the key, wouldn¡¯t he be the one chosen by Voldemort ording to Professor Trwney¡¯s prediction?!

 Chapter 277: Centaursâ€™ Requirements

    <h4>Chapter 277: Centaurs¡¯ Requirements</h4>

    ¡°I am the chosen one!!!¡±

    In the dark Forbidden Forest, Evan suddenly thought of this possibility.

    He felt all the blood in his body getting ice cold, and the ominous premonition deep in the bottom of his heart grew stronger and stronger.

    Firenze must have seen something in the trajectory of Mars before warning Evan. What he said just now was vague. He only mentioned war. No one could guarantee that in the future he saw, Evan would be the chosen one.

    If this was to be correct, in the dark temple of the Centaurs¡¯ colony, Evan would be marked by magic left behind by Voldemort, and he would help him return and gain unprecedented power.

    If such a thing was to happen, then the whole magic world would be shrouded in terror and chaos¡­

    A breeze blew over, and Evan shook his head and just could not think about it anymore.

    Voldemort was evil and powerful enough; if he was to be helped by other more powerful forces, then he would be invincible, and the future would be unimaginable.

    Such things can¡¯t happen, and Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t sit idly by.

    Moreover, the idea of

    being the chosen person was too ridiculous and absurd. Evan was sure that unless he was controlled by ck magic; such as the Imperius Curse, he would never help Voldemort.

    As Sirius said to Peter Pettigrew, he would rather die than betray his friends. In the face of the mighty and evil Voldemort, he would only choose to fight until death.

    Like Sirius, Evan also had his own objects of persistence, faith and guardianship.

    He would rather die than help Voldemort.

    He took a deep breath and secretly made up his mind.

    No matter what was awaiting him, he had to get the treasure key left by Gryffindor, be stronger, and protect Hermione when the timees.

    But would the future really be as simple as he imagined?!

    In the dark, the thick smoke in front of the elder of the Centaurs was getting weaker and lighter, and the blue me gradually faded. Hepleted his observations of the mes and smoke. He seemed to know the fate of Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and he made a decision.

    With the dissipation of smoke, Evan felt the strange magic wave around him disappear.

    In front of everyone, the old Centaur looked very tired, the wrinkles on his face became deeper and deeper, and he slowly waved to Magorian.

    The strong Centaur walked over and they whispered something.

    Then, the elder Centaur raised his head and nced at Evan and the others. He turned and walked deep into the Forbidden Forest surrounded by other Centaurs.

    The Centaurs¡¯ army left, and the rumbling sound of the hoofs gradually drifted away.

    Magorian stood still, and he looked at Evan and the others arrogantly.

    Everyone looked back at him nervously, waiting for him to say the final verdict.

    ¡°The elder has already made a decision¡­¡± Magorian shouted. ¡°The stars give clear instructions that you four foals can get the recognition of the Centaurs.¡±

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had not had time to be happy, and they heard him continue. ¡°But to get that recognition, you have to prove yourselves and aplish one thing¡­¡±

    He seemed not satisfied with the elder¡¯s decision. There was some anger in his voice.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Sirius asked with a frown.

    ¡°Reduce the powers of those Acromants in the Forbidden Forest and bring their eyes to the tribe. The elder will be awaiting you in the middle of the temple.¡±

    ¡°Reduce the power of Acromants?!¡± Sirius frowned deeper, ¡°Magorian, do you know what you are talking about?! Those Dark creatures are very strong. It is not something that the young wizards can handle. And how many Acromants do we need to kill to satisfy you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something for you consider.¡± Magorian said hard, ¡°Remember, you get only one chance to get the Centaurs¡¯ recognition. Before wepletely lose patience, bring those monsters¡¯ eyes to the tribe.¡±

    Magorian turned around and left without looking back.

    Looking at Magorian¡¯s back, no one spoke. No one expected that the Elder of the Centaurs would actually make such a request. As Sirius said, encircling and suppressing the Acromants was something Evan and the others were reluctant for.

    Those dark creatures are highly dangerous, and their individualbat ability is enough to rival adult wizards, not to mention that they have always been in groups.

    They hated Evan to death after he set Aragog¡¯s Lair on fire. Now, as long as he dared to appear in their territory, all Acromants were expected to rush over and attack him.

    Facing thousands of Acromants at the same time, even Dumbledore shouldn¡¯t be able to pull it off.

    ¡°Firenze, what in the world is this?¡± Sirius asked. ¡°Why would you want to weaken the power of the Acromants?¡±

    ¡°Those ferocious creatures do not belong to this forest, I do not know when they started, but their number is increasing, causing us a lot of trouble.¡± Firenze gently replied; he was now the only remaining Centaur on the grounds. ¡°Especially after the fire a month ago, they became increasingly irritable, wantonly attacking Centaurs and other creatures, causing great damage to the ecology of the Forbidden Forest.¡±

    He looked at Evan¡¯s eyes as if he had known it was his fire.

    ¡°I know that the Acromants have caused you a lot of trouble, but let us¡­¡± Sirius said worriedly.

    ¡°The elder has made a request, you can only choose to ept or reject.¡± Firenze¡¯s sapphire eyes did not have the slightest wave.

    ¡°Well, how many Acromants should we kill in order to satisfy you?¡± Sirius stared. ¡°We can¡¯t kill all of them.¡±

    ¡°Quantity is not important, the key is attitude!¡± Firenze turned and looked at Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and said calmly, ¡°If you want to be recognized, the Centaurs want to see the courage hidden in your four hearts and the importance you attach to Centaurs¡±.

    ¡°Courage¡­ and importance?!¡± Evan repeated.

    ¡°Evan, I remember you told us about what Gryffindor left in the Chamber of secrets!¡± Hermione seemed to think of something, she recalled, ¡°Brave Gryffindor; emerge from the swamp of destion! He shall bestow the greatest rewards upon he who is most courageous! The key to unlocking the treasure is the courage buried deep in your heart. You need to get his proud followers¡¯ recognition!¡±

    Although there had been many spections before, it was very clear now. .

    Proud followers refer to these proud Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, and the treasure key he left behind is the courage buried deep in the heart.

    The Centaurs¡¯ colony does keep the item that Gryffindor himself had left, but what is the use of courage here?!

    Do the Centaurs want to test the four of them and then decide whether to give them the item?

    ¡°This phrase has also been running down in the tribe.¡± Firenze turned his head and looked at Evan, slowly saying, ¡°Remember, courage is key to get that item.¡±

 Chapter 278: Harryâ€™s decision

    <h4>Chapter 278: Harry¡¯s decision</h4>

    On their way back, everyone seemed to have epted this fact.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still worried about the Centaur¡¯s demands. Sirius was very dissatisfied with Magorian¡¯s attitude, and looked extremely contemptuous.

    ¡°Those Centaurs are a bunch of sick old mules, aren¡¯t they?¡± He said dissatisfiedly, bypassing a smalltle. ¡°They are too stubborn and look down on the human wizards.¡±

    ¡°Besides stubbornness, they are absolutely mad to ask us to weaken the power of the Acromants!¡± Ron said out of breath, ¡°They don¡¯t want to think how four twelve or thirteen-year-old wizards could beat Acromants?¡±

    No one spoke, and no one knew how to answer Ron.

    ¡°Think about it, you have to dig out the spider¡¯s eyes and bring them to them. It¡¯s crazy!¡± Ron continued, with a shiver in his voice.

    He had no liking to spiders; he was extremely frightened.

    ¡°The question now is not whether we can, but what should we do?¡± Hermione said in a flustered manner. ¡°Firenze said that we can only choose to ept or reject it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we have to do this to get the magic item that Gryffindor left behind, and there¡¯s no other choice!¡± Ron aggressively broke a branch in front of him. ¡°Damn it, Gryffindor himself must have been confused before he went to the Centaurs.¡±

    ¡°ording to Firenze, the Centaurs are not asking us to kill or destroy many Acromants, but to show enough courage and sincerity.¡± Hermione said, ¡°This must be a hint. Things may not be as difficult as we thought.¡±

    ¡°To me, it¡¯s all an idea.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and said in a how tone. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going to have to fight those monsters and kill them. Oh, Acromants, I will have nightmares tonight!¡±

    There was another silence, and everyone felt very bad.

    Evan¡¯s mind was filled with the horror of the Acromants, the eight ck-painted eyes on their heads, their hairy legs, and their big pincers that asionally clicked and clicked.

    Besides the disgust he had, Evan did not have much fear of Acromants.

    In terms ofbat strength, he was now better than those monsters.

    The problem now was insuring the Centaurs¡¯ satisfaction.

    It seemed to be something very challenging, and Evan was even considering the possibility of getting to Aragog¡¯s Lair again and killing the king of the Acromants.

    Although dangerous, if well nned, such a mission would not be impossible!

    Evan was not sure whether he should do so. He looked up at Sirius and wanted to see what he had to say.

    Sirius did not speak, and his face looked arrogant and disdainful as usual. He noticed Evan¡¯s gaze. He smiled slightly and seemed to want to express his opinions after everyone had decided.

    In this manner, the five people walked silently forward, and the Forbidden Forestte at night was particrly gloomy. Several unknown giant creatures flew overhead and made terrible noises, but the invisible pressure of having to face Acromants was more frightening than the darkness around them.

    ¡°Evan, as you said before, you¡¯ve met Acromants and fought them after you chased Peter into the Forbidden Forest.¡± Harry suddenly said, his voice sounding strange in the dark. ¡°What are their strengths?¡±

    ¡°They are very dangerous, it¡¯s best not to provoke them.¡± Evan told the truth, ¡°The Acromants are very aggressive, their sharp fangs are extremely strong and toxic, and they have an immense bite force that can tear a human apart. The most dangerous thing however is their number, you know, I saw at least hundreds of themst time.¡±

    Ron¡¯s face turned pale when he heard Evan¡¯s description.

    ¡°There are too many of them. We can¡¯t face them head-on. We must think of a way.¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°Evan, do the Acromants have any weaknesses?¡±

    ¡°They attack mainly in only one way. Their main tool is their fangs, and they have no long-range attack ability.¡± Evan continued, ¡±Their defense is rtively poor, general attack spells can cause damage to them, I think Petrification or Impedimenta are good choices.¡±

    ¡°Poor defense, single attack,¡± Hermione said uncertainly.¡±This way, as long as you don¡¯t get close to them, they¡¯re not invincible.¡±

    ¡°God, Hermione, you are not really going to fight those Acromants!¡± Ron eximed. ¡°The Centaurs just ask for spiders¡¯ eyes. I just thought about it. We don¡¯t have to do it ourselves. We can simply ask Sirius or other professors.¡±

    Harry and Hermione looked a bit hesitant. Ron¡¯s idea seemed to be actually really good.

    ¡°Sirius, will you help us?¡± Ron asked with hope in his eyes.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Sirius nodded simply. ¡°I promised Evan to help him get the recognition of the Centaurs. If you need it, I will help you clean up those Acromants. Is that your final decision? ¡±

    His gaze slowly slipped through everyone and finally fell on Harry.

    ¡°No, Sirius!¡± Harry shook his head and hesitated. ¡°You don¡¯t have to help; I think we have to do it ourselves.¡±

    ¡°HARRY!¡± Ron hurriedly shouted, his face full of surprise and confusion.

    ¡°You know, Ron!¡± Harry¡¯s voice became more and more determined. ¡°We must do it ourselves. Don¡¯t forget what Firenze said. The Centaur¡¯s request is not really to annihte the Acromants, but to show our courage and sincerity.¡±

    ¡°But¡± Ron opened his mouth unwillingly, not knowing what to say.

    He turned to Evan and Hermione, hoping for their support. Harry¡¯s decision was too risky and irrational.

    Evan and Hermione didn¡¯t talk. They all took a step in the direction of Harry showing their position.

    Looking at his friends¡¯ decision, Ron stood hesitant, his face changed rapidly, and finally he had to sigh and walked over to their side as well.

    ¡°Very well, Harry, you didn¡¯t let me down!¡± Sirius looked at them in silence for a while, smiling happily and saying, ¡°In the face of danger, not everyone has the courage to face the challenges they get, this is a rare quality that you have.¡±

    ¡°I just said my inner thoughts without thinking too much,¡± Harry said with embarrassment.

    ¡°I know that the decision you made today may seem dangerous and irrational to others, but I would say that your father would be proud of you.¡± Sirius said slowly, ¡°Harry, Evan, Ron, Hermione, I hope the four of you will remember that the most precious quality of a Gryffindor is unbeatable courage. Knowing the danger, a Gryffindor keeps his courage to face the difficulties for the sake of protecting the faith in his heart. It is Slytherin¡¯s way to achieve their goals by any means. ¡°

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked very excited when they heard him.

    Harry, in particr, had a flicker of eagerness on his face, as if he wished to find an Acromant and fight at once.

    Although he did not quite agree with Sirius, Evan still had to admire it.

    For friends, he stuck around through thick and thin, even if death was at stake. That¡¯s what Sirius deserved to be respected for.

 Chapter 279: The Plan to Surround and Annihilate the Acromantulas

    <h4>Chapter 279: The n to Surround and Annihte the Acromants</h4>

    In front of a huge stump covered with green moss, the five people stopped walking.

    ¡°Now that you have made a decision, listen to my thoughts.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°In fact, I think this is a good practice opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Practice opportunity?!¡±

    Everyone looked at Sirius curiously, wondering what he meant. How could fighting dangerous Acromants be a practice opportunity?!

    ¡°Like most of the school¡¯s young wizards, your fourbat experiences are too scarce.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°You may not feel its effects right now, but in the real battle with the Dark wizards, this would be an extremely fatal weakness. It must be resolved as soon as possible.¡±

    Harry and Ron did not agree with Sirius¡¯s words.

    They had seen ck wizards like Quirrell and Peter Pettigrew before, and undeniably, they were all very evil, but not invincible.

    Only Evan knew that Sirius was definitely not being overdramatic. He knew the level of a true Death Eater.

    Death eaters like Barty Crouch Jr. and Betrix Lestrange were far more difficult to deal with than Peter Pettigrew.

    Facing the Killing Curse, even the slightest negligence could prove fatal.

    ¡°Sirius, you said this before, so you will rebuild the Dueling Club!¡± Hermione said doubtfully, ¡°Thest time was a great sess, and we all learned a lot ofbat skills and spells, and practiced dueling¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but simted dueling among young wizards has a limited effect.¡± Sirius waved his hand impatiently, and continued, ¡°Although you¡¯re all working hard, that kind of children¡¯s duels doesn¡¯t help with much other than giving you the chance to practice your spell.¡±

    ¡°What are we going to do, Sirius?¡± Harry asked curiously.

    ¡° Only after experiencing the baptism of real battle can you grow up into a true qualified wizard.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°So, you need real battle, you need an opponent that¡¯s strong enough!¡±

    ¡°Real battle, enough strong opponent?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, only through these experiences can you grow quickly.¡± Sirius paused. ¡°I have to say that besides Evan, the three of you are still far too weak. You know, when I was your age, I was able to face up to a Centaur.¡±

    Under Harry¡¯s questioning, Sirius told everyone about his past.

    When he was a third-year student, he encountered a newly grown Centaur Magorian in a Forbidden Forest adventure, and thetter wanted to drive them out of the Forbidden Forest.

    Because of this, Sirius fought with him and won.

    That¡¯s why Magorian had always been obsessed with it, and that¡¯s also the main reason of his bad attitude.

    Although Harry had defeated Voldemort, the Basilisk and Dementors over the course of the past three years, he had been mostly relying on luck and outside help.

    In terms of real strength, he was much worse than Sirius when he was his age.

    Compared with Harry, Ron and Hermione¡¯s fighting power was even worse.

    Naturally, not much needed to be said about Ron. Like most young wizards, he didn¡¯t even grasp manymon spells.

    As for Hermione, besides Divination, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss was the only course she was not good at, and she was not good at dealing withbat-rted issues. But she was much calmer than Harry and Ron, and she knew a lot of cool magic and spells that could y their intended role at critical moments.

    Unlike the three of them, Evan¡¯s own magic power was already very strong, far beyond his peers, and evenparable to many adult wizards.

    Without considering prohibited magic and using histe research on Dark magic, he had even enough power to fight against Sirius and Snape.

    But as Sirius said, Evancked practical experience.

    Without the use of powerful magic far beyond the opponent¡¯s strength to suppress it, He couldn¡¯t make full use of the actual situation to bring his strength into full y.

    He needed more fighting and stronger enemies to umte experience and improve skills to make up for this weakness.

    In this way, Acromants were indeed great opponents.

    ¡°For young wizards of your age, it¡¯s hard to challenge Acromants right now. I had a n for you to try out less dangerous dark creatures first.¡± Sirius said, ¡°But we must speed up our progress, considering the demands of the Centaurs. What¡¯s more, Evan¡¯s analysis just reminded me that the Acromants¡¯ weaknesses are so obvious that you can avoid idents just by being careful.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do, Sirius?¡± Evan asked curiously.

    ¡°Considering the numbers of these monsters, we can first try to practice against the lonely Acromants on the edges of the Forbidden Forest.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°Besides, I¡¯m going to propose this at the Dueling Club, other students can volunteer to take part in challenging the Acromants.¡±

    Next, he exined his ns in detail, including offensive development, protective measures, etc., and everyone was getting very excited.

    If all the young wizards and professors in the school were involved in the surrounding and annihting of the Acromants, then safety wouldn¡¯t be as much of a concern.

    As Sirius said, this was a good opportunity to enhance their strength.

    Harry¡¯s face showed he was so eager that hepletely forgot the danger of the Acromants.

    Even Hermione¡¯s face was blushed and excited.

    Only Ron, who was extremely afraid of spiders, had some worries and his face was gloomy.

    Evan agreed that Sirius¡¯s n would raise the wizards to a higher level of strength and that would be more secure when fighting against Voldemort in the future, but he did not intend to join the Wizards in their search for the lonely Acromant.

    If he could, he hoped to go deeper.

    About ten minutester, they finally returned to the path, where the trees were still sparse and the huge outline of Hogwarts Castle could be seen.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s already midnight, we¡¯d better hurry up,¡± Sirius said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the party went on, is it over?¡±

    Everyone quickened their pace; Sirius sent them to the Gryffindor Tower before leaving, and Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione climbed into the Common Room, still whispering about Centaurs and Acromants.

    They just went in, and heard deafening cheers.

    The rave party was not over yet, and it was now at its climax. Thanks to the distraction provided by Fred and George, nobody had even noticed that they had been out of the Common Room for such a long time. The Gryffindor party ended only when Professor McGonagall turned up in her tartan dressing gown and hair at one in the morning, to insist that they should all go to bed.

    Evan said goodnight to Hermione, followed Colin and climbed the stairs to their dormitory.

    He felt exhausted, pulled up the curtain to cover the moonlight, and immediately fell asleep on the bed.

    In his sleep, he dreamed of fighting Acromants.

    He killed Aragog, the king of the Acromants, and stood above Aragog¡¯s deep, hidden Lair, looking down upon them.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why there seemed to be something in it attracting him.

    There was something whispering to Evan, luring him down, deep into the cave¡­

 Chapter 280: Action Begins

    <h4>Chapter 280: Action Begins</h4>

    Through the misty, domed web, Evan looked into Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Slowly going down into the cave, it was dark and deep, and the warm wind was blowing from below.

    There seemed to be something underneath, and Evan hesitated to go down.

    In the slow wind, he could hear a low voice calling for him, whispering his name¡­

    Before he could make a decision, the temperature of the wind blowing from the cave dropped sharply, getting colder and colder.

    Evan shivered, feeling the cold breeze on the back of his neck.

    A secondter, he woke up abruptly and sat bolt upright. Evan saw that Peeves the Poltergeist had been floating next to him, blowing hard in his ear.

    ¡°What did you do that for?!¡± he asked furiously.

    ¡°Evan, you nasty little devil!¡± Peeves puffed out his cheeks and blew harder.

    Then, before Evan raised his wand, he zoomed backward out of the room, cackling.

    Evan looked at his rm clock. It was half past four, and it was dark outside.

    Now that he was awake, it was very difficult for him to get back to sleep. He sat in bed for a while, thinking about the dream and the contents of Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Considering that Aragog was much bigger than themon Acromants, its unusual Lair should not be as simple as it looked on the surface. There must be something¡­

    Evan was thinking about going in and checking it out, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it was dangerous. And if he really wanted to do that, he had to figure out how to get Aragog out.

    Being a pure Dark creature, the Acromant¡¯s Lair must be the darkest and most evil ce in the Forbidden Forest. Even if there was any treasure in it, it must be rted to ck magic. Evan could be sure that he would never be happy to see that kind of thing.

    One¡¯s life was too much to risk for a Dark Magic item that was probably destined to be unused or even non-existant¡­

    Moreover, the whispering voice of the unknown creature in the wind also gave him a feeling of uncertainty.

    He tossed and turned in bed and finally decided to give up on the idea of exploring the inside of the Lair.

    He should now focus his energy on the Gryffindor Secret Treasure Key, which was preserved by the Centaurs, instead of spending extra time in contact with other ck magic items.

    He rolled over and wanted to continue his sleep.

    But now that he was awake, it was hard for him to get back to sleep. He tossed about for more than ten minutes before eventually getting out of bed.

    Evan knocked on his bed head with his wand, and a wooden nk opened quietly, revealing a dark cab.

    He took out a ck magic book from inside and read it under the glimmer of his wand.

    A faint fluorescence came out of the curtain. In the dark bedroom, there was only one boy leaning on the bed and focusing on reading¡­

    Due to the revelry ofst night, the Gryffindor Tower was quiet the next morning, until around noon, when everyone came out of their bedrooms.

    As he followed Colin through the hall, walking to the Great Hall, he suddenly saw a small gathering around the bulletin board outside the hall gate, reading a piece of parchment that had just been nailed up, most of them being students of Hufflepuff House.

    Justin Finch-Fletchley was very excited. He came to Evan with a smile.

    Sincest year¡¯s Basilisk incident, he was no longer afraid of Harry and Evan as he used to be.

    ¡°Great, Evan!¡± Justin said happily. ¡°I¡¯m in. I¡¯ve thought it over. It¡¯s dangerous to fight those monsters, but there shouldn¡¯t be any problem if there¡¯s a professor. Moreover, umting somebat experience will probablye in handy someday¡­ ¡°

    ¡°What are you talking about? How can I not understand?¡± Colin said confusedly.

    He took a breath and looked confused.

    ¡°Professor ck is gathering people to fight Acromants in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Justin pointed to the bulletin board and said, ¡°There are also the names of Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione. The four of them are also adherents.¡±

    ¡°Are you prepared to fight those monsters in the Forbidden Forest? Why didn¡¯t you inform me earlier?¡± Colin said excitedly, and read the notice with great interest.

    Evan went over and looked at the notice written by Sirius.

    It began with a detailed description of the dark creatures, the Acromants and their current status in the Forbidden Forest. Then, in order to enhance the small wizards¡¯bat experience and fighting skills, volunteers were summoned to surround and annihte them.

    At the end of the notice, it was specifically marked that people could collect Acromants¡¯ eyes and hand them over to Evan for a certain amount of Gold Galleons as a reward.

    The news spread quickly throughout the school, and it didn¡¯t take long for almost all the young wizards to know about it. Not surprisingly, everyone was excited.

    For a while, the Acromants became a hot topic.

    No one was talking about the Quidditch match that had just ended and the uing Quidditch final, but all were discussing the matter of the Acromants. All the books about them in the library had been lent out. Students applied to all hunting sessions until the end of the year. Wherever you went, you could hear people talking about Acromants.

    As for Gryffindor House students, they directly surrounded Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione for questioning.

    Seeing them excited, Evan wondered if the guys knew exactly what an Acromant was. They seemed to totally underestimate the dangers of this dark creature, as if it were just amon spider.

    The fever persisted, and eventually the number of applicants far exceeded expectations. Even Slytherin House students, who had always opposed Sirius, signed up.

    In the end, even Dumbledore was rmed. In the face of the unprecedented enthusiasm of the young wizards, Dumbledore did not stop this, but designed a more secure protection system based on Sirius¡¯s original n.

    Now, not only Sirius, but almost all professors would be involved in the whole process of the Acromants encirclement, to insure students¡¯ safety.

    The time of action was set at noon every day, the most vulnerable hour of the Acromants, and the scope was strictly delineated, so that no one was allowed to enter the deeper Forbidden Forest.

    Because there were so many people, the hunting of the Acromants would be separated ording to the four Houses, and under the protection of professors, to fight against these monsters.

    Malfoy was indignant at this decision.

    He seemed to be nning to take advantage of this opportunity to retaliate against Evan and Harry for letting him lose face.

    In fact, Harry was also unhappy. He remembered Malfoy trying to scare him by pretending to be a Dementor. He had nned to take this opportunity to get his revenge.

    However, neither of them had this opportunity anymore.

 Chapter 281: Surround and Annihilate

    <h4>Chapter 281: Surround and Annihte</h4>

    In addition to Harry and Malfoy, the only one saddened by the Acromants¡¯ siege was Hagrid, who insisted that the creatures were not dangerous.

    He told Evan that Aragog and its descendants wanted to be friends with humans.

    He repeatedly conveyed the goodwill expressed by Aragog and the other Acromants, but Evan was sure that those monsters only saw humans as food.

    Needless to say, he had set Aragog¡¯s Lair on fire burning hundreds of Acromants, and kindling the irreconcble and utterly undying hatred between them. The Acromants¡¯ darkness, their evil nature, and their instinct to hunt humans as food doomed them and the wizards to be natural enemies.

    Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione gave many examples, hoping to persuade Hagrid to understand this and make him realize Acromants¡¯ danger, but it was in vain.

    On Tuesday afternoon, they walked out of Hagrid¡¯s Hut dejected.

    ¡°We are really wasting our time. Think about it. What Hagrid likes, three-headed dogs, dragons, hippogriffs, Acromants¡­¡± Ronined, ¡°He thinks such monsters are friends to man.¡±

    ¡°Hippogriffs are good!¡± Harry whispered. ¡°But the other creatures are really bad, especially the Acromant.¡±

    ¡°Hagrid¡¯s problem is here!¡± Hermione said sharply, ¡°He always thinks these animals are good, and never thinks they¡¯re dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°The only fortunate thing is that he is not going to stop us.¡± Evan followed, ¡°That was a significant step forwards. We should persuade him step by step.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Evan!¡± Ron sighed. ¡°We all know what¡¯s going on. Dumbledore must have talked to him, so he couldn¡¯t object.¡±

    As they all agreed, Hagrid was indeed very fond of all the dangerous creatures, not to mention Aragog of which he took care ever since it was so young.

    He believed in Acromants, just as he believed in Evan.

    Although he said that he would not stop the siege and extermination of the Acromants, shortly after the operation began, Hagrid was often seen patrolling outside the Forbidden Forest with a bow and arrow and Fang, driving all the Acromants he could see back into the Forbidden Forest or sending signals to sabotage the siege.

    Evan suspected that he must have warned Aragog, because the Acromants were now more alert than ever, and rushed back to the depths of the Forbidden Forest as soon as they saw humans.

    But being the flesh-hungry creatures that they were, and considering theirrge numbers in the Forbidden Forest, Acromants eventually had toe out for food.

    The young wizards needed only to set traps, or go a little deeper in the Forbidden Forest.

    In search for Acromants, the Centaurs also yed a very important role.

    They could provide precise directions and help people find the giant spiders.

    Stubborn Centaurs like Magorian were only a small minority. When facing such amon natural enemy, the proud Centaurs had to cooperate with the wizards to a certain extent.

    In fact, besides Hagrid, Harry, and Malfoy, everyone was enthusiastic and interested in the matter.

    ording to the n, Acromants¡¯ surrounding and annihtion operations were going smoothly.

    Hogwarts young Wizards were divided into different groups ording to their Houses and age.

    Under the guidance of the professors, they went to the Forbidden Forest to fight the Acromants. They joined forces to kill the spiders and bring their eyes back to Evan to get their trophies of Gold Galleons.

    Stimted by both the potential for personal growth and the gold, the young wizards attacked with unimaginable enthusiasm, and this once in a life time ¡°practice session¡± became the most popr course in the school. Everyone fought the Acromants, honing their skills and experimenting with various spells.

    At the end of the day, even the students at Slytherin House were all looking forward to it.

    It¡¯s to be known that Snape was originally opposed to Sirius¡¯s proposal to seige the Acromants. He sneered at it and did not intend to support it.

    But after Dumbledore announced his support, Hogwarts went into action to fight the giant spiders, and Snape had to change his mind to join the operation.

    As the head of the house of Slytherin, he was responsible for the safety of Slytherin House students.

    With that in mind, and considering that the saliva and eyes of The Acromants were very valuable potion materials, Snape asked all Slytherin students to give their all in this Acromant hunt, and to collect saliva and eyes. At the very least, the number had to exceed Gryffindor¡¯s.

    To make up for Evan¡¯s reward, Malfoy and several other pure-blood students began collecting the eyes of Acromants for Snape and giving even more Gold Galleons.

    Because of this, no Slytherin handed the eyes to Evan.

    Sparks were reforming obviously between the two houses, as they vied with each other andpeted fiercely.

    In turn, the number of Acromants that they had hunted increased with that rivalry, exceeding the number of those caught by both Hufflepuff and Ravenw Houses.

    Because of past disagreements, for their House honor, and many other reasons, Harry and Malfoy were now really angry.

    The hostility between the two and the two Houses reached its peak.

    Not just for the Acromants, but also for the Quidditch Cup and the Academy Cup to be decided this year between the Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses, tension between the two teams and their Houses was at the extreme since February.

    A number of small scuffles broke out in the corridors, culminating in a nasty incident in which a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year ended up in the hospital wing with leeks sprouting out of their ears.

    Harry hoped to y his game against Malfoy, and win the battle.

    But Slytherin students obviously did not want the same. They didn¡¯t n to let them confront each other head-on. They had their own ns, so Harry was having a particrly bad time because of that.

    He couldn¡¯t walk to ss without Slytherins sticking out their legs and trying to trip him down; Crabbe and Goyle kept popping up wherever he went, and slouching away looking disappointed when they saw him surrounded by people.

    Wood had given instructions that Harry should be apanied everywhere he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action.

    The whole of Gryffindor House took up the challenge enthusiastically, so it was impossible for Harry to get to sses on time because he was surrounded by a vast, chattering crowd.

    The situation was so bad, even Ron was affected. Because he rarely got to be in the spotlight, he was very happy.

    Unlike the two of them, Evan wasn¡¯t being harassed by anyone, let alone Malfoy, who had not yet recovered from the impact of that Dark Magic. After several other senior Slytherin students failed to provoke Evan, he could finally enjoy some calm again.

 Chapter 282: First Encounters

    <h4>Chapter 282: First Encounters</h4>

    In this environment, the young wizards had a new powerful drive.

    The encirclement and suppression of Acromants was no longer limited to personal interests such as enhancing individualbat strength and enhancing experience, but transcended that to be apetition between Houses.

    No one was willing to lose, especially the students of Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses.

    Led by professors from their respective Houses and other teaching professors, they fought with Acromants on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest as nned.

    Evan¡¯s first hunting session was on the first Friday afternoon of February.

    In that operation, Gryffindor second year and third year students gathered in excitement, and were led by Sirius into the Forbidden Forest.

    Contrary to the young impatient wizards, Ron looked very nervous.

    He hadn¡¯t recovered from his phobia yet. Spiders were his greatest fear. So the Acromants, which were gigantic, were his greatest nightmare.

    Just as nervous as Ron was Hermione. She had hoped to learn more about fighting the Acromants from books, but in vain.

    That wasn¡¯t anything to be learned from books, it was something to be experienced.

    At breakfast on Friday, she began to talk to Evan constantly about the whereabouts of these magic creatures, theirmon fighting skills, the 200mon ways to deal with dangerous and magical animals, and so on.

    He wanted to persuade Hermione to feel at ease, but it didn¡¯t work much. Hermione looked through the magic books distractedly. After discovering that she was sharing her experience from books, Neville and Colin listened intently to every word she said.

    They were eager to hear a useful knowledge so that they would not be so confused in the uing battle.

    Everyone did learn a lot from her, but in the end, they were very happy when the owl post arrived to interrupt Hermione¡¯s never-ending speech.

    At two o¡¯clock that afternoon, Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin, Ginny and the other young Wizards of Gryffindor¡¯s second and third years left the castle. They crossed the field in front of the oak gate and hurried into the Forbidden Forest.

    It was a sunny, breezy day. The tall ck trees in the Forbidden Forest and the green sprouts that had just emerged swayed and ttered in the wind, coveringnd as far as the eyes could see. Everyone stared at Sirius in front of the group, both nervous and excited.

    ¡°I have led senior students in the past few days, fighting the Acromants.¡± Sirius held up his wand and said loudly, ¡°Remember, these creatures are very dangerous. They are extremely aggressive. We must be vignt!¡± ¡±

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Ron whispered palely. ¡°We are required to fight Acromants, those mad Centaurs!¡±

    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to worry too much. The number of Acromants outside the Forbidden Forest is not veryrge, and they¡¯re not too big.¡± Sirius¡¯s wand shone white at its tip, he waved his wand and continued, ¡°There will be no idents if you follow my instructions.¡±

    ¡°What should we do, Professor ck?¡± Neville asked trembling.

    ¡°Quite simple, find a lonely Acromant first, and I¡¯ll show you a few magic spells that are very useful on them.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Then you will be divided into different groups, fighting the Acromants in the nearby woods. Remember not to walk alone, or go too far into the Forbidden Forest. Encounter any ident; signal it in the sky with your wand, I¡¯ll get there in no time.¡±

    ¡°It really does sound simple.¡±

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Hermione said sharply, ¡°ording to the book ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡±, the Acromants are good at lurking. They quietly hide in the shadows of the trees, attacking passing prey, or suddenly leaping out when you¡¯re not looking.¡±

    Hearing her words, everyone hurried away from the tall trunks around them.

    The young wizards were huddled in the narrow bushes, clinging together and guarding each other.

    They held up their wands and looked suspiciously up at the top of the trees around them, as if Acromants were about toe out and attack.

    Neville tripped over the vines on the ground because he did not pay attention to his feet.

    The sudden ident caused everyone to panic and the atmosphere became more and more tense.

    Seeing Hermione still wanting to talk, Evan hurriedly walked over and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous, Hermione! As long as I am here, you will not be in danger! ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not nervous, I¡¯m just not ready,¡± Hermione whispered, feeling Evan¡¯s breath and concern, her face reddened a little.

    ¡°These monsters are very dangerous. No one can guarantee that they are ready.¡± Ron looked at Evan and Hermione and continued. ¡°Be careful and make no mistakes. Who knows where these monsters would be lurking?¡±

    ¡°You should be braver, they¡¯re just ordinary spiders.¡± Harry pointed to Ginny, not far away, ¡°Look at Ginny; she is not as nervous as you are.¡±

    Instead of looking around like everyone else, Ginny pulled Colin and asked Sirius at the front of the line for tips on fighting the Acromants.

    ¡°She¡¯s always very daring!¡± Ron¡¯s gaze left from Ginny, and looked at Evan and Hermione again, then looked uneasily at the tall trees around like the others, whispering, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything she¡¯s afraid of.¡±

    A few minutester, after a brief confusion, everyone gradually calmed down.

    They followed Sirius into the woods for about five minutes until they met a lonely Acromant behind a leafy tree.

    It had just left the nest and was looking for prey in the nearby woods.

    After seeing Sirius and the vast swarm of wizards behind him, the Acromant looked stunned, and then turned quickly to escape.

    But Sirius did not give it the chance and directly petrified it with Petrificus.

    Then, using it as an example, he exined in detail to the young wizards the weaknesses of this creature, and introduced several very practical spells.

    After the exnation, Sirius removed the magic from the Acromant.

    Under his care and guidance, the young wizards took turns. Everyone took turns using the spell that they had just learned to try to ovee their fear of this creature.

    Under the attacks, the Acromant was scarred many times. It sent out frequent clicks with a loud, rattling noise. Its body kept shaking and it wanted to run away.

    But this was in vain, and whenever it showed its intention to escape, Sirius¡¯s wand emitted a red light, pushing it back to the center.

 Chapter 283: Training and Evanâ€™s Curse

    <h4>Chapter 283: Training and Evan¡¯s Curse</h4>

    In the woods, the young wizards formed arge circle, and they took turns to attack the Acromant in the center, using the spells they had just learned.

    Everyone gave their observation, and Sirius alsomented on everyone¡¯s performance and gave better advice.

    This level of practice was really too simple for someone like Evan who had fought hundreds of Acromants and faced Aragog.

    However, it was really appropriate for other young wizards to help them master the spells they were studying and ovee theirck of courage in the face of such dangerous creatures.

    Looking at the ugly shape, waving eight slender, furry spider legs around, and from time to time opening huge, sharp ck pincers, many young wizards because of fear, at the very beginning, could not evenplete reading their spell.

    A few sessful spells missed the Acromant, or did not have the desired effect.

    Everyone¡¯s actual performance was very poor. It was just too horrible to watch.

    Evan suspected that if it weren¡¯t for Sirius¡¯s power, this Acromant would have dealt with the dozens of young wizards present on its own.

    Only Harry¡¯s performance was brilliant, his ability to learn was very strong, and he was the first to ovee his fear of the Acromant. He sessfully cast a Full Body-Bind Curse, slowing down the opponent¡¯s speed, and then followed a Smashing Spell, directly breaking one of its legs.

    This wonderfulbination of spells and attacks, won everyone¡¯s warm apuse and Sirius¡¯s high praise, and earned Gryffindor 20 points.

    Seeing Harry¡¯s brilliant performance, the other young wizards gradually gained courage.

    They attacked ording to Sirius¡¯s instructions, increasing the number of scars on the Acromant, and its clicks became more frequent.

    It wriggled and squirmed restless inside the circle.

    Shortly after Harry, was Hermione, who looked very nervous and not ready. She used Expulso in a hurry. The blue light struck the Acromant in front of her, hitting it hard against the trunk behind.

    Compared with Harry, Hermione did not perform that well. However, unlike other young wizards, she hadpletely mastered the Full Body-Bind Curse, Protego, and the smashing Curse. It was just because of the tension that she couldn¡¯t exert her true strength.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, Hermione needed more practice. He was prepared to help Hermione ovee this difficulty in a moment of free action.

    Thest one in third years was Ron, and Sirius knew he was afraid of spiders, so he reminded him a lot, but it didn¡¯t help much.

    No matter what everyone said, Ron still couldn¡¯t ovee his fear of spiders.

    His mouth was slightly open, his eyes bursting out, panicking and looking at the Acromant in front of him. He couldn¡¯t even hold his wand steady in his hand.

    After using a spell hastily, he returned to the crowd.

    ¡°Not good, I have to further adapt!¡± He said weakly.

    Unlike Ron, the other young wizards gradually adapted. Under Sirius¡¯s guidance, everyone overcame their fear and cast magic faster and faster.

    More and more curses hit the Acromant, and the power was gradually increasing. Feeling the change of its opponents, the beast, surrounded in the center, was getting more and more irritable. It seemed to know what was going on, and that it was only going to end in its death.

    Just when Ginny was ready to try, the ident was bound to happen!

    The Acromant, trapped in the center, did not retreat. Instead of trying to escape, it was more aggressive, waving ck giant pincers, and rushing straight to Ginny.

    It was fast, and Sirius had no time to stop it.

    Ginny¡¯s spell flew over the body of the Acromant. Watching the monster getting closer and closer, the little girl waspletely terrified.

    By the time she was prepared to use a spell to defend, the giant spider was already close to her.

    Everything happened too suddenly. This Acromant was so fast that it was too close to Ginny and no one reacted.

    Evan, who had been standing behind Ginny, stepped out and stood in front of her, his wand steadily raised and pointed ahead.

    When it saw Evan, the Acromant hesitated and slowed down.

    It finally recognized that the thin human boy in front of it was the god of death that burned Aragog¡¯s Lair and hundreds of Acromants a few months ago.

    Just as it slowed down, Evan quickly cast a spell.

    At the end of the wand, a silvery white light was emitted, like a sharp sword, directly cutting the Acromant.

    Its body fell to the ground, and its eight dark eyes were all locked tightly on Evan.

    It was unwillingly opening and closing its big pincers. It seemed to be trying to bite Evan, or perhaps warning itspanions of the arrival of death.

    Evan helped Ginny up and handed her to Harry, Ron and Hermione who had just rushed over.

    At that time, there was a cry of surprise among the surrounding people.

    On the one hand, it was because of the ident that had just happened, but more people were amazed at the magic that Evan had used, and no one knew what it was.

    But there was no doubt that this magic was extremely powerful, far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    After three seconds of being stunned, the other young wizards gathered around.

    They surrounded Evan, asking questions and expressing their admiration for him. It was already rumored that Evan was powerful, but it was only now that they saw him use such powerful magic.

    The young wizards were amazed and shocked by Evan¡¯s strength.

    The noisy argumentssted for more than ten minutes before they gradually subsided. Sirius added 50 points to Evan. He told everyone that the curse that Evan had just used was not recorded in themon magic books, but one that he himself had studied and created.

    This made the other young wizards further admire Evan, to the extent that was beyond measure.

    They couldn¡¯t imagine how powerful Evan was to be able to study and create spells by himself.

    Sirius was right. Evan was indeed at the level of creating spells.

    But this one wasn¡¯t his, it was Tom Riddle¡¯s, young Voldemort¡¯s creation.

    Evan himself was indeed trying to create new magic. He had also a lot of ideas, and had invented a few small charms, but none of them could be applied to actualbat.

    All in all, Evan¡¯s performance left a deep impression on everyone.

    Before, Young wizards often heard all kinds of hearsay about Evan¡¯s strength, mostly exaggerations. They only knew that Evan was very strong, but they didn¡¯t know to what extent. And it was far from being shocked when they saw it with their own eyes.

    Among the ones staring at Evan, who was surrounded by the crowd, only Ron looked strange.

    Unlike everyone else, he didn¡¯t think the magic spell was created by Evan himself. He couldn¡¯t exin why, but he thought about Evan¡¯s study of the dark magic and the horrible, cruel pattern he saw on his notebook.

    Such a powerful spell, one not recorded in themon magic books, could in itself answer many questions.

 Chapter 284: Teaching Hermione

    <h4>Chapter 284: Teaching Hermione</h4>

    While Harry¡¯s wonderful performance gave everyone confidence, the powerful curse cast by Evan just shocked everyone. The young wizards were now more courageous, and no longer felt the fear of the Acromant like they were at first. But it was not enough, and they couldn¡¯t wait for a few more battles like this.

    Everyone was in high spirits and wanted to be as strong as Evan and Harry¡­

    Next, Sirius divided the Wizards into groups ording to the n, and let them go to the nearby woods to act alone and fight the Acromants.

    He repeatedly warned everyone not to go deep into the Forbidden Forest.

    Under the care of Sirius and hispanions, fighting just one Acromant was already at the limit of what these twelve to thirteen-year-old wizards could pull off.

    Normally, they should be exposed to such a creature after passing the Ordinary Wizarding Level test.

    Instead of following the stream in search of the lonely Acromant, Evan secretly pulled Hermione away from therge army and went to the remote woods. He had his own ns.

    Hermione was still discussing with Evan the spell he had just used. She had seen it a few times before, but not once was she as impressed as she was now.

    ¡°The spell you just used is much stronger than the Reductor Curse.¡± Hermione said, ¡°It can split the Acromant¡¯s body. It looks a bit like¡­¡±

    ¡°In fact, the principle of this spell is not too difficult!¡± Evan thought for a moment, turned to look at Hermione, ¡°if you want to learn, I can teach you!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Hermione said in surprise, and immediately became a little hesitant. ¡°But isn¡¯t this a spell you created yourself? I mean, you should keep it secret and leave it as an ace up your sleeve, not just pass it on to someone else¡­¡±

    ¡°This is not a trick; there is no need for secrecy.¡± Evan replied earnestly, ¡°And for me, you are not someone else!¡±

    Hearing what Evan said, Hermione¡¯s little face turned red, like an extremely red apple, so cute that one could not help but take a bite.

    For a wizard, a curse that he only masters is very important. It should not be taught outside for anyone who is not close or intimate enough..

    Evan was willing to pass this spell on to Hermione, and that itself held a lot of meaning.

    While shy, Hermione was very happy, but she still intended to persuade Evan to keep the spell secret.

    Whatever else she wanted to say, Evan did not give her a chance. He directly exined to Hermione the principle, the spell, the technique and so on.

    In the eyes of other young wizards, this spell was extremely powerful.

    But for Evan, that was really nothing now. His current ace up his sleeve was the ck magic he had learned from studying the Dark Arts.

    But those curses were very evil, and every time they were put to use, a price should be paid.

    Evan was not bewildered by the powerful force he depicted, and he knew that the dark magic could only be used as ast-minute lifesaving straw.

    He was trying to use this as a basis to learn to master the relevant aspects of white magic.

    Evan¡¯s recent progress had been tremendous, especially inspired by Dumbledore. But his improvement inbat was limited by his own magic, and he couldn¡¯t use many powerful spells smoothly.

    As long as he got the item from the Centaurs¡¯ colony, all the problems would be solved¡­

    In this case, some of the curses he had previously learned from Tom Riddle¡¯s diary would not be as important as they were before, and would be increasingly unsuitable for Evan.

    Instead of being thrown aside and idle, it was better to pass them on to Hermione and help her improve her strength.

    Standard Charms, such as the Disarming Charm, the Shield Charm, Petrification, etc, are generally less lethal, though they are highly practical.

    Hermione needed a few strong spells to protect herself, so that Evan could rest assured.

    In the silent woods, Evan and Hermione sat under an old, huge oak tree, and the sun was shining through the shade of the leaves, like stars in the sky, some dazzling, but very bright and beautiful, with an unpredictable silence.

    After the initial panic, Hermione quickly calmed down and studied very seriously.

    Looking at the girl in front of him, her delicate facial features and those brown eyes full of inspiration, Evan said and said, but he gradually became distracted and moved with confused, foolish reflections.

    For an instant, he just wished that time would stop.

    Twenty minutester, after Hermionepletely mastered the curse, they went further down the path, deeper into the Forbidden Forest, to the edge of the Acromants¡¯ territory. After passing through a huge trunk that was lying down, the ground began to tilt downwards, and the surrounding trees gradually became sparse, revealing unhealthy gray.

    The trees were covered with bruises, and therge spider webs were hung everywhere with animal carcasses within them.

    The scene in front of them was startling. Many of the animals in the webs were still alive. Because of the Acromants¡¯ venom, they lost their mobility and were desperately trembling in the spider webs.

    The surrounding scenery was much crazier than what Evan had seen a few months ago.

    It seemed that after he had burnt Aragog¡¯s Lair, the Acromants must have retaliated wildly against other animals in the Forbidden Forest.

    They were venting off their frustration over other creatures.

    No wonder that even the proud Centaurs couldn¡¯t help but need human help.

    Seeing the horrific scenes around, Evan suddenly understood why the elder of the Centaurs had asked him to pay with Acromants. What they needed was not the spider¡¯s eyes, but the hope that Evan, the cause of all this, would tackle the problem at hand and solve it.

    With those dark creatures, the Acromants,munication would be futile.

    Moreover, Evan was not Hagrid. He couldn¡¯tmunicate with Aragog and the other Acromants. He had to be tough to keep them in check. While greatly reducing the number of Acromants in the Forbidden Forest would make them stick to their territory and dare not go out, finding how to kill Aragog would just make them too scared to do anything.

    It was a good idea to rely on the help of the entirety of the school¡¯s young wizards to encircle the Acromants and reduce their number, but Evan did not have enough time.

    He was ready to make another trip to the Lair of Aragog, the leader of the Acromants, and kill him.

    Even after all this time, this old spider had a few years of life remaining. Killing Aragog now was the quickest way to deter the Acromants from ravaging and disrupting the ecological bnce in the Forbidden Forest, as they were doing now¡­

 Chapter 285: Warmth, and Success

    <h4>Chapter 285: Warmth, and Sess</h4>

    Evan¡¯s current strength was enough to kill Aragog.

    The only problem now was that there were so many Acromants. He couldn¡¯t face them all at the same time, and he couldn¡¯t even get close to Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Evan thought that he could maybe borrow Harry¡¯s invisibility cloak. But, the Acromants¡¯ senses were so keen, and they might discover him easily. After killing Aragog and rming all the Acromants, how to get out was also a problem.

    He had to find a way to bypass the other Acromants, or make them unable to touch him¡­

    Evan looked up at the sky. Maybe flying was a good choice.

    He could fly in with a broomstick. Aragog¡¯s Lair was arge, sloping pit with no trees nearby, and very open.

    There, he could even sit on the broomstick and attack the Acromants below from midair.

    When attacking them from distance, they simply shouldn¡¯t be able to touch him.

    The more he thought of this idea, the more he found it feasible, and the more appropriate it seemed.

    But when he thought of his bad flying skills, he shook his head again.

    To do that, he had to improve his flying skills, to be at least as good as Harry¡¯s, and the broomsticks were too restrictive, not too flexible.

    Aragog was not to stay on the ground, waiting for Evan to attack it. To kill this old spider, he had to go deep into its Lair.

    Evan couldn¡¯t imagine himself holding a broomstick and fighting Acromants in a pit.

    It seemed that he still needed to find another way.

    Fortunately, there was still time for the end of the semester.

    He decided to put the matter aside for the time being, look for other feasible methods or find a broom and improve his flying skills.

    After Hermione had mastered the spells and techniques, they did not go further.

    Evan knew that he had to be careful not to let Aragog know that he had re-entered the Forbidden Forest. He apanied Hermione on the edge of the Acromants¡¯ territory in search of a hunting spider. They met a lonely Acromant, and like Sirius, Evan used magic to keep it within a certain range, slowing it down.

    He let Hermione fight it alone and practice the magic that she had just learned.

    Hermione waved her wand and read the spell against the Acromant in front of her. Although she had mastered the technique of the spell, her wand did not react.

    ¡°This spell is too difficult, I can¡¯t use it.¡± She gasped.

    ¡°This spell doesn¡¯t rely on high magical power.¡± Evan waved his wand and added a Full Body-Bind Curse to the Acromant. ¡°You should wave your wand faster. Pay attention to getting the speed of the wand to match the spell¡¯s speed.¡±

    Following Evan¡¯s instructions, Hermione tried it again, but there was no result.

    ¡°No, no, I really¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, Hermione, you must be fine!¡± Evan encouraged. ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. Remember; wave your wand a little faster.¡± ¡±

    Hermione tried several times again, but only up to make her wand¡¯s shine white.

    In Evan¡¯s view, Hermione¡¯s main problem now was not herck of power to use this spell, but that she was too nervous, and she had already determined, in her heart, that she couldn¡¯t do it.

    Looking at Hermione, who was still working hard, Evan didn¡¯t think much.

    The next second, he walked straight to hold Hermione¡¯s little hand.

    ¡°Let your wand follow my hand, don¡¯t force. Remember this feeling!¡±

    Hermione didn¡¯t expect Evan to do that, and her body was tense.

    Her face turned red and her body became hotter.

    She snuggled in Evan¡¯s arms like a kitten, listening to him talking in her ear, her mind nk, only nodding unconsciously.

    She didn¡¯t know what she was going to do, or what she had to remember exactly¡­

    She only knew that she was close to Evan, and could even feel his scent. Her little hand moved under Evan¡¯s traction, and her wand waved pointing at the Acromant in front of her, but still with no reaction because she forgot to read the spell.

    Hermione hurriedly apologized, forcing herself to focus and not to think about the mess in her mind.

    But that wasn¡¯t easy, and much more stressful than practicing alone.

    In fact, Evan was not much better than Hermione. He didn¡¯t want to think about it when he came to hold Hermione¡¯s little hand. He wanted to help her cast the spell.

    It was just a subconscious movement. For Evan, it was asmon as eating and drinking.

    When he came back to his senses, he realized what he was doing!

    He actually came over behind Hermione, holding her little hand!!!

    The two people¡¯s bodies were close, and strange feelings suddenly rose from the bottom of their hearts. This was not the first time he had held Hermione¡¯s hand, but Evan had never been as nervous as he was now. What he feared most was Hermione¡¯s resistance, or her pushing him aside, which would be too embarrassing.

    Fortunately, Hermione didn¡¯t do that. She didn¡¯t even struggle too much. She just shivered a little and let Evan hold her.

    In the dark, silent, empty woods, Evan and Hermione were alone.

    They were in a strange posture, and Evan smelled the sweet scent of the girl in front of him, holding her little hand from behind, trying to help her cast the spell.

    But in fact, they didn¡¯t take this matter to heart, and their thoughts drifted farther and farther.

    They stood both like this, and the atmosphere was getting more and more entric.

    In front of them, the Acromant, lying on the ground, looked at the two humans strangely, wondering what they were doing.

    It wanted to escape, but its whole body was petrified, unable to move.

    But the effect of the spell was diminishing, and the Acromant felt it could regain control of its own body, and as it looked at the two people who were still, it quietly moved back.

    Unnoticed, the Acromant¡¯s big pincers clung together.

    It changed its mind and was not going to escape anymore, but to attack the two humans in front of it. The Acromant slowly moved forward, getting closer and closer to Evan and Hermione, and when it was about to jump over, Hermione¡¯s wand made a slight, crisp sound!

    The next second, a silvery white light came out.

    Hermione¡¯s Curse was apanied by a fierce wind. Like lightning, it passed through the Acromant¡¯s body, cutting it into two halves.

    Its body fell to the ground, and its eyes unwilling to look ahead¡­

    ¡°I did it!¡± Hermione said pleasantly surprised.

    She raised her hands and cheered, then realized that Evan was still holding her.

    They both blushed and hurriedly separated, looking very embarrassed.

    Fortunately, there were no other people around; otherwise, looking at the faces of both of them, they would just want to dig a hole in the ground and hide from people¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 286: Hermioneâ€™s Time

    <h4>Chapter 286: Hermione¡¯s Time</h4>

    After the first sessful spell, Hermione performed well.

    They searched for a few more Acromants to let Hermione practice. Although she could sessfully cast the spell now, she was still not very skilled and she could not easily master her movements.

    Her spell was also much less powerful than Evan¡¯s.

    ¡°I practiced for so long, and I still can¡¯t master this spell¡­¡±

    ¡°You are already doing great, Hermione!¡± Evan encouraged her and said, ¡°When I first came into contact with this spell, I didn¡¯t grasp it as quickly as you did. What you need now is more practice until you fully master it.¡±

    More practice means more time.

    Hermione¡¯s schoolwork had overdrawn all her time and energy, with each professor assigning more and more homework to prepare for the uing final exam, in addition to the regr battle with the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest every Friday.

    Since February, Hermione had been using the Time-Turner frequently to shuttle back and forth over different periods of time, often forgetting to eat.

    With the increase of schoolwork, there was unlimited pressure, and she could only talk to Evan about it.

    Evan chose to remain silent and listen quietly, giving her where to vent.

    It was useless to suggest that Hermione gave up on a few sses or something like that. It was totally a waste of effort.

    He often saw her appear before him right after she left him.

    Therefore, Evan had to prepare for Hermione a timetable to remind her of what she should do at a certain time.

    One day before the Easter holidays, when Evan and Colin finished their morning lessons in the history of magic, they walked into the Great Hall and saw all the third years sitting at the table with smiles on their faces. Only Harry and Ron looked worried and whispered.

    ¡°Why are theyughing all the time?¡± Colin asked curiously.

    ¡°This is the power of the Cheering Charm.¡± Ron exined. ¡°In the morning¡¯s Charms ss, Professor Flitwick taught us this spell, and we cast it on each other.¡±

    Evan knew that the Cheering Charm could bring people a feeling of great contentment.

    Under the influence of the spell, the victim¡¯s mood would continue to be high, feeling happy from the bottom of his heart, even if he encountered frustrating things.

    ¡°Everyone really needs to rx. The effect of this spell canst for a whole day.¡± Evan looked around and continued, ¡°Where did Hermione go, why didn¡¯t shee for lunch?¡±

    ¡°This is exactly what we¡¯ve just been talking about.¡± Harry hurriedly said, ¡°Evan, haven¡¯t you seen Hermione elsewhere?¡±

    ¡°No, I saw her thest time in the morning; she followed the two of you to go to Charms ss!¡± Evan frowned and said, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°In fact, this morning until we walked up the marble staircase toward Professor Flitwick¡¯s ssroom, the three of us were still together,¡± Harry exined. ¡°But when we entered the ssroom, Hermione was missing!¡±

    ¡°Missing?!¡± Evan froze.

    ¡°She was clearly behind me, and we were discussing the matter of those damn spiders in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Ron added, ¡°I and Harry thought she went to the bathroom, but she didn¡¯t show up for the whole lesson.¡±

    Hearing this, Evan already knew what happened.

    Hermione must have confused the time with the Time-Turner. She missed a very important Charms ss and he didn¡¯t know where she was now.

    He took Hermione¡¯s timetable out of his schoolbag, which showed that she should have had Arithmancy and Divination this morning in addition to Charms ss.

    ¡°Did you ask anyone else about Hermione?¡± Evan looked up and said, ¡°Like, a student in Divination ss!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve asked everyone, but nobody has seen Hermione!¡± Ron looked at the timetable in the hands of Evan and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve never understood it. How does Hermione manage to have many sses at the same time?!¡±

    ¡°Evan, do you think Hermione will use that thing?¡± Harry thought about the Time-Turner.

    Evan nodded and Ron looked at him and Harry suspiciously.

    ¡°Hermione must have confused the time. She is either in the library or in the Common Room.¡± Evan said, putting down his cutlery. ¡°Let¡¯s go and find her.¡±

    Over 20 minutester, they found Hermione in the Common Room. She was sitting at a table, asleep, her head resting on an open Arithmancy book.

    They went to sit down on either side of her. Evan prodded her awake.

    ¡°Wh¡­ what, Evan?¡± Hermione said confusedly. She woke up with a start and stared wildly around. Then she saw Harry and Ron. ¡°Is it time to go? Which lesson have we got now?¡±

    ¡°Divination, but it¡¯s not for another twenty minutes!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to Charms?¡± Ron asked strangely. ¡°Evan said that you messed up the timing, but I don¡¯t understand¡­¡±

    ¡°What?! Oh no!¡± Hermione squeaked, ¡°I forgot to go to Charms!¡±

    ¡°But how could you forget?¡± Ron asked. ¡°You were with us till we were right outside the ssroom, and Harry can prove it!¡±

    Hermione did not pay him any heed, she wailed,¡± I can¡¯t believe it. Was Professor Flitwick angry? I remember you telling me about Acromants. I was thinking about the spell Evan had taught me. I was thinking about it and I lost track of things¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve chosen too many courses.¡± Said Harry, looking down at the enormous Arithmancy book Hermione had been using as a pillow. ¡°I reckon you¡¯re breaking down. You want to do so many things at the same time¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± said Hermione, moving her hair away of her eyes and staring hopelessly around for her bag. ¡°I just made a mistake, that¡¯s all! I¡¯d better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry!¡±

    She grabbed her schoolbag and rushed out of the Common Room, and Evan hurriedly followed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed Charms ss!¡± Hermione said irritably, and she quickly walked to Professor Flitwick¡¯s office.

    ¡°I will stick to my words; you have put yourself under too much pressure.¡± Evan said.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t, I¡¯m just¡­¡± Hermione hesitated when she saw Evan looking at her seriously. ¡°You know, I just want to be better!¡±

    ¡°You are good enough. In my mind, you are always the best.¡± Evan took out a few pieces of cake specially reserved for Hermione from his schoolbag and handed them over.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan!¡± Hermione looked much moved. She came up and hugged Evan.

    Then she hurried to Professor Flitwick¡¯s office.

    About ten minutester, she came out of it, looking extremely harassed.

 Chapter 287: Hermioneâ€™s Divination class

    <h4>Chapter 287: Hermione¡¯s Divination ss</h4>

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I missed the Cheering Charm!¡± said Hermione angrily. ¡°And I bet it wille up in our exams; Professor Flitwick hinted they might!¡±

    ¡°If necessary, I can help you practice this spell.¡± Evan said eagerly.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan!¡± Hermione leaned her schoolbag over her shoulder and sighed, looking very depressed. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot. Without you, I really don¡¯t know what I could¡¯ve done. I would like to practice this spell, but I have no time. It¡¯s hard to imagine. I spent the whole afternoon in the Divination ss, staring at a crystal ball in a daze.¡±

    A week before, the third year ss was taught crystal ball Divination.

    Evan was very able to understand Hermione¡¯s current mood. For most wizards who do not have Divination talent, it is impossible to see anything from the crystal ball.

    As Hermione said, they were totally wasting their time there.

    It¡¯s to be known that Divination talent, while highly valued, is very rare, and is usually inherited.

    To put it simply, if there were no foreseers in your ancestors, then you shouldn¡¯t get anything useful through Divination.

    At the very least, no one had this talent among the young wizards that Evan knew.

    Taking into ount Hermione¡¯s current timetable pressure, if she chose to give up on Divination ss, Evan would absolutely agree. Heforted her with a few words. A few minutester, Hermione went to Divination ss, and it seemed that she was about to reach her limit.

    To her, Professor Trwney was nothing but a liar.

    It was totally unbearable for her to go and listen to Professor Trwney¡¯s nonsense all afternoon under the strain of time.

    So, at dinner time, Evan wasn¡¯t surprised to hear the other third-year Gryffindor students talking about Hermione leaving the Divination ss halfway through.

    ¡°As usual, Professor Trwney was predicting that Harry will die!¡± Ron gave himself a big spoonful of mashed potatoes, while exining the whole incident to others; he wrinkled his nose and exaggerated. ¡°Hermione suddenly interrupted her. Professor Trwney said that Hermione did not possess the qualities required by the noble art of Divination. She said that she didn¡¯t remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so helplessly mundane. Do you know how Hermione reacted?¡±

    All the students in the first and second years shook their heads and their faces were full of curiosity.

    ¡°She was silent for two or three seconds, then suddenly stood up.¡± Ron tried to imitate Hermione¡¯s tone.

    ¡°She said directly to Professor Trwney ¡°I give up! I¡¯m leaving!¡± Then, to the whole ss¡¯s amazement, she left the Divination ssroom. It was really brave, wasn¡¯t it?! I was scared by her, and I bet Professor Trwney must have been frightened. She stood there, breathing rather heavily as she tugged her gauzy shawl more closely to her. It was like that.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Ron! Professor Trwney had predicted this. She had predicted her departure. Remember our first lesson?! ¡°Around Easter, one of our number will leave us forever,¡± Lavender, sitting across the long table, interrupted Ron. ¡°She had already predicted it, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°In a sense, she really knows everything.¡± Ron waved his hand, unhappy at Lavender¡¯s interruption, adding disdainfully, ¡°As long as it is about unfortunate things!¡±

    ¡°That is the whole charm of Divination, predicting the danger of the future, allowing one to avoid, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Lavender whispered, trying to convince Ron.

    The two of them discussed this topic, and Evan asked Harry about Hermione¡¯s whereabouts.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, she might go back to the Common Room first. Leaving directly from the ssroom, this matter must¡¯ve been a big blow to Hermione.¡± Harry said ufortably, ¡°We¡¯d better go and find her. I dare say she must be very upset now¡­¡±

    Harry stopped before he finished his words.

    Hermione was walking into the Great Hall from the outside. She looked like she was not sad at all. She was very happy. Her face was full of smiles. She smiled and sat down in the seat Evan and Harry had given her.

    Because of what happened in the Divination ss, almost half of the students at the table turned to look at her, hoping to know what happened after the incident.

    ¡°Are you okay, Hermione?¡± Evan asked tentatively.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Evan!¡± Hermione looked very happy. ¡°Since the beginning of the semester, I have never been in such a good state. Think about it, I can finally get rid of Professor Trwney and the meaningless Divination lessons and devote my precious time to other things.¡±

    ¡°But you left directly from the ss. There has never been such a thing before!¡± Ron¡¯s attention shifted from Lavender to Hermione. He curiously asked, ¡°I mean, if you give up Divination, what would Professor McGonagall say?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern, I¡¯ve just returned from Professor McGonagall.¡± Hermione took out her timetable and used the wand to remove Divination ss and answered easily. ¡°She is very supportive of my decision. From today on, I don¡¯t have to waste any more time in the Divination ss. If you also want to give up, you can always speak out without worrying about what Professor McGonagall would have to say.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s you!¡± Ron whispered, ¡°If I had given up Divination as you did, Professor McGonagall would have criticized me so severely, make me apologize to Professor Trwney and then write to my mother about it.¡±

    Giving up Divination, Hermione could be more rxed.

    Even without Divination, she was taking more subjects than anyone else, but her mental state was much better.

    Compared with before, she was smiling all day, full of motivation, without the slightest pressure of her studies on her.

    For Hermione, learning was a happy thing. However, other people were not so optimistic. The Easter holidays were not exactly rxing. Because the school year exam was approaching, the second years were doing more and more homework.

    In Colin¡¯s words, he had never had so much homework.

    In fact, not only in the second years, the entire school¡¯s young wizards now spent almost all their time studying, and they spent more and more time in the Common Rooms and the library. Neville seemed close to a nervous breakdown, and he wasn¡¯t the only one.

    At noon on thest day of the Easter holidays, Evan had just entered the Gryffindor Common Room when he heard Seamus Finnigan roaring in the corner.

    ¡°They call this a holiday?¡± He threw a few magic books on the ground. ¡°The exams are ages away, who are they kidding?¡±

 Chapter 288: Fruitless Flight Practice

    <h4>Chapter 288: Fruitless Flight Practice</h4>

    On the eve of the exam, the nervous mood in the castle was pervasive.

    Harry and the other Gryffindor yers had to fit in their homework around Quidditch practice every day, just as they were forced to divert all their energy away from the Acromants and put it to school.

    On top of all of that were endless discussions of tactics with Wood.

    The Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch final this year would take ce on the first Saturday after the Easter holidays.

    Slytherin was leading the tournament by exactly two hundred points. This meant that they needed to win the match by more than that amount to win the Cup. It also meant that the burden of winning fellrgely on Harry, because capturing the Snitch was worth one hundred and fifty points.

    Every day at the table, Evan could hear Wood telling Harry constantly, ¡°So, you must catch it only if we are more than 50 points up. Only when we are more than 50 points up, Harry, or we win the match but lose the Cup. You¡¯ve got that, haven¡¯t you? You must catch the Snitch only if we¡¯re fifty points¡­¡±

    ¡°I KNOW, OLIVER!¡± Harry yelled. ¡°This is the twenty-third time you¡¯ve told me this!¡±

    ¡°We must be careful, Slytherin already knows that you have a Firebolt, and they must have made their tactics.¡± Wood shifted the discussion to tactical arrangements, ¡°We¡¯re going to have to score a lot of points in this game and get the Slytherin team down. You are the key to this game, Harry; we¡¯ve got to be fifty points up first.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Wood; Gryffindor House as a whole was obsessed with the uing match.

    It was exciting enough to think about it. Gryffindor hadn¡¯t won the Quidditch Cup since the legendary Charlie Weasley left.

    All Gryffindors hoped to win this match, and everyone couldn¡¯t wait.

    This was particrly evident considering the many grudges between Gryffindor and Slytherin, between Harry and Malfoy, and what happened in the match of Gryffindor against Ravenw, this had already made Harry determined to beat Malfoy in front of the entire school.

    They were training day and night, trying to find the best state of the team.

    Slytherin, on the contrary, trained far less frequently than Gryffindor, and now gathered all day gloomily, staring unkindly at Harry and the other yers. It seemed that they were intending to use other ¡°tactics¡± to win the match.

    As time went by, the tension between the two teams and their Houses was peaking. Harry was having a particrly bad time because of it.

    Wood had already given instructions that Harry should be apanied wherever he went, in case the Slytherins tried to put him out of action.

    Harry was more concerned for his Firebolt¡¯s safety than his own. When he wasn¡¯t flying it, he locked it securely in his trunk and frequently dashed back up to Gryffindor Tower at break times to check that it was still there.

    Like Harry and Hermione, who were very busy, Evan did not have much time.

    On top of the pressures of the college curriculum and continuing his magic studies in the library, he was also trying to find a way to sneak into Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Evan had not made much progress in that regard.

    He couldn¡¯t break into it directly, and none of Evan¡¯s known magic could help him sneak into Aragog¡¯s Lair under the eyes of hundreds of Acromants and kill it silently.

    He thought it over and over again, and he found it was more feasible to fly directly into it.

    Evan had to find his Nimbus 2000 from under the bed. Every afternoon, when he didn¡¯t have ss, he went to the field to practice flight.

    Now, the young wizards could often see Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch team practicing high in the air, while Evan alone was riding his broomstick and flying slowly under them.

    Everyone was pointing at Evan¡¯s behavior, wondering what he was doing.

    It¡¯s known that he had always been the focus of attention among young wizards, especially at this sensitive moment when the Quidditch Final was about to start, and Evan¡¯s move was too suspicious.

    There were rumors that Evan was the secret weapon being prepared by the Gryffindor team. The Slytherins were suspicious, but they did not dare to harass Evan as they did with Harry and other yers. Like Snape, they were now indifferent to all of Evan¡¯s actions.

    With a lot of practice, Evan¡¯s fear of heights was somewhat alleviated.

    Even if he couldn¡¯t fly at Harry¡¯s level, he still wasn¡¯t at his same old level, when he couldn¡¯t sit on a broomstick and fly into midair.

    After mastering certain flying skills, Evan became increasingly doubtful of the possibility of using his broomstick to sneak into Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Carrying a broom while fighting Acromants, just thinking about it, this image was a little funny.

    He wasn¡¯t going there to sweep the ce. He couldn¡¯t just fly in so mindlessly, and then ignore everything, flying back on the same broom. The chances of sess were really low.

    As time went on, Evan still did not make much progress.

    The night before the match, he had to stop flight practice andpletely give up on this kind of fantasies. In fact, all usual activities in the Gryffindor Common Room ceased. Even Hermione had put down her books.

    ¡°I can¡¯t work, I can¡¯t focus.¡± She said nervously.

    There was a great deal of noise. Fred and George Weasley were dealing with the pressure by being louder and more exuberant than ever.

    Oliver Wood was crouched over a model of a Quidditch field in the corner, prodding little figures across it with his wand and muttering to himself. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie wereughing at Fred¡¯s and George¡¯s jokes.

    Harry and Ron were sitting together, and they both avoided Hermione and Evan, always muttering something in a low voice, seemingly discussing the next day¡¯s match.

    No one cared about theing exam, nor did they care about the Acromants and the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, only Evan was still thinking about it from time to time, thinking about himself sneaking into the dangerous, gloomy Acromant¡¯s Lair.

    Every time Evan thought about it, he had the horrible sensation that something veryrge was fighting to get out of his stomach.

    ¡°Rx, Evan, don¡¯t think about the Centaurs and the Acromants.¡± Hermione closed the book at hand. She seemed to see through Evan¡¯s mind, ¡°You told me before, don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself, and the same is true with you. Regarding the requirements of the Centaurs, we can think of ways together. This is not on you alone.¡±

    ¡°I know, I am just¡­¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Come on, Harry looks even more nervous than you. We should haveforted him before now.¡± Hermione walked along with Evan. ¡°This time is really not suitable for studying, there¡¯s no way to concentrate.¡±

 Chapter 289: Buckbeak and the New Plan

    <h4>Chapter 289: Buckbeak and the New n</h4>

    Evan and Hermione went to the fire ce and heard Ron trying tofort Harry.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine!¡± said Ron. ¡°You¡¯ve got a Firebolt!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Harry nodded, his stomach writhing. ¡°I have a Firebolt, but Malfoy¡­ ¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t seem very confident. Before Evan and Hermione could say anything, Wood suddenly stood up and yelled,¡± Team! Bed! ¡±

    It seemed to be a signal that came as a relief for everyone.

    Suddenly, the whole Common Room became empty. In order not to disturb the rest of the yers, the other students also returned to their respective bedrooms early.

    Evan saw Hermione returning to her bedroom. He sat alone in the unupied Common Room for a while, and his thoughts moved from the uing Quidditch final to the Acromants.

    Just when he was thinking about it, the door of the Common Room was opened.

    Colin came panting from outside, holding a thick stack of forms in his hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s in your hand?¡± asked Evan curiously.

    ¡°About next year¡¯s elective courses, you know, the third year needs to add a few lessons.¡± Colin pulled out a form and handed it to Evan. ¡°I just returned from Professor McGonagall¡¯s office. She originally nned toe over and announce it. But considering that tomorrow is the Quidditch final, she made me bring the forms and promotional materials back first.¡±

    He went over to paste arge notice on the bulletin board next to the firece, and Evan saw that the first one on it was an introduction to the Divination ss.

    After giving information about Professor Trwney and Divination ss, the notice showed a huge ck dog standing in the fog, like Sirius¡¯s Animagus form, representing the ominous sign of misfortune and cmity.

    If he could, Evan simply didn¡¯t want to waste any time on this ss.

    But at the thought of those unpleasant prophecies, he had to change his mind and decided to approach Professor Trwney as closely as he had nned, so that he could keep track of the clues and deal with the vague future that had been changed by his own hands.

    ¡°Which courses are you going to choose?¡± Colin said. ¡°I just looked at it briefly. There are a lot of options to choose from. Professor McGonagall suggested that we should consider it carefully.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet, but I must take the Divination ss.¡± Evan grabbed the quill on the table and made a mark in front of Divination ss.

    ¡°You¡¯ve chosen Divination ss!¡± Colin said with amazement. ¡°I thought you, like Hermione, always thought that Professor Trwney was a liar.¡±

    ¡°Most of the time, but it¡¯s undeniable that in rare cases, she does make true prophecies, ones that turn out to be extremely important. That¡¯s why I chose this ss.¡± Evan exined, ¡°And I have to admit that in this ss, it is very easy to get high marks. Whether you really see the future or not, just keep predicting that you¡¯ll encounter misfortune. Professor Trwney likes to see this aspect¡±.

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t any idea, but I know that Harry has also chosen Divination. Since you both have chosen it, it should not be wrong.¡± Colin also scratched a line on his own form and asked uncertainly, ¡°By the way, what else did Harry choose?¡±

    Looking at him, he seemed that he nned to choose the same sses as Harry. Although they were very familiar with each other, Colin was still the most admiring supporter of Harry among all the young wizards of Hogwarts, and in some ways even more enthusiastic and persistent than Ginny.

    ¡°Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid is the professor of this ss. He is always loyal to bringing some bizarre, magical creatures to the ssroom.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I remember it!¡± Colin slightly raised his voice and said suddenly, ¡°Hagrid and his monster friend, the Hippogriff named Buckbeak. I¡¯ve read the articles you and Hermione wrote, and at the beginning of the semester, it taught Malfoy a good lesson and did what I always wanted to do.¡±

    ¡°The Hippogriff!¡± There was a sh of light in Evan¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Buckbeak is good, but I hope that Hagrid doesn¡¯t bring it to the ssroom. It looks terrifying.¡± Colin went on to say, ¡°I have seen in books that ancient wizards used this flying monster to travel, and in medieval Europe there was a legend that someone was riding a Hip¡­¡±

    Colin began to tell Evan a legend he had heard when he was a child about monsters such as Hippogriffs circting in the Muggle world.

    Evan was sure that Colin was absolutely confusing the Hippogriff with the Griffin, because the creatures in these legends were all Griffins, creatures with lion bodies and sharp ws, Eagle heads and wings.

    It was generally believed that the Griffin was the result of a dangerous magic experiment by ancient wizards, and that it was far more dangerous than the Hippogriff.

    In recent years, through the research of magical biologists, another new saying had emerged, that is, the Griffin is just a hybrid descendent of eagles and lions, while Hippogriffs are Hybrids of Griffins and horses.

    However, the credibility of this statement is very low. It can be seen from the historical documents handed down that the gryphon had always despised the horses, so their mating would be unusual.

    There was even a saying in the medieval magic world: Don¡¯t try to match a griffin and a horse, for when someone tried to match two who were unmatchable.

    Therefore, as the offspring of thebination of the two, the existence of the Hippogriff itself is also a symbol of miracles or love.

    All of these are purely academic conjectures. There is hardly a living Griffin in the wizarding world to prove it. This magical beast, a very famous wizarding creature in history had long been extinct and is only known in the grand myths and legends.

    Evan didn¡¯t have to talk to Colin about this. They were not doing academic research. But Colin reminded him of Buckbeak, and that he could use its help to fly to Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    There were many shorings in the broomstick, such as the fact that it was a hassle to carry around, the unstable performance caused by his poor riding, the inability to safely exit after killing Aragog, etc. There was no problem riding Buckbeak at all.

    The Hippogriff had a high degree of intelligence, and could understand thenguage and expressions of the wizard. It could take Evan to the territory of the Acromants, wait above, then descend to take him away once he¡¯s done.

    Moreover, Buckbeak itself had a certain level attack power, and it could help Evan. In the battle against the Acromants, Evan would not have to worry about the Hippogriff while fighting.

    The more Evan thought about recing the broomstick with the Hippogriff, Buckbeak, the more feasible the idea was.

    If it was not toote, he would have wanted to try it now.

 Chapter 290: Dreams and Illusions

    <h4>Chapter 290: Dreams and Illusions</h4>

    Evan spent that night thinking about that matter.

    Deep down in his heart there was an irrepressible excitement about breaking into the nest of the Acromants to fight them, to kill Aragog, to prove his strength to the Centaurs, to gain their recognition, and to pass the final test, to get what Gryffindor had left behind.

    Boys are often venturous, always enjoying adventure and fighting.

    The same was true for Evan, although not as keen as Harry and Ron. But he had been preparing for this thing for the past few months, and even prepared a few ck magic spells for this, with the only problem being that he couldn¡¯t find a viable way to enter Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Now, all problems were solved, and the only thing left was to fight.

    Evan put his wand under his pillow and made up his mind.

    By the time he had fallen asleep, he found himself again in front of Aragog¡¯s huge cave.

    In front of him were the misty, domed spider webs and the cold, damp air.

    He shivered hard and did not know what had happened.

    Thest thing he recalled was him still lying in his warm andfortable bed; how could he suddenlye to this ce, to the depths of the Forbidden Forest?!

    Evan increased his vignce. He heard a strange voice, as if someone was talking by his side.

    The next second, Evan heard it clearly, and in the cave in front of him, a deep voice was calling for him. The voice, in the endless darkness, seemed toe from the unknown depths of the earth, whispering incessantly, and Evan was unable to hear clearly what it was saying.

    He shook his head. This was clearly the Lair of the Acromants, but there was none of them around.

    Besides the whispering in his ears, the dark Forbidden Forest was silent, and everything was so abnormal.

    Following the source of the voice, he descended slowly down the gentle slope into the dark Lair, and behind the huge domed web, he saw an ancient, mysterious blue stone gate with a blurred sign on it.

    If it weren¡¯t for sure that he came from a Muggle family without any magic tradition or talent, Evan would now begin to wonder if he had a prophetic lineage, and whether one of his ancestors was a legendary sage or a foreseer.

    It was because this dream was too clear, clear enough to make him afraid.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was waiting for him behind the door. He wanted to ask Aragog, but the giant spider waspletely out of sight.

    ¡°There is nothing to be afraid of, if it¡¯s just a dream,¡± Evan whispered, focusing on the magic waves around him.

    He did not immediately open the stone door in front of him, for he remembered an old magic book he had recently read, and the strange magic described in it.

    Evan had a sudden conjecture that he might have caught the attention of an unknown creature in Aragog¡¯s Lair on the night a few months ago, the night he went after Peter Pettigrew and burned Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Perhaps everything he saw now was not just fantasy; perhaps the essence of this dream was not just his own mind.

    Unlike a prophecy, this dream could be the creation of a powerful, unknown creature in the depths of the cave. This creature could want him to see this. Perhaps, all what he would see behind this door could be something that he wanted Evan to encounter.

    Thinking of this, Evan suddenly shuddered.

    Being able to cast such an incredible illusion spell that still had effect on him even after months, only meant that the magical power of that unknown creature was even stronger than Dumbledore. Perhaps that was why Dumbledore did not find it hiding in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

    A magic creature or a wizard even more powerful than Dumbledore, Evan didn¡¯t dare to think about it any longer. He didn¡¯t know who the other person was, or what he wanted to do; but it definitely wasn¡¯t going to be a good thing.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why Aragog¡¯s strength was far beyond the limitations of the Acromants species. The voice¡¯s owner could be the source of its strength.

    Now, it was calling for him, not his servant. What did he want to do?

    The more he thought about it, the more afraid Evan felt. Combining his magic knowledge with the magic books he had recently read, he felt that his guess was very likely. A horrible unknown creature was influencing him through magic.

    The only thing to be thankful for was that the other side was stranded in Aragog¡¯s Lair, sealed behind the ancient stone door and unable to get out.

    There should be extremely harsh conditions that must be met before releasing it.

    Curiosity killed the cat, Evan put away the curiosity that he just raised, he subconsciously stepped back, his inner instinct told him that no matter what was inside, what he needed to do now was to stay away, even in the illusion of dreams. He had also to stay away from the stone door in front of him, away from Aragog¡¯s Lair, away from the owner of this voice.

    Otherwise, he would encounter opponents and endless troubles that might prove even more difficult than Voldemort.

    There would always be ways to satisfy the Centaurs. It was not necessary to risk the unknown to kill Aragog and to contact an ancient mysterious magical creature.

    Just as Evan was determined to leave, the blue stone door in front of him suddenly opened.

    The low whisper became clearer, and Evan seemed to hear what the other man was saying. Then he saw a pair of blood-red giant eyes looking at him behind the stone gate. They were too big, too big to be true, and there was no emotion in them.

    Beneath the bloody big eyes was suffocating darkness.

    Evan opened his eyes wide. He raised his wand in a hurry, and before he could cast a spell, everything was beginning to blur, and he awoke from his sleep.

    He sat in his bed and gasped for breath, and all over his body was cold sweat.

    It was almost three o¡¯clock in the middle of the night and he felt like he¡¯d had a terrible nightmare, but it was so strange that he couldn¡¯t remember anything.

    The bedroom was quiet and Evan felt very thirsty. Quietly as he could, he got out of his bed and went to pour himself some water from the silver jug beneath the window. He tried to recall what he had just dreamed, but he couldn¡¯t even remember anything at all. He could only vaguely feel that the dream was rted to Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    Evan shook his head and tried not to think about it.

    He thought he was just too excited about the uing battle.

    He took a sip of water and looked out of the window. There was no one on the yground. Not a breath of wind disturbed the treetops in the Forbidden Forest. The Whomping Willow was motionless and innocent-looking.

    ¡°Anyway, if I go to Aragog¡¯s Lair and explore it, everything wille to light!¡± Evan said to himself.

    Perhaps, selffort had yed a role. He felt more peace of mind, set down his goblet and returned to his bed to sleep again.

    This time, he slept very heavily and didn¡¯t dream of anything.

 Chapter 291: the Eve of the Finals

    <h4>Chapter 291: the Eve of the Finals</h4>

    Like Evan, Harry slept very badly that night.

    Tomorrow¡¯s Quidditch finals put too much pressure on him, especially as he was the key to Gryffindor¡¯s victory, and Harry tossed and turned over and had a lot of dreams.

    First he dreamed that he had overslept, and that Wood was yelling, ¡°Where were you? You didn¡¯te at the beginning of the match and we had to use Neville instead!¡±

    Then he dreamed that Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin team arrived for the match riding dragons.

    He was flying at breakneck speed, trying to avoid a spurt of mes from Malfoy¡¯s steed¡¯s mouth, when he realized he had forgotten his Firebolt.

    He found that his Firebolt was in Malfoy¡¯s hands, and his opponent wasughing, Harry was startled, he fell through the air, and woke with a start.

    It took a few seconds before Harry remembered that the match hadn¡¯t taken ce yet and that he was still in the safety of his bed.

    Moreover, the Slytherin team definitely wouldn¡¯t be allowed to y on dragons.

    He rolled over and went on sleeping. With Ron¡¯s loud snoring in his ears, Harry curled up in his quilt, his thoughts gradually blurring.

    The following day, Evan was a little sleepy, and he was finally awakened up by Colin.

    ¡°We must hurry up. Harry and the other yers have already left for breakfast in the Great Hall.¡± Colin handed Evan his robe. ¡°I asked Vicky to help us get two ces beside Harry. I want to say good luck to Harry before the match starts.¡±

    Evan did not react for a while before he realized what Colin was saying.

    He put on his clothes in a random way, followed Colin in a hurry to the Great Hall, which was very lively, full of noise and apuse.

    People gathered around Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team. Professor McGonagall and Sirius were there, and there were even a lot of people from Ravenw and Hufflepuff Houses who were all giving their best wishes to the yers.

    Colin hurriedly pulled Evan into the room. Evan saw that Cho Chang was whispering something to Harry who obviously blushed, and just nodded.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan!¡± Cho soon noticed that Evan had just approached, and a gentle smile appeared on her face, looking veryfortable.

    She had not yet spoken to Evan, and Luna, who was humming a queer and light tune, came straight.

    Seeing the ¡°Loony Luna¡±, everyone subconsciously took half a step back.

    As always, no one was willing to approach her. But Luna didn¡¯t seem to notice the matter. She sent her blessings to Harry like everyone else, and then turned to Evan to tell him about the Wrackspurt she had encountered this morning.

    ¡°These creatures like to be invisible, but if you are willing to help, I think we can catch them. My father has a very useful little spell.¡± Luna said in a trance, with expectations in her hazy eyes, ¡°We can write an article about the process of finding and catching Wrackspurts and put it in thetest issue of the newspaper.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, Luna!¡± Evan said apologetically. ¡°But I have other ns today. I can¡¯t apany you to catch those Wrackspurts!¡±

    As nned the previous night, Evan was preparing to attempt to use the Hippogriff Buckbeak to fly to Aragog¡¯s Lair after the Quidditch final.

    He hoped that Harry could win the match and no one would notice what he was going to do.

    Evan patted Harry¡¯s shoulder gently, and Harry smiled reluctantly.

    Evan turned around and saw Hermione waving at him in the corner. He hurriedly walked over to her.

    ¡°Besides Snape and Slytherin, almost everyone is supporting Gryffindor.¡± Hermione stared at Harry and the crowd around him who kepting up to say hello. ¡°I can understand their mood, but they¡¯re putting pressure on Harry by doing so. You know, in today¡¯s match, he has to keep track of the Snitch, and only when Gryffindor is more than fifty points ahead, could he catch it.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Hermione, you¡¯re starting to sound like Wood now!¡± Evan filled up his te with the fastest speed.

    ¡°Really?¡± Hermione said in amazement. Just when Evan was about to say something, her attention quickly shifted to Harry.

    The weing ceremony did notst long, and Wood quickly told everyone away to give his team members time to eat breakfast.

    At the long table, he spent the whole of breakfast urging his team to eat, while touching nothing himself.

    Then he rushed them off to the field before anyone else had finished, so they could get an idea of the conditions.

    As Harry and the members of the team left the Great Hall, everyone apuded again.

    On the long table of Slytherin, the people sitting at the table booed loudly when Harry passed by. But Malfoy was not involved. He was sitting nervously in his seat, paler than usual.

    The uing Quidditch final was a test for all contestants.

    Just like what happened in the match between Gryffindor and Ravenw more than a month ago, when the yers went to the locker rooms to change their clothes, the other wizards rushed to the audience hoping to get a good ce.

    These finals were destined to be different from all previous Quidditch matches. Besides Slytherin¡¯s students, everyone else showed clear support for Gryffindor.

    At Evan¡¯s suggestion, Sirius prepared a lot of scarlet rosettes and scarlet gs with the Gryffindor lion upon them, and other young wizards spontaneously prepared banners with slogans like ¡°Go GRYFFINDOR!¡± and ¡°LIONS FOR THE CUP!¡±

    Now, if one looked down from the air, they could see a scarlet ocean.

    Three-quarters of the crowd was wearing scarlet rosettes, and shouted for Gryffindor.

    Most noticeable was a giant billboard behind the Gryffindor audience, with a vivid, ever-changing color animation of a Gryffindor lion running on the greenwn, yers, the Bludgers and the Quaffle spinning and flying around it. Suddenly a little silver white snake appeared and tried to stop it, but the lion jumped up with an irresistible momentum, bit the Golden Snitch in midair and trampled the silver snake hard on its feet.

    The silver snake was not willing to wiggle, and in the next second, the whole pattern was turned into gorgeous fireworks.

    ¡°GRYFFINDOR VICTORY!¡± Large slogans emerged from the scene, grabbing everyone¡¯s attention.

 Chapter 292: The Grand Billboard

    <h4>Chapter 292: The Grand Billboard</h4>

    Behind the colorful ¡°GRYFFINDOR VICTORY!¡± slogan was the logo and slogan of the Hogwarts Magic newspaper and the store, with a deep dreamy color.

    This shing publicity board was ced at the highest point, about a third as big as the Gryffindor stand, and it attracted the amazed eyes of all the young wizards before the yers came in.

    The billboard was proposed and conceived by Evan. Its creation waspletely achieved by Sirius. No one knew how much effort he put into it. The final area of the billboard was far beyond Evan¡¯s imagination.

    In fact, getting the above pattern tost not only requiredrge amounts of stable magical support, it also required special materials to make the billboard.

    This was all extremely expensive. Such arge billboard definitely needed a big amount of Galleons.

    While the investment was not cheap, the effect achieved was obvious to all.

    All Slytherin students looked pale and resentfully looked at Gryffindor¡¯s stand.

    They also made some preparations. Behind the Slytherin goal posts, two hundred people were wearing green; the silver serpent of Slytherin glittered on their gs.

    However,pared with the surrounding scarlet ocean, these preparations were shabby and insignificant.

    At the very front row sat Professor Snape, wearing green like everyone else around him, and a very grim smile.

    Evan and Hermione walked into the stands, and she showed great interest in the top billboard.

    ¡°How did you and Sirius do that?¡± she asked curiously. ¡°Before today, I didn¡¯t even notice that you were preparing for this.¡±

    ¡°All the work has been done by Sirius. I am only responsible for the idea.¡± Evan exined, ¡°I got some inspiration from the professional game of the Muggle teams. I felt that I could introduce some things properly. Several businesses that have been working with Hogwarts Magic newspaper were also willing to sponsor it. We originally intended to invest in a single-use, publicity board to surround the entire edge of the stands, but Professor McGonagall disagreed with this, she thought this was toomercial, so for now we only made this billboard.¡±

    ¡°This is beyond my imagination. How much magic did you put into it?¡± Hermione said with interest. ¡°But Professor McGonagall is right. It is not really suitable for these things to be introduced into a school Quidditchpetition.¡±

    ¡°To make these patterns move, in the past two months, Sirius used more than three hundred magic spells. In order to support Harry, he was very willing to do such things. ¡°Evan took out the rosettes that had just been distributed from the door and handed them to Hermione. ¡°All Gryffindor supporters must wear this. Everyone thinks that rosettes can bring good luck.¡±

    ¡°Rosettes bring good luck?¡± Hermione paused and smiled. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of it. I always thought that everyone was just sending them on Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±

    Maybe Evan was too close, Hermione suddenly realized something and stopped abruptly.

    ¡°This rosette, can I help you wear it? Evan summoned up his courage and asked.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Hermione¡¯s face turned red.

    With Hermione¡¯s consent, Evan awkwardly helped her put on the rosette.

    Looking at Evan¡¯s look, Hermione had a happy smile on her face. Under the scarlet rosette, she looked very amazed and excited.

    Evan felt himself blushing and his heart was jumping.

    He heard a burst ofughter behind him. He turned around and saw Ginny and several other girls who had been following behind them all smiling, chattering and gazing at them.

    By the time Evan and Hermione managed to squeeze through the crowd and reach Ron and Colin to help them to take their spots, the team had already begun to enter.

    They just sat in the seat, and they heardmentator Lee Jordan yelling, ¡°And here are the Gryffindors! Look at their lineup, Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spi, Weasley Brothers and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best Quidditch team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years¡­¡±

    Lee¡¯sments were drowned by a tide of ¡°boos¡± from the Slytherin end.

    ¡°And heree the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint. He¡¯s made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size over skill¡­¡±

    Hearing hisments, Slytherin¡¯s boos went louder.

    Evan, however, thought Lee had a point. He squinted to see the Slytherin yers in the field. Malfoy was easily the smallest person on the team; the rest were all tall and big. They were all about the size of Crabbe and Goyle.

    After the captains of the two sides shook hands, fourteen brooms rose into the air, and the sound of Madam Hooch¡¯s whistle was lost in the roars of the crowd.

    Evan saw Harry take the lead and Malfoy didn¡¯t chase him. Instead, he rode his broomstick and flew in the opposite direction, speeding up the flight in search of the Golden Snitch.

    In the two halves, the chances for both yers were 50%, which was very bad for Harry with his Firebolt and the Gryffindor team, who were behind in the overall score.

    Harry did not hesitate to turn the broomstick to the other half of the field and keep up with Malfoy, hindering him by virtue of his speed advantage.

    ¡°And it¡¯s Gryffindor in possession, Alicia Spi of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no¡­ Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the field¡­ WHAM!!! Nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle, it¡¯s caught by¡­ Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession,e on, Angelina, that¡¯s a Bludger! SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!¡±

    Lee Jordan¡¯s exnation was very passionate. He shouted in the silence of the crowd, ¡°Well done, Angelina, what a good girl!¡±

    Then, before anyone could react, Alicia grabbed the ball again. She dexterously bypassed the goalkeeper and put the ball into the Slytherin goal post. Twenty¨Czero to Gryffindor.

    Wood¡¯s tactics worked, and Gryffindor was taking the lead over Slytherin on the scoreboard by virtue of the superiority gained through hard training.

    Everyone¡¯s performance was unbelievable. The Quaffle was always on the Gryffindor side, and Wood saved almost all the balls.

    The pace of the game was very fast. In less than ten minutes, Gryffindor was 50 points ahead. With that, all ganged on Harry¡¯s performance. If he could catch the Golden Snitch before Malfoy, then this year¡¯s Quidditch Cup would belong to Gryffindor.

 Chapter 293: The Quidditch Finals

    <h4>Chapter 293: The Quidditch Finals</h4>

    If Gryffindor won the game, this team would go down in history as a legend.

    For Harry and the rest of the team, winning the Quidditch Cup would bring them glory, ensuring that they would be remembered and their signatures would be permanently present in the Trophy Room.

    This is almost the highest honor a school wizard could get. After all, not every young wizard can win a special contribution award like Voldemort.

    Of course, Evan was an exception.

    Not only did he receive a special contribution award in his first year of school, he broke the record and made himself the youngest wizard to enter the Trophy Room in history.

    Not long ago, he also received the Order of Merlin, Second ss.

    Anyway, his family did not know what the Order of Merlin, Second ss represented, and Evan himself did not value this honor at all. Because of this medal, for a long time, Filch¡¯s attitude towards Evan was surprisingly respectful.

    Evan was just an exception. Not everyone had the opportunity and strength to fight against Voldemort, the Basilisk, the Dementors and the evil Dark wizards while being just students. For ordinary students, the Quidditch Cup was the only chance for their names to enter the Trophy Room.

    Especially considering that after seven years, Gryffindor was once again likely to win the Quidditch Cup and Wood was about to graduate, the victory of this match was particrly meaningful.

    The game was still going on, and now all the focus was on Harry. He apparently realized this. After Lee announced that Gryffindor was 50 points in the lead, Harry gave up on following Malfoy and flew to the sky alone in search of the Golden Snitch.

    Malfoy chased after him and looked a little impatient.

    On the pitch, Angelina made persistent efforts and achieved great sess.

    She punched the air as she soared around the end of the field; the sea of scarlet below was screaming its delight.

    Just then, the ident suddenly urred.

    Without any warning, Slytherin¡¯s Marcus Flint suddenly rushed to Angelina as fast as he could, like a giant cannonball leaving a cannon, and under everyone sight, he nearly threw Angelina from her broom.

    As the crowd below booed, Flint shrugged his shoulders and exined in an understatement, ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t see her!¡±

    This seemed to be a signal. Fred was very unhappy with Angelina being attack.

    A momentter, he chucked his Beater¡¯s club at the back of flint¡¯s head.

    Flint¡¯s nose smashed into the handle of his broom and began to bleed.

    ¡°That will do!¡± shrieked Madam Hooch, zooming between them. ¡°Penalty shot to Gryffindor for an unprovoked attack on their Chaser! Penalty shot to Slytherin for deliberate damage to their Chaser!¡±

    Mrs. Hooch¡¯s punishment did not stop the anger of both sides, but made the situation worse, or more urately, it was Slytherin¡¯s n of action, they began to use various excuses to attack the Gryffindor yers frequently.

    Everyone was very angry about what Slytherin was doing.

    Ron was screaming at Flint, Hermione frowned and wanted to stop him, and he heard Li Jordan yelling, ¡°DAMN, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING¡­¡±

    ¡°Jordan, if you can¡¯tmentate in an unbiased way¡­!¡± Professor McGonagall stopped.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling it like it is, Professor!¡± said Lee Jordan, ¡°look at the performance of these guys. It¡¯s really disgusting.¡±

    Indeed, this was the dirtiest ball game Evan had ever seen.

    Because of Slytherin¡¯s frequent fouls, the gap was quickly narrowed.

    They were rapidly resorting to any means to take the Quaffle. Bole hit Alicia with his club and tried to say he¡¯d thought she was a Bludger. However, Angelina was the main target¡­

    The Slytherin yers, who were as strong as bears, seized every opportunity to rush at Angelina, hoping to knock her off her broomstick.

    In the face of Slytherin¡¯s provocation, Fred and George were not to be outdone. Fred waved his club around Alicia and Angelina to protect both of them. George retaliated by hitting Bole in the face with his elbow.

    But it didn¡¯t work. Flint and Derrick took advantage of Fred¡¯s and George¡¯s absence to aim both Bludgers at wood. They caught him in the stomach, one after the other.

    Wood rolled over in the air, clutching his broom,pletely winded.

    Madam Hooch was beside herself, and she yelled at Flint and Derrick. ¡°YOU DO NOT ATTACK THE KEEPER UNLESS THE QUAFFLE IS WITHIN THE SCORING AREA! Gryffindor penalty!¡±

    The penalty was not a punishment for Slytherin, they didn¡¯t care at all, but frequently used the advantages brought by the foul to narrow the gap between the two sides.

    Gryffindor¡¯s yers were obviously not adapted, and Wood¡¯s training and tactical arrangements never considered that this would happen.

    And they couldn¡¯t give up the game; they could only cling to their teeth.

    The wave of anger on the audience floor was higher than the waves, and Ron and several other boys even wanted to rush to the opposite stand and teach the Slytherins a lesson.

    Fortunately, Gryffindor was still sixty points in the lead, and they could get the Cup as long as Harry caught the golden snitch!

    In midair, Harry could almost feel hundreds of eyes following him as he soared around the field. He was flying higher than anyone else, and Malfoy was speeding along behind him.

    All the tension before the start of the game disappeared. He was in a better condition than ever before. As he flew past the Ravenw bleachers, he saw the Golden Snitch sparkling 20 feet above him.

    Harry put on a huge burst of speed; the wind was roaring in his ears.

    He stretched out his hand and was about to touch the golden snitch, but at that moment, the Firebolt suddenly slowed down!

    Horrified, Harry looked around.

    He saw Malfoy rushing forward, grabbing hold of the Firebolt¡¯s tail and pulling it back.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Harry was angry enough to hit Malfoy, but he couldn¡¯t reach him.

    Malfoy was panting with the effort of holding onto the Firebolt, but his eyes were sparkling maliciously. He had achieved what he wanted to do. The Snitch had disappeared again.

    ¡°Penalty! Penalty for Gryffindor! I¡¯ve never seen such tactics!¡±

    Madam Hooch screeched, shooting up to where Malfoy was sliding back onto his Nimbus Two Thousand and One.

    ¡°YOU CHEATING SCUM!¡± Lee Jordan was howling into the megaphone, dancing out of Professor McGonagall¡¯s reach. ¡°YOU FILTHY, CHEATING B¡­¡±

    Lee Jordan did not need to stop; Professor McGonagall did not even bother to tell him off.

    She was shaking her finger in Malfoy¡¯s direction, her hat had fallen off, and she too was shouting furiously.

    Beside her, Sirius was even more furious, and without saying a word, pulled out his wand directly. A red light flew straight down to Malfoy. No one knew what the curse was.

    This kind of behavior was obviously irrational, but it was in Sirius¡¯s style.

    All the audience screamed hoarsely. They saw Sirius¡¯s spell blocked by a silver light in mid-air, and the two collided with each other in a brilliant light. It was Snape¡¯s magic, and he looked back provocatively at Sirius with a grim smile on his face.

    Professor McGonagall was very surprised at what they had done. She quickly stopped Sirius and told him not to make any more drastic moves.

    This unexpected event allowed the game to move on. Under Madam Hooch¡¯s instructions, Alicia took Gryffindor¡¯s penalty.

    But she was so angry she missed the goal by several feet.

    The Gryffindor team was losing focus and the Slytherins, delighted by Malfoy¡¯s foul on Harry and Snape¡¯s strong performance, were being spurred on to greater heights.

    Their whole team was encouraged to fly higher and faster.

 Chapter 294: Siriusâ€™s Tears

    <h4>Chapter 294: Sirius¡¯s Tears</h4>

    The situation on the field began to change and the Slytherin team gradually started to get an advantage.

    ¡°Slytherin in possession, Slytherin heading for goal¡­ Montague scores!¡± Lee Jordan groaned. ¡°Oh, no! Seventy-twenty, Gryffindor is in the lead for the time being, but the situation is very bad. If we can¡¯t take countermeasures, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°BLOODY SLYTHERIN, DESPICABLE MALFOY!¡± Ron waved his arm and shouted angrily. ¡°If Gryffindor loses the game, I will not let Malfoy leave in one piece. I SWEAR I WILL¡­¡±

    It was very rare to see Hermione not rushing to prevent Ron from scolding Malfoy.

    At this time, she was staring at the sky nervously, her hands holding Evan¡¯s arm firmly.

    Evan didn¡¯t remind her that she should not be so nervous, because he was equally nervous and focused all his attention on Harry¡¯s figure in the air.

    On the top of the crowd, Harry and Malfoy were intertwined, and neither of them would retreat. Their brooms and their knees kept hitting each other.

    Harry seemed to make sure that no matter what Malfoy did, he would stop him.

    ¡°Get out of it, Potter!¡± Malfoy yelled in frustration as he tried to turn and found Harry blocking him.

    Harry didn¡¯t say anything; the fact that Malfoy pulled the tail of his Firebolt and made him very angry.

    He was now determined to win the battle against Malfoy and directly take him on in this physical confrontation.

    This move greatly exceeded Malfoy¡¯s expectations and made him unable to do anything.

    In Quidditch matches, seekers rarely have physical contact with other yers, let alone such a high-intensity confrontation as now.

    The team¡¯s only requirement from the seeker is to have the fastest speed and broomstick maneuvering skills. In order to maintain speed, the seeker must deliberately lose weight.

    Now, Harry¡¯s reckless collision and obstruction was unprecedented in formalpetitions, so it was normal that Malfoy could not adapt.

    Even though Harry himself was very thin, he could grind his teeth and persevere. In this aspect, he was much superior to Malfoy, who was weak-willed.

    Not surprisingly, after several high-intensity collisions, Malfoy quickly lost, he looked confused, quickly went down, seeking help from other yers.

    But no one could help him.

    Just a minute before Malfoy¡¯s rapid descent, Angelina grabbed the ball again.

    Every single Slytherin yer apart from Malfoy was streaking up the pitch toward Angelina, including the Slytherin keeper. They were all going to block her, but it seemed more like they were taking this opportunity topletely finish her.

    Malfoy quickly fell, and Harry kept chasing after him, all using the fastest speed.

    The two people were like two falling meteors, rushing toward the Slytherins one after the other.

    In order to avoid Malfoy and Harry, the Slytherin team was all scattered, Malfoy collided with the elusive Derrick, and they rolled together to the ground.

    It all happened so fast that no one knew what had happened.

    The Slytherins were all stunned and couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. They only saw Malfoy attacking their team members.

    Harry, at the veryst minute, pulled up his Firebolt and quickly climbed up.

    Because of him and Malfoy, Slytherin¡¯s encirclement formation was disrupted and Angelina¡¯s way was clear.

    ¡°SHE SCORES! SHE SCORES! Gryffindor leads by eighty points to twenty!¡± Lee Jordan shouted excitedly.

    At the same time, Harry, who had just zoomed back into the middle of the field, found the Golden Snitch, just a few feet above the grass below, shining ever so slightly.

    Malfoy, who had just fallen from the air, was very close to it, but he had not found it yet. He and Derrick were busy ming each other.

    Harry urged his Firebolt down, everyone noticed his movements, and then spotted the Golden Snitch floating above the grass.

    The Slytherins quickly warned Malfoy who was stunned. And then, greed and ecstasy shed on his face. He was now much closer to the Golden Snitch than Harry.

    He also began to elerate. Malfoy had never felt so close to victory as he did now.

    If he could catch the Golden Snitch before Harry, he would be Slytherin¡¯s hero, and he would be the best¡­

    The noisy Quidditch stadium fellpletely silent, and everyone was staring at Harry and Malfoy.

    Evan noticed that Harry¡¯s feet were forced back, constantly urging the fire arrow, and he gradually caught up with Malfoy.

    Bole sent a Bludger at him, and Harry ttened himself to the broom handle.

    His speed was so fast that one could only see a shadow. He was already at Malfoy¡¯s ankles, and in the blink of an eye, he was level to the other side.

    At thest moment, Harry swooped forward and both hands left the broom. Like in the billboard animation made by Sirius, Harry threw himself forward like a lion, taking both hands off his broom. He knocked Malfoy¡¯s arm out of the way, and¡­

    He pulled out of his dive, his hand in the air, and the stadium exploded.

    Harry soared above the crowd, an odd ringing in his ears.

    The tiny golden ball was held tight in his fist, fluttering its wings hopelessly against his fingers.

    ¡°YES!!!¡±

    Gryffindor won the match!!!

    Evan followed everyone to the middle of the field, and the entire Gryffindor team flew down hugging each other.

    Everyone cried because of excitement.

    ¡°We¡¯ve won the Cup! We¡¯ve won the Cup!¡± The cheers and screams around him were lingering, and everyone¡¯s voice was hoarse.

    Malfoy looked at Harry angrily for a long time before he went out with the Slytherins, and the whole Quidditch field became a scarlet sea.

    Today was destined to be the festival of Gryffindor. Wave after wave, crimson supporters were pouring over the barriers onto the field, and countless hands were raining down on the yers¡¯ backs.

    Evan did not hug them like everyone else. He stopped at the edge of the field. Sirius also stood there alone, his face full of joy.

    ¡°This match is more exciting than any one I remember. Harry yed very well. He¡¯s an excellent seeker, better than his father!¡± Sirius whispered to Evan, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and his voice was a little hoarse. ¡°Yes, yes, Harry has grown up, and James should be able to rest assured¡­¡±

    Although he tried to restrain himself, his tears still couldn¡¯t help but flow out.

    In fact, this was the first time that Evan saw Sirius cry like this. Even when he caught Peter Pettigrew and exined to Harry the truth of the incident, he didn¡¯t cry like this. In Evan¡¯s impression, he thought that a brave wizard like Sirius would never cry.

    Because he was fearless, betrayed by a trusted friend, and his only best friend died because of him, nothing could touch his heart anymore¡­

    Even if he had tears one the way to Azkaban thirteen years ago, they should have dried up by now.

    But today, Sirius was crying, like other wizards who were happy for winning the Quidditch Cup.

    For an instant, Evan felt the destion andfort of Sirius. He had a feeling that, as Harry grew up, this hero was slowly getting old in return.

    Evan didn¡¯t know before how to persuade Sirius. Maybe Harry¡¯s performance today could untie his knot and help him get out of his endless self-me¡­

 Chapter 295: Flight on Buckbeak

    <h4>Chapter 295: Flight on Buckbeak</h4>

    On the Quidditch field, Harry and the other yers were hoisted onto the shoulders of the crowd.

    Everyone took them to the rostrum. Outside the crowd, Hagrid waved the huge scarlet wreath Evan had specially prepared for him, shouting, ¡°You beat them, Harry, you beat them! Wait till I tell Buckbeak about this!¡±

    Beside him, Percy, excited, was jumping up and down like a maniac.

    Because they were so excited, everyone no one even gave the slightest thought tomon etiquette.

    Unlike Sirius, who secretly wiped his tears, Professor McGonagall was sobbing more than anyone else, wiping her eyes with an enormous Gryffindor g.

    Dumbledore, who did not make an appearance prior to the match¡¯s conclusion, was smiling and held the enormous Quidditch Cup in his hand, with no one knewing when and how he came to the Quidditch pitch.

    Wood sobbed and took the Cup, and after he lifted it into the air, passed it on to Harry.

    The Cup was passed between each team member and then all the students of the Gryffindor House.

    Colin held the camera beside him and pressed the shutter frantically. When the Cup came to him, he was so excited that he almost fainted. He asked other people to help him take a picture, but not alone, he asked Evan to stand with him.

    Collin had been telling stories about Evan, who had be his brother¡¯s new idol. This photo was going to be sent directly to him as a gift.

    After that, Evan also asked Colin to take a few shots for him and Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    Although he didn¡¯t care too much about such things, Colin¡¯s words just reminded him that these photos could be used as gifts.

    Since Evan alone caught Peter Pettigrew and his experience of saving Sirius was published by the Daily Prophet, he had had many admirers, the vast majority of whom were young wizards like Colin¡¯s younger brother who had not yet reached school age.

    Many people began to write to him regrly, sending him greeting cards on Christmas Day. However, most of them were just caught up in the moment, and children are the most forgetful. After a few months, Evan did not reply to any of the letters, and they gradually ceased sending letters to him.

    The only exception was a ten-year-old girl from France, Gabrielle Dcour, who wrote him two letters a week, regardless of whether Evan wrote back or not. In addition to the very full three letter papers written in it, there were also pictures, photos and some small gifts for Evan. This perseverance made Evan feel ashamed.

    So when Colin said that he would send the photo to his brother as a gift, Evan thought of Gabrielle.

    Although today¡¯s match has nothing to do with him, he decided to introduce his friends to her.

    The celebration of Gryffindor¡¯s winning the Quidditch Cupsted for a long time. In addition to Professor McGonagall, Sirius and Hagrid, many students from Ravenw and Hufflepuff came to Gryffindor¡¯s Common Room to join them.

    Evan saw Cedric and Cho, but did not see Luna.

    ording to other people, she did not even go to watch the match, but she was looking for non-existant Wrackspurts in the castle.

    Evan remembered that this morning, Luna also invited him to apany her to find Wrackspurts, although he was not interested in it, it was a good excuse.

    He didn¡¯t spend too much time in the party. He left the Common Room pretending to look for Luna. Evan went straight to the field outside the castle. He had just asked Hagrid, and Buckbeak was shackled outside the cabin.

    Evan did not intend to go too far. He was just going to try it out today to see if it was possible to take a ride on Buckbeak and sneak into the Acromants¡¯ territory.

    If feasible, he needed to develop a detailed n. At the very least, he needed to mention this to Sirius and ask for his help.

    It was not too long before the end of the semester, and time was already running out. If things were to go as they did in the books, Voldemort would regain his strength at this time next year and return again. Although the plot had been changed by Evan, no one could expect what would happen.

    Even without Peter Pettigrew¡¯s help, Voldemort wasn¡¯t just going to stay in the shadow of the Albanian forest, doing nothing. Professor Trwney¡¯s new predictions were very worrying.

    With this in mind, Evan had to speed up.

    As he thought, he hurried to Hagrid¡¯s Hut.

    Buckbeak was tethered to a fruit tree behind the pumpkin patch, his enormous wings folded tight on both sides of his body.

    When Evan approached, he was enjoying a te of dead ferrets in front of him, which was his favorite food.

    Hearing footsteps, Buckbeak looked up and his fierce orange eyes red at Evan.

    After discovering the person he was familiar with, he re-focused his attention on the food in front of him. He snapped, snapped, and spit several ferret bones on the ground.

    Evan walked to Buckbeak and untied his rope. Although he had never ridden a Hippogriff before, he knew how to operate it. He had heard Hagrid, Harry, and Hermione talk about it countless times.

    First of all, he had to stare at the eyes of the monster to gain his trust.

    The trick was not to blink or close his eyes frequently; otherwise the Hippogriff would have doubts and think that he was not honest.

    After getting the most basic trust, he had to show respect to him.

    The simplest way is to bow and use Hagrid words to be polite. If the Hippogriff returns the salute, then he can touch and ride him.

    It didn¡¯t seem too difficult, especially since Evan and Buckbeak were already very familiar with each other, making the whole process much simpler.

    Evan was close to Buckbeak and looked at his frightening orange eyes.

    It stood up, shook his hairy, big, pointed head gently, and looked curiously at Evan, not knowing what he was going to do.

    Evan bowed slightly, and Buckbeak looked at him. After a few seconds of stiffness, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into saluting him.

    With a rxed mind, Evan walked over and put his foot on Buckbeak¡¯s wing, hoisted himself onto its back, and sat behind its wings.

    Everything around of Evan was covered with long, beautiful maroon feathers, which felt very warm andfortable, just like sitting on a soft sofa.

    Buckbeak stood up and looked back at Evan puzzled.

    ¡°Listen, buddy!¡± Evan patted Buckbeak¡¯s head gently. ¡°I want to go to the territory of the Acromants, just in the depths of the Forbidden Forest. There is a huge slope without trees. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±

    Buckbeak was still looking at Evan, and then bowed his head and swallowed a dead ferret. When Evan thought it didn¡¯t understand what he meant, without warning, twelve-foot wings pped open on either side of Evan, and flew up.

    Evan just had time to seize the Hippogriff around the neck before he was soaring upward.

    He found that he was getting farther and farther from the ground and soon rose to the sky.

    The cold air whizzed past, and Hagrid¡¯s Hut and the trees were getting smaller and smaller under Evan¡¯s feet.

 Chapter 296: A Disaster Waiting to Happen

    <h4>Chapter 296: A Disaster Waiting to Happen</h4>

    Riding on the back of Buckbeak was not the same as riding a broom.

    Evan felt that everything around him was spinning fast, the figures on the ground were shrinking fast and disappearing, and the dividing line between the sky and the ground became blurred. He clung to Buckbeak¡¯s neck and stuck his body on its feathers.

    Buckbeak¡¯s wings beat ufortably on either side of him, catching him under his legs and making him feel he was about to be thrown off at any moment.

    Because of the wind, Buckbeak¡¯s glossy feathers slipped under his fingers.

    Evan didn¡¯t dare try to get a stronger grip. The hindquarters of the Hippogriff rose and fell with its wings. He felt himself rocking backward and forward. This was much harder than riding a smooth broomstick. If he hadn¡¯t ovee acrophobia in thest month or so, he couldn¡¯t have guaranteed that he would have fallen unconscious.

    However, Evan could be sure that even if he fell from high altitude, Buckbeak would be able to catch himself before he hit the ground.

    Thinking about it this way, there was nothing to worry about.

    He tried to peep out and look at the surrounding scenery.

    They were now flying fast over the hugeke in front of the castle, at an astonishing speed, faster than the Firebolt.

    As Buckbeak spread his wings and white clouds floated by his side, Evan felt that he was dancing with the wind, which was a wonderful experience.

    Soon, he discovered the advantages of riding a Hippogriff.

    In addition to being extremely fast and flexible, it was also easy to hide. Looking up from below, one could only see a Hippogriff flying through the air, and couldn¡¯t see Evan hiding under its thick feathers.

    Moreover, these thick feathers could help Evan withstand the cold winds of the sky and keep the temperature, so that he would not freeze and stiff because of flying.

    Not to mention, Buckbeak himself was capable of fighting.

    During a fight, it could help Evan deal with Acromants and all kinds of potential dangers.

    Iffort could be improved, it would be perfect.

    ¡°Let¡¯s fly to the Forbidden Forest, to the territory of the Acromants.¡± Evan shouted. ¡°Our destination is the slope, Aragog¡¯s Lair!¡±

    Just when Evan and Buckbeak approached Aragog¡¯s Lair, at the edge of the territory of the Acromants, Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe also appeared in there.

    They passed under a huge fallen tree trunk covered with green vines. The ground was covered with gravel and unknown nts. The thick moss was very ufortable to step on and almost caused Goyle to slip. He hurried to hold Crabbe steady.

    The two breathed fast and heavily. They looked at the scenery around them that was getting a bit strange, and their faces were full of fear and worry.

    Even if they were stupid, they knew that they could not cope with Acromants just with their bulging muscles.

    ¡°Draco, we,¡± Goyle¡¯s voice trembled, his small, dull eyes wandering back and forth among the nearby bushes, for fear of something drilling out of it.

    ¡°What?¡± Malfoy replied in a sullen manner, not even turning his head back.

    ¡°I, I don¡¯t think we can go any further.¡± Crabbe shoved Goyle, and the two exchanged nces. He said in an almost imploring tone, ¡°All around here, there are those dangerous Acromants Professor ck told us about.¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP, GREGORY! Don¡¯t mention ck to me. He and the Weasleys are the scum of pure blood wizards!¡± Malfoy said sharply, ¡°Well, I can see that, the hateful ck, the hateful Potter, and the more hateful muddy Mason, they¡¯re behind all of this.¡±

    ¡°Draco, the Acromants are dangerous. We are approaching their territory.¡± Crabbe swallowed and hurried to persuade him, ¡°Gregory¡¯s right. Let¡¯s get back. They cane out at any moment.¡±

    ¡°YOU SHUT UP, TOO, VINCENT!¡± Malfoy said disgustedly, ¡°I know what I am doing. We¡¯re just out looking for those stupid spiders. Do you think that I will be defeated by them?! Well, you two just follow me.¡±

    Malfoy clutched his wand tightly, and furiously broke the branches on the ground.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°On the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the only Acromants that can be seen are very weak. It¡¯s only here that we could findrger spiders. The three of us can handle them.¡± Malfoy exined impatiently, ¡°in the past few months, you have killed a lot.¡±

    Seeing Malfoy¡¯s angry face, Goyle and Crabbe did not dare to refute.

    They all knew that at this time they should not provoke Malfoy. In fact, after losing to Gryffindor, all Slytherin students questioned and picked on Malfoy¡¯s performance on the pitch. They did not understand why Malfoy would join Harry to prevent other yers from blocking Angelina.

    Although Malfoy had exined many times that he was avoiding Harry¡¯s physical collision, this exnation couldn¡¯t be understood and sympathized with in the Slytherin House.

    For most people, it was because of Malfoy¡¯s stupidity and cowardice that they lost the crucial finals. Although no one dared to me and question Malfoy publicly because of his family¡¯s status, the way they all nced at him was very unpleasant to him.

    While Gryffindor was having a carnival, the mood in Slytherin¡¯s Common Room was dull and tense, with awkwardness taking over all.

    While Flint and the rest of the team were preparing to review each other in turn, Malfoy led Goyle and Crabbe out of the room.

    He was so angry that if he could, he would rather have a duel with Harry.

    In fact, he couldn¡¯t even find Harry¡¯s shadow now.

    Malfoy wandered aimlessly around the castle, thinking of the recent series of unpleasant events: the Quidditch Final had just been lost, Buckbeak who hurt him and escaped due punishment, Harry had his reunion with his godfather Sirius ck, and the advice of his father and Professor Snape, etc.

    The more he thought, the angrier he was, and the worse he felt his recent misfortunes. Everything started to reverse around Christmas, and things got worse and worse.

    After hearing a few Hufflepuffs in the library talking about the Quidditch match and the grand carnival held in the Gryffindor Common Room, Malfoy left with a gloomy face. He decided to vent by killing Acromants in the Forbidden Forest.

    Through a few months of fighting the Acromants, thebat strength of all the young wizards had increased significantly.

    With the help of others, Malfoy also killed more than 30 Acromants, which ranked him second among all the young wizards in Hogwarts, surpassing most senior students, and that was enough to make him proud.

    Although there was no professor to apany him today, Malfoy didn¡¯t think he would be in any danger.

    Although angry, he still had enough reason to know that as long as he did not go too deep into the territory of the Acromants, there would be no danger.

    What he needed now was to vent his anger by taking lives.

    But strangely, today, he couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on. Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe have been searching for a long time outside the Forbidden Forest, and they didn¡¯t even see the shadow of an Acromant. These creatures, that were extremelymon in the past, seemed to have suddenly disappeared.

 Chapter 297: Malfoy, on the Verge of Becoming Food

    <h4>Chapter 297: Malfoy, on the Verge of Bing Food</h4>

    There was no sound in the Forbidden Forest, and everything was quiet.

    Under the cover of dense leaves, the dim, pale green sunshine seemed hard to please, and there seemed to be some disaster hidden in the shadows of the bushes.

    None of the three spoke, and the sparse sounds of them walking on the leaves around them only increased their nervousness and uneasiness.

    Malfoy¡¯s anger gradually disappeared and nervousness took over, making his heart thump faster and faster.

    Purposeless recklessness was not the style of the Malfoy family. If it hadn¡¯t been for Crabbe and Goyle¡¯s dissuasion, he would have been the first to leave now.

    In order to save face, he decided to kill an Acromant before returning to the castle.

    By then, Flint should have alsopleted the boring and meaningless task.

    In order to bolster himself, Malfoy shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t think that¡¯s the end of it. They¡¯re just gaining the upper hand for the time being. My father wrote to me the other day. He is not satisfied with the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. He decided to make an appeal. He has the support of several important people. To me, the Hippogriff, this time, is dead! ¡°

    Goyle and Crabbe barely smiled, still looking suspiciously around.

    ¡°This time, that bloody mud Mason can¡¯t help him. The thought of that furry stupid behemoth crying is enough to make me amused. I can¡¯t believe he is still our teacher!¡± Malfoy leaned on a big tree with a malicious smile on his pale face. ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace. If Professor Snape allowed me, I would be the first to give up on the course of Care of Magical Creatures. You know, my father always thought Dumbledore had some problems with his management methods. After killing the Hippogriff, the next thing should be¡­ ¡°

    Before he finished his words, he saw Goyle and Crabbe suddenly looking back at him. They seemed to have found something. With frightened faces, their eyes were all staring at the top.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with both of you?¡± Malfoy said suspiciously. ¡°You don¡¯t think, like the other idiots in the school, that the noble Malfoy family will be defeated by a few poor maggots and mud-bloods?! I tell you this is absolutely impossible.¡±

    ¡°Up¡­ a..above, Draco!¡± Crabbe¡¯s voice was somewhat distorted.

    Beside him, Goyle shivered and pointed at Malfoy¡¯s head. There seemed to be something blocking his throat, and he couldn¡¯t speak for a long time.

    Seeing the appearance of his two followers, an ominous presentiment rose at the bottom of Malfoy¡¯s heart.

    He swallowed, clenched his wand in his hand, slowly raised his head and looked up at the top of his head along the eyes of Goyle and Crabbe.

    The next second, a heartbreaking scream rang in the Forbidden Forest.

    Malfoy¡¯s face was bloodless, as if he were dead. He copsed to the ground and looked with disbelief at the horrible scene in front of him: eight ck, fierce hideous eyes were staring at him.

    It was an Acromant!!!

    He didn¡¯t know when it crept on them silently. It was less than a foot from Malfoy, he could even see the fluff on its body.

    What was more terrifying was the size of this Acromant.

    It was bigger than any other Malfoy had ever seen before, with big sharp pincers shimmering with a palpitating cold light, and eight plush hot spider legs dancing around.

    Nausea¡­ panic¡­ fluster¡­. despair!

    Malfoy had no idea what words to use to describe his current feelings. He raised his wand unconsciously and a weak green light flew out.

    This was a magic that Snape taught to him alone. It was very useful to deal with the Acromants. That is why he dared to break into the Forest without being apanied by a professor.

    However, because of too much panic, the curse rubbed by the side of the near Acromant¡¯s body and flew past without any effect.

    Click, click, click¡­

    There was a sudden, numb voice, and the Acromant rushed to Malfoy along the trunk.

    In panic, Malfoy cast another curse, trying to block it from approaching him.

    Just as the Acromant fell on him, more than a dozen other giant spiders emerged from the surrounding bushes.

    Crabbe and Goyle stupidly turned around in the same ce, looking at them in a frenzied way.

    ¡°Damn, this was a trap! We are surrounded by Acromants!¡± Malfoy pointed his wand in his hand and screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there foolishly, you two fools.¡±

    At Malfoy¡¯smand, Goyle waspletely at a loss. Instead of using his wand, Crabbe picked up a branch from the ground and confronted the Acromant approaching him, stretching his arms like a fool.

    Malfoy had no time to take care of the two idiots beside him. He wanted to run away, but the Acromant in front of him was tightly entangled with him.

    Although it was huge, it moved very fast.

    Malfoy¡¯s magic all fell aside and didn¡¯t make any difference.

    Despair gradually upied their hearts. Now everyone was in the castle. No one knew that they were in the Forbidden Forest, and no one woulde here to save them.

    Click, click, click¡­

    Malfoy was distracted, and his right arm holding the wand suddenly burst into pain. He was bitten by the Acromant, on the same spot that had been attacked by Buckbeakst time.

    But this time, it was not a long and deep cut, but a narrow and short wound.

    In fact, the wound didn¡¯t gush out as much blood this time-around, but it was even more deadly.

    The Acromant is venomous, and the blood around Malfoy¡¯s wound quickly became a strange green.

    ¡°Help, I am going to die!¡± He screamed and threw away his wand.

    But no one could save him. Goyle and Crabbe were all caught by Acromants, their two big heads down, struggling fiercely. They were held tightly by the first two furry legs of two Acromants and dragged toward the center of the woods.

    If nothing was to happen, they would be food.

    Since the young Wizards of Hogwarts started a full-scale war with the Acromants, the beasts had suffered heavy losses. That, along with the fire set by Evan, had made human beings their deadly enemies. Hagrid also told Evan about this a few days ago. Aragog had not met him recently, and the descendants of the Acromant had even started attacking him.

    This was something that had never happened before.

    Aragog hadpletely degenerated and be the enemy of the wizards of Hogwarts.

    In such a situation of near total war, these creatures naturally refused to stay idle and surrender to their death.

    The tall and fat Goyle and Crab might be stored forter, but the bitten Malfoy, of course, was tonight¡¯s menu!

    Alive of course, the taste of dead human flesh is inferior!

    But before that, they would take them to Aragog, and then enjoy the delicious living meal!

 Chapter 298: To Save or Not to Saveâ€¦

    <h4>Chapter 298: To Save or Not to Save¡­</h4>

    Evan quickly got the knack of riding a Hippogriff. He could hold Buckbeak¡¯s nks firmly with his heels.

    The huge wings waved beside him, and he tried to loosen his arms around Buckbeak¡¯s neck.

    There was no other difort except the asional slight sense of nausea.

    Instead, he felt he was getting more and more adapted.

    Compared with the broomsticks which were difficult to master, he was feeling more confident flying at high altitudes on the Hippogriff.

    They followed the airstream and entered the Forbidden Forest from the air.

    Passing through the clouds under his feet, Evan sawrge trees.

    He had seen this scene countless times before from the top of the castle. But because of his new different angle, the sensation waspletely different. Watching the Forbidden Forest from the top down, the trees that were continuous, the trees that were not visible, and the old trees that towered into the clouds were more shocking, immersed in the greatness of nature.

    But before Evan could appreciate it, the trees in front of him began to be sparse, as if they had been dug out.

    The color of the trunks gradually presented an unhealthy grey. Here was the territory of the Acromants.

    In the corner, several Acromants slowly crawled out of the hidden shadows. They watched the visitorsing from the sky with vignce.

    Evan hurriedly stooped down and squatted on Buckbeak.

    Click, click¡­

    After discovering that the intruder was just a Hippogriff, the Acromants, who were in charge of alerting their brethrens, slowly retreated back and re-hid in the darkness.

    As a rtivelymon species in the Forbidden Forest, although there were a few Hippogriffs breaking into the territory of the Acromants, it was not absolute.

    They did not see Evan sitting on Buckbeak¡¯s back, nor did they inform Aragog and the other Acromants to defend themselves.

    Relying on Buckbeak, Evan was not discovered, smoothly sneaking in, and his n was sessful.

    He and Buckbeak flew toward the center of the Acromants¡¯ territory. Evan poked out his head and took advantage of the gap between Buckbeak¡¯s wings to observe Aragog¡¯s Lair carefully.

    Since the big fire a few months ago, he had never been here again.

    With the constant deepening, the scenery in front of him was more and more shocking.

    Unlike thest time he came here, it was very difficult to see trees on the ground in the core of the Acromants¡¯ Territory, as if swept by a tornado and corroded by something. Even the soil turned dark grey, intermittently revealing a few reds.

    White spider webs, animals¡¯ cheekbones, and the traces of the destruction could be seen everywhere. Looking down from high altitude, the slope of Aragog¡¯s Lair was deeply sunken in the earth, filled with irregr folds and ravines, which looked very strange.

    Thick leaves were no longer visible on the ground, and the scorched ck, glossy sand seemed to have covered the surface with a thin film.

    Even at altitude of a few hundred feet, there was the smell of burnt leaves in the air, dirt and raw meat, as well as the smell of blood¡­

    The striking thing was the entrance to the Lair, like a huge doomed spider web.

    It seemed to be huge like it used to be, and it was densely packed with all kinds of animal corpses.

    Among them, Evan even saw the body of a Centaur!

    He was ced in the most prominent position and seemed to be like a demonstration to the intruders.

    Inside the Lair, a pale, milky-white mist emerged from it from time to time, like a volcanic crater, dimly dispersing the bloody smell to the entire slope.

    The scene in front of him was too horrible, and the fire that Evan had set a few months ago seemed to have opened the gates of hell.

    Now that Aragog has degenerated, he was not restraining his descendants, but submitting to instinct and bing a Dark creature who only knew how to kill.

    Even worse, its brutality had damaged the bnce that Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest should have.

    The revenge of the Acromants almost made the Lair a purgatory.

    The current situation was even worse than the news obtained by the Centaurs¡¯ investigation. It was necessary to stop the Acromants from continuing to rage as soon as possible, and Aragog had also to be eliminated.

    On top of the ubiquitous corpses, what made Evan worry was that he felt a hint of Dark magic in the fog floating from Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    ck magic, could it be Voldemort?!

    Evan shook his head. With his understanding of Voldemort, thetter would not use evil ck magic to control, influence and transform the Acromants. By the time he would use such magic, he would rather use a Killing Curse to eliminate the enemy directly.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s words, Voldemort despised life and was more afraid of death, which was his greatest weakness.

    In his opinion, he believed that death was the greatest fear for all.

    Avada Kedavra was Voldemort¡¯s favorite Curse, not any otherplex, evil ck magic.

    It couldn¡¯t be Voldemort who left this Dark magic. What¡¯s more, he couldn¡¯t even be near Hogwarts now.

    If it wasn¡¯t Voldemort, who would it be?!

    Evan thought of the unknown existence that might have been hiding in Aragog¡¯s Lair. This was only his guess. He didn¡¯t know why, he felt that he should already know some important information about the matter, but he couldn¡¯t think of it¡­

    Just like the bodies covered by the mist in front of him, the dreams that he had forgotten seemed to be rted to this existence.

    Evan couldn¡¯t remember those dreams, but in any case, the sight in front of him was enough to inform Dumbledore and make hime out to deal with these Acromants.

    Buckbeak took Evan and flew around Aragog¡¯s Lair a few more times. After Evan remembered the hiding ces of most of the Acromants, they began to return to the castle.

    Just then, Evan saw a group of Acromants leaving the center.

    Because there were no trees, he could see very clearly that the group consisted of twelve or thirteen Giant Spiders. The one in the lead was obviously muchrger than itspanions. Behind it, spiders dragged three wizards in Hogwarts robes, Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe.

    ¡°Damn, what are these three doing?¡± Evan was shocked and almost slipped off of Buckbeak¡¯s back.

    Malfoy and the two others were supposed to be in the castle. How could they be caught by the Acromants?

    What should he do now?

    Go and save Malfoy?! This was just a joke. Besides the missing, Evan found that the number of Acromants hidden nearby was definitely not less than one hundred. Once he fought and rmed them, the consequences would be absolutely unimaginable.

    What¡¯s more, no matter from which point of view he could think of, Evan had no reason to risk his life for Malfoy¡¯s rescue.

    Thinking about it, if his life was in danger, Malfoy would not have any conscience, and he would not save him.

    If he let it go no matter what would happen, or left and went back to inform others, then from what he was seeing, in a few minutes, Malfoy and hispanions would be the newest trophy on the huge spider web.

    Evan was sure that he would certainly not feel sad if he heard that Malfoy was dead.

    But witnessing Malfoy¡¯s death in front of him was a totally another thing.

 Chapter 299: Buckbeak Swooping Down

    <h4>Chapter 299: Buckbeak Swooping Down</h4>

    Below, Goyle and Crabbe wept loudly; struggling desperately, but unable to shake the hairy, slender legs of the Acromants.

    Beside the two people, Malfoy looked pale and unconscious.

    None of the three of them saw the Hippogriff in the sky, not to mention Evan sitting on Buckbeak¡¯s back.

    If he just left, no one would know that he had been here.

    Evan hesitated, no doubt, he did not like Malfoy. But to let him die and witness his death, he couldn¡¯t do it no matter what.

    Just like twenty years ago, Harry¡¯s father, James, saved Snape from the wolf poption; in the original plot, Harry saved Malfoy and Goyle from the fire.

    This matter was beyond the personal level of whether or not they liked someone, and was rted to one¡¯s nature and conscience.

    To save or not to save, it might seem like a difficult descision.

    But for Harry, for Evan, for the real Gryffindor, there was always one answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down, Buckbeak!¡± Evan shouted, pulling out his wand. ¡°I must¡¯ve gone absolutely mad, risking my life to save Malfoy!¡±

    On the ground, Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe were all in despair.

    It was natural, they were about to be food for the Acromants. By the time the school¡¯s rescue would arrive, they would only find the white bones or the half eaten corpses.

    Thinking of such a scene, Malfoy was not willing to lift his hand and it quickly dropped down.

    He felt that his life was rapidly slipping away, and that he was likely to die at any moment.

    Today, he finally paid the price for what he had done.

    Just as he had given up, a Hippogriff swooped down into the Acromants, and its brown steel-like ws caught a giant spider and shredded it directly.

    The green liquid sshed on Malfoy¡¯s face, which made him sober up.

    He couldn¡¯t believe it; he blinked his eyes, and remained motionless, his brain stopped working.

    Beside him, Goyle and Crabbe, who had been struggling, were also stunned, facing the sudden attack.

    Even the Acromants were all stunned.

    Theyy on the ground, and their big pincers that had been constantly clicking all stopped.

    Everyone looked at Buckbeak in surprise, but it didn¡¯t stop. Under Evan¡¯smand, it waved its wings and floated in the air, with gale and fearless momentum, and rushed straight to the nearest Acromant that was grabbing Goyle.

    A red light shed across, and Evan¡¯s Petrification Curse hit it.

    Goyle was surprised to find that the Acromant was gradually turning into a stone, and its body showed a blue-grey color and became stiffer.

    Its two tightly mped hairy long legs were getting weaker.

    With a burst ofughter, Goyle was released by the Acromant andnded heavily on the ground.

    ¡°God, this¡­this Hippogriff came to save us!¡± He seemed to have just reacted, looking at Buckbeak in disbelief, and sobbed loudly, ¡°Help, help, take me out of here, I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    ¡°I know it, it is Buckbeak!¡± Crabbe stepped up his resistance and shouted. ¡°It is the Hippogriff raised by Hagrid. It must be¡­ ¡­¡±

    Hearing Crabbe¡¯s reminding, Malfoy also recognized Buckbeak.

    There was a lot of confusion in his heart, and he felt this was ironic.

    Just a few minutes ago, he was vowing to get his father to kill the Hippogriff, but now he had to rely on it to save himself.

    But now he couldn¡¯t take that much into ount, Malfoy vowed that as long as he was alive, he would repay Buckbeak.

    Just as he wanted to shout for help like Goyle and Crabbe, he stopped and looked at Evan sitting on Buckbeak¡¯s back with puzzled eyes.

    Being saved by Buckbeak, and Evan of all people, was something he had never imagined.

    He hesitated for less than a second, and the idea of survival immediately overcame his pride and shouted weakly to Evan, ¡°Help, save me!¡±

    Evan had no time to talk to Malfoy. Through unexpected surprise attacks, he and Buckbeak coborated to eliminate four Acromants and sessfully rescued Goyle. When the remaining Acromants reacted, his pressure increased sharply.

    Click, click, click¡­

    They danced sharp pincers, and they rushed in from all directions to Evan and Buckbeak, and their eight pairs of shiny ck eyes all shed with malicious ferocity.

    Without the urge of Evan, Buckbeak flew straight away to escape the attack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t abandon us, take me away, don¡¯t leave me alone!¡± Goyle shouted, climbing two steps in panic.

    ¡°This idiot!¡± Before Goyle¡¯s behavior, Evan was speechless.

    As he didn¡¯t take out his wand to fight, or at least hide away, he was putting more pressure on Evan¡¯s rescue by being a free target to the Acromants in front of him.

    ¡°Go down, Buckbeak!¡± Evan shouted.

    They rushed back again, and the wand in Evan¡¯s hand waved around.

    The magic erupted from the end of his wand, and a circr, light blue magical energy aura centered on him and quickly spread out.

    Feeling the danger, the Acromants were scattered back and forth.

    Evan¡¯s wand pointed to the huge rocks scattered on the ground, and the rocks twisted into a blue-ck snake that slid towards the Acromants.

    He wanted to make a Basilisk, but because the Basilisk itself had strong magic, it was difficult to make such transfiguration, and it was too hasty, the stone eventually became a monster, and the body of the snake still had aspects of the stone itself.

    But this was enough. As everyone knows, the Basilisk is the deadly enemy of the Acromants.

    A Basilisk was here. Without even the attack, it could scare off the Acromants just by the pressure of its own momentum. Evan¡¯s big snake, although it had neither such momentum nor the attack power of the Basilisk, was enough to make them afraid by its mere appearance.

    Click, click¡­

    The Acromants retreated back and did not dare to approach the gliding big snake.

    As the Acromants retreated and dodged, Evan let Buckbeaknd next to Goyle and shouted, ¡°Come up!¡±

    Goyle stood up awkwardly, his legs still shaking.

    He desperately took Evan¡¯s outstretched right hand and wanted to climb to Buckbeak¡¯s back, but because he was too flustered, he tried several times without sess.

    By the time Evan pulled him up, more than twenty seconds of the precious time had passed.

    Goyle¡¯s face was pale. He gasped and clung tightly to Evan. His whole body kept shaking.

    Buckbeak pped his wings and flew back. Not far away, the Acromants seemed to have ovee the fear of Evan¡¯s transfigured faux Basilisk, and found that they were just stones without any actual attack power, and were back together.

    Seeing that Goyle was rescued, Malfoy and Crabbe shouted louder for help, fearing that Evan would leave them alone.

    Startled by the voices of both of them, the Acromants that had been crouching around in the territory were all eager to move, and they came out from their hiding ces. The situation became more and more dire.

 Chapter 300: The Battle, and the Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 300: The Battle, and the Nightmare</h4>

    Evan knew that he had to hurry and he ordered Buckbeak to rush straight.

    Those Acromants were not a big deal. But when other spiders would gather in the territory, saving Malfoy and Crabbe would be as likely as them going to heaven.

    Evan wasn¡¯t thinking keeping aces up his sleeve anymore. He was willing to put every bit of his newly acquired power and knowledge into use.

    He quickly read his spell, and from the end of his wand went a bright silvery light. He was sending out spells non-stop, with every one killing an Acromant.

    Thanks to his precious magic collection brought back from the ck family¡¯s residence and his hard work over the course of the few recent months, Evan was now fully equipped to deal with themon Acromants. This has to be surprising, for thest time he was here; he struggled very hard when he fought with the Acromants. In the end, he even ended up exhausting all the magic in his body.

    The pace of his strength¡¯s evolution was very pleasant to him, and even he himself was somewhat surprised. He quickly harvested the lives of the Acromants, and there were several powerful magic in his hand that were not used, let alone the taboo ck magic that he had mastered.

    However, he knew he had actually taken a big advantage.

    It was not a fair showdown. Now he only needed to consider the offense instead of defending and dodging the opponent¡¯s attack.

    Riding Buckbeak in mid-air allowed Evan to ignore all the attacks of the Acromants, which couldn¡¯t touch them at all.

    For him, they were now just a group of moving targets.

    Those Acromants could be used to hone his spell casting skills. If he didn¡¯t consider the safety of Malfoy and Crabbe, he would really be unscrupulous.

    However, if they all hid away, Evan would have no other way but to go down to the ground and fight them, but then, his current advantage would disappearpletely.

    As Evan was getting morefortable in the battle, Malfoy, who was clutched by the Acromants and hiding behind the spiders, looked at him intricately.

    It seemed that he finally recognized the gap between himself and his opponent.

    Spection and discussion about Evan¡¯s real strength had always been a hot topic in the castle.

    He was just a sophomore, and he was a Muggle-born student. He didn¡¯t have any contact with magic before he came to Hogwarts. He shouldn¡¯t be so strong.

    But thinking of Evan¡¯s past achievements, especially against the Basilisk, and catching Peter Pettigrew alone made everyone dare not underestimate him.

    For talented wizards, strength is not necessarily linked to age.

    There were not many opportunities for Evan to openly use magic and show his strength in school, but every time he left a deep impression on everyone.

    After several discussions, whether they liked it or not, everyone had to recognize that Evan was the best genius that Hogwarts had in recent years.

    It was generally believed within Slytherins that his strength should be close to that of senior wizards who passed the Ordinary Wizarding Level test.

    Nevertheless, there were rumors that Evan¡¯s strength was growing so fast because he was studying ck magic, and this could¡¯ve been a taboo and bad news for other young wizards.

    But for the students of Slytherin House, this was not a big deal. Many Slytherins were secretly studying the Dark Arts.

    It was precisely because of this that they estimated Evan so highly. If it wasn¡¯t for Evan¡¯s Muggle origins, some people would have joined his side.

    In many ancient pure blood wizard traditions, magic is might; power and influence oftenplement each other.

    Slytherin¡¯s internal opinions on Evan had always been contradictory, with voices of solicitation, suppression and support.

    No one was willing to offend a rising future star, especially for the savvy Slytherins.

    Malfoy had been a strong supporter of the suppression of Evan, and he advocated treating Evan as if he were Harry, the so-called Savior.

    But since that night¡¯s ambush, he had changed his mind.

    Evan¡¯s magic, which targeted directly the depths of his soul, had great influence on him.

    Since then, he had been afraid of Evan.

    Although he had greatly overestimated Evan¡¯s magic power, judging from the current situation, he still underestimated him. Being able to suppress more than a dozen Acromants at the same time, Evan¡¯s real strengthpletely surpassed the magic level that Hogwarts students should have.

    Now, seeing Evan, who was in the sky fighting like a God of war, and thinking again of that palpitating magic, Malfoy did not feel fear, but hope of salvation.

    ¡°Help! Help!¡± He shouted and waved his arms,pletely ignoring that he had just been bitten by the Acromant.

    Though he still had doubts in his heart, and wondered why Evan was so powerful.

    But now Malfoy had no time to explore the source of Evan¡¯s magic.

    On the contrary, he hoped that Evan could be stronger and better, because it would directly affect his life.

    While Malfoy was being so hopeful, the Acromants also recognized Evan, who was sitting on the back of the Hippogriff, and recognized him as the God of death from a few months ago.

    A few months ago, the big fire killed an unknown number of Acromants.

    They were burning with inveterate hatred of Evan, but they were also afraid of death.

    Click, click, click¡­

    The big pincers of the leading Acromant were clicking violently, and it signaled everyone to retreat. They had already seen that they were not opponents of Evan at all, and it did not make sense to remain here, not to mention that they could not even attack him at all.

    Upon receiving the order, the Acromants no longer entangled with Evan, they quickly retreated and fled, and their eight hairy legs were dancing at the fastest speed.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t, stop, you freaks!¡± Crabbe screamed loudly. ¡°Save me, save me!¡±

    He struggled with all his strength and slowed down the speed of the Acromant.

    A momentter, Buckbeak flew to them with Evan. A red light emerged; the Acromant that grabbed Crabbe dropped him down, and flew away backwards.

    Crabbey on the ground and gasped, and Evan didn¡¯t stop. A rope came out at the end of his wand and tied him to Buckbeak.

    Under the screams of Crabbe, the Hippogriff took them to Malfoy and flew past, looking very strange.

    Malfoy had nned to fight like Crabbe to win time for Evan.

    But there was a feeling of weakness from the wound where he had been inflicted by the Acromant on his arm. He had no strength to struggle at all. He could only watch himself being led to the huge slope in the center.

    The fog was hazy in the slope, and Malfoy felt only that he was being brought down quickly and rubbed against the sand on the ground, leaving his body scarred.

    A few secondster, the warm milky mist dissipated in front of his eyes. His eyes suddenly opened wide, horrified to see a huge spider web covered with bloody corpses.

    The carcass of the Centaur above was the most eye-catching. His stomach was torn apart by the Acromants. The meat inside has been hollowed out, leaving only skin and bones, densely covered with disgusting maggots.

    The Centaur¡¯s empty eye sockets were facing Malfoy, and several little spiders rushed out from inside.

    Unprepared for such a shocking scenery, he was scared to tears.

    To him, to anyone, this was an absolute nightmare!

 Chapter 301: Whispers From the Dark

    <h4>Chapter 301: Whispers From the Dark</h4>

    The Acromants that had just gathered fled everywhere. Evan had no time to deal with them. Instead, he urged Buckbeak to chase the spider that had taken Malfoy away.

    It took Malfoy straight to Aragog¡¯s Lair, because there was no wind, the fog inside the slope was so thick that it blocked Evan¡¯s sight.

    He did not hesitate. He knew that the Acromant was going there. Just as it was about to drag Malfoy into the cave behind the domed spider web, Evan and Buckbeak spectacrly appeared in front of it through the dense fog.

    ¡°Help!¡± Malfoy cried weakly, reaching out to Evan.

    Buckbeak rushed over, intending to scratch the cobweb full of corpses in front of him, but the domed spider web remained unscathed.

    The sturdiness of this messy spider web was beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    With the strength of the rebound, Evan leapt from Buckbeak.

    He waved his wand sharply in mid-air. With a loud crash, several decayed corpses hanging on the cobweb flew down, blocking the way of the Acromant.

    Click, click!

    The Acromant that was forced to a dead end let go of Malfoy, turned around and rushed over to Evan, its sharp big pincers clicking with desperate madness, ready to fight him to death.

    Evan pressed his wrist gently to the lower right, and the beautiful silver light shed past, leaving a faint trace in the air. The body of the Acromant was split in two and fell on the ground.

    Evan had enough magic and skill for that spell to fly out fast enough. It made the green, sticky blood of the spider fly in one direction, sshing on Malfoy, who was paralyzed behind.

    When Evan walked over, he fell face down on the ground, gasping, coughing, and retching repeatedly.

    Buckbeak tried several more times and found that the huge domed spider web could not be damaged. After that, he gave up,nding on the ground.

    Goyle and Crabbe, who had been speeding along with him, were lying there gasping for breath, still unconscious.

    ¡°Get up, we have to get out of here quickly.¡± Evan said bluntly.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead, this spider has been killed by you, and the monsters are running away¡­¡± Malfoy choked with sobs, and dared not look into Evan¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°These Acromants are nothing at all. If we don¡¯t get out of here quickly, you will know what big trouble really is.¡± Evan looked around with vignce, and gathered magic in his wand quickly. He didn¡¯t put his wand away.

    It was very abnormal that there wasn¡¯t much apparent movement in Aragog¡¯sir.

    Who knows what the cunning old spider was hiding in the depths of the earth? It didn¡¯t seem right to feel at ease.

    That was on top of therge number of Acromants outside the slope, who were ready to move.

    After all, when Evan first came here a few months ago, he saw that any Acromant was several timesrger than the one he had just killed.

    With the increase in body size, the strength and danger of the Acromants increases as well.

    Evan did not n to waste time here, especially when he had those three burdensome fellows with him. Instead of giving Malfoy time to rest and recover, he turned around and asked Goyle and Crabbe to hold him on Buckbeak¡¯s back. He went behind the cobweb and looked deep into Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    In front of him, there was a gentle downward slope, not too deep.

    The cave was dark, and warm wind and mist were blowing out from below.

    Although it was only the second time he came here and his first close observation, Evan couldn¡¯t tell why he always felt this was familiar, as if he had been to this cave many times, even down this gentle slope¡­

    He shook his head and stood in this position. He could feel more clearly the strange trace of ck magic.

    It was certain that this was not any magic he knew.

    The gusts of warm wind mixed with bloody and weird smell made one feel ufortable, like the murky air in the Divination ssroom.

    Evan was confused. He seemed to hear a voice speaking to him.

    Vague memory fragments reappeared in his mind, and the forgotten illusion would show him a startling secret, the meaning of the ancient emblem¡­

    He had just to follow this gentle slope, and all the truth woulde to light.

    ¡°Come on,e on, I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time!¡± A low voice, somewhere, sounded, ¡°You are resisting tenaciously; you grasp your tiny life, as if you could really change everything. It¡¯s just an unrealistic illusion. All resistance is futile. You will understand¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Everything has a soul, all souls can be swallowed, and souls shall tremble in the darkness. This is your ultimate destiny.¡± A voice whispered, ¡°I have swallowed up their souls, now it¡¯s your turn!¡±

    ¡°Come on,e on, lostmb in the dark forest, your soul has been marked by me. The endless fear has shrouded you, will you sleep to escape fear?¡± it whispered softly. ¡°Do you dream when you are asleep? In your dreams, you will experience more terrifying fears than reality.¡±

    ¡°No one knows this secret. In the deepest part of the earth, you can only be redeemed if you find the emblem I left behind¡­¡±

    Evan stood there, feeling a voice talking in his mind. But he didn¡¯t understand what it meant.

    This was really too strange. Where did this sounde from?!

    It was not until Malfoy was calling him that he showed his surprise.

    ¡°Did you hear anything just now?¡± Evan hurriedly asked.

    Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe shook their heads in a sluggish manner and looked around in horror, not knowing what he meant.

    Evan wanted to say something more, but stopped immediately. He could feel somethinging up from below.

    There were many of them, maybe Aragog and his descendants, or worse!

    He hurriedly turned around and climbed to Buckbeak¡¯s back as quickly as he could.

    Just as he sat up, Buckbeak waved his wings and flew up.

    The misty slope was getting smaller and smaller under their feet. Ultimately, they managed to leave safely, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

    Behind him, Malfoy was pale.

    He looked at Evan¡¯s back and hesitated, as if he was going to thank him.

    Nevertheless, giving up dignity to thank a mud blood was absolutely a very difficult thing for Malfoy.

    Not to mention, this mud blood was usually one of the most annoying people to him.

    Malfoy tangled, and then considered why he was in the Forbidden Forest today, why he was caught by the Acromants. The underlying reasons were all due to Evan and Harry. This thought made him even more reluctant to thank him.

    He opened his mouth and said nothing. He made up his mind to find an opportunity to return this favor to Evan, or to repay it with Gold Galleons.

    In short, he would never say those words!

 Chapter 302: Abandoning Malfoy

    <h4>Chapter 302: Abandoning Malfoy</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to take care of Malfoy, nor did he care about his gratitude.

    Today, he risked his life to save Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe. That didn¡¯t mean he wanted to improve his rtionship with them and be friends.

    The motive behind his actions was very simple; he just did not want them to be killed by the Acromants, especially in front of him.

    As it was said before, this had nothing to do with personal feelings; it was about his own nature and conscience.

    He was still thinking about the whispers that had just appeared in his mind. He didn¡¯t understand the meaning of those words. There was a voice in the bottom of his heart, which kept luring him into the cave below.

    ¡°No one knows the secret. In the deepest part of the earth, if you find the emblem, you will know everything.¡± Evan repeated it slowly.

    In reality, he really wanted to explore the cave.

    He didn¡¯t like feeling that there was something hiding in the unknown existence in Aragog¡¯s Lair, leaving him at loss, and things were getting out of his grasp.

    The other side was not Voldemort, nor was Voldemort so evil and powerful.

    But Evan didn¡¯t know anything about it. He couldn¡¯t prepare as he did step by step against Voldemort. He had no longer the greatest advantage of knowing the future.

    Maybe he could go to the library to look up information or ask Dumbledore to get some clues.

    But first of all, he had to know what the emblem that had been mentioned in the whisper was like.

    Only then could he know who the other side was.

    The sound of a rustle sounded in the cave, and Evan controlled Buckbeak down a little. He wanted to see what was going to get out from its bottom.

    He thought it would be Aragog and its elite, but unexpectedly, about five secondster, arge group of small dark blue spiders crawled out of the cave.

    They looked very fragile, with light red stripes on their bodies.

    These little spiders seemed to have just hatched out, and they were extremely afraid of the sun.

    They crowded around the entrance of the cave, covered by milky white mist, and plunged into the corpses hanging from the huge spider web in front of the Lair.

    Evan let Buckbeak get closer again, and could clearly see that with the entry of the small spiders, those who had not yet fully adapted to the weather where going under the skins of the corpses.

    They struggled to tear flesh and blood with their newborn pincers, drilled down the blood vessels to the depths of the corpses, and soon disappeared.

    The whole process was extremely cruel, causing scalp numbness.

    It was scary enough just to think about this scene. No one knew how many young Acromants were hidden in the nearly 100 corpses.

    In a short time, they would grow into the next generation fighting power.

    Malfoy, who sat behind Evan for a while, was afraid that if Evan hadn¡¯t saved them, he would probably be the same as the corpses below, and be hung there to be the food of the Acromantsrvae.

    Looking at the scene in front of him, he felt very sick. A breeze blew, and Malfoy was confused, shaking on Buckbeak¡¯s back. He hurriedly grabbed the feathers of the Hippogriff, but could not make any effort.

    On his arm, the spot that had just been bitten by the Acromant hadpletely lost feeling, and crispness and numbness was spreading rapidly throughout his body.

    Malfoy wanted to urge Evan to leave and go back to the castle. He was really scared now, for fear of any seque left by the treatment being toote.

    And it was unclear why he seemed to have hallucinations in his brain.

    With the invasion of venom, he felt that everything around him seemed to be unreal. A voice was ringing in his head, whispering and echoing.

    Malfoy could not hear clearly what the other side was saying, nor did he want to hear it clearly.

    His face was pale, not half-blooded, and he had no usual demeanor. Now he just wanted to get away from this ghost ce and go back to the warm andfortable castle.

    Even if he had to ask Evan for it, even if he was asked to go back to see all Slytherins again, even if he was to see Harry¡¯s exuberant appearance, he would not want to stay here.

    Malfoy just wanted to speak and stopped at once.

    He felt something creeping on his skin. He slowly lowered his head and saw a small spidering out of the wound, just like the Acromantsrvae that were pouring madly into the corpses.

    Malfoy was frightened, and as he prepared to take a closer look, the little spider disappeared, and everything was an illusion.

    The pressure from fearing death almost made him breathless.

    ¡®I am going to die!¡¯ This was Malfoy¡¯s only thought.

    The next second, all he saw was ck, and his big head fell down.

    Evan, Goyle, and Crabbe didn¡¯t think that Malfoy would suddenly faint, and they watched as he fell straight into Aragog¡¯sir.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan hurriedly controlled Buckbeak to fly down.

    Click, click, click.

    An adult Acromant suddenly emerged from the cave. It seemed to have anticipated that this would happen and had been waiting here for a long time.

    It used its two forelegs to hold Malfoy tightly and dragged him to the depths of the cave with the fastest speed.

    Evan wanted to stop it, but as soon as Buckbeaknded, the swarm of small spiders quickly crawled over.

    In the blink of an eye, hundreds of spiderrvae emerged from the corpses of the spider web, clicking continuously, and rapidly pinching their pincers.

    Crabbe and Goyle screamed in horror, and the two of them clung to Buckbeak¡¯s feathers and squatted on it.

    Their two fat bodies were huddled up and shrunk into a ball, looking very funny.

    Buckbeak also fluttered his wings and dared not tond, his eyes sparkling with fear.

    In a sense, these spiderrvae were even more terrifying than the adult Acromants. They crowded together densely, and once they were close to the body, they would bite the skin and drill into the blood vessels, and then there was only death.

    The scenes of their madness pouring into the corpses were still vivid, and no one dared to touch them.

    Evan jumped to the ground and shouted, ¡°INCENDIO!¡±

    At the end of his wand, a golden-red me came out, and the me revolved. Under Evan¡¯s guidance, a fire wall was formed to block the rushing spiders and move slowly forward. Soon, the entrance to the cave was filled with the smell of scorched meat, and the spiderrvae gave out contorted screams and were all killed.

    It was enough time for Malfoy and the huge Acromant to disappear.

    ¡°Draco was dragged in!¡± Goyle pointed to the cave and shouted loudly. ¡°We must save him, or he will die.¡±

    Crabbe hurriedly pushed him, looked closely at Evan¡¯s face, and asked cautiously, ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    What else could be done? Who would have thought that Malfoy would fall from Buckbeak¡¯s back?

    Everything was over. They had just to go back to Hogwarts to inform Dumbledore of what happened here, and he could safely and perfectly solve this problem.

    But now there was a sudden ident. Waiting until Dumbledore and other professors woulde, Malfoy would probably die.

    Evan walked down the gentle slope two steps, and half of his body entered the cave.

    In the dark, secluded cave, the strange feeling appeared again, and this time he was well prepared, not lost as he wasst time.

    Deep down, he had an impulse to go deeper, but reason kept Evan sober.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here and hurry back to inform the professors!¡± Evan made up his mind, ¡°If we do it quickly enough, it shouldn¡¯t be toote.¡±

    If Harry were here, he might not even think about it and just rush in directly.

    That was his character, but Evan was different.

    He could take the risk to save Malfoy, but the situation was clearly beyond his capabilities, and it would be foolish for him to rush in like that.

 Chapter 303: The Wise Choice

    <h4>Chapter 303: The Wise Choice</h4>

    He was not afraid of the Acromants, but worried about the strange unknown existence hidden in the depths of the cave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± Evan whispered to Goyle and Crabbe.

    He tried not to think about Malfoy¡¯s fate because it made him feel bad. He asked himself, if Harry or Hermione were to be dragged down this cave by that Acromant, would he hesitate to go straight in and bring them back even at the cost of his life?

    That would because they are his friends, and their presence was crucial in his life.

    But this was Malfoy, and Evan hesitated!

    He was not a god, not as powerful as Dumbledore, nor as fearless as Harry in the final war.

    Admitting it or not, he was just an ordinary person.

    Yes, he was just a lucky guy.

    He knew the future of this world and all the characters, so he could bravely fight, fight against the established future, and even had the courage to resist Voldemort.

    Because he knew, he tried to change and stop the tragedies that were toe.

    But when the future was really changed by him, Evan began to be afraid.

    At the moment when he caught Peter Pettigrew, he knew that the time hase. In the past six months, he had devoted himself to studying magic and improving his strength. He couldn¡¯t think of another way to confront the changed future.

    But Evan found that he was wrong. As Dumbledore had been trying to tell him, whether a person was strong or not depended not on how much magic he possessed, but on his heart.

    Voldemort had unimaginable power, but his heart was extremely fragile. Though evil and cruel, he was afraid of death, and used any mean to escape it.

    This was his weakness, so no matter how much magic he had or how much magic he mastered, Dumbledore would never be afraid of him.

    ¡°As for myself¡­¡±

    Evan took a deep breath and tried not to think about these things.

    He repeatedly told himself that giving up Malfoy and staying away from this strange cave was the wisest choice.

    That¡¯s right, even if Malfoy was to die.

    He turned around and came to Buckbeak, ready to go back to notify others as soon as possible.

    Although many people thought that he was a genius; they even worshiped or envied him, and thought he was different, Evan himself knew that he was no different from other ordinary young wizards.

    ¡°Please, save him!¡± Seeing Evan¡¯s movement, Goyle sobbed and said, ¡°Only you can save him, or Draco will be those spiders¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°We should rush back as soon as possible, only the professors can save Draco.¡± Crabbe retorted, ¡°Don¡¯t waste time here, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Those monsters can eat Draco in the blink of an eye!¡± Goyle said unwillingly, ¡°We can¡¯t go, otherwise¡­¡±

    ¡°Otherwise, what will happen?¡± Crabbe turned to Goyle with undisguised fierceness. ¡°I just want to get out of here now, you are wasting our time.¡±

    ¡°But Draco ¡­¡±

    ¡°I told you, we are going back to the castle to inform others to rescue him.¡± Crabbe said,¡± We cannot help him here, we¡¯re just adding trouble.¡±

    When he heard Crabbe¡¯s words, Goyle went silent.

    His foolish eyes looked uncertainly at hispanion, and then turned to look expectantly at Evan, but there was no response from thetter.

    Even if he was stupid, he knows what this meant.

    For a long time, he hesitated then said, ¡°If Draco is dead, his father and the Malfoy family will not let it go like this.¡±

    Speaking of Lucius Malfoy, even Crabbe was silent.

    ¡°I believe he will understand us!¡± He whispered and raised the volume. ¡°Moreover, what can the two of us do?!¡±

    Evan understood what they both meant, deliberately speaking about Malfoy¡¯s family.

    That was both a threat and a reminder.

    Once Malfoy died here, the three of them would have to face the wrath of Lucius Malfoy.

    They are Malfoy¡¯s followers, and their own people, so Lucius Malfoy probably wouldn¡¯t do anything to them. But that was not the same with Evan, and Lucius was likely to vent his anger on him.

    It seemed that Malfoy¡¯s two attendants, especially Crabbe, were not as stupid as they looked.

    Evan was not afraid of Lucius, nor of the Malfoy family¡¯s retaliation. This was Hogwarts. With Dumbledore here, he could do nothing.

    Today¡¯s incident, in itself, was Malfoy¡¯s own fault and had nothing to do with Evan. But the conversation between Goyle and Crabbe made Evan hesitate again. He finally found out that something was wrong. He kept telling himself repeatedly in his heart that it was the wisest choice to give up Malfoy and leave here as soon as possible.

    Apparently, Crabbe thought the same way.

    Was it really a wise choice for a Slytherin who did not have even the most basic sense of friendship and loyalty, and only considered his own safety?!

    Yeah, this was not the same. The one to be saved was the abominable Malfoy.

    A strange voice whispered in Evan¡¯s heart, ¡°He¡¯s not even your friend. You don¡¯t have to risk your life to save him.¡±

    But when he thought so, he always felt that something was wrong, and this sensation was getting stronger and stronger. Didn¡¯t he save Peter Pettigrew at the same risk of his life before?

    The voice resounded again: ¡°It was just out of need. You needed him to prove Sirius¡¯s innocence. You didn¡¯t really want to save him.

    Peter Pettigrew had a use value, Malfoy did not. On the contrary, he was still rather troublesome. There were many things in the future that were worse because of his existence.

    It would be probably better if he died here¡­ ¡°

    ¡°No, it would not!¡± Evan suddenly shouted.

    Goyle and Crabbe looked at him flustered, not knowing what was going on.

    At this moment, Evan struggled with his strange voice in his heart. Atst, he realized that all the suggestions given by this voice seemed correct, but it ignored the most important point, his own nature, and only looked at the issue from the perspective of gains and losses.

    If he did what it said, what would make him differ from those Dark wizards, immersed in cold-blooded interests and powerful magic strength to deal with anything, the only wise choice being what was for their best?!

    Evan could abandon Malfoy to face death, not only because it was dangerous, but also did not benefit him. If you want something, you can do everything possible to get it because you have your own reasons. You fear death? Then you can deprive others of their humble lives to make Horcruxes, so that you can live forever.

    These choices seemed wise, but they were not what Evan needed. He had to resist and correct these wrong ideas.

    Just as Evan had this thought, the Slytherin¡¯s Locket that had been hanging on his chest suddenly emitted a dark golden light.

    The curved and weird lines on the top of the text lit up at the same time, then instantly returned to how they used be, as if nothing had happened.

    But Evan¡¯s original chaotic will was renewed, and a strange magic was injected into his body from the inside out.

    Deep in his heart, there was a sudden crisp sound, like the sound of ss falling to the ground and shattering, and the echoing whisper disappeared.

    Evan, holding Buckbeak with both hands, gasped for breath.

    Everything in front of him was clear and limpid, and he felt that his back was all soaked with sweat.

    He had just realized that the strange voice that had just appeared in his heart was the existence that had been whispering to him at first.

    It influenced him from behind curtains, hoping that Evan would fall.

    Only in this way could it swallow his soul.

 Chapter 304: Deep Into Aragogâ€™s Lair

    <h4>Chapter 304: Deep Into Aragog¡¯s Lair</h4>

    Regardless of what it was, it had been influencing Evan through the use of Dark Magic affecting the mind.

    As it had been said, this unknown creature was awakened when Evanst appeared in this slope and killed countless Acromants with fire.

    It swallowed the souls of these dead Acromants, cast a ck magic with just recovered power, and marked the soul of Evan. It hoped that Evan¡¯s soul would degenerate, because only then could it engulf and dominate him.

    It was also a simple way to make Evan feel scared and strike fear into him.

    Only in endless fear could the mind reveal a weakness and give it a chance.

    Evan recalled the dream he sawst night, those terrible illusions that had vanished and were retrieved as his willpletely defeated his opponent, and the memories that had previously vanished were immediately regained.

    It was under the influence of those dreams that he had always been unconsciously afraid of this cave. He was afraid to go deep into it, afraid of those cold red emotionless eyes behind the stone door.

    This ancient unknown being, hidden deep in the earth, whose evil purpose had prevailed, affected Evan through fear reaching the depths of his soul.

    As long as his dark magic was not conquered, it would be imperceptible all the time and manage change Evan¡¯s character.

    Just like now, Evan did not save Malfoy for fear of the Acromants. This seemingly beneficial and wise decision, in fact, was totally contrary to Evan¡¯s nature and heart. As a result, his soul had be unstable.

    That voice seized the opportunity and continued to lure Evan.

    It hoped that the gap between his heart and soul could grow wider and wider until he would be fully open to its maniption.

    Just like Tom Riddle¡¯s diary, as long as someonemunicated with it, Voldemort¡¯s soul fragments lurking inside could affect the user through temptation and magic, and make him gradually gain trust in it until he devotes his life for him.

    Although the method was different, the principles were the same. But the magic used by the voice was more subtle and bizarre, and no one could notice anything wrong besides Evan himself.

    Even Dumbledore, without a thorough examination, would not be able to find out that Evan had actually fallen victim to the Dark Arts.

    But all his actions were normal, and naturally there was no need for examination.

    Evan¡¯s mind recalled the descriptions he had seen in several ancient magic books, and he had some conjectures about the identity of the existence hidden in the deep underground.

    However, he was not sure.

    The power of a creature using such ck magic was far beyond his ability. Evan didn¡¯t know how he could break the magic of his opponent. Just now, the whisper still echoed in his mind, and he was about to give uppletely.

    But at thest moment, after something shattered within him, the voice suddenly disappeared inexplicably, and everything returned to normal.

    Evan knew that he hadpletely defeated his opponent. Now, he could feel the weakness of this fellow hiding deep underground, the powerful ck magic had consumed the strength it had just recovered, it was nothing now.

    It couldn¡¯t even get out of this cave, let alone fight Evan.

    Evan was entering with an entirely different mood. Right now, he was going to go deep into the cave to see what this being was, and save Malfoy while he was at it.

    As for Aragog and the Acromants, they were now out of Evan¡¯s sight.

    By solving this problem, the Acromants that had suffered heavy losses would turn normal again, and the Forbidden Forest would be able to restore its old bnce, which could meet the requirements of the Centaurs.

    ¡°Mason, let¡¯s go, it¡¯s sinister around here.¡± Crabbe urged anxiously. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and tell the professors toe and save Draco.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. You go back and tell the others that I¡¯ll go in and save Malfoy.¡± Evan patted Buckbeak on the head and signaled him to go back to the castle ahead of him.

    ¡°What!¡± Goyle and Crabbe looked at Evan in surprise, their eyes wide open, their faces very strange, and there was a trace of incredulity in their sluggishness.

    It was strange that Evan wanted to go deep into this cave to save Malfoy. He was just about to leave.

    No matter how it looked, going deep into this cave was purely looking for death.

    Whatever Goyle and Crabbe thought, Evan did not talk to the two guys anymore.

    He raised his wand and walked carefully along the gentle slope in front of him.

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡± His voice echoed in the cave.

    Under the light from the end of his wand, he went deep into Aragog¡¯s Lair.

    The cave is not as cold as he had imagined, and gusts of warm wind blowing from deep underground dispelled the chill and made it very dry.

    In the endless darkness, only Evan¡¯s wand was shining faintly.

    He moved forward cautiously down the gentle slope, which kept bing gentler until it became t. There was nothing around, no Acromants, no prey wreckage captured by them. The cave was quiet, quiet to a smothering level.

    Evan looked closely around and didn¡¯t dare be even a little careless.

    It seemed to be a naturally formed underground cave. Walking forward for about three minutes, and bifurcations and cracks began to appear in the surrounding walls. They were different in size.

    Click, click, click¡­

    The big clicking sounds of the Acromants began to ring in the darkness. They seemed to have finally discovered Evan, the intruder, and one spider began to climb out of the crack.

    Without hesitation, it waved its pincers and rushed over.

    Evan¡¯s wand sparkled. He didn¡¯t retreat to defend, but he stepped forward. He had to hurry to find Malfoy.

    Fire is undoubtedly the best way to deal with a huge number of Acromants.

    There was nothing to burn around, but Evan had his own way.

    He used Transfiguration to change the boulders in the cave, and a stone man staggered to his feet. Then, with another Growth Charm, the Stone Giant quickly became bigger, and soon as high as the top of the cave, and the whole ground trembled.

    Although this golem had no attack power, but because it was made out of hard rock, it had a strong defense. When it became bigger, it could block the passage and stop the Acromants that were constantly drilling out of the wall, keeping them from touching Evan.

    The clickings were dense enough to make one¡¯s scalp numb, and the Acromants desperately attacked the Stone Giant, leaving no more than scratches on it.

    Evan did not care about them and continued to walk deep into the cave.

    He was getting more and more certain of his 1st hunch; Malfoy should have been taken to Aragog.

    Although Evan did not know exactly where Aragog was, he would not go wrong if he followed the direction from which came the warm air.

    Aragog was so massive; he wasn¡¯t going to miss it.

 Chapter 305: Glad to Devour You!

    <h4>Chapter 305: d to Devour You!</h4>

    Just as Evan got rid of the Acromants, Malfoy slowly regained consciousness.

    He opened his eyes and looked weakly around, but there was nothing but endless darkness. He didn¡¯t know where he was or what it was.

    The Acromant that dragged him here had disappeared, and there was a sharp chill beneath Malfoy¡¯s body, as if he had been ced on a smooth stone.

    He wanted to sit up, but as soon as he exerted himself, he felt a sharp pain. The bones of his whole body seemed to be falling apart.

    Malfoy screamed in pain, and his voice was quickly swallowed up by the silence. He had never encountered such a situation before, and he had no idea what to do. His head stopped workingpletely, his tears flowed out subconsciously, and he soon burst into crying.

    He thought of his parents and thought of death.

    Fear and loneliness were enveloping him, and his mind was full of bad images.

    ¡°Lostmb, you are disturbing my sleep!¡± A low voice suddenly sounded in the darkness.

    Malfoy stopped immediately and didn¡¯t dare to make a half-voice. He stared at the surroundings with his big eyes panicked. It was not clear where the sound came from.

    Darkness still surrounded him, and he could see nothing.

    The longer the silencested, the more terrified Malfoy was. He whimpered and shrank into a ball, not feeling the slightest warmth.

    After a long time, he whispered, ¡°You, who are you?¡±

    ¡°Poord, you are asking for my name, but you don¡¯t know that everyone has abandoned you.¡± The low voice quietly said, ¡°Look around you, they all betrayed you, screaming and fleeing into the dark forest.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Malfoy said tremblingly, ¡°Are you talking about Goyle, Crabbe and Evan Mason? The three of them¡­ abandoned me?¡±

    Darkness seemed to grow stronger, and seeds of despair began to germinate.

    If Goyle, Crabbe, and Evan gave up on him like that, they could tell others that they didn¡¯t even see him, so there would be no one to save him. The professors and his father wouldn¡¯t find him. Malfoy could hardly imagine that.

    He would be left alone here and slowly die in despair!

    That was to him the worst scenario. Malfoy sobbed, and his spirit was almost about to copse.

    ¡°I¡­ What should I do?¡± he murmured, as if speaking to himself.

    ¡°All light and hope are swallowed up; only despair and death linger here.¡± The voice began to speak in Malfoy¡¯s mind. ¡°The bitter chill makes you shudder in the darkness, because you know, you¡¯ll end up here alone forever.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Malfoy cried out. ¡°Please help me, I don¡¯t want to die. Since you are here too, you can save me, can¡¯t you?!¡±

    ¡°Only a deep sleep can bring peace. When you are asleep, you will find that there is no true line between reality and illusion, between fear and expectation.¡± The voice became lower and lower, and atst it seemed to whisper, ¡°Well, I¡¯m standing right beside you, don¡¯t move, just breathe¡­¡±

    Malfoy felt like he was going mad. How could the voice tell him to sleep in such a ce?!

    How could this be possible? He just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

    Although his spirit was shattered, he had notpletely lost his mind. Malfoy kept reminding himself that this abrupt voice was not to be trusted.

    He wanted to be more vignt, but he felt more and more scared.

    ¡°Everyone will abandon you, everything is your fault, and even your followers look down on you.¡± Non-paused whispers echoed in Malfoy¡¯s ear. ¡°Fear is like shadow, it is filling your heart. The void sucks your soul, and it slowly enjoys it with satisfaction.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Malfoy gasped.

    He wanted the other person to shut up, but it was no use. This whisper seemed to never stop.

    He didn¡¯t know what to do. For a moment, he felt that he had been driven mad by this voice. If not, it would be a matter of time. He was slowly losing all reason, and just like the voice said, in the end there was only fear left in his heart.

    He couldn¡¯t feel anything else. Since everyone gave up on him, why wouldn¡¯t he try to believe this voice and do what it said?!

    For an unknown time, Malfoy¡¯s spirit was getting more and more blurred, and he just slept¡­

    ¡°You are in a dream, where you will learn the meaning of calm.¡± Seeing Malfoy gradually fall asleep, a trace of invisible weakness emerged in his relieved whisper. ¡°Good, very good, you believe me, give your soul, and I¡¯ll be d to devour you¡­¡±

    ¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    Evan¡¯s wasn¡¯t hearing anything once again, as the sound of the Acromants fighting the Stone Man gradually faded away.

    As he explored his way through the cave, thick white spider webs began to appear on the rock walls.

    They were like dust, covering the wallsyer byyer.

    Eventually, Evan realized what it was like to walk through a dark spider pit. He kept looking behind him as if he felt something was watching him in the dark.

    But there was nothing, and he was alone in the empty space.

    The size of the cave waspletely beyond his imagination, and the passage was wide and narrow.

    A few minutester, the ground began to tilt again. Evan didn¡¯t know how many meters he went underground, and he still did not see Aragog.

    With the warm wind, milky white mist floated from below.

    ¡°Show me the way!¡± Evan put his wand t on his palm and said softly to it.

    The wand rotated a bit and pointed to the direction Evan was heading, indicating that he had not gone wrong.

    He quickened his pace and calcted the time. Buckbeak should have already returned to the castle with Goyle and Crabbe, but he did not even see the shadow of Malfoy.

    Ssh¡­

    Evan seemed to hear something, about 50 meters ahead. After turning a corner, the space in front of him was suddenly bright, and an underground space about the size of the Quidditch field appeared in front of him.

    Near his left-hand side in front was an upward gushing underground hot spring, which ran outward and intermittently sprayed upward a column of water, more than fifty feet high, looking very spectacr.

    The water temperature was very high, and it collided with the cold rock wall to generate a thick mist.

    This hot spring was the source of warm wind and milky fog, and there were countless dark passages at the edge of the wall, where the springs flowed.

    Evan took two steps forward. Under the light of his wand, he clearly saw that the warm water did not flow out, but re-converged into arge pool in the middle of the cave.

    This oval pool was veryrge, and its walls were covered with white spider silk.

    The most surprising thing was the white spheres floating in it, which looked like¡­

 Chapter 306: Spider Eggs and The Female Spider

    <h4>Chapter 306: Spider Eggs and The Female Spider</h4>

    Evan squinted, and in order to see clearly, he took two more steps forward.

    In the warm water in the middle of the cave, there were thousands of spherical objects floating. They were as big as water balloons. They were soft and floated steadily in the direction of the current.

    At the extreme end of the pool was arge spherical spider web.

    It acted as a filter to allow the springs to flow out, but these white balloons were isted.

    It was a very delicate way to bring hot springs into the pool. If Evan was to design it, he thought he wouldn¡¯t do better. No wonder it was mentioned that the intelligence of the Acromants was close to that of human beings.

    Hold on, why would there be water balloons in Aragog¡¯s Lair?!

    A little doubt shed through Evan¡¯s mind, and the scene before him was too suspicious.

    He pushed his wand forward and increased the magic output. The faint fluorescence at the tip of his wand became brighter and brighter, and the incandescent lightpletely dispelled the darkness around him.

    This time, he saw it clearly.

    The white spheres floating in the pool were not water balloons at all. They were all eggs of Acromants. Under the strong light, it was clear that the soft thin-walled interior of the spider eggs were looming spiderrvae.

    Some were underdeveloped, and some were fully formed.

    Formed spiderrvae were covered with thick ck hair, and asionally moved inside, as if they could break out at any time. It looked very terrifying.

    Evan took a cool breath and looked up to the edge of the opposite side of the pool. All of them were spider eggs, densely packed together, and many were pressed under the water. The number of spider eggs in front of him waspletely beyond imagination. If all of them were hatched out, he was afraid the whole Forbidden Forest would be a world of Acromants.

    Even though the individualbat power of the Acromant was not the strongest, with the terror of their cheer quantitative advantage, these Dark creatures would be unrivalled in the Forbidden Forest.

    Evan tried to recall the description of The Acromants¡¯ eggs he saw in the book ¡°Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them ¡°: The Acromant is carnivorous and prefersrge prey. It spins dome-shaped webs upon the ground. The female is bigger than the male and mayy up to one hundred eggs at a time.

    Soft and white, these are asrge as beach balls. The young hatch in six to eight weeks. Acromant eggs are defined as ss A Non-Tradeable Goods by the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, meaning that severe penalties are attached to their importation or sale.

    Trafficking in Acromant eggs was not allowed, although it was expressly stipted. But in the ck market, among dragon and snake goods, these eggs stood out as the most popr item for Dark wizards, because precious and rare, so the price was very high, often reaching astronomical figures.

    Evan casually converted the spider eggs in front of him into Gold Galleons, and concluded that he could get filthy rich if he took the eggs outside¡­

    Of course, it was just a thought.

    Selling them was not an option at all. The spider eggs in the pool had to be destroyed, and just as he was considering what magic to use, the ground suddenly vibrated.

    A loud, rumbling bang sounded from far and near.

    Evan was stunned, and soon realized that since there were spider eggs here, the female spider must be nearby, and the female octagonal giant spider was usually muchrger than the male. The elephant-like Aragog was beyond imagination, the biggest spider he had ever seen. If his spouse was bigger than him, what would she be like¡­?

    Looking at the pool full of white spider eggs, Evan unconsciously tightened his grip on his wand.

    Normal Acromants don¡¯ty so many eggs. They cany no more than 100 eggs at a time, but there were nearly 10,000 in this pool. If this was the offspring of Aragog¡¯s spouse, it means that she had also mutated like Aragog.

    It must have been the deed of the creature hiding in the dark. The mutation happened recently. Aragog was very old. He had lived in the Forbidden Forest for so many years. If he really had such arge number of descendants, he would have swallowed up the whole Forbidden Forest long ago.

    The invasion of ancient and evil dark forces had turned the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest into another more bloodthirsty and terrible species.

    If it were to regain its strength, the consequences would be unimaginable.

    Boom, boom, boom¡­

    Evan took a step back and looked closely at the source of the sound.

    Just as he looked, a huge female spider crawled out of the shadows behind the pool, and it was almost three times asrge as Aragog.

    Its pincers closed together, and the whole space vibrated.

    Click, click, click¡­

    The most surprising thing was its shape. Its bulging belly was so big that it was disproportionate with the rest of its body. It seemed to be so heavy that the rocks on the ground behind were ground into powder. Eight furry spider legs, each as thick as Evan¡¯s thigh.

    Compared with its huge body, its head was too small, with eight pairs of ckcquered eyes like ck gems, constantly reflecting light maliciously.

    At the forefront of its head, the peculiar, big pincers also looked different. The sharp spurs were green and cold, and had beenpletely soaked by the venom.

    ¡°Click, click, human!¡± The female spider¡¯s voice shocked Evan¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Where is Aragog? I want to meet him.¡± Evan shouted, clutching his wand and steadily retreating.

    Considering the other side¡¯s size, he was not fully sure that he could ovee it.

    ¡°You want to see Aragog?!¡± The female spider looked at Evan, and seemed to be considering it, its big pincers dancing. She slowly said, ¡°The intruder must die, but I will be extra gracious, satisfy yourst wish, and take your corpse to see him.¡±

    As soon as she finished her words, her whole body quickly swooped forward to Evan.

    She swooped forward like an avnche, and Evan could see her grim expression. He threw several magic spells and moved backward as fast as he could.

    Almost immediately, the giant pincers of this female spidernded.

    Boom!!! With a violent crash, there was a big pit in the ce where Evan was just standing. If he had spent a second more there, his bones would have really been crushed.

    Just like on that night a few months ago, Evan¡¯s Shrinking Charm didn¡¯t work at all on Aragog¡¯s spouse. All of his curses had just been bounced off by the other side.

    Evan noticed that this huge female spider was covered with blue and ck armor scales, and his curse was blocked by these armors, and did not hurt it.

    An Acromant with an armor immune to spells. Was it still the same species?!

 Chapter 307: Unrealistic Fantasy

    <h4>Chapter 307: Unrealistic Fantasy</h4>

    Acromants are extremely aggressive. One of their weaknesses is their poor defense. Even the magic spell of a young wizard can easily break through their defenses.

    But this mutated giant female Acromant hadpletely subverted Evan¡¯s past knowledge.

    He tried a few spells in session, and they didn¡¯t work.

    Its hard blue-ck crustacean shells were very resistant, which made Evan feel rather helpless.

    Fortunately, this underground cave was spacious enough for him to dodge.

    The female spider¡¯s huge size, disproportionate body and bulging belly also slowed down its speed.

    While dodging her attacks, Evan gathered all his magic.

    The wand in his hand shot a silver-white light, with a heart-rending arc of light, falling heavily on it.

    Click, click, click.

    The intense pain caused the female spider to make a crazy clicking.

    Evan wiped his sweat. His attack was strong enough to sh an ordinary Acromant in half, but only left a few deep scratches on this female¡¯s carapace.

    Not even its defense had broken, on the contrary, it made her more mad.

    The female spider was aiming at Evan, and its dark green pincers were being raised high, swaying fast, clicking quickly, andnding heavily to his position.

    BOOM¡­. BOOM¡­. BOOM¡­.

    Large quantities of gravel and dust were flying, and every attack by a female spider left a deep pit on the ground. The whole cave was shaking.

    The broken rock fragments sshed out and fell on Evan.

    In spite of the pain, he gasped violently and ran and dodged with all his strength.

    Being chased by a huge monster spider was definitely a nightmare, worse than encountering the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secretsst semester.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to just keep going like this; he had to find a way.

    The next second, Evan waved his wand wildly, and the surrounding blue rocks began to deform rapidly.

    Under hismand, rocks took on a monster¡¯s shape.

    Stone monsters appeared one after another, and with their rudimentary weapons in their hands, they roared at the female spider.

    But soon, the monsters transfigured from these stones were ruthlessly crushed into powder and re-formed into dust.

    The only thing to be thankful for was that they further slowed down the speed of the female spider.

    Evan knew that he had to look for the weakness of his enemy. By this opportunity, his eyes wandered back and forth over its ugly body.

    Ignoring the blue-and-ck carapace on its head and back, he finally locked his target in two positions, the rtively slender spider legs and the huge belly which contents where unkown to him.

    He was ready to attack these two positions. If it still didn¡¯t work, then he could only consider using powerful ck magic to eliminate the opponent.

    ¡°Click, wee death, human!¡±

    The female spider seemed impatient because she could not hit Evan.

    Its gaze became fiercer; its eight hairy spider legs flipped rapidly, speeding up its attack, and its mouth began to secrete green liquid.

    When these liquids fell on the ground, they quickly vaporized and spread within a certain range.

    Looking at the eerie green smoke, and without being warning, Evan knew he couldn¡¯t touch it. These gases must be the venom secreted by the female Acromant. He quickly went into hiding.

    The secretion of venom was getting faster and faster, and the female spider did not seem to intend to use the venom directly to knock down Evan.

    However, she turned making the smoke gradually form a circle that gradually surrounded him.

    Her intentions were obvious; she was obstructing his mobility.

    In the process, he tried to attack his opponent¡¯s eight hairy spider legs, but with little sess, they were also covered by dark carapace that was not as easily perceived.

    As for the female spider¡¯srge disproportionate belly, it kept it well behind its body, and it was terrible.

    Every time Evan attacked there, it would rather stop the attack and quickly flick away, for fear of being hit by his powerful spells.

    Unless he got behind it, he couldn¡¯t attack that spot.

    So it seemed that its round belly was the weakness of the female spider.

    As the spouse of Aragog, the king of spiders, before the mutation, the female octagonal Acromant¡¯s main role was to breed offspring; the belly was used for ovtion.

    For the female Acromant, that¡¯s where the most important thing was.

    At the same time, it was also the most vulnerable part of its body.

    Looking at the huge female spider in front of him, Evan had a n in mind.

    Instead of dodging toward the entrance passage, he slowly retreated back to the side of the huge pool in the center of the cave behind him. In the battle just now, he discovered that whenever he approached the pool, the female spider would stop attacking.

    The attack power of its big pincers was too great, and it was also aware of this. If it didn¡¯t care smashing it down like that, if it couldn¡¯t kill Evan first, it would definitely destroy thousands of white spider eggs in the pool. This was not the scene it wanted to see.

    Sure enough, as soon as it saw Evan standing next to the pool, the huge female spider stopped.

    It was not in a hurry to attack, and it seemed to it that Evan had now given up resistance. Around this human boy, the green mist produced by its venom had joined together and tightly surrounded him. no matter what, he was in a desperate situation.

    The thunderous crash finally stopped, the female spider began to speed up the secretion of venom, and its eight small ck eyes stared at Evan.

    Seeing him standing there as if he had given up waiting for death, it was almost perfectly satisfied.

    In its view, the human boy was already like a turtle in an urn. Considering that the pool behind Evan was full of hatching spider eggs, the female was prepared to kill Evan in a milder way and use her own venom to make himatose.

    After that, this human boy would be food for her and her children.

    The overly proud Acromant did not notice that the stone fragments that had just been crushed by it behind were slowly floating with the subtle movements of Evan¡¯s wand. They deformed in the air and gradually formed huge cones, which floated in the air behind the female spider and looked particrly shocking.

    If it weren¡¯t forck of magic, Evan even wanted to convert all of these stone cones into steel with a harder texture.

    But for now, this should be enough.

    The initially hot cave suddenly became extremely quiet, the strange mood was flowing in the air, and both sides were preparing. They both believed that their victory was in hand.

    Evan forced himself to look at her disgusting eyes, diverting her attention and not letting her be suspicious.

    As for the green poisonous fog that gradually came closer, he was totally unconcerned.

    ¡°One, two, three¡± Evan silently counted the number of stone cones floating behind the spider.

    If it turned back now, it would be able to find these deadly weapons behind it.

    But seeing that Evan had already epted his destiny, the female spider hadpletely dropped its guard.

    It was fantasizing the taste of human flesh. Even when secreting venom, it couldn¡¯t help but secrete saliva too.

    Because of Aragog¡¯s constraints, it had never tasted human flesh before, but only discussed rted topics inmunication with other Acromants. Natural instinct told it that fresh human flesh was the most delicious food in the world.

    Just now, its child brought a human boy in, but it was a great sacrifice in the depths of the underground. It did not dare to touch it.

    Unexpectedly, a few minutester, Evan followed in.

    For this female spider, this was a godsend prey.

    It couldn¡¯t wait, quickly waving its pincers.

    This human boy was just the beginning. When the great existence woulde up from the ground, it would lead them out of the cave and into the woods. They would attack the human castle filled with delicious food that was not too far away, then they could eat fresh human flesh every day.

    If Evan knew what the Acromant thought, he would tell it this was really an unrealistic fantasy!

 Chapter 308: Dark Magic Fire Curse

    <h4>Chapter 308: Dark Magic Fire Curse</h4>

    Inside the cave, the green mist had be very dense.

    Although there was no wind, some of it still reached Evan¡¯s nose.

    It had a slightly bitter taste. After inhtion, the scene in front of Evan¡¯s eyes began to blur, and his head became dizzy.

    He shook his head in a hurry, but fortunately the venom of the Acromant was not powerful enough to causea at most.

    Evan knew it was all right. There was no point in making more. He was ready for the final blow, and whatever magic he had left wasn¡¯t enough to summon and control more cones.

    ¡°Wee your death, human!¡± The female spider swayed her pincers and said, ¡°You will be my food, mine¡¯s and my children¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, goodbye!¡± Evan waved his hand, not intending to continue listening.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s movements, she was obviously stunned.

    Then it made the monstrous roar. It thought that Evan was teasing it.

    Obviously it was the winner, but this human boy waspletely unconcerned. It swore that it would tear his belly alive in a moment, and that it would¡­

    Just as the giant female spider was imagining that, Evan raised his wand in his hand, swung it down, and numerous sharp stone cones spouted out.

    Whoop, Whoop, Whoop! ! !

    The sound of being pierced by boulders was unexpected, and the Acromant turned back in horror and saw that its belly was almost smashed instantaneously.

    Its inners and blood were blurred and arge number of non-hatched spider eggs were among them.

    Green, viscous liquid sshed everywhere, almost covering half of the cave.

    Click, click, click¡­

    It wanted to move, but it just was in too much pain.

    The giant female spider realized what had happened. She writhed madly, and her whole body was twitching and bending. She looked terrible.

    ¡°You win, human¡­¡± it said angrily.

    She was not about to give up though. It was clear that she was about to kill Evan in no time. It was obvious that she was about to taste the fresh human flesh that she had not seen for a long time. Her huge dark green pincers ruthlessly went to Evan, with her final wrath, hoping to kill him before she died.

    Evan quickly dodged, but she seemed determined to kill him.

    The giant female spider attacked wildly in the cave, the whole space was shaking, the rumbling bangs continued, and the ground even began to crack.

    Evan ducked aside in a hurry, rubbing his body to let his opponent¡¯s big pincers pass.

    Its big pincers destroyed the wall of the pool behind Evan, hot spring water gushed out, and the floating spider eggs flowed out.

    A few secondster, Evan found himself in a new dilemma. Although her belly was smashed, it would not die for a while. It was now dying and struggling. Regardless of the attack, it was impossible to resist, and the space for dodging was getting smaller and smaller.

    He was surrounded by green poisonous haze, and it was impossible for Evan to go deep into it. He could only dodge along the edge of the pool.

    He had intended to drag it out, and she was moving slower and slower, and the vitality of this huge female spider was getting weaker and weaker.

    However, the actual situation did not develop in the direction of Evan¡¯s imagination.

    The spider eggs that fell on the ground with the springs began to hatch. The spiderrvae that had been formed all climbed out and approached Evan closely.

    Click, click, click¡­

    The intensive sounds could almost drive one mad. He did not dare to approach these spiderrvae. It would be terrible if they got into his blood vessels.

    ¡°INCENDIO!¡± Evan reused his old skills and shouted.

    He hoped to burn these spiderrvae as he did at the entrance to the Lair.

    The golden red me sprang from the end of his wand, but it did not form a scale, and it disappearedpletely, turning into thick water vapor.

    Because of the spring, the surrounding air was too moist, and Evan¡¯s me couldn¡¯t work at all.

    The situation in front of him was really terrible. More and more spiderrvae hatched out of the spider eggs, and there were hundreds of them. They were wet all over, encircled Evan and approached him together, eager to enjoy the taste of flesh and blood.

    Above his head, the huge female spider went crazy; her sharp big pincers falling desperately. If he was identally touched, the price would be crushing his body and bones.

    Because of the green poisonous haze, it was impossible to dodge and escape.

    It could be said that Evan had been forced into a corner. What he needed to do now was to choose a rtively less painful way to die¡­

    Getting crushed into minced meat? Or bing the host of spiderrvae that would suck up his flesh dry? Or get poisoned?

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He began to read an old andplicated spell, and his wand madeplex movements with the fastest speed.

    The raging me began to emerge from the end of his wand, and the temperature was several times higher than the mes of the previous me. Everything where the me went was swallowed into ashes.

    Needless to say spiderrvae, even those springs were burning.

    Evan¡¯s wand flicked outward, threw thest ray of me out, and then, without looking, he gasped and crawled as fast as possible into the pool behind him.

    Because arge area of the wall of the pool has been destroyed, the height of the spring inside was already very low. Arge number of soft, unformed white spider eggs floated in it, and one foot on them was a belch. A lot of green mucus sshed out, slippery and nauseating.

    Evan staggered to his feet. He dared not to waste time, and no matter what was going on behind him, he only knew that if he wanted to live, he had to rush out as fast as he could. His destination was opposite the pool, where the female spider first crawled into the hidden passage.

    There should be an entrance to continue downward. Only by leaving the cave as soon as possible could he have a chance to live.

    Behind him were the sound of the mes and the howling of the spiders?

    Evan could imagine how horrible the scene was, because the spell he just used was the Dark Magic ¡°Fiendfyre ¡°, the darkest and most evil fire curse.

    Once unleashed, there was no way to control the mes, or say, with Evan¡¯s magic, they were still beyond control. He could only wait for them to extinguish themselves.

    These mes seem to be life-like. They swallow everything, and they are capable of seeking out and burning all living targets. The giant female spider, which had just been too arrogant, was nothing in front of them. Its huge body and the blue-ck, and hard shell on it soon turned into ashes.

    Now, only Evan was still alive!

    The fierce mes chased Evan through the spring, and they began to mutate, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: ming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the entire underground cave became a sea of fire.

    Hundreds of white spider eggs were thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on wed feet, before being consumed by the inferno.

 Chapter 309: The Evil Magic on the Rock Walls

    <h4>Chapter 309: The Evil Magic on the Rock Walls</h4>

    The fire raged and devoured everything it touched.

    The fiery monsters billowed in the mes, their ws and horns and tailsshing, and the spider eggs of the Acromant were all burned to ashes, and even the water gushing out of the springs was all evaporated.

    Evan rushed to the entrance of the passage and looked back to see a shocking scene.

    The whole ce was full of red light, smoke and heat waves were suffocating, and the fierce fire monsters rushed to him.

    Evan turned and continued to run, as he ran, with his wand, he smashed the rock walls behind him, blocking the passage by the falling boulders.

    Through the cracks in the rocks, he could still feel the rolling heat wave. In the rugged and winding cave, he didn¡¯t know how far he ran forward. By the time the zing heat disappeared and the cave was cool again, Evan was soaking in cold sweat.

    He sat on the ground leaning against the wall, panting heavily.

    After a few minutes of rest, he noticed the anomalies around him. With dim fluorescence, Evan saw what was on the wall opposite to him.

    The ancient murals were very abstract, and many ces had been weathered off. In the mottled and shattered image, there was a magnificent altar rising from the ground, a masked wizard standing on it. He held up his wand as if to cast a spell.

    In front of the altar was a deep pit, which was densely filled.

    Evan got up and leaned forward, then took a breath of air. In sight were all the human beings crowded in the deep pit. They were lying there with painful expressions, looking at the sky in despair and drawing a dashed line above their heads.

    Evan knew that these dotted lines were their souls!

    Their souls were being stripped from their bodies, sucked away by the Dark wizard on the altar, who was gathering toplete an unknown evil spell.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but shudder. This was too horrible. He couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of ck magic would use so many people¡¯s souls.

    Even when making a Horcrux, you only need to kill one person.

    There was no gust of warm wind from hot springs in the dark passage, and the temperature was much lower than that of the cave outside, he could even see the mist that he breathed out. Evan realized that he was hundreds of feet deep underground.

    He raised his wand forward. The light dispelled the darkness and illuminated the passage that no one had traveled for centuries.

    The ground was covered with heavy dust, with cracked marble walls on both sides.

    Like the one in front of Evan, the marble was carved with murals of cruelty and evil. After years of erosion, most of the murals had be iplete, and several marble bs had even beenpletely shattered to the ground, leaving only traces of destruction by the Acromants.

    Looking at these ancient murals, Evan had an illusion.

    He was not in the Lair of Aragog, the Acromant, but in an ancient mysterious temple.

    Fear pervaded the darkness, as if something bad was going to happen at any time.

    Evan raised his vignce and walked forward along the passage with his wand. Watching the surrounding rock walls while walking, of which contents were getting more cruel and evil.

    Death was not the end, it was only the beginning. Before the same altar, a Dark wizard with hood performed different kinds of witchcraft. He tortured the living in different ways, splitting their souls, instilling them back, and splitting them up again.

    Besides, his experiments included a variety of non-human magical creatures.

    There were powerful fire dragons, unicorns, chimaeras, goblins, house elves, Centaurs, but more of them were ancient species that Evan had never seen.

    The style of the painting was abstract and distorted. The content of each mural was exceptionally weird. The Dark wizard took different parts from them, the heart of the dragon, the blood of the unicorn¡­

    Evan didn¡¯t know how many murals he saw, but he suddenly realized that these patterns depicted aplex process of casting ck magic including the casting material to be prepared.

    He quickened his pace and wanted to see what kind of magic it was.

    At the end of the passage, the most critical few murals were destroyed, the broken stones were scattered all over the ce. The blue marble had only the traces of the Acromants¡¯ big pincers. It was impossible to see what magic the Dark wizard had created.

    Evan was close to the rock wall he touched with his hand, and could vaguely recognize that within the magnificent altar just now, all the souls collected by the ck wizard slowly rotated in mid-air, forming a circr whirlpool with strange silver light.

    On the murals, these souls howled, roared, twisted and screamed.

    They were infused into a strange object from top to bottom.

    He didn¡¯t know what it was. He could only see a blurred ball, with countless thin lines spinning around it as if something was going toe out of it.

    In his impression, no magical creature would like this.

    Besides, another strange thing was that the Dark wizard who had been appearing all the time had not been seen, and he didn¡¯t know from where he was presiding over the magic.

    Evan didn¡¯t think much about it. He might be in a mural that he couldn¡¯t recognize.

    The question now was, what exactly did the Dark wizard on the mural want to do, and did his evil ck magic seed in the end?

    Also, why did these murals appear in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts?!

    Evan took two steps forward and remembered the owner of the muffled voice who was hiding here, and what he had to do with these murals.

    A gust of wind blew and interrupted Evan¡¯s thinking. At the end of the passage, the ancient murals and relics disappeared again. There was a huge deep pit in front of Evan.

    He hurried to stop and saw Aragog floating in the center of the deep pit.

    Hold on, how could he float in mid air?!

    No matter how strong the power of ck magic, it couldn¡¯t make his transformation go so far.

    Evan increased the brightness of his wand to illuminate the whole space, which made it clear that there was a huge spider web ahead. Fine spider silk threads stuck firmly to the rough rock walls, coiled around and converged into a huge hemispherical cobweb. Aragog, like a small elephant, was lying in the center of the huge domed web.

    Beneath the huge spider web, gusts of wind blew up from the bottomless pit, but the cobweb did not even shake.

    Evan held his wand, and when he hesitated to go, he heard the aging and weak voice of Aragog.

    ¡°You are here atst, Hagrid¡¯s friend!¡± he said slyly. ¡°I have been waiting for you for a long time, ever since Ist met you.¡±

 Chapter 310: The Dying Aragog

    <h4>Chapter 310: The Dying Aragog</h4>

    ¡°Where is Malfoy?¡± Evan shouted.

    He raised his wand with vignce and carefully observed Aragog.

    He hadn¡¯t seen it for a few months. It looked much weaker than before. It seemed to be seriously ill, and all the grey fluff on its body had dropped down.

    Ity quietly in the middle of the cobweb, almost lifeless.

    Above its ugly head, the sharp ck pincers began to show unhealthy grayish white, matching theyer of white covering on each eye. Unlike the giant female spider that just saw the mutation, Not only Aragog had not be stronger now, but it was getting older and had a look of impending death.

    ¡°Are you afraid of me, Hagrid¡¯s friend?¡± Aragog said slowly, with a hint of banter in his voice, ¡°Afraid of an old, dying spider?!¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Malfoy?¡± Evan Asked.

    The light at the end of his wand was getting stronger and stronger. ¡°Tell me, otherwise, I don¡¯t mind letting you experience what dying truly is.¡±

    Click, click, click¡­

    ¡°Useless threat, I am not afraid of death. I have lived for far too long. Death would be a relief.¡± Aragog said slowly, ¡°Besides, kill me, and you can¡¯t save yourpan¡­¡±

    ¡°Then we can try it.¡± Evan¡¯s wand emitted a red light, rubbing Aragog¡¯s body and flying over. ¡°Forgot to tell you, I don¡¯t really care much about Malfoy¡¯s life or death. I came here mainly to kill you, and save Malfoy while I am at it. So don¡¯t think you can threaten me with him.¡±

    Aragog retreated a little, with eight pairs of white eyes facing Evan.

    They faced each other, and none of them spoke. They were testing each other¡¯s resolve.

    It seemed to feel Evan¡¯s determination and the powerful magic that was gathering, and Aragog soon could not hold on.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask for thest time, WHERE IS MALFOY?¡± Evan shouted.

    ¡°That human boy is right below, there he is¡­¡± Aragog said weakly, ¡°You are right, I can¡¯t die, at least not now.¡±

    ¡°You said Malfoy is down there?!¡± Evan said doubtfully.

    Through the spider web under his feet, he looked into the dark cave below.

    Nothing could be seen besides endless darkness.

    At the end of his wand, the next second, he sent out a light ball, which fell straight down through the gap in the cobweb. The light ball fell down for a long time, and finally disappeared into the darkness. This made Evan realize that the cave underneath was just too deep for light to be seen from its bottom, and he didn¡¯t know where it ended.

    He couldn¡¯t help but think of the underground vaults of the Gringotts, a special area of underground molten groundwater and small inds, tens of thousands of feet deep below the ground.

    If this cave was the same as there, how did Malfoy get down?

    There were no tracks built by Goblins, and falling from here would definitely get him squished.

    Was Aragog just lying? Was it deceiving him?!

    Thinking of this, Evan looked up and carefully observed the surrounding walls, and found nothing. It was already the deepest part of the Lair and there was no way forward.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Evan clenched his wand. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to y games with you, Aragog. You know, my patience is limited.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the human boy; he is still alive.¡± Click, click, click. Aragog slowly danced its big pincers. ¡°It won¡¯t kill him, I know. Believe me, we still have time. That human boy¡¯s soul is of great importance to it. It has been waiting for this day for a long time¡­¡±

    This sentence sounded really unpleasant.

    Evan tried not to think about what Malfoy¡¯s soul could be useful for.

    What¡¯s more, who was ¡°it¡± that Aragog was talking about? Why does it need Malfoy¡¯s soul?!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so mystifying, Aragog!¡± Evan pointed his wand at him. ¡°Who is ¡°it¡±? Why does it need Malfoy¡¯s soul? What is it going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, Hagrid¡¯s friend!¡± Aragog said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and I¡¯ll tell you everything I know¡­¡±

    ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry and not try any cheap games.¡± Evan interrupted it directly.

    ¡°As you can see, I¡¯m so weak that I can¡¯t move, and I can¡¯t threaten you at all.¡± Click, click, Aragog continued, ¡°But I can¡¯t die. At least I can¡¯t fall down before I finish that. Otherwise, my descendants will be enved forever. I need your help, Hagrid¡¯s friend! You¡¯re brave, you have great strength, and most importantly, you¡¯re as kind as Hagrid. I¡¯ve never seen a human like you before. You¡¯ll certainly help me, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got something to ask of me?!¡± Evan squinted and looked at the old creature before him doubtfully.

    He also thought that he had misheard. Aragog actually said that he was as kind as Hagrid. There was nothing wrong with that, but it depended on who said it.

    It was very ironic that the one saying that was an Acromant.

    Afer all, thest time he met Aragog was definitely not a pleasure.

    Aragog and the other Acromants regarded Evan as a fresh food, and it ended up with a fire that he induced turning innumerable Acromants to ashes.

    Just now, he left Aragog¡¯s spouse and future offspring behind in a boiling pot of fire, further reducing the number of Acromants left in the Forbidden Forest.

    It can be said that the Acromant poption suffered heavy losses because of Evan¡¯s own efforts, and now they were facing a crisis of imminent extinction.

    In this case, it was already strange enough that Aragog wasn¡¯t doing his best to get him killed, and now he had a request from him?

    Evan carefully looked at Aragog. Was this old spider getting delusional, or did it have a hidden n?

    However, both possibilities didn¡¯t seem to be true. Aragog seemed to be too weak now; it was on the verge of death.

    ¡°Yes, I have something to ask you, please believe me!¡± Click, click, Aragog moved forward a little closer to Evan. ¡°What¡¯s more, if you want to take that human boy, you have to get my help as well.¡±

    Evan did not speak, shook his wand and signaled the other side to continue. To believe in Aragog, to believe in a Dark creature, an Acromant, had already proven to be a foolish thing, and the oue was being chased by hundreds of Acromants in the Forbidden Forest on that night.

    If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Weasley¡¯s car, he wouldn¡¯t even be alive right now.

    He won¡¯t be stupid enough to make this mistake for the second time, but before determining Malfoy¡¯s position, it didn¡¯t hurt to listen to what Aragog wanted to say.

    What¡¯s more, Evan was very curious about what Aragog would say about ¡°it¡±.

 Chapter 311: The Tale of Aragog

    <h4>Chapter 311: The Tale of Aragog</h4>

    ¡°Believe me, Hagrid¡¯s friend, this is thest request of a dying old spider. I sincerely ask for your help. Help me and my children.¡± Aragog said slowly, ¡°at least in facing ¡°that¡±, our interests are the same.¡±

    ¡°It depends on the value of the information you provide.¡± The wand in Evan¡¯s hand was motionless, pointing steadily at Aragog. ¡°Who is ¡°that¡±?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve only heard it, but I have never seen it.¡± Click, click, Aragog said, ¡°For a long time, ever since I came to the deepest part of the cave, I could hear its whispers calling me. It told me that it was the God of death, in charge of death and eternal life¡­¡±

    Hearing that, Evan almostughed.

    This evil creature hiding in the depths of the earth, actually calling itself the God of death, was really arrogant to the extreme.

    When he heard this, he already knew that Aragog mentioned ¡°it¡±, the guy who took Malfoy, the owner of the whispering voice that had been whispering in his mind before.

    He didn¡¯t know what ¡°it¡± was, but he was sure that it was definitely not a god.

    Although he had figured out its goal, Evan still had too many questions. He had no clues, no idea where he should start looking

    He closed his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but see the murals he had just seen carving on the rock walls, on which the evil to the utmost ck magic appeared.

    In thest one, countless souls were infused into mysterious globr creatures.

    This guy hiding deep underground must have something to do with this magic, perhaps being the powerful dark creature that was finally created.

    And the Dark wizard who cast this spell kept Evan distracted.

    No matter how powerful this evil creature was, it was also made by man. The Dark wizard who made it was undoubtedly more evil. What was his purpose?!

    ¡°That voice has been whispering in my ear. It told me that it could help me and my descendents gain great strength.¡± Aragog continued to say slowly, ¡°But I don¡¯t believe it, I have always been wary of it.¡±

    ¡°Go on, how did you find it?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°About fifty years ago, because the natural enemy of the Acromants appeared in the castle, I escaped from the cupboard of the castle and came to the woods.¡± Click, click.

    Aragog recalled, ¡°Although I was free, at that time, I was still very weak. Hagrid was wrongly imprisoned, he never came to me, I was scared, I could only wander on the edge of the woods. Until I came to this cave¡­¡±

    ¡°And then, it started talking to you?¡±

    Evan squinted. What Aragog was describing was sounding true.

    When he came to Aragog¡¯s Lair a few months ago, he was unconsciously targeted by the evil creature in the depths of the earth.

    ¡°No, at the beginning, everything was normal here.¡± Aragog shook his pincers and said slowly, ¡°I hid in this cave and used it as my Lair. We like the dark environment. As time went by, I grew stronger and stronger, and Hagrid came back. He settled down outside the Forbidden Forest and provided me with food regrly. Everything was back like the good old days. He even helped me find my first spouse. It was a beautiful female spider, physically¡­¡±

    ¡°Focus!¡± Evan hurriedly interrupted him, and a few sparks came out at the tip of his wand.

    He was not interested in wasting his time listening to an Acromant talking about its furry spouse and their first mating.

    Just thinking about this scene was disgusting enough.

    ¡°My children and I lived in this cave. As our numbers increased, we began to dig deep underground.¡± Click, click, Aragog continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what was below, but I instinctively felt a magic attracting me. It was power that the Acromants like. We can¡¯t refuse it.¡±

    The magical power that the Dark creature Acromant likes was obviously pure Dark power, the magic of that evil creature in the depths of the earth.

    ¡°In order to obtain the source of this power, we have been digging deep into the earth, after that, it took about twenty years or so, until we dug here.¡± Click, click, and Aragog continued to tell his story slowly. ¡°We were surprised to find that there were ruins left behind by human wizards, with statues and weird murals everywhere, and nothing rted to that force¡­¡±

    ¡°What statues?!¡± Evan hurriedly asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any statues when I first came in.¡±

    The information revealed on the evil murals was too vague. If there was a clear statue, Evan might deduce from it who had built the ruins near Hogwarts, and maybe all the mysteries woulde to light.

    ¡°It was a crazy day, and we destroyed a lot of things, including statues, in search of great power.¡± Aragog said to Evan, ¡°The statues were all of human wizards, if you want to see them, you can look down here. I remember a huge stone statue was left there.¡±

    Evan nced again at the deep pit in front of him, and the wind was blowing upwards making a whirring voice.

    He couldn¡¯t help but step back and wonder how crazy it would be to get down there.

    Besides, even if he wanted to go on, there was no way.

    There was no broomstick here or a Hippogriff, and it was impossible for him to jump directly.

    ¡°Think carefully about what those statues look like. Do they have any marks on them?¡± Evan sighed, adding, ¡°This is important, and may help us figure out what we are facing.¡±

    ¡°The appearance of human beings is almost the same to me. It¡¯s too long ago for me to remember.¡± Click, click, Aragog said slowly, ¡°I only remember those statues with little green snakes on them. That¡¯s what our natural enemies look like when they shrink. I can¡¯t say that name. Yes, I remember that very well. That¡¯s why we destroyed the statues in our fury.¡±

    ¡°Little Green snakes!¡± Evan repeated it again, this should not be¡­

    ¡°Acromants hate snakes. They are natural enemies to us. Those statues and the stone gates and pirs in the hall below all had. ¡°Aragog said testily,¡± There¡¯s also a strange curved serpentine sign that looks like¡­ ¡±

    ¡°It looks like this, doesn¡¯t it?!¡±

    Evan raised his wand and, with bright golden sparks, drew Slytherin¡¯s characteristic S-shaped emblem in the air.

    When he finished, he remembered that he was too excited and actually forgot the fact that Aragog was blind. It could not see anything now.

    The golden sparks glittered and soon withered into the air, just like Evan¡¯s excitement.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see what you¡¯re doing, but I once asked Hagrid with that sign.¡± Click, click, Aragog said, ¡°He told me that it¡¯s not a snake, nor our natural enemy, but the letter S that you humans created to write and spell!¡±

 Chapter 312: Sequence of Events

    <h4>Chapter 312: Sequence of Events</h4>

    The curved capital letter S, the characteristic emblem of the Slytherin family. In the history of magic for thousands of years, this ancient family of pure blood wizards had a profound influence on the process and development of magic circles, among which Szar Slytherin was the most famous.

    Undoubtedly, he was a great wizard, but he was also the craziest.

    ¡°Damn, I should have thought of it. Only that old madman Szar Slytherin would leave such a dangerous thing near Hogwarts.¡±

    Evan suddenly thought about Szar Slytherin¡¯s past experience¡­

    Since he could leave a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets of the castle, it was not impossible for him to hide any other strange Dark creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

    Although Evan believed that Szar himself had no malice towards Hogwarts, his dark character, his obsession with ck magic and his research, however, were extremely dangerous in themselves.

    ¡°Ten more years passed, we finally destroyed the statues in the cave!¡± Click, click, after describing the statues in detail, Aragog said slowly, ¡°I still remember, the night after thest statue was destroyed, a big earthquake urred in the Lair. It was like the end of the world. Everything was shaking, the rock walls began to crack, the ground sand and springs gushed out of the ground, and finally formed the deep pit in front of you¡­¡±

    Evan ced his head in his hands with an exasperated sigh. Szar Slytherin and the unknown Dark creature were enough to cause him a headache, and these Acromants could only make it worse. Those statues were apparently the magic arranged by Szar, and their function was probably to seal the unknown evil creature deep underground and hide it from outsiders.

    And these Acromants, in ten years, destroyed the foundation of that sealing magic in the most primitive and crude way¡­

    If Szar knew that his proud magic had been cracked in this way by a group of lower non-human magical creatures, he would be so angry ande to settle ounts with them.

    ¡°Since then, as long as I fell asleep here, I could hear a voice whispering to me. It told me that it was the God in charge of death and eternal life. Only by believing in it and dedicating one¡¯s soul can one be redeemed.¡± Click, click, Aragog¡¯s weird voice echoed in the dark cave. ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it. Unlike you humans, the Acromants don¡¯t need redemption. But I was very old at that time. An Acromant could die at any time when that age. I began to fall asleep more and more frequently. In my sleep, that voice promised to make me stronger and even escape death. This was a deal¡­¡±

    ¡°Since it was a deal, what did it need you to do?¡±Evan asked.

    ¡°It needed sacrifices, a lot of sacrifices, and it needed the soul of other creatures to restore its strength.¡± Aragog said, ¡°I ordered my children to bring the lively prey back into this deep pit. They died alone in the darkness of despair, and their souls were devoured by it. In return, it instilled power into me in my sleep, the dark power that the Acromant likes, to help me continue living. I don¡¯t want to die. It helped me realize my wish. I never told anyone about this matter, not even Hagrid, who thought that I lived for so long under his care¡­¡±

    Aragog seemed to be tired, and he kept silent for a long time.

    Evan did not rush either. He could imagine such a scene.

    Year after year, day after day, in order to extend Aragog¡¯s life, the Acromants dragged animals captured from the Forbidden Forest to the depths of the underground.

    Prey thought they could escape the fate of being killed and eaten, but the reality was even more atrocious.

    They were trapped in this ce, gradually falling into despair in the endless darkness.

    There was no food there, no light, no hope.

    As soon as they fell asleep, the deep whispers would echo in their ears, pushing them to madness.

    They woke up, panicked and wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to escape.

    They resisted going to sleep, but their spirits became more depressed and distorted.

    Like the murals painted on the rocks behind, they trembled in the dark with fear, and their souls were tormented silently.

    Before they knew, they would begin to believe the voice whispering in their ears, believe its words, and slowly put down their guard and fell asleep.

    In their sleep, their souls would be swallowed up by the monster little by little until they were destroyed¡­

    No matter what, this was an extremely evil and terrible thing.

    ¡°As I just said, I didn¡¯t believe it. I could feel its malice.¡± Click, click, Aragog started talking again, slowly as if he was out of breath, ¡°I told you once that I rejected the request of the ck wizard called Voldemort and refused to join his camp in the human war, even though he offered a very, very generous reward. Likewise, I don¡¯t need the power promised by the voice in my sleep, because it¡¯s of no use to me. I do what Hagrid taught me to do, to restrain my instincts, not to hurt humans, and to restrain my children. Over the past two decades, I controlled the number of prey and offered it the least sacrifices possible in exchange for my survival¡­¡±

    The Acromant is a dark creature, evil, bloody, cruel, and difficult to tame, but Aragog was really different.

    It has to be admitted that Hagrid yed a big role in this. If it weren¡¯t for Aragog¡¯s gratitude to Hagrid, that dyed the awakening of this ancient creature, what would have happened in the Forbidden Forest would really be unknown.

    Of course, the Acromants also avoided their own death to some extent.

    Evan could be sure that if Dumbledore¡¯s attention were to be drawn, he will certainly not sit idly by, and these Acromants might have gone extinct long ago.

    ¡°ording to what you said, that monster should be very weak, and can only talk to you when you enter your sleep.¡± Evan wondered, ¡°But what I just saw and what I¡¯ve experienced is quite different from what you said.¡±

    ¡°Just a few months ago, everything changed, the night your fire burned my children.¡± Click, click, Aragog speeded up the dancing of his big pincers. There was a slight resentment in his voice. ¡°They were burned to death by you, but their souls were swallowed up by that monster. Its power was strengthened, and things went out of my hand, and I no longer needed to provide sacrifices to it. Even if I didn¡¯t fall asleep, I could hear its voice, it¡¯s beginning to affect my children, and confuse them¡­¡±

 Chapter 313: kill it Deep Underground

    <h4>Chapter 313: kill it Deep Underground</h4>

    So it seemed that the origin of this matter was Evan¡¯s fire.

    Apparently, Aragog was full of resentment towards both the incident and Evan. It was waving its big pincers at an unprecedented speed, and its whole body was shaking.

    If it could, it would now rush up and tear him apart¡­

    Evan clenched his wand. It wasn¡¯t until Aragog regained calm that he rxed his guard.

    He could understand Aragog¡¯s thoughts. In its view, he set fire to hundreds of Acromants and made things worse and worse.

    However, the root cause was that Aragog¡¯s belief in the Dark forces, blood thirst, cruelty, and rebellion. He put himself on a path of self destruction.

    At that time, if it could keep its promise and let Evan and Peter Pettigrew leave, none of this would have happened. Aragog and its descendants could live in the Forbidden Forest as before, and continue to rely on the way of offering sacrifices to the unknown creature deep underground to continue their wicked life.

    Evan sighed coldly and looked at the old spider in disgust. It was really disgusting to survive by sacrificing others¡¯ lives.

    In a sense, Aragog in front of him was no different from the giant female spider outside, and had mutated into a monster.

    However, he also knew that Aragog was not to me for this.

    It was a dark creature itself, it was difficult for him to bind with human moral standards, let alone deem what he did as wrong.

    Few people can ept death, and what they have to say can only be described by the arrangement of fate.

    And Evan could be sure that even without his own fire, the evil creature hidden in the depths of the earth would not be willing to give up.

    In the original story, Aragog did keep living for too many more days.

    After his death, his descendants soon joined Voldemort¡¯s camp to participate in the final battle, but did not know how Voldemort dealt with that creature.

    Was it a direct extermination or some unknown secret?

    Now that things had reached this point, it made no sense to think about it any longer.

    Evan now only hoped that Aragog would do what it said, and not rush to settle with him the grudge of killing its descendants before eliminating theirmon foe.

    Of course, if it really wanted to do that, Evan would not be afraid.

    Looking at Aragog¡¯s current state, he was sure he could kill it with just one spell.

    ¡°Its existence has always been a secret. Only I knew, I don¡¯t let the children get close to here.¡± Click, click, Aragog waved its big pincers, and said excitedly, ¡°But from that day, it grew stronger and whispered throughout the Lair. It began to bypass me and take direct control of my children. I want to stop it, but nothing can be done. It stopped supplying me with energy. I¡¯ve be extremely weak, aging, death being closer and closer to me. I can only lie here, alone.¡±

    A strong chilly wind blew from the deep pit, and Aragog huddled like an old man on the verge of death,pletely stripped of his formervigor of the Spider King.

    Evan was not confused by the sight before him. He quietly raised his wand and pointed it at Aragog in the middle of the spider web. ¡°Before I came here, I was in the big cave outside. I saw your spouse with ten thousands of spider eggs¡­¡±

    ¡°My children!¡± Aragog replied weakly. ¡°How are they? I haven¡¯t seen them for a long time since I was imprisoned here.¡±

    ¡°Very bad. With the transformation of the dark forces, they can no longer be called Acromants. They havepletely be monsters.¡± Evan squinted and continued, ¡°I can¡¯t let these monsters live in the Forbidden Forest, so I eliminated them. Swallowed by the Fiendfyre, they will not leave any ashes. I¡¯m sorry, but I had to do that. Maybe Hagrid will find a way to help you find a new spouse.¡±

    Aragog didn¡¯t react when he heard Evan.

    It did not speak, andy there quietly. His thoughts were well hidden.

    In the dark, Evan held his breath, straightened his arm and held his wand, waiting for Aragog¡¯s choice.

    He was ready to use magic. If Aragog did anything wrong, he would kill it first, and then find a way to deal with the guy below and save Malfoy.

    ¡°As you said, they all mutated into monsters, not obeying my orders. They are no longer Acromants and should be eliminated¡­¡± Aragog said bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s all because of the thing bellow that my children and I became what we are today, I swear to kill it, I want revenge!¡±

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯m d you can have this kind of awareness.¡± Evan released a sigh of relief and continued. ¡°Tell me your n. What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, kill the thing below and help me get my revenge!¡± Aragog moved forward and its big pincers swayed fiercely. ¡°It is right below here along with the human boy. I don¡¯t know what happened. It is extremely weak and has little power now. If you go down, you should be able to kill it rather easily¡­¡±

    ¡°How can I get down there?¡± Evan took another look at the deep pit under his feet. He was more aware than Aragog of the current state of the guy hiding in the depths of the ground. After it failed to cast its spell on Evan, it suffered from severe consequences.

    The question now was how could he get to the bottom of this pit?

    ¡°My child can help you.¡± Aragog¡¯s big pincers sped fast as if to summon something.

    A few secondster, Evan saw a blue-ck Acromant descending from above.

    It slowly fell between him and Aragog, and as it approached, Evan noticed a spider silk thread hanging from its tail.

    ¡°It can help you get to the bottom of this deep pit, Hagrid¡¯s friend.¡± Click, click, Aragog said slowly, ¡°After killing that guy, it will bring you and yourpanion up from below, and I will give you an extra gift to thank you¡­¡±

    Evan looked suspiciously at the two Acromants in front of him. He didn¡¯t expect any gift from Aragog at all. He just hoped that it would not throw him down from mid-air.

    Considering the nature of the Acromant, such a thing was very likely to happen.

    He hesitated. The Acromant hanging in the air looked fiercely at him, and its eight ck eyes glittered maliciously under the light of the wand.

    ¡°I can go down, but you must apany me.¡± Evan took out a ss bottle filled with green liquid from his pocket.

    He had learned a lesson since he missed taking many treasured magic books at the ck family¡¯s old house at Christmas because he had no parcels.

    Over the past few months, Evan had been researching and trying. In the end, he finally seeded in casting an Undetectable Extension Charm on a small parcel.

    Although this spell was not perfect, it was usable.

    Now, this small space was filled with magic books that Evan was studying recently,monly used potions and other everyday items.

 Chapter 314: Underworld

    <h4>Chapter 314: Underworld</h4>

    Evan poured out the potion from the ss bottle. This potion could boost the spirit and was very helpful for reading bookste at night.

    He had intended to give Hermione some, so he made a lot of it.

    This was the biggest bottle Evan carried with him. He pointed the bottle at Aragog.

    ¡°Although we have amon enemy, to be honest, I don¡¯t believe you. You must be the same!¡± Evan said bluntly, ¡°To avoid mutual suspicion, I have a suggestion. If you don¡¯t have that Evil power in your body, then my magic should work. I¡¯ll shrink you into this bottle with the Shrinking Charm. After killing that monster, I¡¯ll release you and let you out again.¡±

    In the darkness, Aragog was obviously hesitant and silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair, isn¡¯t it?¡± Evan shook his wand and asked again.

    ¡°Very fair indeed, Hagrid¡¯s friend!¡± Click, click, Aragog said slowly, his voice full of doubts. ¡°I can grant your request, but after killing it, how can you guarantee that you will let me go?¡±

    ¡°You have no choice but to cooperate or be killed by me here now.¡± Evan gave a cold smirk and said rudely, ¡°I repeat, I don¡¯t care about Malfoy¡¯s life or death. I can wait for rescue and choose a more secure way to go below!¡±

    They were deadlocked, and Evan¡¯sst words clearly shook Aragog.

    He was right. Aragog and the other Acromant had no other choice. They had little bargaining space with Evan, and little capital.

    After several serious losses, they had been badly damaged.

    If it didn¡¯t do what Evan said, it might die immediately, and if it didn¡¯t kill the monster below, it was afraid that the entire Acromant poption would be extinct.

    ¡°You won!¡± Aragog slowly climbed to Evan¡¯s side. ¡°Do as you will. I hope that after everything is over, you will keep your promise.¡±

    Looking at the old spider lying beside him, all over its body was grey and fluffy; Evan gently waved his wand and shouted, ¡°REDUCIO!¡±

    A burst of purple light shed, and a few secondster, Aragog¡¯s body was rapidly shrinking.

    Soon, it changed from the size of a baby elephant to that of a normal spider, probably no bigger than Evan¡¯s palm.

    ¡°For Hagrid¡¯s sake¡­¡± Evan heard Aragog¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ve always been truthful to my words; at least, more than you.¡±

    Aragog trembled and climbed down the spider web into the bottle.

    Evan sealed the bottle and cast a spell on it to make it more resistant, to not afraid of any idents. He stuffed the bottle back into his carry-on package, turned around and looked at the Acromant floating in mid-air, took a deep breath and was ready.

    ¡°Come on, take me down, I can¡¯t wait to see the true face of the guy below, I hope you won¡¯t let me down.¡±

    He opened his arms, like a captured prey, the Acromant grabbed him tightly from behind with its two first stout spider legs.

    Then, they slowly descended the crevice along the edge of the spider web¡­

    This feeling was really bizarre; Evan was ufortable with the rubbed fur of the spider. He became even more disgusted at the thought of being held up by an ugly spider.

    His back was now almost unprotected, and if it wished, the Acromant behind him could open its big pincers and bite him to death.

    Or, more simply, throw him down and smash him into pieces.

    Fortunately, what Evan worried about did not happen. They swayed to the depths of the earth in a gust of cloudy wind, as if they were going to another world.

    With every sway, Evan was nervous and anxious for quite a while.

    It was not that he was timid, but the state he was in was so terrifying. The deep pit which end could not be seen because of darkness was like a big mouth of a beast that was devouring them slowly and mercilessly.

    Evan tried not to think about the Acromant behind him, or what to do if he fell from here. He forced himself to observe the surroundings.

    He originally thought that the depths of the underground would be the same as what he saw above, all so dark that one could not see at the reach of his fingers, but that was not the case.

    Even without the faint light at the tip of his wand, there were fluorescent underground nts growing on the rock wall.

    Some of them gave off a beaming green light, and some emitted a dim yellow and white light.

    Evan focused his attention and looked closely. He saw that most of these glowing nts were precious fungi he had never seen before.

    Among them, there was a kind of mushroom ¡°Lux Aeterna¡± which had been recorded only in the oldest version of ¡°One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi ¡°, and had now been deemed as extinct. It was one of the main materials used to boil magic potions.

    If there were not more important things waiting him to do, he would¡¯ve definitely stopped the spider behind him and collected all these precious nts.

    Continuing downward, silver floating nktons began to appear around Evan.

    They floated slowly in the air, like stars in the night sky, looking very beautiful.

    These nktons seemed to be spores of certain nts, floating out of the surrounding rock crevices, gathering together and floating throughout the deep pit.

    As the depth continued to increase, there were more and more nktons, and Evan seemed to be in a silvery ocean.

    The scene in front of him was like one out of a dream, beautiful to the extreme.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but think that he had to find a chance to bring Hermione here to have a look. She would love this fairytale world.

    These tiny silver-white nktons all seemed magical. Because they were too dense, Evan identally breathed some of them in.

    The next second, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the magic he had just consumed inbat was being recovered quickly.

    It was really weird. What was this?!

    Instead of looking around, he hurriedly took out a small bottle, loaded some nktons in midair, ready to return to Hogwarts for research.

    He had a hunch that with these unknown spores, he was likely to develop a new potion.

    This magic potion could help the wizard recover his magic quickly. If it seeded, it would be a feat to change the history of magic. He would be the youngest Potions Master ever, and the Ministry of Magic would award him the Order of Merlin First ss as recognition.

    Of course, this was all just a thought.

    Just as Evan was distracted, they seemed to have reached the bottom of the pit, and a huge figure of a statue appeared in front of him.

    As Aragog said before, the scarred statue, full of Acromants¡¯ damage marks, was carved with a serpentine logo and the Slytherin family¡¯s emblem.

    This huge green stone statue was of Szar Slytherin himself!

 Chapter 315: Parseltongue and Hidden Secrets

    <h4>Chapter 315: Parseltongue and Hidden Secrets</h4>

    Yes, this was the statue of Szar Slytherin himself.

    Surrounded by a silver band of light, he held a wand in his hand, and the end of the wand leaned down slightly, as if he were casting some magic. The expression on his face was extremely serious.

    Unlike the statue of Slytherin that Evan had seen before, this statue was neither that old and clumsy man in the Chamber of Secrets, ancient and monkeyish, with a long, thin beard; nor the handsome, calm and reserved middle-aged man who was in charge of everything. It was Slytherin as a teenager.

    He was even younger than Slytherin, whom Evan had met a thousand years ago. This statue should¡¯ve been made back when Szar was about the same age as Evan; or slightly older, around fifteen or sixteen.

    The face at the top of the statue had a solemn expression besides its handsome appearance. It emitted a sense of vigor and vitality, as well as an indescribable temperament, a temperament that¡¯s like an unsheathed sword, shimmering and exceptionally sharp.

    ¡°The noble and immortal Slytherin, who valued blood and honor, judged the situation, defended himself wisely, and won supremacy¡­¡± Evan could not help whispering.

    Although it was only a stone sculpture of Szar in his youth, it perfectly reflected the qualities that Slytherin had long valued.

    Even those who were biased against this House had to admit it.

    Evan looked at the statue carefully. He looked like Tom Riddle in his school days. He had ck jade-like hair and was thin and tall, but he was more confident and full of the peculiar sense of the medieval aristocracy.

    Themon denominator was that both of them had a cold smile on their lips.

    Evan did not know what thoughts Voldemort would have seeing his ancestor. From the current situation, Evan estimated that he had never been to this cave. This was also very simr to Voldemort¡¯s usual style. He thought he had mastered everything. He disdained to have a thorough understanding of the magical creatures he despised and the Muggle-born wizards.

    But in fact, he missed out on a lot of valuable things.

    Evan carefully observed the surroundings, and under the traction of the Acromant behind him, he slowlynded at the foot of the giant statue of Slytherin.

    Like the Chamber of secrets, the ground was paved with cyan marble.

    Under the thick dust, the marble was carved with dark golden ornaments, silently telling the glory of the past.

    Besides, there were various kinds of stone fragments on the ground.

    Evan moved forward, raising his wand high.

    He found himself standing in the middle of a wide circr basement hall, whose decorations had been damaged by the Acromants, and it was impossible to recognize their true features.

    Silver-white nktonsnded sporadically from the sky, like a little starlight, scattered on the statue of Slytherin and the surrounding huge stone pirs.

    In the quiet, empty hall, he stood alone.

    The faint fluorescence emitted by the end of Evan¡¯s wand appeared so small in the darkness, and the stone carvings that had remained unchanged for nearly a thousand years seemed to have stagnated.

    In the absolute silence, he could clearly feel the impact of time.

    Under the light of his wand, not far from Slytherin¡¯s feet, he saw a huge stone altar, engraved with words, and Evan walked over to see it.

    Like the surrounding decorations and walls, the altar had also been destroyed by Acromants, and split into several pieces, leaving only a huge base.

    He picked up a slightlyrger wreck and took it in his hand to observe it. The text engraved on it was very weird.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Evan seemed to think of something, and hurriedly flipped Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on his chest,paring the two.

    All of them were symbols, twisted like snakes. They were all words. As for the text on Slytherin¡¯s Locket, Evan studied it for a long time. He looked up many books rted to ancient magic patterns, but did not find any information about it.

    However, in ancient astrology books, he found some clues.

    In the center of the Locket, the lines engraved around the green gemstones were all symbols and visual azimuths of ancient astrologers. These symbols rted to the astrological knowledge of the rtive angles ofs and their rtionship to each other.

    Because it was too esoteric, Evan was still working on solving it.

    As for the other inscriptions on the Locket, he had not made any progress.

    But when he saw the words on the broken stone altar and the surrounding scenes, Evan got a glimmer of inspiration. Szar Slytherin¡¯s most famous trait was Parseltongue, so these unknown words might have to be recognized by a Parselmouth, as long as they were in ordance with the ancient English grammar¡­

    He tried to read it, and there was a strange hissing sound in his mouth. It didn¡¯t make sense, but it sounded exactly the same as Harry when he was using the Parseltongue.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, I should have thought of it!¡± Evan clenched his fist. ¡°These weird words left by Szar Slytherin must have something to do with the Parseltongue. I spent months looking for ancient magic handed down from all over the world.¡±

    He hurriedly collected all the broken stones and put them in his pocket. He was ready to go back and restore them to their original state. He could let Harry look at them and maybe make a breakthrough and know why Slytherin left a legacy here and the old words on the Locket.

    Evan remembered the vampire girl called ine Slytherin, and the prophecy she mentioned¡­

    He waited until he collected all the stones and calmed down before moving on.

    In the empty hall, only Evan¡¯s footsteps echoed in the darkness, and he walked for about five minutes in the direction indicated by Slytherin¡¯s statue wand.

    In front of him was a huge stone gate. The decoration and cracks on it were exactly the same as the ones Evan had seen in his dreams. He remembered that behind the door was the monster, the secret hidden for nearly a thousand years, and the huge blood-red eyes¡­

    Evan increased his vignce. The stone door was not opened.

    On the door were two intertwined snakes withrge, shiny emeralds in their eyes.

    They were very simr to the two snakes above the gate of the Chamber of Secrets in the castle, but the style of the two snakes looks iner, just like that of a shrinking Basilisk.

    If Harry was here, he could use Parseltongue to order the two snakes to open the stone door.

    Evan couldn¡¯t do it, but there should be another entrance. He took the bottle containing Aragog out of the package.

    ¡°Aragog, I¡¯vee to the underground ruins, and I¡¯m standing in front of a huge closed stone gate. How can I get in here?¡±

    ¡°Follow my children, Hagrid¡¯s friend! As the voicemanded, we opened an entrance on the far wall.¡± Click, click, said Aragog weakly, ¡°Right over there, we used to take the captured prey from that crack to it¡­¡±

 Chapter 316: Monster on the Ceiling

    <h4>Chapter 316: Monster on the Ceiling</h4>

    What on earth was Aragog talking about, following its children?!

    Evan thought that it was referring to the Acromant that had just sent him down here, but thetter did not follow.

    But he soon understood what it meant. By the light at the end of his wand, he saw rows of small spiders crawling through the cracks in the ground¡­

    Evan followed the spiders and found a hidden cave in the dark corner on the left side of the hall. It was very narrow and could not be found at all without paying attention.

    He gave a bitter smile. This was a passage used by the Acromants.

    Fortunately, he was rtively small and thin and could barely pass through.

    If older wizards or guys like Goyle and Crabbe were toe, going through would be out of the question.

    Evan held his wand in front of him and bent down into a narrow tunnel covered with dust and spiders webs.

    This passage did not directly pass through the wall; it was winding and rugged, with many roads, like abyrinth. It was impossible to distinguish the specific direction.

    When he got lost inside, Evan took out the bottle containing Aragog.

    The old spider gave a clicking, and summoned its children.

    In a short while, a few little spiders crawled in front of Evan and took him to the right path.

    After climbing forward for about ten minutes, Evan suddenly found his way out.

    He emerged out of the crack. It was dark at the moment, and nothing could be seen. The endless darkness was pressing from all sides, constantlypressing the light at the tip of his wand.

    Evan felt that his magic had been suppressed and its effect had been much weakened. The invisible pressure came out from the front, and there seemed to be something there¡­

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡± He read the spell again and took a step back.

    Evan stood close to the wall, his wand steadily across his chest. Holding this position, if there was anything to attack him, he wouldn¡¯t worry about being attacked from behind.

    But nothing happened. He increased the transmission of magic power, and the weak fluorescence at the end of the wand gradually became brighter and quickly became dazzling.

    In the bright light, Evan first noticed the walls around him.

    Like the top channel, they were painted with colorful murals.

    These murals were rtively intact because they were not damaged by the Acromants.

    He nced at them, and the story on the murals seemed to be a continuation of the previous ones, with the evil creature created by the ck wizard and Slytherin being himself on them!

    On the wall to Evan¡¯s left, young Slytherin held his wand high and shot a thick green light. He was fighting the monster¡­

    On the right wall, Slytherin seemed to have triumphed.

    He was standing in front of the strange creature covered with tentacles seemingly performing a magic that Evan had never seen before, surrounded by strange lights.

    Evan¡¯s mind was full of questions. What exactly was Slytherin doing?!

    He also wanted to observe the other murals. He just turned around and saw Malfoy lying in the middle of the room.

    Hey there pale, silent, like an abandoned doll.

    Although he did not care much about Malfoy¡¯s life and death, Evan¡¯s heart was suddenly shaken. He ignored anything else and hurried over.

    There was a voice telling him that Malfoy was dead¡­

    However, after Evan walked over, he realized that he had just fainted, and although his breath was very weak, he was safe.

    Malfoy¡¯s expression was calm and sometimes painful, as if he was having a nightmare.

    Looking at him, he must have been frightened in his dreams, and he kept calling his parents¡¯ and Snape¡¯s name.

    Through previous contacts, Evan realized that the soul-based monster could control other people¡¯s dreams, make them fall into fear in their sleep, and be at its mercy.

    This effect was not fatal until the soul was devoured by the other side at the final copse. As for whether Malfoy would have a psychological trauma as a result of this, Evan did not care.

    After confirming that Malfoy¡¯s soul had not been swallowed, Evan no longer looked at him.

    He raised his head and looked around in the empty room for the monster, the master of the voice that once whispered in his mind, but saw nothing.

    The square room was empty, and there was nothing but dust on the ground.

    This was so strange; Evan did not dare to rx his vignce. His mind was highly focused, and his muscles were tightly tied together.

    He further increased his magical transmission, and the re from the wand illuminated every corner.

    ¡°Lostmb, are you looking for me?¡± A low whisper suddenly sounded.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Evan shouted. ¡°What the hell are you? Show your true face!¡±

    ¡°The stars can dispel the chill through the bones, but the small light in your hands can¡¯t dispel the darkness!¡± The whisper quietly said, ¡°You¡¯re resisting tenaciously, as if you could really change everything, but this is only futile struggle, you¡¯ll know!¡±

    With his voice, the light intensity on Evan¡¯s wand was shrinking rapidly¡­

    A powerful magic pressure came on him. For Evan, this was totally unfamiliar. He didn¡¯t know how to resist it.

    The bright light that was as dazzling as the sun quickly became a residual candle in the wind, shing and fading from time to time. It was so dim that Evan¡¯s face could not be seen clearly.

    ¡°You will understand that no one can escape, even the God of death would die!¡± The whisper that sounded nowhere continued to reverberate in Evan¡¯s ear. ¡°Only darkness and loneliness are eternal, and you will all end up alone, slowly falling asleep on thisnd¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I am not sleepy, so I don¡¯t want to sleep!¡± Evan narrowed his eyes and replied directly. ¡°And I think that what you¡¯ve been saying is worth nothing. You¡¯re harping on the same string over and over. It is really annoying!¡±

    The next second, he suddenly turned around and waved his wand quickly. With the fastest speed, he issued three silver-white charms directly above him, like lightning.

    Dumbledore once had taught him that all the magic would leave traces. He could find it just by sensing it with his heart. Although he couldn¡¯t distinguish the direction of the whisper and couldn¡¯t recognize the strange magic used by the other side and crack it, he could sense the source of his magic.

    Evan quickly stepped back and looked over his head.

    Where it was supposed to be the ceiling, he saw a huge oval creature.

    Most of its body prated into the ceiling, and the exposed part was weird beyond description. Its skin was dark purple and rough.

    The monster¡¯s body was extremelyrge, covered with soft tentacles. It was constantly creeping and looked very disgusting.

    The most striking thing was its eyes, which were a pair of blood-red eyes, cold and ruthless, without a hint of warmth within them.

    It looked closely at Evan, and the darkness in its huge pupil seemed to devour him mercilessly¡­

 Chapter 317: The Wandering Madness

    <h4>Chapter 317: The Wandering Madness</h4>

    Evan heart pounded and he looked at the monster above his head with trepidation.

    Its body waspletely hidden in the stone wall above the ceiling, and it was covered up, revealing only half of its head and massive blood-red eyes.

    There were no other organs on its head besides eyes, tentacles and rough skin.

    It swayed its tentacles wantonly, and looked extremely nauseous, ragged all over. The weirdest thing about the monster was its huge blood-red eyes, in which there was no emotion. They were cold, indifferent and ruthless, and their long and slender pupils were almost in a straight line.

    Inside the pupil was a deep darkness, as if connected to the universe, as if it were a small ck hole, where even light was twisted.

    ¡®Just go there and you wouldn¡¯t escape, you¡¯d be devoured mercilessly¡­¡¯

    What exactly was this monster?!

    It was exactly what was created by the Dark wizard on the previous murals, but in reality it looked even more shocking.

    Evan gasped. His attack just now did not work.

    The spell seemed to go straight through the Enemy¡¯s body. Without too much thought, Evan subconsciously waved his wand, and a red light attacked it once again.

    This time, he saw clearly his magic passing through the other monster, disappearing in the blink of an eye without a trace, like a light being swallowed up.

    Strange, what was the matter? Was this monster immune to magic?!

    ¡°Futile resistance, your soul will eventually be swallowed up by me!¡± A deep whisper sounded directly in Evan¡¯s mind.

    ¡°What in the world are you?¡± Evan asked subconsciously, clenching his wand.

    ¡°To you, I am God, in charge of death and eternal life. Only by believing in me can you know the meaning of calm!¡± It whispered, ¡°Lostmb, I will save you and help you escape death. Believe me! Believe me! Believe me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need your salvation, and I don¡¯t need any eternal life!¡± Evan shouted. ¡°These temptations of yours mean nothing to me¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? You told me that you are not afraid of death, you look at me with suspicion, but you don¡¯t know that in your dream, I know you like the palm of my hand!¡± The whisper continued to ring.I know your deepest secrets and your ambitions! Look around you, endless darkness is encircling you. In this sunken relic, you will fall into a dream. Will you have the same dream again? ¡±

    ¡°I JUST TOLD YOU THAT I¡¯M NOT SLEEPY AT ALL AND I DON¡¯T WANT TO SLEEP!¡± Evan shouted in the loudest voice, ¡°I¡¯m not going to dream, you¡¯re not going to control me!¡±

    He felt that the air around him was getting more and more smothering, and he couldn¡¯t breathe. The thought that he was thousands of feet deep underground, facing the unknown monster, his mind was full of horrible, cruel thoughts one after the other¡­

    The beast¡¯s whisper seemed to never stop, apanied by the smothering air, and echoed in Evan¡¯s ear, saying some strange, insane words.

    These words were not coherent at all, many of them even meaningless.

    Evan told himself not to listen, but the voice uncontrobly drilled into his ears, and even sounded directly in his mind, and he was forced to instill it in himself.

    Bloody eyes, cold gaze, crazy whispers, repressed wheezing¡­

    All these things mingled together, overwhelming Evan.

    He just listened for a while and felt like he was going to go mad.

    ¡°This ruin has witnessed countless ancient and evil crimes. These sins arepletely beyond your imagination. Where you can¡¯t notice, despair is pervasive, madness is wandering!¡± It kept saying, ¡°As you can see, lostmb, life is disappearing from the boy in front of you, but you can¡¯t do anything, you can only watch him die. In the end, you will be alone forever. ¡­..¡±

    ¡°Ah, shut up!¡± Evan shouted.

    He didn¡¯t even think about it. He just flicked his wand and threw a dark green light. This was the most evil ck magic he could learn from ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±. It was powerful and had obvious side effects. Evan never actually intended to use this spell.

    But he had to admit that he was about to be driven mad by this voice.

    In order to shut it up, he didn¡¯t care if he was using evil ck magic.

    Now, there was only one thought in his mind, that was to kill the monster.

    Evan gasped and looked up at his curse hitting it. His mouth showed a cruel smile. This time he should surely kill his foe¡­

    In front of him, the dark green light went straight through the monster¡¯s body and disappeared.

    Evan frowned; the power of this spell should not be so small.

    He shook his wand restlessly, and about five secondster, the curse seemed to have finally hit the wall, and the whole room was shaking.

    A roaring sound was constant, and a great deal of rubble fell from the top.

    Evan did not hide, and let the rubble fall on him. He raised his head like a madman to look at the monster above his head. It didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all.

    No way, what in the world was going on here?!

    As before, its ruthless blood-red eyes stared at him tightly, and the stones falling through its body did not even affect it.

    ¡°Your soul is suffering, but this is not the real you!¡± The whisper continued, ¡°What can change a person¡¯s nature?¡±

    Evan gasped violently, watching the monster, forcing himself to calm down.

    He tried to ignore the constant voice in his mind and tried to analyze the current situation.

    Undoubtedly, the current situation was very strange. His curse had lost its effect, and this seemingly powerful monster did not seem to be eager to kill him.

    Was it that it didn¡¯t want to, or that it couldn¡¯t?!

    From the very beginning to the present, it didn¡¯t move at all, just staying above the ceiling, shaking its disgusting tentacles, staring at him with those big scary eyes.

    Besides constantly making crazy whispers, it had no other moves.

    Thinking about it carefully, this was too abnormal.

    Moreover, ording to previous judgments and information provided by Aragog, the monster was now very weak, and it should not have much strength left in it.

    Even if it was taking strength from Malfoy to recover itself, time was too short to recover much¡­

 Chapter 318: Horcrux and Evanâ€™s Conjecture

    <h4>Chapter 318: Horcrux and Evan¡¯s Conjecture</h4>

    At that moment, Evan seemed to think of something.

    His thoughts were interrupted by the continuous whisper.

    He stood dejectedly in the same ce, staring nkly at his wand in his hand, his brain stopped working, he had no idea what he was going to do, and why was he standing here?!

    Evan shook his wand,pletely confused, and there was an urge in his heart to use ck Magic to kill something, but he didn¡¯t know who to kill.

    Then he saw Malfoy lying in front of him.

    Malfoy seemed so odious, and Evan found that his aversion to him was increasing rapidly.

    A crazy idea came into his mind to kill Malfoy.

    YES, THAT¡¯S IT, KILL MALFOY!

    Killing him will save him a lot of trouble, he could avenge himself, Harry and Hermione, and the monster could no longer absorb vitality from him to regain strength.

    If he just killed Malfoy, he could defeat the monster above his head.

    This was deep underground. Even if Malfoy died here, no one would know that it was made by Evan. People couldn¡¯t even find his body¡­

    ¡°Yes, I came here just to kill Malfoy.¡±

    Evan¡¯s mouth showed a cruel smile, and seemed to finally find his target. He clenched his wand and took two steps forward, stepping closer to Malfoy¡­

    Above his head, the horrible unknown creature swayed its tentacles gently, and its huge, cold eyes stared at Evan ruthlessly, watching him step by step closer to Malfoy.

    The slender pupils and the huge eyeballs bulged down to reveal nerves and blood vessels inside. Its purpose was about to be realized. Under the influence of his own will, this human boy had lost his self. As long as he walked over to kill hispanion, he would degenerate, and fall into the abyss of darkness forever more.

    Although it had already nted his seed in Malfoy, this boy named Evan was obviously more suitable to be a parasitic object. He had been selected from the very beginning¡­

    In the dark ruins, Evan moved forward step by step.

    He gasped, tangled, and twisted, and his spirit was oppressed to the utmost.

    He didn¡¯t know what he was doing. All he knew was that he was going to do something terrible.

    He told himself that it was wrong to do so, but he could not control his body.

    There should be a way to kill the monster above his head, but it definitely was not killing Malfoy!

    Just as he reached right below the monster¡¯s huge, cold eyes, Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on his chest suddenly gave out a faint golden glow.

    The light converged from all sides to the curved capital letter S in the center of the Locket, and the ancient magic was spontaneously activated by the external stimuli.

    The green gems glowed faintly, and Slytherin¡¯s emblem reappeared.

    The whisper that had been echoing in Evan¡¯s mind disappeared instantly. The monster above his head seemed to have been hit hard, and a cold look of fatigue shed through its cold eyes.

    ¡°SALAZAR SLYTHERIN¡­¡± It said reluctantly, with infinite hatred in its voice and it gradually disappeared into the darkness.

    Evan woke up and looked at Malfoy and the monster above with lingering fear.

    He sat on the ground panting, and now finally realized that this horrible monster was using psychic magic to influence him.

    Since entering the room, he had fallen under the creature¡¯s magic.

    It was not that it didn¡¯t want to kill him; it just had no physical attacks.

    But its method was even more horrible. The monster was trying to lure him into degeneration by whispering, and then devour his soul!

    ¡°That was close¡­¡± Evan turned Slytherin¡¯s Locket out. He didn¡¯t know what magic was on it, but it had obvious restraining effect on his enemy.

    A thousand years ago, since it was Szar Slytherin who defeated the monster and imprisoned it here, he must have had a way of dealing with it.

    Evan gradually settled down and held the Locket in his hand.

    The magic of his body was naturally poured into it, and the green fluorescence glowed from the gemstones set in it, forming a cloud of light beside him.

    Under the gloomy green mist, Evan could no longer hear the monster¡¯s whispers, his magic was no longer suppressed, and everything was back to normal.

    Evan stood up and tried another magic trick on the monster above.

    A red light passed straight through its shattered body and had no effect just like before.

    The monster¡¯s body was like a hologram, and all Evan¡¯s magic was straight through it¡­

    This was too abnormal. With the help of Slytherin¡¯s Locket, Evan could now think calmly. He seemed to have had a simr situation before.

    In the Chamber of secretsst year, together with Harry, he fought against Tom Riddle¡¯s diary.

    Riddle sucked Ginny¡¯s life, became a shadow and got out of the diary. He could use the wand to cast the spells, but he was immune to all magic.

    From the current situation, this monster was in the same state as Riddle at that time!

    Thinking of the whole process that the ck wizard had shown on the murals to make this monster, the body of those magical creaturesbined with the souls of countless humans.

    All spells passed through its body, as if through a shadow that did not exist.

    Maybe it was now just a Horcrux.

    Evan even boldly assumed that the guy above the head, which was a mixture of mutated octopus and bat, was likely to be a Horcrux like Tom Riddle.

    ¡°Horcrux!¡± He was shocked by his conclusion.

    Through the mist of light, Evan looked at the guy who shook his tentacles above. Although absurd, the more he thought about it, the more he realized it was possible that the monster above was a Horcrux, which exined the causes of various irrational phenomena.

    Perhaps, the ck magic that gave birth to it was more evil than the magic of making the Horcrux, and its existence itself was more advanced than the Horcrux, but it was the same in essence.

    From the information obtained in the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡°, Evan had already mastered the method of making the Horcrux. Hepared it with the evil ck magic on the murals he just saw, and found out more and more clues from it.

    He thought of the possibility that the ck wizard who appeared on the murals transformed himself into an immortal being with some evil ck magic¡­

    Evan shook his head. It was terrible. He didn¡¯t know if such magic really existed.

    The question now was, if this monster was a ghost or something like a Horcrux, then where was its body?!

 Chapter 319: The Trouble of Dealing With Slytherin

    <h4>Chapter 319: The Trouble of Dealing With Slytherin</h4>

    Whatever the monster was, there was no point in continuing to use magic to attack it.

    Continuous attempts had made it clear to Evan that it was only a phantom that was immune to his attack, just being there to distract him.

    Only by finding its origin could it be eradicated.

    In his hand, Slytherin¡¯s Locket emitted a dark green light fog, which did not affect Evan, but substantially made the beast¡¯s tentacles wiggle.

    Its massive eyeballs looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, blood-red and chaotic¡­

    It looked at Evan fiercely and seemed to want to tear him apart, but its current body could not touch him, and its whisper was blocked by the mist.

    They were both deadlocked. Evan knew he had to hurry to find the monster¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t know how long the magic on the Locket wouldst. If he couldn¡¯t defeat this monster before the magic expired, he had to n ahead and quickly leave and take Malfoy far away from there. He didn¡¯t want to lose control of himself again.

    Nevertheless, Evan was confident.

    Since Szar had defeated it, there should be some clues left behind.

    Apart from the murals, there was nothing in the empty square stone room. Evan focused his attention on the surrounding walls and examined them one by one.

    The strange murals were very abstract, but the meaning they wanted to convey was very clear.

    In the bloody crimson altar, young Szar Slytherin defeated the monster and, for some reason, did not destroy it.

    Maybe like Voldemort, whose Horcrux was notpletely destroyed, the monster itself could not be eradicated; or perhaps it was because Szar Slytherin himself believed that this rare evil monster was of great value for his research.

    Whatever it was, he brought it back to Hogwarts.

    At the time, it was not a school of magic, but a castle left to him by his father.

    In the woods outside the castle, Slytherin reformed the ruins.

    On the murals, it was clear that Slytherin, as a teenager, began to study the monster there. Pictures of all kinds of research were about to fill the whole stone wall. He used different magic, potions and other strange things on its body.

    What were the specific research oues, Evan didn¡¯t known.

    Maybe they were collected before him, and the information would be left on the altar¡¯s fragments carved with that quirky writing, but he had to wait until he was back to let Harry decipher the message.

    To tell the truth, Evan was a little startled.

    In his opinion, every magic carved on the rock wall was so fantastic that it waspletely beyond the scope of his knowledge.

    Unfortunately, there was no spell and specific content; he could only feel how powerful Slytherin¡¯s magic was.

    It was different from the ck magic recorded in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±. This magic carved on the rock wall should be white magic after all.

    The white magic created by Slytherin was all lost magic that had not been passed down. It was exciting enough to think about it.

    If it coulde out, it would absolutely be a great discovery that would attract worldwide attention.

    Evan restrained his excitement and looked back. It could be seen that for a certain period of time, this monster was the main subject of all kinds of magic experiments of Slytherin. Besides, he also studied its body structure.

    To put it simply, young Szar tortured this monster enough. He was like a true, evil ck wizard, but all the magic he created and used was White Magic, which was also consistent with the character of Slytherin that Evan knew.

    He did not care for seeking darkness, because there was light in his heart, which was enough for him to be as strong as he was.

    In thest few murals, Szar divided the monster into three parts: the brain, the eyes, and the body.

    He seemed to have his own n, leaving only his eyes here.

    Facing the fainting Malfoy was thest mural on which Szar ced the monster¡¯s huge eyes in the stone chamber and arranged the seal magic.

    Needless to say, the seal magic he left behind had beenpletely destroyed by the Acromants.

    Besides this information, there were two things that grabbed Evan¡¯s attention.

    The first was the age of Szar on the murals. In the previous murals, it could be seen that Slytherin was very young, just like the huge statue outside, and should be no more than a few years older than Evan.

    But in thest mural, Slytherin was much older.

    The beard was clearly visible on his face, which meant that it might be thest time he came here before he left school.

    It is well known that Slytherin was increasingly at odds with the other three Founders over student enrollment.

    After a fierce quarrel, he finally left the school.

    Why did hee here before he left? What was his intention to take parts of the monster away?

    The second thing that Evan cared about was the four corners around the rock wall, which depicted four items, namely Slytherin¡¯s Locket, ring, wand, and the cane surrounded by two big green snakes from bottom to top.

    Strange, why did Slytherin have to leave depictions of these four items on the wall?!

    Looking at the green haze around him, Evan felt like he had found some key information. If it weren¡¯t for this Locket, his current end would have been absolutely unimaginable.

    He would have been driven mad by this monster that would have swallowed up the soul in his sleep.

    Since Slytherin¡¯s Locket can have such a big effect, the other three things obviously should also have special uses.

    The ring should be in the ruins of the Gaunt Shack, and Evan did not know where it was exactly.

    Slytherin¡¯s wand was handed down from generation to generation among his other powerful descendants, the vampire n, and it should be difficult to get it.

    As for where the cane surrounded by snakes was, it also needed to be investigated again.

    He couldn¡¯t exin why, but Evan had a feeling that the huge troubles faced by ine¡¯s vampire family might be rted to this horrible unknown monster.

    No one knew where Szar went after he left Hogwarts. A powerful wizard like him could not spend the rest of his life in obscurity.

    However, none of the books on the history of magic had details on that.

    And the body and brain of the monster that he took away, where were they finally sealed?! Now that its eyes had awakened and it devoured the souls of other creatures to strengthen itself, the two other parts were likely to be in the same situation.

    After all, it¡¯s been too long. In more than a thousand years, anything could happen.

    Evan sighed. On top of all of this, he still had the treasure key left by Slytherin to look for, and he still had no clue.

    Compared with the other three decent Founders, dealing with Szar Slytherin brought the most trouble.

 Chapter 320: The Shadow of Salazar Slytherin

    <h4>Chapter 320: The Shadow of Szar Slytherin</h4>

    What was unveiled about the mystery from a thousand years ago was just the tip of the iceberg, but things were getting more and moreplicated.

    Through these ancient murals, Evan finally figured out what he was facing.

    However, he found that the doubts in his mind did not decrease. In fact, he had even more questions.

    In any case, Szar Slytherin¡¯sst act was too suspicious. Evan tried to recall his life story, but found that in all known historical facts; only his involvement in the establishment of Hogwarts was given with detail.

    There was hardly any record about Slytherin¡¯s experiences as a teenager and after leaving Hogwarts, which, like the darkness before him, was aplete mystery.

    Evan looked at Slytherin¡¯s Locket with a faint green light in his hand. Besides being Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux, it also hid more amazing secrets.

    In the darkness, Malfoy uttered a painful murmur, interrupting Evan¡¯s thoughts. Turning his head, he saw Malfoy lying on the ground in agony, his pale face covered with tiny drops of sweat, and his terrible nightmares seemed to have reached their peak.

    Evan knew that he had to hurry up. With the help of Slytherin¡¯s Locket, he could continue to resist the monster, but Malfoy was almost unable to stand it.

    If this continued, his soul would be swallowed up by the nightmare in his sleep.

    Evan raised his head and looked at the monster above.

    It was shaking its tentacles, with huge eyes fixed on him and the Locket in his hand.

    Its eyes were cold and emotionless, like those of a dead person.

    Judging by the message left on the rock wall, the monster¡¯s ugly, huge body and continually shaking purple tentacles were all non-existent shadows.

    Above him, only those blood-red giant eyes were real.

    Ever since entering the stone chamber, Evan had never looked at them.

    Every time he did, he looked away in a hurry.

    The disproportionatelyrge eyeballs and the slender pupils above had their own creepy oppression, as if they could arouse fears hidden in the deepest part of the heart.

    Evan knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to flinch. He had to force himself to look at its eyes, even with the green fog protection in front of him.

    The ¡°Horcrux¡± was still in a trance.

    ¡°Szar Slytherin¡­¡± The whisper came in intermittently.

    It could be perceived from its tone that it had unlimited grudge towards Slytherin.

    Even if a thousand years of time had passed, this grudge had not abated at all.

    ¡°Lostmb, you are struggling uselessly, you¡¯re resisting your destiny tightly, as if you can really change everything, but you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re already going astray¡­¡±

    ¡°Keep it down, you¡¯ve said enough nonsense, and my destiny will be in my hands.¡±Evan calmly replied, ¡°I will not rely on others, let alone believe such a monster like you with only its eyes left.¡±

    He waved his wand fast, and a red light quickly flew upwards.

    ¡°NO!¡± The horrible monster released a harsh scream to reach the soul.

    Evan held his breath and stepped back. The wand in his hand did not stop, and the spells were quickly read, and the curses were aimed at the monster¡¯s eyes.

    Bang, bang, bang!!!

    Under Evan¡¯s attack, its body was rapidly disintegrating.

    The shadow became blurred, and the rough, smashed body eventually disappeared. Above Evan¡¯s head, only two huge white eyeballs were left exposed, and a pile of rotten meat mixed with red blood vessels and muscle fibers joined tightly to the ceiling.

    On the big and disproportionate eyeballs, the red that Evan has always seen upied only a small part, less than a tenth of the whole eyeball.

    ¡°Slytherin¡¯s descendant, you have to pay for what you¡¯ve done!¡± It stared closely at Evan, and the voice of nothingness was not blurring, but growing stronger and stronger. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to give up your soul obediently, I shall devour it by force!¡±

    Its voice just fell, and the whole space began to shake.

    The ground was shaking; cracks appeared on the rock walls. The murals on them shattered and peeled off, and a loud roar came out from the deepest part of the earth.

    The slender pupils were torn, and the huge eyeballs split in the middle.

    Evan stepped back and looked at the monster in disbelief.

    Being among the most ferocious of monsters, it had a terrible momentum. Two massive cracks formed in the middle of the eyeballs, covered with long sharp fangs. Inside was mucus, beyond which was endless darkness.

    Evan could hardly imagine what the monster was bing.

    This was only the power of the eyes. If its body was here, Evan knew he wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance to fight back. Such a powerful and evil monster had been defeated by Szar Slytherin in his youth a thousand years ago, back when it was at the peak of its power¡­

    The two eyes swayed and fell off the wall of the ceiling.

    They floated in the air and opened huge bloody cracks, and flew towards Evan.

    Evan quickly retreated backwards, not sure what kind of magic to use to deal with them. The existence of this monster itself was beyond his understanding and allmon sense.

    He waved his wand and made a few spells, but they didn¡¯t work.

    The ferocious monster was getting closer and closer to him. Just when Evan thought that everything was about to end, all his magic suddenly poured out and filled the Locket in his hand.

    Slytherin¡¯s Locket floated slowly, and the emeralds iid on it shone intensely. Even the strange inscriptions around it glowed in dark gold.

    That seemed to be a signal. A white halo was gradually emerging above the rock wall.

    The closed stone door suddenly opened, and the statue of Slytherin in the outer hall also shone brightly.

    The white nktons floating in the cave dropped rapidly, like a group of fish migrating in the deep blue sea. They spun downward rapidly and surrounded the statue of Szar.

    Silver, green, and gold light clusters gathered at Evan¡¯s location, fusing with the green haze around the Locket.

    Eventually, it gradually merged into a shape, and a humanoid virtual figure appeared in front of Evan.

    It was a handsome 15-year-old young man, in a medieval-style wizard¡¯s robe, with ck jade-like hair and a pure white wand in his hand.

    ¡°Szar Slytherin¡­¡±

    As Evan recognized him, the monster in front of him also whispered.

    It did not continue to attack Evan, but turned around to look at Szar¡¯s shadow with resentment.

 Chapter 321: The Final Chapter in the Lair

    <h4>Chapter 321: The Final Chapter in the Lair</h4>

    Deep underground in the darkness, a silver band of tiny glittering nktons stretched hundreds of feet wide.

    Like the Milky Way in the Summer Night Sky, attracted by magic, they poured in continuously from the void, without interruption, without stopping¡­

    The silver lightpletely dispelled the darkness that had been shrouding the ce for a thousand years.

    Reacting with the Locket in Evan¡¯s hand, the magic left by Szar Slytherin was sessfully activated, and his shadow slowly appeared.

    Evan could feel the powerful magic, the power of hundreds of millions of magic nktons, which all converged into the shadow of Szar.

    Sizzle¡­

    He heard the sound of sparks burning quietly in the air. He looked around for the source of the sound and found that it was the result of powerful magic collisions inside the shadow of Szar.

    Fine magic particles met unexpectedly, emitting beautiful golden and silver rays of light.

    It was like pyrotechnics that had shrunk countless times and scattered one by one. They looked very beautiful, but they contained a shocking amount of magical energy.

    This was an unimaginable power for ordinary people, beyond the limits of human beings.

    Szar¡¯s shadow did not speak, nor did he look at Evan. He stood still in silence, with a solemn expression, and his wand in his hand pointed to the huge eyeball monster.

    On his white wand, from time to time, a silver brilliance shed from top to bottom.

    ¡°Szar Slytherin, after a thousand years of waiting¡­¡±

    The deep whisper re-sounded, and the huge eyes looked at Slytherin with hatred, as if they wanted tomunicate with him.

    Slytherin had no intention ofmunicating with it. He waved his wand, made a strange hissing sound, and countless colorful halos floated around him.

    This was the magic that Evan had seen on the rock wall before, but he couldn¡¯t understand Slytherin¡¯s Spell. He was stunned for a moment, and then he understood.

    This was Parseltongue; Szar Slytherin used magic that¡¯s read in Parseltongue.

    With Szar¡¯s hissing, the silver nktons from the dark void came together to form a mass that emitted hazy colored halos.

    Like floating hydrogen balloons, they floated slowly in the air.

    These colorful halos might seem harmless to humans and animals, but Evan knew that they were all energy masses made up of the purest magic.

    Underneath their gorgeous appearance, each one carried a powerful destructive power.

    The number of light masses was increasing, and the horrible monster was bing more and more restless.

    It was afraid. Blood vessels and flesh fibers in the eyeballs were constantly squirming. A few secondster, it seemed finally determined to ovee its fear of Szar Slytherin. Centering on the slender pupils, once again, a huge blood-stained fissure was opened, and it rushed straight to Szar¡¯s shadow.

    Szar suddenly disappeared as he saw iting and turned into a myriad of silver nktons.

    The next second, his figure reappeared behind the eyeball monster, unaffected by its effort, and the wand in his hand waved at a strange angle.

    Under hismand, all the colorful light masses that had wandered aimlessly in the air moved, and they surrounded the horrible monster in the center.

    A sophisticated magic symbol rose from the ground, giving off a green light.

    In the next second, without any warning, two dark green giant snakes emerged from the magic symbols.

    ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± They showed their fangs and circled straight up, wrapping the eyeball monster tightly in the middle in a heartbeat.

    Evan blinked; everything in front of him was like a dream.

    In front of him, after being entangled by the giant snakes, the monster was restrained.

    It returned to the shape of an eyeball. Under the influence of magic and the pressure of the snakes, the red in the center began to diffuse outward until it spread to the whole eyeball.

    It trembled and resisted, but it was already at the end of its power.

    Under the entanglement of the giant snakes, its body was subjected to infinitepression, and its outeryer began to break and crack.

    ¡°Slytherin¡¯s Heir, you think you have defeated me, but you don¡¯t know the tragic fate of your arrival.¡± The painful whisper sounded intermittently, and the huge eyes used all their strength to slowly turn back to Evan. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again soon. I¡¯ll be back¡­¡±

    The whisper echoed and diffused in the stone room, echoing in bursts.

    The next second, there was a loud bang and the huge eyeballs burst suddenly.

    Lots of blood and creeping purple fibers were scattered all over the ce, spraying to the ground in all directions.

    Evan blinked. He couldn¡¯t believe that this horrible monster was so easily destroyed!

    At the same moment, Malfoy who had been in aa shouted out loud. His painful expression gradually calmed down, and the nightmare that had been guing him disappeared.

    Everything happened so suddenly that Evan couldn¡¯t even react.

    He breathed heavily and couldn¡¯t believe that the mighty monster was just dead, it just disappeared?!

    Also, the magic that Szar had just used just shocked him greatly.

    Szar¡¯s shadow turned to look at Evan. He was redistributed into a myriad of silver nktons, which flocked in front of Evan and poured into the Locket in mid-air.

    The emerald¡¯s fluorescence faded, and the pale gold shed along the emblem on the Locket.

    Slytherin¡¯s Locket slowly fell into Evan¡¯s hand and returned to its former form.

    The stone room was quiet and the darkness came back from all sides. All was like an absurd nightmare, whether it was the huge eyeball monster or the powerful magic of Szar Slytherin, all was gone, as if it never existed.

    Evan got up from the ground and was soaked in sweat. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

    ¡°LUMOS MAXIMA!¡± The light at the end of his wand re-illuminated the surroundings.

    He was impressed by what had just happened. He still had too many questions, but no one could exin to him what was going on.

    What should he do now? Evan had not much strength; he did not want to climb out of the pit with aatose Malfoy. That would be another nightmare.

    Maybe the better choice was to stay there and wait for help. Dumbledore would certainly find them.

    Taking advantage of this time, He could also reorient his thoughts.

    Boom, boom, boom¡­

    As Evan rxedpletely, the thunderous sound resounded, the surrounding rocks were shaking, and the tiny cracks in the wall were expanding at a visible speed.

    Unable to withstand the powerful magic that Slytherin had just used, the underground ruins copsed, andrge chunks of rubble fell from above.

    He had to get out of there quickly, or he would be buried alive in the depths of the earth¡­

    Evan had to brace himself, and he hurried to the fainted Malfoy, and waved his wand quickly. Malfoy rose from the ground and floated around him.

    They rushed to the gate and, then looked back in great surprise.

    ¡°Hey, what is this?¡±

    Evan took Malfoy to the ce where the huge eyeballs had just burst, and found a crimson listing on the ground with a strange emblem engraved on it.

    He picked it up and looked at it briefly. The emblem was exactly the monster that was just there.

    It looked more horrible and more massive than what Evan had seen before, as if it was capable of spreading fear throughout the world.

    It floated in the air, and below were human figures with pain in their expressions, and their souls were being stripped from their bodies and pouring into the horrible monster.

    This crimson listing should have appeared after the monster disappeared. What should the connection be between the two?

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to look at it. He took it in his hand, willing to wait until he returned to the castle to study it carefully.

 Chapter 322: Discussion in Dumbledoreâ€™s Office

    <h4>Chapter 322: Discussion in Dumbledore¡¯s Office</h4>

    At sunset, everything on the ground was coated with a golden yellow.

    The setting sun strove to shine thest ray of light on the huge castle of Hogwarts.

    The same was true in Dumbledore¡¯s Office, where the sunlight shone through the rectangr windows, and the delicate silverware stood on the slender-legged table, quietly whirling and emitting puffs of smoke. Not far away, the ss container with Godric Gryffindor¡¯s sword gleamed faintly.

    Fawkes, the phoenix, stood on a huge shelf and made a strange cry.

    Apart from it, the office was quiet.

    Dumbledore, with a rare frown, sat in the huge armchair, looking inquiringly at what was in front of him with pale blue eyes.

    On the surrounding walls, the sessive headmasters of Hogwarts, men and women, were all staring at the dark red namete in front of Dumbledore.

    This namete was the one Evan found in the underground ruins, carved with the horrible monster pattern, as well as the human souls being sucked by it.

    ¡°Do you have any views on this?¡± Dumbledore asked softly.

    ¡°Horrible monster, incarnation of nightmare, the immortal existence, feeding on the souls of human beings and other living beings!¡± An old man repliedzily, his voice was full of banter, ¡°Oh, it is terrible, this monster should only exist in mythology!¡±

    He was Phineas Nigellus ck, the great-great-grandfather of Sirius, and Hogwarts¡¯s most unpopr Headmaster ever.

    ¡°But it appeared around Hogwarts, Phineas!¡± A shrewd witch shook her very thick wand and sternly said, ¡°Albus has just told us everything, this monster appeared in the Forbidden Forest not far away, and the boy named Evan Mason found it.¡±

    ¡°He is lying. The guys at Gryffindor House are untrustworthy, a group of snobs who love to be in the limelight.¡± Phineas said disdainfully, ¡°If he really met this monster, how could he get out of there? To my mind, he is a full-fledged liar!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re shameless. Just a few months ago, that child saved your great-grandson¡¯s life and proved the cks¡¯ innocence.¡± cried the portrait of Dexter Fortescue, a fat wizard with a red nose. ¡°How can you insult him so much?¡±

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned my useless grandson, I have to¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, we should go back to the topic!¡± Dilys Derwent said slowly.

    She was an old witch with long silver ringlets, and the most prestigious Headmistress in Hogwarts¡¯s history. She had her portrait in many important institutions.

    ¡°This namete and the monster above are obviously the magical creations of ancient warlocks.¡± Dilys continued, ¡°They are different from the current wizards. We all know how terrible those madmen were. For taboo magic, they could pay any price. It is not impossible for them to create such an abomination.¡±

    ¡°But with the changes of times, they have all disappeared. For a thousand years, this world hadn¡¯t seen one of them, nor did it see one of their creations.¡± Phineas retorted, ¡°Now we¡¯re not in the foolish Middle Ages, the old antiques of a thousand years ago¡­¡±

    ¡°Not all, not all, they have notpletely disappeared.¡± ¡°A weak old wizard said slowly.

    He was Quentin Trimble, the master of Defence against the Dark Arts, the author of the must-read textbook ¡°The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection¡±.

    ¡°Those ancient warlocks have studied death, demons and the magic of life beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination, and some of them may have escaped the trial of death.¡± Quentin paused for a moment and went on to say, ¡°There are many known methods, but there is only one method that was handed down. We have discussed this topic many times before.¡±

    ¡°Everything is just spection. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. You¡¯ve always been biased against the outstanding students of Slytherin House.¡± ¡°Phineas said discontentedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not spection. Last semester¡¯s Diary has proved everything, and Evan¡¯s Locket with a powerful magic reaction should also be one.¡± Dumbledore crossed his fingers and said calmly. ¡°Now the problem is the number of them left. He must have made a lot of them. This is beyond doubt. ¡±

    There was a silence in the office, and no one spoke.

    ¡°Okay, okay, I don¡¯t understand why I brought the topic up again. Now we¡¯re talking about this damn namete.¡± Phineas said rudely.

    ¡°Indeed. In order to escape death, the ancient warlocks and ck wizards had done a lot of research. No one can guarantee that there are other sessful methods besides making the Horcruxes.¡± Quentin said slowly, ¡°ording to the description, the monster is more like a co-creation of Necromancy and Demon Magic. It basically conforms to all the characteristics. Perhaps it was some Dark wizard who made a direct evil transformation of his body¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, this is ridiculous, I have never heard of such magic.¡± Phineas whispered.

    There was murmuring in the Office, and the other headmasters and headmistresses doubted Quentin¡¯s reasoning because it sounded horrible.

    ¡°I seem to have seen the pattern on this namete somewhere.¡± A dry voice suddenly sounded. The owner of the voice was a gloomy old man wearing a very old ck wizard¡¯s robe. ¡°In our time, because of the protracted war in the Muggle world, ck magic was once very popr, and many magic books have not been destroyed. I must have seen this pattern in some magic book. But it¡¯s been too long, I can¡¯t remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Is not this talking to say nothing?!¡± Phineas said disdainfully. He raised the volume and overshadowed other people¡¯s voices. ¡°Whether this monster really exists or not, whatever it is, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary to worry, because it had been wiped out by the GREAT SALAZAR SLYTHERIN HIMSELF!¡±

    He was ted and very proud of it.

    Listening to him mentioning Szar Slytherin, the other Headmasters and Headmistresses could not refute. They all highly regarded the Four Founders of the school.

    Dumbledore looked calmly at the namete in front of him and no one knew what he was thinking.

    Just then, the door of the office was suddenly opened, and Snape, in a ck robe and gloomy face, strode in.

    On the walls, the portraits of all the headmasters and headmistresses were restored to their usual postures, and they sat solemnly in their chairs as if they had never moved.

 Chapter 323: Rapid Improvement

    <h4>Chapter 323: Rapid Improvement</h4>

    ¡°Severus, what about the two children?¡±

    ¡°Draco was frightened. He was bitten by an Acromant. The venom spread to his whole body. There is a trace of dark magic in his soul, not one that I¡¯m familiar with. He¡¯s in a very bad state, but he won¡¯t die!¡± Snape said stiffly. ¡°Lucius just took him away. He asked me to tell you that this is not going to end like this. He willin to the Board of Governors and the Ministry of Magic about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really bad, I feel sorry for Mr. Malfoy¡¯s experience.¡± Dumbledore said calmly; his eyes did not shift from the red namete in front of him. ¡°About this matter, I do have an inescapable responsibility. I should have discovered what was hidden in the spider¡¯s Lair earlier, so it won¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°What on earth is that monster?¡± Snape asked. ¡°Why did Szar Slytherin leave this thing around school?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we can only specte now!¡± Dumbledore gently tapped the namete in front of him with his wand, and it didn¡¯t seem to react, ¡°Probably the same asst year¡¯s Basilisk, Szar was supposed to leave a legacy for his Heir.¡±

    Snape¡¯s face was heavy, and he apparently disagreed with Dumbledore¡¯s assessment.

    ¡°The ruins in the deepest part of the underground have copsed, and no one can go in anymore.¡± He said cunningly, ¡°Only Mr. Know-It-All himself said that he had seen the monster, would he¡­?¡±

    ¡°The trace left on this is very evil, not something that a young wizard can make!¡± Dumbledore exined, ¡°And why would he lie?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, it would be because¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, Severus!¡± Dumbledore said, with a hint of warning in his voice, ¡°I believe in him, just as I believe in youpletely. Instead of discussing such vague things, you should tell me how Mr. Mason is doing at the moment?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a great honor to have your trust!¡± Snape said sarcastically, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem to be in any serious trouble. He has no trace of ck magic. On the contrary, his internal magic is very strong, much stronger than what I saw when he arrived this morning. His magic is increasing rapidly, far exceeding that of a young wizard. At this rate, it will soon be simr to mine. I wanted to examine him, but ck didn¡¯t let me touch him, presumably because he thought I would take the opportunity to kill him.¡±

    Dumbledore nodded and did not speak.

    ¡°Headmaster, this is too abnormal. No one¡¯s magic will increase without any reason. I think it is necessary to check Mr. Know-It-All¡¯s wand and see what kind of spells he¡¯s been using. If necessary, you can even use Veritaserum to test the validity of his words.¡± Snape hesitated for a moment, and said unbending. ¡°You have been to that cave too. You should know what happened inside.¡±

    ¡°Magic is wonderful, Severus!¡± Dumbledore looked up and said, ¡°The world is full of unknown secrets. No one can guarantee that he has mastered everything.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re shifting the topic. You know what magic he used in it. It is Fiendfyre.¡± Snape said angrily. ¡°This is not a magic that a young wizard should master. We should take immediate action.¡±

    ¡°What do you think I should do?¡± ¡°Dumbledore asked, ¡°Get him expelled, or sent to Azkaban? If it wasn¡¯t for him saving Mr. Malfoy, triggering Szar¡¯s magic in the ruins to defeat the unknown creature, the consequences would be unimaginable. ¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Snape was reluctant.

    ¡°What matters is the heart, not the magic itself.¡± ¡°Dumbledore said gently, ¡°You should understand this, Severus, after so many years¡­¡± (Editor Note: I¡¯ve edited over 200 chapters of this novel, and this right here is my favorite phrase so far!)

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, I promised to help you, just for Lily and her son.¡± Snape turned and paused before he frowned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him for you. If he makes any other mad dangerous move, I suggest that everything would be wiped out in the bud, while we can. ¡±

    He finished and left Dumbledore¡¯s Office without turning back.

    Dumbledore sat in his chair, thinking of things that only he knew. The portraits on the wall moved again and continued the discussion on the topic that Snape had just mentioned.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    As Snape said, Evan felt his magic was growing rapidly.

    For more than half a month after returning to Hogwarts, a lot of magic was being poured into him from Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on his chest.

    With the entrance of this magical power, Evan¡¯s own magic level increased rapidly.

    Most of the exotic magic eventually dissipated, but there was still a small part that was merged with Evan¡¯s own magic, and that was permanently preserved.

    Now, his body was full of strength, and there was no sign of any side effects.

    It was clear what the specific principle was, and he knew what was going on.

    After all, when through with using that powerful magic to kill the monster, Szar¡¯s shadow eventually turned into countless silver nktons, all collecting in his Locket.

    All of the nktons possessed powerful magic; Evan had only inhaled a little of them before, and he recovered all the magic he had consumed.

    The strong power umted over the past thousand years had been poured into Evan¡¯s body from Slytherin¡¯s Locket, and his body had been transformed.

    And these magic powers could only be absorbed by Evan alone. He tried to hand over the Locket to Harry and Hermione who came to see him before, but there was no reaction.

    Dumbledore, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Sirius all knew about it. Although they were shocked, they all thought it was a good thing.

    Snape cooked potions for Evan every day, which could help him absorb this magic as much as possible.

    With Sirius checking the potions, Evan didn¡¯t worry that Snape would put some strange things in it, even if Snape¡¯s gazes bing more and more strange.

    The benefits of increased magic were obvious. Many spells that Evan could not master before could now be easily used. He felt that he had never been as strong as he was now. With his currentbat ability, if he was to duel Snape again, he might manage to not lose.

    Now, Dumbledore visited Evan in the school Hospital almost every night.

    He inquired about Evan¡¯s health and taught him many tricks on how to use magic and some rare spells.

    Of course, he talked more about his views on life, hoping that Evan would not be corrupted by powerful forces.

    Thanks to Dumbledore¡¯s personal tutoring, Evan¡¯s recent gains had been enormous.

    On every level, he was more confident about the future.

 Chapter 324: Try to Unscramble

    <h4>Chapter 324: Try to Unscramble</h4>

    Even if it couldn¡¯tpete with the horrible monster and the strength of Szar Slytherin in his youth, the sudden increase in power still boosted Evan¡¯s confidence.

    He was immersed in joy and in a happy mood, just like Harry when he won the Quidditch Cup.

    Now was not the horrific barbaric era of wars; ck wizards and dangerous magical creatures no longer roamed the earth like they did a thousand years ago. Wizards no longer needed powerful magic andbat skills.

    With the progress of civilization, the overall strength of the magic world was gradually weakening.

    It wasn¡¯t just ck Magic and theplex process of casting spells such as the Patronus Charm and highly demanding White Magic like most would expect, even the mostmon dueling spells were not mastered by many people.

    Perhaps it¡¯s unbelievable, but many employees of the Ministry of Magic couldn¡¯t even use the Shield Charm.

    They only knew themon spells rted to their work and everyday life.

    It was undeniable that with the change of the times, these convenient curses had indeed made great progress, and after continuous experimentation and modification, they had reached a perfect state. With them, Wizards could aplish almost anything they wanted to do.

    The negative effect that came with this was that the ancient, esoteric, and unpopr magic was being gradually forgotten.

    Wizards¡¯ need for their own magic was getting lower and lower. Besides boiling potions, they no longer needed sophisticated casting materials to assist them. Most wizards even thought that casting a spell was as simple as reading a spell and waving a wand.

    Under such circumstances, Evan¡¯s magic level was now enough to rank among the first-ss wizards.

    Considering his age, he had an even more promising future.

    As long as he did not barge up against Dumbledore, Voldemort or a monster hiding in a cave, in theory, he now had nothing to fear.

    After trying to use several spells that he couldn¡¯t cast in the past, Evan, in ecstasy, thought so too, but he soon found himself wrong. He was still afraid of one person, Hermione!

    Lying in the hospital bed, and looking at Hermione¡¯s frosty face, Evan had a headache, especially when he saw her stubborn little face and the tears in her eyes, he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    As usual, Hermione first said a few words to Evan with a straight face.

    He did not dare to refute. While Hermione was not paying attention, he made a funny face to Harry and Ron, hoping to get away with it.

    But he apparently misjudged the seriousness of the situation. Hermione started crying, which waspletely beyond Evan¡¯s understanding.

    ¡°YOU PROMISED ME BEFORE THAT YOU WOULD INFORM ME IF YOU VENTURED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.¡± Hermione rubbed her tears and choked. ¡°DO YOU KNOW HOW WORRIED I WAS WHEN I HEARD YOU WENT ALONE TO ARAGOG¡¯S LAIR TO SAVE MALFOY?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Hermione, the circumstances were¡­¡± Evan exined with difficulty.

    ¡°Sirius has just told me that there were powerful dark forces, very evil, besides the flocks of Acromants!¡± Hermione sobbed. ¡°That monster is not something that a young wizard of your age can face¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Hermione, I came out safely. Not only was I unhurt, but I also got a lot of gains.¡± Evanforted her, and turned to Harry and Ron for help.

    But the two of them stood there foolishly and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯re such a jerk!¡± Hermione hit him hard.

    Then, as no one reacted, she suddenly leaned on Evan and put her arms around his neck. She copsedpletely and cried bitterly.

    ¡°Yes, I am a jerk indeed!¡± Evan gently said.

    There was a nk space in his head, and he patted the top of her head in embarrassment tofort her.

    It took a long time for Hermione to sniff and stand up blushed and embarrassed. Harry and Ron hurried to pretend they hadn¡¯t seen anything.

    After venting, she looked much better, at least able tomunicate rationally.

    Evan was able to tell the three of them about his experiences in Aragog¡¯s Lair, and he repeated what he had said to Dumbledore and the other professors.

    ¡°Szar Slytherin¡¯s shadow has subdued the monster?!¡± Harry said doubtfully. ¡°But why did he leave such a thing in the Forbidden Forest?¡±

    ¡°Does it matter? As soon as I heard him start the story, I knew it was that old madman. He must be trying to kill all the students.¡± Ron said in a clear tone, ¡°First the Basilisk, then the eyeball monster, who knows how many more monsters he¡¯s hiding in school?!¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should show you these stones that can help solve this secret. We can try to unscramble them.¡± Evan took out a few pieces. ¡°I promised Dumbledore that if there¡¯s anything new, I will inform him at once.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ron hurriedly asked.

    He had been staring at the stones ever since he heard Evan say that there might be a powerful magic spell left behind by Szar.

    Although he did not like Slytherin, he did not reject a possible path to bing stronger.

    ¡°Because thest spell Szar cast was in Parseltongue,¡± Evan exined. ¡°I suspect that the above text can only be identified by a Parselmouth as well!¡±

    ¡°Parseltongue?!¡± Harry was stunned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know Parseltongue writing.¡± Hermione approached a little and said uncertainly, ¡°but at least, I¡¯ve never seen such an ancient magic inscription before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not magic writing. I¡¯ve checked it before. It¡¯s exactly the same as the text on Slytherin¡¯s Locket.¡± Evan also took out the Locket.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at the Locket again, with varied facial expressions.

    Just when Sirius was still there, they had already tried the Locket one by one, knowing that Evan was getting powerful magic from it.

    But no one could get an increase in power besides Evan.

    Nevertheless, everyone dared not underestimate this humble Locket.

    It was a private item of Szar Slytherin. It was once selected by Voldemort as a Horcrux. This time, in the underground ruins, it helped Evan defeat the horrible monster.

    This Locket was certainly not ordinary. In fact, it might be the most powerful magic item they had ever seen. It was probably a legendary magic item.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared at Slytherin¡¯s Locket for a while, trying to sense the power from it.

    But as before, they still felt nothing.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?!¡±

    Ron shifted his gaze and pointed to the stones engraved with words urging. ¡°Harry, give it a try, see if you can understand what is written on it.¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Harry wondered, as he couldn¡¯t understand what was written on the stones at all, and the words couldn¡¯t be connected.

 Chapter 325: Secrets from Antiquity

    <h4>Chapter 325: Secrets from Antiquity</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple. I¡¯ll read the meaningless letters to you. If they are in Parseltongue, you should understand them.¡± Evan pointed to the ancient text curved on the stone, ¡°In due course, you¡¯ll trante them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try!¡± Harry nodded.

    ¡°Ready, I¡¯m starting¡­¡± Evan fumbled over the words on the stone, trying to spell out the incoherent letters, and uttered strange tones in his mouth.

    It sounded like a low, hoarse hissing sound, almost like the words of a Parselmouth.

    He read a passage, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all stunned.

    They looked puzzled and didn¡¯t know what Evan was saying. The words didn¡¯t sound meaningful.

    ¡°Do you understand anything?¡± Hermione asked uncertainly.

    ¡°No!¡± Harry replied in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Evan is talking about. I don¡¯t feel anything at all. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s Parseltongue.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; let¡¯s take our time. Maybe I can help you get the knack of it.¡±

    Evan knew that Harry was not a real talented Parselmouth and could not use the Parseltongue at will. He could only react with the fragments of Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux attached to him.

    If he didn¡¯t see a real snake, he might not understand the Parseltongue.

    Harry needed a little inspiration. Evan lightly tapped the sky-blue ceramic cup next to him with his wand. The cup immediately began to distort and turned into a deep blue python with exquisite patterns, looking very beautiful.

    With the increase in his magic, Evan¡¯s mastery of Transfiguration also increased.

    In the past, even if he could turn a cup into a snake, it would have never been so easy, and the snake would never have had such fine lines.

    The blue Python slidzily towards Harry. The two of them stared at each other with big eyes, while Evan, Ron, and Hermione stared nervously at them.

    The scene was entric, and if Madam Pomfrey walked in, she would scream out in horror.

    Although Evan¡¯s health was not seriously affected, Dumbledore insisted that he stayed in the school hospital until the magic on the Locket was fully absorbed.

    Given his current state of instability, Madam Pomfrey did not allow anyone else toe and visit him, which bored him to death.

    Evan had been begging Madam Pomfrey for a long time before she reluctantly agreed to let Harry, Ron and Hermione in, provided that no strange and troublesome things were allowed.

    The current situation, though not dangerous, was undoubtedly very strange.

    If she saw it, Harry, Ron and Hermione would all be driven out.

    Harry held his breath and stared at the Python¡¯s pale blue eyes. He shook his head slightly and got into a wonderful feeling.

    ¡°Hiss¡­back!¡± he said softly.

    When it heard Harry¡¯s order, the blue Python hesitated for a moment and then began to move backwards.

    ¡°Very good, keep it that way. Let¡¯s try again!¡±

    Seeing that Harry had seeded, Evan hurriedly read out the words of the stone.

    There was another grotesque hissing sound in his mouth. He read very slowly, pausing after every word for a moment. When he finished speaking a word, Harry repeated it.

    In the room, Evan and Harry hissed strangely at each other.

    Ron and Hermione looked at them. Ron¡¯s face turned red and he seemed to want tough.

    Hermione nudged him with her elbow, but he ignored it and could look nowhere else. The scene in front of him was so interesting.

    ¡°Hiss, hiss¡­¡± said Evan.

    Harry frowned and said slowly, ¡°In the name of Szar Slytherin¡­¡±

    ¡°Sess!¡± Ron and Hermione looked at each other and shouted joyfully.

    The four people were all excited when they saw that Harry could understand the words on the stone. The message left by Szar Slytherin himself a thousand years ago would be deciphered. It might be an old secret, a powerful magic, or¡­

    In short, everything was possible. It was absolutely a major discovery that would shock the whole Wizarding World.

    ¡°Keep going, Evan!¡± Ron said excitedly, ¡°What did Slytherin do in his name? Did he mention ways to increase his strength quickly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will mention that. It¡¯s not a magic book. These stones should be about historical facts, recording the reasons why Slytherin built that huge underground relic.¡± Hermione seriously analyzed, ¡°I must have seen it in ¡®Hogwarts: A History ¡®¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to know why he left that monster around the school.¡± Harry said, ¡°And what exactly that eyeball monster is.¡±

    ¡°Everything is possible, everything is possible!¡± Evan repeated, and he was very excited. ¡°Get ready, Harry, I¡¯m going to read on.¡±

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurriedly focused, their little faces full of expectations. Hermione even found a parchment to record.

    ¡°I seal it here in the name of Szar Slytherin, for evesting years¡­¡± Harry said slowly.

    Hermione was right. The stone Evan brought out detailed the reason why Szar Slytherin built the underground ruins.

    Little by little, they deciphered the words above, leanring that Szar had found the monster in the ruins of a temple in ancient Greece.

    This monster was never one that naturally existed in the world, but was the magic creation of a Dark wizard. It was discovered by Szar in the deepest chamber of the ruins. When his wizardpanions were busy looking for powerful magic items and magic books, he secretly took the monster out.

    A few monthster, he brought it and the fruits of that expedition back to Ennd, to his father¡¯s castle, now Hogwarts.

    He built a space deep underground for research, and kept it secret.

    Szar believed that by studying this mysterious monster, he would learn the secrets of life and soul, and then escape death and be immortal.

    The ancient temple where the monster was discovered worshiped one of the most powerful and influential ck wizards in the history of magic, he was regarded as thest ancient wizard and the earliest Dark wizard in the history of magic. His many research results hadid the foundation for the development of ck magic and were still exerting influence.

    He invented and created many evil curses and dark creatures, the most notorious of which was the study of Necromancy and Horcruxes.

    Through the study of the monster¡¯s body structure and the magic ssics brought about from the temple, Szar found that this monster could indeed escape death, but at the same time he had to pay a considerable price. He would never do that unless he was really mad.

    Death might be more pleasant than getting such eternal life, because the soul would be cursed while escaping death.

    On top of that, with the deepening of the research, Szar also found a more striking secret, that was¡­

 Chapter 326: The Earliest Dark Wizard

    <h4>Chapter 326: The Earliest Dark Wizard</h4>

    In the school hospital, Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered and stared at the blue stone in Evan¡¯s hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s the more amazing secret that Slytherin found?¡± Ron asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, the stones are cracked here, the weathering and damage are very serious, and the words behind are all unrecognizable.¡±

    Evan squinted and tried hard to identify.

    But no, he couldn¡¯t see the letters behind.

    ¡°Maybe this can go this way.¡± Hermione adjusted the direction of a piece of debris.

    Evan tried to say another passage in the new order, but Harry shook his head and motioned that he could not understand.

    ¡°Damn, we spent so much effort, and we don¡¯t know anything except that the monster came from a temple in ancient Greece dedicated to the Dark wizard.¡±Ron said annoyed, ¡°There is no powerful spell, no way to enhance strength, no valuable content.¡±

    ¡°These stones are valuable in themselves!¡± Hermione retorted.

    ¡°Yeah, maybe any magic historian or antique collector will need them. They record why the old madman Slytherin built a Secret Chamber in the depths of the school, leaving behind a terrible monster that wanted to devour the souls of others.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and pointed to the broken stones. ¡°These things are really valuable and further prove that Slytherin House is hopeless. But we already know this. The key points are not here. WHAT IS THAT MONSTER? WHAT AMAZING SECRETS ARE HIDDEN IN IT? AND WHERE ARE THE RESULTS OF SLYTHERIN¡¯S RESEARCH?¡±

    Harry and Hermione did not answer, apparently acquiescing in Ron¡¯s words.

    It was disappointing that the message on the stones came to an abrupt halt at the most critical point.

    ¡°These stones only record the reasons why Slytherin built the underground ruins,¡± said Evan. ¡°The results of his research and the ck magic of making that monster are all depicted on the rock walls. I saw it. Because I was in haste, I didn¡¯t record it.¡±

    ¡°If so, we can go back to Aragog¡¯s Lair¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°After the powerful magic of Szar¡¯s shadow, the whole ruins began to copse, and now they probably no longer exist.¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Ron who had just stood up sat down again.

    Like him, Harry¡¯s face was full of disappointment.

    Evan continued to stare at the stones in his hand, turning them back and forth.

    Hermione kept looking down at the notes she had just recorded, and from time to time picked up her quill pen and drew a line on them.

    No one spoke; everyone was thinking about it and digesting the news they had got so far.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡±

    After a long time, Ron said with dismay. ¡°All the clues have led us to nothing. It is a waste of time to continue research. We might as well discuss¡­¡±

    ¡°Do no interrupt me!¡± Hermione interrupted him, shook her quill pen and carefully analyzed it. ¡°The cracked message has given many hints.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, did you find anything?¡± Harry hurriedly asked.

    ¡°Take a look at this passage.¡± Hermione pointed to her record. ¡°The temple in ancient Greece honors one of the most powerful and influential Dark wizards in the history of magic. He was regarded as thest ancient wizard and the earliest Dark wizard. Many of his research resultsid the foundation for the development of dark magic, and still y an influence!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what does this mean?¡± Ron wondered.

    ¡°This tells us who made the monster. We just need to check the origin of this Dark wizard, and maybe we will get some hints.¡± Hermione continued.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t say who he is?¡±

    ¡°Thest ancient wizard and one of the earliest Dark wizards, notorious, developed a lot of curses and ck magic, whichid the foundation for the development of dark magic,¡± Hermione exined. ¡°The wizard who meets these conditions is the one we are looking for, which is almost like telling us his identity.¡±

    ¡°I have no impression of this Dark wizard who lived a thousand years ago.¡± Harry shook his head. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not that good in magic history. To be honest, I have not even been able to distinguish between Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball.¡±

    ¡°So am I, what year was the date of the 17th century Goblin rebellion?¡± Ron frowned and said, ¡°I remember that they used one of the inns in Hogsmeade as headquarters during this rebellion. It was likely the Hog¡¯s Head Inn. I have never been there before.¡±

    ¡°Hagrid often goes there. It was there that he got the dragon¡¯s egg and Fluffy, the giant three-headed dog. He told me that it was very interesting there, and that it could be¡­¡±

    ¡°GENTLEMEN, WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING EVIL DARK WIZARDS, NOT DIRTY PUBS!¡± Hermione raised her voice and said in a serious tone, ¡°Remember the book I borrowed from the library when the three of us were looking for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and Nichs mel in the first year?¡±

    ¡°Impressively, you said you wanted to read for fun.¡± Ron whispered to Evan, ¡°That book is thicker than all the books I readst yearbined.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± Hermione nodded with satisfaction. ¡°That book contains almost all the famous ancient wizards, including Dark wizards.¡±

    ¡°REALLY?¡± Harry and Ron said in unison,¡± WHO IS HE? ¡±

    Evan also put down the stones and looked at Hermione. If he could find out the identity of the Dark wizard, it would be very helpful to understand the monster and make a breakthrough. He remembered in the underground ruins, the ancient passageway before the big leading to Aragog. On the rock walls on both sides of the passage, the Dark wizard who covered his face in the shadow, harvested innumerable human souls with only one evil ck magic.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s him, but I can¡¯t remember some details. You wait. I¡¯ll get the book!¡± Hermione said excitedly, running out of the ward as fast as possible.

    Looking at the direction she took, she seemed to be going to the library.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her as excited as she is now ever since she got 1st ce.¡± said Harry. ¡°She must have found some key clues.¡±

    ¡°In fact, I also made new discoveries on these stones while you were talking.¡± Evan turned all the stones in his hand upside down.

    Harry and Ron looked at him puzzled, wondering what he was doing.

    ¡°Look at the dark golden pattern above, I thought it was just a decoration on the stone. I just looked at it and ignored it before.¡± Evan turned over thest fragment of stone, ¡°but I just checked it again. This is obviously not the case. This is a map!¡±

 Chapter 327: Herpo the Foul

    <h4>Chapter 327: Herpo the Foul</h4>

    ¡°A map?!¡± Harry and Ron rushed together.

    ¡°Yes, although the specific location is still uncertain, it¡¯s definitely a map.¡±

    Evanbined the stones, which simply delineated mountains, rivers, oceans and canyons.

    Although arge part of the stone was missing, the key position was still there.

    Above the map was an endless cloud. At the center was a temple altar. The emblem on it was the pattern on the namete that Evan saw in the underground ruins.

    The horrible monster floated on top of the altar, and its disproportionate red eyes and tentacle head were the most eye-catching.

    Because of the cover of the altar, they couldn¡¯t see its whole body.

    The exposed part was like an octopus that expanded countless times at the top.

    Underneath it were countless horrible and distorted human beings who struggled and pleaded in pain.

    Souls split out from their bodies and were ruthlessly swallowed by the monster above.

    ¡°This monster is what you met under the ground?¡± Harry asked.

    From this map, he felt unprecedented evil.

    Evan nodded. The shape of the temple¡¯s altar was almost identical to the one he had seen on the rock wall with the mysterious Dark wizard.

    Not surprisingly, this was where Szar had found the monster.

    ¡°The Temple above and this monster make me feel bad.¡± Ron said with a trembling voice. ¡°It¡¯s like encountering Dementors, that feeling when all the happy memories get sucked away.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way. The monster¡¯s eyes seem to be staring at me all the time,¡± Harry said. ¡°But it¡¯s just a map. Of which ce is it exactly?¡±

    ¡°It should be somewhere in ancient Greece, with the sea and the canyons, but there is no obvious reference around it.¡± Evan observed carefully and said, ¡°When Hermione tells us about the identity of the ck wizard, maybe we can deduce it.¡±

    Harry nodded and continued to stare palely at the monster in the middle of the map.

    ¡°I do not understand. Even if we know the identity of the Dark wizard and the specific location of the temple, what good is it for us?!¡± Ron suddenly said, looking at Harry and Evan in horror. ¡°You two will not n to go on a mad exploration trip to that ce, will you?¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t know how to answer. Ron was right.

    As things stood, the matter of Voldemort alone was enough to give him a headache, and there was no point in exploring such a more ancient and dangerous unknown existence.

    He did not want to be involved in any strange trouble, especially one that might be far beyond his ability. Evan could not rival the monster¡¯s eyes with whatever little power he had left, and that was just a part of this creature.

    He also imagined Ron giving up like that, but he couldn¡¯t tell why, he was almost certain that it was rted to the vampire girl named ine.

    Perhaps that was the trouble her family faced. Evan shook his head with a bitter smile at the thought of the confused, weak girl, her loose and shabby wizard¡¯s robe and her bright burgundy eyes.

    She already recognized Slytherin¡¯s locket on him, and she said she woulde back and find him.

    What if she came up again and asked for help?

    It seemed also to have something to do with Slytherin¡¯s Secret Treasure Key.

    If that were the case, then it would not be just a simple help, but coboration. However, whether the powerful vampire family could ept Evan¡¯s current strength was still a question.

    All in all, it was always the same thing; Szar Slytherin was the most troublesome.

    ¡°We should give up. It¡¯s beyond our capabilities.¡± Ron continued to persuade, ¡°Harry, that monster is not you know who, you and it¡­¡±

    ¡°If that evil monster really exists, we should find a way to destroy it.¡± Harry hesitated and said, ¡°Whatever what Slytherin¡¯s purpose is, perhaps the clues we have are the key to destroying it¡­¡±

    There was no doubt that Harry always had extraordinary courage and responsibility in taking risks and fighting evil.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Harry!¡± said Ron retreating. ¡°We don¡¯t have to deal with this. It¡¯s not good for us.¡±

    ¡°But we can¡¯t let it go. We should tell Dumbledore and Sirius about it.¡± Harry said, ¡°But first of all, we should investigate it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ron said reluctantly.

    ¡°Harry is right, and I think the same. There is no harm in investigating. Maybe this is rted to Slytherin¡¯s Treasure Key.¡± Evan said, ¡°And through this adventure, my magic grew so fast. You may as well; this is not a bad thing for us.¡±

    Ron seemed to want to say something, but just then, Hermione rushed into the ward from the outside hall with a huge old book in her arms.

    ¡°Look, I found it, this is the book. I must have seen the Dark wizard on it.¡± She began to flip the pages quickly, while she was reading words in her mouth.

    ¡°Well, I should have guessed that the three of you would be like this. Let¡¯s just check who this Dark wizard is and make a decision!¡± Ron sighed and said hopefully, ¡°maybe we don¡¯t have to do anything. The magic left by Szar Slytherin has already wiped it out, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet, Ron!¡± Hermione shouted.

    Ron shut his mouth, watching Hermione flip through the old pages.

    A few minutester, she found it and said with joy, ¡°Got it, got it!¡±

    ¡°Can we talk now?¡± Ron said annoyed.

    Hermione ignored him, and pointed to the book in front of her. ¡°Herpo the Foul, the ancient Greek ck wizard, the most powerful and influential ck wizard in the history of magic, one of thest ancient wizards and the earliest Dark wizards known at present. At the same time, he is also considered to be the first wizard to breed a Basilisk, and is therefore well-known.¡±

    ¡°The Basilisk?!¡± Harry said with amazement, thinking of the all-green snake, which ran into the Common Room from the pipeline and wreaked havoc.

    In the Chamber of Secrets battle, he was also bitten by its fangs and almost died there.

    ¡°Everything ties together. We all know that Szar had left a Basilisk to his Heir in the Chamber of Secrets room.¡± Evan said, ¡°Remember what it¡¯s said on the stone. He brought the monster and the harvest of that adventure back to Hogwarts. Obviously, the basilisk was one of the spoils of that adventure.¡±

    The Dark wizard who created the horrible eyeball monster was just Herpo the Foul!

 Chapter 328: Herpoâ€™s Horcrux and Evanâ€™s Hypothesis

    <h4>Chapter 328: Herpo¡¯s Horcrux and Evan¡¯s Hypothesis</h4>

    ¡°Another Parselmouth, sounds like Slytherin.¡± Ron looked disgusted. ¡°A Dark wizard such as this so-called Herpo the foul, I¡¯m not surprised at what he had studied and created. Come on, besides that horrible monster and the Basilisk, what evil research does he have?¡±

    ¡°Herpo the Foul , known as the founder of modern ck magic, had invented many evil curses in his life, most of which are thought to have been lost.¡± Hermione went on to read, ¡°It was determined that he handed down 186 curses of his invention¡­¡±

    ¡°God, this guy had created one hundred and eighty-six evil Curses, and probably had more that he did not hand down?!¡± Ron stared and couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hermione looked up at Ron and threw out much heavier information. ¡°He was also recognized as the first wizard to invent the method of making a Horcrux and to seed in making it. The Horcrux is considered to be extremely evil ck magic which cannot be described in this book. No one could defeat or kill him in those days of his life.¡±

    ¡°This, this guy sounds even more evil than You-Know-Who!¡± Because of shock, Ron¡¯s mouth was open wide enough for an egg to be stuffed into it.

    Voldemort was seen by many as the most evil Dark wizard ever.

    Anyone who knew well enough about him knew that the most evil thing he had ever done was to split his soul and make Horcruxes, and this ck magic was invented by Herpo the Foul.

    Being so shocked, Ron didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Herpo the Foul hadpletely subverted his understanding of a Dark Wizard. It was hard for him to imagine how a man could be so evil and powerful.

    ¡°What about his ending?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Who destroyed his Horcrux?¡±

    ¡°No one¡­¡± Hermione closed the thick book and lowered her voice. ¡°He was the most powerful and evil Dark wizard in the world at that time. No one knew the cause of his death. This means that if his Horcrux had never been destroyed, he might still be alive now!¡±

    ¡°Alive¡­ for thousands of years¡­¡± Ron muttered.

    There ward went silent. Everyone was immersed in the shock brought by Herpo the Foul¡¯s description and deeds. It was hard for them to imagine the existence of a Dark wizard who has managed to live for thousands of years.

    ¡°Before that, I thought that the person with the longest life span was Nichs mel, a friend of Dumbledore and a partner in alchemy,¡± said Harry. ¡°By this year, he will have lived 668 years. I always thought that he was the oldest wizard alive.¡±

    ¡°If this Herpo the Foul is still alive, then he is not!¡±

    ¡°The Horcrux¡­¡± Ron repeated in a low voice, and there seemed to be a yearning in his tone. ¡°Like the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, this ck magic can help the wizard gain immortality.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same, Ron!¡± Hermione raised her eyebrows and exined, ¡°I read a lot of books about the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in my first year. It was the subject of the highest level research in ancient alchemy. There are many different kinds of stones, depending on the type. Nichs mel can make gold from his stone and make an elixir to help the body dy aging, but he is not really immortal. If he would receive a deadly blow, he will still die. ¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we all know that that stone was thest known magic stone, it has been destroyed by Dumbledore, and nobody can make a new one.¡± Ron followed and asked, ¡°So what about the Horcrux, what¡¯s its distinction in the history of magic?¡± ¡±

    ¡°The Horcrux is the most evil ck magic!¡± Hermione turned to look at Evan.

    After learning the method of making the Horcrux from the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡°, Evan had exined the operation principles of Horcruxes in detail to Hermione.

    When she saw Evan nodding his head, Hermione went on to say, ¡°Making a Horcrux requires splitting one¡¯s soul and storing its separated fragment in a specific container. As long as that container is not destroyed, the owner of the Horcrux can live forever, no matter how much damage he takes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like Voldemort¡­¡± Harry said suddenly, feeling strange.

    The thought of Voldemort splitting his soul and making Horcruxes, of Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary and Slytherin¡¯s Locket made him feel very bad.

    Ron shivered and looked pale when he heard the name of You-Know-Who.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s like Voldemort!¡± Hermione took a deep breath and continued. ¡°As long as his Horcruxes are notpletely destroyed, he is an immortal monster, no matter what form he is in now. That¡¯s why thest time we saw him, he could only stick behind Quirrell¡¯s head and rely on the blood of the unicorn to regain some strength. ¡±

    ¡°No matter what form he is in now¡­¡± Evan repeated Hermione¡¯s words.

    In his mind there was a scene of Voldemort clinging to a serpent and hiding in the shadow of Albania¡¯s Forest. He was now a monster.

    That¡¯s what he was. What about Herpo the Foul?!

    The temptation of immortality is too great. As the inventor of the Horcrux, Herpo had no reason not to make it.

    Or even worse, he might have had other wicked methods to help him achieve immortality. Perhaps, like transforming his body into a monster that could devour souls¡­

    Evan¡¯s heart sunk sharply as the terrible thought suddenly crossed his mind.

    The monster that he met in the underground ruins might be Herpo the Foul himself!

    In order to gain a powerful force, Voldemort had transformed his body. Herpo doing the same thing was not out of the question.

    After seeing the monster¡¯s creation on the rock walls, Evan had a familiar feeling. There were several key magic steps that were so simr to the steps of making a Horcrux. Even the magic used was very simr. The Horcrux was like a simplified version of it.

    The ck magic involved in that monster was obviously much higher than the Horcrux, and it was also more evil. As it said, itself, it was a God of Death.

    It controlled life, and relied on the power of the Horcrux to help Aragog dy death. If those human souls and magical creatures were the source and essence of that monster¡¯s power, then where would its own thoughts and soul stem from?!

    Recent studies of the Horcrux taught Evan that the soul could not be produced out of nothing, and it sources were fixed.

    One could either give a part of their own thinking to an object, like the Four Founders, or split a fragment of their own soul, like Voldemort.

    In short, the birth of a new consciousness muste from an existing soul.

    It was now almost a certainty that the monster was created by Herpo the Foul.

    Undoubtedly, its Horcrux should alsoe from Herpo and continue to execute his will.

    Or worse, it could be Herpo the Foul himself!

 Chapter 329: Events That MUST Be Prevented

    <h4>Chapter 329: Events That MUST Be Prevented</h4>

    That horrible monster was Herpo himself¡­

    This idea had been lingering in Evan¡¯s mind since it appeared.

    He thought about it. If he were an evil Dark wizard, then he would certainly never speak out about his most powerful ck magic.

    Even if he would¡¯ve written it down, he would certainly keep it secretly preserved.

    It could be inferred from this that the Horcrux was certainly not the most powerful and evil magic that Herpo the Foul had possessed.

    In every way imaginable, the steps involved in making the monster were very simr to the methods used in making the Horcrux.

    It wouldn¡¯t be that much of a stretch to say that the monster creating ck magic is an advanced version of a Horcrux.

    The only difference was that one was based on splitting his own unstable soul through murder, and the other was to murdering many people and collecting their souls and pouring them into one¡¯s body.

    Simr spells, radically different steps, how big would the difference be?!

    Evan was not sure about his conjunctures, as there was no way to verify them.

    However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt he was right.

    In this way, Herpo the Foul transformed his body into that evil creature and became an immortal existence. This was the amazing secret that Slytherin had discovered!

    That¡¯s why the Eyeball Monster controlled the Acromants to destroy all the key messages in the underground ruins for fear of revealing its identity¡­

    While Evan came to this conclusion, Harry, Ron and Hermione were still discussing issues rted to Horcruxes and specting about what Voldemort¡¯s remaining Horcruxes were.

    ¡°First of all, we must first determine the number of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes.¡± Hermione said thoughtfully, ¡°So far, we have destroyed two. There shouldn¡¯t be too much left. One does not simply split his soul too many times; he would go mad before he¡¯s through.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s if for normal wizards. Do you think that You-Know-Who is normal?!¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and said. ¡°If I were him, I would only split my soul once and hide it instead of splitting it over and over again and leaving my soul behind everywhere.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s obviously not normal¡­¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help but touch his scar.

    ¡°Like I said, whether it¡¯s You-Know-Who or the Dark wizard called Herpo, THEY ARE ALL ALREADY MAD.¡± Ron said, ¡°To live forever¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I suddenly thought of Herpo the Foul!¡± Hermione raised her voice and said, ¡°If his Horcrux had not been destroyed, then he must be alive, so where is he now? He wouldn¡¯t stay idle, watching Slytherin and other wizards enter his Lair and take away all his beloved treasures. ¡±

    Evan nodded. Hermione¡¯s words confirmed his conjecture again.

    But he couldn¡¯t speak his mind because he had no factual basis, and it was just too shocking.

    ¡°Maybe we can use this map.¡± Harry stared at the stones in Evan¡¯s hand. ¡°We can go and find the temple relics on it, all the mysteries¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, Harry!¡± Ron hurriedly interrupted him, saying uneasily. ¡°The site on this map is in ancient Greece. You don¡¯t want to venture there, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Harry lowered his voice and said disappointedly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about going abroad. I just hope to be separated from the Dursleys during the summer vacation.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Sirius invite you to live with him?¡± Hermione wondered.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he said, but Dumbledore disagreed. He asked me to keep living with the Dursleys every summer until I be an adult.¡± Harry waved his arm forcefully and said in frustration, ¡°I don¡¯t know how Dumbledore persuaded Sirius. Anyway, I¡¯m going back to the Dursleys this summer vacation.¡±

    Harry was in a low mood, and the topic changed directly from the discussion of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes and the wicked Dark wizard Herpo to concerns about the uing summer vacation.

    He was willing to pay any price just to get separated from the Dursleys.

    He did not understand why Dumbledore insisted that he should answer the Dursleys. Now that he had a godfather, he could live with Sirius.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Harry, with my knowledge of Sirius, he won¡¯t sit idle.¡± Evanforted Harry. ¡°Perhaps, he will live with you in your aunt¡¯s house. In due course, I can also visit every day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d so happily as well!¡± Ron followed. ¡°You know, this summer is the Quidditch World Cup final. This is the most important sports ever in the wizarding world. This year¡¯s cup will be held in Ennd. My dad will definitely get tickets, you cane to my house in advance, and we can go to the game together.¡±

    When it came to Quidditch, Harry¡¯s interest waspletely aroused.

    With the school Quidditch Cup final held, Hogwarts Magic Newspaper recently increased the collection and reporting of Quidditch rted news. Professor Lupin even hired reporters to give special interviews on the ongoing Quidditch World Cup under the delegation of Evan.

    Because of this, the Quidditch World Cup final, which was to be held in the summer vacation, had be a hot topic in the castle as early as possible, and many boys were discussing it over and over.

    Harry and Ron were discussing the possibility of Irnd¡¯s National Team winning, which was the favorite to win the championship.

    ¡°I think the Irish National Team will win. Their yers are all top performers in the professional league.¡± Harry said, ¡°They fly very well. Every time they trained, Wood gave us a special ount of the tactics they used.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, Harry! Irnd is really strong, but from thetest news, the biggest upset this year is the Bulgarian National Team, they found a talented Seeker- Viktor Krum!¡± Ron said cheerfully. ¡°It is said that he flies faster than a meteor. He always catches the Golden Snitch before anyone and even broke the world record. He is a legendary figure who suddenly emerged in the past two years¡­¡±

    Hermione was not involved in the conversation. She was not interested in the Quidditch game or Krum.

    Evan walked for a while, thinking about things rted to Krum.

    As a legendary Star that emerged in the past two years, Krum¡¯s reputation was much stronger than that of Evan. His magic power was also very strong, and he was very popr with girls.

    He was toe to Hogwarts next semester for the Triwizard Tournament.

    Evan remembered that at the Christmas ball, Hermione would be his partner¡­

    This couldn¡¯t happen. He secretly made up his mind that something had to be done to stop that.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Hermione suddenly came over and stared at Evan.

    ¡°No, nothing, it¡¯s about Quidditch¡­¡± Evan looked back, and some words could not be said to Hermione. He hurriedly avoided Hermione¡¯s suspicious eyes and shifted the subject. ¡°What do you think about the map on the Stone?¡±

 Chapter 330: Thoughts and Intentions

    <h4>Chapter 330: Thoughts and Intentions</h4>

    Hermione seemed to have noticed Evan¡¯s abnormality, and she stared at him again for a while.

    When Harry and Ron talked about the Bulgarian Seeker Krum, she clearly felt that Evan was distracted. Although he didn¡¯t say anything, but because she knew him well, Hermione sharply captured Evan¡¯s mood changes and general thoughts. He did not seem to want to let her know about Krum.

    This was really suspicious, was that Seeker a girl?! And if so, why didn¡¯t Evan want her know that she existed?

    As soon as the idea came to her mind, Hermione shook her head and almostughed at her ridiculous thoughts.

    Viktor Krum was clearly a male name, she immediately relieved herself. No matter how Evan knew him, and no matter what secrets there were between them that he couldn¡¯t let her know about, since Evan did not want to say it, then there was no need for her to continue questioning¡­

    After all, she believed in Evanpletely, unconditionally!

    Hermione didn¡¯t think much about it. In fact, if she knew Evan¡¯s worries and ns, she wouldugh at him for thinking too much.

    Let alone dating, she didn¡¯t even know who Krum was now.

    Hermione didn¡¯t know that the matter was rted to her, nor did she know that there would be an indescribable resentment between her and Krum in theing semester.

    In Evan¡¯s n, the Christmas ball should reach an unprecedented level and have an unprecedented impact in the history of Hogwarts.

    ¡°This map carved behind the stone is too strange. Since Slytherin intentionally left it in the underground ruins, it means it must be very important.¡± Feeling Hermione¡¯s eyes, Evan said stiffly, ¡°What message might he be trying to convey?¡±

    ¡°There might be something in this temple that Slytherin cared about very much.¡± Hermione also redirected her attention to the map, following Evan¡¯s line of thought, ¡°He didn¡¯t take it away because he was too hasty or for other reasons.¡±

    ¡°Good thought, Hermione, that¡¯s a great possibility. There¡¯s something in the temple that Slytherin was bound to get.¡± Evan admired, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but it should undoubtedly be very precious.¡±

    If Slytherin was interested in it, then the item must be of great importance.

    Considering the status of Herpo the Foul, Evan could imagine his most precious collection. He had many legendary magic items in his mind that he had seen in the history books of magic.

    ¡°Besides that, I think there is another possibility.¡± Evan kept his voice down and continued, ¡°You know, what I told you before¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean?!¡± Hermione raised her eyebrows.

    She thought of Evan telling her that he had brought back the ck magic books from the ck family collection, including even books on the Horcrux.

    Although she believed in Evan, this topic was too sensitive.

    Hermione, in particr, had just had a quarrel with Ron about it a few months ago. Ron thought he should tell the professors to stop Evan from studying Dark magic, but he had no evidence.

    At the persuasion of Harry and Hermione, Ron finally had to stop.

    The incident was over, but then the truth came out, and Hermione knew that Ron¡¯s guess was not just a fool¡¯s errand. On the contrary, all he said was right.

    As he said, Evan was studying evil ck magic.

    Hermione concentrated and told herself not to think nonsense.

    Evan had promised her that he would not use ck magic to do evil things and change his thinking.

    He used these ck magic books as a reference to study and create corresponding white magic.

    And indeed, Hermione fully believed in Evan, but in order to avoid unnecessary disturbances, she still didn¡¯t tell Harry and Ron for the time being.

    It wouldn¡¯t be toote to tell them when the time would be right.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. In those books, I learned the steps and methods of making the Horcrux.¡± Under Hermione¡¯s reluctant eyes, Evan looked at Harry and Ron sitting at the foot of the bed, still concentrating on the Quidditch game, then whispered, ¡°At the same time, I¡¯ve seen the monster and the ck magic carved on the rock walls to make it. That magic is very simr to the way the Horcrux is made. Many Spells are exactly the same.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, how can this be possible? What are you saying?¡± Hermione stared.

    ¡°It¡¯s still spection that the monster is very likely to be immortal,¡± said Evan. ¡°Maybe Slytherin left this map to tell us that it is only in this ancient temple could it bepletely eliminated.¡±

    ¡°What exactly should we do?¡± Hermione asked subconsciously.

    Because she was too agitated, her breathing was a little messy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, this is all spection. But I think it should have something to do with the dark red namete I finally picked up. It didn¡¯t appear until the monster disappeared.¡± Evan thought and said, ¡°I gave it to Dumbledore, and he might find out some clues.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we should find the location of the temple as soon as possible and tell Dumbledore about it!¡± Hermione nodded, looked at the stone carefully again and asked softly, ¡°Do you know where it is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been looking at it. I don¡¯t have any impression of the ce marked upon it.¡± Evan shook his head.

    For a moment, neither of them spoke again. They rearranged the broken stones, and the map above became more and moreplete.

    ¡°I have an idea!¡± Hermione squinted. ¡°Although a bit stupid, we can try topare this map with the map of ancient Greece. There are oceans, forests and deep canyons. The terrain is also very peculiar. There are not many ces to meet these conditions¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really a good idea. You can try it.¡± Evan nodded. ¡°Besides, we must continue to collect information about Herpo the Foul.¡±

    If possible, he would also like to find out the specific location of the monster¡¯s body and brain taken away by Slytherin, and be prepared for it. This matter might have something to do with vampires.

    But now that Dumbledore knew, he would definitely be prepared.

    Considering the gap between their intelligence ressources, if Dumbledore wanted to investigate, he would definitely find the remaining hidden parts of the monster before him.

    What Evan needed to do now was to record this map in his mind as soon as possible.

    ¡°The direction of this dotted line should lead to the right path. It seems to go through an underground passage in the middle.¡± His fingers groped forward on the back of the stone and he said softly, ¡°Only this direction is positive, and no other direction is possible. Although it is not clear what is drawn in front of it, there must be risks.¡±

 Chapter 331: Ronâ€™s Suggestion

    <h4>Chapter 331: Ron¡¯s Suggestion</h4>

    Evan took an old te and secretly recorded the route marked on the map.

    Hermione used a quill to record a few key positions on the map on the parchment, ready to go to the library to cope with books on ancient Greek geography.

    The ward was quiet and Harry and Ron looked at each other.

    ¡°Are you two still studying this thing?!¡± Ron said suddenly. ¡°Things are already very clear. It doesn¡¯t make sense to continue research¡­¡±

    ¡°How doesn¡¯t it make sense? This map shows the location of the ruins of the temple left by Herpo the Foul. If we find it, we can defeat the monster.¡± Hermione retorted, ¡°It¡¯s also helpful to defeat Voldemort. You know, it was Herpo the Foul who first invented the method of making the Horcrux.¡±

    ¡°Find out how to make a Horcrux, I can¡¯t see what that¡¯s good for.¡± Ron waved and raised his voice. ¡°What we need to understand now is how to destroy the remaining Horcruxes of You-Know-Who, not how they are made and how they work.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Harry agreed.

    Looking at the map above the te, he felt his scar hurt a little.

    He only felt such pain before when Voldemort appeared or approached him, which made Harry very uneasy, and he expected that something unknown was going to happen.

    If they continue to explore the secrets that Slytherin had left behind, terrible things were bound to happen.

    Harry shook his head forcefully and removed the thought from his mind.

    Although he also wanted to take risks and defeat the evil ck wizard, the situation was totally different now from half a year ago, and he was very satisfied with his current life.

    Although it was somewhat disappointing to return to the Dursleys during the summer vacation, he was not afraid of anything when thinking of Sirius, his godfather, apanying him.

    Looking at Evan, Ron and Hermione, and thinking of Sirius, Lupin, and Hagrid, Harry knew that he had never been happier than he was now.

    He wished that time would stop and that nothing would change. This fantasy, though childish, was indeed his greatest dream.

    ¡°We can talk to Sirius about this and listen to his opinions.¡± Harry suggested, rubbing his scar gently.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Hermione seemed to want to say something.

    ¡°Harry is right. It¡¯s beyond our capabilities.¡± Ron took a quick look at Evan before continuing, ¡°Hermione, I know you want to figure out how to make the Horcrux, and so do I. But my dad always said that it¡¯s dangerous to know everything. That¡¯s what the most evil Dark wizard would do. Although immortality is tempting, I would never study or use ck magic¡­¡±

    He said this strangely, as if to express his position.

    Hermione was stunned for a moment and didn¡¯t know how to answer Ron.

    In her opinion, the study of magic should be free, based on the spirit of inquiry to the end, and even ck magic should not be an exception.

    Needless to say, she would do so to defeat Voldemort, not to actually make a Horcrux.

    Hermione wanted to retort, but Ron said nothing wrong.

    Studying evil ck magic was very dangerous in itself.

    ¡°We should give Dumbledore the clues and the te to handle it.¡± Ron tried to understate, ¡°Otherwise, what are you going to do? We¡¯re just four twelve or thirteen-year-old wizards. Even if we know the location of the temple, we can¡¯t go there, can we?¡±

    There was a moment of silence. What he said was also realistic. They couldn¡¯t run to the mountains of Greece to find the remains of the evil Dark wizard.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I will tell Dumbledore about it.¡± Evan raised his head and said putting the stones in front of him in his own package.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why, he felt that Ron¡¯s state was a bit strange and that he seemed too determined.

    He knew that Ron never had such an attitude before.

    Just as he started feeling doubts, Evan calmed himself down and rxed again.

    Thinking about it from another angle, there was nothing really strange about it.

    After two consecutive Imperius Curses, Ron must have been very disgusted with ck magic, and his mental state should be sensitive to the extreme. In his opinion, all ck magic should be forbidden. Don¡¯t say use, even research was unforgivable.

    Evan could understand Ron¡¯s thoughts. If he had the same unfortunate experience, he might be even more extreme than him.

    Hermione had mentioned this to him before, and Evan didn¡¯t take it seriously.

    Now thinking about it, he decided to do it ording to what Hermione said, and not to go against Ron for the time being.

    Considering Ron¡¯s growth path and personality, Evan decided to adopt a softer approach, and more obscure ways to help his unconfident fragile friend.

    Moreover, he really couldn¡¯t go to ancient Greece to find the remains of Herpo the Foul. He should just capture this map in his mind for the time being, for it mighte in handy in the future.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re going to have the exam in June.¡± Hermione looked at Ron for a while before she continued, ¡°Do you need me to help you make a study schedule?¡±

    ¡°Come on, Hermione!¡± Harry shook his head in a hurry. ¡°It¡¯s still a long way from the exam. There¡¯s still more than a month to go. We have just won the Quidditch Cup, and Evan has just eliminated all the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest. We should take a break.¡±

    Ron shook his head in a hurry and returned to his old self.

    ¡°We have to review all the course content in the next month, so it is not enough time to do that.¡± Hermione said sharply, ¡°I don¡¯t worry much about Evan, but you two don¡¯t even remember the history of magic you took in the first year. If you don¡¯t want to repeat the year¡­¡±

    ¡°Rx, there are Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe!¡± said Harry. ¡°We will certainly do better than the three of them.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something happy,¡± Ron then said. ¡°We can go to Hogsmeade next weekend, where we can buy something for Evan.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to waste a whole day at Hogsmeade at this time.¡± Hermione took a copy of ¡®Numerology and Grammatica¡® out of her schoolbag.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the stones, she would have spent the afternoon in the ward with Evan reading the book.

    ¡°I feel that at my level, it is a waste of time to recite those spells and knowledge points on the book. They don¡¯t have much effect at all.¡± Ron blinked and said slowly, ¡°Maybe we can expect a sudden surge in magic like Evan, so we don¡¯t have to worry about test results.¡±

    Everyone looked at Ron in surprise and wondered what he was talking about.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand yet?!¡± Ron¡¯s gaze slid over Harry¡¯s and Hermione¡¯s faces, deliberately dodging and not looking at Evan. He exined, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve fulfilled the requirements of the Centaurs, we can go to them and take out the Secret Treasure Key left by Gryffindor¡­¡±

 Chapter 332: Evanâ€™s Recovery Time

    <h4>Chapter 332: Evan¡¯s Recovery Time</h4>

    ¡°Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure Key?!¡± Harry was surprised.

    ¡°We all know that the item he left behind in the Centaurs¡¯ colony has strong magic power, which can help us to enhance our magic power. Sirius and Professor Lupin, with the help of that thing, made the Marauder¡¯s Map.¡± Ron nodded and said, ¡°Think about it, Harry! If we get more magical power, we won¡¯t have to worry about the uing exams. Hermione and Evan, you can also use that thing¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Ron!¡± Hermione interrupted him and said sharply, ¡°That¡¯s cheating. That can¡¯t be done, absolutely not!¡±

    ¡°What can¡¯t be done? With the help of Slytherin¡¯s Locket, Evan¡¯s magic has increased dramatically.¡± Ron whispered, ¡°I haven¡¯t heard you say anything about that¡­¡±

    ¡°This is not the same, Evan was already very powerful, he can control such sudden bursts in magical power, but we are not the same.¡± Hermione looked at Ron and said, ¡°What¡¯s more, he can pass the exam without relying on any magic items to cheat.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother thinking about it!¡± Evan interposed, ¡°Sirius just told me he thought we should go to the Centaurs¡¯ colony after all the exams, he also needs time to prepare DADA exams for all the sses.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw him discuss it in his correspondence with Professor Lupin before,¡± said Harry. ¡°Sirius wants to test our actualbat ability in the grade exam. He has been very busy recently and it seems like he wants to use some Dark creatures.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help the three of you make a study schedule. If we start now, everything will be in time.¡± Hermione pointed at some parchment with her wand.

    She started with the lessons of Evan, Harry and Ron, as well as specific review arrangements.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Ron said in frustration, ¡°I just made a suggestion. Since Sirius didn¡¯t get the item, we wouldn¡¯t necessarily get it either.¡±

    ¡°No one knows what will happen without trying.¡± Evan whispered, his eyes sparkling.

    The truth was, after seeing Slytherin¡¯s practice in the deep ruins of the earth, he looked forward to the magic left by Gryffindor. He wanted to see what the great wizard, who was as famous as Szar Slytherin, would have prepared for them.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s probably easier said than done.¡± Ron looked at Hermione making a review n, and whispered, ¡°Since all four of us are students of Gryffindor House, in theory, there is a possibility of getting that item.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s obvious!¡± He went on to say, ¡°The Sorting Hat inherits some of the thoughts of the Four Founders and can see the innate qualities of the young wizards. When it sorted us into the Gryffindor House, it meant that the four of us have been recognized by Gryffindor, so the item he left behind¡­¡±

    That afternoon, Ron kept talking about it.

    It could be seen that he was very concerned about the Secret Treasure Key left by Gryffindor, hoping to enhance his strength as quickly and easily as Evan.

    In fact, not only Ron, but Evan, Harry and Hermione were also very concerned about Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure Key, and the rest of their conversion was focused on that topic.

    It was more tempting than an adventure full of dangers and uncertainties.

    They had fulfilled the requirements of the Centaurs, and now it was time to reap the fruits.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    After that day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to the school hospital every afternoon. With Evan, they discussed and reviewed the exam contents.

    Hermione lent herst year¡¯s study notes to Evan, which analyzed in detail the important contents of the second year course and possible test points. That helped him a lot.

    Last year, because of the Basilisk, the school canceled the school year exam. These notes were naturally not used.

    Evan was confident that with Hermione¡¯s notes and his own fast learning capabilities, he would be the first in his ss and leave behind a record score that should be hard to surpass.

    As time went by, the school hospital returned to calm, but the news of Evan and Malfoy¡¯s injuries spread quickly throughout Hogwarts.

    This event reced the just-finished Quidditch Finals to be the hottest topic.

    That afternoon, Goyle and Crabbe, riding the Hippogriff, Buckbeak, panicked and flew back to the school for help, and were seen by many people.

    Everyone was very curious, wondering what happened in the depths of the underground.

    No matter with rtionship with Evan was ever simple. Were their opponents just Acromants this time? Or were there more horrible monsters?

    Rumors and gossip spread quickly in the castle, especially after knowing that Evan had saved Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe. Malfoy, in addition to being bitten by a spider, had also been affected by evil ck magic, and had now been sent to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. All the young wizards¡¯ interests were raised to the highest level.

    It wasmon sense that Acromants were fierce and powerful, but they should never be able to cast ck magic!

    There must¡¯ve been other more evil creatures inside that cave. Most people thought that Evan had defeated his opponent, making it once again through an amazing adventure.

    Under these circumstances, everyone rushed into the school hospital to see Evan, and the rehabilitation cards flew in like snowkes. Many girls hoped that he would recover soon.

    Because there were so many people who came to visit Evan, the normal operation of the school hospital was affected, and Madam Pomfrey had to keep them all out.

    In the end, even Harry, Ron, and Hermione could note in.

    Everyone who wanted to visit Evan had to get a professor¡¯s handwritten approval. Evan never thought he was so popr.

    He now enjoyed the same treatment as the Library¡¯s restricted section¡¯s books.

    Sirius prepared a whole lot of notes for Harry, Ron and Hermione. In addition to them, Evan also saw Hagrid, Colin, Ginny, Luna and Cho Chang.

    He did not expect to see Cho. She got the approval from Professor Flitwick and sat alone with him for the whole morning when she did not have ss.

    It was really boring to be alone in the ward, so having a beautiful girl to apany him was actually very nice. Evan naturally weed all theers.

    That morning, they talked a lot, and got to know each other better¡­

 Chapter 333: School Year Exams

    <h4>Chapter 333: School Year Exams</h4>

    Unlike Hermione, Ginny, and Luna, Cho was a sentimental girl.

    Besides magic and Quidditch, she also cared about many things, like an ordinary Muggle girl, not a wizard.

    She said a lot to Evan, words Hermione would never say.

    This feeling was very special. It impressed Evan deeply, making him somewhat fond of the beautiful girl.

    But Cho only visited him once. Hagrid often came. Because of the matter of Acromants, he had been in a bad state recently. He looked haggard and always cried out without alert. He returned to the way he looked before Buckbeak was sentenced.

    So far, he was the only person who insisted that Aragog was harmless.

    In Hagrid¡¯s words, Aragog was different from other Acromants. The attack was not its intention, but its children acted on their own.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how tofort Hagrid, but just kept his promise to hand over Aragog to him. Without the help of dark energy, this old spider couldn¡¯t live long either way.

    After seeing Aragog in the bottle, Hagrid cried again with Evan in his arms, thanking him infinitely for saving his ¡°friend¡±.

    Dumbledore had told Hagrid that Aragog¡¯s Lair hadpletely copsed.

    He thought that Aragog died inside, and did not expect Evan to bring it out.

    To thank Evan, Hagrid came to the school hospital many times after that, and brought him thetest news of Aragog, as well as homemade rock cakes and fruitcakes.

    What these cakes had inmon was that they were all as hard as stones.

    Evan would never touch them at all, for he wasn¡¯t trying to get rid of his teeth.

    In fact, he no longer cared about Aragog and the Acromants. After this incident, the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest were also badly damaged.

    The number of surviving spiders was very small, and Evan estimated that they could not recover their losses in the following ten years.

    Because of the surge in his magic, Evan stayed in the school for a long time.

    With the help of the strange capacity contained in Slytherin¡¯s Locket, his current magic level was very close to that of Sirius and Snape.

    Considering his magic and practical abilities alone, he could easily graduate from Hogwarts.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s words, besides Tom Riddle, Evan was already the best student at Hogwarts in recent centuries. Dumbledore allowed Evan to leave the hospital after checking that there was no problem and repeatedly warned him to use his power carefully.

    By this time, it was already June.

    Now, the days became cloudless and sultry, and what everyone felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps ying a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of theke.

    But they couldn¡¯t. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead ofzing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows.

    The party that weed Evan out of hospital was also much smaller than expected. Everyone just drunk a few sses of juice in the Common Room and were driven away by Percy.

    Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s, the highest qualification Hogwarts offered.

    Everyone knew that he wanted to enter the Ministry of Magic.

    Therefore, he needed top grades. He was bing increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the Common Room in the evenings.

    Because of the uing school year exam, everyone was nervous and busy. Even Fred and George did not have the time to pull off their pranks; the new product research was suspended. They could only be spotted studying; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels).

    Driven by Hermione, Evan, who had just been discharged from the hospital, quickly entered a state of intense studying.

    He was surrounded by Harry, Ron, Colin and others with the same sad faces.

    Exam week began and an unnatural hush fell over the castle.

    The first exam in the second and third years was Transfiguration. The third years started first. Their task was to turn a teapot into a tortoise.

    Just arrived in Transfiguration ssroom, Evan saw that the third years emerged from Transfiguration, limp and ashen-faced.

    They wereparing results and bemoaning the difficulty of the tasks they had been set.

    ¡°Well, Hermione?¡± Evan saw Hermioneing out from inside.

    ¡°Not so good, my tortoise looked more like a turtle!¡± she said with a big fuss, ¡°Professor McGonagall will deduct points for me¡­¡±

    ¡°You are already very good, Hermione!¡± Harry said weakly, ¡°At least, you¡¯ve got the tortoise. If I could have the same, I¡¯d be satisfied. Mine still had a spout for a tail, what a nightmare¡­¡±

    ¡°Were the tortoises supposed to breathe steam?¡± Ron said hopefully.

    ¡°Unless Professor McGonagall is under the confusing spell, she certainly will not think so.¡± Hermione waved to Evan. ¡°See you in the Great Hallter. We¡¯re going to take Charms exam.¡±

    After saying goodbye to Hermione, Evan went into the ssroom with the other sophomores.

    Professor McGonagall stood solemnly beside the podium, and exuded invisible pressure. She pouted and asked everyone to turn the beetles on the table into buttons.

    It was also the content of the primary Transfiguration, which was much easier than turning a teapot into a tortoise.

    Just concentrate, wave your wand up gently, and think about what you want to make in your mind. Evan finished just as the voice of Professor McGonagall fell.

    He turned the ck beetle in front of him into a delicate bronze button with exquisite and intricate decorative patterns.

    ¡°Well done, Mr. Mason!¡± Professor McGonagall¡¯s face showed a seldom smile, very proud of her student. ¡°Full marks, no problem.¡±

    The other young wizards all looked enviously at Evan and the button in front of him before they waved their wands. No one could do as well as Evan did. Transfiguration was the most difficult of all the courses in the lower years. Colin spent a long time there, just getting the beetle exercise.

    The beetle ran around the table, hiding from the wand and he couldn¡¯t point at it.

    A Hufflepuff student was even more unlucky. When he grabbed the escaped beetle, he identally squashed it.

    Professor McGonagall was unhappy that he had to ask for another one.

    At this point, many people really began to admire Evan¡¯s superb strength.

    During the remaining time, Evan, who had nothing to do, took out the history of magic textbook and reviewed it for a while. Their second exam was History of Magic.

    Professor Binns¡¯s questions were always very difficult. Even Hermione, who had memorized all the contents of the book, was not sure she would get full marks.

 Chapter 334: Evanâ€™s History of Magic Exa

    <h4>Chapter 334: Evan¡¯s History of Magic Exa</h4>

    m

    Unlike with The Transfiguration exam when he finished first, Evan was thest to hand in the paper in the History of Magic exam.

    He wrote for two hours and a half. At the end of the day, the young wizards in the whole ss stared at him, stunned. Even Professor Cuthbert Binns was very surprised.

    They didn¡¯t know how Evan could write so much, which was beyond imagination.

    He could have finished the whole exam within an hour, but thest essay question on Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century aroused Evan¡¯s interest.

    He discussed this with Harry back in thest summer vacation.

    Recent studies of magic handed down from the Middle Ages had given him a deeper understanding of this aspect.

    Generally speaking, the wizardmunity generally believed that Witch Burning was pointless.

    Muggles were particrly afraid of magic and witchcraft in Medieval times.

    But they were not very good at recognizing magic. On the rare asion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever.

    The witch or wizard would perform a basic me Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation. Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty-seven times in various disguises.

    These facts were quoted word for word from ¡®A History of Magic¡®, written by the magical historian Bathilda Bagshot, and also represented the views of the vast majority of people.

    As long as this content was written on the test paper, Evan would get full marks.

    However, through recent research, he believed that Bagshot ¡®s argument was very one-sided.

    The witch-hunt behavior dominated by the Vatican was not as simple as the magic world now imagined. Evan thought it was a conspiracy.

    After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the whole of Europe entered the darkest Middle Ages.

    Humanity had declined, morality had copsed, productivity was developing slowly, and Muggles¡¯ fear of the unknown and fear of witchcraft had reached its peak in history.

    The old sacred empire was divided into many countries, and the magic power was also divided. A lot of heretical magic about ancient warlocks and wizards was spread in Europe.

    Perennial melee between Muggles also allowed magic, especially ck magic, to develop rapidly. Among them, the demon spells that explored the eternal life or summoned dead spirits used by the newly emerging Dark wizards led by the traditional Vatican wizards were the fastest growing.

    ording to the clues that had been preserved, these two kinds of magic had inmon that they required arge number of human souls or corpses as the basis for casting.

    Especially the souls and corpses of underage women, they were the best casting materials.

    As mentioned before, in this case, the outbreak of Witch Hunting did not actually lead to the deaths of many real witches, but Muggle women were the ones to suffer extensive persecution.

    The campaignsted for hundreds of years and eventually evolved into a terrorist act. Many Muggle girls were dubbed as witches, and were sent to religious trial courts.

    They were executed, but their souls and corpses were secretly collected by Dark wizards.

    Ironically, out-of-control witch-hunting action couldn¡¯t harm the real adult wizards, but it had destroyed the underage wizards who had just awakened their strength. Many Muggle-born children were brutally murdered by their rtives just after they showed their magical talents. Muggles called it the Power of the Devil.

    This had led to the number of these wizards decreasing with time, and eventually to their demise.

    More and more ancient wizarding schools had be extinct because they could not find suitable Heirs. The powerful magic of the ancient times was being turned into ashes little by little.

    The magic world was bing more and more depressed, and the status of the pure blood wizard family was getting higher and higher. Three hundred years after the outbreak of Witch Hunting, with the rise of colonialism and the introduction of mysterious witchcraft in the New World and the East, this terrorist act gradually ceased.

    The International Statute of Secrecy, which was signed in 1689, was regarded as an important milestone in the development of the magic world. Necromancy and demonic ck magic were re-tabooed and could not be studied. All magic books were destroyed and wizards wentpletely into hiding

    They were no longer involved in the Muggle war, but had developed on their own to this day.

    Because the exam time was limited, Evan could only sketch out his own research results, and couldn¡¯t carry them out one by one. And still, his answer shocked everyone.

    In any case, this was a study of the history of magic that was enough to shake the entirety magic world.

    If it weren¡¯t for the taboo nature of the subject of ck magic, Evan could even provide his own proof for the evolution of hundreds of ck magic spells.

    Even so, Professor Binns was stunned for a long time after he saw Evan¡¯s paper.

    Too excited, his translucent ghost body became obviously pale red.

    Other young wizards looked sideways to see what Evan had written on the test paper, which could actually make Professor Binns so gaffe.

    Because of its great research value, Evan finally got 120 points in the history of magic exam, and the extra points were awarded by Professor Binns. This new record in Hogwarts was to be the hottest topic in the castle.

    Of course, that was all to urter. Evan was walking with Colin to the Great Hall.

    Unlike before, the third years were now all in high spirits and looked very excited.

    Hermione¡¯s previous prediction was very urate, and Professor Flitwick did indeed test the third years on Cheering Charms.

    Evan didn¡¯t see Harry and Ron. Hermione told him that it was because Harry slightly overdid his out of nerves, and Ron ended up in fits of hystericalughter. Professor Flitwick had to lead him away to his office and let him calm down before he was ready to perform the charm himself.

    Halfway through lunch, Harry and Ron were able to get to the Great Hall.

    They looked very haggard, not looking like they¡¯ve been subject to the Cheering Charm at all.

    ¡°Very bad!¡± Ron shook his head and said, ¡± Maybeughing took too much of my energy. Maybe I was too nervous to cast spells. In short, my Cheering Charm didn¡¯t work. Harry just pretended to be Happy, Professor Flitwick clearly saw through it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, this magic is very difficult.¡± Harry said weakly, ¡°I did feel happy at the time, but it was not that strong.¡±

    Harry¡¯s statement was not convincing. He didn¡¯t look happy at all at the moment.

    ¡°I told you before that when you cast a spell, your wand waved in the wrong direction!¡± Hermione looked at Ron and said, ¡°Obviously, you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡±

    ¡°But when I used this Charm before, it all came into effect. I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°You should be thankful that Professor Flitwick won¡¯t give you zero points.¡± Hermione took out the Potions textbook and said sharply, ¡°But if you do this again on the Potions exam tomorrow, I¡¯m sure Snape would never let it pass.¡±

 Chapter 335: Mars and the Dark Temple

    <h4>Chapter 335: Mars and the Dark Temple</h4>

    Hermione¡¯s advice to Ron also applied to Harry.

    Unless Harry did much better than the others, and was impable, he would never be treated fairly by Snape.

    Snape wouldn¡¯t miss any chance to give Harry a zero, especially considering his recent mood. Even if he gave all Gryffindor a zero, Evan would not be surprised.

    After dinner, the students hurried back to their Common Rooms, not to rx, but to start preparing for the following exams.

    The second years had Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Astronomy. The third years and above students had Care for Magical Creatures, Divination, and Muggle Studies along with other courses.

    Evan saw Fred and George sitting in the corner in deep thought. They were studying how to use quill pens for cheating in the hope of making a difference.

    The following morning, Evan went to take the Charms exam, and Harry went to the Care of Magical Creatures exam presided by Hagrid. Everyone felt pretty good.

    Professor Flitwick was a very nice professor. He would give all the young wizards marks that were as high as possible.

    Thing were even better with Hagrid, his test was to let everyone take care of Flobberworms. To pass the test, their flobberworms had to still be alive at the end of one hour.

    As flobberworms flourished best if left on their own, it was the easiest exam any of them had ever taken.

    But in the afternoon Potions ss, the situation turned sharply. For all Gryffindor students, it was a disaster.

    The second years¡¯ Potions test was about the Cure for Boils, the third years¡¯ was about the Confusing Concoction, and Snape had been hanging around Gryffindor, disregarding the actions of the students from the other three Houses.

    It wouldn¡¯t be hard to imagine; students trying their best to recall the recipes and the preparation steps, with Snape, wearing a ck robe, standing over their heads like an eagle with a sneer on his face and a gloating look, anticipating their failure.

    He would also write on his notebook from time to time, moving the quill pen in a circr motion. How bad it would be? It could only be described in one word: horrible!

    Apart from Evan, Snape did not spare any Gryffindor students.

    He just nced at the potion Evan cooked up.

    His potion showed a light green color, and a hazy mist appeared out, and the color was perfect and impable.

    Snape didn¡¯t say anything, and turned his head directly to see Colin¡¯s work.

    Wednesday morning meant Herbology. The content of the exam was to help Mandrake to squeeze the juice. Everyone did a good job. As long as they were brave enough, they would act as quick as necessary and there would be no problem.

    Staying in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun did not feelfortable. When they came out, everyone¡¯s back neck was sunburnt.

    Then came Astronomy at midnight, all the young wizards below the fifth year took part.

    They put on their cloaks, climbed up to the tallest tower, looked up at the night sky, and marked it on their own Astrological map.

    Sincest year, Mars in the sky had been very bright.

    Although Evan could recite all the meanings Mars stood for, he still couldn¡¯t make much sense out of this course.

    Like Divination, textbooks were of limited help to this course. The essence of Astrology lied in the ability to summarize the past andprehend mystery. Astrologers had been giving different meanings through thousands of years of continuous observation.

    This also meant that if he wanted to get high marks in this course, he needed to carefully read most of the books in the library.

    Moreover, he had to have a great deal of insight to understand the signs of thes.

    This might be easier for the Centaurs. But for human wizards, it was very difficult to do that.

    Take the unusual Mars in thest two years as an example. This red was linked to different meanings in different historical periods. Needless to say, you have tobine the position of others, the changes in the star map, and the energy it emits during the oscitions, and so on.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if other people had this ability. He couldn¡¯t do it anyway. He could only rush to draw the position of the tonight on the Astrological map.

    While they were observing thes, the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest were also observing.

    ¡°A harbinger from Mars¡­¡± The old voice sounded in the depths of the mysterious temple. ¡°War ising. Can the Centaurs be spared this time?!¡±

    In the open air room at the top of the temple, the Centaurs¡¯ elder looked up at the stars quietly.

    In front of him was a statue of a strange creature. Its huge body was unusually spectacr, most of it was hidden in the darkness, and its exact shape could not be seen clearly.

    In the midst of the gloom, it seemed that the huge statue could be discerned vaguely and seemed to split in the middle.

    Nobody knew what had happened there. At the top of the statue, a red gem was shining faintly, echoing the bright Mars in the distant night sky.

    ¡°Stupid Centaur, I am about to return to the world¡­¡± The voice of the elder of the Centaur just fell, and a strange voice sounded. ¡°Cry and tremble, you can¡¯t change anything, pride will destroy you!¡±

    The red light on the statue shed a few times, and the temple was restored to tranquility.

    By the dim starlight, the wrinkles on the face of the Centaurs¡¯ elder could be seen getting deeper and its sighs echoed in the temple for a long time¡­.

    For those not taking Ordinary Wizarding Levels test and Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, as long as they passed Thursday¡¯s exam, their hardships would end.

    For the first and second year students, Thursday morning¡¯s Defence Against the Dark Arts exam was to be thest one. Students in the third year or above also needed to prepare for Divination and Arithmancy.

    Sirius¡¯s careful preparation obviously impressed everyone. Unlike other courses, Professor Lupin suggested that he take a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun. He prepared a lot of Dark creatures, including Kelpies, Red Caps, a Boggart, etc., a lot more than expected, and it was not clear where he found them.

    Depending on their age, students had to face different numbers of Dark creatures.

    Sophomores had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk.

    Thest thing to face was an old trunk with a Boggart in it. Students of the third year or above had to participate. The young wizards of the first and second years were free to choose.

    If they would beat the Boggart, they could get extra points.

    ¡°Very good, perfect score!¡± When Evan climbed out of the trunk, he saw Sirius staring at him with a smile.

    Evan did not leave immediately; he was willing to watch the performance of other people.

    The third-years exam was next, and he wanted to cheer for Hermione.

 Chapter 336: Departure to the Centaursâ€™ Colony

    <h4>Chapter 336: Departure to the Centaurs¡¯ Colony</h4>

    Evan was thest one of the second years. Behind him was Ron. He did very well until he reached the Hinkypunk. While his performance before that was somewhat rushed, it was generally passable.

    But then, the Hinkypunk¡¯s misleading directions confused him into sinking waist-deep into the quagmire.

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity. Ron must have mistaken the Hinkypunk¡¯sntern as a destination. This is a very easy mistake.¡± Sirius said with regret, ¡°If he were in a real swamp, he would be in serious trouble now.¡±

    Evan saw that he gave Ron eighty points, which was already very high. Normally, Ron failed halfway through and should not get such a score.

    Like Snape, Sirius was unconditionally biased towards Gryffindor. Here, all Slytherin students scored very low, just as Gryffindor never got high scores at Snape. In a way, the two courses made up for each other.

    After Ron was Malfoy, he just returned to Hogwarts two days ago, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with him apart from him being paler than usual.

    Evan had previously worried that the magic of the monster directly acting on the soul would have an irreversible effect on Malfoy, but that did not seem to be the case now.

    He performed very well, but he had a big trouble with the Boggart.

    It was quiet in the trunk for five minutes, and Malfoy did note out.

    When Evan and Sirius went in and rescued him, he was shivering in the corner and sobbing in a low voice.

    Not surprisingly, what Malfoy feared most was the eyeball monster.

    Sirius was apparently stunned when he first saw the creature, and then waved his wand to drive the Boggart into the dark trunk.

    Goyle and Crabbe came awkwardly and took Malfoy to sit down.

    Ron was thereughing loudly at Malfoy¡¯s performance. Although he was covered with mud, Malfoy was even more shameful than he was, bursting into tears.

    ¡°I have never really seen or heard of such a horrible creature.¡± Sirius did not hesitate toy a zero on Malfoy¡¯s paper and said in disgust, ¡°I think that Slytherin was absolutely mad to hide such a monster around school.¡±

    ¡°It is the magical creation of Herpo the Foul, the wickedest Dark wizard in history. The souls and flesh blood of countless human beings and other creatures were put into making it.¡± Evan said slowly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen the message on the te in Dumbledore¡¯s office?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯d better stop meddling in this matter.¡± Sirius simply replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no matter what it is, Dumbledore will handle it. This is not something that you young wizards can participate in. It¡¯s more evil than usual¡­¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t talk. In any case, he nned to go to the Temple marked on the stone to see it, but he didn¡¯t want to argue with Sirius about it.

    He shifted the topic. ¡°By the way, how did you find these Dark creatures?¡±

    In fact, Evan was really curious. Sirius had prepared much more Dark creatures for the exam than Professor Lupin had left behind.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t really hard. These guys were lurking in the shadows deep in the Forbidden Forest. They are eager to see what they can do to the creatures passing by. They can always be found if you look for them.¡± Sirius pointed to the one-legged Hinkypunk and said, ¡°For example, this guy hides in arge marsh north of the Centaurs¡¯ colony.¡±

    ¡°The marsh on the north side of the Centaurs¡¯ colony?¡± Evan was surprised.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been there yet. It¡¯s in the deepest part of the Forbidden Forest. You have to cross a mountainous area.¡± ¡°Sirius turned his head and looked at Evan,¡± I repeat, stop thinking about Herpo the Foul, Slytherin and that monster. I know you guys can¡¯t afford to be idle. There must be something wrong with being soissez-faire. So I¡¯m going to take you four to the Centaurs¡¯ colony to try to challenge Gryffindor¡¯s test. When will you be ready? ¡±

    ¡°We can leave at any time!¡± Evan waved his wand and sent out a colorful spark. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been in good shapetely.¡± ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Sirius nodded not showing any expression on his face.

    After Evan came out of the school hospital fully recovered, Sirius had a duel with Evan, who was growing in strength. The duel unexpectedly ended up with a tie, which made Sirius feel so embarrassed. It was simply unthinkable that he couldn¡¯t suppress a 12-year-old wizard.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Sirius would feel if he was to let him know that he held back the duel, and did not use the many powerful ck magic spells he mastered.

    ¡°Harry and Ron have Divination exam in the afternoon. Hermione has Arithmancy!¡± Sirius said. ¡°We can set off after dinner. The Centaurs are used to night activities. If we go fast, I think we can be back before midnight.¡±

    ¡°I will inform themter, at six o¡¯clock in the evening, we will wait for you at Hagrid¡¯s Hut!¡± Evan nodded and said that he could not wait to go to the Centaurs¡¯ tribe.

    ¡°Remember, make sure that Harry brings his invisibility cloak.¡± Sirius said, ¡°We¡¯re in a secret operation this time. Don¡¯t let anyone else find out.¡±

    During the conversation, Harry hadpleted all the challenges.

    He did very well, handeling every Dark creature in the right way, and Sirius gave him full marks.

    Behind Harry was Hermione, who did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the Boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

    ¡°Hermione!¡± Evan hurriedly held her and asked, startled. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°P¡­P¡­, Professor McGonagall!¡± Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. ¡°Sh¡­ she said I¡¯d failed everything!¡±

    For Hermione, who was focused on getting first ce, it was absolutely the most horrible thing. She even forgot that it was just a Boggart.

    It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When atst she had regained a grip on herself, she, Evan, Harry, and Ron went back to the castle.

    Ron was still slightly inclined tough at Hermione¡¯s Boggart, but his attention was quickly diverted. Evan told them about the conversation he had just had with Sirius, and asked them to get ready to meet at the castle gate at night.

    ¡°So we¡¯re going to the Centaurs¡¯ colony tonight to get that powerful magic item left by Gryffindor?¡± Ron asked excitedly.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan continued. ¡°Harry, bring your invisibility cloak, Sirius specifically told us that we should not be seen by anyone else.¡±

 Chapter 337: Arithmancy and Controversy

    <h4>Chapter 337: Arithmancy and Controversy</h4>

    The topic continued until the four of them finished their lunch in the Great Hall.

    ¡°What shall we do when we get that item?¡± Ron looked at the Forbidden Forest and said uncertainly, ¡°Since the power of that thing helped Sirius make the Marauder¡¯s Map, maybe it can help us improve our magic¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea. Strength should be umted a little by itself, rather than relying on the promotion of magic items!¡± Hermione frowned and said, ¡°Besides, we won¡¯t necessarily get that thing. Sirius said it was a very difficult test.¡±

    ¡°With Evan there, no test will be a problem.¡± Ron said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s more, all four of us are students of the Gryffindor House, since it¡¯s something he left behind¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, the same words¡­. you¡¯ve said it many times before, we can talk about this topic after the exam is over.¡± Hermione turned a heavy magic book out of her schoolbag, ¡°No matter what Gryffindor had left behind, all I want now is to revise Arithmancy before the exam.¡±

    Hermione waved to Evan and Harry, turned around and walked in the direction of the library.

    ¡°She must be mad, isn¡¯t she?!¡± Ron said with surprise. ¡°With Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure Key and the adventure of the Centaurs¡¯ colony ahead of us, how could she only think about her exam results?¡±

    ¡°I think Hermione is right.¡± Harry said with concern. ¡°Now that we¡¯ve done poorly on some exams, Divination is a very important chance, but I don¡¯t know anything about it. I can¡¯t see the future through the mist¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, we all know!¡± Ron tipped his thumb to Professor Trwney¡¯s tower and said contemptuously, ¡°She¡¯s an outright fraud.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Harry, ¡°but I hope she doesn¡¯t score too low.¡±

    ¡°Professor Trwney likes to hear people predict tragic things.¡± Evan suggested, ¡°If you can¡¯t see anything in the crystal ball for a while, you can make up something like what she¡¯s been talking about, clubs, falcons, etc.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what we need.¡± Ron agreed. ¡°Predicting that we¡¯ll suffer misfortune, that death and fear will go hand in hand¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the exam and meet in the Common Roomter,¡± said Harry.

    Looking at their backs, Evan shook his head.

    Not surprisingly, next year, he should be like them, relying on fabricating his own unfortunate future to satisfy Professor Trwney and pass Divination test.

    He should be like them next year, relying on fabricating his own unfortunate future, hoping to make Professor Trwney satisfied and pass the Divination test.

    After separating from Harry and Ron, Evan returned to the Common Room alone. Because all the exams for the first and second years were over, the atmosphere in the Common Room was very rxed. Everyone gathered to talk andugh and discuss their achievements.

    Evan did not join in. He reviewed several articles to be submitted to the ¡®Hogwarts Magic¡¯, and yed a few sets of wizard chess with Colin. When the sky gradually darkened, the others started to go to dinner, and he waited for a while, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to the Common Room.

    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± Evan stood up and asked.

    ¡°It was a mess!¡± Harry replied. ¡°Except for the scars on the table, I didn¡¯t see anything in the crystal ball, so I made up some stuff.¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡± Ron followed, ¡°I said I was going to meet a Centaur tonight. I don¡¯t think she was convinced. She kept asking me if I was going to be killed by the Centaur and such nonsense.¡±

    ¡°I told you long ago that Divination is a waste of time. Next year, you two should study Arithmancy with me!¡± Hermionemented, ¡°Compared with the vain Divination, Arithmancy is very organized, and everything is analyzed in the evolution of numbers.¡±

    ¡°Give me a break, we can¡¯t cope with it!¡± Ron shook his head again and again. ¡°Those numbers seem like a headache, like Muggles¡¯ learning content. I know they call it science. Think about it. How can a normal wizard ept these things?¡±

    ¡°Numbers are the charm of Arithmancy.¡± Hermione was relentless.

    ¡°Only those Muggle madmen could learn such things, I can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°RON!¡± Hermione said dissatisfiedly, raising the volume.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down to dinner. We can talk about it on the way. It¡¯s a long way to the Centaurs¡¯ colony deep in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Evan hurriedly interrupted, ¡°Let¡¯s go; we shouldn¡¯t make Sirius wait for us too long.¡±

    Hermione hesitated a bit and seemed very concerned about Ron¡¯s evaluation of Arithmancy, especially when he said only Muggle madmen would learn it.

    But in the end, she said nothing.

    Harry returned to his bedroom and took the invisibility cloak. They went down with others to have dinner, but did not return to the Gryffindor Tower after that.

    Evan asked Colin to cover for them, and the four tread carefully for a while.

    Harry hid the invisibility cloak under the front of his robe, and he had to cross his arms all the time to hide the bulging it made in his clothes.

    They sneaked into an empty ssroom near the dim front hall, leaned on the door and listened for a while until they were sure there was no one nearby.

    ¡°I can transform, you three use the invisibility cloak!¡± After Evan finished, he turned into a ck cat.

    ¡°This is really cool; I also want to learn Animagus Transfiguration.¡± Ron said enviously, looking at Evan, who became a ck cat.

    ¡°Then you need a deep theoretical foundation of Transfiguration, and powerful magic as a support for your first transformation.¡± Hermione said casually. ¡°This is a very esoteric magic, not to mention the underage wizard, many powerful wizards can¡¯t do this.¡±

    ¡°But, did Evan did it?!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s strong enough to master sudden powerful magic.¡± Hermione bluntly said, because of Arithmancy, she was still angry with Ron, ¡°And you are different. Don¡¯t talk about such magic and profound metamorphosis. You don¡¯t even want to understand simple numbers. I think what you need now is to read more books instead of fantasizing about mastering such illusory and profound magic¡­¡±

    Ron¡¯s ears were obviously red at Hermione¡¯s words.

    Evan jumped over Hermione¡¯s shoulder and motioned her to calm down and not to go too far.

    Because of Hermione¡¯s outbreak, the atmosphere was slightly awkward. Ron blushed and seemed to want to apologize to Hermione, but opened his mouth and actually said nothing.

    After a while, Harry lowered his voice and said, ¡°There¡¯s nobody outside. We¡¯d better hurry up!¡±

    Then, the three of them put on the invisibility cloak, huddled together under it and tiptoed through the Great Hall. Evan followed them and they walked down the stone steps to the gate.

    By this time, the sun had fallen behind the Forbidden Forest, and the dark yellow afterglow was shining on the treetops, and a cool evening breeze blew from the north.

 Chapter 338: The Temple and the Vision in the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 338: The Temple and the Vision in the Sky</h4>

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked silently, and the mood was slightly awkward.

    Hermione seemed determined to ignore Ron, and she walked on Harry¡¯s left.

    Ron walked on his right and wanted several times to apologize, but never did.

    Harry was in the middle of their ¡°battle¡±. He tried to find a few topics, and he didn¡¯t seed. He tried to seek Evan¡¯s help. But the ck cat that Evan had be was not around them and he had no idea where he was.

    The sky gradually dimmed, and ten minutester, they arrived to Hagrid¡¯s Hut.

    Hagrid had not yet returned from the Great Hall, and only Fang¡¯s barking could be heard in the room.

    ¡°Where are Sirius and Evan?¡± Harry looked around, lowered his voice and asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ron muttered, turning his head and ncing at Hermione.

    Just as the three of them were confused, a huge ck dog came out of the shadow of the grass. Beside Sirius, it was the ck cat that Evan had turned into.

    Without saying anything, Sirius waved his paw in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

    Everyone went to the dark woods. They hade here to fight the Acromants before. This time they came to the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    Harry waited until the castle waspletely obscured by the thick leaves, and he pulled off the invisibility cloak.

    ¡°Sirius¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better hurry up, nobody should find out that you four left the castle at night.¡± Sirius said as he changed back to the human form and led the way.

    Because they had already been through once, they were rtively familiar with the road.

    But as the sun went down, the Forbidden Forest looked gloomier, its darkness and quietness were overwhelming, and everyone¡¯s spirit was highly strained.

    ¡°When I went into the Forbidden Forest to capture Dark creatures for the exam I notified the Centaurs, they know we¡¯reing today.¡± Sirius said. ¡°Maybe they wille out to meet us ¡­¡±

    His voice just fell, and a sharp arrow hit the road in front of him.

    It was a Centaur, giving them a ¡°warm¡± weing.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Sirius shouted.

    Even without his warning, everyone stopped, pulling out their wands and pointing ahead.

    ¡°Human¡­¡± Just when everyone was on guard, an arrogant voice sounded, and a tall Centaur came out of the shadows.

    Not surprisingly, it was Sirius¡¯s old rival Magorian.

    ¡°Good evening, Magorian!¡± Sirius pointed to Evan beside him, and continued, ¡°You should have known that this boy eliminated the Acromants.¡±

    ¡°The stars have told us about this. Respectful human warrior, you have earned the friendship and recognition of the Centaurs, and the elder is waiting for you in the colony!¡± Magorian bowed half to Evan to show him respect.

    Like human wizards, the Centaurs also respect the strong.

    The request made by the elder of the Centaurs was to weaken the power of the Acromants. They thought that Evan and the others would kill a few Acromants, just a few young ones.

    They observed in secret to see whether the courage of the four people met the requirements.

    No one thought that Evan could actually eliminate the Acromants in the Forbidden Forest practically on his own.

    This was simply too unbelievable; and even the most powerful Centaur couldn¡¯t do it.

    The strong are respected, and treating Evan, Magorian was not as arrogant as before.

    But when he turned his head and looked at Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione, he was still angry, as if he wanted to rush over and fight them.

    On the way back, Magorian and Sirius were just like before, quarrelling with each other. If they hadn¡¯t considered the presence of Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione, they might have fought at once.

    As they approached the colony, more and more Centaurs joined their ranks.

    The ranks were getting longer and longer, and they were surrounded by the sound of the Centaurs¡¯ hooves falling on the ground. Evan saw Ronan and Bane. They didn¡¯t seem to have changed since theyst met, but this time they didn¡¯t pretend not to know them, but nodded slightly.

    There was also Firenze, with his sapphire eyes.

    He greeted everyone kindly, walked up to Evan and began to talk to him about recent events in the Forbidden Forest, as well as some harbingers froms.

    ¡°Mars has recently been exceptionally bright, and the energy it exudes is being particrly unstable.¡± Firenze said softly, ¡°Evan, this is not a good omen. Perhaps¡­¡±

    Magorian groaned heavily and turned to Firenze with a warning look.

    Maybe because he was in front of Evan, he said nothing.

    Evan remembered that when theyst met, Magorian once said that they all knew their fate and Harry¡¯s fate, and that this fate was doomed to remain unchanged. He asked Firenze not to disclose to them what the Centaurs saw, because it was a very shameful thing.

    But this time he did not explicitly object, which was really strange.

    Evan did not think that because he had solved the problem of the Acromants and gained the recognition of the Centaurs, he would be entitled to learn the secrets they knew from the stars in the sky.

    This was not a matter of friendship and recognition, but a matter that¡¯s being exclusive based on race.

    The Centaurs would not impart any knowledge of their own to humans, or they would be expelled from the Horde forever and be exiled.

    Or worse, they could be killed directly.

    This was also the main reason why after Firenze agreed to Dumbledore¡¯s request to be Hogwarts¡¯ Divination Professor two yearster, he could no longer be close to the Forbidden Forest.

    But now, it was clear that Firenze wanted to talk to him.

    This was too unusual, and Evan never thought he¡¯d get more ess than Dumbledore.

    ¡°Do you know what that means?!¡± Firenze said softly, his sapphire eyes sparkling, ¡°It means war. War is about to begin.¡±

    ¡°I know, you told me about it before. I went back and read the textbooks, above¡­¡± said Evan.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t know!¡± Firenze took a few steps forward and then stopped to look at Evan. ¡°The signs of the have changed. The ancient Evil is about to return. Even the Centaurs are not immune to this war!¡±

    Evan looked at him doubtfully, and immediately stared at the scene in front of him in surprise.

    Unconsciously, they had reached the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    In front of him, the thick leaves gradually became sparse, revealing the bright stars in the night sky.

    This was a very spacious area, arge number of dark gray, delicate and chic cabins were arranged in a coherent line, rather stylishly.

    At the center of the colony, there was an extraordinarily magnificent Temple built on a hill. It was made of pure ck obsidian, with weird and exaggerated patterns and figures on its broken stone wall, reflecting the vicissitudes of history and the uniqueness of the Centaurs¡¯ style.

    The most striking thing was not this temple, but the bloody moon just above it!

 Chapter 339: The Centaurs Divided

    <h4>Chapter 339: The Centaurs Divided</h4>

    The dark red moon shone through theyers of dark clouds, exuding magnificence and prestige.

    The shadows of the cloud were sparse, and the moon shone on the ancient mysterious Temple below. This huge Temple built by the Centaurs, looked like shadow between the clouds as it stood there within the mist, looking extraordinarily quiet and solemn, and radiating invisible pressure.

    Evan was shocked and absorbed by the scene before his eyes.

    It was almost inconceivable that such amazing architecture and civilization could be hidden in the depths of the Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts.

    Behind him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed them out of the woods, and they couldn¡¯t help eximing, shocked by the amazing buildings in front of them.

    Their eyes swept over the well-proportioned wooden cabins of the Centaurs, and finallynded on the massive, dark, imprable Temple on the central ind of the colony.

    ¡°I never thought that the Centaurs¡¯ colony would be like this.¡± Harry said in shock. ¡°I thought it would be just a few simple shacks¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s beyond everyone¡¯s imagination!¡± Ron followed with admiration.

    ¡°The Centaurs have a unique civilization, even their own cities.¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°It¡¯s only today that I really understand the meaning of this sentence.¡±

    For the Centaurs¡¯ colony in front of them, it was not too much to use any kind of praise.

    The Centaurs with bows and arrows on their backs came out of the Forbidden Forest one by one and looked proudly at the expressions of Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione. The children¡¯s surprise was very satisfying to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot bigger than it was twenty years ago. There weren¡¯t so many cabins at the time.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°The temple above the central ind was built by the ancestors of the Centaurs and is the most sacred ce among the Centaurs¡¯ colony. It has been here for centuries, and it enshrines many stars and the souls of the Centaurs¡¯ ancestors.¡±

    ¡°The item left by Gryffindor is kept there?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Yes, this is also the ultimate destination of our trip.¡± Sirius bent down and his smile faded away. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°When you enter the templeter, if you see something strange, don¡¯t ask about it; don¡¯t touch it. The Centaurs have unique customs and unusual magic. There are many evils and dangers in there. We must respect them and keep the necessary vignce¡­¡±

    ¡°Strange customs?!¡± Everyone was stunned.

    Seeing Sirius¡¯s earnest expression, many horrible scenes emerged in their minds.

    ¡°I went to Egyptst summer and saw this kind of thing in those huge pyramids,¡± Ron whispered. ¡°All kinds of curses, and the mummies made by ancient Egyptian wizards who wrapped the dead Pharaoh¡¯s bodies in strips of cloth inyers, stuffed with magical items and bizarre curses.¡±

    Needless to say, this was another attempt by ancient wizards to obtain eternal life. Evan did not know whether the pharaohs who were famous in history had finally returned to the world, but the evil ck magic that was born was definitely a headache for everyone.

    So, would it be the same for the Centaurs?

    Would they mummify all the corpses of their ancestors and preserve them properly, expecting the deceased to return from the abyss of the underworld some day in the future?!

    Looking at the Centaurs around him, Evan could never imagine that they would do such a thing. In his opinion, the Centaurs¡¯ civilization, though shockingly advanced, was still in a rtively primitive n state, and Evan was more inclined that there would be a shrine for one of their ancestors or a certain god.

    ¡°Do the Centaurs make mummies too?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Of course not. Here is not Egypt. The Centaurs are native to ancient Greece!¡± Hermione disagreed. ¡°That was the peak of the ancient warlocks¡¯ power. Their customs may be rted to this aspect, but what exactly they are; we¡¯ll have to see.¡±

    They talked in a low voice, but Firenze, standing nearby, heard it.

    ¡°Unlike human wizards, we do not disrespect the bodies and souls of our ancestors.¡± He came up and said softly, ¡°The Centaurs now believe in the power of the stars, and thes give us harbingers, but centuries ago, we weren¡¯t like this.¡±

    ¡°What were you like at that time?¡± Evan asked.

    Such a direct inquiry into the history of the Centaurs seemed not very polite, but Firenze was not upset. He blinked his dark blue eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that the powerful magic item that the Founder of the castle kept in the tribe was iplete, and it split with the division within the Centaurs.¡± Firenze turned to Evan and said gently, ¡°We have not fulfilled our original vows. For centuries, the elders have been ming themselves for this.¡±

    ¡°What happened then, and why did you split up?¡± Evan said, ¡°I¡¯ve checked many books on the history of magic, and I haven¡¯t seen any records about it.¡±

    ¡°The history of the Centaurs will not appear in human books. We do not trust humans.¡± Firenze looked up at the dark red moon hanging over the temple and said slowly, ¡°Our ancestors made a great mistake. They believed in an evil dark god.¡±

    ¡°Evil Dark God?!¡± hearing his words, everyone was stunned.

    ¡°Because it had been long ago, it is difficult for the Centaurs now to know whether the god came from ancient mythology or was an invention of our ancestors.¡± Firenze leaned forward and said in a nearly whispering voice, ¡°No one knows its name, where ites from. We call it the God of the Forest. It speaks to us in the void, requests us to offer sacrifices and leads us to prosperity.¡±

    This sounded familiar, like the eyeball monster asking the Acromants to do the same for it, brutal and evil. If it wasn¡¯t for time, Evan even suspected that the God of the Forest that popped up suddenly was a monster in the depths of the underground.

    ¡°The so-called prosperity, in essence, is destruction. Because of this, there have been endless wars within the Centaurs. Finally, under the guidance of the stars, our ancestors won, but the huge tribe split.¡± Firenze whispered, ¡°Those who believed in evil spirits had been exiled from the tribe, most of whom were very high-ranking Centaurs. They took away a lot of things when they left, including a part of the powerful magic item that the Founder of the castle had left behind in the tribe.¡±

    No one spoke, and everyone was immersed in what Firenze had said. The Centaurs had been neglected by the wizarding world. Wizards looked upon them with disdain. There was littlemunication between them. People only knew that the Centaurs lived somewhere, nothing more.

    No one could imagine that this happened to the Centaurs in Hogwarts Forbidden Forest.

    Evan shook his head. Was this the Harry Potter World that he knew?!

    What had happened in recent months was simply beyond imagination. It was originally intended to trace the clues of the Secret Treasures left by the Four Founders, but his findings were bing increasingly shocking. One after another, powerful ancient Dark wizards and evil creatures popped up in front of him.

    The more secrets he knew, the more he felt the true horror of this world.

 Chapter 340: Changed Fate and the Dark Temple

    <h4>Chapter 340: Changed Fate and the Dark Temple</h4>

    The mysterious ancient magic civilization, the Dark gods from the void, and the magic creations left by the most evil Dark wizards in history, the development of things had long exceeded expectations¡­

    It pushed Evan to wonder if he was in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

    He sighed and gently touched the wand around his waist, and the cold touch made him wake up again.

    Deep in the underground ruins, the eyeball monster called itself the God of death in front of the Acromants. It was in charge of eternal life and helped Aragog prolong its life with Dark forces. But in the end, it proved that it was not a God at all, but the magic creation of the most evil Dark wizard in history, and possibly Herpo the Foul himself.

    So, what would this creature called the ¡°God of the Forest¡± by the Centaurs be?!

    Evan thought for a moment, but there was slurry in his head. He didn¡¯t know what the other monster was, but he was sure that things were getting very troublesome, and the Centaurs who believed in it took away part of the key to Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure.

    Recapturing the fragmented part was certainly not going to be easy.

    ¡°Did you see the blood moon above the Temple?!¡± Firenze said softly, his face hidden in the darkness. ¡°This is the worst of all the signs. As I just said, the ancient evil ising back, and the evil god is about to return to the world¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you mean that someone is trying to summon the evil Dark creature that your ancestors worshiped or to wake it up from its slumber?!¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Will it be Voldemort?¡± Harry said, ¡°He¡¯s the worst Dark wizard.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it sounds like something You-Know-Who can do.¡± Ron nodded.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense at all. How does Voldemort know about the Centaurs?¡± Hermione frowned. ¡°And it¡¯s impossible for him to¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but fate has really changed!¡± Instead of answering their questions directly, Firenze went on to say, ¡°Things have happened in recent days. The blood moon representing the evil gods coincided with the trajectory of Mars representing the Wizarding War, which means that not only you humans, but even the Centaurs will be involved in the uing war.¡±

    Hearing Firenze¡¯s words, Harry¡¯s, Ron¡¯s and Hermione¡¯s faces were full of doubts.

    They had no idea what Firenze was talking about. A terrible evil god had just emerged, and now there was an inexplicable Wizarding War.

    Harry remembered Hagrid¡¯sments on the Centaurs when he was chatting with him a few days ago: ¡°The Centaurs are just some muddled old mules. They always look up at the stars and give others some vague warnings, but turn a deaf ear to what is happening around them. They may know a lot of secrets, but they never tell you straightforwardly what they know; it is a waste of time tomunicate with them on those harbingers.¡±

    Harry thought about it for a while, but there was no clue.

    Evan knew that the war Firenze talked about was the Second Wizarding War after Voldemort¡¯s return.

    Did that mean that Voldemort would summon the evil god worshiped by the ancestors of the Centaurs?!

    Although Voldemort had always looked down upon non-human magical creatures, that did not rule out this possibility.

    Everything was too vague, and in the face of unknown enemies, Evan needed more information.

    Just as he was about to ask Firenze, he saw Magorian and Siriusing.

    ¡°Honorable human warrior, wee to the Centaurs¡¯ colony!¡± He bowed softly to Evan and waved his hand, which seemed to be a signal.

    Almost instantly, the dark, straight road in the middle of the colony suddenly brightened.

    Fire pits were ced on both sides of the road, and they were ignited by the Centaurs in turn.

    It was a path of light illuminated by fire, extending from the colony¡¯s entrance to the Temple on the central ind, looking very spectacr.

    ¡°The elder is waiting for you!¡± Magorian turned and looked scornfully at Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and said in disgust, ¡°As for the four of you, you are also allowed to enter the Sacred Temple!¡±

    ¡°We are being treated like followers of Evan!¡± Ron couldn¡¯t help muttering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart; the Centaurs have always been like this. There are many Centaurs like Magorian. They are arrogant. They look down on humans!¡± Sirius said uneasily: ¡°We better hurry up and not stay here too long.¡±

    The huge weing team moved forward again, and Evan and Hermione also wanted to ask Firenze about the evil god he had just mentioned, but they could see him nowhere.

    They entered the Centaurs¡¯ colony along the central path. On both sides of the road, more and more Centaurs came out of the cabins and looked at them curiously.

    Most of these Centaurs were old and weak women and children, and the majority of them were minor foals. Evan saw that several foals were very short, reaching only his knees. They apparently had never seen humans, and their eyes were both curious and full of fear.

    Compared with going straight along this road, Evan preferred to visit the Centaurs¡¯ colony and observe the civilization of the Centaurs up close, which was a very rare opportunity.

    Magorian apparently had no intention of doing so. He guided the way ahead.

    The nearer he was to the huge Temple on the central hill, the more shock and hidden pressure Evan felt. The Temple was about half the size of Hogwarts Castle. It was made of obsidian and the ground was covered with cyan marble bs.

    The walls were engraved with exaggerated patterns of Centaurs, who were hunting, offering sacrifices, stargazing, chatting, etc., as well as the trajectories of various stars.

    But that was not all. There were many creatures and patterns that Evan could not understand.

    They were arranged irregrly in everything, and all the creatures¡¯ eyes felt like they were watching him, making ancient mysterious pressure that keeps one from speaking out loud.

    If there were any words to describe the Temple, it would be that it was dark and depressing!

    ¡°A terrible thing is about to happen. In the dark Temple full of taboos, the Dark Devil¡¯s old magic will be¡­¡± With the whistling wind, Professor Trwney¡¯s hoarse, hysterical voice sounded again in Evan¡¯s ear.

    Was the Temple of the Centaurs the ce mentioned in that prophecy?!

    Uncertainty rose from the bottom of Evan¡¯s heart, and he felt that his blood was about to freeze in his veins, he repeatedly thought about this matter, thinking about the terrible prophecy that would be fulfilled!

    When he came back to reality, he found that he had reached the entrance of the Temple.

    A cool breeze blew, and his back was soaked in cold sweat.

    Evan gasped, wiping the cold sweat off his forehead and looking at the dark, narrow stone passage in front of him¡­

 Chapter 341: The Moon Temple and The Centaur Ghos

    <h4>Chapter 341: The Moon Temple and The Centaur Ghos</h4>

    t

    Because of the temple¡¯s proximity to flowing water, the nearby air was very humid.

    Besides Magorian, all the other Centaurs remained opposite theke. They did not follow to the stone tform in the water. Without permission, they could not approach the Temple at will¡­

    Sirius whispered something to Harry, Ron and Hermione, but Evan did not give them an ear.

    He was still thinking about Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy, and the surrounding scene made him very upset.

    ¡°The Centaurs are used to using the names ofs to name their temples.¡±Sirius said, ¡°There are Centaur tribes and temples for worship and star-gazing throughout the world. Although there is littlemunication between them because of distance, the names of these temples have never been repeated.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of this ck Temple?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°They call it the Temple of the Moon!¡± Sirius pointed to the red moon hanging above the top of the head. ¡°It¡¯s so-named because it¡¯s suitable for observing the moon¡¯s trajectory. As an early Temple, it is very famous among the Centaurs. If you meet any of them anywhere else, they would definitely recognize the name if you talk about it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely unique. There are two Moon Temples in the World of the Centaurs.¡± Magorian interrupted, with an irrepressible anger in his voice. ¡°The traitors who were exiled by the tribes built another Moon Temple elsewhere. It¡¯s exactly the same as this one here, but the things they offer in it are totally different.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s the same ck Temple as here?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Yes, those traitors stained the sacred ce, and the Temple of the Moon they built is full of evil and taboos.¡± Magorian paved the ground angrily with his front hoofs.

    Evan was a little relieved to hear what he said.

    If there was no evil or taboo in this dark Temple, it was not the ce mentioned in Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy.

    He stopped thinking about it. Anyway, no matter what the situation was, he had to go in by himself.

    Through the dark narrow entrance, Evan followed Magorian and Sirius into the Temple. Harry, Ron and Hermione were right behind him, and everyone looked around curiously.

    By the light of the torch, Evan saw the magnificent murals carved on the walls.

    These murals were the continuation of the carvings on the outer walls, most of which were rted to the Centaurs in the aspect of stargazing.

    There were also many stars¡¯ trajectories.

    Moving forward, theplex constetion pattern of stars upied the whole space; it was even on the ceiling and on the floor marble panel. It was soplex, following it was actually nauseating.

    Only real astrologers could understand the value of theseplex patterns. Almost the trajectories all thes had been recorded here for thousands of years. Many of them were important star maps that human wizards had never noticed or lost.

    Evan couldn¡¯t understand this. The three people beside him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were even more lost, but this didn¡¯t keep any of them from showing their amazement.

    The passage went straight ahead. Around the first corner, something milky suddenly came out of the wall and met Evan. It was a ghost, not one of themon wizard ghosts in the castle, but a ghost of an ancestor of the Centaurs.

    He dressed differently from the current Centaurs. He was tall with a big stature, umonly wearing a scarred suit of leather. He was just like a soldier who had just returned from the battlefield.

    Evan carefully observed the Centaur ghost. He looked like the strongest Centaur he had ever seen, almost as big as Magorian, which was simply incredible.

    To put it bluntly, he was a mixture of a Centaur and a monster.

    When Evan looked at him, the Centaur ghost looked back at him.

    His eyes were full of suspicions, frowning and it seemed like he said something. His tone was very weird, certainly not English, and everyone did not understand what he was talking about.

    Magorian took a quick step forward and talked to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a specifguage of the Centaurs. It¡¯s very old andplex, and it¡¯s seldom used now.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°But it was very popr in the Middle Ages.¡±

    ¡°That leather suit does look medieval.¡± Hermione said, ¡°He must have lived here for nearly a thousand years like Nearly Headless Nick.¡±

    ¡°Nick knows all the ghosts, but he never told us about the Centaur ghosts.¡± Harry looked at him curiously, lowered his voice and said, ¡°Do you remember the Halloween partyst year? All the ghosts in Britain were there, but there was no such thing.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they invited him because they couldn¡¯tmunicate.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and whispered, ¡°Nick certainly can¡¯t speak Centaur¡¯snguage, can he?¡±

    ¡°The Centaurs generally do not associate with humans, even if they be ghosts.¡± Sirius said, ¡°This is the most sacred Temple of the Centaurs. Only the wisest elders and the bravest warriors in the tribe can enter it.¡±

    ¡°So there are a lot Centaur ghosts here?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°In fact, not so many.¡± When Magorian had finished talking to the Centaur ghost, he came back to hear Evan¡¯s question and answered briefly, ¡°Because of the betrayers, we have suffered great losses. Many ancestors¡¯ souls disappeared forever, and only the most powerful Centaurs remained. The one who was just here is Okegiga, which means Lofty Mountain in the Centaur¡¯snguage. He is the greatest warrior in the history of our tribe.¡±

    ¡°The greatest warrior, what did he do?¡± Ron asked doubtfully,¡± Had he killed many Acromants? ¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d ughtered an adult fire dragon and many other monsters beyond your imagination.¡± Magorian said gruffly, seemingly discontented with Ron¡¯s offence. ¡°Human, never underestimate the Centaurs. We have strength and civilization that is not weaker than yours.¡±

    The fire Dragon is the most powerful and ferocious magical creature in existence. Everyone had seen the one under the ground of Gringotts and was deeply shocked by its strength.

    It was hard to imagine that a Centaur could kill a fire dragon on his own. Even a powerful wizard could hardly do this.

    The Centaur ghost Okegiga turned and left, and everyone looked at him in awe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s not let the elder wait for too long.¡± Magorian turned and set off again.

    They continued to move forward and entered a circr upward passage. On the outer side of the passage were round rooms of varying sizes, filled with strange things, some of which were ritual supplies, but some things didn¡¯t look so pleasant.

    Under the dim light of the torch, through the narrow gaps of the stone doors, Evan saw that there were many statues in the dark rooms.

    The statues were varied, too far to be seen clearly, but the appearance of the statues by the door was enough to make everyone shocked.

    Evan swallowed and stopped in the same ce, and he was all shocked.

    Following his gaze, Ron nced curiously into the room. The next second, he made a scream of hoarseness and horror.

 Chapter 342: Horrible Statues

    <h4>Chapter 342: Horrible Statues</h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sirius asked aloud, pulling out his wand and rushing over.

    Harry and Hermione, who were walking ahead, turned around and looked at Ron worriedly. They didn¡¯t know what had happened, but Ron¡¯s scream made them feel bad. They could not help thinking of Sirius¡¯s warning that the Temple of the Centaurs was not safe. They pulled out their wands and raised their vignce.

    Magorian stood still, and looked entrically at Ron who had fallen to the ground.

    He seemed hesitant, but he did not interfere.

    ¡°Inside¡­ inside¡­ those statues are all monsters!¡± said Ron tremblingly, pointing to the dark room half-hidden by the stone door ahead.

    ¡°Monsters?!¡± Sirius looked at him suspiciously, and then turned his eyes to Evan.

    Evan nodded and signaled Sirius to be ready. Then, he swiftly waved his wand, and an egg-sized yellowish light flew out from its tip, and moved forward, knocking the stone door in front of him instantly into the dark room.

    The next second, the light re illuminated the whole room.

    Everyone took a step forward. When they saw what was inside, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp. They looked extremely shocked and they couldn¡¯t help stepping back a few steps.

    ¡°This, what on earth is this?¡± Harry said in surprise.

    Unexpectedly, in this old and narrow room, there were many statues of strange creatures.

    They were all the same. They looked weird, and hard to describe. They were horrible creatures like deformed insects, five feet long.

    Their bodies were of blue-grey rock, asionally revealing pink tinges.

    The most striking thing was the huge bodies resembling crustaceans with several pairs of giant dorsal fins or thin-winged organs on them, and six groups of arthropods.

    What was horrifying was that there was aplex green ellipsoid covered with arge number of short tentacles where the head was supposed to be.

    Underneath the tentacles were all the head and orbit holes. The muscle membranes above were like the eyes of a fly that had been magnified countless times; extremely repulsive.

    Watching carefully, they could see through the cyan film that the inside of the monster¡¯s head was a gray fleshy core.

    It was like a huge tumor that mutated out of nowhere.

    With their breathing, the tumors seemed to be trembling, but when looking carefully, it was just an illusion.

    These statues looked shocking. They didn¡¯t seem to have been moved for centuries. They were covered with thick dust, but they were still vivid.

    In fact, they seemed too real, as if they were alive.

    Evan thought of the people who had been petrified by the Basiliskst year. These statues looked just like them. He couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®they are all alive, just petrified¡¯.

    That was not a good thought, but obviously it was not Evan alone who thought so. The others¡¯ faces were equally gloomy, and Hermione even got involuntarily closer to Evan.

    Holding her cold little hand, Evan felt her inner agitation and tension.

    Imagine that in the ancient, mysterious, dark Centaurs¡¯ Temple, the small, dim, and unknown rooms were filled with statues of such evil monsters. What kind of feeling would it be if these nightmarish things suddenly appeared in front of you?

    It was horrible to the extreme. It¡¯s no wonder that anyone would be so shocked.

    After his extreme shock, Evan was d that they were statues rather than living monsters. Otherwise, the consequences would have been absolutely unimaginable.

    He gasped, wondering what they were. He had never seen such a thing in any magic book. Was it the magic creation of some evil Dark wizard?

    Sirius was also extremely shocked, apparently learning about them for the first time. He turned around to hide Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione behind him as fast as he could, pointed his wand at Magorian in front of him and asked, ¡°What are these statues in there?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already known that our ancestors once believed in an evil god, which drove powerful tribes toward madness and destruction. These monsters were left behind by those exiles who went astray at that time!¡± Magorian said slowly, and his voice was much slower than usual. ¡°When it was at its peak, the Centaurs¡¯ colony was beyond your imagination. What you see now is only a small part of it.¡±

    ¡°Only a small part?!¡± Evan looked down the ancient wall and saw dozens of such rooms in front of him. If they were full of such monsters¡­¡±

    Then he thought again that what he saw was only a part of it.

    This Temple was muchrger than he had imagined. No one could guarantee how many hidden rooms there were or how many such monsters were left.

    And since it was created by the so-called evil god, would there be only one kind of monster, or would there be other kinds?!

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they are banished or not. Since you still have these things, you should be responsible.¡± Sirius was determined and did not put down his wand, ¡°I need an exnation; otherwise I will not let the children behind me continue to take risks.¡±

    ¡°Unlike humans, we will never shirk our responsibilities!¡± Magorian shouted. ¡°If any of you can pass the final test and get the magic item left by the Founder of the castle, then he¡¯s the one chosen by the stars. The elder will exin to you and tell you all the details.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t move on until you¡¯ve made everything clear¡­¡± Sirius roared and responded to him as loud as he could

    His face was blue and his wand kept sparking outward.

    ¡°As you wish, Sirius, you¡¯re not the one chosen by stars and fate. You¡¯ve been tested twenty years ago!¡± Magorian said without fear, his eyes sweeping slowly over Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. ¡°As for the four of you, either you go ahead and learn the truth through the test, or go back and reject the friendship of the Centaurs, and get out of our Forbidden Forest forever. It¡¯s your choice, humans!¡±

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, wondering how to answer him.

    Sirius, standing in front of them, gasped violently, seeming to want to rush and fight him.

    Ignoring Sirius¡¯s eyes, Magorian came up and closed the open stone door, then took a few steps forward and stopped.

    He turned around and looked at the four of them proudly, waiting for everyone¡¯s decision.

 Chapter 343: What Did the Four Founders Leave their Items for?

    <h4>Chapter 343: What Did the Four Founders Leave their Items for?</h4>

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Ron asked hesitantly.

    After seeing the horrible nightmarish statues in the room, Ron¡¯s deep feelings of uneasiness grew stronger.

    Reason told him that going deeper meant big trouble waiting ahead.

    He wanted to leave, but he was reluctant to leave the magic item left by Gryffindor.

    He looked at Sirius¡¯s gloomy face, and looked at the proud Magorian again, and finally looked at Evan standing beside him, wondering what he was thinking.

    If they went forward together, there should be no danger.

    With Sirius and Evan there, he didn¡¯t have to worry about anything he would encounter.

    ¡°Sirius, we¡­¡± Harry said worriedly. He was also frightened by the horrible monster statues he¡¯d just seen in the room.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡± said Sirius, staring fiercely at Magorian.

    ¡°Hold on, Sirius!¡± Hermione suddenly interrupted. ¡°Why are we going back? No matter what the monsters in this room used to be, they¡¯re just statues now. They can¡¯t attack us at all.¡±

    ¡°Thest time I came, I didn¡¯t see them. The stone doors of these rooms were closed at that time.¡± Sirius looked at Hermione and exined, ¡°It¡¯s very obvious; those things inside are obviously very evil and dangerous. They¡¯re beyond our capabilities. I don¡¯t want you to take risks.¡±

    ¡°We have nothing to lose now,¡± Evan said. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a risk. It¡¯s about getting the truth of what happened!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Centaurs¡¯ own business. It¡¯s none of our business.¡± Sirius frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only the Centaur¡¯s business. Firenze just told us that the moon, which represents the Centaurs¡¯ devotion to evil gods, is intertwined with the trajectory of Mars, which represents the Wizarding War. Now it¡¯s already of our business.¡± Evan looked at Sirius and said, ¡°You know exactly what I¡¯m talking about, we all know that Voldemort made Horcruxes. He¡¯s not dead. Sooner orter, he¡¯lle back. If he calls the evil god back¡­¡±

    ¡°That has nothing to do with us, Dumbledore will handle it.¡± Sirius answered harshly. ¡°I just want to protect you now.¡±

    There was a sudden silence, and Evan didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I know!¡± Harry hesitated for a moment.

    He hugged Sirius tightly and whispered, ¡°Sirius, you are the best godfather and professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. But I think that Evan is right. Now we should go ahead and pass the Final Test, get the item left by Gryffindor, and unlock all its secrets.¡±

    Sirius did not answer and looked at Harry in silence.

    ¡°If my father were here, he would definitely not back down.¡± Harry looked back at Sirius and said firmly, ¡°Gryffindor may have left the object for the same purpose. He wanted us to help the Centaurs and test our courage and other qualities. You¡¯ve been here before, trying to challenge the magic he had left, and here we are now¡­¡± At Harry¡¯s words, Evan was immersed in thought.

    It suddenly urred to him that perhaps everything was as Harry said, and the current troubles were the challenges that the Four Founders had left deliberately, not by chance.

    A thousand years ago, after telling the Four Founders about Hogwarts and Voldemort and the Horcruxes, and under the advice of Rowena Ravenw, they immediately prepared to leave a Secret Treasure to help future generations protect Hogwarts from the invasion of Dark wizards.

    But this was only one aspect, not the whole reason why they did so.

    As everyone knows, since the establishment of Hogwarts, the Four Founders had been arguing about their teaching philosophy and admission standards, and no one could convince the others.

    They finally came to apromise and merged part of their thinking into the Sorting Hat, hoping that it would pass on their respective ideas, no matter how long it took.

    The main reason for leaving a Secret Treasure and setting tests was to test whether the students ofter generations met their own requirements and inherited the qualities they were looking at.

    Perhaps that was the case. All these troubles were deliberately left behind by the Four Founders.

    However, with the magic power, vision of the Four Founders and the average level of the magic world a thousand years ago, the test they¡¯ve left might have not been that difficult. But now it was way beyond the scope of the ability of today¡¯s young wizards.

    Evan gave a bitterugh. He had thought too easily about the test the Four Founders had left behind.

    From the current situation, Slytherin¡¯s Treasure key was rted to Herpo the Foul and the evil dark creature he had created with innumerable human souls, while Gryffindor¡¯s treasure key was rted to the Centaurs and the evil god they once worshiped.

    It could be inferred that the tests left by Ravenw and Hufflepuff would not be simple.

    However, what the Four Founders had left behind was notpletely unsolved. Just like Slytherin¡¯s powerful magicid out in the underground relics, as long as the method was right, it could inspire and help future generations to ovee difficulties at critical moments, and even enhance their magic power.

    Slytherin had set the condition that the person entering the ruins must carry one of the four items he left, the ring, the Locket, the wand, and the scepter.

    Only by satisfying this condition could the magic he left be activated.

    In Slytherin¡¯s understanding, the young wizard who could carry the items he left behind, even if not his Heir, would certainly be a pure blood wizard.

    To value bloodlines and origins, this was really in line with Slytherin¡¯s style.

    So whatever the magic Gryffindor would have left in this Temple, perhaps unparalleled courage was the key to conquer it!

    ¡°Let¡¯s move on. It is the magical item and the test that Gryffindor himself left. All four of us are qualified to try.¡±

    After a long silence, Sirius said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re right, Harry. I only considered your safety before, but I ignored your feelings. If James were here, he would not cower back.¡±

    When he finished his words, he went up and gave Harry a big hug, his face full of relief.

    The team continued to move forward and everyone circled up the empty passage.

    The unexpected event made the atmosphere obviously tense. Everyone was on guard. No one spoke, and only their footsteps echoed in the ancient Temple.

    ¡°Sirius, before you came in, you reminded us to be careful. Some of the customs of the Centaurs are very evil and dangerous.¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°But you just said you¡¯ve never seen those statues before, so what¡¯s the danger you¡¯re referring to?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll soon know the answer!¡± Sirius said, pointing to Magorian who had stopped. ¡°Get ready, we are about to arrive at our destination.¡±

 Chapter 344: Stars, Illusions and Magic

    <h4>Chapter 344: Stars, Illusions and Magic</h4>

    ¡°Ready?!¡± Hermione repeated, raising her eyebrows.

    In front of them, there was a huge ck stone door. The stone gate was carved with the pattern of changes in the moon phases. The ck moon formed a circle around the entire stone gate, changing from the top full moon to the waning crescent.

    Time was marked on the inner side, with a period of one month, corresponding respectively to the New moon, the Waxing Crescent, the First Quarter, the Waxing Gibbous, the Full moon, the Waning Gibbous, the Third Quarter, and finally Waxing Crescent, and the New Moon again. The outer side of the moon phases diagram was densely covered with words, and there were many bizarre patterns that showed various signs and warnings that were predicted by the different positions of the moon.

    Excluding those that represented the illusory signs of astrology, Evan had to admire the Centaurs¡¯ meticulousness in observing and recordingary changes.

    In Astronomy and Astrology, the Centaurs achieved far more than what humans did.

    Magorian went over and touched the full moon on the door, and the ck stone gate rose slowly upward.

    Because it was too heavy, the stone door made a squeaking sound.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione held their breath and looked nervously into the door.

    Their right hands gripped their wands tightly, and they dared not rx their vignce, as if there were many monsters behind the door ready to rush out at any time.

    But nothing happened. There was a small circr space inside the door.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in!¡± Magorian said loudly, taking the lead in.

    They did not move. They all turned their heads and looked doubtfully at Sirius.

    ¡°Go in, it¡¯s an esctor, just like in Dumbledore¡¯s office.¡± Sirius signaled that there was no danger. ¡°The item left by Gryffindor is kept at the top of the temple, and it will take us up there.¡±

    Everyone went in, and they all huddled together and looked around excitedly. Like the tform at the bottom of the esctor, the interior was also a circr space, with ck paint on the top andary motions carved on the surrounding walls.

    Magorian touched another on the wall. A loud noise came out from beneath his feet, and the tform began to rise slowly, and then picked up speed.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible. How did the Centaurs do that?¡± Hermione asked in amazement. ¡°Is it magic?¡±

    ¡°It should not be magic. I don¡¯t feel any traces of magic. ¡±

    Evan was also very doubtful. The obsidian tform under his feet was obviously very heavy. To make it rise to such a high ce, it needed a very powerful magic.

    He knew that the Centaurs were not that proficient in magic.

    They had unique research in astrological prophecy and healing magic, but little progress had been made in other fields.

    Unless there were powerful wizards or other powerful races to help them design these mechanisms, it was hard for the Centaurs to do this with their own magical abilities.

    ¡°It¡¯s not magic. The Centaurs use theke¡¯s water to move this esctor.¡±

    Sirius signaled to everyone not to get close to the fast-retreating wall, exining, ¡°You must have seen the hugeke outside. In fact, the temple was built entirely on water. Ancient Centaurs designed various mechanisms to use theke water below to help them aplish all kinds of things.¡±

    It was indeed a very clever mechanism, and they were all amazed.

    It was hard to imagine that the path they had just passed through used to be upied by theke.

    Magorian did not speak. He stood aside and looked at them coldly, listening to everyone¡¯s praise. His face was still haughty to the extreme.

    The tform slowly ascended, and after about ten minutes, the ramp disappeared.

    As they finally arrived at the destination, Evan felt the gentle evening breeze.

    He stepped off the tform, took in a breath of fresh air, and felt his vision suddenly broadened.

    At this very moment, they were in a vast sea of stars.

    The night sky and the obsidian beneath their feet merged into one, and the sky and the earth felt as they were merged with them surrounded by the shining stars.

    To them, everything became particrly clear and extraordinarily surreal.

    Evan had never felt that way before. The distant stars were now very close to them, because they were too clear and illusive, as if they were right beside them. It felt like that if they were to raise their hands, they could touch the stars in the sky.

    Evan was shocked by the wonders of the sky and deeply immersed in it.

    He thought he hade to the void world of stars. Maybe here was the Outer Space!

    With countless stars emanating weak energy, Evan felt that his magic became uneasy.

    His magic was acting erratically and out of control, as it also wanted to go up and reach the stars. Evan was shocked and rushed to control the magic in his body, but the stars in front of him distracted him from thinking about anything else, and he was lost in them.

    The magic acted up faster and faster, breaking away from the rhythm that Evan was familiar with.

    Evan, stunned, stared at the stars, until he saw the dark red moon just above his head. Only then did he suddenly wake up from his daze.

    He suddenly realized that he was standing on an open tform at the highest point of the temple.

    As he regained consciousness, the motion of his magic ceased, and Evan felt as if he had just fallen into some kind of hallucination, a deep hallucination magic constructed by the tform at the top of the temple and the stars in the sky.

    This magic was not harmful, but the sober Evan felt his magic had increased slightly, which was simply too incredible.

    After absorbing the powerful power contained in Slytherin¡¯s Locket, the speed of Evan¡¯s magic had reached a terrifying level.

    Dumbledore even predicted that his magic would not increase significantly in the next few years.

    But after just over a month, Evan¡¯s magic began to grow again through the subtle feeling of being immersed in the Star Sea, which was beyond belief.

    He turned his head and saw Sirius and Magorian smiling at him.

    Next to him, Harry and Ron were stretching out their hands as if they were really going to touch the stars in the sky.

    Hermione also looked at a gxy not far away,pletely lost in it.

    Evan could clearly feel that the magic of the three of them was also going strangely out of control, just like a young wizard who was aware of his powers for the first time.

    But they hadn¡¯t recovered yet, and he didn¡¯t know how long they would be lost in the illusion.

    Noticing Evan¡¯s clear eyes, Magorian nodded; seemingly satisfied that he could recover in such a short time.

    He waved his hand and motioned Evan to follow him.

    Evan looked at Sirius, who told him to go with Magorian. ck would stay here and wait for Harry, Ron and Hermione.

 Chapter 345: Gryffindorâ€™s Magic

    <h4>Chapter 345: Gryffindor¡¯s Magic</h4>

    About fifteen minutes after Evan left, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sessively recovered from the magical illusion of the stars and realized where they were.

    They looked around in confusion, their faces full of doubts.

    ¡°Sirius, what just happened?¡± Harry said in amazement, unable to believe the increase of magic in his body. ¡°The stars in the night sky give me a strange feeling, in which I feel like I have be a star, with strange fluctuations; my magic is growing¡­¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡± Ron shouted with delight, ¡°Although it¡¯s not a lot of growth, it is very noticeable! What in the world is going on?¡±

    Hermione didn¡¯t speak. She frowned and felt it for a while, with a slightly doubtful expression.

    She also felt a slight increase in her magic, which was too incredible, even contrary to what she had learned before.

    Hermione wanted to listen to Evan¡¯s opinion, and then she suddenly noticed that he was not here.

    She hurried to Sirius standing next to her and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Evan?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll answer your questions one by one.¡± Looking at the confused and anxious Harry, Ron and Hermione, Sirius smiled and said, ¡°First of all, don¡¯t worry about Evan; he was the first to recover. He has followed Magorian to see the elder, not far ahead. We¡¯ll be there soon. Secondly, about the reasons for your magic growth¡­¡± Sirius pointed at the starry sky above his head and exined, ¡°In fact, this is due to the powerful magic of the temple at your feet and the countless stars in the night sky. When I first came here, I was shocked by the scene in front of me and my magic increased slightly as well.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡± Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at Sirius in surprise, wondering what he meant by magic.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s magic!¡± Sirius said softly. ¡°This magic is so powerful that it is far beyond your imagination.¡±

    Under the night sky, no one spoke, and everyone was waiting for Sirius to continue exining.

    ¡°The Centaurs once told me that this magic had been arranged by Godric Gryffindor himself. Unlike our usual wand-wielding magic, the magic he had left behind involved knowledge of alchemy and magic array.¡± Sirius said softly, ¡°Even today, after a thousand years, it still works.¡±

    Hearing what he said, Harry and Ron unconsciously raised their heads and looked at the starry night sky again, as if they were trying their best to feel the powerful magic left by Gryffindor himself. But there was nothing. They couldn¡¯t get into that feeling.

    Now the sky was full of stars, just like the stars they saw every Wednesday night at the School Astronomical tower. Apart from a wider horizon, there was no difference.

    ¡°Only the wizard whoes here for the first time will naturally enter into the state you¡¯ve just felt to adjust, because the magical rhythm in his body does not match the energy emitted by the stars.¡± Siriusughed and said, ¡°After adjustment, you can no longer enter that state.¡±

    ¡°The conjunction of magic rhythm and star energy?!¡± Hermione remembered that she seemed to have seen hints at this in some book, a very ancient magic book.

    She had seen the book on Evan¡¯s desk before, picked it up and read it when she was idle. It was so abstruse that she didn¡¯t understand much of it in many ces.

    ¡°The magic left by Gryffindor helps the wizard whoes here for the first time to adjust his magical rhythm. During the adjustment process, your own magic will also increase slightly.¡± Sirius continued, ¡°The more talented and magical the wizard is, the shorter the adjustment time is. That¡¯s why Evan was the first to wake up.¡±

    ¡°Well, we know why magic grows, but why did Gryffindor leave this magic here?¡± Hermione asked in confusion.

    ¡°Maybe to help us increase our magic.¡± Ron whispered.

    ¡°He obviously wouldn¡¯t have so much free time on his hands! A powerful magic wasid out in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, deep in the Forbidden Forest only to help three young wizards to enhance their magic power?¡± Hermione red at Ron and was dissatisfied with his unfounded answer.

    ¡°On this issue, I have done in-depth research with James and Remus. The final conclusion was that this magical effect was to gather the power of the stars into the temple.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Gryffindor used these powers to support his final test here.¡±

    Hearing Sirius¡¯s reasoning, they were once again deeply shocked. It was hard to imagine what the final test of Gryffindor would be like. It was incredible to use the power of the stars of the entire night sky as a support.

    Since entering the Centaurs¡¯ colony, they hade into contact with too many things beyond their imagination, discovering that the magical world was not as simple as what they learned in Hogwarts.

    ¡°On our first trip to the Centaurs¡¯ colony a few months ago, I told you that the final test left by Gryffindor was a powerful illusion magic.¡± Sirius said, ¡°That magic allows you to prate into a totally different world, a surreal World, in which everyone sees different things. Only through surpassing what challenges heid down inside can we finally get what he left behind.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have just entered the endless starry sky, which is actually part of the illusion.¡± Sirius pointed to the lines above the ck obsidian tform beneath his feet and continued, ¡°Look at the lines on the ground. This is what Gryffindor hadid out. It can blend the temple of the Centaurs with the stars in the night sky.¡±

    Everyone hurriedly looked down at the lines under their feet. They thought that they were the same as the ones on the walls; all beings¡¯ trajectories. They did not expect them to be a magic left by Gryffindor.

    These lines formed aplex pattern that extended to the depth of the tform.

    Looking far ahead, they could see Evan and two Centaurs standing at the end of the lines.

    Because of the distance, their figures looked very small.

    Behind them was the outline of a giant, which seemed to be part of the Temple, and they couldn¡¯t see clearly its concrete shape.

    Up along the giant, at the top, through the thick clouds, was a red light.

    It glowed softly around like a star.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione originally thought so, but now it seemed that this thing was obviously not a star.

    They looked up into the distance, and the red glow in the clouds echoed the dark red moon overhead, looking eerie.

 Chapter 346: Gryffindorâ€™s Secret Treasure Key

    <h4>Chapter 346: Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure Key</h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s that red globe?¡± asked Hermione.

    ¡°There is no doubt that it is the magic item left by Gryffindor.¡± Sirius replied, ¡°That¡¯s the Secret Treasure Key you¡¯ve been talking about.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Ron opened his eyes wide and said incredulously, ¡°That ce is nearly a thousand feet from the ground. How can we get up there?¡±

    Carried by the evening wind, a thick dark cloud approached slowly from the distance.

    A few secondster, the tform at the top of the temple waspletely immersed in darkness, and the light of the stars was blocked by clouds, even the moon could not be seen.

    In the darkness, only the soft red light above the Temple and the exceptionally bright Mars in the distant night sky could shed some light, bringing a ray of light to the world.

    No one spoke; the atmosphere was tense and depressing.

    Harry¡¯s heart was beating so hard. Looking at the red light, he suddenly thought of the monsters hidden in the Temple.

    He seemed to hear their voices; they were calling for flesh and blood¡­

    When the dark cloud drifted by and the stars came back, everyone was secretly relieved.

    ¡°Gryffindor left the item this high¡­¡± Harry tried to calm his mood and stretched out his hand before he continued. ¡°If I use a broomstick, I can fly up. There should be no problem.¡±

    ¡°The premise is that the Centaurs allow us to do this.¡± Hermione was still looking at Evan¡¯s location. ¡°This is the Centaurs¡¯ colony, not Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t use a broomstick, how can I get up there?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Or maybe, on the Hippogriff, Buckbeak, he can fly there¡­¡±

    ¡°All of this is out of question.¡±

    Sirius pointed to the red glow in the clouds, exining, ¡°No flying magic or flying creatures are allowed above this Temple. There are only two ways to get there. Either it could be transmitted through the Final Test left by Gryffindor, or climb up the stairs below.¡±

    Looking at the huge dim silhouette of the statue in the distance, Harry snarled.

    Climbing up the exposed stairs to the clouds sounded absolutely horrifying. It couldn¡¯t be done at all.

    Indeed, the only way to get the item was to pass the Final Test.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Evan slowly followed Magorian forward. Under the starlight, he felt as if he hade to a fairytale world. Before that, he had never seen anything more beautiful than here.

    Everything was like a dream. Under the numerous shining stars, the light from the torch in Magorian¡¯s hand paled inparison, bing insignificant.

    Weak magic slipped by, and Evan was keen to catch the traces of magic. He focused and found that the energy emitted by the stars was being absorbed by the magic array carved on the tform of the Temple, and all converged to the central position through aplex pattern.

    In front of Evan, there was a huge statue silhouette, soaring into the clouds.

    Following the faint magic, Evan noticed that all of them converged into a red glowing entity at the top.

    No doubt, that was the key to Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure.

    There, he felt an unprecedented power of magic.

    Evan suddenly stopped. This power was too strong, and beyond anything he had ever imagined. He had only feltparable magic from Dumbledore.

    This was the Key to Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure, the Power of Legendary Magic Items!

    Moving forward with excitement, the dim statue in the night became clearer and clearer. Evan thought that was originally part of the Temple, but it was not the case¡­

    That was a statue of a Centaur warrior, whose tall body extended all the way to the clouds.

    He had a bow and an arrow in his hand, and there were many weird ornaments on his body that looked likes. He looked very strange.

    Strange as it was, the statue was barely understandable.

    The Centaurs valued the predictions from the stars. Perhaps they wanted to exaggerate the significance of thes revolving around their kind by putting this statue in this spot.

    What Evan could not ept was that the statue split in the middle, and seemed to be naturally weathered and cracked.

    But the cracks were not smooth, and there seemed to be something else hidden inside, just about to crawl out of the Centaur¡¯s body.

    There were other monsters in the body of the Centaur. Would he see those horrible monsters below?!

    It was so frightening that Evan did not look at the Key to Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure, which glowed red at the top of the statue, but kept looking at the crack.

    There, he dimly saw a huge purple tentacle¡­

    ¡°What is that?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help asking, feeling more and more uneasy.

    ¡°A thousand years ago, it used to be the most sacred Temple of the Centaurs, enshrining the spirits of the wisest elders and the most powerful warriors in the colony.¡±

    As if answering Evan¡¯s question, an old voice sounded slowly, ¡°Centuries ago, this ce became an evil ce for worshiping an evil god. The ancestors of the Centaurs and countless stars were acquired by the evil god. It imed to be the God of the Forest and spoke to us in the void.¡±

    A very old Centaur came slowly out of the darkness beneath the statue, with a long beard that could be dragged to the ground and deep wrinkles on his face.

    ¡°Now, this statue is just a stone without a soul, and it has no significance.¡±

    He walked over to Evan with the help of Magorian and said softly, ¡°That evil god defiled the most sacred ce for the Centaurs. Although it and its followers were finally defeated by our ancestors, we couldn¡¯t destroy its statue by all means. We could only morph its shape¡­¡±

    Hearing this, Evan knew why he had always felt that the statue looked so strange.

    It turned out that they had rebuilt a statue of a Centaur outside the evil god¡¯s, but the essence remained unchanged.

    ¡°Human, you defeated the Acromants and gained the recognition and friendship of the Centaurs.¡± The elder slowly said, ¡°ording to the ancient agreement, you can try to face the ultimate challenge of the Founder of the castle. If you pass, you can take away what he left behind.¡±

    Evan nodded. He knew about it long ago.

    ¡°Unlike humans, the Centaurs have their own unique principles and methods.¡±

    The elder turned hardly and looked at the red halo above. ¡°This magical item with powerful magic is actually notplete. It had been destroyed by the demon¡¯s followers and they took away a part of it. If you are the chosen one shown in the stars, we will send the strongest warriors to help you regain that part¡­¡±

    Evan had a bitter smile on his lips and he didn¡¯t know how to answer him.

    He should thank him for his help, but he could not be happy at the thought of facing the evil god.

    As Sirius said, it was all the trouble of the Centaurs themselves.

    Now because of Gryffindor¡¯s Secret Treasure Key, it waspletely passed on to him.

    What was the use of a few strong Centaurspared to a very dangerous and unknown evil god?!

    But Evan had no way to refuse. To get the Key, he had to meet the challenge.

    Perhaps this was the ultimate challenge that Gryffindor himself had left behind, not this illusory challenge!

 Chapter 347: The Challenge Begins

    <h4>Chapter 347: The Challenge Begins</h4>

    Since he couldn¡¯t escape, he could only choose to face the so-called evil god.

    Evan made up his mind and decided to face it calmly. He thought that the elder of the Centaurs would disclose some information and tell him details about the evil god.

    But unexpectedly, the elder did not speak any more.

    The old Centaur and Magorian standing beside him both looked up at the night sky in silence.

    Following their gaze, Evan noticed the unusually bright Mars and the bloody moon not far below.

    After watching it for a while, he looked back at the crack in the statue¡­

    About twenty minutester, Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed over and they were also shocked by the huge statue in front of them.

    Sirius was okay, he had seen it before.

    But this was the first time for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and they couldn¡¯t help but talk about it.

    This time, the elder of the Centaurs did not try to exin any more. He looked particrly tired and didn¡¯t even say a word. He just waved to Magorian.

    ¡°If you want to get that thing up there, you must pass the test.¡± Magorian said loudly, he stepped forward and pointed to aplex Obsidian table in front of the huge statue. ¡°Anyone who wants to take the challenge needs to stand there.¡±

    This seemed to be the core of Gryffindor¡¯s magic. Besides the top item, Evan could feel the most powerful magic reaction there.

    All the powers from the stars converged here and then transmitted to the top of the statue.

    Magorian said it simply. Sirius exined the method in detail.

    ¡°It sounds very simple. Just stand on this table. Anyone can do it. Anyone can do it.¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and said. ¡°I thought I was going to fight a monster to prove my courage¡­¡±

    ¡°It is aplex illusion magic, in which you have to show unparalleled courage to pass the test.¡±

    ¡°I know. No matter what you see, just don¡¯t be afraid!¡± Ron nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s not very difficult, is it?¡±

    They all discussed it for a moment. Because Ron volunteered, they finally decided to let him go up and try first, and that Hermione and Harry were to follow him.

    Evan was thest because he had the greatest hope.

    Ron nced at the red glow above the statue, and couldn¡¯t wait to go to the front of the table as he stepped up.

    In the next second, the red light above shed clearly.

    Along the lines of the tform¡¯s ground b, numerous bright lights converged rapidly from all sides.

    The intricate pattern shone and the ancient magic was activated.

    Standing in the middle of the tform, Ron¡¯s expression was dull and his eyes were full of confusion.

    He seemed doubtful, and then became extremely frightened, as if he had seen something terrible.

    His expression was twisted, struggling, and he seemed to be caught in extreme pain.

    Everyone stared at Ron, nervous, wondering what he saw in the illusion and why he showed such an expression.

    Out of fear, Hermione unconsciously leaned close to Evan.

    On the stone tform, Ron had reached its edge. He seemed to want to run away.

    The next second, a blue glow shed, and he was ejected andnded outside the stone tform.

    ¡°Failed!¡± Magorian said expressionlessly.

    ¡°Ron, what did you see?¡± Everybody rushed over.

    ¡°Acromants, thousands of them, and they all came to me.¡± Ron gasped violently with a cry in his voice. ¡°I told myself not to be afraid. These were just illusions, all fake. But they were really biting me, wanting to tear me apart. I wanted to run away, just¡­¡±

    ¡°This illusion magic is simr to the Boggart¡¯s, which can see through a person¡¯s deepest hidden fear and then visualize it concretely.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Ron is afraid of spiders. All he sees inside are Acromants.¡±

    ¡°I, I thought they were Boggarts, I used magic, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± Ron said, his body was still shaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. As I said before, everything in it is real and won¡¯t be cracked by magic. Your experience just confirmed this once again.¡± Sirius repeated, ¡°Whatever you see inside, they are all real illusions!¡±

    Godric Gryffindor¡¯s quality is courage. In the face of any difficulties, it¡¯s only by going forward bravely that you can pass the test he left.

    But it wasn¡¯t just about being fear-free. Sirius said that everything in that illusion was real, and that reckless bravery was just a dead end.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hard. Those Acromants wanted to tear me apart. I even felt the pain of their bites on my thigh. It¡¯s exactly the same as true.¡± Ron said gloomily, touching his right leg involuntarily.

    That was where he had been bitten by Acromants in the illusion.

    ¡°Well, the next challenger.¡± Magorian urged impatiently.

    Evan, Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and Hermione moved forward cautiously.

    She was thinking about what she feared most. On this asion, it would not seem very worrying if Professor McGonagall came out and told her that she had failed all the exams.

    However, it must not be that simple.

    Standing in front of the ck stone tform, Hermione seemed hesitant. She looked back at Evan.

    ¡°Come on, Hermione!¡± Evan quickly walked over and hugged Hermione tightly.

    Feeling the warmth of Evan¡¯s body, Hermione nodded and went up to the stone with a reddish face. Just like when Ron went up, there was a sh of light.

    Besides a little surprise, Hermione¡¯s expression did not change much.

    Immediately, she frowned and her little face turned serious, like when analyzing a professor¡¯s questions in ss or reading a magic book.

    ¡°What do you say Hermione will encounter?¡± Harry asked uncertainly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t imagine anything to frighten her except failing the exam.¡± Ron took a deep breath andmented objectively, ¡°To be honest, she has almost no weaknesses.¡±

    ¡°I hope Hermione will seed, otherwise I may have to face countless Dementors or¡­¡± Harry didn¡¯t go on, he was cold all over.

    What should he do if he met Voldemort in the illusion?!

    As time went by, the expression on Hermione¡¯s face remained unchanged. But the time of frowning grew longer and longer, as if she had encountered something difficult to solve.

    Everyone looked at her nervously, and Ron was still there muttering about Acromants.

    Hermione was standing on the stone tform, and about half an hourter, a blue glow finally shed, and Hermione was bounced off the stone tform.

    ¡°Failed!¡± Hermione said calmly, not much surprised.

    ¡°What did you see inside?¡± everyone asked, ¡°Was it an Acromant, or Professor McGonagall?¡±

    ¡°Neither of them!¡± Hermione shook her head. ¡°In the illusion, I went back to Hogwarts, back to the castle, and a male professor I¡¯ve never seen before was lecturing me in ss, and then asked me questions¡­¡±

 Chapter 348: Hermioneâ€™s Experience

    <h4>Chapter 348: Hermione¡¯s Experience</h4>

    Hearing her words, everyone was stunned.

    This was far from the scene that Ron had seen in the illusion. Hermione was not in danger, and no monsters attacked her, but she returned to Hogwarts¡¯ ssroom.

    She saw a male professor in the illusion that she had never seen before. Who would it be?!

    ¡°In the illusion, I suddenly appeared in a ssroom on the Third Floor of the school.¡± Hermione recalled, ¡°It was a ssroom I had never been to. It was decorated in a strange, medieval style, with thick curtains hanging on the walls and glittering armor and weapons on the side near the window.¡±

    ¡°There is no room like this on the Third Floor.¡±Ron interjected, ¡°There is only the Charms ssroom and the Trophy Room on that floor. At the end of the dark corridor, is the trap door guarded by the three-headed dog, Fluffy. It leads to the secret chamber where Dumbledore hid the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m sure I went back to the Third Floor of the castle. I saw the One-Eyed Witch statue outside the door. I was in the big round ssroom next to it.¡± Hermione said.

    ¡°That statue is surrounded by walls, Hermione!¡± Harry reminded.

    Behind the One-Eyed Witch Statue, there was a secret tunnel leading to Honeydukes Sweetshop in Hogsmeade. Evan had used this passage this year because he was not old enough to be allowed to go to Hogsmeade.

    Therefore, he was very familiar with the terrain near the secret passage.

    As Harry and Ron said, there were no rooms but walls.

    But Hermione couldn¡¯t have mistaken the One-Eyed Witch Statue. It was very peculiar. It was said to be that of an orphan that was handed down when the school was established a thousand years ago, probably by the original owner of the castle, being part of the collection of the Slytherin family.

    Now that Hermione saw the statue, she must have returned to the castle in the illusion, but it should not be the actual Hogwarts.

    Gryffindor¡¯s own test of illusion, the precious statue handed down from the establishment of the castle, the ssroom decorated with medieval aristocratic style¡­

    Evan suddenly thought that Hermione might have returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago.

    Seeing that everyone was still discussing the decoration of the ssroom, he hurriedly interrupted. ¡°Hermione, you just said that there was a wizard who gave you a lecture. How did he look?¡±

    ¡°I still remember. That wizard is very powerful, and it is hard to forget once you¡¯ve seen him.¡± Hermione closed her eyes and thought for a while, then slowly described, ¡°He is about forty years old, handsome, with fiery red hair, with an indescribable temperament, wearing an old-fashioned Muggle aristocratic costume¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s great about him!¡± Ron snorted and muttered. ¡°It sounds like Lockhart, another liar!¡±

    ¡°He is not a liar, that wizard is very strong. All the magic he taught me is very profound andplex.¡± Hermione retorted, ¡°After I listened to his lecture, I had a sudden sense of openness. There was a lot of knowledge that could not be found in the library.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you said about Lockhartst year.¡± Ron said stubbornly, ¡°Although he can¡¯t actually even cast magic, there are still many girls who adore him. You are always liable to be deceived by the shy appearance.¡±

    His eyes followed Hermione¡¯s and looked at Evan standing beside her.

    Evan had been staring at Ron¡¯s hair. He was thinking of Hermione¡¯s evaluation of the wizard. A wizard with red hair was very rare. Among the people he had met, besides the Weasleys, only Godric Gryffindor himself had such hair.

    Hermione also wanted to argue with Ron, but she heard Evan saying, ¡°In addition to red hair and Muggle aristocratic costumes, the wizard had a slender scar on his left eye. He carried a long sword with him and put it with his wand. ¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve seen him too?!¡± Hermione said in surprise.

    Everyone turned their heads and looked at Evan in surprise. It was not clear how he knew the mysterious wizard who appeared in Hermione¡¯s illusion.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the wizard you met is Godric Gryffindor!¡± Evan smiled bitterly. ¡°Remember, I went back to Hogwarts a thousand years agost year and saw the Four Founders of the school. Each of them had a very unique temperament, and it is hard to forget when you¡¯ve seen them.¡±

    There was a silence for a couple of seconds, and everyone epted this fact with difficulty.

    ¡°This is incredible!¡± Harry eximed. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine that you actually saw Gryffindor in the illusion. He also taught you magic in person.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Hermione looked at Evan and seemed to be scared.

    ¡°But all I met in the illusion were the Acromants!¡± Ron whispered. ¡°Hermione, what did Gryffindor say to you, and why did you fail?¡±

    ¡°He taught me a lot about profound and esoteric magic. It was getting more and more difficult to learn, from the mostmon Transfiguration to the rare Alchemy.¡± Hermione said, ¡°I feel that I have spent a long time in the illusion, every time he finished a magic, he asked me questions. In the end, he asked an Alchemy question. I didn¡¯t answer it. A voice told me that I had failed, and then I went back here again.¡±

    It didn¡¯t sound much like a test to get Gryffindor himself to teach you magic.

    Even if Hermione failed in the end, it was a rare experience. If she could master all the magic she had learned in the illusion, her strength would be greatly improved.

    Anyway, it was better than Ron¡¯s experience of being simply frightened.

    Everyone was amazed, and Evan and Hermione whispered thest question she didn¡¯t answer about Alchemy.

    He had recently read many ancient magic books and had some understanding of this aspect.

    Since Ancient Times, Alchemy had been the cornerstone of magic, as well as Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, etc. Because the knowledge involved was too esoteric andplicated, only students who passed the Ordinary Wizarding Level test could be involved. This was an optional course for the sixth and seventh years, and it also had the lowest pass rate.

    It¡¯s well known that Dumbledore was a famous alchemist.

    His exposition of the twelve uses of Dragon Blood was considered to be an inter-era study of magic, and as a result, he received the Order of Merlin First ss.

    ¡°Remember, anything can happen in fantasy, and it ispletely real.¡± Sirius said, ¡°There are many different ways of testing. It is not impossible to encounter Gryffindor like Hermione. James had seen him there in that year.¡±

    ¡°My father had also seen Gryffindor?!¡± Harry asked in surprise. ¡°Sirius, had he been taught magic by Gryffindor like Hermione?¡±

    ¡°Well, no!¡± Sirius shook his head and said,¡± He told me that he and Gryffindor had a duel in the illusion, but he failed in the end.¡±

 Chapter 349: The Last Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 349: The Last Enemy</h4>

    Hearing Sirius, Harry was very surprised.

    He had no idea that his father had dueled Gryffindor in the illusion. Although he had lost, this was still remarkable.

    The opponent was the mighty Gryffindor. Not any wizard had the qualification to challenge him, which in itself was a recognition of his father¡¯s strength.

    He walked a few steps forward to the ck stone tform and felt his legs trembling.

    Next to him, the Centaur Magorian looked at him expressionlessly, with a trace of impatience on his face.

    The elder retreatedpletely into the shadows without a sound.

    Harry took a deep breath and was ready for the challenge.

    Instead of looking back at everyone¡¯s encouraging eyes, he clenched his fists and kept telling himself in a low voice not to be afraid, no matter what he would see in the illusion, he could not shrink back.

    Maybe he coulde to a duel with Gryffindor as his father did, or face countless Acromants and Dementors like Ron. None of this was a problem. But if he had to be tested for magic theory like Hermione, that wouldn¡¯t be what he was good at.

    Harry was lost in various fancies and conjectures, and when he came back to his senses, he discovered that he had entered the illusion.

    It was stillte at night, and the stars in the night sky had not changed much.

    A gust of cold wind blew through, and Harry couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    He pulled his robe and found himself standing on a dark street.

    It was not Hogwarts or Privet Drive. He was sure he had never been to this ce before, but he had an indescribable sense of familiarity.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± Harry pulled out his wand and looked around with vignce.

    He was standing in a small alley, with big, shabby houses on both sides of the narrow alley, all dark and unlighted, without even a sound.

    Not far ahead was a small square, which was the center of the small vige.

    Harry stepped forward, the cold wind at night pinned down his cheeks, passing through more houses, all dark and inhabited.

    Getting closer and closer to the square, Harry saw a giant statue of a wizard in the middle, holding his wand in front of him with his left hand and a silver sword in his right hand, which was very simr to the image of Gryffindor described by Evan and Hermione. Perhaps, this was him.

    Just as he looked at the statue, there was a sudden sound of fighting and a woman¡¯s hoarse and exhaustive cry in a house in front of him.

    Harry looked up in a hurry and saw that the door of the house was open, and a faint candlelight in a room on the first floor stood out in the darkness.

    His heart was beating so hard that it almost jumped to his throat.

    No doubt, the test that he would face was in this house. He didn¡¯t know what was awaiting him, and the darkness around him was oppressing to the extreme.

    ¡°Anybody here?¡± Harry ran to the door and shouted. ¡°Who¡¯s in there?¡±

    No one responded to him. The hall on the ground floor was a mess. It clearly had just experienced a fierce duel. Someone broke into the room from outside.

    Harry took a few steps inside and suddenly stopped in front of the firece. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He looked at the picture on it. It was his parents. His mother was holding a baby in her arms, and her face was filled with a happy smile.

    Harry finally knew where he was. It was his home.

    ¡°This is Godric¡¯s Hollow; this is my home, where I was born!¡± Harry¡¯s heart was almost at a standstill, and he could not believe what was going on in front of him.

    He even forgot that this was an illusion created by Gryffindor. He had only one idea in his mind. He went home, back to the ce that used to be his home.

    If there were no Voldemort, he would have grown up here and spent every vacation.

    He would invite friends over to y, and maybe even have a younger brother or sister. His mother would make him a birthday cake instead of him celebrating alone.

    Harry wiped the tears that suddenly burst out of his eyes. When he looked at his parents¡¯ old photo before, he had imagined this kind of thing more than once. Just as he was about to look closely around, there was a scream and plea from a woman upstairs. It was the voice he heard when he met Dementors. It was his mother¡¯s cry!

    Harry finally understood that this was the night Voldemort broke into his home, and the unfortunate events that would affect his life were about to happen.

    Without hesitation, he rushed to the first floor.

    Harry knew he had to hurry. He wanted to see his parents, and if he was fast enough, he could even save them from Voldemort.

    He exerted all his strength and held the wand in his hand. Harry panted up the stairs, and then he saw a man with a ck hood standing at the top of the stairs grinning coldly,ughing so cruelly.

    At his feet, a man and a woman were lying.

    Inside the corner of the room was a small crib, in which a child was making a weak cry.

    ¡°No!¡± Harry shouted. He knew that the two people on the ground were his parents. They were dead. They were killed by Voldemort!

    In a minute, it was his turn.

    ¡°Expelliarmus!¡± Harry shouted, rushing over regardless.

    Voldemort let Harry¡¯s spell slightly pass. He waved his wand quickly, and a blue-green light hit Harry as he pounced on him.

    Harry fell down. He didn¡¯t know what magic Voldemort had cast on him. It seemed to be a Petrification curse. He couldn¡¯t control his body, but his mind was exceptionally clear.

    He saw his father in the pool of blood, and his eyes turned hollow, devoid of all willingness.

    His father¡¯s right hand forced forward, as if he wanted to hold his mother¡¯s hand before he died, but it fell on the floor.

    Harry wanted to scream, but he couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    He could only watch Voldemort approaching his crib step by step, his cold voice, and then a dark green sh of light.

    Voldemort sent a burst of screams. His evil curse was rebounded to knock him down. He escaped through the window in a ck smoke.

    Harry cried so badly that he felt a deep pain from the scar on his forehead, and the world in front of him was rapidly shattering.

    He knew that he was about to leave here and return to reality. He tried to look at his parents and hoped to see them again for ast time.

    ¡°You failed, courageous as you are, you can¡¯t ovee yourself. Remember, thest enemy to be destroyed is death!¡±

    A charismatic male voice sounded from the void. Harry¡¯sst impression was that he did not understand the meaning of the sentence.

    Harry was still immersed in the great grief of his parents¡¯ death and his hatred for Voldemort.

    By the time he regained consciousness, he had already returned to the Temple of the Centaurs. He was kneeling on the ck tform, silently weeping.

 Chapter 350: Gryffindorâ€™s Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 350: Gryffindor¡¯s Illusion</h4>

    It took a long time for Harry to recover.

    He told everyone about what he saw in the illusion and what happened in his home in Godric¡¯s Hollow on the night of Voldemort¡¯s fall thirteen years ago.

    The atmosphere was solemn, and Evan, Ron and Hermione all consoled Harry.

    Hermione¡¯s eyes were red, and even Sirius could not help wiping his tears when Harry spoke about the death of his parents.

    Finally, Sirius promised Harry that he would take him back to Godric¡¯s Hollow this summer to see his former home and his parents¡¯ graves.

    This made Harry feel better and less sad. He kept asking Sirius about Godric¡¯s Hollow and his parents.

    At Magorian¡¯s urging, Evan walked to the stone tform in front of the huge statue.

    He didn¡¯t know what he would encounter in the illusion. Harry, Ron and Hermione all failed their respective challenges, and all three challenges werepletely different.

    Ron faced the attack of Acromants, testingbat skills and courage; Hermione¡¯s test was intelligence, understanding and eptance of new magic; Harry was the most vulnerable side of his heart, and the ability to calmly face death.

    Gryffindor¡¯s powerful magic seemed to have its own consciousness. It must have seen something from the heart of the three of them to arrange it this way.

    Ron and Hermione aside, Evan knew that Harry had a fragment of Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux. To destroy that Horcrux, Harry had to die once.

    So thest enemy to be destroyed was death.

    Gryffindor seemed to have done so as a hint that he used illusions to reproduce the situation and let Harry know the origin of everything and his final destiny.

    But in his infinite grief, Harry only noticed what his parents looked like when they died.

    Evan took a deep breath and stepped onto the ck stone tform, not knowing what he would encounter.

    Perhaps it was the deepest fear in his heart, or a harbinger of the future.

    A burst of brilliance shed, and he entered the magic of illusion.

    Evan looked around and he seemed to have returned to Hogwarts like Hermione.

    At this time, he was standing in front of a huge stone door, which was the door of the Headmaster¡¯s office.

    He tapped on the door gently, and the sound of a deep crash echoed in the space.

    There seemed to be no one inside. Evan hesitated and pushed the door in.

    Unlike Dumbledore¡¯s office decoration, the moonlight slowly fell from the upper window, shining on the silver armor under the curtain.

    The room was quiet, and on the cyan marble floor with intricate patterns, four long tables were ced, dividing the whole room into four parts.

    This was the office of the Four Founders in Hogwarts a thousand years ago. Everything was exactly the same as when Evanst saw it. There was no change.

    The host seemed to have left in a hurry, and there was even no time to pack up.

    On the long table facing Evan, Hufflepuff¡¯s Golden Cup was filled with chocte-like drinks, steaming slowly outwards. Next to Ravenw¡¯s long dark blue table, there were many magic books and the Time-Turner that brought Evan back to the millennium. Under the shadow of the moonlight was Slytherin¡¯s long dark silver-green table.

    Evan took a step forward and saw a dark golden scepter lying quietly on the left side of the table. The Scepter was oppressive, and two big green snakes surrounded it from bottom to top. The snakes¡¯ eyes and mouths were all closed. Evan had watched carefully the murals he had seen on the walls of the underground ruins and there the snakes¡¯ eyes and mouths were all open.

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Maybe it was some magic.

    The scepter exuded strange magic fluctuations and attracted Evan to walk over. He could see theplex inscriptions carved in ancientnguages.

    He couldn¡¯t help but go further and wanted to study it carefully again.

    ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t touch that thing. It¡¯s not a wise move!¡±

    Just as Evan¡¯s hands were about to touch the scepter, a deep, husky male voice suddenly sounded behind him with a hint of warning in his tone, and Evan hurried back.

    He saw a wizard with fiery red hair sitting behind Gryffindor¡¯s long golden table with a smile on his face. It was Godric Gryffindor himself.

    ¡°Long time no see, young fellow!¡± Gryffindor came over and smiled at Evan. ¡°Your strength is much better than when west met.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Evan had wide eyes and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Although he knew that he would meet Gryffindor in the illusion, Evan was surprised when thetter appeared in front of him like this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. What you see now is only a part of my consciousness that I left behind, just like the magic that was instilled into the Sorting Hat.¡± Gryffindor said cheerfully, ¡°Originally, I could only talk to you through the Treasure Key. With this illusion magic, I can appear here in full illusion.¡±

    Evan opened his mouth because he wanted to ask too many questions. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know where to start. He could only stare at Gryffindor in surprise.

    ¡°If you want to ask about it,¡± Gryffindor said indifferently, pointing to the huge scepter in front of Evan, and exined, ¡°It is called [The Right to Peace], and it¡¯s a Slytherin family heirloom. It is said that it was handed down from the ancient Greek gods. The ancient god threw his cane between two snakes that were biting, and the two snakes were reconciled. But in fact, it was the product of the most advanced Alchemy of ancient warlocks, with a very powerful magic. In my opinion, it¡¯s not too much to call it an artifact.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of it?¡± Evan asked subconsciously, calming down for a while.

    ¡°There are many uses, far beyond the imagination of the world, but Szar usually only uses it as an ordinary cane to prevent himself from falling down suddenly.¡± Gryffindorughed and said, ¡°Years of magic research have put a lot of strain on his body. He¡¯s not as strong and tough as he looks from the outside.¡±

    He looked very happy to nder his best friend like this in front of Evan.

    ¡°Well, boy, let¡¯s get back to the point!¡± Afterughing for a long time, he continued. ¡°Since you cane here, that means you should have found the Key to my Treasure in the Centaurs¡¯ colony.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw your hints in the Chamber of Secrets.¡± Evan nodded and said, ¡°And from my Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, Sirius ck. We knew that there was a magic item in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and we found it here.¡±

    ¡°You are talking about that little guy. I¡¯ve seen him more than 20 years ago, the heir of the ck family. That¡¯s Szar¡¯s favorite, a very strong, ancient pure-blood family. In our time, the descendants of their family did not enter Hogwarts at all, but hired powerful wizards to home-school their children.¡± Gryffindor said with satisfaction, ¡°Who would have thought that after a thousand years, he would not only go to Hogwarts, but also to Gryffindor House!¡±

 Chapter 351: The Philosopherâ€™s Stone

    <h4>Chapter 351: The Philosopher¡¯s Stone</h4>

    ¡°Although there were many differences, the ck family heirs did enter Hogwarts, which proved that our decision to establish a wizarding school waspletely sessful.¡± Gryffindor walked back to his long table and said withcency, ¡°For nearly a thousand years, I have closely observed the changes of Hogwarts in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and I have seen many talented wizards graduate from school and contribute to the development of the Wizarding world. This ispletely in line with our original vision. Both the Sorting Hat and the Headmasters of all generations have done very well. They have developed and grown in full ordance with the ideas we left behind. I¡¯m sure the other three are also satisfied with this.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean Ravenw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin?¡± Evan asked. ¡°They also left their consciousness like you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was Helga¡¯s proposal that we keep part of our consciousness in our own treasure keys, and observe the changes in Hogwarts with our own eyes.¡± Gryffindor exined, ¡°After leaving the Secret Treasure, we separated our consciousness, but I don¡¯t know where the three of them hid their keys. It was totally confidential, and it¡¯s up to you to find out. ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some clues.¡± Evan nodded. ording to previous analysis, the Key to Ravenw¡¯s Treasure should be kept with the Merfolk.

    He also had spection about the location of Slytherin¡¯s and Hufflepuff¡¯s Treasure Keys.

    The question now was about what the Treasure keys left by the Four Founders were, and why they had such a powerful magic. He couldn¡¯t help but ask about that.

    ¡°The treasure keys are actually four Philosopher¡¯s Stones, the collection of our four families; the highest achievement of ancient Alchemy.¡±

    Gryffindor waved his hand, and a red gem appeared out of the void on the long table in front of him.

    The stone was bright red, with golden light shing through it from time to time.

    ¡°In our time, the pure-blood wizard families mostly had something inherited from the ancient wizards.¡± Gryffindor said, ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone is a typical example. It¡¯s almost impossible to have enough magic theory and materials to make one today, but it was not that difficult for ancient alchemists.¡±

    Evan was stunned. He had no idea that the key to the treasure would be a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    At present, the wizarding world acknowledged that the only remaining Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the one left by the famous alchemist Nics mel, who could make gold from the Stone and make the Elixir of Life.

    Because of Voldemort, it was finally destroyed by Dumbledore and Nics.

    Unexpectedly, the Four Founders had left four Philosopher¡¯s Stones as Keys to the Treasure.

    It was really shocking. Let alone what was hidden in the Secret Treasure, these four Philosopher¡¯s Stones themselves were rare treasures beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.

    Evan held his breath and carefully observed the red gem in front of him. The magic contained within it was amazing.

    Undoubtedly, this Philosopher¡¯s Stone was an incredibly powerful magic item.

    It was the dream of all wizards. In addition to powerful magic, it had many fantastic functions, such as making the Elixir of Life!

    ¡°Touch a stone and turn it into gold; live forever and never get old, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone always brings reverie¡­¡± Gryffindor stared at Evan, and seemed to see through his mind. He said with a smile, ¡°Unfortunately, the four Stones we left do not have such effects. You need to know that the Philosopher¡¯s Stones have different uses depending on the method of alchemy and the materials used to make it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of this Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡± Evan looked up.

    ¡°It¡¯s now just a Key Stone that can unlock the Secret Treasure we left behind, that¡¯s all.¡± Gryffindor waved again, and the magic petrified on the table disappeared into smoke. ¡°Obviously, under Rowena¡¯s design, the Treasure we left behind require powerful magic to open. Magic items that can provide such strong power are very rare. After some selection, we have modified the four Philosopher¡¯s Stones and canceled their original use. We let the magic contained in them be more pure, and provide the necessary magic to open the treasure.¡±

    It was hard to imagine what the Four Founders had left in the Treasure.

    They actually destroyed four Philosopher¡¯s Stones for this purpose, canceled their original fantastic roles, and transformed them into only Powerful Magic Energy Stones.

    Evan felt that this was almost a waste

    ¡°Of course, because of its great magic, this Philosopher¡¯s Stone can now help wizards enhance their magic.¡± Gryffindor said whileughing, ¡°Your Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and his three partners did a good job. They made that Map out of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯s overflow energy, and it was very interesting.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Marauder¡¯s Map that shows all the secret passages of Hogwarts and the names of the people above.¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°A very genius idea! The knowledge of magic location and personal names involved in it is of great practical value.¡± Gryffindor admired, ¡°This is the progress of the magic world. In our time, a few wizards studied it. Influenced by ancient wizards, we only studied powerful spells or tried to summon the souls, demons, evil spirits and so on.¡±

    They also discussed the principle of making the Marauder¡¯s Map for a while, and it could be seen that Gryffindor was very interested in this knowledge and he had a lot to ask about.

    Evan said everything he knew. In addition, He also kept in mind what they had left in the Secret Treasure.

    ¡°What did you leave in the Treasure?¡± he asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely beyond your imagination, I think we should leave you some expectations, and not uncover all the mysteries.¡±

    Gryffindor blinked and gave Evan a smug smile.

    Then, before Evan could respond, his smile faded and his expression became serious. ¡°Well, we¡¯ve wasted too much time. Now we should talk about the test I left behind. Only through this test can you get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡±

    ¡°What do I need to do?¡± Evan touched his wand and he was ready.

    ¡°I meant to test your fighting ability and courage in the face of your deepest fear.¡± Gryffindor said, ¡°But after you got into this illusion magic, I changed my mind. I don¡¯t think that Slytherin¡¯s Heir or a couple of fire dragons will hold you back. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. Therefore, I specially prepared additional tests for you.¡±

    ¡°Additional tests?!¡± Evan suddenly had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to show you fear from the nightmare of the void, something you¡¯ve never seen before, and that¡¯s what you need to face in the future.¡± Gryffindor said.

 Chapter 352: Gryffindorâ€™s Request

    <h4>Chapter 352: Gryffindor¡¯s Request</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t not understand what Gryffindor meant by the enemy he would have to face in the future.

    It was hard for him to imagine why he had to face a nightmare from the void. The next enemy he knew was just Voldemort who was about to return, that¡¯s all.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s doubts, Gryffindor waved his hand and the blood-red Philosopher¡¯s Stone reappeared.

    It was not asplete as it was just now, but it was split in the middle and broken into two halves.

    The crack was not smooth, as if it had been crushed by something.

    ¡°You should have already known that the Treasure Key I left was split into two parts because of the Centaurs¡¯ Civil Strife, and only one of them is left here.¡± Gryffindor picked up one piece of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone swaying it before Evan, ¡°If you want it, you must be prepared to face the Centaurs who took away the other half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the evil existence hiding behind them.¡±

    ¡°I heard that they once believed in an evil god called the God of the Forest, who split the Philosopher¡¯s Stone you left behind by its power.¡± Evan replied.

    Was that indescribable evil spirit what Gryffindor called the nightmare of the void?

    ¡°The so-called evil god is actually a monster that the ancient warlocks inadvertently summoned from the void. It was sealed in the marsh deep in the Forbidden Forest.¡± Gryffindor said solemnly, ¡°In the Dark Ages, the warlocks who pursued great power had done a lot of mad things. They¡¯d used countless human bodies and souls to summon the undead, demons and evil spirits. Many evils that existed in ancient times were summoned. But with the end of that mad era, the old Dark creatures returned to the void, or were sealed off and fell asleep.¡±

    Evan looked at Gryffindor with surprise. After seeing the evil creature left by Slytherin in the underground ruins, he read many ancient magic books.

    Among them, Evan found some clues, but they were notplete.

    This taboo-like history was rarely mentioned, or evenpletely forgotten by the world. Being told about it by a wizard who had experienced it firsthand was an extremely rare experience!

    ¡°In our time, these powerful Dark creatures from the void, called gods by some, had be part of the mythology like the ancient warlocks for you now. No wizard had ever seen them. Me too, I didn¡¯t believe in the existence of those things before I saw them myself.¡± Gryffindor went silent for a while and sighed. ¡°But what happenedter proved my ignorance and stubbornness. When Szar studied this, I used tough at him for wasting his time.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone knew that Slytherin left underground ruins on the outside of the Forbidden Forest, and there was a monster like you said¡­¡±

    Evan repeated what he had seen in the underground ruins some time ago, as well as his inferences about Herpo the Foul.

    Gryffindor did not speak; he was meditating and pacing back and forth in the room.

    ¡°The monster you talked about is very simr to the evil god I encountered, but it is not the same.¡± He said slowly. ¡°Obviously, that thing was created artificially. Perhaps as you have inferred, it is Herpo the Foul himself. That evil ck Wizard did try to use unknown evil magic to transform himself into a god. ¡±

    ¡°God?!¡± Evan took a cool breath and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    He stared at Gryffindor and felt a slight tremor all over him.

    If all this was true, then Herpo¡¯s ambition was far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    He not only wanted to escape the fate of death, but also wanted to be a dominant god!

    Splitting one¡¯s soul to make the Horcruxes, which seemed to be beyond the general level of the top ck magic, was only a trivial part of all his ns.

    ¡°Szar did not tell us about it. He had been conducting his research secretly. In fact, hister state was very unstable. I thought that was due to the disagreement on the admission matter.¡± There was a glimmer of worry on Gryffindor¡¯s face.

    He walked quickly to Slytherin¡¯s long table, picked up therge scepter surrounded by the two snakes and examined it carefully for a while, and then the expression on his face gradually became calm.

    ¡°Evan, I urge you to find all the Keys and open the Treasure we left behind.¡± Gryffindor looked at Evan earnestly. ¡°If what I fear really happened, then what remains in the Treasure will be your only chance.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t understand what he meant, and what Gryffindor was worrying about.

    Even Voldemort, to whom he had referred as Slytherin¡¯s wicked little fellow, he didn¡¯t seem worry him so much. But now¡­

    Gryffindor¡¯s reaction cast a thick shadow on Evan¡¯s heart.

    Things didn¡¯t look as simple as he had thought. He wanted to ask about details, but Gryffindor had no intention of exining.

    ¡°All in all, my poor friends, the Centaurs, found the ¡°evil god¡± in the deepest part of the marsh. They broke the seal left by the ancient warlocks, brought it back for worship and awakened it from sleep.¡± Gryffindor waved to Evan to keep him quiet and continued to tell the story of the Centaurs. ¡°They called it the God of the Forest, and offered him flesh and blood. As it slowly recovered its strength, the evil creature from the void transformed the Centaurs with Dark power.¡±

    Evan thought of the horrible statues he saw in the room of the Centaurs¡¯ Temple and imagined that they were created by the evil god.

    ¡°The Centaurs are powerful warriors and they don¡¯t have powerful magic. They only deal with stargazing and healing magic.¡± Gryffindor continued, ¡°But with the transformation of the evil god, they acquired the ability to cast spells. The Centaurs were ecstatic, and no one expected how much they would have to pay for itter. They were addicted to the power of darkness and gradually transformed into horrible monsters.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, not all the Centaurs believed in that evil god.¡± Gryffindor went up to Evan and said, ¡°With my help, the sober Centaurs waged war against the monster and its followers, and eventually were victorious, re-sealed it, and banished the fallen from the tribe.¡±

    Evan did not speak, but was thinking about the fierceness of the Centaurs¡¯ Civil War.

    ¡°Before being re-sealed, the evil spirit broke the Philosopher¡¯s Stone I left behind. It didn¡¯t seem to feel my existence, but just thought it was a powerful source of magic. Because all I left behind was a conscious mind, unable to use magic in reality, I was unable to stop it from doing anything.¡± Gryffindor said, looking at Evan seriously. ¡°You have to be prepared. If you want to get theplete Key, you have to face the evil god and the evil Centaurs who support him.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Evan nodded, and his heart was beating violently.

    He was also immersed in Gryffindor¡¯s stories, deeply shocked by these unknown mysteries.

    ¡°As I just said, there are additional challenges for you.¡± Gryffindor went on to say, ¡°I will use this illusion magic to teleport you to the Centaurs¡¯ War eight hundred years ago, so that you can see for yourself the enemy you are about to face¡­¡±

 Chapter 353: Okegiga the Centaur

    <h4>Chapter 353: Okegiga the Centaur</h4>

    ¡°In the illusion, you will be personally involved in the Centaurs¡¯ fierce Civil War.¡± Gryffindor looked at Evan with his calm eyes. ¡°Help the Centaurs to re-seal the evil spirit. Through the test, you will get the Key to my Treasure. If you fail, you will be disqualified.¡±

    ¡°¡±If I get that Philosopher¡¯s Stone, your consciousness¡­¡± Evan suddenly thought.

    ¡°With the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the power of the stars, my consciousness has existed for too long. I am getting tired of it!¡± Gryffindor said calmly, ¡°In the past thousand years, I have witnessed too many vicissitudes, far exceeding anything that I expected to see. This is a special experience for me, but it is also a kind of torture. After you get the Treasure Key, I will disappearpletely. Now, do you have any further questions?¡±

    Evan shook his head, slightly sad.

    Although this was only part of Gryffindor¡¯s consciousness, but the shortmunication still allowed him to gain a lot, he was a bit reluctant to leave him.

    Beyond that, he felt more uncertain about the future. Evan was confident about facing Voldemort, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could defeat the monsters transformed by the evil god and Herpo the Foul that even Gryffindor marveled at.

    In the face of the unknown, he felt that his strength was still too weak. He needed a mentor. If only Gryffindor could stay and help him¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can ovee all the difficulties and open the Treasure we left behind.¡± Gryffindor said with relief, ¡°This was true a thousand years ago, and it is true now. It is my pleasure to have a student like you be part of the Gryffindor House.¡±

    He made a standard noble farewell ceremony to Evan, waving his hand with a smile, and the next second, the world in front of Evan began to crumble.

    Everything became fragmented, like broken ss.

    The debris sparkled silver, falling down and disappearing, even Evan¡¯s body.

    It was an extraordinary feeling, watching his body disappear.

    When it turned dark again, only Gryffindor¡¯s muffled voice came intermittently from far away.

    ¡°By the way, that Slytherin¡¯s wicked young fellow had been here 50 years ago. He left a ck magic on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which is very clever and may add a little trouble for you, but I believe that you will ovee these difficulties. Just put the two parts of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone together again¡­¡±

    Hold on, Voldemort left behind his magic! Evan instantly thought of Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy about the one who was about to be selected by Voldemort in the Dark Temple.

    He wanted to ask Gryffindor what magic it was, but he couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    A strong sense of oppression spread from all sides, and Evan felt like the surrounding air disappeared in an instant.

    In the dark vacuum, he felt out of breath, as if he was going to die.

    When he returned to his senses, he found himself lying on grass gasping violently.

    ¡°So, you are what the elder calls aid?!¡±A strange voice rang by Evan¡¯s side. ¡°A young foal, this is ridiculous.¡±

    Evan looked up, and in the afterglow of the setting sun, he found himself lying on a hillside.

    He was surrounded by tall trees of which he could not see the top. A proud Centaur stood beside him.

    Unlike the Centaurs he had seen before, he was wearing strange grey leather armor, carrying a bow and arrows on his back, and his body looked as strong as a mountain.

    The Centaur spoke anguage that Evan had never heard before, but he could understand.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Evan asked, subconsciously touching his wand.

    ¡°Human, my name is Okegiga, a warrior from the Centaurs¡¯ tribe.¡± In his left hand, Okegiga held a huge silver spear, shing a palpitating light in the sunshine.

    Evan suddenly realized that it was him. No wonder he felt familiar! This Centaur was the ghost he had just seen in the Obsidian Temple.

    ording to Magorian, he was the greatest warrior in the history of the Centaurs.

    Evan remembered that this guy named Okegiga killed an adult fire dragon and many other unimaginable monsters.

    ¡°Hello, my name is Evan, from Hogwarts, I was¡­¡± Evan hesitated and continued, ¡°I was asked by Gryffindor to assist you.¡±

    ¡°I know, the elder has told me, so I stayed here waiting for you. I hope it wasn¡¯t a waste of time.¡± Okegiga said with a rough voice, ¡°Get up, we don¡¯t have time to lie on the ground. My people are attacking the colony upied by traitors. We must get there as soon as possible.¡±

    He leaned down and pulled Evan roughly from the grass.

    Okegiga rubbed his front hoofs on the ground, staring doubtfully at Evan.

    Then he pointed to the depths of the Forbidden Forest, motioned Evan to keep up with him, and his mouth murmured that Evan was too thin and not strong enough.

    ¡°We must hurry, human!¡± Okegiga said.

    Evan followed him to progress forward, but the Centaur moved so fast that he soon disappeared into the woods, leaving only the echoes of his hooves falling on the ground.

    ¡°Damn, wait for me! How am I supposed to keep up with a Centaur in the woods?!¡±

    Looking at Okegiga¡¯s back, Evan was secretly anxious.

    Who could know what would happen if he didn¡¯t get to the Centaurs¡¯ colony in time?

    He remembered that his mission was to help the Centaurs win the war and re-seal the cursed evil spirit. If he spent two or three hours running at normal speed and everything was over before his arrival, he would fail!

    ¡°If only there were Hippogriffs around.¡± Evan looked around and hoped to find something to help him get to the Centaurs¡¯ colony as soon as possible.

    But there was nothing around; the woods were quiet and silent.

    Just when he didn¡¯t know what to do, Okegiga ran back again, his huge figure like a hill flew out of the bushes.

    ¡°I wonder what a human foal like you can do to help us!¡± Okegiga said proudly, ¡°If the elder hadn¡¯t repeatedly said that you would be useful, I wouldn¡¯t have cared about you. All right, just sit on my back.¡±

    The Centaur brought his body slightly downward, and Evan climbed up in a hurry. He had been on Firenze before, and he took him and Peter Pettigrew through most of the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night, but that was totally different from sitting on the back of Okegiga.

    The body of this strong Centaur was too wide, and Evan had to lean forward to maintain his center of gravity. The rough leather armor in front of him was very ufortable.

    Okegiga was advancing very fast. He rushed through the woods with Evan.

    Like sitting in a train, the surrounding trees were quickly retreating backwards. Although not veryfortable, the trip went much smoother than Evan imagined.

    While climbing a hill, the surrounding view suddenly became wider.

    Evan saw Hogwarts Castle in the distance. Compared with the Hogwarts he was familiar with, the castle of 800 years ago was more like a military fortress with a rougher shape.

    Besides the main building, many other buildings had not been built.

    At this time, Hogwarts Castle waspletely enclosed in a purple energy cover, shing through the waves from time to time, which looked very bizarre.

 Chapter 354: The Centaurs Civil War

    <h4>Chapter 354: The Centaurs Civil War</h4>

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in the castle?¡± Evan pointed to Hogwarts and asked aloud, ¡°What is that purple energyyer?¡±

    ¡°You mean the protective measures of those cowardly humans??¡± Okegiga looked at Hogwarts and said disdainfully, ¡°I went to the castle to ask for help before. The elder hoped to persuade them to help us resist the evil god, but those cowards refused. They said it was an internal dispute among the Centaurs and did not want to interfere.¡±

    Okegiga angrily scratched the floor before him with his front hoofs, andnded the long spear in his hand heavily on the ground. He was very dissatisfied with Hogwarts¡¯ refusal to help the Centaurs.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to say. He didn¡¯t think it was wrong to reject the Centaurs¡¯ request.

    Modern wizards might appreciate the seriousness of such a matter, considering that this Era was not like anything they were familiar with. In the 20th century, all wizards and magical creatures were managed by the Ministry of Magic and anyrge-scale war would be very unlikely to break out.

    But this was the Middle Ages 800 years ago, the darkest and most insane time in Europe. In this era, the situation was turbulent and wars were frequent!

    The Powerful magical creatures did not live in the areas mandated by human wizards, who mostly did not dare to walk out of their own areas.

    As long as they were paid the right price, they would be hired by the Muggle aristocrats and Dark wizards to participate in war at will.

    The idea of respecting the strong was deeply rooted in the hearts of people. The Ministry of Magic, which had just been established and was still very weak, had no heart or ability to manage such a chaotic situation.

    In that in mind, it would be a very unwise choice to join a war.

    Especially if it was a civil war among the Centaurs, in which wizards had no apparent interest.

    If the Four Founders were still there, they could use their four powerful forces to mediate or directly participate in the war to help the Centaurs defeat the evil side.

    But at this time, more than two hundred years had passed since the Four Founders lived; Hogwarts¡¯ current Headmaster and professors did not have such power. They could only choose to huddle in the castle and protect the young wizards with their limited strength.

    ¡°They also have a hard time¡­¡± Evan subconsciously defended Hogwarts.

    ¡°Humph, that¡¯s what humans have always been like. They have no idea what they¡¯re facing!¡± Okegiga picked up his spear and set off again. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect their help. We Centaurs have our own allies and can solve all our problems.¡±

    Soon, Evan knew who Okegiga¡¯s so-called allies were.

    After crossing the dense woods and climbing the steep hills, they finally came to the Centaurs¡¯ colony, which was quite different from the peaceful scene Evan had seen before.

    At this time, the Centaurs¡¯ colony echoed with deafening fighting and shouting.

    Hundreds of Centaurs gathered together and rushed into the colony, and on the opposite side were their foes.

    These Centaurs built up defensive fortifications and hid behind them for stubborn resistance.

    The battle was fierce, with countless arrows flying and blood sshing.

    The whole earth trembled, as if shocked by what was happening.

    Evan also looked at the scene before himpletely stunned. He had only seen such bloody battles in books before, and had never imagined that he would be sent to witness such a thing.

    Even though he knew that it was just an illusion, he was still deeply shocked.

    In front of him, the Centaurs were all madly fighting everywhere. The scale and severity of the Civil War was far beyond Evan¡¯s imagination.

    As far as he could see, bloodied corpses were everywhere, with only a few of them not being torn to shreds.

    Outside the huge gate of the colony, in addition to hundreds of Centaurs who were fighting fiercely, there were many powerful trolls, whose bodies were as strong as mountains.

    Evan had seen trolls in the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, as Sirius found a way to get them for junior wizards¡¯ practice sessions. It was a fact that the brains of the trolls were not¡­ well functioning. Although they were strong, they had a single means of attack and were rtively low-level magical creatures.

    But the monsters in front of him werepletely different from what he knew. They were like a different species, with the momentum of giants, clumsily waving huge sticks in their hands and making rude howls.

    A troll roared and rushed to the most densely popted area of the Centaurs.

    A Centaur was carelessly swept by the stick in his hand, and his body instantly flew backwards. The flesh and blood were blurred where he was touched, revealing thick white bones.

    Faced with such fierce trolls, no Centaur dared to rush closer.

    They were best at long-range attacks, and arrows were flying toward the troll.

    When these arrows were about to hit the monster, they suddenly stopped in mid-air, and Evan noticed that a green and ugly monster was hiding behind the troll and shaking his fingers.

    It was a Goblin. He had a malicious smile on his face.

    With a thick bony hand pointing forward, the arrows flew back rapidly, and the Centaurs who had just gathered dispersed in a hurry.

    The battle seemed to have just begun, but it soon turned out to be one-sided.

    Okegiga¡¯s side had the majority of Centaurs, but was unable to cope with such mixed attacks.

    Unlike the enemies, who had powerful allies, they only had a few Unicorns, Hippogriffs, and many small and weak forest magic creatures on their side.

    They could only act to harass the enemies, and they were not able to carry out strong attacks at all.

    This was not a reciprocal battle at all. If it continued like this, failure was a matter of time.

    ¡°Damn, we arete!¡± Okegiga yelled, clutching his long spear and rushing forward, and Evan hurriedly grabbed his leather armor.

    He wanted to persuade the Centaur to calm down and carefully form a tactic before rushing into the battle, but it was clear that Okegiga wouldn¡¯t stop to discuss it with him.

    He even forgot that Evan was sitting on his back. With an unstoppable momentum, Okegiga rushed into the front line of the war with the fastest speed.

    Looking at the wooden door getting closer and closer, Evan murmured and pulled out his wand.

    ¡°Charge! Attack!¡± Okegiga shouted. ¡°By the name of Okegiga, the Centaurs are invincible!¡±

    He rushed straight toward the troll, that looked at him doubtfully, and the huge wooden stick in his hand was lifted high.

    Evan smelled a stench. He looked up and found himselfpletely covered by the shadow of the monster¡¯s body.

    His brain stopped working, and he could only watch the monster show his yellow teeth, roaring to him.

    Boom!!!

    With the violent impact, Evan felt a strong shock, and he hurriedly clung to Okegiga.

    In the next second, under the hard-hitting attack, the huge body of the monster in front of him was actually knocked back by Okegiga, and the long spear in his hand shot down sharply.

    Bright red blood spurted out and immersed both Evan and the warrior Centaur beneath him.

    The face of the goblin hiding behind the troll showed panic, shocked by the strength of this powerful Centaur. He shook his finger and wanted to cast spells.

    Evan¡¯s wand pointed forward and emitted a red light. The goblin suddenly found that the magic he was casting failed. He looked up and saw a silver lighting.

    The goblin opened wide his eyes and fell down. Before he realized what had happened, his head was severed from his body!

 Chapter 355: The Next Target

    <h4>Chapter 355: The Next Target</h4>

    Evan¡¯s and Okegiga¡¯s amazing performance made them both the center of focus of the war.

    ¡°Look, it is the god of war, Okegiga, he¡¯s back!¡±

    ¡°He is the monster, hasn¡¯t he been wiped out by the God of the Forest?!¡±

    ¡°RUN! We can¡¯t be Okegiga¡¯s opponent at all!¡±

    On the battlefield, the main Centaur forces wentpletely on the offensive, and the initially scattered formations reunited.

    On the opposite side, Okegiga¡¯s name was whispered with fear by the rebellious Centaurs, who watched in panic as he crushed the goblin¡¯s body under his hooves.

    As the most powerful warrior in the history of the Centaurs, his long-standing prestige and Herculean achievements made all the Centaurs fear to be enemies of Okegiga.

    They trembled and retreated, raising their bows and arrows to aim at Evan and Okegiga.

    Almost instantly, the two became the enemy¡¯s priority targets. Strong prating arrows came from all directions, showering them as death rain from hell!

    Okegiga ducked back like a gust of wind, but there were too many sharp arrowsing.

    The two of them were at the center of the arrow rain and could not evade them at all.

    The situation seemed desperate, but the only thing one could see on Okegiga¡¯s face was a hint of disdain.

    ¡°Hum, weaklings, what puny attacks!¡±

    He made a loud War Cry, not to retreat, and with the heavy spear in his hand, he raised the huge body of the troll on the ground and threw it out fiercely in the face of countless sharp arrows.

    The body of the monster was bleeding downward. In mid-air, he was shot into a sieve by sharp arrows.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rush over and let these cowards see what real power is!¡±

    Evan heard Okegiga¡¯s shouting, and hurriedly hung on to him, looking nervously ahead.

    Taking advantage of the short window brought about by the corpse of the troll, with his long spear in hand, Okegiga rushed with Evan toward the nearest fortification with irresistible horror and speed.

    Out of fear, the opposite Centaurs fled and their defenses were opened.

    At this moment, a goblin wearing a quirky grey robe showed half his head from the fortifications. He shook his fingers and the arrows that had alreadynded floated again.

    Under the influence of his magic, numerous arrows, glittering faintly, and smeared with still-warm blood, were ripped from both ground and flesh and flew towards them.

    ¡°Abhorrent goblin, greedy coward! You only sneak in from behind with your wicked magic!¡± Okegiga resentfully looked at the goblin hiding behind the fortifications.

    He wanted to keep going, but there were so many magic arrowsing his way.

    Okegiga had to give upon the advantage he had gained and back away.

    ¡°Leave it to me, I have a way!¡± Evan said quickly.

    He recited a spell and used the end of his wand to cut off some of the cyan rocks on the ground. The next second, huge stones were grouped together, spinning fast in front of Okegiga.

    Bang, Bang, Bang!

    The arrows that rushed from the sky caused obvious damage to the rock rushing defense, and arge number of stone fragments and debris flew and sshed out.

    Despite their precarious state, as the frequency at which Evan waved his wand elerated, the barrier formed by boulders in front of them became thicker and thicker and never broke.

    The sharp arrows made a burst of sounds, digging on the rock wall, sounding eerie.

    After the end of this round of arrows, not waiting for the goblin to continue casting spells, Evan moved his wand to send a few red curses forward, bursting into mes on the ground.

    As his opponents scattered against the mes, Evan shook his right hand violently, and the rock barrier around them began to twist and deform.

    Under the staring gaze of everyone, a tall Stone Giant swayed and stood up. It made a loud noise and rushed towards the fortifications where the goblins were hiding.

    ¡°Oh my God, look at that Stone Giant. There¡¯s a human wizard in the war!¡±

    ¡°It is a powerful wizard from the castle; Okegiga brought help!¡±

    The Giant rumbled forward, and the whole earth trembled.

    With the tremor, whispers broke out on the battlefield, and all the Centaurs stopped, staring in astonishment at the Stone Giant that was demolishing the fortifications in front of the colony.

    The goblin in the grey robe, caught off guard, was surrounded by the fire summoned by Evan, and was finally cruelly squished by the Stone Giant.

    The Giant trampled him alive into minced meat, and his red blood soaked the soil beneath his corpse.

    The Centaurs¡¯ brains were nk, and before they could react, they heard Okegiga¡¯s roughughter; his voice was full of disdain, as if from hell.

    They seemed to have just realized what had happened. Soon, besides a few silly trolls still trying to resist, the remaining enemies quickly regressed, abandoning all their defenses and retreating back to the colony.

    ¡°Well done, human, you are more useful than I thought!¡± Okegiga admired, without stopping to continue to move forward, ¡°We seized control of the tribal gate. The next goal is the Temple of the Moon on the central ind. We must get there as soon as possible to prevent the traitors from calling The Evil God.¡±

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Evan asked curiously.

    ¡°ording to the elder, he got warnings from the stars and the Founders of the castle. The fallen guys are hiding in the depths of the Temple, using evil magic to summon the evil spirit from the endless void, summoning its noumenon to descend upon the world. ¡°Okegiga said, ¡°We can¡¯t let them seed, otherwise everything will bete!¡±

    ¡°Summon the evil god¡¯s body?!¡± Evan was stunned, and he remembered the test that Gryffindor handed over to him. He had to help the Centaur Okegiga re-seal the evil god.

    ¡°Yes, they are all mad, deceived and corrupted by the evil spirit. They believe all its myths!¡± Okegiga quickly nodded. ¡°All the noble star-watchers in the Central ins of the colony have be its most loyal followers, hoping to use the powerful magic contained in the gem left behind by the Founder of the castle as energy to summon the return of the evil god.¡±

    Okegiga was talking about the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, as one of the keys to unlock the Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders, which had powerful magic beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.

    Unexpectedly, the evil god used it as a source of energy for his return.

    ¡°What do we need to do?¡± Evan asked, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Enter the Temple of the Moon, stop the magic going on or destroy the gem left behind by the Founder of the castle.¡± Okegiga said coldly, waving his spear hard.

    Evan frowned. Okegiga¡¯s n was too simple and straightforward.

    He thought it was necessary to talk to the elder of the Centaurs first, or to catch some of the higher-ranking Centaurs and find out what magic they were using, understand how it worked and adopt a more targeted response strategy.

    Perhaps, they could also find out what kind of monster the so-called evil god was. Since the ancient warlocks summoned it out, they must have left behind a method of bringing it under control.

    But Okegiga obviously didn¡¯t intend to do this. He was a powerful warrior. Magic was never something he considered. He took Evan quickly to the Temple of the Moon.

    Evan hesitated, then decided not to stop him.

    Although reckless, in real history, Okegiga was clearly sessful, and he prevented the body of the evil god from emerging from the void.

    Of course, the oue was the division of the tribe and the decline of the power of the Centaurs, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor was split into two halves, which was a terrible event.

 Chapter 356: The Fire Dragon and the Temple of the Moon

    <h4>Chapter 356: The Fire Dragon and the Temple of the Moon</h4>

    After a brief halt, the battle continued.

    Evan knew he had to seize the moment and not let the fallen Centaurs summon the evil god from the void; otherwise the battle would be more and more difficult.

    Although it was just a magic illusion, everything was too real, and no one could guarantee the strength of the evil god that had surprised Gryffindor.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Okegiga had defeated it at the time, but the most obvious way was to destroy the magic that was calling it before the evil god came to earth.

    Thinking of this, he waved his wand.

    Under Evan¡¯s control, the huge Stone Giant bent over and reached out to grab him slowly and ced him on his right shoulder.

    A gentle breeze blew, and his view became wider.

    Evan was able to see the vast forest, and the towering old trees could not be seen at the margin.

    In the vicinity, there were the dense wooden houses of the Centaurs. The battle was going on, and smoke billowed in many ces. On the central ind of the colony, the Temple of the Moon, built of obsidian stones, stood tall and looked extra ferocious.

    Above the Temple, a strange vortex was forming in the sky, glowing red, as if something was about to be summoned from the clouds.

    Unrepressed magic overflowed, and this magic was clearly about to seed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you ahead!¡± Evan waved to Okegiga below.

    He swayed his wand, and the stone giant stood up and speeded up into the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    Its vast, grey body of rock scared all living things, for it was so heavy, the whole earth rumbled with every one of its steps.

    Under Evan¡¯s control, the Stone Giant destroyed all the obstacles in front of him in the most primitive way, crushing them with brute force.

    The fallen Centaurs tried their best to shoot arrows at it, but it didn¡¯t work.

    Evan kept waving his wand to repair the damaged body of the Stone Giant, and from time to time issued several powerful spells to the front to cooperate with its attack.

    Okegiga was unwilling to be left behind. He led the Centaurs around the Stone Giant controlled by Evan, and defeated the enemy with their arrows.

    Under the leadership of Okegiga, the Centaurs charged again and again, just like a ck hurricane, they were unstoppable, wantonly trampling on the enemy¡¯s bones.

    The colony was full of fighting and angry shouts. These Centaurs were natural warriors. They were fearless as long as there was a hero to lead them.

    The cunning goblins saw that the situation was not in their favor and all disappeared on the spot.

    They were hired to join the Centaurs¡¯ Civil War and came just for the gold promised by the fallen Centaurs, not to lose their lives here.

    The foolish trolls, with their foul stench and horrible appearance, were still swinging their wooden bats that were as tall as two men, but without the goblins¡¯ cooperation, they were quickly killed.

    In one attack, the fallen Centaurs suffered heavy losses.

    They were losing ground and began to retreat to the Temple of the Moon on the central ind.

    Evan took advantage of the victory to chase them. The closer he approached the Temple of the Moon, the more he could feel the weirdness of the old sacred ce of the Centaurs. The corrupted magic energy was changing the sacred Temple.

    Outside the obsidian, there seemed to be ayer of blue mist. Through the mist, what could be seen on the back wall were not theplicated and mysterious star maps, but all the scary devil patterns that were beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.

    On the murals were the monsters that Evan had seen before. They were like a mixture of fungi and insects. Their heads were all riddled with holes of different sizes.

    Besides, there was a huge monster with terrible ws all over his body. Huge arms covered with ck fur split into two at the front. Each hand had sharp ws on it, about the size of a giant¡¯s head protected by thick hair and bones.

    The most frightening thing about the skull was its huge mouth, which grew vertically instead of horizontally, full of massive yellow teeth, straight from the top of the head to the bottom.

    A burst of blue mist drifted by, and the line of sight was blurred. There seemed to be more such monsters on the murals, and in front of them, there were all kinds of flesh and blood sacrifices.

    These degenerate Centaurs must¡¯ve beenpletely mad to believe in that horrible evil god.

    Evan could hardly imagine that anyone would actually try to summon these monsters from the void.

    He controlled the Stone Giant beneath him and, at the top of the ck Temple; Evan saw arge number of Centaurs standing on top of the tform, crawling on the ground for what ceremony was going on.

    Moving on, in the ce of the original statue of the Centaur, he saw¡­

    The next second, Evan suddenly shivered. A pair of cold blood-red eyes appeared in his mind inexplicably. He felt an indescribable fear.

    It was like encountering a Dementor. Everything around him, even his memories, began to fade and wither. All of his happy memories disappeared, leaving only fear behind.

    Under the gaze of the blood-red eyes, Evan was in a trance.

    Bang, bang, Boom!

    In the haze, he seemed to see a huge ck body flying from above the temple. He raised his wand and wanted to resist, but he was immersed in endless terror.

    After a strong impact, Evan felt that the Stone Giant under him had been smashed.

    After the loss of magic, it quickly copsed. Evan was falling from the sky and was about to be buried alive.

    He was going to die; maybe it was a relief¡­

    No, it couldn¡¯t end like this! He tried his best to think about things that would make him happy. He thought of Hermione and of his purpose behind himing here.

    ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡± Evan shouted, waving his wand.

    He subconsciously used this magic, hoping it would work.

    Along with his movements, a silver-white cat emerged from the tip of his wand and ran with a little white light on the top of the temple.

    Evan¡¯s consciousness quickly returned, and it seemed that he could finally recover from an endless nightmare and came back to reality.

    He found that his body was falling fast in midair, and the rocks he had summoned were crushed and destroyed. There were stones of different sizes around his body.

    Evan raised his wand, but it was toote¡­

    At thest moment, a vigorous figure flew by, catching Evan, and a heavy long spear swept away all the stones beside him.

    ¡°Human, what are you doing? Don¡¯t go there!¡± Okegiga said with a rough voice. ¡°We must retreat. I didn¡¯t expect them to tame that thing.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Evan was stunned. He didn¡¯t understand what the Centaur was talking about.

    What did he mean by ¡®that thing?¡¯ Was it the evil god?!

    Soon, across Okegiga¡¯s haughty face, he saw what monster flew out of the temple and shattered the Stone Giant he had summoned.

    Above the sky, there was actually a ck fire dragon!

 Chapter 357: Fighting the Dragon

    <h4>Chapter 357: Fighting the Dragon</h4>

    ording to Okegiga, this fire dragon had been living in the depths of the Forbidden Forest.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but secretly swallow. In the Dark Ages 800 years ago, the woods around Hogwarts were hiding a monster of this rank?!

    He stared at the massive ck dragon, wondering how the fallen Centaurs had tamed it. It was simply mind boggling!

    The shadow of the dragon¡¯s huge body flickered through the air, and Evan had to admit that they were too smallpared to this fierce-looking dragon.

    This ck dragon seemed to be a hybrid of the Hebridean ck and the Hungarian Horntail. It had characteristics from both.

    Its body was about thirty feet long. Its ck scales were rough and hard, covered with bronze spikes, with a row of deep but razor-sharp ridges on its back and an arrow-shaped spike at the tip of its tail.

    It pped its wings and swiftly passed over Evan¡¯s and Okegiga¡¯s heads.

    The dragon roared and snorted at the Centaurs behind him, then swooped forward as no one did reacted, and a me burst out of its open tusked mouth and shot down at a Centaur.

    It opened its huge bloody mouth and bit the Centaur who was struggling to escape.

    The Centaur¡¯s shattered body was thrown aside after being chewed up. The ck dragonnded on the ground. Its weight of several tons caused the whole terrain to shake. It stood on its back feet, with its neck raised high, and its mouth fifteen feet above the ground.

    With a roar, the Dragon lowered its head and sprayed mushroom-shaped clouds of fire around.

    The Centaurs fled in all directions, and their arrows couldn¡¯t pierce the hard scales of the dragon. It wriggled and stamped its feet wildly, and its spiked tail fluttered madly on both sides, leaving a dozen feet of pits and hollows on the hard ground.

    ¡°We have to retreat into the forest, or we would have to suffer too many losses.¡± Okegiga said angrily, holding the spear in his hand.

    In front of them, arge number of fallen Centaurs huddled at the end of the only ess to the Temple of the Moon. They seemed to make up their minds and rely on favorable terrain to hold to the Temple.

    As for the outside, they left that for the mad dragon to handle.

    Considering the horror he had just seen, Evan wanted to rush into the temple and stop the magic that was about to seed before the evil god arrived.

    But the current situation forced him to follow the Centaurs¡¯ troops to withdraw.

    He was afraid that the dragon would tear them apart before they entered the temple.

    Evan and Okegiga had just moved, and the dragon seemed to have an eye on both of them. It gave up chasing the Centaurs who had fled to the surroundings and fluttered its wings to fly back to them.

    It spurted fire, turning everything around into a sea of mes.

    The heat wave rolled in with golden zing ripples, hot like torches.

    Evan and Okegiga were surrounded in the center of the ze and there was nowhere for them to escape. In front of them, the fierce dragon opened its huge mouth, and its threatening yellow eyes stared at both of them. Its ck, rough wings were waved at full power and it rushed forward like a fighter ne.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Okegiga gave a loud shout andunched a fierce attack, not evading. He rushed toward the dragon that swooped over, and raised hisnce high in his hand.

    The sharp long spear shed a palpitating cold light, sending out pressure.

    On Okegiga¡¯s back, Evan clenched his wand and tightened his body. He watched the dragon¡¯s outline getting clearer and clearer. Looking at its sharp fangs, his mind became nk.

    He took a deep breath, ruled out distracting thoughts, concentrated his thoughtspletely, pointed at the scary eyes of the dragon, and waved his wand.

    The dragon¡¯s eyes were the weakest part of its body, and the two sides rushed over. In an instant, Evan¡¯s Conjunctivitis Curse hit the dragon, and it closed its eyes in pain.

    The dragon stumbled forward and fell to the ground, rolling in agony, overwhelming a row of sturdy Centaurs¡¯ huts next to it like toys, shaking the whole area.

    Evan was stunned. The power of the Conjunctivitis Curse was not that great.

    The next second, he saw a shocking wound on the ck dragon.

    Okegiga¡¯s attack cut through its hard, rough ck scales, extending from its torso to its left wing. The wound was deep, and in some ces even bones could be seen.

    Evan seized the opportunity to sway the wand at the fastest speed along the wound.

    He issued five silver-white spells in session, like lightning speeding by, and each one heavily chopped the bones of the dragon.

    With Evan¡¯s attack, the dragon roared and a great deal of dragon blood spewed out.

    It rolled painfully on the ground, madly spurting hot mes, and the golden mes upied the whole area, and even hard rocks were melted by the scorching heat.

    Under the joint attack of Okegiga and Evan, its left wing waspletely scrapped, and even after treatment, it would be very difficult for this dragon to fly again.

    ¡°Well done, human!¡± Okegiga said weakly. ¡°This stupid fellow learned a lesson this time. We must get out now.¡±

    In the confrontation just now, Okegiga¡¯s right arm was cut by the tusks of the dragon, and now he was drooping weakly on the ground.

    His body was trembling because he exerted too much force.

    Okegiga¡¯s power was really amazing,pletely beyond the innate limitations of the race of Centaurs. It is no wonder that even after 800 years, his heroic deeds had been passed down byter generations.

    As a matter of fact, only the most powerful humans could defeat a dragon. Prior to this, Evan had never heard of a Centaur killing a dragon.

    The dragon¡¯s scales have a strong magic and defensive power. Even with the most powerful magic attacks, let alone physical attacks, it was hard to go through them.

    What¡¯s more, the long spear in Okegiga¡¯s hand was not a magic weapon, but the mostmon weapon. It depended entirely on his own strength to achieve this effect.

    Okegiga took Evan and other Centaurs to retreat into the woods outside the colony. Behind them, the mad dragon was still rolling there.

    It destroyed everything it touched. With such a creature stuck there, it was going to be difficult to get into the Temple of the Moon.

    Evan had some worries and didn¡¯t know what to do. Maybe he could fly in on a Hippogriff. He told Okegiga about this idea.

    ¡°Fly to the Temple of the Moon?!! Unless you want to be a target in midair.¡± Okegiga frowned and said, ¡°This idea is not feasible. In addition to being an easy target, all flights are prohibited over the temple, where the Founder of the castle left a powerful defensive magic.¡±

 Chapter 358: Sneaking into the Temple of the Moon

    <h4>Chapter 358: Sneaking into the Temple of the Moon</h4>

    ¡°So what should we do? We can¡¯t stay here doing nothing!¡± Evan asked, worried about the evil magic that was about to seed in the Temple of the Moon.

    He did not know how Okegiga and the other Centaurs had ovee the evil god in the past to win this brutal war. He only knew that if he continued to lose time and let the fallen Centaurs sessfully summon the evil god, the difficulty of the challenge would increase exponentially.

    The destruction of summoning magic and the re-sealing of the evil spirit were a much easier path.

    Evan was considering the possibility of a forceful attack. Though dangerous, it was not totally impossible.

    At present, the most troublesome thing was the mad dragon. He happened to know a powerful ck magic that might have an effect beyond imagination in dealing with dragons.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we have to hurry up. It¡¯s going to be dark soon. This is very unfavorable to us. With the help of the Temple of the Moon, the fallen astrologers could use the power of the stars to defend themselves.¡± Okegiga asked other Centaurs to apply some herbal medicine to the wound on his arm and simply wrap it up.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Evan tapped Okegiga¡¯s arm with his wand. Although he was not proficient in healing magic, he could try his best to get him better.

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t fly, swimming in is the quickest way.¡± Okegiga said, ¡°I know a secret passage into the Temple of the Moon, which goes through the depths of theke.¡±

    Following where Okegiga pointed, Evan looked to the cold, deep blueke water outside the Temple of the Moon. It seemed to connect to thekeside outside the school castle.

    He didn¡¯t know if there were Merpeople there, but the idea of swimming in from the darkke was crazy.

    He turned his head to look at the proud Centaur and confirmed that he had not heard him wrong. The Centaurs were not aquatic animals. How would Okegiga pull this off?

    ¡°The elder thought about this before, and he prepared some herbs for me to help us breathe under water.¡± Okegiga took out something wrapped in a piece light grey leather from inside his leather armor and unfolded it in front of Evan.

    Inside was a mass of green seaweed-like herbs, resembling a bundle of slimy, grey-green rat tails.

    ¡°Gillyweed!¡± Evan recognized this herb, and he never imagined that he would see it here.

    He didn¡¯t know where the Centaurs got these cherished herbs from the depths of the Mediterranean. It took centuries before the human wizard Edora Ketteridge discovered the effect of this magical herb for the first time in the history of magic. So, her portrait appeared on the famous wizard Chocte Frog Cards.

    It was said that she nearly suffocated to death when she cooked a lot of Gillyweed on a side dish. She stuck her head into a bucket of water for a week before recovering.

    From then on, the Wizarding World knew the use of Gillyweed.

    Later wizards and Potions Masters began to analyze its specificponents, and developed a magic spell and arge number of precious magic potions to help wizards breathe underwater.

    But at the end of the dark Middle Ages, the Centaurs, who had been thought to be in a state of ignorance and primitiveness, had already discovered and used Gillyweed, which was incredible.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried it before. Swallow it before going into the water, it will work immediately.¡± Okegiga gave Evan some of the Gillyweed. ¡°Because the quantity is limited, this infiltration could only be carried out by the two of us, with no assistance whatsoever.¡±

    Evan nodded and looked at the herbs that were still squirming in his palm.

    ¡°Listen, human!¡± Okegiga stooped and looked at Evan, his dark brown eyes sparkling. ¡°What we¡¯ll do in a moment is very dangerous, and we¡¯re likely to die in the Temple of the Moon. I don¡¯t know why you came here to help us, and I am very grateful for this. You have earned the friendship of the Centaurs. But I hope you¡¯ll think it over carefully. After all, this Civil War is a matter of the Centaurs themselves. I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t go back!¡± Evan interrupted him. ¡°Facing that evil god is not just the Centaurs¡¯ matter!¡±

    On top of what Evan said, this was only Gryffindor¡¯s illusion magic.

    Evan¡¯s challenge was to help the Centaurs to re-seal the evil spirit known as the god of the forest. He had no reason to withdraw from it anyway.

    Even if he died in the Temple of the Moon, it would only mean that he had failed the challenge.

    Okegiga didn¡¯t speak. He patted Evan¡¯s shoulder firmly and then took a newnce and a bow from his n and put them on his back.

    ¡°After a while, my people will re-attack the guys in the colony to grab their attention.¡± Okegiga yelled, ¡°We¡¯ll take this opportunity to dive in underwater, and you¡¯ll follow me.¡±

    They reached the rushing river, which stretched to the centralke of the colony.

    ¡°Very good, take the herbs, I¡¯ll count down from three and we¡¯ll swallow!¡± When the battle in the distant colony resumed, Okegiga made a gesture, ¡°Three, two, one!¡±

    Time seemed to stop as Evan stuffed the Gillyweed into his mouth.

    He hurriedly took off his shoes and socks and followed Okegiga into the cold river.

    Not surprisingly, the water was very cold!

    Evan felt that the skin on his legs was being bitten as the water flowed into them.

    The more he walked, the deeper the river was, and his soaked robe fell heavily.

    Now the water had passed his knees; and his two loose, clumsy feet stepped on the sand and smooth, sticky stones, and kept slipping on them.

    With all his strength, he chewed Gillyweed quickly and vigorously. It did not taste good. It was tough, slippery, like an octopus¡¯s tentacle.

    Soon, his body began to change, and his lower body, soaked in the cold, biting water of the river, began to swell outwards. Suddenly, Evan felt as if an invisible pillow had pressed his mouth and nose.

    When he inhaled, he only felt his mind spinning.

    His lungs were empty, and there was a sharp knife-cut pain on both sides of his neck.

    Evan quickly grabbed his throat with both hands and touched two long and narrow cracks under his ears, opening and closing in the cold air¡­

    The Gillyweed worked. He had gills. He was stunned. He turned his head and looked at the Centaur beside him. The strong Centaur had now be a strange monster.

    He too, had gills on his face, thin webbings between his fingers, and even his four hooves began to deform. He waved for Evan to follow him.

    Without hesitation, Evan followed Okegiga and plunged into the water.

 Chapter 359: Entering the Temple

    <h4>Chapter 359: Entering the Temple</h4>

    Although he had collected some Gillyweed for emergencies, Evan had never tried it before. He sucked in the cold water of theke as if his life relied on it.

    He swam like a real merman; his head was no longer spinning in the water.

    Evan took a sip of cold water again. It was a wonderful feeling. The water flowed smoothly through his gills and carried oxygen into his brain.

    He put his hands in front of him and looked at them carefully.

    They looked a little green underwater, strange and terrible. There were webbings between his fingers. He turned his head to look at his bare feet, which grew longer and webbed between his toes, as if his feet suddenly turned into swim-fins.

    The evening river water was no longer cold and biting. On the contrary, he felt very refreshed, veryfortable and his body became very light.

    Following the simrly bizarre Okegiga, Evan continued to paddle forward.

    With the help of his two webbed feet, he could now move fast in the water.

    Moreover, his eyesight became so good that he could see clearly ahead without blinking at all.

    Along the narrow river, he soon swam far ahead, and he could hear the fighting of the Centaurs not far above his head and he smoothly entered the hugeke in the center of the colony.

    There was no defense, no resistance, and the fallen Centaurs did not expect that someone would dive underwater.

    Okegiga¡¯s strong figure loomed in front of him and eventually disappeared.

    After entering the centerke, Evan was swimming alone in a dark, hazy and strange scenery, and all he could here was silence.

    He could see within ten feet around. Every time he stroke his feet in the water, a new scene suddenly emerged from the darkness in front: a bush of undting, tangled ck aquatic nts; broad, t silt scattered with shining pebbles.

    Evan and Okegiga swam deeper and deeper, heading towards the deepest part of theke.

    Along the central ind, the main building of the Temple of the Moon extended to the deepest part of the water, and the ancient, huge architectural outline emerged in front of Evan¡¯s eyes.

    Once again, he was shocked by the miraculous feats of the Centaurs and immersed in the greatness before him.

    Evan stared through the gray, sinuouske, looking at the huge shadows in the distance, where theke was dark and hazy.

    Countless little fishes swam past him lightly, like silver darts.

    The next second, Evan saw a big guy moving in front of him, but it was not Okegiga. When he picked up speed, he realized that it was a huge squid!

    The squid brandished its ws and stared at Evan tightly, as if it wanted to attack him.

    When Evan nervously grasped his wand, it suddenly lost interest in him, tracking the distant fish, and swam away quickly.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief, but he soon encountered new trouble.

    He met a Grindylow in the thick grass under the ind. The long-legged monster suddenly poked out of the grass, and its long tentacles clung to Evan¡¯s legs, and its mouth revealed its long sharp teeth, as if to bite him.

    Evan gently waved his wand, and a boiling water column emerged from its tip, hitting the green-skinned Grindylow.

    The monster immediately stiffened, turned grey, and motionless, slowly falling down.

    Evan¡¯s Petrification worked, but more Grindylows came out of the water grass. Without Merpeople and other natural enemies living in thiske, these monsters breed almost unstoppable.

    Evan wasn¡¯t going to let them do as they want; he was ready to let them know how much of a bad target he was.

    He quickly flicked his wand, and the Grindylow, which was pouncing at him, was instantly split into two halves. The blood stained thergeke, and the monsters began to disperse.

    Evan seized the opportunity to swim forward. A few minutester, he slowed down, staring nkly around, looking for the hidden entrance to the Temple of the Moon that Okegiga had told him about.

    But he saw nothing, and he was alone in the darkke.

    He turned 360 degrees in the water, perceiving only silence pressing on his eardrum.

    He knew that he must be at the bottom of the deepke, but there was nothing around him except endless darkness. The great water pressure made him feel lonely as never before.

    He and Okegiga had separated, and thetter might have entered the Temple. The effect of Gillyweed was gradually fading. Just to stay on the safe side, Evan added a Bubble-Head Charm to himself.

    Then, the tip of his wand began to glow outward.

    The darkness was dispelled, and Evan saw the lonely grass. In front of him, a huge blue-ck rock wall was engraved with pictures of ancient Centaurs watching the stars.

    There were several stone carvings of Centaurs scattered in the depths of theke. He didn¡¯t know if they had been there for centuries. Some were holding bows and arrows in their hands, and the others held strange-looking scepters high above their heads.

    Evan followed the rock mass of the Temple of the Moon and crossed it down a distance. Just when he was quietly worried, a powerful arm popped out of the middle of the wall.

    He hurriedly raised his wand, just to find out that it was Okegiga.

    They went up the narrow, slippery tunnel, surrounded by thick green moss and water weeds. Through the role of light and shadow, Evan found that the entrance to the secret passage was cleverly hidden in a mural. Anyone not knowing about it precisely shouldn¡¯t be able to find it.

    ¡°I just turned around and found that you were gone!¡± Okegiga said with a rough voice. ¡°The effect of Gillyweed was disappearing. I couldn¡¯t swim too far to find you.¡±

    ¡°I met a group of Grindylows and had to fight them.¡± As he exined, Evan lightly clicked on his robe with his wand and arge amount of steam came out.

    This was a very effective little spell, and his body instantly became dry.

    ¡°Those ugly water monsters have been lurking in theke, causing us a great deal of trouble. They suddenly attack those whoe to fetch water, take them into theke and drown them.¡± Okegiga shook hard and dried up himself like a wild animal. ¡°You were lucky. You came to the entrance. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know if I could¡¯ve fetched you!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the trick?¡± Evan asked, ¡°I saw the murals on the wall in theke; they were almost the same. How did you find the entrance?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple for us Centaurs. We just follow the track of the stars.¡± Okegiga walked to the top of the narrow tunnel and continued. ¡°Here is the Temple of the Moon. You have to follow the stars to find the moon. That¡¯s where the entrance is.¡±

    While he talked, he patted gently on a pattern that looked like a crescent moon, and the thick stone door in front of him slowly raised open.

 Chapter 360: Full of Evil Taboos

    <h4>Chapter 360: Full of Evil Taboos</h4>

    ¡°Get ready for battle!¡± Okegiga muttered, taking his spear out.

    Looking at the slowly opening stone door, Evan focused preparing for an all out battle.

    The next second, he panted and put down his wand. There was nothing in the other side of the stone gate.

    At this time, the fallen Centaurs were all fighting outside, and did not expect someone to sneak in from the depths of theke; the whole Temple of the Moon was empty.

    ¡°Very well, our n was sessful. No one noticed that we have entered the Temple.¡± Without hesitation, Okegiga turned straight to the left side of the passage. ¡°This way, human! We don¡¯t have much time to waste. We have to get to the top of the Temple before they discover us. It¡¯s our destination, where the evil rituals are going on.¡±

    Under the dim light of the torches, the ancient temple was full of mystery.

    The mottled walls left only traces of years of erosion. Many Centaurs¡¯ unique hieroglyphic ornaments and giant stone carvings stood quietly in the corners, covered with dust.

    In the empty passage, only two people¡¯s hurried footsteps echoed.

    It was just like what Evan saw when he entered the Temple for the first time. Even after 800 years, the quiet temple had not changed.

    However, he soon discovered a difference. As he passed through a huge round arched stone room, Evan noticed that the ground and the surrounding walls were covered with dark red paint.

    Questions arose in his mind: ¡®What on earth are these fallen Centaurs doing?¡¯

    ¡®Why did they smear their sacred Temple with red paint? This is quite unusual.¡¯ He said to himself

    Then, he realized he was wrong. These dark red liquids were not any pigments at all. They were all clotted blood stains. There had been a massacre here!

    There were no corpses, no wreckage; only dry blood clots were left behind, quietly telling of the crimes that had urred in this room.

    Evan followed Okegiga in, his feet sticking slightly to the ground, making a slight tearing sound as he lift them.

    Hiss, hiss, hiss¡­

    It sounded very disturbing, and the pungent smell of blood reached his face.

    Evan felt nauseous, and he forbore himself from vomiting.

    ¡°The fallen Centaurs arepletely mad. They believe that the evil god can lead them to glory!¡± Okegiga was also very ufortable. ¡°Following its requirements, they captured arge number of creatures and carried out massacres here. The evil god and its followers needed a lot of flesh and blood as tributes¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy, let¡¯s move from here!¡± Evan waved.

    He tried to hold his breath and tighten his rib-cage, to keep himself from reacting to what he was seeing. He never expected to witness such a scene in the Centaurs¡¯ Temple.

    As Professor Trwney said, the Dark Temple was full of taboos.

    They moved forward quickly, across the room. The stone door opened slowly, and Evan took the lead. Then he stopped abruptly, staring at the corridor in front of him in disbelief.

    On the ground not far away was the corpse of a water monster, the Grindylow.

    It seemed to have been forgotten there by the fallen Centaurs. Its highly dposed face was facing Evan. That face looked like that of a human being, and its expression was painfully twisted. The missing muscles seemed to have been eaten away by unknown creatures. Its bare eyes looked ahead with hatred!

    Evan did indeed just kill one of these creatures, but this was way too brutal for him.

    It was just to satisfy the killer¡¯s momentary pleasure, or possibly more evil, to torture this Grindylow¡¯s soul, so that it could never rest in peace.

    This was the key to making Horcruxes. Through the torture before death, the soul bes extremely unstable and easier to split, or absorbed.

    Evan¡¯s feeling of nausea grew stronger, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on his wand.

    A golden me emerged from his wand, burning the Grindylow¡¯s body, in the hope that it would be able to rest in peace.

    ¡°That¡¯s only part of it. The crime you¡¯re about to witness is far beyond your imagination!¡± Okegiga said coldly, with a repressed anger in his voice. ¡°The evil spirit has made the noble Centaurs degenerate intomitting evil heresy, which can never be forgiven!¡±

    Evan nodded, and his mouth was full of bitterness.

    He tried to calm himself down, as if it was not a big deal. He was determined to stop the evil god that was being summoned.

    The circr room, all clotted with blood, seemed to be a signal. As Okegiga said, on the way back, Evan saw many unimaginable scenes.

    The walls at both ends of the passage were painted with horrible monsters, swallowing flesh and blood with their tusks open.

    As far as Evan knew, these devilish creatures never appeared in any magic book, as if they were of the Centaurs¡¯ imagination and never existed in the world.

    He actually hoped that it would be true, that these monsters were all non-existent. Otherwise he could not even imagine how to fight them. This was far beyond his knowledge and expectations.

    What he saw and heard along the way gave him a new understanding of the Centaurs¡¯ species.

    In the words of the house-elf Dobby, if a house-elf was to be evil, then he would be bad and nonredeemable. This sentence was equally applicable to the Centaurs.

    Centaurs didn¡¯t only love stargazing, Divination and archery.

    These seemingly ruff magical creatures were full of unimaginable fanaticism.

    Evan and Okegiga moved forward. Although they did notmunicate, they both elerated their pace unconsciously.

    ¡°Hold on, that¡¯s really strange!¡± Okegiga frowned suddenly and said. ¡°The Temple is too quiet. They would never leave it without a guard.¡±

    Although it was a secret assault, it would be a great joke if they were able to just rush to the top of the Temple and destroy the ongoing calling ceremony.

    The fallen Centaurs would not be so stupid, and the extra challenge that Gryffindor posed to Evan would not be so simple. There must be something else waiting for them.

    ¡°The fallen Centaurs are all fighting outside, if they can¡¯t just be here, they must have other defensive measures left behind.¡± Evan analyzed.

    He thought of the horrible statues he had seen in that room before, worm-like monsters with holes all over their heads.

    ¡°Maybe we can¡­¡± Okegiga suddenly stopped.

    He clenched his longnce and looked nervously ahead, as if something wasing.

    Buzz, buzz, buzz¡­

    Evan was stunned, and wondered how there could be bees here, but he soon saw what it was. What he saw, was the furthest thing possible from bees¡­

 Chapter 361: An Indescribable Imagination?

    <h4>Chapter 361: An Indescribable Imagination?</h4>

    Evan clenched his wand and stared as hard as he could at the dim tunnel ahead.

    He wanted to see exactly what wasing out of the end, but he could find no words to describe urately and concretely the three monsters that were approaching.

    Evan could only describe them in a more intuitive way. In front of him, there were three red giant crustaceans five feet tall.

    In species ssification, they might be closer to fungi.

    To be precise, they appeared to be a mixture of crustaceans and fungi.

    They buzzed, their slender bodies divided into many knots like insects, and their exposed scales were all thin, uneven folds.

    In front of their bodies were six pairs of ws covered with barbs, curled together, seemingly protecting something, intermittently creeping.

    Behind them was a pair of huge crimson fleshy wings. The huge wing surfaces were rotten, and the meat on them was slowly falling off!

    Soon, arge number of small beige worms crawled out from the inside of their wounds, adhered to the mucus, and pulled the falling meat back to its original position.

    The whole process was too disgusting, and Evan couldn¡¯t help but gulp.

    Fear was like a slender venomous snake, entangled in the dull air around, waving a scarlet tongue, about to suffocate him right there.

    Okegiga and Evan did not move.

    He raised his wand high ahead, and by its light he saw that the heads of the three monsters were exactly the same as the horrible statues he had seen before.

    They had green whirlpool-shaped oval tumors attached to their heads, like a randomly trimmed bush covered with holes of varying sizes.

    These creatures were the monsters that Evan saw in the murals along the way. They were not mere Centaurs¡¯ imagination as Evan had hoped. They were either summoned from the void or created by magic. In short, they were now existent in reality.

    ¡°The creations of the evil god!¡± Okegiga muttered softy, with obvious disdain in his voice.

    Then, without any warning, the strong Centaur charged forward!

    He raised his sharp spear high, with an unrivaled momentum and enough power to tear a Dragon apart.

    Evan also hurried to follow up. He swayed his wand and sent out several spells to cooperate with Okegiga¡¯s attack.

    The three monsters, with their huge wings fluttering fast, easily escaped Evan¡¯s attack.

    They were buzzing, their terrible heads were shaking, and there were subtle changes on them.

    Their muscles were squirming, and the holes of different sizes began to change.

    Evan felt a faint magic, very strange, magic that he had never encountered before, which was too bizarre.

    He wanted to warn Okegiga, but before he could shout out, he saw the Centaur, who was about to reach the monsters, stopping abruptly.

    His hands fell weakly on both sides of his body, his eyes closed, and his behavior was very abnormal.

    Evan did not know what had happened to this powerful Centaur warrior. Obviously, the magic of the enemy worked, and Okegiga fell under a hypnosis-like effect.

    He waspletely under their control. He lost his sense of resistance and no longer thought of attacking.

    Evan shouted loudly, and the Centaur didn¡¯t seem to hear anything. He walked forward on his hooves, getting closer and closer to the three monsters.

    Their ws squirmed and slowly opened outwards, revealing what they were protecting in the center.

    This time, Evan saw clearly that at the center of their torsos, there wererge round reddish-brown mouths with tusks and sharp teeth inside.

    The three mouths were chewing and stretching constantly, and the mucosa, viscera, blood and flesh were all mixed together, opening, closing and opening constantly.

    Under the control of the monsters, Okegiga bent down and pointed his head at the mouth closest to him, and walked over step by step¡­

    If he was to stuff his head into that mouth full of sharp teeth, the scene would be horrifying. Evan could already picture what was about to happen, and just imagining the sound freaked him out to the extreme!

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan hurriedly waved his wand and sent out several spells in session.

    The spells moved forward quickly, and when they came into contact with the monster¡¯s body, the air around them seemed to turn into a viscous oily substance in an instant. Correspondingly, the speed of the magic light emitted by Evan slowed down considerably.

    The monsters easily avoided Evan¡¯s attack. He didn¡¯t know why the buzz emitted from their bodies was getting louder; were they expressing anger and discontent with Evan, orughing at his cluelessness?

    Okegiga stopped in his ce and stared nkly ahead.

    After a brief, unintelligible exchange, two monsters flew over to Evan, and the holes in their heads kept squirming.

    The strange magic waves shed by, and Evan¡¯s eyes were blurred. The surrounding area became more and more foggy. He didn¡¯t know how yellow mist came out of nowhere and covered him.

    He was still in the Temple of the Centaurs, but he felt lost, away from his own body.

    In the dim yellow fog, Evan couldn¡¯t see surroundings and waspletely lost, slowly thinking about nothing, only hearing a voice talking to him in the front.

    Evan couldn¡¯t perceive what the other person was saying. He walked slowly forward. Maybe if he would get close enough to listen carefully, he could know why he came here!

    Although Evan felt bad about this in the depths of his heart, he could not stop his body. He moved uncontrobly and slowly bent down¡­

    As he moved closer, the original blurred voice became clearer.

    It seemed to be shouting Evan¡¯s name, and all the emotion he had felt like it was being taken away. Only endless fear and loneliness remained within him!

    Memories of Evan¡¯s past shed through his mind like a slide show¡­.

    He knew a ck magic that acted on the soul, but at that moment, it was absent from his mind.

    Evan remembereding to Hogwarts, creating a newspaper, working with Harry to defeat the Basilisk, returning to the castle of a thousand years ago, helping Sirius ck catch Peter Pettigrew, his first date with Hermione, and studying magic alone in the middle of the night. The more he went forward, the more his memories became clearer.

    Then he remembered his conversation with Gryffindor himself, and the massive eyes he saw outside the Temple which were also in the mist. But now, his feeling of loss was much stronger than it was then.

    He remembered how he escaped. Without hesitation, Evan unconsciously raised his wand and shouted, ¡°EXPECTO¡­ PATRONUM!¡±

    The sudden appearance of his Patronus chased away all illusions; and Evan found himself still in the Temple of the Centaurs, with all mist around him gone.

    His shoulders were firmly grasped by the ws of a monster, and he was stuffing his head into the huge tusked mouth in the middle of its body.

    Under the influence of Evan¡¯s Patronus, the mouth was kept from closing in on his head by a silvery whiteyer.

    The actions of the three monsters became sluggish. They seemed to instinctively want to escape, but before they could move, they were violently hit by Okegiga.

    The long spear in the hands of the warrior Centaur stabbed their bodies with great force, disrupting them, scattering a lot of their flesh and blood everywhere. The passage turned full of green blood stains.

    ¡°Thank you, human!¡± Okegiga finally stopped beside Evan and said loudly, ¡°You saved me, I owe you my life!¡±

 Chapter 362: Okegigaâ€™s Story

    <h4>Chapter 362: Okegiga¡¯s Story</h4>

    Hearing Okegiga¡¯s thanks, Evan did not respond.

    What was the use of a promise of an ancient Centaur who lived eight hundred years ago? This was just an illusion created by Gryffindor. In the real world, Evan and Okegiga didn¡¯t even know each other. Not to mention that the Centaur himself had be a ghost without substance.

    Evan¡¯s mind was still concerned with the yellow mist. He had a feeling that he had read about something simr to it in some ancient magic book.

    He seemed to know what these monsters were, but he couldn¡¯t remember.

    On the ground, the bodies of the shattered monsters were still making disgusting buzzes.

    Arge number of yellow maggots burst out from the debris of their bodies, scattered all over the ground, crawled forward desperately, and slowly dragged the fragmented flesh back to its original position.

    They were scrambling for the flesh, disregarding which body it fell from, and gathering it back.

    Evan became under the impression that these monsters were actually made up of countless numbers of these pale yellow worms, and that the horrible shape he had just seen was just an embodiment of their collective will.

    The monster¡¯s buzzing continued, as if to give orders to the worms.

    The nauseating scene once again interrupted Evan¡¯s thinking.

    He saw a lot of maggots beginning to creep up to him and Okegiga, with shiny mucus behind them, and the two quickly retreated and dodged.

    ¡°They are not dead yet!¡± Okegiga warned aloud, but did not know what to do.

    This waspletely beyond the Centaur¡¯s knowledge. He would rather fight a fierce fire dragon than face these abnormal disgusting worms.

    Evan closed his eyes and focused on sensing the magic in the air. He then discovered all magic linked to these creatures wasing from inside of the monster¡¯s hollow head.

    A light of inspiration shed in his mind and he said in a hurry, ¡°Attack their heads, there should be a bright pink core inside; that is their vital spot.¡±

    Evan remembered the statues of these monsters that he had seen in the temple before, the ones that had be Stone statues could actually represent the anatomy of these monsters more intuitively.

    Inside their green hollow head, there was a pink, irregr elliptical core.

    He read a spell and waved his wand.

    A silvery white light shed by, like a sharp arrow, hitting a monster¡¯s head which was riddled with holes.

    It died, its body stopped moving, and no more buzzing sounds came out.

    On the ground, many of the yellow worms that were dragging flesh and blood also died.

    Seeing this, Okegiga hurried over and put hisnce through the heads of the two remaining monsters, ending their evil lives.

    In the dim tunnel, neither of them spoke.

    It was a abnormal, thrilling and dangerous battle. Looking at the fragmented meat in front of them, they both tried to hold their breath.

    Okegiga motioned to Evan to climb onto his back. He elerated and ran forward. When the surrounding area returned to normal and he could not smell the blood, he gradually slowed down.

    ¡°Such disgusting creations of that evil god!¡± Okegiga said resentfully. ¡°It had been working on creating these things before. I didn¡¯t expect it to seed!¡±

    ¡°How did those fallen Centaurs do it?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Flesh and blood, a lot of flesh and blood!¡± Okegiga said in disgust, ¡°The evil god told them how to make it. They caught a lot of creatures in the woods and killed them cruelly. They mixed the flesh and blood together and summoned the monsters through a ritual.¡±

    The top of the Temple of the Moon absorbed the power of stars and converted them into pure magic, which could help the fallen Centaurs to aplish such evil magic.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the ritual¡¯s principle was, but it was definitely some of the darkest magic he knew.

    With modern magic, even the most evil ck magic did not involve such amounts of flesh and blood, which was more akin to the mysterious sorcery used by ancient Greek warlocks and some African Dark Magicians to summon demons.

    In ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡°, such a magic could summon a low-ranking devil by sacrificing a corpse in a special ceremony.

    However, the record of this magic was not very detailed. Evan had been studying it for a long time without finding many clues, and he had not figured out exactly where the demons came from.

    His theoretical research was not advancing, and he couldn¡¯t really get a corpse to summon a devil. So he never was able to thoroughly study this magic.

    ¡°Two years ago, I found the remaining of the evil god in the depths of the marsh. There is an ancient temple left by humans. It had beenpletely abandoned.¡± Okegiga said with remorse, ¡°I ignored the warnings given by the elder and thes, and in order to prove my foolish courage, I went in alone¡­¡±

    Evan did not speak, and listened quietly to Okegiga recalling his own story.

    ¡°The ruins were veryrge and quiet, and they were full of nts that I had never seen before,¡± Okegiga said. ¡°The upper part of it had been buried in the mud of the marsh and then through a blocked passage, I came to a very wide circr hall on the ground floor. The hall area was about the size of the entire Temple of the Moon.¡±

    ording to Okegiga¡¯s description, Evan¡¯s mind sketched such arge and ssical temple, just like the amazing buildings of ancient Greece and ancient Egypt.

    This was andmark left by ancient warlocks. There should have been innumerable mysterious magic hidden in it, silently proving the glorious era that had passed away.

    ¡°What was in that hall?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Nothing; the white marble walls were engraved with quirky magic symbols and human words that I couldn¡¯t understand. The floors were full of intricate patterns and magic lines, just like the top of the Temple of the Moon. Perhaps they could be used to absorb the power of the stars.¡± Okegiga continued, with a hint of agony in the voice. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought at the time. I galloped forward in the empty ruins for about twenty minutes before I arrived at the center, and then I saw¡­¡±

    Evan concentrated, and he was not surprised by Okegiga¡¯s reaction.

    The Centaurs were not a race that excelled in magic. Unless it was clearly shown, he would certainly not find the magic hidden in the ruins.

    After returning to the real world, he should consider going to the ruins in the depths of the marsh and take a look at what the ancient warlocks left there.

    Perhaps, he could also know the identity of the evil god.

    If he was lucky enough to find some magic spells specifically designed to deal with the powerful evil spirits, he might be able to solve all difficulties once and for all, and get rid of these increasingly challenging creatures he¡¯d been bumping into!

 Chapter 363: The Top of the Temple and Dragonâ€™s Slaughter

    <h4>Chapter 363: The Top of the Temple and Dragon¡¯s ughter</h4>

    In the dark Temple, Okegiga continued with Evan.

    The strong and forceful stamping sound of the Centaur¡¯s hooves on the ground intermingled with his agonized voice as he said: ¡°In the middle of the empty rotunda, I found a small wooden statue wrapped in withered nts on a square stone pedestal.¡± Okegiga continued, ¡°I cleaned up the nts and brought the statue back to the tribe as proof of my foolish adventure, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be the beginning of the disaster. It was all my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°The statue?¡± Evan asked softly.

    ¡°Yes, it was the image of the evil god that was carved on it.¡± Okegiga waved the torch in his hand vigorously. ¡°It was a cursed magic item. From that day on, as soon as the night would fall, we could hear a strange voice whispering to us in the colony, the bewilderment of the fellow who imed to be the God of the forest. In the middle of the night, it promised us great power, the secret to immortality, and the ambition of conquering the Forest¡­ ¡±

    Evan was silent. It sounded exactly the same as the guy he met in Aragog¡¯s Lair. They relied on the same things to make others obey them. Maybe this was what the evil spirits had inmon.

    But they had different strengths and abilities, and each had its own characteristics.

    Moreover, perhaps this was because Slytherin had split the self-proimed God of Death before, but it didn¡¯t seem to be as powerful as the evil god that the Centaurs encountered.

    Of course, it might also be due to the fact that it was created by Herpo the Foul through ck magic, while the evil god they were facing now was a powerful creature discovered by the ancient warlocks in the endless void.

    ¡°In the beginning, the Centaurs did not believe in that voice. Since ancient times, we have only believed in the power of the stars and the signs of thes.¡± Okegiga said with resentment. ¡°After discussion, the elder decided to destroy the wooden statue that I brought back. They thought that it was an evil ck magic item created by a human wizard, but we failed in every way.¡±

    The wooden statue was the seal of the ancient warlocks on the evil spirit. If it could be so easily destroyed, they would not have left it there.

    ¡°After countless failures, we decided to seek the help of the Temple of the Moon, and the Stargazers came out to take the statue away.¡± Okegiga said, ¡°We all thought that they had sessfully destroyed the wooden statue of the evil god. The voice had disappeared for a long time.¡±

    Okegiga had previously exined that the stargazers in the Centaurs¡¯ colony were very sacred and of high status. By the power of the stars, they were very few Centaurs who could use magic.

    They were proficient in healing and star magic, a bit simr to the existence of witch doctors.

    Only the most talented foals were qualified to be stargazers. After discovering the talented foals, they would be individually taught in the Temple of the Moon.

    This was the ancient tradition of the Centaurs, but Evan didn¡¯t know when it was going to die out.

    In the modern world Evan was familiar with, there was no faction of stargazers in the Centaurs¡¯ colony of the Forbidden Forest. All the Centaurs could read the warnings given by thes¡¯ movements.

    But again, they couldn¡¯t feel magic or use it.

    ¡°Ordinary Centaurs are not allowed to enter the Temple of the Moon without permission. We don¡¯t know what happened here. We just thought that the astrologers had seeded. But the reality was, they were all corrupted by the evil god.¡± Okegiga went on, his voice gradually calming down. ¡°They secretly modified the interior of the sacred Temple of the Moon into what you see now. When this incident was discovered, it caused a lot ofmotion, and the tribe split as a result. The supporters of the evil god and stargazers took the upper hand, and several elders and opponents like me were banished.¡±

    He stopped and patted lightly on the door engraved with the moon¡¯s shape, touched the shutter, and the ck door slowly rose upwards, revealing an esctor behind.

    ¡°From then on, the fallen Centaurs began to spread out, hunting all the creatures they could see and destroying the bnce of the forest.¡± Okegiga took Evan in, and the sound of flowing water rang from below, and they began to rise. Turning his head, Okegiga continued, ¡°Thes¡¯ harbingers are getting worse and worse, and the great evil is approaching us. We can¡¯t wait any longer. We have to take action. As I said before, everything started because of my foolishness. I have to put an end to this farce myself¡­¡±

    He shook his right hand back with great force and threw away his torch.

    Okegiga took out the long spear behind him, his hands clenched with all his strength, his muscles tightened, his eyes wide open, waiting for the uing battle.

    Evan also took a deep breath, pulled out his wand, looked down at the fast-moving stone wall, and mobilized all his magic.

    His challenge had reached its most critical point, at which sess or failure was at stake.

    Waiting for them at the top of the temple would be the evil god being summoned, the Centaurs who believed in it, arge number of indescribable monsters, and¡­

    Roar!!!

    As Evan and Okegiga reached the top of the Temple, the roar of a dragon reached them, tingling their eardrums with zing heat, for the sky was filled with golden mes.

    Evan did not hesitate and hurriedly waved his wand. The next second, a magic shield appeared in front of them, blocking the mes of the dragon. The energy shield constructed by pure colorless magic was immediately baked into bright red.

    ¡°To victory; CHAAARGE!¡± Okegiga let out a loud cry.

    As the Centaur¡¯s hooves moved, he rushed out in front of the gushing mes and held up his long spear like a God of war.

    In front of them was the ck dragon that they met in front of the Temple.

    Ity down on the ground, its fearful yellow eyes mingled with blood, staring at Evan and Okegiga. Its left wing had apparently been treated, but the scar left upon it was shocking and it could no longer be used for flight.

    The dragon¡¯s eyes were full of hatred. After spitting out fire, it rushed straight forward with its huge mouth full of fangs, roaring thunderously.

    The intolerable heat grew stronger and stronger, and it was shaking the whole ce.

    After gliding forward and charging for a while, Okegiga made a sudden turn, facing the oing dragon, with all four legs working hard at the same time, and flew straight into the air.

    Bang, boom, boom!

    Evan didn¡¯t care to pay attention to anything else; they were now right above the dragon.

    He waved his wand as hard as he could and mobilized all his magic. A red curse as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh came out from the end of his wand.

    Because of the umtion of too much magic, Evan could even hear the slight whistle of magic collision, like a red lightning, rushing downward.

    It was Stupefy! Evan did not expect to be able to knock down a fire dragon with such powerful magical defense just like that, but it was enough to make it dizzy andatose.

 Chapter 364: The Descending Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 364: The Descending Evil God</h4>

    Immediately following the Stunning Spell was the Conjunctivitis Curse. After a brief dizziness, the dragon had a deep pain in its eyes. It closed its eyes and tried to roll its body to relieve the pain.

    But no, it had no strength at all.

    The dragon roared reluctantly. Its huge body, weighing several tons, fell to the ground, crushing the bs on the ground and spewing mushroom-like mes from its mouth.

    The dark green scales sparkled, and the entire Temple of the Moon was shaking.

    Although Evan¡¯s magic power was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people, the dragon¡¯s powerful magic resistance made his magic instantly ineffective. It quickly pped its broken wing, struggling to stand up from the broken ground, and its inner anger grew even stronger.

    It was absolutely uneptable to be yed by two tiny ants in session.

    ¡°Attack its eyes; that¡¯s where the dragon¡¯s defense is weakest.¡± Evan shouted to Okegiga in front of him, who was falling fast from mid-air.

    Okegiga shouted loudly and his heels fell heavily on the back of the dragon, without any pause, disregarding the fact that his body was being scratched by the spikes on the body of the dragon.

    He ran forward on the dragon¡¯s sharp barbed armor as if he were on a knife hill.

    The Centaur charged forward, pointing his long spear to the right eye of the dragon that had just lifted its body; he stabbed it fiercely and a great deal of dragon blood gushed out.

    Okegiga went ahead with all his strength, and then sprinted, his whole body was pressed on the spear in his hand, arge number of blood vessels protruded on his stout arms, and his blue veins swelled violently.

    His longnce stabbed the right eye of the dragon and prated through its body from the center.

    The fierce attack made the dragon roar again, louder than ever before.

    It shook its huge head furiously and wanted to throw the Centaur away from its body.

    before its great power, Okegiga was like a lonely boat in a raging storm.

    But he did not loosen his grip, clenched his teeth, tried his best to hold hisnce, and stuck it tightly, as the dragon¡¯s head swayed violently in the air.

    The strong Centaur Warrior could persist, but under the influence of such momentum, Evan, who was sitting on Okegiga, couldn¡¯t keep his bnce at all.

    Again, in an upward swing, he finally lost his grip and let go of the Centaur¡¯s back.

    His body was thrown away from height, below which was the fierce mouth of the dragon.

    If he was to fall down like this, he would either be swallowed alive by the dragon or grinded into meat pie.

    Evan had no time to think about such fate, as the battle was at its peak.

    He held his breath, waved his wand, drawing aplicated pattern in the air, and a white light as thick as the Stunning Spell he had just used emerged from the end of his wand.

    Like throwing a javelin, Evan threw the curse into the other eye of the dragon.

    BOOM!!!

    Under the impact of Evan¡¯s curse, the dragon fell down.

    It also sent a heartbreaking roar, with a whine in its voice. Its wing and eyes had been severely damaged, and it had been forced to back down.

    It was impossible for it to carry on, and its movements slowed down gradually.

    Okegiga seized the opportunity, picked his long spear hard and forcefully pulled out the yellow eye of the fire dragon. He grasped the long spear in both hands, pointed down, with bloody eyes pierced on the ck scales of the dragon, and slid straight down.

    The dragon wailed, with both his eye sockets bleeding out. Its giant open mouth could not even spurt mes anymore, and its huge body was copsing, looking like it was about to fall downpletely at any moment.

    This was definitely the bloodiest and most tragic dragon ughter in history. A powerful dragon at the top of the food chain was dying by the hands of its supposed pray.

    Throughout history, it was known that only the strongest of wizards could ever conquer and kill the fire dragon, but this rule was destined to be broken today. A 12-year-old wizard and a Centaur teamed up to achieve this miracle that would amaze the Wizarding World.

    Evan fell from the sky, and Okegiga, who aplished the feat of ughtering the dragon, leaped to catch him.

    The Centaur¡¯s body was scarred and bloody, and in some ces it was even scorched by the mes, no intact inch on his body could be seen.

    Before Evan could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw arge number of Centaurs crawling to pray for the statue of the evil god in the deep tform ahead, seemingly indifferent to the close battle.

    As they moved, blue and ck clouds were getting thicker and lower, moving in a spiral pattern to form vortex, one that looked as if something was about to crawl out of it.

    Above the huge statue, the Philosopher¡¯s stone left by Gryffindor glowed red.

    The magic waves visible to the naked eye floated out from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, forming a red light path that slowly drifted downward and converged into the statue of the evil god.

    The air pressure at the top of the temple dropped further, just like a precursor to a storm that was about to break out. The ancient, powerful atmosphere was filled with pressure. It was overwhelming, and everyone was gasping for breath.

    ¡°NO, their magic is about to seed, we have to¡­¡± Evan shouted.

    Without hesitation, Okegiga charged forward again, dragging his scarred body. Evan issued several spells in session, hoping to prevent the summoning ceremony from proceeding.

    But the Centaurs stargazers in front of him seemed to have all been petrified. They did not evade the spells that attacked them, letting Evan and Okegiga attack.

    Their faces were expressionless and their eyes shed with a mad light.

    Evan¡¯s heart sank down immediately, his feeling of uneasiness became stronger and stronger, and the scene in front of him was too strange. These Centaurs had lost themselves to this creature!

    ¡°You arete, Okegiga!¡± After being knocked down, an old Centaur said slowly, ¡°Be ready to surrender, the great existence has arrived¡­¡±

    His voice just fell, and suddenly the huge statue of the evil god in front of him became alive!

    Centered on the statue, a looming figure started being created out of nowhere.

    Arge amount of the flesh and blood piled up at the top of the temple began to rise, and floated towards it; even the body of the dragon that had just been killed by Evan and Okegiga was among them.

    Evan looked at the evil that was taking shape in surprise. It was like a Gillyweed erged countless times, or like a tree root with countless branches.

    It floated slowly in midair, and a lot of flesh and blood drifted toward it, gradually forming a huge, bulging ck cloud-like mass of¡­ flesh.

    The flesh was getting covered with green, irregr, wrinkled skin that looked like bark and scales of some strange creature.

    The big mouth in the center, which was covered with green mucus, was full of ck fangs. Besides, there were many other mouths around its body, all being of different shapes.

    Further up, two disproportionate eyes were at the most edges of the ck meat. Red eyeballs rolled inside and looked at the front in a sluggish manner.

    Bellow, countless tentacles spread out, with each having either a mouth with fangs, an eye or a de-like w on its edge!

 Chapter 365: The Call of the Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 365: The Call of the Evil God</h4>

    This evil spirit was like a mixture of all the monsters that Evan saw on the Temple murals before. It had features from all of those monsters on its huge round body.

    It was not so much a god; it was purely a monster.

    Those fallen Centaurs were simply mad to believe in such a creature!

    Flesh and blood converged to it, but still could not fill it up. The figure of the evil spirit expanded outwards, to be almost asrge as the huge cloud vortex above the Temple of the Moon.

    Its body, which had been covered with flesh and blood, had a series of cracks and scars opened into it. These cracks seemed to be innumerable, endless, opening and closing¡­

    Soon, everywhere above its dark green circr body, which was flooded with shadows, was covered by the dark clouds, and the two seemed to merge into one.

    On the tform, the fallen Centaurs were prostrated on the ground, muttering iprehensible words in their mouths, and they dared not even raise their heads. Only Evan and Okegiga were still standing there.

    Okegiga took a step forward and stopped immediately.

    The sky abruptly started raining, and the raindrops were getting bigger and bigger.

    These raindrops were all dark red, like dried blood.

    The rain fell on the Temple built of obsidian. The evesting rocks were full of bloody bubbles, and they were fading away and losing their former luster.

    A green film began to appear on the ground, like green moss that kept getting higher and higher. Bizarre nts began to emerge, growing rapidly in the rain.

    The squirming tentacles of the evil god were like the roots of the trees. They were rooted in the huge stone statue and the Temple of the Moon. Cracks began to appear on the hard stones.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Okegiga muttered.

    The powerful Centaur Warrior seemed to be in despair, as this evil creature looked invincible.

    Evan did not answer. He was focusing on finding the source of magic. With the appearance of the evil spirit, the magic on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor was speeding up its dissipation.

    Now, the whole Temple tform was full of restless magic.

    With this magic in reach of the creature, no matter how many fallen Centaurs there were to beat, they would never be able to stop it!

    The remaining way was to find the wooden statue Okegiga talked about.

    This was the root of everything. Destroying it would bring an end to theing of this evil god, or seal it again through the magic used by ancient warlocks.

    As for beating it head-on, that wasn¡¯t about to happen!

    If they could, the ancient warlocks would not have just sealed it, but they would have destroyed it once and for all.

    Evan didn¡¯t know where the fallen Centaurs had hidden the wooden statue. He pursued the trajectory of the magic, trying to locate it, but it was as if he was trying to locate a wave in a vast raging ocean!

    Perhaps, all his efforts in the face of theing evil spirit were in vain!

    But Evan did not give up. There must be a way!

    He did not know how Okegiga re-sealed the evil god in real history. Though brave, the trouble he was facing should¡¯ve been beyond his capabilities.

    Of course, this was not the real world after all. It could also be something made up by Gryffindor, to increase the difficulty of the challenge.

    No matter what, everything in this illusion was too real. It was as if Evan really went back to the Centaurs civil war eight hundred years ago.

    In the sky, the huge spherical body of the evil spirit slowly protruded forward, and its sluggish red eyes were all down, looking coldly at Evan and Okegiga.

    A strange voice rang out somewhere, echoing in the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    ¡°Human wizard, you are still trying to resist the great existence that is destined to remain unknown!¡± It slowly said, ¡°This is absurd! With all men I¡¯ve witnessed, the oldest and strongest emotion that human beings have is fear, and the oldest and strongest of fears is that of the unknown.¡±

    Evan ignored it and tried to focus.

    He had studied it carefully before, and like the fellow he met in the depths of the earth, the words that the other party was constantly echoing and whispering were actually magic that acted on the soul, which could lead to bringing birth to most negative of emotions in one¡¯s heart.

    In this regard, he was already prepared.

    ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡± He shouted and waved his wand to summon his Patronus.

    The previous two experiences reminded him that the Patronus Charm that exuded positive energy and could resist all negative emotions was not only effective against the Dementors, but also against these evil gods and creations from the void.

    It seemed that he had to study this magic again after the end of the challenge!

    He focused his attention, thinking about what would make him the most happy and about Hermione and the guardianship of Hogwarts.

    The cat, which was made of silver light, whirled around him and Okegiga, and finally rested on his shoulder.

    A milky white energy shield appeared out of thin air, blocking the infiltration of evil forces.

    ¡°Weak human wizard, like your ancestors, you are making useless resistance. Me not destroying you immediately was the greatest kindness you could encounter.¡±

    The immense body of the evil spirit continued to move forward, staring coldly at Evan.

    ¡°Mypanions and Ie from the darkest corners of the world. Human Wizards that have seen it been before had gone mad!¡± It continued, ¡°That is the present of our world, and it¡¯s also the future of yours. Under the vast ocean, there are endless secrets¡­¡±

    Evan increased the magic output, and the voice became intermittent.

    With the infiltration of the evil spirit, the energy shield in front of him was covered with cracks, which could break at any time, and the Patronus on his shoulder seemed to slowly fall asleep.

    Evan clenched his fists, and was sweating all over!

    Ever since he acquired the powerful magic of Slytherin¡¯s Locket, he never felt in such need to more magical power!

    ¡°Do you want to discover the essence of fear?¡± The voice of the evil god came in again. ¡°You seem to be fearless, but in the face of real fear, you would either be driven mad and be my follower like these Centaurs; or like your ancestors, run away from the light and flee to a new dark age to seek peace and safety.¡±

    ¡°Found it, there it is!¡± Evan finally found the source of all the magic gathering.

    He shouted to the Centaur under him, but Okegiga did not move.

    The Centaur was standing there quietly, as if he was petrified, or just an image!

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan waved his wand and jumped off the Centaur.

    He didn¡¯t know what tricks Gryffindor was ying again. Did he focus on animating this evil god and forget to control these Centaurs?!

    The battle had reached its final stage. Any questions were to be left forter!

 Chapter 366: Evanâ€™s Success!

    <h4>Chapter 366: Evan¡¯s Sess!</h4>

    Evan gasped and rushed through the crowds of the fallen Centaurs prostrated on the ground.

    Like Okegiga, the fallen Centaurs were all motionless.

    Theyid there in silence. Their faces were also still, showing theirst varied expressions of surprise, panic, joy, fear¡­.

    Aside from Evan and the evil god, the whole world seemed to be at a standstill at that moment.

    Evan¡¯s Patronus kept spinning around his body, and the white energy shield protected him from the whispering and negative emotions of the evil god.

    In the sky, with the gathering of monstrous amounts of flesh and blood, the huge spherical body of the evil god had expanded beyond imagination, starting to look like a moon of death falling on earth.

    On its body, the swaying tentacles covered the sky.

    At the foot of the statue of the Centaur in the middle of the Temple, Evan looked up, and saw nothing above his head but the body of the evil god, which was still growing.

    It was dark, but Evan¡¯s target was very clear.

    He had just sensed that all the magic that had dissipated from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was converging in the head of the giant Centaur¡¯s statue, where the Wooden Statue of the evil god was hidden.

    It seemed that the stone staircase specially prepared for him stood quietly there, extending straight from the bottom of the statue to the highest point of the cloud.

    Along the stonedder, Evan looked up and felt dizzy.

    ¡°Death here is not real!¡± He made up his mind to ovee his deep fear and ran to the stonedder.

    The next second, the change was sudden.

    The bodies of the stalled Centaurs around him suddenly changed, their skin kept rolling, or bulging upwards, or sagged downwards, and their flesh and blood were torn apart.

    Under the control of the evil god, the fallen Centaurs all became horrible monsters.

    Some parts of their bodies still retained their characteristics, but others began to morph in horrible bizarre shapes. Their eyes bulged outwards and their bones began to deform.

    Where they used to have faces, now they had huge mouths, like giant open ms, with fangs on the edges and tiny teeth on the inside.

    In the center of these giant mouths, they had enormous blood-red tongues.

    They were swaying disgustingly, licking the skin inside their mouths.

    The fallen Centaurs that had be monsters quickly rushed towards Evan. He tried to run forward with all his strength. He gasped hard, and the monsters behind him were much faster than he was.

    This was not the way to go on. He was not Okegiga. He couldn¡¯t fight these monsters head-on. He bit his lips hard, stopped, and turned quickly.

    Evan wiped the sweat from his head, and the wand in his hand kept waving.

    Golden mes erupted from the end of his wand. It was the Fiendfyre Curse!

    Evan had used this evil curse once in Aragog¡¯s Lair, burning almost the entire cave, including gushing springs.

    Likest time, all the mes seemed to be living, spinning and roaring, rushing to the nearest morphed Centaur.

    The evil fire swallowed everything it touched. It confronted the evil god in the sky and the evil monsters it had created, as if both werepeting to decide who was more most evil!

    After casting the Fiendfyre Curse, Evan didn¡¯t look at it and ran straight to the stonedder next to the statue.

    With all his strength, he sprinted up and swept through the steps.

    Below, the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: ming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again.

    The whole tform at the top of the Temple had be an ocean of mes.

    Numerous fallen Centaurs were being juggled by the mes. They dodged around and seemed to be able to escape, but they were soon engulfed up by the fire from hell, turning into ashes and drifting in the wind.

    The fierce fire raged, the ming beasts were rolling in the mes. their ws, tentacles and tails were twitching, and even the obsidian ground was baked red.

    With an unpleasant smell of scorch, the smoke was steaming upwards.

    Strangely, the ground and building walls covered by the tentacles of the evil god remained unscathed. The fire stopped without harming the evil god.

    ¡°Stupid human wizard, you are trying to challenge my strength with your own weak spells, but you don¡¯t know that you¡¯re getting closer to death.¡± The evil spirit said slowly.

    The spherical body slowly rolled, and the huge eyes turned to the bottom. It stared at Evan with terrible cold eyes.

    ¡°You think you can endure death?¡± it calmly asked, ¡°This death is like no other, human! It makes you beg for it, beg for the pain to end!¡±

    Evan ignored it, and he gasped hard. The stairs shed inyers in front of him.

    He didn¡¯t know how long this was going tost, for the stonedder seemed to never end.

    He tried not to look or imagine what was under the statue, so that he would not be so dizzy. Inside his body was the huge, rough statue of the Centaur.

    On the outside was therger and clearer body of the evil spirit.

    A lot of flesh and blood were gathered and swallowed up by it, but it was still unsatisfied. The shaking tentacles were still shadows, and the flesh-like body was covered with scars.

    Every scar was so deep, and green mucus flew out of it.

    It kept saying crazy words to Evan, disturbing his mind, but because it did not form a single tentacle, it did not possess any substantial attack ability.

    Evan climbed faster and faster, sweating like rain, and liquid even began toe out of his eyes.

    He felt that he should have been already tired, but his legs were still moving up.

    It was an endless battle. Evan¡¯s physical strength was exhausted. He only wanted to rest on the ground now, but under the pressure of the evil god, he was still pushing himself.

    Maybe that was what Gryffindor wanted; to test Evan¡¯s limits.

    His phobia of heights and his fear of the evil spirit were both left behind by Evan.

    He was fearless now, and there was only one thought in his mind; to climb up!

    He wanted to climb to the top, destroy the statue of the evil god, and prevent it from bingplete.

    He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, the dim sky was getting darker and darker, the sun disappeared, and the stars hang through the night sky unwittingly.

    Finally, Evan climbed to the top of the statue.

    He passed straight through the thick clouds like a whirlpool, and the huge body of the evil god had disappeared. He was now standing on top of the clouds.

    The scene before him became very open, and the bright moonlight shined on him.

    Never had Evan seen such a blue night sky! It was like something from a fairy tail. There was nothing but him, countless clouds and mists surging under his feet.

    On the circr tform in front of the clouds, Godric Gryffindor looked at him with a smile and said, ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯ve passed the challenge!¡±

 Chapter 367: Fear Never Ends

    <h4>Chapter 367: Fear Never Ends</h4>

    Evan copsed to the ground breathing, and Gryffindor looked at him with a smile.

    ¡°What about the evil spirit?¡± He looked around down and saw nothing.

    Around the tform, countless clouds were rolling over, covering everything on the Temple of the Moon.

    A dark cloud drifted through the bodies of Evan and Gryffindor, and their shadows loomed like dreams. The mist made everything surreal.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone, you beat it!¡± Gryffindor said softly.

    ¡°But I¡¯ve done nothing. My magic had no effect on it. I haven¡¯t destroyed the wooden statue that summoned it.¡± Evan said puzzled.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do anything. As long as you¡¯vee here, you have already passed the challenge.¡± Gryffindor smiled and took a bright red stone and handed it to Evan. ¡°You are the best greatest wizard I have ever seen. Catch this Philosopher¡¯s Stone, it¡¯s yours now!¡±

    Looking at the soft light of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, a trace of longing shed across Evan¡¯s face.

    He stretched out his hand forward and stopped suddenly when his fingertips were about to touch the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    A sudden warning rose in his heart, making him restrain himself.

    There seemed to be something wrong. He remembered that Gryffindor had told him before that Voldemort had left a magic on this Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    But he didn¡¯t even mention it now, and why would he give him the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the illusion instead of sending him back to the real world?!

    In front of him, Gryffindor¡¯s face was always smiling, and everything seemed extremely unnatural.

    That smile was not so much an old man¡¯s kind smile, but rather one of restrained mockery.

    In the clouds and mists, the corners of his mouth rose exaggeratedly on both sides, bing more and more uncoordinated; as if they just exceeded a human¡¯s ability to ¡­. smile!

    Evan felt a sudden chill; he gulped and swallowed, his right hand subconsciously clenching his wand.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Catch this Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and you will gain unimaginable power. It will help you be the most powerful wizard. Trust me¡­¡± though he was close to him, Gryffindor¡¯s voice seemed toe from a very remote ce.

    Evan listened clearly, and the voice echoed in his mind.

    As soon as he brought up power, Evan became certain that this guy was a fake.

    Gryffindor would never say that, he always stressed that power was not the most important thing to have.

    The challenge was not over yet. He had to destroy the wooden statue of the evil spirit.

    The evil spirit that had be Gryffindor was stillughing, but the mood was getting more and more depressed.

    Itsughter was ringing in the deepest part of Evan¡¯s heart, getting louder and louder, along with the frequency of his heartbeat. Thump, thump, thump¡­

    Evan felt that his heart was about to burst with this tormenting sound, and he couldn¡¯t help but tear up slightly.

    His magic began to wander, and all his powers conflicted wildly.

    Evan gasped, holding his wand hard and raising his right hand diagonally upwards. A pale green curse spurted out and passed through Gryffindor¡¯s body in front of him.

    He had no substance; it was nothing but an illusion.

    ¡°Young human wizard, you rejected me and made the most foolish of decisions.¡±

    Gryffindor took a step forward, his face twisted and his mouth opened wider and wider.

    Numerous green mucus and flesh fragments fell from the inside, his body was rapidly expanding, and rotten tentacles emerged, like the most terrifying nightmare.

    The tentacles slowly moved forward, seemingly trying to touch Evan¡¯s skin.

    ¡°EXPECTO PATRONUM!¡± Evan shouted.

    The silver Patronus circled out, and the bright white mist blocked them.

    ¡°Young human wizard; you still don¡¯t understand the true meaning of magic. You have never suffered the copse of all walks of life. You are only the humblest existence in the world.¡±

    Gryffindor¡¯s face turnedpletely devilish, his tentacles shaking and pping on the light screen, his mouth saying crazy, meaningless words, ¡°Sad ant, you are just a puppet in the hands of a puppeteer; struggling uselessly in the face of what you cannot understand¡­¡±

    Evan put more of his magic into the Patronus charm. Seconds, or perhaps centuries went by, before he realized that he should run!

    Disregarding the evil spirit in front of him, he no longer cared about the surrounding environment, and continued along the narrow hollow stairs next to the tform, rushing ahead.

    Through the thick mist and light, the sturdy tentacles of the evil spirit continued to p, and with mad power, it became more and more ruthless and cruel, as if trying to split Evan¡¯s body in two!

    Evan gasped. On the top of a small table, he saw a dull wooden statue, which was a multi-fold reduction of the evil god, looking more like the roots of a nt at that scale.

    Without thinking, he waved his wand, and the red spell shed by.

    Unexpectedly, the wooden statue broke up and scattered in the air as dots of starlight.

    The crazy voice of the evil spirit gradually drifted away, but it was still very clear and terrifying; ¡°Sadmb, you have defeated me in the illusion, but you don¡¯t know that you are entering another more frightening one! Fear is like a shadow; never disappears, never ends¡­¡±

    The surroundings became gradually quiet, and when Evan looked up, he once again saw Gryffindor standing in front of him with a smile.

    He took a step back in surprise and raised his wand with vignce, but Gryffindor waved his hand carelessly, with a stronger smile on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do that, Evan!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°That thing had disappeared. Now there are only the two of us here.¡±

    ¡°How can you prove that you are really Gryffindor, not the evil spirit?¡± Evan hesitated and asked, trembling to the extreme.

    His heart beat so hard that he couldn¡¯t clearly distinguish between illusion and reality. He felt that he was about to be driven crazy.

    ¡°I can¡¯t prove anything, because I don¡¯t really exist, it¡¯s just a part of this magic illusion, the consciousness of my body staying here.¡± Gryffindor said with a smile, ¡°You just did a wonderful job and got my approval. Believe it or not, I want to tell you that you have passed the challenge!¡±

    This sentence was a surprise for the first time, and now it soundedpletely frightening.

    Gryffindor seemed not surprised by Evan¡¯s performance. He waved. ¡°I know you have a lot of doubts. In fact, the evil god you saw did not exist in real history. Okegiga had better luck than you. When he got to the top of the Temple, the evil ritual had not beenpleted, and he seeded in stopping everything.¡±

    ¡°What happened just now?¡± asked Evan, breathing.

    ¡°As you can see, that¡¯s what I imagined and reasoned about this creature, and that¡¯s what I used my magic to create.¡± Gryffindor said with a smile, as if exining a trivial matter, ¡°In the real world, the so-called evil god did note to the world in the end. At thest moment, just out of anger, it exhausted its power to break through the void, splitting the Philosopher¡¯s Stone that I left into two halves, and doing nothing more.¡±

 Chapter 368: Getting Gryffindorâ€™s Treasure Key

    <h4>Chapter 368: Getting Gryffindor¡¯s Treasure Key</h4>

    Evan was silent. Whether this guy was a demon or Gryffindor; he wanted to get up and beat him up!

    For a good while, this guy was definitely getting him through hell!

    In the illusion, he was almost driven mad, while Gryffindor was enjoying himself on the sidelines, and all the Centaurs warriors, fire dragons, and the evil god were all being animated by him.

    He was like a marite, struggling in the world he created.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry!¡± Gryffindor said with a smile. ¡°In fact, the scene you just saw was notpletely illusory. The fallen Centaurs did use magic to absorb the power that I have left, trying to summon the evil spirit from the void. At the time, I had a conversation with it. How to describe that experience? I can only say that it was very interesting¡­¡±

    Communicating with the spherical monster, Evan couldn¡¯t see what it meant.

    ¡°What I showed you, it was what it tried to instill in me.¡± Gryffindor¡¯s expression became serious. ¡°In fact, it is far more horrible than what you just saw. If you encounter itter, be careful not to be careless.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Evan said angrily, still not rxing his vignce.

    ¡°Ha-ha, you are right to have this momentum!¡± Gryffindor took a few steps forward and waved to Evan. ¡°Since you understand, then I don¡¯t have anything to worry about! Your Friends should be waiting anxiously outside, we¡¯d better not waste time.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Evan cried out in a hurry.

    Whatever he told him, in fact, he still had full of questions to ask him.

    Gryffindor stood there smiling, as if waiting for Evan to ask his questions, but his body began to be transparent and he began to disappear.

    As in the previous Hogwarts room, the entire space began to fragment.

    Evan opened his mouth but made no sound.

    ¡°If you want to know the magic that Slytherin¡¯s Heir left on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the quickest way is to pick it up directly. Don¡¯t run away from your destiny. This is another challenge I leave you to.¡± Gryffindor¡¯s voice came intermittently, ¡°Goodbye, Evan!¡±

    The next second, with a bang, countless pieces of debris broke and dispersed.

    Everything in front of Evan vanished.

    The debris shed silver and blue, and he returned to the real world.

    As the cold night wind blew, Evan noticed that he was also standing at the top of the statue.

    Below him, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Magorian and the elder of the Centaurs all looked as small as toothpicks.

    Because it was too high, he had a fit of dizziness and hurriedly got his eyes back up.

    He felt like he was standing at the gates of the sky, with countless stars shining around him, as if he could reach out and touch them.

    In the distance, the huge outline of Hogwarts Castle was looming.

    He heard a shout, and Harry and the others were shouting his name.

    Evan looked down again and saw Hermione waving to him.

    Because it was too high, he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying.

    Following Hermione¡¯s gesture, Evan turned his head and saw the Secret Treasure Key that Gryffindor had left. The fragment of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone glowed red not far away.

    He hesitated for a moment and slowly stood up.

    A gust of cold wind blew, and Evan felt his body shaking, and he half squatted down in a hurry to maintain his bnce.

    Between the tform where he stood and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, there was a narrow stone passage.

    so high above the ground, walking on this narrow passage was like walking across a single wooden bridge, but below was not a turbulent river, but a vast night sky.

    Needless to say, this must be a hobby of Gryffindor again.

    Evan held his breath and walked cautiously forward.

    He arrived slowly to the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which, like Gryffindor had shown him, was covered with gold markings and had irregr edges.

    Evan could feel the powerful magic above, but he was still hesitant.

    He was not sure what magic Voldemort had left behind, and he saw no difference besides the crack that had been cruelly made by the evil spirit, proving that the Stone had experienced the unimaginable!

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone glowed red, and there was no trace of magic left in it.

    Evan hesitated, not sure if he should touch it.

    He tried to use his wand to cast light on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and cast his own detection and defense spells, but nothing happened.

    He couldn¡¯t stand there forever. ording to Gryffindor¡¯s words, no matter what, he had to ept the magic left by Voldemort and then seek for solutions.

    Perhaps Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy was just meant to be!

    Evan felt ufortable thinking that he might be the one chosen by Voldemort, who would help him gain power beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.

    He felt a cold chill in his body, as if his innards were turned into ice!

    Evan hesitated. Maybe this time it would take courage instead of reason. It was a crazy move to get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone knowing that there was obviously something wrong with it.

    But in any case, it was something he couldn¡¯t escape.

    The next second, Evan reached out and held the red Philosopher¡¯s Stone in his hand. It was cold.

    Powerful magic entered his body along his palm, and Evan felt warmth. The magic he had just consumed in the illusion was instantly restored.

    His magic continued to rise, quickly and frighteningly.

    On the tform at the top of the Temple of the Moon, everyone was watching Evan¡¯s movements in the sky, and they were all cheering when they saw him holding the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    ¡°The human foal has seeded!¡± Magorian¡¯s haughty face was filled with surprise. ¡°After a thousand years, someone could really pass that mighty test!¡±

    ¡°Well, you should know now, that¡¯s my student! He¡¯s naturally the best!!¡± Sirius looked proudly at the Centaur, with a smug smile on his face.

    ¡°Evan seeded, I knew it!¡± Harry cheered loudly, shook his hands and was sincerely happy for his friend.

    ¡°He¡¯s the best, we all believe in him.¡±

    Hermione breathed a sudden sigh of relief and wiped her eyes. A moment ago, Evan suddenly disappeared from her sight. She did not know what had happened and burst into tears.

    ¡°Yes, he is the best!¡± Ron followed. His gaze wasplicated, and he was still thinking about the powerful magic item left by Gryffindor.

    He suddenly realized that the gap between him and Evan was widening.

    Maybe he would never close this gap in his life.

    Ron couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. He admitted that at the beginning, he really envied Evan, but as the gap grew wider, the envy was fading.

    Perhaps that was what he had to do now; to be sincerely happy for his friend!

 Chapter 369: The Dark Mark

    <h4>Chapter 369: The Dark Mark</h4>

    Feeling the rapid ascension of magic in his body, Evan breathed a sigh of relief.

    He had never been as powerful as he was now. Voldemort¡¯s magic was not triggered, and Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy was not fulfilled.

    He was not chosen by Voldemort¡¯s magic. All he worried about was¡­

    Suddenly, a ck substance came out of the golden lines that shed from time to time on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone!

    Before Evan could react, the ck magic fluctuated more and more, and the magic turned into faint ck fumes, climbing up along his arm.

    Like a python, the ck mist grew itself, feeding off the magic that engulfed Evan¡¯s body. Thetter felt an unprecedented drilling pain.

    Under the pressure of the ck magic, in the blink of an eye, all of his magical power became agitated. The ck magic left by Voldemort far exceeded his imagination!

    He tried to control his magic and resist these ck fumes, but it was of no avail.

    Under the impact of the violent magic, Evan fainted and fell straight from the sky.

    After he fainted, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone suddenly shone bright. The red light grew brighter and brighter, pushing all the remaining ck fumes away, and chasing them out of Evan¡¯s arm.

    Three different magical forces wrestled in Evan¡¯s body, eventually returning to calm, leaving only a ck fine line, quietly wrapped around his right wrist.

    It was like he was tied up with a thin ck thread. However, when looking closely, it was a little snake shining with cold light. It wrapped around in a circle, and its mouth was open, biting its tail.

    As for the remaining ck fumes driven by the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, they floated around Evan for a while, and then rose directly into the air, as if living among the stars.

    The mist quickly began to deform and eventually turned into a ck symbol.

    On the tform below, everyone didn¡¯t know what was going on. They only saw Evan falling suddenly from the top, and Hermione screamed in horror.

    Sirius ran ahead, and Harry and the others hurried to follow.

    ¡°Look, that, what is that¡­¡± Ron said nervously as he looked up at Evan and found the ck pattern that had just appeared next to him!

    Following closely, everyone also noticed this eye-catching sign.

    It was a colossal skull,posed of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

    As they watched, the skull rose higher and higher, zing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the ck sky like a new constetion.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s the Dark Mark!¡± Sirius shouted and turned back to Harry, Ron and Hermione and snarled. ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move!¡±

    He continued to move forward, waving his wand.

    A red ray of light spurted up and spread out like fireworks. Through the dark of night, it was so bright, enough for the castle to notice¡­

    Under the influence of Sirius¡¯s magic, Evan¡¯s body was falling more and more slowly.

    Seeing that Evan was rescued, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all sighed with relief. They looked up again at the Dark Mark above them, as did the two Centaurs beside them.

    It had now risen high enough to illuminate the entire sky like some grisly neon sign, spreading fear wantonly in the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    ¡°The war is about to begin, and the Centaurs can¡¯t escape¡­¡± The voice of the elder of the Centaurs slowly sounded. He seemed to be trembling, and the wrinkles on his face were getting deeper and deeper.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± said Harry, startled to see Hermione¡¯s face so white and terrified, constantly wiping her crying red eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Dark Mark, Harry!¡± Hermione moaned, and couldn¡¯t help but cry out. ¡°Evan must have encountered something up there! This is You-Know-Who¡¯s sign!¡±

    ¡°You mean, Voldemort¡¯s ¡­¡±

    Before he had finished his words, the Dark Mark in the sky suddenly began to change.

    The big snake in the mouth of the skull suddenly came out, seemingly attracted to something, and like a meteor, it rushed straight to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    ¡°DUCK!¡± Sirius shouted, waving his right hand vigorously.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione fled, but it was toote, and the ck Mist whistled through them, blowing their robes.

    On the skin, the Dark Mark that had shrunk countless times was slowly taking a shape¡­

    In this ck temple that used to be filled with innumerable evil taboos, the ck Devil¡¯s old magic marked the chosen one, and he would return again and gain the power that the world couldn¡¯t imagine. This time, death would no longer be the end.

    No one noticed this. Panic was still rife, and everyone thought it was another ck magic, but nothing happened.

    The tform was a mess, far less happy than when Evan had just passed the test to get Gryffindor¡¯s Key to the Treasure, and everyone was staring at him.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    In Hogwarts¡¯ spacious school hospital, everyone surrounded Evan¡¯s bed.

    Dumbledore raised Evan¡¯s right arm and carefully observed the dark green stripes of the snake. Snape, Sirius and Professor McGonagall stood beside him.

    ¡°Severus, this is your area of expertise.¡± Dumbledore said calmly, turning at the gloomy Snape. ¡°You think this is¡­¡±

    ¡°No doubt, this is the curse that the man left behind!¡± Snape replied, with a sneer on his lips. ¡°It¡¯s a magic I have never seen before. It¡¯s very powerful and ingenious. I actually cannot believe that Mr. Mason is not dead yet!¡±

    Hearing his words, Hermione stood nervously waiting on the side, choked and tears flowed out of control again. Harry hurriedly patted her shoulder and tried tofort her whispering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t exaggerate there!¡± Sirius said in a low voice. ¡°I just checked that Evan¡¯s vital signs are very stable and there is no problem.¡±

    ¡°ck, is that what you think?¡± Snape turned to Sirius, his small eyes glittering with malice. ¡°You think you know more, but in fact, you were at a loss and ran back to Hogwarts with Mr. Mason¡¯s dying body from the Centaurs¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°Severus!¡± Dumbledore cautioned.

    Snape snorted coldly, but did not keep on talking.

    Sirius stared at him again for a moment, and then sat down with regret, watching Evan, who had not yet recovered from his bed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The Dark Mark reappeared in Hogwarts.¡± Professor McGonagall tightly wrestled her cor and her face was pale as never before. ¡°Fortunately, not many people saw it, otherwise what would ¡°The Daily Prophet!¡± say about it tomorrow?¡±

 Chapter 370: End of the Centaursâ€™ Chapter

    <h4>Chapter 370: End of the Centaurs¡¯ Chapter</h4>

    ¡°Albus, since the Dark Mark is here, will that person¡­¡± Professor McGonagall said worriedly, her lips pressed together and her expression was particrly serious.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Minerva!¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°My sources show that he is still in the Albanian Forest. There¡¯s been a lot of excitement and bustle around there recently, and so many things have happened. I don¡¯t think he has the energy to think about Hogwarts for the time being, nor will he hide behind the scenes and plot anything.¡±

    At Dumbledore¡¯s words, Snape¡¯s eyebrows were stirred up unnaturally.

    Apart from him, no one knew what Dumbledore meant by the bustle about the Albanian forest.

    Sirius hesitated for a moment and seemed to want to ask, but in the end he said nothing. He lowered his head and looked sadly at Evan in the hospital bed.

    Voldemort did not return to Hogwarts, he had not regained his strength. The Dark Mark was only showing that he had once been there.

    But this did not make the people in the ward happy. They were silent for a moment, and everyone was looking at Evan, who was unconscious.

    Harry thought of Voldemort in the Albanian forest, and remembered what Sirius had said about the Dark Mark on their way back.

    Thirteen years ago, it was the most horrific era of the Wizarding World.

    Voldemort and his followers sent the Dark Mark in the air whenever they killed.

    In a sense, this Mark represented Voldemort himself, he was death.

    Now, the Dark Mark reappeared in Hogwarts. Evan had taken the ck magic left by Voldemort, what would happen to him?!

    Death, the word recurred in Harry¡¯s mind.

    He felt so bad that he shook his head to shake the idea out.

    ¡°What happened to Evan?¡± Hermione sobbed and wiped her tears.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead yet!¡± Snape said maliciously. ¡°He¡¯s lucky. He was holding the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in his hand. The magic in it alleviated the power of the curse.¡±

    ¡°What about the little ck snake around his wrist?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your hollow head can take my detailed exnation of this curse magic.¡±Snape sneered and said, ¡°You just need to know that as long as Mr. Mason has this Philosopher¡¯s Stone with him, he can stop the power of the curse from spreading in him and keep his life.¡±

    Hearing this, everyone¡¯s nervous expression slightly eased.

    As long as Evan had the Philosopher¡¯s Stone with him, nothing would happen to him.

    ¡°When will he wake up?¡± Hermione hurriedly asked.

    Snape snorted coldly, seemingly showing his disdain to answer such a silly question.

    He re-observed the ck snake on Evan¡¯s wrist, and his eyes fell on the snake¡¯s head.

    There was an awkward silence in the ward. Hermione was not sure if she should ask, but she was afraid to disturb Snape who was observing Evan¡¯s condition.

    ¡°At any time!¡± Dumbledore raised his head and said softly, ¡°Miss Granger, Mr. Mason is likely to wake up at any time, and the magic of incitement has returned to calm.¡±

    His calm light blue eyes slowly crossed the faces of everyone, giving them great confidence, and eventually fell on the red Philosopher¡¯s Stone held tightly by Evan¡¯s right hand.

    Dumbledore seemed suddenly interested, pulled out his wand and knocked on it.

    ¡°Very wonderful, very wonderful!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help eximing, his light blue eyes sparkling, ¡°I have to say, this Philosopher¡¯s Stone, from the perspective of alchemy ¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Headmaster!¡± Snape interrupted him suddenly, and a cold smile reappeared in the corner of his mouth.

    He looked at Sirius maliciously and said in a protracted voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time to admire a stone. The Dark Mark appeared in the school, a student has been subjected to a fatal curse. Someone must be held responsible for this.¡±

    ¡°Severus¡­¡± Dumbledore frowned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for someone to stay in school as a professor!¡± Snape stared at Sirius and said provocatively, ¡°Without permission, he sneaked into the Forbidden Forest with a group of idiots who were not afraid of death and can¡¯t even distinguish the cursed ck magic items. I can¡¯t think of any reason for him to stay here.¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Sirius clenched his fist and immediately loosened it. ¡°This is because of me. I only wish that Evan wakes up and I am willing to take any punishment.¡±

    ¡°Great, but I don¡¯t think you have¡­¡± Snape suddenly stopped.

    In the bed next to him, Evan¡¯s head moved slightly and he was waking up.

    A few secondster, Evan opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was Dumbledore¡¯s calm, blue eyes.

    His nerves finally rxedpletely. Behind Dumbledore, there were Sirius, Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron and Hermione with caring faces.

    Hermione¡¯s face was full of joy, but her nose and eyes were red. During thisa, the poor girl must have been crying so badly.

    Evan looked up and he saw the sulky Snape trying to shrink himself into the shadows of the corner, as if he hoped he would not be noticed.

    Outside the ward, Madam Pomfrey and Firenze the Centaur, were standing there.

    ¡°Professor, there is a curse on this piece of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor!¡± said Evan. ¡°It¡¯s Voldemort who left it, I¡­¡±

    ¡°We already know, Mr. Mason!¡± Dumbledore said calmly and he gave Evan a brief exnation of his current physical condition.

    ¡°As long as I keep this magic stone with me, I¡¯ll be all right?!¡±

    Evan looked at the red Stone in his hand, and he could feel the powerful magicing out of it.

    Then his eyes fell on the tiny snake on his wrist.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything unusual, but this curse?¡± He asked uncertainly, remembering Professor Trwney¡¯s prediction.

    This was the Mark left by Voldemort. Perhaps he was the chosen one.

    ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the Curse and the power of your body have reached a delicate bnce,¡± Dumbledore whispered. ¡°Mr. Mason, before we find a way to crack it, I hope you don¡¯t use your magic as much as before. It¡¯s very dangerous to break this bnce rashly.¡±

    ¡°So what should Evan do?¡± Sirius cried out, ¡°We can¡¯t expect him to live with Voldemort¡¯s curse all the time and use magic carefully.¡±

    ¡°Whose responsibility do you think it is?¡± Snape¡¯s voice, like a poisonous snake, continued to sting Sirius.¡±Think about how we can exin it to Mr. Mason¡¯s Muggle parents. They believe in Hogwarts. They sent their child here to a school they don¡¯t know at all. But what happened now? Because of your recklessness and stupidity alone, we destroyed the future of a very promising young wizard.¡±

    Sirius was silent. It was rare for him not to respond to Snape.

 Chapter 371: Dispelling Methods and New Journey

    <h4>Chapter 371: Dispelling Methods and New Journey</h4>

    ¡°Oh no¡­. the future Star of the Wizarding World is falling!¡± Snape looked at Evan maliciously. ¡°As long as this curse exists, even if Mr. Masterstone mastered more magic in the future, he won¡¯t use it. He can only show the level that a young wizard should have. It¡¯ really a sad thing¡±

    Evan did not hear any sorrow from Snape¡¯s words. On the contrary, they were oozing with irony. He was just attacking him and Sirius.

    From having the magic power of a top tier adult wizard to falling back to the level of the average twelve-thirteen-year-old wizard, the gap was not a bit small; it was difficult for ordinary people to ept.

    However, Evan did not feel all that bad. His powerful magic was somewhat baffling. It was Slytherin¡¯s Locket that absorbed the umtion of a thousand years from the underground ruins and infused it into his body. He had not yet had time to adapt.

    The sudden increase in power lead to a weak foundation and was prone to problems.

    He was happy to have temporary suppression to his magic, giving him more opportunities to hone his spelling skills instead of relying on brute power to solve all problems.

    Perhaps this was the main reason why Gryffindor knew about Voldemort¡¯s Curse on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and insisted that he touched it.

    ¡°Of course, having the magical power of a student your age is no fault!¡± Snape continued. ¡°But I have to remind you that you¡¯d better pray that you never appear in front of that man. Otherwise, if he wanted, he could probably trigger the Curse and take your life at any time! Well, even though he could do it with any other magic.¡±

    Evan frowned. It was not too good to be incapacitated in front of Voldemort.

    In the uing semester, Voldemort and his followers should use the Goblet of Fire to engage in an astonishing conspiracy and eventually return the Dark Lord physically.

    Although Peter Pettigrew had been detained in Azkaban, Evan did not think that Voldemort wouldn¡¯t do anything, he would definitely try to seize Harry.

    The only strange thing was that Voldemort had this opportunity in Harry¡¯s first year.

    Why didn¡¯t he do that at the time? Was it better to restore power with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone than with that magic?

    Evan shook his head and stopped thinking about it. He only knew that a head-on confrontation was essential after Voldemort¡¯s return. He could not keep away from him.

    ¡°What can we do to dispel this Curse?!¡± Sirius clenched his fist, ¡°Whatever is necessary; I¡¯m willing to help Evan at any cost.¡±

    ¡°This is the fault you should bear!¡± Snape said viciously, ¡°You don¡¯t seem to believe me. Don¡¯t think I¡¯m talking about a solution¡­¡±

    ¡°Severus!¡± ¡°Dumbledore warned him again, adding to his tone.

    Snape¡¯s hatred, which had just appeared on his face, suddenly turned into a sneer and hung on his lips. ¡°To unlock this curse, we must know what magic this is. If you are willing to ask the Dark Lord himself, perhaps he would be merciful enough to tell you.¡±

    ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Dumbledore asked calmly.

    ¡°Also, I noticed that this Philosopher¡¯s Stone was split, and Mr. Mason is lucky. The magic in this Stone has a strong effect on the curse.¡± Snape reluctantly said, ¡°Finding the remaining half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone may work.¡±

    ¡°In this way, we have two solutions!¡± ¡°Dumbledore nodded and said with satisfaction, ¡°I have clues about both approaches.¡±

    Hearing what he said, everyone looked at Dumbledore in awe.

    Even Snape looked surprised and his eyes narrowed tightly.

    Either of the two solutions he just mentioned was very difficult, and it seemed almost impossible for ordinary people to achieve them, but Dumbledore actually said that he had clues.

    Asking Voldemort what the Curse he left behind was, they didn¡¯t even think about it. As for finding the other half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, it was not that easy. After the Centaurs¡¯ Civil War eight hundred years ago, no one knew where the fallen Centaurs ran with the fragment of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Time had passed so long that the Fallen Centaurs n might have been extinct long ago. After all, there was no ce where the evil god really appeared.

    If they were not extinct, the current situation might be worse.

    They might be hiding in a dark corner, secretly umting strength and nning to conjure the evil god again.

    After Dumbledore said he had clues, everyone in the ward was surprised. No one doubted Dumbledore¡¯s power and knowledge. Everyone had long been used to it.

    ¡°Professor, what shall we do?¡± Evan hurriedly asked.

    Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were also asking Dumbledore about it, wondering what the clues he just said were.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll tackle them one by one!¡±

    Dumbledore waved to everyone to be quiet. ¡°First of all, I¡¯m going to the Ministry of Magic. To get to that ce, there must be a decree from the Minister of Magic. And I have to exin to Fudge what happened tonight. The appearance of the Dark Mark is no joke, even if not noticed by many people.¡±

    Evan was stunned; ¡®go to the Ministry of Magic and get Fudge¡¯s permission?!¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know what Dumbledore meant by the ce that needed the permission of the Minister of Magic to enter it, and where it was.

    He looked into Dumbledore¡¯s eyes, his head spinning fast, and then he thought of something.

    Evan recalled a few months ago, when he talked to the Headmaster separately about his experience of catching Peter Pettigrew. In Professor Lupin¡¯s Office, Peter proposed to give him Voldemort¡¯s solution to the Curse left in The Centaurs¡¯ colony, hoping that Evan would let him go.

    He remembered that Pettigrew had said that without that, he would never get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor.

    Evan didn¡¯t care at the time, and now it seemed that it was really the case.

    This was indeed part of the clue. Since Peter Pettigrew knew how to break the curse, he could infer from it what the curse was.

    So it did seem necessary to ask Peter Pettigrew.

    And this guy was currently in Azkaban Wizard Prison, guarded by countless Dementors, and getting there needed Fudge¡¯s permission.

    Although there was nomunication, Dumbledore seemed to know what Evan was thinking. He nodded and confirmed that Evan was right.

    ¡°Although this curse does not have much impact on Mr. Mason at present, I think the faster we dispel it the better!¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°I am going to take him to look for these two clues. It won¡¯t be surprising if we had to be away for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 372: Chosen by the Dark Lord

    <h4>Chapter 372: Chosen by the Dark Lord</h4>

    Now it was the end of the semester, and the young wizards had just finished their school year exams. After giving them their grades, Hogwarts would have a long summer vacation.

    From Dumbledore¡¯s words, it seemed like he hoped that Evan could follow him to pursue these two clues.

    They were going to leave for a long time, which meant they would take new fantastic adventures during the holidays.

    Evan was thrilled to think about Azkaban, the unknown hideout of the Fallen Centaurs, and the evil spirit of terror from the void.

    This time there would be Dumbledore on his side, and he should not have any more idents.

    ¡°I want to go, too. This is my responsibility.¡± Sirius stood up and said with excitement, ¡°I must help Evan to break free from this Curse!¡±

    ¡°I can allow you, but you must promise to fully obey my orders in case of danger. Can you do that?¡± Dumbledore looked at Sirius.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Sirius nodded hastily, without any hesitation.

    ¡°Very well, we will leave tomorrow morning. We¡¯ll first go to the Ministry of Magic to see Fudge.¡± Dumbledore turned to look at Professor McGonagall and Snape, ¡°Minerva, Severus, I¡¯ll not be here. Everything in Hogwarts will handled by both of you. If you encounter something that you can¡¯t solve, you know how to contact me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Albus!¡± Professor McGonagall said, her mouth was thin. She went forward and hugged Evan tightly, sent a blessing, and patted his hair.

    ¡°I have no objection.¡± Snape said, looking at Sirius in a vicious manner. ¡°But the thing I just said, about the responsibility of the whole incident, I hope¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother, I will file a resignation application.¡± Sirius looked back at Snape tit-for-tat. ¡°If that would make you feel better, Snivellus.¡±

    Snape¡¯s gloomy face was flushed red, and his right hand rested on his wand, seemingly hesitating to pull it out, and then he snorted heavily.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been dreaming of. Now that you¡¯ve made up your mind, I don¡¯t have time or need to continue arguing with a reckless fool. Now it¡¯s midnight. If there¡¯s nothing else, I hope I can go back to sleep.¡±

    Snape nodded to Dumbledore and turned to leave the ward.

    ¡°Professor, you won¡¯t really let Sirius leave?¡± When Snape disappeared, Harry hurriedly asked, ¡°He¡¯s the best Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor we¡¯ve ever had! ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Harry!¡± ¡°Dumbledore had not spoken yet, and Sirius answered for him. ¡°Snape is right. I have to take responsibility and pay for my mistakes. I hope you can understand that.¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t seem to understand but he nodded. He seemed to want to say something. His face was full of worries.

    ¡°Sirius, now that you have made a decision, I will ept your application. The post of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts ss is always prone to get vacant. Looks like we¡¯re going to worry about new candidates again!¡± Dumbledore said calmly, turning to Evan. ¡°You have to carry this Philosopher¡¯s Stone with you so that you can absorb the magic at any time. I noticed that you had Slytherin¡¯s Locket. Maybe you can put it in there.¡±

    Evan nodded and took out the Locket hanging around his neck.

    He gently opened the lid with the Slytherin family emblem, which had arge letter S, and put the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in it. He didn¡¯t know whether it was a coincidence or not, this irregrly shaped fragment could just fit in and upy half of the space.

    Looking at the size, it seemed that this Locket was originally used to hold the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    ¡°Good, very good!¡± Dumbledore eximed, as if he had thought about this already. His eyes turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. ¡°Children, if there are no other questions, I hope you can go back to bed and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Professor, can we go with you to pursue those two clues?¡± Hermione summoned her courage to ask, and looked at Evan with concern.

    ¡°Yes, I want to go too!¡± Harry followed, ¡°We all want to do something for Evan to help him break the Curse left by Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think the three of you can take part in this.¡± Dumbledore shook his head and said, ¡°I have no right to take you away for the whole summer vacation to face some dangers far beyond your capabilities. You should go home, or your parents and families will be worried.¡±

    ¡°But Sirius is my godfather. He¡¯s my guardian!¡± Harry said, ¡°He¡¯s my only rtive. I¡¯ll follow him wherever he goes.¡±

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m d you said that!¡± Sirius said happily, ¡°But I think Dumbledore is right. You can¡¯t take risks with us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, you have to go back to your uncle and aunt¡¯s house during the summer vacation. From a kinship point of view, they are your only rtives.¡± Dumbledore said in an indisputable tone, seemingly not wanting to discuss the matter. ¡°Well, you three should go back to bed now. I hope to talk to our friends, the Centaurs and write a letter to Evan¡¯s parents to exin the story in a way that Muggles can understand.¡±

    Dumbledore walked towards Firenze, who was waiting at the door. He seemed to be returning to the Centaurs¡¯ colony with him to get a closer look at the whole incident.

    Soon, there were only four people left in the ward: Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    Madam Pomfrey blew out the candlelight, and the ce became rather dark.

    Evany awake in bed, staring at the snake mark on his wrist.

    Next to him, Harry, Ron and Hermione also faced their own confused thoughts.

    They talked for a long time, starting with the Centaurs¡¯ colony adventure tonight.

    Finally, Evanforted Hermione for a long time before she calmed down.

    Unconsciously, the four of them fell asleep.

    Dark clouds gradually disappeared in the sky, and the bleak moonlight went through the window to find the ward, shining on a bedside beside the window. If someone came at this time, he would be able to see clearly a Dark Mark forming behind the child¡¯s neck in the hospital bed.

    The python that emerged from the skull¡¯s mouth seemed to have life. Its eyes shed malicious light and disappeared in an instant.

    The whole Mark disappeared slowly into the skin as if it had never existed.

    Professor Trwney¡¯s prophecy was fulfilled, and Voldemort marked the chosen one with his magic, and he would gain unimaginable powers from that.

    Would these powerse from the horrible evil spirit?!

 Chapter 373: The Ministry of Magic

    <h4>Chapter 373: The Ministry of Magic</h4>

    Evan awoke at half-past five the next morning abruptly andpletely, as if somebody had yelled in his ear.

    Hey there immobile, slowly, remembering what he was going to do.

    He would go to the Ministry of Magic with Dumbledore and Sirius to see the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and get permission to enter Azkaban, the Wizard¡¯s Prison.

    Evan leapt out of bed, the sun had not yet risen, and the ward was dark.

    Besides him, the others were still sleeping.

    Harry huddled tightly in his bed, while Ron was lying sprawled on his back with his mouth wide open and slept soundly.

    Evan turned and looked at Hermione, but now the girl had already woken up.

    She was there looking at him in dismay, and there were tears in her eyes that she difficultly tried to hide.

    ¡°Godspeed, Evan!¡± Hermione whispered, leaning over and hugging Evan tightly.

    She stopped crying, showing strength, for Evan to rest assured.

    ¡°I know!¡± Evan replied softly. ¡°You too, take care of yourself during the holidays.¡±

    Hermione nodded slowly, her beautiful chestnut eyes shining.

    With Hermione¡¯s warmth and sweet scent, Evan walked across the room and waved to her before leaving.

    He reached the hall outside the ward and closed the door softly with the back of his hand.

    Evan then breathed heavily, trying not to think that he might not be able to break the curse, and never see Hermione again.

    He walked out of the school hospital and was ready to go to Dumbledore¡¯s office as previously decided.

    The narrow dark corridor was also quiet. The portraits on the walls were all asleep, snoring loudly. There was a red dragon lying on the ground with an apparently disproportionate body, with some sparksing out of his mouth from time to time.

    Evan thought that not long ago, he had actually killed a fire dragon in the Centaurs¡¯ colony. But after all, that was in the illusion.

    It sounded a bit unreal, not to mention that it was eight hundred years ago.

    Passing through a spinning staircase, he saw Filch¡¯s cat, Mrs. Norris, staring at him in the corner with bulging yellow,mp-like eyes.

    Evan waved his hand, and Mrs. Norris scurried away, with a low meow.

    Suddenly he remembered that he did not know the password of the gargoyle at Dumbledore¡¯s office door, and he was not sure what candy name to use to make it move aside.

    When he walked to the corridor, he heard a voice near the gargoyle.

    Dumbledore and Sirius had already been there waiting for him. They were dusty, as if they had just returned from outside the castle.

    Seeing himing, they both smiled to him.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan!¡± said Dumbledore with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve juste back from the Centaurs¡¯ colony. Like us, you didn¡¯t have breakfast. I told the house-elf to prepare something. There¡¯s still time. I think we can finish eating before we leave.¡±

    They entered Dumbledore¡¯s office, which was as wonderful as Evan had seen before. There were a lot of strange things on the table, and Fawkes the phoenix stood there motionless, his eyes closed tightly.

    The portraits of the sessive Headmasters on the walls were all really sleeping, but this old phoenix was just pretending.

    From time to time, it opened its eyes and secretly looked at Evan and Sirius.

    Dumbledore lit the firece with his wand, and the warm me rose to dispel the cold in the room. He knocked on the round table beside the fire, and food such as sandwiches, eggs, desserts, milk and coffee appeared in turn.

    ¡°I wrote a letter to your parents exining the matter and asking them to allow me to take care of you temporarily in theing summer vacation.¡± Dumbledore took avender envelope out of his arm, handed it to Evan and calmly said, ¡°You can send it to them with your own letter.¡±

    Evan took the letter that had the Hogwarts school emblem printed in its upper left corner.

    In the middle were the names and address of his parents with the unique round font of Dumbledore.

    ¡°Well, you can think about what you want to say to them. Even if everything goes well, we¡¯ll probably be back in no less than a month. But now, you should have breakfast first and try this sandwich. Do you need some more honey?¡± Dumbledore pointed to the te in front of Evan. ¡°I like the sweet taste.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan had just picked up the sandwich and a new one appeared inside the te.

    The cooking skills of the house-elves were very good, and Evan felt that the sandwich was very delicious.

    ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Sirius asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

    ¡°Very well!¡± Evan answered, but he was a little embarrassed.

    He tried not to think about the curse on his arm, but as soon as his head was empty, the terrible evil spirit and Voldemort always appeared.

    He shook his head and forced himself to think about other things. Hermione, for example had a lovely look when sheughed, but in the end, the face he saw always returned to her appearance when she bid him farewell, holding her tears back.

    Dumbledore and Sirius were still there talking about the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and Evan listened absently.

    He was d that they didn¡¯t ask him to join the conversation. He struggled to eat the delicious sandwiches in his hands, but he waspletely absent-minded.

    ¡°Almost time, I think we should go out!¡± About half an hourter, Dumbledore stood up, ¡°I probably need to talk about the matter for a long time to Fudge. You can finish your letter to your parents there.¡±

    His voice had just fallen, and no action had been seen. The red me in the firece in front of Evan suddenly turned green, and it burned vigorously.

    ¡°Normally, Hogwarts fireces are not connected in the Floo Network, but you can apply for a temporary link if necessary.¡± Dumbledore winked at Evan. ¡°You should have used the Floo Network, right?! Just walk in and speak out the Ministry of Magic where we are going.¡±

    Evan nodded, and under the watchful eyes of Dumbledore and Sirius, walked into the firece burning green mes and shouted, ¡°Ministry of Magic!¡±

    His body was quickly sucked into the mes, everything was spinning before him; and after a whirl, he came out from the other end of the firece.

    At this moment, he was standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was iid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board.

    The walls on each side were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireces lined up in a neat row.

    ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t stop at the door!¡±

    A man¡¯s voice rang behind Evan, and he hurried forward.

    Behind him, every few seconds, with a soft whoosh, a witch or a wizard emerged from one of the left-hand fireces.

    On the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each firece, waiting to depart.

 Chapter 374: Security Check

    <h4>Chapter 374: Security Check</h4>

    This was the British Ministry of Magic, and Evan was in for the first time.

    Dumbledore and Sirius hadn¡¯te yet. The green mes shed from time to time in the golden firece, and he was crowded forward by a stream of peopleing out from the firece.

    All of them were the Ministry¡¯s workers, wearing glum, early-morning looks, striding meteorically toward a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall.

    Evan noticed that some of them were carrying tottering piles of parchment, others battered briefcases, still others reading newspapers as they walked to learn about the news that happened in the Wizarding World yesterday.

    Most of the newspapers were ¡°The Daily Prophet¡°, but not all of them. Evan was delighted to find that many people actually held the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡°.

    Under the chairmanship of Professor Lupin, the newspaper created by Evan had been developing rapidly, with a hidden circtionpeting with ¡°The Daily Prophet¡±.

    With the help of Nearly Headless Nick, they had their own unique sources of information. If Evan could publish the Dark Mark that appearedst night in the Forbidden Forest, no one would have any newspaper in hand but the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡±!

    It would absolutely be a great achievement, beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    As the Wizarding Word¡¯srgest cirction newspaper, no one had challenged the dominance of ¡°The Daily Prophet¡± for centuries.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    In front, halfway down the hall was a fountain.

    A group of golden statues,rger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circr pool.

    The tallest of them all was of a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air.

    Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a Centaur, a goblin and a house-elf. The witch nestled beside the wizard. The Centaur, the goblin and the house-elf were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard.

    Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the Centaur¡¯s arrow, the tip of the goblin¡¯s hat, and each of the house-elf¡¯s ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of Apparators and the tter of hundreds of witches¡¯ and wizards¡¯ footsteps.

    Evan felt that his eyes were not enough. He followed the crowd to the central fountain.

    He saw a lot of Silver Sickles and bronze Knuts glinting up at him from the bottom of the fountain.

    A small, smudged sign beside it read: All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren will be given to St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    Although this group of statues were vivid, they were absolutely not realistic.

    ording to Evan¡¯s knowledge on Centaurs and the goblins, unless they fell under the Imperius Curse or were badly hit on the head, they would never look so worshipfully at human wizards. As for house-elves, they would bury their heads under their feet more prominently.

    Just as Evan was looking at the statues with interest, a bored man¡¯s voice sounded behind him. ¡°Boy, where are you from?¡±

    A badly shaven wizard in peacock-blue robes approached Evan.

    Behind him was a small wooden desk, over which hung a sign saying ¡°SECURITY¡±.

    ¡°I have something to do in the Ministry of Magic.¡± Evan replied briefly.

    He was not sure if he was going to name Dumbledore, Sirius or Fudge. If he told the security wizard the truth, and that he wasing to see the Minister of Magic for permission to enter Azkaban, would he think he was crazy?!?

    ¡°Something to do?!¡± The security wizard narrowed his eyes and said doubtfully, ¡°A young wizard of your age is not allowed toe here at will without thepany of an adult. Do you have a magic wand? Show me it! ¡°

    This guy was so annoying that Evan even wanted to pull out his wand and give him an Imperius Curse.

    Then he remembered that he could not use this profound magic for the time being.

    However, he could still do a small Full Body-Bind Curse.

    ¡°Evan, what are you doing here?¡± Just then, Mr. Weasley, suddenly appeared in Apparition not far away in worn-out wizard¡¯s robes.

    He looked at Evan with surprise and waved to the suspicious guard on the side. ¡°Hold on, Eric! I know this kid. He¡¯s a friend of my son.¡±

    ¡°Arthur, do you know him?!¡± The security wizard, like a balloon, lost his breath and returned to his former lifeless appearance. ¡°All right then¡­¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Weasley!¡± Evan exined. ¡°I¡¯m here with Dumbledore and Sirius. I came from the Floo Network, and they¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±

    ¡°Together with them, what happened in Hogwarts?¡±

    Evan had not answered yet, and there was a suddenmotion at the other end of the golden hall.

    Dumbledore and Sirius, who had just stepped out of the firece, were recognized almost instantly.

    Many wizards yelled and rushed there, and the hall was in a mess.

    Both of them were great celebrities in the Wizarding World and had many admirers.

    Dumbledore, widely recognized as the top wizard in the World, had been secluded in Hogwarts in recent years, rarely making public appearances, and adult wizards rarely had the opportunity to meet him.

    And of course Sirius, since he was cleared, took over the post of professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, and he had had no contact with the outside world.

    The truth about his escape and what happened 20 years ago was a heated subject in public opinion, and had not yet faded away.

    Everyone was full of curiosity about Sirius, hoping to see him in person, and some more fanatic ones even asked him for an autograph.

    ¡°It seems that they will be there for a while. Let¡¯s not stand here foolishly. We can go ahead and wait.¡± Mr. Weasley took Evan to the security wizard.

    ¡°Eric, we¡¯re going in. You can check for Evan.¡±

    The wizard, Eric, gave an absent-minded answer, not at all alert when he questioned Evan. His eyes were always looking down the hall. It looked like he wanted to go over and see Dumbledore and Sirius.

    ¡°Step over here!¡± he muttered.

    Eric held up a long golden rod, thin and flexible as a car aerial, and passed it up and down Evan¡¯s front and back.

    ¡°Okay, wand!¡± He put down the golden instrument and held out his hand.

    If any outsider wanted to enter the Ministry of Magic, this was a security check that must be carried out. No one could be an exception. Evan handed over his wand.

    The wizard dropped it onto a strange brass instrument, which looked something like a set of scales with only one dish.

    It began to vibrate slightly. A narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base.

    Eric tore this off and read the writing upon it.

    ¡°14 inches and a half, grapevine wood, been in use for two years, the core is¡­¡± Eric stopped and frowned at the note in his hand.

    ¡°Is there any problem?¡± asked Mr. Weasley.

    ¡°No, you can go in!¡± Eric returned the wand to Evan.

    He patted the instrument there, whispering, ¡°Damn, this thing must be broken. The core of the wand detected is an unknown substance.¡±

 Chapter 375: Wand Core Revelations

    <h4>Chapter 375: Wand Core Revtions</h4>

    Evan followed Mr. Weasley through the gates to a smaller hall beyond, and he just heard Eric¡¯sst words.

    After testing, the core of his wand was actually an unidentified substance?!

    Evan frowned slightly. This was really strange, how could his wand¡¯s core be an unknown substance, shouldn¡¯t it be the Thestral Tail Hair?!

    He remembered walking into Ollivander¡¯s Wand Shop with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny two years ago, and everything was vivid in his mind.

    When he held the wand in his hand, a milky white halo, like ripples in the water, spread out in circles.

    He thought it was just a simple magic reaction, just like when other young wizards were first selected by their own wands, the end of the wand would emit simple magic like fireworks and beams, which was a very normal phenomenon.

    But his magical gushing scene at the time was too shocking. The magic appeared so powerful, and it was not like that of a young wizard who had juste into contact with magic.

    Evan also secretly rejoiced that it was a manifestation of his talent.

    But now, thinking about it, it was actually very strange and weird.

    Through these two years of research, he always felt something was wrong.

    After that, no matter how hard he tried, he could not reproduce the powerful fluctuation of magic that urred when those halos first appeared.

    As he was introduced to Soul involving magic, he found that descriptions of this magic seemed to be particrly familiar. Indeed, it was simr to what happened when he first got his one.

    Drawing this conclusion, Evan was really shocked.

    He immediately rejected the idea, thinking he had made a mistake.

    The mysterious soul magic had always been considered a branch extension of evil ck magic. It was very esoteric,plex, and unpredictable, and thus difficult to master.

    He was just a young wizard who knew nothing at that time. Even if he had the talent, he couldn¡¯t use soul magic when first grasping his wand.

    He did not tell anyone about it, and he had almost forgotten about it.

    But today he heard the words Eric said, and that aroused Evan¡¯s mind once again.

    Maybe it was not caused by him, but by the core of this wand.!

    Ollivander once told him that the core of this wand was the Thestral Tail Hair, the same as that of the elder wand in Dumbledore¡¯s hand.

    In fact, as the incarnation of the misfortune, the Thestral Tail Hair was a very strange substance.

    Legend had it that only wizards who could truly master death could control it.

    The power of this magical substance was very strong, but it was not umon. What happened as he grasped the wand shouldn¡¯t have urred, and the core should have been identified!

    A little doubt arose in Evan¡¯s heart, perhaps because he did not know enough about magic wands and the Thestral Tail Hair.

    Or maybe the core of his wand was not the Thestral Tail Hair at all.

    After all, this wand was not made by Ollivander himself. It was handed down to him by his ancestors.

    It was not impossible that he had identally remembered something wrong or, for some unknown reason, he didn¡¯t want to tell him the truth.

    Although he had little contact with him, Evan could clearly feel that Ollivander had too many secrets. The peeling gold letters over the door of his shop read, ¡°Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.¡°

    At first nce, there was nothing wrong with this sentence, but thinking about it carefully; he could see how horrible it was.

    ¡°Since 382 B.C.¡±, in other words, more than 2000 years ago.

    At that time, Hogwarts had not yet been established, and it was hard to say whether there was a British Wizarding World or wizards.

    It was a time when magic was just emerging and ancient warlocks were rampant.

    A series of recent encounters had made Evan very impressed by those crazy Dark Ages. After all, he encountered unimaginable magic and two indescribable evil spirits, which were the products of the wizards¡¯ crazy magic research in that era.

    Evan shivered, linking the Ollivanders to the evil spirits.

    Perhaps, the core of his wand was something brought by some evil god, so it was unknown under detection.

    This was really ridiculous, he shook his head. It seemed necessary for him to find time to talk to Mr. Ollivander about this wand, or to have other wand-making Masters take a look and confirm what was inside.

    Although there was some difort in his heart, it was undeniable that he used this wand very smoothly. The magic transmission was very good, as if it was tailored for him.

    ¡°Evan, is this your first visit to the Ministry of Magic?!¡± Mr. Weasley said with a smile. From Evan¡¯s wandering expression, he thought that he was shocked by what he had seen in there.

    In front of them, at least 20 lifts stood behind wrought golden grilles.

    Evan responded vaguely and looked at the lifts absently.

    It took about five minutes for Sirius toe panting.

    ¡°Arthur, thank you for taking care of Evan!¡± Sirius gasped and said, a little impatient, ¡°Those guys are so enthusiastic. They rushed up all of a sudden¡­¡±

    After Dumbledore confirmed that Evan had been found by Mr. Weasley, he directly Apparated to Fudge¡¯s office.

    Sirius was left alone to face the fanatical crowd, and it took him a lot of effort to get out from them.

    ¡°They seldom see a famous wizard like you. If you want to write an autobiography, it would be very popr.¡± Mr. Weasley said with augh.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mock me! Anyway, Dumbledore went to Fudge.¡± Sirius walked over to Evan, looking at the surrounding wizards with a headache and pointing at them. ¡°Arthur, can you invite us to sit down with you, and while we¡¯re at it, let Evan write a letter to his parents.¡±

    ¡°No problem, but you must tell me what is going on here.¡± Mr. Weasley said, while pushing Evan to a lift just opened, ¡°This way, Evan!¡±

    They squeezed into the elevator, where stood a big, bearded wizard and a pale young wizard.

    Together, they carried arge iron box, which was emitting harsh screams and frictions.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Evan asked curiously, and took a closer look.

    ¡°Be careful, kid!¡± The big wizard stopped Evan and said seriously. ¡°No one knows what it is. We thought it was just an ordinary cat. It might be a little grumpy, but it suddenly grew wings. Its ws and fangs were sharper than the fiercest cheetah¡¯s. It bit people when it saw them!¡±

    ¡°This is terrible!¡± said Mr. Weasley.

    ¡°Looks like a serious breach of the Ban on Experimental Breeding to me.¡± Sirius added, and he nced inside the gap in the tin box. ¡°Look at its tail. It¡¯s forked in the back. This guy seems to be a mix of amon cat and a Crup¡­¡±

 Chapter 376: Barty Crouch

    <h4>Chapter 376: Barty Crouch</h4>

    ¡°And that pair of wings, a bit like an Augurey.¡± Evan said uncertainly.

    ¡°You two helped me a lot!¡± The big wizard thankfully said, ¡°You¡¯ve saved me the trouble of determining its specific species.¡±

    He took a small notebook from his robe and wrote down all the words Sirius and Evan had just said.

    Evan saw that the notebook was full of strange sketches of animals, with annotations below, like the study notes of the most evil wizard.

    Above the strange creature of the cat and the Crup was a pattern of rooster that seemed to be singing, but mes burst out of its mouth.

    ¡°What will you do with this animal?¡± Evan asked curiously.

    ¡°The first is to identify its specific species, and then try to recover the state of one of them. If it is really not possible, it will be registered as a new species, and then sent to a special ce for breeding.¡± The pale young wizard answered, bending down and looking at Evan earnestly. ¡°Listen, kid, if you graduate in the future, remember, never work in the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures! It¡¯s a nightmare, dealing with strange and difficult animals and pests all day long! It¡¯s like a garbage can, where all the monsters that can¡¯t be dealt with are thrown in, and the office stinky and animal screams¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you for telling me, I will keep that in mind!¡± Evan nodded.

    The pale wizard seemed to have put up with it to the limit, but it sounded like Hagrid would like this ce.

    They were not talking. The lift was jangling and ttering up, and ascended quickly, chains rattling all the while.

    Besides the bearded wizard and the pale young wizard who were worrying about the content of the tin box, others were looking at Evan and Sirius curiously.

    ¡°Level seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office.¡± A cool female voice rang out in the lift.

    The lift doors opened; Evan glimpsed an untidy-looking corridor, with various posters of Quidditch teams tacked lopsidedly on the walls.

    ¡°In a few months, the UK will host the Quidditch World Cup finals.¡± Mr. Weasley said happily, ¡°If you two are interested, you can go with us. I got more than ten tickets; one of the perks of working in the Ministry! Of course, Harry and Hermione can also be invited along with others.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Arthur!¡± Sirius said with a low voice, ¡°Evan and I are going to make an extra trip with Dumbledore. If we can make it, we¡¯ll go. I want to ask you to take care of Harry while I¡¯m not here. You know¡­¡±

    Suddenly he stopped and looked warily at the wizard standing by eavesdropping on his words.

    He quickly looked away and pretended to hear nothing.

    ¡°I see. Come to my office!¡± Mr. Weasley nodded.

    The doors closed, the lift juddered upward again. After a while, the woman¡¯s voice said, ¡°Level six, Department of Magical Transport, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regtory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center.¡±

    Once again the lift doors opened, and under Sirius¡¯s re, the wizard who had just listened to him hurried down; at the same time, several paper airnes swooped into the lift.

    Evan stared up at them as they pped idly around above his head; they were a pale violet color and he could see MINISTRY OF MAGIC stamped along the edges of their wings.

    ¡°Just Interdepartmental memos,¡± Mr. Weasley muttered to him. ¡°We used to use owls, but the mess was unbelievable ¡­ droppings all over the desks ¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and in the end, the responsibility of taking care of these owls falls on us, feeding them, treating them, cleaning them!¡± The pale young wizard once againined, ¡°Once, there were thousands of owls, but there were only five people on hand in the Department. They were all young wizards like me who have just graduated. It was very strenuous work; another nightmare! Thank goodness, I don¡¯t have to worry about those damn owls anymore!¡±

    ¡°All right, Angus, don¡¯t always say these disappointing words in front of children!¡± Mr. Weasley said dissatisfied, ¡°Say something pleasant.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any pleasure in it. I¡¯ll have this mixture of cats and dogs waiting for me to deal with in a moment.¡± Angus whispered, ¡°That¡¯s what the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures does, all the trouble¡­¡±

    He stopped immediately and the lift doors opened again.

    ¡°Level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, incorporating the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats.¡±

    Mr. Barty Crouch, with a serious face and no smile, stood at the lift¡¯s entrance.

    He was wearing the neatest wizard¡¯s robe Evan had ever seen until today; he had short grey hair with a neat parting that was almost unnaturally straight.

    Angus was so frightened to see him that he was speechless.

    He shut his mouth in a hurry and swallowed the second half of theint.

    ¡°Good morning, Barty!¡± Mr. Weasley greeted happily.

    But he ignored him. Mr. Crouch nced at Evan and then stared closely at Sirius, with no expression on his face.

    Sirius also looked back at him, his eyes full of hostility.

    It was like they were ready for a duel, and the oppressive atmosphere spread through the lift.

    Evan knew that Mr. Crouch was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He put Sirius into Azkaban without trial, and it was then that the enmity between the two sides began.

    Mr. Crouch did note in atst, and the lift doors shut yet again.

    It was quiet, and only the memos pped around the swayingmp in the lift¡¯s ceiling.

    ¡°It¡¯s terrible, isn¡¯t it?¡± Angus lowered his head and said, ¡°Mr. Crouch is a real power figure in the Ministry. I heard that even the Minister is afraid of him¡­¡±

    In fact, when Voldemort led the Death Eaters, Barty Crouch won the trust of ordinary people for publicly advocating the use of tough means to fight back.

    His reputation was unparalleled for a while, and he was considered to be the most popr candidate for the next Minister of Magic.

    But after the war, it was suddenly discovered that his son, Barty Crouch Jr., was also a Death Eater, and he finally put him in the Wizard Prison himself.

    However, after the incident was revealed, his voice continued to decline, and people thought that his approach was too cruel and too ruthless.

    He was eventually transferred to the Department of International Magical Cooperation, and the more moderate Cornelius Fudge seeded in bing Minister.

    That was something that everyone knew, and Evan also knew some unknown secrets.

    Subsequently, at the request of his wife, he entered Azkaban and used the Polyjuice Potion to switch Barty Jr. and Mrs. Crouch for death.

    Then, he used his curse to control his Death Eater son to keep him at home for many years, and even used Memory Charm on those who discovered the truth.

    However, he was finally killed by his mad son a few monthster.

    Evan had a headache when he thought of that Barty Crouch Jr. Today¡¯s meeting made him suddenly realize that he should take some action.

    Now that the future had changed radically, there was no need to keep Barty Crouch Jr.

    He should find an opportunity to remind other people and let them keep an eye on the movements of Mr. Crouch¡¯s family.

 Chapter 377: Mr. Weasleyâ€™s Office

    <h4>Chapter 377: Mr. Weasley¡¯s Office</h4>

    The cool feminine voice rang out again. ¡°Level four, Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau.¡±

    The doors opened once again, and three of the memos zoomed out.

    But several more memos zoomed in, so that the light from themp in the ceiling flickered and shed as they darted around it.

    ¡°Goodbye, kid!¡±

    Angus waved to Evan and pointed to the big tin box that kept making a loud noise. ¡°If you¡¯re interested, you cane and see us deal with this guy anytime. We¡¯ll probably dissect it and take down its wings and tail. That will definitely make you want to eat at noon.¡±

    They went out and looked at Sirius¡¯s mncholy look. Mr. Weasley seemed to want tofort him with a few words, and Evan also wanted to say something about Barty Crouch.

    But there were still four wizards in the lift, so they could only restrain themselves.

    No one spoke; there was only the lift¡¯s judder.

    ¡°Level three, Department of Magical idents and Catastrophes, including the idental Magic Reversal Squad, Obliviator Headquarters, and Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee.¡±

    Everybody left the lift on this floor except Mr. Weasley, Sirius, Evan and a witch who was reading an extremely long piece of parchment that was trailing on the ground. She didn¡¯t even raise her head. She had no energy or time to care about her surroundings.

    Evan wondered if she had missed the floor. The lift juddered upward again, and the remaining memos continued to soar around themp.

    Then the door opened.

    The voice announced, ¡°Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services.¡±

    ¡°This is us!¡± said Mr. Weasley, and everyone went out.

    They stood in an empty corridor lined with doors.

    Outside a window there was darkness, a hurricane was blowing and heavy rain was falling.

    Evan went to the window and was surprised to see that a wooden house had just been blown by the wind in front of him.

    ¡°Those are enchanted windows; Magical Maintenance decide what weather we¡¯re getting every day. They are angling for a pay raise, so this damn hurricane has been blowing for more than a month!¡± Mr. Weasley exined, ¡°Besides these days, it¡¯s sunny most of the time.¡±

    The magic was so wonderful that Evan felt the slight fluctuation of magic.

    If he could know the spell, he might be able to create a small illusion to confuse the enemy, which would be very valuable for realbat.

    He considered it for a while, and then suddenly woke up. Now was not the time to study magic, he had to find a way to tell the story of Barty Crouch Jr.

    Mr. Weasley seemed to want to talk too. He looked around carefully, confirmed that no one was there, then lowered his voice to Sirius and said, ¡°I need to talk to you. Why are you here today at the Ministry of Magic? And also you asked me to take care of Harry during the summer vacation. What on earth is going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve fallen under Voldemort¡¯s curse, Dumbledore and Sirius are going to find ways to break it for me during theing summer vacation!¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°What?!¡± Mr. Weasley shouted, and he was really shocked. Then he noticed that his voice was too loud. Fortunately, there was no one else around.

    There was the Auror Headquarters nearby, and those Aurors were all sent out at this time.

    Evan and Sirius simply said what happenedst night, and Mr. Weasley¡¯s face showed an inconceivable look, full of worries.

    ¡°The Curse of Voldemort!¡± He looked at Evan¡¯s blue-ck round snake bracelet. ¡°Well¡­ with Dumbledore, there should be no problem.¡± ¡±

    There was not much confidence in his voice, and there was little hope that Evan could break the Curse.

    Although Dumbledore was powerful, Voldemort¡¯s notoriety and power were too deeply engraved in the hearts of people.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of Harry!¡± He sighed. ¡°You can settle down to break the curse. At the beginning of the World Cup, if you haven¡¯te back, I¡¯ll go to his Muggle family and pick him up to my house in person.¡±

    Sirius thanked him. In fact, Harry was the one he couldn¡¯t rest assured of.

    He had nned to spend more time with Harry on a trip this summer vacation.

    While he was at it, he went to the Dursleys and warned them not to bully Harry, but now it all fell through.

    But helping Evan break the curse was obviously more urgent and more important.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Don¡¯t stand here foolishly. Evan has to write to his parents.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Dumbledore maye back at any time.¡±

    ¡°Hold on. We just saw the wizard at the level of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.¡± Evan said quickly, ¡°I think¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean Barty Crouch?!¡± Sirius¡¯s mouth sneered a little, ¡°He certainly won¡¯t take the lift up. He disdains having anything to do with people like me, even if he¡¯s alone in a space. I think I was acquitted and must have had a great influence on him in public opinion. He should hate me to death now.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t take it to heart, Sirius!¡± Mr. Weasley patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You know, Barty Senior has always been like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I know, in a sense, he¡¯s a great wizard.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Of course, the desire for power is also strong.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t like him very much, I think¡­¡± Evan said, not knowing how to tell them what he knew.

    ¡°No one will have a crush on this guy, but it is undeniable that he is Voldemort¡¯s most staunch opponent.¡± Sirius¡¯s face showed a strange look, and his eyes looked at Evan in aplicated way. ¡°Barty Crouch was always outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side¡­ Well, you wouldn¡¯t understand, there were too many things that happened at that time. You are very smart, but you are still too young¡­¡±

    ¡°If you mean he convicted you without trial, and he sent his son to Azkaban.¡± Evan squinted and said, ¡°In fact, I have carefully investigated Mr. Crouch and I probably know more than you think.¡±

    ¡°Evan, you said you were investigating Barty?!¡± Mr. Weasley looked nervous.

    ¡°Nothing can hide from you, I knew that!¡± Sirius¡¯s thin face shed a helpless smile. He didn¡¯t seem to be surprised. ¡°He sent me to Azkaban without a public trial. I don¡¯t me him for that. It was not very pleasant, but I really needed a ce to redeem myself. In a sense, he was helping me!¡±

    Sirius described what had happened in a casual voice, with no emotion in his voice, as if it had nothing to do with him.

 Chapter 378: The Shocking Truth

    <h4>Chapter 378: The Shocking Truth</h4>

    The conversation continued in the empty corridor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me him, but Barty Crouch¡¯s practices and concepts in other things are definitely beyond your imagination!¡± Sirius lowered his voice and said gravely, ¡°Evan, I don¡¯t know how much you know and what you want to do, but you have to know that Crouch is a tough, ruthless man, even more vicious than his opponents, the Death Eaters who use ck magic. He advocated violence against Violence and authorized the use of Unforgivable Curses against suspects.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that has given him a lot of supporters!¡± Mr. Weasley said uneasily, looking around and making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. ¡°At that time, plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards moring for him to take over as Minister of Magic. His own reputation has already far exceeded that of others in the Ministry. When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until he got the top job!¡±

    ¡°But the irony is¡­¡± Sirius smiled grimly. ¡°Just then, Crouch¡¯s own son was caught. He was with a group of Death Eaters who¡¯d managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power.¡±

    The smile on his face did not fade, staring at the heavy cubicle not far away. A lopsided sign on the cubicle read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.

    ¡°Next thing, you should all know!¡± Sirius continued, ¡°You can imagine that this was a real blow to the old man. He should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn¡¯t he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while to know about his own son.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    Not only Crouch, but everyone should know more about Batty Crouch Jr.

    If Mr. Weasley and Sirius knew his true face and his position among the Death Eaters, they would be shocked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen that boy, a coward who only knew how to cry, who looked very weak.¡± Sirius recalled, ¡°I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in, and he was next to my cell. I remember him crying every day. When the boy was arrested, all the people with him were Death Eaters. I can bet that the poor fellow has been in the wrong ce at the wrong time!¡±

    ¡°Maybe he is not as simple as you think!¡± Evan said cautiously. ¡°My findings show some very interesting information. He was locked into Azkaban because he tortured the Longbottom couple with the Cruciatus Curse. I asked Professor Lupin to help me get in touch with the witnesses of that incident¡­¡±

    Evan knew so much. Mr. Weasley and Sirius were obviously very surprised.

    ¡°All in all, Barty Crouch Jr. is not simple.¡± Evan concluded, retelling the information he had received.

    ¡°Maybe, but what does this mean?!¡± Sirius said impatiently. ¡°I saw the Dementors bring him in. I watched them through the iron railings of the cell door. He was at most neen years old, and they threw him into a cell next to me. In the evening, he screamed at his mother. But a few dayster, he was silent, and he remained silent all the time. In that ghost ce, everyone would be like this, only asionally screaming in his sleep¡­¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that after being locked into that ce for a year, he died and paid for his crimes!¡± Mr. Weasley said hastily. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t just stand here and talk about these things.¡±

    ¡°Yes, what you need to do now is to write a letter to your parents!¡± Sirius patted Evan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maybe, you should write a letter to Remus, too.¡±

    ¡°Come on, what do you want to drink? I have there¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, there¡¯s more!¡± Evan hurriedly raised his voice and shouted, ¡°Barty Crouch Jr. may not be dead!¡±

    Mr. Weasley and Sirius both stopped, their eyes firmly fixed on the serious-looking Evan. There was a funny expression on their faces, with a strong desire tough, but they strove to hold it back.

    ¡°He must have died, right in front of me. I witnessed his death with my very own eyes.¡± Sirius said bitterly. ¡°Since you want to know, then I¡¯ll tell you. He was not the only one. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end.¡±

    Sirius looked at Evan¡¯s eyes, and his hoarse voice slowly described the past events.

    ¡°They lost the will to live. You could always tell when a death wasing, because the Dementors could sense it, they got excited.¡± Sirius said, ¡°That boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch being an important Ministry member, he and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. He half carried his wife and walked past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward out of grief. Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son¡¯s body. The Dementors buried him outside the fortress. I watched them do it.¡±

    Evan wanted to talk, but Sirius stopped him.

    ¡°Think about it carefully, isn¡¯t it very sad?!¡± His face showed a cruel smile. ¡°Just when old Crouch thought he had it made, he lost it all. One moment, a hero, poised to be Minister of Magic¡­ In the blink of an eye, his son died, his wife died, the family name was dishonored, and there was a big drop in his poprity.¡±

    ¡°I remember the newspapers at that time, all reporting on this matter.¡± Mr. Weasley added, ¡°Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice youngd from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him. So Cornelius Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.¡±

    ¡°Well, after knowing all this, what are you still questioning now?¡± Sirius asked Evan. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much information you have, but there¡¯s no doubt that Barty Crouch Jr. died.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the whole story. Barty Crouch may have brought his son out of Azkaban!¡± Evan gasped and decided to say it directly, ¡°ording to Barty Crouch¡¯s character and style of action, we can reason out¡­¡±

    ¡°Reasoning?! It¡¯s ridiculous. I saw him die before me, and you¡¯re here to reason with me!¡± Sirius sighed and said in a heavy tone, ¡°Evan, you may have been under too much pressure recently, I think¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him who died, it was his mother!¡± Evan said loudly. ¡°When you saw that visit, Barty Crouch switched them up!¡±

 Chapter 379: Mad-Eye Moody

    <h4>Chapter 379: Mad-Eye Moody</h4>

    Evan told the shocking truth, but it was obvious that Sirius and Mr. Weasley did not believe it.

    ¡°Barty helped his son escape from Azkaban?!¡± Mr. Weasley said in surprise, ¡°How can this be possible? He wouln¡¯t do such a thing!¡±

    He looked anxiously at Evan and then turned to Sirius.

    Mr. Weasley had a panicking look on his face and had no idea what to do.

    It seemed that he wished the two of them would shout a happy April Fools Day to him.

    ¡°Evan, I thought you knew about Crouch¡¯s nature!¡± Sirius continued to try to persuade him, ¡°Believe me, he refused to excuse his son at the Wizengamot¡¯s trial, let alone break thew to help him escape from prison! Anything that threatens his reputation must be put aside; he had no fatherly love.¡±

    ¡°But you also said that Crouch was ruthless. If he could save his son without being discovered, why wouldn¡¯t he do that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Azkaban, the most heavily defended wizard prison!¡± Sirius impatiently said, ¡°If you see it, you¡¯ll know what it is like. How did Crouch bring out a living man under the guard of thousands of Dementors?¡±

    ¡°The Dementors have no eyes; they can¡¯t see around, they can only feel the breath of living things, which is the main reason why you were able to escape sessfully in the first ce.¡±Evan persevered. ¡°Crouch could fool the Dementors with a little trick.¡±

    ¡°What trick?¡± Sirius asked, frowning tightly.

    ¡°Polyjuice Potion!¡± Evan whispered. ¡°He used thepound soup to make his wife look like her son. The Dementors couldn¡¯t see it. They could only smell a healthy person and a dying personing in, and a healthy person and a dying person leaving.¡±

    After Evan finished, neither Mr. Weasley nor Sirius did speak.

    They were terribly shocked and seemed to want to find out a loophole in the n, but after thinking for a long time, they found that there was no way to refute Evan¡¯s theory. Still, there was one thing itcked!

    ¡°Is there any evidence?¡± Sirius asked.

    ¡°No!¡± Evan shook his head. He really had no evidence. ¡°If you are willing to search Crouch¡¯s house, use Veritaserum on him or check his wife¡¯s grave, there may be some results.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s mad, totally mad!¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°If anyone dares to ask the most powerful official in the Ministry of Magic to do these things, he would immediately be sent home or to the hospital for inspection. With all due respect, I think you should go and have a look, too, out of prudence.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Arthur!¡± ¡°Sirius said heavily, ¡°Evan is just under too much pressure. If we fall under the curse, we¡¯ll never be better than him.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°This is all imagination, crazy imagination!¡± Sirius said, looking at Evan seriously, as if he had met him for the first time. ¡°Evan, if I didn¡¯t know you very well, I would think that you have been mentally frustrated by Voldemort¡¯s Curse.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d better not talk about it!¡± Mr. Weasley whispered, ¡°Barty Crouch helped his son escape from prison? It¡¯s crazy enough to think about it.¡±

    ¡°But what I said just now did really happen?¡± Evan said.

    In fact, he was somewhat depressed.

    There was no way to convince Sirius, Mr. Weasley and others. The positive image of Barty Crouch was too deeply rooted in their minds.

    If he continued talking like this, he would just make them doubt him.

    To disclose all of this in advance was just asking for trouble. He could only let time prove everything.

    Since he couldn¡¯t nip everything in the bud, he could only think about ways in the next semester.

    By then, with the help of the Marauder¡¯s Map, things would be easier.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that what you said may happen, but I still say that you don¡¯t know Barty Crouch. He wouldn¡¯t do it. He¡¯s sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let your guard down. Anything is possible!¡±

    Just then, a growling voice rang in the cubicle behind Evan.

    The door opened, and Sirius kept Evan behind him, pulled out his wand at the fastest speed, looked ahead vigntly, and quickly released.

    Evan poked his head out and saw an old man standing in the doorway.

    He was carrying a long cane, and he was shrouded in a ck traveling cloak.

    Seeing his face, Evan was shocked and subconsciously stepped back.

    His face looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and arge chunk of the nose was missing.

    But it was the man¡¯s eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark and beady. The other wasrge, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue.

    The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye. And then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man¡¯s head, so that all what could be seen was whiteness.

    Evan was stunned by this weird look, and stared at him intently.

    Almost instantly, he knew who this guy was, Mad-Eye Moody.

    Moody looked at Evan and Sirius and walked over with his cane.

    ¡°ck, I¡¯ve read yourtest report, so you¡¯re innocent!¡± He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been proved innocent!¡± Sirius shook hands with him, and Moody moved closer.

    ¡°You¡¯re family history is not very good! Although Dumbledore is willing to believe in you, I can think otherwise!¡± He said rudely and turned his eyes to Evan.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I eavesdropped on your conversation. If you want to say bad things about senior officials of the Ministry of Magic secretly next time, you¡¯d better not choose this kind of ce.¡±

    His normal eye was fixed upon Evan, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket. ¡°But I have to say, I just heard a wonderful reasoning, very exciting. I haven¡¯t heard such reasoning for a long time!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan subconsciously answered.

    ¡°Boy, you have the potential to be an Auror; I like you!¡± He reached into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip sk, and took a long draught from it.

    As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Evan saw several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a wed foot.

 Chapter 380: Bertha Jorkins and Evanâ€™s plan

    <h4>Chapter 380: Bertha Jorkins and Evan¡¯s n</h4>

    There was a moment of silence. The atmosphere in the corridor was somewhat delicate, filled with a strong aroma of wine.

    Moody¡¯s drink was very spicy and strong. It was ufortable just to smell it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay attention to Barty Crouch!¡± Moody put the sk back and said to Evan, ¡°Remember, always be vignt and don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±

    He waved his ck cloak and headed for the lift.

    As he walked away, the sound of his cane hitting the ground grew distant.

    Before he disappearedpletely, no one moved, and Evan could be sure that Moody was watching the three with that made false eye.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how he was going to pay attention to Barty Crouch. He just hoped that this would give him a wake up call and not be easily knocked down and locked up by Barty Crouch Jr.

    ¡°He¡¯s always been so insane. I hope he doesn¡¯t do silly things!¡± Mr. Weasley sighed and exined to Evan, ¡°He¡¯s Mad-eye Moody, the best Auror in the history of the Ministry of Magic, powerful strength, the master of catching Dark wizards.¡±

    ¡°Just like you, he¡¯s suspicious of everything, not trusting anyone!¡± Sirius lowered his voice and said, ¡°But he¡¯s trustworthy, he¡¯s from the Order of the Phoenix, just now those words he heard are nothing, or we would have to use the Memory Charm!¡±

    ¡°Since he retired, his suspicions grew stronger and stronger. He is wary of everyone, and he¡¯s always suspicious of being attacked. He even used spells against Muggles, and our Department had to go behind him to solve the problems!¡± Mr. Weasley said.

    ¡°He can¡¯t be med for that. He caught a lot of Dark wizards when he was Auror. Half of the prisoners in Azkaban were arrested by him. This offended many people.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Those people want him dead. He has to be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s never wrong to be careful, but we really shouldn¡¯t have unsubstantiated doubts¡­¡± Mr. Weasley looked at Evan pointedly and said uneasily, ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been standing long enough. Let¡¯s go in and have a cup of tea.¡±

    Nobody mentioned anything about Barty Crouch, as if nothing had happened.

    They crossed the narrow corridor, turned a corner, and walked through a pair of heavy oak doors.

    They emerged in a cluttered, open area divided into cubicles, which were buzzing with talk andughter.

    Memos were zooming in and out of cubicles like miniature rockets.

    ¡°This is the office of the Wizengamot Administration Services.¡± Mr. Weasley said, and from time to time, he stopped to greet some people and introduce Sirius and Evan.

    In a smallpartment, they crossed the second elm door.

    The three people walked into another passage, turned left, marched along another corridor, turned right into a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor, and finally reached a dead end.

    A door on the left stood ajar, revealing a broom cupboard, and a door on the right bore a tarnished brass que reading: MISUSE OF MUGGLE ARTIFACTS.

    Mr. Weasley¡¯s dingy office seemed to be slightly smaller than the broom cupboard.

    Two desks had been crammed inside it and there was barely room to move around them because of all the overflowing filing cabs lining the walls, on top of which were tottering piles of files.

    The little wall space avable bore witness to Mr. Weasley¡¯s obsessions; there were several posters of cars, including one of a dismantled engine, two illustrations of postboxes he seemed to have cut out of Muggle children¡¯s books, and a diagram showing how to wire a plug.

    Sitting on top of Mr. Weasley¡¯s overflowing in-tray was an old toaster that was hupping in a disconste way and a pair of empty leather gloves that were twiddling their thumbs.

    Beside the in-tray were a few photographs of the Weasley family, one of which had been taken in Egyptst year. Ron had shown it to everyone. However, the rat ¡®Peter Pettigrew¡¯ had disappeared from above and should have been erased with magic.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t got a window.¡± Mr. Weasley said apologetically. ¡°We¡¯ve asked, but they don¡¯t seem to think we need one. Have a seat; I¡¯ll get you some water.¡±

    Evan and Sirius squeezed themselves into the two chairs behind the desk. What could be seen from the office environment, Mr. Weasley¡¯s Department was not taken seriously.

    ¡°You can write a letter to your parents here, I¡¯ll find an owl to mail it for you.¡± Mr. Weasley came up with two cups of tea.

    He pulled out a few nk parchments from the blue and handed them to Evan. Several report-style papers fell down.

    Evan read: ¡°It is reported that the incident of sewage backflow from toilets in Wimbledon was investigated to be¡­

    ¡°A regurgitating toilet?¡±

    ¡°Anti-Muggle pranksters,¡± said Mr. Weasley, frowning. ¡°This is the first time it happened. It¡¯s very bad in nature. Muggles are pulling the flush and instead of everything disappearing ¡­ well, you can imagine. The poor things keep calling in those ¡­ those pumbles, I think they¡¯re called ¡­ you know, the ones who mend pipes and things ¡­¡±

    ¡°Plumbers?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, yes, but of course, they¡¯re flummoxed. I only hope we can catch whoever did it.¡±

    ¡°Will it be Aurors who catch them?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, this is too trivial for Aurors, it¡¯ll be the ordinary Magical Law Enforcement Patrol to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°This report is about Bertha Jorkins; what did she do?!¡± Sirius said with interest, picking up a report. ¡°The cactus nts she bought from a Muggle Store growing wild and growing a giant mouth. Two Muggles witnesses¡­.¡±

    Evan had a sh in his mind. Wasn¡¯t Bertha Jorkins the woman in Barty Crouch¡¯s Department?!

    She found out the truth of the whole incident in the original story, and Crouch used the Memory Charm on her.

    Then she went on holiday to Albania.

    At the busiest time of the Ministry of Magic, she disappeared for several months and was actually caught by Voldemort.

    Voldemort broke Bertha¡¯s Memory Charm and learned a lot from her, including the news that his most loyal servant, Barty Crouch Jr., was still alive. He rescued him, and then nned a series of plots on the Goblet of Fire to return sessfully.

    If he could find her, he would prove in advance that all what he said was true.

    By then, they would have enough evidence to expose Barty Crouch¡¯s true face to the world and recapture Barty Crouch Jr.

    Evan thought excitedly that it was an opportunity.

    Ever since he had failed to persuade Sirius and Mr. Weasley, Evan had been thinking about it.

    He looked at the circr snake bracelet on his wrist and wondered if he was chosen by Voldemort.

    Regardless of whether others believed it or not, in order to prevent it, he was determined to take a more proactive approach to stop Voldemort.

    Evan had a brand new idea. Why should he follow the original book? With the emergence of the Four Founders¡¯ Secret treasure and the horrible evil spirits, the world had already be totally different. Maybe it was because he had crossed to this world that greater evil was approaching.

    Before that, he must first find a way to eliminate Voldemort.

    He knew the locations of all the Horcruxes, and as long as there was enough time, he could destroy them in turn.

    He would try to dy Voldemort¡¯s return, and when all the Horcruxes were destroyed, he would have nothing to fear.

    At that time, he would not, as the prophecy said, gain unimaginable power with his help.

    Evan nned so, but would everything really go as smoothly as he thought?!

 Chapter 381: The Legend of Azkaban and Slytherin

    <h4>Chapter 381: The Legend of Azkaban and Slytherin</h4>

    Evan wrote to his parents while listening to Mr. Weasley and Sirius talking.

    ¡°I still remember Jorkins. She was at Hogwarts when I was, two years above me.¡± Sirius recalled, ¡°An idiot, very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It¡¯s not a goodbination!¡±

    ¡°She could drive one insane; she had been working with me for a while!¡± Mr. Weasley said, frowning. ¡°She was not bad, just not too helpful. As you can see in the report, she causes more trouble than she solves.¡±

    ¡°Which department is she in now?¡± Sirius asked.

    ¡°I have been in the Department of International Magical Cooperation for many years, and then I don¡¯t know why, suddenly Barty¡­¡±

    Mr. Weasley paused and realized that he should not mention the name in front of Evan, and hastily shifted the topic, ¡°She moved to the Department of Magical Games and Sports not long ago. In short, over the years, she has been driven from one department to another, and only Ludo Bagman was willing to have her. Ludo is a good man. He helped me get tickets for the World Cup.¡±

    ¡°Where is she now?¡± Evan interjected. ¡°I want to see her.¡±

    ¡°What do you have to do with Jorkins?¡± Sirius frowned, and when he saw Evan¡¯s expression, he immediately understood what it was. He said seriously. ¡°Well, I know you suspect Crouch. That¡¯s all right with your reasoning just now. But now we should concentrate on removing the curse on your wrist. After breaking it, I will help you to investigate him, I promise!¡±

    ¡°You have no chance to see her now!¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°After this biting cactus event, she went abroad on holiday, and she won¡¯t probablye back before a few weeks. Ludo thinks she needs to breathe more fresh air and wake up!¡±

    Evan¡¯s heart thumped, if Bertha Jorkins set out on holiday in the Forests of Albania, then she might have been caught by Voldemort.

    This was not good. Now she could be getting tortured by Voldemort.

    It was only a matter of time before Voldemort knew that his most devoted follower was still alive and had sessfully fled Azkaban.

    But without the help of Peter Pettigrew, and without Quirrell to share his body with him, Voldemort should have great difficulty ining back to save Barty Crouch Jr. He was just a powerless soul who couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Just as Evan was pondering, a memo zoomed in through the open door, slowly falling in front of Sirius. He opened it doubtfully.

    ¡°Dumbledore has talked to Fudge, and he¡¯s got permission to enter Azkaban!¡± Sirius said, ¡°He¡¯s waiting for us below.¡±

    Evan speeded up writing the letter to his parents, and also a letter to Professor Lupin, in which he specifically asked him to pay attention to Barty Crouch¡¯s movements.

    He handed the letters to Mr. Weasley and, after saying goodbye, returned to the lift.

    ¡°How can we get to Azkaban?¡± Evan asked curiously. ¡°Is it Apparition?¡±

    ¡°Like Hogwarts, that ce prohibits Apparition and any other spell that can sneak into it.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Many spells have been cast on Azkaban to prevent prisoners from escaping and being found by others, but the Ministry of Magic has a Portkey to that ce.¡±

    ¡°Where on earth is Azkaban?¡±

    ¡°Nobody knows,¡± Sirius said. ¡°Although I have been there for more than a decade and managed to escape, I only know that it is on an ind in the North Sea.¡±

    He paused for a while and continued. ¡°I was floating in the sea with a piece of wood. I could only recognize the approximate direction and had swam for a long time before returning tond.¡±

    The history of Azkaban, the Wizard Prison, was known to be dating back to half a Millennia.

    There were many stories about this famous prison that couldn¡¯t be told for a few days and nights. Because of the many Dark wizards who had been imprisoned, and therge number of Dementors gathered, it had yed a very important role in the history of magic and had been repeatedly mentioned.

    After the underground ruins incident, Evan searched a lot of historical materials about Slytherin himself a few days ago.

    Among them, he found a very interesting record!

    Surprisingly, the founder of Azkaban was mentioned to be probably Szar Slytherin himself.

    A thousand years ago, he proposed to the then Presbyterian Church (the predecessor of the Ministry of Magic) to build a prison for the detention of Dark wizards, and then led the prison construction project.

    Slytherin personallyid out a lot of magic on Azkaban, and also provided arge amount of Galleons to maintain the daily operation of the prison.

    Of course, these were not the main points. What interested Evan was that, ording to legend, Slytherin had traveled around the European continent after leaving Hogwarts, but he was likely to spend hister years in that ce.

    ording to the information from the underground relics, Slytherin left with the body and brain of the nightmare God he had cut into pieces. If that prison mentioned in the records was indeed Azkaban, and if he had lived in seclusion there in hister years, would there be a part of the body of the evil god?

    (Trantor Note: Azkaban was mentioned by the J.K Rowling in Pottermore to have existed since the 15th century, and to be originally home to a little-known sorcerer who called himself Ekrizdis. Here, the author might be skipping Pottermore information all together, basing his work solely on the books, or deeming the words of the author as vague enough for him to introduce a hidden history behind them.)

    Evan touched the Locket on his chest. If he had left any traces there, he might find clues to the Key to Slytherin¡¯s Secret Treasure.

    Even if not, he might be able to improve his magic as he didst time.

    Secondly, he was now very interested in the evil spirits. ording to the evil god he had seen in the illusion of the Centaurs¡¯ colony, it had manypanions.

    Evan wanted to study these horrifying creatures from the void, looking for ways to deal with them. The evil spirits were summoned and locked away by ancient warlocks, but this guy who had been defeated and studied by Slytherin was the best goal.

    It did note from the void, and was probably created by Herpo the Foul himself. It was not that powerful, and would not make Evan feel powerless!

    Evan and Sirius took the lift down and quickly returned to the main hall.

    Now, because it was past the rush hour, there were not many people there.

    The golden grilles slid open, and Evan saw the golden statues in the fountain from a distance. No one came in and they continued down.

    ¡°Department of Mysteries!¡± said the cool female voice, and left it at that.

    ¡°This way, Evan!¡± Sirius pushed him out of the lift. ¡°This is the most mysterious department of the Ministry of Magic. We have to continue down. I¡¯ve only been here once before, thirteen years ago, to be judged and sent to Azkaban.¡±

 Chapter 382: Department of Mysteries and Departure

    <h4>Chapter 382: Department of Mysteries and Departure</h4>

    In front of them was a simple, deep corridor.

    This corridor was quite different from those above. The walls were bare; there were no doors and no windows apart from a in ck one set at the very end of the corridor.

    Evan knew that this was the Department of Mysteries.

    In fact, he was eager to go in and visit it.

    He had heard too many rumors about, but in fact very few were true and credible.

    In the market, there was hardly any reliable record of this mysterious department.

    Luna had shown him an article in ¡°The Quibbler¡± before that stated that Fudge was using the Department of Mysteries to develop terrible poisons, which he secretly fed to anybody who disagreed with him.

    But this was obviously ridiculous. Evan knew that there was actually a collection of all the prophetic ss orbs, handed down magic items, and various unknown magic items that needed to be researched and preserved, such as magic rted to time, soul, and death.

    The prototype of the Time-Turner worn by Hermione was kept here. That artifact-like magic item could help the wizard control time.

    ¡°The Department of Mysteries is the most mysterious department of the Ministry of Magic. No one knows what they get up to. The identity and tasks of the staff in this department are top secret.¡± Sirius said, ¡°The wizards who work in the Department of Mysteries are known as Unspeakables!¡±

    Evan nodded and carefully observed the in ck door.

    This door should be years old. Like the materials used in the construction of the Temple of the Moon of the Centaurs, it was Obsidian with no trace of magic left on it.

    ¡°One of my ancestors used to work here, I read his diary.¡± Seeing that Evan was very interested, Sirius continued, ¡°ording to his records, long ago, the Ministry of Magic had discovered that there were many kinds of inherent magic. Unlike current magic, their forms of existence are difficult to exin, even more difficult, and perhaps impossible to control.¡±

    Not surprisingly, these magic should have been inherited from the studies of ancient warlocks.

    They went further on the path of magic and knew more than the current wizards.

    However, as time passed, the once brilliant magical civilization finally vanished.

    There were many theories about the extinction of ancient warlocks.

    Debate had been going on for hundreds of years. The most insane statement that Evan had just heard recently was that the spherical evil god told him that the powerful ancient warlocks collectively fled to a new world because they wanted to avoid the control of evil gods.

    ¡°Behind this ck door is a circr room lined up with many doors. The Unspeakables explore and experiment the mysterious forces in various rooms.¡± Sirius said, ¡°If you¡¯re interested, you can apply to work here after graduation. As long as the best students can¡¯t meet the requirements, it¡¯s possible for them not to recruit new students for several years. But with your strength, there must be no problem.¡±

    They walked through the corridor and stood outside the ck door for a moment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, don¡¯t let Dumbledore wait too long!¡± Sirius seized Evan by the arm and dragged him to the left, where there was an opening leading to a flight of steps.

    ¡°The following is the special courtroom of the Wizengamot. The Portkey to Azkaban is reserved there.¡± Sirius said as he walked, ¡°If you are convicted, you will be sent directly to Azkaban, you don¡¯t have to spend a few days at sea.¡±

    They walked for a long time, reached the bottom of the steps, and ran along yet another corridor, which bore a great resemnce to that which led to Snape¡¯s dungeon at Hogwarts, with rough stone walls and torches in brackets. The doors they passed here were heavy wooden ones with iron bolts and keyholes.

    ¡°Courtroom 10, here we are!¡± Sirius dragged Evan and stopped in front of a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock. He sneered, ¡°I was originally to be tried here, but after a long wait, they told me that my crimes did not need to be tried, and they shove me straight into Azkaban.¡±

    They pushed the door open and went in. The walls around them were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches.

    Empty benches rose on either side of them, but ahead, Dumbledore was sitting on a bench with his eyes closed and they wondered what he was thinking.

    As soon as they entered, Dumbledore sensed it and opened his eyes.

    ¡°Here you are!¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°I am sorry, we have to start from this ce, but believe me; the ce we¡¯re going to be is scarier and much more horrible than this.¡±

    He waved to Sirius and Evan to keep up with him.

    They walked to the top of the room, around the huge round stone pirs. Behind the ck curtain, there was a small hidden door.

    Dumbledore knocked it with his wand and the locked door opened automatically.

    In the middle of the room was a statue of a Dementor.

    It was about to pull the hood off its head, revealing the horrible mouth in the looming, seemingly to give someone a kiss and suck their soul.

    ¡°Special privileges are required to enter the room.¡± Dumbledore exined, ¡°Outside is the High Criminal Court of Wizengamot, where almost all the prisoners in Azkaban are tried. They do so precisely because of the statue in front of us. It¡¯s the only Portkey to get us to Azkaban quickly.¡±

    Dumbledore looked at the Dementor statue carefully for a while, seemingly thinking about something, before turning his light blue eyes to Evan.

    ¡°Do you know what a Portkey means?¡± he asked with a smile.

    ¡°I know, I read it in books.¡± Evan hurriedly said.

    ¡°Very well, but this statue is different from the ordinary Portkeys!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°It won¡¯t follow us. In fact, there is the same statue in Azkaban. We just touch them lightly, and we can be sent back and forth.¡±

    ¡°But what¡¯s the principle of this magic?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°No one knows, like what you saw in the Department of Mysteries above. There¡¯s still a lot of wonderful magic waiting for us to discover and study.¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°What we know now is only a small part of it.¡± He took something out of his arms and handed it to Evan.

    ¡°I went to the Centaurs¡¯ colonyst night and saw the records rted to that evil god. It¡¯s beyond imagination. It¡¯s not any creature I know, nor does it appear in magic books.¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°Before you came, I thought about it carefully. Now that you¡¯ve been back to the millennium and met the Four Founders of the school, what they left behind is also rted to these evil spirits. Then I think it¡¯s better for you to keep it.¡±

    Evan was stunned and took over what Dumbledore had handed him.

    Surprisingly, it was the red namete left behind in the underground ruins when the huge eyeball monster disappeared, and the image of the terrible nightmare god was painted.

 Chapter 383: Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison

    <h4>Chapter 383: Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison</h4>

    Dumbledore didn¡¯t go on talking. He didn¡¯t seem to want to exin to Evan and share his research findings on the bizarre namete.

    He must have known something, and for some reason gave it to him.

    As for what he said, with Evan¡¯s involvement, the key to the treasure left by the Four Founders might have something to do with evil spirits.

    This might be only part of the reason, but certainly not all.

    Evan did not ask, Dumbledore had always been like this; if he didn¡¯t want to say anything, no inquiry would bear fruit. Anyway, he would not harm him.

    But what happened in the end was probably not what he hoped.

    Evan sighed and collected the namete. He was ready to rely on his own strength to understand what it was and what it was useful for.

    ¡°Just touch the Portkey gently, don¡¯t force it!¡± Sirius signaled to Evan to put his hand on the statue.

    It started to be cold and the statue seemed to be alive.

    Unknown fear rose deep in Evan¡¯s heart, and he felt ufortable.

    He nervously looked at the statue in front of him, watching the hood that the Dementor was about to pull back, and the looming mouth inside, in a trance.

    He remembered the method of making a Dementor in the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±. Not surprisingly, this magic was also invented by Herpo the Foul.

    Would the Dementors be the creatures of another so-called evil god, just like those weird monsters with holes all over their heads that he had encountered in the Temple of the Centaurs?

    Their abilities both acted directly on one¡¯s soul.

    And the Patronus Charm did harm all of them, which was a bit too much to be a coincidence.

    At the thought of this, Evan shivered inexplicably.

    ¡°Get ready, I¡¯ll count down from three and we¡¯ll set off!¡± Dumbledore said, putting his hand on the robe of the Dementor statue. ¡°Three, two, one!¡±

    He had just finished, and quicker than words could tell, Evan felt that there was a hook behind his belly button and it snapped forward with irresistible momentum.

    He left the ground with both feet and flew up.

    He could feel Dumbledore and Sirius on both sides; their shoulders collided with him, and then separated again, far apart.

    They flew forward like a gust of wind, and could see nothing clearly before their eyes.

    Evan¡¯s right hand clung to the Dementor statue, as if it had a maic force pulling him in, and then¡­

    His feetnded heavily on the ground and he couldn¡¯t stand up and fell.

    Evan had tried Floo Network and Apparition before, and the travel experiences and feelings were different. They were all very ufortable, but none of them used the Portkey so badly.

    ¡°You still need to practice to maintain bnce.¡± Sirius picked him up.

    In front of Evan, There was a statue of the same Dementor.

    However, they were definitely not in the Ministry of Magic now. The walls of the room around them were all rough ck rocks.

    The dpidated floor had been decaying and it smelt of corruption.

    In front of them was a narrow, small closed door.

    This room was like the Shrieking Shack. No one had been there for a long time. It was covered with dust. Walking on the floor made a squeaky noise.

    Evan suddenly felt very cold. The cold came from under his feet and kept creeping up.

    He huddled, and then realized that the cold was brought about by therge number of Dementors gathering around him. Although he had not seen Dementors yet, all happy, optimistic and positive emotions in his heart dissipated rapidly with the temperature.

    The cruel thought of death hovered in his mind, as if he could no longer feel happy, and life was meaningless.

    The colors were disappearing from around him, and the world soon turned pale grey, matching Evan¡¯s mood, terrible to the extreme.

    Although the ground was dirty, he wanted to lie down like this and stay there forever.

    By Evan¡¯s side, Sirius reacted much more than he did.

    He had spent too much time in Azkaban and was less resistant to Dementors than any other wizard. He curled up and squatted on the ground.

    Sirius¡¯s body was changing, automatically turning into a big ck dog.

    Animal emotions were hard for Dementors to understand and had more resistance than humans.

    Sirius in his Animagus form stood up and seemed to be much better.

    However, his legs were still trembling.

    ¡°Expecto Patronum!¡± Dumbledore called softly and waved his wand.

    White light came out of his wand, dispelling the cold around him, and the temperature, colors, and senses returned to Evan. Hey on the ground and gasped heavily.

    A small Phoenix Patronus was revolving around them. Every time it moved its wings, white silver stardust fell, looking very beautiful.

    ¡°Summon your Patronus, but pay attention to controlling your own magic.¡± Dumbledore said, ¡°Use as little magic as possible; we are not expelling the Dementors, but doing our own defense. It is not very difficult, you can try this technique.¡±

    ¡°Expecto Patronum!¡± Evan pulled out his wand and tried to restrain his magic consumption.

    A silver kitten appeared on his chest, much smaller than his usual Patronus, but the light on its body was more condensed.

    ¡°In addition to resisting Dementors, the Patronus has many unexpected uses.¡± Dumbledore smiled and said, ¡°With some little magic spells, they can be messengers or directly condense entities to attack the enemy.¡±

    Dumbledore talked to Evan about several new uses of the Patronus Charm, which opened up his mind to all sorts of new possibilities. Combining spells could indeed create new more powerful ones that were very different!

    A few minutester, they went on.

    Sirius did not change back. He followed Evan as a big ck dog.

    Outside the narrow ck door of the room was a hollow wooden nk road.

    The biting cold wind came in and they were in a separate tower, soaring into the clouds.

    They needed to cross the nk road in front them to reach the opposite Azkaban main building.

    Like the decaying floor in the room, the nks on the nk road were all broken and swayed, as if they could fall at any time.

    Evan carefully followed Dumbledore, narrowing the scope of his Patronus to about half a foot, and there was thick fog around the nk road.

    He tried to look as far as he could, but he could see nothing.

    They were surrounded by fog, and for a few seconds, Evan felt as if something had passed by him. He was not sure if it was a Dementor.

    Although he couldn¡¯t use his eyes, he could smell the salty taste of the sea water, and the sound of the waves beating against the rocks.

    They were on an isted ind. This was Azkaban, the Wizarding Prison.

 Chapter 384: Prisoners of Azkaban

    <h4>Chapter 384: Prisoners of Azkaban</h4>

    In the fog, the three of them continued to move forward in the dangerous nk road, and with the endless sound of the waves, the road seemed to never end.

    This was not just physical, but the same was true in the spiritual world.

    Evan felt like he was on a road that was doomed to no end.

    Negative emotions such as depression, fear, and despair came with the pressure brought by the mist, creeping in into their souls.

    He remembered that he had met horrible monsters with holes in their heads before in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and that the illusions they created could also make people lost in them.

    Back then, what awaited him was the monster¡¯s mouth full of fangs and by the time he found a way out, he didn¡¯t have time to rejoice, for his head was about to be food to the monster, if it wasn¡¯t for Okegiga saving him.

    Would it be the same now? Would a monster be waiting for them ahead? Perhaps, they weren¡¯t going to Azkaban! Perhaps, they were going to their death!

    Evan took a deep breath to sober himself up, but the cold fog mixed with the Dementors¡¯ smell made him feel very nauseous.

    What should he say to dispel the growing panic within him?

    ¡°Nothing can be seen here. What does the main Azkaban building look like?¡± Evan felt as though his voice did not belong to him. It rang from far away.

    ¡°It¡¯s a huge castle like the main building of Hogwarts!¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice drifted from the front. ¡°There are theories that Szar Slytherin built Azkaban, and he imitated Hogwarts Castle.¡±

    There was another moment of silence. When Evan wanted to say more, he suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice singing in the mist. He could not tell which direction it came from.

    The song was very beautiful, like the sound from heaven. However, it had a hint of sadness hidden within it.

    Evan stopped and listened with amazement. He had never heard such a beautiful song before. There was one thought in his mind; he wanted to stand there and keep on listening to it.

    He lost track of time; not knowing if he was there for seconds or centuries!

    Evan suddenly felt pain in his right leg!

    He woke up and saw that the huge ck dog that Sirius turned into was tugging at his trousers and dragging him forward.

    ¡°What is this song?¡± Evan murmured.

    ¡°They¡¯re Mermaids. They are the only creatures here that don¡¯t fear Dementors.¡± Dumbledore exined, ¡°In ancient times, the Mermaids used to lie on the reefs of the deep sea, seducing sailors by singing songs and sinking ships on rocks, feeding on the corpses of crew members.¡±

    Evan remembered this horrible magical creature that he had read about in books before.

    Ugly-looking sirens make beautiful songs to lure passing ships. Evan used to rely on imagination before, but today he really saw it.

    The way to deal with Merpeople is also very simple. Just plug your ears! They have almost no attack power, with their bodies simr to fish.

    At the end of the nk road, a Dementor in a ck cloak appeared in front of them.

    Its body smelt rotten, and its scabby palms slowly extended out.

    It sucked hard, but because of the Patronus Charm, it couldn¡¯t absorb anything.

    This made the Dementor very dissatisfied. It rushed forward with a cry. Its ragged cloak was dragged behind it like a ck fog, making a loud trembling sound.

    Almost at the same time, Phoenix, Dumbledore¡¯s Patronus faced forward.

    The Dementor retreated, and it seemed to recognize Dumbledore.

    Under the gaze of the old wizard¡¯s cold, light blue eyes, Evan clearly felt that the Dementor was the one afraid!

    ¡°We¡¯ve got permission from the Ministry of Magic to visit Pettigrew!¡± Dumbledore said calmly, with no emotion in his voice.

    The Dementors slowly receded and eventually disappeared into the endless fog.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, they allowed us in!¡± said Dumbledore.

    They went into the building in front of them. It was dark inside.

    Obviously, the Dementors didn¡¯t need torches or anything like that, and they didn¡¯t have any intention of preparing this for prisoners.

    The surrounding temperature had dropped a bit. Even with the help of the Patronus charm, Evan couldn¡¯t help but feel cold.

    It was like walking into the mouth of a monster choosing people to send to hell.

    The faint fluorescence at the end of his wand flickered in the darkness and seemed it could be extinguished at any moment.

    There were no guards on the ground floor, and the rooms on both sides of the corridor were all converted into cells.

    Through the railings, Evan saw that there were many strange-looking creatures in them, but none of them were human wizards.

    In a huge room, there were seven trolls sitting side by side.

    They sat on the ground with ssy eyes, staring at the ceiling with their eyes open, without the slightest anger, disregarding Evan and the others passing by.

    Only the movement of their chests as they were breathing proved that they were still alive.

    ¡°As one of the most evil creatures on earth, Dementors feed on peace, hope and happiness in the air around them!¡± Dumbledore paused and said slowly, ¡°There are too many Dementors in Azkaban. They are spread all over the ind and their numbers are increasing. Prisoners held here alone can¡¯t satisfy them. The Ministry of Magic has to regrly transport other creatures here as food for these monsters.¡±

    Looking at the trolls in front of him, Evan felt sad for their fate.

    When too close to Dementors, any good feelings, any happy memories are sucked away by them.

    They have gathered here for a long time, like parasites, to feed on the happiness of other creatures in the building and to live on them.

    They sucked their lives little by little, and the ultimate fate of these inmates was to be walking corpses, soul-free and evil, with only fear following them like a shadow.

    Moving on, all creatures imprisoned in the surrounding rooms were like this.

    The first, second and ground floors were simr and filled with arge number of non-human magical creatures.

    None of them was angry. There was only despair and thirst for death.

    Evan felt that if he was confined here for only one day, he would be driven mad, let alone 10 years!

    On the third floor, human wizards began to appear in cells on both sides of the corridor.

    Like the monsters downstairs, some of them looked helplessly at the only narrow window on the wall, the only light in the darkness.

    From time to time Dementors flew by in groups in the fog outside.

    The rest of the people were lying on rusty iron beds to force themselves to sleep, as if they could escape everything in front of them if they fell asleep.

    But every now and then there was a scream. It was easy to imagine that they would only have nightmares awaiting them.

 Chapter 385: Death Eaters

    <h4>Chapter 385: Death Eaters</h4>

    Evan seemed to hear a voice, a long-lost voice quietly ringing in his mind.

    ¡°Fear is the only thing on this ind!¡±

    He shook his head and hurried to keep up with Dumbledore and Sirius.

    It was not a good omen to hear that evil god¡¯s voice suddenly in this ce.

    ¡°This guy in there is Rabastan Lestrange!¡±Sirius said after turning back from his Animagus form. ¡°Together with Barty Crouch Jr., he was sentenced to life imprisonment for using the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottom couple. I didn¡¯t expect him to be still alive. He doesn¡¯t look so strong, does he?¡±

    Rabastan Lestrange, a haggard, pale man, turned his head to look at them, with no emotion in his eyes.

    ¡°All the prisoners are like this. He is still okay. He actually keeps his consciousness. It is really surprising. In my impression, he is just a coward!¡± Sirius said disdainfully, ¡°But, he¡¯s done a lot of bad things, a lot of crimes¡­¡±

    Evan stared at Lestrange for a moment, and the voice that had just disappeared from his mind reappeared.

    ¡°The ancient Azkaban is full of countless cruel and horrible crimes, far beyond your imagination.¡±

    In front of him, Sirius stopped at another room.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see who this is, Antonin Dolohov!¡± Sirius¡¯s voice was marked with hatred. ¡°He¡¯s the most loyal Death Eater. He went to Voldemort to learn more profound and cruel magic. He¡¯s cruel and enjoys torturing Muggles!¡±

    Inside the room, Evan saw a hefty man with big arms lying in bed.

    He had dark brown hair and a long, pale, twisted face. Long-term malnutrition did not erase the cruelty and fierceness of his face.

    ¡°He was the first Death Eater to follow Voldemort. ording to the news we gotter, he personally tortured and killed countless Muggles and Voldemort¡¯s opponents.¡± Sirius said in a heavy tone, ¡°Ron¡¯s mother, Molly Weasley¡¯s two brothers, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, died under his hands.¡±

    Evan moved forward and wanted to see what Dolohov looked like.

    He also knew that this guy murdered Lupin in the final battle of the original story.

    Antonin Dolohov did not move, nor did he look at the three people standing at the door of his room.

    He was still asleep, dreaming some unknown dream, and his face showed a cruel smile from time to time.

    But he immediately screamed, and the dream turned into a nightmare in an instant.

    ¡°You can¡¯t escape the fear brought by the Dementors. Sleeping can only make things worse, because you will see countless illusions in the dream, facing fear itself.¡±

    Evan heard Sirius¡¯s exnation, but the voice in his mind had another way of saying it.

    ¡°Sleeping will give you peace; madness and despair wander outside your sleep.¡±

    In the silence of darkness, only the footsteps of the three of them echoed.

    They climbed up another floor, and Sirius stopped again in front of an empty cell near the stairs, with a painful expression on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been in this room for thirteen years.¡± Sirius pointed to the slightlyrger gap between the two railings and said, ¡°Fudge gave me a newspaper on hisst regr visit to Azkaban, from which I learned that Peter Pettigrew was still alive. I was very thin at the time, like a piece of paper, and I went straight down here.¡±

    The ck railings were stained with blood. The Ministry of Magic and the Dementors would never imagine someone escaping in this way.

    ¡°The most terrible thing about Azkaban is the despair brought about by the Dementors themselves. The vast majority of people can¡¯t hold on for a few days, and their spirit is broken. The only thought is death!¡± Sirius said, ¡°I thought about death, too. If it hadn¡¯t been for my conviction that I was innocent, I would have copsed out of terror, like everyone else.¡±

    Evan nodded, and the deep voice once again quietly sounded in his mind.

    ¡°Crime and disaster will not end with death, and the deceased will not rest forever.¡±

    He looked around, and there was nobody else around him except Dumbledore and Sirius. He did not know who was talking, or maybe was it the darkness itself.

    In a cell not far ahead, there was a female prisoner.

    ¡°She is my dear cousin, Betrix Lestrange!¡± Sirius simplymented, ¡°A madwoman biting people!¡±

    Betrix seemed to have heard Sirius¡¯s words, and she suddenly flew to the iron railings, making a wildugh that sounded chilling.

    Evan had seen her photo in the old house of the ck family. Betrix had shining dark hair and bright eyes, but more than a decade of Azkaban¡¯s imprisonment left her with a haggard face and crazy eyes.

    ¡°Like my dear mother and the rest of the ck family, she is the most loyal advocate of pure lineage.¡± Sirius looked at Betrix and said, ¡°Prejudice against Muggle and Mixed Wizards. That¡¯s the way it was when I was in school.¡±

    ¡°SIRIUS!¡± Betrix didn¡¯tpletely lose her senses like everyone else, at least she could speak, she screamed aloud, ¡°TRAITOR TO THE BLACKS, YOU¡¯VE TARNISHED GLORY!¡±

    Her voice was hoarse and harsh, and it sounded ufortable.

    ¡°Shut up, didn¡¯t ask you to teach me what to do!¡± Sirius cried out. ¡°I am outside, and you¡¯re inside. That already speaks for itself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯LL GO OUT. I¡¯LL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS, I SWEAR!¡± Betrix licked her lips andughed wildly in a sharp voice.

    She was clearly talking to Sirius, but her eyes were looking up and down at Evan.

    This made Evan feel very ufortable. He seemed to have been remembered by her, which like that voice, did not bode well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I lost my mind to argue with this madwoman.¡± Sirius said with annoyance, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time, but she is as annoying as ever, just like my dead mother.¡±

    Sirius pulled Evan forward, and Betrix was stillughing wildly behind.

    Perhaps because of her interruption, the strange voice that repeatedly appeared in Evan¡¯s mind did not appear this time, which made him a little relieved.

    Maybe it just disappeared, and everything was his illusion.

    ¡°She¡¯s closer to Voldemort than any other Death Eater. She¡¯s got more magic from him than others. That may be why she¡¯s still rational, but she¡¯s a madwoman. It doesn¡¯t make any difference with her whether she¡¯s rational or not.¡± Sirius walked along and said, ¡°Think about it, if parents and rtives are all such a group, who can stand it?¡±

 Chapter 386: Peter and the Throat of the Abyss

    <h4>Chapter 386: Peter and the Throat of the Abyss</h4>

    Betrix¡¯sughter echoed in the grim and terrible Azkaban.

    ¡°Of all the Death Eaters ever put on trial, Betrix is the only one who refused to plead guilty; she kept swearing that her master wille back.¡± Dumbledore said. He frowned and looked at Betrix for a moment, nobody knowing what he was thinking.

    ¡°As I knew her, Betrix is a creature of ruthlessness and cruelty, and had no love to anything.¡± Sirius said, ¡°She¡¯s just a replica of my mother, always rambling about family glory and pure blood.¡±

    Sirius did not look at Betrix anymore, and seemed determined to ignore her.

    ¡°Of course, that was in her school days,¡± he continued. ¡°She became a Death Eater shortly after graduation, and it¡¯s really surprising that she could still defend Voldemort so heartily, even in the High Court of Wizengamot.¡±

    There were signs that Betrix had ambiguous feelings for Voldemort.

    Evan thought maliciously that there might be some kind of secret rtionship between them.

    Voldemort and his favorite female Death Eater¡­. the idea was as awkward as it was intriguing¡­

    As they moved on, Sirius introduced to him some notorious Death Eaters and other Dark wizards. That weird voice never appeared again.

    Dumbledore did not find any anomalies, so it seemed to be just his own imagination.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief and walked on for about twenty minutes. He couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Where is Peter Pettigrew?¡±

    ¡°In a special ce, it is called the Throat of the Abyss, the core of Azkaban.¡± Dumbledore exined, ¡°Not all prisoners are eligible to be detained there. The Ministry of Magic probably thinks that Peter Pettigrew is the most vicious prisoner, so he¡¯s put in a special custody.¡±

    Hearing his words, Sirius made a disdainfulugh. ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡± he eximed.

    ¡°He certainly doesn¡¯t deserve it. He¡¯s not that strong. He¡¯s not as strong as Betrix.¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with keeping him in special custody, at least to prevent him from turning into a rat and running away.¡±

    They crossed the cell at the highest floor and began to descend down the narrow staircase on the other side.

    The revolving stone staircase stretched downward, seemingly to the deepest part of the earth, straight down to hell.

    The floor was now made out of primitive rocks instead of bricks, and the temperature was getting lower and lower.

    Evan could hear the sound of the sea, and the cave seemed to extend deep into it.

    He could not remember how long he had been walking, and the fog was beginning to fill the surroundings again.

    This fog was brought about by countless Dementors, hidden in checkpoints and narrow rock crevices along the way.

    Dementors floated there quietly, and he didn¡¯t know what they were waiting for.

    ¡°The throat of the abyss, I¡¯ve never been there before!¡± Sirius said, he looked as surprised as Evan. ¡°I only know that Dementors are all from this ce, and that¡¯s where they came from.¡±

    Evan looked around and his unspoken sense of uneasiness grew stronger and stronger.

    His consciousness began to blur, and the scene in front of him was undergoing earth-shattering changes.

    But when he looked again, he found that nothing had happened, and that everything was his illusion.

    In the haze, Evan followed Dumbledore and Sirius to a deep hole in the earth with a glowing green light. The number on it was 7.

    This was the cell 7, where Peter Pettigrew was being held.

    He seemed to have lost a lot of weight, like a balloon that suddenly deted, pale and trembling, curled up on an iron bed.

    Peter¡¯s small ck eyes were dull, and there was no evidence that he was alive.

    Hey there, unaware of anything around him.

    As the light of Dumbledore¡¯s Patronus shone on Peter Pettigrew giving him back consciousness from the influence of the Dementors, his first reaction was to cry.

    He cried like an ugly big child, and then realized what was going on.

    He tried his best to stand for Dumbledore, Sirius and Evan. He knelt on the ground, and words of remorse were uttered by his mouth. Just like before, he was asking everyone for forgiveness, and hoping they could take him away from here.

    Evan knew that he was not really sincere. He was just afraid of the Dementors and Azkaban. Pettigrew feared that he would continue to be left alone and be a soulless monster.

    Evan saw Sirius kick Peter Pettigrew away roughly. He rolled aside like a ball, and then he began to climb over back to him, kissing his robe and pleading bitterly.

    If he could hear what he was saying, Evan might have pity on him.

    But the scene he was seeing now waspletely different from reality. As Pettigrew begged, the green cave in front of him was copsing.

    Evan found that something on him was shining, and he reached out and took the thing out. It was the red namete Dumbledore had just returned to him!

    It seemed to be awakened somehow; the monster on the namete seemed to have suddenlye to life.

    He just heard strange words ringing in his mind and the changes happening in front of him were all the reasons for this namete. Evan felt his soul wasing out of his body.

    It was as if the namete was a Portkey, opening the path before his soul to drift fast forward, and be taken to unknown realms.

    It was as if he was in a dream, were light was spinning, to be swallowed up by the sea. With the light, the entire world seemed to be spinning.

    Many Dementors and other hideous demons emerged from the depths of the earth. They all looked at Evan. The twisted, noisy old demonsughed, along with the little green-haired devils with bat wings .

    Even the Dementors had all became excited.

    ¡°Dementors are particrly sensitive to changes in the soul, and they be very excited whenever someone dies.¡±

    Evan remembered what Sirius had told him before. They were so excited. Was he going to die?!

    He pulled out his wand to use the Patronus Charm.

    But before he could read the spell, he found that everything around him had disappeared. The surroundings were calm, and he stood in ce gasping violently.

    Drawn by the namete, his soul has reached its destination.

    It was still Peter Pettigrew¡¯s cell, but there was nobody else but Evan.

    Dumbledore, Sirius, Peter Pettigrew and the Dementors seemed to have never existed before.

    At the location where the original iron bed was, a deep pit suddenly appeared.

    It was a path going down. Although no one told Evan where it was heading, he suddenly understood that from now on it was the real Throat of the Abyss!

 Chapter 387: Dead Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 387: Dead Evil God</h4>

    Evan looked around and felt as if his body was weightless.

    Gravity seemed to have lost its effect. He could touch the top of the rock wall with a slight jump.

    Then, Evan realized that he was in soul state.

    His soul had left his previous realm, got separated from the real world, and came alone here under the influence of the strange namete.

    He didn¡¯t know what the real world was like or where it was. Maybe it was the same as what he had experienced the other night, perhaps it was another magical illusion.

    A magical illusion left by Slytherin. Might it be another test?!

    After all, in some theories, Azkaban was initially built by Szar himself, and was his retirement ce in hister years. There must be something unusual here.

    Would he have hidden a certain part of the evil spirit¡¯s body here, and that¡¯s why the namete reacted?

    If so, would it be the brain or the body?

    Evan followed this line of thought for a while, but he didn¡¯t feel things were quite right.

    If the evil spirit created by Herpo the Foul was really here, then it wouldn¡¯t be as quiet as it was now, and the whispers that he just heard werepletely different from the previous ones.

    Even if they were words of an evil god, it was certainly not the same one.

    Evan looked at the huge pit in front of him, dark and invisible, and an idea suddenly immerged in his mind.

    That was what Dumbledore called the Throat of the Abyss, the real underground abyss.

    There was a voice calling for Evan. He hesitated whether he should go in.

    A long time had passed, and Dumbledore had not yet arrived. That said, his current situation was extremely bad, and he might not even have a way out.

    There was no other exit in this room except for the deep pit in front of him.

    It was not the way to keep waiting. If this was really the illusion left by Slytherin, then doing nothing could get him trapped here forever.

    Evan decided to follow his instincts instead of fantasizing.

    He went to the dark pit and put in his shining wand.

    It was dark below, and the pit seemed to be too deep for him to see anything.

    The next second, Evan jumped right in. No matter what, he was now in a soul state. Besides evil Dark magic, nothing physical would hurt him no matter what happened.

    He went straight down, falling down in the endless dark abyss.

    Despite his best efforts, the light on his wand did not y any role. Darkness came from all sides, and Evan could not see anything.

    Despair and fear creeped in hand in hand, and gloominess of the mood was getting stronger.

    Evan kept falling, and started feeling he wasn¡¯t going tond. But soon he felt difference. Instead of air, he was surrounded by a strange cold substance thatpletely wrapped him up.

    Evan was stunned for a moment before he realized that it was water.

    He was now in the icy waters of the North Sea. After jumping into the deep pit, he had reached the bottom of Azkaban¡¯s ind.

    Because he was in a soul state, Evan didn¡¯t have to worry about oxygen and breathing.

    He rxedpletely and looked around in the light of his wand.

    Unknown fish swam by him, turned around him for a while, and disappeared into the cold water.

    It did not take him too long before he found that he could move freely.

    He was not going down, and the strange shining namete in his arm gradually calmed down, which meant that he had reached his destination.

    Although what was happening in front of Evan was totally beyond his scope of knowledge, there seemed to be something around him that attracted him and he could feel it.

    He tried not to think, not to exin these unreasonable things with magic or science. He only knew that if he found what the namete needed to show him, he could leave here and go back to the real world.

    He kept swimming in the dark sea, and then, he seemed to have encountered something.

    He raised his wand, and in front of him was a gray creature¡¯s body, round and long, no matter which direction he looked, he could not see the end.

    This creature seems to have died a long time ago; its body was motionless, and its surface was not shiny, showing a dark gray that was about to decay and deteriorate.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Evan said strangely. ¡°It looks like a giant rubber tube.¡±

    As he walked along the ¡°tube¡±, the more he looked, the more frightened he became.

    A few minutester, seeing more of these tubes, Evan finally realized what it was. These tubes were probably the tentacles of some kind of creature.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why, almost in an instant, he thought of the ¡°evil god of the forest¡± and its tentacles.

    In front of him was a body of an evil god! He tried to rush out immediately, but stopped; he was feeling no threat!

    The deathly silence, the whispers and calls that had just been chattering disappeared, as if they had never existed.

    This creature, whether it was evil or not, was now dead!

    Evan did not know what kind of power could have killed this evil spirit from the void, as powerful and horrible as it was.

    He approached again, ready to take a closer look.

    But no, the size of this guy in front of him was tremendous.

    Evan thought for a moment, and gently pointed his wand at the tentacles in front of him.

    He read a spell, and a little fluorescence emerged from the end of his wand and floated above the body of the evil god.

    More and more fluorescence spread out, and gradually covered the body of the entire evil spirit.

    Now, Evan could finally see this guy. He was really shocked by the sight in front of him. Ahead was a huge octopus-shaped monster.

    Its body was quietly tilted in front of Evan, as majestic and frightening as nothing else he had ever seen.

    This Octopus-shaped evil was more than a thousand feet long. Its head was immersed deep in the sea. It seemed to be connected to the underground abyss. Numerous tentacles emerged from its head and grabbed the whole ind of Azkaban upwards.

    The edges of the tentacles had begun to assimte into the rock and became one.

    In the middle, that is, where Evan fell, countless ck egg-shaped things emerged from the mouth of the octopus to spray, slowly upward.

    These eggs floated very slowly, but they were moving.

    Evan looked closely and immediately recognized what it was. These were not eggs at all. They were all Dementors¡­ the evil god was making Dementors!

 Chapter 388: Here Is France!

    <h4>Chapter 388: Here Is France!</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to think. This crimson namete was absolutely mad. It wanted him to go thousands of feet deep into the sea to find a dead evil spirit.

    He was not going to do it; he didn¡¯t want to die.

    Who knew if there were any other monsters in the depths of the sea besides this dead evil god? That¡¯s besides to mention the sense of terror and oppression from the endless abyss! Just looking at the endless stream of Dementors in front of him, Evan despised the idea of going any closer

    In particr, he had not yet studied and understood what this namete was. It was strange that there was no danger in the weird object left by the evil god created by Herpo the Foul.

    If he, for example, helped it absorb the essence of the dead evil god, and thus facilitated the resurrection of the evil spirit on the namete, the situation would be terrible!

    As time went by, Evan¡¯s soul wandered alone in the depths of the ocean.

    When he was bored with the huge octopus in front of him, the crimson namete shone again, and he once again had another strange experience like when he met Pettigrew!

    But this time, his soul was rapidly returning to his body!

    He could finally leave here and return to the real world.

    The scene in front of him passed swiftly, and Evan, pulled by the namete, revolved around the huge octopus in the dark sea, and then approached its head.

    In the deepest part was a gap in the rock, and Evan could hardly see what seemed to be a sunken city behind.

    Before he could see clearly, everything became distorted.

    When he woke up, Evan found himself not in the gloomy, dark Azkaban; he was now lying in a luxurious, ssical French-style room, the mattress underneath was soft andfortable, and the room was decorated with noble and elegant aristocratic style.

    There was a light aroma in the air, which smelled like strawberry.

    A string of aeolian wind bells hung by the window and jingled with the breeze.

    In the afternoon, the golden sunlight shone through the beautifully decorated windows, radiating the afterheat.

    The colorful magic hangingmp was spinning.

    Everything at present was full of warmth and dreams.

    ¡°Where am I, and what¡¯s this ce?¡± Evan sat up and said incredulously, ¡°Am I dreaming?¡±

    Everything in front of him was so different from Azkaban¡¯s dark style that Evan had an unreal feeling of entering a dream.

    ¡°Here is France!¡± Sirius¡¯s voice rang behind him.

    He came in from the outside living room and said with delight, ¡°Thank God, you finally woke up!¡±

    ¡°How long have I been in aa?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Almost three days, Dumbledore said that you have strange magic marks on you, but nothing problematic. He didn¡¯t think it was necessary to wake you up by force.¡± Sirius exined, ¡°When the magic on your body would dissipate, you¡¯d naturally wake up, he said.¡±

    Sirius pulled a chair and sat next to Evan.

    ¡°What exactly happened? What did you see?¡± he hurriedly asked.

    ¡°The corpse of a terrible monster is in the sea below Azkaban.¡± Evan sighed and said, ¡°No doubt. It¡¯s an evil god like I told you before.¡±

    ¡°That thing again?¡± ¡°Sirius frowned, ¡°How could it possibly be in Azkaban, hidden in the depths of the sea?¡±

    ¡°Not the two I saw before, this one is a new evil spirit.¡± Evan said weakly. ¡°But this is no longer important. It¡¯s dead now. There is only a corpse left there that keeps producing Dementors.¡±

    Sirius was shocked to hear that Dementors were born in this way.

    Evan waved indifferently. Whoever would look at that fellow and the newly born Dementors for such a long while would feel as numb as he did.

    ¡°Well, now you should tell me, why did wee to France?¡± Evan asked. ¡°And, where¡¯s Dumbledore?¡±

    ¡°Three days ago, after you fainted, we talked to Peter Pettigrew and asked him all about Voldemort¡¯s Curse.¡± Sirius sighed and continued, ¡°He told us everything, but Dumbledore thought that the information he had was meaningless. Voldemort did not seem to trust him, but was deceiving him, and did not tell him the real way to break the Curse.¡±

    He looked extremely discontented and shook his fist hard in the air.

    ¡°That idiot Peter used to be like that. He worshiped great power, but he didn¡¯t have the slightest grip on discerning truth from lies. He was easily fooled by Voldemort, and got nothing.¡± Sirius said angrily. ¡°James actually died because of his whistle-blowing. It was never really worth it. I never thought there would be such a foolish creature!¡±

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t know what this Curse is.¡± Evan looked again at the circr snake bracelet on his right wrist, ¡°Then there¡¯s only one way to restore the Philosopher¡¯s Stone intact. We should be investigating that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Dumbledore has a clue. He¡¯s going to confirm it!¡± Sirius looked at Evan. ¡°Before that, he thought it necessary to let his friend take a look at this Philosopher¡¯s Stone, so we came to France first, looking for¡­¡±

    ¡°The alchemist Nics mel!¡± Evan knew all about him, ¡°He is thest master of alchemy, the wizard who has been recognized as the longest living wizard in the wizarding world, the maker of the Elixir of life using the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and Dumbledore¡¯s partner in alchemy.¡±

    Sirius was stunned when he heard Evan say so many information in one breath, and a smile appeared on his lips, ¡°I knew nothing could be concealed from you.¡±

    ¡°Did we find him then?¡± Evan asked in a hurry.

    ¡°EUREKA! Dumbledore brought us here.¡± Sirius said, ¡°We didn¡¯t have to work so hard toe to France. Nics mel and his wife Perenelle mel retired in Ennd, but after destroying the Philosopher¡¯s Stone two years ago, they decided to spend the rest of their lives in their native country France.¡±

    ¡°So, we¡¯re in Nics¡¯s house right now?¡± Evan looked around. The decoration style of this room was too luxurious.

    They didn¡¯t seem to be in the famous alchemist¡¯s house right now. It was like an old aristocratic family or a pure-blood wizard¡¯s manor.

    ¡°Nics mel has been living in his alma mater since he returned to France. By the way, he is a professor of potions and alchemy at the school!¡± Sirius paused and continued, ¡°This is Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.¡±

 Chapter 389: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic

    <h4>Chapter 389: Beauxbatons Academy of Magic</h4>

    ¡°Beauxbatons Academy of Magic?!¡± Evan blinked. This was really amazing news.

    He read about the school in many magic books, but never thought he would have a chance toe here.

    Like Hogwarts, the sites of such famous wizarding schools are hidden.

    In order to ensure the safety of students and prevent secrets from being stolen, ministries of magic and wizards in various countries have imposed unimaginable protective spells in every school.

    That means it¡¯s hard to find a wizarding school without knowing the exact address.

    Even if the Muggles identally stood outside, all they could see was a pile of ruins.

    There would be signs hanging at the entrance; DANGER, NO ENTRY, UNSAFE and so on.

    Of course, these protective spells are equally applicable to uninvited wizards.

    Evan only knew that Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was located in the south of France. Just like Hogwarts, it is one of the three major wizarding schools in Europe. It is famous for its long history and elegant andfortable teaching environment. But he didn¡¯t know exactly where it was.

    ¡°Dumbledore brought us here for help, and the Headmistress Olympe Maxime warmly weed us.¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°She is a very special witch, very strong, and when you see her, you will understand what I mean.¡±

    Indeed, like Hagrid, Mrs. Maxime was a female half-giant.

    This sounded really interesting, but Evan¡¯s mind was not on it at all.

    He thought of Fleur, and Gabrielle Dcour, who had been writing to him.

    They were students of Beauxbatons. Letters from Gabrielle had almost filled arge tin box, and Evan had never met her before.

    In his impression, she should be a cute little girl with blond hair and blue eyes, a sweet smile, a quarter-Ve French young witch and a strong French style.

    Unlike Hogwarts, Beauxbatons Academy of Magic requires young wizards to enter school from the age of nine. The school is not divided into four Houses, and there are only the years. Gabrielle should be at school now.

    At the end of the semester, there should be no school holiday.

    Anyway, Evan wanted to see the girl who had been writing to him. Besides, he wanted to see by himself the magic preserved in Beauxbatons Academy of Magic about which he had read relevant records in many books of magic.

    ¡°Dumbledore said you might probably wake up today. I am going to inform him about this. He should be with Nics mel.¡±

    Sirius stood up from the chair, smiled at Evan and said, ¡°You can go out and walk around, but don¡¯t go too far. To wee us, there will be a banquet in Beauxbatons this evening!¡±

    ¡°Oh I see!¡± Evan promised, ready to go out for a visit.

    He followed Sirius out of the room, just for his eyes to be shine at the sight of the luxurious decor of the room extending all the way to the school corridor.

    Unlike the ck, rough stone walls of Hogwarts Castle, the corridor in front of Evan was all white marble with gold and blue decorative patterns. Soft carpets wereid on the floor, and gorgeous brilliant crystal lights were hanging in mid-air.

    The walls were painted with huge colored murals, and the characters inside were walking around.

    On both sides of the corridor were elegant statues, vases and other decorations, each of which was a priceless antique or a unique piece of art.

    ¡°To tell the truth, I was surprised when I first saw it!¡± Sirius was not surprised by Evan¡¯s reaction. He said, ¡°These rich Frenchmen!¡±

    At the end of the corridor, Evan separated from Sirius. He looked at the murals on the walls and came out of the building along another empty corridor.

    The warm wind of June blew in front of Evan, and there was arge garden in front of him.

    It was not as magnificent as Hogwarts¡¯s huge castle. Beauxbatons looked like an amazing manor.

    A French-style building was situated in it, and everything in front of him had a different vor.

    It should be situated on the top of a big mountain. Evan could see the vastwns and mountains around the school.

    There was no cloud in the sky, which was like a pure sapphire.

    Evan walked two steps forward. Outside the flower garden was a Quidditch field. The g fluttering around it was the school¡¯s coat of arms of Beauxbatons. There were two golden wands crossed over one another, each shooting three stars.

    In French, Beauxbatons means ¡°beautiful wands¡±.

    The sparkling river passed through the edge of the Quidditch site, like a silver ribbon, and across the river was a dense virgin forest.

    With red eyes and golden manes, the Abraxans, ¡¯winged-horses¡¯ were lying leisurely by the river. They were all very rare magical horses.

    Evan¡¯s current location was just the boys¡¯ dormitory. In the middle of the distance was a great pce-like building, which was the main body of the school.

    In front of the pce, there was a magnificent golden fountain resembling that of the hall of the Ministry of Magic.

    The above figure was Nics mel, which was there to thank him for his donation to Beauxbatons at a young age. Arge part of thend and buildings were mel¡¯s donations.

    Of course, these things happened more than 600 years ago.

    What interested Evan was that the fountain apparently used a lot of alchemy-rted knowledge. Although he didn¡¯t quite understand it, he could clearly feel that the ordinary spring water passing through the statue of Nics mel had a subtle magic.

    These magic powers were amazing and seemed to have healing and beautifying properties.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but go over to study it carefully, but he quickly found that the situation was a bit wrong.

    He didn¡¯t know when they came out, but there were more and more Beauxbatons¡¯ students around him.

    Their school uniform robes were all pale blue, made of fine silk, in contrast to the mostly ck school uniform on Evan.

    He could hear the voices of the people around him.

    ¡°Who is this boy?¡±

    ¡°Hogwarts!¡±

    ¡°The boy who came with Dumbledore and Sirius ck.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s so handsome. I heard that he is that Evan Mason!¡±

    ¡°NO??¡±

    ¡°He looks a little weak, not as strong as the rumors!¡±

    Of course, these discussions were all in French, and Evan couldn¡¯t understand a word.

    He felt like he was a treasured animal in the zoo. What made him feel more stressed was that most of them were girls.

    They pointed at Evan, and from time to time they burst intoughter.

 Chapter 390: Gabrielle and the Black Cat

    <h4>Chapter 390: Gabrielle and the ck Cat</h4>

    Although in Hogwarts, he was often the focus of attention and discussion, this was the first time Evan experienced such a situation, being surrounded by such a group of girls.

    From time to time, they burst intoughter and spoke French that he could not understand.

    There were several bold girls who looked at Evan warmly, their looks conveying obvious messages. Evan, on the other hand, was rather shy.

    If he wanted, he could have a nice cozy conversation with one of them at anytime.

    That sounded good, especially because these girls were all stunningly beautiful¡­

    Evan shook his head in a hurry and cleared out his mind. Now was not the time to think about such things.

    All in all, this situation was really not suitable for staying to study magic. He had to walk back along the way he came.

    Behind him, more and more people were crowding up.

    Many of them came to see Evan after being informed by their peers.

    Evan had a headache. These French girls were too enthusiastic.

    After a quick turn around a corner, he quickly murmured. His body began to shrink rapidly, turning into a ck cat that leaped out gently.

    He watched with amusement the students who suddenly lost their target and were at a loss. He shook his tail and got out of the crowd, ready to continue his tour around the campus.

    Evan nned to go to the library and have a look at the books here.

    ¡°Where did the boy from Hogwarts go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡¯s just turned this corner. There is no ce to hide around here. He can¡¯t walk that fast either.¡±

    ¡°I heard that he is very strong. He defeated the Basilisk, many Dementors, and the most evil Dark wizard to clean up Sirius ck¡¯s name¡­¡±

    ¡°We all know what you¡¯re talking about. He¡¯s almost the most frequently mentioned wizard in newspapers. Every few weeks, we can see reports about him!¡±

    ¡°Well I mean¡­ would he go invisible?¡±

    ¡°This is impossible. That spell is not allowed in schools. But perhaps Hogwarts has some special unknown magic. That school is very strong. ¡±

    As the discussion continued, Evan carefully crossed the crowd.

    He decided to go back and study French hard. Otherwise he really wouldn¡¯t understand what these people were saying.

    They should be talking about him, and he just didn¡¯t know whether what they were saying good or bad.

    Just as he was about to get out, his body suddenly jerked stiffly.

    On the outermost side of the crowd, Evan found himself being picked up from behind.

    He turned and saw a particrly beautiful girl, a few years younger than him, wearing a pale blue wizard¡¯s robe.

    She looked at him with her blue eyes, and waist-length of pure, silvery blonde hair.

    ¡°This ck cat is so cute!¡± ¡°The girl smiled, her long eyshes twinkled up and down, as beautiful and lovely as an angel.

    Without introduction, Evan recognized that this girl was Gabrielle Dcour.

    She looked very much like a Ve, which was a very rare lineage.

    In Beauxbatons, it was estimated that only she and her sister, Fleur, were like this; and they were very easy to identify.

    Evan struggled for a moment, trying to break free. Although he said that he wanted to see Gabrielle, but meeting her in this way was really too bad!

    ¡°Hey, stop being naughty!¡± Gabrielle ignored Evan¡¯s struggle, and held him tightly in her arms.

    There was a soft moment in front of him, and Evan dared not really exert himself.

    He could only let her embrace him and follow the crowd around him.

    ¡°Come on, Gabrielle!¡±

    A few minutester, a girl next to her said with disappointment, ¡°I don¡¯t know where that Evan Mason went. He¡¯s not here anymore!¡±

    ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen him yet!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a wee banquet tonight. You¡¯ll see him sooner orter.¡± The girl took Gabrielle. ¡°Besides, wasn¡¯t your sister assigned by the headmistress to show that fellow around the campus? You can follow them. Remember to take me with you then.¡±

    They walked to the school while chatting, and the topic naturally shifted from Evan to the ck cat that Gabrielle was holding.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this cat on the campus!¡± The girl with short brown hair said, ¡°ck cats are rare. In legend, they have strong magic. It¡¯s maybe a pet for senior students.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I can go and ask my sister to help!¡± Gabrielle said, holding Evan in front of her and staring into his eyes.

    Evan was immersed in the beauty of the girl and felt his heart pounding.

    His mind became nk, and he only felt an extreme joy.

    Everything in the world didn¡¯t matter as long as he could keep looking at her.

    This feeling was only for a moment, and immediately, Evan sobered up.

    He knew that this was because of her being a Ve, which was magical in itself and had the power to make a woman irresistible.

    Evan let out a low meow and turned his head away from Gabrielle.

    He wanted to say that she didn¡¯t have to take the trouble to find the owner, and just put him down.

    But Gabrielle turned Evan back in her arms. In fact, at that moment, she also felt her heart beat faster.

    The ck cat in her arms seemed to have real magic. Its eyes could reach the deepest part of the human heart. Gabrielle had never felt that way before.

    ¡°You go back to the Common Room first. I¡¯ll get my sister¡¯s help. See you at dinner!¡± Gabrielle waved and ran in the other direction with Evan in her arms.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what she wanted to do, but he was thinking about how to get out of this situation.

    He meowed twice again. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t leave this girl without using tough means. If he couldn¡¯t do it, he could just turn right back to his human form.

    That was embarrassing, but it was better than being seen by others.

    Gabrielle ran for a while and stopped. She lifted Evan again and said with uncertainty. ¡°Why do you keep meowing, are you hungry?¡±

    Evan couldn¡¯t understand what she was asking, and another meow was his answer.

    Then he saw the girl nodding a little, as if she understood something.

    She took Evan downstairs and ran to an empty ssroom.

    ¡°Found it!¡± Gabrielle felt something behind her desk.

    She took out a bottle of milk and swayed at Evan. ¡°My sister gave it to me at breakfast, I forgot to drink it!¡±

    Evan watched in silence as she poured milk into a box and pushed it in front of him.

    Seeing that Evan didn¡¯t seem to want to drink, Gabrielle thought for a moment, and forced his head down.

    Being caught off guard, the sshed Evan was covered with milk!

    Gabrielleughed, released Evan, and drank the remaining half bottle of milk.

    Her mouth was stained with milky white stains, and she picked up Evan, who was cleaning his face, and his arms huddled closer and closer.

    Looking at her, it seemed that because Evan the ck cat was too cute, she couldn¡¯t help but reach over and kiss him.

 Chapter 391: The Kiss and the Welcome Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 391: The Kiss and the Wee Dinner</h4>

    ¡°Are all French girls so¡­ open?!¡±

    Evan looked at Gabrielle getting closer and closer to him, trying to hide as he could.

    His heart thumped violently. In front of him, the girl showed a lovely smile, with white milk stains on the corners of her mouth, giving off a sweet scent¡­.

    She wanted to kiss him!!!

    Evan could feel Gabrielle¡¯s warm breath on his face.

    He thought about what he had done in Diagon Alley and Hermione on Christmas Day, and that was the same at that time. The wonderful scent of a girl¡­

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan meowed weakly, almost panting.

    It was not a boy¡¯s wheezing but a soft cry of a kitten.

    At that moment, such a weak meow could not stop her. On the contrary, it aroused her interest and was counterproductive!

    Evan was almost suffocating, and his brain almost stopped working. However, whatever reason he had left told him that something had to be done to stop Gabriel.

    She thought she was kissing a cat, but he was not a real one!

    But there was an impulse deep in his heart to do nothing. After all, he was now a cat. No matter what happened, it wouldn¡¯t be discovered.

    Besides, all this was the girl¡¯s initiative!

    ¡°Meow!¡±

    While Evan was still hesitating, Gabrielle¡¯s cold lips had been printed on his face.

    He could no longer hear his heartbeats, but his body tensed sharply.

    The girl¡¯s lips were very cool and soft; she kissed Evan gently and rubbed her face on his cheek. In Evan¡¯s trembling, all the white milk stains on her lips touched him.

    He had to admit that, from an outside perspective, the scene was amazing!

    A lovely little girl with long blond hair and a cute face like an angel, holding a ck kitten in her arms. In a sense, it was cute to the extreme.

    Gabrielle¡¯s little face rubbed against Evan, but this was not all.

    Immediately, she lifted him up again and seemed to want to kiss him on the lips.

    Evan looked at her pitifully, watching Gabrielle¡¯s cute little mouth approaching him again.

    He gasped and felt that he could not stand such excitement.

    Continuing this way, he was afraid of¡­

    Evan blinked and, just as Gabrielle¡¯s mouth was about to touch him, his pure ck ws were subconsciously raised.

    With a snap, she gently pressed on the girl¡¯s face.

    ¡°Meow!¡± In his ¡°opponent¡¯s¡± unexpected surprise, Evan ran out by force.

    He jumped on the windowsill not far away, ignored the shouts of the girl behind him, steadied his breath, and jumped out gently without looking back.

    By the time Evan returned to his room, Sirius was back.

    ¡°Well, Your impressions of Beauxbatons?¡± Sirius said. ¡°It¡¯s the most beautiful campus in Europe. There are many kinds of nts in the nearby woods. There are more than 300 kinds of magical creatures living here. If Hagrid coulde, he would definitely fall in love with it.¡±

    ¡°Very beautiful indeed!¡± Evan muttered.

    He touched his right cheek, which seemed to be stained with milk from Gabrielle.

    ¡°In addition to the beautiful campus environment, France also abounds in beautiful women!¡± Sirius looked at the blushing face of Evan, with some insight, ¡°I have to admit that all the girls here are very cute. I just saw one in Madame Maxime¡¯s office. She¡¯s definitely a Ve. If I were a few decades younger¡­¡±

    Sirius should have just seen Fleur, for the description fit her perfectly.

    Evan really wanted to tell him that he had just had intimate contact with her sister.

    But it was better not to say such things, if Hermione knew¡­

    They chatted for a while before they set off to attend the wee dinner.

    For tonight¡¯s banquet, Beauxbatons was clearly prepared.

    The glittering Great Hall was even more eye-catching, and the school emblems, curtains and decorations on the walls were all new.

    Countless golden candles floated in the sky and looked very spectacr.

    Just above the Great Hall was a round marble dome.

    It didn¡¯t directly reflect the weather outside like Hogwarts. Instead, a beautiful mural was painted, with blue as the main tone, clouds floating within it, giving it a divine feel.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the mural represented exactly, because almost all the ghosts, portraits, mural figures and animals in the school were crowded there, and they stared closely at Sirius and Evan, who had just entered the Great Hall.

    That was the same for the students of Beauxbatons.

    They were wearing their newest school uniform robes and sitting at different long tables ording to their age. Evan saw nearly a thousand pairs of eyes looking at him, with inquiry and curiosity.

    Nobody spoke, and Beauxbatons¡¯ administration seemed very strict.

    If it happened in Hogwarts that people from other schools coulde to dinner, the young wizards would talk about it for so long.

    They might even dare directly invite visitors to their long table.

    But it was totally different here, and Beauxbatons students were all trying to restrain themselves.

    As Sirius passed, the students along the way nodded politely, but Evan noticed that they did not look so politely at him.

    He ignored all the provocations in the boys¡¯ eyes, and also pretended not to see the eager eyes of girls.

    Overall, the young wizards of Beauxbatons were not very friendly to Evan. Besides their curiosity, he didn¡¯t know where their sense of superiority came from.

    None of these emotions was concealed, clearly written on their faces.

    Among the three major wizarding schools in Europe, the young wizards thought that their school was the best, but thanks to Dumbledore, Hogwarts had far surpassed the other two wizarding schools in recent decades. Evan¡¯s strength and reputation were also much better than others.

    In this case, it was natural that there would be no good looks at Evan. Many people wanted to have a try with him to see who was better.

    Nevertheless, Evan would not care about such boredom at all.

    He looked around and noticed that Gabrielle was sitting in the first-year seat. She was raising her neck and trying to look at him. He turned and waved.

    The girl smiled and waved to him.

    If she knew that the ck cat she had kissed not long ago was Evan, she would certainly not be so calm.

    At the forefront of the guest table, Dumbledore sat in the middle seat.

    On his left side, an old man with a beard longer than his was sitting, and he was very noticeable.

    He was the alchemist Nics mel. Very old, but in good spirits, he wore a beautiful golden wizard robe.

    He was talking to Dumbledore, and he was ying with strange magic items in his hand.

    Considering his identity, Evan wondered if his dress was made of pure gold.

    Anyway, mel was not short on gold. For an alchemist who could alter matter itself, gold was asmon as roadside stones.

 Chapter 392: Fleur Delacour

    <h4>Chapter 392: Fleur Dcour</h4>

    On the right hand side of Dumbledore, sitting in the front seat was Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, a very big woman.

    Evan had only seen one person in his life that could bepared with her; Hagrid! There was almost no difference in height between them.

    Evan knew that was because they were both half-giants!

    However, perhaps just because he was familiar with Hagrid, Madame Maxime seemed even more bizarre.

    Under the candlelight above, he found that Madame Maxime had a handsome olive-skinned face with a beak-like nose andrge, ck, liquid-looking eyes.

    Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck.

    She dressed from head to foot in ck satin, and wasden with opal jewellery, sparkling on her neck and on her thick fingers.

    Madame Maxime, with an elegant smile on her face, politely looked at Sirius who had just entered the Great Hall and invited him to sit on the vacant seat to her right.

    Equally noticeable in the hall was Fleur Dcour, who was sitting at the head of the students bench.

    She had long, silvery-blonde hair that fell almost to her waist, and looked very beautiful.

    She looked like an adult version of Gabrielle, both part Ves. She hadrge, deep blue eyes and very white, even teeth. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

    Possibly because of regr exercise, Fleur was also in good shape. Her fair skin was wheat-colored and she looked extraordinarily healthy. Despite wearing the same uniform as others, she was still the most eye-catching among all Beauxbatons students.

    Needless to say, when Evan¡¯s eyes moved away from Madame Maxime, they fell on Fleur for the first time, marveling at her beauty.

    There was a vacant seat beside Fleur, which was especially reserved for Evan.

    After Sirius was invited to the guest table by Madame Maxime, she stood up with a smile and gracefully walked over to Evan, inviting him toe and take his ce.

    ¡°Hello, Evan Mason!¡± Fleur reached out and shook Evan¡¯s hand with a smile and said, ¡°My name is Fleur Dcour, I am honored to meet you!¡±

    She spoke English, with a slight French ent.

    Fleur¡¯s voice sounded very special, slightly edgy.

    ¡°Thank you, I am d to meet you, too.¡± Evan replied hurriedly, and followed Fleur to the seat beside her and sat down.

    Before they could talk again, Madame Maxime had stood up to speak.

    ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen, ghosts and our distinguished guests!¡± Madame Maxime said with a smile and motioned to Dumbledore beside her. ¡°Tonight, with great joy, we wee Albus Dumbledore, the world¡¯s greatest wizard, who came with hispanions from Hogwarts to Beauxbatons. I hope and believe that you will feelfortable and happy here.¡±

    There was a round of apuse in the Great Hall. While Madame Maxime was speaking, all the students of Beauxbatons stood up.

    They all looked sideways at Dumbledore, hoping to see what he looked like.

    But when Madame Maxime said that Dumbledore was the greatest wizard in the world, Evan clearly heard a sarcastic sneer.

    He turned his head and saw several senior students looking at him provocatively with arrogance and disdain on their faces, as if to see what he would do.

    With such people, Evan¡¯s treatment of choice had always been to ignore thempletely.

    He turned his head back as if he hadn¡¯t seen them.

    Behind him, there was a glimmer of disappointment on the faces of the guys, who frowned and looked at each other, surprised by Evan¡¯s indifference.

    Fleur looked at the change of expression in their eyes, but she remained calm andposed.

    Her blue eyes stared at Evan as if she hadn¡¯t noticed anything unusual.

    Evan looked at her and she smiled and blinked.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but he could feel that Fleur¡¯s rtionship with her Beauxbatons students was not very good.

    Her ssmates, especially the girls, were all alienated from her and deliberately kept a distance.

    But at least, so far, she had been kind to Evan.

    Or more urately, she was very interested.

    At the main guest table, Madame Maxime had finished her speech. Instead of sitting down directly, she took out her wand and waved it gently.

    A light sound of music came of somewhere, and all the students in Beauxbatons began to sing. The voices grew louder and louder, and the Great Hall fell into the sea of music.

    They sang a French song, which Evan could not understand.

    However, he could feel the melody getting lighter and rxed.

    This song had that French character, like a pub tune, which sounded pleasant.

    A few minutester, after the song ended, Madame Maxime motioned for everyone to sit down.

    When the banquet officially began, the empty dishes were full of French cuisine, and all kinds of dishes were ced in front of Evan. He was not sure which dish he should try first.

    ¡°You can try this Bouibaisse (T.N: Bouibaisse is a French misceneous fish/seafood soup). It tastes very delicious. It¡¯s been cooked in the authentic French way. I believe it would be difficult to find it in your country. You will like it.¡± Fleur said, pointing to a dish in front of Evan that looked like a sea food Salmagundi.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan served himself a bowl and asked uncertainly. ¡°That song just now sounded good. Is it your school song?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s indeed the school song of Beauxbatons, and we sing it at the beginning of the semester or at major events.¡± Fleur frowned and said, ¡°But I don¡¯t like it. The tune sounds very light, but the lyrics are very tragic. This song has been handed down from the Middle Ages, how to say it, the style is somewhat dark¡­¡±

    After the Bouibaisse, Evan began to taste a quirky dessert. He didn¡¯t know the name of the dish because he had never seen it before.

    ¡°Evan, can I call you that?!¡± Fleur said with a smile. ¡°In fact, I often hear my little sister talk about you. You are her idol.¡±

    ¡°We are faithful friends. We often write to each other since Christmas.¡±

    Evan looked back at Gabrielle, and found that the little girl was looking at him in return. She immediately looked down shyly when their eyes met.

    He smiled at Fleur and said, ¡°She mentioned you in her previous letter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what did she say?¡± Fleur was interested.

    ¡°She calls you the best sister in the world!¡± Evan repeated Gabrielle¡¯s true words, and made Fleurugh.

    Usually, the two of them got along fairly well.

    The others on the long table looked less happy, not to mention the provocative students.

    Most of the remaining people were also dissatisfied with Fleur¡¯s exclusive upation of Evan.

    Noticing that, Fleur also ignored all of them.

    Evan¡¯s feeling was proven true to him. Fleur and her ssmates did not get along very well.

    This didn¡¯t seem like something caused just by his presence; it seemed that their rtionship was like this in regr times as well.

 Chapter 393: Evan Welcomed by the Ghost

    <h4>Chapter 393: Evan Weed by the Ghost</h4>

    Under the watchful eyes of everyone around, the two of them chatted happily.

    Neither of them had any will to care for anyone else.

    Beauxbatons had more rules than Hogwarts, and it was not allowed to walk around during meals.

    Looking at some students¡¯ expressions, it seemed that they wanted to approach and seek trouble with Evan, but in the end they all did not act.

    The Great Hall was buzzing, because tomorrow was the summer vacation. Most of the students¡¯ topics turned to vacation arrangements and the justpleted annual exams.

    After talking about some of Evan¡¯s previous adventures, in the name of her sister, Fleur invited him to visit their home in Paris this summer.

    If he didn¡¯t have to keep looking for the other half of the Philosopher¡¯s stone, Evan would actually love to go and see it, not just because of the little girl Gabrielle. He had listened to Hermione almost for a whole semester, talking about Paris¡¯s unique, fascinating and appealing magic, and he was very intrigued.

    Now he had to politely refuse the invitation.

    Fleur was not unhappy, but the topic turned to the forting Quidditch World Cup.

    The banquet continued, and under magic, the exquisite golden chandelier rotated slowly above in the huge sky-blue ceiling, and the pulsating mes of its candles formed various exquisite patterns.

    The ghosts also flew down from the roof, making extravagant stunts in midair, and skimming around the huge circr Great Hall, and then gathering to whisper.

    It could be seen that the ghosts were very interested in Dumbledore, Sirius, and Evan.

    They were talking about the past experiences of the three people and getting gossip from around the hall.

    Strangely, more and more ghosts gathered around Evan.

    The number far exceeded the main guest seats, as the ghosts¡¯ attraction to him seemed to exceed that of Dumbledore and Sirius.

    ¡°You are very popr!¡± Fleur said with a smile, the corners of her mouth slightly upward.

    Looking at the crescent-like smile on Fleur¡¯s face, Evan was confused.

    It was a good thing to be popr, but it was too strange with all the fans ghosts! It was not so pleasant to think about it¡­

    These ghosts pointed at Evan, but none of them dared to go forward.

    ¡°So, you are that Evan Mason?!¡± Just as Evan was wondering, a male ghost wearing a medieval French aristocratic costume fell stiffly beside him, looking a bit like Nearly Headless Nick¡­

    Like Nick, his neck was gone, as if a slice had been taken straight from above his shoulders!

    Only his body and head were floating in the air, which made him look very weird and funny.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the angry look on the ghost¡¯s face, Evan would have almost burst outughing. He hurriedly wiped his mouth with a napkin to cover his smile.

    ¡°This is Vincent Duc de Trefle-Picques!¡± Fleur leaned over her head and whispered, ¡°You must have offended him. He doesn¡¯t always do that.¡±

    Evan had seen this ghost¡¯s name in ¡°A History of Magic¡± before. It was said that he cast a Concealment Charm on his neck to pretend that he had been beheaded and escaped hanging.

    From the current effect, the effect of that Concealment Charm was too perfect.

    Even after his death, the power of the Charm had not disappeared.

    Of course, the main reason he could be included in ¡°A History of Magic¡± was that he had invented the Concealment Charm on the basis of ancient magic writing, an epoch-making high-level spell.

    This Charm could make something disappear permanently, but the sess rate of casting it was very low, and it was a Charm specific to Beauxbatons, so there were not many people who knew it.

    Although he had heard the Duke say his name, Evan was sure that he had never seen him before today, and he did not know why this ghost was looking at him with anger.

    The ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± you created!¡± Duc de Trefle-Picques said loudly, his milky white, translucent body showed a pink color. ¡°Like other ghosts, I wrote a lot of things and mailed them, but all the news I provided were not used. I¡¯ve been rejected 76 times already! Nick, that nasty fellow, said that my news content was too superficial¡­¡±

    Hearing this, Evan knew what was going on.

    No wonder so many ghosts surrounded him, all of them like Duc de Trefle-Picques, hoping to get along well with him so that their respective contributions could be adopted by ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡±.

    Evan had this situation before in Hogwarts. He was now almost the most popr among the ghosts. Wherever he went, there were always ghosts to surround him.

    In fact the ghost¡¯s life is too boring and there is hardly any entertainment.

    With almost no help, sincest year, many ghosts had provided news and reports to ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± and were proud of the adoption of their articles.

    This was originally a whim of Evan, hoping to add a little to theck of contributions to ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡±.

    Who could think of it? But in the end it gradually developed into the biggest highlight of the newspaper.

    The ghosts knew a lot of secrets, and saw things from a different perspective. Their unique reports were unexpectedly weed by the wizards.

    The submission also sparked an unexpected enthusiasm among the ghosts. Although Evan did not pay them anything, it gave them something to boast about!

    After all, they could use their previously empty boring time to write, and their articles could be published in the living newspapers, arousing the attention and discussion of the wizards.

    Such a thing, having one¡¯s work be the center of attention of the living, was an incredible achievement for a ghost!

    With the increasing influence of the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡±, and the increasing number of subscribers, contributing to the newspaper had gradually be the most important thing for ghosts.

    Nowadays, not only the ghosts of Hogwarts and the United Kingdom, but many foreign ghosts such as Duc de Trefle-Picques also began to contribute and provide news to the newspaper.

    This matter was mainly handled by Nearly Headless Nick. As far as Evan knew, he did a good job.

    However, he was not surprised that Nick would ¡®mis-treat¡¯ Duc de Trefle-Picques¡¯s work!

    Nick was good at everything. He was upset that his head hadn¡¯t beenpletely cut off. Even though hundreds of years had passed, he was stillining about it.

    Not surprisingly, he must be jealous of Duc de Trefle-Picques, whose neck hadpletely disappeared.

    Although this was because of the Charm, in Nick¡¯s opinion, all that matter was that Duc de Trefle-Picques¡¯s neck wasn¡¯t there to be seen!

    With this in mind, of course, it wouldn¡¯t be rational to expect him to adopt Duc de Trefle-Picques¡¯s contribution.

    Looking at the angry ghost, Evan had to try to appease him, and promised to ask Nick to notarize the case and use his manuscript after returning to Hogwarts.

    Duc de Trefle-Picques nodded with satisfaction and flew away, but encouraged by him, more ghosts immediately rushed towards Evan¡­

 Chapter 394: Evanâ€™s Nonverbal Spell

    <h4>Chapter 394: Evan¡¯s Nonverbal Spell</h4>

    Because Evan already was at the center of attention, the little disturbance immediately caught the attention of others.

    The students in Beauxbatons were surprised to find that the boy from Hogwarts was so popr with the ghosts in the school. It was unthinkable.

    The topic of discussion shifted back to Evan, and everyone was full of curiosity about him.

    No one knew what was going on except Gabrielle and Fleur sitting next to Evan. The abnormal behavior of the ghosts added mystery to Evan.

    Beautiful appearance, great strength, legendary deeds, and striking mystery made Evan more attractive to girls.

    Of course, some of the Beauxbatons boys were getting more and more resentful to him.

    Evan had no time to listen to other people¡¯s opinions about him. Faced with enthusiastic ghosts, he had to appease them one by one.

    He was thinking that maybe he could add a section in the newspaper to cover French news. If the effect was good enough, he could also take this opportunity to bring ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± into the French market, further enhance its influence, and set up a branch in Paris¡­

    As Evan conceived this n, Fleur beside him gave him a slight nudge.

    ¡°Madame Maxime just announced that the dinner was over!¡± Fleur smiled and said, moving off her silvery hair like a waterfall. ¡°She told me to show you around the school. But I think you might prefer to stay here and deal with the ghosts.¡±

    Evan certainly wanted to have a tour around Beauxbatons, and this was a very rare opportunity.

    He looked up and saw all the students in Beauxbatons stand up.

    In the center of the crowd, Dumbledore and Sirius were following mel and Madame Maxime out of the Great Hall.

    When all the teachers left, the atmosphere in the auditorium really warmed up.

    The students of Beauxbatons were no longer as well-behaved as before. They all crowded to Evan¡¯s ce, and spoke French that he could not understand.

    Of course, there were also many people who spoke English, but it was not very standard.

    All the voices were mixed up together, so that Evan could not hear them clearly.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± Evan asked aloud.

    ¡°Most of them are simple greetings. Many girls are asking if you are free at night.¡± Fleurughed and said, close to Evan¡¯s ear, ¡°Of course, there are others who are challenging you. It looks like they want to fight you.¡±

    Without Fleur¡¯s trantion, Evan had noticed it.

    In the middle of a group of senior boys, a tall, very strong boy was pointing his wand at him. There were cheers and apuse from the crowd around him.

    This seemed to have been nned long ago. Many people looked at Evan with a mocking expression on their faces, waiting to see his reaction.

    With a malicious smile on his face, the boy spoke a lot of French to Evan.

    Then, without giving him time, he read a spell in his mouth and waved his wand sharply.

    A red light shed, and a fork on the table flew over to Evan.

    Under the control of the boy, the fork flew straight towards his torso! It was very fast. If he dodged in a hurry, it would look very embarrassing.

    In everyone¡¯s opinion, if Evan didn¡¯t want to be hit, he would definitely lie down to avoid the fork.

    In this way, they couldugh at him.

    Looking at the fork drawing near, Evan sighed.

    It seemed that everywhere, there were people like Malfoy who were annoying, and what they had inmon was the fact that they were all dimwits!

    With a gentle stroke of his right hand up his waist, his wand turned around and naturally fell into his hand.

    Evan took hold of the wand and shook it gently, without muttering a spell, and the fork in front of him stopped in mid-air.

    Everyone was stunned and didn¡¯t know how Evan did it.

    They didn¡¯t hear the incantation at all, nor did they see Evan release a spell.

    He just waved his wand and suddenly controlled the fork in front of him. It was amazing.

    Only students preparing for the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test could vaguely guess what this was all about. Evan had just probably used a Nonverbal Spell.

    This was a very difficult casting technique. Although the concept of using a spell just by thinking about it sounded simple, this technique required a lot of control and thought to be able to create the right effect. If one doesn¡¯t pronounce the spell aloud, it could achieve an unexpected effect.

    In fact, most wizards couldn¡¯t do that.

    Not to mention the young wizards who hadn¡¯t graduated from the magic school, even among the adult wizards in the wizarding world, the use of nonverbal Charm was absolutely rare. Probably only dozens could pull it off!

    Just as everyone was still guessing, the fork in front of Evan immediately flew backwards.

    The fork flew away faster than it came, and the fellow in the opposite side didn¡¯t seem to realize that Evan actually countered his spell.

    He waved his wand in a hurry, and wanted to fight back. Hardly had he read half the spell in his mouth when he saw a red light that hit his right hand first.

    The trajectory, power and speed of Evan¡¯s spell were just right.

    He had a sharp pain in his right hand, and his wand was shot and flew out.

    Looking at the fork that had already flown straight to his eyes, he retreated in horror, turned pale, and cried out some French words, as if begging for mercy from Evan.

    Everything happened so quickly that no one else around them reacted.

    No one thought that Evan would be so cruel, aiming his fork directly at the boy¡¯s eyes.

    If it was to hit him, the consequences¡­

    Even the lively Fleur who was watching had her face flushed in worry, with fear apparent in her eyes.

    In fact, Evan did not let go of the control of the fork.

    He had a panoramic view of the reactions of everyone around him, and the reaction of these Beauxbatons students was really disappointing.

    Just a fork scared them like this! If they were to encounter truly frightening beings, such as those evil gods, would they just die out of fear before even facing them?

    No wonder that,pared with Hogwarts and Durmstrang, Beauxbatons had never had that many strong wizards

    If it weren¡¯t for Voldemort¡¯s curse¡¯s restriction, Evan would¡¯ve loved to give them a demonstration what really scary magic was.

    Evan lightly flicked his wand, and the fork that had flown to the boy opposite stopped immediately. It turned and fell straight down.

    With a bang, it fell to the ground, inserted in the corner of his school uniform robe.

    The boy had not noticed yet. He just backed and dodged unconsciously.

    The next second, he tripped in his tight robe and fell heavily to the ground.

 Chapter 395: House of Courage

    <h4>Chapter 395: House of Courage</h4>

    Evan held his wand and looked at the students around him. Everyone backed away unconsciously. There was no sound in the Great hall. Only the boy was crying out on the floor.

    Everyone was amazed at what Evan had just done.

    No one thought that this thin, twelve-year-old boy from Hogwarts would be so strong.

    When a senior student told them that Evan might have used a Nonverbal Spell and they started getting an image on his true strength, the crowd was even more surprised.

    Several students who had justughed at Evan had a hint of fear on their faces.

    As a guest, Evan represented Hogwarts, and they intended to attack him in order to belittle Hogwarts and highlight the strength of Beauxbatons.

    Everything went ording to n tonight, but no one thought that Evan would be so strong.

    It was incredible that a twelve-year-old wizard¡¯s magic control level and spell-casting skills were greater than most adult wizards.

    Admiration was there for only a short moment. After brief shock, there were still a fewds standing strong, they shouted loudly to the crowd in French.

    After hearing the shouts, many people took out their wands and pointed them at Evan.

    With more and more people doing the same, the mood became more tense.

    The rest of the boys, even the hesitant ones, pulled out their wands under the encouragement of theirpanions.

    Whether it was their responsibility or not, and no matter how powerful Evan was, Beauxbatons¡¯ pride could not be trampled upon by a foreign student.

    Evan must have an ount and must apologize.

    If they didn¡¯t do anything, just letting Evan leave the Great Hall, then Beauxbatons would be a joke, and it would not be long before the news would spread throughout the wizarding world.

    By then, the magic school would have lost its reputation and kept no honor at all.

    The noise in the crowd grew louder and louder, and Evan heard someone swearing at him in bad English, saying something that he didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°They¡¯re really unfriendly!¡± Evan shook his wand in his hand, as if he was disappointed.

    ¡°This bunch of cowards is calling on everyone to unite and fight for the glory of Beauxbatons!¡± Fleur said lightly, ¡°They want you to apologize, to bow your head and admit your mistake!¡±

    ¡°Beauxbatons¡¯s hospitality is really special. I have seen it today. First, was a sneak attack, and then, are you ready for a mass assault?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this to happen. Madame Maxime asked me to take care of you.¡± Fleur frowned and said, ¡°But I think, you¡¯d better apologize, no matter who is right or wrong. After all, you attacked a student in Beauxbatons and you have to¡­¡±

    Evan blinked as she stopped speaking, so it seemed that Fleur was not on his side.

    Judging from her reaction, she must have known about it before, but she did not stop it. She did not want to see herself ridiculed with him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can apologize.¡± Evan said firmly. ¡°He attacked me first, but he was just too weak. I can¡¯t see what I have to apologize for.¡±

    ¡°Are you mad?¡± said Fleur with amazement. ¡°Just apologize. You know, you are facing the whole of Beauxbatons, there are hundreds of young wizards here!¡±

    ¡°As you just said now, a bunch of cowards.¡± Evan scornfully said, ¡°If these wizards have no courage, even if there are more of them, I can¡¯t see anything to be afraid of. They are no opponents of mine.¡±

    ¡°You are, you are absolutely mad!¡± Fleur said incredulously.

    She did not expect that Evan would actually ept to go against all off Beauxbatons.

    ¡°If you have learnt about Hogwarts, you will know that our school is divided into four Houses, representing the four qualities of a wizard.¡± Evan looked up and smiled at Fleur, ¡°And I¡¯m from Gryffindor, the House of courage. No matter what enemy we face, Gryffindor students are fearless.¡±

    When Evan finished, the wand in his hand turned around and a few bright sparks came out at the end.

    Although there were hundreds of people on the opposite side, he was not afraid at all.

    In fact, such battles were not umon in Hogwarts.

    Over the past two years, Evan couldn¡¯t remember how many shes had taken ce between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

    Even Ravenw and Hufflepuff students participated in the fiercest of battles, which evolved from small-scale battles torge-scale scuffles throughout the school.

    Thest one was because of the Weasley twins making a mess with their Dungbombs!

    Evan had never been afraid of such things.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the damn Curse on his wrist that limited magic, he would even try to sweep the whole of Beauxbatons with his current strength.

    ¡°Hogwarts¡­ Gryffindor¡­ The House of courage¡­¡± Fleur repeated softly, she stared at Evan for a moment, and grinned with awe. ¡°If you insist, then I can¡¯t help you, but I¡¯ll make sure your life is safe. After all, it¡¯s Madame¡¯s Maxime¡¯s assignment to me. Good luck, youngd!¡±

    She waved to Evan and turned to walk lightly to the Great Hall¡¯s door.

    Evan saw Gabrielle, who was standing in the middle of the crowd, anxious but afraid of hundreds of people. She hurried to the side of Fleur. They seemed to be arguing about something.

    Gabrielle should probably be speaking for him. She turned her head and looked at him from time to time.

    Her beautiful little face was full of worry, but no matter what she said, Fleur kept shaking her head, and the little girl even burst into tears in the end.

    The next second, Gabrielle turned and wanted to go to the direction of Evan, but was stopped by a prepared Fleur, who forcibly pulled her away from the Great Hall.

    The atmosphere in the Great Hall was at its zenith, and the departure of Fleur and Gabrielle was a signal.

    Perhaps it was Evan¡¯s indifference that further got more on some of the student¡¯s sensitive nerves. The crowd in Beauxbatons was agitated and shouting louder and louder; although no one dared to look at Evan because of their shorings.

    But at the instigation of several people, the situation quickly went out of control.

    Without any warning, more than a dozen red lights flew from the crowd towards Evan.

    Evan dodged. He quickly tapped on the chairs in front of him with his wand. The chairs flew over him, blocking theiring spells.

    Immediately, the chairs were broken into pieces and the wood chips sshed out.

    Evan didn¡¯t hesitate. Before the second attack, he waved his wand at a huge table not far away and quickly read a spell.

    The hundred-meter-long table boomed up and rolled over to sweep the crowd.

    The long table rumbled, which was the limit of the magic control Evan was currently able to use.

    In the past, he could have transformed this long table into a monster such as a troll, but now his current magic couldn¡¯t support that kind of highly draining spells.

    But this was enough. The students in Beauxbatons were standing densely, and they didn¡¯t expect that Evan would do this. Looking at the table whizzing from the side, many people were so frightened that they stood there, even forgetting to wave their wands.

    Boom, bang, bang!!!

    With a violent impact, many people were hit and flew away.

    Cries and screams came and went. Under the violent impact, many people couldn¡¯t get to their feet.

    Evan swung his wand frequently, and the long table went mad! It swiftly rolled and rolled in the wide Great Hall of Beauxbatons, sweeping through the crowd.

    Everything was hit by it, and a lot of food, tes, knives and forks that had not been removed were all turned into sharp weapons, spurting around!

 Chapter 396: Beauxbatons

    <h4>Chapter 396: Beauxbatons</h4>

    There was chaos in the Great Hall. The ghosts screamed and fled, some students fell to the ground, some tried to stop the long table, and some attacked Evan.

    Although there were arge number of Beauxbatons students attacking, they were unable to form effective attacks.

    Now, Evan could see only a few dozen people at the front. They avoided the mad long table, waved their wands quickly and cast dozens of curses.

    The spells, with their brilliant light, came on to Evan.

    There were so many attacks, almost covering all of his surroundings, and there was no way for him to dodge.

    Regardless of what these curses were, if hit, Evan would probably be directly stunned by the magic contained in them¡­

    Many of the injuries they would inflict could be irreversible and might result in him having a lifelong disabilities.

    Evan took a deep breath and did not evade. The wand in his hand madeplex movements, and a light green ring-shaped magic halo spread around him.

    In contact with the green glow, all the curses moved in strange directions.

    They avoided Evan andnded in the air next to him, and so did the magic that came from behind.

    The students of Beauxbatons all blinked hard, and in front of them, Evan¡¯s position began to fluctuate.

    He flickered back and forth in different ces, and there was no way to locate him.

    It was a Dark magic that worked directly on the soul. Evan had seen it in the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡°, but the power of the spell in the book was stronger and more evil than the one he used now.

    He improved the spell by incorporating the mirage magic he saw in the Ministry of Magic, adding some illusions.

    Although its power had been reduced a lot, and it was no longer as evil as before; his magic worked, but after less than three seconds, Evan stopped.

    Because his magic was so consumed, Voldemort¡¯s curse on his right wrist began to creep out.

    The ck snake ne mark above became darker and looked like it was about toe to life at any time.

    The next second, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone ced in Slytherin¡¯s Locket on his chest emitted a soft red light, and the fiery magic poured into Evan¡¯s body along the Locket.

    A circle of rotation gathered into his wrist, and Evan suddenly woke up.

    He looked at the snake ne expanding outward at his wrist and knew that it was the limit of his magic. He could not hold on any longer. It was time to retreat and leave.

    Before the people in the opposite side recovered from the illusion, Evan jumped back behind the marble pirs.

    He let go of the control of the long table, and a dark blue smoke began to appear at the end of his wand, which soon covered the entire Great Hall.

    In the smoke, visibility was getting lower and lower, and soon people could not see clearly around.

    All of them screamed in panic, running around like headless flies, and could not find a target to attack Evan.

    When the smoke covered the whole ce, Evan ordered the dishes that fell on the floor with his wand.

    Several tes began to distort and changed into dozens of snakes.

    These snakes were very small, but they made loud noises.

    They hissed and slid quickly toward the center of the crowd, creating the same effect as hundreds of poisonous snakes popping up at the same time.

    Not surprisingly, in the thick fog, when they suddenly heard the sound of the snakes, many students of Beauxbatons fell into panic.

    They didn¡¯t care about anything else, and theyunched random attacks on all sides.

    The attacked people also began to attack and waved their wands without thinking. They thought that the opposite was Evan, but they did not know that they were their ownpanions.

    It was like a domino, one connected to one.

    The spells used by the young wizards were getting more and more powerful, and the magic was growing stronger.

    The scene in the Great Hall became more and more chaotic. Even the voices of senior students could not stop it. There were curses and screams everywhere.

    The young wizards in Beauxbatons had never experienced such a scene before.

    They attacked indiscriminately and panicked to escape.

    No one noticed that a ck cat mixed up in the crowd and left the Great Hall.

    After the fight with Beauxbatons¡¯s students, Evan was not really aware of the big disaster. He ran forward a few steps, and stood in the shadow of the hall outside the Great Hall, watching with interest what was happening.

    As for the aftermath, it was Dumbledore and Sirius who would have a headache.

    Anyway, he did not suffer. He just had a little bruise on the left side of his body.

    The long table controlled by Evan only caused a lot of panic and skin and flesh injuries. The real damage was caused by the students in Beauxbatons who eventually attacked each other.

    Now, the corridor was crowded with nervous students.

    They were scarred and crying out loud as if they had really experienced a war.

    Senior students tried to maintain order, and together they blew the smoke away.

    The Great Hall was a mess, as if it had just been passed by a hurricane. It had nothing of that original solemn ce. Wood and te debris were everywhere.

    Hundreds of students were lying on the ground, some crying in pain.

    Some people were covered with strange spots, tentacles or other shapes because of the curses.

    There were still many people lying there motionless andpletely fainting.

    Evan noticed that the students with the heaviest injuries were all bloodstained. No doubt, that should be the damage caused by ck magic.

    He secretly gulped. These Beauxbatons¡®s students dared to use any kind of magic spells.

    A few minutester, Evan saw the professors rushing to the Great Hall, and one after another the wounded were carried out on stretchers.

    He was ready to leave and stopped immediately.

    Just then, Sirius also came to the outside of the Great Hall. He looked around and seemed to be looking for Evan¡¯s sound and trace.

    Soon, he noticed the ck cat in the corner.

    Evan waved his paw and ran to a deserted corridor. He stood on the windowsill and waited for Sirius.

    A few secondster, Sirius came over.

    He looked at Evan on the windowsill. The expression on his face could not be uttered strangely, and there seemed to be a stifled excitement. He wanted to me Evan with a straight face.

    In the end, Sirius¡¯s expression turned into a bitter smile.

    ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡± He said weakly. ¡°You can really make trouble. You fought the entirety of Beauxbatons. I¡¯ve never done anything so crazy.¡±

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan gave a gentle cry in response.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Keep your Animagus form, find a ce to hide. Don¡¯t go back into the house. I see a lot of Beauxbatons¡¯s students looking for you everywhere.¡± Sirius waved his hand and said without confidence, ¡°Wait till tomorrow morning, and remember, don¡¯t mess up tonight.¡±

 Chapter 397: The Silver Moon and the Black Cat

    <h4>Chapter 397: The Silver Moon and the ck Cat</h4>

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan cried again innocently.

    He never asked for trouble, but trouble kepting to his door.

    Just like this evening, in his imagination, there should¡¯ve been a tour around the campus of Beauxbatons, surrounded by beautiful girls apanying him, not a fight in the Great Hall keeping him from going back to his room, and forcing him to hide anywhere in his Animagus form.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to deal with this problem!¡± Sirius said with a bitter smile. ¡°I should have known that things would turn out like this. You never could get a hazard free time.¡±

    He ignored Evan standing on the balcony; turned around and walked towards the Great Hall.

    Standing in the Golden Corridor, Evan stared out of the window at the huge silver moon for a moment.

    Since he couldn¡¯t go back to his room, he decided to wander around in Beauxbatons.

    Because everyone was solemn in the Great Hall, the current Beauxbatons campus was exceptionally quiet, and even the portraits on both sides of the corridor were nowhere to be found.

    The decorative style of Beauxbatons waspletely different from that of Hogwarts. Although it was not as atmospheric as Hogwarts Castle, it wasn¡¯t as cold and dark.

    Golden and red drapes were hung on the walls on both sides, and the ground was covered with thick soft stalls.

    Perhaps because of Nics mel, there were wonderful alchemy devices and decorations everywhere on campus.

    They were spinning round and round, and Evan could feel the magic contained in them, but he didn¡¯t know the use of these things.

    But he could recognize that they were all made of gold.

    Alchemy was really a promising career. Gold was asmon as roadside stones to mel, who had thest Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the wizarding world.

    While most wizards were still worrying about livelihoods or expensive magic materials, people were extravagant enough to use gold to make decorations or buildings.

    Of course, the most precious part of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was not to turn the stone into gold, but to make the Elixir of Life, to slow down the aging, so that the user could live forever.

    It might not be really impressive hearing or seeing simr descriptions in books, but seeing them with one¡¯s own eyes, seeing huge golden statues, and meeting Nics mel himself, who lived for more than 600 years; only then can we truly feel the miracle shock brought by the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help thinking that if the Philosopher¡¯s Stone hanging on his neck could have this effect, he would¡­

    But it was just a thought. Gryffindor had already eliminated all the original uses of this Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and now only powerful magic was left in it.

    Because of Voldemort¡¯s Curse, Evan could not use these magical powers.

    Under the silver moonlight, he climbed up the stairs.

    Beauxbatons¡¯s stairs didn¡¯t move around, so he didn¡¯t worry about getting lost.

    Evan stopped to visit the ssrooms in Beauxbatons.

    On the first floor, there was a circrrge ssroom, all made of pure white marble. The circr tform was just like the stage in the center. The students¡¯ seats were all suspended on the tform with prominent walls on both sides.

    Another ssroom had steel chandeliers all over the roof. Thettice around the room was filled with the skeletons of various magical creatures. There was a strange smell in the air. Evan even found the skeleton of a unicorn in it.

    The corridor on the left side of the second floor stairs was blocked by stone statues, and on the other side was the Beauxbatons Library. However, at this time, the doors were closed and he couldn¡¯t get in at all.

    Evan could only stand on the outside window and look inside. The interior was a square room, veryrge, and seemed to have been expanded beyond what space the surrounding rooms gave it.

    Inside, smaller rooms were fitted one by one.

    Under the dark golden curtain was a huge brown-chestnut bookshelf, filled with magic books.

    In the center of the square hall was a statue made of pure gold, with the school emblem of Beauxbatons on it. The star-shaped water sprayed out from the ends of the two wands.

    Evan observed it for a while, and it was quiet inside.

    He knew that, like Hogwarts, there were many precious magic books in the district of Beauxbatons, many of which were rare and unique.

    In fact, Evan wanted to go in and have a look, and his urge to do so was very strong.

    He could feel that there were probably three defensive magic and a warning spell on the front shelves. With his current level, he couldpletely crack it.

    But thinking of what Sirius had just told him, he resisted the urge to go in.

    He was better off not causing any more trouble tonight until the affair had settled down.

    What¡¯s more, the library was the most sacred ce in a wizarding school.

    It was not too good to break in without permission.

    This is not the same as the books that he had secretly taken out of the ck family. At that time, Sirius had allowed him to take them freely, without any scruples.

    Evan took the books secretly back then, just because he did not want to be discovered studying dark magic.

    He shook his head and continued up on the side of the stairs.

    The third floor was the school hospital. When Evan came up, the outside corridor was already full of people, and injured students were continually carried up along the other side of the staircase.

    Besides the painful howls, the rest of Beauxbatons¡¯s students were all angrily talking about something, and Evan heard most of them muttering his name.

    He saw several senior boys holding their wands and going downstairs in groups of three or five, as Sirius said, ready to seek revenge.

    Although some professors were trying to stop them, it didn¡¯t seem to work.

    After the battle of the Great Hall, Evan almost became the number one public enemy of Beauxbatons.

    He looked at it for a while and decided to leave the ce first.

    Evan was going to wait until the school holidays tomorrow when no one would be around, otherwise these students that were desperately looking for him might find him.

    When he was halfway up the stairs, he suddenly saw Fleur leading Gabrielle down the upper corner.

    Gabrielle¡¯s long blond hair sparkled in the moonlight. Her eyes were red and she was wiping her tears with her right hand.

    Evan¡¯s body was stiff, and he did not expect to meet them in such a ce.

    There was nothing wrong with Fleur, but Gabrielle had seen him in his Animagus form in the afternoon.

    She did not recognize Evan at the time, and simply thought that he was a lost ck cat.

    Not only did she hold him in her arms and wander around, waiting for his owners to show up, she also fed him milk and even kissed him.

    That was really too bad, and Evan¡¯s first reaction was to find a ce to hide.

    He secretly prayed not to be discovered by Gabrielle.

    But he was in the middle of the stairs, and there was no hiding ce around. It was hard not to be found by the girls.

    Evan quietly moved two steps to the side, staring down at the ground, trying to be unnoticed.

    The next second, he found himself being hugged.

    With the girl¡¯s unique light scent, Evan felt a burst of softness. He turned his head and found that he was back in Gabrielle¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 398: Nicolas Flamel

    <h4>Chapter 398: Nics mel</h4>

    ¡°So you¡¯re here!¡± Gabrielle said with delight, leaning over and holding Evan up.

    Evan was stiff and had a bitter smile in his mouth, letting Gabrielle embrace him.

    Maybe he was too nervous. He dared not move.

    ¡°This is the ck cat you told me about?!¡± Fleur came over and stared at him with suspicion for a long time, slowly saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this fellow on campus before. This cat¡­¡±

    Under the gaze of Fleur¡¯s blue eyes, Evan was afraid of being caught.

    As a warrior of Beauxbatons, Fleur had strong magic power.

    Although the Animagus seemed to be no different from real animals, Evan was still nervous.

    He leaned back as far as possible until he stopped abruptly.

    There was something soft behind him, and he realized that he was in Gabrielle¡¯s arms, and that he was approaching her¡­.

    Evan was stuck there, and he had no idea what to do.

    ¡°This cat¡­¡± Fleur got a little closer and leaned in front of Evan.

    Feeling the scent of Fleur, Evan held his breath and stared at her.

    ¡°I am a cat now. I have to act like a cat!¡± He repeatedly told himself that he was now a cat, and he tried to imitate the behavior of the animal.

    He remembered how Crookshanks looked in Hermione¡¯s arms. It should be¡­

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan gave a soft cry and blinked his eyes.

    ¡°This cat is really pure ck, which is very rare!¡± said Fleur, suddenly reaching out and gently patting Evan on the head. ¡°ck cats have strong magic, and this little guy is very cute, the cutest cat I have ever seen.¡±

    ¡°His eyes are very mesmerizing!¡± Gabrielle nodded and caressed Evan.

    Under the caress of the two beautiful women, Evan¡¯s breathing increased slightly.

    He remained motionless, letting Fleur and Gabrielle caress him again and again.

    He looked not like a cat now, but an inanimate doll. He was too stiff, but fortunately he didn¡¯t arouse their suspicion.

    Evan had never dreamed that he would be in touch with girls like he was now.

    His body was wantonly squeezed, and his small face and ears were rubbed into various shapes by Fleur.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan raised his hand and tried to stop it. Instead, Gabrielle directly grabbed him, caught him up, and his whole bodyy on the girl.

    Feeling something strange under him, Evan could certainly affirm that he must have blushed.

    Now, by just looking up a little, he could see Gabrielle¡¯s angelic face.

    It seemed even worse to bow his head and face the softness of her chest.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he should run away. Just as he was about to take action, Fleur looked up at Gabrielle. ¡°Well, you should take this little fellow back to bed and leave the rest to your sister.¡±

    ¡°But Evan¡­¡± Gabrielle said anxiously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that fellow is not in the school hospital. After the chaos in the Great Hall, no one has seen him.¡± Fleur tapped on her wand. ¡°Even if they find him, they¡¯re not opponents to him.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Gabrielle hesitated, holding the ck cat tightly in her arms.

    ¡°You can rest assured that this matter will be handled by your sister.¡± Fleur smiled and said, ¡°With me, that Evan Mason will be fine. Now you go back to sleep, and I promise to bring him to you before leaving school tomorrow morning.¡±

    Gabrielle still wanted to say something, but in the end she did not speak.

    She nodded lightly and walked along the corridor with Fleur to the girls¡¯ dormitory.

    Because the conversation between the two people was in French, Evan couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about.

    What he most expected now was that Gabrielle would be able to separate from Fleur quickly.

    By then, he would be able to find a chance to escape, as he did before.

    Walking along the corridor for about five minutes, they took Evan to a white, huge, shining unicorn statue.

    Fleur gently touched the statue with her wand. With a click, a rotating staircase slowly descended over head. This was Beauxbatons Girls¡¯ Dormitory.

    ¡°Good night, Gabrielle!¡± Fleur went up and kissed Gabrielle.

    ¡°Good night, sister!¡± Gabrielle responded.

    ¡°And you!¡± Fleur looked at Evan, ¡°Good night, little guy!¡±

    She stretched out her face and seemed to kiss Evan like Gabrielle had done before.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan subconsciously held out his hand to stop her.

    With the girl¡¯s silvery bellughter, Evan was embarrassed to the extreme.

    He did not know how Pettigrew had lived in the Weasley family for 13 years as an Animagus. This was hard to imagine.

    From this point of view, he had to admire that fellow.

    But it was different from what he was facing. There shouldn¡¯t be a girl who would hold a rat in her arms or want to kiss him¡­

    Gabrielle waved like Fleur, and walked to the dormitory with Evan in her arms.

    She had just stepped onto the stairs and the steps suddenly changed, and the entire stairs quickly became ne.

    Under the circumstance, Gabrielle fell off the top.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan shouted and separated from Gabrielle.

    His body turned magnificently in the air, and he fell steadily by the side.

    It was only then that he noticed that, like Hogwarts, the stairs in front of him were enchanted with defensive magic to prevent boys from entering girls¡¯ dormitories.

    He looked apologetically at Gabrielle, who had fallen to the ground, but it was an opportunity for Evan to run to the other end of the corridor while Fleur was helping her.

    He ran as fast as he could, trying to find an empty ce.

    About ten minutester, Evan stopped. He was now in an empty corridor, and the silvery moonlight was shining through the window on the left.

    In front of him, it seemed to be a messy storage room.

    Many strange-looking objects were casually thrown on both sides of the corridor. Some of them were turning fast, some were glowing dimly, some were¡­

    Needless to say, these things that looked so wonderful and of which he didn¡¯t know the specific uses were all alchemy products, and Evan could feel the subtle magic that emanated from them.

    He walked along the corridor and carefully observed these things.

    Among them, he saw the exquisite silverware that had been ced on Dumbledore¡¯s desk before, more in quantity, quietly spraying smoke out.

    ¡°Good evening, Evan! I was wondering when you would eventuallye here!¡±

    Just as Evan observed the silverware, he suddenly remembered the voice behind him. He looked back quickly and saw Dumbledore standing near with a smile.

    Next to him was Nics mel in a golden robe.

 Chapter 399: Alchemy

    <h4>Chapter 399: Alchemy</h4>

    ¡°Good evening, Professor!¡± Evan leaped forward and his body changed rapidly in midair.

    By the time hended on his feet, he had returned to the human form from that of the ck cat.

    ¡°Oh, a wonderful Animagus Transfiguration!¡± Nics mel looked at Evan and said admiringly, ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Because it is too esoteric andplex, a few wizards can master this magic. For centuries, you are the third wizard I¡¯ve ever seen who can do this at this age. It¡¯s really amazing.¡±

    He spoke very slowly, his voice was very low. His old voice was like that of a knife going across the bark of a tree. It sounded very hoarse, strange and ugly. But his mouth was smiling, and he looked extraordinarily kind.

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment!¡± Evan nodded.

    While Nics mel watched him, Evan also looked at him curiously, scrutinizing the oldest wizard in human history.

    The long life of more than six hundred years had left obvious marks on his face.

    Like Dumbledore, mel had a long white beard.

    The wrinkles on his face were very deep, and their twists and turns were uneven, like the mottled marks on the wall, crawling all over his face.

    But his emerald green eyes were extraordinarily bright and full of vitality.

    The most striking thing was that the surface of his skin reflected a faint golden light from time to time, which Evan suspected was a side effect of long-term use of the Elixir.

    A lot of magic, transformed by the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, umted in his body and manifested through the skin.

    ¡°Evan, you should have known that this is my old friend Nics mel, myb partner in alchemy and the greatest alchemist in the world.¡± Dumbledore said gently, winking at Evan, then turning to mel and introducing, ¡°This kid is Evan Mason I just mentioned.¡±

    ¡°Albus, your student is very good!¡± mel nodded and said, ¡°I can feel that he is very simr to you when you were young. He has magic power far beyond his peers, precise magic control, and the spirit of exploration and eagerness to delve into the unknown¡­¡±

    ¡°But when I was young, I never tried to break into the girls¡¯ dormitory in the form of Animagus,¡± Dumbledore said with a smile.

    Evan was stunned, and then realized that what had just happened was all under the eyes of the two old guys. No wonder they were standing here waiting for him.

    ¡°That is not wrong. I did this when I was young. No boy can refuse the enthusiasm of the girls.¡± mel recalled, ¡°Beauxbatons was not that big, and there was no defensive magic at the door of the girls¡¯ dormitory. If someone wanted to give you a door inside, you could sneak in at night. The key was to master the timing. Professors and Castle Keepers would go to bed. If I had mastered Animagus, I would not have¡­¡±

    This topic was too embarrassing, and Evan did not want to listen to mel¡¯s memories of his experience of breaking into girl¡¯s dormitories, especially considering that it was more than 600 years ago. No matter who the girl or the girls who were willing to leave the door for him were, now they should have be a pile of dust and bones, which was too terrible to think about.

    ¡°About 400 years ago, when Beauxbatons was rebuilt on arge scale, I proposed to follow Hogwarts¡¯s example and add this defensive magic, which effectively identified and prevented boys from entering the girls¡¯ dormitory.¡± mel continued, ¡°This magic seemed perfect, but it¡¯s actually wed. You just have to¡­¡±

    When he heard mel ready to expose how to enter the girls¡¯ dormitory, Evan was a little embarrassed, but he still could not help but listen carefully!

    The defensive magic was not difficult to crack, but he didn¡¯t know what to do to sneak in without drawing attention.

    ¡°All right, Nics! Before we deal with entering the girls¡¯ dormitory, I think we should first take a look at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on Evan.¡± Dumbledore stopped him at the right time. ¡°You are an expert in this area. Before taking the next step, I want to hear your opinion. ¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, you just told me about it!¡± mel said. ¡°But before that, I want to show your student my inventions. Would you mind? ¡°

    ¡°No problem, I just want to eat something.¡± Dumbledore said calmly.

    ¡°I have prepared French dessert for you in my office. You can try my favorite chocte mousse or opera cake!¡± mel waved to Evan. ¡°Come on youngd! Let me show you my alchemy products. You will be intrigued!¡±

    Evan looked at Dumbledore and mel strangely. He didn¡¯t know why mel had to lead him to see the alchemy products ced on both sides of the corridor.

    But intuition told him that the two of them should have reached an agreement.

    Evan looked at Dumbledore, and thetter did not speak, he only nodded slightly.

    His light blue eyes shimmered through the half-moon sses and he couldn¡¯t read any emotions in them.

    Separated from Dumbledore, Evan followed mel.

    The old wizard introduced him to the wonderful alchemy products, first of all the silverware he saw on Dumbledore¡¯s desk many times.

    ¡°What is this thing for?¡± Evan asked curiously. ¡°I can feel strange magical reactions from it, and the smog¡­¡±

    ¡°This is one of my inventions, very practical. You should have seen it in Albus¡¯s office, I gave it to him.¡± mel said slowly, ¡°The key lies in this smoke. It will help you see what you want to see.¡±

    ¡°What I want to see?!¡± Evan was stunned.

    mel did not go on exining. He tapped on the silver instruments with his wand.

    The slowly rotating silver suddenly speeded up and made a buzzing sound. More and more smoke was emitted from it, and it soon gathered together.

    In the smoke, Evan was surprised to see Dumbledore¡¯s shadow getting clearer and clearer.

    At this time, he was sitting in a luxurious low chair, with a steaming drink and a lot of French desserts on the table in front of him.

    He picked up a piece of cake and then seemed to feel something.

    Dumbledore frowned slightly, then quickly eased off and turned and nodded to them.

    ¡°Aha, he found us!¡± mel wielded his wand to disperse the smoke. ¡°Albus is very sensitive to magic, far beyond ordinary people¡¯s imagination.¡±

    ¡°This stuff¡­¡± Evan seemed to understand something.

    ¡°This alchemy can show a certain range of sights.¡± mel exined, ¡°Whenever I want, I can see any corner of Beauxbatons¡¯s campus. We just saw through it what you and the girl did.¡±

    No wonder Evan always felt that someone was watching him.

    Inferred from this, the set of silverware on Dumbledore¡¯s desk could also help him keep abreast of what was going on in Hogwarts.

    That¡¯s why, no matter what happened in school, he could know the main reason for it at the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it?!¡± mel looked at Evan and said with a smile, ¡°This is actually nothing. Alchemy can help wizards do many things that ordinary magic can¡¯t do. Alchemy can do them if you can think of them.¡±

 Chapter 400: Uncertain Future

    <h4>Chapter 400: Uncertain Future</h4>

    Evan stared at the smoke in front of him, slightly distracted.

    In the rising smoke, mel¡¯s words seemed toe from a very distant ce.

    In fact, he did not understand the specific operation principle of silverware.

    ¡®Through the smoke, he could see a certain range of scenes¡­¡¯

    This was beyond his knowledge of magic, and required a mix of many spells.

    Then he thought of the Marauder¡¯s Map, being the thing closest to the alchemy instrument in front of him.

    Evan once asked Sirius carefully, knowing that when they made the Marauder¡¯s Map, they had not only the magic of names and Transfiguration, but also a lot of alchemy principles, which was the key to the sess of the map.

    As mel said, alchemy was really amazing.

    ¡°Alchemy can help you do a lot of things, but it is not omnipotent. No matter how powerful the props are, they must follow the basic rules of magic.¡± Looking at the stunned Evan, mel cautioned, ¡°Like this thing in front of you for example. As long as the one on the other side is prepared, they can stop you from peeping. There are many other ces protected by magic that you can¡¯t see.¡±

    He tapped the silverware, and a great deal of smoke came out again.

    But this time, the smoke was so hazy that nothing could be seen in the vast white.

    ¡°This is the girls¡¯ dormitory in Beauxbatons. The protection magic outside the room interferes with its operation.¡± mel continued. ¡°So, unfortunately, I can¡¯t help you see that quarter-Ve girl in the dormitory now.¡±

    Evan was speechless, but his silence wasn¡¯t out of regret.

    He had no intention of peeping at Gabrielle at all, much less of sneaking into the girls¡¯ dormitory with mel. Such a behavior was way too perverted.

    However, mel¡¯s remarks were quite impressive.

    As long as it was not in a magically protected ce like Hogwarts or Beauxbatons, there seemed to be a lot to see with such an alchemy product¡­

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have anything else you want to see, we can continue and check out my next work.¡± mel led Evan forward.

    Next, under the introduction of mel, Evan saw a statue of a wizard spewing out colorful bubbles.

    These bubbles floated around. Just break one, and there would be a ssic opera, echoing throughout the corridor.

    Indeed, Nics mel was the most loyal opera lover.

    Driven by this hobby, it was natural for him to make such a magic product.

    Besides, there was a piece of crystal called ¡°Star Antimony¡± by mel.

    It was said to be able to change theposition of substances touching it, such as making a stone change back and forth between gold, silver, ck iron, brass, wood, and so on.

    However, in this process, it needed unimaginable amounts of magic!

    Evan suspected that even Dumbledore might not be able to use the crystal at will.

    Moving along the corridor, Evan saw many magical props.

    Among the many alchemy products, the magic prop that he most cared about was supposed to assist in divination and prophecy.

    It was a huge stone basin filled with silver liquid, and the stone basin was engraved withplex magic symbols. It looked like the Pensieve.

    ¡°This is thetest work that I have been refining. Just like when entering a dream, it can help you see the future clearly, instead of seeing those ambiguous harbingers.¡± With his unique old voice, mel said slowly, ¡°The wonderfulbination of alchemy and divination, although the predictions may not be urate, but divination is inherently illusory, very few people can make real prophecies.¡±

    Evan nodded and he thought of Professor Trwney.

    Sometimes she might really see the future, but if she believed in these things too much, the most likely oue was for her to go mad first.

    ¡°Well, do you want to try it?! mel motioned Evan to stand in front of the stone basin, ¡°stare at the liquid inside, rx, rx¡­¡±

    mel waved his wand and muttered a spell that Evan couldn¡¯t understand.

    A flickering dark grey light emerged from the end of his wand, and the silver liquid in the stone basin in front of him began to spin rapidly to form a vortex.

    Evan felt that his soul was being sucked in. There was a blur in his eyes, and he blinked vigorously.

    In the next second, he saw a huge space in the stone basin, which was covered with huge, rough ck stones, with the surrounding area being foggy.

    Evan did not understand. What on earth was going on? Was that his future?!

    Just as he was about to ask mel, the scene in front of him began to change rapidly.

    In the stone basin, he was running forward with all his strength, and his vision was moving forward quickly.

    Then, as the picture turned around, Evan saw a man¡¯s figure appear in the stone basin.

    This man was so big and he couldn¡¯t see his face clearly.

    With him looking so far away, the details of what happening were elusive to the eye.

    The hazy fog grew thicker and thicker. With intuition, Evan could feel that the man was doing something terrible, but he could not see it clearly.

    He could only see vaguely that the man¡¯s head seemed to be changing.

    He seemed to have done something, and then slowly turned around¡­

    At the most critical moment, the image stopped abruptly.

    The liquid in the stone basin returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.

    ¡°The man who just appeared seems to be preparing to apply some ck magic. You should be careful.¡± mel looked up and said slowly, ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. As I said just now, this thing is very inurate. It can¡¯t aplish real divination. It just shows what¡¯s in your mind.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve never seen that man before!¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡± mel did not stop in front of the stone basin and continued to move forward. It seemed that he did not care very much about Evan¡¯s future. ¡°Maybe it failed. That is normal. Using an alchemy product to specte on fate, that is a crazy thing in itself; an unrealistic reverie of an old man who has lived for too long.¡±

    Nics mel stopped and turned to look at Evan.

    ¡°But you know, when this thing was first refined, it consumed a lot of my painstaking efforts. It was the final crystallization of my knowledge of alchemy.¡± He paused and continued, ¡°Although I am not very proficient in divination, I would say it might work every now and then.¡±

    This sentence sounded really unpleasant. mel seemed to be telling Evan to ept his bad future in a euphemistic way.

    ¡°Who else used the stone basin?¡± he hurriedly asked, ¡°What did they see?¡±

    ¡°Besides me, you are the second person to use it.¡± mel looked at Evan, ¡°and I saw¡­¡±

    Under the silver moonlight, Evan could not help but squint.

    He quietly looked at the old wizard in front of him and the deep wrinkles on his face.

    He didn¡¯t know what mel had seen, but from his serious expression, it was definitely not something to be happy about.

 Chapter 401: Death and the Philosopherâ€™s Stone

    <h4>Chapter 401: Death and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone</h4>

    Nics mel paused and carefully observed the expression on Evan¡¯s face before gently saying, ¡°I saw death in it!¡±

    ¡°Death?!¡± Evan was surprised.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Seeing the startled look on Evan¡¯s face, mel could not help smiling. ¡°This must be urate, isn¡¯t it?! This stone basin made an effective divination and proved its uracy. After talking to Albus two years ago, I¡¯ve destroyed the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, so that I can keep off people ulterior motives. But it also means that I can¡¯t make the Elixir of Life anymore.¡±

    Even though Evan was still worried about the sneaky man he just saw in the stone basin, the mood became particrly grim when he heard mel¡¯s words.

    He was not sure if he shouldfort mel.

    ¡°All right, son! Don¡¯t show such an expression, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± mel continued to speak in a rxed tone, ¡°Death is a relief for us. My wife Perenelle and I are ready to taste it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°For a young man like you, it seems a little unbelievable. But for us, death is actually like going to bed after a long day.¡± mel waved to show Evan that he did not care. ¡°And you must have heard Albus say that death is just another great adventure for a very sober wizard. Keep in mind that this is far from the end.¡±

    In the empty corridor, only mel¡¯s deep old voice echoed.

    He seemed to be implying some thoughts, but Evan couldn¡¯t understand.

    Although he had seen descriptions of death in many magic books before, they were all vague.

    Among the ancient lost doctrines, many wizards believed that death did not simply mean the end of life, but the beginning of a new cycle, one that transcended life itself and opened up doors for another mysterious category of magic.

    Only a truly powerful wizard was qualified to explore it.

    Ordinary people, however, would only do everything possible to prolong their lives and avoid death.

    Although not many agree with this, if it really belonged to magic, then there must be secrets that death opened up people to.

    Evan wasn¡¯t certain that he¡¯d just close his eyes and face death calmly if it arrived. Obviously, mel was more certain.

    But before Evan could ask him about his views on the rtionship between magic and death, mel blinked and continued. ¡°I want you to ask, but now is not the time to tell you. My child, when your life is about to reach the end, you will understand what I said today.¡±

    mel looked at Evan carefully, with a smile on his lips, and looked at the confusion on his face.

    ¡°How long until that day? It all depends on your choice.¡± mel¡¯s eyes slowly descended and fell on the Locket hanging on Evan¡¯s chest. ¡°Unlike most, you have a choice. You also have a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, as I did before, which means that no matter how much wealth you want and how long you want to live, you can get what you want.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this!¡± Evan said dejectedly, ¡°It originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor. Gryffindor transformed this Philosopher¡¯s Stone a thousand years ago, and now it has no use but to provide magic.¡±

    He opened the Locket and took out the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The irregr red Stone glowed softly in his hand.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. If you have a little knowledge of alchemy, it¡¯s just a way of using magic in the Philosopher¡¯s stones to make gold from a stone and to make the Elixir of Life. The key is the Philosopher¡¯s Stone itself. It is the foundation. Everything is possible with this Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡± mel bent down and looked carefully at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in Evan¡¯s hand. ¡°This Philosopher¡¯s Stone has a lot of power, much stronger than the one I used to have.¡±

    Instead of removing the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from Evan¡¯s hand, he maintained the position and watched it for a few minutes before slowly raising his head.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know much about curses, there is no doubt that the power inside this Philosopher¡¯s Stone is very pure and powerful, far beyond imagination.¡± mel looked at Evan and said softly, ¡°Breaking the Curse on you is not a problem. In fact, as long as you master the use of this stone, no matter what you want, it will help you achieve it.¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Evan asked subconsciously.

    ¡°This involves very esoteric alchemy knowledge and rted theories, it¡¯s still beyond your level.¡± melughed. ¡°What you need to do now is to restore this broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone and find the other half as soon as possible.¡±

    Evan put the Philosopher¡¯s Stone away. For the other half of the piece, It had only been taken away by the fallen Centaurs in the war 800 years ago.

    He didn¡¯t know where it was hidden now, and he had no clue.

    But from what Sirius said before, Dumbledore should already be doing the research, and nothing could be concealed from him.

    ¡°Although what I want to say next may not be appropriate, I have to. A Philosopher¡¯s Stone is not really that wonderful.¡± mel¡¯s expression suddenly became serious and he warned Evan, ¡°With it, you seem to have everything, but you actually lose everything. This goes in line with the most basic principle of alchemy: equivalent exchange. It took me more than 600 years to understand this truth.¡±

    Evan blinked. He did not fully understand what mel was saying.

    Like Dumbledore, mel always liked to say half and keep half. All his warnings were to stop and let Evan think about the rest.

    This might be an admirable way of teaching, but it was ambiguous enough to drive one mad!

    ¡°With the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, you¡¯ll get all your wealth and longevity, but at the same time you¡¯ll have to be prepared to give up more.¡± mel looked at Evan and said slowly, ¡°As a pioneer, if you ask for my advice, then I¡¯ll tell you that these seemingly important things don¡¯t actually do you any good.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand!¡±

    ¡°When you understand, you can face death calmly!¡± mel gasped for a moment before continuing, ¡°Today is the first time we¡¯ve met. But no surprise, this should be ourst meeting.¡±

    Evan looked up at the old wizard. The light in his eyes was fading slowly.

    At this moment, he was like a dying old man whose life was passing through his body at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    mel waved his hand, interrupting Evan¡¯s question, and signaled him to continue listening. ¡°At the moment I destroyed the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, I was ready to meet death. But because there was one thing I couldn¡¯t rest assured of, I have never acted. Seeing you today, I finally can.¡±

 Chapter 402: Prophet Abraham

    <h4>Chapter 402: Prophet Abraham</h4>

    Evan didn¡¯t know what mel needed him for, nor did he know what he could rest assured of. If it was something difficult, perhaps mel would be better off relying on Dumbledore.

    But looking at mel¡¯s expression, it seemed that only Evan could aplish it.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I am the only maker of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone known to the wizarding world.¡± mel said slowly, ¡°But I am not its inventor; at best, I¡¯ve made minor improvements to it. In fact, this advanced alchemy was originally the work of ancient magicians, who used Philosopher¡¯s Stones as a continuous Magical Power source for the exploration of the greater unknown existence, not for the Elixir of Life or making gold.¡±

    Evan nodded, and he already knew about this. Each of Hogwarts¡¯s Four Founders left a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which they made into keys to unlock the secret treasures ording to the old methods of using it.

    This was what he knew for a fact, but Evan had his spection. He thought that perhaps, ancient warlocks created the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to conjure evil spirits.

    Maybe that¡¯s what mel meant by ¡®the greater unknown existence¡¯.

    This inference also exined why the evil god discovered by the Centaurs would teach the fallen ones the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to summon his magic of the world. Not only that, but through further research on the underground relics of Aragog¡¯s Lair, Evan had the decisive evidence.

    He believed that in the process of creating or transforming himself into an evil god, Herpo the Foul had also used a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Not surprisingly, in the most critical steps, he must have used the power of a Philosopher¡¯s Stone to fuse his soul with the body of the evil god he created.

    ¡°With the demise of ancient warlocks, the craft of making the Philosopher¡¯s stone had also been lost.¡± mel closed his eyes and showed a reminiscent expression. ¡°But by chance, I got that semi-finished Philosopher¡¯s Stone and a book¡­¡±

    Evan¡¯s heart was moved. He had read Nics mel¡¯s biography, which mentioned a mysterious magic book that was also considered the foundation of modern alchemy.

    It was said that mel made the Philosopher¡¯s Stone ording to the records in that book.

    ¡°The book was handed down by a man called Abraham,¡± mel said softly. ¡°You may not be unfamiliar with this name. In the Muggle world, he is considered to be a prophet of Judaism, Christianity and Im, a person chosen and blessed by God from all living beings on earth, a messenger of God to the world, and amon ancestor of both the Hebrews and Arabs.¡±

    mel paused for a moment, leaving time for Evan to digest this shocking news.

    ¡°Of course, besides the prophet, he has many other identities. In the wizarding world, he is one of the most powerful ancient warlocks in history, with very strong power.¡± mel said slowly, ¡°Abraham is a man who lives in legend. I used to think he was fictional, not an existing man, but I did not expect that I would get the magic book he left behind.¡±

    mel gasped and continued to speak slowly in an old voice, ¡°I remember graduating from Beauxbatons. At home, I found a stable job in the Ministry of Magic. But my mind was full of restless ideas, and driven by them, I finally followed a group of people from Paris to Egypt on a reckless expedition, despite the advice of my family.¡±

    ¡°No one could think that my ordinary life would change dramatically during that expedition.¡± mel continued, ¡°There was nothingmendable about the expedition itself. After a few months of traveling, we found a relic left by an ancient Egyptian wizard ording to a Treasure Map I don¡¯t know where we got it. Everything seemed to be going well, but waiting for us behind the door was not a treasure, but four hungry, angry Manticores. After a hasty battle, the few of us who were still alive dispersed and fled.¡±

    Evan could imagine the situation at the time. In the face of this extremely dangerous monster, one shouldn¡¯t even think about fighting. Turning around and fleeing was the most correct choice.

    ¡°I lost my way in the desert alone, with no food, no fresh water, no hope¡­ I thought I would die there.¡± mel tightened his robe. ¡°I still remember that night. After the zing day had passed, the desert quickly went to the other extreme. There was no warmth in the endless, cold sand, and the whole desert reeked of death.¡±

    ¡°I was dying alone in the cold sand; my wand was destroyed in battle; I had no way to use Apparition. In fact, even if I had a wand, I couldn¡¯t do anything. The desert seemed to have a powerful magic. Under its interference, all my magic and magic items didn¡¯t work.¡± More than 600 years had passed, but mentioning this incident, mel¡¯s tone had a touch of despair within it. ¡°After exhausting thest thread of physical strength, I copsed and fell in the yellow sand.¡±

    Pursuing the despair in mel¡¯s tone, Evan tried to imagine the scene.

    In the endless desert, a person was lonely and helpless, only death was slowly approaching him, and the image of death was bing clearer and clearer in his mind.

    ¡°That night, I had a dream!¡± mel frowned. ¡°Until now, I can¡¯t tell what that magical dream was like. Maybe I have a prophetic lineage. All in all, in that dream, I met a man with a strange scepter. He said that he was Abraham. He told me that I would get a magic book. As long as I studied hard and understood it thoroughly, I could gain extraordinary power from it.¡±

    Evan thought along too. Would mel¡¯s dream be just a prophecy?!

    Or in other words, wouldn¡¯t this be more of a powerful force that acted on his mind while he was asleep?

    Perhaps it was the magic left by an ancient warlock called Abraham who was sending him a message.It was not impossible for ancient warlocks to do this.

    ¡°The next morning, I woke up miraculously. Although my body was abnormally weak, I survived!¡± mel said, picking up speed as he spoke.¡±And that dream came true. Under the Divine guidance, I was rescued by an Arab caravan of Muggles. To thank them, I gave them all my Gold Galleons, and in return, they gave me an ancient, massive book, and a stone.¡±

 Chapter 403: The Book of Abraham

    <h4>Chapter 403: The Book of Abraham</h4>

    Needless to say, that stone must¡¯ve been mel¡¯s Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    But Evan was now very interested in the huge old book he mentioned. A book left by the most powerful ancient warlock, prophet, sacrificing, master astrologer, and wise saint Abraham was something beyond imagination.

    Evan had previously spected about the source of Alchemy that mel had mastered.

    But he never thought that the truth of the matter would be so legendary. At this very moment, he discovered that his imagination was so wan.

    Besides shock, Evan could not find any other words to describe his emotions at this moment.

    Even when he first saw the unknown evil spirit, he was not so shocked.

    He did not expect that what mel had got was ¡°The book of Abraham¡±!!!

    This magic book, which recorded the most profound alchemy knowledge, was even more precious than all the legendary magic items that Evan knew so far.

    ¡°I knew immediately that the magic book I got was the one mentioned by the man in my dream!¡± mel said slowly. ¡°The Muggle that gave it to me didn¡¯t know its value at all. He told me that he found the book in an abandoned ruin, but he could not understand even a word of its content.¡±

    mel said he was tired, and he stopped to rest for a while.

    ¡°It was a big ancient book, not made of paper or sheepskin like other books, but of delicate, smooth bark. The cover was tightly wrapped with brass, engraved with words or strange symbols.¡± mel looked at Evan, who was holding his breath and listening carefully. ¡°The words were not in English, Latin, French or othernguages that Muggles could recognize, but I recognized them at a nce. They were ancient magic words that only the most knowledgeable wizards can read.¡±

    While Evan was trying to think about the book of Abraham, mel did not stop, and he continued to speak with his old voice.

    ¡°It took me forty years topletely decipher the meaning of every ancient magic inscription on the cover.¡± mel¡¯s voice suddenly dropped. ¡°Sorry, my child! I can¡¯t say it here. Unlike the ancient magic words we usually know, the words on the cover are magical. They are powerful spell. Even without magic, they can be triggered by the power ofnguage¡­ ¡±

    mel¡¯s intermittent voice was like a whisper, and even though Evan was very close, it was difficult for him to hear what he saidter. He had to move a little forward.

    Now, in the empty corridor, he could only hear an imperceptible voice.

    Only mel¡¯s lips seemed to be moving, and even the finest dust could not be disturbed. A strange and indescribable sense of mystery rose within the depths of Evan¡¯s heart.

    He felt an unprecedented depression, and he found that his hair was standing. This unusual uneasiness and fear grew stronger and stronger.

    ¡°My dear child, you just need to know that anyone who gets the book can no longer put it down from his hands. No one can ignore this book, because it can stimte the greatest ambition and desire in people¡¯s hearts and minds.¡± With a long sigh, mel¡¯s voice gradually returned to normal. ¡°What followed was very simple. With the help of that book, I refined the Philosopher¡¯s Stone I got from Muggles at the same time. From then on, I acquired unimaginable wealth and eternal life.¡±

    Although mel did not describe the specific process of refining the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan could imagine the hardships he had to endure.

    It took 40 years just to decipher the ancient magic on the cover. The contents of the book were definitely moreplicated and difficult to understand.

    He could imagine mel sitting alone at his desk, day and night, double checking the book word by word to confirm the instructions he understood, and this processsted for six hundred years!

    ¡°As I said before, the magic book is very thick. The pages inside are divided into three groups. There is no text on the front pages of each group. Instead, there is a strange pattern.¡± mel said, ¡°It took me more than six hundred years to decipher it and acquire unimaginable alchemy knowledge from it, but up to now, I can only understand what is recorded on the first set of pages.¡±

    Evan looked at mel, and the old wizard¡¯s glimmering face could not conceal his feeling of failure.

    He didn¡¯t know why mel had such a look. In his opinion, it was already a great achievement to learn one third of the Content of a legendary magic book like ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±.

    What¡¯s more, mel still had time. If he didn¡¯t destroy the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and with the help of the Elixir of Life, sooner orter he would understand the knowledge recorded in the entire book.

    ¡°No, with the deepening of the research, I finally discovered that my starting point, the most basic part of all theories had gone wrong, and it didn¡¯t make any sense to continue to persist.¡± Seemingly knowing what Evan was thinking, mel shook his head and said, ¡°I chose to use that Philosopher¡¯s Stone to gain wealth and immortality, to acquire things that are of no use, and thus gave up the opportunity to get greater knowledge. Perhaps death is the only thing I have¡­ ¡°

    mel closed his eyes and did not go on talking.

    But things in Evan¡¯s mind were getting clearer and clearer, and all his doubts seemed to gather and fade.

    mel must have learned something from ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, so he said that death was just the beginning of another great adventure.

    But what did he mean by opportunity?!

    mel did not seem to have any intention of continuing to exin to Evan. It seemed that if he wanted to understand the ins and outs of this matter, he could only read ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± himself.

    However, when he thought that mel spent more than six hundred years to decipher one-third of the book, Evan felt a massive headache.

    He didn¡¯t want his future destiny to be spent in front of a table.

    ¡°As I just said, I¡¯m ready to embrace death, but I can¡¯t rest assured of one thing, so I have stored a lot of Elixir of Life.¡± mel looked into Evan¡¯s eyes and said earnestly, ¡°You should have guessed it. What I can¡¯t rest assured about is the inheritance of the book. I can¡¯t let it be buried after my departure.¡±

    Evan felt his heart beating so hard, and his breathing could not help but be heavy.

    In fact, he had this kind of hunch before, that mel might give him ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±.

    But when he was about to hear the news, he could not help being excited.

    Before today, even in his dreams, he had no idea that he would get the legendary magic item ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± on his trip to France.

    Perhaps, Dumbledore had known that, and because of this, he took him to France, to Beauxbatons, to meet Nics mel¡­

 Chapter 404: Secret Inheritor

    <h4>Chapter 404: Secret Inheritor</h4>

    ¡°Two years ago, when I was determined to destroy the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, I was always looking for the right inheritor.¡± mel¡¯s voice came intermittently. ¡°There were too few wizards to meet my requirements. I thought it would take a long time, even hundreds of years, so I prepared a lot of Elixir¡­¡±

    At this point, mel stopped talking.

    He leaned over and looked at Evan. In the dim candlelight around, his dark eyes were extraordinarily bright, and the deep wrinkles on his face eased.

    ¡°In addition to having enough wisdom and talent to inherit that book, the most crucial thing is to have a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡± mel said, and then added with a rougher tone, ¡°A pure Philosopher¡¯s Stone without any modification. This is very important; it is the key to unlock all the secrets and get the treasure!¡±

    ¡°Like the one I have now?!¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Yes, my dear child, this one you have.¡± mel held his breath and said attentively. ¡°I once got a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, but I used it stupidly to get eternal life and wealth. I thought I would never get another chance¡­¡±

    Evan fiddled with the Locket and felt the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in it.

    From what mel said, the real use of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was not to obtain eternal life and wealth, but to obtain the key to the secret of ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±.

    Of course, the Philosopher¡¯ Stone he got from Gryffindor was also the key to unlocking the Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts.

    There seemed to be a connection between the two things, or perhaps this was just a simple coincidence?!

    Evan shook his head, he was not sure. The Four Founders, ancient warlocks, evil spirits, alchemy, Prophet Abraham, the whole thing was getting more and moreplicated.

    Only the tip of the iceberg had been unveiled about these secrets inherited from ancient times, and their potential was not yet fully explored.

    However, what he had seen was already so overwhelming that thinking of what he could expect from the future almost took away his breath. All these things were beyond his imagination.

    He couldn¡¯t help thinking that maybe from the moment he returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago to meet the Four Founders, he had already been involved in this whole whole thing.

    Following this line of thought, Evan carried on thinking.

    It stood to reason that with the strength and wisdom of the Four Founders, even if they were the founders of Hogwarts, they should not worry about a Dark wizard that woulde after over a thousand years, let alone leave a secret treasure or a powerful weapon to protect Hogwarts and stop Voldemort.

    Because he knew the horror of Voldemort, Evan had always taken it for granted, but now thinking about it carefully, would Voldemort really be someone that they should worry about?

    He thought about it; Szar Slytherin alone, without mentioning the other three, could suppress the evil spirit that Evan had seen in the underground ruins on his own.

    That was probably the most powerful and evil Dark wizard of all times, Herpo the Foul himself who created a new evil god!

    The other three Founders were certainly simr, if not better than Slytherin.

    How could a powerful wizard, who could do that, fear Voldemort, worry about a descendant of Slytherin, and worry that Hogwarts would be destroyed by him?

    The series of recent encounters had also caused Evan to start doubting this even more¡­

    The Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders was not used to resist Voldemort, but was actually found by Voldemort and modified for his ulterior purposes.

    The treasure might not be a weapon against Voldemort, but something exclusively rted to ancient warlocks and evil spirits¡­

    Evan suddenly felt that his back was soaked in cold sweat. If that was the case, it would be terrible. He hoped it was all just his imagination.

    Anyway, he now had to continue the search for the remaining Philosopher¡¯s Stones, and at the very least, find the half taken away by the fallen Centaurs.

    ¡°A few days ago, Albus wrote me a letter in which he said that you may be the inheritor I have been looking for.¡± mel continued. ¡°I was skeptical, but after seeing you, I can be sure that he was right. You fully satisfied my conditions, and you are worthy of getting the book in my ce to continue exploring its mysteries.¡±

    ¡°Just because I have the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡± Evan was somewhat surprised. ¡°So it¡¯s not necessarily me. Anyone can have a Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡­¡±

    ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone is really crucial, but it is not the most important thing, my child!¡± mel said with augh. ¡°The key is your qualities . Whether it is me or Albus, we¡¯re very satisfied with you. Two old guys like us are unlikely to agree on something wrong. You know, we have to be careful in choosing the inheritor; the power contained in this book is beyond imagination. If you have evil thoughts, it will be a disaster for the whole wizarding world and even the Muggle world.¡±

    mel took a few steps forward and came to a dark golden curtain.

    He waved his wand gently, and a click sounded behind the curtain. Only then did Evan notice that in this humble corner, there was a hidden door. Was ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± behind it?

    At mel¡¯s suggestion, he followed him in.

    Through the narrow stone gate, the narrow ramp built with huge stones kept going up. Because only a few people came through here, the stairs were covered with thick dust.

    The air in the tunnel was slightly turbid and it was difficult to breathe.

    But the thought of seeing ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, a magic book that only existed in legend, made Evan too excited and nervous to care about that.

    Inside the walls on both sides of the ramp, there were many strange stone statues.

    They were ced in niches in hollow walls; all of them were ssic opera figures.

    Evan knew that mel was the most loyal opera lover, but he did not understand why he was keeping so many stone statues of song characters here.

    Just when he doubted it, mel suddenly stopped on the stairs.

    ¡°Here we are, it is here!¡± he said softly.

    Along his gaze, Evan saw a statue of an old man in a robe, with wide eyes and a terrible look. Behind him, there seemed to be a devil!

    He squinted so that he could see it better as from it, he could feel no magic.

    But looking at mel¡¯s expression, it was obviously not simple. Was ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± hidden in it?!

    ¡°When Ist reconstructed Beauxbatons hundreds of years ago, I left this trail here, just like most secret passages in schools, without magic, so that it would not be suspected.¡± mel exined, ¡°But in fact, this statue of Faust and the Devil is the key to the door!¡±

 Chapter 405: The Golden Cave and The Crystal Tree

    <h4>Chapter 405: The Golden Cave and The Crystal Tree</h4>

    Evan had seen a lot of Portkeys before, all of them more or less exuding magic.

    That was the symbol of magic function, even the special Portkey to Azkaban Wizarding Prison, which was kept underground in the Ministry of Magic, was no exception.

    But in front of him, nothing could be felt from the statue of Faust.

    It was like all ordinary stone statues. There was no magic in it. Apart from its peculiar shape, nothing about it called for a second look.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. Like other statues around here, it¡¯s still amon stone carving. Only the right incantation can make it a Portkey.¡± mel exined, ¡°The space in which the book is located is protected by ancient and powerful magic, and no one can enter it without using the right method. This statue is the only way to get there. I use alchemy to leave a positioning prop for that space.¡±

    Indeed, the Portkey was a magical item that could quickly transport people from one space to another, and really seemed inconspicuous, looking insignificant.

    Making a Portkey needs to be reported to the Portkey Office in the Ministry of Magic, and the incantation would be Portus.

    As long as one thought about his destination while reading the spell, they would make it there.

    But obviously, this one Evan saw in front of him was different from themon Portkeys.

    First of all, it most certainly was not under the control of the Ministry of Magic. Moreover, after mel¡¯s transformation, the incantation should be different for alchemy prop that was dedicated to the space where ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± was preserved.

    ¡°Have you ever seen the opera Faust?¡± mel asked softly.

    Instead of rushing to use magic, he turned and looked at Evan.

    Under his gaze, Evan shook his head and motioned that he had never watched it.

    ¡°Then I suggest you go and have a look. Although it¡¯s an opera created by Muggles, it¡¯s really a great ssic that can help you understand a lot about life and philosophy. When you have time, I encourage you to go.¡± mel said slowly in his old voice. ¡°Remember that when people work hard all their lives, it is inevitable that they would make mistakes. Even if their heart is shrouded by darkness, a good man would still recognize the right way to be honest¡­¡±

    He recited some famous Faust verses, and then stopped to rest for a while, as if to leave time for Evan to think carefully about what they meant.

    ¡°My dear child, you are the heir of my choice!¡± A few minutester, with a heavy voice and a solemn look, mel said, ¡°I hope that you don¡¯t indulge in eternal life, power and wealth as I did, which are of no benefit. Instead, you can go all the way to the end, and learn the true secrets of ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±.¡±

    He had just finished speaking, patted on Evan¡¯s shoulder and walked to the front of Faust and the Devil statue.

    ¡°In the Beginning was the Deed!¡± mel said softly.

    He looked at Evan again and used his wand to quickly knock on the statue.

    A faint blue light shed and the statue shook.

    Now, Evan could feel the faint magic from it. The statue gradually changed from an ordinary stone carving to a Portkey, and the incantation was In the Beginning was the Deed!

    This sentence was also from Faust, pointing to the origin of all things.

    Literally, it meant that it was notnguage, nor ideas, but practice and action that implemented and created everything.

    As long as one works hard, mistakes are unavoidable¡­.

    So don¡¯t stop trying for fear of making mistakes, again and again.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± mel put his hand on the statue and motioned Evan to do the same. ¡°We¡¯d better hurry and not keep Albus waiting!¡±

    Just as Evan put his hand on the Portkey, the statue of Faust broke apart in an instant, and a soft blue light came out of it.

    The light changed, the world in front of him changed, and he felt a fit of dizziness.

    In the strange glorious world, he was pushed forward by invisible forces.

    Everything around became distorted, as if he had entered a strange tunnel.

    Evan did not know how long it took, and when he regained consciousness, he found himself in an empty, huge cave.

    In the dim light before him, the statue changed back from a Portkey to a stone sculpture.

    This was what Evan could see at first sight. With its different color, the original small statue of Faust stood out.

    Behind the statue, the grotesque vertical downward stctites of the cave¡¯s walls, and the floors and roofs were not made up of rough stones, but were all dazzling gold; gold was everywhere in sight!

    The entire underground cave was made of gold!!!

    Evan looked at the surrounding with amazement, and only then could he really understand the meaning of ¡°the golden touch¡±.

    Before that, he had no idea that mel would actually use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to turn an entire cave into gold; the idea was actually insane!

    If asked, he could only describe the scene before him as shocking. In fact, he had never seen so much gold before. Compared with the gold in front of him, all the wealth boasted by the pure blood wizard families was a joke.

    No wonder mel warned him repeatedly before entering here.

    Even though Evan had made up his mind, he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of so much gold and immortality.

    He tried to keep his breath steady, but his eyes could not help looking at the innumerable gold on the walls around him, uncontrobly.

    ¡°This is where I tried to work on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. With countless trials, the overflow of energy from it made this happen.¡± mel exined, ¡°This space is tens of thousands of feet below Beauxbatons. Although it is so far, it is still under the protection of the various magic protecting the school. The original entrance waspletely sealed by me. No one can enter this ce without using this Portkey.¡±

    He walked forward and Evan hurried to keep up.

    The cave was veryrge. Looking ahead, there was nothing but gold¡­

    Evan had a feeling of spinning around and around. After a few steps, he could not even tell which was the bottom and which was the top.

    In this golden world, everything seemed to have no boundaries, no limits.

    Just when he felt like he was about to faint, he saw a massive old tree.

    This ancient tree was not any species that Evan knew. Its trunk was enough for dozens of people to encircle.

    The branches and leaves were so thick that it stood there like a huge triangr pyramid.

    The leaves emitted a faint glow, which was the only source of light in the cave.

    A few steps forward, Evan clearly saw that the leaves and texture of the tree were all fluorescent, transparent crystals.

    In the center of the trunk, in an inward hole, quietly ced was a very thick magic book: ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±!

 Chapter 406: A Scepter, and Two Giant Snakes

    <h4>Chapter 406: A Scepter, and Two Giant Snakes</h4>

    ¡°More than 600 years ago, I returned from Egypt to Beauxbatons with this book and put it here!¡± mel exined, ¡°The seeds of this tree were also brought in at that time. I did not notice that it was actually caught in the pages of the book. By the time it was discovered, it had already begun to germinate and grow. With a few hundred years of alchemy experiments, it absorbed the powerful magic overflowing from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and slowly grew up, gradually bing what it is today.¡±

    Evan looked up at the huge old crystal tree.

    Then, his gaze quickly turned to ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± in the center of the tree!

    As mel said before, this was a very big and thick magic book.

    It looked very old, and its pages were made of delicate and smooth bark, which exhibited a strange lc color under the fluorescence. The edges of the pages had begun to crystallize.

    Yes, they were made out of crystal!

    Like this huge old tree in front of him, they seemed to be of the same material.

    Evan had a feeling that the pages of ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± were made of this strange crystal old tree in front of his eyes, and they were all one.

    He took a step forward so that he could see more clearly.

    Simple, heavy breath came to him, although he did not touch, let alone flip the pages, Evan could clearly feel the traces of time that passed on the book.

    It quietly resided in ce as if it was never moved.

    Thousands of years had gone quickly. It was conceivable that in history, countless talented and powerful wizards had owned this magic book.

    Each of them was a powerful wizard who could leave a trace on the history of magic. Around the ownership of such magic book, there must have been countless fights and conspiracies.

    From the current results, no matter how many people had ever obtained ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, none of them knew its true secrets.

    mel should be the closest one to the truth. He had gained endless life and unthinkable wealth.

    But he said that his starting point itself was wrong.

    Evan took a deep breath and wondered if he could prate the mystery of the book, or like the previous owners, ultimately die with great regret.

    He shook his head and hurriedly focused.

    In front of Evan, the cover of ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± was tightly wrapped in arge construction of brass.

    It was covered with tiny,plex lines, and asionally glowed with dark gold.

    On the front cover there was no name written, nor were there horrible designs like other ancient magic books, as a warning toter generations.

    On the contrary, it was densely covered with strange words.

    Looking at these ancient words, Evan felt that he was vaguely acquainted, and he seemed to have read them somewhere.

    Then he realized that these were all ancient magic words.

    Not long ago, he had seen something simr in Hermione¡¯s textbook.

    Every Thursday night, Hermione spent more than five hours practicing ancient magic words she had learned on parchment or looking for information to learn new magic words.

    Because he watched her too much, Evan also learned a lot.

    But in front of him, these magic words were more ancient andplex than all the ancient magic words he knew. Strange patterns were twisted, and they were all looking like hieroglyphs.

    Even if Evan racked his brain, he could not understand the meaning of these words.

    ¡°This book is yours now. Sooner orter you will know the meaning of these words. As I said, it¡¯s a powerful spell.¡± mel said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t need magic, it can be put into practice sessfully just by the power ofnguage. I sincerely hope that you won¡¯t have to use it someday.¡±

    The power of this spell should definitely be beyond imagination for mel to repeat his advice.

    Looking at the old words, there was a lot of spection in Evan¡¯s mind, but in the end they were all refuted one by one.

    It was true that Abraham¡¯s power as God¡¯s spokesman in the world should not be understood by ordinary people at all.

    Evan couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of spell it would be.

    At mel¡¯s suggestion, he stepped forward and gently turned the pages open.

    The pages were heavy and very rough!

    Evan flipped through the book and noticed that it was divided into three parts, each consisting of seven pages.

    On the front page of the first part, there was no text but a stone.

    Evan only looked at it once and recognized it as a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The next seven pages were all ancient magic texts like the cover. They recorded the knowledge rted to alchemy, from which mel developed the method of making Philosopher¡¯s Stones.

    On the first page of the second part, there was no text, but a pattern.

    It was a huge scepter with its head and tail swallowed by two giant snakes. To Evan¡¯s surprised, they were ones that he had seen before.

    His underground experience in Aragog¡¯s Lair was still vivid in his mind.

    In the stone chamber where the horrible eyeball monster was located, Evan saw four magic items left by Szar Slytherin on thest mural.

    They were the Locket, the ring, the wand, and a scepter that was surrounded by two green snakes from bottom to top; it was the scepter drawn on the book.

    No mistake, Evan could be sure.

    Apart from the fact that the scepter was surrounded by two snakes from the bottom to the top, and that the scepter above the picture was being swallowed by two snakes, the details remained exactly the same.

    There was no difference in the lines on the body.

    Evan was short of breath. He didn¡¯t think that his premonition would actuallye true. ¡°The book of Abraham¡± was rted to Slytherin himself.

    Szar might have gone a step further than mel, who only had the Philosopher¡¯s Stone at his disposal. mel just studied and understood the first part of the book.

    But Szar Slytherin got the snake Scepter, and he had possibly figured out the second part.

    Because he had so little information, Evan could not be sure whether Szar had ever acquired the book. If he was the owner of the book, why did it not remain in Hogwarts, but was lost in ancient Egypt to be finally found by mel?

    If Szar hadn¡¯t read ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, where did he get the snake Scepter?

    He did not know what it meant. It was all a mystery.

    Evan tried to calm down, not to think about these things, and kept turning back.

    Behind the scepter swallowed by the giant snakes, there were six pages of ancient magic inscriptions.

    These magic words were more esoteric and iprehensible than the previous ones. Evan felt like they were a child¡¯s graffiti, purely meaningless patterns.

    He looked at it for a while, without the slightest clue.

    No wonder mel had studied for hundreds of years and hadn¡¯t found anything.

    It seemed that the only way to understand the meaning of the above words was to find the snake Scepter left by Szar Slytherin.

    Thinking of this, Evan could not help but sigh.

    It seemed that there was only endless trouble associated with Slytherin.

    Besides the evil god created by Herpo the Foul, there were his descendants of vampires who were facing great difficulties.

 Chapter 407: Flamelâ€™s Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 407: mel¡¯s Legacy</h4>

    Compared with the treasure keys left by Hufflepuff and Ravenw with no clues, Slytherin was troublesome here, but the clues were very obvious.

    First of all, Slytherin had a special Vault numbered 1 under Gringotts, on the ind surrounded by magma in the deepest part of the earth.

    Under the goblins¡¯ supervision, the Vault had not been opened for nearly a thousand years. The scepter must be hidden inside.

    Secondly, Evan had previously obtained the namete left by Szar in the underground relics.

    With Harry¡¯s help, all the words recorded in Parseltongue had been deciphered.

    There was also a map behind, which led to the ancient Temple in ancient Greece where Slytherin had found the evil god created by Herpo the Foul.

    Thest ancient warlock in the history of magic and the root of the most evil magic known to modern wizards, Herpo the Foul, was definitely there.

    Maybe Slytherin was there looking for the snake Scepter?

    In any case, it was necessary to explore that temple.

    Besides Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on Evan¡¯s chest, he also knew where two other items left by Slytherin were.

    As one of the Horcruxes, the Ring iid with the Resurrection Stone was hidden by Voldemort in Gaunt¡¯s shack. After the adventure of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone would be over, he was nning on going to look for it.

    But the curse that Voldemort left on him was no small trouble.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Dumbledore by his side, Evan didn¡¯t think he would have much of a chance to break it.

    As for Slytherin¡¯s wand, it was kept by his vampire descendants for generations.

    If ine¡¯s prophecy was true, then Evan was likely to be the one who was destined to help them solve their problems.

    It wouldn¡¯t take long for them to take the initiative toe to his door.

    With so many clues, it should not be impossible to get that snake scepter, but it would be very troublesome and difficult.

    The first part of the book had mel¡¯s research as a reference. He had just to learn it to master it.

    There were also some clues to decipher the second part.

    Evan continued to turn over the pages.

    On the first page of the third section, there was no text above.

    But there was no pattern. There was a dark mass, like arge piece of dripped ink, covering almost everything on the page.

    Evan flipped back, and the following pages were the same. They were all dark and unclear. He stared at them for a while and could not see any clues.

    The ck ink on the pages seemed to have magic. Evan just stared at it for a while, and he felt that his soul was being sucked out and absorbed by the book.

    ¡°This is the power of magic. This book is resisting our attempts to read more. Only when we really understand the second part can we see the content beyond it.¡±

    mel¡¯s voice came at the right time, interrupting Evan¡¯s thoughts.

    He raised his head and looked at the magic book in his hand. Only then did he realize that he had been too careless and did not consider the danger of the book.

    The shock of reading ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, and the fact that mel had studied it for more than 600 years, made Evan overlook that the book itself was a legendary magic item, and that its contents were not as simple as they seemed.

    ¡°The first part of this book is about alchemy. You need to understand the meaning of this part before you can continue to study what¡¯s beyond that. Alchemy is the basis for deciphering Abraham¡¯s legacy of magic.¡± mel stepped forward, flipped the pages back to the first page and pointed to the Philosopher¡¯s Stone above. ¡°Remember, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone is the key to everything. Of course, you can also choose to use Alchemy to transform it and gain immortality and wealth. I won¡¯t me you if you do that, but I hope you would choose a qualified sessor and pass on the book if that had to happen.¡±

    Under mel¡¯s gaze, Evan Solemnly nodded.

    Despite the temptation of immortality and wealth, he wanted to stick to it until the end and see what kind of magic and secrets Abraham had left behind in the book.

    And he also had a feeling that as the Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts gradually intersected with ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±; the hidden parts of the book would y a vital role at critical moments.

    ¡°Very good, this book is yours!¡± mel stared at Evan for very long, slowly putting ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± into his hands.

    He sighed softly as if he had fulfilled hisst wish in life.

    ¡°In order to avoid misleading you, I can¡¯t pass on my results to you.¡± mel said slowly, ¡°But as one with experience, I can give you some advice to help you shorten the study of the first part.¡±

    Evan focused on what mel was going to say next.

    ¡°The first is the ancient magic inscription on it. If you chase it word by word, it may take you hundreds of years to find the inscriptions in hundreds of ancient books.¡± mel took a thick piece of parchment from the gray cloth bag he carried with him. This is my research manuscript. I call it ¡°The Pictographic Dictionary. It should be helpful to you.¡±

    Evan took ¡°The Pictographic Dictionary¡± and looked at it briefly.

    This manuscript was of extraordinary significance. Not only did it record arge number of ancient magic words that had been deciphered, but also mel¡¯s experience in alchemy.

    Getting ¡°The Book of Abraham¡±, Evan was his only sessor.

    He had to break the secrets left by the ancient warlock Abraham on mel¡¯s behalf, andplete what he had failed to achieve.

    In that way, getting ¡°The Pictographic Dictionary¡± was truly getting mel¡¯s legacy.

    Although in modern times, the main way to acquire magical knowledge was entering wizarding schools, some special forms of magic were still being handed down inside pure blood wizard families, and some of them through this ancient way of mentoring.

    Evan bowed formally to mel, paying tribute as a humble apprentice.

    ¡°You need to stay in Beauxbatons for a month. I will personally teach you the basics of ancient magic and alchemy, so that you have enough ability to study alone in the future.¡± mel helped Evan up, ¡°I talked to Albus about this, and also it needs time to confirm the clues to the whereabouts of the remaining part of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡±

    Evan nodded, and it seemed like he was about to spend most of his summer vacation in Beauxbatons.

    Being able to follow mel¡¯s teachings was an honor and a very rare opportunity.

    As the longest living wizard in the world, he not only was the strongest alchemist, he also knew a lot on other forms of magic and secrets beyond imagination.

 Chapter 408: The Emerald Tablet

    <h4>Chapter 408: The Emerald Tablet</h4>

    ¡°To learn more about alchemyter on, I suggest you go to Egypt.¡± mel continued, ¡°The wizards there collected a piece of stone called the Emerald tablet, which records the knowledge of alchemy collected by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs. It can help you to understand more this book.¡±

    Indeed, all ancient Egyptian pharaohs were powerful ancient warlocks.

    They were prominent in their lifetime, having absolute reign over ancient Egypt. With the help of sacrifices, they drove several ves to build huge temples and mausoleums.

    After their death, they also attempted to resurrect with Necromancy magic to achieve immortality.

    In this context, alchemy also originated in ancient Egypt. It was the most direct product of the Pharaohs¡¯ exploration of immortality.

    Evan had heard about the Emerald Tablet before.

    In many ancient magic documents, he saw records rted to this Tablet.

    As early as 1350 B.C., this legendary Tablet was found by several adventurers in a secret chamber under the Pyramid of Pharaoh Hermes in ancient Egypt.

    It had been preserved and inherited in the Egyptian wizarding world since its inception.

    This Tablet is recognized as the earliest literature on alchemy, and the most direct evidence that ancient warlocks once existed. It has extraordinary value and significance.

    In the Middle Ages, all alchemists had a transcript of the Emerald records hanging in their workshops, which was the ultimate guidance they needed.

    Among the materials avable at present, it is known that the Emerald Tablet includes 13 proverbs rted to alchemy, which are recognized as the basis of alchemy.

    It is said that its author was the god Thoth.

    Thoth was the god of wisdom and learning in Egyptian mythology, in charge of the moon and the underworld.

    Although in the history of Muggles, he was considered to be an ancient god of Egypt, in the wizarding world, Thoth was an ancient warlock who existed in the early human history and was very powerful. His strength and status were not inferior to that of the prophet Abraham.

    In addition to the creation of the ¡°Emerald Tablet¡°, he was also the author of the legendary Egyptian mysterious magic ssic ¡°The Book of the Dead¡°.

    This book records many ck magic spells, all rted to the terrible necromancy.

    In legend, those who could understand the magic recorded in this book could truly obtain eternal life, have an immortal body, and be living gods.

    Of course, the original of this legendary magic book has long been submerged in the torrent of history.

    The current ¡°Book of the Dead¡± is only a fragment, which waster excavated by wizards from the tombs of the high priests of Thebes in the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.

    Even so, this book is still the deepest ck magic book.

    Even many of the archetypes of ck magic documented in ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡± and the basic knowledge involved in the process of refining the Horcrux are also from the ¡°Book of the Dead¡±.

    This was enough to see the value of these two legendary magic books.

    ¡°I will write a letter for you to let the Egyptian Ministry of Magic allow you to consult the ¡°Emerald Tablet¡°, from which you will surely get more than you think.¡± mel said, ¡°The inscriptions on that Tablet are also ancient magic words. Before that, you have to master enough magic words.¡±

    Most of the magic books handed down in ancient times are recorded in ancient magic texts. To study them, it is necessary to learn ancient magic texts well.

    mel was currently the world¡¯s most proficient master of ancient magic writing, and this added to the value of the opportunity of learning from him.

    Evan must cherish it; he hoped to learn all mel¡¯s knowledge in a month.

    But he knew he couldn¡¯t, but at least he could write down all he could.

    ¡°We should go; Albus should also have finished the dessert I prepared for him.¡± mel said, ¡°You can put them in this bag and carry them with you.¡±

    He unwrapped the gray cloth bag around his waist and handed it to Evan.

    Evan put the two magic books in it. This special cloth was transformed by mel with alchemy and the Undetectable Extension Charm, and it had a lot of space.

    Besides, it also had a certain protection magic, and would not be lost or stolen from the owner.

    That was exactly what Evan needed. He had been trying to learn the Undetectable Extension Charm, but this magic was very troublesome. He had tried many times without sess.

    When Evan walked into mel¡¯s office, he saw Dumbledore sitting at a round table not far from the stove.

    With a cup of steaming coffee in his hand, he smiled at mel and Evan as if he knew everything.

    His blue eyes stopped short on Evan. He did not ask whether he had seeded or why they had taken so long.

    ¡°Nics, thank you for the cake. It¡¯s really delicious!¡± Dumbledore stood up, smiled and said, ¡°You must have seen the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on Evan. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Undoubtedly, that Philosopher¡¯s Stone has very strong energy, very pure, its texture is much better than my previous one.¡± mel also poured a cup of coffee. ¡°As long as the rest is found and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone restores its integrity, you can use its power to break Evan¡¯s curse, no problem at all.¡±

    ¡°Very well, the problem now is the whereabouts of the rest!¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡°I already have clues. And when I was looking for the Centaurs¡¯ tracks to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, I also got some very interesting information. It seems that we¡¯re not going to be lonely for the rest of the journey. ¡±

    Evan squinted. Dumbledore seemed to have something to say.

    Where on earth was the Philosopher¡¯s Stone taken by the fallen Centaurs, and what kind of interest could it cause to Dumbledore?!

    ¡°Albus, ording to the previous agreement, I was hoping that Evan could stay for the next month.¡± mel said slowly, ¡°This is already the least amount of time I could take. If less, I don¡¯t have enough assurance to let him grasp all the ancient magic texts he should know.¡±

    ¡°No problem. I just need to confirm the clues!¡± Dumbledore nodded. ¡°I will talk to Maxime about this. Although Evan and her students had made some unpleasant deeds this evening, I think that for you and me, she would still allow Evan to stay in Beauxbatons during the summer vacation.¡±

    Hearing Dumbledore¡¯s reminder, Evan thought about what had happened tonight.

    He was a little embarrassed. As an outsider from another school, he made a big fuss in Beauxbatons on the first day and got away safely. This was totally unheard of before!

    Fortunately, the summer vacation was ahead of them. Otherwise, he would have to face the students of Beauxbatons, and have more trouble with Gabrielle.

 Chapter 409: Summer Life in Beauxbatons

    <h4>Chapter 409: Summer Life in Beauxbatons</h4>

    At noon, the sun shone through colorful mosaic ss, leaving mottled shadows on the ancient stone pirs and arches of Beauxbatons Academy of magic.

    At the very edge of the light and shadow, a handsome boy sat at an exquisite long table.

    He was sitting quietly in a ck wizard¡¯s robe with an indescribable temperament.

    The young man¡¯s eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and he concentrated on the parchment scroll in front of him.

    He was about twelve or thirteen years old and had a handsome face.

    His ck hair was soft and slightly curled, and his eyes were a little blurred; violet light seemed to flow through their sclera. In his focus, hint of childishness could vaguely be noticed.

    Evan had been in this position for a long time. He was studying the ancient magic inscription on the parchment in front of him. That was mel¡¯s assignment for him.

    The parchment was full ofplex, esoteric magic symbols, and he stared at these ancient magical texts for a long time.

    Suddenly, with a sh of inspiration in his mind, he seemed to finally understand.

    With the quill in his hand, beautiful magic words were written out one by one.

    Under the influence of magic, air was swirling within the circle half a meter away from Evan. He was at the center, and he seemed to be within gently rotating crystal clear ss.

    This was the power of the deepest ancient magic writing, invented by ancient warlocks. It was originally created to better record and use magic.

    Although Evan did not use incantations, the power of the ancient magic text itself still faintly resonated with the magic of his body, forming a wonderful rhythm.

    A few minutester, he let out a sigh of relief, put down the quill, stood up and drank half of the juice.

    Evan took a sip of juice and looked at the work that he had just finished satisfactorily.

    With the help of mel, he had now mastered more than 300 ancient magic words.

    This meant that Evan was now getting started.

    He was able to identify the vast majority of magic words written in ancient magic scripts.

    In fact, his learning of all these words in such a short time was barely short of a miracle.

    Indeed, unlike the ancient magic inscriptions already published in the wizarding world, many of these magic inscriptions that Evan had mastered were exclusive collections of mel.

    Some of them took him dozens or even thousands of years to decipher them, and it took Evan only a month to learn them. Not starting from scratch was proving to be extremely helpful.

    For a month since the start of summer vacation, Evan had been in Beauxbatons.

    During the day, he would follow mel to learn ancient magic writing, listen to him about the contents of the ¡°Hieroglyphic Dictionary¡±, alchemy rted basic knowledge, as well as all kinds of magic secrets, and asionally share ssic operas with him.

    There were many things that interested mel, and in a sense, he was even more knowledgeable than Dumbledore.

    Although not deliberately collected, more than 600 years of life were enough to make him know a lot of things that had been forgotten and lost in the long history.

    Listening to mel telling about these as a witness, the effect was several times better than looking them up in books.

    Every night, Evan spent most of his time in the library. At Dumbledore¡¯s request, Maxime allowed him to use the library of Beauxbatons.

    However, if he wanted to read banned books, he had to get mel¡¯s consent.

    mel didn¡¯t care about that at all, which meant that Evan could go through the magic books of Beauxbatons for hundreds of years at will without any worries.

    He enjoyed his present life very much. He was freer here than in Hogwarts.

    At the very least, Madame Pince would not let students arbitrarily flip through the dangerous banned books. Even if they had a professor¡¯s approval, it would still be hassle.

    Needless to say, Filch would appear in every corner of the castle, monitoring students anytime, anywhere, not allowing them to do this, not allowing them to do that¡­.

    Because of the holidays, the current Beauxbatons¡¯ campus was quiet.

    There was no one else on campus except the mel couple, Evan, Sirius, a handful of professors and ghosts.

    Every night, if Evan was tired of reading, he went to Sirius to practice diatorialbat¡­

    Because of the curse, he couldn¡¯t use a lot of magic, but it gave Evan enough opportunity to practice those low-level spells and various casting skills.

    Sirius could not give much help to Evan in such professional magic subjects as magic and alchemy in ancient times, but he was absolutely the mostpetent teacher in Dark Arts defense and fighting. He had many very unique training methods. Although it was very hard, Evan had to admit that the effect was very good.

    It was many years ago that Sirius had taken the Auror test. His training methods came from that.

    After he passed all of them, he was eligible to register with the Ministry of Magic to be an Auror, and was the youngest Auror ever.

    In short, despite not learning more powerful magic, through more than a month of practice and improvement, Evan¡¯s overall strength had definitely increased and more than doubled.

    His current level of strength hadpletely exceeded the level that the young wizard should have.

    In fact, not just young wizards! In many spells, even those well-known adult wizards who had graduated from the Wizarding School were no better than Evan.

    Everything went very smoothly, and all that remained was to find the piece of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone taken away by the fallen Centaurs, and to break the curse that Voldemort had left on Evan.

    But there was no news from Dumbledore. Shortly after the beginning of summer vacation, he and Maxime had left Beauxbatons.

    Sirius said they had to go back to the British Ministry of Magic to discuss the uing Triwizard Tournament with Durmstrang¡¯s Headmaster and Ministry officials.

    Under the joint initiative of Fudge and two other Ministers of Magic, the entire European wizardingmunity and the three Wizarding Schools were interested in restoring this ancient event.

    They intended to use this as a tform to strengthenmunication and exchange between students.

    The Triwizard Tournament had been very popr in history. It was an ancient tradition among the three schools. However, it was gradually abandoned because of therge number of deaths.

    Since then, there had been no formalmunication tform between the three Wizarding Schools. Due to the confidentiality of their own unique magic and teaching methods, the trend of closed doors in the three Wizarding Schools had be more and more obvious.

    All in all, this was not conducive to the development of the European Wizarding world.

    Especially in recent years, under the leadership of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, the American wizarding world had shown a thriving scene different from that of Europe, and its overall strength had greatly increased.

    In this context, European Ministries of magic, especially the mainstream Ministries of Britain, France and Germany, were under great pressure and were often criticized by the mainstream voice for being too conservative.

    They had to try to make a change, and the first step in that direction was to restore the Triwizard Tournament, which had been suspended for nearly a century.

 Chapter 410: Departure to Albania

    <h4>Chapter 410: Departure to Albania</h4>

    In fact, such a change was really necessary.

    The idea of restoring the Triwizard Tournament was also very good, helping to break the gap between schools and countries and to integrate the European wizarding world into a whole.

    Unfortunately, no one thought that Voldemort would have a foot in this event.

    He plotted a conspiracy to bring Harry out of Hogwarts and use his blood to regain his strength.

    In the original book, the uing Triwizard Tournament was absolutely a nightmare.

    Cedric¡¯s death, Voldemort¡¯s return, and the Death Eaters focus again.

    Great changes had taken ce in the quiet wizarding world, ringing the bells for the Second Wizarding War.

    War meant disaster. Even with good prevailing in the end; losses in lives were inevitable. Even Dumbledore had fallen, and anyone could die.

    Evan did not want this to happen. Since history had changed, then it was necessary to change it more thoroughly than ever before.

    He had to rely on strength, not just knowledge of the story, to defeat Voldemort.

    Now he was making a great step towards bing the powerful wizard he wanted to be, to protect Hermione, protect lives, and protect Hogwarts.

    Nothing could frighten him, not even Voldemort.

    Evan had made up his mind to destroy the conspiracy of Voldemort¡¯s return.

    After Dumbledore had discussed the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, he immediately wrote a letter to Professor Lupin, asking him to pay more attention to Barty Crouch.

    Evan hoped to find the remaining half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone soon enough for him to find time for dealing with the problem of Barty Crouch Jr.

    He finished his juice and went to mel¡¯s office with his ancient magic work.

    When Evan entered mel¡¯s office, he was surprised to see that Sirius was also inside, and they were talking.

    ¡°Evan, Dumbledore has just written to us, he has already determined the location of the remaining half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. Let¡¯s go immediately.¡± Sirius said.

    ¡°Really?!¡± Evan rejoiced, and then he looked at mel sitting beside him, ¡°I haven¡¯t learned about ancient magic writing yet.¡±

    ¡°I think you have enough knowledge to study on your own.¡± mel said calmly, ¡°Evan, you are the best student I have ever taught. In more than 600 years, you are not the only talented wizard I have ever seen, but you are the one I like the most. Your future, as I see it, holds promise without limit. I hope you can find out the real secret.¡±

    Looking at the kind old wizard, thinking of his teachings over thest month or so, and the possibility of not seeing him again after his separation, Evan suddenly felt rather sad.

    He bowed deeply to him, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, not wanting to cry in front of Sirius and mel.

    ¡°Well, you have to set off to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± mel said. ¡°Remember, Evan! Be sure to go to Egypt to consult the ¡°Emerald Tablet¡±. It will be very helpful, even crucial, for you to understand the first part of the book on alchemy!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember!¡± Evan nodded.

    After saying goodbye to mel, he and Sirius went out to the empty hall.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Where¡¯s the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore asked us in his letter to find him in a pub outside the forest in southwestern Albania.¡± Sirius handed Evan a rough parchment. ¡°I¡¯ve checked the relevant information. Near that bar is a wizard gathering area.¡±

    Looking at the letter¡¯s description of the location of the pub, Evan had a bad feeling about this.

    Unexpectedly, they actually had to go to the forests of Albania. If he remembered well, Voldemort was hiding there right now!

    Would everything really go smoothly on this journey to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?

    The Eagle Bar was located at the edge of the vast forests in southwestern Albania, just south of the capital Tirana and not far south of Greek territory.

    On the wooden signboard outside the bar, an ugly ck double-headed eagle was painted.

    Because it was too old, the paint on the scene had begun to fade, and whenever the wind blew, the tattered sign made a crunching noise.

    This kind of sound was like that of a crow¡¯s cry, very ominous!

    Near the bar was a small vigeposed entirely of wizards. After centuries of development, it had be the secondrgest wizard gathering area in Albania.

    Unlike the tranquil and beautiful Hogsmeade, it looked more like Knockturn Alley.

    In the small vige, the dragons and snakes were mixed,ws did not seem to exist, and there were sneaky, evil-looking Dark wizards and dazzling ck magic shops everywhere.

    In fact, the situation in the country as a whole was generally the same.

    Owing to years of war and poverty, Albania was one of the most chaotic countries in Europe, and its Ministry of Magic also managed territories outside the capital.

    This situation had led to an increasing influx of fugitives and Dark wizards. Robberies and killings urred from time to time. Chaos and disorder were synonymous with the country.

    Albania was like the headquarters of the Dark wizards in Europe, where you could find any contraband rted to ck magic provided you could pay enough.

    Of course, apart from this, the beautiful mountains and forests of this country are indeed worthy of being visited, provided the visitors are strong enough to protect themselves.

    While watching from the ferocious creatures in the forest, one should be alert to the wizards with ulterior motives around them; otherwise they might not realize they¡¯re dying before it¡¯s toote.

    Overall, Evan didn¡¯t like the ce.

    It had been three days since he and Sirius came to this dirty little bar, and Dumbledore seemed to have disappeared from sight without leaving a message.

    Sirius told Evan not to worry. Dumbledore must have been caught up with something, so he never came to them.

    With Dumbledore¡¯s strength, there was nothing for him to fear.

    Although he wasforting Evan, Sirius himself looked even more annoyed.

    As a little-known pub, the Eagle Bar had so many guests recently.

    From their appearance, they were mostly Dark wizards, proud and unruly adventurers and desperados.

    After some inquiries Evan and Sirius did, it turned out that not long ago, an adventurer had found a relic deep in the nearby forest.

    To be more precise, it was a relic left by ancient Centaurs.

 Chapter 411: The Centaursâ€™ Relics in the Depths of the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 411: The Centaurs¡¯ Relics in the Depths of the Forest</h4>

    As things stood, it was no surprise that the Centaur remains were the ultimate destination of Evan¡¯s trip, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was probably there.

    Eight hundred years ago, the fallen Centaurs sailed across the sea with the broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the statue of the evil god, eventually rebuilding a new colony in the forest of Greece on their own.

    Their original purpose was unknown, and there had been no news of them since then.

    All in all, this rogue Centaur n suddenly disappeared from the history of magic, leaving only the ancient mysterious remains quietly standing in the depths of the forest.

    Not long ago, several adventurers found the remains of the Centaurs in the forest.

    They brought back arge number of exquisite ornaments made of gold and gems, as well as a lot of tablets carved with ancient magic, which shocked the entirety of the wizarding world.

    Although the Ministry of Magic of Albania had repeatedly stressed that all the belongings of this Centaur relic belonged to the country, it was in vain.

    Driven by greed, more and more wizards flocked to this remote vige, trying to get a piece of the treasure from the newly-found Centaur remains.

    Evan disdained the recklessness and stupidity of these people. The remains of the Centaurs were not as simple as they were rumored to be. That terrible evil spirit must be there.

    Although the fallen Centaurs were no longer there, the spirit must still exist.

    If it was re-summoned, then more people would be just its sacrifices and be part of its massive flesh body.

    What¡¯s more, this could happen in this dark forest, with Voldemort lurking there, waiting for intruders, nning a new plot.

    Although Evan didn¡¯t care about their lives and deaths, he had to admit that these unexpected adventurers had disrupted his previous ns and that if any of the guys had found the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the Centaur ruins, things would be extremely terrible.

    Obviously, Sirius thought the same way.

    After warning Evan to stay in his room and not run around, he began to go out frequently to get information about the progress of those who had entered the forest.

    Creak, creak, creak¡­

    Evan put down his quill pen, and in the shaking sound of the tattered sign outside, it was difficult for him to concentrate on the study of ancient magic writing.

    His mind seemed to be all about the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the Centaur relics. The noise of the ground floor lobby prated the thin wooden nks, which made him even more upset.

    With a sigh, Evan pushed open the window, which was piled up with thick dirt, and let fresh air blow in to disperse the strong smell of mutton in the room.

    There was no news from Dumbledore for a long time.

    Watching groups of adventurers leave the vige and enter the forest; Evan had an impulse to follow them in.

    Whatever it was, it was better than staying in this small, dirty bar.

    His eyes looked away from the edge of the forest and went to the low, dark doorway opposite.

    An old witch with a hood was looking at him with an unkind smile on her face.

    She was looking at Evan wickedly, as if he was amb about to be ughtered.

    Although Evan did not feel threatening by the old witch, it was still really ufortable.

    He closed the window, falling back on the bed. His consciousness gradually blurred.

    When Sirius woke Evan up, it was alreadyte. Some rough candles on the rough wooden table gave an unpleasant dim light.

    Sirius looked very agitated and seemed to have just experienced a battle.

    ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± He said quickly, his voice sounded a bit hoarse. ¡°Thetest news I got, the adventurers have entered the Central Temple of the Centaurs colony andpleted the exploration of the ground floor of the ce. They did not encounter any obstacles and continued to move up into the core area, which sounds like trouble!¡±

    ¡°But Dumbledore,¡± Evan hesitated.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the forest first. Dumbledore will find us.¡± Sirius said, ¡°The Central Temple of the Centaur Remains is exactly the same as the Temple of the Moon in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts. With our understanding of it, we should find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡±

    ¡°Time to act?!¡± Evan sat up from bed, and then asked, ¡°Just the two of us, or with other adventurers?¡±

    ¡°Just the two of us, we¡¯ll go tomorrow morning!¡± Sirius said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe in those guys out there. They¡¯re all fugitives, thugs.¡±

    Evan quite agreed with Sirius.

    The adventurers downstairs were really not reassuring. They seemed to be more willing to ditch theirpanions for the treasures in the centaurs¡¯ ruins.

    Acting on their own would avoid the two many unnecessary troubles.

    After discussing the specific action n, Evan followed Sirius downstairs.

    Unlike the daytime, the bar tonight was extraordinarily quiet, and most of the guests had their faces firmly blocked.

    Here, it was very popr to do so.

    Just like now, there was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty grey bandages, but he still could smoke and drink through a bandage gap in his mouth.

    At a table by the window sat five sneaky figures in hoods, batches of tattered robes that looked like those of Dementors.

    In a dark corner beside the firece sat three wizards, dressed in heavy ck robes worn only in winter, with the hem hanging down to their feet, and a dark scarf wrapped tightly around the head.

    Evan couldn¡¯t see anything of them.

    The bartender was a middle-aged witch who looked very strong. She served Evan and Sirius two dinners and a free drink.

    In fact, in this small and old bar, Evan, who was young and dressed in a clean robe, seemed to be the strangest one.

    He just sat down and there were a lot of unsightly eyes.

    But after seeing Sirius next to Evan, most of them turned their eyes away, with an unwilling look.

    ¡°Watch out for the wizard in the corner!¡± Sirius whispered.

    Evan raised his head and nced quietly at the old wizard in front of him. He was hunched so badly and the stick in his hand was evenly shaking.

    Under the stick there was a little skeleton doll hanging with a thread. It looked very evil.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the most popr evil magics in Africa; it can curse a person and destroy himpletely.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Come on, we¡¯d better stay away from him.¡±

    During the past three days, Sirius had introduced to Evan many things he had never seen before, and it had benefited him a lot.

 Chapter 412: Missing Witch

    <h4>Chapter 412: Missing Witch</h4>

    He stared curiously at the swaying skeleton figure in the old wizard¡¯s hand for a moment, and felt a strange wave of magic from it.

    This feeling was very simr to the snake bracelet in his arm. It was somewhat a simr kind of curse.

    In general, this kind of witchcraft was considered to be one of the many branches of Dark Arts.

    Evan saw the description of this witchcraft in the book. Unlike wizards who use wands, these wizards prefer to use other media toplete curses.

    For example, the doll in the hands of the old wizard was a medium of casting spells.

    Because of the diversity of casting media, this sort of witchcraft is more evil than ordinary ck magic in the impression of most wizards, and was a taboo and uneasy subject to many.

    Evan and Sirius talked about it for a while, discussed methods of defense against it until the bartender came over and interrupted them.

    ¡°Did you hear?!¡± She lowered her voice and said in a funny tone, ¡°There¡¯s a witch missing. She¡¯s from Ennd like both of you. Maybe you¡¯ll be interested. But let me say it¡¯s not a surprise in a ce like this, but you¡¯ve asked me before about this, I think.¡±

    She stopped and looked at Sirius and Evan with a smile.

    Sirius knew what she meant. He took out a Gold Galleon and threw it to her.

    ¡°Well, maybe that¡¯s the person we¡¯ve been looking for.¡± He muttered.

    Sinceing to Albania, Evan had been looking for Bertha Jorkins.

    ording to Lupin¡¯s feedback, they had not heard from her since she went on vacation in Albania¡¯s forests. No one knew where she was.

    Sirius, though, thought that she was likely to venture into the remains of the centaurs, or be too confused and get lost in the nearby forest.

    But Evan had a feeling that even without the help of Peter Pettigrew, Jorkins would still be caught by Voldemort as in the original plot.

    If that was the case, then things were going to be really bad.

    Voldemort would get everything he wanted from her, whether the names of the most loyal servants who had remained out of Azkaban, or that Hogwarts would host the Triwizard Tournament. For Voldemort, who was intent on restoring his strength, all this information was crucial.

    ¡°Her name is Bertha Jorkins!¡± the waitress continued.

    She put Sirius¡¯s Galleon into an old wooden locker and the drawer slid open by itself and swallowed the money in.

    Evan and Sirius exchanged nces quickly. It was Jorkins indeed!

    ¡°About half a month ago, she set out from here and followed an adventure team to the hunt of the treasure in the remains of the Centaurs in the forest.¡± The waitress leaned on the bar. ¡°Of course, besides stones, this group of unfortunate fellows found nothing. They were back here today, and there is one person missing in the team, the witch named Bertha Jorkins. It is said that she suddenly disappeared from the camp one night after entering the ruins, and she has never been seen since.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Evan frowned and asked.

    ¡°You want to hear some more?!¡± The waitressughed and poured a ss of wine from a dirty bottle. ¡°Don¡¯t expect those guys to tell the truth, they don¡¯t care about anybody¡¯s life. Maybe THEY did it.¡±

    Evan was silent. If Voldemort had captured Jorkins that night, it would be clear that he was also in the remains of the Centaurs.

    Perhaps that¡¯s why Dumbledore was taking so long.

    As long as Voldemort appeared near the Centaur ruins, Dumbledore would definitely continue to follow him. They might even be fighting now.

    Although Voldemort was no match for Dumbledore in his current state, he still had a lot of ck magic beyond imagination.

    Moreover, Voldemort¡¯s understanding of the darkness of human nature was the most terrible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Sirius whispered, ¡°Things may not be like you¡¯re imagining. With my knowledge of Jorkins, she may have left that team.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of it, there have been more and more news about the disappearance of witches recently.¡± The waitress looked at Evan carelessly and said, ¡°You¡¯d better know, there may be a group of vampires around here, and children are the favorite food of these monsters.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your concern!¡± Evan responded faintly.

    Since knowing ine, he did not think that vampires were so terrible.

    Albania was originally the headquarters of Dark wizards, and it was not surprising to encounter more ¡°special¡± Dark creatures such as vampires and werewolves.

    Vampires were hard to deal with, but Evan was no longer easy to mess with either.

    Without using too much magic, even if he couldn¡¯t fight, he could still escape safely.

    ¡°This morning, there was a little boy your age crying around. His mother actually brought him here for vacation.¡± The waitress sighed. ¡°But she disappeared into the jungle, leaving the child alone to ask for help.¡±

    ¡°And then?!¡± Evan vaguely remembered that someone was crying downstairs in the morning.

    But when he went down for breakfast, he didn¡¯t see him.

    ¡°He was taken away by a group of adventurers who said they would help him find his mother in the Forest.¡± The waitress shook her head, apparently not optimistic about it.

    No wizard here had ever been so kind.

    All things could be happening to that poor boy. It was said that there were many witches who specialized in collecting the hearts and minds of boys to perform evil witchcraft.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think a wizard of your age should be here. It¡¯s not a good ce for a holiday.¡± The waitress looked at Sirius and added, ¡°Although your uncle is very strong, you are too weak. idents can happen. You¡¯d better leave here as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°We will leave in the morning!¡± Evan whispered.

    By the standards of ordinary people, Evan did look weak. Whether it was age or size, he didn¡¯t seem even little threatening.

    When faced with danger, a young wizard like him should not be able to resist. If one person in the pub would be targeted among all these people, it should probably be him.

    If Sirius hadn¡¯t been with him all the time, trouble would have alreadye to his door.

    The waitress persuaded him with a few more words. Thinking about the experience of the boy of his age, Evan felt bad and did not want to continue listening.

    He pulled Sirius¡¯s sleeve and the two got up to prepare themselves.

    Just as he reached the stairway, Evan suddenly had a strange feeling. He turned his head quickly. By the dim candle light at the stairway, he finally saw the three wizards sitting in the darkest corner of the firece. They were looking at Sirius.

    The man in the middle looked familiar. He was tall and strong, and Evan vaguely felt he had seen him somewhere before.

 Chapter 413: The City in the Dream

    <h4>Chapter 413: The City in the Dream</h4>

    The feeling of familiarity was obvious, but Evan couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen him.

    The man¡¯s body was very strong, his face was full, and with his strange dress, Evan would never forget if he had seen him before.

    It was certainly the first time he¡¯d met him, but this feeling¡­

    Then, he found that something was wrong. The magical fluctuations in the air were undergoing subtle changes. The man was using magic to spy on him and Sirius.

    This was a very sophisticated spell-casting technique. If it hadn¡¯t been for more than a month, mel had asked Evan to use the magic in his body when writing ancient magic scripts and feel the magic changes when different magic texts werepleted, he would not have noticed the subtle changes.

    Under the influence of this magic, as long as the distance was not too far, the man could grasp the specific location of Evan and Sirius at any time.

    The purpose of using such magic in such an asion was self-evident.

    Evan whispered a few words in Sirius¡¯s ear, and then quickly pulled out his wand and read a spell. A white light shed by.

    He cast an anti-detection spell to break the opponent¡¯s magic.

    Sirius also pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at the three people opposite him.

    Just in a sh, the chatter in the bar hall came to an abrupt halt.

    Everyone was looking in their direction, and many people were looking forward to watching the ¡°show¡±.

    In fact, the three guys opposite were amazed that Evan could break the magic the strong one had cast. They didn¡¯t expect the teenager, who looked only twelve or thirteen years old, to discover the magic and respond so quickly.

    All three of them focused on Evan, and then turned to Sirius¡¯s increasingly bright wand.

    They were stiff and sat there motionless.

    The light at the end of Sirius¡¯s wand told the three of them very clearly that if they dared to move, they would be hit by a powerful spell.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GO OUTSIDE IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT!¡± The waitress rushed over and shouted at the three men in heavy robes, ¡°GET OUT, GET OUT!¡±

    Under the watchful eyes of Evan and Sirius, the three quickly got up and left the bar.

    Because they were very close, Evan could smell an unpleasant odor.

    It was as if something had decayed and degenerated,ing out of their robes and headscarves.

    When they came to the bright candlelight in the hall, Evan found that their robes were covered with ck patches, all clots that had coagted.

    ¡°Damn vampires!¡± The waitress muttered in a low voice.

    It turned out that the three of them were vampires. No wonder their skin looked so pale.

    Perhaps as the waitress said earlier, women and children were the targets of vampire hunting. They might have regarded Evan as food, so they cast that magic.

    It was a special magic that vampires could use, and it was generally difficult to be discovered by wizards.

    Things seemed to be that simple, but Evan still felt that something was wrong.

    After the man in the middle stood up, the feeling of familiarity grew stronger in his mind.

    In addition to the strange familiarity, this time he had a bad hunch about this.

    It was like being stared at by a beast, and Evan sweated all over and his hair stood up.

    He kept thinking about it until he went to bed.

    In the dim light, he felt he remembered something, but in the blink of an eye he had entered into a dream!

    When Evan opened his eyes, he found himself in a dark stone chamber.

    The surroundings were shrouded in endless darkness, and even the ground and surrounding walls were ck.

    It took him a long time to realize that he was in a dream.

    No matter from which perspective, this sudden dream was too real.

    Evan didn¡¯t like this feeling. The dream was not that simple.

    It should be some magic beyond his ability. He must have been targeted by something weird and powerful.

    Under a soft light, he saw a man standing in front of him.

    He was tall, wearing a thick ck robe and a funny headscarf. It was the vampire Evan had just seen downstairs in the bar.

    He stared at Evan, giving out a gust of ghastlyughter.

    Evan remembered why he had a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when he saw him. This man was the one he had seen in the prophecy basin made by mel.

    As before, he seemed to be ready to do something and cast a horrible ck magic.

    The sense of danger grew stronger and the situation grew more sophisticated¡­

    But soon, thick fog began to rise around, covering everything up.

    When the fog dissipated, the ck stone chamber and the man had all disappeared.

    With Dream transition, at this moment, Evan stood on a towering terrace.

    Clouds drifted past him and beneath him was a beautiful city.

    Evan shook his head and took two steps forward so that he could see more clearly.

    In front of him was a beautiful city shining with golden brilliance. The buildings were simr to those he had seen before in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, but more sophisticated.

    A silvery river ran through the city, dividing it into two parts.

    Layers of red roofs and old pointed gables climbed the hillside to the north, providing a shelter for the grass-green cobblestone alleys below.

    Just below the terrace was a rectangr wide square.

    The fountain at the base of the obsidian spurted spring water, emitting a radiant glow in the sunlight. Flower beds and spectacr statues lined up around the square.

    The ancient and mystical atmosphere enveloped the city, just like a thick dark cloud hanging over an untouched mountain range that only existed in legend.

    As before, Evan didn¡¯t like the feeling.

    This dead Centaurs city might be that of the fallen Centaurs 800 years ago in the forest, but it was definitely not what it looked like in reality.

    Judging by what was around him, he should now be standing at the central Temple of the Centaurs city.

    Evan turned around and saw a magnificent statue 100 meters high. It was one of the evil god summoned by the fallen Centaurs that he had seen in the illusion before!

    He took a deep breath. Did this monster drag him into this dream?! What was the purpose of doing so?!

    Evan subconsciously touched the Locket on his chest. If this evil spirit had begun to regain its strength, then it must want to take away this half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Indeed, the enormous magic contained in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the indispensable energy for it to return to the real world from the void.

 Chapter 414: Evil in the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 414: Evil in the Forest</h4>

    Evan looked at the huge statue of the evil spirit, and his almost fading memory came up with all kinds of emotions. He was in awe, and almost lost his senses.

    The statue was calling him, summoning him toe to its side.

    Eight hundred years ago, the fallen Centaurs took away a part of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The remaining magic in the broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone was not enough to bring this evil spirit back to the world. It needed this piece from Evan.

    Maybe that¡¯s why Evan came into this dream.

    The evil spirit that gradually recovered its power perceived the half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone that Evan was carrying in the vicinity. It required Evan to submit to him and hand over the Stone.

    The closer Evan was to the remains of the centaurs, the more obvious this feeling became.

    Its statue looked so awe-inspiring and extraordinary, as the greatly powerful god it depicted.

    Seeing it, the first impulse people would have would be to bow to its majesty.

    Unfortunately for it, it did not know that Evan had seen its true colors in the illusion created by Gryffindor and knew what the so-called god was like.

    Not only would Evan not give it the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, but he was also ready to take back the other half that the Fallen Centaurs took 800 years ago.

    Through these few contacts, it was not difficult to find that the most powerful ability of evil spirits lied in Legilimency and the control of dreams.

    They could make illusions and enter into someone¡¯s dreams.

    Just as the Dementors feed on happy emotions, the evil spirits can find all the gaps in the mind that can be used, arouse the darkness in the deepest part of a person¡¯s heart, and absorb the negative emotions such as fear, madness, anxiety, etc., and devour his soul.

    They need flesh and blood to build their bodies, while negative emotions make them strong.

    In Aragog¡¯s Lair, the Acromants took the captured animals to the underground ruins and used their flesh and souls to help the eyeball monster regain strength.

    But this was far from enough. The souls of those animals were too weak.

    When Malfoy released arge amount of negative energy due to his fear of darkness and the unknown, and finally chose to submit to it, the eyeball monster really regained its noumenon.

    Evan did not believe in the divinity of the evil spirits, nor was he confused by the illusion in front of him.

    He took another look at the statue of the evil spirit and began to feel bored.

    Limited in strength, this thing now only had the ability to turn over and over in such a way as to confuse, create chaos and continual illusions¡­

    There was nothing to be afraid of before its essence really came to the real world.

    Like Voldemort, who was hiding in the forest not far away, no matter how powerful it used to be, it could only survive in a dark corner.

    After discussing the matter with Dumbledore, Evan was already prepared to deal with it.

    He tried to empty his mind and used lumency to resist the spiritual infiltration of the evil spirit.

    About a year ago, Evan began to practice lumency, which could effectively help the user resist the invasion and influence of Legilimency.

    It was not like a wand that could be mastered quickly, and the recurring distractions in his mind made him do a bad job.

    Evan couldn¡¯t really close his mind like Snape, but the effect of using this spell was really very obvious.

    The dream in front of him was looking like a bad signal TV broadcast. The picture began to show obvious fluctuations and was no longer as clear as before.

    With Evan¡¯s mind closed, the connection between the two sides was getting weaker and weaker.

    The statue of the evil spirit and the exquisite Centaurs city under the terrace began to crumble and be fragmented, and Evan fell into an endless pit that formed underneath him.

    When he woke up, it was already dawn.

    Nothing in front of him had changed, as if nothing had happened.

    The cold of the morning made Evan sober. He sat on the bed and gasped for a while, thinking about the evil spirit and the vampire that appeared in the dream.

    When the sweat on his bodypletely dissipated, he got out of bed and came to the window.

    Outside, the night was fading, and the dawn slowly awakened the sleeping creatures.

    Evan opened the window and the cool air slowly blew in.

    In the sky, the gray-blue dome gradually began to fade from the top of the head and gradually became a faint blue smoke bordering the horizon.

    A soft mist rose at the edge of the forest, and the distant hills were smeared with a soft milky white. The white mist rendered everything hazy and illusory.

    Just as Evan was immersed in the beautiful scenery in front of him, he suddenly heard a sharp, bleak cry, which sounded very sad.

    He looked down and saw a white-skinned woman under the window.

    She had long silver-white hair with a shawl and a ck cloak. But he couldn¡¯t see her face and age clearly.

    For some reason, she cried so hard. She pped her hands and made a loud noise.

    The voice was very loud, and it was particrly harsh in the empty and quiet streets in the early morning.

    But strangely, no one came out to dissuade or inquire about the situation.

    Evan even had a strange feeling that he was the only one who could hear her crying.

    It was so strange that when he just wanted to ask what was going on, the woman under the window seemed to feel it, and suddenly raised her head and stared at Evan.

    What a face she had! Bluish white skin, dted pupils, and facial features that had begun to rot and deform. This was a dead person!

    Evan stepped back and couldn¡¯t believe what he had seen.

    Unimaginable!!! He actually saw a dead woman moving and crying.

    What on earth was going on? Was it Necromancy, witchcraft or some other magic?!

    Evan thought of Inferi, but this woman obviously had her own thoughts.

    Or maybe it was an indescribable creation of the evil spirit.

    After its attempt to infiltrate and control Evan in his dreams had failed, he sent such a fellow over.

    The monster downstairs seemed very satisfied with Evan¡¯s reaction.

    Looking at the frightened boy, she opened her big scary mouth, exaggerated upward, showed an ugly smile, and a few maggots fell out of it.

    After a brief shock, Evan quickly recovered.

    No doubt, this was a dead Banshee!

    He had previously seen the introduction of this dark creature in ¡°Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them¡± and the Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook, but he had never seen it before today.

    He did not expect it to be more horrible than what was described in books.

    In fact, the Banshee predictor of death was very rare, it was harmless, but in general, wizards thought it was extremely unlucky to see it.

    From the perspective of divination, this was a very bad ominous harbinger, second only to seeing the big ck dog predicting death.

    As the name suggested, if the predictor of death Banshee cried loudly downstairs, it meant that the person in the window it chose would die soon¡­

 Chapter 415: Centaurs Ruins and the Destroyers

    <h4>Chapter 415: Centaurs Ruins and the Destroyers</h4>

    Evan was in cold sweat, and felt his blood freezing in his veins!

    His heart was beating so violently. The Banshee heralded death, and its sudden appearance under his window meant that he¡­

    He was distraught and took out his wand. Without waiting for him to cast a spell, the Banshee downstairs screamed and fled toward the woods at an amazing speed.

    Soon, it disappeared into the thick fog.

    Only her red, swollen, scary eyes remained in Evan¡¯s mind for a long time.

    Affected by the sudden appearance of the evil god in the dream and the predictor of death Banshee crying under the window in the morning, Evan was in a bad mood and couldn¡¯t lift his spirits.

    Until the time of departure, he had not fully recovered.

    After breakfast, Sirius and Evan Apparated to the depths of the woods.

    Nearby, they explored the edge of the site of the Centaurs monument. Influenced by the ancient magic in the relics, no one could Apparate in and they could only walk.

    Along the way, watching strange scenes in the woods, Evan was careful.

    Sirius could not help persuading him to rx. There was no need for him to be so nervous.

    ¡°Look at the tiny soft yellow flowers on those low bushes!¡± He pointed to a strangely shaped nt, trying to divert Evan¡¯s attention and let him not think about the messy things. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen this nt before. It¡¯s a specialty here. It grows only in countries near the Mediterranean. Its scientific name is¡­¡±

    ¡°Quercus cifera!¡± (Note: kermes oak) Evan looked up and continued, ¡°I used this nt when I was making high-level interpretative Potions. The market price per kilogram is three Gold galleons, and five Gold Galleons if processed.¡±

    The kermes oak looks like a shrub or a small tree.

    Its bark is grayish-white with sharp spines, and it¡¯s the national flower of Albania.

    The rhizome of this flower is an essential material for the manufacture of advanced Potions. It has strong acidity and is difficult to handle. It can only be used in Potions sses above fifth year.

    ¡°It seems that you did have a good preview of the Potions textbook in advance. With a student like you, Snivellus will be happy!¡± Sirius was a little embarrassed.

    ¡°He generally ignores me and Hermione now!¡± said Evan. ¡°While he keeps bullying other Gryffindors, he treats us as if we don¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Now that I am no longer a professor, I don¡¯t have to abide by Hogwarts rules.¡± Sirius said angrily, ¡°If Snivellus dares to bully you again; sooner orter I will find an opportunity to teach him a good lesson.¡±

    Evan doubted whether Sirius had everplied with the school rules.

    Moreover, judging from hisprehensive strength, he was far from being Snape¡¯s opponent.

    Thirteen years of imprisonment in Azkaban had a great impact on him. Up to now, his face has notpletely recovered from the original decline.

    After talking about Snape, there was a moment of silence between them.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking now!¡± Sirius took a deep breath. ¡°In fact, many people have seen the death-predictor banshees. They have done nothing to hurt others, except for their bad voices. As for the omen of death, I¡¯ve seen too many, you can¡¯t really believe that deceptive trick?!!¡±

    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t take that banshee to heart!¡± Evan replied absently. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about something else¡­¡±

    Many signs and traces indicated that their trip would not be too smooth.

    Losing contact with Dumbledore, Voldemort lurking in the dark, the evil spirit slowly recovering its strength, and the sudden appearance of vampires and the banshee¡­

    In the face of all this, Evan prepared himself for the worst!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    Unexpectedly, nothing happened until they entered the ruins of the Centaurs.

    The journey in the woods went very smoothly. After climbing a hillside, the ruins of the city left by the fallen Centaurs 800 years ago appeared in front of them.

    Unlike the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts, this ancient relic was located between two towering peaks, with clusters of stone buildings arranged one after the other. The narrow entrance to the ruins was a winding alley paved with grass-green pebbles.

    The alley continued upwards along the rugged and steep mountain, relying on the terrain as a form of natural defense.

    Every few steps upward, there was a solid fortress or the debris of a checkpoint.

    It was conceivable that the fallen Centaurs could hide behind these fortifications and use bows and arrows to attack the intruders. Even fierce trolls could hide there.

    In the upward direction, it was a huge circr tform, and the terrain was not so steep.

    The living environment here was much better than below, with fewer houses and many temples and obsidian statues for decoration.

    These statues were all kinds of Centaur figures with different shapes.

    No doubt, they were all ancestors of the Centaurs. It seemed that even if they believed in the evil god, the fallen Centaurs still kept their reverence for their ancestors.

    At the highest point of the ruins, there was a magnificent Temple.

    It was also the only building that remained intact in the entire Centaur ruins. It was made of the hardest obsidian, engraved with exaggerated carvings, and looked exactly the same as the Temple of the Moon in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, but on a muchrger scale.

    Evan¡¯s gaze went up from the entrance to the ruins and eventually locked on the towering terraces on both sides of the Central Temple.

    Everything in front of him corresponded to his dreamsst night.

    However, the remains of the Centaurs in front of him were not the beautiful city that he saw in his dream, shining beautifully with golden light. Time had ruthlessly destroyed everything.

    The wizard adventurers, who had recently arrived, had destroyed whatever remained intact for the sake of treasure, leaving only a mess.

    The river beside the cobblestone alley had dried up and had been reced by a grassy river.

    The stone huts with beautiful red roofs built by the Centaurs were no longer there. The beautiful wall tiles were scattered all over the ce, telling the glory of the past silently.

    In order to obtain the gold and gems iid on the statues, the intruders destroyed all the statues of the Centaurs, not at all concerned with their artistic value.

    As for the central temple, which was also where all adventurers were most concentrated, although no change could be seen from the outside, when Evan and Sirius entered the ruins, they could still vaguely hear the loud noises from time to time inside the Temple.

    Needless to say, most intruders did not know the mechanism designed by the Centaurs ording to the changes of stars. But they had another way to enter the core area: Destruction!

    Regardless of the mechanism, as long as all the gates were destroyed with powerful spells, they would enter the deepest part of the Temple sooner orter.

    Although this method was simple and crude, it was really very useful.

    The fallen Centaurs who abruptly disappeared did not seem to have left any defensive measures such as curses to protect their sacred Temple.

    Not only wizards, but even Muggles could easily break in.

    That¡¯s why Sirius and Evan didn¡¯t stay in the bar waiting for Dumbledore, but decided toe here ahead of him.

 Chapter 416: Voldemort and the Vampire Caresius

    <h4>Chapter 416: Voldemort and the Vampire Caresius</h4>

    As Evan and Sirius entered the ruins of the Centaurs, a shimmering orange light flickered in the darkness in a hidden stone chamber in the deepest part of the temple.

    ¡°Last night, my people met Sirius ck in that bar, and there was a boy beside him, about twelve or thirteen years old!¡± A man said, with a deep, powerful voice, ¡°That child has a strong sense of magic, beyond imagination¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really interesting!¡± another voice said.

    This was also a man, but his voice was strange, cold and piercing like the cold wind.

    ¡°ck and a boy, he should be a student of Hogwarts, maybe this is why Dumbledore suddenly appeared in this forest!¡± The cold voice paused for a while, ¡°Let me think about it. No doubt, our goals should be the same¡­ all powerful hidden forces in this deste Centaurs Temple.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, since you have chosen that magic, why do youe here to look for other powers? You should know what kind of evil is hidden in this ce!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Caresius, although we have amon ancestor, our pursuit of power is not the same.¡± The voice said coldly, ¡°No matter what is here, I will get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by the ancient Centaurs, which will make me stronger!¡±

    ¡°The magic that leads to the final area requires a lot of flesh and blood to crack.¡± Caresius said, with a hint of anxiety in his voice. ¡°I suspect that the magic itself is an ancient sacrifice ceremony. We are calling a monster that does not belong to this world.¡±

    ¡°I can feel the voice talking to me. But it is bluffing. It is now weak and even weaker than me. It cannot stop us.¡± The cold voice now sounded menacing, ¡°Do as I say, Caresius, and order your people to lure more fools here. We need more flesh and blood sacrifices to open the gate. We must enter the core area before Dumbledore sees through everything and returns here.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and the atmosphere in the chamber was very depressing.

    ¡°You should remember our agreement, Voldemort?!¡± Caresius whispered. ¡°For Slytherin¡¯s sake, I have to remind you once again that we are just working together, and I and my people are not your men.¡±

    ¡°Naturally, I remember, our goals are the same, Caresius!¡± Voldemort now spoke in a different tone and said in a smooth voice, ¡°I will help you deal with that trouble after I have fully recovered my strength. I also want to see what our great ancestor, Szar Slytherin, left behind.¡±

    ¡°If you really want to help us, then hurry and regain strength.¡± with a hint of anger in his voice, Caresius said, ¡°You can do it without Harry Potter!¡±

    The chamber was silent again, longer than before.

    ¡°No Harry Potter?¡± Voldemort seemed to be thinking. He said softly, ¡°I understand¡­¡±

    ¡°That boy is under Dumbledore¡¯s close protection. We have no chance to approach him at all. I don¡¯t want my people to die for your foolish perseverance.¡± Caresius raised his voice. ¡°If we use another wizard, male or female, things can be decided quickly, and we can always bring you a suitable person. I think the boy with ck is good. He has a lot of magic.¡±

    ¡°Use another wizard?!¡± Voldemort¡¯s voice became colder and colder. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, it has nothing to do with the strength of magic.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any difference in this. My opinion is obviously more reasonable.¡± Caresius went on to say. ¡°As long as you give up that meaningless persistence, you can quickly be stronger, instead of hiding here like a bug.¡±

    ¡°I know everything, Caresius!¡± Voldemort said hoarsely, his blood-red eyes fixed on the vampire in front of him. ¡°This is not meaningless!¡±

    For a while, he seemed to want to cast a Killing Curse as a response to the offense.

    A huge snake, at least twelve feet long, also slipped gently from the corner, leaving a winding, wide track in the thick dust on the ground.

    It hissed at Caresius showing its icy tongue.

    The tension reached its zenith, and Caresius put his hand on his wand at his waist.

    But nothing happened. Voldemort started talking again, his voice cold enough to cause goose bumps.

    ¡°I have my own reasons to use that boy. I exined to you that as for the boy¡¯s strict protection, I believe my n will work.¡±

    ¡°But your n will take a few months to seed.¡± Caresius was not convinced. He stared at the big snake on the ground with disgust, holding his wand tightly in his right hand. ¡°You should know that during this time, any idents can happen.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t use anyone else. I have been waiting for thirteen years. It will be fine to wait a few more months.¡± Voldemort said in a whisper, ¡°I have my own n, if you want to continue cooperating, don¡¯t continue bringing up that topic!¡±

    ¡°Very good, I noticed that you killed the woman named Bertha Jorkins!¡± Caresius said angrily. ¡°If this is your n, it is stupid! I remember me reminding you that the woman was an official of the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°I killed Bertha Jorkins because I had to. After I had finished my interrogation, she was useless,pletely useless.¡± Voldemort said diplomatically, ¡°If she came back to the Ministry of Magic with the news of meeting me during the holidays, it would really destroy our uing ns.¡±

    ¡°We could have dealt with this in many ways besides killing her¡­¡± Caresius said, ¡°We have a lot of special magic that could alter her memory.¡±

    ¡°I have to admit that vampires do have a lot of magic tricks that ordinary wizards don¡¯t, but they are not fail-proof.¡± Voldemort said, ¡°Any magic, no matter how strong, would fail before a wizard who¡¯s strong enough, which I confirmed when I interrogated her.¡±

    Caresius did not speak, apparently disagreeing with Voldemort.

    ¡°In short, it is also an insult to her memory not to use the information I got from her.¡± Voldemort said softly, ¡°As long as you do what I say and find my most loyal servant, he will do the rest for ME.¡±

 Chapter 417: The Vampiresâ€™ Conspiracy

    <h4>Chapter 417: The Vampires¡¯ Conspiracy</h4>

    ¡°Your most loyal servant?!¡± Caresius said disdainfully. ¡°As reward for his loyalty, he can only get death.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be his honor to die for the Dark Lord, an honor that many of my followers are eager to get.¡± Voldemort said coldly, ¡°On the British side, how are your people doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re ready; they are waiting for an opportunity. You can¡¯t expect a group of vampires to break into the home of a senior official of the Ministry of Magic in broad daylight to find a hidden death eater.¡± Caresius said, ¡°We¡¯ve got the news that Britain will host the Quidditch World Cup in the near future. At that time, wizards will flock to the country from all over the world. All the meddlesome members of the Ministry of Magic will be deployed and concentrated in one ce, thinking of safety, afraid of being discovered by Muggles and not having the energy to think about anything else. We are ready to start at that time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make too much of a scene, Caresius, we can¡¯t draw the attention of Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic.¡± Voldemort whispered, ¡°I can wait, believe me, you and your people are very important. I don¡¯t want you to sacrifice in vain.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a real honor!¡± Caresius sneered.

    There was another awkward silence, and neither of them said anything.

    The deep distrust between the two sides was self-evident!

    For Voldemort, he could even give up his most loyal servant. There was no reason to believe how important a group of uncooperative vampires would be to him.

    ¡°Give me a body.¡± After a long time, Voldemort said in his icy piercing voice, ¡°I can feel that thest magic of this Temple is about to lose its effect. I want to get that Philosopher¡¯s Stone and see in person the fellow hiding underneath. I have heard a lot about him. The power of this unknown creature from the void is unique and maye in handy.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    Evan walked into the deste Centaurs ruins with Sirius, and they followed the winding road to the empty square in front of the central Temple.

    The sight in front of him surprised him.

    Compared with what he had imagined, it was much busier here.

    There were hundreds of wizards crowded together, and there was an endless stream of hawkers everywhere. It looked like Diagon Alley.

    The stalls were full of Potions and adventure supplies. Besides, many businessmen and even goblins were collecting the loot just found in the ruins of the Centaurs.

    These trophies included tablets carved with ancient magic inscriptions, trajectories, Centaurs¡¯ sacrificial items, etc., but thergest number of them was made ofrge quantities of gold, with strange abstract style and seemingly meaningless weird decorations.

    Evan looked doubtfully at a goblin under the banner of Gringotts, and what it had just collected from an explorer team.

    He never knew that the fallen Centaurs had collected so much gold.

    These fallen Centaurs didn¡¯t seem to be the same as the Centaurs he knew. In the Temple of the Moon in the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, he only saw rtively cheap obsidian and granite.

    This extinct Centaur n obviously cared more about luxury.

    This was too suspicious. Looking at these gold ornaments, Evan wondered whether it was a deserted Centaurs¡¯ colony or an underground vault in Gringotts.

    It¡¯s true that, for a long time, the Centaurs had been outside the mainstream society of the wizarding world.

    As an arrogant jungle creature, if not necessary, they usually didn¡¯t get in touch with humans or other creatures, whether wizards or goblins. They did not trust them.

    They had their own areas of interest, magic Healing, Divination, Herbology, Archery and Astronomy.

    Evan hadn¡¯t heard of it or seen it anywhere that the Centaurs were interested in gold, a precious metal that only humans and goblins liked. They didn¡¯t need to trade with the outside world, and they were usually self-sufficient.

    Only a few collectors or magic historians interested in the Centaurs civilization would pay attention to a ruined relic left by a lost Centaurs civilization.

    But because of this gold, it had attracted arge number of greedy adventurers in a short period of time.

    Besides the wizards who traded in the square, there were more people in the central Temple.

    On the other side of the square, there were arge number of shabby tents of different shapes, managed by special personnel to be rented to adventurers in need.

    ¡°It¡¯s so weird in here!¡± Sirius said. ¡°Where on earth did the Centaurs find so much gold to make these decorations?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see how they did it unless they transformed the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and were able to use it like mel.¡±

    Squatting in front of a booth, Evan carefully examined a mask made of pure gold.

    ¡°You only need to pay a hundred Gold-Galleons to take it away!¡± The owner of the booth shouted, ¡°This mask has a high collection value.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I don¡¯t need it!¡± said Evan, ¡°I think I¡¯d better not touch it.¡±

    He stood up and pulled Sirius aside quickly.

    ¡°We¡¯d better be careful. These things should have strange magical reactions.¡± Evan lowered his voice and said, ¡°This feeling is very familiar, like¡­¡±

    He closed his eyes and recalled carefully, remembering the detection magicst night.

    And a long time ago, ine used the unique imprisonment spell on him.

    ¡°This is the magic that only vampires can use!¡± Evan said with certainty. ¡°There¡¯s a dangerous curse cast on it, but I don¡¯t know its specific use yet.¡±

    ¡°Vampires and curses?!¡± Sirius repeated.

    This was really interesting. There were traces of curses left by vampires on the decorations made by the ancient Centaurs. There must be something terrible going on here.

    They didn¡¯t know for what purpose, the vampires were spreading the cursed gold ornaments around the remains of the horses, attracting foolish adventurers to the ruins.

    Evan couldn¡¯t see how it would benefit them. Avoiding the sight of human wizards and hiding in a dark corner was the way vampires should prefer.

    Too much noise would arouse the attention of the Ministries of Magic and the mainstream society of magic circles in various countries. So the only thing that would await these vampires was their extinction.

    Even with such curses on the gold , it was impossible for them to wipe out all the wizards who woulde to the site, and it did not mean much to them.

    As food, there were too many wizards here. And looking at the strong and savage wizards around, Evan wondered if the taste of the vampires would be so unique. How could it be possible?

    If they were not food, then the only purpose of gathering so many people was to¡­

 Chapter 418: Terrible Speculation

    <h4>Chapter 418: Terrible Spection</h4>

    On top of magic, the evil spiritsing to this world needed a lot of flesh and blood to build their new bodies.

    In the illusion made by Gryffindor 800 years ago, Evan once saw the fallen Centaurs prepare an astonishing number of flesh and blood sacrifices to summon the evil god of terror.

    In the Temple of the Moon, Evan entered a huge circr chamber filled with coagted blood, which used to be filled with the corpses of various creatures.

    Even the ceiling was stained with thick blood.

    ording to Okegiga, that was just one of many sinful rooms in the Temple; the Fallen Centaurs expanded outward at a mad rate. They hunted all the creatures they met and offered their bodies as sacrifices to the evil god.

    Those sacrifices, along with the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, made a necessary condition for the evil spirit toe to the world.

    Thinking of this, Evan suddenly shuddered.

    Perhaps those vampires hiding in the dark wanted to summon the evil spirit as well?! What if, after the downfall of the fallen Centaurs, the evil god found itself a new servant?!

    These pure dark creatures were much more cunning and difficult to deal with than the Centaurs!

    Evan was scared by his own spection. This was too terrible. If it was true, then it meant that everyone in the ruins would die!

    Evan told Sirius about his reasoning, and he also looked extremely astonished.

    The seriousness of the situation was beyond imagination, and there was no news from Dumbledore.

    ¡°No matter what the vampires are going to do, we have to stop them!¡± Sirius said in a heavy tone, ¡°We must find out the truth about this.¡±

    That being said, knowing exactly what to do was tricky for both of them.

    They couldn¡¯t tell other people directly about this matter. Regardless of whether they would startle or not, judging from the current situation, it was estimated that no one would believe it.

    All the wizards who entered the ruins of the Centaurs were fascinated by gold. Judging by their eager eyes, each one was almost the same as the greediest goblin.

    Tell them that all these treasures had been cursed and they would definitely see you as mad.

    Even more, they might think that Evan and Sirius wanted to steal their gold and kill them directly.

    ¡°We must find the vampires lurking in the shadows, expose their plots in public, or directly stop this thing.¡± Evan analyzed, ¡°If possible, we should find some of the evil god¡¯s minions. Maybe that would sober these guys up.¡±

    In the illusion, Evan once saw three living creatures of the evil spirit.

    They were some kind of buzzing monsters, with an indescribable shape.

    They were five feet tall each. Their bodies were covered by a thick red carapace, and akin as a whole to some kind of fungus.

    They had a strong illusion magic that could directly act on the depths of a person¡¯s heart and make victims lose their minds and actively extend their heads into the creatures huge mouths.

    Their mouths were in the center of their bodies, full of fangs and sharp teeth.

    With just one bite, they could cut off and grind a man¡¯s head!

    Any spells and most physical attacks were meaningless against these monsters. The Patronus Charm would restrain them, but the correct way to kill them was to attack the core inside their heads.

    With his previous experience, as long as he could find these monsters, Evan had the confidence to kill them.

    He believed that their bodies would shock all the wizards they would see them for the first time.

    Maybe then, they would believe any plots he would expose to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s also crucial to get that Philosopher¡¯s Stone in hand as soon as possible.¡± Evan went on to analyze, ¡°If we get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, we could keep the evil spirit from evering!¡±

    This was also the most important purpose of Evan¡¯s trip. Theplete Philosopher¡¯s Stone would break Voldemort¡¯s Curse on him, and then he could regain his strength.

    He would be able to use all his magic, and wouldn¡¯t be as tied up as he was now.

    Before getting the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan¡¯s magical power was on par with that of Sirius thanks to Slytherin¡¯s locket and nktons in Aragog¡¯s pit.

    With the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he would be able to cast all the magic he mastered at will to fight, including many spells that were more powerful than usual.

    There was one more method that Evan did not mention.

    In fact, the most thorough method was to find the statue of the evil god brought back by Okegiga that year, which was like the root of some nt. That was the root of all evil.

    By destroying it, they wouldpletely sever all connections between the evil god and the real world, and end this boundless evil.

    Although in the illusion, he arbitrarily used magic to break the statue, it would certainly not be that simple now. Evan wasn¡¯t willing to do it on his own this time; finding it and handing it over to Dumbledore was the right choice.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, we first go to the Temple to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and then see what the vampires are doing!¡± Sirius said.

    The Temple at the center of the ruins was simr to the Temple of the Moon he had entered more than a month ago. It was also made ofrge blocks of obsidian and granite.

    It depicted abstract statues and murals, highlighting the glory of the Centaurs¡¯ past.

    With time, the fine curtains hanging on the walls and corridors had decayed, leaving only a pile of hemp-like ropes and rags hanging behind.

    At the bottom of the Temple, Evan also saw many adventurers.

    They were like chasing flies running in various rooms, looking for all valuable items.

    They held their wands and looked unfriendly at all the people passing by.

    The smell of gunpowder in the Temple was very strong, and fierce fighting urred from time to time.

    In many ces, Evan saw fresh blood and even dead bodies.

    Everything in this ruined relic seemed chaotic and dark. Without the restriction of secrw, the most evil aspect of human nature was vividly reflected here.

    They could only see gold. In turn, the gold cursed by the vampires stimted them to go even madder.

    The more you get, the faster you lose and fall.

    After seeing several adventurers wandering around the temple, looking extremely abnormal, muttering strange words in their mouths, like walking corpses, Evan finally knew what magic the vampires cast on the gold.

    This curse could make people who find gold confused, gradually lose their senses, and eventually be part of the evil in this dark Temple full of taboos.

    As the evil god had said, countless old and horrible crimes took ce in these ruins, and their count was only going up!

    Madness took over the ruins, and even those who kept their sanity had mostly died, their flesh and blood adding to the sacrifices for theing evil god.

 Chapter 419: A Chaotic Battle

    <h4>Chapter 419: A Chaotic Battle</h4>

    To avoid trouble, Evan and Sirius decided to use their Animagus forms.

    In the form of animals, they tried to stay away from the mad adventurers, follow the path they had in memory, from the remote passageway to the depths of the Temple.

    This idea proved very efficient. In their Animagus form, Evan and Sirius were moving fast, and their smaller size made them less likely to be discovered by others.

    Even if they were asionally seen, no wizard would ever care about their presence.

    It was just a lost cat and a stray dog. Two animals would never take the adventurers¡¯ minds off the gold!

    It did seem very strange and peculiar; a cat and a dog suddenly appearing in the ancient Temple of the Centaurs, purposefully avoiding all intruders and heading deep into the Temple.

    Just thinking about it a little, anyone would find something wrong in it.

    But under the influence of the vampires¡¯ curse on the gold, nobody thought about it at all.

    Evan and Sirius did not touch the gold or other seemingly suspicious things they saw along the way. They went forward as fast as they could to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    In the Temple of the Moon in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the statue of the evil spirit were preserved on the magnificent statue at the top of the Temple, protected by special magic.

    This was obviously not the case here. The top of the Temple had been upied by intruders.

    Everything valuable there was taken away, and there was no Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The fallen Centaurs had hidden the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the statue of the evil god before they died out.

    Evan and Sirius, who had no clues tried to explore the deepest part of the Temple.

    They explored several chambers that had not yet been discovered, and the huge stone gate carved with the moon¡¯s phase diagram, which had not been destroyed.

    But there was nothing, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the statue of the evil god seemed to have vanished.

    ¡°There must be something that we haven¡¯t noticed. We¡¯ve been hanging around for more than three hours.¡± Sirius put his wand on the ground, ¡°Guide me!¡±

    The wand spun rapidly on the ground, never stopping.

    ¡°There is an unknown force in this Temple that hinders all detection spells.¡± Sirius picked up his wand and looked impatient. ¡°Damn, magic doesn¡¯t work. If only there was a Niffler here, it could help us find the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡±

    The Niffler is a magical animal that burrows into the ground. It is fluffy, ck, and long-snouted.

    By nature, they have a predilection for anything glittery and precious treasures, and they are good at finding them.

    Taking advantage of this, Nifflers are often kept by goblins to burrow deep into the earth for treasure.

    ¡°If Hagrid was here, he might have a Niffler with him. I saw him have a whole nest in the Forbidden Forest,¡± Evan said.

    He also tried to use a detective spell that quickly dissipated after the magic left the wand, blocked by strange magical fluctuations in the air.

    ¡°This is not the way to go. We¡¯ve checked all the ces, but we haven¡¯t found any secret chamber.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Maybe we can go from¡­¡±

    ¡°Have we checked everywhere?!¡± Evan looked at Sirius and said uncertainly, ¡°I know another ce¡­¡±

    He remembered that in the illusion before, the ancestor of the Centaurs, Okegiga led him into the secret passage and they had sneaked into the Temple of the Moon from under the water. But they had not yet seen it here.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone might be hidden there, but Evan was not sure.

    In the Temple of the Moon, there was only a secret passage that extended deep into theke, and all thekes and rivers near the Temple here were dried up.

    This meant that following that secret passage down, there was a good chance it would lead them to the Temple underground.

    The Centaurs were not goblins. They did not hide things underground.

    However, these fallen centaurs were not the same as the normal ones, and their habits were very different.

    Maybe they really hid something underground.

    Just as Evan was about to take Sirius there for a look, there was a loud bang in the distance.

    Boom!!!

    Like a violent earthquake, the whole temple was shaking!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Sirius asked aloud, clenching his wand.

    Following the shaking, there was a shout in the distance, seemingly answering his question. Although it sounded very flustered, it was exceptionally clear.

    ¡°Found it! Yes, we have found the treasure of the Centaurs!¡±

    Evan and Sirius looked at each other and hurried to the ce where the voice had sounded.

    Although they both didn¡¯t know what had been found, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was likely to be there.

    Through an ancient narrow stone tunnel, Evan saw arge hole opened by magic in what was originally a wall, with arge number of stones scattered on the ground.

    Attracted by the sound, many adventurers came to the ce, and even the wizards and goblins outside the Temple were attracted.

    There was an uproar, with curses and threatening words everywhere.

    Many people even started dueling, and sparks and beams were flying everywhere.

    Even so, the number of wizards gathering was increasing, and everyone was desperately squeezing into the entrance of the wall, for fear of falling behind.

    Looking at the noisy crowd in front of him, Evan¡¯s feeling of uneasiness grew stronger.

    This was really strange. If the one who had shouted had really found the ce where the Centaurs were hiding the treasure, he would not shout out like this, but keep it for himself.

    Doing this now was like someone deliberately attracting them to the ce.

    ¡°Hold on, we¡¯d better not go in!¡± Evan stopped Sirius, who was ready to rush through, and stood in the distance looking behind the hole in the wall.

    Behind it, there was a dirt trail that slowly extended forward, with no end at a nce.

    There was a smell of decay pouring out of it, and it looked like a catb.

    ¡°What are we doing here?¡± Sirius said strangely, ¡°If the Philosopher¡¯s Stone is below, we must hurry up and find it before others ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just too coincidental that this Centaurs¡¯ treasure chamber appeared now. I¡¯m sure that the Philosopher¡¯s Stone is not there,¡± Evan continued. ¡°I can feel that there are strange magic fluctuations below. It¡¯s the magic of the vampires.¡±

    ¡°Vampires?!¡± Sirius frowned, considering what Evan said.

    In fact, just as they were talking, the noisy voices that came from behind the walls were getting louder and louder, as if many people had really found something.

    Faced with this situation, almost everyone¡¯s breathing was heavy, no longer think rationally.

    The scene became more and more chaotic, the scope of the battle became wider and wider. Many wizards, who like Evan and Sirius stood aside to observe were also involved.

 Chapter 420: The Death of Sirius

    <h4>Chapter 420: The Death of Sirius</h4>

    Hundreds of wizards were fighting in the narrow tunnel of the Centaurs ruins.

    The curses and shouts were endless, and the space was filled with red, blue, and green curses.

    Unlike the yful duels between the young wizards, these were real battles to the death.

    A few people used themon dueling spells. Evan saw that more and more people were using Avada Kedavra or other sorts of forbidden curses, striving to kill their foes.

    No one had any restraint. Even without grievance or hatred, everyone couldn¡¯t wait to kill each other. Many fell dead, and blood sprouted out everywhere.

    Soon, the Obsidian walls, ceilings and floors of the Temple turned red.

    Evan and Sirius kept retreating, and the situation in front of them was too chaotic.

    Curses flew in the air, wreaking havoc, raging with heart-rending light, like innumerable sharp arrowsing from all sides.

    The sudden battle scene had be more and more fierce, eventually turning into the most chaotic and baffling battle Evan had ever seen.

    Hundreds of wizards gathered here, their eyes red and their teeth gnashing, as if they had seen their life-long sworn enemies. They attacked others without purpose or reason. Most of them had not even seen the so-called Centaurs¡¯ Treasure.

    Under the influence of the curse cast by the vampires hiding in the dark, everyone went mad. They only thought of killing for gold now, not distinguishing between friends and enemies.

    A dreadful, terrifying massacre was taking ce here, and if this incident was reported, it would definitely shake the entire wizarding world.

    It was inconceivable that such a thing would happen in this peaceful era.

    Vampires were really terrible. No wonder they had long been considered the most dangerous Dark creatures, and their existence was a taboo in itself.

    Evan and Sirius were dodging the flying spells. They tried to find vampires in the crowd, but the situation was too chaotic for them to find anything.

    ¡°Damn, these people are insane!¡± Sirius roared, waving his wand and using a Full Body-Bind Curse against a wizard who was shouting at him and rushing in.

    His spell hit the man, but several others were attracted.

    Sirius¡¯s wand threw out several spells in session, escorting Evan back.

    In fact, Evan also became irritable.

    What happened suddenly in front of him was beyond his initial expectations. Since the vampires dared to make this move, it meant that the magic of summoning the evil spirit was almost finished.

    All the wizards who were fighting were going to die,bing flesh and blood sacrifices to the evil god.

    Things were going too fast, and Evan didn¡¯t understand how the vampires were going to summon the evil god without getting their own Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Boom, boom!!!

    Just as he was thinking about these things, the ground of the Temple suddenly began to copse.

    The whole area was shaking violently, and huge cracks began to appear on the ground.

    The ground cracked, like a ck behemoth ruthlessly opening a huge mouth, swallowing the fighting wizards and the fallen bodies.

    Evan and Sirius wanted to escape, but everything happened too fast, and both of them fell down.

    Beside them, there were countless equally panicking wizards and massive falling stones.

    A falling stone came to them and Evan waved his wand and smashed it.

    Parts of the stone fragments hit him, and he felt a deep pain. However, he had no time to care about that. Underneath them, a dark pit suddenly appeared, deep and bottomless.

    If he fell down like this, he shouldn¡¯t have a chance to survive

    What was even more terrifying was that some of the wizards who were falling were still willfully casting evil curses. These lunatics did not want to live at all, and were dragging others to die alongside them!

    Not far below, Sirius was shouting something at Evan.

    There was so much noise around that Evan could not hear a word.

    He tried to calm down and consider what magic to use.

    In such a chaotic situation, it seemed that all the incantations did not work.

    He tried to cast a levitation charm on himself, hoping to ease the falling speed, but this only made him the target of the fallen men and stones.

    The next second, a silvery white light flew from top to bottom.

    Evan saw Sirius pointing his wand at him. This was a spell simr to the Shield Charm. By the impact of the spell, he began to fly up.

    It was exerting a force, getting him away from Sirius¡¯s wand, and from harm¡¯s way. However, it also elerated Sirius¡¯s fall.

    ¡°No!¡± Evan shouted, trying to stop Sirius.

    He saw Sirius¡¯s decadent smile solidified on his once handsome face and Sirius waving to him, in the same way as before; recalcitrant, with an innate pride.

    Under Evan¡¯s gaze, his body fell down at an extremely fast speed and gradually disappeared into the endless darkness.

    ¡°SIRIUS!¡± Evan shouted, ¡°SIRIUS!¡±

    Before he could use any magic, Sirius had disappeared.

    Just like that¡­.

    Evan fell on the ground of the Temple, his mind nk¡­

    Just a few seconds ago, there was an extraordinarily busy tunnel. Now there was no one but him.

    All that remained was a dead silence, and a great, deep, bottomless pit.

    Below, the rumbling sound did not stop.

    It was as if this pit that had emerged out of nowhere, extended all the way down to the core of the earth.

    Despite the pain, Evan stood up as fast as he could.

    He went to the crater, expecting Sirius toe up from below, but all he saw was darkness.

    His vision gradually blurred. Evan had only one thought in his mind: he had to save Sirius!

    But it was obviously unwise to go down from this deep pit.

    Evan had no much time to think. Soon after the wizards fell down, the magic of the Temple space suddenly became chaotic and irritable.

    ¡°I am waiting, the great existence ising!¡±

    The strange voice echoed in the temple, and it seemed to sound in the depths of Evan¡¯s mind.

    This was the voice of the evil god. Evan would never forget it even if he died. This voice could arouse the deepest darkness and fear hidden in one¡¯s heart.

    Damn, those vampires were really summoning this horrible evil spirit!

    Evan was no longer thinking about where they got their strength, he stood up panting.

    All he had in mind was how to save Sirius, if he somehow survived¡­

    At this point, Evan¡¯s body was trembling uncontrobly, and he was undeniably terrified!

    He was not afraid of those vampires hidden in the dark, or of the evil god that coulde at any time¡­ He feared the death of Sirius¡­.

 Chapter 421: The Blood Pool

    <h4>Chapter 421: The Blood Pool</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯ming back soon, and then, the never-ending nightmare will begin!¡±

    The chilling voice of the evil spirit echoed in the Temple. ¡°Tremble, young human wizard! Be ready to give in to death!¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Evan shouted. His voice echoed back and forth in the silent tunnel.

    The whisper of the evil spirit bored him. For a moment, he just stared at the dark cave under his feet, with Sirius in his mind.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that Sirius had fallen down like this, perhaps to his death.

    Then, Evan ran up, as fast as possible. There was no point in staying here. The cave was too deep. Sirius couldn¡¯t climb up from below, and he couldn¡¯t jump from above.

    Because of the appearance of the evil god, the magic in space became irritable.

    But it was clearer than before. Evan could now clearly feel the location of the evil god, just below in the underground pit, in the deepest area underground.

    Besides jumping down directly, there was definitely another way to go there: It was the secret passage he had taken before with Okegiga, the Centaur to sneak into the Temple of the Moon from theke in the illusion. That was the right path.

    Evan knew he had to hurry. Sirius might not have died yet.

    He ran to the corridor as quickly as possible, and saw many panicking wizards along the way.

    They also heard the whispers of the evil spirit, and stood there not knowing what to do.

    ¡°AVADA KEDAVRA!¡±

    Just as Evan turned the corner, a sharp voice suddenly sounded.

    The training with Sirius came in handy, and he subconsciously brought himself to the ground, the green light brushing over his body.

    He saw a wizard in a ck robe holding a wand and standing not far ahead of him.

    His skin was pale and he was dressed like the three wizards he saw in the pubst night. He was wearing a thick ck robe that covered his whole body. This was a vampire!!!

    After the pit appeared under the wizards inside, the vampires who had been lurking in the dark finally came out. They gathered around to kill any survivors to ensure that what happened today in the temple would never be heard of.

    Neither the evil god nor their plots could be made known to the outside world, and with what happened today, only the dead could truly keep this a secret.

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to waste here. While ducking to avoid the vampire¡¯s Killing Curse, three red lights quickly flew out from the tip of his wand.

    In the face of Evan¡¯s counterattack, the vampire hurried to dodge.

    He seemed somewhat surprised, not expecting that Evan would escape his sneak attack and react so quickly, and still manage to cast three magic spells in such a short time.

    Following his spells, Evan shouted and rushed at him.

    His wand shone like a sword and sparks flew everywhere.

    While the opponent managed to avoid the first round of attacks, Evan¡¯s Full Body-Bind Curse followed and hit the vampire!

    His arms and legs clung together and he fell heavily back.

    If this was under any different circumstances, Evan would sit down to interrogate the vampire and ask him about their plots, but now he was in a hurry to save Sirius.

    He didn¡¯t even see the vampire falling to the ground and continued to rush forward.

    In a remote corridor away from the previous chamber, Evan looked at the moon phases carved on the wall, and he beat the full moon sign on the wall as fast as he could.

    Creak, creak, creak¡­

    With the dry and astringent sound of the dry pulley, the thick stone door rose slowly.

    The muddy, damp smell extended from the secret passage to the depths of the ground, as expected.

    As the stone gate rose, the magic fluctuated in the area more madly than before.

    Judging from the current situation, this secret passage must lead to the location of the evil god.

    On the thick dust on the ground, Evan also saw a lot of footprints, traces of the vampires hiding in the darking in and out of the area.

    At the end of the narrow passage, there was arge scary Lovage.

    From its height and thickness, it was at least several hundred years old.

    Lovage is a kind of nt with strong characteristics, one that could spread its roots to the surrounding nts and make them wither slowly. Even other Lovages are no exception.

    In the end, only one Lovage can survive and enjoy all the nutrients in a certain area.

    Seeing thisrge, frightening Lovage, Evan finally knew where the vampires got the curse material cast on the gold.

    It is important to know that Lovage is mainly used to make Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts, that could make people overtaken by hot-headedness and recklessness, or be gradually lost in the illusion built in their minds.

    The juice made from Lovage leaves is an essential material in the preparation of some mind-confusing Dark magic.

    The Lovage grows in length extremely slowly. Evan had seen a Lovage in Professor Sprout¡¯s greenhouse.

    That nt had been kept for more than 40 years, but it was still much smaller than this one, and the confusion that it could cause was also poor.

    Besides, the Lovage generally lives in dark and humid ces.

    Next to it, Evan saw a sloping downward passage filled with red water.

    The smell in the air was unpleasant and weird, and Evan remembered Professor Sprout¡¯s remark that the smell of the Lovage was confusing.

    He held his breath and rushed into the pool, casting upon himself the Bubble-Head Charm.

    The pool was deep and extended down the ancient passage to the depths of the ground.

    In the muddy, turbid water, Evan could not determine where he should go exactly.

    He could only dive by instinct. The red water felt sticky, and Evan quickly knew what was going on. The vampires had poured a lot of blood into it.

    This was really too bad, and he felt nauseous when he realized he was in the blood.

    He resisted nausea and speeded up the dive. But immediately, he felt something entangled in his ankle.

    He clenched his hand on his wand and looked back.

    Besides the red turbid items, nothing could be seen in the muddy blood.

    Evan shook repeatedly, bent down getting his hands close to his ankles¡­

    His heart was beating hard, feeling the danger approaching him. There seemed to be something in the blood.

    He raised his vignce and slowly explored forward¡­

    The next second, a hideous, highly rotten face suddenly appeared in front of him!

 Chapter 422: The Vampires Show Up

    <h4>Chapter 422: The Vampires Show Up</h4>

    Under the faint light of his wand, Evan saw the corpse of a man.

    His face had been swollen and deformed, and his mouth was wide open.

    The tongue, which had deteriorated and rotted into dark brown, came out, long; and his skin was pale and cold.

    Almost instantly, Evan remembered the Inferi he had seen in the cave before.

    He hurried back, but his feet were entangled by something.

    Evan struggled, his heart thumping hard, but he was dragged back again!

    He could feel that a body under his feet, something like a tentacle, was not willing to let him go. It was trying to bring him down.

    Encountering such a situation in turbid blood could easily crush anyone¡¯sposure.

    The wand in Evan¡¯s hand aimed at the direction of the floating body at his feet, emitting several red lights in a row.

    Bang, bang, bang¡­

    In the blood, each spell of Evan stirred up a strong current of water.

    Under the impact of his spells, the already muddy blood became more chaotic.

    The man¡¯s body was swept away by Evan¡¯s magic, but the tentacles on his legs were getting tighter and contracted backwards.

    The more Evan struggled, the more entangled his legs became.

    Soon, he saw the ck rattan winding along his legs to his upper body.

    These rattans, Evan realized¡­

    It was the Devil¡¯s Snare!!!

    He finally knew what he hade across. A Devil¡¯s Snare grew in the blood pool.

    This nt likes the dark and the damp, and can kill the living creatures that it catches by strangtion.

    It was the first time that Evan saw the Devil¡¯s Snare growing directly in the water. Perhaps because of the blood concentration in the pool, this Devil¡¯s Snare was growing well.

    This was a good discovery finding that blood stimted the growth of the Devil¡¯s Snare¡­ Evan shook his head. Now was not the time for such nonsense!

    He hurriedly waved his wand, pointing straight ahead, and the end of his wand emitted Bluebell mes.

    The Blue mes surrounded Evan with a fiery temperature.

    They are harmless to the human body, but they could persist even in water.

    In a matter of seconds, the Devil¡¯s Snare loosened its grip on Evan.

    It was clear that it cringed away from the light and warmth brought by the mes.

    The Devil¡¯s Snare wriggled and iled, automatically unraveling its tendrils wrapped around Evan.

    It took the body that Evan had just blown away and retreated to a dark corner.

    After getting rid of the Devil¡¯s Snare, Evan continued to move quickly along the passage.

    Because he was worried about Sirius, he kept speeding up.

    Fortunately, there was nothing else in the blood to stop him.

    After a winding passage, the descending slope began to slow down and quickly rose upwards, and Evan heard the sound of glug from above.

    Here, the blood concentration in the water was much higher! It was not like turbid blood mixed with mud and dust. It waspletely blood red and was stickier.

    Evan even suspected that it was just pure blood!!

    Glug, glug, glug¡­

    Like boiling water, blood was constantly bubbling outward.

    Following the bubbles, Evan rose to the surface.

    Around him, all the wizards who had just fallen had be cold corpses, floating quietly on the bright red water.

    Red bubbles kept popping up from below, breaking apart beside them.

    The blood pool was facing a huge gap above the temple. It was more than a thousand feet deep and dark above. Nothing could be seen, like a ck hole devouring everything.

    Evan ignored the surroundings and looked for Sirius in the blood pool.

    ¡°Good evening, young human!¡± A low male voice sounded ahead. ¡°If you are looking for him, then you don¡¯t have to waste your effort.¡±

    Evan looked up and saw a dozen vampires in ck robes standing on the ground outside the blood pool, pointing their wands at him.

    At the center of these people was a middle-aged man with a cold face.

    He was handsome and upright, with wine-red eyes deep and distant, wearing a beautiful ck cloak, and his exposed skin was particrly pale.

    He had an aura of ¡°pure evil¡± surrounding him, and the light seemed to deflect from him.

    Evan could feel a whirlpool of pure magic whirling around his body, engulfing other magic and light around him.

    This vampire was too bizarre; Evan had never seen such a wizard before.

    His eyes stopped short on him and immediately went to Sirius, curled up in front of him.

    He was bloodstained and unconscious, but he still seemed to breathe.

    ¡°SIRIUS!¡± Evan shouted.

    He ran two steps forward just to find a dozen spellsing his way.

    Evan hurried to stop, and the magic brushed his body and flew out.

    They didn¡¯t make a real attack, they were just warning him not to move.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this human being is very strong and has not died yet!¡± said the middle-aged man. ¡°His life depends entirely on you. We have something to ask you.¡±

    ¡°Let Sirius go. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± Evan said anxiously.

    So these vampires were the people who nned everything behind the scenes. What did they want to know?

    Could it be that they already knew that half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was on him?!

    Evan looked around, trying to find a solution to the immediate predicament.

    He saw the flesh and blood in the blood pool in front of him, pulled by magic, slowly moving upward, forming streams that rose to meet in the distance.

    Other than that, there was nothing in the stone chamber.

    At the same time, in the face of more than a dozen powerful vampire wizards and a man of unpredictable strength, Evan had no chance of winning anyway.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we still have time. We need to crack thest magic left by the ancient Centaurs!¡± With an elegant smile on his face, the vampire said slowly, ¡°First, please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Caresius Slytherin, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I know ine, we are¡­¡± Evan hesitated for a moment and continued to shout, ¡°We are friends!¡±

    When he heard the surname Slytherin, he immediately knew who these vampires were.

    ¡°ine¡¯s friend?!¡± Caresius showed a little surprise on his face. ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t know her¡­¡±

    ¡°We met in Diagon Alley, on Christmas Eve.¡± Evan took out the Locket on his chest and said in a hurry. ¡°I know the prophecy and the trouble you are facing. I can help you. I have Slytherin¡¯s Locket on me. I¡¯m probably the one mentioned in the prophecy.¡±

    After Evan finished his words, there was a long silence.

    Caresius did not speak, and his wine-red eyes rested on the Locket on Evan¡¯s chest.

    His face was cloudy and uncertain, and he seemed to be thinking about what Evan had said.

 Chapter 423: Distrustful Allies

    <h4>Chapter 423: Distrustful Allies</h4>

    ¡°Young human wizard, in the face of existence beyond your imagination, submission is the only correct choice, which will bring you unimaginable benefits!¡±

    ¡°Have you ever tasted death? Death is not the end of fear. Time is endless, and death is but the beginning of pain!¡±

    ¡°Only the immortal are powerful! Do you want it; immortality?¡±

    The whispers of the evil spirit continued to echo through Evan¡¯s head; it uttered the maddest of thoughts.

    Under its torment, Evan had a terrible headache.

    From the expressions of the vampires around him, it seemed that only he could hear the whispers of the evil god.

    The evil spirit felt the Philosopher¡¯s Stone that Evan carried with him, and it was tempting Evan to yield, surrender to it, hand over the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and help it break the seal ande to the real world.

    Unless he would really go mad, Evan, who knew the true face of the evil spirit, would naturally never do that. He had to concentrate hard and wait for the decision of the vampires.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you got Slytherin¡¯s Locket!¡± Caresius looked at Evan. ¡°But you¡¯re not strong enough to help us.¡±

    ¡°Strength can be improved, I still have time.¡± Evan hurried to say.

    If he couldn¡¯t convince these vampires, he and Sirius would be dead.

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have much time. My n and I must decide as soon as possible whether to be destroyed or reborn!¡± Caresius¡¯s eyes moved from Slytherin¡¯s Locket to Evan. ¡°Tell me your name, human young man!¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason!¡± Evan was slightly distracted.

    In the vampire¡¯s wine-red eyes, there seemed to be some kind of Confundus Charm.

    ¡°Very good, Evan!¡± Caresius said slowly. ¡°Thank you for your help, but we have already chosen our ally. He is very strong and has amon ancestor with us. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll help us get through it!¡±

    ¡°Who is it?!¡± Evan had a bad feeling.

    These vampires were descendants of Szar Slytherin. If the ally had amon ancestor with them and was in the forests of Albania, then this person was¡­

    ¡°We better not call him by his name directly. As the most dangerous Dark wizard in history, people usually call him You-Know-Who!¡± Caresius said slowly, a yful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and it seemed that he didn¡¯t really think so.

    ¡°VOLDEMORT!¡± Although he had already guessed it, Evan was still shocked when he heard Caresius actually acknowledge it. ¡°You are mad; you¡¯re going to work with Voldemort!¡±

    He kept looking around, looking for the traces of Voldemort.

    No words could describe his feelings now. It was as if his heart suddenly sank to his stomach.

    There was a nk inside Evan¡¯s head, which was the worst result.

    He was afraid to think about it. With the help of vampires, Voldemort¡¯s power would grow unimaginably. It was only a matter of time before he would return.

    ¡°You are ying with fire, Voldemort is the most dangerous and powerful Dark wizard!¡±

    ¡°In the eyes of wizards, we vampires ourselves are dark taboos. I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong with working with a Dark wizard!¡± Caresius said. ¡°As long as he can keep his promise and help us, that¡¯s enough!¡±

    It was a joke to expect Voldemort to keep his promise.

    Whenever he regained his strength and gathered the Death Eaters, these vampires would be much less useful to him. And then, he would not hesitate to abandon them.

    Evan hoped to convince him to understand this. Under his persuasion, Caresius seemed to hesitate, but in the end he did not budge.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business. You and ck were supposed to die, but because you are a friend of ine, I decided not to kill you!¡± Caresius said, ¡°I will take you to see that person, he hopes to know why Dumbledore appeared in the forest. After that, I will personally erase your memories.¡±

    The damn Obliviate spell again!

    Although those vampires promised to let him and Sirius go, Evan doubted that Voldemort would agree.

    ¡°By the way, you¡¯d better hide the Locket on your chest.¡± Caresius walked two steps forward and suddenly turned and continued, smiling. ¡°I just know who the original owner of this Locket was. We¡¯d better not take risks!¡±

    Under the gaze of the vampire, Evan put the Locket back under his robe.

    Caresius was right to remind him that this Locket was one of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes. If he saw it, things would turn south really quickly¡­.

    Evan quickly thought about this matter. Judging from the tone of Caresius in the conversation just now and his warning about the Locket, he did not seem to fully believe in Voldemort.

    Although allies, there was a lot of mistrust between the two sides.

    Evan felt that he might have a chance. If he could talk some sense into these vampires, he could turn things upside down and even finish Voldemort here to end everything.

    Along the way, Caresius listened to Evan¡¯s persuasion with a smile on his face, not opposing nor approving, and making him really helpless.

    No matter what he said, the vampire did not express his opinion.

    It was like hitting a ball of cotton really hard, it was mad and hopeless.

    The vampire seemed determined to help Voldemort, but he didn¡¯t intend to put all his eggs in one basket. His words meant to attract Evan.

    Both Voldemort and Evan met the requirements of the prophecy handed down by their n; it was wise to leave adequate leeway at all times.

    If not for the situation at hand, Caresius would really be a kind-hearted elder. He would even invite Evan to go to their family to meet ine again.

    In midair above everyone, the riverposed of countless blood and flesh fragments slowly moved forward in the direction of their advancement, making a sound of flowing water.

    This feeling was very strange. Anyone who would see this scene would be first and foremost shocked, and then immersed in the powerful magic of the caster.

    But then it was disgusting and horrifying to see the creepy things in the river.

    The pungent smell of blood made Evan want to vomit.

    The vampires who were familiar with the smell of blood did not feel ufortable; they actually enjoyed it in way, like humans going through the kitchen of a masterchef!

    ¡°What are you going to do?!¡± Evan frowned at the disgusting river of flesh and blood in the air, and asked uneasily, ¡°Use this flesh and blood to summon the evil god?!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t intend to summon the ancient evil creature hidden in the Temple!¡± Caresius looked a little surprised by Evan bringing this up, ¡°In fact, there is a powerful philosopher¡¯s stone in the depth of this relic. He hopes to get it, to crack thest magic left by the ancient Centaurs.¡±

 Chapter 424: Voldemort

    <h4>Chapter 424: Voldemort</h4>

    Voldemort also wanted to get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. Evan felt that he had heard more bad news today than he had heard for a whole year. Things had gone far beyond control.

    ¡°In the deepest part of the Temple, the ancient Centaurs left a powerful magic.¡± Caresius continued. ¡°We have to collect enough flesh and blood to break it.¡±

    Undoubtedly, this ancient ck magic was incredibly evil and cruel.

    Voldemort and the vampires might not care about this. They didn¡¯t care about the lives of others, but Evan doubted whether they knew what they were doing.

    Collecting enough flesh and blood to crack the magic, this was also the first step to summon the evil spirit, and Evan was delivering the half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone it needed to its door.

    By then, all the conditions for summoning the arrival of the evil spirit of terror into this world would be met.

    Without someone of Gryffindor¡¯s caliber around, no one should be able to stop it.

    Evan shivered when recalling the horrible scene where the evil god was called out. It was at an apocalyptic level.

    This was too terrible. Peace in the wizarding world would be shattered. A war sweeping the world wasing, and this time, wizards would have to face monsters never seen for a millennium!

    Even if they went against such a creature , the losses in life would be unimaginable!

    This must never happen, but Evan couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Considering his current situation, he was simply unable to stop it.

    First, Voldemort and the vampires would not believe what he would say and work with him.

    Second, Evan could not say that he had the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    It was unwise to confront Voldemort, the vampires and the evil god head on, and if Dumbledore didn¡¯t get there in time, the wisest choice for Evan would be to run.

    But the problem now was that he couldn¡¯t leave Sirius alone.

    Under the influence of magic, Sirius¡¯s body was floating slowly beside him.

    He followed Evan forward and didn¡¯t seem to be waking up any time soon.

    The only good news was that after a simple treatment, his breathing was much smoother than before and he was out of the danger zone.

    The group of people walked through the spacious hall and came to a closed secret chamber at the end.

    Caresius no longer spoke. He shook his ck cloak and walked neatly at the front of the team, as if he had nothing to do with Evan.

    In the back, more than a dozen vampires pointed their wands at Evan, eyeing him covetously.

    Evan gasped and entered the Chamber of Secrets, with a growing sense of uneasiness in his heart.

    It was the chamber he had seen in the stone basin of prophecy made by Nics mel with alchemy, where all evil and horrible crimes were about to take ce.

    In the middle of the chamber was a magic barrier glowing with green light.

    It divided the entire chamber into two parts, preventing people from crossing it.

    On the inside, Evan could vaguely see the skeletons of dozens of fallen Centaurs.

    They were scattered on the ground, assuming the positions he had seen them taking in the illusion when summoning the evil spirit.

    In front of the Centaurs¡¯ skeletons, there was a Philosopher¡¯s Stone that emitted a soft red light. It was ced on top of an altar, next to the ugly statue of an evil god like a tree root.

    In midair, great amounts of flesh and blood gathered after rising from the blood pool.

    They passed through the barrier and revolved around the fallen Centaurs¡¯ bones to build their bodies.

    Evan saw a fallen Centaur recovering from a pile of white bones and assuming a praying posture.

    Besides the fact that itcked vitality, it did not look one bit like it had been dead for hundreds of years.

    It looked very much alive, and knowing how it came to be that way made it much more eerie!

    Outside the green barrier, there was the vampire that Evan had seenst night.

    At this point, he was facing everyone in a weird posture.

    ¡°Caresius, you keep on surprising me!¡± The cold voice suddenly sounded, ¡°Would you look at that; Sirius ck and a student from Hogwarts!¡±

    The strong vampire turned slowly, and Evan was horrified to see that where there should have been a back to the vampire¡¯s head, there was a face.

    This was the face that would not appear in the most horrible of nightmares. It was chalk white with ring red eyes and slits for nostrils, like a snake.

    This was VOLDEMORT!!!

    After Quirrell, he reattached it to someone else¡¯s head.

    Evan stared and he would have screamed, but he couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    He had imagined many scenario¡¯s of the first time he would meet Voldemort, but never expected this! Things were simply terrible.

    Adding covetous gazes of vampires around him, the closer he got to Voldemort, the snake bracelet on Evan¡¯s wrist began to sting, and its magic gradually spread out.

    He hastily hid his right hand behind his back, hoping that he would not be discovered by Voldemort.

    ¡°Surprised to see me, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Voldemort whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve disappeared for thirteen years. Maybe you¡¯ve forgotten me. As the greatest wizard of all time, there is only shadow and vapor left . I have form only when sharing another¡¯s body, but I¡¯ve never forgotten¡­¡±

    Voldemort stared at Evan with a grim smile on his face.

    ¡°Voldemort is invincible, you think you will seed, but your puny spells cannot kill me.¡± He said maliciously, ¡°Soon, when the magic left here by the ancient centaurs is broken, I will be able to restore my strength, recreate a body of my own, and even be more powerful. When that timees, I will go back to Hogwarts and take back everything that belonged to me ¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do anything!¡± Evan shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, Dumbledore and Harry defeated you two years ago!¡±

    Evan took a step back and clenched his wand in his hand.

    ¡°Harry Potter?!¡± Voldemort¡¯s voice became colder. ¡°He is not a savior at all. He is nothing before might!¡±

    ¡°Harry has a power you¡¯ll never understand. You have no chance of winning. You can¡¯t beat him at all.¡± Evan said as he stepped back.

    He was trying to anger Voldemort to distract him from the curse on him and leave him enough time to look for opportunities.

    Ahead of them, the magic left by the fallen Centaurs could be broken at any time.

    The light on the green barrier was getting dimmer and dimmer, like a candle in the wind.

    With massive quantities of flesh and blood, most of the Centaurs inside had recovered their bodies. They could be seen more and more clearly as they assumed various postures and stood facing the summoning ceremony.

    The whispers of the evil god were getting stronger and stronger, as if it was about toe to this world.

 Chapter 425: Allegiance or Death

    <h4>Chapter 425: Allegiance or Death</h4>

    As the whispers of the evil spirit increased, the whole hall began to shake slightly.

    The closer it got to the real world, the more obvious the signs were.

    Magic in the area became restless, the earth and dust were shaken down through the cracks in the wall, the light of the Green Magic barrier was fading, as if about to crumble at any time.

    Now, even the vampires could hear the whispers of the evil spirit.

    They looked around in panic, their faces full of horror. In the face of this ancient and evil unknown creature, no one could keep their calm!

    Besides Evan, Caresius¡¯s face was also gloomy to the extreme.

    He stared at an ancient Centaur who was being rebuilt by the flesh and blood; he looked at the evil magic, thinking.

    ¡°The magic of the Centaurs is about to lose its effect. The monster inside is totally more powerful than expected!¡± he whispered, ¡°We¡¯d better get ready.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Caresius!¡± Voldemort said in a whispering voice. ¡°I have a way to deal with the thing inside. No matter how powerful it is, its power will eventually be used by me. Before that, we have to entertain our uninvited guests.¡±

    Voldemort seemed to have a n but he turned a blind eye to the evil spirit, while everyone else was immersed in the shock of the signs of its arrival.

    His pale face showed a cruel smile and he looked at Evan with great interest.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what Voldemort could do to deal with the evil god. This was hard to imagine.

    Maybe, he had mastered some powerful ck magic that he didn¡¯t know yet.

    Such magic would need to have a restraining effect on the evil spirit, but looking at Voldemort¡¯s red eyes, Evan felt that things were not that simple.

    Voldemort looked at Evan for a long time before slowly saying, ¡°I can feel that you are trying to irritate me! Interesting, I haven¡¯t seen a wizard like you for many years. I have to say that you are very simr to me when I was young.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the first time someone said that Evan was like Tom Riddle in his school days.

    They were both very obsessed with magic, and through various efforts, they had aplished unimaginable achievements for wizards their age, but there was a fundamental difference between them: Evan was determined to never follow Voldemort¡¯s path!

    ¡°Yes, unlike other young wizards, you have courage.¡± Voldemort said softly, ¡°And I¡¯ve always admired courage, so I¡¯m going to give you a chance. Tell me your name, child?¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason!¡± Evan whispered.

    He stepped back and watched Voldemort warily.

    ¡°Choose, Evan!¡± Voldemort said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Either you be loyal to the great Voldemort and gain unimaginable power and privileges, or continue to have faith in Dumbledore and die here in obscurity.¡±

    ¡°Where is Dumbledore?¡± Evan asked, making no choice.

    He nced at the vampires around him and over a dozen wands aimed at him.

    Under the current circumstances, a word from Voldemort was enough for him to meet his demise¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t expect Dumbledore to save you. I know him better than anyone else and I know how to lure him into a trap. He is pursuing the traces I left behind, far away from the Temple of the Centaurs!¡± Voldemort said cruelly, ¡°And my vampire friends left an interesting spell there. By the time he cracks it, everything will be over.¡±

    It was only then that Evan realized the reason for Dumbledore¡¯s disappearance.

    He didn¡¯t know how Voldemort fooled Dumbledore, but as things stood, he and Sirius might die here long before he could return.

    ¡°Tell me your choice, allegiance or death?!¡± Voldemort said in a harsh voice.

    ¡°Dumbledore was right about you; you will never understand that death is not the most terrible oue.¡± Evan clenched his wand, ¡°I don¡¯t see any choice here. I will never believe a monster like you who would rather give up his soul for eternal life! Even if only death awaits me, I will fight to the end.¡±

    Evan gave his answer, controlled the magic, and the light at the tip of his wand became brighter and brighter.

    ¡°You fools are all like this; you would rather die than surrender. How charming!¡± Voldemort¡¯s wicked face grinned fiercely. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, give me the Philosopher¡¯s Stone you have on you, and then die.¡±

    Evan was shocked that Voldemort had found out the piece of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone he had.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, even though my current strength is declining, I felt that you had my curse on you the moment you came in.¡± Voldemort said in a cold voice, ¡°Yes, I still remember this curse. In the year I was about to graduate, I found the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest, but there was that magic left by that damn Gryffindor. I had no way to crack it. So, I left a curse on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone so that I could get itter.¡±

    Evan stepped backwards, racking his brain to think about what to do now.

    ¡°I never expected to see you here after so many decades, after I almost forgot about it. What a pleasant surprise!¡± Voldemort smirked. ¡°No doubt, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone you have on you and the piece in this Temple are a whole. As long as I get it, I can control the monster inside, and gain power to be stronger than ever before. Even Dumbledore will be no opponent of mine¡­¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Evan shouted.

    ¡°Give it to me, NOW!¡± Voldemort screamed, ¡°Then kneel down in front of me and beg bitterly for mercy; beg for your death!¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t see anyone make a move, but he found his body flying quickly forward, approaching Voldemort under the action of a sudden and powerful force.

    In front of him, raging fire rose abruptly from the ground, scorching the area around it.

    Evan waved his wand at the fastest speed, making a transparent magic shield that surrounded him like a ss wall.

    At the moment he passed through the me, the transparent magic barrier was burned red at high temperatures.

    Then, with a thud, it shattered and dissipated.

    Behind the me, waiting for Evan, was the sly Voldemort.

    Watching Voldemort getting closer, Evan held his breath. The wand in his hand emitted a series of blue lights unstoppably.

    Boom, boom, boom!!!

    Like a bomb, Evan¡¯s magic exploded beside Voldemort, making a powerful impact that shook the chamber violently.

    In the thick smoke brought by the explosion, Voldemort screamed, ¡°Caresius, help me catch him! SEIZE HIM!¡±

    Caresius turned a deaf ear to Voldemort¡¯s orders.

    He did not act, just stood by and watched coldly.

    Seeing that Caresius did not do anything, the other vampires did the same.

    This was a battle between Evan and Voldemort, and the vampires chose not to get involved.

    ¡°Fools! I¡¯ll make you pay!¡± Voldemort said in a harsh voice.

    He controlled the vampire he was attached to and staggered away from Evan¡¯s spells.

    The next second, Evan felt great pain from his wrist.

    He looked down and saw that the ck snake bracelet curse seemed to be alive.

    It was twisting, gettingrger andrger, sliding up along his blood vessels.

    In just a few seconds, half of Evan¡¯s arm turned ck¡­.

 Chapter 426: Mutation

    <h4>Chapter 426: Mutation</h4>

    Too bad!!!

    Voldemort was activating the curse on Evan, and in a few seconds he would die.

    With his blood flow, the ck snake pattern went straight up his arm.

    On top of the piercing pain, Evan felt that his strength, magic and vitality were rapidly dissipating and being consumed by the curse.

    He difficultly cast another spell against Voldemort and put down his wand decadently.

    Evan¡¯s body was getting heavier and heavier, to the point he felt barely capable of keeping his eyelids open!

    ¡°Impotent fool, under my curse, say hello to your death!¡± Voldemort roared fiercely, ¡°I shall regain my strength and return once again!¡±

    Under the effect of Evan¡¯sst spell, the body of the vampire to which Voldemort was clung was injured.

    Like an Inferius, it struggled to get closer to Evan.

    But he was so badly injured that he took only two steps before falling to the ground immediately.

    Voldemort let out an impatient shrill roar. He flew straight out of the body and rushed towards Evan like a ck ghost.

    ck smoke filled the whole chamber, moving forward with terrible momentum.

    When in contact with Voldemort, Evan felt as if he had fallen into dark, cold water.

    He sunk,nding in never-ending darkness.

    The power of the curse was getting stronger and stronger, wreaking havoc in Evan¡¯s body, devouring magic, light, hope and everything it could encounter.

    Evan even started hallucinating, and heard someone calling his name all the time.

    Just as he was desperate, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone suddenly flew out of Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on his chest.

    It floated on Evan¡¯s chest, giving off a soft red light, dispelling Voldemort¡¯s power.

    Under the influence of a warm magic, the power of the curse on Evan quickly subsided.

    The ck smoke made up of magic was isted by the soft light. Voldemort swung around Evan and greedily looked at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone floating on his chest; he could feel that there was huge magic within it!

    That was the power he¡¯d been dreaming of. He wanted to get it, but now he was mere shadow and vapor. He couldn¡¯t do anything without physical help.

    ¡°CARESIUS, HELP ME GET THAT PHILOSOPHER¡¯S STONE!¡± Voldemort screamed loudly. ¡°HELP ME GET IT, DON¡¯T FORGET OUR ORIGINAL AGREEMENT!¡±

    Caresius hesitated for a moment before he said softly, ¡°As you wish!¡±

    He walked over to Evan, who had fallen to the ground, ready to take away the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from his chest.

    But before he even acted, the chamber began to tremble quickly, the whole ce shook violently, andrge, massive rocks fell from above.

    The magic in the air waspletely out of control, for the evil god was about to arrive!

    With a thud, the green magic barrier finally broke.

    The magic left by the fallen Centaurs in this Temple had been broken. They had recovered from their skeletons to their former bodies, and the air was filled with old and evil stenches.

    Caresius stopped and frowned at the altar in the center of the chamber.

    ¡°I feel unknown¡­¡± he said softly, raising his wand.

    ¡°Wee theing of your destruction!¡± As if in response to him, the cold voice suddenly sounded.

    This seemed to be a signal. The voice just fell, centered on the altar, and the bodies of the fallen Centaurs around it began to change rapidly.

    Their skin was irregrly bulging, as if something was going to break out.

    Crunch, crunch, crunch¡­

    The strange scalp numbing sound lingered in the chamber, emitted by the Centaurs that had just recovered their flesh and blood, bing horrible monsters.

    With whatever strength he had left in him, Evan raised his head slightly and saw many of the monsters he had seen in the illusion of the Temple of the Moon.

    It was that fungi-insect body he had already seen. Their heads were those an odd creature with oval leaky pores all over them.

    They buzzed and rushed at the bewildered vampires.

    Behind them, there were multiple other monsters that Evan had only seen on the ancient murals of the Fallen Centaurs, which were even more terrible in appearance.

    The monster¡¯s huge body was distorted, and it gave out a terrible roar. Its legs were two and a half feet long and had horrible ws.

    Just when Evan thought he had seen it all, another lower limb appeared in front of him.

    Next, a huge arm covered with ck fur appeared out of its torso, splitting into two at the front, and each grew a paw-like hand.

    It had two bright pink eyes. The giant freshly awakened monster, its head as big as a barrel, staggered out.

    The two eyes protruded up to two inches on each side of the head, protected by coarse hair and bones. The most frightening thing about the head was its huge mouth: it did not grow horizontally, but vertically, full of huge yellow teeth, cracking straight from the top of the head to the bottom.

    In the ck smoke made by Voldemort, it looked even more frightening.

    The vampires were in a mess. Curses, screams, Voldemort¡¯s curses and monster roars coincided, filling the underground chamber.

    Evan had a terrible headache. He had the illusion that the room turned into a terrible hell almost instantaneously.

    Now, no one was paying attention to him. The vampires were fighting monsters.

    Only Voldemort was still spinning around Evan, hoping to break through hisst line of defense and kill him to get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    However, he couldn¡¯t break through the blockage of the Stone.

    A few secondster, Evan felt that he was slowly moving. He saw two gray, horrible, wrinkled monstersing out of the ground.

    They mped Evan¡¯s legs and dragged him toward the altar.

    There, the remaining half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone gleamed red, reflecting on the statue of the evil god.

    They were ready to take him and offer him to the evil god.

    ¡°STOP THEM, STOP THEM!¡± Voldemort growled. ¡°Caresius, kill the boy and bring me the Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡±

    But it was toote. There were countless monsters filling up between Evan and the vampires.

    ¡°Wee destruction, human!¡± The whisper of the evil spirit echoed. ¡°Soon, everything will be over, and your feeble courage will soon disappear. Close your eyes and sleep forever. My minion will devour your rotten body!¡±

    The spirit of the evil got was getting stronger and stronger, and all it took was a body toe to the real world.

    ¡°NO!¡± Voldemort screamed, the ck mist rolling.

    It was like a torrential river,ing towards Evan, instantly crushing into powder the two indescribable monsters that were not protected by the Philosopher¡¯s Stone mist by his legs.

    In order topete for Evan¡¯s Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the evil god and Voldemort were confronting each other!

 Chapter 427: The Dream of the Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 427: The Dream of the Evil God</h4>

    Evan thought many times that he felt bad, but that word gained a whole new dimension when he got sandwiched between the two most evil dark monsters!

    He wanted to do something, even issue a mere spell.

    But his arm was too heavy to lift.

    He felt his magic, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone floating in front of his chest, and the light of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on the nearby altar slowly merging.

    Thanks to the existence of the red mist around him, he did not die in the hands of the evil god and Voldemort.

    ¡°If only I could get that half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡­¡± Looking at the half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on the altar, the idea came to Evan¡¯s mind.

    If he could fuse the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he could use its powerful magic to break the curse on his body, and then eliminate the evil god and Voldemort in one fell swoop!

    Thinking of this, he struggled to raise his wand and aim at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on the altar.

    The action that was usually very easy toplete, at this moment, Evan felt it very difficult and needing a long time.

    ¡°io Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± he shouted, exhausting all his strength.

    This was the Summoning Charm that could summon objects.

    For a few seconds, Evan looked hopefully at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    But it didn¡¯t even budge. In the fierce confrontation between Voldemort and the evil god, all the magic powers were lost and magic was not working.

    Under the torture of the curse, Evan¡¯s weak magic could not summon the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    In front of him, two monsters were fighting for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on his chest. Powerful forces were fighting, colliding and breaking out beside him, regardless of his life and death.

    In the twisted vortex of magic, Evan¡¯s consciousness was getting weaker and weaker.

    He couldn¡¯t use magic anymore. His eyes went nk and his headache was getting stronger and stronger.

    Now, he could only hear the whispers of the evil god and the terrible roar of Voldemort.

    Evan knew that everything was over. This was the end¡­

    He was about to lose his grip, both physically and mentally.

    Knowing who would emerge victorious, Voldemort or the evil god, had nothing to do with him.

    In the blur, Evan saw a figure suddenly appear in the Chamber of Secrets, in the focus of the battle between vampires and monsters, his waist-long silver hair shining.

    It was Dumbledore!!!

    He finally arrived, and Evan was delighted and became a little more sober.

    Dumbledore¡¯s blue eyes sparkled with heart-rending, icy light.

    Evan had never seen him like this before, he never saw such wrath in his eyes, and they never were so cold!

    Dumbledore looked around and raised his wand high.

    The white magic light centered on him quickly spread outward, like waves on the water, dispelling Voldemort¡¯s monstrous ck mes and the cursing whispers of the evil god.

    With the intervention of Dumbledore, the evil god and Voldemort concentrated their scattered forces around Evan and the nearby altar, and fought with all their might.

    The two monsters seem determined to solve everything quickly.

    In the turbulence of magic, Evan felt his soul leaving his body.

    He drifted up through the thick rocks floating over the remains of the Centaurs.

    There, he once again saw the exquisite city of the Centaurs, and the beautiful ce that only appeared in his dream, just under his feet.

    The battle between the evil god and Voldemort seemed to be taking ce ages ago!

    Looking at the white clouds slowly drifting by his side, Evan wondered about the reason of his presence here.

    But there was a nk inside his head, and as he looked up to the sky, all he saw was gray¡­

    ¡°Is this the feeling of death?¡± He muttered to himself, looking at his weightless body. ¡°Have I be a ghost¡­ doomed to remain here forever?¡±

    Dong, dong, dong, a loud drum suddenly sounded!

    Following the sudden sound, Evan slowly drifted downward. He saw many fallen Centaurs gathering in front of a river ferry.

    In the world beneath, like a dry river, sand overtook thend, flowing down the hill.

    It ran straight through the Centaurs¡¯ colony and extended deep into the Albanian woods.

    Many of the fallen Centaurs¡¯ ancestors came out of the ruins and gathered there. Like Evan, they were all milky white translucent bodies.

    Following the footsteps of the Centaurs, Evan also drifted over to it.

    It was a veryrge ship on the ferry, which was shocking.

    The hull was extremely long and narrow, longer than any other ship Evan had ever seen.

    It was exquisitely carved withplicated decorations, painted in purple and dark green, with a peculiar exotic style.

    Evannded on the ferry and looked curiously at the big ship.

    Above, a white toad-like monster was beating a drum, holding the bones of magic creatures in its hands.

    Where there should be the monster¡¯s head was a cluster of pink tentacles, with no eyes.

    Evan looked at the monster and didn¡¯t feel even a little scared.

    On the contrary, he had a kind of entric feeling.

    In the sound of drums, a Centaur who had already gone up waved to him and motioned him to follow.

    They did not attack as expected, and looked very friendly.

    The state of the whole space was strange, obviously very abnormal, but there was a certain sensation of peace everywhere, as if everything in the world should be like this.

    Evan hesitated for a moment and followed him to the boat.

    Because he felt something attracting him, he was very curious about what was happening in front of him, and wanted to see what was going on.

    The big ship started slowly and the Centaurs stopped talking.

    They tightly surrounded Evan in the middle, and then he saw it clearly.

    In front of their sailing, it was no longer the dense forest, but the horrible evil god that had just emerged.

    The sky started raining dark red raindrops.

    It was like what he had seen in the illusion, wherever the rain fell, on the ground, on the river, on the trees, everywhere, a lot of bloody bubbles began to appear.

    This was followed byyers of green film that looked disgusting.

    They were like green moss or algae that suddenly grew several times higher, covering the patches, and weird nts that did not belong to the Earth began to emerge.

    In the deep red blood rain, they grew rapidly.

    The wriggling tentacles of the evil god were like the roots of a huge tree, and its huge mouth full of fangs and dripping with blood, was aimed in the direction of the ship where Evan was.

    There must be a change of direction, and if it went on like this, it would eventually be swallowed up by the evil god.

    A cold wind blew, and Evan woke up.

    In the blink of an eye, the strange feeling of peace that had been surrounding him disappeared. He saw himself surrounded by countless Centaurs with cold faces like the dead.

    Not far away, the strange creature beating the drum was not friendly as before.

    It now looked so weird, with a lot of pink tentacles on its head, full of tiny fangs.

    The souls of the fallen Centaurs around him were rapidly dissipating, mercilessly being devoured by it.

 Chapter 428: Book of Abraham, Part 3

    <h4>Chapter 428: Book of Abraham, Part 3</h4>

    In this quirky space, the surrounding atmosphere felt extremely bizarre and evil.

    Evan wanted to go over and stop it, but he was tightly surrounded by the souls of the fallen Centaurs.

    They blocked him in the middle like thick walls, and his body was as cold as ice.

    The big ship slowly moved forward, and the huge body of the evil god became clearer and clearer.

    As seen in Gryffindor¡¯s illusion, its body was distorted and ugly.

    It was like a cysticercus that had been magnified many times, or like a giant tree root with countless branches.

    It slowly rose from the horizon, floating in midair, with its huge mouth open in the middle, waiting for Evan.

    The big mouth was covered with green mucus, and filled with many ck fangs.

    On its bumpy body, there were many mouths of different shapes, set off by wrinkled skin around it.

    Above the head of the evil god, at both ends of the edge of the ck meat, two big disproportionate eyes were watching Evan.

    The Dark red eyeballs slowly rolled inside, tracking Evan¡¯s position.

    Its body was surrounded by countless tentacles wriggling restlessly, with eyes or ws hanging from it.

    It was toorge and seemed to be filled almost to the point of bursting, with several cracks bursting open and closing all over it.

    The pale green liquid rolled out from their inside, soiling the surrounding environment.

    ¡°Young human wizard, surrender to the fear in front of you!¡± It slowly said, ¡°Give me the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and then kneel on the ground and tremble. The great presence ising, and pleading is the only thing you can do.¡±

    Hearing the call of the evil god, Evan subconsciously wanted to cast the Patronus Charm.

    This spell had a strong resistance to all negative emotions and protected him from the evil god¡¯s Legilimency.

    In the illusion, Evan had tried it and achieved good results.

    When he put his right hand on his waist, he found that he didn¡¯t have a wand.

    He looked around nkly, not knowing what to do.

    This sudden and weird space, as well as the absurd scene in front of him, was very strange.

    In the Temple of the Centaurs, the evil god and Voldemort were fighting, and it clearly had not yete to the real world.

    Evan began to doubt the things he was seeing right now.

    Could it be that he had entered another illusion, an illusion created by the evil god?

    None of this was real. It had never happened, and there was no need to worry about it.

    But Evan had an inexplicable feeling that if he was really swallowed by the evil god in front of him, all would be over.

    No, he had to run away!

    He pushed aside the Centaur in front of him, squeezed himself to the edge of the big ship and jumped down.

    The current was swift, and Evan tried his best to move forward, hoping to stay away from the evil god.

    He didn¡¯t know how to get out of this space, but he remembered that Dumbledore had arrived before he came in.

    As long as he stuck to it, there would be a way.

    ¡°Foolish human, like your ancestors, you are choosing to uselessly resist!¡± The huge body of the evil god leaned forward and stared at Evan coldly. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, I didn¡¯t destroy you immediately. That¡¯s already the most benevolent thing in the world.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that from the moment the world was born, mypanions and I were already there, feeding off others in the darkest corners of the world.¡± The evil god said in his cold voice, ¡°We were still very weak at that time, but with the constant supply of evil, darkness, fear, greed and all the other negative forces in your hearts, we slowly became stronger.¡±

    The evil god continued to move forward, and its tentacles were already able to touch Evan.

    ¡°Thousands of years ago, your forefathers discovered the space where we existed. As soon as they ventured there, they were shocked by the reality of what they saw with their own eyes.¡± The evil spirit said slowly, ¡°That is the present of our world, and the future of your world. Remember, under the vast ocean, there are endless secrets¡­¡±

    The next second, the tentacles of the evil spirit directly rolled up Evan, no matter how hard he struggled.

    The evil god raised Evan to its front, and seemed to be ready to swallow him.

    ¡°Human wizard, do you want to explore our world and the mysteries of fear like your ancestors?¡± The voice of the evil god sounded deep in Evan¡¯s mind. ¡°You have the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on you, which means that you are qualified to enter our world. But your ending has long been doomed, not to be driven mad and be our follower like other creatures; but just like your ancestors, flee from the light to a new era of darkness and seek illusory peace and safety.¡±

    The evil god¡¯s tentacles were tightly wrapped around Evan, and below it was its enormous body, like a ck mountain.

    Its cold ssy eyes red at Evan, and its big mouth opened slowly.

    ¡°Come on; take a look at the truest of fears in the world, and wee your end!¡±

    Without any warning, its tentacles violently loosened, and Evan fell vertically from above.

    Looking at the evil go that was getting closer and closer, his heart beat violently.

    As the evil god said, everything wasing to an end¡­

    Evan did not know what that world of the evil gods was like, and he did not want to visit it.

    No doubt, if he was swallowed by the evil god, he would die!

    He tried his best and couldn¡¯t think of a solution to the current predicament.

    This was a real illusion created by the evil god. Everything that happened here was beyond his understanding.

    No matter which magic book, no such ridiculous things and horrible magic would be recorded in it.

    Just as Evan thought so, a thick magic book suddenly flew out of him.

    The pages glistened with golden light, flipping rapidly in front of Evan, as if blown by high winds.

    Evan looked at the magic book in surprise. It was The Book of Abraham given to him by Nics mel!

    The pages moved forward at a very fast pace and soon came to the first page of the third part.

    There, all the pages of the book were still covered with ink, and the specific content couldn¡¯t be seen.

    But Evan noticed that the thick ink in the central part seemed to melt away, and the color became lighter and lighter.

    In the blink of an eye, a pattern appeared there, looking very abstract.

    Evan recognized it at a nce. It was the image of this horrible evil god in front of him.

    ¡°This is the Power of the seal¡­¡± The evil spirit said in a disgusting tone, ¡°Foolish human, no matter how powerful your magic is, you can¡¯t prevent me from returning to the world. One day, I wille!¡±

    Its voice became weaker and weaker and soon disappeared.

    The things that Evan saw in front of him disappeared as quickly as the ink merged into the water, and the surrounding scene retreated backwards.

    In no time, he returned to the real world.

 Chapter 429: The End of Gryffindorâ€™s Trial

    <h4>Chapter 429: The End of Gryffindor¡¯s Trial</h4>

    In the Temple of the Centaurs, Voldemort¡¯s roar was still ringing in his ear.

    Evan came back to his senses, and felt pain all over his body as if he was about to be torn apart.

    He felt as if he had been in the illusion for centuries, but in the real world only a few seconds had passed.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone floating on his chest glowed faintly red, preventing Voldemort from approaching.

    What had just happened in the illusion was affecting the real world.

    The odor of the evil god had disappeared, and the indescribable monsters it created had also vanished.

    Only Voldemort¡¯s ck smoke was pervasive, but it was also a spent force.

    This battle just now quickly consumed Voldemort¡¯s strength recovered due to the care from the vampires in recent months.

    He was still very weak, relying only on the magic of the unicorn¡¯s blood to umte a little strength.

    After seeing Dumbledore, he was ready to run away.

    But just then, the power of the ancient evil creature that had been fighting him suddenly disappeared.

    Voldemort roared and flew over to the altar, ready to get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    ¡°io Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Evan shouted, raising his wand with hisst strength.

    This time, without the hindrance of the evil god, his magic worked.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone slowly floated, bypassing Voldemort and quickly flew over to him.

    ¡°NO!¡± Voldemort screamed. ¡°Caresius, STOP HIM! STOP HIM!¡±

    His current body and ck magic could not touch Evan under the protection of the pure magic of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Not far away, Caresius and the rest of the vampires were fighting Dumbledore.

    Voldemort¡¯s piercing roar was just falling, and the space next to Evan¡¯s body was twisted, and the vampire¡¯s figure appeared eerily.

    After fighting the indescribable creatures of the evil spirit and Dumbledore, he now looked flustered.

    But his breathing was fairly steady and there were no scars on his body.

    Caresius held his wand and stared at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone that was flying over.

    Evan¡¯s heart sank sharply. He was powerless and Dumbledore was still badgered with five vampires.

    No one could stop Caresius from getting the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. After all these efforts, Voldemort seeded!

    Just as he thought so, the magic that Caresius was about to cast suddenly stopped.

    The pause was short, probably for only a second, without any sign.

    In fact, besides Evan, who was right below, no one perceived anything unusual.

    Evan clearly saw that the wand Caresius was waving had visibly stopped for a second.

    It was a crucial second. Under Voldemort¡¯s roar, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone flew into Evan¡¯s hand.

    Instantly, the bright red mist spread outward with Evan as its center, and the two broken pieces of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone were fusing.

    Evan had no time to think about what was going on, he felt a powerful magic erupting.

    Under the influence of this magic, the curse left by Voldemort in his body quickly dissipated.

    ¡°Remember, you owe us one!¡± Caresius¡¯s low voice rang in Evan¡¯s ear.

    He shook his ck cloak, and his body disappeared from Evan¡¯s side again, leaving a ck magic swirl in the air.

    Evan couldn¡¯t believe it. This vampire was helping him. Wasn¡¯t he Voldemort¡¯s ally?!

    This was thest thought in Evan¡¯s mind. He didn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    In the dim light, he saw Caresius appear at the altar and pick up the statue of the evil god.

    Voldemort was still roaring, and Evan couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying.

    He only felt a strong ck smoke rushing towards him, and he fainted under the strong impact.

    This time, Evan did not feel the darkness, nor did he enter the absurd and strange dream.

    His regained consciousness and he found himself lying in a space full of golden red light.

    The light came from two objects of different sizes in the sky, which were slowly merging together, bing one.

    It was the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. Its light was like the sunshine at noon in winter, warm on the body and veryforting.

    If it was possible, Evan would¡¯ve wanted to stay here forever.

    He didn¡¯t know how long he¡¯d been here. He felt cold water dripping on his face.

    Drop by drop, as if someone were crying.

    Evan heard a low cry, but he didn¡¯t know who it was.

    He blinked and saw a pair of bright brown eyes.

    How strange! They seemed to be Hermione¡¯s eyes.

    It must be an illusion. How could Hermione be here?!

    But it was true that Evan really missed Hermione and wanted to see her.

    This separation of more than a month felt more like itsted a century.

    He subconsciously reached out and hugged Hermione tightly, in a moment of softness.

    Everything was so real! If it was not a dream, how good it would be!

    The next second, Evan heard Hermione¡¯s muffled cry, and he blinked hard again.

    In front of him, Hermione¡¯s surprising smiling face gradually appeared, with tears on it.

    ¡°Evan, you finally woke up!¡± said Hermione.

    Getting suddenly caught off guard by Evan, she looked very embarrassed.

    But she was soon immersed in the joy of Evan¡¯s waking. She leaned down and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡± Evan stared at Hermione.

    Feeling the warmth and heartbeat of the girl, he realized that he was not dreaming.

    He hugged Hermione tightly and didn¡¯t let go.

    He couldn¡¯t tell why this feeling was so good!

    It took a long time for them to separate slowly.

    ¡°Hermione, why are you here?¡± Evan hurriedly asked, ¡°Where am I now?¡±

    ¡°This is your own bedroom. Mrs. Mason has just gone downstairs.¡± Hermione said with delight. ¡°I received a letter from Dumbledore yesterday. He asked me if I would like toe and take care of you. He thought it would be better for you to be apanied by someone now .Your parents agreed, and I happen to have time, so¡­¡±

    Hermione turned red and her voice became lower and lower.

    Evan already knew what she wanted to say. His heart was full of joy and happiness that she coulde to be with him.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, why am I in my own home?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°Well, Dumbledore said in his letter that other professors had intended to send you to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, but he thought you¡¯d bettere back here.¡± Hermione and Evan separated, ¡°Of course, they have checked you out, and you have no problems now. The Curse has been broken!¡±

    Evan felt that Slytherin¡¯s Locket on his chest was obviously a lot heavier, and he opened it.

    The restored Philosopher¡¯s Stone was quietly ced inside, with bright red soft light, like the purest gemstone.

    Just touching it with his hand and he could feel the magic.

 Chapter 430: Harryâ€™s Summer Vacation

    <h4>Chapter 430: Harry¡¯s Summer Vacation</h4>

    ¡°So this is the Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Hermione followed, with a sound of concern in her voice. ¡°Dumbledore said that under its influence, the Curse that Voldemort left on you waspletely broken, leaving no seque behind.¡±

    Evan stared at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone for a moment, and then suddenly remembered, ¡°WHERE IS SIRIUS?¡±

    ¡°He is at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. I heard Dumbledore say that he is seriously injured, but his life is not in danger. He needs to rest for a while.¡± Hermione frowned and said, ¡°Evan, where on earth did you go during the summer vacation? How dangerous was it to get this Philosopher¡¯s Stone? Did those ancient Centaurs leave anything behind?¡±

    While Evan was telling Hermione about his vacation experience, Harry jumped out of bed.

    He was sweating and sitting on his cot, breathing hard, as if he had been running.

    He recalled the vivid dream he had just had, the scar on his forehead burning under his fingers.

    The scar hurt so much that it seemed as if someone had pressed a red-hot wire on his skin.

    Harry gasped, pressing the scar with one hand and grabbing the sses in the dark with his other hand.

    He was sure he had just dreamed of Voldemort.

    It was a big, dark, shabby house, and there was a wizard named Caresius next to Voldemort.

    Harry was puzzled. Who was this wizard named Caresius?!

    In the dream just now, his body was tightly wrapped in a ck cloak, and his face was very pale.

    Harry didn¡¯t recognize this person, but no doubt, Voldemort had found a new helper.

    In front of them, there was a statue in the shape of an ugly tree root.

    Harry closed his eyes and tried hard to recall the dream just now, the appearance of Voldemort and the statue, but the scar was getting more and more painful.

    Voldemort was plotting something, but everything became blurred.

    Harry couldn¡¯t remember, whether it was Voldemort or the terrible conversation between them.

    They were nning to kill someone, but he couldn¡¯t remember the name anyway.

    He only remembered that he felt fear at the end, and he was awakened by strong convulsions or the pain of the scar.

    The perspective in the dream also made Harry feel worried.

    He seemed to be lying on the ground, in the corner beside the burning stove, like a snake¡­

    Harry gasped for a while, and it took a long time for his thoughts to shift to the letter Hermione wrote to him not long ago.

    Hermione told him in the letter that Evan and Sirius had already acquired the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and that Evan¡¯s curse had been lifted.

    However, it also mentioned that both of them were seriously injured.

    Evan was better, and had been sent back to his home. Hermione was about to go there with him.

    Sirius was sent to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. He was out of danger and just needed a rest period for recovery.

    Harry was worried about Evan and Sirius, and he didn¡¯t understand why Dumbledore didn¡¯t tell him directly.

    He spent the whole summer worrying about it, but he didn¡¯t get any news.

    Harry wanted to do something as well. Even if he couldn¡¯t go to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, he should go to see Evan.

    But the reality was, where he was now, he couldn¡¯t even go out of the house.

    Thinking of this, Harry was angry for a while.

    Although he had a godfather, this summer vacation still went bad.

    The only change was that the Dursleys were no longer hiding all his magic items; Evan had warned them about this.

    Mr. Mason¡¯s construction business was now Uncle Harry¡¯s biggest buyer, so for them, Evan¡¯s words weighed heavily.

    Of course, another reason might be that the Dursleys gave up. They finally knew that no matter what they did, it was impossible to squeeze the power of magic out of Harry¡¯s body. It would be better to ignore him and assume that he did not exist.

    Compared with what he had suffered before, Harry was more than happy with this situation.

    The only bad thing was that he could only stay in his room all summer long and couldn¡¯t go anywhere.

    No one talked to him. He was like a helpless boat, stranded here alone¡­

    The pain on the scar once again disturbed Harry¡¯s thoughts.

    He got up from his bed sluggishly and looked around his little room nkly.

    At his feet, arge trunk was open, revealing a cauldron, a broomstick, and different kinds of magic textbooks.

    Rolls of parchment were scattered on Harry¡¯s desk, and on the other side of the desk was arge, empty cage where the owl Hedwig lived.

    Harry had no way to provide enough food for it. It could only fly out at night to look for it on its own.

    There was a book on the floor that was open. Harry had read it before falling asleepst night.

    The pictures in the book were moving, and the people in bright orange robes were riding fast on the brooms.

    Figures were visible for a while, and they could not be seen for a while, and they threw a Quaffle to each other.

    Harry walked over and picked up the book and mmed it shut.

    Hermione¡¯s letter and the stabbing pain of the scar on his forehead made him feel very bad.

    Even Quidditch, the world¡¯s most interesting sport for him, could not change this situation.

    What¡¯s more, Harry thought it was not the time to study Quidditch.

    The scar was stinging him. Maybe Voldemort was nearby¡­

    But Voldemort couldn¡¯t be here right now. This idea was obviously absurd, absolutely impossible¡­

    But this was obviously not normal, and he did not know what to do. Maybe he should tell somebody about it?

    Harry first thought of Dumbledore.But he was hesitant. He didn¡¯t know what to say to Professor Dumbledore.

    ¡°Dear Professor Dumbledore, Sorry to bother you, but my scar hurt this morning. Yours sincerely, Harry Potter.¡±

    Harry shook his head. Even inside his head, the words sounded stupid and ridiculous.

    What¡¯s more, he was still angry that Dumbledore didn¡¯t tell him about Evan and Sirius.

    Then he thought of his godfather, Sirius.

    Sirius was indeed a good person to talk to, he was like his father. Although Harry was a bit shy at the thought of this, he had to admit it, no matter what he said to Sirius, he would not feel stupid.

    He had experience in dealing with ck magic and would make pertinent suggestions on the current situation.

    But he was still in St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, and Harry didn¡¯t want him to worry about his own affairs.

    As for his good friend Ron, Harry had his reaction in his mind.

    Ron¡¯s long nosed, freckled face seemed to drift toward the ground, with a dull, confused expression: ¡°Harry, is your scar hurting? But, You-Know-Who can¡¯t be near you now, can he? I mean, you¡¯d know, Harry, wouldn¡¯t you? He¡¯d be trying to do you in again, wouldn¡¯t he? Maybe curse scars always twinge a bit. Wait a minute, I¡¯ll ask Dad¡­¡± (Note: Ron¡¯s nose in long as described in the books))

    No matter from which perspective, Mr. Weasley was a fully qualified wizard.

    He worked in the Ministry of Magic, but seemed to have no expertise in dealing with curses and ck magic.

    In any case, Harry didn¡¯t like the idea of the whole Weasley family that he was getting jumpy about a few moments¡¯ pain.

    Mrs. Weasley might be too worried, and Fred and George might think that Harry was losing his mind.

    As for Percy and Ginny, they would certainly be too worried¡­.

 Chapter 431: A Letter From Harry

    <h4>Chapter 431: A Letter From Harry</h4>

    Harry shook his head. Ron couldn¡¯t be the one. What about Hermione?!

    At once, Hermione¡¯s voice seemed to fill his head, shrill and panicky. ¡°Your scar hurt? Harry, that¡¯s really serious. Write to Professor Dumbledore.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and check ¡®Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions¡¯, Maybe there¡¯s a way to heal curse scars¡­¡±

    Yes, that would be Hermione¡¯s advice: Go straight to Dumbledore, and in the meantime consult the library¡­

    However, Harry had decided not to tell Dumbledore about this.

    He stared at the inky dark-blue sky outside, doubting very much whether a book could help him now.

    As far as he knew, he was the only living person to have survived a curse from Voldemort.

    It was highly unlikely, therefore, that he would find his symptoms listed in Common Magical Ailments and Afflictions or other magic books.

    Harry shook his head again, for he certainly wouldn¡¯t get the answer he wanted from Hermione.

    Hermione was vetoed, and now only Evan was left.

    Harry kneaded the scar with his knuckles, and could not help thinking that Evan was the one he really needed now.

    Although he was one year younger than him, Evan was different from all other young wizards.

    In fact, Harry had never seen a young wizard as powerful as Evan.

    In power and knowledge, Evan was an incredible young magician, to the extent that Harry even had the impression that there was nothing he couldn¡¯t do or didn¡¯t know¡­

    Yes¡­ Even this ck magic left by Voldemort, he should certainly know about it!

    At this thought, Harry¡¯s deep desire to meet Evan rose again.

    Not only because of the scar that was hurting him, but also because Hermione did mention in her recent letter that Voldemort¡¯s curse on Evan had been broken and they had found the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. But the letter was vague; Harry wanted to know the details!

    Undoubtedly, it must have been a great adventure, and Harry regretted that he had not been able to take part in it.

    He wanted to know exactly what they had encountered?! And why was Sirius hurt so badly?

    Evan was now in his own home, and Hermione was there.

    If he could, Harry wanted to go there too. He couldn¡¯t wait to do so.

    But Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would never agree, and he was not invited.

    Harry resisted the urge to leave home and leave the Dursleys and sat down at his desk.

    Yes, he did it oncest year and didn¡¯t mind doing it again. But now, Harry decided to write a letter to Evan first to ask about the situation.

    He turned on the deskmp and started to write in the dim light.

    Harry wrote very quickly. If he was writing to someone else, he might only say that his scar hurt.

    He wouldn¡¯t mention what he saw in his dreams. Harry didn¡¯t want to appear too nervous.

    But with Evan, there was no such concern.

    He wrote all the dreams he had seen and some of the spections he made on a parchment.

    Besides, Harry also asked about Evan¡¯s current situation, as well as their experience during the summer vacation and so on.

    Harry¡¯smp seemed to grow dimmer as the cold gray light that preceded sunrise slowly crept into the room.

    Finally, when the sun had risen, when his bedroom walls had turned gold, and when sounds of movement could be heard from the Dursleys¡¯ room, Harry cleared his desk of crumpled pieces of parchment and reread his finished letter.

    A minuteter, he nodded with satisfaction.

    He folded up the parchment andid it on his desk, ready for when Hedwig returned.

    Then he got to his feet, stretched, and opened his wardrobe.

    Without ncing at his reflection, he went straight to get dressed before going down to have breakfast.

    If he could, he hoped that the summer vacation that wasing to an end would end up slightly more exciting.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    When Evan and Hermione were having breakfast at the table, the snow-white Hedwig pped its wings in.

    In fact, the atmosphere at the table was very awkward already.

    Nevertheless, Evan¡¯s parents were very happy after learning that he had awakened.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Dumbledore exined it, but they didn¡¯t ask him what had happened.

    They only cared about his health and gave a lot of instructions. Then, Mr. Mason left home for work.

    Evan¡¯s mother and Hermione sat at the table and chatted, leaving no room for Evan to interrupt.

    From his mother¡¯s look at Hermione, she obviously had all sorts of thoughts, and she was very satisfied with Hermione.

    Evan sat ¡®alone¡¯, watching the harmonious conversation between them, feeling like an outsider.

    No need to introduce her, his mother was very familiar with Hermione, who was like a member of his family.

    It was not at all obvious that the two of them actually knew each other for less than a day.

    From the content of their dialogue, people might even mistake them for mother and daughter.

    The atmosphere was very subtle, and Evan felt extremely embarrassed. He was not sure if he should sit here and listen.

    Fortunately, at this time, Hedwig flew in from the window, giving him an excuse to leave.

    Aware of his mother¡¯s fear of birds, Evan greeted Hedwig and took it back to his room.

    He took the parchment tied to Hedwig¡¯s foot, and read Harry¡¯s letter.

    Evan frowned at its content, which was obviously not good news.

    Harry mentioned that his scar hurt and the dream rted to Voldemort.

    Evan knew this was because Voldemort left part of his soul in Harry fourteen years ago. Therefore, there was a unique connection between the two of them.

    Harry could enter Voldemort¡¯s mind and know what he was doing and some of his thoughts. This was clearly very dangerous, and Voldemort would soon be aware of it.

    Harry should learn lumency as soon as possible to block this connection as much as possible.

    In addition to this incident, the dream that Harry had seen also worried Evan.

    What kind of conspiracy were Voldemort and Caresius making? Would it be rted to the uing Triwizard Tournament?!

    Also, in the battle of the Temple of the fallen Centaurs, they took away the statue of the evil god.

    After several contacts, Evan knew that the statue was very evil and was the incarnation of the evil god in the real world.

    Although Evan had hit the evil god hard, it did not fallpletely, and now, the statue was in Voldemort¡¯s hands!

    Evan hoped that there would be no changes beyond his imagination to this year.

    Voldemort alone was already a headache. If he was associated with the evil god, things would be unimaginably bad.

 Chapter 432: The Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 432: The Invitation</h4>

    After ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± inexplicably sealed the evil god, Evan once again opened it and tried to read it.

    Most of the third part was still covered by ink, and no specific content could be seen.

    Only in the central part of the page, the ink melted away, and the portrait of the evil god, shrunk countless times, appeared.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on, and he couldn¡¯t figure out the connection between The Book of Abraham and the evil god.

    But there was no doubt that The Book of Abraham was definitely very important.

    The evil spirits were first discovered and summoned by ancient warlocks, and perhaps they left a way to defeat them in this book.

    It seemed that Evan should seize the time to study The Book of Abraham.

    In fact, his research was progressing too slowly.

    In addition to the esoteric ancient magic inscriptions, the first part of the written description of alchemy was also very abstract.

    Even if Evan tranted the corresponding statement, he didn¡¯t know what it was talking about.

    He decided to follow the advice of Nics mel and find time to go to Egypt to find the ¡°Emerald Tablet¡°.

    mel said that the ¡°Emerald Tablet¡± could help Evan to elerate his understanding of the essence of alchemy.

    For the second part, the scepter surrounded by two snakes left by Slytherin should also be found as soon as possible.

    After reading the first part, he would also need to decipher the second part of The Book of Abraham.

    Only by deciphering all of these could he get to the third secret rted to the evil god. Until then, he could only hope that Voldemort would not do anything dangerous with its statue. Otherwise, thebination of these two viins would really be a pain to deal with.

    Earlier, Evan had also received a letter from Professor Lupin who wanted to learn about the current situation in the wizarding world.

    Now, wizards all over the world were excited about the uing Quidditch World Cup finals.

    Foreign wizards flocked to the country in an endless stream, and Diagon Alley got really overcrowded.

    Evan¡¯s store turnover had greatly increased, and many products were out of stock!

    Foreign wizards seemed to be interested in the various products developed by Hogwarts students. Among them, Fred and George¡¯s Weasley joke products were the most popr, and their products were sold out as soon as they hit the shelves.

    As for the recent sales of the Hogwarts Magic, those had a slight decline.

    Nevertheless, this was quite normal. The Daily Prophet and the Witch Weekly Magazine were still the mainstream media.

    Hogwarts Magic had a long way to go in terms of volume and content.

    Evan had already considered this situation, and Hogwarts Magic had not had any heavyweight news recently.

    After all, whether it was Voldemort, the evil god or the fallen Centaurs, these contents could not be published casually.

    Beyond that, there was nothing worthy of attention in the wizarding world.

    ording to Evan¡¯s previous request, Lupin had been watching Barty Crouch and sending someone to look for Voldemort¡¯s father¡¯s estate.

    But there was no progress on that side. Voldemort and the vampires did not return to Riddle¡¯s household after the battle in the Temple of the Centaurs.

    Evan wanted to rece Voldemort¡¯s father¡¯s bones and prevent him from casting the spell that regained him his body.

    But this was useless because the tomb of Tom Riddle Senior was destroyed half a century ago.

    ording to the vigers of Little Hangleton, his body was secretly dug out shortly after the burial of Tom Riddle Senior.

    The remains of the coffin were scattered all over the ce and were not discovered until a long timeter.

    Perhaps it was Tom Sr. having enemies hateful enough to scatter his bones that led to the dy of his return.

    When he started making the Horcruxes, Voldemort took into ount every counter possible, to prevent any ident that could prevent his rebirth.

    The more Evan thought of ways to prevent that, the more he realized how terrible Tom was.

    As for Barty Crouch Sr., he was as rigorous and meticulous as ever.

    Because of the Quidditch World Cup, he was now working toote at the Ministry of Magic to go home veryte.

    While his diligence was unique, this was nothing out of the ordinary for him.

    Evan was not sure if Voldemort had heard of the news that Barty Crouch Jr. escaped from Azkaban. Until now, there was no trace of the missing witch, and there was no evidence that Voldemort had taken her.

    To make matters worse, the Ministry of Magic was totally indifferent to her disappearance, and no one paid attention to it at all.

    In any case, Evan could not rush directly into Crouch¡¯s house to look for Barty Crouch Jr.

    All he could do now was to patiently wait until they reveal themselves.

    Although none of these things was easy, Evan was very confident and did not worry too much.

    After the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was merged into one, his curse was broken.

    Now, his magic had returned to the level it was at before Voldemort cursed him.

    Considering that he could use the powerful magic of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan was able to use most magic.

    Overlooking hisck of experience, his prowess was already superior to that of most wizards.

    If it was to be known by others, they would surely exim and consider his mere existence a true miracle.

    Evan thought about things rted to Voldemort and the vampires for a while before he started to write back to Harry.

    In his letter, he persuaded Harry to practice lumency.

    This charm could block any spiritual invasion by other creatures and cut off the connection between Harry and Voldemort.

    Evan had made little progress in this area and could only teach Harry some basic steps; for example, how to empty the brain.

    In addition to that, he also invited Harry to his house to spend the rest of the summer vacation.

    Evan knew that spending a whole summer vacation with the Dursleys should have driven him near insane.

    When Evan was about to finish the letter, Hermione walked in with a very noisy little owl.

    It was the owl that Sirius gave Ron on Christmas Day, called Pigwidgeon.

    The owl was feeling smug that it had sessfully delivered a letter.

    ¡°Evan, what did Harry say in the letter?¡± Hermione asked, putting the screaming Pig beside Hedwig.

    Hedwig looked at the pig with huge amber eyes and seemed to be dissatisfied with its performance.

    ¡°Harry asked me about the condition of Sirius, and his scar hurts all the time.¡±

    ¡°His scar hurt?!¡± Hermione was stunned, and then worried. ¡°This is not good. The scar is left by Voldemort. We¡¯d better tell Dumbledore about this. I remember this book I ¡­¡±

    After persuading Hermione not to worry too much, Evan asked about Ron¡¯s letter.

    ¡°He invited us to his home. Ron said that Mr. Weasley got tickets for the Quidditch World Cup!¡± Hermione handed a crumpled parchment to Evan and continued, ¡°The Weasleys invited Harry as well.¡±

 Chapter 433: Plans for Marriage!

    <h4>Chapter 433: ns for Marriage!</h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s just right, we can go to the Burrow!¡± said Evan; Ron¡¯s house was more convenient than his own home to do anything!

    Evan also wanted to talk to Fred and George to further expand the scale of Weasley¡¯s joke products.

    ¡°Mrs. Mason hoped that the two of us could stay at your house until the end of the summer vacation.¡± Hermione whispered, her face red.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what his mother just said to her, but he did notice that Hermione seemed to blush exceptionally easily today.

    Looking at Hermione¡¯s unusual shyness, Evan quickly guessed some of the content of her conversations with his mother. It seemed like thetter was very, very satisfied with Hermione, and did not consider the age of the two.

    It¡¯s true that in most parts of Britain, you can get married at the age of sixteen with the consent of your parents.

    In that case, Evan and Hermione had less than three years to go, and they really needed to be prepared in advance.

    Thinking of getting married with Hermione, Evan felt nervous.

    If he could, he certainly hoped to marry Hermione; there was no doubt about that.

    But now was no time to think of such things.

    Last Christmas in Diagon Alley, the atmosphere was so good that Evan actually wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend, but in the end, theck of experience and extreme shyness of both of them came in the way of that.

    The atmosphere in the room was delicate, and Hedwig gave a low cry, staring at the two who had be strange.

    Pig, on the other hand, kept hooting, and wanted something to eat as a reward for sessfully delivering the letter.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better prepare something for both of them!¡± Evan said, thinking carefully about his choice of words, ¡°Rest assured, Hermione! I¡¯ll convince my mother. I can see that she likes you very much. If you are willing toe to my house, you cane at any time.¡±

    He was afraid that Hermione knew what he had just thought about, and that marriage was too far of a topic for her.

    ¡°We¡¯d better go to the Burrow for thest two weeks of the summer vacation.¡± Evan continued, ¡°In addition to the Quidditch World Cup, we have to go to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries to see Sirius. All in all, it wouldn¡¯t be too convenient for us to stay at home.¡±

    He turned around and wrote on his letter that the Weasleys had invited them to the Burrow.

    ¡°By the way, we¡¯d better ask Ron when they¡¯re going to pick up Harry!¡± Evan said as he wrote, ¡°We can both go to the Dusrleys to gather there; otherwise it would be too inconvenient.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    After Harry had washed up, he went back to his room and asked Hedwig, who had just returned, to deliver the letter to Evan.

    Then he went downstairs to the kitchen full of hope.

    By this time, the three Dursleys were already seated around the table.

    None of them looked up at Harry as he entered or sat down.

    Uncle Vernon¡¯srge red face was hidden behind the morning¡¯s Daily Mail, and Aunt Petunia was cutting a grapefruit into quarters, her lips pursed over her horse-like teeth.

    Dudley looked furious and sulky, and somehow seemed to be taking up even more space than usual.

    This was saying something, as he always took up an entire side of the square table by himself.

    Aunt Petunia put a quarter of the unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley¡¯s te with a tremulous ¡°There you are, Diddy darling.¡±

    Dudley glowered at her. His life had taken a most unpleasant turn since he hade for the summer with his end-of-year report.

    Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had managed to find excuses for his bad marks as usual. Aunt Petunia always insisted that Dudley was a very gifted boy, but his teachers did not understand him; while Uncle Vernon maintained that he did not want some swotty little nancy boy for a son anyway.

    They also skated over the usations of bullying in the report.

    ¡°He is a boisterous little boy, but he wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly!¡±

    Harry had his doubts about this, but at the bottom of the report, there were a few well-chosenments from the school nurse that not even Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia could exin away.

    No matter how much Aunt Petunia wailed that Dudley was big-boned, and that his poundage was really puppy fat, and that he was a growing boy who needed plenty of food, the fact remained that the school outfitters didn¡¯t stock knickerbockers big enough for him anymore.

    The school nurse had seen what Aunt Petunia¡¯s eyes, so sharp when it came to spotting fingerprints on her gleaming walls, and in observing theings and goings of the neighbors, simply refused to see: that far from needing extra nourishment, Dudley had reached roughly the size and weight of a young killer whale.

    Therefore, after many tantrums, after arguments that shook Harry¡¯s bedroom floor, and many tears from Aunt Petunia, the new regime had begun.

    The diet sheet that had been sent by the Smeltings school nurse had been taped to the fridge, which had been emptied of all Dudley¡¯s favorite things such as fizzy drinks and cakes, chocte bars and burgers¡­

    There were only fruit and vegetables on the recipes and the sorts of things that Uncle Vernon called ¡°junk food¡±.

    To make Dudley feel better about it all, Aunt Petunia had insisted that the whole family follow the diet too.

    She now passed a grapefruit quarter to Harry.

    Harry noticed that it wasn¡¯t really a quarter; being a lot smaller than Dudley¡¯s.

    Aunt Petunia seemed to feel that the best way to keep up Dudley¡¯s morale was to make sure that he did, at least, get more to eat than Harry.

    But Aunt Petunia did not know what was hidden under the loose floorboard upstairs.

    She had no idea that Harry was not following the diet at all.

    The moment he had got wind of the fact that he was expected to survive the summer on carrot sticks, Harry sent Hedwig to his friends.

    They immediately responded positively to his pleas for help.

    Evan and Sirius were not in Britain because of the adventure and could not help Harry.

    Hermione asked Hedwig to bring Harry back arge box stuffed with sugar-free snacks.

    Hagrid had enthusiastically obliged with a sack full of his own homemade rock cakes, which Harry did not even touch. These rock cakes were harder than bricks, and he didn¡¯t want to break his teeth!

    Mrs. Weasley sent the family owl, Errol, with an enormous fruitcake and assorted meat pies.

    Poor Errol, who was elderly and feeble, needed a full five days to recover from the journey, after the delivery of the goods.

    And then on Harry¡¯s birthday, he had received a total of six super big cakes.

    They were given to him by Evan, Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and Sirius. Evan and Sirius ordered French-style cakes for Harry.

    They had been guests at Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and these cakes actually came from France.

    Throughout the summer vacation, Harry was wondering what Beauxbatons looked like.

    He only saw in his textbooks a description of the school, which was juxtaposed with Hogwarts as one of Europe¡¯s threergest wizarding schools.

    He had to admit that these cakes were very delicious. So far, Harry had three big pieces left.

    Looking forward to a real breakfast when he got back upstairs, he ate his grapefruit withoutint.

 Chapter 434: Harryâ€™s Rebellion and Persuasion

    <h4>Chapter 434: Harry¡¯s Rebellion and Persuasion</h4>

    At the table, no one but Dudley focused on the poor grapefruit in front of him.

    Harry ate very slowly, thinking of the delicious cakes in his head.

    A few secondster, Dudley had finished his own grapefruit quarter.

    He was eyeing Harry¡¯s with a look of hatred in his piggy little eyes.

    Harry didn¡¯t n to provoke Dudley. He was willing to speed up eating his measly grapefruit quarter, and then go back upstairs and enjoy a delicious cake, while waiting for Evan¡¯s reply.

    But contrary to expectations, the track of events quickly turned south!!

    When Hedwig flew into Harry¡¯s room with Evan¡¯s reply, there was an unprecedented storm downstairs.

    Uncle Vernon¡¯s roar almost lifted the floor. Hedwig stared with its amber eyes and jumped uneasily.

    Over the past three years, it had be familiar with such roars and curses.

    It knew that its young master, Harry, must have made another mistake, which upset the Dursleys!

    In fact, Harry was puzzled, looking at them politely, not knowing what was going on.

    Uncle Vernon just got up and went to the door to get a letter delivered by the ¡°normal¡± Muggle postman.

    Obviously, this letter was not ordinary and was very unusual.

    First of all, the letter was full of things that Muggles couldn¡¯t understand.

    Every bit of it was covered in stamps except for a square inch on the front, into which Mrs. Weasley had squeezed the Dursleys¡¯ address in minute writing.

    Uncle Vernon waved the letter and growled at Harry. ¡°Look at this!¡±

    Harry took the purple letter paper and nced at it.

    It was a letter from Mrs. Weasley inviting him to watch the uing Quidditch World Cup.

    And she expected him to be able to stay in the Burrow for the next two weeks until the end of the summer vacation.

    It was awesome. That was exactly what Harry needed, not the same summer life. He couldn¡¯t wait to leave the Dursleys right away.

    He wanted to go back to the wizarding world and be with his friends, to go back to watch the Quidditch World Cup finals, and on their way, go visit Sirius.

    Harry had been worried sick about his injuries all the time.

    In addition, Harry also wanted to personally ask Evan about their adventures during the summer vacation.

    There were so many things waiting for him to do, he couldn¡¯t stay here any longer.

    But Harry didn¡¯t lose his mind. Under Uncle Vernon¡¯s re, he tried to put on a childish look.

    He told himself that if he didn¡¯t do or say anything stupid, he could go to the once-in-a-century major event.

    ¡°Then¡­can I go then?¡± he asked carefully.

    A slight spasm crossed Uncle Vernon¡¯srge purple face, and the moustache bristled.

    Harry felt as if he could see what was going on behind the moustache.

    In the mind of Vernon, two of his most fundamental instincts came into conflict.

    Allowing Harry to go to watch the game would make Harry happy, something Uncle Vernon had struggled against for thirteen years.

    On the other hand, allowing Harry to go to the Weasleys home for the rest of the summer vacation would get rid of him two weeks earlier than anyone could have hoped, and Uncle Vernon hated having Harry in the house.

    To give himself thinking time, it seemed, Uncle Vernon looked down at Mrs. Weasley¡¯s letter again.

    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± he asked disgustedly, staring dead at the signature of Mrs. Weasley on the letter.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen her!¡± said Harry. ¡°She¡¯s my friend Ron¡¯s mother; she was meeting him off the Hog¡­ off the school train at the end ofst term.¡±

    Harry had almost said ¡°Hogwarts Express ¡°, and that was a sure way to get his uncle¡¯s temper up.

    Nobody ever mentioned the name of Harry¡¯s school aloud in the Dursley household.

    The only exception was probably the summer vacation when Evan visited two years ago.

    Vernon¡¯s uncle¡¯s fat face wrinkled into a ball, seemingly desperately recalling a very unpleasant event.

    ¡°Dumpy sort of woman?¡± he growled finally, ¡°Load of children with red hair?¡±

    Harry frowned. He thought it was a bit ridiculous of Uncle Vernon to call anyone ¡°dumpy,¡± when his own son had be wider than he was tall.

    ¡°Quidditch?!¡± Uncle Vernon was perusing the letter again, muttering under his breath. ¡°Quidditch, what is this rubbish?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a sport!¡± Harry felt a little more annoyed, ¡°yed on broom¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, all right!¡± said Uncle Vernon loudly.

    Harry saw, with some satisfaction, that his uncle looked vaguely panicky.

    Apparently, his nerves couldn¡¯t stand the sound of the word ¡°broomsticks¡± in his living room.

    He took refuge in perusing the letter again.

    ¡°Send us your answer¡­ in the normal way.¡± He asked sharply, ¡°What does she mean by ¡®the normal way¡¯?!¡±

    ¡°Normal way for us!¡± said Harry, and before his uncle could stop him, he went on to say, ¡°You know, send owls to deliver letters. That¡¯s what wizards normally do.¡±

    Uncle Vernon looked as outraged as if Harry had uttered a disgusting swear word.

    Shaking with anger, he shot a nervous look through the window, as though expecting to see some of the neighbors with their ears pressed against the ss.

    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to mention these strange things in my house?¡± He gritted his teeth and said, his face rose purple, ¡°You stand here, in the clothes Petunia and I gave you, but you don¡¯t know how to be grateful!¡±

    ¡°Those clothes were given to me after Dudley had finished with them!¡± said Harry coldly. He had had enough, and his impulse to leave the Dursley family had re-emerged.

    Looking at his oversized, terrible sportswear, his anger was rising.

    Harry was gasping for breath. He wasn¡¯t going to stand this any longer.

    Gone were the days when he had been forced to take every single one of the Dursleys¡¯ stupid rules.

    He wasn¡¯t following Dudley¡¯s diet, and he wasn¡¯t going to let Uncle Vernon stop him from going to the Quidditch World Cup.

    ¡°My good friends, Evan, Ron and Hermione, are all going back to the World Cup!¡± Harry took a deep breath and tried to speak in a calm voice.

    ¡°Evan?!¡± Vernon¡¯s face turned redder. It was like a ripe plum. ¡°The Mason boy, I don¡¯t know how a good man like Mr. Mason can tolerate his son.¡±

    Mr. Mason¡¯s constructionpany was now Uncle Vernon¡¯s biggest business partner and he didn¡¯t want to offend him.

    Although he had a negative attitude towards Evan, it did not prevent him from making contact with Evan.

    Anyway, it was good for him. This was the only ce where Harry coulde in handy.

    He didn¡¯t know how many times he had talked to Mr. Mason about the subject and promised to let Harry take care of Evan at school.

    Uncle Vernon wavered. Now since the Mason kid was going to the stupid World Cup, Harry seemed to have to go, too.

    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t let me go, then can I go back to my room?!¡± Harry stabilized his emotions and continued, ¡°I am going to write to Sirius, you know, he is my godfather.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re, you¡¯re writing to him, are you?¡± Uncle Vernon said, trying to keep his voice calm.

    But Harry had seen the pupils of his tiny eyes contract with sudden fear.

    Uncle Vernon remembered Sirius, the very dangerous jailbreak murderer mentioned on TV.

    Before the summer vacation, Sirius wrote a letter to them.

    The letter warned them not to bully Harry, otherwise the consequences¡­

    Seeing Vernon¡¯s expression, Harry knew that he was sessful, and he could leave here right away and return to the wizarding world.

 Chapter 435: Evanâ€™s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 435: Evan¡¯s Visit</h4>

    Sure enough, when Harry mentioned Sirius, the pupils of Vernon¡¯s tiny eyes contracted with sudden fear.

    ¡°Alright! You can go to this ruddy, stupid, so-called World Cup. You write and tell these Weasleys, they¡¯re to pick you up, mind. I haven¡¯t got time to go dropping you off all over the country. And you can spend the rest of the summer vacation there.¡± Vernon said, ¡°You may wish to write to your godfather and tell him that you are going. By the way, write a letter to the Mason¡¯s kid and tell them that I support your contacts with him.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± said Harry happily.

    He turned and walked toward the living room door, fighting the urge to jump into the air and whoop.

    Outside the hall, he nearly ran into Dudley, who had been lurking behind the door, clearly hoping to overhear Harry being told off.

    He looked shocked to see the broad grin on Harry¡¯s face.

    ¡°That was an excellent breakfast, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I feel really full, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Laughing at the terrified look on Dudley¡¯s face, Harry took the stairs three at a time, and hurled himself back into his bedroom.

    There, Hedwig was waiting for him with Evan¡¯s reply.

    On the ceiling, there was a little owl flying around the ceilingmp, which was Ron¡¯s Pig.

    After delivering the letter to Evan, he followed Hedwig to Harry with another letter from Ron.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± said Harry.

    Seeing him, the little owl swooped down, twittering madly.

    Harry first looked at the letter delivered by Pig. It was Ron¡¯s handwriting, very scribbled.

    ¡®We¡¯reing for you whether the Muggles like it or not, you can¡¯t miss the World Cup, only Mum and Dad reckon it¡¯s better if we pretend to ask their permission first. If they say yes, send Pig back with your answer pronto, and we¡¯lle and get you at five o¡¯clock on Sunday.¡¯

    ¡°Friday afternoon!¡± Harry looked at the calendar, it was a day and a half away.

    Just as Pig was pounding everywhere, Hedwig gentlynded beside Harry.

    She seemed to show Pig what a real owl messenger should do, and her behavior was surprisingly steady.

    Hedwig stretched out her leg and let Harry untie Evan¡¯s reply tied to her.

    Then she pecked Harry gently, chirped in a noble gesture and flew back to her cage.

    Evan¡¯s handwriting was very neat. First, he exined the dream and suggested that Harry practice lumency.

    Then he said that they wille to Dursley¡¯s house tomorrow afternoon and set off with Harry to go to the Burrow.

    Harry didn¡¯t know what lumency was, and he looked at Evan¡¯s advice strangely.

    ¡°Every night before going to bed, empty your mind?!¡± Harry read it puzzled.

    He looked at Evan¡¯s letter to make sure that he was not mistaken!

    ¡°Empty your mind?!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t see how that would help.

    Immediately, he noticed the following content. Evan and Hermione wereing tomorrow afternoon.

    Harry decided not to think about the weird dream and Evan¡¯s strange suggestion for the time being, and the great joy was still going on.

    All he had to do was to put up with the Dursleys for another day and he could leave the house.

    Maybe this was thest time he would return here.

    When Sirius would recover, he could move in with him and get rid of the Dursleys forever.

    Harry smiled. He seized his quill, grabbed a fresh piece of parchment, and wrote: ¡°Ron, it¡¯s all okay, the Muggles say I cane. See you five o¡¯clock tomorrow. Can¡¯t wait!¡±

    He folded the letter up very small, and the little owl hopped on the spot with excitement.

    Harry had a lot of trouble tying the letter to his leg. As soon as it was tied, the owl set out.

    It zoomed out of the window and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    At the same time, Harry wrote a letter to Evan and Hermione. The content was simr, which was to exin the day.

    ¡°Hedwig, please go to Evan¡¯s house again!¡± Harry paused, ¡°Then, wait for me at Ron¡¯s house, understand?¡±

    Hedwig nipped his finger affectionately, then, with a soft swooshing noise, spread her enormous wings and soared out of the open window.

    Harry watched her out of sight, and then crawled under his bed, wrenched up the loose floorboard, and pulled out arge chunk of cake.

    He sat there on the floor eating it, savoring the happiness that was flooding through him.

    He had a cake to eat, and Dudley had nothing but grapefruit.

    It was a bright summer¡¯s day, he would be leaving Privet Drive tomorrow, his scar felt perfectly normal again, and he was going to see Sirius and watch the Quidditch World Cup.

    At such a moment, it was hard for Harry to worry about anything, and even Voldemort could not spoil his joy.

    The next morning, Evan and Hermione packed their bags early.

    With the help of Dobby, the house-elf, their stuff was quickly sent to the Weasleys¡¯ Burrow.

    Evan and Hermione had nned to walk to the Dursleys, but his father insisted on taking them by car.

    A bit past two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, as at the dinner two years ago, Mr. Mason¡¯s car smoothly stopped in front of the door No. 4 Privet Drive.

    It looked exactly the same here as before, just a little more shabby.

    ¡°Here we are!¡± Evan whispered.

    ¡°Is this Harry¡¯s uncle and aunt¡¯s house?!¡± Hermione asked curiously, she was here for the first time.

    Over the past few years, she had heard Harry say countless stories about the Dursleys.

    Hermione knew what kind of people they were and how they treated wizards.

    She carefully looked at the house and looked for Harry, but saw nothing.

    Harry didn¡¯te out, but the Dursleys waited outside the door early. They came out to meet Mr. Mason and looked extremely polite.

    Mr. Dursley looked very strange in his best suit and a reluctant smile on his face.

    Next to him was Harry¡¯s aunt Petunia, whose face was not that friendly.

    ¡°Wee, Mr. Mason!¡± said Mr. Dursley, ncing at Evan and Hermione unnaturally. ¡°It is a great honor that you visit us again. Come in for a cup of afternoon tea.¡±

    A few polite remarks were made before they entered.

    Like Evan¡¯s impression, the house was tidied up and the furniture was polished and shiny.

    However, there were more and more toys and other items rted to Dudley, but there was still no sign of Harry¡¯s existence.

    ¡°Where is Harry?¡± Evan asked.

    There were still more than two hours before the appointed time. They were early! ¡°Oh, he¡¯s in his room upstairs!¡± Mr. Dursley said disgustingly, ¡°You can go find him.¡±

    In his view, it was the worst thing to have three evil young wizards gathering in their own house. However, looking at Mr. Mason¡¯s face, he did not express this sentiment.

 Chapter 436: Contact with the Dursleys

    <h4>Chapter 436: Contact with the Dursleys</h4>

    Evan and Hermione just walked to the first floor and saw Dudley, like a pig, covering his backside, screaming and running back to his room.

    The door mmed shut with a bang.

    ¡°That was Harry¡¯s cousin, wasn¡¯t it?!¡± Hermione said doubtfully, ¡°Why did he run when he saw us?¡±

    ¡°I think, probably because of fear,¡± Evan replied. He knew that every contact between Dudley and any wizards did not end well.

    The first time was Hagrid, who left Dudley with a curly pig¡¯s tail poking out of the seat of his trousers.

    The Dursleys had had to pay for its removal at a private hospital in London.

    When he had just recovered from the shock, he met Dobby, the house-elf.

    The angry Dobby caused Dudley to grow a pig¡¯s tail because he spoke ill of Harry in front of Evan.

    In the end, it was Evan¡¯s parents who paid a lot of money to the Dursleys to calm them down.

    The hapless Dudley had to go to a hospital again to receive this confidential private service and cut off the pig¡¯s tail!

    This was absolutely terrible. No wonder he screamed when he saw Evan and Hermione after such encounters with wizards.

    To him, all wizards were the same; a group of monsters that would cause him to grow a pig¡¯s tail.

    He had no idea that underage wizards couldn¡¯t cast magic outside school.

    Everyone¡¯s wand had a mark on it, and the Ministry of Magic could detect magic fluctuations they would cause within a certain radius.

    Of course, they could do nothing for those would leave Britain and use magic so far away, like Evan had done when he went to France or Albania.

    Now, the panic-stricken Dudley was hiding in his room shivering and covering his backside.

    He was afraid of being targeted by Evan and Hermione again, terrified of the idea that the previous tragedy could once again repeat itself!

    Evan ignored Dudley, and he led Hermione to Harry¡¯s room at the end of the corridor.

    Pushing open the door, Harry was packing his luggage inside.

    The school trunk was open in the middle of the room, and Harry was sweating-busy.

    Beside him, there was the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father, the broomstick he had gotten from Sirius, various textbooks and other daily necessities and magic props.

    When he saw that the door had been opened, he looked up in dismay and immediately showed a happy smile.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, here you are!¡± Harry said with a smile.

    He rushed over to give each of them a hug and looked so happy!

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Harry!¡± Evan looked around. ¡°You look so messy!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave. Why haven¡¯t you packed your luggage yet?!¡± Hermione said sharply, frowning tightly.

    ¡°Forget it, my uncle and aunt have been pestering me all morning, I had no time to pack anything up.¡± Harry waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Evan, where did you and Sirius go during the holidays? Why was he hurt so badly? Has your curse been broken? And why should I practice lumency?¡±

    It was obvious that Harry had too many questions.

    He asked a lot of questions at one go, and Evan could only answer them one by one.

    While he exined, he followed Hermione to help Harry pack up.

    They took out all the food Harry had hidden under the loose floorboard, for there was a lot of food still left inside.

    Then, Harry double-checked every nook and cranny of his bedroom for forgotten spellbooks or quills.

    When everything was in check, he took down the chart on the wall, counting down the days to September the first, on which he liked to cross off the days remaining until his return to Hogwarts.

    Harry had a lot of things, and the three spent a lot of time packing.

    By the time they walked downstairs, Evan¡¯s father had left. There were things waiting for him in thepany.

    Now, inside number 4, Privet Drive, the mood was extremely tense.

    Dudley was called down and the six people sat at the table on two sides.

    They drank tea silently, and no one knew what to talk about.

    The imminent arrival of an assortment of wizards at their house was making the Dursleys uptight and irritable.

    ¡°Come on, boy!¡± Mr. Dursley snarled at once and everyone jumped. ¡°I hope you told them to dress properly, these people who areing. I¡¯ve seen the sort of stuff your lot wear. They¡¯d better have the decency to put on normal clothes, that¡¯s all!¡±

    Evan and Hermione were wearing Muggle clothing, and the Dursleys couldn¡¯t say anything.

    However, Evan had never seen Mr. Weasley, his wife or any of his children wear Muggle clothes.

    Usually, they wore long robes in various states of shabbiness.

    In fact, Harry was totally indifferent to his uncle¡¯s roar.

    He was only a little anxious about how rude the Dursleys might be to the Weasleys if they turned up looking like their worst idea of wizards.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be driving, of course?¡± Mr. Dursley asked sharply.

    ¡°Er!¡± Harry nodded. ¡°Probably so!¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s answer, Evan subconsciously covered his forehead.

    Mr. Weasley used to have a Ford Anglia ssic car, but for now, it was running wild in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

    Because of this flying car, Evan had be a celebrity in the school just from the first day.

    Since the founding of Hogwarts, no young wizard had ever been reported in a flying car.

    Needless to say, Evan had also missed the Sorting ceremony.

    Of course, the experience of more than two years proved that this was only a trivial part of Evan¡¯s legendary feats. The flying car was nothingpared to what happenedter.

    After asking this question, Mr. Dursley snorted heavily and sprayed the rough breath on his mustache.

    Normally, he would have asked what car Mr. Weasley drove¡­

    He always tended to judge other men by how big and expensive their cars were. Obviously, he still retained some sense and did not ask Harry this question.

    Mr. Dursley gave Evan and Hermione a contemptuous look before his tiny ck eyes slowly moved to another ce.

    There was another awkward silence, Harry¡¯s Aunt Petunia stood up, and she kept looking peering out through the curtains.

    It was as if there had been a warning about an escaped rhinoceros from the zoo.

    She kept swinging her cushions around as if she were suffering from obsessivepulsive psychosis.

    Beside Evan, Hermione sneaked a touch on his arm and the two looked at her.

    Hermione had never seen such a terrible person, and if she could, she wanted to be back in Harry¡¯s room instead of sitting here with the Dursleys.

 Chapter 437: The Fireplace Blasted up

    <h4>Chapter 437: The Firece sted up</h4>

    In this silent, tense atmosphere, time passed very slowly.

    Evan, Harry and Hermione had already drunk up the tea in their cups, but no one refilled them.

    Neither Harry¡¯s uncle nor aunt seemed to have any intention to do that.

    Evan knew a spell that could make wine, but he couldn¡¯t use it here.

    But it was hard to beat him. The cloth bag he carried with him, which had been expanded with the Undetectable Extension Charm, contained a lot of drinks.

    They were the juices he had brought back from France. Under the light, these juices would have colorful dreamy reflections and were very famous in the French wizarding world.

    Evan took out the juice and gave himself, Harry, and Hermione a cup, and filled the opposite Dudley¡¯s cup.

    Sniffing the sweet smell of the juice, Dudley couldn¡¯t wait to pick up the cup.

    ¡°Oh, no, Dudley dear!¡± Harry¡¯s Aunt Petunia shouted out loud. ¡°Don¡¯t touch that thing, put it down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this juice is fine!¡± said Evan. ¡°But what other wizards give you, you¡¯d better not put it in your mouth, especially the twinsing soon. Be extra careful. They like to y pranks.¡±

    Perhaps it was Evan¡¯s identity, or his attitude, and Aunt Petunia finally allowed Dudley to drink the juice.

    Of course, the awkward atmosphere in the room did not loosen up.

    Evan told Harry and Hermione what he had seen in Beauxbatons. On the opposite side, the Dursleys were whispering.

    Dudley stared at the half-empty bottle of juice on the table, licking his lips, and his eyes were shining with greed.

    In this way, five o¡¯clock came and then went.

    For some reason, the Weasleys werete.

    Because of the sultry weather and the heavy clothes, Mr. Dursley had begun to perspire slightly in his suit.

    He stood up impatiently, opened the front door, peered up and down the street, and then withdrew his head quickly.

    ¡°They¡¯rete!¡± he snarled at Harry in a gruff voice.

    ¡°I know!¡± Harry replied. ¡°Maybe, er¡­the traffic¡¯s bad, that must be it!¡±

    Although he said so, he was a bit impatient as well.

    Harry turned around and looked anxiously at Evan, who shook his head.

    In his view, Mr. Weasley woulde through the Floo Network or Apparate. Either way, he would not be stopped just by traffic congestion.

    ¡®Hold on, Floo Network?!¡¯

    Evan suddenly thought that if they came here through the Floo Network, they muste out of the firece.

    The Dursleys¡¯ firece was sealed and there was a fake electric stove burning coal in front of it.

    Evan hurriedly stood up and walked over to the firece and observed it carefully.

    He seemed to hear something. Behind Evan, the Dursleys were still muttering in the living room.

    ¡°No consideration at all!¡±

    ¡°We might have had another engagement.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they think they¡¯ll get invited to dinner if they¡¯rete.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t even think about it!¡± said Mr. Dursley. ¡°They¡¯ll take the three children and go. There will be no hanging around.¡±

    Then, he shouted to Harry and Hermione sitting on the sofa. ¡°I mean, if they¡¯reing. They¡¯ve probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don¡¯t set much store by punctuality.¡±

    Just then, Evan heard a voiceing from inside the firece, someone was inside!

    He guessed it, the Weasleys came here through the Floo Network.

    Before he even thought about what to do, there was a scream of horror.

    ¡± Ah ah ah ah ah!¡± Dudley shouted.

    Curious about what Evan was doing in front of the firece, he had just followed him and was startled by the sound inside the firece.

    In fact, his screaming also made Evan startled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? What happened?¡± Harry rushed over at once.

    From the corner of the living room came the sounds of the Dursleys scrambling, panic-stricken, across the room.

    Dudley kept rubbing the sweat on his forehead, his expression was terrible.

    He seemed unable to speak, his hands still mped over his buttocks.

    ¡°They seem to be there, just inside the firece!¡± said Evan.

    At this moment, from behind the Dursleys¡¯ firece came the sounds of heavy knocks and frictions..

    ¡°Ouch! Fred, no¡­ go back, go back, there¡¯s been some kind of mistake¡­tell George not to¡­ OUCH! George, no, there¡¯s no room, go back and tell Ron not toe over¡±

    ¡°Dad, I heard Evan and Harry talking, they¡¯re outside.¡± Fred shouted.

    ¡°I heard that too; maybe they¡¯ll be able to let us out!¡±

    As soon as George¡¯s voice fell, there was a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric heater.

    ¡°Evan, Harry, can you hear us?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Weasley, he¡¯s inside!¡± Hermione ran over. ¡°They must havee here by Floo powder, but they didn¡¯t know that unlike the wizards, Muggles¡¯ fireces are usually blocked.¡±

    ¡°I heard Hermione, she¡¯s also outside!¡± Mr. Weasley said with delight.

    ¡°Maybe we can¡­¡±

    Evan hadn¡¯t finished yet and the Dursleys rounded on the three of them like a pair of angry wolverines.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mr. Dursley growled and asked, ¡°What are they doing?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve tried to get here by Floo powder.¡± Harry said, fighting a mad desire tough. ¡°They can travel by fire, but you have blocked the firece, hang on!¡±

    At this time, Evan and Hermione were talking to them through the boards.

    ¡°Mr. Weasley, it¡¯s Evan!¡± he shouted. ¡°The firece has been blocked up!¡±

    ¡°Damn!¡± said Mr. Weasley¡¯s voice. ¡°What on earth did they want to block up the firece for?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve got an electric fire.¡± Hermione exined.

    ¡°Really?¡± said Mr. Weasley¡¯s voice excitedly. ¡°Electric, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that, let me think about it¡­ouch, Ron!¡±

    Ron¡¯s voice now joined the others¡¯.

    ¡°What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing wrong!¡± Fred¡¯s voice came out, very sarcastically. ¡°No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re having the time of our lives here!¡± said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.

    ¡°Boys, boys!¡± said Mr. Weasley vaguely, ¡°I¡¯m trying to think what to do, okay, the only way, Evan, Harry, Hermione, you three stand back.¡±

    They hurried back to the sofa in the living room, and Mr. Dursley made a few steps forward.

    ¡°Wait!¡± he bellowed at the fire. ¡°What exactly are you going to do?¡±

    BANG, his firece had sted up before he could say anything else!!

 Chapter 438: Expansion of the Storeâ€™s Business Scope

    <h4>Chapter 438: Expansion of the Store¡¯s Business Scope</h4>

    Evan could be sure that if he were Mr. Dursley, seeing this situation, he would be crying now.

    It was conceivable that the Dusleys would never ever receive wizards in their living room in the future.

    All they heard was a loud BANG!

    The Dursleys¡¯ blocked firece sted open, and the electric heater shot across the room.

    Then, Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron were expelled out in a cloud of rubble.

    The scene was really shocking. Evan, Harry, and Hermione stared at them, with their wide-open eyes.

    They all opened their mouths and uttered a sigh of surprise.

    Dudley howled all the way out of the living room and ran into his room.

    Even louder than him was the shrieking of Mrs. Dursley, who fell backward over the coffee table.

    Mr. Dursley reached out and caught her before she hit the floor, and gasped, speechless, at the Weasleys, all of whom were in wizards¡¯ robes and had bright red hair.

    Fred and George, the twins were as ifpletely carved out of the same mold, and were identical to thest freckle.

    ¡°Hello, Evan, Harry, Hermione!¡± Mr. Weasley panted, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his sses. Seeing the Dursleys in front of him, he said, ¡°Ah, you must be Harry¡¯s aunt and uncle!¡±

    Mr. Weasley moved toward the Dursleys, his hand outstretched.

    But Mr. Dursley backed away several paces, dragging Mrs. Dursley, his face full of horror.

    They werepletely speechless. Mr. Dursley¡¯s best suit was covered in white dust and he looked extremely embarrassed.

    The same was true for his hair and mustache, making him look as though he had just aged thirty years.

    ¡°Oh, yes, sorry.¡± Mr. Weasley said embarrassed, lowering his hand and turning to look at the sted firece. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. It just didn¡¯t ur to me that we wouldn¡¯t be able to get out at the other end.¡±

    Mr. Dursley groaned heavily. It looked as if he might rush at Mr. Weasley at any time.

    ¡°Oh, you know, I had your firece connected to the Floo Network, you see, just for an afternoon, so we could get through it. Muggle fireces aren¡¯t supposed to be connected, strictly speaking. But I¡¯ve got a useful contact at the Floo Regtion Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll light a fire to send the children back, and then I can repair your firece before I Apparate.¡±

    Mr. Weasley said these words casually, as if nothing had happened, which seemed normal to the wizard.

    But for the Dursleys, every word that Mr. Weasley said was shocking.

    They all stared nkly at Mr. Weasley, as if they had heard the most terrible thing in the world.

    Mrs. Dursley staggered upright and hid behind Mr. Dursley.

    ¡°All right, don¡¯t be nervous!¡± Mr. Weasley reassured him and turned to look at Evan, Harry and Hermione.¡±Evan, Hermione, your luggage had been delivered to our home this morning. Harry, got your trunk ready?¡±

    ¡°Packed, upstairs!¡± Harry said with a smile.

    ¡°We¡¯ll get it!¡± Fred immediately volunteered. Winking at Harry, he and George left the room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see, they may not know where your room is!¡± ¡°Evan hurried up,¡± No, Harry, you and Hermione stay here with your uncle and aunt so they don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡±

    Evan left the living room and ran upstairs.

    But the time he arrived, Fred and George were trying to break into Dudley¡¯s room.

    Dudley hid desperately behind the door, screaming like a pig.

    ¡°Harry¡¯s room is not there, you two are going to the wrong ce!¡± Evan hurried to stop them.

    ¡°Long time no see, Evan!¡± Fred said with a smile. ¡°We know this is not Harry¡¯s room.¡±

    He came up and gave Evan a warm hug.

    ¡°We just wanted to surprise Harry¡¯s cousin, but he doesn¡¯t seem to wee us!¡± said George.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Dudley screamed and ran out of his room and rushed downstairs.

    ¡°What surprise?!¡± Looking at Dudley¡¯s back, Evan asked uncertainly, ¡°What did you do to him?¡±

    ¡°Just gave him something!¡± George said with a smile. ¡°You know, Evan! The two of us have made great progress this summer!¡±

    ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡± Evan didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about.

    The main purpose of his following up was to prevent Fred and George from ying pranks on Dudley and further trigger the Dursleys¡¯ fragile nerves.

    But Dudley ran down, and looking at Fred and George¡¯s grinning faces, they had obviously seeded!

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Weasley¡¯s joke product. We sold all the things we left in your store. In fact, it was a great sess!¡± Fred said excitedly. ¡°We¡¯ve made a lot of Gold-Galleons, and Professor Lupin sent them all to us.¡±

    ¡°In this way, we have enough research funds!¡± George said, patting Evan on the shoulder. ¡°We had good ideas before. We both researched and produced specific products during the holidays. Now, after the test, we can be put them into practical use!¡±

    It turned out that they were talking about this, and it was indeed a real pleasure.

    In fact, this summer, aftering into contact with alchemy, Evan had more novel ideas.

    He had intended to talk to Fred and George about it, too, and put all the ideas in his head into practice.

    It was not just the magic props used for pranks. ording to Evan¡¯s idea, after adding alchemy, they could make more magic props with stronger magical power and that are more practical.

    By then, the store¡¯s business scope could be extended from the young wizards to the entire wizarding world.

    Evan had studied it carefully, and as long as they operated properly, they would certainly achieve unimaginable sess.

    With the help of alchemy, the goods they would produce and sell would no longer be limited to joke products.

    It could also include all kinds of life magic props and even dueling equipment to resist evil ck magic.

    These protective magic items had always been popr, but the actual supply was very small.

    As long as they could be mass-produced, Evan¡¯s store could even be a business giant in the wizarding world.

    Fred and George had enough talent in this field. Evan would only be responsible for the designing magic props.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Evan!¡± Fred urged, picking up Harry¡¯s trunk, ¡°Don¡¯t let ME and them wait too long below.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t wait!¡± George said, the smirk on his face was more obvious.

    They bothughed and dragged Evan down.

    Obviously, they must have done something to Dudley, and now they wanted Evan to watch the show.

    Whatever it was, Evan just hoped that things wouldn¡¯t get too bad!

 Chapter 439: Pigâ€™s Tail Again?

    <h4>Chapter 439: Pig¡¯s Tail Again?</h4>

    When Evan and the twins returned to the living room with the trunk, Dudley was trying to conceal himself behind his mother.

    He was clutching his bottom as though afraid it might fall off.

    Seeing Dudley, Fred and George¡¯s faces both cracked into identical evil grins.

    ¡°What on earth have you done to him?¡± Evan asked in a low voice.

    Dudley was frightened, which did not seem to be really unusual.

    ¡°Just a few candies, he hasn¡¯t eaten yet!¡± said Fred. ¡°That¡¯s ourtest product.¡±

    ¡°Whenever he eats them, he will definitely impress you,¡± George added.

    Hearing the words of both of them, Evan¡¯s heart rose more worrying than expecting!

    Last term, he had seen the quick-skiving sweets researched by the Weasley brothers.

    All of these products were the first to be developed because they did not involve too much magic knowledge.

    At that time, there were only two kinds of sweet: Puking Pastilles and Nosebleed Nougat.

    Although there were not many varieties, these candies were surprisingly effective.

    Gryffindor¡¯s young wizards used them to skip sses they didn¡¯t want, mainly Snape¡¯s Potions ss.

    Of course, after too many people had used it, it didn¡¯t work for Snape anymore.

    No matter how bad you vomited or your nose was bleeding, Snape wouldn¡¯t let you leave the ssroom as you wished.

    Instead, what awaited the user would be endless confinement.

    Every night after dinner, in the cold underground office, as Snape ordered, clean buckets and buckets of slugs.

    This was a nightmare. Over time, these quick-skiving sweets became rarely used.

    Of course, it was still good to use them only asionally in other professors¡¯ sses.

    The premise was that you didn¡¯t mind eating these dirty things.

    In order to achieve the effects of vomiting and nosebleeds, God knows what Fred and George had added to it.

    In addition to the Skiving Snackbox, Evan also saw the Ton-Tongue Toffee.

    That was his advice. Eating this sweet would let the tongue be bigger and spit out.

    It looked very funny.

    However, Fred just said that they gave Dudley thetest product, which should not be this.

    Like Evan, Mr. Weasley was also worried about Dudley¡¯s weird behavior clutching his buttock all the time.

    ¡°Having a good holiday, Dudley?¡± he asked kindly.

    From the tone of his voice, Evan was quite sure that Mr. Weasley thought that Dudley was quite as mad as the Dursleys thought he was, except that Mr. Weasley felt sympathy rather than fear.

    Dudley whimpered. His hands tightened still harder over his massive backside.

    ¡°Ah, right, that looks good!¡± Mr. Weasley said jokingly. ¡°Children, better get cracking then.¡±

    He pushed up the sleeves of his robes and took out his wand.

    ¡°Incendio!¡± said Mr. Weasley, pointing his wand at the hole in the wall behind him.

    mes rose at once in the firece, crackling merrily as though they had been burning for hours.

    He took a small drawstring bag from his pocket, untied it, took a pinch of the powder inside, and threw it onto the mes.

    The mes immediately turned emerald green and roared higher than ever.

    ¡°Off you go then, Fred.¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°Then George, Ron, Hermione, Harry and Evan!¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡± Fred blinked, but did not act.

    He happily waved his hand to the Dursleys, seemingly waiting for Dudley to swallow the sweet.

    ¡°Fred?!¡± Mr. Weasley frowned.

    ¡°Got it!¡± He stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying ¡°the Burrow!¡±

    There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished.

    The Dursleys gave a little shuddering gasp, shivered and took a neat step backwards.

    ¡°Right then, George,¡± said Mr. Weasley, ¡°you and the trunk.¡±

    Everyone moved the trunk to the mes and set it up so that George could get it safe.

    ¡°The Burrow!¡± There was another whoosh, and George vanished too.

    Then, it was Ron and Hermione.

    After saying goodbye to the Dursleys, they disappeared into the fire.

    Looking at this weird thing, the Dursleys all had wide eyes and their faces were full of wonder.

    Now Evan, Harry and Mr. Weasley alone remained.

    ¡°After you!¡± Evan told Harry, he was still staring at Dudley.

    He was hesitating, if Dudley was not going to eat the sweet, he might be able to get it back before leaving.

    Of course, how to talk to the Dursleys was very crucial.

    Evan believed that there was no need to use magic, as that would trigger them even more!

    However, when he just went downstairs, he had promised Fred and George not to stop it.

    While Evan hesitated, what happened next helped him to strengthen his determination.

    ¡°Oh, okay!¡± Harry turned to the Dursleys and said, ¡°Well ¡­ bye then!¡±

    They did not say a word, no response.

    Harry seemed to have expected it early, and he walked toward the mes.

    Just as he reached the edge of the hearth, Mr. Weasley put out a hand and held him back.

    At this time, Mr. Weasley was looking at the Dursleys in amazement, feeling furious!

    ¡°Harry said good-bye to you!¡± he said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear him?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Harry muttered to Mr. Weasley. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t care.¡±

    Despite Harry¡¯s statement, Mr. Weasley did not remove his hand from his shoulder.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to see your nephew until next summer.¡± He frowned slightly, and said to Mr. Dursley in mild indignation, ¡°Surely you¡¯re going to say good-bye?¡±

    After hearing this sentence, Mr. Dursley¡¯s face changed.

    The idea of being taught consideration by another man, who had just sted away half his living room wall, seemed to be beyond what he could handle.

    But Mr. Weasley¡¯s wand was still in his hand, and Mr. Dursley¡¯s tiny eyes darted to it at once, before he said, very resentfully, ¡°Good-bye, then.¡±

    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Harry waved his hand.

    Before he left, he saw an amazing scene.

    Dudley suddenly screamed loudly, kneeling on the ground, screaming and oinking.

    Evan saw him stuff a piece of sweet into his mouth. Needless to say, it was left by Fred and George.

    Now his body was changing rapidly.

    It quickly became that of a pig, the nose began to tilt up, and the two round nostrils became more and more obvious.

    Dudley¡¯s ears became big and round and his tiny eyes almost narrowed into a seam.

    Behind his butt, a pink pig¡¯s tail came out.

    He didn¡¯t expect the sweet left by Fred and George would have this effect.

    This required extremely deep knowledge of Transfiguration and potions, and it seemed that they had made breakthroughs in their holidays.

    Poor Dudley! That was the third time a pig¡¯s tail had grown on his buttock.

    As for the change of the face, it was not as big as imagined, probably because Dudley was already rather simr to a pig!

 Chapter 440: Charlie and Bill

    <h4>Chapter 440: Charlie and Bill</h4>

    Now, the Dursleys¡¯ living room was a mess.

    Dudley was clutching his buttock and the pig¡¯s tail that had just emerged, screaming loudly.

    Mrs. Dursley yelled and looked at Dudley, who was turning into a pig, and hurled herself onto the ground beside him.

    Mr. Dursley was furious, waving his hands indiscriminately, bellowing like Evan.

    ¡°Calm down, calm down, I can solve this problem, don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Mr. Weasley had to shout to make himself heard.

    He raised his wand and walked to Dudley, waving his hand and wishing the Dursleys would calm down.

    However, this was simply useless.

    Seeing the wand in his hand, the three opposites became even more rmed, and the screams were even louder.

    They seemed to think that Mr. Weasley wanted to hurt Dudley and desperately wanted to stop him.

    Until then, both Hagrid and Dobby, the house elf, just made Dudley grow a pig¡¯s tail.

    Turning Dudley into abination of a human and a pig was a first!

    Nightmare, this was a nightmare, the worst nightmare!

    Mrs. Dursley used her body to shield Dudley and sobbed hysterically.

    Mr. Dursley, who had lost controlpletely, seized a china figure from on top of the sideboard and threw it very hard at Mr. Weasley. Even Evan and Harry standing next to the firece were almost hit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble now!¡± Mr. Weasley said angrily, waving his wand. ¡°I really want to help you. If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be aplex Transfiguration curse, my son Fred¡­ a prank left by him, he¡­¡±

    Mr. Weasley couldn¡¯t go on, Mr. Dursley growled and roared.

    Bellowing like a wounded hippo, he snatched up another ornament from the wall.

    ¡°Evan, Harry, just go!¡± Mr. Weasley shouted. ¡°Let me handle this!¡±

    Evan and Harry nced at each other and stepped into the burning mes.

    What they finally saw was that Mr. Weasley used his wand to st a flying ornament into pieces.

    The Dursleys¡¯ living room was looking more and more like a battlefield, and whatever beauty it used to have was lost.

    For Muggles, who had always hated wizards, this day just was an extremely terrible one for this family!

    Not surprisingly, this scene was enough to scar the Dursleys for life.

    Soon, Evan left No. 4 Privet Drive.

    He begun to spin very fast, and the Dursleys¡¯ living room was whipped out of sight in a rush of emerald-green mes. Blurred fireces shed past him in very high speed.

    Just when Evan was dizzy and nauseated, his feetnded on the ground again.

    Harry was right next to him, and looked as bad as ever.

    They came out of the hearth of the firece in the Burrow and were greeted by the cheers of Fred and George.

    ¡°Well, did he eat it?¡± Fred said excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Evan nodded and he was pulled to the table.

    ¡°What was it?¡± Harry asked curiously. ¡°I saw Dudley be a pig.¡±

    ¡°This is ourtest prank product.¡± Fred said excitedly. ¡°George and I studied the whole summer vacation. You just don¡¯t know how many experiments we have done before we seeded. We¡¯ve been looking for someone to test it.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this! This is, this is illegal!¡± Hermione frowned.

    But nobody paid any attention to her. Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were allughing happily and making a mess.

    ¡°We were just worried that Evan would ruin our n!¡± Fred said with a smile.

    ¡°Yes, you know, you two have always had a strong sense of justice!¡± George added, pointing to Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you stop it?¡± Hearing both of them, Hermione turned angrily and looked at Evan.

    In fact, Evan really wanted to stop it.

    When he poured the juice, he also specifically reminded Dudley.

    However, the Dursleys¡¯ attitude towards Harry seemed really irritating. Moreover, Dudley stuffed the sweet in his mouth too quickly for him to react.

    Before Evan could exin to Hermione, two young red-haired people came in from the outside.

    Immediately, Evan knew who they were, the two eldest Weasley brothers: Bill and Charlie.

    Charlie greeted Harry, and he looked very solid.

    Bill went straight to Evan and Hermione, and he looked very cool.

    Evan had heard Ron say before that Bill worked for the goblins in Gringotts. He was very strong and he had been Head Boy at Hogwarts.

    From Ron¡¯s vague description, Bill had always given the illusion that he might be an older version of Percy: fussy about rule-breaking and fond of bossing everyone around.

    But in fact, that was not the case at all.

    Bill¡¯s dress was more avant-garde than anyone Evan had ever seen, whether wizard or Muggle.

    He was really a handsome man.

    He was tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail behind his head. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it.

    Bill¡¯s clothes would not have looked out of ce at a rock concert.

    As for his boots, they were made not of leather, but of dragon hide.

    For the Weasleys, who had always been a rtively conservative family, it was incredible to have a child like Bill.

    But it was undeniable that although he was dressed like this, he was excellent in all respects.

    ¡°Hello, Evan! Hello, Hermione!¡± Bill said with a smile. ¡°I heard Ron talk about you!¡±

    When Evan and Bill shook hands, he felt a strange wave of magic.

    After the curse had been broken, Evan was now very sensitive to the fluctuations of magic.

    But Bill¡¯s magic reaction was something he had never met before, perhaps a magic handed down from ancient Egypt.

    Evan¡¯s eyes wandered back and forth around the ornaments on Bill, looking for suspicious magic items.

    Then he thought that he might just be able to talk to him! Bill was breaking the curses for the Gringotts in the Great Pyramid of Egypt. He must know of the Emerald Tablet!

    Evan wanted to find out about the information rted to this thing, so that he could get ready early.

    After greeting Harry, Charlie also came along.

    He had a good gentleman¡¯s broad face, weather-beaten, but with a bright smile.

    His face was so freckly that he looked almost tanned.

    He was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long andnky.

    But his arms were muscr, and one of them had arge, shiny burn on it.

    When shaking hands, Evan felt calluses and blisters under his fingers.

    Evan had heard before that Charlie was working with dragons in Romania; it seemed that dealing with them must be very hard!

 Chapter 441: They Are All Angry

    <h4>Chapter 441: They Are All Angry</h4>

    The small kitchen was a mess, and everyone was excited to talk about Dudley bing a pig. Fred and George gloated and introduced their newest prank props, developed this summer.

    They made a lot of deformation sweets, which could turn the eaters into animals such as pigs, rabbits, and dogs.

    Perhaps because of theck of magic in the sweets, it could only transfigure parts of the consumer¡¯s body.

    It could not cause aplete change, but this made these metamorphic prank sweets even more interesting.

    Harry and Ron thought these things were great, and Charlie and Bill were also very interested.

    Only Hermione looked unhappy. She thought Fred and George¡¯s products were dangerous.

    She did not listen to Evan¡¯s exnation, and she was obviously angry.

    Hermione was angry that Evan knew about Fred and George¡¯s prank, but did not stop Dudley from eating the sweet.

    In fact, she was not talking to Evan anymore. She just squinted, her long eyshes twitching slightly, ring at Evan without a word.

    Evan felt some guilt and did not look at her. Hermione was now as serious as Professor McGonagall.

    Just as Evan was thinking about how to please Hermione, there was a faint popping noise in the air.

    Then, Mr. Weasley appeared out of thin air at George¡¯s shoulder.

    He looked angry too. His face, which had been smiling all the time, was now filled with anger.

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t funny!¡± he muttered. ¡°Fred, George, what on earth did you give that Muggle boy?¡±

    ¡°We gave him nothing.¡± Fred said with an evil grin on his face. ¡°We just went upstairs to carry Harry¡¯s trunk, and identally dropped it on the ground, who told him to pick it up and eat it himself? It¡¯s not our fault.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we didn¡¯t even know that the sweet had been taken away by him. We just came back early!¡± added George.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know, you deliberately gave that piece of sweet to him!¡± Mr. Weasley yelled. ¡°You knew he¡¯d definitely eat it. You knew that the Muggle boy was on a diet¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened in the end?¡± Fred asked eagerly, ¡°Has he be a pig?¡±

    ¡°Only the pig¡¯s nose and the pig¡¯s tail have grown. I have already changed him back!¡± Mr. Weasley said with a sigh of relief. ¡°His parents were frightened, and it was a huge mess.¡±

    Thinking of Dudley¡¯s funny look, Harry and the Weasley brothers roared withughter again.

    ¡°Enough, it isn¡¯t funny!¡± Mr. Weasley yelled angrily. ¡°That sort of behavior seriously undermines wizard-Muggle rtions! I spend half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons¡­¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t give it to him because he¡¯s a Muggle!¡± Fred said indignantly.

    ¡°No, we gave it to him because he¡¯s a great bullying git,¡± said George. ¡°Isn¡¯t he, Harry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley.¡± Harry said very seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point!¡± raged Mr. Weasley, ¡°You wait until I tell your mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± said a voice behind them.

    Mrs. Weasley had just entered the kitchen; her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

    ¡°Oh hello, Harry, dear, you are here!¡± She said, spotting him and smiling.

    Then she came over and hugged Hermione and whispered, ¡°Hello, Hermione, have a good holiday?!¡±

    When it was Evan¡¯s turn, Mrs. Weasley¡¯s expression seemed to be a bit stiff.

    She didn¡¯t look at him with a smile like Harry and Hermione; she didn¡¯t look too happy.

    Obviously, she was also angry with Evan.

    Evan was puzzled for a while. He didn¡¯t know why Mrs. Weasley had such a look. What was going on today? How were they all angry with him?

    But in the end, Mrs. Weasley still smiled and embraced Evan. It was as if she was forgiving him.

    Then she turned her eyes on her husband again.

    ¡°Tell me, Arthur, what on earth is going on?¡± she said suspiciously. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Although she was talking to Mr. Weasley, her eyes were always watching Fred and George.

    Mr. Weasley hesitated, and it could be seen that although he was angry with Fred and George, he did not really intend to tell Mrs. Weasley.

    If he did, the two of them would definitely end up miserable.

    Mr. Weasley looked at his wife nervously, and no one spoke for a while.

    Evan felt that someone was walking behind him. He looked back and saw Ginny.

    Like two months ago, Ginny¡¯s figure was still very small, but she had be more beautiful.

    She smiled and said hello to Evan, then turned her eyes to Harry on the other side of the table.

    Harry also smiled at her, and Ginny immediately blushed.

    Everyone knew that Ginny was very fascinated by Harry. She was his most loyal admirer.

    ¡°Come on, Arthur, what on earth is going on?¡± Mrs. Weasley asked again, her tone a little scary.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Molly,¡± mumbled Mr. Weasley, ¡°Fred and George just¡­ but I¡¯ve had words with them¡­¡±

    ¡°What have they done this time?¡± said Mrs. Weasley. ¡°If it¡¯s got anything to do with Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes¡­¡±

    Hearing this, Evan was stunned, and he was not sure how Mrs. Weasley knew about it.

    Since visiting the Burrow two years ago, Fred and George had been working on making prank products.

    However, this matter was being secretly carried out.

    To be precise, Mrs. Weasley was the only one who was kept in the dark.

    She certainly would not support Fred and George in doing such a thing. In her opinion, it was a sign of carelessness.

    Needless to say, what they both made was dangerous, which made them even more unreliable.

    Just thinking about this, Evan understood why Mrs. Weasley seemed to be angry at him.

    The fact was, the biggest contributor in the development of the Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes was definitely Evan.

    He gave Fred and George a lot of ideas, as well as initial research and development costs and sales channel support.

    Needless to say, he was also preparing to introduce alchemy.

    If Mrs. Weasley knew all about it, it would not be an ident for her to get angry with Evan.

    It was merciful enough from her not to drive Evan out of her house after he had tempted her sons to do these unscrupulous things.

    Perhaps, this was only for Evan¡¯s sake. Things might have been so bad if it was someone else.

    The mood was getting more and more tense, and looking at the increasingly grim expression of Mrs. Weasley, everyone could sense the approaching pains¡­.

    Only Hermione stood on Mrs. Weasley¡¯s side. She nodded in agreement and seemed to think that was the way it should be.

 Chapter 442: Plans to Communicate with Hermione

    <h4>Chapter 442: ns to Communicate with Hermione</h4>

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Evan!¡± Fred said suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ll show you upstairs!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s show you where you¡¯re sleeping!¡± George followed, winking hard at Evan.

    ¡°YOU STAY WHERE YOU ARE!¡± snarled Mrs. Weasley.

    Fred and George froze and looked bitter.

    Evan, Harry, and Ron looked at each other. They carefully slipped out of the kitchen sideways, and Hermione and Ginny followed.

    They set off along the narrow hallway and up the rickety staircase that zigzagged through the house to the upper stories.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Fred and George were discovered by Mom, and the two of them were too careless!¡± Ron whispered. ¡°Mom found a lot of Gold-Galleons when cleaning Fred and George¡¯s room!¡±

    ¡°Gold Galleons?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Professor Lupin sent them a hundred!¡± Ron looked at Evan, ¡°I never knew they had made so much money through the aid you gave them and the props they sold in the store.¡±

    ¡°Seeing such a big sum of money, Mom was terrified!¡± Ginny said. ¡°She began to ask them where they got it from. She thought they had stolen the money from somewhere and had a whole night¡¯s argument.¡±

    ¡°Fred and George had intended to hide it, butter they could only tell her. They told mom that the money was your aid and start-up fund for their research career.¡± Ron said to Evan, ¡°You¡¯d better be careful. Before you came, Mom had been talking about it countless times. She seemed very dissatisfied with your help in their research.¡±

    Evan gulped and remembered Mrs. Weasley¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°Oh, my God, Evan, you¡¯ve been helping Fred and George with these things!¡± Hermione said in surprise, ¡°I always thought you spent all your newspaper money on serious things, like buying magic potions¡­¡±

    ¡°Most of it is spent on that, but there was some left, and I gave it to¡­. Fred and¡­. George¡­¡±

    Under Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan¡¯s voice was getting smaller and smaller.

    Things seemed to be getting more troublesome. Hermione looked even angrier than before.

    Hermione was angry just because Evan didn¡¯t stop Fred and George from ying mean pranks on Dudley. It was only now that she suddenly realized that Evan was behind the whole incident.

    Looking at Hermione¡¯s face, Evan knew that nothing could exin it.

    ¡°Mom is making too much of a fuss. I have seen their supply list, and all the things above are very interesting.¡± Ron didn¡¯t notice Hermione¡¯s anomaly, and said carelessly, ¡°Great long price lists for stuff they¡¯ve invented. Joke stuff, you know; fake wands and trick sweets¡­ loads of stuff. They¡¯ve worked on this so much¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought they were just making some candy, and the Skiving Snackbox was very good!¡± Ginny said. ¡°We¡¯ve been hearing explosions out of their room. I thought they just liked the noise!¡± ¡±

    Hearing both of them, Hermione¡¯s face became even uglier.

    She stared at Evan angrily, her brows wrinkled tightly, thinking about something unknown.

    ¡°Of course, Mom has a point. Most of the things they make are dangerous.¡± Ron said. ¡°She went mad that night. She found all Fred¡¯s and George¡¯s stocks and burned them up and warned them not to do it anymore. From that day on, she¡¯s been furious at them all the time, and their O.W.L.s scores have also disappointed her.¡±

    O.W.L.s were Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the examinations Hogwarts students took at the age of fifteen.

    For the young wizards, they were very important.

    Only in the case of sufficient certificates and achievements could they continue their senior years at Hogwarts.

    This was an important exam that would affect future employment and career development, and it should not be ignored.

    ¡°Because of their bad results, they quarreled again and they made a lot of noise!¡± Ginny said, ¡°Mom wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic in the future, like Dad, but they told her all they want to do is open a joke shop.¡±

    ¡°I heard that, do you know how mother answered at that time?!¡± Ron added, ¡°She said that if that was to happen, she would sever any links she had with them and never care about them again.¡±

    Hearing this, Evan had already felt a little guilty.

    If Fred, George and Mrs. Weasley were at odds with each other because of this, then he was the real culprit.

    Hermione apparently thought the same way. She had been staring at Evan all the time.

    Despite the pressure, Evan still believed that it was the right way to let Fred and George continue their research.

    Both of them had a lot of potential in this regard. With the introduction of practice technology, they could make a lot of really powerful magic props instead of the prank props used by the young wizards.

    By then, not just a joke shop, their store would be a giant in the wizarding world.

    The blueprint for their future had already been forged, and it was exciting enough just to think about it.

    Of course, before that, they had first to convince Mrs. Weasley and Hermione to support them.

    Mrs. Weasley said that as long as Fred and George achieved enough results, they could make her agree.

    As for Hermione here, it was mainly Evan¡¯s trouble!

    It seemed that he needed to find time tomunicate with Hermione in depth¡­

    Just as Evan was thinking about how to persuade Hermione, a door on the second floor tform opened.

    A face poked out wearing horn-rimmed sses and a very annoyed expression.

    ¡°Hi, Percy!¡± Harry stood by the door and said quickly.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you guys, hello!¡± Percy said, and then saw Evan standing in the back. His eyes lit up, ¡°Evan, where did you go at the end of thest term? You missed my graduation ceremony and I was hired by the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Evan said quickly.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Percy said proudly, his eyes moving to Ron. ¡°I was wondering who was making all the noise. I¡¯m trying to work in here, you know. I¡¯ve got a report to finish for the office; and it¡¯s rather difficult to concentrate when people keep thundering up and down the stairs.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not thundering.¡± Under Percy¡¯s gaze, Ron looked irritated. He gnashed his teeth and said, ¡°We¡¯re walking. Sorry if we¡¯ve disturbed the top-secret work for the Ministry of Magic. ¡°

 Chapter 443: Dinner and Performance

    <h4>Chapter 443: Dinner and Performance</h4>

    ¡°What are you working on?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation.¡± Percy said smugly, ¡°We¡¯re trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin. Leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing! This report will change the world.¡± Ron said sarcastically. ¡°Think about it, the Daily Prophet will publish on the front page: cauldron leaks.¡±

    When he heard him, Percy went slightly pink.

    ¡°You might sneer, Ron,¡± he said heatedly, ¡°but unless some sort of internationalw is imposed, we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products that seriously endanger ¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, all right,¡± said Ron impatiently, and he started off upstairs again.

    Behind them, Percy mmed his bedroom door shut.

    Like everyone else, Evan had little interest in Percy¡¯s report on ¡°cauldron leaks¡±.

    He was thinking, maybe he could hear from Percy about the status of his boss, Mr. Barty Crouch.

    Evan didn¡¯t expect Percy to notice anything unusual, but it would be enough if he could quickly grasp some clues.

    If Voldemort wanted to save his most heartfelt servant, then Barty Crouch was a pass that could not be circumvented.

    But considering Percy¡¯s character, Evan doubted that he would help him.

    Now he probably would like Crouch to give him all the power to prove his ability.

    Behind Ron, Evan climbed up three more flights of stairs and could still hear the shouts from the kitchen below.

    The voices were loud, and it sounded as though Mr. Weasley had told his wife about the deforming sweets.

    These voices dragged Evan¡¯s thoughts back to reality, leaving aside Voldemort and Barty Crouch Jr.

    It was a serious matter to calm the angry Hermione.

    Pushing the door and entering, Ron¡¯s room seemed no different from before.

    The same posters of Ron¡¯s favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons, were whirling and waving on the walls and sloping ceiling.

    There was still the fish tank on the windowsill, which had previously held frog spawn, but now it contained one extremelyrge frog.

    Ron¡¯s old rat, Scabbers, was here no more, but instead there was the tiny gray owl that Sirius had given him.

    It was hopping up and down in a small cage and hooting madly.

    ¡°Shut up, pig!¡± said Ron, edging his way between two of the five beds that had been squeezed into the room.

    ¡°Fred and George are in here with us, because Bill and Charlie are in their room!¡± he said to Evan and Harry. ¡°Percy gets to keep his room all to himself because he¡¯s got to work.¡±

    ¡°Percy¡¯s enjoying work, then?¡± Harry sat down on a bed.

    He raised his head and watched the Chudley Cannons zooming in and out of the posters on the ceiling.

    ¡°Enjoying it?!¡± said Ron darkly. ¡°I don¡¯t reckon he¡¯de home if Dad didn¡¯t make him. He¡¯s obsessed. Just don¡¯t get him onto the subject of his boss. ording to Mr. Crouch ¡­ as I was saying to Mr. Crouch ¡­ Mr. Crouch is of the opinion ¡­ Mr. Crouch was telling me ¡­ They¡¯ll be announcing their engagement any day now.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking about Percy, Evan, how was your vacation?¡± Ginny asked. ¡°Your sudden disappearance at the end ofst semester worried me. The school was full of rumors about your serious injuries.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Speaking of this, all three of us were being driven crazy!¡± Ron added. ¡°After you and Sirius left, we all knew that you were at risk, and we took turns asking for information about it!¡±

    Evan knew that Ron wanted to find out about his experience during the summer vacation and whether he got the half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    However, it was obviously unwise to talk about these things in front of Ginny.

    Whether it was the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor, the fallen Centaurs, Voldemort or the evil god, it was not suitable for others to know.

    Evan must keep it secret. He didn¡¯t even say anything to Harry, but told Hermione everything.

    ¡°You know, I went to France during the holidays. Dumbledore took us to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic to find his old friend Nics mel. He helped me solve all the problems.¡± Evan said briefly.

    Then, he began to tell Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny about his experiences in France.

    ¡°This is really good, I want to go to Beauxbatons to have a look!¡± said Ron enviously. ¡°This is an unforgettable adventure. The location of all magic schools is confidential. It is difficult for outsiders to have opportunity to enter.¡±

    ¡°As long as I¡¯m not with Muggles, I can go anywhere!¡± Harry sighed and continued. ¡°Before the World Cup, I want to see Sirius, and I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s doing now.¡±

    ¡°My dad said we would go to see him tomorrow.¡± Ron said, as if he had remembered something, ¡°By the way, Evan, the magic left by Gryffindor¡­¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯ve stopped arguing.¡± Hermione suddenly stood up.

    She saw Ginny looking curiously from Ron to Evan.

    Apparently, she thought about what Ron said, what Gryffindor left behind!

    To cover the awkward moment, Hermione hurriedly said, ¡°Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?¡±

    ¡°All right.¡± Ginny nodded.

    The five people left the room in turn, and Evan deliberately stayed at the back, and he gently pulled Hermione.

    ¡°Hermione, I want to talk to you¡­¡± Evan looked at Hermione¡¯s eyes, ¡°¡­about Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes!¡±

    Hermione stared at Evan for a moment, and as Evan did not flinch, she looked down embarrassingly.

    ¡°We really need to talk about the use of the newspaper¡¯s ie, and your assistance to Fred and George¡¯s research.¡± Hermione tried to say in an ordinary tone, ¡°Whatever you have to say, keep it for tonight, I want to see your performance before considering whether to forgive you!¡±

    Evan was stunned, not sure what Hermione meant.

    Hermione was now obviously angry. How should he behave to satisfy her?!

    When they all went back downstairs, they found that Mrs. Weasley was alone in the kitchen, looking extremely bad-tempered.

    She nced at Evan and was still annoyed by the Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes.

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re eating out in the garden!¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s just not room for twelve people in here. Girls, you can help me? You three, take these tes, knives and forks.¡±

 Chapter 444: Pyramid of Pharaoh Hermes

    <h4>Chapter 444: Pyramid of Pharaoh Hermes</h4>

    ¡°¡­ You three, take these tes, knives and forks.¡± Mrs. Weasley said to Ron, Harry and Evan, pointing her wand a little more vigorously than she had intended at a pile of potatoes in the sink, which shot out of their skins so fast that they ricocheted off the walls and ceilings.

    ¡°God, those two!¡± she said bitterly, picking up the potatoes from the ceiling one by one with a dustpan. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen to them, I really don¡¯t. No ambition, unless you count making as much trouble as they possibly can ¡­¡±

    Mrs. Weasley took arge copper saucepan out of the cupboard and mmed it on the kitchen table.

    ¡°It¡¯s not as though they haven¡¯t got brains,¡± she began to wave her wand around inside it. A creamy sauce poured from the wand tip as she stirred. She stirred harder and harder as she said angrily, ¡°But they¡¯re wasting them, and unless they pull themselves together soon, they¡¯ll be in real trouble. I¡¯ve had more owls from Hogwarts about them than the rest put together. If they carry on the way they¡¯re going, they¡¯ll end up in front of the Improper Use of Magic Office.¡±

    She jabbed her wand at the cutlery drawer, which shot open.

    Evan subconsciously stepped back because he noticed that Mrs. Weasley was looking at him with anger.

    ¡°And you, Evan!¡± Under the control of Mrs. Weasley, the knife began to cut the potatoes. ¡°I don¡¯t me you, you are a good boy, but I don¡¯t think you should help them with those studies, especially with such arge sum of money!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all the money they made from props they sold in the store. I didn¡¯t give much help.¡± Evan hurriedly said, ¡°Their products are very popr, and they have great potential in this area. I think¡­¡±

    Evan couldn¡¯t talk anymore, for he saw Hermione standing beside Mrs. Weasley and watching him.

    Only then did he realize that he had to behave better to be forgiven by Hermione.

    Obviously, what he said just now to excuse Fred and George had absolutely nothing to do with good performance.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see what potential they have, and now they¡¯ve fallen to y tricks on Muggles, like those evil ck wizards!¡± Mrs. Weasley put down her wand and pulled out more saucepans. ¡°I don¡¯t know where we went wrong with them¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, Evan!¡± Ron said in a hurry. ¡°Let¡¯s take these out.¡±

    He and Harry opened the drawer and took out the tes and cutlery from inside.

    Evan also thought he¡¯d better not stay here. He followed them out quickly.

    In the yard, Hermione¡¯s bandy-legged ginger cat, Crookshanks, came pelting out of the garden, bottle-brush tail held high in the air.

    He was chasing a gnome, which looked like a muddy potato on legs.

    When Hermione went to Evan¡¯s home, she did not take Crookshanks, but sent him directly to Ron¡¯s.

    Crookshanks saw Evan and meowed intimately.

    Besides Hermione, it had the best rtionship with Evan, often going around him.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, the gnome dived into one of the Wellington boots thaty scattered around the door.

    Crookshanks hurriedly left Evan and rushed to the boots, ready to catch the gnome.

    In the yard, Charlie and Bill were making two battered old tables fly high above thewn, smashing into each other.

    Each was attempting to knock the other¡¯s table out of the air, and Fred and George were cheering.

    Bill¡¯s table caught Charlie¡¯s with a huge bang and knocked one of its legs off.

    At this moment, there was a tter from overhead.

    They all looked up at the same time and saw Percy¡¯s head poking out of a window on the second floor.

    ¡°Will you keep it down?¡± he bellowed.

    ¡°Sorry, Percy!¡± Bill said with a smile. ¡°How are the cauldron bottomsing on?¡±

    ¡°Very badly,¡± said Percy peevishly, and he mmed the window shut.

    Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end.

    Then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg, and conjured tablecloths from nowhere.

    By seven o¡¯clock, dinner was served.

    The dinner was going very well, and they were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky.

    For Evan, who had just said goodbye to the ruins of the fallen Centaurs, this all felt like heaven.

    The same was true for Harry, who had been living on meals of increasingly stale cake all summer.

    On the dining table, chicken, ham pie, boiled potatoes and sd, pudding and other delicacies piled up in tes.

    No one was talking about those unpleasant topics; everyone was talking about the World Cup.

    Evan asked Bill about some things rted to his work, as well as news about the Emerald Tablet.

    ¡°It is a very important alchemy book, carved on an emerald tablet and set at the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets of Pharaoh¡¯s Pyramid of Hermes!¡± Bill said, ¡°Although it has been discovered for 2,000 years, the exploration and cracking of the pyramid has not beenpleted so far. There are countless curses there. We have not found the coffin of Pharaoh yet. This pyramid is the most dangerous one we found; God knows how many died in it.¡±

    Listening to Bill¡¯s description, Evan was very yearning for the ancient and mysterious Egyptian pyramids and the hidden treasures there.

    A Curse-Breaker is a dangerous job, but it is really interesting. Evan also was tempted to apply for it.

    After defeating Voldemort, it was a good choice to work in Gringotts or be an explorer.

    Beside him, Mr. Weasley was talking to Percy about Barty Crouch.

    They¡¯d been talking all night, but Percy still had more to say.

    Halfway through dinner, Mr. Weasley conjured up some candles to light the darkening garden.

    Moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle.

    Everyone ate very full and chatted satisfactorily.

    ¡°Look at the time,¡± Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. ¡°Children, you should go to bed, we have to get up early to see Sirius tomorrow. That poor man, I hope he¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore said in his letter that he was all right and out of danger!¡± Harry said hopefully, ¡°If he recovers well enough, he¡¯ll be able to go to the World Cup with us!¡±

    ¡°I hope so. After you see Sirius tomorrow, you¡¯ll go to see the game!¡± Mrs. Weasley said, ¡°Evan, Harry, Hermione, if you leave your school list out, I¡¯ll get your things for you the day after tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I¡¯m getting everyone else¡¯s anyway. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five daysst time.¡±

    ¡°I hope it does this time!¡± said Harry enthusiastically.

    ¡°Well, I certainly don¡¯t,¡± said Percy sanctimoniously. ¡°I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe someone might slip dragon dung in it again,¡± said Fred.

    ¡°That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!¡± said Percy, his face reddening. ¡°It was nothing personal!¡±

    ¡°It was!¡± When everyone got up and left the table, Fred quietly said to Evan, ¡°That was what we sent to him.¡±

    With a strong smile, Evan followed the others to the Burrow.

    He looked back and saw Hermione and Ginny still helping Mrs. Weasley with the dishes.

    Evan hadn¡¯t forgotten his business. He¡¯s made an appointment tonight to talk to Hermione.

    Although she seemed to have forgiven him, the current mood was so fitting for a quasi date to take ce, and Evan didn¡¯t mind being alone with Hermione for a while before going to bed.

 Chapter 445: Discussion with Hermione

    <h4>Chapter 445: Discussion with Hermione</h4>

    Everyone returned to their rooms, and Evan followed Harry, Ron, Fred, and George to Ron¡¯s room on the top floor.

    They sat on the bed and were still discussing Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes. Fred and George ¡°magically¡± came up with tons of new products beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.

    In thest search of Mrs. Weasley, these things had not been found, so they were spared from being burned.

    There were a lot of things, including the morphing sweets that Evan had seen before, the Skiving Snackbox, Ton-Tongue Toffees, trick wands and so on.

    There were also Decoy Detonators, Smart-Answer Quills and new products that they had not seen before.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Harry asked, holding up something that looked like an ordinary Muggle telescope.

    ¡°Be careful, Harry!¡± Fred said with a smile, ¡°Unless you want to turn yourself into a panda bear!¡±

    ¡°This is a boxing telescope. When held up to the eye a small fist would extend and punch you in the face. After hitting you, it will leave a special magic mark on the eyes!¡± George exined. ¡°We have not found any way to heal the purple bruise yet.¡±

    Hearing what he said, Harry poked out his tongue and hurriedly and cautiously put the telescope at the farthest distance.

    ¡°What about this one?¡± said Ron, staring at a bottle of pink Potions.

    ¡°That¡¯s from our WonderWitch line!¡± Fred¡¯s face showed a special smirk.

    ¡°WonderWitch?!¡± Ron repeated it and reached for the potion.

    ¡°No, my dear little brother, you¡¯d better not touch this thing. You know, we didn¡¯te up with an antidote for that either. ¡°George took the potion before Ron could act, ¡°and it¡¯s too expensive to be wasted here.¡±

    ¡°What is the use of this stuff?¡± Ron was a little dissatisfied. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say it, don¡¯t take it away.¡±

    ¡°This is our special sensational agent, the most advanced sensational agent, specially prepared for girls in love.¡± Fred said, ¡°The effect canst up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question¡­¡±

    ¡°And the attractiveness of the girl,¡± George said smugly.

    ¡°Do they work?¡± Ron said suspiciously.

    ¡°It goes without saying that although we have not tested it on girls.¡± Fred said, ¡°But judging from the effect of the two of us currently using it, it can really make us more attractive and attract girls to approach.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s because Angelina already likes you so much!¡± said George.

    ¡°Yes, it is possible!¡± Fred nodded, ¡°but I did feel a little different that day. All right, boys, do you have any girls you like?¡±

    Harry and Ron hesitated and nodded, they seemed interested in it.

    Evan did not intend to continue listening. He knew all the love potions forms so far.

    If he wanted, he could boil them at any time.

    He could even guarantee that the effect would be definitely much stronger than the ¡°WonderWitch¡± potions of Fred and George.

    Evan estimated the time, Hermione should have helped Mrs. Weasley to finish things, and he was ready to go down and find her.

    He made up an excuse and left the room.

    The moonlight passed through the narrow windows and sprinkled on the dark, shaky stairs of the Burrow.

    Evan went to Ginny¡¯s door and knocked softly.

    Soon, Hermione opened the door in cute pink pajamas she had put on. Only the skin of her wrists and ankles was left exposed.

    Under the candlelight, Hermione seemed to be different in peacetime.

    She looked very beautiful and had a special charm and temperament.

    Evan held his breath for a moment, and his heart beat speed increased slightly. He couldn¡¯t help wondering if Hermione used a love potion.

    ¡°Ginny is not here, she has gone to wash up!¡± Hermione motioned Evan into the room and said in a serious tone, ¡°I just want to see you. I want to talk to you about your support for Fred and George to do research on Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes!¡±

    Evan was entering Ginny¡¯s room for the first time.

    The room was very clean and tidy. The only decoration was a few photos ced at the head of the bed.

    Evan recognized them at a nce. They were all taken by Colin, and Harry was in each photo.

    ¡°Hermione, you¡¯re not still angry about this, are you??¡± He asked.

    ¡°you know I¡¯m not angry! ¡°Hermione said, ¡°But I think Mrs. Weasley is right that Fred and George really can¡¯t go on like this, just like they did to Harry¡¯s Muggle cousin Dudley today, even though he deserved it. But¡­ we can¡¯t punish him at will just because we¡¯re wizards and have the ability. That¡¯s too risky!¡±

    Evan had to admit that Hermione was right; no matter how strong or weak it was, magic could be dangerous whenever control is lost, just like today when Fred and George turned Dudley into a pig. This was much like what a Death Eater would have done¡­

    They had been promoting the bloodline theory in the wizarding world, believing that pure blood wizards were supreme. Muggles and Mudblood wizards were all lower creatures, who could be enved and entertained at will.

    ¡°I¡¯ll persuade Fred and George!¡± said Evan.

    The topic seemed to be a bit heavy, and things were progressing slightly beyond his previous assumptions.

    The two had a brief rare moment of being alone together; shouldn¡¯t they discuss some more rxing topics that would better match their feelings?!

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of persuasion. It¡¯s just a matter of passing by. You should cut off the aid to both of them. Evan, you can¡¯t use the newspaper money to support Fred and George in their pranks.¡± Hermione said sharply, ¡°If they go on like this, sooner orter they will be caught by the ¡®Improper Use of Magic Office¡¯, or even locked up in Azkaban.¡±

    Hermione¡¯s remarks, though overdramatic, were something Mrs. Weasley had been worrying about.

    It seemed that she must have listened to Mrs. Weasley¡¯s many suggestions before reaching this conclusion.

    ¡°Evan, I am worried, worrying about Fred and George, and worrying about you!¡± Hermione raised her voice. ¡°If they get into big trouble, you could get involved¡­¡±

    ¡°Fred and George have always been much disciplined, knowing where line resides!¡± Evan said quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, as their partner, I will strictly control every product they put out for sale. And, you know, I learned a lot about alchemy from mel this summer vacation, and I decided to introduce it into the prop researchter.¡±

    ¡°Alchemy?!¡± Hermione looked at Evan curiously and seemed interested.

    Alchemy was a very advanced science of magic, with only a few magic books circting in the world discussing it.

    Many wizards, even if they want to learn, cannot find a way to do so.; it was a very mysterious field of magic.

    ¡°Yes, I am going to use alchemy to transform those things.¡± Evan said, ¡°In the future, not only prank products, we will also introduce various magic props that help in life, as well as defensive items against ck magic.¡±

 Chapter 446: Cat on the Bed

    <h4>Chapter 446: Cat on the Bed</h4>

    Evan¡¯s ideas exceeded a store selling joke products, to a magic props supplier that could cover all areas of the wizarding world.

    It would be like the hugepanies in the Muggle world that control the pulse of the economy and lead the development and progress of society as a whole.

    Evan intended to develop his shop in Diagon Alley into that size and be a giant in the wizarding world.

    They would usher in a new era and lead the future development trend of the wizarding world.

    With his strong magic knowledge reserve and magic power, and the creative andmercial brains of Fred and George, with thisbination, Evan was confident that they would definitely seed.

    Hearing Evan talking about his n there, Hermione nodded hesitantly.

    She was skeptical about it, but if things could really go that way, she had no reason to object.

    It would be a very remarkable thing to be able to manage a store sessfully and develop it into the scale Evan talked about.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really like you said, not just prank products, I can support you!¡± Hermione hesitated, ¡°but there¡¯s Mrs. Weasley¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she is opposed to it now, but whenever we can make some achievements, she will ept it.¡± Evan continued. ¡°I know what she is thinking, but neither Fred nor George is fit to work in the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    With their character, if they were forced to go to the Ministry of Magic, sooner orter they would also cause trouble.

    It was better to let them give full y to their advantages and develop in business.

    Hermione then asked for some details rted to alchemy, and she was very curious about it.

    Evan took out the Book of Abraham, the most authoritative alchemy-rted magic book in the world.

    Nics mel relied on its first part to be the most powerful alchemist, even though it hid most of its secrets beyond that.

    The second part was not yet decifered for the time being, but the third part was definitely rted to evil spirits.

    Things were getting more and moreplicated, and finding the treasure left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts was no longer as simple as expected.

    In the face of abination of Voldemort and an evil god, only a few would be able to do anything

    Needless to say, there were also other forces such as Herpo the Foul and the mysterious vampires.

    Evan took the book out. He was going to study with Hermione and analyze the information he had so far to perhaps figure out some clues.

    Hermione was the only person he could totally trust at the moment, and Evan had no reservations about her.

    As expected, Hermione became very excited and even a little flustered when she saw the book.

    ¡°I got full marks in ancient magic writingst term, but I don¡¯t understand most of the words here!¡± Hermione said, quickly flipping through the pages, ¡°It¡¯s amazing to know that this was left behind by Abraham who was very famous in history as a great prophet and messenger of God in the world. Whether it is the history of magic or the history of Muggles, the book is definitely very, very precious.¡±

    ¡°The first part of this book is rted to alchemy. The first page has a painting of the the Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Evan showed Hermione. ¡°The scepter on the second page, which is being devoured by the green snakes, should be one of the items left by Szar Slytherin. As for the third part, I told you earlier that in the strange space created by the evil spirit, the book suddenly flew out to defeat it, and then the portrait of the evil spirit appeared on the front page of the third part.¡±

    ¡°Evan, I don¡¯t know,¡± Hermione whispered; whatever thing or enemy was involved, it waspletely beyond her scope of knowledge.

    Hermione asked Evan to put away the Book of Abraham, and she hesitated for a moment.

    The next second, without any warning, Hermione suddenly rushed to hug Evan, her weak body trembling.

    ¡°Evan, I¡¯m scared, I suddenly feel very scared!¡± She said softly, ¡°I am afraid of losing you.¡±

    Herpo the Foul, the evil Voldemort, the indescribable evil gods, and the unknown secrets hidden in the depths of history; these things were superimposed on everything, enough to drive most people mad.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Hermione!¡± Evan said soothingly. When Hermione rushed over, his body stiffened for a moment, then rxed and he patted Hermione gently on the shoulder.

    In this regard, Evan also had preliminary ns.

    First of all, ording to mel, learning ancient magic and alchemy to make himself stronger.

    Also, Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes must be destroyed one by one as nned.

    While he¡¯s at that, there were still secret treasure keys left by the Four Founders, which also needed to be located quickly.

    Not to mention the treasure itself, the Philosopher¡¯s Stones alone that served as keys could provide magic beyond imagination.

    Evan had a deep understanding of this, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was an essential item to summon and defeat the evil gods.

    ¡°Well, Hermione, don¡¯t worry, as long as we work together, we will ovee all difficulties.¡± Evan said, and also hugged Hermione tightly.

    In fact, he rarely saw the girl in his arms showing such vulnerability.

    Hermione¡¯s current appearance had an unspeakable appeal to Evan, and he felt that the girl in his arms was more beautiful than any other he had ever seen.

    Feeling her heartbeat, Evan¡¯s heart was beating faster and faster.

    There was a nk space in Evan¡¯s head. Now he just wanted time to stop; he just wanted to hold Hermione like that forever.

    The thoughts of the two people were in chaos, and at this moment, footsteps came from the stairwell.

    Ginny was back, she was about toe in.

    Hermione hurriedly rushed out from Evan¡¯s arms, like a frightened bunny, with only a shy red face.

    ¡°Evan!¡± Hermione whispered, standing up.

    It was toote. If Ginny saw this scene, it would really be¡­

    Without too much thinking, Evan¡¯s body changed rapidly, shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    In the blink of an eye, he turned into a ck cat and squatted on Hermione¡¯s bed.

    ¡°Meow!¡± Evan yelled at Hermione and ran as fast as he could into the bedding to hide.

    Hermione covered her mouth and looked with surprise at Evan hiding in her quilt.

    She seemed to want to stop, to get Evan out, but in the end she did nothing.

    Evan had just entered, and Ginny opened the door and entered the room.

    ¡°Hermione, what are you doing?!¡± Ginny looked strangely at Hermione standing by the bed.

    ¡°Noth¡­ nothing!¡± said Hermione, staring nervously at her bedding. ¡°I am waiting for you toe back.¡±

    Ginny knew that Evan¡¯s Animagus form was a ck cat. If she saw it, it would be awful.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Ginny said suspiciously, and walked to her bed. ¡°Then go to bed, we¡¯ve got to get up early tomorrow.¡±

    Under her gaze, Hermione nodded mechanically and slowly climbed onto her bed.

 Chapter 447: I Want to Hug, too

    <h4>Chapter 447: I Want to Hug, too</h4>

    Ginny walked over and blew out the candle, and the small room suddenly fell into darkness.

    In this darkness, no one could see Hermione¡¯s face reddened to the extreme. She could feel Evan right beside her, as warm as a real kitten.

    However, Evan was not a cat!

    She was actually sleeping in the same bed with Evan. At this thought, Hermione almost stopped breathing; she never even dreamed that this would actually happen!

    She held her breath and moved to the side, but the bed was too small and she had no room to avoid him.

    She only knew that her thoughts were getting more and more chaotic, and the words started ringing in her head: ¡®Oh, my God, I¡¯m in bed with Evan, tightly huddled together, and I¡¯m still in my thin pajamas!¡¯

    Under the quilt, Evany there quietly.

    When he saw that Ginny did not find him hiding here, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    But in the blink of an eye, Hermioney down in bed beside him. What a situation!

    Evan¡¯s heart, which had just been relieved, was lifted up again and raised to his throat.

    He gulped, for the bed was too small, with barely space for him alongside Hermione.

    Although it was not the first time they¡¯d had such intimate contact, this time the situation seemed to be more awkward.

    Evan smelled the fragrant scent of the girl he liked, and he could feel her body trembling slightly.

    They were so close to each other that Hermione was now also holding herself tightly like a kitten.

    Just moving a little, he could touch Hermione¡¯s soft body; there were no words to describe his feelings now.

    Time was passing, he didn¡¯t know if it was a minute or ten minutes; that was no longer meaningful at all.

    For a while, Evan tried to calm himself down.

    Although he had an impulse to stay here, reason told him that he had to go!

    Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were still upstairs waiting for him. If he went back toote, Evan didn¡¯t know how to exin his absence.

    It would be difficult to say that he became a cat sneaking into Ginny¡¯s room and lying in the same bed as Hermione, wasn¡¯t it?!

    He tried to move, and Hermione¡¯s body immediately trembled.

    She was also very nervous. She clutched the quilt tightly with both hands, not knowing what Evan wanted to do.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think that if he wanted to do something to her, she had nothing to do!

    Countless ideas came up to her mind, but Hermione could nevere up with an answer.

    Unaware of Hermione¡¯s current crisis, Evan was ready to act.

    Because the bed was too close to the wall, it meant that if he wanted to go out, he had to go over Hermione, and with so little room for him to move, the girl¡¯s delicate body seemed to have be an insurmountable mountain.

    He stood up in bed, Hermione dodged out for a moment and there was no response.

    In the darkness, both of them were extremely nervous.

    If not blocked by the quilt, Evan would have gone directly over Hermione.

    But if so, he was very likely to be discovered by Ginny not far away.

    Under the bright silver moonlight, everything in the room could be dimly seen.

    Evan observed for a while, and Ginny seemed to be asleep.

    He gritted his teeth and climbed directly onto Hermione, ready to cross and slip out of bed and return to his room.

    Just then, Ginny on the opposite side suddenly turned around and faced Hermione, who was still awake.

    Evan stopped immediately andy down on Hermione¡¯s stomach.

    There was warmth beneath him, and across the pajamas, there was the girl he liked.

    Evan gently pressed it and felt very soft.

    Feeling Evan¡¯s weight, Hermione grabbed the quilt and tried to make herself feel ufortable.

    ¡°Hermione, I can¡¯t sleep!¡± Ginny whispered.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?!¡± Hermione asked nervously.

    Her head was messy, and she just hoped that Evan, who was lying on her stomach, could be kind enough to not do anything.

    She put her hand under the quilt, ready to take Evan aside.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking¡­¡± Ginny didn¡¯t go on, she seemed hesitant.

    Hearing her, the movements of the two people on the opposite side all stopped. Had they been discovered?!

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about Harry!¡± After a few seconds of silence, Ginny said shyly, ¡°We are going to see the Quidditch World Cup. We will definitely live in a tent. I don¡¯t know how long it willst. I¡¯ve never been there before¡±

    Evan and Hermione already knew that Ginny had been secretly in love with Harry from the beginning.

    Whenever he appeared, she would get very nervous.

    At the beginning, even every time she saw Harry, Ginny would overturn something.

    It was better now but she was still Harry¡¯s greatest ¡°fan¡±.

    Unfortunately, Harry didn¡¯t seem to be interested in that. He just treated Ginny as his little sister.

    Hermione knew what Ginny was thinking. They had talked about this topic many times before.

    If these were ordinary times, Hermione might¡¯ve helped Ginny and given her some good advice.

    But now, her mind was in chaos, and all she had in mind was Evan lying on her stomach.

    Hermione felt that a strange feeling was rising in her body, which became almost catatonic and unable to move.

    On the other hand, Ginny was still talking about the World Cup and Harry.

    Hermione, however, felt that Evan was getting heavier and heavier. The atmosphere was getting stranger, and her breathing was getting faster.

    No, she couldn¡¯t go on like this!

    ¡°Ginny, you need courage!¡± Hermione said, ¡°You have to try to get in touch with Harry more; you can¡¯t just blush and hide every time he shows up.¡±

    ¡°Need courage?!¡± Ginny repeated.

    ¡°Yes, believe me, you¡¯re beautiful, just let go a little, Harry has no reason not to notice you.¡±

    Courage, Hermione said this to Ginny, but she seemed to be speaking to herself, too.

    The next second, she gritted her teeth and hugged Evan, who was in the ck cat state, and sat up from the bed.

    ¡°Hermione, what are you doing?¡± Ginny asked curiously. ¡°Hey, what is in your arms?¡±

    In the dark, she couldn¡¯t see clearly. She could only see something in Hermione¡¯s arms.

    ¡°It¡¯s Crookshanks. I don¡¯t know when he came to my bed!¡± Hermione said quickly, feeling that her face burning. ¡°I¡¯ll send it out, or it will make much noise at night.¡±

    Hermione walked down to the ground and opened the door with the fastest speed.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Crookshanks!¡± Ginny whispered, ¡°Let me hug him.¡±

    Upon hearing Ginny¡¯s request, both Evan and Hermione immediately froze.

    Ginny wanted to hold Crookshanks for a while, but Hermione knew it was Evan!

    If she gave the boy she liked to Ginny in this way, that would really¡­

 Chapter 448: Ginnyâ€™s expectations

    <h4>Chapter 448: Ginny¡¯s expectations</h4>

    Hearing this request, Hermione had no idea what to do.

    With Evan in her arms, so close to her; her head had already stopped working.

    Hermione didn¡¯t know how to answer Ginny. Give her Evan, to hug him?!

    If Ginny knew that she was not holding Crookshanks, but Evan, she would be shy to death! Especially considering the current situation, because they were about to sleep, and they weren¡¯t wearing much.

    Her summer pajamas were very thin and somewhat see-through.

    That¡¯s how she woulde into contact with Evan, with a boy.

    In the brief silence, the strange atmosphere became more and more intense.

    ¡°Hermione?!¡± Ginny said strangely, feeling that Hermione was not quite right tonight. It was like this ever since she was back, as if something had happened.

    In fact, a lot had happened.

    But Ginny would have never thought, not even in her dreams that Evan would actually turn into a ck cat in her room.

    Moreover, he had just been lying in bed with Hermione, and now she was holding him tightly in her arms.

    Feeling the stiffness of her body, Evan was ready to leave. He couldn¡¯t stay here.

    The atmosphere was too weird, and there was an inexplicable feeling in his body.

    He was feeling a strange physical reaction. If only he and Hermione were here alone¡­.

    He blinked and couldn¡¯t take it anymore. If Ginny found out, it would be terrible!

    When Evan was ready to act, he heard Ginny say, ¡°I see, is it something Evan said to you before going to bed?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Hearing Ginny¡¯s words, Hermione was somewhat surprised and knew that she was misunderstood by Ginny.

    But that was just in time, and she decided to go on with this mistake.

    Either way, it was much easier than exining to Ginny that the cat in her arms was not Crookshanks.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hermione said vaguely, nodding.

    ¡°Haha, did Evan confess to you?!¡± Ginny¡¯s mouth showed a smirk. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    Evan, who was supposed to leave, suddenly stopped and he was ready to listen. This topic was good.

    He pricked up his ears and waited for Ginny¡¯s next words.

    Ginny had always been the bolder one of the two, at least whenever Harry wasn¡¯t around.

    Maybe she would make Hermione say something he was interested in.

    ¡°Nothing! We just talked about the Quidditch World Cup.¡± Hermione said quickly.

    ¡°Really?!¡± Ginny protracted her voice, expressing doubts.

    With her knowledge of Hermione, if Evan didn¡¯t say ¡°more¡±, she wouldn¡¯t have been like this.

    Abnormal, too abnormal, Hermione was now eager to cover up.

    ¡°By the way, Hermione, have you both done that kind of thing?¡± Ginny continued, and her smile became more and more obvious.

    ¡°What thing?!¡± Hermione had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Kissing; I heard Angelina say that she did it with Fredst term.¡± Ginny said, ¡°Percy and Penelope have also done it. Remember the year of the Basilisk and Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets? That year, they were secretly dating all over the castle, and I saw them once, in an empty ssroom, they¡­¡±

    Hearing Ginny¡¯s words, Hermione pressed hard and subconsciously held Evan tighter.

    She thought about thest Christmas in Diagon Alley, kissing Evan herself. It seemed as if it was happening right now with that feeling of suffocating sweetness.

    But because she was afraid, she ran over early, and now she was thinking about it.

    Because of Hermione¡¯s sudden hug, Evan rushed to struggle and stretched his head out of Hermione¡¯s arms.

    He was now in the form of a ck cat with his head up and his little paws pushing forward.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Hermione let out a low cry because of Evan¡¯s actions.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ginny hurriedly asked, blinking her eyes.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Crookshanks is moving in my arms!¡± Hermione said.

    She looked down at Evan and told him to calm down.

    In fact, Evan had never seen Hermione from this perspective.

    From the bottom up, looking at Hermione¡¯s chin and side face, Evan felt she was extraordinarily charming and particrly attractive.

    As for Hermione¡¯s menacing re, Evan ignored it directly.

    ¡°You must have done it with Evan!¡± Ginny turned over and seemed to forget to hug Crookshanks. She looked at the ceiling and held out her small hands. ¡°I also want to try, what kind of feeling is that?!¡±

    ¡°No, nothing happened between us!¡± Hermione hurriedly said.

    She felt that she could no longer keep up with Ginny¡¯s thoughts. She pushed Evan out while Ginny was not looking at her.

    The door was open, and Evan had only to take the opportunity to run out and no longer worry about being discovered by Ginny.

    But Evan didn¡¯t want to leave at this time, for the conversation between the girls was unexpectedly interesting.

    He wanted to see Hermione¡¯s next reaction; this was a rare opportunity!

    Evan pretended not to understand Hermione immediately, and he hung tightly on her pajamas.

    Like a real cat, Hermione couldn¡¯t pull him down, no matter how hard she tried.

    ¡°What are you doing? Get out!¡± Hermione leaned over and whispered gritting her teeth.

    Because her voice was too low, Evan did not hear what she said.

    He only felt Hermione¡¯s breath in his ear, which was warm and delicate.

    In this breath, the air also became strange.

    As it passed down his ear, Evan felt that he had lost his strength all of a sudden and softly lied on her.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you two haven¡¯t kissed. I thought you two have been together for a while now!¡± Ginny said, ¡°I heard the older girls say that you should go out on a date after third grade. I don¡¯t know if Harry will go out or not.¡±

    Her expectations were doomed to fail and Hogwarts would host the Triwizard Tournament this year.

    At Christmas, there would be a grand dance in the castle, and everyone needed a partner.

    Harry, probably, wanted to invite Ravenw¡¯s Cho Chang.

    Compared with Ginny, who was still a little girl, the fifth year Cho was indeed more attractive, not to mention that she was very beautiful.

    ¡°Hermione, you have to hurry up!¡± Ginny continued. ¡°You know, there are many girls in the school who are in love with Evan, such as Cho Chang of Ravenw House, she will¡­¡±

    ¡°If Evan likes Cho, I can¡¯t stop him from making that choice.¡± Hermione said tly.

    However, the hidden meaning in the words made Evan¡¯s whole body hair stand up immediately.

    The warmth of her breath disappeared in the blink of an eye, and under Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan suddenly felt a bit cold.

    He was not going to stay here, and since the topic had been transferred to himself, it was obviously kindling the mes by continuing to stay.

    The next second, Evan imitated Crookshanks¡¯s voice and meowed.

    He jumped out of Hermione¡¯s arms and rushed into the dark corridor.

    Behind him, Hermione looked at the dissapearing Evan, her face red to the extreme, not knowing what to think.

 Chapter 449: the Early Morning in the Burrow

    <h4>Chapter 449: the Early Morning in the Burrow</h4>

    This night was doomed to be sleepless, Evan did not know if Hermione had insomnia as well, but he for sure kept rolling in bed for a long time and could not sleep.

    All he had in mind was Hermione and the feeling he had just been lying with her and being held in her arms.

    Along with that, her image in those lovely pink pajamas along with the cute touch of crimson on her pretty face did not leave his mind.

    Evan had only one thought, that is, Hermione at that time seemed to be particrly attractive.

    He had all sorts of impulses; if only time had stalled in that second, as he had hoped¡­

    All in all, Evan felt as though he had barelyin down to sleep when he was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Time to go, Evan, dear.¡± She whispered, moving away to wake Harry and Ron.

    Evan sat up and rubbed his eyes.

    It was still dark outside, and Ron muttered indistinctly as his mother roused him.

    At his foot, Harry was also confused, feeling around for his sses.

    Near the door, tworge, disheveled shapes emerged from tangles of nkets.

    ¡°What, it¡¯s time already?¡± Fred asked groggily.

    ¡°Get up!¡± replied George.

    They dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk. Then, yawning and stretching, the five of them headed downstairs into the kitchen.

    Mrs. Weasley was making breakfast and constantly stirring the contents of arge pot on the stove. Mr. Weasley sat at the table and checked a sheaf ofrge parchment tickets.

    As the boys walked into the kitchen, he looked up and spread his arms so that they could see his clothes more clearly.

    He was wearing what appeared to be a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans, slightly too big for him and held up with a thick leather belt.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± he eagerly asked. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to go incognito to the Quidditch World Cup. Do I look enough like a Muggle?¡±

    ¡°Not bad!¡± Evan said in a huff.

    ¡°Very much!¡± Harry said with a smile. ¡°Your Muggle dress is very good.¡±

    Mr. Weasley seemed very satisfied when he heard both of them.

    ¡°Where are Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?¡± said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re Apparating, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Mrs. Weasley, heaving therge pot over to the table and starting todle porridge into bowls. ¡°So they can have a bit of a lie-in. Besides, the three of them don¡¯t have to go to see Sirius.¡±

    That¡¯s right, everyone remembered.

    In addition to going to watch the Quidditch World Cup today, they had to visit Sirius at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    ¡°He sent a letter this morning and is already waiting for us!¡± Mr. Weasley said with a smile. ¡°He is recovering well.¡±

    ¡°Professor ck wrote this letter so early?!¡± Fred looked at the darkness of the sky, and gave a dull p of the tongue.

    Because he was a professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, he used to call Sirius ¡®Professor ck¡¯. Just then, Fred remembered that Sirius was no longer a professor!

    ¡°Well, to be so energetic, it seems that he has really recovered. So, Percy and the others are still in bed?!¡± Fred continued. ¡°Why can¡¯t we Apparate too?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not of age and you haven¡¯t passed your test.¡± Mrs. Weasley answered him.

    ¡°And where have those girls gone to?¡± She bustled out of the kitchen and they heard her climbing the stairs and calling for Hermione and Ginny.

    Evan silently ate breakfast and listened to Harry and Mr. Weasley talking about Apparition.

    Mr. Weasley gave them an example of a physical separation caused by the failure of Apparition process.

    The unlucky guy left half of his body in ce and the other half went to his destination.

    Fortunately, the idental Magic Reversal Squad arrived in time to save his life.

    He got a heavy fine but at least, he didn¡¯t lose his life.

    Then theyughed as they talked about Percy¡¯s first Apparition failure, deviating from the destination, and falling on a Muggle¡¯s head.

    Mrs. Weasley walked downstairs, and behind her, there were footsteps down the passageway.

    Hermione and Ginny came into the kitchen, both looking pale and drowsy.

    Seeing Evan, who was drinking porridge, Hermione¡¯s face suddenly became rosy.

    She was like Ginny when seeing Harry, very shy. But for Hermione, this was the first time she was so flustered.

    Obviously, she remembered what happened with Evanst night.

    Hermione tried to keep herself calm. Sitting next to Evan and seeing the smirk on his face, she couldn¡¯t help kicking him hard.

    Evan coughed and buried his face in the bowl.

    ¡°Why do we have to be up so early?¡± Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table.

    ¡°Because you have to go to see ck, then go to the World Cup.¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°There is still a long way to go, it¡¯s not early!¡±

    ¡°Where are we going to watch the World Cup?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°At the edge of a forest. It¡¯s very difficult for arge number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best times on a huge asion like the Quidditch World Cup.¡±

    ¡°George!¡± said Mrs. Weasley sharply, and they all jumped.

    ¡°What?¡± said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.

    ¡°What is that in your pocket?¡± asked Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Nothing!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you lie to me!¡± Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at George¡¯s pocket and said, ¡°io!¡±

    Several small, brightly colored objects zoomed out of George¡¯s pocket. They were all Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes that he and Fred showed Evan, Harry and Ronst night.

    Fred and George made a grab for them, but missed. They turned in midair and sped right into Mrs. Weasley¡¯s outstretched hand.

    ¡°God, I told you yesterday to destroy them!¡± said Mrs. Weasley furiously, raising the things in her hand, ¡°I want you to burn these things. Empty your pockets; go on, both of you!¡±

    Fred and George had apparently been trying to smuggle these things out of the house, but they were all found out.

    On the table, various Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes were piled up higher and higher.

    Everyone looked at these things dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Evan sighed. He knew that Fred and George were going to have a bad day!

 Chapter 450: Departure, and the Portkey

    <h4>Chapter 450: Departure, and the Portkey</h4>

    If he had thought about this, Evan could have helped them bring these things out without being discovered by Mrs. Weasley.

    He had a cloth bag from Nics mel, and under the influence of alchemy and the Undetectable Extension Charm, the unsuspicious cloth sack could hold a lot of things.

    The Undetectable Extension Charm can ensure that the contents are not found.

    But apparently, Evan spent too much time in Ginny¡¯s roomst night.

    By the time he went back, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George had fallen asleep and didn¡¯t tell him about it.

    Now that Mrs. Weasley had found out, it was toote to say anything!

    Evan¡¯s remarks to Hermionest night could not be said to Mrs. Weasley.

    Regardless of whether she would believe it or not, alchemy, the Book of Abraham, and the evil gods all needed to be kept secret.

    ¡°io! io! io!¡± Mrs. Weasley shouted.

    A lot of deformed candy, Ton-Tongue Toffees and other gadgets, zoomed from all sorts of unlikely, including the lining of George¡¯s jacket and the turn-ups of Fred¡¯ jeans.

    ¡°Mom, we spent half a year developing those!¡± Fred yelled out of grievance.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± George looked at Mrs. Weasley with a distressed look as she threw these things into the burning fire.

    ¡°Oh a fine way to spend half a year!¡± Mrs. Weasley shrieked. ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t get more O.W.L.s! You¡¯ve been studying these things all day long!¡±

    Under her angry gaze, Fred and George lowered their heads, and no one in the kitchen dared to speak.

    All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they took their departure.

    Mrs. Weasley was still glowering as she kissed Mr. Weasley on the cheek.

    As for Fred and George, who had a worse attitude, they hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked into the firece without saying a word.

    They were going through the Floo Network to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    After another round of whirl, Evan drilled out from the spacious waiting room firece in St. Mungo¡¯s.

    This was his second time here. Thest time he had followed Sirius to visit Ron.

    Compared with before, it might be due to the fact that it was too early, the waiting room was quiet, and under the dim light, they could see no wizards waiting for the healers.

    The very spacious hall was extraordinarily empty.

    The air was filled with the cold smell of mixed disinfectant, feeling a little oozing.

    It was as if there might be something horrible that could jump out of the corner at any time.

    ¡°Come on, I know where he is!¡± Mr. Weasley whispered.

    They crossed the double door between the waiting room and the ward and walked through a narrow corridor.

    On both sides were portraits of famous healers. Crystal bubbles filled with candles floated on the ceiling, looking like huge soap bubbles.

    Just arrived in front of the ward, and before they entered, they saw Siriusing out with a smile.

    He looked very happy and, like everyone else, was dressed up as a Muggle.

    ¡°Finally you¡¯re here, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Sirius said, embracing everyone in turn.

    ¡°Sirius, your injury?!¡± Harry looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just a little skin wound. It¡¯s already healed!¡± Sirius patted Harry on the shoulder with a smile on his face. ¡°Harry, are you okay? Did those Muggles bully you?¡±

    ¡°I, I am fine!¡± Harry hesitated, not sure whether it was necessary to speak out his grievances.

    But he could not stop himself, and he had already started to talk.

    From his concern for Sirius and Evan, to this terrible experience of the summer vacation, the grievance of being left alone with the Dursleys, and the strange dream and the scar pain, all was said at once.

    Harry had never felt this way before. He confided all this to an elder whom he fully believed in.

    Sirius was just like a father to him.

    The others did not disturb the dialogue between Harry and Sirius, and left room for them.

    They knew that Harry, who had never experienced parental love, needed this feeling.

    As for Sirius, this was what he had been waiting for a long time.

    Sirius listened carefully to Harry¡¯s confession and whispered his opinion to him.

    After quite a few minutes, he had finished talking to Harry and turned to Evan¡¯s side.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan!¡± said Sirius, ¡°Dumbledore told me that you saved my life after I fainted.¡±

    Evan was a little embarrassed. In fact, he had to thank Sirius too. If Sirius hadn¡¯t magically pushed him out of that huge pit, he might have fallen dead!

    They talked for a while, and then Sirius took out something that looked like a Quaffle.

    ¡°Come on, kids, we can¡¯t miss the World Cup!¡± Sirius said, ¡°It¡¯s time to get there. If there is anything to say, let it beter. Let¡¯s go now!¡±

    ¡°How do we get there? With Apparition?¡± Harry asked curiously.

    ¡°No!¡± Mr. Weasley took the Quaffle from Sirius. ¡°We¡¯ll go there with the Portkey. Fortunately, the Department prepared a Portkey at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. We don¡¯t have to go out and look for it.¡±

    ¡°The Portkey?!¡± Harry stared at the Quaffle in his hand.

    ¡°Remember, I said before, about 100,000 wizards areing to watch the World Cup!¡± Mr. Weasley exined, ¡°With so many people who want to gather in one ce, very strict organization is needed. The first thing is to stagger the arrivals.¡±

    Among the 100,000 wizards, there were a few who are able to use Apparition.

    In a handy wood around the final venue, the Ministry of Magic set up safe points for Apparition.

    However, for those who were unwilling or unable to Apparate, other methods could be used.

    ¡°People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. Some people use Muggle transport, but the number is limited. We can¡¯t have too many clogging up their buses and trains,¡± Mr. Weasley said. ¡°So, we use Portkeys. They¡¯re objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. You can dorge groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys ced at strategic points around Britain.¡±

    ¡°So, this Quaffle is a Portkey?!¡± Harry continued.

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Sirius. ¡°I have inquired, and there aren¡¯t any more of us near St. Mungo¡¯s. Hurry up, there¡¯s less than a minute to go, and the time¡¯s almost up!¡±

    Evan had used Portkeys many times before, and only Harry, Ron, and Hermione still didn¡¯t know about it.

    He whispered to Hermione the principle of the Portkey and how to use it.

 Chapter 451: The Gate to a New World

    <h4>Chapter 451: The Gate to a New World</h4>

    Everyone gathered around the Portkey and reached out a finger to touch the Quaffle.

    It was time to go, they were waiting quietly.

    Mr. Weasley took out his pocket watch, staring at the time with one eye and whispering, ¡°Three¡­ two¡­ one!¡±

    As soon as his voice fell, they began to spin up quickly.

    Under the traction of the Portkey, they were spinning, their feet leaving the ground and they flew into the air.

    This time, with no curse holding him down, Evan was much more sensitive to the magical fluctuation around him.

    The scene around them began to blur and fade away.

    The next second, Evan found himself not reaching his destination directly, but entering a strange space.

    Everything he perceived seemed to beposed entirely of magic, and colorful lights twisted all around him.

    Evan had an inexplicable strange feeling. This ce, this space had a strange familiarity.

    Harry, Hermione, Sirius and all the others disappeared. Only Evan was here by himself.

    Looking around, he soon remembered that it was very simr to his previous experience in the ruins of the fallen Centaurs, in which his soul was pulled into an eerie fantastic space.

    Although the surrounding scenery was different, the two ces seemed to be the same in nature.

    No mistake, Evan still remembered the sky he had seen at the time, exactly like this.

    There, all colors and objects were twisted, and distance, time, and space seemed to have lost meaning.

    In Muggles¡¯ physics theory, there is the concept of ¡°High-dimensional Space¡±.

    Unlike the real world where human beings live by three-dimensional space and time, high-dimensional space is more advanced.

    It could be somewhat invisioned by the example of a tiger drawn of a paper. If you want to trap it, just draw a circle around the tiger on the paper.

    The tiger on paper cannote out from inside because it only exists in a two-dimensional space.

    By analogy, when adding a third dimension of height, the tiger gets a way out.

    In that case, a real cage would needs to trap it, and the two-dimensional cage would have no effect.

    In terms of dimensions, 3D is obviously more advanced than 2D.

    The three dimensions arebined, which is the limit that humans can perceive.

    The fourth dimension is time, which is a higher dimension.

    Although human beings cannot perceive it, time is always affecting all beings, and is kept track off by clocks and watches.

    Using Time-Turners, wizards can shuttle between different times.

    But because this dimension is more advanced, the whole shuttling process is extremely dangerous, to the point that it is considered taboo.

    Evan once returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago, which was already a very, very profound magic.

    He didn¡¯t feel much at first, but the more he learned about time, the more he realized this.

    How incredible it was to have that experience two years ago!

    Perhaps, only high-level wizards of the tier of the Four Founders of Hogwarts could use that kind of magic.

    Of course, time, that is, the fourth dimension, is not the end of everything.

    Going upward, there are still higher dimensions.

    There, the lower dimensions, whether space or time which humans are familiar with, will lose their meaning.

    Just like a real tiger and a tiger on paper, the tiger on paper is naturally lower.

    To everyone, it¡¯s just a painting.

    Intelligent creatures living in high-dimensional space will also feel this way when looking at human beings living in low-dimensional space.

    The more advanced the dimension is, the more difficult it is to describe in words.

    But with the activation of the Portkey, Evan now entered this different space; he entered a higher dimension.

    He looked around curiously, and an absurd idea suddenly popped up in his mind.

    Here, his regr senses did not work at all, because this was beyond the limits of his body¡¯s perception.

    For others, whether they used Apparition or Portkeys, there would be a short gap in memory.

    The nk urs in this different space because they cannot perceive it.

    With Evan it was different. Maybe it was because he was once brought into a different space by the evil god of the centaurs, or perhaps because he was now bing more sensitive to magic fluctuation, no matter what it was, Evan was now able to clearly see everything around him.

    Not with his eyes, but directly through his soul; he was using his soul to sense.

    He did not get lost like everyone else. He just felt like a sh in his eyes and arrived at his destination.

    With his soul, Evan could clearly get a panoramic view of this different space.

    There was no doubt that this ce did not belong to the real world, but it did exist.

    A strange thought came to Evan¡¯s mind. He remembered the ce where the evil gods said they were first born.

    Ancient warlocks once entered it, and apparently it did not belong to the real world, otherwise the evil spirits would have long destroyed the world.

    Perhaps they existed in such a high-dimensional heterogeneous space, just like the different space that wizards had to enter every time they Apparate and use Portkeys.

    Compared with all magical creatures, the power and existence of evil spirits were obviously more advanced.

    And most of them and the monster shapes they created were indescribable.

    This was because they were creatures that existed in hightitudes and could not be represented in low dimensions.

    By the way, Slytherin left a te map of the temple where Herpo the Foul¡¯sir was located.

    Evan originally thought that it was ancient Greece, but he and Hermione carefullypared, and that ce did not exist in the real world.

    Following this line of thinking and reasoning, there might be many spaces different from ours.

    As the most evil Dark wizard in history, Herpo the Foul had probably managed to transform his body into a evil god.

    This gave him the ability to use certain abilities of these evil spirits, such as entering a dream, directly acting on the mind and so on.

    If so, he might also have the ability to cross different spaces like a true evil god.

    What could be more difficult to deal with, is that the Temple he had built could be in such a different space.

    This was incredible at first thought, but the pieces of the puzzle seemed to be falling into ce, and an amazing model of what truth might be was gradually building up in Evan¡¯s mind.

    A broader door to the world of magic slowly opened before his eyes.

    He felt that his purpose was bing clearer and clearer, and the evil spirits wereing to the world, that is to say, from this different space to the real world. Besides needing enough flesh and blood, they also needed arge supply of magic in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Whether the Philosopher¡¯s Stone or the evil god, they all appeared in The Book of Abraham.

    This was the only magic book known to have been preserved by ancient warlocks in the world.

    It was the only way to understand the wizards who once had the power to destroy heaven and earth, and many magic spells.

    Thousands of years ago, they had entered the space where the evil spirits were. Perhaps this was the clue they left behind for future generations.

 Chapter 452: The Astonishing Truth

    <h4>Chapter 452: The Astonishing Truth</h4>

    On the first page of The Book of Abraham, a Philosopher¡¯s Stone was drawn.

    Evan knew that the powerful magic within a Philosopher¡¯s Stone was indispensable for the evil gods toe to the real world.

    However, this was obviously not the true purpose of the Philosopher¡¯s Stones created by ancient sorcerers. It couldn¡¯t be that they wanted to bring forth such being that were obviously beyond control; that would suicidal.

    Summoning these horrible evil spirits is asking for the world to be destroyed. Ancient warlocks would not do such foolish things. It was just that in their exploration of magic, things went beyond anything that they had ever expected.

    But still, Evan was more convinced that the stones linked to the evil gods back in the day as well, especially after knowing that the ¡°alien¡± space of the evil god¡¯s life was not in the real world. The Philosopher¡¯s Stones were what was used to help wizards break through the barriers of space and enter high-dimensional different spaces.

    Only in this way can we make full use of the huge magic contained in it.

    Any other transformation and use of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone would be a waste of the powerful strength in it.

    After Evan defeated the evil god, the third part of The Book of Abraham showed a portrait of it.

    Obviously, the third part was rted to the evil spirits.

    It was not difficult to specte that it might have recorded the way to truly defeat the evil spirits.

    Perhaps it was a powerful spell, maybe it was a certain item; anything was possible!

    Since the key subjects of the first and third parts of this book were rted to evil gods, then the scepter that appeared on the second part was certainly no exception.

    Thinking about it, what role would the scepter have rted to evil spirits and different spaces?!

    mel had fully interpreted the first part of The Book of Abraham, which mainly recorded alchemy.

    With alchemy, a Philosopher¡¯s Stone could be transformed or even created directly.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone did have a powerful magic, but it was not enough alone to enter the different space.

    Otherwise, Evan now had a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and he could enter the space where the evil gods were like ancient warlocks.

    But he did not know what to do. For now, he could only use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone by exploiting its Magical Power.

    This was because the Philosopher¡¯s Stone only provided the necessary magic. If he wanted to really enter that space, he needed specific spells or magic props.

    Slytherin¡¯s snake scepter was the prop.

    From the information on the te obtained by Evan, Slytherin had ventured into the Lair of Herpo the Foul in the ancient times when he was young.

    As a result of that adventure, he brought back a horrible evil god, a real evil god.

    Slytherin defeated him, studied his body, and divided it into three parts.

    ording to the various information Evan had, the evil spirit Slytherin had captured was probably Herpo the Foul himself.

    Herpo the Foul was thest ancient warlock to appear in the history of magic, and the originator of all modern Dark wizardry.

    He himself had a very orthodox inheritance. It was also possible that he had left behind the snake scepter.

    Maybe it was what he had used to shuttle between the real world and the high-dimensional world, and to build his Lair in that space.

    Evan came to this conclusion, and found that this theory could solve most of the mysteries that he could not exin before.

    Although this fact was surprising, the more he thought about it, the more likely it was.

    Perhaps the high-dimensional space had inspired Evan. Anyway, when he passed through here, he suddenly thought of this and wanted to understand everything.

    The whole process took ce in the blink of an eye. By the time Evan came back to his senses, he had already reached his destination.

    His feet mmed into the ground, and Hermione staggered into him.

    Evan hurriedly helped Hermione, and while at it, he pulled Ginny, who was about to fall.

    On the other side, Harry and Ron were entangled and fell together, and Fred and George were no better.

    They looked like they were shattered and crooked by the wind, and then fell backwards.

    Only Mr. Weasley and Sirius were steady.

    ¡°5:46, from St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries!¡± said a voice.

    Evan looked around curiously, and the ce they came to was like a vast, deserted stretch of misty moor.

    In front of them were two tired and grumpy-looking wizards.

    One of them was holding arge gold watch and the other a thick roll of parchment and a quill.

    Both were dressed as Muggles, though very inexpertly.

    The man with the gold watch wore a tweed suit with thigh-length galoshes.

    His colleague wore a kilt and a poncho like those worn by Scottish Hignd men.

    ¡°Good morning, Basil,¡± Mr. Weasley said.

    He picked up the Quaffle and handed it to the kilted wizard.

    The man threw it into arge box of used Portkeys beside him.

    ¡°Hello, Arthur!¡± said Basil. ¡°Oh, you are Sirius ck. I have read your story. My wife and I both think you are a true hero.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Sirius.

    This had often happened since Evan helped him clear his name.

    The heroes of peacetime are even more revered. There were even many people who believed that Sirius should be the Minister of Magic.

    ¡°Arthur, you¡¯re lucky, not to be on duty!¡± said Basil wearily. ¡°We¡¯ve been here all night, and people have beening all the time. Ok, you¡¯d better get out of the way; we¡¯ve got a big partying in from Diagon Alley.¡±

    The wizard next to him took out a long roll of parchment and searched hard on it.

    ¡°Let me see where your campsite is¡­ Weasley¡­ Weasley!¡± he looked at it and said. ¡°About a quarter of mile¡¯s walk over there, first field youe to. The site manager¡¯s called Mr. Roberts.¡±

    He looked up at Sirius again and kept muttering, ¡°ck¡­ ck¡­ found it! You are in the innermost, right next to the first camp.¡±

    ¡°Sirius, you booked a campsite alone?!¡± Harry hurriedly asked.

    ¡°A few months ago, I nned to show you the World Cup. At that time, I booked one directly!¡± Sirius said, ¡°Look at the surrounding environment. I wanted us to be together. That¡¯ll be livelier.¡±

    Obviously, Sirius¡¯s reservation was much higher than Mr. Weasley¡¯s.

    In a recent review of Hogwarts Magic Newspaper, Evan had seen the relevant description.

    The location of Sirius¡¯s campsite was the best. It was the closest to thepetition field. The neighborhood was full of pure blood wizard families and noble wizards.

    It was said that the athletes of both sides of the game were also there.

    Of course, that price was also much more expensive than ordinary ones, and it costed many Gold-Galleons.

 Chapter 453: Ludo Bagman

    <h4>Chapter 453: Ludo Bagman</h4>

    Sirius did not exin that bit, and Evan naturally would not talk.

    He shared Sirius¡¯s view that the campsite was secondary, and the most important thing was to have everyone together.

    He was still thinking about the reasoning he just made, and he couldn¡¯t wait to break The Book of Abraham.

    Everyone was in high spirits. Theyughed and passed through the deserted moor. They could hardly see anything through the thick mist.

    After about twenty minutes, a small stone cottage next to a gate swam into view.

    Beyond the stone cottage, there were thousands of odd-shaped tents.

    They went up the gentle slope of arge field toward a dark wood on the horizon.

    A man was standing in the doorway, looking out at the tents.

    From his expression, he might be the only real Muggle in thisrge area.

    That was Mr. Roberts, the site manager.

    As soon as he heard their footsteps, he turned his head to look at them.

    Mr. Weasley went over to talk to him about renting a tent, and Harry was in a hurry too.

    Because Mr. Weasley couldn¡¯t tell Muggle¡¯s money apart, he was struggling to peel the notes in arge roll of money.

    He also called the pound a colorful sry piece, provoking suspicion of the opposite Muggle.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. You¡¯re not the only one who can¡¯t figure out the amount of money,¡± he said in a low voice, looking carefully at Mr. Weasley and Harry standing behind him. ¡°Just ten minutes ago, two people were going to pay me a lot of big gold coins.¡±

    Mr. Weasley did not speak and looked at him uneasily.

    ¡°There have never been so many people!¡± he wondered, his eyes once again looking out over the misty field. ¡°Never been this crowded. Hundreds of pre-bookings and people keeping¡­¡±

    From his tone, it was like the beginning of a horror movie.

    Perhaps for him, this incident was really terrifying.

    He was familiar with the ce, and for no reason, strange foreigners kepting in, and his memory was constantly being reset.

    ¡°That¡¯s very strange, isn¡¯t it?!¡± he continued. ¡°Look, from a few days ago, people came from all over. Loads of foreigners. And not just foreigners, but also many weirdos. I just saw a guy walking around in a kilt and a poncho which is obviously abnormal.¡±

    Mr. Weasley looked more uneasy, and he was already touching his wand.

    ¡°I have a feeling that they all seem to know each other, like a party!¡± He lowered his voice and said, ¡°In here¡­¡±

    Just then, a wizard in plus-fours suddenly appeared out of thin air andnded at the door of the stone cottage.

    ¡°Obliviate!¡± he said sharply, pointing his wand at the Muggle.

    Instantly, his eyes slid out of focus, his brows unknitted.

    His face showed a look of dreamy unconcern. ¡°A map of the campsite for you,.¡± He said cidly to Mr. Weasley, ¡°And your change.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Mr. Weasley said.

    The wizard in plus-fours apanied them toward the gate of the campsite.

    He looked exhausted. His chin was blue with stubble and there were deep purple shadows under his eyes.

    ¡°Terrible, Arthur!¡± he kept muttering. ¡°I¡¯ve been having a lot of trouble with him. He needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. Besides, a lot of sworn wizards and troubles are waiting for me.¡±

    ¡°Is it up to you alone?!¡± Mr. Weasley said with amazement, ¡°Where are the others?!¡±

    ¡°Forget it. Ludo Bagman is not helping. This was originally a matter of their Department, but he¡¯s only trotting around and talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice, not worrying about anti-Muggle security.¡± He sighed heavily. ¡°God, I¡¯ll be d when this is over. It¡¯s a real grind. See youter, Arthur!¡±

    When he finished, he Disapparated!

    ¡°I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports.¡± Ginny said with amazement. ¡°He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yes, dear!¡± Mr. Weasley said with a smile. ¡°Ludo has always been a bit sloppy about security issues, but you can¡¯t find someone more passionate than him to be head of the sports Department. He yed Quidditch for Ennd himself, you know. And he was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had.¡±

    In the wizarding word, Ludo Bagman was a very famous person and very popr.

    However, when he heard Mr. Weasley¡¯s words, Sirius sneered.

    ¡°This man of heart, Evan!¡± He came up and whispered,¡± Bagman¡¯s past is not as glorious as rumors. He has been used of providing confidential information to death Eaters. There is no denying, however, that he is aplete fool, and I doubt very much whether he knew what he was doing at the time, but it¡¯s not wrong to be a bit hearty. ¡°

    Evan nodded, for Sirius was correct; Ludo Bagman was a real idiot.

    Listening to Mr. Weasley talking about Bagman, everyone was struggling to walk in the misty camp.

    They walked between long rows tents and looked around. Most of the tents looked almost ordinary.

    Their owners had had clearly tried to make them as Muggle-like as possible.

    However, some of them had slipped up by adding chimneys, or bellpulls, or weather vanes.

    Here and there was a tent so obviously magical.

    For example, halfway the field, there was a tent that was particrly conspicuous.

    It was an extravagant confection of striped silk like a miniature pce, with several live peacocks tethered at the entrance.

    A little farther on they passed a tent that had three floors and several turrets.

    A short way beyond that was a tent that had a front garden attached,plete with birdbath, sundial, and fountain.

    ¡°Always the same. Some people can¡¯t resist showing off.¡± Said Sirius, ¡°When you enter the innermost, near the camp of the pure blood wizard families, you will see what real luxury is.¡±

    From his expression, it was obvious that he was very disgusted with it, as if he remembered something unpleasant.

    Looking at Harry and Ron, it seemed that they wanted to go and have a look.

    They were very curious about the tents Sirius talked about.

    But at the thought of meeting Malfoy there, watching him show off his fancy tent, andughing at them, they immediately lost interest.

 Chapter 454: Eleven Wizarding Schools

    <h4>Chapter 454: Eleven Wizarding Schools</h4>

    Soon, everyone came to the campsite that Mr. Weasley had booked.

    At the edge of the wood at the top of the field, there was an empty space, with a small sign hammered into the ground that read: WEASLEY.

    ¡°This ce is good!¡± Mr. Weasley said happily. ¡°The field is just on the other side of the wood there, we¡¯re as close as we could be.¡±

    Evan looked at the dense woods and felt that the ce was really good.

    The scenery was pleasant. If there was any disturbance in the camp, they could escape to the woods for the first time.

    Although Evan did not expect any disturbance, it was not a bad thing to prevent problems before they happened.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s start putting up the tents!¡± Mr. Weasley said excitedly. ¡°No magic allowed, not when we¡¯re out in these numbers on Mugglend. We¡¯ll be putting these tents up by hand! Muggles do it all the time. It¡¯s not that hard, is it?!¡±

    He took out two gray tents from his backpack and a variety of tools.

    ¡°Come on, kids¡­¡± He rubbed his forehead with a handkerchief.

    ¡°Hold on, Arthur, is there enough space for all us in these two tents?¡± Sirius said, carefully looking at the tents on the ground.

    ¡°When Charlie, Bill, and Percy arrive, we¡¯ll be a party of twelve!¡± Mr. Weasley frowned. ¡°I borrowed this from Perkins at the office. To be honest, they¡¯re not too appropriate. We¡¯ll be a bit cramped, if we add a few beds¡­¡±

    ¡°There is no need for extra beds. I have a tent there, one with a lot of space!¡± Sirius said. ¡°A few days ago, I told Kreacher to send it over. Now I can use it directly.¡±

    ¡°Well then!¡± said Mr. Weasley. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea; otherwise we would have to squeeze in. There are two empty spaces here. We can build a tent for the girls to stay in first!¡±

    ¡°Evan, Harry, Ron, can you threee with me to move the tent over?¡± asked Sirius.

    The three of them hurried nodded and followed Sirius to the campsite.

    At this time, the sun had just risen, and the mist gradually dispersed. In the camp, they could see endless tents that stretched in all directions.

    The four of them walked slowly through the rows of tents and looked around with interest.

    ¡°God, I never thought that there were so many wizards in the world!¡± Harry said with emotion.

    Before that, he never seriously thought about what the wizards in other countries would look like.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I see so many wizards, too!¡± Ron sighed. ¡°This is almost imaginary!¡±

    ¡°If, after graduation, you can join an organization such as the Department of International Magical Cooperation at the Ministry of Magic, like Percy; or the International Confederation of Wizards, you will be in frequent contact with foreign wizards!¡± Sirius exined with a smile. ¡°For different countries, the traditions and magic used by wizards are also different. In Africa, for example, curses, witchcraft, astronomy and transfiguration are more prevalent, and they rarely use wands when casting spells, but are more ustomed to using fingers or their arms.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t use a wand, but a finger?!¡± Ron said in amazement. ¡°Just like house-elves.¡±

    Evan remembered the African Dark wizard he had seen in the pub on the edge of the Albanian forest.

    He had no wand on him, but carried a wicked doll with him, always hanging on his wrist.

    Evan spected that the weird doll was made of human skin and was used to cast curses.

    ¡°Sirius, you went to Beauxbatons with Evan in the summer vacation. It¡¯s also a school of magic like Hogwarts!¡± Harry suddenly asked, ¡°Can you tell us something about other magic schools?¡±

    Ron also focused, and he wanted to know about other schools of magic.

    Evan had seen relevant descriptions in magic books before, but most of them were vague.

    Magic school is the top secret of magic circle in many countries. Wizards who are not in their own countries are rarely able to collect any relevant information about them.

    ¡°It is well known that the culture and educational traditions of the magic wind are different in each country. There are many ancient traditions that are still being inherited in a more traditional way than through schools of magic.¡± Sirius said, ¡°But on the whole, there are eleven famous magic schools currently known in the world.¡±

    ¡°There are so many?!¡± Harry eximed. ¡°I only know Hogwarts!¡±

    ¡°Hogwarts is one of the three most famous schools of magic in Europe. The remaining two are Beauxbatons in France and Durmstrang in Germany!¡± Sirius said. ¡°You must¡¯ve heard Evan talk about Beauxbatons before. As for Durmstrang, that¡¯s a wizarding school that only admits pure-blooded students. It has a long history, but its attitude towards ck magic is more indulgent. In the past, many Dark wizards graduated from there.¡±

    Evan knew that the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald had been there.

    As the Dark Lord to exist before Voldemort, Grindelwald could even rival Voldemort in his heyday.

    Considering the environment of the Muggle society at the time, the huge wars all over the world provided the appropriate soil for the exhibition of Dark Arts, and Grindelwald and his minions almost took control of the whole Europe.

    He was plotting a terrible plot and was almost on the verge of sess.

    But unfortunately, he was faced Dumbledore.

    At the height of Grindelwald¡¯s power, Dumbledore defeated him alone and saved the European Magic circle.

    Coincidentally, shortly after that, the protracted war in the Muggle world also came to an abrupt end.

    Germany was defeated and paid a heavy price!

    Since then, the world had entered peace and a new international order had been re-established.

    ¡°What about the other eight wizarding schools outside Europe?¡±

    ¡°There are three in America, including two in North America, and one of them is a magic school that only recruits witches. It is the only magic school in the world that is full of female wizards, and the 3rd is in Brazil!¡± said Sirius. (Note: While Beauxbatons was depicted in the movies as a girl-only school, that wasn¡¯t really the case.)

    ¡°Well, I know. Bill had a penfriend at a school in Brazil!¡± said Ron. ¡°This was years and years ago. He wanted to go on an exchange trip, but Mom and Dad couldn¡¯t afford it. His penfriend got all offended when he said he wasn¡¯t going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up.¡±

    Harryughed at the thought of this image.

    In fact, he was very surprised when he heard Sirius say there were so many wizarding schools in the world.

    Looking at the tents in the campsite, he thought to himself how stupid he used to be.

    He had never realized that Hogwarts was not the only Wizarding School.

 Chapter 455: Wizarding Schools and Customs

    <h4>Chapter 455: Wizarding Schools and Customs</h4>

    ¡°The three wizarding schools in America are mainly heirs of the three European schools. When I was at school, Hogwarts had an exchange program every year. Students above the sixth year could sign up for the examination and approval of the Board of Governors.¡± said Sirius, ¡°However, I don¡¯t know when it started; the United States and Brazil suspended this exchange program!¡±

    That was really a pity. If possible, Evan would have liked to benefit from such a program.

    He had read most of the magic books in Hogwarts Library and it didn¡¯t make much sense to stay.

    Compared with the step-by-step study of senior courses and improvement of strength, Evan would rather like to take a look at the magic tradition in the United States and grow up through actualbat.

    He had previously heard that the three wizarding schools in America had integrated the mystical magic of the ancient Mayans and Aztecs.

    The wizards there dug out a lot of things from the ancient ruins, and used them as a basis for magic research. There were many unique spells that Europe did not have.

    ¡°Because of the superior environment, there are many amazing magical creatures in America, so the wizards there are the most proficient in raising magical creatures.¡± Sirius said, ¡°As long as you can work in the Ministry of Magic, you can often see wizards from the United States. They actually look no different from us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have a chance to get into the Ministry of Magic!¡± said Ron, disappointed.

    ¡°Me neither!¡± Harry followed, saying that he did not even think about what he would do after graduation.

    Perhaps he could be a professional Quidditch yer like Wood.

    The four people continued to move forward while discussing American wizardry and various magical creatures.

    As the sun rose, the campers on the field were starting to wake up.

    First to stir were the families with small children. When they passed arge pyramid-shaped tent, they saw a two-year-old tiny boy crouching outside, holding a wand in his hand and poking happily at a slug in the grass.

    Under the influence of magic, the slug slowly swelled to the size of a smi.

    As they drew level with him, the boy¡¯s mother came hurrying out of the tent.

    ¡°How many times have I told you Kevin? You don¡¯t touch your father¡¯s wand¡­ yhh!¡±

    She had trodden on the giant slug, which burst.

    Her scolding carried after them on the still air, mingling with the little boy¡¯s yells.

    ¡°Haha, have you seen that pyramid tent just now?!¡± Sirius said, very enthusiastic. ¡°As we all know, the pyramid is the symbol of Egypt, as a source of ancient civilization. There is also a wizarding school there.¡±

    ¡°There were a lot of Egyptian wizards in Gringotts. I saw themst time I visited Bill.¡± Ron said quickly.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s said that the building of their school is a pyramid, where wizards in the Middle East and Africa usually send their children.¡± Sirius waved his hand. ¡°Of course, they have their own magic characteristics and traditions. Wizarding schools are not the only choice for gifted young wizards. Witchcraft is more prevalent in South Africa than regr spells. Each tribe has its own witch doctor, who masters many evil curses.¡±

    Sirius had just finished speaking when everyone saw three African wizards sitting near them in serious conversation.

    All of them were wearing long white robes and roasting what looked like a rabbit on a bright purple fire.

    Harry and Ron looked at them carefully, and didn¡¯t see wands on them.

    As Sirius had said, African wizards were used to casting spells with their bare hands or using other quirky props.

    The purple me looked very strange, but it was far less exciting than the Dark wizard that Evan had seen before.

    The three African wizards were obviously more traditional and decent than the Dark wizard who mastered evil curses and weird witchcraft.

    Moving on, there was a group of middle-aged American witches who sat gossiping happily.

    A spangled banner hung between their tents reading: THE SALEM WITCHES¡¯ INSTITUTE.

    When passing the tents, there was a sound of conversation, all in strangenguage, as if it were not English.

    ¡°Sirius, where are the four remaining wizarding schools?¡± Harry continued.

    He looked around excitedly and felt that his eyes were running short.

    Two little witches wereughing loudly, riding toy broomsticks and flying low.

    The brooms rose only high enough for the girls¡¯ toes to skim the dewy grass.

    ¡°The remaining four wizarding schools are all in Asia, one in South Asia, and three in East Asia!¡± Sirius said. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the south Asian one. It¡¯s located in India, and it had not been established since a long time. Historically, it can be described as a branch of Hogwarts, because the founders there were Hogwarts graduates.¡±

    Historically, India was under British Colonization for a long time, and the local culture had been greatly affected by the British.

    This could be seen in Hogwarts students. There are so many young wizards from there.

    For example, the twin sisters Padma and Parvati Patil, who were in the same year as Harry and Ron, came from India and went home every holiday.

    ¡°That school also had a cooperative rtionship with Hogwarts. In the past, they had an exchange of students every year,¡± Sirius said.

    ¡°The Founder of that school graduated from Hogwarts?!¡± Harry asked curiously. ¡°Is their magic and curriculum the same as ours?¡±

    ¡°On the whole, they are simr, but not exactly the same!¡± Sirius said, ¡°Because I haven¡¯t been there, I don¡¯t know exactly, but they obviously integrate some local characteristics and innovate many of their unique techniques. The wizards there seem to be exceptionally talented in Herbology and Potions.¡±

    Their spells were also very mysterious, although they might not be as purely evil and dark as the various curses of some African Witch Doctors.

    But there is no doubt that their magic was even more bizarre with great witchcraft and magical fantastic creatures that people in the west have never heard of before.

    ¡°As for the remaining three magic schools in East Asia, one of them is located in Japan, which is the smallest and least staffed school in the world.¡± Without waiting for Harry to ask, Sirius continued, ¡°It is said to be located on the top of an uninhabited ind South Iwo Jima. The whole school is decorated with white Jade, which has magical characteristics that are well studied and documented in oriental magic.¡±

    Evan had in mind a ssic Japanese castle in the shape of Tianshou Pavilion, built entirely of white suet jade.

    The castle is located at the top of an active volcano, which is covered by clouds and smoke from the volcano all the year round.

    Only when the weather is good can you see its full figure.

    ¡°In Japan, magic and wizards are considered sacred things, so both the study of magic and the management of wizards are very strict. They start school at the age of seven and will not be allowed to graduate from school until they havepleted 18 years of study and achieved satisfactory results.¡± Sirius said, ¡°I once saw in a book that the students are given robes that grow as they grow and change color as the wearer gains experience, with pink as the beginning color. If the wearer receives top grades in all the school subjects, their robes will turn gold. Any student who betrays the Japanese wizard¡¯s code or practice Dark Arts would result in their uniform turning white, which is a huge disgrace and the student in question will be immediately expelled and he will also be judged by the Japanese magic department.¡±

 Chapter 456: Mobile Wizarding School!

    <h4>Chapter 456: Mobile Wizarding School!</h4>

    Harry and Ron secretly swallowed. They were shocked by the strict management of the Japanese Wizarding School.

    If Hogwarts were to do the same, and every young wizard would be given a magic robe to indicate his performance and whether he vited the school rules; based on the past experience of several of them, they might have been expelled from school long ago and even imprisoned in Azkaban.

    In the past few years, they had vited countless school rules. If the school uniforms could change color, they would be all white now, the whitest of the whitest.

    ¡°There are two remaining wizarding schools, one of which is located in Tibet, China. It is said that it is located on a sacred snowy mountain, which is inessible and snowy all the year round. All wizards there wear thick robes to protect themselves from the cold.¡± Sirius said.

    Evan had seen a description rted to this in Lockhart¡¯s ¡°Year with the Yeti¡°. But he couldn¡¯t remember the details clearly.

    If Hermione was there, she would remember everything.

    In general, Lockhart once looked at the mysterious Oriental Magic School from a distance when he went hunting with the Yeti.

    In the white snow, through the thick fog, he saw a magnificent building appearing in the mountains.

    The exterior of the building looked like a splendid pce with a rich oriental style and mysterious vibe.

    The eaves of the four corners of the pce all rose high as if they were about to take off.

    Behind the eaves were many auspicious beasts, which had different meanings.

    With the magic of the wizards, they all seemed to be endowed with life and special magic effects.

    The top of the pce was full of turquoise tiles, brightly colored, stacked one by one.

    Under the reflection of the rising sun, you could see the golden dragon-like magical creatures surrounding the pce in the air.

    Mysterious magic runes shed out from time to time, which was a powerful sign of defensive magic; all uninvited visitors could not easily enter.

    Lockhart mentioned regretfully that he did not get inside because he was not invited. Of course, this was certainly not true.

    He certainly had never been to Tibet, and it was even less likely to see the mysterious Oriental Wizarding School.

    But this experience should have happened. It was the experience of the wizard whose memory was stolen by Lockhart.

    Although he hadn¡¯t read the book carefully, Harry still remembered it vividly.

    Among the many amazing creatures, the Yeti was probably the one that impressed him most.

    Almost two years ago, Lockhart had asked him to y a Yeti fifteen feet tall many times in ss. ording to the story in the book, he interpreted the snowman¡¯s character.

    At the request of Lockhart, they even went to the lower years to perform this ¡°y¡± in the ssroom.

    Because Lockhart had mentioned it many times in a regrettable tone, Harry remembered the Wizarding School in Tibet, China.

    ¡°Like Japan, the management of the school of magic is equally strict. In fact, it¡¯s a bit like Durmstrang. They only ept wizards of the purest lineage. For centuries, they have only epted applications from students of pure-blood wizard family origin.¡± Sirius said, ¡°When I was a sophomore, I read about it in the Daily Prophet, and the debate was particrly intense. The International Confederation of Wizards had nned to send an investigation team to investigate the matter and was prepared to take strict punitive measures to prohibit them from keeping this going. But in the end, they did not, and the school still maintains this ancient tradition.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ron said in surprise.

    ¡°Everyone thinks this is extremely unfair,¡± Sirius exined. ¡°Think about it. Because of this unreasonable admission condition, all the gifted wizards born in Muggle families in China do not have ess to magic. Most of them don¡¯t even know the existence of the wizarding world. They can only live among the Muggles¡­¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that the same for Durmstrang?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem. They have their own admission criteria for these long-standing magic schools. Many traditions may have been running for centuries or even for thousands of years. It¡¯s hard for outsiders to control them, even if their traditions are not reasonable and fair!¡± Sirius said, ¡°The environment in Asia is different from ours. If they don¡¯t go to Durmstrang, the young wizards in Europe can alsoe to Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. But in China, if you are not of pure blood, that means you will never have a chance. Under the constraints of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, wizarding schools in other countries cannot directly recruit students from China.¡±

    This was really unfair, but as Sirius said, no one could change this ancient tradition.

    China had an extremelyrge poption, and many Muggle wizards with magic talents.

    However, because of this harsh admission condition, most of their talents had been wasted and not excavated.

    After having their first magical ¡°awakening¡±, the magic of the young wizard would gradually calm down with age.

    Unless they are incredibly fortunate, these Muggle-born wizards would always end up as Muggle-like adults.

    After telling the story of the Chinese School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was a moment of silence.

    ¡°Sirius, you just said that there are three Wizarding schools in East Asia, where is thest one?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°No one knows, because thest college was called a Mobile Wizarding School,¡± Sirius replied.

    ¡°Mobile Wizarding School?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Sirius. ¡°No one knows which country it belongs to. It has been seen in China, Japan, South Korea, and even Australia. The school floats on the sea, moving with the ocean currents and has no fixed position.¡±

    ¡°Floating in the sea, that doesn¡¯t sound bad!¡± Ron eximed.

    What a wonderful thing to imagine; a school of magic floating on the sea with the ocean currents.

    ¡°It¡¯s also the most mysterious ce in all wizarding schools, and this goes beyond just its location!¡± Sirius went on to say, ¡°Even the way it recruits students, the number of students, the teaching methods and the overall strength are all unknown, and the outside world has no way to know anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Then how can we confirm that such a school really exists?!¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°It¡¯s because they have already registered with the International Confederation of Wizards, which seems to have happened long ago. Still, they remain recognized by the wizarding world!¡± Sirius replied, ¡°Although they have little contact with the outside world, there are still records left about them. If you are interested, you can go to the library to look them up.¡±

 Chapter 457: Harry is a Horcrux

    <h4>Chapter 457: Harry is a Horcrux</h4>

    When he heard Sirius, Evan vaguely remembered.

    When he was looking for information of the evil spirits in the libraryst term, he had seen some information rted to this.

    Because of his special interest in Chinese wizarding schools, he deliberately took it back as a reading material for bedtime recreation.

    Judging from the current known clues, Sirius said that the mobile wizarding school was probably the oldest and most mysterious school in the world. Its history could be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago, a thousand years earlier than Hogwarts.

    Not surprisingly, the school should have been founded by some powerful wizard during the Qin Dynasty, or earlier.

    Therefore, this magic school should also belong to China.

    Of course, its specific location had been changing, and the outside world had no way of locating it.

    Evan did not know what magic was powerful enough to make a wizarding school float on the ocean.

    This was simply unimaginable, beyond his understanding.

    Needless to say, the Wizarding School had been able to move with the ocean currents for more than two thousand years.

    Even if it was exined by magic, it was still a great urrence of miraculous dimensions.

    If possible, Evan hoped to go there and check it out himself; there would certainly be many gains to have a look at this peculiar magic.

    Besides, Evan had also spected about the specific location of the Wizarding School in Tibet China, Sirius told them about.

    From the relevant materials and Lockhart¡¯s book, the snowy mountain he described might be the Kunlun Mountains.

    The Kunlun Mountains are the most sacred ces across China¡¯s Qinghai, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Tibet provinces.

    Of course, the addresses of all wizarding schools were kept secret, and the outside world had no way of knowing.

    Evan also spected that the mysterious Oriental Wizarding Academy might be located elsewhere in Tibet.

    In fact, in addition to these eleven wizarding schools, there were many ancient traditions of magic that were passed on in a more secretive way.

    In China, North Africa and South America, this secret way of inheritance was particrly popr. Many unique spells had not yet been known nor understood by the world.

    That¡¯s obviously on top of all kinds of ancient relics, countless magical creatures, the brilliance of ancient warlocks, as well as terrible evil gods and so on.

    In short, the wizarding world was far more exciting and fascinating than he had imagined back when he was reading Harry Potter before.

    It had always been Evan¡¯s dream to crack these secrets and find these hidden gems.

    ¡°I never thought that there were so many wizards and wizarding schools in the world. It¡¯s amazing!¡± After listening to Sirius, Harry eximed, ¡°I always thought that there was only one school of magic in Hogwarts¡­¡±

    ¡°There is no end to the exploration of magic!¡± Sirius said, patting Harry¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dumbledore ismunicating with the International Confederation of Wizards and the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department of International Magical Cooperation, hoping to restore the long-suspended exchange student program. You may have a chance to study in other magic schools with that!¡±

    Harry and Ron were excited to hear Sirius say so.

    Evan was not so excited, he knew that it was indeed possible, but only if he beat Voldemort as soon as possible.

    Otherwise, when the second Wizarding War would begin, no exchange program would be possible. At that time, many young wizards would have to leave Hogwarts and even flee the country.

    ¡°Dumbledore is already in touch with this, and while other countries might have problems with this, the exchange with the United States, India and the two other schools in Europe, all of which having strong ties to Hogwarts, should not be a problem.¡± Sirius said, ¡°The big project to be held this year is a good start!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Harry asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret, and you will be surprised when you know it!¡± Sirius said with a smile.

    ¡°They¡¯re all the same. They¡¯re hiding something from us. Percy was showing off during the holiday.¡± Ron whispered to Evan and Harry, ¡°Since he started working, he has been teasing us to ask him what the project was; but he refused to say it anyway whenever we did. Let me say; it¡¯s probably an exhibition of thick cauldrons!¡±

    Harryughed and looked forward to the big project Sirius talked about.

    Unlike the two of them, Evan knew that it was the Triwizard Tournament, the traditional exchange program between the top three European schools.

    This year, every school in Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang would each select a ¡°warrior¡± toplete in the event. The winner would receive a huge reward and bring great honor to his school.

    With Evan¡¯s current strength, if he put his name into the Goblet of Fire, not surprisingly, he should be the warrior of Hogwarts.

    However, he had not yet decided whether to take part in the Triwizard Tournament or not.

    The event itself, and the final reward, was of little benefit to him.

    Especially considering that Voldemort was likely to be plotting behind the scenes, Evan was even less interested in participating.

    He had not yet acquired enough strength to confront Voldemort head-on. The right way was to continue to umte strength and undermine Voldemort¡¯s schemes in secret.

    Before the summer vacation, Evan had made up his mind to try to dy the return of Voldemort as long as possible.

    He intended to seize Barty Crouch Jr. ahead of time and let Voldemort lose his most loyal servant, thereby hindering the odds of his resurrection.

    There was no problem with this n, but the current situation had changed and the n must be adjusted.

    Now, Voldemort was no longer alone, as in the past, weak and helplessly hiding in the shadows of the Albanian forests. He got help from the vampires and got a statue of the evil god.

    With these, his return seemed inevitable, and there was even a possibility he would be stronger.

    As Professor Trwney said, Voldemort would gain unimaginable power and be stronger than ever.

    For those who stood on the opposite side of Voldemort, this was not good news.

    Evan knew that it was necessary to make a quick decision and destroy Voldemortpletely before he could gain more power.

    To destroy Voldemort, he had to destroy the Horcruxes first.

    The others, though a little troublesome, were not a problem. The real problem was with Harry.

    Fourteen years ago, Harry¡¯s mother used her own life to cast a powerful protective spell on Harry.

    It was the bond of blood charm, one of the most powerful magic of ancient times, inherited from ancient warlocks.

    Therefore, Voldemort failed when he tried to kill Harry. He personally marked the enemy of his destiny.

    When his own killing curse rebounded, he dropped fragment of his soul into Harry¡¯s body.

    In other words, Harry was now one of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes.

    Topletely eliminate Voldemort, Harry must die first. This was an indispensable step.

 Chapter 458: Evanâ€™s Decision

    <h4>Chapter 458: Evan¡¯s Decision</h4>

    It was really terrible, it was really troublesome.

    As long as Harry¡¯s Horcrux existed, Voldemort would never die.

    Evan had intended to find a way to remove or destroy Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux in Harry¡¯s body without harming him.

    But up to now, his research in this area had not made any progress.

    He had pinned his hopes on the Secret Treasure left by the Four Founders. Obviously, Evan was making the wrong bet here.

    Finding the Secret Treasure turned out to be far moreplicated and troublesome than dealing with Voldemort himself.

    Whatever the Four Founders had left in it, he couldn¡¯t count on using it against Voldemort.

    As for what was revealed of the secret treasure¡¯s quest, it waspletely beyond Evan¡¯s imagination.

    Now, thinking about it, he was naive enough to think that the Four Founders were really worried about the state of Hogwarts a thousand yearster, and left behind some weapon to deal with Voldemort, a descendant of Slytherin.

    Now it seemed that it was far from that simple, and it was likely that the four of them had nned it for a long time.

    There was a prophecy, and some ancient spell connected to this, ones that existed since the age of ancient warlocks.

    Evan shook his head, and since he couldn¡¯t find a way to destroy the Horcrux in Harry¡¯s body, everything went back to square one.

    Now with the powerful help and the statue of the evil god Voldemort got, there was no point in continuing to dy.

    Continuing with the previous n would even make things worse, and he had to make new ns as soon as possible.

    It seemed to be a good choice to let the Triwizard Tournament develop ording to the established plot.

    Voldemort wanted to return, he would definitely choose that spell, the one using the bones of his father, the flesh of his servants, and the blood of his enemies to resurrect.

    Not surprisingly, there was no doubt that he would insist on getting Harry¡¯s blood toplete the spell; Voldemort¡¯s pride made Harry his only choice.

    Evan knew that, and so did Dumbledore.

    When Harry¡¯s blood was integrated into Voldemort¡¯s body, the blood curse cast by Harry¡¯s mother was cracked to some extent.

    But the spell was very powerful; it was still protecting Harry.

    This was reflected by the fact that as long as there was a ce where Harry¡¯s family existed, he could not be hurt by Voldemort.

    Another thing was that, as long as his body was merged with Harry¡¯s blood, Voldemort could never truly kill him.

    If Voldemort wanted to kill Harry, he could only destroy his own Horcrux in Harry¡¯s body.

    Dumbledore¡¯s double insurance was to hand over the Elder wand to Harry, making him the real master over it.

    The Elder wand would not kill its master, which in turn involved profound magic in wand science.

    Dumbledore would lure Voldemort into knowing the secret of the Deathly Hallows and make him think he had acquired the Elder wand.

    But he would not get anything, and would end up with only shame and death.

    Evan sighed. It seemed to be the only option until there would be a better way, to bring Voldemort back to life with Harry¡¯s blood and, at thest minute, let him kill Harry himself.

    Only then could theypletely destroy Voldemort who would think he was victorious.

    This sounded crazy enough, but it was indeed Dumbledore¡¯s n.

    For him, this did not seem to be a problem.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s life, lies and secrets coexisted. He knew the meaning of life and could choose death at the critical moment. Even his own life could be abandoned at any time, for the greater good¡­

    This was the main reason why Evan had always felt that Dumbledore was terrifying. He told himself that he could not do this no matter what.

    In the eyes of ordinary people, each of these talented wizards was a madman.

    Dumbledore had talked to Evan about this very implicitly before, asking him to be mentally prepared.

    Voldemort was handed over to Harry and Evan was responsible of the other enemies, especially those evil gods. He had a feeling that destroying Voldemort would no longer be the end, but probably just the beginning.

    Of course, judging by the current situation, these were all very distant things.

    What needed to be decided now was that the Triwizard Tournament must be developed in ordance with the established plot, and Evan should also participate in it.

    Only in this way could he ensure that no idents would ur and he would make correct judgments in time.

    With this in mind, Evan became determined to ce his name in the Goblet of Fire.

    As for Hogwarts¡¯ original warrior, Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff, Evan had no guilt at all about recing him.

    Diggory was strong, but only within the normal range of young wizards.

    He stillcked the correct mindset, and in the face of a real Dark wizard, he might not have the ability to fight back. In the original book, he was easily killed by Peter Pettigrew.

    ¡°Yes! I should take his ce and save his life.¡±

    Evan made up his mind to prepare for thepetition while Harry and Ron were still pestering Sirius.

    They hoped he could tell them what big projects Hogwarts would host.

    Sirius did not say anything, but the topic was gradually noticed in the World Cup finals.

    They continued to move forward, not to fetch water from the center of the camp, as others did, but turned towards a direction outside the camp.

    ¡°Hold on, is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?¡± Ron said suddenly.

    It wasn¡¯t just Ron¡¯s eyes. Evan also saw a green ocean before him! They had walked into a patch of tents that were all covered with a thick growth of shamrocks, so that it looked as though small, oddly shaped hillocks had sprouted out of the earth.

    Grinning faces could be seen under those that had their ps open.

    Then, from behind them, they heard their names: ¡°Professor ck, Evan, Harry, Ron!¡±

    Looking back, they saw that it was Seamus Finnigan, their fellow fourth year Gryffindor like Harry and Ron.

    He was sitting in front of his own shamrock-covered tent, with a sandy-haired woman who had to be his mother, and his best friend Dean Thomas, who also smiled and called them.

    Evan¡¯s only impression of Seamus seemed to be that he was exceptionally talented with explosions

    Whether it was Snape¡¯s Potions ss or Professor Flitwick¡¯s Charms ss, or even in Professor McGonagall¡¯s Transfiguration ss, he had acquired a brilliant record. That was to use his magic to explode his wand or a cauldron.

    This alone was not something that an average person could do.

    Even if doing it deliberately, it was very difficult to aplish his record.

    Evan¡¯s ¡°Hogwarts Magic Newspaper¡± once had a special report on this matter. ording to iplete statistics, the frequency of explosions caused by Seamus was steadily maintained at three times a week, which was, in a sense, amazing!

    If Neville hadn¡¯t performed worse every time, the title of cauldron killer would have definitely belonged to Seamus.

 Chapter 459: Narcissa Malfoy

    <h4>Chapter 459: Narcissa Malfoy</h4>

    ¡°Evan, Harry, Ron, how were your holidays?¡± Seamus asked grinning, pointing to the shamrock-covered tent, ¡°Like the decorations? The Ministry¡¯s not too happy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see any fuss here. Why shouldn¡¯t we show our colors?¡± Mrs. Finnigan walked over and said, ¡°You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents. That¡¯s the behavior that should be banned. By the way, the three of you will be supporting Irnd, of course?¡± she added, eyeing Evan, Harry and Ron with her beady eyes.

    It was only after receiving a positive answer that she let them move on.

    ¡°Surrounded by that lot, can we say anything else?¡± Ron whispered.

    ¡°I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents.¡±

    Soon they knew that on the other side of the camp, Bulgarian gs were hanging everywhere.

    Besides the gs, the tents had not been bedecked with ntation, but each of them had the same poster attached to it, a poster of a very surly face with heavy and ck eyebrows, and the face was blinking and scowling constantly.

    ¡°I know him. It¡¯s Victor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!¡± Ron said excitedly.

    ¡°He¡¯s good?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s unbelievable, and he¡¯s really young, only about 18 years old, but he¡¯s also a genius! You wait until tonight, you¡¯ll see.¡± Ron seemed to have done his homework. ¡°In all previous games, he was the first to catch the Golden Snitch.¡±

    Evan looked carefully at Krum¡¯s poster and, the truth was, he had no affection for the guy.

    ¡°He¡¯s about 18 years old, so he hasn¡¯t graduated from school yet!¡± Harry was acutely aware of this. ¡°It¡¯s really amazing to represent Bulgaria in the World Cup before graduation.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why he¡¯s a genius, a natural Seeker.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Harry is any worse than him. He can catch the Golden Snitch very quickly, and he can do it by instinct without any professional training. Maybe he¡¯s better than Krum!¡± Said Evan. ¡°For me, Harry justcks opportunities, or else he can y for Ennd.¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯spliment, Harry¡¯s face turned red, but he was not very embarrassed.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, what he said was not too much.

    If it weren¡¯t for Voldemort, Harry might have be a professional Quidditch yer like Krum.

    He really had great potential in Quidditch, and what hecked was just an opportunity to show his strength to the outside world.

    But the Savior¡¯s career was obviously more promising than that of a Seeker, and Harry himself preferred to be an Auror.

    What¡¯s more, unlike Bulgaria, the British Quidditch team would not want a student who had not yet graduated.

    Listening to Ron talking about Krum¡¯s previous matches, they moved on.

    The four hurried through the fanatical Bulgarian fan area towards the edge of the camp.

    After crossing a stream, they came to an advanced camping area specially nned by the Ministry of Magic.

    The tents here were obviously more gorgeous than the others, and most of them belonged to the wizards of higher statues.

    Many tents had gardens in the doorway, nted with rare nts and many animals.

    Among them, Evan even saw a bbert.

    The bbert is a magical tree-dwelling creature native to the southern states of America.

    In appearance, it¡¯s something like a cross between a monkey and a frog. Its smooth and hairless skin is a mottled green, its hands and feet are webbed, and its arms and legs are long and supple.

    There is a disproportionate wide mouth on its head, which appears to be always grinning.

    This magical creature is docile and feeds on small lizards and birds.

    The bbert¡¯s most distinctive feature is therge pustule in the middle of its forehead, which turns scarlet and shes every night.

    In the past, American wizards used to raise bberts in their gardens.

    At night, if a tree was covered with the gleaming pustules of the bberts, it would be obviously very decorative.

    It looked like the colored lights on a Christmas tree.

    Because of this, the number of bberts had been decreasing, and soon became a cherished species.

    The International Confederation of Wizards had to take punitive measures to protect the bberts, which had be very rare.

    Up to now, the practice of raising bberts had almost disappeared and was rarely seen.

    He did not expect that he would actually see it here.

    Compared with the rare bbert, the people he saw next were not so pleasant.

    In front of an extremely luxurious tent, Evan saw Draco Malfoy in a dark blue wizard¡¯s robe.

    His skin was very pale, with a pointed face and white-blond hair.

    Behind him was his mother Narcissa Malfoy, who was also light-skinned and blonde. She would have been nice-looking if she hadn¡¯t been wearing a look that suggested there was a nasty smell under her nose. (Narcissa is only described as blond in the books, with no mentioning of her having ck hair.)

    Sirius stopped, obviously after seeing Narcissa.

    Then Narcissa saw Sirius too. They looked at each other and the atmosphere was tense.

    After all, Narcissa was Sirius¡¯s cousin, and the two families used to be very close.

    In the eyes of the house elf Kreacher, Narcissa had always been his mistress.

    It was said that thest part of Sirius¡¯s mother¡¯s life was spent with Narcissa.

    It was logical that with so many links, the rtionship between the two should be good.

    However, it was obvious that Sirius had no affection for Narcissa, just like his rtionship with other members of the ck family.

    Looking at her face, he obviously remembered something unpleasant.

    The same was true of Narcissa, who seemed to want to say hello, but in the end she just nodded stiffly. She did it so lightly, it could easily be missed.

    Immediately, her eyes fell on Evan, Harry and Ron next to Sirius.

    Draco Malfoy whispered something in her ear, and Narcissa¡¯s lips curled slightly.

    There was a hidden aversion in her eyes, especially when she looked at Evan.

    Both the Malfoy and ck families had always been proud of being pure blood wizards.

    In their traditional concept, Muggle-born wizards like Evan were inferior.

    But perhaps because Sirius was there, she didn¡¯te over and talk, but just nced at them.

    Soon, Narcissa turned back to her tent.

    Draco red contemptuously at Evan, Harry and Ron and followed her into the tent.

 Chapter 460: Kreacherâ€™s Change

    <h4>Chapter 460: Kreacher¡¯s Change</h4>

    ¡°Slimy gits.¡± Ron muttered.

    Harry nodded approvingly, and Evan gently pulled Sirius¡¯s sleeve.

    Seeing Malfoy somewhat ruined everyone¡¯s mood, but fortunately Lucius Malfoy wasn¡¯t here, or it would have been worse.

    Not far from Malfoy¡¯s camp, a dark green tent was set up, covering arge area.

    The tent was very elegant, with a lot of striped silk, like a small pce.

    The conical spires rose into the clouds, decorated with dark gold ck family ornaments; the shield of a mountain symbol, two pentagrams, and a dagger, with two leaping greyhounds on both sides.

    Below, it was a gorgeous, golden text: THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK ¡°TOUJOURS PUR¡±.

    The tent was more prominent than all the tents around it and was full of the ck family¡¯s past luxurious style.

    But considering the current status of the ck family, this tent and the above sentence were undoubtedly full of irony.

    Indeed, there was no one else in the noble and ancient House of ck but Sirius, Sirius who had also been removed from the family tree by his mother and was a ¡®traitor¡¯ to the pure blood family, just like the Weasleys.

    ¡°This is my parents¡¯ tent. I didn¡¯t expect to use it¡­¡± Sirius said, looking at the tent, all sorts of feeling shown by his expression

    He bent down and went in. Evan, Harry, and Ron followed him.

    Evan and Harry looked inside the tent in dismay, under the illusion that they had returned to 12 Grimmauld Square.

    The area was slightly smaller, but the general patterns were the same.

    However, the surface of everything here had taken on a new look and was not as shabby as 12 Grimmauld ce.

    In the corridor facing the entrance hall, the copper pan and the copper tes were polished rose-colored, and the wooden table top was polished bright.

    Silver cups and saucers had been ced on it, sparkling in the warm fire.

    On the side were the dining room and the bathroom, without Mrs. ck¡¯s scary portrait, but andscape painting.

    Everything was extraordinarily warm.

    The brown-ck staircase covered with thick stalls extended upward, about three stories high.

    The above was full of bedrooms. Just like the outside, the space was narrower as it went up, but the decoration was very stylish.

    It was hard to imagine that this was actually a tent, not a vacation vi for a noble family.

    Even if everyone came in, there was room here, even better than the environment of the Burrow.

    ¡°Young Master, you are back!¡± A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded like a bullfrog¡¯s cry.

    The house elf Kreacher came running. He was dressed in clean clothes and his ears were as white and fluffy as cotton wool.

    After the shabby funeral of Regulus, Evan never saw Old Kreacher again.

    Sirius once allowed him to live in Hogwarts¡¯s kitchen for a while, and Evan also told Dobby to take care of him.

    But he obviously couldn¡¯t put down the empty, somewhat scary old house of the ck family. Soon, Kreacher returned to there. Without Sirius¡¯s call, he wouldn¡¯te out and wouldn¡¯t have contact with other people outside.

    Now, Evan found out that Kreacher had changed so much.

    In his impression, Kreacher was always insane, and it was impossible to expect him to work and serve.

    All day long, he guarded the legacy of the ck family¡¯s old house and carried out the messy orders of Mrs. ck¡¯s portrait.

    The biggest dream of this house-elf was to cut his head and nail it to the wall.

    ¡°Master Sirius, Master Harry, Master Evan, young Master, please take off your shoes!¡± Kreacher said, ¡°Knowing that the young Masters areing, Kreacher is preparing breakfast. Do the masters prefer a delicious stew or a syrup tart?¡±

    He bowed deeply, staring with his pair of scary big yellow eyes, and looked at Evan with enthusiasm.

    After helping him find Regulus¡¯s body for burial, Kreacher¡¯s attitude towards Evan had improved significantly.

    Before, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to speak. He always cursed Muggles and mixed-race wizards.

    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Ron said in amazement, constantly looking around. ¡°I have never seen such a tent. And this house elf¡­¡±

    ¡°His name is Kreacher, and he has served The ck family for generations!¡± Harry said, a little ufortable, too.

    He remembered how bad Kreacher had been before, and now he was like a totally different house-elf.

    ¡°Master, do you need some coffee and hot rolls?¡± Kreacher continued. ¡°Kreacher has prepared all the upstairs bedrooms. My master can go up and have some rest first.¡±

    ¡°No, Kreacher!¡± Sirius said, ¡°Pack up, we¡¯re going elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Going elsewhere?!¡± Kreacher said doubtfully. ¡°Young master, it¡¯s good here! Miss Narcissa is just next door. She just came to see Kreacher with Master Malfoy. As before, she is still so kind, so warm, and treats¡­¡±

    ¡°SHUT UP. You¡¯ve got a minute to get everything done!¡± Sirius shouted. His face was particrly gloomy when he heard that Narcissa had been here.

    About twenty minutester, Evan and the othersboriously moved the tent back to Mr. Weasley¡¯s scheduled campsite.

    Kreacher followed, murmuring something in a low voice, and looking particrly aggrieved.

    It seemed that it was impossible for the master and servant to get along really well.

    Next to the camp, Mr. Weasley and his family had already set up a crooked tent.

    ¡°You are back, let me see, this tent is really big, fortunately we have enough space here.¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°Let¡¯s quickly build it up, and then we need time to cook.¡±

    Although using magic or letting Kreacher do it, it might take only a minute to build the tent, Mr. Weasley insisted that they should do it themselves in Muggles¡¯ way.

    Evan was sure that if Muggles could use magic, they would never choose to work so hard.

    Sirius¡¯s tent was veryrge and its structure was moreplicated. By the time they had finished, it was almost noon.

    During this period, they saw more familiar faces, other Hogwarts students with their families.

    Because it was the only way to go to the Quidditch World Cup finals pitch, they had to pass by them.

    Among them, Evan saw Oliver Wood, the old captain of Gryffindor House Quidditch team, who had just graduated from Hogwarts.

    He told them excitedly that he had just been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team.

    For Wood, this was a sess. With Harry¡¯s outstanding performance, Gryffindor House won the Quidditch Academy Cupst semester.

    This was the first time in more than a decade. Slytherin had won the championship before.

    This feat earned Wood a lot of points, allowing him to sessfully enter Puddlemere United.

 Chapter 461: Evanâ€™s Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 461: Evan¡¯s Trouble</h4>

    Behind Wood, they also saw Mr. Diggory and his son, who were about to visit the Quidditch field in advance.

    Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts.

    One could try to paint it as lightly as possible, but this meant that he was the enemy of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

    Especially considering that they defeated the Gryffindor team in the first Quidditch match of the previous year, which made him somewhat unweed by everyone.

    Fred and George did not even say hello, they had not forgiven him until now.

    Cedric¡¯s father, Amos Diggory, was a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard. He worked for the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures of the Ministry of Magic and was familiar with Mr. Weasley.

    It could be seen that he was extremely proud of his son.

    Amos very rudely stared at Harry and Sirius for a long time, especially the scar on Harry¡¯s forehead.

    ¡°Cedric has talked about you, of course,¡± said Amos Diggory. ¡°He told us all about ying against youst year. I said to him, I said¡­ When you get old, that¡¯ll be something to tell your grandchildren. That¡¯s amazing. You beat Harry Potter!¡±

    Defeating Harry Potter, this was indeed a provocative discourse.

    Sirius looked at him unfriendly, and Fred and George were both scowling again.

    Only Cedric stood there and looked slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Harry fell off his broom, Dad!¡± he whispered. ¡°I told you, it was an ident¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you didn¡¯t fall off, did you?¡± roared Amos genially, pping his son on his back. ¡°Always modest, always the gentleman, being able to understand thatpassion of the weak is rare virtue, but the best man won, I¡¯m sure Harry would say the same. One falls off his broom, one stays on; you don¡¯t need to be genius to tell which one is the better flier!¡±

    This sentence was really very batty, and almost everyone¡¯s look became ugly.

    ¡°Well, I need some water!¡± Mr. Weasley hastened to take out arge dusty kettle.¡± Children, can you go back, please? You can take this opportunity to stroll around the camp. Don¡¯t worry about time.¡±

    At Mr. Weasley¡¯s insistence, they set off quickly, and everyone seemed unhappy.

    ¡°Unbelievable! That guy actually said that he defeated Harry! If it wasn¡¯t for the Dementors¡­¡± Ronined.

    ¡°Dad is always like this, he is too nice!¡± Fred shook the kettle vigorously.

    ¡°If it were me, I would just rush and beat that Amos and give him a lesson!¡± George said.

    The rest did notment, but did not object to what George had said, even Hermione.

    Of course, she looked a bit abnormal today and was no longer as eager to express her views as before.

    Since what happened the previous night, she had been trying to avoid Evan all morning and had not spoken to him.

    Whenever their eyes asionally met, she turned red and quickly looked away.

    She was just embarrassed; she was just an innocent young girl¡­

    This was the main reason for her abnormality. She was not angry because Evan climbed into her bed. Perhaps, she even felt somewhat good about it!

    Even though Evan was as clueless as she was, he knew it was time to take advantage of his unexpected victor. However, he had no chance at all!

    From the morning till now, the two were never alone, not even for a second. They couldn¡¯t say anything in front of so many people.

    All in all, they both had always maintained this entric rtionship.

    They crossed the camp and came to the water pump, where a small line had been formed.

    Fred and George saw Lee Jordan. He was their friend at school and often got into trouble together.

    The three of them gathered and muttered for a while, and then left the team ahead with a smirk and the others didn¡¯t know what they were doing.

    ¡°What are they going to do?¡± Ron said suspiciously, looking at the back of the three of them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Harry shook his head and picked up the kettle that Fred had left.

    They lined up, and in front of them, two men were having a heated argument. One of them was a very old wizard who was wearing a long flowery nightgown. The other was clearly a Ministry wizard; he was holding out a pair of pinstriped trousers and almost crying with exasperation.

    ¡°Just put them on, Archie, there¡¯s a good chap. You can¡¯t walk around like that. The Muggle at the gate is already getting suspicious¡­¡±

    ¡°I bought this in a Muggle shop,¡± said the old wizard stubbornly. ¡°Muggles wear them.¡±

    ¡°Muggle women wear them, Archie, not the men. They wear these.¡± Said the Ministry wizard, and he brandished the pinstriped trousers.

    ¡°I¡¯m not putting them on!¡± Archie said in indignation. ¡°I want a healthy breeze around my privates, thanks.¡±

    Hearing their conversation, everyone couldn¡¯t helpughing.

    Especially Hermione, she was ovee with such a strong fit with giggles at this point that she had to duck out of the queue and only returned when Archie had collected his water and moved away.

    A few minutester, walking more slowly because of the weight of the water, they made their way back through the campsite.

    This kettle was very big and very heavy when filled with water.

    Without magic, they had great difficulty in carrying it.

    Hermione and Ginny couldn¡¯t hold the kettle, and Evan, Harry, and Ron took turns holding it for a while.

    Along the way, they saw many Hogwarts students.

    Among them, the most impressive one was Cho Chang, who just came over.

    Cho was a very pretty girl who yed Seeker on the Ravenw team.

    She waved and smiled at everyone and Harry slopped quite a lot of water down his front as he hurriedly waved back.

    ¡°Hello, Hello, I just met Cedric and he said you¡¯re pumping water here!¡± Cho said happily, her face was red and full of concern and excitement, ¡°Evan, how are you? Since you left school early at the end ofst term¡­¡±

    She specifically asked about the situation of Evan, obviously very concerned.

    Evan and Cho had a good rtionship. Since they had met for the first time, they became very friendly overtime.

    Cho seemed to have a crush on Evan, but well, most of the girls in school had a crush on Evan.

    ¡°Thank you, I am fine. There¡¯s nothing wrong!¡± Evan replied with a smile. ¡°You have been in the summer¡­¡±

    Before he continued, he saw Hermione appear behind him.

    After seeing Cho, Hermione, who had been hiding for a day, chose to approach her, and her face was full of vignce.

    Evan smelled a trace of tension, and the situation seemed to be a bit wrong.

    Fortunately, the expected bloodshed did not ur.

    After seeing Hermione¡¯s appearance, Cho quickly separated from them, and her small face was still red.

    Looking at Cho¡¯s back, Evan was a little relieved, but did not realize that the real trouble awaiting him was behind his back¡­

 Chapter 462: â€œOld Enemiesâ€ from France

    <h4>Chapter 462: ¡°Old Enemies¡± from France</h4>

    ¡°Evan, Cho seems to care about you¡­¡± Hermione said suspiciously.

    She remembered her conversation with Ginnyst night, and Ginny said that there were many girls in the school who were secretly in love with Evan.

    Among them was Cho Chang from Ravenw. She had long felt that there was something wrong with them.

    Perhaps, she should follow Ginny¡¯s advice and speed things up with Evan¡­

    Hermione thought about it, her face was reddish, and what happenedst night appeared in her mind.

    Her body approached Evan in front of her, like a curious kitten.

    Although Hermione looked lovely now, Evan dared not be careless. He knew that his answer must satisfy her; otherwise she could change from a kitten to a fierce lioness at any time.

    But how to answer Hermione¡¯s question?!

    She was right. Cho really cared about him. She came here just now and even talked to him alone.

    Evan couldn¡¯t say yes, nor could he say no. The more he would exin, the darker the situation would be.

    If possible, he hoped to find time again and talk to Hermione alone, just likest night¡­

    Just then, arge group of teenagers who had never been seen before came up and diverted everyone¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Look, who are they?¡± Harry asked. ¡°They are certainly not from Hogwarts. Maybe they are students from another wizarding school that Sirius talked about. Do you know where theye from?¡±

    ¡°Beauxbatons!¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Harry looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°All of their robes have Beauxbatons¡¯s school badge on them. I saw it in ¡®An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe¡¯.¡± Hermione said, ¡°It¡¯s like that, two crossed wands emitting three stars each.¡±

    ¡°They are indeed students from Beauxbatons!¡± Evan followed.

    He seemed to have an impression on one of the guys, who had been taught a terrible lesson by him after he had provoked him more than two months ago.

    He hoped that thest experience in Beauxbatons¡¯s Great Hall had given them enough lessons.

    However, Evan¡¯s expectations fell through. After seeing him, the students of Beauxbatons immediately surrounded him.

    They still remembered the incident. Evan fought against all of Beauxbatons¡¯s students alone and still managed to leave safely after the big fight. This was a great shame to Beauxbatons.

    That night, many people wanted to teach Evan a good lesson, but in the end no one could find him.

    Now they met Evan here, they naturally would not let go.

    ¡°What the hell is going on with these guys? They seem very agitated!¡± Ron said uneasily, ¡°What are they talking about?¡±

    ¡°Something wrong, we¡¯d better be careful!¡± Harry followed.

    The students of Beauxbatons surrounded Evan and his friends, shouting something aggressively in French.

    Evan knew it must have been a demand of apology or cursing him or something.

    He saw that many of them had pulled out their wands and the battle was imminent.

    With Evan¡¯s current strength, he was naturally not afraid of these guys. If needed, he could just get them all knocked out in seconds.

    It was basic; he would just have to use a rtively weak area affecting magic. That was the best way to deal with many weaker foes.

    This method was simple and direct, and much better than using a single target spell and attacking them one at a time.

    But Evan didn¡¯t pull out his wand. He knew that the camp was full of officials from the Ministry of Magic.

    They were patrolling around to maintain order, nervous and terrible, afraid of any ident being discovered by Muggles.

    As expected, before the two sides could do anything, a wizard from the Ministry of Magic appeared beside them.

    ¡°Kids, I hope that you are not preparing to fight. Young wizards are not allowed to use magic outside school!¡± he said breathlessly. ¡°In such a great weather, you should do something more meaningful instead of gathering here.¡±

    The young wizards of Beauxbatons looked at each other and left reluctantly!

    The way they looked before they left seemed to tell Evan that it was far from over. Nevertheless, he did not care at all.

    In the face of absolute power, no matter how many people would be against him, they would not be able to escape the fate of being crushed.

    When Evan was cursed and could not use a lot of magic, he dared to fight the entire Beauxbatons students. Now that he had regained his strength and acquired a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, fighting them could no longer be described as an act of courage.

    The brief contact made Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny¡¯s impressions on Beauxbatons deteriorate significantly.

    Ron was even more direct, ¡°What Barbarians, those French!¡±

    This kind of descriptions obviously could not be generalized, and even Ron had to admit that Beauxbatons girls were still good; especially Fleur, as well as her sister Gabrielle, along with the other enthusiastic girls.

    On their way back, Evan told the story of his previous brawl with Beauxbatons, which amazed everyone.

    They all admired Evan¡¯s courage and strength, but thinking about it, it actually feltpletely normal.

    In their impression, there was nothing Evan couldn¡¯t do!

    When they returned to the tent, Mr. Weasley and Sirius had already got the fire lit outside the tent.

    The house elf Kreacher kept throwing firewood inside,ining that Mr. Weasley would not let him use the stove in the tent.

    It took more than an hour for them to cook eggs and sausages for lunch.

    Only then did Fred and George return, and Bill, Charlie and Percy arrived from the Burrow.

    Everyone was eating eggs and sausages in front of the campfire, and the atmosphere was pleasant and rxing.

    They were halfway through their tes when Mr. Weasley suddenly jumped to his feet, waving and grinning at a man who was striding toward them.

    ¡°Look, the man of the moment, Ludo!¡± he shouted.

    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the wizard who had just appeared.

    This wizard was the most noticeable person they had ever seen so far, even including old Archie in his flowered nightdress.

    He was very energetic and vigorous, wearing long Quidditch robes in thick horizontal stripes of bright yellow and ck. An enormous picture of a wasp was sshed across his chest.

    He had the look of a powerfully built man gone slightly to seed; the robes were stretched tightly across arge belly, which became very fat.

    His nose was squashed, but his round blue eyes, short blond hair, and rosyplexion made him look like a very overgrown schoolboy.

    ¡°Ahoy there!¡± Bagman called happily. He was walking as though he had springs attached to the balls of his feet and was inly in a state of wild excitement.

 Chapter 463: An Unwinnable Bet

    <h4>Chapter 463: An Unwinnable Bet</h4>

    ¡°Arthur, old man!¡± He came to the campfire. ¡°What a day, eh? What a day! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless nighting¡­ and hardly a hough in the arrangements¡­ Not much for me to do!¡±

    Behind him, a group of haggard-looking Ministry wizards rushed past, pointing at the distant evidence of some sort of a magical fire that was sending violet sparks twenty feet into the air.

    For his prediction, everyone expressed doubts that it would rain if it was not good tonight.

    Behind Mr. Weasley, Percy hurried forward with his hand outstretched.

    ¡°This is my son Percy. He¡¯s just started at the Ministry!¡± Mr. Weasley said with a smile. ¡°Sitting there is Sirius ck, then Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Ron, and my daughter Ginny. You¡¯ve seen them before, and here are Evan Mason, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter.¡±

    He introduced everyone to Bagman, and when he saw Sirius, Bagman was obviously surprised.

    The expression on his face wasplex and looked more like fear.

    Sirius said that Bagman had been trialed for providing confidential information to the Death Eater, Rookwood. They had a brief contact at the time of the trial.

    It seemed that he remembered his past experience and was terrified of Sirius.

    When he heard Harry¡¯s name, Bagman looked a little surprised.

    ¡°Okay, okay, do you want to make a bet on the match?¡± Bagman said eagerly, jingling what seemed to be arge amount of gold in the pockets of his yellow-and-ck robes.

    It seemed that this was the main purpose of hising here.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first¡­ I offered him nice odds, considering Irnd¡¯s front three are the strongest I¡¯ve seen in years¡­ and little Agatha Timms has put up half shares in her eel farm on a week-long match.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet a Galleon on Irnd to win, okay?¡± Mr. Weasley said hesitantly.

    ¡°A Galleon?!¡± Bagman was somewhat disappointed, but recovered himself. ¡°Very well, is there anyone else who wants to gamble?¡±

    He looked forward to Sirius, but Sirius ignored himpletely.

    Bagman touched his nose embarrassingly, and didn¡¯t dare to say more. His eyes shifted to the others.

    ¡°They¡¯re a bit young to be gambling,¡± Mr. Weasley said quickly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll bet forty-six galleons, thirty-two Sickles, eight Knuts,¡± said Fred as he and George quickly pooled all their money, ¡°that Irnd would be winning¡­ but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch.¡±

    All the money Evan had given them and the sales of products in the store were confiscated by Mrs. Weasley, nearly 200 Gold Galleons.

    Mrs. Weasley said that she would give them back to him and that Evan was not allowed to give money to Fred and George.

    But this did not bother them. When their business was at its peak, they had asked Lee Jordan to help them sell a lot of joke products.

    Most of Hogwarts¡¯s owl orders were made in this way.

    The two of them just went out to collect their money. When they came back, they secretly told Evan about it.

    Fred and George now intended to use the money as a re-starting fund to make aeback. He did not expect that they would take out all of them here and take part in a gamble that was impossible to win.

    Evan did not think that Fred and George would guess wrong, but he doubted Ludo Bagman¡¯s character.

    ¡°Boys!¡± said Mr. Weasley under his breath, ¡°I don¡¯t want you betting. Your mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoilsport, Arthur!¡± boomed Ludo Bagman, rattling his pockets excitedly. ¡°They¡¯re old enough to know what they want! You think Irnd will win, but Krum will get the Golden Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance. I¡¯ll give excellent odds on that one.¡±

    Ludo Bagman quickly whipped out a notebook and quill and began jotting down the twins¡¯ names.

    Mr. Weasley looked on helplessly, unable to stop what was happening.

    ¡°George, calm down, you can¡¯t win!¡± Evan gently pulled George¡¯s robe.

    ¡°Do not worry, we have our own measures!¡± George said indifferently.

    ¡°We both seriously analyzed all the previous games of Viktor Krum,¡± Fred said.

    ¡°I mean, even if you win, this guy may not give you the money!¡± Evan raised his voice and said rudely.

    Obviously, Bagman also heard what he said, and his face became embarrassed, but fleeting.

    ¡°Boys, Boys, you can go out and inquire about my credibility. Old Bagman has always been willing to gamble and lose!¡± Bagman said loudly, ¡°I can use my status as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports as a guarantee. But I have to say that the chances of both of you winning are too slim!¡±

    Now that this had been said, Evan didn¡¯t say any more.

    Let Fred and George learn a lesson. They would know how bad it would be to gamble when they don¡¯t have enough money.

    He hoped they could remember thister, and that they would never gamble.

    After handing the slip of parchment to Fred, Bagman turned to Mr. Weasley. ¡°Arthur, can you do me a favor? I have been looking for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number is making difficulties, and I can¡¯t understand a word he¡¯s saying. Barty will be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fiftynguages.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Crouch can speak two hundrednguages!¡± Percy said excitedly, ¡°including Mermish, Gobbledegook, and Troll.¡±

    Obviously, everyone thought that Percy was bragging.

    George pointed and snored like a Troll, causing everyone tough.

    Percy was the only one who expressed dissatisfaction, but did not answer George.

    When Bagman sat down in front of the campfire and prepared to drink a cup of tea, the topic was shifted to Bertha Jorkins.

    This witch had been missing for a few months, but no one cared about it.

    In particr, given the current state of the Albanian forest, she was likely to encounter misfortune.

    As Dumbledore brought Evan and Sirius back, what happened in the ruins of the Centaurs had also spread.

    At Dumbledore¡¯s initiative, the International Confederation of Wizards would set up a special team to investigate the matter in Albania, but the effectiveness of this team was questionable to the least.

    The ce was originally a no-branch zone, with mixed forces, and the wizards killed by the vampires were all Dark wizards.

    All the corpses became flesh and blood absorbed by the evil spirit and indescribable creatures, and now all of them had disappeared.

    The final number of casualties was difficult to determine, and no one had seen it. No one would admit that Voldemort and the evil spirits had appeared there.

 Chapter 464: A Sudden Storm

    <h4>Chapter 464: A Sudden Storm</h4>

    While they were discussing this matter, a wizard suddenly Apparated at their fireside. It was Barty Crouch.

    He could not have made more of a contrast with Ludo Bagman, sprawled on the grass in his old wasp robes.

    As Evan had seen before, Crouch had thoroughlyplied with the rule about Muggle dressing.

    He was stiff and upright, dressed in a spotless suit and a tie. His narrow toothbrush mustache looked as though he trimmed it using a slide rule. His shoes were very highly polished.

    The arrival of Crouch made the rxed and pleasant atmosphere serious and tense.

    He came to Ludo Bagman because the Bulgarians asked for another 12 seats to the Top Box.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s what they wanted!¡± Bagman suddenly realized, ¡°I thought the guy was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers from me. His English ent was too strong to understand what he was saying. ¡±

    He waved disapprovingly, ignoring Bulgaria¡¯s request for more seats.

    ¡°Mr. Crouch!¡± Suddenly seeing Crouch, Percy was so excited that he was breathless. He sank into a kind of half-bow that made him look like a hunchback. ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Mr. Crouch, looking over at Percy in mild surprise. ¡°Yes, thank you, Weatherby.¡±

    Upon hearing this, Fred and Georgeughed so much that they choked into their own cups.

    Percy, very pink around the ears, busied himself with the kettle.

    Crouch¡¯s gaze briefly stayed on Sirius and then quickly turned to Mr. Weasley.

    He discussed with Mr. Weasley about a foreign wizard who wanted to import flying carpets into Great Britain.

    Flying carpets are very popr in countries near the Mediterranean, where few people use flying brooms.

    This type of flying tool is defined as a family vehicle, and can take up to twenty people at a time depending on the size.

    Of course, this does not work in the UK, because the carpet is defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects.

    Even if it was allowed to be sold, it was estimated that only a few people would buy it. British wizards should still prefer their broomsticks.

    After that, Crouch talked to them about some work matters before urging Bagman to leave with him.

    It was in line with his style. All he thought about was work, rigorous to the extreme, and he didn¡¯t even drink his tea.

    The only funny thing was that although Percy regarded Crouch as an idol, and often talked about his name and practice, Crouch did not even remember Percy¡¯s name and kept calling him Weatherby.

    This gave Fred and George a chance tough at him, and also stated that Percy was not important in Crouch¡¯s mind.

    Bagman wanted to stay and talk to them about Hogwarts¡¯s uing Triwizard Tournament.

    But Crouch didn¡¯t let him say anything, which aroused everyone¡¯s curiosity. What event was Hogwarts going to hold?!

    Seeing Crouch, Evan wondered if he was hiding his son, Barty Crouch Jr., in his tent right now.

    This evening would then be a good opportunity to seize him.

    After lunch, Mr. Weasley and Sirius told everyone to go back to rest.

    Because tonight¡¯s Quidditch final was likely tost for a long time, it was necessary to keep enough energy.

    Everyone got into the tent one after another, ready to take a nap.

    Silence suddenly took over the campsite, as everyone noticed clouds gathering quickly in the sky.

    Ludo Bagman seemed to bring misfortune with his words, and the gloomy sky began to rain.

    With the roar of thunder, the rain was getting heavier and heavier.

    Listening to the sound of raindrops falling on the ground outside the tent, Evan twirled on the bed and couldn¡¯t sleep.

    He didn¡¯t want to watch the Quidditch match in the pouring rain, which would be really terrible.

    But he didn¡¯t worry too much. Summer thunderstorms always came inadvertently and left quickly, and this sudden heavy rain should stop by the beginning of the final in the next evening.

    Sirius¡¯s tent was veryrge. Everyone coulde in and it could also ensure that everyone had a small room.

    Mr. Weasley, Sirius, Bill and Charlie lived on its ground floor. Fred and George upied therger room on the first floor. The remaining three rooms were for Percy, Evan, Harry and Ron.

    As for the second floor, it was Hermione¡¯s and Ginny¡¯s. Even then, there was a storage room left.

    Because there were no windows to bring in air, the tent was extremely hot, Evan got up and took off his coat.

    He didn¡¯t feel sleepy listening to the sound of the rain.

    He was thinking about his ns, Voldemort, Barty Crouch Jr., and the vampires.

    After a long time, he shook his head hard, trying to calm himself down.

    Since he couldn¡¯t sleep, Evan decided to study the ancient magic script some more and to crack the first part of ¡®The Book of Abraham¡¯ as soon as possible.

    Improving his strength now was the safest way to deal with whatever future had to bring.

    As soon as he got up, he heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Master Evan!¡± Kreacher¡¯s dull voice sounded.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Evan wondered why the house elf Kreacher would knock at the door.

    Although the rtionship between them had improved, in general, Kreacher never took the initiative to talk to Evan.

    The dogmas that had been formed for a long time made him very reluctant to contact Muggle-born wizards.

    ¡°There is ady looking for you, Old Kreacher brought her over!¡± Kreacher said in a long voice.

    Evan was stunned, there was a girl looking for him. Who would it be?!

    He first thought of Hermione, but Hermione didn¡¯t need to disturb Kreacher to find him.

    Would it be Cho Chang? The girl¡¯s beautiful little red face appeared in Evan¡¯s mind.

    The conversation between them in the morning was not finished, and Evan also felt that Cho had a crush on him.

    But it seemed that Cho would note directly to his door. It was really bold, not like something Cho would do!

    Since it was not Cho, it might be Fleur or Gabrielle.

    In the morning, Evan was discovered by students from Beauxbatons, who knew that his tent was here.

    A few days ago, Evan had received a letter from Gabrielle, and he knew that they should alsoe to see the World Cup.

    He remembered the girl with an angel¡¯s face. If she knew he was here, she would probablye.

    Thest time they met in Beauxbatons, the contact between them was too hasty.

    Gabrielle only thought that she had looked at Evan from afar in the Great Hall, and didn¡¯t even say a word.

    In her letter, she had been talking about this matter, and said that when they would meet next time, she must make up for this regret.

    Of course, Gabrielle probably never dreamed that Evan had been actually in her arms for most of the day.

    If Gabrielle came, her sister Fleur would surely follow.

    At the thought of this, Evan felt a little headache.

    Unlike the cute and clever Gabrielle, Fleur was too arrogant and difficult to get along with.

    There was nothing this girl couldn¡¯t do. If she came over, he was not sure what would happen again.

    Evan quickly put on his T-shirt and went over to open the door. The girl standing outside was¡­

 Chapter 465: Seeing Elaine Again

    <h4>Chapter 465: Seeing ine Again</h4>

    In the narrow, quiet corridor, a weak girl stood behind Kreacher.

    She was very slim and thin, about the same height as Ginny, wearing a light blue dress.

    The dress was very thin, drenched by the sudden rain outside, and tightly sticking to her body.

    The girl¡¯s face was hidden under a pink straw hat, and the brim was pressed down so low that he couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.

    Evan could only see her long, pale blond hair, slightly pointy on the edges.

    Raindrops trickled down her hair and the ground was already wet.

    She didn¡¯t seem to have expected a rainstorm. Because of the cold, her body kept shivering and she looked very pitiful.

    Evan was puzzled for a while. The girl gave him a familiar feeling, but he was certain that she was neither Cho nor Gabrielle.

    When he saw the straw hat on her head, he suddenly remembered!

    Last Christmas, he and Hermione went to Diagon Alley to celebrate, and the shops on the street were holding celebrations.

    With the magic fireworks, arge number of Christmas gifts fell out.

    Hermione took a fancy to a lovely pink straw hat. They ran in Diagon Alley for a long time before they followed the straw hat down into the alley where a huge Christmas treey.

    After a brief kiss, Hermione fled in a panic. ine picked up the straw hat and took it away.

    Evan¡¯s eyes widened, and the person who was drenched in water was ine Slytherin!

    The next second, ine lifted the edge of the straw hat upward slightly, and Evan saw her clearly.

    ine¡¯s delicate facial matched how he remembered her very well, like those of a lovely porcin doll.

    Her skin was very white and bloodless, but she was not as repugnant as other vampires.

    Most noticeable were ine¡¯s wine red eyes. The red was very pure, very thorough.

    It seemed to have a kind of magic inherent in it. Once you looked at it, you would be deeply immersed in it.

    ¡°Evan, I¡­¡± ine said.

    The voice was very special, crisp with a little hoarseness.

    ¡°Wait, wait! Come in!¡± Evan pulled her in, looked at both ends of the quiet corridor, then bowed his head to Kreacher and said, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡±

    Given the sensitive identity of vampires, the news of ine¡¯s arrival must be kept secret.

    ¡°Yes, Master Evan, Old Kreacher will keep it secret!¡± Kreacher bowed deeply and disappeared.

    Evan closed the door and looked at ine in front of him, only to realize that he might have just put himself in great trouble.

    Since theirst separation in Diagon Alley, Evan thought that they might never meet again.

    Who could have imagined that she woulde to his door now?

    Evan still remembered that she kept thinking about biting him and sucking his blood.

    Of course, in return, ine would give Evan a first embrace. She would suck and consume his blood and magic, return some blood into him, and make him a vampire. The blood of the two would be blended together.

    For vampires, the first embrace can cause great damage, and only when their rtionship with its subject is intimate to a certain extent could it be carried out.

    In particr, for ine, it would have been the first embrace, perhaps even the first time she would bite a person. With this in mind, Evan should be honored to be bitten, but he would not be happy anyway.

    But when she found Evan, the girl seemed very happy, with a lovely smile on her face.

    ¡°ine, why are you here?!¡± Evan said, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°I said I¡¯de back to find you, but my uncle was very strict and I didn¡¯t find a chance to escape!¡± ine smiled and said, ¡°I heard my uncle mentioning that he saw you a few days ago; he spoke highly of you.¡±

    Her uncle was Caresius Slytherin, the very powerful leader of the group of vampires helping Voldemort.

    In the Centaurs¡¯ ruins, in order to help Voldemort get the half of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, they teamed up to set up a bait, luring hundreds of greedy Dark wizards and adventurers with gold, killing them with magic, and then using their flesh and blood to crack the magic left behind by the evil god and the fallen Centaurs.

    At thest minute, Caresius could even confront Dumbledore head-on and leave with Voldemort and the statue of the evil god.

    From this point of view, he was indeed a horrifying fellow.

    Like Voldemort, he was very pure evil, powerful, not to mention that his existence itself was taboo to most wizards.

    But there seemed to be something off with these vampires. They were not really helping Voldemort.

    A few days ago, at thest minute, Caresius even helped Evan get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone instead of giving it to Voldemort.

    This was really worth pondering, but Evan had to admit that he really owed the guy a big favor.

    He also did not expect that Caresius would actually think of him so highly.

    ¡°My uncle finally agrees with me. He thinks that you may be the one who appeared in the prophecy and will help us out of our predicament!¡± ine said. ¡°But he thinks you¡¯re still weak, and no opponent to those monsters. He still isn¡¯t sure also, for it could be that guy too. He needs to think carefully.¡±

    ¡°That guy?!¡± Evan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, ¡± Voldemort?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the name! They brought him back from the forests of Albania. It is said that he has the same ancestors as us. Everyone is ready to help him regain his strength.¡± ine lowered her voice and looked extraordinarily white.¡±To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t like him; he is too creepy! Everyone talks about him with extra care. They don¡¯t even dare to call him by his name directly.¡±

    ine looked slightly terrified as she seemingly remembered something.

    It seemed that even for vampires, Voldemort was a terrible, evil existence and had to be treated with caution.

    ¡°ine, where are your uncle and Voldemort now?¡± Evan asked.

    Harry¡¯s dream showed that they were together, plotting something.

    ¡°In this camp!¡± ine said, ¡°They seem to be nning for something, but my uncle won¡¯t let me in on it. He just asked me toe and watch the Quidditch World Finals. At noon, I heard other people say they saw you here, so I came.¡±

    Evan looked at ine in consternation, with no mind to listen to what she had said next.

    He did not expect that Voldemort and the vampires would actually be in the camp, hidden in the crowd watching the World Cup.

    They were definitely preparing for another one of their conspiracies, which was definitely not good.

    The horror in the ruins of the fallen Centaurs was still fresh in his mind. Evan did not expect to meet Voldemort again so soon.

    It was mentioned that there were more than 100,000 wizards who came to watch the World Cup this time. Most of them were weak elderly, women and children, and they had no power to fight.

    Evan hoped that Voldemort would not act too rashly, or else¡­

 Chapter 466: Impatient Voldemort

    <h4>Chapter 466: Impatient Voldemort</h4>

    Because of nervousness, Evan¡¯s heart was beating so hard that he had to try to calm himself down and analyze the matter carefully.

    For a long time, vampires had been lurking in the dark, trying not to appear in the mainstream of the wizarding world.

    Like the werewolves, they were at the edge of wizarding society, but vampires were even harder to spot.

    There had been no news of vampires appearing in the wizarding world for such a long time, that most wizards even thought they went extinct.

    Remaining low-key enough to not attract the world¡¯s attention, this was their way of survival, for they knew that otherwise, they would end up being eliminated. This was especially true considering that they still had big troubles waiting to be solved; they would not voluntarily expose themselves.

    Hiding in a dark ce had many more advantages for thempared to being open to the world.

    Therefore, their appearance in such a venue was definitely at Voldemort¡¯s request.

    Voldemort wanted to regain his strength. His most urgent hope now was to catch Harry and use him toplete that magic.

    Evan was not sure if he would try to do it now, but the possibility was not to be omitted.

    Judging from what happened at the centaur ruins, with the help of vampires, and with his growing strength, Voldemort could do anything, no matter how mad.

    Splitting his soul again and again to make Horcruxes had made him gradually lose his mind and he no longer usedmon sense.

    Evan was horrified to think that Voldemort and the vampires could break in at any time.

    Dumbledore was not here, he could only rely on himself and Sirius.

    As for the Ministry of Magic officials who appeared everywhere in the camp, they were simply not reliable for what was going to happen.

    Of course, Voldemort¡¯s goal this time might not be Harry.

    He hadn¡¯t regained his strength yet. Like vampires, he also needed to hide himself in the dark.

    With Voldemort¡¯s character, even if he came back, the first thing he needed to understand was theplete content of that prophecy thirteen years ago, and why he had failed. Only in this way could he find a way to solve the problem and not repeat the same mistake.

    More specifically, he also needed to gain more strength and be able to override Dumbledore.

    Only in this way could he be sure to be foolproof, achieve true immortality,pletely spread his own ideas of terror and evil throughout the wizarding world, and then rule the world.

    In the books, Voldemort chose Dumbledore¡¯s Elder Wand, hoping to be a master of death by acquiring the Deathly Hallows.

    He even found the imprisoned Gellert Grindelwald and interrogated him.

    The power of the Deathly Hallows was indeed very strong, but now Voldemort had one more choice, and that was the evil god.

    Voldemort might get even more powerful if he made proper use of the statue of the evil god he had taken away.

    Just like Herpo the Foul transformed himself into an evil god, eternal life was only a beginning.

    With such paths before him, Voldemort might not directly expose himself to catch Harry. The risk was too high.

    Dumbledore¡¯s arrangement and Harry¡¯s mother¡¯s protective magic on him did not allow him to do so.

    He needed to hide himself, like lurking serpent, and jump out at the most appropriate opportunity.

    Voldemort was just mad now, but not stupid. He was even more cunning than most people.

    In that case, his goal this time was likely to be Barty Crouch Jr.; it was much less risky than going straight for Harry!

    From the information at hand, Voldemort must have known that his most heartfelt servant had escaped from Azkaban.

    He was ready to save the Barty Crouch Jr., and then let Crouch bring Harry to him instead ofing out directly. He was going to do it with the vampires at this Quidditch World Cup.

    Evan nodded. This analysis seemed correct.

    But there was a problem. It was too risky to act directly here, and there were many uncertainties.

    In the plot that Evan knew, Voldemort and Peter Pettigrew broke into Barty Crouch¡¯s house.

    It was obviously a lot more covert, and he didn¡¯t have to worry about being discovered.

    Moreover, Evan did not know how Voldemort learned that Crouch brought Barty Crouch Jr. out of his house. This matter should be top secret, unless¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are going to do, but I heard other people say that they broke into the home of a senior official of the Ministry of Magic in London a few days ago ording to my uncle¡¯s orders!¡± ine continued, ¡°They seemed to be looking for something, or someone, but they didn¡¯t get anything, and finally came here in a hurry. Perhaps, that might be connected to this?¡±

    That was right! The now impatient Voldemort had already acted. But because of the work inside the Department, Barty Crouch had toe here a few days ago to prepare for the World Cup.

    He probably brought Barty Crouch Jr. with him, so Voldemort and the vampires just followed them here.

    The two sessive setbacks in the acquisition of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone at the ruins of the Centaurs and the rescue of Barty Crouch Jr. surely made Voldemort frustrated. He should be at the limit of his patience, ready to start here.

    Evan nodded again; this should be Voldemort and the vampires¡¯ n.

    He just didn¡¯t know what they were going to do. Only by knowing more details could he make urate judgments in a timely manner.

    Evan was going to continue to ask ine; maybe he would get more clues that he had neglected.

    ¡°ine, you know them.¡±

    Before he finished, Evan stopped suddenly and looked at the girl opposite.

    Against the soft candlelight, ine was really beautiful, like a porcin doll.

    Her wine-red eyes were full of charm, and with a light blue dress on her body, she had an aura of beauty that was even more powerful.

    She had an indescribable temperament and was very attractive.

    In fact, Evan had never seen such a girl. Beyond her being a vampire, her mere looks were very¡­ thrilling.

    ine waspletely drenched by the rain whening here. Because of the cold, her tiny body trembled slightly, but it only made a strange feeling rise from the bottom of Evan¡¯s heart.

    She was a lost deer, lonely waiting for help.

    After being soaked in the rain, ine¡¯s dress was tightly attached to her body, perfectly outlining her figure.

    Even though Evan didn¡¯t mean to, his eyes were naturally drawn to her and stopped there.

    Probably because he was too close, Evan noticed that the light blue dress that ine was wearing was a little thin. Soaked in rain, it even became slightly see-though.

    With the distance between the two, Evan could vaguely see ine¡¯s under garments beneath her dress. It was white, suspended, and simply¡­ lovely.

 Chapter 467: Dress, Undergarments and Socks

    <h4>Chapter 467: Dress, Undergarments and Socks</h4>

    From their style, ine was still very conservative, going for a cute style.

    It wasn¡¯t that much in harmony with her image of unrestrained violence, when she was about to bite his neck at any moment. Perhaps it was this contrast that made it so intriguing.

    Evan blinked and this absurd idea came naturally to his mind.

    All things considered, ine wasn¡¯t really doing a great job being an ¡°EVIL¡± vampire. She didn¡¯t even bite a single person, although she almost fainted in the street because she was too hungry.

    When she finally made up her mind to bite Evan, while it would have fed her slightly, it was really just to give him back her precious First Embrace

    She had always believed that the main reason Evan refused to ept her First Embrace was that, like her, he was afraid of pain.

    Anyway, Evan could only admit that ine was a good girl.

    He shook his head hard and tried not to think about these strange things, focusing on solving the current situation.

    Wearing such a light fabric dress was perfectly normal in summertime, with all the heat and sweat. But if they happened to get wet, things could get somewhat embarrassing¡­

    Well, if no one was close enough to stare rudely at the girl wearing the dress, there would be no problem.

    However, poor Evan had little space in this tiny room. With his bed, a desk and a tiny closet filling it, Evan couldn¡¯t help but be close, too close to ine.

    The bed was facing the door, and another one leading to the bathroom was opposite to the wardrobe.

    Evan was stuck in this space, and ine was less than two feet away from him. If he stepped back any further, he would fall in his bed!

    The two looked at each other up close, and he started to feel more and more nervous.

    ine was immersed in the great joy of seeing Evan again, and did not notice anything wrong. She talked excitedly about her experience during the period when they didn¡¯t see each other, among other interesting things.

    Evan, on the other hand, was stuck thinking about her reaction if she noticed what went through his mind. Perhaps¡­ she wouldn¡¯t mind?

    However Evan felt that he could not go on like this. Although he only saw her white underwear dimly and there was nothing unusual, he started to feel more and more trapped.

    He tried to point his eyes away, but he didn¡¯t know where to put them.

    He even wanted to say something about this, but he was not sure what to say. This was too embarrassing.

    The rain outside was still rattling down. It was the first time that rain felt like so much trouble to Evan. After all, it¡¯s not on all rainy days that you have a vampire in your room.

    For some reason, he couldn¡¯t get his mind away from ine¡¯s dress. He remembered that Hermione also had a sky-blue dress, which she bought in Francest summer.

    After the summer vacation that year, they met again in Diagon Alley.

    Hermione, who had just returned from a holiday in France, was wearing that long dress and a light yellow dome straw hat on her head. Her skin was tanned to a healthy wheat color, elegant and somewhat glowing, looking full of sunshine vitality.

    That was a moment that would never be forgotten; one glued to Evan¡¯s memories. However, he never saw Hermione wear that dress again.

    She seemed to prefer handsome jeans or witches¡¯ robes over such cute dresses.

    Evan once again tried to take his mind off such a silly matter, only to find himself wondering; what if¡­ rain poured on that day as well?

    ¡°Evan, we must hurry up!¡± ine seemed determined and suddenly said, ¡°I have to go back before the Quidditch final starts, so my uncle can¡¯t find me here. We don¡¯t have much time, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on! What are you going to do?¡± Evan asked subconsciously.

    Why her words did not sound right? What did she mean by ¡®hurry up ¡®?

    ¡°The First Embrace of course, I went back and asked others. They didn¡¯t feel any pain!¡± ine quickly replied, ¡°I checked a lot of information to make sure there¡¯s no problem. Just lie down and let me take a bite.¡±

    Looking at her two pointy canines, Evan was drawn back from his fantasy to reality.

    Only then did he realize that ine, whom he had not seen for more than half a year, had not changed at all.

    Even the topic was exactly the same asst time, and she was ready to bite him.

    Nonchnt, only ine would casually say such shocking words.

    ¡°Hurry up, Evan! I don¡¯t like that Voldemort guy,¡± ine urged. ¡°I think you¡¯re the one mentioned in the prophecy that can help us, and my uncle is beginning to recognize it, and he will definitely choose you if you get stronger.¡±

    After getting the First Embrace to be a vampire, his magic would increase to a certain extent.

    Coupled with the use of blood-specific magic, it would really improve the strength in a short period of time. But in the long run, the way to gain this power was not secure.

    Because it was too dependent on the blood and the magic it contained, the shorings were also obvious.

    After thest time he had seen ine, Evan specifically studied books on vampires, so he knew a lot.

    In his view, vampires were special wizards with obvious advantages and disadvantages.

    Considering the wizarding world¡¯s perception of vampires and their obvious weaknesses, Evan would never choose the Embrace.

    ¡°I told youst time, I¡¯m not going to be a vampire!¡± Evan said in a firm tone, ¡°Believe me, my strength will grow at its own pace and one day I will be on par with Voldemort, and even exceed him!¡±

    ine looked at Evan carefully and seemed to be feeling something. ¡°Your magic has really improved a lot. I can feel it, just like¡­¡±

    Her words were not finished, and she suddenly sneezed.

    Because she was still soaked in rain water, she had been shivering since she came in. Now, it started taking a toll on her.

    On her pale face, Evan couldn¡¯t see a trace of blood.

    With the rapid evaporation of rainwater and further heat being taken away, the feeling of cold would be more obvious.

    That was not good. With ine¡¯s soft body, it was easy to catch a cold, and her clothes must be dried.

    Fortunately, this only required a little spell, and ine would surely do it.

    ¡°Stop it. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you go on like this. I¡¯ll get you some hot cocoa, coffee or something!¡± Evan said, ¡°You dry your clothes and wait for me in the room. Don¡¯t run out.¡±

    When ine nodded, Evan turned and left the room.

    He sighed heavily and quickly went downstairs to find Kreacher.

    At this time, the tent was quiet and everyone was sleeping in preparation for staying upte at night to watch the World Cup.

    Only Evan was awake. He walked lightly to the kitchen and returned to the room with the hot drink Kreacher had given him.

    Fortunately, he was not noticed and there was no need to exin anything.

    Closing the door, Evan panted, and his heart, which he had been carrying, finally rxed.

    But, in the blink of an eye, what did he see? ine was bathing in the bathroom inside his room.

    There was nothing wrong with that. After being drenched, it was really necessary to take a shower. But what about the clothes that were left outside the door?!

 Chapter 468: Another Knock on the Door

    <h4>Chapter 468: Another Knock on the Door</h4>

    The drizzle brought a touch of coolness to the hot summer weather.

    Tonight¡¯s Quidditch World Cup finals shouldn¡¯t be affected by this, but at this time, Evan¡¯s room was witnessing something else entirely.

    Time had passed very slowly and seemed to have frozen right then.

    Vapor slowly rose from the cup in Evan¡¯s hand and filled the room with the sweet aroma of chocte.

    Perhaps because of the steam, Evan felt that the temperature inside the room was rising rapidly.

    Soon, it became very sultry, like the greenhouse at noon, making him feel smothered in his clothes.

    Evan stood with the hot drink in his ce, staring at the small pile of clothes ine had left outside the bathroom door.

    The sound of the water inside mixed with the sound of the rain outside the tent, bing indistinguishable.

    As mixed as the sound were Evan¡¯s thoughts, which were all stirred together. He couldn¡¯t understand them, nor could he stop them.

    He blinked to make sure he wasn¡¯t dreaming, for this turn of events was really unexpected.

    Who could have thought that ine would actually take a bath in his room?!

    Who would have thought that she would actually leave all her wet clothes outside?!

    It¡¯s true that ine was really attractive, regardless of her vampire status and her wicked desire of biting him at anytime.

    Of all the girls Evan met, none was more beautiful than her.

    For no reason, his mind naturally went to ine in the bathroom at this time.

    Petite body, smooth snow-like skin, porcin doll-like face, wine red eyes full of charm, and¡­

    No, he couldn¡¯t think of it anymore!

    Evan had a headache. This girl was really troublesome. She had nomon sense at all!

    He didn¡¯t know what to say or what to do.

    Fortunately, everyone was sleeping now, and there were only them in the room. If someone else came over, it would be too embarrassing.

    If he and ine were to be discovered in this room, it would be an inexplicable situation.

    Evan looked back. Fortunately, he had locked the door, and no one coulde in.

    He just breathed a sigh of relief, and immediately thought: ¡®What am I doing?!¡±

    Why did he look back at the lock as if something was really going to happen?

    He just went out to get her a drink. Who would have thought that would happen? Everything was not what Evan wanted to happen. He was forced to ept it helplessly.

    Still, would anyone believe that?!

    Maybe it was not a good idea to get a vampire in his room on a rainy day.

    All in all, Evan now only hoped that ine would leave immediately after taking a bath and not be seen by anyone.

    In particr, he must not let Hermione see the current situation in his room.

    He stood there for a long time before he decided to pretend he hadn¡¯t seen the pile of clothes at the door.

    ¡°ine, are you taking a shower inside?¡± Evan asked in a voice that was as in as possible, putting the cup on the table.

    ¡°Yes, I came in when I saw the bathroom!¡± ine said. ¡°When my clothes got wet in the rain, they became very sticky.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then I¡¯ll put the drink on the table, and you wille out to drink after washing.¡± Evan nced again at the pile of clothes at the door.

    The dialogue was mundane, and none of it was what Evan really wanted to say. He actually wanted to ask her why she had put her clothes there.

    Her clothes were all outside the door. How could she get out after the bath?!

    Thinking of this, Evan felt that he should leave quickly and give her room and time.

    Just then, ine¡¯s voice came from the bathroom. ¡°Oh, my clothes!¡±

    The girl seemed to have just noticed that she left her clothes outside the door.

    There was an embarrassing silence, and there was no sound in the bathroom for a long time.

    ine must be shy,ckingmon sense. She also knew this kind of situation was not quite right.

    ¡°ine, I¡¯ll go out,¡± Evan answered before she continued.

    He heard someone moving around inside the corridor. Harry seemed to be out of the room side going to do something.

    Maybe he was hungry and wanted to find something to eat in the kitchen downstairs. Or perhaps, he couldn¡¯t sleep and wanted to find someone to chat with; which would truly be the worst case scenario.

    If they all came out of their rooms, then how could ine be sent out without being seen?

    Evan was considering the use of Apparition. Although he didn¡¯t¡¯ have permission, he knew the principle of this magic.

    After a few minutes of suffering, Harry dragged his heavy footsteps back to his room.

    Evan sighed with relief. Fortunately, it was not discovered.

    ¡°Evan, could you bring me the clothes outside?¡± ine seemed to have finally gathered the courage to suddenly say, ¡°Trough the crack of the door!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see!¡± ¡°Evan responded.

    Her proposition came at its time. Now that Harry was awake, he could hear them at any moment. In case he saw anything¡­

    Although he had done nothing, Evan felt guilty as if he was a thief.

    Perhaps the right thing to do was to shove these clothes through the crack of the door and give them to ine.

    Moreover, he was taking her clothes at her own request.

    Evan held his breath and walked to the small pile of clothes soaked by rain on the ground.

    There were not many clothes, a light blue dress, a pair of white socks, and underwear hidden underneath.

    He hadn¡¯t noticed before that there were pink ornaments sewn on them and some frills and designs.

    They were all Muggle clothes, like what most young Muggle girls of her age would opt for at the time.

    Evan stared at the clothes for a while, and his first feeling was that ine was so slim. How did she wear these exquisite clothes?!

    Evan shook his head. Now was not the time to think about these things.

    He took a deep breath and reached directly for the wet clothes.

    They were very light, and even the light blue dress didn¡¯t seem to have much weight.

    The cloth was also very soft, and he didn¡¯t know what material it was.

    Evan¡¯s head was nk; there was no time to think about anything else.

    He felt that his face was a little red, so he rushed to shove these clothes through the crack in the door to ine.

    But why didn¡¯t ine open the door? He couldn¡¯t just barge in like that.

    Inside, ine was equally troubled.

    But before their struggle was allowed to carry on, there was another knock at the door of Evan¡¯s room.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Evan hurriedly asked, nervous to the extreme, was it Hermione?!

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Master Evan!¡± Kreacher¡¯s voice came in. ¡°There¡¯s ady looking for you. I¡¯ve brought her up.¡±

    There was another girling¡­ What was going on?!

 Chapter 469: Pure Evan

    <h4>Chapter 469: Pure Evan</h4>

    After Kreacher finished speaking in his monotonous, stiff voice, there was a stifling silence in the room.

    Evan held ine¡¯s clothes and stared at the door.

    Another person came to find him. When? How? Why?!

    He did not expect that so many people woulde to visit him today. In the rain, they came in one after the other; all girls!

    If it were another asion or another time, Evan would certainly wee them.

    But in the current situation, no matter who was outside, the situation in the room was not suitable for her toe in, especially not with all of ine¡¯s clothes in his hands!

    In all fairness, Evan just wanted to return these clothes to ine. But if he was seen, no matter how hard he tried to exin, no one would believe that things were just that simple.

    A boy and a girl, alone in a cozy chamber in a tent; the petite and lovely ine didn¡¯t wear anything, and her clothes were all in Evan¡¯s hands¡­ If it was just an ident, would anyone be ready to believe it?!

    No matter how Evan would try to put it, this was a crime scene!

    Evan nced at the clothes in his hand and quickly looked away as if he saw himself being hanged by them!

    He would rather face an evil god that had seeded toe to the world or Voldemort after regaining strength over dealing with these things.

    The dress, the pair of cotton socks and underwear, which did not weigh much, were now as heavy as lead.

    In particr, the thought that these were all ine¡¯s clothes¡­

    These clothes, including ine¡¯s dress, underwear, and socks, were all wet¡­

    Evan gulped. If only ine would quickly open up the door to pick up the clothes, he would have no more reason to hold on to them.

    He was now nervous, and ine hiding in the bathroom was even more nervous than him.

    She was very ufortable just because her clothes were sticking after being wet, and she wanted to take a shower when she saw the bathroom.

    The confused ine forgot that Evan was here too. She took all her clothes off and put them at the bathroom door.

    It was toote to think of itter. She hesitated for a long time before she summoned up her courage, and decided to ask for them though the crack of the door.

    After asking Evan for that, ine was already in awe of her own courage, never expecting herself to be so bold.

    Now that she heard that someone was about toe in, she dared not speak, let alone open the door.

    ine curled up tightly with her legs in her arms like a cute kitten. She hid herself in the tub, bubbling noisily.

    It was hard to believe that this shy little girl was actually a vampire.

    Outside, Evan wanted to exin to ine, ask her to open the door and take her clothes.

    But this was not something that could be exined clearly in a few words. Kreacher and the visitor were still standing outside the door.

    The sound instion in the tent wasn¡¯t very good. Evan could say nothing.

    ¡°Knock Knock Knock.¡± With so much time passing, Kreacher knocked at the door again.

    ¡°Master Evan, this youngdy wants to see you!¡± Kreacher said, puzzled.

    ¡°I, I know!¡± Evan replied.

    It was impossible to go on like this. It wouldn¡¯t work if he didn¡¯t make any noise and pretend he was not here. Kreacher knew he was inside.

    It seemed that he could only say that he had something to do, let Kreacher and the visitor leave, and deal the trouble in the room first.

    ¡°Who is it? I am taking a shower. I can¡¯t just¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, I am Gabrielle Dcour!¡± The voice of a girl passed over. ¡°That¡¯s fine. If you¡¯re in the shower, I¡¯ll wait for you here for a while.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Gabriel. Why is that girl here?!¡±

    Evan remembered the cute girl who looked like a Ve, with her angelic face and the sweet smile on her lips.

    Gabrielle and ine wereplete opposites in many ways, although both were equally innocent.

    Because of her vampire lineage, ine had an indescribable wicked temperament. Those wine-red deep pupils could easily get people imperceptibly immersed in them. That, along with her pale skin and subtle powerful magic, made her beauty feel rather risky.

    Compared with her, Gabrielle was more like a girl next door. Affable, no matter what happened, she would show a bright smile that could even melt ice and snow.

    The Ve in her on the other hand had its own temptation that could pull in anyone. She would not have that temptation willingly, but it did exist and was very lethal.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help recalling that he was at Beauxbatons Campus two months ago, Gabrielle holding him, the girl¡¯s cold hands, lovely smiles and sweet scent.

    Evan wasn¡¯t sure if it was Gabrielle or the smell of milk, but it was all mixed up and imprinted in his mind.

    Of course, it didn¡¯t matter whether it was milk or anything else. Now it was not the time to think about who was the more beautiful.

    With Gabrielle¡¯s own gics making her so attractive, Evan felt this wasn¡¯t really his fault either¡­ he had no idea how things had turned out like this.

    Evan was a pure and good boy. Whether for Gabrielle or ine, he had no evil thoughts.

    If it were Hermione, he could consider¡­

    Thinking of Hermione, Evan became sober.

    Looking at the clothes in his hand, he knew it was a misunderstanding that could not be exined.

    He just wished this was just a dream that coulde to an end.

    It was certainly not an option to leave Gabrielle standing outside the door and wait for him. That would rm the others and they would rush over to be with her.

    Everyone would stick at Evan¡¯s door. How would he exin ine¡¯s presence in the room?

    Evan just told Gabrielle that he was taking a bath, but there with a girl in the room, how could he bathe?!

    If that was the case, it was obviously to make this misunderstanding more difficult to exin. And in case Hermione was rmed, that would really¡­

    Evan immediately made a decision and had to let Gabrielle in. Then quickly, he had to get rid of the two girls before the others woke up.

    Considering that Harry had just woken up, Evan knew he had to hurry. If Gabrielle stayed in the corridor for one more second, the risk would be even greater.

    As for ine, he had to leave her hiding in the bathroom.

    There were also these clothes in his hands. Evan looked around and stuffed them directly under the bedding on his bed. He panted hard and adjusted the shape of the bedding several times to make it look more natural.

    Then he tried to adjust his breath and walked over to open the door.

    Outside the door, Gabrielle, wearing a Beauxbatons uniform, stood ufortably behind Kreacher.

    When she saw Evaning out, she had a glimmer of joy in her eyes.

 Chapter 470: Where to Hide?

    <h4>Chapter 470: Where to Hide?</h4>

    ¡°Evan, I just heard some people say that you live here, so I thought,¡± Gabrielle said with delight.

    ¡°Come in and tell me what you want to say!¡± Evan dragged Gabrielle in.

    He leaned out and looked at both sides of the quiet corridor, then looked down at the house-elf Kreacher.

    ¡°Kreacher¡­¡± Evan said with a bitter smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Evan, Old Kreacher is a good house-elf and will never reveal his master¡¯s secrets.¡± Kreacher said in a rigid voice, looking at Evan with his muddy eyes.

    ¡°Very well, don¡¯t tell anyone about this!¡± Evan nodded, a little embarrassed.

    If Kreacher asked, he really didn¡¯t know how to exin it to this house elf.

    The house-elf bowed to him and disappeared from the spot with a thud, and Evan took a deep breath, locked the door and looked back at Gabrielle, who was a little embarrassed.

    She blushed slightly and she hadn¡¯t expected Evan to drag her directly into his room. ¡®Why did he lock the door? Isn¡¯t that a bit too strange?!¡¯

    Gabrielle looked around at the decorations in the room and wondered if she should sit down. The atmosphere was a little awkward.

    In fact, Evan was even more nervous than her, for fear of being discovered.

    He, the prodigy, was alone in a room with ine the vampire, naked, which was enough to make the front page of The Daily Prophet.

    ¡°Gabrielle, why are you here?¡± Evan asked absently. His mind was still with the one in the bathroom.

    He also didn¡¯t know how ine was doing in there. He hoped she wouldn¡¯t make any noise.

    ¡°I heard from others that you live here, and I wanted toe and say hello!¡± Gabrielle blushed and said, ¡°Last time you came to Beauxbatons, you didn¡¯t talk to me. I only heard about you from my sister.¡±

    Gabrielle seemed to have some regrets, but in Beauxbatons, Evan actually spent most of the time with her.

    However, he was in the form of Animagus, which Gabrielle did not know. She thought that it was an ordinary ck cat.

    ¡°Last time something unexpected happened, I was going to meet you.¡± Evan said embarrassingly, remembering the past.

    ¡°It was all the fault of those guys, and I didn¡¯t expect them to be so unfriendly. Later, after you left, Madame Olympe Maxime specifically talked about this, and she punished all the senior students involved.¡± Gabrielle exined.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan nodded. He heard Sirius say this.

    No matter who was right or wrong, Beauxbatons was responsible for the unpleasant things that happened during Evan¡¯s visit as a guest.

    Madame Maxime had to make a gesture to give Dumbledore, Evan and Hogwarts a satisfactory reaction.

    However, Evan never took this matter to heart, and he did not suffer any loss anyway.

    After Gabrielle finished, there was a moment of silence in the room.

    What Evan was thinking about now was how to get Gabrielle out of here as soon as possible, rather than continuing the conversation.

    ¡°By the way, Evan, have you received my letters?¡± Gabrielle asked nervously.

    ¡°Yes, I have. I¡¯ve been busy before, so I had no time to reply.¡± Evan nodded.

    During the time he and Sirius were in Beauxbatons and the Albanian forest, Gabrielle¡¯s letters were all received by the house elf Dobby for him.

    It was only when he came back a few days ago that he saw the letters, over twenty of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. When I did not receive answers, I thought I hadn¡¯t received them or something happened.¡± Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief.

    She and Evan nced at each other, and the two hurriedly moved away. The space was full of strange atmosphere.

    Gabrielle seemed to find it strange to talk while standing like this all the time.

    The next second, she hesitated and walked to the bed, ready to sit down and make herself a bit morefortable.

    ¡°Hold on, Gabrielle, don¡¯t sit there!¡± Evan hurriedly said, his heart pounding. He rushed as fast as he could to stop her.

    If she sat by the bed, she could easily feel and find out what he was hiding in the bedding.

    ine had all her clothes inside, all of them! Evan really didn¡¯t know how to exin it.

    Maybe Obliviate was his best option.

    ¡°Evan?!¡± Gabrielle looked at him in surprise, not knowing what was going on.

    ¡°I, I am used to sitting on the bed, you sit on the chair!¡± said Evan stiffly.

    He had no regard for anything else. He sat directly on the quilt and could feel the bulging of ine¡¯s clothes below. Thinking of the girl¡¯s dress, socks and underwear under him, Evan dared say that his face was definitely red.

    It was really bad luck today. What was this all about?!

    Gabrielle seemed to have a lot to say to him, but Evan had no thoughts at all.

    Thinking that Hermione mighte down at any moment, he was now like an ant on a hot pot, anxiously desperate.

    In the room, the awkward silencested longer and the atmosphere became more and more weird.

    Gabrielle hesitated and slowly sat on the chair, looking curiously at Evan.

    She had an illusion that something was wrong with Evan, as if he were hiding something.

    Or perhaps, was he just nervous? He probably never expected her.

    ¡°Evan, did you just say you were taking a bath?¡± She looked around and turned her eyes to the bathroom.

    ¡°I just put the water in and was about to wash!¡± Evan said stiffly, shifting the topic, ¡°Gabrielle, why are you here by yourself? Where¡¯s your sister Fleur?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in the tent. I just wanted toe and say hello to you.¡±

    Evan actually wanted to say that since she had seen him, she had to go, but Gabrielle did not seem to have this meaning.

    ¡°Your tent is very good; mine is not that big.¡± She whispered, ¡°There is a even bathroom in your room.¡±

    She stood up and seemed to want to look inside.

    Evan¡¯s heart was already in his throat. If Gabrielle entered the bathroom, she¡­

    He secretly decided that if he ever went out camping again, he had to find a humble tent rather than this kind of high-end one.

    ¡°Gabrielle, what would you like to drink?¡± Evan hurriedly said, blocking Gabrielle¡¯s way.

    ¡°Anything will do. Don¡¯t bother to prepare, if you have milk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it for you, no, let¡¯s go together!¡± Evan could not help but say, directly holding Gabrielle¡¯s little hand.

    Suddenly held by Evan, Gabrielle looked at him shyly, her face red, like a ripe apple.

    With Evan¡¯s bold move, her heart was pounding and banging, and she couldn¡¯t help thinking¡­

    What she thought about was the least of his concerns. First he took Gabrielle out to let inee out and put on her clothes.

    As for what if someone else found out, then he would find a way to exin it.

    But just as he took Gabrielle¡¯s little hand, there was a knock outside the door, and someone else came.

    Evan felt that he was going crazy. What was going on today?!

    This time, where should he hide Gabrielle?!

 Chapter 471: Physical and mental fatigue

    Chapter 471: Physical and mental fatigue

    Within ten minutes, two young girls had been crammed into the small room, one of whom had not yet been dressed.

    Evan didn''t want to say anything, feeling exhausted.

    He had never felt so tired and both physically and mentally exhausted as he was now.

    He would rather challenge a raging dragon than face two troublesome girls.

    The knock on the door pulled him back to reality, and Evan dared not imagine Hermione standing outside the door.

    What he needed to consider now was, where to hide Gabrielle?!

    The bathroom was definitely not good. As for the bed, there was no need to mention it. There was only a small wardrobe left in the room.

    With Gabrielle''s body being so small, it should not be a problem hiding her there.

    The question was how to exin to her why he wanted her to go in and hide?!

    Since Gabrielle came in, Evan''s actions had been very, very abnormal and aroused her suspicion.

    If he told her that because of an ident the visitor that hade before her was hiding in the bathroom, and in order not to be discovered by others, she had also to find a ce to hide, that should be the end of their friendship¡­

    Evan would not even be surprised if he were locked in Azkaban the following day.

    "Evan, is someone outside?" Gabrielle whispered. Her face was red and strange.

    After her hand was held by Evan, why did he stop in his tracks?! Also, why did he suddenly hold her hand tighter when someone knocked at the door outside?!

    Because they were too close now, she could feel Evan''s breath.

    Gabrielle''s heart was beating hard and many ideas came up to her mind.

    She felt her palms sweating and wanted to pull her hands out, but Evan held them tightly.

    Gabrielle couldn''t help but think of her sister''s usual reminder of her, and her private discussions with her friends, and her face was getting redder.

    There was no doubt that she was fond of Evan, but wasn''t this too fast?!

    She was not sure if she should shout out loud if Evan suddenly made any unexpected move towards her.

    The girl''s slender, slippery little hands were veryfortable to hold, but Evan didn''t have the heart to feel it.

    Knock Knock Knock. There was another knock at the door!

    "Yes, who is it?" Evan said. In the end, he did not shove Gabrielle into the wardrobe.

    "It''s me, Master Evan!" Kreacher''s stiff voice came in.

    Hearing that it was Kreacher outside, not Hermione, Evan breathed a sigh of relief.

    He hurried over to open the door and saw old Kreacher standing respectfully outside with a tray.

    There were three drinks and some beautiful cakes on it.

    "Master Evan, Old Kreacher has prepared drinks and cakes for you. Do you need anything else?!" Kreacher whispered. "Dinner is chicken, ham and boiled potatoes, but Kreacher doesn''t know the twodies¡­"

    "They won''t eat here!" Evan whispered, "Give me the te and don''te again if I don''t call you."

    He nced at Kreacher, re-locked the door, and returned to the room with the drinks.

    "This is a drink prepared for us by the house elf. Just hot milk!" he said to Gabrielle, whose face was red.

    "Oh!" Gabrielle said, and then wondered, "Why are there three cups?"

    "That''s because. .. " Evan said slowly. "When I drink milk, I am used to drinking two cups. "

    In the room, the two drank slowly, each with his own thoughts, and no one spoke .

    ine, soaked in the water, listened nervously to the noise outside, only to feel the water getting colder and colder.

    She tried to stand up and walk towards the door, trying to hear the sound outside .

    Within the room, the strange atmosphere continued .

    "Evan, I, I. .. " said Gabrielle hesitantly, shaking her warm milk cup.

    Her elder sister''s words were ringing in her ears again. ''If you meet a good boy you like, you must take the initiative. .. ''

    "I. .. " Gabrielle blushed and her voice became lower and lower.

    She was going to take the initiative as her sister said, but in fact she was terribly nervous.

    Just when Gabrielle was about to say everything at all costs, a thud came from the bathroom.

    ine identally fell down, and it was terribly painful, but she did not dare to shout.

    She covered her mouth with her little hand, and her eyes got filled with tears, as if she had been bullied miserably. . .

    Outside, Gabrielle stopped and looked at the bathroom with amazement.

    Evan stood up straight and he was just freaking out. He didn''t know what ine was doing inside. Couldn''t she just lie down in the water?!

    At this rate, he would be frightened to death sooner orter!

    "Maybe, maybe something fell!" Evan smiled bitterly.

    It didn''t matter whether Gabrielle believed it or not nor how clumsy the excuse was.

    He had no intention to continue this matter. He really couldn''t. He had to pull Gabrielle out directly.

    He turned around and stared at Gabrielle dumbfounded.

    Because she was too nervous, Gabrielle spilled milk on her body in the loud noise just now .

    The white viscous liquid, down her slim body. ..

    "No, sorry, I''ll sort it out!" Gabrielle said, hurrying to the bathroom.

    "Don''t go, I have a way!" Evan yelled out loudly in a hurry.

    He was already going crazy, wanting to cry without tears. If Gabrielle really entered the bathroom, it would be all over .

    Evan pulled out his wand as fast as he could. He should have done so long ago .

    Whatever secrecyws and regtions prohibited underage wizards from using magic outside school were nowpletely irrelevant .

    He only wanted to solve this problems, get the two girls out, theny in bed and have a good sleep.

    Evan lit his wand and a red light whirled out around Gabrielle.

    The milk stains on her clothes quickly disappeared and were quickly cleaned up.

    "Evan?!" Gabrielle looked at him in surprise.

    "Gabrielle, you have to go back, or your sister will worry!" Evan said hastily, interrupting her. "This semester, Hogwarts will host the Triwizard Tournament. If there''s anything we''ll talk then. Let''s go out now!"

    He added stress to thest sentence to remind ine in the bathroom.

    Then, regardless of Gabrielle''s consent or disagreement, he took her outside.

    In Evan''s hand, the wand lit white fluorescence, the magic continued, and a faint mist surrounded them.

    No matter how loud their voices were, actually no sound wasing, and no one would be rmed.

    Outside the tent, thunderstorm had stopped, and Evan and Gabrielle separated.

    The girl''s face blushed and she seemed to say something to him.

    Evan, who was extremely nervous, only nodded and did not hear the details clearly.

    Anyway, whatever it was, he had only one thought: to send her away as soon as possible!

    At the sight of Evan nodding, Gabrielle breathed a sigh of relief, a fresh smile reappeared on her face, and she suddenly became very happy .

    She came over and gave Evan a gentle hug, said goodbye, and turned away .

    Evan kept smiling and waving until Gabrielle disappeared before rushing back to his room as fast as he could .

 Chapter 472: Happiness and Departure

    Chapter 472: Happiness and Departure

    When Ivan returned to the room, ine had just gotten dressed and her little face was red.

    Her body was wet and not yet dry....

    They were both gasping for breath and looking at each other. The atmosphere in the room was ambiguous, both graceful and suffocating.

    The smell of steam and milk mingled, and the room was filled with a sweet odor.

    Under such circumstances, it seemed that anything could happen, as long as one of them was impulsive.

    In fact, Ivan was very impulsive now, and couldn''t take care of anything.

    He made up his mind to do something to ine who was not properly dressed....

    Ivan pointed his wand at her, and her wet clothes dried immediately.

    Just like Gabrielle, after many ups and downs, he sent the vampire away.

    ine had not forgotten about turning Ivan into a vampire, but so much had happened....

    Her face was as red as a red apple, and she didn''t have the courage or the nerve to stay here.

    He told Ivan that he would find time to return to him.

    Ivan, on the other hand, hoped not to see this girl.... ever again!

    ine was sent away in a daze, and Ivan returned to the empty room and felt exhausted like never before.

    Of course, the Quidditch World Cup, camp or whatever, was not right for him.

    The only good thing was that ine and Gabrielle''s visit was undiscovered.

    This matter was known only to him and Kreacher, and the house elf was to keep it a secret.

    Ivan fell heavily on the bed. He had no energy to think about what would happen in the night.

    Now he just wanted to sleep.

    The next second, he immediately got out of bed as quickly as possible.

    Ivan felt something under his feet and had a bad feeling.

    He lifted the quilt, and there were small, white, wet girl''s panties.... In her haste, ine forgot to put them back on.

    Ivan didn''t have time to think about her current embarrassment. She left that thing behind, what should she do with them?!

    Ivan looked at the underwear as if it were the most dangerous thing in the world.

    His previous judgment was not wrong. Slytherin was the most troublesome of them all!

    Whether it was Szar, Voldemort, ine, or other vampires, they were all very troublesome.

    After being stunned for a long time, Ivan sighed heavily.

    He carefully picked it up and stuffed it into his bag.

    He couldn''t put the underwear around. He had to keep it and return it to er.

    However, at the thought of having a girl''s underwear on him, Ivan fell helplessly.

    He dreamed of ine, Gabrielle and Hermione....

    In the evening, the sleeping Ivan was awakened by Hermione.

    "Get up, the game is about to start, we''re ready to go!" said Hermione with a smile.

    Ivan opened his eyes and blurredly looked at Hermione''s familiar smile, feeling an unprecedented kindness.

    He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed, feeling that it was a particrly long day.

    Or was he still in the dream?!

    "Ivan, do you look tired?" Hermione said with concern, then thought of something, "Don''t think about such things, today is the World Cup, a day to rx. You''re under a lot of pressure. Don''t worry about evil gods, Voldemort and vampires. No matter what the future looks like, we''ll face it together!"

    Hermione''s concern was very touching, but the future he said they would face together did not include the girl''s underwear!

    If it was possible, Ivan now wanted to hold Hermione tightly, and make time stand still.

    He hesitated for a moment. He moved quickly forward and took the initiative to hug Hermione.

    Hermione suddenly froze, and did not expect Ivan to do this.

    In fact, Ivan was also stunned and didn''t expect her to be so bold. For a moment, his body acted faster than his brain.

    "Ivan, what are you doing?" Hermione quickly shoved Ivan a little angrily, gritting her teeth.

    Ivan blinked and woke up immediately, wondering how to exin.

    Looking at Hermione''s face, he knew things were going wrong!

    The atmosphere became more and more tense. Neither of them spoke, and only looked at each other.

    A few secondster, Hermione suddenly leaned over and hugged Ivan gently, without any warning.

    Then she blushed and pulled her body away from his as fast as she could, just as Ivan could feel her warmth.

    "This won''t happen again!" She said in a whisper....

    A few minutester, when Ivan and Hermione came downstairs, everyone was waiting in the small dining room downstairs.

    They were discussing the Quidditch World Cup and no one noticed anything unusual.

    Everyone finished their dinner excitedly and headed for the World Cup venue.

    At that point, even the summer air of the camp seemed to shiver with excitement.

    With theing of night, thest vestiges of light disappeared: the Ministry of Magic seemed to have given in to the inevitable and stopped fighting the signs of magic that now burst everywhere brazenly.

    Now, it was filled with a festive atmosphere. Vendors appeared every few yards, carrying trays and pushing carts full of extraordinary goods.

    Among them were luminous rosettes, green for Irnd, red for Bulgaria. Carrying them, they shouted the names of the yers every few seconds.

    There were pointy green hats adorned with dancing shamrocks, Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that actually roared, gs of both countries that yed their national anthems as they waved, and little models of Firebolts that actually flew.

    There were also collectible figurines of famous yers walking around in the palm of his hand, preening.

    "I''ve been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron said.

    The group strolled leisurely through the vendors, and Ron frantically shopped for souvenirs.

    While he bought a dancing clover hat and arge rosette, he also bought a small figurine of Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker.

    The miniature Krum walked back and forth on Ron''s hand, frowning at the green rosette above him.

    Ivan wasn''t interested in such contraptions. He and Hermione were at the tail end of the group.

    Though the two said nothing, Ivan felt a deep sense of happiness, like never before.

    "Wow, look at this!" said Harry, running over to a cart piled high with what looked like brass binocrs, except they were covered with all sorts of strange knobs and dials.

    "Take a look, these are omniocr," the salesman said enthusiastically. "You can repeat the action...slow it all down...and they show you a y-by-y breakdown if you need it. Offer; ten galleons each. "

 Chapter 473: Quidditch World Cup

    Chapter 473: Quidditch World Cup

    ¡°Oh my God, with the Omniocrs we can clearly see the situation inside the stadium. Wish I hadn¡¯t bought this now,¡± said Ron, gesturing at his dancing shamrock hat and gazing longingly at the Omniocrs.

    ¡°Give me four pairs,¡± said Harry firmly to the wizard.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, Harry! Don¡¯t bother,¡± said Ron, going red.

    He had always been touchy to this kind of thing and didn¡¯t want to spend Harry¡¯s money.

    Although he knew that Harry had inherited a small fortune from his parents and was much richer than he was, it really hurt his self-esteem.

    Whenever Evan or Harry did this, it made him feel bad, very embarrassed.

    Especially when he just heard the price that the saleswizard said, the pair of Omniocrs would cost ten Gold Galleons!

    ¡°Take it! You won¡¯t be getting anything for Christmas!¡± Harry said to him with a smile, thrusting Omniocrs into Ron¡¯s hand, ¡°For about ten years, mind!¡±

    ¡°Fair enough!¡± Ron grinned and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was a Christmas present, he could take the Omniocrs with ease of mind.

    When Harry walked to the back of the team with Omniocrs ready to give them to Evan and Hermione, the two of them were studying apetition note.

    Hermione thought it was necessary to buy it to help them quickly understand what was going to happen.

    ¡°Thank you, Harry!¡± Hermione took the Omniocrs. ¡°I see it says here that there is a mascot performance before thepetition starts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we can see better with Omniocrs.¡±

    ¡°No need to use Omniocrs, I know a magic that can make everyone see very clearly!¡± Evan said, ¡°It¡¯s very convenient, it¡¯s more convenient than using them, and the horizon is more open.¡±

    ¡°That sounds interesting. Please teach me, Evan!¡± Harry said quickly.

    ¡°Hold on, you can¡¯t do this. Underage wizards are not allowed to use magic outside school. It¡¯s forbidden.¡± Hermione raised her head and looked at Evan suspiciously. ¡°You certainly won¡¯t use it, will you?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan replied quickly.

    He turned his head and saw that Harry was secretly making a face to him: Don¡¯t mess with Hermione when ites to obeying the rules.

    After years of contact, everyone had bepletely ustomed to it.

    More than half an hourter, after each of them had bought a lot of souvenirs, they set off again for the Quidditch field.

    Mr. Weasley was in the lead carrying and Irish g.

    Sirius gave everyone a green rosette, as they all supported the Irish team.

    He, in fact, seemed to be the most enthusiastic member of the team.

    Sirius, Fred and George excitedly discussed some topics andughed from time to time.

    The effects of the past 13 years of imprisonment in Azkaban were gradually being shaken off him.

    In recent days, it had been harder and harder to see the old dull and mncholic look on his face.

    Time seemed to have reversed on him, and affection and happiness were creeping magically into his heart.

    With the recovery of physical condition, Sirius gradually returned to the handsome and popr look of his youth.

    Evan, who knew about the past, knew that Sirius was very popr when he was young.

    In school, many girls liked him secretly, just like Evan now.

    Although the future was full of ups and downs, this moment he watched Harry and Sirius and everyone¡¯s cheerful figure, as well as the beautiful smile on Hermione¡¯s face, Evan felt an unprecedented peace of mind.

    No matter what the difficulties he had, he was confident that he could ovee them.

    He had changed the future, and it would continue to change and make up for all the regrets.

    In the distance, a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods.

    Thousands of green and rednterns zed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field.

    Hurrying into the wood, following thentern-lit trail, they could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them.

    Evan heard shouts,ughter, and snatches of singing.

    The atmosphere of feverish excitement was highly infectious, and soon, each of them couldn¡¯t help grinning.

    They walked through the woods for twenty minutes, talking and joking loudly, until atst they emerged on the other side.

    Then, they found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium.

    Even looking at it from a distance, only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field could be seen.

    Judging from the size of the area, it was no problem to install tenrge stands inside.

    This was too spectacr. The Ministry of Magic, which had always paid attention to secrecy, had really made an unexpected grand scene.

    ¡°A hundred thousand seats,¡± Mr. Weasley proudly exined to everyone, ¡°The Ministry of Magic hired 500 staff members to work on it for a whole year, day and night, before the final construction waspleted.¡±

    This was absolutely a near miraculous feat indeed.

    Although there was no machinery, wizards could do many things that Muggles were doomed to fail to do if they wished.

    The only regret was that such scenes were too few in the wizarding world.

    ¡°Look, there are Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. During this year, every time Muggles have got anywhere near here, they¡¯ve suddenly remembered urgent appointments, and had to dash away again. May God bless them.¡± said Mr. Weasley.

    He and Sirius led the way toward the nearest entrance, which was already surrounded by a swarm of shouting witches and wizards.

    ¡°Prime seats!¡± said the Ministry witch at the entrance when she checked their tickets. ¡°Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go. It¡¯s the best ce¡±

    The stairs into the stadium were carpeted in rich purple.

    They mbered upward with the rest of the crowd, which slowly filtered away through doors into the stands on both sides.

    Evan looked down all the way and felt that his eyes were running short.

    There were so many wizards here, too many people were shouting,ughing, and writhing wildly.

    He did not see ine and Gabrielle, and did not know where the two girls were.

    Evan followed Harry up the stairs and climbed to the top of the magnificent building.

    Ten minutester, he found himself in a small box.

    This was the highest stand in the stadium, facing the golden goal posts.

    Inside the box, there were about twenty purple-and-gilt chairs divided into two rows.

    They sat in the front row and looked down upon a scene the likes of which they could never have imagined.

    A hundred thousand witches and wizards were taking their ces in the seats, which rose in levels around the long oval field.

    Everything here was suffused with a mysterious golden light, which seemed toe from the stadium itself.

    The field looked smooth as velvet from their lofty position.

    At either end of the field stood three goal hoops, fifty feet high.

    Evan had never seen such a goal before. It was particrly awe-inspiring!¡±

 Chapter 474: Winky, the House-elf

    Chapter 474: Winky, the House-elf

    On the right side of the stand, almost at everyone¡¯s eye level, was a gigantic ckboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant¡¯s hand were scrawling upon the ckboard and then wiping it off again.

    It was shing advertisements for the audience.

    ¡®The Bluebottle: A Broom for All the Family! Safe, reliable, and with a Built-in Anti-Burr Buzzer!¡¯

    ¡®Mrs. Skower¡¯s All-Purpose Magical Mess Remover: No Pain; No Stain!¡¯

    drags Wizardwear ¨C London, Paris, Hogsmeade¡­

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s the logo of Hogwarts!¡± Harry suddenly shouted.

    After the drags Wizardwear advertisement, four animals appeared on the huge ckboard: the golden lion with red background, the copper eagle with blue background, the ck badger with yellow background and the silver snake with green background.

    They moved from all sides to the center and eventually converged to form aplete shield.

    The shield was branded on the piece of paper, and the letters below the ¡°Hogwarts Magic¡± shed.

    It was like a ribbon around the shield.

    ¡°God, what did I just see? Was it actually an advertisement for the Hogwarts Magic?!¡±

    Everyone turned around to look at Evan, and their excited little faces were full of disbelief.

    They didn¡¯t expect to see an advertisement of Hogwarts Magic on the spot of the World Cup matches at this level.

    This waspletely world-ss and beyond everyone¡¯s imagination.

    The publicity was very effective, and in just a few seconds, all the Wizards present who never heard of the newspaper learned about it.

    This meant that Hogwarts Magic would no longer be limited to Hogwarts and the British wizarding world. The newspaper has gone global just like that!

    Others who knew the newspaper creation process and the speed of its rise would definitely exim that this was a business miracle.

    ¡°Evan, how did you think about advertising in the World Cup?!¡± Fred said.

    ¡°This idea is absolutely fantastic!¡± George followed.

    ¡°The picture just now is the most exciting and shocking thing I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Harry also said excitedly.

    ¡°Promoting in the World Cup, how many Gold Galleons did it cost?¡± asked Ron.

    ¡°You should ask Hermione about these things. She and Professor Lupin agreed on this publicity.¡± Evan smiled and said, ¡°I just wrote to Professor Dumbledore for advice, and he allowed us to use Hogwarts¡¯s logo.¡±

    All eyes moved to Hermione, who looked shy but very proud.

    A few months ago, the Ministry of Magic began looking for advertising sponsors for the World Cup finals.

    Evan, Hermione, and Professor Lupin all considered that was an excellent promotional opportunity, especially during the period of rapid expansion of the newspaper.

    This was conducive to their brand building and public awareness.

    Despite its high cost, this publicity was to achieve unprecedented sess.

    After the appearance of the Hogwarts school logo, the entire stadium immediately set off a wave of carnival storms and entered the sea of joy.

    All Hogwarts students and graduates shouted excitedly, as if they were at home, until the ad disappeared.Wizards from other countries were discussing and asking about Hogwarts, the ancient School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, and Evan¡¯s newspaper.

    A few minutester, they tore their eyes away from the sign.

    So far, there were still no other people in the box but them. They were the first to arrive, except for a tiny creature sitting in the second fromst seat at the end of the row behind them.

    The creature, whose legs were so short they stuck out in front of it on the chair, was wearing a tea towel draped like a toga, and it had its face hidden in its hands.

    This was a house-elf.

    ¡°How could there be a house-elf here?¡± Ron said curiously.

    Evan¡¯s gaze also shifted to the back of the box, and he noticed it when he first came in.

    Not surprisingly, Batty Crouch Jr. sat next to the house-elf.

    He was controlled by magic, and if Evan walked over to take away his invisibility cloak, he could catch him.

    But ording to the current situation, this did not have any benefit for him, nor did it meet the ns of Evan and Dumbledore.

    Seizing Bartemius Crouch Jr. ahead of time would have little effect besides destroying his father, Barty Crouch.

    With the help of vampires, Voldemort¡¯s resurrection was almost inevitable.

    Even without the help of Barty Crouch Jr., they would n new plots, which would be even more troublesome.

    Instead, it was better to let the events develop in the direction that Evan was familiar with, so that they could be easily controlled.

    Voldemort must be allowed to use Harry¡¯s blood to resurrect, which was the only known way to defeat himpletely.

    Under such consideration, Evan did not move easily, but just looked at the house-elf and the empty seat beside her.

    Just as everyone turned their attention to Winky, the tiny creature looked up.

    It stretched its fingers, revealing a pair of enormous brown eyes and a nose the exact size and shape of arge tomato.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Winky just heard someone say Mr. Evan Mason¡¯s name.¡± squeaked the elf. Its voice was a teeny, quivering squeak of a voice.

    Her eyes wandered over them, and eventually fell on Evan with uracy.

    ¡°Yes, you must be Mr. Evan Mason. Winky knows you and has seen your photos in the newspaper!¡±

    squeaked the elf. She was shielding her face with her hands, as though blinded by light, even though the Top Box was not brightly lit.

    Seeing Evan nodded, she screamed excitedly.

    ¡°First, sir, my name is Winky!¡± She said excitedly, looking awestruck. ¡°Dobby talks of you all the time. He talked about your name all day long. He gave him a job. , gave him a new life.¡±

    ¡°Do you know Dobby?¡± Harry said in surprise.

    Hearing the question, Winky¡¯s eyes moved to Harry.

    Her dark brown eyes widened to the size of side tes as they rested upon Harry¡¯s scar.¡°God, you must be Harry Potter!¡±

    Everyone looked at the house-elf with interest, but it was unexpected that she knew everyone.

    ¡°Winky heard Dobby say you and Mr. Mason freed Dobby, you also defeated that man!¡± Winky lowered her hands slightly, ¡°Mr. Harry is as great as Mr. Mason, but meaning no disrespect, I is not sure you did Dobby a favor.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked in surprise.

    ¡°Freedom is going to Dobby¡¯s head, thinking about pleasure, sir, this is an unrealistic idea!¡± Winky said, she lowered her hands again. ¡°It¡¯s a shame for a house-elf. He even wants to get paid. Fortunately, Mr.

    Mason took him in. Otherwise, Winky really doesn¡¯t know what he would have be. Winky once told him that if he went racketing around like this, he would soon be arrested by the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, like somemon goblin.¡±

 Chapter 475: Evanâ€™s tracking magic

    Chapter 475: Evan¡¯s tracking magic

    Winky¡¯s perspective was that of the vast majority of house-elves, and those like Dobby were a minority.

    Long-term oppression had led them to form this erroneous and abnormal concept.

    The most terrible thing about the house-elves being ves of wizards was that they are okay with that themselves.

    Evan knew this, but the others didn¡¯t.

    When he heard Winky¡¯s words, Harry asked nkly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this, shouldn¡¯t he be paid?¡±

    Winky looked quite horrified at the idea and closed her fingers slightly so that her face was half-hidden again. ¡°House-elves are not paid, sir!¡± she said in a muffled squeak. ¡°It¡¯s the worst, worst idea. It is bad. It is a shame for us.¡±

    Hearing her words, Hermione raised her eyebrows. Evan knew it meant she was ufortable with what Winky was saying, and wanted something to be said.

    Indeed, she turned her eyes to Evan the next second, with an inquiring look on her little face.

    ¡°I paid Dobby, and he had holidays!¡± Evan whispered, ¡°Four Gold-Galleons a month and a day off.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all!¡± Hermione frowned more tightly. ¡°I never knew you were exploiting Dobby and being so cheap with him!¡±

    Evan wanted to give Dobby more Gold-Galleons and holidays, but the house-elf did not ept them at all.

    In fact, every time he asked him to do less or told him a few words of care, it would make him cry with his thighs in his arms.

    Over time, Evan surrendered and stopped asking him. For house elves, more work represented more happiness!

    But Hermione obviously didn¡¯t think so. From her expression, she seemed to think that Evan was squeezing cheapbor.

    She knew Dobby¡¯s job. He was Evan¡¯s full-time servant, avable 24 hours a day.

    With such a heavy workload, he could only get one Gold-Galleon a week. What was the difference between ves and him?

    Meanwhile, Harry¡¯s conversation with Winky continued.

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with getting paid. Dobby should also have some fun,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter!¡± said Winky firmly from behind her hands, looking angry, directly calling Harry¡¯s full name. ¡°House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, but my master sends me to the Top Box and Ies, Harry Potter!¡± She nced toward the edge of the box and gulped.

    ¡°Why has he sent you up here, if he knows you don¡¯t like heights?¡± Harry frowned discontentedly.

    ¡°Master, master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter. He is very busy,¡± said Winky, tilting her head toward the empty space beside her. ¡°Winky is wishing she is back in master¡¯s tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Unlike Dobby, Winky is a very good house-elf.¡±

    She gave the edge of the box another frightened look and hid her eyespletely again.

    There was a silence and everyone looked at each other. Only Hermione was frowning angrily.

    ¡°These house-elves are very strange, aren¡¯t they?¡± Ron muttered.

    ¡°She might be even weirder than Dobby!¡± Harry agreed.

    ¡°They just think too naively, but in essence they are not bad.¡± Evan said, ncing anxiously at Hermione, ¡°house-elves have their own way of life and customs, and we should not all high and mighty trying to interpret their views as we please, or even try to intervene.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if Hermione had listened, and hoped she wouldn¡¯te up with anything like saving house-elves and changing their world.

    But Evan turned to think, if Hermione didn¡¯t do that, she wouldn¡¯t be Hermione!

    This was one of Hermione¡¯s characteristics, and it was also part of her charm. Some things were meant to be and couldn¡¯t be changed anyway.

    Evan thought for a moment. Instead of worrying about Hermione, he had to do something within his grasp.

    He quietly pulled out his wand and pointed it at the empty seat beside Winky, and the subtle magic fell silently there.

    It was the tracking magic that allowed Evan to take control of his current position within a certain range.

    Voldemort and the vampires could save Barty Crouch Jr., but they couldn¡¯t make a big fight. The crazy things that urred at the fallen Centaurs¡¯ ruins couldn¡¯t happen here at the World Cup venue.

    Suddenly, Evan remembered: every time he saw the evil goding, in the end, because of theck of flesh and blood, it could not keep up the expansion speed of its huge body, which eventually led to its copse and the appearance of cracks.

    The expansion of the evil god seemed to be endless. What would it look like if there were 100,000 people to supply it with flesh and blood?! Probably the entirety of Ennd would be covered by it, and it might extend to the outside of the atmosphere.

    Such a monster would be horrifying!

    Soon, everyone¡¯s attention shifted from Winky to the Quidditch field.

    Ron pulled out his Omniocrs and started testing them, staring down into the crowd on the other side of the stadium.

    ¡°Wild!¡± he said, twiddling the rey knob on the side. ¡°I can make that old bloke down here pick his nose again ¡­ and again ¡­ and again ¡­¡±

    ¡°Hermione just said that a disy from the Team Mascots will precede the match. I wonder what that would be?¡± asked Harry curiously.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s always worth watching.¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°You¡¯ll be impressed by its ending.¡±

    ¡°This is the tradition of the World Cup. National teams bring creatures from their nativend to put on a bit of a show.¡± Sirius said to Harry, ¡°They are all very rare things. One year, they brought more than 30 phoenixes.¡±

    Dumbledore had a phoenix ¡°Fawkes¡±, a magical animal with golden feathers and strong magic power.The phoenix is very rare, with its origins in Egypt, India and China, and the phoenixes in different ces have slight differences.

    But on the whole, they are all very ornamental. It was hard to imagine what more than 30 phoenixes would look like flying around the field.

    The box filled gradually around them over the next half hour.

    Mr. Weasley kept shaking hands with people who were obviously very important wizards.

    Sirius mostly responded with a sneer. He sat in the corner and whispered to Evan about the wizards¡¯ past.In front of them, Percy jumped to his feet so often that he looked as though he were trying to sit on a porcupine covered with thorns.

    When Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself, arrived, Percy bowed so low that his sses fell off and shattered.

    Highly embarrassed, he hurriedly repaired the lens with his wand, and thereafter remained in his seat.

    When Cornelius Fudge greeted Harry like an old friend, Percy threw jealous looks at Harry.

    Then, Fudge saw Sirius and Evan sitting in the corner and approached them with a smile.

 Chapter 476: Simple Criteria for Selecting Friends

    Chapter 476: Simple Criteria for Selecting Friends

    ¡°Sirius ck, how have you beentely?¡± Fudge greeted Sirius with a smile.

    He put on a familiar look, but in fact they had only met a few times, and none of them left any pleasant memories.

    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s better outside than in Azkaban.¡± Sirius said coldly.

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see you now, and I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t help, and came to a conclusion without a fair trial, you know it was all advocated by <em>that man</em>,¡± Fudge said in a low voice. He nced in the direction of the house elf Winky, where Barty Crouch was. ¡°Your father and I were very good friends. What can I do for you? In fact, there¡¯s always a vacancy in the Auror office. If you¡¯re interested, you just need to ask! ¡°

    As a post-war tragedy hero, Sirius was now famous among ordinary people in the wizarding world.

    It was in Fudge¡¯s interest to woo Sirius to the Ministry of Magic to be an Auror.

    Needless to say, the ck family, as the oldest family of pure-blood wizards, had a strongwork and wealth.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it!¡± said Sirius.

    After receiving a satisfactory response, Fudge¡¯s eyes turned to Evan: ¡°Dear Evan, I am d to see you here. I just saw the advertisement of your newspaper. It¡¯s great!¡±

    He shook Evan¡¯s hand kindly in a fatherly fashion and asked him how he was.

    It was only a few minutester that Fudge returned to his ce.

    ¡°He and your father were friends?¡± Evan asked, sitting down.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of money. Pure blood wizards like my parents are friends with almost all senior officials of the Ministry of Magic. They are used to donatingrge sums of Galleons to these politicians to help them passws that are in their favor.¡± Sirius said contemptuously, ¡°One of my ancestors even tried to force the Ministry of Magic to pass a bill to legalize the hunting and killing of Muggles by wizards; that was the most absurd request!¡±

    This was indeed absurd, but it was in line with the interests and traditions of the pure blood wizard families.

    Old pure-blood families like the cks always try to hide behind the scenes, using wealth and family background as weapons, and skillfully manipting people in front of the stage to safeguard their interests, and threaten other wizards to obey their orders.

    This model had been running very well over the past few centuries.

    It was not until Voldemort¡¯s appearance that these pure blood wizard families discovered that they had screwed up.

    In the early days of Voldemort¡¯s rise, he was supported by many pure blood wizard families.

    Among them were Sirius¡¯s parents, they were proud of their son bing a Death Eater. They agreed with Voldemort¡¯s philosophy that the status of pure blood wizards was supreme.

    But when Voldemort gradually revealed his nature and murdered people everywhere, these pure-blood wizard families began to fear him.

    The rtionship between the two sides changed from allies to master and servant, and the pure-blood wizard families became a tool for Voldemort¡¯s expansion.

    No one dared to oppose him, nor did anyone dare to quit halfway. Death Eaters were not an organization one could join and quit at any time.

    The only end to going against the Dark Lord¡¯s will was death.

    There is no end to this road except destruction. That¡¯s why, after Voldemort¡¯s failure, many old pure-blood wizard families breathed a sigh of relief.

    Although after the war, their power and control over the wizarding world were not as strong as before, this was much better than following Voldemort madly to their death.

    Just then, another representative of the pure blood wizard families, the Malfoys, entered the box.

    Lucius Malfoy, like the past, looked at everyone in the box squinting with a high and mighty attitude. His cold gray-blue eyes lingered on Evan and Sirius for a while. Then, he moved away quickly.

    There was a sneer on his pale pointed face, which made him look very arrogant.

    Behind him were Draco Malfoy and his mother Narcissa Malfoy.

    ¡°Ah, Fudge!¡± said Lucius, holding out his hand as he reached the Minister of Magic. ¡°Hello, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?¡±

    ¡°How do you do, how do you do?¡± said Fudge, smiling and bowing to Mrs. Malfoy. ¡°Please allow me to introduce you to Mr. Onsk, Mr. Obalonsk. He¡¯s the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can¡¯t understand a word I¡¯m saying anyway, so never mind. And let¡¯s see who else¡­ You know Sirius ck?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Lucius turned to Sirius again with malicious eyes and said in a pretentious voice, ¡°I was surprised that he was released.¡±

    ¡°Oh, ck is innocent, and we¡¯ve proven it!¡± Fudge did not understand what he was talking about. ¡°It was all done by that evil Peter Pettigrew. Who would have thought he was the culprit?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Lucius whispered, ¡°But I think that some people are dangerous, even if they don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°MALFOY, IF YOU WANT A FIGHT, I¡¯LL TAKE YOU ON ANY TIME!¡± Shouted Sirius.

    His voice was so loud that everyone in the box turned to his side.

    ¡°Lucius didn¡¯t mean that, Sirius, I think you misunderstood, don¡¯t mind!¡± Fudge said nervously, ¡°Lucius has just given a very generous contribution to St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. He¡¯s here as my guest of honor!¡±

    It was Gold-Galleons again. Evan suddenly understood what Sirius had previously said.

    It seemed that it was really simple to be a friend of Fudge, as long as you had arge amount of gold.

    If he was to transform the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to have the function of turning stone into gold, controlling the Ministry of magic wouldn¡¯t be difficult.

    Under Fudge¡¯s gaze, Lucius Malfoy did not dare say anything out of line. He looked sarcastically at Sirius and everyone in that row of seats.

    The feeling was like being stared at by a poisonous snake.

    Then he continued down the line to his seats.

    Draco Malfoy followed his father and shot Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione one contemptuous look.

    One after another, people approached the box, and when it was full, Ludo Bagman rushed in.

    ¡°Everyone ready?¡± he said, his round face gleaming like a great, excited Edam. ¡°Minister¡­ ready to go?¡±

    ¡°Ready when you are, Ludo.¡± said Fudgefortably.

    Ludo nodded and whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat, and said ¡°<em>Sonorus</em>!¡± and then spoke over the roar of sound that was now filling the packed stadium.

    His voice echoed over them, booming into every corner of the stands.

 Chapter 477: The Temptation of the Veela

    Chapter 477: The Temptation of the Ve

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! Wee to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!¡±

    Just as Ludo Bagman finished, the audience burst into cheers and apuse.

    Thousands of gs waved at the same time, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The scene was very lively.

    The huge ckboard opposite the was wiped of itsst message (<em>Bertie Bott¡¯s Every vor Beans-A risk With every Mouthful!</em>) and now showed the score of the two teams BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

    ¡°All right, all right, and now without further ado, allow me to introduce¡­ the Bulgarian National team Mascots!¡±

    The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval.

    ¡°I wonder what they¡¯ve brought,¡± said Mr. Weasley, leaning forward in his seat. ¡°Aaah! Ve!¡± He suddenly whipped off his sses and polished them hurriedly on his robes.

    ¡°What are Vee¡­?¡±

    No one answered Harry, for a hundred Ve were now gliding out onto the field as everyone looked at them intently.

    Ve were women, the most beautiful women anyone had ever seen.

    Their skin shone moon-bright, and their white-gold hair fanned out behind them without wind.

    Each Ve had an aura of seduction about her, stirring everyone¡¯s hearts.

    Evan could not find the exact words to describe them, but felt that every second passing with him witnessing their beauty wouldn¡¯t have any better use.

    These morous perfect beauties were like an enhanced version of Fleur, with pairs of clear and bright big eyes, soft and full red lips, and charming and exquisite small noses between their pure and fair cheeks that were even more heart dazzling with the cute dimples on them.

    Each of them had a slender and graceful figure, soft jade arm like snow lotus root, graceful round slender smooth legs, and smooth delicate and athletic hips. They were really graceful.

    Looking at these charming Ve, all the men in the crowd wanted to step into the pitch.

    With the sound of cheerful music, Evan gradually shed off all the thoughts that were guing his mind, just staring ahead.

    The Ve started to dance, and his mind wentpletely and blissfully nk and felt extreme joy.

    All that mattered in the world was to keep watching the Ve, because if they stopped dancing, terrible things would happen¡­

    This was a kind of magic directly acting on the spirit, and a natural characteristic of the Ve.

    It might be because he had been invaded too many times by the spirit of evil gods, or because he was too familiar with Gabrielle and had developed immunity, or because he had seen ine¡¯s lovely face, or because he liked Hermione to the extreme¡­ In short, Evan immediately woke up from his daze.

    lumency, which he had practiced hard, naturally yed a role, shielding his mind against all external spiritual invasions.

    Beside him, Sirius looked at everyone with a smirk ready to watch the show.

    He was obviously very surprised at Evan¡¯s sudden soberness.

    Hermione and Ginny sat there, somewhat discontented; Ve¡¯s magic had no effect on girls.

    After these Ve appeared, the boys beside them suddenly seemed to be different people.

    Hermione turned her head and watched Evan closely, seeing that he was already awake before moving her eyes to Harry and Ron.

    Evan¡¯s loss in the Ve¡¯s beauty was too short lived, and thanks to his quick reaction, Hermione did not catch it, but Harry and Ron are not so lucky.

    The two seemed to be floating among the clouds by then.

    As the Ve danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started wandering through their dazed minds.

    Although Evan had been recently teaching Harry lumency, it obviously did not y any role.

    Harry felt dizzy and wanted to do something very impressive right now.

    Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea¡­ but would it be good enough?

    ¡°Harry, what on earth are you doing?!¡± Hermione finally couldn¡¯t help saying.

    The music stopped, and Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box.

    Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.

    Below, angry yells were filling the stadium. The crowd didn¡¯t want the Ve to go.

    Harry just stared at the Ve, while Ron was shredding the shamrocks on his hat.

    Mr. Weasley, smiling slightly, leaned over to Ron and tugged the hat out of his hands.

    ¡°Well, Ron, once Irnd have had their say,¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°You¡¯ll be wanting that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡± said Ron, staring at the Ve, who had now lined up along one side of the field.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong with you two?¡± Hermione made a loud tutting noise.

    She reached up and pulled Harry back into his seat, very dissatisfied with his reaction.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I only feel a nk inside my head!¡± Harry gasped.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you and Ron are too weak. Evan had nothing.¡± Hermione said, ¡°These girls are not mere humans, they are a kind of magical beings, don¡¯t be confused by their appearance. ¡°

    ¡°But they are really beautiful!¡± Ron said, ¡°They¡¯re the most beautiful girls I¡¯ve ever seen. I want to be with them forever!¡±

    ¡°If you want to marry a Ve, it is not impossible. Many people have done it,¡± said Evan. ¡°Ve are highly intelligent creatures. They can marry human wizards and have children. Only female offspring will inherit Ve¡¯s lineage.¡±

    Evan thought of Fleur and Gabrielle. Their grandmother was a Ve.

    ¡°That sounds good!¡± Ron nodded nkly.

    Looking at him, it is obvious that he is considering the possibility of marrying Ve.

    Although if they were not humans, they were so beautiful and weren¡¯t out of the question.

    It¡¯s known that Ve originated in a country near Bulgaria. They are a kind of deformable fairies.

    Usually, the wizards think that they live in forests,kes, mountains and clouds. They can be swans, horses, eagles, snakes or wolves, but they have the most attractive human form.

    When they be humans, they turn into beautiful young women who dance in the veil of the midsummer nights.

    Men would get obsessed with them and forget everything about the world, even to eat, drink and sleep.

    If any unfortunate soul was to join a Ve for a dance, he would have to dance until he dies of exhaustion.

    However, they are generally very friendly to human beings, treating diseases and predictions for them.

    If a Ve meets a satisfying human male, she could marry him and live happily together.

    But Ve have a temper, and they would not tolerate being cheated on. Those who fail to be loyal would be punished severely.

    Despite this, there are still many wizards who wish to marry a Ve¡­

 Chapter 478: The Game Begins

    Chapter 478: The Game Begins

    ¡°The Ve¡¯s performance was really good, and the Bulgarian National Team really brought great Mascots!!¡± roared Ludo Bagman¡¯s voice, ¡°But now, kindly put your wands in the air and wee The Irish National Team Mascots!¡±

    What seemed to be a great green-and-goldet came zooming into the stadium.

    It did onep around the stadium, and then split into two smallerets, each hurtling toward the goal posts.

    A rainbow arched suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light.

    The crowd oooohed and aaaaahed, as if watching fireworks.

    At this time, the rainbow faded and the balls of light reunited and merged to form a huge, shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar over the stands.

    Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it¡­

    ¡°Amazing!¡± yelled Ron, bending over and picking it up as if he were crazy.

    The shamrock soared over them, and heavy gold coins rained from it, bouncing off their heads and seats.

    Evan didn¡¯t look at the gold coins. He knew they were all fake.

    Even if they were real, he did not care.

    For Evan, who mastered advanced Alchemy, gold was the most useless of things.

    He looked up and carefully observed the shamrock in the sky, realizing that it was actuallyposed of thousands of tiny little bearded men in red vests, each carrying a minutemp of gold or green.

    ¡°Irish leprechauns!¡± Sirius whispered.

    They were very representative native creatures of Irnd, appearing in many fairy tales.

    The history of the leprechaun can be traced back to a long time ago, when this magical animal lived in the ancient ruins scattered in the countryside.

    Generally speaking, there are shamrocks around them that represent luck.

    Some say that this is because leprechaun¡¯s magic works. They make simple clothes out of shamrock leaves.

    Among all the magical creatures known to date, the leprechauns are the ones to most enjoy attracting Muggle attention to themselves.

    Therefore, they are heavily integrated into Muggle children¡¯s stories.

    They are very clever and speak the humannguage. More intelligent than the fairy and less malicious than the imp, the pixie, or the Doxy, the leprechaun is nevertheless mischievous.

    Leprechauns produce a realistic gold-like substance that vanishes after a few hours, just because they have great amusement when they look at the amazed expressions of wizards or Muggles.

    In the stadium, there was a tumultuous apuse of the crowd, many of whom were still fighting and rummaging around under their chairs to retrieve the gold.

    It¡¯s unbelievable that so many greedy fools naively believed that the gold coins were real.

    ¡°There you go!¡± Ron yelled happily, stuffing a fistful of gold coins into Harry¡¯s hands, ¡°For the omniocrs! Now you¡¯ve got to buy me a Christmas present, ha ha!¡±

    A few minutester, the great shamrock dissolved, the leprechauns drifted down onto the field on the opposite side from the Ve, and settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match.

    ¡°And now,dies and gentlemen, kindly wee the Bulgarian National Quidditch team! I will introduce to you, first of all, Dimitrov!¡± Ludo said loudly.

    A scarlet-d figure on a broomstick shot out onto the field from an entrance far below. He moved so fast it was blurred, winning the enthusiastic apuse of the Bulgarian supporters.

    With every Quidditch yer entering the stadium, there were cheers from the Bulgarian supporters.

    But when Ludo announced Viktor Krum, the entire venue was thunderous.

    Whether it was a Bulgarian National Team yer or not, most people were admirers of Krum.

    This reminded Evan of Lockhart. In his opinion, both of them were too shy, and only because of their false fame and rhetoric could they deceive girls.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s him, that¡¯s him!¡± yelled Ron, following Krum with his Omniocrs.

    Hearing his shouts, the others quickly focused their Omniocrs on him.

    Long before the Ve came in, Evan secretly used magic. He did not need to use Omniocrs, and he could now see clearly.

    Viktor Krum was thin, dark, and sallow-skinned, with arge curved nose and thick ck eyebrows. He looked like an overgrown bird of prey. It was hard to believe he was only eighteen. (T/N: Yes, I know this is different from the movies, but this is how he was described in the books.)

    He gave the impression that he was very strong, as if he often exercised outside and experienced the wind and the sun.

    Compared to Evan, who was a thin, scroll-like guy, the two people were not in the same style at all.

    ¡°And now, please greet the Irish National Quidditch Team!¡± yelled Ludo Bagman. ¡°Presenting¡­ Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand¡­ Lynch!¡±

    Seven green blurs swept onto the field. They all rode ¡°Firebolts.¡±

    Upon their backs, their names were embroidered in silver.

    ¡°And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!¡±

    A small and skinny wizard, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. He waspletely bald, but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon¡¯s.

    A silver whistle was protruding under the mustache, and he was carrying arge wooden crate under one arm, his broomstick under the other. He mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open. Four balls suddenly burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two ck Bludgers, and the miniscule, winged Golden Snitch.

    With a sharp st on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls, and the match officially began!

    This was indeed a world-sspetition. The Quidditch yers of both sides were of high standard and had great ornamental value.

    They used enough difficult moves to make Evan, ayman, enjoy the game.

    For the first time, he knew that Quidditch could be yed like that.

    Not to mention Harry, Ron and other Quidditch enthusiasts, who werepletely immersed in the game.

    The Irish team¡¯s level was obviously higher than that of Bulgaria¡¯s team. They made a ¡°<em>Hawkshead Attacking Formation</em>¡± and passed Bulgaria¡¯s national opponents with dazzling feints and quickly scored a goal.

    The leprechauns watching the game on the sidelines rose into the air again, forming a huge sparkling shamrock again.

    On the other side of the stadium, the Ve looked at them somberly.

 Chapter 479: A Chaotic Game

    Chapter 479: A Chaotic Game

    As the game continued, the Irish National Team quickly scored two more goals, and it was only ten minutes after the start of the game.

    In the stands, there was a thunderous tide of roars and apuse from the green-d supporters.

    Hermione and Ginny jumped up and down excitedly, waving their arms with everyone.

    The game was bing more intense, and more brutal.

    The Bulgarian Team changed their tactics. Volkov and Vulchanov, the Bulgarian Beaters, were whacking the Bludgers as fiercely as possible at the Irish Chasers, and were starting to prevent them from using some of their best moves.

    They fought harder, the surprise offensive tactic worked, and soon they scored Bulgaria¡¯s first goal.

    ¡°Fingers in your ears!¡± bellowed Mr. Weasley when he saw the Ve starting to dance in celebration.

    Below in the field, the Ve began to dance a very fast dance.

    These dances seemed to have magic. Their shouts went off sharply on the field, then came a louder cry.

    Before the Ve danced, Harry closed up his eyes.

    This time in the box, Ron was the only one who was charmed, and Mr. Weasley quickly stopped him. Otherwise, Ron was likely to jump off the stands.

    ¡°Look, Krum seems to have found the Golden Snitch!¡± Harry suddenly shouted.

    Everyone hurriedly watched the two yers, Krum and Lynch!

    They quickly plummeted through the center of the Chasers, so fast that it looked as though they had just jumped from airnes without parachutes.

    The two men went straight down and seemed determined to either catch the Snitch or hit the ground directly.

    ¡°Oh, my God, they¡¯re going to crash!¡± screamed Hermione.

    She was half right. At the veryst second, Viktor Krum pulled out of the dive and spiraled off.

    Lynch, however, hit the ground with a dull thud that could be heard throughout the stadium.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± A huge groan rose from the Irish seats.

    ¡°Fool!¡± moaned Mr. Weasley. ¡°Krum was feinting!¡±

    ¡°Time-out!¡± yelled Mr. Bagman¡¯s voice.

    Trained mediwizards hurried onto the field to examine Aidan Lynch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll be okay, he only got ploughed!¡± Charlieforted Ginny, who was hanging over the side of the box, looking horror-struck.

    Hermione didn¡¯t look too good either; she curled up in her seat like a kitten.

    Evan gently patted her on the shoulder and whispered a few words offort.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s exactly what Krum wanted to achieve¡­¡± Sirius analyzed, ¡°Wronski Defensive Feint is a very difficult move used to elude dangerous Seekers. Only a few Seekers can do it so well.¡±

    Harry and Ron reyed the scene with Omniocrs, sending out bursts of wonder from time to time.

    After treatment, Lynch finally got to his feet and returned to the game.

    His revival seemed to give Irnd new hope.

    The Chasers quickly organized the offensive and soon led the Bulgarian Team by a hundred and twenty.

    The Leprechauns, like a swarm of glittering hos, rose into the air, darted together and quickly formed the words ¡°HA! HA! HA!¡± to provoke the Bulgarians.

    Not to be outdone, the Ve on the other side of the field leapt to their feet, tossed their hair angrily, and started to dance again.

    Harry, Ron, and the Weasley boys all stuffed their fingers into their ears. They didn¡¯t want to fall to Ve and miss the game.

    Only Evan did not do that; the Ve¡¯s dance did not work on him, and they were not against the audience in the stands this time.

    On the field, referee Hassan Mustafa suddenlynded right in front of the dancing Ve, and was acting very oddly indeed. He was flexing his muscles and smoothing his mustache excitedly.

    ¡°Oh, we can¡¯t have that! Somebody p the referee!¡± Ludo Bagman said.

    But listening to his tone, he sounded highly amused as well.

    A mediwizard came tearing across the field; his fingers stuffed into his own ears, and kicked Mostafa hard in the calf.

    Mostafa seemed toe to himself. He looked particrly embarrassed and shouted at the Ve, who stopped dancing and were looking mutinous.

    Driven by the extreme taunts and the widening gap between the two sides, thepetition became more and more fierce and uncivilized.

    The physical conflicts between the yers on both sides were gradually increasing, without any respect or rules.

    In the end, Evan found that the game was heading towards a chaotic trend with the Mascots of both sides leading the charge.

    Whether it was Ve or Leprechauns, they were magical creatures with strong magic.

    In the fierce confrontation, their magic began to spread around, affecting the audience in the stands.

    The Leprechauns had risen into the air again, forming a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign at the Ve across the field.

    At this, the Ve lost control. Instead of dancing, theyunched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the Leprechauns.

    The entire ying field became a sea ofmes, and thewn below was burning.

    Now, the Ve looked no longer so beautiful.

    On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders¡­

    This was another look of Ve and it was also their real form.

    ¡°And that, boys¡­¡± yelled Mr. Weasley over the tumult of the crowd below, ¡°¡­is why you should never go for looks alone!¡±

    Ministry wizards were flooding onto the field to separate the Ve and the Leprechauns, and put out the fire, but with little sess.

    The Leprechauns had a golden glow. Anyone hit by these lights would enter a short period of dizziness, and evena.

    At this moment, the ongoingpetition above was as chaotic as the fierce battle below.

    The Beaters on both sides showed no mercy and swung as hard as they could, disregarding whether the bats in their hands hit the ball or the person.

    The other burly yers, riding broomsticks, rampaged through the sky.

    They tried to take advantage of their physical strength to knock the other yers down.

    Still, the Irish team clearly dominated, and they quickly scored a few more goals.

    But the cheers of the Irish supporters were barely heard over the shrieks of the Ve, the sts now issuing from the Ministry members¡¯ wands, and the furious roars of the Bulgarians.

    This was the most chaotic game that Evan had ever seen, and there was no technique or spectacle at all.

    For a moment, the yers on both sides were like the despicable Slytherin Quidditch Team.

    In order to win, they did not pay attention to tactics and rules at all.

    The referee Mostafa yelled angrily and wanted to stop both sides, but he was distracted by a Ve.

    She had thrown a handful of fire at him and set his broom tail alight. He had no energy to continue to maintain order.

    Under these circumstances, Krum¡¯s nose seemed to have been suddenly broken, and there was blood everywhere.

    In the audience, fans of the Irish team and the Bulgarian team also started to fight. The two sides collided violently.

 Chapter 480: Another Big Scene

    Chapter 480: Another Big Scene

    As if it were nned, the turmoil in the stadium centered on one point and things became more and more chaotic.

    After endless mutual teasing, the fans of both sides finally lost their patience, and just rushed at each-other!

    They climbed over the simple railings and rushed to each other¡¯s stands. Or, more directly, just took out their wands and cast spells at a distance.

    With more and more people joining, the conflict in the stands quickly turned into arge-scale duel and scuffle.

    Wizards took out their wands, waved them angrily, and used various evil spells on the ones opposing them.

    Seeing this situation, the Ministry of Magic officials no longer cared about the Ve and the Leprechauns, and rushed straight to the stands.

    ¡°There seems to be something wrong down there?!¡± said Evan with some doubts.

    The riot seemed to havee too suddenly and spread a little too far.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll deal with this problem!¡± Mr. Weasley frowned. ¡°We are going to help the department maintain order. Charlie, Bill, Percy, you threee with me, Sirius¡­ ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look as well. I¡¯ll be right back. Remember, you guys stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere until I get back!¡± Sirius said, ¡°Evan, keep an eye on Harry!¡±

    He then followed Mr. Weasley and other Ministry officials out of the box and went down to reinforce the ones who were ahead.

    Looking at their backs, Evan had an ominous hunch deep in his heart.

    It seemed that something was about to happen. He rubbed his eyes, hoping it was just an illusion.

    Everyone was shocked to see the scuffle that was gradually expanding in the stands below, only Harry and Ron were not aware of it.

    Their minds were still in the heat of the game and they noticed nothing else.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡± Ron removed the Omniocrs from his eyes and shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t you see it? Krum is injured, time-out, he can¡¯t y like that!¡±

    ¡°The match?!¡± Ludo Bagman said in surprise.

    He seemed to have just recovered his mind and turned his eyes back to the air, remembering that there was still a game.

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Bagman said loudly. ¡°Krum is bleeding, broken nose it seems! But he seems to have seen the Golden Snitch!¡±

    ¡°Lynch has also seen it!¡± Harry shouted.

    In the air, the two darted in almost at the same time, but Krum was a little farther away.

    On the stands, some Irish supporters rose in another great wave of green, screaming their Seeker on.

    Krum was on his tail. How could he see where he was going? Harry wondered; there were flecks of blood flying through the air behind him.

    However, he was drawing level with Lynch as the pair of them hurtled toward the ground again¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re going to crash!¡± Hermione shrieked and turned her eyes back to the match.

    ¡°No!¡± roared Ron.

    ¡°Lynch is!¡± yelled Harry.

    He was right. For the second time, Lynch hit the ground with tremendous force and was immediately stampeded by a horde of angry Ve.

    ¡°He¡¯s got it! Krum¡¯s got it, it¡¯s all over!¡± shouted Harry.

    Krum, his red robe shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand.

    The scoreboard was shing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170 across the crowd, who didn¡¯t seem to have realized what had happened. Then, slowly, as though a great jumbo jet were revving up, the rumbling from the Irnd supporters grew louder and louder and erupted into screams of delight.

    ¡°IRELAND WINS!¡± Bagman shouted, seemingly taken aback by the sudden end of the match.¡±KRUM GETS THE SNITCH, BUT IRELAND WINS¡­ good lord, I don¡¯t think any of us were expecting that!¡±

    ¡°What did he catch the Snitch for?¡± Ron bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, apuding with his hands over his head. ¡°He ended it when Irnd was a hundred and sixty points ahead. What a fool!¡±

    ¡°He knew they were never going to catch up!¡± Harry shouted back over all the noise, also apuding loudly. ¡°The Irish Chasers were too good. Krum wanted to end it on his terms, that¡¯s all¡­¡±

    ¡°He was very brave, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Hermione whispered to Evan.

    Evan did not answer her. He had no time to pay attention to the match and Krum!

    Right below, in the stands, the chaotic battle was continuing, spreading more and more widely.

    Although the Ministry of Magic officials were all concentrated there, it was in vain. The battle was unstoppable and was gradually escting and spreading.

    Various colors of magic rays flew through the air, and the roars, the scream and the magic explosions mingled to break through the clouds so powerfully, they scattered them!

    The scene was absolutely shocking and everyone was dumbfounded.

    Especially when looking down from the top, the reason was clear: There were 100,000 wizards here! This was definitely the battle of thergest scale in the history of magic!

    ¡°God, what are they doing?!¡± Bagman said with amazement. ¡°The game is over, Irnd has won!¡±

    Evan watched with surprise as the situation gradually got out of control, and suddenly woke up. He could sniff the stench of conspiracy.

    He remembered what ine had said to him when she came to the tent. Voldemort and the vampires were ready to act tonight.

    He thought it over carefully, and it was likely that Caresius had purposely asked ine toe and give him a tip.

    But ine did not make it clear, and he did not know what plot Voldemort was nning.

    Evan originally thought that it would happen in the camp after the match like in the books, a Death-Eater parade. They would cause confusion, and then go to Crouch¡¯s tent to rescue Barty Jr.

    It never urred to him that Voldemort would start directly in the middle of the match and make such a big mess.

    This guy was definitely aplete madman, worthy of his title as the most evil, and always going in with a bang!

    Evan quickly rushed to the edge of the stands and carefully observed the situation below.

    ¡°These people are all mad! They should be celebrating, but they are all fighting!¡± Ludo Bagman widened his eyes and looked at the melee below,pletely frightened!

    ¡°Where¡¯s Barty Crouch?!¡± Fudge murmured. ¡°Who can tell me what is going on down here?!¡±

    The initially small-scale battle had spread throughout the stands.

    Evan saw a lot of people wearing dark red hoods and masks on their faces, casting spells everywhere.

    They were creating chaos and the crowd was getting more and more panicky.

 Chapter 481: The Big Mess!

    Chapter 481: The Big Mess!

    No one knew where Barty Crouch was, or what was going on below.

    ording to schedule, it should be the time for the award ceremony and celebration.

    Under a dazzling white light, the Top Box was magically illuminated.

    Two panting wizards even carried a vast golden cup into the box, which was the Quidditch Cup.

    But at this moment, there was silence in the small box.

    No one was concerned about the Quidditch Cup, and everyone was listening to the deafening shouts below.

    Unlike the previous voices refueling the feud, these cries were bing more and more tragic now, turning into howls of pain and cries for help.

    The faces of several high-ranking respected wizards went pale, as they had never encountered such a situation.

    Below, when attacked suddenly, the first reaction of most wizards was to pull out their wands and fight back.

    But they couldn¡¯t find where the enemy was. There were so many people below, and 100,000 spectators were crowded into such a small ce. This was turning into a disaster, and spells sent out in panic were only hurting more innocent people.

    Ministry of Magic officials tried to keep order in vain and no one listened to them.

    In front of so many people, they were now like a boat in the sea, pushed and shoved by the crowd helplessly.

    The wizards with dark red hoods wereughing loudly and wreaking havoc with powerful magic.

    The battle rapidly grew and spread. The magical power from the shooting became stronger and stronger. On the field, the Leprechauns and the Ve all stopped and watched in horror.

    It was just quarreling between fans moments ago, and it nowpletely heated up and turned into a war.

    Red, blue and white magic beams were constantly shing, and they were also mixed with dark green magic light.

    Evan could be sure that he saw the Killing Curse and the Cruciatus Curse among them!

    But this was not all, and there were bursts of explosions from time to time in the stands.

    Most wizards with little fighting power were howling in despair. They were running around like flies.

    Children were crying, and people¡¯s shouts of nervousness and anxiety and cries of pain reverberated through the field.

    Minutes after the match, it turned from a ce of joy to a living hell, and horrible scenes were taking ce.

    The crowd tried to rush out of the stadium and tried their best to escape.

    This area was protected by magic. They could not use magic such as Apparition. Only by escaping could there be hope.

    Hundreds of wizards with dark red hoods and cold breath were among the crowd, using ck magic.

    They were creating chaos, and dying everyone¡¯s escape.

    A number of other wizards also began to take advantage of the conflict to rob those near them, and the scene became aplete mess.

    Among them, a small group of people were particrly obvious.

    They also wore masks and hoods, and they quickly gathered upstream from the stands to the main corridor.

    Evan could see clearly from the top, and these Dark wizards seemed ready toe together and rush up.

    Their goal was here, the topmost box!

    These guys were definitely vampires, and Evan even recognized their leader Caresius.

    His magic power was extraordinarily strong, and there was hardly anything to stop him.

    They definitely wanted to rush to rescue Barty Crouch Jr. and they should even be targeting Harry.

    It was all a mess. Evan didn¡¯t expect Voldemort to act so madly with the help of the vampires.

    He managed to make such a big battle, totally ignoring the lives of everyone.

    When everyone was the most rxed and defense was the weakest, he chose to act, in the simplest and most violent way!

    Everything was too sudden, and when it would be over, the messy Ministry of Magic might not find a clue at all.

    Then again, would Voldemort, who would have recovered his strength and returned, fear the Ministry of Magic?!

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Hermione said in panic.

    ¡°Take out your wand!¡± Evan gasped and pulled out his wand.

    Sirius and Mr. Weasley were missing, and they had to prepare themselves for battle.

    Everyone took out their wands, and only Harry was still looking for it.

    He dug in the pockets of his jacket for his wand, but it had disappeared. The only thing he could find was his Omniocrs.

    ¡°I lost my wand!¡± Harry shouted, ¡°How could that be? I saw it just now?!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± Ron and Hermione hurried to help Harry find his wand. Everyone was nervous.

    Evan knew where his wand was, and he looked at where the house elf Winky was.

    After entering this box, Harry was just there talking to Winky.

    However, there was no one there, and Winky and Barty Crouch Jr. had disappeared.

    Inside the box, someone shouted and fled, and the door was opened.

    Barty Crouch Jr. must have taken the opportunity to leave with Harry¡¯s wand; or Apparating with Winky. The magic of a house elf was different from that of a wizard.

    Wizards are forbidden to use Apparition in thepetition venue, but house elves could.

    Evan closed his eyes and sensed that Barty Crouch Jr. was still nearby. He was following the fleeing crowd downward, very fast.

    Evan didn¡¯t have the energy to pay attention to this guy anymore, and the other people in the box were also in a mess.

    The target of the Dark wizards with red hoods below was the box, and everyone became like ants on a hot pot.

    They had no intention of sticking to it at all, but nned to flee in a hurry before the others came up.

    Fudge, Ludo, Malfoy¡¯s family and the Bulgarian Minister of Magic quickly left under the escort of several Aurors. Before they left, they asked Evan and the others to follow them and be ready to flee with them.

    Evan hesitated and did not move. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George did not even blink.

    Caresius was not a fool. Their goal was Harry.

    It was simply the same as to die to go down with such arge group of people.

    Evan didn¡¯t think Fudge and the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Aurors would be of much use in the face of dangerous vampires, but it was obviously impossible to stay here. Without the help of the ministry officials and aurors, Evan and the others shouldn¡¯t stand a chance

    Although Evan had intended to rely on the advantage brought by being in high ground, that advantage was equalized with them left alone. Staying here was tantamount to waiting for death.

    ¡°Evan, what should we do?¡± Hermione asked again.

    ¡°We¡¯re all listening to you!¡± Harry said directly. ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say!¡±

    Ron, Fred, and George looked at all the Ministry of Magic who had left and nodded hesitantly. Evan¡¯s past experience and performance made everyone choose to believe in him.

    At this time, he was the backbone of the ce.

 Chapter 482: Fly Higher

    Chapter 482: Fly Higher

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with those children? Why aren¡¯t they following?¡± said Fudge, frowning.

    In the crowd, he looked back at Evan, who had stayed where he was.

    ¡°They may be scared, or arrogant enough to think that they can handle the current situation!¡± Lucius replied in a cold tone. ¡°Minister, let¡¯s just leave now; it¡¯s too dangerous here!¡±

    ¡°That child is very important. We must ensure his safety!¡± Fudge said ruefully. ¡°Dumbledore talked to me specifically about this a few days ago. I can¡¯t believe it happened at the World Cup. Think about it, tomorrow morning, the <em>Daily Prophet</em> could make the biggest headlines on this riot, and people all over the world willugh at us heartily!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you Britons call security measures?!¡± A heavy voice said, ¡°What an eye-opener! There has been no such thing for many years since that man copsed and disappeared¡­¡±

    Fudge suddenly stopped and looked at the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic, who was beside him, and said with amazement, ¡°Do you speak English?¡±

    The Bulgarian disdainfully nodded and sped forward to flee for his life.

    ¡°You can speak English, and you¡¯ve been letting me mime everything all day!¡± Fudge said, outraged.

    ¡°That was very funny!¡± said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.

    ¡°Damn it, these guys are ying us all like idiots¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, Minister!¡± Lucius whispered. ¡°Those thugs down there may rush up at any time.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°The safety of you and these distinguished guests is now the most important thing. ck and others wille over and take the kids away!¡±

    By this time, they had arrived at the main staircase of the aisle.

    The sound of explosions, screams and fights was very close to them, and Caresius was moving very fast.

    Despite all the efforts of the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Aurors, there was no way to top them under such circumstances.

    Fudge nodded palely and joined the others into the panicked crowd.

    At this point, there was nobody left in the box but Evan and his friends.

    Everyone was staring at Evan, waiting for him to make up his mind.

    ¡°Evan, are you ready for a big fight?!¡± Fred said excitedly.

    ¡°A duel with a real Dark Wizard, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been dreaming of!¡± George followed.

    ¡°You are mad. More than a dozen masked men are rushing up. We have no chance at all!¡± Ron said in panic. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why we didn¡¯t go with the minister! The ones around him are all professional Aurors ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s full of Dark wizards down there, and it¡¯s not safe to run out like this!¡± said Evan quickly.

    He didn¡¯t exin too much. Anyway, Harry couldn¡¯t just go out like that. He was Caresius¡¯s goal, and thetter wouldn¡¯t just let them go with Fudge.

    ¡°Is it safe to stay here?!¡±

    ¡°I have a better idea. If it seeds, it can help us escape.¡± Evan waved his wand and the small door inside the box mmed shut tightly. As he moved, all the seats flew to the door and blocked itpletely.

    ¡°What idea?¡± Ron asked in confusion.

    Feeling the danger was getting closer and closer, everyone was very nervous.

    Evan blocked the exit, which meant they had no way out.

    They were now like soft-shelled turtles in an urn, and when the Dark wizards woulde up, they would have to fight to death.

    ¡°We can ride on broomsticks, it¡¯s the safest way out!¡± said Evan. ¡°Those Dark wizards can¡¯t fly to the sky.¡±

    ¡°But there is no broomstick here!¡± Harry looked around in surprise.

    Under the bright lights above, everything in the small box could be seen clearly. There was nothing here, nothing besides the golden Quidditch Cup.

    ¡°We need a little help. I hope they wille!¡± Evan said, pointing his wand at the sky.

    At the end of his wand there were several rays of light, like fireworks rushing into the sky, attracting everyone¡¯s attention¡­

    There was a sudden stop in the disturbance in the stadium, and everyone looked up at the box.

    ¡°<em>Sonorus</em>!¡± Evan shouted, pointing his wand at his throat like Ludo did.

    In the next second, what he said sounded like thunder and echoed through the stadium.

    ¡°Come here, we need help!¡± Evan said loudly, looking at the Quidditch yers hovering overhead.

    They hadn¡¯t yet figured out what was going on below, just flying in the air in a daze.

    Hearing the shouts, both the Irish and Bulgarian Quidditch yers hesitated. They kept spinning in the sky and no one came.

    In the box, everyone¡¯s heart went up to their throats as they understood Evan¡¯s n.

    It was indeed a wonderful idea to leave with the Quidditch yers¡¯ broomsticks. But, what if the guys above didn¡¯te down to rescue them?!

    At this time, in the lower part of the stadium, Sirius was fighting with two vampires.

    As soon as they met, he knew where these guys wereing from and that Voldemort was behind all of this

    He couldn¡¯t tell if Voldemort¡¯s target was the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on Evan, or Harry, but he wanted to go back anyway. However, his two opponents were clinging to him tightly, so that he couldn¡¯t get away.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Sirius roared, and his wand released a few spells.

    He watched helplessly as Caresius led the other vampires closer to the box.

    Near the exit of the stadium, a group of Beauxbatons students were fleeing in a hurry.

    Two of the girls stopped abruptly and looked up.

    ¡°This is Evan¡¯s voice, I can hear it!¡± Gabrielle said with delight, ¡°He¡¯s in that small box!¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason?!¡± Fleur looked up and could vaguely see the figure of the boy.

    He was not in a good ce; the target of those rioting Dark wizards was obviously the small box, and they were about to reach it!

    Was Evan their target?!

    ¡°Sister, Evan is asking for help, we must go and help him!¡± Gabrielle said anxiously, ¡°Where is Madam Maxime?¡±

    ¡°There is no need for us to help. Those people have already gone down!¡± Fleurforted her and said, nervously looking at the top box.

    In fact, besides her, there were many people looking up as well. Everyone understood that that ce was at the core of tonight¡¯s events.

    The box was full of high-ranking wizards. Maybe these crazy Dark wizards wanted to kidnap them and threaten the Ministry of Magic to do something.

    In the sky, Krum hesitated when he heard Evan and the others calling for help.

    But he almost immediately made up his mind, made a gesture to his team members and quickly flew to the box.

    Under his leadership, the Bulgarian team and some of the Irish team yers were also quickly approaching.

    ¡°God, they areing!¡± Hermione shouted in surprise.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s Krum. He¡¯s flying towards us!¡± Ron followed.

    A few secondster, the approaching group of yers reached the box. Everyone hurried to thank them and looked at the Quidditch yers with wonder.

    Evan felt that as they wereing in, Caresius also picked up speed. Now, he was right at the entrance to the box!

 Chapter 483: Evan VS Caresius

    Chapter 483: Evan VS Caresius

    ¡°We are saved!¡± Harry said with delight.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, it¡¯s Krum. He really came down to save us!¡± Ron yelled excitedly.

    In the box, everyone was immersed in the shock and joy brought by the arrival of Krum and other Quidditch athletes.

    Looking at how happy Harry and Ron were to see Krum, one wouldn¡¯t guess they were in such a crisis.

    Krum was gloomier than what they saw on his portrait. He looked very confused and his face was covered with blood.

    The two dark circles around his eyes were very striking, and the Golden Snitch was still in his hand.

    Hended heavily on the ground and his movements did not seem so coordinated.

    His legs were a bit syed and his shoulders were clearly bent forward.

    ¡°What the hell is going on, why¡­?!¡± Krum asked.

    Before he had finished, he was abruptly interrupted by Evan. ¡°Get on the broomsticks and get out of here. Hurry up!¡±

    Evan motioned everyone to hurry up. Now was not the time to chat.

    He could feel that Caresius was already close to the box, and he could sense his mighty and dangerous magic.

    The Quidditch yers who had justnded had not figured out the situation, but under the urging of Evan, they made room for Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George to climb onto their broomsticks.

    Everyone was about to take action, but Evan¡¯s face changed greatly.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s toote!¡± He gasped and raised his wand.

    Under the surprised eyes of everyone, Evan quickly turned around and a white shield emerged from the tip of his wand.

    The next second, there was a loud bang and the whole box was shaking.

    In the violent explosion, the chairs stuck at the door by Evan, together with the door, turned into shards that went everywhere, like blindly shot bullets.

    Evan¡¯s shield was aze with waves, like those made by stones falling into a calmke. All shards were blocked and theynded on the ground.

    The smoke dissipate gradually and the figure of Caresius appeared in front of everyone.

    As before, he was wearing a ck cloak, on which there was not even a trace of dust.

    With a simple white mask on his face, he walked in gracefully, like an aristocrat invited to a masquerade party.

    ¡°Good evening, everyone!¡± Caresius whispered, bowing slightly with etiquette.

    His eyes wandered through everyone¡¯s faces, remained on Evan for a few seconds, and then quickly moved away.

    Finally, theynded on Harry, and the vampire nodded with satisfaction.

    Harry stepped back and covered his forehead. He felt his scar aching.

    ¡°I am sorry to disrupt your party. Please believe me; I feel the same difort being here tonight!¡± Caresius said slowly. ¡°So, let me end our trouble quickly, I think the Stunning Spell is a good choice.¡±

    ¡°You guys hurry out. No matter what happens, don¡¯t turn around!¡± Evan shouted.

    The light at the end of his wand grew stronger and stronger, and powerful spells were ready to be released from both sides.

    As soon as Caresius would move, Evan would not hesitate.

    ¡°Interesting, you seem to think that you can stop me?!¡± Caresius looked at Evan with interest, as if he had found a new toy.

    ¡°The only way for both of us to know that I could, is for me to try!¡± Evan gasped.

    Under the pressure of his opponent¡¯s powerful magic, his spirit was highly on guard.

    Next second, without any warning, a dark blue light shot out of Evan¡¯s wand. It was going down, down to the wreckage of the chairs on the ground.

    The debris twisted and deformed rapidly, turning into dozens of shimmering daggers that flew toward Caresius.

    Caresius did not move. He stood in the ce and looked at Evan with interest.

    When everyone thought that Evan¡¯s magic was sessful, his figure disappeared in a strange way.

    Like a small ck hole, Caresius was swallowed up with the surrounding light, leaving only a ck shadow.

    Evan¡¯s blue spell passed through the ce where Caresius was standing andnded on the ground.

    In the creaking sound, the thick ground and the underlying tiles were quickly corroded. Soon, there was a hole through which one could see the next floor underneath.

    The power of this magic made everyone gasp!

    ¡°Not bad, your magic is progressing fast!¡± said Caresius.

    His figure appeared out of thin air behind Evan, as if he had already been there.

    ¡°But the skills still need to be improved. This is not how to use magic.¡±

    Evan gasped and turned quickly.

    Obviously, Apparition was not allowed here. He didn¡¯t know how the vampire did it!

    But the vampires obviously had a lot of strange magic, which was not the same as that of ordinary wizards.

    He saw Caresius sweeping across with his wand. There was a metallic tter. Eerie red chains suddenly emerged from the floor, entangling Harry, who was in a hurry to climb up to a broomstick.

    Several of them were shouting loudly, but the red chains were getting tighter and tighter.

    This was a vampire-specific bound spell, one that had once been used by ine on Evan.

    He knew that the more he struggled, the tighter he would be tied by the chain.

    With a few of them wrapping him, Harry certainly couldn¡¯t break free. Things didn¡¯t seem to be going well.

    Evan quickly waved his wand, and all the wreckage in the box, including the trophy, floated.

    They lined up in a row, like meteors, quickly rushing to Caresius.

    ¡°As I said just now, your tricks are useless against me!¡± said Caresius, frowning.

    Once again, his shadow disappeared from his spot, avoiding Evan¡¯s attack. What he was using was unique; something that Evan had never seen before.

    But thetter seemed to have anticipated that. He gasped and he rushed over as fast as he could and came to the stands next to his friends.

    In front of him, Caresius¡¯s figure slowly appeared from the air.

    Hardly had he wanted to speak when he suddenly stopped.

    He looked down and was surprised to find that the floor beneath his feet had turned into a quagmire.

    Evan¡¯s tactics worked; Caresius was sinking fast and his movements slowed down.

    Whoop, whoop, whoop¡­

    A huge circle of golden fireballs appeared in the air above the head of Caresius, bringing scorching heat to the small box.

    Supported by all of Evan¡¯s magic, these fireballs could melt even steel! If they were to even graze Caresius, they would harm him greatly!

    ¡°How about this way?¡± Evan asked, gasping, before he waved his wand down rapidly!

 Chapter 484: World Class Duel

    Chapter 484: World ss Duel

    With Evan¡¯s motion, the fireballs hit Caresius unstoppably.

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The huge fireballs kepting into contact with the ground, and the entire stadium was violently shaking under the violent impact.

    It was like an earthquake. Everyone¡¯s bodies were shaking, and they were barely keeping themselves standing.

    Just when everyone thought it was over, the next second, a heat wave hit them head-on, and they all started sweating instantly, feeling dizzy and getting suffocated.

    It was as if they were in the crater of a volcano, not far from the bubbling magmaticke.

    The volcano was erupting and the temperature was getting higher and higher!

    All they could see was a strong white light shing in front of them, and they couldn¡¯t see anything clearly.

    They closed their eyes subconsciously, in a trance, feeling as if the world had be unreal.

    Evan raised his wand high and stood alone in the forefront.

    Under the effect of his own powerful magic, his thin body was shocked very violently. He felt his arms and legs getting distant, as if he was about to be shredded.

    Evan quickly cast a spell, and a looming magic shield emerged out of thin air, protecting him and everyone behind him.

    The next second, the tip of the wand he held high emitted a golden me, one that went forward unstopped, as if it was going to advance forever!

    Evan increased his magic output. He never expected to eliminate Caresius with only a quagmire and a few fireballs. He could feel that only the first one of those fireballs had hit the vampire.

    The instant the fireball touched him; Caresius broke away from his magic control and disappeared.

    Evan didn¡¯t know where he had moved in the blink of an eye, so he could only expand his attack range.

    The mes revolved around him in the box and the whole world was dyed orange.

    In this world of mes, the body of a fiery beast was gradually taking shape. It was the fire dragon, the most terrifying magical animal!

    Its tailshed loudly on the ground, fanning its wings and blowing fiery mes around it. It raged, rolled, and swallowed everything it could touch in the small box.

    Everything was burning, and even the walls begin to melt.

    Dark rocks and steel are turning red, making rming clicks. They were copsing and melting, turning into crystal crumbs and falling like liquid.

    Nothing could be spared, besides those under the protection of Evan¡¯s shield.

    The magic of this shield was the only thing around that could fend off this Fiendfyre.

    Behind Evan, everyone looked at him in awe, and at the horrible scene of despair outside the shield.

    No one thought that Evan actually had such powerful magic, and no one thought that he had enough magical power to make normal mes so terrifying.

    This was not just a matter of quantity, but a qualitative change.

    Ordinary mes had now be fierce fires from hell.

    In their view, Caresius must be toast. No one could survive in these mes..

    Evan made such a noise that the wizards all over the stadium were watching this amazing battle.

    All eyes were focused on this, and the chaotic situation below gradually ceased. Everyone seemed to be frightened by Evan¡¯s magic!

    After Caresius entered the box, the vampires who had been creating chaos stopped using magic and hid themselves.

    Their mission to cover for Caresius had beenpleted and they were now retreating.

    This was actually very simple. They had just to take off their masks and their cloaks and mix into the crowd fleeing the stadium.

    As for the remaining wizards who using the chaos to start stealing those around them, they were quickly subdued.

    The Aurors of the Ministry of Magic regained control of the situation, and now everyone was watching Evan and his magic in the box; everyone was waiting for the oue of this battle.

    Under the spotlight, everything that happened there was very clear.

    If today¡¯s Quidditch final was world-ss, so was the duel between Evan and Caresius.

    The level of this duel was absolutely top-notch, and it was to be surely the highest ranked recorded duel in the past few years.

    In fact, ever since Dumbledore and Grindelwald¡¯s epic battle, the wizarding world had not seen such diatorial battles.

    In particr, Evan¡¯sst Fiendfyre was enough to brand the hearts of the 100, 000 audience below.

    ¡°God, that young man is definitely a monster!¡± Someone eximed, ¡°What kind of magic is this?!¡±

    ¡°Is it a Fiendfyre?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s so powerful. I¡¯ve never seen such powerful fire magic.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of that guy?!¡± someone asked.

    If they had a Hogwarts student next to them, they would know that his name was Evan Mason!

    Even Evan¡¯s age had challenged people¡¯s tense and fragile nerves.

    No one could believe that he was only 13 years old this year, which was impossible!

    As for Evan¡¯s previous deeds, they spread all over the stadium almost in an instant.

    Although there were as many as 100,000 people here, the news spread at an extraordinary speed, even faster than the panic spread just now!

    Everyone could recognize that another genius, another monster, had risen.

    This was the first time this had happened in recent decades since Voldemort.

    Evan did not expect that this battle would bring him countless admirers, and that his name would spread throughout the world. In fact, he did not hear any of those below.

    He controlled his magic output, and a slight hunch rose in his heart.

    He can feel that his magic was rapidly disappearing, as if swallowed up by something.

    ¡°Enough!¡±

    The next second, a deep voice suddenly sounded.

    This seemed to be a signal, and a ck hole-like vortex appeared where Caresius had disappeared.

    The golden red mes were quickly swallowed, and even the mighty dragon did not escape.

    Evan¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work against Caresius, who began to fight back.

    A few secondster, all the mes disappeared, leaving only ash and wreckage behind as proof of their existence.

    The figure of Caresius reappeared, looking unusually bothered.

    The ck cloak that had been wearing was burned, and he threw it aside.

    He seemed to be really angry, and he didn¡¯t mind showing his face.

    His initially handsome and evil face was covered in ck smoke, and his deep red eyes were locked tightly on Evan.

    ¡°Very interesting magic, you have great potential and are qualified to be my opponent!¡± Caresius said seriously. ¡°Okay, we¡¯d better not waste time. You know, that man is watching us below!¡±

 Chapter 485: Iâ€™m not Leaving!

    Chapter 485: I¡¯m not Leaving!

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing how quickly you started to work for him?!¡± Evan said rudely.

    In his impression, although the vampires were helping Voldemort, they still had their own bottom line.

    It was like thest time in the Centaurs¡¯ relics. They did notpletely obey Voldemort¡¯s orders.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to say that this is a mere exchange of interests among allies!¡± Caresius answered.

    ¡°Exchange of interests?!¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°I see you are looking for a dead end, showing up here in front of wizards from all over the world. This is not in line with your principles. You and your people are going to be wanted by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°In order to achieve more valuable goals, there is a price that must be paid. My people and I are already living on the edge of the wizarding world.¡± Caresius pointed his wand at Evan, with an expression of unprecedented seriousness on his face. ¡°If so, let them be wanted. We have nothing to lose!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Evan wanted to mention ine.

    But the vampire shouted rudely, ¡°Salute, Evan, don¡¯t waste time, you know dueling etiquette!¡±

    This was the first time Evan saw Caresius¡¯s face looking like that.

    At this moment, Evan was no longer a junior like ine in his eyes, but a worthy opponent.

    For the plight of their race, there was the one mentioned in the old prophecy.

    Caresius had been specting that even if the road ahead was rough, there was no room for failure, and he would never allow it.

    Whether for his own sake or for his people, who had always believed in him, he had to seed.

    Caresius chose Voldemort, but did not give up on Evan either.

    He saw Evan as a backup, acquiescing ine and Evan to a good rtionship and giving them maximum care.

    Just like what happened in the ruins of the fallen Centaursst time, when Caresius gave the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to Evan.

    Voldemort was already strong enough, and Caresius didn¡¯t think he needed more power. He just needed to restore his strength.

    This was in the interest of Caresius and his people, and he hoped that Evan could quickly grow stronger.

    But when Evan stood in front of him, he didn¡¯t mind giving him a hard lesson so that this young wizard would know how wide the gap between the two sides was.

    The Aurors of the Ministry of Magic would not be able toe up for a while, and Caresius had enough time.

    He was going to take Harry Potter away and let Voldemortplete that magic and regain his strength.

    As for the other team dealing with Barty Crouch Jr., they must have already been sessful.

    He had just to eliminate Evan and take Harry Potter trussed up, to Voldemort.

    Caresius saluted Evan; only a respectable opponent was worthy of such courtesy.

    The next second, a red triangle of light flew towards Evan.

    Evan dodged to the right and continued to run fast.

    His body moved quickly, and the wand in his hand emitted several red lights.

    Caresius did not use teleportation. He chose to confront Evan head-on.

    From the tip of his wand, sparks flew, taking all Evan¡¯s magic and fighting back.

    In just a few seconds, the two sides had several magical exchanges, and the match was extremely technical.

    Caresius¡¯s spells were endless, all of which were blood magic that Evan was unfamiliar with, which made him feel a bit overwhelmed and stressed.

    In fact, besides these varied spells, the technical aspect had always been Evan¡¯s weak point. He had great theory and strength, but did not have enough chances to try putting them into practice to hone his dueling techniques

    Theory could be quickly obtained from books, and powerful magic was also obtained from Slytherin¡¯s Locket and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Evan¡¯s strength had risen too fast, but his skills and experience had not kept pace with it.

    Under the unreserved attack of Caresius, he soon felt unprecedented pressure.

    After fending off yet another spell, Evan felt in his heart that it was terrible, and realized that this was not going to work!

    Going on like this, he was afraid that it would not be long before he would be defeated by Caresius.

    However, Evan now had the Philosopher¡¯s Stone! He couldn¡¯t just give up on his advantage topete with his opponent where he was weaker.

    In the blink of an eye, he thought of a bold n.

    Evan aimed his wand at the huge stones falling from the roof, and they quickly twisted into five trolls.

    The trolls roared, waved their giant clubs, and rushed at Caresius with their teeth and ws open.

    Caresius frowned, and in his opinion, these monsters were meaningless. He just flicked his wand and they turned into ck smoke.

    Taking advantage of this opportunity, Evan took the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from the Locket on his chest and held it in his hand.

    The red fluorescence of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone shed, the powerful magic hovered around Evan¡¯s body, and all his magic was instantly fully replenished.

    ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Caresius said in surprise. ¡°You¡¯ve restored that broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    His mouth did not stop reciting spells, and light blue fire emerged from the end of Evan¡¯s wand.

    Unlike before, these mes had no temperature at all, and they swiftly approached and revolved around Caresius.

    A deep red light shed, and blue mes roared around.

    Evan hurriedly waved his wand, and with a powerful Magical Power Support, they quickly shrunk in size!

    The mes deformed quickly, changing into chains that trapped Caresius.

    No matter how he resisted, Evan gritted his teeth and insisted on sending magic. He did not let Caresius break this bondage.

    He could feel that the magic of his body was being consumed quickly, and that the power of the Philosopher¡¯s stone was rapidly being added.

    These forces were different from the magic that Evan was not so familiar with, causing a certain degree of damage to his body.

    It was extremely unfavorable to continue to persist.

    It was like hurting the enemy by 1,000 and hurting himself by 800. It was hard to say whether he could really beat Caresius.

    Evan had his own ns. He did not expect these chains of pure magic to trap Caresius. However, it was enough for him to gain time!

    Without pausing, he used all the binding spells that he knew so far on Caresius.

    If his power was not enough, he could get it from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    That was his advantage, the only thing where he was stronger than Caresius.

    Soon, the colorful light of countless spells surrounded Caresius.

    And Evan, who had also gone to great extremes, was so tired that he barely could keep his eyes opened.

    Because of the circuit of magic between him and the stone, he felt as if his body was copsing.

    But now was not the time to fall, Evan tried his best to turn around, and the wand in his hand was pushing hard.

    Click, click, click, the chains tied to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the Quidditch yers broke instantly.

    ¡°Go, get on your brooms!¡± Evan shouted. ¡°I can¡¯t hold on for long.¡±

    Hearing his shouts, everyone climbed onto the broomsticks as fast as they could, and no one dared to stop.

    Only Hermione hesitated, looked at the motionless Evan, and slipped off Krum¡¯s broom.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Krum said with a frown.

    He stretched out his hand and grabbed Hermione. He couldn¡¯t understand why the girl was going down.

    Didn¡¯t she hear the boy say that the mighty Dark wizard was about to break free?

    ¡°Let go!¡± Hermione shouted, in a firm voice, ¡°I want to stay with Evan!¡±

    In the battle just now, her voice turned hoarse for Evan, and she sounded devastated. Her eyes were red, and her tears flowed out uncontrobly.

    Hermione clenched her wand in her hand and wiped her eyes. Her little face was full of resolve.

    She didn¡¯t know where her courage came from, but it was the only thought in her mind at the moment.

    She was going to stay with Evan, even if she was to die by his side!

 Chapter 486: Itâ€™s Overâ€¦

    Chapter 486: It¡¯s Over¡­

    ¡°Let go!¡± Hermione shouted again to Krum.

    Looking at the girl¡¯s tearful eyes, he could still see a spark of resolve lurking within it.

    Krum paused and unconsciously released his hand.

    He felt as if the softest part of his heart had been touched, and an unprecedented feeling filled his whole body.

    Hermione at this moment left him extremely moved; he knew, right then and there, that this was the girl he had been looking for.

    Krum immediately came to his senses, tightened his hand gripping Hermione¡¯s arm, and made up his mind to take her away anyway.

    He had seen the strength of the Dark wizard, and it waspletely suicidal to stay here.

    But no use!

    The moment at which he loosened his grip was all that took Hermione to rush to Evan¡¯s side, crying with her hands around him.

    She hugged him so hard and cried so sadly.

    At this moment, Evan was using the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to confront Caresius.

    He felt exhausted and suffered from the magic of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Caresius was also close to his limit, but he was quickly cracking Evan¡¯s magic, and was going to break free very soon.

    Although there was still great magic in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan¡¯s body absorption speed had gradually failed to keep up.

    ¡°Hermione, you have to go ¡­¡± Evan said with hisst strength.

    He tried to push Hermione away, but he didn¡¯t.

    ¡°No, Evan!¡± Hermione cried and said, ¡°I want to stay with you, even if I die, I won¡¯t leave.¡±

    Her tone was full of stubbornness and determination, not at all the same as Hermione in peacetime.

    Evan had no strength while looking at Hermione¡¯s crying face, but he felt unprecedented happiness in his heart.

    He knew Hermione would never leave anyway, so he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Evan raised his hand and gently wiped Hermione¡¯s face, drying her tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry!¡± He said softly, trying to show a smile.

    Hermione sobbed and nodded vigorously.

    In mid-air, Harry and Krum flew up quickly on broomsticks.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, hop on!¡± Harry shouted.

    He and Krum reached out at the same time and wanted to pick them up.

    But almost at the same time, powerful magic shocks erupted from the magic-bound Caresius.

    Just as the essence of the pale red magic wave centered on him, it spread quickly outward.

    Countless red and ck magic particles whirled rapidly around Caresius, gradually forming a tornado.

    Under the powerful impact, Harry and Krum flew out uncontrobly.

    The next second, Caresius let out a roar.

    He waved his wand vigorously, and the swirling magic storm soared up to the sky.

    His appearance had changed, his pale face was totally bloodless, and his wizard¡¯s robes were in a bad state.

    Caresius did not have the calmness of the aristocrat he had before; he looked more beastly, showing the full strength of the strongest vampire.

    With the movement of the wand in his hand, the blue magic chain of fire that was tightly wrapped around Caresius was rapidly breaking apart.

    Caresius broke free from all shackles and defeated Evan¡¯s magic.

    With a strong oppressive momentum, his wine-red eyes fell on Evan.

    ¡°You lost!¡± he said indifferently, seeing that Evan had no strength to continue fighting.

    Although Hermione beside Evan was pointing at him with her wand, Caresius did not even look at her.

    He looked up and nced at Harry, who was flying in midair, and frowned slightly.

    He couldn¡¯t tell if he could take him down with Evan and Hermione in his way.

    In fact, he didn¡¯t like what he was doing, nor did he like how it felt.

    But this was indeed the simplest and most effective method at present, and Caresius had no time or strength to dy it.

    The annoying Aurors of the Ministry of Magic were rushing up and they would be here soon.

    The battle just now, especially thest magic, consumed too much of his magic, and Caresius could no longer challenge the Aurors.

    Staying here was extremely unfavorable to him, and he secretly made up his mind.

    Looking at Caresius staring at him and Harry, Evan knew what he was thinking.

    Voldemort wanted to resurrect with Harry¡¯s blood. And this could be the key to defeating him.

    However, all events must be under Evan¡¯s control.

    He was not ready to let Caresius just take Harry.

    In particr, it would be even more unforgivable to use himself and Hermione to threaten Harry to submit.

    Evan would never allow it. Hermione is under threat! This was where he drew the line; the line that could not be crossed!

    He had not lost yet. Today, he was going to defeat this powerful vampirepletely!

    ¡°Hermione, are you ready?¡± Evan asked softly, making up his mind.

    Looking at Evan, Hermione nodded hard.

    Although she did not know what Evan was going to do, she had no choice but to believe in him. She believed in Evan just like she believed in herself.

    Evan smiled and held Hermione¡¯s little hand tightly, while his other hand held the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and his wand.

    He tapped the ground gently with his wand, and the next second, the ground of the whole box began to crumble.

    The ground broke apart and even the rocks below began to crack, crumble and fall rapidly.

    The cracks spread instantaneously to the main building of the stadium, with the spot that Evan stuck being at the center

    As if made out of eggshells, all the walls fell off one by one and copsed to the ground.

    ¡°You are mad!¡± Caresius looked at Evan incredulously and couldn¡¯t believe he actually did it.

    The surprise Evan gave him tonight was enough to rattle him.

    At that moment, Caresius believed that Evan was the one mentioned in his n¡¯s prophecy.

    He knew that he had failed and lost to Evan; he could not catch Harry Potter today.

    Caresius hesitated, reaching out to grab Evan and Hermione, to get them both out of here.

    But countless stones fell making a gap between the two sides, and Caresius had no chance to do so.

    He sighed as he watched Evan and Hermione disappearing into the ruins.

    In the next second, the ck figure of Caresius vanished from the ce and disappeared.

    Boom, boom, boom, countless boulders tumbled, thundering!

    Below the stadium, the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic were evacuating the crowd and leaving quickly.

    Everyone was so scared that they looked pale and couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in front of them. They were all scared, and it never urred to them that this would be the oue, or that the battle between Evan and Caresius would be so fierce.

    Submerged by theserge fallen stones and ruins, Evan and Hermione could not possibly survive.

    Today was destined to be one of the bitterest days in the history of magic; a new rising genius had fallen¡­

 Chapter 487: Evan the Monster

    Chapter 487: Evan the Monster

    Boulders and steel were falling, and the crowd below was noisy as everyone fled in horror.

    With the main building box as the center, cracks spread on the main building of the stadium, along with panic.

    The wizards were horrified to find that this huge and magnificent building, which took more than 500 wizards of the Ministry of Magic a whole year to build, was rapidly falling apart. As they fled, they were chased out by the sound of crumbling stones.

    It was incredible, especially that every inch in this ce was covered with several protection spells.

    But what did everyone see? A thirteen-year-old boy tapped on the building with his wand, and it was over?!

    The wizards felt that they must have lost their minds to see such a thing, but the facts were clearly in front of them.

    The magic contained in Evan¡¯s final spell was too horrible. It was a force powerful enough to destroy the world.

    In the panic, officials from the Ministry of Magic and Aurors raised their wands to stabilize the rest of the stadium.

    However, no one dared to approach the copsing main building.

    If they were to be lightly inadvertently caught by the huge stones that elerated down, they would be dead or injured!

    Harry, Ron, Krum, Fred, George and other Quidditch yers were flying in the air around the rapidly copsing building in the hope of rescuing Evan and Hermione, but there was no way for them to get close.

    They shouted the names of Evan and Hermione, looking forward to the slightest miracle in despair.

    In the stands, Sirius, who had just defeated the two vampires stalling him, also raised his head and looked in dismay at the main building that was copsing not far away.

    There was a nk space in his head, and it never urred to him that this would happen.

    Sirius stood still and looked at all this incredulously. The next second, he rushed to the main building as fast as he could.

    He had no regard for being hit by falling rubble or for his own safety. He only wanted to save Evan and Hermione.

    Sirius was afraid, and he remembered the dark night fourteen years ago.

    That was how he had rushed to James and Lily¡¯s cabin, and his mind was filled with images of the unthinkable.

    He had thought that he would never have this feeling of despair again, and never did he imagine that it woulde up again.

    If he could, he would give his life as tribute, just to spare that of the children. ¡®He was a man who should have died long ago. He was not qualified to live in this world;¡¯ he thought.

    A lingering shadow shrouded the sky, and thick clouds obscured the moonlight.

    After a brief period of panic and shock, sorrow gradually became the main theme.

    This evening¡¯s Quidditch World Cup final was destined to go down in the history of magic as one of the greatest events ever, and Evan¡¯s name was to be remembered forever.

    No one would forget the duel just now, and no one would forget the mighty magic used by both sides.

    This was beyond the capabilities of ordinary wizards, and a true duel of great wizards.

    Evan earned the respect of more than 100,000 wizards in one fight, by virtue of his outstanding performance.

    It was unknown who had started it, and Evan¡¯s name was whispered.

    Soon, everyone in the entire stadium began to say his name lightly.

    ¡°<em>EVAN, HERMIONE</em>!¡± Sirius also shouted, and he was already below the main building..

    In the thick dust, his wand kept shining red upward, knocking the falling stones away.

    His body had been scratched and bruised by gravel, and he started to bleed.

    Despite this, Sirius shouted loudly; he had not given up on hope.

    The box was in a very high position and time was running out. Evan and Hermione had not yet fallen down.

    He must find them both, even if they were just corpses¡­

    But besides the wreckage, Sirius saw nothing.

    Just as light in his heart was fading as he fell into despair, he suddenly saw a golden red light shing high up in the air.

    The golden red light cluster was like a star in the night sky; dim and silent but exceptionally clear.

    Almost instantly, Sirius recognized that it was the radiance of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Because of the tension, his heart almost stopped beating, and his eyes widened unbelievably looking at the glittering golden light.

    Evan and Hermione were there; they were not dead yet!

    Under the protection of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan had cast a sturdy circr magic shield to protect him and Hermione.

    The scorching magic was raging in his body. He gritted his teeth and held Hermione in his arms.

    The two were close to each other, and Evan could feel her breath and warmth in his arms

    He had never been so close to Hermione, and under the warmth of her body, Evan even felt that they were going to melt together.

    Hermione also tried her best to hug Evan. She didn¡¯t dare open her eyes. Her tiny body was trembling constantly¡­

    There was only one thought in her heart. If this was death, then she would die with Evan.

    However, it was not over yet, and Evan¡¯s story was not over!

    With everything he¡¯s ever done, this was not Evan¡¯s limit.

    His battle with Voldemort and the evil gods had just begun, and a more exciting world was awaiting him.

    He could not betray Hermione¡¯s trust in him; he vowed to protect her in his arms, no matter what.

    In the next second, with the support of firm confidence and perseverance, the powerful magic re-converged in Evan¡¯s body centered on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Evan raised his wand high in his hand and read hisst spell.

    The dim light of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone became vivid and extremely dazzling in the blink of an eye.

    The golden light turned white, like the midday sun. It was so bright; one couldn¡¯t just look straight at it.

    Everyone in the stadium noticed it, and they looked up in surprise.

    Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and all the debris of the copsed main building were quietly still in the air.

    Then, they quickly gathered upwards around the light cluster.

    In the stadium, everyone could feel the shocking powerful magic.

    A giant made up of massive amounts of steel and stones was rapidly forming, and Evan was holding Hermione in the hands of the giant.

    Looking at this miraculous giant, the wizards all gasped.

    There was only one thought in their minds. How could that be possible? Was this still magic?!

    Looking at this giant formed by abination of powerful magic and debris, everyone felt that they were going crazy.

    This was indeed Transfiguration, the simplest Transfiguration, but no wizard would dare to use it in this way.

    No one was crazy enough to deform the main building of the stadium, which could hold 100,000 people.

    This kind of move might not even be possible for Dumbledore, the world¡¯s greatest wizard. That could only be seen in the dusty magic books in the library, describing the magic of ancient warlocks.

    <em>¡®EVAN</em>, what a genius wizard! <em>This guy is a monster</em>!¡¯

    Under the influence of magic, the copsed building was re-formed and became a standing giant.

    It protected Evan with its huge palm, and the fallen debris of the stones became part of its body.

 Chapter 488: Power and Shock

    Chapter 488: Power and Shock

    The sound of the scattered building wreckage and rock collisions continually echoed across the sky. More than 100,000 wizards looked up and were deeply shocked. They couldn¡¯t imagine the sudden appearance of the giant, and Evan and Hermione sitting on it.

    Shock!!!

    Extreme shock!!!

    Besides this, there were no other words that could describe the scene at hand. They simply couldn¡¯t believe that this was actually the power of a young wizard.

    Turning the falling debris of a building into a stone giant required only simple Transfiguration.

    In the first lesson, all wizards had learned it, for it was the basis of many other advanced techniques.

    But no one could use it like Evan. It was totally unthinkable.

    The enormous magic involved had gone beyond what ordinary people could understand. No one could do this except Evan, who owned the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Although the image of the giant was not realistic, and there were no exquisite andplex decorations on its body. He was just made out of simple stones piled up.

    This level of deformation would never get high marks in the ssroom.

    But through this crude style, everyone could feel the power that moved it.

    This extremely powerful force made people bow down; almost worshiping what was the most direct manifestation of Evan¡¯s willpower.

    At this moment, Evan was no longer just a 13-year-old wizard.

    In many people¡¯s minds, he was already a powerful wizard who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Dumbledore and Voldemort.

    Under the shock brought by witnessing this purest form of power, no one dared to vite his will.

    ¡°God, what do I see?!¡± An old wizard muttered incredulously.

    His legs were shaking, and the next second he was actually lying on the ground, muttering something in his mouth.

    Wizards like him were not in the minority. In front of powerful forces, submission was the wisest choice for many.

    ¡®Is this still a human?!¡¯ That was the question in everyone¡¯s mind.

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of that young wizard?¡± Another man asked.

    ¡°Evan Mason, he is from Hogwarts!¡±

    Evan did not expect that he would make the front page of all national magic newspapers tomorrow morning.

    The Quidditch World Cup final, which was supposed to take all headlines, was squeezed into an inconspicuous corner.

    No one cared which team won the match, and no one cared who caught the Golden Snitch.

    A great deal of space was devoted to the epic battle between Evan and Caresius, as well as the powerful magic he disyed.

    The existence of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was top secret, and the analysis of this matter by the major media was very varied.

    Whatever it was, all the possible theories and legends had been rummaged out.

    As for the rest of the pages, it was about Evan¡¯s life story, his various performances in Hogwarts and so on.

    All in all, Evan was in the limelight.

    Because of his performance tonight, the wizarding world that had been calm for a long time was boiling.

    Overnight, Evan became a celebrity known to all wizards, like Dumbledore, Sirius and Harry.

    All the major media wanted to interview him, and the Owl letters were almost filling up his ce.

    With the news reports, Evan had many admirers, from all over the world.

    More than 100,000 wizards left the site, spreading his name all over the world.

    Evan was recognized by the wizarding world as the most promising wizard and the star of hope for the future of the wizarding world.

    The Ministry of Magic¡¯s award permission was delivered at the fastest speed.

    The Order of Merlin, First ss also awarded Evan, and the Dark Force Defence League invited him to be a full member.

    This was far from being the end of it, and the influence of the incident would continue to ferment.

    Because of Evan¡¯s performance, the most direct manifestation was the surge in enrollment at Hogwarts the following year.

    Many foreign parents sent their children to Hogwarts, hoping they could study with Evan.

    ¡­¡­¡­.

    Of course, this was all to followter!

    At this very moment, Evan, who would usher in countless glories, was facing an unprecedented crisis.

    He hugged Hermione tightly, or more urately, he was lying on her.

    Evan supported her body, so that she didn¡¯t fall .

    They both clung to each other tightly, and drops of sweat, big like beans, kept popping up from Evan¡¯s forehead.

    He was enduring severe pain, and perhaps, fainting directly would be the greatest mercy to him.

    Losing consciousness meant not having to endure the pain of magic running through his body, to the point that it would almost burst.

    Evan¡¯s body, while as thin as normal, was stretched out in its capacity to take magic like a balloon blown to the extreme.

    Once a balloon would exceed its expansion capability, it would explode with a bang, and then shattered to pieces!

    Evan now felt this way, and massive amounts of magic poured into his body from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone without stopping.

    These magic powers were beyond his capacity, and he felt that he could explode at any moment.

    Worst of all, the magic in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was different from the magic normally produced in the human body.

    It was more violent. Its flow through the body felt¡­ hot, like magma deep in the earth¡¯s core.

    While enduring the pain of being squeezed and exploded, he was also subject to the burning and destruction of the fiery magic.

    It was true Evan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, but the intense pain had kept him awake all the time.

    It was the most horrible feeling to watch himself perish.

    He didn¡¯t know what to do. Magic was out of control, and there was nothing he could do.

    At this moment, Evan could not even focus. He couldn¡¯t think at all.

    It¡¯s to be known that the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was originally developed by ancient warlocks to provide alchemy props for magic when casting powerful magic.

    It contained magic, powerful beyond imagination!

    No one had ever used his body directly to absorb the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone like Evan. No wizard could hold the magic contained in a Philosopher¡¯s Stone purely by virtue of his power.

    Even the most powerful ancient warlocks were unlikely to do that.

    This pure fragmentation was self-destructive, and there was no difference between it and suicide.

    After the first brief hindrance, as Evan increased his absorption, magic from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone continued to flow into his body.

    This process would not stop until he waspletely blown up.

    Evan was thinking about it now. He could feel the magicing in from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone faster and faster, and far more than the consumption of the magic he is using.

    He wanted to stop, but it didn¡¯t work at all.

    Evan¡¯s body was shaking in pain, and Hermione hugged him at a loss.

    She could feel the pain that Evan was experiencing, but did not know what to do.

    She could only hug Evan tightly, in her own way, and kept praying for the boy in her arms.

    Maybe it was her prayer that worked. Just when Evan thought that everything was about to end, the magic that was raging inside suddenly found an outlet to vent, from which the umted power poured out¡­

 Chapter 489: The Dark Mark

    Chapter 489: The Dark Mark

    Slytherin¡¯s Locket, which had been hanging on Evan¡¯s chest, kept shing a dim golden light.

    Just like thest time in the underground ruins of Aragog¡¯s Lair, the magic overflowing from Evan¡¯s body was constantly being absorbed by the Locket.

    Dark golden streamers flowed over the old andplicated lines of the Locket, and the emeralds, which formed the capital letter S, were lit in turn at the center.

    Now, the Slytherin house symbol looked like a curved snake, very lifelike.

    After the excess magic was extracted out of his body, Evan gradually regained consciousness and could feel the magical power pouring in from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone stopping gradually.

    The magic riot within his body was over, although he could still feel excruciating pain all over.

    As long as he slowly practiced, Evan could recover, and his strength could even go further.

    He bowed his head and looked incredulously at the Locket on his chest, shocked by its magic.

    After thest time, Evan knew that the Locket was not a mere essory. It had powerful mysterious magic, but it was hidden so deep that even Voldemort had not noticed it.

    He just thought it was a personal belonging of his ancestor, Szar Slytherin, with specialmemorative significance.

    Therefore, he made this Locket into a Horcrux.

    But that was not the case. All the items left by Slytherin seemed to be of special significance.

    Deep in the underground ruins, Evan saw it on thest mural.

    The four corners were the Locket, the ring, the wand, and the huge scepter surrounded by two green giant pythons.

    This scepter appeared on the front page of the second part of <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, and was a key item left by ancient warlocks.

    Evan spected that, like the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on the front page of the first part, they were the key to defeating the evil spirits.

    As one of the four items along with the scepter, the Locket was certainly not simple.

    Evan had used it to defeat the eyeball monster and absorbed the magic of thousands of years of nkton deep underground.

    He still remembered the scene at that time, and the feeling was like a brand-new magic gate opening in front of his eyes.

    This time, the Locket saved Evan¡¯s life at a crucial moment.

    Likest time, the magic above it suddenlyunched, absorbing the magic of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone pouring into Evan¡¯s body.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on, and didn¡¯t figure out how the magic worked on the Locket.

    He had been studying for a long time and had no clue.

    He originally thought that theplicated lines on the Locket would be the same as the te, and that only a Parselmouth could recognize them.

    But after Harry had seen it, he was sure it wasn¡¯t.

    After learning about ancient magic characters, Evan felt that these strange lines were like some kind of magic words, very, very old magic words.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what the magic on the Locket was, and what its specific use was, there was no doubt that this Locket had be one of Evan¡¯s most precious magic items.

    He could feel that therge amount of magic absorbed in it began to flow back slowly as before.

    The power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone once again became calm and pure, repairing the damage inside Evan¡¯s body.

    Although most of the magic would eventually dissipate, a small part remained, bing part of Evan¡¯s own strength.

    This evening¡¯s incident was over, and Caresius and Voldemort¡¯s conspiracy had failed once again.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief and felt unusually tired. Now he just wanted to fall down and sleep deeply.

    But before that, he still had tofort Hermione, who was frightened in his arms.

    After this incident, Evan clearly felt that his rtionship with Hermione had taken a step forward.

    They had both experienced this life or death situation, and had an unimaginable interaction founded in their unreserved trust in each other.

    Evan gently patted the head of the trembling Hermione.

    Just when he thought that everything was over, the ident happened again.

    This evening¡¯s incident was not over. Fear¡­ was not over!

    Seemingly just to wreck the wizards¡¯ fragile nerves, something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the ruins of the building, and flew up into the sky.

    The next second, a colossal skull appeared beside Evan and Hermione.

    It consisted of what looked like emerald stars, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue.

    Under Evan¡¯s gaze, the skull rose higher and higher, zing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the ck sky like a new constetion.

    Like some grisly neon sign, it illuminated most of the sky.

    Evan, Hermione, the stone giant standing quietly under them, and the ruins reflected with the skull in the night sky, as if they were intended to be part of the scene.

    Because this horrible skull represented the power of destruction and the deepest fear of the wizards, in the stadium, the crowds that had been calmed down burst into screams again.

    They screamed loudly, and once again rushed out of the stadium, fleeing as the panic returned.

    This time, it was even more obvious than the turmoil caused by the vampires.

    ¡°God, this is the Dark Mark!¡± said Hermione, holding Evan¡¯s arm tightly, ¡°Voldemort¡¯s sign!¡±

    Voldemort certainly could not appear here. Evan knew what that was all about.

    Almost at the same time that the Dark Mark was issued, he felt that Barty Crouch Jr. was in the ruins!

    Needless to say, Voldemort and the vampires failed in their n to rescue him in Crouch¡¯s tent.

    No one would have thought that Barty Crouch Sr. would let a house elf take his son to the Quidditch match.

    Considering the character of Barty Crouch Sr. and the fugitive status of Barty Crouch Jr., this was incredible.

    When the vampires were about to attack the box, Barty Crouch Jr. was led away by the house-elf Winky, but did not escape too far.

    Winky¡¯s order was to stay in the box, she could not leave too far, and she could not use Apparition.

    Long-term imprisonment had made Bartemius Crouch Jr.¡¯s body extremely weak and he had not yet recovered.

    However, he still managed to steal Harry¡¯s wand in the box.

    This mad man was not thinking about running away with this wand at all.

    After seeing Evan in the limelight, he used it directly to proim his master¡¯s strength and provoke Evan. He wanted everyone to realize who was the most powerful and terrible wizard in the world.

    And his goal was achieved. Bartemius Crouch Jr. seeded in causing panic and reminding everyone of Voldemort¡¯s terror.

    All the Ministry of Magic officials and the Aurors quickly approached the ruins, and the red light of the stunning spell shed everywhere.

    Evan clearly saw that Barty Crouch Sr., who had not been seen this evening, was at the forefront.

    The Ministry of Magic had lost face tonight, and they urgently needed to show themselves.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Crouch would feel when he would see that the enemy he was going to face was his own son.

 Chapter 490: Rufus Scrimgeour

    Chapter 490: Rufus Scrimgeour

    A series of dazzling red lights shed over the ruins.

    The figures flickered, and hundreds of burning red lights shot from the wizards¡¯ wands, intecing with each other. They hit the debris of the ruins and were bounced back into the darkness.

    ¡°I saw it, he Dispparated!¡± a wizard shouted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Apparition is not allowed in this area¡­¡±

    But thinking of the sudden disappearance of Caresius, this sentence was particrly unconvincing this evening.

    ¡°The man suddenly disappeared from my sight, if it was not Apparition¡­¡± The voice broke out and then said in surprise, ¡°There¡¯s a man on the ground, unconscious, oh God, what¡¯s this?!¡±

    ¡°What did you find?!¡± Mr. Crouch said in a cold, unemotional voice. His face tightened and his sharp eyes fell on the darkness.

    A few secondster, under the watchful eyes of everyone a wizard came out with a tiny, limp figure.

    There was a tea towel around her neck. It was Winky, the house-elf!

    Mr. Crouch watched as his house-elf was deposited under his feet, motionless and silent.

    The other officials of the Ministry of Magic were all staring at Mr. Crouch, and the atmosphere in the air was weird.

    For a few seconds, Crouch remained transfixed, as if frozen, his eyes zing in his white face as he stared down at Winky.

    Then he appeared toe to life again.

    ¡°This, this is impossible, impossible!¡± He said, ¡°No way!¡±

    He moved quickly around the wizard in front of him and strode off toward the ce where Winky had been found.

    ¡°No point, Mr. Crouch!¡± the wizard who found Winky called after him, ¡°There¡¯s no one else there.¡±

    But Mr. Crouch did not seem willing to take his word for it, and he walked up and down in there. He carefully searched through the dark ruins, and there was a constant sound of rubble rolling and falling.

    When Evan and Hermione came down, he did note out of the ruins.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, are you both okay?¡±

    Evan saw Sirius and Mr. Weasley running towards them and looking very scared.

    In the sky, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Krum, Fred, George and other Quidditch yers all slowlynded beside them.

    People gathered to ask about Evan and Hermione, and wept with joy.

    Everyone was shocked by Evan¡¯s power, and did not expect this 13-year-old to be so strong.

    Those familiar with it knew that Evan had used the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone; that mighty power was beyond the imagination of the modern wizarding world.

    Soon, Fudge came along under the protection of a group of Aurors.

    He didn¡¯t seem to have recovered from the huge shock, and asked Evan who he was fighting with.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, these two children need rest!¡± Sirius said impatiently, ¡°Evan just had a fight with a Dark wizard who suddenly broke in. This should have been the responsibility of the Ministry of Magic. If you want to know the truth, you can ask those Dark wizards who have been caught, and you can know who they are and where theye from!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, ck!¡± Fudge nodded awkwardly. ¡°We do¡­¡±

    Just then, the officials of the Ministry of Magic at the edge of the ruins gave another cry of rm, and everyone hurried over.

    The Aurors seemed to be discussing whether the house-elf had cast the Dark Mark and the final focus was on the wand.

    To use this magic, one must have a wand, and Winky did have one in her hand.

    The scene was a mess, and when everyone squeezed through, the expressionless Crouch came out of the ruins. His face was still ghostly white, and his hands and toothbrush mustache were both twitching.

    ¡°Barty, where have you been tonight?¡± Fudge hurriedly asked. He looked even more flustered than he did. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this happened tonight, an attack of Dark wizards, and now even the Dark Mark hase out!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been very busy!¡± said Mr. Crouch, still talking in the same jerky fashion, barely moving his lips. ¡°During the match, someone sneaked into my tent. They seemed to be looking for something!¡±

    ¡°To me, those guys are absolutely crazy. What will people say tomorrow?¡± Fudgeined, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. They¡¯ll certainly think it¡¯s all the fault of the Ministry of Magic, but who can¡­ God, what happened to this house-elf?¡±

    He seemed to have just seen Winky, the house-elf lying on the ground.

    A man from the crowd quickly walked to Fudge and whispered a few words.

    The wizard looked like an old lion with gray streaks in his mane of tawny hair and bushy eyebrows.

    Behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles had keen eyes, staring at Crouch with a bad eye.

    He had a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp.

    He immediately gave an impression of shrewdness and toughness.

    He was Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic, and was currently the strongest Auror.

    ¡°Rufus, you mean¡­¡± Fudge¡¯s gaze fell on the wand in Winky¡¯s hand.

    Then, he seemed to have suddenly discovered some great truth and looked up at Crouch incredulously.

    ¡°So, Crouch¡¯s house-elf cast the Dark Mark with this wand!¡± Fudge said slowly with a hint of horror in his voice, ¡°You-Know-Who¡¯s sign, how could she use this magic?!¡±

    Crouch did not speak, and his eyes fell on the wand in Winky¡¯s hand.

    He didn¡¯t seem to hear Fudge¡¯s words, nor did he understand what he meant.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be her¡­¡± someone whispered.

    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t her, this house-elf can¡¯t get away with it!¡± Scrimgeour said bluntly. ¡°She vited use Three of the <em>Code of Wand Use</em>: <em>No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand</em>.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°I think we should listen to how this house-elf defends herself and then judge!¡± Scrimgeour continued. ¡°If you have no objection, Mr. Crouch¡­¡±

    He seemed to be asking Crouch, but he didn¡¯t wait for him to answer, and quickly raised his wand and pointed at Winky, ¡°<em>Rennervate</em>!¡±

    Winky stirred feebly. Her great brown eyes opened and she blinked hard in a bemused sort of way.

    Under the silent gaze of the wizards, she sat up trembling.

    Then, slowly and trembling, she raised her eyes and looked at the crowd.

    Then, more slowly, she turned her eyes to the night sky above.

    It could be clearly seen that the floating skull was reflected twice in enormous, ssy eyes.

    She gave a gasp, looked at the people in the open space with bewildered eyes, and suddenly burst into terrified sobs.

 Chapter 491: Harryâ€™s Wand

    Chapter 491: Harry¡¯s Wand

    ¡°Elf!¡± Scrimgeour asked sternly. ¡°Do you know who I am? I am Head of the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground. Her breath was interrupted by strong sobs from time to time!

    When she heard that Scrimgeour was an Auror, she almost fainted again.

    ¡°A short while ago, the Dark Mark was conjured here.¡± Scrimgeour asked sharply, pointing with his wand firmly at Winky, ¡°A momentter, you were discovered, right beneath the Mark! You need to give us an exnation!¡±

    ¡°I, I, I is not doing it, sir!¡± said Winky gasping for breath, ¡°I is not knowing how, sir!¡±

    ¡°When you were found, you had a wand in your hand!¡± Scrimgeour said impatiently, taking the wand from a wizard and brandishing it in front of her. ¡°Tell me, where did you get it?¡±

    Harry standing in the crowd suddenly said with amazement, ¡°That¡¯s mine, sir!¡±

    Everyone turned quickly and looked at the bewildered Harry.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Scrimgeour¡¯s face was full of shock and suspicion. ¡°Is this your wand?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my wand!¡± said Harry, swallowing, ¡°I dropped it!¡±

    ¡°Hum, you dropped it? Is this a confession?¡± Scrimgeour groaned heavily and looked fiercely as if he were going to swallow Harry raw. ¡°After conjuring the Mark, you just threw the wand aside?!¡±

    ¡°<em>SCRIMGEOUR</em>, pay attention to your words!¡± Sirius roared. ¡°Think who you¡¯re talking to. Is Harry Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?!¡±

    ¡°Sirius ck!¡± Scrimgeour said with a hint of exmation. ¡°This kid is Harry Potter?!¡±

    His sharp eyes quickly swept Sirius and Evan, and then fell on Harry.

    ¡°We all saw him riding a broom in the sky just now, trying to save Evan and Hermione, who were fighting the Dark Wizard!¡± Sirius said angrily, ¡°This was what you, Aurors should have done, but tonight it all depended on a few children. And now, you dare im that Harry has conjured the Dark Mark?!¡±

    He also pulled out his wand and pitted it against Scrimgeour.

    ¡°Take it easy, ck!¡± Fudge hurriedly said. ¡°Harry certainly can¡¯t conjure that Mark. We all know that. Rufus is just asking Harry when he dropped his wand.¡±

    ¡°Shortly after the chaos began, I think it was in the box.¡±

    When Harry talked about the box, Scrimgeour¡¯s face was even more unnatural. It was now in ruins.

    Evan¡¯s powerful magic was still fresh in his memory, and everything tonight was extraordinary.

    There were so many people waiting outside for the oue, and they must make a quick decision.

    Scrimgeour looked again at Winky curled up at his feet, and his eyes became colder. ¡°Elf, you found this wand there, didn¡¯t you?¡± You picked it up and thought you could have some fun with it, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I is not doing magic with it, sir!¡± squealed Winky, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose, ¡°I is, I is, I ¡­ I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, please believe me, I is not knowing how!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t use this magic? Easy to say,¡± Scrimgeour said with a hint of solemnity in his voice. ¡°Since this wand is in your hand, it must have something to do with you. There is a simple way of discovering thest spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?¡±

    Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears pping.

    Scrimgeour ignored her and seemed to have made up his mind to catch the murderer hiding behind the scenes.

    He looked up at Crouch, who said nothing, raised his own wand and ced it tip to tip with Harry¡¯s.

    ¡°<em>Prior Incantato</em>!¡± Scrimgeour said in a cold voice.

    The crowd gasped, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them, it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.

    ¡°<em>Deletrius</em>!¡± Scrimgeour roared, and the smoky skull vanished in a wisp of smoke.

    ¡°What about that?¡± He showed a savage smile of triumph, as he looked down upon Winky.

    Winky was still shaking convulsively, looking very pitiful.

    ¡°I is not doing it!¡± she squealed, her eyes rolling in terror. ¡°I is not, I is not, I I is not knowing how! I is a good elf, I isn¡¯t using wands, I isn¡¯t knowing how!¡±

    ¡°Enough, you¡¯ve been caught red-handed, with the guilty wand in your hand!¡± Scrimgeour shouted. ¡°Only a few wizards know how to do that spell¡­ Tell us, where did you learn it?¡±

    Winky screeched gasps, like a broken bellows.

    ¡°Scrimgeour, perhaps you¡¯re suggesting¡­¡± Mr. Crouch spoke, cold anger in every syble, ¡°that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?¡±

    Scrimgeour stared at him with a very repressed silence and a strange light in his eyes.

    Hundreds of Ministry of Magic officials did not speak. Barty Crouch had a high status and majesty in the Ministry.

    In particr, his past experience had scared all wizards.

    Fudge, who was supposed to be in charge, seemed frightened and panicked. He looked at Crouch for a moment and then turned to Scrimgeour.

    ¡°Everything is possible, we need to investigate!¡± Scrimgeour did not flinch, and his tone was equally cold.

    Looking at him, it seemed certain that Crouch had nned the attack this evening. And in the end, he made his house-elf conjure the Dark Mark!

    ¡°I hope you remember the many proofs I have given, over my long career, that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those who practice them!¡± Mr. Crouch shouted, his eyes bulging.

    ¡°Obviously, but this doesn¡¯t exin why your house-elf has this ck magic.¡±

    ¡°She might have picked it up by chance anywhere!¡± Fudge said uneasily. ¡°Okay, elf, tell me, where exactly did you find Harry¡¯s wand?¡±

    Winky was twisting the hem of her tea towel so violently that it was fraying beneath her fingers.

    ¡°I, I is finding it there, sir¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°There, in the ruins, I is terrified, all the buildings were copsing, the stones kept falling.¡±

    ¡°Well, let me see, this matter is already very clear!¡± Fudge whispered. ¡°The Dark wizard who fought Evan must have picked up Harry¡¯s wand in the box and finally conjured the Dark Mark.¡±

    ¡°Minister, I just saw someone Disapparate!¡± The wizard who first found Winky said in a hurry, ¡°The figure suddenly disappeared from my sight and vanished at once¡­¡±

 Chapter 492: Clothes toThe Elf

    Chapter 492: Clothes toThe Elf

    ¡°Apparition is not allowed in this ce!¡± Scrimgeour said.

    ¡°I know, but he did suddenly disappear from my sight¡­¡±

    ¡°Rufus, so that¡¯s it!¡± Fudge said, seemingly relieved. ¡°Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated or moved away by other methods right after they¡¯ve done it, leaving Harry¡¯s wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune toe across the wand momentster and pick it up.¡±

    Scrimgeour remained silent for a while, as if considering the possibility of what Fudge had said.

    ¡°Elf, did you see anyone at that time?¡± he asked in a cold tone.

    Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Scrimgeour, to Fudge again, and finally onto her own master, Mr. Crouch. Then she gulped and said, ¡°I is seeing no one, sir¡­ no one¡­¡±

    ¡°You are lying!¡± Scrimgeour did not believe, ¡°I have a way to let you say everything you know.¡±

    ¡°Scrimgeour!¡± Crouch said curtly. ¡°I am fully aware that, ording to the general procedure, you would want to take Winky to the Auror office for questioning. I ask you, however, to allow me to deal with her first.¡±

    Scrimgeour did not answer, and Crouch seemed to see it as a tacit acquiescence. He walked quickly to Winky¡¯s side.

    ¡°M-m-master¡­¡± Winky stammered, looking up at Mr. Crouch, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡± M-m-master, please, please, don¡¯t¡­ ¡±

    Mr. Crouch stared at her, his face somehow sharpened, each line upon it more deeply etched. There was no pity in his gaze.

    ¡°I was very shocked by Winky¡¯s behavior tonight.¡± He said slowly, ¡°She did not obey my orders, and appeared at the scene of the incident, picking up the wand that the house-elves should not touch. <em>This means clothes</em>!¡±

    ¡°No, no!¡± shrieked Winky, prostrating herself at Mr. Crouch¡¯s feet. ¡°No, master! Not clothes, not clothes! Please!¡±

    The only way to turn a house-elf free was to present it with proper garments.

    However, this did not only mean the house-elf¡¯s liberation; it also meant their destruction!

    It was really pitiful to see the way Winky clutched at her tea towel as she sobbed at Mr. Crouch¡¯s feet.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this; she was scared!¡± Hermione suddenly said indignantly, ring at Mr. Crouch. ¡°Your elf is scared of heights. She couldn¡¯t stay in the box all the time, waiting to die! It is understandable that she appeared here. She was just running for her life and happened to have found Harry¡¯s wand. You can¡¯t me her!¡±

    Evan could feel that, because of anger, Hermione¡¯s little hand holding him was shaking slightly.

    By this time, everyone knew that Winky could not be the one who conjured the Dark Mark, but Crouch didn¡¯t care; he just needed a scapegoat.

    Evan looked into the dark ruins and wondered where Winky hid Barty Crouch Jr.!

    The wizard said just now that he saw a figure suddenly Disapparating right before his eyes. It must be Barty Crouch Jr.

    He couldn¡¯t have Disapparated, so he must be hiding under the invisibility cloak.

    Evan could no longer feel the existence of Barty Crouch Jr., who seemed to be protected by a magic force. And because of the battle just now, Evan was very weak.

    In his current state, it was impossible for him to detect the specific location of Barty Crouch Jr., and magic had lost its effect.

    However, he had no intention of revealing the matter.

    This was rted to his next n. As for the fate of Barty Crouch, Evan could only wish him luck! Voldemort, who had suffered sessive failures, would definitely break into his home in person.

    Although he didn¡¯t care about Crouch, this incident also warned Evan.

    With a very strong power above ordinary wizards, these lunatics could do anything.

    Whether it was Voldemort or the vampire, these evil Dark wizards had no regard for human life, and tonight¡¯s scene might happen at any timeter.

    Mr. Crouch did not seem to hear Hermione¡¯s words. He took a step backward, freeing himself from contact with the elf, whom he was surveying as though she were something filthy and rotten that was contaminating his over-shined shoes.

    ¡°I have no use for a house-elf who disobeys me,¡± he said coldly, looking over at Hermione, ¡°I have no use for a servant who forgets what is due to her master¡¯s reputation.¡±

    Winky was crying so hard that her sobs echoed around the ruins, and there was a very embarrassing silence.

    Mr. Crouch wanted to get rid of her, but Winky sped tightly to his leg.

    ¡°If you can, please give Harry¡¯s wand back to him!¡± Sirius frowned and said, ¡°These children have gone through too much tonight. They have to go back to rest. We have no energy or obligation to stay here and watch this farce go on.¡±

    Scrimgeour hesitated, but then came over and handed Harry his wand, and his eyes fell on Evan.

    ¡°You are Evan Mason?!¡± he asked. ¡°I hope to talk to you!¡±

    Evan originally wanted to agree, but Sirius stepped up directly in front of him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Evan has anything to say to you. Everyone saw what happened this evening!¡± He said rudely. ¡°In my opinion, Evan saved everyone. He¡¯s a hero! ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but this child has such powerful magic, which is obviously not normal!¡± Scrimgeour said stiffly.

    ¡°You have to know that some people are born to be geniuses!¡± Sirius replied softly. ¡°Don¡¯t use your low standards to measure other people. What¡¯s more, no matter how powerful Evan is, this matter has nothing to do with the Aurors.¡±

    Scrimgeour was embarrassed and stood still, staring at Sirius.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, kids!¡± Mr. Weasley whispered and quietly pulled Sirius.

    Everyone knew that Scrimgeour was a resolute person. He worked as an Auror and devoted most of his life to dealing with Dark Wizards.

    The professional habits he had developed over a long period of time kept him from letting go of any person or matter he had doubts about.

    Although not as powerful as Crouch, it was best not to mess with him.

    Evan¡¯s performance tonight was so eye-catching that he needed to keep a low profile now.

    What happened this evening, especially the appearance of the Dark Mark, was obviously out of ce, or not to get involved with.

    Everyone turned and left; only Hermione seemed to be reluctant to move, and her eyes were still upon the sobbing elf.

    ¡°Hermione!¡± Mr. Weasley said, more urgently.

    A few secondster, Hermione turned and followed Evan and everyone to leave the ruins and walk outside the stadium.

 Chapter 493: Wanted Vampires

    Chapter 493: Wanted Vampires

    When they were separated from the Ministry of Magic¡¯s crowd, Evan immediately said, ¡°That guy named Scrimgeour seems very dangerous, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    He could feel that most of the wizards were shocked after he showed great magic.

    Only Rufus Scrimgeour wanted to explore the source of his magic. Barty Crouch probably wanted to do the same, but now he was too busy with Winky and his son¡¯s affair to focus on Evan.

    These two guys seemed to be exceptionally sharp, so he had to be careful when he woulde into contact with themter.

    ¡°Scrimgeour has always been like that. He is a veteran Auror!¡± Sirius said, ¡°After stor Moody retired, he was the only remaining one of the old Aurors. He has a lot of prestige in the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°What about other old Aurors?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°They quit, died or went insane. Being an Auror is a very dangerous profession, very few people can stick to it till the end!¡± Sirius replied, ¡°Only the best Aurors can protect themselves while dealing with Dark wizards. You know, there are many times when danger does not necessarilye from the enemy. Aurors like Scrimgeour are very rare.¡±

    ¡°The Aurors are always suspicious, as if presuming that everyone is a Dark wizard!¡± Mr. Weasley agreed.

    ¡°Whoever works in that position for a long time will be like that. They have seen too many intrigues.¡± Sirius paused for a while and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to know who can be trusted and who can¡¯t.¡±

    It seemed that he thought of the death of Peter Pettigrew and Harry¡¯s parents again and med himself for his past naivety.

    ¡°Yes, but everyone is still afraid of anything to do with Aurors.¡± Mr. Weasley followed and said, ¡°Let me say, Scrimgeour chose Crouch as his opponent this time, but it was a big mistake. Crouch is not the kind of person who would be easily frightened.¡±

    ¡°Look at his attitude towards that house-elf. He can give up anything that would affect his reputation at any time.¡± Sirius said dismissively, ¡°Barty Crouch is much more cunning and dangerous than Scrimgeour!¡±

    ¡°But Winky didn¡¯t make any mistakes!¡± Hermione said immediately. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to her?¡±

    ¡°They have no evidence, and they will finally release her!¡± Sirius said, ¡°But she will definitely be expelled by Barty Crouch. I hope that the thrill will not kill her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. Mr. Crouch can¡¯t treat her like that!¡± said Hermione angrily. ¡°He knows that she didn¡¯t do it and he¡¯s still going to sack her! He didn¡¯t care how frightened she had been, or how upset she was ¡­ he doesn¡¯t treat her like a human being at all!¡±

    ¡°Well, she is not human.¡± Ron interjected.

    Hearing this sentence, Hermione immediately turned to attack him.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean she hasn¡¯t got feelings, Ron. It¡¯s disgusting that they do that, and you should ¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, Hermione, I agree with you, but now is not the time to discuss elf rights!¡± Mr. Weasley said quickly. ¡°You¡¯d better go back to the tent. Sirius and I will take care of the rest.¡±

    A few minutester, they encountered obstacles as they walked out of the stadium.

    Although the Ministry of Magic officials were trying to evacuate the flow of people, there were still many witches and wizards gathered there who refused to disperse.

    They were frightened-looking. When they saw someoneing out from the inside, they surged forward.

    Evan hid behind Sirius and did not want to be recognized. But this worry was superfluous, and these wizards did not recognize Evan.

    They were just protesting and asking the Ministry of Magic to give a statement.

    What happened this evening was an extremely serious evil. Many witches and wizards gathered to ask the Ministry of Magic to announce the truth of the incident and arrest and punish the murderer as soon as possible.

    Besides, they also wanted to know who had conjured the Dark Mark!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in there?¡±

    ¡°Who conjured the Mark?¡±

    ¡°Was it <em>Him</em>? Did he n the attack this evening? ¡±

    ¡°Is he back?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not Him!¡± Mr. Weasley couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°We don¡¯t know who it was; the Dark wizard has run away! All right, please step aside, please; I want to go to bed!¡±

    They crossed the crowd and returned to the campsite, which was quiet and terrible.

    Every tent was dark and the pleasant atmosphere of the day was missing.

    Everyone hid in their tents and did not dare to make any noise. Outside, officials from the Ministry of Magic were patrolling everywhere.

    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡± Charlie got out of the tent.

    Because of the Aurors¡¯ blockade, he and Bill and Percy had not entered the core area.

    ¡°Nothing, we will investigate!¡± said Mr. Weasley, ¡°Well, children! You all go in, I have to go and have a look. With what happened, there must be a shortage of staff in the Ministry. People are needed everywhere to maintain order. I must help. ¡±

    After asking Sirius to take care of everyone, he turned around and went back into the darkness.

    Everyone sat around the small kitchen table, looking in shock and in poor condition.

    Bill was holding a bed sheet to his arm, which was bleeding profusely.

    Charlie had arge rip in his shirt, and Percy was sporting a bloody nose.

    These were all the marks left by their fighting with Dark wizards and vampires who took advantage of the fire.

    Evan found that Sirius was also badly injured, and his body was covered with blood, but fortunately, his injuries were all superficial.

    From his cloth bag, he hurriedly took out some white potion, which he had arranged himself.

    This potion had a good healing effect on fall injuries and was suitable for use at this time.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Sirius, ¡°This is exactly what I need.¡±

    He took it and sprinkled it on the wounds on his arms, and it quickly healed.

    ¡°Who are the Dark wizards who attacked tonight?¡± Charlie asked. ¡°Are they You-Know-Who¡¯s men?¡±

    ¡°They are vampires. Sirius and I had contact with them in the forests of Albania!¡± said Evan. ¡°They are all very evil Dark wizards, real ouws, and to some extent, even more terrible than the Death Eaters. The existence of vampires is a taboo in itself, which makes them live on the edge of the world.¡±

    Except for Sirius, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the rest of the people looked at Evan with surprise.

    No one thought that the Dark wizards who attacked this evening would be vampires, which was simply unbelievable.

    ¡°No wonder the magic they use is very strange. I just had a fight with a masked guy!¡± Bill said, ¡°Some of their magic is somewhat simr to that of ancient Egyptian wizards. We have found simr records in several sacrificial tombs. All that ancient magic is based on blood.¡±

    Despite the rush to cope and the heavy losses, the Ministry of Magic could still manage to catch a few vampires.

    After a night of interrogation, it was rational that before tomorrow, Caresius and his people would be wanted.

    In the wizarding world, some things are not as simple as if you clench your teeth and insist that you don¡¯t say anything; a powerful wizard can get anything he wants to know from a person¡¯s soul if he wishes¡­

 Chapter 494: Unlucky Evan

    Chapter 494: Unlucky Evan

    ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to the vampires caught by the Ministry?¡± Ginny asked.

    She was particrly pale and had not yet recovered from the thrill she had received this evening.

    ¡°After the interrogation, they¡¯ll probably be put in Azkaban.¡± Sirius said, ¡°Dementors will keep a firm eye on them, but if they can¡¯t drink fresh blood all the time, those vampires won¡¯tst long.¡±

    The power of vampireses from blood; and the stronger the magic in the blood they feed on is, the more helpful it is to them.

    That¡¯s why with Caresius and ine, who had been feeding on the powerful magic dragon blood, their strength had been improving rapidly.

    But what¡¯s more important, vampires also need blood as food to sustain their lives.

    It was hard to imagine that in that hellhole of Azkaban, the Dementors would specially prepare fresh blood for them as food.

    There was a moment of silence and no one wanted to continue talking about this topic. The thought of a vampire biting a person¡¯s neck and sucking his blood made goosebumps prickle across everyone¡¯s body, but the thought of starving them to death was equally as repulsive.

    ¡°Evan, what magic did you use?¡± Ron asked suddenly. ¡°I saw you and Hermione fall, and I was scared. I didn¡¯t expect you to make the stone giant at thest moment. This was incredible, that magic¡­¡±

    Hearing Ron¡¯s words, everyone looked at Evan with interest and wanted to know the secret of his magic.

    In fact, they had never seen such a powerful magic before. It waspletely beyond imagination.

    ¡°Nothing, just simple Transfiguration!¡± Evan simply said, ¡°If they could find a way to provide with enough magic, anyone can do it!¡±

    It was not appropriate for too many people to know about the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    It was not that Evan did not trust the Weasleys, but the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was, after all, too important and involved too many secrets, which had to be kept concealed.

    As for the Ministry of Magic, he believed that Dumbledore and Sirius would help him deal with them.

    ¡°Provide enough magic?!¡± Ron repeated, doubtfully saying, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that just mean that they need to find a¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, Ron, there is nothing to discuss about that!¡± Hermione said suddenly, winking at Ron. ¡°If you listen carefully in ss and work hard to finish the homework assigned by the professors, sooner orter you will use this magic like Evan.¡±

    For a few seconds, Ron looked at her in surprise.

    How could such a powerful magic be cast by listening attentively in ss and studying hard to finish the homework?

    In Ron¡¯s view, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the key, and only with its help could this magic be used.

    Evan had just said that it required powerful magic, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone should provide that.

    He relied on the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to fight the vampire, cast powerful spells, and make the entire wizarding world remember his name.

    Of course, Evan is really strong and devoted a lot of effort to magic, Ron admitted this. But in his opinion, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the most important.

    He had seen the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and with it, anyone can release powerful magic like Evan.

    As for talent, hard work and skills, they were far less effective than the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    This was all going through Ron¡¯s mind, without reaction until Harry couldn¡¯t help kicking him under the table.

    He realized that this matter was really not suitable for discussion here, but he had also guessed the answer now.

    ¡°Evan was really good. What happened with the Dark Mark?¡± This time it was Percy¡¯s turn to ask, ¡°Who conjured it? What did you find in the ruins? I saw Mr. Crouch passing!¡±

    This was not the first time that Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had seen the Dark Mark. Thest time they saw it in the Temple of the Moon in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, where Evan had been cursed by Voldemort.

    Everyone knew what it meant and the fear it brought.

    Now, only Fred, George and Ginny were still perplexed, and Sirius exined to them in a low voice.

    Harry and Ron told Charlie, Bill and Percy exactly what they had just seen in the ruins.

    ¡°Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!¡± Hearing of Crouch¡¯sst practice, Percy said in agreement, ¡°She actually picked up an unidentified wand, and smeared the name of her master, embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry. How would that look, if she¡¯d be brought up in front of the Department for the Regtion and Control, I am a little¡­¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t do anything. She was just in the wrong ce at the wrong time!¡± Hermione snapped at Percy, who looked very taken aback, looking at Hermione in surprise, not sure what he had just said wrong.

    Hermione had always got on fairly well with Percy, better, indeed, than any of the others.

    ¡°Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch¡¯s position can¡¯t afford a house-elf who¡¯s going to run amok with a wand!¡± said Percy pompously, recovering himself.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t run amok!¡± shouted Hermione. ¡°She just picked up the wand off the ground!¡±

    Both of them were red-faced and seemed to have the intention of continuing to quarrel.

    ¡°Well, we shouldn¡¯t talk about this topic!¡± Sirius immediately interrupted everyone. ¡°You must go to bed, especially Evan, he needs a rest. Anything else can be said tomorrow morning.¡±

    Harry and the others seemed to want to continue discussing for a while why the vampires had conjured the Dark Mark.

    In any case, it didn¡¯t help their attack, but it did bring more panic.

    ¡°Go upstairs and go to bed. It¡¯s veryte now. We¡¯ll get a few more hours of sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here.¡± Sirius said to Evan, Harry and Hermione, ¡°I talked to Arthur, and the three of you will return to the Burrow until the beginning of school. During this period, you will not go anywhere.¡±

    A few minutester, Evan dragged his tired body back to his room.

    Afterpletely rxing, he felt exhausted and fell heavily on the bed. But not long after, a subtle knock on the door surprised him, and Hermione came to his room.

    She seemed frightened by what happened tonight, and her little face was full of worries.

    It¡¯s been an eventful night for her, especially in the end, when she made up her mind to slide down from Krum¡¯s broom.

    At that time, she waspletely determined to die with Evan.

    She already had that awareness and made a decision. This matter could not only be exined by courage and friendship, but also by other strong feelings.

    Unknowingly, Evan and Hermione had the closest rtionship¡­

    As the main building copsed, Evan did not know what Hermione was thinking.

    He only remembered that she hugged him tightly, as if she would never let go.

    After this life or death experience, the rtionship between the two was to definitely change in nature; as if a thin veil between them was pushed to the side.

    Now, Evan had the opportunity to make his confession to Hermione, and for the two to take a step forward with their rtionship.

    He was always unlucky in this respect and was interrupted at critical moments.

    But now the atmosphere in the room seemed propitious!

 Chapter 495: Take Them Off

    Chapter 495: Take Them Off

    Hermione seemed to whisper something outside the door, but Evan, whose thoughts went wild, did not hear her clearly.

    After confirming that it was Hermione who was knocking at the door, he hurried over and opened it.

    Inside the room, the orange candlelight glowed faintly, and the lighting was very soothing.

    Although this was not exactly the most romantic spot, and normally not ideal for him to make his big confession, what had just happened at the stadium created enough of a bond between the two to make this time more fitting than ever.

    Both of them are very excited, filled with the joy brought by survival, and the desire to further their rtionship.

    Evan even felt that Hermione would agree to whatever he would ask for at the moment. As for the biggest obstacle of age, he had to just ignore it!

    He let her into his room, ready to summon up his courage to speak up his mind.

    ¡°Hermione, I¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, Evan!¡± Hermione said suddenly. ¡°Lie in bed and I¡¯ll help you¡­¡±

    Looking at her, she seemed very determined and dared not look at Evan at all.

    ¡°Lie in bed?!¡± Evan blinked and asked in a daze, ¡°What for?!¡±

    Why would he lie in bed?! What was she going to do for him?!

    ¡°Take off your clothes; it will be more convenient¡­¡± Hermione whispered.

    Looking at her shy face, Evan felt his heart pounding, beating violently, and his face turned reddish.

    This was going extremely fast! He didn¡¯t expect Hermione to be so direct and skip all bases¡­

    But wasn¡¯t this a little too fast? To lie in bed¡­ and to undress?! Was he the only one to be getting undressed, or was Hermione to join him? He wondered¡­

    Evan was entangled, not knowing what to do. He had no experience about this, at all.

    Imagine that the girl you like sneaking into your room alone in the middle of the night, and without hesitating, asking you to get undressed and lie in bed. What kind of happiness would that bring?!

    All in all, Hermione¡¯s request managed to take the ever prepared Evan off-guard¡­

    There was a voice inside him, telling him to do as Hermione said.

    Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t just take off his clothes and lie down without asking for rification!

    Besides, he was not sure yet. How was Hermione going to help him exactly?!

    ¡°Hurry up; we¡¯ll go to bed as soon as we¡¯re done!¡± Hermione urged, ¡°Sirius has just said that you need to rest now, and that the heavy use of magic has put a great burden on your body that you must rest for it to gradually recover.¡±

    There was nothing wrong with that. Sirius did say that.

    But listening to all what she said and linking it together made Evan feel weird. Was this Hermione he knew?!

    ¡°Hermione, what on earth are we going to do?¡± Evan finally couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are¡­¡±

    ¡°Just when I went upstairs, I thought, I¡¯lle and help you with your potion!¡± Hermione looked at him strangely. ¡°When the stadium box copsed, I saw that your back was cut by rubble; it was bleeding. You have to deal with it as soon as possible. If you get infected, you¡¯ll be in trouble!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Evan sighed with relief.

    His back was indeed scratched by the fallen debris, but the injury was not very serious, so Evan did not mind.

    Now when Hermione mentioned it, the thought of preventing infection sounded logical. Since Hermione was willing to treat his wounds, he would naturally not refuse.

    Evan took off his shirt as fast as he could andy on the bed.

    ¡°The Wiggenweld Potion is in that cloth bag, take it out yourself if you may!¡± he said to Hermione, pointing to the pocket on the table.

    There was a lot of space inside, in addition to <em>The Book of Abraham</em>; there were many magic books and all kinds of potions that had been developed by Evan during the past two years for any case of emergency.

    Hermione opened Evan¡¯s bag and rummaged inside.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already made so many potions!¡± said Hermione in surprise.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this?¡±

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s voice, Evan just thought that in the afternoon, he had stuffed ine¡¯s underwear in there!

    His whole body shivered. If Hermione found out¡­

    At that time, how could Evan exin to her how he got a girl¡¯s underwear?! There was simply no way at all to exin it!

    Evan got up as fast as he could and rushed over to Hermione, who was rummaging through the cloth bag looking for the Wiggenweld Potion.

    ¡°Hermione, let me do it. There are too many potions in there, and you won¡¯t be able to find the one we need for a while!¡± Evan said.

    The only good thing for him now was that the cloth bag had been extended by the Undetectable Extension Charm and didn¡¯t give people an intuitive idea of what was inside. They had to take them out one by one to confirm.

    Hermione hadn¡¯t found the underwear yet. What had just amazed her was just a bottle of a rare potion.

    Evan made up his mind to get rid of that underwear as soon as Hermione would leave.

    Hermione did not argue with Evan. In fact she was trying to calm down, especially that the way Evan looked now, so close to her, made her feel a little embarrassed.

    Feeling Evan¡¯s breath, Hermione¡¯s heart beat violently.

    Looking at the boy¡¯s bare upper body should be nothing noteworthy. But when she thought of helping him with potion, her face immediately turned red!

    Before she came here, she probably thought like Evan did, but she finally made up her mind¡­

    For a while, holding Evan¡¯s potion in her hand, Hermione stared at his back.

    There were many small wounds on it, most of which had solidified, but several were still oozing blood.

    As the two were falling, Evan used his body to protect Hermione, so that she would not be hurt.

    Hermione scattered the Wiggenweld Potion on therger wound, and the scar began healing quickly.

    This potion was really effective. Madam Pomfrey had been using it to deal with various injuries of the young wizards.

    As for the more minor wounds, it was inconvenient to sprinkle the Wiggenweld Potion on them.

    Hermione thought for a moment, then poured the Wiggenweld Potion on the palm of her hand and applied it on Evan¡¯s back.

    She blushed, and then focused on the task at hand and tried not to think about the mess.

    Hermione did it very carefully and spread it evenly.

    Feeling her soft hands, and the palm of her hand gently rubbing his back, Evan¡¯s heart itched badly.

    This was not an evening to skip¡­ He had to confess!

    Hey there and began to think again.

    In fact, Hermione¡¯s every touch gave him a strange feeling, and as if she was electrifying him, the feeling of crispness and numbness spread throughout his body.

    Evan enjoyed the atmosphere, but there was an impulse in the depths of his heart¡­

    Neither of them spoke, and in the room, there was only the faint sound of the candle burning.

    The temperature seemed to be rising, and Evan¡¯s impulse was getting stronger and stronger.

    When Hermione¡¯s little hand touched his waist, Evan felt that he could no longer help it.

    He gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and rotated directly, turning Hermione around, pressing under him¡­

 Chapter 496: Taking the Initiative

    Chapter 496: Taking the Initiative

    Hermione muffled her own gasp. Being absorbed in applying the potion, she did not anticipate what Evan did!

    All she felt was Evan turning over and hugging her, spinning, and she was pressed down under him¡­

    Hermione stared anxiously at Evan above with her eyes wide open, but could not make a sound at all.

    For a moment, she felt that she had no strength at all, and was simply powerless in his arms¡­ It was like Evan became a mighty man, more powerful than any, and his slightest pressure felt like an unstoppable force.

    Hermione raised her little hands and symbolically pushed away Evan, and then quickly let them fall back down.

    Instantly, her little face was red with shame, and her heart thumped violently. Just as she thought it couldn¡¯t beat any faster, she realized that Evan had no shirt on!

    She was now very <em>close with Evan,</em> in the most real sense of the word.

    Although Evan¡¯s upper body was not exactly buff, his habit of training regrly had his muscles well toned and bnced, and very pleasing to the eyes of the young girl.

    The candlelight was beating around them, and the intensity of the situation changed the atmosphere of the entire room.

    The night in August was very stuffy, not to mention there was no venttion in the tent.

    The heat of the sun collected during the day seemed to burst out at this time, and the temperature inside this room in particr was getting higher and higher. The eyes of the two mingled with each other, and so did the sweat on their bodies¡­

    Neither of them spoke, for everything was self-evident, and strange feelings took over their bodies.

    To tell the truth, Hermione was somewhat looking forward to Evan¡¯s next move, even though she was now shy, nervous, and scared to death.

    Evan on the other hand never thought that he would be so bold and pull off such a stunt! Although he had envisioned this scene countless times, he never thought it would be so direct¡­

    He felt the girl under his body trembling slightly, with a rare charm on her ruddy little face.

    Smelling the sweet scent, Hermione was now so attractive to him.

    She had an invisible aura that attracted Evan, and he couldn¡¯t help but slowly press down his body bringing his whole weight on Hermione¡­

    ¡°Hermione, I like you!¡± he whispered softly.

    Hermione didn¡¯t seem to hear it; she didn¡¯t respond¡­ Or perhaps she¡¯d heard clearly, but didn¡¯t know what to say!

    Her body moved a little, but because she was too close to Evan, she quickly stopped.

    Only her long eyshes quivered slightly on her beautiful and dynamic eyes, like a kitten, curled up under Evan, with no room for resistance.

    Looking at Hermione like this, Evan¡¯s brain stopped working, and all his mixed thoughts turned into a nk.

    His mind stopped working, and all that moved him was the most primitive of his instincts.

    The distance between them was so close that even their breathing stopped.

    Likest time, Evan was ready to kiss Hermione. She now had closed her eyes tightly, and her cute and seductive look made him want to take a bite.

    The distance between them was getting closer and closer¡­

    The next second, Evan felt something¡­

    In this tense atmosphere that¡¯s both smothering and sweet, he kissed the girl¡¯s cool, clear lips.

    ¡°Soft and sweet taste!¡± That was Hermione¡¯s only feeling.

    Only a second passed, but for both of them, it was a century

    Just likest Christmas in Diagon Alley, there was only a slight contact between their lips.

    Evan could feel Hermione¡¯s nervousness. She gritted her teeth and did not loosen them. But this time, she had no ce to dodge and escape.

    She had been firmly pressed under Evan, and trembling would only bring her closer to him¡­

    Evan had decided to go further and break through her defense. He slightly opened his lips, and began to move his tongue forward¡­

    ¡°Cough, cough!¡± A cough came from the side!

    Evan and Hermione raised their heads subconsciously with their jaws dropped, and saw that Sirius was at the door.

    He had a self-evident smirk in the corners of his mouth, as if he had understood everything.

    They both looked at each other, and felt each other¡¯s breath and warmth¡­

    The next second, Evan and Hermione quickly separated as quickly as they could, all embarrassed to see Sirius.

    The mood was quickly overwhelmed by embarrassment; at least that was what Evan felt.

    He felt really cursed or something, with such interruptions urring every time he took the initiative¡­

    He didn¡¯t think Sirius woulde in at such a critical time. Now, he was so embarrassed, he would dig in a hole and hide if he could.

    As for Hermione, who was extremely shy, it went without saying that her face was so red it looked like it¡¯s about to bleed¡­

    She didn¡¯t dare look at Sirius, and much less at Evan. She could only look down at the foot of the bed¡­

    ¡°Sorry to disturb you both!¡± Sirius said with a smile, winking at Evan, ¡°But I think you should close the door before you do this kind of thing in the future. It would be safer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for reminding me!¡± Evan stared at Sirius and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been injured in the battle, and Hermione just came over to give me the potion.¡±

    ¡°Of course she did, but I think you should take some rest now. It¡¯s already past three in the morning!¡± he replied softly. ¡°But the potion is also very important. You¡¯d better hurry up and finish quickly!¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t know what he could say else to Sirius

    He med himself for being so excited when he saw Hermione that he forgot to close the door.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to see Harry now; you two can continue!¡± Sirius nodded.

    He took hold of the handle and was ready to help Evan close the door, but Hermione dared not stay here. She nced at Evan and fled the room blushed.

    Now, Evan was left alone in the room, unable to fall back into his bed, staring at the candlelight on the table in a daze.

    Next door to Evan, Harry got back to his bunk with his head buzzing.

    He knew he ought to feel exhausted. It was now three in the morning, but he felt wide-awake¡­ wide-awake, and worried

    A few days ago, he had awoken with his scar burning. Tonight, Voldemort¡¯s mark had appeared again in the sky, and he also had the help of powerful and evil vampires.

    He had taken away the statue of the evil god, which was an extremely dangerous ck magic item.

    Harry turned around and tried to think about what all of this meant?

    Although he could rely on Sirius and Evan¡¯s help, Harry wanted to do something with his own abilities.

    Especially in the fight against Voldemort, he felt that he had an inescapable responsibility.

    With mixed thoughts in his mind, Harry felt that there was something crucial for him to grasp.

    If only he could return to that dream, the dream where Voldemort appeared, Harry had a feeling that perhaps he could know what that thing was.

    He was sure that he could know from there what the other party¡¯s conspiracy was, because there, <em>he</em> was Voldemort!

    That was really a terrible idea, and Harry couldn¡¯t go back to that dream right now.

    He sighed, and at this moment, he felt Sirius gently pushing open his door.

    He hurriedly closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.

    After Sirius left, Harry opened his eyes again andy on his back in bed, looking at the ceiling aimlessly.

    Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night!

 Chapter 497: Sirius Becoming an Auror

    Chapter 497: Sirius Bing an Auror

    Eventually Mr. Weasley woke everyone up, and Evan felt that he had only started to sleep when that happened.

    Mr. Weasley was on duty all nightst night, which made him look tired, but he was in a good state of mind.

    He told everyone that no one had died except for the injuries, and that the Ministry of Magic had properly taken care of the wounded.

    With the chaos ofst night, having things end up like this was almost miraculous.

    Everyone helped Kreacher pack up tent and left the campsite as quickly as possible.

    They decided to use the Portkey to return to the Burrow, and only Percy wanted to report directly to the Ministry of Magic.

    In his words,st night was a particrly difficult day.

    Such a vicious and important event had taken ce in the wizarding world; he had to stick to his post and wait for Mr. Crouch¡¯s orders at any time. Of course, Fred and George said that this could only be about those cauldrons leaking.

    Eventually, Mr. Weasley persuaded Percy to go home to see his mother first before going to work in the Ministry of Magic. So many things had happened the previous night, and Mrs. Weasley must be very nervous now.

    In this way, the group walked through the early morning mist in the silent campsite.

    Just one night, it was a lot of deste that not even a single figure could be seen.

    The tent s had been packed up, leaving only a mess on the ground.

    Wizards who could use Apparition fled overnightst night, and the rest went to get Portkeys early.

    No one wanted to stay here for another minute after the attack and the appearance of the Dark Mark.

    Evan thought it would be embarrassing to meet Hermione in the morning after what he had done the previous night.

    But in fact, there was no difference, and things went naturally between the two.

    Looking at them from the surface, nothing unusual could be percieved. They were the same as before, having great understanding

    However, that all changed whenever they were left to themselves!

    Hermione was furious! She was angry with Evan¡¯s sudden ¡°attack¡± on herst night. She was shy and embarrassed. She kindly offered to help him apply the potion and heal his wounds. It didn¡¯t ur to her that it would end up like that!

    On top of that, they were seen by Sirius!

    Whenever she thought of herself under Evan, his body pressing on her own, her face turned red!

    It was all Evan¡¯s fault. But despite this, Hermione acted normally.

    She gave Evan the feeling that she was Hermione he was familiar with, not the shy kitten who was in his armsst night.

    While breathing a sigh of relief for seeing her like this, Evan was also feeling great regret.

    Last night, he missed such a good opportunity and did not go all the way, and now everything was back to to where it was!

    He liked her? Is that all he wanted to say! He shouldn¡¯t even think about it next time, and should immediately only poor his heart. Now, he could only look for opportunities in the future.

    What he did not know was that, although she tried to keep a calm appearance, her heart was at sixes and sevens. If he was to even allude to what happenedst night, she would get all furious on him.

    As for Sirius, the witness, he had Disapparated and left earlier.

    Before leaving, he told Evan, Harry, and Hermione to stay in the Burrow and not go anywhere.

    After Hermione leftst night, Sirius talked to Evan about his intention to ept Fudge¡¯s proposal to be an Auror.

    Sirius was affected by the vampires¡¯ attacks and the reappearance of the Dark Mark; he felt it was his duty to do something against Voldemort.

    He had to avenge Harry¡¯s parents, and Voldemort had killed them fourteen years ago.

    Evan was very supportive of Sirius¡¯s decision to be an Auror.

    Sirius was a restless, unstoppable man. If he was not worried about Harry, he might have already rushed to the front line against the Dark wizards.

    He did not fear danger, but enjoyed the pleasure it brought and got great satisfaction from it.

    Being an Auror was the most suitable career for Sirius and his best destination.

    Fromst night¡¯s conversation, it could also be seen that he admired Rufus Scrimgeour, stor Moody and Aurors¡¯ style of doing things.

    He wanted to be an Auror himself, which was one of his earliest dreams.

    Sirius bing an Auror could also be of great help to Evan and help the him and his friends get a lot of information about the Ministry of Magic.

    After Voldemort regains his strength, the Ministry¡¯s position would be crucial.

    Although Evan had no hope in Fudge, it was worth pulling more people into their camp.

    No matter from which aspect, Sirius bing an Auror would bring a lot of benefits.

    Evan had previously intended to ask him to help Professor Lupin, but running newspapers and shops was clearly not for him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Sirius is actually going to be an Auror!¡± Harry was still talking about it.

    When Sirius announced the news this morning, everyone was shocked.

    ¡°Sirius has his own considerations,¡± said Evan. ¡°All we can do is support his choice.¡±

    ¡°I know, but his decision to be an Auror is too sudden ¡­ But that really suits him, doesn¡¯t it?!¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s cool!¡± Ron replied,¡± I also want to be an Auror, to catch those Dark wizards and vampires. It¡¯s the coolest job in the world.¡±

    ¡°How can I be an Auror?¡± Harry continued.

    ¡°Well, children!¡± Mr. Weasley said, ¡°When you pass the Ordinary Wizarding Level, Hogwarts will n your career and have professional professors to guide you. The conditions for bing an Auror are very high. You have to study hard and get as many certificates as you can.¡±

    The next topic was transferred to the Ordinary Wizarding Level.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going to be in the fifth year soon to take this important exam.

    Evan and Ginny also needed to be prepared. Fred and George gave them a lot of advice. But most of them seemed useless, for the two weren¡¯t doing any good themselves¡­.

    As they approached the spot where the Portkeysy, he heard many people moring eagerly.

    Almost all the witches and wizards gathered around Basil, the keeper of the Portkeys, all moring to get away from the campsite as quickly as possible.

    Mr. Weasley had a quick discussion with Basil, and they joined the queue.

    They were finally able to take an old rubber tire back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun had really risen.

    It is a hillside near the Burrow, behind the vige of Ottery St. Catchpole.

    A few minutester, they arrived at their destination, and they walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole and up the dampne toward the Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because they were so exhausted, and thinking longingly of their breakfast.

    Just like Evan and Hermione, no one seemed to have slept well.

    The thick dark shadows on Harry¡¯s eyes clearly told everyone that he did not sleep at allst night.

    As they rounded the corner, and the Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along thene¡­.

 Chapter 498: Rita Skeeterâ€™s Rumors

    Chapter 498: Rita Skeeter¡¯s Rumors

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!¡± Mrs. Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for them in the front yard, came running toward them, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a rolled-up copy of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> clutched in her hand.

    ¡°Arthur! I¡¯ve been so worried, so worried¡­¡±

    She flung her arms around Mr. Weasley¡¯s neck, and the <em>Daily Prophet</em> fell out of her limp hand onto the ground.

    Looking down, Evan saw the headline: <em>SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP</em>,

    Below, there was also a twinkling ck-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark hanging in the sky.

    Evan¡¯s stone giant stood directly below the Dark Mark, echoing the giant snake in the skull¡¯s mouth.

    Not far behind them were the huge the images ruins of the stadium, telling the tragic and terror in silence.

    ¡°You¡¯re all right!¡± Mrs. Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr. Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, ¡°Charlie, Bill, Percy, Ron, Ginny, Evan, Harry, Hermione, you are all alive! Oh, boys¡­.¡±

    To everybody¡¯s surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug that their heads banged together.

    ¡°Ouch! Mum¡­ you¡¯re strangling us!¡±

    ¡°I shouted at you before you left!¡± Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob, her face full of tears. ¡°It¡¯s all I¡¯ve been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and thest thing I ever said to you was that you didn¡¯t get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred ¡­ George ¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, now, Molly, we¡¯re all perfectly okay,¡± said Mr. Weasley soothingly, prying her off the twins and leading her back toward the house.

    ¡°Ron!¡± he added in an undertone, ¡°pick up that newspaper. I want to see what it says¡­¡±

    Following Mr. Weasley, Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered to read the newspaper¡­

    Unexpectedly for them, in addition to the photo on the front page, there were descriptions and photos of the battle between Evan and Caresius.

    In a photo, he was controlling the huge fire dragon raging in the box, and it looked so cool!

    The box was filled with horrible mes, and the fire dragon inside kept fiercely roaring towards the people outside the photo.

    ¡°This is a good photo¡­¡± Hermione said softly.

    ¡°Evan, look at what they say about you!¡± Harry said, pointing to a series of guided headlines, ¡°The young wizard who saved 100,000 people! The sessor to the greatest wizard in the world! The future star of hope in the wizarding world! The young wizard who defeated You-Know-Who! The Order of Merlin will break the tradition and award a student a medal First-ss¡­¡±

    Judging from these headlines, this issue of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> had be a special edition of Evan.

    Indeed, behind the front page, ¡°The Daily Prophet¡± introduced the attack and the Dark Mark¡¯s appearance in two pages, as well as the ins and outs of the incident.

    Then, it was all about Caresius and the vampires, using a photo of Evan and Caresius dueling. The Ministry of Magic had obviously chosen it carefully.

    It seemed that the paper had found the right target, but had not yet looked into the results of the investigation with the captured vampires¡­

    Apart from that, all subsequent news content was about Evan.

    They even put a photo of Evan fighting the Basilisk in the Common Room.

    That was the photo taken by Colin. Evan was much younger back then, but that showed his charm and courage even more.

    It was hard to imagine that, besides Evan, any other young wizard would dare to confront the Basilisk head-on. Even adult wizards would not have the guts.

    ¡°These people are crazy!¡± Ron sighed, looking at the whole pages full of photos of Evan.

    ¡°Evan is a celebrity now, even more famous than Harry!¡± Fred leaned over and said.

    ¡°Yeah, <em>the world¡¯s most powerful and gifted young wizard</em>; this title is very attractive don¡¯t you think?¡± said George.

    They went through the newspaper over and over, excitedly checking out the articles on it.

    Everyone felt that the <em>Daily Prophet</em> was a bit exaggerating. Even if Evan had a great deal of merit, there was no need to publicize it so vigorously.

    But soon after, when they saw the <em>Hogwarts Magic</em> newspaper, they found that it was more direct.

    Besides Evan¡¯s story, there was nothing else in the issue!

    Because everyone wanted to see content rted to Evan, he was now the wizard having the most attention in the world.

    Apart fromst night¡¯s vampire attack, the Dark Mark, and Evan, no one cared about any other news.

    The news about the previously popr Quidditch World Cup were squeezed into a corner, not even getting a single photo.

    That was the case now. No matter how good or bad one could perceive this, the fact remained: the newspapers rted to Evan were all sold out on the spot.

    In the following few days, even <em>The Quibbler</em> sales were to encrease, as it was to report on Evan¡¯s experience in Hogwarts over the past two years.

    <em>Hogwarts Magic newspaper </em>worked with <em>The Quibbler</em> during the difficult times of its founding, and Evan published Luna¡¯s articles about the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, and her father helped Evan promote the newspaper and publish the articles he wrote, which also benefited him this time.

    Obviously, <em>Hogwarts Magic</em> had their big break with Sirius¡¯s storyter on. For a few days, it even once surpassed the <em>Daily Prophet</em> to be thergest newspaper in the Wizarding world.

    Because it was a newspaper created by Evan, with an exclusive interview with him, that was enough.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    A few minutester, they took the newspaper in and they were all crammed into the tiny kitchen.

    Hermione and Ginny made Mrs. Weasley a cup of very strong tea, into which she insisted on pouring a shot of Ogden¡¯s Old Firewhiskey.

    Then, Ron handed his father the newspaper.

    Mr. Weasley scanned the front page, frowning tightly, while Percy looked over his shoulder.

    ¡°I knew it would be so!¡± He said heavily, ¡°<em>Ministry blunders ¡­ culprits not apprehended ¡­x security ¡­ Dark wizards running unchecked ¡­ national disgrace ¡­</em> They always describe the Ministry of Magic this way. Who wrote this? Ah ¡­ of course, it¡¯s her ¡­ Rita Skeeter.¡±

    ¡°That woman¡¯s got it in for the Ministry of Magic!¡± said Percy furiously. ¡°She said that the Ministry of Magic was wasting all its energy and time quibbling about cauldron thickness, using us of being fastidious, rather than stamping out vampires and Dark wizards ¡­ can cauldrons¡±

    ¡°Do us a favor, Percy!¡± said Bill, yawning, ¡°and shut up.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m mentioned here!¡± said Mr. Weasley, his eyes widening behind his sses as he reached the bottom of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> article on the front page.

    ¡°Where?¡± spluttered Mrs. Weasley, choking on her tea and whiskey. ¡°I only saw reports on Evan. If I¡¯d seen that, I would have known you were alive!¡±

    ¡°Not by name!¡± said Mr. Weasley. ¡°Listen to this: ¡®<em>100,000 wizards who came to watch the Quidditch World Cup panicked and waited breathlessly for news outside the ruins of the stadium, expecting reassurance from the Ministry of Magic. They were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the horrific vampire attacks and the appearance of the Dark Mark alleging that nobody had been hurt, but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that hundreds of bodies were removed from the ruins an hourter, remains to be seen.</em>¡¯

    ¡°Oh my God,¡± said Mr. Weasley in exasperation, handing the newspaper to Percy. ¡°Nobody was hurt. What was I supposed to say? Everyone was just frightened, and the Ministry has already taken care of everything! That woman really dared to say that hundreds of corpses were removed from the ruins! Well, there certainly are rumors now that she¡¯s printed that.¡±

 Chapter 499: Harryâ€™s Dreams and Speculations

    Chapter 499: Harry¡¯s Dreams and Spections

    ¡°No!¡± Mr. Weasley heaved a deep sigh and stood up straight, ¡°Molly, I am going to the office. This matter needs to be rified. I have to go. It¡¯s me who made things worse.¡±

    ¡°Butst night you were¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you, father,¡± said Percy, interrupting. ¡°Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person.¡±

    Looking at their backs, Mrs. Weasley looked most upset.

    ¡°Arthur has always been like this, working hard and putting his work first. He¡¯s supposed to be on holiday and this matter hasn¡¯t got anything to do with their office. Even if he does not go, they can handle it.¡± Said Mrs. Weasley said, ¡°And Percy¡­¡±

    The others did not know how tofort Mrs. Weasley. She was particrly concerned with the safety of her family and feared they would have an ident.

    But that was the character of Mr. Weasley and Percy. They needed to go to the Ministry of Magic now.

    The Ministry must be busy, and there was a shortage of staff. Sirius was also there.

    ¡°All right, you guys, do you need anything to eat?¡± Mrs. Weasley turned around and asked, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

    Everyone hurriedly shook their heads and said they had already had breakfast.

    ¡°Then go upstairs and have some rest. I¡¯ll call you at lunchtime.¡±

    They all dragged their feet and went upstairs to lie down for a while.

    Indeed, they were all exhausted. They didn¡¯t sleep well the previous night; everyone was just too worried for that. Especially Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, all of whom had insomniast night.

    It was not until noon that everyone woke up again.

    Taking advantage of the free time before lunch, Harry called Evan, Ron, and Hermione alone to the attic room upstairs. He had something to say.

    ¡°I have to tell you about this,¡± said Harry. ¡°This morning, my scar hurt again!¡±

    Evan¡¯s, Ron¡¯s and Hermione¡¯s reactions were almost exactly as Harry had imagined them back in his bedroom on Privet Drive.

    Hermione gasped and started making suggestions at once, mentioning a number of reference books, and everybody from Dumbledore to Sirius, Professor McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey, the Hogwarts nurse.

    Ron simply looked dumbstruck and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    Evan, on the contrary, was very confident and seemed to have expected that this would happen. He looked particrly reassuring.

    In fact, Evan did guess that Harry¡¯s scar should have hurt recently. Harry hadn¡¯t made much progress in practicing lumency, and this couldn¡¯t help much.

    Since he couldn¡¯t prevent the invasion of his spirit from the outside, it meant that under the influence of the Horcrux in the scar, the brains and souls of Harry and Voldemort could be interconnected, which was the reason why Harry had a lot of Voldemort specific traits, such as speaking Parseltongue.

    As Voldemort¡¯s recent strength had gradually recovered, this connection had be stronger and stronger.

    When Voldemort¡¯s mood fluctuated drastically, Harry was able to enter Voldemort¡¯s mind directly.

    The failure ofst night should have definitely made him very angry.

    After all this fuss, not only did Harry not get caught, but even Bartemius Crouch, Jr. could not be rescued.

    In the end, all he did was expose his existence, him and his allies.

    In particr, thest appearance of the Dark Mark associated this incident with Voldemort who had been missing for a long time.

    He had not yet fully recovered his strength, and this was extremely disadvantageous to him.

    For him,st night¡¯s action was a failure; rather foolish. How could he not be angry? Because of this, Harry could once again enter his mind.

    This was a very dangerous act, and once Voldemort discovered this, he would definitely use it to his advantage.

    But he didn¡¯t have to worry too much, because this connection was also very harmful to Voldemort.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s words, an evil soul like Voldemort¡¯s could not tolerate the entry of such a pure soul as Harry.

    ¡°Harry, what did you seest night?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°He was angry and thundering!¡± Harry replied. ¡°He has never been so angry, I could feel it.¡±

    ¡°But, he was not therest night, was he?!¡± Ron said quickly, panicking. ¡°I mean, You-Know-Who, we didn¡¯t see him yesterday, there were only those vampires.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. Maybe he hid in the ruins and conjured his sign!¡± Hermione said suddenly. ¡°Remember, in the first year, Harry¡¯s scars also hurt the same way. He was at Hogwarts, so¡­¡±

    ¡°This is impossible. When I was on Privet Drive, my scar hurt like this.¡± Harry shook his head quickly and said confusedly, ¡°I know that he was definitely not on Privet Drive. What¡¯s going on here?¡± Harry shook his head and gently stroked the scar on his forehead with his right hand.

    ¡°I still remember that dream. He was with the vampire who fought with Evanst night. In front of them, there was an ugly root, which should be what Evan called the statue of the evil god.¡± Harry continued, ¡°I can¡¯t remember all of it now, but they¡¯re plotting to kill ¡­ someone!¡±

    He had teetered for a moment on the verge of saying ¡°me,¡± but couldn¡¯t bring himself to make Hermione look any more horrified than she already did.

    ¡°Well, it was only a dream,¡± said Ron bracingly, ¡°Just a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but was it, though?¡± said Harry, turning to Evan. ¡°It¡¯s weird, isn¡¯t it?! My scar hurts, and soon after, the vampire in the dream is on the march, and Voldemort¡¯s sign is also up in the sky again.¡±

    ¡°I said before, this is not a mere dream, it is a kind of Legilimency.¡± Evan said, being careful with his words as much as possible, ¡°it¡¯s probably because of Voldemort¡¯s reaction to the spell that was used over 14 years ago, which is very rare. But as long as you keep practicing lumency, you can cut off this mental invasion.¡±

    He couldn¡¯t tell the truth, telling Harry everything directly. It needed to be kept secret.

    Only at thest and most critical moment could Harry know that he was destined to be killed by Voldemort.

    Evan knew that Harry didn¡¯t want to hear anything about his connection with Voldemort, so he deliberately chose the term ¡°Legilimency¡±, although this sounded more like a trick that the Evil Gods would pull off.

    ¡°I have this feeling. Remember you said that prophecy of Professor Trwney before?!¡± Harry stared at Evan. ¡°<em>Voldemort will personally select a person who will help him return sessfully and gain unimaginable power</em>.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Harry, you aren¡¯t going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says?¡± Hermione said, ¡°None of her prophecies has been fulfilled, and no one has ever been marked by Voldemort.¡±

 Chapter 500: Leisure Time Before School

    Chapter 500: Leisure Time Before School

    ¡°Evan was enchanted by You-Know-Who when he got the philosopher¡¯s stone!¡± Ron hesitated for a moment before he continued. ¡°But that was just a curse, not a mark, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    He looked at Evan with suspicion and hurriedly removed his gaze.

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. There¡¯s nothing to doubt about that.¡± Hermione red at him, as if particrly angry. ¡°How many times have I told you that what the old fraud said was not urate at all, and that the three of you are wasting your time staying in Divination ss.¡±

    She had a deep prejudice against Professor Trwney and thought she was aplete liar.

    Driven by this thought, she had left the ssroom directly and gave up Divination ssst term.

    This was something that had never happened in Hogwarts in recent years. At that time, it caused a lot of talk in the school. Many young wizards thought she was too daring.

    Hermione was very dissatisfied with Evan¡¯s elective Divination ss this year. She had talked to him many times about this matter, hoping to persuade him to transfer to Arithmancy.

    But whether it was Divination or Arithmancy, Evan was actually not interested, and did not want to study it in depth.

    The main reason he chose to take Divination ss was to get closer to Professor Trwney, for she could utter out new prophecies at any time.

    Evan knew that Professor Trwney had the ability to make true prophecies, and he was in urgent need of her help in the matter of evil gods.

    Looking at the arguments between Hermione and Ron, Harry did not speak.

    He had the terrible idea that he was the one mentioned in the prophecy; the one chosen by Voldemort, and that the scar on his forehead was the proof.

    That also exined why he had been able to enter Voldemort¡¯s mind recently and see those horrible scenes.

    However, Harry did not say these words, not even to Evan.

    ¡°Well, stop thinking about these things!¡± said Ron. ¡°Let¡¯s go down for lunch and then have a Quidditch match in the orchard. Evan, Bill, Charlie, Fred and George will all y.¡±

    ¡°Ron!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Harry doesn¡¯t want to y Quidditch now!¡±

    ¡°Who knows? He might want to try out the Wronski Feint!¡± said Ron, ¡°the one that Krum used.¡±

    After Krum and other Quidditch yers rescued everyone from the box, Ron became an admirer of Krum.

    Although he did not speak to him at that time, it did not affect Ron¡¯s worship of the Seeker.

    ¡°I think we¡¯d better go through the books and look for records rted to cursed scars¡­¡± Hermione didn¡¯t give up.

    ¡°Well, I want to y Quidditch,¡± said Harry suddenly. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ll get my Firebolt.¡±

    ¡°I have no objection either. I can be a goalkeeper, and it should be very helpful to ovee my acrophobia.¡± Evan followed.

    Like Harry, he didn¡¯t want to keep on talking about the scar.

    There was no point in continuing the discussion except to make Harry more confused and uneasy.

    Hermione left the room, muttering something that sounded very much like ¡°<em>Boys</em>!¡±

    Neither Mr. Weasley nor Percy was at home much over the following week. Both left the house each morning before the rest of the family got up, and returned well after dinner every night.

    As for Sirius, he hadn¡¯t even appeared.

    He sent a few letters to Evan and Harry, giving them a brief ount of himself and the current situation, so that they would not have to worry.

    The first thing he did after bing an Auror was to track down the traces of vampires everywhere.

    It was bad enough just to think about it, but Sirius enjoyed it!

    As could be seen from his letters, although they had not yet found the whereabouts of Caresius and Voldemort, they had grasped a lot of clues.

    These days, the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic almost turned over the entirety of Britain.

    In addition to Sirius¡¯s letters, Evan also received many strange letters.

    On the second day of his stay, hundreds of owls crowded into the Burrow and letters nearly filled the ce.

    These were from witches and wizards who had heard of Evan¡¯s deeds, from all over the world.

    Some of them were his admirers, others wanted to know the truth of the incident.

    There were also some wizards who sought to explore the secrets of Evan¡¯s great power.

    Eventually, Evan was so bored that he handed over all the letters to Dobby, the house-elf.

    Since then, no strange owl had ever appeared.

    Lupin came to visit the Burrow several times and bought a lot of gifts for everyone.

    He was also very busy now, there were so many things waiting for him to do.

    With the increase of sales and coverage of <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, the pressure and workload on him became a lot tougher than before.

    Although he had hired other people, and Evan and Hermione could help, Lupin still took the initiative to take up most of the work.

    For example, the recent interview and follow-up report on Evan was almostpleted by him alone, working day and night.

    Another ring point was that, although Evan gave him a good sry, he did not buy a new outfit.

    He still wore his own patched, washed, whitish shabby clothes, but his mental state and temperament were much better.

    As a werewolf, Lupin had been wandering for more than a decade since he graduated from Hogwarts, living in the shadow of the edge of society.

    Before, he could not imagine getting such a stable and respectable job, so he cherished it all the more.

    Any words of thanks would seem too artificial, and would not say more than the effort he was making.

    Anyway, Evan was very reassured to hand over Hogwarts Magic and the store to Lupin.

    In his opinion, Lupin, like Percy, was too tired and devoted almost all his time to his job.

    He was in urgent need to have a girlfriend and to form a happy family. It was the most urgent thing for him to do.

    In the next few days of rare leisure time, in addition to studying ancient magic scripts and finishing the summer homework he learned from Ginny, Evan yed wizard chess and Quidditch and other games with Harry and Ron, or helped Mrs. Weasley with housework and worked on new prank products with Fred and George.

    He even came up with some new ideas, so that they would not be limited to prank products, but broaden their horizons.

    Besides, Evan also talked with Bill several times. From thetter¡¯s description, he was more determined to take time to go to Egypt.

    In addition to the ¡°<em>Emerald Tablet</em>¡°, the ancient ruins and mysterious magic left by ancient Egyptian wizards are also the main reasons to attract him.

    Nics mel said that he obtained ¡°<em>The Book of Abraham</em>¡± in Egypt more than 600 years ago.

    There was the ce where everything had started, and Evan had a feeling that he might get the secrets of the evil gods from there.

    In this way, the happy times always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was thest day before the start of school.

    The only thing that Evan was dissatisfied with was that his rtionship with Hermione had not made any substantial progress during this period.

    Although they were together almost all day, Hermione hurriedly changed the subject or dodged whenever Evan wanted to say something or tried to take the initiative to do something.

    The events of that night were so fresh in her memory that she did not give Evan a chance at all.

    In particr, Hermione was a little scared. If Evan was to make a move again, she felt she had no way out.

 Chapter 501: Chaos at the Ministry of Magic

    Chapter 501: Chaos at the Ministry of Magic

    On thest night, Percy returned to the Burrow unusually early. He looked tired, but extraordinarily sultry.

    ¡°It¡¯s been an absolute uproar,¡± Percy told them. ¡°I¡¯ve been putting out fires for a week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don¡¯t open a Howler straight away, it explodes. I have scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill is reduced to cinders.¡±

    ¡°Why are they all sending Howlers?¡± asked Ginny, who was mending her copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi with Spellotape on the rug in front of the living room fire.

    ¡°Comining about security at the World Cup, of course.¡± Percy said, ¡°They wantpensation for their ruined properties. Mundungus Fletcher¡¯s filed a 500 Gold-Galleons medical expense im list, and also said that his tent was destroyed and asked us topensate him for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi. But I know all about him. He was not injured at all, and he was actually spending the night under a cloak propped on sticks.¡±

    That night, while the vampiresunched an attack in the stadium, the campsite was also attacked.

    Many people suffered, especially the tents near Crouch¡¯s, which was area hit the hardest.

    The vampires probably thought that Barty Crouch Jr. was hiding in the tent, so they raided the area. Of course, they did not find anything, but they caused a lot of wizards to suffer heavy losses.

    Indeed, in order to show up at the World Cup, the wizards put a lot of good things in their tents.

    Mrs. Weasley brought everyone several drinks and nced at his grandfather clock in the corner.

    It was a magic clock. It waspletely useless if you wanted to know the time, but otherwise very informative.

    It had nine golden hands, and each of them was engraved with one of the Weasley family¡¯s names.

    There were no numerals around the face, but descriptions of where each family member might be. ¡°Home¡±, ¡°school¡± and ¡°work¡± were there, as well as ¡°traveling¡±, ¡°lost¡±, ¡°hospital¡±, ¡°prison¡± and so on.

    In the position where the number twelve would be on a normal clock, there was ¡°mortal peril¡±

    Although this clock did look too good, it was a very rare magic item of the highest caliber.

    It was passed down by the Weasley family. No matter how depressed it was, the Pure Blood Wizard family had some treasures at the bottom of the box.

    This magic timepiece was such a thing. It could be used as long as a pointer representing a family member was ced on it.

    Like the Marauder¡¯s Map, its principle of function involved the <em>magic of names</em>.

    This was a very unpopr and profound branch of magic, and only powerful and knowledgeable wizards could dabble in it.

    For example, Voldemort ced a Taboo Curse on his name which enabled his Death Eaters to instantly locate anyone who spoke it out loud in the open, and destroy the surrounding simple defensive magic. The Death Eaters would rush over immediately. Therefore everyone was very fearful, afraid to speak his name and he was referred to as <em>You-Know-Who</em>.

    This was another extreme use of the magic of name science, and probably only a really powerful Dark wizard would pull it off.

    All in all, this aspect was too rare, and there was not much that Evan could get on it from magic books.

    Every time he saw this clock, he had an impulse to open it and have a look at its internal structure.

    Eight of the hands on the clock were currently pointing to the ¡°home¡± position, but Mr. Weasley¡¯s, which was the longest, was still pointing to ¡°work.¡±

    Mrs. Weasley sighed and said sadly, ¡°Your father hasn¡¯t had to go into the office on weekends since the days of You-Know-Who. They¡¯re working him far too hard. His dinner is going to be ruined if he doesn¡¯te home soon.¡±

    ¡°Well, father feels he¡¯s got to make up for his mistake at the match; doesn¡¯t he?¡± said Percy. ¡°Truth be told, it was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare me your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!¡± said Mrs. Weasley, ring up at once.

    ¡°If Dad hadn¡¯t said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry hadmented.¡± said Bill, who was ying chess with Ron. ¡°Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts¡¯ Charm Breakers once, and called me ¡®<em>a long-haired pillock¡¯</em>?¡±

    ¡°Well, it is a bit long, dear,¡± said Mrs. Weasley gently. ¡°If you¡¯d just let me¡­¡±

    ¡°<em>No</em>, Mum!¡±

    Rainshed against the living room window, and Evan sat in front of the fire to study the ancient magic script.

    Not far from him, Hermione was immersed in <em>The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4</em>.

    Charlie was darning a fireproof bva, Harry was polishing his Firebolt, and the broomstick servicing kit Hermione had given him for his thirteenth birthday was opened at his feet.

    Fred and George were sitting in a far corner, quills out, talking in whispers; their heads bent over a piece of parchment.

    ¡°What are you two up to?¡± said Mrs. Weasley sharply, her eyes on the twins.

    ¡°Homework,¡± said Fred vaguely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, you¡¯re still on holiday,¡± said Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Yeah, we just want a head start!¡± said George.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be thinking of restarting Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?¡± said Mrs. Weasley shrewdly.

    ¡°Now, Mum!¡± said Fred, looking up at her, a pained look on his face. ¡°If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died. How would you feel knowing that thest thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded usation?!¡±

    Everyoneughed, even Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Oh, your father¡¯sing!¡± She said suddenly, looking up at the clock again.

    Mr. Weasley¡¯s hand had suddenly spun from ¡°work¡± to ¡°traveling¡±.

    A secondter, it had shuddered to a halt on ¡°home¡± with the others, and they heard him calling from the kitchen.

    ¡°Coming, Arthur!¡± called Mrs. Weasley, hurrying out of the room.

    A few momentster, Mr. Weasley came into the warm living room carrying his dinner on a tray. He lookedpletely exhausted.

    ¡°Well, the fat¡¯s really in the fire now,¡± he told Mrs. Weasley as he sat down in an armchair near the hearth and toyed unenthusiastically with his somewhat shriveled cauliflower. ¡°Rita Skeeter has been ferreting around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. And now she¡¯s found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that will be the headline in the <em>Daily Prophet</em> tomorrow. I told Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her ages ago.¡±

    A few days ago, the editor-in-chief of The <em>Daily Prophet</em> sent a letter to Evan.

    The letter said that Rita Skeeter wanted to interview him, but Evan did not give her a chance and refused directly.

    He didn¡¯t want her to describe him as a young monster with bad habits, or the youngest Dark wizard alive or something of that sort!

    This woman had the habit of making rumors to attract the public¡¯s attention. It was better for Evan to stay away from her.

    Of course, if Rita Skeeter provoked him, Evan would not be polite. He knew what she was up to¡­

 Chapter 502: The Scary Shadows of the Vampires

    Chapter 502: The Scary Shadows of the Vampires

    As for Bertha Jorkins¡¯s disappearance, it was really horrible. No ident, people might never find her.

    After Sirius joined the Ministry of Magic, he was responsible for the Fallen Centaurs¡¯ Remains.

    However, it happened in Albany and beyond the reach of the British Ministry of Magic.

    The Special Investigation Team of the International Confederation of Wizards had been working on the matter for more than a week, but little substantial progress had been made.

    The specific list of dead wizards and witches had not been determined, and the purpose behind the vampires¡¯ action was still unclear.

    Everything was a mystery, and the vampire terror shadowed throughout the wizarding world.

    Caresius and his people had be wanted all over the world, but they simply didn¡¯t care. On the contrary, ordinary people were the ones panicking, fearing another attack by vampires.

    They didn¡¯t even dare to go to crowded ces, and things that were supposed to restrain vampires quickly went out of stock.

    Even the toy crosses made by Fred and George were in short supply. God knew what use they had besides changing colors.

    On top of that, vampires were not afraid of crosses at all. Those were just muggle myths.

    ¡°Send someone to find Bertha Jorkins! Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks,¡± said Percy swiftly.

    ¡°Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn¡¯t found out about Winky.¡± Said Mr. Weasley irritably, ¡°There would be a week¡¯s worth of headlines on his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark.¡±

    ¡°I thought we all agreed that that elf, while irresponsible, did not conjure the Mark?¡± said Percy hotly.

    ¡°If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the <em>Daily Prophet</em> knows how mean he is to elves!¡± said Hermione angrily. ¡°I really want to put this on the <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>.¡±

    ¡°Now look here, Hermione!¡± Percy immediately turned around and argued. ¡°A high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience from his servants¡­¡±

    ¡°His <em>ve</em>, you mean!¡± said Hermione, her voice rising passionately, ¡°because he didn¡¯t <em>pay</em> Winky, did he?¡±

    ¡°All right, Hermione!¡± Evan hurriedly said, ¡°You know Percy didn¡¯t mean that.¡±

    The topic had Winky had recently be a hotspot for Hermione.

    During this time, she did not give up persuading people to be kind to house-elves, and used Crouch of being cruel.

    This led her to quarrel with Percy, who strongly supported Crouch, and they both refused to give in every time they met.

    The rtionship between the two had dropped from best friend to freezing point.

    If Evan¡¯s rtionship turned that sour with anyone, he would just not speak with them anymore. But Hermione and Percy were not like that. They argued every time they met, trying to convince each other.

    They never grew tired of it, but the people around them did.

    ¡°I think you¡¯d all better go upstairs and check that you¡¯ve packed properly!¡± said Mrs. Weasley, breaking up the argument. ¡°Come on now, all of you¡­¡±

    Evan stuffed the parchment full of ancient scripts into his arm, and pulled Hermione, who was still ring at Percy, to go upstairs.

    Harry also repacked his broomstick servicing kit, put his Firebolt over his shoulder, and followed Ron and Ginny.

    Hermione and Ginny returned to their room, and Evan and the others continued upward.

    The rain sounded even louder at the top of the house, apanied by the loud whistling and moaning wind, not to mention sporadic howls from the ghoul who lived in the attic.

    In the room, Pigwidgeon began hooting and zooming around his cage when they entered. The sight of the half-packed trunks seemed to have sent him into a frenzy of excitement.

    Hedwig stared at him angrily, her big amber eyes full of reproach.

    ¡°Bung him some Owl Treats,¡± said Ron, throwing a packet across to Evan. ¡°It might shut him up.¡±

    ¡°I wish Hermione and Percy would stop quarreling and that Hermione would give up on the idea of defending house-elves!¡± Harry sighed and said, putting his Firebolt on his cot, ¡°What are these things?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the stuff Mum got for us in Diagon Alley, and will be used in the new term,¡± Ron replied.

    He heaved a pile of parcels onto the bed and dropped the money bag and a load of socks next to it.

    After giving Pig and Hedwig a little more Owl Treat, Evan started unwrapping what Mrs. Weasley had bought for him.

    Apart from a handful of new quills, he had a dozen rolls of parchment, and refills for his potion-making kit. The rest were all books Evan nned to read. They were more than Harry¡¯s and Ron¡¯s booksbined.

    He used his wand to make his books shrink to the size of a palm. Then he stuffed them into the cloth bag he carried with him. He didn¡¯t need a trunk at all.

    ¡°How convenient it is!¡± Harry stared at Evan¡¯s cloth bag and said, ¡°How much could that hold?¡±

    ¡°<em>Undetectable Extension Charm</em>!¡± Evan exined, ¡°Depending on the power used to cast it, the range of the extended space also changes. This is a very deep magic, and very troublesome, it takes a long time toplete.¡±

    ¡°I saw it in Diagon Alleyst time. It needed too many Gold-Galleons to buy one!¡± Ron said, while stuffing his books into his trunk, ¡°It¡¯s very convenient, isn¡¯t it?! I wish I could be stronger and learn this Charm as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll learn this magic in the seventh year, but you can try to study it earlier than that.¡± Evan untied the cloth bag and handed it to Harry who was curious. ¡°It involves a lot of advanced curse theories. There are a lot of things you need to learn.¡±

    ¡°I guess there¡¯s no hope!¡± Ron wrinkled his nose and said, ¡°Can you cast this magic now with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡±

    ¡°There should be no problem!¡± Evan replied.

    In fact, he didn¡¯t need to use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to do it, but this magic was too troublesome. Evan didn¡¯t have time to waste, not to mention the bag that mel gave him was better than any others. Many of the above alchemy techniques were beyond Evan¡¯s imagination at the moment.

    ¡°That¡¯s really cool. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone is really amazing! I wish I had one too, so I can be strong.¡± Ron sighed, staring at Slytherin¡¯s Locket hanging on Evan¡¯s chest. Then as if he had an epiphany, he added: ¡°Oh! You said that the Four Founders have left treasure keys, then three more are still out there¡­¡±

    In fact, Evan had always been thinking about it, and had to find the Philosopher¡¯s Stones left by the three other Founders as soon as possible.

    As for their specific whereabouts, he already had ideas, and when he would return to Hogwarts, he could proceed with his search.

 Chapter 503: Ronâ€™s Dress Robes

    Chapter 503: Ron¡¯s Dress Robes

    ¡°Since Gryffindor left the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the Centaurs¡¯ colony,¡± When he heard the topic, Harry raised his voice and said with interest, ¡°maybe the other three Founders left them near Hogwarts too. I know there are Merpeople in theke. Evan, you said that before¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really worth investigating!¡± Evan nodded.

    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Ravenw¡¯s Key was in the hands of the Merpeople in theke.

    Come to think of it, the hint she left behind was: <em>Beautiful Ravenw, from the tranquil riverside! She thinks that the cleverest of minds deserve a reward! The key to the treasure is brilliance, which will be passed on forever by her equally intelligent allies!</em>

    Besides the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest, the only other intelligent poption near Hogwarts was the Merpeople n living in theke.

    The Merpeople is a highly intelligent non-human magic race with a long history even surpassing the Centaurs.

    All over the world, there are legends about them, and they often appeared in fairy tales.

    Unlike the proud Centaurs, Merpeople and wizards have had frequent contacts.

    Although their specific origins are not known, they have long been indispensable allies of Hogwarts Castle.

    In any case, they satisfy the hint left by Ravenw.

    Evan had always thought to investigate in theke and tried to get in touch with the Merpeople, but he didn¡¯t speak theirnguage and couldn¡¯tmunicate with them.

    It seemed that during this school term, he had to include that in his study n.

    ¡°This thing is really good!¡± said Harry, returning the cloth bag to Evan. ¡°I want one too, but I don¡¯t think I need it much. I don¡¯t always carry a lot of books and materials around like you. But I bet it would be good for brooms, candy and clothes.¡±

    Such bags are good for hiding other things; Evan thought¡­

    ine¡¯s underwear was in Evan¡¯s. He had nned to burn it directly, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a good idea. Evan could only keep this ¡°burden¡± on him and wait for the opportunity to return it to er.

    He had no problem giving Harry the cloth bag for inspection. He could see nothing. Anyway, he wouldn¡¯t take out his clothes, and probably couldn¡¯t recognize the girl¡¯s underwear by touch alone.

    Harrycked experience, but if it were Hermione, he wouldn¡¯t have given her the cloth bag again even if she were to kill him.

    Evan continued to look down to sort out the books, and Harry began to pack up his own things,boriously piling his clothes in his bag.

    Just then, they heard Ron making a loud noise of disgust behind them. ¡°What is <em>this</em> supposed to be?¡± he shouted.

    Evan and Harry looked back and saw something in his hand. It looked like a long, maroon velvet dress. It had a moldy-lookingce frill at the cor and matchingce cuffs.

    Everyone stared at this ugly velvet dress and was wondering what it was for¡­

    Mrs. Weasley came in, carrying an armful of freshlyundered Hogwarts robes.

    ¡°Here you are,¡± she said, sorting the robes into three piles. ¡°Now, mind you pack them properly so they don¡¯t crease.¡±

    ¡°Mum, you¡¯ve given me Ginny¡¯s new dress.¡± said Ron, handing it out to her.

    ¡°Of course I haven¡¯t,¡± said Mrs. Weasley. ¡°That¡¯s for you. Dress robes.¡±

    ¡°<em>What</em>?¡± said Ron, looking horror-struck.

    ¡°Dress robes!¡± repeated Mrs. Weasley. ¡°It says on your school list that you¡¯re supposed to have dress robes this year ¡­ robes for formal asions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding,¡± said Ron in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing that, no way!¡±

    ¡°Everyone wears them, Ron!¡± said Mrs. Weasley crossly. ¡°They¡¯re all like that! Your father has got some for smart parties!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go starkers before I put that on,¡± said Ron stubbornly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so silly,¡± said Mrs. Weasley. ¡°You¡¯ve got to have dress robes; they¡¯re on your list! I got some for Harry and Evan too ¡­ show him, Harry, Evan¡­¡±

    Evan nced at his clothes and there were also dress robes. But there was noce on them. They were more or less the same as their school ones, except that they were sky blue instead of ck.

    Beside him, Harry also carried bottle green robes of the same style in his hand.

    ¡°These two clothes suit you very well, dear.¡± Mrs. Weasley said kindly, ¡°Evan¡¯s color matches his look perfectly and will attract the attention of many girls. Harry, I thought these would bring out the color of your eyes.¡±

    Ron looked at Evan¡¯s and Harry¡¯s robes and said angrily, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I have some like that?¡±

    ¡°Because¡­ well, Ron, I had to get yours secondhand, and there wasn¡¯t a lot of choice!¡± said Mrs. Weasley, flushing.

    There was an awkward silence in the air, and no one spoke.

    With so many children, the Weasleys had been struggling to keep up with their expenses.

    Ginny¡¯s school robes were bought by Evan at the time.

    He did not offer to pay for Ron¡¯s dress robes, knowing that Mrs. Weasley would certainly never ept it.

    Fred and George had made some money recently, but they wouldn¡¯t give it to Ron.

    They needed to buy raw materials for new products, expand production, and even rent a shop by themselves. In this way, there was not much money.

    Moreover, they couldn¡¯t take it out for Mrs. Weasley to find. They couldn¡¯t let her know that they were still working on prank products.

    Thest time they were discovered, Mrs. Weasley confiscated all their money and returned it to Evan.

    In addition, the twins had a lot of troubles recently.

    They had been writing to Ludo Bagman, urging him to pay them their earnings from their bet, in vain.

    Bagman did not intend to pay them, and Fred and George couldn¡¯t really go to the Ministry of Magic to ask for their money.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m never wearing them,¡± Ron was saying stubbornly. ¡°Never!¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± snapped Mrs. Weasley, ¡°Go naked. Evan, Harry, make sure you get a picture of him. Goodness knows I could do with augh.¡±

    She left the room, mming the door behind her.

    Ka ¡­ ka ¡­ ka, there was a funny spluttering noise from behind them. Pigwidgeon was choking on an overlyrge Owl Treat.

    ¡°That¡¯s not fair, why is everything I own rubbish?¡± said Ron furiously, striding across the room to unstick Pigwidgeon¡¯s beak.

    Evan and Harry looked carefully, and did not know how tofort Ron.

 Chapter 504: The Big Trouble with Mad-Eyes

    Chapter 504: The Big Trouble with Mad-Eyes

    There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when Evan awoke next morning.

    Heavy rain was still sttering against the window as he got dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt; they would change into their school robes on the Hogwarts Express.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George had just reached the first-floornding on their way down to breakfast, when Mrs. Weasley appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking Harassed.

    ¡°Arthur!¡± she called up the staircase. ¡°Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!¡±

    Mr. Weasley came ttering past with his robes on back-to-front and hurtled out of sight.

    When Evan and the others entered the kitchen, they saw Mrs. Weasley rummaging anxiously in the drawers. ¡°I¡¯ve got a quill here somewhere!¡± ¡­ and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking.

    In front of him, Amos Diggory¡¯s head was sitting in the middle of the mes like arge, bearded egg.

    It was talking very fast,pletely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the mes licking its ears.

    ¡°Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what do you call them ¡­ please-men. Arthur, you¡¯ve got to get over there¡­ ¡±

    ¡°Here!¡± said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley¡¯s hands.

    She stuffed a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a crumpled feather pen into Mr. Weasley¡¯s hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s a real stroke of luck I heard about it!¡± said Mr. Diggory¡¯s head. ¡°I had toe into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off ¡­ if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur ¡­¡±

    ¡°What does Mad-Eye say happened?¡± Mr. Weasley asked, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes.

    Hearing them mention Moody, Evan, who was stuffing bread into his mouth, quietly paid attention to their words.

    He probably knew what was going on, Voldemort and the vampires acted, and they attacked Moodyst night.

    He just didn¡¯t know if there was any problem with Crouch, but even if Bartemius Crouch, Jr. was not rescued, Voldemort would probably have done the same after the stadium attack failed, and let Crouch Jr. pretend to be Moody, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, to carry out a new plot to take Harry out of school.

    With the help of the powerful vampires, he would take action anyway, which was the key to his resurrection.

    In the mes, Mr. Diggory¡¯s head rolled its eyes. ¡°He says he heard an intruder in his yard. He says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins.¡±

    ¡°What did the dustbins do?¡± asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.

    ¡°Made a hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell,¡± said Mr. Diggory. ¡°Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up¡­¡±

    ¡°And what about the intruder?¡± Mr. Weasley groaned.

    ¡°Arthur, you know Mad-Eye,¡± said Mr. Diggory¡¯s head. ¡°He¡¯s been trying to help us investigate vampires recently, causing trouble everywhere. Think about it, someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there¡¯s a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he¡¯s had it¡­ think of his record¡­ we¡¯ve got to get him off a minor charge, something in your department¡­ What are exploding dustbins worth?¡±

    ¡°Might be a caution,¡± said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. ¡°Mad-Eye didn¡¯t use his wand? He didn¡¯t actually attack anyone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window,¡± said Mr. Diggory with a sigh, ¡°but they¡¯ll have a job proving it, there aren¡¯t any casualties.¡±

    ¡°All right, I¡¯m off,¡± Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again.

    Mr. Diggory¡¯s head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Sorry about this, Molly!¡± he said, more calmly. ¡°I have been bothering you so early, but Arthur is the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye is supposed to be starting his new job today. Why did he have to choosest night¡­.¡±

    ¡°Never mind, Amos,¡± said Mrs. Weasley. ¡°Sure you won¡¯t have a bit of toast or anything before you go?¡±

    ¡°Oh go on, then,¡± said Mr. Diggory.

    Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± He said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small <em>pop</em>, vanished.

    Immediately afterwards, Mr. Weasley returned to the kitchen with a briefcase, his robes still on the wrong way and shouted goodbye to everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯d better hurry¡­ you have a good term, boys.¡± said Mr. Weasley to Evan, Harry, Ron and the twins, fastening a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate.

    ¡°Arthur, wait a minute. You have tob your hair, and change your robes before you go,¡± said Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Mr. Weasley stopped and asked Mrs. Weasley to help him sort it out, ¡°Molly, are you going to be alright taking the kids to King¡¯s Cross?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will,¡± she said. ¡°You just look after Mad-Eye, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    As Mr. Weasley vanished, Hermione, Ginny, Bill, and Charlie entered the kitchen.

    ¡°Did someone say Mad-Eye?¡± Bill asked. ¡°What¡¯s he been up to now?¡±

    ¡°He says someone tried to break into his housest night,¡± said Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Mad-Eye Moody?¡± said George thoughtfully, spreading marmde on his toast. ¡°Isn¡¯t he that nutter¡­¡±

    ¡°Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody,¡± said Mrs. Weasley sternly.

    ¡°Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn¡¯t he?¡± said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. ¡°Birds of a feather¡­¡±

    ¡°Moody was a great wizard in his time,¡± said Bill.

    ¡°He¡¯s an old friend of Dumbledore,¡± said Charlie.

    ¡°Dumbledore is not what you would call <em>normal</em>, though, is he?¡± said Fred. ¡°I mean, I know he¡¯s a genius and everything¡­¡±

    ¡°Could someone tell me who <em>Mad-Eye is</em>?¡± Harry asked, he had not seen or heard of Moody before.

    ¡°He¡¯s retired. He used to work at the Ministry, said Charlie. ¡°I met him once when Dad took me to work with him. He was an Auror ¡­ one of the best ¡­ a Dark wizard catcher.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Bill added. ¡°Half of the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though ¡­ the families of people he caught, mainly ¡­ and I heard he¡¯s been getting really paranoid in his old age. He doesn¡¯t trust anyone anymore and he sees Dark wizards everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Dad talked to Sirius about it the other day!¡± Ron agreed. ¡°The same is true of the Head of the Auror office named Rufus Scrimgeour. He¡¯s suspicious and looks like bad news; but Sirius thinks highly of him. He says that this is the Auror¡¯s forte: trust nobody!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Harry. ¡°But I don¡¯t want Sirius to be like that.¡±

 Chapter 505: Departure and Sirius Intelligence

    Chapter 505: Departure and Sirius Intelligence

    ¡°Mad Eye Moody¡¯s a very good man, though a little scary, but a good man!¡± Evan said.

    He had also met Moody at the Ministry of Magic once before, when Evan was trying to persuade Mr. Weasley and Sirius to pay attention to Mr. Crouch, but they all thought he was mad, and only Moody felt that Evan¡¯s spection was reasonable.

    He said he would keep a close eye on Crouch, and Evan didn¡¯t know how far it was going.

    Of course, these things and ns had been drawn up before Evan knew that the vampires were helping Voldemort.

    Evan thought that no one would help Voldemort after he put Pettigrew in Azkaban, and that he might be able to dy Voldemort¡¯s return and sabotage his plot so that he could be fully prepared.

    But now it didn¡¯t make much sense. With the help of vampires, Voldemort would surely return sessfully.

    This was already an unstoppable destiny; something that would happen sooner orter.

    In this case, it would be better to follow the plot that Evan was familiar with, so as to grasp all kinds of unexpected situations.

    Mad-Eye had been attacked, indicating that Voldemort had begun to act.

    The next step was to follow the scheduled plot.

    All Evan had to do was to take part in the Triwizard Tournament and take Harry back with him at thest minute from Voldemort, who would have sessfully recovered by then.

    This was his best bet, and he hoped that everything would go smoothly.

    Half an hourter, everyone finished their breakfast and was ready to go.

    Bill and Charlie decided toe and see everyone off at King¡¯s Cross station, but Percy went directly to the Ministry. He said that he couldn¡¯t justify taking more time off, and that Mr. Crouch was really starting to rely on him.

    However, Evan doubted whether Crouch could even remember Percy¡¯s name or not.

    He should be worried about his son¡¯s affair now, thinking about how to keep it secret.

    Or more perhaps, he could have been already attacked by Voldemort and the vampires, and controlled by the Imperius Curse.

    After Percy left, Mrs. Weasley braved the telephone in the vige post office to order three Muggle taxis to take them into London in a short time.

    ¡°Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us!¡± She said to everyone, ¡°But there weren¡¯t any to spare, they¡¯ve been too busy recently.¡±

    Looking at the pouring rain outside, everyone was worried about using the uing Muggle taxis.

    The environment and decoration here in the Burrow were obviously not normal to muggle standards; especially that they had so many pets, and Pigwidgeon kept making an earsplitting racket in his cage.

    Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported such strange customers and overexcited owls.

    Just then, an old-fashioned dark green car drove into the yard.

    It was not a Muggle taxi, but a Ministry car.

    Evan still remembered that they had been in this carst year.

    Under the surprised watchful eyes of everybody, Sirius got out of the car with an umbre.

    He is wearing a ck suit that looked very high-ss and a watch, just like a sessful Muggle businessman.

    Sirius greeted everyone with a smile on his face.

    Compared with theirst meeting, he looks good and his whole body was full of new vitality as if he had rejuvenated. Being an Auror was really suitable for him.

    Inside the Burrow, everyone was stunned and they rushed out, Harry in the front.

    ¡°Sirius, howe you are here?¡± Harry asked eagerly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were too busy before?¡±

    ¡°I tried my best to find time toe and see you off. It was not easy, but it was worth it!¡± Sirius smiled and said, ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to bete, hurry up and get in the car. We¡¯re leaving for London. This car belongs to our department, and I directly requisitioned it.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness Sirius, you¡¯ve been a great help!¡± said Mrs. Weasley gratefully.

    She asked everyone to quickly move their trunks to the car. And she went to cancel the call the three Muggle taxis.

    The interior space of the car was veryrge and had been expanded by magic. Although they had so many trunks, they were all loaded.

    Half an hourter, everyone got in the car and headed for London.

    The atmosphere along the way was very good. Everyone was very happy to see Sirius again.

    Harry, Ron, Fred and George asked him a lot about his work as an Auror, and he answered them one by one, satisfying everyone¡¯s curiosity. By the way, he told them that the Ministry of Magic was making progress in catching vampires.

    Because of his position, he knew a lot more than Mr. Weasley and Percy.

    And Sirius seemed to have no scruples, and Mrs. Weasley had to worry all the time about reminding him of secrecy.

    When they got off at King¡¯s Cross station, they felt that time had passed too fast.

    The rain outside wasing harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station.

    While the Muggles were not paying attention, they quickly passed through the tform.

    The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the tform appeared like dark ghosts.

    Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist.

    Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in apartment.

    Evan was called aside by Sirius. He had something to say to him.

    ¡°Because you have been reminding me that Barty Crouch may have problems, I have paid special attention to him.¡± Sirius said, ¡°We know from a wizard who lives near his house that something has happened to him recently. I think it is necessary to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°What was it?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°One night a week ago, someone heard a loud noise from his house. It was very abnormal. After the house-elf Winky was fired, Crouch should be alone in the house.¡± Sirius said quickly, looking up at the bustling farewell crowd in the distance, ¡°but we have no way to prove anything. Crouch still goes to work in the Ministry every day as usual and returns veryte. There¡¯s no change in his schedule. Nothing seems to have happened.¡±

    Evan thought for a moment, and lowered his voice and asked, ¡°Could it be the Imperius Curse?¡±

    ¡°There is no way to determine that; we can¡¯t test him. You know his position in the Ministry; it would be very troublesome!¡± Sirius said with a sigh. ¡°But it may be just a simple ident. There is no need to worry. On the other hand, since the vampires came out, there have been many attacks recently. Do you remember the Bulgarian Seeker, Viktor Krum?¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?!¡± asked Evan, nodding.

    ¡°After the World Cup, he did not return to Bulgaria, but stayed at the Leaky Cauldron and was ready to take a vacation in the UK before the start of school.¡± Sirius said, ¡°But a few days ago, he was also attacked.¡±

    ¡°Attacked?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he was alone in the room. Someone heard the sound from downstairs. When people caught up, the attacker had already Disapparated, leaving him alone in the room, injured. We suspect it was an Irish fan that did it, because Krum caught the Golden Snitch.¡± Sirius sighed and said, ¡°But there is no way to find out who it was. Almost all of Britain supports the Irish team.¡±

 Chapter 506: Hogwarts Express

    Chapter 506: Hogwarts Express

    Evan nodded, and there really was nothing to worry about.

    Krum looked so gloomy that everyone wanted to go up and beat him up, and he had the same idea.

    But Crouch was obviously very unusual, and it seemed that the show was ready to begin!

    ¡°There is no sign of vampires, but there are a lot of bad things going on.¡± Sirius said, ¡°After the World Cup attacks, people seemed to go mad all of a sudden. Attacks and fights happened everywhere and all needed to be dealt with by Aurors. When I came this morning, I also heard that Mad-Eye Moody had another problem. He said that someone attacked him in the middle of the night, but all people saw was the exploded dustbins. It was really terrible.¡±

    ¡°I know. Mr. Weasley had gone to take care of it before you came!¡± Evan replied.

    ¡°I hope he won¡¯t get any serious punishment!¡± Sirius continued, ¡°Dumbledore invited Moody a few days ago to be the school¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He seems to think that under the current circumstances, it is really necessary to have a professional teacher at Hogwarts. This proved to be indeed necessary, and he was clearly aware of what was going on.¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s idea was really good, but he didn¡¯t expect Voldemort to hit this trump card of his before even returning.

    Hiring Moody to teach at Hogwarts was originally made as an insurance policy. But things go as they went in the books, he would be the fuse for all what¡¯s about to follow.

    ¡°Moody¡¯s sometimes a little crazy, but he is absolutely reliable, he has a lot of experience fighting Dark wizards.¡± Sirius looked at Evan. ¡°If something happens at school, you can go to see him right away.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Evan nodded.

    If nothing unexpected happens, the fake Moody who was about to teach at Hogwarts would be willing to help them in the early stages.

    Evan felt that he might even be able to get close to him to a certain extent and gather information through that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to write to me about everything!¡± Sirius patted Evan on the shoulder and they both walked back to the tform. ¡°By the way, Evan, you take care of Harry at school. Don¡¯t let him get too impulsive and get into trouble, especially this year. Hogwarts will be holding the Triwizard Tournamentpetitions, and everything must be handled with great care.¡±

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t get into trouble</em>!¡± Such words sounded awkwarding out from Sirius¡¯s mouth.

    On top of that, most of the time, it was the trouble that came for Harry, not the opposite, and he couldn¡¯t escape no matter how far he ran away.

    Sirius probably thought Evan and Harry would be bystanders in the Triwizard Tournament. He never thought either of them was going topete, bing the youngest contestants ever.

    When they returned, everyone was saying goodbye on the tform.

    ¡°I might be seeing you all sooner than you think.¡± said Charlie, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye.

    ¡°Why?¡± said Fred keenly.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± said Charlie, ¡°Just don¡¯t tell Percy I mentioned it ¡­ It¡¯s ssified information, and can¡¯t be released until the Ministry of Magic deems it appropriate.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year,¡± said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.

    ¡°Why on earth?¡± said George impatiently. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding all summer!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have an interesting year,¡± said Bill, ¡°I might even get time off toe and watch a bit of it¡­¡±

    ¡°A bit of <em>what</em>?¡± asked Ron.

    At this moment, Evan and Sirius just walked past, and Harry quickly asked Sirius what was going on.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say, Harry!¡± Sirius said with a smile. He and Harry hugged each other tightly. ¡°You will know when you get there, and you will definitely be satisfied. It¡¯s a rare big asion.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Harry wanted to say something more, but the whistle of the train blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the doors.

    ¡°Goodbye, Sirius! Goodbye, Mrs. Weasley, thanks for having us to stay,¡± said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to Mrs. Weasley.

    ¡°Oh it was my pleasure, dears!¡± said Mrs. Weasley. ¡°I¡¯d invite you and Evan and Harry for Christmas, but ¡­ well, I expect you¡¯re all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, with what¡­ one thing and another.¡±

    ¡°Mum!¡± said Ron irritably. ¡°What do you all know that we don¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out this evening, I expect,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. ¡°It¡¯s going to be very exciting¡­ mind you, I¡¯m very d they¡¯ve changed the rules¡­¡±

    ¡°What rules?¡± said Harry, Ron, Fred and George together.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you¡­ Now, behave, won¡¯t you? <em>Won¡¯t</em> you, Fred? And you, George?¡± shouted Mrs. Weasley.

    Her words were covered by the loud hiss of the pistons, and the train began to move.

    ¡°Tell us what¡¯s happening at Hogwarts!¡± Fred bellowed out of the window, ¡°What rules are they changing?¡±

    Sirius, Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie waved at them and sped away.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I want to know what¡¯s going on?!¡± said Fred unhappily.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to theirpartment.

    The thick rain sttering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them.

    Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pigwidgeon¡¯s cage to muffle his hooting.

    ¡°Dad and Mum won¡¯t say anything. There¡¯s bound to be something big going on in the school this year.¡± said Ron sullenly.

    ¡°Evan, do you know about it?¡± Harry suddenly turned and asked.

    In his impression, Evan knew almost everything, and there was nothing that could be concealed for him.

    Since all the rules had been revised, Evan could really just pretend that the matter was no longer a secret.

    He was just about to talk, but Hermione pressed her finger to his lips.

    ¡°Shh!¡± she whispered, pointing toward thepartment next to theirs.

    At this moment, a familiar drawling voice drifted in through the open door.

    ¡°Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore ¡­ the man is such a Mudblood-lover ¡­ and Durmstrang doesn¡¯t admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn¡¯t like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang¡¯s students actually learn them, not just the defense rubbish we do, and the messy people and teachers we hire¡­¡±

 Chapter 507: The Triwizard Tournament

    Chapter 507: The Triwizard Tournament

    After listening for a while, Hermione got up, tiptoed to thepartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy¡¯s voice.

    ¡°So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?¡± she said angrily. ¡°I wish he had gone, then we wouldn¡¯t have to put up with him.¡±

    ¡°I remember that Krum is also from Durmstrang!¡± said Ron. ¡°I have done my research.¡±

    ¡°What, Krum is from there too?!¡± Harry looked a little surprised. ¡°But Sirius said before that the school had a bad reputation¡­¡±

    ¡°urately speaking, it¡¯s got a horrible reputation!¡± said Hermione sniffily. ¡°ording to <em>An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe</em>, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts. Many Dark wizards graduated from there.¡±

    Of course, Durmstrang¡¯s tolerance for Dark Arts was within certain limits.

    If there were young wizards growing up to be like Grindelwald or Voldemort, they would also take measures to deal with them.

    In history, Grindelwald was expelled from Durmstrang because they could no longer tolerate his messy and increasingly evil research on Dark Arts.

    ¡°But Krum looks righteous. By the way, where is the school?¡± Ron asked, ¡°What country?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere in Nordic Europe, I guess it should be near Scandinavia!¡± said Evan. ¡°I¡¯ve seen descriptions of the scenery around their school, which fits the Scandinavian environment very well. It¡¯s thergest penins in Europe and the highest terrain. There are vast forests covered with snow for long periods, vast snow fields and ciers, as well as the pr starry sky.¡±

    ¡°Evan, you are so good;you can analyze what information you have to a great extent and deduce a lot!¡± Hermione eximed, ¡°I just spected that Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north, somewhere very cold, because they¡¯ve got fur capes as part of their uniforms.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. Think of the possibilities,¡± said Ron dreamily. ¡°It would have been so easy to push Malfoy off a cier and make it look like an ident ¡­ Shame his mother likes him ¡­¡±

    ¡°¡±You¡¯d better mind your own business, Weasley!!¡±

    Before Ron had finished, Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer.

    Evidently, they had overheard the conversation through thepartment door.

    ¡°Go out, Malfoy, we didn¡¯t invite you in,¡± said Harry coldly.

    Malfoy ignored him. He nced fearfully at Evan sitting by the window, and then looked at Ron again.

    Ron¡¯s words had obviously made Malfoy very angry, and he was not ready to leave.

    ¡°Weasley, what is that?¡± he asked, pointing to Pigwidgeon¡¯s cage. A sleeve of Ron¡¯s dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the moldyce cuff very obvious

    Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled.

    ¡°Look at this!¡± said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron¡¯s robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, ¡°Weasley, you weren¡¯t thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean ¡­ they were very fashionable around 1890¡­¡±

    ¡°Eat dung, Malfoy!¡± said Ron, the same color as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy¡¯s grip. Malfoy howled with derisiveughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.

    ¡°So ¡­ going to enter, Weasley? Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There¡¯s money involved as well, you know ¡­ you¡¯d be able to afford some decent robes if you won ¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± snapped Ron.

    ¡°Are you going to enter?¡± Malfoy repeated, looking at Harry, who was also ring at him. ¡°I suppose you will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?¡±

    ¡°Either exin what you¡¯re on about or go away, Malfoy,¡± said Hermione testily, over the top of <em>The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4</em>.

    When he heard Hermione¡¯s words, a gleeful smile spread across Malfoy¡¯s pale face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t <em>know</em>?¡± He said delightedly. ¡°Weasley, you¡¯ve got a father and brother at the Ministry and you don¡¯t even <em>know</em>? My God, <em>my</em> father told me about it ages ago ¡­ he heard it from Cornelius Fudge. But then, Father is always associated with the top people at the Ministry. Maybe your father¡¯s is too junior to know about it. He has no right to know, Weasley, yes ¡­ yes ¡­ they probably don¡¯t talk about important stuff in front of him¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course we know about the Triwizard Tournament!¡± Evan interrupted him, ¡°And we also intend to take part in it and be Hogwarts champions. If you have a problem with that, feel free to ask.¡±

    When he heard Evan¡¯s words, the look of joy on Malfoy¡¯s face came to an abrupt end, and he lookededically shocked. He took a step back and his horrified look seemed to have just discovered that Evan was here too.

    Malfoy naturally did not dare to have anyments about Evan¡¯s words. Both his experience of thest term and the horrifying and shocking image of the World Cup were stuck to his mind and could never be forgotten.

    He beckoned to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them disappeared together.

    Ron got to his feet and mmed the slidingpartment door so hard behind them that the ss shattered.

    ¡°Ron!¡± said Hermione reproachfully, and she pulled out her wand, muttered ¡°<em>Reparo</em>!¡± and the ss shards flew back into a single pane and back into the door.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of him!¡± said Ron angrily. ¡°¡¯<em>Father¡¯s always associated with the top people at the Ministry</em>¡¯¡­ Dad could have a promotion at any time. He just likes where he is¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let Malfoy get to you, Ron, it¡¯s not worth it!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Him! Get to me?! As if!¡± said Ron resentfully. He picked up one of the remaining Cauldron Cakes, made by Mrs. Weasley, and squashed it into a pulp.

    ¡°Well, Evan, what exactly is the Triwizard Tournament you just talked about?¡± Hermione turned to look at Evan. ¡°Is that what they¡¯ve been talking about? I wish I had heard about it¡­¡±

    Harry and Ron also focused and looked at Evan curiously.

 Chapter 508: The Long Awaited Return to Hogwarts Castle

    Chapter 508: The Long Awaited Return to Hogwarts Castle

    ¡°As you know, at the end ofst semester, Dumbledore took me to Beauxbatons. He took time off to return to Ennd with Beauxbatons¡¯s Headmistress Madame Maxime to discuss the matter.¡± Evan exined, ¡°It was also at that time that I learned that Hogwarts was about to host the Triwizard Tournament, a traditional event organized by the biggest three magic schools in Europe¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on, I remember it!¡± Hermione said suddenly. ¡°I saw it in the book <em>An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe</em>. The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven-hundred years ago as a friendlypetition between the threergest schools of Europe the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, and the Durmstrang Institute. A champion was selected to represent each school, and then the three championspeted in three magical tasks. Held every five years, thepetition would be hosted by each school in turn. It was agreed to be an excellent way to build friendship among young witches and wizards from different countries.¡±

    ¡°Held every five years?!¡± Ron said in amazement. ¡°But I never knew that Bill, Charlie, and Percy had ever seen such a game, nor had they ever been to the other two wizarding schools.¡±

    ¡°Because the Triwizard Tournament had been interrupted for centuries, I can¡¯t believe they will reinstate it¡­¡± said Hermione.

    Next, the four began to discuss various details about the Triwizard Tournament.

    The sudden excitement and joy diluted the unhappiness that Malfoy brought, and even Ron¡¯s mood became better.

    Needless to say, both Harry and Ron wanted to be Hogwarts¡¯s champions; Hermione was the only one who thought it might be dangerous.

    The rain became heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that thenterns were lit by midday.

    The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Evan and Harry bought a lot of cakes and snacks.

    In the afternoon, people began to flood into thispartment.

    Most of them came to see Evan, and everyone knew what he had done at the Quidditch World Cup.

    For a while, the smallpartment was crowded with people. Evan knew some of them and he didn¡¯t know others. Almost all the young witches and wizards gathered around him.

    They talked endlessly with Evan about the magic he had cast and the World Cup attacks. Hermione, growing tired of it, buried herself once more in <em>The Standard Book of spells, Grade 4</em>, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm.

    By the time Evan finally managed to send Colin away, the train was on the verge of Hogwarts.

    As soon as they changed into their school robes, the train doors opened, and there was a rumble of thunder overhead.

    The young witches and wizards left the train one after another, heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was nowing down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads.

    ¡°Hagrid!¡± Harry yelled, seeing a gigantic silhouette at the far end of the tform.

    Behind Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione also hurried to say hello.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Hagrid bellowed back, waving. ¡°See you at the feast if we don¡¯t drown!¡±

    First years traditionally reached Hogwarts Castle by sailing across theke with Hagrid.

    Evan watched Hagrid gather some very young children to his side and lead them to the darkke.

    Because in his first year, he, Harry, and Ron flew in by car, he had not experienced this tradition.

    ¡°Oooh, I wouldn¡¯t fancy crossing theke in this weather,¡± said Hermione fervently, shivering as they inched slowly along the dark tform with the rest of the crowd.

    A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville climbed gratefully into one of them, and felt relieved.

    The door shut with a snap, and a few momentster, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and sshing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.

    Through the gates, nked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast bing a gale.

    Ten minutester, the huge outline of Hogwarts Castle appeared in the dark, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain.

    Lightning shed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps.

    People who had upied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. Everything was so familiar and warm.

    ¡°Blimey,¡± said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, ¡°if that keeps up theke¡¯s going to overflow. I¡¯m soaked ¡­ ARRGH!!!¡±

    Arge, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron¡¯s head and exploded.

    Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Evan hurriedly said, pulling Hermione.

    Hermione slipped and her whole body was on Evan, just as a second water bomb dropped, narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at their feet.

    People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire.

    Evan looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie.

    He made a rude face to Evan, aiming at him as a target, his wide, malicious face contorted with focus.

    Before he could drop the balloon in his hand, Evan pulled out his wand as fast as he could.

    The water-filled balloon did not fall, but floated beside Peeves.

    With a bang, the balloon exploded, and the icy water was all spattered on the ghost and not a drop of it fell.

    Then all the other balloons next to Peeves exploded one after another.

    Water drenched Peeves. He was the only ghost in Hogwarts whose entity could be affected.

    ¡°Damned Evan brat!¡± Peeves screamed and disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

    Behind them, the young wizards whispered and apuded Evan.

    Evan was very famous at Hogwarts before, but since the Quidditch World Cup, this reputation had clearly risen to a new level.

    Everyone seemed to be particrly expecting and admiring for all his performances, in recognition that Evan had be the most powerful young wizard of Hogwarts.

 Chapter 509: The First Years

    Chapter 509: The First Years

    ¡°Well done, Evan!¡± Professor McGonagall, who got the news, hade dashing out of the Great Hall. She skidded on the wet floor and grabbed a student around the neck to stop herself from falling. She straightened her pointed hat, and said sternly to the crowd drenched in water. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the rest. Move along, into the Great Hall,e on!¡±

    Along with the crowd, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face.

    The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast.

    Golden tes and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair.

    The four longHouse tables were packed with chattering students.

    At the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table of a fifth table, facing their pupils.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost.

    Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particrlyrge ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and ensuring that his head didn¡¯t wobble too much on his partially severed neck.

    ¡°Good evening,¡± he said, beaming at them, ¡°How was your summer vacation?!¡±

    ¡°Not bad!¡± Evan replied, tapping lightly on his school robes with his wand. The water on them evaporated in an instant, and his clothes became dry again.

    ¡°I have seen thetest issue of <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>. You¡¯ve done a great job, Evan!¡± Nick said proudly. ¡°So many ghosts have been asking me about you. They know I¡¯ve the best rtionship with you.¡±

    For the <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, Evan needed Nick¡¯s help with many things. News sources provided by ghosts in various parts of Britain had now be the biggest feature of this newspaper and were very popr.

    There were also many opportunities for contact between Evan and Nick. Among all the young wizards at school, the rtionship between the two was also the best.

    They had just said a few words, and Colin dragged his robe between them.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯re already in, it¡¯s raining really hard outside!¡± said Colin, taking off his shoes and emptying them of water. ¡°I stood in the hall for a while, trying to see my brother crossing theke. But I could see nothing in the dark.¡±

    His younger brother, Dennis Creevey, was on the train just now, and Evan had met him.

    The little guy had mousy brown hair and looked smaller than Colin, but more energetic.

    Obviously, Colin had already told him a lot about Hogwarts, and had greatly praised Evan in front of him. As soon as the little guy saw Evan, he was so excited that he almost lost his breath counting his great deeds!

    That looked like a replica of what had happened when Colin met Harry before.

    ¡°I really hope they hurry up the sorting, I can¡¯t wait!¡± said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. ¡°I just hope he¡¯ll be sorted to Gryffindor! Evan, can you pray for him with me?! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Evan nodded.

    Harry also agreed, and everyone¡¯s topic turned to whether brothers and sisters usually went in the same Houses.

    Judging by the Weasleys, that was indeed the case, and their seven children had been put into Gryffindor.

    But this wasn¡¯t always true. Hermione cited the example of Parvati Patil. She was in Gryffindor, and her twin, Padma, was in Ravenw; though they were identical. Even from a personality perspective, there was no difference.

    There was also the case of Sirius. All ck family members were usually assigned to Slytherin, but he was the only one to be assigned to Gryffindor.

    This made Colin nervous, and he kept his hands folded, praying for Dennis to be assigned to Gryffindor.

    Evan¡¯s eyes turned to the center of the Great Hall. Since he entered the school, he had not watched the Sorting ceremony on the spot due to many idents. It seemed like this year at least, he wasn¡¯t going to miss it.

    At the staff table, there seemed to be rather more empty seats than usual.

    Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across theke with the first years. Professor McGonagall was in the entrance hall to supervise the drying of its floor, and prevent Peeves from causing more trouble. Professor Snape was not there.

    Only Dumbledore was sitting there as usual, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, hiss magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore¡¯s long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought.

    For a long time, he seemed to sense Evan¡¯s gaze. He lowered his head, smiling at him, winking his blue eyes.

    Next to Dumbledore, tiny little Professor Flitwick was sitting on arge pile of cushions, drinking a red drink.

    He was beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy Department.

    After a while, just before the ceremony started, Snape appeared, sallow-faced, hook-nosed and greasy-haired.

    He walked into the Great Hall in his dark robes, his footsteps not making a sound at all.

    Snape seemed to have an invisible aura, one that made all the young witches and wizards unconsciously shut their mouths as he passed.

    His loathing cold eyes paused briefly on Evan and Harry, and then quickly moved away.

    ¡°Look at the professors¡¯ table, there¡¯s still an empty chair!¡± said Harry, following Snape¡¯s footsteps to the staff table. ¡°It¡¯s the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Why hasn¡¯t hee yet? I don¡¯t know who it will be.¡±

    They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who hadsted more than a year, and that position was cursed.

    Evan knew that this year¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was to be Mad-Eye Moody.

    To be precise, it was a fake Moody, impersonated by Batty Crouch Jr. He didn¡¯t know what he was doing, and he hadn¡¯t shown up yet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who it is, but I wish they would just hurry up, I¡¯m starving!¡± said Ron.

    The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell.

    Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall, where everyone looked.

    If Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet before, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across theke rather than sailed.

    They filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school.

    All of them were shivering with abination of cold and nerves, except the smallest of the lot.

    He was Colin¡¯s younger brother, Dennis, and the little guy was wrapped in Hagrid¡¯s moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it looked as though he were draped in a fury ck circus tent. His small face protruded from over the cor, looking almost painfully excited.

    When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin¡¯s and Evan¡¯s eyes, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, ¡°<em>I fell in theke!¡±</em> He looked positively delighted about it!

 Chapter 510: Slave Labor

    Chapter 510: ve Labor

    A few secondster, Professor McGonagall ced a three-legged stool on the ground in front of the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty, patched wizard¡¯s hat.

    Everyone looked at it, and for a moment, there was silence in the Great Hall. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song.

    This time, the Sorting Hat described the story of the Four Founders co-founding Hogwarts, the qualities of the four of them, and the different virtues they valued, and that a young witch or wizard should have.

    Gryffindor was looking for unparalleled bravery. Ravenw was seeking cleverness. Hufflepuff valued hard work more than anything.

    Slytherin, on the other hand, looked for young wizards who were ambitious and hungry for power and strength.

    The lyrics were very cleverly designed, and no one knew how the Sorting Hat came up with them.

    The Great Hall rang with apuse as the Sorting Hat finished.

    Professor McGonagall immediately unrolled arge scroll of parchment and looked seriously at the young wizards in front of her.

    ¡°When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool.¡± She told the first years. ¡°When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.¡±

    Under the chairmanship of Professor McGonagall, the nervous first years were sessively divided into four Houses.

    As soon as they put on the hat, it immediately shouted out the name of the House the young witch or wizard should go to.

    This year¡¯s Sorting ceremony was going very well, and Evan remembered that it took him a long time.

    As a legendary magic item, the Sorting Hat had a part of the thoughts of the Four Founders.

    It could use a spiritual spell to instantly see the hidden thoughts of a young wizard and judge ordingly.

    Evan suspected that if a young wizard mastered a mental protection Charm such as lumency, and was stronger than the Sorting Hat, then its magic would not work. Of course, so far no such young wizard had appeared.

    ¡°Creevey, Dennis!¡± shouted Professor McGonagall.

    Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid¡¯s moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers¡¯ table.

    About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled ck hair and beard, looked slightly rming, giving a misleading impression to the new children.

    But everyone familiar with him knew that Hagrid actually had a very loving heart.

    He winked at Evan as he sat down at the end of the staff table, and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat.

    The rip at the brim opened wide and shouted, ¡°GRYFFINDOR!¡±

    Colin heaved a sigh of relief and began to lead the hard pping.

    Under the apuse of everyone, Dennis, beaming widely, took off the hat, ced it back on the stool, and hurried to join the other.

    ¡°Colin, I fell into theke!¡± He said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. ¡°It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± said Colin, just as excitedly. ¡°It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡± said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deepke, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster.

    If he knew that Evan was about to go to theke tomunicate with the Merpeople, how excited would he be?

    The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L¡¯s.

    ¡°Oh, hurry up,¡± Ron moaned, massaging his stomach.

    ¡°Ron, the Sorting is much more important than food,¡± said Nearly Headless Nick discontentedly.

    ¡°Of course it is, if you¡¯re dead,¡± snapped Ron!

    Nick looked a little unhappy, not answering his words, but instead whispering to Evan.

    Finally, the Sorting ended as Kevin Whitby was assigned to Hufflepuff.

    Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away.

    Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in wee.

    ¡°I only have two words to say to you,¡± he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall, ¡°Tuck in!¡±

    In the next second, the empty dishes in front of everyone suddenly filled magically.

    Every young wizard began to eat a lot, and Nick watched mournfully as they loaded their tes.

    Ron¡¯s words seemed to be very touching to him. He had not tasted food for hundreds of years.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky there¡¯s a feast at all tonight, you now,¡± Nick stared at the big steak in front of Evan. ¡°There was trouble in the kitchen earlier.¡±

    ¡°Why? What happened?¡± asked Harry, his mouth full of food.

    ¡°Peeves, of course,¡± said Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He quickly pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. ¡°The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast¡­ Well, it¡¯s quite out of the question. You know what he¡¯s like, utterly uncivilized. He can¡¯t see a te of food without throwing it. We held a ghost¡¯s council, and the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance, but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.¡±

    The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains, indicating the horrible experience before his death. He was the most powerful of all the ghosts, and at Hogwarts, only he could really control Peeves.

    ¡°No wonder, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something, he tried to thow water balloons all over us in the hallway.¡± Ron said sullenly, ¡°What did he do in the kitchens?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the usual,¡± said Nick, shrugging. ¡°He wreaked havoc and mayhem. He threw Pots and pans everywhere. The ce was swimming in soup. He terrified the house-elves out of their wits¡­¡±

    ng!!!

    Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention.

    Evan felt secretly bad. Now that Hermione knew that Hogwarts had house-elves, she would surely bring up her ideals of treating the elves well again.

    Hermione had spoken to Evan about it every now and then, and she thought she needed to do something for the house-elves.

    Hermione¡¯s ideas couldn¡¯t be imed to be wrong, but they were absolutely impossible, and Evan didn¡¯t know how to persuade her.

    When Hermione made up her mind to do something, she wouldn¡¯t change easily, and will certainly stick to it, no matter how difficult the road ahead was.

    Evan knew this very well and knew that it was useless to try to persuade her to give up. He could only choose to support her.

    ¡°There are house-elves <em>here</em>?¡± said Hermione, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. ¡°Here at <em>Hogwarts</em>?¡±

    ¡°Certainly,¡± said Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. ¡°There are more elves here than in any dwelling in Britain. There are over a hundred.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen any of them!¡± said Hermione incredulously. ¡°I thought Dobby was the only one¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?¡± Nick said. ¡°Theye out at night to do a bit of cleaning ¡­ see to the fires and so on ¡­ I mean, you¡¯re not supposed to see them, are you? That¡¯s the mark of a good house-elf, isn¡¯t it, that you don¡¯t know it¡¯s there?¡±

    Hermione stared at him, her eyes widening, as if Nick had said something terrible.

    ¡°But they get paid?¡± she said. ¡°They get holidays, don¡¯t they? And, they have sick leave, pensions, and everything?¡±

    Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck.

    ¡°Sick leave and pensions?¡± he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. ¡°House-elves don¡¯t want sick leave and pensions!¡±

    Hermione looked down at her hardly touched te of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her.

    ¡°vebor!¡± Her breathing became very heavy, and she said disgustedly, ¡°That¡¯s what made this dinner. <em>vebor</em>! I just know what¡¯s going on. It turns out that what we eat every day is shameless!¡±

 Chapter 511: Unmarked

    Chapter 511: Unmarked

    ¡°Give us a break, Hermione!¡± said Ron, swallowing the food in his mouth. ¡°You won¡¯t get them sick leave and wages by starving yourself.¡±

    Hermione didn¡¯t talk, and red angrily at everyone. Anyway, she refused to eat another bite.

    She looked pale and frustrated, and it was definitely because of the vebor of the house-elves.

    Harry looked at Evan in a hurry for help, hoping he could persuade Hermione. Most of the time, he was the only one who could convince her.

    However, Evan also did not know what to do. He and Hermione had discussed this topic many times and he knew that he had no chance of persuading her.

    Seeing Hermione looking at him like that, he felt that he could not eat any more.

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t eat either!¡± Evan sighed and said, ¡°You need someone with you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right to do that, Evan. The food was obtained through shameless vebor. We must resist it¡­¡± Seeing that Evan stopped, Hermione nodded with satisfaction and turned to stare at Harry and Ron.

    The two of them did not do as Evan, and they could only try not to look at Hermione.

    Harry and Ron lowered their heads to demolish the food in front of them, and awkwardness showed clearly on their faces.

    The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark ss. Another p of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling shed, illuminating the golden tes as the remains of the first course vanished and were reced, instantly, with deserts.

    ¡°You two can¡¯t just sit like this!¡± said Harry, hesitating to pick up a piece of cake.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, look at this treacle tart!¡± said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward them. ¡°Spotted dick, chocte gateau, and¡­¡±

    But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up.

    Finally, the puddings too had been demolished, and thest crumbs had faded off the tes, leaving them sparkling clean.

    At this time, Dumbledore got to his feet again, ready to speak.

    The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard.

    Hermione also turned and red at Dumbledore, as if he was taking the lead in maltreating the house-elves.

    ¡°So!¡± said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. ¡°Now that we are all satiated with food and drinks, I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices!¡±

    ¡°First of all, Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full listprises some 437 items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch¡¯s office, if anybody would like to check it.¡±

    Evan noticed that there were many Fred and George prank products in it.

    However, because there was no time, the two of them were only in small-scale test sales, and they couldn¡¯t move on to mass production.

    Because of this, most new products had not yet been discovered by Filch.

    ¡°And, as ever, I would like to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest on the other side of the venue is out-of-bounds to students, as is the vige of Hogsmeade to all below third year.¡± Dumbledore continued, looking at Evan.

    Whether it was the Forbidden Forest or Hogsmeade, Evan was a frequent visitor there.

    Last term, Evan, who was still a second year, secretly stayed with Hermione at Hogsmeade on Christmas Day. He unfortunately met the most dangerous werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, and had a fight with him.

    Evan had left an indelible mark on him, and this guy must hate him to death now.

    Not to mention the Forbidden Forest, he went deep there,te at night, to the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and he fell under Voldemort¡¯s curse¡­

    Because of this, Sirius had to resign and assume most of the responsibility for this matter.

    ¡°It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take ce this year.¡± Dumbledore went on, ¡°This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers¡¯ time and energy ¡­ but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts ¡­¡±

    But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open.

    A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a ck traveling cloak.

    Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger. A fork of lightning shed across the ceiling, and everyone gasped.

    The lightning illuminated the man¡¯s face, and it was very scary.

    It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. His mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and arge chunk of his nose was missing. But it was the man¡¯s eyes that made him so frightening.

    One of his eyes was small, dark and beady. The other wasrge, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue.

    The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye ¡­ and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man¡¯s head, so that all they could see was whiteness.

    The young witches and wizards all covered their mouths with their hands and looked at the man who had just broken in with fear.

    His impressionpletely orded with the image of the most horrible viin in everyone¡¯s mind, just like a dangerous Dark wizard.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°Mad-Eye Moody!¡± Evan replied, ¡°stor Moody, once the best Auror.¡±

    ¡°Oh God, he is <em>Mad-Eye</em>, but why is he¡­¡±

    ¡°Because he is our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this term. This year must be very interesting.¡±

    Evan stared intently at the fake Moody passing by them to see the difference between him and the real Mad-Eye.

    But this fake obviously had specially studied Moody¡¯s style and habits, and no difference could be seen from the outside.

    However, Evan was already prepared, and he took out the Marauder¡¯s Map that he had borrowed from Harry before.

    The Marauder¡¯s Map was a magical map made by his father, Sirius, Professor Lupin, and Pettigrew. It could show all the secret passages and people appearing in Hogwarts. This map helped them a lot when they ventured into the castle. Especiallyst term, it yed an unimaginable role in the rescue of Sirius.

    Evan spread the Marauder¡¯s Map on hisp, blocking the sight of others.

    He tapped on the map gently with his wand while no one was watching.

    In the next second, Hogwarts Castle, painted in ink, appeared on the top, and there were dense names.

    Now, everyone was concentrated in the Great Hall, the names were all superimposed, and it seemed very hard.

    Evan squinted and his fingers slowly moved to the teachers¡¯ table.

    Fake Moody was shaking hands with Dumbledore, and Evan saw the name of Dumbledore, but opposite him¡­

    Evan blinked. He thought he would see the name of Barty Crouch Jr., but he only saw a small ck dot.

    The name of the guy in front of Dumbledore was not marked!!!

 Chapter 512: The Ultimate Honor for a Young Wizard

    Chapter 512: The Ultimate Honor for a Young Wizard

    How could this be?!

    Evan blinked and confirmed it again and again.

    As long as he looked up, he could see Moody standing opposite Dumbledore, and the two were whispering something.

    But on the Marauder¡¯s Map, only Dumbledore¡¯s name could be seen, and there was only a small ck dot on the opposite side of his name.

    The Marauder¡¯s Map had lost the edge it gave Evan before, and he was experiencing this situation for the first time.

    The name of the guy who took Mad-Eye Moody¡¯s ce could not be marked.

    Thinking <em>Homonculous Charm</em>, that person must have applied a spell to his own name.

    As Voldemort did, whenever someone read his name, their location would be perceived.

    The magic used by this guy was to keep his name from being tracked and marked by any magic.

    Using this magic on names, only the most evil and powerful Dark wizards would do it.

    That required a lot of magic and harsh casting conditions, and Mad-Eye Moody would definitely not use this ck magic.

    If it was Barty Crouch Jr. who was impersonating him now, then his strength waspletely beyond Evan¡¯s expectations. He had never thought that Barty would be so strong.

    Evan put away the Marauder¡¯s Map. This sudden change gave him an ominous hunch. This guy was too bizarre, and felt more dangerous than what Evan could expect.

    Evan began to be uncertain whether there would be unpredictable variables in his n ording to the original story.

    His mind was in chaos and, for a while, he was very confused.

    However, since Barty Jr. was in the school now, he should not act rashly until he gets an opportunity to take Harry out.

    He would certainly follow the original plot and start at thest minute of the Goblet of Fire quest.

    There was still time, and Evan finally decided to find a chance to test him first.

    At that time, depending on the test results, he would decide whether to take action or let nature take its course.

    At the teachers¡¯ table, Dumbledore did not seem to think that the Mad-Eye before him would be a fake.

    They whispered a few words, and then Dumbledore motioned him to take an empty seat on his right.

    Moody sat down and shook his head.

    He shook his mane of dark grey hair out of his face, pulled a te of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat.

    His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students, remaining on Evan for a long time.

    ¡°Let me, please let me introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.¡± said Dumbledore brightly into the silence to the stunned young wizards, ¡°Wee Professor Moody.¡±

    It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with apuse, but none of the staff or students pped except Dumbledore and Hagrid.

    Evan thought for a moment and then apuded, but the sound of their apuse echoed dismally into the silence of the Great Hall.

    Hearing the apuse, Moody looked up, and his normal eye and fake blue eye all fell on Evan.

    His iplete nose moved slightly and Evan didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.

    After Evan, Dumbledore and Hagrid took a few ps, they let go of their hands.

    No one else spoke. They seemed too transfixed by Moody¡¯s bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him.

    ¡°Ron, do you remember?¡± Harry muttered. ¡°This Mad-Eye Moody is the one your dad went to help this morning!¡±

    ¡°It must be him,¡± said Ron in a low, awed voice. ¡°The best Auror in the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Hermione whispered ¡°What happened to his face?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it looks great.¡± Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination.

    Moody seemed totally indifferent to everyone¡¯s cold reaction.

    After staring at Evan for a while, he continued to eat.

    Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip sk, and took a long draught from it.

    As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and one could see, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a wed foot.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back to the topic!¡± Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, ¡°we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over theing months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking ce at Hogwarts this year.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, did I hear that right?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re joking!¡±

    The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody¡¯s arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyoneughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively.

    The students born in wizard families all knew more or less about the Triwizard Tournament, and they had this content in the stories they heard since childhood.

    For a young wizard in school, this was the ultimate honor.

    The Muggle-born students were also asking in a hurry to find out what the Triwizard Tournament was all about, and they were amazed and talked excitedly.

    ¡°Well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short exnation, and allow their attention to wander freely.¡± said Dumbledore smiling, ¡°As we all know, the Triwizard Tournament is a friendlypetition between the threergest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. It was a very good disy tform and helped young witches and wizards of different nationalities to establish ties. It had be a tradition in the past until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.¡±

    ¡°<em>Death toll</em>?¡± Hermione whispered, looking at Dumbledore with horror. ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the books about this¡­¡±

    But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another.

    Everyone was far more interested in hearing about the details of the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago.

    ¡°There have been several attempts over time to reinstate the tournament,¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°none of which has been very sessful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

    The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take ce at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy topete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money. I hope you¡¯re aware that it will be a great honor for the champion, his House and his school. ¡°

 Chapter 513: Not Allowed to Compete

    Chapter 513: Not Allowed to Compete

    ¡°I¡¯m going for it!¡± Fred hissed down the table.

    ¡°How can such a thing be without us?¡± George agreed.

    Their faces lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches.

    They were not alone, visualizing themselves as the Hogwarts champions. At every House table, people were either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors.

    But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more.

    ¡°Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,¡± he said, ¡°the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age ¡­ that is to say, 17 years or older ¡­ will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This¡­¡±

    Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words.

    ¡°I hope you understand that this measure is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it¡¯s highly unlikely that students below 6th and 7th year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champions.¡±

    His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred¡¯s and George¡¯s mutinous faces.

    Immediately, his eyes turned to Evan, and his gaze seemed to be more profound.

    Dumbledore continued, ¡°I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under 17.¡±

    ¡°The delegations of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the most part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it iste, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!¡±

    Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody.

    There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall.

    ¡°They can¡¯t do that!¡± said George, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and ring at Dumbledore. ¡°We¡¯re seventeen in April, why can¡¯t we have a shot?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not stopping me entering.¡± said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. ¡°The champions will get to do all sorts of stuff you¡¯d never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ron, a faraway look on his face. ¡°Yeah, a thousand Galleons.. .¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the most unfair thing to Evan. He¡¯s the strongest wizard in the school, and he has proven it.¡± Hermione also frowned and said, ¡°But now he¡¯s not allowed topete because of his age¡­¡±

    ¡°If Evan can¡¯t be a champion, I don¡¯t see anyone in the school who has the qualification.¡± Harry followed nodding.

    ¡°This is really ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have to talk to Dumbledore and ask him to change the rules¡­¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Evan, ¡°we¡¯ll be the only ones left here if we don¡¯t move.¡±

    In fact, he was not worried at all.

    No one could stop him from bing a champion if he could put his name in the Goblet of Fire.

    Evan had several ways to crack Dumbledore¡¯s magic to prevent young wizards under the age of 17 from submitting.

    ¡°Evan, why are you not angry at all?!¡± George said. ¡°Their restrictions on age arepletely¡­¡±

    ¡°Pleasee here, Mr. Mason, the Headmaster has something to say to you.¡± Professor McGonagall said seriously, walking to them, looking at them dissatisfied, ¡°You five hurry back to the Common Room, and not block the door like this.¡±

    Under Professor McGonagall¡¯s Watch, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George nced at Evan and headed for the entrance hall.

    Evan went back to the teachers¡¯ table alone, where there was only Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody.

    ¡°I have my own opinion about that¡­¡± Moody suddenly stopped, his magical blue fake eye fell on Evan, and he said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Ah, second meeting, Evan Mason. I didn¡¯t expect you to make such a big scene at the Quidditch World Cup. It really surprised me.¡±

    He came over and shook hands with Evan. His hand was as scarred as his face. It was full of scars.

    From a closer distance, Mad-Eye Moody looked even more terrible.

    Evan had met him in the Ministry of magic before. Besides the two of them, only Sirius and Mr. Weasley were present.

    This fake Moody in front of him even knew this. He had really put in some efforts to disguise himself.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Professor!¡± Evan said softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe to Hogwarts to teach.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about it before, but I¡¯ll only teach for one year and do Dumbledore a favor.¡± said Moody,ughing in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yes, only for one year, and then I will resume my peaceful retirement life.¡±

    This was the first time Evan saw him smile. He smiled, and his scarred face looked even more distorted and weird.

    ¡°There¡¯s always a shortage of staff in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. It is not easy to find the right person.¡± Dumbledore said gently. ¡°If you can, I hope that you can stay. Your valuable experience is exactly what we need.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it!¡± said Moody, waving his rough hand.

    ¡°Well, Evan, I am sorry to disturb your rest time, but I have something to tell you.¡± Dumbledore said calmly, turning his eyes to Evan, ¡°about the Triwizard Tournament¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, I hope to be able topete!¡± said Evan hurriedly, ¡°and I have confidence¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I know that you can definitely break through the age-restriction magic that I have set up. There is no doubt about this.¡± Dumbledore said seriously. ¡°But Beauxbatons and Durmstrang specially asked us to ban you frompeting in the Triwizard Tournament, because your age does not meet the requirements. Of course, looking at what they mean, they seem to be worried that your magic is too strong and no one will be your opponent.¡±

    Evan¡¯s previous performance at the Quidditch World Cup was too conspicuous.

    It wasn¡¯t just young wizards, even adult wizards would not have such huge magic and strong magic power.

    In this case, it was not surprising that they asked to keep Evan from participating in the tournament.

    ¡°Huh, what the weak think!¡± Moody said disdainfully, ¡°Those guys are afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but they regard this requirement as one of the conditions for restarting the Triwizard Tournament.¡± Dumbledore said, watching Evan, ¡°So I am sorry, Evan, I must ask you to assure me that you will not take part in thepetition.¡±

 Chapter 514: Abnormal Mad-Eye

    Chapter 514: Abnormal Mad-Eye

    In a sudden change, Evan was particrly banned from participating in the Triwizard Tournament by two other wizarding schools.

    This was the second ident after the name of the fake Moody couldn¡¯t be marked on the Marauder¡¯s Map tonight.

    It was too sudden, but it seemed reasonable.

    Evan¡¯s previous appearance at the World Cup was too high-profile. Whether it was his duel with Caresius or the magical transformation of the stadium¡¯s main building into a giant, it was beyond the imagination of most wizards.

    His reputation had spread throughout the European wizarding world and was still spreading abroad.

    Whatever the idea, Evan¡¯s power had been recognized by the public, and now some people were even saying that he was Dumbledore¡¯s sessor.

    Especially considering his age, sky was the limit for Evan¡¯s future. This was good news for Hogwarts and the British wizardingmunity, but bad news for other countries and forces.

    At present, if Evan became Hogwarts champion to take part in the Triwizard Tournament, Beauxbatons¡¯s and Durmstrang¡¯s champion would have no chance. They would not be able to defeat Evan no matter what.

    The so-called ¡°Triwizard Tournament¡± would just turn into a stage for Evan to show his strength.

    Beauxbatons and Durmstrang did not want this to happen. They mentioned Evan by name to be excluded from thepetition. And they gave a good reason. Evan was under 17 and did not satisfy the requirement. In fact, he was only 13 years old now.

    This age limit was originally intended to protect the young wizards whocked strength and to avoid losing their lives in vain.

    It was now used to exclude Evan from thepetition, and there was nothing wrong with that. Hogwarts and the British Ministry of Magic couldn¡¯t refute.

    Because thispetition was to be held in Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang would hold primary elections for age- eligible students and bring them to Hogwarts. Dumbledore, on the other hand, would be responsible for restricting wizards under the age of 17.

    Evan knew what magic he would use and he had a way to crack it.

    Dumbledore naturally knew that, so he needed Evan¡¯s assurance that he would never enter thepetition.

    In fact, Evan had no interest in this so-called Triwizard Tournament. But if he didn¡¯t take part in thepetition, how could he get in with Harry without attracting Voldemort¡¯s attention?

    No, in the end, he had to get into that maze and touch the trophy with Harry ¡­ or think of a better way to wipe out Voldemort, who would have sessfully recovered his strength¡­

    Looking at Dumbledore¡¯s bright blue eyes, Evan nodded slowly.

    Dumbledore should have guessed Voldemort¡¯s plot by now. What n did he have to deal with it?!

    Dumbledore seemed reluctant to continue talking on this topic, maybe because of fake Moody¡¯s presence or because he had his own considerations.

    When he saw that Evan had agreed, he asked him to go back to bed as soon as possible.

    After leaving the Great Hall, Evan walked alone in the dimly lit hallway, thinking about it in his head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair. They can¡¯t exclude wizards frompeting because of their strength. Those weakly cowards y with these means!¡± Moody¡¯s hoarse voice sounded behind Evan, and he followed him out of the auditorium. ¡°It¡¯s always been the case, they ¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, the rules must be obeyed!¡± Evan turned to Moody and said to his slight surprise, ¡°I¡¯m not really seventeen years old, and of course I shouldn¡¯t break the rules and y. Dumbledore doesn¡¯t want that to happen either.¡±

    ¡°Hum, students taught by Dumbledore, you¡¯re too idealistic. Those people don¡¯t think like tiy.¡± Moody said dismissively, ¡°I¡¯ve seen too many Dark wizards, if you have such naive ideas¡­¡±

    ¡°Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are not Dark wizards!¡±

    ¡°Never judge easily by outward appearance. You don¡¯t know the past of those people at all. Stay always alert!¡± Moody¡¯s magical eye turned around. Staring at Evan, with a hint of bewitching in his voice, he said, ¡°Boy, Be honest, do you want topete or not?!¡±

    Evan looked at Moody, and a strange thought rose in his heart.

    This fake Moody was really abnormal. Why would hee over and say this to him?

    Looking at him, he seemed to be tempting him to secretly take part in the Triwizard Tournament.

    But why would he do this? What good would it do to Voldemort?!

    Did fake Moody want to take both him and Harry out of school?!

    Or was it that Voldemort hadn¡¯t given up on his Philosopher¡¯s Stone yet?!

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I want to be in or not. I have already promised the Headmaster and I must abide by it.¡± said Evan softly, ¡°Professor, you¡¯re not encouraging me to take part in thepetition secretly, are you?¡±

    Moody¡¯s figure waspletely hidden in the darkness that the torches could not dissipate, and Evan couldn¡¯t see the expression on his face.

    It took him a long time to say in a husky voice, ¡°Of course not. I just came to test you. Dumbledore spoke highly of you. I now believe that you do not disappoint. A qualified wizard must have his own bottom line.¡±

    Evan did not answer, and there was a silence between the two people.

    If it were really Mad-Eye Moody who said that, Evan may believe it, but knowing that the man in front of him was fake¡­!

    They walked along the dark hallway again, and Moody¡¯s office was on the second floor.

    From the fake Moody beside him, Evan felt the looming danger.

    ¡°I received a letter from Lupin and ck a few days ago. They introduced the current progress of the Defense Against the Dark Arts course.¡± Moody suddenly said, ¡°Looks like you have learned how to deal with dark magical creatures and mastered a lot of basic knowledge?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professors Lupin and Sirius gave us a lot.¡±

    ¡°Very good, but this is not enough, not enough!¡± Moody said, limping forward, ¡°I think you need to learn how to deal with ck magic, I am going to give you a taste of the spells cast between wizards.¡±

    ¡°ck magic?!¡± Evan turned to look at him.

    ¡°You should know that incantationse in many forms, and their magic varies. ording to the Ministry of Magic, I should teach you all kinds of spell-breaking, that¡¯s all.¡± Moody said, ¡°ording to them, you¡¯re not in the sixth year yet. The School should not tell you what the illegal ck magic spell looks like, because you¡¯re still too young and you would not handle it. But in my opinion, the sooner you know what to deal with, the better. How can you protect yourself from something you have never seen before? When a wizard is about to use an illegal spell, they wouldn¡¯t tell you what they¡¯re about to do; they won¡¯t read his spell to you frankly, fairly and politely. He¡¯ll just¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, do you mean to teach us the unforgivable curses?!¡±

    ¡°Not teach them, just demonstrate to you what real ck magic looks like.¡± Moody said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like this course¡­¡±

 Chapter 515: Who is the Fake Moody?

    Chapter 515: Who is the Fake Moody?

    Yes, it was a good idea to use the Imperius Curse openly and honestly on students. No one could guarantee that fake Moody would not use it to control a student.

    Even if he dared not do such a thing under Dumbledore¡¯s nose, there should be no problem with a couple of <em>Legilimency</em> spells.

    This magic permitted the caster to see memories, emotions and thoughts of the victim. It was strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic and was not allowed to be used.

    However, fake Moody would not care about this. That was the best chance for him to get information. By giving the young Wizards a chance to see the dark magic in ss, he can use these spells unscrupulously and with impunity.

    In addition, there were many evil dark magic spells that could be used, and Evan had learned and worked on many of them. The little wizards were defenseless against this, and he could cast the spells unscrupulously.

    The terrible thing was that there was no way to stop him, and no one would raise an objection, because Moody was like this; he would do whatever the fake Moody would do on the surface!

    ¡°It¡¯s good for you to see this earlier. You can¡¯t stay in school forever!¡± Moody continued, with a terrible smile on his face. ¡°Evan, you¡¯re far more powerful than any wizard of your age. It¡¯s time for you to see what real Dark Magic looks like. I am looking forward to seeing your performance¡­ Well, I¡¯ve arrived at my ce. I wish you a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±

    Moody dragged the prosthesis and slowly disappeared into the shadow on the innermost side of the second floor.

    Looking at his back, Evan felt even stranger, and his clear thoughts suddenly becameplicated.

    He passed through a door hidden behind the tapestry and walked up a narrower staircase. As he walked, he was thinking about what had happened this evening.

    This fake Moody¡¯s behavior tonight was too abnormal. What was his purpose?!

    It seemed that not only Harry, but also Evan was one of his goals.

    And the name that couldn¡¯t be shown on the Marauder¡¯s Map ¡­ Was that fake Moody still Barty Crouch Jr.?!

    If it wasn¡¯t him, would it be¡­

    Evan suddenly thought of Caresius, the dangerous vampire, who was the only one who could help Voldemort. And he was strong enough to use that magic to keep his name from being marked on the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    If he hade to Hogwarts as Mad-Eye Moody, then things could be¡­ interesting, to say the least!

    He and Voldemort were only allies, and he was not obliged to be loyal to him like the Death Eaters.

    Even to some extent, Caresius and Evan had the same goals.

    Thinking of this, Evan suppressed the uneasiness in his heart.

    He decided to get closer to him ording to the original n to see what the guy was doing.

    By the time Evan returned to the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione was standing outside the Common Room waiting for him.

    In the dripping rain outside, her slender body rested on the orange curtain at the corner.

    Hermione was looking at <em>The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 </em>in front of her. Through the bright torches at both ends of the corridor, she looked exquisitely beautiful.

    She was so immersed in reading that she had not noticed that Evan hade.

    Evan didn¡¯t disturb her either. He just looked at her and seemed to want to engrave her image in his mind.

    ¡°Evan?!¡± For a long time, Hermione stretched out like a kitten and rubbed her eyes as if to notice Evan standing in front of her. She hurriedly closed the book, stood up and said with a smile, ¡°When did youe back?¡±

    ¡°Just now, why haven¡¯t you gone to bed yet?¡± asked Evan. ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all in there talking about the Triwizard tournament and trying to muddle through.¡± said Hermione, ¡°I thought you don¡¯t know the new password yet, so I stayed here waiting for you. I feared you would be able to get in¡­ ¡°

    Hearing Hermione¡¯s words of concern, Evan felt extraordinarily warm and happy.

    He naturally took the girl¡¯s cold hand, and he forgot about all the conspiracies and dangers for that moment.

    Hermione did not resist, she let Evan hold her, but her face blushed.

    They stood silent for a few seconds, as if to resume from a happy time¡­

    ¡°Evan, what did Dumbledore tell you in the Great Hall?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°He asked me to promise not to participate in the Triwizard Tournament.¡± Said Evan, ¡°You know, my age is not up to the requirements, and Beauxbatons and Durmstrang seem to think I¡¯m too strong.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± said Hermione in amazement. ¡°They mentioned you by name and asked to exclude you from the tournament?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, and I¡¯ve promised Dumbledore that I wouldn¡¯t participate.¡± said Evan.

    He couldn¡¯t take part in thepetition, and he was worried about his future ns.

    But if the guy acting as Moody was none other than Caresius, there would be other solutions to this matter, and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry much about it. Perhaps things would be even simpler.

    Evan felt it might be a good option to talk directly to the vampire to understand his purpose and n.

    If he just wanted to bring Harry¡¯s blood to Voldemort, they might be able to cooperate.

    Of course, before that, he had to identify him and confirm that he was really the vampire.

    ¡°It¡¯s very unfair, isn¡¯t it?!¡± said Hermione, dissatisfied. ¡°They can¡¯t deprive you of your qualifications just because you¡¯re too strong. I know the game is very dangerous; many people have died and I don¡¯t want you to participate. But the age limit for thepetitors is because younger wizards don¡¯t have enough strength to protect themselves in thepetition, and you obviously have the ability¡­¡±

    Hermione¡¯s dissatisfaction with Dumbledore and the Ministry of Magic had obviously increased. Her topic naturally shifted to house-elves and she was still bitter about Hogwarts¡¯ failure to pay the house-elves.

    ¡°I found out that our school and the wizarding world are full of invisible discrimination and oppression. This is extremely unfair. Evan, this is what happened to you this evening. It¡¯s the same with the house-elves. They are being squeezed as ves, and we have to do something to stop this from happening¡­¡±

    It seemed that she intended to write an article for the Hogwarts Magic, and wanted to seek Evan¡¯s advice.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to discuss this topic with Hermione because he knew there was no end to it.

    He hurried to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind arge portrait of a fatdy in a pink silk dress.

    ¡°Password?¡± she said as they approached.

    ¡°Balderdash!¡± said Hermione.

    The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circrmon room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables.

    Hermione cast the merrily dancing mes a gloomy look, and Evan distinctly heard her mutter ¡°vebor¡­¡±

    Beside the firece, Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Neville, Colin and his brother Dennis were sitting, still talking about the Triwizard Tournament. They were not qualified for the tournament because of their ages.

    They were discussing what Dumbledore said about the impartial judge who was going to decide who the champions were, and tried to guess who he would be.

    ¡°Whoever he is, he¡¯s the one we¡¯ll have to fool, and I think a drop or two of the Ageing Potion¡­¡± said Fred, clenching his fist and pping his palm.

    ¡°But Dumbledore knows that you are not old enough,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Yeah, but he¡¯s not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?¡± said Fred shrewdly. ¡°Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he¡¯ll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore¡¯s trying to keep us from giving our names.¡±

 Chapter 516: Blushing Harry

    Chapter 516: Blushing Harry

    ¡°Where¡¯s the fun without a bit of risk?¡± said George. ¡°Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get around Dumbledore? Fancy entering?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it would be cool if I could, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Ron immediately replied, ¡°But I suppose they might want someone older¡­. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ve learned enough¡­¡±

    ¡°I certainly haven¡¯t learned enough.¡± said Neville gloomily. ¡°But I expect my grandmother would want me to try, though. She¡¯s always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. This is the best chance. I¡¯ll just have to¡­¡±

    ¡°You two look at Evan. He¡¯s one year younger than you, but he¡¯s going toe and never say those frustrating words.¡± said Fred.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the same, Evan knows a lot of spells and magic¡­¡± Ron argued, and stopped immediately.

    He wanted to say that Evan was so powerful with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, but suddenly remembered that it was an unspeakable secret.

    Before Ron could figure out how to go on, they all saw Evan and Hermione entering the Common Room.

    ¡°Forget it; I¡¯m not going topete in the Triwizard Tournament!¡± said Evan, pulling Hermione over.

    They raised their heads, looking at him in surprise, and did not seem to understand what he had just said.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯re not going to participate in the Triwizard Tournament?¡± Harry asked. ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken; you said clearly on the train that you were ready topete and that you were strong enough to be Hogwarts¡¯s champion.¡±

    ¡°To be precise, I <em>cannot</em> participate. Dumbledore just talked to me about it. They named me and excluded me from thepetition. They think I¡¯m too strong and might destroy the bnce of the game.¡± said Evan indifferently, and sat down next to Colin. ¡°I have promised him that I will never go to thepetition.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pity, you are obviously the strongest!¡± said Colin. He seemed to want tofort Evan. In his view, the Triwizard Tournament represented the highest honor. Evan missed this opportunity, and now he must be very sad.

    But in fact, Evan felt nothing. He had just intended to enter thepetition to be with Harry when he would meet Voldemort without arousing his suspicion.

    Now there was a simpler way. He did not want to bother to participate in the game, to fight fire dragons and Kelpies.

    ¡°It¡¯s no pity. I didn¡¯t have much interest in the game anyway.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Evan is already a world-ss celebrity and the future star of magic!¡± said Fred, ¡°He doesn¡¯t need the fame and the 1,000 gold-Galleons bonus. It really doesn¡¯t make any sense for him to be the champion.¡±

    ¡°But this is an opportunity for us!¡± said George. ¡°If Evan were to participate, he would have been Hogwarts champion. We would have no chance!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Evan is the best, the rest are almost the same. We just need to fool Dumbledore now.¡±

    ¡°But I heard that many people died in the Triwizard Tournament.¡± said Hermione in a worried voice.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Fred airily, ¡°but that was many years ago.¡±

    ¡°They died hundreds of years ago. Now, times have changed, and that will certainly not happen again.¡±

    Finally, under the persuasion of Fred and George, everyone besides Evan and Hermione seemed to want to participate in thepetition.

    Harry and Ron, in particr, decided that if the twins found a way, they would either try it or watch the situation before they acted.

    It was not untilte that everyone went back to their dormitory to sleep.

    By the time Evan and Colin entered the dormitory, the other three were already asleep.

    On the wall, there was a poster of this year¡¯s Quidditch World Cup, and Colin cut all the photos that appeared in the newspapers and collected them. He now collected photos of both Evan and Harry.

    Many of them were also tacked on the side wall.

    ¡°Evan, are you really not going topete?¡± asked Colin, starting to get into his pajamas. Looking at him, it seemed that he had not recovered from the shocking news.

    Indeed, for the whole night, he had been telling his brother about Evan¡¯s deeds from before, and he predicted that he would definitely participate, and he was proud of it.

    He thought that his best friend, Evan, must be Hogwarts champion. But he never expected such an oue.

    ¡°Yes, do you want to take part in the tournament?¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°Of course I do, but I¡¯m definitely not strong enough!¡± Colin sighed and said, ¡°I still need to learn a lot of things.¡±

    ¡°You still have time, I will help you!¡± Evan got into his pajamas and climbed. After Voldemort¡¯s return was confirmed, it was also necessary to put on an agenda to enhance the strength of the young wizards as soon as possible.

    Evan was not na?ve to think that he could face Voldemort and the whole Death Eaters and Vampires alone.

    Since Voldemort had Death Eaters and Dumbledore had the Order of the Phoenix, he also needed to develop the power of his own side.

    Although they were not that strong individually, together, they would build a force to be recon with.

    The four-poster bed was very warm. Someone, certainly Dobby, had ced warming pans between the sheets.

    Dobby was now in charge of everything concerning Evan, but they didn¡¯t meet often.

    In fact, since the World Cup, Evan had never seen Dobby.

    House elves always quietly did everything well and were proud of not being discovered by their masters.

    He suddenly thought that Dobby should be called out tomorrow.

    If Hermione had been protesting against the hard work of the house-elves and did not eat, then Dobby needed toe out. He had just to tell Hermione that food for both of them was prepared by him alone, and that Evan paid him for that. Although not much, it would no longer be made through the so-called ve Labor.

    Evany in the warmth, and it was extremelyfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside.

    He chatted with Colin in a low voice and thought for a moment about Moody and Caresius before his consciousness gradually blurred.

    At the same time, the topic of the tournament was also being discussed between Harry and Ron in their dormitory.

    ¡°I might go in for it, you know,¡± Ron said sleepily through the darkness, ¡°if Fred and George find out how to be in the tournament. .. you never know, do you?¡±

    ¡°I suppose not.¡±

    Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind¡¯s eye.. .. He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen.. . he had be Hogwarts champion.. . he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were apuding and screaming.. . he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho¡¯s face stood out particrly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration¡­

    Thinking of this, Harry obviously blushed and buried his face deeply in the pillow.

 Chapter 517: Moodyâ€™s First Lesson

    Chapter 517: Moody¡¯s First Lesson

    The storm had blown itself out by the following morning, though the ceiling in the Great Hall was still gloomy.

    Heavy clouds of pewter gray swirled overhead as Evan and Colin arrived to the Great Hall.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione were examining their new course schedules at breakfast.

    Of course, it was mainly Hermione who talked while Harry and Ron were both listening.

    A few seats along, Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were discussing magical methods of aging themselves and bluffing their way into the Triwizard Tournament.

    In fact, all the young wizards in the Great Hall were discussing this topic.

    The senior wizards of the right age are all secretlycent, and each had a good feeling that he was about to be a champion.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan, Colin, I just heard about your schedule from Hermione; it¡¯s really good!¡± said Harry, greeting Evan and Colin, who sat down. ¡°Your first course is with Mad-Eye Moody. That must be great.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, my course schedule is a little worse!¡± said Ron, who was running his finger down the Monday column of his schedule. ¡°Look at this morning. Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures¡­ damn it, we¡¯re still with the Slytherins!¡±

    ¡°Double Divination this afternoon.¡± Harry groaned, looking down. Divination was his least favorite subject, apart from Potions. Professor Trwney kept predicting Harry¡¯s death, which he found extremely annoying.

    ¡°It¡¯s not until Friday afternoon that we¡¯ll have Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, and it¡¯s after having Potions all morning.¡± Ron went on and read, ¡°That¡¯s really bad. Why can¡¯t we just have this ss on Monday like we did in third year?!¡±

    Harry also nodded and agreed with Ron.

    If they knew that Moody intended to use ck magic such as some of the Unforgivable Curses on students, Evan wondered if they would be so longing to his ss.

    ¡°Evan, here¡¯s your schedule. I¡¯ve magically marked the lessons and it will remind you of them automatically.¡± Hermione handed him the schedule, ¡°So you won¡¯t bete when you¡¯re too absorbed by reading in the library..¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan put the schedule in his bag.

    Compared withst term, he also had a lot of courses this year.

    He took Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and the Study of Ancient Runes, and Colin chose the same.

    ¡°Hermione, I notice you¡¯re eating again!¡± said Ron, watching Hermione adding jam to her toast.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights,¡± said Hermione haughtily.

    ¡°Yeah.. . and you were hungry,¡± said Ron, grinning.

    Either way, it was a good thing that Hermione took the initiative to eat. Otherwise, Evan would have to ask Dobby to prepare food for both of them separately.

    After a while, while they discussed what creatures Hagrid would show them in this year¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures ss, Hedwig flew into the Great Hall with a mail. It was a package from Sirius.

    He sent Harry a lot of candy for everyone, which made Harry particrly happy.

    On the first day of school, the owls brought a lot of things the young wizards had forgotten at home.

    Over time, this had be a school tradition, owl mail from home.

    For the first time, Harry received a parcel at this time, giving him the warm feeling of having a home.

    After breakfast, the students went to their different sses separately.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione were going to the outside greenhouse for Herbology, and Evan and Colin went to the Defense Against the Dark Arts on the second floor.

    When they both arrived, they found that the ssroom was already full of students.

    Everyone was in high spirits and was looking forward to Moody¡¯s course. This was a first in recent years.

    Ginny had arrived early, and she kept the two of them two chairs right in front of the teacher¡¯s desk; they rushed to sit down.

    In the ssroom, the mood was exceptionally quiet, and everyone took out their copies of <em>The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection</em>, and waited.

    Soon they heard Moody¡¯s distinctive clunking footstepsing down the corridor, and he entered the room, looking as strange and frightening as ever. They could just see his wed, wooden foot protruding from underneath his robes.

    ¡°You can put those away,¡± he growled, stumping over to his desk and sitting down, ¡°those books. You won¡¯t need them. I don¡¯t need those things in my ss. Wands out!¡±

    The young wizards returned the books to their bags, and they were extremely excited.

    ording to past experience, taking out the wand meant that this course was to be very interesting.

    A few secondster, Moody took out a register, shook his long mane of grizzled gray hair out of his twisted and scarred face, and began to call out names, his normal eye moving steadily down the list while his magical eye swiveled around, fixing upon each student as he or she answered.

    ¡°Right then,¡± he said, when thest person had dered themselves present, ¡°I¡¯ve had a letter from my predecessor, and I know something about your current progress. Although you have umted some foundation in dealing with dark creatures, you stillck actualbat experience and have not seen real ck magic. This is the most crucial thing.¡±

    His magical eye turned quickly, and Moody reworded what he had said to Evanst night.

    He told everyone to be prepared and alert.

    ¡°So¡­ do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizardingw?¡±

    Evan sighed. Sure enough, this guy was really ready to use Unforgivable Curses in the ssroom.

    No one in the ss answered, and the young wizards seemed to be frightened by Moody¡¯s teaching theories.

    They looked at each other uneasily, and finally focused on Evan, expecting him to answer the question.

    ¡°Mason, you answer!¡± said Moody. After confirming that no one would answer, he called out Evan¡¯s name directly.

    ¡°Professor, there are many incantations that the Ministry of Magic forbids wizards to use. At present, there are about ten thousand legal documents still in force. They can be traced back to thousands of years ago, involving tens of thousands of incantations.¡± Ivan answered, ¡°The details are unknown, but once these curses are discovered, they will be severely punished by the Ministry of Magic. I made a simple categorization of these ck magic spells, which can be divided into Curses, Horcruxes, Necromancy, Evil Spirit Summoning, family-blood magic, and magic that directly illegally alters the bodies of humans and magical animals. Of course, this is not all, and¡­¡±

    The ssroom was silent, and everyone looked at Evan with surprise, their mouths open wide enough to swallow an egg.

 Chapter 518: Three Unforgivable Curses

    Chapter 518: Three Unforgivable Curses

    All third-year students seemed to realize that Evan knew so much.

    In the past, they only knew that Evan was very strong, but they never had a clear idea about the extent of his knowledge and power.

    Young wizards in Hogwarts generally believed that he was just ahead of his peers, but still weaker than the senior students.

    It wasn¡¯t until the recent World Cup that everyone realized that Evan was strong enough to shake the wizarding world.

    In today¡¯s ss, Evan spoke in one breath of so many types of Dark Magic that none of them had ever heard of before.

    The young wizards in the ssroom all gasped and looked at Evan in disbelief.

    Needless to say, some of them have heard about some types of Dark Magic, a couple, maybe even a dozen, but tens of thousands?

    For a moment, everyone had the illusion that Evan was the actual professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts!

    It was clear that Moody was also very surprised when he heard Evan gush about it. None of the things that Evan said was the answer he wanted, but there was no mistake in what he said.

    He knew that he had to stop him, or he could go on about it for the rest of the session¡­

    At that time, it went without saying that the demonstration of ck magic was estimated to make everyone go out dizzy.

    Evan even talked about Necromancy, which was beyond everyone¡¯sprehension.

    Although for Evan, it was a very basic thing, or not even basic, but justmon sense, for the other students, descriptions of these branches of ck magic from hundreds of years ago sounded like un-understandable gibberish.

    In the end, Moody interrupted Evan because of his outstanding performance, granting 10 points to Gryffindor.

    ¡°What Mr. Mason said is very good, but I think it is imperative that you understand the three techniques mostmonly used by the Dark wizards, the so-called <em>Unforgivable Curses</em>, rather than the cold and remote ck magic of centuries ago,¡± said Moody. ¡°So, can anyone tell me what these three unforgivable curses are?¡±

    After a while, Ginny raised her little hand trembling. ¡°There is the Imperius Curse, Professor!¡± she whispered.

    She still had fresh memories of Ron being controlled by Peter Pettigrewst year, and him remaining in the hospital for a long time after that.

    The Weasleys had discussed the whole incident and the curse many times, so Ginny could never forget it.

    ¡°Yes, Miss Weasley!¡± said Moody appreciatively. ¡°Your father would know that one. It gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse.¡±

    Moody got heavily to his mismatched feet, opened his desk drawer, and took out a ss jar. Threerge ck spiders were scuttling around inside it, looking terrible.

    All the students recoiled slightly into their chairs and stared at him intently.

    Moody reached into the jar, caught one of the spiders, and held it in the palm of his hand so that they could all see it. He then pointed his wand at it and muttered, ¡°<em>Imperio</em>!¡±

    The spider leapt from Moody¡¯s hand on a fine thread of silk and began to swing backward and forward as though on a trapeze. It stretched out its legs rigidly, and then did a back flip, breaking the thread andnding on the desk, where it began to cartwheel in circles. Moody jerked his wand, and the spider rose onto two of its hind legs and went into what was unmistakably a tap dance.

    Everyone wasughing ¨C everyone except Moody.

    ¡°You think it¡¯s funny, do you?¡± he growled. ¡°You¡¯d like it, would you, if I did it to you?¡±

    Theughter died away almost instantly, and everyone looked at Moody in horror.

    ¡°Total control,¡± said Moody quietly as the spider balled itself up and began to roll over and over. ¡°I could make it jump out of the window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats¡­¡±

    ¡°Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse,¡± said Moody, and everyone knew he was talking about the days in which Voldemort had been all-powerful.

    ¡°At that time, the Ministry of Magic was really busy. They had to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was acting of their own free will. But this was hard to do. Depending on the magic power of the caster himself, the spell canst for a long time. When people find out, it¡¯s often toote.¡±

    At that time, it was estimated that no one dared to trust the people around them because they could not determine whether or not they were controlled by the Imperius Curse.

    It¡¯s quite possible that you would utter a few words against Voldemort to your best friend in the morning. When you get home from work, you will see the Dark Marks drifting over your home and all your family members dead.

    What a horror it was!

    ¡°The Imperius Curse can be fought, and I¡¯ll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone¡¯s got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!¡± he barked, and everyone jumped.

    Moody picked up the somersaulting spider and threw it back into the jar.

    ¡°Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?¡±

    Next, a Slytherin student stood up and named the remaining two, the Cruciatus Curse and the killing Curse.

    Moody exined them to everyone again, practicing them on the spiders.

    It was definitely not a pleasant experience to see a swelled spider twitching horribly, rocking from side to side, twitching violently, and breaking one¡¯s leg abruptly.

    As for the Killing Curse, needless to say, after Moody¡¯s wand gave out a sh of blinding green light, the spider just jumping alive in front of them died so quietly.

    It rolled over andy onto its back on the table unscathed.

    In the open ssroom, it felt like an invisible thing was soaring through the air. It was the shadow of death.

    It had just arrived here, taking away the life of the spider in front of Professor Moody¡¯s wand.

    Several students could not bear it, screamed hard, and everyone looked terrified to the extreme.

    In the subtle messy sound of the ¡°Avada Kedavra¡±, Evan could feel a powerful force.

    This power acted directly on the soul and life, and no one could resist it.

    Of all the protective magic Evan knew, only a few were able to defend against the Killing Curse, but at a high price.

    Among them was the loving sacrifice used by Harry¡¯s mother, Lily. She used the loving sacrifice to protect Harry, but the price paid was her own death.

    ¡°Not nice,¡± said Moody calmly, sweeping the dead spider off the desk onto the floor. ¡°Not pleasant. And there¡¯s no countercurse. There¡¯s no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it.¡±

    Everyone knew that the person he meant was Harry.

    ¡°Avada Kedavra is a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it ¡­ you could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words, and I doubt I¡¯d get so much as a nosebleed,¡± said Moody his magic eye sweeping everyone¡¯s frightened face. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not here to teach you how to do it.¡±

    Of course, Evan was definitely not included in these people he was talking about.

    Although Evan¡¯s soul had not fallen to evil ill thoughts, his strong magic was enough to allow him to use an extraordinarily powerful killing curse, horrifying beyond the general sense. What he would cause would definitely not be a simple nosebleed¡­

 Chapter 519: Jump Three Times in the Same Place!

    Chapter 519: Jump Three Times in the Same ce!

    ¡°Now, if there¡¯s no counter-curse, why am I showing you this? Because you¡¯ve got to know it; you¡¯ve got to appreciate what the worst is. You don¡¯t want to find yourself in a situation where you¡¯re facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!¡± he roared, and the whole ss jumped again.

    ¡°Now. .. those three curses ¨C Avada Kedavra, Imperius, and Cruciatus ¨C are known as the Unforgivable Curses. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That¡¯s what you¡¯re up against, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve got to teach you to fight. You need preparing, you need arming, but most of all, you need to practice constant, never-ceasing vignce. Get out your quills and write this down ¡­¡±

    No one spoke; they were busy taking notes on each of the three Unforgivable Curses.

    Just as everyone thought that this very touching Defense Against the Dark Arts ss was about to end, Moody suddenly said, ¡°Next, I will cast the Imperius Curse directly on you to demonstrate the power of this curse and see if you can resist its effects. This was supposed to be learnedter in ss, but since Evan Mason, the genius known as the future star of the wizarding world is here, I think we can try it in advance. ¡±

    As soon as he said that, there was a roar in the ssroom, and all kinds of arguments were surging like a flood.

    Everyone looked at Moody and Evan in surprise, with small faces full of excitement.

    Did they hear it correctly? Was Mad-Eye Moody actually going to use the Imperius Curse against Evan?

    God, this was absolutely insane!

    Everyone was excited to death, but also a little scared, looking forward to what would happen next in uneasiness.

    As for the Slytherin students, they were no doubt gloating to see Evan suffer. What Moody just did to control the spider was still fresh in their minds.

    If Evan went into a tap dance like that in front of everyone, it would be absolutely big news for the whole school.

    Everyone was talking. Only Colin, Ginny and other students who had a good rtionship with Evan were worried.

    They were afraid that Evan would not be able to take it, and it was definitely a bad thing for a minor wizard to fall to such a evil ck magic.

    Evan was unphased. ¡®Mad-Eye¡¯ had told him in advancest night that he was going to do it.

    He just didn¡¯t expect that this fake would be so eager to do it this fast.

    ¡°Mason,e out!¡± Moody waved his wand, and the desks were on the sidelines, leaving arge open space in the middle of the ssroom.

    ¡°Professor, there¡¯s no problem if you want to cast the Imperius Curse on me. But I have to remind you that it is a serious vition to use this curse against another human,¡± Said Evan slowly, ¡°You just said that this was enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban, and that¡¯s not a pleasant ce. There may be no fresh blood and other food.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, the others blinked and stared at Evan. They didn¡¯t seem to understand what he meant.

    Moody¡¯s iplete nose shook unnaturally, but his face was expressionless.

    ¡°Thank you for reminding me, I will pay attention!¡± said Moody coldly, his magical eye swiveling onto Evan and fixing him with an eerie, unblinking stare. ¡°Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you¡¯d rather learn the hard way, with someone¡¯s casting it on you so they can control youpletely, fine by me. You¡¯re excused. Off you go and never appear in my ss again!¡±

    The atmosphere was tense. The students were looking at both of them, waiting to see if Evan would leave the ssroom.

    Of course, Evan couldn¡¯t be scared away. That would be too embarrassing, and he had confidence in his mastery over lumency.

    Now that the opponent had made up his mind to cast the Imperius Curse on him, then he had to give it a try and see who would suffer in the end.

    Evan stood up and patted his school robes gently.

    Under everyone¡¯s nervous gazes, he moved forward to the middle of the ssroom, into the space that Moody had cleared of desks.

    Moody raised his wand and looked at Evan fiercely, as if to swallow him alive.

    ¡°Professor, you can start!¡± said Evan softly.

    Moody had no courtesy. He raised his wand and said, ¡°<em>Imperio</em>!¡±

    The next second, Evan felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely rxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him.

    Different from the usual Imperius Curse, Moody¡¯s magic carried a peculiar force. This force was particrly powerful and especially evil.

    Driven by it, the power of this Imperius Curse far exceeded the power used by themon Dark Wizards.

    Powerful forces were pulling Evan¡¯s soul, taking it away from his body, to never back¡­

    But in all its might, it was far from beingpared with the power of the evil gods!

    Almost at the moment when Moody read the curse, Evan¡¯s lumency started naturally.

    All the external spiritual invasions were all resisted, and the power of magic could not prate into Evan¡¯s mind.

    Within a second of that floating sensation, his consciousness returned, and the scene in front of his eyes grew clearer and brighter. Evan had cracked his opponent¡¯s powerful Imperius Curse!

    However, fake Moody had no idea that he did. No matter how powerful he was, he probably did not expect Evan to break free from the Imperius Curse so quickly. He thought Evan was under his control. A hint of overwhelming joy clearly shed across his dreadful face.

    Evan did not say anything. He wanted to see what ¡®Moody¡¯ was going to do next.

    And then he heard Mad-Eye Moody¡¯s voice, echoing in some distant chamber of his clear mind: ¡°Jump up, jump three times in the same ce, jump three times¡­¡±

    This request was too simple, and Evan jumped three times in the same ce, ording to the professor¡¯s orders.

    He could hear a sneer in the ssroom, and the Slytherin students probably thought he was being controlled by the Imperius Curse to make such a funny and unusual move. They shouted that Moody should control Evan to do something even more excessive.

    Moody nodded and agreed, seemingly satisfied with Evan¡¯s reaction.

    The next second, the voice echoed again in Evan¡¯s mind.

    This time it was no longer amand, but¡­ Legilimency!

    As Evan imagined, this guy could not help but start exploring his memory after controlling him.

 Chapter 520: A Terrible Nightmare

    Chapter 520: A Terrible Nightmare

    In ss, Moody watched as Evan stood still, believing that his Imperius Curse had seeded. He had sessfully controlled Evan and couldmand him to do anything. He didn¡¯t even feel resistance.

    Everything went extraordinarily smoothly; his heart was filled with ecstasy and he could not even believe it.

    He had thought that Evan¡¯s would struggle against his invasion; he had thought that he would not seed without exerting all his strength.

    After all, this child was outstanding in all aspects and could not be underestimated.

    Moody had intended to make Evan look silly, but now that Evan waspletely under control, he suddenly realized that this was a rare opportunity, and he decided to take a look at what secrets were in the child¡¯s head.

    Although this might expose him, it was a rare opportunity.

    Moody looked at Evan¡¯s eyes. He raised his wand and said, ¡°<em>Legilimens</em>!¡±

    The picture in front of the eyes is changing rapidly. The huge body of the evil spirit appears in one, twisted and ugly. It floated in midair, and its mouth was slowly opening, with green mucus inside, full of ck fangs, and unending horrors.

    Before could understand what he had seen, the boy pulled out his wand at the fastest speed.

    ¡°<em>Protego</em>!¡± shouted Evan.

    Moody staggered, took a step back, fell to the ground, and his wand flew up.

    The next second, Evan¡¯s mind was filled with strange memories.

    It was an endless abyss, surrounded by ck stones, stacked in unevenyers, and at the top was an endless darkness.

    Soon, when his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, he realized that there was something there.

    It was a huge alien-like monster, like a blend of the world¡¯s most terrifying creatures.

    It was dark purple, made up of piles of rotten meat. The median part was a humanoid creature, which can¡¯t be seen clearly. It could only be dimly identified that the top was densely covered with barnacle-like objects, with irregr goosebumps inducing holes, one after another.

    A little further up was its brightly colored orange hair, like the fur on the body of a poisonous spider¡­

    A sturdy, white bone-shaped spine extended downward, centered on a twisted, grotesque torso that extended in all directions.

    Evan saw many of the familiar features of magical animals, but it was all specious, as if someone had chopped up the bodies of hundreds of magical animals and then inadvertently put the pieces of meat together.

    This definitely made for the worst ¡°work of art¡± in history, a grotesque monster out of a nightmare that could easily rob sleep away from anyone who saw it.

    For example, the one limb extending closest to the middle and upper part was a basilisk-like body that lingered down to no end. It could be seen vaguely that something like the head of an air-dried fire dragon was looming in the dark.

    The basilisk¡¯s body was no longer covered with beautiful dark green scales, but with purple wrinkled muscle-like textures.

    Every few feet, there was a blue or yellow trembling, creeping tumor that seemed like it was about to rupture and open wide at any time.

    There seemed to be something hidden within them, something that couldn¡¯t wait to rush out.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the fake Moody had gone through.

    Why does he have the memory of this terrible alien-like creature in his mind? Did such a thing really exist in this world?!

    Perhaps this was a new evil spirit, because they all looked so crazy and indescribable.

    Just as Evan was immersed in the horror of this creature, powerful magic suddenly spread.

    He was very familiar with this magic wave; he had seen it many times. It was the unique power of vampires.

    The fake Moody before him was Caresius for sure!

    Evan blinked and the image disappeared. He was ejected from Caresius¡¯s memories.

    Opposite him, Caresius fell to the ground, holding his wand and pointing at him, panting heavily. His body was trembling slightly and his face was pale.

    ¡°Good, very good!¡± his hoarse voice said, both eyes staring at Evan.

    The students around them were all stunned, and their little faces were equally pale and full of horror and surprise.

    They didn¡¯t know what had just happened. They only saw that Evan, who had been ¡°under control¡±, suddenly took out his wand, and then Moody was thrown backwards and his wand was thrown aside.

    They didn¡¯t understand what was going on. Could it be that Moody¡¯s curse failed and he was defeated by Evan?!

    Shocked, they were wide-eyed, looking at what was going on in front of them in disbelief.

    Whether they believed it or not, that had really happened.

    They could even conclude directly that Evan was stronger than Moody. Yes! HE HAD DEFEATED MOODY!

    Although Evan was now famous, what happened today was enough to add to his legend!

    The triumph of a 13-year-old wizard over the best Auror of the Ministry of Magic should be the hottest topic in Hogwarts, and perhaps in the British Wizarding Community!

    Only Evan himself knew that he did not defeat Caresius by strength.

    Atst, Caresius burst out with great power, giving him a lingering fear. This fellow was only blinded by his lumency, thinking he had controlled him with the Imperius Curse. He greedily used Legilimency to explore Evan¡¯s memories, revealing ws. And Evan took the opportunity to counterattack sessfully in one fell swoop.

    It is so said that greed is the original sin! And what¡¯s more, it was he who kept repeating ¡°CONSTANT VIGILANCE¡±.

    ¡°Very well, Mr. Mason sessfully resisted the Imperius Curse, andpletely defeated it!¡± said Moody, stumbling to his feet, ¡°You can ask him about the experience, so that you don¡¯t get easily controlled.¡±

    The rest of the time was spent in an eerie atmosphere, the ssroom was quiet and no one spoke.

    Moody sat on the chair next to the desk, staring at Evan, as if thinking about something.

    The other young wizards dared not ask questions. They all looked down and seemed to record the three Unforgivable Curses, but in fact they were passing on small notes, asionally raising their heads in awe to look at Evan and Moody, and then quickly lowering their heads.

    Evan was thinking about the monster he had just seen. <em>What was it</em>?!

    It was not until the bell rang and Moody announced that he would leave the ssroom that everyone began to talk again.

    ¡°How did he do it?¡±

    ¡°Did you see that? Evan defeated Moody. This is <em>incredible</em>!¡±

    ¡°Moody¡¯s Imperius Curse had no effect on Evan. He¡¯s the strongest, even stronger than Dark wizards.¡±

    ¡°Evan should be Hogwarts champion. He¡¯s the one who must represent the school in the Triwizard Tournament. I can¡¯t think of anyone more qualified than him!¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s under seventeen.¡±

    ¡°He must have a way to break through Dumbledore¡¯s restrictions.¡±

    The discussion continued, and Evan was not listening. He and the equally excited Colin walked out of the ssroom.

    The news spread out as the students who took part in the ss left, and soon, everyone in the castle would know about it.

 Chapter 521: Explosion in the Transfiguration Class

    Chapter 521: Explosion in the Transfiguration ss

    The next lesson was Transfiguration. Although everyone was immersed in what had just happened and wanted to discuss Moody¡¯s practice, the three Unforgivable Curses, and Evan¡¯s victory over Moody, but no one dared to do that in the Transfiguration ss.

    Professor McGonagall was strict, and anyone messing around in her ss would be asked to leave and nevere back.

    She reviewed everyone¡¯s summer homework and checked on how much they remembered of the Transfiguration principles she had taught themst term.

    Then, before ss was over, everyone was given a teapot to turn it into a tortoise.

    For the young wizards of the third year, this was very difficult. They might need to spend a full term to learn to master this skill.

    The best students in ss were just changing the teapot¡¯s spout.

    The exception was Evan, who just took out his wand and gently tapped on the teapot. A slow-crawling tortoise appeared in front of him. The third-year Transfiguration course was too simple for him.

    Evan looked up and Professor McGonagall was guiding Hufflepuff¡¯s students on the other side of the ssroom.

    Everyone focused on the teapot in front of them, waving their wands incessantly and trying to make it deform.

    Evan tilted a little to the right and covered his desk with his body.

    He looked at the tortoise slowly advancing in front of him, and the wand in his hand tapped gently on it again.

    The tortoise¡¯s body twisted and began to deform quickly. The horrible monster he had just seen in Moody¡¯s memory reappeared.

    ¡°What on earth is this?¡± Evan stared at it anxiously.

    He felt his thoughts were in a mess, and he couldn¡¯t figure out what he was doing. He didn¡¯t see the whole image of this monster. Many parts of it were blurred, hidden in the endless darkness around it.

    But just seeing this was enough to shock.

    The bones-like spine extended downward along the central fuzzy humanoid, each segment corresponding to a grotesque torso.

    It was a grotesque mixture of many kinds of magical animals.

    Evan still remembered that at the bottom of its spine there was a huge dark blue tortoise shell. It protruded across there, looking very hard, protecting the insides of the monster¡¯s body.

    But the most shocking thing was the humanoid organism in the center. He had a feeling that this monster was based on this humanoid organism and developed around it. It was the core of this monster, and while its specific appearance was not clear, it was densely covered with barnacle-shaped holes.

    It was like a shell soaked in the sea, slowly corroded by sea water, and parasitized by countless nkton.

    Evan originally thought that there was nothing in the world to surprise him since he saw the evil gods. However, when he saw this monster in Caresius¡¯s memories, he realized that he was wrong.

    This might be a new evil spirit, quite different from the ones he had seen before.

    Looking at the monster in front of him, Evan could not help thinking: ¡®<em>Is this thing alive, or is it already dead</em>?!¡¯ <em>Also, would this monster be the difficulty that Caresius and his people have to face</em>?! <em>Caresius is a direct descendant of Slytherin. Could this monster be rted to Szar himself</em>?!¡¯

    ording to what he already knew, Szar had left Hogwarts alone in hister years.

    He took away the evil spirit created by Herpo the Foul. In fact, he took away the remaining two parts: the brain and the body.

    Could the monster Evan saw be the body of the evil god that had been taken away?!

    There was enough room for the monster to be ced in the huge ruins under Aragog¡¯sir and the deep abyss that extended deep underground. Before <em>Szar </em>left Hogwarts, it might have been ced there.

    This also exined why Szar had to dig such a deep pit under the Forbidden Forest.

    If it was only used to seal the eyeball monster, he could find any other ce at will. There is no need for such arge-scale project at all.

    ording to this spection, would the humanoid organism in the center be Herpo the Foul <em>himself</em>?!

    Perhaps transformed his body into an evil god with evil ck magic and became an immortal being, and that was the rest of his body.

    That was a possibility, but everything was a mystery, and Evan could only specte.

    Assuming that this monster was the evil god created by Herpo the Foul, he began to think about Slytherin¡¯s deeds.

    It was well known that in hister years, Szar and the other three Founders had more and more divergences because of their educational concepts on young wizards, until he eventually left the school.

    This was the official story, but could his departure from Hogwarts be in fact rted to this evil spirit?!

    Perhaps the matter of the evil god had been discovered by the other three Founders, and they were divided on how to deal with it.

    The evil god should not be destructible. Even with the great power of the ancient warlocks, it could only be ultimately sealed!

    It would be a problem to leave it at Hogwarts, so Slytherin eventually left with the remaining two parts of the evil god. Since then, no one had ever seen him, besides many legends about him.

    So where did he hide this thing, and why would it be the trouble that the vampires had to face?

    Evan had a lot of conjectures in mind, each of which was inconceivable. If he could clearly see the specific shape of the humanoid creature in the middle of the monster, he might be able to make a judgment.

    He tapped the monster in front of him with his wand, and all parts of its body became more and more visible.

    Evan tried his best to recall and used magic to recall the image of what he had seen again.

    There were many details that he didn¡¯t pay attention to before. He could only take a quick glimpse at first.

    Seeing them this time might y a decisive role.

    As if erged by a magnifying ss, the details of the monster became clearer and clearer, and Evan could see them immediately¡­

    The next second, there was a loud bang and the monster in front of him suddenly exploded.

    It turned into a teapot again, and its debris sshed everywhere.

    All the young wizards were shocked, and they all looked up at Evan.

    There was whispering in the ssroom, and everyone was wondering why Evan¡¯s teapot exploded. Because they were all busy deforming their teapots, no one had noticed what happened at Evan¡¯s side.

    ¡°Mason?!¡± Professor McGonagall walked over, nced at the debris on the table and pouted, ¡°You have to learn to control your magical power. You have input too much magic, beyond the tolerance of the teapot itself. Transfiguration relies on using the right amount of magic for the task, not ¡®the stronger the better¡¯, you still have a lot to learn.¡±

    Evan promised and went up to the front to get another teapot.

    He was still thinking about it in his mind. Instead of making blind guesses here, it might be better to talk about it directly with Caresius. Since this had happened, it did not make sense to continue the stalemate.

    Evan decided to ask him directly what the monster was, its origins, and what ns they had and how they were going to get Harry out of school.

    Since it was Caresius, not Barty Crouch Jr., then direct cooperation was the most optimal choice. Continued confrontation can only hurt both sides, to Voldemort¡¯s benefit¡­

 Chapter 522: Open and Honest

    Chapter 522: Open and Honest

    After ss, Evan and Colin went to the Great Hall for lunch.

    Evan had made up his mind to talk to Caresius who was disguising as Moody. After what happened this morning, he could no longer pretend in front of Evan.

    By the second day of his arrival, he had already made so much noise. As powerful as he was, Caresius wasn¡¯t that much of a good actor, to say the least.

    They just came to the second floor when they saw Moody limping out of the ssroom.

    Evan asked Colin to go first, and then he turned around and greeted Moody.

    ¡°Hello, Professor, do you have some time?¡± Evan said with a smile. ¡°I would like to talk to you about what had happened earlier.¡±

    Moody turned around, his long, gray hair hanging down along the twisted, scarred face. His normal eye stared coldly at Evan, while his magical eye turned the other way around, closely watching the young wizards walking down the stairs.

    Everyone looked at them curiously, wondering what Evan was saying to Moody.

    ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t have time, I can ask Professor Dumbledore about it.¡± Evan continued. ¡°A wizard as powerful as him must be experienced in dealing with vampires¡­¡±

    ¡°Come in!¡± said Moody in a hoarse voice, with a gloomy expression on his face.

    Evan followed Moody into his office. When they both entered, Moody closed the door.

    He turned around to look at Evan, both his magical eye and normal eye fixated on him.

    ¡°What do you have to say?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m here just to chat about stuff, such as the horrible monster I saw in your memory, or the purpose behind your arrival here; whatever you want to talk about.¡± Evan put his hand behind his back, ¡°but before that, Professor, I think it would be better if you got your hand away from your wand first. You know it won¡¯t work. You have just tested it. The Imperius Curse has no effect on me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hard to say!¡± Moody stared at Evan carefully. ¡°It¡¯s not the only curse in the world¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, vampires have a lot of special and very effective magic, but it would be so obvious that Dumbledore would easily perceive your magical fluctuations.¡± Evan looked at him with interest, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be discovered by the Headmaster, do you?¡±

    Moody did not answer, but his right hand did not move from the wand at his waist.

    ¡°I think I have shown my sincerity bying to you instead of going directly to the Headmaster¡¯s office,¡± said Evan, ¡°I am very grateful for your help back in the ruins of the fallen Centaurs in Albania a few months ago, and I have a very good rtionship with ine. In fact, considering that, you should be my elder. You have said the same thing before, unless you just want to follow Voldemort wholeheartedly, cooperation would be the wisest choice for both of us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡± said Moody, but his right hand let go of his wand.

    ¡°Come on, going on like this is too boring! I recognize your magic, Caresius!¡± said Evan bluntly, turning and looking around. ¡°You are using the Polyjuice Potion to be Mad-Eye Moody. It¡¯s really a very practical potion that works even under the protection of the castle¡¯s many ancient protective spells. The only inconvenience is probably that you need to have Moody by your side to get ¡®source material¡¯ from him for transformation. Let me see¡­ Where are you hiding him?¡±

    Evan had been in this office many times before under the watch of three of its previous upants.

    Back in the days of Professor Lockhart, the walls used to be stered with beaming, winking pictures of the Professor himself.

    When Lupin moved here, one was more likely toe across a specimen of some fascinating new Dark creature that he had procured for his students to study in ss.

    As for Sirius, he kept Lupin¡¯s style, but it was a lot messier; with interesting gadgets at every corner.

    Now, however, the office was full of a number of exceptionally odd objects that Evan supposed Moody had used back in the day when he used to be an Auror. Caresius must have moved them over unscrupulously.

    On his desk stood what looked like arge, cracked, ss spinning top; it was a Sneakoscope.

    In the corner on a small table stood an object that looked something like an extra-squiggly, golden television aerial. It was humming slightly.

    What appeared to be a mirror hung opposite Evan on the wall, but it was not reflecting the room. Shadowy figures were moving around inside it, none of them clearly in focus.

    ¡°Looks like you broke all this stuff!¡± said Evan softly. ¡°Whether it¡¯s this Sneakoscope, the Secrecy Sensor, or the Foe-ss on the wall, they are all very useful magical objects that can clearly detect the dangers around them. Not surprisingly, they should always react to you if you keep their owner, Moody, inside this trunk.¡±

    Below the window was arge trunk with seven keyholes in a row.

    ¡°I hated these things, they are too sensitive!¡± Moody, or more precisely, Caresius, replied softly.

    While he kept the looks, he left Moody¡¯s tone and manner of speaking behind, and dripped his act.

    ¡°Evan, you really surprised me. At thest World Cup, I thought you and that girl were dead. I didn¡¯t think you would use the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡± He took out his sk and poured two hot teas. ¡°This time it was the same; you found out my identity so quickly! Well, I was too careless; I should have guessed that you would not be so easily controlled by the Imperius Curse. I thought I was well disguised, and even Dumbledore didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The Headmaster may have noticed it, and just did not say a thing.¡± Evan got down from the chair across the table and said slowly, ¡°There is nothing in Hogwarts that could remain hidden from him!¡±

    ¡°Cunning human wizards,¡± muttered Caresius in a low voice and looked at Evan with great interest. ¡°What are you going to do now that you found out who I am?¡±

    ¡°As I said, I hope to cooperate with you. In a sense, our goals are the same.¡±

    ¡°Our goals are the same?!¡± Caresius repeated with a smile on his face. ¡°Well, my people and I have no reason to refuse goodwill!¡±

    ¡°Before cooperating, I have several questions that I hope you could answer first. First of all, what was the monster I just saw in your memory? Is it the ¡®dilemma¡¯ that you need to face?¡± said Evan, ¡°I have said before that I might be able to help you. You know, I meet the conditions stated in that prophecy!¡±

 Chapter 523: A Basis for Cooperation

    Chapter 523: A Basis for Cooperation

    ¡°The monster you saw is indeed the fate that my family and I need to face, a fate that we cannot escape.¡± Caresius said in Moody¡¯s hoarse voice, ¡°Against it, our ending has long been doomed, to death and destruction, that is. However, none of us is willing to lie down and die quietly; everyone wants to resist, even though it would probably be futile. The only thing to be thankful for is that we don¡¯t have to defeat or kill it.¡±

    ¡°What on earth is it?¡±

    ¡°If you are the person mentioned in the prophecy, you will know sooner orter.¡± Caresius stared at Evan and said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s no good telling you now. You¡¯re too weak to meet the conditions; you can¡¯t be a really powerful wizard by relying on the strength of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone! It¡¯s only an external force after all. Moreover, this matter is a secret that¡¯s been inherited in our n for thousands of years, and to honor our Slytherin name, we have to preserve it. It can only be said at thest moment; I didn¡¯t even tell Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°The honor of the Slytherin name?!¡± Evan was stunned. This matter didn¡¯t seem as simple as he had previously imagined. What secrets were still hidden?!

    Even the body of the evil god that Szar had taken away should not be rted to Slytherin¡¯s honor.

    However, from the words of Caresius, it was certain that the monster must have a great connection with Szar. It seemed that to get the Secret Treasure Key left by Slytherin, this monster was destined to be a barrier that could not be avoided.

    Evan sighed. Indeed, Slytherin was <em>really the most</em> troublesome!

    ¡°Since this can¡¯t be said, then let¡¯s talk about your purpose of entering the school disguised as Moody,¡± said Evan, ¡°How are you and Voldemort going to get Harry out of school? Will it be through the Triwizard Tournament?¡±

    ¡°It seems like you know a lot. Yes, Voldemort wants to use some ck magic to restore his strength. He¡¯s been insisting that we bring Harry to him, although I don¡¯t see any point in that.¡± said Caresius, his fingers tapping on the table. ¡°That¡¯s why we attacked the Quidditch World Cupst time, but I can tell you clearly that this time it won¡¯t be me getting Harry, I just came to help another guy.¡±

    ¡°Is it Barty Crouch Jr.?!¡± asked Evan. ¡°You¡¯ve saved him?!¡±

    ¡°You know about Barty Crouch Jr.!¡± Caresius looked at Evan in surprise. ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯d like to see how many secrets are hidden in your head. I¡¯ve never seen a wizard like you!¡±

    ¡°I have my own sources.¡± said Evan vaguely, ¡°Where is Barty Crouch Jr.? How is he going to bring Harry to Voldemort? What kind of conspiracy have you nned?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t answer any of your three questions.¡± Caresius showed a bitter smile on his face. ¡°After thest failure, Voldemort no longer believed in us. He didn¡¯t tell me about these things. I only know that Barty Crouch Jr. originally intended to use Moody¡¯s identity to implement his n, but he now has a better option.¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It can be anyone. Moody¡¯s identity is too conspicuous; he¡¯s not suitable for ess to many spots.¡± Said Caresius, ¡°He may have gone into Hogwarts disguised as another person mixed into the students or staff, hidden among you. As for what his ns are, only <em>He</em> knows. He hasn¡¯t contacted me until now.¡±

    With the Polyjuice Potion, Barty Crouch Jr. could transform to any other person at will.

    As for keeping the victim nearby to collect the materials on his body at any time, as long as there was a trunk expanded by the <em>Undetectable Extension Charm</em>, then he would have no problem, just like Caresius used such a trunk to imprison Moody.

    Barty Crouch Jr. could hide it anywhere in the school without being found.

    Things got more and more troublesome, and Barty Crouch Jr. secretly sneaking into Hogwarts was bad in itself.

    It felt bad to think that one of the ssmates around might be a madman and a Death Eater.

    In particr, Barty Crouch Jr. was paranoid to the extreme, and in order to achieve his goals, he could use any means. In any way, he was much more dangerous thanst year¡¯s Pettigrew.

    He was a fully fledged Death Eater, the most dangerous kind of Dark wizards, well, besides the likes Voldemort, Grindelwald and Herpo the Fool.

    What worried Evan now was that since so many changes had taken ce, he was no longer sure that Barty Crouch Jr. would follow the original story and turn the trophy into a Portkey to take Harry out of Hogwarts.

    ¡°He should be nning to do it in the tournament. We¡¯ve already got all the information about the three games from his father Barty Crouch. If he wants to hide from Dumbledore, he could only use the tournament.¡± said Caresius.

    That was true. Otherwise, it was unrealistic to make a random object in the castle into a Portkey.

    There was a strong magic protection here, and only when the site was set up for the tournament would the magic be unlocked.

    From this perspective, the finalbyrinth project was the best time for Barty Crouch Jr. to start. It was also the only and best chance he had to take Harry out of the castle.

    ¡°You¡¯ve asked your questions, but before I cooperate, I also have my own few questions to ask you.¡± Caresius looked at Evan and said with interest, ¡°Since you already know of these things, what are you going to do? Will you tell Dumbledore? Or will you find a way to stop the plot of Barty Crouch Jr. to take Harry out?¡±

    Evidently, Evan¡¯s answer would determine whether he could cooperate with Caresius or even walk out of this room safely.

    Caresius ced his right hand on the wand at his waist again. If Evan¡¯s answer didn¡¯t satisfy him, he would definitely use magic on him aggressively.

    Compared with him, in terms of overall strength, Evan was far from being his opponent.

    ¡°No, I just said that our goals are the same.¡± Said Evan, ¡°Although out purposes are different, we all need Voldemort to regain power. He must use Harry¡¯s blood to resurrect him, so we must let Bartemius Crouch, Jr. take Harry to Voldemort.¡±

    He did not intend to tell Caresius about the fact that there was a Horcrux in Harry¡¯s body, and if the vampire was to ask him, he had another exnation in mind.

    For a moment, Caresius stared at Evan with his eyes wide open, as if wondering if he was insane! Otherwise, why would he say such a thing about helping Voldemort? That was truly unbelievable!

    Then, suddenly, Caresiusughed in a low voice.

    ¡°I believe that you are telling the truth, Evan. So, we do have a basis for cooperation!¡± He said quietly, and he did not ask Evan why this was his choice, although it was really abnormal, ¡°All right, let¡¯s talk about how to cooperate.¡±

 Chapter 524: â€œMoodyâ€

    Chapter 524: ¡°Moody¡±

    Just as Evan and Caresius were negotiating the details of their cooperation, a dispute was taking ce in the entrance hall on the ground floor.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione came out of the castle to the entrance hall, which was packed with people queuing for dinner.

    ¡°Have you heard what the Hufflepuff students said? Evan defeated Moody in the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss!¡± said Harry excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s really incredible. How did he do it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope Evan won¡¯t get into trouble,¡± said Hermione worriedly.

    ¡°Moody¡¯s the best Auror; Evan might have¡­¡±

    Ron hadn¡¯t finished his words yet when he heard a shout from behind.

    ¡°Weasley! Hey, Weasley!¡±

    When they heard the sound, they turned and looked around. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were standing there, each looking thoroughly pleased about something.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ron shortly.

    ¡°Your dad¡¯s in the paper, Weasley!¡± said Malfoy, brandishing a copy of the Daily Prophet and speaking very loudly, so that everyone in the packed entrance hall could hear. ¡°Listen to this!

    <em>FURTHER MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC</em>

    <em>It seems as though the Ministry of Magic¡¯s troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still</em><em>unable to ount for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office</em>.¡±

    Malfoy looked up at Ron with malicious eyes.

    ¡°Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It¡¯s almost as though he¡¯s aplete nonentity, isn¡¯t it?¡± he crowed.

    Everyone in the entrance hall was listening now. Malfoy straightened the paper with a flourish and read on:

    <em>Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Mugglew-keepers (¡°policemen¡±) over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of ¡°Mad-Eye¡± Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody¡¯s heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false rm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene</em>.

    ¡°And there¡¯s a picture, Weasley!¡± said Malfoy, flipping the paper over and holding it up. ¡°A picture of your parents outside their house ¡­ if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn¡¯t she?¡±

    Ron was shaking with fury. Everyone was staring at him.

    ¡°How dare you say that to my mother? I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± He shouted.

    ¡°Get stuffed, Malfoy,¡± said Harry. ¡°Come on, Ron¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren¡¯t you, Potter?¡± sneered Malfoy. ¡°So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Malfoy!¡± Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of Ron¡¯s robes to stop him fromunching himself at Malfoy.

    ¡°Weasley, you can¡¯t try to kill someone just because they¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Malfoyughed triumphantly.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see your mother, Malfoy?¡± said Harry angrily, ¡°That expression she¡¯s got, like she¡¯s got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?¡±

    When he heard Harry, Malfoy¡¯s pale face went slightly pink.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare insult my mother!¡±

    ¡°Keep your fat mouth shut, then,¡± said Harry, turning to stop Ron.

    BANG!!!

    Several people screamed and Harry felt something hot graze the side of his face.

    He quickly plunged his hand into his robe for his wand, but it was toote!

    Malfoy¡¯s next magic hit Harry and he flew backwards.

    Hermione screamed loudly, and without Harry¡¯s obstruction, Ron rushed across to Malfoy.

    Goyle and Crabbe stopped him, and they wrestled and punched each other.

    Ron was no opponent to them at all, he screamed in pain and his eyes were bruised.

    He roared angrily, trying to knock Malfoy down, but he couldn¡¯t reach him at all.

    Looking at Ron¡¯s miserable appearance, Malfoy sneered in front of him, very proud.

    Everything happened so fast, and the entrance hall was a mess.

    The next second, a powerful magical force flew from the stairs, separating the students who were scuffling together.

    Evan ran down holding his wand. He had just arrived in the entrance hall with Caresius when he saw this scene.

    He waved his wand to separate them and was ready to teach Malfoy a lesson.

    But behind him, Caresius was faster than him, and all he heard was a second loud BANG, and a roar that echoed through the entrance hall.

    ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T, LADDIE!¡± Caresius roared and walked past Evan. He now looked and sounded exactly like Mad-Eye Moody. It might be more appropriate to call him Moody.

    Evan had just reached an agreement with him. In the school, he would keep Caresius¡¯s secret, not telling anyone about his impersonation of Moody, and help himplete Voldemort¡¯s mission. In turn he would provide Evan with information and the necessary help.

    As a sign of sincerity, Caresius also spoke about the pact between him and Voldemort.

    They made a pact with magic. Caresius would use magic to help Voldemort regain his strength, and Voldemort would help him and his people do something. After that, they would have nothing to do with each other.

    Evan was very skeptical, though. He doubted whether Voldemort would keep his end of the agreement or even let the vampires go.

    However, from the current situation, he and Caresius had the same goal, and there was no conflict, nor was there a need to argue about that.

    Later, might have more in-depthmunication, but in the spirit of cooperation between the two sides, which was the wisest choice.

    ¡°Despicable cowards, three against one, and sneak attacking!¡±

    Moody was limping down the marble staircase. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-gged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

 Chapter 525: The Ferret!

    Chapter 525: The Ferret!

    ¡°Harry, are you okay?¡± Evan hurried over.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Ron¡¯s hurt pretty bad. Malfoy talked bad about his parents, he¡¯s so angry!¡±

    Evan, Harry and Hermione helped Ron up, and the poor fellow waspletely knocked out by Goyle and Crabbe. They were both ruthless. Ron¡¯s face was ck and blue, and his school robe was covered with footprints.

    There was a silence born out of terror in the entrance hall, as everyone looked at Moody.

    Goyle and Crabbe stood there staring at the shuddering, white ferret on the ground, and they did not dare to move.

    ¡°You three better take Mr. Weasley to the school hospital. I¡¯ll take care of things here!¡± said Moody, his normal eye looking at Evan, the other one pointing into the back of his head.

    Evan and Harry struggled to help Ron up. They hadn¡¯t left yet when they heard another roaring from their side.

    ¡°LEAVE IT!¡± Moody shouted.

    Crabbe was about to pick up the white ferret, but when he heard Moody¡¯s shouting, he was so scared that he froze.

    Moody started to limp toward Crabbe, Goyle, and the ferret, shaking his wand vigorously.

    The white ferret gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so!¡± roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again.

    The white ferret flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like people who attack with their opponent¡¯s back turned,¡± growled Moody as the ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. ¡°Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do¡­¡±

    The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail iling helplessly.

    ¡°Never ¡­ do ¡­ that ¡­ again -¡± said Moody, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again.

    ¡°Professor Moody!¡± said a shocked voice.

    Professor McGonagall wasing down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

    ¡°Hello, Professor McGonagall.¡± said Moody calmly, bouncing the ferret still higher.

    ¡°What, what are you doing?¡± said Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret¡¯s progress through the air.

    ¡°Teaching,¡± said Moody.

    ¡°Teach ¡­ Moody, is that a student?¡± shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Moody.

    ¡°God!¡± cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand.

    A momentter, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared.

    He was lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face.

    After a while, he got to his feet, wincing.

    ¡°Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!¡± said Professor McGonagall with frustration, ¡°Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?¡±

    ¡°He might¡¯ve mentioned it¡­¡± said Moody, scratching his chin unconcernedly, ¡°but I thought a good sharp shock was necessary. Look at what they¡¯ve done to that child.¡±

    Professor McGonagall saw Ron standing beside him, supported by Evan and Harry, and she gasped again¡­

    ¡°Who can tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Her mouth was tightly pouted.

    ¡°Three against one, and in a sneak attack, I saw it all from the stairs!¡± said Moody in a rough voice.

    ¡°All right, 20 points from Slytherin, Mason, Potter, take Mr. Weasley to the school hospital, and so do you, Miss Granger!¡± Professor McGonagall turned to look at Moody and frowned. ¡°Moody, what Mr. Malfoy did is wrong, but we don¡¯t usually use Transfiguration as a punishment. We give detentions or speak to the offender¡¯s Head of House!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do that, then,¡± said Moody, staring at Malfoy with great dislike.

    Malfoy, whose pale eyes were still watering with pain and humiliation, looked malevolently up at Moody and muttered something in which the words ¡°my father¡± were distinguishable.

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Moody quietly, limping forward a few steps, the dull clunk of his wooden leg echoing around the hall. ¡°Well, I know your father of old, boy¡­ You tell him Moody¡¯s keeping a close eye on his son ¡­ you tell him that from me¡­ Now, your Head of House will be Snape, will it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Malfoy resentfully.

    ¡°Another old friend,¡± growled Moody. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking forward to a chat with old Snape¡­ Come on, you¡­¡± And he seized Malfoy¡¯s upper arm, pointed his wand at Goyle and Crabbe, and marched them off toward the dungeons.

    Professor McGonagall stared anxiously after them for a few moments, and then waved her wand at her fallen books, causing them to soar up into the air and back into her arms.

    ¡°You guys go to the school hospital soon.¡± She sighed and said, ¡°The rest of you, hurry in for dinner. Do not gather here.¡±

    Evan, Harry and Hermione took Ron to the hospital, and along the way, the three of them were still discussing the matter.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Moody turned Malfoy into a ferret; shame that Ron didn¡¯t see it,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Professor McGonagall said that it was wrong; he can¡¯t punish a student with Transfiguration,¡± said Hermione, ¡°He could have really hurt Malfoy. Fortunately, Professor McGonagall stopped it in time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Malfoy, Hermione!¡± Harry pointed to Ron. ¡°They made Ron like this, and they deserved to be punished.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Moody doesn¡¯t care about school rules. He has his own set of principles,¡± said Evan.¡±And he¡¯s afraid of nobody.¡±

    He had to admit that Caresius acted really like Moody, and that what happened was exactly what Moody would do.

    As long as he went on like this, the whole school should focus on him, which would create opportunities for Barty Crouch Jr to make his move.

    It was also unclear who Barty Crouch Jr. was impersonating, and it was a real trouble to find him as soon as possible. But Evan didn¡¯t have a clue about who he might be hiding as.

    While he was hiding well, he still wanted to take Harry out of school. Sooner orter, he would make his move and be known.

    At that time, if Evan yed his cards right, he should be able to get close to him, and get even more information from him¡­

    After the lot brought Ron to the school hospital, Madam Pomfrey soon healed him.

    Ron woke up and everyone told him what had just happened.

    Even when he heard that Moody had turned Malfoy into a bouncing ferret, Ron didn¡¯t feel much better.

    ¡°That¡¯s what he deserved, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Ron, shaking his fist hard, ¡°He insulted my parents so, any kind of punishment is not too much for him. I really want to be stronger and then give Malfoy a good lesson, as well as Goyle and Crabbe, turning all three of them into slugs and stepping on them!¡±

 Chapter 526: Blast-Ended Skrewts

    Chapter 526: st-Ended Skrewts

    It could be seen that Ron hated Malfoy terribly, and what happened just now was really excessive.

    Ron had been in a bad mood recently because of his series of unpleasant experiences. Evan, Harry, and Hermione had tofort him. Malfoy was punished anyway. He had been turned into a ferret, thrown high into the air to fall again and again on the stone floor.

    Not surprisingly, Malfoy should be acting better, at least for now.

    When the four returned to the Great Hall for dinner, the topic shifted to Moody¡¯s first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked Evan about what had happened in ss. They had heard a bit of it.

    Evan told them everything except that Moody was a fake and the memories he had seen in his mind.

    ¡°That¡¯s cool!¡± Harry eximed, ¡°It¡¯s an Unforgivable Curse!¡±

    ¡°The Imperius Curse?!¡± Ron¡¯s face grew extraordinarily pale; he had particrly bad memories of this curse.

    ¡°How could he use the Imperius Curse on you?¡± said Hermione sharply. ¡°This is not allowed. Do you have¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I cracked his spell, he probably didn¡¯t think I would be so strong,¡± Said Evan in a rxed tone.

    ¡°How did you do it?¡± asked Harry hurriedly.

    ¡°Resisting the Imperius Curse requires strong willpower, or the lumency I taught you.¡± Evan exined, ¡°This magic can prevent your mind from being invaded by any outside force. Not only the Imperius Curse, but also all other spiritual Dark magic, such as the dreams you¡¯ve been getting recently.¡±

    ¡°lumency is too difficult. Is there any easier way?¡±

    ¡°Easier way?!¡± Evan thought for a moment, ¡°If your magic is stronger than the caster¡¯s and you have great willpower, then his spell will not work on you, and it can even be reversed.¡±

    ¡°But then improving magic is even harder than learning lumency¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, our focus shouldn¡¯t be on this. It¡¯s an Unforgivable Curse. Professor Moody should never use this Curse on a young wizard,¡± said Hermione. ¡°If the Ministry of Magic knows about it, Moody and Dumbledore would be in great trouble!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably!¡± said Ron absently, as if still thinking of the ways Evan had just mentioned to resist the Imperius Curse. ¡°But Dumbledore¡¯s always done things his way, hasn¡¯t he? And Moody¡¯s been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questionster¡­ Look at his dustbins. Balderdash¡­¡±

    ¡°And Professor Moody has a good point. It¡¯s better to resist the ck magic in ss than to first encounter it outside against a Dark wizard, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Harry, ¡°He¡¯s teaching us how to deal with true Dark wizards.¡±

    Hermione didn¡¯t say anything. It was obvious that she could not help but agree with this.

    Although Moody¡¯s approach made her feel ufortable, she had to admit that she did start looking forward to it.

    A few minutester, they sat down at the Gryffindor table, and there were not many people in the Great Hall.

    Seeing the delicious food, Ron¡¯s bad mood had somewhat subsided. The four of them started to eatmb chops and potatoes.

    Hermione swallowed her food and ate fast, and Evan, Harry, and Ron stared at her in amazement.

    ¡°Hey, Hermione! Is this the new stand on elf¡¯s rights?¡± Ron couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You¡¯re going to make yourself puke instead?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Hermione, with as much dignity as she could muster with her mouth bulging with sprouts. ¡°I just want to get to the library.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± said Ron in disbelief. ¡°Hermione, it¡¯s our first day back! We haven¡¯t even got homework yet!¡±

    Hermione shrugged and continued to shove down her food as though she had not eaten for days. Then she leapt to her feet, said, ¡°See you at dinner!¡± and departed at high speed.

    Behind her, Evan, Harry, and Ron were looking at her with surprise.

    ¡°Evan, do you know what she is going to do?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know. She maybe wants to write an article for <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, about protecting the rights of house-elves.¡±

    ¡°She seems to be very concerned about this matter, and really wants to save the enved house-elves.¡± Harry nodded. ¡°She has no sses in the afternoon and she will probably stay in the library for the whole time. By the way, Evan, what¡¯s your afternoon ss?¡±

    ¡°Hagrid¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures. I have no idea what magical animals he will show us!¡±

    ¡°We just finished, absolutely very exciting, I promise.¡± said Harry, ¡°you will know when you see it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a group of pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once!¡± Ron nodded. ¡°Hermione thinks they might be useful, like dragons, although they look ferocious, dragon Blood is amazingly magical.¡±

    A few minutester, Harry and Ron returned to the Common Room to take their copies of ¡®<em>Unfogging the Future¡¯</em>.

    They had Professor Trwney¡¯s Divination ss in the afternoon and needed to learn hows worked.

    Evan, on the other hand, walked off the castle and followed the slowly descendingwn towards Hagrid¡¯s Hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    He was still thinking about Caresius and the monster, and who would Barty Crouch Jr. pretend to be?!

    Evan arrived at Hagrid¡¯s Hut, and just as he approached, he heard a series of minor explosions that woke him up.

    Before he even understood what was going on, a massive ck creature rushed over to him.

    It was Hagrid¡¯s huge Boarhound, Fang, which whined, threw Evan on the grass and licked his face.

    ¡°Come on, Fang¡­¡± Evan struggled to stand up.

    He led it to the side of the Hut, where Hagrid was busy in front of a lot of shaking crates.

    Inside was a very strange rattling noise, and the minor explosions that Evan had just heard.

    ¡°There you are, Evan!¡± said Hagrid happily. ¡°Come and have a look at these st-Ended Skrewts. Harry liked them very much.¡±

    Immediately, Evan knew what Ron meant by a group of pets that could burn, sting, and bite people.

    They were arge group of st-Ended Skrewts that looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd ces and no visible heads.

    There were about a hundred of them in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another, bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They were giving off a very powerful smell of rotting fish.

    Every now and then, sparks would fly out of the end of a skrewt, and with a small phut, it would be propelled forward several inches.

    Disgusting, these things were the most horrible abominations¡­ Well, they were not nearly as bad as the one Evan had seen in Caresius¡¯s memories¡­

 Chapter 527: A buried Temple?

    Chapter 527: A buried Temple?

    ¡°What do you think, Evan?! Harry, Ron and Hermione, they all liked them very much, they only just hatched!¡± said Hagrid proudly. ¡°I thought about it. You¡¯ll be able to raise them yourselves this year. We can make a big project out of it!¡±

    From Harry¡¯s and Ron¡¯s sarcastic expression and tone earlier, Evan doubted that they would really like these st-Ended Skrewts.

    The three of them must have said that just because they didn¡¯t want Hagrid to be sad.

    ¡°How did you get these st-Ended Skrewts?¡± Evan leaned over and looked at the group inside the crate. The tail of a skrewt suddenly exploded, and sparks flew everywhere. He hurried back, frowning and said, ¡°This should be a new kind of magical animal. I¡¯ve never seen it in any book.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a new breed, a hybrid of the Manticore and the Fire Crab. I named them the st-Ended Skrewts. These little guys are very cute, aren¡¯t they?!¡± Hagrid waved his hand and seemed very happy that Evan asked, ¡°You know, it¡¯s not easy. The Manticore hardly lets any creaturese near. It¡¯s even harder to get them to ¡®work together¡¯ to produce offspring. It took me about 60 Fire Crabs this summer to seed.¡±

    It was hard to imagine how Hagrid did it.

    While all the wizards went to the Quidditch World Cup, the man was guarding a Manticore and a group of Fire Crabs. He did everything possible to get them to mate and give birth to their offspring¡­

    Those st-Ended Skrewts were not cute, but terrible, absolutely horrible!

    Ban on Experimental Breeding was enacted, breeding new types of magical creatures had been forbidden.

    The ban was closely enforced by the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures. It was illegal for Hagrid to do so.

    But looking at the happy look on his face, even if Evan told him this, he would not care.

    Hagrid was nowpletely immersed in the joy of getting the skrewts, just thinking about how to raise them.

    If Hagrid found them the right food to eat, these dangerous skrewts could grow up rapidly and cause harm to all living things around them.

    Theypletely inherited some of the characteristics of the Manticore and the Fire Crab, and they should even be more dangerous.

    Of course, this was not a problem at all for Hagrid.

    Thinking about his past experiences, whether it was the dragon, Cerberus or the Acromant, they were not much safer than the st-Ended Skrewt.

    They were all cute little babies in Hagrid¡¯s eyes.

    Last Term, Evan had almost exterminated all the Acromants in the entirety of the Forbidden Forest.

    Affected by eyeball monster, they had be more evil, and their bodies had begun to grow abnormally, bing pure Dark creatures.

    However, Evan spared Aragog and handed it over to Hagrid. Without the supply of the evil god, the old spider couldn¡¯t live long.

    During this time, Hagrid had been busy taking care of the weakened Aragog, and had no energy to think about anything else.

    Unexpectedly, as soon as Aragog¡¯s health improved, he produced a lot of potentially more dangerous st-Ended Skrewts!Evan sighed, gave up on trying to persuade Hagrid, and turned his attention to what he had just

    said about the Manticore.

    ¡°Where did you find the Manticore?¡± asked Evan. ¡°This magical animal is very rare.¡±

    The Manticore is a highly dangerous beast with the head of a man, the body of a lion and the tail of a scorpion. More urately, it is a monster with a red lion body, human face, human ears and blue eyes. Its upper and lower jaws each have three rows of sharp teeth and the tail end is that of a scorpion with a deadly sting that can be fired in any direction.

    This magical animal is native to Greece and is very rare and extremely dangerous. It is one of the most dangerous magical beasts known to date.

    A Manticore¡¯s skin repels all known charms, so it is extremely difficult to subdue a Manticore with magic. It is known to be capable of human speech, and is considered a sentient beast.

    But because of its violent nature, it was not offered the status given to Goblins and other simr beings. It is recorded in the history of magic that a Manticore once killed 30,000 Muggles as food.

    In ancient Persia, it was therefore called ¡°Manticore¡±, that is, ¡°man-eater¡±!

    This terrible evil monster is also regarded by Muggles as a mythical symbol of tyranny, contempt and jealousy.

    In the wizarding world, they are magical animals created by ancient wizards to guard treasures.

    As the remains left by ancient wizards were gradually explored and excavated, the Manticore became more and more rare.

    ording to reliable records, itsst appearance was in 1296.

    A Manticore savaged a person, and they let it off because everyone was too scared to go near it.

    Since then, the wizarding world had never seen a Manticore.

    Therefore, Evan was surprised when Hagrid said that these st-Ended Skrewts were a breed of the Manticore and the Fire Crab. He didn¡¯t know where Hagrid found a Manticore!

    ¡°In the swamp deep in the Forbidden Forest, there is one!¡± Hagrid said, standing up, ¡°It¡¯s its territory, no other creatures dare to approach. Except for hunting, he never leaves too far, as if he were guarding something.¡±

    Is the swamp deep in the Forbidden Forest?

    Evan still remembered the swamp. Eight hundred years ago, Okegiga, the greatest warrior in the history of the Centaurs, once found a huge relic buried in mud. It was an ancient and mysterious temple.

    The top was covered with thick marshes, and the interior was a wide and quiet rotunda. It was quietly covered with many magical nts, and the marble walls were engraved withplex magic symbols and ancient magic inscriptions.

    The floor was covered with various patterns and magic lines, just like the top of the Temple of the Moon. =

    At the speed of Okegiga, the Centaur, he had to gallop for over 20 minutes in this empty hall to reach the center!

    There, there was the terrible statue that could conjure the evil god of terror to the real world.

    Hagrid said that the Manticore might have been used to guard something. It could be that sunken temple. When he thought of it, Evan decided to go there and have a look. There might be something left in the ce rted to the evil god.

    With the statue of the evil god in Voldemort¡¯s hands, this kind of exploration was even more necessary.

    The Temple was buried under the marsh mud and had not been discovered by the wizards and the Ministry of Magic. Only Okegiga had been there 800 years ago, and the ce might not have been destroyed, which was of great exploration value.

    Besides the evil god, ancient warlocks might have left other treasures.

    Even if there was nothing, just because the temple was a relic left by ancient warlocks, it was worth Evan¡¯s visit.

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 Chapter 528: Another Yearâ€™s Death Prediction

    Chapter 528: Another Year¡¯s Death Prediction

    Next, Hagrid told Evan a lot of things about breeding the st-Ended Skrewts.

    They now needed to figure out what the st-Ended Skrewts liked to eat, and that was the main task of the Care of Magical Creatures ss this term.

    In the morning ss, Hagrid asked everyone to try them out with ant eggs, frog livers and grass snake. But it seemed to be wrong. The st-Ended Skrewts didn¡¯t not like to eat these things, and Hagrid changed the next sses¡¯ assignments to new varieties.

    Evan couldn¡¯t suppress his suspicion that the whole thing was entirely pointless, because the skrewts didn¡¯t seem to have mouths!

    More than twenty minutester, the students gathered at Hagrid¡¯s Hut.

    The third-year wizards, who came to their first lesson on Care of Magical Creatures with great expectations, were obviously in a state of shock after seeing these terrible skrewts, and their little faces were filled with consternation and disappointment.

    They repeatedly turned to look at Hagrid to confirm that he was not joking with them.

    Even with no funny or amazing magical creatures such as the Nifflers or the Unicorns,st year¡¯s Hippogriffs were much better than this. At the very least, they could ride them up to the sky and haveps around the castle, which sounded very cool.

    But in the face of these skrewts, the young wizards felt nothing but nausea. Needless to say, this was simply the worst course of the year.

    When Colin was feeding them, he identally burned his fingers and he never dared to approach these beasts again.

    Hagrid was not aware of anyints or dissatisfaction from all of them. Instead, he shared his new discovery with great interest. ¡°Look at the pointy things of the tails of some of them. They¡¯re stings. I reckon they¡¯re the males. The females have got a sort of sucker things on their bellies ¡­ I think they might be to suck blood.¡±

    Yes, in addition to being able to make explosions and bite people, these Skrewts could also suck blood, which was indeed a remarkable discovery¡­

    Among all the young wizards, Luna was the only one who was happy. She seemed to think that these st-Ended Skrewts bred by Hagrid were very interesting and she asked for many details. This made Hagrid very happy and he added five points to Ravenw.

    This ss was attended by Gryffindor and Ravenw. Evan hadn¡¯t seen Luna for the whole vacation, but the girl hadn¡¯t changed much.

    Her waist-length, messy blonde hair grew longer, and the aura of distinct dottiness about her was stronger than before. Although very pretty, with a rare and unique beauty, she was hardly appealing to him.

    Luna was wearing a ne of Butterbeer caps and Dirigible plum-shaped earrings.

    She brought Evan thetest issue of <em>The Quibbler</em> and told him that there was thetest research on some mythical monsters.

    Luna did not go to the World Cup this holiday. Instead, she traveled to Sweden with her father using the money they gained from the sales of Evan¡¯s articles published in <em>The Quibbler</em> to see if they could catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

    If there was a person in the school who was indifferent to Evan¡¯s tough performance in the Quidditch World Cup, it was probably Luna. She didn¡¯t seem to feel that there was anything surprising about it. In her opinion, Evan had always been strong, and she had no doubts about that.

    All the students waited for the ss to be over to drag their tired bodies and heavy moods back to the castle. They were d to get rid of those st-Ended Skrewts.

    While having dinner, Hermione briefly talked to Evan about her current progress in protecting the rights and interests of house-elves. She wrote an article calling on wizards to pay attention to the legitimate rights and interests of elves and mailed it to Professor Lupin.

    Then she told Evan that she was about to do something for the house-elves. Before Evan could figure out what that was, she hurriedly finished her dinner and went to the library to look for information.

    As for Harry and Ron, their mood was as bad as the third-years¡¯ who were immersed in the shadow of the st-Ended Skrewts.

    Not surprisingly, Professor Trwney predicted Harry¡¯s death again. Her statement this time was that Harry was born under the baleful influence of Saturn, so he would be so unfortunate.

    She told the students that the movements of thes revealed the mysterious portents only to those who understood the steps of the celestial dance. She also said that human destiny might be deciphered by theary rays, which intermingled.

    To put it simply, it was very reasonable to uses to predict fate. That sounded a bit like what the Centaurs did, looking for harbingers from the sky.

    ording to the changes in the position of the stars, Professor Trwney saw that the days before Harry would be full of hardships and very difficult. Harry¡¯s dread would indeede to pass, and perhaps sooner than he thought.

    It seemed reasonable that Harry was worried about Voldemort because of those dreams.

    But thinking about it carefully, he felt that it was easy to guess this kind of thing without having a prophecy about it, and that Professor Trwney was simply bluffing him.

    Then each of them had been given aplicated circr chart, and was attempting to fill in the position of thes at their moment of birth. It was dull work, requiring much consultation of timetables and calction of angles. For Harry and Ron, it was a waste of time.

    As for the next day, the first Divination lesson for the third-years was as bad as Hagrid¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures ss.

    The arrangement of Divination ssroom was the same as that in Evan¡¯s memory. The curtains were all closed; the circr room was bathed in a dim reddish light cast by the manymps, which were all draped with scarves and shawls.

    The familiar sweet scent spreading from the fire met his nostrils, and there was a mess of chintz chairs and poufs.

    Professor Trwney asked everyone to drink tea and then read the tea in everyone¡¯s cup.

    Although Evan went through thisst year a bit more safely, this year, Professor Trwney rudely predicted that he would suffer disaster or even die. This was her favorite way to wee new students.

    Evan was already prepared, but the others didn¡¯t know. Everyone looked at him strangely, as if he could fall down at any moment.

    The sign this time was not unknown, nor was it an Acromant, but a Kelpie.

    God knows how Professor Trwney saw this magical creature from in Evan¡¯s teacup.

    It is said that the Kelpie can take various shapes, but it most often appears as a horse with bulrushes for a mane, or a sea serpent. Having lured the unwary onto its back, it will dive straight to the bottom of its river orke and devour the rider, letting the entrails float to the surface.

    The correct means to ovee a kelpie is to get a bridle over its head with a cement Charm, which renders it docile and unthreatening. But one mustn¡¯t let it go easily, for it willl hold a grudge and curse them¡­

    The world¡¯srgest kelpie is found in Loch Ness, Scond.

    To put it simply, the Kelpie was man-eating and particrly dangerous. It appeared in Evan¡¯s teacup, which meant that Evan was likely to drown in the water or be eaten directly by the monster in the water.

    Evan didn¡¯t take this kind of nonsense prophecy to heart at all. He could not see where he could meet a Kelpie.

    There was definitely no such thing in Hogwarts Lake, and Evan was not nning to go to Loch Ness.

    After the baptism of the past year, he was now totally indifferent to Professor Trwney¡¯s usual predictions. Because of the warmth in the Divination ssroom, Evan suddenly found that it seemed to be a good ce to sleep¡­

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 Chapter 529: Snape Afraid?

    Chapter 529: Snape Afraid?

    On Wednesday, Evan and other third-year wizards learned runic scriptures in the first course of the Study of Ancient Runes ss.

    This is an extinct writing once circted in northern Europe. Its study belongs to the entry-level ¡°ancient magical text studies¡±, and it¡¯s represented by ck and white runes.

    In the past, it had risen with the prosperity of medieval ck magic in Europe.

    It is said that a dark wizard would leave the specially arranged runes at the victim¡¯s door, waiting for him to pick it up. Or send it directly to the victim. The note was actually a curse. After receiving the note, the victim would show some abnormalities.

    They would always feel something following him, like a dog. But looking back, he couldn¡¯t see anything.

    Strange things would also begin to happen around them.

    They would persist around the victim until one week before his death, and then all the abnormalities would disappear and everything would return to normal. But by then, he could clearly hear the footsteps of death.

    There are many kinds of such curses that use runic magic to cast spells, and they were once very popr.

    This ancient magic script is not widely used in alchemy, but because it is rtively simple, it was more suitable for beginners to learn.

    Evan had seen the relevant records about It in the book <em>Pictographic Dictionary</em> given to him by Nics mel, and systematic learning in ss was also very interesting, which gave him a lot of inspiration.

    Now wherever he went, Evan carried a parchment full of ancient magic words.

    He intended to master the simple rune as quickly as possible, and on this basis, learn more profound ancient scripts.

    After that, the next few days were t and there were no incidents in the school.

    Caresius¡¯s impersonation of Moody became more and more urate. No one in the school doubted him at all, but on the contrary, he was more and more admired.

    Throughout the castle, voices discussing Moody¡¯s past experiences and the three Unforgivable Curses could be heard everywhere.

    Moody was very popr among the young wizards. Although he looked terrible, everyone thought that he knew how to work outside and how to deal with Dark wizards. That gave a very fresh feeling to the young wizards in school.

    In fact, the same was true. In terms of ck magic and Dark wizards, Caresius was not less proficient than Moody. As an evil vampire, his mere existence was taboo. His perennial life experiences were also in the grey area on the edge of the wizarding world, with frequent contacts with various intrigues, vicious Dark wizards and Dark creatures.

    Now, it waspletely handy to mention many of these experiences to the little wizards.

    Compared with ¡°Moody¡±, who was getting more and more at ease, Snape¡¯s temper had be more irritable.

    He seemed to have attained new levels of vindictiveness over the summer, and every student who dared to make mistakes in his ss was severely punished.

    Neville, for example, once again melted his cauldron in Potions ss, and it was already the sixth one.

    After a mean depreciation, Snape rudely gave him detention.

    On Friday night, Neville had been made to disembowel a barrel of horned toads. When he came back at nine o¡¯clock in the evening, he was in a state of nervous copse.

    Sitting around the warm fire, everyone was surprised to see Neville staggering into the Common Room with tears on his face.

    ¡°Neville, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Harry.

    ¡°For more than five hours, he kept me in the dungeon to disembowel horned toads,¡± said Neville weakly in a very low voice, ¡°Those things are disgusting. I¡¯ve spit out my dinner.¡±

    ¡°The blood of these horned toads is slightly corrosive, so wash it off quickly!¡± said Evan, looking at the frog guts from under Neville¡¯s fingernails. ¡°I know an effective Scouring Charm. You can try it.¡±

    ¡°Snape has gone too far. You know why he¡¯s in such a foul mood, don¡¯t you?¡± said Ron to them as they watched the miserable appearance of Neville. ¡°I bet it¡¯s because of Moody!¡±

    Since Moody took Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe to Snape¡¯s office, he had be like this. He entered the state of irritability, throwing all his anger on the young wizards.

    It wasmon knowledge that Snape really wanted the Dark Arts job, and he had now failed to get it for the fourth year running. Snape had disliked all of their previous Dark Arts teachers, and never hesitated to show it.

    This situation reached its peak with Sirius, and they fought directly in front of the students.

    However, he seemed strangely wary of disying overt animosity to Mad-Eye Moody.

    All the young wizards had noticed more or less that whenever Snape and Moody were together, at mealtimes, or when they passed in the corridors, Snape was avoiding Moody¡¯s eye, whether magical or normal.

    It seemed that Snape was a bit scared of Moody.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why is Snape afraid of Moody?¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad,¡± said Ron, his eyes misting over, ¡°and bounced him all around his dungeon¡­ That would be great!¡±

    Ron had been working hard on Transfiguration recently since Moody had turned Malfoy into a ferret.

    He also wanted to learn this spell, but little progress was made. To turn human beings into some kind of animals required very advanced knowledge of Transfiguration, which could only be reached after passing through the Ordinary Wizarding Level.

    ¡°Snape is not that weak, he wouldn¡¯t be easily deformed like Malfoy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, think about it, Moody is very powerful, definitely more powerful than Snape. When he read <em>Avada Kedavra</em>, the spider died instantly, and stopped moving immediately. I never thought there would be such a Dark magic.¡±

    The fourth-years had had their first course of Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon; and they were all shocked.

    Ron was still talking about it happily, but Harry felt bad about the <em>Killing Curse</em>.

    He didn¡¯t dare to think that his parents were killed by this spell, but there was no way for him to talk about this Dark magic in a rxed tone like Ron or the others. He couldn¡¯t do it. In the eyes of others, it might be a wonderful funny performance, but Harry didn¡¯t think it was all that interesting.

    A few secondster, Ron noticed Harry¡¯s abnormality. He hurriedly shifted the subject. ¡°Don¡¯t discuss these things. Harry, we¡¯d better make a start on Professor Trwney¡¯s predictions tonight, since they would take hours!¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 530: The Good Old Divination Standby

    Chapter 530: The Good Old Divination Standby

    After cleaning his fingernails from the toad guts, Neville went back to sleep. He was exhausted this evening.

    Evan continued to study the ancient magic script on the sofa in front of the fire, while Colin was doing his Transfiguration homework beside him.

    Harry and Ron took their copies of <em>Unfogging the Future</em>, found a table in the corner, and set to work on their predictions for theing month, filling in numbers in theplexary trajectory table.

    It was alreadyte, and the Common Room around them slowly emptied as people went up to bed.

    An hourter, Colin also went back. Evan put away the parchment filled with magical words and took out the Marauder¡¯s Map for a while.

    It was full of names, and the young wizards were mostly concentrated in the Common Room and their respective bedrooms. Evan saw Fred and George in the Owl Room, and Hermione was alone in the library.

    Then, he moved his eyes to other ces.

    Evan had been looking for a whole week, but did not find the name of Barty Crouch Jr.

    This was really weird, and he didn¡¯t know who Barty Crouch Jr. was impersonating to get into Hogwarts. Or, maybe he hadn¡¯t yet sneaked into Hogwarts. After all, the tournament had not yet begun. Perhaps, like Caresius, he had cast a spell on his name, so that it would not be marked on the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    Evan couldn¡¯t be sure, but anything was possible. He thought for a while before putting the map away.

    It seemed that there was little hope of finding Bartemius Crouch, Jr. through the Marauder¡¯s Map, so he had to find another way.

    Evan rubbed his eyes and stood up. He stretched out. He was going to wait for Hermione, who had not returned from the library.

    Harry and Ron were also at the small table, muttering something in a low voice, discussing their Divination homework.

    In fact, they had made very little progress. Though their table was littered with bits of parchment bearing sums and symbols, Harry¡¯s brain was as fogged as though it had been filled with the fumes from Professor Trwney¡¯s fire.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t got a clue what this lot¡¯s supposed to mean,¡± he said, staring down at a long list of calctions.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand it at all!¡± said Ron, whose hair was on end because of all the times he had run his fingers through it in frustration. He pointed to a and said, ¡°Evan, do you know what it means for Saturn and Mercury to move to this position?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan took a look at theplicated star map and was confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy, is it? We finally found something that even Evan doesn¡¯t know!¡± said Ron, turning around to look at Harry. ¡°Harry, in this case, I think it¡¯s back to the good old Divination standby.¡±

    ¡°You mean, making it all up?¡± Harry¡¯s eyebrows picked up.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ron, sweeping the jumble of scrawled notes off the table, dipping his pen into some ink, and starting to write.

    ¡°Next Monday,¡± he said as he scribbled, ¡°I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter.¡± He looked up at Harry. ¡°You know her¡­ just put in loads of misery, she¡¯llp it up.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Harry, crumpling up his first attempt and lobbing it into the fire. ¡°Okay¡­ on Monday, I will be in danger of¡­ er ¡­ burns.¡±

    ¡°That sounds good. I haven¡¯t done my Divination homework. We can do it together!¡± said Evan. He quickly took out his Divination textbook and parchment and sat next to Harry and Ron.

    He also needed to predict his fortune for the next month, and he didn¡¯t want to spend the weekend drinking tea and fiddling with tea residues.

    Without the gift of prophecy, he was not destined to make much progress in Divination. Instead of wasting time making useless predictions, it was better to solve these assignments as quickly as Harry and Ron.

    Anyway, Evan had already made up his mind to make it up, and he did not expect Professor Trwney to give him high marks anyway.

    Seeing Evan doing so seemed to give Harry and Ron a lot of encouragement, and both became excited.

    ¡°I may also be in danger of burns next Monday¡­¡± wrote Evan on his parchment, ¡°Because I saw a me in the teacup.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we all will be,¡± said Ron ominously, ¡°we¡¯re seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, I¡¯ll¡­ erm¡­¡±

    ¡°Lose a treasured possession,¡± said Harry, who was flicking through <em>Unfogging the Future</em> for ideas.

    ¡°Good idea!¡± said Ron, copying it down. ¡°Because of¡­ erm¡­ Mercury. Evan, you, there will be a curse of death on you, because you will see Professor Trwney again on Tuesday! As for you Harry, why don¡¯t you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ cool¡­¡± said Harry, scribbling it down, ¡°because¡­ Venus is in the twelfth house.¡±

    ¡°And on Wednesday, I think I¡¯lle out the looser in a fight.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can have a good fight with Malfoy, but I don¡¯t want to lose to him anymore. I¡¯ll just write about losing a bet.¡±

    ¡°I stayed in bed all day because I bet it would rain on Tuesday and I would be already sick.¡±

    They continued to make up predictions, which grew steadily more tragic, for another hour. It was close to eleven o¡¯clock, and there were only the three of them left in the Common Room.

    Crookshanks wandered over to them, leapt lightly into an empty chair, and stared inscrutably at Evan, Harry and Ron, rather as Hermione might look if she knew they weren¡¯t doing their homework properly.

    This scene was really interesting. The three of them sat there, trying to think of a kind of misfortune they hadn¡¯t yet used.

    After a while, Fred and George went into themon room. They were holding thick parchment and quill pens, whispering, not knowing what they were doing and looking exhausted. They said good night to the three and went back to bed.

    ¡°They must¡¯ve been working on some order form for Weasleys¡¯ Wizard Wheezes.¡± said Ron, ¡°Remember, shortly after the beginning of the summer vacation, Mom burned up theirst order, so they have to make a new one.¡±

    ¡°But why are they doing it behind our backs? If it were and order form, they would surely have let Lee Jordan in on the joke.¡± said Harry doubtfully.

    ¡°Who knows!¡± Ron shrugged his shoulders.

    Evan knew what was going on. The two of them actually wrote to Ludo Bagman asking him for the Gold-Galleons they had won in the bet.

    Although the Quidditch World Cup ended with an attack and a Dark Mark, they were both right on the oue of the match. The Irish Team won the match and Krum caught the Golden Snitch.

    That was a very rare result, and Bagman gave it high odds. That meant that he now owed Fred and George a lot of money.

    However, he did not intend to pay back the money at all. The twins¡¯ previous letters were all without response. The two of them decided to write an appropriate threat to Bagman.

    ¡°Sote, why hasn¡¯t Hermionee back yet?¡±

    ¡°She must have forgotten the time in the library. If Madam Pince doesn¡¯t drive her away, she won¡¯t leave.¡±

    As soon as the voice fell, the portrait hole opened and Hermione climbed into the Common Room carrying a sheaf of parchment in one hand and a box whose contents rattled as she walked in the other. Crookshanks arched his back, purring.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 531: The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare

    Chapter 531: The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare

    ¡°The three of you are here!¡± Seeing Harry and the others, Hermione¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ve just finished!¡±

    ¡°So have I!¡± said Ron triumphantly, throwing down his quill.

    Hermione sat down;id the things she was carrying in an empty armchair, and pulled Evan¡¯s predictions toward her.

    ¡°Not going to have a very good month, are you?¡± she said sardonically as Crookshanks curled up in herp.

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s how to deal with Professor Trwney!¡± said Evan, looking at the box that Hermione had brought back. Compared with Harry and Ron, the tragic prophecies he had written were more subtle and less tragic.

    ¡°No matter what happens, at least we¡¯re forewarned,¡± Ron yawned.

    Hermione put down Evan¡¯s predictions and took Ron¡¯s.

    ¡°It is indeed a good warning. You seem to be drowning twice.¡±

    ¡°Oh am I?¡± said Ron, peering down at his predictions. ¡°I¡¯d better change one of them to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a bit obvious you¡¯ve made these up?¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± said Ron, in sarcastic outrage. ¡°We¡¯ve been here all night, working like house-elves!¡±

    Hermione raised her eyebrows and looked at Ron dissatisfied!

    ¡°Sorry, Sorry, the wording was inappropriate,¡± said Ron hastily.

    Harryid down his quill too, having just finished predicting his own death by decapitation at the end of the month.

    ¡°Hermione, what¡¯s in the box?¡± asked Evan, pointing at it. He felt that it would be best not to let Hermione continue to talk about their three Divination assignments.

    ¡°I was going to tell you about it. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve been working hard on it for this week. We have to do something for the house-elves,¡± said Hermione with a smile.

    She took off the lid and showed them the contents. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S. P. E .W.

    ¡°Spew?¡± said Harry, picking up a badge and looking at it. ¡°What¡¯s this about?¡±

    ¡°Not spew,¡± said Hermione impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s S-P-E-W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of it,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it!¡± added Harry.

    Evan didn¡¯t speak. He knew what was going on. It seemed that Hermione was not satisfied with just writing articles for the newspaper.

    She had always talked about doing something tangible for the house-elves, and she was referring to this.

    ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t heard of it,¡± said Hermione briskly, ¡°I¡¯ve only just started it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± said Ron in mild surprise. ¡°How many members have you got?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you three join¡­ four.¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Join?! And you think we want to walk around wearing badges saying ¡®spew,¡¯ do you?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°It¡¯s S-P-E-W!¡± said Hermione hotly. ¡°I was going to put Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status ¨C but it wouldn¡¯t fit. So that¡¯s the heading of our manifesto.¡±

    She brandished the sheaf of parchment full of words at them.

    ¡°This is our specific charter. I¡¯ve been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf envement goes back centuries. I can¡¯t believe no one¡¯s done anything about it before now.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, open your ears,¡± said Ron loudly. ¡°THEY, LIKE, IT! They like being enved!¡±

    ¡°Our short-term aims,¡± said Hermione, as she stood up, speaking even more loudly than Ron, and acting as though she hadn¡¯t heard a word, ¡°are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing thew about non-wand use, and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, because they¡¯re shockingly underrepresented.¡±

    ¡°Take it easy, Hermione!¡± Evan got her to sit down.

    Hermione looked angry, still staring discontentedly at Ron, who looked unhappy too.

    ¡°Well, how can we do all this?¡± asked Harry softly.

    ¡°We start by recruiting members,¡± said Hermione happily. ¡°I thought two Sickles to join, that buys a badge! And the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You¡¯re treasurer, Ron; I¡¯ve got you a collecting tin upstairs. And Harry, you¡¯re secretary, so you might want to write down everything I¡¯m saying now, as a record of our first meeting. As for Evan, I think you are suitable to be the president, because you are very famous in the magic circle, which is conducive to our publicity, and you also need to deal with the Ministry of magic. And I am the vice-president of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, and I am mainly responsible for all day-to-day affairs; that¡¯s all.¡±

    There was a pause in which Hermione beamed at the three of them.

    Evan frowned at the charter of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare written by Hermione. It seemed that she did look up a lot of information.

    Ron stared at Hermione dumbstruck, his eyes bulging slightly, and his mouth open.

    Harry sat, torn between exasperation at Hermione and amusement at the look on Ron¡¯s face.

    After a while, there was a silence, a moment of peace before the storm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not in!¡± said Ron directly, pushing the badge in front of him.

    ¡°Ron?!¡± Hermione¡¯s eyebrows rose again. ¡°We¡¯re saving the house-elves!¡±

    ¡°I said it, they like it, they like to be ves to others!¡± said Ron stubbornly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to follow you into the kitchen and mobilize them to stop working. I¡¯m definitely not going to do that.¡±

    ¡°No one likes to be a ve. This is extremely unfair to the house-elves.¡± said Hermione, ¡°Whether wizards or house-elves, we are all born equal. Wizards can¡¯t build their magic civilization on the efforts and oppression of house-elves. We must stop this phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about house-elves, Hermione!¡± Ron said, ¡°Don¡¯t persuade me to join in your spew trick.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s <em>not</em> a trick; it¡¯s <em>not</em> spew. It¡¯s the house-elves rights¡­¡±

    Before Hermione had finished, Ron stood up from the chair and shouted in his loudest voice. ¡°IN MY OPINION, IT IS SPEW. I DON¡¯T WANT TO BE LIKE A FOOL, HANGING THIS BADGE ON MY CHEST AND BEING LAUGHED AT.¡±

    They both looked at each other, breathing, and Ron¡¯s face turned red. Even his ears were red.

    Then, he violently picked up his Divination homework and quill and rushed back into his bedroom, the sound of him closing the door was particrly loud.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Ron, he¡¯s been under too much pressure recently, and he¡¯s been making tragic predictions here all night!¡± said Harry.

    He winked at Evan and hurried back to the bedroom to persuade Ron.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 532: Push Her Down Again

    Chapter 532: Push Her Down Again

    Now, there were only Evan and Hermione in the Common Room.

    Hermione was still looking angry, and her eyes were a bit red. Obviously, Ron¡¯s reaction was very irritating to her. Despite her usual strong character, in some cases, she was particrly vulnerable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart, Hermione. Harry¡¯s right. Ron¡¯s just stressed out. He doesn¡¯t mean that.¡± said Evan, patting Hermione gently on the shoulder. ¡°You know, Malfoy¡¯s insult to his parents the other day made him feel bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry, but I¡¯m shocked. He actually thinks that the house-elves like being ves to others!¡± said Hermione, taking a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s precisely because everyone has this wrong conception that the interests of the house-elves cannot be protected.¡±

    ¡°Ron¡¯s thoughts represent the conviction of the majority of pure-blood wizards. This has been the case for several years in the wizarding world. The rtionship between wizards and house-elves has been going on like this for a long time. Everyone is epting it. They don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong, and nobody will try to change anything.¡±

    ¡°So, this is our duty, and it is also the meaning of the existence of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare!¡± Hermione turned and looked at Evan, her beautiful brown eyes re-brightened, ¡°House-elves have been enved for too long. They have forgotten to fight for their rights. Under the control of the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, they dare not do so either; I have studied the existingws. The background of promulgation of thesews waspletely different from that of today, and there is no value in continuing to implement them.¡±

    Hermione apparently conducted in-depth research and found a lot of information. It was impossible to convince her in this regard.

    And apart from all the emotional factors and the inherent concept, Evan thought that Hermione¡¯s thoughts were reasonable. It was really unfair to squeeze and enve house-elves by the wizards and bind them with magic.

    As for Ron¡¯s remark that house-elves liked to be ves to wizards, it made no sense at all.

    Ron¡¯s idea was purely a pure blood theory and were like what Voldemort and Death Eaters had always preached.

    They believed that pure blood wizards were born noble and extremely rejected Muggles, Muggle-born wizards and other non-human intelligent creatures. They believed that they were all inferior races and should be enved by pure blood wizards. They did not hesitate to wage war for this.

    Although most wizards mostly opposed Voldemort and they did not agree with his pure blood concept, no one might have thought how simr they were to Voldemort and the Death Eaters in their treatment of house-elves.

    To say it frankly, it was terrible.

    From the previous magic historical data, it could be seen that the rtionship between house-elves and wizards had not been as abnormal as it was now.

    For centuries, wizards had waged wars against house-elves, conquering and enving them.

    In the end, theypletely destroyed the living environment of the house-elves and made them subordinate races of wizards and ves of pure blood wizards.

    From that time on, every house-elf was trained in servility after birth. ves had to serve their masters for generations; they must not disobey their masters¡¯ orders casually. If they disobeyed, they had to punish themselves.

    For the house-elves, their supreme right was to obey their masters¡¯ orders. They regarded serving their master for life as their greatest glory. A look at Kreacher showed that his greatest dream was to let his master cut off his head and hang it side on the side by the wall of the ck family¡¯s house as decoration, just like what happened to his ancestors when they grew too old to seve.

    This was absolutely incorrect and a deformed concept.

    When Evan returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago, the rtionship between Helga Hufflepuff and herrge family of elves was not nearly the same.

    The rtionship between them was not that of master and ves; they were mostly Hufflepuff¡¯s assistants and friends.

    They were also the first house-elves to be in Hogwarts, the ancestors of all house-elves.

    It was not Hogwarts¡¯s tradition to enve house-elves.

    Hermione¡¯s concept was not wrong, and indeed someone had to stand up and do something for the house-elves.

    In particr, Muggle-born wizards such as Evan could understand this unnoticed discrimination that existed in the wizarding world. He thought Hermione¡¯s approach was correct, but it was undoubtedly very difficult.

    Relying on the power of a few young wizards, it was tantamount to stone-smashing to try to reverse the mainstream deformities formed in wizardingmunities over the centuries.

    This was especially difficult when wizards and house-elves took it for a matter of course.

    Not all wizards were as responsible as Hermione, and not all house-elves wanted freedom like Dobby.

    ¡°We cannot stop doing it because it¡¯s very difficult!¡± Hermione looked at Evan, as if she knew what he was thinking. ¡°We have to make a stand. Evan, think about the current situation of the house-elves. Someone must do something for them!¡±

    ¡°But you should know that it¡¯s all self-inflicting!¡± said Evan. ¡°Looking at Ron¡¯s reaction, I know it¡¯s almost impossible to persuade those pure-blood wizards to change their minds. House-elves won¡¯t necessarily ept it; they are used to it, and you may be opposed by everyone¡­¡±

    ¡°Someone has to do it, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Hermione whispered, staring at Evan with burning eyes.

    She had an unprecedented persistence and seriousness on her face; she had made up her mind go through with this to the end.

    She would not hesitate even if the entire wizarding world was to be her enemy, and all the pure-blood wizards were to oppose her. Because Hermione firmly believed she was right, and everyone else was wrong, she had to stop this unfair very.

    Evan felt that it was foolish to inexplicably help the house-elves to do what they didn¡¯t want, and to be against the mainstream concept of the wizarding world.

    But Hermione didn¡¯t. If she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be Hermione!

    This was not a matter of sess or folly, but a matter of following one¡¯s own beliefs and ideals.

    Evan knew that she had spent so much effort and time to set up the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. It wasn¡¯t just the house-elves, cherishing that effort and bringing happiness to her heart was worthy of his own efforts.

    Hermione, as she was now, was undoubtedly very attractive. This wasn¡¯t just her appearance; it was her pure heart. This was the most precious of treasures in the world.

    Under the candlelight, Evan looked at Hermione sitting beside him, her pretty little face full of persistence.

    A strange feeling rose in the depths of his heart, and Evan had a wicked thought: he wanted to push Hermione down again!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 533: Step by Step

    Chapter 533: Step by Step

    Finally, Evan epted Hermione¡¯s proposal and agreed to be the president of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.

    Although it seemed almost impossible to seed, on second thought, Evan seemed to have been doing the impossible and taking what seemed to most as foolish all the time.

    Whether it was Voldemort or the evil spirits, it was much harder to defeat them than to defend the rights and interests of the house-elves.

    If the results were to be directly judged by simple strengthparison, Evan would better give up quickly and not resist.

    It was enough to work and try hard. Not everything had to be done thinking about the end result from a practical point of view.

    Evan and Hermione discussed it for a while. Unlike Hermione¡¯s eager approach, he thought the matter should be dealt with step by step. After all, these were concepts that had been passed down for centuries in the wizarding world, and it was not practical to change them all in a short time.

    Fortunately, as the proportion of Muggle-born wizards and mixed-race wizards gradually increased, many of the inherent concepts were changing.

    Hermione¡¯s view was not to be without supporters. On the contrary, it could represent the voice of some wizards.

    What the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare needed to do now was to develop its member-base. Evan helped her revise her articles to win more people¡¯s understanding and approval.

    Judging from Hermione¡¯s thoughts, she seemed to have other ns to do something for the house-elves with her own efforts.

    The next morning, the unpleasantness between Ron and Hermione was quickly resolved. They both apologized to each other and thought that they were a little too agitatedst night.

    Eventually, Harry and Ron, like Evan, paid two Sickles as admission fees.

    The dull school life continued to move forward, but the development of participation of other wizards in the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare did not go smoothly.

    Just to stop Hermione¡¯s constant persuasion and sullen anger, Colin, Ginny, and Neville had also paid up, but were reluctant to take a more active role in campaigning. Instead, they regarded the whole thing as a joke.

    Everyone¡¯s negative attitude had done nothing whatsoever to curb Hermione¡¯s determination to pursue justice for house-elves.

    It was true that they had paid two Sickles for a S.P.E.W. badge, but they had only done it to keep her quiet. Their Sickles had been wasted, however; if anything, they seemed to have made Hermione more vociferous.

    She had been badgering Evan, Harry and Ron ever since, first to wear the badges, then to persuade others to do the same.

    She had also taken to rattling around the Gryffindormon room every evening, cornering people and shaking the collecting tin under their noses, asking them to pay for the badge, and Join the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.

    Despite Hermione¡¯s hard work, there was little interest in the matter. Several meetings were held to listen to Hermione reading the charter of the Society.

    Shortly afterwards, Hogwarts Magic began to publish her articles on protecting the rights of house-elves.

    This seemed to have yed a role, and readers constantly wrote to Hermione.

    Many people thought that she was insane having this absurd idea of paying the house-elves, but there were still a few people who supported her.

    They thought Hermione¡¯s approach was ethically correct, which gave Hermione great encouragement and motivation to continue.

    As she often said to Evan, this was good enough for a start. Her badges and the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare were no longer limited to Hogwarts.

    In terms of the school¡¯s curriculum, Moody had begun to use the Imperius Curse on every young wizard in the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss.

    At present, there was only Evan in the school who couldpletely break the curse and defeat it.

    After many attempts, Harry and a small number of senior students could sessfully resist and were not easily controlled by the Dark wizard.

    Ron was the worst performer in this respect, and he had no resistance to the Imperius Curse. It was probably because of the impact of his previous experiences.

    He had much more difficulties than others in dealing with this curse, and was the easiest to control.

    In Professor Moody¡¯s words, Roncked strong will power.

    This made Ron feel very dissatisfied, and every Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson became a torment.

    Heined that Moody was like a paranoid, and no wonder people wanted to kick him out of the Ministry of Magic.

    Moody was speaking as if someone might break into the school and attack them at any time.

    But Evan believed that it was necessary for everyone to learn to resist the Imperius Curse as soon as possible.

    Until now, he had found no trace of Bartemius Crouch, Jr. hiding in the dark. Either Barty Crouch Jr. had not yet arrived at Hogwarts, or the Marauder¡¯s Map was not working. The first supposition was very likely. As Caresius said, Crouch was nning to start by the Triwizard Tournament.

    By that time, Hogwarts Castle would have removed most of the protective magic and its defence would be the weakest. Moreover, there would be many outsidersing in.

    Bartemius Crouch, Jr. might be among these people, waiting for the opportunity to act.

    After confirming that it was impossible to quickly find out Barty Crouch through the Marauder¡¯s Map, Evan put this matter aside.

    He was now devoting most of his energy to the study of ancient magic texts and had also begun to try to learn thenguage of the Merpeople.

    The pressure of the third year curriculum was obviously much more than that of the second year, and Evan now was busy every day.

    As for Harry, Ron and Hermione, they were even busier, and the amount of homework to be done in the fourth year was overwhelming them. It was because upon entering the fifth grade next year, they would take the Ordinary Wizarding Levels.

    In Professor McGonagall¡¯s words, this was the most important phase of a wizards¡¯ magical education, and had to be given appropriate attention.

    However, it was obvious that everyone¡¯s performance could not satisfy the professors.

    Their homework was bing more and more difficult and demanding, which kept Harry and Ron¡¯s dissatisfaction rising.

    The only thing that made them feel happy was that they had received top marks for their homework in their Divination ss. Although this sounded a bit ironic, it was one of the few good news they got.

    In fact, Evan was also praised.

    Professor Trwney even read outrge portions of his predictions,mending him for his unflinching eptance of the horrors in store for him.

    Hagrid¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures was still a mess, especially as part of their ¡°project¡± suggested that theye down to his Hut on alternate evenings to observe the skrewts and make notes on their extraordinary behavior.

    These st-Ended Skrewts were growing at a remarkable pace given that nobody had yet discovered what they ate.

    Hagrid had ced them into separate boxes, and a hundred wooden boxes kept shaking in front of his Hut.

    It might not be long before these st-Ended Skrewts woulde out of their boxes.

    It was foreseeable that no one would dare to approach them except Hagrid.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 534: Extra After-Class Tutoring

    Chapter 534: Extra After-ss Tutoring

    In a few weeks, these st-Ended Skrewts started developing a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor.

    This armor was covered with hard thorns and gradually covered their whole body.

    They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs that would emit liquid from its tail.

    A me explosion will push them a few yards in the opposite direction and burn the careless student.

    Evan secretly tested that the skrewts¡¯ magic resistance was very strong, and the carapace could resist many low-level spells.

    These traits were inherited from the Manticore, and they also inherited its aggressiveness.

    Talking about the Manticore, it¡¯s important to say that after several detailed inquiries, Evan finally knew the exact location of the creature Hagrid had talked about.

    Thinking of the mysterious temple covered by mud and built by the ancient warlock, he could not wait to go there to explore it.

    Whether it was to pay tribute to the ancient relics or to discover the secrets of the evil spirits, it was worthwhile to go there. And the sooner the better; he shouldn¡¯t dy it too much.

    Although there was a dangerous Manticore, which was indeed big trouble, Evan had a way to deal with it. He had already known about its habits from Hagrid and was ready.

    Moreover, with the presence of a powerful guy like Caresius, security could be guaranteed.

    Of course, Evan would naturally not be trusting of Caresius. But this powerful vampire was now his ally. He kept his secrets, did not expose his infiltration into Hogwarts as Moody, and helped him fulfill Voldemort¡¯s mission.

    In return, Caresius should be able to help Evan deal with a magical creature. Caresius was a free bodyguard, not for nothing.

    If it had been before they became allies, Evan would have never dared to do this, going on an expedition apanied by a vampire. He certainly would not have wanted to have a threat behind him while facing another¡­.

    But now there was no scruple, not that Evan trusted the vampire¡¯s assurance, but he believed in the power of magic. After an in-depthmunication that day, Evan and Caresius concluded an equal alliance magic contract. If he was to vite it, Caresius would pay a great price.

    On the weekend of the third week after school, Evan arrived early to the edge of the Forbidden Forest to wait.

    Half an hourter, Moody limped over with a crutch and a parcel in his hand.

    He was very alert, his magical eyes swiftly rotating to make sure no one was following him.

    ¡°Kid, we¡¯d better meet less now!¡± said Moody with a rough voice, looking at Evan discontentedly.

    ¡°Of course, but I think, our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor should not mind giving his best student some extra tutoring after ss, should he?!¡± said Evan, looking at him, ¡°Have you brought everything I asked for?¡±

    ¡°Here it is!¡± said Moody, dissatisfied, shaking the package in his hand, his eyes twitching, which made his face look more skewed than usual, ¡°After-school tutoring?! ording to the progress of my course, you should now practice resisting the damned Imperius Curse instead of exploring inside the Forbidden forest and provoking whatever Manticore!¡±

    ¡°I can already break this Curse. Your course schedule is not suitable for me, and it doesn¡¯t make any sense for me to follow it.¡± replied Evan, ¡°Okay, we¡¯d better hurry up. I found a helper to help us save time.¡±

    ¡°What, There¡¯s someone else¡­¡± Before he had finished, he stopped abruptly.

    He saw that Evan was pulling a Hippogriff out of the bushes with a leather cor around its neck.

    ¡°Meet Buckbeak!¡± said Evan with ease.

    Buckbeak turned his big, pointed head, and his raging orange eyes red at Caresius, the fake Moody.

    After Evan had saved Buckbeakst term, Hagrid had been keeping it around his hut.

    As one of the additional conditions for the acquittal of Buckbeak, the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required Hagrid to ensure that Buckbeak would harm nobody. Therefore, he had to leave the Hippogriff beside him. It could be seen that Hagrid was actually very willing to do so.

    Buckbeak was now very close to Evan, who once rode it into the Acromants¡¯ territory.

    The swamp deep in the Forbidden Forest was far away from here, and Evan and Caresius couldn¡¯t leave the castle for too long to avoid any unwanted attention.

    With the help of Buckbeak, there was naturally no problem. It would take them about half an hour to get there.

    Urged by Evan, Caresius reluctantlymunicated with Buckbeak and then turned over and sat on its back.

    He had not taken the Polyjuice Potion for an hour, and his appearance changed as soon as he sat on it. The scars on his face gradually disappeared and his skin became pale and smooth.

    His iplete nose became long and narrow, and his long gray hair shortened and turned ck. Suddenly, with a snap, the wooden leg fell aside, and a real leg grew out.

    Then the magical eye jumped out of its socket, and a real wine-red eye took its ce.

    The magical eye fell into the hand of Caresius, and it was still rolling around.

    He has now returned to the image in Evan¡¯s memory, a pale and handsome face with a trace of evil.

    With some contempt in his eyes, there was tremendous power in the gestures of his hands and feet.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± urged Caresius. ¡°It would be stupid to be found out here!¡±

    Evan hurriedly climbed up and sat in front of Caresius.

    Buckbeak¡¯s twelve-foot wings spread out beside them and flew high.

    The wings were constantly stirring, countless green branches and leaves are rapidly retreating backward, and Hogwarts castle is shrinking rapidly.

    Buckbeak flew very fast, and after crossing the broad and soft sea of trees, Evan soon saw the Centaur¡¯s colony on the hill.

    Because thest time it waste at night, Evan now saw the whole image of the Centaur¡¯s colony for the first time.

    Rows of low wooden huts lined up neatly, stretching from all directions to the central huge Temple of the Moon.

    Buckbeak did not pass through the Centaurs¡¯ colony. There was magic in it to protect and prevent all flying creatures from approaching. Evan knew that it was the great magic carved at the top of the Temple of the Moon.

    That magic could absorb the power of the stars and run as a magic supplement to protect the entire temple.

    Buckbeak gave a low cry, bypassing the Centaurs¡¯ colony, and turned in one direction, flying over the other side of the hill.

    Below, the trees were thinning out, reced by arge swamp wend with no end at sight.

    The surface and subsoil of the marshes were excessively moist, producing many unique wend and swamp nts.

    Although it was still daytime, there was a thin mist of unknown source.

    It pervaded the marshes, adding a mystery to the ce.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 535: The Everglades

    Chapter 535: The Everdes

    Following the information he got from Hagrid, Evan directed Buckbeak to fly deep into the marsh.

    They flew in the white mist and watched the ground closely.

    Although the water and nts in this ce were delicious, the creatures living in the Forest rarely came here.

    Many parts of this swamp were bottomless and dangerous. It looked no different from the ordinary ground, but if identally caught up in it; one could only wait for death in a desperate struggle.

    Only the most experienced of explorers like Hagrid could find a path through the depths of the marsh through years of exploration.

    Although the creatures of the forest were rarely close, that did not mean that there were no other creatures in this swamp.

    The facts were just the opposite. Without the invasion of forest species, in the unique environment of the everdes, there were many rare special living organisms. They interacted to form aplete ecosystem.

    On his way, Evan saw patches of Mandrake.

    The Mandrake, also known as Mandragora, is a powerful healing agent. It is also an important part of most antidotes used to restore those who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state.

    A few days ago, in Professor Sprout¡¯s Herbology ss, Evan had changed the pot of a Mandrake seedling.

    Near the Mandrakes, he also saw dozens of magical creatures resembling pieces of dead wood.

    They had finned paws and sharp teeth, and glided through marsnd. These magical creatures were Dugbogs that mainly feed on small animals and nts. They can inflict severe injuries to the ankles of human walkers, but their favorite food is the Mandrake.

    The root of the Mandrake looks like an ugly baby that can make a harsh cry. The Dugbogs feed on these roots, which leads to Mandrake-growers finding nothing but a bloody mess when pulling their nts out. The roots of Mandrake were gnawed by Dugbogs and could no longer scream.

    Besides the Dugbogs, Evan also saw two Hinkypunks. They hid in the puddles on the side of the road, only thenterns hanging from their front feet were exposed to the outside with a faint glow.

    In this always foggy marsh, this light can lure travelers or passing animals to follow.

    The Hinkypunks will give the wrong instructions and lead them to deliberately go to the bottomless marsh area or the puddle. They wait until the travelers die, and feed on their decayed corpses.

    Moving on, beside arge reed, Evan saw something looking like a giant firefly.

    Its tail emitted a reddish or yellow foggy glow with sharp spikes. It floated quietly a few feet above the water to capture nkton.

    However, before it flew out, it was eaten by a big fish that with green scales and sharp tusks.

    There were also a few round gray meat worms crawling slowly in a swamp full of mushrooms and fungi. This creature has a huge mouth, constantly devouring the mushroom in front of it. Behind its body is also a hole, oozing with green mucus.

    It was like Evan was entering a new magical world, and what he was seeing was totally different from what he had usuallye into contact with.

    ¡°The ancient ruins you talked about are in this ce?¡± Caresius frowned.

    ¡°This is where Hagrid met the Manticore, and we¡¯re still going east.¡± replied Evan.

    ¡°I am absolutely mad toe to such a ce with you! Be careful of the Manticore that may appear at any time; that¡¯s definitely trouble beyond your imagination!¡± said Caresius, ¡°And, I doubt whether the relics you talked about will have any exploration value. I¡¯ve seen too many of such ancient buildings, and there was nothing but rubble inside. ¡±

    As the ce where the statue of the evil god was first discovered, even if there were only rubble left, it was worth exploring.

    ¡°I have my own discretion. You just have to follow our previous n. I asked Hagrid about the habits of the Manticore. As long as there¡¯s no ident, there will be absolutely no problem.¡±

    ¡°Well, first of all, even if your n and trap work, I can only control the thing for an hour. You¡¯ll have to hurry up!¡± Caresius stared gloomily at Evan. ¡°If you don¡¯te out in an hour, I won¡¯t go in to save you.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Evan nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll watch the time.¡±

    Having long been in contact with dangerous magical animals, wizards have summarized and explored a set of effective control methods, such as the use of the Stunning Spell, special potions and herbs, as well as traps, etc.

    As for the uing Manticore, the skin of this monster repels almost all known charms. It is very aggressive and very dangerous and it¡¯s very difficult to defeat it head-on.

    Evan was not sure if Caresius could actually beat the beast, but it would definitely not be without a cost.

    Fortunately, they were not here to beat the Manticore, but to trap it for a period of time, enough for Evan to explore the remains.

    After consulting the relevant information, Evan had chosen a trap tool that met his own requirements.

    He had asked Sirius to help him get this trap and send it to Moody¡¯s office. It was a magic item specializing in dealing with dangerous and magical creatures.

    As long as triggered, several chains could be quickly stretched out to entangle the trapped magical creature.

    Under the control of the wizard, it was difficult to break the chains, and the duration was rted to the magic of the wizard who controlled the trap.

    Caresius¡¯s strength should be enough to control the Manticore for over an hour.

    Of course, he was dissatisfied with being asked to do this kind of thing, but he had no choice. The current situation was that whatever Evan would ask for, Caresius ha to try to satisfy it.

    What¡¯s more, there was no danger in this matter; only that Caresius needed to consume some of hismagic.

    In the past few years, from time to time, Hagrid had been providing food to the Manticore, living in the marsh.

    Evan learned from Hagrid that the food the Manticore liked was the flesh of the Nogtail.

    The Nogtail is a magical creature that lives in rural areas in Europe, Russia and the Americas. It looks like a stunted piglet, but with narrow ck eyes, a thick stubby tail, and long legs.

    It often sneaks into pigsties and suckles an ordinary sow alongside her own young. The longer the Nogtail is left undetected and the bigger it grows, the longer the blight on the farm into which it has entered.

    Evan also asked Sirius to get him a lot of Nogtail meat and send it to Moody¡¯s office with the trap.

    Now, these things are all packed in the parcel that Caresius was carrying in his hand.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 536: The Marsh Ruins and Megalithic Temples

    Chapter 536: The Marsh Ruins and Megalithic Temples

    On top of the endless swamp, Buckbeak flew forward for more than ten minutes.

    The fog around was getting thicker and thicker, and there was arge area of obscurity where nothing was clear; even the sun was shaded.

    In the terrible fog, eyespletely lost their function, as all they could see was hazy white, everywhere.

    Evan could not see anything by now, but could only hear Buckbeak fluttering his wings.

    Whoop, whoop, whoop¡­

    It moved its wings more and more slowly, and didn¡¯t seem to move anymore.

    The three floated in midair, surrounded by seemingly endless fog from all directions.

    Evan had a bad feeling that grew stronger and stronger, as if in their halt, some monster was following them, about to rush at any time!

    ¡°Do you feel it? There¡¯s something wrong with this ce,¡± said Caresius.

    There was a hint of surprise in his voice, and something seemed to be happening.

    Soon, Evan also felt that the subtle magic was pervading around them, and that it was the source of his earlier feelings.

    It was a very strange magic, unlike any magic Evan was familiar with. It had a repelling and restraining effect on other magic powers and was suppressing the power in Evan¡¯s body.

    ¡°Lumos!¡± he yelled, and the tip of his wand began to glow.

    Evan straightened his arm and raised his wand. The light grew stronger and stronger, prating through the thick fog around him¡­

    In the dim light, he saw giant domed nts.

    Each of these exotic nts stood quietly hundreds of feet high in the fog.

    They were like umbres covering arge swamp area, like mushrooms that had been magnified countless times.

    The strange magic came from these nts, and it seemed to absorb and swallow all other magic in the surrounding air.

    Obviously, they didn¡¯t grow sorge naturally, but they be that size under the catalysis of some mysterious magic.

    Perhaps, it was the magic that permeated the lost ruins, and they had obvious rejection and engulfing effects on other forces.

    Hagrid had said that their of the Manticore was in the vicinity.

    ¡°This is the ce Hagrid told me about,¡± said Evan to Caresius. ¡°Be careful!¡±

    ¡°This ce makes me feel ufortable. Fighting in the thick fog, the Manticore would have an advantage over us!¡± said Caresius. He immediately raised his wand up and read a spell.

    The next second, with them as the center, a hurricane suddenly blew up, blowing away all the thick fog around.

    Evan was surprised by the strength disyed by Caresius. The magic was simple, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it himself at this scale, not without the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    So, this cunning vampire must have been holding back in thest battle.

    Caresius was really a dangerous man with whom he had to be careful all the time.

    Although he was now Evan¡¯s ally, he was also Voldemort¡¯s ally. For his interests, this guy seemed ready to sell out anything, anyone.

    Just thinking of the matter was too tiring, as the thought of being sold out wasn¡¯t exactly that pleasant. Therefore, Evan re-focused on the current situation.

    As the wind blew, the fog became lighter and weaker. About a minuteter, all the fog cleared away, and Evan finally saw the scene around him.

    They were flying over a dried-upke, which had taken on an irregr outward spreading shape. The soil inside was dark without light, as if it had been corroded by something, and had lost all its vitality.

    Unlike the lively everdes he had seen before, there was not a single de of grass around here. There were only theserge, disproportionate dome nts scattered around, with their bizarre reddish-brown tops.

    In front of them was a gigantic triangr stone building. Its main body had sunk and dumped in the ck mud, leaving only what seemed to be a small part of it exposed.

    The exposed part alone was already asrge as the Centaurs¡¯ Temple of the Moon, which showed just how humongous the overall size of the building.

    The white stone walls had been eroded, and they were able to tell the glory of the past.

    Unlike the ruins of the fallen Centaurs that Evan had seen before, there were no exaggerated statues, stone carvings and murals on them.

    Instead, there areplex magic lines and simple decorations, low-key and yet without losing the atmosphere.

    ¡°Unbelievable, it¡¯s a relic left from the ancient warlocks¡¯ period!¡± Caresius stared at the building carefully for a long time before he said with surprise, ¡°I never expected there would be such a thing near Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you want to go in and have a look?¡±

    ¡°Not interested. You¡¯d better stay away from this ce, too.¡± said Caresius in a low voice. ¡°Do you know the Megalithic Temples of Malta? They¡¯re also relics left by an ancient warlock. Throughout history, tens of powerful sorcerers went there and wanted to explore the secrets of the ruins. But in the end they all died inside and no one came out alive. Since a few centuries ago, that ce was ssified as a forbidden zone, and no one was allowed to approach it.¡±

    Evan had known about this matter, and he had read all about it in a book.

    Malta, known as the <em>Heart of the Mediterranean</em>, is very old in history.

    The Megalithic Temples Caresius talked about, also known as the Stone Age Temples of Malta, are a group of buildings left from the Stone Age.

    Their history is even older than the pyramids of Egypt, they¡¯re thergest Stone Age temples in Europe and are also very famous among Muggles.

    There are currently eight ruins of the Giant Stone Temples that have been discovered, seven of which have been destroyed.

    In the long history, the protection magic that the ancient warlocks left in them gradually lost its effect.

    The original intention of the construction of the seven megalithic temples is unclear. After losing the protection of magic, they have been corroded and weathered into ordinary buildings.

    They have thus be one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world. People who have been there often marvel at the incredible miracle and look at the magnificent buildings piled up with countless pieces of tens of tons of megaliths with awe, wondering how the ancients did this with primitive tools.

    The wizards who know about their history are aware that these buildings are the remains of ancient warlocks. Especially the well-preserved one, the magic and powerful charms inside were amazing.

    So far, their hidden secrets have not been cracked.

    The spection about the interior of the Megalithic Temples has never stopped, and many magic books were written about the matter.

    But as Caresius just said, all the wizards who dared to enter the one left, have died, and no one knew what was inside.

    Maybe it was a powerful curse or attacking magic, or a dangerous monster. Anything was possible.

    The power of the ancient warlocks is entirely beyond the understanding of today¡¯s wizards and cannot be inferred from the existing magic theories.

    Like the Megalithic temples, since these ruins in front of him had also been left by ancient warlocks, they had to be dealt with carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice, Evan. Don¡¯t touch forces you don¡¯t know at all, or you¡¯ll get into trouble that you can¡¯t imagine!¡± said Caresius.

    Looking at him, he for once seemed very afraid of the power of the ancient warlocks.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 537: Entering the Ruins

    Chapter 537: Entering the Ruins

    Such was the strength of Caresius, and it was enough to prove how powerful the ancient warlocks had been.

    Obviously, no matter what treasures might be hidden in the ruins, he was not going to go in and find out.

    From a rational point of view, his cautious view was absolutely correct.

    In the face of powerful unknown forces beyond their ability, the best thing to do was to stay away from them instead of making random contact. Otherwise, they might not even see their deathing.

    But there was a premise in this matter. If Evan had not contacted the evil god, if Voldemort had not taken away the statue of the evil god, he would have followed the advice of Caresius and left here. But now, he had no other choice.

    The Temple¡¯s most important object, the statue of the evil god, had been removed. There should be no other major danger left in it¡­

    From the memories of the Centaurs¡¯ ancestor Okegiga, it could be seen that he did not encounter any obstacles inside the building. He entered the center of the ruins very smoothly at that time, and he did not even encounter the Manticore.

    Besides, there was one more point that made Evan firmly believe in entering to check.

    Gryffindor himself must have known about this. Since he showed him the memory of Okegiga in his illusion, he must have hoped that he woulde to this ce. There might be a way to defeat the evil god in these ancient relics.

    It couldn¡¯t be something out of Evan¡¯s ability to beat. Otherwise, Gryffindor would have certainly not told him about it.

    Thinking of this, Evan decided to act as nned.

    ¡°Thank you for your advice, Caresius, but I still want to go in and have a look. We¡¯d bettery a trap here, and then bring out the Manticore inside. You control it and give me time. I¡¯ll be back in an hour.¡± said Evan, motioning Buckbeak tond.

    ¡°Hum, if you want to die, I won¡¯t stop you!¡± Caresius stared at Evan with cold eyes and said slowly, ¡°Remember, I¡¯ll only wait for you here for an hour. If you don¡¯te back, I¡¯ll leave directly, and I won¡¯t inform anyone else.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t answer. He took the package from Caresius, jumped down from Buckbeak and began to set the trap.

    The mud on the ground was soft, there was no much water, and it was not trapping like a swamp.

    Evan buried the trap trigger device that would capture the magical creature under the soil, and then piled the meat of the Nogtail on it. He also sprinkled a lot of potions in them, and these potions had a certain anesthetic effect. Although he didn¡¯t know if it would work on the Manticore, it did not seem like a bad idea to just try them.

    The Manticore had abundant feelings and superbnguage ability, but his violent nature prevented it from thinking carefully.

    Most of the time, it would make choices impulsively, obey its instinct, and fall into traps.

    Evan climbed onto Buckbeak and they rose back into the air and waited quietly.

    Before long, a huge red lion emerged from the entrance of the ruins.

    It looked about the size of Hagrid, and where it should originally be a lion¡¯s face, there was a face of a middle-aged man.

    The head was surrounded by long red hair, and the ugly big nose on the face was the most conspicuous thing about it, with red eyes above it.

    Its eyes were as red as a vampire¡¯s, but they were not the deep red of Caresius, nor the lovely crimson of ine with her faint charm, but the blood-red, and full of rage..

    Three rows of long sharp tusks grew out of its mouth, telling everyone that this was not a human face. There were also two long ck horns above the head of the Manticore. The horns are thick, round in sections, and curved backwards, like male gazelles.

    But more precisely, it looked like an evil demon.

    On either side of its ribs was a pair of cyan wings. Having the ability to fly, there was no doubt that the Manticore was even more dangerous.

    At the end of its tail was a scorpion-like deadly stinger, muchrger than that of an ordinary scorpion sting. It was like it had been magnified by the Engorgement Charm. It glowed with a heart-rending green light, and it had a high toxicity. Being stung with it meant death in the blink of an eye¡­

    The Manticore, emerging from the ruins, did not see Evan and Caresius. It saw the food and made a soft humming sound.

    The sound is sweet and melodious, mingled with the distant maic whistle, with some magic.

    This was his habit of catching and devouring prey. All the creatures who heard the humming sound are immersed in it, not knowing that death was awaiting them.

    The Manticore that came out from the ruins did not stop, but pounced straight at the piled mound of meat like a hill.

    ¡°Bingo!¡± said Evan, delighted. Things were going better than he had expected.

    The wand in Caresius¡¯s hand was lifted upward. The next second, six thick chains drilled out of the ground, shaking in the air with the sound of ps, from bottom to top, falling from the sky at a very fast speed. The trap was tightly wrapped around the Manticore that was enjoying food.

    Suddenly attacked, the beast seemed to be a little surprised, as if he did not understand what was going on.

    When he saw the chains around him, there was a furious look on his face.

    His blue wings were all open, and he started out with terrible howls, shaking vigorously, trying to break free from the control of the chains.

    His muscles were tight, his eyes bulged outward, and his scorpion tail pped on the ground, smashing a huge pit.

    The chains were stretched to the extreme, making a clicking sound.

    The Manticore was extremely powerful, and he waspeting with the power of the magic chain. With a bang, one of the chains broke.

    Evan, who was navigating Buckbeak, was a bit surprised. This was terrible!

    Those chains were as thick as his arms and very hard. It was said that they were even suitable to deal with the fire dragon. Evan did not expect that they would be so easily broken. It was clear that the Manticore was in a whole different league from any other magical creature he had ever witnessed!

    ¡°Leave the monster to me, you hurry up!¡± whispered Caresius.

    He didn¡¯t seem to care that the chain had broken, and he turned and jumped off Buckbeak¡¯s back.

    Just then, a strange red and ck circr arc of light shed, his body disappeared in mid-air, and then appeared out of thin air in front of the furious Manticore!

    Compared with the massive Manticore, the tall body of Caresius looked very small. His pale face was expressionless, and he pointed his wand forward and uttered a curse.

    The next second, countless tiny red chains appeared on the Manticore that was firmly trapped.

    The Manticore, who had found his target, made a terrible roar. Although his whole body was entangled in chains, he still carried them and rushed to the front of Caresius, wanting to tear him apart. .

    There was no time to care about the battle between the two. After Caresius went on, Evan did not stop.

    He controlled Buckbeak to fly to the entrance of the ruins not far away. It was a huge pothole that had been changed into a nest by the Manticore.

    The entrance was big and it was very easy for Evan to get in¡­

    ========================================

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 Chapter 538: Powerful Magic

    Chapter 538: Powerful Magic

    In the darkness, Evan continued down the tunnel behind the entrance.

    Most of the ancient relics had been buried deep underground, and only the top part was exposed.

    That used to be a venttion passage in the ruins, and he didn¡¯t know where it led. He also didn¡¯t know when it had been transformed into a hugeir entrance and exit by the Manticore.

    After entering, Evan and Buckbeak flew down what looked like a deep, dark well. They were surrounded by old mossy white boulders with no forks along the way.

    This was certainly not the entrance that the Centaurs¡¯ ancestor, Okegiga, had followed eight hundred years ago. The Centaurs could not fly like the Hippogriffs. However, judging from the size of the ruins, he should have entered them from other ces.

    Of course, it was also possible that the horrible evil god intentionally directed him toe here and find the statue.

    Over the years, the magic left by ancient warlocks became weaker and weaker, and the evil spirit gradually broke away from the power of the seals put on it. It became able to influence the creatures around through the statue and make them degenerate into its own servants.

    Besides the wizards of Hogwarts, the most obvious nearby intelligent creatures belonged to the most popted and powerful Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest.

    It was a matter of course that the evil god chose them as targets, to help it collect flesh and blood, and toplete its summoning magic.

    Needless to say, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which had been preserved in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, was the source of power it needed toe to the world.

    Associated with various legends of evil gods and ancient sorcerers, Evan did not dare to be careless and looked around carefully.

    The end of his wand shone brightly, dispelling the darkness around him.

    Buckbeak was falling fast, but they still flew down for five minutes before reaching the bottom.

    That was a huge square room, not surprisingly, their of the Manticore. The floor of the room was buried by the bones of countless creatures, all of which were the prey of the Manticore. They were bones of all kinds of creatures, piled up like hills.

    Fortunately, Evan did not see human bones among them, which indirectly proves that these ruins had not yet been discovered by the outside world.

    Due to its proximity to Hogwarts, there were very few foreign wizards visiting this area.

    This dangerous marsh in the depths of the Forbidden Forest was even more inessible, and it was not known how long no one had been there.

    As for the only visitor, Hagrid, there were probably only magical creatures in his eyes, and he did not care about other things at all.

    Evan let Buckbeaknd on the pile of bones, and as he did, he heard the sound of countless bones being crushed.

    In fact, it was not good to look at the piles of bones under his feet and not know what kind of creatures they were.

    It was a purgatory, and if any other young wizard hade here, he might have fainted long ago.

    Buckbeak bowed his head and pecked hard at the skull left by an unknown creature, making a dull sound that reverberated in the room.

    Forced to contain his difort, Evan climbed down from Buckbeak¡¯s back.

    Now was not the time to sigh, he must hurry toplete the exploration and leave here within an hour.

    It was no longer suitable to ride Buckbeak to keep going, but it was up to him to do it.

    A door, half buried by countless bones, was located in the right corner of the room.

    The walk through the bones to that door was to be another unforgettable experience to Evan.

    He had just taken two steps when he heard the click sounding from below, as if something was going toe out.

    Evan stopped abruptly and pointed his wand at the ce.

    Deep in the bones, a glow of red shed, and the heat wave came out.

    Evan took a half step back and saw severalrge tortoises with heavily jeweled shells with different colors, crawling out of the bones.

    They were red as fire, waving a huge crab w out of proportion to their bodies, and another one slightly smaller, but sharper.

    They stared at Evan tightly, and the crab ws ttered threateningly, constantly shooting mes from their rear ends.

    These things were Fire Crabs, with which the Manticore mated to give st-Ended-Skrewts.

    From where the Fire Crabs came out, Evan saw a lot of st-Ended-Skrewts, which were densely parasitic in the middle of the bone mountain.

    The Manticore seemed to have given them food and was raising his offspring.

    Fortunately, these st-Ended-Skrewts did not grow much, and the character of the Fire Crabs was rtively mild.

    As long as Evan did not provoke them, they would not take the initiative to attack.

    Bypassing the Fire Crabs and st-Ended-Skrewts, Evan came to the buried door.

    He gently waved his wand, and all the nearby bones flew into the air andnded elsewhere.

    After simply clearing out a passage for himself to bend over, Evan went down the gentle slope made up of bones.

    As soon as he went out, he felt a strong magic pressureing from all directions. It was like the magic of the weird dome nts outside, but more intense and rich.

    Evan¡¯s magic was quickly suppressed and lost its effect.

    The light at the end of his wand flickered and eventually disappeared.

    In this area, all magic was not working. this is a magic free field!

    Evan blinked and looked around in amazement.

    After the light of his wand was extinguished, he thought that there would be darkness in front of him, but it was not. At this time, in front of him was an ancient huge cloister.

    On the side close to the inside was a white marble wall and on the other side was a hollow garden. It was full of weird nts that Evan had never seen, and the ground was covered with mushrooms that glowed orange. The faint fluorescence converged on everything and illuminated everything here.

    Even without the light of Evan¡¯s wand, he could clearly see the surrounding scene.

    Evan stood in ce for a while, and did not enter it immediately.

    His body was tight, his mind was highly focused, and he carefully observed the scene inside the ruins.

    Not surprisingly, this should be the ce where Okegiga hade that year.

    Right in front, Evan¡¯s vision was blocked by countless unknown nts in the central garden of the cloister, and he could not see the end.

    The marble wall next to him was engraved with light blue magic symbols and ancient magic inscriptions.

    A few minutester, after repeatedly confirming that there was no danger, he began to think about walking in the corridor.

    In this space filled with powerful, strange forces, magic hadpletely lost its function.

    Evan couldn¡¯t even feel the magic inside him. He was now like a Muggle.

    No matter what happened, he had to find a way to solve it with his own hands and could not rely on magic for help.

    Evan took a few steps forward and recognized it at a nce. The surrounding walls were all ancient magical texts like those that appeared in the second part of The Book of Abraham.

    He hadn¡¯t deciphered it yet. These mysterious ancient magic texts are more numerous and moreplex than those on the book.

    Evan carefully observed that countless ancient magical characters and surrounding magical symbols seemed to constitute a powerful spell.

    Although he could not understand it, he could feel the powerful force contained in it, which was the source of the strange force that suppressed the magic in his body.

    They were left by ancient warlocks throughout this huge building, forming a magic together with the entire relic.

    Combined with the message, as well as its effect of suppressing magic, this should be a spell to seal evil gods.

    That was shocking. Evan could not describe this feeling in words. He had never seen such a powerful magic.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 539: Ancient Magic

    Chapter 539: Ancient Magic

    The power of the ancient warlocks was indeed extremely strong. Among other things, that powerful seal magic carved on the wall of the ruins stood as proof of that.

    Achieving such an effect today would be a miraculous feat.

    In this field of absolute magic-prohibition, any magic would lose its function. Even the power of the evil god could not possibly be used.

    With such a temple to iste it from the outside world, it had no way to affect other creatures.

    Before the Noumenon came, the evil god could not invade minds and spirits, which meant that it had lost its only means of attack.

    While this controlled the evil gods, the mechanism outside the ruins and the Manticore could also block all outsiders.

    The ancient warlocks who built the Temple originally designed it very well, and they intended it to seal the statue of the evil god forever.

    Unfortunately, they probably did not anticipate that a thousand yearster, the surrounding environment would undergo such massive changes.

    All the ancient magicians who were once strong and powerful became history and disappeared with the evolution of human civilization.

    This area had also turned into arge marsh, and the entire site had sunk to the depths of the earth. Many ces were destroyed as the building sank and naturally weathered. The powerful sealing magic that was originally engraved on the wall was thus cracked and gradually lost its original role. The powerful force now permeating the hall might be less than one-tenth of what it was in its heyday.

    The power of the evil god came back again, and its statue was brought back by Okegiga to the Centaurs¡¯ colony.

    All that remained was this temple, quietly immersed in the depths of the swamp, as well as the meaningless caretaker.

    Evan¡¯s fingers gently glided across the marble, and he could clearly feel the vicissitudes of history after the impressive power represented by the ancient magic words and magic symbols on the wall.

    He walked forward for more than ten minutes and did not cross the entire side of the corridor.

    The space inside this relic was beyond imagination, and it might take several hours to walk back and forth in it.

    There wasn¡¯t enough left of the hour Evan and Caresius agreed on, and he could not go on.

    He had nned to record the ancient magic inscriptions carved on the wall and all the magic symbols and go back to study them slowly. Now it seemed that he had to find time toe back again.

    He decided to go to the middle, take a look at the ce where the evil god statue was found, and then go back.

    This exploration allowed him to see the power of ancient warlocks, a powerful force beyond anything known with modern magic.

    The more he came into contact with it, the more he realized how insignificant his knowledge of magic was.

    It¡¯s to take under consideration that when he first entered school, he was, like other young wizards, excited for half a day if he cast a spell sessfully.

    He once thought that the power of Dumbledore and Voldemort was already the limit that wizards could reach.

    Later, as he studied magic documents and came into contact with the relics and magic powers left by the Four Founders and other ancient wizards, Evan gradually realized that power that once was so strong in his eyes might be just the beginning.

    When he saw the power of the evil gods and the ancient warlocks, a brand-new gate was opened in front of him.

    There were still many mysteries in the wizarding world that he did not understand. There was a lot of knowledge he needed to acquire.

    In awe, Evan crossed the cloister and walked into the lush garden.

    All the nts in it were unknown to him, and with a touch of magic, they looked unique.

    Looking at a column of purple oak trees, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if, like the huge dome nts outside; the surrounding nts had actually been transformed by the magic that filled the space, which made them be so strange.

    The vine nts surrounded the whole garden and took it as the center, spreading upward.

    In the orange fluorescent scenery, looking at the grotesque nts around him, Evan felt like he was on a strange.

    He walked forward for a long time, and then he saw a square stone tform.

    The surrounding ground was rounded by huge and brilliant boulders, engraved with sophisticated magic symbols.

    The stone tform itself was tightly entangled with green nts, hiding its original appearance.

    Evan remembered that Okegiga once said that when he discovered the statue of the evil god, it was entangled in a square stone tform with arge number of withered nts.

    It should be the ce, but without the corrosive power of the evil god, the surrounding nts were back to life.

    This was the center of the whole relic and the ce with the strongest magic power in the hall.

    Evan carefully observed the surroundings, and found nothing different except that the strange magic was extraordinarily rich.

    He moved closer and closer, with a strange feeling that something seemed to be attracting him on the stone tform.

    He used all his strength to remove a sheltered vine and saw an irregr circr groove in the center of the stone tform.

    It was originally used to ce the statue of the evil god, andplicated dark gold magic lines extended around it.

    Following these lines, Evan kept pulling out the vines that covered them. Then he realized that the magic lines on the stone tform intertwined to form two ancient magic inscriptions.

    Evan knew these two words, which meant ¡°<em>silence</em>.¡±

    Absolutely, they appeared in Nics mel¡¯s <em>Pictographic Dictionary</em>.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Evan repeated it with the pronunciation of the ancient magic script. What was the meaning of these two words?!

    Perhaps, it was the name of this powerful magic in the ruins hall.

    His voice just fell, and <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, which was in his pocket, suddenly flew out by itself!

    It was glowing with white light, floating in front of Evan, and its pages were flipping fast.

    Evan was surprised to see the ancient book in front of him. Thest time this happened, it was in the illusion of the evil god.

    At that time, the book also flew out suddenly, sealing the horrible evil spirit at a critical juncture.

    What was going on this time?!

    <em>The Book of Abraham</em> quickly flipped through the first two parts and stopped briefly on the front page of the third part.

    There was a mass of ink on it, and only the foot of the former evil god could be shown.

    Soon, the pages turned back a few more pages and stopped immediately.

    On the originally nk pages, texts emitting blue light quickly appeared.

    At the top were the two ancient magical words ¡°<em>Silence</em>¡± that Evan saw on the stone tform. Below were the iprehensible magic symbols and ancient magic characters engraved on the wall of the ruins. Under the effect of an invisible power, they were quickly recorded.

    Evan felt that the rest of the entire hall was gathering here.

    He looked up and saw the light shining on the walls around him, the contents of which floated out in a light blue mist. With their own location as the core, these light and fog quickly converged to form a huge whirlpool.

    They rolled over and eventually merged into <em>The Book of Abraham</em> to form the words recorded on it.

    Before Evan could figure out what was going on, he heard a slight click on the stone tform.

    These dreamlike mists suddenly disappeared, and <em>The Book of Abraham</em> fell to the ground.

    What happened? Was everything recorded?!

    Evan hurriedly picked up <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, but could find only one third!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 540: Broken Philosopherâ€™s Stone

    Chapter 540: Broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone

    What exactly happened?!

    Evan looked carefully at the pages in front of him, and apart from the words ¡°<em>Silence</em>¡± at the top, the following pages were full of ancient magic texts and intricate magic symbols that he did not know, shing a light blue light, but upying only a third of the pages.

    Obviously, <em>The Book of Abraham</em> did not record the magicpletely.

    Evan was confused about the situation at hand, and his mind was full of doubts. His research on this book was only superficial.

    The only certainty was that <em>The Book of Abraham</em> must be rted to evil spirits and ancient warlocks.

    On the front page of the third part, besides for the empty God portrait that has already appeared, the other ces were still covered by thick ck ink.

    Thetter part only recorded one-third of the ¡°Silence¡± magic, and the rest were all nk.

    Evan looked it over again and still had no clue.

    He sighed and put the book down, and then he felt that the ruins were different from what he had just seen.

    The powerful magic that pervaded the air hadpletely disappeared, and this ce had be an empty ancient architectural site.

    After being recorded in <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, the powerful magic left by ancient magicians finally lost its effect.

    The marble surfaces baptized by the ruthless years were full of cracks. Without the protection of magic, they had be the mostmon stones. They had been weathered for a long time, and seemed to be about to copse at any moment.

    A lot of gravel and dust kept falling, and Evan could even hear the sound of rumbling from areas he didn¡¯t know.

    It was no longer safe here. He had to leave quickly; otherwise, he was in danger of being buried alive.

    However, Evan was not willing to leave. His purpose of this trip had not yet been reached, but it had only added more questions.

    Losing the protection of magic power, this relic was about to be ruins.

    When that happens, all the secrets here and the magic on the walls would bepletely annihted.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan forced himself to calm down.

    He still remembered that at thest moment, he heard a slight click sound from the stone tform.

    Would it be rted to the sudden failure of half of the powerful magic operation that hadsted for thousands of years?

    His eyes shifted to the stone tform, and he moved away the remaining nts as fast as he could.

    After a few tens of seconds, after all the cleaning up, Evan saw the stone tform as it really was.

    The center of the stone tform was slightly sunken, showing an irregr circr groove, which was used to ce the statue of the evil god.

    With this as the center, the dark golden magic lines interweaved with each other and formed two ancient magic inscriptions of <em>silence</em> under the stone tform.

    Above, there was a smaller irregr groove with a ck stone stuck in it. It seemed to be a magic stone!!!

    Evan blinked and looked at the stone incredulously.

    <em>Yeah absolutely, that was definitely a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, a Philosopher¡¯s Stone that had lost its power.</em>

    Now, the Stone was covered with cracks, and there was no magic in it. It was no different from ordinary stones.

    Here was the core of the entire relic, and this Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the source of the powerful magic holding the Evil God in.

    Evan remembered Nics mel telling him that the Philosopher¡¯s Stones were powerful magic stones made by ancient warlocks with alchemy. They were created to supply enough magic to those who were powerful.

    He knew that the magic used to summon evil gods would use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    He didn¡¯t expect that the magic in this ruined relic would be of that level.

    So it seemed that the crackling must have been caused by the breaking of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which had exhausted all its magic.

    When Evan¡¯s hand just touched its surface, the broken Philosopher¡¯s Stone turned into countless powder crystals and disappeared.

    Looking at the empty groove, he suddenly thought that he could put his own Philosopher¡¯s Stone into it.

    Obviously, due tock of power, <em>The Book of Abraham</em> had not finished recording this ancient magic.

    He had just to rece it with a new Philosopher¡¯s Stone and give it some strength.

    But Evan was hesitant. He didn¡¯t know what would happen if he put the Philosopher¡¯s Stone into it.

    Whether it is ¡°The Book of Abraham¡± or the magic in the ruins, it was all beyond his understanding. He did not even know what that magic called ¡°<em>silence</em>¡± was. Less than a tenth of the remaining magic power is enough to suppress all his magic. If restored to full¡­

    No one can guarantee how powerful the magic left by the ancient magicians was in itsplete state. The warning of Caresius was still ringing in his ears.

    <em>¡°Don¡¯t tamper with forces that you don¡¯t know at all, or you¡¯ll get into trouble beyond what you can imagine!</em>¡±

    However, looking at the magic inscriptions on the third of the page, Evan hesitated again.

    Intuition told him that he could not just walk away; otherwise he would miss this magic and the chance to learn the secret of the evil gods forever.

    With under a minute passing, the falling gravel was getting bigger and bigger, and the horrible cracking sound in his ear was getting louder and louder.

    Evan shook his fist hard. He knew that he had no choice but to take his chances.

    He made up his mind to quickly take out the Philosopher¡¯s from the Locket and ce it in the groove above the stone tform.

    Although the shape of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was very different, it exactly matched the groove on the stone tform.

    Evan held his breath, gazed nervously at the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in his hand, and gently put it into the groove.

    Click, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the groove collided together.

    Evan looked at the stone expectantly, but nothing happened. Was it a failure?!

    The next second, before he did anything, the ancient ruins hall was obviously shaken.

    In the shaking, a huge pir copsed and deep fissures began to appear on the ground.

    Evan gasped, his heart thumping to his throat.

    He couldn¡¯t wait any longer, he had to go quickly, but he hadn¡¯t yet taken the Philosopher¡¯s Stone out of the groove.

    Suddenly he felt a powerful magic bursting out in front of him, and the magic poured out madly from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the groove.

    It moved along theplex magic runes around it to both sides of the corridor walls, spreading rapidly.

    In the blink of an eye, all the marble floors in the hall became bright, and the magic engraved on the walls was again misting.

    These blue hazes were much brighter than before. With the support of powerful magic, magic symbols and ancient magic texts broke away from the walls and flew into mid-air, spinning slowly around Evan¡¯s location.

    The ancient magic of a thousand years ago was re-activated, and the most powerful magic filled the whole space.

    Evan felt the power that existed from ancient times wasparable to that of the evil gods when they came.

    The copse of the entire hall suddenly stopped, everything became quiet, and Evan found himself floating upwards.

    Gravity seemed to lose its effect and his body was floating up rapidly.

    In front of him <em>The Book of Abraham</em> also floated up with him. The blue magic whirlpool rolled and gathered in it, and theplex ancient texts on it were quickly recorded. In a few seconds, it was half full, and this still continued.

    Not far away was the stone tform, on which the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was shining red.

    In addition, the lush vegetation in the garden was all floating, even the dust and dirt particles on the ground.

    The entire relic hall seemed to have changed into a scene, not the one Evan had seen before, but it had be more profound and mysterious.

    All the surrounding walls disappeared, and the darkness stretched out into the infinite.

    Then, Evan realized that he was not floating¡­

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 Chapter 541: Collapsed Ruins

    Chapter 541: Copsed Ruins

    It was not only the surrounding walls that had disappeared, but the whole temple!

    Evan was not simply floating up now, but in a strange space.

    The ancient building left by the ancient warlocks was no longer visible here, and the boundaries between reality and magic were getting blurred.

    The magic vortex was still going on around Evan and <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, with the stone tform as its center.

    Numerous swirls of light mist, made up of floating blue magic runes and ancient magic texts, were rolling, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone provided them with powerful magic as a support, forming this entire space and eventually converging into <em>The Book of Abraham</em>.

    In the face of such power, Evan deeply felt his weakness.

    The power of today¡¯s wizards in front of the powerful magic of ancient warlocks was just as ridiculous as ants facing a giant.

    The power of this magic in itsplete state was totally beyond Evan¡¯s expectations, and could only be described as shocking and surprising.

    He looked around in disbelief and was immersed in this power to the fullest.

    In the distance, the deep darkness was still spreading outwards, seemingly never ending.

    The constantly surging magic power not only constructed this space, but also formed a strong cage at the same time.

    Being trapped in this cage, without any power, and unable to go anywhere; this was the essence of this ¡°Silence¡± magic. This was a protective spell that waspletely beyond ordinary people¡¯s understanding.

    It would take unimaginable forces to build a space independent of the real world.

    The will of the ancient warlocks to keep something trapped in this space was absolute, and nothing could ever defy it.

    Evan never knew that the power of magic could reach such intensity.

    He floated there quietly, feeling that he had touched the source of this magic power.

    The words in <em>The Book of Abraham</em> were recorded very quickly, and before he knew it, all floating magic symbols were absorbed.

    Right then, Evan returned to the ruins and slowly fell down.

    He looked at the thick <em>Book of Abraham</em> in his hand, still immersed in the strong magic power.

    Evan carefully understood the feeling and seemed to have caught something, but it was not clear at the time.

    Undoubtedly, the harvest of this exploration was very big, far beyond Evan¡¯s expectations.

    Boom, boom, boom!

    A continuous loud noise awakened Evan. He raised his head and looked around.

    The stone tform in front of him had been split into several pieces, and the entire ruins were copsing in arge area, andrge pieces of rubble were falling from above.

    The surrounding walls and the ground were also full of cracks, which were rapidly expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    Under the impact of strong magic power, this ancient building was about to be destroyed.

    If he didn¡¯t want to be buried alive here, he had to run away.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan did not hesitate. He grabbed the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, turned around and ran back.

    Now, the entire ruins were shaking constantly. The boulders were falling and the walls were broken and copsed. The magnificent stone pirs fell one by one. The gullies reaching the abyss appeared on the ground. It was a totally apocalyptic scene.

    Evan sprinted forward as fast as he could. He had never run so fast before.

    The interior space of the ruins was toorge. He was exhausted, but he did not dare stop.

    He kept waving his wand in his hand, emitting dazzling red lights, hitting awayrge stones on the road ahead.

    This was not only a test of physical strength, but also a magical and spiritual test.

    Before a few huge chasms, Evan gasped and flew a giant fallen column with Wingardium Leviosa.

    He moved this huge stone pir, which weighed a hundred tons, without thinking about its size or what it was made from.

    Evan mobilized the magic of his whole body to move it across the gully. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and had no fear in mind¡­ He had no time for fear!

    Looking at the crumbling ground behind him, he hurriedly scrambled up with his hands and feet.

    On both sides of Evan, there was a deep bottomless abyss. With the tremor of the ruins, the pirs were trembling constantly, and could copse at any time.

    If he fell into the abyss, there would be no possibility of survival.

    He tried not to think about these things, his eyes fixed on the front, and he rushed forward.

    As Evan ran over, the cracks on the ground widened.

    He turned his head in fear. The stone pirs behind him were falling into the abyss, making a series of terrible noises.

    A few minutester, as he gasped and rushed into the hut that was used as air by the Manticore, and Buckbeak was standing on a pile of bones, incessantly fluttering his wings, and all the Fire Crabs and the st-Ended Skrewt were running around restlessly.

    This ce didn¡¯t copse as badly as the ruins hall, but the cracks on the walls were obvious.

    Evan turned over and climbed onto Buckbeak andy down on it, running out of strength.

    He felt like he was back to the forest with Buckbeak when the light was bright again. The breeze blew, giving him a feeling of returning to life.

    A burst of ck light shed, and Caresius appeared behind Evan andnded on Buckbeak.

    Evan looked at him enviously. If he could Apparate, he wouldn¡¯t have had to work so hard.

    ¡°What did you do down there?¡± asked Caresius.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Evan replied, supporting himself and sitting up.

    He could not tell the vampire about the evil god, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the powerful magic left by the ancient warlocks, or <em>The Book of Abraham</em>. But looking at Caresius, it seemed that he had no intention of getting an answer from him anyway.

    Evan plucked his head and looked down.

    Because it was too far away, the Manticore had be a small ck dot.

    Caresius gently waved his wand and released the magic control off it.

    Freed from the chains, the Manticore roared at the sky a few times and turned back to hisir.

    Not long after he had gone down, there was a terrible and tremendous echo.

    Boom!!!

    It could be clearly seen that the entire ground was deeply sunken down, and this ancient relic waspletely destroyed.

    Buckbeak flew several rounds over the sky and headed for the castle again.

    More than half an hourter, they returned to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me for such a thing again!¡± said Caresius coldly.

    He did not care about Evan¡¯s condition. He jumped off Buckbeak¡¯s back, took out a hip sk and drank twice.

    In the blink of an eye, Caresius¡¯s body was back into Moody¡¯s appearance.

    He ced the magical eye in his eye socket, and the electric blue eyeball swirled wildly inside.

    He turned to look at Evan and hurriedly left the Forbidden Forest.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 542: Upcoming Guests

    Chapter 542: Uing Guests

    Evan was not as calm as Caresius, and the quick run he had just made exhausted most of his strength.

    He slipped slowly from Buckbeak¡¯s back and felt his knees shaking. His muscles were aching all over now, and even his breathing was burning.

    Buckbeak turned his head, his big amber eyes looking inexplicably at Evan, who desperately clung to his body.

    Evan smiled bitterly and asked Buckbeak to leave.

    He walked slowly to Hagrid¡¯s Hut. Although he was extremely tired, the fruits of this expedition were beyond imagination.

    After seeing the powerful magic, Evan decided to change his research direction. He was going to focus on the ancient magic and the magic recorded in <em>The Book of Abraham</em>, so as to understand the magic theory involved as soon as possible.

    Evan sat in Hagrid¡¯s Hut for more than an hour, drinking tea and discussing issues rted to the rearing of the st-Ended Skrewts.

    He didn¡¯t know the final fate of the st-Ended Skrewts, the Fire Crabs and the Manticore inside the ruins, but in such arge-scale copse, they must have all died.

    If Hagrid knew about this, he would definitely cry sadly.

    When it was nearly five o¡¯clock and the sun was setting slowly, Evan dragged his tired body back to the castle.

    He had just walked into the entrance Hall of the castle and saw arge crowd of students, all milling around arge sign that had been erected at the foot of the marble staircase.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Evan asked, next to him was Ernie MacMin of Hufflepuff House, who emerged from the crowd, his eyes gleaming.

    ¡°Only a week away!¡± said Ernie excitedly.

    ¡°What¡¯s only a week away?¡±

    ¡°The Triwizard Tournament!¡± Ernie quickly replied, trembling slightly with excitement. ¡°The school just posted the notice. The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o¡¯clock in the evening on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Weing Feast.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang areing?!¡± Evan was in a trance, Evan was in a trance. Time had passed so fast.

    He had recently received a letter from Gabriel telling him that the students in Beauxbatons were ready to leave.

    Not surprisingly, her sister Fleur performed very well in the school¡¯s internal primaries, and was highly regarded by Madam Maxime. Gabrielle also became the only junior student of Beauxbatons who had the chance to visit Hogwarts.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯re here, haven¡¯t seen you all day. Where have you been?!¡±

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione emerged from the crowd in delight, and they had just finished reading the notice.

    ¡°I went to Professor Moody to ask some things about the course,¡± Evan said simply.

    ¡°Okay, I am leaving!¡± said Ernie. ¡°I wonder if Cedric knows about it. I¡¯ll go and tell him.¡±

    ¡°Cedric?¡± Ron said nkly as Ernie hurried off.

    ¡°Diggory!¡± said Harry. ¡°He must be entering the tournament.¡±

    ¡°I remember him. That idiot, Hogwarts champion?¡± said Ron frowning as they pushed their way through the chattering crowd toward the Great Hall.

    ¡°He¡¯s not an idiot. You just don¡¯t like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I heard he¡¯s really a good student ¡­ and he¡¯s a perfect.¡±

    Listening to her tone, it was as if him being a prefect settled the matter.

    ¡°Oh, is it?!¡± Ron frowned, as if to refute Hermione.

    But in the end, he said nothing. Since thest incident, the two had been getting along very cautiously.

    During the following week, while Evan was focusing on magic research, obvious changes took ce in the castle.

    Now, no matter where they went, there seemed to be only one topic of conversation: the Triwizard Tournament.

    Rumors were flying from student to student like highly contagious germs: who was going to try for Hogwarts champion, what the tournament would involve, how the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang differed from themselves, and so on.

    Evan was naturally a popr candidate for the Hogwarts champion, although he did not meet the 17-year-old standard set by the three headmasters.

    However, there were still many who thought he would find a way topete and be a champion.

    After a period of heated discussion, this rumor came to an abrupt end.

    The news that Evan was not going to be a champion topete in the tournament came from the Gryffindor circle.

    While feeling both sorry and grateful for Evan, the young wizards also selected the strongest students in their minds.

    Most of the senior wizards who were seventeen years old seemed to think that they had the potential to be champions.

    At the same time as everyone was talking about it, the castle was undergoing an extra-thorough cleaning.

    Several grimy portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of their subjects, who sat huddled in their frames muttering darkly and wincing as they felt their raw pink faces.

    The suits of armor were suddenly gleaming and moving without squeaking.

    Argus Filch, the caretaker, watched at the door of the auditorium every day while eating. He was behaving so ferociously to any students who forgot to wipe their shoes that he terrified a pair of first-year girls into hysterics.

    Other members of the staff seemed oddly tense too, trying to make everything appear in the most perfect state.

    When they went down to breakfast on the morning of the thirtieth of October, they found that the Great Hall had been decorated overnight.

    Enormous silk banners hung from the walls, each of them representing a Hogwarts House: red with a gold lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenw, yellow with a ck badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver serpent for Slytherin.

    Behind the teachers¡¯ table, thergest banner of all bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake united around arge letter H.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin and Ginny looked around and sat down at the Gryffindor table.

    Next to them, Fred and George were, once again, unusually sitting apart from everyone else and conversing in low voices.

    Ludo Bagman was avoiding them, and the letters that the twins wrote to him some time ago were sent back intact.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bummer, all right.¡± George was saying gloomily to Fred. ¡°But if he won¡¯t talk to us in person, we¡¯ll have to send him the letter after all. Or we¡¯ll stuff it into his hand. He can¡¯t avoid us forever.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s avoiding you?¡± Ron said curiously, and walked over and sat down next to them.

    ¡°No one, I wish you would.¡± said Fred, looking irritated at the interruption.

    ¡°What¡¯s a bummer?¡± Ron asked George.

    ¡°Having a nosy git like you for a brother,¡± George replied.

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 Chapter 543: Welcoming Ceremony

    Chapter 543: Weing Ceremony

    Obviously, Fred and George were not going to tell anyone about it.

    ¡°Fred, George, you two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Thought any more about trying to enter?¡±

    ¡°Of course we thought. I asked Professor McGonagall how the champions are chosen but she wasn¡¯t telling,¡± said George bitterly. ¡°She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my roon.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what the tasks are going to be?¡± said Ron thoughtfully. ¡°You know, I bet we could do them. We¡¯ve done dangerous stuff before¡­¡±

    Ron followed Harry in the first year to defeat Voldemort, and in the second year he fought in the Chamber of Secrets with the basilisk.

    In the first half ofst year, he also participated in the rescue of Sirius, and in the final moments defeated Peter Pettigrew.

    In the second half of the term, he went with everyone to explore the Centaurs¡¯ colony in the Forbidden Forest, looking for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor.

    Either of these things was more dangerous than the Triwizard Tournament, and Ron and his friends were really experienced in this regard.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really great, but you didn¡¯t do that in front of a panel of judges, did you?¡± said Fred, ¡°McGonagall says champions get awarded points ording to how well they¡¯ve done the tasks.¡±

    ¡°Who are the judges?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Ministry of Magic officials will be judges.¡± said Evan, while serving himself porridge.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, they all turned their heads and looked at him in great surprise.

    ¡°This is obvious, isn¡¯t it?!¡± Evan exined. ¡°The Ministry of Magic has rarely nned such arge-scale event. It is impossible to note forward. I think one of the judges will be Mr. Crouch, or the Minister of Magic, Fudge himself.¡±

    ¡°Percy must know, but he won¡¯t tell us anything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I really want to know, who else will be judge?¡±

    ¡°The Heads of the participating schools would definitely be members on the panel.¡± Hermione followed.

    This time, everyone looked around at her, rather surprised.

    ¡°Have you never read a book?!¡± Hermione exined. ¡°All three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792, when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage.¡±

    Hermione took out a thick copy of <em>Hogwarts, a History</em> from her bag and turned it to the middle page.

    ¡°It¡¯s all written here, I remember this passage.¡±

    ¡°Do you always carry this book in ss?¡± Harry asked in surprise.

    Hermione¡¯s <em>Hogwarts, a History</em> did not look light.

    ¡°Because I had to check some information recently, I have read it again. There are a lot of important historical facts in it.¡± said Hermione, ¡°Though of course, this book is not entirely reliable. <em>A revised History of Hogwarts</em> would be a more urate title. Or <em>A highly Biased and Selective History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School</em>.¡±

    ¡°What are you on about?¡± Ron asked puzzled.

    The others were equally confused, but everyone soon knew what she was going to say next. It was about the house- elves again.

    ¡°House-elves!¡± said Hermione, her eyes shing. ¡°Not once, in over a thousand pages, does <em>Hogwarts, A History</em> mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred ves!¡±

    They kept tacitly silent and stared down at their tes.

    Fred and George seemed suddenly extremely interested in their bacon. They were the only ones who had refused to buy a S.P.E.W. badge. At the end of breakfast, Hermione was still tirelessly telling Evan about the current progress of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare.

    In a word, there was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air that day.

    Nobody was very attentive in ss, being much more interested in the arrival of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang that evening. Even Potions and Divination were more bearable than usual, and they were half an hour shorter.

    When the bell rang early, Evan, Colin and Ginny hurried up to Gryffindor Tower. They found that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and other young wizards had already returned. They pulled on their cloaks, and rushed back downstairs into the entrance hall.

    The Heads of Houses were ordering their students into lines.

    ¡°Weasley, straighten your hat; Creevey, tuck your shirt into your pants!¡± Professor McGonagall snapped at them, ¡°And you, Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair.¡±

    Parvati scowled and removed arge ornamental butterfly from the end of her it.

    ¡°Follow me, please.¡± said Professor McGonagall, ¡°First years in front ¡­ no pushing ¡­¡±

    They filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle.

    It was a cold, clear evening. Dusk was falling, and a pale, transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest.

    The moonlight was exceptionally bright, interdependent with the castle, creating a beautiful fantastic scenery.

    All the teachers and students of the school stood outside the gate, and the ghosts floated slowly over everyone.

    Evan, Colin and Ginny followed the other third years in the third row, behind them were Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

    He saw Colin¡¯s younger brother Dennis positively shivering with anticipation among the other first years.

    ¡°It¡¯s nearly six o¡¯clock!¡± said Ron, staring down the drive that led to the front gates. ¡°How are theying? The train?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Hermione. ¡°The Hogwarts Express is from London. They can¡¯t assemble there.¡±

    ¡°How, then? Broomsticks?¡± Harry suggested, looking up at the starry sky.

    Hearing what he said, Colin also looked up.

    ¡°They won¡¯t do that, from that far away.¡±

    ¡°A Portkey?!¡± Ron suggested. ¡°Or they could Apparate, maybe you¡¯re allowed to do it under seventeen wherever theye from?¡±

    ¡°Ron, you can¡¯t Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?¡± said Hermione impatiently.

    The young wizards scanned the darkening grounds excitedly, but nothing was moving. Everything was still and quiet as usual.

    The irrepressible buzz gradually began to ring from the crowd, and everyone felt cold and hungry.

    Just when everyone was about to lose patience, Dumbledore called out from the back row where he stood with the other teachers.

    ¡°Aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± said many students eagerly, all looking in different directions.

    ¡°<em>There</em>!¡± yelled a sixth year, pointing over the forest.

    There was somethingrge, muchrger than a broomstick.

    Under the silver moonlight, they could see that it was hurtling across the deep blue sky, flying toward the castle, gradually gettingrger andrger.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 544: Beauxbatons

    Chapter 544: Beauxbatons

    ¡°God, what¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dragon!¡± shrieked one of the first years, losing her headpletely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, it¡¯s a flying house!¡± said Dennis.

    His guess might be closer, but more urately, it was a horse-drawn carriage.

    Evan had seen these Abraxan horses when he visited Beauxbatons before.

    They were the size of an elephant each, all palominos, pale golden, with beautiful silver mane and red eyes. They usually lived around the rivers in the woods near the Beauxbatons. They were very rare magical creatures.

    It¡¯s known that the winged horse is one of the branches of the extinct fantasy species Pegasus. It is a hybrid of Pegasus and Giant Horse.

    Possibly due to mixed blood, the sess rate of reproduction of the winged horse is very low, and its growth cycle is slow.

    The Abraxan eats arge amount of food and is extremely delicate. It has extremely high requirements for food and does not eat ordinary fodder.

    Once they are not well cared for, they will fall ill and die.

    Some have calcted that the annual expenses of a magic horse are roughly equivalent to the expenses of a hundred wizard families.

    Probably only Beauxbatons and Nics mel, who regarded gold as mere stone, could afford so many Abraxans.

    Of course, the benefits of having an Abraxan are also very obvious. Indeed, the Abraxan is probably the closest magical creature to the Pegasus.

    In many legends, the sacred Pegasus is the mount of the gods, which is of great significance.

    Due to various characteristics, Pegasus was used as a mount in the ancient times when ancient warlocks still existed.

    Later, because of over-capture, the destruction of its habitat and other reasons, the Pegasus gradually disappeared and became extinct.

    Now all the young wizards raised their heads and were surprised to see the gigantic ck shape skim over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest, and when the lights shining from the castle windows hit it, they saw a gigantic, powder-blue carriage, soaring toward them.

    It was the size of arge house, pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses.

    ¡°I¡¯m not mistaken, am I?!¡± A seventh-grade student rubbed his eyes and eximed, ¡°They¡¯re Pegasus. These are magical creatures that have been extinct for thousands of years. I saw it in the book.¡± Because he was too excited, his voice was shaking.

    Hearing what he said, the young wizards around looked at the huge carriage even more strangely.

    The carriage hovered over Hogwarts Castle and seemed to be showing off.

    A momentter, the carriage hurtled ever lower,ing in tond at a tremendous speed, and the front three rows of students drew backward and stuck tightly together to make room for the huge carriage.

    Then, with an almighty crash, the horses¡¯ hooves,rger than dinner tes, hit the ground.

    In the blink of an eye, the carriagended too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolledrge, fiery red eyes.

    The door slowly opened, and a boy in Beauxbatons¡¯ pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage. He bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps.

    The boy sprang back respectfully, and then everyone saw a shining, high-heeled ck shoe emerging from the inside of the carriage. It was Madame Maxime, whose shoes were the size of a child¡¯s sled.

    Everyone in Hogwarts was amazed. They had never seen such arge woman in their life. A few people even gasped.

    In their view, Madame Maxime was asrge as Hagrid.

    But it might be because everyone was used to Hagrid, this woman seemed even more unnaturallyrge.

    At this moment, Madame Maxime was at the foot of the steps, looking around at the waiting, wide-eyed crowd.

    As she stepped into the light flooding from the entrance hall, she was revealed to have a handsome, olive-skinned face,rge, ck, liquid-looking eyes, and a rather beaky nose. Her hair was drawn back in a shining knob at the base of her neck.

    She was dressed from head to foot in ck satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

    As the young wizards stared at her, Dumbledore started to p. The students, following his lead, broke into apuse too, many of them standing in tiptoe, the better to look at Madame Maxime.

    Her face rxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Dumbledore, though tall himself, barely had to bend to kiss it.

    ¡°My dear Madame Maxime!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Wee to Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore!¡± Madame Maxime replied in a low voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you for several months. I¡¯ve heard some things. I hope you are all right.¡±

    ¡°In excellent form, thank you,¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°My pupils,¡± said Madame Maxime, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

    At this time, everyone noticed that about a dozen boys and girls had emerged from the carriage and were now standing behind Madame Maxime in her enormous shadow.

    From their appearance, they were in theirte teens. They were shivering, which was unsurprising, given that their robes seemed to be made of fine silk.

    Moreover, none of them were wearing cloaks, and most of the girls had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads.

    Only Gabrielle did not do it, her little head excitedly looked around, and she whispered in French to Fleur beside her.

    When they just got down from the carriage, Evan saw the girl.

    She seemed to be a little over-excited, and had no girl¡¯s reserve at all.

    Evan heard many boys beside him talking about the beauty of Gabrielle.

    Although it had not yet grown, her Ve Blood was enough to attract the students¡¯ attention.

    If Fleur next to her put down the scarf on her face, it would probably cause a sensation all over Hogwarts.

    Gabrielle¡¯s bright eyes swam through the crowd, and then she saw Evan.

    The girl¡¯s face showed an angelic smile and she waved to Evan.

    All the young wizards of Hogwarts turned their heads, and Evan suddenly became the focus of attention.

    Everyone was very curious about how he met this French girl.

    The other Beauxbatons students also looked at Evan with a clear look of vignce and contempt on their faces.

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 Chapter 545: Durmstrang

    Chapter 545: Durmstrang

    Gabrielle seemed to want toe over and have a couple of words with Evan.

    But her little hand was tightly held by Fleur, and she couldn¡¯t pull it out. She could only use her other hand to wave to him.

    It was not until Evan waved back to her that she put down her hand satisfied. Then, seeing all the Hogwarts students staring at her, her face turned red.

    The girl was obviously embarrassed. She was so excited after seeing Evan just now that she forgot there were so many people here.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the French girl waving to Evan?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s pretty, isn¡¯t she?!¡±

    Many boys were staring at Gabrielle and seemed to be attracted to her immediately.

    Fortunately, Gabrielle was still young, and the magic of Ve blood in her blood was not too strong.

    Everyone just felt that this little girl looked very beautiful and lovely, with an inexplicable sense of cuteness, but they were not fascinated.

    Soon, more people noticed the expressions of other Beauxbatons students, especially the boys, who were gazing at Evan one by one. There seemed to be tremendous hatred on their faces, which could not be concealed.

    The young wizards whispered about it again. Although no one knew what Evan had done in Beauxbatons at the end of thest term, it was not surprising that he suddenly became the focus of attention.

    They had been used to it for the past two years. It seemed that if not, it would be abnormal.

    As for Evan, he had no time to think about what other people thought. He didn¡¯t pay much attention to the Beauxbatons students who were looking at him with bad eyes.

    He just said hello to Gabrielle, and as soon as he put his hand down, Hermione suddenly came close to his ear.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± she asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Gabrielle Dcour!¡±

    Hermione nodded. She knew that Evan had such a pen friend, and that she sent him letters almost every week.

    They also discussed at the time the difference between the French and British owls.

    Evan waited for a while, Hermione did not continue to speak, and he did not know what she was thinking. He looked back at her in surprise and thought she would continue to ask.

    Hermione was now like a kitten, very quiet, but with a sly look in her proud eyes.

    Evan turned around and was secretly d that it was Gabrielle who hade. If it was ine that was here, it would have been terrible.

    There was a briefmotion in front of the castle, and the conversation between Dumbledore and Madame Maxime continued in the entrance hall.

    ¡°Thest time I came to Hogwarts, it was more than forty years ago. It still looks so beautiful here!¡±

    ¡°The gates of Hogwarts are always open for you, and you and your students cane whenever you want,¡± said Dumbledore with a smile.

    ¡°Yeah, in the past, the wizarding schools often exchanged students with each other. It was a good tradition. I hope we can get back to it.¡± Madame Maxime continued, ¡°You know, since those two men appeared, the overall level of the European wizarding world has declined dramatically in many areas.¡±

    ¡°This time, the Triwizard Tournament should be a good start.¡± Dumbledore said pointedly.

    ¡°Yes, has Karkaroff arrived yet?¡± Madame Maxime nodded.

    ¡°He should be here at any moment,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?¡±

    ¡°Warm up, I think,¡± said Madame Maxime. ¡°But the horses¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his charges.¡±

    Obviously, it was those st-Ended Skrewts, getting bigger and bigger, that were causing trouble. They were now trying to run out of the boxes, and Hagrid had to catch the runaway ones.

    ¡°My steeds require forceful handling,¡± said Madame Maxime, looking as though she doubted whether any Care of Magical Creatures teacher at Hogwarts could be up to the job. ¡°You know, they are very strong.¡±

    ¡°I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job,¡± said Dumbledore smiling.

    ¡°Very well!¡± said Madame Maxime, bowing slightly. ¡°Will you please inform this Hagrid that the horses drink only single-malt whiskey?¡±

    ¡°It will be attended to,¡± said Dumbledore, also bowing.

    ¡°Come,¡± said Madame Maxime imperiously to her students, and the Hogwarts crowd parted to allow her and her students to pass up the stone steps.

    When all the people from Beauxbatons went in, the topic shifted to Durmstrang.

    ¡°How big do you reckon Durmstrang¡¯s horses are going to be?¡± Seamus Finnigan leaned over and said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if they¡¯re any bigger than these horses, I am afraid that even Hagrid won¡¯t be able to handle them,¡± said Harry. ¡°That¡¯s if he hasn¡¯t been attacked by his skrewts. I wonder what¡¯s up with them?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ve escaped,¡± said Ron hopefully.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t say that,¡± said Hermione immediately. ¡°Imagine that lot loose on the grounds¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hagrid will handle them well, and Durmstrang won¡¯t necessarily have winged horses.¡± said Evan.

    He whispered to the surrounding people to exin the origins, the rareness of the Abraxans, and the cost of raising them.

    The young wizards were amazed again. They had actually thought that these horses were the legendary Pegasus.

    Everyone stood there waiting for the arrival of the delegation from Durmstrang. More than twenty minutes had passed, and they were shivering slightly.

    Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky. For a time, there was silence. Because it was too long, and it was too cold, they had no interest in speaking. They could only hear Madame Maxime¡¯s huge horses snorting and stamping.

    Suddenly, Colin asked, ¡°Did you hear anything?¡±

    Then Evan heard it too, a loud and oddly eerie noise was drifting toward them from out of the darkness: a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner were moving along a riverbed.

    ¡°Theke!¡± yelled lee Jordan, pointing down at it. ¡°Look at theke!¡±

    From their position at the top of thewns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth ck surface of the water.

    But the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking ce deep in the center; great bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks, and then, out in the very middle of theke, a whirlpool appeared, as if a giant plug had just been pulled out of theke¡¯s floor.

    What seemed to be a long, ck pole began to rise slowly out of the heart of the whirlpool, followed by a sail rigging.

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 Chapter 546: Sick Krum

    Chapter 546: Sick Krum

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mast, it¡¯s a big ship!¡±

    In front of everyone, slowly and magnificently, the big ship rose out of the water, gleaming in the moonlight.

    It had a strangely skeletal look to it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dim, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes.

    Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank.

    A few momentster, they heard the ssh of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a nk being lowered onto the bank.

    People were disembarking; they could see their silhouettes passing the lights in the ship¡¯s portholes.

    It was amazing. Evan didn¡¯t expect Durmstrang to have this kind of treasure.

    He could feel the magic power on the ship and the whimsical manufacturing process.

    The ship had been given powerful magic, and could reach wherever there was water.

    Evan also felt many traces of dark magic, which was really in line with Durmstrang¡¯s style.

    ¡°Look at those people, they¡¯re so big!¡±

    Hearing Dennis¡¯s sigh, Evan¡¯s gaze shifted from the exaggerated boat image to the figures on the bank.

    They were Durmstrang students, and they seemed to be built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle. But then, as they drew nearer, walking up thewns into the light streaming from the entrance hall, everyone saw that their bulk was due to the fact that they were wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur.

    However, the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort: sleek and silver, much like his hair.

    ¡°Dumbledore!¡± he called heartily as he walked up the slope. ¡°My dear old fellow, how are you?¡±

    ¡°Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff.¡± Dumbledore replied.

    Karkaroff had a fruity, unctuous voice, and it sounded like this guy was very cunning.

    When he stepped into the light pouring from the front doors of the castle, they saw that he was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee, finishing in a small curl, did not entirely hide his weak chin.

    When he reached Dumbledore, he shook hands with both of his own.

    ¡°Dear old man, dear Hogwarts!¡± he said, looking up at the castle and smiling, ¡°I haven¡¯te back here for many years. How good it is to be here, how good!¡±

    He showed an exaggerated smile and everyone could see that his teeth were rather yellow.

    Although his face was full of smiles, Karkaroff¡¯s eyes were not smiling, still cold and shrewd.

    ¡°Well, Viktor,e along, into the warmth ¡­ you don¡¯t mind, Dumbledore? Since the sneak attack on Diagonal Alley by the despicable viin, Viktor has not been in a good state recently and has been taking medicine¡­¡±

    Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Evan caught a glimpse of a prominent curved nose and thick ck eyebrows.

    He didn¡¯t need to be reminded to recognize that profile, it was Krum!

    He still looked as gloomy as before, some sick, and not quite good.

    He ignored themotion and shouts in the crowd and followed Karkaroff into the castle.

    ¡°God, it¡¯s Krum, I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Ron said in a stunned voice.

    By this time, five minutes after Durmstrang¡¯s arrival, Hogwarts students were following Durmstrang¡¯s delegation and ruling out climbing to the stone steps.

    ¡°It¡¯s Krum, <em>Viktor Krum</em>, he came to Hogwarts!¡± Ron continued to sigh.

    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, Ron, he¡¯s only a Quidditch yer.¡± said Hermione unhappily.

    ¡°<em>Only a Quidditch yer</em>?!¡± Ron said, looking at her as though he couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Hermione ¡­ he¡¯s one of the best Seekers in the world, and he saved usst time in the World Cup.¡±

    ¡°I know, and everyone is very grateful to him, but this is not a reason why you keep talking about him for <em>five</em> minutes.¡±

    After seeing Krum, there were only a handful of people who were calm like Hermione.

    As they recrossed the entrance hall with the rest of the Hogwarts students heading for the Great Hall, many people pushed hard and Lee Jordan jumped up and down on the soles of his feet to get a better look at the back of Krum¡¯s head.

    Several sixth-year girls were frantically searching their pockets as they walked.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t believe it, I haven¡¯t got a single quill on me!¡±

    ¡°Do you think he¡¯d sign my hat in lipstick?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous!¡± said Hermione loftily.

    She frowned at everyone and walked past the girls, who were now squabbling over a lipstick.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting his autograph if I can,¡± said Ron. ¡°Who of you has a quill?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re upstairs in my bag,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°I have it here!¡± Evan found the paper and quill from the bag and handed it to Ron.

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll be right back, you wait for me!¡± said Ron excitedly.

    Like the girls, he rushed toward the Durmstrang crowd.

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy, we saw the guyst time.¡±

    It was amazing that Ron¡¯s admiration for Krum had reached an unparalleled level.

    Evan, Harry, Hermione, Colin, and Ginny walked into the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table.

    It was still a mess at the door, because Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students were still gathered there.

    They seemed to be unsure where they should sit and how to deal with the young wizards who were waiting in front of them for Krum¡¯s autograph.

    The students from Beauxbatons who had stepped in early had already chosen seats at the Ravenw table. They were looking around the Great Hall with glum expressions on their faces. Three of them were still clutching scarves and shawls around their heads.

    Among them was Fleur, who didn¡¯t seem to be particrly impressed with Hogwarts¡¯ architectural style.

    Compared with the luxurious and exquisite buildings in Beauxbatons, Hogwarts was really too rough.

    Fleur looked around and looked at Evan and turned her head loftily.

    But Gabrielle said a few words to her, and hurried over, disregarding the surprised eyes of the others around her.

    ¡°Hello, Evan!¡± said Gabrielle with a smile, naturally sitting in an empty seat beside Evan.

    ¡°Hello, Gabrielle!¡± said Evan, and he introduced the others to her.

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 Chapter 547: Krum and Fleur

    Chapter 547: Krum and Fleur

    Gabrielle quickly greeted everyone and said to Evan, her face blushing, ¡°May Ie and sit down?¡±

    She looked very nervous and looked at Evan expectantly.

    The girl had left all the Beauxbatons students and came to Evan. Even Gabrielle herself did not expect she would be so bold.

    In fact, there was no need for Evan to answer this question.

    The Gryffindors expressed their wee to Gabrielle with practical actions. They showed incredible enthusiasm and got up to say hello to her, shaking hands and introducing themselves.

    Of the four Hogwarts Houses, Gryffindor was the most dynamic.

    Gabrielle did not seem to expect that she would be so popr. She was relieved, and she quickly responded with a smile.

    Her character was much better than that of her sister Fleur, and she quickly won the favor of everyone.

    The brief contact made everyone like this lovely angelic girl.

    Even Hermione pulled Gabrielle to her side. The two chatted andughed a lot.

    Evan looked at them both and found himself unable to speak at all.

    Five minutester, and the Great Hall was still a mess, and the teachers were all gone.

    At the door, Durmstrang students had not yet chosen where to sit.

    As for Krum¡¯s admirers, they were all there, shouting his name.

    It was not until Professor McGonagall appeared that they had to disperse and return to their seats.

    ¡°Look, Krum signed it for me!¡± Ron¡¯s face turned red. ¡°I¡¯m going to cherish it.¡±

    He had juste back and was showing off in front of the crowd with a piece of parchment. He was extremely excited.

    ¡°Krum remembers me. He only signed for me!¡± He said proudly, ¡°I dare say¡­¡±

    Ron hadn¡¯t finished, and suddenly stood up and waved to the Durmstrang gang.

    ¡°Over here,e and sit over here!¡± he hissed. ¡°Over here! Evan, Hermione, budge up, make space¡­¡±

    But Malfoy stood up one step ahead of time, and he walked over and whispered a few words to Krum.

    Durmstrang students settled themselves at the Slytherin table, as if they hadn¡¯t heard Ron at all.

    ¡°Ron, what on earth are you doing?¡± Hermione said discontentedly. He just stood up and moved too much, and the table swayed.

    The cups in front of Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Gabrielle were almost knocked down. Fortunately, there was nothing in them.

    ¡°You see, Malfoy is warming up to him.¡± Ron did not answer Hermione, but said scathingly, ¡°I bet Krum can see right through him, though ¡­ I bet he gets people fawning over him all the time. Where do you reckon they¡¯re going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry¡­ I wouldn¡¯t mind giving him my bed; I could kip on a camp bed.¡±

    No one answered Ron¡¯s question, and Hermione snorted and expressed her dissatisfaction.

    Beside her, Gabrielle also curiously looked at Krum and his fellow Durmstrang students.

    ¡°Why does he wear a cloak?¡± Harry asked. ¡°It¡¯s not that cold here.¡±

    ¡°Because Krum is ill, I just asked him!¡± said Ron. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been in good shapetely since he was attacked, and there are old injuries umted during Quidditch practice. The therapist gave him supplements for nutrition and fitness, and he needs to take them on time.¡±

    As if to confirm Ron¡¯s words, Krum took a small bottle out of his thick fur cloak and took a sip.

    Evan looked at Krum empathetically, but the guy didn¡¯t look so weak.

    After everyone found their seats, The Durmstrang students pulled off their heavy furs and looked up at the starry ck ceiling with expressions of interest. A couple of them picked up the golden tes and goblets, examining them, apparently impressed

    Up at the staff table, Filch, the caretaker, was adding chairs. He was wearing his moldy old tailcoat in honor of the asion.

    ¡°Filch added four chairs, two on either side of Dumbledore¡¯s.¡± Harry said in surprise. ¡°But there are only two extra people tonight. Why is Filch putting out four chairs, who else ising?¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡± said Ron vaguely. He was still staring avidly at Krum, not even noticing Gabrielle near him.

    ¡°Probably officials of the Ministry of Magic.¡± Evan nced at the staff table.

    ¡°Then will they be doing here?¡± Harry continued.

    ¡°Obviously, they organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn¡¯t they?¡± Hermione exined. ¡± I suppose they want to be here to see it start.¡±

    ¡°You said, is Krum not¡­¡± Ron stopped sharply before he had finished.

    He couldn¡¯t believe it. A girl from Beauxbatons walked over from Ravenw¡¯s long table. She had long waterfall-like silvery-blond hair almost to her waist. with a pair of blue and blue. She hadrge, deep blue eyes, and very white, even teeth.

    It was Fleur. She had just removed her muffler.

    Looking at Fleur getting closer and closer, Ron went purple. He stared up at her, his mouth open uncontrobly.

    ¡°Long time no see, Evan Mason!¡± Fleur said haughtily. She did not wait for Evan to answer and waved to Gabrielle, ¡°Gabrielle, the party is about to begin. You muste back and sit with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Gabrielle said goodbye to everyone, took Fleur¡¯s hand and left.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this girl?¡±

    ¡°Fleur Dcour, Gabrielle¡¯s sister!¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Gabrielle?!¡±

    Ron was still goggling at the girl as though he had never seen one before. Harry started tough.

    Then he realized that Gabrielle, whom Evan talked about, was the girl Fleur was holding hands with.

    ¡°Well, Ron, don¡¯t stare at others so impolitely.¡±

    ¡°I dare say she¡¯s a Ve!¡± He said hoarsely.

    ¡°Of course she isn¡¯t!¡± said Hermione tartly. ¡°I don¡¯t see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!¡±

    But she wasn¡¯t entirely right about that. As the girl crossed the Hall, many boys¡¯ heads turned, and some of them seemed to have be temporarily speechless, just like Ron.

    ¡°In fact, they have a quarter of Ve¡¯s blood. Fleur and Gabrielle¡¯s grandmother was a Ve.¡± said Evan.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, that¡¯s not a normal girl!¡± said Ron, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. ¡°They don¡¯t make them like that at Hogwarts!¡±

    ¡°They make them okay at Hogwarts,¡± said Harry without thinking. His eyes followed Fleur to the long table of Ravenw, where Cho happened to be sitting only a few ces away from the girl with the silvery hair.

    ¡°Yes, they make them fine at Hogwarts.¡± Evan nodded and looked at Hermione.

    Seeing that Evan was so bold, Hermione turned reddish and gave him a fierce look.

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 Chapter 548: Could it be Him?

    Chapter 548: Could it be Him?

    Although she red at Evan, Hermione didn¡¯t seem angry.

    ¡°Well, when you¡¯ve put your eyes back in,¡± she said briskly. ¡°You will find that Dumbledore hase in and the party is about to begin.¡±

    Hermione was right. Evan turned to see the professors walking into the Great Hall, filing up to the top table and taking their seats.

    Last in line were Professor Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime, the Headmasters of the three wizarding schools.

    When their headmistress appeared, the pupils from Beauxbatons leapt to their feet.

    A few of the Hogwarts studentsughed. The Beauxbatons party appeared quite unembarrassed, however, and did not resume their seats until Madame Maxime had sat down on Dumbledore¡¯s left-hand side.

    Evan knew that Beauxbatons was tightly managedpared to the more rxed environment at Hogwarts.

    All the professors sat down, Dumbledore remained standing, and a silence fell over the Great Hall.

    ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen, ghosts and ¡­ most particrly ¡­ guests,¡± said Dumbledore, beaming around at the foreign students. ¡°I have great pleasure in weing you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be bothfortable and enjoyable.¡±

    One of the Beauxbatons girls still clutching a muffler around her head gave what was unmistakably a derisiveugh.

    ¡°That girl is such a nuisance. <em>No one¡¯s making you stay</em>!¡± Hermione whispered.

    She was obviously annoyed by the girl, and Evan quickly whispered a few words of persuasion to her.

    There were many other people who thought like Hermione, and everyone was surprised by the behavior of the Beauxbatons girl. They didn¡¯t know what kind of education they received in school. Beauxbatons was very hostile to Hogwarts.

    The same was true with Evanst time. A word and a blow, these French people!

    As for Durmstrang students, they did not show hostility so directly, but they did not focus on listening to Dumbledore¡¯s speech. They seemed to be more interested in the golden tableware on the table, wondering if they were really gold.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!¡±

    He sat down, and Evan saw Karkaroff lean forward at once and engage him in conversation.

    The next second, the tes in front of them filled with food as usual.

    The house-elves in the kitchen seemed to have pulled out all the stops; there was a greater variety of dishes in front of them than they had ever seen, including several that were definitely foreign.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Colin, pointing at arge dish of some sort of shellfish stew that stood beside arge steak-and-kidney pudding..

    ¡°Bouibaisse,¡± said Hermione. ¡°¡°It¡¯s French; I had it on holiday the summer beforest. It¡¯s very nice.¡±

    Hearing her words, everyone helped themselves a bit.

    Only Ron hadn¡¯t moved yet, he had been staring at Fleur, his eyes fixed on her.

    ¡°Eat now, Ron, it will be cold soon!¡± Harry pulled him.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Ron replied, reluctant to take back his eyes and helped himself to ck pudding.

    The Great Hall seemed somehow much more crowded than usual, even though there were barely twenty additional students there; perhaps it was because their differently colored uniforms stood out so clearly against the ck of Hogwarts¡¯ robes.

    Beauxbatons school uniform robes were pale blue, and the Durmstrang students were wearing robes of a deep blood red under the furs.

    Hagrid sidled into the Hall through a door behind the staff table twenty minutes after the start of the feast. He slid into his seat at the end, near the Gryffindor long table.

    Hagrid waved at Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione with a very heavily bandaged hand.

    ¡°Are the skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°No problem, they¡¯re thriving.¡± Hagrid replied happily.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll bet they just are,¡± Ron whispered. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve finally found a food they like, doesn¡¯t it? Hagrid¡¯s fingers.¡±

    No one paid any attention to him, because someone else came into the Great Hall, Mr. Ludo Bagman and Mr. Crouch, Percy¡¯s immediate boss.

    Bagman walked over and sat on Professor Karkaroff¡¯s other side, while Mr. Crouch sat next to Madame Maxime.

    Evan looked up at Crouch. <em>Was this guy under control of the Imperius Curse now</em>?!

    However, nothing seemed to be unusual, nor did Crouch seem to be under the Imperius Curse. He was still exactly the same as usual.

    His meticulous appearance was beyond theprehension of ordinary people.

    He seemed to feel Evan¡¯s gaze, and Crouch suddenly raised his head and looked at him.

    Evan hurriedly turned his head. He had been thinking about it some time ago. If Barty Crouch intended to use someone else¡¯s identity to get into Hogwarts, besides students, he could also pretend to be his father himself, which was very likely.

    As one of the judges, Barty Crouch had ess to every aspect of the tournament.

    In due course, with the help of Caresius under the disguise of Moody, his mission could be pulled off easily.

    And Barty Crouch Jr. knew his father¡¯s habits very well, and he didn¡¯t need to have more unnecessary worries.

    Even if there was any abnormality, with Mr. Crouch¡¯s status in the Ministry of Magic, it could be easily solved.

    Detection props such as the Marauder¡¯s Map were useless on him, and there was no need to worry about being discovered.

    In that case, could Barty Crouch Jr. be Mr. Crouch?

    Once the golden tes had been wiped clean, Dumbledore stood up again. A pleasant sort of tension seemed to fill the Hall now, and everyone was waiting for the following program.

    Everyone suppressed their excitement and stared at Dumbledore intently.

    The same was true of the students of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and no one was as distracted as before.

    ¡°The moment hase,¡± said Dumbledore, smiling around at the sea of upturned faces. ¡°The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of exnation before we bring in the casket¡­¡±

    ¡°The what?¡± Harry muttered.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    Everyone was nk except Evan, who knew it meant the Goblet of Fire.

    ¡°¡­ just to rify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation¡±¡­ there was a smattering of polite apuse and many people didn¡¯t know Mr. Crouch, ¡°¡­and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.¡±

    There was a much louder round of apuse for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps because of his fame as a Beater, or simply because he looked so much more likable.

    He acknowledged it with a jovial wave of his hand, while Bartemius Crouch did not smile or wave when his name was announced.

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 Chapter 549: The Goblet of Fire

    Chapter 549: The Goblet of Fire

    Crouch was really abnormal, but that was maybe not unusual.

    He was different from a normal wizard, and he had always been like that.

    Remembering him in his neat suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Evan thought he looked strange in wizard¡¯s robes. His toothbrush mustache and severe parting looked very odd next to Dumbledore¡¯s long white hair and beard.

    If he were a fake Barty Crouch, that would be really amazing.

    Of course, that was just Evan¡¯s spection. Barty Crouch Jr. might also be a fake student from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang.

    Just in case, he would return to the Common Room and use the Marauder¡¯s Map to confirm it.

    ¡°Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over thest few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament,¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions¡¯ efforts.¡±

    It was so confirmed that the five of them would be members of the jury.

    At the mention of the word ¡°champions,¡± the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen. Perhaps Dumbledore had noticed their sudden stillness, for he smiled as he said, ¡°The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch.¡±

    Filch, who had been lurking unnoticed in a far corner of the Hall, now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked extremely old.

    A murmur of excited interest rose from the watching students.

    In order to see more clearly, Colin stood on his chair. His brother Dennis Creevey also stood on his chair to see it properly, but, being so tiny, his head hardly rose above anyone else¡¯s.

    ¡°The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman,¡± said Dumbledore as Filch ced the chest carefully on the table before him, ¡°and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways: their magical prowess ¡­ their daring ¡­ their powers of deduction ¡­ and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.¡±

    At thisst word, the Hall was filled with a silence so absolute that nobody seemed to be breathing.

    ¡°As you know, three championspete in the tournament,¡± Dumbledore went on calmly, ¡°one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire!¡±

    Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out arge, roughly hewn wooden cup. It would have been entirely unremarkable had it not been full to the brim with dancing blue-white mes.

    Evan could feel that it was a magic item with great magic power, but it was not a legendary magic item.

    Its role was to select the respective champions among the students of the three wizarding schools, and let them sign contracts with the Triwizard Tournament.

    Being strong enough, one can make the Goblet of Fire confused, thus affecting the selection of the champions.

    With the power of Barty Crouch and Caresius, this could be done very easily.

    Maybe they had already put Harry¡¯s name in it. The Goblet of Fire had been kept by the Ministry of Magic. As one of the organizers and members of the Jury of the Triwizard Tournament, Crouch could easily touch it without arousing suspicion.

    Dumbledore closed the casket and ced the goblet carefully on top of it, where it would be clearly visible to everyone in the Hall.

    ¡°Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be ced in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely essible to all those wishing topete.¡±

    ¡°As I have said before, to ensure that no underage student yields to temptation,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been ced in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.¡±

    ¡°Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing topete that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obliged to see the tournament through to the end. The cing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have be a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to y before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.¡±

    ¡°An Age Line!¡± said Fred Weasley, his eyes glinting. ¡°Well, that¡¯s easy to handle. That should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn¡¯t it? And once your name¡¯s in that goblet, you¡¯reughing ¡­ it can¡¯t tell whether you¡¯re seventeen or not!¡±

    At this time, the students all made their way across the Hall to the doors into the entrance hall.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance,¡± said Hermione, ¡°we just haven¡¯t learned enough¡­¡±

    ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± said George shortly. ¡°Think about Evan. He¡¯s only 13. How many people in the school can be stronger than him?!¡±

    ¡°Evan is different, and he¡¯s not going to participate. He promised Dumbledore!¡± Hermione said immediately.

    But George ignored her and turned to the others and said, ¡°Harry, Ron, Colin, you¡¯ll try and get in, won¡¯t you?¡±

    The three of them hesitated and finally nodded.

    ¡°As long as you can cross Dumbledore¡¯s age limit line, it¡¯s not a bad thing to try.¡± Harry remembered Dumbledore¡¯s insistence that nobody under seventeen should submit their name, but then the wonderful picture of himself winning the Triwizard Tournament filled his mind.

    ¡°By the way, where is he?¡± said Ron. ¡°Dumbledore didn¡¯t say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?¡± He suddenly remembered this and hurriedly searched in the crowd for Krum.

    Looking at Ron, he was eager to invite Krum to sleep in his bedroom.

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 Chapter 550: Karkaroff

    Chapter 550: Karkaroff

    Ron looked around to see what had be of Krum, and his query was answered almost instantly.

    They were level with the Slytherin table now, and Karkaroff had just bustled up to his students.

    ¡°Back to the ship, then,¡± he was saying. ¡°Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you take the medicine on time? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?¡±

    Krum shook his head gloomily as he pulled his furs back on.

    ¡°Professor, I would like some wine,¡± said one of the other Durmstrang boys hopefully.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t offering it to you, Poliakoff,¡± snapped Karkaroff, his warmly paternal air vanishing in an instant. ¡°I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, Clean it up quickly, disgusting boy¡­¡±

    Karkaroff turned and led his students toward the doors, reaching them at exactly the same moment as Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin, Ginny, Fred, and George.

    Everyone stopped to let Karkaroff walk through first.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Karkaroff carelessly, ncing at them.

    And then Karkaroff froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.

    Behind their headmaster, the students from Durmstrang came to a halt too.

    Karkaroff¡¯s eyes moved slowly up Harry¡¯s face and fixed upon his scar.

    The Durmstrang students were staring curiously at Harry as well, and awe could be seen drawn on a few of their faces.

    The boy with food all down his front nudged the girl next to him and pointed openly at Harry¡¯s forehead.

    Krum also looked at Harry with scanning eyes, and then his gaze fell on Evan and Hermione.

    Evan looked at him and felt that Krum¡¯s eyes seemed to have some strange emotions.

    Sensing Evan looking at him again, Krum hurriedly turned his head to the other side.

    This was really strange. They had already met at the Quidditch World Cupst time. Why did Krum seem to be avoiding eye contact with him?!

    ¡°You are¡­¡± Karkaroff said slowly.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Harry Potter,¡± said a growling voice from behind them.

    Karkaroff spun around. Mad-Eye Moody was standing there, leaning heavily on his staff, his magical eye ring unblinkingly at the Durmstrang headmaster.

    The color drained from Karkaroff¡¯s face, revealing a terrible look of mingled fury and fear.

    ¡°You!¡± he said, staring at Moody as though unsure he was really seeing him.

    ¡°Me,¡± said Moody grimly. ¡°And unless you¡¯ve got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You¡¯re blocking the doorway.¡±

    It was true; half the students in the Hall were now waiting behind them, looking over one another¡¯s shoulders to see what was causing the holdup.

    Without another word, Professor Karkaroff swept his students away with him.

    Moody watched him until he was out of sight, his magical eye fixed upon his back, a look of intense dislike upon his mutted face.

    In the face of Karkaroff, even though he was pretending to be Moody, Caresius¡¯s reaction was a little too extreme.

    Evan thought for a moment, separated from the crowd, and said that he would go to say good night Gabrielle and then go back.

    But in fact, he followed Moody up the remote side stairs to the empty second-floor office.

    ¡°Boy, I warned you, we¡¯d better have less contact!¡± Caresius gritted his teeth and said.

    At this time, they were standing in the dark corridor, even if they were very close, they couldn¡¯t see each other clearly.

    ¡°You seem to have a grudge against Karkaroff?¡± Evan asked directly, ignoring his warning.

    ¡°That cunning fellow is causing me and my people more trouble in the Nordic region. That¡¯s my own business; I¡¯ll handle it. All you need to know is that Karkaroff is very dangerous. Don¡¯t be fooled by his appearance.¡± Caresius said in a low voice, ¡°He¡¯s a Death Eater.¡±

    ¡°Once, he has betrayed Voldemort, but there is no denying that he is really dangerous.¡± Evan paused and continued, ¡°However, it should not be our current focus. Have you found the man tonight? Is it possible that it is Barty crouch?!¡±

    ¡°Barty Crouch is obviously under control, at least not himself. I have seen it with my own eyes, but I am not sure if he is the fake one. I repeat it again. He does not trust me. He did not tell me his n!¡± Caresius whispered, ¡°I just came in to attract everyone¡¯s attention. This is the task that Voldemort gave me. It is also a punishment for myst failure. Well, if you don¡¯t want me to be discovered immediately, then get out of here and go back to sleep!¡±

    Evan turned around and left; it seemed that Caresius knew no more than him.

    When he returned to the Common Room, the young wizards were all gathering there to discuss the Goblet of Fire.

    Fred and George were selling their Aging potion, and a crowd was surrounding them.

    It seemed that if the Ageing agent did work after tomorrow¡¯s verification, they nned to mass sell it.

    Hermione ignored them, holding a thick book in her hand, and constantly recording something.

    Evan greeted and went back to his bedroom alone.

    He took out the Marauder¡¯s Map,id it on the bed, and tapped it gently with his wand.

    Evan quickly searched for the name of Barty Crouch Jr. on it. In Dumbledore¡¯s office, he saw Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Barty Crouch and Ludo Bagman all there.

    The five of them seemed to be talking about something. Because Barty Crouch Jr. and his father had the same name, it was not clear whether it was him or not.

    Evan¡¯s finger gently slid down and stroked across the familiar names.

    People from Beauxbatons lived in their carriage and were heading to it.

    Durmstrang students had already returned to the ship. On the map, the location of theke was a mass of white mist, covering everyone¡¯s name, and everything was invisible. The powerful protective magic on the boat made the Marauder¡¯s Map useless.

    It seemed that Evan needed another chance to look into Durmstrang.

    Evan looked it up carefully again before he put the map away.

    He looked at the ceiling and considered the matter again. If he were Bartemius Crouch, Jr., how would he act?!

    Voldemort, Caresius, Karkaroff, Barty Crouch Jr and Senior, whose faces kept spinning in his mind, made him think that the next event was probably not going in the direction he had anticipated¡­

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 Chapter 551: A Secluded Grove

    Chapter 551: A Secluded Grove

    As the next day was Saturday, most students would normally get up veryte.

    But Evan got up early. Last night, he had promised Gabrielle to show her around Hogwarts campus.

    Hogwarts was exceptionally quiet in the early morning, and Evan followed the empty corridor to the castle gate.

    The sky was a little dim, the sun had note out yet, and there was no wind outside.

    From a distance, Durmstrang¡¯s ship was floating slightly in theke, shrouded by ayer of mist.

    Last night, because of the dark, it could not be seen clearly; now it looked even more monstrous!

    It was like ghost ships were usually depicted in stories, with unpleasant ck and dark green decorations on it. It reflected ckley in the water, like a skeleton.

    Although it appeared horrible, Evan would like to visit it if he could.

    The ship was covered with a lot of magic, including ck magic. Many of the designs and magic reactions were unfamiliar to Evan. He wanted to study and research, but Durmstrang would definitely not invite him over.

    Evan took his eyes back and walked across thewn by theke to Hagrid¡¯s Hut.

    The gigantic powder-blue carriage Beauxbatons had been parked two hundred yards from Hagrid¡¯s front door. The elephantine flying horses that had pulled the carriage were now grazing in a makeshift paddock alongside it.

    Not far away, near the pumpkin patch behind Hagrid¡¯s Hut, there were terrible explosions and crashing sounds from time to time.

    It was the restless st-Ended skrewts that were now rampaging and trying to escape from Hagrid.

    Now, each skrewt was nearly three feet long and they even started killing each other.

    Hagrid had to ce them into sturdier wooden boxes, but this had a very little effect.

    Evan circumvented Hagrid¡¯s Hut at a distance. As soon as he got to the carriage, he saw Gabrielle.

    She was crouching in the hallway like a kitten, looking like she had been waiting for Evan for a long time. She was wearing dark blue wizard¡¯s robes, and her waist-long, solid hair seemed to shine in the morning sun.

    With a charming smile on her face, her eyshes twitched and she looked at Evan fervently. This made her look very cute, giving Evan a warm fuzzy feeling.

    ¡°Keep your voice down, my sister is still sleeping inside!¡± Gabrielle said softly, gently pressing her finger on her lips.

    Behind her, Evan could see that the interior of the carriage was very luxurious, well in the style of Beauxbatons.

    Gold and red are the main tones. After passing the hall, it was arge living room.

    On the inside, there were small rooms, where the boys lived, and the girls all lived upstairs.

    Gabrielle stood up carefully, perhaps because she had been squatting for too long, shaking as she climbed out of the carriage.

    She was afraid to touch the ss door of the carriage, so that the wind chimes would make a sound and disturb the people inside, and she was about to fall¡­

    Evan hurried forward to hold her, and then they fell back heavily together.

    The soil on the ground was very soft, and it didn¡¯t hurt to fall down, but Evan felt the girl¡¯s tiny body softer.

    Now, Gabrielle was lying on himpletely. Where on earth was this going?!

    They looked at each other and could feel each other¡¯s breaths, and the girl¡¯s face turned obviously rosy.

    She climbed up quickly from Evan and apologized to him repeatedly. She was extremely shy.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to say to Gabriel either. It seemed that he was deliberately trying to take advantage of her fall.

    In this way, they both set off for the castle in a slightly nervous and strange atmosphere.

    Evan and Gabrielle visited Hogwarts Castle along the other side of theke and the atmosphere soon returned to normal.

    Evan introduced the surroundingndscape to Gabrielle. They chatted very happily, and Gabrielle was full of interest in everything. She and Evan also agreed to go to Hogsmeade, a rare pure wizard vige.

    Then, the topic naturally shifted to the Triwizard Tournament and the champions.

    Madame Maxime asked the students from Beauxbatons to go to the castle after breakfast and put their names into the Goblet of Fire.

    They were rigorously selected back at school, and even Nics participated in the evaluation, and finally a dozen of the best young wizards and witches were chosed.

    Of course, Fleur was the strongest of them, and no ident, she would definitely be the champion of Beauxbatons. Otherwise, Gabrielle would have not followed her to Hogwarts.

    She was not old enough. It was Fleur who had asked Madame Maxime to let here with the delegation.

    Gabrielle, who had no burden at all, simply took this trip to Hogwarts as a tour. She could see Evan and see a lot of new things.

    When he knew that Evan was not going to be a champion, Gabrielle had a slight disappointment on her face, but then she quicklyforted Evan.

    ¡°My sister said that you are extremely strong, and your power has gone far beyond the level of young wizards. You don¡¯t need to take part in the tournament to prove anything!¡±

    Evan was not allowed to participate in the tournament. Besides his age that did not meet the requirements, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang also named him out of the tournament. Fleur must have known this before she said so.

    ¡°By the way, your sister seems not very satisfied with me. She didn¡¯t talk to me muchst night,¡± said Evan, remembering Fleur¡¯s behaviorst night.

    ¡°That was deliberately put out for everyone to see. You know, afterst term¡¯s events, the school students didn¡¯t like you that much. Many people wanted to fight with you or something!¡± Gabrielle said hastily, ¡°But girls actually think highly of you. They were still talking about youst night ¡­¡±

    Her voice was getting smaller and smaller, and her face was a little reddish.

    Obviously, she was embarrassed to tell Evan that he was the subject of the girls¡¯ private conversation.

    Seeing Gabrielle¡¯s cute look, Evan suddenly wanted to tease her.

    ¡°You¡¯re in contact with me now, are you not afraid of what other people in the school would say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I don¡¯t care about what they would say!¡± said Gabrielle, raising her head to look at Evan. The girl¡¯s serious, bright blue eyes were enough to shake one¡¯s heart.

    Evan held his breath and looked at Gabrielle, and there was a nk inside his head.

    They looked so closely at each other for a moment before they recovered.

    Gabriel quickly lowered her head, her face blushed to the root of her neck, as red as a ripe apple.

    Looking at her, Evan didn¡¯t know what to say, and the tense atmosphere was eerie.

    In order to ease the embarrassment, he hurriedly raised his head and looked around.

    It turned out that they had unconsciously walked around the castle for a long time. Now they were in the secluded grove on the side of the castle. And there were only them¡­

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 Chapter 552: The Aging Potion

    Chapter 552: The Aging Potion

    Evan looked at Gabrielle, and then looked at the surroundings again.

    A lovely, tender and exciting girl, in a secluded and quiet grove, that was really ¡­

    Evan subconsciously pouted and smiled bitterly.

    Nothing happened next, and more than half an hour passed.

    He apanied Gabrielle around the castle, feeling very rxed and happy.

    Evan had just returned Gabrielle to the carriage when he saw Hagriding out of the Hut. Hagrid didn¡¯t see Evan. He kept looking at the carriage, as if he had changed into a different man.

    He was wearing his best, and very horrible brown suit, and a checked yellow-and-orange tie.

    This wasn¡¯t the worst of it, though. He had evidently tried to tame his hair, usingrge quantities of what appeared to be axle grease. It was now slicked down into two bunches ¡­ perhaps he had tried a ponytail like Bill¡¯s, but found he had too much hair.

    The outfit did not suit Hagrid, and Evan stared at him for a moment, and then decided not toment.

    It was clear that Hagrid wanted to make a good impression on Madame Maxime.

    Because of his giant lineage, there were too few women who could conform to his aesthetic ideals.

    Although the two would have many difficulties to ovee, Evan sincerely hoped that the two of them could eventually be together.

    When Evan walked into the entrance hall, more than 70 people were already there.

    All the Durmstrang lot was voting. Evan thought for a moment and decided to continue validating what had not been donest night.

    Although he had some guesses, it was not a bad thing to verify.

    He returned to his bedroom as quickly as he could, and took out the Marauder¡¯s Map from under his pillow.

    On the map, there were already more than one hundred people in the hall.

    There were many names that Evan didn¡¯t know, and those were all students from Durmstrang.

    He looked at it briefly and did not find Barty Crouch Jr. among them.

    It seemed that Barty Crouch Jr. did not mix into the Durmstrang students.

    Just as Evan was staring at the Marauder¡¯s Map, Colin sat up out of bed.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan!¡± He stretched his shoulders, and then seemed to remember something. He hurried out of bed and went to the hall. ¡°I want to know who put their names in the goblet of fire!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan put away the Marauder¡¯s Map. His heart was heavy and he always felt that something was wrong.

    They both came to the Common Room, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione just came out of their bedrooms.

    Hermione¡¯s hair was messy and Harry and Ron¡¯s shirt buttons were not fastened properly. The thick ck circles under their eyes indicated that they did not sleep wellst night.

    By the time all five entered the entrance hall, the Durmstrang lot and others had already left, and there were only around 30 people around, some of them eating toast, all examining the Goblet of Fire.

    It had been ced in the center of the hall on the stool that normally bore the Sorting Hat. A thin golden line had been traced on the floor, forming a circle ten feet around it in every direction.

    ¡°Anyone put their name yet?¡± Ron asked a third-year girl eagerly.

    ¡°Yes, all the Durmstrang lot,¡± she replied. ¡°But I haven¡¯t seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.¡±

    ¡°I bet some of them put it inst night after we had all gone to bed.¡± said Harry. ¡°I would have if it were me ¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?¡±

    At this time, Fred, George and Lee Jordan hurried down the staircase, all three of them looking extremely excited.

    ¡°Done it!¡± Fred said in a triumphant whisper. ¡°Just take it.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°The Ageing Potion, dung brains,¡± said Fred.

    ¡°One drop each,¡± said George, rubbing his hands together with glee. ¡°We only need to be a few months older.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins,¡± said Lee, grinning broadly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is going to work, you know,¡± said Hermione warningly. ¡°I¡¯m sure Dumbledore will have thought of this.¡±

    Evan was sure that the Ageing Potion they developed would not seed at all.

    Like the Polyjuice Potion, the Ageing Potion could only change the appearance of the users and make them older.

    Its effectsted longer than the Polyjuice Potion and did not need to be taken every hour. The boiling system was much simpler, but it couldn¡¯t make people change in essence.

    To put it simply, Fred and George, who took the Ageing Potion, just turned into what they would be like in the future.

    If they drank enough Ageing Potion, they could even have the look of their father, Mr. Weasley.

    This kind of magic could only confuse people¡¯s perception and could not break Dumbledore¡¯s magic.

    In fact, with the ability of young wizards, it was impossible to break Dumbledore¡¯s restrictions.

    Fred, George, and Lee ignored Hermione, but looked at the Goblet of Fire, quivering with excitement.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Fred said to the other two. ¡°Come on, then ¡­ I¡¯ll go first.¡±

    Fred pulled a slip of parchment out of his pocket bearing Fred Weasley ¡­ Hogwarts. He walked right up to the edge of the line and stood there, rocking on his toes like a diver preparing for a fifty-foot drop.

    Then, with the eyes of every person in the entrance hall upon him, he took a great breath and stepped over the line.

    For a moment, everyone thought Fred was sessful!

    George certainly thought so, for he let out a yell of triumph and leapt after Fred.

    But the next moment, there was a loud sizzling sound, and both twins were hurled out of the golden circle as though they had been thrown by an invisible shot-putter.

    Theynded painfully, ten feet away on the cold stone floor, and to add insult to injury, there was a loud popping noise, and both of them sprouted identical long white beards.

    The entrance hall rang withughter. Even Fred and George joined in, once they had gotten to their feet and taken a good look at each other¡¯s beards.

    ¡°I did warn you,¡± said a deep, amused voice, and everyone turned to see Professor Dumbledoreing out of the Great hall. He surveyed Fred and George, his eyes twinkling.

    ¡°I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending Miss Fawcett, of Ravenw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours.¡±

    Fred and George set off for the hospital wing, apanied by Lee Jordan, who was howling withughter.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Colin, also chortling, went into the Great Hall for breakfast.

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 Chapter 553: A Simple Method

    Chapter 553: A Simple Method

    The decoration in the Great Hall had changed this morning. As it was Halloween, a cloud of live bats was fluttering around the enchanted ceiling, while hundreds of carved pumpkins leered from every corner.

    ¡°I told you, they will definitely not seed.¡± Hermione said in a tone that was so sinct.

    Everyone came to the long table where Dean and Seamus were already sitting. They were discussing those Hogwarts students of seventeen or over who might be entering the tournament.

    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that Warrington got up early in the morning and put his name in,¡± Dean told everyone, ¡°That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth.¡±

    Harry, who had yed Quidditch against Warrington, shook his head in disgust.

    No one had a good impression of Warrington. The big guy had a bad reputation in school.

    ¡°We can¡¯t have a Slytherin champion!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s obviously the worst oue.¡±

    ¡°Ravenw, like us, has no good candidates. And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory,¡± Said Seamus contemptuously. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t have thought he¡¯d have wanted to risk his good looks.¡±

    ¡°That is another bad choice. After Percy and his colleagues graduated, Gryffindor did not have any outstanding figures in this term.¡± Ron sighed.

    Dean and Seamus finished their breakfast and went back to the entrance to watch, leaving only the five friends at the long table.

    The thought that Hogwarts champion would be Diggory or Warrington, they felt very unhappy.

    ¡°Unfortunately, Evan is not allowed to participate, otherwise they would all have no chance!¡± Colin sighed.

    ¡°As far as I can see, Fred and George are better than Wallington and Diggory. As long as we can break through Dumbledore¡¯s age limit, we have many choices!¡± Ron said indignantly, ¡°There must be a way; we just haven¡¯t found it yet. Right, Evan?¡±

    Hearing his words, the others turned their heads and looked at Evan.

    Indeed, if there were any young wizard who had a way to break Dumbledore¡¯s magic, it would be Evan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at Evan like that. How many times have I said that Dumbledore does not expect people who do not meet the age requirements to put their names in? The Triwizard Tournament is not a trifle. It¡¯s very dangerous, and we don¡¯t have enough knowledge!¡± Hermione said sharply.

    Ron immediately argued with her. He disagreed with Hermione¡¯s words. And most importantly, he did not think that Warrington or Diggory should be the champions of Hogwarts

    ¡°Stop arguing, you two. It¡¯s very simple to put your name into the Goblet of Fire.¡± Said Evan, ¡°I can tell you four, but you must keep it secret and not let it out.¡±

    Ron and Hermione immediately closed their mouths, and Harry and Colin also held their breath and looked at Evan.

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying!¡±

    ¡°We will keep it a secret!¡±

    ¡°Speak up!¡±

    Hermione did not urge him with the other three. She seemed to hesitate, and she also wanted to know how to crack that magic.

    ¡°Dumbledore¡¯s magic can¡¯t be cracked. We¡¯re not strong enough!¡± said Evan. ¡°But, do you remember what he saidst night? The age line he drew can¡¯t be crossed by anyone under seventeen, but he didn¡¯t say we can¡¯t let other students who meet the conditions put our name in it. This is within the scope of the rules. So, you can ask students over the age of 17 to put your names instead of you.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry blinked and couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Is it that simple?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s that simple.¡± Evan nodded.

    He thought about it, and there was nothing to say about this method.

    With the strength of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Colin, even if their names were thrown into the Goblet of Fire, they thought that they would not be selected. When ites to magical power and knowledge, the four of them felt they were still rtively weak.

    Of course, Harry will be a champion, and his name should have been put into the Goblet of Fire by Barty Crouch Jr.

    After learning the method from Evan, Ron couldn¡¯t wait to try. Harry and Colin were hesitating, while Hermione was adamantly opposed.

    She was persuading everyone to give up on this idea and not to put their names into the Goblet of Fire.

    Ron argued with her again and returned to the topic of how bad it would be to have a Slytherin as champion of Hogwarts.

    In fact, it was hard to guarantee otherwise. There were really no outstanding figures among Gryffindor students who met the age requirements.

    Even if they put their names into the Goblet of Fire, they might not be selected.

    In Ron¡¯s opinion, if this was the case, it was better to let him and Harry have a try. After all, in the past few years, they had done so many great things and proved their strength. Maybe the Goblet would recognize this.

    The argument continued, and at that moment there was a sudden loud cheer in the entrance hall.

    They swiveled around and saw Angelina Johnsoning into the Hall, grinning in an embarrassed sort of way. A tall ck girl who yed Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Angelina came over to them, sat down, and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve done it! I just put my name in!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± said Ron, looking impressed.

    ¡°Are you seventeen, then?¡±

    ¡°Of course she is, you can¡¯t see a beard, can you?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°I had my birthdayst week,¡± said Angelina.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d someone from Gryffindor is entering.¡± Hermione said with satisfaction, looking at Ron triumphantly; it seemed that this solved all the problems. ¡°I sincerely hope you¡¯ll seed in bing a champion, Angelina!¡±

    ¡°Thanks!¡± said Angelina, smiling at Hermione.

    Ron didn¡¯t seem to see Hermione¡¯s gaze. He suddenly said, ¡°Angelina, can you please¡­?¡±

    Harry hurriedly stopped him, and Hermione kicked him under the table.

    ¡°Please what?!¡± Angelina said suspiciously.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Hermione said in a hurry, motioning everyone to leave.

    They walked out of the Hall and came to a ce where no one was with them.

    ¡°You¡¯re mad, Ron!¡± said Hermione, looking at him angrily. ¡°Evan just said, don¡¯t tell anyone about it. In less than a minute, you go to Angelina!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one way to be a champion. It¡¯s to ask someone else to do it for us, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ron said nonchntly, ¡°Angelina and Fred have a good rtionship, and she will help us.¡±

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 Chapter 554: Abnormal Hagrid

    Chapter 554: Abnormal Hagrid

    Ron seemed to want to go back to Angelina for help, but no one else meant to move.

    ¡°If you go to Angelina for help, Fred and George will know the way. No need to wait until noon, everyone in the school will know it,¡± said Hermione, ¡°Dumbledore will know that Evan told us about this method, and we¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I think Hermione is right, Ron!¡± Harry sighed and said, ¡°Although this sounds really frustrating, we should obey the rules and not put our names into the Goblet of Fire.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I want to say that it is best not to think about this again. The Triwizard Tournament tests are more dangerous than you can imagine,¡± said Evan, ¡°We¡¯d better be at ease as an audience or help the champions¡­¡±

    He nced at Harry, thinking about how to help him through the three difficulties.

    ¡°If Angelina bes a champion, I will help her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will too!¡±

    ¡°Well, what are we doing today?¡± Ron said angrily, seemingly finally giving up the idea of ??putting his name into the Goblet of Fire.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to Hagrid, we haven¡¯t visited him this week,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°All five of us should go and stay there until the dinner feast starts, so that we can make sure that no one can put their names into the Goblet of Fire.¡± Hermione said brightly, ¡°And, I¡¯ve just realized, I haven¡¯t asked Hagrid to join the S.P.E.W. yet!¡±

    Colin said he had no objection, while Evan told them of how Hagrid looked this morning.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s description, Harry was extremely surprised and wanted to go over and take a look.

    ¡°The st-Ended Skrewts are really bad enough.¡± Ron sighed and reluctantly followed them outside. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go to Hagrid. I just hope he doesn¡¯t ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts.¡±

    They walked out of the castle and came to Hagrid¡¯s Hut.

    The students from Beauxbatons seemed to have finished their breakfast and were getting out of the carriage.

    Evan saw Gabrielle smiling at him, while Fleur and the other girls pretended not to see them.

    Thinking of Gabrielle¡¯s words in the morning, it was hard to imagine that they had talked about him for a long timest night.

    From her current attitude, Evan also thought that they were indifferent to a few of their own people!

    Ron stared at Fleur¡¯s back until she and Madame Maxime entered the castle.

    A few minutester, the five came to Hagrid¡¯s Hut. Harry knocked on the door, and Fang¡¯s booming barks answered instantly.

    ¡°About time!¡± Hagrid opened the door. ¡°I thought you lot had forgotten where I live!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been really busy!¡± said Hermione.

    She looked up at Hagrid with astonishment, and although she was prepared, she was still shocked by his dress.

    Harry, Ron, and Colin kept staring at Hagrid¡¯s odd hairstyle, as if they were frightened. It was too bad, but everyone avoided saying anything to avoid hurting Hagrid¡¯s self-esteem.

    They went in and Hagrid¡¯s cabinprised a single room, in one corner of which was a gigantic bed covered in a patchwork quilt.

    A simrly enormous wooden table and chairs stood in front of the fire beneath the quantity of cured hams and dead birds hanging from the ceiling.

    They sat down at the table while Hagrid started to make tea, and were soon immersed in yet more discussion of the Triwizard Tournament.

    Hagrid seemed quite as excited about it as they were, more than they could have imagined.

    ¡°You wait,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°You¡¯re going to see some stuff you¡¯ve never seen before. The first task is¡­ ah, but I¡¯m not supposed to say.¡±

    ¡°Go on, Hagrid!¡± Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Colin urged him, but he just shook his head, grinning.

    Evan was drinking tea. He didn¡¯t know if Hagrid was so happy because of the fire dragon or Madame Maxime, or both.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to spoil it for you,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°But it¡¯s going to be spectacr, I¡¯ll tell you that. Those champions are going to have their work cut out. I really never thought I¡¯d live to see the Triwizard Tournament yed again!¡±

    They ended up having lunch with Hagrid, though they didn¡¯t eat much. Hagrid had made what he said was a beef casserole, but after Hermione unearthed arge talon in hers, the five of them rather lost their appetites.

    However, they still enjoyed themselves. Harry, Ron and Colin tried to make Hagrid tell them what the tasks in the tournament were going to be, and spected which of the entrants were likely to be selected as champions.

    Looking at Ron, it seemed he had forgotten about putting his name into the Goblet of Fire.

    By three or four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, a light rain had started to fall.

    It was very cozy sitting by the fire, listening to the gentle patter of the drops on the window, watching Hagrid darning his socks and arguing with Hermione about house-elves, for he tly refused to join S.P.E.W. when she showed him her badges.

    ¡°It would be doing them an unkindness, Hermione!¡± he said gravely, threading a massive bone needle with thick yellow yarn. ¡°It¡¯s in their nature to look after humans, that¡¯s what they like, see? You¡¯d be making them unhappy to take away their work, and insulting them if you tried to pay them.¡±

    ¡°But Harry and Evan set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!¡± said Hermione, ¡°Evan also paid him¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you get weirdos in every breed. I¡¯m not saying there isn¡¯t the odd elf who would take freedom, but you¡¯ll never persuade most elves to fight for it. Really, this is impossible, Hermione.¡±

    Hermione looked very cross when he heard him, and stuffed the box of badges back into her cloak pocket.

    By 5:30, it was growing dark.

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Colin and Hermione decided it was time to get back up to the castle for the Halloween feast, and more important, the announcement of the school champions.

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± said Hagrid, putting away his darning, ¡°Just give me a second.¡±

    He got up, went across to the chest of drawers beside his bed, and began searching for something inside it.

    They didn¡¯t pay too much attention until a truly horrible smell reached their nostrils.

    Everyone couldn¡¯t help coughing and looked curiously at Hagrid.

    ¡°Hagrid, what¡¯s that?¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°Eh?!¡± said Hagrid, turning around with arge bottle in his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡±

    ¡°Is that aftershave?¡± said Hermione in a slightly choked voice.

    ¡°Er ¡­ eau de cologne!¡± Hagrid muttered, suddenly realizing something, blushing. He said gruffly. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a bit much, I¡¯ll go take it off, hang on¡­¡±

    He stumped out of the cabin, and they saw him washing himself vigorously in the water barrel outside the window.

    ¡°Eau de cologne?!¡± said Hermione in amazement, ¡°Hagrid?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?!¡±

    ¡°And that hair and that suit!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out soon!¡± Evan lowered his voice and said he was going to send Hagrid a good bottle of perfume this Christmas.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 555: Champion

    Chapter 555: Champion

    ¡°What do you mean, what will we find out?!¡±

    ¡°Look out the window!¡± said Harry suddenly.

    They quickly turned their heads. Outside the hut, Hagrid had just straightened up and turned around. If he had been blushing before, it was nothing to what he was doing now.

    Getting to their feet very cautiously, so that Hagrid wouldn¡¯t spot them, they peered through the window and saw that Madame Maxime and the Beauxbatons students had just emerged from the carriage, clearly about to set off for the feast too.

    They couldn¡¯t hear what Hagrid was saying, but he was talking to Madame Maxime with a rapt, misty-eyed expression.

    ¡°He¡¯s going up to the castle with her!¡± said Hermione indignantly. ¡°I thought he was waiting for us!¡±

    Hagrid didn¡¯t even look back at his cabin. He was trudging off up the grounds with Madame Maxime, the Beauxbatons students following in their wake, jogging to keep up with their enormous strides.

    ¡°He fancies her!¡± said Ron incredulously. ¡°Well, if they end up having children, they¡¯ll be setting a world record. I bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton.¡±

    A few minutester, they let themselves out of the cabin and shut the door behind them.

    It was surprisingly dark outside. Drawing their cloaks more closely around themselves, they set off up the slopingwns.

    The topic remained on Hagrid, and no one could believe it.

    ¡°I have to admit that those French girls are great, and it¡¯s not strange that Hagrid is fascinated.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, especially the two sisters of Ve descent, their names are Fleur and Gabrielle, aren¡¯t they?!¡±

    ¡°Hum, is this what you boys think?!¡± Hermione said disgruntled, but her eyes were fixed on Evan, who was silent.

    Evan shook his head subconsciously. He found that Hermione was unusually sensitive sincest night.

    Did she find anything?! Or what was the misunderstanding?!

    This was really bad enough; <em>those girls are really a headache</em>!

    When they reached theke, The Durmstrang party had juste down from the boat.

    Viktor Krum was walking side by side with Karkaroff, and the other Durmstrangs were straggling along behind them.

    Ron watched Krum excitedly, but Krum did not look around and did not see them.

    When they entered the candlelit Great Hall, it was almost full of people.

    The Goblet of Fire had been moved. It was now standing in front of Dumbledore¡¯s empty chair at the teachers¡¯ table.

    Fred and George, clean-shaven again, seemed to have taken their disappointment fairly well.

    ¡°I really hope it¡¯s Angelina,¡± said Fred as Evan, Harry, Ron, Colin and Hermione sat down.

    ¡°So do I!¡± said Hermione breathlessly. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll soon know!¡±

    The Halloween feast seemed to take much longer than usual. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, they didn¡¯t seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as they would have normally.

    The people in the Great Hall kept craning their necks, with impatient expressions on every face.

    They were fidgeting and standing up from time to time to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet. They simply wanted the tes to clear, and to hear who had been selected as champions.

    At longst, the golden tes returned to their original spotless state, and there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Dumbledore got to his feet.

    On either side of him, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime looked as tense and expecting as anyone.

    Ludo Bagman was beaming and winking at various students. Mr. Crouch, however, looked quite uninterested, almost bored.

    Evan saw his eyes stay on Moody for a moment, then on Snape, then on Karkaroff and Dumbledore, with a look of undisguised hatred.

    After confirming through the Marauder¡¯s Map, Crouch was currently the most likely to be a fake; his son in disguise.

    Of course, he might alsoe in disguised as someone else, which was hard to check.

    It was impossible for Evan to stare all the time at the Marauder¡¯s Map, which was not omnipotent.

    With enchanted name like Caresius, or magical protection like Durmstrang¡¯s big ship, The Marauder¡¯s Map would work, but the name would not be marked.

    In fact, no matter who Barty Crouch Jr. was pretending to be, Evan was ready. He had already talked to Caresius about this and confirmed that he would get the necessary help.

    If the other party was still following the original plot, then he would sneak into the maze at thest moment. If there were any changes, he could also adapt to the circumstances at that time.

    When necessary, Dumbledore would certainly make moves, and would not let things deviate too far.

    ¡°Attention, please. The Goblet of Fire is almost ready to make its decision!¡± Dumbledore said, waving down. ¡°I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions¡¯ names are called, I would ask them to pleasee up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions!¡± He indicated the door behind the staff table, and everyone looked there.

    Dumbledore took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it.

    At once, all the candles except those inside the carved pumpkins were extinguished.

    The Great Hall suddenly fell into a state of semidarkness, and the Goblet of Fire now shone more brightly than anything in the whole Hall, the sparkling bright, bluey-whiteness of the mes almost painful on the eyes.

    Everyone watched, waiting; a few people kept checking their watches¡­

    Without any warning, the mes in the goblet turned suddenly red again. Sparks began to fly from it. Next moment, a tongue of me shot into the air, a charred piece of parchment fluttered out of it.

    The people in the Great Hall all held their breath and looked at the note.

    Dumbledore caught the piece of parchment and held it at arm¡¯s length, so that he could read it by the light of the mes, which had turned back to blue-white.

    ¡°The champion for Durmstrang,¡± he read in a strong, clear voice, ¡°will be Viktor Krum.¡±

    In an instant, a storm of apuse and cheering swept the Hall.

    ¡°No surprises there!¡± yelled Ron.

    Viktor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched up toward Dumbledore. He turned right, walked along the staff table, and disappeared through the door into the next chamber.

    ¡°Bravo, Viktor!¡± boomed Karkaroff, so loudly that everyone could hear him, even over all the apuse. ¡°I knew you were destined to be a champion!¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 556: The 4th Champion

    Chapter 556: The 4th Champion

    The pping and chatting died down, and now everyone¡¯s attention was focused again on the Goblet of Fire.

    Secondster, the mes turned red once more. A second piece of parchment shot out of it, propelled by the mes.

    ¡°The champion for Beauxbatons,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°is Fleur Dcour!¡±

    Hibiscus got gracefully to her feet and shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair.

    She seemed not surprised by the result, and swept up between the Ravenw and Hufflepuff tables.

    ¡°Oh look, they¡¯re all disappointed,¡± Hermione said over the noise, nodding toward the remainder of the Beauxbatons party.

    In fact, the word ¡°disappointed¡± was a bit of an understatement. Two of the girls who had not been selected had dissolved into tears and were sobbing with their heads on their arms.

    Gabrielle, on the other hand, was extremely happy and kept pping for her sister.

    When Fleur Dcour too had vanished into the side chamber, the Great Hall was quiet again.

    But this time it was a silence so stiff with excitement you could almost taste it. The Hogwarts champion next¡­

    And the Goblet of Fire turned red once more. Sparks showered out of it; the tongue of me shot high into the air, and from its tip Dumbledore pulled the third piece of parchment.

    ¡°The Hogwarts champion,¡± he called, ¡°is Cedric Diggory!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± said Ron loudly.

    The uproar from the next table was too great. Every single Hufflepuff had jumped to his or her feet, screaming and stamping, as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off toward the chamber behind the teachers¡¯ table.

    After Evan decided not to be a champion, Diggory was indeed the best pick.

    The apuse for Cedric went on so long that it was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

    ¡°Excellent!¡± Dumbledore called happily as atst the tumult died down. ¡°Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real ¡­¡±

    Dumbledore suddenly stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everybody what had distracted him.

    The fire in the goblet had just turned red again, and sparks were flying out of it.

    A long me shot suddenly into the air, and borne upon it was another piece of parchment.

    Automatically, it seemed, Dumbledore reached out a long hand and seized the parchment. He held it out and stared at the name written upon it.

    There was a long pause, during which Dumbledore stared at the slip in his hands, and everyone in the Great Hall stared at Dumbledore.

    This was really too thrilling. All three champions had been chosen. Why did a parchmente out of the Goblet of Fire?

    ¡°Here ites!¡± Evan focused on Dumbledore. Barty Crouch Jr. did it.

    A few secondster, Dumbledore cleared his throat and read out, ¡°<em>Ron Weasley</em>!¡±

    <em>What?! Ron is a champion?! How is that possible? Evan¡¯s head went nk. Shouldn¡¯t it be Harry?!</em>

    Things had changed again. What kind of conspiracy was Barty Crouch plotting?!

    He hurriedly looked at Ron, and everyone else turned to look at him.

    Ron¡¯s name emerged from the Goblet of Fire, which was even more unexpected than Evan bing a champion himself.

    Ron seemed to be scared. He just sat there, feeling like he was in a dream.

    Did he hear that wrong? He actually became a champion?!

    After a brief nk, there was a burst of ecstasy. He looked excitedly, but did not see a smiling face.

    There was no apuse. A buzzing, as though of angry bees, was starting to fill the Hall; some students were standing up to get a better look at Ron.

    Ron stood where he was, his smile gradually solidified, and suddenly he was at a loss. His face turned red; even his ears went red.

    ¡°Go to that room!¡± Evan whispered, gently pushing Ron.

    He nced at Caresius, who shook his head slightly, looking equally surprised by the result.

    No matter what happened, Ron had be a champion.

    He heard Evan¡¯s reminder and wanted to go to the room at the top of the Great Hall, but his body was stiff, unable to move.

    Professor McGonagall had got to her feet and swept past Ludo Bagman and Professor Karkaroff to whisper urgently to Professor Dumbledore, who bent his ear toward her, frowning slightly.

    At the top table, Professor Dumbledore had straightened up, nodding to Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Ron Weasley!¡± he called again. ¡°Ron! Up here, if you please!¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Hermione whispered, giving Ron a slight push.

    ¡°Go!¡± said Harry.

    Ron got to his feet, trod on the hem of his robes, and identally fell to the ground.

    With the help of a few people around him, he got up in a terrible embarrassment.

    Ron set off up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, with hundreds of pairs of eyes fixed on him.

    The buzzing grew louder and louder, and the atmosphere in the Great Hall was getting more and more strange.

    They just watched Ron pass by, their faces filled with irrepressible anger.

    But no one stopped Ron. Everyone was avoiding him like a gue, as if they had seen something dirty.

    ¡°Well ¡­ through the door, Ron!¡± said Dumbledore, and there was no smile on his face.

    Ron looked at Dumbledore expectantly and seemed to want some response.

    But Dumbledore¡¯s expression was especially serious. He had looked like this before. It seemed that even the mes around him were frozen.

    A few secondster, Ron nodded slowly, as if he understood something and stumbled along the teachers¡¯ table.

    After he entered the room, the other people at the top table, Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Maxime, Ludo Bagman, Barty Crouch, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape also followed and went in.

    Before leaving, Professor McGonagall asked everyone to go back to bed, and the feast this evening was over.

    The students did not leave immediately, but suddenly broke out.

    Arguments and noises almost toppled the ceiling, and everyone was furious.

    ¡°How could Ron be a champion?!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°He¡¯s been with us all day, and he never had a chance to put his name in the Goblet of Fire!¡± Hermione frowned.

    ¡°Obviously, this is some sort of conspiracy,¡± said Evan. He wondered if Ron could pass those dangerous tasks.

    In his opinion, Barty Crouch Jr. made Ron a champion, and it was no different from killing him.

    Damn, what kind of plot is he nning?!

    Ron was different from Harry. Harry was very brave and had performed well in actualbat. With Dumbledore¡¯s help, it was possible for him to pass the Triwizard Tournament.

    But, Ron¡­

    Evan sighed. He really did not know how to help Ron and let him hold on to the end with his current level.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 557: Hermioneâ€™s Trust and Argument

    Chapter 557: Hermione¡¯s Trust and Argument

    ¡°Ron didn¡¯t put his name into the Goblet of Fire!¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Not necessarily. He probably put his name into the Goblet of Firest night, so no one would find out, couldn¡¯t he?!¡±

    ¡°Then how did he do it?!¡± Hermione said sharply, looking at Harry with anger. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have broken through Dumbledore¡¯s magical line.¡±

    ¡°He might have thought of Evan¡¯s method long ago, but it¡¯s hard to say,¡± Harry said hesitantly, avoiding Hermione¡¯s gaze.

    Although reason told him to trust Ron, he was still somewhat ufortable about the matter.

    The thought of Ron bing a champion gave him a sense of inexplicable betrayal.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Ron would be so smart. Evan is right. It¡¯s a conspiracy. We have to help him exin it!¡± Hermione said quickly.

    She made up her mind to pull up Evan and Harry and run to the teachers¡¯ table.

    Professor Moody, whom Caresius pretended to be, was still there, and he was their only chance to help Ron.

    Despite Hermione¡¯s usual quarrel with Ron, she was the first to rush to his help at a critical moment.

    In order to prove her friend¡¯s innocence, Hermione was such a person to proceed without hesitation.

    ¡°Professor, Ron has been with us all day. He couldn¡¯t have put his name into the Goblet of Fire.¡± Hermione said anxiously.

    Moody took out his hip sk and took another sip. His normal eye was fixed on Hermione, but his magical eye was tightly fixed on Evan.

    Judging from the expression on his face, it seemed that he didn¡¯t care whether Ron had be a champion.

    ¡°Miss Granger, please understand that his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, which means that Mr. Weasley signed a contract with it. This is a very strong magic contract; no one could crack it. He¡¯s bound topete in the tournament!¡± Moody said coldly.

    ¡°But Professor, Ron didn¡¯t put his name in it!¡±!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the point; you just need to know¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, this is obviously a conspiracy, someone is trying to frame Ron!¡± Evan interrupted Moody and winked at him. ¡°I think we should go in and stop it, or at least persuade everyone to ept this reality.¡±

    Seeing Evan¡¯s eyes, Moody nodded reluctantly and his movement was stiff.

    ¡°All right, all right, you threee in with me and help Mr. Weasley prove his innocence!¡± He said gruffly.

    Evan, Harry and Hermione followed Moody to the door of the room.

    They entered the room where Dumbledore was questioning Ron and a debate was ongoing.

    Ron hadpletely lost his mind and couldn¡¯t even say a singleplete sentence.

    Snape, standing on the outermost side, turned his head and frowned at the four of them.

    After seeing Moody, he said nothing, only becaming more disgusted.

    Moody originally wanted to express his opinion directly, but Evan gave him a gentle pull and motioned him to listen first.

    ¡°Evidently there has been a mistake,¡± next to the fire, Fleur lifted her chin and looked at Ron contemptuously. She said haughtily, ¡°He cannotpete, he is too young. I know there is a strong young fellow at Hogwarts, but it is obviously not him.¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ it¡¯s amazing,¡± said Ludo Bagman, rubbing his smooth chin and smiling down at Ron, as if he had some ns. ¡°But, as you know, the age restriction was only imposed this year as an extra safety measure. And as his name¡¯se out of the goblet ¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t think there can be any ducking out at this stage ¡­ It¡¯s down in the rules, you¡¯re obliged ¡­ Ron will just have to do the best he ¡­¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous, ridiculous!¡± Madame Maxime interrupted Bagman¡¯s words. The top of her handsome head brushed the candle-filled chandelier, and her gigantic ck-satin bosom swelled. She said angrily, ¡°Dumbledore, what is the meaning of this?! I thought we made it clear in the rules to keep this kind of thing from happening. We specifically emphasized that underage young wizards were not allowed topete in the tournament, but Hogwarts still has one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather like to know that myself, Dumbledore,¡± said Professor Karkaroff. He was wearing a steely smile, and his blue eyes were like chips of ice. ¡°Two Hogwarts champions? I don¡¯t remember anyone telling me the host school is allowed two champions ¡­ or have I not read the rules carefully enough?!¡±

    He gave a short and nastyugh.

    ¡°<em>C¡¯est impossible</em>!¡± said Madame Maxime, whose enormous hand with its many superb opals was resting upon Fleur¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Last time it was Evan Mason, this time it is him. Hogwarts has repeatedly provoked Beauxbatons. You have to give an exnation.¡±

    ¡°Durmstrang also needs an exnation. We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore,¡± said Karkaroff, his steely smile in ce, though his eyes were colder than ever. ¡°Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, we will exin!¡± Dumbledore said softly, turning to look at Ron, who was scared, ¡°Mr. Weasley, did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Ron hurriedly shook his head.

    ¡°Then, did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?¡± Dumbledore continued.

    ¡°No, no!¡± Ron hesitated before stuttering.

    ¡°He is lying!¡± cried Madame Maxime.

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I¡¯ve learned this method from Evan, but I¡­ I didn¡¯t have a chance!¡± Ron gasped and said, ¡°We went to Hagrid. I didn¡¯t put my name into the Goblet of Fire.¡±

    ¡°Evan?!¡± Everyone was stunned, ¡°Evan Mason?!¡±

    Then, their eyes all turned to Evan, who had just walked in.

    Evan looked at them expressionless, and his eyes eventually fell on Barty Crouch standing by the fire.

    He stood there arms crossed, his shadow drawn by the fire.

    ¡°Dumbledore, I remember you said your magic was foolproof.¡± Karkaroff sneered. ¡°Now it was cracked by a child; really interesting.¡±

    ¡°The matter is already obvious. It¡¯s no one¡¯s fault but Weasley¡¯s and Mason¡¯s, Karkaroff!¡± said Snape softly. His ck eyes were alight with malice. ¡°Weasley, with an empty head, could not have thought of it, but our Mr. Know-it-All is different. He had always been clever, a little too clever. Ever since he arrived here, he has been breaking the rules of the school. I think our Savior must have been involved in this, but he wasn¡¯t selected.¡±

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t put our names in the Goblet of Fire!¡± Harry said loudly, looking at Snape angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. You know the way, don¡¯t you? Let me see.¡±

    ¡°Severus!¡± said Dumbledore firmly.

    Snape went quiet, though his eyes still glinted malevolently through his curtain of greasy ck hair.

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 Chapter 558: Empty Threat

    Chapter 558: Empty Threat

    ¡°This is my negligence. I should have thought of better measures,¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°You admit it?! So it seems that a senior boy helped him put his name in the Goblet of Fire.¡± Karkaroff said in a vicious voice, ¡°This is a serious vition of the rules. Hogwarts is cheating!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Ron murmured, his face pale and bloodless. ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Weasley didn¡¯t do it!¡± Professor McGonagall said angrily. She shot a very angry look at Professor Snape. ¡°We should believe him. He did not persuade senior students to help him do this. This can be verified.¡±

    ¡°Ron has been with us all day, at Hagrid¡¯s!¡± Hermione said quickly.

    ¡°We can prove that he didn¡¯t put his name in the Goblet of Fire.¡± Harry shouted.

    ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t think the Goblet of Fire will make such a mistake, choosing two champions from the same school,¡± said Evan, ¡°This is some sort of conspiracy!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Everyone looked at him as if they did not quite understand him.

    ¡°As you all know, the Goblet of Fire is a very powerful magical item.¡± said Evan, ¡°It would have needed an exceptionally strong Confundus Charm or some other ck magic to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schoolspete in the tournament ¡­ I¡¯m guessing they submitted Ron¡¯s name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in his category.¡±

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, everyone was thinking about the possibility of such a thing.

    ¡°Absurd!¡± said Karkaroff, ¡°The idea is simply whimsical, that the boy put his name in the Goblet of Fire, and then the damn goblet went wrong and spit out his name.¡±

    ¡°No way, there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Goblet of Fire, Karkaroff!¡± Ludo Bagman said uneasily, ¡°We checked before, didn¡¯t we, Barty?¡±

    ¡°I was responsible for the inspection!¡± Crouch said in a curt voice. He was standing outside the circle of the firelight, his face half hidden in the shadow, and his wrinkled skin as white and transparent as paper.

    ¡°Are you doubting me, Karkaroff?!¡± he asked.

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not doubting you!¡± Karkaroff took a step back and looked very afraid of Crouch. He said again in an oily voice, ¡°But you must think it¡¯s grossly inappropriate, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Bagman didn¡¯t answer. He wiped his round, boyish face with his handkerchief and looked at Mr. Crouch.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about what is reasonable or unreasonable. We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose namese out of the Goblet of Fire are bound topete in the tournament.¡± Crouch did not look at everyone. He stared at the burning fire, thinking about something.

    For a few seconds, Evan even thought he was going to walk into the mes.

    ¡°Barty knows the rulebook back to front,¡± said Bagman, beaming and turning back to Karkaroff and Madame Maxime, as though the matter was now closed.

    ¡°No, I insist upon resubmitting the names of the rest of my students!¡± Karkaroff¡¯s face was ugly. He stopped looking at Crouch by the fire, and turned to Dumbledore. ¡°You will set up the Goblet of Fire once more, and we will continue adding names until each school has two champions. It¡¯s only fair, Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it doesn¡¯t work like that, Karkaroff!¡± Bagman frowned and said, wiping his fingers with his handkerchief. ¡°You know, the Goblet has just gone out and it won¡¯t reignite until the start of the next tournament.¡±

    ¡°Durmstrang will most certainly not bepeting in the next tournament!¡± exploded Karkaroff. ¡°After all our meetings and negotiations andpromises, I little expected something of this nature to ur! I have half a mind to leave now!¡±

    Evan pushed Moody in the back. It was time for him toe out. If things went on like this, they would fall apart. And among the crowd, besides Moody, no one could stop Karkaroff.

    ¡°Empty threat, Karkaroff!¡± growled Moody immediately, his voice louder than Karkaroff¡¯s, shocking everyone. ¡°You can¡¯t make your champion leave now. He¡¯s got topete; they¡¯ve all got topete. Binding magical contract. Convenient, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    He limped to the center, blocking Ron behind him and staring at Karkaroff.

    Under his gaze, the expression on Karkaroff¡¯s face became extremely ugly.

    ¡°Convenient?!¡± he said angrily. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand you, Moody.¡±

    It could be seen that he was trying to sound disdainful, as though what Moody was saying was barely worth his notice, but his hands gave him away; they had balled themselves into fists.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you?!¡± said Moody quietly. ¡°It¡¯s very simple, Karkaroff! As Evan said, someone put Weasley¡¯s name into the Goblet of Fire knowing he¡¯d have topete if it came out.¡±

    ¡°Evidently, someone who wished to give Hogwarts two chances!¡± said Madame Maxime.

    ¡°I quite agree with you, Madame Maxime!¡± said Karkaroff, bowing to her, ¡°I shall be lodgingints with the Ministry of Magic <em>and</em> the International Confederation of Wizards.¡±

    ¡°Enough, if anyone has got reason toin, it¡¯s Weasley!¡± growled Moody, ¡°But I don¡¯t hear him saying a word!¡±

    ¡°Why should hein?¡± burst out Fleur Dcour, stamping her foot angrily. ¡°He has the chance topete, hasn¡¯t it? We have all been hoping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! To win the honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons in prize money. This is a chance many would die for, and our school has undergone a rigorous selection!¡±

    ¡°Maybe someone¡¯s hoping Weasley is going to die for it,¡± said Moody, with the merest trace of a growl.

    An extremely tense silence followed these words.

    Ludo Bagman, who was looking very anxious indeed, bounced nervously up and down on his feet and said, ¡°Moody, old man ¡­ what a thing to say!¡±

    ¡°We all know Professor Moody considers the morning wasted if he hasn¡¯t discovered six plots to murder him before lunchtime,¡± said Karkaroff loudly. ¡°Apparently he is now teaching his students to fear assassination too. An odd quality in a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dumbledore, but no doubt you had your reasons.¡±

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 Chapter 559: Crouchâ€™s Hatred

    Chapter 559: Crouch¡¯s Hatred

    ¡°Imagining things, am I?!¡± growled Moody. ¡°So can you refute what Evan just said now?!¡±

    ¡°I can see clearly that you seem to have given this a great deal of thought!¡± Karkaroff said coldly, ¡°You and Evan Mason, and this boy, you are obviously very skilled at this kind of thing. If anyone confused the Goblet of Fire, <em>you</em> did it.¡±

    ¡°If I did it, I would have made Evan a champion. There is no young wizard here who would pose a challenge to him. He would definitely win the championship.¡± Moody retorted, ¡°Am I not right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have deliberately restricted him frompeting. This is despicable cowardice.¡±

    Neither Karkaroff nor Madame Maxime spoke, and there was no way to refute Moody. They both knew Evan¡¯s strength.

    After the World Cup, Evan was now very famous in European wizarding circles.

    If any of the students in their schools could beat Evan, they wouldn¡¯t have specifically named him to be out of the tournament.

    Compared with Evan, Ron was really nothing. Everyone could feel the insignificant magic in him.

    As Snape said, the boy¡¯s head was empty and he was aplete fool.

    Even Karkaroff himself did not believe that Ron could make it through the tasks of the tournament.

    ¡°Making Weasley a champion seems to be a harmless act in Hogwarts¡¯s favor, but don¡¯t forget, there are those who¡¯ll turn innocent asions to their advantage!¡± Moody retorted in a menacing voice, ¡°It¡¯s my job to think the way Dark wizards do, Karkaroff ¡­ as you ought to remember.¡±

    ¡°stor!¡± said Dumbledore warningly.

    Moody fell silent, though still surveying Karkaroff with satisfaction. Karkaroff¡¯s face was burning, and he didn¡¯t dare to look at him at all.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point in arguing. We must obey the rules!¡± Mr. Crouch said softly, and finally made a decision about it.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Madame Maxime, if you have an alternative, I would be delighted to hear it!¡± said Mr. Crouch, walking into the middle of the room. He carefully looked at Ron with a cold look. ¡°This boy has topete. There will be a reasonable written exnation for this to the Ministry of Magic in your two countries.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Barty!¡± Dumbledore nodded to Mr. Crouch. He said to everyone gathered in the room, ¡°How this situation arose, we do not know. It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to ept it. Both Cedric and Ron have been chosen topete in the tournament.¡±

    Madame Maxime did not speak, she merely red. Snape also looked furious, and Karkaroff was livid. Bagman, however, looked rather excited.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the problem was over. Then it was up to Barty Crouch Jr. to act.

    He looked again at Mr. Crouch, whose slender body looked extremely weird.

    Crouch was looking at Harry and noticed Evan¡¯s gaze. He turned and looked at Evan.

    This was the first time they looked at each other. Neither of them looked away, as if to see through the other.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what Crouch saw in his own eyes, but from his indifferent eyes, Evan saw a trace of madness and monstrous hatred.

    He looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to pull out his wand and kill everyone here.

    Evan could clearly feel that this guy was a madman, a thoroughly dangerous maniac!

    The expression was fleeting, and in the blink of an eye, Crouch returned to his former appearance.

    ¡°Well, shall we crack on, then?¡± Bagman said, rubbing his hands together and looking around at the people in the room with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve got to give our champions their instructions, haven¡¯t we? The three other children¡­¡±

    ¡°Let them stay here, there is nothing to keep secret about this matter!¡± said Mr. Crouch.

    ¡°Well, listen, champions, the first task is designed to test your daring,¡± Bagman told Ron, Cedric, Fleur and Viktor. ¡°So we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard ¡­ very important. I hope you can understand this.¡±

    ¡°The first task will take ce on November 24th, in front of the other students and the panel of judges.¡±

    ¡°The champions are not permitted to ask for or ept help of any kind from their teachers toplete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests.¡±

    Bagman said it in one breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to look at Crouch.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s all. Do you have anything to add?¡±

    Crouch shook his head and returned to his position in front of the fire, as if he had a special liking for it.

    ¡°Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?¡± said Dumbledore, looking at Mr. Crouch with mild concern.

    ¡°No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry!¡± said Mr. Crouch. ¡°You know, it is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment. I have to form a written report to Fudge about this evening¡­ I¡¯ve left young Weatherby in charge ¡­ very enthusiastic ¡­ a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯lle and have a drink before you go, at least?¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°Come on, Barty, I¡¯m staying!¡± said Bagman brightly. ¡°It¡¯s all happening at Hogwarts now, you know, much more exciting here than at the office!¡±

    ¡°I think not, Ludo. I can¡¯t stay here.¡± said Crouch with a touch of his old impatience. ¡°There are so many things waiting for me to do.¡± He turned straight away and left the room. Snape followed him out.

    Looking at his back, Evan was thinking quickly.

    If he was faked by Barty Crouch Jr., then he would soon show up if he didn¡¯t leave.

    The discussion juststed for a long time. If he didn¡¯t drink the Polyjuice Potion again, unless he was not using Polyjuice Potion to deform, it would soon be timeout.

    In this case, it was understandable that he was in a hurry to leave Hogwarts. Crouch was not Moody and could not drink wine from his sk all the time. If he talked with Dumbledore for a while, he would have no time to secretly drink Polyjuice Potion.

    Anyway, things here were over.

    Although he did not know what conspiracy he had, Ron became a champion with his help, and the rest of the matter could be dealt with by Caresius.

    He could let him help Ron as Moody, and it would not arouse suspicion.

    There was no need for Bartemius Crouch, Jr. to risk his life in the school, as long as he could show up at thest minute.

    But when he thought about the crazy light in the eyes of Crouch, Evan felt that things would not be so simple.

    ¡°Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, a nightcap?¡± said Dumbledore.

    Madame Maxime ignored him. She had already put her arm around Fleur¡¯s shoulders and was leading her swiftly out of the room.

    As they went off into the Great Hall, they were talking very fast in French, and their faces did not look very good.

    The same was true of Karkaroff, who beckoned to Krum.

    Krum just looked up and drank a small bottle of supplements. His face was gloomy and he followed Karkaroff without saying a word.

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 Chapter 560: Hogwarts Champion

    Chapter 560: Hogwarts Champion

    With the departure of the crowd, the room suddenly became much quieter.

    ¡°Ron, Cedric, Evan, Harry, Hermione, I suggest you go up to bed.¡± said Dumbledore, smiling at the five of them, ¡°I am sure Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise.¡±

    Evan looked back at Dumbledore and wondered if he had found out anything.

    He thought he would not get a response, but suddenly he saw Dumbledore smiling at him.

    Dumbledore quickly nodded to Evan, and the smile seemed to be particrly meaningful.

    What happened this evening was so weird, and the battle had already begun. He didn¡¯t know who would end upughing¡­

    When they dragged Ron, who was almost unable to walk, and walked out of the room, they found that the Great Hall was deserted by now. The candles had burned low, giving the jagged smiles of the pumpkins an eerie, flickering quality.

    ¡°Weasley, I didn¡¯t expect you to be a champion too!¡± said Cedric with a reluctant smile, reaching out to Ron. ¡°But anyway, we now represent Hogwarts, even though you are my opponent¡­¡±

    ¡°Only one person can represent Hogwarts. I¡¯ll beat you. I¡¯ll prove that I am the real champion!¡± yelled Ron.

    He didn¡¯t shake hands with Cedric and let him stand there so embarrassed.

    Ron now looked paranoid, and after the tremendous pressure had passed, ecstasy had followed.

    His mind was in a state of chaos, with only one thought: His champion status had been recognized by the Ministry of Magic and the school, and his dream hade true. He was the champion of Hogwarts, the <em>true</em> champion!

    Because of his excitement, Ron¡¯s face was flushed and his whole body was trembling slightly.

    ¡°Well ¡­ see you, then!¡± said Cedric coldly, taking back his right hand.

    They quickly separated, and Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the stairs to the Gryffindor Tower.

    ¡°I became a champion, I am a champion, I am the champion of Hogwarts!¡± Ron muttered to himself.

    Along the way, he kept repeating these words, as if hypnotizing himself.

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione exchanged nces and looked anxiously at Ron.

    ¡°Ron, you shouldn¡¯t have talked to Cedric like that!¡± Harry said hesitantly. ¡°He¡¯s really a good guy.¡±

    ¡°Then what should I say? We¡¯repetitors now, and that pretty boy does not recognize me at all.¡± said Ron, ¡°He and I are champions, but there¡¯s only one who can represent Hogwarts, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Harry paused and continued. ¡°Well, then can you tell us how you put your name into the Goblet of Fire? Is it the way Evan mentioned?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t put my name in the Goblet of Fire. I wanted to do it, but I didn¡¯t get a chance. We¡¯ve been at Hagrid¡¯s all day.¡± Ron froze for a moment and said angrily, ¡°You guys, don¡¯t you believe me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, of course we believe you, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t have asked Professor Moody toe in and help you!¡± Evan answered subconsciously. He was still considering why Batty Crouch Jr. chose Ron. What was this guy¡¯s plot?!

    After Ron became a champion, the whole story and future developments were deflected too much for him to be able to anticipate anything.

    A lot of things needed to be pushed over and reasoned.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to believe you too, Ron!¡± said Harry, ¡°although this is really hard to believe.¡±

    ¡°Well, you three! Now the question is not whether Ron had be a champion, but who put his name in the Goblet of Fire.¡± Hermione frowned.

    ¡°Whoever he is, he¡¯s obviously helping me, isn¡¯t he?¡± Ron said with augh.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what Evan and Professor Moody said?!¡± Hermione¡¯s eyebrows were raised up again. ¡°That person wants to get you killed!¡± she said aloud.

    ¡°<em>Get</em> me <em>Killed</em>?!¡± Ron froze for a moment, somewhat disapprovingly.

    ¡°The professors said that the tasks of the Triwizard Tournament are very dangerous. It is not something we can cope with. You are very likely to die there, Ron!¡± Hermione said worriedly. ¡°You are not as strong as Evan. There are many¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?!¡± Ron interrupted Hermione. ¡°I¡¯ve be a champion. You should congratte me, not say these messy things.¡±

    His eyes crossed over Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and the atmosphere was somewhat dreary.

    ¡°Congrattions!!¡± Hermione said in a strange way, looking at Ron with surprise. ¡°You¡¯re crazy; this is not a good thing, those¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, you¡¯ve always thought I¡¯m not as good as Evan, Harry, or even you!¡± Ron cried out, interrupting Hermione once more, and the smile on his face solidified. ¡°But I¡¯m the champion now, not you. That¡¯s enough to prove everything, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    There was an awkward silence, and Hermione seemed stunned by Ron¡¯s words.

    Evan knew that Ron had been depressed for too long and was suddenly overwhelmed by the ecstasy of being called a champion.

    They had to dy the topic for tomorrow, or let Ron face the first task, and Evan was sure he would then sober up¡­

    Evan gently held Hermione¡¯s little hand and motioned her not to continue.

    Harry still wanted to say something, but they were already in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

    The Fat Lady was not alone in her frame. Evan saw that the wizened witch, who had just appeared in the room downstairs, was now sitting smugly beside the Fat Lady. She must have dashed through every picture lining seven staircases to reach here before them.

    Both she and Fat Lady were looking down at Ron with the keenest interest and a smile on their faces.

    ¡°Well, well, well!¡± said the Fat Lady, ¡°Violet has just told me everything. Who¡¯s just been chosen as school champion, then?¡±

    ¡°Balderdash¡± said Hermione dully, she was also angry.

    If she had known this before, she wouldn¡¯t have gone in to defend Ron.

    ¡°It most certainly isn¡¯t, I saw it with my own eyes¡­¡± said the pale witch indignantly.

    ¡°No, no, Violet, it¡¯s the password,¡± said the Fat Lady soothingly, and she swung forward on her hinges to let them into the Common Room.

    The st of noise that met their ears when the portrait opened was deafening.

    Everyone seems to have nned to stay here. About a dozen pairs of hands wrenched Ron inside the Common Room, and he was facing the whole of Gryffindor House, all of whom were screaming, apuding, and whistling.

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 Chapter 561: Hufflepuffâ€™s Change

    Chapter 561: Hufflepuff¡¯s Change

    ¡°Great, Ron!¡±

    ¡°Good job!¡±

    ¡°You kid, you should have told us you had entered!¡± bellowed Fred; he looked half annoyed, half deeply impressed. He put his arms around Ron¡¯s shoulder and was overjoyed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect our little brother to be a Hogwarts champion!¡± George followed.

    ¡°I have already written to tell my mother about this, and she will definitely cry out excitedly.¡± Ginnyughed and came over.

    They were allughing and jumping around Ron.

    ¡°If it couldn¡¯t be me, at least it¡¯s a Gryffindor!¡± Angelina had also swooped down upon him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got food, Ron,e and have some¡­¡±

    Everyone was celebrating, as if they were mad.

    Yeah, <em>if it couldn¡¯t be me, at least it¡¯s a Gryffindor</em>!

    Angelina¡¯s words spoke of everyone¡¯s thoughts. After the initial shock, they all epted the fact that Ron became a champion. Although it was shocking, it was a good thing, wasn¡¯t it?!

    Gryffindor had its own champion, everyone was celebrating and revealing. This was the glory of all Gryffindors.

    Lee Jordan had unearthed a Gryffindor banner from somewhere and draped it around Ron like a cloak.

    The crowd around him closed ranks, surrounded him, forcing another butterbeer on him, stuffing crisps and peanuts into his hands.

    Everyone seemed to have lost all their senses and entered a state of revelry. Everyone was asking Ron, wanting to know how he had done it, how he had tricked Dumbledore¡¯s Age Line and managed to get his name into the Goblet of Fire¡­

    There was a steady stream of congrattions, and celebrations, and Ron became in the spotlight for the first time.

    At first, he didn¡¯t adapt to it, but he soon got involved and enjoyed it very much.

    He began to brag about it to others and talked a lot.

    Of course, most of it was nonsense. He also did not know how he became a champion, but that did not prevent him from quickly epting the change of status and enjoying the vanity of the championship.

    Hermione stared at everyone angrily for a while, dissatisfied with Ron¡¯s behavior. She did not join the party and turned directly back to her bedroom.

    Evan also followed, and he was still thinking about the matter.

    The partysted for a long time, until the middle of the night, without a break.

    Fred and George even went to the Three Broomsticks Inn in the dark and came back with a lot of butterbeer.

    When Professor McGonagall came to stop it, everyone went back to bed.

    The next morning, Evan got out of bed.

    He saw Colin sitting there with two big dark circles under his eyes, mechanically wearing his robes.

    ¡± What an rush we¡¯ve hadst night! I still can¡¯t believe that Ron became a champion!¡± He yawned. There were two deep shadows under his eyes. ¡°I took all the photos and mailed them to professor Lupin in a short while. This will definitely be sensational news. By the way, I think I should ask Ron for a signed photo. My brother wants to collect it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think it would be Ron!¡± said Evan. He had always thought it would be Harry.

    When they walked into the Great Hall, they found that everyone was discussing what happenedst night.

    Harry and Ron hadn¡¯te yet, and Hermione had already sat in her seat early.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with these people?!¡± Hermione said discontentedly, motioning Evan to look at the other long tables.

    Hufflepuff, Ravenw, and Slytherin were all looking at the Gryffindor long table with suspicion, with a look of contempt on their faces, everyone whispering, most of them focusing on Evan and Hermione.

    From their looks, it seemed like they suspected Evan had helped Ron be a champion.

    However, no one dared to look at Evan in the eyes. When Evan looked back at them, they all looked down.

    ¡°These guys have been pointing fingers at me all morning!¡± said Hermione, ¡°As if I was the champion!¡±

    It was not surprising. Everyone knew that Evan, Harry, and Hermione are Ron¡¯s closest friends.

    ¡°Where are Ron and Cedric?¡± asked Evan, taking a piece of bread for himself.

    ¡°They haven¡¯te yet, everyone is waiting for them.¡± said Hermione, ¡°I thought about itst night. This fact is too strange. Who wants to frame Ron? There is no reason. If it was you, or Harry, it would make sense¡­¡±

    Indeed, their current enemy was Barty Crouch, hiding in the dark.

    Voldemort needed Harry¡¯s blood to regain his strength. He needed someone to bring Harry to him. Caresius had already confirmed this point. Making Harry a champion topete in the Triwizard Tournament should be the best choice for them.

    That is unless he knew something that made him choose Ron as candidate instead¡­

    As for Evan himself, it made no sense to make him a champion. The three tasks were not difficult for him.

    ¡°Ron didn¡¯t realize the seriousness of this matter. He was stillcent there!¡± said Hermione in a serious tone. ¡°I think we should write to Sirius and tell him about this. He might give us some advice.¡±

    ¡°Let Harry write¡­¡± said Evan; he really wanted to hear Sirius¡¯s opinion.

    Sirius¡¯s current status as an Auror allowed him to know a lot of things.

    He might have some intelligence that they didn¡¯t have ess to, such as things about Barty Crouch.

    Evan even wanted to write to Percy to ask about Crouch, but Percy would definitely say nothing.

    Just then, Ron walked into the Great Hall, followed by Harry, Fred, George, and others.

    Gryffindor¡¯s long table cheered enthusiastically, and there were boos from the three other Houses.

    ¡°How about going for a walk?¡± said Hermione, holding up a stack of toast, which she was carrying in a napkin.

    ¡°Why do you want to go, the atmosphere here is quite good, isn¡¯t it?!¡± said Ron, taking his seat.

    He did seem to be in a good state of mind and in high spirits.

    Looking at him, he seemed to think that once everyone got used to him as a champion, things would get better.

    But Ron might have made a big mistake. Besides the Gryffindor students, everyone else thought this was a disgrace.

    Not to mention the Slytherins, who had a bad attitude, the most surprising thing was the change of the Hufflepuffs.

    It was known that they had always got along well with the Gryffindors in school.

    Hufflepuff students were not people who liked to be in the limelight, and their abilities and achievements were generally rtively ordinary. Most of them were students who studied hard with their heads down but had no results. They were obviouslyplementary to Gryffindor¡¯s character.

    They were not good at dealing with the wise Ravenws, nor were they willing to deal with the despicable Slytherins.

    On the contrary, many Hufflepuff students and Gryffindors were good friends.

    But now it was not the case at all. They were collectively indifferent to all Gryffindor students.

    It seemed that this was definitely a big deal.

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 Chapter 562: Curriculum Arrangement

    Chapter 562: Curriculum Arrangement

    The Hufflepuffs, who were usually on excellent terms with the Gryffindors, had turned remarkably cold toward the whole lot of them. When they met, they just turned around and left.

    Even their Head, Professor Sprout, was the same. One Herbology lesson was enough to prove it.

    This was actually very easy to understand. Hufflepuff House very rarely got any glory.

    Cedric was one of the few who had ever given them any, having beaten Gryffindor once at Quidditch. What made their resentment even stronger was that they felt that Ron had stolen the glory that belonged to them.

    To make matters worse, many of them began to give Ron all kinds of vicious insults like Slytherins.

    As for the Ravenws, they were not as supportive of Ron as they were of Cedric.

    Although they still maintained rtively rational restraint, most Ravenws seemed to think that Ron had been desperate to earn himself fame by tricking the Goblet of Fire into epting his name.

    As a matter of fact, Ron was still smug about bing a champion. He was not at all aware of his current bad situation or, more urately, selective neglect.

    All of them were jealous of him, jealous of his bing a champion.

    He was nowpletely immersed in the status of a champion, immersed in the great glory it brought, admired by other young Gryffindor wizards, and boasted about his fictional decoding of Dumbledore¡¯s magic to fool the Goblet of Fire.

    He didn¡¯t even listen to Evan, Harry or Hermione¡¯s words, nor did he think about the first task.

    This was really bad enough, wasn¡¯t it?!

    Evan could only hand over the persuasion to Harry and Hermione, and he had not put much effort into Ron.

    He entered a bottleneck in the study of the powerful ¡°Silence¡± spell acquired by the marsh relics. It took him a lot of time to dig through the library to find all kinds of ancient magic books, andpare them with the magic symbols appearing in the spell.

    Evan got the approval from Caresius, and Madam Pince reluctantly gave him a collection of books in the Restricted Section.

    She couldn¡¯t understand at all why this student got permission from the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor every year.

    The former Professors Lockhart, Lupin, and ck did the same, and now even Mad-Eye Moody was no different.

    Were these professors mad to let a thirteen-year-old wizard encounter to the esoteric horror?!

    Madame Pince had been working in the library for decades, and it was her first time to touch many of those books.

    These magic books had been quietly ced in the Restricted Section for centuries, and they had not been touched before Evan.

    Beyond that was the understanding of the contents and knowledge of these records, most of which were not even titled by Madam Pince.

    Evan ignored her constant frowning at him. In addition to entering the bottleneck in the study of the spell, he did not make much progress in the study of ancient magic.

    Ancient magic scripts, especially the older ones, could not be learned only by reciting and memorizing, but also by understanding and mastering the meaning and changes created by them.

    These things had kept Evan busy, not to mention that he had to find time to learn the Merpeople¡¯snguage and Alchemy.

    Every ss homework also took up a lot of his time. Without Hermione¡¯s help, Evan really wouldn¡¯t know what to do.

    In this case, he naturally had no time to deal with Ron, who had not yet recognized the seriousness of the matter.

    Maybe after he would know the content of the first task, he woulde to ask for help.

    Evan also learned about thetest developments from Caresius. Barty Crouch Jr. sent him a note through the owlwork asking him to do his best to help Ron through the tournament.

    Barty Jr. made Ron a champion, not just to kill him, but to plot something else.

    But Ron was not the only champion.

    Fleur got the support of all the male students with the fastest speed. She was now the most discussed topic among the boys. A beautiful girl with Ve descent; this was the dream lover of most men.

    However, among the girls, Fleur¡¯s reputation was not so good, even in Beauxbatons.

    As for Cedric, he looked the part of a champion more than anyone else. He looked exceptionally handsome, with his straight nose, dark hair and gray eyes.

    Not to mention that he was also very strong, and he had performed well in all aspects. Even Caresius does not hesitate to praise him. The way he looked at him, it seemed that he wished him to be a vampire too, which was too scary.

    Viktor Krum was not as handsome as Cedric, but his poprity was also very high, especially among girls.

    Evan had more than once watched girls by Durmstrang¡¯s ship or near the Great Hall, begging Krum for autographs on parchment, bags, essories and even underwear¡­

    He could not understand their openness and insanity at all.

    For the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang who had to stay in Hogwarts, there had been a curriculum arrangement.

    Because they had to stay and watch the tournament, and cheer for their schools¡¯ champions, they couldn¡¯t go back to their schools until the end of the term.

    Therefore, they were assigned to sses of Hogwarts ording to their age and learning progress to learn with the young wizards of Hogwarts and ensure that their studies were not dyed.

    Because they were all students over 17 years old, they were all concentrated in the sixth and seventh years, except for Gabrielle. She was the only visiting wizard who was under the age of seventeen.

    On Monday after the champions were selected, Evan was surprised to have Gabrielle in his own ss. He didn¡¯t figure out what was going on until he knew that the girl had chosen exactly the same courses as him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. Both Madame Maxime and my sister think I can learn more about magic and integrate more quickly with you.¡± Gabrielle said, with a naughty smile on her face, ¡°Evan, you will take care of me, won¡¯t you?¡±

    In fact, Professor McGonagall had just sent Gabrielle here and asked Evan by name to take care of her.

    Apparently, Madame Maxime specifically talked to Dumbledore about this matter; Evan could do nothing but ept.

    The way Gabrielle looked; he felt that he might have a little extra energy in him.

    Taking care of a foreign female student in life and study was an important task.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 563: The Good Student, Gabrielle

    Chapter 563: The Good Student, Gabrielle

    Generally speaking, Gabrielle¡¯s magic power was very good. She had a lot of knowledge. But in some ways, she really needed Evan¡¯s care.

    She had probably been under the protection of Fleur all the time, and shecked somemon sense.

    She was somewhat simr to Hermione and very fond of learning.

    For example, Hagrid once came up to them in the Care of Magical Creatures ssroom bncing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a veryrge st-Ended Skrewt.

    Everyone else hurried away, and Gabrielle, the young foreign girl, was the only one to look yp to look up.

    Evan quickly pulled her. When normal people would see this terrible monster, shouldn¡¯t their first reaction be to avoid it in fear?! It was not a wise choice to take the initiative to approach the st-Ended Skrewts that could burn people at any time.

    Now, under the careful breeding of Hagrid, the remaining skrewts were about three feet long. They had be immensely strong. No longer shell-less and colorless, they had developed a kind of thick, grayish, shiny armor. They looked like a cross between giant scorpions and elongated crabs, but still remained without recognizable heads or eyes.

    ¡°Evan, what is this?¡± Gabrielle whispered, curiosity shing in her light blue eyes.

    ¡°st-Ended Skrewts!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen ¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because they were developed by Hagrid himself!¡± said Evan, ¡°Well, you stay away from them now.¡±

    Hagrid put the shaking crates on the ground in front of the students in turn.

    ¡°I¡¯ve studied it carefully. The reason why the skrewts have been killing one another is an excess of pent-up energy that they needed to release.¡±

    Evan doubted this. Was it not because of their inherent ferocious nature?!

    ¡°In order to solve this problem, every two students must fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk,¡± said Hagrid and he specially took out a skrewt and showed it in front of Gabrielle. ¡°I¡¯ve tried it in the morning ss and it worked very well.¡±

    Looking at him, he wanted to make a good impression on Gabrielle. He knew she was Madame Maxime¡¯s student.

    Sure enough, Hagrid then asked Evan and Gabrielle to help him demonstrate how to fix a leash on the skrewt.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± asked Gabrielle, eager to try.

    ¡°Where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the stinger, the sting end, or the blood sucker?¡± said Evan reluctantly.

    ¡°Round the middle,¡± said Hagrid, ¡°You two need to put on your dragon-hide gloves, just as an extra precaution.¡±

    Hagrid¡¯s beetle-ck eyes shone with excitement under his wild eyebrows. He proudly exined to Gabrielle the body structure of the skrewts, their habits, parts to pay attention to, and so on.

    It could be seen that Hagrid was proud of being able to cultivate a brand new species.

    Gabriel did ask a lot of questions, which made Hagrid very happy.

    A few minutester, both Evan and Gabrielle took a giant skrewt for a walk on thewn.

    Every step was very difficult. The st-Ended Skrewt was so powerful that it was difficult to control and did not listen to theirmands at all. On the contrary, they both needed to be vignt at all times.

    Every now and then, with an rming bang, the skrewt¡¯s end would explode, causing it to shoot forward several yards. Even though the leash was long enough, Evan and Gabrielle had to run fast to keep up with the skrewt.

    It was a unique experience to be pulled and run by a st-Ended Skrewt.

    As for other students, many of them were being dragged along on their stomach, trying desperately to get back on their feet.

    If at this time, the skrewt suddenly turned around, the consequences would be simply unimaginable.

    Thewn was a mess and Evan saw Colin and Ginny being dragged forward by a skrewt.

    Everyone had a hard time, but Hagrid thought they were having fun.

    In fact, maybe only Gabrielle was really happy. The girl ran around behind the skrewt, giggling.

    ¡°They¡¯re interesting, aren¡¯t they?!¡± Gabrielleughed and said, ¡°Hagrid is so good. He can breed magical animals by himself. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone who has done it before. It¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Indeed, very few people can do this like Hagrid, as it is illegal and the cultivation process is very dangerous.

    Those st-Ended Skrewts, for example, were the cross-breed of the Manticore and the Fire Crab. As the most dangerous and amazing animal, not anyone could daree into contact with the Manticore.

    Of course, omitting legitimacy and danger, from the perspective of a zoologist, the st-Ended Skrewt was still of great research value.

    Gabrielle clearly thought so. She would never see this magical creature in Beauxbatons.

    Her bravery and eagerness to learn were not only reflected in the Care of Magical Creatures ss, but also in other courses.

    For example, in Snape¡¯s Potions ss, although Snape seemed cold and horrible, she turned a blind eye and kept raising her hand to ask questions.

    Maybe Beauxbatons¡¯s Potions ss professor liked it when students did this, but Snape definitely didn¡¯t. In his ss, there was an unspoken rule: no questions were allowed.

    He would write on the ckboard all the processes and materials of making potions and ask the students to study them by themselves.

    However, it was obvious that there was a problem. Most of the potion forms and cooking steps written by Snape on the ckboard were different from those in the textbook. They were all optimized and improved by him. If they were put outside, they would be absolutely amazing achievements.

    But Snape didn¡¯t intend to exin to everyone how great this was, and the young wizards did not have the ability to distinguish ordingly.

    They had just to do it, and in practice they understood why Snape had improved so much.

    ¡°Professor, I have learned this antidote form before, and I haven¡¯t ground moonstone into powder¡­¡±

    ¡°Obviously, Miss Dcour,¡± said Snape coldly, ¡°You need to flip through your Potions book.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Gabrielle wanted to continue to ask. It was not even written in the textbook.

    Evan pulled her arm discreetly; didn¡¯t she see the way the others looked at her?!

    After Evan stopped her, it didn¡¯t take long for Gabrielle to raise her hand again. Snape exined somethingpletely different from what she had learned before.

    Those who dared to interrupt Snape again and again ended up in a miserable situation.

    Everyone was sweating for Gabrielle. This cute little angel-like girl couldn¡¯t be Snape¡¯s opponent.

    Fortunately, Snape was more concerned about the fact that Gabrielle was a student from Beauxbatons. His face was gloomy and terrible, but he didn¡¯t say many of the words he used to say. He chose to ignore Gabrielle, just as he had always ignored Evan and Hermione.

    But the other Gryffindor students were unlucky, and Snape had no scruples about them.

    In order to stop Gabrielle asking and challenging Snape¡¯s bottom line, Evan had to exin to her personally after ss.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 564: Checking Wands and Interview

    Chapter 564: Checking Wands and Interview

    After the Potions ss, Gabrielle went to the library to study with Evan in the evening.

    They met Hermione there, and to Evan¡¯s surprise, Gabrielle and Hermione got along very well. They often discussed the contents of the homework together and exchanged information about Hogwarts and Beauxbatons. Or simply let Evan aside and whisper something.

    Evan couldn¡¯t get a word out of this girls¡¯ chat. Many times, he felt like they were talking about him, as they kept looking at him with a smile.

    But it was undeniable that their rtionship has progressed very quickly, even faster than that of Evan and Gabrielle.

    Later, Hermione took the initiative to take Gabrielle to the Gryffindor Common Room and introduce her to everyone.

    Gabrielle¡¯s character was very good. She was weed by almost everyone, and integrated into the atmosphere of Gryffindor House.

    The boys wanted to hear from her about her sister Fleur, know her hobbies and so on.

    Evan doubted that if these guys knew Fleur¡¯s character, they would not like her as much as they did now.

    When they apanied Gabrielle back to the carriage at night, Evan and Hermione met Fleur several times.

    The chat content of those times was very irritating, such as listening to Fleurining that Hogwarts was too cold and the food was too greasy. In a word, she did not quite adapt to Hogwarts¡¯ life and she didn¡¯t like it here.

    This made Hermione¡¯s impression of her worse and worse, andter she even stopped approaching Beauxbatons carriage.

    Like Fleur, Ron could no longer take Hogwarts¡¯ life.

    After bing a champion, his life went through tremendous changes. From an unknown person, all of a sudden he became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention, and all the actions were being watched.

    This transformation was not something that everyone could adapt to, especially as besides Gryffindor, Ron was not epted by any other house.

    Everyone was full of malice towards him now. Small things and mistakes that might not have been mentioned before could now be amplified to be a topic of discussion in the school at any time and used as a reason to satirize Ron or topare the ordinary Ron with the excellent Cedric from time to time. This feeling was really not very pleasant.

    Being a champion was an opportunity for Ron, but it was also a challenge.

    As things stood, Ron had performed poorly, and doubts about him even begun to emerge within Gryffindor.

    However, Ron himself did not care about this, he felt good about himself.

    He was in a much better position than Harry was when he became a champion in the original plot. At least Evan, Harry, Hermione and the Weasley family all supported him. He didn¡¯t dream of things like Voldemort, didn¡¯t get scar pain and have trouble meeting Sirius.

    Nevertheless, on Friday morning, Ron and Harry had a fight with Malfoy.

    The reason was that Malfoy was inspired by Hermione¡¯s S.P.E.W. badges, he made badges to support Cedric Diggory over Ron, and all Slytherin students wore them on their chests.

    This fight was very intense. Due to being outnumbered, Harry and Ron were both seriously injured.

    Finally, due to Snape¡¯s intervention, Gryffindor was deducted a hundred points, and Harry and Ron were also punished with one week of detention.

    Ron looked mad, ready to take revenge and teach Malfoy a lesson.

    However, in Evan¡¯s opinion, instead of having this meaningless entanglement with Malfoy, it was better for him to learn a few more spells.

    ¡°You two should be calm, Malfoy did that intentionally to make you angry!¡± said Hermione at lunchtime.

    Hermione had been discussing the <em>Hogwarts Magic </em>with Evan in the morning. They were a littlete and missed the fight.

    ¡°Intentionally provoke us to be angry?!¡± Harry said indignantly. ¡°That¡¯s really good. His purpose has been reached!¡±

    ¡°I really want to learn that magic from Professor Moody and turn Malfoy into a big ferret!¡± said Ron.

    He took out his wand and waved it like Moody, emitting a spark.

    ¡°Put away your wand, and don¡¯t forget that you¡¯ll have to check it in the afternoon.¡± Hermione looked at Ron dissatisfied.

    Ron muttered a little and put away his wand.

    Because the wands were the most important tools for the champions in the tournament, they needed to check that they were fully functional,plete and intact.

    Professor McGonagall had juste to inform them that ording to the arrangement of the Ministry of Magic and the school, Mr. Ollivander would inspect the wands of the champions this afternoon.

    At that time, the champions would also be interviewed by the media.

    In fact, Evan already knew about it two days ago. He had received a letter from Professor Lupin.

    Besides the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, the Ministry of Magic also invited <em>Hogwarts Magic</em> for this special interview.

    At present, many people used the Ministry of Magic of inaction because of the World Cup attacks and the unfavorable capture of vampires. The Ministry hoped to highlight the uing tournament and divert public attention.

    Under Professor Lupin¡¯s management, the <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, founded by Evan, was now the secondrgest newspaper in the British wizarding world after the <em>Daily Prophet</em>, and its influence could not be ignored.

    Naturally, this interview mission fell on Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Colin.

    Professor Lupin originally intended to send someone to help, but Evan refused. He thought they could do well.

    This morning, Evan was discussing this with Hermione, and they would bothplete the report. They already had a general idea, and Harry and Colin were to be responsible for the filming.

    After lunch, Evan and Colin, who had no ss in the afternoon, went back to the dormitory for a while, took the camera and arrived early in the room on the first floor.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione had the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss, and it would take them a while toe over.

    When the two of them entered, there were already some people inside.

    It was a fairly small ssroom, and most of the desks had been pushed away to the back of the room, leaving arge space in the middle; three of them, however, had been ced end-to-end in front of the ckboard and covered with a long length of velvet.

    Several chairs had been set behind the velvet-covered desks, and Evan saw that Fleur and Gabrielle were already sitting there.

    They were whispering in French, their long silvery hair shining in the sunlight with a dazzling luster.

    Cedric and Krum did not arrive yet. In front of the desks, Ludo Bagman was talking to a witch who was wearing magenta robes.

    ¡°Ah, Evan, here you are!¡± Seeing Evan, Bagman quickly came over. ¡°I am very d that your newspaper and the <em>Daily Prophet</em> epted the invitation of the Ministry of Magic to write on the tournament. This is Rita Skeeter, do you know her?!¡±

    Evan shook his head. It turned out that this woman was Rita Skeeter!

    Her hair was set in borate and curiously rigid curls that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She wore jeweled spectacles. The thick fingers clutching her crocodile-skin handbag ended in two-inch nails, painted crimson, very strange just like the ws of some kind of animal.

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 Chapter 565: A Mandatory Interview

    Chapter 565: A Mandatory Interview

    While Evan was observing Rita Skeeter, she was also looking at him carefully.

    ¡°Come on, let me introduce you. This is the well-known journalist Rita Skeeter. She has written many articles.¡± Bagman said loudly, ¡°Rita, this is Evan Mason, you should have heard of his name. He¡¯s currently the most famous¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve heard of him, Ludo; who hasn¡¯t heard of Evan Mason?!¡± said Rita Skeeter, staring at him, ¡°Hello, Evan, can I have a little word with you and hear your opinion about the tournament.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best not to!¡± Evan shook his head and said nothing more.

    This woman was notorious for distorting facts and making up stories. He didn¡¯t intend to give her a chance.

    But Evan apparently underestimated the thickness of Rita Skeeter¡¯s skin. When she saw Evan shaking his head, a sudden smile appeared on her face. It was clear that there were three gold teeth in her mouth.

    She reached into her crocodile bag and drew out a long acid-green quill and a roll of parchment, which she stretched out on the velvet-covered desk.

    She put the tip of the green quill into your mouth and sucked it for a moment, then ced it upright on the parchment, where it stood bnced on its point, quivering slightly.

    ¡°This is a Quick-Quotes Quill. It leaves me free to talk to you normally, let me test it!¡± said Skeeter, ¡°My name is Rita Skeeter, <em>Daily Prophet</em> reporter!¡±

    The moment Rita had spoken, the green quill had started to scribble, skidding across the parchment. It read: Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, whose savage quill has punctured many inted reputations¡­

    ¡°Lovely!¡± said Rita Skeeter, and she ripped the top piece of parchment off, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her bag.

    She turned to Evan and seemed ready to ask him questions.

    Evan ignored her. He had already explicitly rejected her. He took Colin and went to Fleur and Gabrielle.

    ¡°Evan, what prompted you not to enter the Triwizard Tournament?¡± Rita Skeeter asked. It was as though she hadn¡¯t seen Evan¡¯s reaction.

    Why didn¡¯t Evan enter the tournament?!

    Everyone knew that it was because he was not old enough and he was not interested in the tournament.

    Rita Skeeter repeated it again, and Colin quietly tugged Evan.

    ¡°I just said now I¡¯m not going to give you an interview!¡± said Evan coldly, turning around to look at her.

    Hearing his words, the atmosphere in the room was awkward.

    Evan said nothing more. Rita Skeeter looked at him with a smile, looking a bit arrogant. Ludo Bagman, Colin, Fleur, and Gabrielle all stared at them both.

    After a while, it seemed certain that Evan would not answer, but Rita Skeeter was not at all embarrassed.

    ¡°Dear, are you silent and unwilling to give me an interview because you haven¡¯t be a champion yourself?¡± said Rita Skeeter, still keeping her eyes fixed on Evan, ¡°Do you think you¡¯ve been treated unfairly? As we all know, your magica power is very strong. Is any of the four champions selected in this tournament as strong as you?! ¡±

    Evan frowned, and though he did not speak, he saw Rita Skeeter¡¯s green quill scribbling again.

    Where the point of the quill slid, it could be identified: <em>Evan Mason¡¯s handsome and charming eyes twinkled with firmness and tenacity when it came to the shady tournament and his unfair treatment, but it could still be see that he forced his tears into his eyes</em>¡­

    Evan could be sure he wasn¡¯t crying, and there was no firmness or tenacity in his eyes.

    Looking at Rita Skeeter¡¯s meaning, as he did not answer, it was tacit that there was a lot of darkness in the tournament.

    If he defended, he would naturally give her more opportunities to tell rumors.

    This was really abhorrent, and it was the first time ever Evan had a mandatory interview.

    If he could, he really wanted to take out his wand and teach her a hard lesson. But obviously he couldn¡¯t do that. Evan was not an evil Dark wizard, who would use the Killing Curse against people he didn¡¯t agree with.

    The wisest option now was not to continue talking about this topic.

    ¡°Miss Skeeter, I¡¯m here today as a reporter just like you to interview the champions. Therefore, I do not want my name to appear in this special report on the tournament.¡± said Evan loudly, ¡°Please cross out the unfounded spection you just wrote, otherwise I will take necessary actions. And I can assure you, you will definitely regret it! ¡°

    He finished, took a deep breath, did not look at Rita Skeeter¡¯s face and the words written on her paper, and pulled Colin straight to Fleur and Gabrielle.

    Evan did not expect his threat to frighten. The woman was fearless, and dared to say anything.

    Even if Fudge and Dumbledore were here, she would not be frightened.

    As long as it was profitable, she would continue to fabricate fake news. To let her going on like this was a real hassle.

    Simply, Evan knew that she was an illegal Animagus. But he couldn¡¯t just say it. She would not admit it.

    If you say it directly, you will definitely not, and the other party will not admit it. Instead, it would make her more cautious.

    Evan now only had to wait for the opportunity to catch her when she would sneak into Hogwarts in her Animagus form to obtain information.

    Rita Skeeter seemed to be scared by Evan¡¯s reaction. The green quill stopped writing down. Bagman quickly rushed forward to ease the situation.

    ¡°Well done, Evan!¡± said Gabrielle to Evan, who had just walked over to her. ¡°That woman is such a nuisance!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s very rude. When the magic ministry official introduced us just now, she didn¡¯t even shake hands with me!¡± Fleur whispered, ¡°The two of us were just talking about this; you¡¯ve treated her like she deserves.¡±

    It was obvious that Rita Skeeter was not interested in such an unknown young wizard from France as Fleur.

    What she needed is big news that could attract the public¡¯s attention, the kind that could make a sensation.

    Fleur did not meet this condition, and Rita Skeeter naturally would not pay attention to her. She did not even have the basic etiquette.

    ¡°The <em>Daily Prophet</em> did not interview you, so would you like to be interviewed by <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>?¡± said Evan.

    He had discussed it with Hermione this morning, and this report mainly focused on the four champions, introducing their basic information and aparative analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, etc., so that wizards outside Hogwarts could also know all about the tournament and its participants.

    It was a big move in itself, as many people wanted to know about the champions. Even if it was notparable to Rita Skeeter¡¯s fabricated rumors, this news should have the attention of many people.

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 Chapter 566: Veelaâ€™s bloodline

    Chapter 566: Ve¡¯s bloodline

    ¡°Of course my sister will!¡± said Gabrielle excitedly.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you an exclusive interview. We can go out and talk. That woman makes me feel very ufortable.¡± Fleur nodded.

    Evan, Fleur, Colin, and Gabrielle left the room, ignoring Rita Skeeter behind them.

    They did not go far, but came to the Muggle Studies ssroom around the corner.

    It was much bigger than the ssroom they were in just now, but it was also very cold, and there was no one inside.

    In the ssroom, all the tables and chairs were ced exactly the same as Muggle School. There was no mural on the wall, but a lot of colorful pictures showing Muggle figures and scenery. At the back of the ssroom was a huge bookshelf full of Muggle books.

    Evan knew that behind that bookshelf was actually a secret passage, leading to the sixth floor bathroom.

    The way to enter the secret passage was to put a fewrge-scale letters in the alphabetical order of ¡°PREFECT¡±.

    This ssroom was very suitable for talking and interviewing. Usually no one woulde except for ss.

    Although Evan was already very familiar with Fleur and Gabrielle, he asked a lot of details in ordance with his previous outline.

    Colin took pictures of Fleur. They needed special close-ups of the champions to be published in the newspaper.

    It was to say that as long as Fleur was willing, she and everyone could get along very happily.

    Perhaps because everyone is familiar with her, she didn¡¯t mention such disappointing topics as the cold and dark decoration and the over-vored food at Hogwarts. Instead, she cooperated very well and made jokes with Evan and Colin from time to time.

    About ten minutester, the ssroom door was opened and Dumbledore stood outside.

    ¡°Obviously you are here, I have to interrupt you four, the Wand Weighing ceremony is about to start, Miss Dcour must be there!¡± said Dumbledore softly.

    ¡°No problem, Professor, we¡¯re done here too!¡±

    They filed out. Evan packed up his stuff and walked at the back with Gabrielle.

    ¡°My sister just told me that you are the first to inquire about girls in this way!¡± Gabrielle suddenly whispered, she looked at Evan with a smile, her eyes bent into a lovely crescent, ¡°She wants me to be more vignt against you!¡±

    Evan was speechless, and it turned out that the two sisters had just talked about this in French.

    But still, what did it mean to be vignt?! The questions he had asked though detailed were just needed for reporting.

    Dumbledore did not go straight back to the small ssroom, but stopped in front of a broom cupboard on the opposite side.

    Just as everyone wondered what he was going to do, Dumbledore opened the door and went in.

    Rita Skeeter and Harry were inside, and Harry looked a little emotional.

    It seemed that during the time Evan left, Harry, Ron, and Hermione also came along.

    Not surprisingly, Rita Skeeter once again interviewed Harry, even though he was not a champion.

    ¡°Dumbledore!¡± cried Rita Skeeter, with a look of delight. She hastily put the quill and parchment into her crocodile-skin bag and buckled it.

    ¡°How are you?¡± she said, standing up and holding out one of herrge, mannish hands to Dumbledore. ¡°I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards¡¯ Conference?¡±

    ¡°Enchantingly nasty,¡± said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. ¡°I particrly enjoyed your description of me as an absolute dingbat.¡±

    Rita Skeeter didn¡¯t look remotely abashed and went on, ¡°I was just making the point that some of your ideas are a little old-fashioned, Dumbledore, and that many wizards in the street ¡­¡±

    ¡°I will be delighted to hear the reasoning behind the rudeness, Rita,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°But I am afraid we will have to discuss the matterter. The Weighing of the Wands ceremony is about to start. I think you should not miss it.¡±

    They all returned to the room. In addition to Fleur, the other champions were already seated. Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Mr. Crouch and Ludo Bagman were sitting on their chairs.

    Evan, Harry, Colin, and Gabrielle sat down next to Hermione, and Rita Skeeter settled herself down in a corner. She slipped the parchment out of her bag again, spread it on her knee, sucked the end of the Quick-Quotes Quill, and ced it once more on the parchment.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Hermione asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Colin and I went to interview Fleur. Harry should have been called by Rita Skeeter for an interview.¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, that woman is terrible. You didn¡¯t see what she was writing!¡± Harry sighed and said, looking a little excited, ¡°She wanted to hear my opinion on the tournament, but she didn¡¯t write what I said.¡±

    ¡°You should have known long ago that she likes to lie,¡± said Hermione acutely, and she also took out her quill. ¡°Remember the report of the Quidditch World Cup, that is, the article about Mr. Weasley, and what she said rumors that several bodies were removed from the ruins¡­¡±

    Hearing her reminder, Harry remembered it, too. He knew that he should have refused Skeeter¡¯s interview.

    Evan looked at Rita Skeeter. This woman could really make a mess. He had to deal with it as soon as possible.

    It seemed that she noticed Evan¡¯s gaze. Rita Skeeter raised her head and revealed an ugly smile to him.

    No one in the room was speaking, but her green quill kept writing.

    ¡°Champions, please allow me to introduce Mr. Ollivander,¡± said Dumbledore, taking his ce at the judges¡¯ table and talking to the champions, ¡°He will be checking your wands to ensure that they are in good condition before the tournament.¡±

    Evan then saw an old wizard withrge, pale eyes standing quietly by the window. It was Mr. Ollivander who looked as strange as before.

    ¡°Mademoiselle Dcour, could we have you first, please?¡± said Mr. Ollivander, stepping into the empty space in the middle of the room.

    Fleur nodded, swept over to Mr. Ollivander and handed him her wand.

    Mr. Ollivander twirled the wand between his long fingers like a baton and it emitted a number of pink and gold sparks. Then he held it close to his eyes and examined it carefully.

    ¡°Not bad!¡± he said quietly. ¡°Nine inches (T/N. In the book, her wand is nine and a half inches)¡­ inflexible ¡­ rosewood ¡­ and containing ¡­ oh, my God!¡±

    ¡°A hair from the head of a Ve,¡± said Fleur, ¡°One of my grandmother¡¯s.¡±

    Hearing her saying so, Hermione hurriedly recorded it.

    Although Evan had said before that both Fleur and Gabrielle were quarter-ve, this was far less impressive than when she admitted it herself.

    Ron, in particr, stared straight at Fleur again, looking very attracted to her.

    In Evan¡¯s view, in Fleur¡¯s trip to Hogwarts, beyond bing a champion, she was able to attract the attention of arge number of boys, who were fascinated by her appearance, which was probably the only thing she was satisfied with.

    This was the Ve lineage, nature would make men infatuated with their magical blood.

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 Chapter 567: Wand Maintenance

    Chapter 567: Wand Maintenance

    ¡°My wand core is the same as my sister¡¯s, it¡¯s grandma¡¯s hair,¡± said Gabrielle in a sad tone, ¡°Grandma was a very beautiful and kind person. She used to tell us a lot of interesting stories, and cook a lot of delicious dishes. Five years ago, after my grandfather died, she also left to return to nature, leaving these two hairs as a souvenir before leaving. Since then, I have never seen her again.¡±

    ¡°She left and returned back to nature?!¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to find her then?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know where she is. She¡¯s hiding and refuses to see us.¡± Gabrielle said, her eyes were a bit red.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m used to it. Every year, she sends us a message. As long as we know that grandma lives well, my sister and I are satisfied!¡± Gabrielle said, with a lovely smile on her face. ¡°As long as she¡¯s still alive, we¡¯ll always have a chance to meet, won¡¯t we?¡±

    She looked at Fleur¡¯s wand in Mr. Ollivander hands and recalled his grandmother.

    Fleur and Gabrielle¡¯s grandmother did not die. Ve are very strong magical creatures, who live long.

    They be beautiful young women and marry human beings, form a family, settle down and have children. When the man¡¯s life is over, they¡¯ll return to nature and never see their children again.

    They live in the forest, Lakes, mountains, and mists, and even if their descendants look for them, they will note out easily.

    Ve¡¯s hair is a rare wand core material, but it is undeniable that it has strong magic and strong characteristics in Transfiguration, healing magic, rejuvenation, and me spells.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Mr. Ollivander, ¡°yes, I¡¯ve never used ve hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands ¡­ however, to each his own, and if this suits you ¡­¡±

    Mr. Ollivander ran his fingers along the wand, apparently checking for scratches or bumps; then he muttered, ¡°<em>Orchideous!</em>¡± and a bunch of flowers burst from the wand tip.

    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s in fine working order!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, scooping up the flowers and handing them to Fleur with her wand. ¡°Mr. Diggory, you next.¡±

    Cedric¡¯s wand was made by Ollivander. The product, twelve and a quarter inches, made of ash. The wand was pleasantly springy and the rod core was a single hair from the tail of a fine male unicorn.

    ¡°Yes, I remember it well,¡± said Mr. Ollivander. He had plucked the hair from the tail of a particrly fine male unicorn. It was five or six feet long. It nearly gored him with its horn. The magic of this wand was very strong, and only a good wizard could control it.

    Mr. Ollivander was full of praise for Cedric¡¯s wand and nodded in satisfaction. He gently waved the wand and sent a stream of silver smoke rings across the room.

    After Cedric, it was Viktor Krum¡¯s turn.

    His body did not seem to have recovered, and thest attack caused him great damage. He got up and slouched, round-shouldered and duck-footed, toward Mr. Ollivander. He thrust out his wand and stood scowling, with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± said Mr. Ollivander, ¡°This is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I¡¯m much mistaken?¡±

    Krum nodded and Hermione hurried to write it on parchment.

    ¡°When the four of you were not there, I had finished the interview with Krum.¡± Hermione whispered, shaking the dense parchment in her hand, full of Krum-rted information.

    ¡°He looks hard toe into contact with!¡± said Colin worriedly.

    ¡°I thought so, too, but he just cooperated,¡± said Hermione.

    Evan looked at Krum with vignce. If he¡¯s guessing correctly, this guy seemed to like Hermione; just like in the books!

    ¡°Gregorovitch is a fine wand-maker craftsman, though the styling is never quite what I ¡­ however ¡­¡± Mr. Ollivander did not go on. Gregorovitch was one of the two biggest European wand makers on a par with Ollivander.

    ¡°Well!¡± He lifted the wand and examined it minutely, turning it over and over before his eyes.

    ¡°Hornbeam and dragon heartstring?¡± He shot at Krum, who nodded. Mr. Ollivander continued, ¡°It¡¯s rather thicker than one usually sees ¡­ quite rigid ¡­ ten and a quarter inches ¡­ <em>Avis</em>!¡±

    The hornbeam wand let off a st like a gun, and a number of small, twittering birds flew out of the end and through the open window into the watery sunlight.

    ¡°Very good!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, handing the wand back to Krum. ¡°Which leaves ¡­ Mr. Weasley.¡±

    Ron hurriedly stood up, nervous, looking clumsy. He walked past Krum to Mr. Ollivander to hand over his wand.

    ¡°This is my product again!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, slightly frowning at the wand in his hand, ¡°fourteen inches long, willow wood, unicorn tail hair. Yes, I Remember, it was a female unicorn, running very fast, only the purest women could touch it, although the length and magic of this tail hair is a little less than that of Mr. Diggory, it has strong positive characteristics. Only a good-hearted wizard can use this wand, and using it to release ck magic and other negative effects will produce natural resistance, which is one of its qualities.¡±

    Mr. Ollivander did not wait for Ron to answer. He waved his wand directly.

    ¡°I have to say that you need to take regr care of it and use it carefully.¡± said Mr. Ollivander, looking at the scar on the wand, ¡°Remember, it¡¯s the wand that chooses to ignore the wizard, Mr. Weasley. If you go on like this, you may need a new wand! Of course, it¡¯s still in good condition, but you have to use it carefully.¡±

    He made a fountain of wine shoot out of the wand, and handed it back to Ron.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m talking about it, I have to mention that as the wizard¡¯s most important partner, the importance of the wand is beyond doubt! The maintenance of the wand is a very practical subject. I suggest that such a course should be offered in the school.¡± said Mr. Ollivander, his pale eyes looking at Dumbledore, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime. ¡°It is something young wizards need to learn.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your advice, Garrick. Students really need professional advice in this regard!¡± said Dumbledore, suddenly turning his head and looking at Evan, ¡°Mr. Mason, Miss Granger, Mr. Creevey, Miss Dcour, this is a rare opportunity, I suggest that Garrick looks at your four wands and see how well they are maintained.¡±

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 Chapter 568: Wandlore

    Chapter 568: Wandlore

    Evan looked at Dumbledore in surprise, wondering what he meant.

    Why did he ask Mr. Ollivander to check their wands? And looking at Mr. Ollivander¡¯s expression, he didn¡¯t seem surprised or not expecting this. Obviously, he knew about this in advance, and Dumbledore told him.

    Perhaps Dumbledore asked Mr. Ollivander to check everyone¡¯s wands in order to determine something.

    Evan had some doubts, but on second thought, this was not a bad thing.

    At Evan¡¯s sign, Colin nced at him. He looked at Dumbledore again. He hesitated, and then walked over to hand his wand to Mr. Ollivander.

    ¡°This wand is very well maintained, Mr. Creevey!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, looking a little excited. ¡°Twelve inches long ¡­ sandalwood ¡­ the core is a unicorn hair, which is the essence material of amon wand. Although it has no particr characteristics, the magic of the wand made with unicorn hair is usually stable, with little fluctuation and blockage. This wand fits you very well, which is the most rare and valuable thing. The wand made unicorn hair is the most loyal of all the wands, and no matter what happens, it can maintain a strong connection with the original owner.¡±

    He examined Colin¡¯s wand carefully and added some knowledge about wand maintenance. He announced that it was in good condition, and then it was Gabrielle¡¯s turn.

    Gabrielle¡¯s wand was shorter than Fleur¡¯s, only eight inches long. The core of the wand was her grandmother¡¯s hair.

    ¡°Hawthorn ¡­ very soft texture!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, carefully looking at Gabrielle¡¯s wand. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ve never seen such a soft wand. Thebination of such a soft material and sensitive Ve¡¯s hair makes this wand extremely sensitive to magic changes. Ordinary witches can¡¯t use it.¡±

    Fleur and Gabrielle¡¯s wands should be the most loyal; the core of the wands was their grandmother¡¯s hair. It was unique, but at the same time it had blood ties with both of them. These two wands were hardly likely to be taken away by other wizards.

    As for Hermione¡¯s wand, it was fourteen inches, made of vine wood, and the core of the wand was the dragon heartstring.

    ¡°Yes, Miss Granger, I still remember this wand!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, and golden stars emerged at the end of the wand. ¡°The dragon is a magical creature with strong power, and the material on it is very rare, especially the dragon heartstring. It¡¯s hard to obtain, much harder than the unicorn hair. Correspondingly, its power is much stronger. As long as the owner has enough power, they could disy the most gorgeous and brilliant magic through this wand.¡±

    When the golden stars finally disappeared, he returned the wand to Hermione, his pale eyes staring at her.

    ¡°The dragon heartstring is the most unstable in the event of an ident. This wand is easy to favor ck magic, although this tendency does not necessarily match itself.¡± He whispered about the wand, ¡°Miss Granger, don¡¯t let anyone take it. Otherwise, it will change loyalty and resolutely submit to its new owner. ¡±

    Hermione raised her eyebrows and did not understand what Mr. Ollivander meant.

    Why did he say that? Was there a hint in it?!

    ¡°Wandlore is one of the mostplex and mysterious branches of all magic. I am just exining the mystery that has been explored!¡± Seeing Hermione¡¯s doubts, Mr. Ollivander exined, ¡°If you are interested in this aspect, you can look up relevant information. Well, Mr. Potter is next! ¡±

    Harry went over and handed over his wand.

    ¡°Aaaah, yes!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, his pale eyes suddenly gleaming with excitement. ¡°Yes, yes. How well I remember.¡±

    Everyone in the ssroom looked at him with surprise. They didn¡¯t understand what Mr. Ollivander meant.

    Only Harry knew. He could remember it too as though it had happened yesterday.

    Three summers ago, on his eleventh birthday, he had entered Mr. Ollivander¡¯s shop with Hagrid to buy a wand.

    Mr. Ollivander had taken his measurements and then started handing him wands to try.

    Harry had waved what felt like every wand in the shop, until atst he had found the one that suited him.

    His wand was made of holly, eleven inches long and contained a single feather from the tail of a phoenix.

    Mr. Ollivander had been very surprised that Harry had been sopatible with his wand.

    ¡°Curious,¡± he said, ¡°Curious,¡± and not until Harry asked what was curious had Mr. Ollivander exined that the phoenix feather in Harry¡¯s wand hade from the same bird that had supplied the core of Lord Voldemort¡¯s.

    Harry had never shared this piece of information with anybody. He was very fond of his wand, and as far as he was concerned its rtion to Voldemort¡¯s wand was something it couldn¡¯t help, rather as he couldn¡¯t help being rted to Aunt Petunia.

    However, he really hoped that Mr. Ollivander wasn¡¯t about to tell the room about it.

    He had a funny feeling Rita Skeeter¡¯s Quick-Quotes Quill might just explode with excitement if he did.

    In particr, his scar had been aching repeatedly recently, and he dreamed about things rted to Voldemort, which made him feel very bad.

    In this case, Harry didn¡¯t want his wand to be connected to Voldemort.

    ¡°Phoenix feather is the most precious wand core material. In the face of possible owners, the Phoenix feather wand is always the pickiest. It is the most independent and transcendent creation in the world. This wand is the most difficult to tame and personalize, and it is usually difficult to win its loyalty.¡± said Mr. Ollivander slowly and softly, ¡°But there is no doubt that a magic wand made of a phoenix feather can perform the most outstanding magic, although it will take longer to show this than dragons and unicorns. This wand is very special and has a very unique meaning. Please use it well, Mr. Potter, it will help you!¡±

    Mr. Ollivander spent much longer examining Harry¡¯s wand than anyone else¡¯s. He looked at it over and over before handing it back to Harry.

    ¡°Last one ¡­ Mr. Mason!¡± He whispered, turning his eyes to Evan.

    Evan went forward and saw Mr. Ollivander in front of him. He felt like he had returned to the scene of the dazzling small shop.

    Two years ago, he walked in with Mrs. Weasley and Ginny.

    When he held the wand, its tip suddenly gave off a white halo, rippling in the shop.

    And Mr. Ollivander said those words full of mystery to make one sweat upside down.

    ¡°Wonderful, very wonderful!¡± Mr. Ollivander took Evan¡¯s wand and his eyes sparkled. He said softly, ¡°Although each wand is unique, this is exceptionally special. It was left by my great grandfather, who was then the world¡¯s most famous wand maker.¡±

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 Chapter 569: Wand Loyalty

    Chapter 569: Wand Loyalty

    Evan certainly remembered what Mr. Ollivander had said at the beginning, about the secret hidden in his wand.

    He also did not want him to say those things on this asion. After all, it was too shocking.

    Ollivander had once told Evan that the core of his wand was the Thestral Tail Hair. This was a very tricky substance, which could be mastered only by a wizard capable of facing death.

    Mastering death could easily bring up ideas of surprise, death and misfortune.

    Apart from these obvious negative thoughts, Evan did not quite understand what Mr. Ollivander meant back then.

    However, after a thorough study of many ancient magic books including Wandlore, he realized how special it was to use Thestral tail as the essence of the wand, which was not as simple as the literal meaning of ¡°mastering death¡±.

    Under the influence of some mysterious power, only those who witnessed death directly could see the Thestral.

    The Thestral tail hair that contained this power could not be integrated into the wand through traditional craftsmanship.

    In all the books about Wandlore that Evan read, it was believed that the Thestral tail hair is the most difficult substance to use in a wand making.

    Even if the wand could be made, it could not be used by wizards.

    To put it simply, the mysterious power in the Thestral tail hair would hinder the transmission of the wizard¡¯s magic power, and was very unstable.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how his wand was made, as its mere creation contradicted many basic theories of Wandlore.

    Apart from his wand, the only wand in the world that used the Thestral tail hair as its inner core was the Elder Wand in Dumbledore¡¯s hands. The wand was said to be made by Death itself from the elder tree on the banks of the river, and it was 15 inches long.

    Reading the Deathly Hallows, one would find that the Elder Wand had infinite potential and only submitted to the most powerful of wizards.

    It was also known as the Deathstick or the Wand of Destiny. In the history of magic, it was present in many famous duels.

    The Elder Wand was the least understanding of the feelings, the most cool and cruel wand, and only considered the user¡¯s ability.

    Other wands had a certain degree of loyalty to their owners, so even if they were defeated, as long as they still held the wands, the wands would serve them, they would not give up on their owners so easily.

    This trait was particrly evident in wands made from unicorn hair, which remained loyal to their owners. If a wand were allowed to choose apetent person, it would prefer the initial owner.

    However, the old wand was only loyal to ability; it waspletely with no ¡°emotions¡± or attachment. It went with strength, so beating the original owner meant winning the wand.

    This was one of the characteristics of the Elder Wand. It was also reflected in Evan¡¯s wand, and was even more domineering.

    Over the past two years, Evan had found that no one but himself could control and use his wand.

    It was even impossible to cast the simplest magic with it, and it would resist any other user.

    The most obvious example was that Peter Pettigrew once used Evan¡¯s wand to kill him. But Evan could see clearly that Peter¡¯s Killing Curse had no effect. When he wanted to continue using the magic, he suddenly threw down the wand and ran away. His face was full of horror, apparently frightened by something!

    Something must have happened. Peter Pettigrew must have felt something extremely powerful from Evan¡¯s wand, the kind of power that could evoke the deep memories of his heart, so he would turn and flee directly.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what power it was. In fact, he had never studied his wand.

    At certain times, especially when using profound dark magic involving soul power, he could feel something fresh in this wand, and that thing wants to break through the limit of the wand ande out from the inside. This was really terrible.

    Evan had never used the Elder Wand, but he didn¡¯t think that the Thestral tail hair would have this effect.

    Of course, all this was still a mystery, and it was not impossible.

    As Ollivander just said, Wandlore was one of the mostplex and mysterious branches of magic. It involved the origin of the wizards¡¯ magic power, and many theories had been inherited from generation to generation, being exclusive to wand makers, and not really recorded anywhere.

    This was also the main reason why excellent wand makers had always have a history of thousands of years.

    ¡°This wand is the only thing that my great grandfather passed down. Believe me; my great-grandfather¡¯s achievements are what every wand maker can only look up to. He had done great things!¡± Mr. Ollivander looked at the wand carefully and continued softly, ¡°Mr. Mason, the wand he left behind has been passed down from generation to generation, never picking any wizard, until it met you.¡±

    He waved his right hand holding the wand gently down, and a silvery half-moon glow appeared at the end of the wand.

    ¡°This wand is well maintained and its traits have not changed significantly!¡± said Mr. Ollivander, handing the wand back to Evan. ¡°Remember, Mr. Mason, it¡¯s the wand that chooses the wizard. One day you¡¯ll understand what I mean. Please make good use of this wand; it will be your best assistant.¡±

    Hearing his words, Evan felt even more confused.

    Mr. Ollivander did notment on his wand as he did with the others, and did not mention its material and core.

    He just looked at Evan quietly, and his milky white pupils gave a creepy feeling.

    Then he turned and nodded to Dumbledore.

    ¡°Thank you, Garrick!¡± Dumbledore stood up at the judges¡¯ table and said to Evan, his friends and the champions. ¡°You may go back to your lessons now ¡­ or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end!¡±

    ¡°What, finally over?¡± Bagman also stood up. When Mr. Ollivander was checking the wands, he had been drowsy there, but now he was extremely excited. ¡°Photos, Dumbledore, photos! All the judges and champions can take a photo together. The four children can alsoe. What do you think, Rita?¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do those first!¡± said Rita Skeeter, whose eyes were upon Evan and Harry again. ¡°And then perhaps some individual shots.¡±

    The photographs took a long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone else into shadow wherever she stood. The room was too small, and the photographer couldn¡¯t stand far enough back to get her into the frame.

    Eventually she had to sit while everyone else stood around her.

    Karkaroff kept twirling his goatee around his finger to give it an extra curl.

    Krum skulked, half-hidden, at the back of the group, as if he was notfortable with the camera.

    After the photo was taken, Rita Skeeter insisted on separate shots of everyone.

    In fact what she meant was to take individual photos of Evan and Harry.

    Evan ignored her and pulled Harry and Hermione out of the room.

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 Chapter 570: First Communication with the Merpeople

    Chapter 570: First Communication with the Merpeople

    The <em>Hogwarts Magic</em> newspaper¡¯s report on the Triwizard Tournament and the interview content were printed and published the next day after the interview.

    This report caused a lot of sensation and reaction in the wizarding world.

    Apart from the vampire hunt, which had not made much progress, the Triwizard Tournament was the hottest topic in the wizarding world.

    Wizards all wanted to know who the champions of the three wizarding schools were and wanted to get to know them. They also wanted to know the specific reasons why there was an extra champion, as well as the content of the tournament and so on.

    Evan and Hermione¡¯s reports were very timely, and the detailed content also satisfied everyone¡¯s curiosity. The sales were very good.

    This was not surprising, but it was strange that Rita Skeeter¡¯s report had note out. She and the <em>Daily Prophet</em> did not seem to be in a hurry. Obviously, their concerns were not the same as those reported by Evan and Hermione.

    It seemed that they were going to wait until the heat of this report in <em>Hogwarts Magic </em>was over before publishing their own report.

    Over the next two weeks, school life returned to its former tranquility.

    Hufflepuff and Slytherin seemed to be tired of endless hostility with Gryffindor. Although not very friendly, they returned to talking to other people in normalmunication. Only when they faced Ron would they show obvious hostility and endless ridicule.

    Gabrielle became more and more familiar with everyone and became almost a full member of Gryffindor.

    Ron also finally recovered from the excitement of bing a champion and began to think about how to face the first task.

    He finally began to be afraid of having to perform an unknown, dangerous, and extremely difficult task in front of all the students in the school. With the help of Evan, Harry, and Hermione, he finally learned a lot of magic and spells.

    These things were too low-level; Ron had skipped on too many lessons before and had much to learn.

    However, Evan did not see how learning these low-level spells could help in dealing with dragons.

    And Ron didn¡¯t study too hard, spending a lot of energy on other things. Although he began to attach importance to this matter, on the whole, he still did not realize the seriousness of the situation and did not think that the first task would be to face a fire dragon!

    In addition to asionally guiding Ron, Evan¡¯s Mermish was finally getting started. At least, that¡¯s what he thought. He memorized most of the words he saw in the book.

    On the second weekend, he was ready to go to theke to try tomunicate with the Merpeople and test his learning oues.

    If he was lucky enough, he might get information about the Four Founders¡¯ secret treasure keys.

    Unlike theke near the Temple of the Moon of the Centaurs¡¯ colony, theke in front of the school castle was wider and deeper.

    After five minutes of quick dive in a dark, awkward and strange scene, Evan came to the bottom of theke.

    There was a jungle of undting, tangled ck nts, and broad, t sands with shimmering pebbles.

    Moving forward, he could encounter a Merman and giant squid at any time.

    In the central position of theke, he also saw many Merpeople remains.

    For example, arge rock emerged out of the muddy water. It had paintings of Merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid or a strangely shaped stone statue.

    After some exploration, Evan found the Merpeople tribe in the deepest depression in the middle of theke. It was a cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae.

    When Evan approached, at the dark windows, some faces suddenly appeared and peered at him. They were all Merpeople, and the scene was rather creepy.

    In the deepest part of the dark water, Evan was instantly surrounded by Merpeopleing out of all directions.

    Unlike the blond mermaids in the fairy tales, they had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair, with a malicious smile on their faces, as though they were monsters from the abyss.

    Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks.

    These Merpeople were beating the water with their powerful, silver fish tails. After seeing Evan, they did not say anything, and attacked, spears clutched in their hands.

    After a brief contact, Evan was able tomunicate with them calmly. Of course, he did that not with thenguage he had just learned, but with magic.

    It wasn¡¯t really very difficult. The merpeoples looked fierce, but when they saw the lighting out of Evan¡¯s wand, they immediately turned around and fled back into the stone dwellings.

    .

    Evan had never seen such a timid creature, and they stared at his wand with their yellow eyes, looking very scared.

    Even though they were numerous, and Evan was alone, the look on their faces showed that, like the giant squid, they knew nothing about magic and remained awed.

    Evan used magic to control the Merman closest to him. It was a very strong guy. He stared with his big yellow eyes at Evan and his wand in horror, his body trembling.

    The followingmunication was not smooth either. It was not pleasant for Evan to keep spitting bubbles out of his mouth in the water.

    From the face of this guy on the opposite side, Evan doubted whether he could understand what he was talking about.

    It took him a few seconds to spit out a lot of bubbles at Evan.

    This time, Evan could be sure that he couldn¡¯t understand what the Merman was saying. He could only recognize a few words.

    Just as he was about to make further attempts, the Merman that was under control couldn¡¯t stand the tension and simply fainted.

    Evan gave a wry smile, not expecting such a result.

    Looking around, the dark stone dwellings were like ghost houses, and the traces of the Merpeople were no longer visible.

    In the end, he had to give up the failed exchange and go up the dark and coldke and return to the castle.

    This was definitely not going to work. This failedmunication experience told Evan that some gifts should be prepared for these timid Merpeople. Perhaps this would make them feel his goodwill.

    From the book <em>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, </em>he could know that the oldest recorded Merpeople appeared in ancient Greece. They lived in warmer waters, had beautiful appearance and powerful magic ability.

    After thousands of years of development, Merpeople existed now throughout the world, and they varied in appearance. With the different living ces, their appearance and abilities were also different.

    To put it simply, these Merpeople settled in theke in front of Hogwarts Castle were a group of ugly creatures that did not know magic.

    They might have great strength, but they had nothing to do with the Mermaids that frequently appeared in many legends and myths.

    The love of music was probably the only hobby they had inherited from their distant ancestors.

    Evan decided to prepare some ssical human music for them next time he came, which might work.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 571: A Terrible Report

    Chapter 571: A Terrible Report

    The following week, Evan asked Professor Lupin to help him select a list of ssic music songs.

    He instilled them in beautiful shell products and prepared to take them underwater and give them to the Merpeople.

    In the midst of her busy schedule, it was soon November, and Rita Skeeter finally published her piece on the Triwizard Tournament.

    With the publication of this report, Evan¡¯s quiet life was immediately shaken.

    Rita Skeeter was a master of rumor-making. Her article was not so much a report on the tournament and more like highly colored life story of Evan and Harry.

    Since Evan did not ept her interview at the time, Harry was still the main source of the report.

    Much of the front page of the newspaper had been given over to a picture of Evan and Harry standing together, one which was taken secretly.

    The whole article, continuing on pages two, three, four, six, seven, and twelve had been all about Evan and Harry, Ron¡¯s name had been asionally inserted in it, the names of Fleur and Krum, misspelled, had been squashed into thest line of the article, and Cedric hadn¡¯t been mentioned, as though there was no such a person at all.

    In Harry¡¯s words, this article gave him a sick, burning feeling of shame in his stomach. Rita Skeeter had reported him saying an awful lot of things that he couldn¡¯t remember ever saying in his life.

    <em>I suppose it was my parents who gave me strength and courage that kept me going until today</em>.

    <em>I know they will be very proud of me if they could see me now.</em>

    <em>Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I¡¯m not ashamed to admit it.</em>

    But Rita Skeeter had gone even further than transforming his ¡°er¡¯s¡± into long, sickly sentences. She had interviewed other people about him too.

    <em>Harry has atst found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of thepany of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.</em>

    Then, Rita Skeeter followed and wrote: <em>ording to our reporter¡¯s in-depth investigation, Miss Granger seems to have an ambiguous rtionship with another famous boy at Hogwarts, Evan Mason.</em>

    <em>Evan was fascinated by Miss Granger; and the two of them often avoided Harry and the others to be alone.</em>

    <em>Whether Miss Granger is ying with the feelings of the two boys or whether Evan is actively pursuing Miss Granger remains to be investigated, but as things stand, the kind Harry obviously knows nothing about it</em>.

    In a word, she depicted the rtionship between Evan, Harry and Hermione as an entangled love triangle.

    Moreover, from Rita Skeeter¡¯s words, she more or less implied that Evan was very fickle in this part of the article. Under the circumstance that Harry and Hermione had developed a love affair from the first year, he ignored the friendship and stole Hermione from his good friend Harry.

    If this page was still just a shadowy spection, then the next page was a full-blown explosion.

    Rita Skeeter¡¯s purpose was very obvious. She wanted to tarnish Evan¡¯s reputation; it was the price Evan had to pay for offending her.

    She chose a very good starting point. First, she yed the emotional card and portrayed Harry¡¯s lonely and hard-working image of the savior.

    This was also in line with what most people in the wizarding world knew about Harry and it was something that aroused their sympathy. Under such circumstances, it was a wonderful and difficult thing for Harry with his miserable life experience to find his first love.

    Then, at this point, the rtionship between Evan and Hermione emerged.

    The next page adds a touch of vinegar, depicting the ambiguous rtionship between Evan and other girls, such as Fleur, Gabrielle, Luna, Cho, Ginny and so on.

    She listed all the girls who were close to. In her description, Evan seemed to be pursuing several of them at the same time. His rtionships were unusual; he was dating several girls at the same time. True and false, it was hard to tell, ording to Rita Skeeter.

    Reading her article, Evan looked beyond imagination. Not only did he take the initiative to pursue girls of his own age, but he also began to pursue sisters at the same time, and younger girls like Gabrielle.

    Not to mention the wizards of the outside world, the students at Hogwarts felt a sudden awakening after reading it. After reading this article, they seemed to have just discovered that Evan¡¯s private life was so chaotic.

    At the end of this page, Rita Skeeter also spected on why Evan was able to do that.

    She suspected that he was secretly making Love potions and aphrodisiacs, which made the girls lose their senses and became obsessed with him.

    She called on the school to investigate the matter and prohibit the abuse of drugs and magic by young wizards.

    Of course, she still had a positive attitude towards Evan¡¯s magic power.

    Afterpiling Evan¡¯s messy private life, the next page shifted to the theme of the Triwizard Tournament, targeting Ron.

    Ron was also one of the champions she depicted the most. Rita Skeeter described Ron¡¯s bad performance in school, which was not too much to add to the story, because Ron¡¯s usual behavior was really bad enough. She didn¡¯t have to make it up; she could just use it as it was.

    After a brief introduction, she began to question Ron¡¯s qualifications as a champion!

    In Rita Skeeter¡¯s view, such talented young wizards as Evan and Harry did not be champions, while Ron was able to be one, obviously because someone was acting behind the scenes in this tournament.

    Ron¡¯s father¡¯s role in the Ministry of Magic was also highlighted, and Rita Skeeter believed it was because of the good rtionship between Mr. Weasley and Dumbledore, Mr. Fudge and Mr. Crouch.

    At the end of the article, Rita Skeeter expected the Ministry of Magic to give everyone an exnation and said that she would continue to pay attention to the matter.

    This report was really terrible, like throwing a huge stone on the calmke, suddenly bursting into waves.

    Now, no matter where Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione went, there were people pointing fingers at them.

    Here, the oue was actually not too negative for Evan.

    Evan¡¯s reputation and strength were there, and the young wizards still admired him.

    The boys had expressed their admiration and envy of Evan¡¯s ability to date so many girls at the same time, and at most a few sour words. The girls expected to be able tomunicate with him. There were many people who had a crush on Evan. If Evan was making love potions, they actually also hoped to receive some.

    As for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the impact of the report was not so easy.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 572: Negative Effects

    Chapter 572: Negative Effects

    Talking about Ron, he had been under the most pressure since this article appeared.

    Although there was not much in the newspaper about him, it was very deadly.

    The opposition voice, which had gradually subsided, was restored. Everyone thought that Ron¡¯s champion status had been obtained through dishonorable means. He had hoodwinked Dumbledore and the Goblet of Fire, and even many wizards outside the school believed so.

    Being a champion did not bring honor to Ron, but shame.

    Rita Skeeter¡¯s article pushed Ron to the forefront of the storm, making people think that he was a despicable viin who had no corresponding strength but who liked to show up, show off himself, and gain honor through covert maniption.

    Now, wherever he went, he could hear people shouting loudly at him.

    They all wore badges of support for Cedric, quoted the words in the article and sneered at him.

    Ron¡¯s temper became so bad that he could quarrel with Hufflepuff or Ravenw¡¯s students. As for Slytherin, he even had another fight with Malfoy.

    His poprity among students dropped rapidly, and many people were secretly pointing fingers at him.

    The same was true for Harry here, and the descriptions of him in the newspaper were even more embarrassing.

    ¡°Do you want a hanky, Potter, in case you start crying in Transfiguration?¡±

    ¡°Since when have you been one of the top students in the school? Or is this a school you and Longbottom have set up together?¡±

    ¡°Hey ¡­ Harry!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± Harry found himself shouting as he wheeled around in the corridor, having had just about enough. ¡°I¡¯ve just been crying my eyes out over my dead mum, and I¡¯m just off to do a bit more¡­¡±

    ¡°No ¡­ it was just ¡­ you dropped your quill.¡±

    It was Cho Chang. Harry felt color rising in his face.

    ¡°Oh ¡­ right ¡­sorry,¡± he muttered, taking the quill back.

    Hermione hade in for her fair share of unpleasantness too, but she hadn¡¯t yet started yelling at innocent bystanders.

    ¡°<em>Stunningly pretty? Her?!</em>¡± Pansy Parkinson had shrieked the first time she hade face-to-face with Hermione after Rita¡¯s article had appeared. ¡°What was she judging against ¡­ a chipmunk?¡±

    ¡°Ignore it,¡± Hermione said in a dignified voice, holding her head in the air and stalking past the sniggering Slytherin girls as though she couldn¡¯t hear them. ¡°Just ignore it.¡±

    Harry and Ron looked at Hermione admiringly, but they couldn¡¯t ignore it.

    ¡°We all know that woman is making rumors, and what she wrote is rubbish!¡± said Hermione, ¡°You two should learn from Evan. He doesn¡¯t take these things seriously.¡±

    Yeah, only Evan and Hermione could totally ignore what was said in the article.

    The two of them agreed that now was not the time to think about the gossip, but to help Ron find a way to sessfullyplete his first task.

    As the tournament approached, they spent more and more time in the library.

    Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin, Gabrielle, and Ginny were all specting about the content of the task. Evan knew, but couldn¡¯t say it for the time being. It was better to wait for Caresius and Hagrid to tell Ron.

    On parchment he listed the ways to deal with fire dragons one by one, and atst he scratched them off one by one.

    It was not that these methods were not feasible, but that Ron¡¯s current ability simply could not allow him to use them.

    Not only Evan, but also Caresius was worried about how to help Ron get through thepetition.

    With Ron¡¯s magic and magic level, spells or Transfiguration abilities, it was impossible for him to seed.

    He couldn¡¯t use a broomstick as well as Harry, but it was something that could be thought about.

    They checked a lot of information in the library, and Evan noticed that Krum had been there recently. He was now able to meet and greet everyone, not as cold as at the beginning, but it was nothing more than that.

    Hermione oftenined about Krum being there, not that he ever bothered them because he even rarely talked, but because groups of giggling girls often turned up to spy on him from behind bookshelves, and Hermione found the noise distracting.

    Evan also felt this way, but couldn¡¯t stop Krum from appearing in the library. He could only sit as far from him as possible.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we sit with Krum?¡± said Ron. ¡°He invited us over.¡±

    ¡°Unless you want to be stared at by dozens of girls, pointing at you and muttering¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not even good-looking!¡± Hermione muttered angrily, ring at Krum¡¯s sharp profile. ¡°They only like him because he¡¯s famous! They wouldn¡¯t look at him twice if he couldn¡¯t do that Wonky-Faint thing¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Wronski Feint,¡± said Harry through gritted teeth, not wanting anyone to say Quidditch terms incorrectly.

    ¡°Face reality, Hermione!¡± said Ron. ¡°Many girls like Krum, not only because he is the most famous Quidditch Seeker, but also because he has a lot of magic and a lot of knowledge, just as those girls like Evan.¡±

    ¡°How many times have I to repeat it, Evan¡¯s private life is not as chaotic as that woman described!¡± Hermione turned her head immediately, looking at him discontentedly, ¡°and he didn¡¯t get so many girls around him like that guy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not Krum¡¯s fault that he¡¯s popr!¡± Ron muttered. ¡°He looks cold, but he¡¯s actually a good guy. He told me a practical spell some time ago, and it helped me a lot.¡±

    ¡°Well, this is your opinion?!¡± said Hermione. ¡°We¡¯ve been sitting in the library every day to help you find a way to get through the first task, and we haven¡¯t seen you thank us.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m thankful; you¡¯re the only people who support me now, and I¡¯ll never forget it!¡± Ron said embarrassedly, turning around and talking to Evan, who was reading a book, ¡°Evan, how does this Impediment Curse work?¡±

    In this way, time passed quickly, and it was soon the week before the start of the tournament.

    Evan had to admit that at some point, Ron¡¯s nerves proved to be really strong.

    While others were worried about how Ron wouldplete his first task, he subjectively underestimated the difficulty of the tournament.

    Ron didn¡¯t panic much, but he always thought about the glory that winning the tournament would bring him.

    He had already told Evan, Harry and Colin more than once what he would do after winning the tournament.

    This optimism continued until the Saturday before the first task, and all students in the third year and above were permitted to visit the vige of Hogsmeade.

    At breakfast, Ron told everyone that he wanted to go outside the castle to rx!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 573: the First Task

    Chapter 573: the First Task

    ¡°We can¡¯t go, Ron!¡± Hermione objected directly, and took a thick book out of her bag. ¡°We¡¯re only a few days away from the tournament. You haven¡¯t mastered all the spells I¡¯ve summed up for you yet.¡±

    ¡°There are several spells, including the Conjunctivitis Curse, that you must learn as soon as possible,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Evan ¡­Hermione, give me a break. That¡¯s the seventh year course!¡± said Ron, ¡°Over the past two months, I¡¯ve learned more than a dozen spells and should be able to cope with emergencies. The tournament will start soon, what I need now is to adjust my mood ¡­¡±

    Before he had finished speaking, there was a sudden rustling noise above them.

    More than a hundred owls came soaring through the open windows carrying the morning mail.

    Hedwig¡¯s white figure mingled with arge number of brown and ck owls, slowlynded to the table. She gently pecked Harry and stretched out her right leg with a crumpled parchment tied to it.

    Harry quickly untied it and looked at the content of the letter.

    Hedwig chirped softly, pping her wings and looking for something to eat on his te.

    ¡°It¡¯s a letter from Sirius!¡± said Harry excitedly. ¡°He wants to meet us this afternoon in Hogsmeade.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Ron cheered, proudly saying, ¡°We must go to Hogsmeade. Sirius¡­¡±

    Just then, a screech owlnded to their side and threw a parcel on Ron¡¯sp.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Everyone looked at Ron curiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Ron looked down at the parcel and said puzzled, ¡°Strange, Charlie sent it.¡±

    Charlie Weasley was Ron¡¯s second elder brother, whom Evan had met during the summer vacation.

    When he was at Hogwarts, he was a legendary figure of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He led the Gryffindor team to win the Quidditch Cup many times. After graduating with excellent results, he went to Romania to study dragons.

    Charlie doesn¡¯t usually contact Ron, let alone send him a parcel.

    Ron opened the parcel and put out two books, <em>Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit</em> and <em>Common Methods of Taming Dragons</em>.

    ¡°What on earth is going on?! Why did Charlie suddenly send me two books?¡± Ron picked up the note at the bottom of the package and read, ¡°<em>Dear Ron, you may need these two books, please forgive me for not saying more¡­</em>¡±

    He put down the note and looked through the two books, his brow tightened and tightened.

    ¡°Charlie must be crazy. Why would I need two books rted to dragons? And he doesn¡¯t even tell me why!¡±

    Seeing Ron¡¯s inquiring eyes, Harry shook his head, with the same puzzled expression on his face.

    ¡°We might find some clues from it.¡± Hermione took the book <em>Common Methods of Taming Dragons</em> and looked at it. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this book in the library. Maybe Charlie summed it up by himself.¡±

    ¡°Even if he wrote the book himself, there is no need ¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron, don¡¯t you still understand?!¡± Evan interrupted Ron and said impatiently,¡± Charlie sent you these two books to tell you the challenge of the first task is a Fire Dragon!¡±

    His voice was not very loud, but it seemed to have some magic.

    Hearing his words, no one spoke, and they all turned to look at him in astonishment.

    ¡°God, Evan!¡± Hermione eximed, covering her mouth with her small hand.

    ¡°You ¡­ what did you say ¡­ fi ¡­ fire dragon?!¡± Ron stammered, looking pale.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded solemnly. ¡°Charlie is sure of it, but he can¡¯t say it. It¡¯s against the rules.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. How can they use dragons as a task?!¡± Ron stared closely at Evan, ¡°With the ability of a young wizard, how could it be possible to defeat a fire dragon? That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    Looking at his expression, it seemed that he expected someone to suddenly tell him that it was April Fool¡¯s Day.

    There was still silence, and that gradually turned into despair.

    Thinking about it carefully, everyone thought that Evan¡¯s reasoning was very likely, epting this shocking fact.

    Only Ron was unwilling to ept it. He answered Charlie¡¯s letter as quickly as he could to ask about the matter.

    In his words, it was just a coincidence.

    Seeing Ron¡¯s obstinacy, Hermione wanted to say something, and Evan pulled her gently.

    Ron now needed time to digest the news, and he didn¡¯t need to be pushed into it, for he was probably already overwhelmed

    Although no one was talking about the fire dragon, this incident still cast a shadow over the next visit to Hogsmeade.

    Ron seemed preupied, not as excited as he had been at the beginning.

    They went back to the dormitory, put on their respective cloaks, and they set off for Hogsmeade.

    Harry, Ron, Colin and Ginny went first, while Evan and Hermione went to Gabrielle to apany her to Hogsmeade.

    The two of them walked out of the castle and walked along theke to the carriage of Beauxbatons.

    ¡°Evan, is the first task really a fire dragon?!¡± said Hermione incredulously, looking very anxious.

    ¡°No doubt about it!¡±

    ¡°Ron will copse, how can he defeat a dragon? That is an impossible task.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be that difficult. The champions should be only asked to get something from the dragon,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°I hope so, the two books Charlie sent should help.¡± said Hermione, ¡°I have to go to the library to have a look. We were in the wrong direction before. I remember a book said that Dragons are extremely difficult to y, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can prate¡­¡±

    Yes, the dragon was the most horrible and dangerous creature. When he first saw it, Evan was shocked and wondered how such a monster even existed.

    But he has not had much fear since he killed a horrible fire dragon in the illusion with Okegiga, the Centaur.

    Dragons were not invincible, they had many weaknesses.

    In addition to the need to improve his strength, Ron had now to ovee his inner fear. This was the hardest thing for him.

    They talked about the dragon until they came to the carriage of Beauxbatons.

    Gabrielle was already waiting there, wearing a sky-blue school cloak and a bright smile on her face.

    For today¡¯s trip to Hogsmeade, she apparently got prepared carefully.

    Several girls who were ready to leave Beauxbatons¡¯s carriage passed by her and gave a silver bell-likeugh.

    ¡°Evan, we should tell Fleur about it!¡± Hermione suddenly whispered, ¡°She certainly doesn¡¯t know.¡±

    Evan looked at Hermione strangely. He thought she would propose secrecy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I know what you¡¯re thinking. We really should keep it a secret, but in the face of a dragon¡­¡± Hermione said quickly. ¡°In short, aren¡¯t Fleur and Gabrielle our friends?! Go and tell her!¡±

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 Chapter 574: Fleurâ€™s Room

    Chapter 574: Fleur¡¯s Room

    Evan had no objection to Hermione¡¯s suggestion; although with the rtionship between Madame Maxime and Hagrid, Fleur will eventually know about the fire dragon.

    But if Evan told her in advance, she would owe him a favor.

    ¡°Gabrielle, where¡¯s your sister?¡± said Evan. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to talk to her about.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in her room. She says she¡¯s not feeling well today. She¡¯s not going to Hogsmeade!¡± said Gabrielle.

    She blinked and wondered what Evan had to say to her sister alone.

    ¡°Well, you take me up¡­¡±

    ¡°Go by yourself. I just came out from there. She¡¯s in a bad mood. I don¡¯t want to be near her at this time.¡± Gabrielle made a lovely grimace and said with a smile, ¡°you have to be prepared.¡±

    Evan looked back at Hermione, and she did not intend to apany him.

    With a sigh, he asked Gabrielle about Fleur¡¯s room and walked into the huge carriage of Beauxbatons alone.

    If Fleur¡¯s character did not change, no one would really dare to contact her.

    As soon as he entered, Evan had a sudden feeling of openness.

    The space in front of him was much wider than it looked from the outside, and all objects were magnified in an instant.

    It was not like the interior of a carriage at all, but it gave Evan the illusion of returning to the main castle building of Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.

    The carriage was quiet and Evan did not see anyone inside.

    He followed the golden esctor to the first floor and stopped in front of the second room on the inner side.

    Here was Fleur¡¯s room, he knocked on the door.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Fleur said hoarsely, sounding a little weak.

    This was very mismatched with her usual tough style. Was she really sick?!

    Evan pushed open the door and saw a room with pink as the main decorative tone, with women¡¯s articles everywhere.

    Thetticed windows oozing with European style were covered by pleated white screens, and sunlight prated through the cracks, bringing a little brightness to the darkened room.

    The air was filled with a refreshing fragrance, which was peculiar to Fleur.

    The most striking thing in the room was the soft and magnificent big bed in the middle.

    Fleur was lying on the bed, and the bedding was kicked aside. She was lying on it in a pink nightgown.

    The low round cor was decorated with whitece, which revealed her graceful, concave and exquisite figure. Her open cleavage was snow-white and attractive. The lines of sexy underwear inside could be seen faintly. A small half of the snow-white arm was exposed, and her fragrance was floating in the air.

    Her smooth and tender skin exposed outside, such as ice and snow, appeared particrly white under the light of a little bit of sunshine that came through the window.

    Seeing Fleur like this, Evan stood there stupefied, hesitant to let her know of his presence.

    ¡°Gabrielle, weren¡¯t you going to Hogsmeade with that guy, why are you back?!¡± said Fleur, turning overzily. ¡°First of all, no matter how much you beg me this time, I won¡¯t¡­¡±

    Fleur suddenly stopped and her eyes widened. She looked incredulously at Evan standing at the door.

    They both looked at each other and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

    Following Evan¡¯s gaze, Fleur looked down and found out what was wrong.

    Despite her openness, it was a little embarrassing that a boy saw her in this appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± Fleer shook her beautiful head and rubbed her eyes, ¡°How did you get in?!¡±

    ¡°You let me in!¡± Evan replied subconsciously, feeling a little bad.

    ¡°GET OUT!¡± Fleur grabbed the quilt with the fastest speed and put it on her body, his face red.

    Then she thought that she couldn¡¯t let Evan go out like this. If someone else found out about this incident¡­

    ¡°Come in and close the door!¡± Fleur gritted her teeth and shook her fist. ¡°Damn, what on earth are you doing?¡±

    There was something wrong with the scene. The girl huddled in the bedding and curled up on the bed, as if Evan was going to do something to her.

    However, to say that Fleur¡¯s appearance now could give any man wicked impulses would be an understatement¡­

    ¡°I want to tell you about the first task of the tournament¡­ we¡­ spected¡­¡± said Evan directly, trying not to look at Fleur¡¯s eyes that wanted to eat him alive: ¡°The first task is a fire dragon!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Fire dragon!¡± said Evan quickly, ¡°You must be well prepared, as soon as possible, and practice to face a fire dragon.¡±

    Fleur stared at him, even forgetting to cover herself with the bedding.

    After realizing that Evan was not joking with her, there was a flicker of fear in her blue eyes.

    ¡°Are you sure?!¡± she said, narrowing her eyes.

    ¡°Absolutely, believe me!¡± said Evan.

    Fleur stared at Evan, with a puzzled, almost skeptical look in her beautiful eyes.

    It was a long time before she nodded. She seemed to understand the situation and to have made up her mind.

    ¡°So, you guessed that the first task is the Dragon, and then you immediately came to inform me!¡± said Fleur, her voice returning to its usual tone. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± said Evan, ¡°You know, I have a good rtionship with Gabrielle. I can¡¯t let you face those huge things unprepared, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I trust you!¡± Fleur whispered, and walked down from the bed. ¡°Thank you for telling me about this, Evan!¡±

    She tidied up her nightgown without any embarrassment.

    Evan found that Fleur¡¯s figure was really good. In some parts, the originally loose nightgown seemed a little too short¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve been curious about you ever since I learned from Gabrielle that you helped Sirius ck clear his name,¡± said Fleur, walking up to Evan, ¡°I was curious about the kind of young wizard that would and could do this, but only after I saw you in person did I realize that you¡¯re the kind of wizard that I couldn¡¯t help but despise and admire at the same time.¡±

    Evan blinked, wondering what Fleur meant by this.

    The atmosphere in the room was getting more weird, and there seems to be something wrong with this unfolding¡­

    To be fair, Evan just identally saw Fleur in her nightgown, what would be more abnormal?!

    ¡°Every time I think I have a grasp of your strength, you do more amazing things. Evan, whether we like it or not, you are the most qualified wizard I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Fleur continued, ¡°So¡­¡±

    Before Evan could respond, Fleur suddenly lowered her head and kissed him on his forehead!

    The girl¡¯s lips were soft but warm, which made his heart beat faster.

    Evan was dumbfounded, looking at Fleur¡¯s appearance, as if he wanted to respond in some way.

    Although Fleur was very beautiful and the most beautiful girl Evan had ever seen, he didn¡¯t like her.

    He only liked Hermione, and this had not changed since the beginning.

    And even if he had told Fleur about the Fire Dragon, she didn¡¯t have to be so¡­ grateful; did she?!

    ¡°You know ¡­ this thing, don¡¯t tell anyone about it!¡± said Evan, ¡°Hermione and Gabrielle are waiting for me down there, I¡¯ll go!¡±

    Looking at Evan¡¯s back, Fleur¡¯s face was full of pride.

    She found it funny to tease this little guy.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 575: Ronâ€™s State of Mind

    Chapter 575: Ron¡¯s State of Mind

    When Evan breathed fresh air outside the carriage, he became sober again.

    Evan recalled the expression on Fleur¡¯s face just now, only to realize that he might have been fooled.

    Fleur, that wicked girl, was definitely teasing him.

    Her target would be a handsome wizard of the right age like Cedric, and it was impossible she would look to Evan.

    As for what was said, it was even more impossible.

    In her eyes, Evan was probably just a little brother, almost the same as Gabrielle¡­

    But speaking of that, Fleur was really bold. Evan knew no other girls like her.

    ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t my sister in a bad temper? I said you¡¯d better not go up at this time.¡± said Gabrielle with a smile.

    ¡°It was really terrible!¡± Evan nodded, Fleur in her nightgown in his mind.

    He had seen Hermione in pajamas before, but that was not the same thing at all.

    ¡°You told her everything?!¡± asked Hermione, staring at Evan doubtfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. Let¡¯s hurry to Hogsmeade.¡±

    Today is Hogsmeade Day, and the small vige was full of excited Hogwarts young wizards.

    Evan and Hermione apanied Gabrielle through every shop in Hogsmeade. Gabrielle bought a lot of things to take them back as gifts. These things were special products of Hogsmeade and could not be seen in France.

    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Gabrielle asked.

    They had juste out of the Honeydukes Sweet Shop, eatingrge creamy chunks of nougat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Three Broomsticks, where Harry and Ron are waiting for us,¡± said Hermione.

    They walked down another street, and most of the students they met were wearing badges supporting Cedric.

    ¡°What does that shop do?¡± asked Gabrielle, pointing to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop on the side of the road.

    As before, it was steamy inside, and everything seemed to have been decorated with frills or bows.

    ¡°It looks so cute¡­¡± Gabrielle whispered, staring at the pink bows.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there, it¡¯s not a good ce!¡± said Hermione quickly.

    ¡°Not a good ce?!¡± Gabrielle asked. ¡°What¡¯s in that Tea Shop?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ where lovers date, and they do that kind of ¡­ thing inside. It¡¯s too early for you to know that!¡± Hermione red at Evan, who wasughing and watching. Her face turned red and she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go now. Don¡¯t let Harry and Ron wait.¡±

    The rtionship between Evan and Hermione has grown by leaps and bounds, with substantial progress being made in that small Tea Shop.

    Unfortunately, the two of them did not stick to the end at that time.

    Hermione didn¡¯t know it at the time. She thought it was just an ordinary Tea Shop, but now she had no courage to go in there with Evan.

    ording to Angelina and other school girls, they could go out on a date at this age!

    Thinking of this, Hermione stole a look at Evan and couldn¡¯t help thinking if he would still ask her to go to the Tea Shop with him!

    Although the two of them usually spent most of their time together, the feeling of going there would be totally different.

    Hearing Hermione say that the Tea Shop was a ce for dating, Gabrielle also thought about it.

    What her sister had said to herself naturally came to mind¡­

    In this way, the three people arrived at the Three Broomsticks, lost in thoughts.

    When they entered the inn, it was crowded with people. Mainly Hogwarts students, everyone was enjoying this afternoon¡¯s freedom.

    However, there were also many wizards rarely seen elsewhere.

    Hogsmeade was the unique pure wizarding vige in Britain.

    It was a safe haven for people like the Banshee, because they were not as good as witches in disguising themselves.

    ¡°Where are Harry and Ron?¡± asked Hermione.

    Her voice just fell, and she saw Harry and Ron hiding in the corner waving to them.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just seen Rita Skeeter, but fortunately, she didn¡¯t see us,¡± whispered Ron, putting his book <em>Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit</em> on the table, ¡°She¡¯s still in the vige. She must be looking for a new rumor to spread.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯lle and watch the first task!¡± Harry followed.

    ¡°Yeah, to see how I get torn apart by the fire dragon; that would make a fine headline!¡±

    Evan took Gabrielle to the bar to buy drinks, while Hermione sat down at the table.

    ¡°How are you two progressing?¡± Hermione asked. ¡°Is there anything useful in these two books¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, the two books sent by Charlie can¡¯t help at all.¡± said Ron frustrated.

    ¡°Take a look at the contents of <em>Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit</em>, the treatment of magic clipping ws and scaly ulceration¡­¡± Harry read it through the catalog. ¡°This is for people like Hagrid who want dragons to be strong!¡±

    ¡°Maybe we can try the Switching Spell!¡± said Hermione, taking the book that Ron threw on the table, ¡°Professor McGonagall said in ss that if you can switch its fangs into wine-gums or something, that would make it less dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Switch the fangs into wine-gums, are you sure I could pull that off?!¡± Ron asked.

    ¡°Evan should be able to do it!¡± Hermione whispered, staring at Ron for a long time.

    ¡°Yeah, he has the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, naturally!¡± Ronined, ¡°If <em>I </em>had a <em>Philosopher¡¯s Stone</em>¡­¡±

    He stopped abruptly, and Harry and Hermione looked at each other as if they had not heard Ron¡¯sint.

    Obviously, Evan did not be strong because of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and he could not give it to Ron.

    Knowing Ron, Hermione could be sure that even if he got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he would not use it properly. On the contrary, it would be a threat to his life.

    The huge magic in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone could not be absorbed by any human body. Evan nearly had a serious ident with thisst time.

    ¡°We can change the way we think about it. It¡¯s definitely not possible to use the Switching Spell on the fire dragon, but you can cast it on yourself!¡± Hermione continued, ¡°For example, to increase your strength, speed, defense, etc. Of course, these are not simple spells, we need to pass the ordinary Wizard Level test before encountering it in our studies, but you¡¯ve got to learn in advance¡­¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Hermione!¡± Ron said sadly, lying on the table, ¡°I can¡¯t do it. These spells are too difficult for me. I can only pray that the task is not a fire dragon. Maybe a prank by Charlie!¡±

    Thinking of Evan, who told her not to push Ron too hard, Hermione did not go on talking.

    In her opinion, Ron¡¯s efforts were far from enough, but this was really not the time to say it.

    Let him keep a rxed and happy mood, even just for this afternoon.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to read more books. Charlie probably thinks so.¡± Hermione took out a bunch of things from her schoolbag and looked around the pub. She said thoughtfully, ¡°It¡¯s a long time before we meet Sirius. We can¡¯t just sit here. Maybe we can take this opportunity to recruit some vigers to join S.P.E.W.¡±

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 Chapter 576: Meeting Sirius

    Chapter 576: Meeting Sirius

    ¡°Give me a break, Hermione!¡± Ron sighed.

    ¡°Hermione, when are you going to give up on this spew stuff?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!¡± She said earnestly, shaking the roster in front of Harry. ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of supporters now, and they all think my ideas are right.¡±

    Harry saw his name, Hermione¡¯s, Evan¡¯s and Ron¡¯s on the top of the list.

    Evan was the President, Hermione was the Vice-President, Harry was the Secretary, and Ron is the Treasurer.

    This was Hermione¡¯s initial organizational structure, and there were many Gryffindor students below.

    Even Gabrielle¡¯s name was written on it. She was the first foreign member of Hermione¡¯s organization.

    But Harry was surprised to find that more names he didn¡¯t know were densely filled with pages.

    These were all the wizards who spontaneously wrote to Hermione asking to join S.P.E.W. after seeing the reports in the newspaper.

    Hermione had been in charge of a special edition on <em>Hogwarts Magic, </em>focused on protecting the rights and interests of house-elves. The effect of the special edition gradually became apparent. At the beginning, everyone thought that Hermione was mad, wanting wages and holidays for the house-elves.

    However, as Hermione persistently stated her position, more and more people began to identify with her. To be fair, everyone agreed that Hermione had a bit of a point and was brave enough to say such words against the ancient traditions of the wizarding world that had been passed on for centuries.

    Nowadays, times were different. Whether it was the Ministry of Magic or the mainstream society in the magic circle, there were more and more Muggle apprentices wizards.

    Gone were the dark days when pure-blood wizards held all power and judgment.

    As one of the worst habits left over from the old system, the status of house-elves really needed to be changed.

    With Hermione¡¯s efforts, this was the result so far, but there were more wizards against her. She received dozens of mails almost every week, with unpleasant and insulting words.

    ¡°We now have 300 members. This is a great achievement.¡± said Hermione excitedly, as she wrote back to her supporters. ¡°I think it¡¯s time for more direct action. I wonder how one could get to the school¡¯s kitchen.¡±

    ¡°No idea, ask Fred and George,¡± said Harry, ¡°Evan should know too.¡±

    Hermionepsed into thoughtful silence, while Harry drank his butterbeer, watching the people in the pub.

    All of them looked cheerful and rxed. Ernie Macmin and Hannah Abbott were swapping Chocte Frogs cards at a nearby table; both of them sporting ¡°<em>Support Cedric Diggory!¡±</em> badges on their robes.

    Right over by the door, he saw Cho Chang and arge group of her Ravenw friends. Harry couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he had be a champion, maybe Cho Chang would cheer for him¡­

    Ron was lying there, with no intention tomunicate with others, nor did he want to talk to Harry and Hermione.

    He was now very depressed and in a terrible mood, feeling unshakable anxiety and fear.

    Those people out there just needed to see him, and they would attack him with a badge or words from the newspaper.

    He had had enough of this, especially with him about to face a dragon! Ron realized, for the first time, that bing a champion was not that good of thing.

    He didn¡¯t want to go out there and humiliate himself. He didn¡¯t have any chance unless Evan could lend him the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Ron murmured.

    He couldn¡¯t help thinking that if he got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he could also get the honors like Evan now.

    In fact, the idea was extremely exciting.

    Evan had said before that the Four Founders of Hogwarts left a secret treasure key each, which was the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Ron felt that he could also get a piece, and even reach the more exciting secret treasure. This might be his only chance to be a powerful wizard.

    He had dreamed more than once of acquiring those treasures by himself¡­

    Evan led Gabrielle to the bar, and the prettyndy, Madam Rosmerta, warmly greeted them both.

    Gabrielle chose a drink, and Evan saw that Hagrid and Caresius as Professor Moody were also sitting at the bar.

    Hagrid had his usual enormous tankard in front of him, and Caresius was drinking the Polyjuice Potion from Moody¡¯s hip sk he carried with him.

    Madam Rosmerta seemed to be very dissatisfied with this, and she was looking askance at Caresius.

    Looking at her expression, she probably thought that Moody drinking other wine in her pub was an insult to her.

    ¡°We were just trying to find you, Evan!¡± said Hagrid, his eyes brightening, he leaned over and whispered mysteriously, ¡°Tell Ron to meet me tonight at midnight at my cabin. Remember to wear Harry¡¯s invisibility cloak, I have something to show him.¡±

    When Hagrid finished, he straightened up and said aloud, ¡°Nice to meet you, Evan. See you next week!¡±

    ¡°Good luck!¡± said Caresius softly, leaving with Hagrid.

    Evan and Gabrielle, carrying their butterbeer, went back to the small table in the corner and told Harry, Ron and Hermione about it.

    ¡°Hagrid wants me to go to his cabin at midnight?¡± said Ron with amazement, ¡°<em>Why</em>?!¡±

    ¡°Probably because of the dragon,¡± Evan replied.

    Obviously, under the persuasion of Caresius, Hagrid finally made up his mind to tell Ron secretly about it. But it was also very likely that <em>he</em> had intended to do so.

    ¡°I won¡¯t go¡­¡± said Ron stubbornly, ¡°There¡¯s no dragon at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to have a look, Ron. We¡¯ll all go with you!¡± said Hermione, ¡°Hagrid definitely wants to tell us important information about the task. Even if it¡¯s not a dragon, it could be some other monster. We need to be prepared in advance.¡±

    Harry agreed, and Ron muttered and fell down again.

    If he still had a glimmer of hope now, then after they met Sirius, that glimmer of hope vanished.

    By three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, the five of them left the Three Broomsticks Inn to meet Sirius at the Shrieking Shack. At Sirius¡¯s suggestion, they met secretly.

    When they climbed the hill to the Shrieking Shack, Sirius was already there waiting for them, just as they had met for the first timest year, when he was hiding in this haunted house.

    Gabrielle was excited to see Sirius. She had read a lot about him in the newspaper before.

    More excited than Gabrielle was Harry. He hurriedly asked, ¡°Sirius, how have you been doingtely?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± said Sirius solemnly, ¡°You¡¯ve been okay recently, haven¡¯t you?¡±

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 Chapter 577: Voldemortâ€™s New Plot

    Chapter 577: Voldemort¡¯s New Plot

    Things recently have not been going that well.

    Ron¡¯s name appeared inexplicably in the Goblet of Fire. All the young wizards¡¯ attitudes towards him had changed dramatically. Rita Skeeter¡¯s fabrication in The <em>Daily Prophet</em> exacerbated all this. Meeting other students in the corridors was not a pleasant greeting, but an endless mockery.

    The scar on Harry¡¯s forehead had been hurting all the time. He didn¡¯t dare to say it. He did not even tell Evan and Hermione.

    Ron¡¯s situation there was even worse. The first task of the tournament was actually to face a dragon! This was in fact more like a legalized death sentence to him.

    Things for Evan were not going that well either, and he still hadn¡¯t figured out what Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s plot was.

    As for Hermione, while busy with her studies, she was distracted by S.P.E.W., juggling more than what most students could handle.

    They talked about these things, and Sirius listened patiently without interrupting.

    He was just like an elder, listening to everyone telling their troubles.

    ¡°Sirius, they must be joking with me, aren¡¯t they?!¡± Ron finally said with hope. ¡°Tell me, please! Tell me I¡¯m not going to have to face a fire dragon!¡±

    ¡°Ron!¡± Sirius looked at him and said earnestly, ¡°I wanted to tell you about it. The first task is indeed facing a fire dragon. Barty Crouch nned the content of this tournament, and I just learned about it.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m definitely doomed!¡± said Ron, in a desperate tone.

    Getting a positive answer from Sirius finally shattered the illusion that he was trying to maintain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the fire dragon, we can deal with it!¡± said Sirius indifferently, ¡°We can talk about this issueter. Before that, there are things I need to warn you about.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Everyone looked at Sirius in surprise. There couldn¡¯t be anything more terrible than a fire dragon, could it?!

    ¡°Karkaroff!¡± said Sirius. ¡°I spoke to Evan alone before school began, but recent events have made me decide to warn you that he used to be a Death Eater. You all know what Death Eaters are, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Harry, looking very surprised. ¡°He ¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°He was caught, he was in Azkaban with me, but then he got released. Maybe that¡¯s why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year ¡­ to keep an eye on him. You know, it was Moody who caught Karkaroff and put him into Azkaban in the first ce.¡±

    Everyone was shocked by this news. They couldn¡¯t believe That Durmstrang¡¯s Headmaster was actually an ex-Death Eater.

    This was absolutely shocking news, if Rita Skeeter knew¡­

    ¡°Sirius, what have you discovered recently?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Voldemort!¡± said Sirius, disregarding everyone¡¯s expression. ¡°You know, the Aurors have been tracking the traces of vampires recently. They¡¯re very active.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything about that in the newspaper,¡± said Hermione, ¡°Everything is calm.¡±

    ¡°Fudge believes it is necessary to keep it confidential and not allow the <em>Daily Prophet</em> to report anything,¡± said Sirius quickly, ¡°Those vampires have done a lot of things abroad, and there¡¯s Voldemort¡¯s shadow behind them.¡±

    ¡°Those vampires?!¡± Evan frowned.

    Damn, Caresius had never told him about these things.

    As head of the vampire n, Evan thought that since he was at Hogwarts, the rest of the vampires would stop and hide from the Ministry of Magic.

    Besides, Caresius had also said that Voldemort did not believe in them at all.

    But now it looked like it was not the case at all. Voldemort and the vampires must have some kind of n.

    ¡°I talked to Dumbledore about this, and we think it might be the statue he took.¡± said Sirius, ¡°The traces of those vampires appear in the ancient relics left by many ancient warlocks. Voldemort may have some ns. They seem to be looking for something!¡±

    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not clear. We don¡¯t know much about the statue of the evil god statue and the remains of ancient warlocks.¡± Sirius sighed and said, ¡°And all these things have happened abroad, even in America, beyond the reach of the Ministry of Magic in inessible jungles and deserted ruins.¡±

    No one spoke, and their brains seemed to be struggling to absorb yet another piece of shocking information.

    Vampires frequently appeared in the ancient ruins to look for something, for sure, that was definitely not a good phenomenon.

    Evan decided to look for an opportunity to talk to Caresius; he did not know what Voldemort was going to do.

    Was he going to summon evil spirits? Or was he going to gain more powerful dark power from the statue of the evil god?!

    ¡°Well, this is not something you should consider. Let¡¯s continue to talk about Karkaroff,¡± said Sirius.

    ¡°Did you just say that he was released?¡± Harry asked slowly, ¡°Why did they release him? Shouldn¡¯t all Death Eaters be imprisoned in Azkaban for life?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But he made a deal with the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Sirius bitterly, ¡°He said he had seen the error of his ways, and then he gave names. He put a load of other people into Azkaban in his ce. I can tell you that he¡¯s not very popr in there. As far as I know, since he got out, he¡¯s been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his, so watch out for the Durmstrang champion as well.¡±

    ¡°You mean Krum?!¡± Ron immediately retorted. ¡°That¡¯s impossible, he¡¯s a nice guy.¡±

    ¡°Ron, what do we know about him besides his performance in Quidditch?¡± said Hermione, looking a little rmed. ¡°Sirius is right. We have to be careful, especially at this time.¡±

    Ron still wanted to refute, but in the end he did not say anything, and just hummed a few disgruntled words.

    ¡°Okay!¡± said Harry slowly. ¡°Sirius, are you saying Karkaroff put Ron¡¯s name into the Goblet of Fire? Because if he did, he¡¯s really a good actor. Ha seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop Ron frompeting.¡±

    ¡°We know he¡¯s a good actor!¡± said Sirius. ¡°He actually convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn¡¯t he? And ording to our investigation, he appeared in London a few months ago, just when Moody¡¯s was attacked.¡±

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 Chapter 578: Siriusâ€™s Reasoning

    Chapter 578: Sirius¡¯s Reasoning

    ¡°I think someone tried to stop Moody froming to Hogwarts,¡± said Sirius, ¡°It must have been the Death Eaters or vampires, and Karkaroff might have been involved. I¡¯m not really sure about that¡­. Knowing Karkaroff, unless he¡¯s sure that Voldemort is strong enough to protect him, he won¡¯t rush back to his side.¡±

    He sat down at the rotten step of the Shrieking Shack, frowning and thinking.

    ¡°But it¡¯s undeniable that the Death Eaters and the Vampires are more active than usual. There¡¯s Voldemort behind these things. You must know this.¡± Sirius continued. ¡°They must be nning to do something during the Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts. That¡¯s why they tried to stop Moody, because they knew it would be much harder with him around. And no one is going to look into it closely; Mad-Eye has heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn¡¯t mean he can¡¯t still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had.¡±

    Sirius¡¯s reasoning was really good, but unfortunately he didn¡¯t know about Barty Crouch Jr. Or more precisely, he didn¡¯t believe that Barty Crouch Jr. was still alive.

    Evan had told him before, but Sirius and Mr. Weasley, who were present at the time, thought it was just Evan imagining things.

    Moody, the only one who thought Evan was right, had already been attacked and locked in a box.

    Of course, none of this mattered. What really mattered to Evan was what Sirius said about what vampires did abroad. These things had gone beyond Evan¡¯s control and were developing in an unpredictable direction.

    For a while, no one talked; everyone was digesting what Sirius has just said.

    Gabrielle did not speak either, and her little face was full of worries. She sat down next to Hermione and listened silently to these appalling things.

    Just now Evan and the others guaranteed that Gabrielle would not divulge the secret, and she could stay with them.

    ¡°Sirius, do you mean ¡­¡± Hermione said slowly, ¡°it was Karkaroff or some Death Eater or vampire who mixed into Hogwarts and put Ron¡¯s name into the goblet of fire.¡±

    ¡°For now, that¡¯s what I think, yes!¡± Sirius nodded.

    ¡°Why would they do that?!¡± Ron stood up straight, like a cat whose tail had been trampled on, and said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s the point of making me a champion and then letting the dragon kill me?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, their purpose is Harry or Evan!¡± said Sirius, ¡°They probably want to kill Harry, avenge Voldemort or aplish other purposes. As for Evan, Voldemort probably wants His Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s <em>me</em> who became a champion! It¡¯s <em>me</em> who¡¯s going to face the dragon!¡± Ron shouted. ¡°Not the two of them!¡±

    He looked at Harry and Evan and turned to Sirius again. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was made a champion and would face the fire dragon because someone wanted to do something with Harry and Evan.

    ¡°The exact reason is not known. This can only be guessed. Evan and Harry have been under the watch of Dumbledore and other professors. It was difficult for the guy hiding in the dark to start with them,¡± said Sirius ¡°But it was much easier to put your name in the Goblet of Fire. There will definitely be something happening in the tournament, involving the two of them.¡±

    Hearing Sirius¡¯s reminder, Evan suddenly thought that the second task would require the champion toplete with dearest to them.

    He wasn¡¯t worried about himself, but if Ron chose Harry¡­

    What happened under the water of the second task was not too easy.

    ¡°I¡¯m more inclined to think they would target Harry more than Evan!¡± Sirius turned his head, looking at Harry with concern, ¡°You¡¯re still not strong enough. If anyone wants to kill you and make everything look like an ident, then this tournament is a great opportunity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really a seamless n!¡± Harry smiled reluctantly.

    Ron also gasped and sat down dejectedly. Sirius¡¯s words were clear. If there were any ident, then he would be buried with him. Or maybe there would not be so much trouble; he probably wouldn¡¯t even get through the dragon and would be soon torn to pieces.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what are those people going to do?!¡± Hermione asked. She was more sober than Harry and Ron.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Sirius shook his head and continued. ¡°Be careful of the strangers around you, especially the champion of Karkaroff and Durmstrang. If anything happens, you can go to Dumbledore or Moody.¡±

    He gave Gabrielle a suspicious look and quickly turned his gaze away.

    ¡°Sirius, you should tell me how to deal with those fire dragons!¡± Ron suddenly said.

    ¡°Right ¡­ these dragons,¡± said Sirius, ¡°There is a way to deal with them. Don¡¯t be tempted to try a Stunning Spell. Dragons are strong and too powerful magically to be knocked out by a single Stunner, you need about seven or eight wizards at a time to ovee a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± said Ron, ¡°How can I have the magic of seven or eight people!¡±

    ¡°Of course you can¡¯t, but you can do it alone,¡± said Sirius, ¡°There is a way, and a simple spell is all you need. Aim at their eyes and use the Conjunctivitis Curse, Ron, that¡¯s their weakness.¡±

    ¡°Conjunctivitis Curse?! Ron hurriedly said, ¡°Evan taught me that, but I haven¡¯t learned it yet. The spell is very difficult. So if I master this spell, I can deal with the dragon?!¡±

    ¡°It will cause just a temporary loss of sight. Eyes are the most vulnerable part of the dragon¡¯s body.¡± Sirius waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s too far frompletely defeating or killing them, but it¡¯s enough for you to aplish the tasks assigned to you.¡±

    Next, they discussed the Conjunctivitis Curse for a while, and Evan personally demonstrated it several times.

    Ron seemed to regard this as a life-saving straw, and he studied very seriously.

    But the result was disastrous, as he had been unsessful. The magic was too difficult for him.

    And Evan suspected that even if Ron learned the spell, it would be a question of whether he had the courage to use it.

    In the face of the terrible dragon, he might be paralyzed by fear directly.

    ¡°Your movements are too stiff, Ron, and don¡¯t read the spell fast enough.¡± Said Evan, pointing out Ron¡¯s mistake, ¡°The posture of waving the wand is not right, your right hand is a little low.¡±

    While Evan, Hermione and Gabrielle urged Ron to practice the Conjunctivitis Curse, Sirius was also teaching Harry.

    He believes that the ultimate goal of this incident was Harry, and of course, he should be made stronger as soon as possible.

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 Chapter 579: Late-Night Action

    Chapter 579: Late-Night Action

    Sirius didn¡¯t let them go back until it was getting dark.

    Before leaving, Evan looked for an opportunity to talk to Sirius alone.

    He also asked about the recent frequent activities of vampires, but Sirius did not know much.

    ¡°Obviously, ording to the information we have, they must be looking for something in those ruins. But I think they have found nothing. The ruins of ancient warlocks are so old, and they have been explored countless times by wizards for thousands of years. There should be nothing valuable left. As for the relics where magic is still working, whoever rashly enters them is purely looking for death.¡±

    ¡°Well, apart from that, is there any progress with Barty Crouch?¡± asked Evan.

    He suspected that Barty Crouch Jr. was impersonating his father, Mr. Crouch, an identity that was very beneficial to Voldemort.

    Mr. Crouch had a high status in the Ministry of Magic and could use a lot of resources.

    More importantly, he was responsible for nning all the tasks in the Triwizard Tournament, and thus it was much easier for him to prepare any traps.

    ¡°There is no progress with that, but he¡¯s really abnormal. He hasn¡¯t been in the Ministry of Magic for a while. You¡¯d better be careful. I know what you mean, but again, considering Crouch¡¯s identity, we can¡¯t verify it at the moment, and if that man impersonates Barty Crouch and he¡¯s not in Hogwarts, how can he ensure that things on this side of the school are as expected, once there is any ident¡­ ¡±

    That was precisely Caresius¡¯s role. He received a note from Barty Crouch Jr. asking him to do his best to help Ron.

    Obviously, Barty Crouch Jr. did not intend to go all out from the beginning. He naturally did not want to let things go too far.

    ¡°I¡¯lle to watch the tournament when it begins. Once something happens, don¡¯t rush in yourself.¡± Sirius warned anxiously. ¡°I know you¡¯re very strong, but in the face of Voldemort, you alone will certainly not be enough.¡±

    ¡°I know, and this applies to you as well. Don¡¯t always think of rushing in alone.¡± Evan sighed. How worrying both he and Sirius were, ¡°By the way, do you have any acquaintances in the Department of Magical Transportation?¡±

    ¡°What for?!¡±

    ¡°Help me register in the Licence to Apparate test and cancel the Ministry¡¯s supervision on me,¡± said Evan, ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble not to use Apparition!¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re not yet an adult¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I ask you to help me.¡± Said Evan quickly, ¡°I¡¯ve mastered this magicpletely, but because of the Ministry¡¯s monitoring, I can¡¯t use it at all.¡±

    This magic and rted skills are not allowed without passing the Licence to Apparate test at the Department of Magical Transportation.

    If one Apparated without a licence, they would get heavy fines, or he would even be locked into Azkaban.

    After several centuries of exploration, the Ministry of Magic had established a perfected andplete Apparition monitoring system to ensure that wizards who failed to pass the test could not use this magic, or they would rush to the scene immediately for treatment in case of any ident after using it.

    The principle of this monitoring system was roughly the same as that of wand monitoring for young wizards, but it was more effective.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to have a bunch of Ministry¡¯s officials around him as soon as he Apparated; and only adult wizards could attend the corresponding exams, and he couldn¡¯t wait that long.

    If he wanted to take part in the test, he could only ask Sirius to think of a solution.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try. I¡¯ll just erase your name. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard!¡± Sirius smiled bitterly. ¡°But I suggest you be careful. For your first Apparition, you¡¯d better look after me or Remus.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Evan waved.

    At sunset, when the figures of Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Gabrielle disappearedpletely, Sirius Disapparated from the Shrieking Shack, leaving only the hideous old house standing there quietly.

    At midnight that night, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione snuck out of the Common Room.

    They had to wait for a long time. The Creevey brothers had managed to get hold of a stack of <em>Support Cedric Diggory!</em> badges and were trying to bewitch them to make them say <em>Support Ron Weasley! </em>instead. They worked hard, but they failed.

    When the two of them went to bed, everyone quietly left the Common Room.

    Both Evan and Harry had umted considerable experience in wandering around the castle at night. They knew how to avoid Filch and his cat. Although Harry had an invisibility cloak, with the help of the Marauder¡¯s Map, they simply walked out of the castle without using it.

    Evan had nned not to take part in peeking at the dragon, but Harry and Hermione insisted that everyone should go.

    Now that it had been confirmed that the first task would be against a dragon, it might be helpful to have a look at the appearance and types of this creature.

    As for Ron, he was already panicking, and all he could think about was the Conjunctivitis Curse.

    He kept chanting all night, in fear of forgetting the spell.

    He was too nervous. He couldn¡¯t go alone to Hagrid. He wished everyone would go out with him.

    The grounds were very dark. They walked down thewn toward the lights shining in Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    The inside of the enormous Beauxbatons carriage was also lit up, and they seemed to have not slept yet.

    As Harry knocked on Hagrid¡¯s front door, they could hear Madame Maxime talking inside the carriage.

    ¡°You are here, Ron?!¡± Hagrid whispered, opening the door and looking around, his brows wrinkled tightly. ¡°Why are all four of you here? That¡¯s a lot of people!¡±

    ¡°We all know, Hagrid, just show us!¡± Harry said directly.

    ¡°All right, all right, remember to put on the invisibility cloak, you shouldn¡¯t be seen!¡± said Hagrid, looking very excited.

    He didn¡¯t dwell too much on this and agreed that all four of them would follow him to see the dragon.

    Evan thought for a moment and tapped himself, Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the head with his wand.

    ¡°What have you done?¡± said Harry in surprise.

    ¡°I feel as though there is a cold liquid flowing down through my whole body from where your wand hit me!¡± said Hermione suspiciously, watching her body take on the exact color and texture of the background, and then eximed, ¡°Oh my God, this is a Disillusionment Charm!¡±

    ¡°Yes, this can be a little more secure!¡± Evan nodded.

    It might be a little difficult to hide all of them under Harry¡¯s invisibility cloak.

    But with the use of the Disillusionment Charm, there would be no problem. This charm could make thempletely hidden.

    ¡°What¡¯s the Disillusionment Charm?¡± Harry was still asking, and Hermione whispered to him and Ron to exin.

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 Chapter 580: The Dragons

    Chapter 580: The Dragons

    ¡°Good job, Evan, thus you won¡¯t be seen!¡± Hagrid said with admiration, pointing to the dark woods, ¡°You four wait for me in the grass and don¡¯t make a noise! ??We won¡¯t take Fang, he won¡¯t like it¡­¡±

    He walked out of the hut, and everyone saw clearly that Hagrid was wearing a flower that resembled an oversized artichoke in his buttonhole. It looked as though he had abandoned the use of axle grease, but he had certainly attempted tob his hair and spent a lot of time on it. They could see theb¡¯s broken teeth tangled in it.

    ¡°God, this is terrible. What¡¯s the matter with him?!¡±

    ¡°Shh, keep your voice down, it¡¯s Madame Maxime!¡± Hermione pointed to the carriage.

    Sure enough, Hagrid strode into the darkness and headed for the Beauxbatons carriage.

    A few secondster, he walked over to the front of the carriage and knocked three times on the door bearing the crossed golden wands.

    Madame Maxime opened it, her silky shawl wrapped around her massive shoulders.

    When she saw Hagrid, she smiled slightly. ¡°Ah, Hagrid, it is time?¡±

    ¡°Good evening!¡± said Hagrid, beaming at her with a smile, and holding out a hand to help her down the golden steps.

    Madame Maxime turned back to close the door of the carriage, and Hagrid offered her his arm.

    They set off around the edge of the temporary paddock containing Madame Maxime¡¯s giant winged horses.

    ¡°Hurry up, he forgot us again!¡± said Hermione unhappily.

    The four people hurriedly ran to keep up with them, trying not to make a sound.

    ¡°Where do you say they hide the dragon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s probably around here!¡±

    Madame Maxime, who shared their doubts, looked around nkly.

    By this time they were far away from the hut and the carriage, in the dead of night¡­.

    ¡°Where is it you are taking me, Hagrid?¡± she asked yfully.

    ¡°Into the woods!¡± Hagrid said hoarsely. ¡°You¡¯ll enjoy this. It is worth seeing, trust me. But don¡¯t tell anyone l showed you, right? You¡¯re not supposed to know.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± said Madame Maxime, fluttering her long ck eyshes.

    They were still walking, and Evan and the three trotting behind.

    They had walked so far around the perimeter of the forest that the castle and theke were out of sight.

    If they hadn¡¯t known that Hagrid was taking them to see the dragon, this would look more like a date of Hagrid with Maxime, one where Hagrid could make an advance to her.

    At the thought of the scene of Hagrid and Madame Maxime together, Evan couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    Just then, he heard something. Men were shouting up ahead¡­ Then came a deafening, earsplitting roar¡­

    The four of them stopped abruptly and looked at each other.

    ¡°Just ahead, go to the right and stay away from them!¡± said Evan in a low voice.

    Hagrid led Madame Maxime around a clump of trees and came to a halt.

    Everyone hurried alongside them. This was an open space, and it was suddenly clear.

    For a split second, they thought they were seeing bonfires, and men darting around them. And then their mouths fell open.

    Dragons!!!

    They finally saw the dragons!!!

    Four fully grown, enormous, vicious-looking dragons were rearing onto their hind legs inside an enclosure fenced with thick nks of wood, roaring and snorting, torrents of fire were shooting into the dark sky from their open, fanged mouths, fifty feet above the ground on their outstretched necks.

    There was a silvery-blue one with long, pointed horns, snapping and snarling at the wizards on the ground.

    Not far from it, a smooth-scaled green one was writhing and stamping with all its might.

    There was also a red one with an odd fringe of fine spikes around its face, which was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air.

    And finally, there was a gigantic ck dragon, more lizard-like than the others, which was nearest to them.

    There are at least forty wizards on the field, and every ten people were responsible for dealing with a dragon and surrounding it. They were attempting to control them, pulling on the chains connected to heavy leather straps around their necks and legs.

    These four dragons were slightly smaller than the ck dragon Evan had seen in the illusion, but their shape was equally amazing.

    Evan was secretly surprised and his heartbeat was speeding up. As for Harry, Ron and Hermione, they werepletely mesmerized.

    Harry stood there in a daze, while Ron opened his mouth wide, dumbfounded, and Hermione gripped Evan¡¯s shoulder tightly.

    They all looked up, high above them, and saw the eyes of the ck dragon, with vertical pupils like a cat¡¯s, bulging with either fear or rage, they couldn¡¯t tell which. It was making a horrible noise, a yowling, screeching scream¡­

    ¡°Be careful, keep back there, Hagrid!¡± yelled a wizard near the fence, straining on the chain he was holding. ¡°They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, you know! I¡¯ve seen this Horntail do forty!¡±

    ¡°How beautiful!¡± said Hagrid softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s no good!¡± yelled another wizard. ¡°Stunning Spells, together, on the count of three!¡±

    Each of the dragon keepers pulled out his and pointed it at the dragon in front of him.

    ¡°Stupefy!¡± They shouted in unison, and the Stunning Spells shot into the darkness like fiery rockets, bursting in showers of stars on the dragons¡¯ scaly hides.

    After the dazzling sh, the dragon nearest to them teetered dangerously on its back legs; its jaws stretched wide in a silent howl; its nostrils were suddenly devoid of me, though still smoking. Then, very slowly, it fell.

    Several tons of sinewy, scaly-ck dragon hit the ground with a thud that quaked the trees.

    The dragon keepers lowered their wands and walked forward to their fallen charges, each of which was the size of a small hill.

    They hurried to tighten the chains and fasten them securely to iron pegs, which they forced deep into the ground with their wands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get closer!¡± said Harry.

    They moved right up to the fence, and. Hagrid and Madame Maxime followed.

    ¡°<em>Charlie</em>!¡± Ron said suddenly.

    The wizard who had warned Hagrid not toe any closer turned, Evan realized who it was: Charlie Weasley.

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 Chapter 581: Cheating is a Tradition

    Chapter 581: Cheating is a Tradition

    At the sight of Charlie, Ron seemed to want to go out, but atst he resisted this urge.

    Evan and Harry held him tight so that he could not rush out of his head or copse in fear.

    Ron was looking very bad now, and any unexpected situation could happen.

    There were other dragon keepers around, they couldn¡¯t be found, and the champions were not supposed to know about the task.

    ¡°All right, Hagrid?¡± Charlie panted. ¡°They should be okay now. We put them out with a Sleeping Draft on the way here. We thought it might be better for them to wake up in the dark and the quiet. But, like you saw, they weren¡¯t happy, not happy at all¡­¡±

    ¡°What breeds you got here, Charlie?¡± asked Hagrid, gazing at the closest dragon, the ck one, with something close to reverence.

    The ck dragon¡¯s eyes were still just open, and a strip of gleaming yellow could be seen beneath its wrinkled ck eyelid.

    ¡°This is a Hungarian Horntail,¡± said Charlie. ¡°There¡¯s a Common Welsh Green over there, the smaller one ¡­ a Swedish Short-Snout, that blue-gray ¡­ and a Chinese Fireball, that¡¯s the red.¡±

    Charlie looked around; Madame Maxime was strolling away around the edge of the enclosure, gazing at the stunned dragons.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were bringing her, Hagrid,¡± Charlie said, frowning. ¡°The champions aren¡¯t supposed to know what¡¯sing. She¡¯s bound to tell her student, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡±

    ¡°I just thought she¡¯d like to see them,¡± shrugged Hagrid, still gazing, enraptured, at the dragons.

    ¡°Really romantic date, Hagrid,¡± sighed Charlie, shaking his head helplessly.

    ¡°A total of four¡­¡± said Hagrid, ¡°So it¡¯s one for each of the champions, is it? What have they got to do ¡­ fight them?¡±

    ¡°Just get past them, I think,¡± said Charlie. ¡°We¡¯ll be on hand if it gets nasty, Extinguishing Spells and Stunning Spells at the ready. They wanted nesting mothers, I don¡¯t know why, but I tell you this, I don¡¯t envy the one who gets the Horntail. Vicious thing. Its back-end is as dangerous as its front, look!¡±

    Charlie pointed toward the Horntail¡¯s tail, and they saw long, bronze-colored spikes protruding along it every few inches.

    Some of Charlie¡¯s fellow keepers staggered up to the Horntail at that moment, carrying a clutch of huge granite-gray eggs between them in a nket. They ced them carefully at the Horntail¡¯s side.

    Hagrid let out a moan of longing.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got them counted, Hagrid,¡± said Charlie sternly. Then he said, ¡°How¡¯s Ron?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Hagrid, still gazing at the eggs.

    ¡°I mailed him two books on how to deal with a dragon, hoping he can specte!¡± Charlie looked out grimly over the dragons¡¯ enclosure, and said with concern, ¡°Well, I just hope he¡¯de out fine after he¡¯s faced this danger.¡±

    He shook his head and looked worried.

    ¡°You know Ron¡¯s ability. He can¡¯t deal with these dragons at all. There¡¯s no chance!¡± said Charlie. ¡°I¡¯m ready to rush to protect him when hepetes. I didn¡¯t dare tell Mum what Ron¡¯s got to do for the first task; She¡¯s already having kittens about him¡­¡±

    Charlie imitated his mother¡¯s anxious voice. ¡°<em>¡¯How could they let him enter that tournament? He¡¯s much too young! I thought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit! God bless, how can Ron be a champion!¡¯</em>¡°

    Mrs. Weasley¡¯s and Charlie¡¯s fears were well founded. Ron was now very pale and staring at the Hungarian Horntail with a silly gaze. His body kept trembling slightly and he waspletely frightened.

    He now had all his weight on Evan and Harry. Ron would have fallen if they hadn¡¯t supported him.

    ¡°Dad is happy about Ron bing a champion and thinks it¡¯s a good experience for him.¡± Charlie continued. ¡°I say it¡¯s good for Ron to be a champion, but the difficulty of the task is too great. Now, it¡¯s a dragon all of a sudden, I hope the poor guy won¡¯t lie down after seeing the dragon.¡±

    The four of them stared at the dragon again for a while. Evan gently patted Harry, Ron, and Hermione on the shoulder.

    They didn¡¯t need to stay any longer, and there was no point in staying here.

    Charlie was still worried about Ron, and Hagrid¡¯s heart had been filled with the fascinating four dragons and Madame Maxime, and he would not miss them.

    The four of them turned silently and began to walk away, back to the castle.

    Along the way, no one spoke, after the initial fear passed, what took its ce was deep despair.

    Ron¡¯s head was nk and he didn¡¯t know how he could beat the dragon.

    He could be sure that if he¡¯d seen the dragons for the first time on Tuesday, he might faint on the spot in front of the whole ss.

    Although he was now prepared, things were not much better.

    Facing those monsters, his weapon was only his wand!

    His wand now felt like nothing more than a narrow strip of wood against a fifty-foot-high, scaly, spike-ridden, fire-breathing dragon!

    And he had to get past it, with everyone watching.

    This was really terrible. Ron had been thinking more than once now; if only he hadn¡¯t be a champion!

    Although Sirius told him that he could deal with the dragon with the Conjunctivitis Curse, Ron was sure he couldn¡¯t do it at all.

    ¡°Those dragons arepletely beyond what I had imagined, the world¡­¡± said Harry.

    Evan suddenly stopped Harry. He seemed to have heard something, as they were on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    Because they had just seen the dragons, everyone was agitated and highly nervous.

    At Evan¡¯s sign, they stopped.

    The next second, under the moonlight, they saw a sneaky figure appearing in the bush not far away.

    It was Karkaroff, who carefully moved forward in the darkness and moved sideways toward the ce where the dragons were.

    After hepletely disappeared, the four of them set off again to go to the castle.

    They were very aware of what Karkaroff was going to do. He had sneaked off his ship to try and find out what the first task was going to be.

    He might have spotted Hagrid and Madame Maxime heading off around the forest together; both were hardly difficult to spot at a distance. And now all Karkaroff had to do was to follow the source of the voices, and he, like Madame Maxime, would know what would be waiting for the champions.

    By the looks of it, the only champion who would be facing the unknown on Tuesday was Cedric.

    Obviously, cheating had always been a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament!

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 Chapter 582: Borrow the Philosopherâ€™s Stone

    Chapter 582: Borrow the Philosopher¡¯s Stone

    Twenty minutester, they returned to the deserted Common Room.

    The Common Room was quiet and in semidarkness. The mes of the firece were the only source of light.

    They sat down in a soft armchair, feeling exhausted and powerless.

    Nearby, on a table, the Support Cedric Diggory! badges the Creeveys had been trying to improve were glinting in the firelight, and it seemed as though it had been a long time since they were here looking at them trying to improve the badges.

    The scene they saw this evening was so shocking. They still had images of roaring dragons in their minds.

    ¡°Karkaroff knows about the dragons. We should tell Cedric about this. That¡¯s only fair!¡± After a while, Harry said softly, ¡°He certainly doesn¡¯t know about this. We can¡¯t let him alone¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Harry!¡± said Hermione. ¡°But let¡¯s just think about how Ron can get through the first task and try to keep him alive until Tuesday evening.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it!¡± Ron said in a hollow voice. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t beat those monsters.¡±

    Evan, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other. Ron was not in good shape now.

    They thought that after seeing the appearance of the dragon tonight, he would be mentally prepared and y better in the tournament.

    But looking at Ron¡¯s appearance, it was as though the terrible dragon had already knocked him down even before facing it!

    Evan had helped him back to Hogwarts, and it was obvious that Ron¡¯s legs were weakening and he was staggering all the way.

    Charlie was right. It would be too difficult for Ron to face the dragon now!

    ¡°Be brave, Ron!¡± Hermione said, turning her head to look at Ron, who was pale. ¡°Sirius said that by relying on the Conjunctivitis Curse, you can make the dragon temporarily blind, and then you could go over and get what it¡¯s guarding.¡±

    ¡°Easy to say, it¡¯s a dragon, not a big lizard!¡± Ron eximed, clenching his fist. ¡°You¡¯ve just seen it. They can shoot fire at a range of twenty feet, and the Hungarian Horntail can even do forty feet, which is longer than the distance of the spell. How could I get close to them and use the Conjunctivitis Curse? What¡¯s more, even if I use it, it won¡¯t necessarily work. I¡¯m too weak, and the dragon will certainly resist my spell.¡±

    There was a long period of silence, and Harry and Hermione could not think of a way to easily get close to the dragon shooting fire. It was scary enough to look at it from a distance.

    As Evan expected, Ron now needed courage, followed by the power to defeat the dragon.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± said Ron weakly. ¡°I should give up the tournament, or run away from Hogwarts and go anywhere.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Ron!¡± said Harry quickly.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± said Hermione, ¡°Professor Moody said that once your name is spit out of the Goblet of fire, you have a contract with the Triwizard Tournament and you have to take part in thepetition.¡±

    ¡°Those people want to kill me. I can¡¯t just die like that!¡± Ron shouted, looking like he¡¯s losing it. Then he slumped back into the armchair, powerless.

    There was another moment of silence, and Ron said softly, ¡°There is only one way ¡­ only one way ¡­ if¡­¡±

    ¡°If what?!¡±

    Evan noticed that Ron was staring at him at this moment, and his eyes were shining.

    ¡°If Evan would lend me the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, I can defeat the dragon with the help of its power!¡± Ron said quickly.

    Evan froze for a moment and looked at Ron¡¯s serious face to make sure he wasn¡¯t kidding.

    He did not expect Ron to make such a request and try to borrow the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from him!

    But in the end, would he lend it or not?!

    Evan thought for a moment and then said simply and directly, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but even if I lend you the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use it. The magic in it can¡¯t be directly absorbed by a wizard. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone is made by ancient warlocks with alchemy to provide powerful magic to magical props. It does not directly enhance the power of wizards.¡±

    He exined briefly the principle of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, hoping Ron would understand.

    But seeing Ron¡¯s eyes, Evan knew what he had just said was vain.

    ¡°Evan told me about this before. Thest time he used the Philosopher¡¯s Stone at the World Cup, he almost died,¡± said Hermione quickly, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it anymore, Ron, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone can¡¯t help you at all!¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Ron said, with a stiff smile on his face, and he looked at Evan and Hermione suspiciously. ¡°Butst term, Professor Lupin and Sirius clearly said that the magic inside the Philosopher¡¯s Stone greatly improved the power of wizards. With its help, a wizard could do a lot of unimaginable things. Evan, you said that, too. That¡¯s why we went to the Centaurs¡¯ colony to look for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought then, but it was obviously not the case.¡± Evan patiently exined, ¡°I can¡¯t use the magic inside the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. It didn¡¯t improve my strength as much as I thought.¡±

    ¡°So how do you exin that your magic has increased by leaps and bounds over the past two years?¡± Ron asked.

    He did not care about Harry, pulling him aside, and said all the doubts he had in mind.

    The atmosphere was very awkward. Looking at Ron¡¯s face, Evan was a little annoyed. Ron¡¯s doubts and distrust were too obvious.

    ¡°I told you about this. My magic increased because of the Potion Slytherin gave me a thousand years ago. It helped me improve my magic quickly!¡± Evan hesitated for a moment and continued, ¡°The form of this Potion has been lost for a long time, and it¡¯s impossible to configure it.¡±

    He did not say that his magic was quickly enhanced with the help of Slytherin¡¯s Locket.

    The Locket was a very powerful magic item that saved Evan many times, but it couldn¡¯t help Ron either. On top of that, Dumbledore once told Evan not to tell anyone about it, not even those around him.

    A magic item that could help wizards quickly increase their magic power wasparable to the power of the Deathly Hallows. If it got out, For sure Evan wouldn¡¯t be able to live in peace in the future!

    Then again, Evan had no obligation to exin anything to Ron, let alone lend him the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    He helped Ron for the sake of barely being friends, and for the sake of Harry, Hermione and the rest of the Weasleys. Since Ronst yelled at Hermione in the Common Room, Evan had always had a bad impression of him.

    It was not that Ron had no merits, but sometimes it was really annoying, like now¡­

    It wasn¡¯t clear whether he was asking for help or jealous and skeptical.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for the knowledge that Hermione would never give up on Ron, Evan would not have bothered to take care of his life and death in the face of the dragon.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 583: How to Get Through the Dragon

    Chapter 583: How to Get Through the Dragon

    ¡°In a word, forget about that Philosopher¡¯s Stone, it won¡¯t help you at all!¡± said Evan for thest time.

    He could understand Ron¡¯s thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t agree with them, and he didn¡¯t like his current attitude.

    As for how to help Ron get through the dragon, Evan had recently thought of many ways and prepared some things.

    With the help of these things, Ron basically wouldn¡¯t have any problems as long as he was not too stupid.

    Of course, if he was talking about borrowing the Philosopher¡¯s Stone or doubting him, Evan would just turn around, walk away, and leave him alone.

    Since Ron thought he was relying on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to be stronger, then, let him think about it!

    Going on like that over and over again, Evan would get bored no matter how good tempered he was.

    Although Ron wasn¡¯t strong enough to face up with a Dark wizard, he could make the right choice or y a role at the critical moment. He also had courage and many advantages, just like many ordinary young wizards.

    However, his willpower was too weak to keep up with his strength and his character had great ws. He always envied and suspected people who were stronger than him, instead of striving hard to catch up.

    These shorings were fatalpared to the less obvious advantages.

    Thisbination made him the easiest to break in the team, and he was one to attract trouble.

    Just like this Triwizard Tournament, whether Harry or Ron became a champion, it had little impact on Dumbledore¡¯s and Evan¡¯s ns. Evan only cared about whether Voldemort could resurrect with Harry¡¯s blood. That was the key point.

    As for how Barty Crouch Jr. intended to bring Harry out of school, it was not his main concern.

    However, it would be very bad if Ron didn¡¯t pass the first task or did something big with the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. That would definitely push Bartemius Crouch, Jr., who was hiding in the dark, to change his ns or even focus on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to drag Evan down.

    Regardless of whether something came from Ron¡¯s subjective will or not, Evan didn¡¯t want to leave a time bomb around him. Faced with thebination of evil spirits and Voldemort, he had to be careful.

    ¡°Ron, what you need to do now is to master the Conjunctivitis Curse as soon as possible!¡± Hermione also persuaded, aware that the mood was a bit too bad. ¡°Sirius said that with this spell, the dragon can be easily dealt with.¡±

    ¡°You will definitely get through this. We will help you without reservation.¡± said Harry, nodging Ron not to say more, ¡°I believe Evan. That Philosopher¡¯s Stone would be useless for you, don¡¯t think about it.¡±

    Although he also thought that the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was very strong, he still believed what Evan said that the magic in it could not be directly absorbed and utilized.

    Harry felt that since Evan had said so, it must be true. After such a long contact, he was able to realize that Evan was not the kind of person who would refuse to lend Ron the Philosopher¡¯s stone just for being stingy.

    What¡¯s more, in Harry¡¯s opinion, Evan was now so strong, and knew a lot about magic as a result of his umtion of learning in the library day after day. He had never seen any young wizard working as hard as Evan.

    As for the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, it was just the icing on the cake, and it did not y a decisive role.

    The atmosphere in the Common Room was deadly, and after an awkward silence, Ron sat down again.

    He looked now as though he had exhausted all his power and energy at once. Ron didn¡¯t seem to have expected Evan to refuse so vigorously, nor did it ur to him that even Harry wouldn¡¯t support him.

    All he knew was that he could not get the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from Evan, and that there was no hope for him at all.

    He was too weak now to have any leverage to defy Evan. On the contrary, he still needed his help. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was true.

    ¡°What should I do then? My spell won¡¯t work on the dragon,¡± muttered Ron, looking expectantly at Evan.

    ¡°As I said before, I will help you!¡± Evan sighed and said, ¡°The biggest weakness of the dragons is in their eyes. The Conjunctivitis Curse is the simplest way to defeat them. You can¡¯t master other profound magic, not in time.¡±

    Evan knew a lot about the effective spells against the dragons, but none of them was something Ron could use at the moment, except for the Conjunctivitis Curse.

    ¡°Only the Conjunctivitis Curse?¡± said Ron dejectedly.

    He felt very ufortable at the thought of using this spell in front of the terrible dragon.

    ¡°You can also use the Summoning Charm, do you know this spell?!¡± Evan continued. ¡°Through io, you can summon helpful items to you, such as a broomstick, which is in line with the rules.¡±

    ¡°Evan, you mean Ron could ride on a broomstick?!¡± Harry said quickly.

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ I¡¯ve seen Ron¡¯s flight. It¡¯s not as good as yours, but it¡¯s great!¡± said Evan, ¡°As long as he rides on a broomstick, Ron has the advantage of speed, and he¡¯d be faster than the dragon. It¡¯s easy to get around the dragon and get what it guards, or to use the Conjunctivitis Curse to avoid the fire.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a very helpful idea. How did youe up with it?¡± Hermione said happily, thinking it was feasible. ¡°The spell is simple, Ron, remember, Professor Flitwick taught usst week. Just give me one day, and I can help you master itpletely. Just focus; It¡¯s easy to do.¡±

    ¡°I can lend you the Firebolt. It¡¯s the fastest broom in the world!¡± said Harry with a smile.

    ¡°All right!¡± Ron looked at the eyes of Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and calmed down. As long as he didn¡¯t have direct contact with the dragon, things should not be too difficult. ¡°I can try, but just in case¡­¡±

    ¡°You want to say, what if you are hit by the fire of the dragon, don¡¯t you?!¡± asked Evan.

    Ron nodded. That was what he was most worried about. Those creatures could shoot fire up to 40 feet away.

    ¡°It¡¯s also easy to handle. With the help of this Fire Protection Potion, you can be immune to all the mes for five minutes!¡± Evan took out a ck bottle. ¡°The fire of the dragon can¡¯t hurt you. I¡¯ve prepared ten bottles for you; that should be enough.¡±

    Harry, Ron and Hermione weren¡¯t too surprised that Evan could take the potion out. They knew that, for a long time, Evan went to a room on the seventh floor every Wednesday afternoon to cook the potion.

    The question now was whether this potion was really as good as Evan said.

    ¡°I know this potion. Remember when we went together to prevent Quirrell from getting the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the first year?!¡± said Harry, looking at the potion in Evan¡¯s hand, ¡°On Snape¡¯s test, I finally drank this potion before I got through the fire wall.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not only one kind of potion, but the principle is almost the same,¡± Evan exined, ¡°The me from the dragon is also a kind of magic fire. ording to the type, the nature of the me is different. This time you need to face it. The dragons that need to be faced this time are the Hungarian Horntail, The Common Welsh Green, the Swedish Short-Snout and the Chinese Fireball. They are all pure-bred breeds. The methods of preparing Fire Protection Potions against their fires have long been studied. I¡¯ll bring all these potions with me before the task, and give you the one you need.¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 584: Magic Practice

    Chapter 584: Magic Practice

    That night, it took a long time for Evan, Harry, and Hermione to get Ron¡¯s spirit back up.

    As long as there was no ident, Evan¡¯s measures were absolutely foolproof.

    The broomstick could help Ron not be touched by the fire dragon¡¯s fangs. The Fire Protection Potion could make the dragon¡¯s fire lose its effect, and Ron also mastered The Conjunctivitis Curse, the most effective spell at this level against dragons, which could make it lose its eyesight.

    He was not going to kill the dragon, but to overtake it to get what it guarded. Relying on these, in any case, it should be easy to get through the first task.

    After Evan said his thoughts, Ron looked less anxious and desperate.

    He no longer mentioned borrowing the Philosopher¡¯s Stone or running away, and his mood gradually stabilized.

    What he needed to do in these two days was to master io and the Conjunctivitis Curse, and engrave them into his bones.

    Evan taught him the Conjunctivitis Curse, while Hermione was responsible for helping Ron learn io.

    Harry didn¡¯t master these two spells, and he was ready to take this opportunity to learn.

    Early the next morning, they got busy and decided to find a free ssroom to practice.

    Hermione proposed to go to the library first to find some books about the two spells for Harry and Ron to analyze.

    This was very helpful for their study, but she quickly left the library, feeling upset.

    ¡°He¡¯s back again, why can¡¯t he read on his stupid ship?¡± said Hermione irritably as Viktor Krum slouched in, cast a surly look over at the four of them, and settled himself in a distant corner with a pile of books.

    ¡°Come on, Evan, Harry, Ron, let¡¯s go out and find another ce. His fan club will be here in a moment, twittering away and annoying¡­¡±

    It was one of the rare times Ron did not oppose Hermione, for now his head was filled with spells.

    And sure enough, as they left the library, a gang of girls tiptoed past them, one of them wearing a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist.

    Finally, they found a free ssroom on the fourth floor.

    Evan didn¡¯t follow them in because he saw Caresius on the stairs. He seemed to have just returned from the Owlery.

    Regarding the things that Sirius said yesterday, Evan felt it necessary to ask the vampire.

    His office, like before, still contained a lot of things Moody used, most of which were bad.

    For the past few months, poor Moody had been locked in the trunk by Caresius.

    ¡°So, you helped the boy find a way to fight the dragon?¡± said Caresius, pouring Evan a cup of tea.

    He still looked and sounded Moody, but his tone and ent were his own.

    ¡°I think there should be no problem!¡± Evan talked about his n.

    ¡°You did a very good job. Basically, you thought of everything!¡± Caresius nodded with satisfaction. ¡°I thought ¡­ in case you couldn¡¯t help Ron ¡­ to tell him about a ck magic very effective against dragons. It can stimte the dragon¡¯s brutal nature and make it more manic and distracted. He can then go and get what the dragon is guarding.¡±

    ¡°Be more manic?!¡± Evan paused for a moment before he remembered what kind of curse Caresius was talking about.

    It was a ck magic adding to blood-thirst. It was not too difficult, but it had a special effect on the dragon.

    As long as it was hit by the spell, the dragon would be angry, and its cruel nature would be stimted to the extreme. At that point, it would definitely give up following Ron and pounce directly on therger audience.

    Without the protection of the dragon, Ron could easily get what it guarded.

    As for the fire dragon that ravaged the attack in the audience, it is something for Dumbledore and the dragon tamers to consider.

    This is really a typical evil Dark wizard¡¯s way of thinking. Just care about his interests, regardless of the lives of other people.

    Evan could imagine the lot of nocuous consequences it would have if Ron ever used that magic.

    It would not be surprising that the dragon could wreak havoc in the audience full of young wizards, killing and injuring hundreds of people.

    At that time, even if Ron passed the task, he would absolutely be med by everyone and the situation would get worse.

    While using him, people would definitely wonder how an underage wizard used dark magic, and even Dumbledore and Hogwarts would not get away with it.

    The feasibility of this method was basically zero. Looking at Caresius¡¯s appearance, Evan did not intend to waste time with this guy and continue to discuss this topic. He directly raised his own questions.

    ¡°I know about this. Voldemort is asking my people to look for all information rted to ancient evil spirits. He ns to do something with that ugly statue, but he has not found a way yet,¡± said Caresius earnestly, ¡°I think he¡¯s going in the wrong direction. It¡¯s a waste of effort. However, he should have made some ns. This is the information I have so far. As for what he¡¯s going to do, I have no idea at all, and my n has not found anything of value. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you about it.¡±

    ¡°All right, if you have any news, please let me know as soon as possible!¡± said Evan, not reassured.

    ¡°Of course!¡± said Caresius, ¡°We¡¯re allies now, and sharing news is the right thing to do!¡±

    For his statement, Evan was suspicious. Though this fellow answered pleasantly, he did not look reliable.

    But in the fight against Voldemort and the evil gods, he and his vampires were to y a big role.

    When Evan found Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they were practicing io.

    Hermione asked Harry and Ron to concentrate all their thoughts and force all kinds of things in the room to fly towards them.

    Of course, Harry and Ron hadn¡¯t fully mastered the spell yet.

    Whether it¡¯s a book or a quill, it kept losing heart halfway across the room and dropping them like a stone to the floor.

    ¡°Concentrate, you two, <em>concentrate</em>¡­¡± Hermione kept saying, ¡°This spell can be used as long as you concentrate!¡±

    ¡°That sounds great, aren¡¯t we concentrated enough?¡± Harry said sullenly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down ¡­ I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason!¡± said Ron. ¡°It¡¯s always the same picture over and over ¡­ OK, I¡¯ll try again¡­ ¡±

    When Evan went in, he and Hermione divided into two groups, taking turns to help Harry and Ron practice.

    Harry was fine there. Without the pressure of the dragon, after practicing for more than six hours, he sessfully mastered the spell.

    Ron was worse. He needed more practice before he could let go of his fear of dragons.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 585: The Games Begin

    Chapter 585: The Games Begin

    All day long, Evan, Harry, and Hermione had been helping Ron practice the Summoning Charm.

    They kept practicing until 10 o¡¯clock in the evening. They would have stayed longer, but Peeves turned up and, pretending to think that Harry wanted things thrown at him, started chucking chairs across the room.

    The four of them left in a hurry before the noise attracted Filch.

    They went back to the Gryffindor Common Room, which was now mercifully empty.

    After more than three hours, it was already past midnight; Ron finally mastered the Summoning Charm. On the ground around him, there were heaps of objects: books, quills, several upturned chairs, an old set of Gobstones, and Neville¡¯s toad, Trevor!

    ¡°Much better, Ron. You¡¯ve really made great progress,¡± Hermione said, looking exhausted but very pleased.

    ¡°I learned the spell!¡± said Ron with delight, he raised his wand and pointed at the book on the round table. The next second, the book <em>Dragon Breeding for Pleasure and Profit</em> soared out, flew to the other side of the room, and Ron caught it.

    ¡°Congrattions, Ron, you have mastered this magicpletely,¡± said Harry happily. ¡°Now I know what to do next time we can¡¯t manage a spell: let Evan and Hermione threaten us with a dragon! It¡¯s a very useful method.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy. I learned this spell, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± said Ron, still a little worried. ¡°You know, the broom is going to be much farther away than the stuff here, it¡¯s going to be in the castle, and I¡¯m going to be out there on the grounds.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Hermione firmly. ¡°Just as long as you¡¯re concentrating really, really hard on it, it wille.¡±

    ¡°Now we¡¯d better get some sleep. You¡¯ll learn the Conjunctivitis Curse tomorrow. This spell is much harder than io!¡± said Evan.

    Ron had been practicing the Conjunctivitis Curse for a long time, but on Monday, they practiced until three o¡¯clock in the morning, so that Ron could master the curse thoroughly and not be too nervous or excited to release it.

    Everything was ready, and the rest depended now on Ron¡¯s own performance.

    Ron was now somewhat more confident than before, and less panicky.

    Evan felt like he had justid down when Colin woke him up.

    He dressed absently and followed Colin to the Great Hall. The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement.

    Everyone in Gryffindor was greeting Ron and wishing him well, while Malfoy was full of cynicism.

    Ron seemed extremely nervous and slow to react. He seemed indifferent to everything around him and rarely spoke.

    Lessons in the school were to stop at midday, giving all the students time to get down to the dragons¡¯ enclosure.

    Professor McGonagall came and called Ron away, and Evan, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George hurried to follow.

    ¡°Weasley, the champions have toe down onto the grounds now. You have to get ready for your first task,¡± said Professor McGonagall sternly, and looked at Evan and the others. ¡°You six, follow us!¡±

    She seemed to think Ron would feel better with them by his side.

    Professor McGonagall also looked flustered. She looked nearly as anxious as Hermione and Ginny.

    As she walked them down the stone steps and out into the cold November afternoon, she put her hand on Ron¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t panic!¡± she said. ¡°Just keep a cool head. We¡¯ve got wizards standing by to control the situation if it gets out of hand. If you can¡¯t do it, just give up. This is not shame. The main thing is not toplete the task but just to do your best and stay alive. Nobody will think you¡¯re inferior to others. Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right!¡± Ron muttered.

    ¡°Very good!¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    She was leading them toward the ce where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest.

    When they approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure would be clearly visible, they saw that a tent had been erected its entrance facing them, screening the dragons from view.

    ¡°You¡¯re to go in here with the other champions, Weasley!¡± said Professor McGonagall, in a rather shaky sort of voice. ¡°You¡¯ll wait for your turn. Mr. Bagman is in there ¡­ he¡¯ll be telling you the procedure. Good luck!¡±

    She pouted, looked anxiously at Ron, and then led him to the entrance of the tent.

    Professor McGonagall didn¡¯t allow Evan and the others in, so everyone had to go up and bid Ron good-bye in turn.

    It was as though Ron was being sent to the battlefield. He would die there and they wouldn¡¯t see him again.

    Ginny, in particr, could not help crying when she knew Ron was going to face a dragon.

    Ron was pale. He looked pitifully at them. He hadn¡¯t got the Fire Protection Potion from Evan yet, and it wouldn¡¯t be good if he just entered the task like that.

    But Professor McGonagall was still here, and he couldn¡¯t talk about that.

    ¡°You¡¯ll make it, Ron!¡± Evan went over and whispered, ¡°Wait for me inside. I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you!¡± said Ron in a voice that was most unlike his own. Then, he turned and went inside the tent, staggering.

    Cedric was sitting on a low wooden stool in the corner and he didn¡¯t go to see Ron.

    This made Ron feel very annoyed. This guy clearly got the news of the dragon from him and Harry, but he showed no gratitude, as if nothing had happened.

    He had long disliked this fellow since he won Gryffindor in the Quidditch match.

    Both he and Cedric were champions, but only one of them could represent Hogwarts, and they had to be separated.

    Likewise, Fleur ignored Ron. She didn¡¯t look nearly asposed as usual, but rather pale and mmy, curled up in a chair.

    She was the only girl among the champions. Looking at Fleur, Ron couldn¡¯t help wondering how she could defeat the dragon.

    As for Krum, he looked even gloomier than usual, and kept pacing up and down in the tent.

    After seeing Ron, he came over and whispered a few words. He now had a good rtionship with Ron.

    In Ron¡¯s opinion, he was the only friend of Krum in Hogwarts, which made him feel honored.

    For those fans, Krum didn¡¯t even look at them.

    ¡°Do you know how to defeat the dragons?¡± Ron couldn¡¯t help asking.

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 Chapter 586: Ronâ€™s Lucky Day

    Chapter 586: Ron¡¯s Lucky Day

    Ron knew that Krum had known about the dragon. He had seen Karkaroffe here that night.

    ¡°I have some ideas!¡± Krum said simply, frowning and looking at Ron with some insight.

    Looking at him, it was clear that he was doubtful why Ron would tell him about it.

    The champions should not have known the content of the task before the start of the tournament. Krum was not sure what Ron meant. It was not wise to take the initiative to expose the fact that he knew the content of the tournament in advance.

    ¡°The Conjunctivitis Curse is the simplest magic to deal with the dragon. You know this spell?¡± Ron whispered.

    He was ready, but worried that if Krum was not prepared, he would be shredded directly by the dragon¡­

    ¡°I know this spell!¡± Krum looked grimly at Ron. He paused and said, ¡°The Headmaster told me this is amon magic against dragons. Besides, there is a simpler and more effective spell¡­¡±

    Just then, Bagman came in from the other side of the tent.

    ¡°Ah, Ron, you came, that¡¯s great!¡± Bagman said happily, and quickly walked over to Ron and interrupted his conversation with Krum. ¡°I talked to your father yesterday. Just rx and make yourself at home!¡±

    Bagman looked somehow like a slightly overblown cartoon figure, standing amid them, wearing his old Wasp robes again.

    ¡°Well, now we¡¯re all here, it¡¯s time to fill you in!¡± said Bagman brightly. ¡°When the audience has assembled, I¡¯m going to be offering each of you this bag!¡± He held up a small sack of purple silk and shook it at them.¡±From it, you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face! There are different ¡­ er ¡­ varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too; your task is to <em>collect the golden egg</em>!¡±

    The champions nodded to show that they understood Bagman¡¯s words.

    No one spoke and they were all pale-faced. It was really exciting to grab the golden egg from a nesting female dragon.

    And in no time at all, hundreds upon hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent, their owners talking excitedly,ughing, joking¡­

    Ron felt as separate from the crowd as though they were a different species.

    He kept looking around, wondering why Evan hadn¡¯te yet.

    There was a terrible thought in his mind. If Evan didn¡¯te over, he wouldn¡¯t get the Fire Protection Potion, and then he was likely to be burned to death by the fire of the dragon, and despair and fear regained the upper hand once again.

    The little courage that had just risen vanished instantly.

    And the simple spell Krum had just talked about also distracted Ron. He was not sure if this magic would work. If it was as simple and effective as Krum said, should he try it?

    Although they have developed a battle n, it was always a good thing to have a simpler way to win the task.

    Time was fleeting, and more than ten minutester, Bagman was already opening the neck of the purple silk sack.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get started, champions,dies first,¡± he said, offering the sack to Fleur Dcour.

    Fleur put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon. It was a Welsh Green, with the number 2 around its neck.

    Seeing the model, Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation.

    Krum pulled out the blueish-gray Swedish Short-Snout, the number 1 tied around its neck. He didn¡¯t even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground.

    Cedric was just about to put his hand into the sack when Ron stopped him in a hurry.

    ¡°Hold on, let me go first!¡± he said in a trembling voice.

    Evan had given him an analysis of the habits and attacking ways of the four dragons. And Ron knew that the Hungarian Horntail was the fiercest.

    There were only two dragons left into the sack. He didn¡¯t want Cedric to go first!

    ¡°Let Ron go first, this poor child must be frightened!¡± said Bagman.

    Cedric shrugged indifferently, signaling Ron to go first.

    Ron walked over and put his hand in the silk sack. He could feel the two models in his hands.

    He remembered that there were a lot of spikes on the Hungarian Horntail, but he couldn¡¯t feel them. Could he just rely on luck?!

    Just then, Ron saw Bagman winking at him and motioning him to choose the one on the right.

    He took out the model on the right without thinking about it!

    Sure enough, it was the scarlet Chinese Fireball with a number 3 around its neck.

    Ron heaved a sigh of relief and gasped heavily. He remembered Evan saying that the most powerful thing about the Chinese Fireball was its me attack. Its physical attack was rtively weak. As long as Evan delivered the potion, he would hardly encounter any danger.

    Sure enough, the Hungarian Horntail was left to Cedric, with the number 4.

    ¡°Well, there you are!¡± said Bagman. ¡°You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see? Now, I¡¯m going to have to leave you in a moment, because I¡¯mmentating. Mr. Krum, you¡¯re first, just go out into the enclosure when you hear a whistle, all right? Now ¡­ Ron ¡­ could I have a quick word? Outside?¡±

    ¡°Er ¡­ yes.¡± Ron nodded and went out of the tent with Bagman.

    He felt it strange, not knowing what Bagman was going to tell him, but thetter had just helped him.

    Bagman seemed to have something very important to say. He pulled Ron by the arm and led him a short distance away, into the trees. And then he turned to him with a fatherly expression on his face.

    ¡°Feeling alright, Ron? Anything I can get you?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± said Ron in surprise. ¡°No, nothing!¡±

    ¡°Got a n?¡± said Bagman, lowering his voice conspiratorially. ¡°Come on, you father and I are old friends. You¡¯re like my child. I can¡¯t watch you face the dragons like that. Remember? I helped you choose the Chinese Fireball. It¡¯s much less difficult than the Hungarian Horntail. If you like, I can give you some more ideas. I mean¡­¡± Bagman lowered his voice further, whispering into Ron¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Rest assured, nobody would know. You¡¯re the underdog here, Ron. Anything I can do to help¡­¡±

    Ron nodded ufortably, hesitating, but unable to resist the temptation.

    He knew that this was definitely not right to let a judge help him cheat, but listening to Bagman¡¯s advice here was not a bad thing.

    Ron felt that today was his lucky day. He first learned from Krum a simpler powerful spell to deal with the dragon, then drew a less difficult Chinese Fireball, and now Bagman had offered to help¡­

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 Chapter 587: The Dragon and Krumâ€™s Performance

    Chapter 587: The Dragon and Krum¡¯s Performance

    Before Bagman said how he was going to help Ron, Evan, Harry and Hermione came out of the bushes.

    After being separated from Ron, Evan and the five others followed Professor McGonagall to the audience.

    After asking Colin to take seats for them, Evan, Harry and Hermione sneaked back to the tent.

    They had nned to wait until there was no one inside to find a way in. They didn¡¯t know that when they would be there, they would see Bagman pulling Ron out.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± said Bagman with surprise.

    The next second, before they could exin, a whistle had blown somewhere on the ground.

    ¡°God lord, I¡¯ve got to run!¡± said Bagman in rm, and he hurried off, no longer caring about them.

    ¡°What did he ask you toe out for?¡± said Hermione, looking skeptically at Bagman¡¯s back.

    ¡°He wanted to help me and was ready to give me advice. Before he said anything, you interrupted him!¡± Ron answered.

    ¡°You can pass the task as long as you follow the battle n, and you don¡¯t need any other help!¡± said Evan. ¡°It¡¯s not a glorious thing. The fewer people you know the better. By the way, what kind of fire dragon did you draw?¡±

    ¡°The Chinese Fireball!¡± Ron said quickly and looked at Evan eagerly. ¡°Do you have any Fire Protection Potion against it?¡±

    The Chinese Fireball was the only oriental dragon in the bunch, also known as the Liondragon, native to China.

    It has a particrly striking appearance. Scarlet and smooth-scaled, it has a fringe of golden spikes around its snub-snouted face and extremely protuberant eyes.

    The Fireball gained its name for the mushroom-shaped me that bursts from its nostrils when it is angered. That is its most powerful attack.

    The female fireball is muchrger than the male. It is aggressive, but tolerant, sometimes consenting to share its territory with up to two others.

    Especially with the help of Evan¡¯s potion, Ron didn¡¯t have to worry about its fire attack.

    Rtively speaking, this was much less difficult than the most dangerous Hungarian Horntail that Harry had drawn in the original book.

    Evan took out the potion to protect from the Chinese Fireball¡¯s me and handed it to Ron. The three of them said a few words of assurance before they returned to the audience.

    At this moment, the audience was full of people, and all the young wizards were screaming and yelling.

    The five judges, Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Madame Maxime, Karkaroff and Ludo Bagman, sat on the chair in the middle height.

    Then, Evan saw Sirius in the crowd. He was before the referee¡¯s table, waving to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, why Bagman offered to help Ron,¡± said Harry, greeting Sirius. ¡°There¡¯s no reason, he¡¯s a judge¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably for personal reasons!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him. I wish Ron would seed!¡± said Hermione, preupied, staring at the middle of the field.

    Krum had walked out of the tent, and opposite to him was the silvery-blue Swedish Short-Snout.

    This dragon is the most attractive of all dragons. It is silvery-blue and can spur a brilliant blue me from its nostrils.

    But beyond this beauty, it has indeed a heart-wrenching force. The blue me is hot enough to reduce timber and bone to ash in a matter of seconds.

    In the Middle Ages, the Swedish Short-Snout¡¯s skin was sought after for the manufacture of protective gloves and shields, and the dragon skin products were the top equipment of all adventurers and wizards.

    Because of its high value, many people tried to kill the dragon.

    The vast majority of dragon yers eventually died, and their skeletons remained forever in the mountains of northern Sweden.

    The Swedish Short-Snout is one of the most dangerous species in the world due to its agile flying and extremely hot fire both to attack and defend.

    ¡°Look at Krum, what is he doing!¡±

    Krum came out of the tent and ran straight to the Short-Snout at the other end of the field.

    The Short-Snout crouched low, guarding its clutch of eggs, and its terrible eyes fixed on Krum, who was approaching.

    It gave out a shrill roar, warning Krum not to be close, and fluttering its wings.

    Krum didn¡¯t seem to see it. He ran forward sideways and came very close to the dragon.

    In the next second, the Short-Snout snorted and sprayed a blue me, and Krum rushed to hide behind the stone.

    The me brushed past him, dangerous and threatening, and all the young wizards were highly focused on Krum.

    Even in the audience, which was far apart, they could still feel the hot temperature.

    The blue me of the Short-Snout was of a continuous nature, and it swayed back and forth at the ce where Krum was hiding.

    As the rocks melted in the heat, it was not good for Krum to continue hiding there.

    He was done. Everyone has this idea in their minds!

    Just as the dragon keepers were about to rush in to save Krum, the me shot by the Short-Snout gradually stopped. It was breathing, and Krum seized the opportunity to rush out.

    The wand in his hand was pointed at the Short-Snout, and a spell flew out and hit the dragon in the eyes.

    It was the Conjunctivitis Curse!!!

    The Short-Snout uttered a terrible, ground-breaking roar, and the audience all took a deep breath.

    ¡°Very daring, Krum showed extraordinary courage!¡± Bagman shouted. ¡°The dragon cannot see anything, now¡­ hold on, oh no!¡±

    They saw the Short-Snout struggling wildly with pain, stepping on its feet and crushing half of the eggs behind it.

    Krum¡¯s Conjunctivitis Curse was so powerful that the Short-Snout lost sight and felt pain.

    Ten secondster, Krum dodged this monster¡¯s aimless attack and took the golden egg from the nest behind it.

    More than forty dragon keepers on standby quickly rushed in to calm the mad dragon.

    ¡°He did a good job!¡± Evan objectivelymented, ¡°Ron should really have seen it. The Conjunctivitis Curse Krum used is exemry. He was very good in both position and timing and it was worthy of being studied. Ron only needs to be half as good as he is, and he can easily pass the dragon.¡±

    ¡°Krum is really good, but his score is definitely not high. He broke half the real eggs. They will take marks off for that. He was not supposed to do any damage to them.¡± Hermione said, motioning everyone to see Hagrid, who was in the middle of the enclosure.

    Hagrid was helping Charlie and other dragon keepers to save what they could of the dragon eggs with a look of distress on his face.

    Sure enough, for Krum¡¯s performance, except for Karkaroff who gave a full mark, the other four judges gave only eight to nine points as evaluation.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 588: Fleur and the Sleeping Dragon

    Chapter 588: Fleur and the Sleeping Dragon

    It took the dragon keepers a lot of effort to subdue the fierce dragon that got mad because of the Conjunctivitis Curse, and let it gradually calm down.

    The Short-Snout waspletely angered by Krum. It fanned its wings and stared at all wizards who dared to approach. Its yellow eyes were bloodshot and ferocious. The dragon kept howling horribly and raised its neck to shoot blue mes into the sky.

    Everyone was wondering how the dragon would react when it saw half its eggs missing.

    The second to appear after Krum was Fleur, and everyone was looking forward to her performance.

    ¡°One down, three to go!¡± Bagman yelled as the whistle blew again. ¡°Miss Dcour, if you please!¡±

    Fleur came out; she seemed to be shaking from head to foot, not as rxed as Krum.

    She held her head high, her hand clutching her wand. Compared with the huge creature in front of her, Fleur looked particrly weak.

    She stood there gracefully in her pale blue Beauxbatons robes, her beauty touching the soul.

    At the other end of the field, there was another beauty, which represented the strength to the extreme.

    Fleur¡¯s opponent was the Common Welsh Green, the mostmon type of dragon in Britain, with a long history.

    Back thousands of years ago, humans had seen traces of the Welsh Green.

    Unlike other dragons, which symbolized evil and terror, in Anglo-Saxon Ennd, the Common Welsh Green often appeared on gs, and Muggles regarded it as a symbol of royal strength and courage.

    Because of its noble status, it often appeared in all kinds of literary works and paintings handed down from generation to generation.

    Until now, the Welsh Green is still the symbol of the nation in Wales.

    Wizards had set up a reservation for the dragon on the Welsh Mountains, surrounded by thick weeds, which could help them hide well.

    Moreover, the Common Welsh Green Dragon is among the least troublesome of the dragons. It prefers to prey on sheep and actively avoid humans unless provoked.

    Although not easy to be seen, the Welsh Green has an easily recognizable and surprisingly melodious roar. And it issues its green fire in thin jets.

    As expected, after seeing Fleur, the Welsh Green did not rush over.

    Although they were very close, it gave a friendly greeting, and the beautiful and moving roar of the dragon was actually memorizing.

    Of course, good temper did not mean being easy to bully.

    If Fleur continued to move closer, or dared to move its brown eggs, then this Common Welsh Green would certainly tear her into pieces without hesitation.

    ¡°Miss Dcour is lucky. Let¡¯s see how she ns to get this dragon out of ce!¡± Bagman shouted gleefully. ¡°Oh, what magic is this? I¡¯m not sure that was wise from her to do it!¡±

    Fleur intended to cast a moreplex charm, just like dancing, her body dancing with her wand.

    Light smoke came out from the end of her wand and slowly drifted towards the dragon.

    The scene did look very pleasing to the eye, but people were doubtful about how effective it could actually be.

    ¡°What is she doing? Is she dancing?¡± said Hermione, puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this spell.¡±

    ¡°This should be some kind of rare Bewitched sleep. I think she probably wants to use the smoke to get the dragon into a hypnotic state,¡± said Evan, watching Fleur¡¯s movements carefully. He had never seen this magic, but could feel its power.

    Generally speaking, Bewitched sleep spells are rare and difficult to release. Only very few wizards can use them.

    ¡°Bewitched sleep spell?!¡± Harry stared at Fleur for a long time and said with uncertainty. ¡°Do you remember the dancing Ve in the World Cup? I feel that Fleur is dancing like them.¡±

    At Harry¡¯s reminder, Evan noticed that Fleur¡¯s movements were indeed simr to those of the Ve.

    Of course, she must be human, not a Ve. But with Fleur¡¯s dancing, each of her movements had an extraordinary charm, holding some kind of seductive force.

    Most of the boys were staring at her, confused and immersed in Fleur¡¯s beauty.

    Not surprisingly, this charm should have something to do with Fleur¡¯s Ve lineage.

    Evan saw that the pale blue smoke, centered on Fleur, slowly moved forward, diffusing around the body of the Welsh Green, which fell asleep all of a sudden. Ity down gracefully and began to sleep.

    Without fighting, Fleur passed the test easily. Now she just needed to go over and take the golden egg.

    Obviously, Fleur thought so too.

    She went over as everyone held their breaths; everyone was afraid of waking up the dragon.

    Among the audience from Beauxbatons, Gabrielle was staring closely at Fleur, her little face full of tension and expectations.

    ¡°Unbelievable, Miss Dcour has done it, with her beautiful dance and magic!¡± Bagman also lowered his tone, and said appreciatively, ¡°She has it ¡­ nearly ¡­ oh, good lord, I thought she¡¯d had it then!¡±

    In the middle of the ground, Fleur walked over to the dragon, and she seemedpletely rxed.

    Just as she was about to pass over the dragon; the Welsh Green, which had gone all sleepy, suddenly snored.

    A great jet of me shot out, Fleur dodged, but a few sparks sputtered on top of her skirt, which suddenly caught fire.

    The me spread upwards and the audience became noisy again.

    They seemed to have noticed that the dragon¡¯s head had moved a bit and it would soon wake up.

    This scene was really thrilling, everyone was worried about Fleur.

    If the Welsh Green woke up at this time, she would not even have the chance to escape, and would be directly pressed into meat pies.

    Fleur was clearly in a state of panic. It was a question of whether to continue to venture forward or to retreat temporarily.

    If this Welsh Green woke up, it would surely rush at her angrily. Fleur had neither time nor opportunity to use the same magic to let the dragon fall asleep again. She thought that her charm would seed, and had not prepared any other magic.

    She hesitated, looked at the huge green dragon in front of her, and made up her mind.

    The next second, Fleur rushed forward and held the golden egg as fast as she could, disregarding the fire on her body.

    At the moment she got the golden egg, the wizards who had been waiting nearby were all rushing in.

    Dozens of wands were pointed at Fleur, and water was turned out to extinguish the fire on her body.

    Ssh, ssh, ssh¡­

    The water columns kept spraying on Fleur, making her wet all over.

    At this time, her beautiful pale blue robes had been burnt to the point of being turned into a short skirt.

    The remaining part also became translucent, revealing a splendid scenery, and the boys were all staring at Fleur in a daze.

    Evan could faintly see her underwear underneath, not the one he had seen before. The color was not the same¡­

    Fleur ignored all of them, holding the golden egg and leaving the enclosure as quickly as possible.

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 Chapter 589: Ronâ€™s Bad Performance

    Chapter 589: Ron¡¯s Bad Performance

    When Fleur came on stage again wrapped in a cloak, cheers broke out in the audience.

    For Fleur¡¯s performance just now, the young wizards had mixed opinions between praises and criticism. Anyway, the boys were screaming, pping and cheering, their voices deafening.

    Harry and Hermione next to Evan, for instance, hadpletely opposite opinions.

    ¡°She did very well!¡± said Harry, pping hard.

    ¡°Apart from her good dance, she performed too badly in other ways,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Her spell had a limited effect and could seed only once by luck, and it was clear that she was not prepared for the dragon, as the judges will surely see. After putting the dragon to sleep, she was touched by sparks¡­¡±

    To be fair, Fleur¡¯s performance was really not good enough, far inferior to Krum¡¯s.

    Besides the magic of restraining the dragon and the courage she finally summoned, there was nothing to praise.

    After a moment of silence, the judges began to score Fleur.

    Madame Maxime gave full marks, Bagman gave eight points, and Dumbledore and Mr. Crouch gave seven points, which was fairer.

    Karkaroff gave five points, just out of malice.

    ¡°Look, the Chinese Fireball ising out. Here¡¯s Ron!¡±

    All eyes turned to the entrance, looking forward to Ron¡¯s performance.

    ¡°Now let¡¯s wee our youngest warrior, Mr. Weasley!¡± Bagman shouted.

    After the whistle, Ron walked out of the tent, and he looked like he was suffocated now!

    During the long wait, Ron¡¯s inner tension increased a little and reached an all-time high.

    There was a nk inside his head, and he could think of nothing. The nerves in his body were involuntarily beating fast.

    Ron felt that his legs were not his own. He clumsily walked past the trees and entered the arena through a gap in the enclosure fence.

    The next second, everything in front of him was like a very highly colored dream. There were hundreds of faces staring down at him from the stands.

    Ron tried hard to find the faces of familiar people such as Evan, Harry and Hermione, so that he could feel more or less at ease.

    But no, at this moment, in his eyes, everyone¡¯s faces seemed to be the same, looking at him impassively.

    Thousands of faces whirled in front of Ron¡¯s eyes, and he felt like he could faint at any moment.

    At the other end of the enclosure, the scarlet Chinese Fireball stood proudly.

    The rtively docile Chinese Fireball didn¡¯t pay attention to Ron at all. On the contrary, the noise in the audience around made it very nervous.

    It tightly guarded its clutch of eggs under it, constantly looking around, warning with a huge fireball.

    Unlike the previous two dragons, the fire of the Chinese Fireball was a mushroom-shaped fireball of instantaneous nature, not the kind of long-chain-guided fire gushing. The effect of the huge fireball with high temperatures looked even more astonishing.

    In the face of the Chinese Fireball, everyone was waiting to see what Ron was going to do.

    Was he going to rush directly toward the dragon like Krum, or was he going to use some kind of magic like Fleur?!

    The next second, under everyone¡¯s surprised eyes, Ron turned around directly.

    He ran as fast as he could to the opposite direction of the other side of the enclosure, trying to be farther away from the dragon.

    Ron told himself to get rid of distracting thoughts, concentratepletely and absolutely, and think of the Firebolt Harry had lent him.

    ¡°Things seem to be a little bad. Our youngest champion seems to be scared,¡± shouted Bagman frowning. ¡°Why is he so far away from the dragon, or is it that he has other ns?!¡±

    There was a burst of booing in the audience, led by the Slytherins, and loud cursing rang out throughout the stands.

    They didn¡¯t see what Ron had nned; but only saw Ron fleeing to the edge of the enclosure, and just stupidly standing there.

    The malicious buzz was endless, and everyone seemed to think Ron was going to give up.

    If so, it would be the most tedious game. In their opinion, Ron was not worthy to be a champion at all.

    In this environment, it was really difficult to concentrate, and Ron tried several times without sess.

    ¡°<em>io Firebolt</em>!¡± he shouted anxiously, holding up his wand.

    Ron waited, every fiber of him praying and hoping.

    If this move did not seed, if the Firebolt wasn¡¯ting, he simply did not dare to think about it¡­

    He seemed to be looking at everything around him through some sort of shimmering, transparent barrier, like a heat haze, which made the enclosure and the hundreds of faces around him swim strangely.

    Ron waved his wand hard, but nothing happened, which made him look a bit silly.

    Doubts grew louder in the audience, and everyone did not know what Ron was trying to do.

    ¡°Oops, he¡¯s too nervous,¡± said Evan, staring at Ron. ¡°It¡¯s not good to go on like this!¡±

    ¡°Ron, concentrate and get rid of all distractions!¡± shouted Hermione, but it was useless.

    As soon as she shouted out, her voice was drowned in the loud noise of the audience.

    Ron was there waving his wand, and as time went by, he became more and more anxious.

    He tried to tell himself to calm down, but the more he did, the more nervous he was.

    Then Ron remembered the potions Evan had given him.

    Evan told him to take these potions after sitting on the broomstick to avoid everyone¡¯s eyes, so no one could see him use the potions.

    But it was obviously not possible to continue like this. Looking at the huge dragon close by, Ron felt he couldn¡¯t hold on much longer.

    He needed some confidence, and Ron, trembling, took a bottle of potion out of his arms and drank it with his head up.

    ¡°You can¡¯t hurt me, your fire can¡¯t hurt me!¡± he muttered, staring at the dragon.

    The feeling of icy cirction in his body made him awake a lot.

    Seeing Ron¡¯s actions, the boos in the audience grew louder. Some people began to question Ron¡¯s cheating.

    The first two champions only used the wand, but Ron needed help with the potion, which was obviously unfair!

    ¡°Aha, Mr. Weasley has prepared a potion,¡± shouted Bagman. ¡°Let¡¯s hear what the judges will say.¡±

    Dumbledore, Crouch, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime were talking about Ron¡¯s behavior and discussing it quickly.

    They quickly came to a conclusion, announced by Bagman.

    ¡°This is the decision. Although the tournament stiptes that the wand is the only weapon for the champions, the rules do not say that potions are not allowed. Mr. Weasley cleverly discovered the loophole!¡± Bagman shouted happily, ¡°Of course we also need to check the potion he took to see if it is illegal.¡±

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 Chapter 590: A Docile Fireball

    Chapter 590: A Docile Fireball

    The International Confederation of Wizards and the Department of Magical Games and Sports of the Ministry of Magic had clear regtions on the types of drugs prohibited from being used inpetitive sports.

    There were many kinds of potions, including the Strength Potion, a lot of potions that supplemented one¡¯s magical power, as well as various kinds of solutions to improve one¡¯s physique, strength, and responsiveness, and all kinds of potions that were not suitable for use inpetitions as they could easily break the bnce between contestants.

    However, the Fire Protection Potion used by Ron was not on the list. It was in fact too unpopr.

    This was Evan¡¯s special configuration for the me of the Chinese Fireball and was simply impossible to appear on the list of prohibited drugs.

    Fighting dragons was not amon sport, let alone a rare Chinese Fireball in Europe.

    Evan had previously checked the relevant information, so he could safely hand over this me Protection Potion to Ron.

    Although Bagman had exined that Ron¡¯s use of potions did not vite the rules, it was clearly not recognized by the audience.

    Disgruntled remarks were louder and louder, and the entire stands were a mess.

    Amid the hustle and bustle of the young wizards¡¯ questioning, there was a terrible roar of the dragon, which put more pressure on Ron.

    Under the influence of the potion, he had a sensation of being cold all over his body.

    Although the noisy voices around him affected his concentration, he gradually regained his courage and was no longer as scared and nervous as he had been.

    Courage was what Roncked most, and what he needed most.

    After calming down, he tried the Summoning Spell.

    This time, he was able to clearly hear it, speeding through the air behind him. Ron hurriedly turned around and saw the Firebolt hurtling toward him around the edge of the woods, soaring into the enclosure, and stopping dead in midair beside him, waiting for him to mount.

    ¡°It worked, Ron did it!¡± yelled Harry with joy, standing up cheering and screaming.

    ¡°Come on, Ron!¡± Hermione shouted with all her strength and cheered Ron.

    All the audience were surprised to see the Firebolt flying into the enclosure, not sure what was going on.

    Why did a broomstick fly in and how did he do it?!

    The vast majority of young wizards felt it was very mystical. They had not thought of io yet!

    Ron seeded in casting a spell to summon the Firebolt. He did not look as nervous as before.

    Evan knew that Ron could still perform well as long as he had enough courage.

    For a long time, Ron¡¯s biggest problem had been his low self-esteem andck of self-confidence.

    It had something to do with the environment in which he grew up. Compared with the Weasley family and other people including Evan, Harry and Hermione, Ron had always been dwarfed. He was never so outstanding, had not enough courage, had no extraordinary talent, and even failed where others seeded far too often.

    He had no ability to do as exceptional as others, and even if he did, he would just be repeating the feats already taken by others around him. No one would be surprised at this, but would think it would be a matter of course.

    Ron was just an ordinary personpared to the talented wizards he often came into contact with.

    If Ron wanted to ovee his inner fear, he needed more opportunities to take the lead and be the protagonist of his own journeys.

    This tournament was a good start. Although it was not clear why Barty Crouch Jr. made Ron a champion, Evan sincerely hoped that he could seize the opportunity to grow up.

    After the broomstick appeared, the crowd was making even more noise, and Bagman was shouting something.

    But Ron¡¯s ears were not working properly anymore, and listening wasn¡¯t important¡­

    He swung his leg over the broom and kicked off from the ground.

    As he soared upward, as the wind rushed through his hair, as the crowd¡¯s faces became mere flesh-colored pinpricks below, and the Chinese Fireball shrank to the size of a dog, he realized that he had left not only the ground behind, but also and mostly his fear.

    He was more and more confident, as if he had recovered the feeling that he had just be a champion.

    No matter what he would face, he was no longer afraid. He was fearless.

    No matter how ridiculous his previous performance might have been, at this moment, he was a true champion, fitting of his role.

    He circled over the enclosure and flew straight to the Chinese Fireball on the other side.

    His eyes crossed with those of the dragon. He looked down at the clutch of eggs and spotted the gold one, gleaming against its fellows, residing safely between the dragon¡¯s front legs.

    Ron dived and the dragon¡¯s head followed him.

    A huge fireball came out and Ron hurriedly rolled in the sky. He was too close, and the me spattered on him, leaving a big hole in his clothes. But soon it went out and did no harm to Ron. Evan¡¯s me Protection Potion worked!

    At this point, Ron was more confident in his victory over the dragon below him.

    Ron was flying better and better, flying better than ever before, no longer touched by fireballs.

    Among the people Evan knew, Ron¡¯s flying skills was second only to Harry, Fred and George, far higher than other wizards.

    As long as he showed his true level, he could defeat the Chinese Fireball below him.

    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s a Firebolt. This is a world-ss broomstick. Mr. Weasley is flying very well!¡± yelled Bagman excitedly. ¡°What a wonderful performance. Are you watching this, Mr. Krum? He¡¯s flying!¡±

    Ron soared higher and higher as he dodged the mes and continued to provoke the dragon.

    But the Chinese Fireball didn¡¯t seem to want to take off; it was too protective of its eggs. Though it kept shooting out huge fireballs, furling and unfurling its wings and keeping its fearsome eyes on Ron, it was afraid to move too far from them.

    The dragon eggs are vivid crimson speckled with gold and have a hard texture.

    The dragon eggshell of the Fireball is very popr in Chinese wizardry. It is prized and widely used.

    Ron knew he had to draw away the Chinese Fireball, or he would never get close to the eggs.

    He also remembered what Evan had told him to do in such a situation. He kept waving his wand and using magic: Stupefy, the Conjunctivitis Curse, and powerful curses on the dragon, and posed enough threats to it to make sure it flew to follow him.

    Ron began to fly, first this way, then the other, not near enough to make her breathe fire to stave him off. The dragon¡¯s head rose with him, its neck now stretched to its fullest extent, swaying left and right, like a snake dancing in front of the snake charmer¡­

    Ron was like a fly to it, a fly it was longing to swat.

    But no matter how Ron was provocative, the Chinese Fireball did not intend to fly.

    Its head followed Ron for a while, and it seemed to be a little tired, and actually went straight down.

    Hiding his head and eggs under its wings, it ignored Ron above.

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 Chapter 591: Red Flame

    Chapter 591: Red me

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to say; he never thought that Ron would be so unlucky!

    The character of this Chinese Fireball was too docile. It just stuck to the eggs and did not leave. Ron¡¯s harassment did not work at all.

    If it had been the Hungarian Horntail, and Ron dared to be so provocative, it would have flown fiercely toward him.

    But the Chinese Fireball was not that kind of aggressive dragon, and this one seemed to have an extraordinarily mild character. Now that it couldn¡¯t touch Ron, and Ron¡¯s magic didn¡¯t work on it, it justid down to guard its eggs, regardless of Ron flying in the sky.

    Since it was a nasty fly, let him fly. That was probably what it thought.

    When drawing up the operational n, they tried to overestimate the power of the dragon as far as possible, fearing that there would be idents. They did not expect this kind of situation at all.

    ¡°No, this big one¡¯s temper is so good, the n didn¡¯t work!¡± Hermione said anxiously.

    ¡°Ron¡¯s magic power is too weak to break through the dragon¡¯s defense,¡± said Evan, ¡°This dragon will not care about him.¡±

    ¡°What should we do now?¡± Harry asked anxiously, and the situation was not very good.

    Ron now had spent more time than Krum and Fleurbined, and the judges were likely to end the task at any time.

    If so, Ron, who didn¡¯t get the egg, would score very low.

    If it were Evan, he would jump off the broomstick and attack from the ground.

    Anyway, with the help of the Fire Protection Potion, the Fireball¡¯s fire had no effect, and he would not suffer losses in the head-on confrontation.

    But it was too difficult for Ron to do so. He didn¡¯t want to give up his advantage ande down from the safe Firebolt.

    He did not have the courage to take this step, and he couldn¡¯t confront the dragon like Krum.

    In his opinion, that was no different from going to his own death.

    He pressed the broom down again, a little closer to the dragon, and continued to use magic to provoke it.

    The red light of the spell fell on the Chinese Fireball and was bounced off as if it were just tickling it.

    It seemed determined that if Ron did note down from the broomstick, it would not even care about him. It was no longer shooting fire at Ron.

    Even the fire it had beenunching at Ron was gone!

    Ron flew anxiously around the dragon for a fewps, unable to find a suitable offensive opportunity.

    The only magic that could now hurt the dragon was the Conjunctivitis Curse, but the Chinese Fireball hid its head under its wings¡­

    As time went by, the audience began to talk again.

    The screams, shouting and apuse brought about by the sudden appearance of Firebolt gradually stopped, and the game gradually entered the boring garbage time.

    The Slytherins collectively shouted for Ron toe down from the broomstick.

    Ron gritted his teeth, and it was no good to go on like this. He suddenly remembered the Bloodthirst spell Krum had told him about.

    When he returned to the tent, he couldn¡¯t help asking Krum who said that this simple magic was very effective against dragons, but it couldn¡¯t be used easily.

    Ron didn¡¯t know why he couldn¡¯t use it. Before Krum could exin it, he was called out by Bagman topete.

    The current situation was wrong, and Ron had no other way.

    The battle n that Evan and Hermione had made for him didn¡¯t work, and Ron¡¯s head was messy.

    He couldn¡¯t think of any new way, and he couldn¡¯t run over to ask them what to do.

    There was only this way, Ron made a decision.

    He controlled the broom and once again flew towards the Chinese Fireball.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, Ron,¡± yelled Harry, rushing to the stands, ¡°Get off the broom!¡±

    Evan had just expressed his thoughts, and Harry was eager to tell Ron.

    ¡°I wish he could show up earlier. He¡¯s wasting his time, his magic¡­¡± said Hermione sighing.

    ¡°Hold on, this spell seems a bit wrong!¡± said Evan suddenly, getting to his feet.

    He had a bad feeling. He saw Ron sitting on the broomstick waving his wand wildly.

    They were very close, and could clearly see that a dark green light came out from the end of Ron¡¯s wand and shot at the dragon.

    Ron waved his wand. At the moment the magic was formed, he felt his soul pouring into the wand.

    He shook his head, feeling dizzy, and exhausted all his magic.

    Ron only saw a dark green light forming at the end of his wand, a magic light he had never seen before.

    ¡°Damn, that magic!¡± Evan immediately realized what spell Ron was using.

    He had just discussed this spell with Caresius the day before yesterday. This dark blood-thirst spell could irritate the dragon and make it insane.

    Because he had just talked about it, Evan was very impressed with it.

    The Bloodthirst Curse is not a harmful spell and would not be defended by the skin of the dragon. Dragons are also ferocious by nature, highly vulnerable to the Bloodthirst Curse.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how Ron learned this magic. Evan was very opposed to him using this spell!

    The Bloodthirst Curse was a restricted ck magic. It was too dangerous and it was easy to get things out of control.

    As soon as Evan took out his wand, he heard Harry shouting, ¡°Look, Ron has seeded. The dragon has responded!¡±

    As soon as his voice fell, the dragon raised its neck and gave out a horrible roar that resounded throughout the audience.

    Its angry eyes turnedpletely blood-red and stared at Ron ferociously. It spread its huge, scarlet scaly wings, as wide as those of a small airne, and the Chinese Fireball left the ground towards Ron.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Ron was ecstatic.

    He hurried up at full Firebolt speed and soon left the dragon behind him.

    Because he kept going up, he didn¡¯t see that the dragon behind him did not follow.

    Ron was not its only target. Under the stimtion of the ck magic, the dragonpletely lost its mind, having only the nature of brutality and killing. It was now furious, and as it had not met Ron, it rushed directly to the nearest audience.

    It had only one idea, which was to burn these annoying bugs to death!

    Evan was there; everything was too fast, and the young wizards in the audience were still apuding and shouting.

    But in a blink of an eye, they saw the horrible giant suddenly appearing in front of them.

    In their ears were the strong winds brought about by the agitation of its wings, and its great shadowpletely shrouded them.

    The young wizards looked in amazement at the Chinese Fireball that suddenly appeared in front of them, the ferocious and terrible mouth with sharp fangs and the odd fringe of gold spikes around its lion-like face. And the red me of white gas glowing like magma came out of its mouth.

    The Chinese fireball spread its wings in front of the audience, and the deep red me was about to gush out from its slender nostrils.

    The me merged with the scales on its body to form a dazzling red lotus.

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 Chapter 592: The Query on Dark Magic

    Chapter 592: The Query on Dark Magic

    Just like looking at an erupting volcano from top to bottom in front of them, the young wizards¡¯ eyes were all red.

    In the scorching heat, the whole world seemed to be turning into a sea of mes, as though it were the end of the world.

    In the stands, the uproar came to an abrupt end and was reced by eerie silence.

    The young wizards looked up and stared nkly at the huge dragon. They didn¡¯t even think of running away.

    Fear and despair were spreading, and they seemed to realize that the dragon was so terrible.

    At that moment, everyone felt a sense of despair as they stood at the erupting crater to meet the end of the world.

    Hermione, pale, put her little hand over her mouth and subconsciously approached Evan beside her.

    She saw the dragon suddenly flying to the front of the stands, opening its mouth and spurting a mushroom-shaped ball of fire.

    Huge volcanic magma poured out at them with amazing temperatures that melted everything.

    Under the scorching heat, Hermione could not even open her eyes and could only instinctively look away.

    Everything happened too fast. No one could stop it; no one could stop the ball of fire¡­

    At this moment, all kinds of thoughts dissipated, leaving only the fear of despair!

    <em>¡°I gonna die ¡­ I gonna be burned to ashes by the fire</em>!¡± That was what everyone thought.

    The huge burning fireball was close at hand, the amazing heat wave was rolling in and the sweat that was pouring out of everyone¡¯s foreheads was being evaporated as it was secreted.

    This was the world of fire. Everything in front of them turned red, and even the blood in their bodies was burning.

    They realized what the feeling of death was!

    Many people had closed their eyes, ready to meet death. They only hoped the process would not be so painful.

    There was no chance to think about running away. The huge body of the dragon had enveloped the entire grandstand.

    In the face of the mighty power of death, they could only choose to ept it passively¡­

    But the wizards who did not close their eyes saw a miracle.

    As the fireball approached them, a pale blue barrier rose from the crowd to block the fire¡¯s advance.

    <em>Boom</em>!!!

    There was a loud noise and the whole space was shaking.

    The huge fireball and the thin barrier violently collided, turning into countless splendid stars.

    In the whirling and dissipating red mes, Evan appeared, standing alone in front of the crowd against their iing doom.

    The body that did not seem so strong, became extremely tall in an instant, became a strong defense, and everyone could only look up to it.

    Miracle, this was a miracle!

    The blue barrier, centered on Evan, quickly expanded outward to stop the mes.

    ¡°<em>Saved</em>!¡± Everyone gasped, and there was a sense of joy for being alive.

    Many people wept with joy and tears came out subconsciously.

    At this moment, Evan was the real savior in their eyes!

    He blocked the dragon with his own strength and saved everyone from that terrible monster¡­

    But they did not get to be happy for too long. The young wizards turned their heads and saw the horrible dragon snoring, its blood red eyes ring at them maliciously. It was like a nightmare, and a stronger fireball formed in its mouth, bringing strong sensory stimtion.

    At this moment, everyone hoped that Evan¡¯s protective barrier would be stronger and able to withstand the second attack of the dragon.

    They had just thought of it when they saw a blue light as thick as an arming out from the tip of Evan¡¯s wand.

    The curse flew to the Chinese Fireball in front of the stands at a very fast speed.

    <em>Boom</em>!!!

    Another loud noise, the curse hit the dragon.

    The more than 30 feet long huge dragon, the horrible giant suddenly flew backwards!

    Its body crossed an arc in the air andnded heavily in the center of the enclosure.

    The dragon uttered a wail, and under the tremendous impact, its body dug a huge pit on the ground.

    Trying to stand up, being hit hard again, it flopped down and struggled in the pit¡­

    The dragon keepers all rushed in, and Dumbledore lowered the wand he had just raised.

    <em>Quiet</em>!!!

    The audience was quiet, and hundreds of young wizards took a breath of air.

    They looked at Dumbledore with a solemn expression in astonishment, then immediately turned their heads and looked dumbfounded at Evan standing at the edge of the stands.

    The magic that they saw was so powerful it crushed a freaking dragon by simply outpowering it. Was this still the power of a wizard?!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s Evan, he reacted very quickly, and his magic is so powerful. He saved many lives,¡± said Bagman admiringly as he wiped the sweat on his forehead with his handkerchief. The scene that just happened still left him with a lingering fear.

    If that ball of fire had not been stopped, it would have hurt hundreds of people, and it would have been one of the most serious disasters in the history of magic.

    At this time, it had been five minutes since Evan defeated the dragon.

    They were all in the champions¡¯ waiting tent, with the five judges: Dumbledore, Crouch, Bagman, Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime.

    There were also Evan, Ron, Sirius, Moody, Snape, and Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°If that fireball fell down ¡­ I can¡¯t imagine it¡­¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, this is not the time to praise Mr. Mason. I think you all know that the second curse he used is ck magic,¡± said Snape softly, staring at Evan with malicious intent, ¡°In my opinion, the stronger this magic is, the worse his vition is!¡±

    ¡°Severus, how can you say that? Evan saved everyone,¡± said Professor McGonagall in amazement. ¡°There is nothing wrong with the spell he used!¡±

    ¡°But ck magic should be absolutely forbidden, we should¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, Snivellus!¡± Sirius roared and red at Snape. ¡°Zip it, and don¡¯t open your mouth to use Evan for using ck magic. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. You know more than Evan about ck Magic. You are¡­ huh, I mean used to be one of those evil Dark wizards.¡±

    ¡°This is a very serious filth, ck!¡± said Snape softly, and his disgusting gaze shifted from Evan¡¯s face to Sirius¡¯s, beginning to be filled instantly with hatred. ¡°Of course, considering that you used to be Mr. Mason¡¯s Professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts, it¡¯s not surprising at all that he can use ck magic!¡±

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 Chapter 593: Restricted Black Magic

    Chapter 593: Restricted ck Magic

    ¡°How dare¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, Sirius, Severus!¡± said Dumbledore, stopping them from continuing to quarrel. ¡°What happened today is all my negligence. I have not considered that such an ident would ur. Mr. Mason has done very well. He showed great strength in times of crisis and saved many students¡¯ lives!¡±

    ¡°But he used ck magic!¡±

    ¡°As for the magic he used, although it is ck magic, it is not banned by the Ministry of Magic¡­¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°It¡¯s just a restricted curse, not purely evil ck magic that is not allowed to be used. All in all, this ident was all my fault!¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore, this is not your fault. It is the bloodthirsty spell used by Weasley to stimte the dragon. It is also a ck magic and should not be used in the task!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Ron hurriedly said, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t know¡­¡±

    He looked up at everyone and lowered his head again, tightly holding the golden egg in his arms, his body trembling slightly.

    His face was so pale and his body kept shaking. He didn¡¯t get the joy of winning the task at all, only thinking that he had just used ck magic!

    No wonder Krum told him not to use this magic. Ron never expected such a result.

    He had a strong sense of guilt at the thought that he had used ck magic.

    He felt sick, as if something terrible was going to crawl out of his head¡­

    ¡°What happened today really surprised me. I actually saw two practices the dark arts at Hogwarts,¡± said Karkaroff, and then he added sarcastically, ¡°I never thought students could get such quality teaching at Hogwarts¡±

    ¡°Durmstrang has no say in this matter. Don¡¯t think people don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in your school.¡± Sirius red at Snape and Karkaroff. ¡°I just asked Ron about the ck magic he used. The champion from your school taught him about it before the task.¡±

    ¡°Krum is kind-hearted, ck. But understanding ck magic and using ck magic are twopletely different concepts,¡± Karkaroff sneered, ¡°Krum just gave a suggestion. Only me that kid who was stupid enough to use that magic. This also reflects the poor level of Hogwarts¡¯ Defence Against the Dark Arts. Your students can¡¯t even recognize what ck magic is. Of course, I¡¯m even surprised by the skills of some of your students!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you are, Karkaroff!¡± Caresius, as Moody, said in a gruff voice, ¡°Using ck magic does not necessarily mean that one must be a Dark wizard, and not using ck magic doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not a Dark wizard!¡±

    ¡°Obviously, that¡¯s how you teach your students!¡± The fake smile on Karkaroff¡¯s face faded away and he looked at Moody angrily. ¡°As I said before, as a teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts, this quality is rare.¡±

    ¡°My duty is to teach students how a Dark Wizard would think. In my opinion, it is the champion from your school who is trying to frame Ron. He deliberately told him about that magic, but did not tell him that it was ck magic that would have bad effects,¡± said Moody in a threatening tone, ¡°You all know that the child¡¯s strength is not that of the other three champions. He was worried about how to deal with his dragon. As long as he was taught something that could be effective, he would definitely use it!¡±

    ¡°Well, you two, this was obviously just an ident,¡± said Ludo Bagman nervously, ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to continue arguing. Regardless of the magic he had used, Ron has got the golden egg. He has performed very well. Whether it was the broomstick or the Fire Protection Potion, it was wonderful. And ¡­ there were no casualties. We might as well ¡­¡±

    ¡°But he used ck magic, which should be banned.¡± said Karkaroff, ¡°I suggest giving him zero points!¡±

    ¡°There is no clear provision in the charter that champions are not allowed to use dark magic, and those two spells are not prohibited by the Ministry of Magic. They are restricted Dark magic!¡± Suddenly said Mr. Crouch, who had been looking at Evan, and his voice was as stiff as usual.

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. You mean, let¡¯s just pretend nothing had happened?!¡± Karkaroff smiled angrily.

    ¡°We have to abide by the charter. There is no rule in the Charter of the Triwizard Tournament that says it is not allowed to do this. We cannot disregard this,¡± said Crouch in a cold voice, ¡± I am going to give Mr. Weasley ten points!¡±

    ¡°This is ridiculous, you¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you really questioning me, Karkaroff?!¡± said Crouch loudly, his eyes popping out, ¡°I believe you remember, in my long career, there is a lot of evidence that I have always hated and despised ck magic and all those who y around with it. I¡¯m not supporting ck magic; I¡¯m just stating facts! I think these two students must be punished for what they did today. They¡¯ve used two restricted ck magic at will. This is a very dangerous tendency. Hogwarts must strengthen its teaching to prevent this kind of thing from happening again!¡±

    ¡°Let me deal with it, Barty!¡± said Dumbledore calmly, ¡°We must remember that magic itself is not good or bad, the key is in the use of magic purposes. Dark magic, which distorts the user¡¯s mind and nature of life, should not be advocated, such as the Unforgivable Curses! Don¡¯t get excited, Igor. I don¡¯t mean to use other ck magic, but we should treat young people with tolerance and allow them to make mistakes. Minerva, Mr. Mason and Mr. Weasley are your students, and you¡¯re in charge. By the way, I¡¯m also going to give Mr. Weasley ten points. He just did well, far beyond what I expected of him.¡±

    ¡°I give Ron 10, too. He flies very well!¡± said Bagman, his face showing a relieved expression. ¡°Come on, there is a champion waiting for the task, we must go out!¡±

    In the end, Dumbledore, Bagman and Crouch all gave Ron ten points, and Madame Maxime gave seven.

    Karkaroff reluctantly gave three points and seemed still angry about the incident.

    But he really couldn¡¯t say anything, nor could he pursue this matter. Those two spells had not been banned by the Ministry of Magic.

    ck magic is divided into many kinds, such as the Unforgivable Curses, which were absolutely prohibited spells. Using those curses on humans would give one a life sentence to Azkaban. There are also two kinds of ck magic just used by Evan and Ron, which belong to the restricted type of magic.

    These spells are numerous and not strictly ck magic.

    They are not so evil, but they are restricted because they are more lethal or use magical materials in a cruel and less humane way.

    But as long as there are legitimate reasons to use this type of ck magic, there will be no punishment.

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 Chapter 594: Symbolic Punishment

    Chapter 594: Symbolic Punishment

    As Caresius said, people who used ck magic were not necessarily Dark wizards.

    Many decent wizards had more or less studied ck magic, and only on the basis of in-depth understanding could they urately defend themselves. This was the essence of Hogwarts¡¯s course of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    Lessons in the lower grades were not really apparent. In the course of Defense Against the Dark Arts after passing the Ordinary Wizarding Level test, senior students were required to read relevant books on ck magic for reference.

    As for a veteran Auror like Moody, he was a master of Dark Arts.

    He even knew more than many Dark wizards, and only by knowing the enemy could he defeat his opponents. He didn¡¯t just need to recognize the dark arts; he needed to master them.

    For a long time, restricted Dark magic had been defined as a gray area in the wizarding world.

    These magic are more lethal and unsuitable for most wizards to master and use. But they were not so evil in themselves; they did not distort the user¡¯s mind and the essence of life.

    The Ministry of Magic was cautious about such magic and strictly controlled its random use and spread. However, they would not sentence someone to Azkaban just because he had used it.

    The most obvious examples were the Imperius Curse, Legilimency, and the Memory Charm. They were allmon magic that acted on the human soul, and were ssified as Dark magic.

    However, ording to the degree of harm, they were different in nature.

    The first was the Imperius Curse, which required evil thoughts to be used on somebody¡¯s soul. This evil spell might addle the victim¡¯s mind, and whether or not there were good reasons, nobody should control another¡¯s actions.

    Therefore, it had been listed as one of the Unforgivable Curses, the most evil Dark magic,pletely forbidden.

    As for Legilimency, this spell allows the caster to delve into the mind of the victim, permitting the caster to see memories, emotions and thoughts.

    Dumbledore and Voldemort were masters of this magic. One must be careful when talking to them. If not cautious, the secrets hidden in their minds might be known and seen clearly by them at any time.

    This magic and Veritaserum were strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic, but Evan was sure that Dumbledore certainly did not take the Ministry of Magic¡¯s restrictions seriously and that he used it every time he talked to him before he mastered lumency.

    Even after learning lumency, he had to be careful in every conversation, for fear of being caught by him.

    There were so many secrets in Evan¡¯s head, some of which he wanted the Headmaster to know, and some others he did not want to divulge.

    This was also the main reason why he was not willing to go to Dumbledore once something went wrong.

    Of course, in many things, Dumbledore would not take care of them in order to hone Evan and Harry. For example, when the Basilisk was raging in the castle, he must have known about the Chamber of Secrets, but in the end he only sent his own phoenix to help them.

    Unlike the Imperius Curse, Legilimency would not addle the minds of the caster and the victim. This spell was not so evil, so it was not apletely forbidden ck magic, but a restrictive ck magic.

    Not to mention Obliviate, its function was to make people lose memory, either a specific memory or all memories. Since this process was reversible through a counter-charm, the damage was minimal, and there was no restriction on it.

    After passing the Ordinary Wizard Level test, the young wizards would learn how to use this charm in the Charms ss.

    Of course, the use of the Memory Charm on others must be under permission, otherwise they would be pursued.

    One of the conditions to be employed at the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department of Magical idents and Catastrophes was to be proficient in the Memory Charm.

    The idental Magic Reversal Squad, the Obliviator Headquarters, and the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee were the three Divisions of this Department, with the main responsibility of constantly changing the memories of the Muggles and letting them forget the magic they saw by chance.

    The use of restrictive ck magic by two students could be considered a big deal or a small incident. Karkaroff knew that as there was no obvious damage, there would be no punishment, and he didn¡¯t continue arguing.

    What¡¯s more, the root of the problem was that his student Krum had taught Ron the Dark magic he used. If Ron was guilty, Krum couldn¡¯t get away with it and would be involved.

    Everyone knew that Durmstrang had been teaching and encouraging students to learn Dark magic, and not only restrictive Dark magic. Any investigation would really be unfavorable to them.

    No one wanted to go any further. Professor McGonagall did not impose any penalties on Evan and Ron here. She just symbolically gave them detention for a day and added 50 points to Evan as a reward for his performance just now.

    ¡°The two spells you used were excellent, Mr. Mason. They saved many people!¡± said Professor McGonagall with a smile on her face.

    These words from her mouth were an extravagant praise. Evan noticed that her right hand on his shoulder was shaking slightly. He had been performing well in the Transfiguration ss, but Professor McGonagall just nodded every time, at best saying ¡®<em>Not bad!</em>¡¯, rarely giving ¡®<em>Excellent!</em>¡¯ as ament.

    Of course, the points to be added were never small. That was Professor McGonagall¡¯s style.

    ¡°Especially the move to repel the dragon ¡­ both beautiful and straightforward, Evan!¡± Sirius also said happily.

    Except for Snape, Professor McGonagall, Sirius and Caresius did not leave with the judges.

    ¡°Keep going, Mason!¡± said Caresius, using Moody¡¯s tone.

    He looked highly interested in Evan¡¯s performance, and his magical eye was dancing in its socket.

    The only one that wasn¡¯t so happy in the tent now was Ron, who looked uneasy and didn¡¯t recover from the blow.

    The tournament was originally a good opportunity to help him regain his courage. Unfortunately, this happened all of a sudden, which immediately suppressed Ron¡¯s newly-rising courage and confidence. He was now worried about his use of ck magic.

    ¡°Well, Ron, don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± said Evan with a sigh and patted Ron on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the spell you used. As Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall said, you just performed very well!¡±

    ¡°But I used ck magic?!¡± Ron turned to look at Evan with strange eyes.

    ¡°That was a restricted spell; it is not forbidden,¡± said Evan, and simply exined to Ron, ¡°In a word, believe me, there¡¯s nothing in this matter. You defeated the dragon and got the golden egg, and got a good score. You should be happy.¡±

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 Chapter 595: Tragedy of Cedric

    Chapter 595: Tragedy of Cedric

    ¡°I thought I screwed everything up!¡± Ron gasped.

    ¡°There is no such a thing, Ron!¡± said Evan, ¡°You¡¯ve shown unimaginable courage in the task. Not only did you defeat the dragon, but you also defeated yourself. Not everyone can fly so well in the face of the dragon.¡±

    Ron seemed to have something to say, but he finally held the golden egg tightly in his arms and did not say it.

    Perhaps as everyone said, his performance was remarkable.

    If the Chinese Fireball reacted from the beginning, he would have gotten the golden egg long ago, and nothing of the following incident would have happened.

    Since the use of ck magic was not a big deal, Ron couldn¡¯t see what he had to worry about.

    He made it through the hardest part, and now even if he were to fight the dragon again, he wouldn¡¯t feel afraid.

    He became excited again at the thought that he had ovee the dragon andpleted this difficult challenge.

    ¡°Well, before you two go back, you¡¯d better see Madam Pomfrey first and let her examine you!¡± Professor McGonagall said, interrupting Evan who was about to speak, ¡°Mason, I know you¡¯re not injured, but the magic you used is very powerful. You¡¯d better check for any seque. Hurry up and go with Weasley.¡±

    The two of them went out, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the entrance to the second tent, looking worried.

    ¡°Dragons!¡± she said, in a disgusted tone, pulling Evan and Ron in. While examining them, she talked furiously to Evan. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised to see you again. The Basilisk, the Dementors, the werewolf, the Centaurs, the curse, and now a bloody dragon! What monster are you going to face next? The school is already a mess¡­¡±

    She gave them a thorough examination and there was no problem.

    Evan and Ron had just used a little too much magic. Madam Pomfrey insisted that they both drink a purple liquid with a very unpleasant smell. This potion had a calming and soothing effect on their spirits, making them less nervous.

    ¡°Well, lie down here for a while and have a rest!¡±

    Just after Madam Pomfrey left, Harry, Hermione, Fred, George, Colin and Ginny all rushed in.

    ¡°Evan, thanks to your magic, you saved everyone!¡± Hermione said sharply. ¡°I saw the huge fierce mouth of the Chinese Fireball. I was like blindfolded, and there was a nk inside my head. I thought¡­¡±

    She rushed over to Evan, hugged him tightly, and burst into tears. She couldn¡¯t help but cry out.

    At that moment, she thought she was going to die with Evan.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing to cry about!¡± Evan wiped the tears off her face and said in an extremely confident tone, ¡°I told you long ago that as long as I¡¯m with you, you would never get hurt. You should believe me!¡±

    ¡°I believe, I¡¯ll always believe in you!¡± Hermione replied, still in tears.

    She seldom showed such fragility as she was now, not because she was afraid, but because of her manyplex emotions merged together.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s not pretty when you cry!¡± said Evan, holding Hermione in his arms.

    When she heard this, Hermione felt a little embarrassed, and the others were still looking at them.

    She left Evan¡¯s arms and saw that Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and Colin were all smiling and looking, tacitly ignoring her embarrassment.

    ¡°To tell the truth, I thought I was going to die,¡± said Colin. ¡°Up close, the dragon was so terrible, and its huge fireball was like a volcano erupting in front of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was definitely a nightmare. Many junior students even peed in fear.¡±

    Fred, George, and Ginny had not been in those stands to feel the horror of the dragon. What shocked them was what was used by Evan, which defeated the dragon directly.

    That was absolutely a shocking, powerful force, and anyone who saw it would never forget the scene of the huge creature being thrown out.

    .

    Everyone gathered around Evan¡¯s at Ron¡¯s bedside, talking on and on about what had just happened.

    Soon, the topic shifted to Ron.

    After knowing that Ron had learned the ck magic to enrage the dragon from Krum, everyone expressed their opinions.

    Everyone had a bad impression of Krum, but Ron argued for him.

    Viktor had clearly told him not to use that curse at the time, but he did not think of the seriousness of the matter¡­

    On the whole, what happened today was still worth celebrating. Despite many twists and turns, Ron finished his first task intact and scored well.

    Everyone¡¯s got in a good mood, and there was nothing to worry about.

    About fifteen minutester, Cedric was brought in by Charlie and another wizard. He was covered with blood, and seemed badly injured. Madam Pomfrey hurried to have him put in another cubicle.

    ¡°Charlie, what the hell is going on?¡± Fred couldn¡¯t help asking.

    ¡°This guy Transfigured a rock on the ground and turned it into a dog!¡± After confirming that Ron was okay, Charlie sighed and said, ¡°He was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. To be fair, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, but it was useless. He faced the Hungarian Horntail. That creature is the most powerful. It ran a few steps after the Labrador and changed its mind halfway through. It just went back and blocked the poor child there. If we hadn¡¯t rushed in¡­¡±

    He didn¡¯t finish, but it was clear that if the Dragon Keepers had not stopped the Horntail, Cedric would have been more than harmed.

    Despite their intervention, he was now seriously injured.

    Without using fire, the Hungarian Horntail¡¯s tough ws and spiked tail were enough to deliver a fatal physical attack.

    Fortunately, Ron didn¡¯t draw that creature; otherwise he might have not ended up much better.

    ¡°It was a dangerous move to let the young wizards fight dragons. Fortunately, he got the golden egg and wasn¡¯t killed by the dragon, otherwise the tournament would not continue!¡± Charlie shook his head and said, ¡°The dragon is not in good condition either. Under the double attack of Dumbledore, it¡¯s hardly breathing now!¡±

    ¡°Is it going to die?¡± asked Evan.

    Dumbledore had just flicked the dragon away. It looked like a fierce attack, but the actual damage was not very great.

    The point was Dumbledore¡¯s attack. That was the key. He used a fierce attack, but did not kill the dragon. Such a creature was too precious, and killing it would jeopardize the continuation of the contest.

    ¡°Hagrid is taking care of it. After recovery, it will be alright,¡± said Charlie, shaking his head again.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 596: End of the task

    Chapter 596: End of the task

    Cedric was badly injured, but it was all flesh wounds, and Madam Pomfrey soon healed him.

    The trouble was the burns. One side of his pale face was covered in a thick orange paste.

    It was a very effective ointment for treating burns. It would ensure that no scar will be left on him, but it had to be applied for a whole night.

    ¡°Have a rest, I¡¯ve got to run. I¡¯ve got to go and send Mum an owl. I¡¯ll tell her all what happened today ¡­ but it¡¯s unbelievable. She¡¯s always been worried about Ron!¡± Charlie went on and gave Ron a hug, ¡°Congrattions, Ron, you¡¯re the best! Oh yeah, I almost forgot, they told me to tell you you¡¯ve got to hang around for a few more minutes. Bagman wants a word with you, back in the champions¡¯ tent.¡±

    They stayed in the medical tent for a while before they went to the champions¡¯ tent with Cedric.

    Krum, Fleur and Gabrielle were already inside, and Fleur had changed into new robes.

    When she saw Evan, Gabrielle hurried over, pulling Fleur with her.

    They had been to the carriage so that Fleur could change her clothes, and they did not witness the scene when Evan attacked the Chinese Fireball. They heard about it from other people when they were back.

    Gabrielle felt both worried and very regretful because she didn¡¯t see Evan using magic.

    She talked a lot with Evan and Hermione, asking Evan for some details. Fleur also followed with a few words of concern¡­

    As for Krum, he pulled Ron aside and whispered a few words. When Ron came back, he told them that Krum had apologized to him for the magic, and that he had forgiven him.

    Although Sirius had repeatedly asked everyone to be vignt against Karkaroff and Durmstrang¡¯s students, Ron was stubbornly convinced that Krum was a good guy and he could not get involved in Karkaroff¡¯s plot.

    They got together and chatted for a while, focusing on the performance of each champion and Evan¡¯s magic.

    Evan¡¯s final magic, needless to say, was amazing, far beyond the level of a young wizard. In addition to shocking, no other adjectives could describe it.

    The performance of each champion was unexpected, and everyone believed that Ron had done a good job. He flew very well and was quite sessful in tactics.

    This made Ron¡¯s spirits a bit higher and much happier than he had just been.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for bad luck, he would have had wless sess, with no dangerous incidents.

    Speaking of it, except for Krum, the luck of the other three champions was not that good.

    Their nned tactics through the dragon were all feasible, but the results were quite different. Fleur¡¯s clothes were burned, and Ron encountered so many idents.

    The worst was Cedric, who had been blocked by the Hungarian Horntail in the nest¡­

    Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to leave any psychological repercussions, and he was chatting happily with Harry.

    Five minutester, Ludo Bagman bounced into the tent briskly.

    He looked as pleased as though he had personally just got past the dragon.

    Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime and Barty Crouch were not there. Ludo Bagman came alone to announce the next task. He did not ask Evan and the others to go out.

    ¡°Champions ¡­ you all did a good job!¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve got just a quick few words. You¡¯ve got a nice long break before the second task, which will take ce at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth ¡­ but we¡¯re giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you¡¯re all holding, you will see that they open ¡­ you see the hinges there? You need to solve the clue inside the egg¡­ because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!¡±

    Evan and the others left the tent and they started to walk back around the edge of the forest, talking hard.

    Just as they rounded the clump of tree behind which Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had first heard the dragons roar, a witch suddenly leapt out from behind them.

    It was Rita Skeeter. She was wearing acid-green robes today, and the Quick-Quotes Quill in her hand blended perfectly against them.

    ¡°Evan, your magic was really amazing!¡± Rita Skeeter looked at Evan with a smile. ¡°I wonder if you could give me a quick word. How did you feel facing that dragon? And what was thest curse to blow the dragon away?¡±

    She turned a blind eye to the four champions, and her attention was focused on Evan.

    ¡°I have nothing to tell you, get out of the way,¡± said Evan angrily. ¡°I warned you before, Miss Skeeter, if you go on like this, you¡¯ll definitely be in serious trouble.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Rita Skeeter didn¡¯t care a bit about what Evan said. Instead, she became very excited. ¡°Are you threatening me?! What are you up to do to an innocent reporter in order to cover up the truth?!¡±

    Evan ignored her and he set off back to the castle with Ron.

    Rita Skeeter stood by the bush and looked at his back, and her quill was writing excitedly.

    Although Evan had not said anything, his attitude was enough to exin everything.

    They all separated near Hagrid¡¯s cabin. Today was so tiring, and everyone wanted to have a good rest.

    Fred and George had gone back to the castle earlier with Ginny and Colin to prepare for the surprise party.

    Not surprisingly, the four of them should be nning to go into the kitchen to get some delicious food.

    Now, there were the four left: Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They are slowly going back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ron,¡± said Harry. ¡°There¡¯s no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous. They can¡¯t find anything more dangerous than the dragon.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t rx our vignce. The dragon is not the most frightening. The most dangerous thing is the conspiracy hidden in the dark,¡± said Evan.

    He still remembered what the ultimate goal of the Triwizard Tournament was, which could not be taken lightly.

    While helping Ron through the game, he also trained Harry to get stronger as soon as possible and not to slow him down at critical moments.

    Although there was no pressure from the tournament, Harry¡¯s experience was absolutely indispensable.

    Voldemort was his destined enemy. Only one person could win, and this was impossible to change.

    ¡°Evan is right. There¡¯s a long way to go to finish this tournament,¡± said Hermione seriously. ¡°If that was the first task, I hate to think what¡¯sing next.¡±

    ¡°You two need to get optimistic!¡± said Ron in a rxed tone.

    He held the golden egg and felt unprecedented satisfaction!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 597: Noisy Golden Egg

    Chapter 597: Noisy Golden Egg

    When they entered the Gryffindor Common Room, it exploded with cheers and yells again.

    There are mountains of cakes and gons of pumpkin juice and butterbeer on the tables and the chairs.

    Lee Jordan had let off some Filibuster¡¯s Fireworks, so that the air was thick with stars and sparks.

    Dean Thomas, who was very good at drawing, had put up some impressive new banners, depicting Ron zooming around the Chinese Fireball on the Firebolt, and Avon¡¯s use of the magic barrier to resist the me and defeat the dragon.

    The huge banner in the middle was constantly changing. Above, Evan stood out from the crowd alone and held his wand up. Opposite him was the terrible dragon, baring its fangs and shooting out fire from its mouth.

    The next second, the picture changed, and the dragon flew backward like a bug.

    Under the banners, all Gryffindors were celebrating,ughing and eating delicious food.

    Everyone came over and talked to Evan and Ron, asking for more details, and many thanked Evan.

    They had been in the stands, too. If Evan hadn¡¯t saved them, they might have been hit by the fireball.

    Ron was no longer so nervous. He¡¯d gotten through the first task, and he wouldn¡¯t have to face the second one for three months.

    ¡°Blimey, this is heavy,¡± said Lee Jordan, picking up the golden egg that was on a table, and weighing it in his hands.

    ¡°Of course, I dare say that this must be pure gold!¡±

    ¡°Open it, Ron, go on! Let¡¯s just see what¡¯s inside it!¡±

    ¡°Go on, open it!¡± Several people echoed.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Ron muttered, also very curious.

    He took the golden egg from Lee and dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around it and pried it open.

    It was hollow andpletely empty. But the moment Ron opened it, the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, filled the room.

    The nearest thing to it they had ever heard was the ghost orchestra at Nearly Headless Nick¡¯s deathday party, who had all been ying the musical saw.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Fred bellowed, his hands over his ears.

    Ron mmed the golden egg shut and gasped.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a terrible noise, It¡¯s maybe the thing you need to deal with in the next task.¡±

    ¡°It sounded like a banshee. Maybe you¡¯ve got to get past one of those next, Ron!¡± said Seamus Finnigan.

    ¡°No, it was someone being tortured!¡± said Neville, who had gone very white and spilled sausage rolls all over the floor. He looked at Ron uneasily. ¡°You ¡­ you¡¯re going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a prat, Neville, that¡¯s illegal!¡± said George. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing ¡­ maybe you¡¯ve got to attack him while he¡¯s in the shower.¡±

    ¡°Haha, in a sense, Percy is even more terrible than a dragon.¡±

    This noise was the song of a mermaid. The golden egg needed to be kept underwater before it could be used easily, but Evan did not say it.

    After all these wild guesses, Ron put the golden egg away.

    He was prepared to solve this puzzle alone as a champion without any help, relying on his own abilities.

    After getting through the task of the dragon, Ron did grow a lot.

    Whether he would seed in the end or not, this tournament was proving to be good for him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else, don¡¯t just sit there. Want a jam tart, Hermione?¡±

    Hermione looked doubtfully at the te he was offering her. Fred grinned maliciously.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± he said. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything to them. It¡¯s custard creams you¡¯ve got to watch¡­¡±

    Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spat it out. Fred and Georgeughed and looked at him.

    ¡°Just my little joke, Neville¡­¡±

    ¡°Speaking of this,¡± Hermione took a jam tart. ¡°Did you get all of this from the kitchens, Fred?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Fred, grinning at her. He put on a high-pitched squeak and imitated a house-elf. ¡°¡¯Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!¡¯ They¡¯re dead helpful¡­ get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish.¡±

    ¡°How do you get in there?¡± Hermione said in an innocently casual sort of voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy,¡± said Fred. ¡°There is a concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles and ¡­¡± He stopped and looked suspiciously at her.

    ¡°Why, why are you asking?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Hermione quickly.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now; are you?¡± said George. ¡°You¡¯re going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into a rebellion?¡±

    Several people chortled. Hermione didn¡¯t answer.

    Evan knew her too well; Hermione obviously intended to do so.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you go upsetting them and telling them they¡¯ve got to take clothes and sries!¡± said Fred warningly, giving Evan a gentle kick from under the table. ¡°You¡¯ll put them off their cooking!¡±

    Regarding the fight for the rights of the house-elves, Evan also could not persuade Hermione to give up. Moreover, he had made it clear that he would support her, although he had actually done nothing.

    Just then, Neville caused a slight diversion by turning into arge canary.

    ¡°Oh ¡­ sorry, Neville!¡± Fred, ignoring Hermione, hurriedly jumped up and shouted over all theughter. ¡°I forgot ¡­ it <em>was</em> the custard creams we hexed!¡±

    Within a minute, however, Neville had molted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he returned to looking entirely normal.

    He even joined inughing and thought that this hexed custard cream was very interesting.

    George exined to Evan that he and Fred had been experimenting since the summer vacation and had been making continuous improvements. The finished products they had now brought out were further more interesting than the deforming candy that made Dudley grow a pig¡¯s tail.

    ¡°Come on, Canary Creams!¡± Fred shouted to the excitable crowd. ¡°Ourtest product, George and I invented them ¡­ seven Sickles each, a bargain. We start booking now!¡±

    Interested young wizards ordered from him; Weasley¡¯s jokes were now very popr. When new products appeared, they were often in short supply. Many people even bought them to resell them to students from other Houses.

    Some time ago, Fred and George even discussed promoting them among Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students with Evan, to open up foreign markets, and they did not know if it would work or what the best way to go about it was.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 599: The School Kitchens

    Chapter 599: The School Kitchens

    Hufflepuff¡¯s move not only changed the wizarding world, but also greatly promoted Hogwarts¡¯ status.

    The all-magic families finally had to make apromise. They reached an agreement with Helga Hufflepuff, agreed to the Hogwarts education model, allowed the Muggle-born young wizards to enter the school, and correspondingly formed a Board of Governors to oversee the running of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    As for Hogwarts¡¯ independence from the Board of Governors and its independent teaching activities, it waster the headmaster¡¯s business.

    But it must be said that the sess of Hufflepuff and Hogwarts model was a major event, great enough to change the entire wizarding world over the course of the past millennium. Schools of Wizardry like Hogwarts had sprung up all over the world.

    More and more Muggle wizards had been admitted to school. The traditional single family apprentice and secret way of magic inheritance had beenpletely changed. Universal magic education has be the standard of magic education.

    Helga Hufflepuff herself was the Headmistress of Hogwarts until her death. She did not leave this ce for life, and was even buried in Hogwarts after her death. She only passed on her favorite golden cup as a relic to her descendants.

    Like Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets, the location of Hufflepuff¡¯s grave had always been a mystery.

    Because she had been eventually buried by a house-elf, no one knew exactly where Hufflepuff¡¯s grave was.

    For a thousand years, countlessters had tried to find her ce of burial in the school, but no one had seeded.

    Evan had carefully analyzed all the historical facts avable and believed that the key breakthroughy in the hands of the house-elves.

    While being the greatest wizard and educator in the history of magic, Hufflepuff was also the greatest cook, and the house-elves were her assistants.

    Evan did not think that Hufflepuff¡¯s secret treasure key would be taken to her coffin, but her closest friend for the rest of her life was undoubtedly a house-elf. Everything was in his custody, and even her own final burial was the responsibility of the house-elf.

    At the time, Helga Hufflepuff gave shelter to all the elves who had lost their living ces because of the war.

    She made them part of Hogwarts, and the so-called ordinary friends in her tips should be the elves.

    Hogwarts had been home to thergest number of house-elves in the wizarding world since Hufflepuff¡¯s time.

    For a thousand years, they had lived in the kitchens below the castle, where they built their own huge underground kingdom.

    Not surprisingly, both the key to the treasure and the secret of Hufflepuff¡¯s tomb were kept in the hands of the house-elves.

    Last semester, Evan had asked Dobby and other house-elves about this matter too often, but they all said they did not know.

    He spected that the secrets kept by the ancestors of the house-elves might have been lost and no one had passed them down.

    That was not surprising as the house-elves had been enved for too long.

    They had lost their own cultural heritage and hadpletely be appendages of wizards.

    If they had really kept such important clues, they might have told the headmaster rather than hiding them.

    Although no one knew for sure, there must be some clues in the kitchens.

    Not long ago, Evan found a n for the early construction of the castle in the library area.

    It had been mixed into a very unpopr book of magic that had not been borrowed for hundreds of years.

    The basement above the map had been muchrger than it was now, and therge area that disappearedter was near the kitchen.

    That drawing verified Evan¡¯s long-standing conjecture. Inbination with the information he had received before, he thought it necessary to have a look at it.

    Evan led Hermione into the basement, which was the only way to the Common Room of Slytherin and Hufflepuff Houses.

    The two of them followed a narrow passage to the left and walked down a flight of stone steps. But instead of ending up in a gloomy underground passage like one that led to Snape¡¯s dungeon, they found themselves in a broad stone corridor, brightly lit with torches, and decorated with cheerful paintings that were mainly of food.

    They walked up to the painting showing a gigantic silver fruit bowl, and Evan stretched out his forefinger and gently tickled the huge green pear.

    It began to squirm, chuckling, and suddenly turned into arge green door handle.

    ¡°This is the entrance to the school kitchens!¡± said Evan. He pulled the door open to reveal a low, dark, deep foyer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in. Be ready!¡± said Evan.

    He remembered thest time he came; he was surrounded by countless elves, who rushed showing a wry smile.

    ¡°Ready for what?!¡± asked Hermione, staring nervously at the hall.

    ¡°You¡¯ll know right away!¡± Evan took Hermione¡¯s little hand and walked in together.

    In the next second, they walked into the picture. Inside, there was an enormous, high-ceilinged room,rge as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick firece at the other end.

    They felt something, and before they could see more clearly, there were a lot of green things hurtling toward them from the middle of the room.

    Hermione couldn¡¯t help but step back, and then she saw that they were all house-elves.

    There were over a hundred of them, which was incredible.

    ¡°Sir, Miss, do you want anything?¡± the elves asked aloud, crowding in.

    Each of them had a smile on his face, waiting for Evan and Hermione¡¯s order.

    Before they could speak, another house-elf rushed over, squealing.

    He hit Evan hard in the midriff, hugging him closely and tightly.

    This was Dobby!

    Although they had met just over a month ago, he was very excited about Evaning to the kitchen to see him.

    He hugged Evan strongly, and thetter hurried him down.

    Hermione looked at both of them and the surrounding house-elves in surprise. It took her a while to adapt.

    In fact, she had not seen Dobby for a long time. Dobby¡¯s enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes were brimming with tears of happiness. He looked almost exactly the same as Hermione remembered him; the pencil-shaped nose, the bat-like ears, the long fingers and feet¡­ all except the clothes, which were very different.

    When Dobby had worked for the Malfoys, he had worn the same filthy old pillowcase all year round¡­

    Now, he was wearing a strange assortment of garments. He had done an even worse job of dressing himself than the wizards at the World Cup.

    He was wearing a tea cozy for a hat, on which he had pinned a number of bright badges; a tie patterned with horseshoes over a bare chest, a pair of what looked like children¡¯s ser shots, and odd socks. One of these was the ck one Harry had removed from his own foot and tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby, thereby setting him free. The other was covered in pink and orange stripes¡­

    This was a style Evan had never seen before. All the money he gave Dobby was used to buy socks, which were renewed almost every week.

    In a sense, Dobby was probably the most fashionable house-elf!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 600: House-Elves in Need of Wages

    Chapter 600: House-Elves in Need of Wages

    After Dobby was expelled by the Malfoys, Evan kept him around all the time.

    He just wanted to help Dobby. In fact, there was nothing that needed to be done.

    At the busiest time of <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, Evan had asked Dobby to help Fred and George take charge of the print job.

    When Professor Lupin took over, Dobby was idle again, mainly responsible for taking care of Evan¡¯s life and living.

    This amount of work was really nothing to a house-elf. He needed more work.

    Evan could only let him help in the kitchen and live with hispanions, which was the best arrangement for him.

    ¡°Master Evan, do you need any food here?¡± Dobby squealed excitedly. ¡°You don¡¯t need toe down in person. You just need to summon Dobby. Dobby can send it to you at any time. You know how to summon Dobby¡­¡±

    No sooner had he finished speaking than the house-elves around Evan and Hermione began to get busy.

    They took out all kinds of ingredients at once, ready to give them something to eat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t prepare anything, we don¡¯t need to eat!¡± Evan hurriedly said, looking at the house-elves with a headache. ¡°Dobby, Hermione and I just came to see how you¡¯re doing here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Master Evan is so kind!¡± Dobby¡¯s big green eyes were wet with tears. He looked at Evan and Hermione with tearful eyes. ¡°Young Master Evan has actually led his friend to visit Dobby ¡­ Dobby and Winky¡­¡±

    ¡°What, Winky is here too?!¡± said Hermione in surprise.

    After the World Cup, they had never seen Winky again.

    Evan learned from Sirius that, after investigation, the Ministry of Magic found Winky innocent and released her. But she could no longer return to Crouch¡¯s house. After leaving the Ministry of Magic, she did not know where to go.

    ¡°Yes, miss, yes, Winky is working here too!¡± said Dobby, seizing Evan and Hermione¡¯s hands.

    He pulled them both off into the kitchen between the four long wooden tables that stood there.

    Each of these tables was positioned exactly beneath the four House tables above in the Great Hall.

    At the moment, they were clear of food, dinner having finished, but not long ago they had beenden with dishes that were then sent up through the ceiling to their counterparts above.

    At this time, at least a hundred little elves were standing around the kitchen, beaming, bowing and curtsying as Dobby led Evan and Hermione past them.

    They were all wearing the same uniform: a tea towel stamped with the Hogwarts crest, and tied, as they had been before, like a toga.

    A few minutester, Dobby stopped in front of the brick firece and pointed.

    ¡°Winky, look, Miss, Master Evan!¡± he said.

    Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire. Unlike Dobby, she had obviously not foraged for clothes. She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for herrge ears

    However, while every one of Dobby¡¯s strange collection of garments was so clean and well cared for that it looked brand-new; Winky was inly not taking care of her clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt.

    ¡°Winky!¡± said Hermione.

    At their sight, she raised her head and shivered slightly. Her lips also quivered. Then she burst into tears, which spilled out of her great brown eyes and sshed down her front, just as they had done at the Quidditch World Cup.

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± said Hermione sadly, ¡°Winky, don¡¯t cry, please don¡¯t¡­¡±

    But Winky cried harder than ever. Dobby, on the other hand, beamed at Evan.

    ¡°Would Master Evan like a cup of tea?¡± he squeaked loudly, over Winky¡¯s sobs.

    ¡°Oh¡­ okay,¡± said Evan.

    He looked around theyout of the kitchen andpared it to the castle n he had found.

    But no, everything was totally different, and everything had changed too much.

    When they heard the conversation between Evan and Dobby, about six house-elves came, instantly, trotting up behind him, bearing arge silver trayden with a teapot, cups for Evan and Hermione, a milk jug, and arge te of biscuits.

    ¡°Thank you, this looks good!¡± said Evan.

    The elves were very happy to hear him; they bowed very low and retreated.

    ¡°How long has Winky been here, Dobby?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°More than a month or so. No one wanted to take her in. You see, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, very difficult indeed¡­ ¡±

    At this, Winky howled even harder, her squashed-tomato of a nose dribbling all down her front, though she made no effort to stem the flow.

    ¡°Dobby was going to ask Master Evan for help, and let him hire Dobby and pay her as he hired Dobby,¡± Dobby squeaked, ¡°But Dobby isn¡¯t sure if he should bother the great Master Evan because of this. Dobby knows that he is already so busy; he should not be distracted by this trifle. And he has hired Dobby. He doesn¡¯t have that many jobs and can¡¯t pay another house-elf for nothing¡­¡±

    The house-elves all around the kitchen, who had been listening and watching with interest, all looked away at these words, as though Dobby had said something rude and embarrassing. In their view, asking for remuneration was a very shameful act, which was simply an insult to the house-elves.

    Evan persuaded Dobby not to have to worry about it. Although he didn¡¯t have so many jobs, he was willing to hire Winky and pay her.

    However, Dobby kept shaking his head. He believed it was shameful to take wages without working. It was totally uneptable and did not allow Evan to hire Winky.

    Hermione highly appreciated Dobby¡¯s demand for remuneration for work. She even took out the quill and began to record it, and she was ready to put it on the newspaper as a new incident to point out the qualities of House-elves making them worthy of remuneration.

    A free house-elf demanding wages was a model she and the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare needed.

    She needed to let the wizarding world know that not all house-elves were willing to be exploited and enved, and she wanted the wizards to know what they thought.

    This was the original intention of the establishment of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, to help the house-elves to make their voices heard.

    Hermione was very excited. She was going to interview other elves for a while and listen to their opinions.

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 Chapter 601: A Bit of Practice

    Chapter 601: A Bit of Practice

    The final result disappointed her as expected. Dobby was just a special case and did not represent the vast majority of house-elves.

    As Hagrid said, there were one or two freaks in every species.

    To other house-elves, it was a disgrace to like freedom and ept wages as Dobby did.

    ¡°Thank you, Miss, Master Evan!¡± said Dobby, grinning toothily at them. ¡°After Winky has been freed, Dobby led her to find a lot of wizard families, hoping they could take Winky in. But most wizards doesn¡¯t want a house-elf who wants paying. ¡®That¡¯s not the point of a house-elf,¡¯ they says, and they mmed the door in Dobby¡¯s face! Some wizards are willing to let Winky work for them for free, but Dobby can¡¯t give Winky to them. She needs to work, but she needs to wear clothes and she wants to be paid like Dobby¡­¡±

    The Hogwarts house-elves had now started edging away from Dobby, as though he were carrying something contagious. Winky, however, remained where she was, though there was a definite increase in the volume of her crying

    She was crying so sad that she flung herself forward off her stool andy face down on the gged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery.

    Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried tofort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference.

    Dobby continued with his story, shouting shrilly over Winky¡¯s screeches.

    ¡°And then Dobby had an idea, Evan, sir! Fooby thought of Hogwarts. There is enough work here to make it easy for Dobby to take care of Winky, and Professor Dumbledore took her in. He was willing to pay her,¡± said Dobby. ¡°He¡¯s the greatest wizard besides Harry Potter and Master Evan. Dobby has heard a lot about him.¡±

    Dobby beamed very brightly, and happy tears welled in his eyes again.

    ¡°How much did Professor Dumbledore pay you?¡±

    ¡°He offered Dobby ten galleons a week, but Dobby didn¡¯t want it. Master Evan has already paid Dobby for his work. Dobby is only here to help,¡± said Dobby. ¡°When the holidayse, Dobby will return to Master Evan¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°Hum!¡± Hermione didn¡¯t speak, and she red at Evan.

    She knew that Evan only paid Dobby a Galleon a week. She thought that was not very much.

    She had also persuaded Evan to give more money to Dobby more than once, but it was useless.

    Every time he mentioned it, Dobby seemed very frightened.

    He would hug Evan and wail bitterly, repeatedly asking him if he did not want him anymore!

    Dobby thought that too much wealth and leisure time was frightening. In his words, he ¡°likes freedom, but he isn¡¯t wanting too much.¡±

    He preferred work over leisure and riches.

    ¡°What about you, Winky? How much money is Professor Dumbledore paying you?¡± Hermione continued.

    If she had thought this would cheer up Winky, she was wildly mistaken.

    Winky did stop crying, but when she sat up she was ring at Hermione through her massive brown eyes, her whole face sopping wet and suddenly furious.

    ¡°Winky is a house-elf who has been swept out of the house, but Winky is not yet getting paid!¡± she squeaked, ¡°Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!¡±

    ¡°Ashamed?!¡± said Hermione nkly. ¡°Winky,e on! It¡¯s Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you¡­ ¡±

    But at these words, Winky pped her hands over the holes in her hat, ttening her ears so that she couldn¡¯t hear a word, and screeched, ¡°You is not insulting my master, Miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, Miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!¡±

    ¡°Dobby has Winky¡¯s sry. She refused to take it. Dobby saved it to her, and gives it to her when Winky needs it! ¡°Dobby whispered to them in a shrill voice, ¡°Dobby helped Winky decide and asked Dumbledore for the same wage, a Galleon a week. But Winky has no holiday. Dobby couldn¡¯t convince her¡­¡±

    ¡°You did a good job, Dobby!¡± said Hermione, looking anxiously at Winky wailing and crying.

    When he heard her praise, Dobby smiled shyly again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she still thinks Mr. Crouch is right.¡±

    ¡°Winky needs time to adjust, Miss, she is having trouble adjusting!¡± Dobby continued. ¡°Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Why? Can¡¯t house-elves speak their minds about their masters?¡± Hermione asked, frowning.

    ¡°Oh no, absolutely not,¡± said Dobby, looking suddenly serious. ¡°This is part of the house-elf¡¯s envement. We keeps their secrets and our silence. We upholds the family¡¯s honor, and we never speaks ill of them¡­ though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. He said we is free to¡­ to¡­¡±

    Dobby looked suddenly nervous, and came up to Evan and Hermione. He lowered his voice a little to ensure that no one else could hear him.

    ¡°He said we is free to call him a ¡­ a barmy old codger if we likes!¡±

    Then, Dobby raised his body and gave a frightened sort of giggle.

    ¡°You can say that to me if you like. It¡¯s your freedom, Dobby!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Me too!¡± Hermione added.

    ¡°No, no, Miss, Master Evan!¡± Dobby hurriedly shook his head, with a look of fear on his face. He shook his head and pped his ears. ¡°Dobby doesn¡¯t want to do this, Dobby will never do this. Dobby likes Master Evan and his friends very much. Dobby is more willing to keep secrets for you and keep silent for you. And he is proud of it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Evan happily.

    Dobby¡¯s eyes were full of tears again and he looked at Evan gratefully.

    ¡°Oh, then the Malfoys, you can say what you like about them now??¡± Evan hurriedly asked.

    He knew that if he didn¡¯t find something to talk about, Dobby was going to cry again with his thighs in his arms.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, a slightly fearful look came into Dobby¡¯s immense eyes.

    ¡°Dobby ¡­ Dobby could,¡± he said doubtfully. He squared his small shoulders. ¡°Dobby could tell Master Evan that his old masters were ¡­ were ¡­ <em>bad Dark wizards</em>!¡±

    Dobby stood for a moment, quivering all over, horror-struck by his own daring. Then, he rushed over to the nearest table and began banging his head on it very hard, squealing, ¡°<em>Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!</em>¡°

    Evan hurriedly seized Dobby by the back of his tie and pulled him away from the table.

    ¡°Thank you, Master Evan, thank you,¡± said Dobby breathlessly, rubbing his head.

    ¡°Well, you just need a bit of practice,¡± said Evan.

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 Chapter 602: Secrets in Hogwarts Kitchens

    Chapter 602: Secrets in Hogwarts Kitchens

    ¡°Practice?!¡± squealed Winky furiously. ¡°You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!¡±

    ¡°They isn¡¯t my masters anymore, Winky!¡± said Dobby defiantly. ¡°Dobby doesn¡¯t care what they think anymore!¡±

    ¡°Oh you is a bad elf, Dobby!¡± moaned Winky, tears leaking down her face once more. ¡°My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her¡­ Oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh the shame, the shame!¡± She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled.

    ¡°Winky!¡± Hermione looked at her crying, and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯m quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you. We¡¯ve seen him, you know¡­¡±

    ¡°You is seeing my master?¡± asked Winky breathlessly, raising her tearstained face out of her skirt once more and goggling at Hermione. ¡°You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Hermione. ¡°He and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Bagmanes too?¡± squeaked Winky, suddenly bing angry again. ¡°Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn¡¯t liking him, oh no, not at all!¡±

    ¡°Bagman ¡­ bad wizard?¡± Hermione asked, squinting. This was really an interesting piece of information.

    In fact, with Crouch¡¯s character, it was difficult for someone to get a high rating from him.

    In his eyes, anyone who was not rigorous against dark magic or Dark wizards was not a good person.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Winky said, nodding her head furiously. ¡°My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying ¡­ Winky keeps her master¡¯s secrets¡­¡±

    She dissolved yet again in tears; they could hear her sobbing into her skirt, ¡°Poor master, poor master, no Winky to help him no more!¡±

    Although it had no effect, Hermione still tried to persuade her not to be so sad and not to worry about Mr. Crouch.

    Evan knew, however, that Winky¡¯s worries were actually justified, and that what she was worried about had really happened.

    With the help of Voldemort and the vampires, Barty Crouch Jr. had broken free, possibly disguising as his own father and mingling into Hogwarts. They were nning a terrible conspiracy, while Barty Crouch himself was facing an uncertain fate.

    Evan thought he might not have died yet. Considering Crouch¡¯s status and him knowing many secrets about the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort should not kill him casually, and Barty Crouch Jr. needed to use his body to make the Polyjuice Potion.

    Crouch should now be locked up somewhere like Moody, staying there weak and helpless.

    For Crouch, who attached great importance to reputation and power, when the truth would be made public, what would happen might be worse than killing him directly.

    Evan did not continue to listen to Hermione¡¯s persuasion. He asked Dobby to take him around the kitchen.

    Dobby was very excited, and as he led Evan, he kept chatting happily about his life as a free elf and his ns for his wages.

    ¡°Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Master Evan!¡± He said happily pointing to his bare chest, ¡°Dobby wants to buy too many clothes; he has to n well¡­¡±

    ¡°I have a lot of small clothes that I can¡¯t wear anymore. I can give them to you!¡± Evan said absently. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you? I think we might have to shrink them a bit to fit you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Master Evan, you are really¡­¡± Dobby was moved and looked at Evan in delight with teary eyes.

    ¡°All right, you know where those clothes are, you can take them yourself!¡± Evan said quickly.

    His eyes fell on Dobby, and then he turned to the locked heavy blue-ck iron door behind him.

    This was the edge of the kitchen. ording to the old drawings that Evan found, this was not the end.

    He couldn¡¯t be sure. After all, the whole pattern had changed too much.

    But since there was a door, then the secret or any clues might be behind this iron gate. He had to go in and have a look.

    ¡°Dobby, what¡¯s behind that door?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Can we go in?!¡±

    ¡°There is a cold storage room, Master Evan!¡± Dobby said, ¡°Of course you can go in, but it is a bit cold inside¡­¡±

    He ran over and opened the iron door, and the cold air hit Evan head on. He couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    The temperature inside the cold storage room was very low, and there was no light in the darkness. It was like a giant beast opening its mouth to eat.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of space in there, Master Evan!¡± Dobby said with a shiver, staring in fear. ¡°Dobby has heard other elves say that this freezer is hundreds of years old, older than anything else. We are now using only a small part of the outside, and the elves are too afraid to go deep into it.¡±

    Evan nodded. A ce that no one had been in for hundreds of years; it was really necessary to go in and check it out.

    He took the Marauder¡¯s Map out of his sleeve, on which this was already the edge of the kitchen.

    It seemed that Harry¡¯s father and Sirius did not enter here at the time and did not draw this part on the map.

    Thinking about the drawings he had found, there should be a lot of space behind this. What secrets were hidden inside?!

    The refrigeration principle of this cold storage was also suspicious. Since it had been used for hundreds of years, there might be a powerful magic at work.

    Evan could feel the faint magic in the air, but not magic he was familiar with.

    ¡°Lumos Maxima!¡± he whispered, putting away the map.

    Evan led Dobby, who kept shivering, into the dark cold storage. The light of the wand dispelled the darkness around him.

    In front of them was a small room that could be seen to the end at a nce, filled with rows of iron shelves.

    All kinds of food were piled up on the shelves, which were often used by house elves.

    ¡°Master Evan, there is a door behind these shelves that leads to the inside!¡± Dobby said.

    He pointed to shelves full of potatoes and it seemed that he had figured out what Evan was going to do.

    Evan nodded and gently raised his wand. All the potatoes and heavy shelves flew into the air andnded somewhere else.

    Behind, there was a loose blue brick wall.

    The house-elves might have built it themselves; the workmanship was too rough.

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 Chapter 603: Heads of House-Elves

    Chapter 603: Heads of House-Elves

    Behind the brick wall was a wide space. As soon as Evan entered, he was shocked. He was facing a huge wall dotted with so many strange things.

    A closer look revealed that they were all wrinkled heads of house-elves. They piled up densely with the same ugly noses.

    These were much more vivid than the row of heads of the house-elves Evan had seen before in the cks¡¯ old house. Under the low temperature preservation, they looked so lifelike, looking at him with their bulging eyes, as though still alive. Many of them had humble faces, with an exaggerated smile that forced the corners of their mouths upward.

    In this case, these smiles went beyond sinister, and no trace of kindness could be sensed through them.

    Imagine the sensory stimtion, shock and pressure that thousands of ugly heads piled together could bring.

    If he didn¡¯t already know that the house-elves had the habit of cutting off their heads and hanging them on walls after death, Evan would have thought that this was the base of some of the most evil Dark wizards, for only those psychopaths would hang such things on the wall.

    Only separated by a wall, on one side was the cold storage for food to Hogwarts, and on the other side was a really hellish showroom of severed heads.

    If the students saw this scene, he didn¡¯t know if they could still eat the food made by the house-elves.

    When Dobby came in behind Evan, he let out a sudden scream and covered his eyes with his right arm.

    Dobby clenched Evan¡¯s robes with the other hand, following him forward trembling, greatly frightened.

    ¡°Master Evan, let¡¯s go back,¡± said Dobby, ¡°Dobby feels ufortable here.¡±

    ¡°Ufortable?!¡± asked Evan. ¡°Isn¡¯t it your tradition to cut off your heads and hang them on the wall?¡±

    As far as he knew, most of the house-elves had that terrible belief, such as Kreacher.

    His biggest dream was to have his head cut off and hung with his ancestors¡¯ in the old house of the cks.

    ¡°Dobby doesn¡¯t like this tradition. Dobby doesn¡¯t hang his head here!¡± Dobby squealed. ¡°Dobby is a free elf. Dobby will be buried like a wizard after he dies¡­ let¡¯s go back, Master Evan!¡±

    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s have a look!¡± said Evan, looking amusedly at the house-elf shivering at his feet.

    He led Dobby through the rows of heads, holding up his wand and carefully looking around.

    The spacious room was cold and quiet. Perhaps because someone cleaned it regrly, there was not a speck of dust on the floor.

    Only those heads on the walls hang quietly there, with strange expressions on their faces.

    Some of the house-elves were solemn, some had a smile, others were angry, and others were very humble¡­

    In a sense, this was the Holy Land of Hogwarts House-Elves.

    These heads on the wall revealed the changes in history and in the status of the house-elves.

    The house-elves in different times dressed differently and had different facial expressions.

    The elves¡¯ heads Evan had seen at the beginning were mostly full of expressions of confidence and had many exaggerated ornaments. Many ornaments had high value, and Evan could even feel the magic from them.

    It was conceivable that the house-elves of that era were rtively rich and possessed considerable personal property.

    This was in the early days of Hogwarts, and before they became ves of wizards, they were a free and independent species.

    Their status was near that of wizards, because they were gentle, peace-loving and possessed rtively strong magic power. The house-elves in that era were the most closely rted non-human intelligent creatures to wizards. They epted the employment of human wizards and acted as assistants to wizards in various fields of magic.

    Evan continued to move forward, recalling the history of the house-elf races she had seen in a book.

    The closer he got to modern times, the humbler the faces of the elves on the wall were, and there were no more ornaments.

    At that time, they were no longer free species, but ves to wizards.

    There were heads hanging on the wall, on which the faces of the house-elves were missing a part or more.

    Each face looked extraordinarily shocking.

    They seemed to have suffered some kind of cruel abuse and permanent damage caused by irreversible magic.

    This was the period when pure blood theory and Dark magic were most prevalent, and house-elves suffered the most from wizards¡¯ persecution.

    Even the house-elves in the schools couldn¡¯t avoid being attacked and abused by students as a means of entertainment.

    It was conceivable how miserable the elves that lived in the pure blood wizard families would be.

    In fact, in those Dark Ages, the same thing happened to other creatures.

    Under such circumstances, many non-human intelligent creatures began to rebel against the brutal rule of human wizards.

    The most famous were the goblin rebellions. They had rebelled many times.

    Thergest and most sessful one urred in 1612, when the goblins used the Three Broomsticks Inn as their headquarters to attack the wizarding world.

    At the beginning of the battle, the crafty goblins were hiding behind the scenes and were ostensibly allies of the wizards.

    But in the dark, they had a secret alliance with the giants and let theme out to make trouble.

    When the army of the Ministry of Magic fought with the giants, the goblins suddenly rebelled and attacked.

    The unexpected changes caused the wizards to be hit hard, and many of them died in the battle.

    The goblins quickly upied the Ministry of Magic and Diagon Alley. Even the pure-blood wizard families had been attacked, and everyone was in danger at that time.

    The final and most tragic stage of the war was the attack on Hogwarts.

    The goblins continued to consolidate the advantages they had gained. They united non-human intelligent creatures such as Centaurs, giants, Merpeople, vampires, as well as arge number of dangerous magical creatures and the help of many evil Dark wizards. Their forces far exceeded those of the wizards¡¯ coalition of the Ministry of Magic.

    The wizards huddled in Hogwarts Castle, and their allies were only house-elves and a few magical creatures.

    The house-elves were the only non-human magical creatures that did not betray the human wizards in the goblin rebellion.

    The Ministry of Magic and the pure-blood wizard families at that time probably promised a lot of things to the house-elves before they convinced them to be their allies.

    There was no way to find out about it, and Evan didn¡¯t know how they did it.

    The only thing that could be known was that the bitter war ended in a draw. The goblins did not sessfully seize Hogwarts, but the wizardingmunity had recognized the independent status of the goblins, Centaurs, Merpeople and other non-human intelligent creatures. They were no longer wizards¡¯ ves.

    Only the status of the house-elves who helped the wizards in the war had not changed. On the contrary, they were confronted with more deformity and severe envement and oppression. Foolish ves to the humans, and traitors to everyone else; at that time, no one spoke for them¡­

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 Chapter 604: Iced Passage

    Chapter 604: Iced Passage

    In the eyes of the goblins, the house-elves were cowardly traitors and were not worthy of forgiveness. The cruelty and miserable life they suffered was entirely their own fault.

    And in the eyes of human wizards, the house-elves were only ves and private property wizards. They had the right to dispose of their own house-elves, even to kill them, regardless of their own thoughts.

    After the goblin rebellions, the house-elves lived a very miserable and dark life.

    Fortunately for them, with the end of the era of pure blood glory and the prevalence of Dark magic, their status improved to some extent.

    Although they were still ves to wizards, there had been a few cases of inhuman persecution.

    However, judging from the treatment Dobby received at the Malfoys, they were still abused.

    The terrible thing was that both the pure-blood wizards and the house-elves took those things for granted.

    Evan hoped that Hermione¡¯s Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare would be able to change this situation, although its effect might end up being negligible.

    He walked fast for five minutes and came to the end of the room.

    There were no heads of house-elves on the front wall. Instead, there was a stonedder extending downward.

    The end of the stonedder was tightly closed by a heavy iron gate.

    ¡°Where does that door lead to?¡± Evan asked, looking around carefully, feeling a little bit wrong.

    He had a panoramic view of the whole room, and this was the only way forward, but he always felt that things were not that simple.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Master Evan, Dobby hasn¡¯t been here before!¡± Dobby answered, looking fearfully at the dark corridor.

    ¡°We can go in and check it outter!¡± Evan paused, and there was a sh of inspiration in his mind. ¡°Hold on, since this cold storage can keep this low temperature, there must be a magic at work, but I don¡¯t feel it here.¡±

    On the contrary, the temperature near this ramp seemed to have risen.

    Evan closed his eyes, felt the magic fluctuations in the air, and led Dobby back.

    He took a few steps and stopped in front of a row of shelves full of mutted, persecuted house-elves¡¯ heads.

    The heads of these elves above the shelves were all more or less missing an organ or suffering some kind of damage, just like Moody¡¯s face.

    Besides, they emitted a strange light blue, which was particrly ghastly and terrible. They all stared ruthlessly at Evan and Dobby with scary, big bulging eyes.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what kind of abuse they had been subjected to, which made them look so horrible with such looks of hatred on their faces.

    Arguably, this kind of expression should not appear on a submissive creature like a house-elf. Even if their owners killed them, they probably wouldn¡¯t reveal this expression¡­

    Dobby howled and covered his eyes again.

    Evan directly ignored it. When he first passed by, he thought it was because of a problem with the form of the anticorrosive potion that made the heads of the house-elves so weird. Now it seemed that was not the case at all. The magic around here was very strong. What should be the exnation?

    Resisting nausea, he used his wand to knock one by one on the blue heads of the house-elves on the shelves

    ¡°Master Evan!¡± Dobby looked at him anxiously, not knowing what he was doing.

    When Evan¡¯s wandnded on the head of the third house-elf on the left with a missing nose, the elf¡¯s frozen eyes suddenly moved.

    He looked at Evan fiercely as if he were going to eat him alive.

    Evan subconsciously stepped back and saw three dark green fires appear in front of him.

    The magic fire quickly rushed to Evan. In Dobby¡¯s scream, Evan lowered his head and avoided the fire.

    He cast <em>Protego</em> on himself at the fastest speed, and the remaining two mes hit the shield, making a repressed sound.

    A few secondster, Evan got up from the ground and looked at the shelf in front of him with horror.

    He didn¡¯t expect to be attacked, but fortunately he had reacted quickly¡­

    It seemed that no matter where he was, he couldn¡¯t take it lightly.

    He cast another protective spell on himself and continued to try to crack the device.

    This time he was lucky. When his wandnded on the fourth head of the house-elf, the whole shelf suddenly trembled and slid to the right to give way for a secret downward passage.

    Dobby let out another scream and looked at the suddenly opening secret passage in surprise.

    For Evan, who had rich experience in castle exploration, he was already familiar with this scene.

    In Hogwarts, secret passages could be hidden anywhere, even bedrooms or the headmaster¡¯s office.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and have a look!¡± said Evan.

    He remained vignt, strengthened the light of his wand, and pulled Dobby down the stairs.

    The passage stretched downward, and the staircases on both sides and on the ground were paved with the distinctive ck rock of Hogwarts Castle, dark, cold, and extraordinarily gloomy, as though absorbing all the light.

    The further he went, the lower the temperature was. Evan noticed that when he breathed, he emitted white mist.

    The ground was slippery with a thinyer of ice on it.

    Under the fluorescent light of the wand, Evan could see that everything had a strange cyan luster.

    That was the color of the frost, here was the world of ice.

    He had a feeling, just like entering one of its own isted ice caves.

    The low temperature of the above cold storage was transmitted from here, and he didn¡¯t know what was underneath.

    ¡°Master Evan,¡± said Dobby, trembling, ¡°Dobby feels cold and ufortable¡­¡±

    Evan looked down and saw that the house-elf was shivering at his feet and curled up into a ball.

    He thought for a moment and gently tapped himself and Dobby¡¯s head with his wand, and a warm current flowed in from where his wand touched, as if a stream of hot water were spinning in their bodies, dispelling the cold around them and warming himself and Dobby.

    With the cold being driven out together with uneasiness and fear, the dark cold storage seemed less terrible.

    Dobby¡¯s face gradually calmed down, but Evan secretly raised his guard.

    He could feel that the strange magic that made the surrounding cold and the temperature lower was gradually increasing.

    After the heads full of hatred of those house-elves and that trap, he had to be careful in the face of this unknown environment.

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 Chapter 605: Devilâ€™s Altar

    Chapter 605: Devil¡¯s Altar

    While on guard, Evan was full of doubts.

    He was not surprised that he could find a hidden passage. There were many such secret ces in Hogwarts Castle.

    For example, Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets, the secret treasures of the Four Founders in the huge statue, and the Room of Requirement. In his first year, he had followed the basilisk through the pipeline and found the Blue Room, somewhere in Ravenw Tower. And there were also many more secret passages.

    Even after a thousand years, there were still many unknown secrets in the castle waiting for future generations to excavate.

    If exploring students were lucky enough, they could gain something in these secret rooms and find rare magic items or magic books left by the ancestors.

    If they were unlucky enough to enter Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets, they must be prepared to be the Basilisk¡¯s food.

    Of course, most of the chambers had nothing inside, or had already copsed into ruins long ago.

    Whatever their purpose, the wizards who built these secret ces were once part of Hogwarts. Most of them were full of goodwill or neutral attitudes. They did not leave dangerous traps, magical creatures, or cursed hidden treasures or tombs.

    But the secret space Evan found in the kitchen floor was extraordinarily different.

    At the entrance, there was a shelf full of heads of persecuted house-elves, and traps were set.

    Along the way, Evan also found many traces of such Dark magic, but because of the long time, these magic had expired.

    Fortunately, they had failed. Otherwise, Evan did not know how many times he would have been attacked now.

    This evil dark style waspletely different from other secret rooms in the school.

    It was conceivable that the wizard who had built this ce was a Dark wizard, with a distorted and dangerous character.

    He probably lived in the early days of Hogwarts, hundreds of years ago, and built this secret passage deep underground in the school for some dark purpose.

    Because he didn¡¯t want to be discovered, he left a lot of ck magic and curses inside and outside the secret passage.

    The truth was, Evan didn¡¯t want to know what a Dark wizard had intended to do a few hundred years ago, and he didn¡¯t n to get into new trouble. He just wondered if it had anything to do with the key to the secret treasure left by Hufflepuff¡­

    He had already got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor, and had some clues and progress about Slytherin and Ravenw.

    Following the two tracks of the Merpeople and the Vampires, he would gain something sooner orter.

    The only key he had no clues about was Hufflepuff¡¯s. Although he had spected that Hufflepuff had left the treasure keys in the custody of a house-elf, this had little effect. The house-elves whose civilization had broken down did not pass down this important secret.

    The house-elves of today and the house-elves of ancient times werepletely two species of different civilizations.

    It was almost impossible to find useful clues from them, and he can only find them by himself.

    With his current situation, Evan was reluctant to give up on anything that might be rted to Hufflepuff.

    He was going to take a look at the end of this secret passage to see what was underneath.

    The temperature in the passage was very low. Evan and Dobby walked for more than ten minutes, and the winding stairs seemed to never end.

    Now, everything around them had beenpletely frozen by the ice, sparkling under the light of Evan¡¯s wand.

    The ground was covered with thick ice, oddly shaped, with not much ce to settle.

    Evan walked very hard, waving his wand to make a foothold for himself.

    The ice was not white like ordinary ice and snow, but had a strange color of blue halo.

    That was because there was magic in it. The ice was not formed naturally, but created by magic.

    The magic in the air was also strong. This was a strange magic rhythm that Evan had never encountered before.

    He was somewhat uneasy, but encountered no real danger.

    This powerful magical reaction made him think of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone involuntarily, but he felt a little bit wrong.

    As for the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan had seen it in four ces: in the Centaurs¡¯ colony Moon Temple, the ruins of the fallen Centaurs city, the underground gold caves in the mountains around Beauxbatons, and the silent Temples in the swamps. Everything in them was more shocking than here.

    If this ice magic really used the Philosopher¡¯s Stone as its source of magic, its power should not be small. Even if the entirety of Hogwarts were frozen, Evan would not feel it would be strange.

    But if it weren¡¯t the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, then what was the source of this magic?

    It stood to reason that without a stable source of magic, and over time, no matter how strong the magic spells were, they would gradually lose effectiveness.

    Powerful wizards might keep this process as long as possible, but it would neverst for hundreds of years. The ineffective ck magic Evan saw along the passage was enough to prove this.

    The Dark wizard who built this ce did not have the strength to keep his magic for that long. Even if he could, the magic power he left behind would be too weak to mention, not as strong as it is now.

    With many doubts, Evan and Dobby went down to the bottom, and at the end of the passage was an ice wall.

    ¡°Master Evan¡­¡± said Dobby worriedly, looking at the thick ice wall in front of him at a loss.

    What worried him was what was inside the ice wall. A circr altar-shaped building could be seen vaguely.

    There was a statue in front of the building. From time to time, blue light and intricate magic runes appeared in the middle area.

    Evan did not act rashly to break the ice wall. Hey prone on the ice wall and looked inside for a while. The more he looked, the more he felt bad.

    ording to the information he got from his magic book, it might be a devil¡¯s altar in the ice wall!

    Following this train of thought, Evan suddenly understood everything.

    Why was there such a powerful magic reaction here for so long?

    The Dark wizard who built this site intended to summon the devil underneath Hogwarts, and from the many traces around him, he had sessfully summoned it once.

    All the magic that made Evan feel strange and uneasy was the power of the devil.

    A devil altar, which was a very, very evil ck magic, should definitely be banned.

    Indeed, demonic magic was the strongest branch of ck magic, and it was once prevalent in the Dark Ages of the Middle Ages and earlier.

    Finally, because this kind of magic was too evil and too esoteric, it gradually disappeared from the wizarding world.

    In the book ¡°Secrets of the Darkest Art¡±, two simple methods of summoning demons were recorded.

    Starting from those two, Evan had studied this aspect and read many magic books.

    The more he knew, the more he could realize how devilish and terrible the Dark magic was.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 606: Demon Dark Magic

    Chapter 606: Demon Dark Magic

    ¡°Master Evan, let¡¯s go back, Dobby is afraid!¡± Dobby said trembling, feeling fear.

    Unlike before, his fear was no longer from darkness and ice, but from the strange circr building in front of him.

    Even with a thick ice wall between them, Dobby didn¡¯t feel much at ease. He sped tightly to Evan¡¯s robes, his big bulb eyes staring nervously at the altar behind the azure blue ice wall.

    Seeing the cyan light shining above the altar, Dobby shrank back and hid behind Evan.

    He didn¡¯t know that it was an altar to summon the devil, but felt fear and pressure by instinct that told him it was dangerous to stay here any longer.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Evan, Dobby would have run away!

    Unlike Dobby who felt nothing but fear, Evan became a little excited after a brief shock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dobby!¡± he said softly, and stepped closer to the ice wall. ¡°The thing inside can¡¯te out. We¡¯re safe. A devil altar that has been sessfully activated, this is a rare research opportunity!¡±

    Evan looked at the devil altar behind the ice wall with interest, as well as the light and magic runes that shed on it from time to time.

    All signs showed that this was an active devil altar.

    In fact, he never expected to find such a thing in Hogwarts, which was too rare.

    Even if he didn¡¯t find a clue about Hufflepuff¡¯s treasure, this devil altar alone was a big harvest.

    If other young wizards were present, they might just turn around and flee in a hurry to tell the school professors about it.

    But Evan didn¡¯t intend to do that, at least not until he understood the whole principle of the altar.

    He was also worried that it would be a powerful and aggressive Dark magic, but when he saw the demon¡¯s Altar, he waspletely relieved.

    From the point of view of evil and taboo, the existence of demon¡¯s Devil Altar totally exceeded that of the vast majority of Dark magic.

    But this thing was not dangerous, as long as the demon was not summoned out, nothing would happen.

    On the other hand, only by meeting the corresponding conditions and paying the right price could the altar be used to summon its demon.

    With Evan¡¯s understanding of the demon ck magic, he knew that the value of an active devil altar was no less than a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    From the perspective of magic research, the value and significance of this altar were even more unimaginable.

    In fact, demon magic had once flourished, and was the most important magic branch mastered by ancient warlocks.

    They created and summoned many powerful demons to enve them, making these magical creatures their own ves.

    Regardless of whether or not they specialized in this, almost every ancient warlock had his own demon, the most famous of which was King Solomon and his demons known as his seventy-two pirs.

    The legendary stories about them had also been circted among Muggles for thousands of years.

    In Muggles¡¯ eyes, Solomon was the third king of the ancient kingdom of Israel, frequently appearing in Biblical records.

    But in the eyes of the wizarding world, he was a powerful ancient warlock like Prophet Abraham.

    However, his status and strength were below those of his predecessor.

    The greatest feat of Solomon was the construction of the temple, in which he was said to have ced the Ark of the Covenant of Moses and the Israelites. It was a legendary magic item with a very special status and significance, even considered as a symbol of God¡¯s presence.

    Besides, there were seventy-two pirs in the hall of the temple, which sealed the seventy-two demons created by King Solomon.

    These seventy-two demons were also known as the seventy-two pirs of the demons, and the giant pirs that sealed them were also the altars that summoned demons.

    King Solomon ruled his territory by relying on the Ark of the Covenant and the 72 demon gods. No one dared to resist his rule.

    Thissted until his death, when the seventy-two pirs of the demon fell apart andpletely disappeared from the world, and along with them the country he had ruled.

    The descendantspiled the <em>Lesser Key of Solomon</em> ording to the seventy-two pirs of the Temple Hall, which detailed the method of Solomon¡¯s summoning of the seventy-two demons.

    Unfortunately, this book was also finally lost in the long river of history.

    Solomon and the demons he created and summoned are only an outstanding representative of demon magic. After his death, ancient magicians continued to develop and expand this magic and summoned all kinds of extremely powerful demons. Theybined demonic magic with other magic categories in an attempt to create more powerful creatures until they called out evil spirits.

    After that, the splendid ancient magic civilization dominated by ancient warlocks quickly disappeared, leaving only legends and ruins to be passed down to the world.

    Although the ancient warlocks had disappeared, the remaining demonic magic was inherited and considered as a kind of ck magic.

    Due to the loss of many important books and theck of such powerful magic and magical materials to make altars, the demons summoned by wizards were far less powerful than the evil gods of ancient warlocks, and the method of summoning was more evil and bloody.

    As a remedy for theck of material and theck of magic, Dark wizards chose sacrifices for the demons, the most popr of which was human beings, and more precisely human wizards!

    Dark wizards believed that the stronger the power of the wizard as a sacrifice was, the greater the power of the summoned demon was.

    Or else they had another way, which was to choose a witch under the age of fifteen.

    The purer the girl¡¯s body and mind, the more beautiful she looked; the more she could attract the attention of powerful demons.

    ording to different methods of summoning, the selection criteria of sacrifices were different, but they were generally such a set of deformed evil theories.

    After a brief revival in the dark Middle Ages, this twisted dark magic was quickly abandoned by the mainstream of the wizarding world, prohibiting any wizards from conducting research.

    The most Evan could find now was the decree of the Ministry of Magic and International Confederation of Wizards on the prohibition of studying the demon ck magic, and all the magic books rted to it had been burned.

    Up to now, the demon ck magic had been very unpopr.

    Even if any evil dark wizard wanted to use it, it was unlikely he could find relevant information.

    The two methods of summoning demons recorded in <em>Secrets of the Darkest Art</em> could only summon lower demons.

    Besides this book, Evan could find all the basic information about the demon Dark magic.

    It only recorded the rudimentary knowledge. No matter how he studied it, he could only know at most was superficial.

    Evan was very interested in this kind of magic, but had not been able to conduct in-depth research on it.

    If he relied on the superficial knowledge at hand to summon a demon, then that would purely mean looking for death!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 607: Demon Statue

    Chapter 607: Demon Statue

    The main difficulty in summoning demons is to sessfully build a demon altar and then create a pure magical creature.

    The construction of the demon altar was very difficult and required a lot of materials and evil, bloody sacrifices.

    Evan could neither collect nor use most of these things.

    Needless to say, the process of building the demon altar and the first summoning of the demon was very dangerous and prone to have idents.

    If not careful while using this kind of deep Dark magic, he could lose his life.

    With Evan¡¯s current superficial knowledge, there was no hope of sess at all.

    With all kinds of unfavorable factors superposed, he would naturally not try the summoning method recorded in <em>Secrets of the Darkest Art</em>.

    But if there was a sessfully activated demon altar, most of the problems could be solved, and there would not be so many concerns.

    As long as the conditions were met, the demon created by the altar could be summoned.

    All that needed to be done was to satisfy the requirements of this altar and use magic to enve the summoned demon.

    With Evan¡¯s current strength, there was a great chance of sess.

    Evil and taboo aside, demon magic was very powerful, far more than the general sense of dark magic.

    Controlling a powerful demon could help wizards ovee most of their opponents.

    From the magical traces around it, this demon altar could summon a high-ranking demon with ice attack ability.

    With such a powerful assistant, Evan would not have had so much trouble in thest battle against the Manticore. He wouldn¡¯t have had to wait that long and find Caresius¡¯s help to get into the ruins.

    A demon could help Evan do many things that he could not do before. He had a lot of people behind him, but a few of them could really help him.

    In fact, after seeing this demon altar, he was somewhat moved.

    However, what needed to be done now was not to call out demons. There were still many things to be understood.

    ¡°Dobby, let¡¯s go in and have a look!¡± said Evan.

    He walked down the steps and pointed his wand on the ice wall in front of him.

    At the end of his wand, white mist kepting out, and soon, the thick ice wall melted out making an entrance.

    Evan led Dobby in. Though feeling shocked, he had a clearer visual understanding of the whole picture of the entire demon altar.

    The altar was made up of huge stones, forming a concentric circr shape, which was more magnificent than it looked from the outside.

    The stones were roughly rectangr, standing upright above the ground, more than ten feet high.

    On top of the adjacent stones, there was another stone lying on the top, or across two or four, arranged in a strange pattern.

    Several important locations seemed to be rted toary changes, not shapes that had no meaning.

    The top of the stone wall was irregrly filled with grotesque holes, iid with gems, emitting a faint glow.

    The most striking thing was the center of the concentric circle, which was made up of a whole piece of cyan boulder.

    The boulder was painted with dark golden magic symbols andplex lines, and the whole body shone with light blue light from time to time.

    Every time the light blue light shed, a lot of cold air, with extremely low temperature, was released to meet the surrounding air, arousing a lot of white mist.

    Even with the protection of magic, Evan felt a chill approaching him.

    He pulled Dobby carefully behind the boulders to avoid the ice fog. After the fog disappeared, he continued to move forward, bypassing the boulders to the core of the altar, and saw the giant demon statue he had seen from the outer steps.

    Before there was an ice wall, and he could only see it vaguely. Now when he went inside, he noticed that it was like a house-elf. More urately, it was a demon with a variant form based on a house-elf.

    This house-elf had blue skin; and on his face, there was not the humble, ttering smile that Evan was familiar with.

    On the contrary, with some indescribable cruelty, there was a slight sneer at the corners of his mouth. His hands were slightly raised upward, making a strange gesture.

    Evan carefully observed the statue, and no ident, the demon that the altar could summon was this fellow.

    What he didn¡¯t expect was that this demon would actually be a house elf!

    He had to admit that the Dark wizard who built this ce had a really unique taste and hobbies.

    Evan did not enter the center of the concentric circle that shed blue light from time to time. He used the outer boulders as a cover and turned around the entire altar.

    There were signs of a connection between this demon altar and Hogwarts¡¯ house-elves.

    Every now and then it appeared here for no reason, and there was definitely a hidden secret behind it.

    On the stone tform in front of the statue, which was used to ce the sacrifices, were carved dense ancient magic inscriptions.

    Not surprisingly, it should record the origin of the demon and the tribute to summon it.

    These ancient magical texts were not too unpopr, but it would still take time to crack them all.

    He recorded all these words and magic symbols on the ground, searched the altar carefully, and then left the ce with Dobby, ready to study them all and take the next step.

    Dobby finally breathed a sigh of relief and watched with trepidation as the cab filled with the heads of blue house-elves returned to its original ce,pletely blocking the entrance to the passage.

    He finally came out from the terrible ce below, and he vowed never to go there again.

    Evan warned Dobby not to tell anyone about today. An activated demon altar, if known about, would soon get the ce filled with Aurors sent by the Ministry of Magic to investigate.

    Before leaving the underground icehouse, Evan also looked at the room that had been closed by heavy iron gates. Inside was the ancient Hogwarts water intake system, which was still in use today.

    In the room, he could see canals paved with bluestone and many modern pipelineworks.

    Under the influence of magic, water flowed from the ground and was supplied to the whole castle through here.

    As soon as Evan and Dobby entered, they could hear the sound of water flowing.

    Under the light of the wand, he found that the canal was very wide and the top was connected with the main pipe of the castle.

    The inlet end extended all the way to the ground, and there was no end to the darkness.

    Unexpectedly, through the water surface, a stonedder could be seen in the ce where the channel extended downward.

    This showed that when the canal had first been designed, people could enter it. But Evan didn¡¯t know what was hidden underneath.

    Evan didn¡¯t know the designer¡¯s principles, nor was he interested in drilling into dark underground pipes.

    After checking it again and finding no clues, he left with Dobby.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 608: Busy Time

    Chapter 608: Busy Time

    When Evan and Dobby returned to the kitchen, Hermione was frowning and sitting there, Winky still beside her.

    She buried her face in her hands, tears streaming down the gaps between her fingers.

    Things hadn¡¯t changed much from what they had been before Evan left, or worse. Winky looked even sadder!

    Hermione seems to have given up trying to persuade her, and she painfully looked at the house-elves in the distance.

    More than a hundred house-elves were hiding far from the wall, as if they were scared, but did not dare to leave.

    They stared at Hermione in panic with wide eyes, in which only fear, humbleness, and obedience could be seen.

    Evan sighed. These house-elves now were quite different from their ancestors he had seen below. Centuries of very hadpletely distorted their hearts and they fundamentally abandoned the idea of ?? independence and freedom.

    Although their appearance had not changed, these house-elves and their ancestors werepletely different species.

    They were the ves of the wizards, the willing ves, nothing more.

    ¡°I interviewed them and got to know their opinions. I just asked a few key questions. They all ran away!¡± Hermione sighed and turned and asked, ¡°By the way, what were you two doing just now?¡±

    ¡°Dobby showed me around and I made a lot of interesting discoveries.¡±

    Seeing Evan¡¯s expression, Hermione did not continue to ask. She knew why Evan was here. Since it was an interesting discovery, it was not suitable to talk about it here.

    Her eyebrows stretched out and her attention turned back to the house-elves, annoyed at their performance.

    A few minutester, when Evan and Hermione were preparing to leave, the house-elves who had been trembling by the wall came back. They pressed in upon them, offering snacks to take back upstairs.

    Hermione refused, with a pained look at the way the elves kept bowing and curtsying, but Evan loaded his pockets with cream cakes and pies. Climbing on the icedder just now had consumed a lot of his energy.

    ¡°Goodbye, Master Evan!¡± Dobby waved and said, ¡°Goodbye, Miss Granger!¡±

    ¡°Good night, Dobby!¡± said Evan, ¡°Remember to go up and take the clothes I gave you.¡±

    When he heard him, Dobby beamed.

    Hermione also waved at Dobby and nced at other humble house-elves.

    ¡°I¡¯ve just thought about it carefully. I think the best thing to happen to those house-elves is for them to observe Dobby more,¡± said Hermione, leading the way back up the marble staircase. ¡°I mean, the other elves will see how happy he is, being free, and slowly it will dawn on them that they want that too!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. If you want to help the house-elves fight for their rights and interests, the first thing you need to change is their own abnormal idea of being enved,¡± said Evan, filling his mouth with pie. ¡°Dobby might be able to y a leading role. It¡¯s unlikely, but it¡¯s better than you acting rashly. Let¡¯s hope they don¡¯t look down too much at Winky.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll cheer up too,¡± said Hermione, though she sounded a bit doubtful. ¡°Once the shock is worn off, and she¡¯s got used to Hogwarts, she¡¯ll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man!¡±

    ¡°I hope so!¡± Evan nodded. If she had stayed in Crouch¡¯s house she might have been killed. From this perspective, Winky should indeed be happy.

    For the next few days, Evan was thinking about the house-elf demon under the kitchen. He read a lot of information in the library, but did not find any clues.

    Relying on the information at hand, it was almost impossible to investigate a Dark wizard who lived in Hogwarts hundreds of years ago, not to mention the more mysterious demon altar. Evan could not find relevant information.

    In the end, he could only focus his attention on deciphering the ancient magic text he had brought back.

    Compared to the information of the ancient warlock era found in the swamp ruins, the cracking of these magical texts was not so difficult.

    Evan went under the kitchen alone to observe several times to make sure there were no omissions.

    Although these magical writings were hundreds of years old, most of the magic civilizations at that time were in line with today¡¯s concept of magic.

    It was only a matter of time before he could crack this magic script.

    Also worried about the house-elves was Hermione, who didn¡¯t report Dobby¡¯s story in the end.

    She epted Evan¡¯s suggestion and was ready to focus on changing the mindset of the house-elves as the next step.

    In the midst of a busy schedule, time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was December.

    The start of December brought wind and sleet to Hogwarts. Drafty though the castle always was in winter, everyone was d of its fires and thick walls every time they passed the Durmstrang ship on theke, which was pitching in the high winds, its ck sails billowing against the dark skies.

    Many people thought Durmstrang¡¯s mobile home must be cold enough.

    No wonder Krum ran to the school library when he had nothing to do, while the other students from Durmstrang were used to spending time in Slytherin¡¯s Common Room. They got along well.

    Compared with Durmstrang¡¯s students, the students from Beauxbatons were more ustomed to staying in their carriage.

    Only Gabrielle was an exception, she was very popr in the Gryffindor Common Room, second only to Fred and George.

    Fleur never came, and she seemed to be very confident entrusting her sister to Evan.

    The school was calm, everyone seemed to have recovered from the shock brought by the dragon, and began to look forward to the next task.

    Evan noticed that Hagrid was keeping Madame Maxime¡¯s horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey. The fumes wafting from the trough in the corner of their paddock was enough to make the entire Care of Magical Creatures ss light-headed.

    This was unhelpful, as they were still tending the horrible skrewts and needed their wits about them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether they hibernate or not,¡± Hagrid told the shivering ss in the windy pumpkin patch next lesson. ¡°I thought we¡¯d just try and see if they fancied a kip ¡­ we¡¯ll just settle them down in these boxes¡­¡±

    There were only ten skrewts left. Apparently their desire to kill one another had not been exercised out of them.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 609: Band-Ended Skoots

    Chapter 609: Band-Ended Skoots

    Each of the skrewts was now approaching six feet in length. Their thick gray armor; their powerful, scuttling legs; their fire-sting ends; their stings and their suckers,bined to make the skrewts the most repulsive things Evan had ever seen.

    The students looked dispiritedly at the enormous boxes Hagrid had brought out, all lined with pillows and fluffy nkets.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just lead them in here,¡± Hagrid said, ¡°and put the lids on, and we¡¯ll see what happens.¡±

    But the skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in.

    They probably thought it would be very boring. As soon as the lid was closed, the st-Ended Skrewts suddenly became violent.

    After a few bangs and screams, Hagrid yelled ¡°Don¡¯t panic, now, don¡¯t panic!¡± while the Skrewts rampaged around the pumpkin patch, now strewn with the smoldering wreckage of the boxes.

    Many students had fled into Hagrid¡¯s cabin through the back door, and Evan, Colin, Ginny, Gabrielle and other ssmates remained outside trying to help Hagrid.

    Together they managed to restrain and tie up the ten skrewts, though at the cost of numerous burns and cuts.

    In Evan¡¯s view, Hagrid was simply going further and further on the road to disaster.

    These skrewts were gradually getting out of his control and became dangerous creatures like the Manticore.

    The sensible way to deal with these skrewts was to kill them before they killed anyone. But Evan was sure that Hagrid would never do this.

    In fact, he did not me Hagrid for his choice. He devoted more and more energy to the study of dangerous magic.

    In fact, after bringing back the ancient magic text to decipher it, Evan was also ready to summon a demon.

    Although there were sufficient reasons, the matter itself was terrible, evil, and incredible.

    If someone had told Evan about these things in his first year, he would definitely think that person was mad!

    At that time, his understanding of Dark Magic was still on the level of waving the wand and casting a few spells.

    The Avada Kedavra was really powerful and effective, but not as evil as imagined.

    Evan thought Dark magic was no more than that, but with a deeper understanding of magic, he discovered that he was wrong.

    In order to be stronger, Voldemort did more cruel things on himself than what most wizards could imagine.

    Evan was sure that Voldemort had also summoned a demon, but what he did with the devil was definitely beyond everyone¡¯s expectations.

    Back to Hagrid, who was now likely to be killed by more and more violent skrewts at any time. Or worse, that is, these things were reported by Rita Skeeter.

    After the end of the first task, the woman did not leave school to return to London.

    She camped around Hogwarts, looking for all the opportunities she could take advantage of, hoping to get more exciting news.

    Evan knew she was an illegal Animagus and wanted to catch her when she became a bug. Or, more directly, give her a good beating and make her stop talking nonsense.

    But Evan couldn¡¯t do that. He also doubted whether this could be effective.

    Even in the face of the Ministry of Magic, Fudge and Dumbledore, Rita Skeeter did not hesitate to spread rumors.

    Perhaps only a Dark wizard like Voldemort, who killed people at will, could make her feel frightened.

    Evan had nned to bring out the fact that Rita Skeeter was an illegal Animagus, but this woman was very careful and never deformed when someone was around. She never approached a strong wizard in a deformed state.

    Obviously, Evan was one of the people she was determined not to approach.

    Evan couldn¡¯t follow her everywhere around the school, waiting for her to transform. He didn¡¯t have time for that.

    Looking at Rita Skeetering from the edge of the Forbidden Forest, he thought it was time for Dobby to practice!

    ¡°Well, well, well ¡­ this does look like fun.¡±

    Rita Skeeter came over and leaned on Hagrid¡¯s garden fence, watching everyone join forces to trap a skrewt into the box.

    She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple cor, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Hagrid asked Rita Skeeter as he slipped a loop of rope around the skrewt¡¯s sting and tightened it.

    ¡°Rita Skeeter, <em>Daily Prophet</em> reporter.¡± Rita replied, beaming at him. Her gold teeth glinted.

    ¡°I remember you. Dumbledore said you weren¡¯t allowed inside the school anymore,¡± said Hagrid, frowning slightly as he got off the slightly squashed skrewt and started tugging it over to its fellows.

    Rita acted as though she hadn¡¯t heard what Hagrid had said, and she asked, beaming still more widely, ¡°What are these fascinating creatures called?¡±

    ¡°st-Ended Skrewts,¡± grunted Hagrid.

    ¡°Really?!¡± said Rita, apparently full of lively interest. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them before ¡­ where do theye from?¡±

    If possible, Evan wished Hagrid would stop talking.

    He walked over and gently stepped on Hagrid¡¯s foot. Thetter stopped and looked at Evan in confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯re here too, Evan!¡± said Rita Skeeter as she looked around. ¡°So, you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you?¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t want to talk to her. He was ready to drag Hagrid back, but when he looked up and saw Hagrid beaming at him expectantly, he had to nod. ¡°Yes, many of us like this course. Hagrid is a good teacher!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Lovely,¡± said Rita. ¡°Really lovely. Been teaching long?¡±

    ¡°This is only my second year,¡± said Hagrid, a dull red flush rising up out of Hagrid¡¯s wild ck beard out of excitement.

    ¡°Lovely ¡­ I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d like to give an interview and share some of your experience of magical creatures, would you? The <em>Daily Prophet</em> does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I¡¯m sure you know. We could feature these ¡­ er ¡­ Band-Ended Scoots.¡±

    ¡°st-Ended Skrewts,¡± Hagrid said eagerly. ¡°I¡¯d like to be interviewed and share my experience of taking care of these cute little guys. Evan¡¯s newspaper has done it many times, but I think the <em>Daily Prophet</em> may be better!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯ll meet in the Three Broomsticks on Friday for a good long interview,¡± said Rita with satisfaction, turning her head to Evan, ¡°I¡¯ve already written about the first task and your oveing of the dragon. You¡¯ll like what I think of you, Evan. however, I still need to know¡­¡±

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 Chapter 610: The Yule Ball

    Chapter 610: The Yule Ball

    Evan pulled Hagrid around and left, not caring about what Rita wanted to know

    He was sure that no matter how Rita Skeeter evaluated him, he would not like it.

    That woman could twist everything, whether for the good or for the bad, it was not what Evan wanted to see.

    He needed to keep a low profile now, and he didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of Rita and the Death Eaters when Voldemort was about to return.

    Thinking about it, it had been so long since the first task ended. Hogwarts Magic report on the task had been published long ago, but Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet seemed not to be in a hurry at all.

    Obviously, their focus was not at all on the task.

    Evan was not ready to give Rita Skeeter a chance to twist information, and it was a dead end to have a long talk with her like Hagrid.

    When Evan told Harry, Ron, and Hermione about it, the three of them also agreed with his point of view.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Evan, she will twist everything Hagrid says,¡± said Harry anxiously.

    ¡°Just as long as he didn¡¯t import those skrewts illegally or anything,¡± said Hermione. They looked at one another; it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do.

    It was impossible for him to get Fire Crabs from regr channels. They were magical species protected by the Fijian Ministry of Magic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hagrid has been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore has not sacked him,¡± said Ron consolingly. ¡°The worst that can happen is Hagrid will have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry ¡­ did I say worst? I meant best.¡±

    Everyoneughed and felt a lot more cheerful.

    Next, Evan began to look down on the ancient magic words, and Hermione also took out a lot of parchment to write and draw.

    After Harry and Ron finished their homework, they picked up two of Fred and George¡¯s fake wands and began a sword fight.

    They fought fiercely, and a group of people gathered around tough and watch.

    Professor McGonagall had informed everyone that they must gather at the Common Room at 8 o¡¯clock this evening, so everyone did not run around.

    ¡°Potter! Weasley!¡± Professor McGonagall said angrily, walking into the Common Room, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    The two looked up in surprise, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock.

    ¡°Can you be kind enough to act your age?¡± said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry¡¯s haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor. Ron¡¯s parrot¡¯s beak had severed it moments before. They looked up at Professor McGonagall in fear.

    ¡°Sit down over there; I have something to say to you all.¡± Professor McGonagall red at them again and turned her eyes to the others in the Common Room. ¡°Maybe you all know that the Yule Ball is approaching. This is a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above, although you may invite a younger student if you wish.¡±

    Evan blinked and unconsciously turned to look at Hermione, but Hermione didn¡¯t look at him.

    She looked at Professor McGonagall in dismay, not even noticing that the parchment she had dropped to the floor.

    Evan also put down the parchment full of ancient magic words and looked at Hermione for a while, suddenly a little nervous.

    Since December entered, the Yule Ball had been put on the agenda.

    Everyone needed to find their own partner. Normally, it was the boy who invited the girl, but Evan did not seem to have this qualification.

    He was only a third year, and if no one invited him, he couldn¡¯t go to the ball at all.

    So, would Hermione invite him?

    After hearing Professor McGonagall¡¯s words, the Common Room suddenly became excited.

    Everyone was muttering, especially the girls, and many of them had a sharp giggle.

    ¡°Dress robes will be worn,¡± Professor McGonagall reacted a bit dissatisfied, but she did not stop them and continued, ¡°The ball will start at eight o¡¯clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now the ¡­¡±

    She paused and looked at everyone calmly.

    ¡°The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to ¡­ er ¡­ let our hair down and rx,¡± she said, in a disapproving voice.

    The girls, especially Lavender Brown, giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound.

    Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.

    Everyone was imagining how she would let her hair down!

    ¡°Hmm, but that does not mean,¡± Professor McGonagall went on, ¡°that we will be rxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way.¡±

    Then, instead of managing the mess in the Common Room, she waved to Ron.

    ¡°Weasley,e here for a minute. I have something to say to you.¡±

    She led Ron out into the empty corridor, where they could still hear the excited shoutsing from inside.

    Ron stared nervously at Professor McGonagall, wondering what she was going to say to him.

    ¡°Weasley, the champions have their own partners!¡± Professor McGonagall said, ¡°You must invite a partner.¡±

    ¡°Partner?!¡± Ron was taken aback. ¡°What partner, I don¡¯t dance!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say stupid things, you have to dance,¡± said Professor McGonagall irritably. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball. You have to find yourself a dance partner, Weasley!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dancing!¡±

    ¡°You have to, it is traditional,¡± said Professor McGonagall firmly. ¡°You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner. That¡¯s all. You can go back!¡±

    When Ron returned, everyone was still talking about it.

    Everyone was very excited, talking about the Yule Ball and partners. Everyone was choosing their own goals.

    Evan, who was not qualified to invite others, could only sit there. He hoped Hermione could invite him.

    Hermione didn¡¯t seem to mean this, or, rather, didn¡¯t intend to invite Evan when there were so many people.

    Now everyone was discussing, but no one was acting rashly. Everyone was waiting¡­

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 Chapter 611: Unexpected Challenges

    Chapter 611: Unexpected Challenges

    The news that Hogwarts would hold the Yule Ball was like dropping a bomb on the calm water.

    In the past, the number of people who stayed at school at Christmas was always very small.

    This year was different. Everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be eager to participate.

    As for the first to third year students, they were also trying to get themselves in. Everyone was obsessed with theing ball, or at least all the girls were.

    The boys were amazed how many girls Hogwarts seemed to be going.

    They were all dressed up and became more beautiful and more attractive than ever. The girls were giggling and whispering in the corridors. Whenever boys passed by them, they shrieked withughter, and they excitedlypared notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night¡­

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand these girls!¡± said Ron with a sigh.

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ why do they have to move in packs?!¡± Harry said as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry and Ron. ¡°If this is the case all the time, how are you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?¡±

    ¡°Lasso one!¡± Ron hesitated and said, ¡°Got any idea who you¡¯re going to try?¡±

    Harry didn¡¯t answer. He knew perfectly well whom he would like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else.

    In fact, Cho Chang was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch yer; she was also very popr, and she seemed to be¡­

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about who to invite, but you should have no problem, Ron!¡± Harry finally said. ¡°You¡¯re a champion. You¡¯ve just beaten a dragon. I bet they¡¯ll be queuing up to go with you.¡±

    ¡°I hope so. Evan is definitely going with Hermione; he doesn¡¯t have to worry about this!¡±

    Ron¡¯s prediction was simply not urate, and Evan was also getting upset about it.

    He thought Hermione would invite him. After all they had gone through together, he felt he had to be Hermione¡¯s partner.

    However, this was not the case. Hermione had not said anything about this since the day the news was released.

    She didn¡¯t talk about the dance with Evan and even left whenever he mentioned the topic.

    The way Hermione looked was purely as if nothing had ever happened, concentrating on studying house-elves.

    What on earth was going on? The girl¡¯s mind is really hard to guess!

    Evan was not short of an invitation from a girl, he just wanted Hermione to invite him.

    With Evan¡¯s fame and performance in school, too many girls wanted to have him join in.

    Just as he and Colin rushed to Transfiguration ss, a fifth-year Ravenw girl to whom he had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her. This was the third time today.

    Evan refused without even thinking about it. The girl walked off looking rather hurt.

    ¡°She was quite good-looking,¡± said Colin fairly, looking at the girl¡¯s back.

    ¡°Forget it; she¡¯s much taller than me. I don¡¯t like girls taller than me!¡± Evan replied.

    ¡°If only someone had invited me. My brother and I want to go to the ball too.¡±

    Colin and his brother Dennis had other worries about the Yule Ball. They were not old enough, so they had to find senior girls who were willing to invite them. Otherwise, they would not be able to attend the Yule Ball and would have to go home. Or even worse, lie in the bedroom on Christmas Day¡­

    Both Colin and Dennis did not give up and were actively looking for opportunities.

    But in fact, their chances of attending the ball were very low. There were obviously more boys than girls in Hogwarts.

    Girls in years one to three also faced the same problem, but their condition was better.

    In terms of the proportion of boys to girls, many of them might have the chance to go to the ball.

    In this case, it was necessary to take the initiative, and the juniors girls were looking for suitable candidates.

    Krum, for example, was the most popr. Many girls liked him because he was a champion, and had a great reputation.

    They surrounded Krum, looking for every possible opportunity to rush up and introduce themselves¡­

    Ginny didn¡¯t run around the castle with her peers looking for popr candidates.

    Colin didn¡¯t understand, but Evan knew what was going on with Ginny.

    She liked Harry, and so far, she hoped to be his partner. This possibility was very low. Harry had no idea about Ginny¡¯s feelings at all.

    He and Ron were now together every day, muttering, nning for Ron and doing some useless things.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Professor McGonagall patted the table and said unhappily, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, but please don¡¯t bring this mood into the ssroom. If anyone doesn¡¯t listen attentively, I¡¯ll invite them out!¡±

    The ckboard was full of text. The main content of this lesson was: <em>¡®Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches¡¯.</em>

    This was very important content, but everyone¡¯s mind was not on it.

    Professor McGonagall made a speech and after seeing that everyone was not focused, and then continued to turn around and exin the main points.

    During the group practice, she did not let the students idle until thest second before ss was over.

    As Christmas approached, the students¡¯ mood was getting harder and harder to stabilize.

    It was bing more and more difficult to concentrate on listening to lectures.

    Some of the teachers, like Professor Flitwick, saw that the students were obviously absent-minded, so they simply stopped trying to teach.

    But many professors, like Professor McGonagall, were not so generous.

    Nothing would ever deflect Professor Binns, for example, from plowing on through his notes on goblin rebellions. As Binns hadn¡¯t let his own death stand in the way of continuing to teach, they supposed a small thing like Christmas wasn¡¯t going to put him off. It was amazing how he could make even bloody and vicious goblin riots sound as boring as Percy¡¯s cauldron-bottom report.

    Not to mention Snape, who adjusted the contents of the Potions sses for all years to make antidotes.

    Staring nastily around at them all, he informed them that he would be testing them on poison antidotes during thest lesson of the term.

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 Chapter 612: A Piece of Cake

    Chapter 612: A Piece of Cake

    Snape will not really poison the students, but if he lets someone spend Christmas in bed, he can still do it.

    If no qualified antidote was prepared, this risk can ur at any time.

    Especially for students above the fourth year, they couldn¡¯t miss the Yule Ball because of Snape¡¯s poison.

    ¡°Evil, he is!¡± Ron said angrily in the Gryffindor Common Room. ¡°Springing a test on us on thest day. Ruining thest bit of term with a whole load of studying.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?¡± said Hermione, looking at him over the top of her Potions notes.

    Ron was busy building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack, a much more interesting pastime than with Muggle cards, because of the chance that the whole thing would blow up at any second.

    ¡°Please, Hermione, it¡¯s Christmas,¡± said Harryzily; he was rereading <em>Flying with the Cannons</em> for the tenth time in an armchair near the fire.

    He sat in an armchair by the fire and read ¡°Flying with the Artillery Team¡± for the tenth time.

    Hermione turned her head and looked severely over at him.

    ¡°Christmas?!¡± Hermione said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to vomit and lie in bed all vacation, you have to concentrate on making antidotes ording to Snape¡¯s requirements. He¡¯s sure to poison you, Harry, he said he would and no one can help you!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Harry said nonchntly as he watched Joey Jenkins of the Cannons belt a Bludger toward a Ballycastle Bats Chaser.

    ¡°Yeah, if we can¡¯t find a partner, maybe we shouldn¡¯t be at that damn ball,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°You have to participate, Ron, you are a champion!¡± Hermione stared at him with anger.

    ¡°Just kidding.¡± Ron didn¡¯t dare to look at Hermione. He dodged backwards to show that he knew about it.

    When Hermione lowered her head again to study her Potions notes, he lowered his voice and asked Harry, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with her?¡±

    Hermione looked more violent than usual, and the words ¡°<em>Don¡¯t mess with me</em>¡± could be read clearly off her face.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t find a partner. I heard Evan say that they haven¡¯t talked about this topic yet.¡± Harry whispered.

    Ron nodded realizing what it was about. He ced thest two cards on top of the castle and, with a bang, the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows.

    ¡°Nice look, Ron ¡­ that will go well with your dress robes,¡± said Fred.

    He and George pulled Evan over, and the three of them were just discussing new prank products and how to collect debts from Bagman.

    After trying various methods that didn¡¯t work, they finally asked Evan to help them figure it out.

    Although in Evan¡¯s opinion, it was almost impossible for them to expect Ludo Bagman to pay back the money.

    Bagman had already gone bankrupt. He owed a lot of gambling debts and had no way to pay them off. With the money he owed to Fred and George, he might as well run away.

    Finally, Evan helped them write a stern letter, ready to send it.

    They sat down at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Ron touched his eyebrows to check how much he had been burned.

    ¡°Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?¡± George asked.

    ¡°Why?!¡± said Ron, staring at him suspiciously.

    ¡°Because George wants to invite him to the ball,¡± said Fred sarcastically.

    ¡°Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat,¡± said George.

    ¡°Who do you two keep writing to, eh?¡± asked Ron.

    ¡°Nose out, Ron, or I¡¯ll burn that for you too,¡± said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. ¡°So ¡­ you lot got dates for the ball yet?¡±

    This sentence was obviously very sensitive. Even Hermione was not pretending to read, raising her head and frowning at Fred.

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Ron, shaking his head, frustrated.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯d better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone.¡± Fred paused, noticed Hermione¡¯s gaze, and had to add, ¡°The same is true for good boys. If you don¡¯t hurry, they¡¯ll be chosen by others!¡±

    ¡°Who are you going with, then?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Angelina,¡± said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.

    ¡°What?!¡± said Ron, taken aback. ¡°You¡¯ve already asked her?¡±

    ¡°Good point,¡± said Frey. He turned his head and called across the Common Room. ¡°Oi! Angelina!¡±

    Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spi near the fire, heard the shout and looked over at him.

    ¡°What?¡± she called back.

    ¡°Want toe to the ball with me?¡±

    Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look and was not shy at all.

    ¡°All right,¡± she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.

    ¡°There you go,¡± said Fred to Evan, Harry, and Ron. ¡°It¡¯s that simple. Piece of cake.¡±

    Under everyone¡¯s astonished gaze, he got to his feet proudly, yawning, and said, ¡°George, since Ron isn¡¯t going to lend us Pigwidgeon, we¡¯d better use a school owl,e on.¡±

    They left, but Evan stayed and didn¡¯t follow them.

    None of the four spoke. They looked at one another for a moment and Evan noticed that Hermione was hiding from his gaze.

    Then she lowered her head to study her Potions notes.

    Evan wanted to say something, just like Fred, but he opened his mouth and said nothing.

    Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smoldering wreck of his card castle at Evan and Harry.

    ¡°Guys, we should get a move on, you know ¡­ ask someone. He¡¯s right. We don¡¯t want to end up dancing with a pair of trolls.¡±

    With a thud, Hermione closed the book in her hand. She was obviously so angry that she even stuttered a little.

    ¡°Ron, what did you just say?!¡± she asked with a frown.

    ¡°Well ¡­ you know,¡± Ron shrugged and said in a clear tone. ¡°I¡¯d rather go alone to the ball than with ¡­ with Eloise Midgen, say. ¡°¡±

    ¡°Her e is loads bettertely ¡­ and she¡¯s really nice!¡±

    ¡°Come on, she¡¯s ugly enough. It¡¯s not just e. I think her nose is off-center,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Oh, I see, I finally understand what you guys are thinking!¡± Hermione was angered and stood up. ¡°So basically, you¡¯re going to take the best-looking girl who¡¯ll have you, even if she¡¯spletely horrible?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, that sounds about right,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Hermione took a deep breath and said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m going to bed!¡±

    She nced at Evan and Harry, who didn¡¯t say a word, and swept off toward the girls¡¯ staircase without another word under their stunned gaze.

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 Chapter 613: Choâ€™s Invitation

    Chapter 613: Cho¡¯s Invitation

    Hermione was obviously angry, perhaps because of what Ron said.

    These words made her feel that the three of them had no respect for girls and were just choosing partners based on their appearance.

    These words were obviously wrong, and any girl with a strong sense of justice would be angry with this idea.

    But Evan was keenly aware that it might have something to do with him, but he did not figure out what to do.

    The Yule Ball seemed to be much harder than summoning a demon or fighting an evil Dark wizard.

    In the next few days, Hermione was not with Evan, Harry, or Ron.

    She did not appear in the Gryffindor Common Room at night, but was quietly reading in the library.

    In this regard, Harry and Ron had no good advice. They were even more puzzled than Evan.

    On the second day after this incident, Evan was taken aback by another thing. He actually received an invitation from Cho Chang.

    When he and Colin came out of the Defence Against the Dark Arts ssroom, he saw Cho Chang standing outside waiting for him.

    Cho sped her robes with both hands stiffly and stared at Evan shyly. Her eyes sparkled and she seemed surprised at her boldness.

    ¡°Evan? Could I have a word with you?¡±

    ¡°Certainly!¡± said Evan, leading her to an empty corner.

    Seeing Cho¡¯s appearance, he had already guessed what she was going to say, though he had never expected Cho would ask him.

    In fact, Cho looked very beautiful, especially when she spoke with a slight smile on her face, making people heart-stirring.

    There were many boys in the school who were secretly in love with her, such as Harry, Cedric, etc. They were all very good.

    Cho did notck partners or invitations at all, but it was amazing that she chose to ask Evan.

    ¡°Evan, I heard that you haven¡¯t chosen your partner yet. Would you like to go to the ball with me, then?¡± Cho said it out in a vigorous voice, staring shyly at Evan, her face getting redder and redder.

    Looking at the girl in front of him, for a moment, Evan was very tempted. He shook his head and told himself not to think.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m going with someone else, I can¡¯t¡­¡± Evan said frankly.

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s okay!¡± Autumn took a deep breath. ¡°I know you want to go with Hermione. I just wanted to give it a try after hearing that you didn¡¯t have a partner yet¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡± Evan whispered. ¡°I¡¯ve already nned to invite Hermione!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡±

    They stood there and looked at each other, tears seemed to be swirling in Cho¡¯s eyes, and she tried not to let them flow down. Then she said, ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    ¡°Well, goodbye,¡± said Cho, still very red. She turned and left quickly.

    Colin looked at Evan admiringly and did not know what to say, Evan actually refused Cho¡¯s invitation.

    Cho was very popr in the school and was one of the favorite candidates for the prom girls. If this came out, it would definitely be hot news.

    After telling Colin not to say anything, Evan set the matter aside.

    From the very beginning, he made up his mind to go to the Yule Ball with Hermione, and that never changed.

    All he needed now was an opportunity to be alone with Hermione and speak out his mind.

    But when Hermione was still angry, it was difficult to find such an opportunity.

    On Friday, when Evan, Harry and Ron went to visit Hagrid, she did not show up.

    In a word, everyone in the school had been busy with the ball recently.

    The only thing to be thankful for was that Rita Skeeter didn¡¯te out to make trouble. She didn¡¯t publish articles about the first task and Evan¡¯s performance, and there was no report about Hagrid in the <em>Daily Prophet</em>.

    Evan told Dobby to pay attention to Rita Skeeter¡¯s whereabouts and catch her when she became a beetle.

    But he didn¡¯t know what Rita was doing. She hadn¡¯t appeared in Hogwarts for more than a week.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, she didn¡¯t seem very interested in magical creatures,¡± said Hagrid.

    At this time, they were all in Hagrid¡¯s cabin, and they were asking him about his interview with Rita Skeeter.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t care about the skrewts. She just wanted me to talk about you two, Evan and Harry!¡± Hagrid continued. ¡°There was nothing to say. I told her we¡¯d been good friends since you entered the school. Never had to tell them off in the past few years?¡¯ she asked. ¡®Never yed you up in lessons?¡¯ I told her no, and she didn¡¯t seem happy at all. You¡¯d think she wanted me to say you were horrible.¡±

    ¡°Of course, her focus is not on the champions and the Triwizard Tournament,¡± said Harry in a natural tone. ¡°Just like I said, she can¡¯t keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am, it will be boring.¡±

    ¡°She wants a new angle,¡± said Ron wisely, putting down a pie harder than a stone. ¡°You were supposed to say Evan and Harry arewless juvenile delinquents, or secretly studying Dark magic or something, she¡¯d love to hear that.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re not!¡± said Hagrid, looking genuinely shocked.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t care about the truth. All she needs is a rumor that attracts people¡¯s attention,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°If she wants to hear these words, she should have interviewed Snape,¡± said Harry grimly. ¡°He would give her the goods on me any day. <em>¡®Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school¡­¡¯</em>¡°

    ¡°Snape would definitely say more!¡± said Ron. ¡°In fact, we did vite a few rules, didn¡¯t we?!¡±

    ¡°Well, stop talking about her, believe me, she¡¯ll be dishonest,¡± said Evan.

    Looking at it from another angle, Rita Skeeter was not entirely making rumors. For example, Evan was preparing to summon a demon, viting hundreds of school rules.

    After Rita Skeeter, the topic naturally shifted to the Yule Ball.

    ¡°Are youing to this ball thing on Christmas Day, Hagrid?¡± Ron asked.

    ¡°I might look in on it,¡± said Hagrid gruffly. ¡°I think it should be very lively. You¡¯re going to dance at the party, aren¡¯t you? Who are you going to take with you?¡±

    ¡°No one, yet,¡± said Harry and Ron together.

    Hagrid turned his head and asked what Evan was going to do. He was not old enough to participate in the ball.

    Evan shook his head and didn¡¯t know how to talk to Hagrid about Hermione.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 614: Rejection

    Chapter 614: Rejection

    Coming out of Hagrid¡¯s cabin, Evan saw Gabrielle standing near the Beauxbatons carriage waving at him.

    This girl had not chosen her partner yet, but she had expressed her wish to be with Evan.

    Unfortunately, neither of them was old enough to attend the ball without the invitation of students from the fourth year or above.

    That was the tradition, even if Gabrielle was a student of Beauxbatons, there was no exception.

    As for Gabrielle¡¯s sister Fleur, there were more and more boys around her recently.

    Almost half of the boys who had no partners were waiting for Fleur¡¯s choice. Maybe there were too many people for her to make a final decision.

    Of course, with Evan¡¯s understanding of Fleur, she might also feel it very interesting to do so.

    Let the boys fall for her beauty; attract everyone¡¯s attention, as well as the girls¡¯ jealousy. No doubt she had really seeded.

    Even if she did choose who she was going to end up with, it was not really about him.

    Affected by her Ve blood, Fleur was very simr to a Ve in when it came to treating men.

    That is, before meeting someone they really liked, they would take the initiative to attract the attention of other men, but they would not be moved.

    Men who are obsessed with Meiwa will forget everything in the world, do not eat or drink, and do not sleep. If, unfortunately, Ve joined them while dancing, they could only keep dancing until they finally die exhausted.

    In history, the number of male wizards who died because of the charm of Ve is not at all negligible.

    Of course, if she met a man she really liked, Ve would stay with him for a lifetime. She would never separate and would be very loyal.

    It is inferred that Fleur¡¯s mate selection criteria should be simr.

    Evan did not see any of the boys in Hogwarts who could satisfy Fleur. She had higher standards.

    When he led Gabrielle back a few nights ago, Fleur expressed her willingness to let Evan be her partner in a joking tone. Evan refused directly. He didn¡¯t want to be fooled by Fleur like the boys in the school.

    He and Harry and Ron spoke and walked over to Gabrielle.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Evan has so many choices, why must he insist on Hermione?¡± said Ron. ¡°He has rejected many good girls these few days.¡±

    His eyes followed Evan¡¯s gaze and eventuallynded on the Beauxbatons carriage.

    ¡°Hermione is actually good. Besides, they¡¯ve been together for a long time, haven¡¯t they?!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°No, I heard Ginny say that Hermione talked to her about this, and the two of them actually didn¡¯t make any progress,¡± said Ron, continuing to stare at the Beauxbatons carriage, ¡°You know, Hermione¡¯s older than Evan and she is not that beautiful, she¡¯s been hesitating.¡±

    They had made rapid progress at the beginning, but flinched at a critical moment, especially Hermione.

    Both Evan and Hermione were too smart. Sometimes it¡¯s not a good thing to think too much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop worrying about Evan and think more about ourselves,¡± Ron continued, ¡°I never thought it would be so difficult to find a partner.¡±

    The words that Hagrid had just said to them made Ron a little anxious. He didn¡¯t want to be left alone without a partner.

    If that was the case, it would be too shameful. He was a champion!

    Look at other champions. Weren¡¯t they all surrounded by a group of people?!

    No need to say much about Krum. He was very famous, very popr with girls, and Ron admired him.

    But even Diggory was the same. Although he did not act well in the first task, he was very handsome and popr. He was loved by almost everyone and many girls liked him. But in Ron¡¯s opinion, Cedric was actually a useless handsome guy, and his brain was not enough to fill an egg shell.

    ¡°Yes, we have to do something, Ron. We don¡¯t have much time left!¡± Harry said, determined, ¡°especially you, Evan and I will not look too stupid without a partner, but you are supposed to be starting the dancing with the other champions.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, we¡¯ve just got to grit our teeth and do it!¡± Ron took a deep breath and said in a tone that suggested they were nning the storming of an impregnable fortress. ¡°When we get back to the Common Room tonight, we¡¯ll all have partners ¡­ agreed?¡±

    ¡°Well, okay,¡± said Harry.

    They were separated. Harry didn¡¯t know who Ron was aiming for, but his head was full of Cho Chang.

    He only needed to ask Cho for a word alone and invite her to the ball. It was as simple as that.

    It was almost time for dinner when Evan separated from Gabrielle and returned to the castle.

    He met Luna in the hall. Needless to say, she did not find a partner. But Luna didn¡¯t care. She was not interested in the Yule Ball at all.

    She gave Evan news that Harry had just invited Cho Chang to the ball at the Ravenw Tower, but he was turned down.

    After Evan refused Cho, she epted Cedric¡¯s invitation.

    It was conceivable that Harry would be very depressed now and neededforting from others.

    But when Evan walked into the Great Hall, he was surprised to see Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Harry and Ginny were sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice.

    There was a lot of noise in the Great Hall, and at the Slytherin¡¯s long table, Malfoy pointed at Ron, as ifughing at him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Ron?¡± Evan asked, and walked over to them three.

    Ron looked up at Evan, a sort of blind horror in his face.

    ¡°Why did I do it?!¡± he said wildly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what made me do it!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°He ¡­ um ¡­ he just asked Fleur Dcour to go to the ball with him,¡± said Harry.

    Ginny nodded and looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron¡¯s arm sympathetically.

    ¡°Even if Ron invited Fleur, why does he look like this?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what made me do it!¡± said Ron, gasping. ¡°What was I ying at? There are people ¡­ all around ¡­ I¡¯ve gone mad ¡­ everyone was watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall ¡­ she was standing there talking to Diggory ¡­ and I sort of came over me ¡­ and I asked her!¡±

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 Chapter 615: I Like You

    Chapter 615: I Like You

    Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable.

    ¡°She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. She didn¡¯t even bother to answer. And then ¡­ I don¡¯t know ¡­ I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, Ron!¡± Harryforted him. ¡°We all know Fleur is part Ve. Her grandmother was one. I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a st of it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it!¡± said Ginny. ¡°It must be magic.¡±

    Although everyone knew that this was ridiculous; it was impossible for Fleur to use this kind of magic; but to say this would make Ron feel better.

    Evan was very d he didn¡¯t bring Gabrielle, or else he didn¡¯t know how to end it.

    ¡°In short, Fleur was wasting her time. Diggory is going with Cho Chang,¡± continued Harry.

    His voice just fell, and Evan, Ron, and Ginny turned their heads to look at him.

    ¡°I asked her to go with me just now,¡± Harry exined dully. ¡°And she told me.¡±

    Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling, staring at Harry in dismay.

    ¡°This is mad,¡± said Ron, looking up, ¡°Evan, have you found a partner?¡±

    Evan shook his head. He hadn¡¯t met Hermione yet.

    ¡°We¡¯re the only ones left who haven¡¯t got any partners!¡± said Ron. ¡°Well, except Neville. Hey ¡­ guess who he asked? <em>Hermione</em>!¡±

    ¡°what?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± said Ron, some of the coloring back to his face as he started tough. ¡°He said she¡¯s always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff ¡­ but Hermione told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn¡¯t want to go with Neville. I mean, who would ask her except Evan?¡±

    Evan couldn¡¯t believe his ears; Hermione was actually going with someone else!

    How was that possible? Could it be Krum?!

    There was a mess in his head, and he didn¡¯t hear what Ron was saying next.

    ¡°Enough, Ron, don¡¯t!¡± said Ginny, annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡±

    Just then, Hermione entered the Great Hall with some books in her arms.

    ¡°Why are people pointing at you?¡± she said,ing over to join them.

    Hermione looked at Evan strangely and felt that the atmosphere was a little bit wrong.

    ¡°Shut up and stopughing, Ron!¡± said Ginny. ¡°They¡¯ve both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!¡±

    That shut Harry and Ron up.

    ¡°Thanks a bunch, Ginny,¡± said Ron sourly.

    ¡°All the good-looking girls taken, Ron?¡± said Hermione loftily. ¡°Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone somewhere who¡¯ll have you.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, Neville just said you¡¯re going with someone?¡± Evan asked directly, his heart beating hard.

    He and Hermione looked at each other, and Hermione¡¯s brown eyes shined brightly.

    Hermione froze for a moment, avoiding Evan¡¯s gaze, as though hesitating to answer.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true!¡± Hermione finally said.

    ¡°Impossible, you didn¡¯t!¡± said Ron. ¡°You just said that to get rid of Neville!¡±

    ¡°Oh, did I?!¡± said Hermione, and her eyes shed dangerously. ¡°Why can¡¯t I agree to an invitation? None of you has asked me. Just because you haven¡¯t noticed doesn¡¯t mean no one else has spotted I¡¯m a girl!¡±

    ¡°Come on, Hermione, we know that you are a good girl, but no one could invite you!¡± said Ron. ¡°You¡¯ll go with Evan; we need partners. We¡¯re going to look really stupid if we haven¡¯t got any, everyone else has!¡±

    Ron was not helping, and Hermione suddenly became angrier.

    ¡°Is that what you think?!¡± said Hermione angrily, raising her voice. ¡°You look for partners just to save face.¡±

    ¡°Obvious!¡± Ron nodded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± said Evan. ¡°You know, Hermione, I want you to be my partner, not to save face.¡±

    ¡°What is that for?¡± Hermione said, ¡°You boys just want to find a beautiful girl.¡±

    ¡°I like you, Hermione, that¡¯s why I want you to be my partner,¡± said Evan.

    It was obvious that in the past two years, whenever Evan was ready to say this to Hermione, she had chosen to run away.

    There was a moment of silence, Hermione bit her lip gently and looked at Evan incredulously.

    There was a glimmer of light in her eyes, and the pink on her face became more and more obvious.

    Harry, Ron, and Ginny also stared at them both, not knowing what to say.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go with you, Evan. I¡¯m going with someone else!¡± Hermione took a deep breath and said stubbornly, ¡°If you want to be your partner next time, ask me earlier then; don¡¯t hide and wait until it¡¯s sote.¡±

    When she finished, she stood up directly to leave the Great Hall.

    ¡°Hermione, I¡¯m asking you <em>now</em> to be my partner!¡± said Evan loudly, grabbing her arm.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°You can only go to the ball with me, no one else, no matter who it is!¡± said Evan domineeringly.

    This wasn¡¯t his usual at all, but Evan couldn¡¯t lose Hermione.

    He didn¡¯t care whether Hermione had really agreed to someone else¡¯s invitation or not, he only knew that he couldn¡¯t back down at this moment.

    There was only one thought in Evan¡¯s head, and no matter who Hermione agreed to, he would snatch her over.

    The two of them spoke very loudly, and everyone in the Great Hall looked at them.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s words, many people gave a shriek and everyone looked at Evan and Hermione.

    Maybe because of the public¡¯s attention or because of Evan¡¯s gaze, Hermione¡¯s face was blushing more and more.

    She was going to say something else, but now she couldn¡¯t say a word, just looking at Evan stupefied.

    The two were so close that they could feel one another¡¯s breath.

    Evan¡¯s heart was beating fast; he looked at Hermione and¡­. kissed her without thinking!

    There was another scream in the Great Hall, and the students all looked at Evan and Hermione in disbelief.

    The two of them were so bold; actually kissing in the Great Hall!

    Evan¡¯s sudden action caught Hermione off guard. She was so frightened that her heart stopped beating.

    She pushed Evan with her hands, but she was too soft and had no strength. After shock¡­ the sweetness of the kiss took over¡­

    Feeling their lips open, their tongues touching, twisting¡­ Hermione¡¯s mind went nk, just obediently closing her eyes, as if nothing else existed in the world.

    She forgot to think, she <em>didn¡¯t</em> want to think, just instinctively wanted to embrace Evan, tighter, and tighter.

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 Chapter 616: Heavyweight News

    Chapter 616: Heavyweight News

    Evan could feel Hermione trembling in his arms.

    Likest time, her bright lips were cold and sweet, with the unique girl¡¯s fragrance.

    At first, Hermione instinctively resisted because of consternation, but she quickly responded involuntarily.

    Although hundreds of eyes were staring at them, Evan and Hermione still drowned in the ecstasy of this kiss, embracing passionately and not caring about anyone else¡­

    Harry, Ron, and Ginny, who were closest to them, also looked at them with their jaws dropped and couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Several dozen secondster, as Evan pulled Hermione, who was already red and could not redden any more, out of the Great Hall, screams and hisses continued.

    Everyone was talking about the matter excitedly, and they were incredibly looking at the backs of both of them.

    It was absolutely heavyweight news. News about Evan and Hermione spread quickly in the castle.

    ¡°Evan kissed Hermione in front of so many people!¡± Harry said in surprise, as if he had just reacted.

    ¡°I just want to know, apart from Evan and Neville, who was Hermione going with?¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Nobody!¡± Ginny replied. ¡°She didn¡¯t intend to go to the ball.¡±

    ¡°<em>What</em>? But¡­¡±

    ¡°Whoever hears your irritating words would say so.¡± Ginny said bluntly, ¡°You¡¯re just judging people by their looks, Ron. Regardless of anything else, you just want to pick the prettiest girl as your partner, and that¡¯s why Fleur turned you down.¡±

    ¡°Come on, I told you no one asked her. Hermione just didn¡¯t want to say that.¡±

    ¡°Hermione is much better than you think. She¡¯s a good girl. You boys never pay attention to the girls around you, and you¡¯ll never find out!¡± Ginny said angrily, ncing at Harry. ¡°It¡¯s not that no one asked Hermione. Krum had asked her. The Durmstrangs knew about the ball long before Professor McGonagall announced it!¡±

    ¡°God, <em>Krum</em>?!¡± Ron looked at Ginny in surprise. ¡°This is ridiculous, Hermione never talked about it.¡±

    ¡°Why should she tell you?¡± replied Ginny, disgruntled.

    ¡°So, Hermione epted Krum¡¯s invitation?¡±

    ¡°Whether Hermione agreed to any invitation or not is her own business and we have no right to talk about it!¡± Ginny continued, ¡°But I just told you, she didn¡¯t give a promise to anyone. Hermione wasn¡¯t going to the Yule Ball. She told me!¡±

    ¡°But <em>why</em>?¡± Ron¡¯s face was more and more surprised, and he looked at Ginny incredulously. ¡°Everyone is looking forward to the Yule Ball. Hermione actually nned not to go, and turned Krum down. What¡¯s got into her?!¡±

    ¡°Because of Evan!¡± Ginny said angrily, ¡°Fleur hade to Hermione, hoping that Evan would be her sister Gabrielle¡¯s partner. Although they have not yet reached the fourth year, she will ask Madame Maxime to let them go to the ball.¡±

    ¡°FLEUR DID WHAT?!¡± Both Harry and Ron feltpletely baffled.

    What exactly was going on? Now, listening to Ginny, asking a partner was far moreplicated than they expected.

    ¡°She spoke to Hermione alone. No one knows what they talked about,¡± said Ginny angrily. ¡°After that, Hermione would not go to the ball! She¡¯s been hiding from Evan, hesitating whether to be with him or not. But after what happened today, she should make up her mind!¡±

    There was still a lot of talk in the Great Hall, and Harry and Ron were still digesting the shocking news they had just received from Ginny.

    No matter what everyone thought, all in all, the kiss between Evan and Hermione at dinner time suddenly became the second most popr topic in the castle after the Yule Ball, and it was discussed for a long time.

    After Evan took Hermione out of the Great Hall and walked to the empty corridor, he was ready to have a good talk with her.

    Hermione had been acting a little strangelytely.

    Why had she been hiding from him and epting invitations from others?! This was really abnormal; it was not like Hermione at all!

    Especially after knowing that Hermione epted someone else¡¯s invitation, Evan was very angry and had a feeling of being betrayed.

    He preferred to believe that Hermione had been under the Imperius Curse, Amortentia, or even been faked by someone with the Polyjuice Potion, rather than that she would ept the invitation from others. This was simply impossible; it was a great catastrophe that shook all his convictions!

    In the face of Evan¡¯s strength, Hermione was now a very timid girl, not at all the same as usual.

    She looked shyly at Evan beside her and quickly turned her eyes away.

    The way Evan looked now made her feel like she was doing something wrong.

    Remembering that he had just kissed her passionately, Hermione¡¯s face blushed uncontrobly. Evan had been so bold to kiss her in front of all the students.

    Hermione was sure to remember the scene in the Great Hall for life and never forget it. Especially when she thought of herself finally kissing Evan back voluntarily, her head waspletely nk.

    She never thought that her rtionship with Evan could reach this stage¡­ not so soon!

    The rtionship between the two began in Hogsmeade¡¯s Werewolf attack a year ago, and made substantial progressst Christmas.

    After that, she had experienced many things. For a whole year, she chose to escape most of the time.

    Every time Hermione could find herself enough reasons; it was too fast¡­ she didn¡¯t want to lose their friendship¡­ Evan was a year younger than her¡­ his magical strength was beyond her¡­. And as Evan became more and more famous, the gap between the two became more and more obvious.

    Hermione had not let go of these concerns, and had repeatedly thought of retreating midway through their rtionship.

    The more you¡¯re attached to something, the more you¡¯re afraid of losing it.

    For the Yule Ball, she had received an invitation from Krum early in December. Hermione was very surprised at the time and didn¡¯t think that Krum would ask her.

    It was a weekend night, and Krum got rid of the girls who chased him and took the initiative to sit by her side.

    He told Hermione that he came to the library every day just to talk to her, but he could not muster up enough courage. And since they first met at the Quidditch world Cup, he liked her and so on¡­

    Hermione, of course, would not ept Krum¡¯s invitation, nor would she intend to develop any rtionship with him.

    But after getting along a few times, she felt that Krum wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought, and that it was good to be friends, and they talked a lot about Durmstrang and magic.

    Of course, from the beginning to the end, Hermione did not think of ??Krum, let alone be his partner.

    Regardless of those worries, if she was going to the Yule Ball, she would only go with Evan.

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 Chapter 617: My Only Choice

    Chapter 617: My Only Choice

    Needless to say, Hermione would not agree to Krum¡¯s invitation.

    At best, she only regarded him as a friend and had no other thoughts about him.

    But Fleur¡¯s request couldn¡¯t be ignored. Not long after Krum invited Hermione, Fleur found Hermione, hoping that she could make Gabrielle Evan¡¯s partner. The students from Beauxbatons also knew in advance about the uing Yule Ball.

    They talked a lot at the time, and Fleur¡¯s attitude was also very sincere, but Hermione did not give her a clear answer. All she knew was that after she had talked with Fleur, her heart was heavy.

    Her feelings were veryplex, and her thoughts very chaotic. In a word, it made her hesitant and upset.

    Ostensibly, she had no reason to refuse Fleur¡¯s request. Her rtionship with Evan had not been made public, and no substantial progress had been made.

    Because Hermione had been afraid of escaping, there was always a thin veil between them.

    Although they were already very familiar, although everyone around them thought they were lovers, Hermione always felt that something was missing.

    Following this train of thought, she was not sure that she would be Evan¡¯s partner.

    Hermione knew Evan very well. She knew that if she took the initiative to ask him, he would definitely agree. However, she was not sure whether that would be really what Evan wanted or just because she asked him.

    However, if he didn¡¯t ask her himself¡­

    After hiding from Evan, entangled alone for a few days, Hermione figured it out!

    It was Evan¡¯s business to choose a partner, and no one else had the right to interfere. Whether his partner would be her, Gabrielle, or any other girl, it was Evan¡¯s own choice.

    It was not something she and Fleur could decide. Even if she wanted to give up for Gabrielle, it was not up to her.

    What¡¯s more, Hermione didn¡¯t intend to let it go at all from the bottom of her heart, and she didn¡¯t think of it from beginning to end.

    She couldn¡¯t even ask Evan by herself, and she hoped he could decide for her.

    After trying to understand all this, she found herself in a new trouble. Hermione hoped that Evan would ask her, but she didn¡¯t know what she should do after he actually did it.

    All kinds of previous fears, what Fleur told her, What Evan was really thinking, and the rtionship with Gabrielle; all kinds of factors added up, making Hermione more hesitant and even afraid.

    She didn¡¯t know what was going on in her mind, and her thoughts became soplicated because of the Yule Ball.

    Although she was the same as usual, with no expression of rm on her face, there was turbulence in her heart that she could not calm down.

    She talked a lot with Ginny, and there was no progress. The situation they both faced was indeed simr.

    Ginny was also upset about the ball. She hoped Harry could ask her, but there would probably never be that possibility. And she couldn¡¯t, like other girls, ask Harry to be her partner herself.

    Although Ginny was known to have a secret crush on Harry, she did not have the courage to express it.

    Ginny had made great progress now that she could talk to Harry normally. What else could she be asked to do?

    From this perspective, Hermione felt that Ginny, like herself, was a fool.

    Boys like Evan, Harry, and Ron were also the same; they were all fools who didn¡¯t understand anything emotionally.

    This kind of thing was much more difficult andplicated than mastering a spell, and it was not the knowledge that could be learned from books.

    In the end, Hermione decided to stay away from Evan and nned not to attend the Yule Ball. Maybe this was the best oue.

    But although she was determined, Hermione responded angrily to Ron¡¯s remarks tonight. She spoke out all her grievances. When she said that she had epted someone else¡¯s invitation, what Hermione wanted in her heart was that Evan would be stronger.

    If Evan had asked her to go with him earlier, then she wouldn¡¯t have been so entangled.

    The result was unexpected. Hermione didn¡¯t think Evan would really break out after listening to what she had said. It was beyond what she thought.

    He actually asked her to be with him in the ball in front of all the students, and kissed her. He did not give her the chance to refuse.

    With the sudden changes, Hermione lost her ability to think and was only immersed in the sweetness of the kiss.

    After being pulled out by Evan and feeling the warmth of his palm, Hermione realized that her previous worries and tangles were totally superfluous and unnecessary. If she really liked his, she had to express it bravely.

    Withdrawal did not fit her character, nor was it a solution to the problem.

    They both walked hand in hand in the castle. The noise in the Great Hall gradually faded away, and the surrounding area was quiet.

    They stopped at the corner of the dimly lit staircase. The light of a torch came from a distance, giving a sense of mystery and gloom.

    Evan listened to Hermione¡¯s exnation. She said a lot and told him of all her worries and grievances.

    In his opinion, Hermione was really foolish to worry about these things. He liked Hermione, and this had not changed from beginning to end.

    Maybe, Hermione was not the most beautiful girl Evan knew, but he dared to say she was absolutely the best one.

    Even in a vast sea of ??people he could find her at a nce, keeping in the bottom of his heart the girl he could never forget. It was a special feeling only Hermione could bring.

    Through this matter, Evan learned a little. That was to face Hermione, not only should he take the initiative, but also be more powerful and use practical actions to dispel her inner doubts, tell her that he liked her, and show her his love.

    If he had given in tonight, he might have lost Hermione to regret it forever.

    Hermione, who looked extraordinarily weak in front of him, was slightly trembling.

    Evan felt strongly that the girl in front of him was exuding a wonderful, gentle, indescribable tender aura, and his deep desire to protect her rose deeply in his heart, along with other inexplicable thoughts.

    ¡°Stop talking, Hermione!¡± Evan said softly and looked at Hermione seriously. ¡°All your worries are unnecessary. I chose you as my partner and my only partner. I won¡¯t go to the Yule Ball with any other girl besides you. I hope you can remember that no matter what happens; I will be with you. This is true for the uing Yule Ball and my whole life. You are my only choice forever. I hope you can choose me too!¡±

    ¡°Evan!¡± Hermione wiped her red eyes and threw herself into Evan¡¯s arms.

    She felt ashamed, looking like that. It was obviously a good thing, but the tears actually flowed out of her eyes uncontrobly.

    Evan hugged Hermione in his arms and thought of the feeling of kissing her just now. The distance between them was getting closer and closer.

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 Chapter 618: Collocation

    Chapter 618: Collocation

    To be in love, or something along those lines, was not a strange thing in Hogwarts.

    There were many wizard couples who established rtionships at school and ended up getting married and forming families together.

    Many of the students were couples, dating everywhere in the castle, kissing, flirting and expressing their love in all kinds of ways¡­

    Every night after eight o¡¯clock, you could meet several couples just by walking down a remote corridor or ssroom!

    Of course, they were all being secretive. This kind of thing was not suitable for disclosure, and no one dared to make it public.

    Evan and Hermione were probably the only couple to kiss, in such a high-profile, in front of everyone in the great hall.

    Not surprisingly, this incident caused a great disturbance in the school and caused a lot of controversy.

    Most people were happy to see Evan and Hermionee together and have a public rtionship.

    Only some of the Slytherins made the exception. In their view, it was just two Mudbloods getting together¡­

    Naturally, they would not dare to speak out in front of Evan and Hermione. However, there were still rumors about them around school, which made the Gryffindors very angry.

    As for Evan and Hermione, they didn¡¯t care; they didn¡¯t take these ugly words to heart.

    In fact, after that day, there was no significant change in their behavior. It was just that they spent more and more time alone and got along more naturally and sweetly.

    Evan never imagined it to be possible to kiss Hermione the way he had done in the Great Hall.

    It was enough for them to know that to each other, they were the most important.

    Thest week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, but most of them were unbelievable and exaggerated. For instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta at The Three Broomsticks.

    It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters. The Weird Sisters were a very popr band in the wizarding world. They upied the first ce in the Wizarding Wireless Network column rankings all year round, and had many ssic songs.

    They would appear in the Christmas ball and let the students get excited.

    Along with the excitement, the Hogwarts Staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas.

    When the decorations went up, the students noticed that they were the most beautiful and stunning they had yet seen inside the school.

    Evesting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them.

    It was quite something to hear ¡°O Come, All Ye Faithful¡± sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armor, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude.

    Everything was going in the right direction, but Harry and Ron not only hadn¡¯t found their respective partners yet, but didn¡¯t even decide who they would ask.

    Looking at them, it was as though they had given uppletely.

    ¡°You have to get your own partners, especially you, Ron, you¡¯re a champion!¡± said Hermione sternly.

    ¡°It¡¯s easy for you to say, good girls are being picked up!¡± Ron whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lead those ugly trolls¡­¡±

    ¡°The Yule Ball is too much trouble!¡± Harry said.

    At this time, they all sat in front of the warm fire in the Common Room.

    It was thest day of the term; tomorrow was the Christmas holiday.

    Harry and Ron were still worried about their partners, and Neville and Colin were also worried.

    Colin¡¯s younger brother, Dennis, probably gave up. He was too young. No senior student would be willing to be a first-year boy¡¯s partner.

    Except for a few girls, all the first and second years did not find partners.

    Leaving Harry Ron and Neville, who were already qualified, on their own, Evan decided to help Colin.

    He also counted on Colin to go in and take pictures. The Yule Ball, as a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament, had received a lot of attention. What¡¯s more, this was an exclusive report of <em>Hogwarts Magic</em>, and no other media should get in at all.

    If Colin didn¡¯t go, Evan wouldn¡¯t be able to stick by Hermione¡¯s side, and would have to take pictures everywhere.

    He was going to introduce Gabrielle to Colin, to be his partner. Gabrielle was young as well, but as a guest at Hogwarts and with Madame Maxime¡¯s intervention, she would also be eligible to attend the ball.

    When she left Hagrid¡¯s cabin that day, she had just learned about it and had nned to invite Evan.

    As a result, needless to say, Evan turned her down, and then the thing happened in the Great Hall.

    Ginny was supportive of Evan and Hermione in everything, at least on the surface.

    Anyway, when she saw Fleur again, thetter looked like she wanted to eat Evan alive!

    As for Colin, he¡¯d been seeing Gabrielle for half a year and they were already very familiar with one another.

    When she knew what Evan meant to do, she agreed to be Colin¡¯s partner.

    It was better for her to go with Colin, whom she was rtively familiar with, than to be with a strange boy Fleur would introduce to her.

    As for Harry, Ron and Neville¡¯s partners, Evan had also thought about it!

    It was a long story. On the day he confessed to Hermione, they stayed outsidete before returning to the Common Room.

    Evan originally thought that there should be no one, and did not expect to see Neville and Ginny in it.

    When they saw Evan and Hermione climbing into the Common Room, Neville and Ginny were probably shyer than them.

    It turned out that after being rejected by Hermione, Neville nned to ask Ginny. He had to have a partner.

    Ginny seemed desperate for Harry, too. She was not yet in fourth year, and she had to be asked by someone to be in the ball.

    When Evan and Hermione went in, the two of them were talking about it. Evan hurriedly stopped them. He knew that Ginny must have wanted to be with Harry.

    Harry couldn¡¯t find a partner, and insisting on a rtionship with Cho Chang would bear no fruit.

    In that case, it was better to find a way to get them together and change the direction of development.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 619: Christmas

    Chapter 619: Christmas

    As for Neville, Evan was going to introduce Luna to him.

    Luna did not have a partner either. Her personality was too jumpy. She was always looking for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, the Blibbering Humdinger and other strange things. She knew a few boys in the schools, and no one in the people she knew would take the initiative to ask her to go with him to the ball.

    Her character and honest Neville wereplementary and unexpected, but they were unable to talk together. Neville could go with her to attend the Yule Ball.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, Harry, Neville, and Colin¡¯s partner selections were fairly simple.

    The most troublesome thing was that for Ron, at this point in time, there were not many choices left to him.

    Ron was one of the champions; he must have a partner to open the ball.

    ording to his standards, the champion had to find a beautiful girl to save face.

    After Hermione made an investigation among the girls, they focused on Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown.

    No need to say much about Parvati, who was a beautiful Indian girl with ck hair. In Dean Thomas¡¯s words, she was one of the best-looking girls in the fourth year.

    Lavender looked a little bit less beautiful. She was a little neurotic, but she was very cheerful and open, and she liked Divination very much.

    Most crucially, she probably really liked Ron, and initiative was more important than anything else.

    In this way, Ron¡¯s partner was determined as Lavender.

    Evan, whether it was appropriate or not, put them together after candidates had been identified.

    He and Hermione were helping to make the best use of existing resources in light of the current situation.

    It was just about picking a dance partner. It was not really looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend.

    At the level of Harry, Ron, Neville, and Colin, there might not be a suitable candidate until the beginning of the ball.

    Sure enough, Harry and Ron didn¡¯t seem quite satisfied with Evan and Hermione¡¯s arrangements. But in the end, they could only agree, because they had no other choice at all.

    Harryter told Evan alone, he thought that this ball was a lot trouble than it was worth.

    Ron, as a champion, if he hadn¡¯t initially targeted Fleur, he wouldn¡¯t have reached this point.

    The same was true of Harry, who had always been very popr at school and was more popr with girls than he thought. If his eyes had not always been on Cho, he would have been able to find a partner very easily.

    As for Neville and Colin, they had the same purpose. They needed a partner, no matter who they were.

    Neville didn¡¯t want to be left alone. Colin just wanted to go to the ball. The two of them didn¡¯t have a girl in mind at all.

    If Evan could convince Eloise Midgen, they would be willing to ept it.

    On the girls¡¯ side, Luna probably shared the same thoughts as the two of them.

    Ginny and Lavender had other purposes, and they secretly had a crush on Harry and Ron, respectively.

    This match was probably the best oue for them.

    As for Gabrielle, she was just helping Colin get into the ball. Evan knew that Gabrielle had a good impression of him and liked him.

    Looking at Fleur¡¯s expression, he thought that after he and Hermione confessed, Gabrielle might be very sad, just like all the girls who lost love.

    But that was not the case at all. After learning the news, Gabrielle came to congratte him directly,ining that Evan did not express his love to Hermione before her. Gabrielle¡¯s affection for Evan was not quite of the type that he had imagined¡­

    In fact Evan admitted he¡¯s gone too far in his thoughts. For a nine-year-old, this reaction might be the most normal. If she had reacted like Fleur or Cho, that would be abnormal.

    In short, Evan persuaded Gabrielle to help Colin at the cost of having to dance with her for his second dance. The first dance, of course, would be with Hermione.

    In this way, the hard task of choosing partners for everyone finally came to an end.

    Despite the very heavy load of homework that the teachers had arranged for the Christmas holidays, no one was in the mood to work when term ended.

    Even Hermione, who rarely put down her textbooks, yed with everyone.

    Evan also stopped studying ancient magic scripts, the Merpeople¡¯snguage and demons, andpletely rxed.

    The Gryffindor Tower was hardly less crowded now than during term-time, and only a few junior students chose to go home.

    In fact, the tower seemed to have shrunk, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual.

    Fred and George had great sess with their Canary Creams, and for the first couple of days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all over the ce. Before long, however, all the Gryffindors learned to treat food anybody else offered them with extreme caution, in case it had a Canary Cream concealed in the center.

    Fred and George confided to Evan that they were now working on new deformation products.

    They were going to expand this series to give the eater a variety of animal forms.

    From the second day of the holidays, snow was falling thickly upon the castle and its grounds.

    The pale blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like arge, chilly, frosted pumpkin next to the iced gingerbread house that was Hagrid¡¯s cabin, while the Durmstrang ship¡¯s portholes were zed with ice, rigging white with frost.

    The house elves were outdoing themselves with a series of rich, warming stews and savory puddings, and only Fleur Dcour seemed to be able to find anything toin about.

    After Evan and Hermione made their confession, Fleur¡¯s attitude towards Evan had be very poor.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t for sure, Evan was suspicious that the girl had a secret crush on him¡­

    ording to Gabrielle, Fleur¡¯sst choice for a partner was Roger Davies, the Ravenw Quidditch Captain.

    He was a popr figure at Ravenw House, a good athlete, with excellent magic power.

    The Ravenw Quidditch team¡¯s tactical design had always been excellent, and arge part of it was his credit.

    Roger was a little bit behind Cedric Diggory, but his overall level was still higher than that of other students of the same year.

    Of course, Fleur had no feelings for him. She and Ron had the same criteria for choosing a partner, that was, to find the one who had the prettiest face among those who were willing to ept them. She didn¡¯t care what the other person really thought.

    On Christmas morning, Evan woke up early.

    He just opened his eyes and saw something with veryrge, round, green eyes, staring back at him in the darkness, so close they were almost nose to nose.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 620: Preparations for the Ball

    Chapter 620: Preparations for the Ball

    ¡°Dobby, what are you doing?!¡± Evan scrambled away from the elf. ¡°Don¡¯t lie near me like this again!¡±

    ¡°Dobby is sorry, Master Evan!¡± squeaked Dobby anxiously, jumping backward with his long fingers over his mouth. ¡°Dobby is only wanting to wish Master Evan ¡®Merry Christmas¡¯ and bring him a present.¡±

    ¡°All right; it¡¯s okay,¡± said Evan, his breathing gradually returning to normal.

    He got up from the bed. In the dim light, he saw arge pile at the foot of his bed, all Christmas gifts.

    Dobby was standing nervously next to Evan¡¯s bed, still looking worried that he had upset Evan.

    He was now probably the weirdest house-elf in the world, with socks on his feet one pair after another, and the outermost pair of colors were so festive that they could be pulled all the way to the legs of his shorts. He was wearing the clothes Evan had given him some time ago, and there was a Christmas bauble tied to the loop on top of his tea cozy.

    ¡°Can Dobby give Master Evan his present?¡± he squeaked tentatively.

    ¡°Of course you can!¡± Evan rubbed his head. ¡°I have a gift for you, too!¡±

    He turned out a wrapped box from his own bedside cab, in which there were gloves he had specially purchased for Dobby.

    ¡°Master Evan is so generous, so noble, so selfless, He has given Dobby clothes and now he is giving Dobby a pair of gloves!¡± unwrapping the package, Dobby danced with joy, ¡°This is exactly what Dobby needs¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re just gloves!¡± said Evan, checking the presents at the feet of his bed.

    The first thing he found was Hermione¡¯s present. Evan thought it would be another book, but it was a hand-knitted sweater.

    It seemed that she had been secretly preparing it in the bedroom during this period, with many thread ends on it. Although not exquisite, it had a great significance.

    After Evan put on the sweater, Dobby handed him a small package, which turned out to be something he made himself: socks.

    ¡°Dobby is making them himself. He is buying the wool out of his wages, Master Evan!¡±

    The left sock was bright red, while the right one was green with meaningless patterns on them.

    ¡°Thank you, Dobby!¡± said Evan, not asking what the patterns on the socks were. He pulled them on, causing Dobby¡¯s eyes to leak with happiness again.

    ¡°Dobby must go, sir, Dobby is going to give Harry Potter a present!¡± said Dobby, bowing deeply. ¡°And then go back as soon as possible, we is already making Christmas dinner in the kitchens.¡±

    After Dobby left, Evan began to open the rest of the presents.

    Harry had given him a book on ancient magic texts. Ginny¡¯s present was also a book. Ron had given him a bulging bag of Dungbombs; Colin a thin book of photos he had taken in the past year; and Cho, a beautifully crafted quill.

    As for Fred and George, they had given Evan newly developed prank products and thetest product list.

    Sirius had sent a magical item that could automatically remind and record the time. Hagrid, a vast box of sweets including all kinds of sweets: Bertie Bott¡¯s Every vor Beans, Chocte Frogs, Drooble¡¯s Best Blowing Gum, and Fizzing Whizbees.

    Gabrielle also gave a present, a lovely crystal owl decoration that represented good luck and blessings.

    Mrs. Weasley sent the usual package, including a new sweater and arge quantity of homemade mince pies.

    There were also many other students who had sent many other things. There were dozens of varied pieces.

    To Evan¡¯s surprise, he received a printed bat locket from ine with a hint of magic, using a special technique to seal a blood-specific protective magic that could be activated at critical moments.

    Not long ago, Evan had specially ordered a batch of bloody lollipops in Honeydukes sweet shop. This was ine¡¯s favorite candy, he directly handed them to fake Moody Caresius.

    It seemed that ine had indeed received his gift.

    More than half an hourter, Colin woke up.

    When Evan and Colin went to the Common Room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting there.

    They went down to breakfast together. They spent most of the morning in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was enjoying their presents, then returned to the Great Hall for a magnificent lunch, which included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, andrge piles of Cribbage¡¯s Wizarding Crackers. There, they met Gabrielle.

    At the suggestion of Fred and George, Evan did not return to the Common Room after lunch. They went out onto the grounds. The snow was untouched except for the deep channels made by the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students on their way up to the castle.

    Hermione, Ginny and Gabrielle chose to watch Evan, Harry, Colin and the Weasley brothers¡¯ snowball fight rather than join in.

    The three of them gathered together and talked about the ball, and from time to time they burst out withughter.

    At five o¡¯clock they said they were going back upstairs to get ready for the ball.

    ¡°Go back so early?!¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Girls always need time to dress up. It¡¯s not like we just need to change into dresses,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°They¡¯re absolutely crazy. They need three hours to get ready!¡± Ron said unbelievably.

    They did not return to the castle early, but continued the snowball fight.

    At seven o¡¯clock, when it had be hard to aim properly, they abandoned their snowball fight and trooped back to themon room.

    The Fat Lady was sitting in her frame with her friend Violet from downstairs, both of them extremely tipsy, empty boxes of chocte liqueurs littering the bottom of her picture.

    ¡°Lairy fights, that¡¯s the one!¡± she giggled when they gave the password, and she swung forward to let them inside.

    Now, all the boys in the Common Room seemed to be a little bit nervous.

    Everyone made fun of each other for a while before returning to their dormitory to change into their dress robes.

    Evan¡¯s robes fit well, and the extra pattern on it gave him a noble temperament.

    Colin didn¡¯t expect he would attend the ball. His dress robes were ordered just a few days ago.

    It seemed a little bigger than his thin figure, and he put it on loosely.

    It was clear that the boys used to school robes were notfortable in fancy dress robes.

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 Chapter 621: The Amazing Hermione Granger

    Chapter 621: The Amazing Hermione Granger

    But no one was as frustrated as Ron, and when he came out of the dormitory, he had an appalled look on his face.

    There was just no getting around the fact that his robes looked more like a dress than anything else. In a desperate attempt to make them look more manly, he used a Severing Charm on the ruff and cuffs. It worked fairly well; at least he was nowce-free, although he hadn¡¯t done a very neat job, and the edges still looked depressingly frayed.

    ¡°Well, Ron, don¡¯t think about your robes, they don¡¯t look that bad!¡± Harryforted him.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the same for everybody. These dresses and robes are very retro style, not in line with the modern aesthetic,¡± Evan followed, ¡°These are ancient traditions from hundreds of years ago. Look at them¡­¡±

    Indeed, themon room looked strange, full of people wearing different colors instead of the usual mass of ck.

    Ron looked around and saw that everyone looked awkward and somewhat regained some confidence. But when he looked back at Evan, he felt a little self-conscious¡­

    It had to be said that Mrs. Weasley made a lot of effort in choosing the dress robes.

    The color of Evan¡¯s robes was very conspicuous and distinctive. It was the most eye-catching among the crowd.

    Now, anyone who entered the Common Room would unconsciously turn his eyes on Evan.

    The sky-blue dress robes matched Evan¡¯s unparalleled self-confidence temperament very well. While showing the noble aristocratic taste, they could hide the unease in his heart, making people¡¯s eyes shine. Ron had to admit Evan looked very decent.

    If someone else wore these dress robes, it wouldn¡¯t have the same effect, though it would look very fancy.

    He looked up at the exit of the girls¡¯ dormitory and tried not topare himself with Evan.

    After all, there were only a very few like Evan, most of the boys looked very bad now.

    After a while, Lavender and several girls walked out of the girls¡¯ dormitory. She looked much prettier than usual, in robes of shocking pink, with gold bracelets glimmering under the candlelight at her wrists.

    She waved to Ron a little too enthusiastically and giggled. Although the boys below looked at her in astonishment, Lavender didn¡¯t care at all.

    She quickly walked down the stairs and looked up and down at Ron as she approached. She seemed very satisfied.

    ¡°Hello!¡± said Ron, looking rudely at Lavender with a strange expression.

    ¡°Do I look beautiful?¡± Lavender asked nonchntly, with a bright smile on her face.

    ¡°Not bad ¡­ well ¡­ very beautiful!¡± Ron winked at her, and he smiled hesitantly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down, the ball is about to begin!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± said Ron dryly, waving at Evan and Harry, ¡°See youter!¡±

    Lavender smiled and came up actively, and they both swaggered out of themon room.

    ¡°They look perfect for each other!¡± Evanmented.

    Harry nodded at first, but looked at Lavender¡¯s back and quickly shook his head. He felt that Lavender looked a little scary and very embarrassing. He really hoped Ron could hold on.

    Harry was wondering what Cho would look like, and then thought of Ginny, wishing she wouldn¡¯t dress up like Lavender¡­

    Besides a little nervous personality and her exaggerated dress, Evan was very satisfied with Lavender¡¯s active attitude.

    In school, it was not easy to find a girl who was really interested in Ron himself. Thinking that way, Lavender didn¡¯t look so bad.

    If it were another girl, she would have probably turned around and left at the sight of Ron¡¯s terrible robes.

    The girls continued to descend from the upper floor and left the Common Room with their partners.

    Those who had chosen partners from other Houses, Durmstrang or Beauxbatons also left the Common Room in groups.

    After a while, Angelina came down too. She smiled and handed Fred her hand. They left hand in hand, and Fred winked at them naughtily.

    Behind Angelina was Ginny, wearing a rtively conservative pale red dress with long pink stripes, and a rosy face. She was too embarrassed to see Harry and Evan.

    Ginny was clearly well dressed and looked extraordinarily beautiful. She was even prettier than all the girls Evan had seen so far tonight.

    The cute bubble sleeves on the robes made her extraordinarily cute and intoxicating, with a pink belt with a small bow around her waist, wrapped around her petite body, with an unspeakable feminine charm.

    All the boys who hadn¡¯t yet left saw Ginny and felt an inexplicable impulse from the bottom of their hearts.

    Unsurprisingly, Harry looked at Ginny in disbelief and was speechless in surprise. Looking at him, he seemed to have just noticed that Ginny was also a beautiful girl.

    The look, which was originally of no nature, changed rapidly; and there was a hint of nervousness and consternation.

    ¡°Hermione is still up there, she¡¯sing out right away!¡± Ginny said, her little face still red.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait for her and go down together,¡± said Harry, seemingly a little embarrassed to go with Ginny.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll stay here and wait for her. You two just go and enj¡­¡±

    Evan naturally didn¡¯t want to go with them, but he stopped before he had finished speaking.

    The noisy voices in the Common Room suddenly stopped, and everyone looked up at the girl who had juste out.

    Many people opened their mouths wide in surprise, speechless.

    It was <em>Hermione</em>!!!

    But she didn¡¯t look like Hermione at all. She looked like a fairy that hadnded to the mortal world.

    She had done something with her hair; it was no longer bushy but sleek and shiny, and twisted up into an elegant knot at the back of her head.

    She was wearing robes made of a floaty, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself differently, somehow¡­ or maybe it was merely the absence of the twenty or so books she usually had slung over her back.

    She was also smiling, of course, a little nervously. In a word, she was really stunning.

    When she saw Evan, her eyes went bright and her mouth was full of smiles.

    She walked down the stairs, her light pace like a butterfly, her well-chosen pink dress extraordinarily elegant and flexible, and the silk skirt wrapped around her slender, soft body, flowing to the ground like a wave of water.

    Evan just spotted that Hermione¡¯s body, usually hidden under her uniform robes, was really beautiful.

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 Chapter 622: The Beginning of the Ball

    Chapter 622: The Beginning of the Ball

    Everyone stared at Hermione with unttering disbelief, dismayed and did not know what to say.

    Hermione was definitely the most changed and beautiful of all the girls, subverting everyone¡¯s understanding of her.

    ¡°Good evening, Evan!¡± Hermione came over and whispered, ¡°How do I look?¡±

    ¡°Beautiful ¡­ incredible!¡± Evan replied, looking at Hermione carefully.

    His heart was beating fast and uncontrobly, and his eyes could not be removed from Hermione¡¯s body.

    Hermione was now so fascinating, her body exuding a strong charm.

    Hearing Evan¡¯sment, Hermione¡¯s mouth smiled upwards. She handed him her hand and they went downstairs to the entrance hall.

    Along the way, everyone they met was looking at them in surprise.

    Evan and Hermione¡¯s outfits were too conspicuous, especially Hermione, who attracted a lot of attention.

    Many girls were throwing her looks of deepest loathing and jealousy, while the boys were admiring and amazed.

    Though neither Evan nor Hermione were champions, they were the brightest couple tonight.

    When the two of them went down, the entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for eight o¡¯clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open.

    Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another.

    Ron and Lavender stood by the door, and he saw Hermione who had just stepped down and opened his mouth wide in surprise.

    He stared at Hermione for a while, then turned his head, and looked thoughtful.

    After a while, a group of Slytherins came up the steps from their dungeon Common Room. Malfoy was in the front; he was wearing dress robes of ck velvet with a high cor, which made him look like a vicar.

    Pansy Parkinson in very frilly robes of pale pink was clutching Malfoy¡¯s arm.

    Crabbe and Goyle were both wearing green, they resembled moss-colored boulders, and neither of them had managed to find a partner.

    After seeing Evan and Hermione standing on the edge of the main staircase, Malfoy was slightly stunned.

    Like other boys, his gaze fell on Hermione, but he didn¡¯t seem to be able to find an insult to throw at her.

    Five minutester, the oak front doors opened, and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered with Professor Karkaroff.

    Krum was at the front of the party, apanied by a Slytherin sixth-year girl.

    Over their heads, they could see that an area ofwn right in front of the castle had been transformed into a sort of grotto full of fairy lights ¡­ meaning hundreds of actual living fairies were sitting in the rosebushes and fluttering over the statues of what seemed to be Father Christmas and his reindeer

    Evan suddenly found that he and Hermione were too noticeable, standing there.

    The eyes of everyone who walked into the entrance hall had to fall on both of them and stare at them impolitely.

    Hermione was a little embarrassed and asked Evan to move to the side and block her body.

    She snuggled up in his arms, and all of a sudden, the boys looked at Evan enviously, as though they wanted to eat him alive.

    The feeling of joy was very good, but the pressure was equally as great¡­

    Fortunately, at this time, the students from Beauxbatons began to enter the castle, shifting the attention of everyone.

    At the front was Fleur with her partner Roger Davies. Fleur was extremely gorgeous and didn¡¯t lose to Hermione at all.

    They belonged to two different styles, but they were both extremely beautiful.

    Fleur fully showed her charm, like a flower in full bloom.

    The addition of Ve¡¯s blood made all the boys unable to calm down and immerse themselves in her.

    Hermione was not as mature and gorgeous as Fleur, nor did she have ¡°that kind¡± of beauty, butpared with Fleur and other girls, she was particrly pure, and her unique qualities of intelligence, quiet, andpassion were enough to make every boy moved.

    If it were for Evan to choose, he would think no girl could match Hermione tonight.

    But no doubt, Fleur was also extremely eye-catching.

    Beside her, Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her.

    Gabrielle and Colin walked at the back of the Beauxbatons team and they looked around for Evan and Hermione as soon as they entered the entrance hall.

    Unlike Hermione, Fleur and other girls, Gabrielle was a different style that made loveliness to its fullest.

    That was the cuteness of the lovely girl of her age. She was wearing a white dress, like a porcin doll, with a naughty smile on her lips, and moving her eyes in a smart way. Soon, she saw Evan and Hermione standing at the edge of the stairs and dragged Colin quickly towards them.

    ¡°Hello, Evan! Hello, Hermione!¡± said Gabrielle with a smile. She turned around Hermione a few times and appreciated her dress.

    Colin told Evan that he had just gone to the Beauxbatons carriage to pick up Gabrielle. The whole castle and the grounds outside had changed. They were decorated with magic and Christmas costumes were everywhere. There were also fairies and elves scattered around, as if they had suddenly entered a dreamy fairy tale world.

    Just then, Professor McGonagall¡¯s voice called, ¡°Champions over here, please!¡±

    She was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat.

    Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside. They were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down.

    When passing through the doors, Evan noticed that Fleur and Cho were looking at him, and their eyes were following his steps.

    Krum and Ron¡¯s eyes were all focused on Hermione, staring at her.

    Looking at them, one couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he and Hermione were the protagonists of this evening.

    Five minutester, once everyone was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her.

    They filed in and started walking toward arge round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting. Everyone apuded warmly.

    The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of gands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry ck ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller,ntern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

    Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached straight the top table.

    Karkaroff¡¯s face was gloomy, his eyes wandered back and forth on the champions, and then he nced quickly at Evan, who was sitting below.

    Ludo Bagman, tonight in robes of bright purple withrge yellow stars, was pping as enthusiastically as any of the students.

    Beside him, Madame Maxime had changed her usual uniform of ck satin for a flowing gown ofvender silk. But Mr. Crouch was not there. The fifth seat at the table was upied by Percy Weasley.

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 Chapter 623: The Dance

    Chapter 623: The Dance

    Percy was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and a smug expression on his face.

    Evan stared at him for a while, wondering why Barty Crouch hadn¡¯te!

    Ron was also surprised. Seeing Percy draw out an empty chair beside him, he sat down hesitantly.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ron asked in a low voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been promoted!¡± Percy said arrogantly, and from his tone, he might have been announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe. ¡°I¡¯m now Mr. Crouch¡¯s personal assistant, and I¡¯m here representing him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, why didn¡¯t hee?¡± Ron continued to ask.

    In fact, he wanted to leave, and he wasn¡¯t looking forward to being lectured by Percy on cauldron bottoms all through dinner.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn¡¯t well, not well at all. He hasn¡¯t been right since the World Cup. It¡¯s hardly surprising because of overwork. He¡¯s not as young as he used to be¡­ though still quite brilliant, of course; the mind remains as great as it ever was. But the World Cup was a terrible fiasco for the whole Ministry of Magic, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehavior of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called. Naturally he dismissed her immediately afterward, but¡­ well, as I say, he¡¯s getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he¡¯s found a definite drop in his homeforts since the house-elf left. And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with¡­ that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around ¡­ no, poor man, he¡¯s having a well earned, quiet Christmas. I¡¯m just d he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his ce.¡±

    Percy said a lot in one breath, and Ron did not listen to a word, but was annoyed.

    He looked up at Hermione again, as if he had just met her, and he realized that she was so beautiful!

    Ron was a bit off the mark and couldn¡¯t help wondering if Hermione or Fleur were his partner.

    ¡°So, Mr. Crouch¡¯s stopped calling you Weatherby?!¡± he asked subconsciously.

    ¡°Listen, Ron, you¡¯ve done a good job this time, bing a champion and earning glory for yourself and your family,¡± said Percy, not answering Ron¡¯s question. ¡°You have to be prepared. There¡¯s been an ident in the first task, and Mr. Crouch and the Ministry will definitely take special measures for the second task to ensure that nothing goes wrong.¡±

    ¡°What is it?!¡± Ron turned to look at Percy, wondering what special measures were in ce.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say, it¡¯s top secret. You¡¯ll know it in time!¡± said Percy proudly. ¡°By the way, have you figured out the meaning of the golden egg?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still early. If you don¡¯t want to tell me anything, then don¡¯t say it!¡± Ron retorted.

    Because of the Triwizard Tournament, Percy had been keeping his appetite for the whole summer vacation.

    Now he was no longer interested in continuing to listen to him, and his attention had returned to the beautiful girls.

    At the same time, Evan and Hermione were also discussing the reason for Percy¡¯s presence.

    There was no food yet on the glittering golden tes, but small menus were lying in front of each of them.

    ¡°Strange, I don¡¯t see the waiters!¡± said Harry, picking up his menu uncertainly and looking around.

    ¡°Very simple, just say what you want to eat!¡± Evan leafed through the menu and said.

    Just then, everyone saw Dumbledore carefully looking down at his own menu. Then he looked at his te and said very clearly, ¡°Pork chops!¡±

    And pork chops appeared. Getting the idea, the rest of the table ced their orders with their tes too.

    The atmosphere in the Great Hall immediately warmed up and everyone began chatting happily.

    On the table opposite them, Hagrid was waving to everyone. He looked terrible back in his horrible hairy brown suit.

    Then they saw him quickly gazing up at the top table. There, Madame Maxime waved to Hagrid, her opals glittering in the candlelight.

    The conversation naturally shifted to Hagrid and Madame Maxime, as well as Beauxbatons.

    Gabrielle told them about Christmas in Beauxbatons. ¡°At this time of the year, we have ice sculptures of different shapes all around the dining chamber. They do not melt; of course ¡­ They are like huge statues of diamond, glittering around the ce. And we have choirs of wood nymphs, who serenade us as we eat.¡±

    More than half an hourter, when all the food had been consumed, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same.

    With a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised tform into existence along the right wall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it.

    The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic apuse; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in ck robes that had been artfully ripped and torn.

    They picked up their instruments, and everyone had been so interested in watching them that they had almost forgotten what wasing.

    Just then, thenterns on all the other tables had gone out, and the four champions and their partners stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to dance!¡± Everyone was looking forward to it. It was the highlight of the ball.

    Ron looked very nervous. When he stood up, he stepped on Lavender¡¯s robes and almost tripped.

    At this time, the Weird Sisters struck up a slow, mournful tune. The champions walked onto the brightly lit dance floor and began to dance softly.

    The four champions had different dance levels, the best being that of Fleur and Roger Davies.

    The two of them looked very experienced, and Davies was staring at Fleur with a very dazed look on his face.

    He was really, again, a foolish guy confused by Ve¡¯s blood.

    Beside them, Cedric and Cho did well too. They must have practiced secretly.

    Cho was amazing in a set of cheongsam with oriental characteristics.

    She and Cedric danced very gracefully on the rhythm, on the dance floor.

    Compared with these two pairs, Krum and his partner were slightly worse, mainly because Krum¡¯s movements were not coordinated. And he seemed a little absent-minded and always looked out of the court.

    As for Ron andvender, their performance was even worse, but it was not as bad as expected.

    Under Lavender¡¯s control, they slowly circled in ce. It was to say that they had managed with effort not to look like fools.

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 Chapter 624: The Stage Belongs to Evan and Hermione!

    Chapter 624: The Stage Belongs to Evan and Hermione!

    Colin took out the camera and took this rare picture.

    Soon, many people began toe onto the dance floor, and the champions were no longer the center of attention.

    ¡°Ready, Hermione?¡± Evan asked, reaching out and inviting her to dance.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Hermione nodded; her cheeks slightly red.

    Her right hand was gently held by Evan, and she acquiescently followed him onto the center of the dance floor.

    They danced slowly in a soothing rhythm, looking slightly astringent.

    Every night during the previous period, Evan and Hermione had been practicing in an empty ssroom. It was the first time they were dancing in front of so many people.

    In fact, Evan was a little nervous. He held Hermione¡¯s soft, small hand in one hand and ced his other hand around her thin waist, and his brain was nk.

    All he felt was a moment of softness in front of him, and his heart was beating fast and uncontrobly.

    The world in front of him was gradually disappearing, with only Hermione being left in his eyes.

    The same was true for Hermione. There was only Evan in her eyes.

    Under the influence of music, their bodies danced subconsciously.

    Like most of the students around them, they started with basic footwork and asionally took one or two moves.

    But the effect of the practice quickly became apparent, and Evan felt more and more adept at his movements.

    He was getting better and better with Hermione in his arms, from his heels to his fingertips, twisting and moving like a fish in water.

    Sometimes, they looked like a stream flowing down through the waterfall, and sometimes like floating, swaying clouds.

    With the progress of the dance, Evan and Hermione¡¯s movements were bing more and more natural, and their coordination was getting better and better.

    Often, with just a move or a look from one of them, the other knew what he or she meant to do. Without even gesturing, they could feel each other¡¯s new ideas and connect with one another.

    Evan looked at the smiling Hermione and gradually melted into that smile, as though to merge with Hermione¡­

    Hermione in his arms was so beautiful, with an irresistible charm.

    Evan¡¯s heart was moved, and at this moment, they were the center of the dance floor, the focus of the Yule Ball.

    Under his traction, they danced from the edge to the center of the dance floor.

    A strange sensation rose and spread in Hermione¡¯s body, spreading with warmth to the tips of her fingers and toes. She gave her body to Evan and rxedpletely.

    She looked into Evan¡¯s eyes as he looked back to hers. Her heels were gently positioned, the tips of her shoes propped up the ground, and she drew arcs right and left.

    The people who passed by Evan and Hermione stopped one after another to look at both of them, withplicated eyes.

    Whether they were willing to admit it or not, the two of them danced so well that they could only admire them.

    That was not to say that the two of them were very skilled; they were just extremely harmonious, to a charming point.

    Unlike the free, fast-paced dancing, which is more freestyle, the most important thing in a ballroom dance is tacit understanding and cooperation.

    If technique is good, but you don¡¯t have a tacit understanding with your partner, you can¡¯t really end up performing a wonderful dance.

    This tacit understanding can¡¯t be practiced overnight, to trust each otherpletely unreservedly, and to be telepathic. Evan and Hermione were entering this wonderful state, and at Hogwarts it was almost impossible to find another couple like them.

    Everyone stopped, even the champions, standing aside and watching enviously Evan and Hermione. Most of the girls were watching Evan, and the boys were staring at Hermione.

    They only saw Hermione¡¯s skirt whirling and dancing in the air, bringing out a pair of mysterious and suffocating blue shadows in the dim light.

    Fleur and Cho looked at Evan with aplicated look, while Krum and Ron stared at Hermione in a daze.

    Beside Evan and Hermione, only Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman sorge.

    The two of them also saw Evan and Hermione. They stopped, smiling to one another and left the dance floor to the young couple.

    By this time, no one was dancing on the dance floor. Everyone stood back and watched the performance of the two of them.

    The stage was theirs; the others at this moment had be the backdrop.

    When the bagpipe yed the final, quavering note, the Weird Sisters stopped ying.

    Evan and Hermione also stopped, and there was a burst of apuse in the Great Hall. Everyone was cheering for them.

    They all talked about the dance moves of Evan and Hermione, impressed by their performances.

    Colin also quickly pressed the shutter with excitement. He just did not dance, but kept taking pictures.

    At first, they were pictures of the champions, and then they were all Evan and Hermione¡¯s.

    Intuition told him that the effect of publishing these photos in the newspaper was definitely much better than that of the four champions¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. I didn¡¯t expect Evan and Hermione to dance so well!¡± said Harry enviously.

    When he was dancing with Ginny, he identally stepped on her feet. Then they stopped to watch Evan and Hermione dancing.

    They were sitting at the table drinking butterbeer, and Ron and Lavender were beside them.

    Ron also stared at Evan and Hermione in the center of the dance floor, never expecting this to happen.

    The two of them were really dazzling, and if light was used forparison, Evan and Hermione had justpletely shone so that people couldn¡¯t open their eyes.

    ¡°Evan and Hermione are so good. They¡¯re a perfect couple!¡± Lavender sighed. ¡°Are we dancing again, Ron?¡±

    ¡°Take a break first!¡± Ron replied, not in the mood to dance, and Lavender¡¯s words made him a little ufortable.

    At this time, the Weird Sisters struck up a new song, which was much faster.

    Harry and Ginny went dancing, and Evan and Hermione followed. The opening dance was just a little overwhelming.

    The music this time was totally different from the one just yed. Perhaps the performances of Evan and Hermione set off the whole audience, making everyone let go. Everyone enjoyed the dance, especially Fred and Angelina.

    In fact, they were dancing so exuberantly that people around them were backing away in fear of injury.

    For this style of dance, Fred and Angelina were the center of focus.

    Correspondingly, Evan and Hermione were a little inseparable, not as conspicuous as before, but they were still very happy to be mixed in the crowd.

    Evan saw that the teachers also began to enter onto the floor dance. Caresius disguised in Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg. Not far away, Ludo Bagman and Professor McGonagall were also dancing.

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 Chapter 625: New Measures of the Ministry of Magic

    Chapter 625: New Measures of the Ministry of Magic

    After the song ended, Evan and Hermione did not continue dancing and decided to return to their seats and rest for a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hot, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hermione said with a smile, fanning herself with her palms. Because of the dance, her cheeks were slightly reddish.

    ¡°You just danced too much,¡± said Evan, ¡°By the way, what would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°Fruit juice, butterbeer will be good, too!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll get it. Wait for me.¡± Evan responded.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± said Hermione, who saw the sweat on Evan¡¯s forehead and subconsciously reached out and wiped it.

    Hermione¡¯s hand was soft, smooth and tender, and the feeling of her touch was veryforting.

    She had just rubbed Evan¡¯s forehead twice before she realized what she was doing. She blushed and hurriedly lowered her head.

    Evan held her sweating hand and looked at her stupefied.

    Looking at Hermione¡¯s shy look, Evan couldn¡¯t help wondering if it was time to lead her to the woods.

    The third dance had just been yed, and some couples had already left the dance floor hand in hand and went out into the garden.

    ¡°Evan¡­¡± Hermione whispered.

    Evan was sure that nothing he could do to Hermione now would be rejected.

    Now that they had finished dancing, they should need some private space for them to get along.

    Evan had not had time to act, and Harry and Ginny came over, and Colin and Gabrielle also went to their side.

    Eventually, Evan, Harry, and Colin went to get drinks, while Hermione, Ginny, and Gabrielle went back to wait.

    They went to Ron and Lavender¡¯s table and said hello.

    Ron ignored them and did not even turn his head to look at the three of them. Instead, he whispered something to Lavender.

    Hermione, Ginny, and Gabrielle looked at them strangely and couldn¡¯t understand what was going on.

    Lavender suddenlyughed, stood up and followed Ron to the floor dance, ready to dance.

    Ron didn¡¯t look at them in the end, as though they were invisible.

    ¡°Have you noticed that Ron is a bit strange tonight?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s finally found a girlfriend. I think Lavender is a perfect match for him¡­¡± Ginny said.

    Evan and the others came back with a drink, just in time to see Ron and Lavender leaving.

    He didn¡¯t have time to think of Ron. Evan was thinking about how to ask Hermione out alone.

    As soon as Evan sat down, Gabrielle badgered him to take her to dance, as he had promised her before.

    The girl did not even dance with Colin and had been waiting for Evan.

    In this case, Evan was naturally embarrassed to refuse. After getting Hermione¡¯s consent, he led Gabrielle to the dance floor.

    Harry sat down for a while and left, wanting to invite Cho.

    Colin went to dance with Ginny, leaving Hermione alone at the table.

    ¡°Herm-My-oh-nee, can I ask you to dance?¡± Just then, a voice suddenly said.

    Unexpectedly, Krum came up and invited Hermione to dance.

    ¡°I want to take a break¡­ you know¡­ I just finished dancing. I¡¯m a little tired!¡± Hermione hesitated for a moment and refused.

    She also recalled the scene when she had just taken the initiative to wipe Evan¡¯s sweat, and the sweat on the palm of her hand¡­

    ¡°Vell, I ville backter!¡± He said listlessly, nced at Hermione again and turned to leave.

    Behind him were a lot of girls who followed him to the other side of the stage.

    As they passed Hermione, they all threw her looks of deepest loathing.

    They were members of Krum¡¯s fan club and were jealous because of Krum¡¯s initiative to invite Hermione.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve made friends with Viktor Krum and that little girl from Beauxbatons, Hermione?!¡± Percy had bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. ¡°Excellent! That¡¯s the whole point to hold the Triwizard Tournament, you know¡­ international magical cooperation!¡±

    Percy sat next to Hermione, endlessly talking about things inside the Ministry.

    Anyone else might have been bored, but Hermione was very interested in the work experience of the Ministry of Magic.

    She asked Percy about many things, and even nned to ask him to join S.P.E.W. The top table was now empty; Professor Dumbledore was dancing with Professor Sprout, Ludo Bagman with Professor McGonagall; Madame Maxime and Hagrid were cutting a wide path around the dance floor as they waltzed through the students, and Karkaroff and Snape were nowhere to be seen.

    Harry did not seed in inviting Cho, but instead was with Luna.

    Harry and Luna, Evan and Gabrielle, Colin and Ginny, Ron and Lavender were all dancing slowly to the music on the edge of the floor dance, and Evan was quietly guiding Gabrielle.

    When the next song ended, everybody apuded once more, and Evan saw Ludo Bagman kiss Professor McGonagall¡¯s hand and make his way back through the crowds, at which point Fred and George osted him.

    ¡°What are these two guys doing, annoying senior Ministry members?¡± Percy hissed, watching Fred and George suspiciously. ¡°No respect ¡­ no, I have to stop them¡­¡± said Percy. He got up and walked towards them.

    Ludo Bagman shook off Fred and George fairly quickly, however, and, spotting Evan and Harry, waved to them.

    Percy took the initiative to walk towards the main table with them to meet him.

    ¡°I hope my brothers weren¡¯t bothering you, Mr. Bagman?¡± said Percy at once.

    ¡°No, no!¡± said Bagman. ¡°They were just telling me a bit more about those fake wands of theirs, wondering if I could advise them on the marketing. I¡¯ve promised to put them in touch with a couple of contacts of mine at Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop¡­¡±

    Percy didn¡¯t look happy about this at all. He definitely nned to tell Mrs. Weasley about this the moment he got home.

    Evan looked at him disdainfully. In order to avoid talking about his debts, this fellow Ludo Bagman could really talk nonsense.

    The prank products made by Fred and George were all sold in his and professor Lupin¡¯s store. Their poprity was far beyond everyone¡¯s imagination. Often, they were ordered out as soon as they reached the stores. Fred and George did not need Ludo Bagman¡¯s help at all.

    ¡°By the way, Mr. Bagman, how do you feel the tournament is going? As you know, due to the hitch with the Goblet of Fire and the ident in the first task, our department has proposed corresponding solutions and new measures, which will be used in the second task¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Bagman said cheerfully. He didn¡¯t care about the new measures Percy told about. ¡°Old Barty is too careful. I think a small ident is more fun, isn¡¯t it? Today is Christmas. Is old Barty still working in the Department? It¡¯s really regrettable he couldn¡¯te.¡±

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 Chapter 626: Shadows in the Bushes

    Chapter 626: Shadows in the Bushes

    ¡°Mr. Crouch¡¯s health is just a minor problem. He will be up and about in no time,¡± said Percy importantly. ¡°He¡¯ll definitely get better before the start of the second task. But in the meantime, I¡¯m more than willing to take up the ck. Of course, it¡¯s not all attending balls.¡±

    Heughed airily and continued, ¡°I¡¯ve had to deal with all sorts of things that have cropped up in his absence ¡­ you heard Ali Bashir was caught smuggling a consignment of flying carpets into the country? And then we¡¯ve been trying to persuade the Transylvanians to sign the International Ban on Dueling. I¡¯ve got a meeting with their Head of Magical Cooperation in the new year¡­¡±

    Percy kept on talking about his recent work, and the others were not in the mood to listen.

    Evan was more concerned about what had happened to Mr. Crouch. Did Barty Crouch Jr., who probably pretended to be him, get tired of the work of the Ministry of Magic, so he gave all these messy things to Percy?!

    What Barty Crouch Jr., who had disappeared from the crowd, was doing made Evan a little worried.

    He certainly would not be lying in bed as Barty Crouch, but had more important things to do.

    Also, what did Percy just mean about the new measures in the Triwizard Tournament?!

    If he asked Percy directly, he certainly wouldn¡¯t say anything; but since it was the Ministry¡¯s decision, the school should already know about it.

    Maybe he could ask Caresius, by the way, if there were any new information.

    They sat there for a while, and from time to time someone came to invite Evan or Hermione to dance.

    Evan was annoyed. He didn¡¯t want to dance with the other girls, and neither did Hermione.

    She once again turned Krum down, who left with a dreadful look on his face, not showing what he was thinking about.

    Harry was still thinking about Cho, while Colin, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Gabrielle continued to dance.

    As for Ron, he never came back after the end of the third song. It was unknown where he and Lavender had gone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk,¡± Evan whispered, and Hermione nodded.

    They left the table, edged around the dance floor, and slipped out into the entrance hall.

    The front doors stood open, and the fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps.

    Now, the rose garden in front of the castle was filled with low bushes; winding, ornamental paths; andrge stone statues.

    There were festive Christmas decorations hanging on the statues and trees, and the stars were shining with golden magic.

    Evan could even hear sshing water, which sounded like a fountain. Here and there, people were sitting on carved benches.

    The fairies were dancing in the flowers, fluttering their wings and dropping some stars.

    Evan and Hermione set off along one of the winding paths through the rosebushes. They were not walking fast, enjoying this rare time alone.

    As the light grew darker and darker, Evan could hear the sound from many rosebushes, and in the obscurity he could see someone kissing.

    As for the more daring, they had already run to the edge of the Forbidden Forest or the huge shadow of the castle.

    The two were a bit embarrassed, but they seemed to be affected by the surrounding environment, and had a further impulse and temptation.

    With this kind of opportunity, it was too useless to just take a walk!

    Evan made up his mind to hold Hermione¡¯s little hand and walked into an empty dark corner.

    Hermione also understood Evan¡¯s purpose, a little scared and a little expectant, allowing him to drag her forward.

    She felt her face blushing, but fortunately it was so dark, and no one could see it.

    When she recovered, she raised her head subconsciously and looked inside the dark corner on the left side.

    ¡°Evan, look over there,¡± Hermione said suddenly, in a low voice.

    Evan looked into the corner she was indicating and vaguely saw Ron and Lavender.

    They were in the corner, hugging each other so closely that it was hard to tell whose hands were whose.

    Well¡­ that didn¡¯t persist for long. Ron seemed to be very¡­ hands on, and in the face of Ron¡¯s various moves, Lavender did not refuse.

    Both Evan and Hermione looked at the corner with surprise and did not react for a while. Then they left the ce quickly as though they had seen nothing.

    Ron and Lavender were progressing too fast. Thinking about what they were doing, anyway, it was not very suitable to do it around here. Evan didn¡¯t want himself interrupting Ron, or Ron interrupting him.

    He led Hermione in a different direction, but they had gone only a short way when they heard an unpleasantly familiar voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see what there is to fuss about, Igor.¡±

    ¡°Severus, you cannot pretend this isn¡¯t happening!¡± Karkaroff¡¯s voice sounded anxious and hushed, as though keen not to be overheard. ¡°It¡¯s been getting clearer and clearer for months. His strength is increasing, and at an unimaginable speed. He ising back soon. I am bing seriously concerned, I can¡¯t deny it.¡±

    ¡°Then flee, coward!¡± said Snape¡¯s voice curtly. ¡°Flee, run to a ce where that man can no longer find you. I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts¡±

    Snape had his wand out and was sting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes merged from them.

    ¡°Ten points from Ravenw, Fawcett!¡± Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. ¡°And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!¡± as a boy went rushing after her.

    ¡°And what are you doing?¡± he added, catching sight of Evan and Hermione on the path.

    Karkaroff looked slightly diposed to see them standing there. His hand went nervously to his goatee, and he began winding it around his finger.

    ¡°We¡¯re walking, professor!¡± Hermione said they did nothing.

    To be exact, they hadn¡¯t had time to do it yet.

    ¡°Keep walking then, Miss Know-it-all. Twenty points from Gryffindor!¡± Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long ck cloak billowing out behind him.

    Karkaroff also hurried away after Snape, leaving Evan and Hermione standing on the dark path.

    There was nobody around now, but neither of them was in the mood for what they had intended on doing.

    They were thinking about the conversation between Snape and Karkaroff, and the twenty points deducted really spoiled the mood.

    ¡°What on earth is going on? What¡¯s got Karkaroff all worried?¡± said Hermione. ¡°And since when have he and Snape been on first name terms? They look familiar and have a good rtionship.¡±

    Of course, after all, there were not many people, still alive, who had betrayed the terrorist organization of the Death Eaters.

    At this critical moment on the eve of Voldemort¡¯s return, it was also inevitable that they would exchange views.

    Listening to Karkaroff, besides the Dark Mark bing clearer, Voldemort¡¯s power was increasing. How did he do it? Would it be rted to the movements of the vampires and the disappearance of Barty Crouch Jr.?

    ========================================

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 Chapter 627: Hiding in the Bushes

    Chapter 627: Hiding in the Bushes

    ¡°Evan, do you remember what Sirius said?¡± Hermione analyzed,bined with the news she had so far, ¡°Karkaroff is a Death Eater, he may be plotting something, and he seems to have a good rtionship with Snape¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t fantasize, Hermione!¡± said Evan. He knew what Hermione was talking about, but that was not the case at all.

    Hermione had too little information to analyze the incident in its entirety, and her conclusion was wrong. She only saw part of the story, there was a lot of information that she didn¡¯t know, and Evan couldn¡¯t say it directly.

    He thought for a moment and continued, ¡°Snape and Karkaroff were just talking about Voldemort. You know ¡­ Voldemort¡¯s power is getting stronger. Karkaroff has Voldemort¡¯s mark on him. I¡¯m sure he can feel it. That¡¯s why he¡¯s afraid and wants to abandon and run away.¡±

    ¡°Why is Karkaroff afraid of Voldemort¡¯s growing strength?¡± said Hermione, ¡°Isn¡¯t he a Death Eater?!¡±

    ¡°To be precise, he was a Death Eater who had betrayed many of hispanions in order not to be imprisoned in Azkaban.¡± Evan replied, ¡°If I were Voldemort, I would definitely not let him go.¡±

    ¡°But Snape¡­¡±

    ¡°Snape is trustworthy, Dumbledore believes in him, and we should trust him too!¡± said Evan quickly. ¡°All right, Hermione, don¡¯t think about it! What we need to do now is to enhance our strength and find the remaining secret treasure keys as soon as possible. You and Harry will also have to umtebat experience and master a few more powerful spells to prevent idents.¡±

    Hermione nodded nervously, and Evan then thought of something else.

    Judging from the current situation, it was impossible to crack all the demonnguages, ancient magic texts and silent magic research in a short time.

    Evan estimated that it would take a year at the earliest, so he did not intend to dy, ready to speed up the search for the key to the secret treasure left by Ravenw with the Merpeople, and get the second Philosopher¡¯s Stone as soon as possible.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone was a magic prop that could help wizards to enhance their magic powers quickly and practically. It was of great significance.

    Since the return of Voldemort couldn¡¯t be stopped, it was urgent and crucial to enhance one¡¯s own strength. In particr, to enhance Hermione¡¯s strength, so that she had a certain self-protection ability in the face of the Death Eaters.

    Evan didn¡¯t have to worry too much about himself. He had done a lot of preparation.

    Not long ago, he had also received a letter from Sirius: Sirius had alreadypleted the registration procedures for Apparition in the Ministry of Magic. If he used this spell himself, he needed not to worry about being detected by wizards of the Ministry of Magic because he was not old enough.

    Of course, this was only the first step. To fully master Apparition, Evan still needed to practice. He only understood the theoretical part now.

    Sirius told him that he woulde to help him practice on the next Hogsmeade Day.

    After Evanpletely mastered this method, he would also have an extra guarantee against Voldemort. He could run away if he couldn¡¯t fight him.

    Voldemort and the Death Eaters would certainly not think that Evan would master Apparition and would not be prepared.

    In fact, for Voldemort¡¯s strength, Evan had an assessment in mind. He was probably a little better than Dumbledore, but not too much, not too extraordinary. But for that terrible evil spirit, there was nothing in his heart!

    In short, improving strength was the most critical and urgent thing at present.

    After Snape and Karkaroff left, Evan and Hermione were in no mood to date and were nning to return to the castle.

    Because they didn¡¯t want to meet Ron and Lavender, they didn¡¯t walk along the road from where they came, but made a detour.

    A few minutester, Evan and Hermione came to arge stone reindeer, over which they could see the sparkling jets of a tall fountain.

    The shadowy outlines of two enormous people were visible on a stone bench, watching the water in the moonlight. And then Evan heard Hagrid speak.

    ¡°The moment I saw you, I knew,¡± he was saying, in an oddly husky voice.

    Evan and Hermione froze and looked at each other. This didn¡¯t sound like the sort of scene they ought to walk in on, somehow¡­

    They were ready to slip away and didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    Hagrid would definitely hate to have someone eavesdropping, especially when he plucked up the courage to express his love to Madame Maxime.

    It would be even worse if this matter was messed up by Evan and Hermione.

    They had just taken two steps forward when they saw Fleur and Roger Davies approaching head-on along the path.

    Hermione looked at Evan in panic. Fleur would surely see her if she went on like this, and Hagrid and Madame Maxime would be rmed.

    What to do? They must hide!

    This was Evan¡¯s first reaction. He didn¡¯t have time to think about it. He pulled Hermione into the bushes beside the path.

    It was not before they went in that they realized something. Why were they hiding? Wouldn¡¯t it be more difficult to exin if they were discovered?

    He and Hermione did nothing, but if they were seen in the bushes¡­

    Then, Evan found out that the space inside was really small. How would they both fit in?

    The space inside the low bushes was very small, and it was impossible to stand or crouch. They could only kneel on the ground ory supine¡­

    Evan and Hermione were now in an awkward position. Evan just turned around and was pushed back and fell to the ground before he could adjust or exit.

    Hermione had just entered the bushes in panic when she stumbled and fell forward because of the uneven ground¡­ Then shey straight on Evan¡¯s body!

    Intentions aside, in one twisted way or another, Hermione had indeed pushed Evan on the ground beforeying on him.

    Their bodies were close together, very close, and their posture was suspicious.

    Evan saw Hermione¡¯s flustered little face in front of him and could even feel her breath.

    He held out his hand to cover Hermione¡¯s mouth, not to let her cry out, winked, and motioned that someone was outside.

    Hermione nodded slightly to show that she knew, and Evan put his hand away from her mouth.

    They had no intention of paying attention to the situation outside. The mood in the bushes had changed, and the temperature gradually increased. Their bodies reacted on their own.

    Hermione, who turned red, did not know where to put her head, and she was very tired. The feeling of being so close to Evan was too embarrassing and tense! But if she put her head down, where could she put it?!

    There were two options: one was to turn in one direction, put her head on Evan¡¯s shoulder, give up resistance, and put all her weight on Evan. The second was to put it down vertically and continue to support the ground with her hands, but now Evan¡¯s face would be directly under her head. If she put it down vertically, wouldn¡¯t it be a kiss?!

    Well¡­. She could just think about none of that, and just kiss him¡­

    ========================================

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 Chapter 628: Half-Giant

    Chapter 628: Half-Giant

    In the bushes, Hermione pressed Evan under her body, and the two kept this position motionless.

    She just pressed on Evan and felt the ups and downs of his breath.

    They looked at one another in the eyes inadvertently; and though it was for a brief moment, Hermione was deeply immersed in it.

    She only felt dizzy inside her head, and the burning blush became deeper, not only on her cheeks, but also on the ears and neck.

    Her body was so fragile and soft, as though she was drunk and had no strength at all.

    She was so embarrassed lying on Evan, allowing inexplicable feelings to spread in her body.

    The next second, Evan reached around and hugged Hermione.

    Hermione trembled for a moment, trying to break away from Evan, but she dared not push. She felt the warmth of his arms and looked at the familiar smile on his lips. Her chaotic heart gradually calmed down, but was still beating fiercely.

    She put her face on Evan¡¯s shoulder, her eyes closed tightly, and her long eyshes moving slightly.

    In Evan¡¯s arms, Hermione felt bothfort and shyness. If she could, she hoped time would stop at this moment.

    She thought of what she had seen Ron and Lavender doing along the way, and the couples hiding in the dark bushes. If Evan was going to do those things next, she didn¡¯t know what to do, if she was found out.

    Fortunately, Evan did not take any further action besides holding Hermione.

    He would have liked to kiss her, but the space in the bushes was too small and the ce was too inappropriate.

    He heard the footsteps of Fleur and Roger Davies from far to near, and they quietly left after seeing Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    The two of them did not dare to act rashly, and on the other side of the bushes were Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    Evan hugged Hermione tightly, feeling that it was actually quite good.

    The conversation outside continued, and after Evan and Hermione calmed down, they gradually heard what they were saying.

    ¡°What did you know, Hagrid?¡± said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice.

    ¡°I just knew ¡­ knew you were like me. ¡­ Was it your mother or your father?¡± said Hagrid.

    ¡°I ¡­ I don¡¯t know what you mean, Hagrid¡±

    ¡°It was my mother,¡± said Hagrid quietly. ¡°She was one of thest ones in Britain. Of course, I can¡¯t remember her too well. She left, you see ¡­ when I was about three. At the time, to be honest, she wasn¡¯t really the maternal sort. Well ¡­ it¡¯s not in their natures, is it? I don¡¯t know what happened to her ¡­ she might be dead for all I know!¡±

    Madame Maxime didn¡¯t say anything, and Evan and Hermione held their breath and listened to Hagrid¡¯s childhood experience.

    ¡°My dad was broken-hearted when my mother went. My dad was a tiny little bloke. By the time I was six I could lift him up and put him on top of the dresser if he annoyed me. I used to make himugh. ¡­¡±

    Hagrid¡¯s deep voice broke when he mentioned his father.

    Madame Maxime was listening, motionless, apparently staring at the silvery fountain.

    ¡°Dad raised me ¡­ but he died, of course, just after I started school. I had to make my own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, really. He was very kind to me.¡±

    Hagrid pulled out arge spotted silk handkerchief and blew his nose heavily.

    ¡°So ¡­ anyway ¡­ enough about me. What about you? Which side you got it on?¡±

    Unexpectedly, Madame Maxime suddenly got to her feet and did not even look at Hagrid.

    ¡°It is chilly,¡± she said, but whatever the weather was doing, it was nowhere near as cold as her voice. ¡°I think I will go in now!¡±

    ¡°Eh?!¡± said Hagrid nkly. ¡°No, don¡¯t go! I¡¯ve ¡­ I¡¯ve never met another one before!¡±

    ¡°Another what? I don¡¯t understand. Make it clear!¡± said Madame Maxime, her tone icy.

    Hearing this, Evan already understood what was going on. It was foolish of Hagrid to put such an important thing in public.

    He was going to get into big trouble, and they hadn¡¯t even noticed the unprofessional concealment of him and Hermione.

    Who could guarantee how many people around here were listening to Hagrid?

    Perhaps, Fleur and Roger Davies had not left, and perhaps others were hiding in the surrounding bushes. Before the following day, what Hagrid said would spread throughout the school.

    Especially the pervasive Rita Skeeter, she might have be a beetle lurking around.

    Evan really wanted to go out and stop Hagrid from saying stupid things, but to no avail.

    ¡°Another half-giant, of course!¡± said Hagrid.

    ¡°How dare you!¡± shrieked Madame Maxime, her voice a little hysterical. ¡°I have never been more insulted in my life! Half-giant? Me? I have ¡­ I just have big bones!¡±

    Her voice exploded through the peaceful night air like a foghorn. Evan heard many people in the surrounding bushes and rosebushes rushing out to the direction of the castle. Well, that matter was bound to spread.

    Inside the bush, Hermione raised her head and looked at Evan in panic.

    She had no idea that Hagrid was actually a half-giant, and the news was so big!

    Outside, Madame Maxime stormed away; great multicolored swarms of fairies rose into the air as she passed, angrily pushing aside bushes.

    Hagrid was still sitting on the bench, staring after her. Evan and Hermione could even hear him sobbing in a low voice.

    Then, after a long time, he stood up and strode away, not back to the castle, but off out into the dark grounds in the direction of his cabin.

    A few more minutester, after the silence around them, Evan and Hermione climbed out of the bushes.

    Hermione looked at Evan uneasily with a very serious expression, and she was not at all shy about what had just happened.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Hagrid is half-giant,¡± she said. ¡°How could he tell Madame Maxime about this? This is really stupid. There were a lot of people around here just now. Hagrid ispletely finished!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and talk about it, Hermione!¡± said Evan, looking around.

    In the dim light, surrounded by mess, he did not see where Rita Skeeter, transformed into a beetle, was hiding.

    Perhaps, she had already left, after getting this shocking news.

    Perhaps she hadn¡¯t been here just now, but that didn¡¯t help, and certainly someone else had heard what Hagrid said.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 629: End of the Ball

    Chapter 629: End of the Ball

    Evan and Hermione returned to the Great Hall. Ron and Lavender were still missing. Ginny and Gabrielle were sitting with a whole crowd of Beauxbatons girls. Neville and Luna were dancing together. Harry and Colin sat down at a table far removed from the dance floor.

    ¡°Have you seen Ron?¡± Harry asked, looking at Evan and Hermione who had just returned.

    ¡°He¡¯s busy outside!¡± Hermione said grumpily. She looked around and made sure that no one was eavesdropping to their conversation. Then she lowered her voice and said, ¡°I just heard with Evan¡­¡±

    She repeated what Hagrid had said, and Harry and Colin were equally stunned.

    ¡°So, Hagrid is half-giant?!¡± Colin said in surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, this thing is very bad!¡± Evan and Hermione nodded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What¡¯s the problem with Hagrid being a giant?¡± Harry said, watching Madame Maxime sitting alone at the judge¡¯s table, looking very somber. ¡°If Hagrid is half-giant, she definitely is. Big boned¡­ the only thing that has got bigger bones than her is a dinosaur.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Harry!¡± Hermione exined. ¡°The fact that Hagrid is half-giant is terrible. It¡¯s said in the books that giants are very dangerous magical creatures and are not recognized by the wizarding world.¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡± said Harry stubbornly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Hagrid. We all like him!¡±

    ¡°I know he isn¡¯t, but ¡­ generally speaking, giants are considered to be very ferocious humanoid magical creatures,¡± seeing that Harry and Colin were still confused and didn¡¯t realize the seriousness of the matter, Evan had to exin, ¡°Like trolls, they just like killing, but they¡¯re much more dangerous than trolls. The average height of giants is 22 feet, almost twice that of trolls. Their strong physique enables them to resist most kinds of magic. They are simply humanoid killing machines. In the dark years of the past, they had brought a lot of fear to the wizarding world, but there aren¡¯t any left in Britain now!¡±

    ¡°Why, where did they go?¡±

    ¡°Probably extinct ¡­ many got themselves killed by Aurors. There are supposed to be giants abroad, though. They hide out in mountains mostly. After all, the present era is different from the past, when giants could wreak havoc.¡± Evan continued, ¡°It¡¯s not how they disappeared that matters. The key is that during Voldemort¡¯s reign, a lot of giants joined him and killed many people.¡±

    ¡°Even so, what does this have to do with Hagrid? He¡¯s not dangerous!¡±

    ¡°People who know him don¡¯t care, because they know he¡¯s not dangerous, but those who don¡¯t know him, or are not familiar with him¡­¡± Evan shook his head and he saw a lot of people whispering together like them.

    Obviously, this matter had already leaked out. There were many people around the fountain then.

    It was impossible to keep concealing it, and it was not a long-term solution. It was not good for Hagrid.

    The question of blood status and identity had always been Hagrid¡¯s problem. Covering it up was only dying the outbreak of conflicts.

    The only right thing to do was to expose itpletely and make Hagrid realize that people were still willing to ept him.

    In this matter, Evan decided to make some preparations and could not allow public opinion to ferment and develop in the wrong direction.

    Besides, he was also a little curious. Hagrid¡¯s father was just an ordinary wizard, listening to Hagrid¡¯s description, a rtively small one, then how did he make Hagrid¡¯s mother, a pure giant woman, pregnant?!

    Although mixed-race descendants of wizards and all kinds of magical creatures weremon, half-giants had always been a minority.

    Thinking about it carefully, the image was actually quite terrible!

    When they saw that Evan and Hermione were back, Ginny and Gabrielle came over.

    The six of them spent the rest of the ball discussing giants in their corner, neither of them having any inclination to dance. No matter who came to invite them, they refused!

    Harry tried not to watch Cho and Cedric too much; it gave him a strong desire to kick something.

    Evan advised him to invite Cho. Harry hesitated for a long time, but finally shook his head and did not act.

    As for Fleur and Roger Davies, Ron and Lavender, and other couples, they didn¡¯te back until the end.

    When the Weird Sisters finished ying at midnight, everyone gave them ast, loud round of apuse and started to wend their way into the entrance hall. Evan, Hermione, and Harry apanied Gabrielle back to the carriage.

    On the way back, at the door of the Common Room, they saw Ron standing there happily, holding Lavender¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Oh!¡± He saw Evan, Harry, and Hermione, and stopped abruptly.

    Lavender giggled and ran in embarrassment.

    There was an awkward silence, and Ron seemed to be trying to exin something, but he didn¡¯t say a word. He just looked at them in a rather strange way, as if expecting an explosion.

    But there was nothing to say to Ron, and although he and Lavender were progressing too fast, it was up to him to determine what¡¯s fit.

    So, silent and deadlocked for a while, they went back to the Common Room to sleep, each with many thoughts in mind.

    Harry would tell Ron about Hagrid.

    Everybody got upte the next Day. The Gryffindor Common Room was much quieter than it had beentely, many yawns punctuating thezy conversations.

    Hermione¡¯s hair was bushy again. She confessed to Evan that she had used liberal amounts of Sleekeazy¡¯s Hair Potion on it for the ball, ¡°but it¡¯s way too much bother to do every day,¡± she said matter-of-factly, scratching a purring Crookshanks behind the ears.

    Although Hermione was amazingst night, she was also very likable this way. At least that was what Evan thought. That was the real, natural Hermione.

    As for Ron and Lavender, everyone tacitly pretended that they had not seen them.

    The two of them also were less physical today, not so tantly sticking together.

    Harry also told Ron about Hagrid. Ron was even more surprised than imagined and told them many horror stories about giants proving how terrible this news was.

    But Hermione calmed down after flipping through a few books.

    ¡°I have long suspected that Hagrid is a half-giant,¡± she told everyone, raising a magic book in her hand. ¡°I just read about the history of the giants. I think we can¡¯t be so hysterical about giants. They can¡¯t all be as horrible as rumors say. It¡¯s the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves. It¡¯s just bigotry, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

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 Chapter 630: Rita Skeeters New Report

    Chapter 630: Rita Skeeter''s New Report

    Hermione believed that the unfair treatment of the half-giants and the werewolves was a prejudice and should be stopped!

    Just like the attitude of the wizards towards the house-elves, this concept was fundamentally wrong.

    Ron shook his head disbelievingly at Hermione¡¯s idea, and Evan thought she was right. If every wizard had Hermione¡¯s consciousness, there would be no need to worry about many things.

    But in fact it was not the case at all, and things were far worse than expected.

    The day after the Ball, there was panic in the castle.

    Various gossip and rumors about Hagrid were spreading fast in the old castle, and many people knew that he was a half-giant.

    There were many students in the bushes near the fountain that day, and Hagrid¡¯s voice was loud.

    This could not be concealed at all, especially Madame Maxime¡¯sst excited shouts, which could be clearly heard even far away.

    She said aloud that she only had big bones. While iming innocence for herself, she also spread the news that Hagrid was a half-giant.

    As Evan predicted, many people knew about it and rumors were flying.

    Some people believed and some others expressed doubts!

    But when the special Christmas issue of the <em>Daily Prophet</em> was brought in by Owl mail, all the rumors were proven to be true.

    The return of Rita Skeeter and the Daily Prophet was simply amazing. The front page that was supposed to be about the Christmas event was reced by a huge picture of Hagrid, with a furtive look on his face.

    Below, a row of big characters clearly read: ¡°DUMBLEDORE¡¯S GIANT MISTAKE!¡±

    <em>Albus Dumbledore, entric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments</em>, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired stor ¡°Mad-eye¡± Moody, the notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror, to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, a decision that raised many eyebrows at the Ministry of Magic, given Moody¡¯s well-known habit of attacking anybody who makes a sudden movement in his presence.

    Mad-eye Moody, however, looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human and part-demon Dumbledore employs. It¡¯s well-known that he has hired infamous werewolves, vampires and even leprechauns to be professors and caused a great disturbance.

    But these are not as shocking as the true face hidden in the shadows of the current Professor of Care of Magical Creatures.

    Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore.

    Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates.

    An rminglyrge and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a session of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being ¡°very frightening¡±.

    ¡°I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a Flobberworm,¡± says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. ¡°We all hate Hagrid, but we¡¯re just too scared to say anything.¡±

    <em>Hagrid has no intention of ceasing his campaign of intimidation, however, but rather enjoys it. In conversation with a </em>Daily Prophet<em> reporterst month, he admitted breeding creatures he has dubbed ¡°st-Ended Skrewts,¡± highly dangerous crosses between Manticores and fire-crabs. The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions</em>.

    ¡°I was just having some fun,¡± he says, before hastily changing the subject.

    <em>The </em>Daily Prophet <em>has now unearthed evidence that Hagrid is not, as he has always pretended, a pure-blood wizard. He is not, in fact, even pure human. His mother, we can exclusively reveal, is none other than the giantess Fridwulfa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown</em>.

    Bloodthirsty and brutal, the giants brought themselves to the point of extinction by warring amongst themselves during thest century.

    The handful that remained joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror.

    While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Aurors working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them.

    As the most ferocious female giant in history, it is possible she escaped to one of the giantmunities still existing in foreign mountain ranges.

    If his antics during Care of Magical Creatures lessons are any guide, however, Fridwulfa¡¯s son appears to have inherited her brutal nature.

    In a bizarre twist, Hagrid is reputed to have developed a close friendship with the boy who brought around You-Know-Who¡¯s fall from power, thereby driving Hagrid¡¯s own mother, like the rest of You-Know-Who¡¯s supporters, into hiding.

    Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about hisrge friend; but Albus Dumbledore surely has a duty to ensure that Harry Potter, along with his fellow students, is warned about the dangers of associating with part-giants.

    Our reporter will continue to follow up on the matter and on behalf of all parents, appeal to Hogwarts to take action as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± After reading the newspaper, Harry looked up at everyone and said angrily. ¡°I have to teach Malfoy a lesson. What does he mean ¡®<em>we all hate Hagrid</em>¡¯? What does he mean ¡®<em>I was attacked by a hippogriff</em>¡¯? Buckbeak saved his lifest year. How can he say that?¡±

    Over the past year, Malfoy had an unexpectedly good attitude towards Buckbeak, bringing him food from time to time.

    But it was clear that his attitude towards Hagrid was still bad, and he was no longer aiming his anger at the hippogriff.

    ¡°What¡¯s this rubbish ¡®<em>Crabbe got a bad bite off a Flobberworm¡¯</em>? They haven¡¯t even got teeth!¡±

    Hermione didn¡¯t care about it. She cared about how Rita Skeeter knew this.

    ¡°How did that horrible Skeeter woman find out?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about this? She was so mad Hagrid wouldn¡¯t give her loads of horrible stuff about us, and searched everywhere for his situation and retaliated against him,¡± said Harry, ¡°and then she got the news and made it up!¡±

    ¡°Afterst night, almost half of the people in the castle knew about it!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not surprising Skeeter knew about it. Even you heard it when you were hiding in the bushes!¡± Ron said disapprovingly. ¡°Hagrid is good enough. That stupid prat talked so much about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!¡±

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 Chapter 631: Furious Harry

    Chapter 631: Furious Harry

    Hagrid was nowhere to be seen for the following week.

    He didn¡¯t appear at the staff table at mealtimes; they didn¡¯t see him going about his gamekeeper duties on the grounds. Harry went to look for him several times, but he refused to show up, hiding in the cabin and all the curtains were closed.

    After the start of the new term, Professor Grubbly-nk reced him to take the Care of Magical Creatures sses.

    Professor Grubbly-nk was an elderly witch with closely cropped gray hair and a very prominent chin.

    In all fairness,pared with Hagrid, her teaching level was really much better, and she also knew how to choose the right magical creatures.

    On the first day of the new semester, she showed a unicorn to the students in the third and fourth years, which was much better received than the skrewts.

    Professor Grubbly-nk told the students a lot about the unicorn, and some of the knowledge she shared even Evan didn¡¯t know.

    And there was the girls, who could touch the unicorn one by one and they were very excited.

    In short, Professor Grubbly-nk¡¯s outstanding performance left a deep impression on all the young wizards.

    She made everyone realize that it was so interesting to protect the magical creatures. They didn¡¯t need to continue to be discredited by Malfoy and the Slytherins. The only sympathy for Hagrid was rapidly disappearing, and it was hoped that Professor Grubbly-nk would stay.

    ¡°That¡¯s more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would like ¡­ proper creatures like unicorns, not monsters,¡± said Lavender at dinner, ¡°I hope she stays¡­¡±

    ¡°What about Hagrid?¡± Harry asked angrily. Lavender had just been talking about how good Professor Grubbly-nk was, which made him very angry.

    ¡°He could still be gamekeeper, can¡¯t he?!¡± Lavender replied.

    Noticing Harry¡¯s expression, Ron tugged at Lavender¡¯s robes and motioned to her to stop talking.

    After the ball, Ron and Lavender¡¯s rtionship did not end as Evan, Harry, and Hermione expected, but became better and better.

    Ron even tried to integrate Lavender into their small circle, but from the current situation, it was very difficult!

    They were not simr at all. There was a big difference in their personalities and views on things.

    Whether it was Evan, Harry, Hermione, Colin, Ginny, or Gabrielle, they couldn¡¯t talk to Lavender.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ve got to find Hagrid,¡± said Harry, putting down his knife and fork. ¡°We¡¯ll go now and tell him we want him back ¡­ you do want him back?!¡±

    He shot at Hermione, who had just praised Professor Grubbly-nk and thought her ss was very good.

    ¡°I ¡­ well, I¡¯m not going to pretend it didn¡¯t make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once ¡­ but I do want Hagrid back, of course I do!¡± Hermione added hastily, quailing under Harry¡¯s furious stare.

    Harry nodded. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Let¡¯s all go and make sure hees out to see us¡­ ¡°

    ¡°I won¡¯t go!¡± Lavender interjected, not noticing Harry¡¯s face. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand why we must ask Hagrid back. Compared with Professor Grubbly-nk, he¡¯s not as qualified to be Professor of the Care of Magical Creatures.¡±

    Harry went straight away panting without refuting Lavender, but he was undoubtedly furious!

    Evan and Hermione hurried after him. Ron hesitated and stayed tofort Lavender.

    She looked aggrieved, believing that she had said nothing wrong.

    In fact, she was just telling the truth, not considering her feelings with Hagrid, but she seemed to have no friendship with him.

    The ground was still covered with thick snow and ice. After leaving the castle, Harry walked with great strides, almost trotting all the way to Hagrid¡¯s cabin. Evan and Hermione struggled hard to catch up with him.

    Thest time Harry was so angry, he was facing Peter Pettigrew and learning of the truth about his parents¡¯ death.

    In his heart, Hagrid had always had a very important spot.

    Lavender¡¯s words and Ron¡¯s failure to keep up with this incident made him very agitated.

    He didn¡¯t listen to Evan and Hermione at all now. He just wanted to see Hagrid!

    He wanted to tell him personally that he didn¡¯t care if he was a half-giant!

    Five minutester, they came to Hagrid¡¯s cabin and the curtains were still drawn.

    Evan knocked at the door and could hear Fang¡¯s booming barks inside.

    ¡°Hagrid, it¡¯s us!¡± Harry shouted, pounding on the door. ¡°Open up!¡±

    Hagrid didn¡¯t answer. They could hear Fang scratching at the door, whining, but it didn¡¯t open. They hammered on it for ten more minutes, but there was no response.

    Evan looked inside through the gap of the curtain outside the window, and Hagrid was definitely inside.

    It was just like when they came the previous times, he didn¡¯t want to see them.

    But Harry was not going to give up. He shouted for a while and saw Ron rushing from the castle, panting.

    As soon as he had coaxed Lavender, he ran here, looking at Harry apologetically, apologizing and exining what Lavender had just said.

    Ron was able toe over, which made Harry feel a little better, and his agitation was not as pronounced as before.

    As for what Lavender said, he did not take it to heart at all, from the beginning!

    Harry went on pounding on the door, and Ron banged on one of the windows, but there was still no response.

    ¡°What¡¯s he avoiding us for?¡± said Hermione. ¡°He surely doesn¡¯t think we¡¯d care about him being half-giant?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, he cares!¡±

    ¡°Hagrid, that¡¯s enough! We know you¡¯re in there!¡± Harry shouted, taking out his wand directly. ¡°Come out. Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can¡¯t let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you!¡±

    There was a red light at the tip of his wand and a loud bang. The door of Hagrid¡¯s cabin opened!

    Hagrid was surprised to see the group break in. He was sitting by the fire, which was already out, with two bottles in front of him.

    There were more empty wine bottles on the ground, and the air was reeking with the pungent smell of alcohol.

    Hagrid looked like a real mess. His face was blotchy, his eyes red and swollen, and he had gone to the other extreme where his hair was concerned; far from trying to make it behave, it now looked like a wig of tangled wire.

    He was even still wearing the furry brown suit of the Yule Ball and didn¡¯t change it.

    ¡°Hi, Hagrid!¡± said Harry, and he walked in.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Hagrid looked up and said in a very hoarse voice.

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 Chapter 632: Persuading Hagrid

    Chapter 632: Persuading Hagrid

    Behind Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione also entered the hut.

    Fang rushed toward them, barking madly and trying to lick Evan¡¯s ears. Evan fended off Fang and looked around. He hadn¡¯te here for a few days, and he couldn¡¯t believe it was the familiar Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    The scene inside had changed so much that Ron and Hermione were equally surprised.

    Harry ignored the empty bottles on the ground and the spoiled food, and went straight to Hagrid.

    ¡°Hagrid, cheer up would you,¡± he shouted, ¡°how can you be knocked down by such a small thing?!¡±

    Hagrid did not answer. He looked up at Harry, his eyes empty.

    The bloodline of the half-giant had been a worry to him for decades, making him less confident.

    Madame Maxime¡¯s reaction made him give uppletely.

    Hagrid knew clearly what giants represented. He was afraid that others would gradually alienate him when they knew about it.

    He only wanted to hide alone here. He didn¡¯t think that Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione woulde.

    Hagrid¡¯s biggest concern was, after knowing he was half-giant, would they still like to be friends with him?!

    ¡°Harry is right, Hagrid. Don¡¯t care what that woman wrote,¡± Hermione followed.¡±You shouldn¡¯t be upset by her remarks. She¡¯s just lying. No one cares what she writes.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t lie. I am really a half-giant!¡± Hagrid choked, and two round tears leaked out of his beetle-ck eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard. ¡°My mum¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t care. Even if you¡¯re half-giant, there¡¯s nothing abnormal about you in my eyes.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Harry¡­¡± Hagrid said, and many tears rolled down his cheeks and seeped into his matted beard.

    Harry was about to say something else when a voice came from the front of Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    ¡°I am sorry to disturb you, but I think Harry really understands it better than you, Hagrid! The four of them came here to show that they still want to know you, this is the most important!¡±

    Everyone turned their heads and was surprised to see Dumbledore standing at the door.

    ¡°Hello!¡± He said happily, smiling at everyone.

    ¡°Professor!¡±

    ¡°I am very happy to see you here. I am here to talk to Hagrid about the resignation report he just submitted.¡± Dumbledore said and came in. ¡°We just stand here. Let¡¯s sit down and have some tea and talk while we drink!¡±

    He drew out his wand and twiddled it, and a revolving tea tray appeared in midair along with a te of cakes. Dumbledore magicked the tray onto the table, and everybody sat down.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked stiff and silent for a moment. Dumbledore asked everyone to have a cup of tea.

    The conversation continued. Now that Dumbledore hade, there was nothing to worry about, and there was no need for them to take up the matter. Evan sat beside the bed with his teacup, absently looking at the heating out of the cup and looking out of the window at the white snow.

    ¡°Hagrid, in the few days after the report was published, I have received many letters about you. I want you to see them,¡± said Dumbledore, waving his wand in the air, and a heavy package fell on the ground. ¡°These are all letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it. You can have a look!¡±

    In the name of the parents of the students, Rita Skeeter called on Hogwarts to expel Hagrid in a coercive tone in the newspaper.

    After seeing this report, many wizards wrote to Dumbledore to express their views.

    It seemed that they didn¡¯t like to be represented by others to casually express some suggestions against their original intentions.

    Hagrid¡¯s poprity was not as bad as he thought, and many people were willing to speak for him.

    Next, Harry, Evan, Ron, and Hermione began to open the letters and read them to Hagrid.

    Hearing these touching words, Hagrid cried even more!

    ¡°Not all of them,¡± said Hagrid hoarsely. ¡°Not all of them want me to stay.¡±

    ¡°Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal poprity, I¡¯m afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time,¡± said Dumbledore, now peering sternly over his half-moon spectacles. ¡°Not a week has passed since I became Headmaster of this school when I haven¡¯t had at least one owlining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ but you¡¯re not half-giant!¡± said Hagrid croakily.

    ¡°Hagrid, look what I¡¯ve got for rtives!¡± Harry said furiously. ¡°Look at the Dursleys!¡±

    ¡°An excellent point,¡± said Professor Dumbledore. ¡°My own brother, Aberforth, was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I¡¯m not entirely sure he can read, so that may not have been bravery¡­¡±

    Evan¡¯s lips were curled. Dumbledore¡¯s younger brother, Aberforth, was more than just practicing inappropriate charms on the goat.

    An investigation into the reports of that year showed that there was an inexplicable andplex rtionship between him and the goat.

    ¡°Come back to teach, Hagrid,¡± said Hermione quietly, ¡°pleasee back, we really miss you.¡±

    Hagrid fought back a sob, but his tears could not help but flow.

    ¡°The arrival of Harry, Evan, Ron, Hermione, and these letters already speak for themselves!¡± Dumbledore stood up. ¡°I refuse to ept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday,¡± he said. ¡°You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses.¡±

    Dumbledore walked to the door, pausing only to scratch Fang¡¯s ears, and left the cabin.

    When the door had shut behind him, Hagrid began to sob into his dustbin-lid-sized hands.

    Hermione kept patting his arm, and atst, Hagrid looked up, his eyes very red indeed, and said, ¡°Great man, Dumbledore ¡­ great man ¡­¡±

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 Chapter 633: Hagrids Past

    Chapter 633: Hagrid''s Past

    ¡°Hagrid?!

    ¡°He¡¯s right ¡­ you¡¯re all right. I¡¯ve been stupid ¡­ my old dad would have been ashamed of the way I¡¯ve been behaving¡­¡± More tears leaked out, but Hagrid wiped them away more forcefully, and said, ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve never shown you a picture of my old dad, have I? Here¡­¡±

    Hagrid got up, went over to his dresser, opened a drawer, and pulled out a picture of a short wizard with Hagrid¡¯s crinkled ck eyes, beaming as he sat on top of Hagrid¡¯s shoulder. Hagrid was a good seven or eight feet tall, judging by the apple tree beside him, but his face was beardless, young, round, and smooth ¡­ he looked hardly older than eleven.

    Seeing this photo, Evan turned more skeptical of how Hagrid¡¯s mother had been pregnant with him.

    Hagrid¡¯s father was very short, andpared with the giant, the ratio was too big, even bigger than Evan had imagined before!

    ¡°That was taken just after I got into Hogwarts,¡± Hagrid croaked. ¡°Dad was dead chuffed ¡­ he thought I might not be a wizard, you see, because my mum ¡­ well, anyway. Of course, I never was great shakes at magic, really ¡­ but at least he never saw me expelled. He died, you see, in my second year ¡­ soon afterwards, I was expelled from school¡­¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore was the one who stuck up for me after Dad went. He got me the gamekeeper job ¡­ he trusts people, he does. He gives them second chances ¡­ that¡¯s what sets him apart from other Headmasters, you see. He¡¯ll ept anyone at Hogwarts, as long as they¡¯ve got the talent. He knows people can turn out okay even if their families weren¡¯t ¡­ well ¡­ all that is respectable. But some don¡¯t understand that. There¡¯s some who¡¯d always hold it against you because of your origin¡­¡±

    Hagrid was right. Bloodline theory had always been very popr in the wizarding world.

    Pure blood wizards were born noble. They upied the mainstream of the magic society and looked down on mixed blood wizards and Muggle-borns.

    The Muggle-born wizards hated this, but they in turn discriminated against wizards such as werewolves, mixed-race giants, and other non-human magic creatures.

    Strictws had been enacted to limit their development and facilitate their exploitation. It was like a pyramid with a strict hierarchy, oneyer at a time.

    Descent and origin between different wizards and magical species created an insurmountable natural gap.

    In a sense, except for a few pure blood wizards, the vast majority of wizards were victims.

    But they were also perpetrators, continuing to discriminate against wizards and magical creatures that were humbler than their own lineage and origins.

    In the past, this conceptpletely protected the magical inheritance and saved the wizards from the persecution of Muggles.

    But nowadays, this concept of decay and backwardness had limited the rapid development of the wizarding world and should be stopped and abandoned.

    ¡°They¡¯ve always been like that. There¡¯s some who¡¯d even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up and say¡­ I am what I am, and I¡¯m not ashamed. ¡®Never be ashamed,¡¯ my old dad used to say, ¡®there¡¯s some who¡¯ll hold it against you, but they¡¯re not worth bothering with.¡¯ And he was right. I¡¯ve been an idiot. I¡¯m not bothering with her no more, I promise you that. Big bones ¡­ I¡¯ll give her big bones!¡±

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another nervously. Because of the excitement, Hagrid continued to talk non-stop.

    Even if they were killed, everyone would not admit that they actually knew what he and Madame Maxime talked about. Evan and Hermione were there.

    What Hagrid said at first was inspiring, but then it was a little baffling!

    It seemed that Hagrid had a deep grudge against Madame Maxime!

    Although the results were somewhat different from those expected, this matter was finally solved!

    Apart from Slytherin¡¯s students, most people didn¡¯t care if Hagrid was a half-giant.

    Everyone was very happy that he was able to go back to school, although it was also because he changed the course content.

    Whether Hagrid was trying to make up for the st-Ended-Skrewts, or because there were now only two skrewts left, or because he was trying to prove he could do anything that Professor Grubbly-nk could, they didn¡¯t know, but Hagrid had been continuing her lessons on unicorns ever since he¡¯d returned to work.

    It turned out that Hagrid knew quite as much about unicorns as he did about monsters, though it was clear that he found theirck of poisonous fangs disappointing.

    The second week, Evan saw two unicorn foals Hagrid had managed to capture and brought to the third year Care of Magical Creatures ss.

    Unlike full-grown unicorns, they were pure gold and very rare. The girls went into transports of delight at the sight of them.

    ¡°These babies turn silver when they¡¯re about two years old,¡± Hagrid told the ss. ¡°And they grow horns at around four. They don¡¯t go pure white till they¡¯re full grown, around about seven. They¡¯re a bit more trusting when they¡¯re babies ¡­ they don¡¯t mind boys so much. Come on, move in a bit, you can pat them if you want and give them a few of these sugar lumps¡­¡±

    In the ssroom, all the students went up and touched the unicorns one by one, and everyone was very excited.

    At the same time, everyone¡¯s impression of Hagrid had changed greatly.

    Life on campus was calm again, and the next thing to consider was to help Ron through the second task.

    After Christmas, the date of the task was very close!

    Harry and Hermione reminded Ron regrly, but he did not make any substantial progress with the Golden Egg.

    Although he studied every day, Ron did notpletely focus on it.

    In addition to the daily sses, he and Lavender were getting together longer and longer.

    The two of them sneaked out in the evenings, dated around the castle and looked for empty ssrooms, almost every day.

    Ron and Lavender were making rapid progress. They were both very open and rxed in this respect, which made Evan very envious.

    In the evenings, he and Hermione could not be alone together; and they could not be together all day. Forget about an empty ssroom like Ron and Lavender; they spent almost all their time in the library.

    Only when they returned to the Common Room for ate-night snack could they say a few ambiguous words of mutual affection, very in, but happy and sweet.

    That was enough to satisfy Evan, but if it was to go beyond that, he would not object.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 634: Krum Swimming

    Chapter 634: Krum Swimming

    Evan didn¡¯t tell Ron about the secret of the Golden Egg, which could easily arouse others¡¯ suspicion. That would be too obvious to do that, and it was pointless.

    The key to the second task was not the information inside the Golden Egg, but how to get Ron to dive under the water.

    There was no need to count on the Bubble-Head Charm. Given Ron¡¯s current situation, it was not practical or reassuring for him to fully master the use of this difficult charm. It was better to use the Gillyweed, which was more suitable for him.

    The Gillyweed was a rare magical nt native to the Mediterranean Sea.

    In Hogwarts, it could be found only in Snape¡¯s private potion stores.

    As for how to get the Gillyweed, that was going to be Caresius¡¯s business and headache. Evan was not ready to intervene.

    On thest day of the Christmas holidays, he looked for another chance to talk to the vampire.

    Evan¡¯s worries seemed to be superfluous. Voldemort¡¯s work outside the school had not progressed much. At the very least, Caresius¡¯s n had not given him any information. Besides fully helping Ron, Caresius had not received any new orders.

    As for why Barty Crouch was sick, and where Voldemort was, he had no idea.

    Caresius was not really a qualified spy. He was not trusted by Voldemort at all. Just as if he was treating an enemy, the dark lord was now hiding everything from him, or directly giving him the wrong information.

    But on second thought, Voldemort had always been like this, he had never trusted anyone except himself.

    Snape also spent decades, contributing countless secret information about the Order of the Phoenix, to be able to lurk beside Voldemort.

    A vampire such as Caresius, who had never joined the Death Eaters and turned to Voldemort wholeheartedly, but also had his own ns and sullied the noble blood of Slytherin, would be mercilessly discarded after Voldemort regained his strength.

    Caresius was also clearly aware of this and therefore formed an alliance with Evan. Although he didn¡¯t know any key information, Evan managed to learn something from him.

    It was the new measures Percy talked about at the ball. After so many idents in the first task, Barty Crouch suggested that the facilities of the next two tasks should be set up by the Ministry of Magic for safety reasons.

    The Ministry would send someone to check the safety of the facilities, and Hogwarts was not allowed to interfere.

    The purpose of doing this was obvious, and it was second to prevent danger. It was easier to do what he wanted. Even without the help of Caresius, Barty Crouch could do it himself.

    Caresius had reservations about whether Barty Crouch Jr. was faking his father.

    He just told Evan not to forget the Imperius Curse. As long as there was an opportunity, Barty Crouch Jr. could use this curse to control a lot of people for him to drive.

    With the ability of a young wizard, students in Hogwarts shouldn¡¯t be able to resist and break free from the control of the curse.

    That was also the main reason why, during Voldemort¡¯s reign, all wizards were in a state of panic.

    If Barty Crouch Jr. really used the Imperius Curse in Hogwarts, it would be a nightmare.

    In this case, it would be rather foolish and even useless to look for Barty Crouch Jr. and find him.

    Getting stronger was the only good way. Evan was advancing steadily ording to his n.

    Time passed, and halfway through January, the students went to Hogsmeade.

    Evan had an appointment with Sirius. Today, he was going to practice Apparition with him. Everyone was going to visit Sirius.

    Hermione disapproved of Ron going to Hogsmeade. ¡°Ron, I just thought you¡¯d want to take advantage of the Common Room being quiet, and really get to work on that egg.¡±

    ¡°But I have an appointment with Lavender¡­ we¡¯ll go together¡­¡± Ron noticed Hermione¡¯s face and stopped wisely. ¡°Oh ¡­ about that golden egg ¡­ I reckon I¡¯ve got a pretty good idea what it¡¯s about now!¡± Ron rubbed his head nervously. He lied.

    In fact, he had had enough of that noisy golden egg and wanted to give up.

    During that period, as soon as he returned to the dormitory, he took the golden egg out of his trunk, opened it to listen intently, hoping to find out the mystery. He strained to think what the sound reminded him of, apart from thirty musical saws.

    But Ron couldn¡¯t think of anything. He had never heard anything else like it.

    He closed the golden egg, shook it vigorously, and then opened it again to see if the sound had changed, but it hadn¡¯t.

    He also tried asking the egg questions, shouting over all the wailing, but nothing happened.

    He even used fire to burn the egg and threw it across the room, though he hadn¡¯t really expected that to help.

    All in all, Ron had been doing useless work recently and was on the verge of copse.

    He needed to rx. Although it made him feel a little guilty, he couldn¡¯t miss his date with Lavender.

    Ron¡¯s only thought now was that it was really good to have a girlfriend.

    As for proving that he was a true champion of Hogwarts and winning the game, it had be a secondary goal.

    He¡¯d been able to ovee the dragon, and he was very satisfied in his heart. He wanted to prove himself not as weak as before.

    Ron felt a little ufortable at the thought of Hermione¡¯s stunning appearance at the ball. His strange mood made him not want to listen to Hermione¡¯s advice.

    Besides, he still had five weeks to work out that egg clue, and that was ages¡­

    Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin and Gabrielle left the castle together on Saturday and set off through the cold, wet grounds toward the gates.

    As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in theke, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. He was very skinny indeed, but apparently a lot tougher than he looked, because he climbed up onto the side of the ship, stretched out his arms, and dived, right into theke.

    ¡°God, what¡¯s he doing?!¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This is suicide!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s mad!¡± said Harry, staring at Krum¡¯s dark head as it bobbed out into the middle of theke. ¡°It must be freezing, it¡¯s January!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lot colder where hees from,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I suppose it feels quite warm to him.¡±

    ¡°Krum¡¯s strong, stronger than most people!¡± Ron argued for him. ¡°Temperature is not a problem for him. He may have the habit of winter swimming. These difficulties mean nothing to him!¡±

    He now had a very good rtionship with Krum, but he rarely mentioned him since they met.

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 Chapter 635: Bagman and the Goblins

    Chapter 635: Bagman and the Goblins

    ¡°My sister said that she would go swimming in theke recently,¡± said Gabrielle, looking at Krum who had dived into theke.¡±It¡¯s strange ¡­ she had never been used to it before ¡­ is there anything in theke?¡±

    ¡°Who knows!¡±

    Hearing Gabrielle¡¯s words, Hermione looked thoughtfully at Krum and felt as though she¡¯d grasped something.

    It sounded strange that two champions sessively ran to theke to practice winter swimming.

    ¡°Do you think the second task will have something to do with theke ¡­ make the champions dive into theke?¡± she said.

    ¡°Absolutely impossible!¡± said Ron directly. ¡°They won¡¯t let us go in <em>there</em> ¡­ unless they¡¯re crazy!¡±

    ¡°Cold is nothing, but there¡¯s still the giant squid in theke!¡±

    Evan helped Hermione to persuade him. Harry and Ron didn¡¯t even think about that ce.

    They shrugged off Hermione¡¯s spection and everyone¡¯s attention quickly shifted elsewhere.

    Evan was going to meet Sirius who would help him practice Apparition. Although Evan trusted all of them, this matter was illegal in itself, and the fewer people knew about it the better.

    Therefore, when they got to Hogsmeade, they separated!

    Colin apanied Gabrielle and Ginny to Honeydukes sweet shop. Gabrielle had recently given these candies as Christmas presents to her ssmates from Beauxbatons, and they liked them so much. This time, she was going to buy a lot of candies to take home with them.

    As for Ron, he had a date with Lavender for lunch, but it was not yet time.

    Half an hour before the appointment with Sirius, Harry suggested a visit to the Three Broomsticks.

    The pub was as crowded as ever, and they ordered four butter-beers from Madam Rosmerta and found a corner.

    ¡°Look ¡­ doesn¡¯t he ever go into the office?¡± Hermione whispered, pushing Evan.

    She pointed into the mirror behind the bar, and Evan saw Ludo Bagman reflected there, sitting in a shadowy corner with a bunch of goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing, shaking their heads from time to time.

    Every time the goblins shook their heads, Bagman¡¯s face turned ugly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit odd,¡± said Harry, watching Bagman in the mirror. ¡°Think about it, today is the weekend. There¡¯s no Triwizard event, and therefore no judging to be done. Why is he here?¡±

    Bagman was looking strained again, and he kept looking around, as though searching for a way to escape.

    Then, his eyes lit up as he saw Ron sitting in the corner.

    He approached, whispered a few words to the goblins, and quietly pointed at the four of them.

    The goblins squinted with their dark eyes and looked at Ron silently, then nodded.

    ¡°Deal, wait a moment. I¡¯ll go and talk to the kid!¡± said Bagman, his boyish grin back again. He stood up and hurried toward Ron.

    ¡°Children, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. What a coincidence! How have you been recently?!¡± he said, walking to Ron¡¯s side. ¡°Ron, could I have a quick, private word?¡±

    ¡°Well, of course!¡± Ron looked at Bagman puzzled, and followed him along the bar to the end furthest from Madam Rosmerta.

    They stayed there for more than a minute, and Ron¡¯s expression seemed a little surprised, and then there was a glimmer of joy.

    Evan took a sip of butter-beer. It seemed that Bagman must have bet with the goblins to pay back the money. He put all his chips on Ron and bet that he could win the Triwizard Tournament. Then all his gambling debts would be written off.

    Bagman was telling Ron about the secret of the Golden Egg, and Ron had epted his help.

    As a judge and Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, he actually vited the rules.

    Cheating was really a tradition in the Triwizard Tournament.

    ¡°What are they talking about?¡± said Hermione, sipping butter-beer. ¡°Those goblins don¡¯t look very friendly?!¡±

    ¡°Probably about the task,¡± said Evan, taking out a densely packed piece of parchment from his arm.

    He didn¡¯t care about this, and he was going to use this time to review the main points of Apparition.

    ¡°Apparition looks cool and easy to use!¡± said Harry, staring at Evan¡¯s parchment. ¡°I also want Sirius to help me pass the exam, so that I don¡¯t have to wait until adulthood.¡±

    ¡°No, Harry!¡± Hermione was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s illegal and very dangerous to do so. Because of Apparition failure, many people lose their lives every year. You don¡¯t have as much power as Evan. You can¡¯t fully master this spell¡­¡±

    ¡°I know ¡­ I¡¯m just talking!¡± said Harry.

    As Hermione said, Apparition was not a joke.

    Failure to use often led to splinching and even death. That¡¯s why there was a test to Apparate at the Ministry of Magic.

    Evan had experienced Apparition many times, but he was still nervous about using this spell himself for the first time.

    The quill in his hand kept writing and drawing on the parchment, marking the relevant points.

    There are two modes of using Apparition: one is for long-distance fast transportation, and the other is for fast shifting position in duel. Although the spells are the same, the magic power consumed and the skill used are not the same.

    Harry and Hermione leaned together and looked at what Evan had written to know more details.

    On the other hand, Ron¡¯s conversation with Bagman was quickly interrupted because Fred and George happened to show up at this time.

    Just as they entered the pub, they saw Bagman in front of the bar.

    ¡°Hello, Mr. Bagman,¡± said Fred brightly. ¡°Can we buy you a drink?¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ no,¡± said Bagman, patting Ron on the shoulder. ¡°No, thank you, boys¡­¡±

    Fred and George looked quite as disappointed as Bagman, ready to say something more to get their money back.

    ¡°Well, I must dash,¡± he said. ¡°Nice seeing you all. Good luck, Ron, and don¡¯t forget what I said.¡±

    He hurried out of the pub. The goblins all slid off their chairs and exited after him. Fred and George hesitated and followed.

    ¡°What did he want?¡± Harry said, the moment Ron had sat down.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Ron shook his head and didn¡¯t say what Bagman had told him.

    He was hesitating to try this method, although it sounded ridiculous, he had no other way!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 636: Evans Trap

    Chapter 636: Evan''s Trap

    ¡°By the way, why are there so many goblins following him?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°ording to Bagman, they are looking for Crouch and want him to help. Crouch is still ill. He hasn¡¯t been into work!¡± Ron exined, his thoughts turned from the golden egg and he waved disapprovingly. ¡°To me, maybe Percy is poisoning him. He probably thinks if Crouch snuffs it he¡¯ll be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.¡±

    Hermione gave Ron a don¡¯t-joke-about-things-like-that look.

    ¡°Funny, goblins looking for Mr. Crouch. ¡­ They¡¯d normally deal with the Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures.¡±

    ¡°Percy said that Crouch can speak loads of differentnguages,¡± said Harry. ¡°Maybe they need an interpreter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about those nasty goblins,¡± Ron looked at Hermione. ¡°You¡¯re thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?¡±

    ¡°Goblins don¡¯t need protection,¡± said Hermione sarcastically, taking another sip of butterbeer. ¡°They¡¯re very clever and quite capable of dealing with wizards. They¡¯re not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± said Ron, looking strangely at Evan not being involved in their conversation.

    He was constantly writingplex magic forms on parchment to analyze the minimum magic power consumed by Apparition.

    Ron leaned forward and wanted to see what Evan was writing.

    Just then, Rita Skeeter opened the door and walked in.

    She was wearing banana-yellow robes today; her long nails were painted shocking pink, and she was apanied by her paunchy photographer.

    She bought drinks, and she and the photographer made their way through the crowds to a table nearby.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared at her, and Evan looked up.

    Rita Skeeter was talking fast and looking very satisfied about something.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what¡¯s he doing with a pack of goblins in town anyway? Showing them the sights¡­ what nonsense¡­ he was always a bad liar. Reckon something¡¯s up? Think we should do a bit of digging? ¡®Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman ¡­¡¯ Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo ¡­ we just need to find a story to fit it ¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough; you¡¯re trying to ruin someone else¡¯s life?!¡± Harry shouted angrily and could not help getting to his feet.

    The noise in the bar suddenly stopped, and a few people turned around to find out what was going on with Harry!

    Rita Skeeter¡¯s eyes widened behind her jeweled spectacles as she saw who had spoken.

    ¡°Harry, Harry Potter!¡± she said, beaming, ¡°How lovely! Why don¡¯t youe and join¡­?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯te near you with a ten-foot broomstick,¡± said Harry furiously. ¡°Why did you treat Hagrid like that? He didn¡¯t offend you, what did you do that to him for?!¡±

    Rita Skeeter raised her heavily penciled eyebrows, and a glimmer of pride flickered through her face.

    ¡°Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry. I am merely doing my¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying. Who cares if he¡¯s half-giant?¡± Harry shouted. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with him!¡±

    When he thought of Hagrid¡¯s sad look, he felt unusually ufortable in his heart and shouted with the loudest voice.

    This time, the whole pub had gone very quiet. Madam Rosmerta was staring over from behind the bar, apparently oblivious to the fact that the gon she was filling with mead was overflowing.

    Rita Skeeter¡¯s smile flickered very slightly, but she hitched it back almost at once. She snapped open her crocodile-skin handbag, pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill, and said, ¡°How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid <em>you</em> know, Harry? The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Hermione stood up very abruptly, her butterbeer clutched in her hand as though it were a grenade. Her body was shaking slightly because of anger, and she seemed to have never seen such a brazen person.

    ¡°You horrible woman,¡± she said, through gritted teeth, ¡°you don¡¯t care, do you, you just want to attract people, anything for a story, and anyone will do, won¡¯t they? Even Ludo Bagman ¡­¡±

    ¡°Sit down, you silly little girl, and don¡¯t talk about things you don¡¯t understand,¡± said Rita Skeeter coldly, her eyes hardening as they fell on Hermione, not as friendly as when she looked at Harry. ¡°I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl ¡­ <em>not</em> that it needs it¡­¡±

    She disdainfully looked at Hermione¡¯s bushy hair, and her Quick-Quotes Quill was zooming backward and forward over a piece of parchment on the table.

    ¡°Well, Hermione, don¡¯t argue with such people. It¡¯s not worth it!¡± Evan said softly, putting his parchment on the table.

    Rita Skeeter stared at Evan, as if she had just seen him, and her eyes fell on the thick parchment. She could clearly see that it was a terrible pattern.

    Under the influence of some kind of curse, the soul of a person on the parchment was being pulled away, with a painful expression on his face. Below the image wereplex magic symbols and forms, and then a scene where a person was burned by fire.

    Undoubtedly, these things were Dark magic, very evil, terrible ck magic!

    Even Muggles who had not learned magic could guess what these things were, seeing these patterns.

    Evan was trying to persuade Hermione to sit down, and then, as if suddenly aware of something, hurriedly turned back the parchment in hand.

    That way, it seemed that he was afraid of being seen, and he nced at Rita Skeeter ufortably.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s action, Rita Skeeter seemed to think of something, and smiled again with satisfaction.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Bozo,¡± said Rita Skeeter suddenly,ughing at Evan and Harry. ¡°Harry, if you want to talk to me about Hagrid, you¡¯ll always be wee! ¡­ you too, Evan!¡±

    They just left the pub, without even touching the drinks they had bought.

    If Evan guessed right, she would probablye back in another form to figure out what was on the parchment he had just exposed.

    This was very sensational news that she couldn¡¯t miss!

    That was right, those were all the ck magic he studied, and it was the trap that Evan had specially prepared for Rita Skeeter.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 637: Catching Rita Skeeter

    Chapter 637: Catching Rita Skeeter

    Rita Skeeter¡¯s Animagus form was a beetle, and it was not easy to find an inconspicuous insect.

    Especially knowing that Evan¡¯s magic power was very strong, Rita Skeeter was more afraid and would note to him easily.

    Although she was ostentatious, she was cautious in character and seldom appeared around wizards with high magic power.

    That¡¯s why she was eavesdropping everywhere, but her Animagus form had never been spotted.

    Maybe waiting for her luck to run out, Rita Skeeter would be caught some day, sooner orter. In the original book, Hermione was sessful with that.

    That woman was too greedy. She had no limits to what she could do, and it was not surprising that she would be caught!

    But Evan didn¡¯t have much time to y this peek-a-boo game with her, nor was he ready to let Rita Skeeter cause more trouble.

    When he saw that she had just confronted Harry and Hermione, he suddenly had the idea that he could lure her to the bait.

    Waiting was not a solution, but taking the initiative to attack would solve the problem earlier.

    This was a well-dug trap. Evan intentionally let Rita Skeeter see the research notes rted to ck magic.

    He was sure that she would never give up the delicious food sent to her mouth, and would certainly not stand the temptation toe back to investigate.

    Evan Mason, the young wizard currently in the limelight in the wizarding world, was secretly studying taboo dark magic. Just thinking about this kind of heavyweight news was too exhrating for Rita, and she would never let go of such a scoop.

    In fact, she was currently investigating in this direction, which was also the big news she had been preparing.

    Rita Skeeter had long been investigating the reason why Evan¡¯s magic power was far greater than that of his peers and even most wizards. She didn¡¯t know the existence of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and Slytherin¡¯s Locket, and naturally thought of ck Magic.

    Some Dark magic could allow a wizard to quickly increase his strength in a short period of time, as Voldemort did, using taboo Dark magic to transform himself into a Dark Lord with strengthparable to that of Dumbledore in a rtively short amount of time.

    But no matter how she investigated, there were only rumors about Evan¡¯s use of ck magic.

    It was neither urate nor worth investigating.

    Even if Evan used some restricted ck magic that had not been banned by the Ministry of Magic, it would not be surprising and it was not something to make a fuss about.

    He used simr magic in the first task, but Rita Skeeter knew that she needed to link him to forbidden evil Dark magic.

    However, the ck magic Evan brought out waspletely forbidden. As could be seen from the two pictures, it was exactly what Rita Skeeter needed.

    Since she had seen this, Evan was sure that she would take the bait.

    He put the parchment away and looked up to see Ron sitting opposite him staring at him with strange eyes.

    Evan smiled, but Ron recoiled, maybe just seeing the parchment.

    Hermione was the only one who knew about Evan¡¯s study of Dark magic. Neither Harry nor Ron knew about it.

    Although Ron might have seen it, Evan did not intend to exin anything. He would not really cast such an evil curse anyway.

    Studying ck magic and learning to use taboo Dark magic are twopletely different concepts. Evan studied these things in order to get the principles and better learn the Defense Against the Dark Arts and rted ancient magic knowledge rather than torturing someone¡¯s soul.

    Besides, this kind of thing was getting darker and darker, and it seemed better to let it go.

    Ron took a deep breath and tried not to look at Evan. He said in a low and worried voice, ¡°You just shouldn¡¯t have said that, especially you, Hermione! You must have upset her. She¡¯ll be after you next!¡±

    ¡°Let her try!¡± said Hermione defiantly; she was shaking with rage. ¡°I¡¯ll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I¡¯ll get her back for this. First Evan and Harry, then Hagrid¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter,¡± said Ron nervously. ¡°I¡¯m serious, she¡¯ll dig up something on you!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. My parents don¡¯t read the <em>Daily Prophet</em>. I don¡¯t care about the rumors she says. She can¡¯t scare me into hiding!¡± said Hermione. ¡°I¡¯m not as vulnerable as Hagrid. Let her try.¡±

    ¡°All right, all right, we¡¯d better be careful. Don¡¯t expose anything. I¡¯m leaving!¡± Ron paused and nced at Evan. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve a date with Lavender at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop. It¡¯s almost time!¡±

    He stood up, waved and left the pub in a hurry, with a very bad expression on his face.

    ¡°We should leave too, and wait for Sirius at the Shrieking Shack,¡± said Harry. ¡°Calcting time, he should be there too!¡±

    ¡°Hold on, Harry, we¡¯ll stay for a while. I¡¯ve got something to figure out!¡± said Evan, shaking the quill in his hand.

    Harry sat down and talked to Hermione about Rita Skeeter.

    A few minutester, a pudgy big beetle crawled into the pub through a crack in the window.

    It slowly moved closer to Evan¡¯s position along the ceiling, ready to see what the boy was writing!

    Evan was there, his right hand constantly writingplex magic forms. His left hand quietly held the wand upright to aim at the ceiling above.

    The beetle climbed cautiously over Evan¡¯s head, with a burst of joy. It was about to seed¡­

    Before it could see the details of the parchment below, it was suddenly hit by a stream of air, and its limbs were petrified and lost their responsiveness!

    With a bang, it fell heavily andnded on the table.

    The markings around the beetle¡¯s antennae were exactly like those foul sses Rita Skeeter wore. Yeah, that was Rita Skeeter¡¯s Animagus form.

    Rita Skeeter was stunned to find herself under the Full Body-Bind Curse. Then she saw Evan looking at her with a wry smile.

    She felt her head was short circuited, and it took her a long time to realize what had happened.

    Her heart sank suddenly. It was over. She was caught by the three young devils.

    Especially when looking at Evan¡¯s expression, it was obvious that he already knew she was an illegal Animagus.

    ¡°Weird, how could there be insects, but now it¡¯s winter?!¡± said Harry, seeing the big beetle in front of Evan.

    ¡°This is not an ordinary beetle,¡± said Evan with a smile. He took out a ss bottle and threw the beetle in. ¡°Hermione, don¡¯t you want revenge? You¡¯ve always been wondering how Rita Skeeter overheard Hagrid¡¯s secret conversation!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, Evan?!¡± Hermione looked strangely at the ss bottle with the big beetle in his hand, and looked closer. She seemed to think of something, and then said incredulously, ¡°You mean, this insect is¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her!¡± Evan pointed at the ss bottle with his wand, cast an Unbreakable Charm on it, and handed it to Hermione. ¡°Here you go, Hermione. I believe you will help her learn that spreading misinformation is a very bad behavior!¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 638: Learning Apparition

    Chapter 638: Learning Apparition

    ¡°I should have thought of it. Dumbledore did not allow this woman to enter Hogwarts, but she could still be in the school, eavesdropping on so many news, only¡­¡± said Hermione, her voice trembling slightly, and she looked up at Evan.

    ¡°Only what?!¡± Harry asked, not yet figuring out what was going on.

    ¡°Harry, Rita Skeeter is an Animagus, she can turn into a beetle,¡± said Hermione, her breathing getting faster. ¡°She must be illegal; there have been only seven registered Animagi in the 20th century!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding!¡± Harry couldn¡¯t believe it, staring at the ss jar on the table.

    ¡°Hermione is right, she¡¯s an illegal Animagus,¡± said Evan, shaking the ss jar hard, ¡°Rita Skeeter has been flying around from beginning of the year, looking for materials to make a big fuss, relying on not be seen by others.¡±

    As Evan shook the ss jar, the beetle inside it swayed violently.Rita was thrown from one side to the other, hitting against the ss wall heavily and falling.

    The beetle buzzed angrily through the ss and wanted to turn back into its original appearance, but the magic on the bottle prevented it.

    ¡°What should we do with her now, Evan?¡± said Hermione, looking closely at the beetle in the bottle.

    ¡°This bottle will be handed over to you for safekeeping. Please shut her for a while,¡± said Evan. ¡°If she¡¯s not honest, shake the jar hard and give her a lesson to see if she can¡¯t break the habit of ndering and insulting people.¡±

    ¡°No problem, leave it to me!¡± said Hermione calmly, putting the jar inside her schoolbag.

    She was worried that it would not be good of her to do so, but when she thought of Rita Skeeter¡¯s behavior and what she had done, she felt that something really needed to be done.

    That was the lesson that Rita Skeeter deserved, so that she would not dare make up articles to nder other people¡¯s reputation in the future.

    Next, the topic shifted from Rita Skeeter to Animagus, and Hermione wanted to learn this magic. Not to mention Harry, who was envious of Evan after seeing him transforming in the Leaky Cauldron pub.

    Animagus is a very advanced form of Transfiguration that enables the wizard to transform himself into some kind of animal.

    Animagi can only take on the form of one specific animal. This animal form is not chosen by the wizard, but determined by their personality and inner traits.

    Unlike the Patronus that may change, each wizard¡¯s Animagus will remain the same form throughout his life.

    The first transformation process is very dangerous and it¡¯s very likely to result in disaster. Therefore, the Ministry of Magic strictly controlled the Animagi and required them to be registered in the Ministry¡¯s Improper Use of Magic Office, as well as their animal forms and their distinguishing markings.

    But whether it was Harry¡¯s father James, Sirius, Peter Pettigrew, or Evan and Rita Skeeter, they were all illegal Animagi, not registered with the Ministry of magic, and could do many things with Animagus at will.

    They had not to worry about being discovered in their transformed state. This spell was very practical in detecting, hiding, escaping and reducing the influence of the Dementors.

    Learning Animagus not only needs the necessary knowledge of Transfiguration, but also needs a lot of magic as support for the first transformation.

    Magic was the most difficult obstacle, but for Evan, it had been solved with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    With the help of Tom Riddle¡¯s diary in his first year, Evan also studied the corresponding knowledge theory clearly.

    Helping Harry and Hermione master Animagus was not technically a problem at all.

    Evan took out his research notes and let them both familiarize themselves with the principles of the spell. When they had mastered them all, he was helping them with their first transformation.

    He could also consult Sirius, who had a lot of unique experience in the Animagus transformation.

    With Hermione¡¯s learning speed, Evan predicted that by this summer vacation, she would be able toplete the Animagus transformation.

    Harry might need more time. He had a poor foundation for Transfiguration and would probably have to wait until the following summer vacation to master it.

    More than twenty minutester, when Evan, Harry, and Hermione arrived at the Shrieking Shack, Sirius was already there!

    He looked more tired and dusty than they had seen him before, as though he had juste from a battlefield.

    An Auror¡¯s work was not as morous as outsiders seemed to think, with a lot of danger and workload far beyond imagination.

    ¡°Evan, we¡¯d better hurry up. There are many things to practice,¡± said Sirius gently. ¡°Although you¡¯re very strong, there¡¯s no way to develop your abilities and practice Apparition and shifting at Hogwarts. I have to make sure you have enough ability to pass the exam. Otherwise, I won¡¯t allow you to use this spell.¡±

    Sirius helped Evan tamper with the Ministry of Magic testing so that he could use the spell while not adult yet without fear of being monitored by the Ministry of Magic. But he had to ensure Evan had the ability to Apparate.

    Noticing his serious expression, Evan nodded and took out his wand.

    Apparition was very dangerous as it involved bending space.

    If he didn¡¯t master the spell, he wouldn¡¯t use it sessfully and it would be looking for death.

    Harry and Hermione sat down on the steps in front of the Shrieking Shack and watched Evan and Sirius practice.

    ¡°You should have reviewed the key points of Apparition, but I¡¯d like to say it again ¡­ Harry and Hermione, you two also remember it carefully!¡± With a wave of his wand, an old-fashioned wooden hoop appeared on the ground. ¡°The most important things to remember when Apparating are the three D¡¯s. Let¡¯s start with shifting. Now please focus on the wooden hoop.¡±

    Evan gazed at the circr patch of dusty floor enclosed by his hoop and focused.

    Shifting was the so-called teleportation, which was embodied in the battle. It could make the caster disappear from his position instantly and appear in another position. Compared with Apparition, shifting was closer and only moved within the field of vision.

    Magic consumption was rtively small, but it required precise control of the magic and quick response ability. Like Silent Casting, it was a very highbat skill.

    It was easy to grasp it, but very difficult to use in an actual duel. Many wizards could master Apparition well, but they could not use Shift to fight.

    In a tense battle, if one is slightly distracted, he may be hit by his opponent¡¯s magic.

    There was no doubt that mastering the shifting spell was very helpful to the wizard. In the battle, he wouldn¡¯t have to rely on his body to dodge clumsily.

    With this spell, he could also make a lot of unexpected tactics.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 639: Practice and Mastery

    Chapter 639: Practice and Mastery

    ¡°Very good, set!¡± said Sirius slowly. ¡°Next step: Focus your determination to upy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body!¡±

    Harry and Hermione also did what Sirius asked them to do and contemted the hoop so hard that their faces had turned pink.

    Evan¡¯s eyes were also focused on the wooden hoop, trying to figure out where he was going to get.

    ¡°Step three,¡± called Sirius, ¡°and only when I give themand ¡­ Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On mymand, now ¡­ three, two, one¡­¡±

    As soon as Sirius¡¯s voice fell, Evan immediately began to channel his magic, and a strong sense of vertigo rose in his body.

    His body spun on the spot, about to enter nothingness. At this moment, he suddenly lost bnce, and nearly fell over.

    ¡°I failed. I didn¡¯t grasp the degree of rotation just now. I used a little too much magic!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Never mind, you¡¯ve done a good job. Many wizards don¡¯t get it right the first time. Let¡¯s practice again!¡± Siriusforted him. ¡°Attention to the movement of rotation. Your body can be rxed, not so tight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll remember!¡± Evan nodded, recalling the feeling of spinning on the spot.

    Before entering nothingness, the rotation of the body was the first step, and the keyy in the channeling of magic.

    Evan had already measured it on paper many times before, and he had just to make use of it to follow the best route.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evan, even if there¡¯s splinching, I can treat it quickly.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Hearing that, Evan didn¡¯t feel anything.

    Under the influence of magic, the wizard who failed to Apparate and had separation of random body parts would not die immediately. There was a period of protection, enough for the people around to give treatment.

    Of course, if there was no other wizard around, or the wizard couldn¡¯t use the counter spell, then what awaited was a painful death that would feel like itsted forever.

    Sirius was naturally ready, and there were a lot of therapeutic potions in Evan¡¯s bag. He didn¡¯t need to worry at all.

    Hermione was nervous at once and looked at Evan worriedly.

    She simply couldn¡¯t think of the terrible picture of Evan¡¯s body split.

    ¡°Sirius, did you just say separation of body parts?¡±

    ¡°Splinching, or the separation of random body parts, is a frequent ident in Apparition!¡± said Sirius tly, waving for Hermione to be at ease. ¡°It urs when the mind is insufficiently <em>determined</em>. You must concentrate continuously upon your <em>destination</em>, and move, without haste, but with <em>deliberation</em> ¡­ Remember: <em>Destination. Determination. Deliberation</em>. These are the main points of Apparition!¡±

    ¡°<em>Destination. Determination. Deliberation</em>!¡± Evan repeated the three D¡¯s after him.

    Evan¡¯s second attempt was significantly better than the first one. After a spin, he sessfully entered nothingness.

    After entering nothingness, everything around him went ck, and time and space lost meaning.

    A strong sense of suffocation oppressed him. Evan felt he was being pressed very hard from all directions. His eyeballs were being forced back into his head, and his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull, as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube.

    He had had this feeling many times before, but this time it came in with his own strength.

    His body had entered nothingness, and felt just like the powerful ¡®Silence¡¯ magic in the Temple of theke.

    Perhaps the evil god lived in this horrible space.

    Before Evan could look around carefully, his body emerged from nothingness and his feet fell back to the ground.

    Fresh air was re-infused into his body, and he appeared exactly in the wooden hoop.

    Harry and Hermione did not experience Evan¡¯s sense of oppression and suffocation. They only saw him open his arms.

    Gracefully spinning on the spot, he vanished in a swirl of robes. The next second, he reappeared a few steps away, which looked really amazing!

    ¡°I made it!¡± said Evan, trying to calm down; the vertigo in his brain was gradually disappearing!

    ¡°Congrattions, Evan!¡± Hermione sighed with relief, reassured.

    ¡°What you¡¯ve done is really wonderful!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°<em>Destination. Determination. Deliberation</em>! You have a lot of talent for this. Not many wizards can Apparate sessfully on their second try. Let¡¯s see what you can do for longer distances!¡±

    With a snap, he vanished and appeared under a big tree in the distance. It was so far that he could only see vague figures.

    Sirius put the wooden hoop in ce, and waved to Evan to signal him toe.

    It was the same as before, but this time Evan¡¯s movements were much more skillful.

    His eyes fell on the distant wooden hoop, the thoughts in his mind had just risen and his body was about to enter nothingness.

    After a shrill sound, he appeared next to Sirius.

    ¡°How am I doing, Sirius?¡± Evan asked with delight, the feeling of suffocation being much more subtle than before.

    ¡°Great, you have mastered the technique of shifting. What you need to do next is a lot of practice. When this spell bes part of your body, you can use it to move in a blink at any time in battle, it will be aplete sess! Don¡¯t ck off. It¡¯s hard to do this, much harder than learning this magic. In battle, the enemy will not give you time to react!¡±

    Evan nodded in agreement.

    Unlike other spells, Apparition did not require much magic. The key was the control of magic, which required extremely fine skills. That was a bit like the precise and extreme control when making potions, which many powerful wizards couldn¡¯t handle.

    ¡°Come on, Evan, practice a few more times, and then we¡¯ll start to learn long-distance Apparition.¡±

    After practicing for a few more times, Sirius let Evan Apparate into the Shrieking Shack.

    The main points and spells were the same as before, but the destination of this Apparition was not in Evan¡¯s vision.

    He needed to do two more things, determine the destination and distance, and imagine the surroundings of the ce he wanted to go to.

    Compared to shifting, Apparition required more time and magic, but its difficulty was reduced. He had just to know the destination and grasp the position and distance¡­

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 Chapter 640: Nymphadora Tonks

    Chapter 640: Nymphadora Tonks

    As before, the Shrieking Shack was still very disordered. Paper was peeling from the walls, there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

    Apart from Sirius¡¯s brief stay therest year, no one had entered the house for more than 30 years.

    The Shrieking Shack, also called the haunted house by Hogsmeade¡¯s residents, was rarely approached. But the yells and shouts that vigers often heard were actually Lupin¡¯s voice in the form of a werewolf. When he was at Hogwarts School, this was where he had toe every full moon night.

    Sirius was very familiar with this ce. During the break, he told Evan, Harry, and Hermione about their past in the school.

    Harry listened very carefully. He wanted to know more about his father.

    At noon, the four of them ate at the Three Broomsticks Inn.

    Many students had gone back to school early. It was January. The temperature outside was too cold to have any fun.

    They didn¡¯t see Colin, Ginny, and Gabrielle, and they didn¡¯t see Ron. Nor did they know where he and Lavender had gone.

    In the afternoon practice, Evan would Apparate with Hermione. That was the first time for him to take somebody else with him.

    Evan was going to make a real long-distance Apparition, probably because he had just heard Sirius recall the past, and was sad, he took Hermione to directly Apparate into the store in Diagon Alley and appeared in front of Lupin.

    Naturally, Lupin looked in surprise at the two people who suddenly appeared in front of him!

    ¡°Good afternoon, Lupin!¡± said Evan with a smile.

    ¡°Hello, Professor!¡± Hermione looked around and was happy with Evan¡¯s sess.

    Just in a moment, the two of them came from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley.

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, how did you¡­¡± Lupin couldn¡¯t believe it, pushing aside the thick data in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s Apparition. We just wanted toe over and see you!¡± Evan exined, ¡°We¡¯ll be right back!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it, but I didn¡¯t expect you to learn it so quickly,¡± said Lupin, ¡°but I think what the two of you are doing is really risky. It¡¯s irrational. How can Sirius help you cheat the Ministry of magic? Apparition is very dangerous. There are many wizards every year¡­¡±

    Before he had finished speaking, the door of the office was suddenly pushed open.

    ¡°Remus, who are you talking to?!¡±

    In came a young witch, dressed in fashion and looking very beautiful!

    She had a pale heart-shaped face and very attractive dark twinkling eyes.

    Like Lupin, she was equally surprised to see Evan and Hermione. ¡°Hey, who are these two children?¡±

    ¡°Evan Mason and Hermione Granger, I told you about them before,¡± said Lupin softly, introducing the two sides, ¡°This is Nymphadora¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Nymphadora, Remus,¡± said the young witch with a shudder. ¡°It¡¯s Tonks!¡±

    ¡°Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only,¡± finished Lupin.

    ¡°So would you if your fool of a mother had called you ¡®Nymphadora,¡¯¡± muttered Tonks, looking closely at Evan and Hermione. ¡°So, you are <em>the</em> Evan Mason?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± Evan nodded and looked at the witch opposite, realizing who the girl was.

    ording to her generation, she should be Sirius¡¯s niece.

    Her mother, Andromeda, was a member of the ck family, the cousin of Sirius. But like Sirius, she was considered a shame and a traitor because she was born in the old and noble ck family, but married a Muggle-born wizard, Ted Tonks.

    If Evan was not mistaken, Tonks should have just be an Auror, a colleague of Sirius. He couldn¡¯t see why she was here, and Lupin thought the same.

    ¡°Tonks, why are you here?¡± He couldn¡¯t hide a slight smile for Tonks on the corner of his mouth.

    ¡°Today is the weekend, I have a rest and I¡¯m free. I just wanted toe and see you!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help smiling again to Tonks.

    They seemed familiar to each other. Evan was keenly aware that the situation was a bit tricky, and it seemed that Tonks was secretly in love with Lupin!

    He could see that Lupin was also very fond of her. Otherwise he would not have this expression.

    With Lupin¡¯s rigorous character, he would not allow any irrelevant person to enter his office casually.

    ¡°I heard that the Ministry had been very busy recently, and the Aurors had been sent out¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, until now, the old man Scrimgeour has only assigned me such trivial things as smuggling crucibles, which is absolutely boring!¡± Tonks said nonchntly, eyeing Evan and Hermione with great interest. ¡°By the way, you two should be in school. Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡±

    ¡°I see ¡­ Apparition!¡± Tonks did not seem to be surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve been involved in this matter and asked to cooperate with him on the Apparition test list. His name has been added, and I was wondering how he was doing. So, you¡¯ve already begun to learn Apparition?!¡±

    Evan nodded again. He had hoped Sirius could have been more discreet. It was best if the fact he was practicing Apparition was not known by anyone else.

    Lupin looked frustrated, too. It was like she and the charming Sirius had been rather close.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. No wonder everyone says that you¡¯ve got great talent,¡± said Tonks cheerfully, ¡°At your age, there was no way to talk about Apparition. I didn¡¯t even know a few real spells. My teachers always said¡­ ¡°

    ¡°All right, Tonks, they¡¯re going back soon. Please stay with Hermione for a while. I have something to say to Evan,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Tonks led Hermione to the round table by the firece and turned out a pot of tea and cake.

    The two of them chatted together. A secondter, Tonks¡¯s hair turned from purple to bubble-gum pink.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± said Hermione, gaping at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m a Metamorphmagus,¡± she said, looking at her reflection in a small mirror and turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions. ¡°It means I can change my appearance at will.¡±

    ¡°I know this magic can help users change their physical appearance. This is a very, very rare magic.¡±

    ¡°I was born one. I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great!¡± said Tonks proudly.

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 Chapter 641: Step 1: Contact With the Merpeople

    Chapter 641: Step 1: Contact With the Merpeople

    ¡°What can I do to be a Metamorphmagus?¡± Hermione asked, interested in this spell.

    ¡°Metamorphmagi are really rare, they¡¯re born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand or potions to change their appearance,¡± said Tonks. ¡°But you can do it, learning hard.¡±

    While Hermione and Tonks continued their conversation, Evan and Lupin were also talking.

    ¡°Evan, don¡¯t worry about Tonks. She¡¯s one of us. We¡¯ve known each other for a long time. She¡¯s always been like this,¡± said Lupin with a wry smile, looking helplessly at Tonks, who had changed her hair color on the other side of the room. ¡°You may not know that her mother, Andromeda, is Sirius¡¯s cousin and she had also been disowned by the ck family.¡±

    ¡°Sirius has told me that Andromeda was his favorite cousin. Because she married a Muggle-born wizard, she¡¯d been removed from the ck family tree,¡± said Evan. ¡°I can trust Tonks ¡­ is there anything else? I have to go back!¡±

    He was ready to leave. He did not want to stay here and disturb Lupin and Tonks to be alone and develop their feelings. Besides, Sirius and Harry were still waiting for him and Hermione in the Shrieking Shack.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good for you two to stay here for too long, if someone finds out, you¡¯ll be in trouble!¡± Lupin nodded, took out a cloth bag and handed it to Evan. ¡°These are the gifts you asked me to buy for you some time ago. They are all made by the best craftsmen. They are very exquisite. I personally selected them and the Merpeople should be satisfied.¡±

    ¡°I hope so!¡± Evan took it and sighed.

    It was really difficult to deal with the Merpeople. After several consecutivemunications, he worked so hard just to make the Merpeople not turn around and run away at his sight, nothing more. To further deepen their feelings and trust, he still needed to continue giving them gifts.

    Fortunately, through this period of contact, Evan found that besides music, the Merpeople also liked all kinds of human-made items, such as furniture, mirrors, all kinds of jewelry and so on, which were very popr among the Hogwarts Merpeople n.

    For these items, they were willing to exchange some herbs and magic materials that grew deep in theke. Among them, Evan had selected all the precious and rare magic materials to make potions and refine alchemy.

    The rest of the ordinary stuff would be handed over to Fred and George, who were used to make prank props.

    These materials provided by the Merpeople far exceed the original value of the goods exchanged with Evan, and the profit of the transaction was very high. Even if there was no clue about Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure key, he was willing to continue the transactions.

    More than ten minutester, Evan and Hermione Apparated back to the Shrieking Shack.

    Sirius announced that Evan could use Apparition alone. He also gave him a copy of Common Mistakes in Apparition and Ways to Avoid Them. It was an exam textbook printed by the Ministry of Magic, which summarized various problems and solutions that could ur in Apparition.

    Not sure how long it would take tomunicate and trade with the Merpeople, Evan had decided to act after dinner.

    He greeted Hermione and asked her to cover for him.

    In the eyes of others, the two of them, like other couples, went to a secret ce in the castle for a date after dinner. But in fact, Evan was going to dive alone into theke outside. Because of worry, Hermione wanted to go with him, but he deterred her!

    It was not so peaceful under theke. It was more convenient for him to move alone, and he didn¡¯t need to be distracted protecting Hermione.

    He and Hermione slipped out of the castle, mingling in the crowd after supper, before the sky waspletely dark.

    Many Durmstrang students were leaning on the side of the ship to chat, and there wasughter and noise.

    Through the huge shadows of the castle and the statues on thewn, they bypassed therge ship of Durmstrang, and Evan walked from the other end to theke.

    Theke was very cold, and his rapidly numbing feet were slipping over silt and t, slimy stones.

    When the bitter wind blew, he shivered, took out his wand and cast two spells on himself with the fastest speed.

    There was a bubble around Evan¡¯s head. That was the Bubble-Head Charm!

    Under the action of the warm-up spell, theke was no longer cold and piercing, just a little cool. Given the surrounding temperature, it was still ufortable to soak in it.

    That was one of the reasons why Evan did not let Hermione follow him. On the coldest night of January, it was not a pleasant experience to dive into the dark and cold water of theke and contact some rather terrifying Merpeople.

    If he had a choice, he would rather curl up on the sofa next to the warm andfortable fire in the Common Room and read quietly.

    Evan shook his head and finally nced at Hermione standing on the shore, turned over and flung himself forward into the water.

    Silence pressed upon his ears as he soared over a strange, dark, foggyndscape, avoiding the ces where the giant squid often appeared and therge water nts where the Grindylows might be lurking, and went to the Merpeople vige at the bottom of theke.

    The Merpeople colony tonight was very lively. It seemed that there was a ritual activity, and the Merpeople all came out from rough stones.

    When Evan approached, he saw more than two hundred Merpeople gathered all over the square in the middle of the vige.

    They were barely dressed up, all with long hair, and their iron-gray skin was painted with strange patterns of dye. From time to time, their powerful, silver tails were beating the water.

    Their dark green hair was long and disheveled, but it was decorated with shells, corals and pearls. They wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. The same was true for their bodies that were full of various ornaments.

    They were just talking about something and kept spitting bubbles, as though they were waiting for something.

    Evannded at the edge of the circr square, took all kinds of things that Lupin had given him out of his cloth bag and ced them at the bottom of theke.

    While eavesdropping on the Merpeople¡¯s conversation, he was wondering what they were doing.

    Noticing Evan¡¯s presence, many Merpeople faces showed a trace of joy. It didn¡¯t take long for some of them toe and trade with him.

    They picked out their favorite items from the things Evan brought, and then they went back to their homes and moved out a pile of materials for exchange.

    The whole exchange process was going on very fast and easier than expected.

    The Merpeople did not bargain at all, and the materials given to Evan were of great value and quantity, far exceeding the actual value of the goods he brought.

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 Chapter 642: The Gap in the Merperson Statue

    Chapter 642: The Gap in the Merperson Statue

    Despite their proximity to Hogwarts, no wizard was allowed to go to the nearby waters to collect magical materials.

    The Merpeople themselves were not proficient in magic and potions, so they were less likely to be interested in these things.

    Over a thousand years, various materials and herbs in the nearby waters had umted to a terrifying amount.

    When Evan first gave the Merpeople a gift two months ago, they were delighted to exchange graffiti, pebbles, shells and all sorts of clutter for decoration.

    It was hard to turn down that warm-hearted offer; but in the end, Evan could only reluctantly ept the magical materials and herbs brought out by a few of them.

    The Merpeople were worried that they could not find anything suitable to exchange with Evan. Compared with human wizards, their vige was too barren in any way.

    Seeing that Evan was willing to take these things, they felt that they had finally found the right direction. The Merpeople began to collect these magic materials to trade them with Evan.

    Over time, the matter became more and more widespread.

    The number of Merpeople who knew this news was growing, and it had evolved into what it was today.

    In fact, although the Merpeople looked very horrible, they were not really evil Dark creatures. They were not as arrogant as the Centaurs, who did notmunicate with humans, and only lived in the small circle of their own n.

    On the contrary, the Merpeople were very open and friendly.

    They kept awe and yearning for magic, were willing to make friends with human wizards, and were especially fond of articles made by humans.

    Unfortunately, there were a few wizards who could speak Mermish and were willing toe into contact with them, and wizards who couldmunicate with them would not do the same as Evan. Apart from him, no wizard would exchange items with them for magical materials to meet the needs of the Merpeople.

    At this moment, a strange picture appeared under theke.

    Arge group of Mermen surrounded Evan, with precious, priceless magical items.

    As there was a ritual in the Merpeople colony today, the number of Merpeople swarmed in more than usual.

    They floated around Evan staring at him. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth.

    Every Merman leered at Evan, trying to show their goodwill, but that looked like terrible smiles with bad intentions.

    Of all the things Evan brought, mirrors were their favorite, and they were snatched madly!

    It was to say that this was really a bit unexpected! Evan was not sure if these Merpeople would not be scared if they saw their ugly faces in the mirrors.

    After a few words of greeting, he irresponsibly left his belongings on the ground to let the Merpeople choose for themselves.

    After all, they were very trustworthy. They would consciously leave the magical materials for exchange in ce, waiting for Evan to collect them.

    Evan went to the center of the square and found the strong Merman he had stunned by magic for the first time.

    After several contacts, he knew that he had a high status in the Merpeople colony. He was a very powerful warrior and was respected.

    Evan gave him the gifts he had specially selected for him. The Merman said a few words, probably to express his gratitude to Evan, and invited him to his house to get the corresponding magical materials after a certain ritual.

    ¡°What¡¯s this ritual you¡¯re doing?!¡± Evan asked directly, spitting out a lot of air bubbles.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a traditional celebration,¡± said the Merman in a husky, low voice.

    His mouth also spit a bunch of bubbles. The Merman spoke very quickly, and Evan could not grasp many words.

    But the general meaning was clear. This kind of ritual was inherited from the Merpeople¡¯s ancestors, and had to be carried out once a month.

    What interested Evan was that he told him that there were rumors that the ritual was originally an agreement between the Merpeople ancestors and the castle builders.

    Over time, the ritual had evolved, today, into a celebration of the ancestors andrge gatherings in the colony.

    In other words, it was very likely that this matter was rted to the treasure key left by Ravenw.

    Evan immediately became interested. After chatting with the Merman, he waited for the start of the event.

    More than an hourter, more and more Mermen emerged from all directions, and there were over 500 of them.

    Many of them did not live in thiske, but settled in other waters near Hogwarts.

    Even in the centralke of the Centaurs¡¯ colony, there were traces of Merpeople activities.

    They came from all directions, and many of them looked at Evan curiously. They pointed at him and whispered with their hands over their mouths.

    The things that Evan had brought over had been sold out as early as forty minutes ago.

    A variety of magical materials and herbs were filled in his two cloth bags that had been extended by the Undetectable Extension Charm.

    Arge number of Mermen floated above the square of the Merpeople vige, and a very strange sight appeared in front of Evan at the beginning of the ritual.

    The Merpeople swam in a circle, and some of them began to sing in unison.

    It sounded very strange, but it was very pleasant. It was totally different from the Merpeople¡¯s normal voice.

    Even thenguage seemed to be different. Evan couldn¡¯t understand it, but this wonderful song was the Mersong in his impression.

    They danced and sang around the square. Although they were in the depths of the coldke, the atmosphere was getting warmer and warmer.

    The so-called ancient ritual now looked like a grand celebration.

    The Merpeople asked Evan to join them, and they slowly danced along a special path.

    Right in front of the square, rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic Merperson hewn from a boulder.

    When the ritual activity reached its peak, Evan found that a strange wave of magic began to appear in the whole space.

    There was no magic in the Merpeople themselves nor in their singing. Evan had confirmed it!

    But these singers seemed to be able to resonate with the gigantic Merperson statue, casting a strange magic, a magic that only the Merpeople could use.

    Although not very powerful, the rumbling sound kept ringing inside the statue.

    Evan stopped and looked warily at the huge statue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± said a Merman next to him with a smile, continuing to dance.

    After a while, a deep gap appeared in the tail of the Merperson statue, as though a door had been opened and theke quickly poured into it.

    The Merpeople did not enter, still dancing and weing, but they motioned to Evan that he could enter.

    Evan hesitated for a moment, swam to the gap, and looked inside through the light of the outside.

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 Chapter 643: The Ravenâ€™s Heralding Death

    Chapter 643: The Raven¡¯s Heralding Death

    In the light of the refraction of water and some fluorescent nts at the bottom of theke, the whole Merpeople vige was surrounded by a faint green light.

    ¡°<em>Lumos</em>!¡± Evan waved his wand and gave out a stronger light.

    The Merpeople looked curiously at him and the shining wand, but they didn¡¯te up. They were still singing and dancing.

    When Evan got closer, he found the gap between the tail fin and the waist of the Merperson statue.

    It was covered with thick algae and moss, looming in the light of the wand.

    Evan examined carefully the gap, which turned out to be formed after a scale disappeared from the statue.

    He dived his wand into it and poked his head in. Inside the gap was a narrow stone corridor, which could allow only one person to crawl through.

    ording to the terrain trend, this corridor continued directly under the Merperson statue, which was a naturally formed crack. There was no trace of man-work inside, and the rock walls on both sides looked very rough and winding.

    There seemed to be something inside, but because of the angle, he couldn¡¯t see it clearly from the outside.

    Evan spit out a few bubbles, the wand across his chest, forward into the gap, swimming down the tilt.

    In the light of his wand, he looked closely at the gray rocks on both sides. The texture was not as hard as he had expected. These rocks were easy to be damaged by external forces, and the natural cracks inside were very narrow.

    This meant that without using the right magic to open it, it was almost impossible to rely on brute force to enter.

    With destructive force that was too small, the stone gate on the outside of the statue would not be opened. A little too much force however would make the cracks on the ground copsepletely and annihte the narrow corridor.

    It was difficult to gauge the amount of force needed. The original designer must have made very careful calctions before they built the Merperson statue on it.

    In the gap, Evan swam ten feet down the slope andnded on the ground.

    The corridor formed by the gap disappeared, and the space in front of him became bright and spacious.

    The surrounding cold water of theke and the water pressure quickly disappeared, and the air became dry again.

    Evan turned around and reached out his left hand to feel it. In front of him, there was an invisible magic barrier, which isted all theke water.

    The Merpeople outside could not use magic. How did this magic barrier appear here?!

    The magic barrier that appeared here was very powerful. It must have been left by a powerful wizard. Would it be Rowena Ravenw?!

    In such a ce, it seemed that it could be no one but her!

    No wonder those Merpeople were not willing toe in. They must have known that they woulde out of the water at that point.

    Evan quickly evaporated the water on his body and continued to move forward, feeling more and more curious in his heart.

    He just stopped after two steps. The Merpeople song from above did not disappear, but became clearer¡­

    It sounded very ethereal and beautiful, just like a sound of nature. The singing echoed in the corridor, making everything in front of him unreal, like a dream.

    ¡°There seems to be something wrong with this sound.¡± Evan froze for a moment, and his thoughts gradually became lost in the song of the Merpeople.

    The song ringing in his ears had the charm of magic. He couldn¡¯t help but immerse himself in it, and didn¡¯t want to do anything else.

    Listening to the wonderful music, Evan was getting more and more tired, more and more unable to rise his spirit. He just wanted to lie down and sleep.

    ¡°<em>Muffliato</em>!¡± He just used this spell on himself, and his ears were filled with an unidentifiable buzzing. It was like the whole school in the Great Hall talking together, or whispering in ss.

    The singing of the Merpeople was back to normal, and the power of the charm that had suddenly emerged disappeared.

    Evan continued to move forward and was increasingly curious about the magic left here.

    This magic depended on the Merpeople without any power tounch, fusing and influencing each other. The design was very ingenious.

    At Evan¡¯s current level, not to mention the involvement, there were a lot of things that he didn¡¯t quite understand.

    Along the passage, he whirled down to a stone door. There was no handle or key hole on the door. There was only a light brown board with an eagle shaped bronze door ring and a dark blue Raven at the top.

    The raven¡¯s eyes were eerie red, staring at Evan. He pointed his wand at the Raven above and blinked to see that its eyes were two rubies.

    Shining in the light of the wand, it looked ufortable.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what material it was made of. It looked very realistic.

    In front of the door, Evan had a feeling of being watched, but abnormally, there was no magic around him.

    He lowered his head and looked away from the raven and moved to the main body of the gate.

    Looking at the familiar eagle door knocker, Evan thought of the door of the Common Room of Ravenw House.

    It was said that the current Ravenw Tower was once theboratory of Rowena Ravenw. That¡¯s why she left such a unique door there to test the wisdom of the visitors and whether they were qualified to enter

    Unlike the other three Houses that required passwords, only the wizard who gave the correct answer could enter Ravenw.

    Even Ravenw students could only stay outside if they couldn¡¯t work out the answer.

    If students from the other Houses were transferred to Ravenw, there would probably be many people sleeping in the corridor outside every night!

    However, the students of Ravenw House were delighted and thought the test was very good.

    Since there was such a door here, there was no doubt that Ravenw left it.

    Perhaps the key to her secret treasure was inside. Evan hadn¡¯t expected it to be so simple.

    Next, all he had to do was to answer the question raised by the door to unlock it. Apart from the Merpeople¡¯s song with seductive power, he did not encounter any obstacles along the way.

    Evan did not let down his guard. Since Gryffindor left a test, there was no reason Ravenw would do nothing.

    He walked to the door with his wand in one hand and knocked lightly on the door with the other. In the silence, Evan felt that the sound was like a shell.

    The beak of the eagle opened at once. It did not make a bird call, but said in an indifferent, gloomy voice, ¡°Strange visitor¡­ you will be judged here, and death will be your only destination.¡±

    Its voice just fell, and the powerful strange magic instantly swallowed magic into an ethereal space.

    He immediately issued a Patronus Charm, but it didn¡¯t work.

    The sudden power of the surrounding space was too strong, and Evan found himself under the Full Body-Bind Curse and lost control of his body.

    Just then, the raven above the gate flew up like in a dream.

    It was over Evan¡¯s head, its blood-red eyes staring at him.

    This time, Evan could clearly feel the death from this raven!

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 Chapter 644: Ravens Claw

    Chapter 644: Raven''s w

    Like ck cats, the wizards generally believed that ravens had strong magic and were a very special animal.

    The wizardingmunity attached great importance to this kind of animal and gave it a moral that went far beyond many magical creatures.

    As for the origin of the Raven and Ravenw, it could be traced back to history.

    It is well known that in Celtic mythology, the raven often appears with the warrior goddess known as the Morrighan.

    It is considered a symbol of uncertainty and death, as well as the incarnation of the Morrighan.

    The Ravenw family is considered a direct descendant of the raven next to the warrior goddess, a family of pure-blood wizards known for their wisdom and cunning long before Hogwarts was founded. It was one of the top wizarding families of the time, ruling and leading the entire wizardingmunity.

    The hidden meaning in the name of Ravenw family is ¡°Greedy Predator¡±, which is used to describe their thirst for knowledge.

    ording to the Sorting Hat, Rowena Ravenw was teaching philosophy, and the inheritance t of the Ravenw family could be clearly seen; that is: <em>We¡¯ll teach those whose intelligence is surest</em>.

    In Ravenw, wisdom was the most important trait.

    Nowadays, Ravenw¡¯s symbol had changed from a raven to an eagle. However, their valuing of wisdom never changed

    Regarding the symbol of Ravenw House, the debate over whether it was a raven or an eagle had been around for a long time.

    Although the Ravenw family¡¯s emblem was a raven spreading its wings, many wizards believed that the harbinger represented by the raven was not very auspicious.

    What¡¯s more, there had been rumors that Madam Rowena Ravenw¡¯s own Animagus form was an eagle, and Ravenw¡¯s most famous knocker had the shape of an eagle¡¯s head, and the House was also featured in Hogwarts emblem as an eagle.

    Over time, the symbol of Ravenw House became an eagle.

    However, history was not as simple as it seemed, and there were many secrets hidden.

    Evan recently discovered through the review of ancient books of history that hundreds of years ago, when the Ravenw House symbol changed, many conservative wizards believed that the Raven should be the real symbol of Ravenw House, and they held different ideas about the so-called change.

    The vast majority of these people were evil Dark wizards who set up heretical sects to carry forward their ideas.

    What impressed Evan most was an evil force named ¡°Raven¡¯s w¡± recorded in the book. They were founded more than six hundred years ago, and lived by the legacies of Ravenw, trying to collect the remaining information left by the era of the Morrighan, the warrior goddess.

    ¡°The Raven¡¯s w¡± developed believers everywhere, propagating the fanatical heresy of ¡°the Last Judgment¡±.

    Surprisingly, they seemed to really find some sort of ancient energy, hoping to use this power to rule the entire wizarding world.

    Evan was the most impressed with the description of this paragraph and would never forget it. Because the so-called miracle of the warrior goddess the Morrighan they had found, no matter how to look at it, was like the power of some evil god, such as whispering in their ears, worshiping the power of darkness and chaos, and so on.

    These terrible fellows actually wanted this ancient evil god toe to the world and help it return to its former dominance.

    Because of the differences in beliefs and ideas, acting mysteriously, bloody, and cruel, the ¡°Raven¡¯s w¡± had been jointly suppressed by the great powers of the entire wizarding world since its inception.

    In the end, some of them went on a frenzy to wage war on Hogwarts.

    It was said that the original clue came from Hogwarts Castle and was believed to be a gift from Madam Rowena Ravenw.

    They attempted to upy Hogwarts,pletely destroy this ancient School of Wizardry and look for more clues.

    Undoubtedly, that was crazy, even crazier than Voldemort¡¯s actions!

    But Evan doubted that Rowena Ravenw might have left a message of evil spirits.

    After all, judging from the case of Gryffindor and Slytherin, the Four Founders all had secret ties with ancient evil gods.

    The specific situation was not known. After the war, the heretical organization of ¡°Raven¡¯s w¡±pletely disappeared and faded out of sight. Whether they still existed or not, Evan did not know and did not care.

    He only hoped that the terrible woman, so-called goddess of war, the Morrighan, who might actually be some horrible evil god, would not be summoned.

    Seeing the raven hovering in the sky, Evan remembered the ¡°Raven¡¯s w¡±.

    The sound on the gate was still going on, with a strange tone.

    <em>¡°If you were allowed to choose the only achievement to be remembered after death, what would you choose?¡±</em>

    This question tested what was most important to the heart of the respondent. There seemed to be no margin, and it was difficult to answer.

    It was conceivable that if the answer was wrong, what awaited Evan would be real death.

    Although it was difficult, considering that Ravenw was the person asking this question, there was obviously only one answer.

    ¡°Wisdom, I hope my wisdom will be remembered by the world!¡± said Evan softly.

    <em>¡°Correct answer,¡±</em> said the voice <em>¡°The smartest mind deserves a reward!¡±</em>

    The strange power that controlled Evan disappeared instantly, as if it had never existed.

    In the rumbling sound, the stone gate slowly opened and the raven, which had been hovering above his head, took the lead to fly in.

    Evan followed in, and inside was arge circr room that looked very ethereal.

    The decoration andyout were simr to Ravenw Common Room, with blue and bronze silk hanging on the wall.

    But because of the long time, these decorations had be a bunch of rotten rags, which could only be vaguely identified.

    The carpet on the ground was also rotten, and now there was only a lot of thick dust left.

    The ceiling above was domed with stars painted on it.

    In the corresponding position under each star, there were bookshelves filled with various magic ssics.

    There was a fake purple light of summer, and the books werepletely isted and protected by magic barriers.

    While ensuring that the books inside were not affected by time and bacteria or insects, they could not be taken out for viewing.

    Evan took a closer look and didn¡¯t touch the books in the bookshelf, although he was really very tempted. But he was not sure that the protection magic he¡¯d never seen before was not aggressive.

    What¡¯s more, even if he could crack it, it would take him a long time. And Evan could not stay here for too long. No one could guarantee when the Merpeople singing outside would stop.

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 Chapter 645: Looking for the Lost Diadem

    Chapter 645: Looking for the Lost Diadem

    The ess to this ce depended on the resonance magic generated by the Merpeople¡¯s singing, which would notst for a long time.

    Once the singing stopped, the gap between the entrance and exit would be closed and Evan would be locked in here.

    He had to seize the time to learn the secret of the ce and get out before the gap was closed.

    Evan followed the raven¡¯s flight path and quickly walked through the rows of bookshelves to the inside.

    At the innermost side of the room was a sunken alcove, in which stood a tall white marble statue.

    It was Rowena Ravenw!!!

    When Evan and Luna had visited Ravenw¡¯s Common Room, they saw her statue.

    The marble statue of Ravenw here wasrger than the one in the House Common Room.

    She seemed to be looking at Evan, with a seemingly innocent teasing smile on her face, beautiful but somewhat daunting.

    The raven stayed above her head and cocked its head, its blood-red eyes staring dead at Evan.

    It uttered a harsh, mournful cry that made him shudder.

    <em>¡°Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure!¡±</em>

    The cold, strange voice that Evan had heard before sounded again. This time, he noticed that the voice was from the raven.

    ¡°If you want Ravenw¡¯s reward, bring her Diadem, and I will show you all the secrets!¡±

    ¡°Ravenw¡¯s Diadem?!¡± Hearing it, Evan¡¯s gaze removed from the raven, and only then did he notice that the famous Diadem was not on the head of the statue of Rowena Ravenw.

    That was really incredible! Indeed, the Diadem could be clearly seen in the portraits and sculptures of Rowena Ravenw, even in all the written records. Ravenw herself hardly took the Diadem off.

    It was considered to be a symbol of Rowena Ravenw and had special significance.

    For hundreds of years, many wizards believed that Ravenw¡¯s Diadem had magical features and could enhance the wisdom of its wearer.

    It was a very famous legendary magic item that had been handed down from generation to generation in the Ravenw family.

    It was not clear whether Ravenw¡¯s Diadem had other uses besides increasing wisdom, but it was undoubtedly proof of wisdom and status.

    It was believed that only the smartest wizard in the world was qualified to wear the Diadem, also known as the Diadem of Wisdom.

    In the eyes of the world, Ravenw had always been crowned because she was recognized as the cleverest wizard. But after her death, this precious magic prop had disappeared.

    No matter how the posterity searched the castle and her relics, they found no trace of it, and the Diadem disappeared out of thin air!

    Since then, the Lost Ravenw Diadem had be a mystery, and various rumors had flown everywhere.

    Some said that Rowena Ravenw was reluctant to give up the Diadem and took it to her grave.

    Others believed that the Diadem had been automatically hidden, and only when a wizard with intelligenceparable to that of Rowena Ravenw showed up would it reappear.

    But Evan knew that Ravenw¡¯s daughter, Helena Ravenw, had stolen the Diadem. She wanted to be smarter and more prestigious than her mother, so she fled with her crown and hid in a forest in Albania, hoping to monopolize this treasure that did not belong to her.

    No one knew about this, Ravenw had never admitted that the Diadem was gone. She had been pretending that it was still with her.

    She even concealed her loss and her daughter¡¯s terrible betrayal from the other three Founders.

    She didn¡¯t even look for her Diadem, just as though it had never been.

    Later, Ravenw was sick and very ill. She hoped to see her daughter again before she died.

    She sent the Bloody Baron, a man who once loved Helena, to find her.

    But the Baron ended up killing Helena, and then he stabbed himself with the same knife.

    Centuries had passed, and he was still wearing his chains as an act of penitence.

    After their death, they both eventually returned to Hogwarts, just in a ghostly form.

    Because of all kinds of regrets and remorse, they would stay there forever, wandering in the old castle.

    Helena didn¡¯t see her mother in the end, and didn¡¯t get her forgiveness, though Ravenw probably never resented her.

    The Baron med himself for killing his beloved with his own hands, living in infinite pain, and couldn¡¯t be relieved after death.

    As for Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, Helena had hidden it in a hollow tree in the forest of Albania.

    The story did not end here. Evan did not need to go to a deste Albanian forest to find a thousand-year-old tree, nor did he have to go to the Ravenw Library to look through ancient books and ask about the painful love between Helena and the Bloody Baron.

    Because Voldemort had found the whereabouts of the Lost Diadem, he went to the distant forest and took it back.

    He made the Diadem of Wisdom his precious Horcrux, instead of being in the humble tree.

    Then, Voldemort brought the Diadem secretly back to its real home and hid it in the Room of Requirement in Hogwarts.

    On his way back, Evan had been thinking about these things.

    In this case, he should thank Voldemort for making the challenge left by Ravenw very easy.

    Evan had just to return to the castle, find the Diadem in the Room of Requirement, and take it to the next Merpeople¡¯s ritual. Thus he could get the secret treasure left by Ravenw.

    The only thing he needed to pay attention to in the whole process was not to be affected by Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux in the Diadem.

    Speaking of which, Evan had always wanted to deal with the Horcruxes, but because the matter wasn¡¯t very urgent with Harry still one of them, he kept dying it.

    At the right moment, he would take this opportunity to dispose of the Horcrux and check whether there were any secrets hidden in the Diadem.

    Evan said goodbye to the Merpeople and resurfaced with the magic materials he had exchanged.

    It was now about ten o¡¯clock in the evening. The dark moon was swaying in the thick clouds and the cold wind was blowing.

    Evan was surprised to see Hermione waiting on the bank, curled up in the grass, clutching a ss bottle of blue magic fire.

    She was looking nervously at theke, trembling with cold and looking very pitiful.

    ¡°Oh, this girl ¡­ I thought she had gone straight back to the castle ¡­ she¡¯s still waiting here!¡± Evan¡¯s heart was warm, and he felt some remorse for Hermione.

    He knew that Hermione was not at ease, so she kept waiting for him by theke.

    Sure enough, as soon as she saw Evan crawling out of theke, Hermione rushed over and hugged him tightly.

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 Chapter 646: The Prefectsâ€™ Bathroom and the Golden Egg

    Chapter 646: The Prefects¡¯ Bathroom and the Golden Egg

    While Evan dived into theke, Harry and Ron also sneaked out of the Common Room.

    They walked slowly because Ron was hiding the heavy Golden Egg under his robe.

    ¡°Lavender is so enthusiastic we should have done it earlier. By the way, Harry, do you have the invisibility cloak and the Marauder¡¯s Map?¡± Ron asked nervously, avoiding the three first-years who were staring at them. ¡°No one can say how long this bath will take. We must be careful not to be seen when wee back.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re with me!¡± said Harry, ncing at Ron¡¯s bulging clothes. ¡°You said you¡¯ve already solved the clue to the golden egg?¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Ron said in a low voice, and kept looking around. ¡°You know, if I didn¡¯t say that, Hermione wouldn¡¯t have let me go to Hogsmeade. I had an important date with Lavender. Besides, we¡¯re going to make this thing clearer now!¡±

    ¡°Why did Bagman tell you this?!¡± Harry continued, ¡°Why would he help you cheat?¡±

    More than twenty minutes ago, Ron told Harry what had happened in the Three Broomsticks during the day.

    The real content of Ludo Bagman¡¯s conversation with Ron was that he told him the secret of the Golden Egg.

    Bagman said that as long as Ron took a bath and took the egg with him, all the clues and secrets of the second task would be clear.

    In any case, it was suspicious, and Bagman had no reason to help the champions.

    If it were Harry, he would definitely not ept his help. It would make him feel very bad.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°He said he wanted to help me because of my father,¡± said Ron, shrugging his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if what he said is true, but it¡¯s no big deal. Without help, I can¡¯t figure out what the damn golden egg is shouting. Remember ¡­ Cheating is a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. In the first task, I reckon the other three champions must also have epted help from others. They can¡¯t just rely on their own ability to solve difficult problems.¡±

    ¡°Bagman and Hagrid are not the same,¡± said Harry. ¡°We should talk to Evan and Hermione.¡±

    ¡°The two of them must have gone somewhere for a date, hiding in a corner to be close!¡± said Ron impatiently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry! It¡¯s just a bath with the Golden Egg. Even if Bagman was lying to us, there¡¯s nothing to lose if we try. At worst, it would be a bit stupid.¡±

    ¡°All right!¡± Harry nodded hesitantly. ¡°Where¡¯s the bathroom, you said?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Prefects¡¯ bathroom on the fifth floor,¡± said Ron. ¡°Fred and George told me about it. They know from Percy. I¡¯ve never been there before! But there is generally nobody in there, and the password is never changed!¡±

    More than twenty minutester, they came to the end of the corridor on the fifth floor, in front of the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a lost looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands.

    Ron led Harry to the door next to the statue, leaned close to it, and muttered the password, ¡°<em>Pine Fresh!</em>¡°

    The door creaked open. Harry and Ron slipped inside and bolted the door behind them, nervously looking around.

    ¡°It¡¯s really big here!¡± Harry eximed. For the first time, he found that it was not really bad to be Prefect. This bathroom was ten times the size of the boys¡¯mon bathroom. Not to mention other rights, it was worth just being able to use this bathroom.

    Ron also nodded and was shocked by the sight.

    If there was a word to describe here, it was luxury!

    In front of them, the room was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and everything was made of white marble, including what looked like an empty, rectangr swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor. About a hundred golden taps stood all around the pool¡¯s edges, each with a differently colored jewel set into its handle. There was also a diving board. Long white linen curtains hung at the windows; arge pile of fluffy white towels sat in a corner, and there was a single golden-framed painting on the wall. It featured a blonde mermaid who was fast asleep on a rock, her long hair over her face. It fluttered every time she snored.

    They moved forward, looking around, their footsteps echoing off the walls.

    Ron walked to the side of the pool, ced the golden egg on the floor, then knelt down and turned on a few of the taps several faucets.

    Harry followed suit and turned on the taps. He was surprised to find that these taps carried different sorts of bubble bath mixed with hot water, though it wasn¡¯t bubble bath as he had ever experienced it. One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs; another poured ice-white foam so thick that Harry thought it would have supported his weight if he¡¯d cared to test it; a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water.

    In the bathroom, Harry and Ron amused themselves for a while turning the taps on and off, particrly enjoying the effect of one whose jet bounced off the surface of the water inrge arcs.

    In the blink of an eye, the deep pool was full of hot water, foam and bubbles. It took a very short time considering its size, which was amazing.

    The two looked at each other and quickly turned off all the taps, pulled off their clothes, and slid into the water.

    ¡°It¡¯s sofortable!¡± Ron whispered softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s awesome!¡± Harry agreed. If he could, he hoped to be able to bathe here in the future.

    It was wonderful to swim in hot and foamy water with clouds of different-colored steam wafting all around them.

    The two swam back and forth in the water several times and yed heartily for quite a while before they remembered the serious business of this evening.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Harry lifted the Golden Egg in his wet hands.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, open it first!¡± said Ron, swimming to Harry to help.

    Suddenly, the wailing, screeching sound filled the bathroom, echoing and reverberating off the marble walls, but it sounded just as iprehensible as ever, if not more so with all the echoes.

    ¡°Close it, close it!¡± shouted Harry.

    Ron snapped it shut again, and the two gasped and paled, worried that the sound would attract others.

    ¡°It was so stupid of me to take a bath with the Golden Egg. Bagman must be fooling me!¡± said Ron ruefully.

    ¡°I¡¯d try putting it <em>in</em> the water, if I were you.¡± A voice rang beside them.

    Ron was so startled that he dropped the egg, which ttered away across the bathroom floor.

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 Chapter 647: The Secret of the Golden Egg

    Chapter 647: The Secret of the Golden Egg

    ¡°Ah!¡± Ron hurried to the golden egg, his foot slipped, he lost his bnce of gravity, and he fell heavily.

    Harry fell down too, and Ron pressed on him. And they both identally swallowed a considerable amount of bubbles.

    They hurried to separate, stood up panting and sputtering.

    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Ron looked up and saw the ghost of a very glum-looking girl sitting cross-legged on top of one of the taps.

    It was Moaning Myrtle!!!

    It was a troublesome ghost. She was the first victim when Tom Riddle opened Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets more than 50 years ago to release the basilisk.

    Since then, she was often to be heard sobbing in the S-bend of a toilet in the out-of-order girls¡¯ bathroom.

    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± she said, with a rare teasing smile on her face.

    Following her gaze, Harry looked down to see himselfpletely naked.

    ¡°Myrtle!¡± he said in outrage, ¡°How can you be here? I ¡­ we¡¯re not wearing anything!¡±

    Watched by Myrtle, Harry had a very ufortable feeling.

    The foam was so dense that it covered everything, but he had a nasty feeling that Myrtle had been spying on them from out of one of the taps ever since they had arrived and undressed.

    ¡°I closed my eyes and saw nothing!¡± she said, blinking at Harry and Ron through her thick spectacles, her eyes fixed on Harry longer. ¡°Speaking of which, you haven¡¯t been to see me for ages. And where¡¯s Evan?¡±

    When searching for Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets in the castle the year beforest, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had contact with Myrtle.

    Ron, in particr, had to apologize to Myrtle for inappropriate remarks at Nick¡¯s deathday party.

    It was a nightmare-like memory. When he thought about it, all the hair on his body stood up.

    ¡°Only Evan can deal with her!¡± Ron whispered, approaching Harry. ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Harry shook his head, bending his knees slightly, just to make absolutely sure Myrtle couldn¡¯t see anything but his head.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to see me, do you hate me?¡± Myrtle asked, looking sad.

    ¡°Well ¡­¡± said Harry. ¡°We¡¯re not supposed toe into your bathroom, are we? It¡¯s a girls¡¯ bathroom, and boys are not allowed to enter it.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use to care,¡± said Myrtle miserably. ¡°You used to be in there all the time.¡±

    ¡°We got told off for going in there!¡± said Harry, pushing Ron. What he said was half-true. Percy had once caught theming out of Myrtle¡¯s bathroom.

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ so we thought we¡¯d better note back after that!¡± Ron continued. He wrinkled his nose and tried to stay away from Myrtle.

    This evening was really terrible. He took a bath with the Golden Egg foolishly, and he met Myrtle who was spying on them.

    This way, it might be better for him to admit defeat and go straight to Evan and Hermione for help.

    ¡°Oh ¡­ I see ¡­¡± said Myrtle, picking at a spot on her chin in a morose sort of way. ¡°But you can stilleter. I allow you toe. Yes, you can also call Evan, ande to see me together!¡±

    Harry and Ron nodded in a hurry and said they would definitelyeter. Anyway, Evan would be there, and he was very good at dealing with Moaning Myrtle.

    ¡°Anyway ¡­ I¡¯d try the egg in the water. That¡¯s what Cedric Diggory did,¡± said Myrtle.

    ¡°Have you been spying on him too?¡± Harry asked. ¡°What do you do, sneak up here in the evenings to watch the prefects take baths?¡±

    ¡°Sometimes,¡± said Myrtle, rather slyly, ¡°after all, it¡¯s boring to be in the bathroom all the time. I need some change, but I¡¯ve nevere out to speak to anyone before.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re honored,¡± said Harry darkly. He and Ron looked at one another. No one wanted to go out and take the golden egg rolling to the distance under the watchful eyes of Myrtle.

    Finally, Ron had to get up. Who told him to be a Champion?!

    ¡°You keep your eyes shut, Myrtle!¡± he said loudly.

    Ron made sure Myrtle had her sses well covered before hoisting himself out of the bath, wrapping a towel firmly around his waist.

    Harry blinked and saw that Myrtle was looking at Ron through her fingers, and could see everything clearly.

    That was terrible. He swore he would nevere here to bathe again.

    Ron ran back with the golden egg breathing heavily.

    Harry thought about it and didn¡¯t tell him what Myrtle had just done, especially that when he was holding the egg, the towel slipped down.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Open it under the water!¡±

    Ron lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and opened it.

    This time, it didn¡¯t wail. A gurgling song wasing out of it, a song whose words they couldn¡¯t distinguish through the water.

    Harry and Ron looked at one another again. So that was the case!

    ¡°You need to put your heads under the water too,¡± said Myrtle, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying bossing them around. ¡°Go on!¡±

    Harry and Ron took a great breath and slid under the surface. They sat on the marble bottom of the bubble-filled bath and they heard a chorus of eerie voices singing to them from the open egg:

    <em>¡°Come seek us where our voices sound,</em>

    <em>We cannot sing above the ground,</em>

    <em>And while you¡¯re searching ponder this:</em>

    <em>We¡¯ve taken what you¡¯ll sorely miss,</em>

    <em>An hour long you¡¯ll have to look,</em>

    <em>But past an hour ¡­ the prospect¡¯s ck,</em>

    <em>Toote, it¡¯s gone, it won¡¯t be back.¡±</em>

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ron asked, drilling out of the bubble-filled bath.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to go and look for people who can¡¯t use their voices above the ground!¡± said Harry, and he followed. ¡°But who could that be? Who can¡¯t sing above the ground?¡±

    He shook his hair out of his eyes, and there was a sh in his mind.

    ¡°Ron, do you remember Hermione¡¯s spection this morning?¡± said Harry quickly. ¡°What she said when we saw Krum jumping into theke, and Gabrielle said that her sister was going to swim in theke too!¡±

    ¡°You mean theke in front of the castle.¡± Ron¡¯s face turned pale and he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°This is impossible!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the second task is definitely in theke, letting you find what you¡¯ll sorely miss.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what Diggory thought,¡± said Myrtle, looking at Harry with appreciation. ¡°Hey there talking to himself for ages about it. Ages and ages ¡­ nearly all the bubbles had gone.¡±

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 Chapter 648: People on the Marauderâ€™s Map

    Chapter 648: People on the Marauder¡¯s Map

    Ron was still digesting this shocking news and couldn¡¯t believe he was going into theke.

    ¡°Myrtle ¡­ what lives in theke, apart from the giant squid?¡± Harry continued.

    ¡°Oh all sorts, far beyond your imagination!¡± she said, seemingly a little unhappy. ¡°I sometimes go to theke to hang out ¡­ sometimes I don¡¯t have any choice, if someone flushes my toilet when I¡¯m not expecting it¡­¡±

    Harry tried not to think about Moaning Myrtle zooming down a pipe to theke with the contents of a toilet, though it was funny. He would give it a try if he could.

    ¡°Well, does anything in there have a human voice?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Hang on¡­¡±

    His eyes had fallen on the picture of the snoozing mermaid on the wall and hurriedly pushed Ron.

    ¡°The Merpeople, Ron, it must be the Merpeople!¡± he said quickly, ¡°Myrtle, there aren¡¯t Merpeople in there, are there?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, very good,¡± she said, her thick sses twinkling, and she looked at Harry with satisfaction. ¡°It took Diggory much longer than that! And that was with <em>her</em> awake too¡± ¡­ she jerked her head toward the mermaid with an expression of great dislike on her glum face ¡­ ¡°giggling as usual and showing off and shing her fins to the students bathing¡­¡± she said, dissatisfied.

    ¡°Harry, you mean¡­¡± Ron¡¯s eyes also fell on the portrait of the mermaid.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. The second task is to go and find the Merpeople in theke and ¡­ and ¡­¡± Harry couldn¡¯t say any more. He suddenly realized what he was saying, and he felt the excitement that he had just discovered the secret drain out of him.

    He remembered that theke was veryrge and very deep, and the Merpeople would surely live right at the bottom¡­

    This was no longer a matter of swimming. How could Ron breathe in there?!

    Obviously, Ron thought the same. He no longer had the joy of finding the secret of the golden egg, and his face was bloodless.

    ¡°Myrtle, do you know how we are supposed to breathe underwater?¡± he asked hopefully.

    At this, Myrtle¡¯s eyes filled with sudden tears again.

    ¡°Tactless!¡± she muttered, groping in her robes for a handkerchief, ¡°talking about breathing in front of <em>me</em>!¡±

    There were more and more tears in her eyes, and she jumped off the tap.

    ¡°You know that I can¡¯t!¡± she said shrilly, and her voice echoed loudly around the bathroom. ¡°I haven¡¯t ¡­ not for ages¡­¡±

    She buried her face in the handkerchief and sniffed loudly.

    Harry remembered how touchy Myrtle had always been about being dead, but none of the other ghosts he knew made such a fuss about it.

    Ron thought of this too, but he didn¡¯t want tofort Myrtle at all. He just wanted to leave.

    He was to drown in theke soon, and now he needed to apologize to an annoying ghost?!

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Finally, Harry said impatiently, ¡°We didn¡¯t mean it ¡­ we just forgot!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, very easy to forget Myrtle is dead,¡± said Myrtle, gulping, looking at them out of swollen eyes. ¡°Nobody missed me even when I was alive. It took them hours and hours to find my body ¡­ I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. Olive Hornby came into the bathroom ¡­ ¡®Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?¡¯ she said, ¡®because Professor Dippet asked me to look for you¡­¡¯ And then she saw my body ¡­ ooooh, she didn¡¯t forget it until her dying day, I made sure of that ¡­ I followed her around and reminded her, I did. I remember at her brother¡¯s wedding¡­ and then, of course, she went to the Ministry of Magic to stop me stalking her, so I had toe back here and live in my toilet.¡±

    That was really an unpleasant memory. Myrtle seemed to bear grudges beyond imagination.

    Harry and Ron didn¡¯t even listen. They didn¡¯t even care about being seen by her.

    They retrieved the golden egg from the bottom of the bath, climbed out, dried themselves as quickly as possible, and put on their clothes again.

    ¡°Fred and George must have known about this. They knew that Myrtle woulde and peek, and gave me the password to get in here,¡± said Ron angrily, ¡°to see her?! Unless all the toilets in the castle are sealed with earth, I¡¯ll never go near that ce again.¡±

    ¡°Myrtle is really bad, but she helped us after all!¡± said Harry. ¡°How are you going to do to dive under the water?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Go back and ask Evan and Hermione, they must know!¡± said Ron weakly.

    Although unwilling to admit it, he did not have any way to deal with the current situation.

    He had thought that this time he might not rely on Evan¡¯s help, but he couldn¡¯t.

    After seeing Hermione at the Yule Ball, Ron had been very ufortable, always thinking of the scene of Evan and Hermione dancing, and the parchment with terrible patterns that Evan took out in the pub that morning¡­

    This was not the time to get into conflict with Evan. Ron reminded himself that this was the lesson he learned in the past few years.

    Evan¡¯s power was very strong, far beyond his imagination, and he needed his help.

    ¡°Ron, we must hurry back,¡± said Harry, putting the invisibility cloak on top of their heads and checking it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Come on, I¡¯ll take the Golden Egg. You check the Marauder¡¯s Map.¡±

    They came to the dark corridor, and Ron absently checked the Marauder¡¯s Map. The dots belonging to Filch and his cat, Mrs. Norris, were safely in their office.

    Nothing else seemed to be moving apart from Peeves, though he was bouncing around the trophy room on the floor above.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± said Ron, but he stopped abruptly.

    Peeves was not the only thing that was moving. He saw Evan and Hermione suddenly appear at the gates of the castle.

    What were they going out for? Was it a date?!

    It made him feel ufortable when he thought of the scene of Evan and Hermione kissing.

    Ron went out on a date with Lavender recently and finally knew what boys and girls were doing alone.

    Think of it that way, Evan and Hermione had been together for a long time, they must be the same¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ron?¡± Harry leaned over and saw Evan and Hermione at the gates. ¡°Strange, how could they be there? Let¡¯s go!¡±

    He tugged at Ron¡¯s sleeve, and Ron came to his senses.

    ¡°Oh!¡± He was about to put away the Marauder¡¯s Map, and his eyes suddenly came to a standstill.

    He saw a single dot flitting around a room in the bottom left-hand corner.

    It was Professor Snape¡¯s office. But the dot wasn¡¯tbeled ¡°Severus Snape¡± ¡­ it was Caresius Slytherin!!!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 649: People Who Appear and Disappear

    Chapter 649: People Who Appear and Disappear

    ¡°Caresius Slytherin, who¡¯s this?!¡±

    Ron blinked and saw the name blur, twist and disappearpletely in front of him; as though it had never appeared before and everything was his illusion.

    Before Ron could look away, Snape popped up in his office the next second.

    He stayed for a while, then turned and went out to leave the dungeon and walked to the hall.

    Snape was so fast that he seemed to be running after someone, just in time to meet Evan and Hermione who had just slipped into the castle.

    Ron¡¯s gaze remained there, and then moved to Snape¡¯s office to look at it, hesitating for a long time.

    It was really weird. Was the Marauder¡¯s Map damaged?!

    He was impressed by the name Caresius, which had appeared and vanished just now, as though he had heard it somewhere¡­

    Ron immediately recalled that this was the name of the vampire who had attacked at the Quidditch World Cup.

    The week after the World Cup, the newspapers were full of reports of his deeds and arrests.

    He remembered Evan saying that those vampires were now working for Voldemort, and they were very, very evil Dark wizards.

    Ron¡¯s blood became cold, his breathing quickened, and his body trembled uncontrobly.

    The vampire who was being hunted by the Ministry of magic actually sneaked into the castle. What did he want to do?

    And why was he in Snape¡¯s office? Was there any rtionship between them?!

    Ron felt that he had caught something. Like Harry, he thought Snape had a problem.

    What he saw just now seemed to prove it all. Did Snape have secret business with Voldemort and the vampires?!

    Ron held his breath and subconsciously searched for Dumbledore¡¯s name, but thetter was not in his office.

    Then, Ron thought of Mad-Eye Moody, the strongest Auror.

    There must be nothing wrong with finding him for such a thing!

    But when Ron¡¯s gaze moved to the office of the professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts on the second floor, he actually saw Barty Crouch!

    His name came out, now inside the firece of Moody¡¯s office.

    Of course, Mad-Eye Moody was also in the office, and they seemed to be chatting at a certain distance.

    Ron couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He blinked hard and stared at the two dots.

    Oh God, the Marauder¡¯s Map must be damaged!

    In the middle of the night, he first saw a terrible vampire appear in Snape¡¯s office. And now, he saw Mad-Eye Moody receiving Barty Crouch in his office!

    He still remembered Percy saying it on Christmas Day: Mr. Crouch was seriously ill, could not go to work, and could not attend the Yule Ball.

    However, what did hee to Hogwarts for in the middle of the night after everyone had gone to bed?

    Ron spected that Crouch must havee by the Floo Network. Otherwise, his name could not have appeared in the firece.

    But why? That was really hard to exin.

    A sick person unable to work went to Hogwarts via the Floo Network to meet Moody, the professor of the Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    Given the time, this kind of thing was very strange, no matter how to look at it. It was so weird and incredible just to think about it!

    Mr. Crouch, who had always been strict, disciplined andw-abiding, woulde to Hogwarts in the middle of the night and meet Moody secretly.

    No matter what important things he had to say to Moody, this was not in line with Crouch¡¯s character.

    If Percy knew about this, he would be shocked by Crouch¡¯s actions!

    Ron looked at the dot. He just wanted to call Harry¡¯s attention to look at it, and Barty Crouch¡¯s name had vanished, as was the case in Snape¡¯s office. Did the vampire named Caresius leave by the Floo Network?!

    ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡± Ron gasped and squinted at the Marauder¡¯s Map, feeling a little out of his mind.

    In his opinion, the Marauder¡¯s Map was definitely damaged!

    He actually saw the names of two people tonight, and no way were they normally to appear in the castle.

    If he said what he had just seen, Harry would probably not believe it, and he would definitely think he was crazy!

    When he got back to his senses and noticed where they were, Ron hurriedly said, ¡°Harry, we¡¯d better not go to the hall!¡±

    At this time, the two of them did not feel that they hade to the first floor!

    ¡°Why?¡± Harry asked, looking at Ron puzzled, feeling like he was acting strangely.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Marauder¡¯s Map, I was checking it¡­¡± Ron paused and said everything he had just seen in one breath, regardless of whether Harry believed it or not. ¡°I know it¡¯s incredible, but I did see their names.¡±

    ¡°Caresius and Barty Crouch?!¡± said Harry, and he leaned over. ¡°You¡¯re probably dazzled!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re maybe right,¡± Ron rubbed his eyes and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m probably under too much pressure after I knew about the second task. Anyway, we can¡¯t go down now, Snape is down there right now, and <em>this</em> is absolutely right!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he seems to have caught Evan and Hermione,¡± said Harry worriedly. ¡°They¡¯re too unlucky!¡±

    ¡°They ran into Snape, who was rushing out of the dungeon. I don¡¯t know why he was in such a hurry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Evan had always been very vignt. I didn¡¯t expect him to be caught by Snape! You¡¯re right, Ron ¡­ we can¡¯t go now. Let¡¯s go back to the Common Room and wait for them there. I hope they won¡¯t be punished too severely!¡±

    Ron nodded and tried not to think about the vampire and Barty Crouch. If he talked about this incredible thing, nobody would believe him, just like Harry¡¯s reaction.

    Harry and Ron walked down the stairs of the west tower and took a different route.

    They crept as quietly as they could towards the main central staircase, trying not to make a sound, though the faces in some of the portraits still turned curiously at the squeak of a floorboard, the rustle of their pajamas

    At this point, they were in a corridor on the first floor.

    Harry and Ron hurried to stop as though they could hear Snape¡¯s roar in the hall, which was terrible.

    The people in the portraits also heard Snape¡¯s roar, and all ran to the hall on the ground floor.

    Harry prayed secretly for Evan and Hermione. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he and Ron quickly headed for the main staircase.

    At this time, both of them were a little distracted, and from time to time, they nced at the map.

    As a result, Harry¡¯s leg suddenly sank right through the trick step Neville always forgot to jump.

    He gave an ungainly wobble, and the Golden Egg, still damp from the bath, slipped from under his arm¡­

    ========================================

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 Chapter 650: Peeves Stealing?!

    Chapter 650: Peeves Stealing?!

    Harry lurched forward to try and catch the egg, but toote!

    The egg fell down the long staircase with a bang as loud as a bass drum on every step.

    Dong, Dong, Dong¡­

    The Golden Egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase, burst open, and began wailing loudly in the corridor below.

    ¡°Oops, it will wake everyone up in the castle!¡± said Harry. ¡°Come on, Ron, get it back!¡±

    His feet were still knee deep in the trick step, and he could not pull them out. He could only urge Ron anxiously.

    ¡°No, someone¡¯sing, I can¡¯t go there!¡± said Ron in a panic. He had just taken two steps and ran back quickly.

    He pulled the Invisibility Cloak over himself and Harry, and they straightened up in the middle of the staircase, listening with trepidation¡­

    And, almost immediately, they heard someone shouting ¡­ ¡°PEEVES!¡±

    It was the unmistakable hunting cry of Filch the caretaker. They could hear his rapid, shuffling footstepsing nearer and nearer, his wheezy voice raised in fury.

    ¡°What¡¯s this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I¡¯ll have you, Peeves, I¡¯ll have you¡­ Eh, what is this?¡±

    Filch¡¯s footsteps halted. He picked up the egg doubtfully and closed it.

    Harry and Ron just heard a clink of metal on metal and the wailing stopped!

    They stood there very still, Harry¡¯s leg still jammed tightly in the magical step.

    Any moment now, Filch was going to pull aside the tapestry, expecting to see Peeves¡­ and there would be no Peeves.

    But if he came up the stairs, he might find Harry and Ron.

    ¡°Golden Egg?!¡± Filch said quietly at the foot of the stairs. ¡°My sweet cat, this is a Triwizard clue. This belongs to a school champion! Ah ¡­ I see ¡­ PEEVES! You¡¯ve been stealing!¡± He roared loudly, with irrepressible glee.

    He ripped back the tapestry below, and Harry and Ron saw his horrible, pouchy face and bulging, pale eyes staring up the dark and deserted staircase.

    Harry¡¯s heart beat like a drum, and Ron¡¯s eyes widened and he swallowed hard.

    ¡°Hiding, are you?!¡± said Filch softly. ¡°I¡¯ming to get you, Peeves. ¡­ You¡¯ve gone and stolen a Triwizard clue. Dumbledore will never spare you this time, you filthy, pilfering, poltergeist¡­¡±

    Filch started to climb the stairs, his scrawny, dust-colored cat at his heels.

    Mrs. Norris¡¯smp-like eyes, so very like her master¡¯s, were fixed directly upon Harry and Ron.

    Harry¡¯s back was covered in cold sweat. He had had asion before now to wonder whether the Invisibility Cloak worked on cats.

    He was so horrified that he almost fainted, watching Filch drawing nearer and nearer in his old nnel dressing gown.

    He tried desperately to pull his trapped leg free, but it merely sank a few more inches.

    Ron didn¡¯t help either. He was too scared and stood still as though he were a wax figure.

    Any second now, Filch was going to walk right into them¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Filch?!¡±

    Filch stopped just a few steps below Harry and Ron and turned.

    At the foot of the stairs stood Snape, his chest heaving violently, his wand clenched in his hand, as though he had just run up, and he looked livid.

    Beside him were Evan and Hermione!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Evan had just climbed up from theke, and Hermione rushed over and hugged him.

    She didn¡¯t care that Evan was all wet. She held him tightly and never wanted to let go.

    She had been outside, just staring at the darkke, waiting for hours, and she was afraid something might happen to Evan.

    In particr, thest hour or so had been a torment for Hermione. Evan had been gone for too long. If it weren¡¯t for theck of means to breathe underwater, she even wanted to go in and look for him. Whether it was the Bubble-Head Charm or human Transfiguration, they were senior courses, which Hermione had not yet mastered.

    Thinking of this, she felt she was useless. Her magic was so poor that she could not help Evan at all.

    In thisplex and tense mood, Hermione sat alone for hours by the darkke.

    Her body was frozen, but she didn¡¯t care at all. She only hoped Evan would be safe.

    When she saw himing out, she was naturally overjoyed.

    Tightly held by Hermione, although it was really cold with gusts of cold wind blowing, Evan felt warm in his heart.

    They just hugged one another for a while before they were awakened by the cold water of theke and the cold wind.

    Although Evan wanted to do something for Hermione. They hugged each other back to the shore, feeling sweet and at ease being together. Evan listened to Hermione talk about her worries, her concerns, and the hope that she would be stronger and help him in the future¡­

    This girl was much stronger than he thought.

    Hermione had always been excellent, not so reluctant, but proper practice was really necessary.

    As for her current biggest problem, it was also amon problem for young wizards of her age, theck of magic¡­

    Evan was thinking that maybe he could give Hermione the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Ravenw. Anyway, the extra one would be useless to him.

    As for the use of magic powers of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he had recently worked out several tricks and had made progress in his research.

    Unlike Harry, Ron, and Colin, whocked theoretical foundations, Hermione¡¯s biggest problem now was theck of sufficient magic.

    Like Evan before, Hermione was very clever, read a lot of magic books, and knew a lot of magic, though their focuses were different.

    Evan was more focused on Transfiguration, Dark magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione, on the other hand, liked Charms, History of Magic, Potions sses, ancient magic texts, Arithmancy and other nonbat magic types.

    But the problems encountered were all the same. Limited by magic, she could not exert most of the magic she knew. Because of this, Hermione was now unable to fully demonstrate her strength.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the only way to increase magic power with the best effect and the fastest speed.

    Evan thought that the next time he got to the bottom of theke; he should take Hermione with him.

    More than twenty minutester, they returned to the castle hand in hand.

    Just entering the hall, they saw a person¡¯s figure quickly disappearing in the corner of the stairs not far away.

    Evan was stunned for a moment. The man looked like Caresius¡­

 Chapter 651: Snapes Legilimency

    Chapter 651: Snape''s Legilimency

    What on earth was this guy doing, staying up in the middle of the night and running around in the castle?!

    What surprised Evan even more was that he had just seen Caresius, not as Moody, but under his real identity.

    Although he was still wearing Moody¡¯s clothes, the Polyjuice Potion was no longer effective. What happened?!

    Caresius seemed to be on the run, and when he thought of it, Evan was immediately alert.

    ¡°Who was that man just now?¡± said Hermione suspiciously, ¡°He looks a bit familiar, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s from school.¡±

    She bowed her head thinking. She must have seen that man somewhere, but she couldn¡¯t remember for the moment.

    The staircase was so dim and the man was so fast that Hermione didn¡¯t see him clearly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter, let¡¯s get out of here!¡± said Evan quickly, pulling Hermione to the stairs.

    Since Caresius was running away, there must be someone after him. If so, Evan and Hermione, who happened to be in the entrance hall at this time, would be out of ce.

    ¡°Evan Mason, Hermione Granger ¡­ what are you two doing?!¡± There was a terrible roar behind them.

    Evan and Hermione had just run a few steps and saw Snape running out of the dungeon with a gloomy face.

    He was holding his wand in his hand and wearing a long gray nightshirt, staring at them both.

    ¡°Professor Snape¡±

    ¡°Professor ¡­ we were taking a walk!¡± said Evan, holding Hermione¡¯s little hand firmly and motioning her not to talk.

    ¡°Walk?!¡± Snape came over and said with anger, ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit to stay sote and take walks round the castle. If I were Head of your House, I would expel you both and get you out of Hogwarts forever!¡±

    He looked at Evan and Hermione in disgust, looking terrible and in a tense mood.

    Under Snape¡¯s re, Hermione couldn¡¯t help but step back and hide behind Evan.

    ¡°Have you seen anyone just now?¡± He suddenly asked, His cold ck eyes fixed on Evan¡¯s eyes like a drill.

    Instantly, Evan felt his soul sucked in.

    Damn, it was Legilimency. Snape was using magic directly.

    Evan took a step to the right in front of Hermione and operated lumency to close his own mind.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything, Professor. It was just the two of us in the hall,¡± he said slowly.

    ¡°Is it?!¡± Snape squinted and moved closer to Evan. ¡°Do you know what just happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Evan.

    He tried not to look into Snape¡¯s eyes, and could feel that he had increased magic.

    With such a powerful force, what did Snape want to do; turn him into an idiot?!

    In fact, Snape was surprised to find nothing.

    There was nothing in the empty boy¡¯s head in front of him. He was too familiar with this feeling. Every time he faced Dumbledore and Voldemort, their minds felt like this, this was lumency!

    To Snape¡¯s surprise, Evan was able to use lumency so skillfully!

    But it was not enough. Evan had just got the hang of it, and he could notpletely close his mind yet.

    Snape could feel a gap in Evan¡¯s brain and, as long as he increased his strength, he had a chance to get the secrets he wanted to know.

    ¡°Tonight, someone broke into my office!¡± said Snape coldly.

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate!¡± Evan replied softly, and the pressure was getting bigger and bigger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb on me, Mason, you must know something! I don¡¯t care how much magic knowledge you have, how many times it appears in the newspaper. In my eyes, you¡¯re just a disgusting little boy. Maybe you think you can ignore all the rules and regtions, but you have to pay for it,¡± said Snape impatiently looking at Evan. ¡°Just now, someone broke into my office and you¡¯re not in your bed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence!¡± said Evan, holding Hermione¡¯s small hand tightly. ¡°Anything important missing in your office? Then you¡¯d better be careful; the wizarding world has not been so peaceful recently ¡­ the Quidditch World Cup attacks ¡­ the reappearance of the Dark Mark and the Death Eaters ¡­ Do you think it¡¯s Voldemort?¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mason!¡± Snape turned pale and said in disgust. ¡°<em>Don¡¯t say that name in front of me</em>.¡±

    When the magic was removed, Snape¡¯s right hand unconsciously covered his left forearm. That was where the Dark Mark was.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his n had worked!

    ¡°Very good, very good!¡± said Snape sullenly. ¡°You may not know that potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard ¡­ students attempting illicit mixtures, no doubt ¡­ so I sealed my office with a very powerful spell ¡­ more powerful than you may think. The magic has just been touched, and when I wanted to catch up to the intruder, I saw you two Mason and Granger. Do you know what this means?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan continued to shake his head and motioned for Hermione not to worry. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen anyone here. Professor, you think someone broke into your office and touched your magic. It may be just an illusion!¡±

    Even as he said this, Evan had been cursing Caresius in his heart.

    Potion ingredients¡­ couldn¡¯t he have his men look for them?!

    It was not like there was no one outside to help him. Why did he have to steal in Snape¡¯s private store cupboard?

    Although there were indeed a lot of precious potions that were valuable to Evan, this risk was too great.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?!¡± Snape hissed. ¡°I see, maybe you two slipped into my office.¡±

    There was a nasty silence. Snape looked at Evan and Hermione badly.

    Hermione did not look at him. She did not know why Evan was deceiving Snape. They had just clearly seen a figure. This way, Snape would target them as suspects. Facing Snape¡¯s wrath, this was not a joke.

    In spite of all the doubts, it was obvious that there was something strange going on tonight. Hermione rationally did notment, ready to go back and ask Evan.

    Evan saw Snape¡¯s eyes glittering, and he put a hand into his ck robes.

    For a time, Evan thought that Snape was going to take out his wand and use what spells on him and Hermione.

    If so, he didn¡¯t mind ying another match with Snape to check his recent progress.

 Chapter 653: Moodys Performance

    <h4>Chapter 653: Moody''s Performance</h4>

    Harry and Ron stared nervously at Moody for fear that he might run into them when he came down.

    But that did not happen. His magical eye rolled quickly in its socket and wiped Ron¡¯s side.

    Harry had a feeling that Moody¡¯s eye could see through the Invisibility Cloak.

    His normal blue eye crossed the crowd and eventually fell on Evan, at the foot of the stairs, looking at him in the eye.

    ¡°Pajama party, is it?!¡± Caresius growled, purely in Moody¡¯s tone.

    ¡°Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor,¡± said Filch at once, taking a step forward, ¡°Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual ¡­ and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his off ¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Snape hissed to Filch.

    ¡°Did I hear that correctly, Snape?!¡± Moody asked slowly. ¡°Someone broke into your office?¡±

    ¡°It is unimportant,¡± said Snape coldly, not wanting to talk about it.

    ¡°On the contrary,¡± growled Moody, ¡°it is very important. Who¡¯d want to break into your office?¡±

    ¡°Anyone attempting illicit mixtures. Potion ingredients have gone missing from my private store cupboard!¡± said Snape, a vein flickering horribly on his greasy temple. ¡°I caught Mason and Granger outside!¡±

    ¡°You mean, Evan and Hermione came to your office looking for potion ingredients?!¡± Moody continued to ask.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± said Hermione hastily. ¡°Professor, we just happened to pass by.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Granger!¡± said Snape. ¡°About the detention of both of you¡­¡±

    ¡°We really didn¡¯t break into your office, Professor!¡± Evan interrupted, ¡°in fact, we didn¡¯t see the intruder you were talking about. ording to you, he was hurt by your protective magic and shouldn¡¯t have gotten far, but there¡¯s no one here but us. None of us can get into your office. I think it¡¯s your delusion. You¡¯ve had a nightmare or something. By the way, if someone really broke into your office, you should tell us what¡¯s missing?¡±

    Hearing his words, Snape nced suspiciously across their faces, as though thinking of something.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Moody didn¡¯t give him time to react, ¡°Snape, not hiding anything else in your office, are you?¡±

    Instantly, the edge of Snape¡¯s sallow face turned a nasty brick color, the vein in his temple pulsing more rapidly.

    ¡°You know I¡¯m hiding nothing, Moody!¡± He seemed to have reached the limit of patience, saying in a soft and dangerous voice, ¡°Haven¡¯t you searched my office pretty thoroughly yourself?¡±

    Moody¡¯s face twisted into a smile. ¡°Auror¡¯s privilege, Snape, Dumbledore told me to keep an eye¡­¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore happens to trust me,¡± said Snape through clenched teeth. ¡°I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search my office!¡±

    ¡°Of course Dumbledore trusts you,¡± growled Moody. ¡°He¡¯s a trusting man, isn¡¯t he? He believes in second chances. But me ¡­ I say there are spots that don¡¯te, Snape. Spots that nevere off, do you know what I mean?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about!¡± said Snape slowly, suddenly thinking of something, and his face became even uglier. ¡°It was you?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was me!¡± Moody nodded, looking at Snape defiantly.

    ¡°Hum!¡± Snape snorted, confirming that Moody had just broken into his office.

    The next second, he seized his left forearm convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him. Just like when Evan mentioned Voldemort, the Dark Mark on his forearm hurt.

    Evan¡¯s eyebrows bounced. Could Caresius affect the Dark Mark?! Or was it just Snape¡¯s psychological effect?!

    He¡¯d been touching his Dark Mark, which did not bode well.

    When he saw him, Moodyughed. ¡°Go back to bed, Snape.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have the authority to send me anywhere!¡± Snape hissed, letting go of his arm as though angry with himself. ¡°I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!¡±

    ¡°Prowl away,¡± said Moody, but his voice was full of menace. ¡°I look forward to meeting you in a dark corridor some time, then catch you and send you to where you should go¡­¡±

    ¡°Very good, I look forward to that day, to see if you have that ability!¡± said Snape viciously, turning and walking down the stairs, his face was gloomy and terrible, ¡°Mason, Granger, you twoe with me!¡± ¡±

    ¡°I have something to say to them, Snape,¡± said Moody gruffly.¡±Then I¡¯ll take them to Professor McGonagall and let her handle the matter.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Snape roared, ¡°They were wandering around the castle in vition of the rules and regtions, and it was rted to the theft of my office. I want to take them to the headmaster.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± Moody roared, louder than Snape. ¡°I¡¯ll go, too. I¡¯ll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Evan Mason and Hermione Granger, and how you used them they broke into your office, while you knew it was not them. Dumbledore is very interested to know who¡¯s got it in for his students, and I am also very interested in what unknown things you¡¯re hiding in your office¡­¡±

    He limped a few steps towards Snape, and the torchlight flickered across his mangled face, so that the scars, and the chunk missing from his nose, looked deeper, darker and ghastly than ever.

    Snape and Moody looked at one another. For a moment, nobody moved or said anything.

    For a moment, Evan thought Snape would pull out his wand and fight Moody. However, Snape slowly lowered his hands.

    ¡°I think I will go back to bed,¡± he said suddenly.

    ¡°Best idea you¡¯ve had all night,¡± said Moody. ¡°Now, Filch, can you give me that Golden Egg?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Filch, clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son. ¡°Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves¡¯ treachery!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the property of the champion he stole it from,¡± said Moody. ¡°Hand it over, now.¡±

    Regardless of this matter, and not even looking at Evan and Hermione, Snape swept downstairs without another word. Because of his anger, his body was shaking, and what happened tonight was definitely a disgrace to him.

    With Evan¡¯s understanding of him, he would never give up.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 652: Potent Veritaserum

    Chapter 652: Potent Veritaserum

    Evan slipped his right hand and naturally ced it on the wand at his waist.

    Then, he saw that Snape had drawn out a small crystal bottle of apletely clear potion.

    ¡°Since you know nothing about what happened tonight, do you know what this is?¡± Snape said, his eyes glittering dangerously again.

    ¡°Veritaserum!¡± said Evan casually.

    Of course he knew this stuff. He had seen the form and finished product of this potion more than once.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re not as ignorant as I thought. Yes, it is Veritaserum ¡­ a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for the entire ss to hear!¡± said Snape.

    ¡°Professor, it is illegal to use this potion!¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t help but say.

    She couldn¡¯t believe Snape had gone so far and threatened them with Veritaserum.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Granger, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your steps, you might just find that my hand might just¡­ slip¡± he shook the crystal bottle slightly, ¡°right over your evening pumpkin juice, for example. And then we¡¯ll find out whether you¡¯ve been in my office, or if you know some secret.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t answer, and his eyes fell on the small bottle of Veritaserum in Snape¡¯s hand. He had too many secrets, if Snape did really slip him a few drops, the consequences would be¡­

    In fact, when she heard Snape¡¯s words, Hermione didn¡¯t feel well either.

    Everyone had something in his heart that he didn¡¯t want others to know. Veritaserum was really a terrible potion.

    Unlike Legilimency or the Imperius Curse, there was no way to resist the effect of Veritaserum. It was colorless, tasteless, and it was difficult to take any precautions against it. Even powerful wizards such as Dumbledore would be affected by this potion.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± said Evan softly.

    ¡°Scared, aren¡¯t you?!¡± Snape showed a sneer on his face. He said softly, ¡°Let me think about what kind of punishment you two should be given, wandering around the castle in the middle of the night and lying to me. One hundred points from Gryffindor, and then you¡¯ll be in detention until the end of the term ¡­ every week¡­¡±

    Before he had finished speaking, there was sudden banging and wailing upstairs.

    Snape ran up as fast as he could, and Evan and Hermione looked at one another and followed.

    Then they saw Filch and his cat, as well as the Golden Egg, on the staircase leading to the second floor.

    Almost instantly, Evan guessed that was Ron¡¯s Golden Egg, and he and Harry must be nearby.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what they were doing with the egg at night, only Harry¡¯s Invisibility Cloak could make them invisible.

    This was really bad enough. If they couldn¡¯t get it right, there would be two more people in detention.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Snape asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Peeves, Professor,¡± Filch whispered malevolently. ¡°He threw this egg down the stairs.¡±

    Snape climbed up the stairs quickly and stopped beside Filch.

    Harry and Ron looked at him nervously, and then at Evan and Hermione at the foot of the stairs, whose clothes were messy and covered with mud. What were they just doing outside the castle?

    ¡°Peeves?¡± said Snape softly, staring at the egg in Filch¡¯s hands. ¡°That¡¯s interesting!¡±

    ¡°Professor, why are they here!¡± Filch said, pointing to Evan and Hermione.

    Mrs. Norris ran to Evan¡¯s side and rubbed him affectionately.

    Speaking of which, this cat was really ugly!

    In fact, because of Mrs. Norris, Filch¡¯s rtionship with Evan was not so bad.

    Sometimes, when Evan came out to wander around the castle at midnight, Filch would let him go, but that was all. It was impossible and useless to ask him to plead with Snape for Evan.

    ¡°Someone broke into my office. I chased them out and saw them both!¡± said Snape softly.

    ¡°Would it be Peeves?!¡± said Filch with delight. ¡°This egg was in your office, Professor?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Snape snapped. ¡°I heard banging and wailing¡­¡±

    ¡°It was Peeves who stole the golden egg and threw it down the stairs.¡± said Filch, rubbing his hands. ¡°If this egg was in your office, then he would¡­¡±

    ¡°I said it couldn¡¯t be him, Filch!¡± Snape snapped again. ¡°I seal my office with a spell none but a wizard could break. There¡¯s also strong defensive magic, and the intruder should be hurt!¡±

    Snape nced at Evan and Hermione, then up the stairs again, straight through Harry and Ron, and then down into the corridor below.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the two of them who broke into my office, nor was it Peeves,¡± said Snape. ¡°He must not be far away, I want you toe and help me search for the intruder, Filch.¡±

    ¡°What, Professor?!¡± Filch said in surprise. He looked yearningly up the stairs, right through Harry and Ron. Harry could see that he was very reluctant to forgo the chance of cornering Peeves.

    ¡°Close the gates and search the entire castle!¡± Snape said coldly.

    At the foot of the stairs, Evan was speechless. Snape knew that he and Hermione had not done it.

    However, he still took the opportunity to use Legilimency on him, and also threatened him with Veritaserum. He was really a dangerous guy.

    ¡°The thing is, Professor!¡± said Filch intively. ¡°I think I still have something else to do. The headmaster will have to listen to me this time. Peeves has been stealing from a student, it might be my chance to get him thrown out of the castle once and for all¡­¡±

    ¡°Filch, I don¡¯t give a damn about that wretched poltergeist; it¡¯s my office that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Clunk. Clunk. Clunk!!!

    Snape stopped talking abruptly, and everyone looked down at the foot of the stairs.

    Through the narrow gap between their heads, Evan saw that Caresius was limping and he had changed back to Moody¡¯s image. He was wearing his old traveling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual.

    This guy was the one who caused everything tonight, and it¡¯s just then that he appeared,te.

    If he didn¡¯t break into Snape¡¯s office and stupidly touched the defensive magic, Evan and Hermione would have returned to their bedrooms to sleep now, instead of standing here waiting for Snape to announce a tight punishment.

    If he could, Evan really wanted to go over and give Caresius a good beating.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 654: Speculation and Doubts

    Chapter 654: Spection and Doubts

    ¡°Hand the egg over!¡± said Moody harshly, repeating it again.

    Filch hesitated, handed Moody the Golden Egg, and made a chirruping noise to Mrs. Norris, who stared nkly at Harry and Ron for a few more seconds before turning and following her master.

    ¡°Come on, my sweet!¡± Filch muttered. ¡°We don¡¯t need that golden egg ¡­ we¡¯ll see Dumbledore early in the morning and tell him what Peeves was up to.¡±

    A door mmed, and now there were only Moody, Evan and Hermione looking at one another.

    ¡°Close shave, wasn¡¯t it?!¡± He steppedboriously down the stairs and sat down on one of the steps.

    Evan also breathed a sigh of relief and nced at Caresius.

    Fortunately, Snape was a bit afraid of Moody, otherwise it would have been a terrible night.

    Watching Snape¡¯s terrible face when he left, he must have hated Moody to death.

    ¡°Well, you two cane out!¡± Caresius turned and said.

    ¡°Who are you talking to, professor?¡± Hermione asked, surprised to see Harry and Ron appear in the middle of the stairs.

    ¡°Thank you, Professor!¡± said Harry weakly.

    With the help of Ron, he freed his leg from the trick step and climbed onto the upper steps.

    That step instantly returned to normal, as if it had never changed.

    ¡°Harry, Ron, why are you two here?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°We were trying to figure out a clue to the Golden Egg!¡± Ron whispered. ¡°And you. Why are you and Evan sote?¡±

    ¡°We, too, had serious things to do,¡± said Hermione naturally. ¡°So, do you know the secret of the Golden Egg?!¡±

    ¡°Of course¡­¡± Ron nced at Moody and didn¡¯t go on.

    ¡°All right, boy!¡± said Caresius suddenly, his magical eye turning wildly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your little secret. Walking outside in the middle of the night won¡¯t give you any inspiration. Take your egg and go back to bed. Beware, don¡¯t lose it again!¡±

    ¡°Professor, I want to talk to you alone!¡± Evan whispered, wanting to know what was going on with Caresius.

    ¡°Of course ¡­ youe to my office tomorrow morning. Now, go back to bed!¡± Caresius replied.

    Evan nodded and noticed that Caresius¡¯s expression was a bit unnatural. Sure enough, Snape¡¯s magic hurt him. He waspletely tough, and now he could no longer hold on.

    ¡°Professor, about our detention, Evan and me?¡± Hermione asked with concern.

    ¡°There¡¯s no detention, you don¡¯t want me to punish the four of you?!¡± asked Caresius, revealing a terrible smile.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± said Hermione hastily.

    ¡°All right then, good night, everyone!¡± He stood up, steppedboriously up the stairs and disappeared from sight.

    ¡°He¡¯s a good man, though he looks terrible, isn¡¯t he?!¡±

    A few minutester, they were walking along the familiar path towards the Gryffindor Tower.

    ¡°Professor Moody is really good.¡± Evan mused, recalling what had happened tonight, and he always felt something was wrong. ¡°Many things happened tonight ¡­ so strange ¡­ what was he looking for in Snape¡¯s office?¡±

    ¡°It could be something contraband rted to Dark magic, remember?!¡± Harry followed the analysis, with a hint of excitement. ¡°Snape just said that Professor Moody had searched his office. Moody must have thought there was something in it.¡±

    ¡°You mean Snape has hidden contraband in his office,¡± said Ron. ¡°Moody is not only paying attention to Karkaroff here, but also monitoring Snape?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it, so Professor Moody broke into Snape¡¯s office tonight, looking for contraband,¡± said Harry. ¡°Moody said that Dumbledore kept Snape here to give him a second chance, after what he had done before¡­¡±

    That really made sense. Moody might have done it, indeed, if he were not Caresius in fact.

    ¡°Maybe Moody thinks Snape put my name in the Goblet of Fire,¡± said Ron, his eyes wide open.

    ¡°Oh, Ron, it can¡¯t be Snape!¡± Hermione shook her head suspiciously. ¡°He¡¯s had countless chances to kill you in the past few years ¡­ remember thest time we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry, but he was trying to save him in fact.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and it was true that Snape didn¡¯t have to bother that much if he wanted to do it.

    Besides, although he might hate Ron, there was no reason to kill him.

    If he wanted to kill someone on the scene,pared to Ron, Harry should be his first target.

    In fact, Snape¡¯s attitude towards Harry was very strange. He did save Harry¡¯s life before, but at the same time he hated him, just like he hated his father when they had been in the school together.

    Snape liked to deduct points from Harry¡¯s score and would never miss any chance to punish him. He even proposed to expel him from school.

    ¡°I really appreciate Moody¡¯s help, but I don¡¯t care what he says. He¡¯s so paranoid.¡± Hermione continued, ¡°Dumbledore is not stupid. Take Professor Hagrid and Professor Lupin for example. Many people refuse to hire them, even though Snape is a bit bad¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s think of something else!¡± Ron shook his head and gave up trying to figure out why Moody was searching Snape¡¯s office. ¡°You know Caresius Slytherin and Barty Crouch? I saw them on the Marauder¡¯s Map tonight.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Evan looked up and stared at Ron in surprise. ¡°You saw Caresius and Barty Crouch?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was holding the map. Their names appeared on it for a while, and then vanished. I was the only one who saw it,¡± said Ron, telling them what he saw on the map tonight.

    Evan listened to him and pondered. The name of Caresius was enchanted and was not supposed to be marked on the map.

    Evan had already verified, but since Ron saw his name on the map, it meant that the magic left by Snape yed a role. That powerful spell was probably a mixed spell.

    It cracked all the disguise of Caresius and seriously injured him, so he was forced to run away as he was.

    If he had been able to maintain Moody¡¯s look, he could stay in Snape¡¯s office and provoke him as he did just now.

    This bit was understandable, But Barty Crouch showed up in Caresius¡¯s office ¡­ what was going on?!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 655: Wounded Vampire

    Chapter 655: Wounded Vampire

    The map showed Barty Crouch, and Ron thought it was Mr. Crouch Sr.

    But Evan knew that, no doubt, it should be Bartemius Crouch, Jr., the craziest Death Eater.

    The school¡¯s Floo Network was not yet under control. With the cooperation of a teacher, Barty Crouch Jr. could go in and out of Hogwarts at will. It was easy and impossible to prevent. It was really easier than imagined.

    He didn¡¯t have to risk sneaking into the castle, hanging out in front of Dumbledore and risking being discovered.

    As long as there was Caresius¡¯s help, he could easily control everything.

    But Caresius told Evan not long ago that he had no contact with Barty Crouch Jr. The vampire repeatedly said that he had no idea what Barty Jr. was nning and did not know anything about it, as though he hade to Hogwarts for a leisurely holiday.

    Now it seemed that was not the case at all. He might have been in constant contact with Barty Crouch Jr.

    If Ron hadn¡¯t suddenly seen the name on the Marauder¡¯s Map, Evan would still have been kept in the dark.

    The more he thought about it, the more he had a creepy feeling. He didn¡¯t even listen to thements of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    Evil and deceit were the nature of vampires, and their existence was taboo in itself.

    Evan remembered the magic that the vampires could take advantage of the chaos andxity of the game to sneak into Hogwarts andunch an attack to capture Harry, as happened at the Quidditch World Cup, after which they retreated unscathed into the Forbidden Forest to escape.

    As for making Ron a champion, it was just aplete cover up to let everyone focus on him.

    The only problem with the n was that Dumbledore was here, but they had Barty Crouch Sr. under control.

    Given Crouch¡¯s position in the Ministry of Magic, it was very simple to find some excuse to remove Dumbledore from the school.

    This was really crazy, but it was very possible.

    Whether it was Voldemort, Barty Crouch Jr. or the vampires, they were all a bunch of lunatics.

    Evan thought about it for a while, lost in various fancies and conjectures, before he forced himself to calm down.

    He knew it was possible, but there was the problem with the contractual magic he and Caresius had concluded.

    From a magical point of view, Caresius couldn¡¯t deceive him before breaking the contract. Moreover, he seemed to have no reason to do so. Vampires, though evil, were not fools.

    If they did it, they were going to tie everything up to Voldemort and would never get away.

    Evan remembered the nightmare in Caresius¡¯s memory that he had identally seen in ss. His family had a life-and-death problem, guarding more important secrets, and had no reason to fall back to Voldemortpletely.

    In the end, Evan decided to have a talk with Caresius tomorrow and then make a decision.

    At this time, the four of them had returned to the Common Room, which was empty, and only the fire was still burning quietly.

    ¡°Ron, if what you said is true, then the figure that Evan and I saw from behind was that vampire,¡± said Hermione. ¡°How did he get into the castle? And why did he sneak into Snape¡¯s office in the middle of the night?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, maybe they¡¯ve got some kind of rtion,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°And Crouch, why would he pretend to be ill?¡± Hermione ignored Ron and said simply, ¡°it¡¯s a bit odd that he can¡¯te to the Yule Ball, but can sneak here in the middle of the night and appear in Professor Moody¡¯s office.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really suspicious!¡± said Harry, with a headache and an eye on Evan. ¡°Evan, what do you think is going on?¡±

    ¡°Anything is possible. You¡¯d better be careful these days!¡± said Evan absently.

    Looking at the expressions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they were obviously not satisfied with Evan¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Well, maybe Ron was wrong,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Barty Crouch in the firece ¡­ he may have used the Floo powder to leave, but the vampire named Caresius ¡­ why did his name vanish in a sh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this ¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Do you think we should tell Professor Moody about this?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°No, how can we exin the Marauder¡¯s Map?¡± Ron said quickly, e on, Harry, Hermione is right. Maybe I was wrong. You know ¡­ because of the second task, I¡¯ve been under a lot of pressure recently.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of the Triwizard Tournament, you should tell us what clues you got from the golden egg?¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Tomorrow, Hermione!¡± Ron waved his hand weakly. ¡°I just want to have a good sleep now.¡±

    The next morning, Evan got up early from the bed and went to Professor Moody¡¯s office.

    The corridor in the morning was very quiet. There was no one there, and even the murals on the walls were still asleep.

    Evan came to the extra quiet second floor and knocked at the door gently.

    ¡°Come in!¡± Caresius¡¯s voice was heard, followed by the sound of the door lock being opened.

    Evan pushed the door and went in. He saw Caresius slowly putting down his wand. He was waiting for him.

    He was sitting on the chair facing the door. It looked as though he hadn¡¯t slept all night.

    Entering this familiar office, Evan felt cold at first. It was much colder than in the castle.

    His eyes immediately fell on the open window, and the cold wind was pouring in, making a loud sound.

    Couldn¡¯t this guy, Caresius, feel the temperature, or did he want to freeze to death?!

    Evan just stepped forward, ready to close the window and suddenly stopped.

    Although the smell was very light, he still smelled a faint scent of blood in the air.

    He frowned, took a few steps forward and saw arge cup on the office table in front of Caresius.

    There was only some blood left in the bottom of the cup. Evan sniffed it hard. It should be dragon blood.

    The guy seemed to be badly hurt and needed an immediate replenishment of blood to recover.

    Caresius looked pale and feeble. ¡°Sorry to let you see me in this state,¡± he said.

    ¡°Snape¡¯s magic?!¡± Evan asked softly.

    ¡°I was really Caresius at that time. The magic design was very clever and powerful. It was hidden behind the door of the storage room. Almost at the moment I opened the door, all the protection on me was broken away. Then the magic attack came again.¡±

    It could be imagined how powerful the magic that could make the name of Caresius instantly visible.

    From Snape¡¯s tone, he was also very confident in the magic of his own arrangement, and his tone was very proud.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 656: Bad News

    Chapter 656: Bad News

    Evan had dealt with both of them and had a general understanding of the strength of each of them.

    In Evan¡¯s view, on the actualbat ability, Caresius was better than Snape.

    However, this was not absolute. The two of them had their own advantages in mastering spells and magic theories. The gap was not that big.

    Especially in magic traps, there were many uncertain factors.

    In the face of Snape¡¯s borate magic, it was not impossible for Caresius to get identally hurt.

    If Snape had been more ruthless and left a few curses there, Caresius would have been a dead man by now!

    ¡°What on earth is going on?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Why did you go to his office?¡±

    ¡°To find this thing.¡± Caresius whispered, pulling something out of his arm and throwing it at Evan.

    It was Gillyweed!

    It looked like a bundle of slimy, grey-green rat tails, wriggling in Evan¡¯s hand.

    In fact, Gillyweed is a special nt in the Mediterranean Sea. It is precious and rare, and it is a very unpopr potion ingredient. It¡¯s hard to be found in shops of Potions and herbs, and only Potions Masters would have this nt in their store cupboards.

    Evan had been looking for it for a long time without any results. At Hogwarts, only Snape had Gillyweed.

    ¡°You went to Snape¡¯s officest night to steal it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is Ron¡¯s only way to get through the second task, isn¡¯t it?! Snape probably guessed that I was going there, so he made some preparations. What a terrible guy!¡± Caresius sighed and nced at Evan. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this ¡­ yeah, there¡¯s a simpler way, but I don¡¯t have time!¡±

    Snape had been rmed by several sessive thefts from his private store cupboard.

    However, the dangerous magic traps he set there were obviously not intended to deal with students.

    Snape had reckoned that the man who put Ron¡¯s name into the Goblet of Fire would steal Gillyweed from his private store cupboard, and was ready to catch him.

    Many people thought that Ron¡¯s name was put into the Goblet of Fire in order to kill him during the tournament.

    But Snape certainly didn¡¯t think so. He should have suspected someone had infiltrated into Hogwarts and was nning a conspiracy.

    It was a very important step to make Ron a champion. It was impossible to be just to kill him.

    In that case, the person hiding in the dark would definitely help Ron get through the difficulties and sessfullyplete the tournament.

    The second task was in theke, and only Gillyweed could give Ron the ability to breathe underwater at ease.

    As for other spells, Ron couldn¡¯t master them in a short time, and Snape was well aware of this.

    In the original plot, Harry got Gillyweed with Dobby¡¯s help, and Barty Crouch Jr. did not show up.

    The magic system of house-elves was different from that of wizards. Dobby could move into the store cupboard without triggering Snape¡¯s magic.

    Barty Crouch Jr. was hiding in the dark, and it was clever to use others to do such a dangerous thing. In this way, he didn¡¯t have to worry about being exposed.

    Compared with him, Caresius¡¯s actionst night was too reckless. It was not a wise choice to expose himself to Snape.

    Going back to check, Snape would know what was missing, as well as he would naturally know that there was something wrong with Moody.

    In other words, the current identity of Caresius might be discovered at any time.

    Following this line of thought, Caresius¡¯s action was really stupid!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I destroyed Snape¡¯s store cupboard before I left, took a lot of things, and left a little cover up there.¡± said Caresius, looking at Evan¡¯s eyes, as though guessing what he was thinking. ¡°If he wants to know what¡¯s missing and determine my real purpose, it will take him a long time ¡­ enough time for me ¡­ by the way, these potions ingredients are useless for me ¡­ they¡¯re all yours!¡±

    He threw another cloth bag bulging with herbs to Evan. Caresius had literally robbed Snape¡¯s storage. Evan looked down and found that there were a lot of precious ingredients inside.

    For example, the feather of the Jobberknoll was a necessary ingredient in Truth serums and Memory Potions. Such a feather could be sold to 500 Gold Galleons on the market, but it was still priceless. A few people would sell it, and the rarity of the Jobberknoll greatly limited the production of these two potions.

    Evan also did not collect it and was reluctant to spend a lot of money to buy this precious ingredient.

    Maybe such a thing would be only in Snape¡¯s private store cupboard, and nowhere else!

    As long as the feather of the Jobberknoll was avable, Evan could try to brew Truth serums and Memory Potions.

    He casually put the bag away, raised his head and continued to look at Caresius, feeling that this guy was a bit freaky.

    Normally, it would be foolish to break into Snape¡¯s office, but it seemed that Caresius did not care.

    ¡°You just said that you had no time. What do you mean? What are you going to do?¡± Evan continued, ¡°I hope you can exin it well.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± Caresius smiled. ¡°You may not know that Barty Crouch Jr. was herest night!¡±

    He saw that Evan didn¡¯t react, and the smile on his lips became more and more obvious.

    ¡°It looks like you already know it!¡± he whispered, looking at Evan with great interest. ¡°You¡¯re here to ask me about it, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What was Barty Crouch Jr. doing here?!¡± said Evan rudely. ¡°What does this have to do with your visit to Snape¡¯s office?¡±

    In fact, he was a little surprised by the frankness of Caresius, and did not expect that it would be so smooth.

    ¡°Bad news,¡± said Caresius, holding the cup in front of him. ¡°Barty Crouch came herest night to tell me that the Dark Lord couldn¡¯t wait. He wants us to bring Harry to him as soon as possible. He needs to restore his strength as soon as possible. Under his urging, the original n has been canceled. Barty Crouch Jr. had to take the initiative to contact me. He¡¯s going to do it in the second task, which will take ce soon!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll act in the second task?!¡± asked Evan, frowning. ¡°What is he going to do?¡±

    ¡°In a word, he proposed a rather bold n, but I didn¡¯t intend to cooperate with him¡­¡± said Caresius slowly, ¡°I refused his request. I can¡¯t risk my people¡¯s lives, so he can only act alone. If I¡¯m right, he should be ready to use a Portkey.¡±

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 Chapter 657: Unexpected Expansion

    Chapter 657: Unexpected Expansion

    ¡°A Portkey?!¡±

    ¡°This news is absolutely true. As for Barty Crouch¡¯s specific measures, he did not say, and I did not ask.¡± Caresius continued, ¡°I never get the answer when I ask anyway. I just need to do what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±

    Hogwarts Castle was protected from intrusion by various kinds of magic. Wizards could not Apparate here.

    Therefore, the Portkey was the only way to get Harry out of the school in full view.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what the original n of Barty Crouch Jr. was, what he was going to do, making Ron a champion. Since the n had changed, all this had be unimportant.

    What was now certain was that he was ready to take action in the second task and use a Portkey to take Harry out of Hogwarts.

    Was he nning to involve Harry directly into the task?! Or would he attack Harry by surprise while everyone was watching the game?!

    The second task was to let the champions go to theke to find the closest people to them. The closest person to Ron should be Harry.

    Doing it in the depths of theke could really be unobtrusive.

    Considering that Voldemort didn¡¯t want the news of him regaining strength anding back to spread quickly in the whole wizarding world, it was necessary to keep proper concealment.

    Working under theke could also make Dumbledore less responsive.

    Some time ago, Barty Crouch Jr. took advantage of the ident in the first task and proposed that the Ministry of Magic send people to arrange the venue and Hogwarts was not allowed to interfere. So, he seemed to have all nned for a long time.

    Taking advantage of the opportunity of setting up the venue, he hid the Portkey under the water and was trying to take Harry away.

    There was no problem in the whole process, but Evan still had one more question to clear up. That was, why Voldemort suddenly became so anxious that Bartemius Crouch, Jr. had to change his n. Even with the risk of exposure, he came to Hogwarts via the Floo Network to inform Caresius about the matter.

    He had been hiding in the forests of Albania for so many years, and now he couldn¡¯t even wait for a short time.

    ¡°Why is Voldemort in such a hurry?¡± Evan asked. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Bad news follows each other. The specific situation is unknown. The Dark Lord will not tell me his n. So, this is mere spection, do you want to hear it?¡± said Caresius, gulping down the remaining dragon blood in the cup.

    He looked up at Evan and licked the blood on the corner of his mouth, which looked extraordinarily strange.

    Although he was still Moody, at that moment, Evan felt that his blue eyes shed a red light.

    Just this scene was enough to ssify vampires as monsters, more evil than Dark wizards.

    Just imagine if the cup was not filled with dragon blood, but human blood¡­

    The blood of a powerful wizard was far more attractive to vampires than dragon blood.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Evan and Caresius looked at one another.

    ¡°It¡¯s just my own idea. I think the problem should be the statue brought back from the ruins of the Centaurs.¡±

    ¡°The statue of the evil god?!¡± said Evan in amazement, raising a bad feeling.

    ¡°Oh, do you call that monster an evil god?!¡± Caresius looked at Evan and said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s a terrible creature left behind in ancient times. In a sense, it can indeed be called god, because its power is far beyond that of humans.¡±

    ¡°What did Voldemort do with the statue?!¡± said Evan. ¡°He isn¡¯t going to summon up the evil god, is he?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Caresius shook his head. ¡°It is only a possibility to summon the monster on the statue, but I think he should not do it because he does not have enough power to control the monster. Summoning it would be just self-destruction.¡±

    Indeed, Voldemort was not one of those fallen Centaurs. He would not foolishly believe in evil spirits and call them out.

    In doing so, there was no benefit to Voldemort himself.

    The evil gods needed massive amounts of flesh and blood and destruction, and they were enemies of all mankind.

    Voldemort needed to rule the wizarding world and even the whole world, and let others submit to him, rather thanpletely destroy them.

    ¡°He should havemunicated with the evil god on the statue through some secret technique, reached some agreement or knew something, so he became so anxious,¡± said Caresius, ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s also my fault. When I brought the statue back, I checked it. At that time, there was no power on it. It was just an ordinary wooden statue. I didn¡¯t expect that¡­¡±

    In the ruins of the fallen Centaurs, Evan had entered the spiritual world created by the evil god.

    At thest moment, <i>The Book of Abraham</i> brought the horrible evil god to the seal of the power of the real world, cutting off the connection between the statue and the evil god in the void. The statue had be amon woodcarving.

    But as the only thing for the evil god tomunicate with the real world, there might be some secrets left on it, which Voldemort discovered.

    Simrly, the evil god who had faced sessive failures also needed Voldemort¡¯s help toe to the world.

    Mutual use should be needed, and finally it would depend on whose means were better.

    Evan had previously spected that Voldemort would join forces with the evil god to be stronger. Now it seemed that things were indeed going in the worst direction. He thought of Professor Trwney¡¯s predictionst year that Voldemort, who had returned, would gain unimaginable power¡­

    Could it be the power of the evil god?!

    It would really exceed the imagination of the world, directly turning Voldemort from the most dangerous Dark wizard in history into a monster.

    Voldemort, who had made the Horcruxes, was enough to make Evan and Dumbledore do their best to destroy them.

    If he added the power of the evil god, Evan could only pin his hopes on the secret treasure left by the Four Founders.

    ¡°Some time ago, he asked my people to look for information left by ancient magicians in relics around the world,¡± Caresius continued. ¡°They brought him back a lot of ancient tablets full of ancient magic inscriptions. He may have learned something from them. I¡¯m worried¡­¡±

    ¡°What did your people bring back to Voldemort, don¡¯t you know?!¡±

    ¡°In fact, I really don¡¯t know!¡± Caresius smiled bitterly, his pale face showed a trace of fatigue. ¡°My ethnic group is not monolithic. How to say ¡­ in the face of that guy¡¯s attitude, and in dealing with the fight with other vampire ns, there are many people who think that my approach is a bit too conservative, and they don¡¯t quite agree with it. This time, they took the initiative to contact the Dark Lord¡­¡±

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 Chapter 658: Caresiuss Speculation

    Chapter 658: Caresius''s Spection

    Evan understood what Caresius meant, and there were contradictions and fights within vampires.

    Although he was a nominal leader, he couldn¡¯t control the thoughts of all his people, coupled with Voldemort¡¯spulsion¡­

    In this way, the vampire n was likely to be so divided, one sidepletely falling to Voldemort.

    No wonder Voldemort let Caresius sneak into Hogwarts, presumably to shelve him for a period of time and take advantage of the other vampires.

    It was true, as Caresius said, that bad news came one after another.

    The vampires were very strong, not inferior to the Death Eaters¡¯ elite, and Voldemort, who got their allegiance, was stronger and more difficult to deal with.

    ¡°What are you going to do if they really join Voldemort?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°To bepletely loyal to the Dark Lord, they just made another choice and tried to solve the problem from another angle. Although I don¡¯t approve of it, I can¡¯t me them and have no right to stop them,¡± said Caresius Shaking his head. ¡°Evan, you still don¡¯t understand what our family is facing. Remember that guy you saw in my memory before?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Evan nodded, frowning and remembering the monster.

    In the first lesson of Defence Against the Dark Arts, he used <i>Protego</i> to bounce back Caresius¡¯s Legilimency, and saw a hidden memory in the depths of his mind. The old picture reappeared in Evan¡¯s mind.

    It was an endless abyss, surrounded by ck stones.

    The ck rocks were unevenly stacked, and at the highest point there was an endless darkness.

    In the infinite darkness, a huge alien monster was hidden, like a mixture of the world¡¯s most terrifying creatures.

    It was dark purple, made up of piles of rotten meat.

    In the middle was a humanoid creature that could not be clearly seen. It could only be vaguely identified that there were many things like barnacles on it.

    It showed characteristics of the familiar miraculous animals including dragons, basilisks, Manticores and so on. But these amazing animals were all specious. It was like someone was mixing the bodies of hundreds of amazing animals and chopping them. Then they casually put the pieces of meat together.

    This kind of horror was like a nightmare monster. Once looking at it, it would be unforgettable for the whole life.

    Evan had spected that this might be a kind of evil god.

    He also remembered that Caresius said that the monster was the fate he and his family had to face ¡­ a fate they had no way to escape.

    ¡°As you can see, that creature and the evil god on the statue are the same species!¡± said Caresius slowly. ¡°But they are not the same. They¡¯re fundamentally different ¡­ if I¡¯m not wrong; it might be what the Dark Lord wants to be.¡±

    ¡°<i>WHAT</i>?!¡± Evan was surprised. Voldemort wanted to be that monster. Why did Caresius say that?!

    Evan paused and thought about it from another angle. That was to say, the terrible monster in the memory of Caresius was what a human had be.

    It was not a pure evil god born from the chaotic void, but a product created by a wizard.

    How could it be?!

    This fact was too creepy. Humans could be evil gods!

    However, it was not impossible. From the depths of the school, the relics of Slytherin knew that Herpo the Foul had once been transformed into an evil god with evil Dark magic. Finally, it had been divided into three different parts by Szar Slytherin: the eyes, the brain and the body. The eyes had been destroyed, and the brain and the body were still missing.

    So, could the monster in the memory of Caresius be the body of Herpo the Foul?!

    In other words,bining the clues in the words of Caresius, Evan thought of a more dreadful possibility¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re very smart, Evan, but too weak, some things are not suitable for telling you,¡± said Caresius, without exining the questions in Evan¡¯s mind, ¡°you just need to know what kind of enemies you might face if Voldemort seeds. In the face of such a terrible monster, are you confident that you can defeat it?!¡±

    Evan shook his head. He was afraid that no one could defeat the evil god, nor could wizards as strong as ancient warlocks. All they could do was to seal the evil god in the void at the cost of self-destruction.

    ¡°If that¡¯s really the goal of Voldemort, we can stop him,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand. There are things you can¡¯t stop ¡­ unless you can kill the Dark Lord now!¡± Caresius continued, shaking his head and closing his eyes. ¡°But this is Impossible. In this case, my people and I need his help. As things stand, only he can help us out of that terrible fate. Some people say it¡¯s a curse left by Szar Slytherin, but others think it¡¯s a blessing¡­¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Evan did not continue to ask, although he did not understand. It was clear that Caresius was not going to tell him all the secrets

    Through this conversation, Evan learned a lot, but at the same time that had also raised more questions.

    ¡°Choose, Evan!¡± Caresius opened his eyes and said firmly, ¡°Tell me, what are you going to do after you knew this? Do you want Voldemort to recover his strength ording to the original n, or stop him? Your answer will determine whether we will continue to cooperate¡­¡±

    To stop Voldemort would be just to prevent his return this time, and procrastination could not solve the problem fundamentally.

    As long as the Horcruxes still existed, he would not die.

    Evan could not destroy all the Horcruxes now, and Harry had nothing to do with the fragment in his head.

    Besides, Voldemort could continue to split his soul and make more Horcruxes if he wished. He was already mad enough.

    Voldemort, who already knew some of the secrets of the evil god, would be even more terrible when he returned again.

    At that time, Evan wouldn¡¯t have any defenses and all his advantages would be lost.

    But if Voldemort was not stopped and was allowed to return sessfully, he would definitely use the evil god to do something.

    From the words of Caresius, he might turn himself into an evil god and gain the ultimate power.

    In the face of that fearful monster, Evan believed that no one could beat it!

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 Chapter 659: The Upcoming Barty Crouch Jr.

    Chapter 659: The Uing Barty Crouch Jr.

    There was no doubt that this was a dilemma¡­ flinching or facing the difficulties.

    Evan thought it over carefully and decided to continue with the original n.

    The n to stop Voldemort from returning this time would not solve any substantive problems. The difficulties that should be faced would be even harder. Evan did not like this feeling he had, and Caresius¡¯s words were also obvious. If he chose to stop it, they would no longer be allies.

    The cooperation with the vampire was of great benefit to Evan. He did not want to fall out with him for the time being.

    Moreover, in the face of the vampire and Bartemius Crouch, Jr. teaming up, he was not sure he could prevent them from taking Harry out of school.

    Even if Evan and Dumbledore finally stopped them, the future would be harder to control.

    In this case, it was better to follow the original n. After all, the current progress was still under Evan¡¯s control.

    As for the future of doing so, Voldemort would team up with the evil god and even turn himself into an evil god and gain great power¡­

    It was only a possibility, not the absolute one.

    Evan still had enough time to find the secret treasure left by the Four Founders and be stronger.

    Since he had chosen to follow the original n, what Evan needed to do now, in the face of Voldemort that was about to return, was to weaken his strength as much as possible.

    For example, he had to get rid of Barty Crouch Jr., the dangerous Death Eater.

    ¡°Caresius, I choose to follow the original n and let Voldemort regain strength with Harry¡¯s blood.¡± Evan gave his answer.

    He saw Caresius nodding with satisfaction before the momentum of his body dissipated again.

    ¡°I was not mistaken about you. You made a wise choice!¡± Caresius nodded. ¡°Running away won¡¯t solve anything. Evan¡­ you¡¯re good¡­ you¡¯re the best young wizard I¡¯ve ever seen. Can I ask you again, are you going to be a vampire? Just agree and I can give you a lot of things ¡­ power you¡¯ll never get as a human being.¡±

    ¡°Not interested¡­ I¡¯ll never be a vampire!¡± Evan directly refused.

    This was not the first time Caresius had invited him. In this matter, this guy had never given up.

    ¡°What a pity!¡± Caresius licked his lips. ¡°In fact, I didn¡¯te to Hogwarts for nothing this time. I have a lot of good seedlings that I might be able to absorb into the race.¡±

    ¡°I can remind you¡­¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, I know what you want. I won¡¯t force anyone to be a vampire.¡± Caresius¡¯s mouth showed a smile once more. ¡°But if they agree, you have no right to stop their choice, do you?!¡±

    ¡°Hum!¡± Evan ignored him.

    ¡°This is a Portkey that has not been filed with the Ministry of Magic. I made it myself. Take it just in case!¡± Caresius handed over a ck bat-shaped pendant. ¡°I¡¯ve set it up. It will send you back to this room.¡±

    Evan took the pendant and put it in his arm. Since he chose to follow the original n, he was ready to see Voldemort with Harry. This thing could save his life in the face of Voldemort back to his power.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll excuse myself!¡±

    ¡°Wait, I have something to tell you about my own arrangements. If you just chose to stop it, I wouldn¡¯t tell you these words!¡± Caresius continued.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Do I have any other choices?!¡± said Caresius. ¡°At this moment, I can only leave Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan turned and looked at him, reminding, ¡°Don¡¯t forget who you are.¡±

    He understood the reason why Caresius wanted to leave. If he didn¡¯t leave, the vampire race would soon be divided by Voldemort.

    Perhaps, Caresius, who had been at Hogwarts, would eventually bepletely isted.

    Regardless of his ultimate purpose, this was a good thing.

    Evan spected that he would probably reach somepromise with Voldemort and stabilize hispanions.

    As for the effect, it was unknown!

    ¡°My current status was the focus of my discussions with Bartemius Crouch, Jr.st night!¡± Caresius looked at Evan. ¡°After I leave, he will rece me at Hogwarts as Moody¡­¡±

    ¡°What, Barty Crouch Jr. ising?!¡± said Evan in amazement. Things had returned to their previous track.

    ¡°Yeah, after all, the n has changed, and it¡¯s getting harder for him to get Harry out of school,¡± said Caresius with a smile. ¡°The identity of Mad-Eye Moody is very useful. It can make it easier for him to enter into the task without arousing suspicion.¡±

    To this sentence, Evan expressed doubts.

    As it should have been, the experience of Mad-Eye Moody and his status as a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts were a natural protection.

    But since Caresius went to Snape¡¯s officest night and made so much noise, the situation waspletely different.

    Now, it would be really strange if Dumbledore and Snape didn¡¯t doubt Moody.

    In this way, Caresius was not well-intentioned either, and it was no wonder that he was in such a hurry to make a trip to Snape¡¯s officest night.

    Even if Barty Crouch Jr. finally seeded in bringing Harry to Voldemort with the Portkey, it would not end well for him.

    At first, Evan felt it was a bit weird. He thought that even if the n had changed, there was no need for Caresius to expose himself.

    Now it seemed that he was doing this entirely to dig a hole for Barty Crouch Jr., so that he would nevere back.

    It was really insidious. He must be very careful when dealing with this vampire!

    ¡°You know what to do, don¡¯t you?¡± Caresius asked softly.

    ¡°I know!¡± said Evan, waving and leaving the office under the smiling gaze of Caresius.

    It was time to talk to Dumbledore, report the matter and listen to his opinion.

    Evan went to the headmaster¡¯s office and began to operate lumency while walking, trying to empty his brain.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    At the same time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione also got up early and gathered in the corner of the Common Room.

    The only topic they discussed was how to help Ron survive underwater for an hour on the twenty-fourth of February.

    ¡°You can use the Summoning Charm again,¡± said Harry. ¡°You know Aqua-Lungs, the dive equipment for Muggles. It will help you breathe underwater. You can get a set from the nearest Muggle town.¡±

    ¡°This idea sounds good!¡± said Ron delightfully.

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 Chapter 660: Magic in Books

    Chapter 660: Magic in Books

    ¡°Impossible, Ron! First, you can¡¯t learn how to operate an Aqua-Lung within the set limit of an hour. It¡¯s quiteplicated and you have to go through professional training to use it!¡± Hermione said, categorically squashing the suggestion, ¡°Second you are sure to be disqualified for breaking the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy ¡­ it¡¯s a daydream to hope that no Muggles will spot an Aqua-Lung zooming across the countryside to Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°What should I do then?¡± Ron asked ruefully.

    ¡°Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something,¡± Hermione said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Evan go under the water, and I¡¯ve also checked books on this subject. If only we¡¯d done human Transfiguration already! But I don¡¯t think we start that until sixth year, and it can go badly wrong if you don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t fancy walking around with a periscope sticking out of my head.¡±

    ¡°The Bubble-Head Charm is also a good choice, but this is also a sixth year course. Let¡¯s find out. Maybe there¡¯s another way ¡­ no ¡­ not really ¡­ let¡¯s wait till Evan is back and ask him.¡± Hermione said.

    In fact, she also wanted to find a way to venture with Evan under the water instead of staying on the shore. This made Hermione feel useless. She could only wait behind Evan and worry, and she did not like this feeling.

    In this way, the three of them came to the library and buried themselves once more among the dusty volumes, looking for any spell that might enable a human to survive without oxygen, but with no sessful results.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent a whole day in the library and still found nothing.

    They even sought help from the librarian, Madam Pince, and did not receive any valuable answers.

    ¡°I don¡¯t reckon it can be done,¡± said Ron¡¯s voice tly from the other side of the table. ¡°I¡¯ve already flipped through fifty books. There¡¯s nothing. <i>Nothing</i>. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds, that Drought Charm, but that was nowhere near powerful enough to drain theke.¡±

    Harry was also sighing, and he had massive piles of books in front of him, so that he could not see Ron and Hermione.

    He and Ron read as fast as they could, quickly browsing the contents of the books.

    Harry¡¯s heart gave a huge leap every time he saw the word ¡°water¡± on a page, but more often than not it was merely ¡°Take two pints of water, half a pound of shredded mandrake leaves, and a newt¡­¡±

    With a snap, he closed his <i>Saucy Tricks for Tricky Sorts </i>hard.

    ¡°You should have learned to be an Animagus like Evan and Sirius,¡± said Harry.

    He thought that Evan¡¯s research note on the deformation of Animagus in his bag might help Ron.

    ¡°Yeah, I could have turned myself into a goldfish any time I wanted!¡± said Ron excitedly.

    ¡°Or a frog,¡± yawned Harry.

    ¡°Stop dreaming. It takes years of continuous learning to be an Animagus.¡± Hermione said in a serious voice, ¡°even if we help Ron master the necessary knowledge for deformation, there is no way to solve the magic problem. Besides, no one can guarantee that he will be a frog or a goldfish. The transformation process is random ¡­ Evan became a ck cat.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, we were joking,¡± said Harry wearily.

    ¡°While you have this time, you should look through a few more books.¡±

    ¡°I think we should give up!¡± said Harry, resting on the table. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for Evan toe back and ask him directly, he¡¯s already able to breathe underwater!¡±

    ¡°His approach doesn¡¯t necessarily apply to Ron. I asked Evan before. We all have no ability to use the spells he said. Our magical power is not enough¡­¡± Hermione muttered, reading carefully <i>Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes</i> at hand. The print was so tiny and dense that she had to pore over it with her nose about an inch from the page.

    ¡°Magical power again?!¡± Ron repeated with an entric look, thoughtfully

    ¡°Magical power is at the foundation of all magic, and nature is the key. Unfortunately, apart from natural growth, it is difficult to improve it,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, Ron! But I think there must be a way, they¡¯d never have set a task that was undoable.¡±

    In this way, more than two hours passed.

    The number of magic books piled up around the three of them continued to increase, and now even Hermione gradually became a little impatient.

    She seemed to be taking the library¡¯sck of useful information on the subject as a personal insult; it had never failed her before.

    ¡°It can¡¯t work!¡± said Ron in despair, putting down his thick magic book. ¡°I¡¯m sick of this ce. I don¡¯t want toe back here for the rest of my life. What on earth is Evan doing? Why hasn¡¯t hee back yet?¡±

    ¡°He has something to say to Professor Moody,¡± said Hermione, closing the magic book at hand.

    ¡°But when we had lunch and dinner, we didn¡¯t see them in Professor Moody¡¯s office, and there was no one in there,¡± said Harry.¡±That¡¯s strange. Where can they go?¡±

    At this moment, Caresius had left Hogwarts.

    When he returned, it was already Barty Crouch Jr., pretending to be Moody.

    As for Evan, he, like the three of them, was reading a book of magic that he had found by chance in the Room of Requirement. To be precise, it was a manuscript.

    It was written more than six centuries ago, containing many very interesting ideas.

    The whole book was about a powerful Dark magic called <i>Apocalypse</i>, which Evan had never seen before.

    This magic was a bit like an upgraded version of the Corrosion Curse, which would produce arge pool of toxic ck water at the enemy¡¯s feet.

    The whole casting process was silent until it was toote for the people trapped in it, because the ck water not only contained virulent poison, reducing the mobility of people trapped in it, but also exploded and burned under the control of the caster, forming a huge impact force.

    Although thest pages of the book were torn off, the magical knowledge recorded above still fascinated Evan.

    Back seven hours ago, Evan hade out of Professor Moody¡¯s office.

    Then he went to Dumbledore to have a cordialmunication with the headmaster.

    Not considering the contest between the two sides in the process of Legilimency and lumency, the entiremunication process was still harmonious.

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 Chapter 661: The Room of Requirement

    Chapter 661: The Room of Requirement

    Evan talked about part of his conversation with Caresius, the suspicious figure he had seen in the corridor with Hermionest night, his doubts about the identity of Professor Moody, recent events in the wizarding world, the fear that Voldemort was recovering strength, and the ongoing plot at Hogwarts.

    Although there was a lot of explosive news, Evan did not see any surprise on Dumbledore¡¯s face. As he had expected, he had already known about this matter and was ready for it.

    Dumbledore generally agreed and supported Evan¡¯s countermeasures and promised to cooperate¡­

    As for a few loopholes in the whole discussion, Dumbledore did not ask any question whenever that seemed logical.

    Anyway, every time Evan raised his head, he could see the headmaster¡¯s kind, encouraging smile, which seemed to encourage him to say more.

    This feeling was really terrible! What Dumbledore had in mind ¡­ Evan did not know.

    He tried not to look at him in his eyes all the time, because that was the key to Legilimency.

    All in all, after a unified understanding and deciding on specific practices, Evan left the headmaster¡¯s office.

    He did not rush to the Great Hall downstairs for lunch, but walked straight along the corridor on the seventh floor and went to the wall of the Room of Requirement.

    It was a nk wall with no portraits and decorations, opposite the tapestry depicting the attempt of Barnabas the Barmy to teach trolls ballet.

    The Room of Requirement, also known as the Come and Go Room, could only be entered when a person had real need of it.

    It was sometimes absent, but when it appeared, it was always equipped for the seeker¡¯s needs.

    To get into this room, you needed to concentrate hard on what you needed; going back and forth three times in front of that bit of wall, and the room would appear.

    The Chamber of Secrets where Evan configured the potions was inside. Over the past year, he had been very skilled at how to enter the Room of Requirement.

    After confirming that there was no one around, he walked back and forth three times in front of the nk wall. Evan thought in his mind that he needed a ce to hide things. When he ran for the third time, the door appeared!

    Evan pushed the door and went in. Inside was a room the size of arge cathedral, whose high windows were sending shafts of light down upon what looked like a city with towering walls, built of objects hidden by generations of Hogwarts inhabitants for centuries.

    There were alleyways and roads bordered by teetering piles of broken and damaged furniture, stowed away, perhaps, to hide the evidence of mishandled magic, or else hidden by castle-proud house-elves.

    There were thousands and thousands of books, no doubt banned or graffitied or stolen.

    There were winged catapults and Fanged Frisbees, some still with enough life in them to hover halfheartedly over the mountains of other forbidden items; there were chipped bottles of congealed potions, hats, jewels, cloaks; there were what looked like dragon eggshells, corked bottles whose contents still shimmered evilly, several rusting swords, and a heavy, bloodstained axe.

    Evan was here for the first time, shocked by what he saw.

    This room had hidden the secrets of nearly a thousand years. There were countless illegal items hidden by Hogwarts students, hundreds of criminal results of illegal experiments, and countless secrets and useless sundries.

    For Dark wizards and treasure hunters, this room was a paradise, a promisednd.

    But the whole process needed time ¡­ too much time. Even if Evan had a rough idea about it, it was difficult to find Ravenw¡¯s Diadem.

    ¡°io Diadem!¡± He gave it a try and raised his wand. No use ¡­ nothing happened.

    This room was protected by mysterious magic, protecting the things hidden here.

    As for the essence and operation principle of the Room of Requirement, Evan had always been curious, who left this magical room?!

    It could prepare the corresponding room and various props ording to the person who needed it. The room was obviously not in Hogwarts Castle before, and it could not be identified by the map, but only existed in the user¡¯s mind.

    But these ideas could be embodied in the real world through the concrete manifestation of the Room of Requirement.

    This room involved extremely high space magic and wishing magic, and Evan had not yet understood how it worked.

    He even spected that the Room of Requirement was connected to Hogwarts castle through the door, but in fact the noumenon existed in the void, that is, the space through which evil spirits existed and Apparated. Now just push the surrounding walls to enter the void world.

    Of course, this was only Evan¡¯s guess. Who knows what was outside the wall and whether it was suitable for human survival.

    Space magic was a very profound andplex branch of magic, which had always been at the forefront of magic research.

    Evan¡¯s eyes skimmed through the piles of sundries and he walked into an alley between all this treasure.

    After a few steps, he saw an embalmed troll, fifteen feet tall. It was packed in a huge ss bottle full of green potions like preservatives. Evan clicked his mouth. Whoever did this was certainly someone of insane impulses.

    He could imagine a crazy wizard who lived hundreds of years ago practicing anatomy with the corpse of a troll¡­

    Next to the troll was a small pile of dusty books. Evan picked up the top one and looked at it.

    It was the Code of Chivalry which recorded the code of conduct of knights in thete Middle Ages, as well as several practicalbat techniques.

    It seemed that a student from a family of knights had brought the book to Hogwarts.

    He put down the book and picked up another one with a ck cover.

    It was also a book on martial arts, exining spear throwing techniques with great detail.

    Evan put the book down, and felt something was wrong. He took out his wand and gently clicked on the book.

    ¡°<i>Revelio</i>!¡±

    His voice just fell and the ck ink on the book gradually disappeared and turned into red handwriting with terrible patterns.

    This was a hidden ck magic book; the ck magic recorded above was called <i>Hell</i><i>Howl</i>.

    This dark magic could actually produce a terrible howl in a person¡¯s mind, making him feel more fear than ever before.

    The spell itself could be categorized as a mixture of soul and demonic magic, which Evan had seen before in the library.

    However, the records on the book in his hand were not exactly the same as those in the library. Key details were different. Evan could be sure that he would not get the expected effect if he used this magic in the battle ording to the incantation and wand waving method in the book.

    If not performed correctly, it would be a counter curse, which would hurt the caster¡¯s own soul.

    It was really terrible. Whoever left this book here was not kind at all¡­

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 Chapter 662: The Third Horcrux

    Chapter 662: The Third Horcrux

    Although there might be a problem with the curse itself, the idea in the book was unique, and Evan suddenly became interested.

    He read the book as fast as he could, and checked all the remaining books.

    In addition to the <i>Hell</i><i>Howl</i> magic, he also found a Dark magic book titled <i>Apocalypse</i>. It was a curse Evan had never seen before. It was a very deep Dark magic, belonging to the devil system.

    He just sat on the dusty floor and read the book, immersing himself in it, flipping through the pages¡­

    By the time Evan had simply studied the magic of the <i>Apocalypse</i>, it was already 1 p.m.

    He woke up with a start and realized that it was already veryte, so he put the two Dark magic books away.

    There were tens of thousands of magic books hidden like this in this room.

    Of course, not all of them were useful books and needed to be screened one by one by Evan. The process was very tedious and boring.

    However, he was not impatient. Instead, he felt that it was very interesting to do so and was prepared toe here more often in his spare time.

    Evan continued to move forward and came to arge cab.

    The cab was brownish ck, with a ssic style, and seemed to have had acid thrown at its blistered surface.

    Evan hesitated a moment and opened the cupboard¡¯s creaking doors. He found a cage inside.

    The thing in the cage had long since died. Its skeleton had five legs. He did not want to imagine what kind of creature it was.

    This room was full of dark secrets, all hidden by students of the past.

    Although Hogwarts appeared to be rtively calm and forbid students to study ck magic, in secret, no students actually abided by this school rule. Their research scope and depth in the forbidden magic field were beyond imagination.

    Especially in the era of hundreds of years, the wizarding world and the whole world were not as peaceful as they were today, and wars were frequent.

    In that case, powerful ck magic and dangerous taboos were very popr with wizards.

    Evan watched as he walked, going deeper and deeper in a maze of junk and forbidden articles.

    He knew exactly what he was looking for. It was a chipped bust of an ugly old warlock with a dusty old wig and a tarnished tiara on the statue¡¯s head. The nd head crown was Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, the Diadem of wisdom!

    Voldemort used magic to change the look of the Diadem, making it lose its original brilliance.

    Although the specific target was determined, the whole room was toorge, and there were too many things inside.

    Evan didn¡¯t have Harry¡¯s luck. He had been wandering around for a long time without finding it.

    As he passed by some junk, he saw a lot of broomsticks on the top. He rode on one and flew in the air, stopping at the highest point, overlooking the whole room from top to bottom.

    In the tall garbage pile, he saw bottles, hats, boxes, chairs, books, weapons, brooms, clubs¡­

    The next second, Evan saw the bust standing on a messy curved cab. On top of it was the old, faded diadem.

    Evan¡¯s heart pounded, and he couldn¡¯t help getting excited.

    He controlled the broom, swooped down, and made a beautiful turn, holding Ravenw¡¯s Diadem in his hand.

    Evannded, the rusty diadem in his hand, looking like an ordinary iron ring, without any mystery.

    But on the inside, he could see Rowena Ravenw¡¯s famous quote: ¡®<i>Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure!¡¯</i>

    Bingo! That was Ravenw¡¯s Diadem!

    The moment he held the diadem in his hand, Evan felt the familiar fluctuation of power invading his spirit.

    That was the power of Voldemort. Unlike Tom Riddle¡¯s Diary and Slytherin¡¯s Locket, Voldemort¡¯s power was very strong when making Ravenw¡¯s Diadem into a Horcrux. That was his third Horcrux.

    At that time, he had already returned from his journey,pleted the transformation of his body, and gained powerful Dark force.

    He was no longer as handsome as he was when he was a student. By the time he acquired this much strength, he had already be a monster.

    Like the Dark Lord seen byter generations, he totallypleted the transformation from Tom Riddle to Voldemort.

    His dead pale face looked like wax, twisted strangely, and his white eyes seemed to be filled with blood forever¡­

    In that period, he had publicly used the title of Voldemort, gathered the Death Eaters, summoned Dark wizards and pure blood wizard families to form an alliance, prepared tounch the Wizarding War, and carried out his brutal rule and pure blood theory with the lives and blood of countless innocent people.

    Shortly after he made the Diadem into a Horcrux, he came to Hogwarts again.

    Voldemort once again applied to Dumbledore for the position of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, which was an obsession of his, and while at it, he wanted to take the opportunity to steal Gryffindor¡¯s Sword and hid Ravenw¡¯s Diadem.

    Not surprisingly, Dumbledore rejected his request again.

    Voldemort therefore held a grudge and cursed the position of Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts, so that all professors in the discipline would not be able to work for more than a year for various unfortunate reasons.

    The power of this curse was so strong that Evan suspected that Voldemort had used the lives and souls of dozens of innocents as sacrifices.

    Even Dumbledore had no way to break this curse, and he could only find new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professors year after year.

    Up until now, all wizards who knew the reason were not willing to ept this position easily.

    When Evannded to the ground, Voldemort¡¯s voice began to appear in his ear, bewitching him to put the Diadem on his head.

    Along with the terrible voice, a burst of spiritual power began to invade Evan¡¯s consciousness and enter his soul.

    Evan ignored the voice, found a table, and skillfully took out the fang of the Basilisk. He was now familiar with how to deal with Horcruxes and had enough experience

    Evan pointed the fang in his hand to the center of the Diadem and stabbed it hard¡­

    All of a sudden, a shrill cry of pain rang in Evan¡¯s ears.

    At first it was only vaguely audible, extremely weak and extremely distant, but with Evan¡¯s action, the scream became stronger and stronger.

    The next second, a bloody, ck and sticky thing was seeping out of the Diadem.

    Suddenly, Evan felt the Diadem vibrate violently and then split into two halves with a bang.

    Ravenw¡¯s Diadem was, this way, broken¡­

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 Chapter 663: Irreparable

    Chapter 663: Irreparable

    ¡°Broken ¡­ broken?!¡±

    Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, the legendary magic item, was broken into two pieces!

    Evan blinked and couldn¡¯t believe it.

    He stared in a daze at the rusty diadem. There was no magic on it.

    As the diadem broke, Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux living in it also dissipated and disappearedpletely.

    Now, this diadem was just an ordinary iron headband, asmon as anything. If he didn¡¯t know it was Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, Evan wouldn¡¯t even look at it.

    He picked up one of the halves and watched it carefully.

    Was the texture of this thing too fragile, or was the venomous Basilisk¡¯s fang too powerful?!

    It was important to know that when the Dark Lord made the Horcruxes, he cast very powerful curses on them to protect them from damage.

    It was useless to tear up a Horcrux, smash it or grind it into powder to destroy it. Under the influence of magic, it would be restored as ever.

    Therefore, something extremely destructive needed to be used, so that it could no longer be repaired with magic. The Basilisk¡¯s fang was one of them, because the venom of the Basilisk had only one antidote, and that was the tears of the Phoenix.

    Evan had intended to use the venom to destroy the things living in the Diadem. He didn¡¯t expect that the decayed Diadem would be broken when stabbed with the sharp fang, just like an ordinary object without any magic.

    He didn¡¯t know what Voldemort had done to Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, or was it just like this?!

    Evan put the Diadem back on the table and waved his wand, ¡°<i>Reparo</i>!¡±

    There was a sh of red light, but there was no reaction. His magic had no way to repair the broken Diadem.

    ¡°Interesting!¡± Evan picked up the Diadem again and put it in his hand.

    There was only one possibility for this to happen, that was his magical power was not strong enough.

    What Evan needed to fix was far beyond his ability, that¡¯s why the spell had failed.

    In other words, Ravenw¡¯s Diadem was not as simple as it seemed, and there were magical powers that Evan did not understand.

    He knew that Voldemort had modified the Diadem to make it look ordinary. That was not what the Diadem originally looked like.

    To restore it, Evan needed the help of stronger magical powers, such as the Philosopher¡¯s Stone or the Elder Wand!

    The power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone could not be used casually. It needed to be guided by a magical array.

    In his recent research on the magical array of the stars above the Centaurs¡¯ Temple and the magical array called <i>Silence</i> carved in the Silent Temple, Evan had made a lot of progress and gradually found out the correct way to use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    But after all, he was just getting started, and he still needed time to carry out follow-up research. There was no way to use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the short term.

    There was only the Elder Wand left. It seemed that he had to go to Dumbledore.

    Evan took the two pieces of the Diadem for further study. But if he couldn¡¯t, he would go and find Dumbledore.

    Anyway, there was enough time before the Merpeople¡¯s next party.

    Evan came out of the Room of Requirement, and changed it to a Chamber of Secrets equipped for potions. He went in again to check it out and put the potions and ingredients Caresius had given him.

    All of these things had been stolen from Snape¡¯s private store cupboard, and there were many precious herbs that were not suitable for carrying on him.

    Then, Evan summoned Dobby and asked him to bring some food. He was starving now. After all, he had not eaten anything all day.

    When Evan returned to the Common Room, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were still discussing how to breathe underwater.

    There were a lot of books on the table in front of them, including <i>Madcap Magic for Wacky Warlocks, A Guide to Medieval Sorcery, An Anthology of Eighteenth Century Charms, Dreadful Denizens of the Deep and Powers You Never Knew You Had and What to Do with them Now You¡¯ve Wised Up</i>, etc.

    Hermione was trying to find a way to survive underwater, and Harry and Ron were discussing.

    They were studying the possibility of deliberately infuriating Professor Moody and getting him to use Transfiguration on Ron.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯re back. Where have you been with Professor Moody all day?!¡±

    At the sight of Evan climbing into the Common Room, the eyes of the three of them shined.

    ¡°Evan, do you have a way to breathe underwater?¡± Ron asked hastily, looking expectantly at him.

    ¡°Underwater breathing?!¡± Evan came over and sat next to Hermione. ¡°It¡¯s a good idea to use the Bubble-Head Charm.¡±

    ¡°Hermione said that the magic needs six years to learn,¡± said Harry. ¡°Is there any other way?¡±

    The three of them told Evan the secret of the Golden Egg as quickly as possible, even though he already knew it.

    ¡°You have to help me, Evan,¡± said Ron sighing. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll drown in the water!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± said Harry. ¡°We can only count on you!¡±

    ¡°Well, if the Bubble-Head Charm can¡¯t work, you¡¯ll have to use Gillyweed,¡± said Evan, seizing this opportunity to take out Gillyweed and hand it to Ron. ¡°Just in time, I have this herb here. You can eat it before the task; it can help you breathe underwater for an hour, enough toplete the task!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure this thing works?!¡± Ron hesitantly stared at what looked like grayish-green rat tails.

    ¡°Gillyweed?¡± Hermione stared at it, too and suddenly something came to her mind. ¡°I wonder where I¡¯ve seen it ¡­ yeah ¡­ in <i>Magical Mediterranean Water-nts and Their Properties</i>. I borrowed it from the library as a supplement to the Potions ss.¡±

    ¡°Is this nt reliable?¡±

    ¡°Of course it works. When you eat it, it will give you gills and webbing between your fingers and toes, allowing you to swim with ease and breathe underwater. It¡¯s one of the most amazing nts.¡± Hermione looked up at Evan. ¡°I should have thought of it, but it¡¯s very, very rare. Evan, where did you get Gillyweed?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s my personal collection. You know, I have been cooking potions. I asked Professor Lupin to help me collect all kinds of rare ingredients ¡­ it happened to be among them,¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°So, you always carry it with you?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Evan nodded. ¡°My cloth bag extended by the Undetectable Extension Charm can hold many things.¡±

    Looking at Hermione¡¯s expression, it was obvious that she was suspicious. This girl was always very sharp with this kind of thing.

    She and Evan looked at one another for a while, but she did not continue to ask.

    As for Harry and Ron, they were still there studying Gillyweed, and there was nothing wrong with it.

    They hoped they could sessfully pass the second task, and Evan also hoped that he could get through Voldemort¡­

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 Chapter 664: The New Mad-Eye Moody

    Chapter 664: The New Mad-Eye Moody

    Evan soon knew what the difference between the fake Moody Caresius and the fake Moody Barty Crouch Jr. was.

    He continued the teaching style of Caresius, allowing students to experience Dark magic as much as possible, but his methods became crueler.

    He began to use various Dark magic attacks on students in the ssroom, asking them to try their best to resist and dodge.

    This made Moody get higher praise among the students, and everyone was amazed at his courses.

    But every time he confronted Barty Crouch Jr., Evan wondered if he would kill him, because he was seriously attacking him with well aimed attacks, not as practice-oriented as he did to other students.

    Evan ignored all Bartemius Crouch, Jr.¡¯s provocations and did not fight him, but simply dodged.

    Outside the ss, he was as far away as possible from him, not willing to contact this madman.

    At the end of the week, Barty Crouch Jr., fake Moody, praised Harry¡¯s performance. He thought that Harry had the potential to be an Auror, and this evaluation delighted Harry for a long time.

    In contrast, Crouch Jr. unreservedly expressed his dislike for a group of Slytherin students, such as Malfoy.

    Now, as soon as he heard Moody¡¯s name, Malfoy¡¯s face turned pale and his reaction was very unnatural.

    Compared with his dislike of Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s hatred of Snape, Karkaroff and other former Death Eaters was pure.

    It was not the hatred feigned by Caresius, but deep hatred.

    Caresius might have had a dispute with Karkaroff and Durmstrang over the interests of the Nordic region, but it was not fatal.

    Barty Crouch Jr. showed true hatred and could not wait to kill all these traitors. This morbid hatred was even above his hatred of Dumbledore, Evan and other enemies of Voldemort.

    After he made sure there might be something wrong with Moody after the loss of Gillyweed, Snape tested him again.

    Bartemius Crouch, Jr.¡¯s response was very simple and crude, very direct, but really effective. He dragged Snape to Dumbledore¡¯s office to make a noise, and rudely searched Snape¡¯s office again.

    It was not known what Dumbledore said to Snape, but his face was gloomy and horrible these days, and no one dared to approach him.

    The day after the search of Snape¡¯s office, Barty Crouch Jr. talked to Karkaroff alone.

    In the face of Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s oppression and strength, Karkaroff¡¯s performance was extremely unbearable.

    He began to contact Snape frequently, but Snape kept avoiding him, which made Karkaroff panic even more.

    At dinner on Friday night, Harry, Ron, and Hermione told Evan that they had seen Karkaroff in the morning Potions ss when he broke into the ssroom. Karkaroff interrupted Snape¡¯s lecture just to have a word with him.

    ¡°Not long after the Potions ss began, he broke in,¡± said Harry, recalling the scene at the time. ¡°He hovered behind Snape¡¯s desk for the rest of the double period. He seemed intent on preventing Snape from slipping away at the end of ss.¡±

    ¡°Did Karkaroff show great urgency?¡± Evan asked, tapping the table gently with his fingers.

    ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t see what Karkaroff was like,¡± said Hermione. ¡°He kept twisting his finger around his goatee, and he looked agitated. It was strange. What made him so worried? He and Snape¡­¡±

    ¡°Snape and Karkaroff are very familiar with each other, but they don¡¯t want others to know about it,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Evan, you should have seen that look on Snape¡¯s face when Karkaroff broke into Potions ss!¡± Harry said quickly. ¡°I made an excuse to stay and see what Karkaroff wanted to say to Snape. He said that Snape had been avoiding him. Karkaroff was very worried. He showed Snape something on his forearm, but I did not see what it was¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan knew it must be Karkaroff¡¯s Dark Mark, considering that Snape also frequently seized his forearm that night. He was beginning to worry, which was not a good sign.

    The frequent pain caused by the Dark Mark meant that Voldemort had been doing somethingtely, and it was really getting urgent.

    At the same time, his power was growing fast to strengthen the connection with the Death Eaters.

    Although Voldemort had not yet got Harry¡¯s blood toplete the evil magic, his power was still increasing rapidly. He certainly got a new source of power. Unicorn¡¯s blood and potions certainly didn¡¯t have such a strong effect.

    Would the new and powerful source of power be the power he got from the evil god? Or was it that he had reached an agreement with the evil god?

    Thinking of this, Evan began to worry about Caresius¡¯s situation. What would he do after he went back?! Was it a tit-for-tat fight with Voldemort, or a new settlement?!

    All in all, the new Barty Crouch Jr. had made Hogwarts a mess.

    The recent bad news had also made Evan nervous. Voldemort and the evil god were not opponents to be underestimated.

    After dinner, he was ready to go to the library to look through the data and study Ravenw¡¯s Diadem that he had just got.

    Hermione went with him, and Harry and Ron were still talking about the morning.

    The two of them, of course, did not have any results. Ron finally suggested that Harry write to Sirius about this.

    At about eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the letter from Sirius was brought back by Hedwig.

    He told Harry not to use Owl Mail to talk about these things because it was not safe. He asked Harry and Ron to wait for him in front of the firece in the Common Room at midnight, and he would meet them at Hogwarts via the Floowork.

    When Evan and Hermione came back, they saw Harry and Ron standing in front of the fire.

    They thought that if there were so many people in a moment, they would throw a Dungbomb to make sure the meeting would not be shown up.

    Fortunately, after a busy week of sses, everyone was very tired and went to bed early.

    By the time it was close to zero, there were only the four of them in the Common Room.

    Because he had just met Siriusst week, Evan did not expect any useful news from him. Voldemort was too cunning to get spotted by the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic.

    In contrast, Evan was looking forward to a breakthrough from Caresius¡¯s side.

    They were whispering, and now the room was in semidarkness; the mes in the firece were the only source of light.

    Just after midnight, Harry jumped out of his chair.

    He saw Sirius¡¯s head sitting right in the fire with a smile on his face.

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 Chapter 665: A Conversation With Sirius

    Chapter 665: A Conversation With Sirius

    The four of them gathered and crouched down by the hearth.

    ¡°Good evening, Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione,¡± said Sirius with a smile. ¡°You look good.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine!¡± Harry hurriedly asked, ¡°Sirius, where are you?¡±

    ¡°12 Grimmauld ce, in the old house of the ck family!¡± Sirius replied. ¡°It¡¯s safe here. We don¡¯t have to worry about being discovered or our conversation being overheard. All right, never mind me ¡­ say all you have guys.¡±

    Harry and Ron spoke about Karkaroff¡¯s abnormal performance in the morning. Hermione hesitated, and spoke about what happened in the castlest weekend night, with Evan adding a few words about Moody, who had broken into Snape¡¯s office.

    ¡°Oh, Moody secretly went to Snape¡¯s office at night?¡± Sirius came to interest.

    That was true, but it was purely because Caresius wanted to get Gillyweed and dig a trap for Barty Crouch Jr. Now that Sirius was here, Evan intended to take this opportunity to give him some information. Then, ask about the Ministry of Magic¡¯s tracking of Death Eaters, vampires¡¯ exploration of the remains of ancient warlocks, and the situation of Barty Crouch to see if there were any new developments with Aurors.

    Because Barty crouch Jr. was very dangerous, Evan didn¡¯t tell Harry, Ron and Hermione about his fake identity and the truth about Moody.

    They didn¡¯t know about lumency and had never experienced such a thing.

    He had talked to Dumbledore and agreed that it should be kept secret from others for the time being. Harry and Ron, in particr, would be unable to control themselves if they knew the truth.

    Once discovered by Batty Crouch Jr., the consequences would be unimaginable.

    It was OK to share appropriate information with Sirius, which would help him understand the current situation and make better use of Auror¡¯s identity to carry out his work, and he would finally need his help to face Voldemort, provided that he wouldn¡¯t run to Hogwarts because he was too worried.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Moody!¡± said Sirius, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher¡¯s office when he got to Hogwarts. I¡¯m not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he has seen, it¡¯s not surprising. I¡¯ll say this for Moody, though, he never killed if he could help it. He always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters.¡±

    ¡°So, Snape might really have done something wrong,¡± Harry continued. ¡°That¡¯s why Moody¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say!¡± Sirius said slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve not finished, because what happened to you is really abnormal. From what I know about Mad-Eye Moody, if he were to search Snape¡¯s office again, he would certainly not be so sneaky.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he publicly searched Snape¡¯s office the day before yesterday ¡­ in front of everyone ¡­ we were all watching. Snape¡¯s face was terrible,¡± said Harry. ¡°But I think Moody must be looking for something. He probably knew Snape was doing something shady.¡±

    ¡°Harry, we should trust Snape. Dumbledore believes in him!¡± Hermione couldn¡¯t help but say.

    ¡°Oh give it a rest, Hermione,¡± said Ron impatiently. ¡°I know Dumbledore is brilliant and everything, but that doesn¡¯t mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn¡¯t fool him.¡±

    ¡°Why did Snape save Harry¡¯s life in the first year? Why didn¡¯t he just let him die?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve both got a point,¡± said Sirius, looking thoughtfully at Ron and Hermione. ¡°To be honest, ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I¡¯ve wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape has always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was. He knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.¡±

    In the me, Sirius began to report their names one by one.

    ¡°Rosier and Wilkes ¡­ they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges ¡­ they¡¯re a married couple ¡­ they¡¯re in Azkaban. Avery ¡­ from what I¡¯ve heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he¡¯d been acting under the Imperius Curse ¡­ he¡¯s still atrge, and¡­¡± He named many Death Eaters imprisoned in Azkaban, and finally concluded, ¡°But as far as I know, Snape was never even used of being a Death Eater ¡­ not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. And Snape is certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble.¡±

    ¡°And Karkaroff!¡± Harry reminded Sirius. ¡°You said he was also a Death Eater.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he is also a Death Eater!¡± Sirius nodded and said, a bit confused. ¡°But I¡¯ve no idea what he showed Snape on his forearm. It¡¯s really strange, but if Karkaroff is genuinely worried, and he¡¯s going to Snape for answers¡­¡±

    He stared at them four with a serious look, then made a grimace of frustration.

    ¡°Hermione is right, Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn¡¯t, but I just can¡¯t see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he had ever worked for Voldemort.¡±

    There was a silence. Sirius stared at them for a while, and his eyes finally fell on Evan.

    ¡°Evan, have you found anything?¡± he asked softly, noting that Evan had not spoken.

    ¡°Karkaroff and Snape used to be Death Eaters after all. They¡¯ve hadmon experiences in the past. It is not strange that they have anymunication, especially under the current circumstances.¡± Evan paused and made a look at Sirius. ¡°What is the situation in the Ministry of Magic? I heard that Mr. Barty Crouch is sick?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Fudge has been alerted about this, and the Ministry of Magic knows it up and down.¡± Sirius nodded knowingly. ¡°Crouch suddenly became ill and could not work. It¡¯s very strange ¡­ very abnormal, in fact. There have been no signs of his illness. Moreover, he did not go to the hospital, but he kept himself at home. At least that¡¯s what we¡¯ve seen from the outside. Only Percy would get his instructions¡­¡±

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 Chapter 666: Fragile Balance

    Chapter 666: Fragile Bnce

    ¡°I asked Percy, and he told me that Mr. Crouch worked too hard and was recovering at home. He would regrly send owls to give him instructions. Percy showed me the letters. They were indeed Crouch¡¯s handwriting. But that doesn¡¯t mean anything. He hasn¡¯t seen Crouch himself! I¡¯d say Percy loves Crouch ¡­ He¡¯d love to get assigned more work from him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Percy is not the only one in the Department who is happy that crouch is suddenly ill and can¡¯te to work. As far as I know, Fudge may also think it¡¯s a good thing, because in this way, he doesn¡¯t have to ask Crouch for advice on everything.¡±

    After the disappearance of Crouch, the long-standing fragile bnce of power within the Ministry of Magic was finally broken.

    Fudge tookplete control of the Ministry of Magic. There was no need to worry about Mr. Crouch¡¯s opinion, and no one would oppose him.

    It was hard to say that this was a good thing. Evan guessed that Fudge should then try to weaken Dumbledore¡¯s influence.

    He hoped his power would expand infinitely, so that to resist all the people and facts against him.

    At this juncture, Fudge¡¯s stupid performance ofpeting for power was exactly what Voldemort wanted to see.

    Before the enemy attacked, there would be internal chaos. What could be worse?

    They talked for a while, and Sirius told them that he was busy working on the deaths in the Albanian forests recently, and he would soon go to Albania, where the Ministries of Magic of European countries and the International Confederation of Wizards had sent People to investigate.

    Needless to say, the end result had nothing to do with Voldemort and was attributed to vampires.

    Then, Evan asked about the hunt for the vampires, but the Ministry of Magic still had no progress. Even the vampires who had appeared in ancient ruins some time ago were now nowhere to be found. Either they had found what they wanted, or they got into more hidden ruins, which was not a good thing anyway.

    Especially knowing from Caresius that not all the vampires followed his orders, Evan had been worried about these guys.

    Vampires who served Voldemortpletely were far more dangerous than Death Eaters in the general sense.

    ¡°Well, now it¡¯s one o¡¯clock in the middle of the night, you four should go back to bed,¡± the mes were licking his ears.¡±If you find anything odd, you can inform me at any time. By the way, I remember there is a two-way mirror in my house. I¡¯ll go back and look for it. It¡¯s more convenient to connect with it.¡±

    Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stepped forward to say goodbye to him. Harry seemed to still have a lot to say.

    ¡°Hold it, Harry! If your scar hurts again, or if you encounter any situation you four can¡¯t handle, go to Dumbledore immediately. He is the only person in the castle you can fully trust. He¡¯ll help you.¡±

    It could be seen that Sirius had also doubts about Moody. After all, his performance that night was too abnormal.

    ¡°I know,¡± said Harry, looking at Sirius again for a while.

    Then they went back to their bedrooms to sleep. But about ten minutester, Evan came back.

    He saw Sirius smiling and waiting for him in the fire¡­

    The next conversation became much more meaningful, and Evan told Sirius a lot of valuable information.

    Not surprisingly, Sirius almost came out of the firece after knowing these things.

    In the end, Evan had to tell him about his and Dumbledore¡¯s n to make him calm down.

    Sirius and Evan agreed that they would watch the scene in the second task and stop Voldemort¡¯s conspiracy.

    Although Sirius knew about the Horcrux, Evan did not say that Harry was also a Horcrux. If he knew this, Sirius would definitely not control himself¡­

    At the moment, the situation was very good. Evan had found all the help, waiting for the start of the second task.

    For some time toe, the school was quiet, without Rita Skeeter¡¯s gossip reports, and fake Moody, Barty Crouch Jr., gradually getting calmer.

    As time approached, everyone was looking forward to the second task just like Evan.

    The only interesting thing was that Hagrid had reced a new magical creature. He had told everyonest lesson that they had finished with unicorns.

    Now, he was standing outside his cabin waiting for the students with, at his feet, a fresh supply of open crates they had never seen before.

    ¡°Please, don¡¯t be skrewts!¡± said Colin, as his heart sank.

    ¡°I feel skrewts are pretty cute,¡± said Gabrielle, not agreeing with Colin.

    She thought that Hagrid¡¯s course was really interesting. This girl was probably the only one of all who had this kind of reaction.

    Unfortunately, Hagrid had not yet recovered from Madame Maxime injury.

    He was now almost not close to the carriage of Beauxbatons, nor did he appear with Madame Maxime.

    Harry even told Evan that he had recently seen Hagrid digging in front of his cabin. It was then that Madame Maxime emerged from the Beauxbatons carriage and walked over to Hagrid. She appeared to be trying to engage him in conversation. Hagrid leaned upon his spade, but did not seem keen to prolong their talk, because Madame Maxime returned to the carriage shortly afterward

    This incident hurt Hagrid so deeply that he didn¡¯t have any good attitude towards all students from Beauxbatons.

    But in the face of a lovely little girl like Gabrielle, who was like an angel, no one would be really cold and angry.

    Hagrid did not intend to take care of Gabrielle, but soon offered to introduce the new magical creatures in the crates.

    They were fluffy ck creatures with long snouts. Their front paws were curiously t, like spades, and they were blinking up at the ss, looking politely puzzled at all the attention.

    ¡°These are Nifflers,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°You find them down mines mostly. They like sparkly stuff.¡±

    Evan had seen this magical creature in the illustrations before, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be so cute in real life.

    The girls all gathered around with interest, just like when they saw the unicorn.

    If it was not one of the Nifflers that suddenly leapt up and attempted to bite a girl¡¯s watch off her wrist, the atmosphere would have been perfectly harmonious.

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 Chapter 667: The Nifflers

    Chapter 667: The Nifflers

    ¡°Look, they¡¯re very useful little treasure detectors,¡± said Hagrid happily, seemingly satisfied with the performance of this Niffler.

    In his opinion, a cute magical creature should open its mouth and expose its fangs to bite others.

    The fiercer its momentum was, the sharper its teeth and ws were, the more it was recognized by Hagrid.

    As for animals that were cute in appearance and gentle in character, they had never been the focus of Hagrid¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Do these Nifflers bite?¡± said Colin worried. ¡°Should we stay a little further?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, they¡¯re only interested in sparkly things of value.¡± Evan replied and followed forward.

    ¡°Okay, I thought we¡¯d have some fun with them today. See over there?¡± Hagrid pointed at therge patch of freshly turned earth and regrouped the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ve buried some gold coins there. I¡¯ve got a prize for whoever picks the Niffler that digs up most. Just take off all your valuables, and choose a Niffler, and get ready to set them loose.¡±

    Evan went over and picked a Niffler. It put its long snout in Evan¡¯s ear and sniffed enthusiastically. This little thing was really quite cuddly. It was actually very easy to control a Niffler to find gold coins.

    As soon as Evan stood still, the Niffler he had chosen dived in and out of the patch of earth as though it were water. In a short while, it scurried back to Evan and spit gold coins into his hand, and licked his hand as though taking credit.

    The Niffler was both cute and really practical, especially in the search for treasures. Even Evan could not help but want to have one.

    As for the others, they had been around Hagrid to ask this question.

    This was easily the most fun they had ever had in Care of Magical Creatures, and everyone was very happy with the Nifflers.

    ¡°Your families wouldn¡¯t agree to have a Niffler at home,¡± said Hagrid grinning. ¡°Nifflers can¡¯t stay idle. They wreck houses, looking for valuable things. Well, you hurry to find gold. I¡¯ve buried a hundred coins.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t keep up. He stayed to chat with Hagrid, hoping to make him cheer up as soon as possible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evan, I¡¯ve got it all,¡± said Hagrid, ncing at Beauxbatons carriage, a bit sad. ¡°That woman is not worthy of my grief. She doesn¡¯t even dare to admit her identity.¡±

    ¡°Madame Maxime just has too many concerns. She¡¯s Beauxbatons Headmistress after all, and needs to take other people¡¯s opinions into consideration ¡­¡± Evan thought for a moment and went on, ¡°if you can, you should try to talk to her and give her a chance.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what Harry and Hermione told me this morning. You¡¯re good kids!¡± Hagrid said, grinning hard, but his eyes were wet again. ¡°I¡¯m d to be friends with you guys. As for ¡­ By the way, if you don¡¯t have ss on Friday afternoon, you cane to my cabin with Harry and the others. I¡¯ve prepared a new pie. You¡¯ll like it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯lle!¡± Evan doubted he would like Hagrid¡¯s pie. But looking at Hagrid¡¯s appearance now, it was really not suitable to continue to irritate him.

    ¡°Evan, aren¡¯t you going to look for gold coins? There¡¯s a reward,¡± Hagrid continued. ¡°Ron got the most in the morning ss. The Niffler he picked dug up nearly half of the gold coins.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s always been very good at such things. I¡¯d like better talk with you for a while,¡± said Evan.

    He knew it was leprechaun gold, and it would vanish after a few hours.

    Even if it was not, Evan was not interested in gold digging with the others. He did not care about Gold Galleons.

    Evan looked at the Niffler and put a small leprechaun gold coin in his hand. This gold coin was no different from the real Gold Galleons, even its weight was exactly the same, and could only be distinguished from the magic reaction on it.

    It had to be said that this magic was really amazing, and the leprechauns had this ability!

    Evan thought of Ron¡¯s gloomy face and upset appearance when he was eating at noon, and he kept muttering about gold coins from time to time. He also pointed at a potato and said something like ¡®I hate being poor.¡¯

    Harry and Hermione did not say a word at that time, and Evan was a little puzzled. Now he knew what had happened.

    Ron must have known from Hagrid, in the morning¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures ss that the leprechaun gold would disappear. He thought of the leprechaun coins he had picked up and given to Harry at the Quidditch World Cup for the Omniocrs he had received from him.

    Harry had told him that the Omniocrs were his present for Christmas. But on Christmas Day, Harry gave Ron a Chudley Cannons hat, which was very expensive.

    Because he had no money, Ron gave him a bag of Dungbombs. Of course, there was no way topare it with the Chudley Cannons hat, but at least it was interesting.

    At the very least, Harry didn¡¯t care at all. He didn¡¯t even notice the disappearance of Ron¡¯s gold coins. Or he noticed it, but he didn¡¯t care at all. There was no need to calcte so clearly between friends.

    But after a few years of contact, Evan knew that Ron was very concerned about this kind of thing. Unlike Fred and George, who were struggling to make money and be positive, Ron was always negative in this regard.

    He ced too much emphasis on money, power and strength. This was not a good thing, and it had always worried Evan.

    As long as there were these weaknesses, it was easy to be lured and bewitched by Voldemort. But so far, Ron had been able to wake up at a critical moment, which showed that his nature was not bad.

    Immediately, Evan thought of Peter Pettigrew. He was not a bad person in nature, and all the people he met and contacted were very decent. However, his subsequent life experience eventually went further and further on the wrong path¡­

    In Sirius incidentst year, Ron had proved that he was different from Peter Pettigrew.

    But there was another point that could not be ignored. He had not yet faced Voldemort¡­

    Linking Ron to Pettigrew, Evan suddenly felt that it was not a good sign.

    He shook his head in a hurry, but Peter¡¯s appearance became clearer in front of his eyes.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but think that Peter Pettigrew was still in Azkaban. Without his help, who would Voldemort choose to contribute part of his body to finish the magic this time?!

    What¡¯s more, was it a wrong choice to let Voldemort recover his strength?!

    Evan watched Durmstrang ship rise and fall in theke with the wind. He knew he was too nervous right now.

    In the face of Voldemort, who was about to return ¡­ in the face of the most dangerous Dark wizard in history, no one would care at all.

    Not to mention, Voldemort was now associated with the terrible evil god¡­

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 Chapter 668: Krum and Trouble

    Chapter 668: Krum and Trouble

    In this strange calm, time went on.

    After dinner on Friday night, Evan, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the castle to visit Hagrid.

    Hagrid had nned to invite them to have dinner at his ce, but the four agreed that it would be best not to take risks easily to try Hagrid¡¯s pies, so they changed the agreement to go to him for tea and dessert after dinner.

    Since his identity as a half-giant had been revealed, Hagrid no longer went to the Great Hall to eat with the others. Because there were always students who pointed at him impolitely, which made him feel ufortable.

    More importantly, Madame Maxime sometimes went there, and Hagrid did not want to meet her, let alone sit with her for dinner.

    Although his rtionship with Madame Maxime fell into a freezing point, Hagrid took care of Beauxbatons Abraxans. He was keeping the horses well provided with their preferred drink of single-malt whiskey, and the fumes wafting from the trough in the corner of their paddock was enough to make the students who came close to it light-headed.

    ¡°I hope Hagrid won¡¯t want us to eat the pie he made!¡± said Harry. ¡°I saw him get a piece of purple meat a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Purple meat? What animal is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I want to ask Hagrid about the Niffler. Maybe we can use it to find treasures,¡± said Ron excitedly. ¡°I know that many people in the past buried their treasures underground. We ¡­ Blimey, what¡¯s Professor Moody doing by theke?¡±

    Following his gaze, Evan saw Moody standing next to theke near the Forbidden Forest, as though observing something.

    Not surprisingly, he should be investigating the situation in theke. His magical eye could see through the water.

    The next week was the start of the second task, and Barty Crouch Jr. must be nning his plot.

    ¡°Maybe a walk¡­¡± said Hermione uncertainly.

    ¡°What a weirdo, he goes for a walk without even having dinner!¡±

    The four looked for a moment at Moody, who was standing by theke, and continued to head for Hagrid¡¯s cabin.

    They just took a few steps and stopped again. This time it was the gloomy Krum who called them to a halt.

    Krum came out of the castle and seemed to have something to say to them.

    ¡°Evan Mason, could I haff a vord?¡± Krum said briefly, with a serious look.

    ¡°Okay, no problem!¡± Evan looked at him strangely, slightly surprised.

    Seeing Krum¡¯s face, Hermione secretly pulled Evan, but eventually did not say anything.

    From Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan could see her concern and worry.

    He suddenly remembered what Hermione had told him some time ago. He knew that what Krum was going to say was probably rted to Hermione.

    He patted Hermione on the shoulder to reassure her. Now that he was Hermione¡¯s boyfriend, it was up to him to solve the problem and make Krum stop pestering her. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t dare go to the library alone to read at night.

    Although Evan was not worried that Hermione and Krum would spark off, the trouble really needed to be solved as soon as possible.

    He followed Krum to the direction of the Forbidden Forest, passing by Hagrid¡¯s cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage.

    Krum did not want to be overheard, and distanced himself from Harry, Ron, and Hermione behind him.

    ¡°Strange, what does Krum have to say to Evan?¡± Harry looked at the backs of the two people until they disappeared from sight,pletely covered by the bushes, and slowly said, ¡°Krum looks a little unhappy¡­¡±

    ¡°He invited me to visit him over the summer holidays the other day!¡± said Hermione. ¡°I am not sure if it¡¯s rted to this matter.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ron looked at Hermione in surprise.

    ¡°At the library on Wednesday night, he invited me, and to be honest, I was very surprised. He suddenly said those words to me¡­¡± Hermione¡¯s face turned slightly red, she paused, and quickly added,¡± but I refused on the spot!¡±

    ¡°Hermione, Krum invited you to be his guest?!¡± Ron said in surprise. ¡°And you refused?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what should I do else?¡± Hermione frowned at Ron.

    ¡°If it were me, I would not refuse Krum¡¯s invitation. Think about it. It¡¯s a dream for many people to visit Krum¡¯s house for the summer holidays. He¡¯s a famous international Quidditch yer,¡± said Ron simply. ¡°You should ept, Hermione, and ask him, while you¡¯re at it, if you can take friends with you, so that you can take us there.¡±

    ¡°I just think of him as an ordinary friend, nothing more. Besides, Evan would like that I would have more contact with him. However, he seems to me Evan for my refusal¡­¡±

    ¡°Krum is definitely angry!¡± Ron interrupted Hermione. ¡°Just being a guest¡­ you came to my housest year!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the same, Ron!¡± said Harry, grasping the crux of the matter, ¡°Hermione should indeed reject Krum, she¡¯s Evan¡¯s girlfriend. How can she visit someone else¡¯s house during the summer vacation?¡±

    Ron still looked puzzled, and Harry thought for a moment, probably thinking about what to say to make Ron understand.

    ¡°Ron, Krum is Evan¡¯s¡­ rival; he also <i>likes</i> Hermione!¡±

    Hearing Harry¡¯s words so bluntly, Hermione blushed as if she were on fire and could almost feel the heating out of her.

    Ron also understood what Krum meant by inviting Hermione to visit him. He didn¡¯t continue toment.

    Indeed, Hermione was now Evan¡¯s girlfriend.

    Ron suddenly remembered the scene when they came back to announce the event that night after the Yule Ball.

    Perhaps because he was too familiar with it, he had been ignoring this fact.

    Krum obviously liked Hermione and did not just invite her to y chess.

    Ron looked strangely at Hermione, whose face was flushed, as though he had just met her.

    At the same time, Harry¡¯s thoughts were equallyplex, and Krum¡¯s actions suddenly touched his heartstrings.

    He couldn¡¯t help but think, if Cho Chang was his girlfriend, what would he do if he encountered such a thing?!

    Unfortunately, Cho¡¯s boyfriend now was Cedric Diggory. They¡¯ve already confirmed their rtionship, haven¡¯t they?!

    Harry was not Krum, and he would not go to Cedric¡­

    Just as he was about to say something, there was an abnormal movement in the bushes behind Hermione.

    Harry had some experience with things hidden in the forest. He instinctively grabbed Hermione by the arm and pulled her over¡­

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 Chapter 669: Mr. Crouch is Mad

    Chapter 669: Mr. Crouch is Mad

    ¡°Harry, what is it?¡±

    Harry put his finger against his lips, staring at the ce where he had seen movement.

    He slipped his hand inside, reaching for his wand. He was sure there was someone there!

    Someone was following them, who was it?!

    There was a weird silence in the woods, with only the sound of the night wind.

    ¡°God, look at that!¡± Ron snapped, pointing to the opposite side.

    Harry and Hermione hurriedly looked back and saw a man suddenly stagger out from behind a tall oak.

    The atmosphere was tense, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not recognize him at first¡­

    Then they realized it was Mr. Crouch.

    He looked as though he had been wandering for days. The knees of his robes were ripped and bloody, his face scratched; he was unshaven and gray with exhaustion. His neat hair and mustache were both in need of a wash and a trim.

    He looked strange, but strangest was his behavior. Mr. Crouch seemed to be talking to someone that he alone could see. He kept muttering and gesticting.

    As soon as Harry saw him, he remembered an old tramp he had seen when he went shopping with the Dursleys.

    That man too had been conversing wildly with thin air. Aunt Petunia had seized Dudley¡¯s hand and pulled him across the road to avoid him. Uncle Vernon had then treated the family to a long rant about what he would like to do with beggars and vagrants.

    ¡°God, it¡¯s Mr. Crouch, what¡¯s going on?¡± Hermione panicked.

    ¡°He seems to be out of his mind!¡± Ron looked at him in horror.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Harry shouted, pointing his wand at Mr. Crouch.

    He had no time to think about why the voice he had just heard was in the opposite direction of Crouch, but felt the danger inexplicably.

    He hesitated for a moment, and then walked slowly toward Mr. Crouch, who did not look at him, but continued to talk to a nearby tree.

    ¡°¡­ and when you¡¯ve done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament, Karkaroff has just sent a word there will be twelve¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Crouch?!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°¡­ and then send another owl to Madame Maxime, because she might want to up the number of students she¡¯s bringing, now Karkaroff¡¯s made it a round dozen ¡­ do that, Weatherby, will you? Will you? Will¡­¡±

    Mr. Crouch¡¯s eyes were bulging. He stood staring at the tree, muttering soundlessly at it. Then he staggered sideways and fell to his knees.

    ¡°Mr. Crouch?¡± Harry said loudly. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    Crouch¡¯s eyes were rolling in his head, and he looked at the three of them with horrible eyes.

    ¡°Guys, we¡¯d better hurry to get someone!¡± said Ron, looking at Crouch in horror.

    ¡°Dumbledore!¡± gasped Mr. Crouch. He reached out and seized a handful of Harry¡¯s robes, dragging him closer, though his eyes were staring over Harry¡¯s head. ¡°I need to see Dumb ¡­ Dumbledore¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Harry, ¡°if you get up, Mr. Crouch, we can go up to the¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done a stupid thing¡­¡± Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. ¡°Must tell Dumbledore¡­ must tell him!¡±

    Mr. Crouch¡¯s eyes rolled forward onto Harry.

    ¡°You ¡­ who are you?¡± he said with a vignce in his tone, ¡°Where did I see you?¡±

    ¡°I am a student at Hogwarts School,¡± said Harry, looking around at Hermione and Ron.

    ¡°Mr. Crouch, this is Harry Potter, and I am¡­¡± Hermione came over to hold Crouch.

    ¡°Harry Potter!¡± said Crouch softly. ¡°You are the child. Here is Hogwarts. You are Dumbledore¡¯s. Go and warn him¡­¡±

    Crouch was pulling him closer, and Harry tried to loosen Crouch¡¯s grip on his robes, but it was too powerful.

    ¡°Warn Dumbledore¡­ tell him¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Dumbledore if you let go of me,¡± said Harry. ¡°Just let go, Mr. Crouch, and I¡¯ll get him!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Weatherby, and when you have done that, I would like a cup of tea. My wife and son will be arriving shortly; we are attending a concert tonight with Mr. and Mrs. Fudge.¡±

    Crouch suddenly let go of Harry and Hermione and began to talk to a tree again.

    He seemed to have forgotten them all at once and entered a strange state of madness.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another uneasily, and there was only a heavy breathing in the woods.

    ¡°Yes, my son has recently gained 12 O.W.L.s, most satisfactory, yes, thank you, yes, very proud indeed. Now, if you can bring me that memo from the Andorran Minister of Magic, I think I will have time to draft a response¡­¡±

    ¡°He is mad!¡± said Ron, staring down at Crouch, who was still gabbling to the tree, apparently convinced it was Percy.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Harry quickly made up his mind, ¡°Just stay with him, I¡¯ll go back to get Dumbledore!¡±

    Harry started to get up and leave, but his movement seemed to trigger another abrupt change in Mr. Crouch, who seized him hard around the knees and pulled Harry back to the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Harry Potter!¡± He whispered, his eyes bulging again. ¡°I escaped¡­ their guards suddenly rxed¡­ I took the opportunity to escape, I must warn¡­ must tell¡­ see Dumbledore¡­ my fault¡­ my fault¡­ all my fault¡­ my son¡­ my fault¡­ tell Dumbledore¡­ Harry Potter¡­ the Dark Lord is stronger! Hurry up, Harry Potter¡­ ¡°

    ¡°The Dark Lord?!¡± Harry froze for a moment. ¡°If you let go of me, I¡¯ll get Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch!¡±

    With the help of Ron and Hermione, he tried his best to pull himself free of Mr. Crouch.

    ¡°Just keep him here,¡± said Harry quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll be back with Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better hurry!¡± Ron shouted. ¡°We can¡¯t hold on for long.¡±

    Ron looked uneasily at Crouch, who went again into a state of madness.

    Harry sprinted away from the forest and up through the dark grounds.

    The sky hadpletely darkened and there was no one on the field.

    Professor Moody, who was standing by theke, was no longer there. Harry did not think about it and he ran to the castle with all his strength.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 670: The Approaching Battle

    Chapter 670: The Approaching Battle

    Ron and Hermione stood beside Mr. Crouch and the woods became darker.

    They had to take out their wands and two faint beams flickered in the dark.

    ¡°How could Mr. Crouch suddenly go so mad?¡± said Hermione nervously. ¡°This is really abnormal. Percy clearly said that he was very sick, recuperating at home and unable to work. He looks now as though he had been subjected to some cruel torture.¡±

    ¡°Maybe Percy did it!¡± Ron joked, his voice trembling. ¡°He might think that if he killed Mr. Crouch, he would be made head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.¡±

    Hermione gave him a hard look. ¡°This is very serious because he just mentioned the Dark Lord!¡±

    There was a silence, perhaps because of the name, and the cold wind became more biting.

    Even Mr. Crouch stopped and the darkness in the woods grew deeper.

    ¡°We should call Evan over. He and Krum are not far away!¡± Hermione said suddenly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go, do you?¡± said Ron hesitantly, looking around cautiously. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me here alone!¡±

    ¡°I have a bad hunch. When I was in the first year, I had detention with Harry in the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid told us ¡­¡± said Hermione, suddenly raising her wand very fast. ¡°If anyone gets in trouble in the woods, send up red sparks!¡±

    Her voice just fell and a bright beam of light rose from the end of her wand and slowly rose to the sky.

    With a plop, Hermione just sent the spark and fell down¡­

    ¡°Hermione, don¡¯t ¡­ don¡¯t joke with me!¡± Ron shuddered, hearing something behind him.

    He hurriedly turned around and saw¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    Evan followed Krum to a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the Beauxbatons horses¡¯ paddock.

    Even though Evan thought there was not much to talk about with him, something still needed to be made clear.

    Krum stopped in the shade of the trees and turned to face Evan.

    He red at Evan who realized that he was really tall.

    ¡°I vant to know,¡± said Krum, with a calm face. ¡°Vot there is between you and Hermy-own-ninny?¡±

    ¡°I think you should have noticed by now, she¡¯s my girlfriend,¡± said Evan softly, ¡°And, her name is <i>Hermione</i>, not Hermy-own-ninny!¡±

    Krum¡¯s face flushed at Evan¡¯s words.

    ¡°I will make Hermy-own-ninny like me,¡± he said stiffly, his face bing gloomier.

    ¡°Obviously, you¡¯re free to try. But I hope you¡¯d better stay away from Hermione and leave her alone,¡± said Evan quietly, looking at Krum. ¡°What you did in the library made her have no way to read quietly, and it was very rude.¡±

    Seeing Krum¡¯s angry look, Evan suddenly felt uninterested. Talking about this topic with Krum was actually not meaningful at all. In fact, it was really boring. It was better to go to Hagrid to listen to the recent situation of the st-Ended Skrewts.

    Not surprisingly, Krum became angrier when he heard Evan.

    He kept saying that Evan had no right to stop him or stop Hermione from visiting him at his house.

    ¡°In the Quidditch Vorld Cup, I fell in lof with Hermy-own-ninny the first time I saw her,¡± said Krum, waving his arms vigorously, trying to make Evan understand, ¡°She is the girl I vas destined to wait for. If you don¡¯t gife up, I vill fight with you. In Durmstrang, only the strongest haf the right to choose.¡±

    ¡°This habit is not good, you¡¯d better get rid of it!¡± said Evan, ¡°At Hogwarts, we stress freedom, not brute force! That¡¯s all I have to say. I think you know Hermione won¡¯t like <i>you</i>. Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t havee to me. I won¡¯t give in to such a thing. Hermione is my girl¡­¡±

    Just then, a red spark suddenly rose not far away, very eye-catching.

    Evan looked up. It was the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He remembered that Harry, Ron and Hermione were waiting for them.

    Was there anything wrong? Evan suddenly had a bad feeling.

    Immediately, the picture of Moody standing alone by theke appeared in front of him.

    Damn, Batty Crouch Jr. He didn¡¯t do it, did he?!

    Bold as it might be, it was possible. He would not be found by Dumbledore as long as he kept the Portkey nearby.

    Voldemort couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Taking advantage of this opportunity to take Harry away, he didn¡¯t have to wait for the task.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Thinking of this, Evan rushed to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    ¡°Stop, Evan Mason,¡± Krum shouted. ¡°I haf not finished yet!¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t take care of him at all, and there was no time to waste here with this guy.

    Watching Evan¡¯s back, Krum looked sad. He had just seen the red spark in the sky and knew that something had happened.

    But today¡¯s conversation ended fruitlessly, and he didn¡¯t get the result he wanted. If he let Evan leave like this ¡­

    He¡¯d rather fight Evan than let it end like that. Krum knew that Hermione would be sick of him if Evan went back to talk about it.

    He hesitated, took out his wand and pointed it at Evan, and wanted to keep him here¡­

    The red light shed and quickly dissipated.

    His magic had failed. Before Krum could figure out what was going on, he saw a red magic light thick as an arm flying towards him.

    With a bang, he flew backwards and fell heavily into the bushes.

    Evan passed through the trees and quickly ran to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Because it was very close, he arrived soon.

    The end of his wand glowed with light, illuminating the open space and dispelling the darkness around him.

    Evan saw Ron and Hermione lying on the ground in the Forest, and Harry was not there¡­

    Was hete? His heart sank hard. Then he noticed Mr. Crouch beside Ron.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault ¡­ my fault!¡± Crouch murmured.

    He was curling up on the edge of a big oak, and his meticulous face was distorted, as though he was very afraid¡­

    Barty Crouch was here, not dead!

    Evan had a little idea of what was going on. He came at the right time.

    He swung his wand down and rxed his stiff body.

    Barty Crouch Jr. must be nearby. If he wanted a battle, then he would have it!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 671: Evan VS Barty Crouch Jr.

    Chapter 671: Evan VS Barty Crouch Jr.

    Evan waved his wand lightly, and several trees around him came to life.

    They stretched ugly branches, writhing and turning into tree-men to block in front of Hermione, Ron, and Crouch.

    ¡°Come out, I know you¡¯re here!¡± Evan shouted. His voice echoed through the woods and spread out into the distance.

    Evanid his wand across his chest and walked two steps forward, seemingly defenseless, without any body protection.

    He was looking for the ce where Barty Crouch Jr. could be hiding, ready to lure him out.

    Barty Crouch Jr. was also looking for a chance to get rid of Evan.

    ¡°The people in the castle will arrive soon. You don¡¯t have much time left!¡± said Evan, looking around.

    His spirit was highly concentrated and Barty Crouch Jr. was unlikely to continue to drag on.

    The next second, the battle began!

    Evan swooped forward to avoid a Killing Curseing from the side of the nt without any warning.

    He quickly waved his wand, and the magic barrier with silver water waves rose abruptly from the thin air, colliding with the dark green light, creating bright sparks, apanied by a strange sound of water flow.

    In the interval between his opponent¡¯s attacks, Evan waved his wand at where the curse came from.

    A dark blue light came out of the tip of his wand and sted to hit a big tree in the distance. The trunk of the tree was quickly eroded and withered to a degree visible to the naked eye¡­

    Evan heard heavy footsteps. Barty Crouch had dodged his curse.

    In the light of the surrounding fire, he saw a figure clumsily rushing into the distant trees.

    Evan did not give him a chance to breathe. His wand was raised high, and a rising pir of fire burst out of the trees, five feet high, with a zing temperature. Barty Crouch Jr. could definitely not escape if he hid in there.

    He had to give up hiding, and Evan saw Barty Crouch Jr. in the mes.

    In order not to be seen, he had used the potion to change back from the image of Moody. A pale yellow mess, but also a pale, paper-like face with a crazy, perverted smile¡­

    His body was burned by mes and there was no scream of pain, but a little excitement on his face.

    This guy was really a madman!

    Immediately, the pir of fire turned into a fountain, and the sshes of water fell on the ground and turned into poisonous insects.

    They made a clicking sound, crowded together, and rushed to Evan.

    The circr ring of me, centered on Evan, spread outwards. Burned by the fire, the insects screamed in pain and distortion, and then disappeared into wisps of ck smoke.

    At the same time, the wind blew, and the light and fire that Evan had ced around him went out quickly, and the darkness came back.

    The two people were panting and did not continue to fight, quietly standing in situ.

    The confrontation just now had allowed Evan and Barty Crouch Jr. to know each other¡¯s general strength.

    None of them could beat the other in a short time and they continued the standoff, which was undoubtedly in Evan¡¯s favor.

    Barty Crouch Jr. understood that, too. He didn¡¯t expect it to be so hard to deal with Evan; and he became a little anxious.

    Immediately, his gaze fell to Ron, Hermione, and Crouch, who were protected by the tree men¡­

    As the battle continued, Barty crouch, Jr., dodged Evan¡¯s attack and aimed at Ron and Hermione.

    A green curse collided with the tree men, and the wood chips flew, making a horrible sound. Soon, they became a mass of powder.

    Instead of continuing to attack him, Evan had to stay in front of Ron, Hermione and Mr. Crouch to defend them.

    There was no need to beat Barty Crouch Jr., and he had just to keep going¡­

    Just then, Mr. Crouch suddenly stood up, as though stimted by the fighting between the two sides.

    He returned to normal and pointed horrified at Barty Crouch Jr., not far away. His eyes were wide open and his body was shaking.

    ¡°My <i>dear</i> father!¡± said Barty Crouch Jr. quietly, licking his lips.

    In the dim light, the cruel and entric smile on his face became more obvious, and he looked at Mr. Crouch with great interest.

    ¡°Help me ¡­ help me!¡± Mr. Crouch was trembling. He pounced on Evan, grabbed his robes, and shouted, ¡°I have to see Dumbledore ¡­ my son ¡­ the Dark Lord¡­¡±

    ¡°Damn!¡± Evan struggled and a shield came out. ¡°I¡¯m helping you right now. Lie down there.¡±

    Mr. Crouch was totally out of his mind and scared of his son. He was clinging tightly to Evan.

    Bang! A sh of red light hit Mr. Crouch. Evan had to blow him away if he didn¡¯t want to die here¡­

    Mr. Crouch let go of Evan and flew backwards, hitting a tree trunk heavily, his head bleeding.

    ¡°The Dark Lord has be stronger. He has gained strong evil power!¡± He struggled to get to his feet, waving his arms and he ran screaming into the woods. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault ¡­ my fault ¡­ I have to tell Dumbledore ¡­ he can¡¯t let the Dark Lord seed¡­¡±

    He soon disappeared into the dense woods, and Barty Crouch Jr. hurriedly chased him up.

    Evan hesitated for a moment, looking at Ron and Hermione, lying on the ground, and did not follow.

    Mr. Crouch was finished. Barty Crouch Jr. wouldn¡¯t let him go.

    Evan couldn¡¯t save him if he caught up now. Instead, he might put Ron and Hermione, who were here, in danger.

    Although he hated himself for thinking about this, it was in the interests of both sides to let Barty Jr. finish off Mr. Crouch.

    He had to let the n proceed ording to the original script, and the identity of Barty Crouch Jr. could not be exposed.

    Evan was more concerned about what Barty Crouch meant by hisst words!

    Voldemort had gained more strong evil power. What progress had he made on the evil god?!

    And why did Mr. Crouch suddenly run to Hogwarts? Crouch Jr. apparently got the news and was waiting for him here.

    Immediately, Evan thought of Caresius, or the result of the vampire¡¯s fight against Voldemort.

    It was to say, at this juncture, he really added a lot of trouble to both sides!

    Evan checked Hermione and Ron, they had only fainted, and Barty Crouch Jr. hadn¡¯t killed them.

    ¡°<i>Rennervate</i>!¡± Evan whispered, pointing his wand at Hermione.

    Hermione opened her eyes, her face was nk and she felt she was lying on someone¡¯s knee.

    Then she saw Evan and struggled to sit up.

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 Chapter 672: Angry Hagrid

    Chapter 672: Angry Hagrid

    Evan quickly put his hand on her shoulder and told her to lie still.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Hermione asked softly. ¡°After Harry left, I felt something was wrong, as though someone was hiding in the dark and peeping at us. I just cast a red spark of warning and I was knocked down¡­¡±

    ¡°You did a good job, Hermione!¡± Evan recapitted what happened just now.

    He did not say that the person who fought with him was Barty Crouch Jr., but that he did not know him.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that man, why does he want to kill Mr. Crouch?¡± said Hermione, turning to the direction in which Mr. Crouch disappeared. ¡°Evan, what should we do now? We have to go and save him¡­¡±

    Just then, there was a sound of footsteps. Dumbledore and Harry hade.

    The two of them ran in a hurry, a narrow beam of light traveling from ck trunk to ck trunk.

    ¡°What happened, Evan?¡± Dumbledore asked calmly. ¡°Where¡¯s Crouch?!¡±

    ¡°He ran away, either wandering in the woods, or else¡­¡± Evan said again what had happened.

    Dumbledore listened to Evan¡¯s ount, staring thoughtfully at the dark woods, understanding what Evan meant.

    ¡°Professor, shall we go to him or go back and ask for help?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°No,¡± said Dumbledore quickly. ¡°Stay here, Harry, all of you.¡±

    He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid¡¯s cabin. Something silvery darted out of it and streaked away through the trees like a ghostly bird.

    Then, Dumbledore bent over and awakened Ron.

    Ron woke up and put a hand up to his head.

    ¡°It hurts!¡± he shouted. ¡°He attacked me! The old madman attacked me! Hermione suddenly fainted, I was about to go over and see what happened, the old madman attacked me from behind!¡±

    ¡°Not Mr. Crouch, someone else!¡± Harry exined to him.

    In a short while, the sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore!¡± he said, his eyes widening. ¡°Oh, you four, what happened here?¡±

    He looked around ufortably, watching the traces left by Evan and Barty Crouch Jr. after the battle.

    ¡°Hagrid, kindly alert Professor Moody¡­¡±

    ¡°No need, Dumbledore,¡± said a wheezy growl. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Moody was limping toward them, leaning on his staff, his wand lit.

    He had changed his clothes and there was no sign of any battle with Evan on him. Behind him floated a stretcher on which Krum was lying unconscious.

    ¡°I would¡¯ve been here quicker, if it wasn¡¯t for this damn leg!¡± said Moody furiously, pointing at his fake leg.

    ¡°Professor, what happened to Krum?¡± said Ron in surprise, looking at Krum behind Moody.

    ¡°Stunned ¡­ as though he¡¯d been attacked by someone.¡± said Moody with a rough voice, his magical eye rolling.

    Evan remembered he had been burned by the magical fire, but now he looked as though nothing had happened, it was really¡­

    ¡°Krum is badly hurt; I think someone wanted to kill the child. Fortunately, I was patrolling in the woods, and here he is! ¡°

    Hearing Moody¡¯s words, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned their heads to look at Evan.

    ¡°Well, I did attack him, but he didn¡¯t faint and didn¡¯t get hurt when I left.¡± Evan sighed and said what happened between him and Krum and thest Shield Charm he used.

    He did not expect that Krum would meet Barty Crouch Jr., this guy was really unfortunate!

    ¡°Professor, it was not Evan who did it. It was the man who was after Mr. Crouch,¡± said Harry in a hurry. ¡°He must have met Krum in the woods and attacked him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Hermione anxiously. ¡°I can prove Evan¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet, Miss Granger!¡± Moody shouted. ¡°You just mentioned Crouch?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, he disappeared into the woods, we must find him!¡± said Dumbledore, examining Krum. ¡°Hagrid, I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff, he must be informed about this.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah ¡­ right away, Professor!¡± Hagrid looked anxiously at Evan and the other three. Then he turned and disappeared into the dark trees, Fang trotting after him.

    Moody also learned the story from Harry and Ron. He raised his wand.

    ¡°Damn, I was here just now, but I didn¡¯t see them. I¡¯m going to find Crouch!¡± he said, limping off into the forest.

    The others did not speak, and Dumbledore calmly looked at Moody¡¯s back and did not stop him.

    No doubt, he was going to deal with Mr. Crouch¡¯s body now.

    ¡°Professor, is Krum okay?¡± Hermione asked anxiously.

    ¡°No problem, but he¡¯ll have to rest for a while!¡± said Dumbledore.

    After a while, they heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them. He was wearing his sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated.

    ¡°What is this?¡± He cried when he saw Krum on the ground. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°Igor, he has been attacked,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°This¡­¡±

    He hadn¡¯t finished yet, and Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs around him, looking livid.

    ¡°Enough, treachery, all treachery!¡± he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. ¡°I see. It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore. This is not an equalpetition! First, you sneak Weasley into the tournament, though he is underage! Now, you want to put <i>my</i> champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences ¡­ here¡¯s what I think of <i>you</i>!¡±

    Karkaroff spat onto the ground at Dumbledore¡¯s feet. In one swift movement, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff¡¯s furs, lifted him into the air, and mmed him against a nearby tree.

    ¡°<i>Apologize¡­</i>¡± Hagrid snarled as Karkaroff gasped for breath, Hagrid¡¯s massive fist at his throat, his feet dangling in midair.

    ¡°Hagrid, <i>no</i>!¡± Dumbledore shouted, his eyes shing sharply.

    Hagrid removed the hand pinning Karkaroff to the tree, and Karkaroff slid all the way down the trunk and slumped in a huddle at its roots; a few twigs and leaves showered down upon his head, and he looked very embarrassed.

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 Chapter 673: The Dream

    Chapter 673: The Dream

    Breathing heavily, Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look.

    Hagrid¡¯s magic was weak and he was not a qualified wizard, but because of his half-giant blood, his actualbat effectiveness was very strong. Not to mention, he had the ability to tame magical creatures.

    Karkaroff was not Hagrid¡¯s opponent at all. Under his re, he dared not say a word.

    He was such a soft-stricken personality, Evan had long known it, but the actual situation was worse than expected.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how this kind of person had been made Headmaster of Durmstrang, but Karkaroff was very cunning!

    ¡°Igor, we are going to send Mr. Krum to the school hospital now, he will recover,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Hagrid, kindly escort Harry, Evan, Ron and Hermione back up to the castle!¡±

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯d better stay here, Headmaster¡­¡± Hagrid said.

    ¡°You will take them back to school!¡± Dumbledore repeated firmly. ¡°Take them right up to Gryffindor Tower. And Evan, Harry ¡­ I want you to stay there. Anything you might want to do can wait until tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Evan replied. It was true that Barty Crouch Jr. couldn¡¯t be given another chance.

    Especially after so many things had happened, he might take the chance and take Harry at any moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave Fang with you, Headmaster,¡± Hagrid said, staring menacingly at Karkaroff, who was still sprawled at the foot of the tree, tangled in furs and tree roots. He did not look at Hagrid, apparently waiting for them to go first.

    ¡°Stay, Fang! Come on, you four.¡±

    They marched in silence past the Beauxbatons carriage and up toward the castle.

    ¡°He¡¯s so bold,¡± Hagrid growled as they strode past theke. ¡°How dare he use Dumbledore? Like Dumbledore would do anything like that. Like Dumbledore wanted Ron in the tournament in the first ce!¡±

    ¡°Did you say that the man attacked Krum?¡± Harry said, asking a lot of questions in a row. ¡°Who is he and why is he after Mr. Crouch? And, why did Mr. Crouch be like that?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Crouch mentioned the Dark Lord, and this thing must be rted to him,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything wrong with Mr. Crouch, I hope he can¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, listen to me!¡± Hagrid shouted angrily. Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all surprised and looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it anymore. The four of you were supposed to have tea with me tonight instead of going into the woods to fight the evil Dark wizard. Especially you, Evan, how can you go to the depths of the Forbidden Forest with that Krum? He¡¯s from Durmstrang. He could have killed you here. Imagine letting him lure you off on your own ¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Krum is no opponent to me,¡± said Evan. ¡°And why would he kill me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me why, they¡¯ve always been like this,¡± said Hagrid grimly, stomping up the stairs, ¡°In short, the less you lot have to do with these foreigners, the happier you¡¯ll be. You can¡¯t trust any of them.¡±

    They looked at one another and Hagrid was apparently still angry about Madame Maxime.

    ¡°You should stay away from the sisters. Don¡¯t wander in front of the carriage. Who knows what wille out of it?¡± said Hagrid, and he looked quite frightening for a moment. ¡°Trying to get back in me good books, trying to get me to tell her what¡¯sing in the next task. Ha! You can¡¯t trust any of them!¡±

    It seemed that Hagrid did follow Evan¡¯s advice and went to talk to Madame Maxime again, but as a result¡­

    Hagrid was in such a bad mood, and he kept taking them to the Gryffindor¡¯s Common Room.

    They all felt relieved, atst, when they said good-bye to him in front of the Fat Lady.

    ¡°Evan, who do you think is the man who fought you?¡± said Hermione, looking for an empty corner.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not someone I know!¡± Evan paused and went on, ¡°you must not wander alone these days. Someone¡¯s got into Hogwarts. It¡¯s not safe in school. What we should do now is to help Ron pass the second task.¡±

    He did not expect any further idents, and hoped that everything would go smoothly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. With the help of Gillyweed, I¡¯ll definitely have no problem,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Damn!¡± said Harry bitterly, shaking his fist. ¡°If Snape hadn¡¯t held me up, we might have got there in time. ¡¯The headmaster is busy, Potter ¡­ what¡¯s this rubbish, Potter?¡¯ Why couldn¡¯t he have just got out of the way?¡±

    When he went to Dumbledore, he had been stopped by Snape for a long time.

    Eventually, when they arrived, the battle between Evan and Barty crouch Jr. was over.

    ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t want you to get there!¡± said Ron quickly. ¡°Maybe¡­ hang on¡­ how fast do you reckon he could have gotten down to the forest? Do you reckon he could have beaten you and Dumbledore there? Would it be him who fought Evan?¡±

    ¡°Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± Ron muttered.

    ¡°Well, go back to bed now,¡± said Evan. There was no point in continuing to specte. ¡°If there is anything, you can ask Hagrid tomorrow morning. Remember, be vignt, and don¡¯t act alone!¡±

    That night, Evan did not sleep well, and what Mr. Crouch said when he left kept echoing in his ears.

    Evan dreamed of the terrible evil god, which merged with Voldemort¡­

    The only one who slept worse than Evan was Harry. His scar was hurting all the time. And the worst was that he was dreaming again!

    That was a very realistic, but terrible dream.

    Harry dreamed he was riding on the back of an eagle owl, soaring through the dark night sky toward an old, ivy-covered house set high on a hillside.

    Lower and lower they flew, the wind blowing pleasantly in Harry¡¯s face, until they reached a dark and broken window in the upper story of the house and entered. Now they were flying along a gloomy passageway, to a room at the very end ¡­ through the door they went, into a dark room whose windows were boarded up¡­

    Harry had left the owl¡¯s back ¡­ he was watching, now, as it fluttered across the room, into a chair with its back to him. There were two dark shapes on the floor beside the chair.

    One was a terrible tree root statue, the one Harry had seen in the summer before.

    It was a mixture of the ugliest things Harry had ever seen in his life, twisted all over, with a faint red glow from time to time.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 674: The Vision of Evil

    Chapter 674: The Vision of Evil

    Harry remembered Evan saying that the monster on this twisted and terrible sculpture was a terrible evil god.

    It was a terrifying creature, from the void, that did not exist in the real world, whose purpose was to destroy all life.

    He looked at the statue, which was strange. Thest time he saw it, it didn¡¯t react, but now it was shining red.

    The shing red light was like a me of sin, and Harry¡¯s heart beat every time it shed.

    He had a bad feeling. He felt the most evil breath in the world from the statue¡­

    Harry watched it, of course, it was the man who was watching it.

    For a long time, his gaze finally turned to another ck chair in front of the chair, where there was a man with a cold face.

    ¡°Caresius, I need an exnation!¡± A cold, harsh voice came from the chair.

    ¡°I already told you, my men let him escape because of a mistake!¡± said Caresius slowly, in an equally cold voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Dark Lord, but he¡¯s dead. I hope to not screw up your n.¡±

    ¡°Not this time. My servant took care of him to avoid making things worse,¡± the cold voice said, icy. ¡°But I should probably remind you that I can¡¯t tolerate making mistakes again. You should know the basis of our cooperation. Now, even without your help¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, I hope you can remember this, too,¡± said Caresius, seemingly undeterred by the threat. ¡°In your current state, you can¡¯t do anything without my support and help!¡±

    ¡°Really ?!¡± said the cold voice. ¡°Do you think so?!¡±

    In the middle of the room, the red light of the statue was more frequent, as though something was going to break through the cocoon.

    The sharp tip of a wand appeared at the side of the chair, pointing at Caresius.

    In the corner, arge snake was slithering slowly, approaching Caresius from behind.

    Harry wanted to warn him, but the scar on his forehead was sorely burning, and he could feel the man¡¯s anger¡­

    Strange power surged in his body, followed by piercing pain, as though every nerve were on fire.

    The shing red light on the statue faded away, and the terrible power disappeared. Instead, irrepressible weakness encroached on every cell in his body. Harry could feel it clearly, because he took his wand back.

    ¡°Have you been able to use its power?¡± said Caresius softly, in a tone of undisguised surprise.

    ¡°Not yet, but soon,¡± said the cold voice. ¡°It will be mine sooner orter. I am the most powerful in the world.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, as you grow stronger, the more evil you be,¡± said Caresius. ¡°The power of that thing is beyond your imagination. You have no idea what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re ying with fire. ¡°

    ¡°That¡¯s what a weak man would say!¡±

    ¡°Its power is cursed and should not exist in this world.¡±

    ¡°Enough, Caresius, don¡¯t try to challenge my patience anymore!¡± The cold voice snapped, changing to a glib tone. ¡°We have the same purpose. I also want to see what my great ancestors left me. By the way, I can help you solve that ridiculous problem, if you don¡¯t foolishly seek your own way! ¡°

    ¡°As long as you remember your promise, my people and I won¡¯t meddle in your affairs.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± said the cold voice, hissing, ¡°Nagini, you¡¯re out of luck. I will not be feeding him to you¡­ but never mind ¡­ there is still Harry Potter ¡­¡±

    The snake also hissed, and Harry could not help but swallow when he saw its tongue fluttering.

    The next second, he opened his eyes, squinting, and found that he was still lying on afortable, soft four-poster bed.

    Harry covered his face with his hands. His scar was still burning so badly that his eyes were watering. The pain had been real, not a dream. It had been as vivid as the one that had awoken him on Privet Drive!

    Harry even felt that he had entered the illusion and be that man¡­

    ¡°Damn dream!¡± He murmured and got out of bed.

    In the dim light, Harry fumbled for his sses and looked at the time. It was only five o¡¯clock in the morning.

    On the four-poster bed next to him, Ron was still asleep, snoring slightly, and his clothes were still on the ground.

    On the other side, Neville, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan had no movement at all and were immersed in their dreams.

    Harry felt like there was nothing more ridiculous than that. He had just gone through what was probably the evilest thing in the world, while his roommates were sleeping peacefully in bed.

    He rubbed his scar and was not sleepy at all.

    Voldemort¡¯s power was increasing, he gained power that even the vampire was afraid of, and was about to be killed by him¡­

    Harry felt like he had to do something and tell someone about it, otherwise he would go crazy. He thought of Evan, but thetter should be sleeping now.

    Harry shook his head. Sirius had told him what to do if his scar hurt him again, and he was going to follow his advice. He was now going to Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    He got up from the bed as fast as he could and put on his coat.

    Harry stepped out of the bedroom, thinking about what he had seen in the dream. It was as real as the dream of Privet Drive. He ran over the details in his mind, trying to make sure he could remember them¡­

    He had heard Voldemort ming Caresius for his fatal mistake, but the vampire was obviously intentional, because those who guarded that man had worked for him, and he felt a strange rage, not because of this man¡¯s death, but because his authority was challenged, and his long-borated n would be destroyed.

    Fortunately, the owl had brought good news. The blunder had been repaired, somebody was dead¡­

    Immediately afterwards, the topic shifted to the power that Voldemort was recovering. He was using the statue of the evil god to do evil things, gaining power that should not exist in this world. And then theypromised and reached a consensus again.

    And the consensus was that Harry was going to be fed to the snake¡­

    Harry stepped out of the bedroom in contemtion, surprised to see Evan sitting on the sofa in the Common Room, as though waiting for him.

    ¡°Harry, you¡¯re going to see Dumbledore?¡± Evan asked softly, ¡°Just in time, I¡¯m going there too!¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 675: Expected Reaction

    Chapter 675: Expected Reaction

    Evan wasn¡¯t specifically here to wait for Harry, although he guessed that Harry¡¯s scar might hurt.

    Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux resided in that scar. Whenever Voldemort felt strong negative emotions, his connection with Harry would strengthen.

    Harry would enter Voldemort¡¯s body and feel the world from his perspective.

    In fact, the Horcrux was really amazing, but also very weird.

    This connection was not good for Harry and the Dark Lord, but they were bound together by fate.

    Evan got up so early. He was going to talk to Dumbledore about Crouch, their ns and the use of the Elder Wand to repair Ravenw¡¯s Diadem. Some words were not suitable to be dyed, and it was not good to go to the headmaster when there were many people in the daytime.

    By this time, Dumbledore should have ended his search of the Forbidden Forest and returned to the castle.

    Although he already knew the outline of the matter and that the search would not bear fruit, Mr. Crouch was personally there after all.

    Hogwarts had to take a corresponding stance, and presumably it wouldn¡¯t be long before Fudge woulde.

    They both walked in the empty corridor, and along the way, Harry told Evan about his vivid dreamst night.

    Evan was very surprised to hear that Voldemort had begun to try to use the power of the evil god. Things were really going in the worst direction. No wonder Voldemort had to restore his power as soon as possible. Fortunately, he finally failed. What was he still missing now?!

    And then there was Caresius, whose differences and mistrust with Voldemort had be apparent, just barely maintaining a fragile bnce.

    After Voldemort regained his strength, who knows what the vampires were going to do?!

    The process of finding the secret treasure keys and deciphering <i>The Book of Abraham </i>also needed to be elerated. After all, this was the only way Evan currently had to deal with the evil god, and he was going to take a trip to Egypt this summer.

    He remembered that Nics mel had said that the Emerald Tablet there was very helpful for mastering Alchemy.

    Evan and Harry, meditating, came to the stone gargoyle at the entrance to Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    ¡°Evan, do you know the password?¡± Harry looked at the gargoyle, remembering that he didn¡¯t know the password.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but we can try it. It should be a kind of candy!¡± said Evan. ¡°Sherbet lemon?!¡±

    The gargoyle was motionless and unresponsive!

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Harry, staring at it, ¡°Pear Drop. Er ¡­ Licorice Wand. Fizzing Whizbee. Drooble¡¯s Best Blowing Gum. Bertie Bott¡¯s Every vor Beans ¡­ oh no, Evan, Professor Dumbledore doesn¡¯t like them!¡±

    Evan also said a few sweets in a row, but they were all wrong.

    ¡°Please, can¡¯t you just open?¡± said Harry angrily. ¡°We really need to see him. It¡¯s urgent!¡±

    The gargoyle remained immovable. Harry kicked it, achieving nothing but an excruciating pain in his big toe.

    ¡°Hold on, Harry!¡± Evan suddenly thought, ¡°It should be Cockroach Cluster. Dumbledore likes this candy.¡±

    ¡°Cockroach Cluster, are you kidding me!¡± said Harry in surprise. ¡°Does anyone eat that stuff?!¡±

    Before he had finished speaking, the gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside.

    ¡°It seems that our headmaster¡¯s taste is indeed unique!¡± said Evan, pulling the dumbfounded Harry into the room.

    They hurried through the gap in the walls and stepped onto the foot of a spiral stone staircase, which moved slowly upward as the doors closed behind them, taking them up to a polished oak door with a brass door knocker.

    Someone was talking in the office. As soon as Evan and Harry stepped off the moving staircase, they heard voicesing from inside.

    ¡°Dumbledore, this is terrible. The Ministry of Magic is very busy right now. Everyone is waiting to see us ridicule!¡± It was the voice of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, ¡°We¡¯ve just solved Bertha¡¯s incident in the Albanian forest, and there is no sign of those damn vampires. And now there¡¯s another incident with Barty Crouch. I can hardly believe it.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps these things are linked!¡± said Dumbledore calmly.

    ¡°Impossible ¡­ absolutely impossible!¡± Fudge retorted immediately. ¡°How can Barty Crouch get in touch with the vampires? This is nonsense.¡±

    ¡°What do you think happened to Barty Crouch, Minister?¡± said Moody¡¯s growling voice.

    ¡°Oh, I see two possibilities, stor,¡± said Fudge.¡±Either Crouch has finally cracked¡­ more than likely, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll agree, given his personal history. He was crazy and confused, thinking that the man was after him, and he came to Hogwarts from home. He lost his mind and did not know where to go¡­¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯s gone too fast, Cornelius,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°We searched all night and there was no trace of him. And you¡¯ve just listened to my ount. It was true that someone was after him. It was a high-powered Dark wizard. That man and Evan had a fight in the woods. ¡°

    ¡°Evan Mason ¡­ that child has been causing trouble all the time, and he¡¯s always been able to run into strange things!¡± Fudge¡¯s voice was somewhat awkward. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a wizard who can cause more trouble than him. Well ¡­ I admit he¡¯s strong, but I think he may have made it up this time. After all, no one but him saw the so-called Dark wizard who came after old Barty.¡±

    At this point, Evan probably understood! Fudge did want Barty Crouch to disappear so that no one couldpete with him for power. But he didn¡¯t want him to disappear like this, to be murdered or something, and he and the Ministry would be in big trouble.

    Indeed, the sudden murder of a highly respected Ministry of Magic official at Hogwarts would be the most sensational headline of the year. It would be enough to make people talk for a whole year. The conspiracy theories and terrible facts that would follow would be beyond Fudge¡¯s ability to bear.

    All his strength was to deny all the facts and control things and public opinion to a small extent.

    ¡°Cornelius, the battle marks at the scene cannot be faked!¡± Dumbledore warned.

    ¡°Oh, maybe, maybe. Well, I¡¯ll reserve judgment until after I¡¯ve seen the ce where he was found,¡± said Fudge quickly. ¡°But you say it was just past the Beauxbatons carriage? Dumbledore, you know what that woman <i>is</i>? ¡°

    ¡°I consider her to be a very able headmistress¡­ and an excellent dancer,¡± said Dumbledore quietly.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 676: The Pensieve

    Chapter 676: The Pensieve

    ¡°Dumbledore,e on!¡± said Fudge angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you might be prejudiced in her favor because of Hagrid? They don¡¯t all turn out harmless ¡­ if, indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless, with that monster fixation he¡¯s got ¡­¡±

    ¡°I no more suspect of Madame Maxime than Hagrid,¡± said Dumbledore, just as calmly. ¡°I think it possible that it is you who are prejudiced, Cornelius.¡±

    ¡°Prejudiced?!¡± said Fudge in disapproval, ¡°countless histories of the past tell us ¡­¡±

    ¡°Can we wrap up this discussion?!¡± growled Moody suddenly.

    ¡°Yes, yes, let¡¯s go down to the grounds, then,¡± said Fudge impatiently, waving his hand.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that,¡± said Moody, ¡°it¡¯s just that Mason and Potter want a word with you, Dumbledore. They¡¯re just outside the door.¡±

    The next second, the door of the office opened.

    Evan and Harry walked inside and saw Cornelius Fudge standing beside Dumbledore¡¯s desk. He was wearing his usual pinstriped cloak and holding his lime-green bowler hat.

    On the wall, all previous headmasters and headmistresses of Hogwarts were asleep, their chests rising and falling gently.

    But in fact they were eavesdropping, and Evan saw the old man closest to him suddenly open his eyes and then close them immediately.

    It was Phineas, Sirius¡¯s great-grandfather, and the least popr headmaster in Hogwarts history.

    ¡°Evan, Harry, long time no see!¡± said Fudge jovially, moving forward. ¡°How are you?¡±

    He was very kind now, and he was not at all embarrassed by what he said about Evan just now.

    ¡°Come on, kids, we were just talking about Mr. Crouch¡¯s appearance on the groundsst night,¡± said Fudge. ¡°Evan, you were there, weren¡¯t you? I heard you had a fight with someone. Who do you think it was? ¡°

    Evan looked around the room, and saw Dumbledore looking at him with a smile.

    Half a step behind Fudge, Moody¡¯s eyes were also fixed on him, with a serious expression on his face.

    One of his hands was hidden under his robes, and Evan was sure he was holding his wand tightly.

    If he said anything against him, Barty Crouch Jr. would immediately fight back and run away.

    It was obviously unwise to fight Dumbledore, but it was still possible to hijack the Minister of Magic.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Minister. It was too dark in the forest at that time. I couldn¡¯t see the man clearly,¡± said Evan. ¡°He should not be a person from the school. He might have followed Mr. Crouch and left with him. It was not Madame Maxime, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not easy for her to hide so well, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right!¡± Fudge seemed a little embarrassed and troubled.

    That said, Crouch was indeed hunted down, which was really bad news.

    ¡°We¡¯re about to go for a short walk on the grounds to make a judgment ¡­¡± said Fudge.

    ¡°No problem!¡± Dumbledore said calmly. ¡°Evan and Harry, you can wait for me here. Our examination of the grounds will not take long. By the way, Sirius will be here in a while; you can help me receive him.¡±

    After Dumbledore had spoken, the three trooped out in silence past Evan and Harry and closed the door. After a minute or so, Evan and Harry heard the clunks of Moody¡¯s wooden leg growing fainter in the corridor below.

    ¡°Hope they can find something!¡± said Harry, looking around. ¡°Why is Siriusing here?¡±

    ¡°In order to investigate this matter, look for the lost Crouch and protect Fudge while at it!¡± Evan replied, ¡°But I dare say, Harry, he is worried about you. In addition to such a big thing in school, he must be worried to death. ¡°

    In particr, Sirius also knew the truth of the matter from Evan, adding to his worries.

    If Dumbledore hadn¡¯t stopped him, he would have rushed to Hogwarts long ago, and he could just take this opportunity¡­

    They sat for a while. Evan studied the interesting alchemy instruments on Dumbledore¡¯s desk. He didn¡¯t know the usefulness of these things before, but now he could feel their beauty and operation principle.

    Dumbledore was also a master of Alchemy. He was not only a friend of Nics mel, but also a partner.

    The twelve uses of Dragon Blood were quite remarkable.

    One of them was a myth that long-term use of dragon blood and bathing with dragon blood would enhance cell vitality enough to turn one immortal.

    So, were Caresius and ine immortal?!!

    Then, Evan thought of Dumbledore again. Now that he had achieved this, what kind of existence he was now.

    It should be very easy to achieve immortality with Dumbledore¡¯s strength.

    While Evan was studying those alchemy instruments, Harry stood up and walked around.

    ¡°Hello Fawkes,¡± he said.

    Fawkes, Professor Dumbledore¡¯s phoenix, was standing on his golden perch beside the door. The size of a swan, with magnificent scarlet-and-gold plumage, he swished his long tail and blinked benignly at Harry.

    Harry circled around Dumbledore¡¯s office. For several minutes, he watched the old headmasters and headmistresses snoozing in their frames, thinking about what he had just heard, and running his fingers over his scar. It had stopped hurting now.

    Sirius wasing soon, with Evan beside him, in Dumbledore¡¯s office, and knowing he would shortly be telling him about the dream, Harry felt much calmer, and his nervous mood gradually rxed.

    He looked up at the walls behind the desk. The patched and ragged Sorting Hat was standing on a shelf. A ss case next to it held a magnificent silver sword withrge rubies set into the hilt.

    This was the sword that Harry had pulled out of the Sorting Hat in his second year and used it to kill the basilisk.

    It had once belonged to Godric Gryffindor, founder of the Gryffindor House. In thest term, Harry had also tried to win the challenge Gryffindor had left in the Centaurs¡¯ colony, but he failed. Fortunately, Evan passed the challenge.

    Harry was gazing at the sword when he noticed a patch of silvery light on the ss case.

    He looked around for the source of the light and saw a sliver of silver-white shining brightly from within a ck cab behind him, whose door had not been closed properly.

    Harry hesitated, walked over and opened the cab door. Inside was a shallow,rge stone basin.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Harry wondered.

    ¡°This is a Pensieve, a very top-notch alchemy product!¡± Evan¡¯s voice suddenly sounded, ¡°Harry, you¡¯ve really found an amazing thing.¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 677: The Memory in the Pensieve

    Chapter 677: The Memory in the Pensieve

    ¡°What¡¯s a Pensieve?¡± said Harry curiously.

    He saw a shallow stone basin in the cab at the front, with odd around the edge: runes and symbols that he did not recognize. The silvery light wasing from the basin¡¯s contents. It was not clear whether the substance was liquid or gas.

    It was hard to describe. It was a bright, whitish silver, and it was moving ceaselessly; the surface of it became ruffled like water beneath wind, and then, like clouds, separated and swirled smoothly. It looked like light made liquid ¡­ or like wind made solid¡­

    Harry had the idea to touch it to find out what it felt like, but nearly four years¡¯ experience of the magical world told him that sticking his hand into a bowl full of some unknown substance was a very stupid thing to do.

    He therefore turned his head to look at Evan, who must know exactly what this thing was for.

    ¡°To put it simply, a Pensieve is an alchemy product used to preserve the thoughts and memories of the mind.¡± Noticing Harry¡¯s gaze, Evan exined. ¡°As long as we put memory in it, we can use it to re-reflect that memory. In the way of experience, the person who appears in the memory does not exist¡­ ¡°

    As he exined to Harry, he gently stroked the Pensieve and studied the huge stone basin in front of him.

    Evan was more curious about how it was made than how it was used.

    After studying it for a while, he had to give up. It was tooplicated. This Pensieve was far from being as simple as it seemed to be.

    Unless Dumbledore allowed Evan to chop this thing up, there was nothing to be seen from the outside.

    ¡°This Pensieve can actually preserve and reproduce memories!¡± Harry sighed after listening to Evan¡¯s exnation, ¡°It¡¯s incredible!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing!¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°What are the letters on it for?¡± Harry continued to ask,ing closer.

    ¡°If you take the Ancient Runes ss, you will know that these are Runics, a type of ancient scriptures, used in alchemy. As for theplex symbols around the Runes, they are magic characters that can gather and conduct Magic. I¡¯ve never seen this arrangement before. ¡°

    Harry nodded, as though he understood, but he couldn¡¯t help asking again, ¡°Evan, what are these strange silver things?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s memories!¡± said Evan, using his wand to point at the silver object in the Pensieve.

    His wand entered, and the silvery stuff inside the basin began to swirl very fast, bing transparent, looking like ss.

    This was put in by Dumbledore. He must have used it before and had no time to take away the memory.

    ¡°Memory!¡± Harry froze and continued, ¡°but ¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in and take a look and you¡¯ll understand,¡± said Evan, holding Harry¡¯s right hand directly.

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry was surprised.

    The next second, he was dragged into the stone basin by Evan, his head down into it.

    The sight was changing rapidly, and Dumbledore¡¯s office gave an almighty lurch.

    Harry realized that his head didn¡¯t hit the bottom of the basin as he expected, but entered a strange world. He was falling through something icy-cold and ck; it was like being sucked into a dark whirlpool¡­

    Then he saw clearly that it was a dimly lit room. Harry thought it might even be underground, because there were no windows around, merely torches in brackets such as the ones that illuminated the walls of Hogwarts, and he saw that rows and rows of witches and wizards were seated around every wall on what seemed to be benches rising in levels. An empty chair stood in the very center of the room.

    There was something about the chair that gave Harry an ominous feeling. Chains encircled the arms of it, as though its upants were usually tied to it.

    At this moment, he and Evan were sitting on a bench at the end of the room inside the basin, a bench raised high above the others.

    He looked up at the high stone ceiling, expecting to see the circr skylight, but there was nothing there but dark, solid stone.

    The surrounding scene made Harry feel it more like a dungeon than a room. There was a bleak and forbidding air about the ce; there were no pictures on the walls, no decorations at all; just these serried rows of benches, rising in levels all around the room, all positioned so that they had a clear view of that chair with the chains on its arms.

    What was going on, and how did they suddenlye to this ce?!!

    Harry was puzzled, but fortunately Evan was still by his side, otherwise he didn¡¯t know what to do.

    ¡°Evan, what¡¯s this ce?!¡± Harry whispered, his voice sounding strange.

    ¡°As I¡¯ve just said, the Pensieve is a prop to relive memory, and we are now in it ¡­ inside a memory.¡± said Evan, sitting next to Harry and looking around with interest.

    That was the Ministry of Magic¡¯s special courtroom, where the Wizengamot was used to trial the sinful Dark wizards.

    In a small room at the back, there was the only Portkey to Azkaban Wizarding Prison.

    He had been here before, but the courtroom was limited at that time, and it was far less shocking than now.

    In this room, around Evan and Harry, there were at least 200 witches and wizards.

    They looked solemn, dressed in ancient exquisite robes mainly in dark colors, giving people an invisible pressure.

    ¡°So we¡¯re in a memory now, whose memory is this?¡± Harry continued to ask softly, his breathing tense and rapid. He looked around, and then he couldn¡¯t help uttering a loud cry of surprise that reverberated around the silent room.

    The person sitting next to him was Albus Dumbledore.

    ¡°Obviously, this is Dumbledore¡¯s memory,¡± said Evan. ¡°We are in his memory at the moment. Do you remember my previous exnation about the Pensieve? Here, we are just bystanders. We won¡¯t be noticed by the people involved, and there is no way to change anything. This is just a memory, belonging to Dumbledore. ¡°

    Harry nodded, and although he was mentally prepared for it, it was still too incredible. But it was true, because none of the wizards seemed to have heard Harry¡¯s loud voice.

    They looked solemn, staring nervously into the far corner of the room, where there was a door.

    Dumbledore did the same. He didn¡¯t move or speak, and ignored Evan and Harry.

    Harry hesitated, and then raised his right hand and waved it energetically in front of Dumbledore¡¯s face.

    Dumbledore didn¡¯t blink or turn his head to look at Harry. He didn¡¯t move at all.

    As Evan said, this was just a memory, not a real world.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 678: Karkaroffâ€™s Trial

    Chapter 678: Karkaroff¡¯s Trial

    Soon after Evan and Harry entered, they heard footsteps.

    The door in the corner of the dungeon opened, and three people entered. More precisely, it was one man, nked by two Dementors.

    The cold and bitter feeling brought by the Dementors was so real that one could not help forget that it was only in memory.

    The unpleasant thoughts echoed in Evan¡¯s mind, and he saw Harry also pale, looking at the Dementors in horror.

    In fact, under the influence of Dementors, everyone around them seemed a little timid.

    The two dementors¡­ tall, hooded creatures, whose faces were concealed, were gliding slowly toward the chair in the center of the room, each grasping one of the man¡¯s arms with their dead and rotten-looking hands. The man between them looked as though he was about to faint!

    They ced the man in the chained chair and glided back out of the room. The door swung shut behind them.

    The chains on the arms of the chair glowed suddenly gold and snaked their way up the man¡¯s arms, binding him there.

    The man looked up in panic, and Evan saw that it was Karkaroff.

    Unlike Dumbledore, who was silver-haired, Karkaroff looked much younger, and his hair and goatee were ck. He was not dressed in sleek furs, but in thin and ragged robes, and was constantly shaking.

    ¡°Is this the scene of Karkaroff¡¯s trial?!¡± Evan stared at the young Karkaroff in the chair with interest.

    For this guy, he was more interested in how he had betrayed many Death Eaters to gain freedom.

    ¡°Igor Karkaroff!¡± Mr. Crouch, who was sitting in the middle of the room, stood up. His hair was also ck, his face was much less lined, and he looked fit and alert.

    That time should be the most beautiful era of Crouch. Voldemort failed to escape, and his tough attitude towards the Dark wizards helped him win hearts and minds in the war that had just ended. Everything was developing in a good direction, and the position of Minister of Magic was waving to him¡­

    Who would have thought that everything would change just a few monthster?

    ¡°Karkaroff, you have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic.¡± said Crouch solemnly, waving his hand. ¡°You have given us to understand that you have important information for us.¡±

    Karkaroff straightened himself as best as he could, tightly bound to the chair.

    ¡°I have, sir,¡± he said, and although his voice was very scared, Evan could still hear the familiar unctuous note in it. ¡°I wish to be of use to the Ministry. I wish to help. I know that the Ministry is trying to round up thest of the Dark Lord¡¯s supporters. I am eager to assist in any way I can¡­¡±

    Dumbledore did not respond to this statement, and was expressionless. Mad-Eye Moody sitting next to him narrowed his eyes tightly in intense dislike.

    Of course, his appearance was different from now.

    At that time, he did not have his magical eye, but two normal ones, and there were not so many scars on his face.

    ¡°Well, Crouch is going to let him out,¡± Moody whispered to Dumbledore. ¡°He¡¯s done a deal with him. It took me six months to track him down, and Crouch is going to let him go if he¡¯s got enough new names. Let¡¯s hear his information, I say, and throw him straight back to the Dementors. ¡°

    Dumbledore made a small noise of dissent through his long, crooked nose.

    ¡°Ah, I was forgetting ¡­ you don¡¯t like the Dementors, do you, Albus?¡± said Moody with a sardonic smile.

    ¡°No,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t. I have long felt the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll suffer losses, letting them guard the Dark wizards. Besides, it is inhumane, even if ¡­¡±

    ¡°Filth like this deserves the most ¡­¡± said Moody disgustedly. ¡°It is said that this guy¡¯s family is very powerful in northern Europe, and seems to be colluding with local vampires, Dark wizards and pure Dark creatures!¡±

    ¡°About those Vampires, have you noticed any actions recently?¡± Dumbledore asked softly.

    ¡°No, they have beenpletely silent recently since that man disappeared, and there was no hindrance in my capture of Karkaroff! This is very wrong. I don¡¯t know if you have any sources in that area, but ording to my observation¡­¡± Moody suddenly lowered his voice and whispered something close to Dumbledore¡¯s ear.

    Evan came closer to hear what he was saying. But Moody quickly finished, and Dumbledore¡¯s expression remained unchanged; he just nodded.

    The trial continued, and Crouch started asking questions.

    ¡°You say you have names for us, Karkaroff,¡± said Mr. Crouch. ¡°Let us hear them, please.¡±

    ¡°Okay, but you must understand,¡± said Karkaroff hurriedly, ¡°that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named operated always in the greatest secrecy. He preferred that we¡­ I mean to say, his supporters¡­ and I regret now, very deeply, that I ever counted myself among them¡­¡±

    ¡°Less nonsense,¡± sneered Moody, raising his voice.

    ¡°We never knew the names of every one of our fellows. He alone knew exactly who we all were ¡­¡±

    ¡°Which was a wise move, wasn¡¯t it, as it prevented someone like you, Karkaroff, from turning all of them in,¡± muttered Moody.

    ¡°Yet you say you have <i>some</i> names for us?¡± said Mr. Crouch in a cold voice.

    ¡°I¡­ I do,¡± said Karkaroff breathlessly.¡±Please note that they were all important supporters. People I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding. I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with remorse so deep I can barely¡­ ¡°

    ¡°These names are?!¡± said Mr. Crouch sharply.

    Karkaroff drew a deep breath and made up his mind.

    ¡°There was Antonin Dolohov. I saw him torture countless Muggles and those who did not support the Dark Lord.¡±

    ¡°And you helped him do it¡­¡± murmured Moody.

    ¡°We have already apprehended Dolohov,¡± said Crouch. ¡°He was caught shortly after yourself.¡±

    ¡°Indeed?!¡± said Karkaroff, his eyes widening. ¡°I¡­ I am delighted to hear it!¡±

    But he didn¡¯t look happy. This news hade as a real blow to him. One of his names was worthless, and he had less chips.

    ¡°Any others?¡± Crouch asked coldly.

    ¡°Ah, yes, and Rosier,¡± said Karkaroff hurriedly. ¡°Evan Rosier.¡±

    ¡°Rosier is dead,¡± said Crouch. ¡°He was caught shortly after you were too. Preferred to fight rather thane quietly and was killed in the struggle.¡±

    ¡°And he took away a bit of me with him,¡± whispered Moody.

    Evan and Harry turned to look at him, and he was indicating therge chunk out of his nose to Dumbledore.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 679: Heavyweight Trial

    Chapter 679: Heavyweight Trial

    ¡°No ¡­ no more than Rosier deserved!¡± said Karkaroff, a real tone of panic in his voice now.

    It became apparent that he was starting to worry that none of his information would be of any use to the Ministry.

    Karkaroff¡¯s eyes darted toward the door in the corner, behind which the Dementors undoubtedly still stood, waiting.

    Then, he uttered a few more names, still rejected by Crouch one by one.

    The trial was more like a bargaining process. Karkaroff was really cunning, but Crouch was obviously one step ahead.

    ¡°Any more?¡± Crouch asked with a straight face.

    ¡°Wait a minute! There was also Travers!¡± said Karkaroff nervously. ¡°He helped murder the McKinnons! Ah ¡­ and Mulciber ¡­ he specialized in the Imperius Curse, forced many people to do horrific things! Rookwood, who was a spy, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself! ¡°

    When he said Rookwood¡¯s name, there was a murmur among all the watching crowd.

    ¡°Rookwood?¡± said Mr. Crouch, nodding to a witch sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. ¡°Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?!¡±

    ¡°The very same,¡± said Karkaroff eagerly. ¡°I believe he used awork of well-ced wizards, both inside the Ministry and out, to collect information. Rookwood¡¯s position is very important and he has ess to the Department of Mysteries¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, what you said about Travers and Mulciber is what we already know,¡± said Crouch. ¡°Karkaroff, if that is all, you will be returned to Azkaban while we decide ¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± cried Karkaroff, looking quite desperate. ¡°Wait, I have more!¡±

    Harry could see him sweating in the torchlight, his white skin contrasting strongly with the ck of his hair and beard.

    ¡°Snape!¡± He shouted, ¡°Severus Snape!¡±

    ¡°Snape has been cleared by this council,¡± said Crouch disdainfully. ¡°He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± shouted Karkaroff, straining at the chains that bound him to the chair. ¡°I assure you, Severus Snape is a Death Eater. He is aplete Death Eater!¡±

    Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, and many people looked at him.

    ¡°I have given evidence already on this matter,¡± he said calmly. ¡°Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort¡¯s downfall and turned spy for us, at a great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Karkaroff reluctantly. ¡°He didn¡¯t ¡­¡±

    In that sense, Snape¡¯s status as a double agent was indeed very sessful.

    Both Dumbledore and Voldemort thought he was their own man, and even those Death Eaters believed him until Voldemort returned.

    Even Evan had to admire this. No one except Snape could do it.

    ¡°Very well, Karkaroff!¡± Crouch said coldly. ¡°You have been of assistance. I shall review your case. You will return to Azkaban in the meantime ¡­¡±

    ¡°Snape is ¡­¡± Before Harry had time toment, Crouch¡¯s voice faded.

    The dungeon was dissolving as though it were made of smoke; everything was fading. Evan and Harry could only see their own bodies ¡­ everything else was swirling darkness¡­

    And then, the dungeon returned!

    They were sitting in a different seat, still on the highest bench, but now to the left side of Mr. Crouch.

    The atmosphere seemed quite different from what it was just now: very rxed, even cheerful. The witches and wizards all around the walls were talking to one another, as though they were at some sort of sporting event.

    Evan noticed a witch halfway up the rows of benches opposite. She was wearing magenta robes, and was sucking the end of an acid-green quill. It was unmistakably, a younger Rita Skeeter.

    His eyes nced at several people, and Dumbledore was sitting beside him again, Moody had disappeared.

    Mr. Crouch looked more tired, somehow fiercer and gaunter¡­

    The door in the corner opened, and Ludo Bagman walked into the room.

    This was not a Ludo Bagman gone to seed, but a Ludo Bagman who was clearly at the height of his Quidditch-ying fitness. His nose wasn¡¯t broken now; he was tall and lean and muscr.

    Bagman looked nervous as he sat in the chained chair, but it did not bind him; and Bagman, perhaps taking heart from this, nced around at the watching crowd, waved at a couple of them, and managed a small smile.

    ¡°Ludo Bagman, you have been brought here in front of the Council of Magical Law to answer charges rting to the activities of the Death Eaters,¡± said Mr. Crouch. ¡°We have heard the evidence against you, and are about to reach our verdict. Do you have anything to add to your testimony before we pronounce judgment? ¡°

    ¡°Only one sentence!¡± Ludo Bagman smiled awkwardly, ¡°Well ¡­ I know I¡¯ve been a bit of an idiot¡­¡±

    One or two wizards and witches in the surrounding seats smiled indulgently and nodded.

    Mr. Crouch, however, remained unmoved. He was staring down at Ludo Bagman with an expression of the utmost severity and dislike.

    ¡°Bagman was a <i>Death Eater</i>?¡± Harry whispered, surprised.

    ¡°No, as he himself said, he was an idiot!¡± Evan replied.

    ¡°Ludovic Bagman, you were caught passing information to Lord Voldemort¡¯s supporters,¡± Said Mr. Crouch. ¡°For this, I suggest a term of imprisonment in Azkabansting no less than ¡­¡±

    But there was an angry outcry from the surrounding benches. Several of the witches and wizards around the walls stood up, shaking their heads, and even their fists, at Mr. Crouch.

    ¡°But I¡¯ve told you, Barty; I had no idea!¡± Bagman called earnestly, his round blue eyes widening. ¡°None at all! Old Rookwood was a friend of my dad¡¯s! It never crossed my mind he was in with You-Know-Who. I thought I was collecting information for our side! And Rookwood kept talking about getting me a job in the Ministryter on ¡­ once my Quidditch days are over, you know ¡­ I mean, I can¡¯t keep getting hit by Bludgers for the rest of my life, can I? ¡°

    There were murmurs and titters from the crowd.

    ¡°It will be put to the vote,¡± said Mr. Crouch coldly. ¡°The jury will please raise their hands ¡­ those in favor of imprisonment¡­¡±

    No one raised their hands. Many of the witches and wizards around the walls began to p. One of the witches on the jury stood up.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± Crouch roared.

    ¡°We would just like to congratte Mr. Bagman on his splendid performance for Ennd in the Quidditch match against Turkeyst Saturday,¡± the witch said breathlessly, ¡°This is our honor!¡±

    Mr. Crouch looked furious. The dungeon was ringing with apuse now. Bagman got to his feet and bowed, beaming.

    ¡°Despicable!¡± Mr. Crouch spat at Dumbledore, sitting down as Bagman walked out of the dungeon. ¡°Rookwood get him a job indeed ¡­ the day Ludo Bagman joins us will be a sad day indeed for the Ministry¡­¡±

    Then the dungeon dissolved again.

    When it had returned, Evan, Harry and Dumbledore were still sitting beside Mr. Crouch.

    But the atmosphere was very different. There was total silence, broken only by the dry sobs of a frail, wispy-looking witch in the seat next to Mr. Crouch. She was clutching a handkerchief to her mouth with trembling hands.

    Evan suddenly came to his senses. He knew that this was the trial of Bartemius Crouch, Jr.; and the critical moment hade!

    He also remembered that Sirius and Barty Crouch Jr. had been sentenced on the same day.

    Of course, Sirius was put in Azkaban without trial.

    However, he must be here now!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 680: Cold-Blooded Crouch

    Chapter 680: Cold-Blooded Crouch

    On the jury table, Crouch looked gaunter and grayer than ever before. A nerve was twitching in his temple.

    ¡°On behalf of the Wizengamot High Court, I adjudge Sirius ck to be permanently imprisoned in Azkaban Wizarding Prison for various crimes,¡± said Crouch solemnly. ¡°Does anyone have any objection?¡±

    There was quiet, only Mr. Crouch¡¯s voice echoed through the silent dungeon. Dumbledore seemed to want to say something, but at the end said nothing.

    The Ministry of Magic did not judge Sirius, which was unfair and not in ordance with the procedures.

    However, Sirius was in a really bad state at that time. After he thought he had killed Peter Pettigrew, he went into a state of insanity. He wanted to atone for Harry¡¯s parents and voluntarily admitted many unwarranted crimes.

    Evan was thinking that if he went to the holding cell now, he might see Sirius.

    ¡°Next ¡­¡± Crouch looked around, as though there were suddenly a lot of dragons. ¡°Bring them in!¡±

    The door in the corner opened again, and six Dementors walked in, nking a group of four people.

    Unlike the previous silence, many people in the crowd turned to look up at Mr. Crouch, and a few of them whispered to one another.

    The Dementors ced each of the four people in the four chairs with chained arms that now stood on the dungeon floor. There was a thickset man who stared nkly up at Crouch; a thinner and more nervous-looking man, whose eyes were darting around the crowd; a woman with thick, shining dark hair and heavily hooded eyes, who was sitting in the chained chair as though it were a throne.

    She was Betrix in her youth, she looked beautiful, but from time to time she revealed a hint of madness.

    She looked at the wizards on the jury table with no fear at all. The slight smile on the corner of her mouth clearly revealed ridicule and contempt.

    And then there was a boy of seventeen or eighteen, who, unlike the other three, lookedpletely petrified. He was shivering, his straw-colored hair all over his face, his freckled skin milk-white. It was Barty Crouch Jr.

    He looked like a student who had just graduated from Hogwarts. If he had not known that he was the most cunning and purest Death Eater, Evan would have thought that he was a teenager like his brother next door, and unfortunately he was involved in the trial.

    Evan looked at Barty Crouch Jr. hoping to see something, but there was nothing.

    No wonder he could get Voldemort¡¯s trust. This acting skill and shrewdness alone were not avable to ordinary people.

    He probably thought his father would be lenient to him, as long as he acted as innocently as possible. But Barty Jr. was about to be disappointed, and Evan noticed that Mr. Crouch did not even look at him.

    Crouch was now expected to hate his son. At the end of the war, when he was about to be Minister of Magic, this situation suddenly appeared. He estimated he should get rid of the rtionship with Barty Jr. as soon as possible.

    In this respect, Crouch¡¯s cold blood and cruelty were beyond imagination.

    It had to be said that this family was really terrible¡­

    This was the typical Slytherin, the typical family of pure blood wizards, who could give up everything for power.

    But they plotted behind the scenes, such as secretly saving their son from Azkaban.

    After seeing Barty Jr., the wispy little witch beside Crouch began to rock backward and forward in her seat, whimpering into her handkerchief. She looked very sad and grieved, writing all expressions on her face.

    Crouch stood up and looked down upon the four in front of him, and there was pure hatred in his face.

    ¡°You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law and the Wizengamot High Court, so that we may pass judgment on you,¡± he said clearly, but his body couldn¡¯t help shaking, ¡°for a crime so heinous ¡­¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± said the boy with the straw-colored hair. ¡°Father¡­ please¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court,¡± said Crouch, speaking more loudly, drowning out his son¡¯s voice. ¡°We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand used of capturing an Auror¡­ Frank Longbottom¡­ and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ¡­¡±

    ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t!¡± shrieked the boy in chains below. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I swear it, Father, I¡¯m innocent, I just happened to be there, don¡¯t send me back to the Dementors¡­¡±

    ¡°You are further used,¡± bellowed Mr. Crouch, coldly, ¡°of using the Cruciatus Curse on Frank Longbottom¡¯s wife, when he would not give you information. You nned to restore He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury¡­¡±

    ¡°Mother!¡± screamed the boy below, and the wispy little witch beside Crouch began to sob, rocking backward and forward. ¡°Mother, stop him, Mother, I didn¡¯t do it, it wasn¡¯t me!¡±

    His mother sobbed even more. She kept wiping her tears with the handkerchief, but she didn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°I now ask the jury,¡± shouted Mr. Crouch, ¡°to raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban!¡±

    In unison, the witches and wizards along the right-hand side of the dungeon raised their hands. The crowd around the walls began to p as it had for Bagman, their faces full of savage triumph.

    Barty Crouch Jr. gave out screams, echoing in the courtroom.

    ¡°No! Mother, no! I didn¡¯t do it, I didn¡¯t do it, I didn¡¯t know! Don¡¯t send me there, don¡¯t let him!¡±

    The Dementors were gliding back into the room, and the boy¡¯s threepanions rose quietly from their seats.

    Betrix looked up at Crouch and called, ¡°The Dark Lord will rise again. Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and wille for us, he will reward us especially! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him! ¡°

    But Barty Crouch Jr. was trying to fight off the Dementors, even though their cold, draining power had started to affect him.

    The crowd was jeering, some of them on their feet.

    ¡°I¡¯m your son!¡± he screamed up at Crouch, ¡°YOUR SON!¡±

    ¡°You are no son of mine!¡± bellowed Mr. Crouch, his eyes bulging suddenly, his face ferocious.

    For the first time, he focused on Barty Crouch Jr. and shouted, ¡°I have no son!¡±

    The wispy witch beside him gave a great gasp and slumped in her seat. She had fainted. Crouch appeared to not have noticed.

    ¡°Take them away!¡± He roared at the Dementors, spit flying from his mouth. ¡°Take them away, and may they rot in there!¡±

    ¡°Father! Father, I wasn¡¯t involved! No! No! Father, please!¡± Barty Jr. struggled.

    But it didn¡¯t work. He was mercilessly dragged down by the Dementors.

    Evan stood up, dragged Harry and ran. He wanted to see the scene before they were sent to Azkaban.

    No doubt, Sirius was also there.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 681: Sirius and Snuffles

    Chapter 681: Sirius and Snuffles

    Evan and Harry followed and took two steps forward. They saw the four Death Eaters being dragged by the Dementors and disappearing into the distance.

    There was darkness behind the iron gate, and the two of them could not move forward. Dumbledore¡¯s memory did not extend there.

    ¡°I found you, here you are!¡± Sirius¡¯s voice suddenly sounded behind them, ¡°Good morning, Evan! Good morning, Harry!¡±

    ¡°Sirius!¡±

    Evan looked back and saw Sirius standing there, staring at him and Harry with a smile.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what happened at the trial!¡± At that moment, they watched Barty Jr. being dragged away by the Dementors. ¡°Poor Barty Crouch Jr., I think he must have been heartbroken at that time! He probably thought his father would let him go, but he didn¡¯t, and his status had speeded up the trial of this case ¡­¡±

    ¡°You were there, too?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Yeah, I was just behind this door, waiting for the trial!¡± said Sirius disdainfully, ¡°Nothing of that happened. They probably thought I was too dangerous, so Crouch went on directly to announce the judgment. But that made no difference. At the time, no one could help me. ¡°

    ¡°What was going on in the back, can we see it?¡± said Evan expectantly. ¡°How did you get sent to Azkaban?¡±

    ¡°Well, when the four of them were dragged back to the detention room, we¡¯d been taken together by the Dementors to the damn ce.¡± Sirius simply said, seemingly unwilling to talk more, he came over and put his hands under Evan¡¯s and Harry¡¯s elbows, ¡°Come, there¡¯s nothing nice behind!¡±

    The two of them slowly rose into the air, the dungeon dissolved; and in the blink of an eye there was only darkness.

    Then, they felt as though they had done a slow-motion somersault, suddenlynding t on their feet, and the surrounding light was dazzling.

    Evan had returned to Dumbledore¡¯s sunlit office, and the Pensieve was shimmering in the cab in front of him.

    There was no one else in the office but the three of them. Dumbledore, Moody and Fudge had not yet returned.

    ¡°Sirius, why are you here?¡± Harry asked hurriedly.

    ¡°How could I be indifferent to such a big incident at Hogwarts? I¡¯m here with Rufus Scrimgeour and Kingsley Shacklebolt. After hearing about your experiencest night, Fudge thinks he needs a little protection! The two of them followed to the Forbidden Forest, and I came to see you.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything in the Forbidden Forest? Have you found Mr. Crouch?¡± Harry demanded.

    ¡°Nothing. Crouch disappeared without a trace. To me, Fudge didn¡¯t quite believe what Dumbledore said. but those signs of struggle can¡¯t be fake, and I¡¯m sure what you¡¯re saying is true. So, the actual situation is very bad, Hogwarts mixed with some very dangerous people.¡±

    ¡°Do you think¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, this is not the time to discuss this. You must understand that under the current circumstances, you should not leave the castle at night. This is very dangerous!¡± Sirius interrupted him, saying sternly. ¡°Whoever is hiding in the dark, it is clear that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore, and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I want you to swear that, before the end of the Triwizard Tournament, you are not going to go walking with anyone outside the castle, or even leave Gryffindor Tower after ss hours!¡±

    When he heard him, Harry was a little angry. How could he stay in the bedroom for so long?

    He also wanted to find out the man who attacked Crouch, and the plot hidden in all of that. Anding to think of it, Sirius himself had done so many ridiculous things at school, but now he wasing to tell them to behave and stay in the Common Room.

    That was ridiculous, but before Harry said anything, he heard it.

    ¡°Given the current situation, I aming to Hogwarts to protect you!¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯reing to Hogwarts?!¡± Harry froze!

    ¡°Sirius, you should know ¡­¡± said Evan in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sneaking in secretly, and no one will know,¡± said Sirius indifferently, motioning to both of them to be at ease. ¡°ording to the schedule, after leaving Hogwarts, I will immediately leave for Albania to deal with the vampires. That¡¯s what I said in the Department. Everyone thinks I¡¯m gone, but in fact I¡¯m staying at Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be spotted!¡± Evan warned him.

    Barty Crouch Jr. didn¡¯t want Sirius to cause the entire n to fail.

    He only needed to be there in the second task starting next week, so there was no need to sneak into Hogwarts.

    ¡°No, no one but you knows that I¡¯m an Animagus, let alone my Animagus form. Even if it was seen, others would only think it is a stray dog. My stay at Hogwarts will help the rest of the operation, investigate that person and protect you at the same time. By the way, I need another name, and if you guys are talking about me, just call me Snuffles, okay? ¡°

    He seemed to be in high spirits. Sirius had always been this way when it came to taking risks.

    It was a real headache, he just told Harry to be honest, but he did it the other way around.

    Next, they¡¯d been talking about it.

    After another five minutes or so, arge group of people came in and they were arguing.

    It was mainly Moody and Rufus Scrimgeour who were arguing, and they had different opinions about Crouch¡¯s whereabouts after leaving.

    Scrimgeour thought that Crouch might not have left the Forbidden Forest, but Moody insisted that he had left!

    Unlike the quarreling Aurors, Fudge had apletely different attitude.

    He seemed reluctant to connect Crouch¡¯s disappearance with Voldemort. He seemed more willing to believe that Madame Maxime had attacked Crouch, especially that the incident had happened close to Beauxbatons carriage, and she was half-giantess¡­

    In short, Fudge finally decided not to publicize the matter for the time being, and announced to the outside that Crouch was on vacation because of illness.

    The Aurors would investigate the matter secretly, while Fudge reced Crouch as the judge of the Triwizard Tournament.

    Fudge left with a stiff face, and he had hope that Crouch would suddenly appear safe and sound.

    Ideally, he would be crazy because of the long-term stress caused by work, rather than death or disappearance.

    Evan saw Sirius wave at him and Harry and leave with Fudge.

    In the eyes of others, he would be out to Albania, but in fact he would return directly to Hogwarts after a turn.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 682: Dumbledores Remorse

    Chapter 682: Dumbledore''s Remorse

    Now, only Dumbledore, Evan, and Harry were in the office.

    Harry looked somewhat restrained, Dumbledore was tired, and it didn¡¯t seem easy to deal with Fudge.

    Evan was well aware that although Dumbledore could ignore the Ministry¡¯s opinion, he would not do so unless he had to.

    Since doing so would undoubtedly make everything worse, he would get as much support as possible from Fudge and the Ministry of Magic.

    But that was really hard. Fudge was bing more and more difficult to satisfy and less prone topromise¡­

    He always seemed to consider his own position and power first, and then others.

    ¡°You wanted to tell me something?¡± said Dumbledore, turning to look at Evan and Harry. ¡°But I suggest that before that, you get something to eat, I think you came over without having breakfast!¡±

    He waved his wand, and milk and sandwiches appeared on the table.

    Dumbledore sat down in a chair behind the table and motioned to Evan and Harry to sit opposite him.

    As they ate, his gaze shifted to the unclosed cab door, and he seemed to have guessed what had happened.

    ¡°Professor,¡± Harry exined hurriedly, swallowing the food in his mouth. ¡°The cab door was open when we came in ¡­¡±

    ¡°So we identally saw the Pensieve inside,¡± Evan added, ¡°and your memory!¡±

    ¡°I quite understand. I was using it when Mr. Fudge arrived and put it away rather hastily. Undoubtedly I did not fasten the cab door properly. Naturally, it would have attracted your attention,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, peering at them over the top of his half-moon spectacles. ¡°Curiosity is not a sin, but I have to say that we should exercise caution with our curiosity¡­ especially you, Evan, you might not want to approach things you do not understand so often¡­ yes, indeed¡­¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Evan nodded. But what was Dumbledore referring to?!!

    Was it the dangerous Dark magic, the demon in the basement, or the terrible evil god?!!

    ¡°Good!¡± Dumbledore smiled again.

    He went over and opened the cab door, brought the Pensieve and ced it on the desk in front of them.

    The contents of the basin had returned to their original, silvery-white state, swirling and rippling beneath their gaze.

    ¡°I think you should know ¡­ this is a Pensieve!¡± said Dumbledore, sitting down again. ¡°I sometimes find that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind, and I need to use it to help me sort it out. One pours the excess thoughts into the basin and examines them at one¡¯s leisure. It bes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form.¡±

    With Evan and Harry watching, he ced the tip of his wand into his silvery hair, near his temple.

    When he took the wand away, there seemed to be some glistening strand clinging to it, which was of the same strange silvery-white substance that filled the basin.

    Dumbledore added this fresh thought to the basin, ced his long hands on either side of the Pensieve and swirled it, rather as a gold prospector would pan for fragments of gold.

    Gradually, Snape¡¯s face appeared on the surface of the bowl. Snape opened his mouth and spoke to the ceiling, his voice echoing slightly.

    ¡°It¡¯sing back¡­ Karkaroff¡¯s too¡­ stronger and clearer than ever ¡­¡±

    ¡°He dide back¡­ a connection I could have made without assistance,¡± Dumbledore sighed. ¡°Too obvious, I thought he would keep a low profile.¡±

    Frowning slightly, Dumbledore prodded the thoughts within the basin with the tip of his wand.

    Instantly, a figure rose out of it, a boy of thirteen or fourteen years old, with pale skin and freckles.

    He was a younger Barty Crouch Jr., with his feet still in the basin.

    When he spoke, his voice echoed as Snape¡¯s had done, as though it wereing from the depths of the stone basin.

    ¡°Yes, professor, I have to gain all twelve Ordinary Wizarding Level certificates. My father asked me to do it. So I want to apply for a Time-Turner¡­¡± his face was full of pride and his tone reminded Evan of Malfoy.

    ¡°This is Mr. Crouch¡¯s son?!¡± said Harry, looking up at the boy.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Dumbledore, prodding the thoughts in the basin again, Barty Jr. sank back into them, and they became silvery and opaque once more, ¡°That was Barty Crouch Jr. as I remember him at school ¡­ a very intelligent child, and very polite. Believe me, there were not many students who could work out new spells at this age, and Barty Sr. had high expectations for him. ¡°

    ¡°He developed his own spell at the age of fourteen?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°A very interesting little magic!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°His grades were perfect in all courses. He was the best graduate of Hogwarts since Tom Riddle. I thought he was going to work in the Ministry of Magic, and he would inherit his father¡¯s career¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, I just saw the memories of that trial, and he was not the same as the other three Death Eaters!¡± Harry hesitated, ¡°He might have just happened to be there by ident ¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing happens by chance, Harry!¡± Dumbledore closed his eyes and said in a tone of remorse, ¡°I didn¡¯t know untilter, probably not long after this conversation, he joined Voldemort¡¯s team, became the youngest Death Eater, and soon got attention. I should have noticed and stopped this from happening!¡±

    The silvery light from the Pensieve illuminated Dumbledore¡¯s face, and he looked very old.

    Evan seemed to have just realized that the greatest wizard in the world looked really as an old man at the moment.

    ¡°I sometimes think that there is a big problem with our educational philosophy,¡± said Dumbledore slowly. ¡°Only teaching students magic, not teaching humanity, has led to the creation of so many Dark wizards. Especially for Slytherin students, they are all excellent, but it also means that they are more tempted and must be carefully guided ¡­¡±

    Dumbledore was different from other professors. He was very concerned about what students were thinking, and he always did. Especially for those talented wizards, he hoped to lead them to the right path. He thought this was his responsibility.

    His purpose was great, although his methods and results were not all so perfect.

    Voldemort was the most obvious example. He grew up almost under Dumbledore¡¯s gaze, just to be the most evil Dark Lord.

    In the field of magic, the more you knew, the more ambitious you would be; the stronger you became, the more temptations you would get.

    Sometimes, what seemed to be the right approach could be counterproductive.

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 Chapter 683: A Theory

    Chapter 683: A Theory

    There was a quiet moment in the office, the silvery memories swirling slowly in the Pensieve.

    ¡°Have you had enough? Do you need another sandwich?¡± After a while, Dumbledore opened his eyes and said gently, ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to talk about the two of you. Harry, what do you have to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor!¡± Harry said quickly, hesitating, ¡°I had a dreamst night. I dreamed of Voldemort. He was with the vampire named Caresius, and the statue of an evil god. ¡°

    He spoke of the terrible dream and thought he would get some response, but Dumbledore just looked at him. There was no particr surprise or astonishment, as though everything were to be expected.

    ¡°In the end, my scar hurt; it hurt so badly that it woke me up!¡± Harry said, ¡°That¡¯s all!¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Dumbledore quietly. ¡°I see. Now, has your scar hurt at any other time this year, excepting the time it woke you up over the summer?¡±

    ¡°No, I ¡­ how do you know that it woke me up over the summer?¡± Harry asked in surprise, ncing at Evan.

    ¡°Sirius told me. I¡¯m also in contact with him!¡± said Dumbledore briefly, staring at Harry.

    ¡°Professor, do you know why my scar¡¯s hurting?¡± Harry asked anxiously.

    Dumbledore looked very intently at Harry for a moment, and then slowly said, ¡°I have a theory at present, just a theory, I¡¯m not entirely sure ¡­ It is my belief that your scar hurts both when Lord Voldemort is near you, and when he is feeling a particrly strong surge of hatred. Your scar hurts because you and he are connected by the curse that failed.¡±

    ¡°This scar connects me to Voldemort?!¡± Harry was startled.

    ¡°You should know ¡­ that is no ordinary scar!¡± said Dumbledore.

    He was not sure that there was Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux in Harry¡¯s scar yet, but it was already his main hypothesis!

    Otherwise, he would not agree with Evan¡¯s n, but just directly catch Barty Crouch Jr.

    After so many things happened, especially after Caresius made an exposed turn to Snape¡¯s office, it was difficult to know whether Moody had any problems, so he agreed to let Sirius sneak into Hogwarts.

    Now, the key question was how to tell Harry, or let him ept, the fact that he must be killed by Voldemort.

    ¡°Professor ¡­ do you think that dream was true?¡± Harry continued.

    ¡°It is possible,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I would say¡­ probable. Harry¡­ did you see Voldemort?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry slowly. ¡°Just the back of his chair. But¡­ there wouldn¡¯t have been anything to see, would there? I mean, he doesn¡¯t have a body, has he? But¡­ but then how could he have held the wand? ¡°

    ¡°How indeed?¡± muttered Dumbledore. ¡°How indeed¡­¡±

    No one spoke for a while. Dumbledore was gazing ahead, as though thinking. Then he suddenly woke up.

    ¡°Harry, do you have anything else?¡± he said softly.

    ¡°Well, Professor!¡± Harry hesitated for another moment before finally saying, ¡°Do you think he¡¯s getting stronger?¡±

    ¡°Voldemort?¡± Dumbledore looked at Harry and sighed softly, ¡°Everything that has happened recently shows that his strength is increasing, but not enough ¡­ Harry, you have to understand that there are too many forces in this world. If he makes up his mind, there is nothing we can do to stop it. We can only respond appropriately in time.¡±

    Harry nodded as if he understood, but from the look on his face, it was clear that Dumbledore¡¯s words were vague to him.

    Evan was still specting, was the force Dumbledore talked about that of the evil god? Or was it a more evil force?

    This magic world was really not as simple as imagined.

    There was another silence, and then Harry began asking questions about the trial he had just seen. He asked about Betrix, Karkaroff, Barty Crouch Jr., Ludo Bagman, Neville¡¯s parents, and about Snape!

    Dumbledore answered them patiently one by one. He told Harry everything he knew, except the question why he believed that Snape really no longer supported Voldemort.

    Evan was listening and was certain that Dumbledore hadn¡¯t concealed anything, despite the fact that many things were very cruel.

    As for Snape¡¯s problem, Dumbledore said it was a matter between the two of them.

    More than half an hourter, Harry felt he had no reason to stay.

    He nced at Evan hesitantly and didn¡¯t get up, and wanted to hear what Evan had to say to Dumbledore.

    ¡°Harry, Evan and I are going to talk for a while. I¡¯d like you to meet Sirius first,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°He should havee through Hogsmeade¡¯s secret passage. You can ce him at Hagrid¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Harry stood up and walked to the door, looking back at Dumbledore and Evan.

    Evan was staring at the Pensieve, as though to take the opportunity again.

    Dumbledore was standing over the Pensieve, his face lit from beneath by its silvery spots of light, looking older than ever.

    There was a long silence after Harry left, and neither Evan nor Dumbledore spoke.

    Dumbledore looked at Evan over the Pensieve. It was his characteristic, piercing look.

    It was a bad feeling. Evan felt that Dumbledore was able to see through himpletely. He had to use lumency.

    The pressure was mounting, and he didn¡¯te here topete with Dumbledore¡¯s magic.

    ¡°Let Siriuse to Hogwarts. So, you agree to the n?¡± Evan had to ask.

    ¡°As I just said, there are too many forces in this world ¡­ too many forces we don¡¯t understand,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Voldemort can get a lot of help as long as there are enough evil hearts. What do you think Voldemort is going to do with the statue of the evil god glowing red Harry saw in his dream? ¡°

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan shook his head. He really didn¡¯t know what Voldemort was going to do with the evil god statue. That was apletely unknown field, and everything could only be spected.

    He didn¡¯t even know how Voldemort made the statue of the evil god glow. Wasn¡¯t that thing already sealed?!!

    Dumbledore began walking up and down behind his desk. Every now and then, he ced his wand tip to his temple, removed another shining silver thought, and added it to the Pensieve. The thoughts inside began to swirl so fast that Evan couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly: it was merely a blur of silvery-white.

    Did Dumbledore remember something about the evil god?

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 Chapter 684: Memory Extraction

    Chapter 684: Memory Extraction

    Dumbledore did not exin, and there was no picture of memory in the Pensieve as before.

    The silvery-white memory was spinning fast, forming a whirlpool.

    A few minutester, he suddenly said, ¡°May I see the memory of the evil god you saw in the illusion before?!¡±

    Evan hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°No problem!¡±

    After learning how to extract memories from Dumbledore, he extracted that memory.

    It was really a wonderful experience, almost an out of body experience.

    The white thought surged on the tip of Evan¡¯s wand, and at the moment when the memory gushed out of his body, he had an inexplicable and strange feeling that he reached the deepest part of his soul, and even his whole body could not help trembling.

    The strange sensation shed away, but after the memory was extracted, Evan was obviously different.

    He could remember everything he¡¯d done with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius when they went to the Centaurs¡¯ colony that night, but his experience in the Gryffindor illusion showed a nk space, as if it had vanished into thin air.

    It was not simple forgetting, because he was sure that there was such a thing, and also knew a general idea. But he couldn¡¯t remember it anyway, and there was no way to tell anyone else, only he could know.

    This magic was really amazing, out of what Evan had expected. He thought the extracted memory would just be a backup, but in fact it was not that simple.

    He could cut his own memory at will, which was a very profound and very cool skill.

    It had to be used with the Pensieve to show its effect. Evan had never seen it in any book before.

    It suddenly urred to him that he might be able to extract and preserve memories that he didn¡¯t want others to know.

    In this way, he would not have to worry that those secrets would be revealed by anyone else, especially Dumbledore.

    Besides the Pensieve, other containers should also be able to store memories.

    To be on the safe side, Evan was going to go back and double his knowledge of Alchemy to see if there were any relevant records.

    He added his memory to the seething mass within the Pensieve, and Dumbledore watched it silently.

    Evan also watched his experience with him, and they didn¡¯te out again until the whole face of the terrible evil god was revealed.

    ¡°I have seen some things in the past and heard things about evil creatures like evil gods,¡± said Dumbledore slowly. ¡°In some sects with the doctrine of primitive mysticism, the worship of the ancient gods has been preserved until now. They hope to destroy the world and return these ancient evil gods to their former dominance.¡±

    ¡°Like the Raven¡¯s w?¡± Evan asked, remembering the organization.

    ¡°You know of this old organization? Raven¡¯s w is indeed one of them!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°They think Rowena Ravenw left residual information at Hogwarts about a god called the Raven and wanted topletely destroy the school in search of that information. Crazy belief, isn¡¯t it? But they believed in it and it has been popr for a while.¡±

    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Evan. ¡°From the information we have so far, it¡¯s notpletely impossible.¡±

    ¡°This is the most terrible ce. Those ancient evil gods really exist ¡­ they¡¯re just forgotten by us!¡± Dumbledore stared at Evan and said calmly, ¡°Voldemort is doing something very dangerous, but he¡¯s not aware of it, or doesn¡¯t care at all ¡­ yes, I know him well ¡­ he doesn¡¯t care ¡­¡±

    For a long time, Dumbledore sighed again, looking older and tired.

    ¡°What shall we do?¡± Evan asked, wondering what Dumbledore was going to do.

    ¡°With regard to the evil god, there might be some way to deal with it, but I am not sure yet,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°And it is not an urgent issue. Voldemort will not rashly summon the evil god. He is not one of those Centaurs. But you¡¯re right, Evan, it is very unwise to stop Voldemort¡¯s return this time and let him continue to lurk. It¡¯s not good for us.¡±

    ¡°So you agree with my n?!¡± asked Evan again. He was dissatisfied with Dumbledore¡¯s way of not saying everything until thest minute.

    There was a lot of information, and he didn¡¯t seem to n to tell Evan.

    Sure enough, Dumbledore still did not give a clear answer, but continued to ask, ¡°You should already understand the principle and production method of Horcruxes. I know you have taken many Dark magic books from the ck family.¡±

    Evan nodded, without denying. Since Dumbledore just said it, it was of no use trying to argue.

    ¡°That¡¯s why youe to those inferences.¡± Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully and continued, ¡°How many Horcruxes do you think Voldemort has made?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­¡± Evan paused, and then added, ¡°maybe seven!¡±

    ¡°Yes, seven is indeed a magical number, and I think so too,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°But we need to be more precise, we must be sure ¡­¡±

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know how many Horcruxes he made, I destroyed another one not too long ago!¡± said Evan.

    He took out the broken Ravenw¡¯s Diadem directly and ced it in front of Dumbledore.

    In front of the diadem, Evan finally saw a trace of surprise in Dumbledore¡¯s face, although it soon disappeared.

    ¡°I have destroyed this Horcrux, but I need the diademplete again. It¡¯s a very important magic item,¡± said Evan. ¡°So, I want to restore it to its integrity with your wand. You know ¡­ I¡¯m not that powerful.¡±

    ¡°Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, this is the third one!¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan very seriously. ¡°To be honest, it is really amazing. Evan, you are really good¡­ exceeding what I expected of you, again and again, really¡­¡±

    He did not even ask where Evan had found the diadem and how he deduced that it was a Horcrux.

    It was probably Dumbledore¡¯s advantage that Evan didn¡¯t need to exin. He allowed others to have their own secrets, although he would try to explore those secrets. But at least he had limits, unlike Voldemort.

    While not as cruel as Voldemort, Dumbledore would still gain sovereignty over people in this manner. In the end they would instead try to gain his trust and self identify as one of his own.

    In a way, the bond he made with his ¡°followers¡± was a lot less prone to break than the bonds made by Voldemort.

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 Chapter 685: Starting the Plan

    Chapter 685: Starting the n

    ¡°Reparo!¡± Dumbledore gently tapped the diadem on the desk with the Elder Wand.

    Ravenw¡¯s Diadem made a continuous, slight rattle that reverberated in the office.

    It was like the sound of the wind chimes swinging, and the diadem, broken in two, quivered slightly on the desk.

    Then, it floated up, spun up quickly in mid-air, faster and faster¡­

    By the time it fell, the fracture had been reconnected, and the two split parts merged into one.

    The diadem fell gently into Dumbledore¡¯s hand, and it was like when Evan first saw it.

    Looking at the diadem in Dumbledore¡¯s hand, Evan knew that he had seeded. That was the power of the Elder Wand in the hand of such a great wielder, which was beyond imagination.

    From the moment it had been made, it had been kept in the hands of the strongest, serving only the best wizards.

    The Elder Wand had unlimited magical power. It could even sessfully mend Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, which was also a legendary magical item.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s hands, the crisp sound of the crown continued for a long time before gradually stopping.

    The diadem still had an ordinary appearance, a simple ring with rusty spots, so low-key and unobtrusive.

    ¡°Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure!¡±

    Dumbledore carefully looked at the diadem in his hand and said with interest, ¡°This is a magical item of extraordinary value. It used to belong to the ancient Ravenw family. Yes¡­ this is not its original appearance. I can feel the magic in it¡­ it blocks the power of the diadem itself. ¡°

    ¡°Is it Voldemort¡¯s power?¡± Evan remembered that Voldemort had used magic to transform the diadem.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± said Dumbledore, examining the quote on the diadem. ¡°Tom seems to have a passion for collecting Hogwarts Founders¡¯ belongings, but the magic and Horcrux he left on it have all disappeared. This is another kind of special magic.¡±

    ¡°Special magic?¡±

    ¡°Very strange force¡­ but powerful!¡± Dumbledore closed his eyes and sensed it, adding, ¡°It¡¯s a special seal!¡±

    Evan couldn¡¯t feel anything. There was still a gap between him and Dumbledore in this respect.

    Ravenw¡¯s Diadem was said to increase wisdom and make its wearer smarter.

    Helena once stole the diadem from her mother, but ended up with nothing.

    Did that mean that the sealing magic that made the diadem lose its function and original appearance was already on the diadem before it was stolen?

    ¡°Professor, what can we do to restore it to its original state?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°This requires your ingenuity,¡± said Dumbledore with a smile, handing the diadem to Evan. ¡°They say in legends that only the brightest people are qualified to find it and have it. It is yours now, and I hope you can unravel Ravenw¡¯s secret! ¡°

    He didn¡¯t seem to be going to help Evan solve this problem, but instead turned the topic back to Voldemort.

    ¡°Evan ¡­ about the n you saidst time. To be honest, I don¡¯t quite agree!¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan over the Pensieve and said, ¡°Because it is too dangerous, we cannot easily make a decision ¡­ but you¡¯re right ¡­ not taking risks really won¡¯t solve the current problem.¡±

    He looked at Evan very seriously, his pale blue eyes shining.

    Evan had had a long talk with Dumbledore after Caresius left.

    He told Dumbledore the information Caresius told him, the plot of Voldemort and rted ns, hoping to use the arrangement of Barty Crouch Jr. to give Harry to Voldemort in ordance with the original plot development and use his blood to help Voldemort return.

    This n was bold and straightforward. If Harry was not known to be a Horcrux, anyone who would hear this n would think that Evan was mad, a death eater helping Voldemort; but that was the only way topletely finish Voldemort.

    Only by letting Voldemort use Harry¡¯s blood could their connection be stronger.

    Harry¡¯s mother¡¯s Love Charm would act on both of them at the same time, protecting Harry.

    As long as Voldemort was the one trying to kill him, Harry would not die, which would mean that what should be a sessful attempt to kill him would end up destroying Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux stored in his body.

    Because of the connection between their souls, the whole process had to be done by Voldemort himself.

    What Dumbledore needed to consider was to get Voldemort do it willingly, to kill himself¡­

    Voldemort didn¡¯t know that yet. He was only blindly pursuing great power, hoping to get rid of death.

    But when he would be the strongest, it was also when he would be closest to death!

    It was precisely after confirming Dumbledore¡¯s thoughts that Evan dared to speak out about all these things.

    Voldemort was eager to return, leaving little time for Dumbledore.

    Further dy would only make Voldemort, with the power of the evil god, stronger and more difficult to deal with.

    In the original book, Dumbledore finally chose to take the risk. Because this was the only way to go, he had to do it.

    Despite his preparation, Harry managed to escape from Voldemort¡¯s hands, but it was full of risk and uncertainty.

    Many things had changed since Evan¡¯s arrival, and the dangers had be greater.

    From a safety perspective, Evan hoped that he and Sirius would apany Harry.

    Dumbledore had doubts about this. In the face of Voldemort, who regained all his power, even Evan and Sirius together would be no opponents of him.

    He didn¡¯t give a final reply, and it was only at this moment that he finally made up his mind.

    ¡°I can agree with the thought process behind your n,¡± said Dumbledore gravely, staring at Evan. ¡°But you have to assure me that no matter what happens, you must give priority to your safety, you and Harry. Don¡¯t take risks¡­¡±

    ¡°I promise!¡± said Evan. Of course, safety was of paramount importance. If they lost their lives, everything else they¡¯ve already done would be meaningless.

    He was not Dumbledore. Just harming Voldemort might require his life, and defeating him was nothing but a dream.

    Next, he and Dumbledore discussed some details.

    Now that Barty Crouch Jr. was ready to start in the second task, the most likely ce was under the water.

    Dumbledore gave a brief ount of thepetition. The champions would go to the bottom of theke to find the persons closest to them.

    Evan could dive into the water and wait, or more directly, be the closest person to a champion.

    Needless to say, Ron¡¯s closest friend was Harry.

    Evan intended to visit Fleur and ask her for help. It could be predicted that the whole game would be very dangerous. He wished Hermione and Gabrielle would not be part of it.

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 Chapter 686: Fleurâ€™s Most Important Person

    Chapter 686: Fleur¡¯s Most Important Person

    Fleur was the only choice for Evan, and she was the first person that came to mind after Dumbledore¡¯s suggestion.

    Of all the four champions, Ron¡¯s most important person must be Harry. There was no doubt about that. That was a crucial part of the n.

    As things stood, Krum wouldn¡¯t help Evan. He didn¡¯t even want to talk to him.

    As for Cedric, he would help, but only if the truth was told, otherwise it would be difficult to convince him.

    The only thing Evan couldn¡¯t do right now was to tell the truth.

    He had a strange feeling at the thought of helping Voldemort return, although they had good reasons.

    Not surprisingly, that would be the beginning of the Wizarding War and many people might die¡­

    Voldemort was not a wizard who would be defeated casually, and even Dumbledore was not quite sure he could pull it off.

    The process of Harry¡¯s defeat of Voldemort in the original book was not very referential and meaningful at all.

    In fact, after Dumbledore¡¯s death, Voldemort had won, and no one except him could kill himself.

    If he didn¡¯t care about Harry or just was content with imprisoning him, he could transform the wizarding world as he wanted.

    With all his heart, he was determined to make a difference with Harry either by victory or defeat. He wanted to kill Harry to prove that he was the best wizard. But that did not really make sense. He had long been recognized as the strongest wizard in the wizarding world!

    The many divisions of his soul made him emotionally unstable and unable to calm down and think.

    His power was gradually increasing, but the eviler his existence itself became, the less dangerous it was.

    Voldemort did not even take time to think, so he hurried to fight Harry with a wand that was not his own.

    The end was clear, failure was an inevitable oue.

    All of that could be attributed to Dumbledore¡¯s ingeniousyout, but it was undeniable that luck was also important.

    After changing so many things, Evan couldn¡¯t pin everything on illusory luck.

    Although Dumbledore would change his n to adapt, Evan wanted to do everything he could to make things more secure.

    After leaving Dumbledore¡¯s office, he walked over to Beauxbatons carriage.

    Evan was ready to go. Although Fleur had a good rtionship with him, that girl was notoriously difficult to deal with.

    Thest time she was alone, Evan had told her the content of the first task. In return, Fleur kissed Evan directly on the forehead.

    Evan came to Beauxbatons carriage and the door was open, with studentsing in and out from time to time.

    Through this period of contact, many of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students had made friends in Hogwarts, and they would also visit the carriage or Durmstrang ship when they were free.

    Because of frequent visits, Beauxbatons students were familiar with Evan.

    Considering what had happened at the end of thest term, Evan was now a celebrity in Beauxbatons, and almost everyone knew him.

    Although their attitude was not very friendly, the hostility was not as strong as at first.

    It was not like a few months ago, when Evan was near the carriage, a bunch of people popped out to fight him. Of course, if they didn¡¯t do it now, it might be because they knew they couldn¡¯t beat him.

    Evan didn¡¯t go in, but asked a girl from Beauxbatons to call Fleur out.

    Previous contacts let him know that it was best not to stay in a closed space with Fleur alone¡­

    About five minutester, Fleur walked out sleepily, as if she had just woken up.

    She wore a loose set of casual clothes, with waterfall-like silver long strewn over her shoulders, unorganized.

    Still, she looked stunningly beautiful.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± said Evan cheerfully.

    ¡°Oh, good morning, what are you looking for me for?!¡± Fleur looked at Evan. ¡°If you want to find my sister, she went to the castle early in the morning. She said she wanted to help your champion to learn Stupefy. He is unconscious. Doesn¡¯t he even master the Stunning Spell?¡±

    In preparation for the next task, Harry and Hermione had recently helped Ron to practice variousbat spells, such as Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Protego, etc. Evan, Colin, Ginny and Gabrielle sometimes helped.

    Ron had never used such spells before, so those who practiced with him had to make some sacrifices.

    At Evan¡¯s insistence, Harry would also practice. Although the magic of both Harry and Ron was not strong, it was not a good thing to be knocked down by the Stunning Spell many times in a short time. There were more people to practice with them, and they could share the damage.

    ¡°I¡¯m not looking for Gabrielle,¡± said Evan, pulling Fleur to an empty corner. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡±

    Seeing Evan¡¯s appearance, Fleur was slightly surprised, then immediately seemed to think of something, and she looked at him, grinning.

    ¡°Is it about the task?¡± said Fleur with interest. ¡°Did you get any information again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really about the task!¡± Evan nodded and asked, ¡°You should already know the secret of the Golden Egg?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very simple, just put it in the water and you can know the clues!¡± said Fleur proudly, ¡°It¡¯s the mermaid¡¯s song; it seems that we are asked to find something in theke. It is said that it is the Champions¡¯ most beloved treasure. ¡­¡±

    ¡°Not objects, but people, the most important people of the champions, this is the second task¡¯s content,¡± said Evan. ¡°Professors will bring your most important people to the Merpeople vige under theke, asking you to rescue them within an hour.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Fleur looked at him in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s too dangerous. How can they breathe underwater?!¡±

    Her most important person was undoubtedly Gabrielle. Thinking of Gabrielle going into the depths of the cold darkke¡­

    Fleur¡¯s face was very pale, and she couldn¡¯t help but think of the mermaid¡¯s song:

    <i>We¡¯ve taken what you¡¯ll sorely miss,</i>

    <i>An hour long you¡¯ll have to look,</i>

    <i>And recover what we took,</i>

    <i>But past an hour ¡ª the prospect¡¯s ck,</i>

    <i>Toote, it¡¯s gone, it won¡¯te back.</i>

    She had gone to see theke. It was deeper than she had expected, and the terrain was also veryplex.

    An hour was too short; she was not sure. If she couldn¡¯t find Gabrielle, then¡­

    ¡°Listen,¡± said Evan directly, ¡°I hope you can choose me as your most important person then.¡±

    ¡°You want to be my most important person?!¡± Fleur woke up with a start, looking up and down at Evan.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 687: Gabrielleâ€™s Substitute

    Chapter 687: Gabrielle¡¯s Substitute

    Asking a girl to be her most important person was really too direct and could easily be misunderstood.

    Since arriving at Hogwarts, Fleur had received many derations from boys in various ways.

    But this time it was so straightforward¡­ something she saw for the first time.

    If it weren¡¯t for the wrong environment, or if Fleur didn¡¯t know Evan better, she might have thought he was like other boys¡­

    ¡°To be honest, your proposal is very touching,¡± said Fleur, skeptical. ¡°But why do you do this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also worried about Gabrielle, you know ¡­¡± said Evan vaguely, looking into Fleur¡¯s eyes, ¡°Trust me, the actual danger of the second task is absolutely beyond your imagination. Any ident under theke is possible. You don¡¯t want Gabrielle to take risks, do you? ¡°

    Fleur hesitated. She really didn¡¯t want Gabrielle to take risks.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really that dangerous, and you go to theke instead of Gabrielle¡­¡±

    ¡°Rx!¡± said Evan. ¡°You know my strength. No matter what mishap, I can face it.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Fleur finally made up her mind.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan!¡± She then raised her voice, ¡°but if we do so, will anyone believe it? Everyone knows my most important person is Gabrielle. How do you want to rece her?¡±

    Indeed, Barty Crouch Jr. was not a fool. If Evan was so suddenly involved in the second task, that would be really suspicious.

    ¡°After all, this is a fact, there is no good reason!¡± said Fleur, shaking her head and suddenly thought of something, ¡°Or do you intend to be my boyfriend? This is the only way¡­ will Hermione Agree?¡±

    Evan knew from Gabrielle that Fleur had just broken up with Roger Davies not long ago and was now single. Or, more precisely, it was over before it had even begun. After the Yule Ball, Fleur lost interest in Davies.

    Evan would be Fleur¡¯s boyfriend and announce the news to the public. This method was indeed feasible.

    People who were passionately in love would naturally have their other half as their most important person.

    Evan would also have a legitimate reason to participate in the task without causing too much doubt.

    Even if Barty Crouch Jr. was skeptical, it would be hard to object.

    When discussing the details with Dumbledore, thetter also raised this point.

    But suddenly falling in love with Fleur was still too abrupt and strange. Evan had a better way.

    Caresius and Barty Crouch Jr. impersonating Moody gave him some inspiration. If he used the Polyjuice Potion, he could perfectly rece Gabrielle to enter the task without causing any doubt.

    To do so, he had to get Fleur and Gabrielle¡¯s cooperation.

    The Polyjuice Potion was effective for only one hour. Evan had to calcte the time and rece Gabrielle before the start of the second task. If they did not cooperate, it would be impossible to achieve that.

    As for the real Gabrielle, she could either hide or make herself Evan. Evan was more inclined to the second option, which could confuse Barty Crouch Jr., and he was going to ask Hermione to take care of her.

    In fact, he had originally intended to swap identities with Ron.

    But thinking about it carefully, it was too risky, regardless of whether Ron would agree or not. The status of the champion was too sensitive, and the contract with the goblet was not to be broken.

    Also, ording to the information obtained from Dumbledore, Barty Crouch Jr. would be present throughout the entire second task. If he noticed anything amiss, it could jeopardize the entire n, which would be disastrous!

    They also didn¡¯t know how Barty Crouch Jr. was going to take Harry away and where he would hide the Portkey.

    Therefore, there absolutely could not be any interference from the four champions.

    What¡¯s more, Barty Crouch Jr. was only a secondary target.

    His use value would be exhausted once he brought Harry to Voldemort, and the key point of the whole n was that Voldemort should doubt nothing.

    He had to use Harry¡¯s blood willingly, and kill Harry by himself as an important target after his resurrection. Only in this way could he sink deeper step by step until death. Otherwise, all the efforts made by Evan and his friends to implement this staging would be vain and meaningless!

    That was the main reason why Dumbledore couldn¡¯t show up for the time being. If Evan suddenly changed from Ron to himself again after Voldemort¡¯s resurrection, it would be strange not to make Voldemort suspicious, unless he was out of his mind!

    Coming to think of it, there was no reason why Evan suddenly became a champion and went to the ce where he was resurrected.

    There was no such concern in bing Gabrielle, Evan just happened to want to help, and did not want Gabrielle to take risks. Then he happened to follow Harry to witness Voldemort¡¯s return.

    Even if Voldemort thought it back and investigated, there would be nothing wrong. Everything would make sense.

    It was obvious to all that Evan had a good rtionship with Fleur and Gabrielle, and many people could prove it.

    It was a coincidence and Voldemort¡¯s plot was sessful. Evan and Dumbledore wanted him to understand it that way.

    As for the real n, no one but the two of them knew it.

    Snape and Sirius might know a little bit, they were responsible for subduing Batty Crouch Jr.

    Evan was also going to tell Hermione a little bit and get her ready to cooperate.

    As for Fleur and Gabrielle, Evan offered to rece Gabrielle, and gave a usible reason.

    Harry and Ron knew nothing about the next action, and they both acted naturally as they were.

    ¡°In short, you just have to agree¡­ leave the rest to me!¡± Evan said his n.

    ¡°The Polyjuice Potion?¡± Fleur looked at Evan in surprise. ¡°You want to rece Gabrielle this way and be my most important person?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Evan. ¡°Trust me, no one will find out, and Gabrielle won¡¯t have to venture into theke.¡±

    With the Polyjuice Potion, one could assume the physical appearance of any other person at will, without being discovered. But bing a girl was really a unique experience.

    Twenty minutester, Evan finally persuaded Fleur to dispel her concerns and let her agree to support his n.

    Fleur cared so much about Gabrielle, and she had no reason to refute Evan¡¯s suggestion.

    It was really dangerous to get into theke, and she was not quite sure about the second task itself.

    There were not only the Merpeople in theke, but also the giant squid, Kelpies and Grindylows.

    The Defence Against the Dark Arts andbat had never been Fleur¡¯s strong side.

    She dared not even think about it, in case she did not find Gabrielle within the allotted time¡­

 Chapter 688: Identity Exchange

    Chapter 688: Identity Exchange

    After leaving Fleur, Evan didn¡¯t return to the castle, but went to the nearby cabin of Hagrid.

    Harry and Sirius were there, and Sirius had turned into a big ck dog again.

    During the period before the start of the task, he would lodge with Hagrid in his Animagus form.

    It didn¡¯t matter if he was seen by students identally. They could cover it up saying that Hagrid had found a new pet again.

    After knowing that he was a half-giant, everybody was used to Hagrid!

    He had a special liking for fierce-looking, dangerous animals with fangs and sharp teeth, and he could always find some rare special species to bring back for breeding.

    It would actually be abnormal if Hagrid didn¡¯t find new, dangerous animals from time to time!

    Compared with the three-headed dog, the Acromants, and the st-Ended Skrewts, a big ck dog was not worth fussing about.

    No one would know that he was an Animagus, and that he was actually Sirius ck.

    Evan had no problem with that, as long as Sirius didn¡¯t cause any trouble.

    Time passed quickly, and as February entered, the atmosphere in the castle became tense and exciting again.

    Everyone was looking forward to the second task, which would start on thest Saturday, and discussing its content.

    Evan was ready, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had made great stridespared to before.

    Recently, the four of them had been looking around for any empty ssroom, and practiced a lot of spells.

    Professor McGonagall always bumped into them practicing all over the school, so she allowed them to use the Transfiguration ssroom at lunchtime.

    Evan was practicing the magic he had mastered, and had selected several practical Dark magic to learn.

    As for the knowledge of alchemy, ancient runes, and evil gods, he decided to put all of that aside for the time being, and wait until this event was over.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione were learning themon Defence Against the Dark Arts. Among the three, Hermione was the fastest learner.

    Whether it was Reducto, Protego, Impedimenta, or other magic spells, Hermione was always the first to master them after practicing a few times, but her disadvantage was that she could not flexibly use various types of spells to fight.

    That was Harry¡¯s strength. Although his learning was a bit slower, Harry was flexible and he was the best to use all kinds of magic spellsprehensively.

    Not to mention, he was very talented inbat and could use the most appropriate magic to solve problems at the most suitable time.

    Of the three, Ron was the slowest learner and had no perseverance, and wanted to give up again and again.

    If it hadn¡¯t been for Hermione¡¯s strict supervision, he might have stopped practicing!

    Fortunately, he was able to keep up with the progress in the end and wasn¡¯t left behind too far.

    Now, they spent some time at Hagrid¡¯s cabin every night and received special tutoring from Sirius, which was much faster than practicing by themselves from books, and Sirius knew more about many magic use andbat skills than Evan.

    Around eight o¡¯clock in the evening, Sirius would send everyone back to the castle. Then, it was time for him to move freely.

    Although Sirius had repeatedly promised that he would not cause trouble, Evan could be sure that he had sneaked into Durmstrang ship more than once in the middle of the night and entered Karkaroff¡¯s office.

    Fortunately, he also knew the limits and didn¡¯t get too close to Barty Crouch Jr.

    The day before the start of the task, Evan decided to exchange identities with Gabrielle.

    Fudge and Bagman would arrive at Hogwartster, and preparations for the second task might start at any time.

    The most important persons of the champions would be gathered one day in advance.

    The champions were unaware of the entire process. ording to regtions, they should not know the specific content of the task in advance.

    After breakfast, Evan left the castle with Hermione and went to Gabrielle.

    After learning of the whole n, Hermione was very worried, but finally bravely supported Evan.

    She helped Evan re-examine the n and fix some details.

    In fact, Evan didn¡¯t intend to tell Hermione too many things because he was afraid of her wild thoughts. But Hermione was too clever. Combining the relevant information obtained before and the disappearance of Mr. Crouch a short time ago, she deduced a lot by herself. This kind of thing could not be hidden from her at all.

    Even if she didn¡¯t know for the time being, she would be able to guess after the news of Voldemort¡¯s return spread.

    It was simply better to be generous and tell her everything, and in the end, Hermione was much stronger than Evan thought.

    ¡°Evan, promise me you¡¯lle back alive!¡± Hermione said suddenly as she was walking across thewn.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Have I ever let you down?¡± said Evan, hugging Hermione hard.

    Meanwhile, in Beauxbatons carriage, Gabrielle was sitting anxiously in her bed waiting, her heart drumming and she was so nervous!

    She originally rejected Evan¡¯s suggestion to exchange identities, but she couldn¡¯t stand the joint persuasion of Evan and Fleur and she finally had to agree.

    She didn¡¯t want Evan to risk his life, but thetter seemed to have other concerns.

    Moreover, it was really scary just to go into the depths of theke, but Evan was here to take her ce¡­

    Hearing the footsteps outside the room, she stood up in a hurry.

    ¡°Good morning, Gabrielle!¡±

    Led by Fleur, Evan and Hermione entered Gabrielle¡¯s room in turn, and Hermione finally closed the door.

    In this small room, the four people just looked at one another for a while, and the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

    Gabrielle¡¯s room was next to her sister¡¯s Fleur. The room was slightly smaller and the decor was simr. But it was cuter; there were many girls¡¯ supplies and dolls.

    ¡°Good morning!¡± said Gabrielle quietly, her face turning red unwillingly. Her eyes met Evan¡¯s and she looked away quickly.

    ¡°Well, what shall we do now?¡± said Fleur directly. ¡°You two would better hurry up!¡±

    ¡°Well, this is the Polyjuice Potion. It¡¯s ready. Just put the hair in it and you¡¯ll assume the appearance of the person after taking it. It canst for about an hour each time,¡± said Evan, taking out two bottles. He handed one of them to Hermione. ¡°I¡¯ve already configured this one and there¡¯s my hair in it. Gabrielle, give me some of your hair.¡±

    Hearing what he said, Gabrielle quickly reached into a pinch of hair and pulled out a few.

    ¡°Well, just put it inside!¡± Evan walked over and pulled the cork.

    Gabrielle threw the hair into a mud-like liquid. As soon as the hair touched the liquid surface, the potion began to bubble and smoke, and it turned into a clear light blue in the blink of an eye, the color of a clear sky!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 689: Becoming Gabrielle

    Chapter 689: Bing Gabrielle

    ¡°It worked, you smell good¡­¡±

    Seeing that Gabrielle¡¯s face became redder, Evan stopped quickly and realized that he had said something wrong!

    Next to Evan, Hermione gave him a fierce look.

    In fact, Evan didn¡¯t mean anything else. He just wanted to say that the Polyjuice Potion with Gabrielle¡¯s hair smelled good, not Gabrielle herself¡­

    Well, that was actually the same thing, it seemed that the exnation was not clear, and Evan did not know how to exin it.

    Thest time he took the Polyjuice Potion, it was in the first year when he had sneaked into the Slytherin¡¯s Common Room as Crabbe.

    Evan clearly remembered that when Crabbe¡¯s hair had been added to the Polyjuice Potion, the potion immediately turned into a dark, murky brown color with a very unpleasant smell.

    Ha would never forget the terrible taste after he drank it.

    Compared with Crabbe, Gabrielle¡¯s potion was obviously more pleasing to the eye, and its taste in the mouth should not be too bad!

    ¡°Now that the configuration isplete, what next?¡± Gabrielle asked, taking the bottle from Hermione.

    ¡°Drink this thing directly. Remember to drink it every hour and drink as much as possible ¡­ don¡¯t be afraid, the dose in the bottle is enough for you to deform for three days!¡± Evan noticed Gabrielle was a little nervous andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; Hermione will be with you until tomorrow ¡­¡±

    ¡°Good!¡± Gabrielle nodded, raised the bottle to her mouth, and stopped, as though she had just remembered something. She stared at Evan with wide eyes, and said in a flurried way, ¡°The task won¡¯t start until tomorrow ¡­ where will I sleep tonight?¡±

    Indeed, that was a problem that neither Evan nor Hermione had thought of before!

    Here, it was easy for Evan to say just follow the school¡¯s unified arrangements. But Gabrielle couldn¡¯t go to Evan¡¯s boys¡¯ dormitory to sleep, and it wasn¡¯t appropriate to stay in the carriage.

    She had to stay in the Gryffindor Common Room and couldn¡¯t go anywhere!

    There was silence and the atmosphere became even more awkward.

    Fleur raised her eyebrows in dissatisfaction and wanted to speak.

    ¡°Rx, you¡¯re sleeping with me tonight,¡± said Hermione before Fleur could express her opinion. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange it.¡±

    The problem was solved, but Evan felt it weird at the thought of Gabrielle sleeping with Hermione in ¡®his¡¯ body.

    The defensive magic in the girl¡¯s dormitory was not based on appearance; it could determine whether a person could enter or not regardless of appearance. This was actually done to prevent Polyjuice potion users from sneaking in, but it was now helping one of them do just that!

    As long as they went backter, they could squeeze into a bed to sleep without being seen¡­

    Evan shook his head and couldn¡¯t think any more!

    ¡°Let¡¯s drink the Polyjuice Potion here!¡± Evan took a deep breath and said to Gabrielle, ¡°Then you follow me to ss. If I leave halfway, you will follow Colin and Ginny to find Hermione! Understood? OK, drink! ¡°

    With Fleur and Hermione watching, Evan and Gabrielle swallowed the potion at the same time.

    As before, a burning sensation spread from Evan¡¯s throat to every cell in his body.

    He quickly melted, getting shorter and shorter, and his body became slim and thin.

    At the same time, his hair was getting longer and turning into beautiful silvery-white.

    Opposite Evan, Gabrielle¡¯s features began to wriggle and deform like hot wax. Her head was swollen and grew up, taking the shape of Evan¡¯s.

    It was really a strange feeling, watching another self appear on the opposite side¡­

    A few secondster, Evan turned into a cute eight- or nine-year-old girl, exactly like Gabrielle.

    The originally well fitted clothes became loose and sagged on Evan and kept slipping down.

    He had to carry them by hand, but his hands were too small, and he was struggling to carry them.

    As for Gabrielle on the other hand, it was even worse at this time. Her clothes were very tight on ¡®Evan¡¯s¡¯ body. Because of her difort, she had to take off her clothes as quickly as possible, and her movements were much uncoordinated.

    Fortunately, Fleur and Hermione were there. Otherwise after the transformation, Evan and Gabrielle did not know how long it would take toplete the change.

    Hermione took out Evan¡¯s clothes that she had brought with her and helped Gabrielle change her clothes, and the two were messing around.

    Evan really hoped that they wouldn¡¯t strip themselvespletely, at least not in front of themselves.

    Gabrielle was somewhat reserved, with Evan beside her.

    Hermione went straight to take off all her clothes without scruples, and Evan was sure that she would not treat her body like this.

    However, he couldn¡¯t care about the two of them anymore. Beside him, Fleur looked at him with an interested gaze, giving him a raw look.

    ¡°Well, what style of clothes do you like?¡± She went over and opened Gabrielle¡¯s wardrobe and looked back at Evan with a yful smile on her face. ¡°Any special requirements?¡±

    Evan nced at the dazzling wardrobe that was leisurely stuffed, and he felt dizzy for a while. He did not expect Gabrielle to have so many clothes.

    ¡°How about a long dress with suspenders and a blue cape? ¡­ I don¡¯t like it. How about the sleeveless one?¡± Fleur asked, taking out the clothes one by one, and showing them in front of Evan. ¡°How about this one-piece dress? ¡­ satisfied? I personally think this short ckce dress matches my sister very well ¡­ it looks lovely, doesn¡¯t it? Unfortunately, she is too shy to wear it out. Would you like to try it?¡±

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s appropriate to wear a short skirt to go under theke this season?¡± said Evan with gritted teeth. What Fleur brought out were all skirts, and she wanted tough at Evan. ¡°Give me the Beauxbatons robes.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, Today¡¯s children are too conservative and not cute at all,¡± said Fleur with a smile, and opened the loweryer of the wardrobe. ¡°Since it¡¯s a school uniform and robes outside, what about underwear? What kind of style do you want to put on? Unfortunately, my sister¡¯s styles are too ordinary, and mine are not suitable for you. Would you like me to borrow some from others? If you order them at Hogsmeade, you¡¯ll probably get them in a while. ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ll wear my own,¡± said Evan. ¡°Hurry up and bring me Gabrielle¡¯s robes.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t yours a little too big? You¡¯re not going to take it off in an empty ce, are you?¡± said Fleur, ncing at Evan, ¡°I warn you, boy, don¡¯t take the opportunity to peek at my sister¡¯s body¡­¡±

    Before Evan could speak, he heard Gabrielle shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t look!¡±

    Her little face couldn¡¯t be redder. She was terribly shy.

    She heard the conversation between Fleur and Evan so clearly that she hoped to find a hole to hide in.

    Evan sighed. He didn¡¯t mean to see it. There wasn¡¯t so much worry when this girl took off her clothes.

    Besides, even if he wanted to look, what was so good to see about the body of an eight- or nine-year-old girl?!

    ========================================

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 Chapter 690: Sensitive Professor Trelawney

    Chapter 690: Sensitive Professor Trwney

    Fleur didn¡¯t sincerely help Evan change his clothes. He had to ask Hermione toe and help, and let Fleur help Gabrielle!

    Although the underwear was loose and ufortable and kept falling down, until the end, Evan insisted on not taking them off, which made Gabrielle feel relieved.

    In fact, she was a little scared that Evan would take off all his clothes¡­

    While the three of them weren¡¯t paying attention, Evan looked down and lowered his cor. There was not really anything to look at.

    With the help of Fleur and Hermione, Evan and Gabrielle didn¡¯t change all their clothes until about ten minutester.

    Fortunately, although Beauxbatons uniform robes were also divided into male and female styles, the difference was not too big.

    Evan felt it a little awkward, but not uneptable.

    Because of his size and weight loss, his body had be lighter and less powerful.

    However, only the shape and appearance had changed. The magic in the body was still the same.

    Evan put the bottle containing the Polyjuice Potion into the cloth bag he carried with him, and followed the three of them out of the carriage.

    Now it was time to go to ss, and many people came to say hello.

    They were all girls from Beauxbatons, familiar with Gabrielle, but Evan didn¡¯t know any of them, so he was tired of coping with it.

    By his side, the real Gabrielle was evasive, too. That was the first time that the girl had be someone else. She had no experience and was afraid of being discovered.

    ¡°Are you two all right?¡± said Hermione worriedly. ¡°I always feel a little incongruous.¡±

    ¡°Rx, we¡¯re okay, you go to the Potions ss!¡± said Evan, turning his head to look at Fleur, who had been smirking, ¡°you too, hurry up and report to the Transfiguration ss, don¡¯t worry about us!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye then, my dear sister!¡± said Fleur, walking over and kissing Gabrielle¡¯s cheek twice.

    Evan froze, and so did Hermione! They saw that Gabrielle didn¡¯t dodge, epted the kiss, and even wanted to kiss back¡­

    Evan hurriedly grabbed her, but it was toote, and there was a scream of surprise around them. Many students who had juste out of the Great Hall after breakfast saw this scene.

    What they saw, Fleur was actually kissing Evan! And if Gabrielle hadn¡¯t stopped him, Evan would have kissed back. What on earth was going on?!!

    Everyone couldn¡¯t believe it. Was there any unspeakable rtionship between Fleur and Evan?!!

    Evan red at Fleur with a smile and pulled Gabrielle, who was standing stupefied, to go to the Divination ssroom.

    Along the way, he repeatedly emphasized with Gabrielle that she was now Evan and asked her to imitate his usual appearance.

    Gabrielle paid a lot of attention after that. Until they entered the Divination ssroom and sat in their respective seats, there was no incident.

    Facts had proved that as a qualified staff, Professor Trwney was still very dedicated.

    When she made those tragic predictions, she didn¡¯t always target a certain student simply because she didn¡¯t like that student.

    Evan had found that she still had a theoretical system to support, and was not talking nonsense.

    In previous Divination lessons, Evan, like Harry, had always been the focus of Professor Trwney¡¯s attention.

    All kinds of death predictions and tragic future had emerged in an endless stream.

    Most of the young wizards in the ssroom were used to it, even numb!

    But today, they were surprised to find that Professor Trwney shifted her prophetic target to Gabrielle and ignored Evan.

    During Divination ss, they were learning to divine through crystal balls.

    In that damn ball, Evan could see nothing except the lines of the desk twisted by the change of light.

    The dim light in the professor¡¯s room, full of incense and heat, made his eyelids droop and drowsy.

    ¡°My dear!¡± Professor Trwney suddenly rushed over and awakened Evan.

    ¡°Yes, Professor?!¡± Evan looked at her and said, ¡°Can I help you?¡±

    He was too familiar with Professor Trwney¡¯s look. He thought he would be spared as he became Gabrielle¡­

    But no, Trwney stared at Evan with her big eyes, looming ominously towards him.

    ¡°There¡¯s something in your crystal ball, do you see it? Is it like an omen?¡± she said in an ethereal voice.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Evan replied, prolonging his voice, and sure enough it was the same old story.

    But the others suddenly came to their senses and focused all their attention on Evan.

    ¡°Professor, what¡¯s in Gabrielle¡¯s crystal ball?¡± A girl asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shadow. Although I can¡¯t see clearly what¡¯s inside, it is definitely not a good sign,¡± said Professor Trwney. ¡°My dear, believe me, you will have a tragic fate; maybe it will be¡­.. deathhhhh!¡±

    ¡°Heck!¡± Hearing her words, the ss retreated, with an uneasy expression on their faces.

    It was the first time they had seen Professor Trwney say these things to someone other than Evan. How could Gabrielle have a tragic fate?

    If that was the case, it would be because she got in touch with Evan.

    ¡°Well, thank you for making my prediction, Professor,¡± said Evan, standing up. ¡°Excuse me ¡­ can I go to the bathroom?¡±

    ¡°My dear, you are obviously affected by the special energy vibrations in my ssroom, which will make your destiny so clear,¡± said Professor Trwney. ¡°If you walk away now, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have the opportunity to¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m really in a hurry!¡± Evan whispered, getting up and leaving the ssroom. He ignored Professor Trwney, who looked depressed, as though she had been deprived of a rich banquet.

    Then, she habitually turned to Gabrielle, disguised as Evan, and stared at her crystal ball.

    There was nothing that appeared to interest her as usual, and it seemed today¡¯s psionic energy was not here.

    When she heard that Evan was going to the bathroom, Gabrielle thought of something and was a little worried¡­

    ¡°Professor, I want to go, too!¡± she said hastily and ran out of the ssroom, leaving the other students looking at one another.

    If Evan was going to the bathroom now, he would be at the boys¡¯ or the girls¡¯. That was a problem.

    However, he did not intend to do so, but just did not want to stay in front of Professor Trwney.

    He suddenly realized that Professor Trwney was very sensitive. Although she could not have known that Evan and Gabrielle had exchanged identities, it was not good to keep her staring at the crystal ball to predict. Who knew what terrible words she would say? It was not good to arouse suspicion!

    Those predictions were highly unlikely toe true, but the sudden appearance of Gabrielle¡¯s prophecy was abnormal in itself.

    He was going to return at the end of ss, but a few secondster, Gabrielle suddenly came after him.

    For the next half an hour or so, the two of them stood at the top of the North Tower, looking at the foot of theke outside the window and the wide Forbidden Forest, chatting about the past while at it. Time passed in a quiet and leisurely atmosphere. Neither of them was in a hurry to return, and Professor Trwney did not send anyone out to look for them.

    As for why it took so long to go to the toilet; that made the others guess blindly. They would knowter anyway.

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 Chapter 691: Preparations

    Chapter 691: Preparations

    Although Evan and Gabrielle were honest and prone, many changes had been made inadvertently after the identity exchange.

    In the next Charms ss, Evan easily finished the task assigned by Professor Flitwick.

    That would normally not be a big surprise. He usually did the same and everyone was used to it.

    But after Evan finished the work as Gabrielle, he received unimaginable attention and amazement!

    She was a lovely girl with a beautiful look, gentle character, sweet temperament and excellent magic talent¡­

    Gabrielle was very liked among junior boys. They looked at her and made Evan feel ufortable.

    On the other hand, Gabrielle used her advantage to get along with Ginny and other girls very happily as Evan.

    Many people were surprised to find that Evan was so good at getting along with girls.

    Colin actually came up and secretly asked Gabrielle for ¡°girl advice¡±¡­

    After a whole morning¡¯s experience, both of them felt very tired.

    When he walked into the Great Hall for lunch, Evan hoped that it would end very soon.

    Ludo Bagman had already sat at the teachers¡¯ table, and seemed quite happy. Fudge did not show up.

    A few minutester, Fleur made a rare appearance at the Gryffindor table, and winked at Evan with a smile.

    ¡°My lovely sister, after lunch, Madame Maxime has something to tell you!¡± She walked over and said, naturally sitting next to Gabrielle, which was originally Colin¡¯s ce, ¡°She¡¯ll be in the hall. You can go to her alone.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡± Evan replied, looking helplessly at Fleur.

    When she didn¡¯t use ¡°Gabrielle¡±, but expressions such as ¡°my lovely sister¡± and ¡°my dear sister¡±¡­ Couldn¡¯t Fleur keep a low profile?!!

    There was a murmur around. They saw Fleur and Evan sitting together, Gabrielle and Hermione sitting opposite.

    Associated with the scene they saw in the hall this morning, many young wizards began to think their minds hadn¡¯t been functioning correctly¡­

    Because Fleur suddenly appeared, the atmosphere at the table was strange, and Ron was nervous and speechless.

    There were too many people around, and some words were not easy to say here.

    After lunch, Evan shook Hermione¡¯s little hand vigorously, then walked alone to Madame Maxime.

    Madame Maxime was already waiting at the door, worried and distraught.

    ¡°Here you are, Gabrielle,¡± said Madame Maxime. ¡°Follow me to Dumbledore¡¯s office. Everyone is there.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Evan asked, looking up at Madame Maxime, imitating Gabrielle¡¯s tone.

    ¡°About the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, every champion needs to find someone to cooperate with toplete the task,¡± said Madame Maxime, pulling Evan upstairs. ¡°Gabrielle, you are the most important person to your sister Fleur. ording to the arrangement, you will be sent to theke in front of the castle, waiting for her to rescue you!¡±

    ¡°Go into theke?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, although Dumbledore has repeatedly promised to ensure your safety, you are too young to go into the deepke ¡­¡± said Madame Maxime anxiously. ¡°If you refuse, I can find someone else.¡±

    ¡°I want to be in,¡± said Evan. He had turned into Gabrielle for this purpose. How could he refuse?

    He followed Madame Maxime to Dumbledore¡¯s office, where Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Ludo Bagman, Moody, and Snape were already waiting.

    In addition, there were Professor Flitwick and Cho Chang, who was the most important person to Cedric, and a chubby Durmstrang boy, Krum¡¯s target, whose name was Poliakoff.

    ording to Krum¡¯s original intention, he wanted to choose Hermione, but neither Evan nor Hermione agreed. The matter itself required the consent of the chosen target, and Karkaroff randomly found a recement for him.

    Dumbledore happily greeted when Evan stepped in, ¡°Good afternoon, Gabrielle!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Professor Dumbledore!¡± Evan replied, sitting in a chair in the corner.

    Dumbledore had identified him and everything had been arranged.

    After a while, Harry followed Professor McGonagall into the office. He looked around and walked to Evan.

    ¡°All right, everyone is here,¡± said Dumbledore gently. ¡°You should already know what will happen. You will enter theke in front of the castle. I will personally cast a spell on the four of you, which will make you sleepy and breathe underwater. I can assure you that the whole process is not dangerous and you will wake up as soon as youe out of the water. Is there any problem? ¡°

    The four shook their heads, having no objections.

    ¡°Very well, you know, the whole process of the task is confidential to the champions. I suggest you don¡¯t have to go back in the afternoon until the end of the task tomorrow!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°We have prepared a guest room on the first floor of the castle where you can sleep tonight. Dinner will be delivered by the house-elves. We will be out at six tomorrow morning.¡±

    Throughout the afternoon, Professor Dumbledore exined in detail the whole process of the task to Evan, Harry, Cho and Poliakoff. He led them to theke to experiment with the spell. Hemunicated with the female leader of the Merpeople who looked very rough and fierce, and kept producing a sharp and screechy voice.

    Obviously, he could also speak Mermish.

    Cornelius Fudge came to Hogwarts at about three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, and his face was tense and he seemed a little unhappy. Five Aurors were following him, and Sirius was among them. They would be responsible for preparing the entire ying field to ensure that there would be no idents.

    In Evan¡¯s view, Fudge brought so many Aurors here mainly to protect his own safety. Crouch¡¯s disappearance brought him a wake-up call. He realized that the wizarding world was not as peaceful as he thought.

    As for ensuring that there were no idents in the task, these few Aurors would have little effect. During the task, they would not go into theke, not to mention Barty Crouch Jr. would also participate in the security work.

    All in all, preparations for the second task were carried out in an orderly manner.

    With the exception of Evan, the other three who were going to theke were a little nervous, especially Poliakoff, who was not familiar with the others.

    Harry seemed to want tomunicate with Cho Chang, but didn¡¯t know what to say, so he could only follow the team.

    In the end, Cho talked with Evan all afternoon, and it was her who was speaking most of the time.

    Cho was more talkative than Evan had previously thought. She talked about all kinds of recent events, from gossip and rumors in the school to the uing task, as well as her impression of boys. Many of them Evan heard of for the first time.

    She seemed to think that she was getting along well with ¡°Gabrielle¡±, and because she was scared, she invited her to sleep with her at night¡­

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 Chapter 692: The Start of the Task

    Chapter 692: The Start of the Task

    Evan naturally could not sleep with Cho. The effect of the Polyjuice Potion was only one hour.

    This meant that he would definitely change back when he went to bed at night. It was impossible for Evan to get up every hour to take the potion.

    After having dinner sent by the house-elves, he rejected Cho¡¯s invitation and didn¡¯t want to y Wizard¡¯s Chess with Harry.

    Evan went back to the guest room on the first floor of the castle, locked the door, blew out the candles, and went to bed early.

    Hey down, thought for a while, got up again, took off all his clothes, and then fell heavily on the bed¡­

    After the transformation, Gabrielle¡¯s clothes would definitely not be suitable, and the Polyjuice Potion was really troublesome.

    He heaved a sigh in the darkness. Today¡¯s experience was really special!

    Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night, not just for Evan but also for some others.

    In the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione and Gabrielle also kept talking until veryte.

    When there was no one around in the middle of the night, the two of them realized that it was time to go to bed and could not continue to drag on.

    ¡°Come on, they should all be asleep. Let¡¯s keep our voices down!¡± Hermione said, blushing.

    A strange feeling rose in her body. Although she knew that Gabrielle was in front of her, she looked like Evan now.

    She was personally leading ¡®Evan¡¯ to her bed, which made her head nk.

    ¡°I¡¯d better stay here, if someone shows up¡­¡± said Gabrielle worried.

    ¡°No, as long as you pay attention, there will be no problem!¡± Hermione actively took Gabrielle and walked to the bedroom, saying, ¡°Come on, I can¡¯t leave you here alone, you can¡¯t stay up all night.¡±

    She repeatedly told herself it was Gabrielle, not Evan, and there was nothing to be shy about.

    In this kind of matter, her courage must be a little bit bigger and set an example for Gabrielle!

    The defense magic at the entrance of the girls¡¯ dormitory was not disturbed, which greatly relieved both of them.

    They tiptoed and went into Hermione¡¯s bedroom. There was no sound around. At this time, everyone was asleep!

    Hermione and Gabrielle looked at one another for a while, and then with Hermione¡¯s help, Gabrielle took off her clothes in the dark.

    They also did not wear pajamas and climbed to bed as quickly as possible.

    Hermione lowered the curtain of the four-poster bed and let Gabrielle lie in it.

    The originally spacious big bed became smaller with one more person in it.

    Each of them thought about it, tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.

    None of them noticed when Gabrielle, who was clinging to Hermione, had returned to her former appearance.

    More than four o¡¯clock the next morning, Evan opened his eyes and woke up.

    He took out the bottle and took a sip of the Polyjuice Potion before putting on his clothes and leaving the room.

    At the end of the corridor, Dumbledore was already waiting outside, and he seemed to expect that Evan would be the first to wake up.

    ¡°Good morning, Professor!¡± said Evan before noticing that Moody was standing in the dark shadow of the corner.

    In the dim light, his mutted face seemed extraordinarily gloomy and his eyes were fixed on Evan.

    Today was a crucial day, and his n wasing true!

    He would personally bring Harry Potter to the Dark Lord, and he would prove his loyalty to the great Lord Voldemort.

    That was his dream and his greatest wish.

    Although there were many changes in the middle, he didn¡¯t follow his original n, let the cunning vampire go, killed his father with his own hands, and even might be sent to Azkaban again or die¡­

    But he didn¡¯t care at all, as long as he could help the Dark Lord return, everything was worth it. At the thought of this, there was an air of craziness in Barty Crouch Jr.

    ¡°Hello, Gabrielle,¡± said Dumbledore with a smile. ¡°You look tired; didn¡¯t you sleep wellst night?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded, ncing at Moody. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m too nervous, I feel bad to think of going under that hugeke¡­ you know¡­ I can¡¯t swim yet!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be in danger,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, and patted him gently on the shoulder. ¡°We have made all the preparations. Believe me, you will return safely. I wish you good luck!¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan nodded, standing beside Dumbledore.

    After a while, Fudge, Bagman, Madame Maxime, Karkaroff, Sirius, Snape, Professor McGonagall, and several Aurors also came to the corridor on the first floor of the castle, Harry and Cho stepped out of the room.

    Neither of them seemed to have slept well, with deep shadows under their eyes.

    Everyone talked in a low voice, Sirius pulled Harry aside and told him something, and Harry nodded from time to time.

    While the others were not paying attention, Evan secretly took another sip of the Polyjuice Potion, and he would drink it several times after he went to the bottom of theke.

    It was already past five o¡¯clock. Poliakoff hadn¡¯te out yet. That guy was dead asleep, and everyone was waiting for him.

    ¡°Get up, Poliakoff, you disgusting boy!¡± Karkaroff knocked impatiently at the door, often rudely.

    Five minutester, after he walked out, Dumbledore began to cast spells on everyone.

    A blue light shed, and Evan lost consciousness and entered endless darkness¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At the same time, Hermione also woke up early.

    Feeling that someone was holding her body, she opened her eyes sharply, only to see that it was the little Gabrielle, and then she rxed.

    She had a strange dreamst night, dreaming that she and Evan were in her bed¡­

    Hermione hurriedly moved her mind elsewhere. Evan should have gone to the bottom of theke now, and she hoped everything would go smoothly.

    She thought for a while before she woke Gabrielle up and handed her the bottle containing the Polyjuice Potion and Evan¡¯s clothes. When she turned back to Evan, the two of them came to the Common Room as quickly as possible without being noticed.

    There were more and more people in the Common Room, everyone excitedly talking about the uing task.

    During dinner yesterday, Dumbledore announced that today¡¯s task would be held in theke in front of the castle, which was really exciting to everyone.

    All the young wizards at Hogwarts knew about the depth of theke, which contained the terrible giant squid and Kelpies.

    Being able to breathe underwater was a great achievement in itself.

    These discussions upset Hermione. She didn¡¯t want to stay here, and took Gabrielle to the Great Hall for breakfast.

    They deliberately chose an empty corner, and it was about eight o¡¯clock before they saw Roning in.

    He was putting his wand upside down in his trouser pocket, and the other pocket was filled with Gillyweed.

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 Chapter 693: Entering the Lake

    Chapter 693: Entering the Lake

    ¡°Evan, Hermione, you¡¯re here!¡± Ron sat down and took a slice of bread to himself, saying proudly, ¡°I¡¯ve just been surrounded by Lavender and her friends. They wanted to know how I would breathe under the water. No way, girls are like this, I had to make them understand that this is not an easy task¡­¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t care about you and Lavender.¡± Hermione said dissatisfied and looked at Ron angrily. ¡°You¡¯re toote. The champions will gather in front of the castle before eight o¡¯clock and wait for instructions. ¡°

    ¡°I know, it¡¯s not toote, I¡¯m keeping track of the time!¡± said Ron indifferently, stuffing food into his mouth, ¡°By the way, do you know where Harry has gone? He didn¡¯te backst night, did he? Is Sirius looking for him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in theke, of course.¡± Hermione said impatiently.

    ¡°In theke?!¡± Ron asked, startled, ¡°Why is Harry going there?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? In the second task, the champions will go to theke to find their most important person, and <i>your</i> most important person is <i>Harry</i>,¡± said Hermione, dissatisfied with Ron¡¯s backwardness, ¡°He¡¯s already waiting for you there!¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m going to save Harry under theke?¡± said Ron hurriedly, suddenly bing nervous. ¡°No one told me that. I heard the mermaid song in the Golden Egg and thought I was going to find something! ¡°

    Thinking of that, Ron couldn¡¯t help but start worrying. Harry was in the depths of theke waiting to be rescued by him.

    He groped for Gillyweed in his pocket. What if he couldn¡¯t find Harry within an hour?!!

    Ron remembered the words in the song, ¡®<i>Toote, it¡¯s gone, it won¡¯te back</i>.¡¯ He panicked and was no longer rxed. He was afraid to lose Harry forever.

    ¡°How can they do that? And Harry doesn¡¯t have Gillyweed, how can he breathe under theke?¡± Ron said uneasily. ¡°If I can¡¯t find him within an hour, Evan, what should I do?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± said Gabrielle, holding a cup and drinking milk.

    If she knew what to do, she wouldn¡¯t sit here and worry!

    Hearing her answer, Ron froze. He didn¡¯t expect that answer from Evan¡­

    ¡°You just have to do what you usually did during training, and you <i>can</i> do it!¡± said Hermione quickly. ¡°Eat Gillyweed by theke, find Harry in theke, and bring Him back. It¡¯s as simple as that.¡±

    She was aware that if Ron knew all the truth, he would never seed because of the panic.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go now!¡±

    Ron swallowed the food in his mouth and followed Hermione and Gabrielle out of the castle.

    They walked out through the double oak doors and came to the bright, chilly grounds outside.

    As they pounded down thewn to theke, they saw that the seats that had encircled the dragons¡¯ enclosure in November were now ranged along the opposite bank, rising in stands that were packed to the bursting point and reflected in theke below.

    They walked around the other side of theke, and went there.

    The judges¡¯ gold-draped table was in front of the audience at the water¡¯s edge, and Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Fudge and Ludo Bagman were already sitting there.

    The other teachers and Aurors were standing at the judges¡¯ table and would be in charge of maintaining order during the task.

    Ron waved at Lavender in the audience and walked over to the judge¡¯s table.

    Not long ago, he had also received a letter from Percy saying that he would rece Mr. Crouch as a judge.

    Ron thought it was a good point for him, and no matter how bad he was, Percy could not give him a low score.

    But now, Percy was under investigation because of Mr. Crouch¡¯s disappearance.

    Sirius told them that the Ministry did not want to make public the disappearance of Mr. Crouch, but they pulled Percy away and questioned him about the instructions from Mr. Crouch. They seemed to think that these instructions might not have been written by Mr. Crouch himself.

    Percy was under a lot of pressure. Something went wrong in his fledgling career, which was worse than killing him.

    Under these circumstances, he naturally could not be a judge at Hogwarts!

    ¡°Here you are, Ron!¡± Ludo Bagman came up with a smile on his face, took the initiative to rece an Auror, and led Ron to the ce where the champions gathered, ¡°Well, do you know what you¡¯re going to do?¡±

    ¡°I just found out!¡± Ron replied, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it ¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah ¡­ me neither!¡± said Bagman, lowering his voice again. ¡°Listen, I just learned the location of the Merpeople vige from stor. He went there yesterday¡­ just to the northwest. Don¡¯t swim anywhere else.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Ron said in surprise, looking at Ludo Bagman.

    He already knew where the Merpeople vige was, but did not expect that Bagman would help him at this time.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee! You know, I want to help you win the tournament!¡± Bagman said, his voice returned to normal, ¡°Well, go ahead, the other champions are waiting!¡±

    When Ron passed, Cedric, Krum, and Fleur had lined up along the bank at intervals of ten feet.

    Ron was on the very end of the line, next to Krum, who was wearing swimming trunks and was holding his wand ready. He was indeed worth being a world-ss Seeker

    It was indeed a world-ss pursuit. Krum¡¯s physique was really strong. He had been preparing almost an hour before the beginning of the task. Ron hesitated, and decided to be in his robes.

    After a while, Professor Moody came around, inspected each champion, and ordered some precautions.

    Then Sirius and the Aurors did the same. Ron didn¡¯t understand why they had to check so many times.

    Just when he was a little impatient, he saw Bagman stand up at the judges¡¯ table. He pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, said, ¡°<i>Sonorus</i>!¡± and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

    ¡°Well, listen up, everybody. All our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One ¡­ two ¡­ <i>three</i>!¡±

    The whistle echoed shrilly in the cold, still air, and the stands erupted with cheers and apuse.

    Without looking to see what the other champions were doing, Ron pulled the handful of Gillyweed out of his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and waded out into theke as he had practiced before. It was so cold he felt the skin on his legs searing as though this were fire.

    His sodden robes weighed him down as he walked in deeper.

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 Chapter 694: A Terrible Attack

    Chapter 694: A Terrible Attack

    Now the water was over Ron¡¯s knees, and his rapidly numbing feet were slipping over silt and t, slimy stones. He was chewing the Gillyweed as hard and fast as he could; it felt unpleasantly slimy and rubbery, like octopus tentacles.

    Waist-deep in the freezing water he stopped, swallowed, and waited for the miracle to happen.

    Ron could hearughter in the crowd and knew he must look stupid, walking into theke without showing any sign of magical power.

    He couldn¡¯t help worrying. What if the Gillyweed didn¡¯t work?!!

    Over the past two months, he had learned many spells he didn¡¯t master before, such as Reducio, Stupefy, Impedimenta, and so on.

    But none of them could help him breathe underwater, and he clenched his wand nervously.

    Ron¡¯s lower body was immersed in the icy water of theke, and a cruel breeze was lifting his hair relentlessly.

    He started to shiver violently, and the part of him that was still dry was all in goose pimples.

    He avoided looking at the stands; theughter was bing louder, and there were catcalls and jeering from the Slytherins¡­

    ¡°How stupid ¡­¡± He looked around helplessly.

    Then, quite suddenly, Ron felt as though an invisible pillow had been pressed over his mouth and nose.

    As soon as he tried to draw breath, he felt his head spinning. Ron¡¯s lungs were empty, and there was a sudden piercing pain on either side of his neck¡­

    He pped his hands around his throat and felt tworge slits just below his ears, pping in the cold air.

    Ron realized <i>he had gills</i>!

    He flung himself forward into the water, and the first gulp of icyke water felt like the breath of life.

    His head had stopped spinning; he took another great gulp of water and felt it pass smoothly through his gills, sending oxygen back to his brain.

    He stretched out his hands in front of him and stared at them. They looked a little green and ghostly under the water, and they had be webbed. He twisted around and looked at his bare feet ¡­ they had be elongated and the toes were webbed too. It looked as though he had sprouted flippers

    The water didn¡¯t feel icy anymore either¡­ on the contrary, he felt pleasantly cool and very light¡­

    He was overjoyed. Although he had heard Evan describe it before, it was amazing.

    Ron continued moving forward, and his two flipper-like feet propelled him far and fast through the water.

    He also noticed how clearly he could see, and how he no longer seemed to need to blink.

    He had soon swum so far into theke that he could no longer see the bottom. He flipped over and dived into its depths.

    There was a strange, dark, foggy scene in front of him, and silence pressed upon his ears.

    Ron could only see ten feet around him, so that as he sped through the water new scenes seemed to loom suddenly out of the oing darkness: forests of rippling, tangled ck weed, wide ins of mud littered with dull, glimmering stones.

    The Gillyweed worked, and Ron was ecstatic for a while. Now he just needed to go to the Merpeople Vige and bring Harry back.

    Everything was too simple, and as expected, he would be the first champion toplete the task.

    Ron swam forward for a while, and then stopped suddenly, his eyes wide, staring through the eerily gray-lit water around him to the shadows beyond, where the water became opaque. There seemed to be something hidden in it.

    ¡°Probably a fish!¡± He thought, clenching his wand, ¡°is it the giant squid?!¡±

    Ron didn¡¯t dare to move, as though he had seen something big moving in front of him, getting closer and closer¡­

    The next second, something monstrous emerged from the shadow and appeared in front of Ron ¡­ a shark!

    How could there be sharks in theke?! That was ridiculous!

    Ron was terrified, raising his wand before he could see it clearly. It was Krum with a human body in swimming trunks and the head of a shark¡­

    He appeared to have transfigured himself¡­ but badly.

    Ron rxed, lowered his wand and swam to the shark-man Krum to say hello.

    Perhaps, they could go to the Merpeople vige together, and the dark surroundings worried Ron a little.

    ¡°Come with me!¡± Krum made a gesture, and his voice sounded weird in the water.

    It turned out that a shark could also speak, but the pronunciation seemed to be different from that of a normal person, sounding very strange.

    His head wobbled incoherently in the water, in sharp contrast to his body.

    In fact, Ron wanted tough a little when he saw Krum¡¯s funny look.

    The shark¡¯s head of an internationally renowned Quidditch Seeker¡­ unfortunately, he could not take a picture of it¡­

    They swam over light green weeds that were two feet deep and really looked like a meadow of overgrown grass.

    Ron remembered Evan saying that this was the territory of Grindylow, a horned water demon.

    That kind of water demon¡¯s attack power was not very high. He learned how to deal with them with Professor Lupinst year, but it was different from what he had been exposed to in ss. Ron wanted to warn Krum to be careful, swim higher and stay away from those weeds, so as not to be surprised by Grindylows.

    Ahead of him, Krum stopped abruptly, and he turned to look at Ron, his huge shark mouth full of fangs and sharp teeth.

    ¡°<i>Crucio</i>!¡± Krum¡¯s voice sounded abruptly, and his wand was aimed at Ron.

    The next second, before Ron knew what was going on, a jet of boiling water hit him.

    Heartbreaking pain rose in Ron¡¯s body. He opened his mouth and felt like every nerve in his body was on fire.

    His body was curled up tightly; his limbs were strangely twisted and swayed meaninglessly.

    He wanted to yell out because of severe pain, but couldn¡¯t make a sound, and bubbles kepting out of his mouth.

    ¡°Unforgivable Curse, why did Krum do it, he ¡­¡±

    But soon, Ron couldn¡¯t think about it anymore. The pain spread in his body and made him lose his ability to think.

    Perhaps passing out was a relief, but Ron remained awake.

    That was the terrible ce to use the Cruciatus Curse, which could torture people to madness.

    If one could choose, it would be easier to die than to suffer excruciating pain of that Torture Curse.

    Ron¡¯s wand fell, fear rose in the shadow, and a terrible crime was taking ce in the dark.

    Krum stared coldly at Ron, who was incapacitated, and a Stunning Spell followed.

    Ron lost his consciousness and fell down into the dense weed¡­

    A green Grindylow quickly reached out and gripped Ron¡¯s ankle, dragging him deep into the weed.

    Delicious food, it creaked excitedly.

    A few secondster, the surroundings returned to calm, as though nothing had happened.

    Krum lowered his wand, and his body gradually disappeared into the shadow of theke¡­

    ========================================

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 Chapter 695: Hostages

    Chapter 695: Hostages

    Krum, who had left, did not notice that a milky white thing was floating quickly over the weed.

    He was looking for the two other champions in the turbidke.

    Then he knew!

    Fleur was looking in the wrong direction and was swimming in the opposite direction of the Merpeople vige. He didn¡¯t have to bother about her; Cedric had already passed this patch of weed¡­

    He was moving fast and just missed Krum.

    Cedric was about to arrive at the Merpeople Vige, and might be the first to leave with the Ravenw girl.

    That did not affect the n. Cedric was very strong, and it was not as easy to get rid of him as Ron.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Three hours ago, Evan, Harry, Cho and Poliakoff had been tied to the tail of the Merperson¡¯s statue.

    They all appeared to be in a very deep sleep. Their heads were lolling onto their shoulders, and fine streams of bubbles kept issuing from their mouths.

    Evan was between Cho Chang and Harry, and he was still ¡®Gabrielle¡¯, with clouds of silvery hair floating in the icyke.

    The next second, he suddenly opened his eyes.

    The magic Dumbledore had cast on him was not as powerful as the one cast on the others, and he woke up early.

    But Evan was still able to breathe underwater as though he had eaten Gillyweed. That was a very difficultpound magic with different withdrawal points, and Evan had to admire Dumbledore¡¯s casting ability.

    The wand hidden in his sleeve slipped down to his hand and the rope loosened automatically. He moved and looked around. Harry and Cho were still asleep.

    There was no sound around, and the Merpeople were a littlezy and didn¡¯t bother to guard the four of them. There was not even a shadow in the small square. They should be crouched in the crude stone dwellings.

    Evan didn¡¯t do much. After drinking a mouthful of Polyjuice Potion, he tied himself back.

    Counting the time, the game was about to start. Moody¡¯s magical eye could prate theke and he could not let him see anything abnormal.

    But Evan tied himself to Harry this time. The ck rope made of weed was enchanted by him. It was thick, slippery and very strong. It was hard to be untied or damaged, so Harry would not leave his side.

    Evan counted the time, and every hour, he swallowed a sip of the Polyjuice potion to maintain the deformation.

    Meanwhile, the Merpeople emerged from all directions and looked curiously at the four of them, and the memorable Mersong began to be heard around them. It was not the kind of ritual song Evan had heard before, and the tune was more cheerful.

    <i>¡°An hour long you¡¯ll have to look,</i>

    <i>And recover what we took¡­¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Your time¡¯s half gone, so tarry not</i>

    <i>Lest what you seek stays here to rot¡­¡±</i>

    That was the song in the Golden Egg. The Merpeople were guiding the champions to rescue their most important people.

    Evan opened his eyes quietly, and saw in the darkke two Merpeople holding spears and guarding them.

    Not far away, many Merpeople formed a circle. They were singing, dancing and bustling.

    The Merpeople were all dressed up. A Mermaid was wearing thick ropes of pebbles around her neck. She was holding a pet Grindylow, and her dark green, long, shaggy hair was adorned with the ornaments Evan had sold herst time.

    Most mermaids were dressed up like that, and the most valuable ornaments on them were the ones that Evan had brought before.

    When disregarding their grayish skin, yellow eyes, and yellow broken teeth, the whole image was rather beautiful.

    But now, they looked more like a bunch of demons reveling.

    More than thirty minutes had passed, and there was no sign of the champions. Why were they dawdling?!!

    Just as Evan swallowed thest sip of the Polyjuice potion, Cedric Diggory appeared on the edge of the Merpeople vige.

    There was an enormous bubble around his head, which made his features look oddly wide and stretched. It was very funny.

    Cedrded, sshing arge tract of ck mud, and theke was swirled with ck water because of his agitation.

    He looked around nkly, surprised to see the Merpeople.

    Then he saw the four hostages tied to the tail of the statue. Cho¡¯s head was on the shoulder of the small silver-haired girl, and she looked fine, but the girl from Beauxbatons was ghostly green and pale.

    She was Fleur¡¯s younger sister, and she usually seemed to be with Evan.

    Cedric also saw Harry on Gabrielle¡¯s other side, and he was asleep.

    ¡°Leave with your own hostage!¡± A Merman swam over to him and said with an unpleasant smile on his face.

    Cedric hesitated and pulled a knife out of his pocket. He swam over to cut Cho free and he pulled her upward.

    But soon, he stopped, worried.

    It was so weird that he didn¡¯t see the three other champions along the way.

    Those Mermen looked all fierce, as though they could kill the hostages at any time.

    He couldn¡¯t leave them alone, Cedric was going to wait here for a while, and when the next champion came, he would leave.

    More than ten minutester, the Merpeople around started screeching animatedly.

    Cedric looked up and saw Krum, a shark swimming over. Ron and Fleur should be behind. He nodded to him, pulled Cho upward, and soon disappeared.

    Krum, a half-human and half-shark, was close to the hostages, but soon a dispute arose.

    He didn¡¯t care of his hostage Poliakoff, but wanted to take Harry away, and the Merpeople wouldn¡¯t let him do it.

    ¡°Your task is to retrieve your own friend ¡­ leave the others!¡±

    Krum didn¡¯t answer. He waved his wand, and a boiling water column hit the Merman closest to him.

    Where the spell hit him, the Merman¡¯s green skin quickly turned red, and then he fainted.

    The Merpeople around stoppedughing, and pairs of yellow eyes were fixed upon Krum¡¯s wand, and they looked very scared.

    Despite theirrge number, in the face of Krum alone, the Merpeople were afraid of magic.

    Krum¡¯s shark head opened his mouth, and the Merpeople scattered and fled, and soon disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°It was him!¡± Evan could feel what was happening around him. Was Krum under Moody¡¯s control?!!

    He half opened his eyes, and he saw Krum swim over, and he began snapping and biting at his and Harry¡¯s ropes.

    Krum¡¯s action was so big that it seemed like he was going to rip them apart, but it didn¡¯t work¡­

    He waved his wand again and still could not untie the rope between Evan and Harry.

    He shook his shark¡¯s head, destroyed the statue, and took Evan and Harry away from the Merpeople vige, swimming deeper into theke.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 696: The Transfer

    Chapter 696: The Transfer

    Cedric had just left the bottom of theke, holding Cho Chang when he saw a group of panicked Mermen rushing up, at least twenty of them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He stopped a Merman and asked him, but only bubbles issued from his mouth.

    The Merman made a sharp, shrill voice, gesticting, as though in a hurry and looking very anxious.

    Cedric couldn¡¯t understand a word. The Merman couldn¡¯t speak humannguage, and he couldn¡¯t understand Mermish.

    The Merman shook his green head and kept pointing down, beckoning Cedric to follow him.

    ¡°The champion who turned his head into a shark attacked us with magic, and he became very abnormal ¡­¡± A particrly fierce, ugly female mermaid floated up and said in a strange voice. ¡°He¡¯s going to take away the hostages that are not his, and we are going to inform Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°What, Krum attacked you!¡± Cedric froze for a moment and had a bad feeling.

    He hesitated for a moment, handed Cho to the mermaid in front of him, and followed another Merman soldier to see what was going on.

    In fact, he had a good impression of Krum. Although not very talkative, several contacts with him had been quite pleasant.

    Krum had a calm personality. He did not have the ego as a world-famous Quidditch Seeker, had a lot of knowledge, and they could find a lot ofmon topics together.

    What on earth happened to this guy, why did he attack the Merpeople and take away the targets of other champions?!!

    There must be some misunderstanding in that; that was Cedric¡¯s idea.

    They were a little slow, and Krum had already smashed the tail of the stone Merperson.

    As soon as he returned to the Merpeople vige, Cedric saw Krum swimming in another direction with Harry and Gabrielle.

    As for his own hostage, the boy named Poliakoff, he¡¯d been casually left on the ground.

    Cedric and the Merman soldier quickly followed, but Krum swam fast.

    Evan and Harry were tied tightly together with ropes and dragged rudely forward by Krum¡­

    More than a minuteter, arge rough rock suddenly appeared in the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of Merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and chasing what looked like the giant squid.

    That was what the Merpeople depicted on it. Evan had seen many simr rocks at the bottom of theke!

    Was that the Portkey? And Barty Crouch Jr., was he hiding there?!!

    It was really a bold idea. That rock was close enough to the Merpeople vige, and it was very confusing and difficult to be seen.

    Krum ced Evan and Harry on top of the huge rock. They did not leave directly. It was not time yet.

    He seemed to want to separate Evan and Harry, and started cutting the rope between them again. But Krum¡¯s efforts, though great, were in vain. It wouldn¡¯t work with Evan¡¯s charm on the ropes, and that caused him a lot of pain.

    Just as he decided to take some action, Cedric and a group of Merpeople caught up.

    Krum stopped, turned to look at them fiercely, and held out his wand.

    ¡°Krum, what¡¯s going on?¡± Cedric shouted, looking at him inconceivably. ¡°Why did you take Harry and the girl to this ce? They should stay in the Merpeople vige and wait for their own champions to rescue them¡­¡±

    The next second, he hurriedly lowered his head to avoid the curse jet, and looked at Krum in disbelief. The student from Durmstrang was actually attacking him.

    Cedric and Krum fought together, and the two were casting spells at one another.

    Krum¡¯s movements were a bit inflexible, probably because he was being controlled; his reaction was always a little slower.

    Not to mention, there was arge group of Merpeople soldiers helping Cedric. They didn¡¯t choose to escape this time.

    Although the Merpeople could not use magic, they had their own way of fighting and rushed up with their spears.

    That way, the battle was soon over. Krum was fighting and retreating, trying to run away with Harry. But Cedric did not give him a chance, and a beautifully cast Stunning Spell hit him¡­ Krum fainted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. This guy is absolutely crazy!¡± said Cedric, swimming over with the Mermen.

    His body was still shaking because of the battle just now, and they looked at Krum lying at the bottom of theke.

    A Merman took out a rope of weed and tied him up, and Cedric came over to find Evan and Harry.

    With that unexpected situation, it was already difficult to continue the task. He was going to take the two of them back together and report to the judges what happened under theke.

    ¡°Don¡¯te here, get out of here!¡± said Evan loudly, spitting a lot of bubbles at Cedric.

    He no longer cared about being exposed, and as Cedric approached, he felt the magic reaction of the rock beneath him. It was the time set by Barty Crouch Jr., and the Portkey was about to be activated.

    Seeing Evan suddenly open his eyes and speak to him, Cedric was stunned andnded on the rock.

    ¡°How could it be? Why did the silvery-haired girl wake up?¡±

    The thought had just appeared in his mind, and the next second, he felt as though the back of his navel had been pulled.

    Evan floated with Harry in theke, Cedric was beside them.

    The huge rock was floating with them. They were spinning in theke, and now no one could leave the rock, which dragged them forward in the middle of the whistling wind and the swirling colors.

    Soon, Evan felt himself falling heavily on the ground.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Cedric asked, eximing, ¡°What on earth is going on?!¡±

    Next to Evan, Harry also opened his eyes. For a while, he opened his mouth and spit out arge mouthful ofke water, breathing hard.

    ¡°Cedric, Gabrielle, you ¡­¡± he gasped. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I also want to know ¡­ no one told me that there would be a Portkey during the second task!¡± Cedric clenched his wand, stood up and looked around, then lowered his head and said, ¡°Harry, maybe this girl next to you can exin to us what she seems to know.¡±

    Now they hadpletely left the boundary of Hogwarts, not under theke.

    The dense weeds, the Merpeople, and Krum lying on the ground had disappeared. Only the wet rock with paintings of Merpeople hunting proved that they had ever existed. The fog around was hazy, covering everything, and the outline of a distant hill could only be vaguely recognized!

    ¡°Gabrielle, do you know anything?!¡± said Harry in surprise.

    Then he seemed to think of something, his face became extremely pale, and he looked anxiously at the distant hill.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 697: The Death of Cedric

    Chapter 697: The Death of Cedric

    ¡°It¡¯s like I¡¯ve been here before,¡± said Harry slowly, his voice trembling a little.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been here?¡± said Cedric in surprise, looking at Harry suspiciously.

    ¡°Yeah, I came to this ce, but in a dream!¡± said Harry quickly, and kept looking around, ¡°Absolutely, I remember the shape of the hill, and the yew ¡­ on that hill, there¡¯s also an exquisite old house ¡­¡±

    Harry would never forget that dream, which was so real and unpleasant.

    He did not go on, if all this was real, not illusions or dreams¡­

    Then Voldemort, the vampire, and the terrible statue of the evil god might be not far away, that was really terrible!

    The surroundings were gloomy and silent. Harry could not help shuddering.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this ce!¡± said Cedric with a tense voice. ¡°No matter what, we have to find a way to go back. You two stand up. I¡¯ll help you untie the ropes tied to you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t, get out of here!¡± said Evan directly, panting.

    He didn¡¯t expect Cedric toe with him. If he ran now, he should still have time. There was no time to exin to him. Cedric had to leave the ce at once.

    If he ran away in any direction, there should still be a chance that Voldemort could not chase him¡­

    ¡°Get out of here?!¡± said Cedric. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, how can I leave you two tied up in this ghostly ce? Besides, I don¡¯t know where this is. If you have any information, you¡¯d better say it all ¡­¡±

    He stopped abruptly and pulled out his wand as quickly as possible.

    ¡°Someone ising!¡±

    They squinted tensely, and a figure appeared in the thick fog, walking steadily toward them.

    Could it be Voldemort? Or Caresius?

    Evan couldn¡¯t see the man¡¯s face, but from the gait and arm posture, the man seemed to be carrying something.

    He was very tall, a wizard Evan had never seen before. He was wearing a hooded cloak to obscure his face. As the distance between them kept narrowing, Evan saw that the man was holding what looked like a baby.

    That was Voldemort. The wand hidden in his sleeve naturally fell into Evan¡¯s hand.

    Looking at Voldemort, like Harry and Cedric, Evan was very nervous and kept thinking about the n.

    If Voldemort was going to kill Cedric, he had to do it ahead of time! Although that was bad, he couldn¡¯t just watch Cedric die!

    Dumbledore might be able to do this and give up everything to defeat Voldemort, but Evan still couldn¡¯t.

    It was too bad that there should be such a big change¡­

    Beside Evan, Harry¡¯s body suddenly shook uncontrobly, and his scar exploded with pain. It was agony such as he had never felt in all his life so severe that his head seemed to be about to split open.

    He rolled on the ground, his hands tied together covering his face, and he could see nothing in front of him.

    Because of the ropes tied together, Evan was dragged closer to Harry.

    <i>¡°Kill the spare!¡±</i> said a cold voice.

    There was a swishing noise, followed by a shrill shout piercing the air.

    <i>¡°Avada Kedavra!¡±</i>

    A strong green light zed through everyone¡¯s eyelids. It was the Killing Curse. Cedric stood still as though he had been stunned.

    The pain in Harry¡¯s scar reached such a pitch that he retched. Then the pain eased, and terrified of what he was about to see, he opened his stinging eyes.

    He saw Cedric lying spread-eagled on the ground, dead¡­

    For a second that contained an eternity, Harry stared nkly into Cedric¡¯s face, at his open gray eyes, nk and expressionless like the windows of a deserted house, at his half-open mouth, which looked slightly surprised.

    Harry¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t ept what was in front of him, and he couldn¡¯t feel anything but numb disbelief.

    Cedric died like this, in front of him.

    Who was next, him or Gabrielle by his side? Fear had gradually dominated him.

    When the green light struck, Evan¡¯s body had moved a little and stopped abruptly.

    The rope that had been loosened, tied him up and Harry again¡­

    Cedric wasn¡¯t dead; he was just stunned by the spell.

    The Killing Curse flew over, and just as Evan waspelled to start, a strange shadow appeared beside Cedric, taking him away from the spot to escape the mortal attack. When they reappeared, Cedric had fallen to the ground, but he was not dead.

    ¡°Caresius!¡± The cold voice became even colder, with a chill prating into the bone marrow.

    ¡°Leave this boy to me, Dark Lord!¡± said Caresius tly. ¡°I will deal with him, I suggest you start that magic right away, Harry Potter is here. I think you can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t wait!¡± said Voldemort in a cold voice.

    Apart from Harry Potter, he had no interest in anyone else, and didn¡¯t care whether they lived or died.

    Now that Caresius had done what was needed, he could take that boy away!

    Caresius bowed slightly to Voldemort and disappeared into the air with Cedric. Before he left, he looked at Evan deliberately, and seemed to have recognized his disguise.

    Caresius took Cedric away. What was this guy going to do? Turn him into a vampire?!!

    Evan had heard this guy talk about it. He said he¡¯d found many good seedlings among the students when he pretended to be teaching at Hogwarts.

    Anyway, bing a vampire was better than to die here.

    No matter what his purpose was, he did solve a problem for Evan, who didn¡¯t have to devote his energy to taking care of Cedric.

    The cloaked man gently put down his bundle and walked over to Evan and Harry. Evan then saw him clearly; this guy was pale and had no trace of blood.

    He didn¡¯t recognize him. Maybe he was another vampire or some death eater. Voldemort would neverck loyalists, even if he was already weak and deformed.

    The cloaked man came and dragged Harry and Evan to the middle of the wastnd, surrounded by ck weeds.

    Harry was desperately struggling, and Evan was motionless, as though frightened, observing silently.

    ¡°Get out of here ¡­ Gabrielle, I¡¯ll protect ¡­¡± Harry whined and could no longer speak. He could only kick his legs hard. The man had stuffed some ck material roughly into his mouth.

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 Chapter 698: Evil Magic

    Chapter 698: Evil Magic

    After that ck material was stuffed in his mouth, Harry couldn¡¯t make a sound, but struggled desperately.

    But it was useless at all. His hands and feet were tied up and he hadpletely lost his ability to move.

    His body trembled uncontrobly, and the cloaked man began to reach out and grope for him.

    He could hear shallow, fast breathing from the depths of the hood. Harry continued to struggle hard, and the man hit him.

    Anxiety and abuse mingled, Harry whined and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Evan hurriedly hugged him from behind and told him to calm down and not to struggle. It was pointless.

    There was nothing they could do now but wait calmly for Voldemort¡¯s return¡­

    The man was busy checking the tightness of the cords. After making sure that Harry had been tied so tightly that he couldn¡¯t move, he looked at Evan along the rope and hesitated for a moment. He probably thought that Evan was just a scared little girl that would not hinder the following magic, so he did not care about him.

    He left them both on the grass, then, without a word, hurriedly walked away.

    Behind Harry, Evan raised his head vigorously and through the thick mist, he saw a stone cauldron in front of them.

    Voldemort was just at the foot of the cauldron, and in that baby-like bundle, he was stirring fretfully.

    Harry watched it, too, and fear and despair spread in his body.

    His scar seared with pain again¡­ and he suddenly knew that he didn¡¯t want to see what was in the bundle¡­ he didn¡¯t want that bundle opened¡­

    Horrible things were about to happen, and he suddenly realized that he and Gabrielle might die here; just like Cedric, who had just died, and then his body had been taken by the evil vampire for experiment¡­

    The next second, Evan heard noises at his feet, and looking down, he saw a gigantic snake slithering through the grass.

    It nced at the two of them, hissing, staring at Evan and Harry, as though it couldn¡¯t help swallowing them.

    There was a hissing sound inside the bundle, and the snake retreated some distance, circling them unwillingly.

    The cloaked man began to fill the cauldron with water, and he could hear t it slopping around.

    The stone cauldron wasrger than any cauldron Evan had ever seen. It wasrge enough for a full-grown man to sit in.

    The thing inside the bundle of robes on the ground was stirring more persistently, as though it was trying to free itself.

    Suddenly, there were crackling green mes beneath the cauldron, like a dancing incarnation of evil.

    The liquid in the cauldron seemed to heat very fast. The surface began not only to bubble, but to send out fiery sparks, as though it were on fire. Steam was thickening, blurring the outline of the cloaked man tending the fire.

    The movements beneath the robes became more agitated, and they heard Voldemort¡¯s high, cold voice again: ¡°<i>HURRY</i>!¡±

    The whole surface of the water was alight with sparks now. It might have been encrusted with diamonds.

    ¡°It is ready, Master!¡± The man¡¯s voice trembled uncontrobly as if he were scared to death.

    ¡°<i>Now</i> ¡­¡± said the cold voice.

    The man pulled open the robes on the ground, revealing what was inside them.

    In front of Evan, Harry let out a yell that was strangled in the wad of material blocking his mouth.

    Evan stared nkly ahead and couldn¡¯t take his eyes off¡­

    It was as though the cloaked man had flipped over a stone and revealed something ugly, slimy, and blind ¡­ but worse, a hundred times worse.

    Voldemort now had the shape of a crouched human child, except that he did not look anything less like a child.

    It was hairless and scaly-looking, a dark, raw, reddish ck. Its arms and legs were thin and feeble, and its face ¡­ no child alive ever had a face like that ¡­ t and snakelike, with gleaming red eyes.

    It seemed almost helpless. It raised its thin arms and put them around the man¡¯s neck in front of him, and the man lifted it.

    As he did so, his hood fell back, and Evan could see the look of fear and anxiety on the man¡¯s pale, weak face, and a trace of madness. He was glorifying the resurrection of Voldemort, which was an evil magic enough to be recorded in history!

    He carried Voldemort to the rim of the cauldron, and the sparks dancing on the surface of the potion illuminated the evil, t face.

    Voldemort was then put into the cauldron, and with a hiss, he sank.

    Even if there was a distance, Evan could still hear its frail body hit the bottom of the cauldron with a soft thud.

    ¡°Here we go!¡± Evan murmured, holding the wand tightly in his hand.

    Harry was praying for it to drown. His scar was burning almost past endurance. <i>¡®Please ¡­ let it drown¡­¡¯</i> he thought.

    The man was speaking. His voice shook; he seemed frightened beyond his wits. He raised his wand, closed his eyes, and shouted, <i>¡°Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!¡±</i>

    In the blunder on the ground, a fine trickle of dust rose into the air at the man¡¯smand and fell softly into the cauldron. The diamond surface of the water broke and hissed; it sent sparks in all directions and turned a vivid, poisonous-looking blue.

    Evan had once asked Lupin and Sirius to search for the grave of Voldemort¡¯s father, but long before that, Voldemort had sent someone to take its contents away, leaving only a destroyed tombstone. When Voldemort met vampires in the forests of Albania, he was already setting the n.

    In front of the cauldron, the man¡¯s body shook violently with the mes, and he paused for a while. Then he pulled a long, thin, shining silver dagger from inside his cloak. His voice broke into petrified sobs.

    Then he took a long, thin, silvery dagger out of the cloak, and his voice twisted with trembling.

    <i>¡°Flesh ¡­ of the servant ¡­ w-willingly given ¡­ you will ¡­ revive ¡­ your master!¡±</i>

    He stretched his right hand out in front of him. He gripped the dagger very tightly in his left hand and swung it upward.

    Both Evan and Harry closed their eyes subconsciously. In the painful screams and gasps, they heard a sickening ssh, the dagger fell to the ground, and then something was thrown into the cauldron. It was the man¡¯s arm, blood and flesh.

    Evan had seen simr descriptions in countless ck magic books, but he never thought he would see them with his own eyes.

    That was the evilest and most horrible ritual he had ever seen.

    Harry was also gasping in pain, forcing the thin air into his lungs. It was as though he¡¯d been stabbed with the dagger as well.

    In the cauldron, the potion had turned a burning red, and the light of it shone through their closed eyelids¡­

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 Chapter 699: Voldemortâ€™s Resurrection

    Chapter 699: Voldemort¡¯s Resurrection

    On the clearing, there were only painful gasps and groans, hovering and echoing in mid-air.

    Evan opened his eyes and watched all this quietly. It was almost done, just onest step away¡­

    The man staggered up to them. Blood had dyed his ck robes red. He ignored itpletely, let the blood ssh, and thest trace of madness shed on his face.

    <i>¡°Blood of the enemy ¡­ Forcibly taken ¡­ you will ¡­ resurrect your foe!¡±</i> he said coldly, shouting with almost all his strength.

    Harry struggled hopelessly at the ropes binding him. Squinting down, he saw the shining silver dagger shaking in the man¡¯s remaining hand.

    Harry couldn¡¯t move, he could only watch the man¡¯s movements.

    The next second, he felt the point of the dagger prate the crook of his right arm, terrible pain, and blood seeping down the sleeve of his torn robes.

    The man, still panting with pain, fumbled in his pocket for a ss vial and held it to Harry¡¯s cut, so that a dribble of blood fell into it.

    He staggered back to the cauldron with Harry¡¯s blood. He poured it inside. The liquid within turned, instantly, a blinding, viscous white, sending out a foul smell.

    The man, his job done, dropped to his knees beside the cauldron, then slumped sideways andy on the ground, cradling the bleeding stump of his arm, gasping.

    Beside him, the cauldron was simmering, sending its diamond sparks in all directions, so blindingly bright.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Evan stared at the stone cauldron tightly, and Voldemort resurrected with Harry¡¯s blood.

    Harry¡¯s mother¡¯s Blood Curse would act on both of them, protecting Harry and bing extremely powerful!

    Suddenly, all the sparks emanating from the cauldron were extinguished.

    A surge of white steam billowed thickly from the cauldron, and merged with the surrounding mist, hiding everything.

    The senses were obscured and the mystery of restlessness grew stronger, which was a creepy feeling.

    Through the thick white mist in front of them, they saw the dark outline of a man rising slowly inside the cauldron. He was tall and skeletally thin, pale and weird.

    ¡°Robe me,¡± said the high, cold voice from behind the steam.

    The man, who had fallen to the ground, moaning, hurriedly got up, still cradling his mutted arm.

    He scrambled to pick up the ck robes from the ground, got to his feet, reached up, and pulled them one-handed over his master¡¯s head.

    The thin man stepped out of the cauldron, put on his robes, and stared at Harry with red eyes.

    Harry stared back into the face that had haunted his nightmares for three years. Whiter than a skull, with wide, livid scarlet eyes and a nose that was t as a snake¡¯s with slits for nostrils¡­

    Lord Voldemort was resurrected!!!

    Voldemort looked away from Harry without looking at Evan next to him, and instead began examining his own body. His hands were likerge, pale spiders. His long white fingers caressed his body, inch by inch¡­ his legs, his chest, his arms, his face¡­ His movement was very slow, delicate and gentle. His eyes, whose pupils were slits, like a cat¡¯s, gleamed still more brightly through the darkness.

    After slowly touching his entire face, he held up his hands and flexed the fingers, his expression rapt and exultant.

    Voldemort was immersed in the joy of the new body. After so many years, he had finally risen again and returned to the wizarding world. He took not the slightest notice of the man, whoy twitching and bleeding on the ground, nor of the great snake, which slithered back into sight and was circling Evan and Harry again, hissing.

    The atmosphere was weird and quiet, and time seemed to be extremely long.

    Evan knew it was time to leave. The purpose of the trip had been achieved. There was no need for Voldemort to kill Harry here.

    There were many things that were not ready yet, and he was not interested in staying for Voldemort¡¯s resurrection party.

    The Portkey Caresius had given him was in his arm, he had already activated it when he first arrived.

    It would be a while before they could leave here. If something unexpected happened during this period, he could use what Dumbledore had given him¡­

    Finally, Voldemort had finished examining his new body and looked quite satisfied. He slipped one of those unnaturally long-fingered hands into a deep pocket and drew out a wand. He caressed it gently, too; and then raised it high and made a cold and sharp grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he said softly, ¡°How many people still remember me!¡±

    Voldemort shook his wand and the Dark Mark suddenly appeared in the air, a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.

    It loomed in the air, bing more and more obvious, rising higher and higher, and Voldemort carefully looked at it.

    ¡°They will all have noticed it¡­ and now, we shall see¡­ now we shall know¡­¡± Voldemort¡¯s face was cruelly proud.

    He straightened up, threw back his head, and scanned the deste open space.

    ¡°How many will be brave enough to return when they feel it?¡± he whispered. ¡°And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?¡±

    He began to pace up and down before Evan and Harry, scanning the open space from time to time.

    As for the man who had fallen to the ground, moaning, he did not even look at him, as though he were a useless piece of garbage.

    The man stopped the bleeding in a special way, but he was still weak and on the verge of death.

    The vampire who turned to Voldemort didn¡¯t seem to expect his new master to be so ruthless, he begged weakly.

    Evan stared at all this coldly, calcting time, grasping Harry tightly with one hand.

    Suddenly, Voldemort pointed his wand at a pile of things on the ground, and they flew up and down in front of Evan and Harry.

    It was his father¡¯s remains, one of the necessities of his resurrection, and it had nowpletely lost its usefulness.

    Voldemort¡¯s gaze fell on Harry again, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face.

    ¡°Harry Potter, we meet again!¡± he hissed softly. ¡°These are my father¡¯s remains¡­ a Muggle and a fool¡­ very like your dear mother. But they both had their uses, did they not? Your mother died to defend you as a child¡­ and I killed my father, and see how useful he has proved himself, in death¡­¡±

    Voldemortughed again, as he paced back and forth, looking all around him as he walked, and the snake continued to circle in the grass.

    ¡°My mother was a witch. She fell in love with him¡­ she fell in love with that Muggle. But he abandoned her when she told him what she was¡­ he didn¡¯t like magic, my father!¡± said Voldemort softly. ¡°Like all stupid Muggles, he left her and returned to his Muggle parents before I was even born.¡±

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 Chapter 700: Voldemorts Hatred

    Chapter 700: Voldemort''s Hatred

    Voldemort¡¯s cold voice echoed in the clearing, and Evan and Harry listened in silence, their bodies taut.

    The scar on Harry¡¯s head kept hurting, as if to tear him apart, and he gritted his teeth to protect Evan behind him.

    He thought Evan was Gabrielle getting caught in this mess because of him.

    Harry was determined to take Gabrielle back alive, no matter what happened¡­

    Voldemort continued to pace up and down, seeming to be in a good mood, remembering his past.

    ¡°My father abandoned us. My mother died giving birth to me, leaving me to be raised in a Muggle orphanage¡­ but I vowed to find him¡­¡± said Voldemort. ¡°I revenged myself upon himter, that fool who gave me his name¡­ <i>Tom Riddle</i>¡­¡±

    Speaking of the name, there was a hint of chill and aversion in his tone.

    ¡°This is a name I am ashamed of, it belongs to that man!¡± said Voldemort, his voice softened and the cruel smile on his face became more obvious. ¡°But it wille to an end. This disgrace of a father who left me was destroyed by my own hands. Ha ha¡­ Harry Potter, you are honored, listen to me, reliving family history¡­ Ah, I am growing quite sentimental¡­ but look, Harry! My <i>true</i> family returns!¡±

    His voice had just fallen, and the air was suddenly full of the swishing of cloaks.

    In the weeds, behind every dead tree, in every shadowy space, wizards were Apparating. All of them were hooded and masked. And one by one they moved forward¡­ slowly, cautiously, as though they could hardly believe their eyes.

    Voldemort stood in silence, waiting for them, a cruel smile twisting his snakelike face.

    With a plop, one of the Death Eaters fell to his knees, crawled toward Voldemort, and kissed the hem of his ck robes.

    ¡°Master¡­ Master ¡­¡± he murmured.

    The Death Eaters behind him did the same; each approaching Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, before backing away and standing up, forming a silent circle, which enclosed Voldemort, Evan, Harry and the man moaning and gasping on the ground.

    Yet they left gaps in the circle, as though waiting for more people.

    Voldemort, however, did not seem to expect more. He looked around at the hooded faces, and though there was no wind, a rustling seemed to run around the circle, as though it had shivered.

    ¡°Wee, Death Eaters,¡± said Voldemort quietly. ¡°Thirteen years ¡­ thirteen years sincest we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. We are still united under the Dark Mark, then! <i>Or are we?</i>¡°

    He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening.

    ¡°What smell is this? I smell guilt,¡± he said. ¡°There is a stench of guilt upon the air.¡±

    A second shiver ran around the circle, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare, to step back from him.

    ¡°I see you all, whole and healthy, with your powers intact¡­ such prompt appearances! ¡­ And I ask myself¡­ why did this band of wizards nevere to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?! ¡°

    No one spoke, no one dared to move.

    ¡°And I answer myself,¡± whispered Voldemort, pacing slowly around the inside of the circle. ¡°They must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment¡­¡±

    ¡°And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?¡± His voice was long, and he looked extraordinarily gloomy.

    ¡°And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort¡­ perhaps they now pay allegiance to another¡­ perhaps that champion ofmoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?¡±

    At the mention of Dumbledore¡¯s name, the members of the circle stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads.

    Voldemort ignored them, and his expression became colder and colder.

    ¡°It is a disappointment to me¡­ I confess myself disappointed¡­¡±

    One of the men suddenly flung himself forward, breaking the circle. Trembling from head to foot, he copsed at Voldemort¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Master!¡± he shrieked, ¡°Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!¡±

    Voldemort sneered and raised his wand.

    ¡°<i>Crucio</i>!¡±

    The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked; the voice came from the soul.

    Voldemort¡¯s power was stronger than that of any Dark wizard. His evil thoughts made the Cruciatus Curse extraordinarily cruel and extremely unbearable.

    Evan clenched his wand. It wasn¡¯t time yet for the damn Portkey.

    More than ten minutester, Voldemort finally raised his wand. The tortured Death Eatery t upon the ground, gasping.

    ¡°Get up, Avery,¡± said Voldemort softly. ¡°Stand up. You ask for forgiveness?! I tell you, I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years¡­ I want thirteen years¡¯ repayment before I forgive you.¡±

    Voldemort looked around the Death Eaters, as though looking for the next target.

    ¡°I think you must be wondering how I came back,¡± he said softly. ¡°I did get help from a few vampires. Although they were not obedient, they still helped me. And Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers¡­¡±

    He raised his wand again and whirled it through the air. A streak of what looked like molten silver hung shining in the wand¡¯s wake. Momentarily shapeless, it writhed and then formed itself into a gleaming replica of a human hand, bright as moonlight, which soared downward and fixed itself upon the man¡¯s bleeding wrist.

    It was now attached seamlessly to his arm, as though he were wearing a dazzling glove.

    The man tried to flex the shining fingers, then, trembling, picked up a twig on the ground and crushed it into powder.

    ¡°My Lord,¡± he whispered. ¡°Thank you, merciful Master!¡±

    He scrambled forward on his knees and kissed the hem of Voldemort¡¯s robes.

    ¡°Lord Voldemort rewards those who are loyal to him. You deserve it, Durand!¡± said Voldemort. ¡°You are wee to be a Death Eater. ording to the agreement, I will help you get back what should belong to you.¡±

    Watching the vampire join the circle trembling, Evan recorded what he looked like.

    He had reced Peter Pettigrew for Voldemort and got the cursed arm.

    It was true that his performance was much better than Peter¡¯s.

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 Chapter 701: The Death Eaters

    Chapter 701: The Death Eaters

    What made Evan curious was what Voldemort had with the vampire.

    It was unusual that Caresius didn¡¯t show up after he disappeared with Cedric. Would it be rted to that?

    The attitude of the vampires was important, and the Slytherin family hid many secrets that had been passed down for centuries. Clues of the evil god, Szar Slytherin¡¯s wand, the secret treasure key he left, etc¡­

    Caresius and Voldemort had an agreement. Now that he had risen again, it was time to fulfill the agreement!

    However, Voldemort didn¡¯t look like he was going to keep his promise.

    Now Voldemort continued to move forward, stopping in front of a man.

    ¡°Lucius, my slippery friend,¡± he whispered, ¡°I am told that you have not renounced the old days, though to the world you present a respectable face. You are still ready to take the lead in a spot of Muggle-torture, I believe? ¡°

    ¡°Yes, my dear master ¡­¡± Lucius Malfoy¡¯s voice came quickly from beneath the hood.

    ¡°In this respect, your exploits were fun. Yet you never tried to find me, Lucius. Might not your energies have been better directed toward finding and aiding your master?¡± Voldemort asked softly.

    ¡°Master, I was constantly on the alert¡± Lucius replied swiftly. ¡°Had there been any sign of you, any whisper of your whereabouts, I would have been at your side immediately, nothing could have prevented me¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t! At the Quidditch World Cupst summer, you ran from my Mark, when a faithful Death Eater sent it into the sky!¡± said Voldemortzily, ¡°I know what was going on. In that box, you probably didn¡¯t expect that I was watching you in the dark and looking forward to your performance. You really disappointed me!¡±

    Lucius stopped talking abruptly, his body shaking uncontrobly.

    Evan knew that the Malfoys were going to be unlucky, and Voldemort would not let them go.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t kill Lucius Malfoy immediately. Sometimes it was crueler to cut meat with a blunt knife, step by step, watching the other go to despair, watching with satisfaction and feeling the joy of destruction.

    ¡°Lucius, I expect more faithful service in the future ¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, my Lord, of course!¡± said Lucius immediately, ¡°Please rest assured¡­ you are merciful, thank you¡­¡±

    Voldemort took two steps forward, and stopped, staring at the space,rge enough for two people, that separated Malfoy and the next man.

    ¡°The Lestranges should stand here!¡± said Voldemort quietly. ¡°But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me. When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams.¡±

    ¡°The Dementors will join us. They are our natural allies. We will recall the banished vampires, werewolves, and giants. I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of Dark creatures whom all fear¡­¡± his voice gradually increased. ¡°Then, I will get stronger power, more powerful than the world can imagine, and that power will soon belong to me. I will lead you to conquer the whole world and practice our ideas!¡±

    It was really a vulgar dream to conquer death first and then the world.

    Evan couldn¡¯t see any use of conquering the world, ruling and torturing many people. But Voldemort said that he would get even stronger power, which made him worry, it might be the power of the evil god!

    If so, Voldemort who gained this power would not conquer the world, but destroy it.

    He walked on. He passed some of the Death Eaters in silence, but he paused before others.

    ¡°Mair¡­ I heard you are destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic? You shall have better victims than that soon, Mair. Lord Voldemort will provide. ¡­¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master¡­ thank you,¡± murmured Mair.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Voldemort moved to the tworgest hooded figures. ¡°Crabbe¡­ you will do better this time, will you not, Crabbe? And you, Goyle?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±

    ¡°We will, Master!¡±

    They were the fathers of Slytherin students Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, and they bowed clumsily, muttering dully.

    They were very traditional pure-blood wizard families, whose IQs had been lowered out of inbreeding.

    When Voldemort first copsed, the two families relied on the Malfoys to get away with it. But it was undeniable that they seemed to have exceptional talent in torturing Muggles.

    ¡°What about you, Nott?¡± said Voldemort quietly as he walked past a stooped figure in Mr. Goyle¡¯s shadow.

    The Nott family was another traditional and ancient pure blood wizard family, Slytherins from generation to generation, and strong supporters of Pure-blood supremacy.

    The son of that stooped man was Theodor Nott, a tall and thin Slytherin boy. He and Harry were in the same year, but he had been outside the small gang organized by Draco Malfoy.

    Evan had an impression of that boy. He was very clever and at the same time a little arrogant. He often liked to do his things by himself. It was a rare Slytherin who did not actively find trouble for Gryffindor students. Nott was said to be very talented in potions.

    ¡°My Lord, I prostrate myself before you, I am your most faithful¡­¡± said Nott hastily.

    ¡°Enough!¡± said Voldemort, obviously not convinced. ¡°Prove yourself with practical actions in the future.¡±

    He walked quickly to thergest gap of all, and he stood surveying it with his nk, red eyes, as though he could see people standing there.

    ¡°And here we have seven missing Death Eaters¡­ three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return¡­ he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever¡­ he will be killed of course. One more, who caused my failure that year¡­ he¡¯s now locked in Azkaban. I had expected him to perform better, but he cowardly hid for 13 years¡­ I don¡¯t need useless servants¡­ waiting for him will be death¡­ as for thest one, he remains my most faithful servant, and he has already reentered my service.¡±

    The Death Eaters stirred, and their eyes darted sideways at one another through their masks.

    ¡°He is at Hogwarts, that faithful servant, and it was through his efforts that our young friend arrived here ¡­¡±

    The eyes of the circle shed in Harry¡¯s direction, looking at Evan next to him by the way.

    Their eyes were very unfriendly, like those of the big snake not far from Evan, as though they were about to swallow them.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Voldemort, a grin curling his lipless mouth. ¡°The famous Harry Potter and his ssmate have kindly joined us for my rebirthing party. One might go so far as to call them my guests of honor.¡±

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 Chapter 702: Voldemorts Story

    Chapter 702: Voldemort''s Story

    There was silence, and then Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, his trembling voice spoke from under his mask.

    ¡°Master, all-powerful Master, we crave to know¡­ we beg you to tell us¡­ how you have achieved this¡­ this miracle¡­ how you managed to return to us¡­¡± he said respectfully, ncing at the vampire named Durand beside him.

    Voldemort had just mentioned the vampire¡¯s help, and all Death Eaters were curious about it.

    What role did the vampires y in it, and what was their agreement with Voldemort?!!

    In addition, who was the Death Eater who had been lurking in Hogwarts to help Voldemort sessfully resurrect? They all wanted to know.

    Not surprisingly, he would be the most trusted and relied on by Voldemort, the one they needed to bow to.

    Past experience told them that it was not realistic to please Voldemort directly, and there was hope for those who got his attention.

    Like Lucius Malfoy, Death Eaters had their own calctions.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, Lucius!¡± said Voldemort with a cruel smile. ¡°And it begins; and¡­ ends, with my young friend here.¡±

    He walkedzily over to stand next to Harry, so that the eyes of the whole circle were upon the two of them. The snake continued to circle, and it was as though it wanted to eat Evan first.

    Looking closely, Evan could now see clearly what Voldemort was like.

    His skin was paler than a skeleton, but not smooth, very rough, like a snake covered with albino scales, especially on his hairless head, whose skin was dark, red, with disgustingplex lines.

    The most striking and frightening thing about the t snake face was the eyes.

    Voldemort¡¯s eyes shed with blood-red light, making Evan suddenly think of the raven¡¯s eyes he¡¯d seen inside the Merperson statue not long ago.

    There were no emotions in those empty eyes, only bloodthirsty, crazy and cruel.

    His pupils were two slits, like a cat¡¯s, and it was ufortable to look at them. And his t nose was just two thin slits, as though there were no nostrils¡­

    Evan was a little confused. Did Voldemort be like that because of his transformation with those Dark magic? Or was it the aftermath of the resurrection? Or both?

    ¡°You know, of course, that they have called this boy my downfall?¡± Voldemort said softly, his red eyes upon Harry, whose scar began to burn so fiercely that he almost screamed in agony. ¡°You all know that on the night I lost my powers and my body, I tried to kill him. His mother died in the attempt to save him¡­ and unwittingly provided him with a protection I admit I had not foreseen¡­ I could not touch the boy.¡±

    Voldemort touched Harry¡¯s skin with the cold tip of one of his long white fingers, and Harry thought his head would burst with the pain.

    Voldemortughed softly in his ear, then took the finger away and continued to speak to the Death Eaters.

    ¡°I miscalcted, my friends, I admit it. My curse was deflected by the woman¡¯s foolish sacrifice, and it rebounded upon myself.¡± Voldemort smacked his lips and closed his eyes, ¡°Aaah¡­ pain beyond pain; nothing could have prepared me for it. I was ripped from my body; I was less than spirit, less than the meanest ghost¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, I was still alive, but what I was, even I do not know ¡­¡± Voldemort opened his terrible eyes again, ¡°I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal¡­ to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one or more of my experiments had worked¡­ for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it. Nevertheless, I was as powerless as the weakest creature alive, and without the means to help myself¡­ for I had no body, and every spell that might have helped me required the use of a wand¡­¡±

    ¡°I remember only the days and nights I was sleepless, forcing myself, endlessly, second by second, to exist. I settled in a faraway ce, in a forest, waiting for my faithful Death Eaters to find me¡­¡± said Voldemort, looking around. ¡°I used to believe that surely one of them woulde and perform the magic I could not, to restore me to a body¡­ but I waited in vain¡­ for thirteen years¡­¡±

    The shiver ran once more around the circle of listening Death Eaters. Voldemort let the silence spiral horribly before continuing.

    ¡°Only one power remained to me. I could possess the bodies of others. But I dared not go where other humans were plentiful, for I knew that the Aurors were still abroad and searching for me. They knew I was in that forest, and Dumbledore had not given up on his intention to eliminate mepletely,¡± said Voldemort slowly. ¡°I sometimes inhabited animals, snakes, of course, being my preference¡­ but I was little better off inside them than as pure spirit, for their bodies were ill adapted to perform magic¡­ and my possession of them shortened their lives; none of themsted long¡­¡±

    ¡°Then, four years ago, there seemed to be hope for my return. A wizard, young, foolish and gullible, wandered across my path in the forest I had made my home. Oh, he seemed the very chance I had been dreaming of¡­ for he was a teacher at Dumbledore¡¯s school¡­¡± said Voldemort.

    Both Evan and Harry knew that he was referring to Quirrell, Harry¡¯s first year professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts.

    ¡°He was easy to bend to my will¡­ he brought me back to this country, and after a while, I took possession of his body, to supervise him closely as he carried out my orders. But my n failed. I did not manage to steal the Sorcerer¡¯s Stone. I was not to be assured immortal life. I was thwarted¡­ thwarted, once again, by Harry Potter¡­¡±

    Silence once more; nothing was stirring, even the leaves were still. The Death Eaters were quite motionless, the glittering eyes in their masks fixed upon Voldemort, and upon Harry.

    ¡°That servant died when I left his body, and I was left as weak as ever I had been,¡± Voldemort continued. ¡°I returned to my hiding ce far away, and I will not pretend to you that I didn¡¯t then fear that I might never regain my powers. ¡­ Yes, that was perhaps my darkest hour ¡­ I could not hope that I would be sent another wizard to possess ¡­ and I had given up hope, now, that any of my Death Eaters cared what had be of me. ¡­¡±

    One or two of the masked wizards in the circle moved ufortably, but Voldemort took no notice.

    ¡°And then, not even a year ago, when I had almost abandoned hope, it happened atst¡­¡± Voldemort paused before continuing, ¡°I encountered new allies¡­ a group of vampires with the same great ancestor as me!¡±

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 Chapter 703: A Terrible Secret

    Chapter 703: A Terrible Secret

    ¡°They found me and wanted my help, and I needed their help to regain my powers. It was a matter of mutual benefit,¡± said Voldemort softly. ¡°I agreed to their request, and we made a covenant by magic. They provided someone I possessed, and a lot of unicorn blood, plus a potion made from my dear Nagini¡¯s venom, which made me a little stronger. ¡°

    The man Voldemort said he possessed was the vampire killed by Evan in the ruins of the fallen Centaurs.

    Unicorn blood and the venom of Nagini¡­ that was how he regained his strength.

    Evan nced at the big snake and wondered if he could take this opportunity to get rid of it. This snake was one of Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes. It was the closest Horcrux to him, and it was usually hard to find a chance to do it.

    If he could make it seem like a part of a fight, he won¡¯t cause doubts¡­

    ¡°After getting help from vampires, my first thought was to use today¡¯s magic to resurrect, but in the long lurking, I knew from animals that there was a Centaurs¡¯ relic deep in Albania¡¯s dense forest, which they all dared not approach. There was an ancient and powerful evil force inside, which could help me return quickly and even be stronger¡­ ¡°

    ¡°We designed a n to use greed to attract those fools closer, to dedicate their flesh and blood to that ancient creature, to wake it up from its slumber. It was about to seed¡­ but Dumbledore once again stopped me, along with Sirius ck and a student named Evan Mason. Together, they sabotaged my n¡­ and I had to flee in a hurry with part of that ancient creature. I didn¡¯t even care about my newly acquired body¡­ I even gave up the Sorcerer¡¯s Stone at hand and its strong power beyond imagination! ¡°

    There was a strong hatred in Voldemort¡¯s voice, and more and more Death Eaters felt uneasy. They didn¡¯t know what the sudden emergence of the new Sorcerer¡¯s Stone, the ancient evil creature, and the unimaginable power meant, but that did not prevent them from feeling Voldemort¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°My resurrection is not easy, is it?!¡± Voldemort said, looking around at the Death Eaters. ¡°In this way, I had only one choice. When collecting flesh and blood to summon that ancient evil creature, the vampires brought me Bertha Jorkins, a witch from the Ministry of Magic. I learned a lot from this Bertha Jorkins¡­ yes, with a little persuasion, she became a veritable mine of information.¡±

    ¡°She told me that the Triwizard Tournament would be yed at Hogwarts this year. She also told me that she knew of a faithful Death Eater who would be only too willing to help me, if I could only contact him. She told me many things ¡­ but the means I used to break the Memory Charm upon her were powerful, and when I had extracted all useful information from her, her mind and body were both damaged beyond repair. She had now served her purpose. I could not possess her. I disposed of her.¡±

    A terrible smile appeared on Voldemort¡¯s face, his red eyes nk and pitiless.

    ¡°I re-selected a vampire to possess, that is, Durand standing in front of you, a guy abandoned by his people. He was scared by the fate of the unlucky man I possessed before. He was unsure I could help him, not sacrifice him casually and give him what he wanted, provided that he must be loyal to me and submitpletely! ¡°

    The terrible smile on Voldemort¡¯s face became more obvious, and it was particrly serious: ¡°Now look at how destiny takes care of Voldemort. This guy stole a lot of valuable documents from his family to me. These are from the research data recorded by my great ancestor Szar Slytherin a thousand years ago. I don¡¯t deny that he might not know the value of these things, but I recognized them. It was a wonderful gift I never dreamed of. I found the right way to use that ancient biological power. What my great ancestor did, that great power will eventually belong to me¡­ to the great Lord Voldemort, and I will go further on the road of immortality!¡±

    Evan looked at Voldemort in surprise, listening to him talking about these secrets, and the more he listened, the more he felt something was wrong.

    He was not in a hurry to go now. He wanted to find out what Voldemort had got from the vampire Slytherin family, Szar Slytherin¡¯s research notes, the right way to use the power of the evil god¡­

    Besides, on the road to conquering death, what method would be more effective than making Horcruxes?!!

    Caresius hadn¡¯t told him this important information, maybe he didn¡¯t know it.

    Voldemort mentioned that the documents and research materials were stolen by the vampire named Durand.

    Caresius was probably still expecting Voldemort¡¯s help, but he did not expect more trouble. He thought his people might betray him, but the actual situation was worse than expected.

    Fortunately, Voldemort¡¯s soul had been split up again and again, which kept his IQ down, and he was arrogant enough to speak out in public about such things.

    Otherwise, Evan and his friends would have been kept in the dark until the end, very passive.

    ¡°I left from Durand. I needed a strong servant like him. Although he was ame wizard and an unqualified vampire, he was able to carry out my instructions and help hold me to a weak body. I could do everything I needed to do in this body, to study the notes left by my ancestor and that ancient creature.¡±

    ¡°As the research deepened, I gradually found a way,¡± said Voldemort, his red eyes upon Nagini, the snake who continued to circle, ¡°I tried to control its power, but failed! Then, I understood¡­ I must set my sights lower¡­ I would settle for my old body back again, and my old strength, before chasing immortality! ¡°

    ¡°I knew that to achieve this, I would need three powerful ingredients to make up the potion that revived me today. This is an old piece of Dark magic. One of them was already at hand, wasn¡¯t it, Durand? Flesh given by a servant¡­¡±

    ¡°My father¡¯s bone, those vampires had already helped me get it back. Those idiots originally intended to bring me back to life in the forests of Albania!¡± Voldemort paused. ¡°Thest ingredient, the blood of a foe, they would have had me use the blood of any wizard, any wizard who had hated me¡­ as so many of them still do. I rejected them, and I knew the one I must use, if I was to rise again, more powerful than I had been when I had fallen. I wanted Harry Potter¡¯s blood. I wanted the blood of the one who had stripped me of power thirteen years ago¡­ for the lingering protection his mother once gave him would then reside in my veins too!

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 Chapter 704: Iâ€™m Evan!

    Chapter 704: I¡¯m Evan!

    It was that stupid idea to resurrect using Harry¡¯s blood that had killed Voldemort.

    Evan was thinking about what he had just heard,bined with what he already knew.

    A thousand years ago, Szar Slytherin dissected the body of the evil god he had found from Herpo the Foul, dividing the terrible monster into three parts: the eyeballs, the brain and the body, and studying them separately.

    From the current situation, the three separate parts had their own consciousness and abilities, and had not died.

    Slytherin might have learned how to use the power of evil gods from this vicious research process, and passed it down to his vampire descendants, leaving them to keep these secrets for generations.

    But these secrets were now known to Voldemort, and he was ready to try to use the power of the evil god.

    This was really a terrible thing, and Evan felt it necessary to find out what Voldemort had mastered.

    ¡°I needed the blood of Harry Potter, but how to get at him? For he has been better protected than I think even <i>he</i> knows, protected in ways devised by Dumbledore long ago, when it fell to him to arrange the boy¡¯s future. Dumbledore invoked an ancient magic, to ensure the boy¡¯s protection as long as he is in his rtions¡¯ care. Not even I can touch him there! ¡°Voldemort continued, hissing. ¡°Then, of course, there was the Quidditch World Cup¡­ I thought his protection might be weaker there, leaving his family and Dumbledore. I carefully nned a riot with the vampires, but everything was ruined by the boy named Evan Mason, who interfered with my n again! ¡°

    Evan could hear the hatred in Voldemort¡¯s words. He must have a dedicated spot in the hell that Voldemort was nning to create on earth.

    ¡°After the World Cup, the boy would return to Hogwarts, where he is under the crooked nose of that Muggle-loving fool from morning until night, and the abominable Evan Mason is beside him. So how could I take him?¡± Voldemort said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe those vampires. They are not reliable. I know well that they may betray me. Using Bertha Jorkins¡¯s information, I rescued my one faithful Death Eater. This time we have to do it ourselves. ¡°

    ¡°I have designed a n for my servant to be a senior official in the Ministry of Magic responsible for the uing Triwizard Tournament at Hogwarts, and he put the name of Harry Potter¡¯s friend into the Goblet of Fire .In fact, we originally nned to choose Evan Mason and let him identally die in the game,¡± said Voldemort slowly,¡± Of course, we failed again, but it doesn¡¯t matter, we could use that Ministry of Magic Official to amend the regtions of thepetition. But I can¡¯t wait, I feel that powerful force calling for me, I had to hurry. In the second task, my most faithful servant used the Portkey to bring Harry Potter here, beyond the reach of Dumbledore¡¯s help and protection, and into my waiting arms. And here he is¡­ the boy you all believed had been my downfall. ¡°

    Voldemort moved slowly forward, turned to face Harry, and raised his wand.

    The next second, the ropes tied to Evan and Harry were loosened, and those glowing red eyes stared at them through the mist.

    ¡°Now, I want there to be no mistake in anybody¡¯s mind. Harry Potter escaped me by a lucky chance. And I am now going to prove my power by killing him, here and now, in front of you all, when there is no Dumbledore to protect him, no Evan Mason to help him, and no mother to die for him. I will give him his chance. He will be allowed to fight, and you will be left in no doubt which of us is the stronger!¡±

    Evan and Harry stood up and looked around. The Death Eaters wereughing at them in a low voice. They closed ranks, forming a tighter circle around Evan, Harry and Voldemort, so that the gaps where the missing Death Eaters should have stood were filled. The snake glided through the grass to a ce not far from where Evan stood.

    Harry gasped desperately. He thought about running for a moment, but his legs were shaking.

    And then there was Gabrielle by his side. He couldn¡¯t leave her alone. They couldn¡¯t run past Voldemort and a group of Death Eaters.

    Durand, the vampire, walked out of the circle to get Harry¡¯s wand and thrust it roughly into his hand without looking at them. Then the vampire resumed his ce in the circle of watching Death Eaters.

    Evan also held the wand in his hand. He expected to have a few minutes left.

    If possible, he hoped that Voldemort could speak more slowly, exin everything clearly, and give them time.

    But no, it was impossible to leave safely, and it could only be a fight.

    Seeing Evan dare to point his wand at Voldemort, theughter from the Death Eaters around was even louder!

    They all thought that Evan was a fragile eight- or nine-year-old girl.

    ¡°Interesting girl, you want to take the initiative to fight with me¡­ fight the great Lord Voldemort!¡± said Voldemort softly, his red eyes shining. ¡°Because of your foolish courage, I can give you a chance to challenge me, but youe one by one, we have to obey the rules of the duel¡­ I kill Harry first, and then you. Just a little longer, Nagini, they are both yours in the end.¡±

    The snake moved closer to Evan, hissing.

    ¡°Gabrielle, when the battle begins, I want you to run away.¡± Harry gasped.

    He wasn¡¯t sure what to do with Voldemort, but he had to do his best to protect Gabrielle, at least before he died.

    Besides the Disarming Spell, ¡°Expelliarmus¡±, Harry¡¯s head was nk, and he couldn¡¯t think of any other spells.

    But what use would it be to deprive Voldemort of his wand?

    He was surrounded by Death Eaters, and Harry had never learned anything that could possibly fit him for this.

    He knew he was facing the thing against which Moody had always warned¡­ the un-blockable Avada Kedavra curse.

    <i>¡®If only Evan was here, he would have a solution. He knows so much magic!¡¯</i>

    Harry had to admit that Voldemort was right. His mother was not here to die for him this time. ¡­ He was quite unprotected.

    ¡°You rush out and run to the stone, it¡¯s a Portkey, maybe it can take you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Harry! I¡¯m Evan, not Gabrielle!¡± said Evan quickly, reaching Harry¡¯s ears, holding his trembling right hand. ¡°Listen, you¡¯ll use the Disarming Spell on Voldemort and fight one-on-one!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry looked at Evan in surprise and couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.

    He hadn¡¯t realized how Gabrielle suddenly became Evan.

    His prayers worked. It was a miracle!

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 Chapter 705: Evan and Harry vs. Voldemort

    Chapter 705: Evan and Harry vs. Voldemort

    What on earth was going on? At the most critical moment, Gabrielle suddenly became Evan.

    Although he still looked like Gabrielle, with a delicate doll-like appearance, lovely temperament, and long silver hair like a waterfall, Harry believed that Gabrielle in front of him was Evan almost instantly.

    In fact, he felt that it was more amazing than seeing Voldemort¡¯s resurrection. What happened today was really weird!

    ¡°Evan, you ¡­¡± Harry whispered.

    ¡°Listen to me, Harry!¡± Evan stopped him, and moved forward a little closer, making sure that no one else could hear them. ¡°I¡¯ll exin the details when we get back. You¡¯ll use the Disarming Spell to fight Voldemort in a moment¡­ don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t dodge¡­ nothing will happen to you. It¡¯s up to me to deal with the snake and the other Death Eaters. After you defeat Voldemort, you¡¯lle back to me, and I¡¯ll take you away. Don¡¯t worry about Cedric, he¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I can defeat Voldemort?¡± Harry murmured, avoiding Voldemort¡¯s terrible gaze.

    ¡°Believe in yourself, you have absolutely no problem!¡± Evan replied.

    Indeed, the core of Harry and Voldemort¡¯s wands were from the same tail feather of the same Phoenix, which was Dumbledore¡¯s phoenix, Fawkes.

    Their wands were brothers and they didn¡¯t function properly when facing one another.

    Not to mention, because of the magical protection in the blood, Voldemort could not kill Harry at all now.

    Evan was ready to let Voldemort realize that, make him defeat Harry as his primary goal after the resurrection, let him have doubts to find the hidden truth, instead of focusing on the power of the evil god, which could buy them time.

    That was a good opportunity for Harry to fight against Voldemort and make him suspicious.

    If anything went wrong, he was to use what Dumbledore had given him as an early warning.

    Evan believed that with his current strength, it was perfectly possible to hold out for a while under Voldemort¡¯s hands and wait for Dumbledore toe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stay there, Harry, we need to hurry up!¡± said Voldemort, bending a little, but keeping his snakelike face upturned to Harry. ¡°Let¡¯s bow to each other,e, the niceties of the duel must be observed. Dumbledore would like you to show manners before you die. Bow to death, Harry!¡±

    The Death Eaters wereughing again, and Voldemort¡¯s lipless mouth was smiling.

    ¡°I won¡¯t give in; I won¡¯t let you y with me!¡± Harry said firmly. He didn¡¯t bow, and after listening to Evan¡¯s words, he felt inexplicably calmer.

    He was determined to fight Voldemort. Although he would definitely lose, he was not going to let Voldemort y with him before killing him¡­ he was not going to let him seed¡­

    ¡°y with you¡­ really interesting!¡± Voldemort raised his wand. ¡°I said, <i>bow</i>!¡±

    Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand were bending him ruthlessly forward. The Death Eatersughed harder than ever, watching the ¡®funny¡¯ scene.

    Evan was silently calcting the distance, waiting for the fight between Harry and Voldemort to begin.

    ¡°Very good,¡± said Voldemort softly, and as he raised his wand the pressure bearing down upon Harry lifted too. ¡°And now you face me, like a man¡­ straight-backed and proud, the way your father died¡­¡±

    ¡°And now, we duel.¡±

    Voldemort raised his wand, and before Harry could do anything to defend himself, before he could even move, he saw a green cursing light flying towards himself, but immediately, the rocks on the ground rose quickly, blocking the magic .

    Boom!!!

    The debris were flying ¡­ Evan had started!

    ¡°Right now!¡± He shouted to Harry.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s shout, Harry gripped his wand tightly in his sweaty right hand and held it in front of him.

    He dodged and rushed out, exhausting all his strength, facing Voldemort. At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind, and it was beyond fear or reason.

    He was going to fight Voldemort¡­ he was going to defeat Voldemort, and even if he was waiting for his death, he was not going to kneel at Voldemort¡¯s feet¡­ he was not going to kiss Voldemort¡¯s robes humbly like those Death Eaters.

    Even if he was going to die, Harry would die upright like his father, and he was going to die trying to defend himself!

    In fact, Voldemort was a little surprised at the sudden change, and looked in astonishment at the stone wall that was standing in front of Harry.

    He had intended to torture Harry with the Cruciatus Curse, ying with his body and making him feel humiliation and pain. And then let him experience the taste of death and prove to his servants that he was the most powerful wizard.

    But what was going on with that sudden rising stone wall? Wasn¡¯t it a magic such a young witch shouldn¡¯t master?!!

    He clearly saw that it was a spell cast by the silver-haired girl. What was going on with the child?!!

    In his extremely shocked eyes, Voldemort saw that the eight- or nine-year-old silver-haired girl¡¯s body was changing rapidly, growing taller and taller, and her long silver hair had also be short ck hair, bing a thin Thirteen-year-old boy.

    It was Evan Mason. Voldemort would never forget his abominable appearance.

    Just like that summer a year ago, the boy who suddenly appeared foiled his carefully prepared n, stopped the advent of the evil god, and the Sorcerer¡¯s Stone Voldemort was about to acquire had disappeared.

    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re all going to die!¡± Voldemort shouted loudly, and his anger rose.

    He had never been so fooled. He suddenly realized that he was being yed by this boy again. He was just proud of his resurrection here, but he didn¡¯t find out the disguise close at hand. He wanted to kill Harry and kill Evan who had repeatedly foiled his ns.

    The next second, he saw Harry rushing clumsily towards him.

    ¡°<i>Expelliarmus</i>!¡± Harry shouted.

    Almost at the same time, Voldemort responded, ¡°<i>Avada</i><i>Kedavra</i>!¡±

    A jet of green light issued from Voldemort¡¯s wand just as a jet of red light sted from Harry¡¯s!

    Instantly, the two lights met in midair¡­

    Harry¡¯s wand was suddenly vibrating as though an electric charge was surging through it. His hand seized up around it. He couldn¡¯t have released it even if he had wanted to!

    A narrow beam of light connected the two wands, neither red nor green, but bright, deep gold.

    Harry, following the beam with his astonished gaze, saw that Voldemort¡¯s long white fingers too were gripping a wand that was shaking and vibrating.

    At the same time, Evan also hadpleted his magic¡­

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 Chapter 706: Evanâ€™s Dark Magic and the Phoenix Song

    Chapter 706: Evan¡¯s Dark Magic and the Phoenix Song

    Dark magic, Fiendfyre!!!

    The ancient and mysterious curse was read by Evan, and his wand drew aplex track in midair.

    Without any warning, a red pir of fire rose from the ground.

    That was like a signal, followed by another, more and more¡­

    Cylindrical pirs of fire rose into the sky, they gradually grew thicker andrger, exuding hot temperatures, and a rolling heat wave came head-on.

    When Evan¡¯s magic waspleted, that deste space became a world of fire almost instantly.

    The raging mes devoured everything, and surrounded mercilessly the Death Eaters who had not figured out what was going on.

    They felt the fear brought by Fiendfyre from hell, shouted in the mes, and called desperately.

    These sounds were of no use; they would only make this inferno even more desperate.

    With Evan as the center, everything in the space was burning, and the grass and trees were turning into steam.

    Several Death Eaters attempted to attack Evan, but their spells were also devoured by the fire.

    A Death Eater rushed towards Evan in the gap of the mes. Evan waved his wand, and instantly, that Death Eater was ruthlessly devoured by the fire wave. He struggled in the mes, curling into a great ball of fire, before his ashes were quickly blowing with the wind as he disappeared from the world!

    Evan didn¡¯t seem to see this terrible sight. His wand was raised vigorously, calm and steady, like the conductor of arge concert. Under his guidance, the mes were animated and all pirs of fire quickly merged together.

    It seemed determined to burn all the beings on the scene and to dominate the world with the will of fire.

    The heat wave began to mutate, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: ming serpents, chimaeras, dragons, Basilisks, and Manticores. Under Evan¡¯s control, they roared and tumbled from the sky to the ground, and rose again¡­

    They attacked the stunned Death Eaters and let them experience what a real hell was.

    Unlikest time, with Evan¡¯s current magic level, he could now control Fiendfyre.

    Although the fire would burn more and more, and even if he would not be able to control it in the end, he and Harry would have left by then. How to deal with the aftermath was something Voldemort needed to consider. His wand was waving hard, so that the Death Eaters had no time to breathe, when a powerful magic appeared in his mind!

    The demonic Dark magic, ¡°Doomsday Inferno¡±!!!

    That was the powerful ck magic Evan had found in the Room of Requirement. He had just finished his research and study recently.

    The wand in his hand didn¡¯t stop. When he pronounced thest syble of the spell, green circles began to appear on the ground. These circles formed by magic power quickly expanded outwards, and there were bubbles in them, which were obviously highly poisonous.

    The Death Eaters around the circle scrambled to dodge, greatly reducing their speed and making them more panic-stricken.

    Even more terrible, when Fiendfyre and the poisonous liquid collided, a st of explosive sound was issued under the magic shock, forming a huge and terrible impact.

    The blood-colored haze was swirling, filled with endless gloom in terror and despair.

    Evan nodded, and it seemed that the Fiendfyre spell could be used in conjunction with the magic of Doomsday Inferno. The effect was amazing.

    In this terrible scene, he began to look for Nagini, ready to take this opportunity to eliminate that big snake.

    The two powerful dark spells consumed a lot of Evan¡¯s magical power, but the effect was also very obvious.

    Under the influence of these two Dark magic, the Death Eaters who¡¯d been caught off guard had already been defeated andpletely lost their fighting spirit.

    At that moment, those powerful Dark wizards had no intention to attack Evan¡­ they just wanted to flee and save their lives.

    Evan had turned into a demon in their eyes. Although that boy who had just changed from a little girl looked very funny and ridiculous in girls¡¯ clothes, no one dared to despise him anymore. Many even thought of surrender.

    The Death Eaters fled their heads in their arms, and cunning ones like Lucius Malfoy, Disapparated directly, leaving the dangerous ce.

    Others cried out to Voldemort for help. They believed Voldemort was stronger.

    In fact, Voldemort might be able to easily solve Evan¡¯s magic, but he didn¡¯t care about it now.

    When his Killing Curse collided with Harry¡¯s Disarming Spell, something unexpected happened.

    The beam of light connecting the two wands became bright, deep gold, and the wand in his hand was shaking, rejecting his will.

    Totally caught off guard, Harry felt his feet lift from the ground. He and Voldemort were both being raised into the air, their wands still connected by that thread of shimmering golden light. They were spinning in midair, watching everything happening below.

    They saw Evan cast two powerful Dark curses. Without protection, the Death Eaters suffered heavy losses. Some died; some were Disapparating, and more fled in confusion in the mes and the green poison liquid on the ground.

    ¡°A bunch of rubbish!¡±

    Voldemort wanted to order his Death Eaters to calm down and organize a counterattack, instead of foolishly crawling around like a hot pot ant, defeated by a thirteen-year-old young wizard, but before he could shout out, the golden thread connecting him with Harry splintered!

    But the two wands remained connected, and a thousand more beams arced high over Harry and Voldemort, crisscrossing all around them, until they were enclosed in a golden, dome-shaped web, a cage of light.

    The arcs of light intertwined around them, and finally formed a domed gold, a cage made of light, beyond which the cries were strangely muffled, and only Harry and Voldemort were in the cage.

    Harry saw Voldemort¡¯s red eyes wide with astonishment at what was happening in front of him, fighting to break the thread of light still connecting his wand with Harry¡¯s.

    Harry held onto his wand more tightly, with both hands, and the golden thread remained unbroken.

    And then an unearthly and beautiful sound filled the air. It wasing from every thread of the light-spun web vibrating around Harry and Voldemort.

    It was a sound Harry recognized, though he had heard it only once before in his life: phoenix song, the voice of Fawkes!

    It was the sound he connected with Dumbledore, and it was almost as though a friend were speaking in his ear¡­

    ¡®Don¡¯t break the connection!¡¯

    ¡®I know!¡¯ Harry told the voice, ¡®I know I mustn¡¯t¡­¡¯ But no sooner had he thought it, than the thing became much harder to do.

    His wand began to vibrate more powerfully than ever¡­ and the beam between him and Voldemort changed too¡­ it was as thoughrge beads of light were sliding up and down the thread connecting the wands.

    Harry felt his wand give a shudder under his hand as the light beads began to slide slowly and steadily his way!

    The direction of the beam¡¯s movement was now toward him, from Voldemort, and he felt his wand shudder angrily¡­

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 Chapter 707: Priori Incantatem

    Chapter 707: Priori Incantatem

    As the closest bead of light moved nearer to Harry¡¯s wand tip, the wood beneath his fingers grew so hot he feared it would burst into me. The closer that bead moved, the harder Harry¡¯s wand vibrated.

    He was sure his wand would not survive contact with it; it felt as though it was about to shatter under his fingers.

    No, he couldn¡¯t let the beade¡­ he couldn¡¯t fail!

    Harry concentrated every particle of his mind upon forcing the bead back toward Voldemort, his ears full of phoenix song, his eyes furious and fixed, and his anger spurting¡­ and slowly, very slowly, the beads quivered to a halt, and then, just as slowly, they began to move the other way ¡­ and it was Voldemort¡¯s wand that was vibrating extra-hard now¡­ Voldemort who looked astonished, and almost fearful.

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. He got a long-lost body and resurrected to regain strength. No one should be opponent to him except Dumbledore, but now he was deadlocked with the boy, and even in a disadvantage, his wand was not obeying him.

    The power he was so proud of became a joke. Voldemort didn¡¯t know what had happened.

    Outside the web of light, another thirteen-year-old boy had suppressed his Death Eaters and made them flee with their heads in their arms.

    Voldemort felt unprecedented humiliation and panic, and then he saw Evan walking towards Nagini.

    Evan¡¯s eyes were on Nagini. He wanted to kill this gleaming serpent, a process unimaginably easy.

    Nagini was surrounded by Fiendfyre, but instead of dodging and evading like the Death Eaters, she opened her mouth and pounced on Evan.

    Evan waved his wand vigorously, the silver light shed, and the head of the serpent rushing towards him was cut off the next second!

    The snake head spun high into the sky, falling into the mes not far away, and instantly turned into a mass of ashes.

    Evan paused for a moment and immediately realized what was going on. Nagini was not a Horcrux yet.

    Voldemort had not put his soul fragment into Nagini¡¯s body; it was just an ordinary big snake. She was still flesh and blood, and there was no need to use other weapons, as long as the powerful magic could kill it.

    ¡°No!¡± Voldemort shouted angrily, but no one could hear him.

    He red at Evan, and then immediately turned his head to look at one of the beads of light that was only a few inches from the tip of his wand.

    He no longer cared for Evan, his beloved snake, and the fleeing Death Eaters. He focused on Harry and the wands facing each other, and couldn¡¯t let the beam of lighte to him. He was feeling the terrible power from above.

    ¡°GOOOOOOO!¡± Harry roared, looking intently at the light on the wand. He didn¡¯t understand why he was doing it, didn¡¯t know what it might achieve¡­ but he now concentrated as he had never done in his life on forcing that bead of light right back into Voldemort¡¯s wand¡­ and slowly¡­ very slowly¡­ it moved along the golden thread¡­ it trembled for a moment¡­ and then it connected.

    Voldemort¡¯s wand began to emit echoing screams of pain!

    Voldemort¡¯s red eyes widened with shock, and a dense, smoky hand flew out of the tip of the wand and vanished. It was the ghost of the hand he had made for the vampire Durand.

    More shouts of pain ¡­ and then somethingrger began to blossom from Voldemort¡¯s wand tip, a great, grayish something that looked as though it were made of the solidest, densest smoke. First came out a head, then a chest and arms ¡­ it was the shadow of a woman.

    It was the ghost of Bertha Jorkins, she stared, her eyes wide open at the fight in front of her.

    ¡°Hold on, don¡¯t give up!¡± she said to Harry, her voice distant and echoing.

    Harry was terribly surprised, but he instinctively clenched his wand firmly, keeping the golden light going.

    He looked at Voldemort whose wide red eyes were still shocked. He had no more expected this than Harry had.

    Bertha Jorkins stood on the edge of the gold web, ring grimly at Voldemort.

    Immediately afterwards, there were more screams of pain from the wand, and something else emerged from its tip.

    It was the dense shadow of a second head, quickly followed by arms and torso.

    It was a wizard Harry had never seen before. He was killed by Voldemort in the ruins of the fallen Centaurs. He pushed himself out of the end of the wand just as Bertha Jorkins had done, and his ghost, or his shadow, or whatever it was, stared fiercely at Voldemort.

    That man was an ouw during his lifetime, and looking at him, he seemed eager to pounce on Voldemort.

    ¡°Hold on, boy, he killed me¡­ fight him and avenge me!¡±

    Immediately afterwards, a man appeared, the ghost of an innocent man killed by Voldemort.

    As they paced around the inner walls of the golden web, circling the duelers, they whispered words of encouragement to Harry and hissed words Harry couldn¡¯t hear to Voldemort, but they were undoubtedly vicious words. Under the stimulus of these words, Voldemort looked even crazier!

    And now, another head was emerging from the tip of Voldemort¡¯s wand!

    Harry knew when he saw it who it would be¡­ he knew, as though he had expected it from the moment Bertha Jorkins appeared from the wand¡­ he knew, because the woman was the one he had thought of more than any other in his life.

    The smoky shadow of a young woman with long hair fell to the ground as Bertha had done, straightened up, and looked at him.

    And Harry, his arms shaking madly now, looked back into the ghostly face of his mother.

    ¡°Harry, your father¡¯s here, too ¡­¡± she said quietly. ¡°He wants to see you¡­ it will be all right¡­ hold on.¡±

    And he came¡­ first his head, then his body¡­ tall and untidy-haired like Harry, the smoky, shadowy form of James Potter blossomed from the end of Voldemort¡¯s wand, fell to the ground, and straightened like his wife.

    James Potter walked close to Harry, looking down at him, and he spoke in the same distant, echoing voice as the others, but quietly, so that Voldemort, his face now livid with fear as his victims prowled around him, could not hear!

    ¡°Dad¡­¡± Harry opened his mouth and tears came out uncontrobly. Although still in the duel, inexplicable sadness rose inside Harry.

    He stared at his parents, who looked like they were when they were young, and remained as they were before they died.

    ¡°Harry¡­ I¡¯m proud of you!¡± James Potter said.

    ¡°Harry¡­¡± the shadow of his mother was looking at him.

    ¡°When the connection is broken, we will linger for only moments ¡­ but we will give you time ¡­ you get to the Portkey with the boy outside, it will return you to Hogwarts ¡­ do you understand Harry?¡± James Potter continued.

    ¡°I understand!¡± Harry gasped, fighting now to keep a hold on his wand, which was slipping and sliding beneath his fingers.

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 Chapter 708: Returning to Hogwarts

    Chapter 708: Returning to Hogwarts

    Outside the web of light, Evan was doing the finishing touches.

    The few Death Eaters who did not flee in haste had reacted. They gradually calmed down and began to fight back.

    They attacked Evan through Fiendfyre, and the spells were swishing over, most of them missed!

    Even so, Evan still felt the pressure gradually increasing. He backed away while defending, hoping Harry could be faster.

    All that had to be done was done, he killed Nagini, and Voldemort was scared enough by his wand¡­

    All that needed to be done now was to leave here and return to Hogwarts. It was not good to stay any longer.

    A magic reaction had already appeared on the Portkey in Evan¡¯s hand; as long as Harry came over, the two of them could leave at any time.

    ¡°Harry, hurry up!¡± He turned and shouted, hoping that Harry could hear.

    Harry didn¡¯t hear Evan¡¯s shout because of the istion of the web of light, but his father¡¯s ghost clearly heard it.

    ¡°Very good,e on, Harry, with that boy,¡± said James, ¡°be ready to run¡­ do it now!¡±

    ¡°Well!¡± Harry didn¡¯t think he could have held on for another moment anyway. He pulled his wand upward with an almighty wrench, and the golden thread broke; the cage of light vanished, the phoenix song died¡­ but the shadowy figures of Voldemort¡¯s victims did not disappear. They were closing in upon Voldemort, shielding Harry from his gaze¡­

    Harry turned around and ran with all his strength towards Evan in the distance.

    ¡°You losers, <i>stun them both</i>!¡± Voldemort snapped, ¡°<i>Kill them</i>!¡±

    The ghosts were surrounding him, and he had no way to get rid of them.

    But that did not prevent him from using magic¡­ Voldemort waved his wand hard.

    All the mes in the open space disappeared instantly, only the strong smell of scorching and wailing sound echoed.

    After Fiendfyre disappeared, all the Death Eaters hurriedly approached, not giving Evan the chance to cast powerful magic. Jets of red and green light flew in the air and ran towards Harry.

    He now had no time to aim at all, and could only attack casually, casting the simplest spells on the Death Eaters following him.

    ¡°<i>Impedimenta</i>! <i>Stupefy</i>!¡±

    From a muffled yell, Evan knew he had stopped at least one of them, but there was no time to stop and look. There were wand sts behind him.

    ¡°Get down, Harry, get down!¡± Evan leapt forward vigorously, rushed at Harry, and pressed him to the ground.

    They escaped the intensive spells attack and rolled on the ground¡­

    ¡°Stand aside, I will kill them, they¡¯re mine!¡± shrieked Voldemort, breaking free from the ghosts.

    The ghosts gradually dissipated and vanished into the air, and Harry saw his parents watching him¡­

    Next to them were Voldemort¡¯s terrible red eyes, his mouth curled into a smile, and he raised his wand high.

    The next second, Harry got his eyes blurred and felt the jerk behind his navel. Voldemort and the Death Eaters disappeared, and he and Evan were swept away in a whirl of wind and color, and they left the ce.

    Both of them returned to Hogwarts! Not in theke, but in an office.

    The scene in front of Harry¡¯s eyes gradually became clear, and he saw arge mirror on the wall, with blurred shadows shaking in it.

    That was Moody¡¯s Foe-ss, they had returned to Professor Moody¡¯s office!

    ¡°Evan, what on earth is going on?¡± Harry asked, seeing Evan lying panting next to him.

    He was still wearing ragged Gabrielle¡¯s robes, only a few strands of cloth hanging on them¡­

    Evan was holding a bat-like object tightly in his left hand; the Portkey Caresius had given him.

    ¡°Why did you be Gabrielle? and Voldemort¡­¡± Harry stopped abruptly, and said quickly with excitement, ¡°Voldemort has recovered his body. We must tell Dumbledore about it!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon, and you¡¯ll tell him then,¡± said Evan, without any strength, leaning on Harry weakly.

    Fighting a dozen Death Eaters wasn¡¯t an easy task. If it weren¡¯t for the factor of surprise, he wouldn¡¯t have had a chance.

    Two high-level Dark magic and many other spells in session had exhausted his magic and physical strength. In particr, the spirit that had been tightened to the limit was now suddenly rxed, leaving only endless drowsiness and fatigue in his body.

    There was silence around them, and they were lying on the floor of the office. Evan intermittently told Harry the reason for what had just happened.

    He started with Mr. Barty Crouch and his son Barty Crouch Jr., and talked about the plot they nned to put Ron¡¯s name into the Goblet of Fire ¡­ he also talked about Caresius, the vampire disguised as Moody to enter Hogwarts¡­

    And then they learned from Caresius about Voldemort¡¯s n, and knew that he was going to do it in the second task, and had prepared ordingly.

    Harry listened, very surprised, and from time to time interrupted and asked a few questions.

    As to why Voldemort used Harry¡¯s blood and why they didn¡¯t stop him from returning, Evan didn¡¯t tell Harry the truth. It was not the right time. He just said that he assumed the form of Gabrielle to protect Harry.

    As for some of the loopholes, Harry didn¡¯t notice. In fact, he was already speechless in surprise.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± said Harry. ¡°No wonder Ron said earlier that he saw the name of the vampire on the Marauder¡¯s Map that night. So, the vampire was helping us and Cedric was taken away by him and I don¡¯t know what happened. By the way, that Batty Crouch Jr. ¡­ he ¡­¡±

    Just then, there was a sound of footsteps in the corridor, and the door of Professor Moody¡¯s office was opened!

    A group of people came in, headed by Dumbledore, and his face was as calm as ever. But there was no benign smile, and there was no twinkle in the eyes behind the spectacles. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore to make one feel strange and scared.

    Behind him were Sirius and Snape. Snape was still the same; not panicking by Voldemort¡¯s return at all, just gloomier.

    Sirius was much more agitated, and he seemed to have experienced a fierce battle, forcing a man toe in.

    The man was pale-skinned, slightly freckled, with a mop of fair hair. It was Barty Crouch Jr.

    Evan had seen him before in the Pensieve, and he was exactly the same when he was taken away from the court by the Dementors.

    But now, he was lined around the eyes and looked much older¡­

    During the period when Evan and Harry were taken away by the Portkey, Sirius had caught the guy.

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 Chapter 709: Brothers Wands

    Chapter 709: Brothers Wands

    They walked into the office. Sirius sped forward, and looked with concern at Evan and Harry lying on the ground.

    ¡°Thank goodness, you¡¯re still alive!¡± He said loudly, excited. ¡°I¡¯ve been ming myself for not going with you, there were a lot of terrible thoughts in my head ¡­ what happened after you were taken away?¡±

    Sirius¡¯s arm was bleeding. It was an injury left from fighting Barty Crouch Jr.

    But he didn¡¯t care. He didn¡¯t even bandage it. He came and pulled up Evan and Harry, who were lying on the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Sirius! But Voldemort is back and he got his body back!¡± Seeing Dumbledore and Sirius, Harry said hurriedly, ¡°He made some kind of potion with his father¡¯s bone, his servant¡¯s flesh and my blood¡­¡±

    Before Harry had finished speaking, he heard Barty Crouch Jr., who was tied up, burst into a wildugh.

    ¡°The Dark Lord is back. You are all going to die. I seeded. I brought Harry Potter to him. I will be honored beyond all other Death Eaters. I will be his dearest, his closest supporter¡­ closer than a son¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Sirius growled, punching Barty Crouch Jr. He fell to the ground, the blood on his nose and mouth kept flowing, but he was stillughing wildly. That guy was mad!

    Snape looked at Barty Crouch Jr. in disgust, and waved his wand hard, and the Death Eater couldn¡¯t make a sound.

    ¡°I, Harry, and Cedric were taken by the Portkey, and Voldemort was resurrected with Harry¡¯s blood!¡± said Evan briefly, looking into Dumbledore¡¯s eyes. ¡°Then he called the Death Eaters and we had a fight.¡±

    ¡°You had a fight?!¡± said Snape skeptical, ¡°with the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters?¡±

    ¡°To be precise, Harry was dueling with Voldemort. I was responsible for solving the remaining Death Eaters and the great snake called Nagini, but it was just an ordinary snake, not what I expected,¡± said Evan, knowing that Dumbledore could understand.

    He had thought Nagini would be a Horcrux, but she wasn¡¯t. Voldemort hadn¡¯t yet made her into a Horcrux.

    That was not good news, which meant that Voldemort had probably made a Horcrux unknown to Evan.

    After the vampires and the evil god, new changes had taken ce, making it more difficult to eliminate Voldemort.

    ¡°I had a duel with Voldemort, but I just used the Disarming Charm!¡± Harry exined, noting that everyone was looking at him in disbelief. ¡°My wand was connected to his, and there was a lot of gold light ¡­ and¡­¡±

    He exined the detailed process of the duel, something that Evan didn¡¯t know.

    The images created when his wand was connected with Voldemort¡¯s and the things that emerged from Voldemort¡¯s wand in the cage of gold light were flooding into his mind like a tide. Harry could see Bertha Jorkins, the two wizards, his mother and his father emerging from the wand¡­

    When he finished speaking, there was a silence in the office.

    Hearing about Lily¡¯s ghost, even Snape was a little distracted.

    ¡°James and Lily ¡­ the wands connected?¡± said Sirius, looking at Dumbledore. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Priori Incantatem,¡± Dumbledore muttered.

    He pulled out his wand, and Barty Crouch Jr., struggling on the ground, suddenly fell silent, as though he were asleep. His body floated slowly and steadilynded on an empty chair.

    Dumbledore turned around, his eyes gazing into Harry¡¯s, and an invisible understanding shot between them.

    Then he looked at Evan, who was sitting beside him, with a very pleased expression.

    ¡°Priori Incantatem?¡± Sirius demanded swiftly. ¡°Could you get the Reverse Spell effect?¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°Harry¡¯s wand and Voldemort¡¯s wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. It¡¯s Fawkes, in fact!¡±

    ¡°My wand¡¯s feather came from Fawkes?¡± Harry said, amazed.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago.¡±

    ¡°So what happens when a wand meets its brother?¡± said Sirius.

    ¡°Obviously, they will not work properly against each other,¡± Dumbledore exined patiently, ¡°If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle¡­ a very rare effect will take ce. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed, in reverse. The most recent first, then the previous ones¡­ Harry saw Voldemort¡¯s victims¡­¡±

    ¡°My parents talked to me then¡­ did theye back to life?¡± Harry asked quickly, ¡°like ghosts!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. No spell can reawaken the dead,¡± said Dumbledore heavily. ¡°All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. I believe Harry saw only shadows of the living James and Lily¡­ an echo which retained James and Lily¡¯s appearances and characters, as victims of Voldemort¡¯s wand.¡±

    There was another moment of silence. Sirius¡¯s grip on Evan and Harry¡¯ shoulders was tight, his body was shaking slightly.

    Snape¡¯s face was also extremely gloomy, and he had been looking at the broken mirror on the wall, immersed in thought.

    Evan was looking at Barty Crouch Jr., who was sitting opposite, and wondering what magic Dumbledore had just used. The guy was obviously not in aa, but he wasn¡¯t aware at all, and sat there in a daze.

    ¡°Thest murders the wand performed,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°They sh in reverse order. More would have appeared, of course, had Harry maintained the connection. These echoes, these shadows¡­ what did they do? ¡±

    Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, and how the shadows of his father and mother told him what to do, and how he and Evan returned to Hogwarts with the Portkey.

    When Harry finished speaking, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Snape turned their eyes to Evan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much to say. When Harry was holding Voldemort back, I tried to save my life by using the magic I had prepared in advance¡­ I did not confront the Death Eaters directly¡­¡± Evan paused and added, ¡°I Killed the snake beforeing back!¡±

    Dumbledore knew exactly what was going on. Evan didn¡¯t have to spread his use of Dark magic everywhere.

    Besides, these were not things to make a fuss about. After Voldemort came to his senses, Evan¡¯s magic was cracked almost instantly.

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 Chapter 710: Follow-up Events

    Chapter 710: Follow-up Events

    There was a brief silence in the office, and everyone was immersed in sadness.

    Only then did they notice that Harry¡¯s arm was still bleeding, and Sirius hurried to help him deal with the wound under the robes.

    At the same time, Evan also found robes to wear and took off Gabrielle¡¯s torn robes.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Voldemort must use Harry¡¯s blood?¡± Sirius asked, looking at Harry¡¯s wound.

    ¡°He said that using my blood was more effective than using other people¡¯s blood, which would make him stronger,¡± said Harry, stretching out his arm to let Sirius bandage it. ¡°He said he wanted to get the protective power my mother had left in my body. He was right. When he touched me again, he would not be hurt. After resurrection, he touched my face ¡­¡±

    In a short moment, Harry seemed to see a glimmer of joy in Dumbledore¡¯s eyes. But he soon thought he¡¯d been mistaken because Dumbledore immediately looked as old and tired as before.

    ¡°Voldemort overcame that unusual obstacle!¡± said Dumbledore, turning his eyes to Barty Crouch Jr. on the chair. ¡°He is back. It is an indisputable fact. The question now is what we should do. Although we already know most of the facts, there are some details that need to be rified. Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky.¡±

    Snape nodded, and immediately turned away.

    ¡°By the way, what happened after we left school?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Krum seemed to be under the Imperius Curse, is he all right?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine¡­ he¡¯s being treated at the hospital now! After the three of you were taken away by the Portkey, the Merpeople rushed up to report, and I was right next to the lunatic!¡± said Sirius, pointing at Barty Crouch. ¡°I intended to catch him as nned, and we fought. Fudge was frightened and followed him to the school hospital. Then we took him back to the castle, and he changed his way back here. Dumbledore said that the two of you were here¡­¡±

    Sirius recounted what happened after they left. He was fighting with Barty Crouch Jr. at that time, and a lot of Mermen came out to warn them. The sudden change shocked everyone present and made them confused.

    Until now, the outside of the castle was in a mess. The professors were trying to keep order and let the students go back to their respective Common Rooms.

    Fortunately, with the exception of Cedric, who was still missing, there were no casualties, which was a blessing in misfortune.

    The only serious injury was probably Ron¡¯s, who¡¯d been severely tortured by Krum with the Cruciatus Curse. Then, he fell into the weeds full of Grindylows. They probably regarded him as food and took a few bites¡­

    Fortunately, Moaning Myrtle was there. She went to inform others, and a nearby Merman saved him.

    ¡°Barty Crouch Jr. pretended to be Moody. Where¡¯s the real Moody?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°No doubt, he should be here in this room. They needed to keep him alive, close by to take a part of him at any time to make the Polyjuice Potion,¡± said Dumbledore, pulling out a set of keys from inside Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s robes.

    He walked over to the trunk with seven locks in the corner, holding the keys. He fitted the first key in the lock, and opened it. It contained a mass of spell-books.

    He closed the trunk, ced a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spell-books had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneako-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak.

    ¡°It¡¯s the seventh, Professor!¡± Evan cautioned, knowing what he was going to do.

    Dumbledore ced the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry and Sirius let out a cry of amazement at the same time.

    Under the trunk, there was a kind of pit, like an underground room, and lying on the floor some ten feet below, apparently fast asleep, thin and starved in appearance, was the real Mad-Eye Moody.

    His wooden leg was gone, the socket that should have held the magical eye looked empty beneath its lid, and chunks of his grizzled hair were missing.

    Dumbledore climbed into the trunk, lowered himself, and fell lightly onto the floor beside the sleeping Moody. He bent over him.

    ¡°Stunned ¡­ controlled by the Imperius Curse ¡­ very weak,¡± he said. ¡°But fortunately, he seems in no immediate danger. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, and he will gradually get better.¡±

    Dumbledore and Sirius lifted Moody up andid him on the sofa next to the fire.

    Just then, there were hurried footsteps outside in the corridor. Snape had returned with Winky at his heels.

    Winky peered around Snape¡¯s legs, and she saw Barty Crouch Jr., tied to a chair. Her mouth opened wide and she let out a piercing shriek.

    ¡°Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?¡± She screamed and rushed over. ¡°You is killed him! You is killed him! You is killed Master¡¯s son!¡±

    ¡°We only subdued him, Winky,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Step aside, please. Severus, you have the potion?¡±

    Snape handed Dumbledore a small ss bottle of clear liquid, a potent Veritaserum he had made.

    Dumbledore forced Barty Crouch¡¯s mouth open and poured three drops of potion inside it.

    Winky remained on her knees, trembling; her hands over her face and looked at them in horror.

    A few secondster, Barty Crouch Jr. opened his eyes. His face was ck, his gaze unfocused. Dumbledore knelt before him, so that their faces were level.

    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Dumbledore asked calmly.

    ¡°I can hear you,¡± he muttered, his eyelids flickering.

    ¡°Very good, Veritaserum is working. We¡¯d better start with simple questions!¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°I would like you to tell us how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?¡±

    Crouch Jr. took a deep, shuddering breath, and then began to speak in a t, expressionless voice.

    ¡°My mother saved me. She knew she was dying. She persuaded my father to rescue me as ast favor to her. He loved her as he had never loved me. He agreed. They came to visit me. They gave me a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my mother¡¯s hairs. She took a draft of Polyjuice Potion containing one of my hairs. We took on each other¡¯s appearance.¡±

    Winky was shaking her head, trembling.

    ¡°Say no more, Master Barty; say no more, you is getting your father into trouble!¡±

    But Crouch took another deep breath and continued in the same t voice.

    ¡°The Dementors are blind, they can¡¯t see. They sensed one healthy, one dying person entering Azkaban. They sensed one healthy, one dying person leaving it. My father smuggled me out, disguised as my mother, in case any prisoners were watching through their doors. My mother died a short while afterward in Azkaban. She was careful to drink Polyjuice Potion until the end. She was buried under my name and bearing my appearance. Everyone believed her to be me.¡±

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 Chapter 711: Barty Crouchs Story

    Chapter 711: Barty Crouch''s Story

    ¡°I was looking through the window and watching them dispose of her body. I didn¡¯t expect ¡­¡± said Sirius sadly.

    There was no doubt that Barty Crouch¡¯s mother was very great. She was willing to give anything for her son.

    It was hard for Evan to imagine how a crazy Death Eater like Barty Jr. appeared in such a decent family. How did his character degenerate and distort to this point step by step?

    Voldemort¡¯s temptation was, in this respect, mainly due to Mr. Barty Crouch¡¯s erroneous educational ideas.

    ¡°What did your father do with you, when he had got you home?¡± Dumbledore asked quietly.

    ¡°He staged my mother¡¯s death and held a quiet, private funeral. The grave was empty. The house-elf Winky nursed me back to health. My father wanted to conceal me and control me. He had to use a number of spells to subdue me. When I had recovered my strength, I thought only of finding my master¡­ of returning to his service.¡±

    ¡°How did your father subdue you?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°The Imperius Curse,¡± Crouch said. ¡°I was under my father¡¯s control. I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night. I was always with the house-elf. She was my keeper and caretaker. She pitied me. She persuaded my father to give me asional treats as rewards for my good behavior.¡±

    ¡°Master Barty, Master Barty,¡± sobbed Winky through her hands. ¡°You isn¡¯t ought to tell them, we is getting in trouble!¡±

    ¡°Did anybody ever discover that you were still alive?¡± Dumbledore asked softly, ¡°apart from your father and the house-elf?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Crouch¡¯s eyelids flickered again, ¡°A witch in my father¡¯s office, Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father¡¯s signature. He was not at home. Winky showed her inside and returned to the kitchen to take care of me. But Bertha Jorkins heard Winky talking to me. She came to investigate. She heard enough to guess who was hiding under the Invisibility Cloak. When my father returned home, she confronted him. He put a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget what she had found out. The charm was too powerful. My father said it damaged her memory permanently.¡±

    ¡°Why is sheing to nose into my master¡¯s private business?¡± sobbed Winky. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she leaving us be?¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°that sudden Death Mark!¡±

    ¡°Later, Winky convinced my father,¡± said Crouch, still in the same monotonous voice. ¡°She spent months persuading him. I had not left the house for years. I had loved Quidditch. Let him go, she said. He will be in his Invisibility Cloak. He can watch. Let him smell fresh air for once. She said my mother would have wanted it. She told my father that my mother had died to give me freedom. She had not saved me for a life imprisonment. He agreed in the end.¡±

    ¡°It was carefully nned. My father led me and Winky up to the Top Box early in the day. Winky was to say that she was saving a seat for my father. I was to sit there, invisible. When everyone had left the box, we would emerge. Winky would appear to be alone. Nobody would ever know.¡±

    ¡°But Winky didn¡¯t know that I was growing stronger. I was starting to fight my father¡¯s Imperius Curse. There were times when I was almost myself again. There were brief periods when I seemed outside his control. It happened, there, in the Top Box. It was like waking from a deep sleep. I found myself out in public, in the middle of the match, and I saw, in front of me, a wand sticking out of a boy¡¯s pocket. I had not been allowed a wand since before Azkaban. I stole it. Winky didn¡¯t know. Winky is frightened of heights. She had her face hidden, buried in her hands.¡±

    ¡°Master Barty, you bad boy!¡± whispered Winky, tears trickling between her fingers.

    ¡°You took the wand,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°what did you do with it?¡±

    ¡°I was going to use that wand to get rid of my father¡¯s controlpletely,¡± said Barty Jr. ¡°But the vampires suddenly attacked, and everyone fled the box. Winky took me with her. In the battle between the boy, Evan Mason, and the vampires¡¯ leader, I felt my master¡¯s breath from the vampire, but I couldn¡¯t find him. I cast the Dark Mark into the sky with the stolen wand. I had to let the master know I was there, too.¡±

    Obviously, that Dark Mark had the opposite effect, Voldemort and the vampires immediately retreated and ran away! He did not want the news of his return to be known to the outside world until he recovered his strength. Voldemort didn¡¯t want to be associated to that attack, but Barty Crouch Jr. ruined everything¡­

    ¡°After the Dark Mark was cast, Ministry wizards arrived. They shot Stunning Spells everywhere. One of the spells came into the ruins where Winky and I stood. The bond connecting us was broken. We were both Stunned.¡±

    ¡°When Winky was discovered, my father knew I must be nearby. He dismissed Winky. She didn¡¯t look after me. She had let me acquire a wand. She had almost let me escape.¡± Barty Crouch Jr. continued. ¡°He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. I was under control again ¡­¡±

    Hearing that, Winky let out a wail of despair.

    ¡°Now it was just Father and I, alone in the house. And then ¡­¡± Crouch¡¯s head rolled on his neck, and an insane grin spread across his face. ¡°My master came for me!¡±

    ¡°He and the vampires found me. My master had found out that I was still alive. He had captured Bertha Jorkins in Albania. He had tortured her. She told him a great deal. She told him about the Triwizard Tournament. She told him the old Auror, Moody, was going to teach at Hogwarts. He tortured her until he broke through the Memory Charm my father had ced upon her. She told him I had escaped from Azkaban. She told him my father kept me imprisoned to prevent me from seeking my master. And so my master knew that I was still his faithful servant¡­ perhaps the most faithful of all. My master conceived a n, based upon the information Bertha had given him. He needed me. He arrived at our house near midnight. My father answered the door.¡±

    The smile spread wider over Crouch¡¯s face, as though recalling the sweetest memory of his life. Winky¡¯s petrified brown eyes were visible through her fingers. She seemed too appalled to speak.

    ¡°Before Father could realize anything, he had been ced under the Imperius Curse by my master. Now he was the one imprisoned, controlled! I was released. I awoke. I was myself again, alive as I hadn¡¯t been in years. I used the Polyjuice Potion to be my father¡¯s double, and attacked Moody with the vampires¡¯ leader, who took Moody¡¯s ce at Hogwarts.¡±

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 Chapter 712: The End of the Event

    Chapter 712: The End of the Event

    The next thing everyone knew was that Barty Crouch Jr. pretended to be his father and put Ron¡¯s name into the Goblet of Fire, while Caresius as Moody attracted everyone¡¯s attention and helped Ron through the tournament in Hogwarts.

    Later, he sensed that something was wrong, and perhaps the betrayer Durand, who had given his people to Voldemort, hurried back and cheated Barty Crouch Jr.

    ¡°Your father escapedter!¡± Dumbledore asked. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Yes, my master told me that the vampires were unreliable. They had their own ideas. In order toplete the master¡¯s n, I personally went to Hogwarts and exchanged the identity with the vampire leader Caresius, who deliberately let my father go when he went back!¡± said Barty Crouch Jr. ¡°He was lying to my master, he thought it would work, but he didn¡¯t know the master¡¯s real n. After my father escaped, my master guessed that he was heading for Hogwarts. My father was going to tell Dumbledore everything and confess. He was going to admit that he had smuggled me from Azkaban.

    My master informed me that my father had escaped and told me to stop him at all costs. I just waited and watched by the forbidden forest for a long time. I knew he would definitelye from there.

    For a week I waited for my father to arrive at Hogwarts. Finally, one night, I met him there. I was going to see if I had the opportunity to take Harry Potter directly. My master was in a hurry, and I had to hurry up. I hid the Portkey under theke, and so I could leave as soon as I caught him¡­

    Usually in the castle, Dumbledore looked after the boy very tightly, and I didn¡¯t have a chance to do it at all. There was also Evan Mason, and I could feel that child was beginning to doubt me!¡± Barty Crouch continued in a t tone. ¡°The child is very smart and strong. I have never seen such a young wizard. He is a big trouble. I almost lost to him in the forest that night. Fortunately, my father ran into the forest at a critical moment, and I ran after him¡­¡±

    ¡°What have you done to him?¡±

    ¡°I killed my father!¡± Barty Crouch Jr. suddenly had a weird, cruel smile.

    ¡°Noooo!!!¡± wailed Winky, ¡°Master Barty, what is you saying?¡±

    ¡°You killed your father¡­¡± Dumbledore said, in the same soft voice. ¡°What did you do with the body?¡±

    ¡°I carried it into the forest and covered it with the Invisibility Cloak. And by the way I used the Imperius Curse to control Viktor Krum. I told Dumbledore I would go to the Forbidden Forest to look for my father, but when he was gone, I Transfigured my father¡¯s body. He became a bone. Then wearing the Invisibility Cloak, I buried it in front of Hagrid¡¯s cabin.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, except for Winky¡¯s continued sobs.

    Crouch Jr. took Voldemort as an object of worship. Voldemort killed his father, so he also killed his father without mercy, which probably made him feel like Voldemort.

    Next, he talked about controlling Krum to attack Ron under theke and taking Harry away.

    Finally, Dumbledore stood up. He stared down at Barty Crouch for a moment with disgust on his face.

    ¡°Things are clear!¡± said Dumbledore calmly, turning to look at Evan and Harry. ¡°I will say it again; the two of you have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you today. The courage you showed when fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters is equal to those wizards who died fighting Voldemort at the height of his powers¡­ and you have now given us all that we have a right to expect. Well, after so many unfortunate things, I think you should go to the school hospital, take some Sleeping Potion, and have a good sleep¡­ Sirius, would you like to stay with them?¡±

    Sirius nodded and stood up.

    ¡°Professor, I have something else to tell you about the vampires¡­¡± said Evan to Dumbledore.

    Caresius and his people would be the next focus, which would help to figure out what Voldemort knew.

    Evan was going to discuss that with Dumbledore. Cedric hadn¡¯t returned yet. What Caresius would do to him was also very worrying.

    ¡°All right!¡± Dumbledore hesitated. ¡°Evan, you can wait for me here for a while. Sirius and I will take Harry and Moody to the school hospital first. Then we will go to my office to talk alone about the vampires. Severus, would you please stay here and keep watch over Barty Crouch Jr.?¡±

    Snape nodded, looking gloomily at Barty Crouch on the chair.

    Dumbledore, Sirius, and Harry left, with the real Moody and the sobbing Winky, and only Evan and Snape remained in the room.

    There was a weird silence, neither of them continued to speak.

    Snape didn¡¯t look very good; the Dark Mark on his arm kept hurting.

    Dumbledore would surely return him to Voldemort as an undercover, and Evan wasn¡¯t sure what Snape would do.

    Anyway, Voldemort seemed determined to kill him¡­

    Evan felt the need to warn Snape to be careful.

    ¡°After Voldemort¡¯s resurrection, he immediately summoned the Death Eaters!¡± Evan suddenly said, paying attention to the change in Snape¡¯s expression. ¡°Compared with the best gathering thirteen years ago, this time there were many people absent. They were either dead or imprisoned in Azkaban.¡±

    ¡°Quiet, Mr. Know-It-All!¡± Snape said. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in hearing that story again.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t seem to hear Snape¡¯s words and continued, ¡°Besides, three others didn¡¯t go. The first one was Barty Crouch Jr., who couldn¡¯t get out of Hogwarts after sending me and Harry away. The other one should be Karkaroff¡­¡±

    ¡°He fled, shortly after the resurrection of the Dark Lord!¡± Snape turned to look at Evan, staring at him coldly.

    ¡°Unsurprisingly, he couldn¡¯t stay in Hogwarts when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm!¡± said Evan simply. ¡°He betrayed too many people that year to wish to meet them. Voldemort seemed to have expected that. At this point, he must have a way to find him. As for thest person¡­¡±

    ¡°Mason, just be quiet for a while! I know the Dark Lord better than you do. I know what he¡¯s thinking!¡± Snape said, no longer as calm as before, he left Barty Crouch Jr., and walked over to Evan, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to remind me, I know what to do¡­¡±

    Just then, the door of the office suddenly opened.

    A Dementor floated in and rushed towards Barty Crouch Jr. tied to the chair!

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 Chapter 713: Divergence

    Chapter 713: Divergence

    As soon as the Dementor entered the office, it rushed at Bart Crouch Jr., as though it had been prepared¡­

    It pulled back its hood, exposing a highly rotten face, and the surface was covered with ayer of grayish, scabby skin, and no eyes or nose could be seen on its face, except for a gapingrge hole where the mouth should be!

    Evan and Snape opened their eyes wide and saw the Dementor point that mouth at Barty Crouch Jr.

    Before they could stop it, something was obviously sucked away from Barty crouch. It was his soul! The Dementor had given Barty Crouch a fatal kiss and sucked his soul out.

    Evan felt a chill in his stomach. It was the first time he saw a scene of a Dementor kissing someone, not to mention the difort caused by the Dementor itself, or the terrible picture in front of him. He suddenly felt cold; and fear was spreading.

    Within a second, Bart Crouch¡¯s soul had left his body and he was worse than dead.

    He sat there with his head down, alive, but without any sound, a corpse with vital signs.

    Evan suddenly understood why everyone said that Dementors were the most evil creatures in the world. It kissed Barty Crouch Jr. and sucked his soul out, which was eviler than the three Unforgivable Curses. Those killed by the Killing Curse, their souls could go to another world or choose to be ghosts. But Barty Crouch¡¯s soul remained in the Dementor¡¯s body and had be its food.

    After it swallowed up the soul, it became noticeably stronger, turned to look at Evan and Snape, and inhaled hard¡­

    It was greeted by a Patronus. Snape pointed his wand at the Dementor, angry¡­

    A powerful silver-white object emerged from his wand, disintegrating the Dementor that had just swallowed up Barty Crouch¡¯s soul.

    It uttered a silent mourning, unwillingly opened its hands and disappeared into the air.

    After annihting the Dementor, Snape¡¯s Patronus continued to rush out of the door, as though to report to Dumbledore.

    In fact, that was so bizarre, everything seemed to be nned.

    Shortly after Dumbledore left, Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s soul was mysteriously sucked out, and then the Dementor that devoured his soul was wiped out by Snape and disappeared from the world as though it had never existed.

    Seeing Fudge following in, Evan couldn¡¯t help but suspect that the Minister was with Voldemort. How else could the matter be exined? It was a coincidence!

    They needed Barty Crouch Jr. to give testimony that Voldemort had resurrected, but now he could do nothing. He was alive, but without soul!

    As for the testimonies of Evan and Harry, the two were only minor children and no one would believe them.

    At the very least, Fudge would certainly not believe what they said.

    ¡°Minister, Dumbledore said Dementors were not allowed to enter the castle,¡± Snape said angrily.

    ¡°I know, but I heard that the Death Eater nned the incident!¡± Fudge exined anxiously, looking at Barty Crouch on the chair, and then he suddenly became tough. ¡°As Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°You can keep these words till you exin to Dumbledore,¡± said Snape, disdaining to argue with him.

    Snape¡¯s attitude annoyed Fudge, and Evan had never seen him look so angry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Dumbledore, but I don¡¯t see any good exnation for this.¡± Fudge said aggressively. ¡°The man on the chair, ording to various ims, he deserves it, he seems to have caused several deaths! This even includes his father, Barty Crouch, a senior official at the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Cornelius, he killed a lot of people, but he cannot now give testimony.¡±

    Dumbledore, who got the news, walked in quickly, followed by Sirius, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, Hagrid, Madame Maxime and the Aurors brought by Fudge. They were all looking at Barty Crouch Jr., whose soul had been sucked away, and their faces were full of shock.

    Dumbledore was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him inly for the first time.

    ¡°Cornelius, he cannot now give evidence about why he killed those people.¡±

    ¡°Albus, what do you mean? It is obvious why he killed them,¡± Fudge nced quickly over the people looking for support, but there was no response. He blustered, ¡°He was a raving lunatic! He seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who¡¯s instructions!¡±

    ¡°Lord Voldemort <i>was</i> giving him instructions, Cornelius,¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°Voldemort designed a n to make aeback. Just half an hour ago, the n seeded and Voldemort has been restored to his body.¡±

    Fudge was shocked. He looked as though someone had just swung a heavy weight into his face. Dazed and blinking, he stared back at Dumbledore as if he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he had just heard. A few secondster, he began to sputter, still goggling at Dumbledore.

    ¡°You-Know-Who returned? Preposterous! Come now, Dumbledore, this is not funny ¡­¡±

    ¡°We just heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how he nned a plot to help Voldemort to return.¡±

    ¡°See here, Dumbledore,¡± Fudge gasped, and everyone was astonished to see a slight smile dawning on his face, ¡°You¡­ you can¡¯t seriously believe that. You-Know-Who ¡­ back? Come now,e now ¡­ certainly, Crouch may have <i>believed</i> himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who¡¯s orders ¡­ but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan and Harry witnessed this process, and they were transported straight to Voldemort by the Portkey prepared by Barty Crouch. They witnessed Voldemort¡¯s rebirth,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°You might as well go to my office; I¡¯ll exin everything to you, including what we should do next!¡±

    ¡°You are prepared to take the two boy¡¯s word on this, are you, Dumbledore?¡± Fudge¡¯s curious smile lingered. He nced at Evan, and then quickly looked back at Dumbledore.

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 Chapter 714: Dumbledores Measures

    Chapter 714: Dumbledore''s Measures

    ¡°Certainly, I believe them,¡± said Dumbledore. His eyes were zing now. ¡°I heard Crouch¡¯s confession, and I heard Evan and Harry¡¯s ount of what happened afterwards. The vampires that the Ministry of magic has been tracking are also involved in it. The stories of the three of them make sense and exin everything afterst year¡¯s incident in the Albanian forest.¡±

    ¡°Vampires are also involved? I see, Dumbledore¡­ I see¡­ you are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and two boys! ¡°Fudge said softly, ¡°The two boys have been in trouble for the past few years in order to attract attention. We had to follow up to clean up the mess for them¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan and Harry don¡¯t need you to clean up the mess for them!¡± Sirius suddenly growled angrily at Fudge. ¡°The two of them witnessed the whole process of Voldemort¡¯s resurrection and risked their lives to escape back, you¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Shut up, ck!¡± Fudge also yelled at him, his smile fading. ¡°You are supposed now to be capturing vampires in the forests of Albania on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, not in Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the point. They are here, so I came back. Voldemort ordered those vampires to help him resurrect!¡± Sirius said angrily. ¡°Look at the facts, Fudge, Voldemort <i>is</i> back. Don¡¯t let your cowardice¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, ck, Enough!¡± Fudge interrupted Sirius. ¡°For the sake of Dumbledore and your deceased father, I have tolerated you again and again, just like those two boys. Now you have gone too far and you¡¯re talking nonsense about Voldemort¡¯s return. You¡¯re fired. You are no longer an Auror, now go back, pack up your things and get out of the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    Sirius seemed to want to pounce on him, let fudge know the facts with his fist, and Hagrid, who was standing by, quickly stopped him.

    Fudge red at Sirius fiercely and took a deep breath to calm himself down before turning to keep watching Dumbledore.

    ¡°I think that lunatic must have done something to Evan and Harry, which made them hallucinate, and they should be sent to the hospital for treatment.¡± Fudge said, blushing, ¡°Dumbledore, tell me¡­ you are not going to believe that nonsense, are you?¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, Cornelius,¡± said Dumbledore, taking a step toward Fudge, radiating an indefinable sense of power. ¡°Evan and Harry are as sane as you or I. Voldemort is indeed back!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± Fudge said angrily, taking half a step back and keeping a distance from Dumbledore.¡±For heaven¡¯s sake, Dumbledore¡­ I knew these two boys would cause big trouble. They have been doing strange things to attract people¡¯s attention and win honor for themselves. This is the case every year. This time too, this is all a lie they made up, and you believe them¡­ you are willing to believe what two children under 15 said.¡±

    ¡°You fool!¡± cried Professor McGonagall, looking at fudge discontentedly. ¡°Mr. Crouch¡¯s death, Viktor Krum¡¯s Imperius Curse, Ron Weasley was attacked in the task, Mason and Potter were taken away by the Portkey, these things were not the random work of a lunatic, and still Cedric Diggory has not been found yet.¡±

    ¡°I see no evidence to the contrary!¡± shouted Fudge, his face purpling, and anger burning in his chest. ¡°It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have painstakingly worked for thesest thirteen years!¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and everyone looked at Fudge with disbelief. They couldn¡¯t believe he would say so.

    In the general impression, Fudge was a kindly figure, a little blustering, a little pompous, but essentially good-natured.

    Unexpectedly, now a short, angry wizard stood before them, refusing, point-nk, to ept the prospect of disruption in hisfortable and ordered world, and refusing to believe that Voldemort could have risen.

    ¡°Voldemort has returned,¡± Dumbledore said again, looking at him coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not really catastrophic. If you ept that fact straightaway and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation and minimize the losses. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the Dementors¡­¡±

    ¡°Preposterous!¡± shouted Fudge again. ¡°Remove the Dementors? I¡¯d be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the Dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!¡±

    ¡°The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort¡¯s most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°They will not remain loyal to you! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the Dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!¡±

    Fudge was opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage.

    ¡°The second step you must take, we must unite with the vampires,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°They are very important. Cancel the arrest warrant against them, and don¡¯t let them fallpletely to Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°Oh my God, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Fudge said incredulously. ¡°Those vampires are the purest Dark creatures. Do you know how much they have done in the past year? They have nned many terrorist attacks¡­ you want me to forgive them?¡±

    ¡°You have to recognize that those things are actually all Voldemort¡¯s conspiracy, we should not waste precious power on vampires. They can fight for it.¡± Dumbledore went on to say, ¡°The third measure must also be taken at once. Send envoys to the giants.¡±

    ¡°Envoys to the giants?¡± Fudge shrieked. ¡°What madness is this?¡±

    ¡°Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is toote,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you cannot be serious!¡± Fudge was breathless, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore, ¡°First Dementors, then vampires, now giants¡­ if the magicalmunity got wind I was going to do this, my career would be over, they wouldn¡¯t agree, Dumbledore!¡±

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 Chapter 715: Emergency Measures

    Chapter 715: Emergency Measures

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, Cornelius, but we have to do it!¡± Dumbledore said.

    ¡°No, no, I won¡¯t do it!¡± Fudge shook his head vigorously. ¡°The Dark Lord didn¡¯te back at all. It¡¯s all a lie you made up. You united to deceive me. Vampires and giants, these low bloodlines ¡­¡±

    ¡°Cornelius, you are too obsessed with your office, which has caused you to lose your due judgment,¡± said Dumbledore, his voice rising now, the aura of power around him palpable, his eyes zing once more.

    ¡°You ce too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood. You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your Dementor has just destroyed thest remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any¡­ and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now¡­ take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act ¡­ and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild!¡±

    ¡°Insane,¡± whispered Fudge, looking at Dumbledore in panic, and still backing away. ¡°Madness¡­¡±

    ¡°If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I¡­ and Hogwarts shall act as I see fit.¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement. But Fudge bristled as though Dumbledore was advancing upon him with a wand.

    ¡°Now, see here, Dumbledore,¡± he said, waving a threatening finger. ¡°I finally understand what you mean, you and your Hogwarts¡­ I¡¯ve given you free rein, always. I¡¯ve had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I¡¯ve kept quiet. There aren¡¯t many who¡¯d have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you¡¯re going to work against me¡­¡±

    ¡°The only one against whom I intend to work,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side.¡±

    It seemed Fudge could think of no answer to this. He rocked backward and forward on his small feet for a moment and spun his bowler hat in his hands. He had no idea at all, and seemed to expect Dumbledore to change his mind.

    Finally, he said, with a hint of a plea in his voice, ¡°He can¡¯t be back, Dumbledore, he just can¡¯t be¡­¡±

    Dumbledore hadn¡¯t spoken yet, and Snape, who was standing next to Evan, strode forward. As he walked, he pulled up the left sleeve of his robes. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled in horror.

    ¡°There,¡± said Snape harshly. ¡°There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour ago, when it burned ck, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff¡¯s too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled after Barty Crouch Jr. was caught? We both felt The Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord¡¯s vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a wee back into the fold.¡±

    Fudge stepped back from Snape as well. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape¡¯s arm.

    Then he looked up at Dumbledore and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you and your staff are ying at, Dumbledore, but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. Please contact me when you calm down and understand what is going on, Dumbledore! Then, I need to discuss with you the running of this school. Now, I must return to the Ministry.¡±

    He pushed Snape in front of him, striding past Dumbledore, out of the room, the Aurors hurriedly followed him.

    The door was closed heavily, and in silence, Dumbledore turned to look at the others.

    ¡°Fudge¡¯s attitude was as I expected, but this undoubtedly makes things worse and changes the whole situation!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°There is some work to be done immediately. Sirius¡­ I hope you will return to the Ministry at once¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve just been fired. I¡¯ve had enough of that job!¡± Sirius mumbled.

    ¡°I need to send a message to Arthur. All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well ced to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius.¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°When you go back to the Auror office to pack your things, you can find an opportunity to talk to other Aurors.¡±

    ¡°All right, but I hope you can give me something more exciting to do!¡± Sirius said.

    ¡°This is very important. After telling Arthur to contact all the people in the Ministry who are willing to help us, I need you to alert Remus Lupin, Arabe Figg, Mundungus Fletcher¡­ the old crowd¡­¡± Dumbledore paused and continued, ¡°That done, you can return to Hogwarts. I hope you can help Evan get in touch with the vampires and try to convince them. Although I don¡¯t have much hope for this, at least we have to know what secret Voldemort has obtained about the powerful force he is trying to master!¡±

    Evan nodded, and he also wanted to know what secrets the Slytherins had kept for generations; and know about the big problem that Caresius had been hoping Voldemort would help them solve.

    ¡°Professor, I have no contact with those vampires?¡± Evan suddenly realized he didn¡¯t know where Caresius was.

    The vampires had many enemies, and if their whereabouts could be found so easily, they would have been exterminated long ago!

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 Chapter 716: The End of the Goblet of Fire

    Chapter 716: The End of the Goblet of Fire

    Before that, Evan nned to tell Dumbledore about it.

    For a long time, he had been passively in touch with those vampires, waiting for either Caresius or ine toe to him.

    Evan didn¡¯t know where they were, and the owls probably wouldn¡¯t work.

    The ce where the vampire hid was protected by magic and would not be easily found by outside wizards or animals.

    As for their base camp, Evan spected that it should be somewhere in northern Europe. Because Caresius once said that he had had a dispute of interests with Karkaroff and Durmstrang and had suffered losses, which indicated that theirir must be within Durmstrang¡¯s sphere of influence.

    But it was a big area, and the whereabouts of the vampires had been hidden in the dark¡­

    ¡°All we can do now is wait; Evan. I believe they will take the initiative to contact us. We are the only ones who can help them!¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°but there are certain things we must do.¡±

    After Sirius left, his eyes turned to Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    ¡°Hagrid, I want to talk to you about contacting the giants!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Madame Maxime¡­ would you like toe to my office.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Hagrid said hastily, looking expectantly at Madame Maxime.

    ¡°Dumbledore, if You-Know-Who does return, Beauxbatons and I will be your most loyal allies!¡± Madame Maxime said solemnly, ¡°but before that, I must figure out everything.¡±

    ¡°I will exin everything to you!¡± said Dumbledore, and looked back at Snape. ¡°Well, Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you don¡¯t mind¡­ if you¡¯re ready¡­¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± said Snape.

    He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, ck eyes glittered strangely.

    ¡°Then good luck,¡± said Dumbledore, with a trace of apprehension on his face.

    Evan saw Snape left without a word, and seemed ready to die.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

    After so many things had happened, the Triwizard Tournament would naturally not continue, and no one was in the mood to continue or watch the tournament.

    On the champions¡¯ side, Cedric was missing and it was unknown where the vampires had taken him.

    Dumbledore had contacted his parents to exin the whole incident in detail.

    Although Evan was sure that Caresius would not kill him, there was a high possibility he would make him be a vampire.

    Thinking about it, the result might be even worse. The wizarding world was biased against Dark creatures like vampires.

    If Cedric really turned into a vampire, that meant he could not return to Hogwarts, and people would not ept him. Looking at their attitude towards Hagrid and Lupin, it was obvious they would refute even more the vampires who were considered eviler than the half-giants and werewolves.

    Krum had been hit by Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s Imperius Curse and was being treated. It would take a long time for him to recover.

    During this period, he certainly could not take part in the tournament. The Imperius Curse had done a lot of damage to his soul, and Madam Pomfrey suggested he should be transferred to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries for treatment.

    Krum didn¡¯t know what he had done under theke. After recovering, he apologized to Evan, Harry, Ron, Fleur, and Gabrielle directly.

    Everyone forgave him. Ron seemed to be particrly touched, and he told Krum a lot about the Imperius Curse.

    He¡¯d been attacked by Krum at the bottom of theke, and then dragged by Grindylows into the weeds where he had been bitten severely, and his body was full of scars. He was now bandaged like a mummy, but his mood was still stable. However, it was also certain he could not continue topete.

    In Ron¡¯s own words, he was fortunate that those things had happened while he was unconscious.

    Otherwise, watching himself bitten by Grindylows, he would have gone crazy.

    Fleur was the only champion intact. She followed Evan¡¯s advice and did not approach that water area. But she was alone, and she couldn¡¯t continue the tournament.

    The Ministry of Magic¡¯s opinion was to end the Triwizard Tournament as soon as possible. Fudge hadpletely broken with Dumbledore and Hogwarts. He was now estimated to be studying with his close friends how to deal with Dumbledore.

    There were originally five judges. Mr. Crouch was dead, and his bones wereter dug out from the front of Hagrid¡¯s cabin. The Transfiguration used by Barty Crouch Jr. was very powerful, and they only found a pile of decayed bones. Due to the magic and the loss of bones, there was no way to restore his bones to their original appearance.

    As for Karkaroff, he had disappeared leaving no trace. No one knew where he had gone, leaving only a group of confused Durmstrang students.

    The only judge who opposed the cancetion of the tournament was Ludo Bagman, who had made a bet with the goblins, and put everything on Ron, hoping to make aeback by this. Naturally he did not want the tournament to end like this. But no one listened to him at all.

    After negotiating with many parties, Dumbledore personally cast magic to cancel the contract between the Goblet of Fire and the champions, but he said that he weed the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons to stay in Hogwarts until the end of the term.

    Although the news of Voldemort¡¯s return was not announced, the castle was inexplicably tense after that day.

    Evan had the illusion that it was back to the days when the Basilisk was raging in the castle two years ago.

    Panic and mistrust spread on campus, all kinds of rumors spread fast, and there were hundreds of versions of what happened after Evan, Harry and Cedric were taken away by the Portkey, each of which sounded to be true.

    Evan, Harry and Ron remained in the school hospital, and although they were all right, Madam Pomfrey did not allow them to be discharged.

    During this time, only a few people, including Hermione, Colin, and the Weasleys, were allowed to visit them.

    ording to Hermione, Dumbledore said a few words to the whole school during breakfast the next morning.

    He just asked everyone not to disturb Evan and Harry, and no one was allowed to ask them questions or pester them about what happened after they had been taken away by the Portkey that day.

    Dumbledore did not intend to keep it secret, and he was ready to publish the truth of everything at the right time.

    That was not allowed by Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, but he had to do it.

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 Chapter 717: The Giants of Sicily

    Chapter 717: The Giants of Sicily

    As the rumors spread quickly inside the castle, Evan and his friends were discussing what was happening outside Hogwarts.

    Voldemort did not disclose the news of his resurrection. He disappeared like Karkaroff, hiding in the shadows.

    Evan knew that he was probably scared by his wand and felt that he was not strong enough.

    In any case, Voldemort did not make any big moves, which was what Evan and Dumbledore wanted.

    Everyone was not ready. Voldemort needed time. They also needed time. The real confrontation had not begun.

    But the most direct consequence of this was that Fudge was more convinced that Dumbledore was talking nonsense.

    ¡°Fudge has gone too far, he dares to question Dumbledore!¡± Hagrid said unhappily when he came to visit Evan, Harry and Ron, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Dumbledore¡¯s support, he would not have been Minister.¡±

    ¡°We all know what kind of person Fudge is!¡± Ron said; the bandages had been removed from his body. ¡°My mother has always said that over these years, stupid Fudge and those stupid policies he made. He¡¯s always been like this. He¡¯s very stubborn and prejudiced. Look at my dad; he¡¯s been treated unfairly in the Ministry.¡±

    ¡°Most unbelievable is that he summoned a Dementor from Azkaban to Hogwarts,¡± said Harry. ¡°What was he thinking? Barty Crouch Jr. was subdued, and he thought he might hurt him.¡±

    Indeed, the matter of the Dementor was so bizarre that it was hard to believe.

    Evanter learned that after frequent vampire attacks and Mr. Crouch¡¯s incident, Fudge ordered Azkaban¡¯s Dementors to stand by at any time for the Aurors to take them to Hogsmeade through the already prepared Portkey.

    It took less than half an hour for the Dementor, who sucked the soul of Barty Crouch Jr., from Azkaban to Hogwarts.

    From the consistent performance of the Ministry of Magic, this efficiency was simply unthinkable.

    The Hogwarts defense system had a big loophole with the Portkeys. Anyone could make a Portkey to Hogwarts with the cooperation of someone from the Ministry of magic, even Caresius. Dumbledore had probably realized that.

    He would probably improve this point as soon as possible, withdrawing the magical authority to make Portkeys from the Ministry of Magic.

    ¡°Yeah, I know Fudge is stupid, but I thought he would be more cautious about You-Know-Who.¡± Hagrid waved his hand impatiently. ¡°So many facts were in front of him, but he was blind!¡±

    ¡°He just ignored those facts, and Fudge knows very well that people didn¡¯t want to see Voldemort return,¡± said Evan, then he sat up from bed. ¡°He wants to maintain the status quo and continue to be Minister of Magic, not war. If Voldemort returns, the wizarding world will inevitably panic, which will not be conducive to his rule. Many people, like him, do not believe in us and do not want to believe the fact that Voldemort is resurrected. ¡°

    ¡°I knew long ago that You-Know-Who would return!¡± Hagrid said. ¡°I¡¯ve known it for years. I knew he was out there, biding his time. It had to happen. Now it has, and we¡¯ll just have to get on with it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± Evan nodded. ¡°The first thing we need to do now is to admit the reality.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll have to fight. We might be able to stop You-Know-Who before he gets a good hold and dominates the world. That¡¯s Dumbledore¡¯s n, anyway. He¡¯s a great man, Dumbledore. As long as we¡¯ve got him, I¡¯m not too worried,¡± Hagrid continued. ¡°It¡¯s no good sitting worrying about it. What¡¯sing wille, and we¡¯ll meet it when it does.¡±

    Concerning Voldemort¡¯s resurrection, Hagrid showed extraordinary wisdom, much better than most people.

    Evan understood why Dumbledore was willing to believe in Hagrid without reservation.

    Although he was careless, always making things worse, and had no resistance in the face of dangerous magical creatures, he was never confused about what really mattered.

    ¡°Forget fudge, Hagrid, and tell us about you and Madame Maxime!¡± said Harry. ¡°Evan said Dumbledore asked you and Madame Maxime toe to his office, what did he want you to do?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s got a little job for me and Olympe.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Olympe?¡± Evan, Harry, and Ron all stared at him in surprise.

    ¡°Madame Maxime, of course!¡± Hagrid said, seeming a little embarrassed, and hurried to hand out the doughy cookies he brought with him. ¡°He wanted to get in touch with the giants and asked us to give them a message. Olympe will being with me. I persuaded her that we will work together and set out to find the hidden giants.¡±

    ¡°Where are those giants?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re near Sicily, where giants were born and where theyst lived.¡± Hagrid said, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me any more specific things, I won¡¯t say anything, you know, I need to keep it secret.¡±

    Sicily is in Italy. It is thergest and most popted ind in the Mediterranean, and it is very prosperous.

    It was hard to imagine that the giants were hiding in such a ce.

    But in Muggle¡¯s mythology, Sicily was indeed famous for producing giants.

    It was said that even this name came from a giant in Greek mythology.

    The ind was very famous in both the Muggle and the wizarding worlds, and there was a very famous Scy living in the Strait of Messina between Sicily and Italy. It was a distant rtive of the Merpeople and was extremely dangerous.

    Evan had seen this information in the library while studying Mermish, the Merpeoplenguage.

    Like the Merpeople, Scys also used Mermish tomunicate.

    Their upper body was the image of a very beautiful human female, but their voice was like a dog barking.

    Because they had dog heads on their waists, the number varied, and they gradually increased ording to their strength, and there could be up to six.

    Each dog had a long neck, three rows of sharp teeth, and two arms hanging around its waist.

    In the past, such Scys used songs to confuse and eat lost sailors. However, after the Italian Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards delimited an area to manage special sea monsters, the frequency of such tragedies had been greatly reduced!

    Besides, when it came to Sicily and Scys, one had to mention Charybdis near them, the great whirlpool monster of mythology.

    In the real world, there was indeed a horror vortex there, which would appear from time to time, engulfing passing ships.

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 Chapter 718: New Vampire

    Chapter 718: New Vampire

    Muggles thought that was a natural phenomenon, but it was actually not the case at all. The big whirlpool was made by magic.

    Like the Stonehenge Temple and the sunken ruins in the swamp, there were ruins left by ancient warlocks, in the deepest part of the whirlpool.

    From the leaked magic, wizards had spected about the internal situation of the ruins, and concluded that there was an unimaginable danger inside.

    Of course, no one knew what the interior of the whirlpool looked like.

    None of the people who had gone in coulde out alive, not even their bodies could be found.

    In addition to giants, Scys, and ancient ruins, the sea between Sicily and Sardinia and Corsica had always been the focus of attention, because it was thought to be considered the home of the famous sunken city of Antis.

    Antis was the most mysterious and controversial lost ancient city in history!

    Whether it was really Antis or not remained to be verified, but there was indeed an ancient city that sank to the bottom of the sea.

    At this moment, Evan, who was sitting on the hospital bed, had no clear idea that in the near future, he would have to enter the ancient city deep in the seabed and encounter great trouble beyond imagination.

    Harry and Ron were still trying to get more information from Hagrid.

    Hagrid was unexpectedly reserved this time, and didn¡¯t reveal anything, but soon he couldn¡¯t resist and had to find an excuse to say goodbye and leave.

    He told everyone that he had an appointment with Madame Maxime for afternoon tea. The two of them had developed very fast recently, and the bad news of Voldemort¡¯s resurrection might lead to a good thing.

    A week or so had passed before Evan, Harry, and Ron were allowed to leave the hospital and returned to the Gryffindor Tower.

    During this period, many things had changed again.

    First of all, Cedric had returned, but he did not show up. Instead, his parents came to handle the drop-out formalities for him.

    Spection had be reality, Cedric had be a vampire!

    The Diggorys stayed in Dumbledore¡¯s office for a long time before they left. It was said they were going to send Cedric to the United States.

    His status was not suitable to appear before the Ministry of Magic and the public, and he could only start over where nobody knew about the matter.

    The Diggorys had a rtive in Forks, a small town in the United States. They were willing to ept Cedric and agreed to let him live with them.

    Of course, the main reason they were willing to ept Cedric was that they were Muggles and didn¡¯t know anything about the wizarding world.

    Cedric would be ced in Forks¡¯s local Muggle High School. His age was just right for that.

    It was hoped he could slowly ept his new identity. The wizarding world in the United States was different from that in Europe. The Magical Congress of the United States of America and the general public had a more tolerant attitude towards Dark creatures. Vampires, werewolves and other creatures lived much better there.

    As for Caresius, there was still not much news from him.

    ording to the information disclosed by Cedric, he and his people were about to return to the Nordic region to do something.

    Despite all the unpleasant things that had happened, they did not fall out with Voldemort.

    Caresius was still expecting Voldemort to sessfully restore his power to help them solve that trouble. Vampires were also of special use to Voldemort, so both sides conveniently returned to peace in this weird atmosphere.

    In this case, naturally he would not take the initiative to contact Evan.

    The day after the news of Cedric¡¯s return was confirmed, Evan and his friends walked into the Great Hall and found that it was exceptionally unusual. The usual decorations on the walls were missing, showing great solemnity, and the House tables were also unusually full.

    The real Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting next to Dumbledore, his wooden leg and his magical eye were back in ce. He was extremely twitchy, jumping every time someone spoke to him.

    Poor man, Evan knew he couldn¡¯t me him. Moody¡¯s fear of attack was bound to have been increased by his ten-month imprisonment in his own trunk.

    Professor Karkaroff¡¯s chair on his left was empty. No one knew where he was now, and whether Voldemort had caught up with him.

    At Slytherin¡¯s long table, most of Durmstrang students were expressionless and didn¡¯t seem to care about what had happened to the headmaster of their school.

    Evan saw Malfoy whispering to a strong Durmstrang student, and he immediately became alert. Malfoy must have known the news of Voldemort¡¯s return and might even be impatient to prepare to join the Death Eaters. He was so close to him now. Was he ready to do something?!!

    At the staff table, Madame Maxime was still there, and she was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together.

    Further along the table, sitting next to Professor McGonagall, was Snape.

    When Evan and Harry came in, his eyes lingered on both of them for a moment. His expression was difficult to read. He looked as sour and unpleasant as ever.

    Being able toe back alive meant that he had regained Voldemort¡¯s trust. It was unknown what price Dumbledore had paid to convince Voldemort that Snape was still his own man.

    As a spy against Voldemort, Snape was not in an easy situation. He had to risk his life and fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters with great wisdom, pretending that he had never really took Dumledore¡¯s side, but had been lurking like Voldemort himself, biding his time.

    Now, the Great Hall was full of pent up whispers, and people were talking about many recent events.

    A lot of people were pointing at Evan and Harry, but when they looked back at them, they all hurriedly avoided their eyes.

    Dumbledore did not allow anyone to ask Evan and Harry. The oppressive atmosphere in the school was almost at its limit!

    Everyone wanted to figure out what had happened, rather than continue to suffer like that. Especially yesterday, the scene when Mr. Diggory and his wife arrived at the school was seen, and the students all spected that Cedric was dead. Otherwise, how could they have no news about him for so long?

    Cedric was very popr at school, and many people were upset about it.

    Especially Hufflepuff students, the atmosphere at their table was extremely depressing, and their faces were the saddest and palest in the entire Great Hall.

    When Professor Dumbledore stood up at the staff table, the Great Hall suddenly became quiet.

    ¡°You should all have heard about what happened recently. I have a lot to say to you all!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°First of all, about Cedric Diggory, his parents justpleted the suspension procedure for him.¡±

    Trantor note: Curiously, the events of the movie Twilight took ce in a small American town, Forks ^^

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 Chapter 719: Unity

    Chapter 719: Unity

    ¡°Yes, he did not die, but became a vampire!¡± Dumbledore said, throwing heavy information.

    There was a burst of discussion, and everyone looked at Dumbledore in shock, unable to believe what he said.

    How could Cedric be a vampire!

    They were all perplexed, but more shocking news was yet toe.

    ¡°Cedric is a person who exemplifies many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff House. He is a good and loyal friend, a hard worker. He values fair y and is a champion worthy of respect!¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°But we can¡¯t help asking, why did such a good boy be a vampire? Why did he have to leave his country, leave his family and friends he knows, leave his hometown and start his life in a new ce with a new identity?¡±

    Yeah, why?!!

    Everyone looked up at Dumbledore, waiting for him to continue.

    ¡°Because he was the victim of this unfortunate incident!¡± Dumbledore paused, staring down at the students. ¡°This incident was made by Voldemort. He has returned. He¡¯s back in this country with the help of a vampire!¡±

    A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall, and everyone stared at Dumbledore in horror and disbelief.

    This time the argument and mutteringsted for a long time, and then gradually fell to silence.

    ¡°The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so¡­ either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies. If we continue to hide the truth of the matter, no one will stand up and fight against Voldemort. There will be no tomorrow in the wizarding world!¡±

    Stunned and frightened, every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now.

    There was another murmur. Not everyone could ept Dumbledore¡¯s im that he would fight Voldemort, and most people at the Slytherin long table, including students from Durmstrang did not agree.

    ¡°At this point, I have to mention two more people, Evan Mason and Harry Potter!¡±

    Many people turned their heads to Evan and Harry, and quickly turned back to face Dumbledore.

    ¡°Evan and Harry managed to escape Voldemort¡¯s clutches!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°The two of them set an example for others. They showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor them.¡±

    He turned gravely to Evan and Harry, and many people did like him, and everyone paid tribute to Evan and Harry.

    Hearing that the two of them were able to fight Voldemort, most of the students were shocked and admired their courage.

    ¡°Although you are still students, although you cannot really go to the battlefield, I hope you can understand that we must unite in the face of unprecedented evil.¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°the Triwizard Tournament, that has been recently forced to end, may not be sessful, but its original aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened¡­ of Lord Voldemort¡¯s return¡­ such ties are more important than ever before.¡±

    Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime and Hagrid, to Fleur Dcour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table.

    Krum was not among them, and he was being treated at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    Under Dumbledore¡¯s gaze, the rest of the Durmstrangs looked wary, almost frightened. They seemed to think that Dumbledore would say something harsh, especially the student who had just talked to Malfoy. He seemed furtive.

    ¡°Every guest in this Hall,¡± said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, ¡°will be weed back here at any time, should they wish toe. I say to you all, once again¡­ in the light of Lord Voldemort¡¯s return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort¡¯s gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit andnguage are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.¡±

    ¡°It is my belief¡­ and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken¡­ that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder.¡± Dumbledore said slowly,¡± We can only seed in the end if we are united. Remember today; remember the unfortunate things that happened recently, when you have to choose between what is right and what is easy in the future, I hope you can make the right choice.¡±

    The semester continued, with still four months to go before the holidays, but everyone clearly felt unusual.

    Unsurprisingly, Dumbledore¡¯s speech caused great sensation, spreading rapidly around Hogwarts.

    The next day, Hogwarts had a rain of owls, with thousands of letters from parents.

    They were shocked by Dumbledore¡¯s announcement of Voldemort¡¯s return and thought it was incredible.

    Not surprisingly, many people were reluctant to believe what Dumbledore said, thinking he was crazy!

    The Ministry of Magic and the <i>Daily Prophet</i> did not say anything about it, and there was no evidence that Voldemort had actually returned.

    They, like Fudge, thought it was Dumbledore¡¯s imagination, and used him of making the matter public to the students.

    Some parents even threatened to take their children out of Hogwarts.

    Only a few were willing to trust Dumbledore. They were mostly members of the Order of the Phoenix, such as Neville¡¯s grandmother.

    The article about Voldemort¡¯s return had been sorted out with Hermione¡¯s help. After Dumbledore¡¯s approval, he was going to publish it in <i>Hogwarts News</i>, and he didn¡¯t know how many would buy it.

    But Evan didn¡¯t care about it now. There were more important things waiting for him to do!

    Counting time, it was time to meet the Merpeople¡¯s ritual.

    Evan wanted to take Ravenw¡¯s Diadem to the Raven, first improve his strength and get the key to Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure.

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 Chapter 720: A New Journey

    Chapter 720: A New Journey

    Evan returned to the bottom of theke again, and it was as quiet as ever.

    Neither the just-concluded battle nor Voldemort¡¯s imminent return had affected the Merpeople¡¯s life.

    They gathered from the nearby waters, as usual, to their ancient ritual here.

    Although they were members of the wizarding world, the Merpeople had their own unique closedmunity.

    No matter how contentious the human world was, it could not affect them, as it had been for a thousand years, and Voldemort would not be interested in the territory of the Merpeople.

    They had been living here for generations, without any dispute, no matter who was in the castle!

    However, after seeing Evaning, many Mermen still went up to ask about the castle.

    Even if they lived under theke, they had heard Voldemort¡¯s name and knew the terrible things he had done in the past.

    Evan talked to the Mermen for a while, and after the gap in the statue¡¯s tail opened, he went in.

    Along the path he had passed before, he soon came to the extraordinaryrge stone gate.

    The dark blue Raven stood quietly above the stone gate, with two ruby ??eyes sparkling in the light of the wand.

    It had be the same as before, without any breath, and seemed to be dead.

    But after thest experience, Evan wouldn¡¯t think so, that thing was not simple.

    From the perspective of alchemy, that Raven was up there with the greatest creations ever, having life!

    No matter whether it was Rowena Ravenw who had made it or not, or how she did it, there was an indisputable achievement in front of him he had to admire: life was given to a dead being, and it was rendered immortal!

    Alchemy was born in ancient Egypt. Egypt at that time belonged to the ancient magic civilization era of ancient warlocks.

    In Evan¡¯s view, although the magical pharaohs, priests, and ancient warlocks created a lot of magic beyond imagination, the thing they really wanted to do was to conquer death.

    They studied from the perspective of alchemy and necromancy respectively, and achieved astonishing results.

    For example, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and then the Horcrux were a small part of their research results.

    Evan looked at the Raven carefully, studied it for a while, then walked over and knocked gently on the door.

    The eagle¡¯s beak opened immediately, saying in a cold, gloomy voice, ¡°In ordance with the master¡¯s wishes, my door is only open to the smartest people. Stranger, I will ask you questions and test whether your wisdom can meet the conditions. If you answer correctly, I will let you in; if you answer incorrectly, you will die!¡±

    As soon as the sound fell, Evan was surrounded by powerful magical power, and the Raven on the gate flew up.

    It hovered over Evan¡¯s head, its blood red eyes fixed on him.

    ¡°Ask!¡± Evan said, confident to answer its question.

    As with the Ravenw Common Room door, there was a different riddle with every knock.

    Some were simple and some were difficult. That was the magic that Madam Rowena Ravenw had personally arranged.

    After thest time, Evan asked Luna to lead him to practice in the Ravenwmon room and umted experience.

    ¡°Which came first, the phoenix, or the me?¡±

    It turned out to be that question, and Evan immediately answered, ¡°That is a cycle with no beginning and no end!¡±

    The phoenix was born in the fire and dissipated in the me. It was difficult for this magical creature to really die.

    However, nature was fair. While giving Phoenixes strong vitality, it also greatly limited their number.

    Indeed, of all wands, the number of cores made with Phoenix tail feathers was rtively small, because the number of Phoenixes was ??far less than that of other magical creatures such as fire dragons and unicorns. Besides Dumbledore¡¯s Fawkes, Evan had never seen any other Phoenix.

    ¡°Correct answer, stranger! The wisest of minds deserve a reward! ¡°The stone door opened slowly.

    The powerful force that controlled Evan disappeared instantly, as though it had never existed.

    He walked in, took out Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, ignored those magical books protected by magic, hurriedly came to the innermost side of the room, and came in front of Madame Ravenw¡¯s beautiful, but somewhat daunting, huge statue.

    The Ravennded lightly on top of her head, crooked its head, its blood-red eyes fixed on Evan. They fell on the diadem in Evan¡¯s hand, emitting a strange red light.

    ¡°Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure!¡± It gave out a hoarse, mournful cry to Evan, ¡°Stranger, you have passed the first test. ce Madame Ravenw¡¯s Diadem where it should be, and I will show you the hidden secret!¡±

    Evan took out his wand and guided the diadem on his left hand, controlling it to float up slowly.

    With a click and a crisp sound, the diadem fell on the statue¡¯s head exactly and perfectly fit together.

    With a slight tremor, the Raven watched Evan, and he seemed to have touched a mechanism.

    Evan blinked, and for a moment, it seemed as though nothing had happened.

    What was going on, what was Ravenw¡¯s secret?

    Immediately afterwards, he noticed that the scene around him had changed, and he was no longer in the closed chamber.

    Evan appeared on arge ship that was constantly shaking, surrounded by the endless azure ocean, and he could even smell the odor of the sea.

    Then he saw Rowena Ravenw, standing on the deck in front of him, smiling at him.

    It was soul magic again!!!

    Ravenw, like Gryffindor, had preserved a part of her soul in some way.

    However, there seemed to be some difference. Madam Ravenw did not speak to Evan, and it was not a powerful illusion.

    Gryffindor¡¯s soul had been preserved by the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and stars.

    In Ravenw¡¯s Chamber of Secrets, besides the eerie Raven, Evan didn¡¯t sense any powerful source of magical power.

    Without magical support, her soul would not stay, let alone have the power to create illusions.

    But no matter how powerful her magic was, she couldn¡¯t do it!

    Evan looked around and focused carefully. The area was a bit simr to the memory seen in the Pensieve and Tom Riddle¡¯s diary. A special method was used to save a past image forter visitors to watch. He was reliving Rowena Ravenw¡¯s memory.

    In front of him, Ravenw was dressed in sky-blue wizard robes, seventeen or eighteen years old. She looked so beautiful that he couldn¡¯t even look straight at her.

    Those blue eyes especially, pure and wless; they seemed to be able to reach the human heart directly.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 721: Following Ravenclaw

    Chapter 721: Following Ravenw

    It was Rowena Ravenw in her youth!!

    Evan breathed in the sea breeze and subconsciously looked away from Ravenw.

    This feeling reminded him of Dumbledore for a moment. His eyes too could see through a person¡¯s mind.

    But it was not exactly the same. Dumbledore could see through a person¡¯s mind because of his rich life experience. He had experienced many things in his life and could understand others¡¯ thoughts, besides the asional use of Legilimency.

    In front of him, Rowena Ravenw was only eighteen or neen years old and should not have that kind of vicissitudes and experience.

    Her smart blue eyes revealed her cleverness, shining with indescribable bright light, maybe because she was too smart, nothing could escape her eyes¡­ so it felt at least.

    It was unclear why Evan felt that way, but he was certain that hiding any secrets from her was an extremely unwise choice.

    There was a pocket watch-like thing hanging around her neck, a Time-Turner that had brought Evan back to a thousand years ago.

    Evan¡¯s gaze continued upward, Ravenw was carrying her diadem above her head, not the ordinary iron ring he had found, but a very luxurious magical item.

    The main body of the diadem was the shape of a raven spreading its wings iid with sparkling gems and pearls.

    The most striking was the huge sapphire in the middle. If Evan was not mistaken, it was a Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    That should be the Philosopher¡¯s Stone he needed to find. Where was that Stone now?!!

    ¡°Rowena, I seend!¡± Just then, a shout rang out over the sky.

    Evan looked up and saw a person standing at the top of the towering observatory, but not clearly.

    The man seemed to be slender and young. No matter who he was, it was obviously reckless to climb to that high ce, and it seemed to Evan that there was no stability at all. He was afraid that even seagulls or other birds would think twice beforending there.

    The man easily jumped onto the sling and climbed barefoot on the rope, looking asfortable as a squirrel.

    In the turbulence of the waves, Evan was dizzy, and he hoped that the man would not fall down.

    ¡°Come down, Godric!¡± said Ravenw, her crisp voice was not very loud, but it almost magically cut through the voice of the waves. ¡°That¡¯s Sicily, keep moving forward, we are about to reach our destination!¡±

    ¡°We should go to the ind for a rest before we set out!¡± Godric slipped nimbly down the rope.

    That man with short red hair was Godric Gryffindor in his youth.

    He looked one or two years younger than Ravenw, only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a smile that never seemed to leave his mouth, a handsome face, and no scar on his eye. He had pinned the sword forged by the goblins on his waist and his wand could not be seen.

    Gryffindor looked more like an energetic warrior, not a wizard!

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to go on a boat. It¡¯s ufortable to shake constantly!¡± Gryffindor said. ¡°Come on, Rowena; let me get some air ashore.¡±

    ¡°You have to learn to be patient, Godric. Our journey is approaching its end. Don¡¯t get us in trouble before it does!¡± Ravenw said, and it was clear from her slightly reproachful tone that Gryffindor had caused a lot of trouble along the way.

    ¡°I¡¯m not you. I can¡¯t sit there all day with a magic book in my arms,¡± Gryffindor said disapprovingly. ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t make trouble.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t make trouble?!¡± Ravenw approached two steps forward and red at him angrily. ¡°What happened with the Centaurs, as well as the fire dragon, the troll, the Quintaped, the huge sea serpent, the Dark wizard we met with Frank, the Muggle Knight Lord and the demon he summoned, and¡­¡±

    It seemed that Gryffindor did a lot of things along the way, which made Ravenw very dissatisfied.

    Evan was surprised. She looked like Hermione¡­ a more domineering Hermione.

    From his past experience, he knew that Gryffindor was going to be out of luck!

    Sure enough, Gryffindor took a small step backwards every time Ravenw said a name.

    ¡°Those troubles came to me on their own, and I didn¡¯t provoke them!¡± He whispered, looking unsure, and hesitated to add, ¡°Rowena¡­ I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    Hisst words worked, and Ravenw¡¯s momentum became significantly weaker.

    ¡°Well, we can take a rest on the ind!¡± she said, walking to the side of the boat and looking at the closer ind. ¡°This ind is the hometown of giants. Don¡¯t go to provoke them, they are not weak. Especially don¡¯t go looking for Cyclops. I heard that there is one remaining on the ind. It¡¯s a giant beast left from ancient times; extremely dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I know, don¡¯t worry!¡± Gryffindor promised, but the smile on the corner of his mouth revealed his true thoughts.

    He would definitely look for the giants, and the extremely dangerous Cyclops Ravenw talked about.

    Evan followed and looked at Sicily a thousand years ago. The ind was still pristine, and this area in particr seemed to have no trace of human settlements.

    Behind the reefs and sandy beaches were dense forests and mountains, with rumbling sounds from time to time.

    As he was about to follow Ravenw and Gryffindor to see the giants, the scene before him suddenly changed.

    It was like switching memories in a Pensieve. After a brief dark, Evan came to another memory.

    It was still on this ship, but in front of him, Sicily had disappeared, and there was only sea water around.

    Evan and Ravenw were still standing at the bow, and the mist slowly surrounded them.

    The fog hade suddenly, and Evan sensed something strange. It was not a normal natural change.

    The thick fog slowed down the boat¡¯s progress, and Ravenw¡¯s face became more and more cautious, less rxed than before.

    Something appeared, and Evan opened his eyes wide through this dim fog, barely recognizing a ghostly blurry outline. It was a big sailing ship, muchrger than theirs, just like Durmstrang¡¯s big ship.

    The hull glowed with faint green light, which looked very ufortable, and even more disturbing was the crew above.

    At the very first moment, inexplicable fear rose deep inside Evan¡¯s heart. He saw a ship driven by the dead sailing out of the fog screen. Their skin was pale, with a trace of rotten corpse green in their white, wrapped in strands of seaweed, and their clothes soaked in seawater were ragged.

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to fight!¡± Gryffindor stepped out of the cabin and waved the sword in his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t like these fellows!¡±

    He looked the same as before, but there was a fresh scar on his eye, which seemed to be the trace left after fighting Cyclops.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 722: Mysterious Past

    Chapter 722: Mysterious Past

    ¡°Be careful, Godric!¡± Ravenw said cautiously, taking out her wand, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb the dead with no reason; it¡¯s a very irrational act. Even if you win against them, what¡¯s the use? They will reappear after a while.¡±

    She raised her wand high, and a blue magic barrier emerged around the sailboat.

    The undead looked around nkly. They didn¡¯t know what was going on. Under the influence of magic, Ravenw, Gryffindor, and the entire ship with the crew on it disappeared in front of them. They could not see them!

    The two ships crossed each other, and Evan looked at the ghost ship close at hand, and the ferocious and hideous undead on it.

    They showed morbidity, with speed and thoughts that undead creatures should not have, as though they were more advanced versions of the Inferi he had seen before.

    A few minutester, the ghost ship drifted away, disappeared from their front, and the surrounding fog dissipated.

    It was still the calm sea, and the sailboat was swaying gently in the waves as though nothing had happened.

    ¡°Hiding is not my style!¡± Gryffindor said. ¡°We should go up there and beat them up.¡±

    ¡°You should know the true face of this ship, if you go up rashly, you may be taken to that dangerous ce!¡± Ravenw said solemnly, ¡°This is totally opposite to the purpose of our trip. If we are not careful, we may even stay there forever!¡±

    ¡°You mean the Lost City?!¡± Gryffindor replied nonchntly. ¡°What a pity¡­ I really wanted to see it. It was an important magical city in ancient times¡­ there should be a lot of precious treasures left there!¡±

    Evan froze for a moment. Was the lost city they were talking about the city that had sunk in the nearby sea?!!

    So, to get there, he had to board that ghost ship?

    ¡°Greed is the original sin, Godric. There are too many dangers in this world beyond your capabilities.¡±

    ¡°I am keeping a proper thirst for knowledge,¡± said Gryffindor. ¡°It is because many wizards like me are willing to risk their lives to explore ancient relics and search for lost knowledge that the wizardingmunity can make continuous progress and recover from ruins in less than a thousand years, instead of studying new magic like you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget how the mighty warlocks of ancient times perished?¡± Ravenw said cautiously. ¡°Magic should be developed in the direction of being close to life and improving practicability. Sometimes, getting too strong would not be a good thing, as it would attract the attention of those monsters again.¡±

    ¡°You should say this to Szar. You know what he is going to do in Greece this time, don¡¯t you?¡± Gryffindor said, waving indifferently. ¡°Herpo the Foul¡¯s secretboratory¡­ I don¡¯t have to think about it, I know what¡¯s going to be in it.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Ravenw slowly said, ¡°He is different from us. He knows what he wants!¡±

    ¡°He is really different. I¡¯m much more measured than he is. I know when to stop.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been so reckless that you¡¯ve had this scar on your face,¡± said Ravenw angrily, looking at Gryffindor discontentedly. ¡°I have warned you again and again before, don¡¯t go to provoke that Cyclops.¡±

    ¡°Who would have thought he would use magic?!¡± Gryffindor rubbed the scar on his eye and said with pain, ¡°Was that fellow really a giant? He could use such a terrible amount of lightning power. Even wizards can¡¯t use this kind of magic.¡±

    ¡°You should read more books when you have free time. Cyclopses were known in the ancient times for their physical strength, cruel character, and mastery of lightning magic. Ordinary ancient warlocks did not dare to provoke them,¡± said Ravenw, stepping forward and touching the scar on Gryffindor¡¯s eyes. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your good luck¡­ the one you met was too old and his strength was fading away. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think you would havee back alive!¡±

    ¡°Well, I know, you¡¯ve told me so many times, I will be more careful!¡± Gryffindor¡¯s body was tight, and Evan noticed that he didn¡¯t dare to move as Ravenw seemed to gently approach and touch him. ¡°I will no longer provoke any Cyclops for duels; I will stay away from them!¡±

    ¡°You have a powerful magic in this scar, and I can¡¯t cure it!¡± Ravenw let go and groaned. ¡°When you get back, find someone else. There are wizards who are proficient in healing magical wounds in the Presbyterian Church. They should have a way to make that scar disappear.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t care about this scar, mydy, it¡¯s a man¡¯s medal!¡± Gryffindor said. ¡°I¡¯m quite satisfied with it. This is proof that I have fought with Cyclops. I will tell this story to future generations.¡±

    ¡°This ugly scar is just proof of your foolishness!¡± Ravenw whispered, and then raised her voice. ¡°In fact, you¡¯re a bit as disturbing as Szar. When this is over, I¡¯ll go back and establish a school of magic. It will be in Slytherin¡¯s castle. I¡¯ll watch him closely and see how he can do those terrible magical experiments!¡±

    ¡°Establish a school of magic?!¡± Gryffindor was a little surprised. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early for us to recruit apprentices now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not too early. This is an endeavor that needs a lifetime toplete. Besides, I just thought,¡± said Ravenw. ¡°Do you not feel that the state of the wizarding world is very abnormal now? So many gifted wizards can¡¯t learn the magic knowledge they should master because of their origins and waste their talents in vain¡­ and those ancient pure-blood wizard families are even messier. They give some powerful Dark magic and taboo magic to children who have just awakened. And¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got only one question. Can I <i>not</i> go?¡± Gryffindor waved. ¡°I don¡¯t want to meet Szar again!¡±

    ¡°No, you have to be with me!¡± Ravenw replied, giving him a stern nce.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m in¡­ but I¡¯ll choose my own students!¡± Gryffindor said helplessly.

    At this point in the conversation, Evan had learned some secrets of the past and the original purpose of Hogwarts.

    Besides, he had a strange inexplicable feeling. The rtionship between Gryffindor and Ravenw in front of him did not seem to be as simple as imagined.

    In history, of the Four Founders of Hogwarts, only Gryffindor was never married and had no offspring!

    Rowena Ravenw had a daughter, and her daughter Helena Ravenw was also a ghost in the school.

    As for who her father was, there was no record in the history of magic, and it was impossible to specte from her surname.

    These two things were not normal, anyway. The Middle Ages and the present were not the same. A normal man hadn¡¯t married for a lifetime, and the other had her child follow her mother¡¯sst name. That was really abnormal!

    Looking at the two in front of him, Evan felt that he might have discovered something interesting.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 723: The Gift of the Goddess of War

    Chapter 723: The Gift of the Goddess of War

    To know whether Ravenw and Gryffindor really had any unknown rtionship, the most effective and direct way was not to look up any historical books, but to ask the ghost Helena herself. She must know about her mother.

    Evan had met the ghost because of the newspaper.

    She had left an impression that if he was willing to say something nice, she would probably be willing to tell him everything she knew, without reservation.

    Many ghosts were not as simple as they seemed. They knew some hidden things, such as Moaning Myrtle.

    She didn¡¯t stay in the out-of-order girls¡¯ bathroom on the second floor, crying all the time and doing nothing else. When she was fine, she would also go out and stroll around the bathrooms of the prefects and the boys of the four Houses to peep at the boys¡¯ baths. And she was willing to share with people who knew the secret,menting on the boys¡¯ bodies and sizes.

    After knowing this, Evan was very careful every time he went to take a bath, to see if there were any ghosts hiding in the pipes.

    Turning back to Gryffindor and Ravenw, in fact, Evan was still very interested in the secrets of the founders of the school, but now was not the time to study these things. The first thing he needed to understand was why Ravenw had left behind those memories.

    She wouldn¡¯t leave her past experience for future generations just toment on for no reason. Where was the key to her secret treasure?!!

    Evan had the heart to continue to watch, the scene had changed, and he entered a new memory.

    This time, the sailboat was floating quietly on the sea without advancing. What appeared in front was a gigantic, dangerous ck reef.

    The central position was raised high away from the sea surface, allowing the waves to beat on it.

    The raised ck reef looked like a beautiful human girl, about seventeen or eighteen years old. She had nothing on her body. But that was not all. In the surf, Evan could see it vaguely. The lower half of her body under the water was a horrible beast with six heads and twelve legs!

    It was Scy, the infamous sea monster from mythology.

    It was said that its ending was to merge with the rock wall where ity and became the rock itself.

    When Hagrid said he was going to Sicily to find the giants, Evan thought of the famous sea monster.

    To this day, its descendants were still living in the waters near the Strait of Messina, but the statue had disappeared.

    The descendants of Scy were under the strict control of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Italian Ministry of Magic. The wizards regrly sent food and cleaned up the disobedient ones. It had been a long time since the water monsters had eaten passers-by and sailors.

    In fact, Evan also heard that they were going to follow the Romanian approach to managing fire dragons, and had developed a reserve dedicated to protecting these sea monsters, open to tourists, and earning research and feeding expenses.

    That sounded great, and it was a good thing for the endangered magical creatures themselves!

    But Evan was now a thousand years in the past, and in Ravenw¡¯s memory, things were very different here.

    The beautiful song came on and off, as though to guide them through. If there was no sound of giant dogs panting and barking, its singing sounded pretty good, more beautiful than that of the Merpeople. It was the best music Evan had ever heard.

    ¡°Scy, one of the three legendary sea monsters ¡­ What a dangerous sea area ¡­ there are all kinds of monsters!¡± Gryffindor said softly, he was standing to the left of Evan, ¡°Rowena, What are you going to do? It¡¯s not good to just go there.¡±

    The sea surged around the reef in front of them, revealing from time to time the traces of one or two Scys, whose upper bodies looked like the most beautiful human girls, wearing nothing, matching the wonderful song.

    The crew members on the ship looked at them dumbfounded, with strange expressions of fear and excitement on their faces. They all knew what those Scys meant, but they couldn¡¯t help the temptation of the girls showing off in front of them. If it weren¡¯t for Ravenw¡¯s magic, they might have been driven away long ago, and waiting for them would be only death and to be eaten alive by those sea monsters.

    ¡°You wait here with the others, I¡¯ll go first!¡± said Ravenw, looking ahead, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve seen these Scys, the great whirlpool of Charybdis should be nearby. From the information we got, what we want is inside.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to investigate, but first you have to agree that you can¡¯t act alone without me,¡± said Gryffindor, looking at Ravenw seriously. ¡°I don¡¯t need to say more, you should be aware of the danger of that ce.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m not you, I won¡¯t act rashly!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t help doing something foolish, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have followed you! That thing being in there; that is just the result of Divination¡­ not necessarily true.¡± Gryffindor continued, his face unusually full of worries.

    ¡°It must be there. Helga paid a great price to see what she saw!¡±

    ¡°But my Astrology came to the exact opposite conclusion,¡± Gryffindor sighed as he watched Ravenw staring at him, and continued, ¡°Well, even if that thing is in there, it may not help you.¡±

    ¡°I know my own situation better than anyone else. I just don¡¯t want to give up on hope, even if the hope is minimal!¡± said Ravenw. ¡°This is the blood malediction of the Ravenws. I have decided to end it in my generation, no matter what it takes.¡±

    Standing aside, the more he listened, the more confused Evan felt. What was the Ravenws¡¯ blood malediction?!!

    He had never heard of it, nor had it ever been recorded in that historical book.

    What strange development was that? If he could, he really wanted to shout to them both and ask them.

    ¡°You call this power a malediction, but I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with it. This is the secret that keeps the Ravenws strong.¡± Gryffindor paused for a moment and said seriously, ¡°Rowena, let¡¯s just go back!¡±

    ¡°The Ravenw family prospered because of wisdom, not because of this malediction. You don¡¯t understand my pain!¡± Ravenw said, her eyes shining brightly, ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times that too much power is a burden. Maybe wizards like Szar need it, but I don¡¯t. If this is a gift from the goddess of war, Morrigan, then all I have to do is give it back to her and rely on my own strength to be a great witch.¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 724: The Power of Pure Blood

    Chapter 724: The Power of Pure Blood

    ¡°The gift of Morrigan, the goddess of war!¡± Evan suddenly thought of the magic concept of ¡°blood inheritance¡±.

    When flipping through ancient magic books, he had seen the word more than once and then looked it up.

    This word might be very strange now. Most wizards had not even heard of it, but it was still asionally heard in the ancient Middle Ages.

    Only in the oldest and purest families of pure-blood wizards was the bloodline inheritance possible.

    Very rare, the chance was very low, but it was not impossible!

    To understand this rare special magic, one must first know the origin of the wizard¡¯s blood.

    The ancestry of wizards is very strange. Unlike Muggles, most pure-blood wizard families trace their origins to some powerful magical creatures of ancient times, such as the so-called incarnation of the gods in the world, or some kind of magical animals with great strength and intelligence, etc.

    As an example in the information found by Evan, the ancestor of a pure-blood wizard family was a wild boar.

    Although he was curious about how wild boars and human wizards gave birth to offspring, it seemed that this was true.

    Thebination of humans and magical creatures was verymon in the wizarding world at that time, and most pure blood wizards were proud of it.

    Of course, there were many restrictions on thisbination, and the requirements for magical creatures themselves were very high. It was not that you could just find a wild boar or some other magical creature to do it, and then you could create a pure-blood wizard family.

    These magical creatures living in ancient times had very strong magic power and therefore had many rare traits. Although power could not be directly transmitted to future generations, those traits could be passed down through blood.

    That was the so-called bloodline inheritance, and it was also the root of the power of the pure-blood wizard families and ordinary wizards.

    In simple terms, the stronger and more special the ancestors were, the more noble their descendants would be.

    That nobility was not reflected in the nobility of status, but referred to the special ability possessed by family members. Depending on the ancestors¡¯ abilities, the members of different pure-blood wizard families had different characteristics, and the methods of inheritance were also different.

    For example, the Slytherin family¡¯s Parseltongue, the ability to talk to snakes was not a skill that could be learned through hard work. This trait could only be obtained through blood, or it could not be mastered by others like Harry.

    Of course, this rare method of power transmission had almost disappeared and was hard to see now.

    Because the bloodline of pure-blood wizards had be very impure, the power hidden in the blood had be so thin that it could not be revealed at all.

    Although they kept trying to continue this power through marriage and breeding of close rtives, it did not help.

    The only result of true intermarriage within a family was extinction. Although the integrity of the bloodline and the integrity of the inheritance traits were maintained, the personality of thest generation members had be irritable and the IQ had been greatly reduced. That was an inevitable result.

    Just like Voldemort¡¯s uncle Morfin Gaunt, as thest member of the Gaunt family, he could not evenmunicate normally. He only spoke Parseltongue and had a rude temper and a cruel character. He brewed the ensuing tragedy together with his father.

    Intermarriage within a family was a very extreme barbaric practice. Themon strategy adopted by pure-blood wizard families was tobine with other pure-blood wizard families to spread the power of family blood within a small range.

    The idea was good, but in fact it did not help. The way to obtain blood power was not as simple as proportional conversion.

    Until now, the so-called pure-blood wizard families like the Malfoys, had been very thin in original blood. Pure blood itself would not bring them any benefits in strength and power, but just a symbol of identity as they just married other pure blood families.

    In Evan¡¯s view, this had instead be a shackle, locking them firmly.

    They kept promoting the concept of <i>pure-blood supremacy</i> to highlight the nobility of their status, looking down on other wizards, and they even pinned their hopes on Voldemort, hoping that he would lead them back to the past, looking for the lost supremacy.

    That kind of thinking was actually very sad. It slowly decayed with the development of the times and was thest struggle of the declining pure-blood families.

    Although that was the case today, in the Middle Ages a thousand years ago, the power of bloodline transmission still existed.

    The Ravenw family was the most obvious example. This ancient family was considered to be a direct descendant of the Raven, the incarnation of the goddess of war, Morrigan, and they were likely to have acquired special abilities from the goddess of war.

    In some way, this family could always ensure that there was a sessor from generation to generation.

    Although Evan wasn¡¯t sure what traits they had acquired, they were undoubtedly very powerful.

    The Ravenw family was one of the top wizarding families at the time. It ruled and led the whole wizarding world for thousands of years.

    ording to the information that could be found at present, that influence was not limited to Britain, but could even expand to the whole of Europe.

    However, their influence quickly declined after the death of Madam Rowena Ravenw and became negligible!

    Her daughter Helena had died in the forest of Albania in disgrace after stealing the diadem.

    Other members of Ravenw did not gain that power, and the once famous ancient family slowly disappeared from history.

    Judging from the current situation, it was very likely that Rowena Ravenw had voluntarily given up this power, which she called the gift of Morrigan, the goddess of war, but also the power of the curse.

    The more power you could be given from abnormal sources, the greater the price one would have to pay. Perhaps that was how it was both a gift and a curse.

    Rowena was a very intelligent person, even once known as the wisest wizard. Of course, she could measure the gain and loss rtionship and make the wisest choice, although that choice was simply impossible to understand for those who were power seekers.

    ¡°You are already a great witch!¡± Gryffindor took a step forward. ¡°There is no need to change anything. I love you like you are now.¡±

    ¡°Godric, you don¡¯t understand the pain that this power brings to me.¡± Ravenw looked at Gryffindor, the blueness in her smart eyes became deeper, and she said calmly, ¡°I also want to have feelings like a normal person, rather than judge what response I should give based on your words and actions.¡±

    ========================================

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 Chapter 725: Charybdis Whirlpool

    Chapter 725: Charybdis Whirlpool

    Gryffindor was very sad to hear what she said, but Ravenw looked at him calmly, almost coldly.

    There was no change in the expression on her face, and there was no movement in her blue eyes.

    With no feelings, it was a guarantee that she would not be swayed by emotions at any time, and would always make the most correct judgment.

    Ravenw, the cleverest, so that was what it was, that was the real secret of the wisest witch in the world.

    It was really a terrible quality. No wonder Evan felt ufortable with the way they talked. No wonder Ravenw left the world with such an awe-inspiring impression, as though all feuds in the world had little to do with her.

    Because she had abandoned all emotions and maintained absolute rationality at all times, calm was her only real reaction.

    Looking at Ravenw, Evan suspected that even if Gryffindor immediatelymitted suicide in front of her now, she would not have any mood swings. She would not be surprised, sad, or depressed. All the expressions she showed were intentional.

    Ravenw was indeed very powerful, but in her calm, she brought coldness to the hearts of those before her.

    That power was the gift of the goddess of war, Morrigan, and it was indeed a curse, a terrible curse.

    What would be the difference between a human being without feelings and a machine?!!

    Even though Ravenw was the wisest witch in the world, even though she had mastered a lot of magic beyond the imagination of the world, she was indeed iplete and could not even be called a person, but a superior goddess.

    ¡°Rowena, I can understand the pain you are suffering!¡± said Gryffindor slowly.

    ¡°Really?!¡± Ravenw looked at Gryffindor, who was plunged in sorrow and said calmly, ¡°then you are really lucky. Although I told you that I am in pain, I don¡¯t even know what pain itself is¡­ this is the part that should be abandoned like anger, excitement, joy and other emotions. It makes a person extremely irrational, affects thinking and leads to making wrong judgments. I only know that this word should be used to describe the feelings I <i>should</i> have now, so I told you that I am in pain, but in fact¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough ¡­ don¡¯t say no more!¡± Gryffindor shouted, and Evan noticed that his eyes were wet with tears.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say any more. Now that we are here, there is no reason to flinch. I must get rid of this cursed power!¡± Ravenw stepped forward and patted Gryffindor gently on the head, smiling, ¡°You and the crew will wait for me here. I will be back soon.¡±

    After she finished speaking, her body quickly changed and shrank, and she transformed into a raven in the blink of an eye.

    It was the Raven who had brought Evan here, but her eyes were still blue, not weird red.

    There was also a diadem that had been reduced several times above her head, very delicate, like a special mark.

    Rowena Ravenw was an Animagus, and that was her transformed form.

    The Raven jumped over Gryffindor¡¯s head, pecked him gently, and flew away, leaving the deck.

    The next second, Evan¡¯s body floated lightly, and then flew, like a ghost, firmly tied to Ravenw.

    That was really a unique experience. He was flying in the sky around Ravenw, who had be a raven.

    On the sea ahead, Evan saw the huge Scy statue getting closer and closer to him.

    The sea relentlessly pped the reef, and in the water surrounding the reef below the statue were hidden dense caves.

    That was the Scy¡¯sir, and from time to time, there were scary Sirensing in and out of it. There were hundreds of them.

    These sirens were looking greedily at the distant sailing boat and kept singing their tempting songs, hoping they woulde over.

    Ravenw ignored the Scys below, and she moved forward quickly.

    Ahead, there was an endless sea. There was no legendaryrge whirlpool, and there was no ce to settle down.

    Ravenw flew forward for more than ten minutes. Just as Evan wondered what was going on, she stopped suddenly, pping her wings, and stopped in mid-air, as though she had reached her destination, but there was nothing underneath.

    Evan thought so, but the sea below suddenly burst into a crack, as though opening a big mouth of blood to swallow everything in the world, and a lot of seawater rolled down the widening throat.

    In the roar of the earth and the sea shaking and trembling, a huge whirlpool gradually formed.

    The whirlpool was hundreds of feet in diameter and reached as far away as the reef where the Scyy.

    All the seawater kept rolling, quickly flowing into the depth of the bottomless whirlpool, but still unable to satisfy it.

    The spray sshed, the torrent surged, and the center of the whirlpool appeared a magmatic dark red, gushing out in the opposite direction.

    That weird dark red was the result of some magical dispersion, with strong magical power in the whirlpool.

    The magic of red was spreading in the whirlpool, rotating rapidly, the more it spread out, the darker the color was, and the central position had the strongest response. It was like a volcano that would erupt at any time. Something couldn¡¯t wait toe out of it.

    In such a shocking scene, Evan followed Ravenw down, close to therge whirlpool below. The closer he got, the more shocked he felt.

    That terrifying whirlpool seemed to go all the way to the deepest part of the earth, to another world.

    For a moment, he even thought that a huge monster would emerge from it, just like the terrible evil god seen in the illusion.

    This whirlpool extended all the way to the world in which they lived, from which evil spirits would be born.

    But nothing happened. About five minutester, the speed of the seawater¡¯s rotation was getting slower and slower, and the diameter of the vortex was shrinking.

    Evan was relieved that it was about to disappear!

    That was the power of ancient warlocks. There were traces left by them in this whirlpool. It was not the kind of damaged building in the mud deep in the swamp with no much power left, but a real relic with full protection.

    It was a terrible power, and it was impossible to imagine such a power at the current level of the wizarding world.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what Ravenw would do. After seeing this big whirlpool, he felt that no matter what was hidden in it, Ravenw should give up. No emotion was better than no life!

    Just then, Ravenw, who had been observing in the air, suddenly moved.

    A light blue magic barrier appeared around the Raven¡¯s body, pping its wings and flying straight into the center of the whirlpool.

    Ravenw was so fast and she was swallowed by the narrowing whirlpool in the blink of an eye.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 726: Ravenclaws Test

    Chapter 726: Ravenw''s Test

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Evan shouted, subconsciously trying to stop her.

    Even knowing that it was only Ravenw¡¯s memory, he still wanted to stop her.

    It was too irrational to enter such a terrible whirlpool! But that was not the real world. He couldn¡¯t stop anything. He could only passively follow Ravenw into the whirlpool and experience the things she had experienced in those days.

    In the thunderous roar, the whole space was shaking violently. The sea was constantly rolling and bumping around, and the red at the center of the whirlpool became brighter and brighter.

    The powerful magic was mixed with the sea water osciting in space, tearing everything into the whirlpool.

    Had it not been for the protection of the magical barrier, Ravenw would have been smashed to pieces by now.

    Although the magical barrier on the outeryer of her body had been shaking all the time and Evan was shocked to see it did not break in the end.

    They gradually prated into the great whirlpool, as though they had crossed the barriers of space and entered another world, a world deep underground.

    When thest ray of light was swallowed up and darkness was about toe, Evan saw an orange glow shing not far away.

    He was stunned for a moment before realizing that it was Godric Gryffindor. Thetter had followed.

    It seemed that he was still worried about Ravenw, knowing that she would venture into the whirlpool alone.

    In the materials found by Evan, it was recorded that there were magical relics left in ancient times in the great whirlpool of Charybdis. For thousands of years, none of the people involved could survive¡­

    This was Ravenw¡¯s own business, and she didn¡¯t want Gryffindor to risk his life.

    But with the character of Gryffindor, since he came all the way here to the end of her journey, there was no reason why he would not follow.

    How could such an adventure carry without him? The two founders of Hogwarts were exactly the same as the legend.

    The most precious things in their characters had been inherited, affecting generations of wizards and witches¡­

    The brave Gryffindors, brave at heart, their daring, nerve and chivalry made Gryffindors outstanding!

    The beautiful Ravenws, smart, calm, wise and erudite, they could always make the right choice before crisis!

    In the darkness, the blue and orange magical barriers faintly glowed. Like two bright stars in the night sky, they added radiance to each other!

    Ravenw changed back again, and she looked calmly at the approaching Gryffindor, with no surprise.

    She seemed to have expected Gryffindor to appear or simply did not think of it, but she was not surprised because she had no feelings.

    Gryffindor approached, took Ravenw¡¯s hand and held it tightly, showing his determination!

    Ravenw didn¡¯t break free. She quietly looked at Gryffindor in front of her, watching the worries and concerns written on his face, and the firmness in his eyes that he would never retreat.

    Then, the corner of her mouth turned up, revealing a smile.

    Ravenw stretched out her other hand and gently touched Gryffindor¡¯s head, as they did when they were parting on the deck.

    Throughout the process, there was a smile on the corner of her mouth, just like the smile on all her statues and paintings.

    The smile was matched with Ravenw¡¯s delicate face, beautiful enough to stop one¡¯s breath.

    But there was no awe-inspiring, unapproachable feeling. At this moment, her smile seemed toe from the heart, not pretending.

    At this moment, she seemed to get a glimpse of emotions. The feelings from Gryffindor moved her. Ravenw and Gryffindor¡¯s hearts blended with each other!

    In the huge roar, Ravenw leaned over and whispered something in Gryffindor¡¯s ear.

    Evan didn¡¯t hear it clearly, but Gryffindor was obviously very happy andughed.

    He followed them all the way down. He didn¡¯t know how long it took.

    In the obscurity, he saw a huge outline in the underground world deep in the whirlpool¡­

    What was it? It didn¡¯t seem to be some kind of ancient building!

    Just as Evan opened his eyes wide and was ready to see clearly, the scene changed rapidly.

    That was the end of Ravenw¡¯s memory, and he returned to the circr room inside the Merperson statue.

    In the silence, everything became unreal, spanning a thousand years in a row, making Evan feel a little trance.

    He had learned a lot about the secrets of Ravenw and Gryffindor, and gained a lot.

    But what mattered most to Evan was what had appeared in the depths of the whirlpool. What was that huge outline?!!

    He was so close to see it clearly!

    He gasped, shook his head, and didn¡¯t keep thinking.

    On the statue of Ravenw opposite, the raven was staring at him, its two ruby ??eyes shining.

    ¡°Visitor, you¡¯ve seen Madam Ravenw¡¯s memories,¡± said the Raven in a weird, cold voice. ¡°Follow her steps and pass the test she left, you will get the reward she left you!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Evan paused before continuing to ask, ¡°You don¡¯t want me to go into that whirlpool, do you?¡±

    What a joke, that was pure suicide.

    He was not Ravenw or Gryffindor, who had strong magical power and could freely enter and leave the terrible whirlpool¡­

    In any case, Evan¡¯s entry into this way was definitely a dead end.

    There was no need to study what dangers were inside, just the raging sea water and magical power in the process of crossing were enough to tear him to pieces.

    ¡°Follow the footsteps of Madam Ravenw, pass the test she left, and you will be rewarded.¡± The Raven repeated it again ignoring Evan. ¡°This diadem will guide you, may the light of wisdom be with you!¡±

    With that, it grabbed Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, flew up again, and hovered over Evan¡¯s head.

    The Raven¡¯s two ruby ??eyes glowed brighter and brighter.

    With a bang, it changed into a burning me, which fused with the diadem¡­

    In the me, the shape of the diadem changed, and the center of the ring became a raven spreading its wings.

    It fell gently into Evan¡¯s outstretched hand, and its weight had increased a lot.

    Now, this exquisite diadem was exactly the shape of Ravenw¡¯s diadem that Evan had seen in her memory. However, with the exception of the two sparkling rubies in the eyes of the Raven, the other locations of jewels were empty, and there was no blue Philosopher¡¯s Stone in the center.

    At this point of the development of things, Evan generally understood!

    That was the final test of Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure key. Unlike Gryffindor, relying on the illusory magic to personally select the heir who met the conditions, the test left by Ravenw was obviously moreplicated and much more dangerous. He had to follow her footsteps to repair the damaged diadem.

    Evan was going to visit Sicily, in Italy, and maybe he really had to get into that terrible whirlpool.

    Besides a wry smile, he really didn¡¯t know what to say.

    To get Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure key, he had to do what she said and pass the test she had left behind.

    Evan returned to the castle with the diadem, ready to talk to Dumbledore first.

    Hagrid and Madame Maxime were about to go to Sicily to contact the giants, and he would join them¡­

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 Chapter 727: Departure to Sicily

    Chapter 727: Departure to Sicily

    Evan said goodbye to the Merpeople back to the castle and went straight to Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    The Gargoyle¡¯s password through the door was still <i>Cockroach Clusters</i>, and when Evan went in, Dumbledore was already waiting for him!

    ¡°Good evening, Evan, do you have anything to tell me?¡± He asked calmly.

    On the desk in front of him, the Pensieve was ced there, and the milky liquid was slowly spinning inside.

    Before Evan¡¯s arrival, he seemed to bebing his memory and searching for clues that had been neglected in the past.

    ¡°There are indeed some things, professor, about Rowena Ravenw and the secret treasure key she left,¡± said Evan, walking over and sitting down. ¡°I found the remains left by Ravenw in the Merpeople vige at the bottom of theke; it¡¯s very troublesome to exin. Can I use the Pensieve to make it more convenient ¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course you can!¡±

    The entiremunication process went exceptionally smoothly. Using the Pensieve could make Dumbledore know more intuitively what Evan had been through.

    Dumbledore had been supportive of Evan¡¯s search for the secret treasure left by the Four Founders of the school.

    Especially now, the secret treasure was rted to Voldemort and the evil god, and Evan had even more support.

    ¡°The whirlpool of Charybdis?!¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°I had been there when I was young. The wizardingmunity generally thinks that great whirlpool is a passage to another space. Of course, its power is not as strong as it was a thousand years ago. The power to maintain this channel is weakening and it may disappear at any time. The most direct manifestation is that people have not seen this whirlpool for many years, and its diameter is not asrge as you have seen.¡±

    ¡°The power is weakening ¡­¡± Evan continued to ask, ¡°Professor, have you ever entered that whirlpool?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been there, and there are ruins from ancient times,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°like all the ruins of that era, it is protected by powerful magic, it is impossible to enter it without the correct method. Gellert and I originally had great expectations for that trip, hoping to find something, but in fact we found nothing. However, since you have the guidance of Rowena Ravenw, I think you might find something when you get there ¡­¡±

    Gellert Grindelwald?!!

    Dumbledore was fascinated with power for a while when he was young. He had left home matters and his sister Arianna alone, traveling around the world with Grindelwald, looking for various ancient ruins and powers, and nning their careers.

    The cause was to rule the world ¡°for the greater good¡±.

    It sounded a lot like Voldemort; if it wasn¡¯t for the death of his sister that made Dumbledore repent, it was not clear what the situation would be like.

    It was possible that the whole wizarding world would have been under the joint rule of Dumbledore and Grindelwald by now.

    That was probably the dark history of Dumbledore, who¡¯d never talked about it.

    It was the first time Evan heard Grindelwald¡¯s name from his mouth. And then, Dumbledore told him some more about the trip and details about the ancient ruins, Scy and the great whirlpool of Charybdis.

    Maybe it was because of the great difference of the time, or it might be an illusion, Evan always felt that what Dumbledore saw in the whirlpool was not the same as the great outline he had seen in the memory, which caused him a great deal of horror¡­

    After telling Evan some matters, Dumbledore agreed to let him go to Sicily with Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    Due to time constraints, they didn¡¯t have to wait for the summer vacation. They would leave in three days.

    Dumbledore was also nning to call Sirius back and ask him to apany them.

    With Sirius, things could be more secure.

    That would dispel Harry¡¯s urge to leave the Dursleys for the summer with Sirius.

    He had to live in his aunt¡¯s house for a while before his mother¡¯s protection magic could continue to work.

    Just in case, Dumbledore also gave Evan the Invisibility Cloak he¡¯d found with Barty Crouch Jr.

    There was only one invisibility cloak that could really work: the one in Harry¡¯s hand, one of the Deathly Hallows.

    Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s travelling cloak had been woven from the hair of a Demiguise, and enchanted with a powerful Disillusionment Charm. Compared with Harry¡¯s genuine product, it had limitations. It would wear out over time, eventually losing its function to be visible.

    Nevertheless, that invisibility cloak was also very precious, second only to the legendary magical items.

    Demiguises were magical creatures hard to find and hunt. It might take years or even decades to find them. Not to mention the need for the hair of many invisible beasts to weave a cloak like that. The number of simr items in the whole wizarding world would not exceed 100.

    More than an hourter, Evan took the Invisibility Cloak from Dumbledore and returned to the Common Room.

    He told Harry, Ron, and Hermione that he was going to go to Sicily with Hagrid, Madame Maxime and Sirius to find the giants, and all three of them were surprised.

    They wanted to go with Evan, but they couldn¡¯t. The semester was not over yet, and they had to stay at school for the final exam.

    After Dumbledore announced that the Triwizard Tournament had been cancelled, the final exams were brought back to their daily routine.

    That caught all the students off guard and theyined. Fred and George even said that they thought it was the most catastrophic impact of Voldemort¡¯s resurrection.

    Harry and Ron were fine. As for Hermione, Evan had promised her to take her on the next adventure. But judging from the current situation, he had to break his promise again¡­

    Hermione didn¡¯t say anything. After learning about the matter, she took the initiative to go to the library to help Evan find information about Sicily, which made Evan very sorry. ording to the n, he was going to watch the Emerald Tablet in Egypt during the summer vacation, and there was no danger in that process.

    Evan was going to invite Hermione to apany him, if she and her parents agreed¡­

    The three days passed in a sh, and soon it was time to set off. All Evan¡¯s things had been packed. He and Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime were going first to get to Beauxbatons through the Floo Network, and then set off from there in a horse-drawn carriage directly to Sicily, Italy.

    Because they didn¡¯t want the outside world to know that they were connected with giants, the whole process was kept secret.

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 Chapter 728: Situation Analysis

    Chapter 728: Situation Analysis

    In the short term, Voldemort did not want to attract attention; neither did Dumbledore or the Order of the Phoenix.

    Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, in particr, had nowpletely fallen out with Dumbledore and seemed determined to take measures against Hogwarts. If they knew what Dumbledore had nned to do with the giants, they would have plenty of excuses¡­

    Therefore, the whereabouts of Evan, Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime must be kept secret and could not be found out by the Ministry of Magic.

    Although the disappearance of the four people would certainly arouse suspicion, as long as there was no sufficient evidence, Fudge could not make a fuss about it.

    He was now bent on reforming Hogwarts education, and it was said that he hade up with a preliminary n, which was being further improved.

    Not surprisingly, when Evan would be back to Hogwarts again, he should see Professor Umbridge!

    The four of them set out early. Evan had already bid farewell to Harry, Ron, Hermione, Colin, Gabrielle, Fleur and othersst night.

    Hermione had spent three days preparing a lot of information about the giants for him, almost filling up a school bag.

    It included the legend of the Cyclops, giant wars, and the way the wizards and the giants got along. In order to reduce the reading time, she also kindly helped Evan draw the key points¡­

    Hermione was very good at doing such things. She could always predict what the teachers would test them on and easily got high marks, and she had an equal talent for predicting what needed to be learned in face of danger.

    Harry and Ron had been relying on her help over the years, so they hadn¡¯t been too far behind in their results.

    Although the focus of Evan¡¯s trip was not on giants, in fact, looking at these things was really helpful for increasing knowledge.

    What touched him most was Hermione¡¯s rtionship with him. She stayed upte every night for the past three days looking for information.

    As for Fleur and Gabrielle, they would stay at Hogwarts until the end of the term.

    After Evan had be Gabrielle toplete the second task, his rtionship with her sister went further.

    Fleur asked about Evan¡¯s summer vacation ns. She was graduating this summer. She was going to have a good time around the world first, and then find a ce to work. She preferred toe to Britain to improve her English.

    After hearing that Evan was preparing to go to Egypt in the summer, she seemed to be nning to take Gabrielle to join him¡­

    ¡°Good morning!¡± Evan greeted.

    When he walked into Dumbledore¡¯s office, everyone else was already waiting there!

    Professor Moody was also there. After his recovery, he agreed to stay in Hogwarts until the end of the term.

    In fact, his teaching style was actually simr to or even rougher than that of Caresius and Barty Crouch Jr.

    Moody¡¯s skepticism was too heavy. Every ss required students to be on the alert and be careful of the people around them.

    To him, it seemed that no one could be trusted, and anyone might be trying to murder you¡­

    Although the method was very rough, he still had the real ability to systematically conduct initial Auror training for the students to improve their actualbat ability and resistance to Dark magic. That was particrly important after Voldemort¡¯s return.

    Whether or not the young wizards believed that Voldemort had returned, they soon epted the new Professor Moody.

    Because of Evan and Harry, Dumbledore reconvened the Order of the Phoenix after Voldemort returned.

    Their current task was to do their best to ensure that Voldemort was unable to implement his n.

    Voldemort needed to do nothing more than three things. The first was to figure out why he couldn¡¯t kill Harry and why his wand did not work in the duel with Harry. In order to figure this out, he needed to get the prophecy of that year.

    Snape must have mentioned it to him when he returned; telling Voldemort that the prophecy he knew was notplete.

    In this way, when Voldemort did not want to show up, he had to lure Harry to the Ministry of Magic to get the prophecy.

    As for the second thing, it was the greater power Voldemort needed to acquire from the power of the evil god.

    Now that he knew the method from Caresius, the Order of the Phoenix had to act fast to gain an even superior power.

    Evan and Dumbledore also wanted to get in touch with them, but the group of vampires disappeared suddenly. They didn¡¯t know where they went, and could only wait for now.

    Another method was the secret treasure of the Four Founders of Hogwarts. That treasure must be rted to how to defeat the evil god.

    The third thing was to regroup the troops and train the army.

    Sirius and Evan had said that in the old days, arge number of people had been at Voldemort¡¯smand: witches and wizards he had bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, and a great variety of Dark creatures, such as werewolves, giants, Acromants, and so on.

    He certainly would not only take a dozen Death Eaters against the Ministry of Magic with thousands of staff members. Although Voldemort himself was very strong and no one was opponent to him, it was impossible to fight so many opponents at the same time.

    Therefore, he had to train another army, a Dark army that fully obeyed hismand.

    At the same time, the Order of the Phoenix should regroup and recruit new personnel.

    In Evan¡¯s eyes, those original wizards were almost the elite of the Order of the Phoenix. Although he admitted that they were all strong and well-trained wizards, their number was too small, and the aging phenomenon was very serious¡­

    Voldemort was ¡°weak¡± now, but Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix were weaker than he was.

    The most powerful force currently was undoubtedly Fudge and his Ministry of Magic, but they would not take any meaningful action.

    It was too bad that Fudge, unwilling to believe the matter, had the target that was supposed to be on Voldemort¡¯s back ced on Dumbledore¡¯s instead.

    All could only rely on themselves. Sirius had been running around these days, trying to make more people think that Voldemort really came back, let them be alert, even get them join the Order of the Phoenix, and stand at the forefront of the fight against Voldemort.

    However, this was proving to be a difficult task, and few people were willing to believe them.

    Evan had expected <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> to y a role in letting more people know about Voldemort¡¯s return.

    But it was clear that Fudge and his think-tank had anticipated that, and shortly after returning, he sent special reviewers to the newspaper.

    Their only task was to check <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> for illegal content that was not suitable for publication. Lupin believed that it was illegal to do so and was protesting to the Ministry of Magic through normal legal channels¡­

    In order to ensure that <i>Hogwarts</i><i>Magic</i> would not be seized, Dumbledore kept them from publishing the article about Voldemort¡¯s return for the time being.

    That was the most troublesome part. They could not face the Ministry of Magic openly.

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 Chapter 729: Meeting Nicolas Flamel Again

    Chapter 729: Meeting Nics mel Again

    So far, Hogwarts¡¯ Floo Network had not been under the supervision of the Ministry of Magic, at least not in Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    With this firece, Fudge and the Ministry would not know where Evan, Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime had gone.

    As for Voldemort, he had probably sent messengers to contact the giants. Sooner orter, they would meet. It was estimated that it would be a fierce battle.

    The giants were hiding in Sicily, Italy, and it was not easy to find them.

    They were living in a very secluded ce. In the deep mountains, it was difficult for ordinary people to enter, at least for humans.

    Dumbledore had been there before and was able to ry his word, and he told Hagrid about it.

    In the matter ofmunicating with the giants, everything was to be led by Hagrid and Madame Maxime, with Evan and Sirius only cooperating. Although they knew it was difficult to convince the giants, they must be made aware of Dumbledore¡¯s attitude and be persuaded not to resort to Voldemort once and for all.

    In Evan¡¯s view, it was a journey doomed to failure purely from the perspective of persuading the giants.

    Voldemort was able to offer the giants far more than Dumbledore could promise, and was more attractive. Nevertheless they had to take the initiative to get in touch with the giants andmunicate as much as possible.

    Because the giants had great fighting strength, they were very powerful magical creatures and could not be ignored.

    ¡°I hope you understand that this is a very difficult journey. Not only is it a bad environment, climbing rocks, sleeping in caves, etc., it is also possible to meet Death Eaters at any time and fight them.¡± said Dumbledore, watching the four of them. ¡°Communicating with giants is also a great difficulty. You must be on your guard at any time, and you cannot rx!¡±

    ¡°I have no problem!¡± said Madame Maxime worriedly, ¡°but this child is too young to ¡­¡±

    ¡°I can do it!¡± said Evan hastily.

    Besides Dumbledore, and Sirius, the others didn¡¯t know anything about Evan¡¯s real purpose this time. Even Hagrid did not know. Everyone thought he was following Hagrid and Madame Maxime to find the giants.

    For a young wizard of thirteen or fourteen, that was really too dangerous!

    After knowing that, Madame Maxime had to object. She didn¡¯t know all about Evan and couldn¡¯t trust his ability.

    ¡°This journey is truly extraordinary. You will face many dangers beyond your imagination. This is a great test for Evan, but I believe he has no problem. He has proven he can be trusted with his past experience,¡± said Dumbledore calmly.

    ¡°Yes, I can attest to that, Evan is already a very good wizard!¡± Sirius agreed.

    ¡°Only in the struggle of life and death can a wizard grow fastest, and the flowers in the greenhouse can never bear the heavy burden,¡± said Moody gruffly, turning to look at Evan. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how this kid has done in the past, but the giants are a good opponent, and I¡¯m in favor of him going.¡±

    ¡°But ¡­¡± Madame Maxime was still hesitant.

    ¡°Well, Olympe! Evan is indeed a great wizard, and we have to admit it!¡± Hagrid followed, looking at Madame Maxime. ¡°He can help a lot by following us; we can¡¯t belittle him because he¡¯s young.¡±

    After Hagrid had spoken, Madame Maxime nodded suspiciously and said nothing more.

    ¡°Very well, if there is no other problem, I would like to say a few words about getting rid of the surveince of the Ministry of Magic andmunicating with giants. There are several points that must be noticed,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°Evan, you can wait for them in Madame Maxime¡¯s office first. Nics is already there. He has something to say to you.¡±

    Evan nodded, nced at the five of them again, and turned toward the firece.

    The green mes shed, and after a whirlwind, he was the first to get out of the exquisite firece in Beauxbatons.

    That was Madame Maxime¡¯s office. Located at the very top of Beauxbatons Castle, it had plenty of daylight.

    Like the main decoration style of Beauxbatons, everything was surrounded by gold and red, and the decorations inside were very luxurious.

    The entire room was divided into two upper and lower floors. The two huge stone pirs on the innermost side were carved into the appearance of two young witches. They were pretty in appearance. The wands raised high in their hands crossed with each other, and stars shed from time to time on the dome in the middle.

    Madame Maxime¡¯s desk was under the drapery, and it was full of thick documents.

    That table and the chair behind it were muchrger than normal, and were made ording to Madame Maxime¡¯s figure.

    On the right side of the room, a staircase extended upward. On the upper floor were rows of tables, and a small tea hall.

    An old man in dark gold wizard¡¯s robes was sitting at the tea table, with cakes and steaming coffee in front of him.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan. Nice to meet you!¡± said Nics mel with a smile and looked up at Evan.

    ¡°Hello, Professor mel!¡± Evan replied respectfully, looking around.

    ¡°When we parted beforest year, I had a hunch that we would meet again, but I didn¡¯t expect it would be so soon,¡± said mel, walking down from the top. ¡°Yes, Albus told me everything¡­ we have a special contact method. How have you been this past year, and how far has the Alchemy I taught you progressed? ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m still studying those ancient magical texts, and I¡¯ve acquired some basic alchemy knowledge.¡± Evan said shyly.

    His progress in this area was really unpleasant. In the past year, just to understand what the messy ancient runes meant, it took him a lot of time, let alone the actual alchemy operation, which had not yet begun.

    ¡°It took me a full fifty years to figure out what those words were saying. You have done a great job. I¡¯ve always believed that your future achievements will be much greater than mine,¡± said mel. ¡°But the current situation is extreme. If you can, I hope you can hurry up and go to Egypt as soon as possible. This will be very helpful for you to master Alchemy. I heard Albus talk about those monsters, which made me very worried¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go this summer, professor. What is worrying you?¡± Evan asked, wondering what mel had to tell him.

    ¡°More than six hundred years ago, when I was a student, there was a fanatical religious organization in the wizardingmunity, which was once very popr. It had been founded by a group of wizards who graduated from Ravenw House at Hogwarts and worshipped the goddess of war Morrigan¡­¡±

    ¡°Raven¡¯s w?!¡± said Evan in surprise, everything came full-circle!

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 Chapter 730: Nicolas Flamelâ€™s Story

    Chapter 730: Nics mel¡¯s Story

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Raven¡¯s w!¡± mel looked at Evan and continued. ¡°To know this name shows that you have really worked hard in the history of ancient magic. This fanatical heretical organization was born more than six hundred years ago. The first members were all from Ravenw House in Hogwarts. They imed to be Ravenw¡¯s descendants and believed in the goddess of war, Morrigan. That was an extremely important deity in Celtic mythology, representing wisdom and war.¡±

    The goddess of war appeared in different mythological systems. Although the names were different, the priesthood was basically the same.

    In ancient times, Celtic warriors would pick up a stone representing themselves, mark it, and pile it together on the edge of the battlefield to form a hillock.

    When the battle would be over, they each retrieved their own stones and left the others in ce then gathered them like a small tomb. The warriors who died were considered sacrifices taken by the goddess of war, Morrigan.

    Therefore, the appearance of this goddess of war was often apanied by war, death and destruction¡­

    Despite this, she was still a decent goddess, and it was difficult to imagine what cult organizations she would be associated with.

    As for the rtionship between Ravenw and the goddess of war, it had been said many times before. This ancient wizarding family was said to be a direct descendant of the Raven incarnate by Morrigan, also known as the greedy predator, describing their thirst for wisdom and knowledge.

    In the memory of Rowena Ravenw, Evan had confirmed this.

    ¡°At the time, Beauxbatons was a newly established elementary school, but Hogwarts was already a very well-known school of wizardry. It was muchrger than it is now. More than two-thirds of the wizards in the entire wizarding world graduated from there. ¡°Nics mel recalled the past and continued, ¡°One of the most prestigious was Ravenw House. Only the most brilliant were qualified to enter it. At that time, their wisdom could guide the development of the wizarding world.¡±

    More than 600 years ago, the Muggle world was in the Renaissance period, which was considered the prelude of modern European history.

    Great changes were also taking ce in the wizarding world at that time. The old magic system was gradually abandoned. New magic theories and more practical casting methods were created and invented. It was the wizards represented by Ravenw House who led all that.

    These emerging schools of wizardry andmunity organizations not only innovated in magic theory, but also advocated different ideas, including many that now seemed absurd and even wrong¡­

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specific process, but one day, a wizard from Ravenw House suddenly announced that he had found the revtion left by Rowena Ravenw in Hogwarts Castle. The core content of this revtion is that Morrigan, the goddess of war, will return to the world and carry out the final judgment on the world. Everything will be destroyed. Only the heirs of Ravenw and the followers of Morrigan can survive¡­¡±

    What mel said, Evan had read it in a book, and thought it was absurd anyway.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it ?!¡± said mel in an old voice, looking at Evan. ¡°Everyone thought so at the time, regardless of this wizard and the organization Raven¡¯s w he had founded, but this organization developed faster than people thought. The wizard seemed to have really found the power left by Rowena Ravenw, which came from the powerful magic of ancient times.¡±

    There was no doubt that the wizards of Ravenw House were very smart. Once they were fanatical and paranoid, they were much more terrible than ordinary people.

    Raven¡¯s w quickly became a huge cult organization. In the following decades, they frantically searched all over the world for relics left by ancient warlocks. No one knew what they were looking for or whether they had found it.

    All they knew was that they had done a lot of crazy things and nned many terrible massacres.

    Unlike Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Raven¡¯s w didn¡¯t want to rule the wizarding world. What they wanted was chaos and destruction.

    At first, because of the rtionship between Ravenw and Morrigan, the members of Raven¡¯s w took the goddess of war as the only goddess they believed in, butter, the gods they worshiped gradually changed and became ancient gods older than anything else.

    Those fanatical believers firmly believed that in the near future, the ancient gods they believed in would break the captivity that imprisoned them, return to this world, restore order to ancient times, and conduct a doomsday judgment on all souls in this world.

    Using the ancient magic found, the members of this organization were very strong, far superior to ordinary wizards.

    One of the most famous and craziest things they did was aggressively attack Hogwarts in its heyday.

    They were trying topletely destroy the world¡¯srgest school of wizardry, looking for more clues.

    After the excavation of countless ancient magical ruins, the founders of Raven¡¯s w firmly believed that the important clue left by Rowena Ravenw had not been found, and that it was somewhere in Hogwarts and was the key to usher in the Apocalypse day and start the doomsday judgment.

    Therefore, they had to seize Hogwarts.

    As a result, it was no surprise that an act that was almost hostile to the entire wizarding world, led to the destruction and disappearance of this fanatical organization.

    That period of history was a must-have for ancient magic history. Unlike other wizards who scoffed at it, Evan doubted that Ravenw might really have left a clue to some evil god.

    After this clue was discovered and used by those who cameter, they got in touch with a terrible evil god¡­

    Therefore, the ancient gods worshipped by Raven¡¯s w were evil gods.

    The doomsday advocacy they propagated was the destruction of the world by the advent of evil gods.

    ¡°I told you before that I got <i>The Book of Abraham</i> and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone on an adventure trip to Egypt more than six hundred years ago, when I narrowly escaped from the Sphinx, and got deep in the desert. I struggled alone in the endless yellow sand for several days until that night,¡± said mel slowly, his voice as bleak as ever.

    Evan had heard the story from melst summer.

    Knowing that he had seen the ancient prophet Abraham in his dream, he got the magic book from him, and started his own legend.

    ¡°Yes, that cold and biting night, when I exhausted myst physical strength, I fell to the ground suddenly. Life was rapidly disappearing from my body¡­ I could feel death approaching¡­ getting closer¡­ it wanted to take me away,¡± said mel, looking at Evan. ¡°When I closed my eyes, I saw the man with a strange crutch. He said his name was Abraham. He gave me the book and told me as long as I studied hard and understood thoroughly, I could get extraordinary power from it. My child, I told you thisst time, but this is not the whole story¡­¡±

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 Chapter 731: Doomsday

    Chapter 731: Doomsday

    ¡°In that dream, I asked Abraham, why did he choose to give <i>me</i> that magical book?¡± mel stopped, and there was only turbidity in those once bright brown eyes, ¡°he told me I was just a keeper, and at the end of my life, I¡¯ll meet the real owner of this book, and my task was to give it to him.¡±

    Nics mel¡¯s old voice flowed slowly, with an uncontroble trill.

    After stopping taking the Elixir, he was inevitably aging.

    Compared to thest time they met, his mental state had deteriorated a lot, and he was approaching the end of his long life.

    Evan suddenly realized how painful it was to watch this mighty wizard¡¯s slow decline.

    He clearly felt the power of death in him, the most terrifying force in the world. Butpassion was meaningless. Nics mel¡¯s life was much longer than that of all other wizards, and deservedly full of glory. He was the most legendary wizard in the world. Almost everyone had heard his name. Even Muggles had heard about him.

    In the face of death, the great wizard seemed extraordinarily fragile, vulnerable, but iparably firm.

    He knew what was waiting for him and embraced death.

    Looking at Nics mel, Evan remembered Dumbledore, who had been telling everyone that death was only the beginning of another great adventure.

    For a wise wizard, death was nothing more than a relief. When it woulde, one should ept it calmly. There was no need to fear anything.

    That said, wizards like Dumbledore and Nics mel were destined to be a minority.

    ¡°With the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone obtained at the same time as that book, I have gained unimaginable wealth and eternal life. But I have not forgotten Abraham¡¯s entrustment, and this burden was as overwhelming as a mountain. In the past six hundred years I have been searching for the true owner of this book, but I have never found anything. When I finally got tired of all this and decided to destroy the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and prepare for death, you appeared in front of me, my child,¡± mel gasped. ¡°When Dumbledore told me about you, I realized almost immediately that you were the one I had been waiting for. Abraham¡¯s prophecy came true. When my life was about toe to an end, I finally met you. My mission has beenpleted and I can feel the taste of death with peace of mind.¡±

    Abraham was a very famous ancient prophet. There were many legends about him.

    But Evan had always been cautious about trusting such things. For this matter, with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Nics mel theoretically had endless life. If he did not choose to destroy the Philosopher¡¯s Stone himself, he would never die.

    If so, he would not meet the true master of <i>The Book of Abraham</i>, as he said, and the prophecy would not have been fulfilled.

    But everything had developed as Abraham said. Because of the rtionship between Voldemort and himself, Nics mel took the initiative to destroy the Philosopher¡¯s Stone before he saw Evan, and then chose to give <i>The Book of Abraham</i> to Evan.

    Could Abraham really be able to predict what would happen six hundred yearster or a person¡¯s thoughts?!!

    The prophecy hade true. Anyway, it was a terrible ability.

    ¡°In that dream, I asked Abraham again, why he did it, and what did that book mean?¡± mel continued, ¡°He told me that this was the hope of this world, and that in his era, humans had faced unprecedented difficulties. Those terrible ancient gods hade to this world, and after paying a great price, they postponed this difficulty! But they wille to an end, breaking the seal and bringing about that unstoppable doomsday judgment. Then Abraham showed me the scene after the judgment: the whole world was silent¡­ no screams of anger, pain, or joy, and no soft breathing¡­ even the almost imperceptible sounds of heart beating, blinking eyes, or nt rooting were all gone.¡±

    ¡°Dead¡­ all dead¡­ all living things are dead¡­ all I could see was corpses, piled upyer byyer, higher than the highest mountain. Under my feet, our earth could no longer give birth to life, and had lost that potential forever. Death had taken over this world. In boundless despair, I saw the ancient gods standing on the bodies of the whole world triumphantly. The corpses and broken flesh and blood were slowly dposing and bing part of their bodies.¡±

    ¡°What I saw was the future of our world and the present of the world of the ancient gods.¡± Nics mel took a deep breath, immersed in the terrible scene he was describing. ¡°Abraham told me it was just a possibility for the future, and then he showed me another possibility. He led me slowly forward on a huge grave. I don¡¯t know how long it took. I saw a castle¡­ Hogwarts, where the battle was not over.¡±

    ¡°In the dim and gloomy light, the unusuallyrge orange-red sun was slowly setting. In front of it, wizards, giants, Centaurs, goblins, and countless magical creatures were fighting in front of the castle. Roars and shouts were echoing, and the magical light almost illuminated the entire sky,¡± said Nics mel in a low voice. ¡°Then, the ancient gods I¡¯d seen before came ¡­ everyone was afraid, they knelt down and wept, trembling, begging ¡­ the world was about to be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°But then, in the boundless despair, four huge stone pirs carved with ancient magic runes soared into the sky. They shone with orange, green, brown, and blue light, all the lights gathered together to form a cage, which trapped the terrible monsters firmly. On the highest tower of the castle, I saw a blurry figure. I could not see his face, but he had a diadem on his head ¡­ I still remember the shape of the diadem.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re not talking about Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, are you?!¡± Evan looked at Nics mel in astonishment.

    The diadem was now in his hand. Wouldn¡¯t mel want to say that Evan was thest person he¡¯d seen?!! ording to mel¡¯s description, thest terrible ancient gods that had appeared must be the evil gods Evan had seen. There were not only one, but many, but all of them were trapped in a powerful magic.

    Was there something wrong here? Evan was certainly not <i>THAT</i> strong.

    In any case, he was vulnerable to evil gods, but what would it be in the future?!!

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 Chapter 732: Presents for the Giants

    Chapter 732: Presents for the Giants

    The scene Nics mel had seen worried Evan, and he had been looking worried for the rest of the journey.

    He shut himself up in his room, thinking about what mel had said, the terrible doomsday.

    The ancient gods would break the cages that imprisoned them and return to this world. They would thoroughly ¡®cleanse¡¯ the earth. All living beings except their followers would die. Despair and destruction would be the main tone.

    Evan applied that prophecy to the information he got. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was toe true.

    Due to time, the seals left by the ancient warlocks had be loose, and the tentacles of the evil gods touched the world again, not to mention Voldemort, Raven¡¯s w, the fallen Centaurs and other creatures with ulterior motives were helping them.

    Nics mel finally warned Evan that Raven¡¯s w, which had disappeared for hundreds of years, showed signs of reactivation, and he had to be careful.

    Evan did not know how to be careful. He knew nothing about this crazy organization except its name.

    mel wasn¡¯t sure either. His only suggestion was for Evan to be on the alert and be careful of everyone around him.

    That sounded like Mad-Eye Moody, and Evan couldn¡¯t imagine which student would be a fanatic believer in Raven¡¯s w.

    If he really followed this line of thinking, he would first make himself suspicious and be the new Mad-Eye.

    Because of Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, mel seemed to believe that Evan was thest person he¡¯d seen in his dream.

    But in fact, like not knowing how to be careful with Raven¡¯s w, Evan didn¡¯t know what he could do to evil gods. In front of the evil gods, his power was no different from that of an ant.

    He didn¡¯t dare to imagine that this would be his future. That day was really bad!

    Evan sighed and stared at the rapidly receding ground outside the carriage, which had just flown over a city.

    It was a very unique experience to travel in the flying carriage. Outside, the huge Abraxans were pping their wings, pulling the delicate carriage forward rapidly, but there was no shaking in the carriage. They were surrounded by thick clouds.

    If it weren¡¯t for the heavy topic of doomsday, such a trip would actually be very nice.

    But now, Evan was putting the pillow on his head, he just wanted to have a good sleep.

    s, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Come in, the door is unlocked!¡± Evan reached out from under the pillow and saw Sirius open the door.

    ¡°Evan, you¡¯ve been keeping yourself in the room since the beginning. You shouldn¡¯t lie here all the time. It¡¯s not like your style.¡± Sirius walked in and said, ¡°Are you worried about the giants? Or is it the test left by Ravenw?¡±

    Not long ago, Evan had told Sirius about all he had seen of the memories of Rowena Ravenw.

    He was Evan¡¯s greatest help, and had to know the real purpose of his trip.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s actually the conversation I had this morning with Nics mel¡­ he told me of a terrible prophecy!¡± Evan thought for a moment, and then told him everything about the Raven¡¯s w, Abraham¡¯s prophecy, and doomsday.

    There was no need to hide such things and Evan also wanted to hear Sirius¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°Prophet Abraham?!¡± Sirius thought for a while, then frowned and said, ¡°More than 600 years ago in that desert of Egypt, Nics mel might have really seen the dream left by Abraham, but if you ask for my opinion, I think the prophecy itself is vague and not reliable.¡±

    ¡°Not reliable?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Sirius nodded and continued. ¡°Evan, you are very talented, that¡¯s a fact. You know about magic more than I do, but you don¡¯t know much about Divination. How to say it¡­ the oue of prophecies itself changes. ¡°

    Sirius was right. Although he enrolled in a Divination ss, Evan had never seriously studied the course and rted knowledge.

    In Professor Trwney¡¯s ss, he was either reading other magic books or making excuses to skip the ss.

    Just likest time, he spent more than half an hour with Gabrielle alone at the top of the tower, discussing matters and behaviors that should be regarded after the identity swap, to avoid being discovered.

    As for each homework assignment, he and Colin were, like Harry and Ron, making things up.

    Anyway, as long as it was a tragic prediction, he could get high marks from Professor Trwney. That was the ace up his sleeve for Divination ss.

    Because Evan believed he had no prophetic ancestry and would not make a real prophecy, he did not put much effort into the course and knew little. It was the first time he had heard that the prophecy itself could be changed.

    ¡°The so-called prophecy is only a possible future that the forecaster sees!¡± said Sirius, sitting down by Evan¡¯s bed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t necessarily happen. For example, you said Abraham showed Nics mel two dreams, that is, twopletely different futures. They can¡¯t exist at the same time.¡±

    ¡°You mean, there may be no doomsday trial at all, and those evil gods will note to this world?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is the main reason why I said the future will change. Our future may be like that, or it may be more miserable than the so-called doomsday judgment. In short, predicting such things is always mysterious. What we should pay attention to is the present that we can grasp, not the illusory future.¡± Sirius stood up, lifted off the bedding on Evan, and said with a smile, ¡°Well, now you can choose to continue lying here, or get dressed and go down with me to see the presents we¡¯re going to give to the giants. Different <i>choices</i> will lead to different <i>futures</i>. What are you going to do?¡±

    Evan understood what Sirius meant. Instead of worrying about the unknown future here, he should pay more attention to the present.

    As long as they worked hard, those horrible evil gods might not have the chance toe to the real world, and, as Evan had done several times before, they might stop their plot.

    ¡°What are we going to give to the giants? Food?¡± Evan asked, getting up from the bed.

    ¡°No, they can get food all right for themselves,¡± said Sirius. ¡°We¡¯re going to give them magic. Giants like magic, but they don¡¯t like wizards to use magic against them. Dumbledore has prepared good presents. Hagrid is arranging them there.¡±

    Evan got dressed, followed Sirius down from the first floor, and the hall on the ground floor of the carriage was full of parcels.

    Hagrid was sorting them and preparing to give them to the Giants in batches.

    ¡°Evan, how are you feeling? Are you sick?¡± Hagrid looked up and asked, ¡°Still that  acrophobia¡­ I¡¯m a bit dizzy at the thought of flying thousands of feet high. Olympe said I was just a little nervous, she went to prepare something to drink and put some calming herbs. You¡¯d better have some, too.¡±

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 Chapter 733: Giantsâ€™ Customs

    Chapter 733: Giants¡¯ Customs

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll have some coffee to refresh!¡± said Evan, walking over. ¡°Hagrid, what¡¯s in your hand?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is a Goblin-made battle helmet. It¡¯s indestructible ¡­ beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Hagrid, handing the exquisite green helmet to Evan. ¡°I think the giants will like it. I¡¯m very confident about it.¡±

    Evan looked down at the inscription on the helmet in his hand. It was an ancient inscription: <i>People can control their own destiny. If we are controlled by others, the fault is not in fate but in ourselves</i>!

    That sentence sounded familiar, shouldn¡¯t this helmet be¡­

    ¡°The Crown of Destiny!¡± said Sirius softly. ¡°It is said that it once belonged to King Arthur and was a legendary magical item of historical value that Merlin guided him to get. Of course, this one is just an imitation, but it is still valuable. The Crown of Destiny and the sword of the king have long been hidden by the goblins, and some say it is in the deepest part of Gringotts.¡±

    The goblins were very skilled metalworkers, and they made almost all the well-known weapons and equipment.

    But the greedy goblins had a very nasty habit. They believed that goblin-made items rightfully belonged to them. Humans had to pay a very high price only to rent these items from them.

    After the death of the users, they would recycle these weapons and equipment so that they would never appear again.

    If Gryffindor hadn¡¯t yed a trick and enchanted his sword, so that it would let itself be pulled out of the Sorting Hat whenever a true Gryffindor needed it, it would have probably disappeared long ago, just like all the legendary magical items that have disappeared in history, bing goblin¡¯s collection.

    ¡°Dumbledore attaches great importance to the giants, and he took out valuable collections from his own and Hogwarts¡¯ underground vaults,¡± said Hagrid, rummaging through the pile of objects. ¡°The giants will be interested in them if we use them properly.¡±

    Evan and Sirius also began to help him sort them out. Among the pile of gifts, they also found Gubraithian Fire.

    The light blue me was burning quietly, and seemed to have no temperature.

    Gubraithian Fire was an evesting fire that would never go out, no matter what. For Alchemy and Potions, Gubraithian Fire was simply the best configuration and its price was also high.

    Evan wondered what the giants would do with it, roast wild boar? Or use it as a candle?

    It was a pity to give it to the giants, but it could make them feel the existence of magic clearly.

    Next, Evan found a great roll of dragon skin, which had been removed from a dragon tens of feet.

    The hides of the dragon had strong defense. To get aplete and unspoiled dragon skin, dozens of wizards needed to use Avada Kedavra on the dragon or kill it with very rare poison. Then, the most skilled craftsmen would spend more than three months topletely peel off the dragon skin.

    The whole process was very troublesome, and seemed pointless. No equipment could use such arge dragon skin.

    No one would do besides the pure-blood wizard families who needed to show their glory and show off their wealth with aplete dragon skin.

    This dragon skin should be something from Hogwarts Treasury, which was certainly not in Dumbledore¡¯s private collection.

    In addition, there were many Alchemy props and other magical items in this pile of presents, all rare treasures.

    Although Dumbledore could not promise more to the giants, he hoped to make them feel his sincerity from the presents.

    In fact, if Evan was a giant, he would also be excited in the face of this pile of gifts like a hill.

    Now it was up to Voldemort and the Death Eaters toe up with something. That was a process ofpetition between the two sides.

    ¡°By the way, what are we going to do with these gifts, and how tomunicate with the giants?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll do what Dumbledore told us to do, which is to give the most precious present to the Gurg that is the chief of the giants and express our sincerity,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°After finding the giants, we¡¯ll have to hold our gift up high and keep our eyes on the Gurg and ignore the others. They will understand our intention and won¡¯t attack us. The rest of the stuff will be secretly given to the other giants, and don¡¯t let the Gurg find out.¡±

    ¡°Okay, how can we know which one is the Gurg?¡± said Evan, remembering some customs about the giants that Hermione helped him learn. He knew that the leader had a high status in the giant tribe, and the other giants had to obey his orders.

    ¡°No problem. Just look for the biggest, the ugliest, and theziest giant. He must be the Gurg.¡±

    ¡°Giants are very aggressive, and only the strongest are eligible to be leaders,¡± Sirius followed. ¡°They don¡¯t use magic and they¡¯re not very smart, so they are generally the biggest and the strongest.¡±

    A ridiculous scene appeared in Evan¡¯s mind. He saw himself and the others bowing in front of an ugly giant like a mountain, offering gifts to him, and the giant gave them a rude growl.

    ¡°Dumbledore told us not to rush, but to take it very slow. We must take our time and bring some good things every day to make a good impression,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°I¡¯m in charge of taking the gift to the Gurg so they can all see it. Evan, you put the gifts to the other giants in your bag and then secretly take it out.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give all the gifts at once?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not okay. It would be terrible to do that. Creatures like giants; you can¡¯t talk too much with them at one time. Otherwise they will kill you directly just to simplify things. You have toe slowly andmunicate slowly with them. ¡°

    ¡°Make them understand that we have more things to give them and make them have a sense of expectation, so that they can cooperate with us,¡± Sirius said. ¡°These are all the experiences umted by Dumbledore¡¯s previous dealings with the giants. You¡¯ll never find them in books.¡±

    Indeed, Evan didn¡¯t find any specific ways to deal with the giants in books.

    ¡°This is a good experience. Not all wizards have the opportunity to contact the giants, let alone actually walk into a giant tribe. Unfortunately, Harry and the others can¡¯t follow. This is something they can¡¯t learn in school,¡± said Hagrid, putting thest box away, ¡°Okay, Evan, any other questions?¡±

    ¡°Only one. Who of you understands thenguage of giants?¡±

    ¡°Neither of us, but it doesn¡¯t matter. When the giants raged in Britain in the past, many of them learned English. They even married human witches and wizards and gave birth to children, like ¡­¡± Hagrid hesitated before continuing, ¡°Like my mother Fridwulfa ¡­ maybe she¡¯s still alive.¡±

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 Chapter 734: Owl Fortress

    Chapter 734: Owl Fortress

    After Hagrid talked about his mother, the atmosphere suddenly fell silent, and Evan and Sirius exchanged uneasy nces.

    ¡°Hagrid, are you going to look for her?¡± Evan hesitated and continued to ask, ¡°This is a good opportunity to meet your mother. You haven¡¯t seen her for a long time, have you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her. It has nothing to do with our mission this time,¡± Hagrid muttered, shrugging his broad shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t remember her much. She wasn¡¯t a good mother. When I was young, she abandoned me and left me alone with my father.¡±

    ¡°But you and she are blood after all¡­¡±

    ¡°So what? She¡¯s a giant, and I¡¯ve sworn never to see her again!¡± said Hagrid, raising his voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying, Rubeus!¡± Madame Maxime, who had heard what he said, came in carrying the tea tray, she looked at Hagrid seriously. ¡°You really want to see your mother. We can see that you care about her.¡±

    ¡°But she didn¡¯t care about me or my dad. She probably forgot about us long ago,¡± said Hagrid sadly. ¡°Olympe, they are not the same as your parents. They didn¡¯t love one another freely. My father didn¡¯t want to be with her at the beginning. She forced him to do it. There was only hatred between them¡­¡±

    Hagrid¡¯s voice was getting lower and lower, and there was a mist in his ck eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, he might have liked herter, and wanted to go out to find her, but he didn¡¯t know where the giants had gone. My dad kept saying her name before he died,¡± said Hagrid, his tears welling up. ¡°He¡¯s been thinking about her until he died.¡±

    ¡°Since this is the case, you should go to her even more!¡± Madame Maxime came over, handed the tea tray full of drinks to Sirius, and whispered, ¡°Leave him to me. When the carriage arrives to Dijon, remember to call us. We will stay there tonight.¡±

    She finished, and helped Hagrid back to the room, ready tofort him¡­

    Evan and Sirius continued to talk about the giants for a while, and the topic shifted to Ravenw¡¯s Diadem and the whirlpool.

    As time passed, the sky gradually dimmed, and the carriage reached over Dijon.

    Dijon is a small city in eastern France and has been the historical capital of the Duchy of Burgundy since the Middle Ages.

    From Muggle¡¯s point of view, this historic town has many well-preserved ancient buildings and has high artistic value. In addition, it also produces the best wines in the world.

    In the wizarding world, this small town is also very famous. It is also known as the City of Owls, and has a special magic building ¨C the Owl Fortress, which is a huge military fortress located near the river valley outside the city.

    The fortress, which historically belonged to the Duke of Burgundy, is said to have been one of his main pces.

    It is famous because of the numerous owl ghosts in it.

    No one knows what the Dark wizard who once lived there did, and why there are so many owl ghosts.

    The International confederation of Wizards had explored this huge ck fortress more than once, but found nothing.

    The wizards, who entered the castle, could only see countless owl ghosts staring at them. That feeling could absolutely drive people crazy.

    Evan had previously read the description of the Owl Fortress in books. It was described as an evil and colorless ce. That huge castle was made of ck granite and was full of all kinds of weird owl statues.

    The structure of the whole castle was very strange, there were no windows, and the only way to get in was through the solid gate below.

    And the most bizarre were the owl ghosts that were standing quietly everywhere in the castle.

    It was well known that only wizards could be ghosts after death, retaining their memories and habits.

    Very few animals became ghosts, and it was really abnormal to see so many in one ce all at once.

    ording to the final survey results of the International Confederation of Wizards, the souls of these owls were not ghosts in a pure sense. They were imprisoned there by a special Dark magic and could not leave the castle. Most wizards believed that this weird ck magic was witchcraft or a curse from Africa.

    And this evil Dark magic might not have beenpleted. It had problems in the casting process, causing the souls of thousands of owls as sacrifices to remain in the castle forever¡­

    Anyway, this huge fortress was just abandoned outside the city, and no one would approach or enter it.

    Just like Hogsmeade¡¯s Shrieking Shack, local wizards were terrified of the Owl Fortress.

    It had a Muggle-Repelling Charm cast on the outside, and no Muggles would be near that area.

    If there was no mission on this trip, Evan woulde to think of that fortress and see why there were so many owl ghosts. But now he couldn¡¯t. He¡¯d better not take the initiative to get into trouble.

    The carriage descended slowly, and Hagrid and Madame Maxime walked out of the room. He looked much better now.

    Hagrid also had a photo in his hand, the one he had shown to Evan before.

    There was a short wizard in the photo. His eyes were ck and narrow like Hagrid¡¯s. He was sitting on Hagrid¡¯s shoulder and smiled happily. Looking at an apple tree next to him, Hagrid was seven or eight feet tall, but his face was young, full, smooth, beardless, and looked up to eleven years old.

    The short wizard in the photo was Hagrid¡¯s father, and that was the only photo he had left.

    Hagrid¡¯s father was a breeder during his lifetime, working for the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department for the Regtion and Control of Magical Creatures, and was mainly responsible for taking care of dangerous magical creatures.

    The main reason Hagrid liked those monsters was probably inherited from his father.

    ¡°How are you, Hagrid?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Hagrid waved his hand, a little embarrassed, ¡°I just thought of my mother, a little over-excited. Speaking of which, Olympe is really amazing. I never thought she would be so considerate. She convinced me that I have never seen a woman as good as her ¡­¡±

    The carriagended to the ground. Under the action of magic, the huge Abraxans had been turned into ordinary horses.

    Dijon still maintained the customs of the past, and Muggles were not too surprised by the sudden appearance of carriages.

    More than ten minutester, under Madame Maxime¡¯s control, they stopped in front of a tavern called ¡°Burgundy Style¡±.

    Like the Leaky Cauldron, it was a wizards¡¯ tavern. She had obviously been here before.

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 Chapter 735: The Owl-Woman and the Bizarre Murder

    Chapter 735: The Owl-Woman and the Bizarre Murder

    ¡°Madame Maxime, you are really a rare visitor. Wee,e on in!¡± As soon as the carriage stopped, Barr, the bar owner, a wrinkled old man in his sixties, smiled and said, ¡°What brings you here to Dijon?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re just passing by. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning,¡± said Madame Maxime, stepping down from the carriage. ¡°Please prepare dinner for us and open four rooms.¡±

    ¡°There are many rooms. Under the present circumstances, not many people dare toe to Dijon.¡± said old Barr, sighing.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Madame Maxime asked, stopping at the door of the bar. ¡°Why do you look sad? Last time I came here, your bistro was very prosperous.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. The situation has been terrible recently. It¡¯s all caused by that terrible Owl-Woman. People are in a panic, not to mention foreign tourists, even local wizards don¡¯t go out much!¡± said Barr, waving helplessly.

    ¡°Owl-Woman, what is that?!¡± Evan asked, looking at the bar owner in surprise.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know what monster it is. I haven¡¯t seen it. But ording to eyewitnesses, it¡¯s something about the size of a human woman half covered with feathers, with pointed ears and long hands with ck pincer-like ws. Its feathers are silver-gray, and its eyes are bloodshot. It looks like a human being turned into a terrible owl ¡­¡±

    Listening to his description, Evan thought of a monster in his mind.

    ¡°This thing is said to have run out of the Owl Fortress. The castle is very famous and attracts many wizards to visit Dijon every year. At first, everyone thought it was a joke or a publicity stunt. They didn¡¯t pay attention to it,¡± Barr continued. ¡°Untilter that incident happened, and all of us realized how serious it was.¡±

    ¡°A witch died. Poor Mary¡­ she was thest member of the oldest family of pure-blood wizards in Dijon. That family is considered the only surviving descendant of the Duke of Burgundy, and even the Owl Fortress is the property of their family. She was found dead in her family¡¯s mansion, and was not discovered until a few weekster¡­¡± Barr sighed again and continued, ¡°The Aurors who came to the scene saw a picture like hell. Mary¡¯s skin had been abruptly stripped off, leaving only blood and flesh¡­ It was like a pile of rotten meat. The window of her room was open, and owl feathers were everywhere on the ground. Some witnesses swore that it was the Owl-Woman who killed her¡­¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Evan and the others did not expect to hear about such a bizarre and sensational murder as soon as they stepped off the carriage.

    ¡°To tell the truth, Old Mary¡¯s poprity was not very good. If she had died in a normal way, this matter might be a good post-meal talk, and by the way, we would have discussed how to distribute the huge family wealth she left,¡± said Barr. ¡°Ah, but now in this situation¡­ especially that more and more people have seen the Owl-Womanter, Dijon ispletely dead. We can¡¯t count on the useless Ministry of Magic and those worthless Aurors. They are hiding far away in Paris, regardless of our lives.¡±

    ¡°I will write to the Ministry to reflect on this situation!¡± said Madame Maxime. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Barr, I can¡¯t help you for the moment.¡±

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m d to have you and your friends here!¡± Barr bowed, then raised his head and curiously looked at Evan, Sirius and Hagrid behind Madame Maxime. ¡°Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Before that, what would you and yourpanions want to drink, beer or brandy?¡±

    ¡°Three sses of brandy, and a ss of juice, that child cannot drink¡­ yet,¡± said Madame Maxime. She paused and added, ¡°If it is convenient, give my horses some single malt whiskey¡­ just put it in their forage.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, Olympe. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± said Hagrid, leading the Abraxans to the backyard of the bar.

    Evan, Sirius, and Madame Maxime followed the owner into the tavern and walked through the narrow and dark passage. The scene in front of them was simr to that of the Leaky Cauldron; even the decoration style was generally simr. The living room was gloomy, the space was very small, and the ground seemed to have umted dust for centuries.

    Evan did not understand why the pubs and inns run by wizards and witches seemed to stay in the ancient Middle Ages. If he could choose, he would prefer to stay in hotels or guesthouses run by Muggles, but the other three would definitely not go.

    As the bar owner said, apart from them, there was no one inside.

    The mood was inevitably a little dull at the thought of the terrible murder, and everyone avoided talking about it.

    At Madame Maxime¡¯s rmendation, Evan tried three French specialties in Dijon, namely, eggs in red wine sauce, mixed fish soup and stewed beef, which tasted very good.

    After he finished, he left the table and went back to his room. Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime seemed to want to have a few more drinks.

    Evan was going to have a quick look at the information Hermione had collected for him about the giants and the whirlpool of Charybdis.

    He didn¡¯t know much about them before, and he had to seize the time to grasp the information as soon as possible.

    The tavern¡¯s room was located on the second floor and was not very big. There was afortable bed inside, some very bright oak furniture and a small desk. The fire in the firece was crackling.

    Evan nodded. Compared to the ground floor, it was obviously carefully tidied up and looked much cleaner!

    He walked to the window and looked outside the bar¡¯s backyard. Their huge carriage was parked in the middle of the yard.

    Evan drew the curtains, took out his wand and applied some protective magic, and theny down to see what Hermione had collected for him.

    It was well known that giants were powerful humanoid magical creatures. They usually had a huge body and unparalleled brute force. They could reach 30 to 50 feet in height, had strong magic resistance, and could use weapons.

    Because of this, the giants had been considered as a horrific tool of war since ancient times.

    A giant could fight more than ten well-trained wizards. They were cruel by nature and extremely loathed magic.

    In ancient times, they were killing machines on the battlefield, and in recent history, there had been several appalling giant ughter of Muggles.

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 Chapter 736: A Black Shadow Outside the Window

    Chapter 736: A ck Shadow Outside the Window

    Evan¡¯s forefinger slipped rapidly, and he found the name of Hagrid¡¯s mother, Fridwulfa, in the long list of events.

    During Voldemort¡¯s reign, she and a dozen giants joined his camp andmitted several Muggle massacres.

    Fridwulfa and herpanions had attacked a vige and killed hundreds of Muggles, which shocked the whole society at that time.

    Among Muggles, they exined that it was andslide, but the wizards knew what was going on.

    After that, Fridwulfa disappeared. Long before Voldemort¡¯s failure, it was said that she had gone to a giant tribe abroad. How did she get there? It should be with the help of a wizard. There were many strange people like Hagrid¡¯s father who had a special liking for giants.

    Evan put this parchment down and picked up another one, which was about the giants¡¯ ancestors; Cyclopes.

    The wizardingmunity generally believed that the giants were descendants of Cyclopes, a weakened breed.

    The main habitat of the Cyclopes was Sicily. Huge and one-eyed, they were synonymous to fear. Compared with them, giants were only short men. The Cyclopes were recorded to be at least 100 feet tall, almost half the height of Hogwarts castle. It was said that the eye on their foreheads would cast curses. Any incautious soul, once gazing at the eye, would immediately die.

    Evan took a quill pen and marked it. It seemed that the Cyclops¡¯s eye was as magical as the Basilisk¡¯s.

    To deal with such creatures, the Conjunctivitis Curse was essential, but it was not so simple¡­

    Unlike giants, which had no magical ability, Cyclopes were born to master Lightning magic, which was a very rare and powerful kind. Even wizards couldn¡¯t use it. They could only use thunder and lightning with special magical props or alchemy products.

    In Ravenw¡¯s memory, Gryffindor mentioned that point, and he had suffered in the battle against the Cyclops.

    Hermione had collectedprehensive data for Evan. She believed that Cyclopes had inherited this ability from their ancestors, the Titans. To put it simply, it was simr to the rtionship between Cyclopes and giants. Cyclopes were descendants of Titans after further weakening.

    There were no details about the Titans. They were mythological creatures older than the Cyclopes and ancient warlocks. No one had seen them.

    Whether the Cyclops was a descendant of the Titans or not had been debated in academic circles.

    In Muggles¡¯ Greek mythology, they were all direct descendants of the god of the sky Uranus, which was obviously untenable in the wizarding world.

    Thest Cyclops died over 700 years ago. The Titans were obviously much older and more powerful than the Cyclopes.

    Wizards generally thought of Titans as the original creators, they were the gods of all the beginnings.

    With the excavation of ancient ruins, a new statement had appeared in the American academicmunity in recent years. Some wizards believed that whether they were wizards, Merpeople, goblins, Centaurs, or Cyclopes, they were all descendants of Titans¡¯ creations.

    This school proposed that, for some purpose, in the early days of the Earth¡¯s birth, the Titans built many earth-free magical creatures on Earth with mud, magma, and water, and then they left the.

    For some unknown reasons, these creations gradually evolved during the long life evolution, from inorganic to organic. The whole process was called the Curse of Flesh and Blood. Its effect was that these creations originallyposed of rocks and soil began to soften and became bloody flesh.

    In a long process, the Curse of Flesh and Blood made these inorganic creatures, which originally had infinite life, gradually flesh and blood, bringing them birth, old age, sickness, death, and free will and emotions. They were also called the original life.

    ording to Muggles¡¯ theory of biological evolution, they had gradually evolved into new species, including giants, humans, and so on.

    When these creations werepletely transformed into flesh and blood creations, the Curse of Flesh and Blood would no longer have any effect.

    This new school born in the United States systematically exined the origin of life and was able to justify itself.

    The clues they had found in ancient ruins around the world could also support this statement to a certain extent.

    These American wizards even began to map different creatures and record their evolution.

    Evan sighed, putting aside the thick data.

    At a time when the European wizardingmunity was struggling with Voldemort, foreign wizards were actually studying the origin of life.

    If he had a chance, he would want to go out and take a look, to see the wizarding world in other countries, and get acquainted with the customs there¡­

    The next second, Evan suddenly got up from the bed, took out his wand as fast as he could and pointed to the front.

    The warning magic he¡¯d left had been touched by something, just outside the window.

    In the dim candlelight, Evan saw a shadow on the thin curtain. It was a person¡¯s shadow getting closer and closer.

    Looking at the figure, it seemed that it was a woman, and a rustling sound kepting¡­

    She seemed to want toe in and enter Evan¡¯s room, but was prevented by the protective magic from opening the window.

    During dinner, Sirius even joked with Evan, telling him to pay attention at night. ¡°French girls are very¡­ enthusiastic!¡± he said. Seeing Evan alone, one of them might take the initiative toe to his door¡­ and now it was really happening!

    But if possible, Evan hoped that they would pass through the door normally instead of climbing through the window¡­

    He waved the wand in his hand upward gently, the curtain was drawn open, and the next second a frightful ugly face appeared in front of Evan.

    Like in a horror movie, Evan saw a huge owl-like face sticking against the window, its face covered with silver-gray feathers, it had pointed ears, and there was almost no white in itsrge disproportionate eyes.

    It opened its mouth and roared at Evan, reaching out its ck ws like pliers.

    It was the Owl-Woman, the monster that the bar owner said it recently appeared in Dijon!

    At night, he saw this frightening picture outside his window, and Evan was also startled. His heart was beating hard, but the wand in his hand was very stable, and a red light was almost instantaneously shot out.

    With a bang, the window broke, and the Owl-Woman outside was hit by a curse.

    Evan ran quickly, waved his wand, and aimed at the monster in the yard, throwing out a few spells.

    Obviously, that thing didn¡¯t expect Evan to be so strong. It had been caught by surprise, rolled on the ground, and kept making strange noises.

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 Chapter 737: Tracking

    Chapter 737: Tracking

    ¡°Damn wizard!¡± The owl monster rolled in the open space downstairs, screaming to avoid the curses, leaving feathers behind.

    Its voice was so weird. It sounded as mournful and ominous as a real owl.

    ¡°You can speak humannguage?!¡± Evan¡¯s wand threw another red light and hit the monster, which stumbled and fell heavily to the ground, but immediately struggled to get up.

    Evan was surprised. With his current magic power, normal people would immediately faint when hit once with his Stunning Spell. Hagrid would only faint after being hit three or four times. Evan had cast the Stunning Spell three times in a row at the monster and it could still struggle. Its magic resistance was almost as strong as that of a half-giant.

    What on earth was that? Evan had never seen it before, nor had he seen relevant information in books.

    From a purely external appearance, that monster should not have been born like that. It seemed to be the product of some evil magical transformation or a demon, but the transformation was obviously notplete. It could only be said to be semi-demonized, because it still had obvious human characteristics.

    Below, the monster had fiercely resisted Evan¡¯s three Stunning Spells. Its movements obviously slowed down, and it almost couldn¡¯t hold on.

    It raised its head and let out a strange cry. Its big scary eyes looked at Evan in disgust.

    Looking at it, Evan had a terrible feeling in his heart.

    The next second, a dangerous green light suddenly flew from bottom to top, and he quickly ducked and hid under the window.

    The green light hit the window frame, and the mes roared up.

    While Evan extinguished the fire, the monster below turned and ran away, and the weird figure gradually disappeared into the night.

    ¡°Hmm, it can use magic too¡­ Interesting!¡± Evan thought, watching where it disappeared.

    There was a rush of footsteps outside the stairwell, and Sirius and Hagrid rushed in.

    There was a pungent smell of wine, and the two of them seemed to have drunk a lot. Evan hoped they could be more vignt.

    The journey to find the giants was not a trivial matter, not to mention the monster just now. Besides, they were not sure when they would meet the Death Eaters.

    These two guys were so smug, but they seemed to have always been like that.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? We heard the fighting!¡± Sirius gasped and shouted, ¡°Evan, are you OK?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was just lying in bed reading a book when I suddenly felt that someone wanted to enter my room and we had a simple fight,¡± said Evan, putting his wand away. ¡°From its appearance, it should be the Owl-Woman Mr. Barr talked about!¡±

    ¡°God, that terrible monster has juste!¡± said the bar owner who had just run up in astonishment.

    He panted violently, looking at the burnt window frame in disbelief, with an expression of extreme panic on his face.

    If it wasn¡¯t Evan in the room, but another child, he would have been murdered. Just like the dead witch Barr talked about before, his skin would have been peeled off by the monster.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect such an incident. We shouldn¡¯t have left you alone.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. The monster¡¯s not that strong, but it can resist spells and it can use magic,¡± said Evan slowly. ¡°From what happened just now, I think it may not be a normal monster, but a wizard.¡±

    ¡°You mean it¡¯s a disguised wizard?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean that monster should be a wizard who has transformed her body by some kind of magic in order to gain more power, just like Voldemort did, but the transformation was obviously notplete,¡± said Evan thoughtfully, looking up at the surprised Sirius. ¡°Of course, this is just spection. To be honest, I find it really interesting. This Dark Magic is very rare. Did she want to fuse with the owl?¡±

    For a few seconds, there was silence in the room, and no one spoke.

    Sirius, Hagrid, and the bar owner Barr all stared at Evan, seemingly unable to understand what he was talking about.

    ¡°Well, Olympe has gone to check the carriage. We¡¯d better be careful and find a big room to be together!¡± It took a long time for Hagrid to say worriedly. ¡°The monster Evan talked about seems really not good. Who knows if it¡¯lle back tonight?¡±

    ¡°Vignce is really necessary, we¡¯ve been too rxed!¡± said Sirius. ¡°Evan, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to find her. I can feel the magic trace I left on her and it has not disappeared!¡± said Evan. ¡°The magic in that monster is very interesting, and we can help Dijon solve this problem by the way.¡±

    ¡°No, Evan, No!¡± Hagrid was startled, and said in a hurry,¡± We must stay and watch the carriage.¡±

    ¡°All right, Hagrid, you and Madame Maxime should stay, Sirius and I will go!¡± said Evan. ¡°Rx, that monster is not very strong, we two are enough to deal with her¡­ <i>more</i> than enough.¡±

    Adventure had always been particrly irresistible for Sirius. After Evan talked about his tracking n, he didn¡¯t object much, but helped Evan persuade Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    He had worked with Evan many times before, knowing one another¡¯s strengths and not worrying about what they couldn¡¯t handle. If so, the two of them could also Disapparate.

    Ten minutester, in the worried eyes of Hagrid and Madame Maxime, they left the tavern.

    Going out from the main entrance, outside was Dijon, a small Muggle town with a unique French atmosphere.

    The bar was located on a livelymercial street, and the life of Muggles had not been affected by the terrible Owl-Woman.

    Outside the bar, the lights reflected the vast night sky, and the clouds were like lighted blue smoke, gently floating to where they belonged.

    Dijon at night was also embellished with a variety of colors, like a resplendentdy, who began to perform nocturnal amorous feelings.

    It had French characteristics, and like Paris, the romantic capital, Dijon was also a very romantic ce.

    Walking on the street, Evan and Sirius saw many fashionably dressed young girls greeting them, and issuing silver bell-likeughter. Some girls even summoned up the courage to invite them, promising them they would have a good night.

    Both Evan and Sirius were not bad in appearance and were very popr with girls.

    More importantly, the wizard robes they were wearing were so different, and the Muggles around weren¡¯t dressed like them.

    That made Evan and Sirius look very special. Everyone was specting on what they were doing.

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 Chapter 738: The Old House and the Curse

    Chapter 738: The Old House and the Curse

    ¡°Evan, how are you going to find that monster?¡± Sirius asked, looking around alertly.

    ¡°Of course we¡¯ll Disapparate¡­ we can¡¯t walk. I just didn¡¯t want to let the others find out that I know Apparition,¡± said Evan, pulling Sirius to a remote empty corner. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll lead you!¡±

    As soon as his words fell, the two figures instantly Disapparated, as though they never appeared in that ce.

    A few secondster, they appeared on a messy and barren field.

    Compared with the bustlingmercial district just now, the surroundings were dead silent, and the houses on both sides of the street looked gloomy and repulsive a long distance away.

    The windows of some houses were broken, dimly lit in the light of streetmps, the paint on many doors peeled off, and the front steps of several houses were full of garbage.

    In front of them was arge, old house, like the ancestral home of the ck family at 12 Grimmauld ce.

    ¡°Pure blood wizard families!¡± said Sirius scornfully, staring at a huge statue in the center of the courtyard.

    It was a knight, who was holding up his sword high, and thebel below was <i>Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold</i>.

    That was thest independent Duke of Burgundy in history. He was notorious, and it seemed that the owner of the house should be his descendant.

    In fact, that old house looked very ufortable. The dirty walls, the ghastly windows, and the creepiest were the owl sculptures carved on the outer wall. They kept weird movements beyond imagination and silently watched the visitors.

    The window of a bedroom on the second floor was broken and nobody had repaired it. It was like one of the scariest haunted houses.

    It should be the old home of Dijon¡¯s oldest pure-blood wizarding family, the bar owner talked about. Not long ago, itsst hostess was found dead in her room and brutally killed by the terrible Owl-Woman.

    Evan wondered for a while, why did the monstere here, and what did she have to do with that pureblood wizarding family?!!

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this ce!¡± Sirius muttered. ¡°There is a strong evil in this house.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it either, but the traces disappeared here!¡± said Evan, taking out his wand. ¡°This house is protected by magic, which blocked my sense of that monster. But that could only mean that she must be inside, let¡¯s go in and have a look¡­¡±

    He and Sirius walked in without knocking at the door, because it was open.

    The monster that had just fled back seemed to know that Evan was chasing her, and even the door was not closed, or that she was intentionally waiting for Evan toe.

    On the ground, the seal of the French Ministry of Magic was rudely torn off and thrown into the hall covered with dust.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± said Sirius, the end of his wand glowing. ¡°I¡¯m going ahead!¡±

    Evan nodded, followed Sirius across the threshold, and walked into the almost dark hall.

    He smelled the odor of wet, dusty, and unpleasant rotten hide, with a hint of blood¡­

    It was hard to imagine that there were people living in this house not long ago.

    The ce looked like an abandoned empty house with a dpidated inside and things thrown everywhere.

    Perhaps it was the damage caused by the Aurors when they came here to investigate, or it might have been that way even before.

    In the flickering light, Evan had a strange sense of foreboding, as though they had walked into a dying house. He could feel that something was watching them, in the darkness that could not be dispelled.

    At their feet, the polished and frayed carpet was soft, to make people unsteady and worried when they would fall down.

    The two of them were careful, but nothing happened. They didn¡¯t know where the monster had gone.

    Walking through the long, spooky hall, Evan saw arge ss cab in the living room, which contained a huge owl specimen. He had never seen such a big owl¡­

    Wherever they looked, it was clear that the owner of this house had a special love for owls.

    His eyes continued to look forward. The wall behind the cab was crookedly covered with portraits that had been darkened due to age. He didn¡¯t know where the owners of the portraits had gone, leaving only a row of empty frames.

    The square picture frames were like coffins ced on the wall, holding the souls of the past.

    On both sides of the passageway leading to the kitchen and dining room were the wrinkled heads of house-elves.

    They were arranged densely together and looked like more than those of the cks, a bit like the wall in the basement of Hogwarts kitchen.

    That looked really unpleasant. It was really disgusting to imagine being faced, while eating, by arge number of house-elves¡¯ spooky heads, some of them still covered with unknown, disgusting liquid¡­

    After walking through this passage, it was hard for Evan to guarantee that he would have any appetite.

    If thest owner of this house did not have the habit of collecting house-elves¡¯ heads, that proved that the pure-blood wizard family that had once lived here was very prominent, had a long history, and had the ability to own dozens of house-elves at the same time, which was quite rare even among pure-blood wizard families.

    Of course, that was all over, now here was an empty big house.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Sirius stopped in front of the stairs and looked around. ¡°I think it¡¯s better not to act separately.¡±

    ¡°Upstairs¡­ I want to see the room on the second floor first!¡± said Evan, pointing upwards.

    It was the scene of the murder. They might find something that others hadn¡¯t noticed, and know why the owl monster killed the owner here.

    Evan and Sirius walked up the dark staircase, avoiding dark magic items that looked very dangerous.

    There was only one door on the top floor. Sirius waved his wand, the bedroom door handle rotated automatically, and the door was opened.

    All of a sudden, the cold night wind poured in. Facing them was the big broken window, and the gray curtains were fluttering in the wind.

    Evan smelled the unpleasant pungent odor of blood, mixed in the blowing wind.

    Sirius walked in and stopped abruptly. ¡°Evan, you¡¯d better note in, you won¡¯t like it here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Evan followed into the room.

    Then he saw that the room in front of him was covered with blood. On the ground, on the surrounding walls, and on the high ceiling, there were patches of dark brown color everywhere, exuding a bloody smell and infinite fear¡­

    He could imagine the scene of the murder, that Owl Woman was definitely abnormal.

    She seemed to have used something to smash the victim into pieces, then churned her body in the room.

    ¡°It was made by that monster. I saw it with my own eyes. She killed the poor old Mary, thest owner of this house and thest heir to this ancient family, in the most primitive and cruel way.¡± A voice whispered. ¡°I know she¡¯s a curse¡­ She will kill all the descendants of the Duke of Burgundy, she wants revenge, she will kill everyone. And¡­ it¡¯s not over. This whole family is dead, and it will be the turn of others soon!¡±

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 Chapter 739: The Woman in the Mirror

    Chapter 739: The Woman in the Mirror

    ¡°Whoo ¡­ whoo ¡­ <i>EVERYONE¡¯S GOING TO DIE</i>. <i>THEY¡¯RE ALL GOING DOWN TO BE BURIED</i>!¡± When it said thest sentence, the quiet voice suddenly increased and became stern.

    With the repressive gasp, the terrible shout with strong hatred echoed in this eerie haunted house¡­

    Evan and Sirius quickly turned around, and saw nothing but dirty, peeling wallpaper.

    ¡°<i>Revelio</i>!¡± Evan waved his wand, and a mirror appeared in the corner.

    It was a gorgeous golden mirror, supported by two w-shaped feet underneath and covered with dust. Through the dust, they saw a woman in therge mirror.

    She was watching them grimly, sticking out her long tongue and licking her bright red lips, with a strange smile on her face.

    But the smile was fleeting, and the woman had a pitiful look again, which made them doubt that what they had just seen was an illusion.

    Evan blinked and had to admit that she was a very beautiful woman, about twenty years old, wearing aristocratic clothes from hundreds of years ago, with pale skin, showing a weird milky white, floating quietly in the mirror like smoke¡­

    It was as though she was standing inside a window looking out through it.

    Evan¡¯s gaze fell from her to a line of words on the mirror frame. It was an ancient rune, which could provide the mirror with magic and let that woman manifest in it, just like the Mirror of Erised. What appeared on it was not the reality, but the most desperate desire of the heart of the person standing in front of the mirror.

    That was a magic mirror. What Evan cared about was that the magic text on the frame seemed to have been carved after it was made.

    Compared with the craftsmanship of the mirror itself, the hand-carving of that line of magic was too rough, crooked and very untidy.

    ¡°Who are you? Or, what is it?¡± Sirius asked cautiously, pointing his wand at her.

    ¡°My name is Ariane, and I used to be the owner of this house, but that was more than 500 years ago!¡± said the woman in the mirror, and her eyes fell on Evan. ¡°You are from Beauxbatons Academy of Magic where I studied magic.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan didn¡¯t try to correct her; he was looking at her cautiously.

    Since that mirror was just a prop to make her visible, then where was the body of that ghostly thing?

    It was really amazing magic. Originally, Evan was just tracking the Owl-Woman here, but he didn¡¯t expect to see more interesting things.

    ¡°Why did you show up in our family¡¯s ancestral home? Did you also see that terrible monster?¡± Ariane¡¯s body rolled and shook, as though she couldn¡¯t wait toe out of the mirror. Then she quieted down and asked, ¡°Has she attacked you?¡±

    ¡°If you mean the owl monster, we did follow her, but since entering the house, she has disappeared!¡± said Evan. ¡°If you¡¯ve been here, then you should know where she is!¡±

    ¡°It left and went back to the old castle outside the city, which you call the Owl Fortress,¡± said Ariane, closing her eyes. ¡°When I was alive, it used to be our family¡¯s castle ¡­¡±

    ¡°Owl Fortress?! What happened there, and what about the curse you just mentioned? ¡°

    ¡°This is an unfortunate story. Not long ago, I saw poor old Mary with my own eyes. Thest member of our family was torn alive and died in front of me. Her body turned into a pool of rotten meat. She knew I could see her revenge,¡± said Ariane, with a sad expression on her face. ¡°The power of that terrible curse has brought her back to life, and made her be the Owl-Woman you¡¯ve seen, a monster like a nightmare. Five hundred years have passed, but she still wants to kill all the descendants of the Duke of Burgundy. It¡¯s revenge. Her purpose has been achieved. Now it¡¯s your turn. Everyone is going to die!¡±

    ¡°Be clear, who the hell are you talking about?¡± said Sirius impatiently, looking at her in suspicion. A ghost hiding in the mirror, of which they could not see the real body, opening and closing her mouth¡­ it was the ghost of curse and death.

    Anyway, it was more suspicious than that Owl-Woman¡­

    At least, Evan could be sure that the Owl-Woman was no opponent of him. But that thing in the mirror, he didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Breaking the mirror was useless. It was just a prop for its manifestation.

    ¡°The root of all misfortunes was in the time when I was still alive, more than 500 years ago¡­ that was the most glorious and prosperous era of our family. We lived in the castle outside the city. We were the magical guardians of Burgundy,¡° Ariane continued, recalling the past. ¡°When I was eighteen, I was engaged to a wizard from the Capetian family in Paris, a very old and prestigious family of pure-blood wizards, just as we are a branch of the Duke of Burgundy. Their close rtives in the Muggle world ruled Paris and all of France.¡±

    ¡°Besides his status, he was also a very good wizard. We studied together at Beauxbatons and loved each other deeply!¡± said Ariane, a sh of pain in her eyes. ¡°We could have lived happily together, but just as I was about to marry him, everything changed. A witch from Africa changed everything¡­ she was an evil witch who could use the power of the devil¡­¡±

    ¡°A witch from Africa?¡± Evan repeated in a low voice, ¡°used the power of the devil?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that witch was very evil. It is said that an ancient demon in the form of an owl is enshrined in their mysterious tribe, and she can use this demon¡¯s power. She came to our castle, and my father warmly weed her and invited her to my wedding, but she seduced my lover with Amortentia.

    He told me that he no longer loved me, but I knew it was not from his heart. Later, with the intervention of my family, he finally came to his senses and was willing toe back and marry me, but the witch poisoned all the people who attended the wedding in the castle. Then, using the power of the devil, she turned all the souls into the shapes of owls and imprisoned them in the castle forever. She cursed her own life, so that one day she woulde back here as a terrible owl, return to Dijon, kill all the people in Burgundy, and be immortal!¡±

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 Chapter 740: The Way to Break the Curse

    Chapter 740: The Way to Break the Curse

    There were many doubtful details in this story itself, and it could not stand up to scrutiny. Regardless of what hatred and jealousy a foreign witch was having, she poisoned everyone, and she cursed their souls with evil at the cost of her own life. To what extent could she be twisted and manic?

    But in terms of the incident itself, it was indeed possible for witches from Africa to have this power.

    In Africa, the magical civilization waspletely different from that of the European continent.

    More mysterious and weirder, astrology, poison, Dark magic, and curses were the mostmon spells.

    Different tribes believed in different deities. Most of these deities were primitive, some were powerful magical animals, and some were simply demons.

    They gained strength from the long-term offerings of the tribe members, which gave them some special magic.

    Whether it was an owl-shaped demon, or an older, eviler being, the Owl-Woman could indeed imprison the souls of all people in the Owl Fortress outside the city¡­

    In fact, if that was the curse, it was a bit scary, but that was all.

    It was hard to say how much power there was left in a curse from five hundred years ago.

    And with the strength of the Owl-Woman, Evan doubted that she could kill everyone around here. That arduous task was too difficult for her.

    Besides her awful appearance, she had strong magic resistance but average real strength.

    Two well-trained Aurors could clean the matter up, provided, of course, they found the ce where she was hiding.

    ¡°All the wizards who came to our wedding that day died, and their souls became owls, wandering around the castle and never rested in peace. After this incident, the magical power in the territory was greatly damaged, which also led to the defeat of the Duke of Burgundy on the battlefield. That was a conspiracy. I have seen with my own eyes the decline of my country. I want revenge. I want her to die. I want her soul to disappearpletely from this world, and I want her to pay for what happened then!¡±

    The thing she talked about did happen. In Muggle¡¯s history, it was called the Burgundy Skull Incident. The most powerful Lord of France had since withdrawn from the stage of history.

    Evan and Sirius looked at one another. That woman was mad and hatred was all that remained in her head¡­

    ¡°Since they have all be owls, how did you survive?¡± Sirius asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a treasure in my family. It is called the Mirror of Truth, and my soul is protected by it. That demon cannot hurt me,¡± said Ariane slowly, suddenly moving forward quickly, her whole face pasted on the mirror, looking very weird. ¡°She¡¯s back, and the old souls are restless again. You must stop her, otherwise she will kill everyone.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the power of a curse, there¡¯s probably nothing we can do¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I have a way. As long as you can find that demon; I can kill her!¡± Ariane stepped back again, saying spookily, ¡°She¡¯s been hidden among those souls in the castle. I have been unable to find her for hundreds of years ¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you want us to do?¡±

    ¡°I need your blood!¡± She looked at Evan dead, stretched out her hand to him in the mirror. Her long nails were terrible dark red. She said with a yearning voice, ¡°it took me hundreds of years to gradually understand that only the purest blood could break the devil¡¯s curse. With the help of my descendants, I have prepared all the materials: unicorn¡¯s blood, Phoenix¡¯s blood and Chimaera¡¯s blood¡­ This is the only thing missing. I need the blood of a lonely boy.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s only a boy¡¯s blood, I think it¡¯s easy to get!¡± Evan frowned, looking at the woman uneasily.

    In the ancient and evil magic, a boy¡¯s blood was really needed, but now this practice had basically disappeared!

    In his impression, since this magic used this thing, it would obviously not be decent magic. Just like the magic used by Voldemort for his resurrection, the blood of his enemy must be used as an ingredient, which in itself was Dark magic.

    ¡°This is ancient magic. The blood of a male wizard under the age of 15 is to be donated voluntarily; his own magic must be strong enough, stronger than the power of the demon that put the curse, to be able to crack her magic. I can feel that you meet my requirements¡­¡± Ariane gasped, as though something was going to run out of her body, her eyes wide open. ¡°Whoo, whoo, go downstairs to the eighth house-elf¡¯s head and find the material I¡¯ve prepared. Then go to the dungeon of the Owl Fortress, where you will find an altar, which is the root of the power of the curse. Spill blood on it, and the curse will be broken. Hurry up, the power of the curse has been strengthened again. If you don¡¯t get rid of it, you will all die. AAAAAAAAAAAAh! ¡±

    With a bang, the mirror suddenly cracked from the middle. Ariane disappeared. There was only a deep crack on it.

    Her mournful cry was still echoing in the room. Evan and Sirius stood quietly in front of the mirror, and in the glimmer of light at the end of their wands, they could only see dark brown blood sttered all over the wall.

    Maybe because of the wind, this terrible room was chilly and ufortable. Even the hairs on their whole bodies stood up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this woman. She¡¯s like a lunatic!¡± said Sirius, taking a deep breath. ¡°This thing is moreplicated than I thought. We better go back to bed and leave here at dawn tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re being targeted by something. That woman won¡¯t let us go so easily. It won¡¯t necessarily happen tonight, but no matter what kind of ghost thatdy is, I think it¡¯s better to get rid of it,¡± Evan shook his head, and continued, ¡°Remember what she said to us when she first showed up? It¡¯s strange she actually thinks I¡¯m a student from Beauxbatons, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Indeed, Evan was wearing only ordinary wizard robes. The style was still Hogwarts¡¯s, but without the school badge.

    ¡°Just looking at the clothes, one should guess that they were from Hogwarts, unless¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean, she saw using down from the carriage, so she thought we were from Beauxbatons?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, but it may not be she herself, she can only appear in this magic mirror!¡± Evan checked the broken mirror in front of him, as well as the girl¡¯s crooked rune. ¡°I think this woman may have something to do with the Owl-Woman I just met, and things are not as simple as she said.¡±

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 Chapter 741: A Female Auror

    Chapter 741: A Female Auror

    Not long ago, thest member of the ancient pure-blood wizard family was killed in her room by the terrible owl monster. The ancestor of the family, Ariane, told Evan and Sirius that the monster was a demon, and her enemy.

    But now it seemed like there was a close connection between Ariane and the monster, and things were getting more and more interesting!

    Rather than being thrilled, Evan was more curious about what she said, from the bizarre story she told to the terrible cursing power, as well as the mysterious Owl Fortress and the Owl-Woman who had suddenly attacked him tonight.

    Knowing the answers to these questions would help him with understanding more rare demonic magic¡­

    If the woman only needed his own blood, Evan wouldn¡¯t mind giving her a little.

    Taking the boy¡¯s blood as a guide, would the devil be summoned from the abyss?!!

    ¡°If your guess is correct, then that settles it. This woman is just a dangerous lunatic and a terrible monster!¡± Sirius looked at Evan, his eyes twinkled brightly, and he said seriously, ¡°Right now, our safest bet would be to return to the hotel and meet Hagrid, and forget about the Owl Fortress and this curse¡­ Knowing you however, you will definitely not go with that n. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be to my style either to wait passively for death toe to my door!¡±

    ¡°Just as I thought, I don¡¯t even have to ask you to take this risk with me!!¡± said Evan with a smile, recording the magic runes on the mirror. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s do what the woman said and see what she¡¯s up to.¡±

    ¡°This is reminding me of my adventures with James in the past, but those were only around Hogwarts. During vacations, I¡¯d have to settle down following my mother¡¯s wishes.¡± said Sirius, looking around as he sighed. ¡°Well, I suggest searching the house from top to bottom to see if there are any missing clues before you go downstairs to the house-elf for blood. Let¡¯s start from here; I¡¯ll be judging the caliber of those French Aurors!¡±

    Not long ago, French Aurors had searched the room when they came here to investigate the murder case. They took away valuables, and now nothing remained in the room besides arge bed and a closet on the inside.

    But that obviously wasn¡¯t going to satisfy Sirius¡¯s keener and more experienced eye. He walked towards the big bed, searching every inch carefully.

    About five minutester, Evan had just finished recording the magic text on the mirror, when he heard Sirius shouting, ¡°Just as I thought; amateurs! Evan,e and have a look ¡­¡±

    Evan walked over and saw Sirius lifting the wallpaper behind the big bed. Rows of ancient words were depicted on the wall.

    ¡°This is French. It should have been left by the previous owner of this room. It may help us.¡± He looked at the words carefully and read them out quietly. <i>¡°In the dark castle of the family, I hear its whisper, the whisper from the abyss. It echoes in my ears, it tells me that night ising ¡­¡±</i>

    <i>¡°In the dark, it¡¯s watching me silently. The ws of fate seize the disbelievers, and I hear saying: What you have done is meaningless, pathetic seed of inferior gods! Chaos, chaos, chaos¡­ Listen¡­ Can¡¯t you hear? Ah, it longs to kill! All shall end in chaos¡­¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Through my painful struggle, I know the ultimate fate of this fragile world. I don¡¯t want to die, I want to be stronger. I listened to the voice¡­ to the persuasion. I fell into master¡¯s arms and became a corrupted believer¡­¡±</i>

    <i>¡°From today on, I shall give up this mortal body. Come, nightmare in the dark; I wee you! Devour both soul and flesh at once! My all is my lord¡¯s, I will embrace death, for I will be reborn¡­ When all is done, in my death, I alone will live on!¡±</i>

    The words on the wall brought both Evan and Sirius to silence, as thetter frowned as he gazed at the wall.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? These read like the ramblings of a madman!¡± He whispered, ¡°And none of it is clear, besides the fact that it¡¯s creeping me out!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really creepy.¡± Evan agreed, thinking of the terrible evil god.

    In the Lair of the Acromant, didn¡¯t the eyeball monster say something simr to him?

    Those words on the wall looked a bit like the whispers of the evil god, but slightly different.

    The person who had engraved them on the wall, no matter who they were, their body had obviously changed in the end.

    However, had those voices been the whispers of an evil god, they would not have ended up like that. They would have beenpletely consumed.

    If this was not an evil god, was it a devil?! The devil Ariane talked about, the witch from Africa?

    Evan walked over and helped Sirius lift up all the wallpaper in the room.

    Just above the bed, they found some new clues, but this time it was not words, but some drawings¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s that owl monster!¡± Evan whispered, recognizing it at a nce.

    The drawings depicted what seemed to be an evil magic process, step by step transforming a normal person into a terrible Owl person.

    ¡°If the pattern above is magic, why is it here?¡± said Sirius slowly. ¡°This is the victim¡¯s room. The former owner has just been killed by the owl woman, so why would the magic that made the killer be written right behind the victim¡¯s bed.¡±

    ¡°I see! So it ain¡¯t a simple murder! Perhaps this woman Mary had volunteered,¡± said Evan and a chill spread through his body: ¡°That would mean, she just left her body behind; she isn¡¯t the Owl-Woman!¡±

    ¡°Alright, gentlemen! Party is over!¡± Just then, the two suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m an Auror from the Ministry of Magic. You two are under arrest for breaking into this crime scene! Put down your wands and do not think of resistance, or there will be consequences.¡±

    Evan and Sirius turned around just to see a young witch standing at the door of the room and pointing a wand at them.

    She looked to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with short hair, having pale heart-shaped face, and dark, shiny eyes.

    She pulled up the hem of her robes staring confidently at the two. However, disregarding her weird robes, she did look quite pretty!

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 Chapter 742: HÃ©lÃ¨ne Lorraine

    Chapter 742: H¨¦l¨¨ne Lorraine

    Of course, Evan and Sirius would have noticed her beauty hadn¡¯t she pointed a wand at them!

    ¡°What do you seek, breaking into this empty big house in the middle of the night, <i>thieves</i>?!¡± The witch raised her sharp chin, and looked at Evan and Sirius. ¡°There used to be many valuable antiques here that can be sold for a good price, but no more!¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I saw the torn seal downstairs. This house is under the surveince of the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been in here for over half an hour before you came. If that¡¯s your idea of surveince, I could onlyugh,¡± said Sirius dismissively. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard that French Aurors weren¡¯t that good, but I¡¯m honestly baffled by the true extent of your ipetence!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ipetence! We¡¯re understaffed in Dijon; I¡¯m the only one in charge of this case!¡± The witch blushed, a little embarrassed, but then regained her gaze, ¡°Sir, before you question the performance of the French Ministry of Magic and its Aurors, mind yourself with your current situation and heinous acts!¡±

    ¡°We aremitting no heinous acts!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?!¡± said the witch, squinting and looking at Sirius with interest. ¡°A shocking murder here not too long ago, right in this room! The blood is still on the walls¡­. And you, you¡¯re shredding the wallpaper! So, you¡¯re trying to destroy evidence?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re unveiling evidence,¡± said Sirius impatiently. ¡°Evidence that <i>you </i>missed!¡±

    ¡°I see no way in which that paper would help solve this case!¡±

    ¡°Open your eyes! It isn¡¯t the paper; it¡¯s what¡¯s behind it!¡± said Sirius, pointing to the painted wall.

    ¡°What, a child¡¯s graffiti?¡± said the witch, looking at the pattern on the wall in confusion, but refusing to back down. Then raised her voice, ¡°Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I will see itter, but now, I¡¯ll repeat this for thest time: You two are under arrest for breaking into this house! Drop your wands and get to the ground with your hands above your head! Otherwise¡­ I¡¯ll make you do it!¡±

    ¡°Look, we don¡¯t mean any harm, and things are not like you think; we are not thieves.¡± Sirius took a deep breath.

    He restrained himself, perhaps because she was a French Auror, or maybe, because she was a woman.

    ¡°Still, the situation doesn¡¯t look right! This child is too young, and the term isn¡¯t over yet, is it?!¡± The witch nced at Evan and turned back to Sirius. ¡°So you are a school teacher? I heard that Madame Maxime took some students to Hogwarts because of the Triwizard Tournament.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a student from Hogwarts. The Triwizard Tournament has been canceled because Voldemort is back. We are here on an important mission for Dumbledore now, and Madame Maxime is with us,¡± said Evan. ¡°She¡¯s waiting for us at the inn. Not long ago, I was attacked by the horrible Owl-Woman, and we came to this ce following the enemy. ¡°

    ¡°You-Know-Who ¡­ Dumbledore?!¡± The witch hesitated for a moment before fullyprehending what Evan was saying. ¡°Little guy, you say Madame Maxime is here, too. She came to Dijon? ¡­No, you just mentioned the Owl-Woman¡­ where is she? No¡­ Answer the first question first.¡±

    Evan had just dropped too many insane facts for the Auror to process, and she couldn¡¯t even pick a question to ask him!

    ¡°We can sit down and tell you everything we know, if you put your wand down.¡±

    The Auror appeared to hesitate for a moment, but then she shook her head.

    ¡°Forget it! Once you¡¯re unarmed, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk,¡± she said slowly, seemingly not at ease about Sirius. ¡°Seven years ago, on my first Auror training camp, my teacher told me not to trust strangers casually, never put down my wand, never rx my vignce!¡±

    ¡°Sounds like something Professor Moody would say¡­¡± said Evan to Sirius as he sighed.

    ¡°Do you mean Mad-Eye Moody?!¡± said the witch in surprise. ¡°He was the teacher! The Auror training was jointly organized by the English, French and German wizarding Ministries. Moody was a very powerful Auror. I learned a lot from him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s now a professor of The Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts,¡± said Evan, winking at Sirius. The woman they were facing was being stubborn, and they didn¡¯t have time to waste here.

    Evan should be in the Owl Fortress outside the city to see the curse of the past by now, instead of being questioned by an Auror here for what seemed to be an eternity.

    ¡°Since you are Moody¡¯s student, we¡¯re on the same side. We are going to track down the Owl-Woman and find out the secret behind this matter. If you want to, you can follow us!¡± said Evan, moving a step forward.

    ¡°This is our business young man. We Aurors are professionally trained,¡± she said. ¡°You just have to tell me what you know.¡±

    ¡°We will tell you everything after we deal with this matter. If things go well, we will bring you back the monster¡¯s body,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Now, get out of the way, we have too many things to do. Otherwise, don¡¯t me us if things get ugly!¡±

    ¡°Wait, what do you want to do? Stop!¡± The witch shouted loudly, watching Sirius rushing over, ¡°Damn it¡­ <i>Stupefy</i>!¡±

    The red light flew, and Sirius quickly dodged to the right, avoiding the curse.

    ¡°<i>Expelliarmus</i>!¡± He shouted loudly, waving his wand.

    The next second, Sirius¡¯s Disarming spell hit her, and the wand flew high andnded in his hand.

    ¡°Very well, you won, and tantly attacked an Auror of the Ministry of Magic. What are you going to do next?¡± Although she had no wand, the witch didn¡¯t show weakness, instead staring at Sirius defyingly with her wide beautiful eyes, and said, ¡°Are you going to tie me up here or¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not really my thing,¡± said Sirius, and then he threw her wand back at her. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you: you alone can¡¯t stop us. Now, please get out of the way and don¡¯t dy us from tracking the owl monster.¡±

    The witch took the wand, stood there looking at Evan and Sirius for a while, came over and stretched out her hand.

    ¡°Well, since our goals are the same, then I¡¯ll join you! Let me introduce myself, my name is H¨¦l¨¨ne Lorraine.¡±

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 Chapter 743: The Eerie Castle

    Chapter 743: The Eerie Castle

    ¡°This woman is trouble. We shouldn¡¯t let her join us!¡± Sirius whispered to Evan.

    At this point, they had just finished searching the room and were walking down the stairs.

    ¡°I know, but she¡¯s also an Auror of the French Ministry of Magic. If we don¡¯t let her follow us, what are you going to do? Tie her here? Or Stun her and throw her on that bed? I mean, I thought you said that isn¡¯t your thing?¡± Evan asked back, looking at Sirius. ¡°After we catch that owl monster, she could be helpful when dealing with the subsequent formalities.¡±

    ¡°OK, but if she drags us back, I think we should¡­¡±

    ¡°Gentlemen, whispering is not befitting of¡­ gentlemen! Since we are partners now, we should ¡­¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne paused and tried to find a word, ¡°Yes¡­ we should be honest, with no reservation between each other. Are you two from Britain? What are your names? ¡°

    ¡°Yes, we are from Britain. My name is Evan Mason.¡± Said Evan, ¡°and this is Sirius ck.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my God, Sirius ck! I know your name! I¡¯ve heard all those stories!¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne in surprise, looking at Sirius in disbelief. ¡°Did you really spend 13 years in Azkaban for a crime you didn¡¯tmit?¡±

    Her words made the mood even more awkward. That was a topic Sirius did not want to talk about. He didn¡¯t answer, but H¨¦l¨¨ne continued.

    ¡°I¡¯m a big fan of yours. I bought all the articles about you on the market. What you did for your friend James Potter and his son Harry, tracking down the Death Eater and going to Azkaban for atonement.¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne, looking at Sirius. ¡°How to say¡­ I think those actions are noble and very courageous. Most people would never do what you did, you ¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as noble as you said. It was my foolishness that led to the death of James and Lily, and then I deserved everything that happened to me,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Now please shut up and keep quiet. You¡¯re affecting me.¡±

    ¡°Is he always so terrible?¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne whispered to Evan, keeping her distance from Sirius.

    ¡°He¡¯s not usually like this. Maybe he¡¯s not good at dealing with girls,¡± said Evan, changing the subject. ¡°Miss Lorraine, have you found any other clues we might need to know? Also, why are you the only one here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just that the Ministry won¡¯t pay attention to this matter at all. They dedicate all their resources to Paris and other big cities, not to a small city like Dijon. I am the only one who insisted oning to investigate,¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne. ¡°This case is veryplicated. I think this is an opportunity to prove myself. There are no such opportunities in Paris. Before you came, I had searched the house and found something really remarkable.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Well, how to say it? Mary, thest owner of this house seemed to have a unique hobby. I found hundreds of dead owls in the store room downstairs, all of them skinned and thrown there¡­¡±

    Hundreds of bloody owl bodies were piled up in a small room, a purgatory!

    This further confirmed Evan¡¯s guess, as the Dark magic he saw on the wall had this process drawn.

    Mary, the owner of the house, might be the owl monster. She killed herself, sacrificed her life to this ¡°devil¡±, and became a terrible monster. The owls were her medium of choice.

    Perhaps, she took the feathers peeled from them and transnted them to herself with dark magic¡­

    With the Owl Fortress right outside the city, her picking this animal was only natural.

    Now the question was: <i>where</i> was the monster? And Ariane, the woman that had appeared in the mirror, what was her <i>real</i> purpose?!!

    In the dark, the three returned to the ground floor and came to the corridor full of house-elves¡¯ heads.

    ¡°The woman who appeared in the mirror told you that someone has hidden something in these heads?¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne, who had just learned about it from Evan. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d have to search there¡­ Disgusting!¡±

    ¡°Really disgusting!¡± Evan nodded, looking at the dry heads of the house-elves and their big ugly noses.

    He had to admit that hiding something in them was a brilliant idea. Maybe he should go back to Hogwarts¡¯ kitchens and have a good look at the heads there as well¡­

    ¡°When the house-elves died, the habit of hanging their heads on the wall is said to have originated from the old ck family, which waster adopted by other pure-blood wizard families in Ennd and eventually around Europe. It has continued to this day,¡± said Sirius ironically. ¡°It seems that one of my ancestors really made a great contribution to the development and progress of the wizarding world. One, two, three¡­ The eighth one on the left should be our guy.¡±

    The one Sirius pointed at was a house-elf with brown dry skin. During his lifetime, he seemed to have been ill and had some kind of mutation. His whole face was deformed, with plenty of his flesh beginning to rot. He was staring at the front with his big bulb-like eyes.

    It was quite the sickening sight.

    ¡°Let me do the dirty work!¡± said Sirius. He stepped forward, opened the elf¡¯s mouth and looked inside.

    H¨¦l¨¨ne looked at Sirius with a half-shocked and half-admiring expression, and watched his hand reach into the mouth of the house-elf. He took out a small bottle of dark red blood, covered in sticky liquid, and handed it to Evan.

    Evan opened the bottle and smelled it. It smelled like blood.

    He was not a vampire, and he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the blood of a unicorn, a Chimaera, a phoenix, or something else. But that didn¡¯t matter. Now that they had it, there were no other valuable clues in this house.

    Evan talked with Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne, and the three of them directly Disapparated to the Owl Fortress outside the city.

    As soon as he appeared, Evan saw a huge, gloomy ck outline appearing above the valley in the distance. That was a huge castle built entirely of dark brown stones that were arranged into the shape of a massive beast.

    Unlike Hogwarts, that castle was built on a hill, looking like a medieval fortress. It looked deste and silent, surrounded by nothing but ck stones on the ground.

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 Chapter 744: The Owl Ghosts

    Chapter 744: The Owl Ghosts

    The light from the trio¡¯s wands was insignificant in the endless darkness, and they were swallowed up in the night.

    When Evan¡¯s eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, he could see the huge ck fortress in front of him.

    In that ce, known as the Owl Fortress, tall granite buildings stood quietly on the cliffs above the river valley, looking down majestically at visitors. The original builders of the castle deliberately chose such a precipitous ce, using magic to merge the whole fortress with the cliffs.

    That was almost miraculous, extremely astonishing. Undoubtedly, such a wonder, while shocking and frightening, was still also majestic and awe inducing!

    The huge fortress was fortified by magic, with the central spire protruding high, strangely without windows.

    The walls were covered with strange vines. They were tightly intertwined and inteced with huge stones, forming the main outline of the castle.

    A mysterious atmosphere shrouded around it, with an evil and unknown aura, all who gazed at it quickly shifted their eyes.

    ¡°This ancient castle has been shielded with many protective spells. Only wizards can find it. It is a very famous magicalndscape in Dijon,¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne, looking at the distant fortress. ¡°I have seen it before; thousands of translucent owl ghosts watching you silently inside. It is gloomy and eerie, if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s check it out!¡± said Evan, clearly feeling the magic and unknown power behind those walls.

    The three of them Apparated and appeared at the gate of the castle.

    The gate was closed tightly and blocked by megaliths, but an irregr opening was rudely opened on the wall next to it.

    Following that entrance, the three uninvited guests entered the castle.

    Inside was a huge square hall. Besides all kinds of garbage piled on the ground, there was nothing. For hundreds of years, this fortress had been visited by countless visitors with various purposes. The valuable things in it had beenpletely looted.

    ¡°This ce is more deserted than I thought ¡­¡± said Evan as he looked around.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same from top to bottom. There¡¯s barely anything here. No one knows what this ce used to look like. Greedy thieves have robbed this old castle over the course of a long period and have spared nothing,¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne then exined. ¡°They didn¡¯t care whether the contents were cursed or not, as long as they were valuable. And whatever was left was also moved by the Ministry of Magic to the museum in Paris.¡±

    In Europe, there were many abandoned castles like this, standing quietly in the fields as witnesses to the past history.

    If the owners of the castles had money, they might be protected as cultural relics, or reused as private resorts or hotels.

    If no one managed them, then they would be abandoned. The Muggle governments would spend a part of their funds to maintain the castles every year to ensure that monuments did not copse, but the Ministries of Magic did not do the same.

    Owning a castle was a huge burden, something that was even more ring with the decline of pure-blood wizard families.

    It was said that on top of their huge manor, the Malfoys also owned such an old castle in a certain area of ??Ennd, which was managed by dozens of house-elves. This however was an exception; there were only a few pure-blood wizard families like them.

    ¡°Although there is nothing here, the ce is veryrge. It is really difficult to find the owl monster hiding here. We don¡¯t have enough staff to search the entire fortress at the same time ¡­¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne.

    ¡°I believe she wille out and show up to find us,¡± said Evan. ¡°What about the owl ghosts?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see them. They don¡¯t usually appear near the entrance,¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne waved her wand, and the light at its tip became more powerful. She lowered her voice and said, ¡°The owl ghosts are definitely not as simple as they seem. How to say it¡­ they are like humans, and they have human-like habits, which is strange, isn¡¯t it? Well, if you want to go to the dungeons, I remember we should go this way. There is a doorway in the kitchen leading to the basement. I just looked from a distance.¡±

    They went straight through the doorway, not up the stairs, but in a narrow passage on the ground floor, taking seven or eight turns to go to the basement.

    This feeling reminded Evan of the maze, and he could not be sure what was waiting for them behind a closed door.

    When they came to the kitchen through the dark corridor, Evan finally saw the owls. Their bodies appeared to be translucent and milky white, as H¨¦l¨¨ne said. Instead of flying in the air or looking for food or something simr like a normal owl, they stood quietly on the ground.

    They seemed to pace¡­ like humans do, and there was a touch of sadness on their tiny faces.

    After Evan, Sirius, and H¨¦l¨¨ne entered the kitchen, the owls didn¡¯t approach them, just watching the three of them quietly.

    This felt really ufortable for the trio.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t like this ce, I have seen ghosts, but I haven¡¯t seen ghosts like this,¡± whispered H¨¦l¨¨ne, afraid to rm them. ¡°We¡¯d better be careful. I can feel that they can understand us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange, I¡¯ve never seen anything like this, they emit waves of some sort of soul magic, which reminds me of something I saw in an ancient magic book before ¡­¡± said Evan.

    He thought for a moment, and walked towards the owl that was closest to him, ready to test his theory.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with this kid?¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne looked at Evan¡¯s back and said, ¡°It¡¯s weird. He seems to know a lot of magic. Speaking of which, what are you going to do running around with such a young wizard?¡±

    But Sirius didn¡¯t intend to answer H¨¦l¨¨ne. He didn¡¯t even look at her. In his eyes, this woman was definitely an under qualified Auror, unworthy of his answer.

    Although she did notck magical power, on top of being cute, she was too casual in character and didn¡¯t show enough caution. She didn¡¯t know what caution was. She said too much along the way and told Evan almost everything, all that should be said and what should <i>not</i> be said!

    She was just lucky enough that the two of them were not Dark wizards like Death Eaters.

    She probably forgot everything Moody had told her, Sirius thought.

    Listening to H¨¦l¨¨ne talking on and on, his past Auror habits made him want to scold her, as if she was an apprentice¡­

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 Chapter 745: The Soul of the Past

    Chapter 745: The Soul of the Past

    Evan walked to the side of an owl ghost. Thetter did not dodge, but just looked at him with its head crooked. Its translucent body shone under the light of Evan¡¯s wand, and it seemed to be curious about what the boy wanted to do.

    ¡°A cursed soul?!¡± Evan looked at the owl, remembering the magic he saw in that ancient book.

    Although he did not know the power of the devil or the curse, he still remembered this soul-type magic called Eternal Shadow. While its description didn¡¯t mention the specific shape of owls, it still could potentially be used to achieve this effect.

    Evan lowered his wand downwards, spraying a stream of milky liquid at the end, shimmering, and marked a magical symbol on the ground.

    The runes were veryplex. Evan¡¯s movements were slow, drawing very carefully. Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne were watching behind him.

    At H¨¦l¨¨ne¡¯s insistence, Sirius couldn¡¯t help but start talking to her, and topics ranged from Evan to Auror¡¯s skills.

    Later, Sirius kept mainly telling her what to pay attention to and notes about investigative techniques, and H¨¦l¨¨ne listened very carefully.

    Although she still had a long way to go, she did seem to want to be a good Auror.

    She had a great admiration for Sirius. As could be seen from collecting all the reports about him, she was a big fan.

    When she was talking to Evan before, H¨¦l¨¨ne could tell a lot about Sirius just from his silent behavior¡­

    A few minutester, Evan had drawn his magic runes and raised his head to signal the owl ghost toe over.

    Thetter stared at him, as though studying Evan¡¯s drawing, then it fluttered its wings andnded in the middle of the runes.

    ¡°<i>Revelio</i>!¡± said Evan, tapping gently on the ground with his wand.

    Starting from where the end of his wand touched, along the lines on the ground, blue light quickly spread around.

    Soon, the light blue light enveloped the owl ghost.

    ¡°Bingo!¡± said Evan as he stood up. Sirius, H¨¦l¨¨ne, and the other ghosts were watching him.

    ¡°Bingo for what?¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne asked, puzzled. ¡°What did you do? What kind of magic is this?¡±

    The next second, a figure appeared in the blue light.

    The owl ghost¡¯s wings and ws were getting longer and longer and gradually became human hands and feet. Both sides of the shoulders burst out at the same time, and the body gradually grew into taking a humanoid appearance, and for a moment, it looked just like the terrible Owl-Woman. But then, the feathers on its face disappeared quickly and it looked fully human.

    It was a middle-aged man in his fifties with deep wrinkles on his face. He was wearing a servant¡¯s costume, an ancient style from hundreds of years ago, and he was once a member of this castle.

    Although he was still a translucent ghost, he now finally looked like a man again. After looking at his two hands in disbelief, he quickly raised his head to look at Evan, the thirteen or fourteen-year-old wizard in front of him¡­

    ¡°What did you do to it?¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne in surprise. ¡°How could this owl be a person?!¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t look at me like this, it¡¯s just simple magic,¡± said Evan. He didn¡¯t want to exin theplex principles behind his spell to her right now.

    ¡°Simple magic?!¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne, rubbing her eyes. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know how you did it. This is incredible. You turned an owl¡¯s soul into a human. Mon Dieu, I really should have gone to Hogwarts! What does that school teach to allow 13-year-old children to use this level of magic?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like he said. It¡¯s a very simple magic!¡± said Sirius. ¡°Now be quiet!¡±

    He also looked curiously at Evan, with clear shock on his face. But he didn¡¯t speak. He felt that it would be his shame to exim as H¨¦l¨¨ne just did next to him. Beautiful face¡­ stunning bosom¡­ but no Auror¡¯s pride!

    Sirius had seen too many miracles in that boy during the past two years, and this was just a trivial one.

    In the kitchen, all the other owls also left their initial positions and gathered quickly around them.

    ¡°Can you talk now?¡± Evan asked, looking at the ghost that was still in shock and hadn¡¯t recovered.

    ¡°Ah ¡­¡± It made a strange sound, and seemed to struggle momentarily: it hadn¡¯t spoken for too long. It stuttered, sounding strange, ufortable, with strong gasps every now and then. ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s all around you. Don¡¯t trust anyone.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about? What happened to the castle that year?¡±

    ¡°Demon, demon¡­ DEMON!¡± It stared at Evan dead and yelled in a strange voice, which kept rising in pitch and volume. ¡°Whoo, that demon is among you ¡­ you can¡¯t escape, you are already its prey. Your souls will be like ours¡­ you will never get rest.¡±

    Evan quickly turned his head. There was no one but Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne. Who was the demon?!!

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Can you say it more clearly, I ¡­¡±

    Evan stopped. When he said this, there was a grim expression on the man¡¯s face, and he let out a cry of pain. It was as though he was hit by the Cruciatus Curse.

    He seemed to be hit by the heart-cursing spell. His whole was twitching there, constantly struggling and shaking.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look right!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne was pale and hid behind Sirius, with her wand firmly facing it. But she didn¡¯t know what spell to use on a ghost, which was beyond her ability.

    ¡°Evan, be careful!¡± said Sirius.

    Evan didn¡¯t need his reminder. At the sight of the ghost¡¯s appearance, he also took a step back, feeling bad.

    ¡°Tell me, who is that demon?¡± He shouted, ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, I will end this curse, and I will help you get rest.¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ I can¡¯t say that name ¡­ we have vowed!¡± He gasped violently and growled intermittently. ¡°I need to obey his orders, I must ¡­ Ah, you should not disturb the souls of the past. Your life is about to end, stranger!¡±

    It suddenly rushed to Evan, but after leaving the magical runes on the ground, it quickly changed back into an owl. It passed through Evan¡¯s body, cold and ufortable, like ice.

    In the kitchen, dozens of owls were all around, looking at them spookily.

    For the first time, Evan realized how ominous an owl¡¯s gaze could be¡­

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 Chapter 746: The Devilâ€™s Altar

    Chapter 746: The Devil¡¯s Altar

    ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Sirius waved his wand impatiently to disperse the owl ghosts in front of him.

    Those ghosts didn¡¯t have any attack power. They just looked at Evan and the others gloomily, their eyes shining with pain and hatred.

    If they could, they would pounce like the ghost just now, tearing the three of them up. But they could do nothing.

    They did nothing. In fact, those ghosts were also a group of unfortunate people. They were just ordinary servants of the castle. Most of them were not even wizards. They had been poisoned by that witch. After death, their souls had been detained here.

    Until now, they had been controlled by the devil, unable to act ording to their wishes and to rest in peace.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help wondering who the devil that the ghosts couldn¡¯t even name was. Why couldn¡¯t they mention that name, and what about the vows they¡¯d made? And what did he mean by what he had just said? Was the devil watching them nearby?

    Things became more mysterious. The castle was full of evil atmosphere, and in the darkness that could not be dispelled, the unknown power was gradually approaching¡­

    ¡°We¡¯d better get out of here!¡± said Sirius, and there were more and more owls around.

    Evan realized that his magic had disturbed the souls of the past and made them restless.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go and take a look at the dungeon.¡± He nodded.

    Evan didn¡¯t want to wait until all the owls in the castle gathered here. Although they didn¡¯t have any offensive capabilities, they felt ufortable at the thought that they were actually human souls.

    Passing through a corridor full of spider webs, they found the entrance to the dungeon in the wine cer on the innermost side of the kitchen.

    In fact, that was probably the most eerie spot in the whole castle. The narrow arched door was a rusty iron fence lying on the ground. It seemed like it had been pushed by some monster, twisted and deformed. It was full of dark brown blood stains.

    Across the iron fence, Evan walked into the crypt, which was divided into small rooms to hold prisoners.

    But now, this ce was no longer a dungeon, but a huge family tomb. Appearing in front of them were many coffins carved from stone, scattered everywhere.

    The patterns carved on the coffins were very simple, and the workmanship was also very rough, which showed that the status of the funeral was not high.

    They moved on and entered a boxy hall.

    The surrounding walls were recessed inward, and the space for cing things was carved out. On top of them were human bones. They were there, wrapped in rags, straw mats and the like. Most of them had been corroded and weathered, or eaten by rats, insects and other creatures. However, there were still a few mummies.

    In the light of the wand, Evan saw a skeleton facing him, with two dark holes in its eyes.

    In such a terrifying atmosphere, even the air became thin and turbid.

    ¡°It used to be the dungeon of the fortress where prisoners of war were held, but then many people died in this ce, all of them died overnight. Because there was no ce to bury them, they were all left here,¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne in a low voice for fear of disturbing anything. ¡°I haven¡¯t been in here before, but people who havee here haven¡¯t found anything. There is nothing in this ce besides corpses and bones.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the altar the woman talked about?¡± Sirius looked around.

    ¡°It might be hidden somewhere. Since it is the source of the curse, it can¡¯t beying out there,¡± said Evan. ¡°Let¡¯s look first for any strange things. I always have a bad feeling that someone is watching us ¡­¡±

    He looked at the stone coffin in front of him. There was no namete on it. He could not see who was buried in it.

    Since entering the castle, Evan felt something hiding in the dark and watching them, but he found nothing. Besides the three of them, there was no one around.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better hurry up. Those damn owl ghosts areing back!¡± Sirius looked back.

    The three of them checked separately and did not go too far away.

    They were all in a stone chamber, and if something went wrong, they couldn¡¯t just call to get immediate help.

    A few minutester, Evan was next to a coffin, and he found a boxy hole that went straight down, and only a very thick rope falling on it. He poked his wand down, read a spell, and at the end of the wand came out a ball of light.

    The ball of light kept falling down for a long time before it stopped. It was about fifty feet deep below¡­

    What was this ce for? Evan was hesitating whether to go down.

    That rope was obviously not a product that the castle should have. It looked newer than everything else¡­

    Judging from the nearby traces, it seemed that not long ago, something went down through this rope!

    When Evan was about to call Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne over, he looked up and saw something appearing beside him.

    It was a small owl ghost with a translucent pale blue body, just the size of his palm, and it was looking at him.

    After seeing Evan noticed it, the owl spread its wings and flew to his shoulder. Then it flew down again andnded on Evan¡¯s outstretched palm.

    ¡°Do you have anything to tell me?¡± Evan asked, that ghost was behaving so strangely!

    The little owl nodded to answer Evan¡¯s question. It had not lost its mind, nor was there hatred in its eyes, nor was it influenced by demons.

    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll draw the magic runes to help you restore your original form!¡± said Evan cheerfully.

    He raised his wand, feeling that he would learn vital information from this owl.

    But the owl didn¡¯t wait for him. Instead, it spread its wings and flew to the distance, and kept turning back to signal that Evan would follow.

    It flew to the burial chamber on the left and disappeared into an inward sunkenpartment on a wall.

    ¡°Is there anything in it?¡± Evan bent down and looked inside¡­

    The next second, he saw a mummified corpse staring at him with big, hollow eyes, its mouth wide open and its face ferocious and horrible.

    Evan stepped back, only to see the little blue owl poking its head from under the corpse¡¯s skirt, looking at him anxiously, as though urging him to move faster. Under the mummy, there was an inward slowly extending tunnel.

    Evan hesitated for a moment, and then crawled in, through the body into a small secret chamber.

    In the center of the room, he saw an altar at a nce, the altar that summoned the devil, the source of all evil in the castle¡­

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 Chapter 747: The Power of Nature

    Chapter 747: The Power of Nature

    The altar was very simple and crude, with a wooden pir erected in its center, narrow at the top and thick at the bottom. A simple portrait of an owl was depicted with a knife or the like in an abstract style, looking more like some terrible monster.

    Its body was significantly widened, its eyes wererge and out of proportion, and its feathers jumped like mes.

    A very thick rope was tied to the post, forming a knot, on which hung a turquoise owl pendant.

    Further down, on the ground wereplex magical runes that Evan had never seen before. round patterns were interwoven with hexagonal patterns, creating wild shapes.

    The runes were shining and a pale blue light flickered in it. Evan could feel a strange magical power, very peaceful, almost healing¡­

    ¡°Is this the Devil¡¯s Altar?¡± He looked at the wooden post in a daze. ¡°As long as I drop blood on it, I can get rid of the curse.¡±

    But he always felt something was wrong. It was different from the demon altar he had seen in the depths of Hogwarts.

    In front of Evan, the little owl flew over to the altar. As soon as it entered the runes range, its body changed rapidly.

    Soon, it turned into a girl, about twenty years old. She was beautiful, with clear skin, and eyes as calm as the sea. Her nose was small and her mouth was slightly curved upward, with a sad smile. She was wearing a long ssical dress, a scarf and a simple wooden headband on her forehead.

    ¡°Hello, stranger!¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Evan paused and continued to ask, ¡°Why did you bring me to this ce?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, I am a dead soul.¡± The girl said slowly, with a touch of calmness in her voice. ¡°As for my name when I was alive, you can call me Shukrya. I saw you use magic to restore that soul to its original appearance, and I heard what you said to it. I think you can help me escape this curse, so I brought you here. ¡°

    ¡°The curse?¡± Evan gasped, gripping his wand tightly. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, but only if I know what¡¯s going on in this castle? First of all, what¡¯s that pir next to you? I can feel strong magical power on it. It¡¯s a strange force to me. ¡°

    ¡°This is a totem I made by myself. It is because of its power that all the souls wandering in this castle have be owls,¡± said Shukrya, looking at the pir nearby. ¡°I hang the sacred things of our tribe on it. It canmunicate with an owl god, which is a very powerful natural force ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you who turned all the souls here into owls, and that¡¯s the curse ¡­¡±

    ¡°No, this is not a curse, but a protection!¡± said Shukrya calmly, correcting Evan¡¯s mistake.

    Evan frowned, looking at the girl in front of him and the shining blue wooden pir beside her, and the exaggerated owl above.

    As the woman Ariane he saw in the mirror said before, it was this magic that turned all the souls in the castle into owls, but this thing did not seem to be a devil¡¯s altar.

    Evan could feel that this power was not so evil, but rather peaceful.

    In fact, what Shukrya said of the totem reminded Evan of another special kind of magic, of how shamans used the forces of nature.

    Different from wizards¡¯ magic, shamans used the power of natural elements. They were very ancient and mysterious spellcasters. In those primitive tribes, they were also responsible formunicating with the spirits of their ancestors and treating patients.

    In the past, shamanism was very popr, but since time entered the modern era, it had gradually be a relic.

    Because the method of inheritance was very ancient and quiteplex, it had higher requirements on the caster himself. The casting process with Shamanism was also very tedious, and themunication with the dead and the power of the elements was always necessary. Various restrictions had greatly reduced the number of shamans.

    Evan had only read about Shamanism in introductory books about the history of magic, so he didn¡¯t have much knowledge on the topic

    The totem that the girl just talked about reminded him of this ancient craft. After all, this was not a verymon casting item.

    ¡°This totem you made, did you make it in the methods of Shamanism?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°In our tribe, it is called witchcraft, and those who use this power are called witchdoctors, and are the spiritual leaders of ns and tribes,¡± said Shukrya; the pale blue magic light slowly flowed through her hands. ¡°We are responsible formunicating with our ancestors¡¯ spirits and the gods of the natural world, guiding our people through all kinds of difficulties and maintaining the order of nature. Of course, in your country, this kind of practice is also called shamanism, but it¡¯s just a different name!¡±

    ¡°A witchdoctor from Africa ¡­ then you should be the witch she talked about!¡± Evan thought for a moment, and continued to ask, ¡°So, what about the protection you just said? Turning all souls into owls, so that they can never rest in peace ¡­ how is that protection?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a kind of protection!¡± Shukrya slowly said. ¡°There are very powerful evil forces in this castle. If I don¡¯t provide shelter for these souls, they will be mercilessly devoured by the devil.¡±

    ¡°What on earth is going on? This is not what I¡¯ve learned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth of everything, stranger, and then it¡¯s up to you to decide,¡± said Shukrya, looking at Evan calmly. ¡°A long time ago, I left my tribe for a journey alone. That was a test. Every witch-doctor in the n had to undergo this process. The elders hoped that I could cleanse my soul during the trip, bettermunicate with the elements, and return to the tribe to be the new great witchdoctor. But on that long journey, I gradually lost track of my original purpose. I met a wizard¡­ I met him and fell in love. He wanted to take me back to his family and prepare for us to get married¡­

    We crossed the Mediterranean and were going to Paris, where his family was. We came to this ce near the end of the journey. The hostess of this castle was his ssmate. They used to study together in a wizarding school called Beauxbatons. At her request, the two of us agreed to stay for a few days before leaving.¡±

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 Chapter 748: Another Version of the Story

    Chapter 748: Another Version of the Story

    ¡°The mistress of the castle you¡¯re talking about, wasn¡¯t she called Ariane?¡± Evan blinked.

    ¡°It¡¯s her. She was a witch who dedicated her soul to the devil, and the source of this unfortunate curse,¡± said Shukrya calmly. ¡°So, you have already met her. What does she want you to do here?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about thister. You tell your own story first!¡± Evan waved his wand.

    He didn¡¯t trust the woman in the mirror nor the soul that had suddenly appeared.

    Neither the evil witch who offered her soul to the devil nor the shamaness witch doctor from Africa who could use strange powers would be easy to mess with. And God knew what exactly happened back in the day.

    And¡­ the prince-charming in both stories, the wizard from Paris, <i>where</i> was he now?!!

    In fact, the more he thought about it, the more things seemed to be far worse than what he had ever imagined.

    It was very possible that five hundred years ago, this all was just two evil witches confronting each other over a man, making many suffer with them in the process. And now, even after death, their powers were still at work, both hoping that Evan would give them the edge they needed to finally tip the scales!

    ¡°After we stayed, she treated us warmly, but over time, I found that my lover gradually changed and became indifferent to me ¡­¡± Shukrya hesitated and continued, ¡°He didn¡¯t seem to love me anymore!¡±

    ¡°Amortentia?!¡± Evan looked at her.

    ¡°Yes, this potion is called Love Potion in our country,¡± said Shukrya, with a trace of pain in her eyes. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t hung on to move and just went back to the tribe to be a witch-doctor, the rest might not have happened. After I found out that my lover had changed, I didn¡¯t know whether he had been drugged or something else, but the root of everything was obviously that woman. He changed after he came to her castle, and I decided to find out the truth. After some investigation, I found that the movements of the castle¡¯s mistress, Ariane, my lover¡¯s former ssmate at the Wizarding School, were very suspicious. The tracing magic I left behind showed that she snuck out of her bedroom every night, sometimes with my lover to a remote room in the castle, and sometimes with other men, but what was even more shocking ¡­¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Evan looked at her. The idea of Ariane switching men like shoes was shocking enough for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s that she went deep under the castle almost every night afterying with them. There, I found a secret room protected by magic, I cracked the magic she left and broke in. I saw piles of bones inside, piled high on the floor,¡± Shukrya said those shocking words in a calm tone. ¡°The wizards who used to smile in the daytime and seemed nice and noble all turned into demons at night, killing ordinary Muggle civilians and dissecting their bodies. In addition to the pile of bones, I also saw iron chains criss-crossing over the room, with human bodies hanging from these chains. These human bodies all seemed to be ordinary people or Muggle farmers, or perhaps local residents. Some people were hanging from their feet, while others were hanging from their heads. Their knees were badly worn and blood flowed from them to their feet. Some people hadn¡¯t died yet, and they kept wailing¡­¡±

    If Shukrya was telling the truth, then the secret of Ariane was really terrible.

    Evan couldn¡¯t believe that she was simply abusing the farmers and mutting their bodies. It was definitely some very evil Dark magic. Only painful torture could make a person¡¯s heart and soul distorted. That kind of power was what Dark magic needed.

    ¡°After investigating, I found out that she was using those people¡¯s flesh and souls to worship the devil!¡± said Shukrya, gradually raising her voice. ¡°This is a castle full of sin. The wizards here are all demons. Then, I told this fact to my lover, but he didn¡¯t want to believe me. He thought I was lying and framing his ssmate. He said¡­ words that couldn¡¯t be taken back at the time, and left me. I could feel that he hadpletely changed. He was bewitched by that woman¡¯s demonic power and didn¡¯t love me anymore, but I couldn¡¯t leave him alone, so¡­¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± said Evan, frowning at her.

    ¡°So, I used the Love Potion on him and put it in his cup to make him fall in love with me again!¡± said Shukrya, not happy. ¡°I am very good at making potions, which is one of the duties of a witch-doctor. I thought I could be with him in this way, and after leaving the castle, he would slowly change his mind, but that was only the beginning of something worse¡­¡±

    Evan looked at the ghost in front of him, one who could¡¯ve been a great witch-doctor and a spiritual leader of her tribe. What Ariane said was fitting so far. She did not lie, but did not recount all the facts. Linking the two stories together, Evan began to envision the whole picture.

    ¡°We ran away, but were caught back soon, and I was locked in a dungeon and tortured by them madly, receiving all kinds of humiliation,¡± said Shukrya, with a hint of hatred in her voice. ¡°I thought my lover woulde to save me, but he didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know until then that he was already engaged to that demon. A few monthster, the news of their impending marriage came, I waspletely desperate, and Ipromised with the dark gods. I swore I would stop this¡­ I would thoroughly purify this evil fortress. I used my blood as a medium and used the ancient shaman¡¯s techniques to ask for the help of the gods of nature, so that owls, mice, and other creatures could get me potion ingredients. I made a poison and put it into the water source of the castle. I wanted all these demons to die.¡±

    ¡°So you poisoned them all?¡± Evan looked at Shukriya, who was getting a little scary. As she took revenge on those demons, she became a demon herself.

    All the things that Ariane said were true, and Shukrya was a terrible witch in her own right.

    But if what thetter said was also true, then Ariane was evil too. It was hard to say who was more terrible.

    ¡°I thought this wouldplete the purification, but I was wrong again!¡± said Shukrya, her eyes fixed on Evan. ¡°The poison I made was very powerful. Many people in the castle died, but that was what the woman hoped. She had long abandoned her body and offered her soul to the devil. After figuring out what happened, she did not hesitate to kill the ones who survived, including her parents and rtives. She was ready to sacrifice the souls of everyone and summon the devil to the world¡­¡±

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 Chapter 749: Rejection

    Chapter 749: Rejection

    For evil Dark wizards, parents, rtives, and friends had never been something they needed to cherish.

    They were just props to achieve increasingly evil magic, some of the important magic materials that were just¡­ effective

    Indeed, what else could be more evil than using the blood, bones, and souls of parents and brothers?!!

    For example, Voldemort¡¯s father Tom Riddle Sr., Voldemort needed him only when he wanted to resurrect. He needed his bones.

    As a devil¡¯s servant, Ariane regarded the lives and souls of others as the sacrifices needed for the advent of the devil. She even dedicated her own soul to it andpletely lost all reason, along with her humanity. She was no longer human, falling into being a hellish demon herself.

    Evan sighed; how horrible it was, the thirst for unlimited magical power!

    This incident was nothing more than a sample of what took ce in Europe in the Dark magic era, hundreds of years ago, when blood and sin were omnipresent¡­

    The truth of what really took ce back then was too shocking and horrible to be captured in books about the era.

    ¡°I knew I couldn¡¯t run away, she wouldn¡¯t let me go. I was cursed by that demon!¡± Shukrya continued, her faint voice being almost as frightening as her tale. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t let herplete that ritual, I had to stop her, otherwise even after my death, my soul wouldn¡¯t get any sort of peace. So before she came to kill me, I changed all the souls in the castle into owls at the cost of my life.¡±

    If she didn¡¯t lie, that was the origin of the Owl Fortress. But Evan didn¡¯t believe what she said was all true, maybe it was only part of the truth!

    Like Ariane, Shukrya embellished her sins with noble reasons.

    ¡°That¡¯s what the curse was all about?¡±

    ¡°It is not a curse, but a kind of protection. I protected these souls from being devoured by demons.¡± Shukrya said with some anger, then immediately calmed down again. ¡°Of course, I do not deny that it was a kind of protection for me, too. I hid among these souls so that the devil could not distinguish me. ¡°

    ¡°How did you do that?¡± Evan asked, looking at Shukrya who was floating in the air like smoke. ¡°Those souls were all part of this castle in their lifetime. They should obey Ariane¡¯s orders, shouldn¡¯t they?¡±

    No wonder the ghost he saw earlier said that he could not go against the vows he once made, and could not disclose anything about his mistress. It should be their vows of allegiance to Ariane. This magic used by the ancient pure-blood wizard family on servants still worked even hundreds of years after their death.

    Speaking of them, those ghosts were really unlucky. They were innocently involved in this conspiracy and could not rest. Until now, they thought that the hostess had killed them, but had to obey her orders.

    ¡°After bing owls, they have lost their intelligence. Naturally, they cannot hear the demon¡¯s order to them, and she can¡¯t find which of the thousands of owl ghosts is me.¡± said Shukrya. ¡°But once their human form is restored, the magic will work, and she will order them again, just like you¡¯ve seen ¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, how did she order them, I didn¡¯t see her there!¡±

    ¡°This ce, the entire fortress is under her surveince. Hundreds of years of fighting have allowed us to know each other, even better than ourselves. I know that she got a mirror from the devil, and now it has be her body, showing all the sights inside and near the castle,¡± said Shukrya.

    ¡°You mean, she can see us?!¡± Evan froze for a moment, then immediately thought, ¡°So she knows I¡¯m here? Does she know where the totem is?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t matter!¡± said Shukrya. ¡°She has long known about it, but she has no way toe in. In fact, it is a matter of time. My power began to decline long ago. For centuries, those stupid adventurers who kepting in destroyed the magic I left in the castle. I can no longer hold her back. She is getting stronger and stronger, and can even leave the mirror and contact her descendants or other greedy wizards to induce them to fall.¡±

    Mentioning this, Evan thought of the Owl-Woman, the terrible humanoid monster.

    ¡°She taught taboo demonic power to the greedy wizards and convinced them that they would be stronger. But that was only part of it, and they ended up bing a mixture of lower demons and humans, like what you call Owl-Woman.¡± Shukrya looked at Evan and hesitated for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lie to you, I want your help. I can feel that although you are young, you are very clever and different from those wizards. I can tell you that when she seduced those wizards who entered the castle to fall, I also spoke to them through the power of nature, hinted to them, told them the wrong magic, and made them lose their minds after bing demons, unable to serve her, be pure monsters, or die directly ¡­¡±

    That was really insidious. Those adventurers who thought they had everything and that they had be more powerful were nothing more than ythings in the hands of these two women. But really, Evan was no longer surprised. From what Shukrya had already told him, it would be strange if she didn¡¯t do it.

    No wonder Ariane would ask for help, and Evan was probably her new prey.

    If Evan hadn¡¯t been cautious, he would have spilled his blood and the contents of the bottle on the totem as he was told. He would be caught as Ariane¡¯s ve and Shukrya would not let him go.

    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve told me everything, what do you want me to do?¡± Evan said.

    ¡°Save me from this nightmare, stop the devil and destroy the mirror. Otherwise when she recovers her strength and summons the real devil, everyone will die¡­ no one would escape. That is a terrible power beyond imagination,¡± said Shukrya.

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t make any sense to me. We are just outsiders. We will leave Dijon tomorrow. Even if she bes a real devil, that would be for the French Ministry of Magic and its Aurors to deal with. I have a lot of trouble left unsolved and don¡¯t want to provoke new ones!¡± said Evan. After thinking about it for a moment, he shook his head. ¡°To be honest, after listening to this story, I¡¯m feeling tired of all of this. It¡¯s far moreplicated than I thought, I¡¯m not too¡­¡±

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 Chapter 750: The Voice in the Darkness

    Chapter 750: The Voice in the Darkness

    Five hundred years of fighting, evesting hatred, even death could not stop it¡­

    Evan didn¡¯t intend to get involved. Shukrya just said very clearly that the woman in the mirror was a demonic entity.

    Now that she was recovering strength, in this case, trying to destroy the mirror was like fighting the devil directly.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid. He just thought it was pointless to take such a risk.

    To really do this, he would be no different from those stupid adventurers. They were all the ythings in the hands of these two witches.

    Although Evan wanted to understand the magic of demons and witch doctor shamans, he didn¡¯t want it that way.

    ¡°Help me¡­ help me out of this nightmare and let my soul rest in peace. I can¡¯t wait any longer!¡± Shukrya hesitated for a long time before continuing, ¡°As long as you help me, I am willing to pay any price!¡±

    Evan shook his head. He could not see what a witch, who had died five hundred years ago, could provide.

    ¡°I will not help you, nor will I help that demon!¡± He took out the small bottle of magic blood and threw it to the ground. ¡°She wanted me to pour this thing on the totem together with my blood to break your magic. This thing¡­¡±

    ¡°Wizard, you don¡¯t understand my pain¡­ I don¡¯t care about death¡­ my soul has been stranded here for too long, long enough that I have forgotten everything, whether it is love or hatred, these have no meaning to me.¡± Shukrya waved her hand gently and a pale blue owl ghost flew out of the totem. She pointed to the owl pendant above the totem and continued to say, ¡°As long as you are willing to help me, after my soul leaves, I will give you this pendant, it is our sacred tribal heritage of thousands of years, which can help youmunicate with nature¡­¡±

    Along the direction of her finger, Evan looked at the pendant tied to the totem knot.

    Although shamanism wasn¡¯t too clear to him, he could still clearly feel that the pendant was the core of this magic. With such a strong magic power, it was obviously a legendary magical item.

    ¡°This is the sacred item of our tribe. It has been kept by great witch doctors for generations. You are not a witch doctor, you don¡¯t understand shaman¡¯s magic, and you cannotmunicate with ancestors¡¯ souls and elements of nature, but it can help you use the Owl God¡¯s power¡­¡± Shukrya paused again, as though sensing something and then slowly said, ¡°And you have no reason to refuse, Wizard, your twopanions have entered the devil¡¯s room, thatnd of sin.¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..

    In the dungeon, not long after Evan followed Shukrya into the secret chamber, Sirius discovered that he was missing.

    ¡°H¨¦l¨¨ne, have you seen Evan?¡± He frowned as he asked, shouting Evan¡¯s name, but there was no response.

    In the silence of this mysterious castle, Sirius¡¯s shouts echoed frighteningly, but had no answers.

    ¡°Could that kid have been captured by a monster or a ghost, while we were not paying attention?¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne whispered, raising her wand high. She kept looking around, but saw nothing but darkness.

    The unknown and the darkness exacerbated the fear in the air, and every dark corner seemed like it could spawn horror at any moment.

    H¨¦l¨¨ne didn¡¯t like the atmosphere around her and subconsciously leaned against Sirius. But she stopped quickly. She didn¡¯t want to let him see her vulnerable side.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know Evan. He¡¯s not an ordinary thirteen-year-old wizard. He¡¯s far much stronger than he looks. He is the best of the three of us. He wouldn¡¯t be killed in silence,¡± said Sirius, waving his wand, not seeming too anxious. ¡°Knowing him, the kid must have found some clues, leaving us to investigate alone¡­¡±

    He was too familiar with this feeling. Evan could always find clues that no one else could notice, and then end up investigating alone.

    Before entering the castle, he specifically told Evan not to act alone, but deep inside, he knew that was futile.

    ¡°I feel that the child is weird. He knows too much about magic. Are all Hogwarts students like that?!!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne muttered. ¡°I remember he was in charge of this side. Let¡¯s see what we can find.¡±

    They followed Evan¡¯s previous trajectory, and soon saw the boxy dark hole and the rope above.

    ¡°This is a secret passage. Someone has pried the bricks off the ground!¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne.

    ¡°Looking at the traces around, it should be not too long ago that something went down this rope ¡­ maybe Evan found something.¡± Sirius reached in with his right hand holding the wand, leaned out and shouted, ¡°Evan, are you down there?¡±

    There was no response, and the darkness around seemed to grow more intense.

    Just as Sirius was about to give up, a shrill voice replied,¡± Yeah, I am here!¡±

    ¡°Is this Evan¡¯s voice?¡± Sirius paused for a moment and looked at H¨¦l¨¨ne.¡±It doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    ¡°There is nothing wrong with it. Boys¡¯ voices always fluctuate like this at his age, and they sound hoarse and hard to hear,¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne. ¡°You are too suspicious. It¡¯s slightly different, but it sounds like him. What is he doing down there? Did he find anything?!!¡±

    ¡°Evan, what¡¯s down there?¡± shouted Sirius loudly, smelling a damp odor of rot.

    With this smell, he was sure that the things deep in the cave would definitely not be pleasant.

    ¡°It¡¯s what we need to find.¡± The weird voice responded. It paused and started to urge Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne to go down. ¡°There is a lot¡­ so much that you would be interested in. Come down and have a look. Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°A lot?!¡± Sirius was stunned again.

    ¡°Getting into the hole¡­ I don¡¯t like this feeling!¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne, looking down. ¡°Evan is really daring, entering this dark cave, but what did he find?¡±

    ¡°Come on,e on, I can¡¯t wait anymore¡­¡± The voice kept echoing in the dark.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and have a look. Maybe he found the devil¡¯s altar,¡± said Sirius, standing up and looking at H¨¦l¨¨ne. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want to go down, you can wait for me here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate others. I am also an Auror, not some damsel in distress who needs your protection!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne puffed out her chest and looked at Sirius tit for tat. ¡°Since that child dares to go in, I will go down too, um¡­ and I¡¯ll be leading the charge!¡±

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 Chapter 751: The Room of Evil

    Chapter 751: The Room of Evil

    There was arge space in the dark cave below, and climbing down the rope was definitely not the right way to get in here.

    Looking at the nimble H¨¦l¨¨ne below, Sirius secretly admired her; few witches had such a skill.

    Although she was a bit too wordy and a tad too naive, when it came to physical fitness, she waspetent enough to be an Auror.

    He followed H¨¦l¨¨ne, tightly tangling the rope with his left hand and legs, carefully sliding down, with his right hand stretched out, holding his wand. Although he made his wand light brighter, he still couldn¡¯t see anything but darkness¡­

    As he went down, the smell of rot in the air became more and more pungent.

    Sirius sniffed and could quickly recognize the smell: it was the stench of a corpse.

    It was not like the mummified corpses he¡¯d seen above, but a corpse that had recently died and had not beenpletely weathered and rotted.

    It was so strange. Why would there be a fresh dead body in this ancient castle dungeon?!!

    There was also the voice of ¡°Evan¡± just now, which sounded unspeakably weird. The more Sirius thought about it, the more he felt things were off. It was definitely not Evan.

    It was foolhardy toe down like this. He should have questioned it more. Evan certainly wouldn¡¯t talk like that.

    ¡°Wait, H¨¦l¨¨ne, there¡¯s something wrong!¡± He hurriedly shouted down.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯m almost at the bottom!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne looked up at Sirius, her face puzzled. ¡°There seems to be something down there. I can¡¯t see it very clearly¡­ it¡¯s white¡­ a whole lot¡­¡±

    Before she had finished her words, the voice in the darkness sounded again, ¡°You¡¯re here¡­ you havee to apany me, ha ha!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not Evan! Who are you?¡± Sirius shouted into the darkness and cast a Shield Charm.

    ¡°I am who I am. Come and stay with me, living. I can¡¯t wait!¡± said the strange voice,ing through the darkness. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already made it here, don¡¯t go; just like them, stay here with me forever¡­ ha ha ha.¡±

    ¡°H¨¦l¨¨ne, let¡¯s go back up¡­¡±

    ¡°I DON¡¯T THINK SO!¡± The voice lengthened its tone and shouted, ¡°<i>Mary</i>, lovely little <i>Mary</i>, where are <i>you</i>?!¡±

    The voice just fell, and Sirius heard a sound above his head. He quickly raised his wand up.

    In its light, he saw the Owl-Woman standing at the entrance of the cave, ring at him with hatred, with a terribly dreadful expression on her face!

    ¡®The dark creature hiding in the dark is allied with the Owl-Woman!¡¯ Sirius¡¯ heart sank sharply.

    The next second, the rope he and H¨¦l¨¨ne were holding suddenly loosened; cut off by the monster, and they fell down.

    ¡°Ah!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne shouted.

    Sirius turned around and quickly sent up a magic, jumped downward, hugged H¨¦l¨¨ne, and held her in his arms.

    Before H¨¦l¨¨ne could react, the two of them fell heavily on something.

    Thanks to Sirius¡¯s protection, H¨¦l¨¨ne was not injured. She only heard Sirius grunting in pain beneath her.

    ¡°<i>ck</i>, <i>Sirius</i>!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne yelled, but there was no response.

    She fumbled Sirius¡¯s chest with trembling hands, and gasped.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ that was rough!¡± It took a while for Sirius to gasp and say, ¡°I seem to have¡­ broken some ribs. Please¡­ get off them¡­.¡±

    H¨¦l¨¨ne hurried to the side. In fact, she didn¡¯t expect him to do what he did, and now he must be badly hurt.

    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a hard rocky ground below; there was some sort of buffer, those white things that she had vaguely seen before.

    Looking at the floor more closely, H¨¦l¨¨ne blinked twice and then flinched immediately. That was not simply something white, but human bones¡­ a massive pile of bones!

    She raised her head and looked forward. In front of the bones pile, she saw an image from hell. In the small room, iron chains crisscrossed and dangled from the high ceiling.

    Many iron chains were empty, or had some strange things hanging from them, but about a dozen of them were hanging human corpses!

    Some of these people were hung from their heads, and some others from their feet. Some of them had blood slowly dripping from where the iron chains prated their flesh. Some were just rotten corpses, and their blood had already dried up¡­

    This was the source of that pungent odor they smelled before! H¨¦l¨¨ne felt like vomiting.

    Below the iron chain, on the innermost side of the room, was a very luxurious round mirror with a faint red glow on its surface.

    H¨¦l¨¨ne had never seen such a luxurious mirror. It was iid on the innermost wall of the room, surrounded byplex magic runes she could not understand. It was almost covering the entire wall. Beside the mirror, there was an ugly skeleton. It was looking at them, and then¡­

    It spoke!

    ¡°Wee to hell, living!¡± Its mouth opened and closed, making a weird creepy sound, the hoarse, unpleasant sound that Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne had heard before. ¡°A wizard and a witch, this is a rare sight; much more valuable than those lowly Muggles. It will like it, it will torture you <i>well</i>, it will not let you die fast!

    Of course, the two of you will eventually die. Your blood belongs to me, I like the smell.¡± The skeleton paused and gave a harshugh. ¡°Sorry, I forgot I can¡¯t smell. How peculiar it is that now, I feel like I almost could!¡±

    ¡°Monster, what on earth are you?¡± Sirius gasped and said, sitting up with H¨¦l¨¨ne¡¯s help.

    He now rested almost all of his weight on her, the wand in his right hand pointed firmly at the skeleton.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use that ugly word! Like you, I am a wizard, a noble pure-blood wizard, back when I was alive,¡± said the skeleton, with a hint of undisguised pride in his voice. ¡°I heard the woman call you ck. I have heard of this family of wizards in Ennd, a trivial small family. You know, heraldry is something that must be mastered. I used to spend a lot of effort on that. Living man, although your family is very small and humble, since you are a pure-blood wizard like me, I can be kind enough to tell you something. It won¡¯t wake up that fast anyway; we have enough time to reminisce. Ah! Reminiscing! Must be my favorite thing, aside from the vor of blood!¡±

    ¡°Reminisce?!¡± This skeleton was absolutely mad. Sirius could not imagine what past it could have had.

    ¡°So where do we start? So much to be said, so little time¡­ Days won¡¯t be enough to say everything! I guess I¡¯ll start with what¡¯s most important¡­ My family. You must know that my family is a branch of the Capetian family of the French royal bloodline, the oldest and noblest pure blood wizard family in Paris. The blood that once flowed through my veins was the purest and the noblest of all,¡± said the skeleton. ¡°Being born with such blood obviously granted me supreme status and glory, far beyond what you could ever imagine¡­¡±

    The skeleton stopped talking, awaiting a reaction, but Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne did not react, and seemed to be, more than anything annoyed by the skeleton¡¯s ramblings.

    ¡°Huh¡­ how disappointing, living; you don¡¯t seem to understand at all¡­ You don¡¯t seem to know the weight of my blood¡­ the value it holds. Forget it, let¡¯s continue! I bet the next bit would be more interesting to people of your caliber; my love affairs while studying at Beauxbatons¡­¡±

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 Chapter 752: Raising Demons

    Chapter 752: Raising Demons

    ¡°My first girl was my personal maid. She was given to me by the family. She was a very talented witch, one year younger than me!¡± The skeleton screamed. ¡°Just a month before I went to school in Beauxbatons, I took her¡­¡±

    Sirius took out the Healing Potion he was carrying, while listening to the skeleton going on and on about the women he had been with in the past, from that poor little maid to the schoolgirls of Beauxbatons, the innocent Muggle girls, and the famousdies of the pure-blood wizard families.

    Even by the standards of the Muggle aristocracy hundreds of years ago, this guy had lived quite the life. He seemed to know the way to a girl¡¯s heart, and obviously, magic had helped him quite a bit.

    Sirius did not, however, care about any of that. He was more concerned about the fact that the skeleton did not seem to intend to prevent him from treating himself.

    That made him feel very bad. It meant that the skeleton was confident enough to not care about his strength.

    Immediately afterwards, Sirius thought of Evan. Where did he go?!!

    ¡°This skeleton was already a perverted scumbag before his death!¡± said H¨¦l¨¨ne angrily, blushing.

    Unlike Sirius, she listened very carefully. When she heard it describe how he abused magic to get into the bed of an innocent Muggle girl, she couldn¡¯t help but get angry. If Sirius hadn¡¯t stopped her, she was really about to try to teach it a hard lesson, no longer caring about her strange surroundings.

    ¡°The girls¡¯ blood had strong magical power within it, so I quickly became strong and became the best among wizards of my age. But it was not enough. I needed to be stronger. As an ancient pure-blood wizard family, my family had many secrets, one of which was the rearing of demons.¡± The skeleton continued, in that weird tone, ¡°This is very powerful and evil Dark magic. No one had ever seeded at executing before me, for none of them could find a perfect carrier for demons to live on earth.¡±

    ¡°However, I found her, hahaha. I didn¡¯t expect that I would be so lucky. My fiancee, Ariane, is such a woman, an excellent witch who can satisfy me in more ways than one could imagine¡­ Oh, she could even satisfy the devil!¡±

    ¡°Ariane?!¡± Sirius murmured, thinking of the spooky woman who had appeared in the mirror.

    ¡°She was my ssmate at Beauxbatons, the mistress of this castle, her family was the magical guardian family in Burgundy, and important allies of our family,¡± said the skeleton, shaking vigorously. ¡°Of course, of course, that was not important. In my eyes, she was just my pet devil in the making. She was the source of my power. Under my training, she gradually fell, turned bloodthirsty, promiscuous and cruel,ying with different men and meeting the devil¡¯s requirements in all aspects¡­¡±

    Unlike before, what followed became more and more shocking.

    ¡°Shortly after my graduation, I went to Egypt to do something ording to my family¡¯s orders. On that trip, I met a girl named Shukrya. She was a witch doctor of an ancient tribe. Unlike witches, it was a very strange magical power.¡± The skeleton paused for a moment, and then gave out a loudugh. ¡°Of course, what caught my attention was the girl¡¯s looks. She was very beautiful¡­ the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I thought that perhaps she could be a carrier of a new devil.¡±

    ¡°It only took a few sweet words for her to fall in love with me very quickly. I brought her back to the castle and gave her to the devil. However, the ancient shaman power that she had stopped the process. The devil couldn¡¯t approach her and even felt disgusted. She was no longer of use to me,¡± The skeleton was shaking on the wall, making loud clicks and bangs. ¡°Although I didn¡¯t mind having one more ve, her tribe was very strong, and I didn¡¯t want to get into meaningless trouble. So, I was going to let her go and allow her to get away from here.¡±

    It paused for a while, as blood dripped from a human corpse tethered to the iron chain above, dropped on it, and sttered.

    ¡°I told her that I didn¡¯t love her anymore, that I was tired of her, that she should go, and that I never wanted to see her again. Yet, she did not leave. I think she was really hopelessly in love with me. It was really foolish. I was going to kick this stupid woman away, but she discovered the secret in the castle, and found out the fact that Ariane had be a devil. She came to tell me, so I could no longer let her go!¡±

    ¡°So, what did you do to her?¡± Sirius gradually grasped the point of the matter!

    What this ugly skeleton said seemed to be the true secret hidden behind the Owl Fortress, and the root of evil in this castle.

    ¡°Before I could take action, the woman secretly used a strong Love Potion on me, rendering me unable to disobey her wishes. She wanted to take me back to her tribe¡­ back to that wild and backward ce.¡± There was a little anger in the voice of the skeleton, and its trembles became more intense. ¡°She didn¡¯t know the truth, and thought she was saving me. It was foolish. Thanks to Ariane¡¯s men, who found me and undid the Love Potion, we locked her in a dungeon, tortured her and prepared to sacrifice her soul to the devil. But that was a mistake¡­ a fatal and terrible mistake. I didn¡¯t expect that she could make poison while tied. She poisoned many people in the castle, and they all died overnight¡­¡±

    ¡°That Shukrya¡­ she simply poisoned the people inside the castle?!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne asked in fear.

    ¡°Yes, even me!¡± The skeleton yelled harshly. ¡°That¡¯s how I died¡­ I died for NOTHING, it was all because of that foolish woman, all her, and I must take revenge. My soul is attached to the devil. I controlled Ariane to kill everyone in the castle, including her parents, brothers and sisters, rtives and even herself. But this was not enough. I wanted to find the woman ¡­ the stupid woman who ruined EVERYTHING¡­¡±

    The skeleton screamed, making a lot of noise, and it didn¡¯t stop until a cold voice interrupted it.

    ¡°Honey, what are you arguing about?¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice.

    Sirius instantly recognized Ariane¡¯s voice, the witch who had sent them here.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake, my darling!¡± The skeleton turned quickly, facing the mirror next to it. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯m talking to two dead people and recalling the past. You know how much I like that!¡±

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 Chapter 753: Entering the World in the Mirror

    Chapter 753: Entering the World in the Mirror

    Sirius opened his eyes wide and looked at what was happening in disbelief.

    A woman¡¯s figure gradually appeared in the red glowing mirror. It was Ariane, whom he and Evan had seen before.

    She was still dressed in her aristocratic dress from hundreds of years ago, and her expression was grim and indifferent, but she was slightly changed from before.

    Her skin was paler. It was unhealthy white. Her eyes were strangely red and a long tongue was hanging out of her mouth.

    The most shocking thing was the horns on her head, which were ck, not very long, but clearly showing the devil that she was!

    ¡°Diable!¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne gasped. She knew it was the most evil Dark magic in France, one that had been extinct for a long time.

    She was tense, holding Sirius¡¯s arm tightly with her left hand, leaning as close as possible to him.

    She forced herself to open her eyes wide, and look at the strange scene in front of her: An ugly skeleton and a ghostly devil woman in the mirror.

    Sirius was also staring at them, clenching the wand in his hand, and he was secretly trying Apparition without any effect.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, the teacher from Beauxbatons. Where¡¯s the young wizard who was with you?!¡± said Ariane casually. ¡°It¡¯s really disappointing. I thought you could crack that woman¡¯s magic.¡±

    ¡°You are the real devil behind this¡­¡±

    ¡°Please mind your words, living, that devil is mine, <i>I am</i> the master here!¡± The skeleton interrupted Sirius and shouted in a shrill voice. ¡°Although my happy memories are not over yet, since Ariane is out, your lives shall end here. Kill them, sweetheart, I want to taste that witch¡¯s blood, I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡± In the mirror, Ariane stretched out a finger with a bright, long red nail. She pointed hard at Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne, and the chains at the top of the room rattled.

    They began to fly fast in the air, and as if they were vipers, they attacked them with terrible momentum.

    Sirius waved his wand and cast a spell, blowing a chain away, and he and H¨¦l¨¨ne stood up from the pile of bones.

    His injury had healed well enough, and although he was still in a bit of pain, it did not affect his fighting ability.

    He and H¨¦l¨¨ne kept hitting the chains flying to their side. H¨¦l¨¨ne was doing well, showing skills fitting of a qualified Auror. Sirius also used Transfiguration, which was usually Evan¡¯s thing. He was trying to morph the chains into something less lethal, but that didn¡¯t have much effect.

    The chains kepting, and there seemed to be no end to them.

    A strange force field surrounded them, and the speed at which their magical energy umted was getting slower and slower¡­

    Sirius didn¡¯t know how long they could hold on. The two devils on the opposite side didn¡¯t seem to n to kill them quickly. Ariane was floating in the mirror,ughing continuously, and the skeleton outside was chattering, saying all sorts of mad gibberish.

    They were just toying with their food; having fun!

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Inside the secret room, knowing that Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne were in danger, Evan quickly turned around to leave, but Shukrya stopped him.

    ¡°Yourpanions entered the room, and they have be the prey of the devil,¡± said Shukrya calmly. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, they will be fine for a while, we have enough time. That devil likes to torture her prey before killing it. If you truly want to rescue them: you must help me! Only <i>I</i> know how to destroy that demon, and only <i>with me could you</i> seed.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± Evan asked quickly. ¡°Should I go and destroy the mirror you¡¯re talking about, the devil¡¯s entity?!¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t seed. The mirror is very robust, and no magic can destroy it.¡±

    At Shukrya¡¯s words, Evan instantly thought of the Horcrux. The same was true of Horcruxes. Although their texture might be verymon, they were protected by powerful magic and could only be destroyed through special methods.

    Evan didn¡¯t know these devils and wasn¡¯t sure if the mirror was the same as Horcruxes.

    The only thing he knew was that summoning or defeating a devil must involve an altar that would be the key to everything.

    ¡°The devil¡¯s altar?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, only by destroying that devil¡¯s altar can youpletely defeat it!¡± said Shukrya, nodding. ¡°It took me hundreds of years to realize that the devil¡¯s altar was inside the mirror. We need to enter it if we want to have a chance.¡±

    ¡°What should I do to enter the world in the mirror?¡± Evan frowned.

    ¡°Only with the consent of the devil can you get into its mirror, and there was nothing I could do about that,¡± said Shukrya, looking into Evan¡¯s eyes. ¡°But now we have a chance, and that¡¯s one of the reasons why I wanted you to help me.It¡¯s what that devil wanted; use the blood the demon gave you to destroy this totem and the magic I left here, and the souls that inhabit the castle will lose their natural protection and return to their original appearance. She will surely swallow them. It¡¯s right then, right as that mirror devours those souls, we¡¯ll follow along with them to find the devil¡¯s altar and destroy it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll be a <i>soul</i> with <i>you</i>?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; as long as you wear this tribal holy pendant around your neck, the souls of my ancestors will protect you.¡± Shukrya pointed at the owl pendant attached to the totem. ¡°It will help you be an owl of a special energy form,simr to the state of a soul to some extent, and that would allow you to enter the mirror with us.¡±

    Taking on some kind of special energy form simr to a soul? Evan had never heard of such a thing. Shaman magic was truly different!

    In Wizards¡¯ magic, only through blood sacrifices could Dark wizards turn into energy forms, and that process waspletely irreversible. For a simple pendant to allow him to do such a thing, it was truly remarkable.

    ¡°What do you choose, wizard?¡± said Shukrya calmly, ¡°Fight, or flee? If we fail, we would both be devoured by that devil and add to its power, but this nightmare will end anyway.¡±

    ¡°Fight!¡± said Evan, determined. He considered the matter carefully, and there was nothing wrong with the approach Shukrya proposed. It was the only way.

    The only thing that he needed to be worried about now was how powerful this devil was and whether or not he could kill it.

    There was no point in staying here and worrying about his ability to win. He could only know by trying, and Evan was never afraid of fighting.

    Under Shukrya¡¯s gaze, he stepped forward and took off the owl pendant from above the totem. The gentle magic flowed slowly from the pendant into his body. The natural forces surrounded him, and his body changed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    In the blink of an eye, Evan became a ghostly owl!

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 Chapter 754: Betrayal

    Chapter 754: Betrayal

    Just as Evan became an owl, a mysterious force of nature was released from the shaman totem, quickly passing through the dark castle.

    The owl ghosts wandering in the castle were stunned to find that the power that had been confining them had disappeared.

    Their bodies were changing rapidly, returning to their former shapes¡­

    The ghosts regained their senses, shouted cheerfully, and celebrated in the broken corridor covered by the cobwebs.

    If someone was toe at that moment, they would be frightened; the castle turned into a world of ghosts!

    Deep underground, in the wicked room full of corpses where Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne had been fighting, the chains suddenly stopped iling around and fell to the ground. The skeleton was shaking violently, making a shrill scream that vaguely sounded like augh.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s going on?¡± H¨¦l¨¨ne gasped, leaning weakly against Sirius.

    Her physical strength had been exhausted, and the battle was getting increasingly dangerous. She and Sirius worked together to barely resist so far.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Sirius shook his head and held his wand tightly.

    He looked at the two monsters that had suddenly be ecstatic in front of him and did not know what was going on.

    Then immediately, he thought of Evan. It must be him¡­ He must have done something to make them like this.

    But the next words on the opposite side made Sirius¡¯s heart that had just been lifted sink again.

    ¡°Did you feel it? That damn power is gone. There is nothing to imprison us!¡± The skeleton shouted madly, ¡°Darling, you will soon be back in this world, even stronger than ever before.¡±

    ¡°It must be the young wizard. He destroyed that tramp¡¯s magic like I told him. He spilled the blood of the demon on the totem¡­ I knew he would seed,¡± said Ariane excitedly, quickly moving forward, leaning to his side in the mirror, licking her lips with her long tongue and panting hard. ¡°Ah, ah, I have waited for this day for more than 500 years, and I¡¯m finally going to be free!¡±

    ¡°Yes, absorb those damn souls in the castle. You will be very powerful, we will ¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you filthy ugly monster, I have endured you for a long enough!¡± said Ariane sharply, ring at the skeleton next to the mirror with hatred in her eyes, ¡°It is because of you that I became a devil; it is because of you that I killed my parents, brothers and sisters, rtives and friends with my own hands¡­ It is because of you that I have been trapped in this damn mirror for 500 years!¡±

    ¡°Honey, my dear Ariane, what are you talking about¡­¡± The skeleton¡¯s crazyughter abruptly came to a halt, and he couldn¡¯t believe what the woman in the mirror was saying, ¡°I am your man, your closest lover.¡±

    ¡°You are but a fool with no power now, and the magic you left on me has long since disappeared!¡± said Ariane spookily, ¡°for so many years, I pretended to follow your orders, just to paralyze you, to build up strength, waiting for today. Hahaha, in the process of transforming the descendants of my family and those adventurers, you thought I would do nothing?! ¡°

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    ¡°Those who raise demons always end up being devoured by them¡­¡± Ariane licked her lips and continued, ¡°It was inevitable; it was decided the moment you gave me to the devil five hundred years ago. My beloved, only by eating your soul can I be as strong as I could be¡­ PERFECT! Then, no one could ever control me again. By then, I will leave this cursed castle and start a new life on my own.¡±

    ¡°Ariane¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t do that to me¡­ you¡¯ve gone mad¡­ <i>YOU DEVIL</i>!¡±

    ¡°Haha, that, I am!¡±

    ¡°NOOOOO!¡± The skeleton screamed aloud, with its bones making eerily loud clicks and cks as they shook vigorously and collided with the wall.

    Then, it quickly turned its head to look at Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne, and said in a hurry, ¡°Living, destroy this mirror and attack it with your strongest magic! Hurry up and destroy it, otherwise you two will also die, she won¡¯t let you go, she ¡­¡±

    Red swirls appeared on the huge mirror, slowly rotating, getting faster and faster, turning in a vortex.

    Sirius saw a man¡¯s soul being sucked out of the skeleton.

    Before he could react to what was going on, he saw more and more souls passing through the upper wall and being sucked into the mirror.

    They mourned, trying to escape or stop it all, but to no avail.

    Soon the entire room was filled with all kinds of souls; a tornado of souls, rooting in the mirror and reaching the ceiling of the cave.

    Sirius and H¨¦l¨¨ne stood on the pile of bones, looking pale, watching this shocking scene.

    A few minutester, a translucent little owlnded on Sirius¡¯s shoulder and winked at him.

    ¡°Evan¡­¡± muttered Sirius. Looking into his eyes, he instantly recognized that this was his trustypanion.

    He didn¡¯t know what was going on. Why did Evan turn into a ghostly owl?!!

    The little owl pped its wings and rushed straight to the mirror at the end of the room as fast as he could.

    In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the mirror with other wailing souls.

    <i>¡°NOOOOO</i>!¡± Sirius shouted loudly, and hurried over with H¨¦l¨¨ne.

    But all the souls had been sucked into the mirror, and the strange red light reappeared on its surface, as though nothing had happened.

    Evan, Ariane, the skeleton, and the ghosts all disappeared.

    In this evil room, only corpses and bones were left to tell the tale of evil beyond belief¡­

    Along with Shukrya, Evan had smoothly gone through the mirror.

    Inside was a chaotic world, where all was engulfed in some kind of depressingly gray fog.

    They stayed in midair and saw the ghosts quickly absorbed into a red devil¡¯s altar below.

    Theplex magical runes were shining, and a woman¡¯s figure stood beside the altar, ecstatic.

    She was Ariane, Ariane in her Devil Form!

    Evan saw her eyes, blood-red, shining brightly without pupils. The ck horns on her head, iconically diabolical, were slowly growing, getting thicker, longer and bigger¡­

    Her power was increasing as it devoured the power of the souls sucked into the devil¡¯s altar.

    In front of her, a handsome-looking wizard was kneeling down, constantly uttering words of despair¡­

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 Chapter 755: Regret

    Chapter 755: Regret

    ¡°Let me go, my dear Ariane!¡± The wizard eventually gasped and kissed the devil¡¯s feet. ¡°From today on, I¡¯m your ve, you can order me to do anything, and I will be obedient, I¡¯ll be your dog¡­¡±

    ¡°SILENCE, you filthy fool! I left you here to torture you, not to make you my dog!¡± said Ariane. And she suddenly felt something. She looked up and saw Evan and Shukrya in midair, with a sepulchral smile on her face. ¡°Ah, the cute young wizard and Shukrya, I was just wondering when you two would show up!¡±

    ¡°You knew we wereing here?¡± said Evan, returning from the owl form.

    He regained his human shape, and the pendant tied to his wrist exuded a strange power, ensuring that he would not be expelled from the mirror.

    ¡°Of course I knew. I have been fighting that witch next to you for over five hundred years; I know her even better than she knows herself,¡± said Ariane. ¡°I knew, a bit over ten years ago, that she was getting tired and could not hold on for much longer, so I carefully devised this n, patiently waiting for the right candidate. Finally I found a wizard like you, one who could convince her to help me. I did indeed need your blood to crack her magic, that was the only thing Icked¡­ I didn¡¯t lie.¡±

    ¡°You devil!¡± said Shukrya calmly, her eyes on the wizard kneeling on the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be so lofty. From the moment you poisoned everyone in the castle, you became a devil yourself!¡± snapped Ariane. ¡°This is just a battle between a <i>devil</i>¡­ and another, and I will be the one to emerge victorious!¡±

    ¡°No, you are wrong, we¡¯ve both already lost!¡± said Shukrya slowly, closing her eyes. ¡°I have failed to live up to the expectations of my tribe¡¯s elders and the great witch doctor who taught me. I have broken the oath I made to my ancestors and to the will of nature. These five hundred years of suffering are the punishment I deserve. And you, from a human aristocrat to a devil¡¯s vessel; you have killed your own family and friends with your own hands. You are merely a monster now.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you vixen!¡± Before Ariane spoke, the wizard kneeling before her raised his head and shouted, ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for you, none of this would¡¯ve happened. <i>Who</i> do you think screwed up everything?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s the man in your story? The wizard you deeply loved?¡± Evan frowned.

    Shukrya nodded slowly, her gaze stayed on the wizard, unwavering.

    ¡°That scumbag,¡± Evan sighed and looked at the wizard with disdain. ¡°Do you still love him now?¡±

    Shukrya didn¡¯t respond to Evan¡¯s question, and seemed hesitant.

    On the ground, the wizard kept kissing Ariane¡¯s feet, looking lowly and disgusting¡­

    Seeing that Shukrya didn¡¯t respond, Evan thought he had got her answer and was ready to focus on his enemies. But at that moment, he actually saw Shukrya nodding slowly.

    ¡°No matter what he bes, he is the one I love the most. I am willing to give everything up for him,¡± she said calmly. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t forget this love. It was the happiest time of my life.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, you still like this guy!¡± Ariane gave a shrillugh. ¡°What a stupid wench! You may not know what he did, what he looks like now, who he really is, but¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I know, and I hate him for what he did,¡± said Shukrya. ¡°As you said, I am a devil, too; and my sins can simply be washed away. But I am different from you. I am still a witch doctor, and I will not forget the teachings of the spirits of my ancestors. I still have love in my heart, and I still remember our early days, and that, for me, is enough!¡±

    ¡°You are disgusting, Shukrya, my impression of you has never changed,¡± shouted Ariane, kicking the wizard kneeling on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll just get this over with, so that you finally disappear from this world.¡±

    Her body was changing rapidly, from a humanoid form, into that of a pure devil.

    The horns on her head rose high, her expression became more ferocious, fangs came out of her mouth, and her hands changed, turning into terrible ws. Her cold skin was still colorless, and her body exuded incredible Dark magic.

    That was the true form of a devil. It was really shocking.

    Evan took out his wand and pointed at her, but he didn¡¯t find any obvious weaknesses on his opponent.

    As more and more souls were devoured, her strength should now be close to Dumbledore¡¯s or Voldemort¡¯s, and Evan was not sure how to defeat her.

    Then, his eyes turned to the bloody devil¡¯s altar at the back.

    He didn¡¯t have to defeat her in a direct battle; he only needed to destroy the altar, which was the essence of the devil¡¯s existence.

    ¡°I will bind her with magic for a while, destroy that altar, young wizard!¡± Shukrya whispered, floating beside Evan. ¡°You must seed; you are our only hope.¡±

    She nced at Evan, and then turned back to the devil, her eyes gleaming with determination.

    Shukrya began to chant ancient incantations in anguage that Evan was not familiar with. It sounded like a sacrificial hymn of an African tribe. A gentle power came out of her, and all the ghosts around her stopped flocking to the altar.

    They looked at Shukrya, with an expression of relief on their faces, and a faint light appeared on their bodies.

    All the lights came together, gathered in front of Shukrya, forming a huge wall.

    ¡°No, you idiot, stop it!¡± shouted Ariane. ¡°The ghosts are mine!¡±

    She rushed towards Evan and Shukrya. Evan waved his wand quickly, and a golden barrier appeared in front of him.

    The barrier kept the devil from approaching. Although it did notst long, it was enough. Shukrya¡¯s magic had beenpleted. The ancient shamans could mobilize the power of the souls. That was the light emitted by those souls, and now, it all flew towards Ariane, changed into a cage, and locked her firmly in the middle.

    With all the souls she had absorbed into this mirror world, Shukrya had a ton of power at her disposal, and despite the fact that Ariane tried to w her way out, the cage did not budge.

    However, Evan noticed that the souls¡¯ bodies became more and more transparent, and the weakest ones had disappeared.

    Even Shukrya¡¯s body was getting lighter and lighter. This magic was very harmful to the souls it involved.

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 Chapter of the Owl Fortress

    Chapter of the Owl Fortress

    ¡°Ah, this abominable magic!¡± Ariane screamed. ¡°These are <i>my</i> souls, <i>my</i> power!¡±

    She lunged forward, but immediately retreated back, screaming.

    It wasn¡¯t just that she couldn¡¯t break through, the cage actually badly burned her ws, and ck smoke came out of them as soon as they touched it.

    ¡°You¡¯re all going to DIE¡­ you¡¯re all going to DIE!¡± Ariane cursed, waving her ws vigorously and acting mad. ¡°No! I want you to live forever, and I will TORTURE YOUR SOULS!¡±

    ¡°NOW, wizard, destroy that altar. This is our only chance.¡± Shukrya urged.

    There was no need to remind him; Evan had already reached the devil¡¯s altar, and he was now looking at the ancient andplex magical patterns on it.

    The main body of the altar had the shape of an inverted pentagram, and was made out of kinds of wood and stone that Evan had never seen before. It had many ancient words engraved on it, the same words he had previously seen on the mirror.

    Right in the center of the pentagram was a pupil-like red round hole.

    The bright red, deep round hole extended inwards, like a human throat, into which the souls were previously being sucked.

    There were many ripples inside the round hole, which kept expanding and contracting, giving Evan a feeling that it was a living thing.

    He looked at it briefly, raised his wand, chanted a spell, and dark green light gathered on his wand.

    The magic he gathered was getting stronger and stronger, and it soon reached the limit of what Evan could control.

    He tipped his wand forward, the green light shed, leaving a deep gully on the devil¡¯s altar in front of him.

    Ariane, trapped in the cage, let out another loud shriek and then fell toy prone on the ground, seemingly suffering great harm.

    But it was not fatal. Evan¡¯s magic did not destroy the devil¡¯s altar, and the mark he left on it was gradually being healed¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. Maybe now the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone could be useful!¡± Evan frowned at the altar in front of him.

    He wasn¡¯t sure which magic to use. This was certainly not the right way to destroy this devil¡¯s altar.

    Just like a Horcrux, it would not be destroyed by ordinary spells. It could only be destroyed by special weapons causing damage to the protective magic on it to prevent it from repairing itself.

    ¡°Living, attack that round hole. The devil¡¯s soul lives in it,¡± Suddenly, the wizard who had been lying on the ground spoke, his face sullen. ¡°That devil will not let me go, I must destroy her¡­ I must destroy her!¡±

    ¡°Her soul is hidden inside?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, believe me. <i>I </i>made this altar myself. I put her soul in it, and raised and nurtured this devil with virgins¡¯ blood and souls,¡± yelled the wizard wildly, with hatred in his voice. ¡°Use your blood¡­ Pour your blood into it, so that the devil¡¯s power inside is no longer pure, so that her soul could be destroyed.¡±

    Evan looked at the ghost of the wizard, and then at the constantly shrinking hole in the center of the devil¡¯s altar.

    ¡°Better not!¡± He said softly.

    Even if he didn¡¯t know much about the demonic Dark magic, he knew that it was not a good idea to inject his blood into a devil¡¯s altar. That wizard absolutely did not mean well.

    Even if this could really defeat the devil, this would not end well for Evan.

    However, what the wizard just said made him realize that this round hole directly reached the devil¡¯s soul, which was her weakness. With that being the case¡­

    As fast as he could, he pushed his wand down into the hole and read a spell again.

    A blue magical rune shed at the tip of Evan¡¯s wand. The next second, arge amount of strongly corrosive liquid poured out continuously. This was an enhanced version of the Corrosion Curse. These toxic liquids could destroy everything they encountered.

    ¡°NO¡­ No¡­ stop!¡± shouted Ariane, her voice piercing, but getting weaker and weaker.

    Her body lying on the ground kept twitching, her muscles were convulsing, and her eyes were nk, as though something was about to burst out of her body. Her pale skin showed a red tint. She felt the heat spreading through her body, tearing it up bit by bit.

    Ariane¡¯s face was twisted. She stretched out her terrible ws upward and then she lowered them again.

    Her demonic body rapidly changed as it shook, returning to its previous human form, and then getting more and more frail.

    It was all over, she felt that her soul was withering, and this nightmare would eventuallye to an end.

    With the devil¡¯s altar in front of Evan as the center, the whole space was shaking violently.

    ¡°It worked!¡± Evan murmured, controlling his wand to continue corroding the devil¡¯s soul.

    ¡°NO¡­ you destroyed my altar, you destroyed the devil!¡± The wizard¡¯s soul was still screaming wildly, and the expression on his face was still distorted to the extreme. ¡°What did you do? What did you inject into it? I told you to use blood¡­¡±

    ¡°Back off!¡± said Evan. He ignored the wizard¡¯s screams, pulled out his wand and ran to Shukrya.

    He heard a crackling sound, the sound of a broken mirror, in which the world was copsing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here, hurry up!¡± said Evan, looking firmly at Shukrya.

    Her body had be almostpletely transparent by now; her strength had dissipated, and she was about topletely fade away at any moment.

    ¡°You go¡­ I¡¯m not leaving, I¡¯ll stay here, and with me, this evil that hassted for more than five hundred years will end.¡± said Shukrya calmly, looking at the owl pendant on Evan¡¯s left wrist. ¡°Wizard, this holy item is a gift from me. My only hope is that someday you could go to my tribe and tell them that I am sorry. I failed to live up to their expectations. If there is an afterlife, I will strive to be the best witch doctor. Go, the pendant will lead you to find my tribe¡­¡±

    ¡°I will¡­ I promise!¡± said Evan solemnly.

    He touched the pendant on his hand, strange powers emerged, and his body became an owl in energy form again.

    He flew up, hovering in midair, watching Shukrya walk past Ariane on the ground, and slowly approaching the wizard.

    With a smile on her face, she gently took the wizard¡¯s arm as though she were the happiest bride.

    This was a wedding that was more than 500 years due. Although things had changed, this was still Shukrya¡¯s biggest dream.

    No matter what he became, no matter what he did, as long as she still loved him, that was enough.

    Evan looked at them onest time, and then raised his head and flew higher, leaving the world created by the devil.

    If there was an afterlife, he hoped that Shukrya would find the love she truly deserved and meet the worthy man who would love her back.

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 Chapter 757: Prologue, On to the Giants

    Chapter 757: Prologue, On to the Giants

    After that night, whenever he looked at the owl pendant on his left wrist, this rough and simple carved turquoise, Evan thought of Shukrya, the girl with a smile on her lips and a wise and calm expression, the girl who willingly became a devil for the sake of love¡­

    He didn¡¯t know the name of the shaman¡¯s relic on his wrist. He just called it ¡°Shukrya¡¯s Shield¡±.

    This pendant had a very strong natural force, which was a very unique magical power. But Evan was not a witch doctor and could not use this power to its full extent. He could only use this pendant to be an owl in energy form. The Transfiguration wouldst for about an hour. Then, it would take about three days for the pendant to regain its magical power.

    This was useful enough, however; an energy owl could go through walls and even enter many special ces restricted by magic.

    It was very helpful and convenient for Evan whenever he needed to move quickly, or be a bird¡­

    In short, everything ended on that night, and no owl ghosts could be found in this sinister dark fortress anymore.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if that was good or bad for the local magical tourism industry in Dijon, but at least, no more murders would ur.

    He and his twopanions found the horrible Owl-Woman in the side hall on the ground floor of the castle. After Ariane was killed, she lost the source of her power. Now she was just a monster with owl feathers, without any magic, lying weakly on the ground.

    Ironically, the Owl-Woman was actually Mary, the murdered witch.

    She had killed herself, although that was to be known as the horrifying Dijon murder. She dedicated her soul to the devil, and acquired a new body. But in the end, she gained nothing from turning herself into a monster.

    Perhaps this was the nature of power. If reached through twisted shortcuts, it would have a hefty price!

    Evan and Sirius handed over the Owl-Woman to H¨¦l¨¨ne and burdened her with exining the situation to the French Ministry of Magic and dealing with the aftermath. But this was just what she needed: An opportunity to prove to the Ministry that she was a qualified Auror.

    The bizarre twists and turns of this case were to be enough to shake the entire French wizardingmunity and make H¨¦l¨¨ne its most renowned rising star.

    But that was what was toe, and on that night, the three returned to the bar to meet Hagrid and Madame Maxime, and to prepare to leave Dijon at dawn.

    When parting, H¨¦l¨¨ne hugged Evan, but only blushed and shook hands with Sirius. Sirius didn¡¯t say much either, just telling her to be more careful.

    ¡®Being stuck together in that wicked room, perhaps they were tired of hugging one another¡­¡¯ thought Evan naughtily.

    If H¨¦l¨¨ne wanted to start a thing with Sirius, he would love to see it happen¡­ Sirius had it rough for too long, and the innocent yet daring young Auror seemed like a good fit for him. But now, the two of them were on a mission.

    H¨¦l¨¨ne invited Evan and Sirius to visit Paris when they were free, and gave them her address.

    The journey continued, and the carriage flew all the way to Italy. After Dijon, they did not stay in towns. Most of the time, they camped in the wild, far away fromrge Muggle cities, and there was no ident during the rest of their journey.

    Well, in a forest on the border between France and Italy, they met two crazy trolls, but Hagrid quickly cleared them away!

    When the carriage passed by far from Rome, Evan saw through the window a very thick beam of light rising from the heights in the northwest corner of the city. It could be clearly seen even from a long distance. That was the holy city of the Vatican, the seat of the Holy See.

    Sirius told him that the beam of light was a holy light from a relic owned by the Pope.

    No one knew what that sacred thing was and why it had such powerful magic. All they knew was that all Dark creatures dared not approach it.

    This had been the case for centuries, and the huge pir of light never died out.

    Only wizards and magical creatures could see it, and see the miracle that could light up almost half the night sky.

    Evan had seen descriptions of Rome, the Vatican and the Holy See in many magic books before. This historical city they were flying over was full of special magic, but unfortunately, they had no time to go in and have a look.

    Maybe, after contacting the giants, they could stay here for a few days and go for a proper visit.

    After leaving Rome, they headed south along the coastline, passed Pompeii, entered the Mediterranean and headed for Sicily at the southern end.

    After arriving in Sicily, the carriage stopped on the side near the forest and did not go on.

    The giants were in the mountains. There were many legends about them nearby. Sirius and Hagrid decided to collect information first.

    Besides, they had to go down the mountains to find the giants¡¯ camp following Dumbledore¡¯s n.

    In the dense mountain forest, the flying carriage had lost its use. Because of protective magic, no giant could be seen from the air.

    With the other two busy with preparations, Evan was free. He changed into Muggle clothes and toured around the ind, just like any ordinary thirteen-year-old boying from Ennd. Sirius told him not to go too far.

    As thergest ind in the Mediterranean Sea, its beauty was simply picturesque!

    This was a perfect holiday destination with many spots worth visiting. In terms of naturalndscapes, mountains, sea, hills, volcanoes, almost all the essence of Italy was captured within this huge ind, with its passionate residents, white sandy beaches, amazing ancient culture, delicious food¡­

    Unlike Muggle travelers, Evan¡¯s focus was primarily on magic.

    Throughout history, ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Spaniards, Arabs, Austrians, and others had ruled here sessively, and their spellcasters had also left their own traces on thisnd. All kinds of ancient magic relics and abandoned ancient fortresses could be seen everywhere. Historical buildings from various periods going back all the way to the ancient warlock area were perfectly integrated within one homogeneous ind.

    The magic detailed in the ruins included not only the magic left by wizards, but also many forces that Evan did not understand, such as a shaman temple made of boulders, as well as mysterious spells from Africa and the ancient East. It filled him with wonder, as he learned more and more.

    Of course, almost all of the magic in the ruins had lost its effect, which was something that Evan regretted.

    While there, he inquired about the Scy and the great whirlpool of Charybdis, and got some interesting information¡­

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 Chapter 758: The Extinguished Lighthouse

    Chapter 758: The Extinguished Lighthouse

    Both Scy and the whirlpool were located in the Strait of Messina between the Italian penins and Sicily.

    From the northeast corner of the ind, where Evan was now, they could clearly see the panoramic view of the strait.

    There was a small town near their camp, Taormina, where Muggles and wizards lived together. There was a well-preserved ancient Greek theater in town. It was also the name card of Sicily. Evan had just visited it not long ago.

    At the southern end of the town, there was a breathtaking view of the cliffs and Etna, Europe¡¯srgest active volcano.

    The terrain of the whole mountain was quiteplex, providing perfect hiding space for giants. It was also the birthce of the legendary Cyclops.

    In mythology, Cyclops built weapons from volcanicva, making thunderous sounds as they did.

    The clouds around here were very thick and the top of the mountain could not be seen for most of the year. Finding giants there wouldn¡¯t be an easy task. As their mundane daily life made wild noises that were often joined by the sound of thunder, Muggle residents nearby all thought that a mighty god of thunder lived up there.

    Evan had carefully observed the surrounding terrain, as the ind he had seen in Ravenw¡¯s memory was probably in this area.

    Gryffindor and Ravenw had certainly arrived here more than a thousand years ago.

    Gryffindor had a fight with the Cyclops in the mountain of Etna, which left a permanent scar on his eye.

    To the north of the town near the coastline pier was an ancient lighthouse, a nearbymanding height. Until now, it had been guiding the sailing ships. If one wanted to take a boat to see the sirens, he needed to start from there.

    The Italian Ministry of Magic had set up a special protected area here to provide protection for sirens, and operated cruise ships to visit them.

    But now there was no one. Mr. Idas Grosso of the reserve told Evan that more often, wizards woulde to visit during school holidays. It was very rare for young wizards like him toe here during the semester.

    ¡°No, no, we can¡¯t go out to sea now!¡± Grosso shook his head and said, ¡°Boy, I suggest you go to your parents or guardians. The area has been very dangerous recently. It¡¯s no ce for a young wizard like you.¡±

    ¡°My uncle is busy with other things. I¡¯m just looking around. I¡¯ve read descriptions of the sirens in a book,¡± said Evan. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go out? Because of Galleons? Or do you think I have to be apanied to see the sirens?¡±

    ¡°Both!¡± said Grosso, straightening the hat on his head and pointing to the lighthouse on the high ground next to the dock. ¡°But the main reason is that the lighthouse is broken. Without the lighthouse¡¯s guidance, going to those waters is a death sentence. Let me tell you, those Sirens like young boys like you the most. If you fall into their hands, they will not kill you, but they will keep draining you slowly, locked up in a nest on the side of the cliff, and every day¡­¡±

    Evan turned his head and looked at the ancient Lighthouse. Mr. Grosso told him that not long ago, the light on the top of the lighthouse suddenly went out.

    In fact, this lighthouse was not simply giving directions to Muggles¡¯ ships. The lights inside also had a very special protection magic, which could keep the boats and crews from being fooled by the singing of the Sirens, and keep them from being immersed in their illusions.

    With the lighthouse now broken, sailing at this time was no different from seeking death.

    Next, Grosso told Evan many horror stories about the sirens, as well as the undead wandering in these waters. But what Evan really cared about was what happened after the lighthouse was damaged¡­

    ¡°Yeah, after the lighthouse broke down, Muggles sent people to repair it several times. What do they call those weird people with long metal ropes¡­ electricians?¡± said Grosso. ¡°I saw them go in with my own eyes. Then it would take them a whole night toe out, and they¡¯d be mad. They kept saying gibberish, as though they had met a ghost.¡±

    ¡°Mad?!! Evan looked at him in amazement.

    ¡°Yeah, it was as if they were brainwashed. They kept talking about doomsday, destruction, ancient gods, and so on. Who knows what they saw in the tower? I heard they kept having nightmares long after they went back.¡± Grosso looked around, then lowered his head, brought his freckled face closer to Evan, lowered his voice, and said, ¡°The reason why the lighthouse was broken was obviously magical. There¡¯s a group of Dark wizards in it. I saw them go in one night on a boat, all wearing ck cloaks.¡±

    ¡°Did you see what they looked like?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°No, no!¡± Grosso waved his hand, and there was a sh of horror on his face. ¡°I reported it to the higher-ups, but the guy in charge of the town didn¡¯t respond, and the Ministry of Magic didn¡¯t send anyone over to investigate. A broken lighthouse is probably a trivial matter in their eyes, and there was no need to spend resources on it. In any case, those sirens will not starve to death; they will find food for themselves.¡±

    ¡°But this matter is very serious!¡± said Evan. The Dark wizards Grosso talked about made him think of all sorts of possibleplications.

    Before leaving, Nics mel once told him that the long disappeared Raven¡¯s w had begun toe out again. This was the ce where Ravenw once came. Would the Raven¡¯s w be those hooded Dark wizards? Or, were they Death Eaters who came to look for the giants as well?!¡±

    ¡°It is indeed serious, but this has nothing to do with me either!¡± said Grosso, straightening up again. ¡°I¡¯m just a siren keeper. As long as I get my paycheck, I don¡¯t need to worry about those problems. To be honest, I¡¯ve had enough of this job. It pays well, but I¡¯ve gathered a good sum already! I¡¯m preparing to quit and find a new job in Rome. It is better than guarding an empty boat and a group of sirens.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Grosso, if I fix the lighthouse, can you take me out to sea?¡± said Evan. ¡°I still want to see the sirens!¡±

    ¡°No problem, boy, as long as you can fix that lighthouse!¡± said Grosso. ¡°I have never seen a young wizard like you who is interested in sirens¡­ Yeah, their upper bodies are like those of human women, nude human women! But below, one look is all you¡¯ll need to lose interest!¡±

    Evan waved his hand and walked back along the path he came along. He waited until there was no one around and Apparated back to the camp.

    Whatever the cause of the lighthouse¡¯s extinction, there was clearly new trouble inside awaiting him.

    He was going to wait until the contact with the giants came to an end, and then find a way to solve this problem.

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 Chapter 759: Giant Tribe

    Chapter 759: Giant Tribe

    The lighthouse was the highest point on the coastline, standing high above all. Being up there, one could oversee the whole area.

    Those dark wizards who upied the lighthouse must have nned to find a favorable position to observe Scy and the whirlpool, and everything in the area. But why would they extinguish the lighthouse?!!

    Evan couldn¡¯t understand. But on the other hand, Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime had things going well. The giants had a few contacts among local wizards, and from them, they learned that the current Gurg of the giant tribe was a giant called Karkus, the son of the leader of the previous generation of giants.

    Perhaps because he had inherited his position through bloodright, his rule was not stable. On top of that, there was another giant called Golgomath who was much stronger than him.

    Many giants thought that Golgomath was more powerful than Karkus and more qualified to be the Gurg.

    These might have also been just rumors; none of the wizards could confirm any of it with certainty.

    In the eyes of most wizards, giants were mostly simple-minded creatures. But they actually had quiteplex social structures.

    After discussion, Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime finally decided to contact Karkus first, but at the same time, they also prepared an equally valuable gift for Golgomath, just in case¡­

    By the time Evan returned, the three of them had already made up their minds and were ready to go.

    Not long ago, Hagrid went to the town and bought a ton of ughtered goats, which was the giants¡¯ favorite food. He and Sirius carried sacks containing goats. Madame Maximeid out magic inside the camp. Then, the four set off.

    ¡°Have you found the giants¡¯ location?¡± Evan asked, plodding along the rough mountain road. He had to do all he could to keep up with Hagrid and Madame Maxime.

    ¡°I found them, just on the other side of a ridge. I saw them the night before yesterday. There were little fires burning and huge shadows¡­ like bits of the mountain moving!¡± said Hagrid, gesturing with his empty hands to make theparison. ¡°Those giants are about twenty feet tall; some of the bigger ones may be twenty-five¡­ much taller than me. I didn¡¯t rm them. After confirming that it was their territory, I came straight back!¡±

    ¡°How many were there?¡±

    ¡°I reckon there must be at least a hundred, which is actually not muchpared to their heyday!¡± said Hagrid sadly, shaking the sack on his shoulder. ¡°You know, there were loads of them once. There must have been at least a hundred different tribes from all over the world. But they¡¯ve been dying out for ages. Wizards killed a few, of course, but mostly they killed each other, and now they¡¯re dying out faster than ever. They¡¯re not made to live bunched up together like that. Dumbledore says it¡¯s our fault; it was the wizards who forced them to live far away. They had no choice but to stick together in order to survive¡­¡±

    Giants were powerful but were now an endangered species. They were decreasing in number at an rming rate, and it was not certain when they would go extinct.

    If that happened, wizards would only see them in books. They would have to look at trolls in order to imagine them, just like they do now with giants to imagine cyclopes.

    ¡°At this rate, we can get to the giants¡¯ territory before dinner today,¡± said Sirius. ¡°For safety, we¡¯d better not sneak up on them in the dark and wait till tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°We discussed it before. Olympe and I will walk in the front with a present to the Gurg.¡± Hagrid confirmed. ¡°As for Sirius and Evan, you¡¯re responsible for giving other gifts to Golgomath and the other giants.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t know which one is Golgomath,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°You will easily recognize him. He is the strongest one in the tribe. You can¡¯t possibly mistake him for another,¡± said Madame Maxime, ¡°These negotiations will not be easy, and we must be prepared for it. We may have to stay in the giants¡¯ territory for a long time to persuade them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, living with giants should truly be an unforgettable experience,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Very few wizards ever had this kind of experience. Evan, when you go back, you can write it in the newspaper. It will definitely be a hit.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea. Dumbledore doesn¡¯t want others to know that we¡¯re in contact with the giants,¡± said Madame Maxime cautiously, looking at Sirius dissatisfied. ¡°We must keep it a secret. You and Rubeus were really careless along the way, Evan was much better than you in this respect.¡±

    ¡°I know, I wasn¡¯t serious¡­¡± (T/N: But wasn¡¯t he? XD)

    ¡°Speaking of that, who knows what¡¯s going on back in the country right now.¡± Evan hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, and I guess Fudge and the Ministry of Magic would definitely take some measures to restrict Dumbledore and Hogwarts¡­¡±

    ¡°He is an utter fool,¡± said Sirius disdainfully.

    Things became a bit awkward after that. They didn¡¯t speak and kept rushing. Later, Evan was too tired to speak. His body was not suitable for this kind of mountain hiking. Even though he always kept exercising, he was too frail to make his way through mountain roads for a whole day.

    After crossing cliffs and ridges, they made their way up on the south side of Mount Etna.

    They were now in a hidden valley, with only one winding path leading to it, close to the top of the mountain.

    Although it was still summer, the top of the mountain was covered with snow and the temperature was getting lower and lower. Thick cloudy fog drifted around Evan, meeting the snow underneath his feet. As a result, all he could see was whiteness spreading as far as the eye could see.

    Dumbledore had been here before, and he was one of the wizards who helped some giants escape from Britain. Without his guidance, it would¡¯ve been very difficult and it might¡¯ve taken several months to find this valley.

    It was getting dark, and after struggling to climb a huge rock, Evan heard a roar.

    ¡°Be careful, this is a giant, we are very close to them!¡± Sirius said, stopping.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Evan asked, ¡°Making such a loud noise!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, but I think they might be fighting,¡± Sirius answered.

    ¡°They always do this. The men fight each other and the women fight each other. My dad told me these things before. My mother told him,¡± said Hagrid, sighing. ¡°They can¡¯t help themselves; they half kill each other every few weeks.¡±

    ¡°This is normal. Although their numbers are small, theposition of the giant tribe in Sicily is veryplex and there are many outsiders,¡± said Madame Maxime. ¡°They all fled after the previous wars. Now they are all crowded together. It is not strange for them to fight.¡±

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 Chapter 760: Primitive

    Chapter 760: Primitive

    ¡°Because of grudges from the past, the remnants of the old tribes often fight each other, and that¡¯s even without squabbles over food and the best fires and sleeping spots,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°You¡¯d think, seeing as how their whole race is on the verge of extinction, they¡¯d give it a break, but¡­ those are giants for you!¡±

    ¡°That Gurg, the chief of the giants, doesn¡¯t he care?¡± Evan asked. He had read about this in the reading materials gathered for him by Hermione, but still found it inconceivable. ¡°He just lets it happen?¡±

    ¡°Giants have their own rules, and they have always been like this. From the information we¡¯ve collected, the current Gurg, Karkus, is an ipetent leader. He may be a little smarter than other giants, but he¡¯s too weak,¡± said Sirius, putting his things down. ¡°He has no way to restrain the other giants. If he tells the giants not to fight, they may join forces to overthrow him.¡±

    This image depicting the barbarism and backwardness of the giants was getting more and more solidified to Evan. Their various living habits and customs were stillparable to those of early human ancestors¡­

    Even the giants who hade into contact with modern society preferred this primitive way of life. That was their nature.

    In the direction of the rumbling noise, they walked for more than ten minutes before Evan saw the giants. Two young male giants, still fighting on a rocky hillside.

    They were each twenty-five feet tall, looking over twice as tall as Hagrid, and clearly much stronger than him. Aside from a rudely stitched hide around their waists, they were practically naked.

    As they beat each other viciously with a very primitive technique, the ground shook beneath their feet.

    Even though they were far away, Evan could still feel their amazing momentum, and could not help gasping¡­

    Continuing down the hillside, there was the giants¡¯ actual camp, and there were more giants gathered there.

    They lit fires and were eating food, and the smell of meat being roasted came along with the wind.

    They seemed to not even care about the deathmatch taking ce near them, and it was clearly something they were used to.

    For them, a bloody duel to the death might not be as big a deal as a dinner. After all, this kind of thing would happen too often. If the fight ended with one of the two being killed, then it would be even better: More food for everyone else!

    In the giants¡¯ camp, Evan saw many taller shadows gathering around the mountainke.

    Most of these giants were like the two fighting giants, barely wearing clothes and having only simple essories, even the female giants. Only a few of them looked different in clothes or armor.

    On the other side of theke were steep mountain cliffs, with only a narrow path winding upward, and more giants could be seen vaguely above. They seemed to have a higher status than the giants below, living in caves at the top of the mountain.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯d better stop here and wait for tomorrow!¡± Sirius said, and he took out the tent. ¡°It¡¯s best to be careful when making dinner. the giants¡¯ noses are very good.¡±

    Food was very attractive to giants, even if they were too ¡°slow¡± to notice much else!

    At dusk, Evan sat cross-legged on a high boulder, slowly eating the cake and stewed mutton made by Hagrid, watching the two giants fighting for life and death on the hillside far away. As weird as it looked, it was rather impressive!

    They fought for over two hours before they finally stopped. By then, they were covered with scars and blood, and one giant¡¯s ear was torn apart and seemed to be almost on the verge of death.

    They stopped; it seemed that no one was convincingly defeated, but they did not have the strength to continue fighting and sat back to back on the hillside.

    After they gradually recovered their strength, they grumbled back to the camp by theke. Evan didn¡¯t know if their grudges had been resolved.

    It was a meaningless battle, with no reason; no winner. Even both sides of the fight did not know what that had been for. Maybe because of excess energy, it would be much better for them to vent, to then get along well with each other. They even supported each other as they walked back, as though they were close brothers. It was hard to imagine that they had been fighting so hard just hours ago.

    After observing the camp for a long time, Evan found that the number of female giants was far smaller than that of males.

    There were several male giants around each adult female giant, and as a result, their status was much higher.

    The two giants who were fighting on the edge between life and death just belonged to the group without female giants. They could only snuggle up with each other. When they would be filled with pent up energy and the ferocity in their bodies could no longer be restrained, they would vent in this way¡­

    Sirius and Hagrid were in charge of the night guard to prevent the giants from suddenlying. They asked Evan and Madame Maxime to go to sleep in the tent.

    But Evan didn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s sleep. The giants didn¡¯t fall asleep until after three in the morning, and when they did, they snored horribly. The rumbling, roaring, thundering snoring continued, spreading through the entire valley.

    At first light the next day, Evan got up with two dark circles under his eyes. Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime were already sitting at the simple dining table in the tent. Sirius handed him a cup of steaming coffee.

    After breakfast, the four of them walked straight into their mission!

    It was a very special experience. Evan saw many giants spotting them, roaring and yelling rudely, but they didn¡¯te to them, because they saw Hagrid and Madame Maxime holding their gifts up high.

    Those goats were their favorite food. As for the Gubraithian fire, the quietly burning light blue me awed them. At that moment, even the densest of the giants felt the power of magic from the me¡­

    They stared at the four people who entered their territory, with indescribable expressions on their faces.

    Compared to the giants around him, Evan¡¯s slim body was like that of a doll.

    He had no doubt that if a huge fist was to hit him, it would definitely kill him.

    These giants were war machines, terrible beasts born for warfare.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 761: The Gurg

    Chapter 761: The Gurg

    Evan had to resist the urge to pull out his wand. The giants were in awe of magic and wanted to sense its mysterious power, but they hated wizards pointing their wands at them and using magic against them; it would only agitate them.

    By now, he had finally understood why Dumbledore had to send someone to woo the giants. He could imagine the shock and sense of domination brought about by the battlefield presence of formidable fighters asrge as mountains¡­

    If these giants all turned to Voldemort, his dark power would multiply several times. Few wizards were rivals to giants. In the face of such colossuses, most people wouldn¡¯t even have the courage to fight.

    The group had to go around theke. Evan looked about and saw more and more giants gathering. He didn¡¯t know how the other three felt, but his heart was thumping so hard.

    Although Evan had seen many Dark creatures, none of them were as visually intimidating as giants.

    They were invincible in ancient times. and were the reason why many ancient civilizations had to build such tall walls around their cities.

    Fortunately, their numbers had be very small, and those dark days were gone forever. Otherwise, humans would still be living in fear, with their establishments being more like cages that imprisoned them.

    ¡°We¡¯vee to pay homage to the Gurg with a gift!¡± cried Hagrid, in English.

    Most of the giants couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying and made meaningless, rude shouts, but the few of them who were wearing more clothes clearly understood him. They turned around and ran to the top of the mountain opposite, making loud roars¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re going to inform the chief. We¡¯ll just wait here.¡± Sirius whispered.

    Evan took the opportunity to look around, and while the group waited for an answer, the giants separated in groups around theke.

    The group of giants closest to Evan seemed to be cooking food. He didn¡¯t know where they got a huge stone cauldron, asrge as the one Voldemort used for his resurrection. They were cooking meat and some grass-root-like things in it.

    This should be a family, consisting of a slightly emaciated female and three strong male giants. They also had two children, young looking, but of course, they were already three times as tall as Evan!

    Hiding behind their parents, they looked curiously at the four people entering the camp, and their eyes finallynded on Evan, who smiled at them; and they responded with a rude growl.

    Just then, the giants who had left earlier ran back again, rushing into the crowd in a hurry.

    ¡°Humans, the Gurg wants to see you. Follow me with your present!¡± said an old giant, dressed in brown robes, rtively neat, almost like a normal wizard. But he had clearly been wearing them for a long time. They were a style from decades ago.

    These robes seemed to have had their size changed with the Ergement Charm, for certainly no one would tailor them to a giant¡¯s figure.

    They followed the old giant to the top of the mountain, and the giants around theke seemed to be afraid of it and did not follow.

    The path built by the cliff went straight up, and they walked carefully on it. This road had been built to the size of the giants, so it was very wide for them.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Herbert,¡± said the old giant, and his rumbling voice came down from above. ¡°I¡¯ve been to Pnd in the past, married and had children there, and lived there for a long time. I liked that country. Of course, that was more than 80 years ago, and then after a terrible war, I fled back! ¡°

    The old giant was talking as he walked. He had a heavy ent, and Evan could barely understand what he said.

    Then the giant turned his head and looked at Hagrid and Madame Maxime with dim eyes.

    ¡°You two seem to have giant blood?¡±

    ¡°My mother¡¯s Fridwulfa,¡± said Hagrid, looking at him with concern. ¡°She¡­ is she still alive?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the son of Fridwulfa?!¡± The old giant seemed a little surprised, looking closely at Hagrid. ¡°She¡¯s still alive, but she¡¯s not doing very well. Giants like us who have lived in human society are different and have a low status in the tribe. Other giants are unwilling to trust us.¡±

    ¡°My mother¡¯s still alive¡­ Where¡¯s she now?¡± Hagrid raised his voice, looking a little agitated.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see her, Fridwulfa¡¯s son! She gave birth to two more children after she returned. One died and the other¡¯s deformed like you. He¡¯s too short,¡± said Herbert, looking at Madame Maxime. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°My father died¡­ on the battlefield!¡± She said simply.

    ¡°Yeah, most of us giants end up like that, dying in battle!¡± Herbert turned his head again. ¡°We have lost too many people in the past, but the ones who remain alive are unwilling to learn lessons and they continue to fight. Why are you here, humans? ¡°

    ¡°We¡¯ve brought gifts and a message from Albus Dumbledore, and hope to be allies with you!¡± Sirius said.

    He patted Hagrid on the back, signaling him to calm down.

    They never expected that they would meet such an old giant who was easy tomunicate with. His thinking was clear, as though he was no giant at all; just a taller human.

    ¡°Albus Dumbledore?!¡± said the old giant. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the name of this wizard. He once opposed killing thest giants in Britain and helped them leave. He¡¯s our friend. I think Karkus would be interested in what he has to say.¡±

    Evan, Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime looked at one another. Would things really go so smoothly?!!

    ¡°But don¡¯t get your hopes too high. Giants need war, not peace¡­¡± Herbert continued. ¡°Dumbledore¡¯s ideals have few supporters here. Giants like me are different, and few giants are willing tomunicate with humans. Of course, they¡¯ll be happy to receive presents from you.¡±

    After saying that, Herbert stopped talking and led the four of them to the top of the mountain.

    They reached arge tform, at the end of which there was a cave that could not be seen clearly.

    By the time they climbed up, the tform was already full of giants. Compared with the giants below, they were taller andrger, wearing simple clothes made of animal hide, and many giants had weapons in their hands.

    In the middle was a huge stone bed, very simple but spacious, on whichy two giants.

    One of them was a male giant, veryrge, thirty-five feet tall, and very ugly. He looked as heavy as three male elephants, and his exposed skin was like that of a rhino. He was roaring at the others to feed him. His hands were busy with other things.

    Needless to say, he must be Karkus the Gurg.

    In his arms,y a giantess, with no clothes on¡­

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 Chapter 762: Grawp

    Chapter 762: Grawp

    The giantess, about twenty feet tall, was lying on Karkus, bouncing constantly up and down, all while eating like him.

    She should be his wife, and the giants around seemed to be used to it, and did not feel any bad.

    The scene in front of them was particrly shocking, and Evan tried to keep calm.

    The giants around started shouting noisily, but Hagrid and Madame Maxime held their gift up high, kept their eyes on the Gurg, and ignored the others, and the other giants gradually went quiet.

    The four of them walked over to the huge stone bed, and Karkus turned his head to look at them.

    His expression was ugly and grim, his eyes were fierce, and his body was covered with precious stones. Hagrid bowed and put the presents down in front of him.

    Karkus¡¯s gaze skipped the goats, and he watched with interest the quietly-burning Gubraithian fire.

    His wife also stopped, looked at it, and whispered a few words in Karkus¡¯s ear.

    Then, Karkus growled a few times. Evan couldn¡¯t understand anything he said.

    ¡°The Gurg is asking you, what¡¯s this me?¡± said the old giant Herbert, who brought them to the top of the mountain.

    Madame Maxime exined to him in detail how precious the Gubraithian fire was, the evesting me.

    Herbert tranted these words, the giants around him heard what he said, and there was amotion on the tform.

    The giants seemed very happy, watching the Gubraithian fire with excitement, and Karkus nodded with satisfaction.

    ¡°A gift to the Gurg of the giants from Albus Dumbledore, who sends his respectful greetings,¡± said Hagrid.

    After understanding what he meant, Karkus nodded again, and he growled a few words in a terrible voice.

    ¡°The Gurg said he epts the gift!¡± Herbert said.

    ¡°Albus Dumbledore asks the Gurg to speak with his messenger when he returns tomorrow with another gift,¡± said Hagrid.

    Herbert tranted again. Karkus ignored them and turned to continue fiddling with the giantess in his arms¡­

    The four looked at each other and knew it was time to leave. They bowed again and followed Herbert out.

    Giants, especially those who had not lived in human society, still maintained a fairly primitive wild nature, not developing the patience required tomunicate with others. The four had to go step by step. Today¡¯s progress was enough, for now, to leave a good impression on them.

    Now that the gifts had been received, it meant that Karkus had agreed to talk to them.

    The four followed the old giant down the tform and back to theke below.

    While no one was looking, Evan gave Herbert a well-made pocket watch, and thetter looked very pleased. This thing had no meaning to other giants, but a giant like Herbert who had been to human society knew the importance of time.

    ¡°Come back tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll be waiting for you here,¡± said Herbert. ¡°Karkus is different from his father, the previous Gurg of the giants. He is not too keen on fighting, but likes women, treasures and things made by humans. If your gifts continue to please him, I think he will agree to your request for alliance. What would be the specifics of our deal? ¡°

    ¡°Dumbledore agrees to give you a batch of supplies every year to meet your various needs, but he hopes you will not participate in the human war,¡± said Sirius, looking up at Herbert.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s going to be hard to achieve. Giants like war. It¡¯s in our nature,¡± said Herbert, looking concerned. ¡°And not everyone in the tribe obeys Karkus. There are many powerful giants out there¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean Golgomath?¡± said Sirius. ¡°We heard of his name before we came.¡±

    ¡°He is the strongest warrior in the tribe right now, and many people support him.¡± Herbert lowered his voice. ¡°I heard a giant living on the mountain say that Golgomath had quarreled with Karkus many times and tantly disobeyed his orders.¡±

    ¡°Well, we have some gifts for him to show our respect. Can you help us deliver them?¡±

    ¡°I can try,¡± said Herbert, looking around cautiously. ¡°But don¡¯t get your hopes up; Golgomath is different from Karkus. He is as¡­ giant as a giant could be, and has strong hostility to human wizards. He thinks that we should rob humans of their wealth, rather than rely on equivalent exchange or alms as we do right now¡­¡±

    Evan took out the presents for Golgomath, and Herbert hid them under his robes.

    ¡°I want to see my mother,¡± said Hagrid suddenly, looking at Herbert. ¡°Where¡¯s she now?¡±

    ¡°Come with me. I was going there as well. She is on the other side of the mountain. She is not qualified to live by theke!¡± said the old giant.

    They walked along the hillside in the other direction, where there was a dense jungle.

    There were obvious traces of giants¡¯ life in the whole jungle. Many trees had been uprooted and thrown on the ground at random.

    ¡°Sometimes they are so full of energy and have nowhere else to vent, so theye here to pull out trees and y!¡± Herbert pointed to a big fallen tree and said, ¡°I used to be young, so I know exactly how hard those impulses are to contain. However, I was luckier than most of them. Back in the day, I had many ways to distract myself in Pnd. It was also back then that I met my wife, a human woman. She was the only one who could calm me down, and we eventually fell in love and had two children together¡­¡±

    ¡°Where are they now?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen them since I fled Pnd, and they haven¡¯te to me,¡± said Herbert sadly. ¡°In fact, you are the first humans toe here in years. Many giants have descendants outside, but you are the only ones who havee. I think Fridwulfa will be happy. She has had a good time outside, but recent years haven¡¯t been good to her.¡±

    They walked silently in the woods for more than twenty minutes, getting farther and farther away from the giant¡¯ske camp.

    Then Evan suddenly saw a huge, smooth mound of earth appear in front of him. The mound was nearly as tall as Hagrid. Trees had been ripped up at the roots all around the mound, so that it stood on a bare patch of ground surrounded by heaps of trunks and boughs that formed some kind of fence or barricade in front of them.

    But immediately, Evan realized that it was not a mound, but a sleeping giant. He looked to be ¡°only¡± 16 feet tall, and his body was moving slowly up and down in time with the deep, grunting breathing.

    ¡°This guy is Grawp, another child of Fridwulfa,¡± said the old giant, pointing at the giant lying on the ground, and then looking down at Hagrid. ¡°In age, he should be your younger maternal half-brother.¡±

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 Chapter 763: Mother and Son

    Chapter 763: Mother and Son

    ¡°My brother!¡± Hagrid murmured, his eyes turning red!

    He looked at Grawp with his eyes wide open, though he could only see part of him, with his head and feet covered by bushes.

    Through the dense foliage, Evan could see what he thought to be a vast mossy boulder in the distance, but it was actually Grawp¡¯s head.

    It was perfectly round and covered with tightly curling, close-growing hair the color of bracken.

    The rim of a singlerge, fleshy ear was visible on top of his head, which seemed to sit directly upon his shoulders with little or no neck in between.

    Probably thanks to Fridwulfa, he was wearing clothes that would hardly be seen anywhere else in this vige. It was something akin to dirty brownish smockposed of animal hides sewn roughly together, and his back under the smock was very broad. As Grawp slept, it seemed to strain a little at the rough seams of the skins.

    His legs were curled up under his body, and Evan could see the soles of enormous, filthy, bare feet,rge as sledges, resting one on top of the other on the earthy forest floor.

    Among the giants, Grawp was a small, deformed monster, but the ¡°mound¡± in front of Evan was actuallyrge enough for Evan, Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime to easily stand on it.

    ¡°Do you want to say hello to him?¡± The old giant asked, looking down.

    Hagrid nodded, but then immediately shook his head. ¡°I want to see my mother first!¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯d better not wake him up. His temper is not very good!¡± The old giant easily stepped over Grawp and continued to move forward. Evan and the others had to go around from the other side of the bush, ¡°Because he is so small, this child is often bullied in the tribe. No one wants to talk to him. He is not built for the life of a giant. I can hardly imagine what would happen if Fridwulfa died. He certainly cannot take care of himself. ¡°

    ¡°Can¡¯t he find food for himself?¡±

    ¡°Food is only one aspect. He can catch birds or deer for himself, but he is lonely!¡± Herbert looked at Hagrid. ¡°He will always be alone and separate from the tribe. This has always been the case, unhealthy children like this ended up on their own.¡±

    Evan never thought that he would hear the word ¡°lonely¡± from the giant¡¯s mouth. Despite their rudeness and brutality, giants, like humans, had feelings.

    He saw Hagrid bing very sad, and Madame Maxime wasforting him in a low voice, holding Hagrid¡¯s hand.

    Given what Evan knew about Hagrid, he was likely to take care of Grawp himself.

    They walked on for another five minutes or so before they saw arge tree shed deep in the forest, and the ground was covered with thick withered grass.

    A giantess was sitting in front of the tree shed, staring at the sky, as though pondering something.

    She was very old, her face was covered with wrinkles, her back was bent deeply, and her muscles were atrophied, which made her look a lot shorter. Despite the sunshine, her body was still shivering uncontrobly, as if she was freezing.

    She was dressed in ck robes, which was the most decent look Evan had seen today.

    She was Hagrid¡¯s mother, Fridwulfa, who was once a famous giantess in the British wizarding world.

    On a warrant issued by the Ministry of Magic, her head was still worth five hundred Gold Galleons to this day.

    Hearing footsteps, Fridwulfa turned her head slowly, and there was no expression in her muddy eyes.

    ¡°Herbert, howe you¡¯re free toe and see me today?¡± She said slowly, her voice equally old and weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m bringing someone here. He hopes to see you. Look who it is!¡±

    ¡°Human?!¡± Fridwulfa¡¯s gaze nced over them in turn, and finally stopped on Hagrid.

    Hagrid took a huge dirty handkerchief from his vest pocket and wiped his eyes, looking at his mother.

    For a few minutes, the two looked at each other like this, and no one spoke.

    ¡°Rubeus¡­ you are Rubeus Hagrid!¡± After a while, the giantess said incredulously and wanted to stand up. But she was too old, too weak, and her body shook and she fell again.

    ¡°Mum!¡± Hagrid murmured, wiping his eyes again with hisrge handkerchief.

    As strange as this scene was, it was even more touching. Hagrid finally made up for his biggest regret, and saw his mother again.

    As for Fridwulfa, she did not show much affection, and simply asked a few questions.

    But she still remembered Hagrid¡¯s father very well. After all, the two had a happy time together. He was the first man in Fridwulfa¡¯s life. She asked Hagrid a lot of questions about him, and after learning that he had already passed, she felt even lonelier.

    Hagrid mentioned his father¡¯sst words before he died, and Fridwulfa waved her hand slowly. For the first time, her sadness surfaced to her face.

    The life of this old giantess wasing to an end.

    The two talked for a long time, and Evan helped Sirius, Madame Maxime and Herbert handle the food.

    As the breeze carried the scent of the barbecue, a harsh growl came from the other side of the woods.

    It was Grawp. Evan saw him wake up, probably because he smelled the meat.

    The giant gave a roar that echoed around the silent forest. Birds in the treetops overhead rose twittering from their perches and soared away.

    The gigantic Grawp was rising from the ground, which shuddered as he ced an enormous hand upon it to push himself up.

    He growled again, and turned his head, searching for the source of the smell.

    As he approached rambling in, he covered almost the entirety of Evan¡¯s field of vision.

    Evan looked up into his startlingly huge face, which resembled a gray full moon swimming in the gloom of the clearing. It was as though the features had been hewn onto a great stone ball. His nose was stubby and shapeless, his mouth lopsided and full of misshapen yellow teeth the size of half bricks, and his eyes were a muddy greenish-brown color.

    If this was the first giant he¡¯d seen, Evan might have been shocked¡­

    Compared to other giants, Grawp was very short, but his movements were still agile.

    ¡°My dear brother!¡± Hagrid¡¯s eyes were red, and he walked towards the oing Grawp.

    Connecting with his mother had already made him very emotional. He walked over with open hands, as though to embrace Grawp.

    The next second, with a big bang, Hagrid¡¯s body flew backwards quickly!

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 Chapter 764: The Scabbard

    Chapter 764: The Scabbard

    In Evan¡¯s impression, Hagrid could subdue any dangerous magical creature, and even bring a dragon into submission.

    This powerful half giant being easily knocked away by Grawp, the weakest of full-blooded ones, clearly showed the gap in strength between humans and these powerful creatures.

    Under the sound of Madame Maxime¡¯s screams, Hagrid rose from the ground, bleeding from his nose and mouth.

    Herbert stopped Grawp, and Fridwulfa scolded him, and the giant stood there uneasily, making iprehensible sounds.

    ¡°Well, don¡¯ me him. He did nuthin¡¯,¡± said Hagrid, covering his bleeding nose. ¡°I think little Grawp was jus¡¯ too excited to see me. He couldn¡¯t keep it all in; I¡¯m his brother after all!¡±

    He opened his arms again and went over to hug the aggrieved Grawp, even though he could only reach his waist.

    If it were Evan, he would¡¯ve only reached the giant¡¯s knee!

    Fridwulfa introduced Evan and the others to Grawp, but thetter was so clumsy that he didn¡¯t memorize Hagrid¡¯s name until the end.

    He had a roastedmb in one hand, as the other seized the top of the pine tree not far away and was pulling it toward him, evidently for the simple pleasure of seeing how far it would spring back when he let go. Next second, the giant let go of the top of the pine tree, which swayed menacingly and deluged them with a rain of needles.

    He looked down at Evan, Sirius, Hagrid and Madame Maxime, all covered in leaves, and gave a loudugh.

    Fridwulfa reprimanded him a bit more, and Grawp reined in a little, looking afraid of his mother.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the fear to dissipate, however, and he soon returned to tugging on the pree.

    This was a giant, a ¡°proper¡± giant. Giants like Herbert and Fridwulfa who couldmunicate with humans were the exception.

    After lunch, Evan, Sirius, and Madame Maxime left the camp and Hagrid decided to stay with his mother and brother.

    After hearing what Herbert said, he seemed to have decided to try tomunicate further with Grawp. Hagrid probably thought it was <i>his</i> responsibility, as the young giant was his family.

    ¡°I can understand that those two giants are very important to Rubeus.¡± On the way back, Madame Maxime sighed and said, ¡°But that young giant seems to be really cranky. I think the wisest thing to do is to keep a distance from him.¡±

    ¡°I believe that Hagrid knows that,¡± Evan followed, ¡°but to him, this is just his little brother acting dumb!¡±

    That afternoon, he saw two new giants fighting in the same ce until the evening.

    He had learned that this was the giants¡¯ special way ofmunicating, which made him worry about Hagrid, who had not yet returned.

    In fact, Hagrid only came back the next morning, looking very different.

    His hair was matted with congealed blood, and his left eye had been reduced to a puffy slit amid a mass of purple-and-ck bruises. There were many cuts on his face and hands, some of them still bleeding, and he was moving gingerly to a point that made Evan fear that he had broken ribs.

    Obviously, that was the result of a night of munication¡± between Hagrid and Grawp.

    In the world of giants, they were only used to express physically, and their feelings were amplified through violence, more so than through words.

    ¡°Hagrid, what happened to you?¡± Madame Maxime was panicking.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­ Grawp has remembered me from earlier, and we¡¯ve had a good time,¡± said Hagrid, washing his face in the sink hard to wash off the blood. ¡°When he doesn¡¯t lose his temper, he¡¯s actually a goodd. We just need a little patience. My mother told me that no giant wants to be with Grawp¡­ He¡¯s too lonely, so I want to try to teach him a little English.¡± Hagrid continued, shaking his wet head, ¡°I think if he could talk to other people, he¡¯ll understand more that we all like him. That should make him more cheerful!¡±

    Evan, Sirius, and Madame Maxime all said nothing and looked at him in a daze.

    ¡°Well, this is my own business, and I¡¯ll deal with it,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°What are we going to give Karkus today? I think we could finally tell him about our purpose.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s give him the imitation of the crown of fate. I think he¡¯ll like it.¡± Sirius said, and began to prepare gifts.

    Twenty minutester, they saw Herbert at the foot of the mountain. He brought bad news.

    Golgomath had returned all the gifts they sent, and did not want tomunicate with them. No one knew why.

    ¡°It¡¯s abnormal. Although giants hate human wizards, they usually ept gifts,¡± said Herbert. ¡°He might have felt that the gifts you sent are not valuable enough, taking it as an insult.¡±

    That was highly improbable. Those gifts had been carefully selected by Dumbledore to suit the giants¡¯ preferences.

    Perhaps, it was the other way around. Maybe Golgomath did not take the gifts because of his unwillingness tomunicate!

    Evan thought it might be because he had already reached an agreement with other wizards, Death Eaters, perhaps.

    Regardless, their only choice now was to put all their chips on Karkus, hoping that he would agree to their request.

    ¡­..

    This time around, the Gurg of the giants received them in a huge cave near the top of the mountain, a reception much more formal thanst time.

    He was neatly dressed, sitting on the huge throne in the cave hall, without a naked giantess beside him.

    This cave was also surprising. Evan originally thought it would be primitive, but it wasn¡¯t.

    The cave was very high, even the tallest giant around looked small inside. Rows of ancient and mysterious huge stone columns were arranged on both sides, extending forward. At the front of the hall, behind the huge Gurg¡¯s throne was a statue¡­ a <i>shocking</i> statue!

    It was a Cyclops whose skin was reddish, with its vital points protected by armor.

    The one-eye on its head was a massive yellow gem, exuding mysterious power.

    The statue¡¯s hand was raised high, as if it was summoning lightning, and at its feet was the body of a ck dragon.

    Next to the dragon, a pile of petrified bones could be seen¡­ real bones!

    It was like none of the dragons one could see in the wizarding world today. Its body was muchrger.

    What shocked Evan, however, was something else entirely.

    The Statue was cracked¡­ The crack split it into two halves from top to bottom, taking away from its majesty.

    Evan raised his head, his gaze kept looking upwards, and then he saw something deep in the eye of the Cyclops.

    It was a silver scabbard, the scabbard of Gryffindor¡¯s sword!!!

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 Chapter 765: Prove Yourselves

    Chapter 765: Prove Yourselves

    The magnificent Cyclops statue oppressively towered above everyone, almost being inviting to bow at its sight.

    The creature stood as high as a mighty Greek titan and was extremely powerful, enough to ughter the dragon and kill anyone who dared to offend it.

    But now, that momentum has been undermined by a mere scabbard.

    The scabbard was nted into the giant¡¯s eye, carved with exquisite patterns and iid with small sparkling rubies.

    With it as the center, the huge crack tilted downward, dividing the Cyclops in two halves¡­

    Evan had seen Gryffindor in past memories, and his sword was sheathed in this scabbard. However, only the de was left behind for his heir, the sheath was left behind in here.

    Looking at the nearly 100-foot-tall statue split in half in front of him, Evan could imagine the brutality of the battle.

    In the face of the legendary Cyclops, Gryffindor was finally scarred in the eye by his lightning and lost his scabbard. The Cyclops also paid a painful price and had since disappeared from history.

    This broken statue and this scabbard were proof of that battle, a testament to the past.

    Gryffindor¡¯s sword had been made by goblins and had a lot of magical characteristics, and so was this scabbard.

    It was one with the sword. Only when the two werebined could the sword be at its full potential.

    Evan looked at the scabbard above, wondering how to get it away, and unconsciously followed Hagrid forward.

    Karkus was waiting for them impatiently, constantly wriggling. He was not used to wearing such formal clothes.

    Hagrid held the replica of the crown of fate, the exquisite goblin-made battle helmet, and offered it to Karkus.

    Karkus took it, and sat there listening to Hagrid and Sirius, with Herbert tranting.

    The two expressed their intentions and conveyed Dumbledore¡¯s words.

    Karkus didn¡¯t say much, but seemed interested in what Dumbledore had to say. He snarled a few times, and Herbert told them that Karkus had heard of Dumbledore¡¯s name and knew he was a great wizard.

    Inside the cave, more and more giants gathered, showing their interest as well¡­

    That was a good sign, and what remained of the conversation was quite pleasant. The four of them were full of hope.

    When Hagrid promised to bring another gift tomorrow, definitely better than the ¡°crown of fate¡± in the hands of Karkus, Karkus¡¯s face lit up with an eager smile.

    He said that the four of them were friends of the giants, and even invited them to stay for dinner, and was ready to introduce more giants to them.

    But the situation quickly changed as a very burly giant came in from the outside.

    He was forty feet tall, the tallest giant Evan had ever seen. He had dark hair, big ck teeth, and was wearing a ne made of skulls, some looking human. On one of his volleyball-sized knuckles was a ring engraved with intricate runes.

    Evan felt a touch of magic in it; it was a Dark magical item. This was really astonishing! Where did this giant get this stuff?!!

    ¡°This is Golgomath!¡± Herbert whispered, looking scared of the giant.

    In fact, since he entered, the mood inside the cave clearly shifted, and even Karkus flinched back.

    That was the impact of Golgomath, the most powerful warrior of the giant tribe. Not long ago he had rejected the group¡¯s goodwill.

    Evan raised his head and looked at the tall giant warrior. He was tall enough to reach the thighs of the statue of Cyclops, and his tanned bulging muscles showed his strength. The other giants looked much weaker in front of him.

    This guy had certainly begun working with Death Eaters by now, as evidenced by the Dark magic ring he was carrying.

    Golgomath walked to the front of the throne. He talked to Karkus in thenguage of the giants, and their voices grew louder and louder.

    ¡°Golgomath does not approve of the Gurg¡¯s rash alliance with you. He thinks he should be more cautious when ites to answering Dumbledore¡¯s request ¡­¡± Herbert tranted their conversation, but with a roar of Golgomath, he stopped quickly.

    The old giant¡¯s expression was terrified, his body was shaking slightly, and Golgomath seemed to be scolding him. Perhaps it was because of those gifts that made Golgomath think that Herbert was on the team¡¯s side.

    He gave Herbert, Evan and the others a hard re, and then turned his head and angrily continued to quarrel with Karkus.

    Golgomath was waving his hands vigorously, as though ready to pounce on the Gurg of the giants.

    The giants around were scared and slowly stepped backwards.

    ¡°Be careful, there¡¯s something wrong!¡± said Sirius, pulling Evan back a step. His right hand was on the wand at his waist, and Madame Maxime in the front did the same.

    ¡°Golgomath has proposed a duel. He wants to test your strength to judge whether you are qualified to form an alliance with the giants!¡± Herbert said suddenly, in a hasty and uneasy tone. ¡°The Gurg agreed with his suggestion and you must get ready.¡±

    ¡°What? A duel?!¡± Hagrid looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Giants don¡¯t trust wizards. We only admire the strong,¡± the old giant repeated Golgomath¡¯s words and pointed to Evan and Sirius. ¡°You two don¡¯t have giant blood, so you have to prove yourselves. Either ept the duel or get out of here!¡±

    If they left like this, the negotiation and alliance with the giants would obviously fail! Evan and Sirius looked at each other and pulled out their wands.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a duel he wants, let¡¯s begin!¡± said Sirius, raising his head and staring at Golgomath. ¡°Herbert, tell this big man that I have no problem with his request, but let him know that he should be prepared to lose!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem either; I just hope he doesn¡¯t regret choosing the wrong opponent!¡± said Evan, and there was a little shimmering light at the end of his wand.

    The sudden duel immediately began, and everyone backed away to make room for them.

    Golgomath called out a giant warrior from outside. This guy was only slightly shorter than him. He was wearing heavy armour, holding a massive sharp axe in his hand, and staring at Evan and Sirius. A giant armed to the teeth, which made him several times more dangerous.

    Golgomath also had his weapon in his hand. It was a ck iron bludgeon covered with aged dry blood and goo.

    Herbert told Evan that Golgomath¡¯s favourite method of killing was smashing skulls¡­

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 Chapter 766: Evan the Terrible!

    Chapter 766: Evan the Terrible!

    The filthy goo on the ck iron bludgeon was actually from the brains of other creatures.

    It included animals in the nearby woods, giants killed by him, and humans¡­

    Few people could match the brute force of giants. They were proficient at wielding huge tree trunk bats or iron clubs in battle, causing extreme damage as if they were walking meat grinders. Obviously, they could just directly grab the enemy, breaking their necks and smashing their skulls, letting the blood ssh on their faces, for nothing excited them more.

    Evan already knew from the documents gathered for him by Hermione; his best bet was to keep a distance. Using spells to attack from a distance was a wizard¡¯s advantage in such a fight.

    But the space inside the cave was obviously not enough to allow Evan and Sirius to dodge, and the despicability and insidiousness of Golgomath showed clearly when he chose to start the battle here and now.

    He was not as stupid as he looked. He first chose Evan, who was still a child, to take part in the duel, and chose such a narrow space. Although Hagrid suggested going to the tform outside the cave, he did not agree.

    Evan did not refute either. This was not only a disadvantage, but also an opportunity.

    Giants were highly resistant to magic. They were inherently able to resist various spells. Beating them under these circumstances would shake their perception of the bnce between Dumbledore¡¯s allies and Voldemort¡¯s. He had to subdue these savage giants with brute power, and strike fear into their hearts. Otherwise they would never have a chance to form an alliance.

    When Golgomath asked for a duel, no one else noticed that aplex magic rune was being drawn under Evan¡¯s feet.

    This was hisbination of Alchemy, from the Astrology above the Temple of the Moon of the Centaurs¡¯ colony and the powerful ancient spell ¡°Silence¡± in the swamp Temple of Silence. Something that he could now use with the power of the philosopher¡¯s stone.

    Only Sirius and Madame Maxime seemed to have noticed the raw magical power emitted by him!

    They didn¡¯t know what Evan was going to do, but they cooperated with him and bought him some time by arguing with the giants.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Golgomath gave a harsh growl, and he asked Herbert to trante, ¡°I am Golgomath, the strongest of the giants, and beside me is my most powerfulpanion. Here is our territory¡­ our mountains. Only by defeating us can you win the respect of the giants. Otherwise, you have to die¡­ you will <i>all</i> die here!¡±

    Karkus, the Gurg of the giants, was very dissatisfied with Golgomath¡¯s words, but he just flinched and didn¡¯t object.

    After Golgomath said these words, the giant warrior beside him also roared;they had already picked their targets.

    Without giving Evan a chance to respond, Golgomath waved the iron bludgeon and flung over to Sirius.

    The heavily armed giant warrior came over to Evan, and his sharp axe shone as it was hit by sunlight. This was a dangerous weapon that would usually not be in the hand of a giant¡­

    He straightened up, roaring defiantly at Evan, trying to intimidate him. Even in the face of a child, he would never be softhearted.

    Evan retreated slowly, but not impatient, and kept a proper distance from his opponent. His magic rune had beenpleted.

    Now all that was needed was for the opponent to get into the runes.

    The wand in his right hand pointed firmly at the giant, while his left hand opened the locket on his chest, holding the shining Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Evan retreated to the edge of the rock wall. The shimmer at the tip of his wand was getting stronger. His magic was gathering, and the spell was ready.

    Beside him, Sirius and Golgomath had already started fighting, and the wizard chose to face the powerful giant head on.

    This seemed to stimte the giant warrior next to Evan, who could not wait to growl and rush towards Evan.

    In front of his massive body, Evan seemed extremely small and frail, and everyone thought that the child would be smashed into a pile of meat.

    Hagrid even wanted to intervene and stop him, but Madame Maxime didn¡¯t let him.

    A thirteen-year-old wizard, and a powerful adult giant, the strength of the two sides was in sharp contrast¡­

    But what most expected did not happen. The next second, a wall of fire rose between Evan and the giant.

    The mes enveloped the giant instantly, and he made a terrible cry of pain.

    In the smell of scorched earth, the armor he was proud of was melting rapidly, turning into shackles to restrict him.

    The giant¡¯s ferocity and pride made him endure the pain and continue to rush to Evan through the fire.

    He kept telling himself that he was close to the human wizard¡­ only two steps away¡­

    But the two steps seemed to grow into an unending distance that he could never cross.

    Evan raised his wand high, with a trace of indifference in his shining eyes, fully absorbing the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The warm magical power poured into his body, and then raged and spread, and the entire cave space was under Evan¡¯s control.

    At this moment, he was mighty above all, and the <i>huge</i> giant was just a trivial ant.

    When the giant entered the magical runes drawn before, Evan waved his wand and a red magical light flew toward him.

    The giant stopped. He felt the power of death and destruction from the subtle red light.

    He wanted to get out of the way, but his body was too big a target, and he couldn¡¯t move. His soul was shivering, and he could no longer control his body.

    Everyone held their breath, and even Sirius and Golgomath, who were dueling, stopped. They all looked at Evan and the giant more than thirty feet tall in front of him, watching the red light moving forward to hit the giant.

    Nothing seemed to have happened at first, but then the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone immediately burst out.

    With the giant warrior as the center, the ground around him was all reduced to tiny fragments, flying upside down before turning into dust.

    The giant warrior opened his eyes wide and looked at the thin wizard in front of him. In his eyes, this fragile human boy hadpletely turned into a god of death. He felt his body was out of his control, his life wasing to an end, and a void formed within his soul, a void that was gradually filled by fear¡­

    He wanted to make a sound, but he only opened his big mouth feebly.

    When the dust fell, everyone saw Evan holding his wand standing in ce, unscathed, and even his breathing was not disturbed, while the most powerful warrior of the giant tribe copsed, and his ugly head fell to Evan¡¯s Feet.

    He was dead. It was such an unexined death, caused by a frail human child.

    The sharp axe in his hand, which was previously seen as a sign of death, had suddenly dropped, as though it were merely a toy.

    ¡°So this is your most powerfulpanion?¡± Evan whispered softly, kicking the giant¡¯s head gently, turning his head to look at the stunned Karkus, Golgomath and the other giants ¡°Is <i>this</i> the proof you needed?!¡±

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 Chapter 767: The Giant in the Core

    Chapter 767: The Giant in the Core

    Silence!!!

    There was only silence inside the cave. Sirius, Hagrid, Madame Maxime and all the giants seemed to have lost their voices.

    They looked at Evan in disbelief, and at the powerful force that burst out from this thin body.

    How did he do it? Was this power a human wizard should have?!!

    Even Dumbledore and Voldemort would not be able to kill one of the most powerful giant warriors in a second.

    If all wizards and witches had the power of Evan, then the giants, those war machines, would be useless as allies in such a war!

    ¡°I¡¯ve proved my strength. Is there any objection?¡± Evan continued, looking around.

    No objection. No one wanted to go to their death, and their only thought was to submit.

    For a while, no one dared to look him in the eyes. Even Golgomath backed aside and lowered his head.

    There was no point in continuing this fight. Evan¡¯s crushing instant kill was enough to prove his strength.

    This magical power beyond imagination left the most shocking impression on all the giants present.

    They all thought that death awaited them if they did not side with this boy.

    Probably only Sirius understood what was going on. Evan had used the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone again.

    Although he looked rxed, he was probably at the end of his strength. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone was putting a heavy burden on Evan¡¯s body.

    In fact, Evan was feeling extremely fatigued and dizzy, and he was struggling to remain standing.

    With the help of the magical runes, he did not faint directly as he didst time, and Slytherin¡¯s Locket did not show any strange power. Evan was able to maintain his consciousness, proving that he was qualified to use the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in a fight.

    to minimize losses and insure sess, he had to go all out. He wanted to scare all the giants and make them aware of his strength.

    Regardless of who became the Gurg of the giants, whenever they mentioned Evan in the future, their first reaction would be fear that could not be dispelled, remembering this day.

    Evan wanted the giants to realize that supporting Voldemort and the Death Eaters was not necessarily the right choice. Looking at the expressions of the giants around him, Evan knew that his goal had been achieved.

    The giants had always been like this, and it would be always pointless to reason with them. He had only to let them know whose fist was ¡°bigger¡±.

    Killing a giant would not make them angry or sad; they would just admire the killer¡¯s strength!

    Evan leaned against the rock wall behind him and put away the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Before withdrawing his focus from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he raised his head and nced at the statue of the Cyclops at the end of the cave.

    The next second, his eyes widened suddenly and he looked at the statue with disbelief.

    With the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan was now in a very special state, which was magical enough to crush all those around him.

    In this cave space, he was the mightiest! But from the huge statue in front of him, he felt an ancient and powerful force. This power was so strange, so primitive, simple, crude but powerful.

    It was enough to oppose his godly powers. This was the power of the Cyclops!

    Time seemed to stagnate, and the space became frozen. Evan stared at the statue stupefied, confronting the suddenly appearing power.

    Hagrid, Sirius, Madame Maxime, and the giants all looked at Evan, wondering what had happened.

    Because of the shock caused by the magic just now, he didn¡¯t move, and the other people didn¡¯t dare to move, and even breathed more slowly!

    ¡°Evan¡­¡± After a long time, Sirius came over and whispered. He noticed that something was wrong with Evan.

    Evan¡¯s back was covered with sweat. He had done his best, the red light on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone shed, and he was unconsciously absorbing more magic from it.

    Correspondingly, the strength emanating from the statue of the Cyclops also increased dramatically.

    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s this feeling?¡± Sirius turned his head and looked at the statue in horror.

    Now everyone in the cave felt the power of the Cyclops and its imposing momentum.

    If Evan¡¯s magic just shocked Karkus, Golgomath, and the other giants, they were nowpletely frightened. They were horrified, and prostrated themselves on the ground, worshiping Evan.

    Everyone in the cave fell to the ground except Evan.

    The giants didn¡¯t understand magic, and didn¡¯t know that this sudden power was actually from their ancestor the Cyclops.

    Sirius and Madame Maxime looked at the statue stupefied. Even Hagrid, who was slower than most when it came to magic, had noticed.

    Evan was struggling to resist this power, feeling almost out of breath.

    His huge magic had changed into substance, turning into an orange-red magical shield surrounding him.

    He was fighting against the Cyclops, holding on by strong will.

    He did not know what was going on. The magic he had just cast and the magic of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone seemed to have activated something.

    Could it be a Cyclops?!!

    Hadn¡¯t this creature been extinct long ago?!!

    The sudden momentum was getting stronger and stronger, and the magical shield around Evan was beginning to crack.

    But then, the scabbard on the statue of the Cyclops suddenly shook slightly. The ruby ??on the scabbard shone, and it made a sound¡­ as if a sword was sheathed within it!

    The next second, the Cyclops¡¯s momentum and mysterious power left and dissipated, as though they had never appeared before.

    Evan was no longer able to contain his struggle and he cked out.

    In the dark, he felt his body falling and falling all the way to the center of the earth¡¯s core, as though there was no end, and just when he began to get used to it, a touch of red appeared in front of him.

    It was magma, the magma deep in the core of the earth, like a scene in the depths of hell.

    Evan saw a huge monster immersed in endlessva. Its body extended downwards, and the part exposed outside the magma was shocking. It was like a giant magnified dozens of times, the muscles of its body shing red.

    Blended into the surrounding hot magma, he seemed to be absorbing it into the body.

    This was a Cyclops whose eyes were closed, losing all strength and life.

    But Evan could clearly feel that he was alive¡­ weak, but actually alive!

    He seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, and as he breathed, the magma was flowing slowly.

    Whenever the Cyclops breathed a little stronger in his sleep, magma erupted, and that was why Etna frequently erupted. (Editor Note: Mount Etna, or Etna, is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy)

    Evan looked around at the existing Cyclops. This guy¡¯s body was not weaker than that of a terrible evil god.

    If ever he woke up, the state of the entire wizarding world would change dramatically¡­ The world would tremble at his feet!

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 Chapter 768: An Absurd Dream

    Chapter 768: An Absurd Dream

    In mythology, the Cyclops was a horrible creatureparable to ancient gods.

    It had strong power to control the magic of Thunder and Lightning, but the most terrible thing was that eye. The eyes of different Cyclopes had different powers, such as cursing, insight, copying magic, foreseeing danger and even creating illusions, and so on.

    The single eye was their symbol, a byword for fear, and represented the dark ages that were ruled by Cyclopes thousands of years ago.

    If this Cyclops woke up, the whole world would tremble at his feet.

    Evan¡¯s consciousness was floating above the red magma, quietly looking at the huge monster below.

    Was this the same Cyclops that had fought Gryffindor?!!

    He looked really powerful. Even though the senses of the naked eye alone were not able to recognize how powerful he was, simply his size was frightening.

    The so-called giants like Karkus and Golgomath were only little dwarfs in front of him, fragile, small and vulnerable, just like an average personpared to the strongest giant.

    As for humans, in the eyes of the Cyclops, they were just bigger ants that would be identally trampled to death.

    Evan remembered Ravenw in her memory saying that even the ancient warlocks did not dare to provoke the Cyclops for no good reason.

    He looked away from the dreaded Cyclops, and stopped looking at the boiling magma below.

    Evan noticed thirteen protruding semi-circr stone tforms at the edge of the rock core, on which stood weird wizards in ck robes.

    Their heads were shrouded in the shadow of hoods, and he could not see their faces clearly. They were waving their wands and chanting spells quickly. Magical energy emanated from the wizards, andplex magical lines gradually appeared.

    There was a ck oval gem on the rock wall behind them, surrounded byplex dark green magical lines.

    The hexagonal pattern and the mysterious magic pattern were intertwined, and the deep ancient font slowly condensed.

    It was slow, but it was progressing.

    They converged little by little towards the center of the magma, like vines crawling all over the walls.

    Magic continued, the magma below was churning frantically, and an unimaginable mysterious force was brewing.

    This ongoing ritual, and the magic that the Dark wizards read, gave Evan a sense of uneasiness.

    The Cyclops in the magma did not die, he just fell into a deep sleep to regain his strength, and these Dark wizards were trying to wake him up!

    Did these guys know what they were doing? This was absolute madness, just as mad as summoning an evil god would be.

    Evan wanted to go over and stop them, but now he was just mere consciousness and couldn¡¯t do it.

    It was hard to say if everything happening here was real. He gradually calmed down. The scene he saw might be just a dream, an absurd dream.

    What benefits could these Dark wizards get by waking up a Cyclops?!!

    If the monster would wake up, these men would be his first feast!

    But this dream felt too real, and the world would never run out of such irrational lunatics.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how long he had been like that, and then he noticed a teenager with a translucent body smiling at him.

    He blinked and realized that it was Gryffindor, a teenage Gryffindor, about seventeen years old.

    Gryffindor¡¯s smile never left his mouth, his face a little blushing.

    There was no scar on his eye; his eyes were smart, matching with his short red hair. He was young and handsome, and his body was full of infinite vitality.

    He didn¡¯t speak, but just waved to Evan, and the silver scabbard appeared in his hand.

    He was not a memory or a Horcrux now, but a thought left on the scabbard, unable to recognize Evan.

    Gryffindor handed the scabbard to Evan. As soon as Evan took it, a message came to his mind. From this information, Evan knew the ins and outs of the matter.

    Stimted by the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, the thought of Gryffindor left on the scabbard noticed Evan.

    It showed him the Cyclops¡¯s power and the scene in front of him, hoping he could stop the ongoing evil ceremony.

    It did not know the specific purpose of the ritual, but it must not be allowed to continue, that would lead to the worst imaginable results.

    The Gryffindor in front of Evan was not real, but the thought that his power left behind, imitating the look of its former master. It had noticed the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone used by Evan. The magic in the Stone and the power on the scabbard werepatible.

    It thought Evan was the heir of Gryffindor, hoping he could stop it all.

    As incredible as this was, Evan couldn¡¯tmunicate with Gryffindor through this mere image.

    After passing this much information over to Evan, the silver scabbard turned into a ray of light and slowly disappeared.

    To learn more, he must have the real scabbard in his hands, so that he couldmunicate with Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts, know what the ongoing Dark magic was, and why those Dark wizards were trying to wake up the Cyclops in the core of the earth.

    The red light and hot temperatures gradually dissipated, and the surroundings became a mass of darkness in which Evan was floating slowly.

    His tiredness resurfaced, and this time, he really fell asleep!

    Evan heard someone calling his name in his sleep, sounding like Sirius.

    When he woke up, Sirius told him that because of his powerful strength, they had formed an alliance with the giants. As a basic condition for the alliance, both Karkus and Golgomath proposed to Evan: <i>¡°Marry my daughter!¡±</i> both said at the same time. And just like that, Evan was to marry two coquettish cute giantesses¡­

    It was normal for giants to breed with powerful wizards.

    Evan did not agree. He did not need a giantess in his life, let alone two. But nobody listened to him, and all the faces showed exaggerated wicked smiles.

    Evan objected, but he was dragged out from his bed by giants, and undressed by them as they rudely led and flung him into arge bed made out of rock, the one used by Karkus and his wife.

    Evan struggled, but couldn¡¯t make a sound, when he saw the two young giantesses approaching him.

    They were the daughters of Karkus and Golgomath, one of whom was about the same age as Evan and the other was about five years old.

    Yet despite their young age, they lookedrger and more developed to Evan than human adult women.

    The older one was twice as tall as Evan; the younger one was also much taller than him; it was frightening¡­

    They climbed to bed, and Evan gasped, watching the two giantesses gradually merge into one before him, turning into a horrible Cyclops that rode him!

    Their weight was getting heavier and heavier, the pressure was increasing and Evan was ruthlessly crushed into a meatloaf in an instant.

    He opened his eyes sharply, and by the time he saw the light again, he had woken up.

    At this moment, he was lying on a bed inside a cave.

    Evan gasped, feeling that the pictures around him coincided with his dreams¡­

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 Chapter 769: A Bad Situation

    Chapter 769: A Bad Situation

    The giantesses were even more terrifying than the Cyclops!

    In the dim light, Evan sat up quickly, but his body was weak and he fell feebly again.

    He panted and saw that the figure standing by his bed was Sirius, not a giantess.

    ¡°Thank goodness, you finally woke up!¡± Sirius said happily and hurried over to help Evan.

    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± Evan asked, rubbing his eyes, confused.

    He checked his belongings and breathed a sigh of relief. The wand, Slytherin¡¯s Locket, the owl pendant on his wrist, and the cloth bag containing all kinds of books, materials, <i>the Book of Abraham</i> and Ravenw¡¯s Diadem were all on him. There was nothing missing.

    His clothes were also in perfect condition, as though they had not been touched.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been in aa for three days, and we were worried about you,¡± said Sirius, helping Evan drink some water. ¡°Madame Maxime and I have checked your body and found no abnormalities. It may be just the seque of using the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. This time was much more serious than thest time. I think you should use the Stone less often in the future.¡±

    ¡°Not the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, in fact. I had a dream,¡± said Evan uncertainly.

    He recounted the first half of the dream, mainly the bits about the scabbard of Gryffindor, the consciousness above, and the horrifying Cyclops in the magma deep in the core of the earth and the magical rituals being performed by thirteen Dark wizards. Sirius listened very carefully.

    ¡°You say that the terrible power from the statue was really a Cyclops?!¡± he said in surprise, looking at Evan in disbelief. ¡°Dear lord! A living Cyclops is sleeping in the magma deep underground?! And the Dark wizards are ready to wake him up?! Are they mad?!¡±

    This was even more terrible news than Voldemort¡¯s resurrection. The Cyclops was much more powerful than Voldemort. If he came out, it would be enough to shock the whole world.

    Cyclopes were powerful creatures of thest magical age, legendary creatures that existed only in stories and books.

    But now, how could there be a living Cyclops?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if it was a dream or some kind of vision that the scabbard showed me.¡± Evan drank some water and felt that his body was recovering. He carefully recalled the scene he¡¯d seen and said slowly, ¡°I can¡¯t determine what those Dark wizards are going to do, and if they are really awakening the Cyclops, that¡¯s Dark magic that I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Whether they¡¯re really awakening the Cyclops or not, this is not a good thing,¡± said Sirius worriedly. ¡°We should find an owl or any other way to write a letter to Dumbledore. The present situation is too bad!¡±

    ¡°What happened during mya?¡± Evan asked, looking around. ¡°Where are Hagrid and Madame Maxime? And, why aren¡¯t we in our camp? It looks like a giant¡¯s cave here.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re outside. There¡¯s something else. This is indeed a giant¡¯s cave, and we¡¯re hiding in this ce,¡± said Sirius. ¡°The situation is very bad. For your safety, we had to leave the camp. Before you woke up, I was wondering if I should send you back to the carriage first. It¡¯s too dangerous around here!¡±

    ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start from the moment you lost consciousness. That day in the cave, you fainted, and the suffocating mighty power gradually dissipated, and the giants got up from the ground. Whether it was Karkus, the Gurg of the giants, or that strong Golgomath, they were scared to death. You really should have seen the way they¡¯ve been looking at you that day and worshiping you as a god.¡±

    This was normal. Evan had used the Philosopher¡¯s Stone to kill a giant warrior in an instant. This was already beyond what they¡¯d ever expect from a human.

    And then, there was the Cyclops¡¯s power that would bring ancient gods to submission.

    This was especially true for the giants, whose forces inherited in the blood made them actively submit to their terrible ancestor.

    The only good thing was that these guys knew nothing about magic and couldn¡¯t distinguish between Evan and the Cyclops¡¯s powers.

    ¡°After easily dealing with the giants, we left with you and returned to the camp,¡± said Sirius. ¡°That afternoon, Karkus and Golgomath sent people with gifts to negotiate the alliance with us.¡±

    ¡°Because of the powerful disy you¡¯ve shown, things have been moving in the right direction,¡± noticing Evan¡¯s expression, Sirius waved. ¡°We made friends with the two leaders of the giants. Karkus and Golgomath were on the back foot. They were even going to give you their daughters, two giantesses about your age.¡±

    ¡°YOU DIDN¡¯T AGREE FOR ME, DID YOU?!¡± Evan shivered, remembering the second half of the dream.

    ¡°Of course I refused. What, do you have a thing for giantesses?!¡± Sirius watched Evan¡¯s face contorting with a smile on his own, and then the expression on his face became serious again. ¡°After they went back, I don¡¯t know what they were arguing about. I think it was about boring topics like whose daughter you were going to marry. Then, there was a fierce fight that night. We saw it all the way from our camp; it was <i>bad</i>. It went on for more than five hours and didn¡¯t stop until the second half of the night. You wouldn¡¯t believe the noise. We didn¡¯t dare to take part in it. When the sun came up, the whole giants¡¯ territory was red, and his head was lying at the bottom of theke.¡±

    ¡°Whose head?¡± Evan asked, looking at him in surprise.

    ¡°Karkus¡¯s¡­ he was much weaker than Golgomath,¡± said Sirius heavily. ¡°Golgomath became the new Gurg of the giants. When we went to see him with a gift, he was very proud. He was sitting on the throne, Karkus¡¯s helmet on his head, and his widow on hisp. He received us cheerfully.

    Karkus died just like that, but it didn¡¯t make any difference to us who was the Gurg of the giants. All we needed was to cooperate with them. We ryed Dumbledore¡¯s words to Golgomath again, and while he didn¡¯t seem too excited about our proposal, in the end he reluctantly agreed to the alliance request and told us what he needed aspensation.¡±

    ¡°So, we seeded?¡± Evan looked at him in amazement. ¡°Why did you say things were getting worse?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true. All we had to do was to make a pact with them and take that damn list back to Dumbledore, and our mission would be achieved: we¡¯ve thwarted Voldemort¡¯s plot and made his Dark army lose important allies,¡± said Sirius. ¡°But Hagrid, Madame Maxime and I were too careless and negligent. We did not expect those Death Eaters to take action so swiftly.¡±

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 Chapter 770: The Curse of the Giants

    Chapter 770: The Curse of the Giants

    ¡°Death Eaters?!¡± Evan remembered that Golgomath had always been in touch with the Death Eaters.

    ¡°Remember how Golgomath returned our gift before?!¡± Sirius continued, ¡°In fact, he had already contacted the Death Eaters, agreed to Voldemort¡¯s request, and was ready to take hispanions to join his army. Then, when he killed Karkus, became the Gurg, and ruled all the giants overnight, the Death Eaters couldn¡¯t be happier. However, he told them that he was not going to cooperate with them and wanted to quit. Such a word was never in Voldemort¡¯s dictionary. Not to mention that he was ready to ally with us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what did the Death Eaters do?¡± Evan moved his wrists and stiff body.

    ¡°We finished talking to Golgomath that day and agreed to meet again the next day. When we left and returned to the camp, Golgomath and his cronies met again with the Death Eaters, who were surely unhappy with all this quitting talk. Long story short, the giants are all dead!¡± Sirius paused, giving Evan enough time to digest the news, before continuing, ¡°Well, almost¡­ all the giants who were in the cave died in silence. There¡¯s none of them left¡­¡±

    ¡°How did they do it? It was not Voldemort, was it?¡±

    ¡°No, it was not a head on fight; they don¡¯t have the strength to kill so many giants like that,¡± Sirius waved and said scornfully. ¡°It was sneaky Dark magic. The giants have received gifts from Voldemort and the Death Eaters before. Remember the ck magical ring on Golgomath¡¯s finger?¡±

    Evan nodded, remembering that weird ck ring on Golgomath¡¯s finger. At that time, he looked at the ring and felt something was wrong with it¡­

    ¡°Golgomath and his cronies have received simr magical ornaments. The Death Eaters gave them gifts, which were actually cursed items made by Voldemort,¡± said Sirius in a heavy tone. ¡°Obviously, the Dark Lord did not trust them. He was very uneasy about the giants. What he gave them was not only a source of power, but also a shackle and a terrible curse. What we did showed that his concerns were justified¡­¡±

    ¡°So, the curse on those essories have been activated?¡± said Evan, raising his eyebrows.

    ¡°I went to the caveter and saw the scene. It was absolutely horrible. If Golgomath knew this would happen, he would have probably never thought of betraying Voldemort,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I can guess the scene at that time. When Golgomath and the other giants confirmed that they wouldn¡¯t join Voldemort, the curses on the essories were activated, killing them instantly. There was no need for Death Eaters to do anything. Voldemort¡¯s power could guarantee this.¡±

    Indeed, the giants, though powerful, knew almost nothing about magic. It was not difficult for Voldemort to kill them all in an instant, thanks to the curses he had personally put on the ornaments.

    It was really foolish of them to ept the gifts Voldemort had sent. Their consent to carry the curses made them defenseless against them.

    Evan had felt the magic of that ring was a bit strange at the time, but he did not expect Voldemort to be so cruel¡­

    As a result, Karkus and Golgomath were both dead, and there were not many giants left who had felt the power of Evan and the Cyclops that day.

    Instead, the fierce names of Voldemort and the Death Eaters spread quickly among the giants.

    In their simple heads, the weird Dark magic had been equated with death.

    In order to make the giants surrender, fear must be struck into their hearts. They were now afraid of Voldemort and the Death Eaters¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s sad that these giants were forced to take part in a war between wizards. It is not a good thing that they are born so strong. It is a curse in itself!¡± Evan followed with a sigh, thinking of the emotionless Ravenw¡­ thinking of what she had said in the past, which was the first goal of his trip to Sicily. ¡°Now that Karkus and Golgomath are dead, who could even be Gurg of the giants?¡±

    ¡°You got the point, no one!¡± said Sirius, raising his voice. ¡°The death of two sessive Gurgs, especially the way Golgomath and his supporters died, made the giants panic. But this is indeed an opportunity for the ambitious among them.

    As I told you before, the giants¡¯ social structure in Sicily is actually veryplex. There are many of them who have fled from Europe like Herbert or Hagrid¡¯s mother. They belong to other tribes and they always fight when they are free. After the death of Karkus, Golgomath, and arge number of giant warriors, the power of local Sicilian giants declined and they could not effectively suppress other giant tribes. Things got messy; there were scuffles going on every day, fighting for the position of the Gurg, and dozens of new ambitious giants emerged. And those Death Eaters, they kept fanning the mes behind the scenes. The situation here is just a mess and cannot be straightened out in a short time.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said Evan. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a strong giant out there to reunite the tribes?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Sirius disdainfully. ¡°Although the giants are very brave inbat and near unstoppable, they are far from being strategic tacticians. They simple-mindedly fight at every turn. They don¡¯t ask why, and even fight with their closest brothers¡­ a bunch of fools.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and Evan was imagining what Sirius talked about, all that chaos¡­

    ¡°The giants are all fighting as individuals, none thinking of making alliances. The Death Eaters are still gathering the remaining giants to make them work for Voldemort again. It¡¯s really tough to deal with. The ones sent by Voldemort are also pretty strong. By the time we could react, it was toote.¡±

    ¡°So, now there are three forces in the Giants¡¯ Territory: Us, Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and the giants who are fighting each other¡­¡± Evan analyzed, ¡°Fighting now would only cause a bigger mess.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost like that, but the number of giants who support us is decreasing. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are trying to persuade them, but with little effect. For these brainless brutes, the Death Eaters offer more tempting terms,¡± Sirius nodded, and said worriedly, ¡°In the past three days, the number of giants on their side has been increasing. Yesterday, they alsounched an attack on our camp to assassinate us in the middle of the night.¡±

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 Chapter 771: New Plans

    Chapter 771: New ns

    Evan noticed that Sirius¡¯s left arm was bandaged with a cloth strip, and he looked particrly flustered.

    ¡°There were five Death Eaters who camest night, and I only recognized Walden Mair. You may not know him, a pure cold-blooded maniac who likes killing as much as Golgomath,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I remember he worked in the Ministry of Magic, and was responsible for the execution of dangerous magical creatures. I didn¡¯t expect him toe here.¡±

    ¡°Have you confronted him?¡±

    ¡°I was outside the tent, and he was the first to rush in and we started fighting,¡± said Sirius simply. ¡°My Stupefy hit him. Of course, his curse hit my arm too¡­ nothing too big!¡±

    Although he said it was simple, the situation must have been much more dangerous.

    ¡°The Death Eaters rushed over with the giants who joined them. They let the giants take the lead and hid behind them to cast spells and sneak attacks. Although Hagrid was very powerful and Madame Maxime¡¯s spell-casting speed was beyond imagination, it was overwhelming. There were too many of them, and we had to retreat,¡± said Sirius. ¡°We ran into the mountains in the dark, and Hagrid and Madame Maxime went out to contact the giants who support us. I¡¯m here to guard you, and that¡¯s basically it.¡±

    Looking at the bewildered Sirius and the spell scars on his arm, Evan could imagine how fierce the battle had beenst night.

    The situation was really bad now; it was almost impossible to convince all the giants.

    They tried hard multiple times, but they could not convince them.

    The Death Eaters could return to Britain with the few remaining giants supporting them, and that would be enough to strengthen Voldemort¡¯s army, but Evan and his friends could not. Dumbledore hoped that the giants would not participate in the uing Wizarding War, rather than confront each other on the battlefield, with the side with more giants having more power.

    The situation was a mess. They couldn¡¯t just walk away. Dumbledore was counting on them!

    They anticipated that persuading the giants would be a long mission that might take months to see results anyway.

    Evan was wondering if he could find a way to wipe out all the Death Eaters who came to the giants¡¯ territory, so that the giants supporting them would naturally disband.

    Then he shook his head again. This method couldn¡¯t work, and it was too difficult.

    Even if he seeded, Voldemort could send other Death Eaters, and they couldn¡¯t stay here forever.

    The solution to this problem had toe from within the giantmunity itself. A new Gurg must rise, one who is firmly in Dumbledore¡¯s camp, one who would never cooperate with Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

    Once that happened, maintaining the alliance would be lessplicated. Dumbledore would simply have to dedicate someone or find some way to protect the new Gurg.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a simple task, but it would be the only quick and sustainable way; certainly much easier than a constant battle with never ending waves of Death Eaters.

    Evan followed this line of thought. The key to this n lied in proper selection of the new Gurg.

    It was to be a very delicate matter. He didn¡¯t know many giants, and he did not trust any of them.

    Then Evan thought of Hagrid¡¯s brother Grawp. He would definitely be on their side, and he was young and full of energy, but he was too short, too weak and had not enough power to subdue other giants.

    Evan sighed and set the matter aside.

    At present, the immediate priority was not the chaotic giants¡¯ tribe and the new Gurg, but the Cyclops in the magma deep in the earth¡¯s core. There were also those Dark wizards who were carrying out some kind of Dark ritual. That was the most urgent matter.

    It was a mission given to him by Gryffindor, and now he had to get his scabbard in order to know more. If that Cyclops was to awaken, none of what took ce with the giants would even matter anymore.

    It was a long time before Hagrid and Madame Maxime returned, both injured. Hagrid¡¯s arm was still bleeding.

    They were very happy to see Evan awake.

    ¡°Hagrid, what¡¯s going on outside?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Not so good. The Death Eaters are looking for us all over the mountain. Olympe and I had another fight with them,¡± said Hagrid, sitting next to Evan. Madame Maxime went to get bandages and potions for him.

    ¡°I told you before you left! It¡¯s best not to tangle with them.¡± Sirius frowned at him.

    ¡°I know, but at the time, it was hard for me to stop Olympe. She was enraged by the Death Eaters!¡± Hagrid whispered, the corners of his mouth lifting his wild beard. ¡°We encountered them, and with both sides not eager to fight, they started insulting our bloodlines¡­ It wasn¡¯t long before Olympe could no longer take it; she wanted to teach them a lesson. She¡¯s fiery, maybe because she¡¯s French?!¡±

    ¡°We <i>MUST </i>teach them a lesson,¡± said Madame Maxime angrily, who had just entered the room. ¡°The situation outside is terrible. The giants all know that we¡¯ve been attackedst night. The giants who originally supported us are now hesitant. They think that we can¡¯t win and they might turn to the Death Eaters.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they probably have more than thirty giants on their side already. They are all strong fighters, bloodthirsty and cruel,¡± said Hagrid worriedly.

    ¡°Then how many do we have?¡± Evan looked at Hagrid.

    ¡°There were a dozen or so, but two of them died just today. The rest are hesitant. My mother and Grawp are still reliable. The old giant Herbert is also willing to help us,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°There are three or four others, but they are all very old giants who have little strength.¡±

    Whether in quantity or quality, there was no way topare the two sides.

    Older giants were more rational and less brutal. They were more willing to ept Dumbledore¡¯s terms and live a better life than to participate in war.

    The young giants were just the opposite. They were also the main force of the giants¡¯ tribe.

    ¡°What about the other giants?¡± Evan continued to ask, there were hundreds of them in the giants¡¯ territory.

    ¡°They are fighting each other, fighting for the Gurg¡¯s position, but I think those guys would be more inclined to take You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters¡¯ side. Their offer is just more appealing to them.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. The situation was just like Sirius said, or even worse.

    Later, Evan exined his n. After discussion, they decided that Evan and Sirius would go back to the cave to retrieve the scabbard.

    Hagrid and Madame Maxime would continue to persuade other giants who did not want to rely on the Death Eaters, telling them Dumbledore¡¯s ideas.

    ¡°By the way, Hagrid, who upies the cave at the top of the mountain now?¡±

    ¡°That cave is deserted. It was originally the pce of the Gurg of the giants, but because Golgomath and his soldiers died there, hardly any giant dares to go inside now,¡± said Hagrid, looking at Evan and Sirius. ¡°The giants are scattered into different groups and no longer gather by theke. You two just need to be careful on your way.¡±

    ¡°Did no one retrieve Golgomath¡¯s body?¡± It was hard for Evan to imagine the giants giving up the cave easily.

    The cave was of extraordinary significance. It might have belonged to that Cyclops back in the day. It was hisir.

    ¡°Just go and have a look, you¡¯ll see, Golgomath¡¯s death was so horrible that other giants dare not approach.¡±

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 Chapter 772: A Terrible Curse

    Chapter 772: A Terrible Curse

    Soon, Evan knew what Hagrid meant by horrific death.

    An hourter, he and Sirius arrived at the cave.

    They did not see a living giant along the way. Theke at the foot of the mountain was a mess, full of corpses and even scattered giants limbs, as well as things that the fleeing giants had not had time to take away. The wholeke was dyed red.

    That was because of the blood, too much giants¡¯ blood had turned the mountainke into a bloodke, giving off a pungent smell.

    It used to be a gathering ce for giants, but now it had be the most deste ce in the territory¡­ a purgatory on earth.

    The battle between Golgomath and Karkus¡¯s camps killed many of the giants living here; theke was the main battlefield.

    In just three days, too many giants had died here.

    The once powerful giants¡¯ tribe was divided, and all the living giants had fled the ce and moved to the nearby mountain forest.

    Inside the cave, Evan saw Golgomath¡¯s corpse, or something that was supposed to be his dead body, sitting on the throne under the statue of the Cyclops. He had turned into a ck silent statue.

    He also had the ¡°Crown of fate¡± on his head, and a ferocious expression and a trace of consternation on his face. His two arms were stretched forward, and the sinews of his neck burst with pain. His whole body was covered with ayer of uneven ck char.

    Around him, other giant warriors were mostly the same, keeping their original appearance and turning into scorched statues.

    Evan looked at them in surprise. It was more shocking than the bloody scene outside.

    The giants were very resistant to magic and were almost immune to most low-level spells, but now they had turned into dead statues.

    ¡°This is Voldemort¡¯s curse, those essories have ruthlessly taken their lives¡­¡± said Sirius.

    Evan didn¡¯t know much about this particr dark magic, but he could feel the magic of the Dark Lord.

    As though under the Full Body-Bind Curse, or Petrified by the Basilisk¡¯s eyes, Golgomath and the giant warriors had lost any breath of life.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if he could ever bring them back to life, and several spells and potions came to his mind.

    ¡°These stupid giants just died, making things a mess,¡± said Sirius, bypassing Golgomath¡¯s location and walking to the foot of the statue of the Cyclops. ¡°Old Herbert told me that after Golgomath became like this, the other giants were scared and they didn¡¯t understand what was going on. This used to be their holy ce, but it has be a restricted area.¡±

    ¡°I can feel the power of the curse.¡± Evan took out his wand and gently tapped on Golgomath.

    He tried to use a Charm to undo the petrification, but the texture of the statue was more fragile than he thought. As soon as his magic came into effect, a crack appeared on the statue of Golgomath, making a sharp creak.

    Evan stopped in a hurry, frowning to see the cracks gradually widen. The magic he used had the exact opposite effect.

    Obviously, Voldemort had anticipated this situation and guessed that some wizard would use this magic on the statue.

    That was to say, even if the curse was finally undone sessfully, Golgomath¡¯s body could only be restored into a pile of meat.

    Evan was speechless. Voldemort was really <i>terrible</i>!

    Even Dumbledore, with all his knowledge, would probably go through all these giants before figuring out the way to restore them.

    No wonder those giants dared note to this ce. This was not a force they could understand.

    They only saw Golgomath and his warriors offend the Death Eaters, and then they instantly turned into sculptures.

    That was a terrible curse¡­ terrifying magic¡­ horrific power¡­

    Out of fear, the remaining giants did not dare to offend the Death Eaters.

    This was the horror of Voldemort. The most dangerous Dark wizard in history was not merely a man wielding a wand and using Avada Kedavra.

    ¡°Well, Evan, Forget about these giants,¡± said Sirius. He also took out his wand and said, ¡°What happened to them is horrible, but the fear it has induced makes it much easier for us to take the scabbard. No one will stop us.¡±

    He waved his wand at the scabbard in the Cyclops¡¯s eye.

    There was no reaction. Sirius frowned at it, and he Disapparated.

    He Apparated next to the eye of the Cyclops, held the scabbard firmly, and tried to pull it out.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Evan shouted, looking at Sirius, who had almost turned into a little ck dot above.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t pull it out. There is special magic on the scabbard that fends off my power. It seems to be integrated with the statue,¡± said Sirius, returning to Evan. ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine how Gryffindor had inserted this scabbard on it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go up and have a look,¡± said Evan, thinking for a moment, and Apparating directly above the statue.

    It was almost a hundred feet high, and looking down from this position, everything on the ground became small.

    If the Cyclops was the same height as the statue, then that would be their point of view. Whether it was humans or even modern day giants, they were insignificant ants in his eyes.

    Evan was now standing above the Cyclops¡¯s head, and in front of it was its single eye, a pure huge topaz.

    The gem was as clear and shiny as crystal. It was clean in texture and free from any defects. This topaz had strong magical properties and had many applications in alchemy. At the same time, it was a treasure of extraordinary value.

    Evan steadied himself and was ready to try to see if he could divide the gem.

    He aimed his wand at the jewel beneath him, using powerful attack magic.

    The silver light shed, but it didn¡¯t leave a trace on the topaz. Never did Evan see anything harder.

    Not far away, at the center of the huge eye, the scabbard of Gryffindor¡¯s sword was quietly inserted.

    This was a nd scabbard, silver-white, and forged from the same material as Gryffindor¡¯s sword. It was engraved with patterns and magic runes used by goblins.

    On the main body of the scabbard, small pieces of ruby ??were distributed, emitting a hazy light, just like stars in the night sky.

    It seemed to be feeling Evan¡¯s gaze, and the rubies ??on it shed.

    Evan walked closer to observe the scabbard. As Sirius said, it seemed to be part of the statue.

    It was sending out strange magic to the outside, reminiscent of Gryffindor¡¯s power.

    This power prevented the scabbard from leaving the statue, and it sealed the Cyclops below.

    It was difficult to pull it out. If it were that simple, for a thousand years, the giants would have long thought of ways to remove the scabbard, instead of leaving it here to tarnish the statue of their ancestor, as a sign of the shame a human brought to them.

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 Chapter 773: Gryffindors thought

    Chapter 773: Gryffindor''s thought

    Since even the giants and Sirius couldn¡¯t pull the scabbard out, Evan shouldn¡¯t be able to pull it out either; he didn¡¯t have that much strength.

    But Evan felt that the scabbard was waiting for him, and Gryffindor¡¯s remaining power was guiding him.

    It was part of Gryffindor¡¯s Sword and belonged to Gryffindor¡¯s true heir!

    Evan walked over, took a deep breath, and grasped the scabbard.

    Bizarre magic flowed from the scabbard, a strange force that Evan had never seen before.

    It was a bit like the power of the Cyclops, but it obviously carried Gryffindor¡¯s own magical trace.

    It made a quick rotation around Evan¡¯s body and returned to the scabbard, and Evan could feel the power in the palm of his hand.

    That was the power of destruction, the overbearing primitive force that could destroy everything.

    The scabbard was calling Evan¡­ it was calling its new owner!

    Evan looked at the ordinary scabbard, lifted it up with a very little force, and it was lighter than he had expected.

    With a click, the scabbard left the statue of the Cyclops, and the seal of a thousand years was unlocked.

    ¡°<i>Great</i>!¡± Evan said happily, looking at the scabbard in his hand.

    The next second, the amazing statue of the Cyclops copsed quickly, making a loud rumble.

    Numerous cracks spread rapidly around the eye beneath Evan and soon covered the whole statue.

    The ancient and powerful power pervaded the whole cave. Evan seemed to hear the angry roar of the Cyclops!

    He left quickly, Disapparating with Sirius.

    The dust was rising in clouds as they watched the magnificent statue crumble before their eyes, smashing the ground into a huge pit. The scene in front of them was particrly shocking.

    Evan¡¯s focus was not on the copsed statue, but on the scabbard in his hand.

    After pulling it out, the mysterious power with Gryffindor¡¯s trace on it became more and more obvious.

    As though using a Pensieve, Evan¡¯s consciousness moved forward quickly, condensing onto the scabbard, and a closed silver-white circr space appeared in front of him.

    In his teenage form, Gryffindor was waiting for Evan, his hands sped behind his head and a familiarzy smile on his face.

    ¡°I feel the power of Godric Gryffindor in you. So, you are his heir?¡± said the young man, staring at Evan. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that after a thousand years, his heir would finallye to this ce.¡±

    ¡°I got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone from Gryffindor. It should be regarded as his approval. Who are you?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I am a mixture of thoughts and various forces¡­ a very special existence. The core part is the 17-year-old Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts on the scabbard. The outeryer includes the magic of the seal left by Ravenw, the power of the scabbard itself, and the huge power absorbed from the Cyclops, and¡­¡±

    Evan blinked and looked at the handsome young man in amazement. He did not fully grasp what he was saying.

    Thebination of thoughts and energy ¡­ what on earth was this? Was it some kind of Horcrux?!!

    ¡°Well, looking at your expression, I see you didn¡¯t understand. To put it simply, you can think of me as a special Godric Gryffindor. After all, my core is his thoughts. So I inherited Gryffindor¡¯s character, his worldviews, his magic knowledge and so on,¡± said the young man, putting his hands down. ¡°For others, I am the purest form of power. But because you are his heir, owning that Philosopher¡¯s Stone, which is homologous with the magic of my core thought, I can have a simple discussion with you, just like now, but only at this moment, because I am going to dissipate soon!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Evan still didn¡¯t understand what he said.

    ¡°It goes without saying that Godric Gryffindor himself is gone. My core is only a trace of his thoughts. How could it still exist? Had it not been protected by great power, I wouldn¡¯t remain to this day.¡±

    ¡°Just a trace of thoughts¡­¡± Evan murmured

    ¡°After you have that power, you will naturally know what is going on. You are too weak nowpared to Gryffindor; you are far from understanding the essence of this power,¡± said the teenager, walking to Evan¡¯s front. ¡°Well, don¡¯t think about me, that is not the point. Anyway, I will disappear soon. We will never meet again in the future. What you need to worry about now is the big fellow below.¡±

    ¡°Is it the Cyclops you showed me before, the one in the magma of the core?!¡±

    ¡°Exactly! I was originally the seal Gryffindor left here, fighting the monster below for a thousand years,¡± said the teenager. ¡°Oh, I forgot, you may not know about it, after all that long. In short, a thousand years ago, Gryffindor arrived here and fought with the terrible Cyclops, and he was unfortunately defeated. But in the end, it was a loss for both of them, because the Cyclops was too old and had to return to the magma to regain his strength.¡±

    ¡°Return to the magma to regain his strength?¡± Evan looked at him in surprise.

    He had been wondering before, what kind of monster was the Cyclops, absorbing the power of magma to restore strength?!!

    ¡°A creature like the Cyclops is different from normal creatures. It is said that it was a creation of a more powerful Titan in ancient times. It was originally abination of earth and magma, but weakened a little bit with flesh and blood and life.¡± The young man paused and said, ¡°Of course, these are all legends, and no one can find a Titan to verify such things from that mythical age, and this matter is not the point. Anyway, after beating Gryffindor away, the monster ran to the underground magma below their to hide and take a breather, probably not expecting that Gryffindor woulde back with Rowena Ravenw.¡±

    ¡°What did they do when they came back?¡±

    ¡°Of course he came back to take revenge and fight the Cyclops. Gryffindor was badly injured. He had never suffered such a big loss, and the woman Rowena Ravenw was also there. They could not helping back.¡± The teenager continued. ¡°This time there was no fight. With Gryffindor¡¯s help, Ravenw used a powerful magic to make the Cyclops hiding in the underground magma sleep forever, in a state between life and death. ¡°

    This reminded Evan of the Dementor¡¯s kiss. The person whose soul was sucked away by the Dementor was in such a state, walking dead, in a daze, actually dead, though looking alive.

    Of course, this was true for ordinary creatures. It was hard to do anything through magic to the soul of such a powerful ancient creature like the Cyclops.

    Even Evan didn¡¯t know what kind of magic Ravenw had used. It was simply incredible.

    ¡°Your current level of power is too low, and it is really difficult to exin that level of magic to you.¡± Noticing Evan¡¯s expression, the young man paused for a while before continuing, ¡°It¡¯s not a simple soul magic, but in a moremon way, this is more like a seal, a soul seal. Ravenw used magic to make a membrane inside the Cyclops¡¯s body. She used that membrane to separate its soul, consciousness and body. No matter how strong the Cyclops¡¯s body is, or whether it is regaining its strength, its consciousness is constantly having nightmares. The nightmare never ends, and it will never wake up.¡±

    Using magic to make a membrane inside the body¡­ Evan had never heard of this seal before.

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 Chapter 774: The Seal Magic and The Ravens Claw

    Chapter 774: The Seal Magic and The Raven''s w

    ¡°Ravenw used the power of magic to separate the Cyclops¡¯s soul and consciousness from his body?!¡± said Evan with uncertainty. That sounded no different from the evil Dark soul magic.

    In the process of making Horcruxes, one could divide his own soul fragments by torturing, killing and using special spells on other lives.

    The Dementor¡¯s kiss was even more direct, sucking out one¡¯s soul directly through the mouth-to-mouth method.

    The terrible evil gods needed flesh and blood, but their thoughts could also have special effects on one¡¯s soul.

    ¡°Yes, but note what I¡¯ve said, this is not simply destroying or detaching. The Cyclops¡¯s soul is strong. It will not be easily damaged. No wizard can do it. It is actually still in the body of the Cyclops, but just because of that membrane, his soul and consciousness cannot perceive his own body, and they are separated in this way! ¡°

    Evan nodded hesitantly; it seemed like the Cyclops was in a vegetative state.

    The Cyclops had lost his ability to consciously move because of magic, but his nervous system could maintain his autonomous breathing and heartbeat, maintain basic life functions, leaving him in an irreversible deepa.

    ¡°At the core of this sealing magic is the giant statue that had just copsed. The magical crack in it extended deep into the core of the earth, all the way to the position of the Cyclops. After Ravenw finished the seal, Gryffindor left his scabbard to hold his essence, making it my body,¡± said the young man. He seemed very happy that Evan finally understood what he said. ¡°I was inserted in the statue, and my main function was to absorb power from the Cyclops¡¯s body, use that power to maintain the seal magic, and fight with his soul and consciousness in dreams for a thousand years.¡±

    Evan looked at the young man quietly. Thetter¡¯s so-called basic exnation of magic content made him even more confused.

    A thousand years ago, what did Ravenw and Gryffindor do to the sleeping Cyclops?!! Between the membrane, the looping energy system involving the scabbard, mixing energy and thoughts, and more¡­ This was magic far moreplex than anything Evan had ever seen.

    ¡°All you need to know is that the scabbard in your hand is my body, and my essence is ??Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts. For a thousand years, absorbing huge power from the Cyclops gave me this astral form¡­¡± The teenager touched his hair and smiled again. ¡°You can think of me as a seventeen-year-old Gryffindor, or as a special energy body. Anyway, his thoughts are dissipating, and I will soon return to the purest state of energy.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Evan didn¡¯t know what to say to him.

    No matter what his existence was, theplete disappearance into pure energy was not a good thing after all¡­ It was the death of this being!

    He should be sad, but the young man didn¡¯t seem to mind this fate. He kept smiling all the time, looking at Evan.

    ¡°Well, if that statue is the basis for sealing Cyclops magic, it has just been destroyed.¡± Evan said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that cyclops is already very old and hase to the end of his life. Although his body is still there, his soul and consciousness havepletely dissipated long ago. The seal has lost its meaning and my mission has beenpleted,¡± said the teenager. ¡°In fact, Ravenw¡¯s magic may have helped him survive for longer to some extent; otherwise, his body left in the magma below would have died. But now, even though his soul is gone, the powerful shell is still there, which is the real problem.¡±

    ¡°In my previous vision, I saw thirteen Dark wizards. What are they doing?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Since the Cyclops is dead in soul and consciousness, they can¡¯t wake him up, can they?¡±

    ¡°This is what I mean by trouble!¡± The young man sighed, and put his hands behind his head again. ¡°For the past thousand years, the terrible big guy underground has been fighting me. He kept looking for loopholes in the membrane left by Ravenw, hoping to regain control of his own body, and every time he tossed, the nearby volcano erupted.¡±

    Evan suddenly realized that Mount Etna in Sicily was the volcano with the most eruptions in the world. The real reason was here. Because of the resistance of the Cyclops below, it caused frequent outbreaks.

    ¡°The membrane left by Ravenw has been destroyed by him over and over again, and I have been repairing it continuously. The Cyclops has been looking for ways to get out of trouble through various means, but he was too old and his soul was getting weaker and weaker. I have absorbed the strength in his body and I was getting stronger and stronger. So he has not been sessful. After hundreds of attempts, he has changed his strategy, not directly controlling his own body, but trying to contact other creatures to save him.¡± The young man looked at Evan and continued, ¡°His primary target was the nearby giants. They are all his descendants, but the giants do not know magic, so they have not seeded. Then, he found a group of Dark wizards.¡±

    ¡°The thirteen Dark wizards I saw?¡±

    ¡°Not them. It was more than 600 years ago when he was connected to the original Dark Wizards,¡± said the young man. ¡°But they were all a group called Raven¡¯s w. I have heard them mention the name of the organization more than once.¡±

    ¡°Raven¡¯s w?!¡± Evan was surprised.

    This mad cult, which originated 600 years ago, had been propagating the revtion of the Apocalypse and the evil gods they wanted to liberate.

    Beforeing here, Nics mel had also specifically warned Evan to be careful of the Raven¡¯s w resurfacing.

    Evan had thought they were up to something behind the scenes in the lighthouse, but he had no idea what they could do with the Cyclops.

    ¡°This organization should be rted to Rowena Ravenw, because the curse of the family needed to be broken. Ravenw and Gryffindor hade to this area many times. I was the one they left when they first came here,¡± The young man continued. ¡°The Dark wizards have been following Ravenw¡¯s footsteps, looking for the remains of various ancient times, as though nning to do something. Hundreds of years ago, they got in touch with the Cyclops below, but they didn¡¯t take any action at that time. They just passed through the passage inside the cave, looked deep into the core of the earth and disappeared. I thought they had forgotten this matter or were scared away, but I was wrong!¡±

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 Chapter 775: The Power of Lightning

    Chapter 775: The Power of Lightning

    In the silvery white spiritual space, the seventeen-year-old Gryffindor-like teenager opposite Evan suddenly started shining.

    Like a ghost, his body gradually became more translucent, lighter and lighter¡­

    Evan knew that it was because the thoughts left behind by Gryffindor were dissipating. Within a few minutes, he wouldpletely disappear and be pure energy attached to the scabbard.

    ¡°Not long ago, the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w were back, and they were performing evil magical rituals below,¡± said the teenager.

    He didn¡¯t seem to notice how he was changing, or perhaps he did and didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Do they think they could revive the Cyclops?¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°No, the Cyclops below is dead and can never be resurrected. The Dark wizards know this. They are back, looking for the huge power left by the Cyclops, and they want to extract this power!¡±

    ¡°Extract the power of the Cyclops?¡± Evan said in surprise.

    ¡°Yes, you have also felt it before. It is a very pure and very powerful force that could only do destruction. They are going to use this power for their own purposes. I heard that they are going to summon something that shouldn¡¯t exist in the world,¡± said the teenager, the smile on the corner of his mouth gradually disappearing, and he looked at Evan seriously. ¡°We have to stop them. It is my duty as the <i>seal</i> of the Cyclops. It is also your responsibility, <i>heir </i>of Gryffindor!¡±

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Evan looked at the young man who was by now almost transparent.

    ¡°Go to the depths of the rock core to stop their magical rituals. You can¡¯t let them take away the magic that has been extracted. As for the remaining power of the Cyclops, you have to insert the scabbard into his eye again¡­¡± Like his fading figure, the young man¡¯s voice was getting weaker and weaker, as thoughing from a far distance.

    Evan nodded hesitantly. It was easy for the young man to say it, but it was not that simple to stop thirteen heavily armed Dark wizards.

    It might not be possible to do it without the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. But the Dark wizards were not stupid giants, and they would not let Evan draw magical runes leisurely.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, heir of Gryffindor!¡± The young man seemed to see Evan¡¯s doubts, and he smiled again. ¡°Use the power on the scabbard, it will help you. I believe you will seed!¡±

    Before Evan could continue to ask questions, the spiritual space disappeared and he returned to the real world.

    He and Sirius were standing on the edge of the cave. The space in front of them was still shaking, and the cave was full of smoke and dust.

    After pulling the scabbard out, the statue of the Cyclops, nearly a hundred feet tall,pletely copsed.

    The conversation between Evan and Gryffindor seemed to havested for a long time, but only a few seconds had passed in the real world.

    The scabbard in his hand still exuded strong power, but the thoughts of Gryffindor were gone.

    Now, this was pure energy, slowly flowing into Evan¡¯s body.

    This was the pure destructive power of the cyclops. Within Evan¡¯s body, it didn¡¯t seem to blend with his own magic, nor did it fight it.

    It just revolved in Evan¡¯s body taking its own path, just to finally return to the scabbard again¡­

    Evan thought of what Gryffindor had meant to tell him. He waved his wand in an attempt to use this special magic.

    He didn¡¯t read a spell, but simply cast out the magic that the scabbard had poured into his body, emitting a red magical light.

    The light fell on a boulder in the distance, apanied by a terrible loud crackling sound. It looked like lightning, and sounded like thunder!

    The stone shattered in response to the sound. This attack was amazingly powerful,parable to high-level attack magic, but it was cast much faster.

    Evan looked at the scabbard in amazement. He did not expect that it would be a thunderbolt. (T/N: In Greek mythology, the thunderbolt is a weapon given to Zeus by the Cyclopes.)

    Just holding this scabbard was equivalent to grasping the strong power of thunder subdued by the Cyclops. In theory, even a weak young wizard could easily cast extremely powerful and harmful magic with this.

    Evan was not sure whether this scabbard could only be used by him or anyone could use it, but this was already amazing enough!

    Beside him, Sirius was also taken aback by the magic Evan had just cast.

    ¡°Evan, what was that lightning just now?¡± He said in surprise. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this magic before.¡±

    No wonder Sirius was surprised. With all the usual types of Magic that wizards would usually use, none of them produced lightning.

    It was supposedly a power exclusive to nature, one that could not be summoned through the magical power of a wizard. However, just like muggles managed to use this power through tools and technology, some magical items allowed for the use of this power as well. These magical items were usually legendary magical props and were very, very rare.

    ¡°It¡¯s the scabbard¡­¡± Evan simply told Sirius the information he had just received in the spiritual space.

    Thetter looked incredulously at Evan and the scabbard in his hand. Then he took the scabbard and gave it a try, just to find that he as well could use it as a thunderbolt!

    After Gryffindor¡¯s thought disappeared, anyone could use the energy in the scabbard.

    For a thousand years, this scabbard kept constantly absorbing the original strength of the Cyclops from the depths of the earth¡¯s core to maintain the seal.

    In the end, the scabbard itself had be a powerful magical item, and its value was not less than that of Gryffindor¡¯s sword.

    Sirius examined the scabbard for a while before returning it to Evan.

    They discussed the ongoing Dark magical ritual of the Raven¡¯s w and the mission left behind by Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts, and they both agreed: the best course of action was to take these dark wizards by surprise and foil their ns as soon as possible.

    While there was a great discrepancy in numbers between both sides, Evan and Sirius had a great chance of sess if they used the power of this scabbard well, just like the teenage Gryffindor said.

    They only needed to insert it into the Cyclops¡¯s eye to foil the ritual and solve this problem. At that time, they would directly Apparate to leave, or adopt different strategies depending on the situation.

    The most dangerous thing was the process of barging in. How could they avoid catching the attention of those Dark wizards?

    Ten minutester, the huge sound of rumbling inside the cavepletely disappeared, and the two went back in.

    The original position of the statue was reced by a pit, its bottom not visible in the darkness below.

    ¡°Please tell me we have to jump from here to reach the Cyclops!¡± Sirius asked, looking at the bottomless crater.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a passage from which the Cyclops used to pass,¡± said Evan, looking around the cave carefully.

    If he knew the specific location of the Cyclops, it would be more convenient to use a Portkey or Apparition. That¡¯s how the Dark Wizards of Raven¡¯s w got in. This passage wasst used hundreds of years ago, when the first Dark wizard to be contacted by the Cyclops had used it.

    But Evan didn¡¯t know this location, so they needed to find a way there. He and Sirius carefully searched inside the huge cave, and then found a stone gate on the innermost side.

    It was an old-fashioned gate, so magnificent in size that even giants wouldn¡¯t reach the handle.

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 Chapter 776: Underground Mine

    Chapter 776: Underground Mine

    Evan waved his wand, and with a deep creak, the stone door opened, revealing the darkness behind.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± said Sirius, taking the lead going in.

    The entrance was a sloping downhill corridor, very spacious and built to the Cyclopes¡¯ size.

    Evan and Sirius turned down the light at the end of their wands to the minimum, only dimly illuminating their path ahead.

    The air was cold and wet, but not stale.

    They walked silently down the corridor, which was straight and precise, without any twists and turns.

    This was definitely not something made by the giants or cyclopes. They weren¡¯t meticulous creatures; they didn¡¯t have that kind of patience¡­

    But like the statue of the Cyclops, this tunnel showed a very high level of craftsmanship, and the more the two went down, the more spacious it became.

    Evan and Sirius walked down for more than two hours. It was already deep enough underground for them to feel the temperature gradually rising.

    When they reached the end of the tunnel, they saw a huge cave with red light.

    Evan took a deep breath. He expected that this ce would lead to the depths of the rock core, but the sight in front of him shocked him.

    The zing heat wasing from a sea of mes inside the cave, a sea of magma!

    It was flowing slowly, falling from a height, emerging from the core of the rock, and converging into a river.

    This ce was a bit simr to the underground of Gringotts, but not exactly the same.

    All magma was not enclosed in a fixed space. The river it converged into was moving forward, and there were no inds on it.

    Evan didn¡¯t know where it was going, as its end wasn¡¯t in sight.

    On the side of the river where the magma converged, there was a simple stone path, with its walls and ceiling iid with clear, yellowish crystals. The bright red light from the magma shone on them, making these crystals look as though they were fluorescent.

    Although Evan knew it was just an illusion, the splendor and grandeur of this series of natural creations were truly breathtaking.

    ¡°These citrines have a strong magical power, the power of nature!¡± said Evan softly, as he touched a bare citrine on the rock wall next to him and sensed the strange magic.

    The turquoise Owl Pendant on his left wrist glowed green, and seemed to be absorbing the magic from the crystal.

    This was a magical reaction. The power in the pendant was stimted by the magical power of the crystal. They were all natural forces.

    ¡°It¡¯s really strong magic, but what¡¯s more concerning are these traces on the ground!¡± said Sirius, squatting on the ground to look carefully. ¡°Someone has been here not too long ago, we¡¯d better be careful.¡±

    ¡°It should be someone from Raven¡¯s w!¡± said Evan.

    From the information obtained from Gryffindor¡¯s consciousness, in the past thousand years, besides Gryffindor, Ravenw, Evan, and Sirius, the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w were the only humans that had been to this ce.

    ¡°Hard to say¡­ look at this¡­ it¡¯s like the skeleton of a house-elf!¡±

    Following Sirius¡¯s finger, Evan saw a small skeleton in front of a huge citrine in the corner, about the size of a house-elf. Next to it was a broken mining spade.

    ¡°A house-elf?!¡± Evan looked at the skeleton diligently. ¡°It¡¯s like he was trying to dig out these crystals.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a lot of magic in these citrines. Maybe those Dark wizards intend to use them for something,¡± Sirius extinguished the light at the end of his wand and continued, ¡°Take out the Invisibility Cloak, Evan, we need to be more careful!¡±

    Evan took out the Invisibility Cloak Dumbledore had given him and covered himself and Sirius.

    Their bodies disappeared, and the two continued to move forward, holding their wands tightly under the cloak.

    The magma nearby emitted bright red, and the mes flowed quietly in the river ofva, breaking the darkness in the cave.

    The temperature gradually increased, but they could not use magic to lower the surface temperature. This was a difficult test, and Evan saw Sirius¡¯s skin next to him glow with a strange red light.

    He knew that the same was happening to him; he could feel the thirst in his body, and even his breath was hot. All the water in his body was evaporating rapidly, and his throat was feeling like dry wood that might burn at any moment¡­

    Evan told himself to be patient, not to use magic, not to let the enemy feel abnormal magical reactions.

    He could already hear a lot of nging metal and rock wall collisions. Something was nearby.

    They had to be careful. This ce was very close to the location of the Dark Wizards of Raven¡¯s w.

    Evan didn¡¯t know a lot about this mysterious heretic organization. He only read a few notes about them in a book.

    He knew that they were searching all over the world for energy relics of ancient times, looking for the remaining information of the so-called ancient gods and the lost magic knowledge.

    They wanted to destroy the current world and bring the ancient gods back to their former dominance.

    This was undoubtedly an insane wizarding organization. Unlike cults in the Muggle world, they were not merely propagandizing eschatology to absorb believers, as they actually had the means to bring forth doomsday and to summon the ancient gods back to the world.

    In Evan¡¯s understanding, the so-called ancient gods of Raven¡¯s w were simply terrible evil creatures from ancient times.

    He didn¡¯t know what clues the cult found from Ravenw¡¯s relics that made them believe the evil gods should return to this world.

    Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts told Evan that they intended to use the power of the Cyclops to summon some evil that should not exist in this world. What was this terrible monster?!! What did it have to do with the control of the lighthouse outside the town?!!

    There were too many secrets in the nearby waters, whether from what Ravenw was looking for in the ancient ruins in the whirlpool of Charybdis, to what Gryffindor said about the ghost ship controlled by the dead and the magical city sinking in the bottom of the sea.

    Evan knew; something big was about to happen!

    Along the river ofva, he and Sirius turned around a corner, and the two stopped again.

    Evan could see that at the end was another huge stone gate in an enclosed space surrounded by rock walls.

    The stone gate was open, and the magma slowly poured out. That was the source of the river ofva.

    Through the stone gate, Evan saw the huge body of the Cyclops soaked in a deepva pool. Most of its body was immersed in the hotva, leaving only its head and shoulders exposed, just like what Evan had seen in his dream. This was their destination!

    Evan had already known about this, but what really surprised him was what was on the outer rock walls¡­

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 Chapter 777: The Dark Wizards of Ravens Claw

    Chapter 777: The Dark Wizards of Raven''s w

    There were small tforms across the rock wall; there were about a hundred of them, and they were full of house-elves.

    They were extra pale and skinny, dressed in dirty shabby clothes, with shackles and chains on their ankles and wrists, their big bulging eyes vacant, holding disproportionatelyrge mining spades, digging hard for the citrines on the rock walls.

    Evan pointed forward. He and Sirius looked at one another and walked cautiously towards the stone gate.

    On a massive stone tform on the left side of the stone gate stood a fierce man in ck robes with a wand in his hand.

    Evan saw a strange badge on his chest, on which was a raven with wings spread out, and its eyes were weird sapphires.

    The guy was a Raven¡¯s w, and he was monitoring the house-elves as they worked.

    ¡°Hurry up, you hideous little freaks!¡± He growled loudly, looking ferocious, ¡°Don¡¯t you even dare let me catch you cking off! Lazy elves feed the magma!¡±

    Hearing his growl, many of the house-elves¡¯ bodies shook uncontrobly.

    On a tform of the rock wall, a house-elf waved his spade a little slower¡­ the next second, a green light hit him. He screamed harshly, lying on the ground, shaking uncontrobly and sobbing.

    Evan frowned. It was the Cruciatus Curse!

    Torturing the house-elves with this kind of magic, this guy was really a Dark wizard.

    There were many ways to make house-elves obedient, and <i>Crucio </i>was definitely the cruelest of all.

    ¡°Scum, it is your honor to serve the great Raven¡¯s w. You should give your blood and soul to your master,¡± said the wizard contemptuously, ¡°But for the sake of your usefulness¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, Kagal, stop torturing these elves!¡± A man stepped out of the stone gate. He also had a Raven badge on his chest, but its eyes were red.

    ¡°How do you do, Harbinger of Doom!¡± said Kagal respectfully, bowing slightly.

    ¡°Harbinger of Doom¡­ Strange name¡­¡± thought Evan, who looked attentively at the wizarding out of the stone gate.

    He was of medium height, wearing an exquisite set of mostly blue and purple wizard robes, with a hood on his head hiding his features. Evan could only see that the exposed bits of his skin were pale, bloodless. His hair, on the other hand, was even whiter than his skin.

    What was interesting was that he brought an eerily chilling sensation along with him. Even though there was hot magma everywhere around him, after seeing him, Evan shivered, as if cold was emerging from the depths of his soul.

    Like Caresius, the magic emanating from him did not feel like that of a normal human wizard.

    Evan¡¯s gaze was focused on the imprable shadow cast by the hood, for he had sensed that this man was very dangerous.

    Sirius gently pulled Evan, and they hid behind the rocks near the stone tform, overhearing the conversation between the two Dark wizards.

    ¡°You can¡¯t keep torturing these house-elves to death, Kagal. I know it¡¯s fun, but we still need them for digging out the crystals. It¡¯s already going very slow. If they all die, we wouldn¡¯t be able to find other creatures to rece them.¡±

    ¡°I know their limits very well. I¡¯m just scaring these little creeps into working harder.¡± Kagal seemed a little scared as he tried to justify his actions. ¡°Great Harbinger of Doom, they are too slow indeed. I think the giants above would be far better. Yes, they¡¯re much stronger than these hideous little monsters!¡±

    ¡°The giants are not creatures that could be enved so casually, and they can easily attract the attention of the outside world.¡± The wizard paused and continued, ¡°We have to be careful these days, Kagal. There are many wizards from Britain on the ind. Some sent by Dumbledore, and some by the Dark Lord, and they all want to woo the giants. We must not let them find out about this.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Lord¡­ the <i>wizard</i>?!!¡± Surprise showed on Kagal¡¯s face. ¡°I thought he was dead already!¡±

    ¡°That man is different; he has conquered death! We will also do it someday. When we finally summon our lord back to this world, we will have eternal life and supremacy in the new world after judgment!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for this day. Let this dirty world be reborn under its fury!¡± Kagal was shivering with excitement.

    ¡°Patience, Kagal. For a goal as noble as ours, it is only natural to endure suffering!¡± The man¡¯s voice was bitterly cold. He said slowly, ¡°The first step is often the hardest. We¡¯re not powerful enough yet, but once we finish this, everything that follows will be simple.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Harbinger of Doom, your teachings have remained with me,¡± said Kagal, bowing slightly again.

    The fierce-looking Dark wizard seemed to be very afraid of this so-called Harbinger of Doom. He was being far too polite for a dark wizard.

    ¡°The return of the Dark Lord is a good thing. We can cooperate with him once again to infiltrate our way back to Britain. There¡¯s a vital message in the ancient Wizarding School, and we must get it.¡± The wizard looked at Kagal and said in a cold voice, ¡°I will be leaving very soon to meet the Dark Lord in Britain and ask to join his army again.¡±

    ¡°That is really good news. I like the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters. Back when they ruled, we could ughter Muggles, half-blood wizards and other creatures at will. This is what I always hope for.¡± Kagal licked his dry lips, with a cruel smile on his face.

    Evan and Sirius looked at one another. It was not good news that these Dark wizards of the Raven¡¯s w were ready to join Voldemort.

    Obviously, Hogwarts must be the Wizarding School that the wizard was talking about. What were they nning to do?!

    After learning about Voldemort¡¯s return, many dark forces hiding in various parts of the world were on the move, ready to emerge once again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away, Kagal, we are different from the Death Eaters! We have higher noble goals.¡± The wizard called the Harbinger of Doom paused for a moment, his breath was getting colder. ¡°Okay, give me the recently mined Crystals, andplete another energy stone from the Cyclops. I want to take them to that city. The energy we¡¯ve gathered is almost enough. I am going to summon that ancient existence before I set out to meet the Dark Lord¡­¡±

    There was a sound on the tform. The Dark wizard, known as the Harbinger of Doom took a cloth bag from Kagal and Disapparated directly.

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 Chapter 778: Dark Witch Natalia

    Chapter 778: Dark Witch Natalia

    After the Harbinger of Doom Disapparated, Kagal was clearly relieved and rxed.

    He turned around and looked at the house-elves on the tform fiercely, tortured them with spells with a wicked smile on his face.

    Evan was still thinking about what the other wizard had just said, which revealed a lot of important information.

    What they had extracted from the Cyclops was being umted in something called energy stone, and they seemed to have umted a lot¡­

    Besides, that Dark wizard called the Harbinger of Doom was preparing to meet Voldemort.

    Before that, he would take the energy stone and the crystals excavated by the house-elves to a certain city to summon an ancient existence.

    What was this ancient existence? And where was that city?

    Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts on the scabbard asked Evan to stop them and prevent them from taking away the power of the Cyclops.

    But the Harbinger of Doom had already Disapparated and left, and it was toote to stop him.

    In addition to the house-elves on the tforms, there were many Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w patrolling nearby.

    Before inserting the scabbard into the Cyclops¡¯s eye, it wouldn¡¯t be smart to ¡®stomp the grass and startle the snakes¡¯*. Besides, there were still a lot of things Evan didn¡¯t know. [*Editor Note: Chinese idiom.]

    He needed to investigate and find out what the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w were going to do.

    ¡°You control some elves and lead the guy above the stone tform down to the tunnel we just came from.¡± Sirius was equally puzzled. He leaned close to Evan¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll ambush him there, catch this guy, and get some information from him¡­¡±

    Evan nodded, and Sirius directly Disapparated away, hiding in the tunnel.

    Evan carefully approached the stone wall, pointed his wand at two house-elves, and cast a nonverbal spell. The next second, the controlled house-elves made a harsh scream, and threw the spades fiercely to the ground.

    The house-elves around them stopped and looked at them in awe, with unconcealed panic on their faces.

    <i>¡°These two are mad, and the evil Dark wizard could kill them immediately!</i>¡± Their fellow house-elves thought.

    ¡°Damn it, what are you two bastards doing? Pick up the spades and get back to work, otherwise I¡¯ll skin you alive!¡± Kagal growled, waving his wand and releasing two green spells.

    Under Evan¡¯s control, the two house-elves leaped to avoid the spell. They made a rude face at the thundering Kagal and ran straight down the tunnel.

    Kagal kept cursing, waving his wand to cast spells, and chasing after them¡­

    The other house-elves and Raven¡¯s w wizards looked at them dumbfounded. Something simr did happen every few weeks. Unable to stand the pressure and torture, many house-elves would sneak away or hide indolent.

    But never did any elves show tant rebellion such as this. These two elves were insane!

    Kagal had said it; if he caught them, he would definitely skin them alive!

    By the time Evan returned to the tunnel, Kagal had fainted, and Sirius was standing beside him with his wand in his hand.

    ¡°What an idiot! He was so busy trying to catch these two elves that he didn¡¯t even see me right next to him,¡± he gasped, using his wand to cast the Incarcerous Spell and bind the Dark wizard on the ground. ¡°Well, let me think about how we could get him to squeal¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to bother, I have Veritaserum here,¡± said Evan, opening his cloak and looking at the surprised Sirius. ¡°It¡¯s not as good as Snape¡¯s, but a few more drops would still make him tell us what we need to know.¡±

    From the cloth bag, he took out a crystal bottle, which contained a transparent liquid.

    In fact, it was thanks to Caresius, who had piged Snape¡¯s officest time and gave all the potions ingredients to Evan. Using some of those precious ingredients, Evan made this small bottle of Veritaserum, which was hard to acquire anywhere else.

    Sirius took the bottle, opened Kagal¡¯s mouth and poured a few drops into it.

    ¡°Well, that should do it!¡± said Evan, waving his wand to awaken Kagal. Just like Barty Crouch Jr., he opened his eyes, nk, without focus¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s try!¡± said Sirius. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Kagal Lombardi!¡± He said slowly, his voice dull.

    ¡°Are you a Raven¡¯s w Dark wizard? What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am a member of Raven¡¯s w. We are here to absorb power from the Cyclops¡¯s body and supervise the house-elves. They are digging out the citrines in the rock walls. The Harbinger of Doom says that the crystals have great power within them¡­¡±

    ¡°Who is this Harbinger of Doom?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°He is a high-ranking member of the organization, the most loyal servant of our master, a Raven¡¯s w fanatic, and a harbinger of disaster and destruction. No one has ever seen his real face. I only know that he is thest husband of the murderous Dark witch Natalia.¡±

    ¡°The Dark Witch Natalia?!¡± Evan was impressed with the name, as though he had seen it somewhere before.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the name. ck Rose Natalia, also known as ck Widow, is a very famous witch in Italy,¡± Sirius told Evan. ¡°Of course, you may not know of her. Natalia was active more than 70 years ago. It is said that she was a supporter of Grindelwald. She was a dazzling witch with outstanding beauty. But don¡¯t think that just because she was a woman, you could look down on her. All those who belittled her have gone to hell.¡±

    Hearing Sirius, Evan remembered and knew who the Dark witch Natalia was. As Sirius said, all those who went against Natalia were to be doomed! That was not just rmist talk. That was exactly what happened.

    The Dark witch Natalia was one of the most notorious witches in modern Italian history and a follower of Grindelwald. She was a member of an ancient family of pure-blood wizards in Italy andpleted her studies in Durmstrang.

    Natalia was very beautiful and had no shortage of suitors. After graduation, she soon got married.

    Then her husband died, on the night of the wedding, and this was just the beginning of a horrible nightmare.

    In the following years, Natalia relied on her beauty and ingenious cover-up to marry the sole descendants of the twelve ancient pure-blood wizard families, and got rid of them all without leaving any trace like a ck widow spider.

    By inheriting her husbands¡¯ fortunes, the woman quickly became one of the richest women in Italy and even in Europe.

    After Grindelwald¡¯s rise, she joined him like other evil Dark wizards, and soon gained attention. She was the leader of his followers in Italy, southern Europe, and the African region of the southern Mediterranean, and gained a reputation second only to Grindelwald.

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 Chapter 779: The Harbinger of Doom

    Chapter 779: The Harbinger of Doom

    With amazing beauty and skills, no man could easily escape Natalia¡¯s control.

    Although everyone knew that she was a ck widow, a poisonous ck spider, there were still many wizards flying into Natalia¡¯s arms like moths to a me, willingly giving all they had and weing death with open arms¡­

    During the heyday of Grindelwald, Natalia had many avid admirers. Most of them were powerful wizards, willing to die for her.

    Therefore, she was the strongest among the Dark Legion formed by Grindelwald.

    It was well known that greedy Natalia did not follow Grindelwald for wealth, power and powerful evil magic like other dark wizards. These things were easily avable to her and she did not need to turn to him for that.

    What she really wanted was eternal life, to keep her youth forever. The true enemy of those who relied on beauty was the passage of time, and it was the ultimate goal of the Dark witch Natalia to have eternal beauty.

    It was unknown whether she got what she wanted from Grindelwald. Soon after Grindelwald was defeated by Dumbledore and imprisoned in the topmost cell of Nurmengard, Natalia disappeared.

    Some said she was dead, others said she had achieved her goal of keeping her appearance at the age of twenty forever.

    She changed her face and continued to bewitch the rich men with her beauty, taking everything away from them. There was a saying in the wizarding world that all the wizards who could be Natalia¡¯s husbands were the most outstanding ones, but their fate was very miserable.

    In a book about Grindelwald, Evan had seen information about the Dark witch Natalia and thought she was dead.

    Unexpectedly, not only was she still alive, but she had also joined Raven¡¯s w, bing a high-level member of this mad organization.

    ¡°Natalia, this evil witch is still alive?¡± asked Sirius with a frown.

    ¡°Like her husband, the Harbinger of Doom, she is one of the top members of the organization,¡± Kagal replied in a dull voice, and uncontrobly extended his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, with a greedy look on his face. ¡°I saw her from a distance five years ago. She was surrounded by a bunch of admirers. She was a woman who would move any man who saw her. I had an impulse to rush up and possess her. She looked about twenty years old, and she had enough beauty to make anyone fall for her at first sight, with jade-like, crystal-clear plump skin and¡­¡±

    Obviously, Kagal was very impressed with Natalia. Although he had only seen her from a distance, even he was obsessed with her and couldn¡¯t stop himself from ranting about her.

    The fact that Natalia was sessful was frightening. Not many Dark wizards achieved their ultimate goals.

    Although she looked only twenty, she was in fact an old woman, nearly a hundred years old¡­

    She was the same age as Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but she was still able to keep Kagal passionate about her from a nce.

    Perhaps, it was this new master that granted her wish.

    ¡°Where is she now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The members of the organization are not allowed to socialize. I have been here for more than five years with the Harbinger of Doom and other members. I have never been out. I don¡¯t know where the others are or even know them.¡±

    It seemed that the Raven¡¯s ws were even more secretive than Evan imagined. They had strict rules to prevent members from leaking information. Low ranking members like Kagal wouldn¡¯t know much.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s talk about this Harbinger of Doom. In addition to being Natalia¡¯sst husband, what other information do you know about him?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Think carefully and see if you¡¯ve missed anything.¡±

    Kagal hesitated markedly, and then he slowly answered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard other people talk about his past. That¡¯s not something I should know. I tried to tell myself to forget, but I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°His past would be interesting. Let¡¯s hear it!¡±

    ¡°They told me that before joining the organization, the Harbinger of Doom was a prestigious wizard. His family was very powerful in Austria and had a territory inherited from their ancestors, a small town inhabited by wizards,¡± said Kagal. ¡°The Harbinger of Doom himself was also very strong. He was a very powerful wizard, approachable and willing to help other vigers. He was deeply loved by the residents of the small town. Because of his outstanding talents, he became Natalia¡¯s target.¡±

    ¡°Natalia was already a member of Raven¡¯s w at the time. It is said that when he first saw Natalia, the Harbinger of Doom, who had always remained celibate, became speechless for about five minutes, overwhelmed by her beauty. A dayter, they had their wedding; and a weekter, destruction and disaster struck the quiet town. That was the power of the master. Natalia was interested in the Harbinger of Doom, and hoped that he would join the organization. She showed him the greatness of the master. In the town, people were constantly getting sick and dying. Cursed souls were wandering at night, dark monsters were attacking the town¡¯s residents all the time, and even the dead came back again. The whole town had fallen into darkness and despair.¡±

    Evan listened to Kagal intently. If this was true, then finding out the identity of this Harbinger of Doom would be easy! Such big events taking ce in Austria must have been documented.

    No wonder Kagal felt uneasy and wanted to forget about it.

    The Dark wizard called the Harbinger of Doom had never shown his face, and even hid his name. He clearly did not want others to know his true identity and learn about his past. There must be some reason for that¡­

    This was a very important piece of information.

    ¡°Residents in the town couldn¡¯t get in touch with the outside world. The power of the master shrouded in that ce. They couldn¡¯t leave. They could only suffer in obscurity, hoping that someone could save them.¡± Kagal couldn¡¯t stop shivering, and his voice became weird. ¡°However, all that awaited them was destruction and death. After their marriage, the Harbinger of Doom and his wife did not step out of their mansion and allowed the disaster outside to happen. When everyone was dead, they came out from there to be weed only by corpses, including the citizens of the town, wizards, and the family members of the Harbinger of Doom. He had fallen. His once dazzling blond hair turned white, his body was cold, and he had a badge of Raven¡¯s w on his chest. He looked mercilessly at the corpses and the monsters around him. Naked, Natalia stood at the gate of the vi and looked at everything in front of her, with a smile of satisfaction on her face¡­¡±

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 Chapter 780: Plans and Action

    Chapter 780: ns and Action

    There was a brief silence. Whether what Kagal said was true or not, the past experience of the Harbinger of Doom was unpleasant.

    No wonder he would be called the Harbinger of Doom, a person who brought endless disaster and death.

    Obviously, all the residents of that town had died because of powerful curses and Dark magic.

    Most wizards wouldn¡¯t even believe that such an event took ce, but those who knew how wicked the Dark Arts could be would not count it out. Evil curses, spiritual invasions, monster summoning and more would allow a Dark wizard with enough power to do all this and more¡­

    Raven¡¯s w was truly evil, and to a certain extent, even crazier than Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

    ¡°Who is the master you¡¯re talking about?¡± Evan asked. He did not continue to pester Kagal on the matter of the Harbinger of Doom.

    ¡°The master is our <i>Lord</i>. I have had the honor of receiving his teachings. He is the supreme omnipotent god. When the Judgment Dayes, he wille to this world and purify it and restore the chaotic order. At that time, only true devotees would survive ¡­¡± Kagal shouted.

    After mentioning the so-called master, he kept breathing heavily and looked more and more excited.

    Evan asked him some more questions about this master, and finally came to the conclusion that this master was an indescribable monster, just like an evil god. Compared to overflowing emotions of fear and devotion, Kagal¡¯s words were actually of minimal value in exining what this being was about.

    ¡°What a fool!¡± Sirius said dismissively, looking at Kagal who kept mumbling.

    Kagal said a lot about Raven¡¯s w and the ancient god he believed in. Most of it was about his own feelings, and most of what he said only showed how much of a lunatic he truly was.

    He even thought that his torturing other lives was an act of piety, hoping to get the favor of his master. That¡¯s why he tortured the house-elves frantically, making their life worse than death.

    ¡°I am not afraid of death!¡± There was a sh of madness on Kagal¡¯s face. ¡°The Harbinger of Doom once said that the master clearly told him that all the devouts who died in the great cause will be reborn in the new world, and we will be reshaped by the master to obtain true power beyond flesh and blood, beyond form, beyond life and death, beyond our mortal bodies¡­ ¡°

    Evan frowned at the guy. Such a thing would be frightening indeed.

    The senior members of Raven¡¯s w seemed to know about some sort of Dark magic, which could strip their beings of flesh and blood through secret Dark rituals, fill their souls with pure dark power, and transform a wizard into a unique undying pure magical creature.

    If some members had already obtained this ¡°gift¡±, this magical creature would be very powerful. Fortunately, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    ¡°Enough. Stop talking about the master. Tell me where the Harbinger of Doom is going to take the crystals and the power he has extracted from the Cyclops. Where is the city and what is he going to summon?¡± Sirius said impatiently.

    ¡°There is a magical city on the seafloor near the ind. There is an ancient existence inside. I only know that it is a powerful magical creature left over from ancient times. The Harbinger of Doom got in touch with it. We intend to summon it with the power we have gained from this cave, make the world more chaotic, and use its power to get to the relics in the city.¡±

    Sure enough, this ancient existence, if not an evil god, would not be something pleasant.

    The powerful magical creature left from ancient times was in the city of the dead that had sunk to the bottom of the sea¡­

    Kagal didn¡¯t know the exact location of the city, but he told Evan and Sirius that the Harbinger of Doom had ordered people to upy the lighthouse by the sea. He seemed to be observing something that should be rted to the Lost City.

    There was also the great whirlpool of Charybdis, where Rowena Ravenw had been.

    The Raven¡¯s ws had imed to be the orthodox descendants of Rowena Ravenw. They followed Ravenw¡¯s footsteps and came to this sea area, trying to find something in the ruins deep in the whirlpool, but they had never seeded and were cut off by the powerful sealing force.

    With Kagal¡¯s ount, a general outline was formed in Evan¡¯s mind.

    First, the ancient creature in the Lost City of the sea contacted the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w and told them that it was willing to help them enter the relics in the great whirlpool, but only if it was summoned back to this world.

    Summoning it required a huge amount of power, and the Dark wizards without the Philosopher¡¯s Stone had to rely on the dead Cyclops.

    Evan and Sirius asked some more questions carefully. After feeling that they could no longer get any valuable information, they knocked Kagal out, bound him and threw him behind the rocks with the two house-elves.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± said Sirius anxiously, looking at Evan. ¡°We only came to seal the Cyclops. Now the situation is a mess. We¡¯re not even keeping up with Death Eaters, and now, a group of even crazier Dark wizards has emerged!¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll find a way to take them all down, together!¡± said Evan slowly, also feeling that the current situation was a little bit out of control.

    The Dark witch Natalia, as a witch of the same generation as Dumbledore and Grindelwald, was very powerful, probably at the level of Caresius and Snape. To some extent, she was even more dangerous. As for her husband, the wizard known as the Harbinger of Doom, his strength could also be beyond imagination.

    It would be too hard to fight them with the power of Evan and Sirius, not to mention the mysterious Raven¡¯s w had many unexplored secrets, as well as the ancient unknown existence that was to be summoned from the undersea city.

    But Evan and Sirius both knew that they had to rise to the challenge and stop the Raven¡¯s w plot in Sicily.

    Now, they were no longer merely following the will of Gryffindor¡¯s thoughts. The conversation with Kagal gave them new conviction.

    After all, these Dark wizards were going to join Voldemort and attack Hogwarts. They were their enemy.

    On top of that, the purpose of Evan¡¯s visit to Sicily this time was to look for clues that Madam Ravenw had left in the whirlpool,plete her test, and get Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure key. Raven¡¯s ws were aiming at the same target, so now, it was a race!

    There was a huge gap in power, and there was no way to fight them head on, but Evan and Sirius just needed to sabotage their ongoing ritual¡­

    The two of them discussed for a while and decided to stop the Dark wizards from absorbing the power of the Cyclops, and then go to the beach to take a look at the lighthouse. Perhaps it was there that they could know the location of the city the Harbinger of Doom was going to.

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 Chapter 781: An Evil Ritual

    Chapter 781: An Evil Ritual

    If the Harbinger of Doom was trying to summon some terrible monster there, then they would stop the ongoing ritual.

    Summoning that monster required huge power support. Destroying the ritual of darkness was equivalent to destroying the plot of Raven¡¯s w near Sicily. Thus, they could no longer absorb the power of the Cyclops, nor could they summon any monster to the world.

    There was no need for confrontation. As long as they hid in the dark and waited for an opportunity to act, this mission should be a lot less difficult.

    ¡°In any case, preventing them from absorbing the power of the Cyclops is the key to everything,¡± concluded Evan.

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s what we need to do first,¡± Sirius nodded and continued, ¡°What are we going to do? There are a lot of Dark wizards patrolling inside. They¡¯re probably a lot more prudent than this guy. We may not be able to get through those checkpoints by relying on the Invisibility Cloak alone. If we break through ¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I have an idea,¡± said Evan, rummaging through his pocket and taking out a bottle of Potion. ¡°I have the Polyjuice Potion here. You can change into Kagal to attract the attention of those Dark wizards. I¡¯ll put on the Invisibility Cloak and follow you into that stone door and look for a chance to insert the scabbard in the eye of the Cyclops.¡±

    He was well prepared this time, and carried almost all the potions he had been making.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do it!¡± Sirius took the Polyjuice Potion and looked at Evan seriously. ¡°But first, if anything goes wrong, you just Disapparate and go to find Hagrid and Madame Maxime. I¡¯ll take care of the aftermath.¡±

    ¡°All right!¡± Evan promised. Every time, Sirius did the same, leaving the most dangerous tasks for himself.

    He walked over, plucked a few hairs from Kagal¡¯s head, and put them into the brown potion. After the color of the potion became orange, Sirius drank it, and his body changed rapidly, bing taller and stronger. Soon, he looked just like Kagal, down to the vicious look on his face.

    Evan nodded and helped him undress Kagal. Then he put on the Invisibility Cloak.

    The two returned back through the tunnel. Sirius did not even look at the house-elves who were digging crystals on the wall, and went straight to the stone gate where the Cyclops was.

    He slowed down as much as possible to make himself less suspicious and to enable Evan to keep up.

    It could be seen that Kagal¡¯s status in Raven¡¯s w was higher than that of those Dark wizards responsible for patrolling.

    They were also wearing the Raven¡¯s w logo on their chests, but the gemstones in their eyes were ordinary obsidian and had no luster.

    ording to information received from Kagal, Evan knew that this meant they were only foot-soldiers. They had just joined the Raven¡¯s w or were ordinary wizards with little strength. Only when they were valued as managers could they be qualified, like Kagal, to rece the raven¡¯s eyes with sapphires.

    With respect, they watched Sirius who had turned into Kagal. No one came to stop him, and no one dared to ask him what had happened to the two fleeing house-elves. Evan followed Sirius through many checkpoints.

    They came to the edge of the huge stone gate, not far ahead was the body of the Cyclops.

    Although his soul had dissipated, the huge body immersed in the magma still exuded an amazingly oppressive momentum.

    The muscles on his body were high and swollen, and his skin was dark red. It seemed to have crystallized after so much contact with the magma. The translucent surfaceyer was shining like the surrounding crystals; it was probably very hard to break through¡­

    Thisyer of skin gave the Cyclops strong physical and magical resistance, and it was almost impossible for external attacks to harm it.

    Evan couldn¡¯t imagine how Ravenw¡¯s magic had worked on this monster.

    The closer he was to the Cyclops, the smaller he felt, and he could hardly breathe under the great pressure.

    This was the magical creature of ancient times, with enough power to dominate almost anything.

    In addition to the unparalleled momentum and oppression, what impressed Evan most was the size of this creature! Most of his body was immersed in magma, and the exposed part was just like a big mountain in front of his eyes.

    From far away, he could barely see the whole picture and identify which part was the head and which was the body.

    Now when he got closer, Evan could only see a part of his body, which was all dark red flesh.

    On the rock wall above them were thirteen dark ck semi-circr tforms.

    The Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w were on them performing the ritual. They were all dressed in gorgeous robes, iid with silver-white hexagonal patterns, and ruby-colored stripes in the middle. They had the same badge as Kagal on their chests.

    Their faces were hidden in hoods, and only shadows could be seen.

    The Dark wizards kept reading curses, and arge white mist cloud was rising from the magma. Sweat kept seeping from their skins. As the magic gradually came to light, theplex multifarious dark green magical lines extended along the rock wall to the magma pool below.

    Around the pool, Evan could see the dense skeletons; including humans, giants, Merpeople, house-elves, and many other creatures he did not know. These dead creatures were the offerings that were required to start the whole Dark ceremony.

    In this secret chamber cut off from the outside world in the depths of the earth¡¯s core, there had been terrible evil and crazy crimes.

    The hymn continued and the magma in theva pool was churning frantically¡­

    Evan could feel that the power of the Cyclops was slowly moving up the lines. They were gathered into a pale yellow crystal floating in the air.

    This was what the Harbinger of Doom called the Energy Stone, a magical item used to carry the power of the Cyclops. It was made of citrine mined from the outside and was engraved with aplex, mysterious pattern. In the center of the design, there were many esoteric ancient fonts, which were probably crucial to the power absorption.

    The power flowing into the stone through the magical lines seemed to be liquefied, and the red liquid umted inside the energy stone rested suspended at its center.

    At present, the umted strength inside only filled about one sixth of the stone.

    Not long ago, the Harbinger of Doom had taken away an already filled Energy Stone, and it had been reced by this new one.

    Noticing that Sirius had walked in, a Dark wizard standing on the highest tform asked, puzzled, ¡°Kagal, aren¡¯t you supposed to be watching the house-elves working there, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to check. Just now, two house-elves ran away. I chased after them, and found something unusual in the tunnel above,¡± Sirius raised his head and said loudly, imitating Kagal¡¯s tone. ¡°Before the Harbinger of Doom left, he warned me to be careful. There have been many wizards on the ind recently, and I suspect someone broke in.¡±

    ¡°Somebody broke in?!¡± The Dark wizards looked at him in astonishment and stopped the ongoing evil ritual.

    ¡°Yes, I am here to show you the evidence I found!¡± said Sirius, raising his wand high.

    Under the Invisibility Cloak, Evan also clenched his wand¡­

    ========================================

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 Chapter 782: Fire and Thunder

    Chapter 782: Fire and Thunder

    The Dark wizards paused, all staring at Sirius below, waiting for him to show evidence of the intruder.

    As the evil ritual gradually stopped, in the magma pool, the horrifying force emanating from the Cyclops¡¯s body became stronger, and the engravings on the energy stone were shining.

    ¡°Kagal, show the evidence you found¡­¡±

    ¡°As you wish!¡± said Sirius, pointing his wand at the nearest Dark wizard and emitting a red light.

    The next second, the spell hit the unsuspecting wizard, and his hood fell off his head. It was an old wizard. There was consternation on his face full of wrinkles. Under the strong impact, he staggered back a few steps and fell down.

    Shocked, everyone looked at Sirius disguised as Kagal, and didn¡¯t understand what he was doing.

    But there was something even more shocking awaiting them, and the Dark wizards saw a thirteen-year-old wizard lift off his cloak and appear beside Kagal out of thin air.

    Evan¡¯s expression was calm, and the end of the wand in his hand was shining with a dazzling white light. Even in thisnd of mes, this light was still so dazzling.

    There was a thrilling magic in the light, which was the only force around rivaling the one emitted by the Cyclops¡¯s body!

    ¡°Who is this boy?!¡± The question popped up in the Dark wizards¡¯ minds.

    They had just seen him appear out of thin air, but Evan¡¯s figure disappeared again. With a sharp sound, he appeared directly on the highest tform.

    Evan waved his wand and the magic in his hand turned into a red light as thick as his arm and flew forward at breakneck speed, shooting down the wizard who had just spoken to Sirius.

    Immediately afterwards, his wand quickly aimed at another Dark wizard below and he read a spell. There was another sh of red light, and the wizard flew backward, unconscious.

    Sirius also Apparated to Evan¡¯s side; they both upied a favorable terrain, having a clear view of the Dark wizards on the tforms below and were able to attack at the fastest speed¡­

    ¡°<i>INTRUDERS</i>, <i>you</i> are intruders!¡±

    ¡°<i>GO ON, KILL THEM</i>!¡±

    Evan and Sirius had eliminated four enemies before the rest of the Dark wizards could react.

    They were in a mess, shouting loudly and hurriedly pulling out their wands to fight back.

    The lights of the spells were everywhere, and Evan stepped back to avoid a curse that was flying towards him.

    Normally, Evan and Sirius could never fight thirteen powerful Dark wizards at the same time. Not to mention, there were more than fifty Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s wing in from outside.

    There was a ferocious smile on the Dark wizards¡¯ faces. They wanted the two intruders to pay with their lives for what they had done. They were to be both skinned alive, and their corpses to be chopped into pieces and sacrificed to the omnipotent master.

    But all this was doomed to be wishful thinking. The Dark wizards on the stone tforms and the guards who had just heard the shouting and ran in saw a silver scabbard in Evan¡¯s hand. A violent power poured into his body. The horrifying power simr to that of the Cyclops was actually in the air.

    Under the astonished gaze of the Dark wizards, Evan waved his hand, and formed a sphere of red magic.

    The power of lightning gathered in front of Evan, and one after another, it struck the tforms and the open space around the stone gate, killing the Dark wizards below with amazing speed and uracy.

    The other Dark wizards looked at Evan in disbelief and fell into an unprecedented panic. They had never seen this magic before, and they didn¡¯t know how the lightning came out.

    On the bright red magma, thunder was raging, and with a huge roar, the red lightning kept falling.

    The Dark wizards could not understand what magic it was and could not protect themselves. They were struck by lightning; their bodies were quickly shattered, badly mutted. Their skin ckened and fell off. They gave out shrill howls and lost their will to fight.

    But this was not enough. Evan needed more power to break the confidence of these Dark wizards in one fell swoop.

    Immediately, his gaze fell on the hot, bright red magma below. Under the guidance of the wand in his hand, the magma rose into the air and quickly turned upwards, like a giant fire serpent hovering inside the chamber.

    It rolled fiercely in the air, fused with the red lightning, and with amazing power, it fell down again, hitting the Dark wizards head-on.

    Under Evan¡¯s control, the power of the scabbard and the magma deep in the core of the earth merged, and the power of this newly born magic increased dramatically.

    Those unfortunate Dark wizards who had been struck by a thunderbolt with the power of magma did not even have time to howl. They were burned to the core and turned to ashes in an instant!

    The rest instinctively stepped back, looking in horror at the piles of ash on the ground, which used to be their formerpanions.

    In the fire and thunder, everyone raised their necks to look up at Evan. Even Sirius stopped fighting and stared at him.

    The deepest fear from the bottom of the heart spread in their bodies. At this moment, the figure of this young wizard standing on the highest tform suddenly became tall and he turned into a god of death¡­

    For the first time, real chaos erupted among the trained evil Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w.

    This was not a simple fight, but a massacre, just what they thought they wanted!

    They had been looking forward to the end of the world, expecting the ancient god to judge everyone. They were calling that day Judgment Day. The real Judgment Day was still far away, but deep in the core of the earth, Evan was conducting a ruthless judgment on them. This was their end.

    There was an unprecedented fear in the Dark Wizards¡¯ eyes. They stared at Evan with wide eyes, trying to keep in mind the figure of death.

    Then they flinched and backed out as fast as they could.

    For a while, they gathered around the huge stone gate and dared note in. They even held their breath, for fear of being heard by the god of death inside. It was as if a line were drawn around any spot that Evan could kill, and none dared to step over the line¡­ No one wanted to die¡­

    A few minutester, the rolling magma fell back again, and the lightning gradually dissipated.

    On the protruding tform of the rock wall, only the stone tform under the feet of Evan and Sirius remained intact.

    The rest of the stone tforms had been smashed by lightning and the Dark wizards above had fallen into the magma pool below and were reduced to ashes.

    None of the ones who survived on that day would ever forget this scene.

    A thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy, with his ¡°own strength¡±, overwhelmingly suppressed a dozen powerful Dark wizards. This was incredible. If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed it. But this was a fact ¡­ This was Evan!!!

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 Chapter 783: Surging Power

    Chapter 783: Surging Power

    In the weird silence, Evan¡¯s eyes fell on the Energy Stone in front of him.

    It was floating quietly in midair, and the Dark liquified energy was shaking slightly. Evan could feel the power of the Cyclops inside, which was a powerful forcebining the vitality of the Cyclops and the power of the original Thunderbolts.

    Although not a lot, it was enough to be rming. An energy stone that had umted these powers was likely to be simr to the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    Of course, it was not as durable as the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and it wouldn¡¯t endlessly produce magic. When the power inside was exhausted, the energy stone would be an ordinary round crystal with no value. But as a disposable magical prop, this Energy Stone was too luxurious.

    Evan couldn¡¯t think of any magic that needed such a powerful force, nor did he know what the Harbinger of Doom was going to summon with it.

    ording to his own estimation, it was not impossible to summon the evil god to this world using seven energy stones full of power together. Not to mention that there were arge number of magical citrines in the hands of the Harbinger of Doom.

    Evan gently waved his wand, and the Energy Stone floating in the air quickly flew towards him and fell into his hands.

    There was a warm feeling from the ck liquid at the bottom, as though a me was burning inside the stone.

    Evan collected the Energy Stone. Although these powers had been extracted from the Cyclops by Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w using an evil Dark magic ritual, they might have other unexpected uses.

    For example, to end the scuffle in the giants¡¯ tribe, Evan remembered the n he had been forced to give up before: assisting a giant to be the Gurg, reunifying the giants¡¯ tribe and bing their most loyal and solid ally. Thus, the giants would not submit to Voldemort and join him in the war; they could even help the Order of the Phoenix to fight the Death Eaters.

    Although the idea was good, it was very difficult to implement.

    The key point of this n was to find a giant who had a good rtionship with Evan and enough strength to convince other giants, not to be easily assassinated, and even defeat the Death Eaters.

    This was almost impossible, but with this Energy Stone, things became much simpler.

    The giants were descendants of the Cyclops, or a more weakened version, they shared the same source of power.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but think that as long as the power in the Energy Stone was poured into a giant, he could instantly create a powerful warrior with the smell of a Cyclops. The physical strength would be greatly enhanced, and even lightning magic could be used.

    Hagrid¡¯s brother, Grawp, was definitely a good choice.

    ¡°Evan, be careful, I feel something wrong!¡± Sirius suddenly warned, watching the Dark wizards outside the door anxiously. ¡°Those guys outside seem to be nning to use some evil magic, something I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Evan turned his eyes to the huge stone gate, and saw the Dark wizards turn their heads to catch the house-elves madly.

    They brought the elves together, waved their wands, and killed them with Avada Kedavra¡­

    The miserable howls and calls for help of the house-elves came in. At themand of their masters, they all dared not run away.

    At this moment, Evan missed Hermione¡¯s Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare very much, hoping that her ideas could be implemented.

    He didn¡¯t want to seek wages, holidays or other rights and interests for the elves, but at the very least, before the cruel and inhuman killing by the so-called masters, they could resist, rather than willingly be ughtered.

    The best defense would be offense, not to turn around and run away.

    There were hundreds of house-elves outside. They had strong magical power. If they stood up and resisted, the remaining Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w were not opponents to them at all.

    But now, Evan saw only one-sided bloody massacre and feeble pleas. At this moment, he deeply realized that the servility in the blood of the house-elves was the sorrow of their race¡­

    The power of very was deeply embodied in this subordinate race attached to wizards. Those pure-blood wizards who thought that house-elves were born ves should reallye and have a look at this scene.

    While feeling sad for the house-elves, Evan couldn¡¯t help being on guard.

    As Sirius said, this was disturbing dark magic, and the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w intended to use some kind of secret technique.

    The eerie atmosphere filled the air, and Evan couldn¡¯t imagine what these crazy guys were going to do.

    ¡°Whatever they¡¯re going to prepare, it¡¯s definitely not a good thing. We¡¯d better hurry, Evan, and insert the scabbard into the eye of the Cyclops!¡± Sirius hurriedly said. ¡°Destroy this body, and then we¡¯ll get out of here.¡±

    Without his urging, Evan had already Apparated to the head of the Cyclops below.

    Just now on the tform, he had seen the full picture of the Cyclops. His terrible head, exposed from the magma, was facing up, leaning against the back wall.

    It was a nightmare face. A huge mouth full of fangs upied almost half of the face, like a bloody abyss. The other half of the face was upied by arge single eye. The eyelids were closed and no pupil could be seen.

    At this point, Evan was standing on this huge eye. The eyelids were like ayer of hard rock.

    A white energy shield naturally emerged around Evan¡¯s body, constructed entirely by Evan¡¯s magic, which resisted the oppression of the powerful force emanating from the Cyclops¡¯s hot body.

    He took a deep breath and clenched the silver scabbard with both hands.

    Evan¡¯s eyes fell on the giant eye of the Cyclops below, which was the center of the Cyclops.

    The mysterious magical array emerged at Evan¡¯s feet. The silvery white light moved quickly, and the magical lines became more and moreplex.

    Slytherin¡¯s Locket on Evan¡¯s chest floated quietly, the lid opened, and the Philosopher¡¯s Stone inside gave off a soft golden-red light.

    Powerful magic flowed into Evan¡¯s body and followed his hands into the scabbard.

    He held the scabbard firmly with both hands, straight down, just like holding a real sword, Gryffindor¡¯s Sword.

    Centered on the ce Evan was holding, the red light shone out and quickly covered the entire scabbard.

    The red light was getting stronger and stronger, and in an instant it turned into crimson, with the scabbard as the main body and became a lightning.

    With the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan increased the magic output as a basis to mobilize Gryffindor¡¯s power left on the scabbard.

    He felt a sudden surge of energy and power in his hands¡­

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 Chapter 784: Fighting Side by Side

    Chapter 784: Fighting Side by Side

    The scabbard¡¯s thoughtpletely transformed into a red energy body, like a bolt lightning, and Evan was holding this terrible lightning.

    At this moment, he was a powerful god, a destructive god capable of destroying everything.

    On the stone tform, Sirius closed the huge stone door in the chamber with his wand, turned around and looked at Evan excitedly, feeling the strong power emerging from him.

    This power made him feel scared, even afraid to approach. That belonged to Evan¡¯s field alone!

    As Evan¡¯s elder and former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Sirius almost watched Evan grow up step by step in front of him, and every time when he thought that was the limit of Evan, the child would give him an unexpected surprise.

    In two years, Evan had broken through countless limits and grown to this point.

    The power in Evan¡¯s hands was no longer something Sirius could have imagined, and perhaps only wizards at the level of Dumbledore could understand it.

    Until now, Sirius couldn¡¯t even imagine where Evan¡¯s limit was.

    He looked at Evan holding the red lightning in his hand and wanted to engrave this picture deeply in his mind. Although still in the dangerous core of the earth, Sirius was slightly distracted.

    He remembered Dumbledore¡¯s several special conversations with him about Evan. When he first came to teach at Hogwarts, Dumbledore hoped that he would observe Evan¡¯s growing strength in secret and limit his moves when necessary.

    It was clear that Dumbledore had doubts about Evan.

    Sirius, who was grateful to Evan, did not agree with Dumbledore, but he had to admit that it was necessary.

    In particr, Evan and Harry had a good rtionship, which made Sirius feel inexplicably worried. He was too clear about what power meant to a talented young wizard. He had also seen too many wizards degenerate as they grew up.

    Sirius didn¡¯t restrict Evan, but he didn¡¯t give him the special care he did to Harry and Ron.

    But Evan¡¯s growth rate had not slowed down, but was getting faster and faster.

    It seemed that even Dumbledore had to understand this reality. Restriction was neither desirable nor possible. Guidance was the right way.

    After Evan got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor, Dumbledore clearly expressed this meaning in his conversation with Sirius. He hoped that Sirius could guide Evan and help the child grow into a decent wizard.

    After that, Sirius trained Evan ording to Auror¡¯s training method to make up for hisck of actualbat skills, taught him the truth of how to behave, and specially chose some enemies and tests for Evan to observe his performance in secret.

    Although he didn¡¯t do much, Evan¡¯s performance did satisfy him and Dumbledore.

    After Sirius left Hogwarts to serve as Auror, the task of teaching Evan was undertaken by Dumbledore himself.

    Before setting off to find the giants, Dumbledore and Sirius had another special conversation about Evan. This time, Dumbledore changed his goal, hoping that Sirius would take this opportunity to help Evan be a qualified wizard.

    Therefore, in many things along the way, he seriously consulted Evan, put himself in a secondary auxiliary position, and acted ording to Evan¡¯s ideas.

    Evan¡¯s performance made Sirius believe that this child was already a qualified wizard, and could even join the Order of the Phoenix in the battle against Voldemort. Many adult wizards were not as good as him.

    He could understand Dumbledore¡¯s hard work, and Evan¡¯s behavior was not disappointing either.

    Until then, looking at Evan holding the red Lightning in his hand, Sirius thought he should let go!

    Continuing guidance or providing help could only limit the growth of this child. The young eagle was ready for flight. To be a great wizard, he had to rely on himself. The help of others was invisible shackles.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what Sirius was thinking. At this moment, with the help of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, he unleashed all the power on the scabbard, and even merged with the power of the Cyclops in the surrounding space.

    The scabbard in his hand was no longer visible, but it incarnated into a pure energy body.

    Just like the lightning seen from the outside, energy invisible to the naked eye was turning into substance and surging out.

    Evan felt his arms getting heavier and heavier. That was the weight of energy, which was beyond imagination.

    It never urred to him that such a thing as magic could have weight.

    The scabbard rested on the eyelids of the Cyclops, and its mighty strength continued to grow.

    At this moment, the fully energetic Evan became a god. The deep core of the earth and even the whole world were under his control. He imagined that he could build the world, take the stars off the sky, and arrange them ording to his wishes.

    <i>He was invincible and all-powerful.</i>

    The next second, Evan saw seventeen-year-old Godric Gryffindor, his shadow appearing beside him like a ghost.

    With a familiar smile on the corner of his mouth, he walked to Evan and held the scabbard with him.

    The surging energy became more powerful. Evan and Gryffindor stood face to face, crossing the ancient times, and the two met again here.

    At this moment, Evan was fighting side by side with the great wizard of a thousand years ago, standing with the Founder of Hogwarts.

    The entities dissipated, and together they lifted up the fully energetic scabbard, and the crimson lightning in their hands stabbed fiercely.

    It easily broke through the protection of the Cyclops¡¯s hard skin and prated into his huge eye.

    The red light flickered. With the insertion of the scabbard, golden blood gushed out ceaselessly, spraying upward like a fountain. With the blood spattering was a powerful force. The strength of the Cyclops reached its peak at this moment.

    <i>Roar</i>!!! !!

    The Cyclops under Evan let out a shrill roar from the body¡¯s instinct. Although his soul and consciousness had dissipated, severe pain still made his body react instinctively.

    He stood up shaking, like a giant beast, and soon fell down again.

    For a while, there was a huge wave of earth-shaking, a huge force enveloped Evan. He clung to the scabbard to keep himself from being shaken. The magma below rolled violently, hitting the body of the Cyclops like a stormy sea. The entire space was shaking.

    The power of the Cyclops was quickly absorbed by the scabbard of Gryffindor¡¯s Sword. Some scattered power still filled the whole space. Huge pressure was born in the core of the earth, the crust changed under severe impact, and the thick magma gushed out.

    The sound of the explosion kept ringing in theva pool, followed by another tremendous noise.

    The huge ancient stone gate was knocked open and flew backward. The evil ritual of the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w had beenpleted.

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 Chapter 785: Erupting Mount Etna

    Chapter 785: Erupting Mount Etna

    ¡°Stupid intruders, the power of this Cyclops belongs to us, to Raven¡¯s w!¡±

    With the snarling roar, Evan and Sirius turned their heads and saw the figure of a Dark wizard outside the stone gate.

    More precisely, he could no longer be regarded as a person, but a monster!

    There was an ominous purple halo shimmering around his body, a very violent magic, the power of blood and shadow.

    His height had increased significantly, far more than ordinary people, and he was about the size of Hagrid. The face and skin were covered with purple patterns, as if bitten by a venomous spider. The original normal body twisted and changed, and it seemed to be somewhat iridescent.

    The exquisite robes were torn by bulging muscles, the blood vessels were protruding, and the surfaceyer was covered with ck folds.

    Behind him were piles of dead house-elves, their bulging eyes wide open as though unwillingly staring at the monster in front of them, their faces mingled with humble, frightened and resentful expressions. Their souls had been mercilessly drawn out and poured into the monster.

    The rest of the Dark wizards murmured and gathered in a circle for an evil ceremony. The expressions on their faces were wild and excited.

    They looked at the monster in the circle with excitement, breathing short and fast, excited by their master¡¯s miracle.

    This was the so-called gift, the ancient god¡¯s blessing believed in by Raven¡¯s w, which could turn a member into a terrible semi-demonized creature.

    He dedicated half of his flesh and blood to the ancient god, and the extra space was filled by the shadow energy generated by the annihtion of the souls of the house-elves.

    As the ritual progressed, his size becamerger andrger, and the irritability of his body became more and more obvious.

    Evan could feel the horror of the monster and the magic that was skyrocketing in it.

    This was the first time he had seen this kind of Dark magic, which was not impossible in theory, but few people would do it.

    This crazy guy was simply seeking his own death by using Dark magic to fill the irritability directly into his body.

    When the magic returned to peace, that is, when he died, even his soul wouldpletely disappear.

    But before that, he was indeed invincible. The magic of flesh and blood made him almost impossible to defeat. Ordinary magic spells could no longer work on him. Only pure crushing on magic and strength could destroy him.

    Few wizards had such strong magic, and they were not necessarily willing to pay such a high price and die together with their opponents.

    The wisest way to deal with such a monster was to temporarily retreat, rather than confront it directly.

    The Dark wizard of Raven¡¯s w was really crazy, and would rather give up his soul for the ancient god he believed in.

    Even the most heartfelt Death Eater of Voldemort would not have done so.

    Inside the rock core, mes were flying, and clumps of burning fire elements were floating in mid-air, the scene in front of them was particrly shocking.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Through the huge stone gate, the newborn monster looked at the sight in horror, and then his eyes fell on Evan and the scabbard in his hand that had pierced the Cyclops¡¯s eye, and he growled harshly, ¡°No ¡­ stop, this is the power of Raven¡¯s w!¡±

    Evan ignored him. He knew that the ritual had not yet beenpleted, and that the terrible monster had no way toe yet.

    He had to hurry up and destroy the Cyclops before that.

    The next second, Evan increased the magic input, and the scabbard in his hand continued to force down.

    The scabbard was almostpletely inserted into the Cyclops¡¯s eye, immersed deeply downwards, and the golden blood gushed out ceaselessly.

    That was an extremely rude way to absorb. Under Evan, the Cyclops once again uttered an unwilling roar, taking the ce where the scabbard was inserted as an outlet, and his huge strength and vitality were venting wildly.

    ¡°Stop, stupid intruders, I will kill you, and I will give your souls to the master!¡± Outside the stone door, the monster roared frantically, ¡°Come on, my strength, the master can see ¡­ the master can see.¡±

    He no longer had the patience to wait until the end of the ceremony, swinging his arms and pping the Dark wizard in front of him.

    The purple halo around the monster became more pronounced, and he roared into the door and rushed towards Evan.

    He was going to tear up the boy; he was going to let him taste the fury of Raven¡¯s w.

    Sirius brandished his wand and sent out several spells, hitting him with uracy, but none of them worked.

    Evan gasped, and then raised his wand and pointed at him.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom!!!</i>

    With the power above the scabbard, he sent out a series of crimson lightning to hit him, burning inside and outside.

    The purple magic had be even more irritable, his head was fully energized, and lightning only leftyers of waves on him.

    ¡°Funny magic, a weak spell, I will show you the power of my master!¡± He uttered a painful howl, the expression on his face was distorted, and the magic of his whole body was burning like fire, ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t stand it anymore; my soul and flesh all belong to my master!¡±

    His body swelled around again. He seemed to have lost his reason, and pounced on Evan.

    At this moment, thest power in the Cyclops quickly burst out.

    A blue magical rune shed out from the scabbard and floated in the air. This was the seal magic left by Ravenw.

    In a violent shaking, the Cyclops stood up from theva, and the magma stirred frantically.

    This was a confrontation between monsters. Evan clenched his scabbard tightly with both hands. His whole body was hanging on the Cyclops, swinging like a weightless doll, spinning and flying in the chamber deep in the rock core.

    The roar of the Cyclops, the howl of the demonized monster and the huge explosioning from the magma were mixed together. In this narrow space, countless boulders fell, the underground magma was erupting, and the fire was burning.

    Evan knew it was almost over. Although he hadn¡¯t absorbed all the power of the Cyclops, it was enough.

    The scabbard¡¯s absorption speed and bearing capacity had reached the limit, and it was not allowed to continue.

    It was not just the terrible monster of Raven¡¯s w, but the pressure in the core was building up and the volcano was about to erupt.

    That was the power of angry nature, stronger than any magic.

    Big rocks were falling, the cave was copsing, if they didn¡¯t leave the ce, they would stay here forever.

    As the Cyclops shook vigorously, Evan¡¯s wand was pointed at his feet.

    With a bang, under the reaction of the curse, his body quickly flew backward, pulling out the scabbard by force.

    On the highest tform, Sirius also jumped out and caught Evan in the air.

    The two Disapparated, leaving only two crazy monsters howling and roaring in the magma.

    The next second, they Apparated in the woods. Not far away, Mount Etna was violently erupting, and a column of smoke rose to the sky.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 786: The Lighthouse

    Chapter 786: The Lighthouse

    Dark red magma gushed into the rolling ck smoke, the loud rumble sounded from all sides, and the burning red rocks were pushed high into the air and fell quickly, leaving thousands of red ming scratches in the smoke screen.

    The gushing magma swallowed up thend, and the ck smoke filled the sky, which became turbid.

    At this moment, most of Sicily was shrouded in thick smoke and dark clouds. It was like the end of the world.

    Although the process was not perfect, Evan hadrgelypleted themission of Gryffindor¡¯s thought.

    The Cyclops and the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w would be buried in the cave deep in the core of the earth. No one would be able toe out and no one would be able to find them. Digging a copsed cave thousands of feet underground was almost impossible.

    Evan gasped, looking at the scabbard of Gryffindor¡¯s sword in his hand.

    It was still stained with the golden blood of the Cyclops, but its power gradually returned to calm, and the strange magic did not continue to flow.

    Apart from the asional sprinkling of terror, it was like a normal scabbard, old and ordinary.

    The power of the Cyclops and the seal magic left by Ravenw had reached a delicate bnce.

    Before he couldpletely suppress the power of the Cyclops, Evan thought it was better not to destroy the bnce for the time being.

    ¡°Evan, are you okay?¡± said Sirius, looking at the erupting volcano in the distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine ¡­ just a little skin injury ¡­ just a simple treatment!¡± Evan lowered his head and saw his arms and body bleeding in many ces.

    He took out Dittany and dripped it on them one by one. The wounds coagted instantly.

    Dittany was a potion for traumatic injuries. It was particrly effective in treating moderate wounds.

    Evan¡¯s wounds and bruises were caused by the Cyclops throwing him around, as well as arge number of rocks falling. The worst thing was that he finally resisted the attack of the monster that the Dark wizard of Raven¡¯s w turned into. Even with the protection of the shield, Evan was still sore all over and had the feeling that his bones would fall apart.

    That horrible, mysterious Dark magic could merge the power of the wizard and the shadow energy to make a monster, which was really terrible¡­

    This was the gift of the evil god, beyond the ordinary sense of evil Dark magic.

    Evan was not confident he could defeat that monster if they met again. He¡¯ll go back and look through magical books to see if there was any way to counter it.

    ¡°The Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w can¡¯t run away, and they¡¯ll all stay there to be buried with the Cyclops,¡± said Sirius, looking back at Evan. He squatted down to help him deal with the wounds. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡±

    The scene of Evan inserting the crimson scabbard like lightning into the eye of the Cyclops was still frozen in his mind.

    He had already guessed Evan¡¯s answer. If he hadn¡¯t hesitated to stop Evan before that, he would have written to Dumbledore about the situation here, the mysterious, powerful Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w, and how strong the Harbinger of Doom might be.

    After all, he was thest husband of Natalia, the dangerous Dark witch of the same age as Dumbledore.

    But now Sirius was going to support Evan, although he knew it was dangerous. Only through facing the danger could the strength of a wizard be improved rapidly.

    Looking at the growing Evan in front of him, Sirius couldn¡¯t help but think he should add some experience to Harry after returning.

    ¡°The matter of the giants is not urgent. Let Hagrid and Madame Maxime gather them first. I have a better idea to get rid of the giants and those Death Eaters once and for all. What needs to be dealt with now is the ancient existence that the Harbinger of Doom is about to summon. We¡¯ll both go to the lighthouse by the sea to see what we may find,¡± Evan mused, remembering his vision in Ravenw¡¯s memory. ¡°They may be looking for a ship. I have some clues about their magical city that sank at the bottom of the sea. I may have to board a ghost ship full of the dead to get there¡­¡±

    Evan recounted the situation, and after a short repair, he and Sirius Apparated to the seaside again.

    In front of them was a majestic old lighthouse towering above a rocky cliff by the sea. It was located in the Northern Cape of Sicily. In front of Evan and Sirius, there was an endless blue sea with the sky and sea level intertwined. This was the famous Strait of Messina, overlooking the Italian penins.

    The door of the lighthouse was a heavy iron gate, rusted by the sea breeze.

    At the corner of the door, thick wires could be seen exposed outside the blue bricks. This lighthouse was jointly managed by Muggles and wizards.

    At night, it would use electricity to emit strong light to navigate the passing ships.

    The rumor lights had been treated with special magic. While guiding the way, they could protect the ships from the magical visions on the Strait of Messina, such as Sirens, the Great Whirlpool, and the horrifying ghost ship.

    After the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w extinguished the lighthouse, these ancient magical visions reappeared¡­

    Sirius pushed open the iron door, which made a heartbreaking creak.

    Simrly, the rusty system staircase spiraled up, and the gaps between the ruined stairs on both sides were hollowed out.

    For someone acrophobic like Evan, walking on it was a tough challenge.

    With the sound of the waves beating against the rocks, he and Sirius walked into the lighthouse with their wands straight up.

    Despite the light footsteps, the collision between the soles and the stairs still gave a terrible echo.

    Evan had a feeling that this decaying lighthouse seemed to have been changed into a terrible monster. The two of them were walking into its mouth, and the stairs under them were not so reassuring, as though they were about to copse.

    The only good thing was that they did not meet the Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w, and there was no one in the lighthouse.

    However, this was not good news. If no clue could be found here, then they couldn¡¯t know where the city the Harbinger of Doom was going to was.

    Before making sure, Evan couldn¡¯te across the ghost ship in the sea, and board it blindly.

    When they got to the top of the lighthouse, the sky began to dim.

    This was a ce simr to a castle tower, with a square room inside, dark and opaque.

    With the light of his wand, Evan touched the power switch, and nothing happened.

    Sirius opened the door to the outside, and they could see the stars hanging in the dusk sky, and the volcano still erupting in the distance. The smoke column mixed with volcanic ash continued to rise, and the red magma was flowing down the hillside.

    ¡°No one¡¯s here, those guys may ¡­¡± Sirius suddenly stopped.

    Disappearing with the sound was the light at the end of the two wands, shrouded in disturbing darkness.

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 Chapter 787: The Chart

    Chapter 787: The Chart

    Darkness gathered from all sides,pressing the light at the end of the wands into two tiny spots of light.

    Weird magic flickered, and Evan heard something crawling on the ground and making unpleasant frictions.

    The sound of rustling, some kind of monster was crawling near in the dark, getting closer and closer to them ¡­

    ¡°Sirius!¡± Evan called out, but there was no response.

    In this endless darkness, the sound seemed to have lost its effect.

    The erupting volcano and the stars in the sky outside the lighthouse had also lost their luster, and the sense of uneasiness and pressure was getting stronger and stronger.

    Evan tried to grab Sirius¡¯s arm, but he touched nothing. Sirius had disappeared!

    His eyes were blurred. It was foggy around, and he was surrounded by a damp ck mist with a fishy smell.

    In this darkness, he heard a voice talking to him, not Sirius¡¯s, but a deep man¡¯s voice, hoarse and shrill, which told Evan that he was watching him, and¡­

    Evan focused his attention to understand what it was saying, but there were more and more voices around him, more and more annoying.

    They were all shouting Evan¡¯s name. Some emotions in his body seemed to be sucked away by them, leaving only an endless nk and lonely soul in Evan¡¯s body, wandering in this lonely dark lighthouse, waiting for the end.

    The memories of the past shed through Evan¡¯s mind like a slide, from far to near. The things of childhood and the little things when he first went to school at Hogwarts were clearly appearing, and then at the Yule ball not long ago, he danced with the dressed-up Hermione, and then they went on a date in the dark garden¡­

    Without exception, these memories were all ck and white, just like yellowing old photos, to make one have a touch of sadness.

    In the dark fog, Evan saw a pair of eyes suddenly open, and then another pair, more and more¡­

    They were like some kind of monster with many eyes, all looking at Evan, and saying crazy words.

    Evan was familiar with this feeling. He had experienced simr things in the Centaurs¡¯ temple a year ago.

    They were terrible creations of the evil god, and they were in this room.

    Evan knew what to do. He raised his wand high and shouted, ¡°<i>Expecto Patronum!</i>¡°

    The silver-white Patronus burst out from the end of the wand, bringing light to this dark ce.

    It whirled quickly around the room. Evan looked at his Patronus and felt as though something had changed, not just the appearance of the kitten before, but his attention was quickly diverted and something more amazing appeared in front of him.

    The light at the end of his wand came back on, and Evan saw that there was no dark fog around.

    Sirius was also standing beside him, confused, with something like a ck tentacle on his shoulder. Along the tentacle, there was a shadow lying behind Sirius.

    No, it was a monster!

    This monster had no substance, and its body was a translucent shadow.

    It was a bit like some kind of indescribable slimy monster, with arge bloody basin mouth in front, and two thick tentacles under the mouth.

    It was lying on Sirius¡¯s back, and a silvery white light that seemed to be a memory was sucked out of him.

    Around them, more of these monsters were approaching. They were the eyes that Evan had seen in the darkness.

    The silver-white Patronus came, and the white magical barrier spread out.

    The monsters¡¯ movements became noticeably sluggish, and they slowly backed away, staring at Evan in disgust. They wanted to retreat into the shadow of the lighthouse and hide again.

    But under the power of the Patronus, all of them were quickly destroyed, and the shadows disappeared in the air¡­

    The unpleasant sensation in the air, as well as the thick fishy smell disappeared.

    ¡°What happened just now?¡± said Sirius, breathing harder than the cold sea breeze, the expression on his face gradually recovered. ¡°Just now, I seemed to have been back in the dark days of Azkaban. I saw a lot of terrible things ¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s some kind of creation of the evil god, which looks like a shadow monster. It¡¯s something I haven¡¯t seen before, but like Dementors, they can evoke unpleasant memories and suck something out of the body.¡± Evan described what he had seen. The ancient god and the new evil god that Raven¡¯s w believed in gradually coincided.

    No wonder those Muggles who came in to repair the circuit were going mad in the end. It was these monsters who yed tricks behind their backs and sucked their reason away.

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡± Sirius mumbled. ¡°Bad memories, bad feelings!¡±

    Because of his past experience, he was vulnerable to Dark monsters like Dementors.

    Evan asked Sirius to recover in ce, and he went to the electric box in the corner and tried to push the switch.

    The next second, the lights were lit, and the extinguished lighthouse resumed its light.

    In the bright light, Evan finally saw the whole picture of the room at the top of the lighthouse.

    It was full of all kinds of misceneous things, most of which were used by Muggles.

    Next to the door leading to the outside, there was a table with arge chart marked with a pen.

    Sirius had recovered. He noticed the huge chart and walked over to look at it.

    ¡°Evan,e and have a look!¡± He said, with his index finger swiping on the chart. ¡°This is the Strait of Messina, but it seems different from what we¡¯ve seen. I¡¯m not sure there are so many monsters living in this sea area. ¡°

    Evan walked up to Sirius and the yellowed chart in front of them was obviously very old. The above were all symbols he couldn¡¯t understand, indicatingtitude and longitude, wind direction, ocean current changes, seawater depth, etc., to the point that every reef was recorded in detail.

    But as Sirius said, the most amazing thing about the chart was that there were all kinds of monsters. The sirens alone were divided into three kinds. They lived on the inds and reefs near the Strait of Messina. Scy that Evan knew from the terrifying dogs¡¯ heads on her waist was just one of them.

    At the top left of the map, near the Italian Penins, was a huge whirlpool, the Whirlpool of Charybdis.

    A row of small characters was written next to therge whirlpool with a red pen, describing the ruins below.

    The Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w seemed to think that the ruins there were very important, hiding some vital clues. And Rowena Ravenw had been there before and left the gift of the goddess of war to the Ravenw family there forever.

    As for what exactly was in the ruins, they didn¡¯t know, because like the wizards of the Ministry of Magic, they simply couldn¡¯t get in.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 788: The Fog

    Chapter 788: The Fog

    Combined with this chart, Evan ran through the clues he had gathered before, and things became very clear.

    The Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w had no way to enter the ruins, but an ancient creature in the nearby undersea city was willing to help them. As long as the Harbinger of Doom released it, summoning it with seven energy stones full of the power of the Cyclops, it could help Raven¡¯s w to open the seal of the ruins in the great whirlpool.

    Immediately, Evan¡¯s eyes fell on a row of dotted lines surrounding the whirlpool, which was the trajectory of the ghost ship.

    Ravenw and Gryffindor had said that the ship of the dead was the only way to get into the sunken city.

    It circled around Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. The Strait of Messina was a section that it must pass in the course of its voyage.

    It could be seen from the marks and information on the chart that it was not so easy to encounter this ghost ship.

    It was protected by bizarre magic. Neither Muggles nor wizards could see it under normal circumstances. They could only meet it by chance.

    This sea was sorge that it was impossible to float aimlessly in search of a ghost ship full of the dead.

    The Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w seemed to have found a way. Through hundreds of years of observation, they found that every six months, the ghost ship would be attracted by the singing of Scy and stay for a short time near a rock called The Rock of the Sirens.

    Even though they had been dead for thousands of years, the sailors were still confused by the singing of the Sirens, but they would never die again.

    With his hands on the chart, Evan quickly measured the distance. The Rock of Sirens was located in the sea area directly opposite the lighthouse.

    Grosso, the keeper of the sirens, said that only when the light of the lighthouse was turned off, would the sirense out to sing and confuse the passing ships.

    This was also the main reason why the Raven¡¯s ws had extinguished the lighthouse. They wanted to use the singing of the sirens to attract the ghost ship.

    Immediately afterwards, Evan thought that since the Harbinger of Doom left the core of the earth and set out to that city, the ghost ship¡¯s stay time might be today!

    No wonder there were no Dark wizards of Raven¡¯s w in the tower anymore. They had reached their goal, waiting for the ghost ship.

    As for others, they might have been sent to the depths of the earth¡¯s core to verify the unexpected situation there after seeing the eruption of the volcano¡­

    Thinking of this, Evan rushed out to the outside of the lighthouse. By the light of the magma erupting from the volcano in the distance, he saw a huge ck rock standing on the sea surface, beside which stood a huge sailing boat with green light.

    ¡°We must hurry up, Sirius, and go there. Hurry up, APPARITION!¡±

    A few secondster, Evan and Sirius Apparated, ready to go directly onto the ghost ship.

    But they did not arrive on the sailing boat, and in the middle of the way they fell into the icy water.

    Strange magical forces had stopped them, preventing the wizards from approaching the ship this way with Apparition!

    Evan floated on the water with both hands, and the cold wind blew his hair relentlessly. He couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    A thick fog appeared abruptly around him, with strange magical waves, isting everything.

    Unease and anxiety followed, with visibility of less than three feet nearby and a vast expanse of whiteness everywhere.

    The fog had a weird characteristic. Evan felt that the magic in his body was limited, and some of it had lost its effect.

    ¡°<i>Lumos</i><i>Maxima</i>!¡± He shouted, took out his wand and waved it, but there was no reaction.

    Immediately afterwards, he changed another spell, and the end of his wand emitted a green light, amazingly powerful.

    ¡°This fog ¡­¡± Evan looked in confusion at the green light disappearing in the fog. It was Dark magic.

    Just then, Sirius also emerged from the sea and looked around.

    ¡°I was just at the lighthouse and I didn¡¯t see such a thick fog,¡± he said puzzled, then frowned, and felt the fog¡¯s restriction on magic. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong here, our magic seems to have lost its effect.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the magic on that ghost ship. This is a very special magical wave that creates a realm belonging to the dead. It prevents Apparition and other positive or neutral spells, but it promotes Dark magic. We¡­¡±

    Evan paused, and in the fog, a beautiful and charming singing girl¡¯s voice came intermittently, like the sound of nature, but it was mixed with the repressed barking and gasping voice of dogs, making all this weird and dreamy.

    This was the voice of Scy, the siren. Evan had previously heard it in Ravenw¡¯s memory.

    ¡°Beware of the sirens. They are very close here. I heard there are hundreds nearby,¡± said Evan, clenching his wand.

    At the thought of that terrifying creature with the upper body of an 18-year-old girl and the lower body of a mermaid¡¯s tail fin and fierce dogs¡¯ heads, he had goosebumps. Although they had been raised for many years, these sirens had no problems eating people.

    Mr. Grosso had previously told Evan that the Sirens liked young boys of his age the most, and after catching them, they kept them in theirirs.

    ¡°What should we do now, just swim to the side of that big ship?¡± Sirius said.

    ¡°It¡¯s best not to do that, it¡¯s too risky. I just tried it. Apparition does not work, and the Invisibility Cloak can¡¯t be used. In the sea water, we can¡¯t be opponents to those sirens,¡± said Evan.

    Immediately, he looked down at the shining owl pendant on his wrist, <i>Shukrya¡¯s Redemption</i>.

    In this mist, shaman magic worked like Dark magic and could be used.

    ¡°The power of this pendant ¡­¡± Evan looked at Sirius, his body changing into a ghostly owl. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see the situation first. You go back to the lighthouse and wait for me. I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±

    Evan circled over Sirius and flew deeper into the mist.

    Because of the ghost ship, this area belonged to the realm of the dead, and the effect of Dark magic had been enhanced.

    The power of the shaman on the pendant was a kind of soul magic, and it had been improved ordingly.

    Evan felt he was stronger than he¡¯d been in the Owl Fortress.

    He passed quickly forward, and soon he saw arge ck rock appearing in front of him.

    There were many Sirens on the rock. They seemed very happy,ughing and singing beautifully from time to time. The upper parts of these sirens were all like young girls, all undressed.

    Opposite them was the huge sailing ship with a faint green light. The pale-skinned crew members were lying on the side of the ship and silently looking at the sirens below. They were like the most terrible corpses. Their bodies were rotten and covered with wisps of seaweed, revealing their white bones.

    It was really a weird scene, the Sirens and the undead sailors who were bewildered by them¡­

    Even though their lives had gone, they still could not stop their lust for beauty.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 789: City of the Dead

    Chapter 789: City of the Dead

    This beauty was undoubtedly deadly. Even though there was dense fog, through the afterglow of the setting sun and the light of theva of the volcano erupting in the distance, Evan could vaguely see the bodies of the sirens hiding under the sea water.

    They had three to seven legs and each pair of legs corresponded to a scary furry dog¡¯s head.

    The most striking thing on the head was the big mouth with threeyers of sharp teeth, dense and filled with dark death.

    The parts below their waists were usually huddled in empty nests, their heads protruding from the terrible abyss, visiting the rocks for delicious food, or making a beautiful song to draw ships closer.

    Because the lighthouse that had long restrained them had been extinguished, they seemed to have be a little unscrupulous, exposing their bodies.

    In fact, Sirens were close rtives of Merpeople. There were many kinds of sirens, but they never appeared in the Care of Magical Creatures ss. Only the seventh year Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook would cover this dark monster.

    Even though Evan was prepared, the scene in front of him still looked shocking.

    The sirens were very interested in the ghost ship that appeared suddenly, sending out bursts of delicate gasps, trying their best to lure the above crew down.

    No man could resist the sound of their temptations, even the undead.

    But Evan had no doubt that if any undead crew dared to disembark, these sirens would definitely tear them apart instantly.

    Such a weird and evil scene had been repeated for thousands of years¡­

    In the fog, Evan, as a ghostly owl, hovered over the ck rock and the decaying sailboat, but not too close.

    Through the fog curtain, his gaze shifted from the Sirens to the morbid-looking undead on the deck.

    Then Evan soon saw one of the human wizards, the Harbinger of Doom, in exquisite blue robes that were ipatible with the undead.

    The Harbinger of Doom was standing at the top of the deck, his face still hidden in the shadow of the hood.

    He wasn¡¯t looking at the sirens below, but he turned to the other side, looking at Mount Etna erupting in Sicily.

    Whether the Harbinger of Doom knew about what had happened in the depths of the earth¡¯s core or not, Evan was not sure, but he went down a little bit.

    The undead on board did not approach the Harbinger of Doom, but were busy with their own affairs.

    It was as though they thought of this human Dark wizard as one of their kind. It was really strange that Evan didn¡¯t feel the wave of magic in him!

    This Dark wizard was too weird and there were many extraordinary things about him.

    Evan didn¡¯t dare toe too close to him, for fear of being discovered. He slowly flew around the ghost ship under the cover of thick fog.

    A few minutester, a huge monster stepped out of the cabin, walked to the Harbinger of Doom and said something to him.

    There was a conversation between them, and then the Harbinger of Doom went down the deck and entered the cabin.

    When his figure disappeared, Evan dropped slowly andnded quietly on the mast.

    After years of immersion in the sea water, the wood under his feet had rotted, and the surface was covered with green nts like seaweed. They were greasy and unpleasant to step on, but under the effect of magic, they still kept their original shape.

    He was in a ghostly shape now, and the dead sailors didn¡¯t notice the intruder whonded on the mast.

    They were still there silently looking at the sirens on the ck rock, with emotional expressions on their faces.

    That was greed and desire for beauty, and just like normal humans, they were keeping in memory the scene in front of them.

    The dark green and blue lights alternated, and Evan focused his attention on the undead below.

    He saw the great undead, who had just talked to the Harbinger of Doom, with a certain ragged captain¡¯s hat on his head. He was about the height of a giant, his pale skin glowed green and was covered with a lot of unpleasant seaweed and shellfish.

    Like the undead sailors around, from time to time, his rotten body showed white bones, and yellow maggots slowly creeping.

    The most amazing thing was his face, which was also different from the other undead.

    There were many tiny purple tentacles on that face, like an octopus that had shrunk countless times. The tentacles were constantly wiggling¡­

    Evan felt a strong smell of Dark magic on this monster, just like the smell on the monster the Raven¡¯s w Dark wizard had turned into in the core of the earth. The Harbinger of Doom seemed to have made some modifications to it.

    The undead, who appeared to be the captain, roared a few times at the crew leaning on the side of the ship, making a meaningless and frightening sound.

    The crew immediately left the ship¡¯s side and got busy again. The ghost ship started to move forward.

    Evan saw the ck rock full of sirens receding rapidly and it was soon obscured by thick fog¡­

    Ten secondster, the erupting volcano, the lighthouse by the sea, and Sicily all disappeared.

    In the haze, Evan saw the undead on the deck driving the ship with unimaginable agility.

    At present, the ship was in a strange space, moving at a rather fast speed. It was a bit like using Apparition or a Portkey. Evan could be sure they were not in the real sea.

    This was a strange magic, belonging to the realm of the undead. The fog around was getting thicker and thicker. Evan was in a trance and closed his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes again, there was only unreal white around him, constantly changing.

    The oppressive fog shrouded the world, and even the boat beneath him disappeared, and he was not sure whether it was still sailing.

    Time passed quietly. It might be a second or a century.

    The huge sailboat rocked suddenly, and Evan heard the sound of the sea waves. There seemed to be something hugeing out of the water.

    The shaking was getting more and more violent¡­ the ship was shaking ¡­ the world was trembling.

    The next second, huge water pressure hit him head-on, and Evan choked on a mouthful of water. He realized that he was being pulled underwater.

    He hurriedly held his breath. In the dim water, he saw a monster that was hundreds of feet long and seemed to be an octopus towing the sailboat ahead.

    Countless tentacles with suckers and barbs tightly wound the ship. In the center was a red abyss full of fangs.

    That was its mouth. Arge amount of seawater was sucked into it, and then quickly sprayed out, forming a strong current.

    With this recoil force, the monster took the sailboat to dive rapidly, with astonishing speed.

    On the seabed below, an ancient city was standing there quietly.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 790: The Ancient Existence

    Chapter 790: The Ancient Existence

    This huge city, lying deep on the dark sea floor was more precisely the ruins of a city.

    As far as Evan could see, broken walls were everywhere. It seemed that there had been a big explosion in the center of the undersea city, which tore it apart. The once magnificent buildings had copsed, leaving only stone pirs standing in the depths of the seabed to prove its former glory.

    Close to the center of the city was arge pit like an abyss. There was only a piece of scorched earth in the nearbynd, and all buildings no longer existed.

    That was really terrible. What happened to this magical city? Why did it sink to the bottom of the sea?

    Evan didn¡¯t have time to take a closer look or to think about it. He quickly slipped off the boat, released his magic and turned back to his own appearance. He took a bunch of Gillyweed from the cloth bag and swallowed it together with the seawater. He didn¡¯t even have time to chew it.

    He gasped hard, but all he could breathe was the cold water. At that moment, Evan felt like he was going to be drowned like this.

    He raised his head and looked up, trying to surface. But above it was an endless darkness. He was now deep in the sea.

    Evan exhaled a series of air bubbles, his lungs seemed to be hollowed out, and his body was supported by the sea water. The cold and bitter seawater poured into his body mercilessly and merged with him.

    The next second, there was a deep pain on both sides of his neck. Two slits were opened at the bottom of his ears and gills slowly grew out of them.

    The sea water came out smoothly of the gills, and Evan could easily breathe the dissolved oxygen.

    He gulped into the sea water and came back to life. In front of him, the big octopus squirted back a strong current, curled up and stretched quickly, pulling the sailboat to gallop away, and soon disappeared. The sea water gradually returned to calm¡­

    In the darkness, Evan was alone, and the city below was standing silently.

    With the help of Gillyweed, Evan could clearly see everything under the water.

    This ce was extraordinary and full of strange magic everywhere.

    He breathed t, raised his vignce, and slowly approached the city. From afar, he saw a lot of restless souls wandering in the ruins of the city below. Like the fog floating around the ghost ship, inexplicable depression came in from all directions, squeezing him.

    As Ravenw said, this was the realm of the dead, a veritable city of the dead.

    Five minutester, hended on the bottom of the sea, surrounded by rocks and building ruins with water nts, corals and other shellfish.

    In addition to normal natural nts, there were many amazing magical species that Evan had never seen.

    The nt next to him, for instance, seemed like a blue crystal pir. The slender rattan stems were covered with dense cylindrical leaves, floating upside down on the seafloor, rising from among the ruins and slowly floating.

    Evan did not approach the nts or the dead, but explored the remote edge of the city.

    The mysterious undersea city in front of him made him have too many questions, and the architectural style was also very strange. There were many ces that seemed primitive and in line with the level of technological construction of the Dark Ages a thousand years ago but surprising in more details.

    He swam quickly towards the central area, and within the ruins of these buildings, Evan saw exquisite andplex runes. They were set in magical purple crystals on walls and floors, with ancient magical words on the edges that he did not understand.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what these runes were for. The size of the building in front of him was astonishinglyrge. It seemed that the residents who used to live in the ruins were giants, or other species of the same height as the giants.

    Beyond that, what surprised Evan most was the ghosts wandering around the city. They looked simr to today¡¯s humans, and many of them were indeed ordinary people, wearing Muggle costumes.

    However, there were still many wizard-like guys, some holding wands, others holding long staves.

    Although Evan tried to stay as far away as possible, after seeing him, the ghosts rushed up without exception and attacked him.

    The ghosts of wizards could even use magic to cast green light with their wands.

    Limited by the weird magic within the ruins, Evan could now only use Dark magic to fight back. The effect was amazing, soul-type spells could easily defeat these ghosts, but this kind of fight was meaningless and endless.

    In the end, Evan had to use the pendant on his wrist to change back into a ghostly owl, and those guys stopped attacking him.

    The big octopus had dragged the sailboat and he didn¡¯t know where it had gone. He moved slowly forward alone in the ruins.

    The inexplicable sense of depression and loneliness was getting stronger and stronger. He wanted to find valuable clues, and then know the name of the city, and know what had happened here, but the original explosion waspletely devastating, and thousands of years had erased everything.

    There was nothing left in the city but the umunicative ghosts and the ubiquitous ruins.

    This was not the way to go on. Evan rose again and looked down at the city below.

    Suddenly, a ck ripple shed, and he quickly turned his head to see the Harbinger of Doom appear in the center of the city, standing on the edge of the abyss.

    He was alone in that ce, and he took out the energy stone full of the Cyclops¡¯s power.

    ¡°Has the summoning started?¡± Evan whispered.

    He had been there before, near the core of the explosion, and there was nothing but the terrible pit. But in the blink of an eye, with the action of the Harbinger of Doom, a transparent figure emerged from the abyss, getting bigger and bigger¡­

    It was a strange creature that could not be described in words. If it was to be described, it was a monster with stackedyers of expanded water patterns. Its body was full of waves, and it was holding arge disproportionate stone sword.

    ¡°Hahaha, huge power is calling me!¡±

    A quaint voice sounded, a powerful force came, and a cyan sh appeared in the ruins on the other side of the city, like a magical barrier, trying to press back the virtual shadow of the monster in the abyss, but it did notst long and soon broke apart.

    With the sound of the broken mirror, there was silence again.

    ¡°Is this the magic that Ionian Wizards were proud of?! This is ridiculous, the old seal has loosened, and I will escape the cage of time!¡± The monster ghost waved his arms and roared, ¡°I am back, the abyss will devour you! Wee the end, stupid on the ground! ¡°

    Evan looked at the monster summoned in the distance, thought about it, and swam to the ruins where the blue light had just appeared.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 791: The Tablet

    Chapter 791: The Tablet

    ¡°Fear, mortals, the flood in the abyss will drown you mercilessly!¡±

    The ancient and evil atmosphere was spreading, and the whole space was shuddering.

    With the magic of the Harbinger of Doom, the shadow of the monster emerging from the abyss was getting bigger and clearer.

    Although it was still a long time before its real advent, its virtual shadow had been cast into this world, and fear followed.

    The sea surged wildly, and the shadow was soon more than a hundred feet high, overlooking the whole undersea city from top to bottom.

    The huge city was in its possession and everything was under its control.

    Its body was humanoid, its outstretched arms were getting longer and longer, holding a disproportionatelyrge sword, and its head extended to both sides, dividing into many heads, which looked a bit like dragons and pythons.

    Evan was shocked, and now he only needed to raise his head slightly to see the whole picture of the monster.

    He had thought that this guy would be an evil god, but now it seemed not, it waspletely different not only in appearance.

    After it appeared, there were no crazy echoes and unstoppable thoughts in Evan¡¯s mind.

    Being able to affect a person¡¯s mind was a sign of an evil god, and this monster did not have this ability.

    But this was rather not good news. The monster was not weaker than the evil god, and Evan had no experience in dealing with it.

    If it was really summoned out, the world would usher in chaos.

    This monster seemed to have the ability to control the sea water, which might trigger a tsunami and flood the entire Italian penins.

    It was really scary. Ancient wizards had created miracles one after another with magic, but they had also attracted the attention of all kinds of powerful and pure Dark creatures. Thest era of magic might havee to an end.

    Evan was not sure why the intrepid ancient warlocks had disappeared, but the city in front of him had definitely sunk because of this monster in front of him.

    Itsing was the root of the Big Bang, and only real lunatics would want to summon it.

    The terrible monster in front of him reminded Evan of Typhon, the monster in mythology, son of Gaia, the Mother Earth goddess.

    It was said that it had a hundred dragons¡¯ heads, which were very scary, and even the gods did not dare to confront it.

    Together with the mother of monsters, it gave birth to many children, including Cerberus, the three-headed dog, hydra, Ladon, dragons, the Caucasian eagle, the Chimera, the Manticore, the Sphinx, the Gorgons, Scy and so on. There were dozens of Dark monsters.

    Many of them still existed today and were the source of all evil.

    At the end of the myth, it died in Sicily, and incarnated into a terrible volcano, expressing its anger to heaven.

    Evan shook his head, focused his attention, elerated his swimming speed, and came to the ruins where the blue light had shed just now.

    Since there was a sh of light just now, there must be some residual magic left by ancient wizards to restrain this monster.

    Evan must understand the whole situation and then take action. If it didn¡¯t work, he had to think of some way to get out of here.

    Even if this monster dide out, that was a headache the Italian wizards needed to worry about.

    Judging from the power of the white pir of light over the Vatican, if an Italian wizard or other spellcaster really mastered that power, this uing monster might not be a rival¡­

    A few minutester, Evan stopped in front of a huge stone gate, a rtively intact architectural relic within the ruins.

    The door was made of brown rock, with only the doorframe left, or it was like this when it was built, with two identical men carved on both sides. They were as tall as the Cyclops and held strange spheres.

    Combined with the seal carving on the stone gate, Evan saw the sun, moon and stars, which seemed to indicate time¡­

    Looking around at the copsed stone pirs and relic wheels, it seemed to have been a huge circr building. Evan could imagine its grandeur.

    This kind of architectural structure was generally used as a temple, dedicated to some kind of god.

    Evan swam in through the gate, and the ground inside the ruins, which once seemed to be a hall, was carved with exquisite patterns.

    At the end of the hall was a huge statue.

    The statue was also damaged so badly that it wasn¡¯t clear what it was, but a huge broken stone tablet in front of it was glowing blue.

    Evan swam past, and the tablet was full of text. It was a kind of unpopr ancient rune, which was very popr in ancient Rome.

    He looked at it word by word, and a lot of information had disappeared because of the damage.

    From the rest of the text, it could be seen that the main content inscribed on this tablet seemed to be a passage taken by someone from what codebook about the description of the monster in front of them, and some personal emotions were also recorded:

    <i>After that devastating catastrophe, only the evil code was preserved.</i>

    <i>It recorded the crimesmitted by mortals and their stupidity in a vain attempt to control creatures with supreme power.</i>

    <i>Thousands of yearster, the wizards of Ionia got the code, and they tried to repeat the foolishness of their ancestors, summoning one of them toe again.</i>

    <i>They intended to control it, absorb its evil power, and bring more brilliance to this city of eternal night.</i>

    <i>That was ridiculous. Those who thought they were powerful were doing stupid things. In my opinion, destruction would be the only end of the city.</i>

    <i>Nevertheless, I am not going to leave. I am loyal to this duty to record everything, and to copy from the code the method of summoning that terrible monster.</i>

    <i>Would you do the same stupid thingter on after having seen this stone tablet?</i>

    <i>Or would you be seduced by the conditions it promised?!!</i>

    <i>Let¡¯s wait and see. The words below will permeate horrors imperceptible to mortals.</i>

    <i>If you arrive here by chance, I hope you can immediately turn away and leave, if you can still leave¡­</i>

    <i>A long, long time ago, at the beginning of the mythical era, the monster with supreme power was born. I am not sure that this description is very urate, if ¡®supreme¡¯ can describe its incredible power.</i>

    <i>At the moment of birth, the power it unleashed shattered everything around it. It was¡­</i>

    Evan frowned. The tablet was missing arge piece here, missing important information. He couldn¡¯t see the monster¡¯s name.

    His eyes continued downwards, and the words above seemed to quiver.

    From the remaining information, it could be seen that after the newly born monster destroyed something, it was sealed in endless time by some more powerful existence. Without a wizard¡¯s guidance and call, it could nevere out and return to the real world.

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 Chapter 792: The Temple of Time

    Chapter 792: The Temple of Time

    As for why it was time, it was because other physical and magical attacks had no effect on it, and the god that sealed it happened to be in charge of time.

    ¡°The god of time?¡± Evan narrowed his eyes. The description was really interesting.

    There was another violent shaking, and many of the still standing stone pirs copsed, making a rumbling sound in the depths of the sea.

    Evan¡¯s eyes continued to look down at the records on the tablet:

    <i>It is born only for chaos and destruction. It is the root of all evil and means the destruction of all realms.</i>

    <i>However, since ancient times, this stubborn creature has had no shortage of admirers. Its followers hope to get evil power from it and make themselves stronger. What¡¯s more absurd is that there are stupid fanatics trying to control it.</i>

    <i>Ionian wizards were among them, these arrogant fools who thought they were in control of everything.</i>

    <i>They were blessed by the ancient gods, mastered the secrets of time, had powers that no mortal could have, and built this unique magical city on the Mediterranean, as well as many miracles beyond imagination.</i>

    <i>Even the great city of Rome had to consult these wizards before making a major decision.</i>

    <i>Arrogance blinded their eyes, the destruction of the city was imminent, and the cataclysm was about to begin¡­</i>

    Anotherrge paragraph of text was missing, with only some meaningless words left. Evan skipped it directly.

    <i>It¡¯sing, I see it, my breathing is fast and I panic, my body can¡¯t help but tremble¡­</i>

    <i>It¡¯s taller than the Cyclops of Sicily, and its shadow almost covers the entire city.</i>

    <i>Like me, those so-called strong men trembled and knelt in front of it, shivering, and pleading, lest it would break them to pieces with its wave.</i>

    <i>From today, Ionia will usher in a new destiny, whether it is destruction or immortality.</i>

    <i>It promised to help these wizards conquer everything, and as long as they provided enough sacrifices, it did not hesitate to spread destruction and chaos throughout the world.</i>

    <i>But I know that those despicable wizards have changed their faces in the dark.</i>

    <i>They kept thinking all night, constantly researching and nning how to control the ancient creature they called, their ¡°god¡±.</i>

    <i>They came up with various ways to subdue it, and finally decided to use the gift of the ancient god, the powerful source of Ionia. They used powerful time magic to curb its power and absorbed magic from its body as the energy source of the whole city.</i>

    From the description that followed, it could be seen that the wizards of Ionia had once controlled this creature for a period of time, which was also the heyday of the city.

    <i>However, the situation quickly changed. The wizards did notpletely control the barbaric creature and could not make it submit to their will. The result was just the opposite. The power of time magic used by the Ionian wizards was declining.</i>

    <i>They had to weaken the summoning ceremony in an attempt to seal back part of this horrible creature, leaving only the remaining part as a source of their power. This idea waspletely ridiculous and stupid. The weakening ceremony had allowed the creature to see a glimmer of freedom andpletely get rid of the control of human wizards.</i>

    <i>This glimmer of dawn was enough for it, it took the opportunity to break out of control, waving its giant sword, and the powerful wizards returned to oblivion, and then the big explosion destroyed the whole marvelous city on the Mediterranean and made it sink to the bottom of the sea.</i>

    Evan could see that at thest minute, a powerful wizard in Ionia had used a dark forbidden spell at the cost of the lives of the whole city, using a burst of power to activate the magic of time and re-seal the monster.

    The record on the tablet was not over. There was still arge section below, and Evan continued to read.

    <i>After the Great War, the cataclysm was over, and the ancient existence was temporarily away from the world and returned to the chaotic time.</i>

    <i>I¡¯m probably the only survivor of Ionia. I want to record everything about this catastrophe, including the way to summon that creature into this world. If you dare to summon it, I will tell you without any concealment!</i>

    Evan frowned. The guy who had written on this tablet, whoever he was, after witnessing the big explosion and the death of all his people, was a little mentally deranged and confused. There were many grammatically incorrect and meaningless utterances. He¡¯d even recorded the information that shouldn¡¯t be handed down.

    He briefly looked at the way to summon the monster outside. These things had no meaning to him.

    Not surprisingly, this was a powerful Dark magic.

    In addition to the powerful energy, there was also a need for human souls to strengthen the summoning ceremony. Thousands of years ago, in order to summon the monster, the wizards of this city did not hesitate to exterminate ancient n civilizations in several cities and parts of Africa, seizing their souls to advance the ritual.

    ¡°Since souls are needed, where does the Harbinger of Doom n to get them?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help thinking.

    As though to answer his question, there was another violent vibration in the submarine space.

    ¡°Stupid wizards, dedicate your souls!¡± The monster shouted indignantly. ¡°Wee the return of the <i>King of Darkness</i>!¡±

    As soon as its words fell, all the souls in the ruins of the city floated up slowly and poured uncontrobly into the abyss of the city center, as though there was a suction force that made them move involuntarily.

    The dead had their faces covered with fear. They all kept their memories in front of them, as though they knew what had happened. They all tried to escape, or hide in a hurry.

    Fortunately, the sudden attraction so far was not very strong, and the ghosts could still resist.

    But as the magical ritual presided over by the Harbinger of Doom progressed, it would definitely be stronger and stronger.

    <i>¡°It¡¯s not good to go on like this. Can we only fight him head-on?!¡±</i>

    Evan was reluctant to run to the edge of the abyss to fight the mysterious and dangerous Dark wizard, especially after the shadow of the monster outside hade into the world.

    He had already registered with the evil god. If it was not necessary, Evan did not want some indestructible monster to remember him. Who knew if there were any crazy guys in this world who would summon it out somewhere else?

    The codex on the tablet worried Evan. It didn¡¯t say the final whereabouts of this evil book which recorded the methods of summoning many Dark creatures.

    That thing was simply a time bomb. It was not certain when it would explode.

    There was ast paragraph on the tablet, and Evan took a quick look.

    <i>I was going to send this tablet to Rome to warn future generations, but life is moving away from me at a speed visible to the naked eye. I can only bring it back from the temple to this ruined city. May God forgive my sins. After my death, my soul will bepletely annihted. This is God¡¯s punishment for me.</i>

    <i>Neers, if youe here not to summon the creature, but to stop it, then go to the Temple of Time¡­</i>

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 Chapter 793: Time Magic

    Chapter 793: Time Magic

    ¡°The Temple of Time?!¡± Evan continued to read, and the ancient magical inscriptions on the tablet became more and more scrawled.

    <i>Visitor, if you want to banish that terrible creature again, take this tablet to the temple, and the magic left in it will help you.</i>

    <i>Remember, greed and ignorance have destroyed the city, and the crimesmitted by the wizards of Ionia will never be forgiven.</i>

    <i>When you want to take shortcuts to gain power beyond imagination, it often means that you are one step closer to death and destruction.</i>

    <i>I have witnessed the demise of this city, but nothing can stop it¡­</i>

    That was the end of the words on the tablet, and Evan still had a lot of things to understand.

    There was a magical smell he didn¡¯t understand on this bluish tablet. ording to the meaning of the text on it, as long as he brought it to the Temple of Time, he could banish the terrible monster that wasing out. This magical power was too strong. But, where was the so-called Temple of Time?!!

    Evan read the information on the tablet again to make sure that the temple was not in the sunken city.

    Then he thought of seeing the chart left by the Raven¡¯s ws in the lighthouse, about the ancient ruins inside the whirlpool of Charybdis. The description on the tablet seemed to mention Ravenw and time. The Temple of Time might be there¡­

    Evan looked no more at the tablet and searched in his mind for things rted to time.

    In fact, he didn¡¯t know much about time magic. This was a very unpopr branch of magic.

    For a long time, wizards and witches had used Time-Turners to travel in time, returning to the past or going to the future.

    They could change history to some extent, but they must be prepared to pay a heavy price and lose all consciousness.

    In time travel, changing just one small thing could make a big difference to everything you knew. What should have happened did not happen, the person who should have been born was not born, and the person who should have died did not die¡­

    After returning to the right time at the end of the trip, the people around you might be different.

    In the past three years, Evan had had a lot of time travel. In the second half of the second year, he and Hermione used the Time-Turner countless times to go back to the past, reading all the books of magic he could find, and sometimes secretly learning Dark magic at night.

    In the event of Sirius, Evan used the Time-Turner to return to a few hours ago, sessfully captured Peter Pettigrew, rescued him from the Acromants, changed the history and plot, and cleared Sirius¡¯s name.

    However, Evan¡¯s most bizarre experience was to use the Time-Turner left by Rowena Ravenw to return to Hogwarts a thousand years ago and meet Gryffindor, Ravenw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin.

    At that time, after listening to Evan¡¯s description of Voldemort, they decided to leave a secret treasure in the school.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was in it. So far, he had only got the key of Gryffindor, and was still short of those of the other three Founders.

    Theplexity of this matter was absolutely beyond his imagination, and it was not as simple as leaving a treasure.

    After that trip, Evan was quickly involved in big troubles one after another, with evil gods, vampires, nightmares and so on. The initial plot had be moreplex, even totally different.

    In his own words, this was exactly the copse of the worldview, with ancient and powerful beings and magic appearing one after another.

    Evan didn¡¯t understand it very well at first and did his best to keep the plot moving in the direction he was familiar with. But as his knowledge of magic deepened, he came to understand the root cause of everything, and knew that many things had be soplicated because he had changed time.

    Like when he saved Sirius and a series of subsequent events changed, history had entered another brand-new timeline from the moment he returned to a thousand years ago or the moment he entered Hogwarts.

    Although he had not yet got the secret treasure, the test of the Four Founders had already begun.

    Unconsciously, Evan was more and more closely rted to these unknown mysteries and so-called evil gods, and the world had changed.

    This was where time magic was dangerous. One could not use simple thinking to reason about the impact of a certain change on time.

    Of course, it would be nice to just use the Time-Turner like Hermione to go back to ss, read books and learn magic.

    This allowed users to double, triple or even more time than others, as long as they were not seen by themselves during that time period. As long as their body and spirit could resist it, they could learn again and again.

    Because of the nature of time magic, in order to prevent idents, all existing Time-Turners were strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. They were kept in the Department of Mysteries and could only be obtained throughyers of applications, and the use process must be reported regrly.

    After all, no one wanted to disappear so inexplicably. This magic was simply too scary.

    Like the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, all existing Time-Turners had been left over from the ancient warlock period.

    Today¡¯s wizards simply had no ability to make such powerful magical props, and the Ministry of Magic had made no progress in researching for hundreds of years.

    The only wizard Evan knew was proficient in the magic of time was Rowena Ravenw, and the Time-Turner she had left also possessed extraordinary magic.

    Unfortunately, Evan did not bring back the Time-Turner when he returned from a thousand years ago.

    It might now be stored in the Ministry of Magic. After all, all the Time-Turners were there¡­

    Evan quickly swam through the ruins of the sea, looking for a way to go back, and couldn¡¯t help wondering if Ravenw had acquired the ability to make the Time-Turner in the Whirlpool of Charybdis since its interior was a temple of time.

    Then, he thought of the wizards in the city. They actually had the ability to use time to banish that terrible monster. What magic was it? Was it much moreplicated than using a Time-Turner?!

    A few minutester, in the dim waters, Evan saw the glowing green ghost ship not far in front of him.

    Like the reactions of the other ghosts in the ruins, because of the sudden appearance of the monster shadow, the undead above were also very panicked and wanted to escape from here.

    With their power, they could not stop the Harbinger of Doom, and staying here would make them part of the summoning ritual.

    But the terrible octopus-faced captain refused to leave, roaring loudly at his crew, and the giant octopus floated beside the sailing boat.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 794: Entering the Whirlpool

    Chapter 794: Entering the Whirlpool

    The ruins of the city on the seafloor, the wandering ghosts, the dark abyss of despair, theing terrifying monster, the ghost ship emitting green light, and the huge octopus with barbs and long tentacles full of suction cups, these absurd pictures were all intertwined.

    ¡°What a terrible ce!¡± Evan sighed. That was the result of changing time.

    It stood to reason that he should be lying on a cozy sofa in Gryffindor¡¯s Common Room, eating delicious food carefully prepared by house-elves, and discussing the uing final exam with Hermione, rather than facing all this in the depths of the rough sea.

    Even with the help of Gillyweed, his vision could not prate the darkness in the abyss.

    With his body taut, Evan quickly approached the ghost ship and took out his wand.

    He was not ready to rush forward to stop the evil Dark magic carried out by the Harbinger of Doom. There was little chance of sess.

    He nned to take a look inside the whirlpool of Charybdis, which was the destination of his trip.

    Now, everything coincided, pointing to the mysterious whirlpool. The footsteps of Rowena Ravenw, the Temple of Time, and ancient and powerful magic¡­

    All he needed to do was to get out of the damn ce as soon as possible, and the only way was through the ghost ship before him.

    Evan carefully observed the ghost ship and the big octopus shaking its tentacles beside it. He thought that this ugly creature was the pet of the captain, but it seemed that this was not the case. The sea monster had been detained by magic.

    Its body was tied to the ghost ship by several thick chains. It was afraid of the green light from the main body of the ship. It dared not approach. Its withered yellow eyes were shining with greed. It looked murderously at the crew above, including the captain with the face of an octopus.

    The wrangles on the ghost ship escted rapidly, and the crew of the undead seemed no longer able to stand the fear that wasing.

    They rallied to attack their captain, but the riot was soon suppressed.

    The monster captain was obviously much stronger than the crew. He made a strange noise, grabbed a crew member roughly and threw him out.

    The undead streaked over the deck and fell below the sailboat. Without the protection of the green light, the big octopus at the bottom suddenly moved, quickly rolled him up and stuffed him into its maw. The sharp canine teeth crushed him in one bite.

    The octopus swayed its tentacles, looking at the deck with endless satisfaction. The crew was afraid, and the monster captain made a terribleugh.

    The next second, he was hit by the blue light flying from the side, and theughter stopped abruptly.

    He stiffened backwards, turned his head in disbelief, and saw a thirteen-year-old human boy. Before he realized what was going on, he was shot and fell from the ghost ship¡­

    As soon as he fell and left the protection of the ghost ship, the tentacles of the big octopus did not hesitate to wrap him up.

    The monster captain made a shrill roar, struggling hard, his body changed rapidly, and a powerful Dark magic surged out. But before he could finish the magic, he was stuffed into a bloody abyss full of fangs.

    Evannded quietly over the mast, the end of his wand shining blue.

    He looked at the captain below who was being devoured relentlessly by the big octopus. He soon disappeared into the octopus¡¯s giant mouth and could no longer be seen.

    No matter what Dark power he had gained from the Dark wizard of Raven¡¯s w, he had no chance to use it!

    The remaining fifty undead sailors all raised their heads and looked at Evan dumbfounded, even fearfully, with a rare disy of consternation in their dull, empty eyes, as though they had not yet understood what had happened. They were not sure whether they should take action.

    The powerful captain was just there, but he¡¯d been so ridiculously defeated in an instant¡­

    He¡¯d been defeated by a human boy, the mortal enemy of all undead creatures, who should not be in this ce.

    Normally, they should pick up their weapons and attack Evan, but no one moved. All the undead were afraid. They were scared, afraid of being blown away by Evan, swallowed by the huge octopus below and disappearing from this world.

    When undead creatures lost their immortality, what were they left with?! They had always been afraid of nothing, but now what courage would they have, facing death?!

    ¡°Set sail!¡± said Evan calmly, looking at the undead below.

    Looking at Evan, the crew seemed to understand what he meant.

    Maybe it was because of the evil ritual going on not far away ¡­ maybe they were awed by the imposing manner of Evan ¡­ maybe they were afraid of the magic wand with the blue light in his hand, and maybe ¡­

    In short, an extremely absurd scene appeared!

    These natural enemies of the living, the dead of thousands of years, began to obey the orders of a living person.

    They were busy ording to Evan¡¯s will. The chain in front of the hull was tightened, the face of the giant octopus showed pain, and the eight tentacles slowly entwined the sailboat, contracted and stretched, and led it quickly up, out of the undersea city, out of thend of the dead, out of this terrible ce.

    The current spurted out, and Evan stood upright on the high mast. He stretched out his right hand to maintain bnce, watching the huge ruins of the city and theing monster at the bottom of the sea.

    In the blink of an eye, the sight in front of him turned into a chaotic dark blue.

    With a loud noise, the ghost ship resurfaced and the waves surged.

    Probably because the captain had been eliminated, the thick fog did not appear, and the realm of the dead disappeared.

    Under the vast night sky, when all the crew members raised their heads, the human boy on the mast had disappeared¡­

    When Evan reappeared, he was already above a calm sea.

    His figure had just appeared, the ocean seemed to have sensed something, and the space began to vibrate.

    Like what he had seen in Ravenw¡¯s memory, there was a crack in the sea beneath Evan¡¯s body, as though a terrible beast had opened its bloody mouth to devour everything in the world. Arge amount of sea water rolled down the widening throat.

    There was a huge roar, the whole earth and sea were trembling, and a huge whirlpool suddenly appeared.

    The waves sshed, torrents surged, and magma-like dark red began to appear in the center of the whirlpool.

    That was powerful magic. It spread rapidly in the whirlpool and spun quickly, like a volcano about to erupt.

    The next second, Evan¡¯s body fell heavily, straight into the center of the whirlpool¡­

    In the rumbling noise, a golden-red magical barrier appeared around Evan¡¯s body. He could feel the whole world shaking. The sea water kept rolling and crashing beside him, and the powerful magic was surging with great power.

    ========================================

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 Chapter 795: The Hourglass

    Chapter 795: The Hourss

    Under the tearing waves of the whirlpool, the golden-red magical barrier on the surface of Evan¡¯s body had been shaking violently.

    He did not use the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, butpletely relied on the magical power in his body to withstand the surrounding damage.

    Although it was hard work, he could still bite the bullet and persevere. Compared to other young wizards, Evan had already grown a lot.

    If those great wizards could do it, he could do it as well!

    He could feel the strong power surrounding him, the power of nature and the strange magic mixing together relentlessly as they surged. He followed the whirlpool, whirling down, not reaching the seabed, but crossing a channel to a new world ¡­

    Although Evan had seen it in the memory of Ravenw before, the scene in front of him still made him extremely shocked and amazed.

    Above him was the entrance and exit formed by the whirlpool, and next to it was a wall of brown rocks, which seemed to be deep underground.

    But it wasn¡¯t that simple. Arge gap in the broken rock wall in the distance attracted Evan¡¯s attention.

    He blinked in disbelief. From the gap, he saw that the ground was not rock or mud, but the universe!

    Ribbons of light blue and dark purple magical energy extended far away, as though they were two gxies.

    At the gap, ever-changing auroras projected down, creating a magnificent sight.

    The background behind the Milky Way was countless stars sparkling brightly like the stars in the night sky.

    The sea water and gravel that entered this strange space with Evan seemed to have lost their gravity, floating quietly in the air, drifting past the gap in the rock wall, into the strange universe, moving slowly forward.

    Then, in the changing scene, Evan saw something like ruins floating by quietly. It seemed to be a building of thousands of years ago, a bit of a Nordic Danish style. Then, he saw a huge whizzing by¡­

    This was really incredible. Evan¡¯s eyes were fixed there, and he was slowly descending to the ground.

    The ground was full of silver quicksand. The particles were very delicate, soft andfortable to step on¡­

    A few minutester, Evan¡¯s gaze reluctantly moved downward.

    Below the gap, at the end of the underground cave, he saw an ancient monument, with a huge stone gate at the front, like the gate of the temple he had seen in the undersea city, with the sun, moon, stars and time carved on it, but it was moreplete.

    In awe, Evan walked toward it.

    This was the Temple of Time. From its existing scale, one could imagine its former glory.

    Through the stone gate and ambtory, Evan spiraled down the high and deep corridor to an arched hall. There was a big hole in the ceiling and the changing auroras wereing down, illuminating the semicircr alcove, giving Evan a sense of time interleaving here.

    The idol in the alcove had long been reced by aplex and exquisite hourss. It was so big and five times as tall as Evan.

    It contained the same silver quicksand on the ground, which was slowly descending and umting in the lower chamber.

    Next to the hourss, there were also signs and protective magic left by the Italian Ministry of Magic. On a massive stone b, the origins of this hourss were described in Italian and English.

    As Evan approached to investigate, he learned that the hourss before him was called the ¡°Zero-Time Wanderer,¡± meaning ¡°the one that wanders at zero-time.¡± It was a powerful magical artifact where each grain of sand represented one second. When all the sand had fallen, it meant the end of a day.

    At the stroke of midnight, it would automatically flip and begin counting again, marking the start of a new day.

    History told us that the Italian Ministry of Magic had once removed this magical prop to protect it and study its magical power and operating principle, but as soon as it left this ce, it lost its function and became an ordinary hourss, with its precise timing bing inurate.

    As ast resort, they had no choice but to send it back.

    Apart from automatically calcting the time and being extremely urate, no other uses had been found.

    Leaving this ce, it would no longer work properly, so even if no one was there to guard it, no one would think of tampering with it.

    In fact, apart from wizards specializing in mysticism, natural vision and magic of time, there had been few wizards venturing into this cave in recent years. This space was full of strange magic and could not be entered through Apparition and Portkeys. The only entrance and exit was the whirlpool of Charybdis.

    The frequency of the urrence of the whirlpool was getting lower and lower, not to mention that passing through the whirlpool required powerful magic protection.

    Furthermore, the cave held no valuable items, causing fewer and fewer people to visit.

    Like many relics of ancient times, everything here had been removed, leaving behind only breathtaking natural scenery.

    Evan looked quietly at the hourss in front of him. It was nearly zero hour, and the upper chamber¡¯s sand would soonpletely run out.

    Before he came here, he had looked up a lot of information rted to Charybdis and knew that when the hourss in front of him was reset at zero, the whole relic would change, revealing the secret that had not yet been cracked by the wizarding world.

    The transformation wouldst for twenty-four minutes before returning to normal.

    Many wizards believed that really valuable information was hidden in this relic, but no one could decipher its mysterious magic.

    Like all magical relics preserved from ancient times, it was not a spell that wizards of the present couldprehend.

    After Evan inspected the entire site and confirmed that there was no harvest, he returned to gaze at the hourss. Since the magic left by Ravenw made hime here with her diadem, and the tablet he got in the undersea city also told him toe to this ce, then there must be something waiting for him¡­

    Taking time as the benchmark, the quicksand fell one after another, and unwittingly it hade to an end.

    Time reached zero, when thest grain of sand fell, and the hourss gave off a dazzling golden light.

    Two intersecting,plex magical runes shed out, and all the quicksand flew up, and in the blink of an eye, the reset wasplete.

    At the same time, the dim light in the cave noticeably brightened up.

    Evan raised his head and saw the sun in the gap in the upper rock wall as described in the documents.

    The sun rose at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the brightness was getting stronger. In the next twenty-four minutes, the entire cave will undergo day and night changes, simting a full twenty-four hours and the building where he was now would also change¡­

    When Evan lowered his head, he was no longer in the ruins of boulders, and the scene in front of him had changed into an amazing temple.

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 Chapter 796: The God of Time

    Chapter 796: The God of Time

    As time went by, with Evan¡¯s location as the center, all the broken walls in the ruins had returned to their former appearance. In front of him was a circr hall with huge jade pirs, carved eaves and relief sculpture. This was the Temple of Time in its heyday.

    In front of Evan, a path paved with blue sapphire extended outwards, radiating a soft magical glow.

    To his left, all the buildings and reliefs were carved out of obsidian, symbolizing the night. To the right, the main structure was made of wless white marble, representing the day and the light.

    Every ten steps along the surrounding walls, there were recesses disying colossal statues standing over fifty feet tall, each with a unique expression.

    Evan carefully examined the relief closest to him on the right side, depicting the form of a young girl in armor. She appeared to be around ten years old, exuding a vibrant aura.

    The figure¡¯s posture and expression were wless, with ivory-like fair skin and armor crafted from gold.

    In her tightly gripped hand, she held a slender sword emitting a crimson glow, which seemed to be the embodiment of fire.

    Her hair and eyes shared the same fiery color, cascading down to her waist. She was a girl with fiery red hair and zing eyes.

    She possessed an otherworldly beauty, exuding a solemn and dignified aura, seemingly the guardian of this temple, protecting its sacredness.

    This relief sculpture alone was a priceless artistic treasure, not to mention the other awe-inspiring decorations.

    Corresponding to it on the left side was a statue of a middle-aged man, entirely carved from obsidian, with his weapon reced by a wand.

    As Evan observed, he noticed that all the marble statues on the right side were warriors, while the left side featured wizards.

    These were the once mighty warriors and wizards of the sunken city of Ionia whose lifelike forms had been sculpted here to guard the temple. Besides, it was a great honor to have one¡¯s own statue inside this divine ce. Behind each statue, there was a wonderful legend.

    If circumstances allowed, Evan truly wished to learn more about their experiences and discover the forgotten history that the world had left behind.

    In front of him, the outside of the temple was an ambtory surrounded by tens of huge stone pirs. There was a rectangr water fountain in the ambtory, which reflected the sunlight from the gate through the water in the pool, making the golden hall even more magnificent.

    In the blink of an eye, the hourss that had just been beside Evan was moved directly to the top and ced horizontally.

    Under the influence of magic, the sand inside the hourss went from left to right, moving one grain a second, just as urately as it was when ced upside down.

    Above the dome around the hourss were the sun, the moon and the stars, which were centered on the cracks at the top of the rock wall.

    Evan turned around, and inside the shrine behind him, recing the hourss, was a massive circr pedestal.

    He thought there would be statues or sculptures on it, but there was nothing¡­

    No, there <i>was</i> something!

    Evan blinked; it was a light blue Time-Turner, <i>absolutely</i>!

    He quickly walked over to pick it up, but his right hand passed through it naturally. Everything here was virtual, just a microcosm of the past, not a real existence in the present world.

    Evan looked at the Time-Turner and became short of breath.

    He felt sure that he had used this Time-Turner before. This was the one he had found in Ravenw¡¯s Chamber of Secrets, the one that had brought him back to a thousand years ago¡­

    Why was this Time-Turner here? Did Rowena Ravenw get it from this temple?!

    Evan had too many questions, but there was no one to provide him with answers.

    Immediately afterwards, he hurriedly took out Ravenw¡¯s Diadem and the stone tablet he¡¯d got from the underwater city, but there was no reaction.

    He didn¡¯t know how to crack the magic here and find out the hidden secrets.

    He wasn¡¯t even sure whether everything here was just an illusion of time, giving future generations a chance to admire the glory of the god of time.

    While Evan was looking around this exquisite sculpture, the time inside the cave quickly flowed.

    Soon, twelve minutester, the sun in the cracks of the rock wallpleted a cycle from sunrise to sunset, and countless stars appeared above the temple.

    When the faint starlight fell on Ravenw¡¯s Diadem, which had been motionless, it suddenly changed.

    The raven in the center of the ring came over again. It picked up the crown, spread its wings and flew, cing it on Evan¡¯s head. Then, it turned into a me and rushed to merge with the crown. Under the impact of the raven, Evan stepped back.

    ¡°Do you want to take the diadem with you?¡±

    When Evan raised his head, he saw a silver-glowing young man smiling at him.

    With a simple headband made of vine wood over his head, he was dressed in loose ancient Greek clothes and was only about thirteen or fourteen years old.

    What shocked Evan most was that he looked exactly like himself!

    Evan carefully looked at him, and he felt like looking in the mirror.

    ¡°Long time no see, Evan Mason. Under the arrangement of fate, we meet again!¡± The teenager said softly, as though delighted that Evan could finally see him. ¡°I was just trying tomunicate with you. You seem to be lost in time, and my existing power cannot catch your attention. Fortunately, Rowena Ravenw was well prepared. She had expected this to happen, and left magic to show the truth in her diadem. A clever witch, really!¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Evan paused for a while before continuing to ask, ¡°Do I know you? How do you know my name, and why do you look like me?¡±

    This was really strange. The guy who appeared in front of him was full of mystery. Not only because he looked exactly like Evan, but his attitude was also strange.

    He behaved as though he knew Evan very well, but Evan was sure that he had never met or known such a weird guy.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot that at this point in time, we should be meeting for the first time. As for my name, in your long history of humanity, I had many names. The wizards of Ionia used to call me Saturn, the God of Time, but I prefer the name given to me by the wizards of thest magical era, <i>Cronos</i>, <i>the</i><i>Titan</i>,¡± said the teenager quietly. ¡°As for your other question, why I look like you, this is actually very easy to understand, because I don¡¯t have a fixed form, or a form that you humans can understand. I thought I couldmunicate with you better in this way. If you are notfortable with it, I can change it¡­¡±

    As soon as his words fell, his body quickly changed, as though he¡¯d taken Polyjuice Potion, his whole body was melting.

    In the blink of an eye, he became Hermione¡­

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 Chapter 797: Intricate Time Web

    Chapter 797: Intricate Time Web

    ¡°Well, does this make you feel better?¡± said Cronos, with the same voice and manner as Hermione.

    He now had a thick brown shawl and curly hair, and his eyes were also vivid brown. He raised his chin slightly, like Hermione¡¯s slightly domineering but lovely look.

    If he hadn¡¯t witnessed the transformation process with his own eyes, Evan couldn¡¯t tell that it was a fake Hermione.

    It seemed that this self-proimed Cronos the Titan not only had no fixed form, but even gender had no meaning for him.

    If Hermione was really here, Evan would be very happy. But the guy in front of him had changed into Hermione, still wearing those loose male robes, which did not really fit¡­

    ¡°You¡¯d better change back!¡± said Evan. It was weird to talk to ¡°Hermione¡± like that.

    If there was no other choice, let him return to his own appearance.

    Upon careful consideration, this mysterious being just referred to himself as the ancient Titan Cronos, which was truly a shocking title!

    In ancient Greek mythology, Cronos was one of the original Titan gods, representing the first cause that transcended everything, namely time.

    Simultaneously, he created order and chaos.

    His power was unique, above all things, existing before the beginning, and creating everything.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if the Titan in front of him who had returned to his own appearance was indeed the supreme existence. But what was happening in front of him hadpletely exceeded his understanding, and had developed rapidly in an unpredictable direction.

    ¡°I know, you are full of doubts now,¡± said Cronos. ¡°But we have limited time. There is no way to exin everything in detail. As long as you know, Evan, this is not the first time we meet, and it won¡¯t be thest¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand ¡­ I haven¡¯t seen you before!¡± said Evan, looking at this strange guy.

    ¡°We have met a long time ago, you, me, and other Titans. We fought side by side to save this. In chronological order, this should have been our first meeting.¡± Cronos waved his hand and said slowly, ¡°It may be the first time <i>for you</i> to see me in this temple beneath the whirlpool under the guidance of Rowena Ravenw, but it doesn¡¯t mean anything to me who keeps shuttling between the past and the future.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and Evan was doing his best to digest these words.

    If he hadn¡¯t been here in the Temple of Time below the whirlpool of Charybdis, Evan would have thought that this guy was joking with him, using magic to be him and Hermione, saying crazy things.

    ¡°Well, you mean, we have met in the past. It¡¯s a past experience for you, but for me it¡¯s something that has not happened yet and it will happen in the future ¡­¡± said Evan uncertainly. This sounded really incredible.

    However, assuming all this was true, it was not impossible. With the help of the Time-Turner, Evan could indeed go back to the past.

    ¡°At that time, don¡¯t try to explore and understand every clue,¡± said Cronos, looking at Evan. ¡°For example, in the future I see, there are many possibilities. In a timeline, you didn¡¯t show up, your lover Hermione Granger finally married your ssmate Ron Weasley, and your other ssmate Harry Potter, with the help of friends and other wizards, defeated the Dark wizard named Voldemort, saved Hogwarts, and prevented a crisis in the wizarding world, but nothing changed, and the world was eventually destroyed, a long timeter ¡­ ¡°

    There was another moment of silence, and what the guy said was more and more surprising.

    He said that the first half of the future of this timeline was exactly what Evan was familiar with in the original Harry Potter story.

    Harry eventually defeated Voldemort, but many people died, including Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Fred, Cedric, Colin, Dobby, Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, and Snape among others.

    In Evan¡¯s view, it was far from a happy ending. Too many people who should not have died had paid the price in this devastating war.

    At the end of the story, Hermione also married Ron, and they reportedly had a bad rtionship after marriage¡­

    But these things did happen in the time when Evan was not there.

    It took a long time for Evan before he asked slowly, ¡°Do you know Harry and Hogwarts?¡±

    He looked at the guy in surprise, observing this mysterious being that looked just like him, but his body was shining with silver light.

    In fact, when this guy became Hermione just now, Evan had wanted to ask this question. He seemed to know everything.

    Even if he could travel through time, he was not supposed to know so many things.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that, I was only in charge of time, and I was not omniscient. The things I did not experience were not within my grasp, but the moment I contacted you, I knew everything about what you¡¯ve done, the past, the present, the future, and the people you know. This is my ability, the power of time!¡± Cronos exined. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, because I have endless time to contact you and get to know your things little by little, including the people you know!¡±

    ¡°This is indeed a very powerful ability!¡± said Evan subconsciously.

    The strange feeling of uneasiness was getting stronger and stronger. Even if Cronos said that he was not omniscient and omnipotent, he seemed to know everything about Evan, which gave thetter a feeling that no secret could be hidden.

    Unlike the power of Dumbledore or the evil gods, who could see through the mind, Cronos had knowledge and control over Evan¡¯s time, just as he knew about Harry, Hermione, and Hogwarts. He had just said that Harry defeated Voldemort, and it was precisely Evan who knew the story of Harry Potter.

    By using these events, Cronos proved his point that there was a world where Evan didn¡¯t exist.

    But after Harry defeated Voldemort, what did it mean that the world was finally destroyed?

    Also, what did it mean that Evan once fought side by side with him and other Titans to save this?

    This made Evan feel very, very bad. Literally, there seemed to be great trouble waiting for him.

    Not to mention saving the world, just to prevent evil gods froming had already made Evan feel like he was walking on thin ice. He couldn¡¯t see himself possessing such abilities.

    This responsibility was too great and should not be the charge of a mortal like Evan.

    Even if Voldemort defeated Dumbledore and ruled the wizarding world, that did not mean necessarily the end of the world¡­

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 Chapter 798: The Sequence of Events

    Chapter 798: The Sequence of Events

    ¡°Among the countless timelines I have experienced, this is just one of them, a time where you don¡¯t exist.¡±

    Cronos continued, noticing Evan¡¯s expression, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, Evan. I know you are surprised, but I don¡¯t know why you didn¡¯t exist. It seems like you suddenly crossed the spatial boundaries and came to this world. This is not my dominion, but mypanion¡¯s, another Titan ¡­¡±

    Evan certainly knew why he didn¡¯t exist. He was not initially from this world. That was his biggest secret.

    From the words of Cronos, there was also a Titan that had the ability to master space.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. His crossing into this world didn¡¯t seem to be as simple or coincidental as it appeared.

    Before that, he was just a student who liked reading Harry Potter, and he¡¯d never thought that magic really existed.

    He so came to this world, and after entering Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he thought it was simply the world of Harry Potter.

    As a Muggle-born wizard, his greatest enemy was Voldemort¡­

    He had tried his best to maintain the development of the original plot and do everything in his power to save those who should not have died ording to his wishes.

    Evan still remembered his first year in Hogwarts, when the Basilisk was raging in the castle. He was in a state of unease. He knew everything clearly, knew that something bad was about to happen, knew the real identity of the murderer behind it, knew how to enter the Chamber of Secrets, but he could not say it, and even dared not go to see Dumbledore ¡­

    He explored this world carefully. When he had enough observation and tried to change the world a little, the familiar plot changed dramatically. Tom Riddle¡¯s diary, which was supposed to be in Ginny¡¯s hands, ran to Ron.

    A series of events eventually led to the Basilisk breaking into the Gryffindor Common Room and the darkening of Ron, which made his character a little entric.

    That was Evan¡¯s responsibility. He tried to save Ginny, but Ron was hurt instead¡­

    Nevertheless, that was not Evan¡¯s original intention. For a while, he felt that his performance was stupid!

    He made a mess of things. Fortunately, the oue of the Chamber of Secrets¡¯ incident was not too bad.

    After that incident, Evan, who had learned his lesson, became more careful in handling Sirius¡¯s escape.

    Knowing everything but not being able to speak out, not daring too much change, and even pushing things backwards in ordance with the familiar plot, Evan was still fighting alone, a lonely person, never knowing how big the butterfly effect would be.

    Needless to say, the final oue of the matter was very different from Evan¡¯s vision. Professor Lupin resigned early; he and Hermione encountered a werewolf attack in Hogsmeade, Professor Trwney¡¯s new prediction, Ron once again controlled by the Imperius Curse, Peter Pettigrew¡¯s conspiracy, and so on.

    These were all things that Evan had not expected to happen, but they were the inevitable result of hising to this world.

    The only thing to be thankful for was that Evan had seen the strength of friendship, and what the real courage was.

    With the help of Harry and Hermione, they finally captured Peter Pettigrew and cleared Sirius¡¯s name.

    After Sirius returned, Evan became more active, not following the naive idea to maintain the original plot, but trying to bring some changes.

    He elerated the pace of learning and exploration, further strengthened his power, and actively confronted Voldemort.

    The result of this was that the changes were getting bigger and bigger, and evil gods, ancient magical civilizations and unknown mysteries gradually appeared.

    The root of all this was that Evan had used the Time-Turner to return to Hogwarts a thousand years ago and contacted the Four Founders.

    He then got involved in the secret treasure left by the Four Founders, and time changed from a thousand years ago.

    Evan had once thought that the so-called secret treasure was meant to fight Voldemort; it contained weapons left by the Four Founders, but as he learned more about magic and went a little deeper in the search for the treasure keys, he found that this was not the case at all. It was a scheme set up by the Four Founders to fight against evil gods, a battle that hadsted for thousands of years and had not ended, and itsplexity was beyond his imagination.

    Evan¡¯s ability to go back to a thousand years ago might only be part of this grand n.

    Even if not, after seeing him, Gryffindor, Ravenw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin had also nned everything then.

    The power of time magic reappeared. Evan had just changed a few small things before, and tried to maintain the development of the original plot on the main line, but this led to earth-shaking changes in the events of the Chamber of Secrets and Sirius¡¯s jailbreak, let alone theyout carefully nned by the Four Founders a thousand years ago.

    The challenge they left to Evan was not that simple, requiring him to defeat or seal the terrible gods again.

    It was impossible for Evan to withdraw, because from the moment he met the Four Founders, he had already been in the game.

    The secrets of the wizarding world unfolded bit by bit, intertwining Evan, Hogwarts, Voldemort, vampires, and evil gods¡­

    Evan sighed. He had been more or less aware of that before, thinking that he had understood everything, believing that these were the entirety of it.

    But the news just revealed in Cronos¡¯s words suddenly made him realize that the struggle between the Four Founders and the evil gods hadsted for a thousand years, and that theplexyout and the secret of the treasure might be part of arger situation. What he thought he¡¯d seen was actually only part of all this.

    Cronos told Evan that they had met long and long ago.

    This very long time might be thousands of years ago, older than the age of ancient magic, when the Titans still existed.

    In Evan¡¯s future, when he used the Time-Turner to return to that era, thetter things changed again.

    For example, Evan¡¯s meeting with Cronos now might be one of many changes. Rowena Ravenw, known as the wisest witch, used Evan to find the secret treasure key she¡¯d left behind to guide him toe here to see the existence of the self-proimed Titan Cronos.

    As another example, his crossing into this wizarding world might also be part of the change¡­

    With theplexity of things expanding rapidly, Evan couldn¡¯t imagine how things would develop in the future.

    As Cronos said, time was an intricate web, in which it was impossible to distinguish where the starting point was and where the end point was. Countless timelines were intertwined in everything, independent though affecting each other, to jointly build the whole world.

    Too tangled, trying to clear all the clues, the final oue was to be lost in time¡­

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 Chapter 799: Titans and Evil Gods

    Chapter 799: Titans and Evil Gods

    Time magic was the most mysterious field of magic, with infinite possibilities.

    In terms of thework structure, every major historical event was like a link point on the web, and different oues would lead history in different directions.

    For example, the time before Evan appeared and the future of the current time were twopletely different oues¡­

    ¡°So, there are many possibilities for time? Aplex mesh?¡± said Evan uncertainly, trying to understand Cronos¡¯s words with his own thinking. ¡°Like a prophecy, the future you see, in the time where I don¡¯t exist, this world is finally destroyed?!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand time magic, Evan. The nature of time determines its uniqueness. Whether it is the past, the present, or the future, they are all three different stages on a timeline,.¡± Cronos exined. ¡°There exist multiple parallel timelines, and that is not a mistake. However, that is the theory of parallel universes, not time magic, and it is not the field I control.¡±

    ¡°Uniqueness and parallel timelines¡­¡± Evan frowned.

    ¡°Yes, in the world of this, there has always been only one timeline. In the timeline where you are not, the world is indeed destroyed, but this is not a prophecy; it is the uing future, the true future,¡± Cronos continued. ¡°That erroneous timeline waspletely discarded when you appeared in this world because of your arrival, and the future after that has also changed. Apart from me, no other creature knows what happened on that timeline. They never happened. A new future is waiting for you to create ¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, now that I am here, what will the future be like then?¡± Evan took a deep breath and asked.

    He began to understand the existence of Cronos. He was in charge of time, could travel in different times and spaces, but was independent of the timeline, working to maintain the timeline from significant deviations, to the direction he wished it to develop ¡­

    That was the mighty power of the Titan, a mysterious being said to have created this.

    ¡°In the future, it will still be destroyed!¡± Cronos paused and said slowly, ¡°in the current timeline, I still see destruction in the future. Your insignificant resistance cannot stop evil froming, and all living beings will be eradicated.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Evan looked in surprise, and said quickly, ¡°The future is still destruction ¡­¡±

    What was the significance of hising to this world if it was still bound to be destroyed in the future?!

    Regardless of whether Evan existed or not, the future oues of this world would be the same. Why did Cronos want to meet him?!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Evan, that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to say next. Although time is unique, the oues are not fixed and can be changed! For you now, the future is something that hasn¡¯t happened yet, and there is still a chance to correct the erroneous timeline that has shifted, just like the timeline before you arrived has been discarded!¡± Cronos stared at Evan with faint silver glimmers in his eyes. ¡°I want you to remember that the most important thing in the uncertain timeline is always the present, not the past nor the future. I believe you can change the future I see. That¡¯s the main reason why I wanted to meet you and why I asked Rowena Ravenw to guide you here.¡±

    ¡°How to change it?¡± said Evan. Things were really getting more and moreplicated.

    Although there were still many things he didn¡¯t know, it was not good to hear that the world he lived in was about to end.

    ¡°First of all, you need to know who our enemies are, or rather, the threat this has been facing all along, and what theing destruction in the distant future is!¡± Cronos continued, ¡°At this point in time, you should have seen those terrifying monsters ¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean the evil gods?!¡± asked Evan.

    ¡°Yes, but what you¡¯ve seen is not all of those ancient gods. To be precise, they are only a fraction of their projections, attracted here by the spellcasters of the previous magical era, weakened versions of their true selves.¡±

    ¡°The evil gods are only projections!¡± Evan looked at Cronos, and didn¡¯t know what to think or say.

    ¡°Those ancient beings that you call evil gods are of the same essence and origin as us, born at the beginning of this. Titans were transformed from the will of the. Our duty is to create life and bring hope. The ancient gods from the void are to destroy and corrupt the core of the and the life on it¡­¡± Cronos continued. ¡°As far as I know, this is not the first to suffer their corruption, nor will it be thest.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. This sudden unfolding had shocked him and he was speechless. Those powerful evil gods were only the projections of some ancient creatures homologous to the Titans, attracted by ancient warlocks. Their existence was meant for destruction¡­

    ording to what Cronos said, there was not a small number of those ancient powerful and evil monsters.

    If they dide to earth, Evan could not see any reason why the world would not be destroyed.

    ¡°ording to our spection, there may be even more evil existence in the void, which is the origin of the evil gods,¡± Cronos looked up at the cosmic stars in the crack of the rock. ¡°There are too many unknowns in the endless universe. In your eyes, my power is extremely strong, but in fact it might be infinitesimal.¡±

    There was another silence. Evan also raised his head, looking at the slowly passing celestial bodies through the crack of the rock and imagining the vastness of the universe.

    ¡°I could talk for a long time about the ancient gods from the void, but the circumstances do not permit it! You just need to know that from the beginning of this, the Titans have been fighting with them. In the end, we sealed them in the final battle. Their true forms can no longere, but we have paid a painful price for it.¡±

    ¡°A painful price?¡± Evan looked at him.

    ¡°Yes, after the end of the war, the era of Titans creating the world was over. Some Titanspletely disappeared and some like me lost their bodies in that battle. This ce is where I once fell ¡­¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯ve fallen, so now you¡¯re ¡­¡± Evan looked at Cronos in surprise.

    He really didn¡¯t know enough about time magic, but no matter how he shuttled on the timeline; he couldn¡¯te to a future where he didn¡¯t exist, could he?!

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 Chapter 800: The Responsibility and the Time-Turner

    Chapter 800: The Responsibility and the Time-Turner

    ¡°The Titans were born from the transformation of the will of the. After falling, they merged with the again and continued to maintain the order of nature,¡± said Cronos with a solemn expression. ¡°I am time. I exist forever and have no beginning and no end, but I can no longer be perceivable by the creatures on this. What you see now is the remnants of my power, a reflection of the transformation of time within this specific space.¡±

    Cronos shone with a faint silver light, echoing the starlight from the crack in the rock wall.

    In the soft light, Evan could sense a subtle caress, along with a tinge of sadness¡­

    Despite what Cronos said, he became the will of the again, incarnating into time.

    However, it was still impossible to deny the fact that they had fallen and passed away. Evan could not help thinking that, in the face of the vast universe and endless time, even Titans, the supreme beings beyond all things, would eventually perish. Could anything else be immutable throughout eternity then?!

    He was afraid not. Now thinking about it, Voldemort¡¯s pursuit of immortality, the so-called conquest of death, was truly ludicrous.

    ¡°Well, Evan, don¡¯t be sad about our downfall. It was a long time ago, not something you should dwell on now,¡± said Cronos softly. ¡°The Life-Giver once said that the final battle was the end for the Titans, but for you mortals, it was a new beginning. After the end of the reign of the Titans, this gradually became full of life¡­¡±

    The essence of Titans was creation. After their fall, their creations began to evolve on their own to form the earth itself.

    The civilizations on the had indeed be diverse and colorful, which in itself was hard to consider a bad thing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but look forward to what this will evolve into and how far human civilizations will develop.¡± Cronos continued, ¡°To be honest, ording to the established order, it¡¯s unlikely to yield such interesting oues.¡±

    ¡°Well, Cronos, you just said that you¡¯ve been here waiting for me, and you¡¯ve asked Rowena Ravenw to guide me here,¡± said Evan, taking a breath and looking at the old Titan. ¡°What are you doing this for? What do you want me to do?¡±

    He redirected the conversation back to the main topic. Even though Evan was shocked by what Cronos had revealed, he still didn¡¯t think he had the ability to save the world. It was not because he had no such consciousness or willingness, but because he had no such ability at all or that kind of power.

    After experiencing so many things, Evan felt unprecedented exhaustion. Right now, all he wished for was to smoothly graduate from Hogwarts, find an interesting job, marry Hermione, and have children. These were his simple dreams.

    As for Voldemort, the vampires, the Titans, the evil gods from the void and so on, it was best to stay away from them.

    ¡°In the final battle, the Titans sealed the ancient gods back to the void at the cost of their lives, but the seal itself was iplete,¡± said Cronos. ¡°The iplete seal caused the and the void to remain connected. After thest magical civilization developed to the extreme, those powerful mortal spellcasters attracted the attention of the ancient gods. They searched for the traces of magic, extended their tentacles from the void back to this, lurking down, looking for an opportunity to escape from the confines. I need your help¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Evan paused, and then added, ¡°I can¡¯t see what I can do!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t belittle your power, Evan. the potential that mortals have is infinite,¡± said Cronos. ¡°I know you have many questions. Why did I choose you? Well, it¡¯s because in the past I have experienced, it¡¯s an established fact that you¡¯ve been on the battlefield of the final battle.¡±

    Cronos¡¯s past was Evan¡¯s future. Evan had no idea that he would do such crazy things in the future, going back thousands of years ago, fighting the mighty ancient gods¡­

    He was certain that his future self must have gone mad to do such a thing!

    ¡°I met you in the past, which is something you haven¡¯t really done yet, it¡¯s really wonderful. Isn¡¯t that the charm of time magic?¡± Cronos smiled, and for Evan, it was as though he saw himself smiling in the mirror. ¡°Don¡¯t rush to refuse. Because of your arrival, many things have changed. In the near future, this interesting world will be destroyed. As a member of this world, you don¡¯t want this to happen, do you?!¡±

    Evan nodded hesitantly. If the world were destroyed, his life would naturally cease to exist.

    For his own life, the people he loved, and the things that needed to be guarded, Evan couldn¡¯t let this happen.

    But Evan was not satisfied with the reason Cronos gave him. He¡¯d seen Evan in the final battle, and then he assumed that he was the one who was destined to help the Titans against the ancient gods. This was indeed more unreliable than all Divination prophecies.

    The future was changeable. If Evan chose not to do it, not to return to the final battle, then Cronos wouldn¡¯t see Evan, and his words and this meeting would be meaningless¡­

    ¡°You still have a lot of things to do in order to prevent the world from falling into the fate I have seen,¡± said Cronos. He beckoned and the virtual shadow of the Time- Turner ced on the stone table of the shrine slowly flew up. ¡°Your task is very arduous, Evan. You have to correct the errors in the timeline at different times to improve your strength and build up your power!¡±

    ¡°Time travel?¡±

    ¡°To do this, you need to have a powerful Time-Turner,¡± said Cronos, fiddling with the blue-glowing Time-Turner in his hand. ¡°This Time-Turner is part of my own power. It will help you enter different time nodes in the past and the future, even times when you did not exist. You must get it. I feel my power in you. You should have used this Time-Turner before, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I used it to go back to Hogwarts a thousand years ago.¡± Evan gave a brief ount of the matter.

    ¡°I did give it to Rowena Ravenw a thousand years ago. She came here to ask me for help, hoping I could help her get rid of the strange power in her blood. She regarded that power as a curse ¡­¡±

    ¡°I know about that. I¡¯ve seen Ravenw¡¯s memory before I came back,¡± said Evan. ¡°Did you help her in the end?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was a very strange magical power. It didn¡¯t belong to the Titans, nor did it belong to the ancient gods from the void. It waspletely different from the power of the warlocks in thest magical era. It was a power that you mortals naturally gained in the course of evolution,¡± said Cronos, raising his head and looking up at the gap in the rock, ¡°The source of its poweres from there!¡±

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 Chapter 801: Origin and Evolution

    Chapter 801: Origin and Evolution

    In the direction Cronos looked at, Evan looked up and saw the cosmic stars in the crack of the rock wall.

    In the changing aurora, a giant meteor whistled by and disappeared instantly¡­

    ¡°Rowena Ravenw¡¯s poweres from the universe?¡± Evan was surprised. ¡°The gift of the goddess of war, Morrigan?!¡±

    ¡°The gods, demons, and other magical creatures with powerful magic in your human eyes are not originally native creatures of the,¡± said Cronos, seeing Evan¡¯s perplexity, ¡°After the Titans fell, they found their way here from the universe through various means¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, are you saying that those magical creatures and even wizards are descendants of alien creatures?!¡± Evan asked hurriedly. ¡°How is that possible? You just said that the Titans¡¯ duty was to bestow life, you have created many beings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you know about this. Titans have not been forgotten by the world. Yes, at the beginning of the birth of this, we used rocks, magma, sea water, steel and air to create all kinds of creations, such as the Cyclops you¡¯ve seen. These creations were called the First Generation. They had life, but they had no flesh and blood, and could not reproduceter generations.¡±

    ¡°The First Generation beings!¡± Evan remembered the Cyclops immersed in magma.

    ¡°Yes, the First Generation beings possessed immense power. They helped us fight the ancient gods from the void and maintain the bnce of the,¡± said Cronos, shifting his gaze back to Evan. ¡°After the fall of the Titans, these creatures, for some reason, gained flesh and blood in the long process of life. They gradually forgot their original mission and gradually evolved. Their descendants became the main source of life on this today¡­¡±

    ¡°Like the giants of Sicily!¡± said Evan, nodding his head, a little bit understanding what the other meant.

    Giants were descendants of the Cyclops, and they had far more brute power than ordinary humans, but their power was far from that of the Cyclops, with flesh and blood that allowed them to have emotions, and at the same time they could be injured and die, unable to use magic, let alone immerse their bodies in magma to restore strength.

    ¡°The giants are one of them, as well as the goblins, the Centaurs, and the Merpeople you are familiar with ¡­ and even you humans!¡±

    ¡°Humans, too, evolved from Titans¡¯ creations?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Yes, you are the more sessful branch of evolution,¡± Cronos went on. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised, and don¡¯t doubt. In a broad sense, all humanoids on this are actually descendants of Titans¡¯ creations, but their power doesn¡¯te entirely from us.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I just said that in the final battle, the seal left by the Titans was iplete. We expected that the first generation of creation would have flesh and blood, and gradually evolve. That was what we hoped for, to make this be more energetic. But because we worried that too much power would attract the attention of those in the void, we have not left the seeds of magic in the initial order. In our original design, you were supposed to gradually lose the ability to use magic during your evolution, just like how the giants cannot use the thunderous power of their ancestors, or how Centaurs cannot use the power of nature. ¡°

    ¡°But wizards can use magic, as well as the powerful warlocks of ancient times, who had even stronger power,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°That was just an ident, an unexpected oue. The magical power you have nowes not from Titans, but from the mysterious and ancient alien beings in the universe.¡± Cronos paused and said slowly, ¡°Just like the ancient gods from the void, at the very beginning of the birth of the, there were many alien beings that came to the for various reasons. Most of them were very weak. They came from meteorites that fell identally. And they became the ancestors of various animals and mythical creatures we have today. But there were also powerful ones. Humans called them gods or demons in ancient times¡­¡±

    Evan nodded. As Cronos said, Titans and evil gods were more primal and had more powers, such as lightning, time, death, nature, and the ability to control dreams. These were magic that wizards, and even ancient warlocks could not wield. The magical power they possessed came from other powerful alien creatures, those known as gods.

    ¡°In terms of human history, after the End War, this went through a period of darkness and primitiveness. Titans¡¯ creations were evolving into all kinds of creatures, and the outsiders who came for various reasons were also evolving. The was bing more and more lively,¡± said Cronos. ¡°But as I said before, not all outsiders were weak and small creaturesing through meteorites. There were some powerful ones among them. You humans call them gods or demons, such as the ancient creatures that destroyed Ionia, and the gods who granted wizards their bloodline powers.¡±

    ¡°So, these are the origins of the gods?¡± Evan took a deep breath.

    ¡°That¡¯s precisely why thest magical civilization was originally dominated by these powerful beings called gods and demons. Their offspring, born from the union with certain Titans¡¯ creations, also began to possess some magical powers and quickly grew stronger, such as humans, house-elves, goblins, Fairies, and so on!¡± Cronos continued, ¡°Among them, humans were the most exceptional. When the life-givers created the First Generation beings ¨C your ancestors ¨C you already possessed pure magical power, surpassing other creations in intelligence and adaptability. As long as the seeds of magical power were given, humanity would soon develop into the overlord of this.¡±

    The Time-Turner, which glowed light blue, floated quietly in Cronos, and its dial marked the passage of time.

    ¡°In the middle tote period of the previous magical civilization, the powerful human spellcasters soon began to excavate the relics of the ancient times and ughter the gods!¡± said Cronos softly. ¡°They discovered the secret of the Titans and created all kinds of powerful magic to imprison gods and demons in special realms, harnessing their powers.¡±

    And then there was the history that Evan was familiar with. One by one, the powerful gods had fallen, and the era of gods was over¡­

    Evan thought for a while before continuing to ask, ¡°Since those gods and demons are outsiders, why don¡¯t they continue toe to the earth now? After the end of ancient times, the magical power and level of humans have gone backwards.¡±

    ¡°You must have seen that ancient creature in the ruins of Ionia, haven¡¯t you?¡± Cronos did not answer, ¡°I feel its power is breaking away from the cage of time anding to this world.¡±

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 Chapter 802: The Cataclysm and the Time-Turner

    Chapter 802: The Cataclysm and the Time-Turner

    Evan nodded, recalling the ominous silhouette of the terrifying monster descending into the depths of the ocean abyss.

    He looked at Cronos, waiting for him to continue exining. He preferred to delve into these unknown secrets rather than shuttling back and forth in time to save the world, participating in terrible wars, and correcting the mistakes of time.

    Grasping more information could not only increase knowledge, but also help to improve his abilities.

    Most importantly, there was little danger in doing so.

    ¡°As you can see, these powerful external entities that have arrived uninvited are not as simple as imagined,¡± said Cronos, looking up at the changes in the stars above, and exining patiently, ¡°Theye from a variety of sources and structures and are veryplex. Some of them, like the Titans, are guardians generated by the will of others, some are evil beings born fromspletely corrupted by ancient gods, and some others are the aggregation of other forces in the universe, even older than this and the Titans themselves¡­¡±

    ¡°Older than the earth!¡± Evan repeated in a low voice. ¡°Are they monsters from the void?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly. The vastness andplexity of the universe far exceed our imagination, harboring unimaginable phenomena. If one day you have enough power, you can also have a look at others where there¡¯s life,¡± said Cronos.

    Evan clicked his tongue inwardly, unable to fathom the level of power required to aplish such a feat.

    ¡°It is not impossible!¡± Cronos seemed to see what Evan was thinking, and he exined with a smile, ¡°After the final battle, all the Titans who did not perish left this and embarked on a new journey, looking for a new where life could flourish. In theter stages of thest magical era, increasingly powerful human spellcasters also acquired this ability, and many people left¡­¡±

    Evan looked at Cronos and suddenly remembered what the evil god had said when he saw him before in the Centaurs¡¯ colony. He told Evan that the powerful ancient warlocks once chose to escape from their homnd to ces where evil gods could not find them.

    At the time, he had dismissed it as the ravings of a lunatic, but now he thought maybe it was really possible.

    The information Evan got from Cronos and the words of the evil god corresponded, and he became more and more certain of the authenticity of the information.

    What impressed him most was what the evil god once told him: <i>¡®You have not suffered the pain of the copse of the worlds, think you have defeated the evil god in the illusion, but do not know that you are entering another more terrible danger. Fear goes with you, never disappears, never ends¡­¡¯</i>

    Now, upon reflection, the matter might be true, or even more terrible.

    ¡°These ancient and powerful external beings are different from Titans. Some of them, out of goodwill or other purposes, are willing to share the powers and spellcasting techniques they possess with humans, which also constitutes the distinction between spellcasters.¡±

    Evan nodded again. It was like the wizards¡¯ magic and the shaman power mastered by the African witch doctors which werepletely different. If everything was as Cronos said, then the root was here. Humans had inherited different forces from different ¡°gods¡±.

    In Europe, wizards used wands to cast spells. Magic was divided into defensive charms, neutral spells and Dark magic, mainly including curses and Transfiguration. Besides, there were Herbology, Potions, Alchemy, Divination, Astrology and other branches.

    In Africa, the witch doctors who mastered the shaman¡¯s power werepletely different from wizards. They were more proficient in curses and natural forces, and couldmunicate with the ancestors of the n.

    As Evan now knew, using the power of the shaman could even turn the caster into a soul-shaped animal, which was really amazing.

    Needless to say about the more mysterious East, the casters there were said to be able to use jades to cast spells.

    Evan was very interested in what Cronos said, which was not something that could be learned in books.

    ¡°The outsiders who are willing tomunicate are only a part, and the rest represent chaos and evil. The entity you saw in the ruins of Ionia is one of them, and its existence heralds pure destruction.¡± Cronos continued, ¡°After the final war, there was a scuffle between these outsiders and the creations of the Titans. The whole processsted until the end of thest magical era. The uncontrolled and increasingly powerful forces finally attracted the attention of the ancient gods in the void, and the Cataclysm began!¡±

    ¡°The Cataclysm¡­¡± Evan murmured.

    He remembered the relevant description he¡¯d seen on the tablet found in the Sunken City, which mentioned the codex and the Cataclysm that would annihte everything.

    ¡°Yes, in that Cataclysm, the ancient gods from the void colluded with those chaotic external entities in an attempt to break free and return to this world andpletely corrupt the,¡± said Cronos. ¡°That was the end of the war. This faced the greatest crisis and the most tragic war, and we paid a tremendous price ¡­¡±

    The price he said was the end of thest magical era, when all the powerful ancient warlocks disappeared.

    Evan had been looking for information on this, knowing that some terrible things had indeed happened in thete stages of the ancient era.

    ¡°Thest magical era was destroyed, and the level of human magic regressed significantly. At this cost, we ended the era of the domination of gods and demons on this. Without the guidance of powerful forces, they could note here. This is the answer to what you wanted to know. Because of time, I cannot tell you in detail what happened in that Cataclysm,¡± said Cronos. ¡°But the final result is rted to our meeting now. The aliens known as gods and demons, along with the terrifying ancient gods in the void, only went into hibernation and are seeking new opportunities. They have never given up and must be stopped ¡­¡±

    The topic was back to the main theme again. In order to avoid the world from falling into the wrong timeline seen by Cronos, Evan had to do something. This was his responsibility. He had been involved in this protracted and terrible war.

    ¡°Evan, you have to find this Time-Turner and experience the events I have witnessed you aplish in the future,¡± said Cronos, the light blue Time-Turner floating slowly in his palm. ¡°I know what you are thinking, but this is not something I¡¯m forcing you to do. It¡¯s a choice you will make voluntarily in the future. You will soon understand¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, where is it now?¡± Evan sighed. Although still a little puzzled, he decided to get his hands on the Time-Turner first.

    Even though he didn¡¯t want to go back to the past to save the world or anything like that, there might be a chance that he would actually need this Time-Turner.

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 Chapter 803: A failed Summoning Ceremony

    Chapter 803: A failed Summoning Ceremony

    Evan¡¯s attention shifted back to the Time-Turner in front of him, watching the dial above.

    A Time-Turner that could travel freely on the timeline without restrictions, this was simply a magical piece of art.

    When he got the Time-Turner before, he felt that it was different, but he didn¡¯t really realize its wonderfulness.

    His understanding of magic was not profound, and the power of the Time-Turner itself was iplete. Ravenw had mentioned that it had been damaged!

    After Evan returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago, Ravenw reimed it.

    Evan didn¡¯t feel anything unusual at the time, but now in retrospect, the whole situation was far from simple.

    The Time-Turner he got was specially left in the school by Ravenw. She had long known that a student would use this Time-Turner to travel back to a thousand years ago, returning to Hogwarts and starting a series of events involving the secret treasure.

    As for whether she was sure that the person must be Evan, he didn¡¯t really know!

    But from the moment Evan acquired the Time-Turner, he¡¯d been involved in thisplex event.

    ¡°This Time-Turner is part of my core power. I can sense its location,¡± said Cronos, as the light blue Time-Turner floated in front of Evan. ¡°All existing Time-Turners are kept in one ce, underground in London.¡±

    ¡°The Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic?!¡± Evan thought of the room where this Time-Turner was kept.

    ¡°Oh, it seems that you know about that ce. Go get this Time-Turner, Evan. I gift it to you!¡± Cronos continued, ¡°I know you have many questions now, but I cannot answer them all, and some things have to be done by you. Find that Time-Turner and fix it, it will help you solve all the questions in your mind.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t answer. Going to the underground of the Department of Mysteries was not that simple. It was the Top Secret of the Ministry of Magic.

    The Department of Mysteries was heavily guarded and protected by a lot of magic, and only personnel with specific identities were allowed in.

    Then, Evan thought of Voldemort¡¯s goal to get the prophecy ball. He had nned not to let it happen¡­

    But if he wanted to get the Time-Turner, that was his only chance, and he couldn¡¯t rashly break into the Ministry of Magic.

    He could not wait until Voldemort had control of the Ministry of Magic. He might be able to do it then, but it would be toote. Voldemort would definitely seize all the Time-Turners.

    ¡°Evan, use that Time-Turner to go back in time. It will help you. You will follow the footsteps of Rowena Ravenw ande to this ce to find what you are looking for, and it will be handed over to you by her a thousand years ago.¡±

    ¡°You mean Ravenw¡¯s secret treasure key?!¡± Evan looked at Cronos.

    He never expected that Ravenw hadn¡¯t passed this item down but had given it to him a thousand years ago¡­

    Evan and Rowena Ravenw had another chance to meet, tomunicate and delve deeper into time magic. It truly was a miraculous phenomenon.

    ¡°I know some things about that secret treasure. When Ravenw came to me for help, she shared with me some of her thoughts. It was indeed a very smart approach, but there is no time to talk about it now,¡± said Cronos, looking at the hourss above, ¡°Well, Evan, if you have no other questions, I think ¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Evan had also noticed that time was running out. Unbeknownst to him, Twenty-four minutes had passed, and the illusions of all the buildings in the cave began to blur once again. He hurriedly asked, ¡°What about theing monster in the undersea city?¡±

    While other matters weren¡¯t as urgent, the trouble being summoned by the Dark wizard of Raven¡¯s w needed to be solved urgently.

    ¡°Speaking of that creature, the wizards of Ionia once used my power to leave an interesting magic in this ce, which is still active and can disrupt the ongoing ritual, causing chaos in the timeline there,¡± said Cronos, pointing to the row of statues. ¡°The tablet you brought had been left by thest high priest of Ionia. It contains a crucial rune formation that can trigger the ancient magic. I will also assist you. After all, it¡¯s not yet time for the final battle¡­ ¡°

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Evan asked .

    ¡°Just put that tablet where it was originally.¡±

    In the direction pointed at by Cronos, Evan walked to the obsidian statue of an elder.

    On the ground in front of it, there was obviously a missing tablet, exactly the same size as the one in Evan¡¯s hand.

    The cyan magical lines encircled the statue and extended all the way to its body, gleaming faintly.

    Evan scratched it and put the tablet in.

    The next second, a slight noise came from the entire temple, as though something had happened, but there was no obvious change.

    ¡°Is that alright?¡± Evan shouted, but there was no response.

    He hurriedly looked back and saw that Cronos was waving to him. His figure was fading, and eventually disappeared with the temple.

    In the blink of an eye, the light in the cave became dim again, the magnificent temple turned into ruins again, and the huge hourss returned to the shrine.

    It was all over, but the tablet glowing blue in front of Evan had disappeared.

    ¡°Fear, mortals, your suffering brings me pleasure, and I will show you the scariest things in the world.¡±

    Within the ruins of the undersea city, the dreadful whispers were still echoing, and the figure of the ancient monster was getting clearer and clearer.

    It was about toe to this world, with the waters of the abyss drowning everything, making the world taste the vor of fear¡­

    Beside the abyss in the center of the city, the Harbinger of Doom was waving his hands while chanting ancient curses.

    The shadow beneath his hood became deeper and deeper, just like the abyss before him, shrouding him in imprable darkness.

    He felt puzzled by the recent departure of the ghost ship. It seemed that something had happened. None of the dead in the whole city could have left. They would all be part of the ritual, but now the Harbinger of Doom couldn¡¯t care about anything else.

    The ritual had reached a critical stage, and the energy stone filled with the Cyclops¡¯s power was floating in front of him.

    A potent force emanated, converging into intricate purple magical runes.

    Under the increasing attraction, the ghosts and the dead hiding in the ruins of the city were gathering here uncontrobly, their faces showing extreme fear, but their bodies out of control. Even if they had been dead for thousands of years, they still had the deepest fear in their hearts¡­

    They were drawn into the magical runes in front of the Harbinger of Doom, transformed into special energy, and became part of the ongoing consciousness of evil.

    These forces were infused along a purple beam of light into the body of theing dreadful being.

    ¡°It¡¯s about to be a sess. Come on, great and ancient existence, will you ¡­¡± The Harbinger of Doom shouted loudly, and suddenly stopped.

    He looked up in astonishment, realizing the sudden surge of abnormal magical energy around him.

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 Chapter 804: The Lost City

    Chapter 804: The Lost City

    What is this power that has arisen? The Harbinger of Doom raised his head in dismay.

    The wand in his hand came to a halt, the ongoing summoning ceremony was going out of control, and the magic became chaotic

    He felt a sudden sh of strange power, old and powerful, but familiar.

    He had felt this power more than once in the ruins of the whirlpool of Charybdis. This was the power of the ancient deity, the power that the Ravens ws had been pursuing, and the gift left to them By Madam Rowena Ravenw.

    Although he did not understand the nature of this power, the Harbinger of Doom had always believed that it could help him escape death, conquer the world, create a new future, and even summon the Master from the void, so that the real immortal existence coulde.

    This was what he had always hoped for. After listening to the Masters teachings, he joined Ravens w and willingly gave up his human identity

    Before that, he was just an ordinary pure-blood wizard, all day long thinking about inheriting the family, restoring his ancestors glory and other stupid and meaningless things, but after joining Ravens w, he got a new life and had a greater cause.

    Apocalypse Day ising, and the world will be reborn in destruction as I am.

    The Master revered by the Harbinger of Doom wanted this power. For this reason, Ravens w had been nning nearby for more than five decades.

    Finally, they found a glimmer of hope in the darkness, and it would be up to him to aplish this feat.

    Ha ha ha, have we seeded?! He gave a burst of excitedughter, which came to an abrupt end.

    He felt that the situation was a bit off, his summoning ritual was notpleted, and the sudden sh of power was not benevolent.

    Above him, a blue light shed over the dark ruins of the undersea city, followed by another.

    The light rippled like waves, apanied by shes, as the seawater churned violently, and the blue light flickered faster and faster.

    <i>BROOM, BROOM, BROOM. </i> There was an endless stream of tremendous vibrationsing from the depths of the earth

    The souls of the undead, who had been slowly being drawn and floating, suddenly elerated, waving, and speeding up toward the abyss.

    This was highly strange, extremely abnormal!

    The ongoing Dark ritual was their bane, which would transform them into pure energy. The undead should have evaded it, bit by bit, like prey falling into a spider web, slowly being nibbled away, rather than actively approaching.

    Furthermore, the Harbinger realized that they were not approaching willingly, but were being forcefully drawn and gathered rapidly.

    Centering on the ck abyss in front of him, a huge whirlpool was slowly forming, and the time and space here became chaotic and disorderly.

    Slowly, the power he had just sensed appeared in the center of the whirlpool, beside him.

    Although still faint, it was really gathering around him.

    <i>Bang, Bang, Bang</i>

    There was a session of crisp sounds. The energy stones that gathered the power of the Cyclops suddenly shattered, one after another

    This newly born power essentially suppressed the power of the Cyclops. The Harbinger of Doom gasped violently. He felt that his once proud magic had failed him, and the wand in his hand seemed like a ridiculous stick.

    NO, what kind of power is this? He cried in horror, waving his wand hard. Tell me, who are you?! WHO ARE YOU?!

    But no one answered him, and nervous pressure was building up.

    Trembling, the Harbinger of Doom hurriedly raised his head to look at the powerful presence that was descending above him, hoping that it would turn things around.

    Yet what he saw mirrored his own panic, or even surpassed it. The powerful creature,cking a physical body, was mercilessly torn apart by the gradually forming whirlpool. Countless souls of the undead tightly encircled it.

    One after another, the souls began to shine, and the blue light was quickly transformed into energy.

    The blue radiance was getting clearer and clearer, and the Harbinger of Doom seemed to see a ticking dial on which the hands were spinning rapidly.

    The lost time  it is the magic of the Ionian wizard again! It made a shrill voice, No, its the power of that ursed Titan. Restrain me again, and you wont  I will never go back. No  stop, fool. Darkness will finally envelop this world one day!

    The Harbinger of Doom gasped for breath as the voice of the mighty being gradually faded, getting weaker and weaker.

    This terrible power is time, the magic of time! He suddenly understood!

    The next second, he immediately turned around to run away. Although he did not know what had happened, he was not a fool. The summoning ritual he had led had already failed, and it was dangerous to stay here.

    But he had just taken two steps and found that his body was floating uncontrobly and was involved into the whirlpool like those undead.

    The hood on the Harbingers head unraveled. If Evan were here, he could have seen a shocking visage beneath the white haira pallid face devoid of life, not belonging to the living at all

    The Dark wizard Evan had seen in the depths of the rock core had changedpletely. He dedicated all to his master and became a creature of shadows.

    While the Harbinger of Doom was being drawn into the whirlpool, the huge whirlpool suddenly changed, and the waves rushing around became jagged, and then condensed into a ball, and an open gap illusion slowly emerged from the endless dark abyss below.

    In the blink of an eye, everything was devoured, lost in the whirlpool of time, disappearing without a trace.

    In the darkness, only the ruins of the city stood quietly there, even more deste without those undead.

    This ce was doomed to be forgotten by the world. The history of the magical city of Ionia had been suspended andpletely withdrawn from the stage of history.

    When Evan returned to the lighthouse, Sirius was waiting there.

    Evan didnt know what had happened to the Harbinger of Doom and the monster hed been summoning, but since Cronos had promised, he was not worried.

    After meeting with Cronos, this trip to Italy wasing to an end. All that remained was to persuade the giants and deal with the Death Eaters.

    In the face of strong power, these troubles were insignificant and easy to solve.

    Evan was ready to infuse the power of the Cyclops he had gained into Grawp and help him unify the giants tribe.

    As long as the other strong giants were down, he could be the new Gurg and lead the giants tribe. Even if a giant disobeyed him, it would only be resolved throughbat, but which giant could beat Grawp with the Cyclopss blood, derived from thepaction of the blood race?

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 Chapter 805: Dangerous Thoughts and the Funeral

    Chapter 805: Dangerous Thoughts and the Funeral

    Use the power of the Cyclops to help Grawp increase his strength, make him stronger, and then rule the Giants tribe.

    This might sound sloppy, but it was that simple. If it were other species such as humans, Centaurs, and goblins, it might be veryplicated. But giants didnt have so many intrigues. They liked to fight and were used to solving everything with their fists.

    Whoever had the biggest fist had the final say, and the other giants must obey the strongest.

    As long as Grawp seeded in bing the Gurg, then they would have a strong ally.

    Although the giants were not smart, they possessed formidable strength, and even Voldemort could not ignore their power. At that point, he would be more cautious when he wanted to start a war, carefully considering the strengthparison between the two sides.

    That was Evans n, which was the most effective way to solve the plight of the current alliance with the giants.

    Back to the lighthouse, he told Sirius all about the n after having a selective ount of his previous experience.

    Evan didnt say everything about the Titan Cronos. Talking about going back to the past to participate in the Final Battle would be too shocking, and even if he did, no one would believe it. It would only worry Sirius needlessly.

    He focused on the topic of the giants and discussed the feasibility of his n with Sirius.

    Evan, I said before that I will support you without reservation, but this n said Sirius, looking a little hesitant. It needs a lot of caution to use the power of the Cyclops to make Grawp stronger. Ive never heard of such a method. Its a bit like the Dark wizard of Ravens w

    The wizards certainly cant do this. The human body structure is different from that of the giants, and the power of the Cyclops is not homogenous and cannot be perfectly integrated. The Dark wizard we saw before, he used some kind of ult technique to transform his body, forcibly absorbing magical energy from the air and the power of the Cyclops, the only result of which was to be a semi-demonized living shadow monster, losing all reason, and even losing his life, said Evan. But giants are different. They are the descendants of the Cyclops, inheriting the power in their bloodline. Im not going to simply instill all the power into Grawp, but to assist him step by step, little by little

    You dont understand what I mean, Evan, what youre talking about does not sound like a righteous spell, Sirius looked at him seriously and raised his voice. Using Dark magic to modify the body is very dangerous. Have you forgotten Voldemort? And Dumbledore told you not so long ago to choose between shortcuts and the right path

    Evan did not answer. The magic he was going to use was indeed Dark magic.

    Siriuss reminder made him realize that he seemed less and less scrupulous about using Dark magic and became morefortable with it.

    The first time he used Dark magic was to fight against the werewolf for Hermione. At that time, he felt extremely uneasy and believed that he had done something very wrong. But now, Evan could almost use it at will without feeling guilt.

    He had to admit that Dark magic was indeed much better than other magic in many cases.

    He had always believed that magic itself had no good or evil, and the key was what to do with it. Except for those curses that required great evil thoughts and hatred, there should be no restriction on the use of other forms of Dark magic.

    In the eyes of many wizards, this idea was extremely absurd and dangerous, and all Dark magic should be resisted.

    Although many wizards had privately mastered several dangerous spells, at least in public they were opposed to Dark magic.

    This was the current consensus in the wizardingmunity, but also a lesson learned from war after war.

    With the progress of civilization, the overall level of the entire Wizarding world had been declining, and arge part of it was due to its self-imposed limitations.

    Times had changed. The world did not need so many powerful wizards or saviors. Unlimited power was a burden, and even at Hogwarts, professors were not unreserved in imparting magical knowledge.

    Dumbledore was trying his best to maintain the tradition of this ancient school, but more and more teaching reforms were still inevitable. Those ancient magic books had been abandoned in unknown corners or locked in the Restricted Section of the library.

    The speed of integration between the Wizarding world and the Muggle world was elerating. Perhaps in a few decades, all wizards would have to rely on the skills and props of Fast Casting or Simple Casting to use magic, and forget the essence of the spells and thoseplex magical runes.

    It was hard to say whether that was a bad thing, but for those wizards who wanted to be strong and pursue the supreme power, they clearly became outcasts and targets that needed to be struck down. This might be the tragedy of the end of thew era.

    If he didnt know so many secrets, Evan would also want to throw those esoteric andplicated magic books aside like other young wizards, but he couldnt, at least he couldnt do it now. He couldnt just watch the destruction and be indifferent.

    <i>Excessive power is indeed a burden! </i>Evan sighed; his inner thoughts had not changed, even though it was dangerous.

    But as Sirius said, helping Grawp enhance his strength did require caution. Evan had previously only considered the gains and losses from an interest perspective, neglecting other aspects, which indeed was a dangerous signal. Perhaps this was the aftermath of growing power.

    After seeing so many powerful beings on this trip to Italy, he felt that he was too weak.

    Perhaps this was a manifestation of impatience.

    Ill be careful, said Evan finally. Lets go back to the ind and see Hagrid and Madame Maxime

    When Evan and Sirius returned to the giants territory, a simple funeral was taking ce.

    The object of the funeral was Hagrids mother Fridwulfa. Not long ago, the old giantesss life finally came to an end. She hadnt been attacked, but it was the normal process of life and death.

    For giants, tombstones and burials were undoubtedly a luxury.

    During his time in the Giants colony, Evan had seen too many giant corpses in the wilderness, and no one seemed to care about them.

    Even their rtives, such as their parents, siblings, and other rtives, at best, only covered the dead giants body with leaves.

    ording to ancient traditions, they would return to nature in this way, while their souls would sink into the volcano and join the spirits of their ancestors

    But Hagrid couldnt ept this custom, and he couldnt just abandon his mother. With the help of Madame Maxime, he gave Fridwulfa a human-style burial; the life of the giantess who had once embraced human civilization hade to an end.

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 Chapter 806: Giantsâ€™ Awareness and Departure

    Chapter 806: Giants¡¯ Awareness and Departure

    The atmosphere within the camp was somewhat filled with a faint sadness. Hagrids eyes were bloodshot, clearly indicating that he had cried many times. As soon as he saw Harry and Sirius, his dark little eyes instantly became misty, and tears uncontrobly flowed down, falling into his thick beard.

    Next to him, Madame Maxime also appeared somewhat sorrowful, holding arge handkerchief in her hand.

    For the death of Fridwulfa, it was probably only Grawp who did not feel sad. He couldnt even understand why Hagrid buried his mother in the earth, and built a raised pile of stones on top of it.

    Giants were indifferent to death, and like other creatures still living in primitive ns, they thought it was just a way to return to nature. Giants died every day, and new giants were born.

    Only a few giants died naturally like Fridwulfa. Most giants and even giantesses died in their prime, on the battlefield.

    From this perspective, Fridwulfa should be considered lucky, although herter life was not very good.

    Grawp was not used to staying in a cave. He wanted to go out and y, and was constantly throwing tantrums.

    Hagrid had to tie him up, using a rope made of magic to tie one end to his body and the other end to some huge rocks.

    When Grawp saw Evan, he wanted toe over, roaring and pulling the rope tight

    Dont worry, Evan, he doesnt know his strength. So, I had to tie him like this  so messy outside, those Death Eaters and barbaric giants, I was afraid something would happen to him, said Hagrid, letting Evan sit beside him, facing the tombstone of Fridwulfa. How did it go there?

    Very well, said Evan, looking at the humble pile of stones in front of him. Your mother

    Oh, dont feel sorry for my mother. She was too old, and such a day was inevitable for her. Death is a relief for her. Hagrid choked with sobs as he spoke to Evan, justst night, Grawp and I were by her side

    After a moment of silence, Sirius asked Madame Maxime about what happened in the giants territory recently.

    She told me that she had done a lot of cruel and terrible things in her life. She repented for it after she got old, but she was also lucky to be able to see me before she left. She had nothing to regret! said Hagrid, wiping his tears. She was very weak, her once strong body was slowly failing, and there were already many signs. Ive been with her. Last night, she reminisced about the past and my father, and as she was speaking, she took herst breath. She left without pain, probably the best ending for her. Otherwise I really wouldnt know what to do. I couldnt take her back to Ennd. There are so many people there who still hate giants and would want to judge her

    Evan had seen Fridwulfa before, the old giantess who had reached the end of her life. Although she had done many wrongs, judging or imprisoning her in Azkaban would be too cruel for her now.

    Life is unpredictable. Who would have thought that the life of a fierce and famous giantess in the wizarding world would end so ndly?

    Next, Hagrid said a lot about his mother.

    It was evident that it was a good thing for Hagrid to have spent some time with Fridwulfa before her death.

    He had previously been unable to let go of the fact that his mother had abandoned him and his father, but now he had almoste to terms with it.

    Evan duly stated his n, and Hagrid shook his head, rejecting Evans suggestion.

    This kid is not suitable to be a Gurg, and he doesnt need that much power, Evan. said Hagrid. Because hes too short, he has littlemunication with other giants since he was a child. This ce isnt suitable for him. Its not his home.

    In the current atmosphere, it was indeed difficult for Evan to persuade him, and it was unrealistic to expect Hagrid to consider the overall situation.

    Looking at Hagrids resolute expression, Evan sighed, realizing that his n could not be carried out.

    Hepletely gave up. As Sirius said, this kind of thinking itself was very bad and very dangerous.

    Such a powerful force should not be misused, and Evan was not at ease to use it on another giant.

    The energy stone that umted the power of the Cyclops should be kept. It might be used for other purposes in the future, but it would definitely not be used to modify a giant.

    So what are you going to do with him? Evan asked. We cant stay here forever.

    Ive been teaching him English recently. He learns quickly and can already speak simple words, said Hagrid cheerfully, turning his head to look at Evan, stirring his huge hands. Speaking of which, Im going to take him back with me. I cant leave him here alone.

    Oh, thats a good idea. The Forbidden Forest isrge enough to meet his life needs, said Evan.

    You agree with me?! Hagrid looked at Evan in surprise. Olympe has been trying to persuade me to give up this idea. I know its crazy, but hes my brother, I cant leave him here alone.

    Yeah, so we need to take him back, said Evan, who already knew that Hagrid would say so.

    Whatever others said, Hagrid would never give up his friends and rtives, nor would he ever give up Grawp. This was Hagrids character.

    Thank you, I thought you would object. I really dont know what to say  Hagrids eyes were wet again, and the tears that had just stopped came back.

    Hagrid, I can understand that Grawp means a lot to you. Thats why I hoped to help him be the Gurg, but its not bad to let him go to Hogwarts, where you can take care of him, said Evan, looking at Sirius and Madame Maxime as they came along. The question now is, what about the rest of the giants?

    We can continue to try to contact them and persuade them.

    It doesnt make much sense to do this. What Dumbledore and we can offer is very unattractive to the giants, said Madame Maxime solemnly. The situation is dire. They dont even want to see us now

    Yeah, but at least we did what we had to do and delivered Dumbledores message to them. Many giants have heard it. They will remember it. Recalling Dumbledores kindness, they may be willing to help us. Hagrid continued.

    Evan couldnt see that the giants could have such a high awareness of Voldemorts evil, so that to support them instead.

    Now the giants are a mess, fighting every day, and it will not be over in one and a half. In this case, the Death Eaters cant take away all the giants. This is somewhat good news, Sirius followed. Although its a bit regrettable, theres no point staying here. We should leave!

    We do need to leave, but not just like that said Evan, ready to leave a deep impression on the giants before leaving.

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 Chapter 807: Eye-Catching Magic

    Chapter 807: Eye-Catching Magic

    The recent contact with the giants in this period had brought Evan to a point; that was, they must be scared.

    Giants possessed a nature devoid of intricate schemes and calctions of self-interest. They only admired and submitted to the strongest.

    Compromising andmunicating blindly was not the best approach with them. The giants had no patience to listen to much talk.

    After the initial meeting, Evan let the Gurg Karkus and Golgomath see his power, and they decided to cooperate.

    In the same way, the Death Eaters used Voldemorts cursed jewelry to kill Golgomath and his entourage, instilling fear in the remaining giants, and then turned the situation into what they were today, attracting many giants to join Voldemorts ranks.

    That being the case, Evan intended to use a magnificent way to leave a deep,sting impression on them before leaving. To deal with these simple-minded guys, direct and rude methods were often more effective.

    Didnt they like the power of magic? Evan would show them what real magic was!

    Even if all these giants were eventually to join Voldemorts army, they would never forget the fear of being dominated by him

    A new n was formed in Evans mind. He thought of the energy stone that umted the power of the Cyclops. Since he couldnt use it to strengthen Grawp, then, better use this devastating power to do something more meaningful.

    A new day began, and the rising sun slowly crept into the cave where the Death Eaters were hiding, bringing a hint of insignificant warmth.

    In the center of the cave, there was a green me, which looked very unpleasant.

    The five Death Eaters curled up in their respective positions, alert and keeping enough space from each other.

    Those guys should be about to give up. Except for a few old giants who can barely move, the rest of them are unwilling to join our cause, said a pale-faced wizard softly, making an unpleasantugh. Dumbledore probably didnt anticipate this. Look at the people he sent, two freak monsters and a child. Only ck is rtively strong.

    Dont underestimate those two dirty half-giants and the child, Nott, he is a powerful wizard. Have you forgotten what he did on the night of the Dark Lords return? said a cold voice,ing from the shadow in the corner.

    It just happened by chance. That damn Mudblood. If I catch him, I will let him know what a real Fiendfyre is! said a fierce wizard at the edge of the cave. I suggest attacking their camp again. I want ck to

    Enough, Mair! If you hadnt rushed up there without following ordersst time, you wouldnt have alerted them and let them run away in advance, said the wizard in the corner, his voice cold and piercing. They are on guard now, and another attack will have no effect. Lets focus on those stupid giants. How many giants support us now?

    After our efforts during this period, more than forty giants have joined us  said Nott slowly.

    Not enough, the Dark Lord needs more giants!

    I suggest we try to attack some small giant tribes and capture those who are not obedient. Nott continued, with an ugly smile on his face. Mair, can you teach them who to obey?

    Of course! said Mair cruelly, licking his dry lips. I would be delighted to serve, I will torture them in the most brutal ways to make those disobedient giants feel the will of the Dark Lord and know the horror of magic

    <i>BOOM</i>!!! There was a bang, and the whole cave was shaking.

    What was that sound? Whats happening outside?

    Could it be those dimwits with pent-up energy fighting again? They caused an avnche not long ago, said Mair, standing up. Sounds like it came from the mountainke. Lets go and have a look.

    When the Death Eaters arrived at the top of the mountain overlooking theke, they saw almost all the giants gathered there.

    These giants were all raising their heads, looking up at the cliff above theke in a rare scene. There used to be their of the Cyclops and the sessive Gurgs. Their expressions were abnormal, their eyes wide open, and they were gasping heavily. Many of them were so scared that they dropped to the ground.

    What on earth is wrong with these giants? a sense of puzzlement shed through the minds of the Death Eaters. They followed suit, and looked up to witness a shocking scene.

    At the top of the cliff, a fourteen-year-old wizard stood there, waving his wand, creating bursts of colorful fireworks that streaked across the sky.

    Its that Evan Mason! What is that kid doing?! Showing fireworks to the giants?!

    Go get him! I want to torture that Mudblood and make him know  yelled Mair.

    Shut up, idiot, dont you feel the fierce magic in the air? the magic he is releasing is not that simple.

    I dont feel anything except the ridiculous fireworks. This kid is looking for death

    Mair stopped again suddenly, his mouth wide open, and he saw a crimson lightning sh over the top of the cliff.

    There was a terrifying thunderous boom, and the whole rock cliff was trembling. This was the sound they had heard before.

    He looked at the young wizard in disbelief, the power of lightning, what magic was this?! What power was this?!

    Around Evan, a fiery red light akin to moltenva surrounded him, encircling his body.

    The energy stone with the power of the Cyclops was ced on the magical runes in front of him, and a tremendous force was pouring out continuously, passing through his fingertips.

    He nned to impress the giants before leaving, destroying the cliff with the power of the Cyclops.

    He had another purpose for this. The passage in the mountain extended to the depth of the core of the earth. Although it was now a mess there and had be a world of magma and mes, it had to be destroyed to prevent any malicious wizards from finding the Cyclops again.

    Evan waved his wand, sending out fireworks into the air to attract the attention of the giants below.

    This had nothing to do with the magic he was guiding, but it could produce the most intuitive impression in the hearts of the giants and make them believe it was magic.

    When the final destruction came, they would probably see these fireworks as some kind of portent!

    Although the reality was different, giants, who did not understand magic, were easily left with the misconception that this was the power of strong magic.

    Later, when Voldemort and the Death Eaters would show magic to them, it would not be a great dealpared to Evans magic. At least in power, it wouldnt be so eye-catching.

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 Chapter 808: Nature Unleashed: Earthquake

    Chapter 808: Nature Unleashed: Earthquake

    What on earth is this Mudblood doing? said Mair in amazement, looking at Evan on the top of the mountain in disbelief.

    He saw Evan holding up his wand, beams of light emerging from its tip, and dazzling fireworks bursting into the sky.

    Reason told Mair that these were merely simple magic beams; even underage wizards could perform them. But what was causing the raging magical energy in the air?!

    Besides, what about the red thunderbolts shing from time to time at the top of the cliff?!

    This was not a simple spell. The booming thunderous sounds echoing in his ears couldnt be faked. He had only felt such immense power from Lord Voldemort himself.

    Mair took a step back, recalling Evans actions on the night of Voldemorts resurrection.

    Despite expressing disdain in front of hispanions just moments ago, he believed that he couldnt aplish the magic this young boy had used that night.

    That night, he had hidden in the bushes and witnessed theplete fierce Fiendfyre and a powerful and formidable Dark magic. He had seen with his own eyes hispanion, a powerful wizard, ruthlessly swallowed by the pirs of fire erupting from the ground, vanishing since then without a trace

    By analogy, Mair took a deep breath, finally concluding that this was not magic he couldprehend.

    Unless Evan had gone mad, he couldnt simply put fireworks on the top of the mountain in front of so many giants. What was the point of doing so?!

    He must be preparing for some Dark magic, to destroy them and these giants.

    Mair gasped, not even having time to think about how ridiculous his thoughts were.

    Damn, whatever this Mudblood is doing, we must stop him, go up there and grab him, hurry up! Mair growled loudly, but his body was backing away, cautiously gripping the wand in his hand.

    He made up his mind to Disapparate immediately if there was any trouble.

    Since even the dumbest Mair thought so, the other Death Eaters were not idiots. They had not figured out what was going on and they were afraid of the increasingly powerful strange aura in the air. They did not understand what Evan was doing, and naturally would not rush up.

    And so, a strange scene unfolded beside theke at the bottom of the cliff.

    In the eyes of the Death Eaters, Evan was unleashing a powerful magic they could notprehend. Everyone had their own selfish calctions. None of them hade forward to stop Evan. They all expected others to go up and then face less danger behind them. The scene was so frozen.

    But in fact, Evan was really just making fireworks, nothing more than that

    It took time to harness the power of the Cyclops, and if a Death Eater were to rush in at this moment, Evans magic would surely fail.

    But no one did so, and the sense of uneasiness was getting stronger and stronger. The Death Eaters were yelling there. The courage they had just mustered disappeared without a trace because of what the giants did next. They looked at Evan viciously, with a wavering look and increasingly grim faces.

    This was definitely the most humiliating situation. They were actually intimidated by a fourteen-year-old wizard, and they didnt even dare to get close.

    If other people were to witness the performance of these notorious Death Eaters, they would surely be too astonished to utter a word.

    If Voldemort were here, he would definitely cast Avada Kedavra on these guys without hesitation.

    How foolish! Evan looked down at the group below and retracted his wand, no longer continuing with the fireworks.

    It was almost done. The power of the Cyclops had beenpletely unleashed from the Energy Stone, converging into magical runes in front of Evan.

    The magic he was about to use was simple, not asplicated as the Death Eaters imagined.

    With the help of the magical runes in front of him, Evan was going to stimte the power of the Cyclops with his own magic, and make it more violent, destroy these runes at thest moment and unleash their power.

    He anticipated that the result would be an out-of-control force that would cause an explosion and blow up everything as he had envisioned.

    If mastering the scale, such a thing could be done even by a first-year young wizard.

    Evan waved his wand and began to instill his own magic into the magical runes in front of him.

    As he moved, the gathered giants became extremely horrified. It was incredible. They actually felt magic in the air, maybe for the first time in their lives.

    The most direct repression from the veins almost smothered them. All the giants prostrated uncontrobly on the ground one by one and begged for mercy incessantly, just like Karkus and Golgomath had done in the cave before.

    The giants surrendered to the power of their ancestor, the Cyclops, without any thought of resistance.

    Beingpletely ignorant of magic, they didnt know it was the power of the Cyclops and mistakenly believed it was Evans magic.

    They raised their heads and looked up; watching the fireworks and the red thunderbolts that shed from time to time, imprinting the appearance of this human teenager in the depths of their minds; and stories about Evan and their insurmountable fear would circte among the giant tribes.

    However this was not enough. Creatures like the giants were so forgetful and Evan wanted to leave a deep, memorable impression on them.

    Centered on him, the power of the Cyclops was converging and condensing, and immense magical energy flowed through his fingertips

    A dark red spherical energy cluster suddenly floated up, followed by another.

    <i>BOOM, BOOM, BOOM</i>

    On the outer edges of the energy clusters, there were non-stop beams of thunderbolts, and there was a continuous stream of enormous rumbling sounds, together with rock walls shaking.

    The imposing presence of the Cyclops once again flooded the valley, the giants at the bottom of the cliff trembled and shuddered, and they felt fear in the depths of their souls. This was the suppression and submission ingrained in their bloodline. At this moment, they sumbed not only to the Cyclops but also to Evans magic.

    When Evans magic was finallypleted, the magical patterns in front of him shattered instantly.

    Evans figure vanished from the spot, and what happened next was beyond his control. The giants watched in terror as massive and intricate magical runes appeared right above the cliff. Red thunderbolts shed, and fell faster and faster. Out of control forces were rampaging.

    Inside the dark and secret tunnel within the mountain, hidden from the view of both giants and Death Eaters, the magical patterns were shining.

    <i>BOOM!!!</i>

    Powerful forces gathered and burst out again. In the huge explosion, countless cracks began to appear on the rock wall.

    There was a sh of dazzling red light and everyone closed their eyes.

    When they opened their eyes, they saw the hard rocks trembling and the rumbling became more and more violent.

    Under the terrified gaze of the Death Eaters and the giants, the entire rock wall and the ground were cracking in front of them, and a craggy crack was opened, as though a big mouth was going to swallow everything, and the rocks kept falling. The entire mountain was rapidly copsing.

    The sky was falling apart, the giants were sweating, shouting loudly, waving their hands in vain in the air, and turned to escape.

    They nced back from time to time, looking at what was happening not far away in horror. It seemed that they had realized the true power of magic for the first time!

    At this very moment, in the violent copse, Evans face appeared in front of everyones eyes

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 Chapter of the Giants

    Chapter of the Giants

    When the Death Eaters and the Sicilian giants were in chaos because of Evans actions, he had already set foot on his way back to Ennd.

    Because of Grawp, their return was much slower and exceptionally difficult.

    Grawps enormous size prevented him from riding in a carriage, using long-distance Apparition, or even using a Portkey. They had to travel on foot.

    Although Grawp was rtively short and stunted among giants, he was still much taller than normal humans. He was approximately twice as tall as Hagrid, making it incredibly challenging to conceal a giant.

    They dared not get close to towns and moved forward in the wilderness. When they slept at night, they had to use the Muggle-Repelling Charm near the camp. If they were identally seen by Muggles, they had to use the Memory Charm to modify their memories.

    Everyone had sympathized with Grawp and understood his importance to Hagrid, but soon thatpassion disappeared.

    The trouble was not the only issue; the giants temperament and habits were incredibly difficult to ept.

    Now, no one except Hagrid wanted to approach Grawp and take care of him.

    Grawp was reluctant to leave Sicily and constantly caused disruptions, insisting on returning to thend of giants.

    Hagrid had to tie himself to Grawp with a rope. The two of them ate, slept, and drove all together.

    As a result, Hagrid had been enduring constant beatings, and he was covered in bruises and scars. Grawp punched him from time to time, and this guy didnt do it lightly, he seemed to have no concept of strength or restraint. It was like he had no understanding of his own size.

    For Hagrid, who had taken care of countless dangerous magical creatures, taking care of Grawp proved to be an exceptionally challenging task.

    Evan and Sirius couldnt stand idly by and used magic to reprimand Grawp a few times. However, as Evan had anticipated, the giant had no long memory and he simply didnt learn his lesson. Their actions only made things worse.

    Hagrid consistently defended him, and they couldnt actually harm Grawp with magic.

    Throughout the journey, Grawp continuously caused trouble, created disturbances, damaged the environment, and attacked not only the three of them but also other creatures

    Soon, even Madame Maxime lost herst bit of patience.

    She had a heated argument with Hagrid. They had developed a mutual attraction, and this journey was supposed to deepen their understanding of each other. However, because of Grawp, everything turned sour, and their potential romance mighte to an end.

    In this manner, when it took them over a month to reach France, nobody objected when Hagrid suggested that Evan, Sirius, and Madame Maxime should leave first. They separated from Hagrid just like that!

    Evan looked back anxiously at Hagrid before stepping into the carriage. He was standing in the wilderness waving vigorously at them. His hair was disheveled, his face was scarred and kept bleeding, and behind him, Grawp was running in the opposite direction

    Evan doubted whether he could really bring the giant back. It seemed like an impossible task.

    When Evan and Sirius returned to Ennd, the school year was nearing its end and the long summer vacation was about to begin.

    They used the Floo Network to return directly to Dumbledores office from Madame Maximes firece. Although it was already more than ten oclock at night, Dumbledore seemed to expect them, and he was there waiting for them.

    Good evening, Evan  Sirius, I have received your letters. Youre slower than I expected. It seems that things did not go as smoothly as imagined, said Dumbledore calmly, tapping gently on the table with his wand, and three steaming cups of coffee appeared. Well, I assume you have a lot to tell me.

    Next, the two of them detailed what happened during this trip, including the state of the giants territory, the actions of the Death Eaters, the scabbard of Gryffindors Sword, the Cyclops, the Dark wizards from Ravens w, as well as the city on the seafloor, the ruins under the whirlpool of Charybdis, the story of the Titan, Cronos, and so on. They provided a thorough description.

    Of course, Evan didnt say everything about what the Titan Cronos told him, and he concealed some details.

    Those details were too shocking to be fully said. However, what Evan told Dumbledore was beyond imagination. A lot of information was enough to make even Dumbledore express quite surprise, but he soon epted them!

    Youve done well, better than I thought. Even if I was there, it wouldnt have been better, said Dumbledore gently, intertwining his fingers together. We need to take measures to deal with the giants who may join Lord Voldemorts army. Nics has also told me about the Dark wizards of Ravens w and the ancient relics. We should be prepared

    Is there anything we can do, Professor? Evan asked.

    Well, Sirius, I hope you can go on another long trip, to Norway this time, and handle some matters for the Order of the Phoenix said Dumbledore, and his blue eyes turned to Evan, As for you, Evan, there is nothing you need to do for the time being. Since the final exams have just ended, you can leave the school early and go home to have some time with your parents. But I still have to ask one more question. Do you have any ns for the holidays?

    I thought about going to Egypt. Professor Nics mel told me that the Emerald Tablet there was very useful for Alchemy, Evan paused before adding, Id like to invite Hermione to go with me. She said she wanted to go on a trip, and theres no danger this time.

    Egypt is a fascinating country, where mysterious ancient magic, wizardry and African witchcraft blend perfectly. There are also ancient historical relics beyond imagination. It can be very helpful for you to know about ancient times, said Dumbledore with a smile. As for Miss Granger, I think she will be very pleased with your invitation

    Evan understood what Dumbledore meant. He wanted Harry to stay quietly at his aunts house during the summer vacation, without any disturbances.

    After Voldemorts return, the current situation in the wizarding world had be increasingly grave.

    Although it was rtively calm on the surface, the power struggles had already begun behind the scenes.

    Evans battle with the Death Eaters to woo the giants on Sicily Ind was just one of them, and many more events were unfolding.

    In this case, Harry was really not suitable for wandering around as he had done in the past, especially considering his connection with Voldemort. Dumbledore must have already sensed something

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 Chapter

    Chapter

    Evan did not clearly know about Dumbledores ns, but it was a must to ensure that Harry could stay with the Dursleys honestly during the summer vacation. Perhaps this was the main reason why he wanted Sirius to go to Norway during the summer vacation

    But would things really be that simple?

    Norway was one of the main Nordic countries of Europe. It was the traditional sphere of influence of Durmstrang and the area with the most frequent activities of vampires such as Caresius.

    It was also very close to Alfheim, the kingdom of the goblins.

    Before the establishment of Gringotts, the organization that spread all over the wizarding world in various countries, the goblins mainly lived in Alfheim.

    It was said that it was a magical city deep underground in Northern Europe. It waspletely built by the goblins alone, where they nted magical nts, used magma to forge weapons, and frantically collected gold and various treasures.

    The goblins used gems and precious metals to build the city, and domesticated dragons and trolls to serve as city guards.

    Wizards swarmed into the city from all over the world to trade with the goblins, and over time, it became very famous.

    Of course, this was a long time ago!

    Like the magical cities built by wizards, after the so-called Ragnark (the Twilight of The Gods) in the Northern European wizarding world, Alfheim was also destroyed, and the goblins lost their kingdom and were reduced to all parts of the world, and became a subordinate race of wizards like the house-elves.

    For thousands of years, there had been goblins and wizards trying to find that underground city and obtain the legendary treasures of ancient goblins, but none had seeded.

    The terrible disaster also led to the copse of the wizarding civilization in Northern Europe, which was devastated and never developed again. The Nordic region had since be the most concentrated ce of Dark wizards, vampires, terrible monsters and various absurd legends.

    This situation did not improve until eight hundred years ago when Durmstrang was founded. The schools permissive attitude towards Dark magic was also directly rted to the unique local magical environment.

    Looking at the creation process of the three major Schools of Wizardry in Europe, Hogwarts was originally founded by the Four Founders in order to change the structure of the wizarding world and better teach young wizards to master magic. Beauxbatons was established to protect the wizards and witches who were persecuted during the Witch Hunt in the Middle Ages.

    Durmstrang, on the other hand, was different. It was created to better cooperate with the Nordic Vikings in plundering and colonizing other European regions.

    The creation of this school itself carried a factor of war, coupled with the fierce temperament of the Nordic region, the dark and chaotic magical environment, and the influence supported by Germanys rise, making it the cradle of Dark wizards as well.

    Historically, many well-known Dark wizards graduated from this school, including the first generation of the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald.

    Caresius said that their family was based in Northern Europe, intersecting with Durmstrangs sphere of influence.

    Siriuss visit to Norway might be rted to this matter. Since Voldemort had found a way to gain strong power through the vampire family, Dumbledore had to start investigating the matter and try to get in touch with those vampires.

    Evan thought for a while and decided to wait for Sirius to ask him what he was to do in Norway.

    He did not have the energy to worry about anything else now, nor could he go to the Nordic region to solve the problems of vampires and evil gods. He still had to go to Egypt this holiday. In addition to the mysterious magic mentioned by Dumbledore, it was also the area where the influence of Gringotts was strongest.

    In order to obtain the treasures left by ancient wizards, the greedy goblins had probably turned over the entire Egypt.

    To some extent, the power of the goblins in Egypt was stronger than that of the local Ministry of Magic.

    They hired arge number of wizards as Curse-Breakers, and Rons brother Bill was one of them.

    In addition, there was Karnak, arge School of Wizardry in Egypt. It was one of the eleven schools of wizardry in the world. It was said that the main building of the school wasposed of a huge pyramid and an ancient temple.

    In addition to teaching regr magic, it alsobined a considerable number of ancient witchcraft from Africa and the magic inherited by ancient warlocks found in various ancient relics. Karnak had been at the leading level in the world in the study of ancient magical scripts and mysticism. If possible, Evan wanted to visit it.

    At the end of the conversation, he handed the scabbard to Dumbledore tobine it with Gryffindors sword.

    Although Evan had found it, in a sense, the scabbard and the sword were inseparable, and both belonged to the schools heritage.

    After the scabbard absorbed too much power from the Cyclops, the seal that Gryffindor and Ravenw had left on it and these forces reached a delicate bnce. Evan could not use the scabbard as before, so it was better to hand it over to Dumbledore.

    Then, Evan did not return to the Common Room. He just left a message to Hermione, asking Dumbledore to pass it on to her.

    The current situation was extraordinary, and caution was necessary as the Ministry of Magic and the Aurors had started taking action against Hogwarts.

    The sudden disappearance of Evan, Sirius and Hagrid had also caught their attention, and there was no need to give them a pretext to attack.

    Dumbledore allowed Evan to go home early, just because he didnt want others to ask him what he had been out doing during that time.

    Officially, he had been invited by Nics mel, apanied by Sirius to study Alchemy in Beauxbatons.

    As for Hagrid, he had followed Madame Maxime back to deal with some trouble caused by a dangerous magical creature.

    The reasons were not that consistent, and they sounded suspicious at first, but there was no problem with the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore could provide sufficient evidence to support these ims.

    You can go to the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters for the night, said Dumbledore, carefully cing the scrutinized scabbard into the cab. Evan, when you go home tomorrow, Hogwarts will not have holidays before about a week. You can go then to Miss Granger, and I suggest you go to Egypt by Muggle means.

    Where is the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters? Evan nodded and continued to ask, Wont it be

    He wanted to say 12 Grimmauld ce, but suddenly he couldnt remember it. It was the effect of the Fidelius Charm.

    The Fidelius Charm was an extremelyplex charm that could be used to conceal a secret inside an individuals soul.

    The secret was hidden in the heart of the selected Secret Keeper, so it would never be discovered unless the Secret Keeper actively revealed it, as long as the Secret Keeper did not disclose it, even if the intruder stuck his nose to the window of their living room, he would never see them.

    Another effect of this charm was that, like Evan now, he clearly knew the location of 12 Grimmauld ce, but he could not tell it to others, nor could he associate it with the Order the Phoenix Headquarters because he was not a Secret Keeper.

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 Chapter 811: The Situation in the Wizarding World

    Chapter 811: The Situation in the Wizarding World

    Evan could think of everything inside that old house, but he couldnt remember the address or speak it out.

    12 Grimmauld ce was protected by the Fidelius Charm, and everything there was concealed by magic

    Yes, the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters is located at 12 Grimmauld ce in London! said Dumbledore softly.

    As he spoke, the address of Number 12, Grimmauld ce, suddenly appeared in Evans mind, incredibly clear. However, he still couldnt tell anyone about the ce, as it was bound by powerful magic, the Fidelius Charm used by Dumbledore.

    I must thank you again, Sirius! Dumbledore continued. We need a safe ce to be the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. To be honest, there is no more suitable ce than the ck familys ancestral home. It is protected by many spells I can imagine, second only to Hogwarts, as long as we simply rece some of the ineffective ones.

    Thats nothing. Otherwise, the house would just be sitting there idle. Im d I can do something for the Order of the Phoenix, said Sirius, suddenly turning and frowning at a portrait on the wall.

    His great-great-grandfather Phineas had just yelled <i>the ck sheep of the family</i>, causing chaos in the Headmasters office.

    Well, Remus is waiting for you there. Its veryte. I think the two of you are better off now! said Dumbledore, beckoning slightly upward, and the burning mes in the firece suddenly turned emerald-green.

    Evan walked into the firece, and after a dizzying spin, he got out of the firece at Number 12 Grimmauld ce.

    It waspletely different from before. Thest time Evan came to the kitchen of this old house, it was almost a cave-like deep room. The room was surrounded by rough stone walls, moth-eaten curtains covering the secret passage leading to the underground library, the ground was covered with dust, dangerous Dark magic items were scattered everywhere, and the air in the whole house was very dull, like a haunted mansion.

    Now, here was a whole new look.

    The dark ceiling and floor were gone, polished until they shone as if waxed, and they could almost reflect the silhouette, the curtains and decorations iid with the ck familys crest were all reced with new ones. Everything was neatly ced in the cab.

    Evan blinked and almost didnt recognize it. Was it really 12 Grimmauld ce?!

    Kreacher did it. It took him about a year to clean the house, although no one lived here, said Sirius, pushing Evan out of therge firece. When my mother was here, it did look like this.

    Good evening, Master Sirius, Master Evan! A bullfrog-like voice sounded, Wee back  change your shoes, please!

    Evan saw the house-elf Kreacher running up with two pairs of slippers, and the clothes he wore were washed clean.

    A fake Slytherin locket hung around his neck, with a photo of him and Regulus in it, a Christmas gift from Evan.

    As for the locket that Regulus used to rece Voldemorts Horcrux, it was still in that dark and gruesome cave. No one could drink all the liquid that Voldemort left in the stone basin, and it was impossible to get that locket.

    But now, everyone knew that it was a fake locket, and naturally there was no need to take it out, and Dumbledore would not drink those deadly poisons.

    For Kreacher, the replica that Evan had given him was sufficient.

    Like this old house, he was now radiating new vitality, not looking old or decadent at all, and he was extremely respectful to Evan.

    After Evan and his friends recovered the body of Regulus, and let Kreacher understand why he died, Kreachers attitude improved greatly. It was no longer the same as before, and the whole person was more diligent and worked like a true house-elf.

    Good evening, Evan  Sirius, Dumbledore informed me that youde back today, said Lupin with a smile.

    He was sitting at the long wooden table in the middle of the room, still wearing the old patched robes, looking in good spirits.

    Hello, Remus! Sirius walked over and hugged him, and Evan hurriedly greeted him.

    So, how was your trip? Lupin asked, pouring them each a cup of coffee.

    A lot of things happened. Well tell you about it said Evan, turning around and looking at the house-elf behind him, Kreacher, could you please get us something to eat? We havent had dinner yet. Dont bother too much. Just keep it simple!

    No problem, Master Evan, this is an honor for Old Kreacher. He bowed and disappeared with a loud crack.

    I like this house-elf; he has a much better attitude than I remember, said Lupin, motioning for Evan to sit next to him. Of course, he still whispers bad things about me behind my back, but at the very least he wont drive me out of here as before.

    Says bad things? Sirius frowned. Ill tell him not to do that

    No need, Sirius. Its good to maintain the current state. You know, in most wizards and magical creatures eyes, Im not a very weed visitor, said Lupin, waving his hand. Being a werewolf is a professional hazard, after all.

    There was a moment of silence. Being a werewolf had a great impact on Lupin, which kept him unable to put down his burden and start a new life.

    Well, tell me about the interesting things that happened on your trip to the giants tribe?

    Next, Evan and Sirius briefly recounted what happened, and asked Lupin about the current situation in the wizarding world.

    Not so good. Theres no news about Voldemorts return. All the media are silent. As for our newspaper  Lupin smiled bitterly. Just like before you left, they sent special personnel to check the content of our reports, and implemented strict control. The number of newspaper subscriptions continues to decline. I have protested to the Ministry of Magic during this time, but all our appeals have fallen on deaf ears. No one has responded.

    They cant keep doing this. People need the truth. We can separate the news of Voldemorts return from the ims of the order of the Phoenix, and mail them secretly to those who need them, Evan suggested.

    Thats a good idea, but if its discovered or reported, Fudge will definitely not miss this opportunity. Dumbledore said wed better not stimte him and confront the Ministry of Magic, said Lupin. Fudge has done a lot of crazy things recently. I heard that he has prepared to intervene in Hogwarts teaching activities. Next term, the Ministry of Magic will send a High Inquisitor to Hogwarts to conduct an overall assessment of the school education. The matter has been determined. I just dont know the candidate!

    Evan knew who the High Inquisitor was, and before his eyes came the terrible image of a woman, looking like arge, pink toad.

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 Chapter 812: Foolish Fudge

    Chapter 812: Foolish Fudge

    The original intention of Evan to set up a newspaper was mainly to solve the expenses of buying magic books and materials. However, he also considered using the newspaper to voice his own opinions and resist the Ministry of Magic in public opinion when such situations urred, so as not to appear too passive.

    Admittedly, he had thought too simplistically at first, or rather, he hadnt anticipated that Fudge and the Ministry of Magic would have no bottom line.

    It was illegal to control a newspaper and restrict its content under normal circumstances.

    However, the Minister of Magic did have this authority, as it was covered by regtions in the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and the Law of War.

    This kind of thing hadnt happened for a long time. Obviously, it would leave a strong impression of a dictator, but Fudge did it. He obviously mistook it for a war, a war between him and Dumbledore.

    This is not the only trouble, Evan. You really should have seen what the Daily Prophet says about you during this period, said Lupin. They portray you as a young wizard who, under Dumbledores protection, does not know the height of the sky and does various kinds of dangerous magical research. They even say that youre studying Dark magic and theyve found many Slytherin students to prove it

    Oh, this is really interesting! said Evan, who was indeed studying Dark magic.

    Lupin gave several examples of Evans study of Dark magic mentioned in the newspaper. In fact, most of them were rtively basic research. Evan didnt need to study many of them, but directly had the answers in Tom Riddles Diary or books on Dark magic.

    These chaotically fabricated reports were really far from the truth. In Evans opinion, it was a little contemptuous.

    Although they might have made every effort to make Evan look evil enough, they directly categorized him as a beginner in Dark magic

    Evan wondered if publishing some of his recent research results would turn the wizarding world upside down and let them realize what true research on Dark magic was and what it truly meant to be ignorant and audacious.

    If there was no basis for facts, one shouldnt talk nonsense, should he?!

    What else do they say? Evan asked.

    Mainly, they depict you as very dangerous, making your words naturally untrustworthy, Lupin continued. Besides you, Harry is also the object of their key reports. Unlike you, they just slip him in, like hes a standing joke. They seem to think that Harry is this deluded, attention-seeking person, always yelling about scar pain, beating the Dark Devil as a baby, and thinking hes a great tragic hero or something. They keep slipping in snidements about him.

    This sounds really bad. Rita Skeeter wrote them?!

    No, for some reason, she rarely posted any articles, but others have done well enough, and they seem to have found a draft of the reports of both of you with Rita Skeeter as a basis. It was originally what she wanted to write  said Lupin. For this matter, Harry has been terribly angry recently, but the angrier he gets, the more disadvantageous it is for him. There are many spies in the school. Those Slytherin students are closely watching Harry, Ron and Hermione.

    Damn Slytherins, said Sirius in disgust. They are Death Eaters themselves.

    So, no one in the wizarding world knows the truth now?

    Dumbledore told the truth, which is the main reason why we are in such a troubled situation now, said Lupin. Despite Fudges warning, Dumbledore announced the matter at a special meeting held by the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards. He made a speech announcing Voldemorts return. After that, the newspaper was full of reports about you, all rumors, because he talked about you two in the speech.

    There was a brief silence; the current situation was indeed very bad. Evan was thinking about what to do, so that public opinion could not continue to spread.

    They are now desperately trying to discredit Dumbledore! Lupin continued. Hed been voted out of the Chairmanship of the International Confederation of wizards because hes getting old and losing his grip, but its not true, he was voted out by Ministry wizards after he made his speech. Theyve demoted him from Chief Warlock on the Wizengamot, and theyre talking about taking away his Order of Merlin, First ss, too.

    Foolish Fudge, its all his tricks. Everyone knows hes frightened of Dumbledore and of what hes up to, said Sirius. Hes doing his best to maintain his position and rule, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters are taking advantage of this.

    Indeed, Fudge thinks Dumbledore is plotting to overthrow him. He thinks Dumbledore wants to be Minister of Magic, said Lupin. Driven by this insane idea, hes done so many crazy things.

    But everyone knows that Dumbledore doesnt want to

    Of course he doesnt, normal people all know, said Sirius. Hes never wanted the Ministers job. When Millicent Bagnold retired, a lot of people wanted him to take it. But Dumbledore refused, and supported Fudge topete with Barty Crouch. Fudge came to powerter, but hes never quite forgotten how much popr support Dumbledore had, even though Dumbledore never applied for the job.

    Deep down, Fudge knows that Dumbledore is much cleverer than he is, a much more powerful wizard, and in the early days of his Ministry he was forever asking Dumbledore for help and advice, said Lupin. But it seems that hes be fond of power now, and much more confident. He loves being Minister of Magic, and he has managed to convince himself that hes the clever one and Dumbledores simply stirring up trouble for the sake of it.

    Thats dumb. Power blinded him! said Evan, sighing.

    In a sense, Fudge was actually quite good, but when it came to power, he became apletely different person.

    Their biggest threat at the moment was Voldemort, but the biggest trouble was Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, which was really ironic.

    Then again, thats the main reason why Dumbledore warned us not to report it. Fudge has been watching us. There will be no worse things with Dumbledore for the time being, but its different with us, said Lupin with a sigh. If he finds evidence that we are against the Ministry of Magic, he may just lock us all up in Azkaban. That would be too bad, thats exactly what You-Know-Who wants to happen, and we have to be careful

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 Chapter 813: The Holiday Begins

    Chapter 813: The Holiday Begins

    It was indeed necessary to act cautiously, but they could not afford to stand by and let the situation get worse.

    Evan was thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, at least to let more people know the fact that Voldemort was back.

    Thinking about it, at this stage, they still had to rely on the newspaper to fight in public opinion.

    Since Fudge and the Ministry of Magic restricted the content of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>, they could secretly remove the newspapers logo and circte it

    This matter was not urgent. Evan was going to carry it out after returning from his trip to Egypt.

    Before the lies spread by the Ministry of Magic fermented for a while, Voldemort could not do anything. As more and more signs appeared, and the Ministry of Magics statements could not exin them, the best time for Evan to make a move was when the people were generally questioning them.

    Talking to the Ministry of Magic now that Voldemort was back could only cause panic, and was considered to have ulterior intentions.

    The mainstream society of the wizarding world was not willing to believe the fact that Voldemort was back. They had been living leisurely and at peace for too long.

    Be careful! Sirius snorted and said sharply. Fudge has no courage to face Voldemorts return. Its so muchfortable to convince himself Dumbledores lying to destabilize him!

    You see the problem, said Lupin. While the Ministry insists there is nothing to fear from Voldemort, its hard to convince people hes back, especially as they really dont want to believe it in the first ce. Besides us, the Ministry is leaning heavily on the <i>Daily Prophet</i> not to report any of what theyre calling Dumbledores rumor-mongering, so most of the Wizardingmunity arepletely unaware anything has happened.

    Evan nodded. <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> was not the only newspaper under control.

    Many people expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministrys actions. Several editors and reporters who did not want to say bad things about us contacted me in private. They believe Dumbledores words and hope to leave the <i>Daily Prophet</i> and work with us, said Lupin. I didnt promise them. We dont need so many people, but they are all excellent talents. With the passage of time, there must be more and more such people. The exnation given by the Ministry is simply wed

    Dont reject them all, you can ept some of them first, said Evan. He was well aware of the importance of a good editor or reporter to the development of the newspaper. They could not always rely on ghosts and house-elves to maintain <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>.

    It was a crisis for <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>, but also an opportunity to rely on these talents for development. As an emerging newspaper, without such an opportunity, it was impossible to defeat the old news media such as the <i>Daily Prophet</i>.

    Evan said what he had just thought, and he was approved by Sirius and Lupin.

    We thought of it. Dumbledore is also waiting for a suitable counterattack opportunity. He believes that You-Know-Who is currently focusing all his energy on that aspect, said Lupin. But he cant always be like this, he will definitely take action.

    That aspect?

    The two of you dont know yet. Dumbledore told us about it at thest meeting. You-Know-Who is after something, something he can only get by stealth. He didnt say what, but its obvious that Harry is concerned.

    He told me  said Sirius. He wants us to take good care of Harry, not to let Voldemorts conspiracy seed. Harry must stay at his aunts house during the summer vacation. The magic left by Lily depends on rtives blood rtionship.

    Looking at his face, it was clear that this matter made him feel ufortable, and they didnt know what Dumbledore told him.

    Evan knew what Voldemort wanted from Professor Trwneys balls prophecy about him and Harry. He had nned to stop it, but now he changed his mind. He had to go to the Department of Mysteries to find the special Time-Turner. This was a good opportunity to put everything on Voldemort without arousing suspicion

    Im really worried about Harry. Evan and Hermione are going to Egypt during the summer vacation. Im going to Norway to do something for Dumbledore. Neither of us will be in Ennd, said Sirius, looking at Lupin. Remus, please take care of Harry during the summer vacation

    Actually, I also have a mission! Lupin hesitated and continued. Dumbledore wants me to go back to the underground world, to the werewolves and try to persuade those who are willing to support us. I promised him!

    Dumbledore asked you to go to the werewolves? Evan looked at him in surprise.

    Yes, its like wooing the giants, we should look for allies among the werewolves, and someone has to do it, said Lupin. Dont worry, I know them very well and I know how to deal with them.

    Sirius opened his mouth and finally said nothing.

    There was an underground world in the wizarding world of London, detached from mainstream society.

    Like a spider web, dense tunnels spread deep underground. The entrance was deep in Knockturn Alley, beyond the reach of the Ministry of Magic. It was extremely dangerous and dark. Vampires, werewolves, Dark wizards, thieves, swindlers and various Dark creatures mingled there. The shops inside were all real Dark magic shops.

    The Ministry of Magic had made several strikes there, but with little sess.

    The dark forces quickly resurrected, in stark contrast to the peaceful and lively Diagon Alley.

    To enter that ce, one must first prove his identity and prove that he was evil enough.

    Although Lupin was not evil, his werewolf status was a good cover.

    Arthur and Molly wille here when their children will be on vacation, Lupin continued. Dont worry, Sirius, Ill ask them to take care of Harry. Dumbledore must also have arrangements to send someone to keep an eye on Harry, and well take him over at the right time.

    The conversation ended. Evan and Sirius ate the food prepared by Kreacher and went to bed.

    Despite Kreachers painstaking efforts to clean up the ce, this old house had been neglected for too long. It had been unupied for more than 10 years. The floor was creaking and crunching. Evan turned over and over on the bed. He could hear the rustle all the time.

    The decoration style in the room was ssical and luxurious. It seemed from thest century, in the most glorious era of the pure blood wizard family

    The next morning, Evan got up early and Apparated back to his home.

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 Chapter 814: Family and Affection

    Chapter 814: Family and Affection

    Compared with the spooky old mansion of the ck family, Evans house was much warmer and more reassuring.

    Apanied by a slight bang, he Apparated in his room. Thest time he had returned here was the summer vacation a year ago.

    At that time, Evan had just ended his adventures in the Albanian forests with Dumbledore and Sirius, merging the two parts of the Philosophers Stone left by Gryffindor into one to release the curse that Voldemort had left on him. However, he had been brought back while still unconscious.

    Evan remembered that the first thing hed seen when he opened his eyes was Hermione, whod been waiting by his bedside for a long time. At that time, ovee by excitement, he tightly embraced her. As soon as he saw thefortable and soft big bed in the middle of his room, he remembered Hermione

    Although less than a year had passed, it felt like a long time ago!

    For some reason, Evan was suddenly looking forward to his trip to Egypt with Hermione, and he quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere.

    Everything here was exactly the same as before. His mother must havee here every day to tidy up, and there was hardly any trace of magic in the room.

    Evan used to pile up a lot of magic books and all kinds of materials he didnt need in the corner, but after learning the Undetectable Extension Charmst year, he had taken all those things with him or stored them in the bedside table in his Hogwarts dormitory.

    Instead, there were many Muggle books neatly arranged on the desk facing the window.

    A few years ago, Evan was there to receive his Hogwarts admission letter from an owl, marking the beginning of his own legend.

    At this moment, the most eye-catching thing on the desk was Evans trunk.

    Dobby, the house-elf, had packed his things and sent them to him, and there were several letters written to Evan on top of the trunk.

    He walked over and picked them up. On the top was an envelope with Hogwarts school coat of arms on it. It was from Hermione. This was the letter she wrote overnight after she knew the news of Evans returnst night. The font was clear and familiar handwriting to Evan.

    He opened it and scanned it briefly. Hermione, besides expressing her concern for him and asking about the situation in the past few months, also wrote her home address at the end of the letter. She and Evan had an appointment to meet in her home on the third day of the holidays.

    Under Dumbledores coordination, Hermiones parents had given her permission to travel with Evan to Egypt. However, she had told them that Sirius would also be going with them and concealed the fact that they were actually going alone

    In order to avoid being tracked by the Ministry of Magic, Evan decided to follow Dumbledores advice and take Hermione to Egypt by ne, using Muggles means.

    Lupin had taken care of all the formalities for them, and once they arrived in Cairo, Bill would be there to receive them.

    Rons brothers Bill and Charlie had also joined the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore hoped to recruit as many foreign wizards as possible into the Order of the Phoenix. This was necessary to resist Voldemort and stop the evil gods.

    Although the main battlefield was in Britain, the actual size and number of the Order of the Phoenix far exceeded Evans expectations.

    Lupin told him that despite their small number, the members of the Order were spread across the world, and even mysterious Oriental wizards had joined.

    Unlike thest Wizarding War, due to the intervention of the evil gods, Dumbledore intended to build the Order of the Phoenix into a wider alliance, attracting more wizards to join this secret society and resist the impending evil.

    Below Hermiones letter was Gabrielles letter. She and her sister Fleur had set off two days ago to return to Beauxbatons.

    In her letter, Gabrielle told Evan that they would also be traveling to Egypt during the summer vacation and had arranged to meet up then.

    Fleur had graduated this year. She had not yet figured out what to do, and nned to go around the world first. This trip was an opportunity, and she seemed very interested in working as a Curse-Breaker in Gringotts. It was worth mentioning that she had also joined the Order of the Phoenix.

    As for thest letter, which was not signed, the words on the green envelope were red. The font was crooked, not very neat, but at first nce it was a girls handwriting. A small bat with two fangs exposed was drawn at the top of the right corner, with a pink straw hat on its head.

    Evan sighed. Seeing the bat and the straw hat, he knew it was a letter from ine.

    He unfolded the letter, and it was indeed from ine. Because it was confidential, it was very brief. She just told Evan that the man agreed to help them and that she and her uncle Caresius had left Ennd and would not be returning in the short term.

    She also told Evan that she would definitelye back to find him and proposed a secret code.

    The secret code was the bat on the envelope. If Evan received a letter with the bat drawn, he would go to Hogsmeade to find her

    Its really that girls style!

    After Evan finished reading thest letter, the envelope in his hand began to burn quietly and soon turned into ashes.

    It was a Secrecy Charm. If Evan hadnt opened the envelope himself, the letter might have exploded directly!

    As for what ine said about the man who agreed to help them, was it rted to Voldemort ns?!

    Evan walked out of the room with the letters from Hermione and Gabrielle to the living room. Because it was too early, his parents had not yet got up. He poured himself a cup of tea, took out parchment and a quill, and wrote replies to both of them..

    An hourter, when Evans parents came out of the bedroom in pajamas and saw their son sitting on the sofa in the living room, they looked very surprised as he expected. They froze for a moment, and then quickly became very happy.

    Evan, youre back! His mother screamed and hurried over to hug him.

    Yeah, Im back. Evan also hugged his mother tightly and didnt know what to say. He seemed to have a thousand words, but at this moment he could not say anything. He just silently felt the warmth of his mothers arms. This was the warmth that only family affection could afford. Strange emotions spread within him, and he almost couldnt help crying like his mother.

    Alright, you two, its like you havent seen your son before, why are you crying? His father also came over and said, slightly confused, Evan, I remember your school will not be on vacation until half a month. I was nning to pick you up at the station.

    I came back early because of something, said Evan. He briefly exined the situation to his parents, of course not mentioning Voldemorts return and the dangers he had faced.

    The wizarding world and the Muggle world intermingled, but they were different from each other. There was no need to make his parents worried about these things. They didnt know much about magic and knew even less about who Voldemort was. All they needed to know was that Evan was safe.

    In any case, Evans early return allowed him to rx for a while, spend more time with his parents. He hadnt had much time with them over the past few years.

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 Chapter 815: The Carding of Evans Magic

    Chapter 815: The Carding of Evan''s Magic

    Over the next half month, he stayed at home with his parents, and arranged magic research by the way.

    Unlike when he first started school and knew nothing, over the past few years, Evan had read many books on magic and conducted numerous experiments. However, he hadnt systematically organized his findings. This time at home was a rare opportunity for him.

    In fact, he had reached a bottleneck in several aspects of magical research, but his achievements had been beyond imagination.

    Evan nned to take the next half month to thoroughly organize his research and determine the focus of his future studies.

    First of all, Dark magic, which was his strongest means of fighting at present. Setting aside the few scattered spells he knew, his systematic research on Dark Magic began with obtaining Tom Riddles Diary. From it, Evan learned about the entire Dark Magic system and would now determine the direction to take.

    In order to lure Evan into darkness, Voldemort, as Tom Riddle in his student days, shared with him a wealth of forbidden knowledge, almost everything he knew.

    Voldemort himself mastered all the theories of Dark Arts, which was exhrating to even think about.

    From any perspective, this knowledge was extremely valuable, equivalent to Voldemorts early years of research on Dark Arts. Many Death Eaters sought Voldemorts allegiance to gain ess to these Dark powers, but they failed despite their best efforts.

    Evans impulsivemunication with Tom Riddles diary, though reckless and highly dangerous in retrospect, allowed him to obtain the coveted magic sought by these Dark wizards and find a shortcut to quickly enhance his abilities,ying the foundation for his future endeavors.

    Subsequently, the Dark Arts books that Evan found in the ck familys ancestral home were a powerful supplement to the knowledge imparted by Tom Riddle.

    Those magic books systematically andpletely exined the theory of the Dark Arts, so that Evan knew many profound and obscure aspects of Dark magic.

    Until now, he had not fully absorbed and digested all these knowledge, and he had only a rough understanding. On the one hand they were too esoteric, and the main reason was theck of practice.

    Evan couldnt use the corpses, blood or soul of some creatures to carry out all those misceneous magic experiments like a real Dark wizard. His heart couldnt fall to those evil and cruel thoughts and couldnt abandon his conscience, which doomed him to have limited achievements in Dark magic.

    Evan could know a lot of theories about Dark magic, but it was not as effective for him as it was for those wizards who were evil by nature.

    For example, Peter Pettigrew once used a spell to blow up an entire street, which was a typical Dark magic, powerful, simple to use, without so many restrictions

    But Evan would not dare use it. Dark magic had the same impact on his mind. The whole process was simr to the whispers of the evil god. Frequent use of such magic could make a person evil and insane.

    Evan had been aware of this long ago. Besides the rtively neutral Dark magic such as Fiendfyre and the Corrosion Curse, he couldnt use most of the remaining Dark magic at all. Otherwise, he would feel, every time, a strong sense of guilt and sully his soul.

    It could be said that he currently mastered the Dark Arts theories so far as great wizards and even most Death Eaters, but he was essentially different from real Dark wizards.

    His research in this area had also entered a bottleneck, and there would not be much breakthrough in the short term.

    Evans progress had also been limited in the Patronus Charm and White magic.

    Siriuss previous warning made him realize that he should focus on White magic. That was the right path.

    However, self-studying in this area was challenging without systematic guidance like that provided by Tom Riddles Diary. The schools curriculum was only superficial, and Hogwarts advocated the Defense Against the Dark Arts.

    The Defense Against the Dark Arts could be regarded as abination of White magic, the Patronus Charm and a considerable number of other branches of magic.

    Learning how to deal with Dark magic and Dark creatures could quickly improve the ability of the wizard to fight against Dark wizards, but doing so would not help to understand the essence of magic and further be a great White wizard like Dumbledore.

    Dumbledore might teach Evan some knowledge, but not too much. It was mainly up to him to explore by himself.

    The result of self-study was that, as seen with Evan now, the knowledge he had was veryplex, scattered, unsystematic, and many of them were useless. If he didnt meet a wizard who used that kind of Dark magic, the methods and spells he had mastered would be meaningless.

    Evan decided to go back to the ck Family Library and have a look again. If he still didnt find any records of previous systematic research experience, he could only go to Dumbledore and learn from the greatest contemporary White wizard

    Apart from that, what he was best at now was Transfiguration. This was thergest branch of magic independent of the system of the Dark Magic and Defensive Magic systems, and it had a wide range of applications.

    Evan was quite talented in Transfiguration, and Professor McGonagall was willing to privately impart more knowledge to him.

    With the help of the Philosophers Stone, he could disy Transfiguration abilities beyond ordinary imagination.

    All he needed to do now was to speed up his progress in Transfiguration and better apply it tobat.

    The same was true for Potions, which were of great help in improving strength.

    As a rare Potions Master, Snape was willing to share his research experience with the students, although his attitude was a bit harsh. Even Evan, if he approached Snape with questions about potion-making, he would sarcastically teach him after all.

    As long as Professor McGonagall and Snape were there, there shouldnt be any major problem with Transfiguration and Potions.

    As for Charms, Professor Flitwick would also teach Evan some special casting skills. If he encountered difficulties, he just had to ask them for advice.

    It was a pity that Evan was not interested in Herbology. Otherwise Professor Sprout would also like to teach him how to take care of those exotic nts and fungi, and how to deal with those poisonous and dangerous nts.

    After sorting out his own magical knowledge, Evan decided to focus his future research on Alchemy.

    This was rather a very profound branch of magic that required deep knowledge and skills of Charms, potions, Dark magic, and ancient runes as support, and was often only involved in the seventh year ss.

    With the help of Nics mel, Evan believed that there would be some progress and breakthroughs in Alchemy after their trip to Egypt.

    That would help him to better use the power of the Philosophers Stone, and it was also the basis for further research on <i>The Book of Abraham</i> and piercing the secrets of evil gods.

    While studying Alchemy, he was also ready to devote some energy to Demonology.

    There was a demon altar under Hogwarts kitchens that looked like a house-elf awaiting him. Evan spected that this might be rted to the treasure key left by Hufflepuff, but previous experience had taught him to be careful when dealing with the devil.

    Besides, after getting the Time-Turner from the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic, he still needed to master Time Magic knowledge for a certain period of time.

    Only then could he use the Time-Turner

    Following this train of thought, Evan also had to spend energy and time to understand the mysterious shamanism and vampire magic.

    Not to mention the powerful ancient magic that was on the horizon but still out of touch!

    Upon careful consideration, although his strength had improved a lot, there was no less to learn, but it had be more challenging.

    He sighed, realizing that he still had a considerable distance to go before bing a powerful wizard and understanding the essence of magic.

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 Chapter 816: Hermiones Room

    Chapter 816: Hermione''s Room

    In this way, half a month had passed quickly in Evans carding of magic knowledge.

    During this period, his mother cooked many dishes he liked, and bought him a lot of clothes and daily necessities.

    Evan would have liked to say that these things were all avable in the wizarding world, and she didnt need to bother, but in the end theyd been still stuffed in the cloth bag that he carried with him.

    After taking off his robes, he no longer looked like a wizard. He was no different from any Muggle teenager.

    Evan talked to his parents about his trip to Egypt with Hermione, and it didnt take much persuasion. Not only did they agree, but his father also sponsored him arge sum of money for the expenses of this trip, including Hermiones share.

    Even when Evan was about to set off to pick up Hermione, his parents wanted to apany him

    You dont have to, I can go directly to Hermiones house by magic, said Evan, getting in his dads car.

    Obviously, my little wizard, said Mr. Mason cheerfully. But were going to visit the Grangers. Your mum made a cake, and she also wants to see Hermione. The girl left a very good impression on herst summer.

    I like that child, said Mrs. Mason, looking at Evan. Honey, is there anything else you need to prepare for your trip to Egypt?

    Nothing, there will be someone waiting for us there, and if theres any trouble, it can be solved with magic, said Evan.

    As long as there were no monsters as terrible as Voldemort or the evil gods waiting for him in Egypt, any other thing was not a problem for him.

    Thus, the three of them arrived at Hermiones house.

    Seeing Hermione and the Grangersing out of the house with a slightly surprised expression on their faces, Evan felt rather embarrassed.

    Like Evan, Hermione was dressed as a Muggle. She was wearing a loose pink T-shirt and slim jeans, with the hems trimmed to reveal her ankles. She was also wearing a pair of leather shoes, and her original messy hair was carefully trimmed. It was slightly curled, fluttering in the wind. The whole person looked cute and pure, exuding the image of a well-behaved schoolgirl.

    At the sight of Evan, her brown eyes sparkled with brightness and radiated enthusiasm, as if they could melt everything away.

    Before Evan reacted, Hermione rushed at him and almost knocked him down on his back.

    Hermione

    Evan, how are you? Is everything okay? Did you have any trouble with your trip? I was terribly worried. I was afraid that you might have an ident. Those giants  said Hermione with a little shortness of breath.

    Im fine, Ill tell you everything, said Evan, feeling a warm joy in his heart.

    He hugged Hermione hard and saw his parents and Mr. and Mrs. Granger standing by, smiling and looking at them.

    For Hermiones initiative to hug Evan, the expression on the adults face was quite wonderful, but it didnt stop her.

    From their looks, it was clear that they hoped Evan and Hermione would further their rtionship. Although they were young, ording to Britishw, as long as their parents agreed, they could get married at the age of sixteen, and they were two years apart

    After a while, Mrs. Granger whispered, Well, Hermione, we should invite the guests in!

    Hermione let go of Evan, noticed the anomaly around her, blushed, and hastened to say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Mason.

    After exchanging pleasantries, they walked into the Grangers beautiful house.

    Evan and Hermione had booked a flight in the afternoon, and they were going to stay at Hermiones house for lunch at noon.

    Evan left his parents in the living room, and followed Hermione to her bedroom for a visit.

    It was actually his first time entering Hermiones room, a girls room.

    The room was very tidy, with everything neatly organized and ced in order. There was no over-exaggerated but lovely decoration. There were a few puppets in the middle of the bed, and everything looked particrly warm.

    On the inner wall were rows of long bookshelves, full of hundreds of various magic books, giving Evan a feeling of returning to Flourish and Blotts Bookseller. He casually pulled out a book, which was about the history of modern Magic, and noticed Hermiones detailed annotations throughout.

    Its a bit messy, isnt it? said Hermione nervously. Please have a seat; Ill bring some juice.

    Evan nodded, took the book and sat down on the bed, his gaze moved from the bookshelves to the cab by the window.

    The cab doors were closed, but Hermiones suitcase was open on the ground. Apparently shed just been sorting out what she wanted to take with her to Egypt.

    In addition to half a trunk of magic books, the rest were all the girls clothes neatly stacked.

    Its truly Hermiones style. She has to take so many books even when traveling.

    Evan blinked and saw a pile of girls underwear next to the books. He stared at the lovely pink underwear for a while. Hearing footsteps in the corridor, he turned his attention to the magic book in his hand again.

    The time is too short. I havent packed up yet. Im not sure what I should bring to Egypt. There will definitely be many magical wonders there. I should bring some more books about it, but  Hermione stopped, handed the juice to Evan, and looked at him seriously, Well, stop talking about me  tell me how youmunicated with the giants. And the test left by Ravenw  have you passed it and found the secret treasure key she left?

    No, the situation was much more troublesome than we thought. We met Dark wizards of Ravens w this time  said Evan.

    He told her all about his experience in Sicily, about the owl monster and the castle he saw in Dijon, the situation of the giants tribe, the Cyclops inside the volcano, the conspiracy of the Ravens w Dark wizards, the Titan and Time magic, etc.

    Hermione sat next to Evan, staring quietly, and several times couldnt help holding his arm.

    In the end, we went straight back to Hogwarts, and Hagrid is still leading his brother on foot. We wont see them before the beginning of the school year

    A giant  he shouldnt do this. He shouldnt bring that giant with him! Hermione raised her eyebrows and continued, I didnt expect that you would encounter so many things. The Titan and time magic are both considered to exist only in legends. I must have read about them in some book.

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 Chapter 817: Egypt

    Chapter 817: Egypt

    At Hogwarts, Hermione was probably the only one who spent more time reading books than Evan! She had almost read every book avable in the library, and had even ordered many other magic books for herself.

    Evan still remembered that the first topic they talked about when he and Hermione first met was to exchange books with one another

    Since then, the two of them had never bought the same book again. In her words, they should try to exchange limited resources for more knowledge and avoid waste. Even the textbooks required by the school were left by Hermione to Evan.

    Of course, this kind of thing was a manifestation of intimacy after the progress of the rtionship between Evan and Hermione.

    Whatever other people would think of this kind of thing, Evan was willing to use Hermiones textbooks, not only because she was his girlfriend, but also because the books used by Hermione were urately marked with key points and ss notes

    It was also worth mentioning that Hermiones focus on reading was different from that of Evan. She was not as purposeful as Evan, who was reading books that revolved around how to improve his strength. She had read a wide range of books, including all kinds of history of magic and specialized books.

    In this regard, Evan had to admire Hermione. Hed thought that, besides him, no one else could do that.

    When Evan told her about the Ravens w, the Titans, and Time Magic, she immediately mentioned him the titles of many books.

    She had a few of them in her hands and quickly flipped through these thick volumes.

    Although their content was rtively basic, and even centered around legendary stories with not much substantial information, it was really helpful to understand relevant knowledge.

    Hermione intended to take all these books to Egypt and read them on the way

    However, there was one problem with this approach: her suitcase couldnt fit all the books, and it was too heavy and inconvenient to carry.

    Evan had no choice but to offer her the cloth bag he carried with him and asked Hermione to put the books and the things she wanted to take inside.

    A few minutester, when he saw Hermione stuffing her clothes and underwear into his bag, he suddenly felt weird.

    She seemed at ease, letting him help her carry these things

    Hermione apparently had no intention of taking her suitcase anymore and handed over everything to Evan.

    A scene shed before Evans eyes: In a long night, Hermione came to his room and asked him for underwear to take a bath. After a while, she washed the changed clothes and sent them back

    Well, from any perspective, he was really looking forward to this trip more and more!

    Whether it was in Alchemy or his rtion with Hermione, he seemed to have the opportunity to go further.

    After a somewhat formal lunch, Evan and Hermione were taken to the airport and set off for Egypt!

    Cairo, the capital of Egypt, the bright pearl on the Nile River, was one of the oldest cities in the world.

    When it came to Egypt and Cairo, most people would first think of pyramids, camels, yellow sand, gods, mysterious magic, and various ancient ruins. But when Evan got off the ne, his first impression was, Wow, its really hot here!

    Located at the southern end of the Nile Delta, Cairo had a typical subtropical desert climate with average summer temperatures reaching forty degrees Celsius.

    Sweat ran uncontrobly down their cheeks, and Evan had to use a spell to keep their bodies cool.

    Beside him, Hermione was in high spirits, and although she had not yet left the airport, she kept looking around, constantly talking to Evan about the scenic spots and customs of Egypt and Cairo.

    They had just seen the pyramids next to the city from the ne. It was a wonder.

    On the in covered in yellow sand, these stone mausoleums of ancient Egyptian pharaohs were magnificent, showing the world the grandeur of the tomb owners. Even from a distance, Evan could still feel the powerful magical aura emanating from them.

    He had read in rted books that since the First Dynasty of Egypt, almost all the pharaohs were powerful ancient warlocks who had the power to destroy heaven and earth and were a unifiedbination of Muggle secr monarchy, theocracy and the supreme power of the Wizarding world.

    Of the many pyramids that had been discovered so far, the most famous were the three great pyramids in Giza, a suburb of Cairo. Theyd been left by the three pharaohs of the Fourth Dynasty, namely, the Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, with a history of over four thousand years.

    That was the era when ancient Egypt and ancient sorcerers were just beginning to flourish, and it was the time when the power of the gods was at its strongest.

    Two years ago, Evan and Hermione had heard from Ron more than once about the inside of the pyramids. In addition to the tombs and passages that had already been opened to Muggle visits, there were many secret rooms that had not been cracked. The number of curses in the rooms was beyond imagination.

    The curse breaking progressed slowly, and Ron told them that the wizards of Gringotts had discovered a room a few years ago above the tomb of Pharaoh Khufus Pyramid. There were many weird skeletons of Muggles whod forced into the pyramid.

    The room was extremely terrifying. A few wizards had rashly broken in to investigate and they suddenly grew extra heads

    For safety reasons, Mrs. Weasley strictly forbade Bill from entering that pyramid.

    Not far in front of the Great Pyramid was the Sphinx, which was no less famous.

    The Sphinx was a magical creature that had really existed. It was a monster unique to Egypt and ancient Greece. It could speak humannguage. It liked to stay on the key road and propose riddles to passers-by. If the answer was correct, they could pass, but if it was wrong, the Sphinx would directly swallow them.

    Many archaeologists and historians of magic believed that the Sphinx had been carved in the image of a creature called the Sphinx.

    It had the face of a pharaoh, and it was a unique monument symbolizing authority.

    It wore the <i>Nemes </i>crown and, engraved on its forehead, was a relief sculpture of <i>Uraeus </i>the sacred cobra. These were legendary magical items that had been lost for a long time. Unfortunately, after the nose was damaged, all the magical properties of this statue became inactive, and modern wizards could not specte on its specific use.

    In addition to the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, Egypts first Pharaoh Ramses II was recognized as the most powerful Caster.

    He was a pharaoh of the neenth Dynasty of Egypt, the strongest era of ancient warlocks, and the era of the gods ughter.

    In a sense, he was a god himself, with unimaginable power.

    The various remains and magic he left behind had been affecting the development of both the Wizarding world and the Muggle world up to now.

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 Chapter 818: Explorer Hotel

    Chapter 818: Explorer Hotel

    The gods and ancient relics in Egypt were beyond imagination, and the magic left by ancient warlocks was spread throughout the country.

    This was a beloved tourist destination for Muggles, who came to Egypt to experience the vicissitudes of history and the changes of time.

    At the same time, this country was also greatly favored by wizards.

    A wizarding organization headed by goblins from Gringotts coborated here with the government to dig for lost treasures and magic.

    In private, there were many wizards who hoped to gain strong power, exploring the ancient ruins of Egypt.

    Nics mel was probably the most sessful example. He had explored Egypt several centuries ago, seen the revtion of the ancient prophet Abraham in the desert, and finally got the<i> Book of Abraham</i>. He learned the top-tier Alchemy from it and started his 600-year legendary life.

    Evan was not as greedy, and did not seek the treasures and magic left from ancient times.

    This was a purely purposeful trip. He and Hermione came here to see the Emerald Tablet, hoping not to encounter a terrible evil god or some unknown monster

    I did some research beforehand, said Hermione, taking out a thick pile of parchment. Ive listed all the sites worth visiting in Egypt. There are hundreds of them, and Cairo is just a small part of it.

    Looks good! Evan looked at the dense records on it. Hermione had really made a lot of effort.

    We certainly cant go to all these sites, can we? But there are several ces we must visit, such as the Great Pyramid, the ancient Egyptian Gringotts, Karnak, the Nile Dam, the Egyptian Museum, the City of the Living and the City of the Dead, and  said Hermione, and she suddenly put down the parchment and turned to look at Evan carefully. Evan, Voldemort is back, everyone is preparing for theing war, but the two of us are traveling to Egypt, isnt it a bit out of ce?

    Theres nothing wrong with it, Hermione. Dont worry about Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Were not here just for sightseeing. Alchemy is very helpful in defeating evil gods, said Evan, holding Hermiones small hand, and pulling her to him. I told you before, this trip will help you learn Animagus, you have all that it needs, and you can start tonight

    The two of them discussed Animagus again. While passing through the customs, Evan and Hermione had a little trouble.

    Seeing that they were only two children and were not apanied by adults, the Egyptian official intended to stop them. But Evan solved the problem with the Confundus Charm, and the official, confused, let them pass.

    When they went out, Bill Weasley was already waiting for them.

    He looked the same as before; cool, tall, with long hair that he had tied back in a ponytail and an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it.

    Bill was wearing a set of sky blue clothes, not wizard robes, nor the typical Muggle attire. His clothes would not have looked out of ce at a rock concert. His boots were made of dragon hide.

    How are you, Evan  Hermione? said Bill enthusiastically, waving to them. How was your trip? Flying through Muggle tools is an unforgettable experience. What do they call these things? Big brooms?!

    Hello, Bill! said Hermione politely.Its not a broom, but an airne. Its an aircraft that generates thrust through the engines power unit and flies in the atmosphere. Its a bit like a car. Its all science

    Science, its amazing. Ive just been studying this stuff, Bill replied, looking at a taking-off ne through the huge ss window. I usually use the Floo Network to return to Ennd. I may try this tool next time.

    He obviously inherited some of Mr. Arthur Weasleys qualities and was interested in Muggle things.

    Wed better get out of here first! said Evan as he saw that many curious Muggles were scrutinizing them.

    Come on, Ill show you Egypt, said Bill, leading Evan and Hermione out. Ive arranged a ce for you to stay. You know, in Egypt, wizards dont fly with brooms, we usually use flying carpets.

    As they walked outside the airport, Bill asked them about the situation in Britain. It seemed that he intended to return to Ennd to fight Voldemort.

    When no one was around, he Disapparated with Evan and Hermione.

    With a bang, Evan saw himself appearing in a hotel full of a mixture of ancient Egyptian and Arabic styles. It was different from the gray and dirty Inns in the Wizarding world of Ennd or France.

    The space here wasrge and bright, full of unique exotic charm, with snow-white marble on the ground, shiny bronze gates, huge and quaint stone carvings, colorful curtains and tapestries on the walls, and valuable decorations everywhere.

    In front of the hotel, directly facing it were the three huge pyramids and the Sphinx.

    Whats this ce? asked Hermione, looking at the huge stone pirs carved with hieroglyphs in the hall.

    The Explorer Hotel, said Bill. It was a pce in ancient times, belonging to a pharaoh of the 17th Dynasty. Now its run by Gringotts goblins. Its very popr. All the wizards who travel to Cairo stay here. Ive reserved two rooms for you.

    We may need to book two more. We have friends toe, Fleur and Gabrielle from Beauxbatons, said Evan.

    He looked around with satisfaction. Obviously, the goblins were far more reliable than wizards in management.

    Oh, you all met during the Triwizard Tournament, right? Id already taken the leave to watch the final task. Ron bing a champion was truly an unexpected turn of events, said Bill. I never expected so much to happen

    They walked to the front of the counter, where stood three goblins wearing scarlet and gold uniforms.

    Like the goblins of Gringotts, they all had a smart dark face, pointed beard, and extremely long hands and feet.

    When they came over, the goblins bowed to them.

    How can I help you, sir? said a fair-grade goblin, his face full of wrinkles.

    Im Bill Weasley. Ive booked two rooms with you before, said Bill.

    Yes, there is indeed a record of the appointment, said the goblin, taking out two gems that shone with golden light. These are the keys. The rooms are on the west side. Do you need me to lead you through?

    Well, theres no hurry, we need two more rooms.

    I apologize, Mr. Weasley, all the rooms have been booked out, and the earliest avable reservation is for next month, said the goblin with a wrinkled nose, You know, many people have beening here recently due to the newly discovered ruins

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 Chapter 819: The Golden Book of Amun Ra

    Chapter 819: The Golden Book of Amun Ra

    New ruins, what is it? Evan asked curiously.

    It is the relic of Amun Ra, said to be left by Ramses II, said Bill. You all know Ramses II, right?

    Well, hes the most famous Pharaoh in Egyptian history. His life experience is simply a legend. He once led Egypt to prosperity! said Hermione quickly. Ive read about him in many books. He conquered many countries in his lifetime

    Yeah, this great pharaoh has done a lot of great things. At present, over half of the surviving temples and relics in Egypt are associated with him. Weve been trying to find the secrets he left, said Bill. Not long ago, a team of explorers discovered the relic of Amun Ra in the heart of the city of Pi-Ramses in northeastern Cairo. It contains important information about the pharaohs. The exploration team of Gringotts has settled in it, but there are still many wizardsing to Egypt to enter that relic.

    Pi-Ramses?! Evan repeated.

    An ancient Egyptian city that disappeared in history, built by Ramses II, also known as the House of Ramses, Bill exined. The city was discovered twenty years ago, and excavation work has been going on since then, and weve found many valuable temples inside.

    Why do those wizards want to enter the relic of Amun Ra? What are they looking for? asked Hermione.

    Its probably an adventure to see if theres any gain. This is a normal phenomenon in the Egyptian Wizarding world, said Bill. Every time a new relic is discovered, it always attracts a group of people. They are typical spectors, only interested in money and theyre reckless.

    Doesnt the Egyptian Ministry of Magic intervene? Do they just allow these people to enter the relics?

    Unlike ours, the Egyptian Ministry of Magic has no objection to such things, or rather, has no ability to manage them. There are simply too many ruins in Egypt, and thousands of them are being excavated at present, said Bill, shrugging. The Ministrys resources are insufficient for exploration, and they cannot provide protection. Illegal excavation is widespread, which is the main reason they have to cooperate with Gringotts. The situation now is that as long as you register with the Egyptian Ministry of Magic, you can be a legal explorer and excavate the relics. But if you really find anything, you must turn it over to the state, and the Egyptian Ministry will give you correspondingpensation. Smuggling out is not allowed. Once found, its a felony!

    Explorer, this job sounds good! said Evan.

    In fact, its very dangerous. Untrained wizards dont have enough ability to deal with the curses in the ruins. They alsock professional supplies. People die every year, but if you really find something, you can get rich overnight, just like this time said Bill, looking around to see if they were being noticed by anyone, and he bent down, lowered his voice and said, This time the situation is different. This was supposed to be ssified information, but its okay to tell you both.

    ssified information?! Both Evan and Hermione looked at him in astonishment.

    Yes! Bills voice grew lower. I knew from a colleague that ording to reliable historical records, the relic of Amun Ra contains the long-vanished ancient Egyptian undead book, the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>, which records the secret of eternal life.

    The <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>  eternal life! Hermione held her breath and seemed fascinated by the book.

    Evan sighed. Immortality and eternal life again and again, couldnt these powerful ancient warlocks have a higher pursuit?!

    He was too aware of the attraction of this word to wizards. If this information were to be made public, many people would be ecstatic.

    I dont think its true. There may be no <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i> in the ruins, or this book is not as powerful as the legend says. If it truly granted eternal life, why did Ramses II die? Evan asked.

    Who knows, maybe he wanted to see the world of the dead, or hes been resurrected in some other way, and cant appear just because of restrictions, said Bill. Evan, dont underestimate the magic of Egypt. Ill show you the pyramids and tombs in a few days, and youll know how fantastic the ancient Egyptian Magic is. Theres a special magic here.

    Evan nodded hesitantly. He knew exactly what the <i>Book of Amun Ra</i> meant. Like the <i>Book of Abraham</i>, which he carried with him, this book itself was a legendary magical item.

    It was said that it recorded the magic of obtaining eternal life, the ability to unravel all curses in the world, and the method to harness the power of the sun, the most potent force of heat in existence. Ramses II became the greatest Pharaoh because of this book.

    In contrast to the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i> was the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i>, which could bring the dead back to life.

    Unlike the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>, which had no trace at all, many incantations in the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i> were carved on the walls of the tombs of pharaohs and sacrificial rites in the past dynasties with hieroglyphs and ancient magical writings, and some were printed on coffins or carved on exquisite stone pavilions.

    Although these incantations were iplete, the wizards ofter generations had continued to perfect the <i>ck Book of the Dead </i>through a little archaeological excavation, and on this basis, they had developed the Necromancer magic, a very unpopr and very small branch of magic, which belonged to a kind of evil Dark magic.

    This magic could finally bring the dead back to this world, but at a very heavy price. Evan had never heard of anyone whod sessfully cast it.

    Even so, the power of undead Dark magic to control the realms of the dead and curses through necromantic magic still evoked fear.

    If youre interested, I can show you the relic of Amun Ra in a few days, said bill. But you have to apply to be explorers first. We can go around the entrance of the relic. Remember, dont talk about it!

    Mr. Weasley, about the room At this moment, the goblin behind the counter interrupted in a shrill voice.

    Oh, right, the room, said Bill. When are your two friends arriving?

    Gabrielle said theyll be arriving tomorrow morning! Hermione replied. We made the arrangement before she left Hogwarts.

    Tomorrow  um  because of the relic of Amun Ra, many wizards have returned to Cairo recently. Finding new amodations would take time, and the safety andfort wouldnt be as good as here, Bill turned to the goblin, and said in some embarrassment, Can you think of a way to get us two rooms?

    Im sorry, Mr. Weasley, we dont have any vacant rooms! The goblin replied in a stubborn tone and looked at Evan and Hermione. If youll allow me to be forward, Ive noticed that your friends are all children. Our rooms are quite spacious, and it would be a waste for single upancy. If you dont mind, I suggest two or three of you sharing one room.

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 Chapter 820: A Minor Problem

    Chapter 820: A Minor Problem

    Two or three people sharing one room?! Evan and Hermione raised their heads at the same time, looking at the goblin behind the counter.

    Evan didnt mind sharing a room with others, but he wasnt sure if Hermione, Gabrielle or Fleur would be willing.

    That sounded good. Staying in a room together for a month was a great opportunity to promote feelings.

    He looked at Hermione, whose slightly blushing face was incredibly cute, and then thought of Gabrielle, who was like an angel, followed by Fleur

    Evan shook his head hurriedly. Fleur was out of question. If he lived with her, he would be the one worrying at night! Fleur was too open-minded. No one could guarantee what she might actually do to Evan. After all, Evan was still a child

    He had to forget about Gabrielle too. She had just turned nine this year; she was also a child.

    If there was no other way, it would be better for him to live with Hermione. It would be more convenient for them to do things together at night.

    Thats a good suggestion, said Bill. Because this used to be a pharaohs pce, the rooms here are indeed veryrge. When my parents visited mest time, they shared one room. My parents had one, Fred and George had one, and Ron and Percy shared a room. But if these are two girls

    Well, just let Gabrielle and Fleur be with me, said Hermione, taking a strong breath. Evan will have a room for himself.

    Evan blinked. The normal deployment was not like this, was it?!

    Shouldnt he be with Hermione in a room, while Fleur and Gabrielle would be in the other one?!

    What are you thinking about? Hermione turned her head to look at him, as though shed noticed something.

    Nothing! Evan shook his head hurriedly, hesitated, and then whispered to Hermione, Actually, I thought you and I would be together.

    Hearing that, Hermiones little face suddenly turned red, and she bit her lip gently.

    Shed never dreamed that Evan would be so bold. He obviously wasnt like this before. Could this be the change of their rtionship as male and female?

    Yes, she immediately realized that she was now Evans girlfriend. After the Yule Ball, he had already confessed to her. Because shortly afterwards, Evan left the school for Sicily, Hermione had not yet adapted to the change in their rtionship.

    She was entangled and did not know how to respond to Evans sudden request. She could neither refuse nor agree.

    For the first time, Hermione, who had always been straightforward, became so tangled, which was not typical of Hermione at all.

    Evan knew that with Hermiones character and emotional experience, her expression indicated that it was probably the time for him to seize the opportunity. But Bill and the goblins were still around, and it was really difficult for him to ask further

    If I had some extra space, Evan could actually stay with me. Ill keep an eye out for any suitable ces nearby. Alright, let me take you to your rooms. You two will love it here! Bill took the gems with the golden light from the goblin and led Evan and Hermione along the outer corridor to the depths of the hotel. This is a keystone. Egypt is the birthce of Alchemy; and as lost magical knowledge has been discovered over time, many alchemical techniques have been applied to daily life. This is one of them. The locks treated with Alchemy are much safer than those opened with regr keys.

    Evan took a keystone from Bill and saw a magical rune carved in the middle of the gem.

    His attention quickly shifted from Hermione to the key in his hand.

    It was really amazing. It was constructed through Alchemy, which could make thismon gem have magical power.

    For wizards who did not understand Alchemy, this was indeed magical, and there was no way to crack it.

    But at Evans current level, it only took him a few minutes to decipher the runes in this key, and he tried to analyze the magical runes in it

    Evan, look there!

    Hearing Hermiones voice, Evan looked up and saw a huge open-air swimming pool in the courtyard outside the corridor.

    The ground was covered withrge natural stones, adorned withpiszuli and turquoise, extending all the way to the edge of the pool, where water was sprayed out by two Sphinx statues carved with ancient ornaments and Egyptian hieroglyphs.

    Looking forward, everything was bathed in a golden hue as the setting suns glow enveloped the surroundings.

    Under the setting sun, the huge pyramids in the distance, the endless desert and the slowly falling sun merged into one, giving a shocking beauty.

    How beautiful! said Hermione, unconsciously clenching Evans right hand.

    Indeed, this is one of the greatest Wonders humanity has left in the world. Evan agreed.

    Watching the pyramids is best during two time periods, one is at sunrise, and the other is now, nearing dusk said Bill, looking at the pyramids in the distance, Its fascinating, isnt it?! The year I graduated I saw this scene in a promotional brochure from Gringotts, and I instantly fell in love with it. I made up my mind to go to Egypt to be a Curse-Breaker, though my mother had always hoped that I could enter the Ministry of Magic.

    Bills grades at school were good. He was both a prefect and Head Boy, which waspletely an older version of Percy. With his grades, it would actually have been very easy for him to join the Ministry of Magic.

    But he was not as serious and stuffy as Percy, and he had a natural contempt for rules, a bit like Sirius. This was destined to make the Ministry of Magic and the rules irrelevant for him. The exciting job of Curse-Breaker was suitable for him.

    In fact, the Weasleys were excellent children with unique talents. Unfortunately, there were too many children, and at the end, Mrs. Weasley had no energy to take care of the others.

    Evan, Hermione and Bill stood there, gazing at the distant pyramids until the sun disappeared below the horizon.

    Since your friends wont be here until tomorrow morning, I suggest dying the pyramids tour to the day after tomorrow, said Bill, as he moved forward. Ill book a flying carpet, so that you have the whole picture of the pyramids from the sky. Youll then go down with Muggles to have a ride on camels, take some pictures, and then visit the tomb inside the pyramid. Do you have any special needs?

    No! Bill had thought out everything in detail!

    Alright, Ill pick you up at ten oclock tomorrow morning. Well visit the Egyptian Museum first. This is very helpful for you to understand Egyptian culture and history. In the afternoon, we can go

    Bill, I didnte to Egypt just for sightseeing! Evan interrupted. I talked to you before. I want to see the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    Yeah  the Emerald Tablet  actually its very difficult, said Bill, looking at Evan sheepishly. You certainly dont want to see those knockoffs. The real <i>Emerald Tablet</i> is a legendary magical item, considered top secret.

    But I have letters of rmendation from Dumbledore and Nics mel, said Evan.

    Because of the rmendation of the two of them, you have a chance. Otherwise, you wouldnt be allowed anywhere near the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, said Bill. This legendary magical item is in the joint custody of the Egyptian Ministry of Magic and Gringotts. Im currently helping you apply to the higher-ups. Out of respect for Dumbledore and mel, they should let you see the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, but it may take a long time

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 Chapter 821: Hermiones Animagus

    Chapter 821: Hermione''s Animagus

    As Bill said, no matter which country it was, it would not open its legendary magical items casually.

    This was normal. Evan had been mentally prepared beforeing, but did not expect the situation to be so gloomy. He thought Dumbledore and mels letters of rmendation would y a role, but from what Bill implied, it still neededyers of approval, and the time that it would take was uncertain

    It should be known that the eternal pursuit of ancient Egyptian wizards was to conquer death and achieve eternal life in the true sense. All kinds of magical research andplex magic branches had been carried out around this point, and finally three magic ssics were handed down in the world.

    Of course, these three magic books were the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra,</i> the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i> and the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    The <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra </i>had the strongest power. It could allow the living to obtain eternal life, let the dead rest in peace again, break all the curses in the world and use the power of the sun.

    It was a pity that this magic book had long been buried in the long river of history, leaving only countless legends for future generations to remember.

    The <i>ck Book of the Dead</i> could bring the dead back to life and form an army of the dead. It also recorded terrifying Dark magic such as curses and gues.

    It had been lost like the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>, but some fragments had been carved in the tombs of the pharaohs and sacrificial chambers, thus being sorted out byter generations.

    Although the versionpiled byter generations was not as powerful as in the legend, it was still a legendary magical item.

    As for the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, it could be simply said to be known as the enlightenment book of Alchemy, with extraordinary significance.

    Many wizards believed that its real secret had not yet been discovered, and research on it had never ceased.

    In this situation, it was far more difficult for Evan to see the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>than hed expected.

    You dont need to worry too much. With the help of Dumbledore and mel, youll be allowed to a visit. I dont think there should be a big problem, said Bill. Anyway, Ill actively strive for it. But Before that, you can stay in Egypt with peace of mind.

    How long will it take?

    Trust me, this matter will definitely be resolved before the school starts, said Bill.

    All right! said Evan. There was no other way at present, and it seemed that he needed to stay in Egypt for a few more days.

    As a hotel, the rooms of the Explorer Hotel were indeed spacious and luxurious enough.

    Compared with the old, cramped rooms of the Leaky Cauldron, Evan and Hermiones rooms were asrge as four of them.

    The room was divided into two suites, each with a bed. The floor was covered with thick Arabian nkets, which were veryfortable to step on. The walls were also filled with Egyptian-style paintings, and there was a gorgeous scarab ornament.

    Directly facing the door was a huge French window, offering a view of the pyramids outside, and going out, there was arge balcony. Downstairs were dense palm trees. The warm evening breeze was blowing gently, creating a veryfortable atmosphere

    After dinner, Evany in a daze in the hammock on the balcony, swinging the keystone in his hand.

    He thought about the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>for a while, and the ruins of Amun Ra left by Ramses II and the rumor that the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i> was hidden in it, but there were too few clues in his hand, and he couldnt make any progress. His thoughts drifted further and further

    Bill had already gone back, while Hermione was hiding in her room, not giving Evan a chance to take the chase.

    How leisurely! He stretched out and stood up.

    It was really out of his style to lie here sozily, so Evan decided to find Hermione next door.

    Whether it was helping herplete the Animagus transformation as nned or researching something together, it was better than lying here alone and being bored.

    The long night had just begun

    Knock, knock, knock  just then, there was a loud knock on the door outside, and Evan hurried over to open it.

    Before he could step out, Hermione came to his door. She seemed to have mustered up the courage and made a decision. She looked at Evan bravely.

    Just back to her room earlier, shed been thinking, having been entangled in how to get along with Evan, and she finally figured out that she was now Evans girlfriend, there was nothing to struggle with, and there was no need to avoid him.

    It was not her style. She thought of the experience that the school senior girls told her about, and she had to show courage and take the initiative.

    If she liked him, she liked him. It was evident that theyd both gone through so much together, and now it was natural to be together, not to be afraid of beingughed at; not to mention Harry, Ron, Ginny and other students were not here. Tonight was entirely their own world, just the two of them.

    Evan, I Hermione looked at Evan, staring into his eyes, and the gentle breeze blowing past intoxicated her.

    How could she? She really wanted to have some red wine. The sour and sweet taste would go well with the scene before her.

    In such a night scene, it was likely that anything could happen, and Hermione wouldnt resist

    I was just about toe and find you, said Evan happily. He let Hermione in and did not find anything unusual about her. I thought we agreed on the ne during the trip that I would help you with your first Animagus transformation tonight.

    Animagus transformation?! Hermione froze for a moment. She didnte to him to talk about it.

    She came to talk again about Evans request to be together in the same room, but Animagus seemed to be good, too.

    Animagus is a very deep human Transfiguration, said Hermione. Although Ive been studying the notes you gave me before, can my current strength really aplish this spell?!

    Dont worry; you have no problem with the knowledge of Transfiguration, said Evan. Theres no need to worry about magic. Ive carefully asked Sirius and others about their transformation process and worked out a n. Peter Pettigrew was not as good as you at that time. He alsopleted the transformation in the fifth year. You can do it now.

    But Hermione was still a bit worried.

    With me here, therell absolutely be no problem! said Evan, full of confidence.

    Hermione nodded. She had unconditional trust in Evan and continued to ask, What do I need to do?

    You should carefully recall the transformation process. Im going to draw a magical rune. This is the method I developed in Alchemy. It can use the power of the Philosophers Stone to some extent. Evan paused and continued, Hold on, Ill control the magic power output in the Philosophers Stone to help you, and with the Replenishing Potion and your own power, there wont be any issues for sure.

    Hermione nodded and sat on the edge of the bed, carefully recalling the main points of Animagus transformation.

    Then, she suddenly looked up at Evan and said hesitantly, What animal do you think Ill be?

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 Chapter 822: Meow Meow Meow

    Chapter 822: Meow Meow Meow

    Generally speaking, Animagus and the Patronus were the same animal for the same wizard or witch, representing the external manifestation of the soul.

    But Hermiones Patronus was an otter, and if her Animagus was still an otter, it was too bad!

    A transformation that could only be used in a ce where there was water was practically no different from nothing.

    The transformation of Animagus is unpredictable. The animal the wizard changes to depends on his personality and physical characteristics, Evan paused for a moment. It was a bit strange why Hermione asked such basic questions, and he exined patiently, General transformations are to ordinary non-magical creatures, such as Professor McGonagalls tabby cat, Siriuss big ck dog, and Rita Skeeters beetle. In Ravenws memory, I saw Rowena be a raven.

    Raven! Hermione sighed. Madam Ravenw was truly remarkable!

    Transforming into a bird is indeed convenient, and you can do it too, Hermione. The raven has always been considered the incarnation of the smartest wizard, and youre the smartest witch Ive ever met, said Evan. Maybe your Animagus could be a raven.

    Thank you said Hermione, taking a deep breath. Evan, I know all that you said. Actually, I wanted to ask, what animal do you want me to transform to? Which animal can help you?

    Well, then I hope you be a cat. Evan answered directly.

    Why? Hermione looked at him in surprise.

    Youre so silly. Because my Animagus form is a cat, if you were to turn into a cat, we would make a perfect pair! said Evan, as he ruffled Hermiones fluffy hair. But you have to be a bit cuter, not like Professor McGonagall.

    Oh! Hermione murmured softly, her face instantly turning red, all the way to the roots of her ears.

    She had clearly told herself to take the initiative, but with Evans actions, she became nervous and shy.

    Watching Evan, who took out many magical materials in front of her and began to depict magical runes, Hermione knew that she probably could not take the initiative anymore. This was not her strong point at all. She just wanted to quietly watch the boy now

    A few minutester, with Evans actions, a huge andplex magical rune appeared in front of them.

    Is this the magic rune you were talking about? Hermione looked at the rune on the ground in astonishment.

    Yeah, Ive figured it out by myself from the <i>Book of Abraham</i>, the notes that Nics mel handed to me, and the magic found in the remains of ancient times. With this rune, I can use the strong power of the Philosophers Stone. Its a shallow method of Alchemy, said Evan, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

    He could have used magic to draw magical runes, just like he did in the giants territory.

    But doing so would only quickly direct the power of the Philosophers Stone and cast powerful spells, without being able to control it for a long time. It was not suitable for helping Hermioneplete her first Animagus transformation. So he used the Energy Stones hed found deep in the core of the earthst time.

    These magical minerals had excellent conductivity for magic and contained pure natural power.

    Evan brought back a lot at that time, which was why he took the initiative to help Hermioneplete the Animagus transformation.

    After asking Sirius about the transformation process, he was able to help Hermione a year ago, but it was very risky.

    Now with the help of this Energy Stone and the Philosophers Stone, the risk could be minimized.

    Almost done! These are potions to restore magical power. They will help you replenish your magic, said Evan, taking out a few bottles of light blue potions that he handed to Hermione. Unfortunately, we dont have Evesting Elixirs, but theres the Philosophers Stone, and you shouldnt need these either.

    He asked Hermione to sit in the middle of the rune, and opened Slytherins Locket to take out the Philosophers Stone and put it in a key position.

    Is that all right? Hermione asked, nervous and expectant.

    She had read about Animagus more than once in books, and had many discussions with Professor McGonagall, so she knew how difficult this human-to-animal transformation was.

    Otherwise, there wouldnt be only seven legally registered Animagi throughout the entire twentieth century.

    Well, let me see if theres any oversight, said Evan in a deep voice, looking at Hermione sitting in front of him. By the way, it will be very painful for a while when you transform. This is the case for everyone. You must hold back, you can shout out loudly, but you cant stop magic, otherwise youll lose all your efforts and even have an ident.

    I know! Hermione nodded again, clenching her fists.

    When turning into an animal, its generally the bone in a key part that is the most difficult to change and it varies ording to different parts of the creature you change to, so I suggest you take off your clothes Evans voice grew lower. Just take off your outer clothing.

    There was a moment of silence, and Evan was worried that Hermione was angry. This request was indeed a bit excessive.

    You know, its what the magic requires, he hastily added. Just change into your pajamas!

    When Peter Pettigrew transformed, the scap bones on his back couldnt be transfigured. James, Sirius and Lupin helped him transform them one by one. The point of this story was that Peter wasnt wearing any clothes. Therefore, the others could urately find the bones that had not changed and help him sessfullyplete the transformation.

    Give give me my pajamas! said Hermione with a red face, not daring to look at Evan.

    Oh! Evan remembered that Hermiones clothes were all in his possession. He hurriedly looked down, but which one were the pajamas? What he just took out seemed to be underwear, pure white, with a cute little bow on it

    Finally, when Hermione almost couldnt helping over to do it herself, he turned out her pajamas. Not the pink pajamas that Hermione often wore in school, but made of a thinyer of gauze.

    After Hermione went to the back room to change, Evan could vaguely see her hazy and charming body.

    For Evan, Hermiones allure seemed even greater than wearing nothing.

    For Hermione, what had just happened made her shy to the extreme, and strange feelings were rapidly spreading.

    Tonight, both of them had impure motives from the beginning, and Animagus transformation was just an excuse.

    The atmosphere in the room was rather ambiguous, and Evan and Hermiones breathing was a little messy. If it werent for the need to transform

    Hermione, focus and follow the transformation process of Animagus, Evan gasped, Ill help you!

    As soon as he finished speaking, the Philosophers Stone in his hand glowed red, and the magical power instantly lit the magical rune.

    If anyone entered the room at this moment, he would be surprised by the scene in front of him.

    In the magical rune glowing with mysterious light, Hermiones body was rapidly changing into the shape of an animal.

    Like Evans first transformation, he saw Hermiones muscles, skin, and even hair wriggling and shaking.

    She was like a soft y monster. Her entire body was rapidly deforming and softening, getting smaller and smaller.

    Hermione gritted her teeth and persevered, no matter how painful it was. The depleted magic within her body was quickly replenished, and her body underwent a rapid transformation.

    This is Evan looked at Hermione in front of him. She seemed to have truly transformed into a cat!

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 Chapter 823: At the Top of the Pyramid

    Chapter 823: At the Top of the Pyramid

    In the blink of an eye, Hermiones body underwent aplete transformation, sessfullypleting her first Animagus transformation.

    Her transformation process went smoother than expected, and even without Evans help, she would not have encountered significant issues.

    Hermione was very strong, and her foundation in Transfiguration was very solid. With the umtion of normal magical power she would have been able to master thisplex human-to-animal transformation on her own in about three to four years. What Evan was currently doing was merely expediting the process.

    What surprised Evan was the animal Hermione transformed intoit was indeed a cat. He wondered if it was influenced by him.

    Unlike Evans ck cat, Hermione became a white cat. Her entire body was snow-white, with only a reddish-brown color around her ears. Her grape-like,rge eyes emanated a sense of spirituality. Her soft body could touch the most delicate corners of peoples hearts, making her incredibly adorable.

    To describe her in a word, she was CUTE!

    She curled up in the center of the magical rune, still adapting to the impact of her body shape change.

    The kitten sat on the ground like a human, looking at her paws and body in disbelief, and pressing her furry paw pad forward.

    Then she looked up at Evan, her eyes filled with astonishment.

    Meow! Hermione gave a feeble, worried voice.

    Congrattions, Hermione, youve made it, youvepleted the transformation, very sessful, your Animagus form is a white kitten, said Evan happily. To be honest, this is the cutest cat Ive ever seen.

    He reached out to hold Hermione, but she gracefully leaped and skillfully evaded Evans hands.

    Meow  meow! It seemed that she hadnt expected to be this agile, darting around and jumping in the room.

    Evan could understand the feeling of adapting to newfound strength. When he firstpleted his Animagus transformation, he was less adept than Hermione and ended up leaving home, encountering Sirius ck, and engaging in a chase through the streets of London.

    He thought for a moment, his body quickly changed into the shape of a ck cat, and he rushed to Hermione

    The two wrestled, but neither exerted real force. Evan was merely helping Hermione adapt to her new body.

    More than ten minutester, Hermiones reaction was getting faster, already like a real cat.

    Evan stopped. Going on was only taking advantage of Hermione

    Meow! He waved his paw at Hermione and motioned for her to follow him.

    The space in the room was too small, so he was going to show Hermione around and enjoy Egypt at night.

    Evan walked to the balcony, and jumped gently to the huge palm tree outside the window, beforending to the ground.

    Hermione peered from the balcony, seemingly hesitant. Then she also jumped out like Evan did.

    Hermione felt the power in her body. She was so excited and immersed in the joy ofpleting the Animagus transformation.

    Until now, she couldnt believe that shed actually seeded, and really became a cat.

    She followed Evan through the quiet courtyard and the hotel hall to the street outside.

    The Explorer Hotel was formerly an abandoned ancient pce, and its area was also the ruins of an ancient city.

    These ruins had at least thousands of years of history, leaving only piles of rubble piled together.

    Evan and Hermione shuttled through these ancient ruins, feeling the vastness of their antiquity.

    At this moment, Evan clearly felt the power of time, which could wear out all the power in the world.

    By the moonlight, he looked up and saw the huge outlines of the three great pyramids not far away.

    <i>Man fears time; and time fears the pyramids</i>, he suddenly remembered this ancient Egyptian proverb.

    The pyramids in front of them were a miracle in human history, a testament to the formidable power of ancient Egyptian warlocks.

    Even though they were still some distance away, Evan could still feel the oppressive aura emanating from these three massive structures.

    Hundreds of thousands of blocks of limestone and granite were stacked on top of each other without any bonding material, and the stones matched seamlessly. Although they had been beaten by wind and rain for more than 4,000 years, a knife could not be inserted between the stones.

    Could they conquer the power of time?

    They had the same effect as the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>, the <i>ck Book of the Dead </i>and the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>. This was another conquest of time by ancient Egyptian warlocks.

    They aspired to achieve immortality. Although they had been here for less than a day, Evan had already vividly sensed this.

    He paused for a moment, suddenly thinking of taking a look at the top of the pyramid and experiencing the magnitude of this Wonder firsthand.

    Meow! Hermione curiously approached Evan, not understanding why he had stopped.

    The stroll they had just taken through the ruins made her feel great, and the scenery before her was filled with a fantastical romance.

    In Hermiones view, this was much better than the kind of date where couples would hide in the bushes at school.

    If possible, she would be willing to apany Evan and keep going like this.

    Hermione, Ill take you to a ce youll absolutely love, said Evan, quickly reverting back to his original form.

    Meow?! Hermione looked at him strangely and nodded hesitantly.

    Since you nodded, Ill take it as your agreement! said Evan with a smile.

    He lifted Hermione, who hadnt fully reacted yet, directly into his arms and Apparated.

    The next second, they both appeared at the top of the Pyramid of Khufu.

    Hermione struggled in Evans arms for a moment. She didnt mind where Evan took her, but she didnt expect him to hold her so directly.

    Then, she looked up, gazing in astonishment at the panoramic view before herthe night view of Cairo.

    Countless lights twinkled, like bright gems, iid in this ancient city.

    In the distance, there was the quietly flowing Nile River, which glowed silver under the moonlight.

    These earthly brilliance and the bright stars in the sky merged together in a picture of breathtaking beauty.

    Hermione stared nkly at theke, immersed in it, and didnt react until five minutester. Where were they now?

    Then immediately, she realized that this was the only ce where she could see the full picture of Cairo City.

    She poked her head and looked at the stones stacked underneath, knowing that Evan had brought her to the top of the pyramid, the ce closest to the gods.

    Hermiones body was taut, afraid to move recklessly and even more afraid to revert back to her original form, fearing that she might fall.

    It was very steep here. Every year, people fell from the pyramids and died. It was said to be a curse left by the Pharaohs.

    Hermione curled up in Evans arms, feeling his warmth and breath, and her nervous mood gradually rxed.

    She poked her head out again, enjoying the beautiful scenery in the distance and feeling the romance with Evan.

    And so, in the dim light of the night, above the Great Pyramid, a teenager sat quietly holding a kitten in his arms

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 Chapter 824: Bill and Fleur

    Chapter 824: Bill and Fleur

    Meow! After a while, Hermione softly eximed.

    Evan lowered his head and looked at the kitten in his arms, understood what she meant, and ced her on the granite beside him.

    He gently held one of the kittens paws, and Hermiones body was changing rapidly, returning to its original state.

    That evening, the two of them sat hand in hand at the top of the Great Pyramid, chatting untilte into the night.

    This was indeed a rare and very romantic experience, but the result was that both Evan and Hermione got upte the next day.

    When they came out of their rooms yawning, Fleur and Gabrielle had already arrived at the Explorer Hotel.

    Gabrielle was sitting on the sofa in the hall with a ss of juice in her hand, and in front of her was an as about Egypt, which she leafed through absentmindedly and raised her head from time to time, as though searching for something.

    As for Fleur, she was chatting with Bill, visibly interested in him, and he seemed to reciprocate.

    Fleur was very delighted. Evan had never seen her so happy.

    She shook her head non-stop, making her silver long hair sh with dazzling luster.

    Evan, Hermione! Gabrielle hurriedly waved over, showing a lovely smile on her face as she saw theme out.

    Hello, Gabrielle! Evan greeted.

    When did you arrive? Hermione asked directly. I was actually nning toe and pick you up.

    Just now, we came through the Floo Network, , and as soon as we came out, we met this big brother. Hes your friend?

    Yeah, hes Rons brother, Bill Weasley. Hes currently working for Gringotts as a Curse Breaker, said Evan, looking at Bill and Fleur who came over. But looking at your sister, it seems like theres no need for introductions!

    Hes my sisters type. Gabrielle whispered, with a tinklingugh.

    Bill is also interested in your sister, said Hermione keenly, noticing that there was something unusual between the two.

    Indeed, Bill and Fleur hit it off right away, or you could say it was love at first sight.

    Theyplemented each other perfectly, both in appearance and personality, and quickly became extremely close.

    Introductions werepletely unnecessary; they were attracted to each other, progressing at a pace that surpassed everyones expectations.

    Evan still remembered that in the original story, the two had hooked up with one another in just one summer vacation!

    One yearter, it was the wedding of the two, and the Weasleys hadnt liked Fleur, but after Bill was bitten by a werewolf, Fleur didnt leave him. It could be considered true love in times of adversity, and their feelings for each other ran deep.

    I got the information about you from Evan and Hermione yesterday, but I didnt expect to see youing out of the firece as soon as I came here today! said Bill,ing up. What a coincidence

    Yes  a good coincidence. Fortunately, you helped usmunicate with those goblins, otherwise we wouldnt have known what to do, said Fleur, throwing back her long mane of silver hair. My sister and I are not very good at English, and they cant speak French.

    My English is not so bad, and I have no problemmunicating with others, Gabrielle muttered in a low voice.

    Evan, Hermione and Gabrielle stared at Fleur and Bill chatting, and the two didnt seem to notice them.

    Hermione frowned slightly and coughed hard, interrupting their conversation.

    Long time no see, Evan, what have you been busy with these past few months? said Fleur in a throaty voice, as though she had just noticed Evan and Hermione. She suddenly came over and swooped to kiss him on each cheek.

    Evan felt the ces where her lips had touched him burn. He wasnt sure if he and Fleur had be this close or if French girls were just that affectionate, but it was obvious that Fleurs move made Hermione very displeased.

    She waited for her with a huff, but Fleur just greeted her nonchntly, creating a tense atmosphere.

    Well, lets not stand here in the hall, lets go to the room and have a look, said Evan awkwardly.

    Ill help you with your luggage, said Bill, taking the initiative to pick up Fleurs suitcase. Unfortunately, theres no spare room in the hotel, so you can only share a room for now

    It doesnt matter, said Fleur, ncing at Evan and Hermione. Its nice to live together.

    This was nothing like what Fleur could say; at least it was not Fleur that Evan knew.

    Not long ago, she hadined for a whole year about Hogwartss diet and bleak environment. She alwayspared Hogwarts with Beauxbatons and was extremely picky.

    It was hard to imagine that she suddenly wanted to share a room with Hermione, with both of them harboring dissatisfaction and not hiding it.

    Evan looked at Hermione and Fleur again. He felt it was better not to get involved and hurried over to help Bill with the luggage.

    I must have fallen in love with that girl, said Bill, when it was just the two of them left.

    She has Ve blood and is very attractive to the opposite sex, said Evan cautiously. He had seen too many boys fascinated by Fleur, including Bills brother Ron, who had once ran to express his love. The scene was unbearable to look at straight.

    I know, you said it before, said Bill.But its not just because of Ve blood, its because of who she is as a person.

    Then seize the opportunity. I wish you sess, said Evan with a sigh, hoping that Bill could endure Fleurs character.

    However, Fleurs nature was not bad, it would be better if some habits could be changed, and the power of love was infinite.

    For the rest of the day, Bill took the four of them around Cairo, visiting many ces.

    Usually Bill and Fleur walked in front, followed by Evan, Hermione and Gabrielle

    Evan told Gabrielle about his experiences over the past few months, without mentioning too much danger, but focusing on the giants. These alone made the little girls worship of Evan reach a level beyond measure.

    When they arrived at the museum, Evans attention was all transferred to the ancient artifacts in the ss showcases.

    Through these things, he could intuitively feel the history of Egypt and the glorious bygone era. Although most of the items disyed had no magical power or only a slight magical breath, they still made Evan enjoy them.

    Then they visited the Egyptian Ministry of Magic, which was housed in a dome-like building simr to a mosque.

    Instead of being hidden underground as the Ministry of Magic should be, the Egyptian Ministry of Magic was located in a ruin, at least in the eyes of Muggles.

    In fact, through a special arch, they came to the Wizarding world of Cairo, a ce evenrger than Diagon Alley.

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 Chapter 825: Egyptian Gringotts

    Chapter 825: Egyptian Gringotts

    Through the ancient street, Evan saw a bustling crowd. This was amercial street.

    Unlike the pleasing and glittering shops in Diagon Alley, the shops here were small houses made of yellow rocks and bricks. They had protruding green tents outside, and the shopkeepers disyed many things and called out their wares along the street.

    Some of the items they sold were simr to those in Diagon Alley, but there were many magical materials that were not avable in Britain. Evan even saw many cursed items from African regions. He did not know the specific uses of many of them, but they emanated strong magical power.

    In Egypt, the control over magic and Dark magic items is not as strict as in Europe, and witchcraft is very popr in Africa! Bill exined. Of course, objects that are too evil or too powerful are not to be seen here.

    Its really very interesting magic, said Evan, looking at a huge pharaoh statue outside a shop.

    Magic from Europe, African witchcraft, special magic from the Arab world and Egypts ancient magical civilizations met and merged with each other in thisrgest African country, forming a very special and unique magical system.

    Even if he were to hang around here for a month, he would not be bored.

    Finally, at Bills rmendation, Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle bought supposedly very effective scarab amulets, made of talc and covered with emerald ze, brightly colored and mysterious.

    In addition, Hermione and Gabrielle bought some spices and sweets to bring back to their friends.

    Evan, on the other hand, bought a bone said to be soaked in voodoo magic from a spooky shop, intending to study the magic inscribed on it.

    If it werent because he couldnt take it away, he really wanted to buy the terrifying mummy tightly wrapped in cloth and twine that the shop owner tried to rmend to him. The voodoo aura on it was much stronger than that on the bone in his hand.

    Witchcraft and voodoo, as a special branch of magic, were very popr in Europe and Southeast Asia. They were a kind of eerie magic power that was closer to nature and required a medium to be cast. That medium was a voodoo doll. Voodoo dolls had different shapes. The bone that Evan bought was one of them, and was rtively primitive.

    The raw materials for making voodoo dolls were also varied. Depending on the purpose of the spell, they could be made of animal bones, straw, metal, stone, or human skin or the bodies of other magical creatures

    With its vicious voodoo dolls and mysterious and entric rituals, most wizards considered witchcraft to be evil Dark magic.

    But in fact, there were many detailed types of witchcraft. Many were rted to revenge, harm, hatred, but there were also spells rted to love, sess, luck, health, protection, and dispelling evil spirits.

    For example, the pendant on Evans wrist, which had natural shaman power on it, was also a kind of witchcraft.

    Here we are  Gringotts, said Bill, pointing to the towering snow-white building that was exactly the same as Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Diagon Alley. Come on, just in time to register you four as explorers. Itll be easier to show you other ruins.

    Hermione was exining to Gabrielle what an explorer was, and Evans attention turned to the shiny bronze gate.

    A warning text was also engraved on it, but different from that of Britain and had more Egyptian characteristics:

    Enter, stranger, but take heed

    Of what awaits the sin of greed;

    For that who shall enter this building impure,

    Death shall seize his neck like a bird

    The business of Gringotts is all over the world, but Egypt is a key area, and the goblins have much more power here, said Bill, leading them through the vast marble hall.

    Like Gringotts in Diagon Alley, about a hundred goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling inrge ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyesses.

    In the side hall, there were many goblins and wizards busy around arge number of ancient cultural relics.

    One of the goblins in a ck suit seemed to be the leader. He was a little taller than the other goblins, with wrinkles on his face and gray temples.

    He was there yelling and directed the others to do this and that, scolding them with harsh words if anyone was a little slow in their actions.

    These are all cultural relics that have just been excavated from the ruins, and they are registering and sorting them out, said Bill.

    Whos that goblin? Hermione asked, frowning. The one with a bad attitude.

    Hes Zoser, one of the heads of Gringotts in Egypt. Hes the best Curse-Breaker and the most experienced adventurer. He has led many expeditions to excavate ancient ruins, Bill whispered. Of course, his attitude is not very good. There are many rumors

    Excuse me, please make way!

    Evan turned his head and saw a girl running over in a hurry with a bunch of drawings in her arms.

    She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, and her skin was dark and brown like milk chocte. Her hair was ck and seemed to be very long, tied in fantastic shapes with leather cords.

    Her facial features were quite regr, with slightly upturned corners to her eyes, looking like the eyes of a bobcat, her nose was slender and straight, her cherry-like mouth was light pink, and the lines of her cheeks made her look still childish.

    The girl was dressed in a typical Arabic style; with a brightly colored headscarf intricately woven with beautiful patterns.

    She exuded a strong power, or rather, a primal vitality, full of liveliness.

    Overall, this was a very beautiful girl, and Evans eyes fell on her essories.

    She had a ne hanging around her neck, with white tusks or teeth on it, a bracelet on her wrist, with a miniature wooden doll attached to it, and a leather scabbard knife and a wand hanging from her waist.

    He suddenly became interested in this girl. These things were not simple decorations; they must be used to cast witchcraft. The magic emanating from them was stronger than all the items hed seen in the shops outside.

    Hello, Rawya, said Bill, letting her go sideways. Still so full of energy.

    Hello, Mr. Weasley, arent you on vacation today? The girl stopped and seemed to recognize Bill.

    Yeah, I brought my friends here to visit Gringotts, said Bill, introducing Evan, Hermione, Fleur and Gabrielle to her. This is Rawya, the Curse-Breaker whos juste to Gringotts this year, and a student at the Egyptian Wizarding School Karnak.

    Hello, nice to meet you all, I said Rawya with a smile, and the goblin in the side hall gave another terrifying roar. She stuck out her tongue, I have to go; these are the drawings Mr. Zoser asked for.

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 Chapter 826: The Goblins Invitation

    Chapter 826: The Goblin''s Invitation

    This girl possesses a very special kind of magic, said Evan, looking at her back.

    Obviously, thats witchcraft! Bill replied. Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle all looked at him in astonishment.

    In their minds, witchcraft was just as bad as Dark magic, and Rawya was nothing like a Dark wizard.

    In Africa, witchcraft is a verymon magic, not as mysterious as you think, and not all evil magic. In fact, witchcraft has the same effect as the magic were familiar with, but the casting method is different and moreplex and secretive, said Bill, leading everyone forward. Because of her family heritage, Rawya has a natural talent for witchcraft, which is why she was noticed by Zoser

    You mean that scary-looking goblin?!

    Yeah, hes the one you really have to be careful of, said Bill solemnly. If you work in Gringotts in Egypt, the first thing I want to warn you is not to get close to that goblin. There are many bad rumors about him.

    There was a moment of silence, it could be seen that Bill was not pleased with that goblin.

    Bad rumors, such as? asked Fleur with interest.

    Im not used to speaking ill of my colleagues behind their backs, but you should know that many ancient relics involve curses that need the blood, limbs and even lives and souls of living people to break. Generally, when we encounter these curses, we give up digging, said Bill. But Zoser is different. In the goblins eyes, there is only wealth, and he doesnt care about other peoples lives. His excavation team can always find more treasures, but members often go missing.

    Oh my goodness, Bill, you dont mean Everyone looked at him in shock.

    The meaning in Bills words was obvious. Those who were missing were sacrificed to break the curses.

    Behind the scenes, nning all this was the goblin they had just seen.

    Thinking about it, it was really chilling.

    Theres no evidence, as long as treasures or ancient magical items can be found, the living people can always get generous rewards, and no one will care about the missing team members, Bill sighed. You know, Gringotts Curse-Breaker or explorer is a very dangerous job, and people often die. Some of the wizards who want to work here, like me, are very passionate about this line of business, while others are solely driven by money. They dont care about the danger.

    Whenever wealth and power were involved, beneath the seemingly calm surface, there often lurked unknown evil.

    This was an unchanging truth, and one shouldnt be fooled by peaceful appearances.

    Isnt it very dangerous for Rawya? said Hermione worriedly. We should tell her about it.

    I told her about it, but she didnt take it to heart, said Bill. You dont have to worry too much. There should be no big problem. Shes a sixth-year at Karnak Egyptian School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She onlyes to Gringotts for an internship during the summer vacation, so she will only follow Zosers excavation team in the next two months. I heard that they are going to dig in the ruins of Amun Ra.

    The ruins left by Pharaoh Ramses II you told me about yesterday?!

    Yeah, ording to the style of Ramses II, he will not leave a curse in the ruins that requires human life to break, Bill continued. That kind of thing happened during earlier dynasties, such as the Scorpion King.

    Not exactly, Mr. Weasley! A sharp voice came from behind them. Cleopatra in the desert likes blood. We need to use blood to appease her, but only when ites to the curse of Isis and Nephthys, we use human blood, because the blood of other creatures is ineffective.

    Evan looked back and saw that the fierce-looking, white-haired goblin Zoser was approaching them.

    Its not evil, its just a little blood, but when entering the temple of Anubis, we need to be extra careful because it needs a soul, and its a good practice to keep a few animals in the excavation team. I usually carry a snake, mouse or rabbit with me. They can save your life at a critical moment, Zoser continued, and walked to Evans front. If you encounter Horus, it will be much more troublesome. He governs order, which is a very troublesome point.

    What does he require? Evan asked.

    If you have visited the museum, you will know that there are usually four canopic jars with internal organs next to the mummy, which correspond to Horuss four sons, symbolizing kingship. The jar with a human head holds the liver, and the jar with a baboon head is used for the lungs, the one with the head of a jackal is used to hold the stomach, and the jar with the head of a falcon contains the intestines, said Zoser, revealing his sharp teeth. Its quite clear, isnt it? The gods of ancient Egypt have clearly told future generations everything they need. We can know their preferences from many clues, as long as we follow them. These are the top curses, and breaking them will reveal the treasure of Pharaoh.

    That sounds great! said Bill in a sarcastic tone, taking a step forward in front of Evan. This is the main reason you can always break those curses, because you know what they require.

    This is the simplest way, Mr. Weasley. We have to pay attention to efficiency! Zoser turned to Evan, his eyes shing with dangerous light. You must be Evan Mason, the young wizard who applied to view the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>?

    Thats me, Evan nodded.

    You should already know who I am. I heard youd learned Alchemy with Nics mel. I assume youre not too bad, Zoser continued, bypassing Bill in front of him. There is no need to hide it. During the excavation of the relics of Amun Ra, we encountered a small problem that needs to be solved using Alchemy

    Hearing this, Evan understood why he came to find him. The goblin needed him to help solve the so-called small problem.

    Alchemy was very rare. Most alchemists were only involved in superficial matters, and those who got the full inheritance like Evan were in the minority.

    Sorry, but I dont have time

    Dont rush to refuse, human. Without my help, you will never see the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, said Zoser, looking at Evan. Help my excavation team solve that problem, I can let you view the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> now, and you will have a share of the treasure found in the relics of Amun Ra.

    I dont seem to have a choice, said Evan, looking at the unpleasant goblin.

    This is a matter of mutual benefit, not coercion, Mr. Mason! The goblin continued, showing an ugly smile. Ill be staying here for the next few days. If youre willing to join my excavation team, you cane find me anytime

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 Chapter 827: Hermiones Reasoning

    Chapter 827: Hermione''s Reasoning

    I dont like this goblin! said Gabrielle.

    No one does. This guys malice is too obvious, said Hermione. What are you going to do, Evan?

    We have no other choice. If we want to view the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, we have to agree to his terms. This goblin got it right. Evan replied. He didnt like being forced, but the current situation was that he had to join Zosers excavation team.

    Bill had told them before that the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> was kept deep in Gringotts.

    Zoser was one of the heads of Gringotts in Egypt, and had the authority to decide whether Evan could go to watch the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    Exploring the ruins is a very dangerous task, but dont worry too much about it, said Bill. Evan, I can go with you. If its just about deciphering Alchemy-rted issues, it shouldnt be too dangerous.

    No matter what, well all be with you. Fleur frowned slightly.

    The unexpected invitation dampened the groups mood for further exploration, so they left Gringotts and went back to the hotel directly.

    Bill had gathered a lot of materials about Ramses II and the remains of Amun Ra from Gringotts, and they spent a long time studying them that evening.

    From these materials, it was evident that Ramses II, the great pharaoh, was almost like a deity himself.

    The remains of his reign were visible everywhere in Egypt. Arge number of ancient statues and inscriptions told about the pharaohs feats and courage, making his imagest forever and withstand the test of time.

    There were so many legends about him that they couldnt be all told for days and nights.

    Evans focus was on the strong magical power disyed by Ramses II, while Hermione and Gabrielle were interested in the love story between the pharaoh and his queen Nefertari.

    On the tombstone of Nefertari is engraved the confession of Ramses IIs love for her: <i>My love is unique, and no one canpete with it. When she died, she stole my heart</i>. Hermione slowly recited this sentence. Very romantic, isnt it?

    Gabrielle nodded vigorously and also delved into the materials about Ramses IIs love story.

    The person who could write these words was not like a god-like majestic pharaoh, but more like a young man deeply in love. After reading these stories, the image of a perfect young king appeared in front of Evan. Unbelievably, he was also the most powerful warlock in the world at that time.

    Theres another sentence here, also in praise of Nefertari: <i>The one for whom the sun shines</i>. said Gabrielle, holding her chin with her small hand. So romantic! She was Pharaohs favorite andst wife. For thousands of years, their temples have been facing each other on the banks of the Nile

    Gabrielle closed her eyes trying to imagine the beauty of the queen, and Evan looked at her speechless. She was really cute. But everyone was here to help Evan find clues about the relics of Amun Ra. How did the topic finally change to this aspect? As for Bill and Fleur, they had long gone to talk alone!

    They said they were going out to buy juice for the three of them. Now it was unknown where they were.

    Hermione was more reliable, immersing herself in that pile of literature for four hours, which made Evan feel a bit sorry for her.

    Hermione, take a break. You dont have to work so hard, Im just going to help them with Alchemy

    The one for whom the sun shines! Hermione raised her head suddenly and looked at Evan.

    What?!

    The one for whom the sun shines! Hermione repeated, flipping through the information in her hand, as though she had suddenly thought of something. Evan, look here. This sentence is also found on the glyphs outside the ruins of Amun Ra.

    Evan took the copy of the photo from her. It was a sentence engraved on the outer gate of the ruins of Amun Ra. The photo showed a stone gate engraved with ancient hieroglyphs and magical runes. Part of it was buried under the yellow sand. The middle sentence was <i>The one for whom the sun shines</i> handwritten in English.

    If this is Ramses IIs praise of Nefertari, would this temple ruin be rted to this queen? Otherwise, it wouldnt have been so coincidental, said Hermione hurriedly. This is a great discovery, Evan.

    Its really interesting reasoning! Evan carefully looked at the picture in his hand. The relics of Amun Ra may actually be rted to Nefertari. No one has discovered this so far.

    This sentence was considered to be a tribute to Amun Ra, who was the highest god in all Egypt.

    Therefore, this temple located in the center of the city of Pi-Ramses was also known as the relic of Amun Ra.

    All kinds of daily necessities and frescoes on the walls were considered to be the most direct evidence of the possible existence of the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>.

    But if the ruins of this temple had nothing to do with Amun Ra, then all the above reasoning would be invalid.

    The most important thing was that this had not yet been discovered. Bill had got all the internal information of Gringotts. Those goblins and magic historians did not seem to pay too much attention to the love story in front of Ramses II.

    Lets sort out the life of Queen Nefertari and follow this line of thought said Hermione excitedly, with an expression reminiscent of when she was preparing for an uing exam. Queen Nefertari yed an important role in the early days of Ramses IIs reign, but her figure disappeared at the celebration of the year 30 of the reign. She may have passed away shortly before.

    Its recorded in a history book that the god was envious of their love, said Gabrielle, turning the book to the page.

    It may be due to illness, an ident or a curse. In short, she left and died. We can clearly see from the existing ruins that Ramses II had loved her, Nefertari was the love of his life, said Hermione. Thats why he built this splendid temple for her in the center of the city.

    What for? said Evan, feeling that he was about to grasp the key point. There are many temples about Nefertari. Her grave is also thergest and most spectacr in the Valley of the Queens.

    After a brief silence, Hermione was still working on the thick document quickly, and Evan and Gabrielle were watching her.

    Organizing data was Hermiones strength, and she could always find vital clues inplex narratives.

    Remember the inferences made by the wizard of Gringotts about the relics of Amun Ra and immortality?! said Hermione as she took out a few pieces of dense parchment. Since it was not Ramses II who wanted immortality, it must have been prepared for the resurrection of Nefertari.

    This pharaoh already had the strongest power in the world while he was alive, and he could do everything by magic, even killing gods.

    That being the case, he must have been sore about the death of his beloved queen and wanted to resurrect her.

    The purpose of the construction of the relics of Amun Ra was to resurrect Queen Nefertari. There will certainly not be the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra </i>hidden in there. This magic book can only rest the dead and cannot resurrect them. Evan paused for a moment and looked at Hermione in disbelief. So, if theres really a magic book hidden in the relics of Amun Ra, it is theplete <i>ck Book of the Dead</i>, a magic book that can bring disaster to the world.

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 Chapter 828: Inferences

    Chapter 828: Inferences

    If everything was really as Hermione said, it would be enough to shake the reasoning of the entire Egyptian wizarding world.

    Based on the clues and historical facts discovered so far, the three of them didnt go to the scene, yet they deduced the true secret of Amun Ra just by sitting here.

    If it was ultimately confirmed, the Curse-Breakers and magical historians of Gringotts would undoubtedly be left speechless with astonishment.

    It was hard to imagine that a fifteen-year-old witch could achieve this.

    Hermione was very talented in this regard. She should really consider bing a magical historian. She would definitely be famous.

    You think the same as I do, Evan. Now that we know that the ruins of Amun Ra were built to resurrect Nefertari, and contain the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i>, we can specte about the gods well encounter, said Hermione, flipping the pages of the book and the quill in her hand moving swiftly. There are 740 gods in Egypt, among them gods rted to the afterlife or funerary beliefs

    In a short time, she wrote down more than a dozen gods.

    They included Anubis, the god of death, the goddess of truth Maat, Horus the guardian of kingships and the four sons, the god of light Seker, and so on. Although they hadnt seen the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i>, ording to ancient Egyptian theory, these gods must have something to do with the fact that the dead wanted to be resurrected and return to this world.

    Even if we know that, whats the use?

    This information is very useful. Do you remember what Bill and the goblin Zoser told us during the day? Hermione continued. The ancient Egyptian wizards did not leave curses for no reason. The curses they arranged were directly rted to the deities. I think that, knowing this, we can roughly guess what trouble we will encounter this time, and be prepared ordingly

    Evan nodded in agreement. Having Hermione here was truly beneficial.

    He was not very good at analyzing information to make judgments. His habitual approach was to rely on strength to overpower others.

    He had to say that Hermiones analysis gave him a sense of enlightenment.

    The reasoning unfolded step by step,pletely logical, and could predict most of the dangers of this expedition.

    By then, they just needed to be cautious and guard against that goblin.

    As for Gabrielle, it went without saying that the young girl looked at Hermione admiringly, her eyes twinkling like stars.

    What you said makes sense, Hermione! said Evan. But one thing, its not us, its my own business. Its obviously dangerous in the ruins of Amun Ra. The goblin isnt kindly disposed either. You and Gabrielle have better stay in the hotel honestly, and Fleur should not go either.

    What are you talking about, Evan? Hermione looked at him, closed the book heavily, and said firmly, How can we let you go alone? Since I analyzed all this information, Ill follow up to verify. Dont think about leaving me behind.

    Well, Im going too! Gabrielle followed, nodding hard.

    Evan looked at the two girls with a headache. They didnt even think of the danger of this excavation process.

    Instead of going on a tour, they were going to visit the magical relics of Amun Ra of thousands of years ago

    Evan thought about it all the way to bed.

    Hidden in the remains of Amun Ra, the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i> was a terrifying magic book that could summon the dead and cast gues. It contained Dark magic and curses beyond the imagination of the world. What would they encounter in the ruins?!

    Since Evan had decided to ept the invitation of the goblin Zoser, ording to thetters promise, he could see the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> tomorrow.

    The <i>Emerald Tablet</i> was the basis of Alchemy, the legendary book of origins, left by Pharaoh Hermes.

    It was said that the author of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> was the god Thoth, the father of the Pharaonic Hermes, who was also the ruler of the underworld in Egyptian mythology.

    At the same time he created the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, and was also the author of the <i>ck Book of the Dead</i>.

    Evan had a feeling that there might be a connection between the two

    Knock, knock, knock.

    Just as he was thinking about it, there was a knock on the door outside.

    Evan got up and went to open the door, and was surprised to see Hermione standing outside, in her pink pajamas.

    Hermione, what can I do for you? said Evan. Did Hermione want him to take her around like he didst night? The two had spent the whole night chatting on the pyramid. It was a good feeling. Evan didnt mind doing it again.

    Sitting on a towering pyramid and talking about love was the most convenient way to increase feelings.

    There are only two beds in the room. You wouldnt really n to make Gabrielle and I squeeze together to sleep, said Hermione, walking in without hesitation.

    So Evan looked at her. Did Hermione want to share the bed with him?!

    So what? Of course, I came to sleep. I want the bed closer to the wall, and you can sleep on the outside, said Hermione bluntly.

    Her heart was thumping, but she was extremely calm on the surface, and she was ready for it before knocking on the door.

    Youreing to share the room with me. Youre not afraid Evan looked at her andughed joyfully.

    Afraid?  Afraid of what? Hermione shook her fist, not clear if she understood Evans words, and deliberately put on a fierce look, Ill sleep here every night. Dont make a sound in the middle of the night; dont snore, dont even think to mess up!

    Evan blinked, things started so suddenly that he was caught in a dilemma.

    If he climbed into Hermiones bed in the middle of the night, he would be an uncivilized beast, but if he didnt, he would be even worse

    Okay, what about Fleur and Gabrielle? Evan asked.

    Gabrielle is probably asleep, and Fleur hasnte back yet. I dont know where shes gone with Bill, said Hermione. The two of them seem to have a crush on one another. With her bad character, if she really ends up with Bill, Mrs. Weasley will definitely not agree.

    Evan nodded. That was true. Not only Mrs. Weasley, but Ron would surely be shocked as well.

    Okay, I didnt sleep wellst night. Im so sleepy. Lets go to bed early tonight, said Hermione, yawning, staring at Evan, blushing, and she quickly forced herself back to normal. Take my things out; I want to take a shower before going to sleep.

    Take out what? Evan didnt understand.

    Clothes, of course. All my things are kept with you, and youre asking me? said Hermione.

    She directly took the cloth bag from Evans waist and pulled out a set of underwear for changing. Then she turned around and walked to the bathroom as fast as she could, mming the door shut.

    The whole set of actions went so fast, and she didnt even dare to look at Evan

    When the bathroom was closed, Hermione leaned against the door with her clothes, heavily relieved, and her pretty face was already red.

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 Chapter 829: A Complicated Night

    Chapter 829: A Complicated Night

    Evan stared at the bathroom for a long time, and heard the sound of Hermione undressing.

    It wasnt until the sound of water sounded inside that he reacted and epted the fact.

    Hermione was taking a shower in there. She was going to sleep in the same room with him

    Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing to make a fuss about, but Evan sat on the bed and couldnt calm down.

    The current question was, what should he do now?!

    He couldnt just ignore Hermione and go back to sleep, but sitting here and waiting for her to finish showering felt strange.

    In the dim light, Evan listened attentively to the soundsing from the bathroom, thinking about Hermione being inside with nothing on, tightly hugging a pillow

    Then Evan suddenly thought, how would he exin this matter to Fleur and Gabrielle tomorrow?!

    Tell them directly that Hermione was sleeping with him?

    Since Hermione was now his girlfriend, that should not be a problem.

    Evan thought of this, Hermione was his girlfriend, shouldnt he be doing something instead of sitting here?!

    He felt itchy in his heart, and as soon as he stood up ready to take action, he heard another knock at the door.

    Who is it? Evan asked, holding his breath.

    The sound of running water in the bathroom stopped and Hermione heard the knock on the door.

    Its me, Evan! Gabrielles voice came tremblingly, sounding urgent.

    What are you doing sote? I was sleeping

    What was this all about? They didnt sleep well and ran to his room one by one in the middle of the night.

    Hurry and open the door, Evan, said Gabrielle in panic, her voice urging. Its so dark outside. Im a little scared!

    Evan scratched his head. He couldnt let Gabrielle stand outside, but it was even worse to open the door directly. Hermione was still in the bathroom.

    Although the two had nothing to reproach themselves for, it was always a bit embarrassing to exin it to Gabrielle.

    Hold on, Ill get up! Evan said loudly, and quickly came to the bathroom door and knocked.

    A few secondster, the door opened a small slit, revealing Hermiones brown eyes, sparkling brightly.

    What should I do? Hermione said, her voice also a little rmed.

    Evan was speechless. She hade here on her own initiative, but now she was asking him what to do and how to answer. Where did her calmness just now go?!

    You keep washing, and Ill open the door for Gabrielle and tell her the matter directly, said Evan.

    Dont go, you cant tell her and Im like this! said Hermione, blushing. Wait for me to put on my clothes first.

    Along the slit, Evan looked inward to see Hermione standing inside wrapped in a bath towel with wet hair

    There was another rapid knock on the door, Gabrielles voice was a bit crying, and she seemed really scared.

    Its toote. Go and open the door! said Hermione, her body changing quickly. Help me put my clothes away!

    In the blink of an eye, the bath towel fell to the ground. She turned into a cat and quickly walked past Evan to his bed and hid under the bedding

    Evan looked at her in a daze. Howe this picture was so familiar?

    It was the same in Ginnys roomst year. When Ginny suddenly came in, Evan turned into a ck cat and hid in Hermiones bed, but now it was Hermione who transformed.

    Things that could have been exined clearly in a few sentences had be more and moreplicated and could not be exined at all.

    Now if he told Gabrielle that there was nothing between him and Hermione, she probably wouldnt believe it.

    But it didnt matter if there was really anything. The two of them were lovers. Normally, it should be something normal.

    Look at Ron and Lavender. After only a few dates, they shamelessly hugged and kissed each other. Looking back at Evan and Hermione, they were as pure as primary school students. Evan didnt know why the situation had be like this.

    He sighed. He had to find another opportunity to make things clear. This evening was indeed not a suitable asion to exin.

    Hermione was originally supposed to sleep with Gabrielle. But when it was quiet at night, she secretly ran into Evans room. Even though the two were currently in a rtionship, it was too hical to do so. Hermione must be embarrassed, and Evan couldnt say anything, especially when exining this to Gabrielle.

    It was better to say it openly during the day, not as stealthily as it was now.

    Lets think of a way to muddle through first. Evan murmured, entering the bathroom.

    It was misty inside, full of damp steam.

    He saw that Hermiones clothes and underwear were all ced in the basket at the door. Evan stared at these things for a few seconds and directly put the clothes in the cloth bag

    In the dim light, he turned back to see Hermione hiding under the bedding, peering at him with her head out.

    Their eyes met, and Hermione quickly pulled her head back, looking as cute as a real kitten.

    What is this all about? Evan sighed and shouted, Iming. Stop knocking!

    He went over and opened the door and saw Gabrielle standing outside in her lovely cartoon pajamas with a doll in her arms.

    She looked panicked, tears swirling in her eyes, and as soon as the door opened, she threw herself in Evans arms.

    Whats going on? Evan asked hurriedly. What happened?

    I was just sleeping and dreamed that Ramses II and his queen Nefertari had a love story, but then the mummies I saw in the museum during the day, they all came back to life and made strange noises Gabrielle whispered, wiping her eyes.

    Dont worry, its just a nightmare! Evanforted her, thinking that children should not be allowed to see such terrible things.

    Mmm! Gabrielle nodded and continued. But when I woke up, I realized Hermione was suddenly gone. I called out a few times, and my sister didnte back. I was all alone in that big room. Have they been captured by the mummies?

    No way, your sister must be flirting somewhere with Bill! Evan paused before adding, As for Hermione, she maybe couldnt sleep and went out for ate-night snack. Shell be back soon. All right, let me take you back.

    No, there is no one in that room. Im a little scared! said Gabrielle, her voice getting lower and lower. Evan, can I sleep with you tonight

    Evan looked at the pitiful Gabrielle with a wry smile. She looked so adorable right now.

    It would have been fine to sleep with a nine-year-old girl, but there was a cat in his bed now. How to exin it if it was found out?

    He subconsciously covered his forehead. Things were really getting more and more troublesome. They shouldnt have been like this!

    Without waiting for Evan to reply, Gabrielle walked directly to his bed.

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 Chapter 830: Evanâ€™s Bedtime Story

    Chapter 830: Evan¡¯s Bedtime Story

    After crying, Gabrielle now had sleepy eyes and kept nodding off, constantly lowering her head, wanting to find a ce to continue sleeping.

    It was not realistic to drive her away, but he couldnt let her go to his bed, there was a white cat shivering inside!

    Gabrielle, Ill take you back to your room and wait for you to fall asleep before I leave, said Evan, stopping her in a hurry.

    Im scared and dont dare to sleep alone. Dont leave me alone Gabrielle whispered, looking around. I feel its spooky there, and I dont know where my sister and Hermione have gone!

    This ancient hotel was thousands of years old and surrounded by ruins. It was really unpleasant at night.

    Evan stepped back, unobtrusively standing between Gabrielle and the bed, preventing her from seeing Hermione in bed.

    Well, you can stay here, but to sleep in the bed in the inner room, Ill apany you.

    But I want to sleep with you, said Gabrielle, looking at him with her head tilted. I always sleep with my sister at home

    Im different from your sister. You should learn to be independent now, said Evan, looking at her with a headache.

    Gabrielle was usually quite obedient. How could they all change like this at night?

    At nine-years old, she should understand those things. Ginny knew how to blush when she saw Harry. Wouldnt Gabrielle be shy, sleeping with Evan?!

    But looking at Gabrielles eyes, she really didnt mean anything else. It was simply because of fear and her affection for Evan.

    Because of the publicity about Evans deeds in the newspapers, Gabrielle almost regarded him as an idol to worship. This kind of worship had not risen to other aspects, but she was simply very fond of Evan, and she was the first to approve of him when he was with Hermione.

    For a girl who had just turned nine, it was meaningless and ridiculous to think too much about it.

    I know everything you said, and my sister has told me that many times, said Gabrielle stubbornly, falling coquettish on Evan.But I still want to sleep with you, just for one night, okay?!

    She hugged Evan tightly and nuzzled against him affectionately, looking up at him.

    Evan didnt know what to say except for a bitter smile.

    He looked back, Hermione was hiding under the quilt without showing her head, and there was a pronounced bulge there.

    If Gabrielle stayed here, it would be hrious, with three people crammed into a bed, an unusual night.

    It was not that he didnt want to sleep with Gabrielle, but simply Hermione was in the bed. Evan felt that he should try to persuade Gabrielle again, or just take her back

    Evan, dont drive me back, she said pitifully, yawning and her eyes couldnt help closing. Those bandaged mummies are so scary, and Im not afraid with you. Ill hold on to you and sleep with you tonight

    Wait, dont sleep here, go to the other bed, said Evan hurriedly.

    He shook Gabrielle up hard, and it seemed that this child was definitely not going to back down.

    Mummies were much scarier than spirits, and Gabrielle must never see them again.

    Oh, you agree, Ill go to bed then, said Gabrielle, rubbing her eyes again.

    You sleep on this side, Ill go first. Evan hurried over to climb to the bed first, and touched something softer inside.

    His body stiffened. It was Hermiones warm and soft body. She trembled slightly, touched Evan, and suddenly moved away, keeping a certain distance.

    In the dark, Hermione felt that Evans body had prated into the quilt, emitting warmth, and the temperature was rising rapidly.

    She reached out her fluffy paw, pressed Evan gently forward, and then quickly retracted back.

    Dont touch that ce

    What are you muttering about? Gabrielle wondered.

    Nothing, you hurry to bed, said Evan, waiting for Gabrielle to fall asleep before sending Hermione out.

    Then he suddenly thought that Hermione was not yet dressed.

    He had just taken all Hermiones clothes from the bathroom, hadnt he?

    But it should be okay in her Animagus form. Evan was not quite sure. He had never transformed naked.

    Oh, give me some of the quilt, its so cold in Egypt at night, said Gabrielle, pulling the quilt to her side.

    With the bedding, Hermione followed inside, for fear of being discovered by Gabrielle.

    She didnt dare to touch Evan again. Her body curled up and she pushed him forward with her hands and feet outstretched.

    Evan was sandwiched between the two, his body taut.

    Gabrielle on the left was tugging at the quilt, and Hermione on the right was pushing him toward Gabrielle.

    How much strength a cat could have! Evan was tickled when the pad touched him.

    The next second, he took a deep breath, and his right hand couldnt help sliding out, pulling Hermione into his arms and holding her tightly against his chest.

    Evans heart was slowly filled with happiness and satisfaction, although he was just holding a cat.

    But this cat was Hermione, and this was the closest and most daring contact between Evan and Hermione.

    Rons love experience made Evan realize that he needed to be bolder. He should learn from him in this respect. He could not be like Harry and Colin, blushing for a long time when they talked to girls, and they gotpletely flustered when they saw the girls they liked!

    Hermione was struggling cautiously because of Evans actions, her head pressed against Evans chest and pushed upward.

    Evan, where did you say Hermione was? Gabrielle whispered. Im a little worried, shes outside alone

    I dont know, theres nothing to worry about. Ask her tomorrow morning! said Evan, both he and Hermione stopped.

    They were afraid to disturb Gabrielle, who hadnt noticed anything until now.

    Hermione felt that her energy was quickly disappearing, her hands and feet were open, and her body was lying softly on Evans.

    Strange feelings were spreading rapidly, invading every cell in her body, and now she didnt want to move at all, so she was embraced by Evan.

    Oh, I wish Hermione were here, Gabrielle went on, leaning towards Evan.

    Hmm? Evan turned to look at her. What did she mean? Did she want the three of them to be together in the same bed?!

    She told me about your time at Hogwarts just before going to bed, and I want to hear more about it, said Gabrielle.

    Which part do you want to hear? Evan asked. This girl was really troublesome. Maybe she would sleep after that.

    It seemed to be a long night. If Gabrielle didnt sleep, what could he and Hermione do?

    I want to hear how you saved Hermione from the werewolf, said Gabrielle, raising her voice a little. Hermione told me that she was attracted to you and loved you from that moment, the moment you stood in front of her in the face of the terrifying werewolf.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1032 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 831: Finally Falling Asleep

    Chapter 831: Finally Falling Asleep

    Hermione liked me since then? Evan asked, interested in what Gabrielle was saying.

    He had never heard Hermione say these things. She usually kept these feelings hidden in her heart and didnt express them easily.

    Well, Hermione told me herself that when the terrible werewolf pounced on you, she was determined to fight side by side with you. Even if you died, you would die together. And even if you were bitten by a werewolf and became a werewolf, she would not abandon you, said Gabrielle. Shes been in love with you since then. She vowed to take care of you for the rest of her life, never to leave or forsake you

    In the dark, Hermioney powerless on Evan.

    Listening to Gabrielles words was simply embarrassing to the extreme. She would not have told Gabrielle these things if she had known.

    Now, she was here to listen to her telling Evan how much she loved him.

    Especially her current posture was extremely ambiguous, with her whole body tightly pressed against Evans.

    Hermione had juste out of the bathroom in a hurry, before she had time to get dressed. Now she was nothing more than a naked cat

    She didnt know whether it was because of Evans warmth, or if her body was warming up rapidly. Hermione only felt hotter and hotter, especially when Evan asked Gabrielle carefully about her feelings at that time, she was nervous and almost stopped breathing. Gabrielles answer was too detailed.

    If someone were toe at this moment, they would definitely find Evan holding a pink little cat in his arms.

    It seemed that even the air between the two of them had turned pink, and the atmosphere was getting more abnormal.

    Evan caressed the kitten in his arms. If Gabrielle werent beside him, he couldnt have helped doing something more.

    Hermione had no strength left; she even thought maybe it would be better to be a cat for the rest of her life. Gabrielle had revealed everything, and she couldnt face Evan anymore, but at least she could stop him from doing anything bold, but Evan could be a cat, too

    Evan, tell me, did you like Hermione at that time? asked Gabrielle.

    No, not at all! said Evan.

    In the dimness, both girls looked at him in surprise, especially Hermione. She was so nervous. Didnt Evan like her?

    I have long liked Hermione. From the first time I saw her, I told myself that she was the one destined for me, said Evan softly, caressing Hermiones head lovingly. Like Ramses II said about his queen, Nefertari, when she walked gently past me, she stole my heart.

    Gabrielle did not speak, and Hermiones body stopped trembling, apparently immersed in these words.

    Ramses IIs words were very lethal to girls, even after thousands of years they were not out of date.

    So you premeditated and fell in love with Hermione from the first time you saw her, said Gabrielle, nudging Evans arm. Ill definitely tell Hermione, unless you beg me not to.

    Thats okay, you can tell her tomorrow. said Evan with a smile. Hermione already knew anyway.

    Humph! Gabrielle paused, she was really embarrassed to say these words, Ill keep your secret, but you have to tell me, what did you like about Hermione the first time you saw her?

    What I liked about her Evan recalled the scene when he saw Hermione for the first time, and said slowly, You know, my parents are Muggles, and I didnte into contact with magic before I arrived at Hogwarts. To be honest, when I received the admission letter from Hogwarts, my first reaction was to be shocked. I didnt know what I would encounter. When I walked into the Leaky Cauldron, nervous, I saw Hermione standing there, smiling. That was my first impression of the Wizarding world. I was probably attracted by her smile. As long as I see that smile, I feel at ease. Thats what I need to guard.

    Hermione was also thinking about the scene when she and Evan first met. She happened to meet Evan and Harry walking into the Leaky Cauldron, as if they had firste into contact with the Wizarding world. Evan was really short at that time. Now he was so much taller than her

    Just that simple?! said Gabrielle somewhat dissatisfied.

    Just that simple, said Evan. Since we met, Hermione has told me a lot about the Wizarding world. The two of us have also exchanged book lists and often read books together. The more we interacted, the more familiar we became. I am more and more certain that shes a wonderful girl, and no one can rece her in my heart.

    Its heartwarming, but not as romantic as Hermione told me! said Gabrielle in a prolonged voice, as though a bit disappointed.

    Where there are so many romantic, so many sensational things, love often starts from simplicity. At that time, I merely had a one-sided crush on Hermione, Evan ruffled her hair. Alright, its time for you to sleep. You just said you were sleepy, but now you seem so energetic.

    But you havent told me how you saved Hermione from the werewolf, said Gabrielle.

    Havent you heard of it?

    But I want to hear it from your perspective. Its a very romantic story. I have discussed it with my ssmates many times.

    All right, but after I tell you, you must sleep, and no more excuses, or Ill send you back to your room, said Evan, carefully recollecting the events. It was winter dusk, and the two of us were in a remote alley in Hogsmeade

    Hermione also listened quietly, following Evans words, and the scene of him standing in front of her came to her mind.

    When the shop had closed firmly, she once thought that she would lose the boy in her arms forever.

    Hermione hugged Evan hard, breathing calmly, with a touch of warmth and love for him.

    Gabrielles breathing gradually became steady, and she fell asleep halfway through listening!

    Evan lowered his voice as he continued the story, because he knew someone was listening, and he told it to the person in his arms.

    Hermione crawled forward and came out of the quilt, facing Evans eyes.

    There was no talk, but silence was better than sound, and the two already knew what the other wanted to express from their eyes.

    At that time, your tears fell into my mouth. They tasted salty, but it was sweet in my heart. I knew you were the one I was destined for. We protect each other, never to leave or forsake! said Evan, looking at her with affection.

    He lowered his head, his lips pressing gently on the little cats forehead, kissing her.

    Hermione also stuck out her tongue and licked Evan,pletely absorbed in the story he was telling.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1032 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 832: A Distrustful Goblin

    Chapter 832: A Distrustful Goblin

    In a warm and peaceful atmosphere, a person and a cat were hugging each other so tightly, keeping this position and no one moved.

    More than an hourter, after confirming that Gabrielle was asleep, Evan secretly sent Hermione back. The most nervous time was when he was waiting for Hermione to change clothes and heard her dressing through the bathroom door.

    Hearing these sounds, Evan unconsciously recalled the feeling of just hugging Hermione tightly, and there was still some warmth in his hands.

    He decided to go back and test the difference between Animagus wearing clothes and undressed Animagus.

    After Hermione came out, she probably felt that it was not right to go on like this, so she took most of her clothes back from Evan.

    Until they left Egypt, Evan didnt have to expect Hermione to take another bath in his room and ask him for clothes again.

    As a return gesture, she surprised Evan by initiating a kiss when they said goodnight. Although it was just a light touch, it was an unprecedented breakthrough. It gave him an urge to let her stay here tonight, whether as a human or a cat

    Good night! Hermione kissed Evan, and then pushed him out.

    Good night! Evan whispered and watched as the door slowly closed in front of him.

    What he didnt know was that after closing the door, Hermione turned and stood against the inside of the door for quite some time.

    She breathed a sigh of relief, with a sweet smile on her face, though it was unclear what she was smiling about

    As the night grew quiet, the emotions of both of them remained unsettled for a long time.

    When Evan returned to his room, he looked helplessly at Gabrielle, who was sleeping soundly, wrapped up in the quilt.

    This girl is really obtuse. She hasnt noticed anything.

    Evan climbed onto the bed and pushed the girl to the side.

    Gabrielle then wrapped up like an octopus and hugged Evan tightly, as though he were arge doll.

    And Im supposed to sleep like this! Evan blinked. Holding this tightly in the middle of summer, didnt this child feel hot?!

    Because of all thete-night fuss, the next day everyones spirits werent great.

    Evan and Hermione kept yawning, apparently because of insomnia, and Gabrielle was also in a bit of lethargy because of the nightmares.

    It wasnt until the second half of the night that Bill apanied Fleur back, and the two had been out for a long time.

    Fleur told them that she had gone out with Bill to a party organized by Gringotts Curse-Breakers.

    Then why didnt you take us with you? asked Gabrielle.

    Because youre not members of the Order of the Phoenix. In order to fight against You-Know-Who, we need to contact foreign wizards, said Fleur, caressing Gabrielles face. Besides, youre too young for that kind of party.

    Too young  this is really a very convincing reason. Evan muttered.

    Only Gabrielle was really young, he and Hermione were no longer young!

    Although Evan thought there were many suspicious things, there was no way to refute what Fleur said.

    Her reason was very good indeed; contact foreign wizards to fight Voldemort, which was Bills main mission in Egypt.

    After telling Bill about Hermiones reasoningst night, they went to Gringotts to meet the goblin Zoser.

    Zoser and his team were still gathering in the side hall they saw yesterday and continued to sort out the antiquities just excavated.

    I have carefully considered it and decided to ept your invitation to join your excavation team, Evan went over and said directly.

    Youve made a wise choice, Mr. Mason, said Zoser quietly, standing in front of an ancient Egyptian two-wheeled chariot higher than him. He was very close, holding a circr magnifying ss in his right hand, carefully watching the exquisite patterns on it. We will set off in three days for a month and a half of excavation work. I hope you and your friends can be ready. By the way, Ill have someone inform you about the progress and what needs to be done.

    He stopped and put the magnifying ss in his jacket pocket.

    Rawya,e over here, hurry up, Zoser shouted. Bring the drawing of Hall One.

    The next second, the dark-skinned, energetic girl hurried over, holding arge drawing in her hand.

    Mr. Zoser? said Rawya, looking at Evan and the others doubtfully.

    This is Evan Mason, a wizard who is proficient in Alchemy. Hes going to join us in this excavation of the ruins of Amun Ra and be responsible for solving the Alchemy-rted mechanisms at the main entrance of the hall, said Zoser solemnly. You hand over your work in hand to others, and you will be responsible for apanying them for three days before departure and informing them about our current progress.

    All right, Rawya turned around and said cheerfully. Hello, nice to see you again!

    Evan, Bill, Fleur, Hermione and Gabrielle hurriedly greeted her, and Zoser turned to study the ancient chariot in front of him.

    Mr. Zoser, since I have agreed to join your excavation team, what about my previous application to view the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>? Evan reminded, frowning at the goblin.

    I believe well think about it when the excavation teames back

    Watching the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> as soon as possible is very helpful for me to improve my Alchemy ability, and maybe it will help, said Evan. You dont want to be in a situation where I cant help you unlock the mechanisms in the ruins because of my ipetence, do you?

    Of course not, we need more trust and sincerity between us, Mr. Mason. Unlike humans, goblins keep their promises the most. I will take you there, but only you can go, said Zoser impatiently; seemingly very dissatisfied that Evan interrupted his research. Lets go, the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> is in an underground vault.

    Evan spoke to Hermione and followed the goblin out of the hall through a door at the end.

    Simr to the British Gringotts, behind the door was a narrow stone passageway lit with ming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor.

    In the letter of rmendation from Nics mel, he praised your Alchemy talent very much. I hope you wont let me down and can sessfully unlock the mechanism in the Ruins of Amun Ra, said Zoser in a dragged voice. Otherwise, you will regret it

    He stretched out his slender fingers, and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks toward them.

    Evan climbed into the cart and looked at the old goblin.

    The threat in his words was very obvious. Since he allowed Evan to view the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, then Evan must help him unlock the mechanism in the ruins of Amun Ra.

    There was a lot of mistrust between the two people. This was just a transaction. Evan hoped there would be no surprises during the excavation process.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1040 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support  <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 833: The Emerald Tablet

    Chapter 833: The Emerald Tablet

    They both climbed into the cart, but the goblin did not rush to start. He seemed to have something to say to Evan.

    We have to hurry up, Mr. Mason, said Zoser, his voice sharp and shrill. I am different from you. My time is very precious. There are many things waiting for me to do

    Alright! Evan looked at the old goblin and didnt understand what he meant.

    I dont know what you want to gain, but you wont make it. Zoser continued in an angry tone, drawing a pocket watch from his pocket and looking at it. I even doubt whether you can read the early hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt.

    Indeed, Evan did not know hieroglyphs. He only knew the meaning of a few specific symbols.

    Sorry, I dont understand what you mean he asked directly.

    I mean, watching the tranted version and the original version of the<i> Emerald Tablet</i> does not mean much to you. I have seen too many arrogant human wizards like you who came here to fantasize about the real secrets contained in the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, but they got nothing, said Zoser, putting away his pocket watch, and turning to look at Evan. Those rumors from the outside world are simply nonsense. Apart from the knowledge written on it, that legendary magical item is just an ordinary te, without any magical power you wish to gain.

    Knowledge itself is priceless, and the early hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt may give me some inspiration, said Evan.

    He understood what Zoser meant. This goblin looked down on him, thinking it was useless for him to read the original version of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    What a hassle, a waste of time Zoser whispered.

    Next, neither of the two spoke, and the cart hurtled through a maze of twisting passages.

    Soon, Evan was confused. The terrain here was much moreplex than the underground in London. There were many ces full of gravel, and a narrow passage was maintained by magic for them to pass through. After the cart passed, it turned into a pile of quicksand.

    The cold air whizzed by, and ten minutester, they rushed to the depths of the earth.

    Among the yellow gravel and rocks, Evan saw many ancient relics of different ages, which were arranged in different strata ording to time. This was probably the characteristics of Egypt, and only this country and this city would have so many relics.

    As time went by, they went down deeper and deeper, speeding up.

    At a sharp turn, the air became colder and more bone-chilling, and the cart rattled and came to a mountain stream.

    Here we are! Zoser pointed, and the light of countless torches dispelled the darkness around him from far and near.

    Evan saw that there was a huge stone in front of them, without theplex and heavy iron gate like the Gringotts vault in London.

    Before reaching the stone, Zoser solemnly said, Open Sesame!

    He stretched out a long finger and tapped on the huge rock, and a wide doorway suddenly appeared in front of the big rock.

    Evan looked at him speechlessly. The goblins of Gringotts had definitely not read the book Arabian Nights, or the story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves originated from here, and the cave of the thieves had been designed with the help of goblins.

    His attention quickly shifted to the room behind the rock, and in the light of the torches, a green stone glowed softly.

    It was a huge green stone tablet made of emerald and engraved with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

    The edges of the tablet were irregr, with a huge crack at the upper left, as though it had been abruptly knocked down from somewhere.

    This is the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> you wanted to see, Mr. Mason! said Zoser, with a sinister smile on his face. Thousands of years ago, the wizards of ancient Egypt recovered this priceless treasure from tomb raiders. It was originally treasured in the Chamber of Secrets of the Pharaoh Hermes Pyramid, which is now in ruins. It is a pity that the text on it is iplete, and vital information has been lost.

    It is indeed a pity, said Evan, carefully looking at the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>in the middle of the room.

    The Egyptian Ministry of Magic asked Gringotts to keep this valuable Alchemy book. The temperature and humidity in this ce are strictly controlled. No one has entered this ce for decades, because excessive watching will damage the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> itself.

    Well, I see, Mr. Zoser, can I go in and have a look? said Evan, Its not clear from here.

    He didnt venture into this room, he could feel the traces of magic inside, and there were dozens of protective magic and curses.

    The goblin was not at all well intentioned. He stood beside the rock and looked at Evan without warning.

    If he couldnt help but walk into this room, he might suffer.

    Certainly, said Zoser, the smile on his face gradually abated, and he pointed again, Please, Mr. Mason.

    Evan walked in. Behind him, the goblin stared at him closely, to make one feel bad.

    As Zoser said, Evan couldnt understand what was written on the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, which were the most primitive ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

    He turned around the tablet twice, and then went back to his original ce to make sure there was no magic on it.

    The goblin sneered because of Evans behavior.

    Do you want to continue watching? Zoser asked softly, and took out the pocket watch again, I said it; you are wasting my time.

    Evan ignored him. He had read the tranted version of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> before andpared his memory with the hieroglyphs above.

    The existing <i>Emerald Tablet </i>included thirteen concise and essential maxims, instructing readers how toe into contact with the profound and divine spiritual level, which was the basis of Alchemy.

    But that was not all of it. Nics mel had told him before that the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> didnt just hide the secret of extracting the Philosophers Stone from everything in the world.

    Only the Alchemist who had the key could know the real secret contained therein.

    This key was Evans <i>Book of Abraham,</i> which was the most orthodox inheritance of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    Evan took a deep breath, concentrated, and gently chanted the first incantation of <i>The Book of Abraham</i>.

    As he did, the words on the tablet gradually started to change.

    As though sensing, they began to emit a faint green light, which became more and more pronounced.

    In the green light, there was a trace of smoke in the words above the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, which slowly floated from the stone tablet and gradually emerged around Evan, surrounding him

    Behind Evan, the goblin Zoser looked at this scene in surprise, with his mouth wide open, staring at him in disbelief.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1040 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 834: The God Thoth and the Double Snake Scepter

    Chapter 834: The God Thoth and the Double Snake Scepter

    In the stone room deep underground, all the words on the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> were floating around Evan.

    Zoser looked at all this in shock, and gradually held his breath, wondering what Evan had done to cause such a big movement.

    He had studied the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>countless times, and he could be sure that there was no magical power on this emerald b. Only the words on it were the basis of Alchemy. The body of the Emerald Tablet was made of ordinary jade.

    But what was happening before him overturned his previous conclusions and subverted his worldview.

    The <i>Emerald Tablet</i> itself was a well-deserved legendary magical item with special powers. This human boy was doing wonders.

    The pocket watch in Zosers hand fell to the ground, and he ignored it, just staring at Evan in a daze.

    He was suddenly d that he had followed him. This was more meaningful than studying those cultural relics.

    The magical power emerging from the tablet was not particrly strong, but it was very strange. Zoser looked at it greedily with his eyes wide open.

    It suddenly urred to him that if he could figure out the secret, this might be a huge archaeological discovery that would shake the Wizarding World.

    Of course, Zoser didnt really care about this. What he needed was gold and endless wealth.

    Alchemists were the wealthiest people. He had heard more than once about the legend of Nics mel, knowing that he possessed the Philosophers Stone to turn lead into gold.

    Gold  that was what all goblins dreamed of  that was their lifelong pursuit.

    After mel and Dumbledore had announced that they would destroy the Philosophers Stone two years ago, he regretted it for a long time.

    When he knew that Evan was introduced by Nics mel, he secretly paid attention, did not agree to his request, and deliberately approached him.

    He once had a glimmer of hope, thinking that he might obtain the secret of the Philosophers Stone from Evan.

    In fact, he was really disappointed when he saw that Evan was just a fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid, thinking he was wasting time.

    How could a fifteen-year-old wizard know how to make a Philosophers Stone? It was simply absurd.

    Seeing what was happening in front of him, Zoser suddenly became ted.

    He had long known that the secret of making a Philosophers Stone was hidden in the <i>Emerald Tablet,</i> but looking at it over and over again hed found nothing but those useless words, which had no meaning at all.

    From the current situation, Evan should know this secret

    At this moment, Evan, who was in the green haze, entered a strange state.

    With the chanting of the first incantation in <i>The Book of Abraham</i>, one after another ancient words appeared in his mind.

    Iprehensible ancient hieroglyphics surrounded him, yet Evan could grasp the meaning they represented.

    Tis true without lying, certain and most true.

    The deep voice sounded slowly. The meaning of this sentence was, This is the truth of everything in the world, without the slightest falsehood, it is the most conclusive truth.

    That which is below is like that which is above and that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracle of one only thing. The meaning of this sentence was, If you want to make the miracle of the only thing, you must understand that the things in the upper world are the same as those in the lower world, and things in the lower realm are no different from the upper realm.

    And as all things have been and arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.

    The meaning of this sentence was, The one and only Creator created all things, so all things were born from this same source.

    Deep voices continued to sound, endless. These were the foundations of Alchemy that Evan had learned before.

    Like the hieroglyphs in front of him, this voice was not anguage he was familiar with, but Evan was able to understand the meaning.

    Immediately afterwards, Evan heard clearly that it was his own voice, but it became deep and hoarse.

    He was chanting the first incantation of <i>The Book of Abraham</i>, but thenguage had changed into the words recorded in the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>.

    As the voice sounded, these words floated from the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> and entered his mind.

    It was an ancient prose, but it was naturally reced with sentences that Evan could understand.

    The Sun is its father,

    the moon its mother,

    the wind hath carried it in its belly,

    the earth is its nurse.

    The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.

    Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.

    Separate thou the earth from the fire,

    the subtle from the gross

    sweetly with great industry.

    It ascends from the earth to the heaven

    and again it descends to the earth

    and receives the force of things superior and inferior.

    By this means you shall have the glory of the whole world

    and thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.

    Its force is above all force,

    for it vanquishes every subtle thing and prates every solid thing.

    So was the world created.

    From this are and doe admirable adaptations

    where of the means is here in this.

    Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist,

    having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world

    That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is aplished and ended.

    When thest word was finished, the old words glowing green light in front of Evan started to move again.

    They all merged together, constantly changing like a cloud of smoke, and the image of a man gradually appeared.

    This was a very young man with dark skin, winged flying shoes on his feet, and a short-sleeved tunic.

    He had a crescent crown and a crested ibis on its head, and above it was a huge full moon disk, which exuded strange power.

    Thoth God! murmured Evan, who had seen the image of this ancient god on the rock walls of many ruins.

    He was the most important deity of ancient Egypt, the god of wisdom, the writer of the <i>Hades</i>, and the writer of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> and the <i>ck Book of the Dead.</i>

    He could appear in all major asions.

    The first mantra of The<i> Book of Abraham</i> was just halfway through, and Evan didnt stop. He chanted while looking at the vague figure.

    In the end, Evans gaze finally fell on what he was holding in his hand, and it looked familiar.

    This was a scepter entwined by two pythons, which Evan had seen in Slytherins hand before.

    It was also sealed in the remains of the evil god rted to Slytherin, and also appeared on the front page of the second chapter of The <i>Book of Abraham</i>

    Nics mel had once told Evan that this scepter was the key to unlocking the secret of The <i>Book of Abraham</i>. Unfortunately, he had been searching for it for more than 600 years, but he did not find it. Evan knew that itsst owner was Szar Slytherin.

    When the double snake scepter appeared, everything seemed to be connected, Alchemy, the Philosophers Stone, the treasure of the Four Founders, the gods and Titans of the void.

    The clues were getting clearer and clearer, but there was still ack of a strong thread to connect them

    Perhaps it was Evan himself who could connect all this and unlock all the secrets.

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 Chapter 835: A Trivial Contest

    Chapter 835: A Trivial Contest

    It was the same scepter Evan had seen in Slytherins hand. The dark golden scepter carried a powerful oppressive aura, even stronger than the aura of the god Thoth himself, entwined by two serpents, and surmounted by wings.

    The snakes mouths were wide open, revealing terrifying fangs, and a round orb was ced between the two snakes.

    No, it was an eye the Eye of Horus!

    Evan was certain that there was absolutely no such eye on the scepter in Slytherins hand.

    In front of him, the image of Thoth gently waved the scepter in his hand.

    With his movements, one after another magical runes shed from the Eye, from simple toplex

    Some were runes that Evan had seen, recorded in the research notes that mel had given him, and there were many that he had never seen before.

    These runes were finallybined together, densely intertwined, and structured into aplex cluster.

    The god Thoth gently touched the cluster of light with the scepter, instilling magical power into it and giving it ultimate strength.

    In the blink of an eye, a Philosophers Stone appeared.

    This is how the Philosophers Stone is made Evan looked at the Philosophers Stone shining green in front of him.

    It was beyond logic and above reason. It was like a dream.

    It took him a few seconds to react and try to remember theplex magic runes that were the basis of Alchemy.

    Evan suddenly understood why Nics mel insisted on himing here to see the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>by himself, not just because of the maxims on it.

    The key to everything and the basic framework of Alchemy was these magical runes. As long as he recorded these things in his head, he could quickly master the basics of Alchemy.

    Evan couldbine them at will, blend them with various substances, and make the alchemy props he needed.

    For example, the Pensieve involved dozens ofplex magical runes and patterns.

    Evan had seen these runes on the Pensieve, and recorded their order and distribution, but he didnt know the specific drawing method of the runes. He was not sure how to do it, and he couldnt replicate the Pensieve.

    But God Thoth just showed all this and the specific drawing process to Evan, and he kept it all in his head.

    As long as he was given enough time to study and experiment, he believed that he could redraw these runes.

    After mastering the specific drawing method and arrangement sequence of the runes, he could make an identical Pensieve.

    After mastering these alchemy runes, the first part of <i>The Book of Abraham</i> would no longer be a problem for me. It only requires time to practice and master it. If I get the Time-Turner, time would not be a problem either. So all I need to do now is to find the scepter, the message left by Slytherin

    Slytherins scepter was indeed very important.

    Evan decided to start with the vampires, they must know something.

    In the nest of Aragog the king of the Acromants, Evan had seen Slytherins wand, Locket, ring, and scepter in the four corners on thest wall, jointly suppressing the horror of the evil god in the middle.

    So it seemed that this matter was also rted to Herpo the Foul and his temple in ancient Greece, where Slytherin had found the evil god and the scepter. Perhaps Herpo the Foul stayed there.

    The first part of the incantation in <i>The Book of Abraham</i> was drawing to a close, and the figure of Thoth gradually disappeared.

    Evans vision returned to the real world, but he did not rush to leave. He closed his eyes, and continued to recall the strange scene.

    While he was busy memorizing those Alchemy runes, the goblin Zoser looked at him carefully.

    Zoser didnt see those runes. He only saw the green-glowing words floating from the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, surrounding Evan, and then entering his body in turn. Those words and strange magic seemed to be absorbed by Evan.

    And then, Evan stared at the huge b of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> nkly, pondering.

    Mr. Mason! He tried to shout, but there was no response.

    Zoser knew that Evan must have got some secret from the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> he didnt know, about how to make the Philosophers Stone.

    Thinking of this, his gaze became even hotter, and the greedy look on his face became more obvious and undisguised.

    He made up his mind that he must know how to make a Philosophers Stone from Evan, or let him make one.

    As long as he possessed the magic of turning stones into gold, he would be the richest goblin in the world.

    These are all mine, I have just to control this boy

    He looked around, breathing slowly, and he suddenly realized that now was a great opportunity.

    This ce was located thousands of feet deep underground in Cairo. Only the two of them were there, and nobody else.

    As long as he controlled Evan, he could force him to say everything, using Legilimency, Veritaserum, or the Imperius Curse

    By the way, its also a good choice to use the Cruciatus Curse. No one can stand that kind of pain.

    The malicious smile reappeared on Zosers face. He stretched out his slender finger, ready to attack Evan.

    He didnt think he would fail. The boy was just a fourteen -year-old wizard and was definitely no opponent to him.

    If he had known about Evans past experience, he would definitely not have thought so, nor would he have been so rash in attacking

    The next second, a green light flew towards Evan.

    Evan had long felt the malice of Zoser, and he opened his eyes as the opponent waved his finger.

    The next second, Evans right hand, which had been ced on the wand, pulled it out and swept it up.

    Under the action of fast casting and silent spell, a shield appeared in front of him instantly, at an amazing speed!

    As soon as Zosers curse flew to Evan, it quickly retreated back along the original road, flying back to the goblin.

    Before the deceptive smile on his face disappeared, he saw the light of his curse reflected back.

    He discovered it, how is this possible? Zoser opened his eyes wide, dodged in a hurry, preparing to fight back.

    He must not let this boy leave the ce. He needed to get the method of making the Philosophers Stone and this boys life!

    Before Zoser could react, Evans wand naturally drew an arc in the air, reaching the goblin in the distance when it fell.

    Immediately afterwards, another red light flew from the end of the wand hitting him directly.

    It was the Full Body-Bind Curse!!!

    Ayer of blue-gray appeared on the body of Zoser, and he could not move anymore.

    He could only watch helplessly as he was hit by the curse that came back from the counterattack, followed by terrible pain

    He wanted to shout loudly, but couldnt make any sound under the effect of Petrificus Totalus.

    The expression on the face of the goblin was painful and distorted. This was the curse he was going to cast on Evan, but now he was suffering the consequences.

    He was suffering from his stupidity, and perhaps regret and shock.

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 Chapter 836: Solve the Trouble Once and for All

    Chapter 836: Solve the Trouble Once and for All

    Evan walked over and looked without any pity at the trembling goblin lying on the ground.

    The Cruciatus Curse, this guy was totally responsible for it and he deserved it.

    Evan had probably guessed the reason why the opponent attacked him. This goblin must have been so greedy after seeing the reaction of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>. He wanted to control Evan, torture him severely, and get the secret of the <i>Emerald Tablet </i>from him.

    Zoser thought he could seed, but he did not expect Evan to be so strong, far beyond his imagination.

    If he had fulfilled his agreement and took Evan, Hermione, and Gabrielle to the Ruins of Amun Ra, or if he hadid hands on the people around Evan, perhaps he could have forced Evan to reveal the secret of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> or give him the Philosophers Stone.

    Unfortunately, he was too anxious, and too avid. Greed blinded his eyes.

    Without fully understanding Evans strength, he engaged in a fight with him and was doomed to lose.

    Greedy and stupid goblin! Evan gently waved his wand, and Zoser cked out at once, and his body stopped twitching.

    A goblin dared to attack a wizard, even if Evan killed him, there wouldnt be any consequences.

    Once todays events were made public, the entire Wizardingmunity would side with him, possibly leading to a new round of regtions imposed on goblins by the Ministry of Magic and the International Confederation of Wizards, further suppressing the authority of Gringotts.

    Of course, Evan would not be so stupid to tell the secrets of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> and <i>The Book of Abraham</i>.

    Besides, he had to consider that Zoser was after all one of the heads of Gringotts in Egypt, and Evan did not want to be caught in a whirlpool of public opinion.

    Especially the current situation was very unfavorable to him. Fudge and the Ministry had sent people to keep an eye on Dumbledore and them. He was looking for any excuse to hit them. Regardless of whether Evans reasons were sufficient or not, if he dared to kill a goblin at this time, he would definitely be wanted by the Ministry of Magic, arrested and put on trial by the Wizengamot.

    There was no doubt that Fudge would expel him from Hogwarts indiscriminately and move him to Azkaban.

    Since he couldnt kill Zoser, he should think about what to do next.

    It must be a trouble to let him go. The attack just now made Evan realize that the goblins were a greedy species with only treasure in their eyes. Zoser would not give up the temptation of the Philosophers Stone.

    As long as he remembered this, he would use every means to get the Philosophers Stone from Evan.

    Although Evan didnt think he would pose too much threat to himself, he didnt want to spare his energy to guard against the goblin all the time.

    Perhaps I can use the Memory Charm! Evan thought for a while, and the wand in his hand pointed firmly to Zoser, Obliviate!

    The green light shed by, and Zoser in aa trembled violently before gradually subsiding.

    The powerful Memory Charm was enough to make the goblin forget everything that had happened today.

    Evan frowned and looked at the goblin on the ground. This was not foolproof.

    For powerful wizards, they could still get what they wanted from Zosers mind.

    Moreover, no one could guarantee that this goblin would not be thinking about Evan. Greed was one of the original sins.

    Even if he forgot about Evan and the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, as long as he knew that Evan was proficient in Alchemy and was rmended by Nics mel, Evan and the people around him might still be this goblins prey.

    Evan decided to add an insurance topletely solve this trouble, and he whispered another spell.

    After Evan and Zoser left, Bill, Fleur, Hermione, Gabrielle, and Rawya, whom he had just met, waited in the hall.

    Under Bills introduction, the four girls met again.

    I didnt expect to have the opportunity to work together so soon. Rawyaughed and said, looking at Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle. Are you Hogwarts students like Mr. Weasley? Thats a great Wizarding School

    Evan and I are from Hogwarts. Gabrielle and Fleur are students from Beauxbatons, said Hermione.

    Ah  Beauxbatons  one of the three great Schools of Wizardry in Europe, said Rawya with a look of yearning. France is my favorite country. I have also traveled to Paris. It is a veritable romantic city. Its a pity I did not visit Beauxbatons.

    Besides Evan, no outsider has been to our school for many years! said Fleur, remembering what had happenedst summer. It took the kid less than one night to make the whole school a mess

    Dont me Evan, it was all those guys who provoked him, said Gabrielle, and stopped abruptly. Speaking of that, I remember the ck cat. After that night, I dont know where it went. I wanted to adopt it.

    ck cat?! Hermione looked at Gabrielle. She knew that Evans Animagus was a ck cat.

    Yes, a very cute cat. On the day Evan arrived at our school, I dont know where it came from. I fed it milk. I wanted to take it to the bath, but it suddenly ran away and never showed up again, said Gabrielle with concern, sighing. I asked everyone afterwards, no one saw it, and it was not anyones pet.

    It must have gone into the woods. It was a wild cat, said Fleur disapprovingly.

    Hermione nodded, almost sure that the ck cat was Evan.

    She was ready to ask him what had happened, and what did it mean to take a bath with Gabrielle?!

    But

    It was just a ck cat. Ill give you one for your next birthday, said Fleur, caressing Gabrielles face.

    Wait  wed better ask Evan to send it, said Hermione suddenly. Hes very rich; you dont have to be courteous with him.

    Evan, who was watching the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> deep underground, didnt know that he was sold out by Hermione, and had to answer the question of taking a bath with Gabrielle.

    If it werent for the restrictions in the girls dormitory in Beauxbatons, Evan might have really followed her in!

    Well after this, Evan would never dare to let Gabrielle see his Animagus form again. Otherwise it would be another ravage.

    Rawya looked at the three of them talking about Evan with a smile, and her eyes rolled a few times.

    The brief contact made her realize that the boy was the core of the team and seemed to be a strong guy.

    Speaking of which, Evan is really amazing, said Rawya. Hes not old enough to be so proficient in the most difficult alchemy. I have never seen Mr. Zoser be so polite to people before. He actually took the initiative to lead Evan to the underground vault to watch the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>. This is something that has never happened before.

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 Chapter 837: Rawyaâ€™s Idea

    Chapter 837: Rawya¡¯s Idea

    The topic shifted to the goblin Zoser. Because of Bills introduction, Fleur, Hermione, and Gabrielle did not have a good impression of him.

    I dont like that goblin, said Gabrielle, wrinkling her nose. He looks cunning.

    Most goblins are like this, they are not trustworthy Fleur remarked.

    In the history of magic, goblins had been trying to resist the rule of human wizards. They hadunched rebellions or revolts for various reasons, causing great trouble to the Wizarding World. They were smart and good at dealing with wizards. They were on the two extremes with house-elves.

    Although nominally subject to the management of the Ministry of Magic, with no freedom, in fact this kind of control existed in name only.

    Hermione once hoped that the house-elves could learn from the goblins and defend their rights and interests.

    Mr. Zoser may not have a good temper, but hes very good at studying Egyptian history and ancient magical relics. Hes also very good at breaking all kinds of curses. We can learn a lot with him, said Rawya. Thats why I decided to join his excavation team.

    Have you heard of those rumors? Hermione hesitated for a moment and went on to say, About the fact that there are always some members of his team dead or missing

    Youve heard of this too? Rawya froze for a moment, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared. Yes, there have always been such rumors. The Ministry of Magic has investigated many times, but there has been no evidence.

    Hes been very careful, no one else knew, said Bill, shifting his gaze away from excavation drawings of the ruins of Amun Ra to join their conversation. The work of Curse-Breaker is very dangerous, and casualties are verymon. Zoser is also good at picking himself out of all kinds of troubles, but these incidents have indeed happened

    I know all of that, Mr. Weasley, many people have warned me, said Rawya, her voice getting lower. I have a very close friend who joined Zosers excavation team, and he never came back.

    No one spoke. It seemed that Rawyas decision to join Zosers excavation team was not as simple as it appeared.

    She seemed to be seeking evidence to avenge her friend, but so far, she hadnt found anything.

    I hope you wont talk about this to anyone. I wont give up until I find out the truth, said Rawya again, clenching her fists, This exploration of the ruins of Amun Ra is an opportunity. I saw the portrait of Anubis on the wall

    Anubis was the guide and guardian of the dead. His appearance often indicated the need for a living soul to sacrifice.

    If Zoser wanted to get the ultimate treasure, he would undoubtedly resort to harming others, and thats when there would be evidence.

    Hermione looked at Rawya in surprise. She didnt expect this girl who had always been smiling would have such thoughts, and risked herself to collect evidence against Zoser

    If you need any help, just let us know. Well support you, Bill sighed and said, In any case; you must remember that Zoser is a dangerous guy. You should be careful not to separate from the others when excavating the ruins of Amun Ra.

    After discussing various rumors about Zoser for a while, the topic finally turned to the ruins of Amun Ra being excavated.

    The relic of Amun Ra is located in the center of the city of Per-Ramses. Its arge building that has been buried under thick gravel. For thousands of years, whenever people try to dig it out, the sand is quickly filled back into the excavated sand pit. The excavation project has been unsessful, said Rawya. In Egypt, wizards call the yellow sand shadows of imprable oblivion.

    Why not use magic to remove the gravel? Gabrielle asked.

    Because the yellow sand itself has been bewitched to act as a natural barrier to prevent intruders, said Bill. It wasnt until recently that those explorers discovered a passage into it, and this ancient temple was revealed to the world.

    Take a look at this drawing, the ground floor of the temple of Amun Ra is veryrge, and the buildings inside are intricate. Various precious ancient relics, terrible curses and automatic defense systems can be seen everywhere. Rawyas finger ran across the drawing, pointing to a narrow line. After some exploration, we found a secret tunnel full of scarabs, and Mr. Zoser spected that it might lead to the central area.

    Central area?!

    Yes, this secret tunnel is under a statue of Isis, the funeral goddess, said Rawya, lowering her voice. Passing through that tunnel, we went into the underground area of the temple of Amun, where we found a lot of valuable antiquities, a stone gate and three huge obelisks, representing the sun, the moon, and the stars.

    The obelisk is the most characteristic ancient Egyptian architecture besides the pyramids.

    Its a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. The spire is often wrapped in gold, copper or gold and silver alloy. Some magical obelisks also use strange crystals and gems at the top and various kinds of mithril ores.

    Generally speaking, obelisks are built in the most prominent ces.

    The obelisk is carved from a single piece of granite, weighing several hundred tons, and is engraved on all sides with intricate hieroglyphs or magical runes that praise the gods and pharaohs.

    When the rising sun hits the top of the monument, it will shine like a dazzling sun.

    It was the first time Hermione, Fleur, and Gabrielle heard about the construction of an obelisk deep underground, and Bill was also interested.

    Regardless of the angle of view, the temple of Amun was extraordinary, and there might be important treasures hidden inside.

    We have investigated carefully, and the way to open the stone gate is on the three obelisks, Rawya continued. It is not magic we are familiar with, but Alchemy. We must use Alchemy to unlock this mechanism.

    Thats why Zoser found Evan? Hermione asked, staring carefully at the drawing in front of her.

    It seems so. We went back to Cairo to find an alchemist or a wizard who is proficient in alchemy. We have already invited some of them, said Rawya hesitantly, I didnt expect that Mr. Zoser would invite Mr. Mason

    He said it was because of Nics mels letter, but Evan is really strong in this respect. Hermione thought for a moment, and then told her what she had spectedst night and listened to Rawyas opinion.

    You can draw these inferences just by looking at the material?! Rawya looked at Hermione with admiration. The excavation team also spected about what you said, because we did not find the statue of Amun in the relics. Instead, there were statues of gods guarding the dead, and the curses inside were also very powerful. Many people have already died.

    She told them a few more things, all because of the tragic death that had triggered the curse.

    As they passed through the secret passage full of scarabs, the first two people who went in were drilled into their bodies by the bugs, and if they hadnt reacted quickly enough to dig them out together with the flesh, they might have eaten their guts.

    In the end, they set fire to them and it took them several days before they were able to get through the tunnel.

    Rawya didnt care about danger. She seemed to think that the more dangerous it was, the more Zoser would be exposed.

    If Evan were here, in fact, he would tell her not to bother. He had solved the problem!

    Under the effect of Veritaserum, Zoser had stated all his past crimes, and now he only had to make these things public.

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 Chapter 838: The Goblinâ€™s Vault

    Chapter 838: The Goblin¡¯s Vault

    Deep underground, after modifying the goblins memory, Evan remembered the rumors that Bill had told him about Zoser.

    If those crimes could be proved, he would spend the rest of his life in prison, so he would naturally note to trouble him.

    If he was going to do it, he wanted to do it thoroughly. Although Evan couldnt kill him directly, it was not bad to let him stay in the wizarding prison.

    Evan didnt know what monsters the Egyptian wizards used to guard the prison, but it was definitely not pleasant.

    As for how to get Zoser to confess, it was not asplicated as Rawya thought, using Veritaserum and the Imperius Curse.

    Sometimes simple methods were more effective, and Dark magic could make many things easier.

    This process might not be legal, but as long as Evan was careful and erased all traces of magic afterwards, no one would notice.

    Whats more, he was now legitimately counterattacking in self-defense, and Zoser attacked him first.

    If he could regret his actions, Zoser would never attack Evan again, and would never go deep underground with him alone.

    Tell out all the things youve done in the past, viting thew. Evan ordered.

    Yes, the most recent one was a month ago said Zoser in a dull voice, confessing one crime after another.

    Listening to his ount of his shocking crimes, Evan almost couldnt help giving him a Killing Curse.

    These are unforgivable crimes!

    What this goblin had done far exceeded Evans imagination, and also exceeded the rumors hed heard from Bill.

    In addition to being the Head of the Egyptian Gringotts and the chief Curse-Breaker, Zoser had many other identities.

    He was thergest illegal antiquities dealer in Egypt and even in North Africa and Southern Europe. For decades, he had been involved in plundering pyramids, tombs, and ancient ruins, countless in number. He had connections with various Dark wizards and sold the excavated artifacts to them.

    To Evans surprise, Lucius Malfoy was actually his partner.

    They had a lot of dealings in reselling ancient Egyptian cultural relics. Lucius also helped him seek more benefits and status at the headquarters of Gringotts in Ennd, so that he was able to be one of the heads of Gringotts in Egypt.

    For the goblins, those powerful magical items of great significance were worthless. They needed gold and wealth.

    If there was anything else they were interested in, it was weapons forged by other goblins.

    Of course, the goblins didnt mind selling these weapons to anyone who could afford enough Gold Galleons.

    The Malfoy family obviously had this power, and they might be one of the richest pure-blood wizard families in the Wizarding World.

    Evan had heard Draco Malfoy show off their family wealth more than once. They even had a manor in Romania dedicated to raising dragons as pets, which was beyond the reach of ordinary wizards. It showed the luxury and wealth of his family.

    There was something else that really interested Evan. Not long ago, at the request of Lucius Malfoy, Zoser sold him all the excavated ancient magical items in exchange for a lot of gold.

    Evan remembered that Caresius had told him that Voldemort had asked the vampires to search for ancient magical relics all over the world.

    Obviously, these things were needed by Voldemort, and he wanted to find information about evil gods from here.

    Evan pondered for a while. What exactly did Voldemort need?!

    Things turned around and went back to Voldemort, who was Evans biggest enemy right now.

    As for the evil gods, demons and what the Titan called the Final Battle, the end of the world, and so on, they were still far away from Evan

    Okay, take me to your personal vault to have a look. Evan interrupted Zoser, who was still recounting his crimes.

    He was no longer interested in listening to the goblin continue to talk. He would leave those things to the Aurors.

    Anyway, judging from the current situation, Zoser would definitely stay in prison for a lifetime.

    Under Evans control, the two of them left the stone room where the <i>Emerald Table</i>t was stored. Then they got on the cart again and descended deeper underground.

    In front of them was a narrow tunnel, and the vault was at the end.

    Evan blinked, and he actually saw a strange monster at the end of the tunnel.

    He had only seen pictures of it in <i>The Monster Book of Monsters</i>. It was a Sphinx.

    It had the body of an overrge lion: great wed paws and a long yellowish tail ending in a brown tuft. Its head, however, was that of a woman.

    She turned her long, almond-shaped eyes upon Evan and Zoser as they approached.

    Evan raised his wand, hesitating. This monster must have seen that he was controlling Zoser with the Imperius Curse.

    The Sphinx was a very troublesome monster, simr in strength to dragons and the Manticore, but it was more difficult to deal with.

    Because it had extremely high intelligence, it would not attack recklessly.

    Evan might be able to defeat it, but it would definitely attract the attention of the Gringotts goblins.

    Then, how could he exin this matter to the goblins? Even if he said everything, those goblins would definitely not stand on his side.

    They wouldnt care what Zoser had done. The goblins had a natural aversion to human wizards.

    Evan looked at the Sphinx carefully, the development of the plot was about to be a situation where he would be fighting all the goblins in Gringotts, and then fleeing in a desperate manner. In that case, he would probably be wanted by the entire Wizarding World.

    Without sufficient evidence, no one would believe Evan.

    In front of Evan, the Sphinx was not crouching as if to spring, but pacing from side to side of the path, blocking his progress.

    Then she spoke, in a deep, hoarse voice.

    Hello, stranger, this is the best Imperius Curse I have ever seen.

    Thank you! Evan watched without putting down his wand. It seemed that this Sphinx was not in league with the goblin.

    Dont worry, I wont tell anyone about this. I have been imprisoned by the goblins here for a long time to guard their wealth, said the Sphinx, nodding towards her chained hind legs.

    Evan saw the heavy shackles on her hind legs, with thick chains attached to a massive stake deeply embedded in the stone floor.

    The goblins had the habit of using monsters to guard important vaults. The goblins of Gringotts in Britain used dragons, while this Sphinx was quite fitting for an Egyptian-themed Gringotts. Evan was very fortunate that he had met a guardian who couldmunicate.

    Do you need my help to untie these shackles? said Evan, waving his wand.

    That would be great. I always wanted to go back to my hometown for a visit, said the Sphinx, continuing to walk back and forth. But ording to my agreement with the goblins, I wont let you pass easily unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess, I let you pass. Answer wrongly, I rush forward and notify all the goblins. Remain silent; I will let you walk away from me unscathed.

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 Chapter 839: A Disgraced Goblin

    Chapter 839: A Disgraced Goblin

    A riddle?!

    This was really very characteristic of the Sphinx. This beast had the habit of guarding treasures.

    Evan recalled the description of the sphinx in <i>The Monster Book of Monsters</i>: For over a thousand years it had been used by witches and wizards to guard valuables and secret hideaways. Highly intelligent, the sphinx delighted in puzzles and riddles.

    It liked tomunicate with wizards and it was usually dangerous only when what it guarded was threatened.

    Although the beast was talking kindly to him, Evan had no doubt that the consequences would be dire if he answered incorrectly.

    Besides his fight against the infuriated Sphinx, he would have to face the pursuit of at least a hundred goblins.

    Under the current circumstances, he had no other choice but to choose to answer, hoping that the riddle would not be too difficult.

    I choose to answer, said Evan. Whats your riddle?

    The Sphinx sat down upon her hind legs, in the very middle of the path, and looked at Evan with a smile, There is a creature in the world. This creature has four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs at night. The more legs it has, the weaker it is. What creature is it?

    She blinked, looking at Evan with a mysterious smile on her face.

    This was the famous riddle of the Sphinx, also known as the Riddle of Human Life. Anyone who had heard of the Sphinx story had heard this riddle.

    The correct answer was man!

    In the morning of life, a human is a tender baby who crawls on all fours.

    In the noon of life, during their adulthood, a human walks on two legs.

    In the evening of life, they be old and feeble, needing the support of a cane as a third leg.

    The beast opposite Evan released water for him. Many people knew the answer to this riddle that had been passed on for thousands of years.

    The answer is human! Evan paused, and then asked, Why?

    He wanted to know why the Sphinx came up with such a simple riddle. Although Evan had offered to help her untie the shackles on her feet, doing so was not in line with the Sphinxs character. She couldnt let Evan go for no reason.

    If that were the case, the goblins wouldnt let the Sphinx guard the vault. That would be too risky!

    If she would let go any wizard who offered to untie her shackles, she would not be a caretaker, and better not have one at all.

    Because I really miss home, you showed up in time, the Sphinx smiled more cordially. She got up, stretched her front legs, and then moved aside for him to pass. One more thing, I can feel there is no malice in your heart. And the goblin beside you, I happen to know him, he has done a lot of sinful things and deserves to be punished.

    The Sphinx was a kind and magical creature, and it represented kindness and nobility. If it werent for this, she wouldnt have appeared in so many legends, nor would the ancient Egyptian warlocks have built a huge Sphinx tomemorate this creature and show the pharaohs mercy.

    Thanks, said Evan, tapping the shackles on the Sphinxs hind legs with his wand.

    With his movement, the shackles broke open, and the Sphinx was free!

    It should be me thanking you. I have been here for more than ten years, and finally I can return to my hometown.

    Do you need me to help you out? Evan continued to ask. He had a good impression of this beast.

    No, I can leave this ce by myself. There is an underground river below to get out of this ce, said the Sphinx. I can hear the sound of the water. The goblins cant find me.

    Well, where is your hometown?

    In the depths of the Sahara Desert, if you have time, you cane there as a guest. Goodbye, human wizard, thank you again for your help. After the Sphinx finished speaking, she ran away, disappearing along the tunnel.

    Evan waved his hand and turned around.

    At the end of the tunnel, there was a semicircr hall, and he could see thick doors of a vault.

    Evan controlled Zoser to look at one of the doors and pressed his hand on it.

    The vault door disappeared, revealing a hole.

    Inside the cave were treasures beyond imagination. From the ground to the ceiling, it was filled with gold coins and gold wine cups, silver armor, beautifully crafted scarab amulets, pure gold pharaoh coffins and statues of various gods. It was a cave full of mirrors.

    Evan might have been surprised if he hadnt already seen the gold cave where Nics mel kept the <i>Book of Abraham</i>.

    But now he didnt feel anything. He was just a little sorry that he camete. All the really valuable things had been packed and sold to Lucius Malfoy. Now there were only piles of useless gold and magical relics left here. He really didnt understand why those goblins were so obsessed with these things.

    Nevertheless, there were still many rare treasures of ancient Egypt, with extremely high artistic and collection value.

    They were all stolen by Zoser, or secretly hidden during the regr excavation process. Behind each item was a bloody and dark crime. He was not qualified to own these items at all, and they should be turned over to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic.

    These alone were enough to keep this goblin in prison for a lifetime.

    Remove the magic on it and pack all these things, said Evan, kicking the boxes on the ground with his foot.

    These boxes had all been expanded by the Undetectable Extension Charm and could hold many things.

    While Zoser was loading things inside, Evan was not courteous. He walked into the stone chamber and bumped into his pocket anything of interest. Among them were many priceless decorations and some fish-shaped hieroglyphics.

    After a careful review, it still brought a lot of surprises to Evan.

    He was ready to go back and learn ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, perhaps he could learn some secrets from the stone bs he had obtained.

    Egypt, this ancient country beloved by gods, had too many secrets waiting to be discovered.

    It was impossible for Evan and Hermione to explore all of them during this trip. They could only see a few of them.

    But what he got from Zosers vault was enough to make Evans trip as valuable as that of Sicily in Italy.

    It took more than an hour for the two of them to sort out all the treasures.

    Come on, go back, said Evan, waving his wand. Take these things back and turn yourself in.

    Not surprisingly, the end of Zoser would be the disgrace waiting for him.

    No matter how much sophistry he made in front of these things, it was useless.

    At that time Evan wouldnt need to control him at all. The Aurors would naturally do what should be done, and the goblins of Gringotts could not help him

    Looking at this amazing treasure, Evan felt that the Ministry of Magic should be awarding him the Order of Merlin, First ss, in recognition of his contribution to protecting ancient Egyptian cultural relics andbating unknown evil forces.

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 Chapter 840: A Pang of Conscience

    Chapter 840: A Pang of Conscience

    When Evan returned to Gringotts Hall, Hermione, Bill, Fleur, Gabrielle, and Rawya were still talking about the Ruins of Amun Ra.

    From the size of the city of Per-Ramses and the ground floor of the site being excavated, it could be inferred that the whole temple of Amun Ra was of an astonishing size. Bill thought that there was still a veryrge space behind the stone gate of the Obelisk hall.

    Taking into ount that there might be books at the level of <i>The ck Book of the Dead</i>, the corresponding degree of danger was also unusually high.

    Although part of the defensive magic and curses would be invalid over time, the rest were the most dangerous spells.

    Especially in ancient temples like that of Amun Ra left by Pharaoh Ramses II in Egypts heyday, the curses inside were beyond imagination. Ramses II was a god in the world, which was not a simplepliment.

    Considering that, this time, the excavation is led by Zoser leader and the danger of the Temple of Amun Ra itself, I suggest you three should not go As Evan walked over, Bill was trying to persuade Hermione, Fleur, and Gabrielle not to follow.

    Dont worry  the excavation of the ruins of Amun Ra should be cancelled. We dont have to go there.

    What do you mean? Everyone looked at him in surprise.

    Evan, what happened down there? Hermione asked hurriedly.

    She was so familiar with Evan; she knew only from the expression that he must have done something.

    Ive just talked with Mr. Zoser below. How to say that, hes probably got a pang of conscience, and hes ready to confess what he has done in the past, said Evan, sitting next to Hermione, Killing, stealing, Digging and reselling precious ancient items and colluding with Dark wizards. With these crimes, he will spend the rest of his life in prison, so naturally he has no time to lead us to dig out any relics.

    Pang of conscience?!

    Everyone looked at him in surprise, as though they couldnt quite grasp what Evan was saying.

    How could that goblin have a conscience? That was as remote as the possibility of Voldemort bing a good man.

    Where is Mr. Zoser? asked Rawya.

    Hes at the back. Those boxes are too heavy. They may slow him down Evan looked at Bill and Rawya and said seriously, Alright, the situation is urgent. Besides Mr. Zosers turning himself in, while congratting him on his bted redemption, there are still many things to do. If Im not mistaken, this may be the biggest case in Egypt in centuries. So I suggest you call Aurors  the more the better, and better be quick.

    Bill hesitated for a moment, looked at Evans serious expression and nodded solemnly.

    As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he knew what Evan had done, and he couldnt be treated as an ordinary young wizard.

    Since he said that Zoser was going to turn himself in, that might be true, even though it sounded absurd

    Simrly, as a Curse-Breaker who had worked in Egypt for many years, Bill also knew the status of Zoser and the meaning of this matter.

    There would be an earthquake in the Wizarding World of Egypt, the power of Gringotts would be restrained, and the wizards associated with Zoser would be out of luck!

    Ill be right back with Aurors. Wait here. He said quickly, and Disapparated.

    What on earth is going on? Fleur muttered, looking up and down at Evan suspiciously.

    Mr. Zoser Rawya suddenly shouted.

    Following her gaze, everyone saw that the goblin Zoser, controlling several huge boxes, slowly walked out from the side door.

    Those boxes were very heavy and quite difficult to move, even with the help of magic.

    Several goblins rushed up to help, but Zoser pushed them aside and went straight to the middle of the hall.

    What did you do to that goblin? Hermione asked in a low voice, leaning towards Evans ear.

    The Imperius Curse, of course; otherwise he wouldnt be so obedient, said Evan, seeing Hermiones eyes widening.

    He hurriedly took Hermiones little hand to calm her down.

    Evan waved to Fleur, Gabrielle, and Rawya sitting opposite. He asked them toe over and narrated what had happened.

    That goblin attacked you voluntarily, how despicable! said Gabrielle, looking at Evan worriedly.

    So you looted his vault, and used Veritaserum to make him confess all his crimes, said Fleur, her lips slightly curling with interest in the goblins vault that Evan had mentioned.

    Those boxes contain evidence against Zoser said Rawya excitedly, and her eyes fell on the boxes next to Zoser.

    If what Evan said was true, then Zoser was really finished, which was what she had always hoped for.

    But using the Imperius Curse and Veritaserum, this boy who was not as old as her was too brave.

    Evan, if someone finds out youve used the Imperius Curse said Hermione, holding Evans hand tightly.

    She considered the whole incident carefully. If there was enough evidence, the goblin could indeed be done, but if it was discovered that Evan had used the Imperius Curse and Veritaserum, it would be quite a problem.

    No matter what Evans original intention was, he would be sentenced for using the Unforgivable Curse.

    After the Aurors arrive, Ill cancel the magic, and no one will find any trace. Zoser just turned himself in because of his conscience. He was moved by my words. Whether the others believe it or not, theyll have no evidence, said Evan, confident in his magic.

    For the Imperius Curse, the wizarding world had alwayscked effective detection methods, not to mention that Evans casting level was very high.

    Unless there was a wizard of Dumbledores level here, no one would find that he used magic on Zoser.

    A few minutester, the bustling hall of Gringotts suddenly quieted down.

    Slight explosions were heard, and Aurors appeared one after another, and many Ministry of Magic officials walked out of the firece.

    Bills report had been taken seriously, and the Egyptian Ministry of Magic had been paying attention to Zoser.

    What on earth is going on? said a goblin in charge, hurrying to meet them.

    But what surprised him even more was still behind. Zoser standing in the middle of the hall suddenly sent a loud sound, attracting everyones eyes, and everyone saw him drop the boxes beside him heavily to the ground.

    In the next second, countless gold and cultural treasures spilled out of them, shocking everyone.

    God, what did they see? Golden masks of the ancient pharaohs, pure gold statues, splendid coffins and mummies, all kinds of exquisite ornaments, countless gold galleons, and

    Not surprisingly, Zoser was over. In the face of amazing evidence, he quickly exined everything.

    Because of the staggering amount of wealth involved and the speed of progress of the case, as a witness, Evan was also invited to the Egyptian Ministry of Magic several times. Although no one believed that Zoser had confessed because of his conscience, the Egyptian Ministry was really considering giving him a medal.

    For the next month, Evan and Hermione stayed in Egypt to cooperate with the Ministry of Magics investigation, and simply made tours by the way.

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 Chapter 841: Leaving Egypt

    Chapter 841: Leaving Egypt

    Soon, no one cared about how Evan persuaded Zoser to show his conscience.

    Everyones attention was focused on the shocking case itself. In addition to the murders, it also involved thergest case of theft and trafficking of ancient magical items in the Egyptian Wizarding World in the past century. The amounts involved were astronomical, and the value of those cultural relics was immeasurable

    Gringotts attempted to salvage the situation, and Zoser denied everything once he regained consciousness, but with little effect.

    First of all, the evidence in this case was solid, and Zoser could not exin the origin of the massive amount of gold found with him.

    He couldnt even figure out what had happened. After Evan modified his memory, he could only remember talking with the human boy, and then he was moved by his persuasion. He decided to mend his ways and confess voluntarily. Everything was exactly the same as Evan said. He felt that he had been insane at the time

    Secondly, and most importantly, no one wanted to believe what the goblin said.

    The wizards distrust and control of the goblins were incisively and vividly disyed at this moment. If Zoser were a wizard, the Egyptian Ministry of magic might have some scruples, but they did not have any hesitation about a goblin.

    Soon, the Aurors applied for permission to use Veritaserum on Zoser and made him tell everything.

    As Bill expected, the end of Zoser meant that Gringotts power in Egypt was damaged, and many pure-blood wizard families and Dark wizards were also implicated. The Egyptian Ministry of Magic even applied for the help of the International Confederation of Wizards to recover the ancient magical items sold.

    It was unknown if Lucius Malfoy would be summoned, which would add some trouble to Voldemort.

    Evan was even thinking that it was best to put Lucius and those Death Eaters associated with Zoser in the Wizarding Prison in Egypt. Voldemort probably wouldnte to rescue them, but this idea was obviously unrealistic.

    The Egyptian Ministry of Magic did not intend to expand this matter, nor did it have the ability to do so.

    Simr to the Muggle world power distribution, they were much weaker than the British Wizarding World, and there was no room for them to speak in the International Confederation of Wizards.

    Therefore, the Egyptian Ministry of Magic finally locked the target of the attack on Gringotts and the goblins, and asked them to paypensation, which no one would object to.

    Now, the entire exploration of ancient Egyptian monuments had been stopped.

    The Ministry of Magic would conduct aprehensive evaluation of the excavation projects originally undertaken by the goblins, including the newly discovered temple of Amun Ra, which would be indefinitely halted.

    Evan heard from Bill that the Egyptian Ministry of Magic was unwilling to trust goblins.

    They were considering inviting experts from Britain, France, and Germany to form a joint excavation team with their own Curse-Breakers to survey the site.

    Of course, this matter no longer concerned Evan. Although he was very interested in <i>The ck Book of the Dead</i>, which was probably, as far as he knew, the only magic that could resurrect the dead and was very valuable, he did not want to take risks in the ruins full of dangers.

    Evan didnt expect that things would go round and finally fall on him, but that would be a yearter.

    When he would return to Egypt again, everything would change drastically. He would have to stop the reawakening of the mummies from thousands of years ago, and even go back to the past to confront Ramses II face-to-face and fight against evil beyond theprehension of mortals

    In the next month, apanied by Bill and Rawya, Evan, Hermione, Fleur, and Gabrielle visited the entire Egypt.

    They took a flying carpet and visited pyramids, temples and various relics.

    It was a pity that it was summer vacation; otherwise they could have visited the Egyptian School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

    Rawya had been with them all the time and they were getting along very well recently.

    Because of the end of the excavation, she had nothing to do now, and she could apany them around Egypt.

    She knew a lot of the history of ancient Egypt and was the best tour guide. She also told Evan a lot about witchcraft.

    Evan showed her the Owl Pendant on his wrist.

    She said that it was a very rare magical item that used the power of shaman tomunicate with ancestors and animals in nature. This was a very infamous branch of witchcraft.

    This should be a sacred artifact left by an ancient tribe in Africa. I seem to have seen it in some book

    She nned to go back to the school library to look up relevant materials after the start of the school term, and if there was anything, she would write to Evan.

    Evan hoped that she could find information about the tribe. He had promised Shukrya to send her bted apology back to her tribe and tell her ancestors, but he didnt know where her tribe was.

    It had to be said that because the exploration of the ruins had beenpletely terminated, the number of vacant rooms in the hotel had also increased.

    They changed their rooms, but Gabrielle still didnt dare to sleep alone at night. In the end, she and Hermione were in the same room together with Evan, while Fleur had a single room for herself.

    With Gabrielle in the middle, Evan couldnt do anything with Hermione. It was a pity that he had to bear it when they were so close to one another.

    Some nights, however, Hermione voluntarily crawled to Evans bed to wake him up, and asked him to apany her outside to see the night view of the pyramids.

    She seemed to be fascinated by the beautiful scene and the extreme romantic atmosphere under the starry sky.

    Anyway, Evan and Hermiones feelings were advancing by leaps and bounds, and they were more familiar with each other.

    A monthter, Zosers case finally came to an end, and they were allowed to leave Egypt.

    The Egyptian Ministry of Magic finally gave Evan arge sum of 5000 Gold Galleons as a reward for persuading Zoser.

    If they knew that he had sifted through Zosers vault and picked up all the valuable things, they would certainly not have been so generous.

    They also told Evan that they had applied for the Order of Merlin, First ss. If sessful, they would mail the medal to Evan.

    In this way, the Egyptian Ministry of Magic was really weak, and the British Ministry of Magic had its own decision on such rewards.

    Evan nned to stay in Egypt for a period of time, and he spent it very leisurely. Egypt had countless ancient magic and witchcraft, which gave him considerable inspiration. There were many things that he had just got to know.

    But they received a letter from Lupin and had to go back earlier.

    Lupin told them in the letter that Harry was in serious trouble. He was sued by the Ministry of Magic for viting the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and used the Patronus Charm in front of Muggles. Fudge seemed to seize this opportunity to expel him from Hogwarts.

    I dont understand why Harry would do that, said Hermione. The Patronus Charm is a very rare magic, only

    It goes without saying that he must have met a Dementor, said Evan. Harry finally couldnt help but do it.

    But why would there be Dementors? Theyre all in Azkaban. Hermione looked at Evan and suddenly thought of something, God, you mean someone ordered the Dementors to attack Harry

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 Chapter 842: Harrys Summer Vacation

    Chapter 842: Harry''s Summer Vacation

    Hermione instantly thought of Voldemort, only he could order the Dementors to attack Harry.

    Evan knew it was not Voldemort. It was Umbridges order, but that didnt make much difference.

    Voldemort would certainly control the Dementors. It was a matter of time.

    Maybe, the two parties were now in contact, and the Dementors might change sides at any time.

    Compared with the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort could provide them with much more and more attractive things.

    Unlike giants, the Dementors were absolute Dark creatures. They haunted the darkest and dirtiest ces in the world in droves, cheering corruption and despair, and there was no way tomunicate and persuade them. They could only be eliminated.

    Maybe the Dementors themselves were the creation of evil gods, and they were fundamentally different from normal creatures.

    This matter is veryplicated. The letter says that Fudge was going to expel Harry from Hogwarts directly said Evan vaguely, looking down at the letter in his hand. After Dumbledore intervened, they had to let go and asked Harry to go to the Ministry of Magic for hearing. The situation is not good for us.

    They cant do this, its just outrageous, said Hermione. They cant expel Harry, they just cant. Theres provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations. We must go back and help him. I remember manyws and regtions

    Because of this incident, they were not in the mood to stay in Egypt.

    Anyway, all the things that should be done on this trip had beenpleted, now it was time to go back.

    At the time of the parting, Gabrielle invited Evan and Hermione to be her guests in France, and it was also agreed that she would go to Ennd during her next vacation.

    As for Fleur, not surprisingly, they would meet again soon.

    ording to the original plot, she was going to find a job in Britain and practice her English by the way.

    Bill was also nning to return home. He was very embarrassed in Egyptian Gringotts because of his involvement in Zosers case. It was better to go back to find an office job and take care of his family while fighting Voldemort.

    As Evan and Hermione prepared to go back, Harry was lying weakly on his bed.

    A deep sense of despair surrounded him, and the room was dim, with no lights on.

    He stayed in his bedroom all day, leaving it only to go to the bathroom.

    He raised his hands and looked up for a while, and then let go.

    It was definitely his worst summer vacation, he had been trapped in this house all summer at Number Four Privet Drive, lost contact with the wizarding world, couldnt hear anything he wanted to know, doing nothing like a Muggle. Or worse, facing the daily taunts of the Dursleys.

    He wanted to have news about Voldemort, what Dumbledore, Sirius, Evan, and his good friends were doing. He wanted help, but there was nothing. Everyone ignored him. Not even a single letter.

    This made Harry feel a sense of depression and loss in his heart. Thinking of this, he rolled over, and the sense of despair that had been torturing him all summer overwhelmed him unexpectedly. He knew that Evan was on vacation with Hermione in Egypt, Ron was with the others, and Sirius might be there.

    The thought that they were having a good time while he was stuck in Privet Drive, he couldnt stand it!

    He was so angry with them that he had even thrown away the Honeydukes choctes and the Egyptian special cake theyd sent on his birthday without opening them, though he had regretted this after eating the wilting sd Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night.

    Harry sighed and got up from the bed, feeling really not in mood to sleep.

    The memory went on, and just yesterday evening, he met Dementors in an alley near the Dursleys.

    Two Dementors suddenly came out to attack him and Dudley.

    Harry used the Patronus Charm to drive them away and saved Dudleys life, but received no praise. Instead, he received a letter from the Ministry of Magic. They expelled him!

    The letter was still on the desk, and Harry picked it up and read it again under the light of the streetmp, and he became even more annoyed.

    It read:

    Dear Mr. Potter,

    We have received intelligence that you performed the Patronus Charm at twenty-three past nine this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of a Muggle.

    The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your ce of residence shortly to destroy your wand.

    As you have already received an official warning for a previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. on August 12th.

    Hoping you are well,

    Yours sincerely,

    Mafalda Hopkirk

    IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

    Ministry of Magic

    At that moment, Inside Harrys head all was icy and numb.

    One fact had prated his consciousness like a paralyzing dart. He was expelled from Hogwarts. It was all over. He was never going back.

    Harry was not going to sit still. Before the holidays, Hermione had analyzed it for him. He knew that because of Voldemorts return, Fudge and the Ministry of Magic had severed ties with them, and he was now Fudges main target.

    He had only one way at the time, he had to escape, and he couldnt just wait here, waiting for the Ministry of Magic to send someone to destroy his wand.

    There was hope as long as he escaped. Sirius and Evan would help him, at least Harry thought so.

    Although he was still angry with them, Sirius and Evan were the only people Harry could rely on at the moment; otherwise, he could only go wandering around the world.

    He still had some expectations. Perhaps, as he had done two years ago, he left the Dursleys with the trunk and met Evan on the dark street.

    But soon, he received a second letter from Mr. Weasley.

    A few lines were written very hastily and blotchily in ck ink: Dumbledores just arrived at the Ministry, and hes trying to sort it all out. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR AUNT AND UNCLES HOUSE. DO NOT DO ANY MORE MAGIC. DO NOT SURRENDER YOUR WAND.

    In this way, he decided to stay, and he confessed everything to the Dursleys.

    Although he didnt understand why the Dementors came to Little Whinging, and justnded in the alley where he was.

    No matter how he thought about it, this couldnt be a coincidence. Maybe the Ministry of Magic had lost control over the Dementors?

    Perhaps some Dementors had escaped from Azkaban and joined Voldemort, just as Dumbledore once predicted?

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 Chapter 843: Meeting Harry

    Chapter 843: Meeting Harry

    Regardless of the answer, this was not a good thing, and it meant that Voldemort had taken action against him!

    Harry had no other choice but to stay with the Dursleys pitifully, praying that the Ministry of Magic would not expel him.

    This kind of powerlessness made him very irritated, and the only one who was more irritated than him was Uncle Vernon.

    Not surprisingly, after Uncle Vernon finally figured out that the man whod killed Harrys parents had returned, and that the Dementor who had just attacked his precious son hade to chase Harry, he immediately decided to drive Harry out of the house.

    Uncle Vernon reacted to Harrys expectation, but what really surprised him was that they soon received another owl letter, a Howler, and it was addressed to Aunt Petunia.

    After a long time dy without opening, the red envelope burst into mes, and an awful voice came from the burning letter that fell on the table, filling the entire kitchen, echoing in the confined space. It was only one sentence.

    REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA!

    Harry didnt understand what this meant. Remember thest what?

    And why was Aunt Petunia in touch with a wizard he didnt know about?

    When Harry talked about Voldemort, she also understood the meaning of the name at once, and knew Azkaban and the Dementors.

    For the very first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mothers sister.

    He couldnt have said why this hit him so very powerfully at this moment. All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean

    What also surprised Harry was the reaction of Aunt Petunia. After hearing those words, she quickly regained her usual brisk, snappish manner, persuading Uncle Vernon, who was a little bit exhausted, to agree and let Harry stay.

    She ordered Harry to go to bed, and Harry had been lying down sincest night.

    Three times a day, Aunt Petunia shoved food into his room through the cat p which Uncle Vernon had installed three summers ago.

    Every time Harry heard her approaching, he tried to question her about the Howler, but he might as well have interrogated the doorknob for all the answers he got.

    Except for food delivery, the Dursleys kept well clear of his bedroom.

    Harry couldnt see the point of forcing hispany on them either; another row would achieve nothing except perhaps making him so angry he would perform more illegal magic.

    Harry wrote letters to Sirius, Evan, Ron, and Hermione. He wanted to know what was going on and when he could get out of here. He sent Hedwig out, but up to now, there had been no reply, just like before.

    Harry sighed again and fell heavily on the bed, ready to numb himself by sleeping.

    So it went on for three whole days. Harry was filled alternatively with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything.

    He just paced up and down in the bedroom, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in this mess, and with a lethargy soplete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a time, staring dazedly into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry hearing.

    What if they ruled against him?

    What if he was expelled and his wand was snapped in half?

    What would he do, where would he go?

    He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now that he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged. So, could he move into Siriuss house?

    Sirius had mentioned this suggestion more than once. But every summer vacation, he had a lot of things to do, and he apanied Evan to adventure all over the world.

    Harry wanted to follow, too, but they didnt take him at all.

    This made Harry very dissatisfied with Evan and Sirius, even angry, but there was no other way.

    Evan had exined to him before that his mother had left a magic when she died that year. As long as he stayed with the Dursleys for a period of time each year, this magic would continue to work and protect him from Voldemort until his adulthood.

    That was also the main reason why Harry could hold on and not fly directly to find Sirius with his trunk tied to the broomstick.

    At the same time, Harry was angry with Dumbledore.

    Dumbledore refused to tell him anything, and his attitude became apparently cold. At the end ofst term, he wanted to talk to Dumbledore but was rejected. He obviously did a lot of things to prove that he was trustworthy. Even if he was not as strong as Evan, he was much better than Ron, Hermione and others.

    On the fourth night after Hedwigs departure, Harry was lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his exhausted mind quite nk, when his uncle entered his bedroom.

    Harry looked slowly around at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and an expression of enormous smugness.

    Were going out, boy! he said.

    Sorry, what did you say?

    We  that is to say, your aunt, Dudley and I  are going out.

    Fine, said Harry dully, looking back at the ceiling.

    You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away.

    Okay.

    You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions.

    Right.

    You are not to steal food from the fridge.

    No problem, Harry said listlessly, and Uncle Vernon looked at him suspiciously.

    I am going to lock your door.

    Okay, you do that.

    Uncle Vernon red at Harry, clearly suspicious of thisck of argument, then stomped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

    Harry heard the key turn in the lock and Uncle Vernons footsteps walking heavily down the stairs. A few minutester, he heard the mming of car doors, the rumble of an engine, and the unmistakable sound of the car sweeping out of the drive.

    Harry had no particr feeling about the Dursleys leaving. He was the only one left in this house, but it made no difference to him whether they were in the house or not. He could not even summon the energy to get up and turn on his bedroom light.

    The room grew steadily darker around him as hey listening to the sounds around him.

    The empty house creaked around him and the pipes gurgled.

    Harryy there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery.

    He forced himself to sleep. That was how hed spent the past few days.

    Then he heard footsteps in the corridor outside. Someone came in.

    The Dursleys couldnt be back, it was much too soon, and in any case he hadnt heard their car.

    Harry sat up and snatched up his wand from his bedside table. Was it a thief or a minion of Voldemort?!

    Next moment he jumped as the lock gave a loud click and his door swung open.

    In the dimness, he saw a familiar figure walk in, it was Evan!

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 Chapter 844: Percys Betrayal

    Chapter 844: Percy''s Betrayal

    After receiving Lupins letter, Evan and Hermione returned to Ennd, the third day after Harry was attacked by the Dementors.

    Mr. Weasley and Professor Moody met them at the airport, and the group went straight back to 12 Grimmauld ce.

    This was now the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Compared with a month ago, it was a different scene.

    All the Weasleys had moved from the Burrow. Besides that, there were many members of the Order of the Phoenix.

    From Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny, Evan and Hermione knew about the changes in thest month.

    There hadnt been much change in the wizarding worldpared with before they left. Harrys story should have been the biggest event recently.

    The public opinion was very unfavorable to them, and the <i>Daily Prophet</i> had reported the incident.

    The Ministry of Magic was doing its utmost to suppress Dumbledore, using various means, and he had now resigned from all positions except the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

    On another front, Sirius wrote a letter from Norway every week. For security reasons, except for informing he was safe and asking everyone to take care of Harry, Sirius didnt say anything else. They didnt know what he was doing there.

    It was also unknown how far themunication between Lupin and the werewolves had progressed, he only came back asionally. Every time, he looked particrly tired, and Evan and Hermione had not seen him for several days after they came back.

    In fact, because they were not allowed to join the Order of the Phoenix, Ron and the others did not know much information.

    They were not allowed to attend the meetings, Fred and George tried their best to eavesdrop, and the information they received was extremely limited.

    They didnt even know whether they were to pick up Harry or let him stay with the Dursleys.

    From them, Evan knew that the biggest change was rted to Percy.

    When Hermione asked where Percy was, Evan noticed the reactions of the Weasley brothers and sister.

    They exchanged darkly significant looks, and Ron said in a tense voice, You two must never mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad, and tell Harry not to do it when hees.

    Why? Hermione looked at him, puzzled.

    Ron had grown up several more inches this summer, which made his clothes look one size smaller.

    Because every time Percys name is mentioned, Dad breaks whatever hes holding and Mum starts crying, said Fred.

    Its been awful, said Ginny sadly.

    Anyway, I think were well shut of him, said George with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face.

    What on earth has happened? Hermione asked.

    Evan probably understood what was going on. Fudge was definitely taking the opportunity to woo Percy. The guy fell to the Ministry without any hesitation.

    It was the first week back after term ended, shortly after the two of you left, said Ron, looking closely at the dusty Evan and Hermione. We were about toe and join the Order of the Phoenix. Percy came home and told us hed been promoted.

    How is that possible? said Hermione, in surprise. Arent they investigating Percy?

    In the case of Barty Crouch Sr., Percy hadmitted a fairlyrge oversight. He had not made a great sess of his first job at the Ministry of Magic, failing to notice that his boss was being controlled by Lord Voldemort.

    From a normal point of view, Percys career in the Ministry of Magic had basicallye to an end, and hastily ended before it even started.

    While in Egypt, Bill had told Evan that Mrs. Weasley wanted him to help Percy find a job in Gringotts.

    Evan also thought that if nothing else worked out, it would be okay for Percy to work in <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>.

    After returning this time, he decided to counterattack with the newspaper in public opinion.

    We were also all surprised, said George, because Percy got into a load of trouble about Crouch, there was an inquiry and everything. They said Percy ought to have realized Crouch was off his rocker and informed a superior. But you know Percy, Crouch left him in charge, he wasnt going toin

    So howe they promoted him?

    Thats exactly what we wondered, said Ron. He came home really pleased with himself  even more pleased than usual if you can imagine that  and told Dad hed been offered a position in Fudges own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think.

    Only Dad wasnt, said Fred grimly. Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobodys having any contact with Dumbledore. You know, Dumbledores name is mud with the Ministry these days.

    Yeah, they all think hes just making trouble saying You-Know-Who is back. George followed.

    Dad says Fudge has made it clear that anyone whos in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks, said Fred. Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad. He knows hes friendly with Dumbledore and that were all supporting Dumbledore, and Fudge has always thought Dads a bit of weirdo because of his Muggle obsession.

    Hermione nodded, probably understanding what was going on, and sat silent beside Evan.

    After Percy announced the news, Dad reckoned Fudge only wanted Percy in his office because he wanted to use him to spy on the family and even Dumbledore.

    Not surprisingly, Percy must have been very reluctant to hear such words, said Evan, very clear about Percys character.

    Yeah, when he heard what Dad said, he wentpletely berserk. He said loads of terrible stuff to Dad, Ron paused, and suddenlyughed in a hollow sort of way. Well, he said hes been having to struggle against Dads lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad has got no ambition and thats why weve always been  you know  not had a lot of money, I mean  In fact, what he said is quite reasonable

    Ron couldnt go on, because Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.

    Percy has gone too far, said Hermione incredulously. How could he say that?

    And it got worse, Fred continued, He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore; that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him.

    Does he not know Voldemort is back? Evan asked.

    He probably knows, but he doesnt care, said George in a mocking tone. Smart Percy, he said he knew where his loyaltyy and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to be traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didnt belong to our family anymore. And he packed his bags the same night and left. Hes living here in London now

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 Chapter 845: Set Out

    Chapter 845: Set Out

    Evan had expected this to happen, and he had warned Percy to pay attention to Mr. Crouchs abnormal situation.

    If Percy had reacted quickly and reported the situation, he would have been hailed as a hero.

    But it was of no use. As George said, Percy wished Crouch would leave him in charge of everything in the Department.

    Percy didnt care about Evans warning, nor did he care about Mr. Crouchs actual state, he just wanted to prove himself at work.

    Hermione was also upset about what Percy said to Mr. Weasley. Of all his children, Percy was closest to Mr. Weasley.

    They were arguing so loudly, and Mum has been in a right state, said Ginny quietly.

    You know  crying and stuff, Ron added. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he mmed the door in her face. I dont know what he does if he meets Dad at work  ignores him, I suppose.

    Like Harry, he was annoyed by recent events.

    There were a lot of unpleasant things at home, and everyone was upset because of Percy.

    Evan and Hermione were on vacation in Egypt, and he was stuck in this old house all summer vacation, unable to go anywhere.

    Obviously close to the Order of the Phoenix, but he knew nothing and couldnt do anything. Everyone treated him as a child and prevented him from participating in the Order of the Phoenixs affairs.

    What had happenedst term also made Ron feel frustrated. Although the Triwizard Tournament was a conspiracy, he was one of the champions, but he didnt get the glory he deserved.

    In fact, the entire Triwizard Tournament turned into a joke in the end.

    Krum was controlled by the Imperius Curse. Ron was attacked by him and fell into the grass full of Grindylows. He was scared when he saw theke. But he was not the worst one. Cedric was said to have be a vampire. He dropped out of Hogwarts and was still missing.

    With Evans help, Fleur hade out of it without much harm, but there was nothing remarkable about her performance.

    Eventually, Harry and Evan were pushed to the forefront again. The two of them witnessed the resurrection of Voldemort and became true champions.

    All eyes were focused on them, and no one paid attention to the poor original champions.

    Ron didnt know who to me. If he could have be a little stronger, that wouldnt have happened.

    In short, Percy takes the <i>Daily Prophet</i> seriously and doesnt believe what we tell him, said Fred.

    Hes aplete idiot. He doesnt trust his family but believes those messy reports. George said.

    This situation wontst long said Evan, ready to talk with Lupin to keep abreast of the current situation of the newspaper.

    He had made up his mind to fight a public opinion war and take the opportunity to expand the scale of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>.

    As he said before, this was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity for <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> to surpass the established media.

    By the way, what did the <i>Daily Prophet</i> say about Harry being attacked by the Dementors? Hermione asked.

    Nothing. They didnt report a word about the Dementors attacking Harry.

    Take a look at this; these are the Daily Prophets from the past month, said Ron, pulling out a pile of newspapers. Its still the same old nonsense, describing Dumbledore as a mad old man, you as an inexperienced young wizard dabbling in dangerous magic. As for Harry, he is a deluded, attention-seeking person who thinks hes a great tragic hero or something.

    Evan picked up a copy, which reported an unfounded report about the Pewter Cauldron.

    The second half of the article was about the kind of lies that only Evan Mason and Harry Potter could make up. They seemed to have made up their minds to mention them no matter what the report was, and treat Evan and Harry as a standing joke.

    Evan quickly tossed the newspaper aside, but Hermione was looking at it carefully.

    As I imagined, they are afraid to report that Harry was attacked. Hermione said quickly, browsing through the newspaper at hand. Think about it, the Dementors out of control. Its something they dont want to see. They havent even reported that Harry broke the International Statute of Secrecy. I think theyre biding their time until Harrys expelled, and then they can act unscrupulously

    Hermione stopped and realized that what she was saying was very bad.

    I mean, if Harry is expelled, obviously she went on hastily, he really shouldnt be, not if the Ministry abides by their ownws, theres no case against him.

    Then, the topic returned to Harrys hearing.

    When are we going to pick up Harry? Evan asked, We cant let him stay at Dursleys house.

    I dont know, they didnt tell us, said Ron discontentedly.

    Its time for our new invention, the Extendable Ear, toe on stage! said Fred. Theyre going to have a meeting in the kitchen.

    We just put this thing in and hear what they say George held up something like a string.

    Dont let Mum find out! Ginny warned worriedly.

    Dont worry, well be cautious, said Fred, with a smirk. We have exclusive information. Tonight, Snape is going to read a report here, top secret, as long as

    He stopped suddenly. There was a sound of walking in the corridor, and they heard Mrs. Weasley talking to Moody.

    There was another loud crack, and both Fred and George vanished. They had just learned to Apparate.

    Wherever they went now, they just Apparated, suddenly vanishing and appearing in the house, without walking at all.

    A few secondster, Mrs. Weasley appeared in the bedroom doorway.

    Im sorry to disturb you, dears! she said, her eyes falling on Evan, We just decided to pick up Harry tonight. Evan, can youe along? We need a guide, only you have been to his uncle and aunts house

    No problem! Evan hurriedly stood up, taking the wand.

    You and Hermione have just returned from Egypt and need a rest, Mrs. Weasley continued. But Remus has something to do tonight and cant pick up Harry. Moody says they are short of one person and must have enough guards.

    This is an extraordinary period, and we must be vignt at all times, said Moody gruffly as he walked in.

    He looked as scary as ever, with long grizzled gray hair and arge chunk missing from his nose.

    When he was at the airport just now, he had to check Evan and Hermione to make sure they were not Death Eaters.

    Youre going to pick up Harry; I want to go too, said Ron hastily. Ive been to that Muggle house before.

    Ron, this is not a joke. You cant go with them to add more trouble, said Mrs. Weasley seriously, stopping him. They may encounter dangerous Death Eaters at any time during the process of picking up Harry. Evan has the ability to take care of himself

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 Chapter 846: The Wizards of the Order of the Phoenix

    Chapter 846: The Wizards of the Order of the Phoenix

    Evan followed Moody downstairs. There were already seven or eight people waiting in the hall, each holding a broom.

    These are all guards, I think the more the better said Moody darkly, We dont have much time, and many people have other things and cant get away from it. You know, we had nned to escort Harry to the train station at the end of the summer vacation.

    Looking at him, one couldnt help but suspect that a group of Death Eaters was waiting for them outside the door.

    Evan saw everyone in the hall turn and stare at him, with a kind smile on their faces.

    How are you doing, Evan? said a witch enthusiastically, pulling Evan who had just walked down the stairs.

    She had dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet.

    Hello, Tonks! said Evan hurriedly. He had seen her in Lupins office before.

    Still as polite as ever. Everyone is very interested in you. Let me introduce you, said Tonks, pushing Evan in front of everyone. This is Evan Mason, you should have heard of him, the famous young wizard; the star of hope in the wizarding world!

    Evan really wished her to stop praising him that much, showing him too bright.

    When the article about him was published in the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, it caused a burst of public outcry and discussion for a long time.

    Of course, that was all in the past. Evan was now a dangerous young maniac in the eyes of mainstream society.

    Next, Evan met Kingsley Shacklebolt, whod met Mr. Weasley at the Ministry of Magic a few years ago. He was a tall, ck wizard, who seemed to be strong and worthy of trust.

    And there was Elphias Doge, a gentle wizard; Dedalus Diggle, a wheezy-voiced wizard, with a purple top hat; Emmeline Vance, a stately looking witch in an emerald-green shawl; Sturgis Podmore, a square-jawed wizard with thick, straw-colored hair; and Hestia Jones, a pink-cheeked, ck-haired witch.

    They were all core members of the Order of the Phoenix, with strongbat effectiveness, standing on the front line against the Death Eaters.

    Evan greeted them one by one and looked at them closely, knowing there would be many opportunities for future cooperation.

    Wed better hurry up! said Moody, squinting at Evan through his mismatched eyes. Weve lured Harrys Muggle rtives out so that we can get him. Counting the time, they should be leaving now. Well take Harry out before theye back.

    One of his eyes was small, dark, and beady, the otherrge, round, and electric blue. This magical eye could see through walls, doors, and the back of Moodys own head.

    It was me that lured them out of the way, said Tonks proudly. I sent a letter by Muggle post telling them theyd been short-listed for the All-Ennd Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. Theyre heading off to the prize-giving right now Or they think they are.

    Evan had a fleeting vision of the Dursleys faces when they realized there was no All-Ennd Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition.

    This was really necessary. Every time Evan visited the Dursleys, it was a storm to greet him.

    Their absence was a good thing for both sides. At least Dudley wouldnt have another pig tail this year.

    You and Harry cant use magic outside the school, and theyll be watching the Floowork. For safety, well use brooms, said Moody. Besides the guards, there are people outside who are responsible for signaling and ensuring everything. By the way, hows your flying?

    Not so good, but I should be able to keep up, said Evan honestly. Because of his acrophobia, he was really bad at flying. He preferred Apparition to flying, but there was no need to tell the matter.

    This was not a foreign country, and hed better not use magic, even though Evan was sure he could hide his traces of spells.

    Do you have your own broomstick? Tonks asked, noting that Evan was empty-handed. If you dont have one, you can ride the broom with me.

    Evan had a Nimbus 2001, but it was still under the bed and had never been turned out.

    Master Evan, this is the broomstick that Old Kreacher has prepared for you.

    The house-elf suddenly appeared, holding a thin, long broom, shining with silver light, and handed it to Evan.

    Thank you, Kreacher! Evan took the broomstick, which seemed to be in the collection of a member of the ck family.

    This house-elf treats you very well, its incredible, said Tonks, looking in surprise at Kreacher who was bowing to Evan.

    Ah, this is the Moontrimmer, a model produced at the beginning of this century, Diggle bent over and looked at the broomstick in Evans hand, and said with interest, Ive seen this broom in my grandfathers photo. A broom with great performance

    Well, you can talk about it when youe back, said Moody impatiently, leading everyone out. We must start as soon as possible.

    Evan rode on the broom, and slowly flew up, very smoothly. It was very stable and the performance was really good.

    He had ridden a Nimbus and a Firebolt. This old broom from Dumbledores school days was not weaker than the mainstream broom in some designs. Although the flight speed might be a little slow, many of them did indeed care of human nature, and Evan couldnt feel any dizziness.

    If Harry was here, he could tell him that this broom was designed and produced by dys Boothby in 1901. It was a very small broom. The slim ash handle ensured that it could climb to greater heights, with strong wind resistance, and the end of the broom shone with silver light.

    At that time, the broom was produced in small quantities, and it was expensive. It was a fine product simr to the Firebolt and did not follow the mass line.

    To this day, it had a high collection value, and many people were paying high prices to collect this old broom.

    If Evan knew, he would definitely not fly to the sky on this broom, which was actually worth more than ten thousand Gold Galleons.

    Led by Moody, they ascended swiftly, clouds and cobweb-like lights shing under their feet.

    Evan and Hermione had seen the night view of Cairo at the top of the pyramid not long ago, butpared with London, it was simply a far cry.

    He had never seen so many lightse together, crisscross, and spread in all directions.

    He was surrounded in the middle of the team and concentrated on controlling the broom beneath him.

    Under the cover of night, they avoided Muggles vision, and the team did not advance very quickly.

    Moody led them around several times, and when Evans body was frozen, he slowly fell down and came to Privet Drive.

    Around them, there were square gardens and beautiful houses.

    Here we are! He flew straight to thewn of 4 Privet Drive, Its this house.

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 Chapter 847: Verification

    Chapter 847: Verification

    In fact, the Dursleys garden was indeed very beautiful, thewn had been meticulously mowed, and the side near the house was full of varied roses.

    They obviously had put a lot of effort on this. If there were really the All-Ennd Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition, they might have really won the prize.

    It looks like the Dursleys have indeed left. Evan whispered. The house in front of him was dark and quiet.

    Even Harrys room was not lit, and they had no idea what he might be doing in the room alone.

    Hold on! Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold. Got it, he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it.

    The nearest streemp went out with a pop. He clicked the un-lighter again; the nextmp went out.

    He kept clicking until everymp in Privet Drive was extinguished and the only light there came from curtained windows and the crescent moon overhead.

    If someone looked out at this time, they wouldnt be able to see their unwee visitors.

    Is this a Put-Outer?! Evan asked, staring at the silver lighter in Moodys hand.

    This thing involved a lot of alchemy knowledge, and he wanted to take it apart to see its internal structure.

    Since mastering those magical runes, Evans first instinct upon seeing a precious magical item was to take it apart and study the specific construction, the arrangement of runes, and their meanings.

    This was not a good habit. These magical items were very precious, and there was a high possibility that Evan would not be able to restore them after breaking them apart.

    Yes, I borrowed it from Dumbledore, growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. Thatll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window. Now,e on, quick. We shouldnt be found out here.

    Moody waved his wand vigorously, and the door of the Dursleys opened immediately, and everyone crowded inside.

    Wheres that kid? said Tonks, looking around with great interest.

    Upstairs, Ill call him! said Evan, climbing up the pitch-cknding.

    Ill go with you! Moody followed, carefully watching the surroundings.

    As before, he rudely opened Harrys door, and Evan hoped he wasnt doing something unsightly in there. It would be too embarrassing to be discovered just like this!

    In the room, Harry curled up on his bed, raised his wand and pointed it carefully at both of them.

    Hed obviously heard the sounds and was frightened.

    Hello, Harry! said Evan with a smile.

    Evan! Harry looked at him in surprise, never dreaming that he would show up.

    Harrys heart was thumping uncontrobly, looking at Evan in disbelief, but he didnt lower his wand.

    Come on, everyones downstairs! Evan walked over and pulled him from the bed.

    In front of him, Harry, like Ron, had grown a few inches taller in the past few months.

    But he was still the familiar thin boy in Evans memory, with ck hair and sses. He looked a little weak and sickly, probably due to a growth spurt in a short period of time.

    He was dressed in sloppy Muggle clothes. The jeans were torn and dirty, the T-shirt was loose and faded, and the soles of the sneakers under the bed were separated from the uppers.

    It seemed that his summer vacation was really bad, and Evan couldnt help but suspect that the Dursleys were abusing him.

    What on earth is going on? said Harry hurriedly, putting down his wand, feeling a warm joy in his heart at seeing his friend, I dont understand. I stayed here all summer vacation, no one contacted me. You all seem to have forgotten me.

    You know, Hermione and I have been in Egypt, said Evan vaguely.

    He knew Dumbledores n very well, and knew he wanted Harry to stay with the Dursleys for the entire summer.

    If it werent for the Dementors attack and the hearing at the Ministry of Magic, Harry wouldnt have been able to leave here till now.

    But if Evan was in Ennd, there would not have been a problem for him toe to visit Harry and y with him.

    Because of his parents status, the Dursleys would not say anything about his identity as a wizard.

    Yeah, youve been in Egypt, said Harry, looking at Evan, the joy in his heart gradually extinguished, and a cold thing poured in, Ron has also been busy with other things. Thats why you didnt tell me anything. You left me alone

    Wed better go down and talk, they all want to see you, Moody urged, and walked in.

    Hearing Moodys voice, Harry hurriedly raised his wand.

    Lower your wand, boy, before you take someones eye out, said Moody in a low, growling voice.

    Professor Moody? Harry was taken aback for a moment, and said in surprise, Why are you here?

    Come on, were here to take you away. Ron and Hermione are waiting for us, said Evan, pulling Harry out, Ill exin everything to you, I promise, youll know everything you want to know.

    Hold on, kid, we have to verify that hes really Potter. Moody stopped them and growled, Itd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?

    Okay! said Evan, who was sure that Harry was next to him. But if he didnt do what Moody said, he wouldnt agree.

    Not long ago, hed been faked for more than half a year, and he was being kept in a trunk, which made Moody more suspicious.

    Harry, what form does your Patronus take? Evan asked.

    A stag, said Harry nervously.

    The answer is correct. Then whats my Animagus form?

    Its a ck cat! Harry had once really seen Evan as a cat.

    Well, a few months ago, Sirius and Hagrid and I left Hogwarts for Italy. What was the real purpose?

    Did you seed finding the trace left by Rowena Ravenw? Harry asked rhetorically.

    Ill tell you in detailter, said Evan, turning his head to look at Moody. I think thats Harry.

    When the three of them went down in the dark, Tonks and the others were still crowded in the hall, talking in a low voice about the decoration inside the house.

    I really dont understand, why are we all standing in the dark? she said. This is so stupid, Lumos.

    A light suddenly appeared at the tip of her wand, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

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 Chapter 848: Metamorphmagus

    Chapter 848: Metamorphmagus

    The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs, gazing intently up at them, mainly looking at Harry, some craning their heads for a better look.

    Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would, said Tonks who was holding her lit wand aloft.

    Yeah, he looks exactly like James, said Kingsley in agreement.

    Except the eyes! said the wheezy-voiced wizard, Dedalus, Lilys eyes.

    There was a lot of chatter between them. They all knew Harrys parents.

    Many of them had been friends of James and Lily, and they were moved to see Harry now.

    Harry was still a little confused. He could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing, not the tiniest hint of a n to remove him from Privet Drive, and suddenly a whole bunch of wizards was standing matter-of-factly in the house as though this were a long-standing arrangement.

    He looked at Evan next to him, turned his head and nced at the people in the hall below, and they were gazing avidly at him.

    Harry felt very conscious of the fact that he had notbed his hair for four days, and was embarrassed.

    Im  er  youre really lucky the Dursleys are out, he mumbled.

    Well, Harry, it has been all arranged. Tonks sent a letter by Muggle post telling them theyd been short-listed for the All-Ennd Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. Theyre heading off to the prize-giving right now, said Evan, seeing Harrys confused expression. By the way, you dont know their names yet, let me introduce them to you

    Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of the wizards as they were introduced. In fact, he wished they would look at something other than him. It was as though he had suddenly been ushered onstage.

    Introductions are over. Youll have enough time to get to know one anotherter, said Moody gruffly, Harry, have you finished packing your things? Weve got about fifteen minutes. Were just waiting for the signal to tell us its safe to set off.

    Not yet, Im going to pack up now. Whats going on? Harry turned to Evan again. Voldemort

    Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises, and Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again.

    Shut up! Moody growled, Dont mention that name!

    Whats the matter? Harry asked suspiciously, not expecting that strong reaction.

    This house is under surveince and its not very safe. Its best not to talk about sensitive things, said Evan.

    He felt that there was magical power around him, and the Ministry of Magic had indeed arranged it here.

    Because of this, they could always detect Harrys use of magic or other things in the first ce.

    Of course, this monitoring was very vague, but Voldemorts name was a very sensitive word.

    Were not discussing anything here, its too risky, muttered Moody in displeasure, turning his normal eye on Harry; his magical eye remained pointing up at the ceiling. Damn it, he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, it keeps sticking ever since that scum wore it.

    And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye.

    Mad-Eye, you do know thats disgusting, dont you? said Tonks conversationally.

    Get me a ss of water, would you, Harry? asked Moody.

    Harry crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean ss, and filled it with fresh water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards.

    Evan was speechless for a while, and he knew from Harrys expression that their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.

    Cheers, said Moody, when Harry handed him the ss. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down. The eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. I want three-hundred-and-sixty degrees visibility on the return journey.

    Come on, wed better hurry up and get packed. Well be on the road soon after the signal. Ill help you, Harry! said Evan, pushing Harry so that he wouldnt be standing here and be seen as a cherished animal.

    Ill go too, said Tonks brightly, looking around curiously.

    Funny ce, she said, Its a bit too clean  do you know what I mean? Bit unnatural. My dad is also Muggle-born, but hes a right old slob. I suppose it varies, just like with wizards. Oh, this is better

    When they walked into Harrys bedroom and Harry turned on the light, she nodded and Harry was embarrassed.

    His room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house. Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Harry had not bothered tidying up after himself. Most of the books he owned were strewn over the floor where hed tried to distract himself with each in turn and thrown it aside.

    Hedwigs cage needed cleaning out and was starting to smell, and his trunky open, revealing a jumbled mixture of Muggle clothes and wizards robes that had spilled onto the floor around it.

    If possible, Harry hoped that he would be able to clean up before letting Evan and Tonkse in.

    Actually, its not bad! said Evan, he didnt tidy up things very much, and Dobby was in charge. The house-elf did a good job, always packed everything up at night, so that no one could find out his existence.

    Evan did not expect Dobby to help him that much when he took him in.

    Maybe Harry could consider keeping a house-elf in his room.

    While chatting, Evan and Harry started picking up books and throwing them hastily into the trunk.

    Tonks paused at Harrys open wardrobe to look critically at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door.

    You know, I dont think purples really my color, she said pensively, tugging at a lock of spiky hair. Do you think it makes me look a bit peaky?

    Er said Harry, looking up at her over the top of Quidditch Teams of Britain and Irnd.

    Evan also raised his head and saw Tonks hair changing slightly.

    Yeah, it does, said Tonks decisively. She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she were struggling to remember something. A secondter, her hair had turned bubble-gum pink.

    She was a Metamorphmagus, an extremely rare branch of Transfiguration. This was really the best magic for disguise.

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 Chapter 849: Transfiguration System

    Chapter 849: Transfiguration System

    How did you do that? said Harry, gaping at Tonks as she opened her eyes again.

    Im a Metamorphmagus, she said, looking back at her reflection in the mirror, turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions, and gently stroking it with her hand from time to time, It means, I can change my appearance at will.

    Metamorphmagus? Harry froze for a moment, with a puzzled expression on his face.

    Its one of the branches of Transfiguration. The caster can change his appearance at will, just like Animagus. Evan exined, looking at Tonks, Metamorphmagi are born with this ability. Its an innate ability.

    Transfiguration was a veryrge magical system. The mostmon one in Hogwarts was to simply teach young wizards and witches how to change the form and appearance of an object.

    Harder than anything else, it could also make parts of living animals and even human beings change.

    For example, Caresius had turned Malfoy into a ferret, which was a more advanced Transfiguration magic.

    After passing the Ordinary Wizarding Level and entering the upper-grade Transfiguration ss, wizards could try to change the essence of objects between different forms, such as turning mes into knives, pythons, ropes, etc. This was esoteric Transfiguration.

    This Transfiguration was not permanent. When the magical power disappeared, the changed object would return to its original state.

    It was not Transfiguration, but Alchemy that really changed the nature of objects.

    The difference was the same as real gold made with Alchemy and gold coins of the goblins.

    Besides, there were many rare branches of Transfiguration that very few people had mastered.

    Animagus was one of them. When learned, the caster can transfigure into a certain animal.

    Metamorphmagus was also one of them. It was magic in blood, a kind of natural ability.

    There was also the owl pendant on Evans wrist. Using shaman witchcraft, Evan could turn himself into a soul-shaped owl.

    In the more secretive European magic, there were Druidic spells that allowed the caster to transform into mystical creature forms, granting great power.

    If the magical power was enough, they could even transform into a fire-breathing dragon, which was beyond imagination.

    It was said that in the mysterious Oriental wizarding world and the ancient American wizarding civilization, there were also spells that could turn spellcasters into nts

    Yeah, I was born Metamorphmagus, said Tonks softly, looking at her reflection with satisfaction, I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great.

    Youre an Auror? said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark wizard catcher was the only career hed ever considered after Hogwarts.

    Yeah, said Tonks, looking proud. Kingsley is as well; hes a bit higher up than I am, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking, Im dead clumsy, did you hear me break that te when we arrived downstairs?

    I saw Tonks in Lupins office when I learned Apparition before, said Evan, sorting out Harrys books. You must have just be an Auror around that time, right?

    Yeah, thats right, but I had been training for a long time before that, Tonks continued. With the help of Sirius and Remus, I finally got through Stealth and Tracking. Theyre both good at it.

    Indeed, Sirius had been able to escape the Dementors and the Ministry of Magic with his own power, which was not something ordinary people could do.

    Needless to say, Lupin, as a werewolf, was a master of Stealth and Tracking, which was an essential skill for survival in the Dark world.

    By the way, can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus? Harry thought for a moment before he asked.

    Bet you wouldnt mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh? Tonks chuckled.

    Her eyes found the lightning-shaped scar on Harrys forehead.

    No, I wouldnt mind, Harry mumbled, turning away. He did not like people staring at his scar.

    Well, youll have to learn the hard way, Im afraid, said Tonks. Metamorphmagi are really rare, theyre born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand or potions to change their appearance.

    Its almost hard to do. Evan whispered, leaning close to Harry, but you can try to learn about Animagus, which should be fine. Hermione has already mastered Animagus.

    Really?! Harry looked at him in surprise. Whats her Animagus?

    Its a cat, too, but its white, said Evan. Cats are not very powerful animals, but theyre very practical.

    Its really practical Harry nodded, not sure if he understood what Evan meant. He looked a little expectant, and then continued to ask, Can I also learn Animagus?

    No problem, but before that, I have to test your basic knowledge first, said Evan. I can use the Philosophers Stone to provide you with sufficient magic during the metamorphosis process, but its mainly up to you. This magic is actually very dangerous

    You two, dont whisper there anymore, weve got to get going; Mad-Eye is waiting below. Evan, Harry, were supposed to be packing, said Tonks, looking around at all the mess on the floor.

    Oh, yeah, said Harry guiltily, grabbing up a few more books. It was too messy here!

    Dont be stupid, itll be much quicker if I  <i>pack</i>! cried Tonks, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor.

    Books, clothes, telescope, and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk.

    Its not very neat, is it? said Tonks, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. My mum has got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly. She even gets the socks to fold themselves  but Ive never mastered how she does it  its a kind of flick

    She flicked her wand hopefully; one of Harrys socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess within.

    I think youd better make it wider, said Evan, pointing out Tonkss mistake just now. Wave the wand faster.

    Really?! Tonks did what Evan said again, waving her wand quickly.

    The next second, all of Harrys socks were neatly folded and dropped into the trunk.

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 Chapter 850: Broomstick Production Plan

    Chapter 850: Broomstick Production n

    Its incredible. I always thought this was my mothers exclusive secret. How did you know it? said Tonks.

    Just read more books, I rmend you to read <i>Detailed Exnations of One Hundred Common Housework Magic</i>. The magic tricks introduced in it are all more practical, said Evan. This was a book in Hermiones list, which he had read before.

    He was very interested in all kinds of magic tricks, which could maximize the effectiveness of spells.

    Evan had originally nned to find out thew through statistical reasoning and apply it to other magic.

    He had worked out a lot of techniques, but it was still in the early stage of exploration until now.

    Reading more books is really helpful, but I always cant get in, said Tonks, mming the trunks lid shut, and pointing her wand to Hedwigs cage, saying <i>Scourgify</i>. A few feathers and droppings vanished.

    Its much better now. To be honest, Ive never quite got the hang of these sort of householdy spells. Okay, Harry  got everything? Trunk? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! A <i>Firebolt</i>?

    Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harrys right hand. It was Harrys pride and joy, a gift from Sirius, an international standard broomstick

    Sirius gave it to me said Harry haltingly.

    As Evan had just exined, he knew that Tonks was rted to Sirius. She was his cousin.

    The rich ck family, this broom is worth all of my wealth, and Im still riding a Comet Two Sixty, said Tonks enviously, Well, get your wand and lets go down. <i>Lotor Trunk</i>.

    Harrys trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductors baton, Tonks made it hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwigs cage in her left hand.

    Evan carried Harrys cauldron while Harry took his broomstick and followed her down the stairs.

    Back in the kitchen, Moody had reced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made them feel sick.

    Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones wasughing at a potato peeler she hade across while rummaging in the drawers.

    Well leave in about a minute. ck wrote a letter to the Muggle family here in your godfathers name, said Moody, taking out a letter from his pocket. Just when he knew we wereing to take you away, he sent it by mail. He had something to tell your aunt and uncle, and by the way, exin to them why you left and tell them not to worry.

    They wont worry. If theye back and find that Im not here, theyll only be happy, said Harry.

    I dont know what those Muggles think, roared Moody, looking at Harrys wand that hed stowed into the back pocket of his jeans. Dont put your wand there, Potter. What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!

    Who do you know whos lost a buttock? Tonks asked interestedly.

    Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket! growled Mad-Eye. Elementary wand safety, nobody bothers about it anymore. And I saw that. Come here, you two, I need to Disillusion you.

    Next, Moody cast the Disillusionment Charm on Evan and Harry in turn.

    With his wand, he rapped them hard on the top of the head and they felt a curious sensation as though Moody had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down their bodies from the point the wand had struck.

    Evan saw that his body and Harrys beside him had simply taken the exact color and texture of the kitchen unit behind them. They seemed to have be human chameleons.

    Beforeing here, Moody had already used the Disillusionment Charm on himself. Evan could be sure that Mad-Eye didnt hit so hard at that time. He must be angry about Harrys wand.

    With a sullen look, Moody led the crowd out to the beautifully keptwn.

    Harry was studying the broom that Evan was holding, which was not avable on the market. It was a bit like the old Moontrimmer hed seen in the <i>Handbook of Do-It-Yourself-Broomcare</i>, which had the Scouring Charm on it and was glowing silver light.

    The others were studying the Firebolt in Harrys hand, and they didnt hesitate to praise and envy.

    Evan was also studying the broom. From the admiration and envy of the people around him, he suddenly realized that making broomsticks was a very profitable and extremely high-end industry, and it was very promising.

    He hadnt studied this aspect before, and thought that only young wizards were interested in broomsticks, but it didnt seem to be the case now.

    Broomsticks were also very attractive to adult wizards. They were willing to pay more for a broomstick, and they also had this ability.

    As the main means of transportation for wizards, broomsticks were like cars in the Muggle world.

    The Cleansweep series was a local brand in Britain. Although it was still the mainstream on the market, it was on the decline. It was even less seen abroad. The mainstream brooms, including the Comet series, the Shooting Star, the Silver Arrow, the Nimbus series and the Firebolt were all produced in other European countries, mainly in France, Germany, Spain and concentrated in the United States.

    Evan suddenly came up with an idea. Because of the advertising revenue of <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, the profit share of the Diagon Alley shop, the reward of the Egyptian Ministry of Magic and the looting of Zosers vault, he now had arge sum of Gold Galleons in his hand. Instead of idling there, he should create a broom factory.

    The money was enough to meet the cost of product development and production. Evan had several good ideas, even using Alchemy to speed up and improve safety.

    If sessful, it would be a unique broom on the market, even surpassing the Firebolt.

    Evan was confident that he would spread his broom brand all over the world. He was going to discuss it with Hermione after he went back and start implementing it very quickly.

    Clear night, grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens, and the normal eye looking at Harry. Were going to be flying in close formation, with you, kids in the middle. We dont break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed

    Is that likely? Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him.

    the others keep flying, dont stop, dont break ranks. When necessary, you can use magic. Evan, you follow Harry and do your best to protect him. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and theyll join you.

    Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, hell think were not taking this seriously, said Tonks, as she strapped Harrys trunk, cauldron and Hedwigs cage into a harness hanging from her broom.

    Im just telling the boy the n, growled Moody. Our job is to deliver him safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt

    No ones going to die, said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep, calming voice.

    Harry, can I mount the Firebolt with you? Evan thought for a while and said, You know, Im not very good at riding broomsticks, and if theres some identter, I can make you Apparate when necessary. Being discovered by the Ministry of Magic is better than being killed, isnt it?

    Harry nodded, his little face full of worry.

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 Chapter 851: The Broom Room

    Chapter 851: The Broom Room

    In terms of flying skills, Harry was indeed much better than Evan.

    There was no danger on the way back, but Moody kept changing routes, making everyone freeze.

    Evan hugged Harry from behind, he didnt need to control the broom, but he didnt have the mind to think about other things now.

    In the dark night, the bitter cold wind blew and the temperature was much lower than when they came.

    Evan squinted tightly. His ears were so cold, and he could feel Harrys body freezing too.

    Compared to this kind of unbearable flight, he preferred the feeling of Apparition, and even traveling by Floo powder was much better than this. It might be ufortable to spin around in fireces but it was at least warm in the mes.

    Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around them, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight. Tonks had been following them on their right, her wand out.

    Evan had no doubt that if a group of Death Eaters flew towards them at this time, they would have no resistance at all.

    Turning southwest, we ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure were not being followed! Moody shouted.

    ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE? Tonks screamed, whizzing over Evan and Harry, Were all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off course were not going to get there until next week! Were nearly there now!

    Time to start the descent! said Kingsley.

    All right,nd! said Moody, upset.

    Here is said Harry, shivering and looking around.

    The grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not weing; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the streetmps, paint was peeling from many of the doors, and heaps of rubbishy outside several sets of front steps.

    He had been to this ce, and Sirius had brought them here on that Christmas day.

    But he couldnt find the house, and he couldnt remember where it should be. In the dark, it seemed that a force was interfering with his memory.

    Yes, the old house of the ck family is now the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, Evan whispered.

    Whats the order of the?

    Here, read quickly and memorize, Moody muttered, thrusting a piece of parchment toward Harrys Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as to illuminate the writing.

    The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld ce, London.

    He had just finished reading it, and in front of him, a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows with a loud rumble.

    It was as though an extra house had inted, pushing those on either side out of its way.

    Number twelve, Grimmauld ce appeared out of nowhere, and the memory of this house suddenly appeared in Harrys mind.

    He looked at all this dumbfounded, feeling it incredible.

    What surprised him even more were the changes in the old house. When he came herest time, the abandoned empty house seemed to have died. It gave the feeling that everything here was rotting. The peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, the age-ckened portraits hanging crooked on the walls, and a lot of evil looking, dusty Dark magical items.

    But now, the house had a brand new look, and the chandelier and the candbra on the table were all lit up and resplendent.

    Harry followed Evan and walked in. He immediately stood still, staring at everything in front of him in disbelief.

    Here! said Moody, rapping Evan and Harry hard over the head with his wand. They felt as though something hot was trickling down their backs this time, and the Disillusionment Charm had been lifted.

    Wee back, Master Evan, Master Harry!

    Kreacher, the house-elf in a clean apron, ran by with his slippers. He seemed to have been here all the time.

    Hello, Kreacher! Harry whispered, Thank you

    There were hurried footsteps and Rons mother, Mrs. Weasley, emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. She was beaming in wee as she hurried toward them.

    Youre back; oh, Harry, its so lovely to see you! she whispered, pulling him into a rib-cracking hug before holding him at arms length and examining him critically. Youre looking peaky; you need feeding up, but youll have to wait a bit for dinner, Im afraid

    She hugged Evan again and turned to the gang of wizards behind them.

    Hes just arrived, the meetings started Mrs. Weasley whispered urgently.

    The wizards all made noises of interest and excitement and began filing past Evan and Harry toward the door through which Mrs. Weasley had juste.

    Harry made to follow them, but Mrs. Weasley held him back.

    No, Harry, the meetings only for members of the Order of the Phoenix, Mrs. Weasley said in an urgent whisper. Ron, Hermione and Ginny are upstairs, you two can wait with them until the meeting is over and then well have dinner. And keep your voices down in the hall

    Although Kreacher has cleaned up the entire house, he did not take down the portrait of Siriuss mother, and Mrs. cks attitude towards everyone had not changed at all.

    Once she was woken up, it would be a terrible disaster.

    What on earth is going on? Harry asked in a low voice, walking up the stairs. Whos that man Mrs. Weasley said he was here?

    Probably Dumbledore, Evan replied, looking at Kreacher leading the way before them. I heard Fred and George say that Snape had something important to report tonight, and thats why hes here.

    The headmaster is here! Harry opened his eyes wide, suddenly feeling very ufortable.

    Dumbledore was here, but he wouldnt see him. He didnt understand why.

    What made him feel even more ufortable was that Snape was there. Snape actually came to Siriuss house.

    He felt like a fool, kept in the dark by everyone.

    Evan didnt know what Harry was thinking. He said to the house-elf in front of him, Kreacher, where did you get the broomstick you gave me when I set out?

    There is a broom room on the top floor. Master Evan, there are all kinds of broomsticks inside, said Kreacher, making gestures with his hands. All are left by former family members, there are many of them.

    Can you show me around?

    Evan had been thinking about this on his way back. Since he nned to produce broomsticks, he wanted to view the ck family broom collection to prepare for future research on new broom products. After all, the information from the book was not as urate as the real object.

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 Chapter 852: Harrys Unhappiness and the Moontrimmer

    Chapter 852: Harry''s Unhappiness and the Moontrimmer

    Of course, Master Evan. The broom room is on the top floor, said Kreacher.

    Evan seemed interested in that broom room, and Harry didnt understand what was going on.

    Although he wanted to see it, the ufortable feeling in his heart became more and more obvious.

    He didnt know how to vent this emotion. Hed been trapped in the Dursleys for a whole month, while other people used his godfathers house to fight Voldemort here, and they refused to tell him anything, as though it had nothing to do with him.

    Evan, you havent told me what exactly the Order of the Phoenix is

    Just then, the doorknob in the shape of a serpent of the third bedroom on the third floor quickly turned, and Hermione rushed out.

    Ron followed her, and they both threw themselves onto Harry excitedly in a hug that nearly knocked him t, while Rons tiny owl, Pigwidgeon, zoomed excitedly round and round their heads.

    Harry, youre here! We didnt hear you arrive, said Hermione excitedly. How are you? Are you alright?

    Not bad! Harry replied quietly, in fact he wanted to say he was very bad.

    Yeah, I bet youve been furious with us  but we couldnt tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldnt. He specifically asked Ron and me before the holiday, said Hermione quickly. You dont know how worried we were when Evan and I in Egypt heard youve been attacked by Dementors; for fear that you might have an ident  and that Ministry hearing  its outrageous, Ive looked it all up, they cant expel you, they just cant, it is clearly stipted in thew

    Okay, let him breathe, Hermione, said Evan, putting his arm around Hermione to calm her down.

    After knowing that Harry was going to the Ministry hearing, Hermione had been reading through a pile of thick legal books.

    Hermione, still beaming, let go of Harry, but before she could say another word there was a soft whooshing sound from the bedroom and something white flew from inside andnded gently on Harrys shoulder.

    Hedwig!

    The snowy owl clicked her beak and nibbled his ear affectionately as Harry stroked her feathers.

    Shes been in a right state, said Ron, beaming at Harry. She pecked us half to death when she brought yourst letters to Evan, Hermione and me, and she kept urging us to reply, look at this

    He showed Harry the index finger of his right hand, which sported a half-healed but clearly deep cut.

    Sorry about that, but I wanted answers, you know said Harry apologetically.

    We wanted to give them to you, mate, said Ron. But Dumbledore specifically made us

    swear not to tell me, said Harry. Yeah, Hermione has already said.

    The icy feeling in his heart became more and more obvious. Harry looked at Evan, Ron, and Hermione. Although hed been yearning to see them for a solid month, he now felt he would rather prefer the three of them to leave him alone.

    There was a strained silence in which Harry stroked Hedwig automatically, not looking at either of the others

    Okay, lets not stand here. Kreacher was just about to take me to visit the cks broom room. There are many treasured broomsticks in it. Who wants to go? said Evan in a rxed tone.

    Because of the connection between Harry and Voldemort, Dumbledore had made a decision that was in the best interests of the moment, to effectively protect Harrys safety and at the same time prevent him from contacting anything rted to the Order of the Phoenix, or even let him leave the Dursleys.

    He considered everything and did the right thing, but ignored Harrys own feelings.

    Or he thought about it but thought it was not important. This was Dumbledores main problem.

    The greatest white wizard in the world was not a saint. Hed made many mistakes in his life and was still making new ones.

    In his youth, he was a pure careerist, nning to conquer the wizarding world with Grindelwald and obtain the strongest power.

    When his sister died because of this, he repented and returned to Hogwarts to be a respected professor. He insisted on fighting Dark magic, treating everyone in the wizarding world fairly and eventually became the headmaster of Hogwarts.

    In 1945, when the chaos caused by Grindelwald reached a fierce stage, he came forward under the expectation of the world, defeated the Dark wizard Grindelwald, and sessfully imprisoned his former friend in the topmost cell of Nurmengard.

    Later, until the rise of Voldemort, Dumbledore did not have greater interests in his mind, but his way had changed. Instead of using violent methods to change the wizarding world like Grindelwald and Voldemort, he used more moderate methods.

    Just as Evan had judged before, Dumbledore was now a strategist, he was not for secr rights, but for the higher purpose that had always existed in his mind, even at the expense of his own life.

    Compared with these, Harrys emotions were indeed trivial.

    Lets all go and look at the broomsticks collected by the cks, said Ron hastily.

    Under the leadership of Kreacher, they climbed to the attic silently and came to the top of this old house.

    The house-elf opened a door and Evan walked in.

    Hed thought he would be in a storage room like a utility room, but it was not like that. There were a lot of shelves on the wall with a broom on top, and there were all kinds of models sealed in ss cabs, like an exhibition.

    Obviously, an ancestor of the cks had a hobby of collecting broomsticks.

    Blimey, there are so many broomsticks, said Ron in surprise, looking at everything in front of him in disbelief. I lived in this house for a month, but no one has ever told me that there was such a room.

    Harry also forgot his unhappiness andpared the pictures of the brooms hed seen in the books with the things in front of him.

    He came to a green broom and gently wiped the dust off it.

    It was a Moontrimmer, the prototype of the Silver Arrow series.

    At the time, this broom was a revolution in broomstick design, and it had a leap in quality.

    For a while, these slender brooms with ash handles were in great demand by Quidditch yers. Compared with other broomsticks, the main advantage of the Moontrimmer was that it had the ability to fly higher than other brooms and remain controble.

    Quidditch yers were moring for more Moontrimmers.

    At that time, broomsticks were still in the hand-crafted workshop production mode, and the maker of the Moontrimmer was unable to meet the market demand. This led to the appearance of the silver arrow series, which became the true ancestor of Quidditch brooms, and began mass production, bing the most sessful business model in the modern wizarding world.

    The hot sale of the Silver Arrow series eventually made the Jewkes family, also an individual manufacturer of broomsticks, rise rapidly and be a prominent wizarding family.

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 Chapter 853: Evanâ€™s Broom Production Plan

    Chapter 853: Evan¡¯s Broom Production n

    The rise of a wizarding family was not simple, and it involved many interests beyond the imagination of the world.

    The social structure of the wizarding world was actually veryplex, and it was not simply ssified ording to pure-blood wizards and ordinary wizards.

    Like the Muggle world, the pure-blood wizarding families were a bit like the old aristocrats of European countries.

    Only the glory of their ancestors could be remembered. In fact, they had declined and had little influence.

    Now the real final say in the wizarding world was of those corporate plutocrats who had huge amounts of gold.

    Why the Malfoys could influence the development of the wizarding world was not because their family was old enough and their pedigree was pure and noble enough, but because they had many industries under their name and controlled the economic lifeline of the British wizarding world. The Ministry of Magic and the authorities dared not offend them.

    Of course, what was different from the Muggle world was that there were magical powers that exceeded themon rules of the world.

    If they became powerful enough like Dumbledore, Voldemort and Grindelwald to be great wizards forming their own armies, they could break the bnce and alter the entire structure of the wizarding world; which was what they had been doing all along.

    While Harry examined the Moontrimmer, Evan was also looking at the Cleansweep series on the wall.

    From Cleansweep One to Cleansweep Seven, it covered all the products in the early and mid-term of the Cleansweep series.

    This was a well-known Cleansweep broom Company in Britain, founded in 1926 by the three brothers Bob, Bill and Barnaby Ollerton.

    At that time, this broom made a new breakthrough in technologypared with previous broomsticks.

    It had greatly improved safety performance, and could be assembled, the production speed was extremely fast, and the cost was also greatly reduced.

    Since itsunch, the Cleansweep had pushed its previous broomsticks into a dead end at an unimaginable speed. Within a year, it had upied the mainstream broom market in the world, including sports brooms, household brooms and entertainment brooms.

    The Cleansweeps became the main export product of the British wizarding circle at that time and sessfully reced the Silver Arrow Broomstick brand, marking the most glorious era of the British wizarding world.

    Looking at the old newspapers of the time, almost one-third of British wizards were working for the Cleansweep broom Company.

    It was not until the Comet Trading Company produced their first Comet 140 that themercial myth of the Cleansweep was shattered.

    The Comet Trading Company was established by Randolph Keitch and Basil Horton, both yers for the Falmouth Falcons.

    These two Americans developed a new Braking Charm and patented it. This charm meant that Quidditch yers were much less likely to overshoot goals or fly offside, which increased the fun and fairness of Quidditch. It was an epoch-making charm in Quidditch professionalpetitions.

    The broom with a Braking Charm became the broom of preference for many Quidditch yers.

    The Cleansweep missed the position of broomsticks for the game, and did not re-enter until more than a decadeter, but it was toote.

    In the following decades, the Cleansweep-Cometpetition became more intense.

    The twopanies had introduced improved broom models, which had be the mainstream of the entire wizarding world, setting off the trend of broomsticks.

    At the same time, other broom factories had sprung up all over the world.

    The various models of broomstick brands were dazzling. They had different performances and their own advantages. Even the wizarding circles in some small countries regarded the broom industry as the hope of revitalizing the whole national economy.

    Among them, it was worth mentioning that the Frenchpanyunched two broomstick brands, the Tinderst and the Swiftstick. They had super resilience and were loved by ordinary wizards. They were the first choice for entertainment broomsticks, though they had never achieved the top speeds of the Comets and Cleansweeps.

    There was also the Shooting Star developed by a Japanesepany, which was said to be the cheapest racing broom in the world, and it was also very marketable.

    However, due to the saving of materials, the Shooting Star was found to lose speed and height as it aged. Therefore, it had always been the first choice for entry-level and could not be loved by professionals.

    In short, although there were so many different broom brands around the world, the broomsticks used in officialpetitions had always been the Cleansweeps and theets, and it had never changed.

    These twopanies had mastered the development trend of broomsticks. It was not until 1967 that the establishment of the Nimbus Racing Broom Company headquartered in Berlin, Germany, changed this situation. They shocked the world and were considered a sign of the rise of modern Germany.

    Indeed, wizards had never seen a broom like the Nimbus 1000. The rigorous Germansbined the reliability of the old Oakshaft 79 with the stability of the Comet and the easy handling of the best Cleansweeps.

    The Nimbus 1000 could reach speeds of up to a hundred miles per hour and was capable of turning 360 degrees at a fixed point in mid-air.

    The Nimbus immediately became the broom preferred by professional Quidditch teams, and the subsequent models -1001, 1500, and 1700- had kept the Nimbus Racing Broom Company at the top of the field.

    But considering the current demand and poprity of broomsticks, the Nimbus was actually much better than the Cleansweep.

    Since then, the glorious Cleansweep hadpletely declined, only upying a certain market space in Britain. But everyone knew that this was not the best broom, but just as a substitute for those who couldnt afford a Nimbus and didnt want to buy a Comet.

    The Comet was better than the Cleansweep, they upied thergest market share in the household brooms, and insisted onunching their own model of broom forpetition every year, hoping to surpass the Nimbus and be the dominant broom market.

    With long persistence, they finallyunched the Firebolt the year beforest.

    This was the most perfect broom so far, representing the highest level of craftsmanship in the wizarding world.

    The Firebolt had be the first choice of all Quidditch yers dreams since its debut. Of course, the price was scary enough. Apart from the two teams in the Quidditch World Cup final and Harrys Firebolt, Evan didnt know who else owned this broomstick.

    At present, the mainstreampetition broom on the market was still the Nimbus 2000.

    It was said that in order topete with the Firebolt, they wouldunch the Nimbus 3000 this year, but it was unknown what it would look like.

    Naturally, Evan would alsounch his own brand of broomstick, and he nned to apply some of his alchemy skills to the broom.

    This was what no manufacturer could currently do. He had a leading edge in technology, enough to crush other manufacturers.

    The broomsticks in front of him gave him enough design ideas. Evan was going to take apart all the broomsticks here, and study the Charms and design concepts used in them. As for the mainstream brooms that were currentlycking, he could buy them all.

    He was striving to design his own broom in the next month before the beginning of school.

    Broomsticks for the game were the mainstream, and Evan was going to sponsor the Gryffindor Quidditch team first at the start of school to gain poprity, and then use these sessful examples to persuade outside clubs to buy his broom.

    The English Quidditch team had always been the worlds top level. Evan believed that as long as his broom was good enough, they would have no reason to refuse supporting a local broomstick brand, and this would create a considerable demonstration effect.

    After gaining poprity on the broomsticks forpetitions, he could expand into the household and entertainment broomsticks market, and even venture into the international market.

    If all went well, Evan could even replicate the myth of the Cleansweep and the rise of the Nimbus series of the past and create a new business miracle.

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 Chapter 854: Harrys Rage

    Chapter 854: Harry''s Rage

    The influence of the brooms in the wizarding world was simr to that of the world-famous automobile brands in the Muggle world.

    If Evans idea could be realized, then he would have enough strength and influence to mobilize the resources of the entire wizarding world.

    After defeating Voldemort, he could use this influence to fight against the evil gods and the terrible war toe.

    This was not something that could yield results in the short term, but once it reached a certain scale, the effect of this influence would be beyond imagination.

    He didnt need to do this to fight Voldemort, but he had to concentrate all the forces in the wizarding world to face the evil gods.

    Great wizards like Dumbledore were respected, but not everyone necessarily agreed with him, or followed every word he said. This time, Fudge and the Ministry of Magics disagreement and counterattack were the best examples.

    As for Voldemorts way of conquering the world, he couldnt bring everyone together. He could only attract those wizards who were greedy for power and strength, and were evil or malicious in nature.

    Only by integrating everyones own interests into it could everyones enthusiasm be mobilized.

    In addition to this, Evan had always felt that the wizarding world was too conservative. If there was a suitable tform, he couldbine more Muggle machinery supplies and magic in everything to promote the development of the wizarding world. The production of brooms was a good opportunity.

    He was going to entrust the designed broom parts to Muggle manufacturers to produce them ording to fixed models and specifications.

    After taking them back, he would cast charms and carve runes on them.

    It was conceivable that this would save a considerable part of the cost and make Evans broom brand morepetitive.

    This was more obvious in household and entertainment brooms, and ordinary wizards were more concerned about the price/performance ratio.

    As for the brooms used inpetitions, he had to strive for perfection, use the best craftsmanship, andplete them by hand.

    While Evan was thinking about the feasibility of this matter, Hermione was looking around, nervously watching Harry.

    She knew nothing about broomsticks, even less than Evan.

    After Kreacher left, the atmosphere in the room was a bit off. Harry was definitely still angry about what had happened this summer and wanted to talk to them about this topic. Both Hermione and Ron could feel it. Only Evan was really interested in the brooms in front of him for unknown reasons.

    Harry, he seemed to think it was best, said Hermione rather breathlessly. Dumbledore, I mean.

    She broke the awkward silence, hoping they would not be just standing there like strangers.

    Right, said Harry, putting back the broom in his hand. He always has his reasons.

    I think he thought you were safest with the Muggles. Ron followed, wrinkling his nose.

    Yeah? said Harry, raising his eyebrows. Have either of you been attacked by Dementors this summer?

    Well, no  but thats why hes had people from the Order of the Phoenix tailing you all the time! said Ron hurriedly.

    Harry felt a great jolt in his guts as though he had just missed a step going downstairs. Looking at it this way, everyone knew that he was being followed except him.

    It didnt work that well, did it? said Harry, doing his utmost to keep his voice even. I had to look after myself after all, didnt I?

    You dont know; he was so angry when he got the news! said Ron in an almost awestruck voice. Ginny told me she saw him. When he found out Mundungus had left before his shift had ended. He was scary.

    Well, Im d he left, Harry said coldly. If he hadnt, I wouldnt have done magic and Dumbledore would probably have left me at Privet Drive all summer.

    There was another moment of silence. Hermione and Ron didnt know what to say. Evan was still thinking about the brooms.

    Harry, arent you worried about the Ministry of Magic hearing? said Hermione quietly.

    No. Harry lied defiantly. He walked away from them to look at the brooms in the cab, with Hedwig nestled contentedly on his shoulder.

    On the wall between two brooms, there was a nk stretch of canvas in an ornate picture frame.

    As Harry passed it, he thought he heard someone lurking out of sight snigger, as thoughughing at his stubbornness.

    So why has Dumbledore been so keen to keep me in the dark? Harry asked, still trying hard to keep his voice casual. Did you  er  bother to ask him at all?

    He nced up just in time to see Hermione and Ron exchanging a look that told him he was behaving just as they had feared he would, Hermione even pushed Evan. And this did nothing to improve Harrys temper.

    We told Dumbledore we wanted to tell you what was going on, said Ron. We did, mate. I went with Fred and George, but hes really busy now. Weve only seen him twice since we came here and he didnt have much time, he just made us swear not to tell you important stuff when we wrote. He said the owls might be intercepted

    He could still have kept me informed if hed wanted to, Harry said roughly, interrupting Ron, and raising his voice. Youre not telling me he doesnt know ways to send messages without owls.

    Yeah, we must admit that he just didnt want you to know anything! Hermione said sharply.

    But why? Maybe he thinks I cant be trusted, said Harry, watching their expressions.

    Dont be thick, said Ron, looking highly disconcerted.

    Or that I cant take care of myself.

    Of course he doesnt think that! said Hermione anxiously, pushing Evan again.

    She and Ron were totally unable to convince Harry that things were going in the worst direction.

    Actually, Dumbledore does have concerns about this, said Evan, who didnt intend to be involved.

    But if Harry was not convinced, it would only make things worse, and he would definitely try every means to find out the truth.

    He had to make it up by himself for Dumbledores omission.

    Do you remember those dreams that you hadst term? They were dreams from Voldemorts perspective, seeing him killing someone or doing something evil.

    You told me at the time that it was because of the magical connection between me and him, because of the scar. Harry said.

    He was a little embarrassed. Evan had been helping him learn lumency, but he hadnt made any progress until now.

    The only good thing was that since Voldemorts resurrection, those nightmares had disappeared and never reappeared.

    But thinking about it carefully, was that really a good thing?

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 Chapter 855: Evans Explanation

    Chapter 855: Evan''s Exnation

    Dumbledore may be suspecting that the connection between you and Voldemort is mutual said Evan, trying to find words that would make it easier for Harry to understand, Its not just that you can see what hes doing, through this scars connection, Voldemort can also see what youre doing, and thats exactly what hes worried about

    The dull atmosphere suddenly grew even more solemn. That was why Dumbledore wanted to keep this secret from Harry.

    Harry couldnt help thinking about it because he was worried that he might leak their secrets to Voldemort because he was not trustworthy.

    Then, he thought of the way Wormtail, the little wizard, had cowered and shrank back, which made him feel very bad.

    He had never thought that one day he would be like Peter Pettigrew, a leaker.

    Evan, whats really going on? Hermione asked. Ive never heard of this magic

    No one, except Harry, has ever been hit by <i>Avada Kedavra</i> and survived, said Evan vaguely. The collision of his mothers protective charm and the Killing Curse produced a wonderful reaction, making Harry and Voldemort have some kind of connection.

    They already knew about Horcruxes, and Evan couldnt tell Harry that he himself was a Horcrux.

    It was not the time yet, Harry wasnt ready to sacrifice himself, and Dumbledore hadnt prepared him for it.

    Harry fell silent. His mes of fury, which had been rising, were suddenly extinguished. It was as though he had fallen into the cold waters of theke.

    Ron was watching uneasily, not knowing what to do, the topic was beyond his imagination.

    Hermione, on the other hand, was pondering, thinking about what Evan had said about the connection between Harry and Voldemort. She had always felt something was wrong.

    So, in order to prevent Voldemort from seeing what youre doing, I think youd better learn lumency as soon as possible.

    Im not very good at that spell, I cant clear my mind, and I havent had those dreams for a long time, said Harry.

    Thats the worst part of it, because Voldemort had obviously noticed the connection between him and youst term. He voluntarily closed his brain and didnt want you to see what he was doing, said Evan. But hell soone up with specific strategies. I think he might intentionally show you false visions to lure you and provide you with false information.

    Harry, Ron, and Hermione took a deep breath. If that were the case, it would be terrible.

    Deliberately let Harry see the wrong scene, lure him away from Hogwarts, or provide false information to the Order of the Phoenix.

    Evan didnt finish what he said. In fact doing so would hurt Voldemort a lot.

    His fallen soul had been split into many parts. From the perspective of soul magic, the excessive contact between his iplete soul and Harrys pure andplete soul would cause him great harm. That was why Harry, in his first year, only touched Voldemort, who was attached to Quirrell, and he was finished.

    Mysterious soul magic had many fields, in which the wizarding world was still groping.

    Evan didnt tell Harry about it, he hoped to attract his attention so that he could learn lumency as soon as possible.

    These are all my guesses, and Dumbledore must be just skeptical. Its not necessarily true, Evan continued, paying attention to the expression on Harrys face. In short, you must learn lumency as soon as possible. And dont believe what Voldemort shows you. Everyone knows that youre his main target. Hell surely try to defeat you first to prove that hes invincible.

    Voldemorts notoriety was mainly based on his invincible magic, but his repeated defeats to Harry had already made some people doubt.

    If he couldnt prove that he was invincible, Voldemort was nothing and his reputation was greatly reduced.

    Whether from the perspective of practical interests or personal glory, Harry would be Voldemorts main and only target.

    There was a long pause, broken only by the mournful creak of the floorboards below their feet. Everyone was thinking about what Evan had said.

    Strange emotions spread through Harry, recing the previous dissatisfaction and anger.

    He knew the connection between himself and Voldemort, the scar on his forehead, the terrible nightmares, and his wand. The core of his wand and the core of Voldemorts wand used the same phoenix tail feather, which was the phoenix raised by Dumbledore.

    That was something Harry tried his best to hide, the connection between him and Voldemort

    This connection made him unique and made everyone who heard his name stare at his scar stupidly.

    Until now, Harry suddenly felt like he was some kind of monster.

    He thought sadly that he really should be isted from others, and that this was the fate he deserved.

    Its not necessarily a bad thing, Harry. Dont always think on the bad side, said Evan.

    Harry looked up at him, his eyes gleaming with hope.

    Evan felt he might have been too harsh just now; he couldnt let Harry lose all his confidence.

    The most crucial step in defeating Voldemort was to count on him, and Harry couldnt give up on himself.

    As I said before, the connection between you and Voldemort is very wonderful. In my opinion, its like a sign. He personally selected you as his fateful opponent. Youre the only wizard who can defeat him.

    Am I the only wizard who can defeat Voldemort? Harry whispered. He chose me as his opponent?

    Yeah, youve defeated him many times. Its your responsibility.

    Voldemort was scared, so he wanted to kill you when you were a baby, but he failed.

    Evan wanted to talk about fate, which reminded him of another prediction by Professor Trwney.

    Her previous predictions changed the structure of the wizarding world and changed the fate of Harry and Voldemort.

    Voldemort marked Harry as his fateful enemy, and there should be only one of them in the end.

    At the same time, Evan had also heard a new prophecy, perhaps rted to evil gods.

    In this prophecy, Voldemort also marked a person as his servant.

    This servant would help him gain power beyond the imagination of the world and be extremely powerful.

    That dark temple full of taboos might be the Centaurs Temple of the Moon.

    During the worship of the evil god, that temple was probably the most evil ce in the world, where countless flesh and blood and souls were piled up.

    Voldemorts old magic was also fulfilled, and he left a curse on the Philosophers Stone.

    This curse finally fell on Evan, but it had been removed by him with the magical power of theplete Philosophers Stone.

    The prophecy was not fulfilled, or was it that once marked; Evan would turn into the servant mentioned in the prophecy?

    Evan would help Voldemort gain the power of the evil god and make him stronger.

    This sounded ridiculous. Evan didnt think he would make that kind of mistake to help Voldemort gain the power of the evil god.

    Or, maybe the prophecy had been fulfilled, but Voldemorts servant was not Evan, but someone else?!

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 Chapter 856: Failed Eavesdropping

    Chapter 856: Failed Eavesdropping

    Prophecies, they were mostly filled with vagueness and uncertainty, capable of being interpreted to fit any exnation.

    Perhaps, there was no servant at all, it was just needless worry.

    In the broom room, Hermione and Ron were also trying, in their way, to persuade Harry to cheer up.

    Well, whats going on here? said Harry with a sigh, trying not to think about all the messy things. Why did Siriuss house suddenly be a headquarters? I heard Evan say that this is the Order of the Phoenix. What is it?

    Its a secret society, said Hermione quickly. When we were in Egypt, Bill told me Dumbledores in charge of this society, he founded it. Its the people who fought against You-Know-Whost time.

    Whos in it? Harry asked casually. Of course, if its confidential

    Dont be silly, Harry, we all believe in you, just like we believe in ourselves, said Evan, his hands in his pockets. I didnt finish just now. Theres indeed a connection between you and Voldemort, but he will not know what youre thinking and the secrets in your head through this connection, nor can he see what youre doing anytime and anywhere. If he does, he needs to pay a certain price, which may not be what he wants. It will cause a lot of harm to him.

    Then why is Dumbledore not willing to tell me anything? said Harry, still bothered by this.

    Just by precaution, and he just wants to protect you. As long as you learn lumency, there will be no problem. Well, lets stop talking about this topic, its just spection, said Evan. As for the members of the Order of the Phoenix, besides those youve just seen, I know there are Sirius, Lupin, Snape, Fleur, Bill and Charlie

    Weve met about twenty of them, said Ron, but we think there are more.

    Thats not bad, what about Voldemort? Harry continued, and this was what he wanted to know the most. Whats he up to? Where is he now? What are we doing to stop him?

    Thats what we want to know, too Ron whispered.

    Weve told you, the Order of the Phoenix dont let us in on their meetings. Hermione continued, Evan and I dont know anything about the Order of the Phoenix. Weve been in Egypt; so we dont know much more than you do.

    There was another silence, and Harry looked at his friends apologetically.

    He shouldnt have been angry with them just now. He had no reason for anger here, except for some worries.

    However, ording to Evan, all the problems should be solved by learning lumency.

    Fred and George should know something. Theyve invented Extendable Ears. Theyre really useful, said Ron. Come on, theyre going to use them to eavesdrop on Snape tonight. We should go to their room

    Hermione was exining to Harry what the Extendable Ears were, and they heard Mrs. Weasley roar as soon as they went out.

    Shed apparently found out that Fred and George were eavesdropping on the meeting with the Extendable Ears and she went berserk.

    The four of them looked at one another and then silently retreated back to the broom room.

    A few secondster, with two loud cracks, Fred and George suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

    Hello, Harry, said George, beaming at him. We just heard Kreacher say youre here.

    Yeah, we thought we heard your dulcet tones, said Fred, also beaming. Its almost as loud as Moms, you dont want to bottle up your anger like that, let it all out.

    You two passed your Apparition tests, then? asked Harry grumpily.

    With distinction, said Fred, who was holding what looked like a piece of very long, flesh-colored string.

    It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer up the stairs, said Ron.

    Time is Galleons, little brother, said Fred, shaking the flesh-colored string in his hand. We just heard halfway through. Theyre having an important meeting, and old Snape is giving a top secret report.

    What did you hear? Ron asked with interest.

    Its the same as before. Theyre talking about some guard duty, as though theyre standing guard over something, said George. Snape is reporting on this. It seems that theres some new progress. Its strange

    Its not about protecting me, is it? Harry said sarcastically. The progress has been to bring me back.

    At the thought that Snape was in charge of protecting him in secret, his mood that had just improved immediately became worse.

    Possible, said Fred.

    It must be so, said Ron, with a look of dawningprehension.

    Evan knew what was going on. Voldemort was nning to get the prophecy ball ced in the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic.

    Of course, he wouldnt stop it. The prophecy ball itself was not very meaningful. Even if Voldemort knew theplete prophecy, it wouldnt change much. He also hoped to follow them in and get the Time-Turner.

    To be honest, were more concerned about what Sirius is doing in Norway than that, said George.

    Snape was going to talk about it. He mentioned Norway, but we were discovered by Mom, said Fred regretfully.

    We should give it another try, George took out new Extendable Ears.

    Then what are we waiting for? Harry said hastily, and he also wanted to know what Sirius was doing.

    Just then, there was a slight knock on the door. Hermione went to open the door and a long mane of red hair appeared.

    Hello, Harry, I thought I heard your voice. Ginny walked in and said brightly.

    Like her fiery red hair, shed also grown quickly, and her tall figure was much more beautiful than ever.

    At the very least, Ginny was the most beautiful in Evans year.

    Hello, Ginny! Harry also waved his hand, not looking at Ginny, staring at the Extendable Ears in Georges hand.

    No, its no go with the Extendable Ears. I saw Mom put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door, said Ginny to Fred and George. I just verified it; Ive been flicking Dungbombs at the door and they just soar away from it, so theres no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap.

    Unfortunately, Mad-Eye must have told her, Fred heaved a deep sigh.

    Shame, I really fancied finding out what old Snapes been up to, said George, looking crestfallen.

    Hes on our side now, said Hermione reprovingly.

    Ron snorted. Doesnt stop him being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us

    No one likes him, said Ginny, as though to settle the matter.

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 Chapter 857: Summer Vacation Plan

    Chapter 857: Summer Vacation n

    At this moment, inside the room, they were eager to know more about the situation.

    But the Extendable Ears were no longer useful, and they couldnt do anything about it, which was really frustrating.

    Clearly close to the Order of the Phoenix, and they could only sit here, feeling an itch in their hearts.

    In Evans opinion, it was not really necessary to go through all this trouble. They could directly ask Sirius about what he was doing.

    Evan believed that Sirius would be willing to tell them, at least he wouldnt keep it a secret from him.

    If it had something to do with the vampires and Slytherin, that was exactly what he needed to know right now.

    The double snake scepter in Slytherins hand was the core of the second chapter of <i>The Book of Abraham</i>. It was also a necessary item to connect ancient gods and evil gods.

    Only by getting it, could he further crack and know more secrets and defeat the evil gods.

    Evan was going to write a letter to Sirius and ask about the relevant situation.

    Next, they talked about Percy, which was even more frustrating and unpleasant.

    Evan and Hermione already knew what had happened, and Harry heard about it for the first time.

    After listening to everyone, Harry muttered a few curses under his breath. He had always liked Percy least of Rons brothers, but he had never imagined he would say such things to Mrs. Weasley, and even break with his family and turn to the Ministry of Magic and Fudge.

    In his opinion, this was madness, and Percy betrayed them, it was hopeless.

    Well, lets not talk about Percy. It is a good thing hes gone. I think were well shut of him, said George with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face. Otherwise he would stay, too; and he would not allow us to do this or that.

    Yeah, why are we all crowded in a broom room? said Fred, looking around and letting out a whistle. I just saw that there are really a lot of brooms here, and there are many models that cant be seen on the market.

    They began to study these brooms again. This was a rare sight.

    As Beaters for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Fred and George knew a lot about broomsticks.

    As for Ginny, under the influence of her brothers, her Quidditch skills were also great, and she was also very interested in broomsticks.

    These were the children who grew up in a wizarding family. Each of them had a special passion and liking for broomsticks.

    The status of the broomstick in the wizards mind had greatly surpassed the significance of cars to Muggles.

    They were almost obsessed with these brooms, which was the main reason why Evan wanted to produce broomsticks.

    This might not be the most profitable industry, but it was absolutely significant and had a status and influence beyond imagination.

    If there were enough funds in the future, Evan was even considering forming a Quidditch club.

    Evan, what are you going to do? Hermione asked curiously, not paying attention to those broomsticks.

    She knew Evan very well and knew that he was not interested in brooms and Quidditch, but now he was very attentive.

    After returning with Harry, he just wanted toe and see the broomsticks. And this, in itself, was abnormal, wasnt it?

    There are many things to do. In the short term, Im going to buy a Firebolt first, said Evan, and then disassemble it.

    The others turned around and looked at Evan in surprise, thinking they had heard wrong.

    Even if he had money, he didnt need to spend it like this. Dismantling a brand new Firebolt was simply criminal damage.

    You want to buy a Firebolt and dismantle it?

    The Firebolt is just one of them. Im going to buy all the mainstream broomsticks, disassemble them and study them carefully, said Evan.Only by understanding the main structure inside can we better design a brand new broomstick.

    Design a broomstick?! The rest of the people were even more confused, not understanding what Evan was talking about.

    Under everyones extremely shocked eyes, Evan exined his broomstick production n to them.

    In fact, they couldnt keep up with Evans thoughts, and they had never thought of such things.

    All of these people present had participated in the creation of <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> and it could be said they were the original crew.

    For young wizards, creating a newspaper was a good idea. It was a bit bold, but it was not impossible, and it was within everyones ability.

    Just a little bitter, it was independent from Hogwarts and developed to this scale. It waspletely taken over by Lupin and became a real business. The whole process was really amazing.

    On that night four years ago, Evan had once described the prospects to them, but no one thought it would develop so fast.

    The use of ghosts as a source of news was also a masterstroke, which had been talked about by the whole media industry until now.

    Driven and helped by Evan, Fred and George began to run prank products and gradually entered the formal business.

    What the two of them most hoped now was to graduate from Hogwarts and open a joke shop.

    They had saved enough Galleons, and Evan also had promised to provide them with sponsorship and partnership.

    After all these things, they all believed that Evan had the ability and strength to do a big business.

    But the sudden idea of producing broomsticks was a bit too much.

    It was like your ssmate suddenly told you that he was going to make a car, how would you feel?

    It was conceivable that either he was joking or he was crazy!

    Not surprisingly, after Evan finished talking about his n, there was a long silence.

    Everyone looked at Evan in amazement, as though they were looking at a freak.

    Well, is there any problem? Evan looked at them. If you can give me some advice on my n, just say it.

    They all thought for a long time, but really didnt know what to say.

    Thinking about it carefully, for Evan, this production n that sounded a bit like a fantasy was very feasible.

    As he said, he had exclusive technology, and Alchemy could make up for all the performance deficiencies.

    What they needed to do now was to design a drawing, then buy back enough materials and assemble ording to the drawing.

    The whole process was simple, like a child making a toy model.

    Finally, Ron raised a question, It takes a lot of money to make a broomstick!

    It was very difficult for him to buy a brand new broom, let alone make it. It was almost like a dream.

    Dont worry about money. I have about 8,000 Gold-Galleons and some valuable things, but theyre not easy to sell, said Evan. I can find someone to help; and with sufficient funds, Ill produce the first batch of broomsticks. Well take the high-quality route like the Firebolt

    He happened to know a suitable person to help him sell those things, and it was at the time that led to Harry being attacked by the Dementors.

    Mundungus Fletcher, one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix, was a thief at the bottom of the wizarding world. No one was more suitable for such a thing than him.

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 Chapter 858: Mundungus

    Chapter 858: Mundungus

    Next, they focused on Evans broom production n.

    Hermione decided to buy all the professional books on broomsticks on the market to figure out the entire production process.

    The others started from the actual use of brooms and put forward many improvement requirements to design a broom in their minds.

    Evan thought these suggestions were quite good, and he hadnt thought of many of them before.

    He had no problem at the technical level, but after all, he didnt have much contact with the brooms before, and there was no way for him topete with Harry and the others in this field.

    At the end of the discussion, they decided to write to the students via Owl Mail to solicit their opinions.

    At the very least, the opinions of the yers of the Quidditch teams of the various Houses must be solicited, but the people in Slytherin House should be excluded.

    Fred and George also asked Evan toe to their room after dinner to see their prank product newly developed this holiday.

    In the words of the two of them, everything was ready now and only needed East wind.

    They were eager to graduate from Hogwarts, open a joke shop in Diagon Alley, and engage in this great business.

    Twenty minutester, Mrs. Weasley came up to tell everyone to go down for dinner.

    There was another loud crack and he and George vanished. They could now Disapparate at will, not wanting to take a single step more than necessary.

    Cant the two of them just walk? said Mrs. Weasley unhappily. And whos left all those Dungbombs outside the kitchen door?

    Crookshanks, said Ginny unblushingly. He loves ying with them!

    Oh, it might be Kreacher cleaning up, said Mrs. Weasley. Its really helpful to have a house-elf in the house, but that guy has a weird temper. Its best not to provoke him. Now dont forget to keep your voices down in the hall. Ginny, your hands are filthy, what have you been doing? Go and wash them before dinner, please.

    Ginny grimaced at Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione and followed her mother out the room.

    I dont like that house-elf. Hes the most unpleasant thing in this house, said Ron.

    Kreacher has changed a lot

    Kreachers changes were beyond everyones expectations though he did not treat everyone equally, but differently.

    It was simply not realistic to think that he would abandon his previous ideaspletely and make a radical change.

    He was only showing a better attitude towards Evan, Harry, and Hermione, because they and Sirius helped him bring Reguluss body back. The funeral, which seemed a little humble in Evans eyes, greatly touched Kreacher. In particr, Evan had given him a replica of Slytherins Locket, which helped him regain his confidence and faith in life.

    For others, his attitude was still bad.

    Kreacher always muttered bad things about them behind their backs and did some odd things.

    Sirius must havemanded him before he left, so he went on doing what he had to do, not too outrageous.

    Hermione was interested in Kreachers change. It made her realize that with enough effort, the house-elves would also change.

    She had not given up her efforts to help the house-elves improve their rights and status. However, under Evans subtle influence, she had not taken too many radical actions, such as sewing sweaters directly to house-elves, which would only scare them.

    What she was doing now was to tirelesslymunicate with every house-elf she coulde in contact with, and make friends with them to increase their rtionship. She would keep telling them about the sessful examples of Dobby and Kreacher, telling them the benefits of defending their rights, and let them take the initiative to fight for their rights and status.

    Of course, up to now, she had not seeded in influencing other house-elves.

    The group carefully bypassed the portrait of Mrs. ck and saw Kreacher cleaning the kitchen door.

    Master Evan, Master Harry, Miss Hermione, Kreacher has prepared dinner for you alone, as well as special pudding, said the elf. Seeing them, his eyes brightened and he ran to them in a hurry. After Kreacher finishes cleaning up here, he will bring it to you, not to be stolen by those greedy ghosts.

    Well done, Kreacher, you did a good job. Hermione encouraged.

    Thank you, Miss Hermione. He bowed and said with a smile, Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of ck!

    Separate dinner and special pudding?! said Ron unhappily, wrinkling his nose. I dont like this elf. Hes only very kind to the three of you, but not to the others at all. I am kind of fed up with him.

    Youll get his respect as long as you treat him better, said Hermione sharply. You should look at Kreachers attitude towards us before and youll know how much he has changed.

    Be nice to a house-elf. Its crazy, said Ron, waving feebly. I dont see the point. Kreacher is a freak, and the house-elves in the school are not like this.

    Thats because they dont know how to protect their rights and interests

    Come on, Hermione, stop telling me about spew. Ron interrupted.

    Its not spew! said Hermione heatedly. Its the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, and its not just me, but also Evan and Harry, and you too, and Dumbledore also says we should be kind to every house-elf.

    You forced me to join, Ron whispered.

    Obviously, he didnt listen to Hermione.

    In the kitchen, many chairs had been crammed for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of the room, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags.

    Mr. Weasley was sitting at the end of the table, rolling up the lengths of parchment left on it, and he jumped to his feet when he saw theming in.

    You are here, children. Mr. Weasley said, hurrying forward to greet Harry and shaking his hand vigorously. Good to see you, Harry!

    Hello, Mr. Weasley, said Harry.

    He looked around, and his gaze fell on a roll of parchment on the table, which seemed to be a floor n of a building, and then Evan, who was following him, saw the drawing.

    We have more people eating tonight than usual, said Mrs. Weasley, snatching the n off the table and passing it to Mr. Weasley, so that Evan and Harry would not peek. Remus will be here in a minute. Well leave something for him. All right, girls, can you go inside and help me bring out the dinner? Well eat now.

    Ill help too! Tonks said, striding over, and immediately sending a candle toppling onto a piece of parchment. Oh no  sorry

    Its okay, dear. Mrs. Weasley said, her voice a little annoyed. Youd better sit down.

    With a wave of her wand, she repaired the parchment.

    Evanesco! Mr. Weasley also took out his wand and waved it gently and all the scrolls on the table vanished. He pointed to the pile of rags on the chair and said kindly, Youve met Mundungus, Harry, havent you?

    Mundungus gave a long, grunting snore and then jerked awake.

    Did someone say my name? he mumbled sleepily. I agree with Moody

    He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused.

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 Chapter 859: Purchase Plan

    Chapter 859: Purchase n

    Ginny smiled softly and followed Mrs. Weasley with Hermione to serve food.

    The meeting is over, Dung! said Mr. Weasley. Evan and Harry have arrived.

    Eh, Evan? said Mundungus, peering balefully at them through his matted ginger hair, and suddenly jumped up, Blimey, hes here. Yeah  youre all right, Harry?

    Yeah, said Harry.

    He had seen him after being attacked by Dementors before, and knew that Dumbledore had assigned him to tail Harry. But Mundungus left his post without authorization to buy stolen cauldrons.

    Mundungus fumbled nervously in his pockets, still staring at Harry, and pulled out a grimy ck pipe. He stuck it in his mouth, ignited the end of it with his wand, and took a deep pull on it. Great billowing clouds of greenish smoke obscured him in seconds.

    I owe you an apology, Harry, grunted a voice from the middle of the smelly cloud. I was

    For thest time, Mundungus, called Mrs. Weasley,ing out with a tray of food, will you please not smoke that thing in the kitchen, especially not when were about to eat!

    Ah, said Mundungus. Right. Sorry, Molly.

    The cloud of smoke vanished as Mundungus stowed his pipe back in his pocket, but an acrid smell of burning socks lingered.

    Really, you are all the same, said Mrs. Weasley, putting the food on the table.

    Mundungus blinked sadly, and breathed a sigh of relief when Mrs. Weasley went back inside.

    It was clear that he had little courage, and he gave a feeling of being unreliable.

    But he was loyal to Dumbledore. Hed been at the wizarding underworld for many years, so he knew many swindlers and thieves, and had ess to information that ordinary people couldnt hear, as well as many channels for buying and selling contraband.

    Evan was going to ask him to purchase broomstick production materials for him and help sell those priceless works of art.

    But he had to check the price in advance, and not let Mundungus rip him off too badly.

    Have you seen old Figgy since? Mundungus asked.

    No, said Harry, I havent seen anyone. Ive been alone in the room for four days.

    See, Harry, I wouldnt have left, said Mundungus, leaning forward, a pleading note in his voice, but I had a business opportunity

    Yeah, said Harry, not wanting to talk about this subject with him, but Mundungus went on and on.

    Evan sat down next to Harry and Ron, and felt something brush against his knees. He lowered his head, and it was Crookshanks, Hermiones bandy-legged ginger cat.

    After deciding to go to Egypt with Evan, Hermione asked Ginny to take care of the cat.

    When he saw Evan, he brushed against his knees affectionately and wound himself once around his legs, purring.

    As soon as Evan bent down, he jumped onto hisp and curled up.

    I really shouldnt have left, but the cauldrons that fell off the broom were of good quality and at a very cheap price, only one-fifth of the normal price. It was a big deal, as long as I could get it said Mundungus.

    Actually, I also have a big deal to talk to you about, said Evan, scratching Crookshanks behind the ears.

    Hmm, big deal?! Mundungus turned his head and looked at Evan in surprise, as though he had just noticed him, Ah, Evan, hello, Ive heard of you. They all say youre a very powerful young wizard. Whats the big deal youre talking about?

    Well, I want to design and produce broomsticks. Under the staring gaze of Mundungus, Evan continued, You know, it takes a lot of materials to produce a broom. I dont have that much time. I need a person to help me purchase them.

    To make a broom, from the handle to the end, it involved nearly a hundred materials, and there were many invisible but indispensable materials, including mind sensing devices, air sensors, invisible cushions, flight magic drives and so on.

    Especially as it came to all core devices, Evan did not n to buy ready-made ones.

    He nned to research and design all by himself from the inside out, so the amount of various materials involved was beyond imagination.

    Among the people Evan knew, no one but Mundungus had the energy and patience to do this, and to do it well.

    Evan nned to give Mundungus a fixed price for each broom material and let him buy it.

    As long as the quality of the things bought met his own requirements, it was his business no matter how much money he could make from it.

    In this way, more than ten minutester, Evan and Mundungus finalized a purchase contract for 2000 Gold-Galleons.

    He was going to make a detailed list for him in a few days, and ask Mundungus to buy all the needed items.

    Evan repeatedly emphasized that this was a long-term business, and Mundungus shouldnt deliberately cheat him or run away with the money.

    Although he was not very reliable, he could still keep his promises in business, otherwise others would not trade with him.

    As for the works of art brought back from Egypt, it was also a good idea for Evan to wait until he was short of money, and sell them directly to the goblins in Gringotts or the pure-blood wizard families who were interested in them.

    After the two had reached an agreement, Mundungus became obviously enthusiastic about Evan.

    At Evans inquiry, he said a lot about Knockturn Alley and the underground world of London, which he was very familiar with.

    Harry and Ron talked to Mr. Weasley about Sirius and wanted to know what he was doing in Norway.

    The stew is ready, Fred and George,e and help move it out. Mrs. Weasley shouted from inside.

    Mundungus didnt pay attention at the twins who had suddenly vanished. He had been studying the tes and goblets that Ginny had just taken out.

    Blimey, look at this, mate, I dare say this must be pure silver.

    Yes, I heard Sirius say that this is the finest fifteenth-century goblin-wrought silver, embossed with the ck family crest, said Evan. I suggest you dont think about these things unless you want to be torn apart by Sirius.

    How can I? Im not that kind of person said Mundungus vaguely, polishing the goblet with his cuff.

    Fred  George  NO, JUST CARRY THEM! Mrs. Weasley shrieked.

    Everyone turned their heads and looked around and, a split secondter, dived away from the table.

    And Evan kicked Mundungus, who was still immersed in the goblet.

    Fred and George had bewitched arge cauldron of stew, an iron gon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard,plete with knife, to hurtle through the air toward them.

    The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long ck burn on the wooden surface.

    The gon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its content everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board andnded, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Mundunguss right hand had been seconds before. He looked terrified, his face pale.

    If Evan didnt kick him to make him avoid in time, his right hand would have been prated by the knife from top to bottom

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 Chapter 860: The Dinner

    Chapter 860: The Dinner

    Thank you, Evan! Mundungus gasped, and did not get up for a long time.

    Youre wee

    Because he was in a hurry, Evan had kicked his foot very hard just now, and he didnt get over for a while.

    In fact, in addition to magic, Evan had been insisting on physical exercise and had achieved good results.

    He didnt want to fail because ofck of energy when fighting Dark wizards.

    FRED  GEORGE, FOR HEAVENS SAKE! screamed Mrs. Weasley. THERE WAS NO NEED  IVE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS  JUST BECAUSE YOURE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DONT HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!

    We were just trying to save a bit of time! said Fred, hurrying forward and wrenching the bread knife out of the table Sorry, Mundungus, you know, I didnt mean it. I didnt get it right

    Mundungus did not answer him, and got to his feet, swearing.

    In addition to him, Crookshanks also expressed dissatisfaction. He had given an angry hiss, left Evansp and shot off under the dresser, from whence hisrge yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, gazing at Fred and George.

    Boys, Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, your mothers right, youre supposed to show a sense of responsibility now youvee of age

    none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble! Mrs. Weasley raged at the twins, mming a fresh gon of butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. Bill didnt feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didnt Charm everything he met! Percy

    She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

    Evan noticed that Mrs. Weasleys eyes turned red in an instant, and tears swirled in them.

    We were wrong, Mum. Lets eat now, said Fred quickly.

    Yeah, well pay more attention in the future. Im starving. This stew looks wonderful. George followed.

    The two of themdled stew onto the tes and passed them across the table. This seemed to make Mrs. Weasley feel better, but no one spoke for a few minutes.

    There was only the chink of tes and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food.

    Master Evan, Master Harry, Miss Hermione, try the food that Old Kreacher has prepared for you.

    Kreacher cut off the delicious pies and chicken and the delicious pudding.

    It was much better than stew, but it was only for Evan, Harry and Hermione. Hed prepared it for the three of them alone.

    This house-elf never cooks for us Ron muttered, watching Kreacher disappear.

    Hes the elf of the cks, and were not qualified to ask him to do anything, said Mr. Weasley. Sirius is not here, he is half the owner of this house. Besides, Kreacher is not doing nothing. Didnt he help you clean up your room?

    Yeah, he suddenly appeared in the room at three oclock in the morning and scared me a lot, said Ron. If this can be called tidying up  no one wants to wake up and find an elf prowling around the room, I think

    He didnt stop until Harry gave him some of his pudding.

    It was true that Kreacher did it too deliberately, but no one could change his mind, not even Evan.

    Anyway, he was too much better than before. At least he was no longer disruptive andmunicated smoothly.

    As the dinner progressed, the atmosphere around the table gradually rxed, and everyone began to talk about other topics.

    Mrs. Weasley talked about something trapped in the writing desk in the drawing room, and it kept rattling and shaking.

    Mr. Weasley thought it could just be a Boggart, but to be on the safe side, they were going to wait for Mad-Eye Moody tomorrow and ask him to have a look at it.

    This house was too old. The ck family history wasnt exactly that of upright wizards. And there were various things hidden in the house.

    Even if Kreacher had cleaned it up, there were still many things that he couldnt take care of.

    Then, Mrs Weasley told Fred and George not to touch the obviously dangerous Dark magical items. The twins were recently trying to sneak something back to their room for research.

    At the other side of the table, Evan was still asking Mundungus about the underground world. He was very interested in the dark fringe society of the wizarding world, an area he hadnt known before.

    As an internationally renowned city, the dark side of London was far beyond ordinary peoples imagination, and the scale was muchrger than Evan had expected.

    It was one of the worldsrgestmunication centers for magical items and a gathering ce for wizards.

    These were not just words, but a fact reflected in all aspects, what could be seen and what could not be seen.

    Not only Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but also many Dark wizards and Dark creatures gathered here, but it was just unknown.

    These people came from various countries and could be ordered to do anything as long as they were given enough Gold-Galleons.

    Light and darkness had always coexisted. Like the wizarding world on the ground, the wizarding world underground was also rich and colorful.

    Across the table, Tonks was entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose between mouthfuls. Screwing up her eyes each time with the same pained expression she had worn back in Harrys bedroom, her nose swelled to a beaklike protuberance like Snapes, shrank to something resembling a button mushroom, and then sprouted a great deal of hair from each nostril.

    This entertainment show was quickly weed by Hermione and Ginny, who started requesting their favorite noses.

    Do a pig snout, Tonks, Fred shouted.

    Tonks obliged, and the appearance instantly filled the room withughter.

    It was really convenient to be a Metamorphmagus. She could change into various forms at will. This was an extremely powerful magical ability.

    Without using the Polyjuice Potion, Tonks could take the form of anyone else.

    But this kind of deformation was notplete. It only changed the appearance, not all aspects of the body.

    It was OK to disguise or muddle through for a while, but a long term camouge didnt work.

    Not to mention the difficulty of learning Metamorphmagus, this skill seemed to be innate, and few people had acquired it.

    Therefore, the Polyjuice Potion was still very useful.

    These recent adventures had also shown the effect of magical potions, which could be used as a beneficial supplement to spells. Evan was preparing to brew some Polyjuice Potion, and even store some fully configured Polyjuice Potion for emergencies. He could change at any time to others, such as Harry, Hermione, Sirius, etc.

    Perhaps, a few sets of corresponding clothes should also be prepared

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 Chapter 861: Lupin and the Werewolves

    Chapter 861: Lupin and the Werewolves

    By the middle of the dinner, Lupin was back.

    He Apparated directly in the kitchen, wearing patched, shabby robes and looking exhausted.

    Everyone greeted him in a hurry. He sat between Harry and Evan, and Mrs. Weasley brought him a set of cutlery.

    Thank you, Molly, Im so hungry! said Lupin, turning around to look at Harry carefully, Harry, how are you? Sorry I didnte to pick you up today. I had something important to do

    Im fine, you dont need to me yourself for this, said Harry hurriedly.

    He knew that Professor Lupin had been working for Evan and <i>Hogwarts Magic </i>after leaving school.

    But he hadnt seen him for quite some time, and he felt warm to meet him now.

    Hows it going there? Evan asked, filling his goblet with butterbeer.

    Not so good. I havent got into it yet. They dont seem to trust me very much and need more time, said Lupin. The day I disappear, itll mean that Im really integrated into them. They live underground and have littlemunication with the outside world. Then, you may need a new editor-in-chief for the newspaper.

    An excellent editor like you is not easy to find said Evan.

    Do you have to do it? Harry asked afterward.

    He heard Evan talk about what Lupin was doing, and he seemed a little puzzled and worried about it.

    The contact with werewolves was very dangerous, why did Lupin have to go?

    They dont believe in outsiders. Dumbledore wanted a spy, and here I was  ready-made, said Lupin, sounding a little bitter, and perhaps he realized it, for he smiled more warmly as he went on, I am notining; it is necessary work and who can do it better than I? However, it has been difficult gaining their trust. I bear the unmistakable signs of having tried to live among wizards, whereas they have shunned normal society and live on the margins, stealing  and sometimes killing  to eat.

    Howe they like Voldemort?

    They think that, under his rule, they will have a better life. And it is hard to argue with Greyback there.

    Fenrir Greyback?! Hermione looked at Lupin, her eyes widened, and said worriedly, Lupin, are you in contact with him?

    She had always remembered the werewolf attack a few years ago, and the brutality of Greyback also left a deep impression on her.

    Hearing Greybacks name, the pleasant chatting in the room suddenly stopped, and everyone was looking at Lupin.

    Because of the attack on Evan and Hermione, everyone knew about Greyback, the most savage werewolf alive today.

    The terrible thing about Greyback was that he regarded it as his mission in life to bite and to contaminate as many people as possible. He wanted to create enough werewolves to ovee the wizards, and he also specialized in attacking children and underage wizards. He usually bit them young, and then took them away from their parents and raised them to hate normal wizards.

    The werewolf problem in the wizarding world was so serious and, to arge extent, it was caused by Greyback.

    Everyone hated him to death, including other werewolves, but they were also very afraid of him and obeyed his brutal rule.

    It was precisely because of Greyback that Lupin became a werewolf, and his hatred for him was even more unforgettable.

    Remus, you said too much, you shouldnt tell them these things, said Mrs. Weasley unhappy.

    Youre right, Molly, can I have some more bread? said Lupin gently, noticing the abnormality around him, You dont have to worry, Ill settle all this. By the way, Evan, how was your trip to Egypt with Hermione? Did everything go well?

    It went well, and the harvest was beyond imagination.

    During this trip to Egypt, Evan had achieved his original goal, sessfully learned the secret of the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, and made a breakthrough in Alchemy.

    Although it was a pity he couldnt venture into the Ruins of Amun Ra, it also avoided danger.

    Not to mention, there was also the treasure of the Goblin Zoser aspensation, he got a lot of valuable items.

    Because Evan mentioned the goblin, he and Lupin and Mr. Weasley had an intense discussion about the matter.

    Ive contacted the goblins of Gringotts before, and theyre not giving anything away yet, said Mr. Weasley. Of course, they might prefer not to take sides at all, and keep out of it. As far as my personal opinion, I think those cunning goblins would never go over to You-Know-Who. Theyve suffered heavy lossesst time and they will not repeat the same mistakes.

    That depends on what theyre offered, said Lupin. Im not talking about gold. The goblins want something more important. If theyre offered freedoms weve been denying them for centuries theyre going to be tempted.

    Voldemort might use his power to force the goblins obey him. He doesnt have the patience to negotiate with them, said Evan. Of course, that would certainly cause the division of Gringotts

    The turbulent world of magic, this is really bad enough, said Mr. Weasley. Bill will be back soon. He applied for a desk job. Then hell be responsible formunicating with the goblins. He can

    At this moment, a gale ofughter from the middle of the table drowned the rest of his words.

    Mundungus was telling a joke about his business. Fred, George, Ron, and Mundungus were rolling around in their seats.

    I dont think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus, said Mrs. Weasley sharply.

    Sorry, Molly! said Mundungus at once, heedless of her warning.

    Ron slumped forward onto the table, howling withughter.

    Fred and George buried their faces in their goblets of butterbeer; George was hupping.

    Mrs. Weasley threw a very nasty look at Mr. Weasley before getting to her feet and going to fetch arge rhubarb crumble for pudding.

    Molly doesnt approve of Mundungus very much. She doesnt like him, said Mr. Weasley in an undertone, shrugging his shoulders. I shouldnt have invited him to stay for dinner tonight. Molly thinks hes going too far. Yes, she hasnt forgiven him for slipping off duty when he was supposed to be tailing Harry.

    Mundungus is a crook, but hes very loyal to Dumbledore, who helped him out of a tight spot once. It also pays to have someone like Dung around, he hears things we dont, said Lupin. Sirius strongly agreed to let him join the Order of the Phoenix. By the way, Evan, after dinner, can I talk to you alone? I have something to tell you about Greyback.

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 Chapter 862: The Dispute

    Chapter 862: The Dispute

    Greyback? Evan had also always remembered the werewolf, not forgetting the fear hed brought to him and Hermione.

    If he were to meet Greyback again, Evan would definitely make him pay a sufficient price in return for the past.

    Hed used the Corrosion Curse to leave an indelible mark on Greybacks face before, and meeting him again, it would be more than that curse.

    For this hopeless guy, there was no room to show mercy.

    Three helpings of rhubarb crumble, followed by custard, and the dessert prepared by Kreacher, and Evan was soon full.

    The conversation at the dinner table gradually calmed down. Harry kept touching his stomach, listening absently as Hermione was talking to him about her trip to Egypt, and Mrs. Weasley was asking about Bill from time to time.

    Ron was yawning and staring nkly at the ceiling. Fred and George were leaning together and whispering. Beside them, Mr. Weasley was leaning back in his chair, looking replete and rxed.

    Tonks was yawning widely, her nose now back to normal.

    Mundungus was still looking carefully at the silver te in front of him, pondering.

    Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him to chase.

    Nearly time for bed, I think, said Mrs. Weasley on a yawn, and she stood up.

    Wait, Harry! said Lupin suddenly, quietly looking around. I hope you and Evan could stay, Im going to tell you something about Voldemort and our current progress

    The atmosphere in the room changed with the rapidity that could be associated with the arrival of Dementors. Where seconds before it had been sleepily rxed, it was now alert, even tense.

    Can I know, then?! said Harry hurriedly. I asked before, but they said Im not allowed in the Order of the Phoenix.

    And theyre quite right, said Mrs. Weasley. Youre too young to know these things.

    She was sitting bolt upright in her chair, her fists clenched upon its arms, every trace of drowsiness gone.

    It has nothing to do with age, Molly. Evan and Harry have got the right to know whats been happening. They have witnessed the resurrection of Voldemort, said Lupin. In fact, after knowing that Harry was attacked by Dementors, Sirius wrote me a private letter, and he entrusted me to tell Harry everything. I took the time toe back tonight, just for this matter.

    Remus, you know Siriuss character. Hes too reckless

    In this matter, I think what he said makes sense, we cant hide it from them, if Lupin said.

    Hang on! interrupted George loudly. Howe Evan and Harry know the truth about everything?

    Yes, its not fair, said Fred angrily. Weve been trying to get stuff out of you for a month and you havent told us a single stinking thing. Evan and Harry have juste and youre going to tell them both.

    Youre too young, youre not in the Order! said Mrs. Weasley.

    Evan and Harry are not even of age!

    Enough, as your mother, Im responsible for you. You shouldnt know about this kind of thing, said Mrs. Weasley, her voice rising, her fists trembling on the arms of her chair. This is a secret of the Order of the Phoenix and should not be disclosed. Besides, I dont see any help in knowing these things except to make you think all day long.

    Sirius has made up his mind to tell Harry these things, and if I dont, hell write to them, ore back from Norway right away. Personally, I think it better that they get the facts  not all the facts, but the general picture  from us, rather than a garbled version from  others. said Lupin gently. Its very necessary to do this, Molly. Its better than keeping them in the dark. Theres a sentence in Sirius letter that I agree with: Only through the tempering of challenges can we help them grow up. Excessive protection is not a good thing.

    This was Siriuss feeling after seeing Evans performance during his trip to Sicily in Italy.

    If it werent for the sudden need to contact the vampires in Norway, he would have even taken Harry on an adventure.

    I dont agree with Siriuss concept. He acts too rashly and does not have the responsibility of an adult. Mrs. Weasley refused to give in. These children are not ready to meet the challenge. Its irresponsible to do this

    Molly, youre not the only person at this table who cares about Evan, Harry, and these children, said Lupin sharply, On the contrary, I think its very responsible to tell them these things.

    Well, Molly, Dumbledore also epts that they will have to be filled in to a certain extent. Now that theyre staying at headquarters, we cannot prevent them from knowing the truth, said Mr. Weasley cautiously.

    I think Evan, Harry and the children ought to be allowed a say in this, Lupin continued, Theyre old enough to decide for themselves.

    I want to know whats been going on, Harry said at once, and the others agreed.

    Evan wasnt really interested, he knew much more than Harry and the others, and more than anyone could imagine.

    As for what he didnt know, he had just to ask Dumbledore or Sirius to get the answer. His situation was different from Harrys and they didnt have to hide anything from him.

    In fact, there were many things about which they should ask Evans opinion, which would make things easier.

    Well, said Mrs. Weasley, breathing deeply and looking around the table for support that did note. Well, I can see Im going to be overruled. Ill just say this: Dumbledore must have had his reasons for not wanting Harry to know too much. I hope that the conversation in a while will pay attention to this. Now, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, I want you out of this kitchen, back to your rooms, right away!

    There was instant uproar.

    Were of age! Fred and George bellowed together.

    If Evan and Harry are allowed, why cant I? shouted Ron.

    Mum, I want to! wailed Ginny.

    NO! shouted Mrs. Weasley, standing up, her eyes overbright. I absolutely forbid

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 Chapter 863: The progress

    Chapter 863: The progress

    Molly, you cant stop Fred and George, said Mr. Weasley wearily. They are of age.

    Theyre still at school.

    But theyre legally adults now, said Mr. Weasley in the same tired voice.

    I  oh, all right then, Fred and George can stay, but Ron Mrs. Weasley was now scarlet in the face.

    Evan and Harry will tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway! said Ron Hotly. Wont you? he added uncertainly, meeting Harrys eyes.

    For a split second, Harry considered telling Ron that he wouldnt tell him a single word, that he could try a taste of being kept in the dark and see how he liked it. But the nasty impulse vanished as they looked at each other.

    Of course I will, said Harry, and Rons eyes brightened.

    As for Evan, if he knew something, he might not tell Ron, but he would certainly not keep Hermione in the dark.

    Hed even told her about the Titan of Time, the evil gods, and many secrets, this fact of Voldemort was nothing.

    In fact, Evan was not too interested in listening to what Lupin and Mr. Weasley were about to tell them.

    At this point, he intended to study the structure of the broomsticks or to find some magic books in the library of the ck family below.

    Thest time he came here, he was in a hurry and took only a small part of the Dark magic books.

    There were many other magic books in the library, as well as various materials collected by the ancestors of the cks.

    As the oldest family of pure-blood wizards, they might have left some unknown secrets.

    But seeing the expectant expressions of Harry, Ron and the others, he decided to stay first.

    Lupin had just talked about Greyback, and he was also a bit curious, wondering what this cruel werewolf was going to do.

    Fine! shouted Mrs. Weasley. So, Ginny  BED!

    Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs.

    In the hall, Mrs. cks earsplitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm and waited five minutes before returning.

    Compared with Sirius, he was rtively conservative, and he also knew where the measure and the bottom line were.

    Lupin told them thetest progress, answered Harrys questions, and made everyone clearly aware of the current situation in the wizarding world, but did not reveal the secrets rted to the core of the Order of the Phoenix.

    No matter what Harry, Fred, and George asked, he didnt say anything, which made Mrs. Weasley look a little better.

    Among the information he said, Evan cared about only two aspects.

    The first was about what Sirius was doing in Norway. He seemed to have made contact with vampires. He didnt know how ine was now and whether Voldemort had helped her and her uncle solve the trouble.

    As for the second thing, it was about the werewolf Greyback whod vowed to take revenge on Evan and dig out his heart. He was obviously still obsessed with Evan, and never forgot the humiliation of three years ago.

    Lupin told Evan not to leave Hogwarts in the new semester, and not to go to Hogsmeade withoutpany.

    He was worried that someone in the school would provide information to Voldemort and Greyback, and an attack simr to three years ago would happen again.

    This made Harry, Ron, and Hermione very nervous, but Evan didnt worry much.

    He wanted Greyback toe again to find him, and then he would make him pay for what hed done.

    Well, Remus, youve told them more than enough! said Mrs. Weasley. Now, I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking. Weve got a busy day tomorrow.

    She then said to Hermione, I expect Ginnys asleep, so try not to wake her up.

    Asleep, yeah, right, said Fred in an undertone. Thats it.

    If Ginnys not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs, then Im a Flobberworm! said George in a low voice.

    Apanied by Mrs. Weasley, they went upstairs, and Hermione bade them good night on the firstnding.

    She and Ginny lived on the first floor, Evan, Harry, and Ron were in a room on the second floor, and Fred and George upied another room on the top floor.

    Looking at Hermiones eyes, Evan knew that she had something to say to him, but this asion was not appropriate.

    Evan blinked and shook Hermiones small hand firmly.

    He had agreed with Hermione before, and when everyone was asleep, he would use Animagus to deform and sneak out

    They could do the same after returning to schoolter. Two cats wandering in the school didnt have to worry about being spotted.

    Their small size ensured that they could move quickly in any terrain, and could get in if there was a hole.

    Under Mrs. Weasleys gaze, Evan, Harry, and Ron walked into the room, and she closed the door with a sharp snap.

    Evan and Harrys beds had obviously been added, built with magic. But the sheets and beddings above were really brand new, giving a veryfortable feeling.

    This looks great! Evan took off his coat and put on his pajamas.

    The house-elf cleaned it up. He is very concerned about your two beds, said Ron. Hes never made the mattress for me. There are several empty rooms upstairs, though sometimes members of the Order of the Phoenix stay overnight.

    He threw Owl Treats up on top of the wardrobe to pacify Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, who were ttering around and rustling their wings restlessly.

    Why dont you let them out? Harry asked, Hedwig will take care of herself.

    We cant let them out to hunt every night, Ron exined as he pulled on his maroon pajamas. Dumbledore doesnt want too many owls swooping around the square; he thinks itll look suspicious.

    A few minutester, the three climbed onto their beds. There was only the silvery light of the moon.

    What do you reckon about what Lupin said? Harry asked, staring at Evan in a daze, I dont think its of any practical value, is it? He didnt tell us much we couldnt have guessed. We already knew that the Order of the Phoenix is trying to stop people joining Voldemorts army. Thats why Evan, Sirius, and Hagrid went to find the giants a few months ago.

    Yeah, youre right! said Ron. We already knew nearly everything he told us, from using the Extendable Ears. Theres nothing new. Mum and Lupin are watertight. Theyre always very careful when talking

    There was a silence in the room, and Evan noticed that Harry and Ron were looking at him.

    Obviously, they all thought he had new information here and expected him to tell them both.

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 Chapter 864: Night Talk

    Chapter 864: Night Talk

    Lupin didnt tell us that much confidential information, but he still revealed a lot of useful information, said Evan carefully, and, by the way, reorganized his thoughts. We know that there are three main things Voldemort is doing. Firstly, he wants to build up his army again. Hes certainly not going to try and take on the Ministry of Magic with only a dozen Death Eaters.

    Yeah, we know about this, thats why you went out looking for giants some time ago, said Harry, looking at Evans outline lying on the bed, Ive only got a rough idea from your letter. I havent heard you talk about it in detail.

    I also want to know how powerful those giants are, Ron followed. How did you

    There was a loud crack!

    OUCH!

    Keep your voice down, Ron, or Mum will be back up here. Freds voice sounded in the darkness.

    You two just Apparated on my knees!

    Yeah, well, its harder in the dark. George continued.

    Evan saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Rons bed, and Fred sat next to Ron.

    There was a groan of bedsprings and Harrys mattress descended a few inches as George sat down near his feet.

    What are you discussing? George asked. There wasnt much valuable in Lupins words.

    We were listening to Evan talk about giants, Ron grumbled.

    He gripped his quilt tightly as Fred tugged on the other side.

    Thats an interesting topic. Whats the difference between those giants and the trolls, except that they are taller, arent they the same stupid?

    I heard that they can uproot a big tree and directly swallow their prey alive

    Shhh! said Fred, half-rising from the bed, holding his breath, Whats this sound?

    There was a slight sound of footstepsing up the stairs, followed by a soft knock on the door.

    Its us, open the door!

    Its Hermione and Ginny! George said, and hurriedly got up and went to open the door.

    The two of them stood there in their pajamas, barefoot, wary of being seen.

    Mum has just gone down! Ginny jumped in, followed George and sat next to Ron.

    The two of us couldnt sleep. The thought of what Lupins said just now made our heads messy.

    Hermione hesitated and climbed onto Evans bed.

    She pushed him to the side in the darkness, and unceremoniously pulled the quilt on herself.

    Regarding Hermione putting her feet into Evans bed, the others around were not surprised. Anyway, the two of them were now intimate friends. Not to mention this slightly intimate behavior, there was no need to make a fuss even if theyy together.

    But Hermione was shy, and she was embarrassed to lie down with Evan in front of so many people.

    If she were to do it, it had to be discreet

    Under the quilt, Evan could feel Hermiones feet and lower legs, and the softness caused a slight flutter in his heart.

    Since it was delivered to his door voluntarily, there was no saying. He took the initiative to smooth out the quilt to Hermiones side, and pulled her right foot.

    Hermione was sitting there with her arms crossed, but her right leg was suddenly pulled over and she was shocked.

    She forced back for a while, but did not seed. So she did not dare to move or struggle, for fear of being seen.

    She red at Evan, and she didnt know if it was too dark or if Evan was too bold, it didnt work at all.

    The next second, Hermione felt Evans hand getting a bit too adventurous, and it kept stroking through the sole and instep of her foot.

    His touch seemed to be magical, itchy and numbing, which made her feel an electric sensation.

    With Evans touch, a heat flow followed her blood from the bottom up.

    Shede here to discuss serious matters, how did this suddenly happen?

    If she had known, she wouldnt have sat next to Evan. Now she was simply trapped here.

    Well, now that everyone is here. It seems that everyone cant sleep and wants to continue talking about Voldemort, said Evan, stroking through Hermiones little foot with both hands and pulling her left foot over. We can talk about the giants tomorrow. Ive had a lot of things during this trip with Sirius, Hagrid, and Madame Maxime. We cant finish talking about it overnight. Lets talk about Voldemorts current n first.

    Thats why were here, said Fred. Evan, what do you think the Dark Lord is going to do?

    Everyone looked at him, and everyone knew that Evan had many sources of intelligence that they didnt know. In everyones impression, he knew almost everything.

    As I said just now, hes going to rebuild his army first, said Evan quickly, lowering his voice. Just look at the past information and youll know that Voldemort had huge numbers at hismand in the old days; witches and wizards hed bullied or bewitched into following him, his faithful Death Eaters, giants, werewolves, and a great variety of Dark creatures.

    Much stronger than it is now, said Hermione, blushing, feeling Evan tickling the sole of her foot.

    Yeah! Evan nodded.

    Lupins said that the Order of the Phoenix is trying to stop people joining him.

    Yeah, but he didnt finish. We have to analyze the rest, Evan continued. The most powerful and loyal of Voldemorts followers are the Death Eaters, and where is the main force of those Death Eaters?

    When Voldemort fell, many of the Death Eaters whod supported him were arrested and put on trial.

    The Death Eaters who stayed outside now were either extremely cunning or insignificant.

    You mean Azkaban? Harry understood the meaning of Evans words, his eyes widened suddenly, and he said in disbelief, Oh my God, Voldemort wants to attack Azkaban and save those Death Eaters!

    The others were taken aback by this sentence, but the more they thought about it, the more they realized it was possible.

    The truly loyal to Voldemort and capable Death Eaters were locked in Azkaban, and he was definitely going to get them out.

    Voldemort doesnt have to attack Azkaban. The Dementors are with him.

    Yeah, thats it! said Harry quickly, seeming to have grasped the point of the matter. Ive been attacked by Dementors the other day  was it because the Dementors have joined Voldemort?

    Did this mean that Azkaban would soon fall, and all the prisoners inside woulde out?

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 Chapter 865: Full Counterattack

    Chapter 865: Full Counterattack

    In the room, the moonlight was filtering in through the grimy window, and everyone could only see the fuzzy outlines of the others.

    Under the quilt, Evan was gently kneading and ying with Hermiones delicate and dainty foot.

    The delicate skin, the fleshy instep, the creamy pink soles, the petite toes tightly close together

    Hermiones foot was not big, and the widest part was not as big as Evans palm.

    It was very well-proportioned, smooth and round, as though boneless, good at touch.

    What started as a casual gesture, however, became something he didnt want to let go once held in his hand.

    Evans movements were very light, just gently kneading, but Hermione seemed to be greatly stimted.

    A feeling of itching and numbness spread from the sole of her foot, especially at the thought that everyone was paying close attention to discussing Voldemort and Azkaban, but she and Evan were secretly doing such things, and the sense of shame increased linearly.

    Hermione did not dislike it, but she was rather shy. She wanted to retract her foot, but Evan didnt let go.

    She didnt dare to use any force, and she had to keep a normal appearance as though nothing was happening, for fear of being discovered

    With Evans movements going on, Hermiones strength was fading. If this continued, she would fall into Evans arms again like that night.

    If shed known, she would have worn socks instead of being barefoot.

    No, if she had worn socks, Evan could also take them off

    Ah!

    It might be that Evan used a little more strength, and she couldnt help but yelled softly.

    Hermione thought it was going to be bad, but no one noticed her. Everyone was immersed in the Dementors allegiance to Voldemort.

    It was a normal reasoning, but they didnt think of it until Evan said it. Or to be more precise, they didnt dare to think about it.

    If the Dementors join You-Know-Who, will Peter Pettigrewe out too?

    Ron wrinkled his nose, recalling his bad memories.

    They all still remembered what Peter Pettigrew had done.

    Hed once killed a whole street of Muggles and put the me on Sirius. Hed hidden in Weasleys house as a rat for thirteen years. In order to escape Siriuss hunt again, hed used the Imperius Curse to control Ron and nned a series of conspiracies at school.

    Whenever Ron recalled this experience, he put all these things and terrible thoughts on Peter.

    This made him feel better, and he even med him for ordinary things hed done.

    He had really thought Peter was a pet rat. He thought about every night he slept alone with him. He even slept in the same bed with Scabbers. Ron felt that this evil Dark wizard must have done something to him

    Peter Pettigrew is not the only prisoner in Azkaban, said Harry, with a strange, gloomy feeling deep in his heart.

    He remembered seeing Barty Crouch Jr. and Betrix during the trialst semester in the Pensieve. She was a tall woman of white skin, and heavily-lidded eyes with long eyshes. She was also said to be a rtive of Sirius.

    She was on trial at the time and publicly stated that she continued to be loyal to Voldemort, and said that she was proud of her trying to find him after Voldemort lost power, and that she firmly believed that she would be rewarded for her loyalty one day.

    Now that Voldemort was back, she must be released too and get the coveted reward.

    Yeah, among the many prisoners in Azkaban, Peter Pettigrew is certainly not the most dangerous! said Evan in agreement, He has more or less conscience, and has a weak personality, mediocre ability, and hes easy to deal with. Hes only the worst among the Death Eaters. Youve all seen the methods of Barty Crouch Jr., in fact, there are many prisoners as dangerous as him in Azkaban  even crazier.

    We should tell Dumbledore about this and let him be prepared, said Harry.

    Since even us, weve thought of it, Dumbledore must have known it too. Hermione shook her head and said, He must have told the Ministry too, but Fudge wont believe him, he must think hes talking nonsense.

    Then what should we do? Watch Azkaban jailbreak and do nothing?

    There was silence. If Fudge didnt want to believe them, there was really no way.

    It was impossible for the Order of the Phoenix to take care of Azkaban. If they did so, they would face Dementors, Death Eaters, and arge number of Dark wizards from inside and outside, and the entire army would be wiped out.

    Its not that there is no way. We can publicize this matter in public opinion and force the Ministry of Magic to take action, said Evan slowly. Its hard to say how effective itll be, but its not as though we have no defense at all. Harrys attack by Dementors is a good opportunity to make everyone realize that the Dementors are not reliable and there are already Dementors out of the control of the Ministry of Magic.

    But the Ministry of Magic does not allow our newspaper to publish these things.

    He just said that it is not allowed to publish the story of Voldemorts return. Furthermore, Fudges control of public opinion is not legal, said Evan. This is the right that the Minister of magic can exercise when there is a war in the wizarding world, but Fudge is not willing to admit that the war has begun. So he has no right to restrict our freedom of speech.

    What are you going to do, Evan?

    Directly print and distribute this report, and on this basis, publish all the things that the Ministry of Magic does not want to disclose.

    But if the Ministry of Magic stops

    Then we will sue and fight them ording to their ownws, said Evan firmly.

    By doing so, the wizarding world could be prepared ahead of time, so as not to be rmed by Voldemorts sudden appearance.

    Anyway, its time to start fighting back! Evan continued, We cant do nothing and watch the worst happen. When the members of the Order of the Phoenix fight Death Eaters on the frontal battlefield, we have a public opinion war. By the way, I think we can find Rita Skeeter to write the story about Harrys attack. Shes the most famous reporter. Although its usually made up, many people are willing to believe what she writes. At the same time, she will certainly be willing to help us

    Since her identity of Animagus had been discovered by Evan and Hermione, Rita had been unemployed until now.

    She definitely needed a new job now, and Evan also needed her help to fight back against the Ministry of Magic. In the six months since Voldemorts resurrection, the crackdown on them by the Ministry of magic had reached its peak, and now it was time to fight back.

    Because of their status, Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix did not have many things they could do, nor were they capable of doing them.

    But Evan was not restricted. They couldnt put him in Azkaban just because he was telling the truth.

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 Chapter 866: Learning Spells

    Chapter 866: Learning Spells

    Evan was going to write a letter to Rita Skeeter and ask her toe out and meet. He and Hermione would be in charge of this.

    The second thing Voldemort needed to do now, in addition to recruiting his henchmen, was to figure out why hed failed.

    Hed been defeated by Harry twice in a row, especially in his resurrection ceremony against Harrys wand. The virtual shadows of those whod been killed by him appeared one after another, which definitely made him doubt himself. He needed to know theplete prophecy of that year.

    Voldemort must have attributed his failure to the iplete prophecy and his wand.

    It was conceivable that it wouldnt be long before he would find out his wand problem and enter the pit that Dumbledore had dug for him in advance.

    When we went down to the kitchen to eat, youve all seen the parchment on the table, said Evan.

    Ive seen it  it looked like some architectural drawing.

    Yeah, Fred and George said before that members of the Order of the Phoenix were guarding something to prevent Voldemort from getting it

    Hang on  isnt Harry what theyre protecting? said Ron.

    He was still thinking about Azkaban and the Dementors, and he didnt keep up with Evans thoughts.

    Its not Harry, but something else; otherwise they wouldnt have put those parchments on tonights meeting, said Hermione, thinking of the drawing shed seen at the time. It was indeed a n of a building

    Although her feet were being held by Evan, Hermiones heart was rippling, but her thoughts were not affected.

    As she got used to it, Hermione calmed down, and Evans stomach beneath her feet was soft, warm andfortable.

    Despite appearing somewhat lean, the sensation of pressing down on it was not what she expected

    It must be so. Something is kept in that building.

    Whats that thing? Harry asked.

    Not sure yet. Evan couldnt say everything and look too omnipotent. He was thinking about how to use Voldemort and the Death Eaters to get into the Department of Mysteries. Should he act ording to the original plot or cooperate with the Order of the Phoenix?

    The former was undoubtedly the most convenient way to paralyze Voldemort, but it was very dangerous.

    It was not a good idea to have a group of young wizards fight the Death Eaters.

    Maybe he could bend the rules, let them think that their n was sessful, and that they had deceived the Order of the Phoenix.

    But in fact it was the exact opposite, an ambush

    Something kept by Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, I think it might be a weapon, said Fred suddenly.

    Yeah, a weapon he didnt have when he was powerful before, George continued.

    What do you reckon it is? Harry asked, looking around at everyone in the room.

    Could be anything, said Fred, obviously excited.

    Im not so sure, and I dont know what weapon will have such great power, but there cant be anything more powerful than the Avada Kedavra curse, can there? said Ron. Whats worse than death?

    Hard to say. Maybe its something that can kill loads of people at once, suggested George.

    Maybe its some particrly painful way of killing people, said Ron fearfully.

    Hes got the Cruciatus Curse for causing pain, said Harry. He doesnt need anything more efficient than that.

    Hermione and Ginny also said their guesses, which were rejected one by one.

    Evan, do you know any weapon or magical item powerful enough to bring long-sting fear to people?

    There are too many, I rmend you to read the <i>Catalogue of Legendary Magical Items</i>. Most of the top legendary magical items included in it have amazing powers and can bring great disaster or fear to the world, said Evan.

    Those are all legends, and everything in the book is missing, said Ron. Its unknown whether they ever existed.

    The legend is not entirely fabricated.

    Anyway, since theres such a weapon, we must help the members of the Order of the Phoenix guard it, said Hermione suddenly, seemingly determined.

    What can we do? said Ron in panic. Fight a group of extremely evil Death Eaters? This is crazy

    If Evan and Harry can, so can we! said Hermione, not as shy as before. Ive been thinking about it. Since Voldemort is back, if we want to fight him and protect ourselves , we must learn some real magic, not those defensive techniques, but practical spells that can be used in diatorialbat, even restricted-level Dark magic.

    Ron looked at her in surprise, absolutely thinking Hermione was crazy.

    All the others were staring at Hermione, and Evans hand stopped. Wouldnt Hermione want to put forward the concept of Dumbledores Army?

    Evan can be responsible for teaching us the spells, and Harry also has a lot ofbat experience. Thats what weck, said Hermione. We can learn it now, and we can use it when we fight Voldemort in the future.

    Its OK with me! said Evan, realizing that Hermiones train of thought hadnt expanded to the scale of forming Dumbledores Army.

    But this idea was really good. They could fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters on their own. Helping them to enhance their strength could be not only a powerful helper but also a protection for everyone.

    Once the war started, any ident could happen, and only if they were strong enough could they be safer.

    Evan didnt want someone to be killed in battle. That was not what he wanted to live with.

    If theres no objection said Hermione, her eyes sweeping across every face.

    Objection, are you kidding? said Fred. Thats a great idea, Hermione!

    Ive always wanted to learn magic with Evan. I dare say that many people in the school dream about this, George followed. Evan, do you know any powerful Dark Magic?

    Evan is the most powerful wizard I know, second only to Dumbledore, said Ginny, looking at Evan with scorching eyes.

    I have no objection either, Harry followed.

    He had usually received a lot of help from Evan, including various spell casting methods. But it was indeed the first time to study systematically like this, and he also looked forward to what Evan would teach them.

    Everyone knew what Evan had experienced and done before. There were many things that were simply miracles.

    His strength had been recognized, and there was no problem in teaching everyone magic. He was simply overqualified.

    If Hermione hadnt mentioned it, the others might have been embarrassed to say it. After all, everyone knew Evan was very busy.

    Only the rtionship between Hermione and Evan could be unreserved. This was purely for everyones welfare.

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 Chapter 867: Plans and Arrangements

    Chapter 867: ns and Arrangements

    Seeing everyone looking at him, Ron also nodded hurriedly.

    Very well, since everyone agrees, we need to n what to do. Naturally its summer vacation now. When we get back to Hogwarts, we have to make sure how often and where to meet said Hermione.

    I think once a week is good, so that it wont conflict with our Quidditch training.

    Once a week is enough! said Evan. There were many things in magic that needed a lot of individual practice and contemtion.

    However, he didnt mind giving Hermione a one-on-one 24-hour tutoring.

    And where are we going to meet?

    Maybe the library

    I cant see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library.

    Maybe an unused ssroom? Ginny suggested.

    That also requires the consent of the professors. By the way, Professor McGonagall might let us use her ssroom, said Harry. She did when we helped Ron practicing for the Triwizard Tournamentst semester.

    During these extraordinary times, she was more than willing to help everyone improve their skills, provided no one objected within the school.

    The empty ssroom used to print the newspaper before is also good

    Theres arge space behind the mirror on the third floor, where George and I often test our products.

    Well, well study this matter after we get back. I think the ce were looking for should be highly confidential.

    They talked excitedly for a while, very interested in this matter, wondering what magic Evan would teach them.

    Evan intended to teach them the Auror-rted knowledge that Sirius had imparted to him. Compared with the scattered and esoteric magic that he had mastered, these contents were more systematic and less difficult, and could also help everyone quickly improve theirbat abilities.

    In the case magic could not break through rapid growth, practicalbat skills were particrly necessary.

    In the process of his recent research on ancient magic and thest wizarding civilization, Evan had found thatpared with the wizards of a thousand years ago and the older spellcasters, the main reason for the sharp decline in power of the current wizards was that their magical power was too weak.

    Because their magical power was too weak, they could not cast most of the spells of the previous times.

    As for the reason why the magical power could not grow rapidly, it seemed to be rted to the battle of the ancient warlocks to kill the gods

    Thousands of years ago, wizards still had many ways to improve their magical power. Now, these methods and magical items had gradually disappeared, which had led to the retrograde development of the entire wizarding world and the decline of the wizarding civilization.

    Correspondingly, the use of wands to cast spells had made rapid progress, and had rapidly grown and be the mainstream of the wizarding world.

    Magic and Muggle science had be increasingly intertwined, giving rise to a plethora of new everyday spells.

    The wizarding worlds overall casting level had declined, but it had be more colorful.

    After all, not everyone needed the power of Dumbledore and Voldemort. Too strong power would hinder the fusion of the wizarding world and the Muggle world.

    Evan had been trapped by his own magical limitations for a long time, unable to cast those powerful spells.

    Had it not been for the help of the Philosophers Stone, Slytherins Locket, and several adventures, he would have been no different from ordinary young wizards.

    At best, he would have known more about magic, just like Hermione. Everyone knew that Hermione had read a lot of books and mastered a lot of spells, but her strength was not much better than the others.

    The reason lied in this. If there was no new Philosophers Stone, Evans experience of bing stronger could not be sessfully replicated.

    Even if they were taught powerful magic, the most likely result would be loss of control and inability to master.

    For example, when Evan used Fiendfyre for the first time in Aragogs Lair, he couldnt control it at all, and he hurried away after casting it.

    It was not until Voldemort resurrected that he used it again andpletely mastered this powerful Dark magic.

    Now that the Philosophers Stone was mentioned, Evans thoughts shifted to the remaining three pieces.

    He needed to use a Time-Turner to ask Ravenw for her piece. As for Hufflepuff and Slytherins pieces, he had only sporadic clues until now, and he still didnt know what difficulties to ovee and what challenges toplete so as to get them.

    The Four Founders had left these four Philosophers Stones as keys to the secret treasure. Only the wizard who passed the tests theyd left and was recognized could get these Philosophers Stones. As for the secret treasure, there were key items to save Hogwarts from the evil gods.

    It took another five minutes before the topic returned to the thing guarded by the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

    Speaking of this, who do you think has got this terrible weapon now? asked George.

    I hope its our side, said Ron, sounding slightly nervous.

    If it is, Dumbledores probably keeping it, said Fred. Thats why theyve drawings of the building. They built or modified a building like this to keep that item.

    Where? said Ron quickly. Hogwarts?

    Bet it is! said George. Think about it. Thats where he hid the Philosophers Stone.

    A weapons going to be a lot bigger than the Stone, though! said Ron.

    Not necessarily, said Fred.

    Yeah, size is no guarantee of power, said George, with a familiar smirk on his face. Look at our little sister.

    Ginny made a cat-like noise, and George and Fred scurried away.

    What do you mean, whats wrong with Ginny?

    Evan, Harry, youve never been on the receiving end of one of her Bat-Bogey Hexes, have you? said Fred with a smile.

    Thats the most powerful spell Ive ever seen. Its amazing. George hid in Harrys bed.

    Fred, George! Ginny was rushing towards them, her face red.

    She took a furtive look at Harry and saw nothing but a vague outline in the dark.

    Quiet, theres a sound outside! Fred stopped suddenly and let Ginny grab hold of him.

    They heard footstepsing up the stairs and then someone opening the door from outside.

    Oh, no, its Mum! said George, and without further ado there was a loud crack and Harry felt the weight vanish from the end of his bed.

    Fred also Disapparated, with Ginny beside him and left the room.

    Hermione straightened up suddenly. They didnt take her with them.

    Mrs Weasley was about toe in. How could she exin it if she found her sitting on Evans bed?

    In an instant, Hermiones body turned into a kitten and hid under Evans pajamas.

    This situation was too familiar; it was simply an instinctive reaction of the body.

    Evan rolled in, hugged Hermione close to his body and covered her with the quilt with the other hand.

    Harry and Ron also hurriedly pretended to be sleeping. A few secondster, they heard the floorboard creak outside their door

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 Chapter 868: Mrs. Weasleys Rounds

    Chapter 868: Mrs. Weasley''s Rounds

    It was not the first time Evan and Hermione had been in this position, but this time Hermione went straight into Evans pajamas.

    He wasnt wearing anything under them, and he felt Hermione crawling up cautiously from his belly against his skin.

    Under the pressure of the clothes, the kitteny on Evans stomach, sliding all fours upwards forcefully

    Soft and small, this kitten could touch the most vulnerable part of Evans heart.

    If possible, Evan hoped Hermione could stay still in one ce.

    When she did this, a strange feeling spread to his whole body along the ces she touched.

    Maybe it was because of the fur that made him itch, but he dared not move.

    After Hermione left Evans soft belly and came to his strong chest, the difficulty of going up decreased, but her speed noticeably slowed down.

    Because she heard Evans heartbeat, which had never been so clear. The sound of thumping, thumping, made Hermione feel for the first time that Evan was so close to her.

    She felt like her heartbeat was about to merge with Evans, and she moved upward again, stopping where the heartbeat sound was clearest.

    Raising her head and looking up, she could vaguely see Evans chin from the wrinkled cor above.

    Evan breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione finally stopped moving.

    He could feel Mrs. Weasley standing by Harrys bed for a moment and thening to his side.

    Maybe it was because the clothes were too stuffy, or maybe because the temperature was too high, Hermione was lying in the position where Evans heart was beating and her head was nk.

    The next second, almost unconsciously, she stuck out her tongue and licked the ce where the heart was beating below.

    The cats tongue had subtle fleshy thorns, giving a cool, tingling, and ticklish sensation when it licked.

    Evan froze for a moment, and then realized that Hermione was licking his left breast

    This was too exciting. Did the girl even know what she was doing?

    Mrs. Weasley was already standing behind him. Afraid that she would see something abnormal, Evan didnt dare to move and he felt stiff.

    Hermione licked a few times before realizing what she was doing, and stopped hurriedly.

    She was hot all over her body and rubbed the wet ce where shed just licked with her paws. Hermione rubbed back and forth, trying to wipe the marks off. She didnt know that the stimtion would be greater in this way.

    Evan was left itching inside, almost wanting to discipline this naughty cat right then and there.

    Just a few seconds seemed to be as long as several centuries.

    Especially when Mrs. Weasley bent down to help Evan pull the quilt; the boy and the cat were even more nervous.

    Finally, after she left and they heard the sound of the door closing, Hermione came out from Evans cor.

    She doesnt trust us at all, you know, said Ron regretfully, opening his eyes, too.

    Harry was sure he would not be able to fall asleep; the evening had been so packed with things to think about that he fully expected to lie awake for hours mulling it all over.

    At this moment, Evan lowered his head and watched Hermione.

    Although it was a cats face, Evan felt an incredible familiarity, able to awaken the deepest emotions.

    With his mouth down, he wanted to kiss Hermione!

    Dont kiss me; Mrs. Weasley will definitely go to my room! Hermione changed back to her original form and said quickly. Take me back quickly.

    It was only when she finished speaking that she realized she was still inside Evans pajamas.

    When she did this as a cat, it didnt matter, but it was very problematic to change to her own appearance again.

    There was a girl who got into the boys underwear from below, not to mention, she also got her head out from Evans cor.

    This was too embarrassing, and Hermione was taken aback.

    She felt Evans lips touch her face; he was still thinking about it.

    The next second, before Hermione had time to say anything, Evan Apparated with her!

    Hermione hasnt left? After a while, Ron asked in surprise. How did she hide in Evans bed without being seen?

    Probably she learned Animagus when she was in Egypt with Evan

    While Harry and Ron were exining the matter, Evan took Hermione back to her room.

    The twonded on Hermiones bed without error; Ginny had already returned!

    Hermione, youre back? Ginny asked, hugging Hermione tightly in a drowsy state.

    Their posture was a bit odd, as if they were stuck tightly together

    Im back, that was close! said Hermione, trying to get her head out from under Evans pajamas.

    Outside the room, Mrs. Weasleys creaking footsteps came from the stairs.

    Dont do this, the neckline is too tight!

    Move back!

    Because of their haste, their heads got stuck, and they bumped into each other. Evan quickly moved his head back to make room for Hermione.

    No, its toote, transform quickly! Hermione urged.

    Just like before, Mrs. Weasley was opening Hermione and Ginnys door from the outside.

    If Mrs. Weasley found Evan lying here, holding Hermione like this, it would be even worse than the situation in the boys room.

    Okay! Evan hurriedly turned into a ck cat, not including pajamas in mind control.

    After Evan transformed sessfully, he suddenly realized that this was a quick way to undress.

    On the bed next to them, Ginny opened her eyes wide, and couldnt realize everything in front of her.

    In the blur, she saw Evans figure suddenly disappear, and Hermione pulled the quilt up to cover her body.

    Whats going on here?

    Just when Ginny was about to figure out what was going on; Mrs. Weasley opened the door and walked in.

    She hurriedly closed her eyes and pretended to be sleeping, but her ears stood up and listened carefully to the sounds around her.

    Under the quilt, Evan mimicked Hermiones earlier movement and was about to crawl into her pajamas.

    He couldnt see anything in the dark, but the girls belly was soft, softer than imagined, like marshmallow.

    Just as Evan was starting to move in, sliding his limbs slightly, Hermione realized what he was about to do.

    She flushed and quickly stopped Evan from moving upwards.

    Hermione just hugged Evan, covered him tightly with her pajamas, and kept him close to her belly.

    This was already embarrassing enough; if he were to go any further

    At first, Evan felt so good, lying on Hermiones stomach. Although the scenery above seemed better, Evan also knew the limits.

    If Hermione could be up there without issues, he thought there shouldnt be any problem with him going up either!

    But Hermiones shyness prevented him from going up, so he stayed obediently.

    But a few secondster, Evan felt something wrong; it was so stuffy here that he couldnt breathe.

    The air under the quilt was thin, let alone under Hermiones pajamas.

    In order to prevent Evan from moving, she covered her clothes tightly. If this went on, he might suffocate

    Evan scratched at Hermione, wondering if she could understand his current situation.

    He couldnt climb up, but surely going downward was eptable. Evan could promise himself not to lick anything inappropriately

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 Chapter 869: Hermiones Appeal

    Chapter 869: Hermione''s Appeal

    Hermione had figured out what Evan was up to. Ever since their return from the trip to Egypt, he had been trying to take advantage of her in every possible way.

    She was not opposed to it, nor did she hate it, sometimes she even looked forward to it, but at least there should be some discretion about when and where!

    Just like a moment ago, everyone was discussing serious matters, but Evan was secretly fiddling with her feet under the quilt.

    Thinking of that posture, that touch, and Evans actions

    Hermione took a deep breath, lowered her head a little bit, and curled up with the cat in her arms.

    Then, thinking that shed got into Evans pajamas and stretched out her tongue to lick his chest, Hermione had a fever on her cheeks.

    She had been so foolish at that moment. How had she ended up licking him?

    Not only did she lick it, it seemed she had even gotten some of her saliva on Evans chest

    Indeed, it had gotten on there. As she thought about this, Hermione was utterly bewildered, not knowing how to exin this situation to Evan.

    However, at this moment, she clearly had no intention of giving Evan the chance. No matter how much he tried to scratch, she refused to let go.

    Evan couldnt really use his ws or exert force, he was afraid to hurt Hermione.

    But if this continued, he might really suffocate to death

    The next second, he thought of an idea. He lowered his head and extended his tongue to start licking Hermiones belly.

    He mainly licked around Hermiones navel, hurriedly and hard, much rougher than Hermione had done earlier.

    Imagine how it would feel to have a cat rapidly licking your belly button!

    In short, Hermione felt ticklish, tingling sensations coursing through her body, a strong wave of stimtion rapidly spreading throughout

    Her breathing was getting faster and faster, and she felt she was going to be unable to hold on!

    With Evans movements, many more messy things appeared in her already chaotic head.

    What on earth was Evan doing? Mrs. Weasley was there, but he was doing this kind of thing.

    Well, shed identally licked him before, but there was no need for such retaliation

    In the bursts of intense stimtion, the crimson on Hermiones face became more and more obvious.

    She curled up there, her head buried quietly in the quilt.

    If Mrs. Weasley lifted the quilt at this time, she would surely see Hermiones flushed face and her slightly trembling body.

    She was likely to be misunderstood in this way. What was she doing secretly?

    Mrs. Weasleys footsteps drew nearer and nearer, and stopped by Ginnys bed.

    Hermione finally couldnt help it, and poked Evans side with her left hand downward.

    She didnt expect that this would be worse, or maybe it was exactly what Evan was hoping for.

    Seeing a gap, he jumped in without even thinking about it

    Evan needed fresh air now. He thought he would go straight back into the quilt from Hermiones pajamas. He didnt expect Hermione to release the hand that controlled the clothes above. He just felt the body below him suddenly rise and be very stic.

    Where did he climb to? Was it Hermiones leg and quilt?

    No, why was he still lying on Hermiones body, shouldnt he leave and go into the quilt?

    Evan stretched out his little furry paws and pressed them. Then he thought of something, and his face turned red.

    He hurried upwards and got out from Hermiones neckline.

    Evan saw Hermione staring at him with misty eyes, her face red as a ripe apple.

    He wanted to exin, but he didnt know how to say it, and he couldnt say it under such circumstances.

    Hermione must have misunderstood; otherwise she wouldnt be staring at him like that!

    Evan was lying so soft and didnt dare to move, Hermiones chin was above his head, and her belly was below.

    Their movements were ambiguous to the extreme, and Hermione dared not move either.

    By the light of the moon, Evan and Hermione stared at one another, immersed in the deep darkness.

    He tried to tell himself not to react, but his body was not obedient at all. He could only bend as far as possible to avoid being noticed by Hermione.

    The current situation was close to the limit, and if there was anything else, Hermione would probably explode directly.

    Despite the fact that Hermione and Evan were soft together, always blushing and shy, now they were not like that at all. If she burst out, Evan would be scared, especially when he was clearly in the wrong.

    What could he say? Facts spoke louder than words, and his actions now were enough to prove everything.

    No matter how strong Evans reasons were, he shouldnte out of Hermiones neckline. There was no way to exin it, and he couldnt justify it.

    Not to mention, because of the summer, Hermione didnt wear anything under her pajamas like Evan.

    If Hermione was really persistent and asked what he was doing, he could only force her to put it off for some timeter!

    Probably only time could dilute everything and solve such aplex problem

    Evan adjusted his body slightly and curled up in a weird posture.

    Immediately, his eyes fell on the girls corbone.

    He had never paid attention to Hermiones corbone. In the dimness, it seemed to be very appealing.

    Unlike other girls, Hermione usually didnt pay much attention to dressing up. She was cute and lovely, but not often perceived as attractive.

    But this time, Evan felt that Hermione was particrly appealing, having a different kind of charm.

    He took a deep breath, and finally, he couldnt help but stick out his tongue and tasted Hermiones inviting corbone. It was sweet.

    Hermione clenched her fists, her body trembling slightly as Evan was lying on her chest.

    She was more nervous than Evan, especially when he started to lick her corbone, and her head was nk.

    She didnt know what to do, or how to face Evan, and now she didnt even dare to look at him.

    Hermione could only let Evans soft tongue roam wantonly. The sensation seemed even itchier than when he had licked her belly button.

    It turned out that being licked on the corbone made such a feeling. No wonder those lovers started to go down after kissing for a while.

    Tingling sensations overwhelmed her; she felt like she had no strength left in her body!

    Until Mrs. Weasley left, neither of them reacted.

    Hermione! Ginny yelled weakly, wondering what had happened just now, Wheres Evan?

    He  he Disapparated back! said Hermione hurriedly, her consciousness finally returning to her body and taking control.

    The question now was how she could get Evan out of her pajamas without being noticed by Ginny.

    It was not possible to go back down the same way, and it seemed impossible to continue upward.

    However, it was even worse to keep Evan lying here!

    Hermione felt that Evan on her body was getting heavier and heavier, she was overwhelmed with pressure and her breath became heavier.

    Evan, who felt Hermiones breathing, also felt he was getting thicker

    Obviously, Ginny couldnt sleep either, staring at Hermione with bright eyes, and wanted to talk to her about what had happened tonight.

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 Chapter 870: Diagon Alley in Summer Vacation

    Chapter 870: Diagon Alley in Summer Vacation

    Apparition is really convenient! said Ginny enviously.

    Yeah! Hermione responded absentmindedly to Ginny while thinking about how to get Evan out.

    As for Evan, who was in a dilemma, he justy there and didnt move!

    He felt it was good to wait until Ginny fell asleep and then go back.

    After a long hesitation, Hermione pulled her cor outward, trying to get Evan out, but Evan, lying inside, didnt move at all.

    She pulled him out, and the strong friction between him and her body made Hermione stop hurriedly.

    Her breath became heavier, and she couldnt go on like this. She knew she had to make a quick decision before she had no strength.

    Otherwise, if Evan was allowed to lick her on the top, she would soon have no resistance at all.

    Then, she could only let him do whatever he wanted on her body. She was afraid it would not be as simple as licking the corbone gently.

    I  Im going to the bathroom! said Hermione suddenly. Pressing Evan with one hand, she stood up and hurried out.

    She turned her back to Ginny, and didnt know if she had discovered it. She trotted out of the room.

    As soon as the door was closed, Hermione opened her pajamas very rudely, and Evan slowly slid out along her body

    In the dim corridor, a girl and a cat were looking at one another like this.

    In the end, Hermione knocked hard on Evans forehead before heading to the bathroom.

    Evan hesitated for a moment, but didnt follow. He swayed to the library downstairs.

    He couldnt fall asleep even if he went back, so better go down and have a look at some magic books

    The next day, everyone began to help Mrs. Weasley clean the house.

    Although Kreacher had wiped away the thick dust everywhere, he was too old, and there were still many things he hadnt taken care of.

    For example, the drawing room on the first floor was a long high-ceilinged room.

    Inside the room, dirty tapestries covered the olive-green walls. The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, moss-green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees.

    Mrs. Weasley told everyone that these were doxies. She told them to tie a cloth over their noses and mouths.

    All right, cover your faces and take a spray! Mrs. Weasley said, pointing to two bottles of ck liquid standing on a spindle-legged table. Its Doxycide. Ive never seen an infestation this bad.

    Hermiones face was half concealed by a tea towel, and Evan saw her deliberately avoiding him with her head down.

    Since breakfast in the morning, Hermione had not looked at Evan, she must be angry!

    Thinking about it, it was a bit too excitingst night

    But he was a cat, and humans and cats couldnt get in touch with each other too much.

    In fact, it was Hermione who got into Evans pajamas first and licked his chest.

    At best, Evan had only followed suit, and the situation at that time was quite special.

    Besides, it didnt matter if he and Hermione did so now. It was a matter of course after their rtionship.

    But now that Hermione was angry, Evan decided to apologize first. Anyway, he took advantage of it

    Evan didnt know that, apart from being a little annoyed, the main reason why Hermione didnt dare to look at him in the eye was shyness.

    With the sudden progress, she hadnt figured out how to face Evan, afraid her eyes would be redder than her face!

    In this case, it would be wrong for her to express her carelessness, making it seem that she still wanted it

    Well, if there was another opportunity, it would be better to try it in a ce where no one was around.

    On the other side, Fred and George were showing Harry and Ron theirtest products.

    They wanted to show everyonest night that theyd developed various kinds of Skiving Snack-boxes during this summer vacation.

    The products in the past had big ws. The two of us re-read the textbook of the Potions ss some time ago and got inspired. Now this range of sweet are divided into two parts, with their own antidote function, such as this Puking Pastille

    From his pocket, Fred took a double-ended piece of sweet, purple and orange.

    How does this thing work? Ron asked, his eyes falling on the candy in Freds hand.

    If you eat the orange half of the Puking Pastilles, you throw up. Moment youve been rushed out of the lesson for the hospital wing, you swallow the purple half, which restores you to full fitness, enabling you to pursue the leisure activity of your own choice during an hour that would otherwise have been devoted to unprofitable boredom.

    Yeah, thats what were putting in the adverts, anyway, said George.

    He had edged over out of Mrs. Weasleys line of vision and was now sweeping a few stray doxies from the floor and putting them into his pocket.

    With the increase in the number of products, their current advertisements on <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> had taken up two full chapters.

    These advertisements had been published for a long time, and asionally with color pages and dynamic photos to promote the new products.

    It was more appropriate to describe it as an advertisement than as a shopping guide page.

    Evan and Lupin found that young wizards preferred to watch this kind of stuff more than the real-time reports.

    I think the effect of the orange part is okay. After all, this has been sessful in the past. Now the trouble is that the purple antidote still needs a bit of work. After we strengthened the effect, our testers are having a bit of trouble stopping puking long enough to swallow the purple end, Fred continued. Even if its swallowed, the effect is not very good.

    But if the effect is too weak, the professors may not allow you to leave, but let you hold back in ss.

    Yes, I really want to know how Madam Pomfrey stopped those people from puking, said George. Evan, you must help us see itter or find a new antidote form. By the way, there are also Nosebleed Nougat and Fainting Fancies

    Well talk about it in the evening; Im not free in the afternoon, said Evan. Hermione and I are going to Diagon Alley to buy a book on the principles of making broomsticks, and I have to meet someone by the way. We maye backte.

    Hed written a letter to Rita Skeeter during breakfast, asking her to meet in the Leaky Cauldron at two in the afternoon.

    After he went backst night, Harry and Ron hadnt slept yet.

    Evan had obtained all the details from Harry of his attack by the Dementors and wrote them together in the morning.

    He was going to hand the materials to Rita Skeeter and ask her to write a report about the Dementors no longer under the control of the Ministry of Magic.

    Anyway, she was very good at this kind of shadowy business, not to mention that it was true.

    For safety, Lupin had to apany them, but he was also busy with the newspaper backlog. So after entering Diagon Alley, Evan and Hermione would act alone. Evan nned to take this opportunity to reconcile with Hermione.

    If it didnt work, he could only talk about itter!

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 Chapter 871: Unemployed Rita Skeeter

    Chapter 871: Unemployed Rita Skeeter

    Lupin didnte until lunch time. Hed been busy at the newspaper office all morning.

    Because he had to go to the underground world tomunicate with the werewolves, he naturally did not have much energy to deal with the affairs of the newspaper. He rmended several excellent editors and managers to Evan, many of whom were recruited from the <i>Daily Prophet</i>.

    They had considerable experience and could keep the newspaper running even if Lupin was not there. But many important things still had to be decided by him, or sent to Evan by mail for decision.

    At Hogwarts, Evan received such letters for a few minutes a week. After referring to the opinions of Lupin and newspaper managers, he and Hermione discussed decision-making and then fed back.

    When hed gone out to contact the giants some time ago, all these matters were left to Hermione and Lupin.

    In the month Evan and Hermione went to Egypt, everything was even more on Lupin alone.

    He had to leave the underworld every once in a while to deal with these things, which made him look even more haggard.

    Simply, he had not really integrated into the werewolfmunity, if he did, he would disappear for a long time.

    Evan and the others had been de-doxying the curtains. This work was more troublesome than expected.

    Kreacher also came to help halfway, but they still spent the whole morning.

    Finally, the curtains were no longer buzzing, they hung limp and damp from the intensive spraying; unconscious doxiesy crammed in the bucket at the foot of them beside a bowl of their ck eggs, at which Crookshanks was now sniffing and Fred and George were shooting covetous looks.

    These things could be used to configure a powerful Love potion, but they were slightly toxic.

    Taken in a certain amount, it could be poisonous. Fred and George thought they could deal with this toxicity.

    Well, I think well tackle those after lunch.

    Mrs. Weasley pointed at the dusty ss-fronted cabs standing on either side of the mantelpiece. They were crammed with an odd assortment of objects: a selection of rusty daggers, ws, a coiled snakeskin, a number of tarnished silver boxes inscribed with iprehensiblenguages and, least pleasant of all, an ornate crystal bottle with arge opal set into the stopper, full of what must be blood.

    It was conceivable that these were all ck magic items or evil Dark magic had been cast on them.

    They were not beautiful and it was also dangerous to leave these things in this way. Naturally, Mrs. Weasley couldnt let them be here. She was going to pack them all up and wait until Sirius came back to deal with them.

    Based on Evans knowledge of Sirius, he would probably pack all these things and throw them away. He was terribly disgusted with everything in this house, even the surname ck.

    If so, it would be a pity!

    Evan beckoned to Kreacher and told the elf to pick out a few of them individually and bring them to him.

    He was very interested in the Dark magic above, especially the silver boxes inscribed with ancient characters.

    When they just walked to the kitchen, there was a nging doorbell.

    Immediately afterwards, Mrs. cks screeches echoed through the house again.

    Mrs. Weasley hurriedly walked over to open the door and followed the narrow and dim corridor. Everyone saw Mundungusing in with a stack of precariously bnced cauldrons.

    Mundungus! said Evan as he took out a long parchment list from his pocket. Hes probably here to get the broom material purchase list. Wed better check to see if theres anything missing.

    Whats he brought all those cauldrons for? Hermione asked.

    Probably looking for a safe ce to keep them, said Evan, and Hermione did not respond, which made him feel very ufortable. It was not Hermiones style.

    If she was normal, she would have definitely started analyzing this matter directly.

    It must be so, said Harry. Isnt that what he was doing the night he was supposed to be tailing me? Picking up dodgy cauldrons?

    Yeah, youre right!

    They saw Mundungus heaving his cauldrons through the door, but Mrs. Weasley stopped him.

    The next second, even if they were far away, they could still hear an explosion of sound, even louder than Mrs. cks voice, and all of them could hear exactly what Mrs. Weasley was shouting.

    WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS! Mrs. Weasley said loudly, looking at Mundungus angrily. COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVENT GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE!

    I love hearing Mum shouting at someone else, said Fred.

    The idiots are letting her get into her stride, said George, shaking his head. Youve got to head her off early; otherwise she builds up a head of steam and goes on for hours. And shes been dying to have a go at Mundungus ever since he sneaked off when he was supposed to be following you, Harry.

    Sure enough, Mrs. Weasleys rebuke continued for a long time.

    In the end, Mundungus had to take away those cauldrons, as well as Evans purchase list and Gold Galleons before leaving.

    He obviously did not intend to buy these things in Diagon Alley; he had his own purchasing channels.

    Evan estimated that it must be in Knockturn Alley or the Underground World. If it werent for the conditions, he really wanted to go with Mundungus.

    After lunch, Evan, Hermione, and Lupin went out to Diagon Alley.

    Harry wanted to go too, but he was now an important protected target, so he could only stay in the house and couldnt go anywhere.

    As for Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, Mrs. Weasley would not let them out.

    After a while, Evan, Hermione and Lupin appeared at the Leaky Cauldron.

    It was as peaceful as it had been a few months ago, and there was no tension about Voldemorts return.

    Because the schools new term list had not been released, naturally there were not many students who came to Diagon Alley to purchase.

    The Leaky Cauldron was full of cute young wizards from the countryside to buy things in Diagon Alley, idle witches, and a few old wizards who were leisurely drinking and ying cards. The bar owner Tom was carefully wiping the sses behind the bar.

    After Lupin left, Evan and Hermione found a corner table and ordered two sses of juice.

    Hermione had been looking at the material about Harry being attacked by the Dementors and ignored Evan.

    Evan knew what he had to say and broke the silence. But when he talked about a few topics, Hermione didnt speak up.

    Woman! Evan bit his straw, keeping his eyes level with Hermiones, and pathetically touched her with his toes.

    Hermiones feet retreated, and Evan moved forward a bit.

    After a few seconds of this, Hermione couldnt go back.

    She took a deep breath, clenched her fists, and prepared to talk to Evan aboutst night.

    She just raised her head when she saw a familiar woman walk in from outside, it was Rita Skeeter.

    She looked around, and when she saw Evan and Hermione, she looked as though she had been forced to swallow Stinksap.

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 Chapter 872: Deal and Cooperation

    Chapter 872: Deal and Cooperation

    In fact, unemployment did not suit Rita. The hair that had once been set in borate curls now hungnk and unkempt around her face. The scarlet paint on her two-inch talons was chipped and there were a couple of false jewels missing from her winged sses.

    Her crocodile-skin handbag had also lost its luster, giving a sense of downfall, just like the whole person.

    Its nice to meet you, the hope star of the wizarding world and little Miss Perfect, said Rita sarcastically, walking over staggeringly, and sitting down at the table of Evan and Hermione. What do you two want to do with me now?

    After being caught by Evanst term, she kept her beetle form and was kept in a ss jar for more than half a year.

    Hermione didnt let her out until the summer vacation began.

    As an agreement, she was not allowed to write any articles without the consent of Evan and Hermione.

    For Rita, it really killed her. She was idle at home every day.

    Needless to say, she must hate Evan and Hermione terribly now.

    A deal, of course! said Hermione irritably, spreading all the anger towards Evan on Rita. But if youre sarcastic about both of us in that tone, the deals off.

    Evan nodded and supported Hermione unconditionally.

    What deal? said Rita, taking a trembling breath. You havent mentioned the deal yet, Miss Prissy, you just told me to turn up, just like your own servant. Oh, one of these days

    Yes, yes, one of these days youll write more horrible stories about Evan, Harry and me, said Hermione indifferently. Find someone who cares, why dont you?

    Theyve run plenty of horrible stories about you. I think they did a good job, better than I thought, said Rita, asking Tom to bring her a ss of firewhisky. How has that made you feel? Betrayed? Distraught?

    Lupin told me about this some time ago, and they seem to have got some help from you, said Evan.

    In this situation, it would be strange if Rita hadnt done anything.

    I cant be med. My articles been stolen. It happened to be about you and Dumbledore. Rita gave a nervous smile. She knew very well that the boy in front of her was not as harmless as he looked. It was a big loss to me, but anyway Iplied with the agreement and never wrote anything else. You cant

    Well, Ms. Skeeter, I think we should be more honest and open. Evan took a breath and said, Hermiones right. If you still have this attitude, we probably have nothing to talk about.

    What do you want? Rita lowered her ss and subjected Evan to a piercing stare. You cant just ask me out for a drink, can you? I remember our rtionship doesnt seem to have been that good

    Obviously, we are here to discuss cooperation with you, said Evan. you should know that Voldemorts back!

    At the sound of the name, Rita visibly shuddered, her hand holding the firewhisky stopped in the air.

    An unabashed panic shed across her face, and her smile became stiff.

    Calling Voldemort by name like Evan, Hermione, and Harry casually, was simply unthinkable to other people in the wizarding world. They had a natural fear of Voldemort, and Ron couldnt do it until now. Harry had been trying to correct Ron, but he hurriedly changed the subject every time.

    You mean all this garbage Dumbledores been telling everybody about You-Know-Who returning and you and Harry being the sole witnesses?! Rita asked, shivering. This is crazy

    This is not crazy at all, but the truth. Moreover, the two of us were not the only witnesses. There were more than 20 Death Eaters there as well, said Evan. If you need, we can provide their names at any time and make them public.

    This sounds really good! Rita said softly, fumbling in her bag with her right hand, and taking out parchment and an acid-green quill. A great bold headline: Mason and Potter Name Death Eaters Still Among Us. Well, I think its better to use Harry Potter for propaganda here. Beneath a nice big photograph of him: Disturbed teenage survivors of You-Know-Whos attack, Harry Potter, 15, and his ssmate Evan Mason caused outrage yesterday by using respectable and prominent members of the Wizardingmunity of being Death Eaters

    The Quick-Quotes Quill was actually in her hand and halfway to her mouth when the rapturous expression died out of her face.

    But of course, she said, lowering the quill and looking daggers at Hermione, Little Miss Perfect wouldnt want that story out there, would she?

    As a matter of fact, said Hermione sweetly, thats exactly what Little Miss Perfect does want, or else what would we want from you?

    Rita was stunned. She stared at Hermione, and then turned to look at Evan, studying whether the two of them were serious.

    Evan and Harry have told the Minister of Magic the truth, but the Minister was too much of an idiot to believe them. Hermione continued, He thought it was Dumbledore who was seizing power, and he even began to nder Dumbledore

    Everyone knows Fudges stupidity. Rita asked Hermione in a hushed voice, You just said that you want me to report what you say about He-Who- Must-Not-Be-Named?

    She didnt care whether Voldemort was really resurrected. What she needed was an eye-catching topic. What could ignite public opinion more than Voldemorts return and the undiscovered Death Eaters?!

    Besides, Rita was not a fool. She could feel that Evan and Hermione were telling the truth.

    If so, her report would be recorded in history and y a vital role.

    The International Confederation of Wizards would certainly give her an award, even the Order of Merlin.

    As for the suppression of the Ministry of Magic, that was never within Ritas consideration.

    Yes, I do, said Hermione. Evan and I want you to report the true story, exactly as Evan and Harry report them. Theyll give you all the details, theyll tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters they saw there, theyll tell you what Voldemort looks like nowoh, get a grip on yourself, she added contemptuously, throwing a napkin across the table.

    Hearing Voldemorts name again, Rita still overreacted. This time, she had jumped so badly that she had slopped half her ss of firewhisky down herself!

    Rita blotted the front of her grubby raincoat, still staring at Evan and Hermione.

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 Chapter 873: Big News

    Chapter 873: Big News

    Big news  this was definitely the big news that would shock the entire wizarding world, but there was still a key problem.

    Rita had recovered after a brief shock.

    I can write! she said baldly. But the Daily Prophet wouldnt print it, and no media would publish such reports. In case you havent noticed, nobody believes this cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks youre delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from another angle

    We dont need another story about how Harry has lost his marbles or bashing Evan! said Hermione angrily. Weve had plenty of those already, thank you! All we need now is the opportunity to tell the truth!

    Theres no market for a story like that, said Rita coldly.

    You mean the <i>Daily Prophet</i> wont print it because Fudge wont let them, said Hermione irritably.

    Rita gave Hermione a long, hard look. Then she said in a businesslike tone, All right, Fudge is leaning on the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, but ites to the same thing. They wont print a story that shows you in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. Its against the public mood.

    So the <i>Daily Prophet</i> exists to tell people what they want to hear, does it?

    Rita sat up straight again, her eyebrows raised, and drained her ss of firewhisky.

    The <i>Daily Prophet</i> exists to sell itself, you silly girl, she said coldly.

    Hermione kicked Evan hard under the table to make him speak.

    Thats why we want to cooperate with you! said Evan. The <i>Daily Prophet </i>made a big mistake in this matter. They helped Fudge hide the truth. I think this is a good opportunity to surpass them. You know, I also run a newspaper

    Yeah, <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>! said Rita contemptuously. I heard youve been hiring ghosts to write articles.

    She had always been dismissive of such small newspapers, but the exhibition of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> was really fierce in the past two years. It stood out from many small media, such as <i>The Quibbler</i> and <i>Twenty-five Ways to Mingle with Muggles</i>, and its exhibition degree was amazing.

    In Ritas view, Evan and the others were just lucky and happened to encounter some vital news.

    The Basilisk attack at the beginning of its establishment was the biggest news hotspot in the wizarding world that year. This incident itself was not only exciting enough, but also revealed the past of Voldemorts youth, and set off an upsurge to discuss the history of the Four Founders of Hogwarts.

    With this incident, the public in the wizarding world was to remember the newspaper <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>.

    In particr, the original coboration between <i>Hogwarts Magic </i>and the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, which sessively published and reprinted many of the above reports, made a name for the newly established <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>.

    Everyone was very interested in a newspaper created by the young wizard himself. After the Basilisks incident, they continued to order several issues out of curiosity. The reports written by ghosts were also very interesting, and there were details that everyone did not know.

    Besides, the analysis of Evans magic research had most importantly opened up new ideas for many professionals.

    These were all the knowledge that Evan had obtained from Tom Riddles diary. After sorting it out, he selected the knowledge that could be published in the newspaper. This allowed <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> to quickly upy the market on a small scale.

    At first everyone thought this was the limit of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>. When Sirius escaped from prison, Evan and the others got first-hand information. Needless to say, its influence even extended to foreign countries and the Muggle world.

    As an exclusive report, <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> once surpassed the <i>Daily Prophet</i> and became the most popr newspaper in the wizarding world by virtue of this hot news. It was less than two years since its creation.

    This incident was considered a miracle in the wizarding world, and the discussion about Evanter became a hot topic.

    Everyone thought that Evan and <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> were just a fluke. When the heat was over, they would soon be forgotten. But who knew that in the summer of the vampire attack in the Albanian forest, they also got first-hand information.

    This was probably the worst evil in the wizarding world after Voldemorts failure.

    But because the incident happened in a too remote ce, and all the people who died were Dark Wizards and desperadoes, the incident did not attract much attention at first, because the entire wizarding world was paying attention to the uing Quidditch World Cup final.

    But the subsequent vampire attack at the World Cup re-excavated this forgotten incident.

    After Siriuss prison break, <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> expanded rapidly. Once again, in the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, the world-ss duel between Evan and the vampire leader Caresius attracted more attention.

    So far, <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> could be regarded as the top media in the wizarding world!

    Then the Triwizard Tournament took ce at Hogwarts, which attracted the attention of the entire European wizarding world. Everyone was optimistic about <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> exhibition, and believed that by virtue of its geographical advantages, its cirction volume might reach a new high.

    Even Rita couldnt help taking the opportunity to run to Hogwarts to see what had happened to Evan.

    Who would have thought that it would turn out to be such a result in the end, and who would have foreseen that the Triwizard Tournament woulde to an abrupt end?

    With the copse of the exhibition momentum of <i>Hogwarts magic</i>, under the joint suppression of the Ministry of Magic and the mainstream media of the whole wizarding world, the volume of <i>Hogwarts magic</i> was getting lower and lower, and it had now dropped to less than a quarter of its peak subscriptions.

    In Ritas opinion, it was because Evan and his friends didnt know what readers wanted to see.

    Their previous sess was only idental, and a great situation was wasted.

    But youre right. This matter conflicts with the public mood. No one wants to believe that Voldemort has returned. Its not time yet. We can wait for a while, said Evan.

    Rita looked at him in surprise, wondering what Evan meant.

    The fact that You-Know-Who came back is true and unmistakable. The Ministry of Magic doesnt want people to know this news, but there will be more and more evil things that they cannot exin in the wizarding world. What we need to do now is to let people know about these things. Until the right time, we will announce his return, Evan continued. Were here to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with you to cover this series of events and special reviews. If you agree, <i>Hogwarts Magic </i>will publish all the articles you write, and the price will be paid ording to your remuneration in the <i>Daily Prophet</i>

    What do you mean? Rita asked, I didnt hear anything.

    Of course they wont let the outside world know, for example, Harry has been attacked by Dementors just a few days ago

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 Chapter 874: Purchase Plan

    Chapter 874: Purchase n

    Simply stating the return of Voldemort was not feasible; no one would be willing to believe it.

    Forced disclosure of the truth would only arouse public revulsion.

    Especially in the current situation, under the guidance of Fudge, the wizarding world was almost one-sided in condemning Dumbledore, Evan, and Harry.

    Everyone thought the three of them were crazy, spreading panic-inducing rumors, and undermining the peace and stability of the wizarding world.

    Public opinion needed guidance. Since Fudge and the Ministry could do it, so could Evan and the others.

    Besides, what they wanted to announce was the truth and could withstand the test of time.

    They had to proceed step by step. The fact that Harry was attacked by Dementors would arouse the interest of some people.

    Ordinary people did not trust Dementors and were very sensitive. The matter of uncontrolled Dementors would attract their attention.

    This was just the beginning. Next, Evan would prepare a series of reports on the recent stupidity and omissions of the Ministry of Magic, as well as the suspicious aspects of the Death Eaters, putting pressure on public opinion and poprizing the knowledge of Defense Against the Dark Arts by the way.

    If the effect could be achieved in one step, it was naturally the best. If not, it could attract everyones attention.

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    The exnation given by the Ministry of Magic was bound to have great loopholes in the series of influences brought about by Voldemorts return.

    When these loopholes piled up little by little, they would cause public dissatisfaction.

    Evan believed that when arge-scale escape from Azkaban would ur a few monthster, they could start a full counterattack.

    At that time, the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, which had been telling lies all the time, would bepletely trampled on by Evan. If a newspaper was proved to have lost its authenticity, no one would want to order it no matter how long its history was.

    Evan was even thinking if he could make a sum of money to buy the <i>Daily Prophet</i>.

    Two uncontrolled Dementors ran to the Muggles neighborhood and attacked Harry Potter. Because of this, hes going to the Ministry of Magic for hearing. This sounds really interesting, said Rita. You want me to extend this to the Ministry of Magic?

    She pushed her sses up and looked at Evan with keen eyes, understanding what he intended to do.

    Thats your specialty. Because we believe in your ability, we came to you to cooperate, said Evan.

    Rita was indeed very strong in making rumors and groundless allegations.

    She knew what the public needed, and what she wrote could naturally gain their trust.

    Like Mrs. Weasley, she kept saying that Ritas reports were nonsense, but she believed in other articles she wrote.

    Rita Skeeter had this ability, otherwise Evan and Hermione would not have asked her to write this report.

    Well, do I have the right to refuse? Rita asked shrewdly.

    I dont think so!

    As you know very well, well report that you are an unregistered Animagus, said Hermione calmly, putting down her drink. The <i>Daily Prophet</i> might give you rather a lot for an insiders ount of life in Azkaban and confirm whether the Dementors are still under the control of the Ministry of Magic?

    At Hermiones words, Ritas mouth muscles twitched.

    If she knew that the two people in front of her were also illegal Animagus, it was unknown how she would feel.

    All my reports can be published in <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>? Youre willing to give me the same pay as the <i>Daily Prophet</i>?

    Of course, I can open a column for you, but only if you dont write any more reports for the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, said Evan.

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    Well, give me the material youve got about Potters attack, and I can give you this report in the evening. Rita took the material from Evans hand, and the Quick-Quotes Quill recorded on the parchment.

    Looking at her, it seemed that she intended toplete this report in the Leaky Cauldron.

    For sure, she did not like Evan and Hermione, but at least she didnt need to have a problem with money.

    Aftermunicating with Rita, Evan and Hermione entered Diagon Alley and walked to Flourish and Blotts.

    They were going to look for books about making broomsticks, and see if there were any other books of interest.

    Regardless of Gold Galleons and the load, Hermione seemed to n to pack up the entire Flourish and Blotts.

    Because the two people dealt with Rita together, the rtionship between her and Evan was no longer so tense. Especially when she devoted her attention to the magic books, she forgot aboutst night.

    From time to time, she asked Evan about his opinion on a book to decide whether to buy it.

    Hermiones appearance made Evan realize that shifting focus was more useful than direct exnation.

    Especially when you were shopping with your girlfriend, paying the bill first would make her feel happy and forgive your little mistakes.

    In the end, the two of them bought so many magic books and left an order list before leaving Flourish and Blotts.

    What are we doing next? Evan asked, paying attention to Hermiones expression. Its still early, so dont worry about meeting Lupin. How about sitting at Florean Fortescues Ice Cream Parlor for a while?

    Now that Hermione had returned to normal and did not mentionst nights incident, Evan would naturally not take the initiative to mention it.

    I need new robes, and so do you! said Hermione, after hesitating. My other clothes are also a little smaller. My mother used to apany me to buy them every summer, but this year, she didnt have time. She gave me a sum of money

    Indeed, this was necessary.

    Because they were growing up fast, their clothes became smaller and did not fit them this year.

    It was already difficult for Evan to wear his clothesst year, and arge part of his wrist was exposed.

    As for Hermione, she needed to buy new clothes, including underwear, or she would feel them ufortable tightening her body.

    Evan discovered this when traveling to Egypt. Hermione kept almost all of her clothes with him.

    We can buy the robes at Madam Malkins. As for the other clothes Hermione said hesitantly, These clothes must be tried on in person to determine if they fit. I want to see a Muggle shop, where there are more styles.

    She was too embarrassed to say that she wanted to buy underwear, but only vaguely said other clothes.

    Every year, Hermione went to buy them with her mother during the holidays. This year, she went to Egypt with Evan, so naturally she didnt have time.

    She originally nned to ask Mrs. Weasley to buy them for her, but this kind of thing really needed to be tried for sure.

    Besides, she had seen Ginnys underwear, and the styles of the wizarding world were not quite what she liked.

    If it was Evan, it didnt seem to be a problem if he went with her

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    In fact, if Harry and Ron were here, they would definitely tell Hermione to buy a few more robes, and there was no need for other clothes in the school.

    But Evan understood that Hermione wanted to buy underwear.

    It was alright to apany her, but there was one problem. He didnt have much experience in this field.

    If Hermione asked for his opinion as before, what should he say?

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1080 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 875: The Bold Hermione

    Chapter 875: The Bold Hermione

    Apany Hermione to buy underwear and provide advice

    Did that mean that Hermione had to wear underwear to show him, or else how to give her advice?

    Thinking of Hermione wearing all kinds of underwear in front of him, Evans heart beat fiercely.

    Then, he thought of the many underwear styles hed seen in Fleurs room before, many of which were very provocative.

    If he could make Hermione choose like those and wear them, her exquisite body would be very seductive

    Evan shook his head vigorously, not daring to think anymore.

    With a touch of nervousness and expectation, he and Hermione came to Madam Malkins Robes for All asions. There was no one in the shop, and Madam Malkin weed them both warmly.

    In preparation for the start of Hogwarts School, shed recently introduced a batch of new fabrics, and Evan and Hermione were her first customers this summer. She tried to persuade the two of them to order an extra set of robes with a considerable discount.

    In addition, Evan bought a few more ready-made robes, mainly adult styles, just in case. They could be neededter when using the Polyjuice Potion.

    As for the girls clothes, Hermione didnt let him buy them. She meant that if Evan changed into a girl, he could use her robes. She could even give him her Muggle clothes.

    Madam Malkins robes are very expensive, and we dont need to waste money, she said. I dont need those clothes anyway.

    Well, anyway, Evans cloth bag was already full of messy stuff. ines underwear, Gabrielles robes, plus Hermiones full set of clothes.

    Evan had long been used to it. He had just to be careful not to make a mistake. Fortunately, the three girls had different sizes.

    Gabrielle hadnt developed yet, ine was so thin, and Hermione was in good shape and was growing up fast

    With the robes they just bought, it covered the clothes of girls of all ages. From the inside out, there was really no need to buy anything else!

    The only pity was that there was nothing attractive like Fleurs.

    When Fleur woulde to Ennd, he might ask her for two pieces

    The next step is to buy other clothes! said Hermione. Lets go to the Muggle mall.

    Ill Apparate and take you there! said Evan.

    They both walked silently to the remote alley, each with their own thoughts, and the atmosphere was inexplicably tense. Because they were going to buy underwear next, they were both thinking about it.

    In fact, using Apparition, Evan could take Hermione back to his home quickly without worrying about being discovered.

    It wouldnt be so embarrassing for Hermione to go shopping with his mother or Mrs. Granger. But it would be too silly to do that. There were not many opportunities to apany a girl to buy underwear.

    Dont jump to conclusions; I only asked you toe with me because I had no other option, said Hermione, taking a deep breath, noticing the expression on Evans face, and shaking her fist. If you dont want to go with me, its okay.

    Of course I want, said Evan hurriedly.

    Seeing Evans expression, Hermione knew hed guessed what she was going to buy.

    This was too embarrassing, just like what happenedst night, caressing her in front of so many people

    Thinking of this, Hermione had a sudden urge to hit Evan and not let it go.

    Dont think Ive forgiven you for what happenedst night, she said suddenly, showing her anger.

    I was too excitedst night to resist the temptation. Evan admitted his mistake decisively.

    At his words, Hermiones impulse to hit him became stronger. What did it mean to be unable to resist the temptation?

    But thinking about it carefully, it seemed that this was indeed the case.

    Getting into your girlfriends pajamas and lying on her stomach, it was conceivable that it would be too hard to resist the temptation.

    Of course, the premise was that one could be a cat; otherwise there was no way to lie there.

    Evan just licked his corbone, and didnt actually do anything, but he seemed to have done a lot

    I thought you were my girlfriend, and I got a little carried away! he said pathetically.

    There would be no way out of confrontation. Such a disy of weakness might have a turning point.

    Well, dont do it again! Hermione blushed again, and the thoughts in her head became confused.

    Inexplicably, as soon as she saw Evans smiling face, Hermione thought of the scene shed seen from above her corst night. The ck kitten was lying on her chest, not acting honestly.

    It was strange enough for a cat to make that kind of action, not to mention that it was not really a cat, but Evan!

    Well  got it! said Evan, nodding seriously.

    Next time he encountered this situation, he wouldnt go upwards, he could consider going down

    After a moment of silence, the two of them just walked on the quiet street of Diagon Alley.

    I mean, dont do that to me when there are others present in the future, Hermione whispered after a long while.

    She was really afraid of Evans misunderstanding. Compared with other couples in the school, their progress had been slow enough.

    There were very few real kisses; the first one was in this alley. There was a Christmas tree here, and the two of them were under the mistletoe

    She was scared away at the time, and she should have bravely carried it out and should not have run away.

    Evan was still thinking about the meaning of what Hermione had said just now. What did <i>dont do that to me when there are others present</i> mean? If there was no one around, he could do it? Now there were only them. Was it okay to?

    He raised his head to see Hermione staring at him in a daze. Her little face was seductive pink, and she looked very charming.

    The atmosphere in the air suddenly became charming, and under Hermiones gaze, everything seemed to be bing unusual.

    She seemed to be thinking about something, gradually immersed in it.

    She was thinking about what Evan had just said, she was his girlfriend!

    Running away like this was not the way, nor was it her style.

    Since she liked Evan, then she should show it, and not always shrink back, afraid of what the future could be!

    She could hide for a while, but could she hide for a lifetime?

    Besides, if she didnt like Evan, why did she agree to be his girlfriend?!

    Turning around and running away on that Christmas night, Hermione would never let it happen again.

    Hermione said Evan softly.

    The next second, to his surprise, Hermione suddenly leaned in and kissed him.

    She embraced Evan with her hands, and stepped forward to touch his lips. It was cool and sweet

    A few secondster, they separated, Hermione panting heavily, her face hot and her ears red.

    She looked at Evan frankly, and there seemed to be a trace of provocation and expectation in her twinkling eyes.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1080 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 876: Kissing in Diagon Alley

    Chapter 876: Kissing in Diagon Alley

    Evan froze for a moment. What was this unfolding? If there was a disagreement, she would give him a strong kiss?!

    A second before, she was lecturing him that he was too impulsive, and the next second she kissed him in an unprecedented way!

    What exactly was going on? She wasnt drunk, was she? Was Hermione broken?

    He looked at Hermiones blushing face, her forehead, her eyes, her nose, and finally

    Evan felt like his brain was failing him, but his body reacted fast enough.

    Looking at the expectant Hermione in front of him, at the moment of separation from her, Evan leaned forward to kiss her back, taking the initiative.

    He put one hand around her back, the other hand stroking her long, slightly curly hair.

    Evan kissed Hermione and sucked her lips, which were extraordinarily wet and sweet.

    With the movement of both of them, he felt as though he were fluttering in a state of ecstasy.

    Evans mind was nk, and it felt better than Firewhisky.

    At this moment, Hermione was the only real thing in his world.

    The two of them were breathing fast and almost melted into one.

    On the other hand, Hermiones breathing became increasingly rapid.

    She plucked up the courage to kiss Evan, feeling like a deer bumping into her heart, surprised at her boldness, not knowing how to exin it to Evan.

    If Evan asked her what she was doing, it would be too embarrassing, and she would kiss him without saying a word.

    Hermione looked at Evan hesitantly and expectantly, as though she wanted to say something but didnt know how to say it. The worry didntst long. Her body was immediately bound into a powerful embrace, and any unfinished words were drowned in a kiss full of affection.

    She felt Evans heat, and their bodies were pressed together tightly, their faces close together.

    She could smell Evan, and her breath became hot.

    She shivered slightly, forgot to think, and did not want to think. She just instinctively wanted to hug him, closer, tighter

    Hermione could feel the wriggling of Evans lips, gently biting, going on, tapping her teeth, and the tip of his tongue slipped into

    Just as Evan was about to put his tongue deep into Hermiones mouth, there was an awkward cough behind him, and they hurriedly separated.

    Sorry to disturb you! A middle-aged wizard nced at them and hurriedly walked past.

    Todays young people were open, kissing in Diagon Alley in broad daylight

    Hermione pushed Evan away. Her eyes were misty, her face blushed, tiny beads of sweat oozed from the tip of her nose. Her lips were slightly open, revealing the soft and moist tip of her tongue. She was pure and charming, and her lovable look made Evan couldnt help but continue.

    Ignore him, lets continue! said Evan softly, trying to kiss Hermione again.

    His lips had touched Hermiones, and Hermione kissed him hard and hurriedly separated.

    She was not going to give Evan a chance. It was enough so far; she couldnt let Evans tonguee in

    She was not ready yet. Besides, now she was in the usually crowded Diagon Alley, what if she was seen again?

    Hermione didnt want photos of Evan and herself kissing to make the headlines tomorrow.

    Not now! Hermione said flustered, breathing disorderly. Therell be opportunities in the future. We have to go shopping now.

    Evan could only nod. The appearance of the middle-aged wizard was too untimely.

    They were so close; he was almost inside Hermione

    Seeing Hermione now, he knew that he could only look for another chance, but there was a long way to go.

    By andrge, The first step is always the hardest; it gets easier once you have already started.

    There might be fewer opportunities at 12 Grimmauld ce. Back to Hogwarts, there were many secret passages, secret rooms, bushes, and groves.

    At that time, there would be absolutely no one to disturb, and they could go on to the end.

    Apanying Hermione to the Muggle mall to buy underwear was not what Evan had imagined.

    In the mall, he was confused by a dazzling variety of styles, and there were all kinds of underwear styles.

    Evan saw some with ck fis patterns, redce trim, and even semi-transparent onesvarious provocative styles

    Hermione didnt look at the sexy underwear, but chose a few rtively conservative and cute styles and walked into the fitting room.

    Judging from her appearance, she didnt seem to intend to consult Evan for advice.

    Evan stared at the closed door in front of him in a daze, and then considered whether to go in and peek.

    Then, he thought of the scene of kissing Hermione just now, and that feeling

    The opportunity was fleeting, and Hermione obviously speeded up.

    A few minutester, she came out and put some selected clothes into her pocket to check out.

    This matter hurriedly passed between them like a glimpse of light, no one mentioned it again, and Evan did not find a chance.

    Over the next few days, they had a very fulfilling life.

    Everyone assisted Mrs. Weasley and Kreacher to clean up the old house thoroughly and put away all the dangerous things. Kreacher always secretly took some things out of the bags, and then stuffed them to Evan.

    Looking at his appearance, he was even more obedient to Evan than to Sirius.

    In the eyes of this house-elf, only a wizard who liked these Dark magical items was a truly qualified wizard.

    He even kept saying that it was a pity that Evan did not have the blood of the ck family; otherwise, he would definitely have been liked by the olddy.

    Evan doubted that Mrs. ck would like him. Her portrait now only described him as half-breed, filth and scum. Kreacher probably wanted to exin to her that Master Regulus had been killed by the Dark Lord, and they and Voldemort were enemies.

    But Mrs. cks portrait didnt care about this at all, always screaming there.

    In the end, Evan had to order him not to approach the portrait.

    This didnt stop her much. The doorbell rang several times a day. As soon as she heard the bell, Siriuss mother was rmed.

    Harry and the others attempted to eavesdrop on the conversation of the visitors, but each time they could only catch a glimpse and hear a few scattered words before Mrs. Weasley chased them away. They didnt manage to gather much useful information at all.

    During this period, they were only allowed to go and talk with the Transfiguration teacher, Professor McGonagall when she came.

    Professor McGonagall looked as serious as ever. She looked very odd in Muggle dress and coat.

    Like other visitors, she also seemed too busy to linger.

    Sometimes, however, the visitors stayed to help.

    Tonks joined them for a memorable afternoon in which they found a murderous old ghoul lurking in an upstairs toilet, and Lupin also took time to help them repair a grandfather clock that had developed the unpleasant habit of shooting heavy bolts at passersby.

    It took three days for Mundungus to buy all the broom materials Evan needed.

    In addition, he redeemed himself slightly in Mrs. Weasleys eyes by rescuing Ron from an ancient set of purple robes that had tried to strangle him when he removed them from their wardrobe.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1090 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 877: Broom Design

    Chapter 877: Broom Design

    The design of the new broom was also proceeding step by step, and Evan assigned tasks to everyone.

    They first disassembled all the brooms they could find,pared them with the books theyd bought, studied their operating principles and excellent design concepts, and drew drawings. These broom parts were all piled up in the small living room just cleaned out on the first floor.

    In less than a week, they took apart a veryrge number of broomsticks.

    In the words of Fred and George, this was probably the most exciting thing theyd ever done in their lives.

    At the same time, it was also the most prodigal loss. These broomsticks were not cheap and had a high collection value.

    After being dismantled by them, especially since Evan wanted to open the core parts for research, their value was greatly reduced.

    Although they would assemble them backter, many sophisticated devices and magic had been affected and lost their function.

    In order to prevent being researched by peers, many broomsticks had been enchanted with spells that would destroy them if opened.

    These spells had been cast on various parts of the brooms, with different effects and triggers.

    At first, Evan tried to crack a part of them, but the failure rate was high. When he opened them, there was nothing left in them.

    Although they asked Mad-Eye Moody for help to use his magical eye to tell all the abnormal parts of the magic power inside, the sess rate of dismantling the core part was still very low. It was not until Bill joined the research team that this changed.

    Because of his many years of work experience, he was very experienced in breaking curses and was also very knowledgeable about broomsticks.

    He helped Evan deftly break or counter those curses, and disassemble the core part of the broomsticks. Without Bills help, things would not have been so smooth.

    In order to fight Voldemort more conveniently, Bill had applied for transfer back to work in the British headquarters.

    After Zosers incident, the Gringotts goblins in Egypt were probably eager for him to leave, so his application was quickly approved. He had not been assigned a task from the Order of the Phoenix for the time being, so he worked with Evan and the others to study and design a new broomstick.

    Besides, it was also worth mentioning that when Harry knew that it would cost about five thousand Gold Galleons to buy a Firebolt, he willingly donated his Firebolt for Evans research, otherwise their current funds would definitely be insufficient.

    The price of the Firebolt had always been kept secret, and would be revealed only at request.

    In fact, Evan didnt expect the Firebolt to be so expensive. It cost a huge sum of money.

    A good broom would not cost a hundred Gold Galleons, but a Firebolt cost five thousand Gold Galleons.

    These gold coins could be piled together to build a mountain of gold, especially considering that when Sirius bought it for Harry, the Firebolt had juste out, and the price was much more expensive than it was now. It had to be amazing.

    No wonder even Malfoy could only look at Harrys Firebolt with envy instead of asking his father to buy one.

    As a precaution, Evan did not disassemble the Firebolt to view its internal brake trim.

    Anyway, the previous brooms had given him enough ideas. Hebined traditional design concepts with alchemy, and began to try to make a new flight braking device and mind-sensing device. These two devices were the core of a broom.

    As the fastest broom, the Firebolt could reach 150 miles per hour.

    Regardless of other factors, Evans own braking device could easily exceed this speed, but this was notpatible with other aspects of the broom, resulting in stall phenomenon, and the safety performance could not be satisfied.

    Finally, he temporarily adjusted the speed to 130 miles per hour.

    In this way, the braking device could continuously increase the power of the broom without losing power during climbing.

    As a supplement, Evan also added an extra brake.

    Usually, depending on one normal flight and turning on the other when eleration was needed, the speed could be rapidly doubled to 260 miles per hour.

    Although it did notst for a long time, this was still a brand new breakthrough.

    Harry said that the design was very good, and if he had a choice, he would rather prefer this broom to the Firebolt.

    For Seekers, they did not need to fly fast most of the time, but to be able to elerate at crucial moments.

    After solving the flight speed, they encountered the problem of altitude.

    Evan referred to the broom that could fly highest at present, the Moontrimmer, adding three small magic brakes at the end of the broom.

    As a result, their new broom kept a 45-degree inclination, and the portability of the broom was greatly reduced, which had to be re-studied.

    There were also many problems to be solved in terms of durability and resistance to strong winds.

    The only thing Evan was satisfied with was the mind-sensing device he designed. He added some Dark magic thoughts to it. The new broom was more sensitive than all brooms currently on the market and could clearly feel the users mind.

    Using the mind-sensing device, the broom seemed to be alive and became a part of the users body.

    While Evan was doing research on the core part, Hermione, Harry, Ron and Ginny were studying the bnce and specific production technology of broomsticks. They referred to many books, and finally drew a new design of the broom.

    The main shape was simr to that of the Silver Arrow, with good sticity and thicker broom handle.

    This was also different from the popr new brooms on the market. In recent years, the design of broomsticks had be more and more detailed. The mainstream design concept was slim and streamlined, and the broom was much less resistant, faster and more aesthetic.

    Harry and Ron thought it should be so, and even increased the length of the broomstick a bitpared to the Firebolt.

    But Hermione and Ginny confirmed that it should be roughened, so that the durability and resistance would be enhanced, and the safety performance would be greatly improved.

    The four of them argued for a long time about the thickness.

    In the end, after discussion, they decided to follow Hermione and Ginnys ideas first.

    Although the ornamental value would be reduced a lot, the safety performance would indeed be improved a lot, and it would also solve the problem of resistance to strong wind and bad weather that had been guing Evan, allowing the new broom to fly higher and adapt to faster speed.

    The enhanced texture also prevented the broom from bending and deforming due to the wear of time or faster speed.

    This design was indeed very conscientious, knowing that even after the Firebolt reached its limit speed, there was a risk of disintegration.

    In addition to making it thicker, Hermione and Ginny agreed to make the broom bigger.

    A thicker andrger broom was more likely to be weed by girls. Their first consideration was safety, followed by ornamental and speed.

    Evan rejected this proposal, because in this case, the production cost of the broom would greatly increase

    Considering the poprity and practicality, sometimes the thicker and bigger was not necessarily the better.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1090 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 878: Public Opinion and Nightmares

    Chapter 878: Public Opinion and Nightmares

    After resolving the issues of length, thickness, and width, they began to argue about colors.

    Finally, the result of the discussion was that after the broom handle was thickened, it was better to use bright ck to give it a more metallic texture.

    In this way, a thick and ck broom was born.

    Just from the outside, it felt thicker, harder, and better quality than all the brooms currently on the market.

    Evan used alchemy to add an invisible magic shield to it, which made security asting feature of this broom.

    Later, someone might imitate Evans broom and develop a thicker, cker and bigger broom. However, there would be no way topare it with Evans broom in terms of safety performance, because they didnt know the secret, so they could only imitate it in the external design.

    In addition, the design of other additional parts, such as the invisible cushions, was left to Fred and George.

    This was their strong point. They always had many unexpected new ideas.

    For example, the addition of anding device, an embedded rm whistle and self-straightening tail branches, as well as invisible handles, etc. After designing the tail of the broom, it could even spray colorful smoke and their two special Weasleys fireworks backwards during flight.

    This design, however, was also rejected by Evan. It was too gorgeous and inconsistent with the style of broomsticks forpetitions.

    If he designed an entertainment broom in the future, these ideas might be considered.

    Among the rejected ideas was also the innovation of adding rm whistles. The reason for the rejection was simr to not letting Hermione and Ginny make the flying broomstick thicker andrger.

    To do so, the cost was too high,pletely out of the initial budget.

    If they really put all their ideas together, the design would not be a broom, but some other strange thing.

    In this way, while they were studying the broomstick at 12 Grimmauld ce, things had already turned chaotic outside!

    On the day after Evan and Hermiones visit to Diagon Alley, Rita Skeeters article about the Dementors uncontrolled attack on a wizard was published. Instead of mentioning Harry, she described him as an innocent young wizard attacked by Dementors.

    Because of his legitimate self-defense, he had to go to the Ministry of Magic for hearing. What was more unfair in the world?

    Until now, no one from the Ministry of Magic came out to exin the matter and why Dementors were out of control?

    People showed conceivable concern about this matter, and the Ministry of Magic was under great pressure.

    After thetest issue, they repeatedly exined that no Dementors were out of control. But they couldnt exin why two Dementors went to the Mugglemunity?

    Although they said Harry was spreading rumors, Rita had already changed the focus of her attack and changed the matter to a conspiracy theory.

    This was somewhat close to the actual situation, the Ministry of Magic executives controlled the Dementors to attack the young wizard, which was more terrible than the Dementors going out of control by themselves.

    She kepting up with new ideas and conjectures, and the Ministry of Magic had to passively exin, but was reluctant to start self-investigation.

    Therefore, no one was willing to believe them at all. Everyone asked to strengthen the management of the Dementors in Azkaban. The ordinary people had a natural dislike for the Dementors, so they didnt care if this was a rumor. All they wanted to see was results.

    This was the first increase in subscriptions since Evan and the others had been suppressed by Fudge.

    Rita lived up to expectations, restarted her activities, and began a series of reports with this incident as the core. In just one week, she unearthed many scandals of the Ministry of Magic. These were the materials she had collected before. Voices inside the wizarding world gradually appeared calling for the ipetent Fudge to step down.

    Annoyed and infuriated, Fudge asked the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to send a letter to them to stop spreading these rumors against the Ministry of Magic and himself. After reading the letter Lupin brought him, Evan threw it directly into the trash can.

    If Voldemort had been involved, Fudge might have been able to control public opinion and restrict the dissemination of information about Voldemort by relying on the relevant uses in the rights of the Minister of Magic.

    But they didnt mention Voldemort at all now, and Fudge had no right to stop them from saying anything else.

    The right to freedom of speech could not be vited, especially when they were talking about the darkness of the Ministry of Magic and the ipetence of Fudge himself. Many people liked to read about this.

    Rita caught on to this point. Whether it was true or not, they epted it all.

    Everyone would think these things were true, and anyone saying they were fake news would have to prove it.

    But Fudge couldnt prove it at all and there was no way to prove it.

    In this way, two days before Harrys hearing, Evan received another letter from the Ministry of Magic.

    In the letter, the Ministry of Magic used him of spreading rumors that were detrimental to the stability of the wizarding world and asked him toe to the Wizengamot as the person in charge for questioning. The time of his hearing was exactly the same as Harrys.

    If the charges were established, they would take action to block them.

    This was not to be expected or to worry about.

    He and Hermione had carefully reviewed every report and strictly checked them. Whether it was Harrys attack by a Dementor or the incident reported by Ritater, it was all things that had really happened.

    After being modified by Rita to achieve the desired effect, Fudge could not say anything

    Evan prepared a thick pile of materials, and if necessary, he could argue with them item by item.

    Harry felt somewhat relieved that Evan was going to apany him to the Ministry of Magic for hearing.

    These days, hed been busy with the broomstick project and forgot about it.

    But once he was free, terrible memories appeared again and again.

    He started to have nightmares again. In his dream, he saw long corridors and locked doors that made his scar prickle

    He didnt dare to tell anyone about it, he didnt want people to know that there was a new connection between him and Voldemort.

    Although Evan had exined to him, it still made Harry feel like he was a terrible monster.

    While being troubled by nightmares, he kept thinking, what would he do if he was expelled?

    Fear jabbed at his insides like needles as he wondered what was going to happen to him if he was expelled. The idea was so terrible that he did not dare voice it aloud.

    Sometimes, he could not prevent his imagination showing him a faceless Ministry official who was snapping his wand in two and ordering him back to the Dursleys  but he would not go. He was determined on that. He woulde back here to Grimmauld ce and live with Sirius.

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 Chapter 879: Early Morning

    Chapter 879: Early Morning

    Compared to Harrys worries, Evan was very rxed.

    Because of the recent publicity, the issue of Harrys imminent hearing had attracted the attention of the entire wizarding world. Under such circumstances, it was impossible for Fudge to arbitrarily convict Harry, and not to mention Dumbledore was there.

    Well be out tomorrow morning at six oclock! said Mrs. Weasley during dinner on Wednesday evening. Evan and Harry, Ive ironed your best clothes. Youll wear them tomorrow morning. Especially you, Harry, and I want you to wash your hair tonight too. A good first impression can work wonders.

    Evans interrogation and Harrys trial were for tomorrow. Originally, Mrs. Weasley would not let them go, but when it spread out, and even after Evan received the letter for questioning from the Ministry of Magic, everyone could go with them.

    Evan even asked Rita to follow and record the whole hearing process. He wondered if Fudge would agree.

    How are we getting there? Harry asked, putting down the chops he was eating.

    Arthurs taking you to work with him, said Mrs. Weasley, turning her voice in a stern tone, Fred and George, this is not a joke. You two dont make trouble for your dad tomorrow. Dont

    We know, Mum! said Fred. We wont do anything tomorrow.

    Dont worry, weve been to Dads office many times and know the rules of the Ministry of Magic, said George.

    Their promises were very unreliable, and Evan knew that they were nning to visit Percys office

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    They had been holding their breath about Percys falling out with the family, hoping not to make a big mess.

    You can stay in my office tomorrow. Im not sure if the Department will let you watch Evan and Harry being heard. Normally it should be OK said Mr. Weasley, but the wind is very tight now. I have no news at all.

    Since Fudge and Dumbledore broke up, hed been almost pushed to the edge in the Ministry, and his life was very difficult.

    But it didnt make any difference. Mr. Weasley had never been highly regarded within his department.

    As long as he did his job well, Fudge couldnt do anything to him, nor could he drive him home.

    Even if there was a job change, the entire Ministry of Magic could not find a position worse than Mr. Weasleys Department.

    The next morning, at five oclock, Evan got out of bed.

    He found that Harry was awake, sitting there immobile, as though worried about the uing hearing.

    Good morning, Harry! said Evan. Are you all right?

    Im fine, said Harry in a low voice.

    Dont worry, we have solid evidence. In a few hours time, youll be cleared!

    I know! Harry nodded vaguely again, seeming to have just reacted, Good morning, Evan!

    He leapt out of bed and put on his sses.

    Mrs. Weasley had alreadyid out his freshlyundered jeans and T-shirt at the foot of his bed. Harry scrambled into them.

    Evan also got up and put on his clothes. He saw Ron lying sprawled on his back with his mouth wide open, and he was sleeping deeply.

    Harry put on his clothes and shook him, waking him up.

    Is it time already? said Ron, turning over again, struggling to get up and teetering.

    Its five oclock, and theres still another hour. I checked my watch.

    Then Ill lie down for a while, and Ill get up at half past five. I dont have to go so early. Ron fell heavily again.

    Evan and Harry looked at him and left the room. When they came to the kitchen, Mr. Weasley, Bill, Lupin, and Tonks were sitting there. They were all fully dressed and Mrs. Weasley was bringing out the breakfast shed just made.

    You woke up really early. Come over and have breakfast! she said as she pulled out her wand and hurried over to the fire.

    M-m-morning, Evan, Harry, yawned Tonks. Her hair was blonde and curly this morning. Sleep all right?

    Very good, said Harry, who actually stayed up all night, thinking about it over and over.

    You dont seem to have slept? Evan asked her, sitting beside Lupin.

    Yeah, Ive b-b-been up all night, she said, with another shuddering yawn. Come and sit down, Harry.

    She drew out a chair, knocking over the one beside it in the process.

    What do you want? Mrs. Weasley called. Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?

    Just toast, thanks, said Harry.

    I want Bacon and eggs, and some toast by the way. Evans appetite had not been affected at all.

    Lupin nced at them, then said to Tonks, What were you saying about Scrimgeour?

    Oh  yeah  well, we need to be a bit more careful, hes been asking Kingsley and me funny questions yesterday! said Tonks. What does Kingsley think happened to him? Scrimgeour is a great Auror.

    In the past war years when the Ministry of Magic fought against Voldemort, Scrimgeour was a very strong Auror second only to Moody.

    He was now Head of the Auror Office, and Evan had met him at the Quidditch World Cup before.

    Its important to note that he and Fudge are not on the same side, but he will not agree with our views. Lupin continued.

    They didnt ask Evan and Harry to join the conversation, and the two ate their breakfast silently.

    Concerning the hearing at the Ministry of Magic, Lupin did not n to apany them.

    His identity as a werewolf was very sensitive, and it would have a negative effect if he could not get the trust of the wizards.

    Mrs. Weasley brought up pieces of toast and marmde, then looked critically at Evan and Harry.

    Dear, your clothes need to be sorted out. You must make a good impression.

    She started to pay extra attention to their T-shirts, mainly to Harrys, tucking in thebel and smoothing out creases across the shoulders.

    Harry was a bit unnatural and wished she wouldnt.

    and Ill have to tell Dumbledore I cant do night duty tomorrow, Im just t-t-too tired, Tonks said, yawning hugely again.

    Ill cover for you, said Mr. Weasley. Im okay, Ive got a report to finish anyway

    Well, you two, can you go up and wake up those ckers, how long do they want to sleep? said Mrs. Weasley, looking at Tonks discontentedly, she didnt want Harry and Evan to know anything about it.

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    So Evan and Harry climbed the stairs again.

    Ill go up and call Ron, Fred, and George, said Harry, walking to the second floor. You call Hermione and Ginny.

    Evan nodded, walked to the door of their room and knocked gently, but no one responded.

    It seemed that the two of them were sleeping deeply

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 Chapter 880: Magic and Science

    Chapter 880: Magic and Science

    Hermione and Ginny were not to be med. Theyd been helping Evan study and design a broom recently.

    Evan was mainly responsible for the coreponents, and the main body of the broom was entrusted to the two of them.

    Theyd been currently studying the broomstick handle,paring the actual objects, and drew a lot of sketches. Hermione had flipped through almost all the books. Ginny was also talented in drawing. Theyd been preparing to design a very thick, big and ck one. This job was very exhausting.

    Theyd been studying it verytest night, and it was understandable that they were not up now.

    The door seemed to be unlocked, and anyway, no one else would have gone in at night.

    If Evan came to Hermione at night, he usually didnt go through the door

    He wondered whether to go in and call them out. Hed never seen her lie in bed sote.

    If Hermione wasnt awake, he could tickle her. Evan knew which part of her body was the most sensitive.

    Before he could act, there was a rush of footsteps inside.

    The doorknob in the shape of a serpent turned and the door opened. Hermione was standing there with sleepy eyes in her pink pajamas.

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    She ran over barefoot, with messy hair, half asleep.

    The loose pajamas were only tied with two buttons in the middle, covering important parts. The pajamas slipped slightly, revealing the white underwear

    This look was so lovely and attractive that one couldnt help but kiss her.

    Good morning, Evan! She rubbed her eyes, her long eyshes trembling slightly.

    Because she was too sleepy, her body was swaying slightly.

    Good morning, Hermione, were leaving! said Evan, stepping forward to help her.

    Dont  Ginnys watching! Hermione pushed him away and said softly, Well be right out.

    At the moment the door was closing, Evan saw Hermione blushing and Ginny peeping at them not far away.

    She curled up into a small ball, and most of her head was buried in the quilt, showing only bright eyes.

    There was a voice in the room, Ginny seemed to be asking something, and Hermione was exining.

    Evan returned to the kitchen and discussed the newspaper with Lupin for a while.

    It took five minutes for Harry toe down with Ron, Fred, and George, who had changed into their clothes.

    Mrs. Weasley brought the food and urged them to move faster.

    Where will they hear Evan and Harry? said Fred, putting the toast in his mouth.

    I heard that the Ministry of Magic has a secret courtroom underground, and they guard it with Dementors, said George.

    Fred, George, dont scare them! said Mrs. Weasley unhappily. Theres no secret courtroom at all.

    The hearings on my floor, in Amelia Boness office. Shes Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and shes the one wholl be questioning both of you, said Mr. Weasley, finishing his coffee.

    Amelia Bones is okay, Harry, said Tonks earnestly. Shes fair, shell hear you out.

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    Weve seen her before. Remember? said Evan. Just the Christmas shortly after Peter Pettigrew was caught, they came to the school ward to investigate and they wanted to award us the Order of Merlin.

    Harry nodded, remembering the tall, friendly looking witch standing next to Fudge.

    In addition to Fudge, Crouch, and Bones, there was also a woman. He couldnt remember what she looked like, he only remembered that she was wearing a set of pink clothes and looked like arge, pale toad.

    Now there are a lot of people paying attention to this matter, Fudge wont do anything to you two, he cant exin why Dementors have been to Muggle inhabited area, said Lupin gently. He may make a fuss in other areas, you have to pay attention. Especially you, Harry, dont lose your temper, be polite and stick to the facts.

    Harry nodded again, not knowing what to say. There had been a mess in his head.

    Thews on your side, said Lupin quietly. Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life threatening situations. And as long as the facts are true, Fudge has no right to restrict the medias right to freedom of speech.

    Just then, Hermione and Ginny ran down in a hurry. Hermiones hair was wet and softer than before. She had apparently cleaned it up carefully, which made her look different.

    Indeed, Hermione had just unloaded the more than 20 thick books shed been usually carrying on her body and arranged her hair, and she became very beautiful and amazing.

    Harry looked up at them. Something very cold trickled down the back of his neck; for a moment he thought someone was putting a Disillusionment Charm on him again, then he realized that Mrs. Weasley was attacking his hair with a wetb. She pressed hard on the top of his head.

    Doesnt it ever lie t? she said desperately.

    I dont think so! Harry shook his head. His hair was always messy like Hermiones.

    When everyone had breakfast and there were still ten minutes to six oclock, the group was ready to leave.

    How do we get there? Ron asked. Through the Floo Network?

    Ron, how many times should I remind you that this house is not connected to the Floo Network?

    In order to keep it secret, a lot of spells had been cast on 12 Grimmauld ce, and the level of safety was about the same as that of Hogwarts.

    I usually Apparate to the Ministry, said Mr. Weasley. But I think its best we arrive in a thoroughly non-magical fashion today it makes a better impression, given what Harrys being disciplined for.

    Only Hermione had never been to the Ministry of Magic. Evan walked behind with her, telling her about the Ministry.

    Fred and George were discussing ns to visit Percys office for a while. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley were talking about Muggle transportation because they were going to take the Underground train in a moment.

    Harry tried to tell them what he knew, but he didnt know much.

    The Dursleys had never taken him on the Underground train, but at least he knew how to buy tickets through automatic ticket machines.

    They walked along the almost deserted run-down streets. But when they arrived at the miserable little Underground station they found it already full of early morningmuters.

    As ever when he found himself in close proximity to Muggles going about their daily business, Mr. Weasley was hard put to contain his enthusiasm.

    Simply fabulous, he whispered, indicating the automatic ticket machines. Is that the tool that can automatically sell tickets? Wonderfully ingenious! What do they call this machine?

    Theyre out of order, said Harry, pointing at the sign.

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    Really, what a pity, said Mr. Weasley, beaming fondly at them. Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be nning to get this thing back to study it.

    Mr. Weasleys preference for Muggle items was very strange, and his research angle was very weird. He didnt even know the type of plugs, but he could skillfully repair the engine of a car.

    Evan also wanted to try if using Reparo or some other Repairing Charm would work on the machines, and whether magic could repair a machine made by science.

    If so, it would be a brand-new discovery.

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 Chapter 881: Terrible Muggles

    Chapter 881: Terrible Muggles

    With the rapid development of the Muggle world, the fusion of magic and science was gradually elerating.

    As early as a few decades ago, everyone in the wizarding world still dismissed Muggles.

    In the eyes of many wizards, Muggles were synonymous with weakness, ignorance, and backwardness, just like barbarians.

    Their understanding of Muggles mostly remained rooted in the Middle Ages, thinking that Muggles were still hunting and abusing witches and wizards and burning them everywhere.

    There had even been calls in the wizarding world to use Time-Turners to go back to the past to save witches and change history

    But now, whether willing to admit it or not, there had been many Muggle-designed machines entering the wizarding world.

    For example, the printing machine used was born from the improvement of Muggle design.

    Another example was the introduction of the magical radio, which directly promoted the development of the radio industry.

    Corresponding to this, various industries had also developed rapidly, and the Weird Sisters had be popr because of the radio.

    There was also the flying motorcycle, which had just entered the wizarding world before Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban. It was originally amon thing in the Muggle world, but it became a luxury in the wizarding world. It was once considered as a substitute for the broom.

    Evan didnt know how much Sirius had spent on that motorcycle, but that was definitely not a small sum.

    In fact, he used most of the money his uncle Alphard had left him.

    Sirius had once told Evan and Harry that after hed run away from home, his uncle left him a decent amount of gold.

    Measured by the wealth base of the ck family, what he called decent was actually arge amount of money.

    Unfortunately, in the end, because of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, things such as flying cars and flying motorcycles were not allowed to be produced and used. Those things flying around in the sky were easily found out by Muggles.

    The most direct impact of this was that therge-scale integration of magic and science came to an abrupt end and only became popr in a small area.

    This was the new policy promoted by Fudge at the beginning of hising to power, and it was also his biggest political move. It had been weed by many pure-blood wizards and it could be regarded as a disguised appeasement andpromise, which was conducive to the internal stability of the wizarding world and was convenient for focusing on post-war reconstruction.

    The core of the traditionally conservative pure-blood wizard family and Voldemorts theory of magical pure-blood was theplete rejection of Muggle technology. They even called for the conquest of the Muggle world and the destruction of these things called technology.

    If Voldemortpletely ruled the wizarding world, then it would be sooner orter to start a war with Muggles.

    This was really stupid. Evan agreed to strengthen management, but this one-size-fits-all approach was not worth advocating.

    Whether to admit it or not, science and machines were developing very fast and had surpassed magic in many ways.

    The wizarding world should actively introduce technology to promote the development of wizarding civilization.

    If he had the ability in the future, he would definitely rmend that the Ministry of Magic revise thew and promote the integration of magic and scientific products, such as the introduction ofputers, televisions, and the use of mechanical engines on broomsticks.

    They stared at the out of order automatic ticket machines for a while, and finally bought their Underground train tickets from a sleepy-looking guard. Evan, Harry and Hermione handled the transaction as the Weasleys were not very good with Muggle money.

    Five minutester, they were boarding an Underground train that rattled them off toward the center of London.

    Mr. Weasley kept anxiously checking and rechecking the Underground map above the windows. Ron and Ginny looked as nervous as him, while Fred and George were looking unscrupulously at the sleepy Muggles. These people were ordinary office workers, and they had never seen so many Muggles.

    Four stops, Harry  three stops left now  two stops to go, Harry  should we get ready to get off? said Mr. Weasley excitedly.

    Finally, they got off at a station in the very heart of London, swept from the train in a tide of besuited men and women carrying briefcases.

    At this point, the Weasleys were so excited that they kept looking around.

    When using the esctor, the discussion was even more endless. Looking at their expressions, the people around must be thinking that they came from the countryside and had never seen the Underground train or the esctor in their entire life; otherwise they would definitely not have made such a fuss.

    Evan had to remind Fred and George not to drop what they had in their pockets

    Up the esctor they went, through the ticket barrier, and there was another discussion at the stile. Mr. Weasley was delighted with the way the stile swallowed his ticket, trying to figure out the principle.

    It took them ten minutes to emerge onto a broad street lined with imposing-looking buildings, already full of traffic.

    Not far away was a huge square, with huge electronic signboards hanging on the outer walls of towering buildings, on which all kinds of advertisements were disyed. The high-rise buildings, signboards and crowds were mixed together, dazzling.

    Ron opened his mouth wide and looked around in shock. Hed been to Kings Cross Station, but had never been to the center of London. Hed never imagined seeing such a shocking scene.

    He looked up at the tall building, and suddenly felt a little dizzy, and quickly grabbed Harry to prevent himself from falling down.

    In his heart, it was the first time he had such a terrible feeling about Muggles

    Fascinating, isnt it? said Mr. Weasley, looking around nkly. But where are we?

    For one heart-stopping moment, they all thought they had gotten off at the wrong station despite Mr. Weasleys continual references to the map.

    If that were the case, it would be terrible. Seven wizards were stranded in the center of London

    Evan was a little familiar with the square. His fatherspany headquarters seemed to be nearby. But he hadnt been here for a long time, and he couldnt distinguish the north, south, east and west.

    Thest time hed gone to the Ministry of Magic, hed passed by the firece in Dumbledores office

    Ah, I remember. This way, kids! said Mr. Weasley, leading them down a side road.

    Sorry, he said, but I nevere by train and it all looks rather different from a Muggle perspective. As a matter of fact Ive never even used the visitors entrance before.

    They walked forward. About fifteen minutester, the buildings on both sides of the street gradually became smaller and less imposing.

    Finally, they reached a street that contained several rather shabby-looking offices, a pub, and an overflowing dumpster.

    Here we are, said Mr. Weasley brightly.

    Is it here? Harry thought the Ministry of magic was in a much more imposing ce, just like the square they had seen earlier.

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 Chapter 882: Visitor Entrance

    Chapter 882: Visitor Entrance

    Yes, I remember this ce! said Mr. Weasley brightly, pointing at an old red telephone box, which seemed to be a product of decades ago, abandoned here. It was missing several panes of ss and stood before a heavily graffitied wall.

    This is much worse than I imagined the Ministry of Magic to be

    Its not easy to find such arge space in central London. Besides, this is just an entrance, said Mr. Weasley cheerfully, and he opened the door of the phone box. Well  after you, kids!

    Evan, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George were all crowded inside. Now there was no room at all. They were pressed together tightly. The old telephone box creaked as though it could copse at any time.

    You stepped on me, Fred! Ron yelled.

    Its not me, its George! Fred responded.

    No, I cant move, any of you can step back! said George.

    As Mr. Weasley followed in, struggling to close the door, they were crammed into the narrow space like cans.

    Evan was jammed against the telephone apparatus, with Hermione in front of him and Harry behind him.

    Hermiones back was against the wall, and her front body pressed tightly against Evans, and her movements were extremely ambiguous.

    Whenever someone pushed Evan from behind, he would bump Hermione forward.

    Seeing Hermiones appearance, he hurriedly raised himself, and was hit again soon

    In the end, Evan simply hugged her directly in his arms, so that the impact force would be smaller.

    As for the telephone apparatus, it hung crookedly from the wall, as though a vandal had tried to rip it off.

    If there were Muggles passing by, they would be surprised to watch this scene, thinking they were crazy.

    Excuse me, give me the receiver! said Mr. Weasley.

    Mr. Weasley, I think this phone might be out of order too, Harry said, taking the handset from Evan.

    No, no, Im sure its fine, said Mr. Weasley, holding the receiver above his head, peering at the dial, and stretching out his other handboriously. Oh, no, I cant reach. Evan, you can dial the number 62442 for me.

    Hermione tried to make room for him backwards, and Evan looked up and dialed the number.

    As the dial whirred smoothly back into ce, a cool female voice sounded inside the telephone box, not from the receiver in Mr. Weasleys hand, but as loudly and inly as though an invisible woman were standing right beside them.

    Wee to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business.

    Er  said Mr. Weasley, clearly uncertain whether he should talk into the receiver or not; hepromised by holding the mouthpiece to his ear, Arthur Weasley, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, here to escort Evan Mason and Harry Potter, who have been asked to attend a disciplinary hearing. Besides, there are Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Fred Weasley, and George Weasley, who are here to attend the hearing.

    Thank you, said the cool female voice. Visitors, please take the badges and attach them to the front of your robes.

    There was a click and a rattle, and seven badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins usually appeared.

    Evan picked them up and handed them to Harry, leaving behind his and Hermiones badges. He saw that his own was a square silver badge with Evan Mason, Disciplinary Hearing on it. On Hermiones badge were the words Hermione Granger, Visitor.

    They pinned the badges to the front of their T-shirts and looked around expectantly when the female voice spoke again.

    Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium.

    As soon as her voice fell, the floor of the telephone box shuddered. With shouts of surprise, they were sinking slowly into the ground.

    Hermione subconsciously hugged Evan hard. Shed been hugged by Evan, and the two stuck together, getting closer.

    Evan had never felt so close to Hermione. It was as though they were both in the same tights.

    Just like the night he had entered Hermiones pajamas, he could clearly feel her heartbeat now.

    He watched apprehensively as the pavement rose up past the ss windows of the telephone box until darkness closed over their heads.

    In an instant, he could see nothing at all; he could only hear a dull grinding noise as the telephone box made its way down through the earth.

    No one spoke, everyone held their breath, even Mr. Weasley was a little nervous.

    After about a minute, though it felt much longer to them, a chink of golden light illuminated their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies, until it hit them in the faces.

    The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day, said the womans voice.

    The door of the telephone box sprang open and they stepped out of it.

    Wow! they looked around; their mouths wide open in surprise!

    Compared to seeing the bustling scene of Muggle Central London just now, the picture before them was even more shocking.

    Even though Evan had been here more than a year ago, he still couldnt help looking around curiously.

    The same was true for Fred and George. They only came to the Ministry of Magic with Mr. Weasley when they were young and had not been here for many years. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were here for the first time. Although theyd heard a lot of descriptions, theyd never seen it directly.

    At this moment, they were standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was iid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board.

    Evan was just watching it excitedly before, but now he recognized that this ceiling had used a lot of knowledge of alchemy and magic.

    Those seemingly messy golden symbols converged into spell runes, many of which were not recorded in the research notes given to him by Nics mel.

    In the hall, the walls on each side were paneled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireces set into them.

    Every few seconds, a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireces with a soft whoosh.

    On the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each firece, waiting to depart.

    Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues,rger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circr pool.

    Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a Centaur, a goblin, and a house-elf. Thest three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard.

    Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of the two wands, the point of the centaurs arrow, the tip of the goblins hat, and each of the house-elfs ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of Apparators and the tter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards strode toward a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall.

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 Chapter 883: Testing the Wand Again

    Chapter 883: Testing the Wand Again

    When Evan had apanied Sirius to the Ministry of Magic before, it caused amotion.

    At that time, it happened to be the end of Siriuss incident, and many witches wanted to find Sirius for autographs or ask him about the details of what had happened.

    He was surrounded by people as soon as he appeared, and Evan had to walk into the hall alone.

    It was as though a certain big star came to the Ministry of Magic, along with Evan.

    Now, no one looked at Evan and them again, thinking they were ordinary young wizards.

    They might have heard of the fame of Evan and Harry, but they didnt know what they looked like, so naturally they wouldnte up.

    Besides, another change was that when Evan came herest time, many wizards were holding his newspaper in their hands, which was not the case now.

    Obviously, this was because of Fudges influence, no one dared to hold it in public.

    Come on, kids, this way, said Mr. Weasley.

    They joined the throng, wending their way between the Ministry workers.

    No one looked at them, and all the wizards were wearing glum, early-morning looks.

    Some of them were carrying tottering piles of parchment, others battered briefcases, some constantly stuffing toast or other things in their mouths, still others reading as they walked.

    Immediately, Evan saw many people secretly reading Ritas article.

    Although Rita had a bad reputation, she still had some influence.

    Regardless of the authenticity of what she wrote, she would definitely be able to capture the hearts and preferences of the public and attract people to read it.

    In this way, Fudges ban had not been implemented uniformly in the Ministry of Magic. Evan and Hermione hired Rita as a special reporter, which still worked, and created a lot of pressure on the Ministry invisibly.

    Is this the Fountain of Magical Brethren? Hermione looked curiously at the fountain in the hall.

    On the way here, shed heard Evan talk about the interior of the Ministry of Magic, which was a very famousndscape.

    They stopped in front of the fountain. There were many silver Sickles and bronze Knuts glinting up at them from the bottom of the pool. A small, smudged sign beside it read:

    All proceeds from the Fountain of Magical Brethren will be given to

    St. Mungos Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries

    Everyone looked at the statues on the fountain, and they could easily find a slight difference when getting closer.

    The wizards face, which looked very handsome in the distance, gave a feeling of weakness and stupidity when they got closer. The witchs face was also covered with an empty smile, as though she were participating in a beauty contest.

    As for the goblin and the Centaur, wizards with somemon sense knew that they could never look adoringly up at any human beings in this way.

    Only the timid servile air of the house-elf was convincing, to make one really feel bad.

    Sure enough, Hermiones eyes finally fell on the house-elfs face, and her brows frowned tightly.

    I dont like this statue. It is not true at all.

    Those in power only want to see what they want to see and make decisions that are most in their own interests, said Evan softly.

    This feature of the Ministry of Magic was vividly reflected in these statues, in such an unnoticeable way.

    They didnt care about the truth and objective attempts. They only cared about power and interests.

    Wizards ves Hermione whispered. Compared to the servility of the house-elves, the wizards were blind to facts. Of course, the envement of the elves was the most difficult thing for her to ept. This kind of thing had to be changed.

    Evan didnt anticipate that this trip to the Ministry of Magic would directly lead Hermione to decide to work at the Ministry after graduating.

    Her focus had also shifted from safeguarding the legal rights of house-elves to changing the degenerate political ecology.

    And many yearster, she defeated the opponent in the elections and became the first female Minister of Magic, altering the course of the wizarding worlds development in many ways.

    While Hermione was staring at the statues, Harry was also making a wish.

    <i>If Im not expelled from Hogwarts, Ill put in ten Galleons</i>, he thought desperately.

    Good morning, Arthur! A bored voice sounded from behind, and a badly shaven wizard in peacock-blue robes came over. I saw you leading these children from all the way over. Are they going through security check?

    Please, Eric, theyre all visitors, said Mr. Weasley.

    Eric nodded, and then, his gaze fell on Evan.

    Ah, I remember you, kid. You came here two years ago Erics eyes brightened.

    The main reason he still remembered Evan was that when his wand had been tested, it had been found out that its core was an unknown substance.

    Hed been a watch-wizard for many years, and this was the first time hed encountered this situation, and he was naturally impressed.

    Not to mention that nothing had happened in the Ministry of Magic for a long time, and it was boring to be in charge of security checks.

    His only pleasure was to look at the visitors wands and see what the cores were made of.

    In Britain, wizards were used to using certain parts of dragons, phoenixes and unicorns to make wands.

    But this was not the case for wizards in other countries. They had different customs.

    Hed even seen mysterious oriental wizards, using magical creatures he didnt know, and even the material of the wands was strange.

    But anyway, it was the first time Eric encountered a situation where the core of the wand could not be detected.

    Heter asked the experts who came to overhaul the Wand weigher. There were only two probabilities in this situation. The first was that the Wand weigher was broken, and the second was that the substance used in the core of Evans wand had not been recorded in the Wand weigher.

    But this was simply impossible. This Wand weigher included almost all known substances.

    Weve got a new Wand weigher this time. It hasnt been used for a long time. Eric whispered, and the breath in his nostrils sprayed heavily. Boys, let me see whats inside your wands.

    As usual, he held up a long golden rod, thin and flexible as a car aerial, and passed it up and down Evan, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and Georges fronts and backs.

    Wands! he grunted, putting down the golden instrument and holding out his hand.

    Starting with Harry, they all produced their wands in turn.

    Eric dropped Harrys wand onto a weird brass instrument, which looked something like a set of scales with only one dish.

    It began to vibrate slightly, and a narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base.

    The wizard tore off the paper and read the writing upon it.

    Eleven inches, phoenix-feather core, been in use four years. That correct?

    Yes, Harry said nervously.

    Okay, I keep this, you get this back, said the wizard, impaling the slip of parchment on a small brass spike and thrusting the wand at Harry. All right  next!.

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 Chapter 884: It was Still an Unknown Substance

    Chapter 884: It was Still an Unknown Substance

    Next to Harry was Ron, whose wand had been changed during Evans first-year summer at Hogwarts. That summer, the Weasleys had won the annual Grand Prize Galleon Draw. After traveling to Egypt to visit Bill, they still had enough money to buy a new wand for Ron.

    Hed been using Charlies old wand before, and the Unicorn Hair core in it could be seen from the tip.

    ording to wandlore (the study of the history and the magical properties of wands), when the wizard is not using his own wand, he cannot exert his own strength.

    The wizard chooses the wand, and the wand also chooses the wizard.

    Rons poor casting performance before might have been rted to this. Nevertheless, with a new wand, his grades were still terrible.

    Snapes description of empty-headed Weasley was not groundless. If it werent for Hermiones help, he might not even pass the school year exam.

    This worried Mrs. Weasley. He was not like Charlie, Bill, or Percy.

    However,pared with the troublesome Fred and George, Ron was a relief, as long as he was not controlled by a Dark wizard from time to time.

    After Percy ran away from home, Mrs. Weasley didnt seem to value performance as much as before.

    Of course, this did not mean that she agreed with Fred and George to open some prank joke shop

    The cores of all the Weasleys wands were unicorn hair, which was unexpectedly consistent.

    As a family of pure blood wizards, this seemed to have something to do with their blood, which had been going on for centuries.

    If he wanted, Mr. Weasley could also tell a few stories about his ancestors and the unicorn.

    This kind of family history was good to listen to. In all likelihood, it was fictitious, and all pure-blood wizard families could tell it.

    They all had the system of all kinds of magical creatures, but they had no blood talent magic such as Parseltongue. This showed that the Weasley family, like other pure blood wizard families, was no longer pure. The only difference was that they probably never cared.

    Hermiones wand was the penultimate one to test before Evans. Her wand was made of vine wood, fourteen inches long (TN: in the original plot, it was 10  inches), and the core was the dragon heartstring. This was a very magical substance, very rare before the dragon was raised in captivity.

    After all, a unicorn or a phoenix could have countless hairs, which could regenerate after being plucked. But the dragon had only one heart, and its value could be imagined.

    The vine wood itself was also a very rare material. In history, the grapevine was the first tree nted by Noah after the flood, so the vine wood had been endowed with many symbols since ancient times, such as wisdom, life and love

    Whats more, Evans wand was also vine wood. Of all the wizards he knew, only his own and Hermiones wands were vine wood.

    His wand was half an inch longer than Hermiones, and the pattern on it was simpler.

    After studying the Wandlore, Evan knew that, aside from other special meanings, only when a wandmaker obtained the precious or excellent core material would he consider using vine wood.

    Well, boy, its your wands turn, let me have a look! said Eric impatiently.

    He put Evans wand onto the wand weigher, and there was a sh of expectation on his face.

    After a slight vibration, a narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base.

    Eric took a look, and was stunned. It was still an unknown substance. How could that be possible?!

    He could now be sure that there was absolutely no problem with the wand weigher, and that the problem was with Evans wand.

    The core of this wand was a substance that had not been recorded by the brass instrument, and it might be a brand-new magical material.

    With the development of the wizarding civilization to this day, this kind of thing was simply unthinkable and theoretically impossible.

    Erics expression made Evan realize that the core of his wand must still be the damn unknown substance.

    Hed once asked Ollivander face to face, and the old wizard still said the same thing. This wand had been left by his ancestors. The core of the wand was the Thestral tail hair. He did not know any more information.

    Evan really wanted to show Ollivander the test results. Was the Thestral tail hair an unknown substance?! Or, was the wand weigher unable to detect the Thestral tail hair?

    By the way, must every visitor to the Ministry of Magic test his wand here? Evans heart moved.

    Of course, no matter who it is, his wand information will be recorded with me. Eric came back to his senses.

    What about Dumbledore? Evan asked. Have you tested his wand?

    If it had the Thestral tail hair, his wand would have the same as that of Dumbledores Elder Wand, which should have met the same situation.

    Boy, are you crazy? Who would dare to test Dumbledores wand? said Eric, thrusting the wand at Evan. He looked at him carefully, as though to get a good look at the young wizard.

    Then, he noticed the silver visitors badge on Evans chest, Well, Evan Mason  are you that young wizard?

    Currently in the wizarding world, Evans name was almost as famous as Harrys; and to some extent, even more famous.

    Eric, is there any problem? said Mr. Weasley firmly.

    No, but

    Thank you, you know, were in a hurry, said Mr. Weasley. Hurry up, kids!

    He steered them away from the desk and back into the stream of wizards and witches walking through the golden gates.

    Evan, Harry, your two current identities are too sensitive, especially you, Harry. We must be careful not to be noticed. Although it doesnt matter, you can never go wrong with being careful, said Mr. Weasley cautiously, leading them to the golden elevator.

    They did not ride with other wizards, but upied a lift alone.

    The lift stopped on every floor and no one came up, but several paper airnes swooped into the lift.

    They looked around curiously, feeling everything strange.

    Finally, they came to the second floor, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services.

    This is us, go this way, said Mr. Weasley, leading them out of the lift into a corridor lined with doors. My office is on the other side of the floor. Evan, Fred and George have been here before!

    They turned a corner, walked through a pair of heavy oak doors, and emerged in a cluttered, open area divided into cubicles, which were buzzing with talk andughter. Memos were zooming in and out of cubicles like miniature rockets.

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 Chapter 885: Auror Headquarters

    Chapter 885: Auror Headquarters

    A lopsided sign on the nearest cubicle read AUROR HEADQUARTERS.

    Thest time Evan came here, he didnt have a chance to have a good visit. The door of this cubicle was closed.

    They met Mad-Eye Moody again at the door, and they just chatted briefly.

    He followed Harry and Ron to look surreptitiously through the doorways as they passed.

    The Aurors had covered their cubicle walls with everything from pictures of wanted wizards and photographs of their families, to posters of their favorite Quidditch teams and cut-out articles. It was varied and all-epassing.

    A scarlet-robed man with a ponytail longer than Bills was sitting with his boots up on his desk, dictating a report to his quill.

    A little farther along, a witch with a patch over her eye was talking over the top of her cubicle wall to Kingsley Shacklebolt.

    Is this the Auror Headquarters? Harry asked softly, peering in as much as possible, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

    Yes, after your hearing you and Evan is over, I can show you around the Ministry of Magic, but you cant go in and disturb others work, said Mr. Weasley, but not the Auror Headquarters. The information inside is ssified

    Good morning, Weasley! As though hearing them talking at the door, Kingsley came over and said carelessly, Ive been wanting a word with you, have you got a second?

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    Yes, if it really is a second, said Mr. Weasley, Im in rather a hurry.

    They were talking to each other as though they hardly knew each other, and when Harry opened his mouth to say hello to Kingsley, Mr. Weasley stood on his foot, and Evan hurriedly stopped Ron, not letting others know that they knew Kingsley very well.

    The group followed Kingsley into the Auror headquarters, along a row of cubicles, and into arge room at the very end.

    Harry, Ron and the others looked around excitedly. It was a rare thing to visit the Auror headquarters.

    Evan saw newspaper cuttings and old photographs papering the walls, most of which were photos of Caresius. Fudge and the Ministry of Magic seemed to me the vampires for everything, including what had happened in the Triwizard Tournament.

    After all, it was vampires whounched the attack at the Quidditch World Cup, and Cedric was finally confirmed to be a vampire.

    Fudge did not want to admit the fact that Voldemort had returned, and Caresius and his people became the best scapegoats.

    Among them, Evan also saw a photo of ine, but it had been taken many years ago. The yellowed photo showed the pale little girl about eight or nine years old, with a cute, little, fleshy face; wearing a dark Muggle elementary school uniform.

    Had she not identally exposed two pointed tiger teeth, it would be hard to imagine that this little girl would be a vampire.

    As noted below, she was a core member of the Slytherin vampire n and extremely dangerous.

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    He didnt know where the Ministry of Magic found this picture, but this proved that the Aurors were not useless.

    Evan had heard ine say that she didnt enter a wizarding school, but went to an ordinary Muggle school.

    Compared with wizards, vampires seemed to bind more closely to Muggles, and were perfectly integrated into the world of ordinary people.

    The only space free from newspaper cuttings and old photographs on the walls was a map of the world in which little red pins were glowing like jewels, mainly in the United States and Northern Europe.

    These two ces were also the most powerful areas for vampires, especially the United States. Unlike in Europe, the Dark forces such as vampires, werewolves, and Dark wizards were much stronger there.

    This was mainly rted to history, and the American wizards were more tolerant.

    The atmosphere was more open, there were not so many so-called pure-blood wizarding families that had passed down for thousands of years, and theposition of the American Wizarding Congress was also veryplex.

    Weasley, I need as much information as possible on flying Muggle vehicles sighted in thest twelve months. Weve received information that those vampires seem to be trying to illegally modify Muggle vehicles and flee abroad said Kingsley brusquely to Mr. Weasley, and he winked at Evan and the others, motioning them to visit at will.

    Evan looked around randomly in the room, and various small notes were posted on the surrounding walls, recording all kinds of information, from trivial things in Britain to things in other countries in the world.

    Recently, the Ministry of Magic seemed to be nning to send someone to the United States to find Cedrics family, and then carefully gather more information rted to vampires.

    In addition, there was the shaking of the Egyptian Gringotts and the riots of the Italian giants tribes.

    As the most powerful country in Europe, the British Ministry of Magic had its own intelligencework all over the world.

    It even included the news of a major earthquake in Osaka, Japan at the beginning of the year, which was recorded because of magical reactions.

    This is the intelligence room; you guys should be more casual. Dont be so formal, said Kingsley in a whisper, and then he said in normal tones, And dont take too long, Weasley, the dy on that firelegs report held our investigation up for a month. This is a very important matter.

    If you had read my report you would know that the term is firearms, said Mr. Weasley coolly. And Im afraid youll have to wait for the information you want, were extremely busy at the moment. He dropped his voice and said, If you can get away before seven, Mollys making meatballs.

    A few minutester, he beckoned to Evan and the others and led them out of the Auror headquarters, through a second set of oak doors, into another passage, turned left, marched along another corridor, turned right into a dimly lit and distinctly shabby corridor, and finally reached a dead end, where a door on the left stood ajar, revealing a broom cupboard, and a door on the right bore a tarnished brass que reading MISUSE OF MUGGLE ARTIFACTS.

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    Mr. Weasleys dingy office seemed to be slightly smaller than the broom cupboard. There was no way topare it with the Auror headquarters, nor with the spacious office of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement they just passed by. It was the department with thergest number of people in the Ministry of Magic, and the ce was muchrger.

    Not to mention the office of the Wizengamot Administration Services on the same floor which was the most luxurious ce in the entire Ministry of Magic after the Ministers office.

    Dad, this is the smallest office of the Ministry of Magic, said Fred. The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office is not valued at all.

    Yeah  generally only people who are about to retire will be assigned here. George also whispered. Fudge doesnt like Dad, its no secret, and he also volunteered to stay here

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 Chapter 886: The Hearing

    Chapter 886: The Hearing

    Mr. Weasley was considered an oddity among the wizards at the Ministry of Magic because of his strong fascination with Muggles and Muggle-rted items.

    In the eyes of other wizards, this was a sign of undue diligence.

    Mrs. Weasley often said that his obsession with the Muggle world made it difficult for him to be promoted under Fudges administration. However, it had to be acknowledged that Mr. Weasley was a good man, and regting the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was a hard thankless job.

    They had to deal with too many things, too cumbersome, but the number of personnel was far from enough.

    In fact, Mr. Weasley had a lot of power to some extent, because he was responsible for all the magical items rted to Muggles in the wizarding world, and today, this kind of bewitched Muggle items included almost everything.

    In theory, Mr. Weasley had the power to search and deal with any wizard he believed was misusing Muggle objects.

    Who didnt have some contraband, especially a family of pure-blood wizards like the Malfoys, which was almost evident?

    Therefore, most wizards in the Ministry respected Mr. Weasley, and even Fudge had a friendly attitude before.

    Of course, the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Fudge believed that Dumbledores friends were his enemies, but he couldnt find a suitable post for Mr. Weasley, so he had to let him stay in this position.

    Dad likes this job! said Ginny with a sigh. Hes obsessed with Muggle stuff.

    Yeah, Mum has advised him many times, but he never intended to give up. Percy thinks its bad Ron followed.

    He obviously thought it was terrible, and his eyes flicked across the dingy office with dissatisfaction.

    In front of them, two desks had been crammed inside it and there was barely room to move around them because of all the overflowing filing cabs lining the walls, on top of which were tottering piles of files.

    The little wall space avable bore witness to Mr. Weasleys obsessions; there were several posters of cars, including one of a dismantled engine, two illustrations of postboxes he seemed to have cut out of Muggle childrens books, and a diagram showing how to wire a plug.

    Sitting on top of Mr. Weasleys overflowing in-tray was an old toaster that was huping in a disconste way and a pair of empty leather gloves that were twiddling their thumbs.

    A photograph of the Weasley family stood beside the in-tray. Percy appeared to have walked out of it.

    Well, kids, its a bit crowded with such a lot of people, said Mr. Weasley apologetically. Lets just be patient for a while. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is next to us, and theyll have the hearing there soon.

    Dad, wheres Percys office? asked Fred, leaning against the wall.

    Oh, hes on Level One, outside the Ministers office Mr. Weasleys expression was obviously a little unnatural.

    Evan had heard that Percy now saw Mr. Weasley at the Ministry of Magic and barely greeted him, as though he didnt know him.

    In order to make his stand clear, he hadpletely distanced himself from the Weasleys, and he had done it thoroughly.

    From this perspective, Percy was ambitious and possessed all the qualities of a good politician and official.

    This was probably the result of elite education that Mrs. Weasley had always hoped for the childrens development.

    Only Percy carried out her will to the end. Although the others were excellent, they had a too independent character to work at the Ministry of Magic. But who would have thought that he would make such a decision on such a matter?

    Ill prepare some tea for you, and dont run around until Evan and Harrys affairs are finished. And, dont bother Percy at work Mr. Weasley paused, obviously changing the subject. Im a little muffled here, because we havent got a window, weve asked, but they dont seem to think we need one. Come on, sit down; dont stand there.

    He took out his wand and turned out some old chairs around his desk. Evan and the others squeezed themselves into the chairs. They looked at one another and smiled bitterly. Especially Ron and Ginny, their faces could not hide their disappointment. That was very different from what they had expected.

    I have some interesting magazines here. If you have nothing to do, you can flip through them. Mr. Weasley was preparing tea for them. I think the joke about broomsticks above Oh dear, whats this now?

    A memo had just zoomed in through the open door and fluttered to rest on top of the huping toaster.

    Mr. Weasley unfolded it and read aloud, Fourth spitting dustbin reported in Wimbledon, kindly investigate immediately. This is really hell, even worse than the previous regurgitating public toilet incident.

    Evan was in Mr. Weasleys office at the time, and the situation was simr. This was probably the normal work of Mr. Weasley.

    The so-called regurgitating public toilet was a series of magical pranks.

    As soon as the Muggles were pulling the flush, the dirt not only didnt disappear, but instead came out and sprayed on their faces. The feeling of those poor Muggles could be imagined.

    It was done by anti-Muggle pranksters. These guys are really a headache, said Mr. Weasley.

    Will it be Aurors who catch them? Harry asked.

    I hope to catch them all, but its obviously not the case. This kind of trivial matter does not require Aurors to be dispatched. The ordinary Magical Law Enforcement Patrol can deal with it. Ah, kids, this is Perkins.

    A stooped, timid-looking old wizard with fluffy white hair had just entered the room, panting. He was the only employee in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office besides Mr. Weasley.

    Oh Arthur! he said desperately. Thank goodness, I didnt know what to do for the best, whether to wait here for you or not, Ive just sent an owl to your home but youve obviously missed it  an urgent message came ten minutes ago

    I already know about the dustbins spitting out rubbish, said Mr. Weasley. Ill investigateter.

    No, no, its not about this, its the Potter boys hearing  they want to integrate Masons questioning with Potters hearing and theyve changed the time and venue  it starts at eight oclock now and its down in old Courtroom Ten

    Down in old  but they told me  Merlins beard  Mr. Weasley looked at his watch, let out a yelp, and leapt from his chair.

    Quick, Evan, Harry, werete, we should have been there ten minutes ago! he said anxiously, and ran out with them both. Perkins, please take care of the others for me. We must hurry now.

    Sure enough, Fudge had tampered with the hearing, and if they didnt arrive in time, they could deal with it in their absence.

    Fudges calctions were obvious. When the time came, Harry would be expelled from Hogwarts and Evan would be blocked.

    Even if Evan and Harry appealed, it could be dyed as much as possible.

    Within the scope of thew, it could be dyed for months

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 Chapter 887: Old Courtroom Ten

    Chapter 887: Old Courtroom Ten

    Evan didnt really mind; even if he were temporarily expelled from Hogwarts, it wouldnt matter much.

    He could take advantage of this time to explore other ces, or go directly to Norway to find Sirius to solve the vampires troubles.

    Hed really thought about leaving Hogwarts for a while some time ago

    Anyway, he had nothing to deal with urgently at Hogwarts. Naturally, it went without saying that the fourth year course was too simple for his current level, without any difficulty or significance.

    He hadnt studied the devil altar under the kitchens yet. Considering the power of the demon hed seen in Dijon, he felt it was best not to summon the demon easily until everything was clear.

    The treasure key and the Time-Turner left by Ravenw could wait until the time was right.

    With the war looming, Evan did not intend to waste a precious year dealing with the obnoxious Umbridge.

    He was looking for an opportunity to temporarily leave Hogwarts for a while, but there was no good reason.

    Under Umbridges watch, Dumbledore could not give him a few months of vacation for no reason likest term.

    Pretending to be sick was not a good way, although there were many infectious diseases that could make Evan isted in his home.

    Not long ago, hed specially read about the student exchange programme between schools, but the most basic condition for him to be part of the programme was to pass the Ordinary Wizarding Level, and Sirius didnt approve of Evan leaving school at this time.

    Evan hadnt spoken to Dumbledore yet. He hadnt seen him at all recently, and he hadnt thought about what to say.

    Evan had no good reason, and with his understanding of Dumbledore, thetter would certainly not agree.

    Finally, after thinking about it, he decided to use this time to help Hermione and the others improve their strengths. He would also seize the time to fully grasp alchemy and other magic books of the ck family. By then he would act ording to circumstances.

    With Umbridges ability to make trouble, it was only a matter of time before Dumbledore would be driven away.

    Then, he would find another chance to leave Hogwarts.

    But unlike Evan, Harry could not leave Hogwarts, it was not safe, and he had nowhere else to go. So, they couldnt let Fudge expel him

    Mr. Weasley dragged them out, skidded to a halt beside the lifts and jabbed impatiently at the down button.

    Come on! He said anxiously, I really dont understand why theyve changed the time and ce before the hearing and used old Courtroom Ten. But thank goodness we got here so early, if youd missed it, it would have been catastrophic!

    The lift ttered into view and they hurried inside. Every time it stopped Mr. Weasley cursed furiously and pummelled the number nine button.

    Those courtrooms havent been used in years, said Mr. Weasley angrily. I cant think why theyre doing it down there. Those people are crazy, why are they doing that? Unless  but no

    A plump witch carrying a smoking goblet entered the lift at that moment, and Mr. Weasley did not borate and kept urging her to hurry up.

    The Atrium, said the cool female voice and the golden grilles slid open. The plump witch got out and a sallow-skinned wizard with a very mournful face got in.

    Morning, Arthur, he said in a sepulchral voice as the lift began to descend. Dont often see you down here

    Urgent business, Bode, said Mr. Weasley, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet and throwing anxious looks over at Evan and Harry.

    Evan and Harry ignored Bode, who looked at the two curiously and his eyes finally fell on Harry.

    Department of Mysteries, said the cool female voice, and left it at that.

    Quick, Evan, Harry, said Mr. Weasley as the lift doors rattled open.

    They sped up a corridor that was quite different from those above. The walls were bare; there were no windows and no doors apart from a in ck one set at the very end of the corridor.

    Mr. Weasley seized them by the arm and dragged them to the left, where there was an opening leading to a flight of steps.

    Down here, down here, panted Mr. Weasley, taking two steps at a time. Evan must have been here before when he got to Azkaban. The lift doesnt evene down this far  why theyre doing it there; I really

    Azkaban?! snapped Harry abruptly, as if someone had punched him hard.

    He wanted to know what was going on, but no one exined it to him.

    They reached the bottom of the steps and ran along yet another corridor, which bore a great resemnce to that which led to Snapes dungeon at Hogwarts, with rough stone walls and torches in brackets. The doors they passed here were heavy wooden ones with iron bolts and keyholes.

    Courtroom  ten  I think  were nearly  yes.

    Mr. Weasley stumbled to a halt outside a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock and slumped against the wall, clutching at a stitch in his chest.

    Go on, he panted, pointing his thumb at the door. Get in there. Theyve put the two hearings together. Indeed, its the same thing, so be careful.

    Arent  arent youing with ? Harry asked.

    No, no, Im not allowed. Good luck! said Mr. Weasley.

    Come on, Harry, its nothing we cant do, were not guilty anyway, said Evan. He turned the heavy iron door handle and pulled Harry inside the courtroom.

    Evan looked around, nodding not really surprised, this ce was really big. Behind him, Harry gasped visibly, unable to help himself.

    Therge dungeon he had entered was horribly familiar. He had not only seen it before, he had been here before.

    This was the ce he and Evan had visited inside Dumbledores Pensieve, the ce where he had watched the Lestranges sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban, and where the madman Barty Crouch Jr, had been tried

    The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches.

    Empty benches rose on either side of them, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures, looking at them indifferently, looking extremely scary.

    They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind Harry an ominous silence fell.

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 Chapter 888: Dumbledore and Fudges Contest

    Chapter 888: Dumbledore and Fudge''s Contest

    Yourete. A cold male voice rang across the courtroom.

    Sorry, said Harry nervously. I  we didnt know the time had changed.

    He dropped his gaze to the two chairs in the center of the room, the arms of which were covered in chains.

    He had seen those chains spring to life and bind whoever sat between them.

    Harry looked up again, and there were about fifty people, all, as far as he could see, wearing plum-colored robes with an borately worked silver W on the left-hand side of the chest and all staring down their noses at him and Evan, some with very austere expressions, others looks of frank curiosity.

    In the very middle of the front row sat Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.

    Fudge was a portly man who often sported a lime-green bowler hat, though today he had dispensed with it; he had dispensed too with the indulgent smile he had once worn when he spoke to Evan and Harry. Instead, he wore a cold expression, to make apathetic people feel scared. Maybe that was his true face.

    A broad, square-jawed witch with very short gray hair sat on Fudges left; she wore a monocle and looked forbidding.

    On Fudges right was another witch, but she was sitting so far back on the bench that her face was in shadow.

    That is not the Wizengamots fault, said Fudge. An owl was sent to you this morning.

    Obviously, weve not received a letter from the Wizengamot, Mr. Minister! Evan looked around, and his eyes fell on Fudge too. In fact, we probably did not think that an underage using magic and a matter of the authenticity of reports would actually be tried by the Wizengamot, the High Court of Law and Parliament. I have read a lot on this subject, but this has never been mentioned in books.

    There was an awkward silence, and Evan noticed several wizards moving nervously in their chairs.

    They didnt expect that Evan would say something like that, and they were not prepared at all.

    Obviously, his words hit the point.

    If this incident were to be spread today, it would be a shame for the Ministry of Magic and the Wizengamot to set up such a battle against the two young wizards.

    Also, if I remember correctly, our special correspondent Rita Skeeter applied to the Ministry of Magic to report on this trial, but I dont see her. Evan continued, pursuing victory.

    Her application was not approved. Dont think I dont know what you n to do, said Fudge irritably.

    Our n is to truthfully and objectively report the detailed progress of this case. As far as I know, cases of this level can allow others to apany and observe. For the sake of fairness, the Ministry of Magic does not seem to have the right to reject Ritas report, said Evan, smiling from the corner of his mouth.

    Dont remind us what to do, you

    Minister! the witch on the right next to him reminded softly, she showed a toad-like face forward, I hope you two can sit down first, Mr. Mason, we have to judge Potters use of magic first. You can watch, but please keep silent.

    No problem, obviously, you have the final say here, said Evan.

    There was another awkward silence, and his footsteps echoed loudly as he walked across the stone floor.

    Harry followed him, and when he sat gingerly on the edge of the chair the chains clinked rather threateningly but did not bind him.

    He swallowed, feeling dizzy and nauseous. He looked at Evan, then looked up at the people seated at the bench above.

    In just a few seconds, Fudge and Umbridge seemed to have agreed that, regardless of Evan, Harry should be convicted first.

    As long as Harry was proved to have used magic illegally, then Evans report was naturally false. Thus, it would be much easier to solve everything.

    Otherwise, if Evan continued to ask questions like this, todays trial was likely to be a joke.

    Evan asked two questions in a row. Many members of the Wizengamot were already getting ufortable. They felt that the show of force against two children today was indeed excessive. They did not approve of Fudges doing this, and now, a child was pointing it out to their faces.

    Very well, said Fudge angrily, trying not to look at Evan. The used being present  finally  let us begin.

    By the way, are you ready? he called down the row.

    Yes, sir, said an eager familiar voice.

    Evan squinted and saw Rons brother Percy sitting at the very edge of the front bench.

    Harry also looked at Percy, expecting some sign of recognition from him, but none came.

    Percys eyes, behind his horn-rimmed sses, were fixed on his parchment, a quill poised in his hand.

    Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August, said Fudge in a ringing voice, and Percy began taking notes at once, into offensesmitted under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

    Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley

    Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, said a quiet voice from behind them, and Harry turned his head so fast he cricked his neck.

    Evan also turned his head and saw Dumbledore striding over serenely.

    He seemed to have just Apparated, and he didnt know how hed calcted the time so just right.

    He was wearing long midnight-robes and a perfectly calm expression.

    His long silver beard and hair gleamed in the torchlight as he drew level with Evan and Harry and looked up at Fudge through the half-moon spectacles that rested halfway down his very crooked nose.

    In the next second, the members of the Wizengamot were muttering. All eyes were now on Dumbledore.

    Some looked very annoyed, others slightly frightened; two elderly witches in the back row, however, raised their hands and waved in wee.

    At the sight of Dumbledore, Evan knew he didnt need to say anything more today. He could just sit and watch a good show.

    When Harry saw Dumbledore, a powerful emotion rose in his chest, making him feel at ease and full of hope, just like the feeling that Phoenix song once gave him. He wanted to look at Dumbledores eyes, but Dumbledore was not looking his way; he was continuing to look up at the obviously flustered Fudge.

    This was the most direct frontal contest between him and Fudge. It had not yet started, but in terms of momentum, Fudge had already lost!

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 Chapter 889: Hogwarts Education Quality

    Chapter 889: Hogwarts Education Quality

    Ah, said Fudge, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. Dumbledore. Yes. You  er  got our  er  message that the time and  er  ce of the hearing had been changed, then?

    I must have missed it, said Dumbledore cheerfully. However, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done.

    Yes  well  I suppose well need another chair  I  Weasley, could you?

    Not to worry, not to worry, said Dumbledore pleasantly.

    He took out his wand, gave it a little flick, and a squashy chintz armchair appeared out of nowhere next to Harry.

    Dumbledore sat down, put the tips of his long fingers together, and looked at Fudge over them with an expression of polite interest.

    The Wizengamot was still muttering and fidgeting restlessly.

    Fudge was terrified to the extreme. Evans previous intervention had already taken him out of breath, and now seeing Dumbledore appear, he became even more panicked, not at all what the Minister of Magic should be.

    Yes, said Fudge again, shuffling his notes. Well, then. So. The charges. Yes.

    He extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before him, took a deep breath, and read, The charges against the used are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a simr charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on August the second at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offense under paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards Statute of Secrecy. So, you are Harry James Potter, of number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey? Fudge said, ring at Harry over the top of his parchment, trying to calm himself down.

    Yes, Harry said.

    You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?

    Yes, but

    And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August? said Fudge.

    Yes! said Harry, but

    Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?

    Yes, but

    Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?

    Yes, but

    Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?

    Yes, said Harry angrily. Fudge never let him finish. But I only used it because we were

    Madam Bones cut across him in a booming voice, You produced a fully fledged Patronus?

    Yes, said Harry, because

    A corporeal Patronus?

    Yes, said Harry, feeling both impatient and slightly desperate, Evan taught me. Its a stag, its always a stag.

    Always? You have produced a Patronus before now? boomed Madam Bones, and then she turned her gaze to Evan, Can Mr. Mason next to you also produce a Patronus?

    Yes, Ive been doing it for over a year, said Harry, Evan had mastered it before I did, he

    And you are fifteen years old? Madam Bones paused, Mr. Mason is one year younger than you?

    Yes, we

    You learned this at school?

    Yes, I learned it in my third year, and I practiced a lot. Harry said.

    Every time he talked, the murmurs were louder. The members of the Wizengamot were surprised that they could conjure a corporeal Patronus. This was magic of very high level.

    Impressive, said Madam Bones, staring down at them, a true Patronus at that age  very impressive indeed!

    In fact, there are already many students in Hogwarts who can conjure their own corporeal Patronuses. This is nothing to make a fuss about, said Evan. Speaking of it, thanks to the Ministers arrangement of Dementors to protect the school, we could find such a good practice object and had the opportunity to master this spell.

    I remember it was mentioned in the story about you catching Peter Pettigrew. Many people saw two corporeal Patronuses appear and drive away hundreds of Dementors Madam Bones nodded.

    The two Patronuses were a stag and a doe. The stag was summoned by Harry, but he didnt know who had summoned the doe. The person didnt show upter, and Harry suspected that it might be his mother.

    My niece also told me about this. She came back from school and told me that she could produce a corporeal Patronus, said a witch in the back row. To be honest, I was really surprised.

    The wizards above began to whisper again, and it seemed that many of their children had learned the Patronus Charm.

    Amazing, really amazing! The level of education at Hogwarts is better than I thought, said Madam Bones, Dumbledore I have to express my sincere admiration for you. Its not easy for so many young wizards to learn the Patronus Charm, is it?

    Thank you for thepliment, Amelia! said Dumbledore gently, but these are all self-studied by the students. As Mr. Mason said, if you need to thank someone, I think Mr. Minister has contributed a lot to this.

    Fudges face had turned purple, which was a great humiliation and irony to him.

    The young wizards learned the Patronus Charm because hed sent Dementors to Hogwarts as guards.

    What would people say if the outside world knew this?

    Because of his ipetence, the young wizards had to protect themselves spontaneously

    Later facts proved that his decision to send the Dementors to Hogwarts was stupid.

    I think Hogwarts education is far better than expected. It does not have the problems we were worried about before, said Madam Bones. In this case, send to Hogwarts

    Enough, its not a question of how impressive the magic was, nor is it a question of discussing the teaching reform at Hogwarts, said Fudge in a testy voice. Now its a trial. In fact, the more impressive the worse it is, given that the boy did it in in view of a Muggle!

    Many wizards murmured in agreement, but it was Percys sanctimonious little nod that goaded Harry into speech.

    I did it because of the Dementors! he said loudly, before anyone could interrupt him again.

    He had expected more muttering, but the silence that fell seemed to be somehow denser than before.

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 Chapter 890: The Squib

    Chapter 890: The Squib

    Evan had reported the details of the incident, and he believed that everyone present had read the report.

    However, judging from their current expressions, they should not have believed it.

    Even Madam Bones, who had been in their favor all the time, raised her thick eyebrows so that her monocle looked in danger of falling out.

    In the early days of Voldemorts power, the Bones family was one of the most powerful pure blood wizard families. Like the Weasleys, they were willing to trust Dumbledore rather than support Voldemort.

    Amelia Boness brother Edgar Bones was also one of the founders of the Order of the Phoenix. He was a very great wizard.

    Because of the influence of the Bones family, Voldemort personally killed Edgars family, and only Amelia survived.

    Voldemort used this to let the wizarding world know his horror and sumb to his power.

    Madam Bones never married, and there was only one member of the Bones left, her niece, Susan Bones. She was a ssmate of Evan and Harry, a Hufflepuff student in the same year as Harry. She was a girl with a ruddy face, wearing her hair in a long it down her back. She was a little nervous, but she was pretty good.

    Dementors? Ms. Bones murmured.

    Yes, there were two Dementors down that alleyway and they went for me and my cousin!

    Ah, said Fudge again, smirking unpleasantly as he looked around at the Wizengamot, as though inviting them to share the joke. Yes. Yes, I thought wed be hearing such nonsense. Im not surprised. This time, its Dementors attacking you!

    Dementors in Little Whinging? Madam Bones said in tones of great surprise.

    Madam Bones, you should have read that report in the newspaper, said Evan.

    Yes, I did read it, but I dont understand

    Dont you, Amelia? said Fudge, still smirking. Let me exin. These two boys had been thinking it through and decided Dementors would make a very nice little cover story, very nice indeed. Muggles cant see Dementors, can they? Highly convenient, highly convenient  so its just your word and no witnesses. Then you find a reporter who is good at making up lies to publish it in that ridiculous newspaper, causing panic in the whole wizarding world, so as to prove your greatness. A 15-year-old wizard can defeat two Dementors. How amazing!

    Looking at his expression, it was as though he was really thinking that was all the truth.

    Im not lying! said Harry loudly, over another outbreak of muttering from the court. There were two of them,ing from opposite ends of the alley, everything went dark and cold and my cousin felt them and ran for it

    Enough, enough! said Fudge with a very supercilious look on his face. Im sorry to interrupt what Im sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story. We shouldnt be listening to this boy making it all up

    Just then, Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the Wizengamot fell silent again.

    We do, in fact, have a witness to the presence of Dementors in that alleyway, he said quietly, other than Harrys cousin Dudley Dursley, I mean.

    Fudges plump face seemed to cken, as though somebody had let air out of it.

    You have a witness?

    Yes! said Dumbledore with a smile.

    How could there be a witness, this incident was purely made up by these two boys he murmured, staring down at Dumbledore for a while, then, with the appearance of a man pulling himself back together, said, We havent got time to listen to more taradiddles, Im afraid, Dumbledore. I want this dealt with quickly

    I may be wrong, said Dumbledore pleasantly, but I am sure that under the Wizengamot Charter of Rights, the used has the right to present witnesses for his or her case? Isnt that the policy of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?

    True, said Madam Bones. Perfectly true.

    Oh, very well, very well, where is this person? snapped Fudge. How long will it take us to see him?

    I brought her with me, said Dumbledore. Shes just outside the door. Should I?

    No  Weasley, you go, Fudge barked at Percy, who got up at once, hurried down the stone steps from the judges balcony, and hastened past Dumbledore, Evan and Harry without ncing at them.

    Immediately, there was a loud noise outside the door, and Evan was sure hed heard Rita Skeeters voice.

    Under her inquiry, Percy dared not say a word.

    Fudge gasped heavily, staring at them impatiently, and the discussion around him grew louder.

    Judging from the current situation, todays trial had be aplete joke. Now all he needed was a reporter to add to the story, and then it was screwed, which was great!

    He red at Evan fiercely, then turned and whispered to Umbridge next to him.

    A momentter, Percy returned, followed by Mrs. Figg. She looked scared and more entric than ever.

    Dumbledore stood up and gave Mrs. Figg his chair, conjuring a second one for himself.

    Full name? said Fudge loudly, when Mrs. Figg had perched herself nervously on the very edge of her seat.

    Arabe Doreen Figg, said Mrs. Figg in her quavery voice.

    And who exactly are you? said Fudge, in a bored and lofty voice.

    Im a resident of Little Whinging, close to where Harry Potter lives, said Mrs. Figg.

    We have no record of any witch or wizard living in Little Whinging other than Harry Potter, said Madam Bones at once. That situation has always been closely monitored, given  given past events.

    Im a Squib, said Mrs. Figg. So you wouldnt have me registered, would you?

    A Squib, eh? said Fudge, eyeing her suspiciously. Well be checking that. Youll leave details of your parentage with my assistant, Weasley. Incidentally, can Squibs see Dementors? he added, looking left and right along the bench where he sat.

    Yes, we can! said Mrs. Figg indignantly.

    Fudge looked back down at her, his eyebrows raised.

    The Squibs were a very special group in the wizarding world, referring to people born to wizarding families but with no magic powers, just the opposite of Muggle-born wizards.

    Their identities were very embarrassing, and most of them had spent a mediocre and impoverished life.

    Indeed, because of his parents and family, a Squib understood some magic knowledge, but had no chance to participate.

    This was a sad thing; they belonged neither to the wizarding world, nor to the Muggle world.

    The only constion was that the number of squibs was very small. Experts generally believed that it was rare for future generations to be unable to use magic because the magic genes were dominant and active.

    Correspondingly, this had greatly increased the misfortune of the Squibs.

    Getting Squibs to learn to use magic had always been one of the difficult problems in healing magic, and there had been a lot of research on the matter.

    In addition, it was worth noting the difference between the Squib and the Obscurial

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 Chapter 891: Conspiracy and Murder

    Chapter 891: Conspiracy and Murder

    Unlike the Squibs that did not have magic powers, the Obscurials had a stronger ability to cast spells.

    However, due to various reasons, their magic talents had not been properly exploited and had to be suppressed in their bodies.

    This situation had been verymon before schools of wizardry were established. Even now, it was amon phenomenon in Asia. Those Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry that paid attention to blood inheritance and fortunate opportunities would not easily recruit any students.

    Generally speaking, over time, the magic suppressed in the body would gradually dissipate. A wizard who could have achieved great things would eventually be a Muggle who couldnt do magic, just like a Squib.

    However, if these people were severely stimted during this process, the distortion of character would infect the suppressed energy in the body, and the two would interact. The dark forces that were infected and demonized would eventually give birth to their own consciousness.

    It would parasitize in the host and draw power until the host couldnt supply the energy it needed and would die.

    When the host was extremely emotionally out of control, it would be swallowed by this terrifying consciousness and be an Obscurial, possessing terrifying power.

    Long ago, there were Dark wizards whod tried to conquer the world by artificially creatingrge numbers of Obscurials.

    The Dark wizards searched for children with magical powers inrge numbers, imprisoned them on small inds or prisons without teaching them how to use magic, but kept torturing them until they werepletely swallowed by hatred and became weapons for war.

    This was an extremely evil act that was resisted by the entire wizarding world.

    The hearing continued, and Fudge seemed even more upset.

    I had gone out to buy cat food from the corner shop at the end of Wisteria Walk, shortly after nine on the evening of the second of August, gabbled Mrs. Figg at once, under Fudges interrogation, as though she had learned what she was saying by heart, when I heard a disturbance down the alleyway between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. On approaching the mouth of the alleyway I saw Dementors running

    Running? said Madam Bones sharply. Dementors dont run, they glide.

    Thats what I meant to say, said Mrs. Figg quickly, patches of pink appearing in her withered cheeks. Gliding along the alley toward what looked like two boys.

    What did they look like? said Madam Bones, narrowing her eyes so that the monocles edges disappeared into her flesh.

    Well, one was veryrge and the other one rather skinny

    No, no, said Madam Bones impatiently, Im talking about the Dementors  describe them.

    Oh, said Mrs. Figg, the pink flush creeping up her neck now. They were big. Big and wearing cloaks.

    Hearing her description, Harry felt a horrible sinking in the pit of his stomach.

    Whatever Mrs. Figg said to the contrary, it sounded to him as though the most she had ever seen was a picture of a Dementor, and a picture could never convey the truth of what these beings were like: the eerie way they moved, hovering inches over the ground, or the rotting smell of them, or that terrible, rattling noise they made as they sucked on the surrounding air.

    A dumpy wizard with arge ck mustache in the second row leaned close to his neighbor, a frizzy-haired witch, and whispered something in her ear. She smirked and nodded.

    Big and wearing cloaks, repeated Madam Bones coolly, while Fudge snorted derisively. I see. Anything else?

    Yes, said Mrs. Figg. I felt them. Everything went cold, and this was a very warm summers night, mark you. And I felt  as though all happiness had gone from the world  and I remembered  dreadful things A long time ago, I was proved to have no casting ability. That night, my grandmother hugged me

    Her voice shook and died.

    Madam Bones eyes widened slightly, and red marks could be seen under her eyebrow where the monocle had dug into it.

    What did the Dementors do? she asked softly.

    They went for the boys, said Mrs. Figg, her voice stronger and more confident now, the pink flush ebbing away from her face, as thoughpletely recalling what had happened. One of them had fallen. The other was backing away, trying to repel the Dementor. That was Harry. He tried twice and produced silver vapor. On the third attempt, he produced a Patronus, which charged down the first Dementor and then, with his encouragement, chased away the second from his cousin. And that  that was what happened, Mrs. Figg finished, somewhatmely.

    Madam Bones looked down at Mrs. Figg in silence; Fudge was not looking at her at all, but fidgeting with his papers. Finally he raised his eyes and said, rather aggressively Thats what you saw, is it?

    That was what happened, Mrs. Figg repeated.

    Very well, said Fudge. You may go.

    Mrs. Figg cast a frightened look from Fudge to Dumbledore, then got up and shuffled off toward the door again. It could be heard thud shut behind her.

    An unknown Squib, Fudge said loftily. Not a very convincing witness.

    Oh, I dont know, said Madam Bones in her booming voice. She certainly described the effects of a Dementor attack very urately. And I cant imagine why she would say they were there if they werent.

    Is that so? Dementors wandering into a Muggle suburb and just happening toe across a wizard? snorted Fudge. You dont really believe this story. The odds on that must be very, very long, even Bagman wouldnt have bet

    Oh, I dont think any of us believe the Dementors were there by coincidence, said Dumbledore lightly.

    Umbridge, who was sitting to the right of Fudge with her face in shadow moved slightly, but everyone else was quite still and silent.

    And what is that supposed to mean? asked Fudge icily.

    It means that I think they were ordered there, said Dumbledore.

    I think we might have a record of it if someone had ordered a pair of Dementors to go strolling through Little Whinging! barked Fudge, but no, we have nothing.

    Not if the Dementors are taking orders from someone other than the Ministry of Magic these days, said Dumbledore calmly. I have already given you my views on this matter, Cornelius.

    Yes, you have, said Fudge forcefully, and I have no reason to believe that your views are anything other than bilge, Dumbledore. The Dementors remain in ce in Azkaban and are doing everything we ask them to.

    Then, said Dumbledore, quietly but clearly, we must ask ourselves why somebody within the Ministry ordered a pair of Dementors into that alleyway on the second of August.

    Aplete silence on the court greeted these words.

    May I add something? said Evan promptly, ignoring Fudges expression and saying all his thoughts. I mentioned relevant suggestions in the newspaper. Since Mr. Minister firmly believes that the Dementors still strictly obey the orders of the Ministry of Magic, why not check internally if someone in the Ministry ordered the Dementors to attack Harry in the Muggle neighborhood? In my opinion, this matter may not be simple, it involves a terrible thing: Conspiracy and murder

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 Chapter 892: A One-sided Trial

    Chapter 892: A One-sided Trial

    As soon as Evan spoke, Umbridge moved uneasily again.

    Murder? said Fudge gruffly. This is nonsense, it sounds ridiculous. You have made up too many stories in the past few years, from the Basilisk to You-Know-Who, and now someone in the Ministry is attempting to kill Harry Potter?

    But its very likely that its a fact, Mr. Minister, said Evan, Just look it up and youll know that if someone has ordered the Dementors, they will definitely leave clues, and there are not many people in the Ministry of Magic who have the right to order the Dementors

    You do not want to say Im trying to murder Harry Potter, do you?! snapped Fudge, his face turning purple. This is madness, utterly abnormal. Look, Dumbledore, this is the student you have taught. You do not still believe this boys nonsense, do you?

    There were no more than five individuals within the Ministry who could control the Dementors, and Fudge naturally assumed Evan was referring to him.

    He was now like a powder barrel, ready to explode at the slightest touch. It was simply impossible to reason with him and analyze this matter calmly.

    Umbridge coughed softly, poked her body out of the shadow, and she could be seen clearly.

    She was like arge, pale toad, rather squat, with a broad, bby face, as little neck as Uncle Vernon, and a very wide, ck mouth. Her eyes wererge, round, and slightly bulging. Even the little ck velvet bow perched on top of her short curly hair put people in mind of arge fly she was about to catch on a long sticky tongue.

    Oh! Fudge gasped. The Chair recognizes Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister.

    So she spoke in a fluttery, girlish, high-pitched voice.

    I am sorry, I am sure I must have misunderstood you, she said with a simper that left her big, round eyes as cold as ever. So silly of me. But it sounded for a teensy moment as though Mr. Mason was suggesting that the Ministry of Magic had ordered an attack on this boy!

    She gave a silveryugh to make the hairs on the back of ones neck stand up.

    A few other members of the Wizengamotughed with her. It could not have been iner that not one of them was really amused.

    This is just a possibility, and its not the Ministry of Magic, but someone in the Ministry.

    Whats the difference? said Fudge angrily.

    I think what Evan said is very reasonable, and this is exactly what I want to say, said Dumbledore politely, If it is true that the Dementors are taking orders only from the Ministry of Magic, and it is also true that two Dementors attacked Harry and his cousin a week ago, then it follows logically that somebody at the Ministry might have ordered the attacks. Of course, these particr Dementors may have been outside Ministry control

    There are no Dementors outside Ministry control! snapped Fudge.

    Dumbledore inclined his head in a little bow, keeping a smile on his face.

    Then undoubtedly the Ministry will be making a full inquiry into why two Dementors were so very far from Azkaban and why they attacked without authorization.

    Enough, enough, Dumbledore, it is not for you to decide what the Ministry of Magic does or does not do! snapped Fudge, now a shade of magenta on his face. You and the kid next to you dont tell the Ministry what to do, you do not have that right.

    Of course it isnt, said Dumbledore mildly. I was merely expressing my confidence, as an ordinary citizen who is concerned about the progress of this matter, that it will not go uninvestigated.

    He nced at Madam Bones, who readjusted her monocle and stared back at him, frowning slightly as though shed understood something.

    I would remind everybody that the behavior of these Dementors, if indeed they are not figments of these boys imagination, is not the subject of this hearing! said Fudge, breathing heavily, turning his head to ignore them. We are here to examine Harry Potters offenses!

    Of course we are, said Dumbledore, but the presence of Dementors in that alleyway is highly relevant. use seven of the Decree states that magic may be used before Muggles in exceptional circumstances, and as those exceptional circumstances include situations that threaten the life of the wizard or witch himself, or witches, wizards, or Muggles present at the time of the

    We are familiar with use seven, thank you very much! snarled Fudge.

    Of course you are, said Dumbledore courteously. Then we are in agreement that Harrys use of the Patronus Charm in these circumstances falls precisely into the category of exceptional circumstances it describes?

    If there were Dementors, which I doubt

    You have heard from an eyewitness, Dumbledore interrupted. If you still doubt her truthfulness, call her back, question her again. I am sure she would not object.

    I  that  I  not  blustered Fudge, fiddling with the papers before him. I want this over with today, Dumbledore!

    But naturally, you would not care how many times you heard from a witness, if the alternative was a serious miscarriage of justice.

    Serious miscarriage, my hat! said Fudge at the top of his voice. Have you ever bothered to tot up the number of cock-and-bull stories this boy hase out with, Dumbledore, while trying to cover up his grant misuse of magic out of school? I suppose youve forgotten the Hover Charm he used three years ago

    That wasnt me, it was a house-elf! said Harry.

    YOU SEE? roared Fudge, gesturing mboyantly in Harrys direction. A house-elf! In a Muggle house! Is that possible?

    The house-elf in question is currently employed by Evan, and he is in Hogwarts kitchens, said Dumbledore, I can summon him here in an instant to give evidence if you wish.

    I  not  I havent got time to listen to house-elves! Anyway, thats not the only  he blew up his aunt, for Gods sake! Fudge shouted, banging his fist on the judges bench and upsetting a bottle of ink.

    And you very kindly did not press charges on that asion, epting, I presume, that even the best wizards cannot always control their emotions, said Dumbledore calmly, as Fudge attempted to scrub the ink off his notes.

    And Evan Mason next to him  he has caused much trouble in the past few years. We are too tolerant of these two boys! Fudge continued to shout, Just atst years Quidditch World Cup finals, he dueled with the bloody vampire in front of all the wizards in the world, and used Transfiguration

    Obviously, this was not Evans fault. That is what the Ministry of Magic should be responsible for. If you could ensure the safety of the game, Evan would not have had to risk his life and fight dangerous vampires. Cornelius, do you want to pursue this matter?

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 Chapter 893: Win the Lawsuit

    Chapter 893: Win the Lawsuit

    I  no  Im not

    Fudge looked as nauseous as though he had eaten a fly. Of course he couldnt pursue this matter.

    using Evan of using magic in the Quidditch World Cup finals was like holding the Ministry of Magic ountable.

    Evan had helped the Ministry of Magic in the World Cup. In the past year, it had taken a lot of hard work and effort for them to get the eyes of wizards and witches around the world off the matter. Let alone re-investigate Evans responsibility. Fudge was not willing to mention it now.

    This boy, we all know he wasnt at Hogwartsst term Fudge changed direction.

    Yes, I have already talked to you specifically about this matter. At the invitation of Alchemist Nics mel, Evan went to Beauxbatons for an academic exchange, said Dumbledore calmly. He is a student of Nics, and he studied Alchemy with him.

    There was another discussion from the benches, and many wizards and witches began to look at Evan again.

    They never thought that this young wizard would be a student of the famous Alchemist Nics mel.

    In fact, Nics had only partners in Alchemy, and they had never heard of any wizard he epted as his apprentice.

    Since Evan was studying Alchemy with Nics, his status had greatly increased, and no one dared to despise this young wizard.

    But he was not in Beauxbatons. Hes been seen in Italy! said Fudge angrily, trying to salvage his pride. During his appearance in Sicily, there was turmoil in the giants tribe there

    You dont think Evan caused the turmoil in the giants tribe, do you? Dumbledore asked rhetorically, smiling.

    No sooner had he finished speaking than some wizards on the benchesughed. Evans size was not enough to stuff a giants teeth, let alone cause turmoil in the giants tribe.

    No  of course not  I  of course he couldnt Fudge stammered again.

    It was too absurd to associate a fourteen-year-old wizard with the turmoil of the giants tribe. This kind of thing was as funny as Voldemorts resurrection. It was impossible to happen.

    He took a deep breath and saw the smiling expression on Evans face, but he didnt know what to say.

    There was a lot of evidence that Evan had used magic outside school, but it had not been detected by the Ministry of magic.

    Moreover, the events that Evan was involved in were very sensitive. It was something the Ministry of magic was trying to y down, and couldnt be put on the table.

    For example, the giants turmoil in Sicily, the massacre of the Centaurs ruins in the Albanian forest and the Gringotts scandal in Egypt, etc. From the feedback from the intelligence agency of the Ministry of Magic, there seemed to be the shadow of this young wizard behind all this.

    For some reason, Fudge believed Evan had this ability, but he had no proof.

    Minister, I dont think what Mr. Mason did outside the school has anything to do with this inquiry, Madam Bones reminded.

    Fudge was getting more and more off topic, and everyone could see that he hadnt gained any advantage.

    Youre right, we should talk about Potter, said Fudge flustered. The bad things he did at school

    I have to remind you again that the Ministry has no authority to punish Hogwarts students for misdemeanors at school. Its the headmasters responsibility to punish them for their actions, and Harrys behavior there is not relevant to this inquiry, said Dumbledore, politely as ever, but now with a suggestion of coolness behind his words.

    Fudge seemed to have been rekindled. Not our business what he does at school, eh? You think so?

    The Ministry does not have the power to expel Hogwarts students, Cornelius, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August, said Dumbledore. Nor does it have the right to confiscate wands until charges have been sessfully proven, again, as I reminded you on the night of the second of August. In your admirable haste to ensure that thew is upheld, you appear, inadvertently I am sure, to have overlooked a fewws yourself.

    Laws can be changed, said Fudge savagely.

    Of course they can, said Dumbledore, inclining his head. And you certainly seem to be making many changes.

    There was another round of talk on the benches, and Fudge turned a slightly deeper shade of puce. Umbridge, on his right, merely gazed at Dumbledore, her face quite expressionless.

    As far as I am aware, however, Dumbledore continued, there is now yet in ce that says this courts job is to punish Harry for every bit of magic he has ever performed. He has been charged with a specific offense and he has presented his defense. All he and I can do now is to await your verdict!

    Dumbledore put his fingertips together again and said no more. Fudge red at him, evidently incensed.

    Harry looked at Evan, then at Fudge, and finally nced sideways at Dumbledore, seeking reassurance; he was not at all sure that Dumbledore was right in telling the Wizengamot, in effect, that it was about time they made a decision.

    However, Dumbledore seemed oblivious to Harrys attempt to catch his eye. He continued to look up at the benches where the entire Wizengamot had fallen into urgent, whispered conversations.

    Harry looked at his feet. His heart, which seemed to have swollen to an unnatural size, was thumping loudly under his ribs.

    He had expected the hearing tost longer than this. He was not at all sure that he had made a good impression.

    In fact, he had not really said very much, and it was Evan and Dumbledore who were talking.

    He ought to have exined more fully about the Dementors, about how he had fallen over, about how both he and Dudley had nearly been kissed.

    Twice he looked up at Fudge and opened his mouth to speak, but his swollen heart was now constricting his air passages and both times he merely took a deep breath and looked back at his shoes.

    Then the whispering stopped. Harry wanted to look up at the judges, but found that it was really much, much easier to keep examining hisces.

    Those in favor of clearing the used of all charges; please raise your hands, said Madam Boness booming voice.

    Harrys head jerked upward. There were hands in the air, many of them  more than half!

    Breathing very fast, he tried to count, but before he could finish Madam Bones had said, And those in favor of conviction, please raise your hands.

    Fudge raised his hand; so did half a dozen others, including the witch on his right and the heavily mustached wizard and the frizzy-haired witch in the second row.

    Fudge nced around at them all, looking as though there was somethingrge stuck in his throat, not wanting to believe the result.

    Then he lowered his own hand. He took two deep breaths and then said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage, Very well, very well  cleared of all charges.

    Mr. Minister, since Harry is cleared of all charges, is there any problem with the authenticity of the report? Evan asked at the right time. Is my hearing over too?

    Yes, It is! said Fudge grimly, biting every word hard.

    He was now angry to the extreme, not to mention answering questions; it seemed he could not wait to tear Evan and the others up to pieces at once.

    Oh, is the Ministry of Magic going to investigate the Dementors attack on Harry? Evan continued to ask.

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 Chapter 894: The Fleeing Fudge

    Chapter 894: The Fleeing Fudge

    Thats the Ministrys business, said Fudge in a strange voice, as though there was something in his mouth.

    Looking at his expression, he was obviously angry, and it seemed that he himself was disappointed with his performance.

    He slumped in his chair, looking at Dumbledore fiercely, but he could not conceal his frustration.

    If it werent for the many people watching, if it werent for his impossibility to beat Dumbledore, if it werent for hisck of courage and IQ, he would certainly be unable to resist rushing to settle ounts with Dumbledore ording to the wizards tradition of duel.

    Evan couldnt help but smirk, realizing that Fudge was probably not worth worrying about. From what he had seen during the trial, Fudges abilities seemed quite limited. Even if he tried to cause trouble, Dumbledore could easily handle him.

    Now Evan was more concerned about Umbridge, she was much more difficult to deal with than Fudge.

    She was cunning, had various means at her disposal, and had enough courage to back her actions.

    This time, shed ordered the Dementors to attack Harry. This woman was not simple.

    Anyone who had a deep knowledge of the Ministry of Magic knew that she was the one standing behind Fudge and had a great influence on him.

    After Voldemort came to powerter, this woman also yed a considerable role.

    Of course, Evan was sure that if he dared to provoke her, she would not be pleased.

    He was still looking for a reason to leave Hogwarts, and believed that after the beginning of the new term Umbridge should be very cooperative with him.

    We will investigate about the Dementors, said Madam Bones solemnly.

    Excellent, well be waiting for the oue of the investigation. Personally, I believe that the Ministry of Magic will find out the truth about the matter, said Dumbledore cheerfully, springing to his feet, pulling out his wand, and causing the two chintz armchairs to vanish. Well, since the things here are over, I must be getting along. Good day to you all.

    And then ncing at Evan and without looking once at Harry, he swept from the dungeon.

    Its over? Harry said somewhat confused. Dumbledores abrupt departure took himpletely by surprise.

    He remained sitting where he was in the chained chair, struggling with his feelings of shock and relief.

    The Wizengamot were all getting to their feet, talking, and gathering up their papers and packing them away. Nobody seemed to be paying them the slightest bit of attention except the toad-like witch on Fudges right.

    She was now gazing down at them instead of at Dumbledore, making Harry feel very ufortable.

    Ignoring her, he tried to catch Fudges eye, or Madam Boness. But Fudge seemed quite determined not to notice them, and Madam Bones was busy with her briefcase.

    Finally, Harrys eyes met Evans, and they sparkled with uncontroble joy.

    Its over! said Evan. Youve been cleared, Harry. In fact, you didnt do anything wrong.

    Can we go then?

    Well, there should be no problem. Wed better go and say hello before we leave, said Evan.

    Since they were leaving victorious, they were naturally more courteous.

    It was known that in addition to being responsible for the trial of the cases, the members of Wizengamot also had different positions, jobs and identities. They were the top part of the wizarding world, and it was necessary to maintain a good reputation.

    Evan led Harry to the trial bench. Fudge ignored them and deliberately refused to talk to them. The other wizards showed interest in the two people and responded politely. Madam Bones also paid attention to them and told them a few words.

    Like Fudge, Percypletely ignored Evan and Harry.

    Except for Hermione, Evans rtionship with Percy had been one of the best at Hogwarts.

    Percy also had helped him a lot at the beginning, especially when Evan had juste into contact with magic; hed systematically taught him a lot of magic knowledge.

    When he graduated, he also gave his research notes to Evan. Although it couldnt bepared with something like Tom Riddles diary, it was of great significance and contained a lot of his personal experiences.

    Who could have imagined that Percy and them would be strangers in less than half a year?

    This showed that Percy was really willing to give up everything for the sake of his own political career

    Besides, Umbridges attitude towards the two people seemed to be too overzealous, but she was typical of hiding a knife in a smile.

    Evan pulled Harry away from her; this toad-like woman looked annoying.

    Finally, when they went out, they almost collided with Mr. Weasley who was standing right outside, looking pale and apprehensive.

    Dumbledore just came out, he didnt say

    Cleared, Harry said hurriedly, of all charges!

    Harrys counterattack against the Dementors with the Patronus Charm was legitimate defense, and theyre going to investigate why the Dementors appeared there, Evan continued, seeing Rita Skeeter standing not far away.

    He walked over to her, ready to describe the detailed process of todays hearing.

    The use of the Wizengamot Supreme Courtroom to hear them was a gimmicky piece of news in itself.

    Evan saw that most of the parchment in front of her was full of text, and the Quick-Quotes Quill was still writing.

    As for the specific content on it, Fudge would probably faint directly after seeing it.

    At the door, Mr. Weasley took a cautious look at Evan and Rita, still stuck in the good news.

    Beaming, he seized Harry by the shoulders.

    Harry, thats wonderful! Well, of course, they couldnt have found you guilty, not on the evidence, but even so, I cant pretend I wasnt

    But Mr. Weasley broke off, because the courtroom door had just opened again. The Wizengamot were filing out.

    Merlins beard, said Mr. Weasley wonderingly, pulling Harry aside to let them all pass, you were tried by the full court? These are all the members of the Wizengamot. They havent done this for years!

    I think so, said Harry quietly.

    Unlike Mr. Weasleys surprise, Rita Skeeter suddenly became excited, her eyes shining brightly. Like a cat smelling a fishy smell, she grabbed her crocodile-skin handbag and hurriedly walked to Fudge.

    As soon as he saw her, the expression on Fudges face became uglier, even a little panicked, and he subconsciously speeded up his steps, almost fleeing

    Because of his speed, he stumbled and almost fell. Fortunately Umbridge, who was following him, supported him.

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 Chapter 895: Adding Trouble

    Chapter 895: Adding Trouble

    It was a pity that this scene could not be filmed; otherwise it would definitely be the front page of tomorrow.

    Evan was considering assigning a dedicated photographer to Rita Skeeter, just as she had done before. A good photo could be the finishing touch of a report and more easily attract readers attention.

    Just give her an extra sum of Gold Galleons every month, and Rita must have a suitable candidate in mind.

    Fudge and Umbridge left in a hurry, and Rita Skeeter relentlessly pursued them.

    She kept raising questions about the hearing, and didnt intend to let Fudge off so easily.

    Some of the passing wizards nodded to Evan and Harry as they passed, but most averted their eyes. They acted as though Mr. Weasley, Evan and Harry were part of the wall.

    Percy was thest to leave the courtroom, and when he came out, the atmosphere in the corridor was at its most awkward.

    He nced at Mr. Weasley, his face expressionless, and he marched past clutching arge roll of parchment and a handful of spare quills, his back rigid and his nose in the air.

    The lines around Mr. Weasleys mouth tightened slightly, but other than this he gave no sign that he had noticed his third son.

    We ought to tell the others the good news, they must have been very anxious up there, said Mr. Weasley, beckoning Evan and Harry forward as Percys heels disappeared up the stairs to the ninth level. By the way, Evan, I know youre hiring Rita Skeeter to write for the newspaper recently, but youd better stay away from that woman. Shes only a liar. In the past few years, she has caused numerous troubles. Most of the work of the whole Ministry of magic has been in response to her

    Ill be cautious! said Evan. Well strictly review her articles before publication.

    Be that as it might; Rita Skeeter had a good grasp of the scale. She knew how to guide the reader between the lines without leaving critical evidence.

    Even if the whole article was full of nonsense, there was no way for people to say anything.

    As for whether she was spreading rumors, and whether it would cause trouble, as long as she was not talking about him, Evan didnt care.

    Judging from the current situation, with Rita Skeeter around, Fudge would be somewhat cautious, and that was enough.

    I just wish you know how things stand, said Mr. Weasley, walking up the steps. Ill show you around the Ministry in a moment, and then send you back. Ill have to deal with that trash bin

    What will you have to do about it? Harry asked, grinning. Everything suddenly seemed five times funnier than usual.

    After he was cleared, his mood improved a lot, and he could finally rx and visit the Ministry of Magic.

    Oh, its a simple enough anti-jinx, said Mr. Weasley as they mounted the stairs, but its not so much having to repair the damage, its more the attitude behind the vandalism. Muggle-baiting might strike some wizards as funny, but its an expression of something much deeper and nastier, and I for one

    Mr. Weasley broke off in mid-sentence. They had just reached the ninth-level corridor and saw Umbridgemanding two wizards to drive Rita Skeeter out, apparently on Fudges order.

    Fudge himself was standing a few feet away from them, talking quietly with a tall man with sleek blond hair and a pointed, pale face.

    The second man turned at the sound of their footsteps. He too broke off in mid-conversation, his cold gray eyes narrowed and fixed upon Evan and Harrys faces.

    Well, well, well  Patronus Potter and Hope Star Mason, said Lucius Malfoy coolly with an ironic emphasis.

    Harry felt winded, as though he had just walked into something heavy.

    He looked at him angrily. He couldnt believe that Lucius Malfoy dared look at him in the face. He couldnt believe that he was here, in the Ministry of Magic, or that Cornelius Fudge was talking to him in a cordial manner, as though they were best friends, when Harry had told Fudge mere weeks ago that Malfoy was a Death Eater.

    Beside Harry, Evan also frowned and looked at Malfoy. He hadst seen those cool gray eyes through slits in a Death Eaters hood. He had Apparated into the dark graveyard to renew his allegiance to his old master.

    Lucius Malfoy was a very cunning man. His character and the status and wealth of the Malfoy family were absolute. He would not bepletely loyal to anyone, and would not really put Voldemorts interests in reign like those crazy people. Hed always had his own ns.

    In other words, he was someone within Voldemorts camp who could be swayed.

    In Evans view, he could actually cooperate with Malfoy; there were no fundamental differences between them.

    Of course, he needed to be extra careful when dealing with Malfoy; he was far more troublesome than Rita Skeeter.

    At the very least, there was nothing in Evans current hands that could impress him.

    However, after he understood Voldemorts attitude toward the Malfoy family after he returned, Evan believed that he still had a chance. Voldemort would certainly not easily forgive Malfoy for destroying one of his Horcruxes.

    He would keep this matter firmly in his heart, and then let the family go to death little by little

    When Malfoy understood all this, it would be the moment when he would betray Voldemort without hesitation.

    The Minister was just telling me about your lucky escape, Potter, drawled Mr. Malfoy, his gray eyes fixed on Harry. Quite astonishing, the way you continue to wriggle out of very tight holes Snakelike, in fact

    Mr. Weasley gripped Harrys shoulder in warning.

    Yeah, said Harry, taking a deep breath, yeah, Im good at escaping

    Then Lucius Malfoy looked up at Evan.

    Look at yourpanion, Potter, if I were you, I wouldnt let a Mudblood stand beside me, he said slowly.

    If I were you, Mr. Malfoy, I wouldnt be standing here leisurely, said Evan, smiling from the corner of his mouth.

    He decided to give him a wake-up call and stimte him a little by the way. It would be better if Malfoys defection could be elerated.

    In fact, this was a good opportunity; otherwise he really had no way to contact him.

    Just a few words could add some fatal troubles to Voldemort and Lucius, which was really appropriate.

    After youve lost and damaged your masters important thing, based on your understanding of him, do you think hell easily let you go? Evan said.

    What do you mean? Lucius narrowed his eyes. I dont understand what youre talking about.

    Youll understand. Draco and I are ssmates, and despite our differences, weve managed to get along quite well overall. Naturally, I wouldnt want to see him step towards his own destruction, said Evan, gazing back at him and enjoying the gradually changing expression on Luciuss face.

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 Chapter 896: A Good-faith Advice

    Chapter 896: A Good-faith Advice

    rmist! Lucius approached Evan, and his lips moved slightly.

    His face showed an uncontroble fleeting sh of panic, and then returned to the previous indifference.

    Really? You think so? said Evan calmly, everything was under his control. Its just a good-faith piece of advice, Mr. Malfoy. Time will tell, but Im afraid itll be toote by then

    This time, Lucius didnt speak anymore, his gray eyes fixed on Evan.

    He still didnt understand the deeper meaning of Evans words. Why was this boy sure that Voldemort would attack Draco?

    But there was one thing he had to admit. Because of the diary, he had indeed offended Voldemort.

    He still remembered that it was a night eighteen years ago when Voldemort suddenly came to his familys mansion by himself, met him secretly, gave him the ordinary-looking diary, and told him that it was The Dark Lords highest trust in him.

    Lucius was overjoyed by the supreme trust of the Dark Lord. That was exactly what hed been dreaming of.

    With this trust, he could bring the power of the family to the top and restore the glory of the Malfoys.

    But soon, this trust became worthless with Voldemorts failure to escape, and the diary became a hot potato. Lucius didnt know what it was, but if it were discovered by the Ministry of Magic

    He had dealt with a lot of things rted to Voldemort at the time, hesitated again and again, but kept the diary.

    In the following thirteen years, Lucius came to believe that Voldemort would never return!

    And the study of that diary also made him feel scared. He had some guesses about it, but he didnt dare to tell the result, and he didnt even dare to think about the evil words. The diary brought him infinite fear.

    Finally, he decided to transfer the diary and pass the trouble on to Dumbledore.

    Lucius devised a conspiracy for this, not only to get rid of the trouble as he wished, but also to drive Dumbledore from Hogwarts, cleanse the school of all the Mudblood students, and frame everything against the annoying Weasleys.

    It was killing four birds with one stone, but things did not develop in the direction he had anticipated.

    It was not until Voldemorts resurrection that he realized that he had made a huge mistake

    He should have kept that diary forever. It was Voldemorts trust in him.

    Now, he had thrown it away with his own hands.

    Evan was right. With his knowledge of the Dark Lord, Voldemort would not bypass him easily.

    There was still some fluke in his heart, and Voldemort might consider his unwavering loyalty

    But would that be really the case? Would Voldemort really forgive him?

    Lucius was very uncertain, and he suddenly didnt want to stay here. He decided to go back and find out what the diary really was, and restore it before the Dark Lord asked for it.

    He had to repair the diary at any cost

    If you want help, you know what to do! said Evan softly.

    Humph! Lucius snorted coldly.

    He understood what Evan meant. This boy was really bold, trying to persuade him to defect. He was not that stupid.

    If Evan knew he was going to repair the Horcrux, he would definitely tell him that he was stupid.

    Baffling, I have no idea what youre talking about. Luciuss voice returned to normal.

    Lucius, stay away from Evan! Mr. Weasley frowned, standing between them.

    Ah, Arthur Weasley, what are you doing here? Lucius returned to his former glib tone.

    He had that look of contempt, as though he had just noticed that Mr. Weasley was here.

    I work here, said Mr. Weasley shortly.

    Not here, surely? said Mr. Malfoy, raising his eyebrows and ncing toward the door over Mr. Weasleys shoulder. I thought you were up on the second floor Dont you do something that involves sneaking Muggle artifacts home and bewitching them?

    No, said Mr. Weasley curtly, clenching his fists.

    What are you doing here anyway? Harry asked Lucius Malfoy.

    I dont think private matters between myself and the Minister are any concern of yours, Potter, said Malfoy, smoothing the front of his robes. The gentle clinking of what sounded like a full pocket of gold could be distinctly heard.

    Really, just because you are Dumbledores favorite boy, you must not expect the same indulgence from the rest of us Shall we go up to your office, then, Minister? he said, looking deeply at Evan.

    Certainly, said Fudge, turning his back on Evan, Harry and Mr. Weasley. This way, Lucius.

    They strode off together, talking in low voices.

    Mr. Weasley waited until they disappeared into the lift before he breathed a sigh of relief.

    Evan, what did you tell him just now? Mr. Weasley asked, turning to look at them.

    Nothing, just a little more trouble to him and his master, and it may not work.

    That being said, Malfoys betrayal was only a matter of time.

    Giving Lucius a little hope might help Voldemort and the Death Eaters internal disintegration.

    I dont know what you want to do, but youd better be careful

    I really dont understand. Why wasnt Lucius Malfoy waiting outside Fudges office if theyve got business to do together? Harry nced at Evan and burst out furiously. What was he doing down here?

    Trying to sneak down to the courtroom, if you ask me, said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely agitated as he nced over his shoulder as though making sure they could not be overheard. Trying to find out whether youd been expelled or not, in addition to the oue of Evans inquiry. Ill leave a note for Dumbledore when I send you back; he ought to know Malfoys been talking to Fudge again.

    What private business have they got together anyway?

    Gold, I expect, said Mr. Weasley angrily. Malfoys been giving generously to all sorts of things for years Gets him in with the right people  then he can ask favors  dyws he doesnt want passed  Oh, hes very well connected, Lucius Malfoy  even the fall of You-Know-Who did not have much impact on him

    The lift arrived; it was empty except for a flock of memos that pped around Mr. Weasleys head.

    He pressed the button for the Atrium and the doors nged shut; he waved the memos away irritably.

    Thats right! Harry seemed to have thought of something, and said slowly, if Fudge is meeting Death Eaters like Malfoy, how do we know they havent put the Imperius Curse on him? Hes behaving really like

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 Chapter 897: The War Dance

    Chapter 897: The War Dance

    If Fudge had been hit by the Imperius Curse, perhaps he would have acted more intelligently instead of being so foolish.

    His performance at the hearing today was enough to prove that he was not under the Imperius Curse; otherwise a giant would have been needed to control him.

    But thanks to him, the hearing that the Ministry of Magic had been preparing for so long became a joke.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think it hadn¡¯t urred to us, Harry,¡± muttered Mr. Weasley in a voice Evan and Harry could hear. ¡°But Dumbledore thinks Fudge is acting of his own ord at the moment ¡­ which, as Dumbledore says, is not a lot offort¡­ Best not talk about it anymore just now.¡±

    The doors slid open and they stepped out into the now almost-deserted Atrium. Evan saw Rita being stopped by Eric the security man.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and have a word with her,¡± said Evan, ¡°about the hearing report¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± said Mr. Weasley, looking at Rita Skeeter. He was still upset because of Lucius¡¯s meeting with Fudge, ¡°It¡¯s really not a good time to visit the Ministry of Magic. Harry, you and Evan will wait for me in the Atrium. I¡¯ll go up and call the others.¡±

    Evan and Harry left the lift and walked to the golden fountain.

    ¡°No, ma¡¯am, the minister won¡¯t let you in,¡± said Eric, keeping Rita outside the Atrium.

    ¡°People have the right to know the truth, Fudge¡­¡± Rita kept cursing, and her clothes looked a little messy.

    Evan hurriedly walked over, dragged her to a corner, and whispered the details of today¡¯s trial.

    It was mainly about Fudge¡¯s performance and their promise to investigate the Dementors incident.

    Harry didn¡¯t go with him. In fact, he admired Evan and Hermione for being able to deal with Rita Skeeter. In thest semester, he had experienced the skills of that woman.

    Harry stopped by the golden fountain, pulled his money bag from his pocket, and looked at the statues again, feeling happier than ever. Then, he turned his money bag upside down and emptied not just ten Galleons, but the whole contents into the pool.

    More than ten minutester, Rita Skeeter, who had learned the detailed process from Evan, Disapparated and left with satisfaction, ready to go back to revise her report. Only then did Mr. Weasleye down with Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George.

    ¡°I told you two not to run around. Fortunately there has been no trouble¡­¡± Mr. Weasley said.

    ¡°We just went to Percy¡¯s office!¡± Fred said with a smile, and walked over to Evan.

    ¡°Just outside the Minister¡¯s office, it¡¯s a ratherrge hall with luxurious furnishings. His desk is ced there, and it¡¯s full of Percy¡¯s papers.¡± Fred followed, winking at Evan.

    Seeing their faces, Evan wondered what prank product they must have left near Percy¡¯s desk.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Evan asked directly.

    ¡°Our new product, a Portable Swamp!¡± Fred said, lowering his voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s all camouged, just under the chair. He¡¯ll be surprised when he finds out.¡± George continued.

    Meanwhile, Harry told Ron, Hermione, and Ginny again about the oue of the trial.

    ¡°Congrattions, Harry!¡± said Ginny, blushing as she looked at Harry.

    ¡°I knew it!¡± Ron punched the air, ¡°You always get away with stuff!¡±

    ¡°They were bound to clear you, it was obvious. I analyzed it in the newspaper,¡± said Hermione, who had looked positively faint with anxiety and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes. ¡°There was no case against you, none at all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering they all knew I¡¯d get off,¡± said Harry, smiling. ¡°The inquiry about Evan is over, too. Fudge haspletely failed¡­¡±

    They walked in the empty Atrium, everyone with a smile on their faces.

    To celebrate Evan and Harry¡¯s acquittal, and their sessful revenge on Percy, Fred and George were doing a kind of war dance to a chant that went ¡°They got off, they got off, they got off¡­¡±

    Soon, Ginny joined in, and Hermione danced along for a while, but she couldn¡¯t keep up.

    ¡°They got off, they got off, they got off¡­¡± The three people sang over and over again.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, settle down!¡± shouted Mr. Weasley, though he too was smiling. ¡°Really, you guys, this is the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    When they got back to Twelve Grimmauld ce, Mrs. Weasley, after learning the news, first gave Harry a strong hug, then hugged Evan, and wiped her tears of joy with her apron.

    ¡°Well, you guys, sit down and have lunch, especially you, Harry, you hardly ate breakfast¡­¡±

    They all sat down at the table, still digesting the good news.

    ¡°The specific report on the trial can be published out tomorrow. If Rita¡¯s fast enough, I think I can get her report in the afternoon,¡± said Evan. ¡°You probably can¡¯t imagine Fudge¡¯s expression then.¡±

    ¡°Really funny,¡± said Harry, feeling the same sense of relief and exhration he had felt after narrowly escaping Lucius Malfoy earlier in the year, now welling up inside him again. He was really amused when he recalled Fudge¡¯s performance, too.

    ¡°Of course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you,¡± said Ron happily, now dishing great mounds of mashed potatoes onto everyone¡¯s tes.

    ¡°Yeah, he swung it for me,¡± said Harry. He felt that it would sound highly ungrateful, not to mention childish, to say, ¡°I wish he¡¯d talked to me, though. Or even looked at me.¡±

    He really did hope that Dumbledore could say a few words to him, and then he remembered what Evan had told him before. As he thought this, the scar on his forehead burned so badly that he pped his hand to it.

    He¡¯d been contacting lumency recently, but there had been no progress.

    Evan had already told Harry what he knew, he himself was not very proficient in thisplex magic skill, and he could barely master it. In the face of Harry¡¯s current situation, there was a limit to what he could do to help.

    Perhaps it was time to ask Snape for help. Snape¡¯s mastery of lumency had be almost instinctual. Over the past decade and a half, he had tightly sealed and protected his thoughts, even when no one wanted to know what he was thinking. He had never let his guard down and had never stopped using this magic.

    Evan noticed Harry¡¯s abnormality. Did that mean that Voldemort had also known the oue of the trial and was losing his temper? In other words, did he know about it from Lucius¡­?

    Instigating Malfoy¡¯s defection would not be so fast, Voldemort might not have known yet that three of his Horcruxes had been destroyed.

    The more the soul split, the weaker the connection between the souls was.

    But if the destruction continued, Voldemort would know sooner orter, which was why Evan did not find all the Horcruxes and destroy them in one go.

    In the meantime, this also meant that Lucius Malfoy would be in trouble sooner orter.

    The pain of Harry¡¯s scar came and went quickly, and none of the others had noticed a thing. All of them were now helping themselves to food while gloating over Harry¡¯s narrow escape.

    Fred and George were still singing, Hermione and Ginny were muttering something.

    ¡°I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening to celebrate with us, you know,¡± said Ron happily.

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 Chapter 898: The Prefect

    Chapter 898: The Prefect

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be able to, Ron,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, setting a huge te of roast chicken down in front of Harry. ¡°He¡¯s really very busy at the moment, but Arthur told me Kingsley wasing tonight. Remus and others are also here, we can have a small celebration.¡±

    Busyness was still the norm of the Order of the Phoenix, and in the next few days, everyone who came here would be in a hurry.

    Even Bill had been assigned a task and had no way to help make the broom.

    In fact, Harry soon discovered that living at the headquarters of the Anti-Voldemort movement was not nearly as interesting or exciting as he would have expected.

    Though members of the Order of the Phoenix came and went regrly, sometimes staying for meals, sometimes only for a few minutes¡¯ whispered conversation, Mrs. Weasley made sure that Harry and the others were kept well out of earshot.

    Public opinion from the outside world was also calm. After a big setback in the trial, Fudge suddenly became quiet.

    He seemed to have finally understood that the more he did, the more mistakes he made, or a new conspiracy was brewing.

    In a word, Fudge was back to the old way. He began to nder Dumbledore, Evan and Harry as much as possible, trying to discredit them; but this time the media was no longer all one-sided articles.

    Evan¡¯s review was full of badments about Fudge, which attracted arge number of readers.This was the collision of twopletely different voices, and no one could beat the other for the time being.

    It was true that,pared to Fudge, ordinary people in the wizarding world seemed more willing to believe in Dumbledore. But Voldemort¡¯s resurrection was an exception, and no one wanted to believe it.

    They thought Dumbledore might be old and confused, but Fudge was actually worse than him¡­

    As Lupin told Evan, why Fudge had won in the election was not how well he¡¯d performed, but hispetitors were worse than him. This was actually a game topare who was worse than whom. That was the essence of the campaign.

    They didn¡¯t have to worry about these things. Under Evan¡¯s guidance, they were at ease to make ck, thick and big broomsticks.

    Hermione and Ginny had already drawn the design, but there were still many difficulties in turning it into a real object.

    Besides, Evan was still sorting out the fighting skills and spells that should be taught to them.

    He found that apart from himself and Hermione, no one else could even master themon dueling spells and had to help them learn the basics.

    Harry and the Weasleys were pretty good. Many adult wizards might not even be able to use the Shield Charm.

    This sounded funny, but it was true¡­

    As for training ording to the Auror¡¯s method, they were still a long way off, and they would have to wait a while before they could start.

    In this way, time flew to the veryst day of the holidays.

    Evan had been drawing runes on the parchment and designing the broom sensor. This was the most difficult part. Next to him, Harry was sweeping up Hedwig¡¯s owl droppings from the top of the wardrobe when Ron entered their bedroom carrying three envelopes.

    ¡°Booklists have arrived,¡± he said, throwing two of the envelopes to Evan and Harry. ¡°I was downstairs with Ginny just now, and a group of owls rushed in. About time, I thought they¡¯d forgotten, they usuallye much earlier than this!¡±

    Evan was going to be in fourth year at the beginning of the new term. He opened his letter: It contained two pieces of parchment, one the usual reminder that term started on the first of September, the other telling him which books he would need for theing year.

    Apart from the normal items, there was nothing new, only the Defence Against the Dark Arts ss needed new teaching materials.

    It was obvious that each new Defense Against the Dark Arts ss had a different textbook assigned by the professor.

    ¡°Only two new books,¡± Harry said, reading his list, ¡°The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk and Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard.¡±

    Crack.

    Fred and George Apparated right beside them.

    ¡°We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book,¡± said Fred conversationally.

    ¡°Because it means Dumbledore¡¯s found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,¡± said George.

    ¡°And about time too,¡± said Fred.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Harry asked suspiciously, jumping down beside them.

    ¡°Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back,¡± Fred said, ¡°and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year.¡±

    ¡°Not surprising, is it, when you look at what¡¯s happened to thest five?¡± said George.

    ¡°One sacked, one forced to resign, one dead, one¡¯s memory removed, and one locked in a trunk for more than half a year,¡± said Harry, counting them off on his fingers. ¡°Yeah, I see what you mean.¡±

    This position had been cursed by Voldemort, and whoever took over was unlucky. It was Umbridge¡¯s turn this year.

    ¡°Yes, no one dares to ept this position, and I don¡¯t know who is so bold,¡± Fred said, leaning over to Evan, ¡°Evan, have you designed your sensor? I can¡¯t wait to try my new broomstick!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll take a while; I still have to think about some things,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Just design it before the game starts,¡± George said, ¡°Hey, Ron, what¡¯s up with you?¡±

    Ron did not answer. The others looked around.

    Ron was standing very still with his mouth slightly open, gaping at his letter from Hogwarts.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± said Fred impatiently, moving around Ron to look over his shoulder at the parchment.

    Fred¡¯s mouth fell open too.

    ¡°Prefect?¡± he said, staring incredulously at the letter. ¡°<i>Prefec</i>t?!¡±

    George leapt forward, seized the envelope in Ron¡¯s other hand, and turned it upside down. Something scarlet and gold fell into his palm.

    He was immediately excited, his eyes widening.

    ¡°No way,¡± said George in a hushed voice.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a mistake,¡± said Fred, snatching the letter out of Ron¡¯s grasp and holding it up to the light as though checking for a watermark. ¡°No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect¡­¡±

    The twins¡¯ heads turned in unison and both of them stared at Harry.

    ¡°We thought you were a cert!¡± said Fred in a tone that suggested Harry had tricked them in some way.

    ¡°Yeah, we thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!¡± said George indignantly.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve done so many things!¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Ron is not bad either. He¡¯s been the school championst term!¡± said Evan as Ron¡¯s letter reached him.

    He saw Ron still immersed in the shocking news and did not react.

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 Chapter 899: Prefect Ron

    Chapter 899: Prefect Ron

    The Prefect was the end of Hogwarts¡¯ special management system, and only students in the fifth year or above could serve.

    As the name suggested, the prefects were the top administrators of their respective year at the school.

    But at Hogwarts, the power of the prefect was much greater, and it was not just about managing students in his own year.

    One male and one female student were chosen from each House in their fifth year to act as prefects. They would continue to be prefects in their sixth and seventh years until they left school.

    Thus, there were approximately six prefects per House and twenty-four prefects in the whole school at one time.

    They assisted professors in managing students, maintaining order,municating various notices and activities in time, and organizing students¡¯ participation in various activities.

    In other words, the prefects had been distinguished from ordinary students and became members of the school management.

    The prefect had the right to deduct points from students. Although the Heads of Houses could check these deductions, they rarely did so.

    Unless the students were very dissatisfied with the reason for the deduction of points by the prefect, it was hard to say whether they could seed in appealing to them.But there was one thing for sure; offending a prefect would definitely not end well.

    At Hogwarts, who did never break the rules?

    No one wanted to do it next to a person who could deduct points, always watching you.

    Therefore, under normal circumstances, young wizards did not want to offend the prefect who had a lot of power.

    In addition to deducting points, the prefects had many special privileges, such as the special prefects¡¯ carriage on the Hogwarts Express, and the bathroom reserved for prefects on the fifth floor of Hogwarts, and even the house-elves would provide special individual services for the prefects. ¡­

    For those who had ambitions and desire for power, being Prefect would be the first step for them to build their own power.

    They would make full use of this identity to influence students at the same and lower years. This influence would still be effective even after graduating from Hogwarts, not to mention that the prefects themselves had special small gangs.

    In this regard, Slytherin¡¯s students had always done the best, and could bring this influence into full y.

    It was said that after the school Sorting Ceremony each year, students from other Houses went back to sleep, but the students of Slytherin all gathered in theirmon room to let the first-years choose the prefect of their age.

    These non recognized prefects, also known as Hidden Prefects, were the administrators of Slytherin students.

    The prefects could go one step further and be Head Boy or Girl, the highest position a student could hold.

    Each year, both the Head Boy and the Head Girl were selected among all the seventh year students in the school.

    The Head Boy and Head Girl had the right to lead the prefects and even participate in the daily decision-making activities of the school.

    The Hogwarts Board of Governors met with the new Head Boy and Head Girl every year and listened to their various suggestions about the school.

    Generally speaking, the Head Boy and Head Girl were selected from the prefects, but there had been exceptions when Harry¡¯s father was promoted directly from ordinary student to Head Boy. In history, there had been even cases where a young wizard who was not in the seventh year and yet became Head boy.

    However, the selection of both the prefect or the Head Boy or Girl was subject to a criterion, that was, the best students in the same year and in the school.

    That was the reason why everyone had been surprised that Ron became Prefect. Apart from bing a championst year, there were not many remarkable notes in his daily performance at school.

    As Fred said, no one in their right mind would make Ron Prefect.

    It seemed that Dumbledore had a good reason for doing so!

    ¡°Yeah, our little Ron is a champion at Hogwarts,¡± said Fred disapprovingly.

    The Triwizard Tournament had be a joke, and there was nothingmendable about the champion that everyone had envied.

    ¡°I suppose all the mad stuff must have counted against Harry,¡± George continued.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Fred slowly, looking at Harry who hadn¡¯t reacted yet. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve caused too much trouble, mate. Well, at least one of you has got their priorities right.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait until next year, and if there¡¯s nothing wrong, Evan must be the prefect. Maybe he¡¯ll be the Head Boy.¡±

    That said, Fred and George were giving Ron a scathing look.

    ¡°Prefect ¡­ ickle Ronnie the prefect¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mum¡¯s going to be revolting,¡± groaned George, thrusting the prefect badge back at Ron as though it might contaminate him.

    Ron, who still had not said a word, took the badge, stared at it for a moment, and then held it out to Harry as though asking mutely for confirmation that it was genuine.

    Harry took it. Arge P was superimposed on the Gryffindor lion. He had seen a badge just like this on Percy¡¯s chest on his very first day at Hogwarts.

    The door banged open. Hermione came tearing into the room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying. There was an envelope and the same badge in her hand.

    ¡°Evan, I¡­¡± she said, brandishing her letter. She spotted the badge in Harry¡¯s hand and let out a shriek.

    ¡°You ¡­ you got it, Harry, I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too! ¡°

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s Ron, not me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­what?¡±

    ¡°Ron¡¯s prefect, not me,¡± Harry said.

    ¡°Ron?¡± said Hermione, her jaw dropping. ¡°But ¡­ are you sure? I mean¡­¡±

    She turned red as Ron looked around at her with a defiant expression on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s my name on the letter,¡± he said. ¡°Is there any problem?¡±

    ¡°I ¡­¡± said Hermione, looking thoroughly bewildered. ¡°I ¡­ well ¡­ wow! Well done, Ron! That¡¯s really¡­¡±

    ¡°Unexpected,¡± said George, nodding.

    ¡°We all thought the same!¡± Fred said.

    ¡°No,¡± said Hermione, blushing harder than ever, ¡°no, it¡¯s not ¡­ Ron¡¯s done loads of ¡­ he¡¯s really¡­¡±

    ¡°Great, both Hermione and I think so,¡± said Evan, walking over to shake Hermione¡¯s hand.

    In a somewhat tense atmosphere, Hermione¡¯s little hand gripped Evan¡¯s tightly, reflecting her inner tension.

    It was so embarrassing that everyone thought Harry would be the prefect.

    Especially the misunderstanding that Hermione broke in just now, it even lifted this matter to the top. Ron had been greatly hurt in his feelings and self-esteem.

    In fact, even he himself thought that Harry was more suitable than him to be the prefect.

    But this was not important, what mattered was the result. He became the prefect¡­

    Whether for Harry, Ron or everyone, it would take some time to digest this shocking news.

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 Chapter 900: Great News

    Chapter 900: Great News

    At that moment, the door behind Evan and Hermione opened a little wider.

    Mrs. Weasley backed into the room with a smile on her face, carrying a pile of freshlyundered robes.

    ¡°Oh my God, I can¡¯t believe it. I heard from Arthur. He sent an owl specially. What just happened is really great news!¡± she said excitedly, with a slight tremor. ¡°How could they do that? I heard that Dumbledore fought for it, and the Board of Governors would agree. Minerva wille over to announce it. We should celebrate tonight. I never thought of¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Fred, annoyed, covering his eyes with his right hand. ¡°I knew it would be like this.¡±

    ¡°Even Professor McGonagall¡¯sing?¡± said George, with a surprise in his voice. ¡°I know it¡¯s incredible, but isn¡¯t it too exaggerated? Charlie, Bill and Percy never enjoyed this kind of treatment back then.¡±

    ¡°This is different. After all, there has been no such thing for many years. Whoever hears about it will feel it amazing and incredible,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, putting the robes on the bed, ¡°Arthur told me that thest time this happened was three centuries ago, when¡­¡±

    They all blinked. What was Mrs. Weasley talking about?

    They¡¯d thought she was talking about Ron bing prefect, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.

    Instead, she was talking about a wizard of more than three hundred years ago, and furthermore it had to be specifically approved by the Hogwarts Board of Governors¡­¡°Mum, what are you talking about?¡± said Fred. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m so excited; after all, this is great news. No ¡­ no ¡­ I can¡¯t tell you the news for the time being, at least it shouldn¡¯t be told by me. After all, Minerva hasn¡¯te yet, and things are not certain. Anyway, it¡¯s up to her to announce it,¡± said Mrs. Weasley.

    She took a deep breath, and it could be seen that she was trying to restrain her desire to speak out.

    They nced at one another, their eyes full of curiosity. Mrs. Weasley didn¡¯t often look like that, which showed that what she knew was indeed very interesting. It was a great piece of good news. That¡¯s why she behaved like this.

    ¡°Is Hogwarts holding the Triwizard Tournament again?¡± Fred guessed.

    ¡°It may be a simr event. I¡¯ll be seventeen years old this time. I must be a champion,¡± said George.

    ¡°What are you talking about? This event is held every five years, plus this incident that happenedst year, I bet the reopening of the Triwizard Tournament may be postponed indefinitely!¡± Hermione said. ¡°Besides, now is not the time to hold this kind of exchange event.¡±

    She, too, looked curiously at Mrs. Weasley, but thetter was obviously nning to keep this secretpletely.

    This kind of situation was the most tormenting time. She said a little and aroused everyone¡¯s curiosity, but refused to tell what was going on. They could only make a blind guess here. What was Dumbledore going to do? What was going to happen at Hogwarts?

    Evan blinked, and this time he didn¡¯t even have a clue.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say, you will know it tonight. After all, today is thest day before school starts. By the way, I should prepare more food. Everyone should celebrate in the evening,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, even her voice trembling, as she started sorting the robes into three piles, ¡°Okay, Ginny said the booklists hade atst. If you give them to me I¡¯ll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you¡¯re packing. Hermione, do you have any special needs?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I bought everythingst time I went to Diagon Alley with Evan!¡± said Hermione. Her small face turned red again, as she remembered the scene of herself and Evan going to buy underwear, and what they had done in Diagon Alley¡­

    ¡°Oh!¡± Mrs. Weasley continued. ¡°Ron, I¡¯ll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can¡¯t believe how fast you¡¯re growing ¡­ what color would you like?¡±

    ¡°Get him red and gold to match his badge,¡± said George, smirking.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what Mrs. Weasley was talking about, she obviously didn¡¯t know the news that Ron became a prefect.

    ¡°Match his what?¡± Mrs. Weasley said absently, still thinking about what was in her heart, and rolling up a pair of maroon socks and cing them on Ron¡¯s pile.

    ¡°His badge,¡± said Fred, with the air of getting the worst over quickly. ¡°His lovely shiny new prefect¡¯s badge.¡±

    Fred¡¯s words took a moment to prate Mrs. Weasley¡¯s preupation about other things.

    ¡°His ¡­ but ¡­ Ron, you¡¯re not¡­?¡±

    Ron held up his badge, finally showing a smile on his face.

    Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione¡¯s.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it! I don¡¯t believe it! How is that possible? This is even more shocking than the news just now, how could they do that?¡± Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. ¡°Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That¡¯s everyone in the family!¡±

    ¡°What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?¡± said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him aside and flung her arms around her youngest son.

    ¡°Wait until your father hears! Ron, I¡¯m so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy just like Bill and Percy, it¡¯s the first step! Oh, what two things to happen in the middle of all this worry, I¡¯m just thrilled, oh Ronnie¡­¡±

    Fred and George were both making loud retching noises behind her back but Mrs. Weasley did not notice; arms tight around Ron¡¯s neck, she was kissing him all over his face, which had turned a brighter scarlet than his badge.

    ¡°Mum ¡­ don¡¯t ¡­ Mum, get a grip¡­¡± he muttered, desperately trying to push her away.

    She let go of him and said breathlessly, ¡°Well, what will it be? I¡¯ll buy it for you when I go to Diagon Alley this afternoon. We gave Percy an owl, but you¡¯ve already got one, of course.¡±

    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡± said Ron, looking as though he did not dare believe his ears.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to have a reward for this!¡± said Mrs. Weasley fondly. ¡°How about a nice new set of dress robes? Or a new cauldron, Charlie¡¯s old one¡¯s rusting through, or a new rat, you always liked Scabbers¡­¡±

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 Chapter 901: Changes Brought About by Becoming a Prefect

    Chapter 901: Changes Brought About by Bing a Prefect

    Ron originally wanted a broom, but Evan had said that everyone would have one.

    He¡¯d seen Hermione and Ginny¡¯s design drawings. The new broom they made was muchrger and bulkier than the mainstream brooms on the market. It seemed not very practical, but Evan had assured them that after incorporating the new design concepts, it wouldn¡¯t be much slower than a Firebolt.

    Since that was the case, he could ask his Mum to buy another gift for him, certainly not too expensive, but he could try his best to get it.

    A nice new set of dress robes was a good choice. Ron didn¡¯t want to be as embarrassed as he was atst year¡¯s Yule Ball, wearing a maroon velvet dress, with a moldy-lookingce frill at the cor and matchingce cuffs. Now that he had be a prefect, he would definitely attend many formal asions in the future; so he should prepare in advance.

    Alternatively, the cloth bag that could hold a lot of stuff like the one Evan was carrying with him would also be nice, Ron had long wanted one.

    Although it could be made by using the Undetectable Extension Charm, the effect was definitely much worse than that of the one sold specifically for that purpose.

    Besides, he also wanted to join the Gryffindor Quidditch team, so a set of necessary protective equipment and broom maintenance tools was indispensable.

    After Wood graduated, the House Quidditch team would definitely recruit a new Keeper.

    Ron was not sure if he could join sessfully, but since he was the prefect, there should be no problem, and he could fly well¡­In short, Ron felt like he needed so much!

    He didn¡¯t need to use the second-hand goods already used by his brothers, but a brand new thing that belonged to him. It was exciting to think about it.

    The others were not interested in paying attention to what gift Ron wanted. Their minds were still on the great news that Mrs. Weasley had just talked about. They were like being tickled by a kitten, so curious!

    What was it that made Mrs. Weasley so excited?

    What did Dumbledore deliberately seek from the school board, and needed Professor McGonagall toe and announce it?

    Moreover, this kind of thing seemed to be rted to a famous wizard more than three hundred years ago.

    ¡°I want to know more about what Mum said than about Ron bing a prefect,¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Give up, she definitely won¡¯t tell us,¡± George followed. ¡°The Triwizard Tournamentst summer, they just kept it secret from us for the entire summer vacation and we didn¡¯t know until after school started¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, do you have any information?¡± Harry asked hopefully.

    Evan always knew a lot of things they didn¡¯t know, and Dumbledore didn¡¯t hide much from him.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know either this time,¡± said Evan, trying to think about it, too.

    ¡°If we were in the library, we could find out what happened at Hogwarts more than three hundred years ago, as well as the wizard that Mrs. Weasley talked about and what he did. There must be records in the books,¡± said Hermione.

    No matter what it was, it probably wouldn¡¯t affect her joy of bing a prefect.

    Hermione¡¯s heart was beating fast, and now she suddenly wanted to sneak out with Evan and share the joy alone¡­

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll see you allter¡­ Little Ronnie, a prefect! And don¡¯t forget to pack your trunks¡­ A prefect¡­ Oh, I¡¯m all of a dither!¡± Mrs. Weasley gave Ron yet another kiss on the cheek, sniffed loudly, and bustled from the room.

    Fred and George exchanged looks, and the same smirk appeared on their faces at the same time.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if we don¡¯t kiss you, do you, Ronnie?¡± said Fred in a falsely anxious voice.

    ¡°We could curtsy, if you like,¡± said George.

    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± said Ron, scowling at them.

    ¡°Or what?¡± said Fred, an evil grin spreading across his face. ¡°Going to put us in detention?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d love to see him try,¡± sniggered George.

    ¡°He could if you don¡¯t watch out!¡± said Hermione angrily, at which Fred and George burst outughing and Ron muttered, ¡°Drop it, Hermione.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to watch our step, George,¡± said Fred, pretending to tremble, ¡°with these two on our case¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like ourw-breaking days are finally over,¡± said George, shaking his head.

    ¡°See you at dinner, let¡¯s go and find out about the news Mum said.¡± Fred waved his hand, ¡°Goodbye, prefects!¡±

    ¡°If we get any news, we¡¯ll let you know,¡± said George, curtseying to Ron, ¡°Goodbye!¡±

    And with another loud crack, the twins Disapparated.

    ¡°Those two!¡± said Hermione furiously, staring up at the ceiling, through which they could now hear Fred and George roaring withughter in the room upstairs. ¡°Don¡¯t pay any attention to them, Ron, they¡¯re only jealous!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think they are,¡± said Ron doubtfully, also looking up at the ceiling. ¡°They¡¯ve always said only prats be prefects.¡±

    ¡°Hum, only people who can¡¯t be prefects say that. We should study what we have to do to be good prefects. The notes Percy left me seem to be useful,¡± said Hermione. ¡°By the way, I have to write a letter, Harry ¡­ could I borrow Hedwig?¡± I want to tell Mum and Dad, they¡¯ll be really pleased ¡­ I mean, a prefect is something they can understand.¡±

    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± said Harry, so heartily it did not sound like his voice at all. ¡°Take her!¡±

    He seemed to ept the fact that Ron and Hermione had be prefects, only he was not.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get her for you!¡± said Evan hurriedly, noticing that Hermione was looking at him. He summoned Hedwig and followed Hermione out.

    The door closed gently, leaving only Harry and Ron in the room, and the atmosphere suddenly became a bit awkward and tense.

    For some reason, Harry found that he did not want to look at Ron, but it didn¡¯t seem very good not to speak at this time.

    In fact, he wanted to be quiet, but he couldn¡¯t express this emotion¡­

    ¡°Well done, Ron!¡± Harry said, still in the horrible hearty voice that did not belong to him. ¡°Brilliant. Prefect. Great!¡±

    He tried not to look at Ron, turned to his bed and picked up the pile of clean robes Mrs. Weasley hadid upon it.

    Harry crossed the room to his trunk,id the robes on the bottom of it, and pretended to be rummaging for something.

    ¡°Yeah, I never thought it would be me. I thought it would be¡­¡± Ron stopped, wondering how tofort Harry.

    After all, everyone thought he would be the prefect, even Ron himself thought so.

    But it didn¡¯t matter; he was still immersed in the great joy of bing a prefect.

    Then, he remembered what he wanted his Mum to buy him. He¡¯d forgotten to ask for something.

    Ron cared no longer about Harry; he stopped talking and hurried to the living room downstairs.

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 Chapter 902: The Campus Bully

    Chapter 902: The Campus Bully

    When the door closed again and it was confirmed that there were no other sounds around, Harry slowly shook his head.

    He returned slowly to his bed and sank onto it, gazing unseeingly at the foot of the wardrobe.

    In fact, he had forgottenpletely about prefects being chosen in the fifth year. He had been too anxious about the possibility of being expelled to spare a thought for the fact that badges must be winging their way toward certain people. But if he had remembered ¡­ if he had thought about it ¡­ what would he have expected?

    <i>Not this</i>, said a small and truthful voice inside his head.

    Harry screwed up his face and buried it in his hands.

    He could not lie to himself; if he had known the prefect badge was on its way, he would have expected it toe to him, not Ron.

    Immediately afterwards, he shook his head again. Did this make him as arrogant as Draco Malfoy? Did he think himself superior to everyone else? Did he really believe he was better than Ron?

    <i>No</i>, said the small voice defiantly.

    Was that true? Harry wondered, anxiously probing his own feelings.<i>I¡¯m better at Quidditch</i>, said the voice. <i>But I¡¯m not better at anything else</i>.

    That was definitely true, Harry thought; he was no better than Ron in lessons.

    But what about outside lessons? What about those adventures they had had together since they had started at Hogwarts?

    In his first year, he had faced Quirrell and Voldemort who were about to steal the Philosopher¡¯s Stone alone, and finally defeated them.

    In the second year, he and Evan had gone deep into Slytherin¡¯s Chamber of Secrets to rescue Ron, and defeated the Basilisk with their own power.

    On the night of his third year, he had participated in the rescue of Sirius, defeated so many Dementors, and saved everyone¡¯s life in an emergency.

    In his fourth year, justst year, although he was not a champion of Hogwarts, he still had faced the resurrected Voldemort with Evan, and bravely dueled with him to escape again in front of him and so many Death Eaters¡­

    Although Harry¡¯s holidays experience was not as exciting as Evan¡¯s, it was all because Dumbledore didn¡¯t let him go.

    Anyway, he¡¯d faced so many terrible dangers in school, far beyond Ron.

    <i>If only Evan and I were in the same year, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about this</i>, said the voice in Harry¡¯s head.

    He had to admit that he was certainly not as good as Evan, butpared to Ron and others in his year¡­

    Thinking of this, the same feeling of ill usage that had overwhelmed him on the night he had arrived rose again.

    He had definitely done more, even if not as good as Evan, but far more than Ron and Hermione.

    <i>But maybe</i>, said the small voice fairly, <i>maybe Dumbledore doesn¡¯t choose prefects because they¡¯ve got themselves into a load of dangerous situations¡­ Maybe he chooses them for other reasons¡­ Ron must have something you don¡¯t¡­</i>

    What is it? Harry opened his eyes, unable to think of anything.

    He stared through his fingers at the wardrobe¡¯s wed feet, remembering what Fred had said.

    ¡°No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect¡­¡±

    Harry gave a small snort ofughter. A secondter he felt sickened with himself.

    Ron had not asked Dumbledore to give him the prefect badge. This was not Ron¡¯s fault.

    Yeah, this was not Ron¡¯s fault!

    Besides, Ron was his best friend in the world.

    Was he going to sulk because he didn¡¯t have a badge,ugh with the twins behind Ron¡¯s back, ruin this for Ron when, for the first time, he had beaten Harry at something?

    Harry suddenly felt that his thoughts were too dirty. He was jealous of Ron. That was terrible!

    Just then, Harry heard Ron¡¯s footsteps on the stairs again.

    He stood up, straightened his sses, and hitched a grin onto his face, as Ron bounded back through the door.

    ¡°Just caught Mum! She was about to leave,¡± said Ron happily.

    ¡°Listen ¡­ Ron!¡± Harry said solemnly, and he was relieved to hear that his voice had stopped sounding hearty. ¡°Well done, mate, congrattions on bing a prefect. This is the best news I¡¯ve heard this summer!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Ron was stunned, the smile faded off his face. ¡°I never thought it would be me!¡± he said, shaking his head, ¡°I thought it would be you!¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ve caused too much trouble,¡± Harry said, echoing Fred.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ron, ¡°yeah, I suppose¡­well, what do you think Mum said about it?¡±

    While they were discussing this topic, Evan and Hermione were also talking about the same thing.

    After the two of them left, they secretly hid in an empty room on the third floor.

    Hedwignded aside on the shelf, staring amber at them, as they were hugging tightly.

    The room was obviouslyrge. Why were they huddling in that small space? What were they doing?!

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect that I would be a prefect,¡± said Hermione, her face still red, she raised her head and looked at Evan behind her, sharing her joy with him, ¡°I mean ¡­ I¡¯m not ready yet ¡­ it¡¯s so sudden!¡±

    ¡°Have faith, Hermione, you¡¯re Gryffindor, no, you are the best witch in Hogwarts,¡± said Evan cheerfully. ¡°Think about it, who can be the first every time like you? In other respects, you are also excellent. You really deserve to be a prefect.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you said¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re far better than I said, and better than the other prefects,¡± Evan continued, gently rubbing Hermione¡¯s raised head and hugging her again. ¡°If I were the headmaster, I would definitely appoint you Head Girl.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know what to do? What should the prefect do?¡± Hermione said, seemingly unassuming, ¡°I remember Percy had read a book about it back then, maybe I should look it up.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need this kind of thing, Hermione, trust me, you¡¯ll get started soon,¡± said Evan, entuating his tone. ¡°If someone dares not listen to you, you can deduct points or put them in detention. If they don¡¯t listen again, you can tell me to solve it. I guarantee that they¡¯ll be obedient.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Hermione whispered. Evan was not talking about the prefect, but the campus bully. ¡°Hum, if I were to put anyone in detention, that¡¯d be you. And ¡­ don¡¯t mess with me¡­¡±

    In short, because of the prefect¡¯s affairs, the peaceful life was suddenly disrupted.

    And time seemed to slow down all of a sudden. The whole afternoon was extremely long and extremely tormented. While digesting the news that Ron and Hermione became prefects, everyone was looking forward to the great news Mrs. Weasley had talked about.

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 Chapter 903: So It Was

    Chapter 903: So It Was

    Pent-up emotions were spreading, and curiosity was umting.

    As the long time passed slowly, everyone came to ept the fact that Ron had be a prefect.

    After the initial shock, Ron also began to get used to the change of identity brought by the prefect.

    As Percy once did, he began to show off his prefect badge, and kept moving it around, first cing it on his bedside table, then putting it into his jeans pocket, then taking it out andying it on his folded robes, as though to see the effect of the red on the ck.

    He tried his best to get everyone¡¯s attention. Only when Fred and George dropped in and offered to attach it to his forehead with a Permanent Sticking Charm did he wrap it tenderly in his maroon socks and lock it in his trunk.

    Mrs. Weasley returned from Diagon Alley around six o¡¯clock,den with books, food and gifts for Ron.

    ¡°Never mind unwrapping them now, people are arriving for dinner, I want you all downstairs to help,¡± she said.

    After some busy work, down in the basement Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavilyden dinner table, which read CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE ¡ª NEW PREFECTS. She looked in a better mood than they had seen her all holiday.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d have a little party, not a sit-down dinner,¡± she said, looking at the banner with satisfaction. ¡°It looks good, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve prepared another one. I can¡¯t take it out until the news is announced.¡±¡°So, what on earth is that news?¡± Fred asked, and Mrs. Weasley ignored him.

    It was not easy to get a word from her. She didn¡¯t give them a chance at all.

    ¡°Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron, I¡¯ve sent them both owls and they¡¯re thrilled,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, beaming as Ron entered the kitchen. ¡°Minerva wille with them, and we¡¯ll get detailed information from her.¡±

    Fred rolled his eyes and made a motion that he was about to faint.

    ¡°Did you hear what Mum said?¡± said George in a low voice, as Mrs. Weasley went back to look after the fire. ¡°She said there¡¯s another banner. Where do you think it would be hidden?¡±

    ¡°Probably in her room,¡± said Fred, looking around. ¡°I can¡¯t go on like this. I¡¯m going to be depressed and crazy. We must determine what the news is.¡±

    ¡°When we sneak into Mum¡¯s room, you should stay here to attract her attention,¡± said George.

    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡± Before Hermione¡¯s words were finished, the twins had Disapparated.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if they could find the banner, everyone was curious about it.

    At that moment, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived one after another, and everyone hurried over to greet them.

    A few minutester, Mad-Eye Moody stumped in. He hadn¡¯t been here for a long time!

    ¡°Oh, stor, I am d you¡¯re here,¡± said Mrs. Weasley brightly, as Mad-Eye shrugged off his traveling cloak. ¡°We¡¯ve been wanting to ask you for ages ¡­ could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what¡¯s inside it? We haven¡¯t wanted to open it just in case it¡¯s something really nasty.¡±

    While cleaning the old house, the writing desk had kept shaking.

    Lupin thought there was a Boggart inside, but to be on the safe side, Mrs. Weasley thought it was better to ask Moody to take a look first.

    ¡°No problem, Molly¡­¡± Moody¡¯s electric-blue eye swiveled upward and stared fixedly through the ceiling of the kitchen.

    ¡°Drawing room ¡­¡± he growled, as the pupil contracted. ¡°Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s a Boggart¡­ Want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll do it myselfter,¡± beamed Mrs. Weasley. ¡°You have your drink. We¡¯re having a little bit of a celebration, actually¡­¡± She gestured at the scarlet banner. ¡°Fourth prefect in the family!¡±

    ¡°Prefect?¡± growled Moody, his normal eye on Ron and his magical eye swiveling around to gaze into the side of his head. ¡°Well, congrattions, authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn¡¯t have appointed you¡­¡±

    Ron looked rather startled at this view of the matter, and the smug expression on his face faded instantly. Just then, he was saved the trouble of responding by the arrival of his father and eldest brother.

    Professor McGonagall was apanying them. She was wearing a very strange Muggle suit; her face was as serious as usual, even more serious.

    ¡°Minerva, has the news been confirmed? Mrs. Weasley asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Confirmed ¡­ Dumbledore has just left the Board of Governors. He asked me to announce it. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡±

    Everyone looked up at Professor McGonagall, eager to know the important news she was about to announce.

    Evan had the illusion that Professor McGonagall, Mr. Weasley, and Bill had been staring at him since they came in.

    Their faces were beaming with joy, and the big news about to be announced seemed to have something to do with him.

    With a crack, Fred and George suddenly appeared out of nothing, flustered, with a look of extreme shock on their faces.

    They seemed to have seen something incredible. They were thrilled, holding a scarlet banner in their hands.

    ¡°Oh, Merlin, Evan, I can¡¯t believe it¡­¡± Fred said.

    ¡°Look at what we found, it¡¯s incredible. How could they do that?!¡± George shook the banner in his hand vigorously.

    Everyone in the kitchen looked at them in astonishment, still not figuring out what was going on.

    The next second, Fred and George said at the same time, ¡°Evan, you¡¯ve been elected Head Boy!¡±

    What, Head Boy?!

    Evan was stunned for a moment before realizing what they were talking about, and hurriedly turned around to look at Professor McGonagall.

    How was that possible, that was simply incredible!

    ¡°Yes, Dumbledore specifically sought the school board, Evan!¡± Professor McGonagall also smiled, very happy for him. ¡°After a few days of discussion, they finally agreed that you¡¯ll be the new Head Boy, the youngest elected candidate in nearly a thousand years¡­¡±

    After a brief silence, the kitchen suddenly became lively, and everyone came to congratte Evan.

    That was simply a miracle. They had never heard of a fourth-year student bing the Head Boy.

    The ceiling of the entire kitchen was almost overturned by the sound of celebration. Compared with this news, Ron and Hermione bing prefects was nothing. It was a matter of course, and it was far less shocking than the fact that Evan became the Head Boy¡­

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 Chapter 904: The Head Boy

    Chapter 904: The Head Boy

    ¡°Congrattions, Evan!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible, like a dream.¡±

    ¡°I knew it, that¡¯s Evan, nothing is impossible with him.¡±

    Evan Looked up and saw everyone around him smiling. Hermione even showed more happiness than him.

    Everyone was surprised at first that he could be the Head Boy, and then became thrilled.

    ¡°The Head Boy is appointed from all the male students at Hogwarts. Only the best wizard can be a Head Boy. There¡¯s no age limit in theory, but in fact, there has been no student under the seventh year for many years!¡± Professor McGonagall took out a brand new silver badge and looked at Evan with satisfaction. ¡°This is what Dumbledore has won for you. We must admit, Evan, you are the best student I have ever taught. This is the School¡¯s recognition of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, professor!¡± Evan took the badge. It was true that he was still a little confused and did not react.

    This oue was so sudden,pletely beyond his expectation. What did Dumbledore want to do?!

    To make him the Head Boy of Hogwarts was quite pushing him from within the School to the public.

    Coming to think of it, it was a miracle in itself for a fourth-year student to be Head Boy. After spreading out, everyone would talk about it and pay close attention to Evan¡¯s every move.

    A new legend was rising, and Evan¡¯s name would spread throughout the wizarding world very fast.

    First of all, everyone would be concerned about why he became the Head Boy; was he really qualified to that?

    Evan¡¯s past experience was enough to prove all of that. It was to recall that he also had the title of ¡°Hope Star¡± in the wizarding world. In the Quidditch World Cup, he staged a high-level performance in front of a hundred thousand wizards. It was the battle of the century.

    The strength shown in the duel with Caresius was enough to prove that Evan was qualified to serve as the Head Boy.

    He had be the Hogwarts Head Boy at the age of only fourteen, and he wouldpletely live up to the im of Dumbledore¡¯s sessor.

    Even Voldemort did not have such a privilege at his age.

    After bing the Head Boy, with the endorsement of the whole Hogwarts, Evan¡¯s status and influence would be greatly improved. He could justly set up his own team and use this influence to do a lot of things.

    In theory, he now had the qualifications to lead and manage all Hogwarts students.

    Finally, considering his fourteen-year-old age, he was too young. Not surprisingly, Evan would remain in this position for the next four years until graduation. He would certainly leave his own indelible mark in Hogwarts.

    As the youngest Head Boy in nearly a thousand years, this event alone was enough to make him remembered by history.

    After a brief thought, Evan realized that Dumbledore had made the decision.

    After listening to him talk about his trip to Italy, Dumbledore should have also understood that the greatest enemy facing the wizarding world was no longer Voldemort, but a terrible evil god, and Evan was the best person to fight the evil gods.

    He was nowunching Evan to help him build up influence and umte enough capital as soon as possible.

    In the face of powerful enemies, only a qualified leader could be the only beacon in the dark, guiding the wizards forward and giving them the courage to continue fighting, just like Dumbledore had now done.

    No matter how evil and terrible Voldemort was, as long as he was there, people would notpletely lose hope and firmly believe that the ultimate victory woulde.

    Voldemort would not be unbridled, but qualmish.

    When facing the invasion of the evil gods in the future, there would still be a need for such a leader, namely Evan¡­

    Undoubtedly, there were many advantages brought to Evan to do this, but there were also many disadvantages.

    In the short term, the most direct pressure was probably Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, and they would definitely try their best to counter the rise of Evan.

    Among other things, Umbridge, who was about to arrive at Hogwarts, would definitely regard him as the main target of suppression.

    With Voldemort and the Death Eaters, Evan¡¯s threat level would also increase rapidly.

    In the future, it would not be so easy for him to keep a low profile and pretend to be an ordinary fourteen-year-old wizard fishing in troubled waters.

    Of course, with Evan¡¯s current strength, none of these would be a problem¡­

    ¡°The negotiations between Dumbledore and the Board of Governors went on until thest minute. Those people did not intend to agree, but Dumbledore said that if they disagree with the appointment, there will be no Head Boy until Evan graduates, because there are no students better than him in the school,¡± said Professor McGonagall. She told them all the details about the meeting of Dumbledore and the Board of Governors, which had been deadlocked for a long time.

    That was also why this year¡¯s letter from the school was exceptionallyte and had been dyed until thest day of the holidays.

    ¡°Under the current special situation, Dumbledore believes that the most important thing is to gather people and get them united,¡± said Professor McGonagall, her lips pursed. ¡°Evan, he has high hopes for you¡­¡±

    Evan nodded, looking as though he really wanted to figure out what to do.

    Next to him, Hermione¡¯s little hand was holding his hand excitedly, her body trembling slightly because of the excitement.

    It looked as though she herself had be the Head Girl.

    In fact, Evan deserved to be the Head Boy, and she wouldn¡¯t have been more delighted if she had received this honor.

    She kept talking about it, as did everyone else. The focus of attention in the kitchen shifted from her and Ron to Evan.

    No one mentioned her bing the prefect, but she didn¡¯t care at all.

    It wasn¡¯t until more than twenty minutester that the warm atmosphere calmed down a bit.

    ¡°Well, I think a toast is in order,¡± said Mr. Weasley with a smile, when everyone had a drink. He raised his goblet. ¡°To Evan, the new Head Boy ¡­ to Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!¡±

    Everyone drank to them and then apuded warmly. They were all staring at Evan.

    Although everyone had known him for a long time, they still wanted to see how he was different.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredible, the Head Boy!¡± said Tonks brightly as everybody moved toward the table to help themselves to food. ¡°This is a big man in the school. When I was a student, I could only look up to them silently in the corner.¡±

    Her hair was tomato-red and waist length today; she looked like Ginny¡¯s older sister.

    ¡°Of course, the prefect is also great. Although it¡¯s still far from the Head Boy or Girl, not everyone has the opportunity,¡± Tonks continued, staring enviously at Evan¡¯s badge, ¡°You know, I could maybe have been a prefect, but my Head of House said Icked certain necessary qualities.¡±

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 Chapter 905: The Deal and the Old Photo of the Order of the Phoenix

    Chapter 905: The Deal and the Old Photo of the Order of the Phoenix

    ¡°Like what?¡± said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato, and she scanned Evan from time to time.

    ¡°Like the ability to behave myself,¡± said Tonks, and Ginnyughed.

    Hermione looked as though she did not know whether to smile or not andpromised by taking an extrarge gulp of butterbeer and choking on it.

    Evan quickly thumped her on the back to help her smooth her breath.

    Across the table, Harry and Ron were also staring at Evan¡¯s Head Boy badge.

    It was expected that Evan could be the Head Boy. His strength and performance had been recognized by everyone, but everyone thought it would be when Evan was in the seventh year four yearster, not now.

    For boys in years above Evan¡¯s, this was really unfortunate news.

    This meant that they did not have the opportunity to be Head Boys before Evan graduated, even if they were prefects.

    Fred and George didn¡¯t care about being Head Boys at all. They had even bewitched Percy¡¯s Head Boy badge to read ¡°Bighead Boy.¡±But this time, they would not mock Evan andugh at him¡­

    As the dinner progressed, the topic at the table gradually shifted to other aspects.

    Ginny and Tonks were talking about school and girls, asionally erupting into silveryughter.

    Lupin told Harry about his father¡¯s history at Hogwarts. James had also been Head Boy, but he¡¯d not been prefect. Lupin was the prefect of their group. Dumbledore might have hoped that he would be able to exercise some control over his best friends.

    As a result, he failed dismally and spent a lot of time in detention with James and Sirius.

    After knowing that his father had not been a prefect, Harry¡¯s mood lifted somewhat.

    Hermione began to discuss her views of elf rights with Mr. Weasley and Moody. After visiting the Ministry of Magic, she came up with many new ideas, and firmly believed that all this was due to the terrible prejudice of wizards.

    Believing to be superior to other creatures was exactly the same as the discrimination that pure-blood wizards had against other wizards.

    Judging from Hermione¡¯s appearance, she seemed to be nning to take action to stop this long-standing racial and lineage discrimination in the wizarding world.

    Mrs. Weasley and Bill were having their usual argument: Bill¡¯s hair.

    Fred and George took Evan out and came to a dark corner of the stairwell. After a while, Mundungus also sneaked up, and they were conducting an illegal transaction.

    Inspired by Evan who¡¯d asked Mundungus to purchase broom materials, they also asked him for dangerous materials.

    ¡°Did you get it for us?¡± George asked eagerly.

    ¡°It took me a lot of effort to get this!¡± Mundungus said, taking out a bag from his pocket.

    He opened it to them, and it was full of what looked like shriveled ck pods. A faint rattling noise wasing from them, even though they werepletely stationary.

    ¡°Venomous Tentac seeds!¡± Evan raised his eyebrows. Mundungus could get anything.

    ¡°Yeah, we need them for the Skiving Snackboxes!¡± Fred exined, grabbing a handful of seeds in his hand and checking it carefully, ¡°but they¡¯re a ss C Non-Tradeable Substance so we¡¯ve been having a bit of trouble getting hold of them.¡±

    ¡°Ten Galleons the lot, then, Dung?¡± said George.

    ¡°No,ds,¡± said Mundungus hurriedly, shaking his head vigorously and his saggy, bloodshot eyes stretched even wider. ¡°With all the trouble I went through to get them, I¡¯m not taking a Knut under twenty.¡±

    ¡°Dung likes his little joke,¡± Fred said to Evan.

    ¡°Yeah, his best one so far has been six Sickles for a bag of knarl quills,¡± said George.

    ¡°We¡¯d better be careful, trading here is not safe!¡± said Evan, warning them three.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Head Boy?¡± said Fred jokingly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mum¡¯s busy cooing over Prefect Ron, we¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°But Moody could have his eye on us,¡± said Evan, curling his lips.

    Hearing what he said, Mundungus turned his head and looked nervously.

    ¡°Good point, that,¡± he grunted. ¡°All right,ds, ten it is, if you¡¯ll take them quick.¡±

    ¡°Cheers, Evan!¡± said Fred delightedly, getting the leather bag from Mundungus.

    ¡°Well, I also need something here. In addition to the materials for making the broom, there are also some potions and alchemy materials. If you can find them, there¡¯ll be no problem with the price.¡± Evan also took out a list and handed it to Mundungus.

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll definitely get them for you,¡± said Mundungus respectfully.

    Evan was now his biggest customer, and he naturally dared not neglect him.

    Fred and George went upstairs to hide the Venomous Tentac seeds. Evan and Mundungus returned to the kitchen and saw Ron talking to Mr. Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley was not there. Ginny and Tonks were still whispering. Harry and Hermione were gathered around Moody, looking at a small photograph in his hand.

    He leaned over and saw a small crowd of people, some of them waving, others lifting their sses.

    ¡°There¡¯s me,¡± said Moody unnecessarily, pointing at himself. The Moody in the picture was unmistakable, though his hair was slightly less gray and his nose was intact.

    ¡°And there¡¯s Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side ¡­ That¡¯s Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, they got her whole family. That¡¯s Frank and Alice Longbottom¡­¡±

    ¡°Neville¡¯s parents?¡± Hermione asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ poor devils, better dead than what happened to them,¡± growled Moody, ¡°and that¡¯s Emmeline Vance, you¡¯ve met her, and that there¡¯s Lupin, obviously ¡­ Benjy Fenwick ¡­ yeah, a very nice little guy. He copped it too, we only ever found bits of him ¡­ shift aside there,¡± he added, poking the picture, and the little photographic people edged sideways, so that those who were partially obscured could move to the front.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s Dumbledore¡¯s brother, Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke.¡±

    Evan looked at the guy in the photo who looked like Dumbledore. He didn¡¯t wave his hand and quickly hid behind the others.

    ¡°That¡¯s Dorcas Meadowes, a very talented witch. Voldemort killed her personally¡­¡± said Moody simply. ¡°That¡¯s Sirius when he still had short hair ¡­ and Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Molly¡¯s brothers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen them¡­¡± said Ginny sadly.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t born yet. The death of the two of them was a great loss for us, and¡­¡± said Moody, sliding his finger, ¡°Yeah, Harry ¡­ there you go, I thought that would interest you!¡±

    Harry¡¯s heart turned over. His mother and father were beaming up at him, sitting on either side of a small, watery-eyed man Harry recognized at once as Wormtail.

    He was the one who had betrayed their whereabouts to Voldemort and so helped bring about their deaths.

    This was a group photo of the original members of the Order of the Phoenix. There were many wizards on it, but they were all gone now!

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 Chapter 906: The Mind and the Boggart

    Chapter 906: The Mind and the Boggart

    Once the war started, it was inevitable that many people would die.

    Evan raised his head and looked at the room full of talking andughter, but he couldnt say how many people would survive.

    Even if he were as strong as Dumbledore, he couldnt protect everyone. He could only ensure Hermiones safety

    This was his bottom line and something that he had to do with his best.

    Evan turned his head and saw Hermione looking at him. He held her right hand, and his heart became more or less steadfast.

    Regardless of what the future held, no matter what risks he faced, he would not let go of this girls hand.

    Harry took the photo with mixed feelings in his heart, and he looked at the happy faces in it.

    he had seen his parents pictures before, and he had met Wormtail  but to have them sprung on him like that, when he was least expecting it  No one would like that, he thought angrily

    And then, to see them surrounded by all those other happy faces  Benjy Fenwick, who had been found in bits, and Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who had died like heroes, and the Longbottoms, who had been tortured into madness  all waving happily out of the photograph forevermore, not knowing that they were doomedWell, Moody might find that interesting  he, Harry, found it disturbing

    He was determined to learn a few more spells with Evan to improve his strength and protect the people around him.

    Evan had proved his strength. Harry had never seen or heard of a fourteen-year-old wizard bing the Head Boy. Hed almost watched Evan grow up step by step, from a Muggle who knew nothing to a powerful wizard.

    Harry was humbled by the effort Evan had put into his magical studies, as well as the help from the Philosophers Stone and Slytherins Locket.

    Since fighting Voldemort was his established destiny, he had to do his best to be as strong as possible

    At the same time, Ron, who was chatting with Mr. Weasley, was thinking about it. He watched secretly as Evan and Hermione stood there holding hands, and hurriedly looked back.

    After Evan became the Head Boy, being a prefect was nothing, and there was a great difference.

    Everyone cared about Evan, and apart from his mother, no one was talking about him bing the prefect.

    It was a relief to Ron, but at the same time he felt a little lost and disappointed in his heart.

    He still remembered Percy saying that the prefect was only the first step, and only by bing the prefect could he be qualified to be the Head Boy.

    But now, before Evan graduated, no one else was qualified, not even prefects.

    Ron didnt care about being a prefect or the Head Boy, but that was not good news after all, was it?

    In fact, he also thought that Evan was qualified to serve as the Head Boy. In terms of pure magical strength, there was no student stronger than Evan in the school. As for why Evan was so strong, he had summarized it many times before.

    In Rons opinion, it was mainly because of the help of the Philosophers Stone and Slytherins Locket.

    If other people could have these magical items, and work harder, they would be as strong as Evan.

    Unfortunately, the remaining three Philosophers Stones left by the Four Founders had disappeared. They had discussed it many times and there was no answer. Ron even had no clue. As for Slytherins Locket, there was only one

    Immediately, Ron thought of Evans previous exploration in the Acromants Lair.

    The te engraved with the map of Greece, in addition to the Locket, contained Slytherins wand, ring and double snake scepter, which seemed to be powerful magical items. If he could get one of them

    Ron shook his head hard. The items left by the old madman Slytherin were too dangerous, and only Evan could use them.

    However, if he wanted to be as powerful as Evan, it seemed that there was only one feasible way.

    After handing the photo to Harry, Moody went over to talk to Professor McGonagall, Lupin, and Kingsley. Harry stared at the photo in a daze, while Evan and Hermione left the kitchen hand in hand. They had a lot to say now.

    Although they had been talking all afternoon, it was not enough. If they could, Evan and Hermione would now talk all night without getting bored or tired.

    In the afternoon, Evan was still helping Hermione figure out how to be a good prefect. Now the situation was just reversed. She wanted to help Evan do a good job as the Head Boy and live up to the hopes of Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

    Tomorrow was the first day of school, and Evan had to give instructions to the prefects

    Compared to Hermiones nervousness, Evan didnt care. He had only one rule here: Dont ask for trouble.

    If anyone wanted to do something, he didnt mind practicing magic with them.

    But since Hermione wanted to talk, Evan had no reason to refuse. He could go back to the third-floor room they had used in the afternoon and chat leisurely.

    The night was long and there was a lot of time. He even thought they could change positionster

    They held hands and walked up the stairs in the hall, past the stuffed elf heads. Hermione kept talking and offering advice to Evan, but stopped suddenly when approaching the firstnding.

    They heard a voice, someone was sobbing in the drawing room, and Evan and Hermione looked at one another.

    Isnt it Mrs. Weasleys voice? Hermione said, Whats going on?

    They climbed the remaining stairs two at a time, walked across thending, and opened the drawing-room door.

    Someone was cowering against the dark wall, her wand in her hand, her whole body shaking with sobs. Sprawled on the dusty old carpet in a patch of moonlight, clearly dead, was Ron.

    Ron, whats the matter?! Hermiones eyes widened and she held Evans right hand tightly.

    Ron dead, how could it be? Theyd seen him downstairs when they came up just now

    Hold on, Hermione, its a Boggart! said Evan, feeling the magic reaction in the air, Mrs. Weasley?

    R-r-riddikulus! Mrs. Weasley sobbed, pointing her shaking wand at Rons body.

    Crack! Rons body turned into Bills, spread-eagled on his back, his eyes wide open and empty, his hollow eyes widened.

    Seeing Bills body, Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever.

    R-riddikulus! she sobbed again.

    Crack! Mr. Weasleys body reced Bills, his sses askew, a trickle of blood running down his face.

    No! Mrs. Weasley moaned. No  riddikulus! Riddikulus! RIDDIKULUS!

    Crack. Dead twins. Crack. Dead Percy. Crack. Dead Harry. Crack. Dead Evan

    All right, Mrs. Weasley, get out of here! Evan said, taking a step forward and pulling out his wand.

    Crack! The Boggart in front of him had changed. It was Hermiones body!

    Riddikulus! Evan said very firmly and clearly.

    Hermiones body vanished, this Boggart was making hisst struggle, and the evil god appeared

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 Chapter 907: The Desire to Protect

    Chapter 907: The Desire to Protect

    The rotten, horrible body full of gullies appeared in front of Evan, getting bigger and bigger, and vanished in a puff of smoke in the blink of an eye.

    A dark creature of the Boggart¡¯s level couldn¡¯t transform into the evil god. Even if without Evan¡¯s spell, it would be finished. However, when the huge body of the ¡°evil god¡± disappeared, it still shook the whole house slightly.

    ¡°What was thest monster that appeared?¡± Hermione asked in a low voice. There was no other sound but Mrs. Weasley¡¯s sobbing voice in the room.

    ¡°The evil god I¡¯ve been telling you about, the Noumenon I saw in my vision.¡± Evan put the wand back.

    There was a brief silence. Hermione had imagined the appearance of the evil god countless times, but she¡¯d never thought it would be so terrible.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan, thank you ¡­ I thought I could deal with that Boggart!¡± said Mrs. Weasley, tears falling uncontrobly, and then she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.

    Evan and Hermione had never seen her like that. In everyone¡¯s eyes, she had always been a shrewd and capable figure.

    ¡°I see them d-d-dead all the time!¡± she moaned. ¡°All the t-t-time! I d-ddream about it ¡­ sometimes I¡¯m busy, and the terrible idea pops in my head¡­¡±

    Just then, the door of the drawing-room was knocked open, and everyone downstairs ran up in a panic.

    Lupin rushed in first, holding his wand in his hand, followed by Kingsley and Mr. Weasley, then Tonks, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, and finally, Moody also stumped along behind them.

    ¡°What was the sound just now¡­ God, Molly ¡­ are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Mum, why are you crying?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mr. Weasley hurried over.

    In the blink of an eye, Mrs. Weasley was sobbing her heart out on his shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Boggart hiding in the desk, it¡­¡± Hermione exined to everyone what had just happened.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all right, Molly, it was just a Boggart!¡± said Mr. Weasley soothingly, patting her on the back, and handing her a handkerchief. ¡°Nothing of what you¡¯ve seen was real!¡±

    ¡°Being silly ¡­ not even able to get rid of a Boggart,¡± Mrs. Weasley said, blowing her nose.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, you¡¯re just too worried!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just s-s-so worried,¡± she said, tears spilling out of her eyes again. ¡°Half the f-f-family¡¯s in the Order, it¡¯ll b-b-be a miracle if we alle through this¡­ Gideon and Fabian were just like that. They just went out to perform amon task and never came back¡­ and PP-Percy¡¯s not talking to us¡­ What if something d-ddreadful happens and we had never m-m-made up? And what¡¯s going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who¡¯s g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?¡±

    Seeing her, Evan, Harry, and Hermione remembered the old photo of the Order of the Phoenix that Moody had just taken out. They all had smiling faces, but who, at that time, could have thought that most of them would be no longer here now.

    ¡°Molly, that¡¯s enough,¡± said Lupin firmly. ¡°This isn¡¯t likest time. The Order is better prepared, we¡¯ve got a head start, we know what Voldemort¡¯s up to¡­¡±

    Mrs. Weasley gave a little squeak of fright at the sound of the name.

    ¡°Oh, Molly,e on, it¡¯s about time you got used to hearing it ¡­ look, I can¡¯t promise no one¡¯s going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we¡¯re much better off than we werest time, you weren¡¯t in the Order then, you don¡¯t understand the death of your brothers¡­st time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one.¡±

    Would it really be that easy?

    Voldemort was not a fool. He would continue to expand his army and seek powerful forces. The number of Death Eaters didn¡¯t mean much.

    Regardless of the mysterious and terrifying evil gods, even in the original plot, many people had died after the war started again, including Sirius, Moody, Snape, Fred, Colin, Lupin, Tonks, and even Dumbledore¡­

    Evan admitted that he knew the remaining Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes. But it was not as simple as finding them out and reading an Avada Kedavra to Voldemort to kill him or eliminating his weapons to solve everything.

    Voldemort could continue to split his soul to make Horcruxes. Anyway, he was already a lunatic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Percy, Molly,¡± said Mr. Weasley, hugging Mrs. Weasley tightly. ¡°He¡¯lle round. It¡¯s a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry¡¯s going to be begging us to forgive them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be epting his apology,¡± Fred added.

    ¡°If he admits that he¡¯s a hopeless fool¡­¡± George said.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. And as for who¡¯s going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died,¡± said Lupin, smiling slightly, ¡°what do you think we¡¯d do, let them starve?¡±

    Mrs. Weasley smiled tremulously and looked at Ron and Ginny, who were still standing there.

    ¡°Being silly,¡± she muttered again, mopping her eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Mum, we won¡¯t let what you¡¯ve seen happen with us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s going for the better, Ron has also be a prefect.¡±

    ¡°I can take care of myself now, not as bad as you think¡­¡± Ginny added hastily.

    Evan, Harry, Hermione and the others retired and gave the drawing-room to the Weasley¡¯s. They must have a lot to say.

    When this kind of thing happened, no one had the heart to do anything else. Lupin asked Evan, Harry, and Hermione to go back to bed. They went back to the kitchen and seemed to discuss escorting everyone to the train station tomorrow morning.

    Evan apanied Hermione back to her room. It could be seen that she was also worried, with a preupied look. She did not mention the Head Boy and prefect any more. She just hugged Evan silently in the dark. This could make her feel at ease.

    None of them spoke. There had already been enough guarantees and discussions.

    Evan had also proved with facts that he was trustworthy, and he hoped Hermione could leave everything to him. Although this was not in line with her character, at least when she was alone with him, she could do so and bepletely reassured.

    Maybe, that was what could be called the desire to protect, wasn¡¯t it?

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 Chapter 908: Departure to School

    Chapter 908: Departure to School

    Even after Ginny came back, Evan didn¡¯t leave.

    He had turned into a kitten lying in Hermione¡¯s arms, quietly apanying her, just like what had happened on the first night here.

    Everyst night before the start of the new term seemed to be a sleepless night, and so was this evening.

    Harry returned to the dark room alone, and when he closed his bedroom door behind him, he had to admit that he couldn¡¯t think Mrs. Weasley silly, because he¡¯d almost thought the same.

    He fell heavily on his bed. Even in the thick darkness, he could still see his parents beaming at him from the tattered old photograph, unaware that their lives, like so many of those around them, were drawing to a close.

    Hermione had told him about the Boggart, and the image of the creature posing as the corpse of each member of Mrs. Weasley¡¯s family in turn kept shing before his eyes.

    Without warning, the scar on his forehead seared with pain again and his stomach churned horribly.

    ¡°Cut it out,¡± he said firmly, rubbing the scar as the pain receded again.

    ¡°First sign of madness, talking to your own head,¡± said a sly voice from the empty picture on the wall.

    Harry didn¡¯t know where the person of the portrait had gone. He hadn¡¯t seen him show up for the entire holidays.

    He didn¡¯t have the mind to see who the owner of this portrait was now. He felt older than he had ever felt in his life.

    He had never felt this way before, and it seemed extraordinary to him that barely an hour ago he had been worried about who had gotten a prefect¡¯s badge, and what Evan should do after he became the Head Boy.

    Harry had a troubled night¡¯s sleep, he forced himself to sleep, but it was difficult.

    About half an hourter, Ron came back and gently called him a few times, but Harry pretended to be asleep. He didn¡¯t want to discuss with Ron about Voldemort, the prefect or the Head Boy¡­

    He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but Harry didn¡¯t hear the sound of Evaning back, and his consciousness gradually blurred.

    His parents wove in and out of his dreams, never speaking.

    The scene changed, and Mrs. Weasley sobbed over Kreacher¡¯s dead body, watched by Evan, Ron, and Hermione, who were wearing crowns.

    And yet again Harry found himself walking down a dark and deep corridor ending in a locked door¡­

    ¡°No!¡± He woke up abruptly, with his scar prickling.

    He was panting hard, and looked up to find Ron already dressed and talking to him.

    ¡°Evan didn¡¯t seem to havee backst night!¡± he muttered, looking at Evan¡¯s bed, there was no trace that anyone had slept on it, ¡°Or he came back, but got up early again. Okay, better hurry up, Mum just came up and told us to be quick. She¡¯s going ballistic; she says we¡¯re going to miss the train.¡±

    When Harry put on his clothes and walked downstairs at top speed, Evan and Hermione had already finished breakfast!

    Evan hadn¡¯t been backst night. He¡¯d turned into a kitten lying in Hermione¡¯s arms all night.

    After the two tossed about, Hermione finally fell asleep in the second half of the night, but he didn¡¯t sleep well.

    He wasn¡¯t used to sleeping on other people¡¯s bodies, and the smell of Hermione¡¯s body always made him crazy and he couldn¡¯t sleep.

    Whoever would have kept that kind of posture andy in that kind of ce would have probably been the same.

    For those who do not believe it, just be a cat and feel it yourselves, then you¡¯ll know what it was all about.

    For the next half hour, there was a lot ofmotion in the house.

    Evan and Hermione¡¯s things were all in the bag he carried with him, but the others couldn¡¯t do it, and there was no bag to hold their entire luggage, so they had to drag their trunks strenuously.

    Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall.

    Suddenly, Mrs. ck and Mrs. Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices.

    ¡°COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS!¡±

    ¡°FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!¡±

    Fred and George hurried over to apologize to Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley patched her up.

    The others looked nervous, and Harry and Ron took a few bites and went upstairs to get their trunks.

    Hermione realized that she didn¡¯t know where Crookshanks had gone, and followed upstairs to find him.

    After a while, Hedwig flew in staggeringly, bringing back a letter from Hermione¡¯s parents.

    At Hermione¡¯s insistence, Evan had also written a letter to his parentsst night, telling them that he¡¯d be the Head Boy. He tied his letter to Hedwig¡¯s leg. He and Harry had already talked about it.

    Hedwig seemed to be very dissatisfied with being sent out as soon as she came back.

    Although Evan said a lot of good things, she gave him a good peck on the finger before pping her wings and flying out.

    Finally, everyone was ready and there was not much time left, but Mad-Eye Moody blocked the door and insisted not to set off. He wasining that they couldn¡¯t leave unless Sturgis Podmore was here, otherwise the guard would be one short.

    Moody seemed to be very dissatisfied with Sturgis Podmore. When he escorted Harry before, he¡¯d borrowed Moody¡¯s invisibility cloak and hadn¡¯t returned yet.

    ¡°Guard?¡± said Harry thoughtlessly, dragging his heavy trunk. ¡°We have to go to King¡¯s Cross with a guard?¡±

    ¡°You have to go to King¡¯s Cross with a guard,¡± Hermione corrected him, carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms.

    ¡°Why?¡± Harry said impatiently, suddenly bing inexplicably irritated. ¡°I thought Voldemort was supposed to be lying low, or are you telling me he¡¯s going to jump out from behind a dustbin to try and do me in? Or, are the Dementors being mixed in the crowd?¡±

    ¡°Mad-eye obviously thinks so,¡± said Evan, telling him about Hedwig¡¯s return.

    ¡°Seriously!¡± said Hermione distractedly, looking at her watch. ¡°If we don¡¯t leave soon we¡¯re definitely going to miss the train!¡±

    ¡°Please, stor, we have to go!¡± Mrs. Weasley Obviously thought the same.

    She pulled the simply bandaged Ginny out of the kitchen. Fred and George kept following Ginny, making herugh.

    Everyone was crowded in the narrow hall. Mrs. ck¡¯s portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again anyway.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go, remember our nst night?¡± groaned Moody.

    ¡°The n is simple, Evan, Harry, Hermione, and the others, you¡¯re toe with me, Remus and Tonks,¡± shouted Mrs. Weasley over the repeated screeches of ¡°MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!¡± ¡°Especially you, Harry, you¡¯ll be in the middle. Leave your trunk and your owl¡¯s cage. stor¡¯s going to deal with the luggage.¡±

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 Chapter 909: The Disguise and the Hogwarts Express

    Chapter 909: The Disguise and the Hogwarts Express

    Everyone left their luggage to Moody, who helped to take them to the station. When the door mmed behind them, and Mrs. ck¡¯s screeches were cut off instantly, everyone felt that their ears were immediately cleaned and rxed a lot, and they were d to finally leave the ce.

    In the weak September sunlight, they went down the stone steps of number twelve, which vanished the moment they reached the pavement!

    ¡°Where¡¯s Tonks?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see her?¡±

    In fact, they saw no other guards this morning except Moody and Lupin, who hadn¡¯t leftst night.

    ¡°She¡¯s waiting for us just up here,¡± said Mrs. Weasley stiffly. ¡°We have to hurry up.¡±

    ¡°Apart from her, no one else will show up. They¡¯ll be following us in the dark in disguise,¡± said Lupin gently, he was also wearing a Muggle suit. ¡°This is Mad-eye¡¯s idea. Too many people are easy to attract attention. We originally nned to set out in three teams, but there were not enough guards.¡±

    ¡°Disguise?¡± Harry thought instantly of the Polyjuice Potion.

    Not long ago, Evan had surprised him after he used the Polyjuice Potion to turn into Gabrielle.

    ¡°Yeah, this is a skill that the Auror must master,¡± said Lupin simply. ¡°It¡¯s important not to show your true colors when fighting Dark Wizards.¡±

    The group took a few steps forward and at the corner, an old woman greeted them. She had tightly curled gray hair and wore a purple hat shaped like a porkpie.

    If she hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to greet them, it would have been almost impossible to recognize her as Tonks.

    ¡°Wotcher,¡± she said, winking. ¡°Better hurry up, hadn¡¯t we, Molly?¡±

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± moaned Mrs. Weasley, lengthening her stride, ¡°but Mad-Eye wanted to wait for Sturgis¡­ If only Arthur could have got us cars from the Ministry again ¡­ but Fudge wouldn¡¯t let him borrow so much as an empty ink bottle these days¡­ How Muggles can stand traveling without magic?¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t know what happened to the Portable Swamp Fred and George had left under Percy¡¯s seat, but since the trial ended, Mr. Weasley¡¯s situation had obviously gotten worse and Fudge was forcing him to resign voluntarily.

    It took them twenty minutes to reach King¡¯s Cross by foot, and nothing more eventful happened on the way.

    Once inside the station they lingered casually beside the barrier between tforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through onto tform nine and three quarters unnoticed.

    The Hogwarts Express stood there, belching sooty steam over a tform packed with departing students and their families.

    Evan, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George all became excited; inhaling the familiar smell and felt their spirits soar¡­ They were really going back to Hogwarts!

    The summer vacation seemed to have been extremely long this year, especially for Evan, who had not been in school for more than half a year.

    When they appeared, the atmosphere on the lively tform changed drastically, and many people noticed them at once.

    Evan saw many Hufflepuff and Ravenw students secretly pointing at him and talking to their parents.

    Most of the Slytherins directly looked at them with hostile eyes, avoiding them from a distance.

    Even the Gryffindors were full of disagreements. Some avoided them in fear, while others greeted them directly.

    There were only a few wizards who came by. They supported Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, such as Neville and his grandmother.

    She was very old, wearing a long green dress, a moth-eaten fox fur, and a pointed hat decorated with a stuffed vulture that looked terrible. She was one of the few people Evan had seen who could directly say Voldemort¡¯s name.

    She made it clear that she supported Evan and the others, and she already knew that the Order of the Phoenix was back in action!

    This olddy¡¯s regret was that no one from the Longbottoms had joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight Voldemort this time. She kept saying that Neville was so much worse than Evan, Harry, and his father. She hoped her grandson could be brave.

    Neville, as before, dared not refute a word of what his grandmother said.

    They all stood and talked for a while, until the train made a long warning whistle and began to emit white steam.

    ¡°I really hope Arthur and stor make it in time,¡± said Mrs. Weasley anxiously. ¡°Ah, here they are!¡±

    Mr. Weasley and Moody came through the archway pushing a cart full of their trunks. Moody was limping, a porter¡¯s cap pulled low over his mismatched eyes.

    ¡°No trouble?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Mr. Weasley.

    ¡°All okay,¡± Moody muttered to Lupin, Mrs. Weasley, and Tonks. ¡°I don¡¯t think we were followed¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± They hurriedly unloaded Moody¡¯s luggage cart and put them on the train.

    ¡°That¡¯s too much. I¡¯ll still be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore,¡± said Moody, seemingly very dissatisfied. ¡°That¡¯s the second time he¡¯s not turned up in a week. He¡¯s getting as unreliable as Mundungus.¡±

    ¡°Well, look after yourselves,¡± said Lupin, shaking hands all round.

    ¡°This year Hogwarts is a bit different. Be careful and remember to watch Harry.¡± He walked up to Evan and whispered.

    ¡°I will!¡± Evan raised his eyebrows, hoping it wouldn¡¯t be too boring to confront Umbridge.

    Lupin reached Harryst and gave him a p on the shoulder. ¡°You too, Harry. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, keep your head down and your eyes peeled,¡± said Moody. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I taught youst term, and don¡¯t forget, all of you, be careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don¡¯t put it in a letter at all. In fact, I think you¡¯d better not write to the outside world, especially Sirius¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been great meeting all of you,¡± said Tonks, hugging Hermione and Ginny. ¡°We¡¯ll see you soon, I expect.¡±

    The warning whistle sounded; and the students still on the tform started hurrying onto the train.

    ¡°Quick, quick,¡± said Mrs. Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random. ¡°Be good. If you¡¯ve forgotten anything we¡¯ll send it on¡­ Onto the train, now, hurry¡­ ¡°

    They hurriedly got on the train, and waved their hands out of the open window.

    The figures of Tonks, Lupin, Moody, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shrank rapidly.

    ¡°School finally starts. What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve got business to discuss with Lee!¡± Fred said, ¡°Coming with us, Evan?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t forget Evan¡¯s the Head Boy ¡­¡± said Hermione directly.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, see youter, Head Boy!¡± Fred waved, and he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.

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 Chapter 910: The Prefectsâ€™ Carriage

    Chapter 910: The Prefects¡¯ Carriage

    The train was gathering still more speed, so that the houses outside the window shed past and they swayed where they stood.

    ¡°What does the Head Boy do?¡± Harry asked curiously.

    ¡°Professor McGonagall told mest night that it¡¯s mainly to maintain order, manage the prefects, participate in the formtion of specific school policies, n activities, and so on. In fact, there¡¯s not much specific work,¡± said Evan.

    In his opinion, most things could be handled by the prefects, and he didn¡¯t want to care about trivial matters.

    He didn¡¯t have enough time. The status of the Head Boy was more symbolic. When he wanted to do something, it provided a good shelter and a good reason, rather than actually doing specific practical work.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just stand here forever¡­¡± Ginny reminded.

    ¡°Yeah, we should find apartment.¡± Harry nodded hurriedly.

    ¡°Well ¡­ Harry ¡­ Evan, Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage,¡± Hermione said awkwardly.

    ¡°Before the start of the term, everyone meet up and by the way, talk about guiding the first-years for a while,¡± said Evan.

    Ron wasn¡¯t looking at Harry; he seemed to have be intensely interested in the fingernails on his left hand.

    ¡°Prefect carriage?!¡± Harry said, reacting immediately, ¡°Oh, right. Fine.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have to stay there all journey,¡± said Hermione quickly. ¡°Our letters said the prefects just get instructions from the Head Boy and Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time.¡±

    ¡°I forgot about it if you didn¡¯t tell me, I have to lecture the prefects¡­¡± said Evan, and Hermione gave him a disgruntled look.

    ¡°Fine, you go, I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Harry said again.

    ¡°Well, see youter, Harry, Ginny!¡± Evan waved.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s a pain having to go down there, I¡¯d rather¡­¡± said Ron hesitantly, casting a shifty, anxious look at Harry, as though he had betrayed him, ¡°but we have to ¡­ I mean, I¡¯m not enjoying it. I¡¯m not Percy, and I don¡¯t care about the prefect or the Head Boy,¡± he finished defiantly.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not,¡± said Harry and he grinned. ¡°Go ahead and remember to support Evan.¡±

    But when Evan, Hermione and Ron walked toward the engine end of the train, Harry felt an odd sense of loss. He had never traveled on the Hogwarts Express without Ron.

    ¡°Come on,¡± Ginny told him, ¡°if we get a move on we¡¯ll be able to save them ces.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Harry, picking up Hedwig¡¯s cage in one hand and the handle of his trunk in the other.

    After separating from Harry and Ginny, the three of them walked straight to the engine end of the train, where the prefects¡¯ carriage was located.

    ¡°The main task of the Head Boy is to manage the prefects. Evan, as the youngest Head Boy in centuries, others may raise objections¡­¡± Hermione said with concern, reminding him what he should pay attention toter. ¡°It¡¯s okay for the others, but Manfred Gleeson (<i>T.N.: I found this name nowhere in the books or the movies. It should be a personage created by the author. But Gleeson is in fact the name of the actor who yed Mad-Eye Moody in the movies</i>), the prefect of Slytherin, needs special attention.¡±

    ¡°Manfred Gleeson?!¡± Evan recalled a tall, somewhat sturdy boy.

    He had had no contact with this guy before; he only knew that he was the prefect of Slytherin, and was three years older than him.

    ¡°Like other Slytherin students, Gleeson is a nasty guy,¡± said Ron. ¡°Do you remember the time when all Slytherin students boycotted Professor Lupin two years ago? He was one of the leaders at the time.¡±

    If Cedric Diggory was still there, this year¡¯s Head Boy would have been none other than him. After he became a vampire and moved to another school, the most promising person to be the Head Boy was Slytherin seventh year student Manfred Gleeson.

    In fact, even Gleeson himself thought so.

    Among the students in the seventh year, no one was better than him, and he was the most qualified to be the Head Boy!

    Compared with the prefect, the Head Boy was not only a symbol of identity and status, but also represented a great honor. This was the highest position that Hogwarts could give to students. After graduation, he would be highly regarded and given preferential treatment when entering the Ministry of Magic.

    Before the news of Cedric¡¯s transfer came out, he¡¯d never thought he would be so lucky.

    But after a whole summer vacation, he waited until the beginning of school, eager for the news that he¡¯d be the Head Boy. Then,st night, he learned from others that a fourth-year Gryffindor boy had be the Head Boy. Evan Mason, the young wizard from a Muggle family, who¡¯d made a lot of noise every year.

    Gleeson felt exceptionally angry when he thought of this. In his opinion, it was Evan who¡¯d stolen the Head Boy that should have belonged to him through disgraceful means. After Cedric¡¯s ident, this position was originally his.

    Although he could not go against Dumbledore¡¯s wishes, Gleeson did not intend to listen to the orders of a fourteen-year-old wizard.

    He even nned to teach Evan a lesson to prove himself. Although he knew Evan was strong, he couldn¡¯t say how strong he was. Actually, Evan¡¯s strength had always been the hottest topic in the school.

    But when he thought of the difference in age between them, he had some confidence in himself.

    Not to mention, there were those powerful old pure-blood wizard families supporting him.

    In these seven years in Slytherin, Gleeson had fully understood the power and influence of these families.

    His parents were just ordinary wizards, and if he wanted to develop after graduation, he couldn¡¯t do without their help.

    In fact, as a prefect, he even noticed the abnormal behavior of the most powerful students in the House in thest part of the previous term, and then linked to those things that Dumbledore had said, he could be sure that You-Know-Who had reallye back!

    Gleeson was not opposed to taking refuge with Voldemort, although this kind of thing was crazy enough just to think about it¡­

    Malfoy was as preupied as he was. He was the first to know that Evan had be the Head Boy.

    Most of the members of the Hogwarts Board of Governors were from pure-blood wizard families. Although they might not necessarily support Voldemort, they had very close ties with other families of pure-blood wizards. The news that Evan had be the Head Boy was first known to the upper wizarding circles.

    Malfoy couldn¡¯t tell how he felt. There must be jealousy and anger. Compared with Evan being the Head Boy, his election as a prefect was nothing. Dumbledore was too partial!

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 Chapter 911: The Conflict

    Chapter 911: The Conflict

    The Dark Lord had returned, and this phenomenon was about to be changed.

    During the summer vacation, Malfoy had seen Voldemort with his own eyes, which made him excited and ecstatic.

    He could feel the strong power in the Dark Lord, and every move he made was apanied by a chilling sense of dread and fear.

    As long as under Voldemort¡¯s leadership, pure-blood wizarding families could regain their former glory and restore their supremacy.

    At that time, those Mudbloods and half-blood wizards would all be trampled under their feet.

    Draco Malfoy had also wanted to be a Death Eater and loyal to the great Dark Lord, but his father didn¡¯t seem to be positive about it.

    Lucius repeatedly emphasized that he was still young to be involved in these things and he had just to study.

    He knew what his parents meant, and they still treated him as a child and didn¡¯t want him to face danger¡­

    There would be a chance. Voldemort had personally said when they metst time that he would give him a chance to prove himself.

    Malfoy¡¯s body trembled slightly because of his excitement. Then, he quickly regained hisposure.

    What truly concerned him was his father¡¯s warning. Up until then, his father had always looked down on Evan, but after going to the Ministry of Magic a few days ago, he had called Malfoy into his study and warned him not to provoke Evan.

    When necessary, he could even show some goodwill and give some help.

    This was incredible. He didn¡¯t know what had happened to his father. He actually allowed him to maintain a good rtionship with a Mudblood and provide help. This simply subverted his impression of his father¡­

    But there must have been a reason for him to ask him to do that. In fact, regardless of these factors, Draco Malfoy did not dare to provoke Evan.

    Evan had once saved his life from the terrifying soul-piercing spells and mysterious, unpredictable powers.

    Since then, Malfoy thought he had kept a low profile at school, basically avoiding Evan.

    Although in the past six months he had tried his best to vilify Evan, saying that he was a young wizard who had only mastered a few magic and didn¡¯t know anything, Malfoy didn¡¯t believe that. Only true fools could believe those words.

    He believed more in his own eyes, and Malfoy was a person at Hogwarts with a clear understanding of strength.

    Therefore, he did not give a clear answer when Gleeson proposed that all the prefects unite to boycott Evan.

    He didn¡¯t think it was a good idea, it was too reckless and stupid, and he didn¡¯t think these people could make Evan regress.

    Besides, what was the use of doing so?

    Dumbledore was the one who had the final say at Hogwarts, and even if they joined forces to defeat Evan, it wouldn¡¯t be of much use.

    In this situation, when Evan, Ron, and Hermione walked into the prefects¡¯ carriage, the atmosphere was quite weird.

    Everyone was talking about Evan bing the Head Boy. Seeing hime in, everyone was quiet again. The shining Head Boy badge on Evan¡¯s chest seemed to be particrly dazzling.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the Head Boy this year,¡± Gleeson immediately got up from his seat, his eyes fixed on Evan, and his tone was quick and powerful. ¡°My name is Manfred Gleeson, Slytherin¡¯s seventh-year prefect. You may not know me, but it doesn¡¯t matter, and I don¡¯t really want to know you. We¡¯ve just discussed it, and everyone thinks that you¡¯ve used shameful means to be the Head Boy. Therefore, we hope you can voluntarily resign from this position.¡±

    There was a silence!!!

    After hearing the words, everyone held their breath.

    The atmosphere in the carriage was very tense, and everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on these two people.

    No one thought that Gleeson would be so direct, and tell Evan to resign as the Head Boy.

    Although they all felt weird after knowing the news just now, no one thought of asking Evan to resign.

    Thinking about it carefully, the things Evan had done were enough to make him the Head Boy. He had this qualification.

    What did it matter even if he was younger?

    However, there was a premise that all the things that Evan had done were true, not all false experiences as said, just like Professor Lockhart back then¡­

    ¡°Resign? Do you all think so?¡± Evan asked, looking around.

    He saw Anthony Goldstein, Padma Patil, Ernie Macmin, Hannah Abbott, Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, etc., and there were many others he didn¡¯t know, but just had vague impressions of.

    There were a lot of students in the school, and it was difficult to recognize them all except those they usually contacted.

    Not to mention, Evan¡¯s social activities were almost zero; and he spent all his time studying magic or making potions.

    But for one thing, looking at his gaze, everyone¡¯s eyes quickly moved away.

    Some people smiled and clearly supported Evan.

    Manfred Gleeson was a little embarrassed, because he suddenly found no one to support him, not even the prefects of Slytherin House.

    They were all watching Malfoy, but he didn¡¯t move, as though he had been under the Full Body-Bind Curse.

    Compared with the other three Houses, Slytherin House was more susceptible to secr power.

    The status of an heir to an old and veteran wizarding family such as Malfoy was much higher in the school than that of ordinary students like Gleeson.

    Even if Gleeson was a senior, it was no exception, especially considering that Voldemort had returned and the Malfoy family had been reused, these people all took Malfoy as their example, waiting for his decision.

    ¡°Fool!¡± Malfoy murmured, warning Gleeson not to act rashly.

    Knowing that he would do this, Malfoy should have reminded Evan to beware of Manfred Gleeson. There were not many opportunities to do favors like this, and it was also a good opportunity to improve his rtionship with Evan ording to his father¡¯s wishes.

    Noticing that Evan was looking at him, Malfoy shook his head slightly.

    ¡°It seems that apart from you, no one else wants me to resign,¡± said Evan cheerfully, turning his gaze from Malfoy¡¯s pale face to Gleeson¡¯s. ¡°And I have no ns to resign for the time being. If you¡¯re not satisfied with my bing Head Boy, you can always step down as a prefect.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of you persisting like this?!¡± said Gleeson forcefully, turning his head to look at Malfoy. Even if there was no one here to support him, he had to make his position clear. He knew how many people in the House were against Evan. ¡°The boys from Slytherin and I will not obey your orders. If I were you¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, I don¡¯t like people pointing fingers at me and telling me what to do, and I don¡¯t like your attitude,¡± said Evan, turning aside to make way. ¡°I¡¯ll talk about this with the headmaster and the Head of your House. Now, as the Head Boy, I invite you to get out of here. Besides, you¡¯re no longer a prefect!¡±

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 Chapter 912: The Bat-Bogey Hex

    Chapter 912: The Bat-Bogey Hex

    The Head Boy had the right to dismiss and rece the prefect, but no one had ever used it.

    If Gleeson got sacked like this, Evan would set another precedent, and Gleeson would be aughingstock.

    What would people say about him in the future, the first prefect to be dismissed from the post because of his stupidity?!

    Sure enough, Gleeson¡¯s face flushed suddenly when he heard Evan¡¯s words, and he became extremely excited.

    ¡°I challenge you to a duel, Mason!¡± he yelled and pulled out his wand. ¡°I want to let you know what the right attitude towards seniors is. Dumbledore can make you the Head Boy, but you don¡¯t have that qualification.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have time to talk to you right now!¡± said Evan. ¡°As the Head Boy, I¡¯ll start giving instructions to the prefects for the new term, and then we have to go out to patrol and maintain order. I don¡¯t have time to y a boring game with you. Draco, can you please help get this senior from your House out? I think detention can make him calm down.¡±

    Evan¡¯s words ¡®calm down¡¯ were nothing different from adding fuel to the fire.

    Before Malfoy, who was named by Evan, reacted, Gleeson had waved his wand and cast a red spell on Evan.

    ¡°Stop, Gleeson!¡±¡°Be careful, Evan!¡±

    The next second, a small shield appeared in front of Evan to block Gleeson¡¯s curse. Along with the appearance of the shield, the wand that had not been seen till now was quickly pulled out by Evan.

    He waved his wand sharply, and in the blink of an eye, Evan¡¯s spell hit Gleeson. His whole face was covered in pping winged monsters, and he was screaming fiercely, trying to rip the monsters off his face.

    The Bat-Bogey Hex, Ginny¡¯s improved version, was very powerful.

    This was the first time Evan had used it, and the effect was really amazing. Before the bats on his face disappeared, Gleeson had no way to see clearly ahead, and he was attacked on his face by so many small furry, big-eared monsters¡­

    Gleeson kept cursing, but he couldn¡¯t see clearly, so he could only cast spells around randomly, and the others dodged in a hurry.

    ¡°Are you crazy, Gleeson?¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡±

    The crimson shield in front of him gradually disappeared into the air, and Evan looked at Gleeson, who had lostbat effectiveness in front of him.

    He waved his wand and gave Gleeson a Full Body-Bind Curse, giving him peace of mind to enjoy the bats¡¯ excellent service on his face at ease.

    ording to the amount of magic used by Evan, these bats would probably disappear by the time the train arrived at Hogwarts.

    Anyway, the bats didn¡¯t bite. They just kept squirming on his face, sticking out their tongues and licking. They looked like mutant mice.

    It was said that before sucking blood, bats would constantly lick that ce, and their saliva had anesthetic content. When the licked person felt more and morefortable and was anesthetized, they started sucking blood!

    These bats naturally didn¡¯t suck blood, so, to some extent, Gleeson should befortable now. So many bats were licking on his face, serving him with their little tongues¡­

    ¡°Evan, are you okay?¡± Hermione hurriedly said, everything happened too fast just now.

    Evan¡¯s spells werepleted in one go, especially the magical shield that blocked Gleeson¡¯s curse; it seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

    The others didn¡¯t even know how Evan did it. Could he cast spells without a wand, or was it instantaneous?

    In fact, this was abination of Wandless magic and nonverbal spells. The wand originally yed a supporting role. After the magic power reached a certain level, the role of the wand would be reduced. Of course, doing so would consume magic and mental power.

    As for the shield that was summoned, it was the white magic that Evan had found in the ck family¡¯s collection not long ago. The strength of this shield was rted to the amount of magic input. In theory, it could even resist the Avada Kedavra.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I was prepared. After all, sneak attacks have always been a Slytherin tradition!¡± said Evan, looking at Malfoy, whose face had be paler. ¡°Draco, can I trouble you to carry him out? Better not touch the bats on his face.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± the sixth-year Slytherin prefect beside Malfoy shouted. He had raised his wand high, but what happened just now was so fast that he almost didn¡¯t make a move at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin to Professor Snape what happened today,¡± Evan smiled and put his wand away. ¡°If you have any objections to my approach, you can raise it. I¡¯ll always be ready to meet the challenge.¡±

    Under his gaze, the sixth-year Slytherin boy flinched back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s carry this idiot out first,¡± muttered Malfoy. ¡°It¡¯s up to Professor Snape now.¡±

    It didn¡¯t make sense to continue the stalemate. As he¡¯d expected, they couldn¡¯t beat Evan at all. It might be possible if they all worked together, but the other three Houses would not help them either.

    After Gleeson left, the atmosphere in the carriage became much more pleasant. The rest of the prefects had no ambition to be Head Boys. Therefore, they were more receptive to Evan.

    Some began to ask Evan what was going on, and others were whispering about the duel.

    The Head Girl was a seventh-year from Ravenw, with a smile on her face all the time, and she asked Evan to speak first.

    Evan was likely to serve another four years as the Head Boy, and his status and influence would naturally be different from hers.

    ¡°I think everyone should know me, and my requirements are very simple. Since you¡¯re prefects, you must set an example, take the lead in abiding by and maintaining the rules of the school and not causing trouble,¡± said Evan, looking across their faces. ¡°I also hope that the students¡¯ own affairs will be solved by the Head Boy and Girl, and the school, professors and other forces will not be involved.¡±

    ¡°By the way, if there¡¯s anyone who opposes me being the Head Boy, or has doubts about some of my practices in the future, it¡¯s best to ask your Head of House and the Headmaster to respond through normal channels rather than today¡¯s way. Next time, I promise it won¡¯t be as simple as the Bat-Bogey Hex!¡±

    After seeing Gleeson¡¯s end, probably no one would do it! It was purely ufortable to look for trouble with Evan again.

    Next, the Head Girl gave instructions to the prefects, telling them what they should do. These were passed down year after year. At the beginning of the new term, the main purpose was to guide the first-years and help them get familiar with the campus.

    The punishments imposed by the prefects on the students must be summarized in the hands of the corresponding Head Boy and Head Girl, who would review and confirm whether they were reasonable.

    Evan naturally had no time to do this kind of thing, but he could ask Hermione to help¡­

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 Chapter 913: The Mimbulus Mimbletonia

    Chapter 913: The Mimbulus Mimbletonia

    While Evan was using Ginny¡¯s modified Bat-Bogey Hex, Ginny and Harry were dragging heavy trunks, struggling off down the corridor, while peering through the ss-paneled doors into thepartments they passed, which were already full.

    ¡°Neville said that he woulde up first to save us ces,¡± said Ginny. ¡°Where did he go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Harry also hoped to get into anypartment, instead of going on like this.

    He could not help noticing that a lot of people stared back at him with great interest and that several of them nudged their neighbors and pointed him out.

    This was the case for five consecutive carriages.

    This phenomenon had started since Dumbledore announced Voldemort¡¯s returnst term. Hermione said that they would gradually ept the fact, but after returning from the summer vacation, everyone¡¯s interest in him did not diminish at all, but instead became even stronger.

    The expressions on their faces seemed like Harry was some kind of treasured animal.

    Then, he remembered that the readers had been told all summer what lying show-offs he and Evan were, and that they had not to believe them about Voldemort¡¯s return.

    If only Evan were here, he could help him share the pressure.He wondered bleakly whether the people now staring at him and whispering believed the lies of the Ministry of Magic.

    Finally, in the veryst carriage, they met Neville Longbottom.

    When they were waiting for their luggage on the tform, he¡¯d gotten on the train early and said that he wanted to save them ces.

    ¡°Hey ¡­ Harry, Ginny ¡­ over here!¡± He waved his hand and said, his round face was full of sweat. ¡°I¡¯ve searched everywhere, but here is the only ce left, thank goodness, Luna is inside¡­¡±

    Obviously, no one else wanted to sit with the crazy girl Luna.

    Because of Evan, Luna was very familiar with them now, which didn¡¯t help to reverse her reputation in school. After Voldemort¡¯s return, she was even more alienated by others because of this rtionship.

    They opened the door of thepartment and walked in. Luna, who was sitting beside the window, looked up.

    As before, she had straggly, waist-length, dirty-blond hair, very pale eyebrows, and protuberant eyes that gave her a permanently surprised look, and she gave off an aura of distinct dottiness..

    She had stuck her wand behind her left ear, was wearing a ne of butterbeer caps, and she was holding a magazine upside down.

    Harry had to admit that no one except Evan knew how to contact Luna.

    At the very least, he didn¡¯t know what to say to her.

    ¡°Hello, Harry, Neville, Ginny!¡± Luna looked at them over her upside-down magazine.

    Of course, the magazine she was holding was, as everyone knew, printed by her father.

    At the beginning, they often cooperated with them, and even the sales increased for a time. It would have been better if Mr. Lovegood¡¯s style could be higher.

    ¡°Hello, Luna,¡± said Ginny, stowing her trunk in the luggage rack. ¡°How was your summer vacation?¡±

    ¡°I had a good time,¡± said Luna dreamily. ¡°Where¡¯s Evan? Why isn¡¯t he with you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s be the Head Boy, and he has to give instructions to the prefects.¡±

    To Harry¡¯s surprise, Luna was not surprised at all when she learned the news, as though she had already known it. Or, she might not even know what the Head Boy meant.

    It was Neville¡¯s inability to close his mouth that made Harry somehow regain his confidence. That was the expression that a normal person should have.

    ¡°Evan has be the Head Boy?¡± he said incredulously, ¡°You didn¡¯t say that on the tform.¡±

    ¡°Wit beyond measure is man¡¯s greatest treasure,¡± said Luna in a singsong voice. ¡°I knew that Evan would be the Head Boy. What¡¯s so strange about that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like¡­ not really.¡± Neville opened his mouth and didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Evan did have the qualifications to be the Head Boy, but it was only a matter of time¡­

    Ginny came close to Luna, and Harry and Neville talked about their summer vacation. The disturbance regarding the incident of his being attacked by the Dementors had not yetpletely subsided.

    The train rattled onward, speeding them out into open country. It was an odd, unsettled sort of day; one moment the carriage was full of sunlight and the next they were passing beneath ominously gray clouds.

    ¡°By the way, guess what I got for my birthday?¡± said Neville excitedly.

    ¡°Another Remembrall?¡± said Harry, remembering the marblelike device Neville¡¯s grandmother had sent him in an effort to improve his abysmal memory.

    ¡°No,¡± said Neville, ¡°I could do with one, though, I lost the old one ages ago¡­ Look at this!¡±

    He dug the hand that was not keeping a firm grip on Trevor into his schoolbag and after a little bit of rummaging pulled out what appeared to be a small gray cactus in a pot, except that it was covered with what looked like boils rather than spines.

    ¡°Mimbulus mimbletonia,¡± he said proudly.

    Harry stared at the thing. It was pulsating slightly, giving it the rather sinister look of some diseased internal organ.

    ¡°It¡¯s really, really rare,¡± said Neville, beaming. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s one in the greenhouse at Hogwarts, even. I can¡¯t wait to show it to Professor Sprout. My great-uncle Algie got it for me in Assyria. I¡¯m going to see if I can breed from it.¡±

    Assyria was a very country that emerged in Mesopotamia and was considered the first military empire in world history. Nowadays, it was also known as the two river basins, which was a general term for the countries of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.

    But this was a very old term, and only wizards still used it. Assyrian immigrants had a special wizarding civilization system, and had guarded the secrets of the past since ancient times.

    Harry stared at the Mimbulus mimbletonia, and he didn¡¯t like it at all. He knew that Neville¡¯s favorite subject was Herbology, but for the life of him he could not see what he would want with this stunted little nt.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show it to Evan and Hermier. They¡¯ll love it. Maybe I can write an article about how to cultivate the Mimbulus mimbletonia in the newspaper,¡± said Neville excitedly, ¡°articles of this kind are rarely seen on the market.¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ does it do anything?¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help asking.

    ¡°Loads of stuff!¡± said Neville proudly. ¡°It¡¯s got an amazing defensive mechanism ¡­ look, hold Trevor for me¡­¡±

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 Chapter 914: The Goblin-Crusher

    Chapter 914: The Goblin-Crusher

    Neville dumped the toad into Harry¡¯sp and took a quill from his schoolbag.

    Harry, Luna, and Ginny all watched Neville¡¯s actions. He held the Mimbulus mimbletonia up to his eyes, his tongue between his teeth, chose his spot, and gave the nt a sharp prod with the tip of his quill.

    The next second, liquid squirted from every boil on the Mimbulus mimbletonia, thick, stinking, dark-green jets of it; they hit the ceiling, the windows of thepartment, and spattered Luna Lovegood¡¯s magazine.

    Ginny, who had fortunately flung her arms up in front of her face just in time, merely looked as though she was wearing a slimy green hat. The liquid ran down her beautiful hair, her eyes were closed tightly, and she looked confused.

    But Harry was miserable. His hands had been busy preventing the escape of Trevor, and he received a face full. It smelled like rancid manure.

    In front of him, Neville, whose face and torso were also drenched, shook his head to get the worst out of his eyes.

    That was the defense mechanism of the Mimbulus mimbletonia. When prodded, a substance called Stinksap was squirted out from the boils on the surface of the nt. The effect was amazing.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Neville gasped. ¡°I haven¡¯t tried that before¡­ Didn¡¯t realize it would be quite so ¡­ Don¡¯t worry, though, Stinksap¡¯s not poisonous,¡± he added nervously, as Harry spat a mouthful onto the floor.

    At that precise moment, the door of theirpartment slid open.¡°Oh ¡­ hello, Harry,¡± said a nervous voice. ¡°Um ¡­ bad time?¡±

    Harry wiped the lenses of his sses with his Trevor-free hand. A very pretty girl with long, shiny ck hair was standing in the doorway smiling at him: Cho Chang, the Seeker on the Ravenw Quidditch team.

    ¡°Oh ¡­ hi,¡± said Harry nkly.

    ¡°Um ¡­¡± said Cho. ¡°Well ¡­ just thought I¡¯d say hello. Where are Evan and the others?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re in the prefects¡¯ carriage. Evan is the new Head Boy,¡± said Ginny, wiping her hair with a tissue.

    ¡°Oh, the Head Boy!¡± Cho was quite surprised, and then reacted, ¡°Well, goodbye then!¡±

    She waved her hand, closed the door again, rather pink in the face, and departed.

    Harry slumped back in his seat and groaned. He would have liked Cho to discover him sitting with a group of very cool peopleughing their heads off at a joke he had just told; he would not have chosen to be sitting with Neville and Loony Lovegood, clutching a toad and dripping in Stinksap.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Neville again, in a small voice.

    ¡°Never mind,¡± said Ginny bracingly. ¡°Look, we can get rid of all this easily.¡± She pulled out her wand. ¡°Scourgify!¡±

    The Stinksap vanished.

    Facing one another in thepartment, they looked at the Mimbulus mimbletonia in the middle. This nt was really amazing!

    It took another half an hour before Evan, Hermione, and Ron walked out of the prefects¡¯ carriage.

    The prefects had all epted Evan bing the Head Boy, at least in appearance. No one opposed him, and no one dared to disobey his orders, even the Slytherins.

    But Malfoy¡¯s attitude was indeed a bit strange. He¡¯d even ignored Ron¡¯s provocation, which was not in line with his style.

    Evan soon discovered that during their meeting, the news that he¡¯d be the Head Boy had rapidly spread among all the students.

    When they saw him passing, everyone walked out of thepartments and looked at him, whispering.

    What happened in the prefects¡¯ carriage had spread throughout the train.

    Obviously, he was famous again, and every student was talking about it.

    ¡°We should go around and take a look at the first-years,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Let me put my things first, Hermione. Besides, I¡¯m starving. We can patrol after lunch.¡± Ron was dragging his heavy trunk while carrying a shrilly hooting Pigwidgeon in his cage.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go and find Harry and Ginny first,¡± said Evan, not wanting to be watched by so many people.

    When they walked into thepartment, Harry, Ginny, and Neville had finished their Pumpkin Pasties and were busy swapping Chocte Frog cards.

    Luna suddenly looked up with her protuberant eyes over her upside-down magazine again, watching Evan who walked in.

    ¡°Hello, Luna!¡± said Evan cheerfully, sitting beside her, ¡°How was your summer vacation?¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± said Luna dreamily, ¡°I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re the Head Boy!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evan waved his hand, as though it were just a trivial matter.

    Looking at Luna¡¯s expression, she seemed to think that this was a small matter and she didn¡¯t care much.

    ¡°I read the report in the Quibbler, and my dad said they were lying.¡± Luna continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to tell youst term. I support your statement. I believe what you and Harry said. I believe You-Know-Who is back.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± said Evan. Luna had always been keen on this kind of things, much keener than the others.

    ¡°By the way, you want to see it?¡± Luna handed the magazine to Evan. ¡°This is my dad¡¯stest article, if you¡¯re interested, you can put it in the newspaper, Dad said that¡¯s OK.¡±

    Evan took the magazine, the report read:

    Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, denied that he had any ns to take over the running of the Wizarding Bank, Gringotts, when he was elected Minister for Magic five years ago. Fudge has always insisted that he wants nothing more than to ¡°cooperate peacefully¡± with the guardians of our gold.

    BUT DOES HE?

    Sources close to the Minister have recently disclosed that Fudge¡¯s dearest ambition is to seize control of the goblin gold supplies and that he will not hesitate to use force if need be.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be the first time, either,¡± said a Ministry insider. ¡°Cornelius ¡®Goblin-Crusher¡¯ Fudge, that¡¯s what his friends call him, if you could hear him when he thinks no one¡¯s listening, oh, he¡¯s always talking about the goblins and he¡¯s had done in; he¡¯s had them drowned, he¡¯s had them dropped off buildings, he¡¯s had them poisoned, he¡¯s had them cooked in pies¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really interesting, Cornelius ¡®Goblin-Crusher¡¯ Fudge,¡± said Evan with a smile, thinking this report was very interesting.

    This kind of thing was really weird, in the same tone as usual. It couldn¡¯t be true at all.

    Fudge might have many faults, but not yet enough to have goblins cooked in pies.

    ¡°My dad recently sorted out the list of the goblins who died since Fudge was elected Minister,¡± said Luna. ¡°Many goblins have died, and many are missing. He thinks these things are rted to Fudge. ¡­¡±

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 Chapter 915: The Hobgoblins

    Chapter 915: The Hobgoblins

    The magazine had often published some sensational jokes, and no one took it seriously.

    However, it was good to have a look at it as a joke or a reading material to pass the time. Mr. Lovegood had many very strange ideas.

    Evan continued to look at the magazine, and after the Cornelius ¡®Goblin-Crusher¡¯ Fudge article was a report about the vampire Caresius.

    He is now the most wanted criminal in the Ministry of Magic, but some wizards don¡¯t think so, and don¡¯t even recognize the existence of Caresius.

    They don¡¯t think there is such a person. Everything was a conspiracy by the Ministry of Magic and Fudge to put the me for the attack in the Quidditch World Cup final onto the vampire, and the real murderer was the notorious Death Eater Peter Pettigrew.

    Evan stared at the name for three seconds before making sure that he had read it correctly.

    They link this incident to the attack on Harry by Dementors some time ago, thinking that Azkaban is now out of control, and many Death Eaters and Dark wizards in custody have escaped from prison, but the Ministry of Magic refuses to admit all this.

    Doris Purkiss, of 18 Acanthia way, Little Norton, affirms that she has recently seen Peter having dinner with Stubby Boardman, lead singer of the popr singing group The Hobgoblins, who retired from public life after being struck in the ear by a turnip at a concert in Little Norton Church Hall nearly fifteen years ago.

    As for why Peter had dinner with Stubby, it was because he was a loyal supporter of the Hobgoblins.This singing group was very famous as early as twenty years ago, when many Hogwarts students supported them.

    In the magazine, Mr. Lovegood also provided a list of the audience who¡¯d watched the Hobgoblins¡¯ concert. Evan took a look and found that he had listed all those he and Harry had used of being Death Eaters some time ago.

    Well, it was the first time he knew that the Death Eaters were all supporters of a singing band.

    This was not over yet. In ater article, he read an usation that the Tutshill Tornados were winning the Quidditch League by abination of ckmail, illegal broom-tampering, and torture. The whole process was described in great detail, as though it had really happened.

    Simply from the article itself, these Quidditch yers seemed to be more cruel and evil than the Death Eaters.

    Mr. Lovegood probably noticed that. He thought there were Dark wizards or Death Eaters helping the Tutshill Tornados in training.

    In addition, a wizard imed to have flown to the moon on a Cleansweep Six and brought back a bag of moon frogs to prove it. He was going to donate these frogs to let everyone know about the difference between the moon frogs and the earth frogs.

    Thest article was on ancient runes, which Mr. Lovegood thought recorded some extinct ancient creatures.

    Evan could be sure that he didn¡¯t recognize a single word of these runes.

    It had been a long time since hest read, but the content was still so interesting¡­

    On the other side, Hermione was telling Harry, Neville, and Ginny what had happened just now in the prefects¡¯ carriage.

    Ron ate a Chocte Frog and fell heavily on the back of his chair with his eyes closed, as though he had had a very exhausting morning.

    ¡°Manfred Gleeson, the seventh-year prefect of Slytherin, the tall and strong one, was dissatisfied with the fact that Evan became the Head Boy, and he proposed a duel to Evan,¡± said Hermione, making gestures with her hands. ¡°Evan defeated him with only one move. It was the Bat-Bogey Hex. There were a lot of fluffy bats on his face.¡±

    ¡°You should have seen it. The little bats stuck out their tongues and kept licking and licking.¡± Ron added, his eyes still closed, ¡°Gleeson¡¯s face was full of wet saliva. It was very irritating to watch. ¡­¡±

    Because it contained anesthetic ingredients, it made people feel veryfortable when licked by the bats¡¯ tongues.

    ¡°Evan, did you really use the Bat-Bogey Hex?¡± said Ginny excitedly. This was her improved spell.

    ¡°Yeah, that spell is amazingly powerful and can y a controlling role,¡± said Evan. ¡°I may not use it as well as you do.¡±

    ¡°By the way, are you going to deprive Gleeson of his status as prefect?¡± Hermione asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too reckless to do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see. I¡¯ll give him some time to see what he does¡­¡± said Evan, starting to eat his pie.

    The Slytherin students were basically the same, and recing one person wouldn¡¯t make a substantial difference.

    As long as Gleeson could do his job well, Evan didn¡¯t have to be so decisive.

    With Slytherin¡¯s style, as long as he showed absolute strength and appropriate benefits, those people would automatically adhere.

    Power and strength were what they valued most, but blood and dignity were secondary.

    ¡°If you ask me, after seeing that Bat-Bogey Hex, no one will oppose you,¡± said Ron, opening his eyes. ¡°Look at Malfoy¡¯s expression at the time. He must have been scared. I¡¯ve never been so happy!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so Malfoy has be a prefect?¡± Harry asked, this was thest thing he wanted to happen.

    ¡°Yeah, and Pansy Parkinson,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Thatplete cow is thicker than a concussed troll.¡±

    She introduced the new fifth-year prefects, and Ron checked his watch.

    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to patrol the corridors. And we can give out punishments if people are misbehaving. I can¡¯t wait to get Crabbe and Goyle for something.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to abuse your position, Ron!¡± said Hermione sharply.

    ¡°Yeah, right, because Malfoy won¡¯t abuse it at all,¡± said Ron sarcastically. ¡°Thank God, because of Evan, he dare note over to provoke us now, but he¡¯ll definitely bully others.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re going to descend to his level?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just going to make sure I get his mates before he gets other people. I thought about it, I¡¯ll make Goyle do lines, it¡¯ll kill him, he hates writing,¡± said Ron happily.

    He lowered his voice to Goyle¡¯s low grunt and, screwing up his face in a look of pained concentration, mimed writing in midair, making everyoneugh with joy, Lunaughed especially hard.

    Just then, thepartment door opened. It was Colin and his younger brother Dennis.

    Colin was a good friend of Evan. He hadn¡¯t seen Evan for a long time, but he¡¯d kept on writing to him.

    During the summer, Evan also thought about inviting them to 12 Grimmauld ce, but Mrs. Weasley and the others did not approve of this.

    As the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, the less people knew about it, the better.

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 Chapter 916: The girl in the Carriage

    Chapter 916: The girl in the Carriage

    ¡°Evan, I heard that you had a fight with a Slytherin student?¡± said Colin excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s spread all over the world. Everyone is talking about it. They said you¡¯ve be the Head Boy. You¡¯ve also severely taught a Slytherin seventh-year a lesson and turned him into a furry monster. It can¡¯t be true, can it? It¡¯s like a dream.¡±

    ¡°Most of it is true, but I definitely didn¡¯t turn Gleeson into a furry monster.¡±

    For the rest of the journey, no one came to visit again. Evan told Colin and Dennis about his trip to Italy, his summer vacation experience and the ins and outs of bing the Head Boy. The two guys were looking at him with admiring eyes.

    Evan and Hermione didn¡¯t go out for a tour, but Ron couldn¡¯t help going out and taking a round.

    He told everyone that he was going to find Lavender and did not return until more than three hourster, with a smug smile on his face.

    The weather remained undecided as they traveled farther and farther north.

    Rain spattered the windows in a halfhearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell andmps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up <i>The Quibbler</i>, put it carefully away in her bag, and took to staring at everyone in thepartment instead.

    Colin and Dennis had gone back to pack their luggage, and it waspletely dark outside the window.

    It was a moonless night, and the rain-streaked windows were grimy.¡°We¡¯d better change,¡± said Hermione atst, obviously speaking to Evan.

    It was indeed very convenient to ask Evan to help her with her luggage, but there was one bad thing. She had to ask Evan for whatever clothes she wanted to wear.

    It was up to Evan whether she could wear this dress¡­

    Of course, in most cases, Evan would not refuse Hermione¡¯s request, and would hand over her clothes voluntarily.

    Everyone hurriedly opened their trunks, and Evan found out his and Hermione¡¯s robes and they put them on.

    Atst the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready for departure.

    ¡°We must maintain order, hurry up!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Evan, after everyone has left, you have to stay and inspect the carriages to see if there are any leftovers or people. This is the job of the Head Boy.¡±

    ¡°I know. Why is it the job of the Head Boy?¡± said Evan. He felt that the house-elves should do this work.

    They would check everypartment one by one and do their best to make sure nothing was left behind.

    He and Ron followed Hermione out of thepartment, leaving Harry and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

    The corridor was already crowded with people, and Hermione told them to slow down, and not to crowd.

    The three of them walked forward for a while and came to the junction of the two carriages.

    In the corridor, they felt the first sting of the night air on their faces.

    Hagrid was not seen on the tform. He¡¯d taken his brother back in the wilderness. He had to be cautious not to be spotted by anyone while taking care of Grawp, which was not an easy job, and it was unknown where they were.

    Since Hagrid was not there, Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-nk reced him.

    ¡°First years line up over here, please! All first years to me!¡± she shouted, carrying antern.

    It was a witch with a prominent chin and severe haircut. She had previously taken over Hagrid¡¯s Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while. She showed everyone the unicorn, which was well-liked by the students.

    ¡°See youter!¡± said Evan, waving his hand.

    He separated from Hermione and Ron; they were going to maintain order on the tform, while he had to inspect each carriage one by one.

    Evan opened the doors one by one, and if there were still people inside, he reminded them to leave quickly and remember not to leave anything behind.

    If there was no one, he just waved his wand, cast the Revelio Charm and simply checked.

    Everyone in the corridor looked at Evan with curiosity and awe. After seeing the Head Boy badge on him, they all leaned to the sides to let him pass. Evan saw many of his familiar ssmates.

    Some of them greeted him, while others didn¡¯t say a word, with an expression of skepticism and scrutiny on their faces.

    In the third carriage, Evan also saw Manfred Gleeson, who had just regained his mobility, and he seemed extremely weak.

    The originally pale face had turned bright red, licked by bats, but after seeing Evan, a look of disgust shed on his face.

    Then, noticing the wand in Evan¡¯s hand, he hesitated obviously and left in a hurry.

    Evan and the Head Girl were in charge of half of the carriages each. He checked them one by one. Five minutes had passed, and there was no one on the train.

    When he opened the door of the penultimatepartment in the third carriage, he saw that there was still a girl inside.

    This was a petite girl with a beautiful golden shawl, long eyshes and a pair of lovely dimples.

    She was sitting quietly on the seat by the window of thepartment, looking attentively at the newspaper in her hand, with a thick stack of paper in front of her.

    Evan nced at it. They were all consecutive issues of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> in a row.

    ¡°Hello, the train has arrived at the station!¡± Evan reminded. The girl seemed to have been fascinated, and she hadn¡¯t even put on her robes yet.

    Hearing Evan¡¯s voice, the girl appeared startled and quickly hugged the newspaper to her chest, attempting to conceal it.

    She raised her head to look at Evan, her small face turned pink, and there was a hint of childishness and panic in her moving eyes.

    If Evan didn¡¯t have a vague memory of this girl, he would have thought she was a first-year. She looked very innocent and pure.

    Evan remembered that she seemed to be in the same year as him and was a Slytherin student.

    However, he couldn¡¯t remember her name. He had never spoken to her before.

    ¡°Evan Mason!¡± Seeing Evan, she seemed relieved at once.

    Then, she thought of something again, her face turned redder, and her body tightened.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, the train has arrived!¡± said Evan again, ¡°we should take a carriage to Hogwarts now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, okay, thank you, I¡¯ll go now.¡± She hurriedly stood up and opened her trunk, trying to stuff all the newspapers she was carrying. She paused for a while, seeming to know that Evan had noticed some of them. She said somewhat embarrassed, ¡°This was given to me by a friend, and I¡¯m not allowed to read this at home¡­¡±

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 Chapter 917: The Girl and the Thestrals

    Chapter 917: The Girl and the Thestrals

    From the clothes she was wearing, it could be seen that she should be a member of an old pure-blood wizarding family.

    For these wizarding families, Evan¡¯s writings werepletely forbidden. There were many articles that they didn¡¯t like to read or damaged their interests, and some overbearing families didn¡¯t even allow their children to touch them.

    Evan was not surprised at this, but it was quite unusual for a Slytherin student to take the initiative to read such writings.

    At least, in his impression, he had never seen such a Slytherin student.

    He wanted to ask the girl about her name, but it didn¡¯t seem very good to ask directly. A fourth-year ssmate and he didn¡¯t even know her name¡­ That was definitely something annoying.

    It would be great if Hermione or Colin were here, they could remember almost all the students¡¯ names.

    The girl was obviously nervous because Evan was standing by.

    She put all the newspapers in the trunk, and hurriedly took out her robes and put them on as quickly as possible.

    While she was changing her clothes, Evan saw a textbook in the trunk with the name: Astoria Greengrass.It turned out that she was from the Greengrass family, and Evan kind of remembered who this girl was.

    In the original plot, she had eventually be Draco Malfoy¡¯s wife.

    Lucius and Narcissa had high expectations for this girl who was born in the purest wizarding family, and they chose her as their daughter-inw among multiple choices.

    However, it was said that she¡¯d refused to teach her son the concepts of ¡°Pure-Blood Glory¡± and ¡°Mudblood¡±. Instead, she believed that everyone should be treated equally, rather than being distinguished by family background and blood lineage, abandoning the tradition that the ancient Malfoy family had always adhered to, which led to a bit of tension in the atmosphere of every Malfoy family gathering.

    It was interesting to think about it. As a family of pure-blood wizards that had been passed down for thousands of years, the Malfoy family was the most loyal supporter, and had always been known for being cunning and scheming. It was often said of the Malfoy family that you would never find one at the scene of the crime, though their fingerprints might be all over the crime wand.

    Who could have imagined that the cunning Lucius and his wife would eventually meet such a daughter-inw?

    This showed how well Astoria was concealing her views¡­

    Like Sirius, she should be an outlier in the family of pure-blood wizards.

    Even if they were not Death Eaters, members of the Greengrass family were certainly loyal supporters of Voldemort.

    However, she was here secretly reading these articles against Voldemort. If someone found out, she would be definitely regarded as a traitor by all the Slytherin students and families.

    It would not be surprising if she was even expelled from the family, or killed directly by Voldemort¡­

    ¡°I think some of the articles in this paper are very reasonable. You write very well,¡± said Astoria.

    ¡°Oh, are Slytherin students reading it too?¡± Evan asked curiously.

    ¡°Some of them ¡­ but secretly, afraid of being discovered.¡± Astoria hesitated for a while before plucking up the courage to say, ¡°In fact, I believe what you say.¡±

    As soon as she said it, she realized the problem in her sentence.

    Many Slytherin students now knew that Voldemort had returned, and only the people in the other three Houses still didn¡¯t believe it.

    Astoria hurriedly added, ¡°I mean, I think your views are correct.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Evan did not expect to meet a supporter from Slytherin.

    He looked at Astoria¡¯s flushed face and her expectant and nervous eyes, knowing that as a Slytherin student, it was incredible that she could say such things.

    In fact, this girl shoulde to Gryffindor based on this alone.

    In this way, the Slytherin House was not all enemies¡­

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the coaches, now there should be only the two of us on the train.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Astoria nervously nodded, and nced at the Head Boy badge on Evan¡¯s chest.

    When they stepped off the train, there was no one on the tform, and the darkness covered everything.

    Evan helped Astoria with the trunk, and the two exchanged politely, as they quickly walked through the narrow passage to the dark rain-washed road outside Hogsmeade station.

    Here stood the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle.

    Evan nced at them. He knew that these coaches did not move by themselves, but Thestrals were pulling them.

    The Thestral was a breed of winged horse. Most people couldn¡¯t see this creature at all. It had special magical power. Only people who had witnessed death could see it. A year ago, Evan could not see Thestrals pulling the coaches. But now he could see them clearly, because he had witnessed death with his own eyes.

    In his eyes, in front of the coaches was no longer empty.

    There were creatures standing between the carriage shafts. There was something reptilian about them. They werepletely fleshless, their ck coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring.

    Wings sprouted from each wither ¡­ vast, ck leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats.

    These Thestrals were standing still and quiet in the gloom, looking eerie and sinister.

    This was really a strange feeling, and Evan smiled.

    No wonder superstitious people thought that such creatures were very ominous and would bring all terrible disasters to those who saw them. They were omens of misfortune.

    But in fact, as long as they were not provoked, Thestrals would not harm people, nor would they bring any bad omen.

    Thestrals were very useful, their sense of direction was amazing, just tell them the destination, no matter where you were, they would take you where you wanted to go.

    And they were good at finding riders, and they gathered together when they smelled blood, which could be very useful at certain times.

    ¡°Evan ¡­ over here!¡± The students had already climbed into the carriages, and Hermione yelled out of a carriage window.

    ¡°My friend called me. Are youing with us?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ll go to my sister,¡± Astoria hurriedly said. ¡°She should have saved me a seat.¡±

    The words that she had said to Evan alone had consumed all her courage. At least, that wouldn¡¯t be discovered by others, but if a Slytherin saw her and Evan in the same carriage, she would probably not be able to stay in Slytherin.

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 Chapter 918: Goodwill from Slytherins

    Chapter 918: Goodwill from Slytherins

    ¡°Well, see you at schoolter!¡± Evan waved his hand and looked at Astoria¡¯s expression. Then he thought of something and added, ¡°By the way, if you like to read <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>, I can give you a copy of each issue. And if you have any good articles, you can also contribute in the paper.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, thank you!¡± said Astoria, smiling at Evan and hurriedly running away.

    Literary and artistic young men were always popr with girls, and Astoria obviously had some good feelings for Evan.

    Regarding the beautiful girl who was brought to the door, Evan seemed to have no reason to refuse contact.

    However, he wasn¡¯t naive enough to think that Astoria was genuinely engrossed in reading the newspaper and just happened to be dyed in thepartment when he encountered her.

    There had never been such a coincidence in the world, and it was not¡­

    ¡°Some people can¡¯t sit still. Maybe they want to take this opportunity to express their position to Dumbledore and me!¡± Evan muttered to himself.

    He saw Astoria board into a carriage and lean out to wave to him.

    Dangerous Slytherins! One could never guess what their true thoughts were.Regardless of identity and other factors, Astoria was a very cute little girl with dimples when she smiled.

    Maybe there was a lot of scheming in her words and deeds, just like other Slytherins, but it wasn¡¯t annoying.

    At least, Evan didn¡¯t feel any resentment, and he didn¡¯t reject the goodwill from a Slytherin.

    With the news of Voldemort¡¯s return confirmed, the Slytherins were also divided into several factions. Not everyone supported Voldemort or believed that he would win the final victory. The war was about to start, and it was time for forces to be reshuffled. However, direct contact with Dumbledore might not necessarily be epted.

    It was a good idea to let the children show some goodwill¡­

    Evan thought about it, and climbed into the carriage. Harry and the others were discussing how the carriage moved.

    Hermione told them she¡¯d read in a book that Thestrals were pulling the coaches, but she couldn¡¯t see them like everyone else.

    Luna could see them, but she didn¡¯t participate in the discussion, just humming a weird little tune, staring at everyone with her wide, silvery eyes.

    In the original plot, Harry could see Thestrals, but this time he did not witness Cedric¡¯s death.

    On the contrary, Evan had witnessed the loss of many lives in his prior trip to the giants¡¯ tribe. He gave them a description of what a Thestral looked like.

    Rattling and swaying, the carriages moved in convoy up the road.

    When they passed between the tall stone pirs topped with winged boars on either side of the gates to the school grounds, the topic shifted to Hagrid again, and everyone knew from Evan that he had gone to the giants¡¯ tribe and had not yet returned.

    Harry looked at the dark grounds, worried that Hagrid would encounter any danger.

    Apart from Hermione, Evan did not tell them that Hagrid had brought back a giant. He just said that he had met his mother and brother there. As for the matter of letting Grawp settle down in the Forbidden Forest, he should let Hagrid tell everyone himself.

    Beyond the woods passing Hagrid¡¯s cabin, Hogwarts Castle loomed ever closer: a towering mass of turrets, jet-ck against the dark sky, here and there a window zing fiery bright above them.

    Ten minutester, the carriages jingled to a halt near the stone steps leading up to the oak front doors, and everyone got off.

    Harry and Ron even reached out to touch the Thestrals in front of the carriage, and eximed when they sensed their real existence.

    If they could see the terrifying appearance of the Thestrals, they would probably not be so interested!

    Luna watched from the side, and Evan led Hermione and Ginny over, letting them both touch a Thestral¡¯s head.

    This Thestral was motionless, standing quietly in the chill night air, letting them surround it, its nk white eyes gleaming.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s hurry up. These Thestrals live near Hagrid¡¯s cabin, and are neighbors with the Hippogriff. We have plenty of time to see them in the future,¡± said Evan.

    They joined the crowd hurrying up the stone steps into the castle.

    The entrance hall was aze with torches and echoing with footsteps as the students crossed the gged stone floor for the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall and the start-of-term feast.

    The four long House tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the starless ck ceiling, which was just like the sky they could glimpse through the high windows.

    Candles floated in midair all along the tables, illuminating the silvery ghosts who were dotted about the Hall and the faces of the students talking eagerly to one another, exchanging summer news, shouting greetings at friends from other Houses, eyeing one another¡¯s new haircuts and robes.

    Again Evan and Harry noticed people putting their heads together to whisper as they passed.

    They kept talking about Cedric¡¯s transfer, the return of Voldemort, and Evan bing the Head Boy.

    These things had been discussed for more than half a year, but everyone still found them incredible and hard to ept.

    In particr, the main party involved in the incident, Evan, returned to Hogwarts and became the youngest Head Boy ever, which brought public opinion back to the top, and various gossips and rumors followed one by one.

    With Voldemort hiding out of sight, Hogwarts was now the focus of the entire wizarding world.

    Although on the surface it was exactly the same as usual, Evan clearly felt that there was a storming¡­

    Luna drifted away from them at the Ravenw table, and they sat down at Gryffindor¡¯s.

    Colin helped them upy their seats. Just after they were seated, Nearly Headless Nick came out from under the table. On the other side of the table, Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown gave Evan and Harry airy, overly friendly greetings that made them quite sure they had stopped talking about them a split second before¡­

    Lavender must have learned a lot of information from Ron, but she was still not satisfied. She and Ron had been in contact by Owl mail during the summer vacation.

    Ron kept saying that Lavender was too boring and wanted to break up with her, but he couldn¡¯t make up his mind.

    ¡°I want to know who is the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor this year?¡± Hermione bit her lip and scanned the staff table back and forth.

    ¡°To me, they should let Evan teach this course!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, look!¡± Hermione said sharply, pointing to the middle of the staff table.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1137 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 919: Warning of the Sorting Hat

    Chapter 919: Warning of the Sorting Hat

    Looking in the direction she was pointing to, everyone¡¯s eyes lit first upon Professor Dumbledore.

    Professor Dumbledore was sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. His head was inclined toward the woman sitting next to him, who was talking into his ear.

    They looked very close, and people who didn¡¯t know the reality might think their rtionship was really good.

    In fact, this woman looked like somebody¡¯s maiden aunt.

    She was squat, with short, curly, mouse-brown hair in which she had ced a horrible pink Alice band that matched the fluffy pink cardigan she wore over her robes.

    At this moment, she turned her face slightly to take a sip from her goblet, and nced in their direction.

    So they saw a pallid, toadlike face and a pair of prominent, pouchy eyes.

    ¡°Oh my God, it¡¯s her!¡± Harry recognized her at once, and he was shocked.

    ¡°Dolores Umbridge!¡± Evan added, not surprised at all.Although a lot of changes had taken ce, she still came to Hogwarts as scheduled, and he didn¡¯t know what tricks she would make.

    In Evan¡¯s view, Umbridge was much more difficult to deal with than Fudge, and she was good at causing trouble.

    ¡°Look at her clothes, nice cardigan!¡± said Ron, smirking.

    ¡°I find it a bit scary; it doesn¡¯t suit her,¡± Colin agreed.

    ¡°She looks familiar¡­¡± Hermione followed, thoughtfully, ¡°Who is she?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that Umbridge woman!¡± Harry said. ¡°She was at our hearing Evan and I. She works for Fudge!¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Hermione nodded suddenly, ¡°What on earth is she doing here, then?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s here as a Defence Against the Dark Arts professor,¡± said Evan. ¡°Fudge arranged for her toe. You do understand, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Hermione nodded worriedly. This was not good news, and Harry, Ron, and Colin looked at them curiously.

    ¡°Understand what?¡± Ron asked, ¡°Will this year¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss get really bad? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m ready. In fact, I¡¯ve never looked forward to this course¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Lupin, Sirius, and Mad-Eye taught pretty well!¡± Harry said, ¡°I hope nothing goes wrong with this woman.¡±

    In another week, he certainly wouldn¡¯t think so, nor would he worry about Umbridge.

    Although Hermione wanted to exin to them what Umbridge¡¯s arrival meant, and let them know the seriousness of the matter, at this moment, Professor Grubbly-nk walked in through the side door and took the seat that ought to have been Hagrid¡¯s.

    That meant that the first years must have crossed theke and reached the castle, and sure enough, a few secondster, the doors from the entrance hall opened.

    A long line of scared-looking first years entered, led by Professor McGonagall, who was carrying a stool on which sat an ancient wizard¡¯s hat, heavily patched and darned with a wide rip near the frayed brim.

    The buzz of talk in the Great Hall faded away.

    The first years lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students, and Professor McGonagall ced the stool carefully in front of them, then stood back.

    The first years¡¯ faces glowed palely in the candlelight. A small boy right in the middle of the row looked as though he was trembling.

    The first years were uneasy, waiting for the Sorting Hat to decide where they were going, and even their future destiny.

    Evan had always thought that the respective characteristics of the four Hogwarts Houses were too distinctive. When the first years first entered school, they were divided into four different groups, and they were constantly told the stories of the Four Founders and their favorite qualities: Gryffindor¡¯s courage, Ravenw¡¯s intelligence, Hufflepuff¡¯s fraternity and loyalty, and Slytherin¡¯s ambition and leadership.

    These qualities imperceptibly affected the students of the four Houses and left a deep mark on them.

    Obviously, the Hogwarts Sorting system had a considerable impact on students.

    Even though a thousand years had passed, everyone still inherited the will of the Four Founders, but was this really good?

    The Sorting ceremony had always been a highlight of the new term opening ceremony. The teachers and students of the school waited, holding breath.

    In the blink of an eye, the rip near the hat¡¯s brim opened wide like a mouth and the Sorting Hat burst into song:

    In times of old when I was new

    And Hogwarts barely started

    The founders of our noble school

    Thought never to be parted:

    United by amon goal,

    They had the selfsame yearning,

    To make the world¡¯s best magic school

    And pass along their learning.

    ¡°Together we will build and teach!¡±

    The four good friends decided

    And never did they dream that they

    Might someday be divided,

    For were there such friends anywhere

    As Slytherin and Gryffindor?

    Unless it was the second pair

    Of Hufflepuff and Ravenw?

    So how could it have gone so wrong?

    How could such friendships fail?

    Why, I was there and so can tell

    The whole sad, sorry tale.

    Said Slytherin, ¡°We¡¯ll teach just those

    Whose ancestry is purest.¡±

    Said Ravenw, ¡°We¡¯ll teach those whose

    Intelligence is surest.¡±

    Said Gryffindor, ¡°We¡¯ll teach all those

    With brave deeds to their name,¡±

    Said Hufflepuff, ¡°I¡¯ll teach the lot,

    And treat them just the same.¡±

    These differences caused little strife

    When first they came to light,

    For each of the four founders had

    A House in which they might

    Take only those they wanted, so,

    For instance, Slytherin

    Took only pure-blood wizards

    Of great cunning, just like him,

    And only those of sharpest mind

    Were taught by Ravenw

    While the bravest and the boldest

    Went to daring Gryffindor.

    Good Hufflepuff she took the rest,

    And taught them all she knew,

    Thus the Houses and their founders

    Retained friendships firm and true.

    So Hogwarts worked in harmony

    For several happy years,

    But then discord crept among us

    Feeding on our faults and fears.

    The Houses that, like pirs four,

    Had once held up our school,

    Now turned upon each other and,

    Divided, sought to rule.

    And for a while it seemed the school

    Must meet an early end,

    What with dueling and with fighting

    And the sh of friend on friend

    And atst there came a morning

    When old Slytherin departed

    And though the fighting then died out

    He left us quite downhearted.

    And never since the founders four

    Were whittled down to three

    Have the Houses been united

    As they once were meant to be.

    And now the Sorting Hat is here

    And you all know the score:

    I sort you into Houses

    Because that is what I¡¯m for,

    But this year I¡¯ll go further,

    Listen closely to my song:

    Though condemned I am to split you

    Still I worry that it¡¯s wrong,

    Though I must fulfill my duty

    And must quarter every year

    Still I wonder whether sorting

    May not bring the end I fear.

    Oh, know the perils, read the signs,

    The warning history shows,

    For our Hogwarts is in danger

    From external, deadly foes

    And we must unite inside her

    Or we¡¯ll crumble from within.

    I have told you, I have warned you¡­

    Let the Sorting now begin¡­.

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 Chapter 920: Doubts and the Newcomers

    Chapter 920: Doubts and the Neers

    The hat became motionless once more; and apuse broke out, but it was punctured with muttering and whispers.

    All across the Great Hall students were exchanging remarks with their neighbors and Evan knew exactly what they were talking about.

    What he didn¡¯t expect was that the Sorting Hat thought the same as he did, or that the Four Founders themselves had these worries.

    Was it really right to sort new students arbitrarily and affect their future life?

    Evan thought that he could ask this question to the Four Founders themselves. It was hard to say, but if he could get the Time-Turner the Titan had told him about, he would definitely go back to a thousand years ago to meet Rowena Ravenw again, and he would get the key to the secret treasure from her.

    Besides, Evan was also more concerned about the final progress between her and Gryffindor. Was there any oue to their love?

    Judging from the current situation, Gryffindor had no descendants, and Ravenw had only one daughter, Helena Ravenw.

    Helena used her mother¡¯s surname, and no one knew who her father was.

    It could be anyone, and although Gryffindor was the most likely, there was no need to hide it, and Ravenw¡¯s surname should not be used.The Gryffindor family was a well-known pure-blood wizarding family, even if it was not as prominent as the Ravenw family.

    This matter was full of doubts. Evan even wondered whether Ravenw gave birth to a child with another wizard, who then suddenly disappeared or died because of some reason, and this person¡¯s identity was particrly sensitive and inconvenient to disclose.

    Gryffindor had to stand by and guard the mother and daughter silently for the rest of his life¡­

    Although this was highly unlikely in terms of Ravenw¡¯s own status and strength, it couldn¡¯t be ruled out entirely.

    Evan felt that he should write this story down. As a novel, it would definitely be weed.

    Beside him, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were discussing the warning from the Sorting Hat.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen the hat like that before?¡± said Harry, feeling it different.

    ¡°Branched out a bit this year, hasn¡¯t it?¡± said Ron, his eyebrows raised.

    ¡°Too right it has!¡±

    The Sorting Hat usually confined itself to describing the different qualities looked for by each of the four Hogwarts Houses and its own role in sorting them. They could not remember it ever trying to give the school advice before.

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s ever given warnings before?¡± said Hermione, sounding slightly anxious.

    ¡°Yes, indeed,¡± said Nearly Headless Nick knowledgeably, leaning across Neville toward her. ¡°The Sorting Hat feels itself honor-bound to give the school due warning. It is the supervisor of Hogwarts and represents the Four Founders to some extent. If it feels necessary, it will warn the school and remind everyone to pay attention.¡±

    ¡°Oh, did this happen in history?¡± Hermione asked with interest.

    ¡°Yes, although not often, every time the Sorting Hat gave an early warning, the school encountered big things. I remember that there was one time eight centuries ago, when I first came to Hogwarts, the whole school was going to close down¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± He was interrupted by Professor McGonagall before he finished speaking.

    She was waiting to read out the list of first years¡¯ names, while giving the whispering students the sort of look that scorches.

    Nearly Headless Nick ced a see-through finger to his lips and sat primly upright.

    The muttering in the Great Hall came to an abrupt end, and everyone turned to Professor McGonagall.

    With ast frowning look that swept the four House tables, Professor McGonagall lowered her eyes to her long piece of parchment and called out,

    ¡°Abercrombie, Euan.¡±

    It was a little boy with two surprisingly big ears, the one who was the most nervous in the crowd just now.

    Looking terrified, he stumbled forward, and put the hat on his head; it was only prevented from falling right down to his shoulders by his very prominent ears.

    The Sorting Hat considered for a moment, then the rip near the brim opened again and shouted, ¡°GRYFFINDOR!¡±

    Gryffindor House pped enthusiastically. As Fred and George stood up to wee him, Euan Abercrombie staggered to their table and sat down, looking as though he would like very much to sink through the floor and never be looked at again.

    ¡°Ron, as prefects, we should let the first years be by our side so that we can guide them.¡± Hermione hurriedly said, remembering it, she stared at the panicked children.¡± You too, Evan, the Head Boy must set an example.¡±

    Slowly the long line of first years thinned.

    At Hermione¡¯s insistence, Evan and Ron had to let some first years sit next to them.

    Beside Evan was a little girl named Kate. She had short golden hair and bright blue eyes. She was cute, but she was so shy that she blushed when she spoke.

    She never seemed to think that as soon as she enrolled, she would sit next to a big figure like the Head Boy, and she was almost suffocated with excitement.

    At the long table, the other first years who had just been assigned to Gryffindor looked at Kate enviously.

    The little girl was very nervous. She answered Evan¡¯s questions honestly and was very cooperative¡­

    From the conversation, he knew that Kate came from a Muggle family, too.

    She knew little about the entire wizarding world and listened to Evan¡¯s introduction of the school with admiration.

    In the middle of the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall kept reading the names of the students. This year there seemed to be more students than in previous years, and everyone¡¯s stomach was rumbling with hunger.

    Finally, ¡°Zeller, Rose¡± was sorted into Hufflepuff, and Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and stool and marched them away as Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet.

    ¡°To our neers,¡± said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, ¡°wee! To our old hands ¡­ wee back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!¡±

    There was an appreciativeugh and an outbreak of apuse as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his te.

    Everyone was looking forward to the tables. Food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and gons of pumpkin juice.

    Evan heard Kate let out a low exmation, and she looked at the food incredulously.

    ¡°Head Boy Evan, how did all this foode out?¡± She said in surprise, ¡°is it magic?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly; the food still has to be cooked by someone. The house-elves in the kitchen prepare them first, then put them on the corresponding long tables downstairs, and use a Switching spell to send them up¡­¡± said Evan, and stopped suddenly.

    Seeing Kate¡¯s confused expression, he realized that he had to exin to her first what a house-elf was.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1138 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 921: The Performance of the Prefect

    Chapter 921: The Performance of the Prefect

    Evan gave Kate a brief exnation. He felt that the topic of the house-elves could be exined by Hermione. He believed she would be very willing to talk to the younger students about house-elves, how to deal with them, treat them, and how to help them¡­

    A picture of all the first years sitting together honestly and Hermione giving them a lesson appeared in Evan¡¯s mind.

    Following this train of thought, he felt it necessary to gather all the first-years and exin to them the school rules and the things that should be paid attention to.

    There was a saying that it was necessary to develop from scratch to help these children establish a correct outlook on life, values ??and the world.

    Hogwarts had no such tradition, but since he was the Head Boy, he could try to make changes.

    While Evan was taking care of the cute first-year girl, the others were still discussing the Sorting Hat¡¯s warning.

    ¡°What were you saying before the Sorting?¡± Hermione asked Nearly Headless Nick, taking a Treacle tart and one for Evan. ¡°About the hat giving warnings? What happened eight hundred years ago?¡±

    ¡°Oh, at that time, the rtionship between the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest and us was not as good as it is now, and their overall strength was much better than it is now. They suddenlyunched an attack on Hogwarts, and we finally had to activate the defense magic of the castle¡­¡±

    ¡°We aeady no baozis.¡± said Ron.His mouth was so full it was quite an achievement for him to make any noise at all.

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± said Nick politely, while Ron was now eating roast potatoes with almost indecent enthusiasm.

    ¡°He said we already know about this.¡± While obtaining the key to Gryffindor¡¯s secret treasure, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione learned from the elder of the Centaurs¡¯ tribe and the illusion magic left by Gryffindor the ins and outs of the Centaurs¡¯ incident.

    Hogwarts at that time was indeed in danger and faced an unprecedented crisis. Under the influence of the evil god, the crazy fallen Centaurs killed almost all the creatures in the woods, collected their flesh and blood to worship the evil god, and summoned it to descend into this world.

    In the end, they even started attacking the school.

    ¡°Is there any other warning from that hat besides this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, there have been a few more times. Once, a group of powerful Dark wizards attacked Hogwarts¡­¡± Nick turned away from Ron, who was now eating chicken legs and ribs. ¡°The hat always gives warnings when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: Stand together, be strong from within.¡±

    As long as they stood together, Hogwarts would be able to ovee all dangers and difficulties.

    ¡°Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?¡± Ron raised his head again and asked.

    ¡°Can you speak well?¡± Hermione said dissatisfied, looking revolted.

    Ron gave an enormous swallow and said, ¡°How can it know if the school¡¯s in danger if it¡¯s a hat?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea,¡± said Nearly Headless Nick. ¡°Of course, it lives in the headmaster¡¯s office, so I daresay it picks things up there. That hat is thoughtful, and it can talk to you all day if you like.¡±

    Upon hearing this, the first-years sitting around them eximed again.

    When Hermione, Ron, and the ghost were talking, they listened quietly, looking awed, not daring to interrupt.

    Many of these freshmen came from Muggle families. They didn¡¯t know anything about the wizarding world. They were amazed by whatever they saw. Some came from wizarding families. Though their parents told them about Hogwarts, they still didn¡¯t know that much.

    But in any case, the Head Boy, the prefects and Harry were all great figures for them.

    The ghost in front of them seemed to be very familiar with them, and it had been floating around them in their vicinity, which was enough to prove this point.

    There were a lot of people at the entire Gryffindor long table, but Nearly Headless Nick only talked to a few of them.

    In the eyes of the first-years, this was probably a manifestation of authority and status.

    However, the next topic left them stunned!

    ¡°And it wants all the Houses to be friends?¡± said Harry, looking over at the Slytherin table, where Draco Malfoy was holding court. ¡°Fat chance.¡±

    ¡°Well, now, you shouldn¡¯t take that attitude,¡± said Nick reprovingly. ¡°Peaceful cooperation, that¡¯s the key. We ghosts, though we belong to separate Houses, maintain links of friendship. In spite of thepetitiveness between Gryffindor and Slytherin, I would never dream of seeking an argument with the Bloody Baron.¡±

    ¡°Only because you¡¯re terrified of him,¡± said Ron.

    Nearly Headless Nick looked highly affronted and red at Ron angrily.

    ¡°Terrified? I hope I, Sir Nichs de Mimsy-Porpington, have never been guilty of cowardice in my life! The noble blood that runs in my veins¡­¡±

    ¡°What blood?¡± asked Ron. ¡°Surely you haven¡¯t still got¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a figure of speech!¡± said Nearly Headless Nick, now so annoyed his head was trembling ominously on his partially severed neck. ¡°I assume I am still allowed to enjoy the use of whichever words I like, even if the pleasures of eating and drinking are denied me! But I am quite used to students poking fun at my death, I assure you!¡±

    ¡°Nick, you know, he wasn¡¯t reallyughing at you!¡± said Hermione hastily, throwing a furious look at Ron.

    There were many people around them; couldn¡¯t he set a good example like Evan?!

    Unfortunately, Ron¡¯s mouth was packed to exploding point again and all he could manage was ¡°node iddum eentup sechew,¡± which Nick did not seem to think constituted an adequate apology. Rising into the air, he straightened his feathered hat and swept away from them to the other end of the table,ing to rest among a group of second-years, who seemed to be telling a joke andughing.

    ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done, Ron,¡± snapped Hermione.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ron indignantly, having managed, finally, to swallow his food. ¡°I¡¯m not allowed to ask a simple question?¡±

    ¡°Oh forget it,¡± said Hermione irritably, turning around to join the conversation between Evan and Kate.

    ¡°Inexplicable!¡± Ron murmured, and began to chat with Lavender across from him.

    Harry, sitting between them, chuckled helplessly and looked at the new students, who were equally bewildered and were looking up at him. So this was what it was like to be a prefect; it seemed they had no reservations at all¡­

    Harry didn¡¯t know what they were thinking, but these were definitely Ron and Hermione.

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 Chapter 922: Umbridges Speech

    Chapter 922: Umbridge''s Speech

    Harry was too used to their bickering to bother trying to reconcile them.

    He felt it was a better use of his time to eat his way steadily through his steak-and-kidney pie, then arge teful of his favorite treacle tart.

    Yes, Harry and Ron didn¡¯t care, but Evan had to take the responsibility of calming Hermione¡¯s anger.

    But it was easy, he was already very experienced, and he had just to divert Hermione¡¯s attention.

    It worked every time, whether it was a kiss, a new topic, or something else¡­

    Evan told Hermione what he had just nned. She was really interested and began to discuss it with him.

    They thought it should not be dyed, and were ready to take action this weekend.

    In the name of the Head Boy, Evan would gather all the first-years for the reason that he would lead them to get acquainted with the campus.

    If everything went well, this activity could be held for a long time¡­Of course, enough time should be set aside to help Harry, Hermione and the others improve their strength and learn magic. Evan also thought that the number of people could be appropriately expanded, but this kind of thing was too sensitive, so it had to be approached carefully, starting from inside Gryffindor.

    He would wait until everyone realized that they couldn¡¯t learn anything from Umbridge, and then expand the scale further.

    Finally, all the students had finished eating, the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, and everyone was feeling a little drowsy.

    At this moment, Dumbledore got to his feet once more.

    Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.

    ¡°Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students ¡­ and a few of our older students ought to know by now too.

    ¡°Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between sses, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch¡¯s office door.¡±

    Almost all the list was of prohibited items, and there were more than 30,000.

    In recent years, almost all of the added products were Fred and George¡¯s joke products. Fortunately, Filch had not yet figured out that the new prank products were a brand, all made by the Weasley twins he hated the most.

    When he knew this, he would probably include all Weasley jokes in the list of prohibited items.

    ¡°We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to wee back Professor Grubbly-nk, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.¡±

    There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic apuse in the hall, and everyone seemed to think Umbridge was terrible.

    As for Professor Grubbly-nk, she was already very old, and she certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to teach for long, but temporarily reced Hagrid.

    After the apuse stopped, Dumbledore continued, ¡°Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take ce on the¡­¡±

    He broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge.

    As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>,¡± and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

    Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise.

    Professor Sprout¡¯s eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, Professor McGonagall¡¯s mouth was as thin as ever seen before, and Snape also had a gloomy look. It was as though Umbridge owed him a lot of money.

    In fact, no new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. This was something that had never happened.

    Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

    Only those who knew Umbridge¡¯s background couldn¡¯tugh.

    ¡°Thank you, Headmaster,¡± Professor Umbridge simpered, ¡°for those kind words of wee.¡±

    Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish, which made people feel a rush of dislike.

    Umbridge was not young anymore. Evan wanted to know how she made such a voice, was it false?

    And her dressing style, that fluffy pink cardigan, was also very dislikable.

    But the most uneptable thing was her unspeakable temperament, which was annoying.

    Taking into ount her background and personality, it was even more annoying!

    ¡°<i>Hem, Hem</i>!¡± Umbridge gave another little throat-clearing cough, and continued: ¡°Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!¡± She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. ¡°And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!¡±

    Evan could be sure that apart from her, none of the thousands of faces in the Great Hall looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

    ¡°I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be very good friends!¡±

    Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be her friend as long as I don¡¯t have to borrow that cardigan,¡± Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of thempsed into silent giggles.

    Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice.

    She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born maye to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizardingmunity must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.¡±

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 Chapter 923: The Ministry of Magics Interference and Guidance

    Chapter 923: The Ministry of Magic''s Interference and Guidance

    Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back.

    Professor McGonagall¡¯s dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike.

    As Umbridge turned to continue her speech, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout exchanged a significant nce.

    ¡°Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress¡¯s sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A bnce, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation¡­¡±

    Umbridge went on and on, and she probably regarded it as a report on the work of the Ministry of Magic.

    Evan soon found his attentiveness ebbing. Putting aside those meaningless words, there was only one thing she wanted to convey, and that was that the Ministry of Magic was dissatisfied with the current state of Hogwarts and was ready to interfere with Hogwarts¡¯s operation.

    He had known this a long time ago, so naturally he was not interested in listening to her.

    The young wizards had never seen such a scene, and were not interested in listening to her incessant speech.

    Everyone¡¯s attention gradually waned. They were unable to keep up with Umbridge¡¯s thoughts. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling.To Evan¡¯s left, Kate was holding her chin with her hand, but her head kept sliding down; over at the Ravenw table, Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends. A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out <i>The Quibbler</i> again.

    Meanwhile at the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmin was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but it was evident that he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect¡¯s badge gleaming on his chest.

    Over the Slytherin table on the other side of the Great Hall, Astoria was talking to a girl.

    It was Daphne Greengrass, Astoria¡¯s sister. In addition, they had an older brother who was a seventh-year Slytherin student.

    At the staff table, Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience.

    She ignored everything below and continued to speak slowly in her goose-creepy voice.

    She gave the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech.

    The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Dumbledore kept staring at Umbridge.

    To Evan¡¯s right, Hermione also seemed to be drinking in every word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.

    ¡°¡­ because some changes will be for the better, while others wille, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and ountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.¡±

    Half an hourter, Umbridge finally sat down. Dumbledore pped. The staff followed his lead, though several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping.

    A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start apuding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

    ¡°Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating,¡± he said, bowing to her. ¡°Now ¡­ as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it certainly was illuminating,¡± said Hermione in a low voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re not telling me you enjoyed it?¡± Ron said quietly, turning a zed face upon Hermione. ¡°That was about the dullest speech I¡¯ve ever heard, and I grew up with Percy.¡±

    ¡°I said illuminating, not enjoyable,¡± said Hermione. ¡°It exined a lot.¡±

    ¡°Did it?¡± said Ron in surprise. ¡°Sounded like a load of waffle to me. By the way, Harry, you said I can sign up for the House Quidditch team tryouts?¡±

    When it came to Quidditch, he suddenly perked up.

    ¡°Of course, it would be great if you coulde!¡± Harry said, and then came back to his senses, ¡°Wood¡¯s gone, we need a new goalkeeper, I don¡¯t know yet who the captain is. I¡¯ll ask for you tomorrow.¡±

    The first-years looked at both of them expectantly. Compared with Umbridge¡¯s speech, everyone was very interested in Quidditch.

    As the most popr sport in the wizarding world, Quidditch was more popr than imagined.

    Quidditch was the first thing many Muggle born young wizards knew when they entered the wizarding world.

    Everyone seemed to want to enter the Quidditch team. If there was an open and fair selection, Ron¡¯s chances of being selected would be very low.

    It was not that he was not flying well enough, but that he was too unstable and might not be able to show his strength¡­

    ¡°You heard what she said, ¡®progress for progress¡¯s sake must be discouraged¡¯, and ¡®pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited¡¯. The Ministry¡¯s interfering at Hogwarts.¡± Hermione turned her head and said to Evan, ignoring both of them.

    ¡°As expected, Fudge hopes to solve us from the inside,¡± said Evan. ¡°Be careful with this woman, she¡¯s not easy.¡±

    Umbridge represented the Ministry of Magic, and until there was aplete break, Hogwarts clearly could not resist orders from the Ministry.

    Hermione wanted to say something else, but there was a great ttering and banging all around them.

    Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall.

    Hermione jumped up, looking flustered.

    ¡°Evan, we¡¯re supposed to show the first years where to go!¡± she said hurriedly, ¡°Ron, hurry up!¡±

    ¡°I almost forgot!¡± Ron shouted loudly, ¡°Hey ¡­ you lot! Midgets!¡±

    ¡°Ron!¡±

    ¡°Well, they are, they¡¯re titchy¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, but you can¡¯t call them midgets¡­ <i>First years</i>!¡± Hermione calledmandingly along the table. ¡°This way, please!¡±

    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to take you back to themon room and dormitory,¡± said Evan, standing up with Kate.

    A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group.

    They looked at Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione with twinkling eyes.

    There were more first years than usual this year, and they did indeed seem very small and very young.

    ¡°There are so many people. Don¡¯t these guys know how to make way for the first years?¡± Hermione said, dissatisfied.

    The crowd was jammed at the doorway, because Umbridge had taken too much time, and everyone wanted to go back quickly now.

    Compared with those strong senior students, the small spots around the prefects had no advantage at all.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, leave it to me!¡± said Evan, and he took out his wand.

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 Chapter 924: Gryffindor in the Limelight

    Chapter 924: Gryffindor in the Limelight

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Hermione asked cautiously, looking at his wand.

    ¡°Very simple, don¡¯t let other people get close to you, and you don¡¯t have to worry about pushing,¡± said Evan, sparks appearing at the tip of his wand. ¡°It¡¯s very necessary to protect the first years. These guys should realize this, and at least be polite.¡±

    As the Head Boy, it was Evan¡¯s responsibility to maintain order.

    In this messy situation, it would not be useful to yell like the prefects, and Evan didn¡¯t n to do that.

    He raised his wand high, and an orange-red magical shield shed from the end of his wand.

    The shield expanded quickly, and its scope was getting wider and wider. In the blink of an eye, the first-years were surrounded in the middle, while the other students outside were gently pushed aside.

    They pushed the magical shield with their hands, as though there was ayer of soft ss between them and the first-years.

    After a certain degree of precise control of magic, Evan was morefortable with such magic.

    The noisy Great Hall suddenly became quiet. Everyone opened their eyes wide and looked at the magical shield and the crowd that suddenly appeared centered around the Gryffindor long table. What kind of magic was this?It was amazing; it was totally out of everyone¡¯s knowledge.

    In the blink of an eye, the calm Hall boiled again, and they began to talk once more, pointing at Evan.

    As for the Gryffindor first-years in the shield, they were so excited and looked at Evan with admiration.

    If it was because of Evan¡¯s status as Head Boy at first, now it was because of his strong magical power!

    ¡°It¡¯s really simple, but isn¡¯t it too high-profile to do this?¡± said Hermione, as they had be the center of focus in the Great Hall.

    ¡°That¡¯s precisely what I want!¡± Evan replied.

    If he followed the practice of the former Head Boys, it was estimated that many people wouldn¡¯t know who he was.

    Even if they knew it, they would not necessarily follow his orders. Just like Percy, no one took what he said seriously. On the contrary, Hogwarts students enjoyed constantly challenging the authority of the prefects and the Head Boy.

    It didn¡¯t matter even if points were deducted or there was detention, who cared¡­

    Only by showing a certain level of strength would everyone be truly convinced.

    The reason why Dumbledore was called the greatest white wizard in the world was not because he was the Headmaster of Hogwarts, nor because of his other status and age, but because his magical power was the strongest in the world, and no one dared to take it lightly.

    Unlike the rules of the Muggle world, although the Wizarding world had changed a lot, the strong were still respected.

    Under the current circumstances, if he wanted unity within Hogwarts, there must be someone who could stand up and lead everyone.

    Since Dumbledore made Evan the Head Boy, he hoped that he could take up this responsibility.

    If he wanted to take on this responsibility, he had to show his strength and prove that he had this qualification.

    Not surprisingly, Evan¡¯s performance today was enough to shock everyone, and his deeds would be told again.

    Everyone already knew that Evan had the strength, but they didn¡¯t know how strong he was, and rarely saw him use magic.

    ording to their own judgment; orparing it with themselves, everyone had a bottom line for their strength, and there were many people, like Gleeson, who might take chances. They would have never imagined that a fourteen-year-old wizard would be so powerful. This was not logical ormon sense, and it was impossible for this kind of thing to happen in their worldview.

    But Evan brokemon sense and told everyone with facts that he had no upper limit¡­

    His performance today would leave a deep impression in everyone¡¯s minds. It was conceivable that after seeing his mighty power, many of the conspiracies nned secretly because he¡¯d be the Head Boy shoulde to an abrupt end.

    ¡°Everybody back up and let the first-years go first!¡± Evan shouted.

    Needless to say, in fact, everyone was backing away, trying to make room as much as possible. Following the guidance of Ron and Hermione, the team of first-years moved forward.

    Even the students who were still standing at the door would be pushed aside by Evan¡¯s magical shield.

    Under the gaze of the teachers and the students of the school, Gryffindor first-years excitedly followed Hermione and Ron out of the Hall.

    Evan stood at the door, and then let the first-years from Ravenw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin Houses over.

    The others were blocked in the Hall by him alone, watching the first-years leave one by one with awe and shock.

    The Houses, grudges, and interests aside, Evan was the only student who could do this in Hogwarts.

    What he relied on was not being the Head Boy, but his personal strength.

    At the staff table, Umbridge also looked at Evan in amazement, and the fake smile on her face gradually disappeared.

    ¡°Regarding the question, Dolores!¡± Dumbledore said calmly, ¡°I think you¡¯ve also seen it. Mr. Mason¡¯s current magical power may be the strongest among Hogwarts students. That¡¯s why I let him be the Head Boy. Although he is still a little young, I think he is good enough for this position.¡±

    ¡°Excellent. Judging from my past experience, I don¡¯t doubt his strength!¡± said Umbridge slowly after a while. ¡°However, the Head Boy is a very important position. We must make a rigorous and meticulous assessment of his qualities. You know what I mean, Professor Dumbledore ¡­ the stronger the power, the more attention and guidance should be given. There can be no more You-Know-Who at Hogwarts¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°he will pass your test, and so will Hogwarts.¡±

    Hermione and Ron led the first-years, all eyes in awe, back to the Gryffindormon room.

    As usual, Gryffindor would have another party, and it would take a long time for everyone before going to bed.

    It was the same almost every year. Since Evan, Harry, and Ron came to Hogwarts flying the Ford Anglia, the party after the school¡¯s Start-of-Term Feast had almost be a habit of Gryffindor House.

    Compared with the other Houses, this cheerful atmosphere was quite good.

    Indeed, Slytherin House would lead the first years to the cold basement, but they would fight each other until the first-year hidden prefect was selected; Ravenw House would lead the first years to the internal library and give everyone a long list of books; as for Hufflepuff House, they used to gather the first years in front of the round firece and listen to the seniors talking about all kinds of gossip in the school.

    Byparison, the Gryffindor Party was good, and it was also conducive to quick integration of the first-years into the House.

    However, when Evan and the others came back, there was no sign of the celebration, but¡­

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 Chapter 925: Internal Conflict

    ¡°Head Boy Evan, is this the Gryffindor Tower?¡± Euan Abercrombie asked, looking around curiously.

    Along the way, he felt like he didn¡¯t have enough eyes. Hogwarts Castle was really big, and there were all kinds of weird things and magic in it, which were all new to him, as well as to the other first-years.

    They gathered around Evan, and kept asking this and that, without stopping for a moment.

    Ron was already impatient, and the noisy little kids gave him a headache.

    The prefect not only had the right to punish others, but also a responsibility. He was not ready to take on this responsibility and needed to be honed.

    Hermione did her best to answer, speaking veryprehensively, almost repeating the original words of the books.

    However, she might have spoken too professionally; there were many things the first-years didn¡¯t quite understand, and they felt lost.

    Only Evan¡¯s exnations were easy to understand. They were not deep or shallow, just right.

    In fact, one could only understand the problems of depth if he had experienced them; otherwise they would be too ambiguous.What Evan said was very simple, poprizing some basicmon sense, but these were enough for new students.

    They had a preconceived idea that Evan was very powerful, and they thought that these things he was talking about were also really great.

    Besides, the first-years were so happy to get in touch with Evan.

    What surprised Euan most was that Evan¡¯s temper was so good, he¡¯d answered almost all the questions, and he was kind and friendly.

    It was true that he¡¯d been hearing bad things about Evan before he came and he had a very bad impression of him.

    On the train, someone had shown him the previous edition of the <i>Daily Prophet</i>. It was full of articles about Evan and Harry, telling that he must be careful of Gryffindor, Evan and Harry, not to contact them, and try to stay away from them as far as possible.

    They¡¯d actually rumored that Voldemort had returned, trying to create chaos.

    In Euan¡¯s mind, Evan had be a stupid, lying, and ignorant wizard studying Dark magic. He took pleasure in bullying others. But when he saw it with his own eyes, he found that this was not the case at all. It waspletely the opposite.

    Evan¡¯s attitude had said everything, and the short contact made everyone have a good impression of him.

    Especially his powerful strength was even more admirable. Not to mention the magic he¡¯d used in the Great Hall that they didn¡¯t understand, they¡¯d met Peeves bullying other students on the fourth floor. They all knew that he was a difficult ghost that took pleasure in bullying the students with pranks, and was not afraid of anything.

    But after seeing Evan, Peeves turned around and fled.

    ¡°Yeah, this is the Gryffindor Tower. This is the Fat Lady. She is the manager of the entrance of the Gryffindormon room. She has always done her duty and is very serious. You can only enter themon room by saying the correct password,¡± said Evan cheerfully to the first-years around him, turned around and looked at the portrait of the Fat Lady, ¡°Good evening, Fat Lady, these are the new first-years!¡±

    ¡°Hello, Evan, I heard them say they chose you as the Head Boy, congrattions!¡± said the Fat Lady cheerfully; smoothing the folds on her pink satin dress, as though talking to Evan was a very honorable thing.

    It might be that Evan¡¯s dutiful words made her look particrly kind.

    ¡°Thank you, this is the headmaster¡¯s trust in me. By the way, the password is <i>Mimbulus mimbletonia</i>!¡± Evan continued.

    ¡°Correct,¡± said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open toward them like a door, revealing a circr hole in the wall behind.

    ¡°You have to remember the password. If it¡¯s changed, the prefects will inform you as soon as possible.¡± Hermione said.

    ¡°If you forget it, you can only spend the night in the corridor!¡± Evan took the lead in climbing the hole.

    The Gryffindormon room looked as weing as ever, a cozy circr tower room full of dpidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate.

    Evan had thought that with his performance in the Great Hall, the energy of the whole Gryffindor would have soared. Fred and George would certainly not miss this opportunity to organize a school opening party; and he was just leading the first-years back to join them and get to know one another more.

    But no, the atmosphere in themon room was particrly cold.

    In this cold and cheerless atmosphere, with a hint of tension and uneasiness, Harry, Fred, George, Colin and Neville were standing on one side near the stairs to the boys¡¯ dormitories, while others stood on the other side, facing each other.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Evan was startled for a moment. ¡°What are you doing standing here?¡±

    He looked around, and few people dared to look him in the eyes.

    Evan¡¯s past experience, as well as the powerful magic that he¡¯d just used in the Great Hall, were still fresh in everyone¡¯s memory.

    ¡°Nothing, Harry and Seamus had a little conflict,¡± Fred said. ¡°We persuaded them!¡±

    ¡°Not a big deal,¡± George followed, waving his hand. ¡°It¡¯s all over now.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no small matter,¡± Dean Thomas said immediately. ¡°Seamus¡¯s Mum almost prevented him from returning to Hogwarts.¡±

    At his words, the atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense.

    ¡°But ¡­ why?¡± said Hermione, surprised, and walked to Evan¡¯s side.

    ¡°The <i>Daily Prophet</i>, his mother believes all the nonsense it writes,¡± said Harry angrily.

    Dean and Seamus were both his roommates. He didn¡¯t want to make a scene with them in front of so many people, beingughed at and pointed at by others. Before tonight, he thought his rtionship with them was pretty good. Even if it was not as good as that with Evan and Ron, they were still rtively close friends ¡­ at least he thought they were.

    But what happened just now overturned Harry¡¯s understanding.

    They asked him aggressively about what happened that night half a year ago. Although Harry had told them the truth more than once, no one believed it. They just wanted to know what they wanted to happen.

    Hermione once said that time would make them slowly ept the return of Voldemort, but it didn¡¯t.

    Everyone had doubts about Voldemort¡¯s return. Although they had digested it for a long timest term, they still couldn¡¯t believe it. When they returned home during the summer vacation, they were influenced by their parents, people around them, and media such as the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, and they all felt that Evan and Harry were lying, and Voldemort could not be resurrected at all.

    Distrust was brewing, and finally broke out in silence.

    They didn¡¯t dare to ask Evan. They could only use Harry as a breakthrough¡­.

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 Chapter 926: The First Quarrel

    Chapter 926: The First Quarrel

    Seamus¡¯s reasons seemed quite substantial. His mother believed the articles in the <i>Daily Prophet</i> and thought that Dumbledore was an old fool, and Evan and Harry were liars in an uproar, and Voldemort could never being back, it was like Arabian Nights.

    Therefore, she did not intend to send Seamus to Hogwarts, and even wanted him to transfer, which was a serious matter.

    In this case, as the source of everything, Harry was naturally responsible for exining the matterpletely.

    Harry didn¡¯t know what else he needed to exin. He had said everything he could, but no one believed it.

    He was sick of it; sick of being the person who was stared at and talked about all the time.

    If any of them knew, if any of them had the faintest idea what it felt like to be the one all these things had happened to ¡­ Seamus didn¡¯t know, his mother had no idea, neither of these people knew.

    <i>A bunch of stupid guys and a stupid woman</i>, Harry thought savagely.

    He directly rejected Seamus¡¯s request to repeat what had happened that night, and asked him to read the <i>Daily Prophet</i> like his mother. This lieden newspaper would tell him everything he needed to know.

    Seamus thought that Harry had a go at his mother, and the two immediately quarreled¡­¡°Seriously, what¡¯s going on with you two?¡± Ron said, hurriedlying out of the crowd.

    ¡°He¡¯s having a go at my mother!¡± Seamus yelled.

    ¡°Harry wouldn¡¯t do that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we all met your mother and we all liked her,¡± said Hermione hurriedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s before that stupid woman started believing every word the stinking <i>Daily Prophet </i>writes about us!¡± said Harry at the top of his voice. He was fed up. The pressure umted in recent times exploded without reservation.

    ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t talk about my mother like that,¡± snapped Seamus, pulling out his wand and pointing it back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you how I want, she calls me a liar; she¡¯s aplete fool!¡± said Harry, his temper rising so fast he snatched his wand, ¡°You¡¯re all the same, regardless of the facts, you can¡¯t see the truth.¡±

    ¡°Enough, you two!¡± said Evan hurriedly, really worried that they would start fighting with excitement.

    He looked at Harry who was excited, with a headache.

    Turning his head, seeing the panting Seamus with the same flushed face, he didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment.

    The report about himself and Harry seeing Voldemort¡¯s resurrection had not been published, and it was not the time yet.

    Evan suspected that even if the report were published or the whole thing that night were told to Seamus, he would not believe it, just like Dumbledore could not convince Fudge.

    The more he talked about it, the more counterproductive it would be unless he put Voldemort in front of his eyes¡­

    If Evan had this ability, he would let Fudge understand his mistake first.

    ¡°You two stop quarreling; it¡¯s been so stiff on the first day of school.¡± Evan said thoughtfully, ¡°About what happened to Harry and me that night, Dumbledore made it clearst term ¡­ Voldemort is back!¡±

    ¡°Huh!¡± Hearing the name, everyone in themon room gasped and couldn¡¯t help shivering.

    ¡°You¡¯re with him. You¡¯re all lying,¡± said Seamus stubbornly, shaking his wand in his hand.

    ¡°Whether we¡¯re lying or not will be verified by time. We¡¯ve told the truth, purely with good intentions. Believe it or not is your business and your freedom. In the same way, you have no right to deny those who know the truth,¡± said Evan. ¡°Now, go back to bed!¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re all crazy,¡± said Seamus heatedly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to share a dormitory with him anymore, my mother¡­¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask Professor McGonagall if you can be moved.¡± Harry shouted again, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough, stop talking about your mummy worrying about you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re mad. I want to move out¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s out of order, Seamus,¡± said Ron immediately.

    ¡°Out of order, am I?¡± Seamus shouted, his face turning paler. ¡°Ask everyone present in the room who believes the rubbish they¡¯vee out with about You-Know-Who, do you reckon they¡¯re telling the truth? Ah, I forgot, you¡¯re with them, you¡¯re all mad, you actually believe in the kind of impossible things.¡±

    In the silence, no one spoke. It was obvious that most people did not believe it.

    But seeing Evan here, no one was willing to stand up, that was really stupid!

    ¡°I believe Evan!¡± said Colin, walking to Harry¡¯s side.

    ¡°Then you¡¯re mad too!¡±

    ¡°I also believe in what Head Boy Evan said!¡± Kate suddenly stood up and said.

    Because she was in the spotlight for the first time, the little girl was very nervous, but she didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Since Head Boy Evan said that You-Know-Who is back, then he must be back.¡±

    ¡°Huh, a first-year¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop making trouble, Seamus, we all believe what Evan and Harry said. That¡¯s the truth,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°You¡¯re all mad!¡± said Seamus in disgust. ¡°I see, a bunch of lunatics.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well unfortunately for you, pal, I¡¯m also a prefect!¡± said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. ¡°So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t reason with him like Evan, but this method was undoubtedly more effective.

    Seamus seemed to realize that he was facing a Head Boy and two prefects, and it would be no good to offend them.

    For a few seconds, he seemed to feel as though he could spit out what was going through his mind.

    He didn¡¯t even care to have a fight with Evan and Harry.

    But in the end, with a noise of contempt he turned on his heel, not looking at Evan, Harry, Ron and the others.

    ¡°Well, anyone else¡¯s parents got a problem?¡± Ron asked aggressively, seemingly pleased that the prefect had yed a role.

    ¡°My parents are Muggles, mate,¡± said Dean, shrugging when he noticed Ron was looking at him. ¡°They don¡¯t even know who You-Know-Who is, because I¡¯m not stupid enough to tell them. But like Seamus, I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    ¡°I just said it¡¯s your freedom, and time will prove everything,¡± said Evan, taking a deep breath and looking at everyone in themon room, ¡°This is just an opportunity, I¡¯ll say it again. Regarding the things Harry and I said, whether you choose to believe is your own business, but please don¡¯t impose your own ideas on others. If I know anyone who quarrels because of this kind of thing, I¡¯ll definitely put them in detention. I mean it. Also, if you want to change the dormitory, you cane to me to apply.

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 Chapter 927: The Seeds of Distrust

    Chapter 927: The Seeds of Distrust

    Gryffindor was facing internal division, and distrust was building up.

    It was really bad enough for first-years to see this scene. In the past few years, Gryffindor had been the most united, glorious and belonging House, and had achieved impressive results.

    But now, whether Evan wanted to admit it or not, they were on the verge of internal division.

    This kind of thing could only be solved by time, and only when Voldemort appeared again could it be proved that they had not lied.

    No matter how much he said now, it wouldn¡¯t help.

    With this time, it was better to unite those who were willing to believe in them, or read more magic books to improve his strength.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know my mother, she¡¯ll weasel anything out of anyone,¡± Seamus said with his back to them. ¡°Many of youe from Muggle families. Your parents don¡¯t get the <i>Daily Prophet</i>; they don¡¯t know our headmaster¡¯s been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards because he¡¯s losing his marbles¡­¡±

    Evan frowned. If Seamus continued to say this, he would really have to be in detention, otherwise it would be endless.

    He didn¡¯t want to discuss this kind of thing with them here; it didn¡¯t make any sense at all.¡°My gran says that¡¯s rubbish,¡± piped up Neville. ¡°She says it¡¯s the <i>Daily Prophet</i> that¡¯s going downhill, not Dumbledore. She¡¯s canceled our subscription. We are now subscribing to <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>, which tells the facts. My gran¡¯s always said You-Know-Who woulde back one day. She says if Dumbledore says he¡¯s back, he¡¯s back, and we must be prepared for the battle.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Neville,¡± said Evan decisively. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll say it again for thest time. Go back to sleep.¡±

    Under his gaze, the crowd gradually dispersed, and the Gryffindormon room was filled with this kind of distrust for the first time.

    To Evan¡¯s delight and surprise, many first-years clearly expressed their support for him. Although many of these people didn¡¯t even know what Voldemort meant, it was still a good start.

    At the same time, it also verified his ideas. These young boys and girls still had to develop from scratch¡­

    After everyone left, Evan and Hermione stayed for more than half an hour.

    They drafted a notice together and copied more than a dozen copies. Evan nned to have the prefects post it on the notice boards of the Houses tomorrow. It was mainly about organizing the first-years to visit the school this weekend. By the way, he would tell them something else.

    When Evan returned to the bedroom, it was obvious that there was talking inside, but it stopped immediately after he went in.

    They were talking about what had happened just now, about Evan and Harry.

    Only Colin said goodnight to Evan, and then the whole bedroom fell into a death-like silence along with the darkness.

    The quarrel between Harry and Seamus upset many people, and now everyone in Gryffindor found themselves in a dilemma.

    For a long time, they had trusted Dumbledore and Evan very much, but it was hard to believe the fact that Voldemort had returned, because to admit this required not only great courage, but also preparations to meet the deepest fears in the soul.

    Everyone was thinking, wanting to draw a conclusion of both ends, but the more they thought about it, the more confused they were¡­

    At the same time, Harry was rolling around on the sheets, tossing and turning.

    In fact, he had always liked Seamus very much before, but he didn¡¯t expect such a thing to happen tonight.

    This was just the beginning, how many more people were going to suggest that he was lying or unhinged?

    Although time would prove everything, how many attacks like Seamus¡¯s would he have to endure before that time came?

    Early the next morning, Evan and Hermione went to the school to post notices.

    The notices for themon rooms of the other three Houses could be given to their prefects during breakfastter.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking aboutst night for a long time, Harry and Seamus¡­¡± Hermione stopped abruptly.

    She was staring at themon room notice board, where arge new sign had been put up.

    GALLONS OF GALLEONS!

    Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?

    Like to earn a little extra gold?

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Contact Fred and George Weasley,

    Gryffindormon room,

    for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs

    (WE REGRET THAT ALL WORK IS UNDERTAKEN AT APPLICANT¡¯S OWN RISK).

    Their prank products, especially the newly improved Skiving Snackboxes, had entered the human experimental stage. The test on their own body could no longer meet the requirements. They needed to start looking for experimenters on arge scale and record various adverse reactions after taking them.

    Evan had heard Fred and George talk about this before, and they needed a lot of b rats.¡±

    Obviously, this work was dangerous and very unsanitary. Except for them, no one knew how many poisonous tentacle seeds, bug corpses and the like Fred and George added to those skipping candy.

    ¡°They can¡¯t do this, they¡¯ve gone too far,¡± said Hermione grimly, taking down the sign, which Fred and George had pinned up over a poster giving the date of the first Hogsmeade weekend in October.

    ¡°Did you know about it?¡± Hermione said, staring at Evan suspiciously, crumpling the sign into a ball.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know!¡± said Evan hurriedly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to talk to them; we can¡¯t let them go on like this,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Yeah, call Ron too.¡±

    Like Mrs. Weasley, Hermione could not understand Fred and George¡¯s prank products.

    Now as prefect, she thought she had a responsibility to prevent such things, and it was up to them to do it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Fred and George about this, so that they don¡¯t¡­¡± Evan paused, ¡°Well, don¡¯t post signs so publicly, but if others volunteer to test their new products, it¡¯s none of our business.¡±

    As long as the amount of Gold Galleons as a reward was considerable, there would always be applicants to Fred and George¡¯s experiments.

    ¡°You¡¯re right; we really don¡¯t have this right,¡± Hermione said angrily, taking the lead to walk out of themon room. ¡°And I¡¯m not in the mood to care about them either, you know? Back to my bedroomst night, I heard Lavender and Parvati also discussing the quarrel between Harry and Seamus, and they didn¡¯t want to believe me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought Ron told Lavender everything?¡± Evan said.

    ¡°I thought so, too. She knows more than the others, but she still seems to stubbornly believe that Harry is a lying, attention-seeking prat, and you and Ron are both blinded by him!¡± Hermione said. ¡°This is ridiculous, what¡¯s wrong with these people?

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 Chapter 928: Unity and the New Captain

    Chapter 928: Unity and the New Captain

    ¡°Because of fear!¡± Evan whispered, ¡°You see, eptance is a form of courage, especially when admitting such unfathomable things exist.¡±

    At that moment, they walked down a flight of stairs lined with portraits of old witches and wizards, all of whom ignored them, being engrossed in their own conversation.

    ¡°What did you say to Lavender? You didn¡¯t just stand there while they discussed such matters, did you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± said Hermione calmly. ¡°I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut and stop gossiping.¡±

    Evan chuckled. It was indeed typical of Hermione to react that way!

    ¡°However, I still have some concerns about this matter. I thought about it for a long timest night.¡± Hermione continued, ¡°We can prevent them from openly discussing this, but people will still talk in secret. Dumbledore once said, Voldemort¡¯s gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Unity is the key to oveing all difficulties,¡± Evan nodded in agreement.

    Behind Voldemort and the Second Wizarding War, there were even more terrible evil gods, and it was crucial to unite.

    ¡°But You-Know-Who¡¯s only been back for less than half a year; he hasn¡¯t taken action yet, and we¡¯ve started fighting among ourselves!¡± said Hermione, feeling disheartened. But she quickly regained herposure and continued, ¡°Evan, I think we should make efforts to unite Gryffindor internally and with the other Houses.¡±¡°Well, that¡¯s indeed the most important thing at present.¡± Evan agreed, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°We have to make full use of the status of Head Boy and prefect. This time, organizing the first-years together is an opportunity and a good start. We can instill the concept of unity in them. We can also help them familiarize with the school, get used to their homework, and so on. This kind of activity can be carried out on a long-term basis. With more interaction, friendships will naturally form,¡± Hermione proposed.

    Hermione¡¯s idea seemed somewhat presumptuous, but it was better than doing nothing. It should yield some results.

    Last night, many first-years stood up to support them, which left a deep impression on Evan.

    In addition, he nned to unite those who were willing to be united and help those who believed in them to enhance their abilities.

    It was obviously unrealistic to make everyone stronger, but it was feasible to train a small number of elites, just like what was known as ¡°Dumbledore¡¯s Army¡±.

    As they walked, Evan shared this idea with Hermione.

    When they arrived at the Great Hall, Evan handed the notice to the prefects of the other three Houses, asking them to go back and post it. They were to gather the first-year students of their respective Houses at the gate of the castle on the weekend.

    Draco Malfoy seemed hesitant, but finally epted the notice and agreed to cooperate with Evan.

    Regardless of public opinion, as long as Evan demonstrated sufficient strength, at least no one would dare oppose him openly.

    What happened in the Gryffindor Common Room spread quickly throughout Hogwarts. The Great Hall was filled with hushed whispers as usual. Many people stole nces at Evan, quickly averting their gaze when he looked their way.

    It was indeed frustrating, but Evan remained unfazed.

    For these gazes and discussions, just ignore them, and treat these people as non-existent.

    To do that, no doubt required a strong heart.

    Until now, Harry had not been able to do that like Evan, and the enchanted ceiling above them echoed Harry¡¯s mood; it was a miserable rain-cloud gray.

    This morning, before Harry even got up, Seamus had left the dormitory early.

    Everyone was avoiding him along the way, and a line of sixth-year Ravenws was crossing the entrance hall; they caught sight of Harry and hurried to form a tighter group, as though frightened he might attack stragglers.

    The current situation was worse than when the Basilisk was wreaking havoc inside the castle. At least back then, the students from pure-blood families didn¡¯t have to worry about Harry; everyone knew that the Slytherin¡¯s Heir wouldn¡¯t harm pure-blood opponents¡­

    But now, judging by the way these people were acting, it was unclear whether they feared Voldemort or Evan and Harry.

    ¡°Look at them, do they think I¡¯m going to cast a Killing Curse, or they¡¯ll turn into nutters if they stay with me too long?¡± Harry grumbled, sitting opposite Evan and Hermione, with Ron and Colin beside him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let it bother you. As long as we know we¡¯re in the right, it¡¯s enough,¡± Evan reassured.

    ¡°Ron, Evan and I discussed it just now, and decided to lead all the first-years to visit the school this weekend, and the prefects must participate.¡± Hermione followed, pulling a te of toast toward her,¡± Harry, will you join us?¡±

    Before Harry could answer, a tall ck girl with long, braided hair had marched up to him.

    ¡°Hi, Angelina.¡± Everyone hurriedly greeted.

    ¡°Hi¡­ good summer?¡± she said briskly. And without waiting for an answer, ¡°Listen, I¡¯ve been made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain!¡±

    ¡°Nice one,¡± said Harry, grinning at her. That was the best news he¡¯d heard since returning to Hogwarts.

    He suspected Angelina¡¯s pep talks might not be as long-winded as Oliver Wood¡¯s had been, which could only be an improvement.

    Ron and Colin also stopped to look at her. The captain of the Quidditch team was always one of the most popr figures in the House, especially as the tryouts for the team were just around the corner. Angelina had full authority in such matters.

    ¡°We need a new Keeper now Oliver¡¯s left.¡± Angelina lived up to everyone¡¯s expectations and said directly, ¡°Tryouts are on Friday at five o¡¯clock and I want the whole team there, all right, Harry? Then we can see how the new person will fit in.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Harry quickly agreed.

    ¡°Can wee and watch?¡± Colin asked.

    ¡°Of course, those who want to visit can gather at the pitch; or even sign up for the selection directly.¡± Angelina said, eyeing the slender Colin. ¡°But your build might not be suitable for a Keeper. By the way, Evan, will you be joining us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not. You know I¡¯m afraid of heights!¡± Evan replied. ¡°But I¡¯ll definitelye to watch!¡±

    ¡°Alright then!¡± Angelina waved and turned to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten Wood had left,¡± said Hermione, finishing her bread.

    ¡°Hermione, Harry and I discussed itst night, sitting here with you right next to me,¡± said Ron, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Angelina to rece Wood as captain, but she¡¯s definitely the most qualified.¡±

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 Chapter 929: The O.W.L.s Year of the Fifth Year

    Chapter 929: The O.W.L.s Year of the Fifth Year

    ¡°Really? Have you discussed it already?¡± Hermione said casually. Like Evan, she was not particrly interested in Quidditch. ¡°I may not have noticed, but, well, Wood leaving will have a significant impact on the team, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Harry, picking up a piece of bread. ¡°He was an excellent Keeper.¡±

    ¡°Still, it won¡¯t hurt to have some new blood, will it?¡± said Ron. ¡°By the way, Evan, your new broom?¡±

    ¡°Not much of an issue. I can have one made before the selection, but it will take some time for mass production.¡±

    Just then, with a whoosh and a tter, hundreds of owls came soaring in through the upper windows. They descended all over the Hall, bringing letters and packages to their owners and showering the breakfasters with droplets of water; it was clearly raining hard outside.

    Evan received today¡¯s <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, he nced at it and handed the newspaper to Hermione.

    After a while, Hedwig brought back the reply letter from Evan¡¯s parents, along with arge bag of sweets.

    Evan¡¯s mother had prepared plenty, enough for Evan to share with everyone and establish good rtions. These Muggle sweets were very popr, and from what she wrote in the letter, she was proud of Evan bing the Head Boy.

    ¡°I like this Muggle brand of chocte!¡± said Ron, stuffing the candy into his mouth.¡°Well, then take a few more!¡±

    While Evan was reading the letter, Hermione had to move her orange juice aside quickly to make way for arge damp barn owl bearing a sodden <i>Daily Prophet </i>in its beak.

    ¡°What are you still getting that for?¡± said Harry irritably, thinking of Seamus, as Hermione ced a Knut in the leather pouch on the owl¡¯s leg and it took off again. ¡°I¡¯m not bothering ¡­ load of rubbish.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s best to know what the enemy are saying,¡± said Hermione darkly.

    She unfurled the newspaper and disappeared behind it, not emerging until everyone had finished eating.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± she said simply. ¡°Nothing was said.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing new about Rita either!¡± Evan said, putting down the <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>.

    Professor McGonagall was now moving along the table handing out schedules.

    Evan hurriedly stood up and took the opportunity to tell her that he was going to organize activities over the weekend to familiarize the first-years with the campus.

    Besides being the Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall was also the Deputy Headmistress of the school, responsible for such daily affairs.

    ¡°I think it should be fine. Although the school doesn¡¯t have such a precedent, your idea is good. It¡¯s necessary to help the new students get acquainted with the campus, and it falls within the responsibilities of the Head Boy,¡± Professor McGonagall said, lowering her voice. ¡°By the way, Professor Umbridge didn¡¯t talk to you, did she?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Evan shook his head, but it was only a matter of time.

    Considering Evan¡¯s identity and the strength he disyedst night, Professor Umbridge couldn¡¯t simply ignore him.

    Regardless of whether it was to show off or win over, she would talk to Evan alone.

    ¡°Alright, Evan, although it¡¯s not appropriate for me as a professor to say this, I have to warn you¡­¡±

    While Evan was talking with Professor McGonagall, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Colin were studying their newly received schedule.

    ¡°Too bad our first ss is Defense Against the Dark Arts with that scary woman,¡± Colin said.

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Compared to what we have in the fifth year today, you are pretty lucky. Just endure one ss and you¡¯re done,¡± Ron sighed, waving his schedule in his hand. ¡°History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts ¡­ Binns, Snape, Trwney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George could hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted¡­¡±

    ¡°Do mine ears deceive me?¡± said Fred, arriving with George and squeezing onto the bench beside Harry. ¡°Hogwarts prefects surely don¡¯t wish to skive off lessons?¡±

    ¡°Look what we¡¯ve got today,¡± said Ron grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred¡¯s nose. ¡°That¡¯s the worst Monday I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Fair point, little bro,¡± said Fred, scanning the column; this is the worst schedule I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s it cheap?¡± said Ron suspiciously. Fred and George¡¯s products were very popr and came with a price tag.

    Except for Evan, who got a lot of freebies every year, no one else could get their hands on their pranks for free, not even a discount. This included Ron, their own younger brother.

    ¡°Because you¡¯ll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven¡¯t got an antidote yet,¡± said George, helping himself to a kipper. ¡°I suspect we put too many Devil¡¯s Snare seeds in them!¡±

    ¡°Cheers,¡± said Ron moodily, pocketing his schedule, ¡°but I think I¡¯ll take the lessons.¡±

    ¡°And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes,¡± said Hermione, eyeing Fred and George beadily, ¡°you can¡¯t advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board.¡±

    ¡°Says who?¡± said George, looking astonished.

    ¡°Evan and I decided on it.¡± Hermione red at him; then added, ¡°And Ron.¡±

    ¡°Leave me out of it,¡± said Ron hastily.

    Hermione turned her head and red at him. Fred and George sniggered.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to change your tune before long, Hermione!¡± said Fred, thering butter on a piece of toast. ¡°Know why we¡¯ve even thought about making Skiving Snackboxes? The two of us have vivid memories of fifth year¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re starting your fifth year, you¡¯ll be begging us for a Snackbox before long,¡± George said.

    ¡°And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?¡± asked Hermione.

    ¡°Fifth year¡¯s O.W.L. year,¡± said George waving his hand dismissively, as though he thought it was something that didn¡¯t need to be exined.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ve got your examsing up, haven¡¯t you? They¡¯ll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they¡¯ll be rubbed raw,¡± said Fred with satisfaction.

    ¡°Half our year had minor breakdownsing up to O.W.L.s,¡± said George happily. ¡°Tears and tantrums¡­ Patricia Stimpson kepting over faint¡­¡±

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 Chapter 930: Future Plans

    Chapter 930: Future ns

    The annual 0.W.L.s tests held in June were of significant importance. This exam had a crucial impact on future employment and could even determine a student¡¯s destiny to some extent. To pass the exam, fifth-year students must endure a year that felt like a nightmare.

    The intense academic pressure and the fear brought about by the exam were not much different from the terrifying news of Voldemort¡¯s return.

    The fear of being dominated by the 0.W.L.s could cause all kinds of situations among fifth- year students.

    Year after year, the nightmare repeated itself, and George was by no means exaggerating.

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Keh Towler came out in boils, remember?¡± said Fred reminiscently, wearing the same mischievous smile as George.

    ¡°That¡¯s because you put Bulbadox Powder in his pajamas,¡± said George.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Fred, grinning. ¡°I¡¯d forgotten¡­ Hard to keep track sometimes, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s a nightmare of a year, the fifth,¡± said George. ¡°Believe me, if you care about exam results anyway; you¡¯re going to be nervous and on the verge of breaking down. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ you got, what was it, three O.W.L.s each?¡± said Ron, ¡°It¡¯s too few, and the results were not satisfactory. Percy got twelve certificates back then. When Mum found out about your results, she raged for the entire summer. Luckily, the Quidditch World Cup that followed saved you.¡±¡°Yep,¡± said Fred unconcernedly. ¡°But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ we seriously debated whether we were going to bothering back for our seventh year,¡± said George brightly, ¡°now that we¡¯ve got enough funds with the help of Evan, we¡¯re nning to open a joke shop in Diagon Alley.¡±

    ¡°Mrs. Weasley won¡¯t agree,¡± Evan said, as he came back just to hear their conversation.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hard to talk about it with Mum, but it¡¯s not impossible. At the beginning ofst summer, we showed her the money we earned over these years, and she seemed to agree a bit. But, thanks to Percy, turning out to be the world¡¯s biggest prat, Mum directly refused our request to leave school early,¡± said George sarcastically. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, now that we¡¯ve got our O.W.L.s, what¡¯s the use of N.E.W.T.s? To be prats like Percy?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to waste ourst year here, though,¡± said Fred, looking affectionately around at the Great Hall. ¡°We¡¯re going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from his joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, and then produce the products to fit the demand.¡±

    It was not just about prank products; Fred and George had a ir for business and entrepreneurship. They were willing to seed.

    If they had enough time, they could even sell their products abroad and build a vast business empire.

    That was also the main reason why Evan had been cooperating with them. He had funds and enough magic to support the research of various new products. He could even find sales channels in the Muggle world from his home. Yet there was still one problem.

    He was unwilling to do such a thing, nor was he willing to waste his time on it. Even the <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> was mainly supported by Hermione and the house elves at the beginning, but now it was almost all handed over to Lupin and other managers, and Evan rarely intervened.

    But he also needed the influence brought bymercial expansion, such as this time, researching and producing a new broom was precisely because of this.

    In this case, daily management and operation required someone to take over, and Fred and George were the best candidates.

    ¡°Seriously, buddy, I think it¡¯s aplete waste of time for you to stay at school,¡± Fred said, turning to look at Evan. ¡°You shoulde with us to Diagon Alley, that¡¯s where you showcase your talents. We¡¯ll definitely achieve something great.¡±

    Evan had once described the relevant prospects to them, and Fred and George wholeheartedly agreed.

    ¡°You want Evan to go to Diagon Alley with you to open a joke shop?!¡± Hermione frowned at him, ¡°I hope Evan can do something more promising after Hogwarts, such as running a newspaper or entering the Ministry of Magic¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Hermione, you sound like Mum!¡± said Fred.

    ¡°Almost exactly the same!¡± George nodded, ¡°You want Evan to be a prat like Percy?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to discuss all this? I haven¡¯t even figured out what I want to do myself!¡± said Evan.

    He actually nned to travel around the world after defeating Voldemort, in search of ancient magic relics.

    But that was all forter, and no one knew what the future would bring.

    ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t passed my O.W.L.s yet, and I still have time to think about it.¡±

    ¡°By the way, can Evan take the O.W.L.s directly?¡± Hermione asked suddenly, ¡°I mean¡­ There seems to be no age requirement for the O.W.L.s.¡±

    ¡°Others definitely can¡¯t, but Evan is a different story!¡± said Fred. ¡°Because he¡¯s Evan!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the creator of miracles!¡± George grinned. ¡°Okay, we have to go to ss now. If we get there early we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before Herbology.¡±

    After Fred and George left, the topic continued. Hermione seemed to want Evan to take the O.W.L.s early since his abilities were more than sufficient.

    She disagreed with most of what Fred and George had said, except for one point; there was really no need for Evan to stay in Hogwarts ording to the normal trajectory; that would be purely a waste of time. His current level far surpassed others, and even graduating students couldn¡¯t match his practical skills.

    If possible, he could directly pass the O.W.L.s and get into the N.E.W.T.s courses¡­

    Regarding this matter, they still needed to ask Dumbledore. If the Headmaster agreed, Evan wouldn¡¯t mind either.

    There wouldn¡¯t be any issues in practicalbat; and he had just to pay a bit more attention to theoretical knowledge.

    ¡°Do you reckon it¡¯s true this year¡¯s going to be really tough? Because of the exams?¡± Harry hesitated, seemingly frightened by the scenes depicted by Fred and George.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Ron. ¡°Bound to be, isn¡¯t it? O.W.L.s are really important, affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice too,ter this year, Bill told me. So you can choose what N.E.W.T.s you want to do next year.¡±

    ¡°Well, do you know what you want to do after Hogwarts?¡± Harry continued.

    That was a crucial question, one that Harry had thought about many times before.

    For a while, Harry had even entertained the idea of bing a professional Quidditch yer like Wood.

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 Chapter 931: Umbridges First Lesson

    Chapter 931: Umbridge''s First Lesson

    Harry was now more eager to be an Auror, but he didn¡¯t know the qualifications nor the grades required.

    ¡°Not really,¡± said Ron slowly, looking slightly sheepish. ¡°Except ¡­ well ¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harry urged, everyone looking at him.

    ¡°Well, it would be cool to be an Auror,¡± said Ron in an offhand voice.

    ¡°Yeah, it would,¡± said Harry fervently, ¡°it¡¯s the best job ever.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re, like, the elite,¡± said Ron. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be really good. What about you, Colin?¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be great to be a photographer!¡± said Colin, ¡°to shoot for <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re already doing that,¡± said Ron dismissively. ¡°What about you, Hermione?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure yet, I have too many ideas,¡± said Hermione. ¡°In any case, I think I¡¯d really like to do something worthwhile¡­¡±She paused for a moment, not finishing her sentence. In fact, it would be even better if she could be with Evan!

    ¡°An Auror¡¯s worthwhile!¡± said Harry.

    ¡°Yes, it is, but it¡¯s not the only worthwhile thing,¡± said Hermione thoughtfully. ¡°I mean, if I could take S.P.E.W. further ¡­ ¡°

    Everyone fell silent, careful to avoid looking at her in the eyes.

    Breakfast ended with this, and Harry, Hermione, and Ron set off toward their boring History of Magic ssroom.

    Evan and Colin went to the second floor for the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, which was Umbridge¡¯s first ss at Hogwarts.

    Evan wasn¡¯t sure if Umbridge scheduled the fourth year ss on Monday because of him.

    One thing he was certain of was that he had no expectations for Professor Umbridge¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.

    As expected, when he and Colin entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teacher¡¯s desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the ck velvet bow on top of her head, looking like arge fly perched unwisely on top of an evenrger toad.

    ¡°Hello, Evan Mason, nice to see you again!¡± she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

    ¡°Hello, Professor!¡± said Evan cautiously, he was not pleased at all.

    ¡°Oh, please take a seat quickly. We¡¯re about to start ss!¡± Professor Umbridge had a fake smile on her face, as if she and Evan were very familiar and intimate. ¡°We¡¯ll have plenty of time to talkter.¡±

    Evan sat down and saw Ginny make a face at him.

    The ss was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be. They knew nothing about her, and it was better to be careful.

    ¡°Well, good morning, ss!¡± she said when finally the whole ss had sat down.

    ¡°Good morning, Professor!¡± The answers were scattered and casual.

    ¡°Tut, tut,¡± said Professor Umbridge. ¡°That won¡¯t do, now, will it? You should have learned the proper etiquette and I should like you, please, to reply ¡®Good morning, Professor Umbridge.¡¯ One more time, please. Good morning, ss!¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Professor Umbridge.¡± Evan opened his mouth, but did not make a sound.

    ¡°The sound was not neat enough, nor loud enough!¡± said Umbridge critically. ¡°ss, please do it again.¡±

    They silently exchanged a look of surprise and unease.

    Based on Professor Umbridge¡¯s demeanor, if their greetings didn¡¯t satisfy her, they might be practicing for the whole lesson.

    Finally, they chanted it back at her, and some of them even shouted it out.

    ¡°There, now,¡± said Professor Umbridge sweetly. ¡°That wasn¡¯t too difficult, was it? I hope that from now on, before every ss, everyone can do this. It¡¯s the most basic respect for teachers. Now; wands away and quills out, please.¡±

    Hearing her words, many of the ss exchanged gloomy looks again.

    The order ¡°wands away¡± had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting.

    The Defense Against the Dark Arts ss had always focused on practicalbat. Without wands, were they supposed to deal with dark wizards using quills?

    After the whole ss shoved their wands back inside their bags and pulled out quill, ink, and parchment. Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the ckboard sharply with it.

    Two lines of words appeared on the board at once:

    Defense Against the Dark Arts

    A Return to Basic Principles.

    ¡°ss, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all had the same doubts. Your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn¡¯t it?¡± stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the ss with her hands sped neatly in front of her, and then said, ¡°I have checked your course materials and rted homework and test papers for the past few years, and all I can say is that they¡¯re all rubbish. You¡¯ve wasted three years for nothing, not learning any useful Defense Against the Dark Arts. There has been constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum¡­ ¡°

    In front of her, the students quietly exchanged nces again, not knowing what Umbridge meant.

    Did she mean to say that they had been wasting their time for the past three years?

    That might have been true for the year with Lockhart, but honestly, Lupin and Sirius taught them quite well. They taught them legitimate Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even the fake Moody showed them what real Dark magic was. As for the sses they had attended in the first half of this year, after the real Moody returned, they realized that was the real Auror.

    They all felt that they had improved a lot. Wasn¡¯t it too much to say that they had learned nothing and that the homework and test papers taught were rubbish?

    Besides, there was Evan in their ss, who was now recognized as the most powerful young wizard in Hogwarts.

    Unlike those who were bing somewhat angered by Umbridge¡¯s words, Evan didn¡¯t feel much. He wasn¡¯t Harry and wouldn¡¯t recklessly jump out in ss and confront Umbridge, clearly giving her an excuse and an opportunity to punish him.

    At least openly, everyone should abide by the rules.

    Umbridge was their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the Ministry¡¯s watchdog at Hogwarts. They couldn¡¯t directly confront her, and it wasn¡¯t the time to face her. But behind the scenes ¡­

    Evan sniffed and put on an expression of an attentive and studious student, concentrating on listening. He felt like he was bing more and more devious!

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 Chapter 932: Bad Courses

    Chapter 932: Bad Courses

    Umbridge looked around from her desk, observing them all.

    ¡°I believe you are all aware that there are many problems with this course. You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please.¡±

    She rapped the ckboard again; the first message vanished and was reced by:

    Course aims:<ol><li> Understanding the principles underlying</li></ol>

    defensive magic.<ol start="2"><li> Learning to recognize situations in which</li></ol>

    defensive magic can legally be used.<ol start="3"><li> cing the use of defensive magic in a context</li></ol>

    for practical use.

    For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge¡¯s three course aims she said, ¡°Has everybody got a copy of <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i> by Wilbert Slinkhard?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the ss.¡°That won¡¯t do, ss, that won¡¯t do at all. I think we¡¯ll try that again,¡± said Professor Umbridge. ¡°When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply ¡®Yes, Professor Umbridge,¡¯ or ¡®No, Professor Umbridge.¡¯ So, has everyone got a copy of <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i> by Wilbert Slinkhard?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor Umbridge,¡± rang through the room.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Professor Umbridge. ¡°I should like you to turn to page five and read chapter one, ¡®Basics for Beginners.¡¯ There will be no need to talk. If you finish reading, please proceed to the next chapter.¡±

    A noisy discussion echoed in the ssroom. It was a double period of Defense Against the Dark Arts lessonsbined together.

    Considering Umbridge¡¯s words, did she expect them to sit here reading the book all morning?

    ¡°Quiet!¡± said Umbridge, showing her small, pointed teeth. ¡°We¡¯re reading just now, so if you have any queries we can deal with them at the end of ss. Also, I expect you to raise your hand when asking questions in my ssroom.¡±

    She stared at them all with those pouchy toad¡¯s eyes, and the ssroom fell silent instantly.

    Evan wouldn¡¯t confront Umbridge overtly in ss, and had nothing to talk to her about. He turned to page five of his copy of <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>, which was, as expected, desperately dull; first systematically expounding what Dark Magic was, and the corresponding Defense Against the Dark Arts, that was, White Magic.

    ck magic and White magic, the distinction between the two was not as obvious as ck and white.

    ording to the perspective of the book¡¯s author, Wilbert Slinkhard, whether it was Dark magic or White magic, they were different techniques and ideas for controlling one¡¯s own spiritual power. For example, using Avada Kedavra required intense malice and murderous intent, while using the Patronus Charm required the user to think of happy things, generate pleasant emotions, or have a strong protective mindset.

    These things were already very basic for Evan, and the exnations in this book were very long-winded and boring, full of esoteric and long sentences. It was quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns. He found himself drifting away and thinking about other things.

    The ssroom was silent, and next to Evan, Colin was absent-mindedly staring at the same spot on the page.

    Many students had not flipped a page for a long time, but Umbridge seemed unconcerned.

    She settled herself in the chair behind the teacher¡¯s desk, observing all the young wizards, one by one; not clear what her thoughts were.

    While Evan and his ssmates had their noses stuck in their books the entire morning, Harry and the others had just finished a mind-numbing History of Magic ss. Professor Binns droned on about Giant Wars for a full hour and a half.

    In another¡¯s teacher¡¯s hands, this subject might have been mildly interesting, but Professor Binns, their ghost teacher, lectured them in his wheezy, droning voice.

    Why not just let them read the book by themselves?

    Probably, Hermione alone seemed able to resist the soporific power of Binns¡¯s voice.

    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they emerged from the History of Magic ssroom.

    ¡°How would it be if I refused to lend you my notes this year?¡± Hermione asked coldly.

    She was very dissatisfied with Harry and Ron¡¯s behavior in ss; they hadn¡¯t been paying attention at all.

    Ron kept passing notes to Lavender at first, and then spent the remaining time ying hangman on a corner of his parchment with Harry.

    ¡°We¡¯d fail our O.W.L.s,¡± said Ron. ¡°If you want that on your conscience, Hermione ¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯d deserve it,¡± she snapped. ¡°You don¡¯t even try to listen to him, do you?¡±

    ¡°We do try,¡± said Ron. ¡°We just haven¡¯t got your brains or your memory or your concentration ¡­ you and Evan are just cleverer than we are ¡­ is it nice to rub it in?

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t give me that rubbish,¡± said Hermione, but she looked slightly mollified. ¡°I wonder how it went for Evan in his first ss with that woman. What do you reckon she taught them?¡±

    ¡°Maybe like Moody, show everyone the Dark Arts?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. She¡¯s not Mad-Eye. She won¡¯t do such a crazy thing. It¡¯s not allowed by the Ministry of Magic. Besides, don¡¯t forget why she came to Hogwarts,¡± said Hermione. ¡°She¡¯s here on behalf of Fudge to interfere at Hogwarts, and she won¡¯t really teach us any skills.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if she conducts actualbat drills, Evan will definitely have a chance to teach her a lesson,¡± said Harry.

    They continued discussing the topic until Snape walked into the dungeon, causing them to quickly close their mouths and fall silent.

    The moment the ss had seen Snape, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape¡¯s mere presence was usually enough to ensure a ss¡¯s silence.

    Harry originally thought that since Snape was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, it would be better to be more or less right with them.

    But he quickly realized how wrong he was, far off the mark.

    ¡°Before we begin today¡¯s lesson,¡± said Snape, sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, ¡°I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about theposition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this ss undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an ¡®eptable¡¯ in your O.W.L., or suffer my ¡­ displeasure.¡±

    His gaze lingered this time upon Neville, who gulped in horror.

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 Chapter 933: Unstable Harry

    Chapter 933: Unstable Harry

    ¡°After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me,¡± Snape went on. ¡°I take only the very best into my N.E.W.T. Potions ss, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye.¡±

    His eyes rested on Harry and his lip curled. Harry red back, feeling a grim pleasure at the idea that he would be able to give up Potions after fifth year. That was probably the best news he¡¯d heard recently.

    ¡°But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell,¡± said Snape softly, ¡°so whether you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T. or not, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high-pass level I havee to expect from my O.W.L. students.¡±

    He paused, flicked his wand, and the ingredients and brewing method of the potion appeared on the ckboard.

    ¡°Today we will be mixing a potion that oftenes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: If you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing.¡±

    Following the instructions on the ckboard, Harry tried hard to brew the Draught of Peace, which was the most difficult, fiddly potion he¡¯d ever encountered. The ingredients had to be added to the cauldron in precisely the right order and quantities; the mixture had to be stirred exactly the right number of times, firstly in clockwise, then in counterclockwise directions; the heat of the mes on which it was simmering had to be lowered to exactly the right level for a specific number of minutes before the final ingredient was added.

    ¡°A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion,¡± called Snape, with ten minutes left to go.

    Harry, who was sweating profusely, looked desperately around the dungeon. His own cauldron was issuing copious amounts of dark gray steam; Ron¡¯s was spitting green sparks. Seamus was feverishly prodding the mes at the base of his cauldron with the tip of his wand, as they had gone out.

    The surface of Hermione¡¯s potion, however, was a shimmering mist of silver vapor, and as Snape swept by he looked down his hooked nose at it withoutment, which meant that he could find nothing to criticize.At Harry¡¯s cauldron, however, Snape stopped, looking down at Harry with a horrible smirk on his face.

    ¡°Potter, what is this supposed to be?¡±

    The Slytherins at the front of the ss all looked up eagerly; they loved hearing Snape taunt Harry.

    ¡°The Draught of Peace,¡± said Harry tensely.

    ¡°Tell me, Potter,¡± said Snape softly, ¡°can you read?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can,¡± said Harry, his fingers clenched tightly around his wand.

    ¡°Astonishing! So, read the third line of the instructions for me, Potter.¡±

    Harry squinted at the ckboard; it was not easy to make out the instructions through the haze of multicolored steam now filling the dungeon.

    ¡° ¡®Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counterclockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes, then add two drops of syrup of hellebore.¡¯¡±

    His heart sank. He had not added syrup of hellebore, but had proceeded straight to the fourth line of the instructions after allowing his potion to simmer for seven minutes.

    ¡°Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry very quietly.

    ¡°I beg your pardon? I didn¡¯t hear you; please say it again.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry, more loudly. ¡°I forgot the hellebore.¡±

    ¡°I know you did, Potter, which means that this mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco.¡±

    The contents of Harry¡¯s potion vanished; he was left standing foolishly beside an empty cauldron.

    ¡°Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one gon with a sample of your potion,bel it clearly with your name, and bring it up to my desk for testing. The performance of this preparation will affect your grades in the school year,¡± said Snape. ¡°Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday.¡±

    While everyone around him filled their gons, Harry cleared away his things, seething.

    His potion had been no worse than Ron¡¯s, which was now giving off a foul odor of bad eggs, or Neville¡¯s, which had achieved the consistency of just-mixed cement and which Neville was now having to gouge out of his cauldron.

    Yet it was he, Harry, who would be receiving zero marks for the day¡¯s work.

    He stuffed his wand back into his bag and slumped down onto his seat, watching everyone else march up to Snape¡¯s desk with filled and corked gons. When at longst the bell rang, Harry was first out of the dungeon, not wanting to stay there for a moment longer.

    As Evan and the others walked in the Great Hall after their dreary Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, the ceiling had turned an even murkier gray during the morning. Rain wasshing the high windows, reflecting the gloomy mood of the fourth-year students.

    The only one who was in a worse mood than them was Harry, and Evan could feel it just when he got close.

    ¡°That was really unfair for Snape to do that,¡± said Hermione to Harry. ¡°Your potion wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as Goyle¡¯s, when he put it in his gon the whole thing shattered and set his robes on fire.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, since when has Snape ever been fair to me?¡± said Harry, glowering at his te.

    ¡°I did think he might be a bit better this year,¡± said Hermione in a disappointed voice. ¡°I mean ¡­ you know ¡­ Now he¡¯s in the Order of the Phoenix and everything.¡±

    She looked carefully around; there were half a dozen empty seats on either side of them and nobody was passing the table.

    ¡°Poisonous toadstools don¡¯t change their spots,¡± said Ron sagely. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve always thought Dumbledore was cracked trusting Snape, where¡¯s the evidence he ever really stopped working for You-Know-Who?¡±

    ¡°I think Dumbledore¡¯s probably got plenty of evidence, even if he doesn¡¯t share it with you,¡± snapped Hermione.

    ¡°Oh, shut up, the pair of you,¡± said Harry heavily. ¡°Can¡¯t you give it a rest? You¡¯re always having a go at each other, it¡¯s driving me mad.¡±

    Hermione and Ron both froze, looking angry and offended.

    With that, and abandoning his shepherd¡¯s pie, Harry swung his schoolbag back over his shoulder. Just as he got up, he saw Evan and Colin walking over. He stopped for a moment, muttered a greeting, and walked away, leaving the four of them in a daze.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Evan looked at Harry¡¯s back in surprise; his mood had been unstable recently.

    First, he¡¯d had a quarrel with Seamusst night in front of all the students in the school, and now this¡­

    Regardless of how close their rtionship might be, it was evident that Harry¡¯s temper was noticeably more vtile than before.

    Perhaps the umted pressure had be too much for him; which was not the case at least during the previous semester.

    ¡°It¡¯s that old bat Snape!¡± said Ron disgustedly. ¡°He deliberately targeted Harry and gave him zero marks for the potion.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. How was it on your end?¡± Hermione asked, handing Evan a piece of shepherd¡¯s pie. ¡°What did Professor Umbridge teach you in ss?¡±

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 Chapter 934: The 5th-year Defense Against the Dark Arts Class

    Chapter 934: The 5th-year Defense Against the Dark Arts ss

    ¡°Dull to the extreme; reading the whole morning,¡± said Colin with a sigh. ¡°This is the most boring course I¡¯ve ever taken. No talking, no sleeping, no fidgeting, not even leaning on the desk. We had to sit upright the whole morning, staring nkly at <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>. Honestly, I didn¡¯t absorb a single word.¡±

    ¡°Blimey, how could she do that?¡± Ron eximed in surprise. That sounded really awful.

    Especially when everyone knew that all the years had the same Defense Against the Dark Arts sses, even Fred and George in their seventh year were required to buy <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i> as a textbook, which made it even worse.

    There were six courses of the Defense Against the Dark Arts per week, which was equivalent to spending one and a half days staring nkly at a meaningless book.

    It was truly a nightmare. While Professor Binns might have been tedious, he at least allowed students to do other things during his ss. Sleeping or ying games were permissible as long as it didn¡¯t disrupt his lecture. Clearly, that was not the case with Professor Umbridge¡¯s ss.

    ¡°And that¡¯s not all. She also assigned us homework to continue reading this book and submit a parchment by Friday,¡± Colin dragged out his tone, ¡°Twenty inches on ¡®The Case for Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ron was a bit slow to catch on.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that book is full of such iprehensible sentences,¡± said Colin with dull eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve never written such a long parchment before, and she told everyone that this assignment will count towards the final grade of the year. Er¡­ Evan, could you let me take a look at your parchment then?¡±

    Before Evan could answer, Ron shouted angrily, ¡°Just like Snape, I knew that woman¡­¡±¡°Keep it down, Ron!¡± Hermione said disapprovingly. ¡°Reading more books would do you good, and it wouldn¡¯t be so boring. But I really don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s a Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, so what¡¯s the point of her approach? It contradicts the purpose of the course. We should be practicing defensive spells with our wands, especially given the current circumstances¡­¡±

    ¡°Have you forgotten her purpose ofing to Hogwarts?¡± Evan reminded them.

    ¡°Intervention at Hogwarts on behalf of the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Hermione, recalling Umbridge¡¯s speech from the previous night.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so we can¡¯t confront her, we can¡¯t openly oppose the Ministry of Magic, at least not on the surface, it¡¯s extremely irrational, and it¡¯s not good for us,¡± said Evan. ¡°In ss, Do as she says.¡±

    Fudge was worried that Hogwarts would be a base for Dumbledore to train his own private army, he didn¡¯t want young wizards to learn powerful magic, but rather to restrict their development, and everything Umbridge did had to revolve around this so that Hogwarts would no longer be united.

    However, what she was doing wouldn¡¯t be effective. Privately, Evan could rally students from other Houses and use the time to help his own people improve their skills. Whenever Voldemort took action, they could directly fight back.

    Now was not the time to have a falling out with her, and Evan didn¡¯t want to be given detention and be constantly targeted by Umbridge, unable to do anything.

    Sometimes, temporarypromise is for a better offense.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Hermione hesitated.

    ¡°Well, Umbridge asked me to have tea with her tonight, and I agreed to go over and have a talk with her before deciding how to proceed.¡± Evan continued, ¡°In any case, she¡¯s currently a professor at the school. Don¡¯t conflict with her in ss, reading more books is also good for us, if you are bored, you can read other magic books.¡±

    ¡± <i>Diffindo</i>!¡± He took out his copy of <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i> and lightly tapped it with his wand.

    Instantly, the book and the cover were separated!

    ¡°<i>Reparo</i>!¡± Evan put together a copy of his magic research notes and the cover of <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>.

    With a flick of his wand, the two merged into one.

    From the outside, there was no indication that the content of the book had changed.

    ¡°Evan, how can you do that?¡±

    ¡°What else can I do? Have a big argument with her, and then give her a reason to give me detention?¡± said Evan, handing the new <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i> to Hermione. ¡°That¡¯s too childish, I¡¯d better now Keep a low profile, at least on the surface. By the way, Professor McGonagall also meant this when she talked to me this morning. Remember to tell Harry not to be impulsive. His mood has been unstable recently.¡±

    Evan and Professor McGonagall¡¯s concerns were justified. During ss in the afternoon, Ron and Hermione ryed what Evan had said at lunch and the things they needed to be cautious about to Harry. It didn¡¯t have any effect; instead, it made him feel indignant.

    He didn¡¯t quite understand. How could Evan bow down to Umbridge and the Ministry like that?!

    First Percy, then Snape, then Ron and Hermione, and now even Evan¡­

    Therefore, when Umbridge asked everyone to read the first chapter ¡°Basics for Beginners¡± in <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>, Harry questioned without hesitation, ¡°What¡¯s the point of them doing this?¡±

    As long as someone took the lead, it was easy to mobilize the resistance of the young wizards, and even Hermione was no longer hesitant.

    Although she believed Evan¡¯s advice was correct, not to sh with Professor Umbridge in the ssroom, it didn¡¯t mean that she was willing to waste time in ss, and she had to help Harry.

    ¡°Sit down, Mr. Potter! I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully. If you don¡¯t understand, then read them again,¡± said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing written up there in your course aims about using defensive spells,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my ss. And your name is?¡±

    ¡°Hermione Granger,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Well, Miss Granger, sorry I didn¡¯t hear you clearly, you mean using defensive spells?¡± Professor Umbridge repeated with a littleugh. ¡°Why, I can¡¯t imagine any situation arising in my ssroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. You surely aren¡¯t expecting to be attacked during ss?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to use magic?¡± Ron ejacted loudly.

    ¡°As I said, hand up if you wish to speak!¡± Umbridge nced at Ron. ¡°And your name is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ron Weasley,¡± said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

    Professor Umbridge, smiling widely, turned her back on him to look at Harry and Hermione who were still standing.

    ¡°Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, I don¡¯t know who rmed you with fibs, making you think that the Wizarding world today is as full of dangers as it was hundreds of years ago, and what you worry about ispletely unnecessary, You are in Hogwarts now, in my ss, you will never¡­¡±

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 Chapter 935: Ten Points from Gryffindor

    Chapter 935: Ten Points from Gryffindor

    ¡°But, Professor, surely the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells.¡± Hermione interrupted her.

    ¡°Please never interrupt when I speak in the future. And, speaking about the whole point of Defense Against the Dark Arts, are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?¡± asked Professor Umbridge in her falsely sweet voice.

    ¡°No, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m afraid you are not qualified to decide what the ¡®whole point¡¯ of any ss is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. There have been no questions in the morning ss. And I can make it clear that you will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way¡­¡±

    ¡°What use is that?¡± said Harry loudly, interrupting Umbridge again, and he was even angrier when he thought that Evan hadpromised with Umbridge in the morning, ¡°If we¡¯re going to be attacked it won¡¯t certainly be in a ¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet!¡± sang Professor Umbridge. ¡°I said don¡¯t interrupt me, Mr. Potter, and hand up please.¡±

    Harry thrust his fist in the air, and Professor Umbridge repeated the same trick again.

    She promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up too.

    ¡°And your name is?¡± Professor Umbridge said to Dean.¡°Dean Thomas.¡±

    ¡°Well, Mr. Thomas?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like Harry said, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Dean. ¡°If we¡¯re going to be attacked, it won¡¯t be risk-free¡­¡±

    ¡°I repeat,¡± said Professor Umbridge, taking a deep breath while smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, ¡°do you expect to be attacked during my sses?¡±

    ¡°No, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough; I have to say that your ss is the most problematic among all years. Apart from personal factors, these problems are based on the school itself. To be honest, I do not wish to criticize the way things have been run in this school.¡± Professor Umbridge talked over Dean, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, and she gave a nasty littleugh. ¡°but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this ss, very irresponsible indeed ¡ª not to mention; extremely dangerous half-breeds.¡±

    ¡°If you mean Professor Lupin,¡± piped up Dean Thomas angrily, ¡°he was the best we ever had; and <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> he¡¯s running with Evan is also my favorite newspaper.¡±

    ¡°Hand, Mr. Thomas! About that newspaper, I will talk to Mr. Mason, and let him carefully choose his staff and what content should be published. As for this ss, as I was saying, you have been introduced to spells that have beenplex, inappropriate to your age group, and potentially lethal. Look, you have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we haven¡¯t,¡± Hermione said angrily, and Harry beside her was also annoyed, ¡°We just¡­¡±

    ¡°Your hand is not up, Miss Granger; and do not interrupt me!¡±

    Hermione put up her hand, Harry held his up high too, and Professor Umbridge turned away from them.

    ¡°Apart from that dangerous half-breed and an escaped prisoner from Azkaban, I believe that my predecessor, that Moody, not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you.¡±

    ¡°Professor Moody is the best, we learned a lot from him!¡± Harry shouted angrily, ¡°Also, Sirius is not a fugitive who escaped from prison. You wronged him fifteen years ago ¡­¡±

    ¡°Your hand is not up, Mr. Potter!¡± trilled Professor Umbridge, the smile on her face fading, ¡°I am not here to argue with you about the crazy things my predecessor did. This is not what we should discuss in this ss, and your understanding is quite one-sided. Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?¡± she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

    ¡°Parvati Patil, and isn¡¯t there a practical bit in our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.? Aren¡¯t we supposed to show that we can actually do the countercurses and things?¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions,¡± said Professor Umbridge dismissively. ¡°If you can¡¯t, it will obviously be your own fault.¡±

    ¡°Without ever practicing them before?¡± said Parvati incredulously. ¡°Are you telling us that the first time we¡¯ll get to do the spells will be during our exam?¡±

    ¡°I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough¡­¡±

    ¡°And what good¡¯s theory going to be in the real world?¡± said Harry loudly, his fist in the air again.

    His voice was very loud, almost roaring out with all his might.

    Professor Umbridge looked up and said softly, ¡°This is school, Mr. Potter, not the real world.¡±

    ¡°So we¡¯re not supposed to be prepared for what¡¯s waiting out there?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing waiting out there, Mr. Potter. Your thoughts are very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± said Harry.

    His temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point.

    Indeed, just as he made up his mind to ask Umbridge, it had already erupted.

    ¡°Wake up, Mr. Potter. Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?¡± inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice, with no smile on her face.

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s think ¡­¡± said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice, ¡°maybe Lord Voldemort?!¡±

    ¡± Huuuhhh!¡± The ss gasped, and some uttered little screams; Neville even slipped sideways off his stool.

    Umbridge, however, did not flinch, as though she¡¯d just heard amon name.

    She didn¡¯t seem to be as afraid of the name as everyone else was, of Voldemort.

    She was staring at Harry with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

    ¡°Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter.¡±

    The ssroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or Harry.

    Harry was furious, and Hermione hurriedly stopped him, not letting him be so impulsive. She then understood the meaning of what Evan had said when he left at noon, why she was asked to keep an eye on Harry and not have a conflict with Umbridge. She kind of regretted she didn¡¯t do what Evan had said.

    Harry was now almost exactly like Sirius before, a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest touch¡­

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 Chapter 936: Angry Harry

    Chapter 936: Angry Harry

    ¡°Sit down, Mr. Potter!¡± said Professor Umbridge coldly.

    Breathing heavily, Harry didn¡¯t listen to her, and looked at Umbridge fiercely.

    ¡°Fine; now, let me make a few things quite in.¡±

    Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned toward them, her stubby-fingered hands syed on her desk.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re trying to say. You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead¡­¡±

    ¡°He wasn¡¯t dead,¡± said Harry angrily, ¡°but yeah, he¡¯s returned!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mr. Potter, you have already lost your House ten points, do not make matters worse for yourself,¡± said Professor Umbridge without looking at Harry, ¡°As I was saying, you have been informed that a certain Dark wizard is atrge once again. This is a lie.¡±

    ¡°It is NOT a lie!¡± said Harry. ¡°Evan and I saw him, I fought him!¡±

    ¡°Ten more points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter!¡± said Professor Umbridge triumphantly. ¡°Mr. Mason has never said such a thing¡­¡±¡°Go ahead, I don¡¯t care, I just want to tell the truth now!¡± Harry yelled.

    There was amotion in the ssroom, and everyone looked at Harry, wondering what had happened after he and Evan disappeared that day.

    Although Dumbledore had told everyone that Voldemort was back, no one wanted to believe it.

    But after that, Cedric did not transfer to another school. Some people said that he¡¯d died; some said that he¡¯d turned into a monster, and others saw Dementors and Death Eaters who were thought to have been dead for a long time in the castle. Everyone wanted to figure out the ins and outs of the matter.

    ¡°Come on, Harry!¡± said Hermione, her expression full of worry.

    She hoped Harry would stop talking, the asion was inappropriate, it was just infuriating Umbridge.

    ¡°Detention, Mr. Potter!¡± said Professor Umbridge harshly. ¡°This evening. Five o¡¯clock. My office. I repeat, this is a lie. The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all meanse and see me outside ss hours. If someone is rming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading. Page five, ¡®Basics for Beginners.¡¯ ¡°

    Professor Umbridge sat down behind her desk again. Harry, however, was still standing up.

    Ron seemed frozen, and Hermione tried to pull him down, but it didn¡¯t work.

    Everyone was staring at him, half-scared, half-fascinated.

    ¡°Harry, no, please, don¡¯t!¡± Hermione tugged at his sleeve. But Harry jerked his arm, not wanting her to touch him.

    ¡°So, ording to you, Cedric Diggory became a vampire of his own, did he? Mr. Barty Crouch also dropped dead of his own? And the game that day, the Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. ¡­¡± Harry asked, his voice shaking.

    There was a collective intake of breath from the ss, for none of them, apart from Ron and Hermione, had ever heard Evan and Harry talk about what had happened on the day that Cedric had disappeared and the truth about his transfer. Had he be a vampire??!

    That was big news, whopping news, no less shocking than Voldemort¡¯s resurrection.

    Harry shouldn¡¯t have said these things, it just made things worse.

    The whole ss eagerly looked at him, hoping to get more information.

    Professor Umbridge raised her eyes, too; and stared at Harry without a trace of a fake smile on her face.

    ¡°What happened to Cedric Diggory was an unfortunate ident,¡± she said coldly. ¡°Those vampires¡­¡±

    ¡°They were all following Voldemort¡¯s orders!¡± interrupted Harry. He could feel himself shaking. ¡°The three of us have been transported there by that Portkey. Voldemort was going to kill him. He used Avada Kedavra on him¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Mr. Potter, I¡¯m not interested in your fables!¡± Professor Umbridge¡¯s face was quite nk, looking at Harry, as though to see through him. Then she said, in her softest, most sweetly girlish voice, ¡°Oh, yes. Come here, Mr. Potter, dear!¡±

    Harry kicked his chair aside, strode around Ron and Hermione and up to the teacher¡¯s desk.

    He felt so angry he did not care what happened next.

    Professor Umbridge pulled a small roll of pink parchment out of her handbag, stretched it out on the desk, dipped her quill into a bottle of ink, and started scribbling, hunched over so that Harry could not see what she was writing.

    Nobody spoke. After a minute or so she rolled up the parchment and tapped it with her wand; it sealed itself seamlessly so that Harry could not open it.

    ¡°Take this to Professor McGonagall, dear,¡± said Professor Umbridge, holding out the note to him. ¡°Go now!¡±

    He took it from her without saying a word and left the room, not even looking back at Ron and Hermione, and mming the ssroom door shut behind him, leaving everyone stunned in a solemn atmosphere.

    ¡°Fine, now ss, keep quiet, and continue reading Page five, ¡®Basics for Beginners.¡¯¡± said Umbridge in a coquettish voice. A satisfied smile appeared on her face again.

    There was no need for Evan to have dinner to know what happened in the fifth year¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss from other people, because this scene had been watched by Peeves lying outside the ssroom, and he immediately spread it out.

    ¡°Cedric became a vampire!¡±

    ¡°Potter himself said that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has returned!¡±

    ¡°Potty Wee Potter faced Professor Umbridge in ss, openly defying the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    Peeves even came up with a little song of his own;

    ¡°<i>Oh, most think he¡¯s barking, the Potty weed,</i>

    <i>But some are more kindly and think he¡¯s just sad,</i>

    <i>But Peevesy knows better and says that he¡¯s mad.</i>

    <i>Oh, the Potty weed</i>!¡±

    Peeves suddenly burst into the Charms teacher¡¯s room, Cackling madly, and revealed everything, then he went straight through the wall and left.

    He quickly traveled throughout the school, and the incident caused quite a stir.

    The atmosphere in the ssroom was boiling like hot water. Everyone was not in the mood for ss; they were all discussing the matter.

    Along with that, Evan once again became the focus of attention.

    Because on that day, he was the only one who¡¯d disappeared with Harry and witnessed the entire event¡­

    Evan had a headache. Harry was truly impulsive. He¡¯d clearly told Hermione and Ron, but to no avail.

    What troubled him even more was that because of his performance that morning, Harry seemed angry and didn¡¯t intend to speak to him!

    When he was having dinner, he saw Evaning over, angrily took his schoolbag and left directly, leaving the others to look awkwardly at Evan.

    Such a situation would have been considered normal if it happened with Ron, but it was the first time with Harry¡­

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 Chapter 937: Using the Imperius Curse

    Chapter 937: Using the Imperius Curse

    ¡°Seriously, what¡¯s going on with him?¡± said Evan in surprise, sitting next to Hermione.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard about what happened in our Defense Against the Dark Arts ss this afternoon? I thought the whole school knew by now.¡±

    Thanks to Peeves, the news about Harry¡¯s shouting match with Umbridge seemed to have traveled exceptionally fast even by Hogwarts standards.

    Now, everyone in the Great Hall was whispering and discussing the matter. None of them seemed to mind Harry overhearing what they were saying. On the contrary, it was as though they were hoping he would get angry and start shouting again, so that they could hear his story firsthand.

    But after Harry left and Evan arrived, these voices quickly turned into hushed whispers.

    ¡°Well, I heard that Harry was given detention by Umbridge this evening,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°More precisely, he¡¯ll go to that woman¡¯s room every evening of this week. It¡¯s written in the note Harry was sent with to Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall also agreed. As his teacher, she has every right to give Harry detention.¡±

    ¡°I remember warning you at lunch, not to get excited, not to confront her face-to-face,¡± said Evan with a frown.

    ¡°You did say that, but who could hold back in that situation?¡± said Ron in frustration. ¡°You have no idea. She belittled Professor Lupin, Sirius, and Mad-Eye right in front of us, calling Lupin a dangerous half-breed. Oh, I just don¡¯t understand; how can Dumbledore have let this happen? How can the school employ someone who¡¯s actually refusing to let us do magic as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? What¡¯s Dumbledore ying at?¡±¡°Just as a side note, otherwise that woman woulde anyway,¡± said Evan. ¡°Fudge would definitely interfere with Hogwarts, and this position allows her more convenience. No one wants the job of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor since it¡¯s jinxed. But what she said about Lupin and the others was really going too far!¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s not the end of it; she¡¯s trying to get people to spy for her. She said she wanted us toe and tell her if we hear anyone saying You-Know-Who¡¯s back,¡± said Ron darkly.

    ¡°Of course she¡¯s here to spy on us all, that¡¯s obvious, why else would Fudge have wanted her toe?¡±

    ¡°Forget about that for now!¡± Evan quickly interjected. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is why Harry looked at me strangely just now.¡±

    Hermione and Ron exchanged a nervous and uneasy nce.

    ¡°Well, how should I put it¡­? Harry thinks you¡¯ve been too weak in this matter,¡± said Hermione cautiously, weighing her words. ¡°He believes that we should speak the truth and reveal everything, instead ofpromising with Umbridge and those who oppose us.¡±

    ¡°What does he want to do? Tell the truth, directly confront Umbridge and the students who oppose us, and drive out half the school from Hogwarts?¡± said Evan in astonishment. ¡°I¡¯m afraid even Dumbledore doesn¡¯t have that ability.¡±

    ¡°But at the very least, we shouldn¡¯tpromise. That¡¯s probably what he¡¯s thinking,¡± Hermione added. ¡°Don¡¯t me him; Harry is just blinded by anger. It¡¯s not just directed at you, Evan. I think he seems upset with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall too.¡±

    If that was the case, it was even worse. He couldn¡¯t get angry with whoever didn¡¯t support him or do things his way.

    Harry already had this problem, and it seemed to be getting more serious now. Was it Voldemort¡¯s influence?

    Of course, Harry was not bad-natured. As long as he was given enough time to calm down or exin things to him calmly, he could understand what was going on. Unlike some people who couldn¡¯t be reasoned with at all¡­

    ¡°Going on like this is not an option. We should really do something to that woman,¡± Ron looked around cautiously. ¡°I think we should take some extraordinary measures. How about having her under the Imperius Curse?¡±

    After being controlled by the Imperius Curse for several years, he was particrly sensitive to that spell.

    In Ron¡¯s opinion, that was probably the best way to solve the current predicament, even though it was not so honorable¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, Ron!¡± Hermione eximed, ¡°How could you even think that?!¡±

    ¡°I just feel that this curse would be more effective, that¡¯s all¡± Ron muttered softly, seeming to be frightened by his own thoughts.

    For some reason he didn¡¯t know, he felt that ever since Voldemort¡¯s return, his mind had been filled with various dreadful ideas.

    Sometimes, when he watched the Order of the Phoenix and their unresolved problems, he couldn¡¯t help but feel annoyed. If he used the Imperius Curse, Veritaserum, or other Dark magic, these problems could be easily resolved.

    ¡°The Imperius Curse is not all-powerful. In order to prevent resistance and escape, we would have to cast the curse every day. But doing so would cause significant damage to a person¡¯s soul, and we would also have to limit her contact with others,¡± said Evan, carefully considering Ron¡¯s suggestion and dismissing it. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say about others, but Dumbledore would definitely notice if we did something like that. He wouldn¡¯t let us go down that path.¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± said Ron discontentedly. ¡°Just continue like this? Do nothing?¡±

    ¡°We can simply refrain from opposing her in ss and privately do things she wouldn¡¯t want us to do,¡± said Evan. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t get caught, believe me, these days won¡¯tst too long.¡±

    Evan finished eating quickly and prepared to join Hermione and Ron to find Harry and exin the situation to him.

    However, even when they returned to themon room, they didn¡¯t see Harry.

    Rain pounded on the windowpanes. Themon room wasn¡¯t crowded, with only Fred, George, Lee Jordan, and a knot of innocent-looking first years sitting in a corner, behaving furtively.

    They seemed to be purposely hiding here while everyone was downstairs having dinner, conducting illegal secret experiments on human subjects.

    Each of the first years was chewing something that seemed to havee out of arge paper bag that Fred was holding.

    The next second, one by one, as though hit over the heads with invisible mallets, the first years were slumping unconscious in their seats; some slid right onto the floor, others merely hung over the arms of their chairs, their tongues lolling out.

    ¡°My God, what are they doing?¡± said Hermione in disbelief, looking furious. ¡°They¡¯ve gone too far!¡±

    Eyes wide, squaring her shoulders, she marched directly over to where Fred and George now stood with clipboards, closely observing the unconscious first years.

    Evan hurriedly followed; Ron hesitated, and decided to go back to the dormitory to see if Harry was there.

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 Chapter 938: Dangerous Experiments on Humans

    Chapter 938: Dangerous Experiments on Humans

    Hermione walked up to Fred and George aggressively, and Evan followed her with a wry smile.

    The effect of these Fainting Fancies was much stronger than before. What on earth had the two of them put in them?

    In fact, Evan had provided the original form, and Fred and George used it as a basis to develop many new variations.

    The way Hermione reacted, Evan felt that it was best not to speak or let her know about this matter.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Hermione said forcefully to Fred and George, both of whom looked up in mild surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± said George, nodding, ¡°this dosage looks strong enough, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It should be reduced appropriately. We don¡¯t need to put people in aa.¡±

    ¡°I said enough, I told you this morning, you can¡¯t test your rubbish on students!¡±

    ¡°This is not rubbish.¡± George said, dissatisfied.¡°And we¡¯re paying them!¡± said Fred indignantly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, it could be dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Rubbish,¡± said Fred. ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous at all.¡±

    ¡°Calm down, Hermione, they¡¯re fine!¡± said Lee reassuringly as he walked from first year to first year, inserting purple sweets into their open mouths.

    ¡°Yeah, look, they¡¯reing round now,¡± said George.

    A few of the first years were indeed stirring. Several looked so shocked to find themselves lying on the floor, or dangling off their chairs, that for sure, Fred and George had not warned them what the sweets were going to do.

    ¡°Feel all right?¡± said George kindly to a small dark-haired girl lying at his feet.

    ¡°I, I think so,¡± she said shakily.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Fred happily.

    But the next second Hermione had snatched both his clipboard and the paper bag of Fainting Fancies from his hands.

    ¡°It is NOT excellent!¡± said Hermione angrily.

    ¡°Of course it is, they¡¯re alive, aren¡¯t they?¡± said Fred angrily.

    ¡°You can¡¯t do this, what if you made one of them really ill?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going to make them ill, we¡¯ve already tested them all on ourselves, this is just to see if everyone reacts the same¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, this is the form Evan gave us; you can ask him if you don¡¯t believe it,¡± George added.

    Immediately, Evan saw Hermione turn her head angrily towards him.

    He smiled awkwardly; Hermione red at him, and then turned her head back quickly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you got the form from, or whether your rubbish is risky or not, I¡¯m telling you both clearly now, if you don¡¯t stop doing it, I¡¯m going to¡­¡±

    ¡°Put us in detention?¡± said Fred in an I¡¯d-like-to-see-you- try-it voice.

    ¡°Make us write lines?¡± said George, smirking, and onlookers all over the room wereughing.

    ¡°Oh,e on, Evan, do something about her. Take her away!¡± said Fred.

    He shouldn¡¯t have said that. Upon hearing his words, Hermione¡¯s face turned red instantly.

    She drew herself up to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her bushy hair seemed to crackle with electricity.

    ¡°I will write to your mother!¡± she said, her voice quivering with anger, ¡°tell her about everything you¡¯ve done at school, and tell her that you¡¯re experimenting with these dangerous things on first years.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t,¡± said George, horrified, taking a step back from her.

    ¡°Oh, yes, I would,¡± said Hermione grimly. ¡°I tell you once again, I can¡¯t stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you¡¯re not giving them to first years.¡±

    Fred and George looked thunderstruck. It was clear that as far as they were concerned, Hermione¡¯s threat was way below the belt.

    They tried to seek help from Evan, but, faced with an enraged Hermione, Evan wasn¡¯t even able to protect himself now.

    If George hadn¡¯t quickly mentioned that it was Evan who¡¯d provided the recipe, and Fred hadn¡¯t been mean enough to ask him to keep Hermione in check, he could still have interceded for them both, but there was nothing he could do now.

    With ast threatening look at them, Hermione thrust Fred¡¯s clipboard and the bag of Fancies back into his arms and strode to the stairs of the dormitory, dragging Evan along with her.

    ¡°Well, I just found out who the real culprit is!¡± said Hermione angrily.

    ¡°I just provided appropriate help to the two of them and shortened their research time¡­¡±

    Evan wanted to tell Hermione that even without his help, Fred and George could have developed these dangerous Fainting Fancies.

    ¡°Appropriate help? You provided them with the form, sales channels, and a lot of research funds. Without your help, it would be impossible for the two of them to develop to this point and produce more than a hundred dangerous products,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I must have been out of my mind to agree to let you use part of the profits from <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> to fund their inventions.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Hermione, I promise I¡¯ll never do it again!¡± Evan said hastily.

    Fred and George were doing fine now, and even without his help, they could continue to develop rapidly.

    As they said, what they needed now was to leave Hogwarts as soon as possible and open a shop in Diagon Alley.

    ¡°Hmph, you have to make sure that they don¡¯t use these things on first years anymore. If you want, you can use your own body to experiment,¡± said Hermione, taking a step forward and getting close to Evan, ¡°If I find out again¡­¡±

    Because they were so close, the atmosphere became tense. Hermione waved her small fist, indicating that if she caught Fred and George conducting dangerous experiments on others again, she would push Evan. Was that a punishment?

    Or perhaps Hermione had some ace up her sleeve, and pushing Evan would be the ultimate punishment¡­

    Just then, Ron came out of the bedroom.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± He was visibly relieved to see that Fred, George, and Lee Jordan had disappeared, leaving only a bunch of unresponsive first-years lying on the couch. He did not dare to confront Fred and George.

    ¡°We¡¯re done, thanks for your support, Ron,¡± said Hermione acidly.

    ¡°You handled it fine by yourself,¡± Ron mumbled; then resumed his normal voice, ¡°Harry isn¡¯t in the bedroom, I think he¡¯s gone to Professor Umbridge¡¯s room. Remember, she asked him to report at five o¡¯clock.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. She also invited me to have tea tonight,¡± Evan quickly said, avoiding Hermione¡¯s gaze. ¡°I think I¡¯d better go now and prevent her from bullying Harry or getting into an argument¡­.¡±

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 Chapter 939: Umbridges Office

    Chapter 939: Umbridge''s Office

    Harry left the Great Hall with his schoolbag on his back and walked up the marble staircase two steps at a time.

    The indescribable anger that had just red so unexpectedly still zed inside him.

    The vision of Evan, Ron, and Hermione¡¯s shocked faces afforded him a sense of deep satisfaction.

    As he gradually calmed down, he felt a bit regretful.

    Harry knew that he shouldn¡¯t be angry with Evan and lose his temper, but an uncontroble restlessness had surged through his body.

    The frequent pain in his scar had been bothering himtely, but he couldn¡¯t talk about it.

    The school was full of gossip, and his once-trusted friends were full of mistrust. Ron and Hermione were bickering all the time, the Umbridge woman was full of malice, and Professor McGonagall wanted him to keep his head down, Dumbledore seemed indifferent to him, and Evan let things unfold¡­

    It was the same in the morning, it was the same at noon, it was the same at night, and it was the same when he returned to the bedroom. He had nowhere to escape.

    Under all the pressure, he felt like he was about to be driven crazy.Harry¡¯s pace slowed down, and he suddenly realized that he had nowhere to go.

    ¡°<i>Go and sit in the library for a while, then go to that woman¡¯s ce for detention and apologize to Evan when back in the evening</i>,¡± He thought pitifully, ¡°<i>I need to control my temper, clear my brain, and think of nothing</i>¡­¡±

    At this moment, Peeves emerged from an empty ssroom wall, juggling several inkwells.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Potty Wee Potter!¡± cackled Peeves. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating? What are you doing here?¡±

    He allowed two of the inkwells to fall to the ground where they smashed and spattered the walls with ink.

    Harry jumped backward out of the way with a snarl, ¡°Get out of it, Peeves!¡±

    ¡°Crackpot¡¯s feeling cranky; I saw it all this afternoon. I told everyone,¡± said Peeves, pursuing Harry along the corridor, leering as he zoomed along above him.

    <i>¡°Oh, most think he¡¯s barking, the Potty weed,</i>

    <i>But some are more kindly and think he¡¯s just sad,</i>

    <i>But Peevesy knows better and says that he¡¯s mad.¡±</i>

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Harry yelled, walking down a narrow path.

    The indescribable anger in his body came out again, and he drew his wand, ready to teach Peeves a lesson.

    He had learned this magic from Sirius back then, and knew how to attack Peeves with it. But the cunning Peeves didn¡¯t keep up.

    Harry passed therge picture of Sir Cadogan.

    When he saw him, Sir Cadogan drew his sword and brandished it fiercely at Harry, who ignored him.

    He was really fed up with all of it. They were all the same. Even the ghosts and the portraits were so hateful.

    It was hard to imagine that just a few weeks ago; he had been missing all of this.

    ¡°Come back, you scurvy dog, stand fast and fight!¡± yelled Sir Cadogan in a muffled voice from behind his visor, but Harry merely walked on, and when Sir Cadogan attempted to follow him by running into a neighboring picture, he was rebuffed by its inhabitant, arge and angry-looking wolfhound.

    ¡°Oy, Potter!¡± said a loud and angry voice just as he was walking to the library door.

    ¡°What now?¡± Harry turned his head impatiently, almost at the limit.

    He saw Angelina Johnson standing on the nearby staircase, apparently having followed him up.

    She seemed angrier than him, ready to unleash thunder at any moment.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what now,¡± she said, marching straight up to him and poking him hard in the chest with her finger. ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about it. Howe you¡¯vended yourself in detention for five o¡¯clock on Friday?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harry was taken aback for a moment, and then remembered. ¡°Oh yeah, Keeper tryouts!¡±

    ¡°Now he remembers!¡± snarled Angelina. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I wanted to do a tryout with the whole team, and find someone who fitted in with everyone? Didn¡¯t I tell you I¡¯d booked the Quidditch pitch specially? And now you¡¯ve decided you¡¯re not going to be there! ¡°

    ¡°I didn¡¯t decide not to be there!¡± said Harry, stung by the injustice of these words. ¡°I got detention from that Umbridge woman, just because I told her the truth about You-Know-Who.¡±

    ¡°Well, you can just go straight to her and ask her to let you off on Friday,¡± said Angelina fiercely, ¡°and I don¡¯t care how you do it, tell her You-Know-Who¡¯s a figment of your imagination if you like, just make sure you¡¯re there!¡±

    With that, she stormed away, leaving Harry standing there alone.

    Three second-year girls came out of the library, and immediately huddled in a corner, keeping their distance from him.

    The way they acted, as if Harry would pounce on them and bite them hard, made him actually have that impulse¡­

    He sighed, though he felt that it was unlikely that Umbridge would let him off on Friday, it was better to give it a try.

    Angelina was right, he couldn¡¯t miss Friday¡¯s tryouts, and Quidditch was his only pleasure.

    That being the case, he¡¯d bettere to Umbridge¡¯s office early to make a good impression on her.

    Harry turned around and walked towards Umbridge¡¯s office.

    He knocked on the door, only to hear a sugary voice shout, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Harry entered cautiously, looking around.

    He had known this office under its previous upants.

    In the days when Gilderoy Lockhart had lived here it had been stered in beaming portraits of its owner.

    When Lupin had upied it, it was likely you would meet some fascinating Dark creature in a cage or tank if you came to call.

    During the time of Sirius, it was full of all kinds of interesting Auror props and delicious candies.

    And In the impostor Moody¡¯s days it had been packed with various instruments and artifacts for the detection of wrongdoing and concealment, although they were all damaged. When the real Mad-Eye returned, he threw away all those things and reced them with a new batch.

    Now, however, it looked totally unrecognizable.

    The surfaces had all been draped incy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental tes, each decorated with arge technicolor kitten wearing a different bow around its neck.

    These were so foul that Harry stared at them, transfixed, until Professor Umbridge spoke again¡­

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 Chapter 940: The Black Quill

    Chapter 940: The ck Quill

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Potter.¡±

    Harry started and looked around. He had not noticed her at first because she was wearing a luridly flowered set of robes that blended only too well with the tablecloth on the desk behind her.

    ¡°I, uh, good evening, Professor Umbridge,¡± Harry said stiffly.

    ¡°Well, sit down,¡± she said with her habitual fake smile, pointing toward a small table draped ince beside which she had drawn up a straight-backed chair. A piece of nk parchmenty on the table, apparently waiting for him.

    ¡°Er,¡± said Harry, without moving. ¡°Professor Umbridge? Er ¡­ before we start, I¡­I wanted to ask you a ¡­ a favor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what?¡± Her bulging eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. And I was supposed to be at the tryouts for the new Keeper at five o¡¯clock on Friday and I was wondering whether I could skip detention that night and do it another night instead;¡± Harry blurted out, looking at Umbridge¡¯s expression, and added nervously, ¡°Or maybe I can do one more detention¡­¡±

    His voice was getting lower and lower, because Umbridge¡¯s appearance told him long before he reached the end of his sentence that it was no good.

    ¡°Oh, no, Mr. Potter, this is not a negotiation or a deal,¡± said Umbridge, smiling so widely that she looked as though she had just swallowed a particrly juicy fly. ¡°Oh no, no, no. This is your punishment for spreading evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories, Mr. Potter, and punishments certainly cannot be adjusted to suit the guilty one¡¯s convenience. No, you wille here at five o¡¯clock tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after, and on Friday too, and you will do your detentions as nned. I think it rather a good thing that you are missing something you really want to do. It ought to reinforce the lesson I am trying to teach you and make you aware of your misdoings.¡±Harry felt the blood surge to his head and heard a thumping noise in his ears. So ording to her, he was being here in detention because he¡¯d told evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories?

    But what he¡¯d said was the truth. He had told the truth!

    Umbridge was watching him with her head slightly to one side, still smiling widely, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking and was waiting to see whether he would start shouting again.

    That look seemed to be a silent provocation, as though to say ¡°Will you ever dare do it again?¡±

    Harry really wanted to shout or even pounce, there were only the two of them here¡­

    With a massive effort, he looked away from her, dropped his schoolbag beside the straight-backed chair, and sat down.

    ¡°There, Mr. Potter! It looks like detention has an effect, and we¡¯re getting better at controlling our temper already, aren¡¯t we? Now, you are going to be doing some lines for me, Mr. Potter. No, not with your quill,¡± said Umbridge sweetly, as Harry bent down to open his bag; and she quickly added, ¡°You¡¯re going to be using a rather special one of mine. Here you are.¡±

    She handed him a long, thin ck quill with an unusually sharp point that was on the table.

    ¡°Well, I want you to write <i>¡®I must not tell lies¡¯</i>,¡± she told him softly, with a smile.

    ¡°How many times?¡± Harry asked, with a creditable imitation of politeness.

    ¡°Oh, as long as it takes for the message to <i>sink in</i>,¡± said Umbridge sweetly. ¡°Off you go.¡±

    She moved over to her desk, sat down, and bent over a stack of parchment that looked like essays for marking.

    Harry raised the sharp ck quill, and then realized what was missing.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t given me any ink,¡± he said.

    ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t need ink,¡± said Professor Umbridge with the merest suggestion of augh in her voice.

    Harry ced the point of the quill on the paper and wrote: <i>I must not tell lies</i>.

    The next second, he let out a gasp of pain. The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink.

    At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Harry¡¯s right hand, cut into his skin as though traced there by a scalpel. Yet even as he stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the ce where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth.

    Harry looked around at Umbridge. She was watching him, her wide, toadlike mouth stretched in a smile.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Harry quietly.

    He looked back at the parchment, ced the quill upon it once more, wrote <i>I must not tell lies</i>, and felt the searing pain on the back of his hand for a second time; once again the words had been cut into his skin, once again they healed over secondster.

    And on it went. Again and again Harry wrote the words on the parchment in what he soon came to realize was not ink, but his own blood.

    And again and again the words were cut into the back of his hand, healed, and then reappeared the next time he set quill to parchment.

    Time passed minute by minute, maybe half an hour; but it felt like centuries to Harry.

    He gritted his teeth and remained silent, not wanting to show the slightest sign of weakness, not even if he had to sit here all night, cutting open his own hand with this quill.

    <i>Knock, knock, knock</i>, there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said Umbridge sweetly, and Harry stopped to look at the door.

    Suddenly, his eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Evan enter the room.

    ¡°Good evening, Professor Umbridge!¡± Evan also froze for a moment!

    He gasped nervously as the decor of the room sent shivers down his spine; it was too terrifying, reminding him of abination of Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop and the Dursleys¡¯ living room, filled with vivid red everywhere.

    Even Umbridge¡¯s fiery red flowered set of robes seemed to blend in with the surroundings.

    Then, he saw Harry sitting at the table, staring at him,pletely out of ce with everything else in the room.

    ¡°Evan, what are you doing here?¡± Harry asked instinctively.

    ¡°I invited Mr. Mason over for tea. I want to have a chat with the school¡¯s new Head Boy,¡± said Umbridge with a smile. ¡°Please continue, Mr. Potter, don¡¯t mind the two of us.¡±

    Although she said so, Harry still focused his attention, wanting to know what they were going to talk about.

    He had no idea how Evan ended up here, and now he was going to have tea with Umbridge? Had Evan gone crazy?!

    Or had they reached some kind ofpromise?

    Umbridge walked to the round tea table by the firece, which was already set with tea and cookies.

    ¡°Come over, Mr. Mason, don¡¯t stand there,¡± she said warmly, her wide mouth forming a smile, gesturing for Evan to sit across from her, ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you for a while.¡±

    ¡°Well, can¡¯t we ask Harry to join?¡± Evan asked, eyeing the quill in Harry¡¯s hand.

    Following Evan¡¯s gaze, Umbridge noticed that Harry had been looking at them, and shook her head.

    ¡°No, that won¡¯t do. Mr. Potter is currently serving his punishment in detention, and he must be diligent in his copying.¡± She took out her wand and waved it with a jerk, casting a charm to prevent eavesdropping, enveloping the tea table. Harry couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore.

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 Chapter 941: Conflict

    Chapter 941: Conflict

    The atmosphere in the room was terribly weird, it seemed that the angrier Evan and Harry were, the happier Umbridge was.

    ¡°Mr. Mason, I have always wanted to chat with you. To be frank and honest, we are all smart people, and you should recognize the current situation¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you referring to Hogwarts or the Wizarding World?¡± Evan interjected, not expecting Umbridge to be so direct.

    ¡°Actually, they are one and the same. You should understand that the era of Dumbledore and You-Know-Who battling against each other is over. People no longer need great wizards. Mr. Minister is concerned about the long-standing teaching situation at Hogwarts,¡± Umbridge exined. ¡°I, on my own, havee here to help the Ministry of Magic change this situation and ensure that the educational standards at the school are met. As the Head Boy and one of the most outstanding students, I hope to have your assistance.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor, but my understanding of the current situation in the wizarding world differs from yours. I believe that the war and the conflict have only just begun. Besides You-Know-Who, there is an even greater evil on the horizon, and we should be prepared,¡± Evan paused and continued, ¡°Furthermore, I don¡¯t believe you can change anything. Hogwarts won¡¯t be influenced by you.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you think, dear?¡± said Umbridge, smiling widely, seemingly unfazed. ¡°I am not surprised by your refusal. You all have been greatly influenced by Dumbledore for a long time, even exceptional young wizards, filled with fantasies, like yourself. However, you will soon find out and witness the changes. I hope you¡¯ll seriously consider my advice when the timees and make choices that may affect your entire life.¡±

    ¡°I will consider it carefully!¡± Evan said, and then he noticed Harry starting to write again.

    Red words appeared on the parchment, and cut into his skin on the back of his right hand, and then disappeared quickly.

    Harry¡¯s face contorted in pain, but he held back from screaming.He looked at Evan and Umbridge sitting at the tea table, seemed a little aggrieved, and wrote again <i>I must not tell lies</i>.

    His emotions were extremelyplex at the moment. His best friend Evan and that toad-like woman were sitting aside enjoying their tea and chatting happily, watching him tear the back of his hand over and over again. Thinking of that, Harry felt incredibly ufortable.

    Along with this difort, there was an increasing anger building up in his chest.

    He felt betrayed and knew he wouldn¡¯t give up. He wouldn¡¯t let them see his weakness¡­

    ¡°Professor, that ck quill in Harry¡¯s hand¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d you noticed that quill. It¡¯s a punishment for disobedient students. Mr. Potter spread evil, nasty, attention-seeking stories in front of many students in ss today. He must learn to recognize reality.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this punishment too severe?¡± Evan said coldly, frowning at Umbridge.

    He had initially told himself to stay calm and not confront her directly, but now he couldn¡¯t control his anger.

    Regardless of who it was, anyone would want to give Umbridge a good beating in this situation.

    From any perspective, Evan couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch Harry being subjected to this punishment without being moved.

    All thoughts of staying calm and sticking to the n were thrown aside after seeing this scene.

    ¡°Hogwarts professors have the authority to decide how to discipline students, and it doesn¡¯t vite any school rules,¡± Umbridge said, splitting her lips with a smug smile. ¡°I believe a little pain will be beneficial for Mr. Potter.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That quill won¡¯t leave anysting harm on his body. I know what you¡¯re about to say. It¡¯s not a Dark Magic item; it¡¯s made from African magical craftsmanship and doesn¡¯t vite any existing regtions,¡± said Umbridge with a smile. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s not worry about Mr. Potter. He will take care of himself. I didn¡¯t invite you here tonight to voice your objections to my disciplinary methods. Let¡¯s go back to the previous topic, your Head Boy¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor, I¡¯m not used to watching my friends suffer such abuse,¡± said Evan, walking directly in front of Harry and snatching the quill from his hand. ¡°Stop writing, Harry!¡±

    ¡°Evan!¡± Harry eximed in surprise, his excited voice mixed with relief.

    In that instant, with Evan¡¯s actions, all the anger and difort from before vanished.

    ¡°No, this won¡¯t do, Mr. Mason. I hope you understand what you are doing!¡± Umbridge said, standing up from her chair, maintaining her fake smile. ¡°You¡¯re obstructing me from punishing Mr. Potter. I can understand your impulse, but I cannot agree with it. I thought you would show more rationality, especially considering that you¡¯re an intelligent person¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought I would be more rational as well,¡± Evan said. ¡°But I overestimated myself. We will inform Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall about your methods of punishment regarding Harry. If possible, I will also publish this matter in <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, so the outside world knows what you have done at Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°I will inform Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall about this matter, and you can publish it in that fabricated newspaper of yours. But first, you must understand that you are openly defying a professor¡¯smand,¡± Umbridge said, her smile gradually fading. ¡°Perhaps you have done such things in the past, but I must remind you that if you don¡¯t want to be expelled from the school, let Mr. Potter sit down and continue his punishment.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, we¡¯ll see about that!¡± Evan said, taking out his wand. ¡°Now please step aside, we¡¯re going back!¡±

    Maybe Ron was right and the woman should be given the Imperius Curse or something.

    If the professors wouldn¡¯t agree, Evan really wanted to do it.

    He had to admit that taking Harry away directly was too impulsive.

    Under the current circumstances, there was no chance of winning a direct confrontation with Umbridge. As she herself said, what she was doing didn¡¯t vite school rules or any existingws. It was obviously a loophole in thew, but Umbridge had the authority to do so, and even if it were revealed, it wouldn¡¯t have much impact.

    People might think her punishment of students was somewhat excessive, but it wasn¡¯t something worth making a fuss over. Umbridge had her justifications, while the cost of Evan and Harry defying her orders would be direct expulsion from the school¡­

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 Chapter 942: Percys Letter

    Chapter 942: Percy''s Letter

    In the dim and narrow corridor, there were only Evan and Harry, their footsteps echoing through the hallway.

    ¡°Evan, did we act too impulsively?¡± Harry expressed his concern.

    He had just been thinking about ignoring everything and having a showdown with Umbridge, but now that Evan had actually done it, and after he calmed down, he had to admit that their actions were reckless. What if they got expelled from school?

    Evan was almost as rule-abiding as Hermione most of the time.

    But whenever it came to crucial moments, it was always the two of them who broke the rules first, seemingly without any concerns.

    Anyway, his mind was a mess right now. Just thinking about how that woman would deal with them was unsettling.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Harry. As a friend, I can¡¯t just watch you being abused and remain indifferent,¡± said Evan. ¡°If I were truly impulsive, I would have cursed her directly instead of simply leaving her office.¡±

    Anyone who saw that scene would be angry, but Evan managed to restrain himself from using magic.

    Hogwarts had its own rules that everyone had to follow. They had the right to question the professor¡¯s disciplinary methods, but they couldn¡¯t directly attack Umbridge. Of course, if Umbridge herself broke the rules¡­Upon hearing Evan¡¯s words, Harry felt moved. Despite the burning pain on the back of his hand, his heart gradually calmed down.

    The worries and insecurities from before vanished into thin air. Compared to everything else, having a friend who was willing to stand up and fight against the professor mattered most. It didn¡¯t matter how that woman punished them.

    ¡°So what should we do now?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Well, go to Professor McGonagall!¡± said Evan. ¡°Tell her about this.¡±

    As expected, when Professor McGonagall found out what happened between them, she was furious.

    She told Evan and Harry to stay in her office while she stormed out to confront Umbridge.

    No one knew what she had said to Umbridge, but when she returned, her face was incredibly grim, and her lips were tightly pursed.

    ¡°Potter, you will continue your detention by Dolores Umbridge tomorrow, she has the right to do so. But if she uses that quill or anything simr again, inform me immediately. That woman is simply unreasonable,¡± she said sharply. ¡°As for you, Mason, if you don¡¯t want to lose your Head Boy badge, you must control yourself and avoid conflicts with her. Otherwise, you¡¯ll run into serious trouble.¡±

    She adjusted her sses in anger and looked at Evan and Harry, then let out a soft sigh.

    ¡°The current situation at Hogwarts is different from the past, you need to be careful.¡± Her tone voice waspletely different from before, no longer brisk, crisp and stern, but low and anxious, and somehow much more human than usual, ¡°That woman is backed by the Ministry of Magic, even the Headmaster¡­ Well, anyway, keep your heads down and try not to cause trouble. Especially you, Potter, keep your temper under control!¡±

    It seemed like the matter hade to an end with Professor McGonagall¡¯s intervention. Umbridge didn¡¯t use the quill again, nor did she hold Evan ountable. But would she really let it go?

    Evan was well aware that Umbridge wouldn¡¯t just leave it at that.

    If she couldn¡¯t even handle two students, how could she dare to represent the Ministry of Magic at Hogwarts? And what was the point of hering here?

    She was temporarily backing down now simply because she was just the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, without that authority.

    However, she would soon have it, and the Ministry of Magic was surprisingly efficient this time.

    Immediately after Evan and Harry left, Umbridge wrote a letter to Fudge¡­

    The content and impact of this letter would soon be known to everyone!

    Along the way, Evan was thinking about this matter, considering how to deal with Umbridge.

    Relying solely on this incident wouldn¡¯t be enough to affect Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic, but if there were more evidence against her¡­

    When the two of them returned to themon room, Hermione and Ron were working on the assignment given by Snape.

    Now that the matter had passed, at Harry¡¯s request, they didn¡¯t tell what happened tonight, so as not to worry Hermione and Ron. They thought Harry was simply writing sentences, which didn¡¯t sound too scary punishment.

    As the night got darker and there were fewer and fewer people in themon room, Evan knew what Umbridge was nning.

    ¡°Look outside!¡± Hermione suddenly pointed to the nearest window.

    They all looked over, and a handsome screech owl was standing on the windowsill, gazing into the room at Ron.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Hermes?¡± said Hermione, sounding amazed.

    ¡°Blimey, it is!¡± said Ron quietly, throwing down his quill and getting to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s Percy writing to me for?¡±

    He crossed to the window and opened it; Hermes flew inside,nded upon Ron¡¯s essay, and held out a leg to which a letter was attached.

    Ron took it off and the owl departed at once, leaving inky footprints across Ron¡¯s Potion essay.

    ¡°That¡¯s definitely Percy¡¯s handwriting,¡± said Ron, sinking back into his chair and staring at the words on the outside of the scroll: To Ronald Weasley, Gryffindor House, Hogwarts. He looked up at Evan, Harry and Hermione. ¡°What do you reckon?¡±

    ¡°Open it!¡± said Hermione eagerly.

    Ron unrolled the scroll and began to read. The farther down the parchment his eyes traveled, the more pronounced became his scowl.

    When he had finished reading, he looked disgusted.

    He thrust the letter at Evan, Harry and Hermione, who leaned toward each other to read it together:

    <i>Dear Ron,</i>

    <i>I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister of Magic himself, who has it from your new teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have be a Hogwarts prefect.</i>

    <i>I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congrattions.</i>

    <i>I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the ¡°Fred and George¡± route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility.</i>

    <i>But I want to give you more than congrattions, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post.</i>

    <i>Hopefully you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions.</i>

    <i>From something the Minister let slip when telling me you are now a prefect, I gather that you are still seeing a lot of Evan Mason and Harry Potter. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternization with those two boys.</i>

    <i>Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this ¡ª no doubt you will say that they have always been Dumbledore¡¯s favorites.</i>

    <i>But I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different ¡ª and probably more urate ¡ª view of Mason and Potter¡¯s behavior and the everyday practices at Hogwarts, and whether Dumbledore has any necessary reason to stay at Hogwarts.</i>

    <i>I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing ¡ª and see if you can spot yours truly!</i>

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 Chapter 943: Fallen Percy and the Plan

    Chapter 943: Fallen Percy and the n

    The content of Percy¡¯s letter went on, inexplicably exasperating.

    <i>As your older brother, I am bound to give you some advice. Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Mason and Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too.</i>

    <i>As you must be aware, given that our father escorted them to court, it has be a disgrace to the entire Ministry of Magic.</i>

    <i>Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did note out of it looking too good.</i>

    <i>He got off on a mere technicality if you ask me and many of the people I¡¯ve spoken to remain convinced of his guilt.</i>

    <i>As for Mason, his fabricated newspaper has also faced resistance from the entire wizardingmunity. If he continues like this, he¡¯ll end up in Azkaban sooner orter, and his reckless magical experiments are causing concern.</i>

    <i>Professor Umbridge¡¯s recent letter confirms this point, and the Minister believes it¡¯s necessary to take immediate action.</i>

    <i>It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with them¡ª I know that they can be unbnced, behaving extremely abnormally; and, for all I know, they have tendencies towards violence and spellcasting beyond their age¡­</i>

    <i>If you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in their behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only too happy to advise you.</i><i>This leads me to my other bit of advice.</i>

    <i>As I have hinted above, Dumbledore¡¯s regime at Hogwarts may soon be over.</i>

    <i>For the sake of your own future, Ron, your loyalty should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry.</i>

    <i>I am very sorry to hear that so far Professor Umbridge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires. Her authority, even in disciplining students, has been questioned.</i>

    <i>Trust me though, she should find this easier soon because the Minister has made up his mind. The entire Ministry is working overtime to ensure that this matter is carried out (again, see the Daily Prophet tomorrow!)</i>

    <i>I shall say only this ¡ª a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well ced for Head Boyship in a couple of years, which is the highest honor a student can get!</i>

    <i>Don¡¯t worry about the current Head Boy; he won¡¯t keep it much longer.</i>

    <i>Lastly, I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer.</i>

    <i>It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore.</i>

    <i>I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people; and the Minister really could not be more gracious to me.</i>

    <i>And I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents¡¯ beliefs and actions and to the true nature of those around you either.</i>

    <i>I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to ept a full apology when that dayes.</i>

    <i>Please think over what I have said most carefully, and congrattions again on bing prefect.</i>

    <i>Your brother,</i>

    <i>Percy</i>

    After reading the letter, everyone looked up at Ron.

    ¡°Well,¡± said Harry, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, ¡°if you want to ¡ª er ¡ª what is it? ¡®Sever ties¡¯ with us; I swear I won¡¯t get violent. ¡°

    ¡°¡±And I absolutely won¡¯t stop you from bing the Head Boy,¡± added Evan.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Give it back,¡± said Ron, holding out his hand and he snatched the letter. ¡°He is the world¡¯s biggest git,¡± said Ron, tearing Percy¡¯s letter in half, then into quarters, then into eighths, and finally into shreds.

    ¡°A hopeless git,¡± he said impulsively, throwing the pieces into the fire.

    There was a moment of silence. Ron¡¯s actions were undoubtedly gratifying, and Percy¡¯s level of degradation was shocking.

    It was hard to imagine that he now wanted to drive Dumbledore out of the school and lock Evan and Harry in Azkaban.

    Just a few months ago, he was one of the most trustworthy people on their side.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, what happened to you two this evening?¡± said Hermione in a light tone, trying to change the subject. ¡°That line in the letter, what does it mean when it says ¡®Her authority, even in disciplining students, has been questioned¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± That was something Harry didn¡¯t want to talk about, but Evan thought there was no need to hide it.

    ¡°When I got to Umbridge, she was torturing Harry, and then Harry and I left her office directly to find Professor McGonagall!¡± said Evan. ¡°Professor McGonagall had an argument with her, but it seems to be futile, and Harry still has to go to detention.¡±

    ¡°I thought you said she was giving Harry lines?¡±

    Harry hesitated for a moment before telling the truth about what had happened to him in Umbridge¡¯s office.

    Hermione and Ron also saw the red mark on the back of his hand. If he continued to write, the lines would have been carved into his skin.

    ¡°Goodness!¡± Hermione put her hand over her mouth, even more shocked than when she read Percy¡¯s letter.

    ¡°The old hag!¡± Ron murmured in disgust. ¡°I knew it, she wasn¡¯t normal!¡±

    ¡°Scary woman!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Will what Professor McGonagall said have any effect?¡±

    ¡°You hit the nail on the head. I think it should be useful in the short term, but once that woman gains greater rights, Professor McGonagall¡¯s words will have no effect,¡± said Evan. ¡°So, we must do something.¡±

    ¡°What? Tell Dumbledore?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got enough on his mind, and I don¡¯t want to bother him with such a trivial matter,¡± said Harry hurriedly. He was still dissatisfied with Dumbledore¡¯s actions, and besides, what use would it be to go to Dumbledore? He couldn¡¯t just drive Umbridge out of school, as though he had lost this ulterior battle.

    If it weren¡¯t for Evan, he wouldn¡¯t even have mentioned this to anyone.

    ¡°Well, how about putting this in the newspaper?¡±

    ¡°It would have a very limited impact. If you look back at past newspapers, you¡¯ll see that the woman¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t exactly good, but she doesn¡¯t seem to care. And that ck quill isn¡¯t considered a Dark Magic item, and professors have the authority to punish students, although this form of punishment is sickening,¡± said Evan. ¡°There won¡¯t be many people paying attention to this, and it will only highlight the chaos in Hogwarts, pushing the Ministry to elerate its reforms.¡±

    ¡°So, what should we do? Just do nothing?¡± Ron asked.

    ¡°Well, I have a n, but we need to take it slow. Let¡¯s start by rendering that quill ineffective¡­¡±

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 Chapter 944: High Inquisitor

    Chapter 944: High Inquisitor

    They had expected to have tob <i>The Daily Prophet</i> carefully next morning to find the article Percy had mentionedst night in his letter.

    However, the departing delivery owl had barely cleared the top of the milk jug when Hermione let out a huge gasp.

    She ttened the newspaper to reveal arge photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline:

    MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM

    DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER

    ¡°HIGH INQUISITOR¡±

    ¡°¡®High Inquisitor¡¯?¡± Everyone looked at the photo in shock.

    They had never heard of such a title and didn¡¯t know what a High Inquisitor was supposed to do.

    But the unfamiliarity alone sounded terrifying¡­Hermione picked up the newspaper and read aloud:

    <i>¡°In a surprise movest night the Ministry of Magic passed new legition giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.</i>

    <i>¡°¡®The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,¡¯ said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. ¡®He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡°This is not the first time in recent months Minister Cornelius Fudge has used newws to effect improvements at the Wizarding school. As recently as August 30th Educational Decree Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person.</i>

    <i>¡°¡®That¡¯s how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts,¡¯ said Weasleyst night. ¡®Dumbledore couldn¡¯t find anyone, so the Minister put in Umbridge and of course, she¡¯s been an immediate sess ¡ª¡¯¡±</i>

    ¡°She¡¯s been a WHAT?¡± said Harry loudly, looking at her incredulously.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more,¡± said Hermione grimly.

    <i>¡°¡®¡ª an immediate sess, totally revolutionizing the teaching of Defense Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what¡¯s really happening at Hogwarts, giving the Ministry an objective and fair understanding of the actual situation at Hogwarts.¡¯¡±</i>

    <i>¡®But we have to admit that there is currently significant resistance within the school.</i>

    <i>¡°From the headmaster down to the professors, none of them supported the Ministry¡¯s reforms. They even attempted to obstruct them. When Umbridge disciplined a student for breaking school rules, the student¡¯s Head of House even stormed into her office and made a scene.</i>

    <i>¡°Furthermore, the ¡°Educational Decree Twenty-One¡± that was passed three months ago aimed to limit the headmaster¡¯s increasingly inted and unchecked powers and enhance the role of the school board, but it did not achieve satisfactory results.</i>

    <i>¡°The current headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, seems to believe that he can bypass the Ministry and the school board in managing the school. He breaks conventions and directly appoints a fourteen-year-old student as the Head Boy.</i>

    <i>¡°In this situation, the Ministry had to take special action. It is thisst function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Twenty-three, which creates the new position of ¡®Hogwarts High Inquisitor.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡°¡®This is an exciting new phase in the Minister¡¯s n to get to grips with what some are calling the ¡°falling standards¡± at Hogwarts,¡¯ said Weasley. ¡®The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they areing up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post, and we are delighted to say that she has epted.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡°It is worth mentioning that the Ministry¡¯s new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts.</i>

    <i>¡°¡®I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,¡¯ said Mr. Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansionst night. ¡®Many of us with our children¡¯s best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore¡¯s entric decisions in thest few years and will be d to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡°Among those ¡®entric decisions¡¯ are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the hiring of werewolf Remus Lupin, half giant Rubeus Hagrid, and delusional ex-Auror ¡®Mad-Eye¡¯ Moody.</i>

    <i>¡°Rumors abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts.</i>

    <i>¡°¡®I think the appointment of the Inquisitor is a first step toward ensuring that Hogwarts has a headmaster in whom we can all repose confidence,¡¯ said a Ministry insiderst night. ¡°This is a responsibility to the Ministry and all the parents of the students.¡±</i>

    <i>¡°Of course, there are some voices of opposition to this move. Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden, both close friends of Dumbledore, have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts.</i>

    <i>¡°¡®Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge¡¯s office,¡¯ said Madam Marchbanks. ¡®This is a further disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore.¡¯ (For a full ount of Madam Marchbanks¡¯ alleged links to subversive goblin groups, turn to page 17).</i>

    Hermione finished reading and looked across the table at the other three.

    ¡°So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this ¡®Educational Decree¡¯ and forced her on us! And now he¡¯s given her the power to inspect other teachers and interfere with the school¡¯s management!¡± Hermione was breathing fast and her eyes were very bright. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. It¡¯s outrageous!¡±

    ¡°It truly is outrageous, and that¡¯s why that woman is so confident,¡± said Evan. ¡°Clearly, her power has increased, and she can disregard the opinions of Professor McGonagall and even Dumbledore, freely punishing students.¡±

    ¡°Oh, honestly, I can¡¯t wait to see McGonagall inspected,¡± said Ron happily, as if thinking of something amusing, ¡°Trust me, Umbridge won¡¯t know what¡¯s hit her.¡±

    ¡°Well,e on,¡± said Hermione, jumping up, ¡°we¡¯d better get going, if she¡¯s inspecting Professor McGonagall¡¯s ss we don¡¯t want to bete.¡±

    Evan waved his hand, reminding them that he had no sses for the first two periods of the morning as a fourth-year. Divination was scheduled for the third and fourth periods.

    After giving instructions to Colin, he walked towards Umbridge¡¯s office.

    He thought about thisst night. Since there was no immediate way to get rid of Umbridge, the least they could do was render her quill useless.

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 Chapter 945: Breaking into Umbridges Office

    Chapter 945: Breaking into Umbridge''s Office

    Evan didn¡¯t have a deep understanding of witchcraft, but he had done some rted research before.

    Regarding that quill, the function of witchcraft above was to transform somebody¡¯s blood and use it as ink, torturing him to the extreme. Although he was unfamiliar with witchcraft, he knew a few simr Dark magic. As long as he studied carefully, he should be able to decipher the witchcraft within this quill¡­

    That was what he believed, and if he really couldn¡¯t, he could seek help from Rawya, the girl they encountered at the Egyptian Gringotts Bank. She was highly skilled in witchcraft, and her family had a long history with it.

    Of course, that was only the first step. Resolving the magic on a quill would not prove much, and it would not help drive Umbridge away. However, it could at least prevent others from being tortured, suffering simr injuries in the future. If it could be countered, it could alsopletely put an end to Umbridge¡¯s idea of ??carrying out such cruel punishments.

    Against such a witch, being too decent and having a bottom line was actually the biggest obstacle and also the biggest weakness.

    It must be acknowledged that the Imperius Curse, poisoning, cursing, imprisoning and the like might be simpler and more effective.

    But Evan definitely could not do those things. He didn¡¯t want to lower himself to the level of an evil Dark wizard.

    Dumbledore and the professors at school would definitely not agree, and he would end up in Azkaban in no time.

    Furthermore, Evan was certain that such extreme methods would definitely be discovered.However, he was considering whether he should abandon his previous ideas and take some slightly more radical approaches.

    Now that the confrontation had begun, he might as well go all the way¡­

    For example, his current attempt to break into Umbridge¡¯s office was a good start. In addition to finding the cursed ck quill, he could also check Umbridge¡¯s personal letters and various documents to see if there was anything of value that might prove her guilt.

    She had done so many bad things, it was impossible that there was no evidence left.

    If he really found something, then everything would be much simpler!

    Evan arrived at Umbridge¡¯s office and gently waved his wand, and the door opened with a sound.

    He made sure beforehand that Umbridge was not in her office. She was probably inspecting Professor McGonagall¡¯s Transfiguration ss, and in the second period, she would be teaching third-year students the Defense Against the Dark Arts. She wouldn¡¯t be back for a while.

    Evan walked in, and apart from the ugly cats frolicking inside the tes on the walls, the office was quiet.

    He closed the door gently and immediately frowned.

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Evan pointed his wand directly at those tes, and all the cats on them stopped moving.

    It was a surveince magic, and if someone broke into the office, Umbridge would be immediately alerted by the cats.

    In addition, there seemed to be many defensive spells hidden in this room. That woman was very cautious.

    Evan yielded to the fact that he had never seen anyone so cautious. However, these were rtively basic magic spells that could be easily countered without much difficulty. He waved his wand and inspected Umbridge¡¯s desk, opening the drawers one by one.

    Everything flew out, forming a circle in the air, swiftly passing in front of him.

    Parchment after parchment flew into Evan¡¯s hands. He quickly nced at them and let them fly back into the air.

    Among them, he saw the letter Umbridge had written to Fudgest night, Fudge¡¯s reply, and the part that hadn¡¯t gone out. In it, she roughly categorized Hogwarts students into several groups.

    Fudge had only one goal, which was to remove Dumbledore from the school by any means necessary.

    His advice to Umbridge was to use her authority as High Inquisitor to quickly get rid of a professor, challenge Dumbledore¡¯s authority, make him lose credibility within the school, and prevent students from practicing any magic rted to dueling.

    Furthermore, he emphasized the need for close attention to Evan and Harry and monitoring their actions closely.

    In response to Umbridge¡¯s request, thetest ¡°Educational Decree Twenty-four¡± was being finalized as quickly as possible and was expected to be passed next week. <i>(Trantor¡¯s Note: in the original book, Cornelius Fudge created the Decree Twenty-five to give supreme authority over all punishments to the Hogwarts High Inquisitor, while the Decree Twenty-four, created by Dolores Umbridge, forbade the ying of music during study hours.)</i>

    The core of this Educational Decree was that the High Inquisitor would henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions and removals of privileges as might have been ced by other staff members.

    Then Umbridge would be able to bring out her quill again, with no one being able to oppose her.

    In addition, Evan saw a suggestion from Filch to Umbridge. The castle¡¯s caretaker seemed to have sided with Umbridge immediately and provided a keenly worded management suggestion that included various forms of punishment for students, including the restoration of corporal punishment and wand penalties.

    What caught Evan¡¯s attention the most, though, was a letter from Lucius Malfoy to Umbridge.

    In the letter, he asked her to take care of Draco at school and promised to provide necessary support and assistance for her reform efforts.

    Umbridge was already making contact with Lucius, but she was certainly not a Death Eater.

    However, this didn¡¯t make a difference. It was not because she wasn¡¯t evil enough, but because she didn¡¯t have the opportunity¡­.

    Finally, Evan found the ck quill and reced it.

    While Evan was rummaging through Umbridge¡¯s office, she herself was sitting in Professor McGonagall¡¯s Transfiguration ss.

    Because of what happenedst night, she listed Professor McGonagall¡¯s ss as the first to be inspected.

    The atmosphere in the ssroom was tense, and the students nced back from time to time, but Professor McGonagall didn¡¯t give the slightest indication that she knew Professor Umbridge was there.

    ¡°This is your first Transfiguration ss of the semester. After entering fifth year, you will be facing your O.W.L. exams. The importance of this exam doesn¡¯t need to be emphasized again. What I want to tell you is that you cannot pass an O.W.L. without serious study, practice, and application,¡± said Professor McGonagall grimly, ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>,¡± said Professor Umbridge, employing the same silly little cough she had used to interrupt Dumbledore on the first night of term. Professor McGonagall ignored her.

    ¡°I see no reason why everybody in this ss should not achieve an O.W.L. in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work.¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>,¡± said Professor Umbridge.

    Professor McGonagall didn¡¯t even look at her, but stared at Neville, who didn¡¯t have much confidence.

    ¡°Yes, you too, Longbottom,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your work exceptck of confidence, so¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem.</i>¡± Umbridge stood up.

    ¡°Yes?¡± said Professor McGonagall, turning round, her eyebrows so close together they seemed to form one long, severe line.

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 Chapter 946: Umbridges Assessment

    Chapter 946: Umbridge''s Assessment

    ¡°I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the date and time of your inspection¡­¡±

    ¡°Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my ssroom,¡± said Professor McGonagall curtly.

    Many of the students exchanged looks of glee. This was Professor McGonagall.

    Umbridge wouldn¡¯t get any benefits from her, but it would be even better if she could turn her into a toad!

    ¡°Alright, today we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L¡­.¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem.</i>¡°

    ¡°I wonder,¡± said Professor McGonagall in cold fury turning on Professor Umbridge, ¡°how you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? You see, I do not generally permit people to talk when I am talking.¡±

    Professor Umbridge looked as though she had just been pped in the face. She did not speak, but straightened the parchment on her clipboard and began scribbling furiously, so hard that everyone heard the scratch of the quill.

    Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the ss once more.¡°As I was saying, we shall be practicing the Vanishing Spell in this ss. This spell bes more difficult with theplexity of the animal to be vanished. For this first Lesson, we shall only be using snails, which, as invertebrate, do not present much of a challenge. Alright, please line up ande here to collect your snails.¡±

    ¡°How she can lecture me about not losing my temper with Umbridge!¡± Harry said to Ron under his voice.

    A few minutester, they were each assigned a snail, and Professor McGonagall exined the spell again in detail.

    Harry found the Vanishing Spells horribly difficult, and by the end of the Transfiguration ss, no one had managed to vanish the snails on which they were practicing, with the exception of Hermione, who sessfully vanished her snail on the third attempt, earning her a ten-point bonus for Gryffindor from Professor McGonagall.

    She was the only person not given homework; everybody else was told to practice the spell overnight, ready for a fresh attempt on their snails in the following Transfiguration ss.

    Umbridge sat in her corner and took many more notes on the clipboard. When Professor McGonagall finally told the ss to pack away, she rose with a grim expression on her face and walked towards the teacher¡¯s desk.

    Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked at each other and deliberately fell back to eavesdrop.

    ¡°How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?¡± Professor Umbridge asked.

    ¡°Thirty-nine years this December,¡± said Professor McGonagall brusquely, snapping her bag shut.

    ¡°Very well!¡± she said, ¡°you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days¡¯ time.¡±

    ¡°I can hardly wait,¡± said Professor McGonagall in a coldly indifferent voice, and she strode off toward the door. ¡°Hurry up, you three,¡± she added, sweeping Harry, Ron, and Hermione before her.

    Harry could not help giving her a faint smile, and he was pretty sure Professor McGonagall smiled back at him too.

    Evan didn¡¯t find the evidence he needed in Umbridge¡¯s office, but he thought he coulde here more.

    He returned to themon room with the ck quill and examined it briefly.

    It was a type of magic he hadn¡¯t encountered before, and the magical reaction on the quill was also very strange. He made no progress even until Colin called him to Divination ss.

    Evan felt that he needed a little help, so he decided to write a letter to Rawya, asking about the principle of this witchcraft.

    When he came to the shadowy Divination ssroom, he was still pondering over this question.

    Professor Trwney looked the same as before, like arge, glittering dragonfly.

    ¡°Good day, ss!¡± she said in her usual misty, dreamy voice.¡±And wee back to Divination. I have, of course, been following your fortunes most carefully over the holidays, and am delighted to see that you have all returned to Hogwarts safely ¡ª as, of course, I knew you would. This term, we shall be studying the motions of the stars, thes, and the mystical signs they show, but only ¡­¡±

    She stopped abruptly, and following her gaze, everyone turned round to see Professor Umbridge emerging through the trapdoor in the floor with a deliberate smirk on her face. The ss, which had been talking cheerily, fell silent at once.

    ¡°Professor Trwney,¡± said Umbridge with her wide smile. ¡°I trust you received my note, giving the time and date of your inspection.¡±

    It seemed that Umbridge hadn¡¯t noticed Evan had already intruded into her office, nor did she spare him a nce.

    Evan remembered that he saw Fudge¡¯s reply letter in Umbridge¡¯s desk, asking her to use her authority as High Inquisitor to quickly get rid of a professor. If anyone in the school was most likely to be targeted, it was undoubtedly Professor Trwney.

    Before entering a genuine trance, she was just an old fraud,cking much credibility.

    She was undoubtedly the worst professor in the school, and it didn¡¯t take much evaluation to realize that.

    Evan hoped that Professor Trwney would perform better, so that she wouldn¡¯t be cornered by Umbridge.

    ¡°I did!¡± Professor Trwney nodded curtly, looking very disgruntled, and she continued in her misty, dreamy voice, ¡°The movements of thes and the mysterious signs they disy can only be understood by those who know the rules of celestial dance¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>!¡± interrupted Umbridge, who had little scruples about Professor Trwney.

    ¡°I apologize, but could I have a word with you before the ss begins? You know, my time is limited, and I can¡¯t stay here indefinitely!¡± said Umbridge, rising from her chair.

    It was apparent that outright refusal was not the best choice, so Professor Trwney reluctantly nodded in response to Umbridge¡¯s request.

    ¡°Very well, you¡¯ve been in this post how long, exactly?¡±

    Professor Trwney scowled at her, arms crossed and shoulders hunched as though wishing to protect herself as much as possible from the indignity of the inspection. After a slight pause in which she seemed to decide that the question was not so offensive that she could reasonably ignore it, she said in a deeply resentful tone, ¡°Nearly sixteen years.¡±

    ¡°Sixteen years¡­ quite a period,¡± said Professor Umbridge, making a note on her clipboard. ¡°So it was Professor Dumbledore who appointed you after he became the Headmaster?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Professor Trwney shortly.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Professor Umbridge made another note, ¡°And I heard that you are a great-great-granddaughter of the celebrated Seer Cassandra Trwney?¡±

    Cassandra Trwney was a highly renowned Diviner and mystic in magical history. It was said that she had the bloodline of a Seer and was active in thete Middle Ages and early Renaissance. She was one of the most famous Seers in the entire European region, on par with Nostradamus from France.

    She single-handedly caused the once powerful Pharaoh¡¯s Council to disintegrate, and reorganize into the present-day Ministry of Magic, a famous prophecy that had been repeatedly mentioned in the history of magic.

    Furthermore, she predicted the time of the End of the World¡­.

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 Chapter 947: A Failed Performance

    Chapter 947: A Failed Performance

    Fortune tellers always liked to predict the end of the world as theirst prophecy, but until now, the end had nevere.

    Such actions that undermined their credibility didn¡¯t tarnish the reputation of these Farseers because by the time their predictions were verified, several hundred or even thousand years had passed. People, in fact, found great pleasure in discussing such matters and felt relieved that the prophecies did note true.

    If interested, one could easily find books on this subject, with almost every year having a prediction of the end of the world.

    Just like omens of misfortune and death, they were everywhere, widely seen. If one believed in them, they would drive themselves crazy with fear.

    ¡°Yes, Cassandra Trwney was my great-great-grandmother,¡± said Professor Trwney, holding her head a little higher.

    ¡°But I think ¡ª correct me if I am mistaken ¡ª that you are the first in your family since Cassandra to be possessed of second sight?¡± said Umbridge, adding another note on the clipboard.

    ¡°These things often skip ¡ª er ¡ª three generations,¡± said Professor Trwney.

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± said Umbridge sweetly, making yet another note; and her toadlike smile widened. ¡°This is a very precious talent. Since that¡¯s the case, I wonder if you could just predict something for me, eh?¡±

    She looked up inquiringly, still smiling.Professor Trwney had stiffened as though unable to believe her ears.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand you,¡± she said, clutching convulsively at the shawl around her scrawny neck.

    ¡°I¡¯d like you to make a prediction for me,¡± said Professor Umbridge very clearly.

    That was undoubtedly a challenge, soon to be verified if it came true.

    That would indeed be a catastrophic act, something no fortune teller would do.

    If every prophecy, every divination, every word came true, then it wouldn¡¯t be Divination. Perhaps only ancient Seers could achieve that.

    Now, everyone in the ssroom was staring transfixed at Professor Trwney.

    She drew herself up to her full height, her beads and bangles clinking.

    ¡°The Inner Eye does not See uponmand!¡± she said in scandalized tones.

    ¡°I see,¡± said Umbridge softly, seeming disappointed, and made another note on her clipboard.

    ¡°I, I, but, but, wait!¡± said Professor Trwney suddenly, in an attempt at her usual ethereal voice, though the mystical effect was ruined somewhat by the way it was shaking with anger. ¡°I, I think I do see something ¡­ something that concerns you ¡­ Why, I sense something ¡­ something dark ¡­ some grave peril ¡­¡±

    Professor Trwney pointed a shaking finger at Professor Umbridge who continued to smile ndly at her, eyebrows raised.

    ¡°I am afraid ¡­ I am afraid that you are in grave danger!¡± Professor Trwney finished dramatically.

    There was a pause. Professor Umbridge¡¯s eyebrows were still raised.

    ¡°Right!¡± she said softly, scribbling on her clipboard once more. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s really the best you can do ¡­¡±

    She turned away, leaving Professor Trwney standing rooted to the spot, her chest heaving.

    It was a failed performance, and Umbridge didn¡¯t believe any of it.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, it would have been more effective if Trwney had predicted Professor Umbridge¡¯s own sess, achieving significant reforms at Hogwarts and eventually bing the Minister of Magic after returning. But that was just a thought.

    Everyone sympathized with Professor Trwney at first. Although they all knew that she was an old fraud,pared with her, they obviously loathed Umbridge much more, but this trace of sympathy quickly disappeared without a trace. The ensuing Divination ss was a terrible nightmare. Stimted by Umbridge, Professor Trwney became a little hysterical. She kept making all kinds of terrible predictions. In this ss, Evan was the main one. He was the student shrouded in death.

    In fact, Umbridge¡¯s teaching evaluation caused every professor in the school to feel uneasy and anxious.

    After the Divination ss, Evan saw Umbridge again in Professor Sprout¡¯s Herbology ss on Thursday, but she only showed up once.

    Evan suspected it had to do with the environment in the greenhouse. This year, fourth-year students were studying bubotubers.

    These nts were kept in the hazardous Greenhouse Three. They looked less like nts than thick, ck, giant slugs, protruding vertically out of the soil. Each squirmed slightly and had a number ofrge, shiny swellings upon it, which appeared to be full of liquid.

    The students were required to collect the pus; and the process of squeezing the bubotubers was disgusting.

    As each swelling was popped, arge amount of thick yellowish-green liquid burst forth, smelling strongly of petrol that pervaded the greenhouse.

    Umbridge observed for a while, asked a few simple questions, and then left with a frown!

    Hermione also told Evan that Umbridge had inspected the Transfiguration ss and Care of Magical Creatures ss in the fifth year. Hagrid hadn¡¯t returned, but the substitute Professor Grubbly-nk didn¡¯t seem to have any problems. After all, she had been teaching for so many years.

    But Umbridge seemed displeased with Professor Grubbly-nk¡¯s support for Dumbledore, and rightly so.

    The only good thing was that Malfoy didn¡¯t say that he had been attacked by the hippogriff Buckbeak.

    Although he was still dissatisfied with Hagrid, he often sent food to the hippogriff, which was kind of repaying him.

    Another noteworthy point was that Umbridge seemed to have not inspected Snape¡¯s sses.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, she probably thought Snape was someone she could win over and was attempting to establishmunication with him. However, Umbridge would soon be disappointed.

    The others didn¡¯t think too deeply about it. Ron simply believed that they were both birds of a feather, colluding together.

    And Harry said that he had naively thought there would never be a teacher he hated as much as Severus Snape, but he now found Umbridge to be a strong contender.

    Umbridge¡¯s heart was undoubtedly malevolent; she was a wicked, perverted, crazy old woman.

    Harry¡¯s detention continued, and Professor McGonagall¡¯s intervention had no effect.

    She took out the ck quill again on Tuesday night, but Harry was pleasantly surprised to find it had lost its power.

    Immediately, Harry thought about Evan¡¯s statement that he would find a way, and he suspected that he had somehow rendered the quill powerless. Although it might not have a decisive impact since Umbridge could quickly rece it, at least during this period of detention, he wouldn¡¯t have to endure that dreadful punishment.

    Umbridge soon discovered this, and amidst disappointment and suspicion, she didn¡¯t spare Harry. She made him repeatedly write ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>,¡¯ and forced him to fill threerge rolls of parchment. It was nearly midnight before she allowed him to leave.

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 Chapter 948: Letter from Sirius

    Chapter 948: Letter from Sirius

    Harry had to go to Umbridge¡¯s office every night for detention, which left him no time to finish his homework.

    As it was the O.W.L. year, there was an extra load of assignments for the fifth-year students, evident from the first week of school.

    Snape¡¯s essay on the properties of moonstone and its use in potion-making was particrly challenging, not to mention Professor Binns¡¯s paper on the Giant Wars, Umbridge¡¯s essay on ¡®The Case for Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack¡¯, Professor Flitwick¡¯s requirement to work out a countercharm, Professor McGonagall¡¯s Vanishing spells, finish the Bowtruckle drawing for Professor Sprout, and Professor Trwney¡¯s diary to record dreams every night.

    With all these assignments piling up, it was an overwhelming task. Fred and George had said that the O.W.L. year was going to be tough, and they were certainly not wrong at all.

    Every fifth-year student wasining, even Hermione found it challenging, spending more time in the library than ever before.

    And then there was Harry, who had been in detention in Umbridge¡¯s office every evening. He returned to the Gryffindormon room exhausted in the early hours of the morning, with no energy left to spare. But he couldn¡¯t go to bed right away; instead, he opened his books and started working on his assignments.

    On Tuesday, hepleted the assignments for Professor Binns, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Trwney.

    On Wednesday, Harry had to write until three o¡¯clock in the middle of the night because the paper on the moonstone that Snape had assigned was due on Thursday. By the end, he had no idea what he was writing, and just mechanically copied the words from the book.

    He had done a poor job, but there was no help for it; unless he had something to give in he would be in detention with Snape next.He then dashed off answers to the questions Professor McGonagall had set them, cobbled together something on the proper handling of Bowtruckles for Professor Grubbly-nk, and staggered up to bed, where he fell fully clothed on top of the bed covers and fell asleep immediately.

    It was conceivable that in his state the next day, he might faint at any time.

    Joining Harry in his drowsy state was Ron, who was preparing to try out for the position of Gryffindor¡¯s Quidditch Keeper, so he had to practice every night.

    To avoid being mocked by Fred and George, he usually waited until everyone was asleep before sneaking out.

    Ron didn¡¯t want anyone to know, but he couldn¡¯t hide it from Harry, who was staying upter andter, and also Evan found out.

    The Fourth years didn¡¯t have as much homework, but there was a lot of research Evan needed to do here.

    Apart from the existing subjects of magical studies, he also needed to add the ck quill and make a new broom. Evan had already reserved his weekends to apany the first-year students on campus tours and help Hermione and the others practice magic on Sundays to improve their skills.

    So after Ron¡¯s first practice session, they knew what he was doing sneakily in the hallway with a broom.

    After repeated questioning, Ron finally said the matter with some embarrassment.

    No oneughed at him; both Evan and Harry encouraged Ron to participate in the Keeper tryouts.

    Evan even helped him bewitch Quaffles to fly at him.

    The magic power might have been too strong. The following day, Hermione knew that Ron was secretly practicing, because his face was bruised and swollen, showing marks of the Quaffles¡¯s heavy impact; and there was no way to hide it.

    In addition, Evan also promised Ron that he would make the first broom before the fifth week.

    Now that the main body wasplete, Hermione and Ginny were responsible for the rest of the assembly, and Colin joined in with great interest.

    The traditional brooms were typically named after celestial bodies to signify their unimaginable speed.

    After discussion, they decided to name this newly made broom ¡°<i>Starcatcher</i>¡°.

    Currently, the Starcatcher was still in its experimental stage, but its performance had already generated high expectations.

    What was also worth mentioning was that Evan¡¯s letter requesting Rawya¡¯s help was also mailed out. When he went to the Owlery early in the morning to find the owl for Egypt, Filch, the caretaker, came wheezing into the room.

    There were purple patches on his sunken, veined cheeks, his jowls were aquiver and his thin gray hair disheveled; he had obviously run here, and the purpose was very clear, just to intercept the letter Evan was about to mail.

    Filch gave aughable reason, iming to have received a tip-off that Evan was intending to ce a massive order for Dungbombs.

    In a self-satisfied hiss, he asked Evan to hand over the letter for him to check.

    Evan ignored him and let the brown owl leave in front of Filch.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hand it over, it¡¯s gone!¡± He said calmly, watching the owl flying farther and farther.

    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Filch stuttered, his face contorting with rage. ¡°How dare you let the owl leave?!¡±

    ¡°Because your tip-off is inurate, I didn¡¯t order Dungbombs. This is just my personnel letter. And there is no regtion in Hogwarts, allowing the caretaker to check the students¡¯ private letters,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Nonsense, that letter was the evidence that you ordered Dungbombs. I have my sources,¡± said Filch.

    ¡°I believe that as Head Boy of the school, my position guarantees that I won¡¯t order such things.¡±

    ¡°I will report this to the professor if I get so much as a whiff of a Dungbomb.¡± Filch finally backed down and stumped off down the stairs.

    Mrs. Norris cast ast longing look at the owls and followed him.

    There was no doubt that Filch had sided with Umbridge, which was just one of many crazy changes that were under way at Hogwarts.

    After the Basilisk incident, Filch had been getting along with Evan pretty well.

    He would turn a blind eye to some mischievous deeds, but at the beginning of this term, he hadpletely taken a stand against Evan and his friends.

    Umbridge must have asked him to spy on Evan and the others, checking their private letters. There was really no bottom line!

    For now, they managed to hide some things and avoid direct inspections, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before they started magically intercepting the owls in the sky. Mad-Eye¡¯s warning was right on point. The Hogwarts postal system was currently under the surveince of the Ministry of Magic. They hoped to gather information about the Order of the Phoenix from Evan and Harry.

    They had been advised not to correspond with members of the Order of the Phoenix and to avoid contacting them as much as possible. That was something they had to be careful about.

    But as soon as Evan returned to the Great Hall, he saw a letter in Harry¡¯s hand, a letter from Sirius ck¡­

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 Chapter 949: The Starcatcher

    Chapter 949: The Starcatcher

    This was the fourth letter they had seen from Sirius since the summer vacation. .

    The first three letters included one addressed to Harry, inquiring about his encounter with the Dementors and offering some advice.

    The other one was addressed to Lupin, primarily discussing Harry¡¯s education and requesting Lupin to pass on certain information to Harry.

    The final letter was for Evan, where Sirius briefly informed him that he was in contact with vampires in Norway. He mentioned that the security of owl mail couldn¡¯t be guaranteed, so he didn¡¯t provide much detail, only assuring Evan that he would continue to stay in touch once things settled down.

    Sure enough, in the letter Harry received, Sirius had only one sentence on it: <i>all is well, keep in touch</i>.

    If it weren¡¯t for the signature ¡°Snuffles¡±, Sirius¡¯s alias when he was lurking in Hogwarts the previous semester, nobody would know what it meant.

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be writing to us, it¡¯s too risky,¡± said Hermione, studying the note carefully.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, no one can get secret information from this letter!¡± said Harry hurriedly. ¡°What do you think Sirius means? How are things going for him in Norway?¡±

    ¡°Since he can write to us, it probably goes well!¡± said Evan. ording to their previous agreement, this meant that he had made progress recently, but as Sirius couldn¡¯t write those things down and mail them over, what would he do?With Evan¡¯s understanding of him, he wouldn¡¯t have written such a letter unless he had other ns for action.

    After all, less contact was better, and no news was good news.

    Sirius wouldn¡¯t be unaware of this fact, those vampires¡­

    The group discussed for a while until Cho Chang came over to greet them. She seemed to want to inquire about Cedric.

    Ever since Harry revealed a few days ago that Cedric had be a vampire, the news spread throughout the school.

    And up until now, it was still the hottest topic. Everyone wanted to hear more information from Harry.

    As Cedric¡¯s girlfriend, Cho¡¯s desire seemed even more urgent, and she had other thoughts¡­

    ¡°Hello, Evan; hello, Harry, um¡­¡± said Cho, as if she had finally mustered up her courage.

    ¡°Hi,¡± said Harry, looking at Cho in surprise, feeling his face grow hot.

    Cho Chang was alone, which was most unusual.

    It was known that she was almost always surrounded by a gang of giggling girls; Harry remembered the agony of trying to get her by herself to ask her to the Yule Ball.

    ¡°Hello, Cho!¡± said Evan softly, ¡°How was your summer?¡±

    This was the first time he had seen her since the start of the school year. He had been extremely busy these days, even hurried when he came to the Great Hall for meals.

    ¡°it was all right, I¡­¡± She took a deep breath.

    ¡°Wow, is that a Tornados badge?¡± Ron demanded suddenly, pointing at the front of Cho¡¯s robes, to which a sky-blue badge emzoned with a double gold T was pinned. ¡°You don¡¯t support them, do you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± said Cho.

    ¡°Have you always supported them, or just since they started winning the league?¡± said Ron, in an inexplicable, almost usatory tone of voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve supported them since I was six,¡± said Cho coolly. ¡°Anyway ¡­ see you. I have to go to ss now!¡±

    She walked away, and Hermione rounded on Ron angrily.

    ¡°You are so tactless!¡± she muttered.

    ¡°What? I only asked her if¡­¡±

    ¡°What on earth were you attacking her about her Quidditch team for?¡±

    ¡°Attacking? I wasn¡¯t attacking her, I was only¡­¡±

    ¡°Who <i>cares </i>if she supports the Tornados?¡±

    ¡°Oh,e on, half the people you see wearing those badges only bought themst season.¡±

    ¡°But what does it <i>matter</i>?¡±

    ¡°It means they¡¯re not real fans, they¡¯re just jumping on the bandwagon¡­¡± said Ron loudly.

    ¡°ss is about to start, Snape¡¯s Potions ss, we better not bete!¡± said Harry listlessly.

    He bid farewell to Evan and Colin, and made his way to Snape¡¯s dungeon, Hermione and Ron hurriedly followed.

    Harry suddenly realized that between Hermione and Ron he would be lucky ever to have two minutes¡¯ conversation with Cho that he could look back on without wanting to leave the country.

    The heartache that had disappeared because of Evan¡¯s touching actions reappeared¡­

    Harry arrived at Snape¡¯s dungeon ssroom, and the slightly improved mood he had from receiving Sirius¡¯s letter quickly turned sour. The Moonstone essay he had submitted was handed back to him with arge, spiky ck ¡°D¡± scrawled in an upper corner.

    ¡°I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your O.W.L,¡± said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among the students, passing back their homework. ¡°This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination.¡±

    Snape reached the front of the ss and turned to face them.

    ¡°The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week¡¯s essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get D¡¯s.¡±

    He smirked, and Harry quickly slid his Moonstone essay into his bag.

    He felt embarrassed and didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about it. He was probably the only one in the ss to get a ¡®D.¡¯

    Determined not to give Snape an excuse to fail him this lesson, Harry read and reread every line of the instructions on the ckboard at least three times before acting on them.

    His Strengthening Solution was not precisely the clear turquoise shade of Hermione¡¯s but it was at least blue rather than pink, like Neville¡¯s, and he delivered a sk of it to Snape¡¯s desk at the end of the lesson with a feeling of mingled defiance and relief.

    While Harry was concentrating on brewing the potion, Evan, Colin, Ginny, Fred, and George all gathered in the Room of Requirement, where they were assembling the final parts of the Starcatcher, the new broom.

    Evan waved his wand, and the Starcatcher gently vibrated, fitting perfectly together.

    ording to their previous design, the main body of the Starcatcher was much thicker than the mainstream brooms, but longer, streamlined, and exquisitely crafted. It had been polished with a diamond-like substance, shimmering with a sleek ck radiance, exuding an indomitable aura.

    They meticulously selected every twig at the tail of the broomstick, following the design of the Starcatcher.

    Only the best materials were used to achieve perfection. In terms of core technology such as speed, bnce, uracy, and responsiveness, Evan abandoned traditional Spellcraft and opted for Alchemy. This made the magic on the broomstick more powerful, effective, and longsting.

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 Chapter 950: Ginnys Performance

    Chapter 950: Ginny''s Performance

    The Starcatcher represented the highest level of craftsmanship of the current brooms. Although the speed was slightly inferior to the Firebolt¡¯s, it was stillparable to thetest Nimbus series. Its thickness, size, stability and durability were unmatched by the long and slender handle of the Firebolt.

    The feeling it brought was also different. Evan was confident that the Starcatcher could definitely exhrate the rider, igniting every cell in their body.

    It might not be suitable for Seekers, but it was the best broom for Beaters and Keepers who often engaged in physical collisions.

    The special invisible seat cushion design and the magic applied by Evan on it ensured that yers could perform various difficult postures and still sit firmly on the broom without falling off or losing control.

    The second braking engine allowed the Starcatcher to suddenly elerate in a short period, reaching unimaginable speeds. Its design was thicker,rger, and more solid than mainstream brooms, encouraging yers to engage in physical collisions, resembling a falling meteor.

    The glossy ck surface throughout the body gave the Starcatcher a metallic texture, providing a strong sensory stimtion and visual impact.

    With such a broom, even the pickiest person would not find any issues here.

    Although the design concept was different from the mainstream, it could better reflect its special features and uniqueness.

    Considering that they personally made it from scratch, it held even more special meaning.¡°This broom is simply amazing!¡± said Fred. ¡°It¡¯s even better than I imagined.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unparalleled, a revolutionary product that can rival the Firebolt,¡± said George. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see it on the market; it¡¯s bound to be a huge sess.¡±

    ¡°I hope so!¡± Evan carefully observed the Starcatcher, trying to find areas for further improvement but found none.

    ¡°What are we waiting for?¡± said Ginny, holding the broom in her hand, ¡°Don¡¯t stand here stupidly, I can¡¯t wait to try it out. Remember, you promised to let me test it first¡­¡±

    They took the Starcatcher and came to the Training Grounds outside the castle, Fred and George didn¡¯t even attend Professor Flitwick¡¯s Charms ss. With the help of their Skiving Snackboxes, they managed to skive off the lesson.

    Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ginny sat on the broom and slowly ascended¡­

    On the Training Grounds, Madam Hooch was giving riding lessons to the first-years. Many of them were experiencing a broom for the first time, but that didn¡¯t stop them from knowing that the best broom out there was the Firebolt, and Harry had one in hand.

    The first-years relished talking about it,bining the Firebolt with Harry¡¯s past exploits.

    If anyone was willing to ask, Madam Hooch was more than willing to provide the first-year students with information about the Firebolt.

    ¡°Well, children, although I don¡¯t mind continuing to talk about the Firebolt, let¡¯s not forget what we¡¯re supposed to do in this ss,¡± said Madam Hooch. ¡°Everyone stand by a broomstick now. Come on, hurry up.¡±

    The first-years returned to their brooms, which were all shared by the school.

    Most of these brooms were worn out and old, with some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles.

    ¡°Stick out your right hand over your broom,¡± called Madam Hooch at the front, ¡°and say ¡®Up!¡¯¡±

    A few minutester, all the first-years were all trembling as they floated a few feet above the ground, each one excited and yet disying a hint of fear on their faces. Several pure-blood young wizards showed off, making their brooms soar higher.

    Just then, a ck broom swiftly flew above their heads, astonishingly fast. Everyone looked up in surprise and saw a beautifully crafted broom they had never seen before, sparkling with a dazzling ck radiance under the sunlight. The graceful girl on the broom continuously performed difficult maneuvers.

    Amidst the awe of the crowd, the broom flew at a 360-degree angle in the sky, spinning rapidly, ascending, and diving¡­

    Everyone was stunned, holding their breath and watching the girl on the broom.

    They had never seen such advanced flying skills, something even professional Quidditch yers couldn¡¯t achieve. After seeing her spin several times in mid-air, she suddenly elerated and shot straight towards the clouds.

    ¡°Goodness, how can a broom be this fast!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s faster than a Firebolt, like the wind!¡±

    ¡°Who is that girl, and how did she do it?!¡±

    ¡°Professor, what model is that ck, thick broom?¡±

    Madam Hooch didn¡¯t know how to answer; she had never seen such a broom before.

    In fact, even she was shocked and hadn¡¯t fully reacted yet. She had just witnessed Ginny performing a dreamlike flight on this broom she had never seen before. She knew Ginny flew well, but she never expected her to be this incredible.

    Ginny¡¯s current performance was simply genius-level, something only top Quidditch yers could achieve.

    But what surprised her even more was the astonishing speed unleashed by the ck broom beneath Ginny. It could easily rival the maximum speed of a Firebolt. How was this possible?

    Ginny activated the speed enhancement mechanism, feeling as if she had left her own self behind. Because of her excitement, her heart suddenly came to a standstill. An invisible magic barrier formed around the broom, making her feel no vibration or disturbance from the air currents while riding the Starcatcher.

    This gave her an unreal, dreamlike sensation, but the shouts and cheers from the crowd below were clearly audible.

    Ginny continued to ascend, suddenly deciding to try the Wronski Feint. Ever since she saw this Quidditch move at the Quidditch World Cupst year, she had wanted to give it a try. However, shecked confidence in her own skills. After all, the Wronski Feint was imed to be achievable only by the best Seekers, requiring exceptional flying skills and mastery of the broom. Only a few people in the world could do it.

    ¡°With this broom, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem!¡± Ginny looked down at the ck Starcatcher, determined.

    After she passed through the clouds, she turned around and began descending. The speed was truly incredible, as if she had jumped out of a ne without a parachute.

    There was another burst of exmation below, and everyone was looking at Ginny.

    ¡°Ginny has gone mad! What is she doing?!¡±

    ¡°Has she lost control?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the Wronski Feint!¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t make it¡­¡±

    ¡°No, she will! Look, oh my goodness!¡±

    They saw Ginny plummeting from the clouds, streaking across the sky like a shooting star. As she neared the ground, she gently lifted the Starcatcher, creating a beautiful arc in front of everyone, leaving behind only a ck shadow¡­

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1170 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 951: Reserve Players

    Chapter 951: Reserve yers

    Amid a burst of apuse and cheers, Ginny controlled the broom tond.

    Her face was rosy, she was panting quickly, filled with excitement and exhration. The performance of the Starcatcher exceeded her expectations. With just a slight touch or even the mere thought of turning, it responded as if obeying her mind rather than her tight grip.

    She had ridden Harry¡¯s Firebolt before, but she felt that this broomstick¡¯s responsiveness was even more agile than that of the Firebolt, with incredibly smooth movements, exceptional eleration, and precise turns. It showcased the qualities that only the finest brooms possessed.

    Not to mention, the Starcatcher had an unparalleled sense of solidity and innovative design features, such as the secondary eleration.

    This was an epoch-making breakthrough. After riding the Starcatcher, the satisfaction brought by the previous brooms would be greatly reduced.

    As expected, the first appearance of the Starcatcher had achieved astounding results.

    Everyone was immersed in Ginny¡¯s performance. Madam Hooch and all the first-year students surrounded her, asking about the model of this broom. When they learned that it was made solely by Evan and his team, a burst of astonishment erupted from the crowd.

    It was not a newly purchased product; it was a self-made broom. How was that possible?!

    Ginny¡¯s performance just now was really amazing. In everyone¡¯s eyes, this broomstick¡¯s performance could only be matched by the Firebolt. The fact that the young wizards and witches of Hogwarts could create a broomstick on par with the Firebolt was somewhat intimidating.If they hadn¡¯t seen it with their own eyes, nobody would believe it¡­

    But since it happened to be rted to Evan, nothing seemed impossible. The first-year students would soone to realize this.

    Through this incident, they would also further understand Evan.

    In short, the performance of the Starcatcher was satisfactory. Under the admiring and worshipful gazes of the first-years, Evan, Colin, Fred and George all took turns test flying it. Their flights might not have been as dazzling as Ginny¡¯s, but they were exciting enough.

    Especially after Madam Hooch¡¯s test flight and her highly professional evaluation, the momentum of the Starcatcher reached its peak.

    The students gathered around, all whispering excitedly, everyone staring at the broom.

    The Starcatcher captured everyone¡¯s attention, bing the second broom to receive such an honor after the Firebolt.

    After Evan allowed the first-year students to use the Starcatcher for a test flight, this flying lesson turned into an exclusive exhibition of the broom.

    The students formed a line, following Madam Hooch¡¯s lead, and they stepped forward one by one¡­

    Everyone was extremely cautious, as if the Starcatcher were made of ss.

    Evan really wanted to tell them that there was no need to be so careful. The broom¡¯s structure was not unnecessarily thickened or erged; even if it fell from the sky, the protective Charms on the Starcatcher would be activated, ensuring the safety of the rider and the broom itself.

    This was another aspect that set the Starcatcher apart from traditional brooms, focusing on the protection of the rider¡¯s body.

    This allowed driving without worries, without fear of the broom going out of control or encountering idents.

    Everyone was immersed in the great joy and satisfaction brought by the ck broom, and the morning passed quickly.

    In the end, the first-year students were reluctant to part with it, and many of them did not have a chance to ride the Starcatcher.

    Evan told them that they coulde to the field at five o¡¯clock tonight to watch the Gryffindor Quidditch team tryouts.

    By then, the Starcatcher would be officially unveiled.

    Furthermore, after they familiarized themselves with the campus tomorrow, they could continue toe here for test flights. Evan guaranteed that everyone would have a chance to ride the Starcatcher, which made the new students very excited.

    Even until they returned to the Great Hall for lunch, people were still discussing this matter.

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before the entire Hogwarts students would know that Evan and the others had created an unparalleled new broom.

    ¡°Ginny, I met Madam Hooch in the corridor just now, and she rmended you to join the Gryffindor team.¡± Angelina strode over, with a smile on her face. Without waiting for Ginny¡¯s response, she continued, ¡°She told me about your performance, it was incredible, you muste for the tryouts. Oh, and she also mentioned a new broom, what¡¯s it called¡­

    ¡°Starcatcher!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it!¡± said Angelina, looking at Evan. ¡°Evan, Madam Hooch said you made this broom. It can match the Firebolt in performance, surpassing it in agility and solidity. It has many innovative features.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, strictly speaking,pared with mainstream brooms, there are a total of fifty-four innovations,¡± said Evan. ¡°If you count the magic involved in the internal main braking device, sensing device, and bncing device, there might probably be hundreds of innovations involved. In fact, I reconstructed all the coreponents using Alchemy, which enhances the effectiveness of magic¡­¡±

    Angelina blinked, speechless in shock.

    ¡°Anyway, you just have to know it¡¯s a great broom!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be Gryffindor¡¯s trump card. We have the Firebolt and the Starcatcher, and we will definitely win this year¡¯s Quidditch Cup, and we will sessfully defend our title.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Angelina; let me introduce you this broom!¡± said Fred. ¡°I was involved in the whole process of making it!¡±

    Harry and Ron had just walked into the Great Hall when they saw this scene.

    ¡°Ginny, Angelina wants you to participate in the tryouts?¡± said Ron in surprise, his mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m not interested in being a Keeper,¡± said Ginny hesitantly. ¡°I prefer to be a Chaser.¡±

    With her excellent performance in the morning flight, if she participated in the tryouts, there probably wouldn¡¯t be any chance for anyone else¡­

    At least in Evan¡¯s opinion, Ron¡¯s flying was not as good as Ginny¡¯s.

    Obviously, Ron also realized this, opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Many Gryffindor team members will graduate next year, so I think we should recruit a few more reserve yers,¡± said Evan. ¡°Just in case something unexpected happens, we won¡¯t be short of yers for the matches.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Angelina about it,¡± said Harry wearily, his energy drained from the morning Potions ss. ¡°So, the test flights went smoothly this morning?¡±

    ¡°Very smoothly. How was your Potions ss? Snape didn¡¯t give you a hard time, did he?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Not as bad as before. I feel like I¡¯m getting into the groove, and my homework grades weren¡¯t too bad,¡± said Hermione, taking her homework out of her schoolbag. On it was an ¡®O¡¯, the highest grade, ¡°I don¡¯t expect top grades every time because he grades us on O.W.L standards. To be honest, I think it¡¯s very encouraging to pass at this stage, don¡¯t you?¡±

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 Chapter 952: Tryouts

    Chapter 952: Tryouts

    ¡°You¡¯ve written this paper very well, almost covering all the pharmaceutical applications of Moonstone,¡± said Evan, looking at Hermione¡¯s paper. ¡°And these examples you provided are very insightful. Well, Snape gave you a fair grade.¡±

    Harry made a nomittal noise in his throat.

    He had never received fair treatment from Snape, never.

    Just look at his two potions assignments this semester, one scored zero and the other an unprecedented D. It was absolutely terrible.

    ¡°Of course, a lot can happen between now and the exam, we¡¯ve got plenty of time to improve, but the grades we¡¯re getting now are a sort of baseline, aren¡¯t they? Something we can build on¡­¡± Hermione continued.

    ¡°Alright, Hermione, we all know you got an O, and I¡¯m genuinely happy for you!¡± Harry interjected, attempting to change the topic. He didn¡¯t want to dwell on this anymore. Instead, better talk about the performance of the Starcatcher. He had been looking forward to it for a long time!

    ¡°But¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to know what grades we got, ask!¡± Ron snapped irritably. Madam Hooch suggested Ginny to take part in the tryouts for the Quidditch team, which made him worry. He knew Ginny, she was a strongpetitor.

    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder what if he didn¡¯t fly as well as Ginny this afternoon?She could also use the Starcatcher, which meant he had no other advantage!

    Even if he showed all his skills, what if Angelina favored Ginny? What should he do then?

    ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I just wanted to say that we still need to work hard, but grades are really important,¡± said Hermione, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Well, if you two want to tell me your grades¡­¡±

    ¡°I got a P!¡± said Ron,dling soup into his bowl. ¡°Happy?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of,¡± said Fred, holding the Starcatcher. He and George had just returned from parting with Angelina. ¡°Nothing wrong with a good healthy P.¡±

    ¡°But!¡± said Hermione, ¡°doesn¡¯t P stand for¡­¡±

    ¡° ¡®Poor,¡¯ yeah,¡± said George. ¡°Still, better than D, isn¡¯t it? ¡®Dreadful¡¯?¡±

    Harry felt his face grow warm and faked a small coughing fit over his roll.

    When he emerged from this he was sorry to find that Hermione was still in full flow about O.W.L. grades.

    It could be seen that Hermione was very interested in this topic. But he didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and Harry¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to Fred¡¯s Starcatcher, the ck broom that looked fantastic.

    ¡°So top grade¡¯s O for ¡®Outstanding,¡¯ ¡± Hermione was saying, ¡°and then there¡¯s A¡­¡±

    ¡°No, E,¡± Fred corrected her, handing the Starcatcher to the impatient Harry and Ron. ¡°E for ¡®Exceeds Expectations.¡¯ And I¡¯ve always thought George and I should¡¯ve got E in everything, because we exceeded expectations just by turning up for the exams.¡±

    They allughed except Hermione, who plowed on, ¡°So after E, it¡¯s A for ¡®eptable,¡¯ and that¡¯s thest pass grade, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Evan, after reading Hermione¡¯s paper. He had to admit that it was basically impable.

    ¡°Then you get P for ¡®Poor¡¯, and D for ¡®Dreadful.¡¯¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°And then T,¡± George reminded her.

    ¡°T?¡± asked Hermione, looking appalled. ¡°Even lower than a D? What on earth does that stand for?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Troll,¡¯ ¡± said George promptly.

    Harryughed again, though he was not sure whether or not George was joking. He imagined trying to conceal from Hermione that he had received T¡¯s in all his O.W.L.s and immediately resolved to work harder from now on.

    ¡°Well, Hermione, at your level, you don¡¯t have to worry about getting grades below E,¡± said Evan. ¡°Hmm, I think you still need to strengthen your Defense Against the Dark Arts and practical spellcasting. We can focus on that over the weekend.¡±

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve brought this up, I¡¯ve given it some thought recently and it can be scaled up appropriately,¡± said Hermione. ¡°We all now know what a dreadful teacher that woman is, and how we¡¯re not going to learn any defense from her at all. But she got the job and we can¡¯t get rid of her, Fudge¡¯ll make sure of that. So, we need to learn by ourselves now. Teaching everyone magic now takes on a different significance.¡±

    ¡°We should indeed expand the scale and include Colin, Neville, and the others!¡± said Evan, looking at Hermione, ¡°What are your ns? Do you have any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°Some, but I haven¡¯t decided yet!¡± said Hermione, her brown eyes sparkling, just like the passionate fervor she showed for S.P.E.W. and O.W.L.s. ¡°But this thing is really important now, like Harry said in Umbridge¡¯s first lesson, we need to be ready for what¡¯s waiting out there. We need to make sure we really can defend ourselves, especially in the current situation¡­¡±

    Next, Harry, Ron, Colin, Ginny, Fred, and George were discussing the Starcatcher, while Evan and Hermione began to discuss organizing everyone to learn magic with him. It was evident that Hermione had thought a lot about this matter, probably because Umbridge gave her a lot of stimtion. Hermione considered learning magic from Evan and studying Defense Against the Dark Arts to be of utmost importance. Her vision extended beyond just a few individuals within Gryffindor.

    Because of the Gryffindor Quidditch team tryouts at five o¡¯clock, everyone was a little absent-minded throughout the afternoon lessons.

    When thest lesson was over, everyone came out of the castle and onto the school grounds.

    Except for Harry, because he had to go to Umbridge for detention, where he spent seven hours writing ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>,¡¯ and he was not allowed to leave if he couldn¡¯t write the required amount. It was truly agonizing!

    From the window of Umbridge¡¯s office, the Quidditch pitch could be seen in the distance.

    If he was lucky, thought Harry, he might even catch a glimpse of Ron¡¯s tryout. He separated from the others with this thought in mind¡­

    At five o¡¯clock, Evan, Hermione, Ron, Colin, and Ginny arrived promptly at the pitch below.

    The tryouts were about to start, and the captain of the team, Angelina, was trying to maintain order. Nearly half of the Gryffindor students, ranging from first to seventh year, had shown up, and there were also many students from Hufflepuff and Ravenw.

    Because of the Starcatcher, almost all the first years were there, even the Slytherins.

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 Chapter 953: The Process of the Selection Competition

    Chapter 953: The Process of the Selection Competition

    The team members and the students participating in the tryouts gathered in the center of the field, and Evan, Hermione, and Colin went up to the stands.

    ¡°I hope Ron doesn¡¯t get so nervous, he looks like he¡¯s about to faint!¡± said Hermione worriedly, looking at Ron in the crowd. ¡°Angelina not allowing him to use the Starcatcher seems to be affecting him greatly.¡±

    ¡°From a fair standpoint, everyone should indeed use the same type of broom,¡± said Evan.

    On the advice of others, Angelina asked everyone to use the school¡¯s Cleansweep oret brooms, disallowing the use of the Firebolt, the Nimbus, and the Starcatcher.

    After all, that was a selection for a Keeper, not apetition for the best broom.

    The Firebolt and the Starcatcher could be used as Gryffindor¡¯s secret weapons, but ultimately, it was the skill of the driver that mattered.

    On the field, the first years were nervously clutching a selection of the dreadful old school brooms. The students from higher grades were mostly in the same situation, but their stature appeared more robust, especially the sixth and seventh-year students who stood out, towering over the rest, looking coolly intimidating.

    Among all the people involved in the tryouts, Ron was probably the most nervous; he was a delicate shade of green.

    The more people gathered around and the louder the cheers became, the more anxious he appeared.Furthermore, Ginny did not participate in the Keeper tryouts. After careful consideration, she felt that being a Keeper was simply not suitable for her. However, Angelina adopted Evan¡¯s advice and recruited Ginny as a substitute. She didn¡¯t want to miss out on such a talented yer.

    She had to consider the future of the Gryffindor team. It was different when Wood was around. By next year, after she, Alicia, Fred, and George graduated, the team would face reorganization. If they didn¡¯t start training new yers early, the team could potentially decline.

    Therefore, this time, the focus would be on the lower-grade students. Even if they fell slightly short, these substitute yers could train with the team regrly and gain experience by participating in matches if possible.

    Angelina asked all the students participating in the tryouts to fly once around the pitch first to assess their basic skills.

    Some flew quite well, but it was evident that some were just trying to get by, crashing into a mess halfway through.

    There were also many Ravenw and Hufflepuff students mixed in, who were angrily chased away after Angelina found out!

    Among them, Ron¡¯s performance was average, but at least he could sit steadily on his broom.

    Next was the actual tryout. Angelina had all the yers take the pitch and gather around the three tall goalposts. She was still unhappy that Harry couldn¡¯t participate in the tryouts, as she hoped to find a Keeper that would satisfy everyone.

    The Keepers who passed the preliminary test stepped forward one by one. Angelina, Alicia, and Katie formed a triangle, each responsible for an area, and began to throw the Quaffle into the goals. Fred and George, on the other hand, were hitting Bludgers to create interference, simting a match scenario.

    The first one to take the field was a third-year student who performed terribly. Out of ten shots, he only saved one goal and got hit by Bludgers several times. In the end, he was knocked off his broom and had a bleeding nose¡­

    He was followed by Ritchie Coote, the only first-year student who made it to the final selection.

    This boy looked fragile and extremely thin, but he flew quite well and had quick reflexes.

    He was not fit to be a Keeper, but was more suitable to be a Seeker. Whenever a Quaffle approached him, his first instinct was to dodge.

    In the end, he didn¡¯t save any goals, but he managed to avoid being hit by Fred and George¡¯s Bludgers.

    It was quite impressive, and after careful consideration, Angelina decided to recruit him as a substitute yer.

    Simr to him was a third-year girl named Demelza Robins. She also had quick reactions and was agile in her movements, but she never dared to use her body to block the Quaffle. Angelina also recruited her as a substitute yer.

    There was also Geoffrey Hooper, a very strong guy,parable to Gore and Crabbe.

    He saved nine out of ten shots and got hit by a Bludger twice, but he seemed unfazed. This performance was already remarkable, but it would have been even better if he hadn¡¯t been moaning about the weather, the pitch, and the broom. Angelina found him quite annoying but reluctantly kept him on the team.

    However, this guy had the audacity to say that he didn¡¯t want to be a substitute yer and didn¡¯t want to waste his time.

    He wanted to join the team as an official yer. This infuriated Angelina, and she promptly kicked him out.

    The next few students did not show any remarkable performances.

    The best performer of the show was Vicky Frobisher, Evan¡¯s roommate. He flew incredibly well on his old Comet. Under his control, it seemed to unleash the speed of a Firebolt. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, he perfectly dodged all the Bludgers and blocked all ten Quaffles. (<i>T.N: I said before that Vicky was in fact a girl, but that was here a mistake from the author.</i>)

    His performance was impable, and even Wood wouldn¡¯t have done better if he were here.

    Evan couldn¡¯t find any reason not to choose him as the Keeper, and everyone else agreed. Angelina even announced on the spot that he would be the team¡¯s Keeper.

    But this guy had the nerve to say that he didn¡¯t have time. He only wanted to participate in matches and not team training.

    Evan really knew Vicky very well. He was involved in all sorts of societies and had the names of all the girls in the school. He practically knew them all, went on dates every day with different girls, and even introduced girlfriends to his roommates¡­.

    If there was a time conflict, he would certainly put Quidditch on the back burner, and would not budge.

    This was uneptable to Angelina. What good was a yer who couldn¡¯t participate in team practices, even if their performance was outstanding?

    In fact, so did his sister, Vinnie Frobisher. She was a cute third-year girl with short hair and perfect flying skills. However, her mind was not on Quidditch at all, but all kinds of messy social activities.

    She didn¡¯t have so many boyfriends, but she had set up a ¡°Charm Club¡± and put Charms first.

    Colin told Evan and Hermione that the uncle of the Frobisher siblings was a professional Quidditch yer and the Seeker of the Caerphilly Catapults Team. He had trained both of them in Quidditch since they were young, which was the main reason for their exceptional performances.

    Compared with Geoffrey Hooper and the Frobisher siblings, Ron¡¯s performance was much worse.

    He saved only seven out of ten shots, and he wasn¡¯t hit by any Bludgers. However, Evan couldn¡¯t be sure if that was because Fred and George were showing mercy. Angelina hesitated for a long time before announcing that he would be the team¡¯s Keeper.

    In her words, Ron¡¯s performance was not the best, but after some training, there should be no problem.

    Besides, he was Fred and George¡¯s younger brother and Harry¡¯s friend, which was another factor that had to be considered¡­

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 Chapter 954: Scars and Omens

    Chapter 954: Scars and Omens

    While the Tryouts on the pitch were going on, Harry was still in Umbridge¡¯s office for thest time, and he kept writing ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯ on the parchment, hoping that this would be thest time he would be given detention by that woman.

    Umbridge had just informed him that she had reordered a new ck quill, which would be delivered next week.

    The underlying implication of her statement was that if Harry made another mistake, it wouldn¡¯t be as simple as writing sentences. She would not hesitate to subject him to the same bloody punishment as before. But Harry didn¡¯t care. He had made up his mind not to tell lies because of threats.

    But as Evan had said, there was no point in arguing with her, this woman was hopeless.

    Umbridge was now focusing on inspecting the professors, and had no time to bother with Evan and Harry.

    One week was enough for her to get a general idea of ??the situation, and she was a little disappointed that, except for the castle caretaker Filch, no professor had taken the initiative to join her or expressed support for her reforms so far.

    The entire Hogwarts stood as a united front, supporting Dumbledore, seemingly dismissing Umbridge¡¯s inspections and the authority of the Ministry of Magic.

    Umbridge had made up her mind to drive away one professor to establish her own authority.

    And she had a new n. Lucius Malfoy and some pure-blood wizard families had voluntarily contacted her earlier today. They were very interested in her role as a High Inquisitor and hoped she could do something to drive out Dumbledore.Although she had no supporters in this castle, her power behind the scenes surpassed that of the Wizarding School.

    If this were a power struggle, she was confident in achieving the final victory.

    Harry saw that Umbridge was not paying attention to him, so he took a risk and nced through the window.

    He had a distant view of the Gryffindor Quidditch team soaring up and down the pitch, while half a dozen ck figures stood at the foot of the three high goalposts, apparently awaiting their turn to Keep.

    It was impossible to tell which one was Ron at this distance.

    Harry wrote a few more lines, and pretended to shift himself closer to the table. He could hear the scratching of Umbridge¡¯s quill.

    He chanced another nce out of the window. Whoever was defending the goalposts now was doing a very poor job indeed.

    Katie Bell scored twice in the few seconds Harry dared watch.

    He lowered his gaze, looked at the long parchment; of which he had written less than one-fifth, and hoped very much that the Keeper wasn¡¯t Ron.

    And so, Harry continued to write ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯ while asionally stealing nces outside for a few seconds.

    He saw a Keeper save all the balls, and there was a cheer erupting from the pitch, which could be heard faintly from the castle, and Harry wasn¡¯t sure if it was Ron, because the guy was performing exceptionally well!

    Based on his understanding of helping Ron in training these days, it was a bit difficult for Ron to do this.

    Just like that, the sky was darkening, Harry couldn¡¯t see anything, and his parchment was full of ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯, and his wrist was so sore that he didn¡¯t have the strength to write any more.

    ¡°Mr. Potter, I hope you can remember this sentence. If there is a next time, it will not be as simple!¡± said Umbridge¡¯s soft voice, as she walked over, and took the parchment from Harry.

    Their hands, Harry¡¯s and her short be-ringed fingers, touched briefly, and pain seared across the scar on his forehead.

    At the same time, he had a most peculiar sensation somewhere around his midriff.

    Harry leapt to his feet and stared straight at her.

    She looked back at him, a smile stretching her wide, ck mouth.

    ¡°Well, Mr. Potter, you may go!¡± said Umbridge, not noticing anything unusual about Harry.

    Harry caught up his schoolbag and left the room, his heart beating loud and fast.

    His scar hadn¡¯t hurt for a long time, and Evan said that his scar pain could only be rted to Voldemort.

    Some terrible thoughts popped into Harry¡¯s mind.

    <i>Stay calm,</i> he told himself as he sprinted up the stairs. <i>Stay calm, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean what you think it means</i>¡­

    Anyway, he had to talk to Evan, to let him know about this piece of information.

    ¡°<i>Mimbulus mimbletonia</i>!¡± Harry gasped at the Fat Lady, who swung forward once more.

    He froze for a moment, and a roar of sound greeted him.

    Ron came running toward him, beaming all over his face and slopping butterbeer down his front from the goblet he was clutching.

    ¡°Harry, I did it, I¡¯m in, I¡¯m Keeper!¡±said Ron, almost crying.

    ¡°What? Oh ¡­ brilliant!¡± said Harry, trying to smile naturally, while his heart continued to race.

    ¡°Have a butterbeer.¡± Ron pressed a bottle onto him, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Evan?¡± Harry asked urgently.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s there, with Hermione,¡± said Ron, looking a little overwhelmed, not paying attention to Harry¡¯s tone, ¡°I was selected, and Evan¡¯s Starcatcher was a sess. Gryffindor¡¯s having a double celebration today. We¡¯re definitely going to win the Quidditch Cup this year.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll definitely win.¡± Harry looked up and saw Evan and Hermione sitting on the sofa by the fire, a piece of parchment popped out of Evan¡¯s arms, and he was writing something quickly on it with his head down, while Hermione was dozing next to him, her drink tipping precariously in her hand.

    Harry wanted to go over, but he and Ron were intercepted by Lavender and a group of girls, all of them ecstatic.

    ¡°Harry, you¡¯re back!¡± Angelina and Katie walked over.¡±We have a new Keeper now.¡±

    ¡°Come here, Ron, and see if Oliver¡¯s old robes fit you. He gave them to me when he graduated and I just dug them out,¡± said Katie Bell with a smile. ¡°We can take off his name and put yours on instead. He¡¯ll certainly agree, and we can write him a letter about it.¡±

    As Ron moved away, Angelina came striding up to Harry.

    ¡°Sorry I was a bit short with you earlier, Potter,¡± she said abruptly, taking a few sips of butterbeer. ¡°It¡¯s stressful, this managingrk, you know, I¡¯m starting to think I was a bit hard on Wood sometimes.¡±

    She was watching Ron over the rim of her goblet with a slight frown on her face.

    ¡°Look, I know he¡¯s your best mate, but he¡¯s not fabulous,¡± she said bluntly. ¡°I think with a bit of training he¡¯ll be all right, though. Hees from a family of good Quidditch yers. I¡¯m banking on him turning out to have a bit more talent than he showed today, to be honest. The Frobishers and Geoffrey Hooper all flew better this evening, but Hooper¡¯s a real whiner, he¡¯s always moaning about something or other, and Vicky and Vinnie involved in all sorts of societies, they admitted themselves that they couldn¡¯t attend training. Anyway, we¡¯re having a practice session at two o¡¯clock tomorrow, so just make sure you¡¯re there this time, and bring your Firebolt. You can also test Evan¡¯s Starcatcher andpare it to the Firebolt. Oh, and I have one more favor to ask. Please help Ron as much as you can, okay?¡±

    Harry nodded and Angelina strolled back to Alicia Spi.

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 Chapter 955: Water

    Chapter 955: Water

    Harry walked to Evan¡¯s side; all the noisy sounds around him disappeared, and suddenly became very quiet. Despite the festive atmosphere in the Gryffindormon room, there was no sound around Evan; it was as quiet as a library.

    The warm fire was burning quietly, and Hermione leaned gently against Evan¡¯s shoulder. He looked up and saw Harry approaching.

    The scene in front of him was in stark contrast to the carnival party not far away, like two different worlds.

    ¡°I¡¯ve cast a Quietening Charm, so no one can disturb this ce. Hermione is tired because of the O.W.L. exams. She¡¯s been staying upte studying and reading books, which is quite draining. I thought she could use a little more sleep,¡± Evan exined to Harry. His face slightly reddened in the light of the fire.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Harry nodded absently, a little ashamed.

    Compared to Hermione, he had spent too little time and effort on his homework.

    Earlier this morning, he had sworn to study hard, but he had already forgotten about it. However, there were more important things now.

    ¡°Evan, I was just ¡­¡± Harry stopped because Hermione woke up suddenly.

    ¡°Harry, you¡¯re back,¡± she said sleepily, stretched herself, and rubbed her eyes vigorously. ¡°I must be too tired, I fell asleep without realizing it. Oh, sorry, Evan, I didn¡¯t notice¡­¡±Only then did Hermione notice that there was a damp spot on Evan¡¯s shoulder, right where she had leaned.

    Normally, if that spot was wet, it couldn¡¯t be anything other than her saliva.

    Hermione looked at Evan apologetically, a bit confused but mostly embarrassed. It was already embarrassing enough to sleep on his shoulder in front of so many people, and now she had made it wet.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It would be better for you to get some sleep earlier these days,¡± said Evan calmly, without any trace of concern.

    As long as it was Hermione¡¯s water, whether it was saliva, tears or anything else, he didn¡¯t mind. Besides, Evan found that Hermione looked so cute when she was asleep, and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little moved. She wasn¡¯t leaning on his shoulders at first, but he had gently guided her to do so, leading to their current situation¡­

    So, the fact that his shoulder got wet had nothing to do with Hermione; it was all Evan¡¯s doing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be more careful,¡± Hermione nodded, wondering why she had suddenly drooled.

    She had never done that before. She thought it would be best to change the subject. After all, Harry was still there, watching. From Evan¡¯s expression, she sensed that there might be some indescribable meaning behind it. It would be fine if they were alone, but with others around¡­

    ¡°Ron became Gryffindor¡¯s Keeper! He¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t he? He had always dreamed of being a Gryffindor yer, and now his wish has finallye true!¡± said Hermione, looking at Ron dancing in his Wood¡¯s robes in the distance.

    ¡°Yeah, really great,¡± said Harry hurriedly, not paying attention to the ambiguity between Evan and Hermione or the ongoing celebration. If he didn¡¯t talk to someone about what had just happened, he would burst. ¡°Listen, you two, I was just up in Umbridge¡¯s office, and she touched my arm¡­¡±

    Evan and Hermione listened closely to Harry¡¯s words. This was indeed an interesting piece of information.

    Harry¡¯s scar was only rted to Voldemort, but when he touched Umbridge, it hurt.

    Obviously, if it wasn¡¯t a coincidence, it would mean that Umbridge and Voldemort were somehow connected.

    ¡°You mean, you touched her, and the scar started hurting?¡± Evan asked, frowning.

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. The scar started hurting badly the moment I touched her. I¡¯ve felt this sensation before,¡± said Harry. ¡°It happened back in my first year when I met Quirrell. Evan, you mentioned that this scar is rted to Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan replied, ¡°That¡¯s a very special magic.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re worried that Voldemort¡¯s controlling her like he controlled Quirrell back then?¡± said Hermione slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Harry, dropping his voice.

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± said Hermione, though she sounded unconvinced. ¡°But I don¡¯t think Voldemort can be possessing her the way he possessed Quirrell, I mean, he¡¯s properly alive again now, isn¡¯t he, he¡¯s got his own body, he wouldn¡¯t need to share someone else¡¯s. He could have Umbridge under the Imperius Curse, I suppose ¡­¡±

    ¡°Umbridge is acting of her own ord,¡± said Evan simply.

    So far, Umbridge had been doing a ¡®good¡¯ job at Hogwarts. In less than a week, she had thrown the school into chaos. Voldemort didn¡¯t need to use the Imperius Curse to control her. It would be too easy to be discovered.

    It was possible that she hade into contact with Voldemort, leaving traces of his magic on her.

    Although Evan felt this possibility was also unlikely, the signal was too vague, and anything was possible.

    Harry watched Fred, George, and Lee Jordan juggling empty butterbeer bottles, remaining silent for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s also very likely to be a coincidence, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hermione analyzed. ¡°Think about it, Harry,st year your scar hurt when nobody was touching you, and didn¡¯t Dumbledore say it had to do with what You-Know-Who was feeling at the time?¡±

    ¡°When his emotions are intensely fluctuating, the connection between him and Harry will strengthen,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, I mean, maybe this hasn¡¯t got anything to do with Umbridge at all, maybe it¡¯s just coincidence it happened while you were with her?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but she¡¯s evil,¡± said Harry tly, ¡°Twisted!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s horrible, yes, but¡­¡± Hermione paused. ¡°Harry, I think you ought to tell Dumbledore your scar hurt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not bothering him with this. Like you both just said, it¡¯s not a big deal. Since he came back, it¡¯s been hurting on and off all summer ¡­ it was just a bit worse tonight, that¡¯s all¡­¡±

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m sure Dumbledore would want to be bothered by this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Harry blurted out before he could stop himself, ¡°that¡¯s the only bit of me Dumbledore cares about, isn¡¯t it, my scar?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, it¡¯s not true!¡±

    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to tell the Headmaster about this until we¡¯re certain,¡± Evan interjected. ¡°But just to be safe, I think we should double-check by having Harry touch Umbridge again.¡±

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 Chapter 956: Quidditch Training

    Chapter 956: Quidditch Training

    Harry was now like a radar; able to sensitively detect people who had had contact with Voldemort.

    If Umbridge was indeed in cahoots with Voldemort, then something else would have to be done.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Bump into her in the corridor, or make a surprise attack, or get detention by her again.¡±

    The key to this matter was not to arouse Umbridge¡¯s suspicion, and it was best not to be noticed by others.

    The easiest way was to follow Umbridge, wait for a secluded corner with no one around, and hit her with a Stunning Spell, and then they could do whatever they wanted!

    At that time, Harry could touch Umbridge as much as he wanted, no matter where he touched.

    Or it would be better to wait until Umbridge went to inspect the Care of Magical Creatures ss or Herbology ss, drag her into the dark and deserted Forbidden Forest, and no one would find out what they did to Umbridge.

    It would be nice to take advantage of this opportunity to eliminate her, since no one would find out anyway, but it would be too evil to do so.Moreover, Umbridge was insignificant and could be dealt with anytime.

    The key was Fudge and the Ministry of Magic behind her. If something unexpected happened to her at Hogwarts, Fudge would have an excuse to me Dumbledore and interfere with Hogwarts!

    He didn¡¯t even need to find whoever hurt Umbridge since Dumbledore would be taken as responsible for whatever happened anyway.

    As long as Umbridge was at Hogwarts, not only could she not be touched, but she must be protected.

    Therefore, it was not advisable to directly attack Umbridge beforepletely turning against her. Harry could only pretend to identally bump into her; and this matter needed to be carefully nned, waiting for the right opportunity without raising her suspicion.

    The next day was the first Saturday of the term.

    For the whole day, Evan didn¡¯t see Umbridge. She stayed in her room and no one knew what she was doing.

    Evan and Hermione organized the first-year students to familiarize themselves with the campus as nned, while Harry and Ron stayed in themon room to write the essay for Sprout on Self-Fertilizing Shrubs and Professor McGonagall¡¯s Inanimatus Conjurus.

    One week was enough for first-year students to have a preliminary understanding of Hogwarts.

    Affected by the environment, barriers between them started to appear. For example, the students of Slytherin obviously had inexplicable hostility towards the students of Gryffindor, but they did not refuse Evan¡¯s call and invitation; they all came.

    Filial children are always innocent and do not have deep-rooted hatred. After getting to know one another, they also let go of their animosity.

    Unity is based on understanding. If Harry and Malfoy hadmunicated more and had more contact initially, their differences might not have been so great, and they wouldn¡¯t end up fighting every time they saw each other.

    Now that conflicts had arisen, it was difficult to resolve them, especially for older students, but it was easier for new students.

    As long as there was someone with enough influence and prestige to stop them and provide a tform for interaction, it could be done.

    Evan was qualified for that, and he was doing very well.

    He and Hermione took a group of people around the school, and went to the kitchens to see the house-elves. Hermione took the opportunity to promote the theory of Elfish Welfare. It was unclear how many people actually absorbed her message, but everyone had a great time.

    The house-elves were also extremely excited, trembling with joy. They seemed to have never seen so many peoplee to the kitchen at once, constantly serving various delicious foods to everyone.

    Immediately afterwards, Evan took everyone to the pitch to try riding the Starcatcher, which was the most anticipated activity for everyone.

    Undoubtedly, this event was a great sess. By the time they had lunch, rareughter and joy filled the Great Hall. The first-years had be familiar with each other, and many of them made friends in other Houses.

    During lunch, Katie sat next to the Ravenw table and had a lively conversation with a little girl.

    Regarding what Evan did, not everyone agreed. Mainly the senior Slytherin students warned the new students not to mingle with ¡®Mudbloods¡¯ and not to forget the honor of purebloods and simr nonsense. However, they didn¡¯t have the courage to interfere with Evan.

    ording to Hermione¡¯s n, she went to the library in the afternoon toplete her homework and review what she had learned this week.

    Harry and Ron weren¡¯t going to do that, they were going to practice Quidditch on the pitch.

    The two of them had been practicing all morning instead of finishing their homework as nned.

    Hermione warned them that if they didn¡¯t put in more effort, they would definitely fail all their O.W.L.s.

    But the two of them didn¡¯t take this kind of thing to heart. They thought they could do their homeworkter in the evening..

    In Ron¡¯s words, ¡®we¡¯ve still got tomorrow, and Hermione gets too worked up about work¡ª that¡¯s her trouble¡¯.

    ¡°Hmph, you two have no sense of responsibility at all. Anyway, I¡¯m going to the library, so don¡¯t expect me to lend you my assignments to copy this time!¡± said Hermione, grabbing her bag and leaving the Great Hall.

    ¡°Do you think she meant it when she said we weren¡¯t copying from her?¡± said Ron, in a slightly anxious tone.

    ¡°Not sure, but Hermione might be serious this time. What she¡¯s doing is also for your own good,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Well, we still have time, don¡¯t we? Besides, Hermione just talks every time,¡± said Harry, also a bit anxious. ¡°Still, this is important too, we¡¯ve got to practice if we want to stay on the Quidditch team.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right,¡± said Ron in a heartened tone. ¡°And we have got plenty of time to do it all.¡±

    So, in this self-deluding state, they left the castle and headed to the Quidditch pitch outside.

    Evan thought for a while, and followed the two of them out.

    Proper exercise was necessary, and he also needed to record the flight data of the Starcatcher, and see what needed to be improved before the official version was released.

    The Quidditch teams of the four Houses were all preparing for the first training of this semester today, and by the way, they could see the level of the new recruits.

    Evan, Harry, and Ron came very early, and there was no one else on the pitch.

    They collected balls from the cupboard in the changing room and set to work, Ron guarding the three tall goalposts on the Starcatcher, Harry ying Chaser on his Firebolt and trying to get the Quaffle past Ron. Evan also rode his own Nimbus and cooperated with Harry to attack, observing Ron¡¯s reactions and the performance of the Starcatcher.

    Ron¡¯s performance was quite good, even better than yesterday¡¯s performance in the tryouts.

    Ron blocked three-quarters of the goals they attempted to put past him and yed better the longer they practiced.

    By the end, he could save almost every shot, wlessly and perfectly.

    But when the official training session started, everything took a turn for the worse.

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 Chapter 957: A disastrous training session

    Chapter 957: A disastrous training session

    Before long, everyone from the team came to the pitch, including the substitutes, ready to start the first training session.

    ¡°How do you feel, Ron?¡± said George, winking at him.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Ron, controlling his broom as it descended. ¡°The Starcatcher¡¯s response is really good!¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a great broom, you should have seen Ginny¡¯s performance yesterday morning.¡±

    ¡°Ready to show us all up, Ickle Prefect?¡± said Fred, a slightly malicious grin on his face.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Ron, stony-faced.

    ¡°Okay, everyone,¡± said Angelina, waving her hands vigorously. ¡°Hurry up and change into your robes. We must make good use of our time. Alicia and Fred, if you can just bring the ball crate out for us. Oh, and the substitute yers should join in the practice too.¡±

    Gryffindor¡¯s substitute yers consisted of three individuals: Ginny, third-year Demelza Robins, and first-year Ritchie Coote.

    All three of them had small and fragile-looking bodies.Especially Ritchie, this boy blushed even when talking to others.

    It was conceivable that after Angelina and the others graduated next year, Gryffindor¡¯s style wouldpletely shift towards agility and skill. Since they could not engage in direct confrontation, tactics were particrly important, which had always been the strength of the Ravenw team.

    From a rational perspective, Evan had to admit that Gryffindor¡¯s future looked worrying.

    Especially when Evan saw the Slytherin Quidditch team members and assorted hangers-oning onto the field, he felt a stark contrast. Each one of their yers was tall and sturdy, with physicality that could easily overpower Gryffindor.

    They noticed Evan sitting alone on the empty stands and gestured and discussed a few words among themselves but didn¡¯te over.

    Although they didn¡¯t like him, provoking the Head Boy would be an irrational act.

    Evan didn¡¯t pay them any attention either. He smiled and waved at Astoria Greengrass in the crowd.

    The girl smiled back at him, nodded slightly, but turned around quickly. Evan was now Slytherin¡¯s number one public enemy. At least on the surface, the entire Slytherin students tried not to contact him

    After a while, the Hufflepuff team also came to the pitch, and they all came to say hello to Evan.

    This team was known for its stable and cohesive style of y. They would y until thest second and were adept at endurance battles. They had once been strong contenders for the Quidditch Cup, but to be honest, they suffered a heavy blow after their captain Cedric left. They were emotionally low and hadn¡¯t recovered until now. They even believed they didn¡¯t stand a chance this year.

    The Hufflepuff team recruited a new Seeker and a new Chaser this year, respectively, fourth-year Arnot Rosek and first-year Alecia Esther, who was the first student to officially join the Quidditch team in her first year after Harry. (<i>T.N. These two names are to be found nowhere in Harry Potter. Maybe just characters created by the author</i>)

    Alecia was a girl with long blond hair. Her parents were both Muggles. Beforeing to Hogwarts, she had never been exposed to brooms and Quidditch. However, Evan remembered that when she took a test flight on the Starcatcher in the morning, she flew very well.

    She was very talented in this, just like Harry back then, her performance was amazing, and Professor Sprout specially approved her to join the team.

    Of course, she was just as shy as other first-year students and didn¡¯t dare to talk to Evan.

    The Hufflepuff team found her a Cleansweep Ten. This old broom was a model from three years ago. It was slow, but it was also the average level of the Hufflepuff team. For an ordinary student, it was already their limit! (<i>T.N. there¡¯s no Cleansweep Ten In the original story</i>)

    About five minutester, the Gryffindor yers came out in their robes.

    It was the first time for Ron to wear his own team robes. They fitted him well considering they had been Oliver Wood¡¯s, who was rather broader in the shoulder. Ron seemed somewhat surprised when he saw the Slytherin and Hufflepuff teams at the edge of the field.

    There was a storm of catcalls and jeers from the Slytherin crowd.

    They didn¡¯t seem to be in a hurry to conduct their own training, but insteadmented on the Gryffindor yers, focusing on Ron, their voices echoing loudly around the open-air stadium.

    Their purpose was obvious; they wanted to see the performance of the Starcatcher.

    The reputation of this new broom made by Evan had spread almost throughout Hogwarts. People from other Houses were very worried. One Firebolt was deadly enough, and now there was the Starcatcher, which was no less impressive in terms of performance.

    Not to mention skill, Gryffindor could crush their opponents with the Broom itself.

    ¡°These guys are so annoying!¡± said Ginny. As Ron used the Starcatcher, she was using Evan¡¯s Nimbus today.

    ¡°Ignore them,¡± said Harry. ¡°We¡¯ll see who¡¯sughing after we y them!¡±

    ¡°Exactly the attitude I want, Harry. Our goal this year is the championship!¡± said Angelina approvingly, soaring around them with the Quaffle under her arm and slowing to hover on the spot in front of her airborne team. ¡°Okay everyone, we¡¯re going to start with some passes just to warm up, the whole team please, spread out now, let those down there see what we can do!¡±

    The practice started, and Angelina raised the Quaffle with one hand and threw it hard to Fred, who passed to George, who passed to Ginny, who passed to Harry, who passed to Ron, who dropped it.

    There was another burst ofughter from the Slytherins. Ron controlled the Starcatcher and rushed to the ground, trying to catch the Quaffle before it hit the ground. But the broom was too fast, and he seemed unprepared. With a loud bang, he crashed hard onto the ground.

    The Gryffindor team froze, the Slytherins nearly fainted withughter, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinsonughed rough and screamed, The Hufflepuffs also stopped their training and turned to look at Ron.

    Evan covered his head powerless; he never thought that such a thing would happen. Ron hadn¡¯t gotten used to the Starcatcher yet, and starting the second eleration in such a short distance caused the broom to be too fast, so fast that he didn¡¯t even have time to react before he hit the ground.

    Fortunately, the sturdy andrge Starcatcher, unlike other brooms, had built-in protection magic, so Ron was not injured.

    Even so, his face was already red enough to bleed, and his ears were also red.

    He remained silent, and returned to ying height, looking embarrassed.

    Harry wanted tofort Ron, but didn¡¯t know what to say. Crashing onto the ground was not amon mistake.

    He saw Fred and George exchange looks, but uncharacteristically neither of them said anything, for which Harry was grateful.

    ¡°Pass it on, Ron,¡± called Angelina, as though nothing had happened.

    Ron threw the Quaffle to Alicia, who passed to Ritchie, who passed to Harry, Harry passed to George, who passed to Angelina; she reverse passed to Harry, who had not been expecting it, but caught it in the very tips of his fingers and passed it quickly to Ron, who lunged for it and missed by inches.

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 Chapter 958: Training Ends

    Ron dived for the ground again, chasing the Quaffle. It was evident that this time he made a deliberate effort to control the broom¡¯s speed, avoiding crashing into the ground. However, his recovery from the dive was awkward, and he almost slipped off the broom.

    ¡°You can¡¯t control that broom, Weasley?¡± The Slytherins burst intoughter.

    ¡°A Keeper who can¡¯t even catch a ball!¡±

    ¡°Look at him, he looks so foolish. Even a chimpanzee could ride that broom better than him.¡±

    ¡°Come on now, Ron,¡± said Angelina crossly, seemingly surprised by Ron¡¯s performance, ¡°Pay attention. You¡¯re riding the best broom, if you react a bit faster, there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t catch the Quaffle.¡±

    Ron was already nervous enough. The Starcatcher did not help him improve as expected; instead, it added a lot of pressure that nobody had anticipated.

    It would have been hard to say whether Ron¡¯s face or the Quaffle was a deeper scarlet when he returned again to ying height.

    Training continued, and on his third attempt, Ron caught the Quaffle, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

    He seemed to think the same way himself, and he was d he caught the Quaffle this time. Perhaps out of relief he passed it on so enthusiastically that it soared straight through Katie¡¯s outstretched hands and hit her hard in the face.Bang! Even from afar, Evan could hear the impact as he sighed lightly.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± Ron groaned, zooming forward to see whether Katie had been seriously hurt.

    ¡°Get back in position, she¡¯s fine!¡± barked Angelina. ¡°But as you¡¯re passing to a teammate, do try not to knock her off her broom, won¡¯t you? We¡¯ve got Bludgers for that. And don¡¯t aim for the face in the future.¡±

    Katie¡¯s nose was bleeding. Down below, the Slytherins were stamping their feet and jeering,pletely forgetting about their own training. Even the Hufflepuff yers were looking at Ron jokingly, while Fred and George converged on Katie.

    ¡°Here, take this,¡± Fred told her, handing her something small and purple from out of his pocket. ¡°It¡¯ll clear it up in no time.¡±

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s practice something else,¡± called Angelina, somewhat exasperated, ¡°Fred, George, go and get your bats and a Bludger; Ron, get up to the goalposts. Harry, Ginny, Ritchie, Demelza, the four of you y the Quaffle. We¡¯re going to aim for Ron¡¯s goal, obviously. Yes, we won¡¯t practice anything else. Today¡¯s main task is to help Ron adapt¡­¡±

    Ron flew clumsily to the goalposts, and Harry and the twins flew down to get a Bludger, and theynded near Evan.

    ¡°Ron¡¯s making a right pig¡¯s ear of things, isn¡¯t he?¡± muttered George. ¡°It¡¯s quite bad!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just nervous,¡± said Harry. ¡°He was fine when I was practicing with him this morning.¡±

    ¡°He probably hasn¡¯t gotten used to the Starcatcher yet,¡± said Evan, with only a few records on the clipboard in his hand. He had intended to record the performance and various response data of the Starcatcher, but based on Ron¡¯s performance, he felt that more safety features should be added to the broom. Flying and Quidditch were indeed quite dangerous¡­

    ¡°Yeah, well, I hope he hasn¡¯t peaked too soon,¡± said Fred gloomily, ¡°and that he adapts quickly.¡±

    They returned to the air. When Angelina blew her whistle, Fred and George let fly the Bludger.

    Everyone started moving, passing the Quaffle to each other as they flew toward the goalposts.

    The three neers Ginny, Ritchie, and Demelza performed very well, giving full y to their own agile advantages.

    But too soon, Angelina blew the whistle again, and everyone stopped.

    ¡°Stop ¡ª stop ¨C STOP!¡± screamed Angelina. ¡°Ron ¡ª you¡¯re not covering your middle post!¡±

    Evan could see clearly that Ron was hovering in front of the left-hand hoop since the first whistle sounded, staring at the iing yers, leaving the other twopletely unprotected, as if they didn¡¯t exist, and several balls were easily thrown into them.

    ¡°Oh, sorry, I forgot¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Forgot</i>?! You have to keep an eye on the Chasers while constantly shifting!¡± said Angelina. ¡°Either stay in the middle and move when you have to defend a hoop; or circle around all three hoops. You can¡¯t just inexplicably move to the side; that¡¯s how those four goals got past you!¡±

    ¡°Sorry ¡­¡± Ron repeated, his red face shining like a beacon against the bright blue sky.

    ¡°And Katie, can¡¯t you do something about that nosebleed?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just getting worse!¡± said Katie thickly, attempting to stem the flow with her sleeve.

    Hearing her words, Fred looked anxious and was checking his pockets.

    ¡°Go back to your positions, let¡¯s try again,¡± said Angelina weakly.

    In the stands, the Slytherins were so happy that they set up a chant of ¡°<i>Gryffindor are losers</i>, <i>Gryffindor are losers</i>.¡± Angelina took a deep breath and pretended not to hear, but there was a certain rigidity about her seat on the broom nevertheless.

    Ron returned to the hoop in the middle, but it was futile. Several more balls were easily thrown past him.

    This time they had been flying for barely two minutes when Angelina¡¯s whistle sounded.

    Everyone rushed over, including Evan, who flew up to check on Katie. She was Chalk-white and covered in blood, and she was teetering on the broom, and she might fall at any time due to excessive blood loss.

    Poor girl, she should have known not to try anything the twins gave her so easily¡­

    ¡°I have a blood-stopping potion here!¡± said Evan, taking out a small bottle of potion and giving it to Katie, which helped reduce the nosebleed slightly.

    ¡°She needs the hospital wing,¡± said Angelina decisively, ¡°She¡¯s lost too much blood; there¡¯s no way she can continue training.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll take her,¡± said Fred. ¡°She ¡ª er ¡ª might have swallowed a Blood Blisterpod by mistake. Madam Pomfrey might need to know the ingredients to provide the right treatment¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no point continuing with no Beaters and a Chaser gone,¡± said Angelina glumly, as Fred and George zoomed off toward the castle supporting Katie between them. She didn¡¯t have the heart to continue practicing. She waved her hand wearily and said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go and get changed.¡±

    The Slytherins continued to chant as the Gryffindors trailed back into the changing rooms.

    At that moment, the Ravenw team had just arrived at the edge of the pitch¡­

    They hade to observe the Starcatcher¡¯s performance, but to their surprise, the Gryffindor team¡¯s training had ended early.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1182 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 959: Sirius in the Fireplace

    ¡°Oh, you three are back, how was practice?¡± asked Hermione rather coolly half an hourter, with a stack of thick books in front of her as Evan, Harry and Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindormon room.

    ¡°Completely lousy,¡± said Ron in a hollow voice, sinking into a chair, his eyes zed.

    Evan exchanged a nce with Hermione, who seemed to understand something, and her frostiness seemed to melt.

    ¡°Well, it was only your first one,¡± she said consolingly, ¡°it¡¯s bound to take time to¡­¡±

    ¡°Who said it was me who made it lousy?¡± snapped Ron.

    ¡°No one,¡± said Hermione, looking taken aback, ¡°I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°You thought I was bound to be rubbish?¡±

    ¡°No, of course I didn¡¯t! Look, you said it was lousy so I just¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense¡­ I¡¯m going to get started on some homework,¡± said Ron angrily and stomped off to the staircase to the boys¡¯ dormitories and vanished from sight.¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hermione turned to Evan and Harry, ¡°Was he lousy?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry loyally.

    Hermione raised her eyebrows, obviously not convinced, and turned to Evan.

    ¡°He¡¯s just too nervous and needs to get used to it,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Yeah, I suppose he could¡¯ve yed better.¡± Harry muttered, ¡°It was only the first training session¡­¡±

    Ron didn¡¯t show up for dinner.

    Although Ron wasn¡¯t there, Evan, Harry, and Hermione were not bringing up the topic. They all knew that he was too preupied with how badly he had performed at Quidditch practice and he himself was having difficulty in getting the chant of ¡°<i>Gryffindor are losers</i>¡± out of his head.

    On Sunday, Evan taught Harry, Hermione, and Ginny their first magic study since the beginning of the new term. The number of people increased appropriately. Colin, Neville, and first-year Kate also joined in. This time, the main learning was still basic spells.

    Fred and George didn¡¯te, and neither did Ron.

    The spell practicested for only about two hours. After some simple exercises with Stupefy and the Impediment Jinx, it was over.

    Everyone¡¯s minds seemed to be off the top; Harry and the others were still thinking about their homework, and except for Hermione, it seemed like the rest hadn¡¯t finished theirs either. Others spent the day out in the grounds, enjoying what might well be some of thest sunshine that year.

    At lunch, Ron finally emerged from his bedroom. It seemed like the incident had passed, and he appeared back to normal. Perhaps he was just hungry, and there was no need to starve himself over a poor performance in Quidditch training.

    After lunch, Evan and Hermione went for a walk, while Harry and Ron stayed in themon room, buried in their books.

    The Quidditch teams of the other three Houses were still training on the pitch. Evan and Hermione stood and watched for a while, then walked to Hagrid¡¯s cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

    Hagrid hadn¡¯te back yet, and they had no idea where he might be.

    Even now, Hermione still believed that Hagrid¡¯s impulsive decision to bring a giant back was too reckless. He could encounter any dangers on the way.

    Also, they saw the Bowtruckles that Professor Grubbly-nk had brought.

    The Bowtruckles were gathered around a carefully prepared tree, never straying too far. These magical creatures were tree-guardians and usually lived in wand-trees.

    They looked like tiny pixieish creatures made of wood, each with knobbly brown arms and legs, two twiglike fingers at the end of each hand, and a funny, t, barklike face in which a pair of beetle-brown eyes glittered.

    Evan and Hermione yed with the Bowtruckles for a while, and Hermione decided to go back and revise her sketch. She hadn¡¯t drawn well a few body parts.

    In themon room, Harry and Ron curled up by the firece, looking particrly exhausted and worn out.

    ¡°How¡¯s it outside?¡± Harry asked Evan, but his eyes were looking at the blue sky outside the window.

    ¡°The weather is lovely; everyone is ying outside, what about your homework?¡±

    ¡°Well, not much progress, we should¡¯ve tried to do more of it during normal times.¡± Harry sighed, as he was wracking his teeth with Professor Sinistra¡¯s essay about Jupiter¡¯s moons.

    Ron was writing a long parchment on Professor McGonagall¡¯s long essay on the Inanimatus Conjurus spell, and he tried to use the one Harry had alreadypleted as a reference.

    But to be honest, there was no reference value, it was better to look through the textbook.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ron, rubbing slightly bloodshot eyes and throwing his fifth spoiled bit of parchment into the fire beside them. ¡°Evan, tell me, shall we just ask Hermione if we can have a look at what she¡¯s done?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she would agree!¡± said Evan, taking out a magic book.

    Meanwhile, Hermione was busy revising her sketch of the Bowtruckle, with Crookshanks on herp while chatting merrily to Ginny.

    The three of them fell silent again, and Evan was immersed in the magic treatise in his hand about the umtion of magic power and the release of energy.

    Unlike tedious magic spells and techniques, this spell abandoned other effects and converted magic directly into energy, causing damage to hit targets. It was a very interesting research direction, which was more suitable for Evan¡¯s current situation.

    In a battle, there was no need to think about which spell to use; instead, he could directly use magical power to harm the opponent, significantly reducing the casting time.

    Moreover, Evan had incredibly strong magic power, capable of gathering far more energy than anyone else.

    Beside him, Harry and Ron continued to rack their brains, doing their best toplete their essays.

    The sky outside the windows became steadily darker; slowly, the crowd in themon room began to thin again.

    At half-past eleven, there was no one else in themon room except for Hermione, who finally wandered over to them, yawning.

    She sat next to Evan, looked at the book in his hand, and knew that it was taken out of the ck family library.

    Driven by Evan, she now also started to read these magic books.

    Hermione hesitated for a while, then turned to look at Ron, and tried to say, ¡°It¡¯s time for bed, nearly done with your homework?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Ron shortly.

    ¡°Well, Jupiter¡¯s biggest moon is Ganymede, not Callisto,¡± she said, pointing over Ron¡¯s shoulder at a line in his Astronomy essay, ¡°and it¡¯s Io that¡¯s got the volcanos.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± snarled Ron, scratching out the offending sentences.

    ¡°Sorry, I only¡­¡± Hermione seemed to want to apologize for yesterday¡¯s Quidditch incident.

    ¡°Yeah, well, if you¡¯ve juste over here to criticize¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, I¡¯m not, I¡¯m¡­ God, SIRIUS!¡± Hermione eximed in surprise, watching Sirius¡¯s head suddenly appear from the mes in the firece.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1182 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 960: Information from Sirius

    Chapter 960: Information from Sirius

    Following Hermione¡¯s gaze, Evan, Harry, and Ron turned their heads to look at the firece, and there was nothing in it except the mes.

    ¡°Did you see Sirius?¡± Harry asked.

    He immediately slid off his chair onto his knees and crouched on the singed and threadbare hearthrug, gazing into the mes.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just seen Sirius¡¯s head in the fire!¡± Hermione assured.

    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°He shoulde out in a while. Remember the letter we received on Friday?¡± Evan analyzed, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking that Sirius probably wanted to meet us, and that letter was a signal¡­¡±

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d figured that out!¡± Sirius¡¯s voice came from the firece.

    In the middle of the dancing mes loomed his head, long dark hair falling around his grinning face.

    ¡°Sirius!¡± Harry eximed delightedly.¡°How are you, Harry?¡± said Sirius in a cheerful voice. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in half a year, and you seem to have grown a little taller. In fact, since Friday night, I¡¯ve beening every hour to check on you. I didn¡¯t want anyone else to find out that I appeared in the firece at school to meet you¡­¡±

    On Friday, there was a celebration in the Gryffindormon room because Ron joined the Quidditch team, andst night, because of Ron¡¯s poor performance in training, everyone lost interest and went to bed early.

    Therefore, nobody noticed Sirius in the firece.

    ¡°I should have thought that you wouldn¡¯t write us a letter for no reason,¡± Harry said, suddenly realizing.

    ¡°I thought you would notice, I left a code on the letter.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t even notice!

    ¡°So, the four of you are still far behind, and you have a lot to learn¡­¡± said Sirius with a smile.

    ¡°Wait, Sirius, Mad-Eye said that Hogwarts is under surveince. You shouldn¡¯t be here, if the Ministry of Magic finds out¡­¡± said Hermione worriedly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve had time to monitor the firece yet.¡±

    ¡°But what if you¡¯re seen?¡± Hermione remained undeterred.

    ¡°Yeah, I think a girl ¡ª first year by the look of her ¡ª might¡¯ve got a glimpse of me earlier!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Kate. She just came over to talk to Evan,¡± Harry exined.

    ¡°She probably didn¡¯t notice you. Otherwise, she would have said something,¡± said Evan hurriedly, not noticing Hermione¡¯s concerned expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I was gone the moment she looked back at me and I¡¯ll bet she just thought I was an oddly shaped log or something,¡± said Sirius proudly. ¡°I move very quickly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about how fast you are; it¡¯s just too risky to do something like this!¡± Hermione persisted.

    ¡°Oh, Hermione, you sound like Molly, she keeps telling me to watch out for this, watch out for that!¡± said Sirius in a disapproving tone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I just wanted to see you all before things get worse.¡±

    ¡°Things get worse?¡± Evan frowned at him, ¡°What on earth were you doing in Norway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, mainly trouble with vampires,¡± said Sirius, his expression turning serious. ¡°Apart from those who have missions and can¡¯t leave, most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix in Europe have gathered here, even Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be. I saw the headmaster in the Great Hall during dinner on Friday,¡± said Ron, surprised.

    ¡°For a wizard like him, long-distance travel is not difficult. It may only take a few minutes,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Of course, to outsiders, he¡¯s still at Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with the vampires?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Is it something to do with Voldemort?¡±

    ¡°Well, it took me a few months to figure out what¡¯s really going on here,¡± Sirius exined. ¡°As you four probably know, these vampires are different from other ns. They are descendants of Szar Slytherin himself. About a thousand years ago, that crazy old man left Hogwarts alone, carrying something dreadful with him. He traveled across Europe and eventually died in this country, leaving that thing behind. His descendants stayed here to guard it. The thing itself holds immense power and is extremely dangerous¡­¡±

    ¡°What is that thing?¡± Evan asked, following up, suspecting it might be what Caresius and ine were talking about.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Those vampires don¡¯t trust us. The information I got is notplete. We have to rely on our own deductions in many cases,¡± said Sirius, ncing slightly at Evan. ¡°ording to the current information, that thing should be rted to the evil god you¡¯ve seen. Dumbledore believes that whatever it is, Voldemort wants to get his hands on it to make himself even more powerful. He has made some progress, and he might be here as well. We must stop him.¡±

    It was hard to imagine that the first confrontation between the Order of the Phoenix and Voldemort would take ce in the faraway country of Northern Europe.

    ¡°This kind of thing is not as simple as two gangs getting together in a fight. The trouble here lies in the chaos of the situation. In addition to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, the Vampire n is also divided into different factions, and their opinions are not unified,¡± Sirius continued. ¡°Besides, this is Durmstrang¡¯s traditional sphere of influence, and those who advocate Dark magic might not necessarily be our allies. Furthermore, there are also the indigenous magical creatures in the Northern European region¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Hermione asked, ¡°Fantastic Beasts?¡±

    ¡°Not magical animals, but magical beings like centaurs, possessing intelligence and civilization. They lead rtively primitive lives and readily attack any wizards they encounter. We had a skirmish with them yesterday,¡± said Sirius. ¡°But that¡¯s not even the most troublesome part. Dumbledore is now concerned about something left behind by Grindelwald here. As things progress, we¡¯ve discovered that Grindelwald had contact with those vampires decades ago. You should know that he was once an even more evil dark wizard than Voldemort, and no one knows how Dumbledore managed to defeat him.¡±

    While the specifics of Sirius¡¯s situation were unclear, the thought of so many forces gathering together was frightening. Durmstrang, vampires, hostile magical beings, Voldemort and his Death Eaters, evil gods, and Grindelwald¡­

    With all these elementsing together, one could easily imagine that the area where Sirius was must be inplete chaos!

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 Chapter 961: Combat Training

    Chapter 961: Combat Training

    Evan was thinking about what Sirius said. There was a lot of information here. Was there any connection between vampires, evil gods and Grindelwald?

    Szar Slytherin had left Hogwarts a thousand years ago, and he carried with him a very powerful thing. Evan didn¡¯t know what it was, but he could confirm that there were the whereabouts of the Caduceus and pieces of the evil god¡¯s brain and body that were yet to be determined¡­

    Regardless of which item it was, each was crucial. Among them, Evan felt that the possibility of the evil god being a part of Szar Slytherin was quite high.

    Voldemort already had a statue of the evil god in his hands. Allowing him to obtain a part of the evil god¡¯s body¡­

    Evan couldn¡¯t bear to think further. He felt it necessary to go to Norway; if the situation changed, he had to intervene swiftly.

    Additionally, there was ine¡¯s situation. Apart from thest farewell letter she had sent at the end of thest semester, there had been no further contact.

    He wondered what could have happened to her. Had something unexpected urred?

    By the firece, Harry and Hermione asked a few more questions, and Sirius answered them one by one, seeming a bit impatient.

    ¡°Okay, enough about me. Don¡¯t bother much with the situation in Norway, I¡¯ll inform you promptly if there¡¯s any news,¡± said Sirius, smiling again. ¡°How¡¯s everything here? Is there anything you want to tell me?¡±Indeed, since the summer vacation, they had too many things to say to Sirius.

    Although they wrote a lot on parchments through several letters, they still had a lot to tell Sirius face to face.

    Especially Harry, who had a very tough summer, staying alone with the Dursleys, cut off from any magical news, attacked by Dementors, and facing the terrible media and everyone¡¯s reactions since the start of the school year.

    Harry wanted to confide in Sirius, to tell his godfather everything.

    However, the words got stuck in his throat as he thought about how dangerous Sirius¡¯s situation was, and he couldn¡¯t be of any help, let alone burden him with these troubles.

    ¡°Harry¡¯s scar!¡± When Harry hesitated, Hermione said directly, ¡°Just a few days ago, when Umbridge touched him, his scar suddenly hurt, and we¡¯re all worried about it.¡±

    ¡°Harry, your scar hurt again?¡± Sirius asked.

    ¡°Yeah, Dumbledore and Evan both said it hurt whenever Voldemort was feeling a powerful emotion,¡± said Harry. ¡°So maybe he was just, um, really angry or something the night I had that detention.¡±

    ¡°This may be a coincidence!¡± Evan added.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Now he¡¯s back, it¡¯s bound to hurt more often¡­¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t think it had anything to do with Umbridge touching me when I was in detention with her?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I know her by reputation and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s no Death Eater.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s foul enough to be one,¡± said Harry darkly.

    ¡°Yes, but the world isn¡¯t split into good people and Death Eaters,¡± said Sirius with a wry smile. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother to verify anything; she should have nothing to do with Voldemort. I know she¡¯s a nasty piece of work, though ¡ª you should hear Remus talk about her.¡±

    ¡°Does Lupin know her?¡± asked Harry quickly, remembering Umbridge¡¯sments about dangerous half-breeds during ss.

    ¡°No,¡± said Sirius, ¡°but she drafted a bit of anti-werewolf legition a few years ago that makes it almost impossible for Remus to get a job. It was just before he started teaching at Hogwarts, so he went through a tough time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Everyone remembered how much shabbier Lupin looked these days and their dislike of Umbridge deepened even further.

    ¡°What¡¯s she got against werewolves?¡± said Hermione angrily.

    ¡°Scared of them, I expect,¡± said Sirius, smiling at her indignation. ¡°Apparently she loathes part-humans; she campaigned to have Merpeople rounded up and taggedst year too. By the way, what are her lessons like? Is she training you all to kill half-breeds?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it; she¡¯s not letting us use magic at all!¡±

    ¡°All we do is read the stupid textbook,¡± said Ron, ¡°and copy it down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, that figures,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I can tell you one more piece of information. The Order of the Phoenix got information from inside the Ministry of Magic that Fudge doesn¡¯t want you trained inbat.¡±

    ¡°Trained inbat?¡± repeated Harry incredulously. ¡°What does he think we¡¯re doing here, forming some sort of wizard army?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what he thinks you¡¯re doing,¡± said Sirius.

    ¡°The few of us are indeed learning magic with Evan, but it¡¯s notbat training, and it has nothing to do with forming an army.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re currently learning basic defensive spells, hardly anything that could be consideredbat training,¡± said Evan. ¡°However, I n to pass on the Auror knowledge andbat training content you taught me to everyone in a while, and help them improve their skills.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me. In fact, I think you should all learn more magic. If it weren¡¯t foring to this ce, I was going to take you guys on an adventurest summer,¡± said Sirius. ¡°But not everyone thinks it¡¯s a good thing. That¡¯s exactly what Fudge thinks now, or rather, that¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s afraid Dumbledore¡¯s doing ¡ª forming his own private army, with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic.¡±

    After hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment.

    ¡°He¡¯s simply gone mad. No normal person would think like that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard, including all the stuff that Luna Lovegoodes out with,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°I finally understand what¡¯s going on. So we¡¯re being prevented from learning Defense Against the Dark Arts because Fudge is scared we¡¯ll use spells against the Ministry?¡± said Hermione, looking furious.

    ¡°Yep,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Fudge thinks Dumbledore will stop at nothing to seize power. He¡¯s getting more paranoid about Dumbledore by the day. It¡¯s a matter of time before he has Dumbledore arrested on some trumped-up charge.¡±

    Another moment of silence followed as they learned more from Sirius. Fudge really seemed to have lost his mind!

    ¡°So, the four of you need to be careful while at Hogwarts. My advice is not to engage Umbridge directly and definitely not to give her any reason to hold against you. But it¡¯s a good idea to continue learning magic with Evan. You can keep going, and if you need any help, just let me know.¡±

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 Chapter 962: Recruitment and Detention

    Chapter 962: Recruitment and Detention

    Fudge¡¯s worry about the students engaging inbat training had infuriated them, and at the same time made them more concerned about learning magic from Evan, especially Hermione, who was already thinking about this. Now that they heard Sirius¡¯s advice, she simply proposed to form an army.

    Since that was what the Ministry of Magic feared the most, they wanted to do the opposite.

    Even if they were discovered and expelled by the Ministry of Magic because of this, they would not hesitate to fight against the Ministry to the end.

    In Sirius¡¯s words, it was better to be expelled in self-defense than to sit safely in school with your eyes in the dark.

    The war had started the moment Voldemort returned, and they couldn¡¯t just stay at Hogwarts and do nothing.

    Because they needed to be prepared to fight Voldemort and the Death Eaters at any time, practicingbat and improving their skills had be more important than studying and taking exams.

    It had to be said that it was quite surprising that such words came out of Hermione¡¯s mouth.

    And once she became passionate and decided to do something, or thought her reasons were right, then she would absolutely follow through to the end and would never give up, no matter how many school rules this might vite, Hermione didn¡¯t care.

    Just like no matter how busy she was now, she found time to spend in the kitchen every week to promote the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare among the house-elves. In fact, no one listened to her except Dobby, but she still didn¡¯t give up.If it weren¡¯t for Evan¡¯s persuasion, Hermione would have nned to sew clothes for the house-elves as gifts¡­

    Since they nned to form an army forbat training, the first priority was to ¡°recruit soldiers.¡±

    With their current scale, they couldn¡¯t do it, and they couldn¡¯t post notices directly. Evan and Hermione studied it and decided to adopt a rmendation system to develop members.

    That was to say, everyone would find and rmend reliable candidates, informing them secretly.

    Of course, that was not something that could be aplished overnight. They decided to gather everyone to discuss it first.

    Evan had no objection to that; he originally wanted to form such an organization.

    Before the start of the war, he wanted to help as many people as possible to improve their skills. Although it might be a bit too fast and unsafe to directly recruit people from the entire school, he also did not have much time to advance step by step.

    The information brought by Sirius had let Evan know that the situation with the vampires was already very unstable.

    Although Dumbledore was there, Voldemort was also there, and no one knew what would happen.

    Once the situation changed, Evan had to intervene immediately, which meant that he might leave the school at any time.

    With Hermione¡¯s efforts, the first draft of the n and regtions for this matter was drawn up.

    The first meeting was finally scheduled for the day they first went to Hogsmeade, and the location chosen was the small, dingy, and very dirty tavern ¡°The Hog¡¯s Head Inn ¡°. Hermione thought it was less crowded and inconspicuous, and Evan had no objections.

    On the surface, the secrecy there was not very good, but considering that the owner of the tavern was Dumbledore¡¯s younger brother Aberforth and the Order of the Phoenix had permanent members there, it was actually the safest ce.

    Everything was unfolding in an orderly manner, and three weeks had passed quickly since Sirius appeared in the firece, Hermione proposed to actually form an army, and everyone separately informed the others.

    During that period, Harry was given detention again for contradicting Umbridge in ss.

    The reason was that when Umbridge asked the fifth year students to continue reading Chapter two, of <i>Defensive Magical Theory: ¡®Common Defensive Theories and Their Derivation,¡¯</i> Hermione informed her that she had already read the whole book.

    She originally meant not to waste time on this, but to learn some knowledge that could be used in the exam, but Umbridge obviously regarded this normal inquiry as another challenge to her authority.

    After losing to Hermione in a debate, she directly deducted five points from Gryffindor House.

    This set Harry on fire, and he confronted Umbridge head-on again.

    ¡°Why did you deduct points for Gryffindor?¡± Harry asked angrily, standing up from his seat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get involved!¡± Hermione whispered urgently to him.

    ¡°For disrupting my ss with pointless interruptions,¡± said Professor Umbridge smoothly. ¡°I am here to teach you using a Ministry-approved method that does not include inviting students to give their opinions on matters about which they understand very little. Your previous teachers in this subject may have allowed you more license, but as none of them ¡ª with the possible exception of Professor Quirrell, who did at least appear to have restricted himself to age-appropriate subjects ¡ª would have passed a Ministry inspection ¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Quirrell was a great teacher,¡± said Harry loudly, ¡°there was just that minor drawback of him having Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head.¡±

    This pronouncement was followed by one of the loudest silences Harry had ever heard.

    ¡°I think another week¡¯s detentions would do you some good, Mr. Potter,¡± said Umbridge sleekly.

    This was Harry¡¯s second detention, and Umbridge had already ordered a new quill that cut the user¡¯s hand, and this time, the detention wouldn¡¯t be as easy as thest one!

    With Rawya¡¯s help, Evan had figured out how the curse worked. But he doubted whether telling Harry would make him understand and sessfully use the counter-curse.

    Evan originally wanted to warn Harry to be calm and ignore Umbridge, but he soon found himself in detention, too, thanks to Umbridge.

    The reason for Umbridge¡¯s anger was due to Rita Skeeter¡¯stest article in <i>Hogwarts News</i>. Umbridge believed it was all fabrication, and as the actual controller of the <i>Hogwarts News</i>, Evan naturally had to bear the responsibility.

    Since Harry¡¯s hearing at the Ministry, Rita had been relentlessly focusing on the incident of the uncontroble Dementors attacking Harry. She used it to criticize the various loopholes in the Ministry¡¯s management. The Ministry, however, did not respond to this matter nor conduct an investigation.

    Fudge believed Harry was lying and that there were no uncontroble Dementors involved.

    The Order of the Phoenix secretly investigated, and finally found that two Dementors had left Azkaban uncontrobly and never returned. Lupin provided the relevant evidence to Rita, and she immediately published the story.

    As expected, the news of two uncontroble Dementors roaming freely caused a huge uproar. It quickly surpassed Umbridge¡¯s bing Hogwarts High Inquisitor to be the hottest news in the recent period.

    As the real mastermind behind the scenes, Umbridge might have panicked a bit!

    However, she had been careful not to leave any evidence that could link her to the matter. It was a pity¡­

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 Chapter 963: A Satisfactory Punishment

    Chapter 963: A Satisfactory Punishment

    At five o¡¯clock in the evening, Evan and Harry were in detention together in Professor Umbridge¡¯s office to receive their punishment.

    As expected, she took out two ck quills during their detention and ced them in front of both of them.

    With a wide grin and a smug smile, she told Evan and Harry that proper pain could make them both more awake.

    ¡°But, professor, Professor McGonagall said you¡¯re not allowed to use this dangerous quill anymore,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°<i>I </i>make the rules here, Mr. Mason. I believe a bit of pain will do you both good, helping you learn the difference between fantasy and reality,¡± said Umbridge in a sickly sweet voice. ¡°Now, let¡¯s not waste any more time. You both know the rule¡ªwrite with this quill: ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>,¡¯ until I am satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you want me to write this sentence with this quill?¡± Evan asked again. ¡°I must emphasize once more that I find this pen and its effects extremely dangerous and potentially leave permanent marks on a person¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t put your life in danger, just firmly remind you of your ce,¡± Umbridge proudly stated, seeming to think Evan was afraid. ¡°However, if you can promise not to continue spreading those rumors or publishing them in the newspaper, I might consider ending this punishment. After all, my goal is to make both of you realize your mistakes.¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll write the sentence!¡± Evan answered with a prolonged tone. ¡°After all, the truth is undeniable.¡±

    Harry sighed. What¡¯s the use of saying all this now? In his view, besides making Umbridge¡¯s punishment seem weaker and boosting her arrogance, it served no purpose.He reluctantly picked up the ck quill, this time with Evan by his side; it would be a bit more bearable.

    But in the next second, Harry saw the quill in Evan¡¯s hand shing ck brilliance, and aplex magic rune shed past. He blinked to make sure he was not mistaken. Harry saw Evan Smiling to him before lowering his head to write.

    Evan ced the quill¡¯s tip on the paper and wrote: ¡°<i>I must not tell lies</i>.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Umbridge, who had been smugly watching them, let out a scream of pain.

    Harry froze for a moment, and noticed that the back of Evan¡¯s hand hadn¡¯t been cut open, but this line of words appeared on Umbridge¡¯s cheek, a red piece, bleeding, deeply sunken into the flesh, as if carved with a scalpel¡­

    Harry was puzzled for a while, not understanding what was going on?

    It wasn¡¯t until Evan wrote it again, and Umbridge yelled again, holding her face with her hands, her toad-like wide mouth twisting; that Harry suddenly realized, and there was a burst of ecstasy. The quill was enchanted by Evan, causing the harm it should have inflicted on them to be transferred to Umbridge¡¯s face.

    It was simply incredible. How did Evan do it?!

    Harry stared dumbfounded at what was happening in front of him, feeling extremely excited!

    Evan had been constantly advising Harry to be patient and not provoke Umbridge, but now he was doing much more than Harry had expected.

    Umbridge also quickly realized what Evan was up to.

    Every time Evan wrote a word, her cheek would burn with excruciating pain, as if her flesh was being cut with a knife.

    It was the magic on that quill¡ªEvan was transferring the harm onto her. The feeling was terrifying; it was as if someone was really cutting into her flesh, and blood was running down her cheek, making her look even more hideous and horrifying.

    ¡°Stop, stop! You little brat, how dare you¡­¡± Umbridge screamed deeply.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor, what are you talking about?¡± Evan asked, but his hand continued to write at a fast pace.

    ¡°Ah, I told you to stop, ah, stop quickly, stop writing!¡± Umbridge shouted in a sharp voice, and she rushed forward to snatch the quill from Evan¡¯s hand.

    But there was a sh of red light, and Umbridge flew backwards and fell hard to the ground.

    ¡°Professor, I hope you calm down a bit. It¡¯s not stated in Hogwarts¡¯s rules or the Ministry of Magic¡¯sws that a professor has the right to attack students, while they cannot defend themselves properly,¡± said Evan. ¡°And right now, I am epting your punishment. You made it clear just now that I must not stop writing until you¡¯re satisfied. I cannot be sure if you¡¯re satisfied yet.¡±

    With each movement of Evan¡¯s hand, Umbridge felt the burning pain on her face as those words were carved into her skin time and time again. The wounds would normally heal rapidly after a few seconds, but Evan was writing so fast that the healing rate couldn¡¯t keep up with the cutting rate.

    Red marks were left behind, with tiny droplets of blood oozing out.

    If Evan continued to write, Umbridge would probably be disfigured. The damage caused by this kind of witchcraft was difficult to heal. No matter where she went in the future, the first thing people would notice would be the words on her face: <i>I must not tell lies</i>.

    ¡®She deserved it¡¯, Harry thought with glee, feeling all the pent-up frustrations from the beginning of the school year dissipating.

    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯ll regret it, Mason, one hundred points from Gryffindor, I¡¯ll have you expelled!¡± Umbridge yelled.

    Enduring the pain, she took out her wand and cast a few spells on Evan.

    But it didn¡¯t work at all. Green shes flew towards Evan, and there were several bangs.

    A crimson shield with exquisite patterns appeared in front of Evan out of thin air, blocking all Umbridge¡¯s magic.

    As long as she didn¡¯t use the Killing Curse or other highly forbidden curses, Evan was confident that he could withstand her attacks with this shield.

    If Umbridge lost her temper and used those extreme curses, she would be in real trouble!

    Regardless of whether she was the High Inquisitor or the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, just using an Unforgivable Curse on Evan would be enough to get her locked up in Azkaban.

    ¡°Stop, Mason!¡± Umbridge said in a ttering tone, the attack was useless, the threat was useless, she seemed to finally understand the current situation, and the pain on her face was almost unbearable for her¡­

    ¡°Professor, I¡¯m so stupid. I haven¡¯t heard you say I¡¯m satisfied. I¡¯m not sure if I should stop your punishment,¡± said Evan calmly, imitating Umbridge¡¯s tone. He had already figured out how this situation would end!

    ¡°Satisfied, I am very satisfied, you are doing well, Mr. Mason, stop now!¡±

    ¡°Alright, Professor!¡± said Evan. ¡°But I still have to say, you really don¡¯t want to use this quill in the future, it¡¯s too dangerous!¡±

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 Chapter 964: Follow-up

    Chapter 964: Follow-up

    Harry had never been so happy before, as if it were Christmas. He swore to himself that he would imprint the scene before him, along with Umbridge¡¯s pleading and subservient demeanor, into his mind and never forget it for the rest of his life.

    When he and Evan left Umbridge¡¯s office, he was still a little dazed, with a smile on his face.

    It was only after passing through a dimly lit corridor that Harry calmed down, his great joy reced by worry.

    Umbridge would surely have her revenge, and they might be expelled from school!

    Harry didn¡¯t care at all. Just seeing Umbridge¡¯s miserable appearance was enough for him. He had wanted to do this for a long time, to charge forward and give that old toad a good beating.

    But Evan did even better, using her quill to leave the mark ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯ on her face.

    Using her own wicked method, with her own blood, he gave her a lesson memorable enough tost a lifetime. And then, let¡¯s see if she would dare to intentionally distort the truth in the future. If Harry were Umbridge, he probably would not have the face to show himself in public again.

    Coming to think of it, how would she exin the scars on her face to others?

    And how would she exin the meaning of the phrase ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯?There was simply no way to exin it. At least Harry couldn¡¯t figure out how to say it. He learned from Evan that because of the witchcraft damage, the words would be difficult to erase and might take an extremely long time to fade away. If they couldn¡¯t be erased, she would forever carry this shame.

    Everyone who saw her in the future would know that she was lying and that she was an untrustworthy person.

    This was what she deserved; no one deserved this punishment more than her.

    ¡°Evan, how did you do it?¡± Harry couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°Was it the magic on that quill?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s witchcraft that sacrifices the user¡¯s own blood. In essence, it¡¯s simr to our Dark magic. Once you understand how it works, it¡¯s easy to break the curse and redirect it to a different target.¡±

    Harry nodded half-understanding, as long as he knew the effect.

    After this incident, Umbridge would never use that kind of quill in her life, and Evan¡¯s actions tonight would probably leave an indelible shadow in her heart.

    ¡°By the way, what should we do now?¡± said Harry, taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the possibility of expulsion.

    ¡°It goes without saying, of course we¡¯re going to find Professor McGonagall!¡± said Evan calmly. ¡°Although the problem with Professor Umbridge¡¯s quill is her own business, we¡¯d better inform other professors to handle this unexpected ident.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ unexpected ident?!¡± Harry blinked, suddenly realizing they might not be expelled after all!

    Indeed, they hadn¡¯t actively attacked Umbridge, and they hadn¡¯t even disobeyed her orders. She had instructed Evan to copy the sentence until she was satisfied, and Evan had followed her instructions. The only problem was the ck quill.

    And the quill had been provided by Umbridge herself¡­

    In the end, with Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall¡¯s intervention, the matter was resolved. Evan denied all of Umbridge¡¯s usations, insisting that the quill Umbridge had given them had malfunctioned, and that they hadn¡¯t done anything.

    Evan wouldn¡¯t admit to having that kind of ability. He even imed he didn¡¯t know what magic was on the quill.

    Thinking about it, this was the ¡°normal¡± level of a young wizard at Hogwarts, and there was nothing wrong with what Evan said.

    Dangerous magical items like this quill often had problems, one thing or another. They could even identally hurt the user.

    That¡¯s why Evan had told Umbridge not to use this quill to punish students anymore. It was too dangerous!

    In the end, even Dumbledore said that the witchcraft on the quill was very unstable, and it was normal for problems to ur. Therefore, this incident was not that Evan vited school rules and attacked Umbridge.

    It was just an ¡°ident¡±.

    Although anyone withmon sense could see what really happened ¨C Umbridge still had blood on her face ¨C she had no evidence. No matter who investigated, it would be the same. Evan hadn¡¯t physically attacked her on the surface; he had simply followed her instructions¡­

    Umbridge could only admit that she was unlucky. If she wanted to trouble Evan again next time, she would need toe up with a more cunning n.

    Using such a dangerous magical item to punish students was a terrible action. Dumbledore had explicitly told her to stop using it. Sharing this incident would harm Umbridge¡¯s own image, and she didn¡¯t want more people to know about it.

    Now she despised Evan to no end, yet there was nothing she could do.

    No matter how you looked at it, she couldn¡¯t hold Evan responsible for this matter. In fact, she shouldmend him.

    Because Evan had faithfully carried out Umbridge¡¯s orders, even though he knew the demands were unreasonable.

    It wasn¡¯t until hourster that Evan learned from Professor McGonagall that Umbridge had lost herposure in Dumbledore¡¯s office, demanding that the headmaster immediately expel both Evan and Harry. She was nothing like her usual self.

    She kept mentioning the Ministry of Magic and Fudge, but Dumbledore wasn¡¯t buying it.

    Unsurprisingly, he tly rejected Umbridge¡¯s baseless demands.

    He told Umbridge that such a request was unreasonable, and that even the headmaster of Hogwarts could not expel students without reason.

    No one else had that right, not even the High Inquisitor or the Ministry of Magic.

    However, he promised to strengthen the management of Evan and Harry. Evan should have stopped immediately when he found that there was a problem with the quill, instead of continuing to carry out Umbridge¡¯s order, causing her to suffer great harm¡­

    Now that Evan and Harry were Gryffindor students, Dumbledore asked Professor McGonagall to decide on their punishment andplete the remaining detention, and advised Umbridge to seek treatment for the scars on her face at St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries as soon as possible¡­

    Professor McGonagall prepared biscuits for the two of them, and added Gryffindor twenty points to each of them because theypleted their Transfiguration essay very well.

    Themendation was evident, and if Umbridge found out about it, she¡¯d probably go berserk. After giving them some admonitions, Professor McGonagall let Evan and Harry go, informing them that the detention was over, and the whole ordeal hadsted less than half an hour.

    In the Gryffindormon room, they were greeted with a celebration. Everyone rejoiced in their standing up to Umbridge.

    Although the two of them had been in Professor McGonagall¡¯s office, during this period, many people had already seen Umbridge with blood on her face, the words ¡®<i>I must not tell lies</i>¡¯ engraved, as she stormed through the corridors in frustration¡­.

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 Chapter 965: The Hogs Head

    Chapter 965: The Hog''s Head

    Evan didn¡¯t really care about Umbridge. He wanted to ask Dumbledore about the situation with vampires, but Dumbledore didn¡¯t give him the chance. After dealing with the matter, he disappeared somewhere; certainly not in the headmaster¡¯s office.

    Umbridge was not seen at school for several days after that.

    Many people were specting whether the scars on her face could not be removed, and she had no face to stay at Hogwarts.

    If any professor encountered such a shameful thing, he might as well resign directly.

    Such rumors had been going on and on, and many people swore that Umbridge had submitted a letter of resignation to Dumbledore, as if it were true.

    Anyway, in such a pleasant atmosphere, the first Hogsmeade visit of this term arrived.

    Everyone had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Evan and Hermione had also nned to discuss with everyone about forming an extracurricr group to conductbat training and learn defensive skills.

    Compared to dealing with Umbridge, this was a more serious matter.

    The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright but windy.After breakfast, Evan, Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Colin queued up in front of Filch, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardian to visit the vige.

    Since Umbridge had left, Filch had be somewhat more manageable. He waved them through with a gesture.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good feeling. The atmosphere in the whole school is much lighter without Umbridge,¡± said Ron. ¡°Well, if it were possible, I hope that woman just resigns and neveres back.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± said Hermione. ¡°We have to be careful, she won¡¯t just let it go, but then again, you two went a bit overboardst time. I heard she was injured quite seriously ¡­¡±

    ¡°She got what she deserved!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right, but after all she¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, Hermione, where are we going anyway?¡± Harry asked hastily, ¡°The Three Broomsticks?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no!¡± Hermione¡¯s attention was diverted, and she wasn¡¯t worried about Umbridge¡¯s revenge, which was already the topic they discussed the most recently. ¡°No, it¡¯s always packed and really noisy. I discussed it with Evan and I¡¯ve told the others to meet us in the Hog¡¯s Head, that other pub, you know the one, it¡¯s not on the main road. I think it¡¯s a bit ¡­ you know ¡­ dodgy ¡­ but students don¡¯t normally go in there, so I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be overheard.¡±

    ¡°That pub is pretty quiet. We can get a private box,¡± Evan said.

    They walked down the main street past Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop, where they were unsurprised to see Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, past the post office, from which owls issued at regr intervals.

    Then they turned up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it of a wild boar¡¯s severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it.

    The sign creaked in the wind as they approached. All five of them hesitated outside the door.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in,¡± said Hermione slightly nervously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s nothing wrong. It¡¯s just¡­ um¡­ a bit shabby!¡± said Evan, leading the way inside.

    In fact, the ce was not a bit shabby.

    It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whoserge bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog¡¯s Head barprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats.

    The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables.

    The floor seemed at first nce to be earthy, though as they stepped onto it they realized that there was stone beneath what seemed to be the umted filth of centuries.

    Evan had been here a few times before, but he still couldn¡¯t help but sniffle, unustomed to the strong smell of goat in the air.

    Speaking of which, Dumbledore¡¯s younger brother Aberforth really had a soft spot for goats.

    ¡°Do you remember?¡± said Harry in a low voice, ¡°Hagrid once said he won a dragon egg here, which was Norbert, the Norwegian Ridgeback, it was our first year.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he said he won it from a hooded stranger,¡± said Ron, swallowing nervously.

    ¡°It fits the style here, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ve always wondered why Hagrid didn¡¯t find it odd that the stranger kept his face hidden throughout their encounter,¡± Harry continued.

    Now he saw that keeping your face hidden was something of a fashion in the Hog¡¯s Head.

    There was a man at the bar whose whole head was wrapped in dirty gray bandages, though he was still managing to gulp endless sses of some smoking, fiery substance through a slit over his mouth

    Two figures shrouded in hoods sat at a table in one of the windows. If not for their strong Yorkshire ents, they could easily be mistaken for Dementors.

    In a shadowy corner beside the firece sat a witch with a thick, ck veil that fell to her toes. They could just see the tip of her nose because it caused the veil to protrude slightly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this, Hermione,¡± Harry muttered, as they crossed to the bar. He was looking particrly at the heavily veiled witch. ¡°Has it urred to you Umbridge might be under that?¡±

    Hermione squinted, and cast an appraising eye at the veiled figure.

    ¡°Umbridge is shorter than that woman,¡± she said quietly. ¡°Besides, she should be in the hospital right now. And anyway, even if Umbridge doese in here there¡¯s nothing she can do to stop us, Harry, because I¡¯ve double- and triple-checked the school rules. We¡¯re not out-of-bounds; I specifically asked Professor Flitwick whether students were allowed toe in the Hog¡¯s Head, and he said yes, but he advised me strongly to bring our own sses. We¡¯re not really forming an army; it¡¯s just an extracurricr group for Evan to teach us magic. And I¡¯ve looked up everything I can think of about study groups and homework groups and they¡¯re definitely allowed. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea if we parade what we¡¯re doing, because Fudge and the Ministry don¡¯t want us to do it.¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment, haven¡¯t you figured out who she is?¡± Evan whispered.

    ¡°who is she?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s Mundungus!¡± said Evan. ¡°This disguise looks great, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

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 Chapter 966: Information from Mundungus

    Chapter 966: Information from Mundungus

    Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Colin all looked at Evan, and then turned their heads to look at the woman in the corner in astonishment.

    Except Colin who had no idea who Mundungus was, the others were all well aware, having seen him many times over the holidays.

    In their minds, Mundungus was a squat, unshaven wizard with short bandy legs, long straggly ginger hair, bloodshot baggy eyes, smoking foul-smelling tobo, and always emanating a strong smell of mingled drink and stale tobo.

    In any case, it was nothing like the veiled witch in front of them.

    It would be amazing if there was a way to turn a dumpy man into such a slender witch!

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, Evan. There¡¯s no way he could be Mundungus¡­¡± Ron said.

    ¡°We can go over and ask to make sure!¡± said Evan, walking quickly to the side of the witch.

    The witch dodged back for a moment, but quickly regained herposure.

    ¡°Get lost, brat!¡± she said roughly, in an ugly woman¡¯s voice.¡°Stop pretending, Dung, we recognize you!¡± said Evan. ¡°How about the things you¡¯re supposed to buy?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±

    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s the case, then I won¡¯t pay. You know, there are more orders toe¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, you can¡¯t do that. It took me so much¡­¡±

    Mundungus stopped, and he saw Evan looking at him with a smile.

    ¡°Damn, how did you recognize me? I¡¯ll post those things to you in a few days, now you guys stay away from me!¡± Mundungus said in a panic, looking around, ¡°Listen, I can¡¯t be discovered, the bartender here has a great memory, because of a minor incident, he banned me from the Hog¡¯s Head twenty years ago, I can¡¯t be noticed by him¡­¡±

    ¡°Goodness, you really are Mundungus!¡± Hermione said in surprise, as if transfixed!

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Harry asked, ¡°And in this state.¡±

    ¡°Keeping an eye on you, of course. This is my task. You don¡¯t really think that Dumbledore will let you guys leave Hogwarts without any protection,¡± Mundungus muttered, returning to his own voice. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that angry look, Harry, it¡¯s not up to me, I still have a lot of business to do, but now I have toe here early in the morning. Can¡¯t even smoke, just sitting here. As for my current appearance, Tonks helped me with this disguise. We lost Moody¡¯s spare Invisibility Cloak when Sturgis was arrested.¡±

    ¡°Sturgis Podmore?¡± said Ron, ¡°but he¡¯s that bloke who looks like his head¡¯s been thatched, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s one of the Order¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron, shh!¡± said Hermione hastily, casting a terrified look around them. ¡°Keep your voice down, you shouldn¡¯t have said that word.¡±

    They gathered in a circle, Colin looked curious, and Mundungus, who was sitting in the corner, almost fainted.

    ¡°Sturgis was arrested? What on earth is going on here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± said Mundungus in a very low voice, realizing he might have said too much.

    ¡°Remember when he was supposed to be part of our guard going to King¡¯s Cross and didn¡¯t show up!¡± said Harry. ¡°Moody was all annoyed because he didn¡¯t turn up. He was doing something for us, wasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, at least I thought so, you five¡­¡± Mundungus said, but was cut off again.

    ¡°I remember now, it was said in the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, the paper from the day the Gryffindor Quidditch team first practiced,¡± said Hermione, squinting as she recalled, ¡°I read that article and I was going to tell you about it.¡±

    Because of Ron¡¯s poor performance, the atmosphere that night became so awkward that Hermione forgot to mention it.

    In the past month, Ron had participated in four more Quidditch training sessions, and in thest two, he hadn¡¯t received any loud scolding.

    Angelina thought that his progress was too slow, but at least he was still making progress, so she couldn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°What did the <i>Daily Prophet</i> say?¡±

    ¡°I remember they said that Podmore was arrested by a Ministry of Magic watch-wizard, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o¡¯clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak in his own defense, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban.¡±

    ¡°Six months in Azkaban!¡± whispered Harry, shocked. ¡°Just for trying to get through a door?!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, it wasn¡¯t just for trying to get through a door ¡ª what on earth was he doing at the Ministry of Magic at one o¡¯clock in the morning?¡± Hermione said in a low voice, ¡°It must not be that simple.¡±

    ¡°You must know what¡¯s going on, right?¡± They all looked at Mundungus.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like that, they seem to be guarding something, and that thing is kept in the Ministry of Magic.¡± Mundungus said quickly, ¡°What is it? I don¡¯t know. They never let me go there and I didn¡¯t ask about it. As for Sturgis, who knows what kind of madness he went in, trying to break into the secret Ministry of Magic area that day, yeah, I heard Mad-Eye say that. I don¡¯t know anything about other things. Please, can you go away? The bartender maye out at any time, and the five of you are too conspicuous here!¡±

    They left Mundungus and walked back to the bar, with the conversation still revolving around Sturgis¡¯s arrest.

    ¡°From what Mundungus said, it seems like Mad-Eye and the others didn¡¯t know about this, they seem shocked by Sturgis¡¯s actions,¡± said Evan. ¡°They didn¡¯t expect him to get caught, it¡¯s really strange!¡±

    ¡°Not strange at all. It could be a frame-up!¡± Ron immediately eximed.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a possibility that the Ministry of Magic suspects he¡¯s one of Dumbledore¡¯s lot.¡± Hermione continued her analysis, ¡°So, perhaps, they lured him deep into the Ministry, and he wasn¡¯t trying to get through a door at all! Maybe they¡¯ve just made something up to get him!¡±

    Evan nodded thoughtfully. It was also possible that the Death Eaters tried to enter the Ministry of Magic¡¯s Department of Mysteries that night, but they were discovered by Sturgis who was on patrol. They might have deliberately framed him and controlled him to see the power of the Ministry¡¯s protective enchantments.

    ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about what Mundungus said just now, that they are guarding something, and that thing is kept at the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Harry. ¡°Could this thing he¡¯s talking about be the weapon Voldemort wants?¡±

    ¡°Who knows!¡± said Hermione, thoughtfully, ¡°but it¡¯s hard for me to imagine that if there¡¯s such a powerful weapon, Fudge would keep it in the Ministry of Magic and not use it. It¡¯s not like his style, is it?¡±

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 Chapter 967: The First Gathering

    Chapter 967: The First Gathering

    Indeed, Fudge was not the type to keep hisposure.

    If the Ministry of Magic really had such a powerful weapon, he would have used it against Dumbledore by now.

    But if it was not a weapon, what were members of the Order of the Phoenix guarding at the Ministry of Magic?

    Or rather, what did Voldemort truly seek?

    Ever since his return, he had remained elusive, hidden in the shadows, but he was plotting something in Norway and at the Ministry of Magic.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on in Norway, but he knew that at the Ministry of Magic, there was the Prophecy Record, containing ¡®<i>The Prophecy</i>¡¯ Voldemort wanted to use to figure out why he had failed in the past. From this perspective, because he ced such significance on death, he seemed to be someone who particrly believed in ¡°fate¡±.

    As soon as they reached the bar, the barman sidled toward them out of a back room.

    Aberforth was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long gray hair and beard, vaguely resembling Dumbledore, tall and thin, with almost identical eyes, but a shorter beard, the lines on his face were also much sterner.

    It must be said, he was another oddity from an ancient pure-blood family, bearing the title of an entric.¡°What do you want?¡± He mumbled and asked, as if he was not surprised that Evan and the others appeared here, but his eyes quickly scanned over.

    His eyes rested for a fraction of a second on Harry¡¯s scar, and then he looked at Evan again.

    ¡°Five butterbeers, please,¡± said Hermione hastily.

    He reached beneath the counter and pulled up five very dusty, very dirty bottles, which he mmed on the bar. (T.N. The author mentioned ¡®three bottles¡¯, probably a mistake just copying from the original.)

    ¡°Ten Sickles,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get them, do you have arger private room upstairs?¡± said Evan, passing over the silver coins. ¡°We¡¯ll be having a private gatheringter, and there will be a lot of peopleing. It may not be convenient to sit downstairs.¡±

    ¡°No, this ce is thergest one around here, upstairs are all guest rooms!¡± Aberforth replied rudely, depositing Evan¡¯s money in an ancient wooden till whose drawer slid open automatically to receive it.

    ¡°This guy has such a bad attitude, as if people would actuallye here to stay.¡±

    They each took their butterbeers, and quickly retreated to the farthest table from the bar and sat down, looking around.

    Meanwhile, the man in the dirty gray bandages rapped the counter with his knuckles and received another smoking drink from the barman.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing, is it? You know what?¡± Ron murmured, suddenly looking over at the bar with great enthusiasm, ¡°We could order anything we liked in here, I bet that bloke would sell us anything, he wouldn¡¯t care. Honestly, I¡¯ve always wanted to try the firewhisky¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re a prefect, Ron!¡± snarled Hermione.

    ¡°Oh!¡± said Ron, the smile fading from his face. ¡°Yeah¡­ I should set an example, right.¡±

    ¡°So who did you say is supposed to be meeting us?¡± Harry asked, wrenching open the rusty top of his butterbeer and taking a swig, ¡°I informed Neville, Dean, Ernie from Hufflepuff, and the rest of the team, and besides that, Cho, whom I met alone on the pitch the other day¡­¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, we all seem to know the same people,¡± said Hermione, checking her watch and then looking anxiously toward the door. ¡°I talked to Lavender and Parvati. Of course, Lavender already knew about it from Ron. I guess there might be a dozen peopleing; most of them are from Gryffindor.¡±

    ¡°I told the Frobishers, I think they¡¯re more reliable!¡± said Colin, ¡°and my brother.¡±

    ¡°I have here mainly a few first-year students who I think are trustworthy. After all, I¡¯ve been in contact with them more recently,¡± said Evan, opening his bottle of butterbeer, ¡°Oh, besides, there¡¯s Luna.¡±

    Many people in the school knew Evan, but Evan did not know many people.

    He usually didn¡¯t have much time for social activities. He couldn¡¯t even remember all the students in his own year, let alone those from other years!

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I told Astoria Greengrass about it after Charms ss a few days ago, and she seemed very interested.¡±

    ¡°Astoria Greengrass?!¡± Hermione froze for a moment, ¡°You mean the pure-blood Greengrass family?¡±

    ¡°Evan, you actually informed a Slytherin!¡± They all looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Well, not all Slytherins are bad, are they?¡± said Evan dismissively, understanding why they were so astonished. ¡°I¡¯ve had contact with Astoria a few times, and she seemed nice.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Ron hesitated for a moment before continuing, ¡°But she¡¯s a Slytherin!¡±

    ¡°As long as she¡¯s willing to stand up against Voldemort, I consider her on our side,¡± said Evan. ¡°Slytherin is also part of Hogwarts. Not all Slytherins support Voldemort.¡±

    From Harry and Ron¡¯s expressions, they didn¡¯t seem entirely convinced by Evan¡¯s exnation.

    Just then, the door of the pub had opened. A thick band of dusty sunlight split the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the iing rush of a crowd of people.

    First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma Patil with Cho and one of her usually giggling girlfriends then, on her own and looking so dreamy that she might have walked in by ident, Luna Lovegood. She stood at the doorway, taking a moment to adjust, as if just realizing what was going on.

    Behind her were Katie Bell, Alicia Spi, and Angelina Johnson from the Gryffindor team, with this year¡¯s new substitutes, Ritchie Coote and Demelza Robins.

    Because of the training during this period, they were now quite familiar with Harry and Ron.

    And then there was Kate Olney and three first-year students who walked in hesitantly, seemingly intimidated by the Hog¡¯s Head Inn¡¯s air.

    Colin ¡®s younger brother Dennis Creevey also entered, almost as small as a first-year student.

    He was apanied by the Frobishers, apparently meticulously dressed.

    A few secondster, Ernie Macmin and Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff also came, followed by Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long it down her back whose name Evan did not know.

    Then there were three Ravenw boys named Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot, who probably had been informed by Ginny who followed them.

    Unlike some of the others, Ginny was quite popr in school and knew many people.

    She was followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose whom Evan recognized vaguely as being a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. He was holding hands with Ginny.

    Judging from the simple act of them holding hands, it seemed that Ginny¡¯s rtionship with him was not that simple¡­

    And then, bringing up the rear, there were Fred and George Weasley with their friend Lee Jordan, all three of whom were carryingrge paper bags crammed with Zonko¡¯s merchandise.

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 Chapter 968: Doubt

    Chapter 968: Doubt

    ¡°All the people are here, and there are still a few who can¡¯te today. We¡¯ll inform them of the discussion resultster.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are more people than expected. The idea seemed quite popr,¡± said Hermione happily.

    ¡°Yeah, everyone wants to learn magic from Evan.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness, the Slytherin girl didn¡¯te!¡± Ron looked at the crowd, seemingly relieved.

    Evan had also invited Astoria with a willingness to give it a try. He believed that in improving their strength to confront Voldemort and evil gods, Slytherin shouldn¡¯t be singled out, and not everyone in that House was a Dark wizard or irredeemable viin.

    Szar Slytherin was a great wizard, and so were the students who carried his will.

    Not to mention, Astoria had a great personality, and unlike traditional Slytherins, she was not a fanatical supporter of the pure-blood ideology.

    But even if she didn¡¯te, Evan could understand. After all, she still had to consider the opinions of others around her.

    Not everyone had the courage to be an ¡°outsider,¡± especially in the ¡°cruel¡± environment of Slytherin.¡°Don¡¯t stand there stupidly; let¡¯s quickly pull up some more chairs.¡±

    Inside the Hog¡¯s Head Inn, students came in one by one. Aberforth The barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a ss with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he had never seen his pub so full.

    ¡°Hi, barman,¡± said Fred, reaching the bar first and counting hispanions quickly. ¡°Could we have ¡­ twenty-seven butterbeers, please?¡±

    Aberforth red at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

    ¡°Cheers,¡± said Fred, handing them out. ¡°Cough up, everyone; I haven¡¯t got enough gold for all of these.¡±

    Therge chattering group took their beers from Fred and rummaged in their robes to find coins. They seemed excited and curious, as if they were on an outing. Only Luna sat alone in a daze.

    When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Evan and Harry.

    Evan was fine, but Harry¡¯s mouth was exceptionally dry. Cho had just smiled at him and sat down on Ron¡¯s right.

    Her friend, who had curly reddish-blonde hair, did not smile, but gave Harry a thoroughly mistrustful look, and then nced at Evan with the same look, the expression on her face inly indicating that, given her way, she would not be here at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to say much, I think you know why you¡¯re here today!¡± said Evan, seeing Aberforth ring at them angrily from behind the bar, as if they were having an illicit meeting. Mundungus also leaned forward.

    ¡°Evan, I heard that you want to teach everyone magic?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Hermione replied directly, ¡°As you all know, Evan is going to teach us Defense Against the Dark Arts and learn some real skills, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us. If you don¡¯t have any objections¡­¡±

    ¡°I have no objections at all, what you said is great!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right; nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts!¡±

    ¡°I believe in Evan¡¯s strength, just look at what he¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already had Evan teach us magic before, and he¡¯s been great at it.¡±

    ¡°Well, what Evan and I mean is to carry out formal training, so that everyone can learn how to effectively defend themselves, not only to learn those theories, but also to get in touch with actualbat and conduct real dueling practice,¡± Because of the enthusiastic response of everyone, Hermione¡¯s voice became suddenly much stronger and more confident. She took a deep breath before finishing her words, ¡°Because Voldemort¡¯s back!¡±

    As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, the reaction was immediate.

    Cho¡¯s friend shrieked and slopped butterbeer down herself, Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch, Padma Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough.

    All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Evan, Harry, and Hermione.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n, and that¡¯s why I called for the formation of such an organization.¡± Evan followed Hermione¡¯s words, ¡°If you want to join us, we need to decide how we¡¯re going to proceed. Besides Hermione, Harry¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Wait a minute, where¡¯s the proof You-Know-Who¡¯s back?¡± said the blond Hufflepuff yer in a rather aggressive voice.

    After entering the Hog¡¯s Head Inn, he let go of Ginny¡¯s hand, but sat down next to her.

    Ginny seemed a bit displeased; the guy had seemed a bit forceful at the Inn¡¯s entrance, trying to hold her hand in front of so many people. When she entered, she had shrugged off his hand, but she hadn¡¯t refused to let him sit next to her.

    ¡°Oh, we have talked about this topic many times!¡± said Evan, not wanting to continue exining.

    ¡°Yeah, Dumbledore also believes¡­¡± Hermione was interrupted before finishing her sentence.

    ¡°Are you trying to say that Dumbledore believes them?!¡± said the blond boy, raising his chin and nodding at Evan and Harry, ¡°But the Daily Prophet says otherwise. It says they¡¯re lying.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± said Ron rather rudely, not liking him since he firstid eyes on him.

    Exchanging a nce with Evan, he also noticed that the guy went straight for Ginny¡¯s hand.

    If there weren¡¯t so many people around, he¡¯d definitely go and ask what was going on.

    ¡°Zacharias Smith,¡± said the boy, ¡°I admit Mason is very strong and has done a lot of things, but before learning anybat skills with him, I think we¡¯ve got the right to know exactly what makes you say You-Know-Who¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°Look,¡± said Hermione, intervening swiftly, with a slight frown, ¡°that¡¯s really not what this meeting was supposed to be about.¡±

    ¡°And I don¡¯t want to continue talking about it either. Since the beginning ofst term, Harry and I have exined many times,¡± said Evan. ¡°In my opinion, it hasn¡¯t achieved much, and it¡¯s just satisfying your curiosity over and over.¡±

    ¡°People have the right to know the truth. Where did you and Potter go, and what did you do during the time you disappeared at the bottom of thekest term?¡± Zacharias continued on, as if he hadn¡¯t heard Evan and Hermione¡¯s words, ¡°Tell us, why do you say You-Know-Who has returned? Also, why did Cedric transfer to another school? What did you do to him, and where¡¯s he now? Potter said a while ago he became a vampire, what¡¯s that all about?

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 Chapter 969: Persuasion and Protection

    Chapter 969: Persuasion and Protection

    His series of questions changed the atmosphere suddenly, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

    Even Aberforth was listening, and he kept wiping the same ss with the filthy rag, it was bing steadily dirtier.

    ¡°What is the truth?¡± Zacharias asked proudly, looking at Evan provocatively, as if asking him if he dared to say it.

    ¡°The truth is that Voldemort is back, and Harry and I saw hime back with our own eyes!¡± said Evan, looking at Zacharias straight in the face. ¡°Dumbledore told the whole school what happenedst year, including Cedric¡¯s transfer, and if you didn¡¯t believe him, you don¡¯t believe us, and Harry and I are not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to talk about the situation back then,¡± said Harry. ¡°Dumbledore has made it very clear!¡±

    ¡°Hmph, Dumbledore didn¡¯t actually say muchst term. He only gave a conclusion. He didn¡¯t tell us the specific details or what really happened with Diggory,¡± said Zacharias dismissively, ¡°I really want to know¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I think he didn¡¯t let you know the specific situation because you don¡¯t have the corresponding strength. Knowing more is of no use but to satisfy your meaningless curiosity and provide a boring after-dinner conversation,¡± said Evan bluntly. ¡°Think about it, what can you do? Are you rushing to fight Voldemort, or to avenge Cedric? You can¡¯t do anything, people have the right to know the truth, but with your current level of magic, you have no qualifications to know the truth.¡±

    Evan¡¯s words left Zacharias alternating between pale and red on his face. He was far from the overbearing attitude he had just exhibited. He seemed to want to retort, but thinking about Evan¡¯s past experiences and the rumors in the school, he truly didn¡¯t know what to say.

    However, he continued to gaze intently at Evan without showing any weakness, as if he wanted to see just how oundish Evan¡¯s lies were.¡°I¡¯ll repeat, if any of you came here for this reason, you can leave now. I won¡¯t teach magic to someone like that, and I don¡¯t wee such individuals,¡± Evan continued, shifting his gaze away from Zacharias. ¡°I also hope you understand that my promise to teach you magic isn¡¯t contingent on you fighting Voldemort or doing anything for me. You don¡¯t need to worry about that, as it¡¯s not necessary at the moment. Your current abilities are utterly useless against real Dark wizards. To be frank, you¡¯re all nothing more than trash right now. Besides throwing your lives away or burdening others, you¡¯re useless trash. I don¡¯t need the help of trash.¡±

    The atmosphere was extremely tense, and under the oppression of Evan¡¯s sudden burst of momentum, no one spoke.

    Although what he said was ugly, the fact was true. Whether they were willing to admit it or not, their strength was indeed very poor.

    If Evan wished, he could easily defeat everyone present.

    This was a disy of dominance based on strength; he had the right to speak these words to them. In his eyes, these students were all trash!

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to spend precious time teaching you magic, because you¡¯re students of Hogwarts. I hope that when danger strikes, you can have the strength to protect yourselves and the people you hold dear. I hope you can stand up and fight like true wizards, even if it means dying in battle, because it would be honorable and remembered. You will have struggled and fought, not helplessly kneeling begging for mercy. You¡¯ll be surviving, not crawling under the robes of Voldemort or Death Eaters, shivering.¡±

    As Evan spoke, everyone¡¯s expressions were obviously much more serious than before.

    As long as there was courage and uprightness, no one wanted to beg for mercy or flee. If possible, everyone would want to fight to the end, giving their all to protect what mattered to them. Many people in the room felt a deep resonance with this sentiment.

    Most of them had already agreed with Evan¡¯s words, even the girls.

    Only Zacharias seemed a bit unwilling. He still retorted, ¡°If you¡¯re talking about danger from You-Know-Who¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just Voldemort. In the past few years, I¡¯ve experienced many things you haven¡¯t, and I¡¯ve witnessed evil and terrifying forces that surpass Voldemort by countless times. These dangers could strike at any time,¡± Evan interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve decided to teach you magic, help you withbat training. I can tell you inly, the Ministry of Magic and Umbridge wouldn¡¯t approve of this. I know some of you might sumb to pressure and report this, but I don¡¯t care, because when that dreadful evil arrives, all these petty disputes will be nothing more than a joke.¡±

    ¡°A greater danger? A danger more evil and terrifying than Voldemort?¡±

    Everyone murmured in interest, many seemingly skeptical, yet unable to refute Evan.

    At least the aura Evan had just exhibited was beyond their means to contend with.

    And what he said was also very reasonable. Evan¡¯s willingness to spend time teaching them magic was already an unimaginable opportunity for them.

    Behind the bar, Aberforth stopped bothering to clean the dirty ss, tossing the rag aside.

    His mouth hung open, his bright blue eyes locked onto Evan, as if he thought he had gone mad.

    ¡°If you have no more doubts, I hope we can continue¡­¡± Evan lightly nudged Hermione with his foot.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± Hermione reacted immediately, and her voice became sharp and thin again, ¡°Evan made it quite clear just now. I think you should understand. Let me ask again, do you all agree to let Evan teach us?¡±

    There was a brief silence, and then everyone murmured agreement, except for Zacharias, with his arms folded and disdain on his face.

    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re not seriously buying into his nonsense, are you? Greater danger than You-Know-Who¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re willing to believe Evan. He¡¯s never let us down,¡± said Colin. ¡°If he says You-Know-Who is back, then he¡¯s definitely back. If he says a greater danger is looming, it¡¯s bound to arrive. Evan¡¯s right. I want to learn more magic before that dayes, to protect my family, friends, and Hogwarts!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, shut your mouth!¡± Ron shouted, raising his voice. ¡°Evan made it clear. Either leave now or stay quiet. And you better keep your distance from my sister. You¡¯re sitting way too close to her.¡±

    He was now looking at Zacharias as though he would like nothing better than to thump him. Zacharias flushed.

    Ginny flushed too, and she red at Zacharias before leaning closer to Hermione.

    She really regretted it now, why did she bring this idiot here? ¡­

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 Chapter 970: List and Curse

    Chapter 970: List and Curse

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m here to learn from Mason, so he should at least show some magic,¡± said Zacharias.

    ¡°Do you think this is a sideshow or a performance? Evan doesn¡¯t need to prove anything anymore!¡± Fred said angrily, ¡°Is there anyone in school who doesn¡¯t know his strength? And yeah, you really need to stay away from Ginny, The distance between you makes me ufortable.¡±

    ¡°What, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hufflepuff, you¡¯ve got too many questions. Would you like us to clean out your brain for you?¡± inquired George, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko¡¯s bags.

    ¡°Or any part of your body, really, we¡¯re not fussy where we stick this,¡± said Fred.

    Looking at the instrument in George¡¯s hand, Zacharias hummed a few words, did not dare to speak, and did not exin his rtionship with Ginny.

    Speaking of which, the two of them had just started dating, and they¡¯d barely even held hands. He didn¡¯t want to lose such a beautiful girlfriend over this. Ginny was one of the best in school, and she had never promised to date anyone before.

    What¡¯s more, he also felt that there was no way to continue to question Evan; the difference in their abilities was clear!

    ¡°Okay, right!¡± Hermione said quickly, ¡°To get to the point, since you all agree that Evan will teach everyone magic, the next question is how often we do it. We used to have lessons once a week, so I don¡¯t think having them less frequently than that would be useful.¡±¡°Hang on,¡± said Angelina, ¡°we need to make sure this doesn¡¯t sh with our Quidditch practice.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Cho, ¡°nor with ours.¡±

    ¡°Nor ours,¡± added Zacharias Smith.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure we can find a night that suits everyone,¡± said Hermione, slightly impatiently, ¡°but you know, this is rather important, we¡¯re talking about learning to defend ourselves against future dangers, Not to mention Quidditch, this matter is even more important than our O.W.L.sing up.¡±

    Hermione paused, but no one contradicted her, and everyone seemed to think that what she said made sense.

    But even so, they couldn¡¯t afford to neglect Quidditch training. It was a contradiction.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Granger!¡± said Ernie Macmin of Hufflepuff. ¡°I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells. In my opinion, they¡¯re crazy. It¡¯s a waste of time. Any High Inquisitor is purely superfluous.¡±

    ¡°As Evan said just now, the Ministry of Magic will of course oppose our practice of Defense Against the Dark Arts, which is not surprising at all,¡± said Hermione. ¡°You may not know, but Umbridge¡¯s got some ¡­ some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he¡¯d mobilize us against the Ministry.¡±

    Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood, who piped up, ¡°Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± said Harry,pletely thrown by this unexpected piece of information.

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s got an army of Heliopaths,¡± said Luna solemnly.

    ¡°Impossible,¡± snapped Hermione.

    ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true.¡±

    ¡°What are Heliopaths?¡± asked Neville, looking nk.

    ¡°They¡¯re spirits of fire,¡± said Luna, her protuberant eyes widening so that she looked madder than ever. ¡°Great tall ming creatures that gallop across the ground, burning everything in front of them.¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t exist, Neville,¡± said Hermione tartly.

    ¡°Oh yes they do!¡± said Luna angrily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but where¡¯s the proof of that?¡± snapped Hermione.

    ¡°There are plenty of eyewitness ounts. A lot of people have seen them. They¡¯re hiding underground at the Ministry, and just because you¡¯re so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you.¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>,¡± said Ginny in such a good imitation of Professor Umbridge that several people looked around in rm and thenughed. ¡°Forget about Heliopaths. Weren¡¯t we trying to decide how often we¡¯re going to meet and get Defense lessons?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s get back to the serious stuff,¡± said Evan. ¡°These guys are way too opinionated!¡±

    If Hermione and Luna were allowed to continue, they could argue all day, and in the end, no one would convince the other.

    As for Ron and Zacharias, if no one else was around, they would probably start fighting right away.

    As long as Cho was here, Harry couldn¡¯t speak at all, and just kept stealing nces at her.

    Neville was pretty much believing whatever was said and was earnestly discussing with them. The Creevey brothers were simr.

    Fred and George were entirely focused on the prank products they had just bought. Zonko¡¯s Joke Shop didn¡¯t need to sell them anything anymore; the twins had cracked all their core products and were producing even better prank items. If this continued, Zonko¡¯s would close!

    As for Angelina, she hadn¡¯t given up on persuading the Frobishers to join the Gryffindor team.

    And the other girls on the team chatted enthusiastically with the boys from Ravenw, and the boys from Hufflepuff seemed to be very interested in the seniors.

    If it continued like this, this discussion wouldpletely turn into a dating meeting. Ginny was probably the only one who was still somewhat normal.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Hermione, ¡°we¡¯re talking about serious business now, do you have any good advice on timing?¡±

    ¡°No problem, once a week sounds cool,¡± said Lee Jordan.

    ¡°As long as ¡ª¡± began Angelina.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch, we¡¯ll make sure it won¡¯t sh with your Quidditch practice,¡± said Hermione in a tense voice. ¡°So, let¡¯s settle on once a week for now. As for the meeting ce, we used to use an empty ssroom or the Gryffindormon room, but obviously that won¡¯t do. We¡¯re deciding on the Room of Requirement on the eighth floor of the castle.¡±

    ¡°Never heard of such a room.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s hidden and only appears when needed!¡± Hermione said simply, ¡°When we confirm the time for the first meeting, we will notify everyone. Now ¡­¡± She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill. ¡°I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think,¡± she took a deep breath, ¡°that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we¡¯re doing. So if you sign, you¡¯re agreeing not to tell Umbridge ¡ª or anybody else ¡ª what we¡¯re up to.¡±

    Hermione seemed a little hesitant, and Evan knew that it was time to say the following words himself!

    ¡°To ensure the secrecy of the organization, I¡¯ll cast a spell on this parchment. Anyone who personally signs their name on it should uphold this point ¨C they mustn¡¯t discuss this matter with outsiders,¡± said Evan. ¡°Once leaked, you¡¯ll face a dreadful curse, I promise, a magic you¡¯ll be remembering forever.¡±

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 Chapter 971: Love and Despair

    Chapter 971: Love and Despair

    ¡°What, a curse?!¡± Several people looked at Evan in astonishment, making sure that he wasn¡¯t joking.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to do that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just participating in an interest activity group, but it feels like we¡¯re plotting a rebellion.¡±

    ¡°This is a measure to prevent informants; it¡¯s necessary!¡± said Evan. ¡°If anyone disagrees, you can still back out now, but once you put your name down, the magic will take effect.¡±

    Under Evan¡¯s gaze, several people obviously lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.

    ¡°I actually find it quite interesting,¡± said George.

    ¡°It sounds cool, like a secret society,¡± said Fred with interest. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t snitch.¡±

    With the others watching, he reached for the parchment and cheerfully put down his signature, followed by George.

    But several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list.Simply signing their names was enough to make them hesitate, let alone what terrible curse Evan would use.

    That sounded very evil, and many people didn¡¯t have the courage¡­

    ¡°Er ¡­¡± said Zacharias slowly, not taking the parchment that George was trying to pass him. ¡°Well¡­ is it really necessary? I won¡¯t snitch either; and I¡¯m sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is¡­¡±

    But Ernie was looking rather hesitant about signing too, gazing anxiously at the parchment.

    ¡°I ¡ª well, we are prefects,¡± Ernie burst out. ¡°And if this list was found ¡­ well, I mean to say ¡­ you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out¡­¡±

    ¡°Come on, Evan is still the Head Boy. If anything happens, he¡¯ll handle it.¡±

    ¡°You just said this group was the most important thing you¡¯d do this year.¡±

    ¡°I ¡ª yes,¡± said Ernie, ¡°yes, I do believe that, it¡¯s just¡­¡±

    ¡°Ernie, do you really think I¡¯d leave that list lying around?¡± said Hermione testily.

    ¡°No, no, of course not!¡± said Ernie hastily, ¡°but I still, I¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you all should be cautious. You need to think carefully before putting your names down,¡± Evan reminded. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to sign out of embarrassment or being coerced, only to regret itter. And we¡¯ll be more selective in recruiting members in the future, with more magical protections, not just this list. If anyone feels ufortable, it¡¯s better to withdraw now.¡±

    Evan¡¯s reminder actually made them more apprehensive. In silence, the list was passed through the crowd.

    Some added their names, others hesitated. The scene resembled a mysterious ritual.

    All the Gryffindors didn¡¯t hesitate and signed their names.

    Besides that, there was Luna, who wrote a big name with flying colors.

    Finally, the list was passed back to Ernie.

    ¡°Well, I still believe in Evan, you know, and this matter is really important, and it¡¯s not a bad thing to learn more magic,¡± he said, seemingly determined, as he signed his name on the list.

    Nobody raised objections after Ernie, and everyone silently signed their names, though Harry saw Cho¡¯s friend give her a rather reproachful look before adding her name.

    When thest person ¡ª Zacharias ¡ª had reluctantly signed, Evan took the list.

    He tapped on it with his wand, and a blood-red light shed across the list, as if it was going to swallow all the light around it, and then it returned to normal, but it seemed that something was different, and everyone gasped.

    At this time, their eyes were obviously full of awe and a little worry when they looked at the parchment.

    Finally, Hermione took the parchment back and slipped it carefully into her bag.

    There was an odd feeling in the group now. It was as though they had just signed some kind of contract.

    ¡°Well, time¡¯s ticking on,¡± said Fred briskly, getting to his feet. ¡°George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase; we¡¯ll be seeing you allter!¡±

    In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave too. Cho made rather a business of fastening the catch on her bag before leaving, her long dark curtain of hair swinging forward to hide her face. She seemed to want to say something to Evan and Harry, but her friend stood beside her, arms folded, clicking her tongue, so that Cho had little choice but to leave with her.

    ¡°Well, I think that went quite well,¡± said Hermione happily, as she, Evan, Harry, Ron, and Colin walked out of the Hog¡¯s Head into the bright sunlight a few momentster. ¡°The next step is to start organizing the activities.¡±

    ¡°That Zacharias bloke¡¯s a wart,¡± said Ron, who was glowering after the figure of Smith just discernible in the distance. ¡°And, what the hell is his rtionship with Ginny?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably dating, or about to start dating. Today was their first date. Ginny just told me; she¡¯s nning to change her partner,¡± said Hermione. ¡°His behavior really rubbed her the wrong way. If not for both Evan and me thinking that the more people, the better, I¡¯d rather he didn¡¯t join¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, what did you just say?¡± Ron, who had been draining thest few drops from his butterbeer bottle, gagged and sprayed butterbeer down his front. ¡°She¡¯s dating? My sister¡¯s dating?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about it? There are a lot of people chasing Ginny. Otherwise, why do you think those Ravenw boys, Michael Corner¡¯s friends, came? They¡¯re clearly more interested in Ginny than just studying Defense Against the Dark Arts,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I think she¡¯s considering Michael; he¡¯s much better than that Zacharias and has a good reputation at school. Ginny told me that Michael has been pursuing her since thest Yule Ball. Of course, many guys in school are pursuing Ginny. She was hesitant before and didn¡¯t agree, but she¡¯s finally figured it outtely. There¡¯s no need to keep waiting¡­¡±

    ¡°Goodness, Hermione, do you even know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± said Ron incredulously.

    ¡°I think you guys still don¡¯t understand the current situation, just like the Yule Ball, good girls won¡¯t just wait for you in vain,¡± said Hermione bluntly. ¡°If you don¡¯t make your move soon, someone else will snatch her away.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ but,¡± Ron hesitated for a long time before making up his mind to say it, ¡°I thought Ginny fancied Harry!¡±

    ¡°Ginny used to fancy Harry, but she gave up on him months ago. Like I said, you can¡¯t expect someone to wait around without any hope, can you?! Not that she doesn¡¯t like you, of course,¡± she added kindly to Harry, and turned to look at Evan, ¡°Well, I think I¡¯ll go buy something. Can you apany me?¡±

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 Chapter 972: New Educational Decrees and Punishments

    Chapter 972: New Educational Decrees and Punishments

    ¡°Wait a moment, make your words clear. Which one was Michael Corner?¡± Ron demanded furiously, panting heavily.

    ¡°The dark one,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t like him,¡± said Ron at once.

    ¡°Big surprise,¡± said Hermione under her breath. ¡°This is exactly why Ginny hasn¡¯t told you these things. She knew you¡¯d take it badly, harping on about it like you are now.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Who¡¯s taking anything badly? I¡¯m not going to harp on about anything!¡± Ron said, dissatisfied.

    ¡°You can think whatever you want, never mind. Just go find Lavender,¡± Hermione said feebly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to meet at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop? Don¡¯t keep her waiting for too long.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already annoying her, what love!¡± Ron muttered quietly. ¡°Makes no sense.¡±

    Evan also supported Ginny¡¯s attempt to find a new boyfriend. Although he also wanted to match Harry and Ginny, and helped them be dance partners at the Yule Ballst year, it was obvious that Harry¡¯s mind was not on Ginny at all, and no one else could help with such matters.

    Evan couldn¡¯t let Ginny wait for Harry there. Whenever he finally figured out that the girl around him was better than anyone else, it would be unfair to Ginny. After all, it was just dating, not marriage. It was better to let things happen naturally¡­If Evan had that much ability, he would also like to match Neville and Luna, Colin and a third-year Hufflepuff girl.

    But after a few contacts, the two sides didn¡¯t feel it at all, and no matter how eager others were, it was useless.

    Harry was thinking about Cho with all his heart. Because of Cedric, Cho must be very sad now, but he didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. She did seem to have a liking for Evan, but since Evan and Hermione went public with their rtionship, she probably felt that she didn¡¯t have much of a chance. In fact, after that, Evan received fewer love letters than before.

    But this didn¡¯t mean that Cho would like Harry. Evan thought she might be interested in those tall and big guys.

    Listening to Hermione and Ron¡¯s discussion, Harry didn¡¯t join in.

    His head was still full of the scene when Cho left, and he did not find this subject quite as interesting as Ron, who was positively quivering with indignation, but it did bring something home to him that until now he had not really registered.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why she talks now?¡± he asked Hermione. ¡°She never used to talk in front of me.¡±

    ¡°Exactly, because she was shy. But it doesn¡¯t matter now!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Evan and I have to go. I need to buy a new quill. With all the assignmentstely, they¡¯re getting used up too quickly. We¡¯ll see you at schoolter!¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    Overall, the rest of the weekend was more enjoyable.

    Evan and Hermione studied the charter, the name of the group, and the content to be taught in the first ss. He was going to start from the basics, and let Harry act as his assistant. Harry was strong in Defense Against the Dark Arts and his skills were recognized by everyone.

    If Evan left school one day, with Harry and Hermione around, the organization could continue to operate.

    Besides that, he also sought out the younger students who couldn¡¯t make it to Hogsmeade and discussed the results of their previous meeting at the Hog¡¯s Head Inn. Once he received their agreement, he had them write their names on the list.

    In the end, the confirmed total was around forty people, and Evan felt the number was still too small.

    But this wasn¡¯t something to be rushed. People would gradually join once the activities began. He also wanted to get the prefects involved.

    While Evan and Hermione were busy with this, Harry, Ron, and Colin were all working on their assignments.

    Thest burst of autumn sunshine persisted, so rather than sitting hunched over tables in themon room, they took their work outside and lounged in the shade of arge beech tree on the edge of theke, as many did.

    The pleasant atmospherested until Sunday afternoon when Umbridge returned!

    Evan didn¡¯t see her in person, and he didn¡¯t know what happened to the curse scar on her face, but he saw a new Educational Decree and arge sign affixed to the Gryffindor notice board.

    When he and Hermione returned from checking out the grounds in the Room of Requirement, they saw many people gathered in front of the notice board.

    It was a huge new notice, sorge that it covered everything else on the notice board, including the lists of secondhand spellbooks for sale, the regr reminders of school rules from Argus Filch, the Quidditch team training schedule, the offers to barter certain Chocte Frog cards for others, the Weasleys¡¯ new advertisement for testers, the dates of the Hogsmeade weekends, and the lost-and-found notices.

    The new sign was printed inrge ck letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.

    ¡°Educational Decree Number Twenty-four ¡°:

    ¡ª BY ORDER OF ¡ª

    THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

    All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.

    An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regr meeting of three or more students.

    Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).

    Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

    Below was another Educational Decree, Number Twenty-five, it seemed that Umbridge had gone ruthless!

    ¡°Educational Decree Number Twenty -five¡±:

    The High Inquisitor will henceforth have supreme authority over all punishments, sanctions, and removal of privileges pertaining to the students of Hogwarts, and the power to alter such punishments, sanctions, and removals of privileges as may have been ordered by other staff members.

    The signatures under both Educational Decrees were Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, Order of Merlin First ss, etc., etc¡­

    In addition to that, after the implementation of Educational Decree Number Twenty-five, Umbridge¡¯s first punishment decree came into effect, removing Evan from his position as the Head Boy.

    ¡°She revoked your position as Head Boy. How could she do that¡­¡±

    ¡°If this Educational Decree is in effect, then she has the authority to do so. Even the headmaster can¡¯t stop her. In this aspect, she¡¯s above the headmaster. But I don¡¯t care about the position of Head Boy,¡± said Evan nonchntly. ¡°If I¡¯m exempted, so be it.¡±

    Although the High Inquisitor had the power to make the final decision on punishments, Dumbledore¡¯s bottom line was certainly the authority to expel students. That was something Fudge and Umbridge couldn¡¯t take away, at least not before he left Hogwarts. So Evan didn¡¯t need to worry too much.

    As long as there was no excuse left, Umbridge would not be able to do much to him. This was probably her limit!

    As for finding excuses to put Evan in detention, she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to do so after thest incident!

    Anyway, removing him from the Head Boy was a meaningless punishment for Evan. If Dumbledore left Hogwarts, he certainly wouldn¡¯t stay here either¡­

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 Chapter 973: Impact of the New Education Decree

    Chapter 973: Impact of the New Education Decree

    Although Evan didn¡¯t care at all, his position as Head Boy being revoked by Umbridge still caused quite a stir at school.

    In addition to sympathy and indignation, there were also many people who were gloating about his misfortune, mainly Slytherin students.

    In their eyes, this was the consequence of defying the Ministry of Magic, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before Evan would be expelled from school!

    Perhaps even Umbridge herself thought the same, but it was better not to provoke Evan before that.

    Evan could make others wary not because of his position as Head Boy, but because of his own strength.

    When Harry, Ron, Neville, Colin, and a few others came back from theke and saw the sign, they were all very angry. Many people came tofort Evan, advised him not to pay attention to it, or suggested that he go to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

    But that would not change anything. Professor McGonagall had told Evan about this before, and she said that she would try her best to fight for him, but it was obviously unsessful. The Educational Decree Number Twenty-five gave Umbridge the authority to override the Headmaster and Heads of Houses.

    In addition, the most discussed topic in the school was the Educational Decree Number Twenty-four.

    In the short term, the impact of this decree was beyond imagination. Disbanding all student organizations for re-forming meant that from now on, all organizations were illegal until approved by Umbridge.Not counting fully recognized groups, Hogwarts currently had thousands of rted organizations, clubs, and groups, including those handed down from history, student-initiated ones, and those officially recognized by the school.

    If they were all canceled and it was up to Umbridge to decide whether to approve their reformation, the impact would be enormous.

    After having the power to inspect professors¡¯ teaching standards and the authority to dismiss them, Umbridge also began to take action on students and carry outprehensive reforms.

    In other words, she had already established enough deterrence between professors and ordinary students.

    In the future, anyone wanting to cross Umbridge or oppose her would have to consider the consequences, which might not be as simple as a detention!

    Of course, Umbridge¡¯s dislike for daring to do this also increased sharply.

    ¡°This is revenge. She must know that we met at the Hog¡¯s Head Inn.¡± Harry said, his hands forming fists.

    ¡°You mean someone snitched?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°Think about it, there were people listening in that pub, even Mundungus dressed up as a woman and sat there, no one can tell if anyone was Umbridge¡¯s eyes and ears. And let¡¯s face it, we don¡¯t know how many of the people who turned up we can trust. Many of the people who came this time we rarely interact with, or we don¡¯t even know their names. Any of them could have run off and told Umbridge!¡±

    ¡°It must be Zacharias Smith, that annoying guy!¡± Ron punched a fist into his hand. ¡°Or, um, I thought that Michael Corner had a really shifty look too¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Ron, you can¡¯t be suspicious of anyone who likes Ginny,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°The spell I cast on the parchment has not been touched, and it¡¯s impossible for anyone to have informed on us,¡± said Evan. ¡°Don¡¯t be suspicious. Although those two guys are indeed annoying, we need to maintain the basic trust.¡±

    That evening, during dinner in the Great Hall, there was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Evan was dismissed as the Head Boy, and he became the focus again.

    Other students who had just joined them kept running over to ask what to do.

    ¡°Evan, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°No need to ask, we¡¯re going to do it anyway, of course,¡± said Evan to Neville, Dean, Fred, George, and Ginny. ¡°And I think this actually has little impact on us. The Defense Against the Dark Arts group we formed was illegal from the start.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that,¡± said George, beaming. ¡°By the way, we saw the news of your dismissal. Anyway, wee back. The Head Boy isn¡¯t a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, think about Percy, he¡¯s the biggest idiot in the world. The stupidest thing he did in his life was to be the Head Boy. He kept telling us what not to do, but he couldn¡¯t even manage himself,¡± Fred said.

    ¡°We can start ying pranks together again in the future without any burden or worry about your position,¡± George thumped Harry on the arm. ¡°Honestly, we can¡¯t do without you¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯reforting Evan?¡± Hermione said, looking unhappy.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Hermione; this isn¡¯tforting, it¡¯s weing. Evan is very talented at pranks. So let¡¯s create chaos in the school together,¡± said Fred, looking quizzically at Ron and Hermione. ¡°By the way, do the prefects want to do it too?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Hermione coolly.

    ¡°Well, it seems that no one has acted suspiciously; it looks like no one informed on us. Herees Ernie and Hannah Abbott!¡± said Ron, looking over his shoulder. ¡°And those Ravenw blokes and that annoying git, Smith¡­¡±

    ¡°The idiots can¡¯te over here now, it¡¯ll look really suspicious ¡ª sit down!¡± Hermione looked rmed. She mouthed to Ernie and Hannah, gesturing frantically to them to rejoin the Hufflepuff table. ¡°Later! We¡¯ll ¡ª talk ¡ª to ¡ª you ¡ªter!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Michael,¡± said Ginny impatiently, swinging herself off her bench. ¡°The fool, honestly¡­¡±

    She hurried off toward the Ravenw table, and they watched her go, including Harry who also looked in the direction of Cho.

    ¡°So, our little sister finally has a new boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Another dimwit, just like Zacharias,¡± said Ron, staring at Ginny and Michael.

    ¡°Michael is not as bad as you make him out to be, and his grades are much better than yours. If you cared about performance, you¡¯d notice that his grades in Potions are always excellent. Snape rarely gives anyone an ¡®Outstanding¡¯,¡± said Hermione fairly.

    ¡°Another nerd!¡± Ron muttered under his breath.

    ¡°Harry! Ron! Fred! George!¡±

    Just then, Angelina hurried toward them.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Angelina!¡± said Harry quietly, when she was near enough to hear him. ¡°We¡¯re still going to¡­¡±

    ¡°You realize she¡¯s including Quidditch in this?¡± Angelina said over him. ¡°We have to go and ask permission to re-form the Gryffindor team!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± said Harry, his eyes widening in shock. He had never considered this possibility.

    ¡°No way,¡± said Ron, appalled.

    ¡°You read the sign, it mentions teams too! So listen, you guys, especially you, Harry ¡­ I am saying this for thest time¡­ Please, please don¡¯t lose your temper with Umbridge again or she might not let us y anymore!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± said Harry, for Angelina looked as though she was on the verge of tears. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll behave myself¡­¡±

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 Chapter 974: Nevilles Wrath

    Chapter 974: Neville''s Wrath

    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss on Monday morning, Evan met Umbridge who had returned.

    There was a gentle smile on her face, and the scar was gone, leaving only a red patch.

    As usual, Umbridge asked everyone to continue reading <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>.

    She didn¡¯t trouble Evan; in fact, she acted as if he didn¡¯t exist, just like Snape usually did.

    The only difference was that her toad-like eyes kept staring at Evan, and he couldn¡¯t figure out what she was up to.

    Evan felt very ufortable being stared at by her, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to Umbridge, and he didn¡¯t even read <i>Defensive Magical Theory</i>. She didn¡¯t seem to care whether he was present or not. Continuing like this, he thought he could skip the next ss!

    Umbridge was now really like a toad, not biting or responding to people¡­

    Of course, she was a toad with fangs and sharp teeth. Once Evan made a mistake, she would immediately show them and take a bite without hesitation.

    But now, she couldn¡¯t do much to Evan. Normal point deductions or detentions didn¡¯t work on him. Since stepping down as the Head Boy, Evan¡¯s social interactions had been minimal, and Umbridge couldn¡¯t use anything else to threaten him.That was not the case with Harry, who was still thinking about his Quidditch¡­

    Beneath the school¡¯s calm surface, there were undercurrents. Three consecutive Educational Decrees had put Umbridge inplete opposition to the entire Hogwartsmunity. Many people were already very unhappy with Umbridge, but a fuse was still missing before the explosion.

    Overall, Umbridge¡¯s first day back was rtively calm, except for Neville¡¯s outburst.

    This incident happened before the Potions ss in the fifth year, and it had something to do with Umbridge.

    ¡°I wonder how Evan¡¯s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss is going. Did that old toad make things difficult for him?¡±

    ¡°Evan should be fine, he knows what¡¯s appropriate, but Harry, you really shouldn¡¯t conflict with Professor Umbridge anymore, and don¡¯t get into trouble!¡± Hermione reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t forget Angelina¡¯s requestst night ¡­ think about Quidditch.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll behave myself,¡± said Harry listlessly.

    The three of them trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions with other fifth-year students. All three of them were lost in thought, thinking about how to deal with Umbridge. But as they reached the bottom of the stairs they were recalled to themselves by the voice of Draco Malfoy.

    He was standing just outside Snape¡¯s ssroom door, waving around an official-looking piece of parchment and talking much louder than was necessary so that they could hear every word.

    ¡°Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue ying straightaway, I went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows my father really well, he¡¯s always popping in and out of the Ministry¡­ so there¡¯s no problem at all. It¡¯ll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep ying, won¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well done, Draco! Gryffindor is in trouble now, and that Mason guy, he¡¯s no longer the Head Boy; he¡¯ll probably be expelled from school soon,¡± said a very thin and tall boy standing next to Malfoy. ¡°Umbridge being at Hogwarts is fantastic; our whole family supports her!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t rise,¡± Hermione whispered imploringly to Harry and Ron, who were both watching Malfoy, faces set and fists clenched.

    ¡°Yeah, those people in Gryffindor can¡¯t understand the situation at all,¡± said Malfoy, raising his voice a little more, his gray eyes glittering malevolently in Harry and Ron¡¯s direction. He usually didn¡¯t talk about Evan and Hermione now, but was still full of malice towards Harry and Ron, and would not let go of any opportunity to provoke them, ¡°if it¡¯s a question of influence with the Ministry, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve got much chance¡­ From what my father says, they¡¯ve been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years¡­ And as for Potter ¡­ My father says it¡¯s a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St. Mungo¡¯s¡­ apparently they¡¯ve got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic! ¡°

    Malfoy made a grotesque face, his mouth sagging open and his eyes rolling. Crabbe and Goyle, and the Slytherin students gathered around him and gave their usual grunts ofughter, looking at the Gryffindors provocatively.

    Suddenly, something collided hard with Harry¡¯s shoulder, knocking him sideways.

    A split secondter, Harry realized that Neville had just charged past him, heading straight for Malfoy.

    ¡°Neville, no!¡± Harry reacted immediately. He leapt forward and seized the back of Neville¡¯s robes.

    Neville struggled frantically, his fists iling, trying desperately to get at Malfoy who looked, for a moment, extremely shocked and took several steps back, unable to realize what was going on.

    ¡°Help me!¡± Harry yelled to the others, managing to get an arm around Neville¡¯s neck and dragging him backward, away from the Slytherins, but Neville seemed to have gone mad, exerting too much force, and his face turned red as he lunged toward Malfoy.

    Ron hurried forward and seized Neville¡¯s arms; together, he and Harry seeded in dragging Neville back into the Gryffindor line.

    Crabbe and Goyle were now flexing their arms, closing in front of Malfoy, ready for the fight.

    Everyone around was stunned. The Slytherins stoppedughing and looked at Neville in horror.

    In their minds, Neville was a very timid student who could be bullied by almost anyone. They had never seen him like this before. At this moment, Neville¡¯s face was scarlet; the pressure Harry was exerting on his throat rendered him quite iprehensible, but odd words spluttered from his mouth.

    ¡°Not¡­ funny ¡­ don¡¯t ¡­ Mungo¡¯s ¡­ show ¡­ him ¡­¡±

    ¡°You must apologize to Neville!¡± Hermione said firmly, knowing exactly what had happened.

    While visiting Sirius at St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, they also met Neville¡¯s parents.

    They had been tortured crazy by the Cruciatus Curse and were still lying in the hospital¡¯s special ward. This was the most tragic thing that had ever happened to the Longbottom family.

    Hermione felt that this kind of suffering was even more terrifying than their direct death. It tormented Neville all the time, day after day, year after year, and had be the biggest burden and obstacle in his heart¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re crazy; we didn¡¯t say anything about him just now!¡± Malfoy said in a panic, taking another step back.

    He thought it would be better to avoid provoking these Gryffindors, as they were all lunatics.

    And his father¡¯s warning to have a good rtionship with Evan made Malfoy a little wary of Hermione, and he didn¡¯t dare to provoke her like before. Everyone knew the rtionship between Hermione and Evan.

    Since he couldn¡¯t afford to offend him, it was better to keep his distance. He stopped Goyle and Crabbe and didn¡¯t let them charge forward.

    Just then, the dungeon door opened.

    Snape appeared there. His ck eyes swept up the Gryffindor line to the point where Harry and Ron were wrestling with Neville.

    ¡°Fighting, Potter, Weasley, Longbottom?¡± Snape said in his cold, sneering voice. ¡°Twenty points from Gryffindor. Release Longbottom, Potter, or it will be detention. Now, keep quiet, and inside, all of you.¡±

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 Chapter 975: Deductions and Bonus Points

    Chapter 975: Deductions and Bonus Points

    Harry let go of Neville, who stood panting and ring at him.

    ¡°Why did you stop me?¡± he asked angrily.

    ¡°I had to stop you,¡± Harry gasped, picking up his bag. ¡°Crabbe and Goyle would¡¯ve torn you apart.¡±

    ¡°Neville, we¡­¡± Hermione paused, not knowing what to say.

    She shouldn¡¯t be talking about Neville¡¯s parents here; it was supposed to be a secret, something they had sworn not to tell anyone.

    Hermione wanted to say that she understood Neville, but could they really understand Neville¡¯s pain? The answer was obviously no.

    Neville said nothing; he merely snatched up his own bag and stalked off into the dungeon.

    Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked at each other, feeling uneasy about Neville¡¯s state, and followed him into the ssroom.

    They took their usual seats at the back of the ss and pulled out parchment, quills, and their copies of <i>One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi</i>. The ss around them was whispering about what Neville had just done.But when Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang everybody fell silent immediately.

    ¡°You will notice,¡± said Snape in his low, sneering voice, ¡°that we have a guest with us today.¡±

    He gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and Harry saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, clipboard on her knee.

    ¡°It¡¯s Umbridge!¡± He nced at Ron and Hermione and raised his eyebrows.

    Snape and Umbridge, the two teachers he hated most ¡­ it was hard to decide which he wanted to triumph over the other.

    Umbridge seemed to have recovered, there was no trace of being manipted by Evan, and she was still as annoying as before.

    ¡°We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left themst lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend ¡ª instructions¡± ¡ª he waved his wand again ¡ª ¡°on the board. Carry on.¡±

    Umbridge had not given up on evaluating the professors and started the work again on the first day after she came back.

    She included Snape in the assessment this time, knowing that she had never attended his Potions ss before.

    Snape¡¯s sses were like this ¨C no one was allowed to speak or ask questions. They didn¡¯t even need to open their potions textbooks. All the steps were written on the board. They only needed a copy of <i>One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi </i>for assistance to know the specific uses of herbs.

    Most of the brewing recipes given by Snape were slightly different from those in the books. Evan said he had improved them to make the potions more effective. He had even specially asked Percy for his Potions ss notes to study.

    But Harry remained skeptical because he had never been able to brew them properly and found it more effective to follow the textbook when making potions back at home.

    Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner and did not say a word.

    Harry was very interested in hearing her question Snape, so interested, that he was bing careless with his potion again.

    ¡°Smander blood, Harry!¡± Hermione moaned, grabbing his wrist to prevent him adding the wrong ingredient for the third time. ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong, it¡¯s not pomegranate juice!¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Harry vaguely, putting down the bottle and continuing to watch the corner, where Umbridge had just gotten to her feet.

    She strode between two lines of desks toward Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas¡¯s cauldron.

    ¡°Well, the ss seems fairly advanced for their level,¡± she said briskly to Snape¡¯s back. ¡°Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the sybus!¡±

    Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.

    ¡°Potions of this difficulty should be taught in the N.E.W.T level sses for advanced wizards. In my opinion, I think what they should be learning now is how to brew an antidote correctly.¡± Umbridge continued.

    ¡°That¡¯s a first year lesson, and as the Potions Master, it¡¯s up to me to decide what my students should learn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t agree with your viewpoint on this!¡± Umbridge said, starting to scribble on her clipboard. ¡°Now is not the time to discuss this matter, but I can reveal one thing: you will soon find out that the Ministry of Magic is going to reform the Hogwarts curriculum thoroughly. We will have experts examine what each year should be taught, rather than leaving it up to the professors. Now, please answer me, how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts? ¡°

    ¡°Fourteen years.¡± Snape¡¯s expression was unfathomable.

    His eyes on Snape, Harry added a few drops to his potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange.

    ¡°You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?¡± Professor Umbridge asked Snape.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Snape quietly.

    ¡°But you were unsessful?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡± Snape¡¯s lip curled.

    ¡°But why? This is really strange. The position of professor of this course is very vacant.¡± Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard. ¡°And you have applied regrly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.

    ¡°Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?¡± asked Umbridge.

    ¡°I suggest you ask him,¡± said Snape jerkily.

    ¡°Oh I shall,¡± said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile, ¡°Well, I heard that you are also a Potions Master? As far as I know, there are very few wizards with this title nowadays. Can you show me your skills? Brew a high-level potion?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Snape said coldly, his ck eyes narrowed, ¡°Is it relevant?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Professor Umbridge. ¡°Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers¡¯ backgrounds and abilities. If you can¡¯t prove yourself, it¡¯s a demerit. I must remind you that I will be looking into the research you submitted to earn that title, and I hope it stands up to expert scrutiny.¡±

    She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson and began questioning her about the lessons.

    Snape looked around at Harry and their eyes met for a second. Harry hastily dropped his gaze to his potion, which was now congealing foully and giving off a strong smell of burned rubber.

    ¡°No marks again, then, Potter,¡± said Snape maliciously, emptying Harry¡¯s cauldron with a wave of his wand. ¡°You will write me an essay on the correctposition of this potion, indicating how and why you went wrong, to be handed in next lesson, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Harry furiously.

    With a smile on her face, Umbridge looked at Snape¡¯s attitude towards Harry without stopping him.

    She was just writing something down quickly on her clipboard. It was unsure if it was a deduction or a bonus¡­

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 Chapter 976: Hagridâ€™s letter and request

    Chapter 976: Hagrid¡¯s letter and request

    Umbridge was now probably ready to implement her education reform steadily. Thest failures of Evan and Harry and the research of many think tanks in the Ministry of Magic had made her realize that she could not rush or use magic methods. Magic was not her strong suit, and there were far too many people at Hogwarts who were better at it than she was!

    If she continued to rely on her magic power, she might not even know how she was killed.

    Her advantage was the authority given to her by the Ministry of Magic over Hogwarts, so she was prepared to take full advantage of it.

    First, she issued two Educational Decrees after her return, canceling all student organizations and taking over the highest penalties and adjudication powers.

    Second, she removed Evan from his position as the Head boy.

    Finally, she continued her previous inspections and nned to expel a professor as soon as possible, forcing Dumbledore to make a mistake.

    Even if that failed, she would make them feel the power of the Ministry of Magic.

    Professor McGonagall and Snape were okay here. Although Umbridge didn¡¯t like them and knew that they were Dumbledore¡¯s right-hand people, she couldn¡¯t say anything. They taught very well and had real abilities.

    But Professor Trwney waspletely different here. Before entering the true prophetic state, she was just an old fraud.It was unknown what Umbridge said to her, but she was teaching her sses just fine, and then suddenly had a breakdown!

    ¡°Well, carry on, what are you doing standing there?!¡± said Professor Trwney loudly, her voice high pitched and somewhat hysterical. ¡°You know what to do! Or am I such a substandard teacher that you have never learned how to open a book?¡±

    The ss stared perplexedly at her and then at each other.

    Professor Trwney flounced back to the high-backed teacher¡¯s chair, her magnified eyes full of angry tears.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s got the results of her inspection back!¡± Ginny whispered. ¡°Umbridge sent back the results of the recent inspections yesterday. I heard from Michael that Professor McGonagall tore up the result of her inspection into pieces and threw it away in front of the whole ss.¡±

    That was very much in line with Professor McGonagall¡¯s style, but things weren¡¯t so easy for Professor Trwney!

    ¡°Professor, is there anything wrong?¡± a student asked.

    ¡°Wrong!¡± cried Professor Trwney in a voice throbbing with emotion. ¡°Certainly not! I have been insulted, certainly¡­ Insinuations have been made against me¡­ Unfounded usations levelled ¡­ but no, there is nothing wrong, certainly not¡­¡±

    She took a great shuddering breath and looked away from the student, angry tears spilling from under her sses.

    ¡°I say nothing,¡± she choked. ¡°I don¡¯t want to say it, of sixteen years¡¯ devoted service¡­ It has passed, apparently, unnoticed¡­ But I shall not be insulted, no, I shall not! If there everes a day like that, I¡¯ll leave by myself, rather than stay here and be insulted.¡±

    It was clear that Professor Trwney had nowhere to go, and if she had, she would probably leave immediately.

    For a prodigy who had dedicated her life to Divination, her ability to survive outside of Hogwarts was next to nil.

    Some people mighte to her for Divination, but apart from vague and death omens, they wouldn¡¯t get anything helpful from her.

    As far as Evan knew, wizards with real Divination abilities were very, very rare! Simr to the situation of pure-blood wizard families, the bloodline of ancient Seers and prophets was getting thinner and thinner, and this ability was also lost, just like no pure-blood wizard could still activate the blood magic of his family.

    ¡°But Professor, who¡¯s insulting you?¡±

    ¡°The establishment!¡± said Professor Trwney in a deep, dramatic, wavering voice. ¡°Yes, those with eyes too clouded by the Mundane to See as I See, to Know as I Know ¡­ Of course, we Seers have always been feared, always persecuted, since ancient times, they are afraid, afraid of the fate we See¡­ It is ¡ª s ¡ª our fate!¡±

    She gulped, dabbed at her wet cheeks with the end of her shawl, and then pulled a small, embroidered handkerchief from her sleeve, into which she blew her nose very hard with a sound like Peeves blowing a raspberry.

    ¡°If you mean Umbridge¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not speak to me about that woman!¡± cried Professor Trwney with all her might, leaping to her feet, her beads rattling and her spectacles shing, ¡°Now, Kindly continue with your work, quickly, start immediately!¡±

    And she spent the rest of the lesson striding among them, tears still leaking from behind her sses, muttering what sounded like threats under her breath.

    ¡°¡­ may well choose to leave ¡­ the indignity of it ¡­ on probation ¡­ we shall see ¡­ how she dares¡­¡±

    As expected, Professor Trwney would definitely be dismissed by Umbridge, with the only exception probably being Hagrid.

    If he came back, the two of them couldpete to see whose ss was worse, and then let Umbridge choose one.

    That night in the Gryffindormon room, Evan and Colin ryed Professor Trwney¡¯s performance to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, when a snow-white figure suddenly mmed into the window of themon room, with a thud.

    ¡°Oh my god, it¡¯s Hedwig, what¡¯s going on with her?¡±

    At this moment, Hedwig was perched on the narrow window ledge, gazing through the thick ss at them, a letter tied to her leg.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen her all day. She didn¡¯t appear this morning. I thought she went to the Forbidden Forest to hunt for food.¡± Harry said, walking over and opening the window to let Hedwig in. ¡°That¡¯s weird. Who could be writing to me?¡±

    He expected Hedwig to hold out her leg so that he could remove the letter and then fly off to the Owlery.

    But the moment the window was open wide enough she hopped inside, hooting dolefully.

    Harry quickly closed the window and Hedwig perched on his shoulder.

    ¡°Who wrote you the letter? Is it Snuffles?¡±

    ¡°Well, it seems not. He has his own means ofmunication and wouldn¡¯t use Hedwig.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, look, she¡¯s hurt!¡± Hermione said. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with her wing!¡±

    Everyone noticed that Hedwig¡¯s feathers were oddly ruffled; some were bent the wrong way, and she was quivering.

    When Harry made to touch the wing she gave a little jump, all her feathers on end as though she was inting herself, and gazed at him reproachfully.

    They all looked at each other, something was not right.

    ¡°She must have been attacked, maybe there¡¯s some wild beast around?¡± Ron hesitated.

    ¡°No way, Hogwarts creatures are all trained not to touch owls.¡±

    ¡°The injuries on her body seem to be man-made,¡± said Evan, looking at Hedwig¡¯s bent feathers, ¡°Someone must have intercepted her. We know that channels ofmunication in and out of Hogwarts are being watched. Someone recognized Hedwig and knew she was Harry¡¯s owl, wanting to get the letter on her leg.¡±

    ¡°We all know who it is, that despicable old toad!¡±

    ¡°If only Hagrid were here!¡± Harry opened the note that Hedwig brought. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a letter from Hagrid, addressed to Evan.¡±

    ¡°What does the letter say?¡±

    ¡°With the help of Madame Maxime, he is about to cross the English Channel. They cannot use magic because the whole of Britain is now closely watched by the Ministry of Magic. He¡¯ll probably arrive at Hogwartster this week¡­¡± Evan took the note handed over by Harry, ¡°Hmm, apart from reporting that he¡¯s safe, he wants me to negotiate with the Centaurs in the Forbidden Forest to see if they can clear out an area for Grawp to live in ¡­¡±

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 Chapter 977: No Practice

    Chapter 977: No Practice

    Since Evan got the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor in the Centaurs¡¯ tribe three years ago, he also gained their friendship.

    That piece of magical stone had been stored in the Centaurs¡¯ tribe for centuries, long enough for it to be endowed with countless additional meanings by the Centaurs. It was simply a sacred existence that could bepared with the stars and the beliefs of the ancestors.

    As the current owner of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, Evan naturally had a high status in the Centaurs¡¯ tribe, even surpassing Dumbledore.

    Especially after he had merged the two halves of the stone, the fallen Centaurs and the events involving Dark creatures remained a source of shame for this Centaurs¡¯ tribe.

    However, Evan was skeptical that even with his intervention, the Centaurs might not agree to Hagrid¡¯s request.

    Hagrid had a good rtionship with the Centaurs, but keeping a highly destructive giant within the Forbidden Forest was, in reality, a very crazy move. Moreover, the Centaurs regarded the entire forest as their privatend and were extremely stubborn, insisting that tradition should not be altered.

    Thinking about the temperamental Magorian and the other Centaurs, Evan sighed deeply.

    ¡°It¡¯s unimaginable that he really wants to bring that giant back. I was expecting Hagrid to give up!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, a giant; I bet if you stand on the castle¡¯s tower, you can see him,¡± said Ron, suddenlyughing. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not bad, is it? Just imagine, Umbridge opens her window, and she¡¯s greeted by the giant¡¯s ugly face and a terrifying roar. I bet she¡¯d cry for sure.¡±¡°This is no joke!¡± Hermione said sternly, ¡°If anyone else discovers the giant, Hagrid will be expelled, and it might even affect the Headmaster and others. We must keep the giant¡¯s secret. Evan, are you ready to help him?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try, but those Centaurs are the most stubborn creatures I¡¯ve ever met. It might not work,¡± Evan replied.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going out for a while!¡± Harry said. ¡°Hedwig needs treatment, and I¡¯m going to see Professor Grubbly-nk.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute, let Dobby the house-elf go,¡± said Evan, stopping Harry. ¡°You will easily be suspected if you go out with Hedwig now. I also want Dobby to deliver a message to the Centaurs, tell them about it and hear what they have to say.¡±

    House-elves were more discreet than owls in delivering letters, and they were very convenient. Dobby was also happy to take on this task.

    He even talked to everyone about the situation in the kitchen. Although Hermione had made a lot of efforts, everything was the same as before. The only change was probably that Winky¡¯s condition became worse. Since Mr. Crouch was killed, and after Barty Jr. had his soul sucked away, Winkypletely copsed!

    She did nothing now, drank alcohol every day, and had be a scum among the house-elves, which was even more uneptable to the elves than Dobby.

    Now, Dobby was the only one taking care of her, even hiding her in the Room of Requirement several times.

    ¡°We have to do something for Winky,¡± Hermione said, watching Dobby disappear in front of her with Hedwig. ¡°I think with a little more care, she¡¯ll get better. Look at Kreacher, he is a good example.¡±

    ¡°Kreacher didn¡¯t get better because of love,¡± Ron said. ¡°And he is only friendly to you three now.¡±

    ¡°Well, maybe we can take Winky to Mr. Crouch¡¯s tombstone to take a look. It might make her feel better.¡± Hermione said thoughtfully, thinking about the matter carefully, ¡°Does anyone know where he was buried?¡±

    Just then, Angelina walked in dejectedly, with Fred and George following her.

    ¡°No Quidditch practice,¡± she said in hollow tones. ¡°Not this week, and probably not next week.¡±

    ¡°But I kept my temper!¡± said Harry, horrified. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything to her, Angelina, I swear, I¡­ ¡°

    ¡°I know, I know,¡± said Angelina miserably, ¡°the other three Houses teams have been approved to reorganize. We just went to see her, and she only said that she needed a bit of time to consider.¡±

    ¡°Consider what?¡± said Ron angrily. ¡°She¡¯s given the Slytherins permission, why not us?¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and everyone could imagine how much Umbridge was enjoying holding the threat of no Gryffindor Quidditch team over their heads.

    Of course she would not want to relinquish that weapon over them too soon. It was much more useful than detentions!

    ¡°Well,¡± said Hermione, ¡°look on the bright side ¡ª at least now you¡¯ll have time to do Snape¡¯s essay!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bright side, is it?¡± snapped Harry, while Ron stared incredulously at Hermione. ¡°It sounds as bad as helping Winky find Mr. Crouch¡¯s burial ce, no Quidditch practice and extra Potions!¡±

    Harry slumped down into a chair, dragged his Potions essay reluctantly from his bag, and set to work.

    ¡°Hermione is right, and it¡¯s not entirely a bad thing. I think this will give us time forbat training. At least all Gryffindors will have free time!¡± Evan said. ¡°We can start as soon as possible. How about tomorrow evening?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with that!¡± Harry immediately agreed, feeling somewhat better with the prospect.

    At least they were actively resisting Umbridge and the Ministry, which seemed to be his only refuge at the moment.

    ¡°We don¡¯t mind either. If we don¡¯t start soon, I¡¯ll forget everything I¡¯ve learned!¡± Fred said.

    ¡°Yeah, you know, there are so many things waiting for us to do every day,¡± George added.

    ¡°Okay, then. Let¡¯s inform the others tomorrow. If they have time, ask them toe to the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor after dinner,¡± Evan said. ¡°Hermione and I are ready with a proper training area and everything we need.¡±

    For the rest of the evening, Evan and the others discussed Hagrid and Grawp.

    Harry was making little progress with his Potions essay. He had trouble concentrating, as there was an incredible amount of noise in the room: after countless attempts, Fred and George appeared finally to have perfected one type of Skiving Snackbox, which they were taking turns to demonstrate to a cheering and whooping crowd.

    George was shouting and holding a clipboard to record the orders. Fred would take a bite out of the orange end of a chew, at which he would vomit spectacrly into a bucket they had ced in front of them. Then he would force down the purple end of the chew, at which the vomiting would immediately cease.

    Every once in a while, Lee Jordanzily emptied the vomit with a Vanishing Charm.

    There were vomiting, cheers, and orders from Fred and George, and Harry could hardly concentrate on writing the correct recipe for the enhancer.

    Like him, Hermione kept sneering dissatisfiedly and stopped talking about giants!

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stop them?¡± Evan asked. Hermione was very dissatisfied with Fred and George¡¯s experiments.

    She had threatened to tell Mrs. Weasley about it, but it was just talk.

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 Chapter 978: Successful Research and Reorganization

    Chapter 978: Sessful Research and Reorganization

    ¡°I can¡¯t, they¡¯re not technically doing anything wrong,¡± said Hermione through gritted teeth. ¡°They¡¯re quite within their rights to eat the foul things themselves, and I can¡¯t find a rule that says the other idiots aren¡¯t entitled to buy them, not unless they¡¯re proven to be dangerous in some way, and it doesn¡¯t look as though they are. As a partner in their business, don¡¯t you have something to say?¡±

    ¡°Well, I told them not to conduct dangerous experiments,¡± said Evan. ¡°But as you can see, this isn¡¯t dangerous.¡±

    He didn¡¯t want to bother with Fred and George¡¯s prank research, let alone the fact that he was no longer the Head Boy. If Hogwarts hadn¡¯t been in chaos, Evan would have even considered actively disrupting the order!

    But with Umbridge causing trouble, that day was probably not too far away¡­

    So, the few of them watched Fred and George projectile-vomit into the bucket, gulp down the rest of the chew, and straighten up, beaming with their arms wide to protracted apuse and arge number of orders.

    ¡°Evan, have you helped them with this Skiving Snackbox?¡± Harry asked, ¡°Providing the form or something.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t get why Fred and George only got three O.W.L.s each,¡± said Harry, watching as Fred, George, and Lee collected gold from the eager crowd. ¡°How difficult is this exam? No matter how you look at it, they really know their stuff. At least they¡¯re very good at Potions. They¡¯re able to develop this kind of vomiting potion and antidote. However, they did not get their O.W.L. in Potions. s, But I can¡¯t even get this Strengthening Solution right.¡±

    He flipped through his Potions textbook, hoping to find something useful.¡°I¡¯ve suggested that you should pay more attention to the forms provided by Snape in ss. More effective than the ones in the textbook,¡± said Evan, thinking that Harry was doing useless work. ¡°Study his modifications, and you¡¯ll gain more.¡±

    ¡°No use. I think the reason why I fail every time is because Snape is watching. It would be better if he wasn¡¯t here.¡± Harry said, ¡°I don¡¯t even know as much as Fred and George. They¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°They only know shy stuff,¡± said Hermione disparagingly, ¡°that¡¯s no real use to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Hermione, do you know!¡± Ron yelled strangely, ¡°They¡¯ve made a lot of money, and the orders are beyond imagination.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s useful!¡± Hermione scowled, looking dissatisfied at Fred rattling his box of Galleons ostentatiously. She stood up directly. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going back to sleep. You guys should sleep too.¡±

    It was a long while before the crowd around the Weasleys dispersed, and then Fred and George came over to settle ounts with Evan.

    They took out a long order form and calcted the money with Evan, and the profits after deducting the costs were already considerable.

    This was their habit. Although Evan said he trusted them, they still insisted on keeping the ounts clear.

    <i>¡®Business is business¡¯</i>, just like they never gave Ron a discount.

    Since it was a partnership, the ounts must be clear.

    Harry, Ron, and Colin watched for a while, expressing surprise that the twins had already earned one hundred and eighty-two gold Galleons. It was hard to imagine that the business of a few copper nuts could earn so much money. Afterward, they went back to sleep one by one.

    After settling ounts, only Evan, Fred and George were left in themon room.

    Evan suggested that they speed up the research on the Skiving Snackboxes and produce more of the types that had been researched. If necessary, he could find someone to mass-produce them outside the school and sell them to students at low prices.

    He had a hunch that after Umbridge made a bigmotion; these Skiving Snackboxes woulde in handy!

    After Fred and George left, Evan studied magic alone for a while.

    He fell into a bottleneck in demonic magic and summoning methods.

    Without proper reference materials, continuing to study on paper was meaningless.

    He was considering whether to summon the demon deep in the kitchen. As for the summoning conditions, Evan had already studied and understood that he needed the corpse of a house-elf, and the power of the demon altar would bring it back to the world.

    There was no shortage of materials; he could easily find one among the house-elf heads hanging all over the wall.

    The problem was whether the summoned house-elf would be an entirely new demon or retain the original owner of the house-elf corpse. Additionally, understanding its strength and whether it had malicious intent were all things that needed to be studied before the summoning.

    Evan had a hunch that no matter what he summoned, he would not feel pleasant.

    This magic itself was very weird and evil, and using a demon altar with a house-elf corpse as a sacrifice could easily lead people to associate it with bad things¡­

    Especially with Umbridge still at Hogwarts, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to summon any demon. Evan still had a lot of troubles to solve at hand, so he nned to carefully research and summon something only when it wasn¡¯t urgent, perhaps in the next semester.

    After midnight Dobby returned from the Centaurs with their reply.

    They originally did not agree to let a giant enter their woods, but for the sake of Dumbledore and Evan, they agreed to observe for a while first, confirming whether Grawp would cause any disturbance to the beings in the Forbidden Forest.

    Evan was certain that Grawp would definitely cause trouble, but that was something Hagrid needed to worry about.

    The Centaurs had made a concession, and Evan couldn¡¯t do anything about the remaining issues. He just hoped Hagrid wouldn¡¯t make him teach Grawp English.

    The next morning, it started to rain lightly again.

    Evan and Hermione informed each member one by one, asking them to gather on the seventh floor at seven o¡¯clock tonight to start the first training.

    When breakfast was almost over, Angelina rushed into the Great Hall.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got permission!¡± she said. ¡°To re-form the Quidditch team!¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Angelina, beaming. ¡°I went to McGonagall and I think she might have appealed to Dumbledore or maybe had another argument with Umbridge ¡ª anyway, Umbridge had to give in. So let¡¯s start training!¡±

    ¡°But I have to learn magic with Evan tonight!¡± Harry said hesitantly, ¡°And the weather outside¡­¡±

    ¡°The team activity is at seven o¡¯clock. We can start practicing from four thirty; there¡¯s plenty of time,¡± Angelina said. ¡°Starting today, we¡¯ll practice every day. After your afternoon sses, I want you down at the pitch, all right? We¡¯ve got to make up time. Haven¡¯t you realized we¡¯re only three weeks away from our first match?¡±

    Facing Angelina¡¯s determination, it was hard for everyone to say no. Harry and Ron could only nod reluctantly.

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 Chapter 979: Scars and Anger

    Chapter 979: Scars and Anger

    ¡°Hope this clears up!¡± Ron¡¯s smile slipped slightly as he looked out of the window, which was now opaque with hammering rain.

    His wish did note true, and it rained even harder in the afternoon!

    At 4:30 in the afternoon, Evan, Hermione, and Colin originally nned to go to the first training session after the reorganization of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, but they did not go out after seeing the weather. Harry, Ron, and Ginny left the castle with their broomsticks, looking worried.

    By the time they arrived at the Quidditch pitch for practice, they were soaked through within minutes, their feet slipping and sliding on the sodden grass.

    The sky was a deep, thundery gray and it was a relief to gain the warmth and light of the changing rooms, even if they knew the respite was only temporary.

    Harry found Fred and George debating whether to use one of their own Skiving Snackboxes to get out of flying.

    ¡°Well, I bet she¡¯d know what we¡¯d done,¡± Fred said out of the corner of his mouth. ¡°If only I hadn¡¯t offered to sell her some Puking Pastilles yesterday.¡±

    ¡°We could try the Fever Fudge,¡± George muttered, ¡°no one¡¯s seen that yet except Evan¡­¡±

    ¡°Does it work?¡± inquired Ron hopefully, as the hammering of rain on the roof intensified and wind howled around the building.¡°Well, yeah,¡± said Fred, ¡°your temperature will go right up, like boiling water, scarily hot¡­¡±

    ¡°But you get these massive pus-filled boils too,¡± said George, ¡°and we haven¡¯t worked out how to get rid of them yet.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see any boils,¡± said Ron, staring at the twins.

    ¡°No, well, you wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Fred darkly, ¡°they¡¯re not in a ce we generally disy to the public.¡±

    ¡°¡ª but they make sitting on a broom a right pain in the ¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know, not every broomstick has an invisible seat like the Starcatcher.¡±

    ¡°All right, everyone, listen up,¡± said Angelina loudly, emerging from the Captain¡¯s office. ¡°I know it¡¯s not ideal weather, but there¡¯s a good chance we¡¯ll be ying Slytherin in conditions like this so it¡¯s a good idea to work out how we¡¯re going to cope with them. Harry, didn¡¯t you do something to your sses to stop the rain fogging them up when we yed Hufflepuff in that storm?¡±

    ¡°Hermione did it,¡± said Harry. He pulled out his wand, tapped his sses and said, ¡°<i>Impervius</i>!¡±

    ¡°I think we all ought to try that,¡± said Angelina. ¡°If we could just keep the rain off our faces it would really help visibility ¡ª all together,e on ¡ª <i>Impervius</i>! Okay. Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°You know, Evan knows an enhanced version of the Impervius Charm, which can make the rain bounce away from the body, as if there is an extra magic barrier, and you will not get wet at all,¡± said Fred. ¡°I¡¯ve only seen him use it once.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely ask him how he does it tonight,¡± George said.

    A few minutester, everyone was ready.

    They all stowed their wands back in the inside pockets of their robes, shouldered their brooms, and followed Angelina out of the changing rooms.

    They squelched through the deepening mud to the middle of the pitch; visibility was still very poor even with the Impervius Charm; light was fading fast and curtains of rain were sweeping the grounds.

    ¡°All right, on my whistle,¡± shouted Angelina.

    Harry kicked off from the ground, spraying mud in all directions, and shot upward, the wind pulling him slightly off course.

    He had no idea how he was going to see the Snitch in this weather; he was having enough difficulty seeing the one Bludger with which they were practicing; a minute into the practice it almost unseated him and he had to use the Sloth Grip Roll to avoid it.

    Unfortunately Angelina did not see this; in fact, she did not appear to be able to see anything; none of them had a clue what the others were doing.

    The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and Harry could even hear the patter of rain hitting theke in the distance.

    Angelina let them practice for nearly two hours before giving up. If it weren¡¯t for Evan¡¯s group activity tonight, she might have let everyone continue training until nine o¡¯clock in the evening.

    She led her sodden and disgruntled team back into the changing rooms, insisting that the practice had not been a waste of time, though without any real conviction in her voice.

    Fred and George were looking particrly annoyed; both were bandy-legged and winced with every movement. Harry could hear themining in low voices as he toweled his hair dry.

    ¡°Hey, I think a few of mine have ruptured,¡± said Fred in a hollow voice.

    ¡°Mine haven¡¯t,¡± said George, wincing. ¡°They¡¯re throbbing like mad ¡­ feel bigger if anything¡­¡±

    ¡°OUCH!¡± said Harry.

    He pressed the towel to his face, his eyes screwed tight with pain. The scar on his forehead had seared again, more painfully than in months.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± said several voices.

    Harry emerged from behind his towel; the changing room was blurred because he was not wearing his sses; but he could still tell that everyone¡¯s face was turned toward him.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he muttered, ¡°I ¡ª poked myself in the eye, that¡¯s all¡­¡±

    But he gave Ron a significant look, covering his scar with the towel.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s quickly go to the Great Hall and see what¡¯s left.¡±

    ¡°I need to go back and change into dry clothes.¡±

    ¡°I need to find Evan to learn the enhanced version of the Impervius Charm, I¡¯ll go now, I heard this rain willst for a week.¡±

    The two of them hung back as the rest of the team filed back outside, muffled in their cloaks, their hats pulled low over their ears.

    ¡°What happened?¡± said Ron, the moment that Alicia had disappeared through the door. ¡°Was it your scar?¡±

    Harry nodded, his breathing gradually calming down.

    ¡°But ¡­¡± Looking scared, Ron strode across to the window and stared out into the rain to make sure no one was around. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°He ¡ª he can¡¯t be near us now, can he? You didn¡¯t touch anything, and Umbridge isn¡¯t here. Did you and Evan checkst time?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s probably not her, it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Harry muttered, sinking onto a bench and rubbing his forehead, ¡°He¡¯s probably miles away, in that ce Sirius mentioned ¡­ Norway, with those vampires. It hurt because ¡­ he¡¯s ¡­ angry.¡±

    Harry had not meant to say that at all, and heard the words as though a stranger had spoken them.

    Yet he knew at once that they were true. He did not know how he knew it, but he did; Voldemort, wherever he was, whatever he was doing, was in a towering temper.

    Along with the gloomy weather, the atmosphere in the changing room suddenly became gloomy with Harry¡¯s words.

    ¡°Angry?! Did you see him?!¡± said Ron, looking horrified. ¡°Did you ¡­ get a vision, or something?¡±

    Harry sat quite still, staring at his feet, allowing his mind and his memory to rx in the aftermath of the pain.

    A confused tangle of shapes, a howling rush of voices shed in front of him so fast that he had no time to see clearly.

    ¡°It¡¯s those vampires. Something went wrong there. Something Dumbledore did to ruin his n?¡±

    Again, he felt surprised to hear the wordsing out of his mouth, and yet quite certain that they were true.

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 Chapter 980: Reading Mind

    Chapter 980: Reading Mind

    ¡°What did Dumbledore do?¡± Ron asked in a hushed voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Voldemort was furious. I¡¯m sure it had something to do with those vampires, and his n was thwarted!¡± Harry said, carefully recalling the scene he saw in his head, and something vaguely appeared, but it was unclear.

    ¡°How do you know then?¡± Ron asked nervously. ¡°About him being angry, I mean.¡±

    Harry shook his head and covered his eyes with his hands, pressing down upon them with his palms. Little stars erupted in them.

    He felt Ron sit down on the bench beside him and knew Ron was staring at him.

    ¡°We should tell Evan and Hermione about this. By the way, is this what it was aboutst time?¡± said Ron breathlessly. ¡°When your scar hurt in Umbridge¡¯s office? You-Know-Who was angry?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Harry shook his head.

    ¡°What is it, then?¡±

    Harry was thinking himself back. He had been looking into Umbridge¡¯s face¡­ His scar had hurt ¡­ and he had had that odd feeling in his stomach ¡­ a strange, leaping feeling ¡­ a happy feeling¡­ But, of course, he had not recognized it for what it was, as he had been feeling so miserable himself¡­¡°Last time, it was because he was pleased, really pleased. He thought ¡­ something good was going to happen. And the night before we came back to Hogwarts ¡­¡± He thought back to the moment when his scar had hurt so badly in his, Evan¡¯s and Ron¡¯s bedroom in Grimmauld ce. ¡°He was furious because his ns were being dyed and his Death Eaters couldn¡¯t get what he needed.¡±

    He looked around at Ron, who was gaping at him.

    ¡°There was also the time when I was at the Dursleys¡¯ house just after the summer started, and he was also angry,¡± Harry recalled. ¡°He wanted to see someone who seemed to have been killed, and he couldn¡¯t get some support from a person or an organization¡±

    ¡°Blimey, mate, you could take over from Trwney,¡± Ron said in an awed voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not making prophecies,¡± said Harry. ¡°These are things that really happened.¡±

    ¡°No, you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Ron said, sounding both scared and impressed. ¡°Harry, you¡¯re reading You-Know-Who¡¯s mind, which is even more powerful than prophecy. Evan said there¡¯s some kind of connection between you and You-Know-Who, but I never thought you could make it this far.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not reading You-Know-Who¡¯s mind. It¡¯s more like ¡­ his mood, I suppose.¡± Harry shook his head, ¡°Just like Evan said; when his emotions change drastically, the connection between me and him will be strengthened. I¡¯m just getting shes of what mood he¡¯s in; whenever Voldemort was near me or when he was feeling hatred, I could tell. Well, now I¡¯m feeling it when he¡¯s pleased too!¡±

    There was a pause. The wind and rainshed at the building.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve got to tell someone,¡± said Ron, a little panicked.¡±Let¡¯s go back quickly. In fact, I think you should talk to Dumbledore. This sounds really scary. ¡­¡±

    ¡°Just tell Evan and Hermione.¡±

    ¡°Evan knows a lot, but he can¡¯t help you in this regard. You should go to Dumbledore,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°He knows, I told him before!¡± Harry said stubbornly, ¡°There¡¯s no point telling him again, especially since he might not even be at school right now but hundreds of miles away in Norway. I have no idea how he managed to deceive Umbridge.¡±

    ¡°I think Dumbledore would want to know.¡± Ron looked at Harry thoughtfully.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Harry shortly, getting to his feet, taking his cloak off his peg, and swinging it around himself.

    In fact, he didn¡¯t even want to tell Evan and Hermione about it.

    Anyway, those were the answers he got after over and over again, Hermione would ask him to find Dumbledore.

    Evan would definitely ask him to practice lumency and might even suggest seeking Snape¡¯s help¡­

    As far as Harry could see, this was insane. He hadn¡¯t managed to avoid Snape yet, let alone willingly go to him. Probably the same would be with Dumbledore. He couldn¡¯t master this spell, and he definitely didn¡¯t want Snape to teach him,

    Maybe it was better that way.

    Apart from the pain, Harry felt it wasn¡¯t that bad.

    Again and again, he felt that the images he saw through this connection were bing clearer. Perhaps the next time, he would know what Voldemort was up to. If he saw something crucial, he could warn the Order of the Phoenix, provided someone was willing to believe him.

    This idea was undoubtedly dangerous. Voldemort would surely sense this connection before Harry, and he could be certain that he would deliberately create illusions to lure Harry. Evan had warned about this, but Harry hadn¡¯t taken it to heart.

    ¡°Seriously, mate!¡± Ron sighed as he tied his cloak. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one getting frustrated by the return of You-Know-Who. I¡¯ve been having dreamstely, scary dreams. You-Know-Who appears in them, and I always see strange things, get some scary thoughts, or do some random things. Well, it must be that annoying woman. Even now, she¡¯s causing trouble at school. Sooner orter, she¡¯ll drive everyone crazy.¡±

    Harry shook his head. He didn¡¯t know what dreams Ron had, but it was evidently due to excessive worry and stress, unlike his own.

    But thinking about it carefully, it was true. The pressure of the uing exams, the pressure of Voldemort¡¯s return, and the pressure from Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic were too much. Continuing like this, they would surely copse. ¡­

    They hurried back through the dark grounds, sliding and stumbling up the muddywns, not talking.

    Harry was thinking hard, drifting from Ron¡¯s words back to Voldemort¡¯s recent anger.

    <i>¡®What did Dumbledore and the others do to make him so angry? And what¡¯s the connection with those vampires?!¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Sirius probably knows, but after contacting me once in September, he never showed up again.¡¯</i>

    Then, Harry thought about the previous pain again. <i>¡®What n is Voldemort scheming this time?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®In addition to wanting something from the vampires, he also seems to want to get something from the Ministry of Magic, that door¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Could it be rted to the ck door I kepting to in my dreams?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Also, Mundungus said before that Sturgis Podmore was caught trying to break into a door. Is there any connection?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®What¡¯s inside the door? Stuff he can only get by stealth¡­ like a weapon. Something he didn¡¯t havest time.¡¯</i>

    These words rang in his ears again.

    He had not thought about those words in weeks; he had been too absorbed in what was going on at Hogwarts, too busy dwelling on the ongoing battles with Umbridge, the injustice of all the Ministry interference¡­ But now they came back to him and made him wonder¡­ Should they be doing something else now?

    Compared to the more terrifying disasters Voldemort and Evan spoke of, Umbridge was nothing.

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 Chapter 981: The Magical Room of Requirement

    Chapter 981: The Magical Room of Requirement

    Meanwhile, Evan and Hermione were holding the Marauder¡¯s Map in the dimly lit corridor on the seventh floor.

    The map showed the entire Hogwarts, with tiny moving ck dots,beled with names, showing where various people were.

    The core of the Marauder¡¯s Map operation was Name Magic, where each person¡¯s name inherently possessed magical properties.

    This kind of magic was not visible, but it was real, much like how zodiac signs or blood types could subtly influence a person.

    Evan had done research using the Marauder¡¯s Map as a baseband. He could now use some of this Name Magic to track a person through potions or spells and determine their location. He once used it on Peter Pettigrew.

    Therefore, as long as Peter was alive, Evan would sense him and track him in the Forbidden Forest at night.

    The strength of this magical sense had its limitations, much like how the Marauder¡¯s Map could only disy the internal areas of Hogwarts.

    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t entirely reliable. Evan¡¯s experiences from the previous semester had taught him that wizards who had processed their names, like Caresius, wouldn¡¯t be marked and tracked by the magic of their names. In other words, they wouldn¡¯t appear on the Marauder¡¯s Map.

    However, it was still possible to use it to see where Umbridge, Filch, and other virtual members were.They certainly wouldn¡¯t cast spells on their own names; they didn¡¯t have that ability.

    ¡°Harry and the others have finished training; the members are returning to the castle,¡± said Evan, looking at the Marauder¡¯s Map. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a bit strange. Harry and Ron stayed in the changing room and haven¡¯te out. What are they up to secretly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I hope they hurry up!¡± Hermione said, leaning over, ¡°Where¡¯s Umbridge?¡±

    ¡°In her office,¡± said Evan. ¡°She hasn¡¯t even gone to dinner; she¡¯s been in her office the whole time. Don¡¯t be so nervous; no one has betrayed us, she won¡¯t know what we¡¯re nning. Ah, they¡¯reing. Let¡¯s go in. Harry knows how to ess the Room of Requirement; they¡¯lle in on their own.¡±

    A group of people climbed up to the seventh floor, each looking particrly tense, with restrained excitement tinged with a hint of unease.

    They only rxed when they saw Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°You two look fresh and dry; it¡¯s really enviable,¡± said George, his newly changed clothes were also damp. ¡°I¡¯m almost a soaked chicken!¡±

    ¡°And there¡¯s something worse,¡± said Fred, clutching his own butt.

    ¡°You practiced in this weather?¡± Michael eximed, looking at Ginny who was also wet.

    ¡°Yeah, if you want to win the Quidditch Cup, you need to make some sacrifices, right?¡± Angelina replied. ¡°I think our training is necessary. No one can guarantee what weather we¡¯ll encounter in an official match. If it¡¯s raining, we¡¯re prepared!¡±

    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to talk about Quidditch training. Evan, where¡¯s the secret room you mentioned?¡±

    Everyone looked around curiously, especially the students from Hufflepuff, as it was rare for them toe to the seventh floor of the castle. After all, apart from the Headmaster¡¯s office, there were no other ssrooms here. Many people held a reverent attitude toward the Headmaster and generally wouldn¡¯te to seek him out.

    Dumbledore had no specific teaching tasks, and most students might only see him twice a term, at the beginning and end-of-term banquets.

    ¡°Come on, right over there!¡±

    Evan and Hermione led them along the corridor and came to an enormous tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy¡¯s foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet. On the opposite side of the tapestry was a stretch of nk wall, where a moth-eaten troll paused in his relentless clubbing of the would-be ballet teacher to watch.

    ¡°Here we are!¡± said Evan. ¡°This is the Room of Requirement. We have to walk past this bit of wall three times, concentrating hard on what we need. Remember, we now need a room to learn magic and practice fighting.¡±

    Ever since his first year, Evan had been using the Room of Requirement as a ce to brew potions.

    The room was magical; whatever he needed, it could transform into an appropriate room, fully stocked with everything he required. Even not long ago, when he needed a workshop to make broomsticks, it conjured one up,plete with various tools.

    Evan had conducted research on the Room of Requirement and asked professors, but the conclusion was that the magic involved in this room was currently beyond anyone¡¯s capability. As for who left it and how it came to be, that remained a mystery.

    Besides the secret treasures left by the Four Founders, this room might be Hogwarts¡¯ biggest secret.

    Everyone followed Evan, turning sharply at the window just beyond the nk stretch of wall, then at the man-size vase on its other side.

    ¡°We need somewhere to learn to fight¡­ Just give us a ce to practice ¡­ somewhere they can¡¯t find us ¡­¡±

    These thoughts seemed to be received by this stretch of wall. As they wheeled around after their third walk past, a highly polished door appeared.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Evan said, opening the door and leading the way into a spacious room.

    The inside waspletely built withrge blue rocks and lit with flickering torches like those that illuminated the dungeons.

    The walls were lined with wooden bookcases, and instead of chairs there wererge silk cushions on the floor.

    A set of shelves at the far end of the room carried a range of instruments used by Aurors such as Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors, and arge, cracked Foe ss that was definitely the one that had hung, the previous year, in the fake Moody¡¯s office.

    After Mad-Eye Moody came back, the Foe ss was thrown away, and no one knew how it ended up here.

    ¡°This ce is amazing!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s everything we need!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s even food, fantastic!¡± said Fred. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s still hot. Can we eat these things?¡±

    ¡°I think it should be fine,¡± said Evan. ¡°Someone among you must have been thinking about food just now, and that¡¯s why these cakes and hot drinks appeared. This room can fulfill needs to the best of its ability, that¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Room of Requirement.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me; I didn¡¯t eat enough in the Great Hall just now,¡± said George, picking up a piece of cake and stuffing it into his mouth.

    ¡°Look at these books!¡± said Hermione excitedly, running a finger along the spines of therge leather-bound tomes. ¡°I was just thinking about adding some fighting books, and they appeared. I can see some that aren¡¯t even in the library- <i>A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions</i> ¡­ <i>The Dark Arts Outsmarted </i>¡­ <i>Self-Defensive Spellwork</i> ¡­.¡±

    She looked around at Evan, her face glowing, and the presence of hundreds of books made Hermione forget all her worries.

    ¡°This is wonderful, there¡¯s everything we need here!¡±

    And without further ado she slid <i>Jinxes for the Jinxed </i>from its shelf, sank onto the nearest cushion, and began to read.

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 Chapter 982: Dumbledoreâ€™s Army

    Chapter 982: Dumbledore¡¯s Army

    ¡°What are these?¡± asked Dean from the rear of the room, indicating the Sneakoscopes, the Secrecy Sensors and the Foe-ss.

    ¡°Dark Detectors and magic traps, they can detect hidden enemies and warn us in advance, but these are outdated styles!¡± said Evan, gazing into the cracked Foe-ss for a while; shadowy figures were moving around inside it, though none was recognizable. ¡°There¡¯s also this Foe-ss. Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don¡¯t want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled. All magic props can be deciphered.¡±

    Despite what he said, everyone was sighing, marveling, and exploring the room.

    Before Evan found out the secret of the Room of Requirement, Fred and George had also been here in their first year, when they hid from Filch. But it was just a broom cupboard then.

    In addition, they also found butterbeer bottles and clothes that Hermione had given to the House-elves, left here by Winky.

    She was drinking every day now, and when she was drunk she would cry and make such a fuss that Dobby had to put her here.

    In a cupboard, they also found many basic potions. Evan was sure that these were brewed by himself over the years. Unlike Veritaserum or the Polyjuice potion, they were not very useful, so they were left here and never touched again.

    Fred and George were very interested in these things, and Evan gave them all the potions.

    If no one thought they needed empty bottles, Winky¡¯s clothes, and potions beforeing in, finding these things here indicated that there was a connection between the various rooms of the Room of Requirement.When those things were no longer needed, they did not disappear, but were preserved in other spaces in special ways.

    More than twenty minutester, there was a gentle knock on the door, and Harry and Ron walked in.

    ¡°You¡¯re taking your time!¡± said Hermione, snapping the book <i>Jinxes for the Jinxed</i> shut.

    ¡°Yeah, something happened,¡± Ron said, giving a meaningful look.

    ¡°I identally touched my eye, and it hurt terribly, so I was dyed for a while,¡± Harry exined.

    Evan looked at the two of them and immediately realized that Harry¡¯s scar hurt again. What could be the reason this time?!

    This couldn¡¯t go on like this; maybe he should talk to Dumbledore and have Snape teach Harry lumency.

    ¡°Are you all right, Harry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± said Harry briefly. Now was not the time to talk about this matter, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore!¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started. There¡¯s plenty of time for you to exploreter,¡± said Evan, pping his hands to gather everyone. ¡°Hermione and I have discussed, and before we start our studies, there are a few things we need to rify.¡±

    ¡°First, the leadership,¡± Hermione said, ¡°It must be clear.¡±

    ¡°Needless to say, it must be Evan. We are all here to learn magic from him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Evan is the leader.¡±

    ¡°I support Evan!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly,¡± said Hermione, unperturbed. ¡°It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So ¡ª everyone who thinks Evan ought to be our leader? ¡°

    Everybody put up their hands, there was no doubt about this.

    ¡°Thank you!¡± said Evan. ¡°I n to have Harry and Hermione as my deputies, responsible for the day-to-day management of this room. You know, I have a lot of things to do usually. In addition to managing tasks, Harry and Hermione can help everyone learn magic when I¡¯m not avable or too busy. Do you have any objections to this?¡±

    There was a murmur among the crowd. To be fair, both Hermione and Harry werepetent.

    Hermione had read a lot of magic books and had excellent academic performance. Harry¡¯s excellence in Defense Against the Dark Arts was obvious to all. He had fought many terrible enemies. If Evan was not here, the two of them were undoubtedly the best candidates.

    However, the current issue was that since Evan was the leader, with Harry and Hermione as his deputies, fully epting the management of this room, they would all be Gryffindor students. Students from the other two Houses hesitated about this.

    In the end, the discussion resulted in Harry, Hermione, Michael, and Ernie bing Evan¡¯s deputies.

    They were each responsible for managing students from their respective Houses, notifying them of activities and things they needed to do, and supervising and assisting everyone in practicing magic. Evan would provide individual guidance to ensure they understood more.

    ¡°Now that the leadership has been decided, I also think we ought to have a name,¡± Hermione said brightly. ¡°It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    ¡°Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?¡± said Angelina hopefully.

    ¡°Haha, or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?¡±suggested Fred.

    ¡°Fudge is a Moron is not bad either!¡±

    ¡°What about Wiping out the Ministry of Magic and the Toad?¡±

    ¡°Hold on, we need to rify one thing. Although our biggest enemies right now are Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Evan, ¡°we¡¯re not actually nning to overthrow the Ministry, so we can¡¯t have such an explicitly reactionary name.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinking,¡± said Hermione, frowning, ¡°more of a name that didn¡¯t tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings.¡±

    ¡°The Defense Association?¡± said Cho. ¡°The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°I thought the same. D.A. is good. It can also stand for Dumbledore¡¯s Army.¡±

    ¡°That name is great. That¡¯s the Ministry and You-Know-Who¡¯s worst fear, isn¡¯t it?¡± Ginny agreed.

    There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring andughter at this. Everyone thought D.A. was a good idea.

    Evan had thought about it before, and finally felt that D.A. was a good choice. It could be called the Defense Association in line with the theme, or it could be interpreted as Dumbledore¡¯s Army. It was a pun. The charismatic power and cohesion of the Headmaster were unquestionable in the wizarding world.

    If they chose a different name, others might not understand its meaning, and it wouldn¡¯t evoke the same impact as Dumbledore¡¯s Army. Evan believed that both Fudge and Voldemort would be shocked hearing this name.

    Therefore, Evan did not object and naturally supported naming the organization D.A.

    ¡°Great, all in favor of the D.A.?¡± said Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. ¡°That¡¯s a majority ¡ª motion passed!¡±

    She pinned the piece of paper with all of their names on it on the wall and wrote DUMBLEDORE¡¯S ARMY across the top inrge letters.

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 Chapter 983: Earth Defense Force

    Chapter 983: Earth Defense Force

    ¡°What are we going to do next?¡± Colin asked, knowing that Evan and Hermione had been preparing for a long time.

    ¡°Now that we have a leader and a name, shouldn¡¯t the next step be to determine the purpose of the organization?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s to learn magic, resist Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    ¡°Not exactly!¡± said Evan. ¡°As I said just now, we do not intend to fight or conspire against the Ministry of Magic. We¡¯re not that kind of organization. Our main purpose is to learn magic and improve everyone¡¯s own strength.¡±

    ¡°But we have to do something, right?¡± Fred said. ¡°What¡¯s the use of getting stronger if we don¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°Well, everyone knows that Dumbledore is the headmaster of Hogwarts, the greatest white wizard in the world. Since the name of our organization is Dumbledore¡¯s Army, the only purpose is to fight against enemies and evils threatening Hogwarts, defeat them, protect Hogwarts and the people we want to protect. That¡¯s our goal.¡±

    ¡°Evan and I drafted a charter; you can take a look and see if there are any objections,¡± said Hermione, handing out a parchment filled with writing. It was simple and mainly reflected Evan¡¯s points.

    Dumbledore¡¯s Army was both an army and not an army.

    Every student who joined the organization did so in order to gain enough strength to protect the people they cared about and to protect Hogwarts from harm.To reduce its purpose to resisting Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic, or even fighting Voldemort, that would be far more limiting and less prestigious than protecting Hogwarts. In the minds of many, Hogwarts was not just a school. Its significance was extraordinary.

    Evan hoped that this organization could exist for a long time, like the Quidditch teams or the prefects of various Houses, bing the most important permanent organization in Hogwarts, and each member would take pride in it.

    Therefore, he originally wanted to name it something like ¡°Hogwarts Defense Force¡±, but it reminded him too much of ¡°Earth Defense Force¡±, and it was indeed not as suitable as D.A. which stood for multiple fitting meanings.

    The charter was finally passed back to Hermione, and after making sure everyone was okay with it, Hermione pinned it next to the list.

    ¡°Okay, our main tasks now are to recruit more members and improve our strength,¡± Evan said. ¡°Because everyone¡¯s basic levels are different, and many members are first-year students, it¡¯s not possible to mix together for magical studies. So, I suggest splitting into two different study groups. One group will focus onbat training; I¡¯ll teach you more powerful and dangerous magic. The other group will primarily learn basic dueling spells. I will assess your current levels.¡±

    ¡°How to do it?¡±

    ¡°Well, Hermione and I prepared a checklist, including more than forty basic dueling spells, such as Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Impedimenta, and more. You¡¯ll be in a queue, and in the order on the list, use these spells on me one by one,¡± Evan exined. ¡°If you can all use them proficiently, you can join the advanced group and learn more advanced magic.¡±

    Although Evan didn¡¯t have overly high expectations, the final test results still left him somewhat disappointed. Everyone¡¯s performance was poor.

    Except for Hermione, no one else could skillfully cast all the basic spells on the list. Not to mention those lower-level students, many upper-level students also performed poorly, and Neville couldn¡¯t even use the Disarming Charm properly.

    And he wasn¡¯t the only one; other students who were able to cast the Disarming Charm were also slow or made mistakes many times.

    In fact, Evan was really concerned about the state of Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching at Hogwarts.

    From this, it could be inferred that the overall proficiency in the wizarding world was not as high as Evan had thought. No wonder many wizards panicked at the news of Voldemort¡¯s return. If they couldn¡¯t even master the Disarming Charm, how could they possibly fight against Voldemort and Death Eaters?!

    ¡°It seems necessary to start from the basics, doesn¡¯t it?!¡± Evan said, admitting that he had overestimated everyone¡¯s abilities, thinking they were all on par with Hermione. ¡°Let¡¯s not split into groups. This time, the main focus will be on practicing Expelliarmus.¡±

    ¡°Oh please, I¡¯ve already learned this spell!¡± said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn it again with these low-grade students. Besides, I don¡¯t think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?¡±

    ¡°You really think so?¡± Evan asked, ¡°Harry has used it against Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it saved my life!¡± said Harry calmly. ¡°I¡¯ve faced Voldemort with Expelliarmus.¡±

    Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet.

    ¡°And do you think you havepletely mastered Expelliarmus?¡± Evan asked, taking out his wand, ¡°Are you fast enough? We can have a test. If you can knock my wand away, you can skip practicing it, how about that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Zacharias opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. He was definitely not a match for Evan.

    There was no need topete at all, the oue was already decided, and so many eyes were focused on him, which made him very ufortable.

    ¡°We¡¯d better start practicing now and learn this basic spell as quickly as possible,¡± said Evan, giving instructions, ¡°I¡¯ll exin the principles and casting techniques of this spell in detail, as well as what needs to be paid attention to. Then, everyone pairs up for practice. First of all, as you all know, the incantation for the Disarming Charm is ¡®Expelliarmus.¡¯ When cast sessfully during a duel and hits the opponent, the opponent¡¯s wand will fly into your hand and submit to you. This is crucial because wands choose their owners, and if the owner is¡­¡±

    Evan exined in great detail, covering aspects that even the professors hadn¡¯t discussed in ss. Not to mention a slightly disdainful Zacharias, even Hermione was attentively listening to Evan.

    What Evan was exining went beyond just the Disarming Charm itself; it covered various aspects, including many magical fields.

    And ording to Evan¡¯s summary, the Disarming Charm had three different casting techniques, each yielding different effects. Depending on the opponent¡¯s weapon, one could choose different casting techniques, but the mostmon was to counteract wands.

    Evan¡¯s requirement for everyone was to cast the Disarming Charm as quickly as possible, ideally within two seconds at the very least.

    He could now cast it instantly, just by making specific wand movements, without the need to recite the incantation while holding the wand.

    Doing so would be foolish, especially when using such a basic spell.

    Not everyone could be like Harry, using the Disarming Charm against Voldemort¡­

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 Chapter 984: The First Practice

    Chapter 984: The First Practice

    In addition, students in fifth year and above had been introduced to nonverbal spells.

    This was a skill that must be mastered in the Ordinary Wizarding Levels examination, and it was also a very practical dueling skill. Evan encouraged them to practice the Disarming Charm using this skill.

    Then, everyone started to form their own teams. Predictably, Neville was left partnerless, and Harry volunteered to help him practice.

    ¡°Right ¡­ on the count of three, then!¡± Evan shouted loudly, ¡°One, two, three!¡±

    The room was suddenly full of shouts of ¡°<i>Expelliarmus!</i>¡±: Wands flew in all directions, missed spells hit books on shelves and sent them flying into the air.

    Unlike the controlled spells they had cast individually before, this time, many spells were cast haphazardly.

    Many people were not seeding in disarming their opponents at all, but merely causing them to jump backward a few paces or wince as the feeble spell whooshed over them.

    Harry and Neville were doing reasonably well. Harry was too quick for Neville, whose wand went spinning out of his hand, hit the ceiling in a shower of sparks, andnded with a tter on top of a bookshelf, from which Harry retrieved it with a Summoning Charm.

    In the next round, Harry neither cast a spell nor dodged, allowing Neville to attack.¡°<i>Expelliarmus!</i>¡± Neville shouted, and the next second, Harry¡¯s wand flew out of his hand.

    ¡°<i>I DID IT!</i>¡± said Neville gleefully. ¡°I¡¯ve never done it before. I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    ¡°Well done, Neville. If you wave the wand harder and be more decisive next time, I think the effect will be better,¡± said Evan, pointing out the shorings. Neville was mainly too hesitant. ¡°By the way, can you take it in turns to practice with Hermione and Demelza so I can have a few words with Harry?¡±

    Amidst the noise, Evan and Harry moved to a corner of the room.

    ¡°Harry, what happened to you and Ron just now?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Did the scar hurt?¡±

    Although he was a little reluctant, Harry told him that he could sense Voldemort¡¯s emotions, and emphasized that Voldemort was angry because Dumbledore ruined his ns, revealing a loophole where the vampires were concerned.

    Evan was very interested in this information.

    However, what Harry felt was not very clear. To know the specifics, they needed to start with Sirius and find out what happened, why Voldemort was so angry. But Sirius hadn¡¯t contacted them for a long time.

    Also, Harry couldn¡¯t afford to sense Voldemort¡¯s thoughts again. It was ying with fire.

    But Harry didn¡¯t care at all about Evan¡¯s warning. Evan could only ask him to tell him immediately no matter what he saw next time.

    It was almost enough. Voldemort should have sensed this by now, and it was almost time to verify the connection between him and Harry.

    It was very possible that something big was going to happen soon, and it was something Harry could clearly see.

    Evan remembered that in the original book, Mr. Weasley was attacked in the middle of the night. If it weren¡¯t for Harry¡¯s warning, he might have died in the Ministry of Magic.

    But this time, Nagini had already been killed by him, and it could not attack Mr. Weasley; unless Voldemort found another snake as a pet.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if such a thing would happen again or turn into something else.

    In this case, in order to be on the safe side, Evan thought it was better to let Harry slow down in learning lumency, even though he hadn¡¯t made much progress to begin with.

    Evan returned to the middle of the room, and Harry resumed helping Neville practice.

    Something very odd was happening to Zacharias Smith; every time he opened his mouth to disarm Anthony Goldstein, his own wand would fly out of his hand, yet Anthony did not seem to be making a sound.

    Evan immediately noticed Fred and George who were several feet from Smith and taking it in turns to point their wands at his back.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said George hastily, when Evan caught his eye. ¡°Couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡±

    Evan walked around the other pairs, trying to correct those who were doing the spell wrong.

    The first-year students, in general, weren¡¯t doing very well, but they were practicing diligently.

    Compared to them, the attitudes of the others were quite poor!

    Ginny was teamed with Michael Corner; she was doing very well, whereas Michael was either very bad or unwilling to jinx her.

    The thought processes of people in love were always different from those of normal people; they always wanted to prove themselves in such trivial matters.

    Evan didn¡¯t say anything; he just felt the need to separate the two people.

    In addition, Ernie Macmin was flourishing his wand unnecessarily, giving his partner time to get in under his guard. This kid wanted to show off, as if he were really engaged in a world-famous duel¡­

    His practice partner was a second-year Hufflepuff student who couldn¡¯t learn much from him. Or maybe, he could only learn wrong moves and had to take them apart.

    The Creevey brothers were enthusiastic but erratic and mainly responsible for all the books leaping off the shelves around them.

    They couldn¡¯t continue practicing together; they couldn¡¯t help each other at all and could only continue disrupting the magic books around them.

    Luna Lovegood was simrly patchy, asionally sending Justin Finch-Fletchley¡¯s wand spinning out of his hand, at other times merely causing his hair to stand on end.

    In one absurd instance, she even made his clothes fly off.

    The most absurd situation was probably with Cho and her friend Marietta. During the recent test, Cho¡¯s performance was very poor, not at all like the level expected of a senior student, and she had forgotten many basic spells!

    As for her friend, the girl named Marietta, she was constantly furious, as if someone owed her arge sum of Galleons.

    When Evan got closer, Cho¡¯s performance obviously became worse, and she became obviously more nervous!

    ¡°<i>Expelliarmus</i>! No, <i>Expellimellius</i>! No ¡­ oh, sorry, Marietta!¡±

    In an instant, Marietta¡¯s sleeve caught fire.

    Evan hurriedly waved his wand to extinguish the fire. Marietta red at Cho and Evan rather sourly and turned away.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with her?¡± said Evan, remembering that this person seemed to be the informant in the original work.

    It seemed that her emotions were truly unstable, and it was necessary to pay more attention to her.

    Although Evan considered leaving Hogwarts and didn¡¯t mind letting Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic know about Dumbledore¡¯s Army, being snitched on and forced to leave would be really stupid!

    Although Evan could be certain that if anyone really reported it, they would definitely regret it very, very much, but until no one saw the specific content of the curse on the list, this may not be able to deter these guys¡­

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 Chapter 985: Training in progress

    Chapter 985: Training in progress

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her,¡± Cho muttered, looking at Evan apologetically, ¡°She doesn¡¯t really want to be here but I made here with me. Her parents have forbidden her to do anything that might upset Umbridge, you see ¡ª her mum works for the Ministry.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan nodded. It was normal for Marietta to have such concerns.

    Despite Evan repeatedly stating that their primary goal wasn¡¯t to overthrow the Ministry of Magic, many people were dissatisfied with Umbridge and the Ministry due to their actions at Hogwarts. There was a strong sentiment of resistance.

    Moreover, due to their current position, it wasn¡¯t a matter of whether Evan was willing or not; Fudge, Umbridge, and the Ministry had already identified them as enemies, eager to arrest them and throw them into Azkaban.

    In this case, the newly formed Dumbledore¡¯s short-term enemies were Umbridge and the Ministry of Magic.

    If someone didn¡¯t want to participate, Evan had no intention of forcing them. He firmly believed that everyone had the same long-term goal, which was to fight Voldemort.

    Even if not Voldemort, they still had to fight against evil gods. Those evil beings were the enemies of all life.

    From this perspective, Evan hoped that all Hogwarts students would join Dumbledore¡¯s Army.

    ¡°My parents have forbidden me to get on the wrong side of Umbridge too. They wrote a letter to warn me,¡± said Cho, drawing herself up proudly. ¡°But I believe in what you and Harry said, I believe in the Headmaster¡¯s speechst term. You-Know-Who has returned, and we can¡¯t pretend he hasn¡¯t. We must face the facts, and if necessary, take up arms. Also, if they think I¡¯m not going to fight You-Know-Who after what happened to Cedric¡­¡±She broke off, looking rather confused. She felt that she could fight, but if her opponent was Voldemort, she seemed to be overestimating her abilities.

    Just talking about it was a frightening and somewhat absurd thing.

    How could a Hogwarts student fight against the most evil Dark Lord in history?!

    ¡°Cho, what you said is very good. If we do our best, we can resist Voldemort. Only through constant practice will we be stronger,¡± Evan encouraged her. ¡°Although we are weak now and not his match, if we persist in practicing, we¡¯ll gradually be stronger.¡±

    ¡°Well, I believe in you!¡± Cho said hurriedly, and added, ¡°Because of Cedric.¡±

    She seemed to be troubled by Cedric turning into a vampire. Evan didn¡¯t know how to tell her, how tofort her. Could he tell her that Cedric was supposed to die, and now bing a vampire was actually a blessing in disguise?

    ¡°What happened that day?¡± Cho asked softly.

    ¡°Actually, Harry and I didn¡¯t see the whole process. Cedric was taken away after he was knocked down!¡± said Evan. ¡°Then we learned about his transfer to the United States from the headmaster, along with a letter he wrote to both of us.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s that letter?¡± Cho asked eagerly.

    ¡°With Harry, you can talk to Harry about what happened before he was taken away. Cedric was brave and wanted to protect us both from Voldemort.¡±

    ¡°My father said that vampires are no different from us except that they need to drink blood regrly.¡± Luna¡¯s voice sounded behind Evan, obviously eavesdropping on their conversation. ¡°Also, my father is very supportive of any anti- Ministry action! He¡¯s always saying he¡¯d believe anything of Fudge, I mean, the number of goblins Fudge has had assassinated! And of course he uses the Department of Mysteries to develop terrible poisons, which he feeds secretly to anybody who disagrees with him. So, he supports Dumbledore and you!¡±

    ¡°Say thank you to Mr. Lovegood for me!¡± Evan said, raising his wand and making a noise, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Alright, I just checked your practice. Everyone is working hard, and you¡¯ve basically mastered the Disarming Charm. However, there might be some issues with thebinations, so I¡¯m going to reorganize the groups now.¡±

    Evan shuffled everyone around, pairing someone who hadpletely mastered the Disarming Charm with someone who was still not proficient in its use. He assigned Harry to assist Cho, Hermione with Colin, Fred with Zacharias, George with Michael, and as for Neville, Evan took charge of him.

    After the reshuffling, the efficiency noticeably improved.

    Especially in the duels between Fred and Zacharias, George and Michael, it seemed like they were really dueling, both sides eager to knock each other¡¯s wands away. Although Fred and George had the upper hand, the other two showed rapid progress.

    Neville also made rapid progress. As long as he overcame his psychological obstacles, he quickly mastered the Charm.

    It was only Harry and Cho who seemed to have suddenly be clumsy.

    Time passed quickly, and when it was ten minutes to ten, Evan stopped the training, leaving many wanting more.

    ¡°The time is up, everyone performed very well today!¡± said Evan. ¡°I hope you continue practicing after you go back. By the next training session, everyone should have mastered the Disarming Charm, and we can move on to the next spell. Hmm, about the date for the next meeting, how about this Saturday night at the same time?¡±

    ¡°The earlier the better. No matter how many times we practice, I have time!¡± said Dean Thomas eagerly and many people nodded in agreement.

    Beforeing here, many people had more or less doubts, but now all these doubts were gone!

    It felt really good to actually learn a spell and feel your own strength improve; especially since Hogwarts had never had this kind of practical learning before, and the previous attempts at dueling clubs all ended without much sess.

    ¡°No, the Quidditch season¡¯s about to start, we need team practices too!¡± Angelina said hurriedly.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s set it at the same time next week for the time being, and make sure to train at least once a week,¡± said Evan. ¡°Later, each of you think about it, and list your avable evenings to Hermione, so we can determine the meeting time.¡±

    The first activity of Dumbledore¡¯s Army ended perfectly. When Evan and Hermione tallied up everyone¡¯s avable times, they realized that the main constraint came from the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, particrly Angelina, who wished to practice every day.

    Evan negotiated with Angelina and asked her to adjust the Quidditch training time as far forward as possible.

    In this way, all members of Dumbledore¡¯s Army could be guaranteed to be active twice a week, on Tuesday and Saturday nights.

    During the second training, Evan taught everyone to practice the Shield Charm.

    As an entry-level defensive spell, the Shield Charm was slightly more challenging than the Disarming Charm but highly practical and widely used.

    The incantation for the Shield Charm was ¡°<i>Protego</i>,¡± which could create a magical shield to deflect or dissipate objects or spells, protecting the caster and a certain area around them. However, due to its low level, its effectiveness in defending against many Dark spells was limited.

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 Chapter 986: Hagrid is back

    Chapter 986: Hagrid is back

    Despite this, the Shield Charm was still a practical introductory spell.

    Learning the Shield Charm meant that wizards had basic protection inbat, preventing them from being instantly knocked down by enemies. In addition to this, Evan also nned to teach them the Full Body-Bind Curse, giving them basic offensive capabilities.

    Expelliarmus, Protego and Petrificus Totalus were known as the three major introductory spells. Mastering all of them would allow them to engage in realbat!

    Apart from pairing off and simting duels, Evan was also nning to bring in some magical creatures for everyone to practice with.

    Through realbat, everyone would grow faster and umte more battle experience.

    The best training objects nearby were the Acromants. Evan also grew up fighting with them before. Moreover, thest Duelling Club formed by Sirius had exposed many people to the Acromants; so they wouldn¡¯t be unfamiliar.

    Of course, the previous battle with the Acromants involved a group of students facing one or two spiders, throwing a bunch of spells, and not feeling much. They killed the spiders and ended the fight, which couldn¡¯t be considered realbat.

    This time, Evan was going to let the members of Dumbledore¡¯s Army fight the Acromants alone, relying on their own abilities.

    But now there was a problem. Since Evan got rid of the spiders thest time, they had rarely been seen in the Forbidden Forest. Fortunately, Aragog was still alive, thanks to Hagrid¡¯s careful care.This meant that the Acromants were still around, just in hiding.

    Indeed these creatures reproduced very quickly.

    Evan was going to ask Hagrid and Aragog for a few adult Acromants. He believed the Spider King would meet this request. Whether willing to admit it or not, Evan was his savior rescuing him from the clutches of a terrible evil god.

    If there were no adults avable, a few spiderlings would also do, as everyone¡¯s skill level was still rtively low.

    If there was enough time, Evan was prepared to arrange opponents for them step by step.

    He was even thinking that it would be a good idea to find Hagrid¡¯s brother Grawp as a sparring partner for everyone.

    If even giants could be faced easily, what was there to fear from Death Eaters?

    Hagrid came backter this week, very low-key, without notifying anyone. If Evan and the others didn¡¯t know that Hagrid would be back this weekend, and if the lights in his cabin weren¡¯t on, they wouldn¡¯t have noticed.

    It was already dark outside, and it was still drizzling, but Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Ron decided to visit Hagrid at the earliest opportunity. They crept through the portrait hole, with Evan and Harry wearing Invisibility Cloaks, and Hermione and Ron each finding their own way in.

    Compared to before, they had all grown taller and couldn¡¯t all fit under Harry¡¯s Invisibility Cloak anymore.

    Of course, even if Evan didn¡¯t get Barty Crouch Jr.¡¯s Invisibility Cloak, he and Hermione could turn into cats.

    Since the beginning of the term, they had had many experiences of quietly sneaking out in thete night. The mostmon destination was the kitchens, where Hermione went to promote her set of ideas to those house-elves and encourage them to fight for their rights.

    Evan had also taken her to see the wall adorned with house-elves¡¯ heads, as well as the demon altar.

    In addition, since they could transform into cats and wander around the castle at will in the middle of the night, as a boy and a girl with normal physical and mental development, it was natural for the two of them to go to ces where no one was around every now and then to do things that everyone liked to do, such as going to the Astronomy Tower to gaze at the starry sky.

    Anyway, it was very convenient to perform any action in the cat posture, and there was no need to worry about being discovered.

    It must be said that the Hogwarts night sky was slightly inferior to the starry sky seen from the pyramids,cking a bit of historical depth, but it had a unique charm. The stars rotated slowly overhead, seemingly possessing mysterious magic.

    Especially when the two cats were cuddling together on the Astronomy Tower, it felt as though they were particrly close to the stars; creating a wonderful sensation.

    In the midst of a bit of warmth, excitement, exhration, and sweetness, apanied by a hint of satisfaction, even the air turned pink. As the saying goes, if you don¡¯t believe it, everyone can try it by finding a female cat.

    Even if you¡¯re toozy to go out and look at the stars, lying in bed is also fine, the key is having a female cat beside you, that¡¯s the most crucial feeling.

    It was already past nine in the evening when Evan and the others went out, and there was no one in the corridor.

    Moving slowly and cautiously, they proceeded down the many staircases, pausing at intervals to check the Marauder¡¯s Map for signs of Filch or Mrs. Norris.

    They were lucky; they saw nobody but Nearly Headless Nick, who was gliding along absentmindedly.

    Ten minutester, the four of them crept across the entrance hall and arrived at the silent grounds.

    It was drizzling in the sky, and they saw the golden light in front of them.

    The four of them walked through the grounds. Although the rain was not heavy, they were still soaked when they came to Hagrid¡¯s cabin!

    Harry came to the door first. He raised his fist and knocked three times. A dog started barking frantically inside.

    ¡°Hagrid, it¡¯s us!¡± Harry called through the keyhole.

    ¡°Shoulda known!¡± said a gruff voice, Hagrid¡¯s voice. ¡°Come in quickly, you four little furry heads ¡­ Bin home three seconds ¡­ Out the way, Fang ¡­ Out the way, yeh dozy dog!¡±

    When he was away, Fang was left alone in the cabin, and he would go to the woods to find food by himself.

    When Evan came out for Care of Magical Creatures ss, he would encounter him, and like Hagrid, the dog was overly enthusiastic.

    The bolt was drawn back, the door creaked open, and Hagrid¡¯s head appeared in the gap.

    Instantly, Hermione screamed.

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s beard, keep it down!¡± said Hagrid hastily, staring wildly over their heads. ¡°Under the cloaks, are yeh? Well, get in, get in; don¡¯t let anyone see you four here at this time! ¡°

    The four squeezed past Hagrid into the house and pulled the Invisibility Cloaks off themselves so he could see them.

    ¡°Sorry, I just¡ª¡± Hermione whispered, ¡°Oh, Hagrid, what on earth is going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nuthin¡¯, it¡¯s nuthin¡¯!¡± said Hagrid hastily, shutting the door behind them and hurrying to close all the curtains.

    But Hermione continued to gaze up at him in horror, Harry and Ron also looked shocked, and Evan felt somewhat helpless.

    A few months ago, Hagrid was not in such a bad situation. It seemed that his journey back had been particrly difficult and full of hardships.

    Taking care of a giant was really hard work.

    At this moment, Hagrid¡¯s hair was matted with congealed blood, and his left eye had been reduced to a puffy slit amid a mass of purple-and-ck bruises. There were many cuts on his face and hands, some of them still bleeding, and he was moving gingerly, suggesting possible broken ribs.

    It was obvious that he had only just got home; a thick ck traveling cloaky over the back of a chair and a haversackrge enough to carry several small children leaned against the wall inside the door. Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man and three times as broad, was now limping over to the fire and cing a copper kettle over it.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1213 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 987: Dragon Meat

    Chapter 987: Dragon Meat

    ¡°Hagrid, where¡¯s that giant? Your brother, the guy named Grawp?¡± Harry demanded, while Fang danced around them all, trying to lick their faces.

    ¡°Oh, Evan told yeh, did he?!¡± Hagrid tried his best to say in a pleasant tone, the sound of burning wood emanating from the firece. ¡°I just settled him in the woods, ¡®bout halfway from here, told him not to roam too much. I n to help him build a home tomorrow. If you¡¯re willin¡¯ to lend a hand, yeh cane over,¡±

    After hearing Hagrid¡¯s words, the four people subconsciously took a step back, not wanting to have anything to do with the giant.

    ¡°Those centaurs didn¡¯t give you any trouble, did they?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Not yet, they haven¡¯t even shown up, but they must already know!¡± Hagrid continued, ¡°I have to thank you, Evan, if it weren¡¯t fer your help, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to convince those stubborn folks.¡±

    ¡°They didn¡¯t agree, they just said they¡¯d observe for a while,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Well, y¡¯know, that¡¯s somethin¡¯, it is. Unlike when ya left, Grawp¡¯s been pickin¡¯ up some manners, bless ¡®im,¡± Hagrid said with a forced smile on his face. ¡°Makin¡¯ strides in English too, long as folks are willin¡¯ to give ¡®im a fair go. Course, even if they kick up a fuss, it don¡¯t matter much; the Forbidden Forest ain¡¯t theirs. But it¡¯s bound to make things a bit tricky, it is.¡±

    Everyone expressed doubts about what Hagrid said.

    One look at Hagrid and you wouldn¡¯t believe that the giant had learned manners.¡°Hagrid, your face?¡± Harry looked at him worriedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nuthin, didn¡¯t hit me. Grawp don¡¯ know his own strength,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°Do you wan¡¯ tea?¡±

    ¡°Did that giant attack you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m tellin¡¯ yeh, I¡¯m fine, don¡¯t talk about me!¡± said Hagrid, straightening up and turning to beam at them all, but wincing. ¡°Blimey, it¡¯s good ter see you four again ¡ª had good summers, did yeh?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that giant scary? Why did he hit you?¡±

    ¡°Fer thes¡¯ time, I¡¯m fine!¡± said Hagrid firmly. ¡°Grawp¡¯s a goodd, he is, just needs a bit o¡¯ time to adapt, yeh know.¡±

    ¡°Would you say it was nothing if one of us turned up with a pound of mince instead of a face?¡±

    ¡°You ought to go and see Madam Pomfrey, Hagrid,¡± said Hermione anxiously. ¡°Some of those cuts look nasty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m dealin¡¯ with it, all righ¡¯?¡± said Hagrid repressively.

    He walked across to the enormous wooden table that stood in the middle of his cabin and twitched aside a tea towel that had been lying on it.

    Underneath was a raw, bloody, green-tinged steak slightlyrger than the average car tire.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to eat that, are you, Hagrid?¡± said Ron, leaning in for a closer look. ¡°It looks poisonous!¡±

    ¡°Not poisonous, it¡¯s s¡¯posed ter look like that, it¡¯s dragon meat,¡± Hagrid said. ¡°An¡¯ I didn¡¯ get it ter eat.¡±

    He picked up the steak and pped it over the left side of his face. Greenish blood trickled down into his beard as he gave a soft moan of satisfaction.

    ¡°Tha¡¯s better. It helps with the stingin¡¯, yeh know.¡±

    Dragon blood and dragon meat do have the effect of elerating cell growth and relieving pain, but few people would do this like Hagrid. He was so primitive that he directly applied the meat to the wound. Madam Pomfrey would undoubtedly do a much better job.

    However, doing so would require him to exin why he was injured, something Hagrid did not want. He didn¡¯t want others to know he had brought a giant back; currently, only Evan, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore, and Sirius knew.

    ¡°Where did you get this piece of dragon meat?¡± Evan asked, ¡°It looks fresh?¡±

    ¡°Fresh? It seems to have gone bad?¡±

    ¡°No, dragon meat is this color.¡±

    ¡°Olympe got it fer me. Told her I needed a bit o¡¯ dragon meat to ease the pain,¡± said Hagrid, adjusting the steak a little so that it covered the worst of the bruising. ¡°Thanks to her, Grawp and I managed to cross the English Channel. Built ourselves a proper makeshift boat, goin¡¯ with the flow and all. Ministry keeps an eye on Apparition and Portkeys, yeh see, so we couldn¡¯t rely on that. And Disapparatin¡¯ with Grawp? No chance, he¡¯s a right giant, wouldn¡¯t fit nohow.¡±

    How big would a ship be that could hold a giant?!

    ¡°Well, why did it take you so long toe back? We thought you were in some danger.¡±

    ¡°Not an easy thing to hide a giant. Ah, the water¡¯s ready!¡± Hagrid set tea in front of each of them, sat down, picked up his steak again, and pped it back over his face. ¡°Could on¡¯y travel by nigh an¡¯ through wild country an¡¯ stuff. ¡¯Course, he covers the ground pretty well when he wants ter; could havee back earlier, but he kep¡¯ wantin¡¯ ter go back. To convince him, I wasted some time. I tol¡¯ Dumbledore ¡®bout the situation, and toward the end of the journey, Olympe returned to help me. We picked up the pace then.¡±

    ¡°Hagrid, you really shouldn¡¯t have brought that giant back!¡± Hermione said again.

    ¡°But I¡¯ve brought ¡®im back. He¡¯s me brother. Couldn¡¯t just leave ¡®im. Evan should¡¯ve clued yeh in on the chaos in the giant territory, right dangerous it is,¡± Hagrid exined. ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t want others knowin¡¯ ¡¯bout this, so you lot just pretend it doesn¡¯t exist, like there¡¯s never been a giant around. Now, had good summers, did yeh?¡±

    ¡°Not great, Harry has been attacked by Dementors!¡±

    Hagrid choked in his mug and dropped his steak at the same time; arge quantity of spit, tea, and dragon blood was sprayed over the table as Hagrid coughed and spluttered and the steak slid, with a soft st, onto the floor.

    ¡°Whadda yeh mean, attacked by Dementors?¡± growled Hagrid. ¡°Yeh¡¯re not serious?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I am, they turned up in Little Whinging and attacked my cousin and me, and then the Ministry of Magic expelled me,¡± Harry drawled. ¡°And I had to go to a hearing, and Evan went with me because he told the truth in the newspaper.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re crazy, they wanna expel you!¡± Hagrid red at them through his one open eye.

    ¡°Yes, fortunately they failed in the end and we won thewsuit!¡±

    ¡°Fudge is barmy, he is. Caught wind of some news on the way, but never thought there¡¯d be Dementors involved!¡± He bent down and tugged the dragon steak out of Fang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Didn¡¯t reckon the Ministry would go so far as to expel Harry, never even crossed me mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Hagrid, don¡¯t, it¡¯s not hygien ¡ª¡± Hermione began, but Hagrid had already pped the meat back over his swollen eye.

    ¡°I heard Olympe say the Ministry of Magic is pokin¡¯ around in Dumbledore¡¯s business, tryin¡¯ to shuffle him out of his job. It¡¯s pure madness!¡± Hagrid eximed, taking a sip of tea. ¡°Someone¡¯s keepin¡¯ tabs on ¡¯em, and even the French Ministry¡¯s gettin¡¯ involved, cooperatin¡¯ with¡­¡±

    His words were drowned in a sudden outbreak of rapping on the door.

    Hermione gasped; her mug slipped through her fingers and smashed on the floor; Fang yelped. All four of them stared at the window beside the doorway. The shadow of somebody small and squat rippled across the thin curtain.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1213 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 988: Shadow And Snow

    Chapter 988: Shadow And Snow

    ¡°It¡¯s her!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, get under the Invisibility Cloak, don¡¯t let her see us here.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s outside? What¡¯s goin¡¯ on with yeh four?¡± Hagrid asked in surprise.

    ¡°Get under here!¡± Harry said quickly; seizing the Invisibility Cloak he whirled it over himself and Ron, and they huddled into the corner of the room.

    Evan and Hermione also retreated to another corner, donned the Invisibility Cloak, and hid among a pile of sundry boxes.

    Fang was barking madly at the door. Hagrid looked thoroughly confused!

    ¡°Oh, Hagrid, hide our mugs!¡±

    Hagrid grabbed Evan¡¯s, Harry¡¯s, and Ron¡¯s mugs and shoved them under the cushion in Fang¡¯s basket.

    Fang was now leaping up at the door; Hagrid pushed him out of the way with his foot and pulled it open.Professor Umbridge was standing in the doorway wearing her green tweed cloak and a matching hat with earps.

    Lips pursed, she leaned back so as to see Hagrid¡¯s face; she barely reached his navel.

    ¡°So,¡± she said slowly and loudly, as though speaking to somebody deaf. ¡°You¡¯re Hagrid, are you?¡±

    Without waiting for an answer she strolled into the room, her bulging eyes rolling in every direction.

    ¡°Get away,¡± she snapped, waving her handbag at Fang, who had bounded up to her and was attempting to lick her face.

    ¡°Er ¡ª I don¡¯ want ter be rude,¡± said Hagrid, staring at her, ¡°but who the ruddy hell are you?¡±

    ¡°My name is Dolores Umbridge, and I heard from the Headmaster that you wereing back today.¡±

    Her eyes were sweeping the cabin. Twice they stared directly into the corner where Evan and the others were hiding.

    Because the space was very small, Evan and Hermione were tightly next to each other, while Harry and Ron huddled in another corner.

    ¡°Dolores Umbridge?¡± Hagrid said, sounding thoroughly confused. ¡°I¡¯ve heard yer name, but I thought you were one o¡¯ them Ministry ¡ª don¡¯ you work with Fudge? What are yeh doin¡¯ at Hogwarts¡±

    ¡°I was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, yes,¡± said Umbridge, now pacing around the cabin, taking in every tiny detail within, from the haversack against the wall to the abandoned traveling cloak. ¡°I am now the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher¡­¡±

    ¡°Tha¡¯s brave of yeh,¡± said Hagrid, ¡°there¡¯s not many¡¯d take tha¡¯ job anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ª and Hogwarts High Inquisitor,¡± said Umbridge, giving no sign that she had heard him.

    ¡°Wha¡¯s that?¡± said Hagrid, frowning.

    ¡°Precisely what I was going to ask,¡± said Umbridge, pointing at the broken shards of china on the floor that had been Hermione¡¯s mug.

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Hagrid, with a most unhelpful nce toward the corner where Evan and Hermione stood hidden, ¡°oh, tha¡¯ was ¡­ was Fang, he¡¯s too naughty. He broke a mug. So I had ter use this one instead.¡±

    Hagrid pointed to the mug from which he had been drinking, one hand still mped over the dragon steak pressed to his eye.

    Umbridge stood facing him now, taking in every detail of his appearance instead of the cabin¡¯s.

    ¡°I heard voices,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°I was talkin¡¯ ter Fang,¡± said Hagrid stoutly.

    ¡°And was he talking back to you?¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ in a manner o¡¯ speakin¡¯,¡± said Hagrid, looking ufortable. ¡°I sometimes say Fang¡¯s near enough human¡­ We often do that¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite an unusual habit!¡± Umbridge said tactfully.

    She clearly didn¡¯t believe what Hagrid said. She wheeled around and strode the length of the cabin, looking around carefully. She bent and peered under the bed. She opened Hagrid¡¯s cupboards rudely, and then walked straight to the pile of clutter where Evan and Hermione were hiding.

    She stretched out her hand suddenly, but didn¡¯t touch anything, only messing up the boxes.

    ¡°What are yeh looking fer?¡± Hagrid said nervously, waving arge hand towards the haversack. ¡°Yeh can see I on¡¯y jus¡¯ got back.¡±

    Under the Invisibility Cloak, Evan and Hermione transformed at the same time, and two kittens, one ck and one white, were curled up together.

    They exchanged a nce; if it weren¡¯t for their ability to transform, they would have been touched just now!

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Umbridge said, pushing the clutter aside.

    At this moment, a box was knocked down rudely by her, and the Invisibility Cloak on Evan and Hermione slipped down with it.

    They appeared in front of Umbridge, their eyes facing each other.

    The sudden turn of events stunned everyone, and the atmosphere in the room became extremely tense. All eyes were on Evan and Hermione!

    ¡®What to do ¡­ got discovered?¡¯

    Evan was still thinking about this just now. If he was discovered, should he use the Memory Charm?

    Or maybe should they team up to subdue Umbridge and prevent her from leaving the cabin?!

    The next moment, Hermione, in a state of confusion, moved slightly, and Evan quickly pressed her down, pouncing as a real cat would.

    He was already very experienced; they were just cats now and would not be discovered.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Umbridge said, looking at Evan and Hermione suspiciously. ¡°Howe I didn¡¯t see them just now?¡±

    ¡°These ¡®re me cats, Shadow and Snow!¡± said Hagrid nervously. ¡°They like to wander around.¡±

    Fang ran over, sniffing Evan and Hermione forcefully, as if wanting to lick them.

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯, Shadow ¡­ Snow, you two naughty rascals, don¡¯ run around, stay obediently here.¡±

    Hagrid drove Fang away in a panic, grabbed Evan and Hermione with one hand, and ced them on the table in therge cauldron used for cooking.

    The two of them were sitting there; Evan felt the need to act more natural; Umbridge was watching.

    Sitting like Hermione did, no matter how you looked at it, didn¡¯t resemble a cat at all. Anyone would think there was a problem.

    Thinking of this, he leaned over and licked Hermione¡¯s face

    He licked hard, and Hermione didn¡¯t react until her face was covered with Evan¡¯s saliva.

    She yfully scratched Evan, wanting to push him away, but Evan directly used force, just like a real cat.

    In this way, the two moved in tandem with rhythm, swaying in ck and white. Umbridge finally shifted her gaze to Hagrid.

    ¡°What has happened to you? How did you sustain those injuries?¡±

    As Evan and Hermione were moving, they noticed Hagrid hastily removing the dragon steak from his face.

    The ck-and-purple bruising all around his eye was now clearly visible, not to mention therge amount of fresh and congealed blood on his face.

    ¡°Oh, I ¡­ had a bit of an ident,¡± he saidmely, still looking at Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°What sort of ident?¡±

    ¡°I-I tripped.¡±

    ¡°You tripped,¡± she repeated coolly.

    ¡°Yeah, tha¡¯s right. Over ¡­ over a friends broomstick. I don¡¯ fly, meself. Well, look at the size o¡¯ me, I don¡¯ reckon there¡¯s a broomstick that¡¯d hold me. Friend o¡¯ mine breeds Abraxan horses, I dunno if you¡¯ve ever seen ¡¯em, big beasts, winged, yeh know, I¡¯ve had a bit of a ride on one o¡¯ them an¡¯ it was ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where have you been these days?¡± asked Umbridge, cutting coolly through Hagrid¡¯s babbling.

    ¡°Where¡¯ve I ¡­?¡±

    ¡°Been, yes. ording to the information I received, you left Hogwarts inte February of this year, and at the same time, disappeared along with Evan Mason, Sirius ck, and Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons. After school started, Mason and Madame Maxime appeared one after another, but you and ck have been missing. It¡¯s been a long time since term started. Another teacher has had to cover your sses. None of your colleagues has been able to give me any information as to your whereabouts. You left no address. Where have you been?¡±

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1213 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 989: Tossing and Turning in the Cauldron

    Chapter 989: Tossing and Turning in the Cauldron

    There was a pause in which Hagrid stared at her with his newly uncovered eye, as if he was thinking about how to answer this question.

    Evan and Sirius had told Hagrid about this before, and he hoped Hagrid could still remember it.

    They had gone to Beauxbatons for an exchange. Hagrid was instructed not to deviate from the information provided to the Ministry and certainly not to mention anything about giants.

    Because he was too focused on Hagrid¡¯s answer, Evan¡¯s grip weakened, and Hermione swiftly flipped her body around.

    She forcefully pushed Evan down, sitting on top of him, and started yfully licking his face.

    The cauldron Hagrid was using rattled, making a loud ttering noise.

    This noise jolted Hagrid awake, as if he suddenly knew how to respond to Umbridge!

    ¡°Yer see, we went to Beauxbatons, invited by Nics mel himself, mind ya. Evan¡¯s his student, learnin¡¯ alchemy from the best in the world, he is. Dumbledore thought Evan could pick up a thing or two from ol¡¯ mel. Now, there¡¯s this International Alchemical Conference happenin¡¯ every ten years, right in Cairo. Evan¡¯s got a chance to be a part of it, and Dumbledore, he got that Trailzin¡¯ Contribution Award back in his student days, caused a real stir it did. They only give it to the cream of the crop alchemists, ya know? And since then, we ain¡¯t had no awards, quite a shame that is. ¡­¡±

    In the cauldron, Evan did not resist and allowed Hermione to lick him while moving around on him.He had to admit that Hagrid was very talented at making up stories, but it would be better if his expression was more natural.

    With his current appearance, anyone could tell he was making things up.

    Soon, Hermione realized what she was doing, her body froze suddenly, and a blush spread from head to toe.

    In an instant, a little white cat turned into a little pink cat!

    Evan, on the other hand, had no qualms. Since Hermione had no strength left, it was time to strike back!

    He exerted force from his waist, abruptly freeing himself from Hermione and flipping her over to continue their antics.

    In this kind of matter, Hermione was too shy, so she was no match for him.

    Therge cooking cauldron kept shaking, and the two were tossing in it vigorously, while Umbridge scrutinized Hagrid.

    ¡°Mason received an invitation. Why did you go to Beauxbatons with him?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s ¡¯bout Abraxan horses, those big beasts. Raised over at Beauxbatons, they are. Some of ¡¯em fell sick, anorexia, they said. Thought I could pop over and look after ¡¯em fer a while,¡± Hagrid exined. ¡°I¡¯m good at caring fer animals, always dealin¡¯ with ¡¯em, and ridin¡¯ them horses feels really good; big and white¡­¡±

    ¡°And then where did you go? After the break at Beauxbatons?¡± Umbridge interrupted again.

    ¡°I ¡ª I¡¯ve been away for me health,¡± he said, seeming d he had found the excuse.

    ¡°For your health,¡± said Umbridge. Her eyes traveled over Hagrid¡¯s discolored and swollen face; dragon blood dripped gently onto his waistcoat in the silence. ¡°Tsk, I see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hagrid quickly, ¡°bit o¡¯ fresh air, yeh know ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, as gamekeeper fresh air must be so difficult toe by,¡± said Umbridge sweetly.

    The small patch of Hagrid¡¯s face that was not ck or purple flushed.

    ¡°¡°Well ¡ª change o¡¯ scene, yeh know¡­¡±

    ¡°Mountain scenery?¡± said Umbridge swiftly.

    Evan stopped suddenly. Did she know that they went to the giant tribe?!

    Sirius said that the Ministry of Magic also had eyes and ears abroad, monitoring everyone associated with Dumbledore.

    Umbridge must know that they did not stay in Beauxbatons for too long, and there was such a big situation in Sicily again, with volcanoes erupting, magic surging, and giant wars. Not long ago, at the Ministry of Magic, Evan saw those pieces of information appear in the Auror office. Did they find something?!

    Inside the cauldron, while Evan paused, Hermione pushed him aside again.

    She rubbed her face vigorously with her tiny paws to wipe off the water on it, but this time she did not pounce.

    However, with the limited space in the cauldron and Umbridge outside, she couldn¡¯t run out.

    They couldn¡¯t just sit still in there; that was not what cats would do.

    Hermione looked at Hagrid and Umbridge, and then at Evan. She seemed to have figured it out, and pounced the next second.

    In the confined space, escape was impossible. Instead of letting Evan ride up and bully her, she decided to assert dominance over him.

    Evan didn¡¯t dare to use any strength, and was soon pinned down by Hermione¡­

    ¡°Mountains?¡± Hagrid repeated, clearly thinking fast. ¡°Nope, South of France fer me. Bit o¡¯ sun an¡¯ ¡­ an¡¯ sea. I went straight there after leavin¡¯ Beauxbatons¡­ spent the whole summer there and the beginnin¡¯ of term¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± said Umbridge. ¡°You don¡¯t have much of a tan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ well ¡­ sensitive skin,¡± said Hagrid, attempting an ingratiating smile. But with two of his teeth knocked out, it looked even more out of ce.

    Umbridge looked at him coldly; his smile faltered.

    Then she hoisted her handbag a little higher into the crook of her arm and said, ¡°I shall, of course, be informing the Minister of yourte return.¡±

    ¡°Righ¡¯,¡± said Hagrid, nodding, hoping she would leave quickly.

    ¡°You ought to know too that as High Inquisitor it is my unfortunate but necessary duty to inspect my fellow teachers. So I daresay we shall meet again soon enough. You will start ss next week, won¡¯t you? ¡°

    ¡°What?!¡± Hagrid didn¡¯t answer her question. He echoed nkly, looking after her, ¡°You¡¯re inspectin¡¯ us!¡±

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Umbridge softly with a smile, looking back at him with her hand on the door handle. ¡°The Minister is determined to weed out unsatisfactory teachers, Hagrid. Good night, take care of your pets!¡±

    She left, closing the door behind her with a snap, and there was a silence in the room.

    Once they were certain she was gone, Evan and Hermione climbed out of the cauldron, and Harry and Ron also took off their Invisibility Cloak.

    ¡°That was really close, Evan, Hermione,¡± Hagrid said, looking at the two.

    ¡°It¡¯s Animagus. Hermione and I have mastered it, but we haven¡¯t registered it with the Ministry of Magic. Don¡¯t tell this matter,¡± said Evan, seeing Hermione looking at him with a red face, probably thinking about what they had just done¡­

    He didn¡¯t mind Hermione licking his body, they were just cats anyway. He didn¡¯t mind Hermione¡¯s saliva, no matter what kind of water it was.

    Maybe it was just a psychological effect, but Evan felt that Hermione was quite attractive in her current form.

    He had just licked her from top to bottom. Of course, Hermione didn¡¯t show any courtesy to him and fought back.

    They yed the role of cats convincingly, and even the suspicious Umbridge hadn¡¯t seen through it.

    Putting two cats together would naturally lead to such behavior. If anyone doubted it, they could try staying in a cauldron with a little female cat to see how normal Evan and Hermione¡¯s behavior had been. Please believe that this was normal behavior for two cats together.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1213 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 990: Return and Persuasion

    Chapter 990: Return and Persuasion

    ¡°Alrigh¡¯ then, what exactly happened at Hogwarts? Can someone exin it ter me?¡± Hagrid didn¡¯t dwell on Animagus, but Harry and Ron looked enviously at Evan and Hermione.

    Especially Ron, unlike Harry, it was the first time for him to see Evan and Hermione transform; and it was truly amazing!

    They had been squeezed into the corner like a sandwich just now, and almost caught when Umbridge passed in front of them.

    If they could transform into cats, they could easily fool Umbridge just like Evan and Hermione.

    Not to mention, Animagus had many uses, and it was not just as simple as being good at hiding.

    Look at what Evan and Hermione had done. If Harry and Ron turned into other animals, maybe they would develop some new uses¡­

    Harry¡¯s Patronus and his father¡¯s Animagus form were both a stag. If he could learn Transfiguration, he might be a stag too.

    As for Ron, he would probably be the same as his Patronus, a Jack Russell terrier or a weasel.

    Of course, this was not necessarily true. Hermione¡¯s patronus was an otter, but she turned into a cat in the end.It was also a white cat,pletely opposite to Evan¡¯s Animagus form, a ck cat,monly known as Snow!

    If she said that her transformation was not affected by Evan, no one would believe it.

    These things were all rted to the soul. The more they came into contact with each other, the greater their impact and the deeper the imprint.

    ¡°Blimey ¡­ inspectin¡¯ people, is she?¡± said Hagrid in a low voice, looking at Umbridge¡¯s back outside the window.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Harry, ¡°You will soon know that that woman has done many things in the school. One of them is to inspect the professors¡¯ teaching abilities. Trwney¡¯s on probation already!¡±

    ¡°Um ¡­ what sort of thing are you nning to do with us in ss, Hagrid?¡± Hermione asked, returning to normal.

    The settlement with Evan could be postponed. There was plenty of time in the evening, but it was still important to remind Hagrid to be careful now.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯ you worry abou¡¯ that, I¡¯ve got a great load o¡¯ lessons nned,¡± said Hagrid enthusiastically, scooping up his dragon steak from the table and pping it over his eye again. ¡°Yeh think I haven¡¯ made any preparations? I found a lot o¡¯ wonderful creatures on the way this time. Don¡¯ worry, I¡¯ve bin keepin¡¯ a couple o¡¯ creatures saved fer yer O.W.L. year, you wait, they¡¯re somethin¡¯ really special.¡±

    ¡°Erm ¡­ special in what way?¡± asked Hermione tentatively.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sayin¡¯,¡± said Hagrid happily. ¡°I don¡¯ want ter spoil the surprise.¡±

    ¡°Look, Hagrid,¡± said Hermione urgently, dropping all pretense, ¡°Professor Umbridge won¡¯t be at all happy if you bring anything to ss that¡¯s too dangerous¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Dangerous?¡± said Hagrid, looking genially bemused. ¡°Don¡¯ be silly, I wouldn¡¯ give yeh anythin¡¯ dangerous! I mean, all righ¡¯, they can look after themselves ¡­ don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not dangerous at all, just as cute as yer Snow just now¡­¡±

    Hermione blushed visibly, and she said earnestly, ¡°Hagrid, you¡¯ve got to pass Umbridge¡¯s inspection, and to do that it would really be better if she saw you teaching us how to look after porlocks, how to tell the difference between knarls and hedgehogs, stuff like that!¡±

    ¡°But tha¡¯s not very interestin¡¯, Hermione,¡± said Hagrid, moving the dragon steak up. ¡°The stuff I¡¯ve got¡¯s much more impressive, I¡¯ve bin bringin¡¯ ¡¯em on fer years, I reckon I¡¯ve got the on¡¯y domestic herd in Britain¡­¡±

    ¡°Hagrid ¡­ please ¡­¡± said Hermione, a note of real desperation in her voice. ¡°Umbridge is looking for any excuse to get rid of teachers she thinks are too close to Dumbledore. Please, Hagrid, teach us something dull that¡¯s bound toe up in our O.W.L!¡±

    But Hagrid merely yawned widely and cast a one-eyed look of longing toward the vast bed in the corner.

    ¡°Lis¡¯en, it¡¯s bin a long day an¡¯ it¡¯ste,¡± he said, patting Hermione gently on the shoulder, so that her knees gave way and hit the floor with a thud. Evan hurried over to help her up.

    ¡°Hagrid!¡±

    ¡°Oh ¡ª sorry ¡ª ¡± he said apologetically, ¡°Grawp must be like this, he can¡¯t always control his strength. Poor little guy, he doesn¡¯t know how strong he is. ¡°Look, don¡¯ you go worryin¡¯ abou¡¯ me, I promise yeh I¡¯ve got really good stuff nned fer yer lessons now I¡¯m back, it¡¯s time fer yeh to go to bed!¡±

    ¡°I dunno if you got through to him, and he has no idea what kind of person that woman is.¡±

    On the way back, they discussed the matter worriedly.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back again tomorrow,¡± said Hermione determinedly. ¡°I¡¯ll n his lessons for him if I have to. I don¡¯t care if she throws out Trwney but she¡¯s not taking Hagrid!¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work, you know Hagrid!¡± Evan said, and he was going toe over tomorrow to discuss the training with magical creatures.

    ¡°As long as we make it clear to him, he¡¯ll listen. And there¡¯s that giant hiding in the forest!¡± Hermione paused for a moment, looked angrily at Evan, lowered her voice, using a volume that Harry and Ron couldn¡¯t hear, ¡°What happened in the cauldron earlier, don¡¯t think it¡¯s over. Come out tonight in your <i>Shadow </i>form¡­¡±

    Evan blinked, wondering if Hermione liked narrow spaces, but there wasn¡¯t such arge cauldron in themon room.

    Hagrid¡¯s reappearance at the staff table at breakfast next day was not greeted by enthusiasm from all students.

    Some, like Fred, George, and Lee, roared with delight and sprinted up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables to wring Hagrid¡¯s enormous hand; others, like Parvati and Lavender, exchanged gloomy looks and shook their heads.

    Many of them preferred Professor Grubbly- nk¡¯s lessons to Hagrid¡¯s.

    And it was true that they had good reason: Grubbly-nk¡¯s idea of an interesting ss was not one where there was a risk that somebody might have their head ripped off.

    Even though he worked verytest night, Evan was dragged to Hagrid¡¯s cabin by Hermione early in the morning.

    Hagrid had woken up a long time ago. He had just returned from the Forbidden Forest after watching Grawp, and he had a few new wounds on his face.

    He told the two people about Grawp¡¯s situation, and also said that he would find a ce for him to live so that he would not be exposed to the rain.

    That was indeed very important, considering that winter was approaching in a few days and temperatures would drop, bringing snow!

    Giants usually lived in caves, but there were no caves near Hogwarts. Evan suggested that Hagrid use Aragog¡¯sir and let Grawp live in the underground cavern. Although it had copsed at its deepest point, the space inside was stillrge, and there was even a hot spring. The Acromants had left the ce by now.

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 Chapter 991: Woo woo woo

    Chapter 991: Woo woo woo

    No matter how to look at it, that ce was perfect for Grawp to use as hisir.

    ording to Hagrid¡¯s character and past practices, he might even find a mate for Grawp.

    Fall in love, mate, reproduce, fall in love again, mate again, and reproduce again.

    Just like this, in a few decades, a brand new tribe of giants would appear in the forest near Hogwarts¡­

    Following this topic, Evan hoped Hagrid would help him find a few animals as fighting practice objects, including Acromants.

    Hagrid agreed, saying that Aragog had always been thinking about Evan and would definitely be willing to help him with this small favor.

    Without the support of the evil god¡¯s power, the old spider was close to the end, likely to die at any moment.

    This might not be a bad thing for him; after all, the price paid for the extended life span was to be dominated by the evil god.

    Looking at his descendants, the ordinary ones were okay, but therger ones had been twisted into something else.Things were going well here for Evan, and Hagrid was willing to provide them with animals forbat training.

    But Hermione¡¯s suggestions to persuade Hagrid to give up showing dangerous animals in ss and to help him n lessons made little progress and received no response.

    Hagrid always emphasized that he wanted to give them a surprise.

    Hermione wanted to exin Umbridge¡¯s situation to him, but Hagrid just wouldn¡¯t listen.

    He kept telling Hermione that no one in their right mind would be willing to study thorns instead of Chimaeras.

    Of course, he was giving an example!

    He didn¡¯t have a Chimaera, not because he didn¡¯t want to raise one, but because it was hard for him to get Chimaera eggs.

    Soon, everyone knew what his so-called surprise was: Thestrals.

    Umbridge did not inspect Evan¡¯s ss, but she appeared in the fifth-year Care of Magical Creatures ss, which was the ss where Hagrid showed everyone the Thestral.

    Evanter learned about the situation from Hermione and what she said about Hagrid.

    In the forest, the students gathered around the Thestrals. They couldn¡¯t see them, but they could feel something moving.

    ¡°These Thestrals ¡­ who can tell me why some o¡¯ you can see them an¡¯ some can¡¯t?¡± Hagrid said.

    Hermione immediately raised her hand. After learning about Thestrals with Evan¡¯s help on the first day of school, she had researched a lot.

    ¡°Go on then,¡± said Hagrid, beaming at her.

    ¡°The only people who can see Thestrals,¡± she said, ¡°are people who have seen death.¡±

    ¡°Tha¡¯s exactly right,¡± said Hagrid solemnly, ¡°ten points ter Gryffindor. Now, Thestrals have a kind of unique magical power¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem.</i>¡±

    Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready.

    Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge¡¯s fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest Thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.

    He felt a bit worried; could this Thestral be sick, making such strange sounds?

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>.¡± Umbridge faked another cough.

    ¡°Oh hello!¡± Hagrid said, smiling, having located the source of the noise.

    ¡°You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?¡± said Umbridge, in the same loud, slow voice she had used with him earlier, as though she was addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. ¡°Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Hagrid brightly. ¡°d yeh found the ce all righ¡¯! Well, as you can see ¡ª or, I dunno ¡ª can you? We¡¯re doin¡¯ Thestrals today¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± said Umbridge loudly, cupping her hand around her ear and frowning. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Hagrid looked a little confused about Umbridge¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°Er ¡ª Thestrals!¡± he said loudly. ¡°Big ¡ª er ¡ª winged horses, yeh know!¡±

    He pped his gigantic arms hopefully twice, trying to show Umbridge what Thestrals looked like.

    Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows at him and muttered as she made a note on her clipboard, ¡°¡®has ¡­ to ¡­ resort ¡­ to ¡­ crude ¡­ sign ¡­nguage ¡­¡¯¡±

    She raised her head and smiled, ¡°You continue with the ss, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ anyway ¡­¡± said Hagrid, turning back to the ss and looking slightly flustered. ¡°Erm ¡­ what was I sayin¡¯?¡±

    ¡° ¡®Appears ¡­ to ¡­ have ¡­ poor ¡­ short ¡­ term ¡­ memory ¡­¡¯ ¡± muttered Umbridge, loudly enough for everyone to hear her.

    The Slytherins looked as though Christmas hade two months early; Hermione, on the other hand, had turned scarlet with suppressed rage.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Hagrid, throwing an uneasy nce at Umbridge¡¯s clipboard, but plowing on valiantly. ¡°Yeah, I was gonna tell yeh howe we got a herd. Yeah, so, we started off with a male an¡¯ five females. this one¡¯s called Tenebrus¡­¡±

    He patted the first horse to have appeared, even though many couldn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°Woo, woo, woo!¡± Tenebrus made a series of calls, nuzzling affectionately against Hagrid.

    ¡°¡­ he¡¯s my special favorite, firs¡¯ one born here in the forest. Everyone cane over and touch Tenebrus, or ride it!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, are you aware,¡± Umbridge said loudly, interrupting him, ¡°that the Ministry of Magic has ssified Thestrals as ¡®dangerous¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Thestrals aren¡¯ dangerous! All righ, they might take a bite outta you if yeh really annoy them, just like dogs¡­¡±

    ¡°¡®Shows ¡­ signs ¡­ of ¡­ pleasure ¡­ at ¡­ idea ¡­ of ¡­ violence ¡­ ¡®¡± muttered Umbridge, scribbling on her clipboard again.

    ¡°No ¡ªe on!¡± said Hagrid, looking a little anxious now. ¡°I mean, a dog¡¯ll bite if yeh bait it, won¡¯ it ¡ª but Thestrals have jus¡¯ got a bad reputation because o¡¯ the death thing ¡ª people used ter think they were bad omens, didn¡¯ they? Jus¡¯ didn¡¯ understand, did they?¡±

    Umbridge did not answer; she finished writing herst note, then looked up at Hagrid and said, again very loudly and slowly, ¡°Please continue teaching as usual. I am going to walk among the students and ask them questions about your past performance.¡±

    As she spoke, Umbridge gestured to make sure Hagrid understood. When she said ¡°students,¡± she pointed around at individual members of the ss, when saying ¡°walk among,¡± she mimed walking, and for ¡°ask questions,¡± she pointed at her mouth to indicate talking.

    Clearly, Umbridge wasn¡¯t evaluating Hagrid¡¯s teaching abilities; she was questioning his intelligence, treating him as if he were an unintelligent giant with whommunication was impossible.

    Hagrid stared at her, clearly at aplete loss to understand why she was acting as though he did not understand normal English.

    Hermione had tears of fury in her eyes now, and she still hated her terribly when she told Evan about itter.

    ¡°You hag, you evil hag!¡± she said angrily, ¡°you awful, twisted, vicious toad!¡±

    Umbridge finally asked Pansy Parkinson, having figured out the situation at Hogwarts over the past few days. She knew whom to avoid, whom to rely on, and whom to suppress. Most Slytherin students were on her side.

    ¡°My dear, do you find,¡± said Professor Umbridge in a ringing voice to Pansy Parkinson, ¡°that you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?¡±

    Just like Hermione, Pansy had tears in her eyes, but these were tears ofughter.

    Her answer was almost incoherent because she was trying to suppress her giggles.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t ¡­ because ¡­ well ¡­ it sounds ¡­ like grunting a lot of the time ¡­ I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s saying ¡­ or what those sounds mean.¡± ¡°

    ¡°Very well ¡­ ¡®Unable of correct expression ¡­ can only make grunting sounds¡¯.¡± Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.

    The few unbruised bits of Hagrid¡¯s face flushed, but he tried to act as though he had not heard Pansy¡¯s answer.

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 Chapter 992: Protective Measures and Confidentiality

    Chapter 992: Protective Measures and Confidentiality

    ¡°Er ¡­ yeah ¡­ good stuff abou¡¯ Thestrals,¡± Hagrid was a little incoherent. ¡°Well, once they¡¯re tamed, like this lot, yeh¡¯ll never be lost again. ¡®Mazin¡¯ senses o¡¯ direction, jus¡¯ tell ¡¯em where yeh want ter go¡­¡±

    ¡°Assuming they can understand you, of course,¡± a burst ofughter broke out from the Slytherin crowd.

    Umbridge smiled indulgently at them and then turned to Neville.

    ¡°You can see the Thestrals, Longbottom, can you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Neville nodded.

    ¡°Whom did you see die?¡± she asked, her tone indifferent.

    ¡°My ¡­ my grandad,¡± said Neville, his voice low.

    ¡°And what do you think of them? Tenebrus and his kind that Professor Hagrid mentioned?¡± she said, waving her stubby hand at the horses, who by now had stripped a great deal of the carcass, Hagrid had prepared, down to bone.

    ¡°Erm,¡± said Neville nervously, with a nce at Hagrid. ¡°Well, they¡¯re ¡­ er ¡­ okay¡­¡±¡° ¡®Students ¡­ are ¡­ too ¡­ intimidated ¡­ to ¡­ admit ¡­ they ¡­ are ¡­ frightened¡­¡¯ ¡± muttered Umbridge, making another note on her clipboard.

    ¡°No!¡± said Neville, looking upset, ¡°no, I¡¯m not scared of them!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite all right,¡± said Umbridge, patting Neville on the shoulder with what she evidently intended to be an understanding smile, though it looked more like a leer.

    ¡°Well, Hagrid,¡± she turned to look up at him again, speaking once more in that loud, slow voice, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got enough to be getting along with¡­ You will receive the results of your inspection in ten days¡¯ time. ¡°

    Same as before, she made gestures while talking. When she said ¡°ten days¡±, she held up ten stubby fingers; when she said ¡°receive¡±, she mimed taking something from the air in front of her, and finally for ¡°the results of your inspection,¡± she pointed at the clipboard, as if Hagrid were mentally impaired.

    Then, her smile wider and more toadlike than ever before beneath her green hat; she bustled from the midst of students.

    She left all the Slytherins in fits ofughter, Hermione actually shaking with fury, and Neville looking confused and upset.

    ¡°That foul, lying, twisting old gargoyle!¡± stormed Hermione.

    When she told Evan what happened in the Care of Magical Creatures ss, she seemed a little unable to control her anger again!

    ¡°You see what she¡¯s up to?¡± Hermione continued. ¡°It¡¯s her thing about half-breeds all over again ¡ª she¡¯s trying to make out Hagrid¡¯s some kind of dim-witted troll, just because he had a giantess for a mother ¡ª and oh, it¡¯s not fair, that really wasn¡¯t a bad lesson at all ¡ª I mean, all right, if it had been st-Ended Skrewts again or some other creature, but Thestrals are fine. I didn¡¯t expect him to show us the Thestrals ¡ª in fact, for Hagrid, they¡¯re really good!¡±

    ¡°Umbridge said they¡¯re dangerous,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s like Hagrid said, they can look after themselves,¡± said Hermione impatiently. ¡°They¡¯ve been living in Hogwarts for many years; and I suppose a teacher like Grubbly-nk wouldn¡¯t usually show them to us before N.E.W.T. level, but, well, they are very interesting, aren¡¯t they? The way some people can see them and some can¡¯t! I wish I could¡­¡±

    She stopped abruptly, realizing what she was saying, and suddenly looked horrorstruck.

    ¡°Oh¡ª I¡¯m sorry ¡ª no, of course I don¡¯t wish that¡ª that was a really stupid thing to say!¡± Hermione said hastily.

    ¡°Evan, can¡¯t you find a way to give that woman a lesson, like you didst time?¡± said Harry gloomily.

    ¡°She¡¯s not giving us a chance now, she even canceled detentions!¡± said Evan, finishing his History of Magic essay. ¡°Actually, as long as we do a good job in D.A. and learn a few more spells, it¡¯s the biggest counterattack against Umbridge. Think about what Sirius said, her main goal at Hogwarts is to prevent us from practicingbat, and now we¡¯re training right under her nose, doing things she and the Ministry don¡¯t want us to do.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±

    Time passed quickly, and the twice-weekly Dumbledore¡¯s Army activities had be a part of many people¡¯s lives.

    For example, Harry felt as though he were carrying some kind of talisman inside his chest, a glowing secret that supported him through Umbridge¡¯s sses and even made it possible for him to smile ndly as he looked into her horrible bulging eyes.

    Evan was right, the D.A. was resisting her under her very nose, doing the very thing that she and the Ministry of Magic most feared.

    Harry performed exceptionally well in the activities, always the first to master spells, showing real talent in practical magic.

    This was his strength, something Evan had noticed a long time ago.

    Now he could even teach others, helping a few slower learners, which relieved Evan of a significant burden.

    After learning Expelliarmus, Protego and Petrificus Totalus, they now began to challenge more difficult spells, such as Stupefy, Impedimenta, Reducto, etc., and started practical training step by step, first a confrontation between two people, and then It was the Acromants and other creatures provided by Hagrid.

    Except for Ron, who had not yet been able to ovee his fear of spiders, others no longer had the panic when facing these terrifying creatures, and could skillfully use various spells when fighting against the Acromants, even the first-years, which was a remarkable progress.

    In addition, Evan used Transfiguration to create a variety of creatures for everyone to practice against.

    The number of D.A. members continued to increase, and new members were introduced at almost every meeting.

    After a Charms ss, Astoria apologetically exined to Evan the reason why she did not join. She personally supported Evan and wanted to join them, but the main reason was her excessive concern about the judgment of others around her. Shecked the courage to take the first step and needed more time.

    Although it was a pity that people from Slytherin House could not be recruited, Dumbledore¡¯s Army was now beginning to take shape!

    Evan cast tight protective spells and curses to prevent the secret from being revealed.

    If it weren¡¯t for the inability to use the Fidelius Charm on the Room of Requirement, he would have consideredpletely hiding the address, just like the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

    Due to the increase in the number of members and the need to adjust training times due to Quidditch practices, they couldn¡¯t inform others of the activity times, study content, and preparations as they used to. It would look so suspicious if people from different Houses were seen crossing the Great Hall to talk to each other too often.

    Hermione nned to give each member a fake galleon, and she cast a Protean Charm on it so that the numbers on it could change.

    By then, everyone would know the time of the next meeting!

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 Chapter 993: The Two-Way Mirror on the Coin

    Chapter 993: The Two-Way Mirror on the Coin

    Hermione¡¯s idea was fantastic, and Evan thought it could be further improved to make the functions of these ¡°gold coins¡± moreplete.

    Using Galleons as props formunication was for the sake of concealment, to avoid being discovered. But if the only function was to ¡°change the numerals on top,¡± it was just too simple!

    After Evan¡¯s improvements, only the person wearing it could enter the Room of Requirement.

    Now, in addition to being able tomunicate with each other through them, as long as one party had the original intention, they could also sense that person¡¯s location.

    Moreover, each of these fake Galleons was unique; meaning only the person who owned it could use it.

    If they fell into the hands of anyone else, the enchantment was lost, reinforcing the secrecy.

    After the recent training session, Hermione distributed the gold coins she and Evan made to everyone.

    Ron became very excited when he saw the basket at first, convinced that she was actually giving out gold.

    ¡°Hold on, Ron, don¡¯t take it randomly. These coins have numbers on them, corresponding to each person.¡±¡°Numbers?¡± Ron said nkly, ¡°What¡¯s that? Isn¡¯t this a Galleon? Isn¡¯t it real?¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s not!¡± Hermione said impatiently, ¡°Have you ever thought why I would give you money?¡±

    ¡°These Galleons are ourmunication props for the future,¡± Evan exined. ¡°I left a spell inside to make them usable only by us. The order of the numbers corresponds to the order you signed on the list. I¡¯m the first, Hermione is the second, then Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Colin¡­¡±

    A few minutester, everyone received their own coins, flipping them repeatedly in their hands.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of this thing? It looks just like real Galleons.¡±

    ¡°You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?¡± Hermione said, holding one up for examination. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. ¡°On real Galleons, that¡¯s just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you¡¯re carrying them in a pocket you¡¯ll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Evan sets the date of the next meeting he¡¯ll change the numbers on his coin, and because I¡¯ve put a Protean Charm on them, they¡¯ll all change to mimic his.¡±

    A nk silence greeted Hermione¡¯s words. She looked around at all the faces upturned to her, rather disconcerted.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s the matter with you? I thought it was a good idea,¡± she said uncertainly, ¡°I¡¯ve discussed it with Evan, and we both think we need such amunication prop. I think, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there¡¯s nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? And Evan also has made changes to them, but ¡­ well, if you don¡¯t want to use them ¡­¡±

    ¡°You can do a Protean Charm?¡± said Terry Boot.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°But that¡¯s ¡­ that¡¯s N.E.W.T. standard, that is,¡± he said weakly.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Hermione understood what was going on, and she tried to look modest, ¡°Oh ¡­ well ¡­ yes, I suppose it is¡­¡±

    ¡°Howe you¡¯re not in Ravenw?¡± he demanded, staring at Hermione with something close to wonder. ¡°With brains like yours? I¡¯ve never seen a student like you. Using such advanced spells in fifth year, very few people in the school can do that.¡±

    ¡°Well, the Sorting Hat did seriously consider putting me in Ravenw during my Sorting,¡± said Hermione brightly, ¡°but it decided on Gryffindor in the end, and I think Evan is much smarter than me. He¡¯s made more improvements to these Galleons.¡±

    She turned to Evan, came up to him, and, when no one was paying attention, shook her little fist at him.

    Then, Hermione pushed Evan out, letting this guy secretlyugh at himself at the back.

    ¡°Yeah, to enhance security, I cast a spell at the entrance of the Room. Only members carrying this Galleon can pass through, making it the symbol of the D.A.,¡± said Evan. ¡°Besides that, you can also look at the back of the coin; the number there can also change. You just need to adjust it like this¡­¡±

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Evan changed the number to number three, which was Fred¡¯s number.

    With his movement, the back of the coin blurred, the patterns and designs disappeared, turning into a mirror-like reflective surface. Fred¡¯s face appeared on it, staring wide-eyed at Evan inside the coin.

    ¡°Blimey ¡­ how did you do that?!¡±

    ¡°I was inspired by the Two-Way Mirror, so everyone can see each other using this coin formunication,¡± said Evan. ¡°But this feature is still in the experimental stage; it doesn¡¯t work if you¡¯re too far away, and it¡¯s only one-on-one.

    If Hermione¡¯s Protean Charm just now made them feel very powerful and incredible, then Evan¡¯s current improvement had exceeded their imagination. They didn¡¯t even know how Evan did it¡­

    This was not as simple as just a Protean Charm; the difficulty was definitely beyond what could be learned at school.

    If they had some relevant knowledge, they would know the preciousness of the Two-Way Mirror.

    But for Evan, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. He didn¡¯t use any magic; it was Alchemy.

    The Two-Way Mirror itself was an Alchemy product. Evan simply made many coin-sized circr mirrors, then embedded them onto the Galleons, casting the Disillusionment Charm. When needed, they woulde out.

    Although it was not a big trouble for Evan, others were shocked and speechless.

    Everyone had already be ustomed to Evan¡¯s formidable strength, aplishing things that they considered miracles every now and then.

    After everyone¡¯s amazement, they began to study the coins in their hands; this was quite a good thing.

    In fact, Evan had many other functions he wanted to integrate into these Galleons, like Muggle smartphones, but in the end, he wasn¡¯t sessful.

    The wizarding world wasgging behind in this regard, and Muggle electronicmunication devices were already developing rapidly.

    In a few years, remote calling, video, and interactive features would be developed, and Muggles could use their phones for many things.

    Evan didn¡¯t know if wizards would also eventually equip themselves withputers and phones like Muggles, spending most of their time on them, gradually reducing directmunication between people, canceling the old tradition of owl post, or if they would maintain the status quo, being left further and further behind by Muggles.

    In terms of the integration of magic and technology, the wizarding world was definitely not fast in following up, but it was not uneptable to wizards.

    As long as someone introduced it, everyone was still willing to try new things, such as magic radio stations, some professional mechanical equipment, etc.

    In Evan¡¯s shop in Diagon Alley, many wizards were also interested in Muggle-produced products.

    However, most of them were more into window shopping than actual buying, and even if they did buy, they did so discreetly, not wanting to appear too peculiar.

    He felt that after the matter of the Evil god and Voldemort was resolved, he could specialize in studying these things and use technology to change the wizarding world.

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 Chapter 994: The Forthcoming Game

    Chapter 994: The Forting Game

    Magic, as an ancient system, had evolved extensively from the era of the Titans to the peak of the divine age, through the fall of deities, the subversion of the Magic Era, and the darkness of the Middle Ages. It had developedprehensively up to the present day, making it difficult to bring about improvements.

    Moreover, the overall level of magic underwent a reverse development; the more modern the society, the lower the magical potency.

    In contrast to magic, Muggle technology progressed in a positive direction and continued to prosper.

    Especially in the next twenty years, Muggle science and technology would experience a rapid wave of development, fundamentally altering the current state of affairs.

    In such a backdrop, regardless of perspective, the Wizarding world had no reason to reject embracing technology.

    Even if Evan didn¡¯t do it, other wizards would. That was why Muggle-born wizards were rising in status, gradually bing the mainstream in the wizarding world because they could bring about changes, which was a major trend in development.

    With the introduction of technology, many ancient branches of magic would hasten their decline because the era no longer required them.

    For example, demonology magic¡ªjust think, in this age, who would need dangerous demons for anything?

    Unless one desired to keep a subus locked in a small dark room, engaging in harmless activities every day.However, there was no need to exert great effort to learn demon magic just for a subus. Besides, subi had a somewhat unique body structure, and in other aspects, they were just average. There was nothing particrly appealing about them. Evan believed that Animagus,plex potions like Polyjuice, and the like could fully meet the daily needs of most people. Having a pet cat was actually quite nice too¡­

    If you don¡¯t believe it, you canpare a subus or a small cat and see for yourself what the deal is!

    There were also some branches of magic that should bepletely controlled or even banned because they were too dangerous.

    For example, time magic. Using a Time-Turner to go back in time and change the world would make everything on the timeline chaotic.

    Just imagine, a mad wizard or Muggle with a wealth of modern technological knowledge returning to the Middle Ages, then imprisoning and enving a bunch of witches persecuted by the church, having them use magic to produce soap, silicone, abrasives, and such, driving technological development, and creating weapons to conquer the world.

    If such a thing were to happen, it would be absolutely terrifying!

    Now everything and everyone familiar would undergo a change, especially in that medieval background where the whole society was permeated with an air of extravagance, debauchery, and moral decay. Gathering so many witches around, no matter how to look at it, wouldn¡¯t be so simple, and the world would be unrecognizable.

    Such things should be absolutely forbidden, and time and history should develop ording to their original trajectories.

    However, apart from the previous special Time-Turner, Evan didn¡¯t know of any Time-Turner with such great magical power that could go back to a thousand years ago.

    Even if he were to obtain that Time-Turner in the future, Evan would absolutely not do such a thing.

    But right now, he was not clear about the fact that some things were not as simple as whether you wanted them or not. Under the push of so-called ¡°fate,¡± many situations were often beyond one¡¯s control, including gathering witches for battle¡ªa situation that now seemed quite absurd in retrospect.

    In any case, with the introduction of technology, many aspects of magic would not only be abandoned or prohibited but would also undergo corresponding changes.

    For example, in potions, machines could be used to monitor and brew,pletely liberating wizards.

    However, the change would be more in the lifestyle of the entire Wizarding world. The introduction of technology would make life more convenient. After all, apart from using magic, wizards and Muggles were not fundamentally different; they were all human.

    This was a major development trend that was unstoppable.

    Voldemort and pure-blood wizarding families were currently trying to prevent all this, propagating the ideals of pure-blood glory and the supremacy of power, hoping to return to that Dark Era. However, their ambitions were mixed with the desire to conquer the world. So, from any perspective, they would ultimately fail.

    If it weren¡¯t for Voldemort and the evil god, Evan would probably have started to make changes in this area!

    Everyone in the Room of Requirement was very satisfied with themunication prop made by Evan and Hermione.

    ¡°You know what?¡± Harry said, looking at the gold coin in his hand, ¡°This reminds me of the Death Eaters¡¯ scars. Voldemort touches one of them, and all their scars burn, and they know they¡¯ve got to join him.¡±

    ¡°Well ¡­ yes,¡± said Hermione quietly. ¡°That is where I got the idea ¡­ but the function of gold coins now goes far beyond the scars of the Death Eaters, and you¡¯ll notice Evan and I decided to use bits of metal rather than our members¡¯ skin!¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ I prefer your way; it¡¯s a great idea,¡± said Harry, grinning, as he slipped his Galleon into his pocket. ¡°I suppose the only danger with these is that we might identally spend them.¡±

    ¡°Fat chance,¡± said Ron, who was examining his own fake Galleon with a slightly mournful air. ¡°I haven¡¯t got any real Galleons to confuse it with.¡±

    Along with these gold coins, Evan recently made two more Starcatchers.

    Their progress had slowed down a bit, after all, after school started, everyone¡¯s workload increased significantly. They also needed their own private time, and Evan, Hermione, and Ginny could no longer spend the whole day discussing length, thickness and various issues in the Room.

    Angelina decided to give these two new brooms to Fred and George, and as the first Quidditch match of the season, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, drew nearer, their D.A. meetings were put on hold because Angelina insisted on almost daily practices.

    The fact that the Quidditch Cup had not been held for so long added considerably to the interest and excitement surrounding the forting game.

    The Ravenws and Hufflepuffs were taking a lively interest in the oue, for they, of course, would be ying both teams over theing year.

    In addition, everyone was eager to see the performance of the Starcatchers, considering that these were brooms developed by Hogwarts students themselves.

    Considering that Evan made the brooms, if they proved to be fantastic, they might even be promoted to professional leagues, which would be a sensational event worldwide.

    In this situation, thepetitive atmosphere between the two Houses was growing.

    Considering the past feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin, this game was very interesting to watch.

    The friction between students continued. And Professor McGonagall and Snape, though they attempted to disguise it under a decent pretense of sportsmanship, were determined to see their side¡¯s victory.

    You could tell how much Professor McGonagall cared about beating Slytherin. In the week leading up to the match, she even abstained from giving homework to all sses with Gryffindor yers, which was beyond imagination.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve got enough to be getting on with at the moment,¡± she said loftily. Nobody could quite believe their ears until she looked directly at Harry and Ron and said grimly, ¡°I¡¯ve be ustomed to seeing the Quidditch Cup in my study, boys, and I really don¡¯t want to have to hand it over to Professor Snape, so please use the extra time to practice, won¡¯t you? We must win the game!¡±

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 Chapter 995: The Game Begins

    Chapter 995: The Game Begins

    At the same time, Snape was no less obviously partisan: He had booked the Quidditch pitch for Slytherin practice so often that the Gryffindors had difficulty getting on it to y.

    He was also turning a deaf ear to the many reports of Slytherin attempts to hex Gryffindor yers in the corridors. When Alicia Spi turned up in the hospital wing with her eyebrows growing so thick and fast that they obscured her vision and obstructed her mouth, Snape insisted that she must have attempted a Hair-Thickening Charm on herself and refused to listen to the fourteen eyewitnesses who insisted that they had seen the Slytherin Keeper, Miles Bletchley, hit her from behind with a jinx while she worked in the library.

    So much so that Dumbledore¡¯s Army¡¯s first external activity was to protect the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

    Gryffindor was getting better and better, and they had never lost to Slytherin since Harry joined the team.

    They were full of confidence and believed that they would definitely win this forting game.

    The only change and weakness this term was probably Ron, but he had improved a lotpared to before. During one memorable practice, he had hung one-handed from his broom and kicked the Quaffle so hard away from the goal hoop that it soared the length of the pitch and through the center hoop at the other end.

    Everyone who saw this scene thought that this savepared favorably with one made recently by Barry Ryan, the Irish International Keeper, against Pnd¡¯s top Chaser, Ladiw Zamojski. It was a world-ss level, the most exciting save at Hogwarts in recent years, a ssic and dreamlike move.

    Even Fred had said that Ron might yet make him and George proud, and that they were seriously considering admitting that he was rted to them, something he assured Ron they had been trying to deny for over a decade.

    But Ron had one problem: he was too easily nervous and cared too much about what others thought.His greatest weakness was a tendency to lose confidence when he made a blunder; if he let in one goal he became flustered and was therefore likely to miss more.

    The Slytherins quickly noticed this. After they could no longer attack the Gryffindor yers at will, they changed their tactics and resorted to verbal attacks. In reality, this tactic had no effect on the older yers.

    Harry, for example, had endured their snidements for more than four years, so whispers of, ¡°Hey, Potty, I heard Warrington¡¯s sworn to knock you off your broom on Saturday,¡± far from chilling his blood, made himugh.

    And, he would reply, ¡°Warrington¡¯s aim¡¯s so pathetic I¡¯d be more worried if he was aiming for the person next to me.¡±

    And, he wouldugh back loudly, to the displeasure of the person who was threatening him.

    But Ron had never endured a relentless campaign of insults, jeers, and intimidation. When Slytherins, some of them seventh years and considerablyrger than he was, muttered as they passed in the corridors, ¡°Got your bed booked in the hospital wing, Weasley?¡± he did notugh, but turned a delicate shade of green.

    When Draco Malfoy and others imitated Ron¡¯s previous mishandling of the Quaffle, direct collisions with the ground, and his poor performances from the past, Ron¡¯s ears glowed red and his hands shook so badly that he was likely to drop whatever he was holding at the time too.

    In summary, October extinguished itself in a rush of howling winds and driving rain and November arrived, cold as frozen iron, with hard frosts every morning and icy drafts that bit at exposed hands and faces.

    The skies and the ceiling of the Great Hall turned a pale, pearly gray, the mountains around Hogwarts became snowcapped.

    The temperature in the castle dropped so far that many students wore their thick protective dragon skin gloves in the corridors between lessons.

    The morning of the match dawned bright and cold; and Ron entered his most nervous stage.

    That morning, Ron had been sitting bolt upright on his bed, staring fixedly into space, looking pale, and sweaty; just like when he had identally put a slug-vomiting charm on himself a long time ago, except that he didn¡¯t actually spit out slugs.

    Facing the encouragement from Evan, Harry, Hermione and others, he just kept nodding numbly.

    ¡°Ron, you all right?¡±

    Ron nodded but did not speak.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too nervous. Just show your performance during training.¡±

    Ron nodded again and stared at the Starcatcher in his hand.

    ¡°You just need some breakfast!¡±

    Ron nodded, stood up stiffly, and followed them outside.

    They exchanged nces. This state wouldn¡¯t do. They could only hope that he would perform better once on the pitch.

    The Great Hall was filling up fast when they arrived, the talk louder and the mood more exuberant than usual.

    As they passed the Slytherin table, there was an upsurge of noise.

    Nearly everyone there was wearing, in addition to the usual green-and-silver scarves and hats, silver badges in the shape of what seemed to be crowns.

    ¡°What¡¯s written on those badges?¡± Harry asked in confusion.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, can¡¯t see. Probably imitating what we did before. Come on, let¡¯s not stand here,¡± said Hermione.

    In the previous year, during the decisive match between Gryffindor and Slytherin, Evan, Hermione and Sirius made nearly a thousand badges and slogans for free and distributed them to Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenw students, as well as the hot air balloons and promotional posters floating outside the stadium. They turned the entire pitch into Gryffindor¡¯s home ground, leaving asting impression.

    In terms of momentum, the Slytherin team had already lost at that time.

    They received a rousing wee at the Gryffindor table, where everyone was wearing red and gold scarves and hats.

    Angelina asked them to ce the Firebolt and the Starcatchers in the center of the long table, where everyone could clearly see the three broomsticks.

    This undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on Slytherin, but far from raising Ron¡¯s spirits the cheers seemed to sap thest of his morale.

    He copsed onto the nearest bench looking as though he were facing his final meal.

    ¡°I must¡¯ve been mental to do this,¡± he said in a croaky whisper. ¡°Mental!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be thick,¡± said Harry firmly, passing him a choice of cereals. ¡°You¡¯re going to be fine. It¡¯s normal to be nervous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m rubbish,¡± croaked Ron. ¡°I¡¯m lousy. I can¡¯t y to save my life. What was I thinking?¡±

    ¡°Get a grip,¡± said Harry sternly. ¡°Look at that save you made with your foot the other day, even Fred and George said it was brilliant¡­¡±

    Ron turned a tortured face to Harry, and then turned to the cheering people.

    ¡°That was an ident,¡± he whispered miserably, speaking his mind and the actual situation. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it ¡ª I slipped off my broom when none of you were looking and I was trying to get back on and I kicked the Quaffle by ident.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± said Harry, recovering quickly from this unpleasant surprise, ¡°a few more idents like that and the game¡¯s in the bag, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Ron, you can do it, you have no technical problems!¡±

    Evan, Hermione and Ginny sat down opposite them, wearing gold and red scarves and gloves.

    And Hermione and Ginny had rosettes on their clothes.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1220 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 996: Slytherins Beaters

    Chapter 996: Slytherin''s Beaters

    ¡°How¡¯re you feeling?¡± Ginny asked Ron. ¡°Everything all right?¡±

    He was now staring into the dregs of milk at the bottom of his empty cereal bowl as though seriously considering attempting to drown himself in them.

    ¡°He¡¯s just a little nervous,¡± said Harry. ¡°¡­ Been nervous for quite a while.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good sign, I never feel you perform as well in exams if you¡¯re not a bit nervous,¡± said Hermione heartily.

    ¡°Dear, I¡¯m looking forward to your performanceter,¡± Lavender said, equally enthusiastic, as she walked over and sat next to Ron.

    She didn¡¯t go to see Ron¡¯s previous training sessions, so she didn¡¯t know much about Ron¡¯s real situation.

    Anyway, the times she did go, Ron performed quite well, like an excellent Keeper, with a fantastic broomstick to boot.

    Ron smiled stiffly, but still said nothing. Lavender didn¡¯t seem to mind and continued talking enthusiastically.

    ¡°Well, with everyone supporting you and the whole schooling to watch, all you need to do during the game is¡­¡±Evan felt Lavender had better not continue talking. These words of encouragement did not have a good effect at all.

    Ron became even more nervous, as he seemed to realize that there would be nearly a thousand pairs of eyes staring at him today.

    Just then, he saw Luna drifting over from the Ravenw table.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said in a vague and dreamy voice.

    Everyone looked at her in surprise, and many people in the Great Hall were staring at Luna and a few openlyughing and pointing.

    Just like the game between Gryffindor and Slytherin two years ago, she wore a hat in the shape of a lion¡¯s head. However, this time, the hat was even more brightly colored, and was about the size of a real lion¡¯s head, and precariously perched on her head.

    It seemed that her Transfiguration had improved greatlypared to her second year.

    ¡°I¡¯m supporting Gryffindor,¡± said Luna, pointing unnecessarily at her hat. ¡°Look what it does¡­¡±

    She reached up and tapped the hat with her wand. It opened its mouth wide and gave an extremely realistic roar that made everyone in the vicinity jump.

    The sound was exactly like that of a real lion, incredibly lifelike.

    ¡°It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Luna happily. ¡°I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn¡¯t time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually not too difficult!¡± said Evan, and he also took out his wand and tapped the sausage in front of him.

    The sausage changed rapidly, bing longer andrger, changing color to dark green, and finally turned into a Slytherin snake.

    It flew towards Luna¡¯s hat andnded between the lion¡¯s jaws, its tail looped around its paws to hold it in ce.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I wanted!¡± Luna nodded, and the hat wobbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s still actually a sausage; if you get hungry during the game, you can just take it down and eat it,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°I know. Anyway ¡­ good luck, Ronald!¡± She drifted away happily.

    They had not quite recovered from the shock of Luna¡¯s hat before Angelina came hurrying toward them, apanied by Katie and Alicia.

    ¡°When you¡¯re ready,¡± Angelina said, ¡°we¡¯re going to go straight down to the pitch, check out conditions and change. Ginny, youe too; put on your team robes. I just asked Madam Hooch, and she said we can have substitutes, but they can only y if someone else is genuinely unable to. In case of any mishap, you¡¯ll be ready to step in. Coote and Demelza are still too young.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Ginny said, looking a bit excited, not as nervous as Ron.

    In fact, considering the Weasley family¡¯s upbringing, Ron and Ginny were only a year apart, and their environments were simr. However, their personalities werepletely opposite; Ginny was much more optimistic than Ron. Could it be that the younger sister was more favored than the younger brother?!

    That¡¯s why Ginny was so confident?

    Her only weakness was Harry, and after she decided to give up on Harry, this weakness was gone!

    ¡°You go ahead; we¡¯ll be there in a bit,¡± Harry assured her. ¡°Ron¡¯s just got to have some breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Evan and I will go ahead and find seats in the stands,¡± Hermione said, pulling Evan to stand up, followed Angelina and walked outside.

    Harry and Lavender stayed with Ron, hoping to spend theirst moments cheering him up.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to find a seat today.¡±

    ¡°Lavender wants to kiss Ron, and there are so many people there; he¡¯d feel embarrassed,¡± Hermione whispered.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Because she told her n in the dormitoryst night and I haven¡¯t slept yet,¡± Hermione replied.

    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly curious, what do you usually talk about in the bedroom at night?¡±

    ¡°Definitely more open-minded than you imagine. We¡­¡± Hermione suddenly stopped as they reached the Slytherin table. She clearly saw the words on their crown-shaped badges:

    WEASLEY

    IS OUR KING

    ¡°How could they do this? Ron will copse when he sees these badges!¡± Hermione said angrily, looking at the shining silver badges in disbelief, ¡°No, we have to go back and warn Harry; we can¡¯t let Ron see these badges.¡±

    As expected, when they returned, they witnessed Lavender openly kissing Ron in front of many people.

    Then, she leftughing, and Ron seemed to wake up a bit, touching the spot on his face where he¡¯d been kissed.

    Looking at Ron and the particrly bold Lavender, Evan thought it would be better to be more reserved.

    He wouldn¡¯t be able to stand it if Hermione was so enthusiastic.

    More than ten minutester, they left the castle, descended the stone steps and walked into the icy air.

    The frosty grass crunched under their feet as Evan and Hermione hurried down the slopingwns with the crowd toward the stadium.

    There was no wind at all and the sky was a uniform pearly white, which meant that visibility would be good without the drawback of direct sunlight in the eyes.

    These were rtively favorable conditions for the Keeper, and of course the same was true for the spectators below.

    Just like Gryffindor, the Slytherin team had also recruited new yers this year. Their Beaters, Derrick and Bole, had left, but it wasn¡¯t until thest day that everyone found out who they had chosen as the new Beaters.

    Perhaps due to Malfoy¡¯s influence, Montague finally decided on Crabbe and Goyle.

    In Angelina¡¯s words, they were the usual goris, and not someone who could fly particrly well.

    There was no need to worry; they didn¡¯t look bright enough to tell one end of a broom from another.

    However, Crabbe and Goyle continued the Slytherin team¡¯s style as always, that was, robust, far beyond what a Quidditch yer should be. They seemed to have given up on technique and fully nned to rely on their bodies to win.

    To hell with Beaters, the bats in their hands were for hitting people.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1226 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 997: Weasley is Our King

    Chapter 997: Weasley is Our King

    A few minutester, the stands were all full, and Hagrid also came to the stands to cheer for Gryffindor.

    His inspection results had not yete out. Although he had prepared for the worst, he still bravely stuck to his teaching n. In the eyes of others, Umbridge was too bullying, but Hagrid didn¡¯t care.

    He also persuaded Hermione to calm down. What Umbridge did that day was generally understood by people towards half-giants.

    They were still at Hogwarts and were not aware of the overall atmosphere in the wizarding world.

    Wizards had a natural distrust for creatures like vampires, werewolves, and half- giants. Incidents of persecution against them urred frequently, seemingly involving more egregious things. If it weren¡¯t for Dumbledore¡¯s efforts over the years, the current situation would have been much worse.

    Umbridge¡¯s behavior was not an individual phenomenon, but represented the ideas of arge group of people.

    These wizards might not be as extreme as pure-blood wizards, and they might be friendly and kind in their daily lives, with inherently good natures. However, they still firmly believed that vampires, werewolves, and half-giants should all be locked up in Azkaban. This was the mainstream opinion in the Wizarding world.

    Just like their habit of enving house-elves, they didn¡¯t see anything wrong with it; it was considered normal.

    Changing this would not happen overnight; it was very difficult and could only be achieved through appeals from the Minister of Magic or someone with the status of Dumbledore. Gradual change could ur through subtle influences, and thesemunities themselves needed to make an effort.Attacks, sacrifices, or biting children were bing too frequent nowadays, and they seemed to want to make big news. This couldn¡¯t be allowed.

    However, in reality, it was difficult to stop them from doing such things.

    It could only be said that there were good and bad people in every ss and poption. They should be distinguished and not judged with a single stroke.

    For example, ine, Lupin, and Hagrid were good people who wouldn¡¯t do anything harmful to others.

    Although ine always said she wanted to drink Evan¡¯s blood, she never actually did it.

    This poor child didn¡¯t even know how to bite people¡­

    Evan and Hermione did not sit with Hagrid, Colin, and Neville, but came to thementator¡¯s side.

    Because of the Starcatcher, Lee Jordan wanted to interview them during the game.

    Many people were curious about this broom and wanted to know how Evan and the others made it.

    Although everyone participated, the main contributors were Evan, Hermione, Ginny, and the house-elf Dobby.

    Ginny had to prepare for the game, and Dobby couldn¡¯t show up, so only Evan and Hermione were interviewed.

    Lee Jordan first introduced the yers from both sides, and then changed the subject and started talking about the Gryffindor team¡¯s new broom. He was not in a hurry to interview Evan and Hermione, but went through the list, listing the excellent performance of the broom, creating a suspenseful atmosphere.

    Some people believed it, others thought he was making things up, but more people were skeptical.

    Regardless, everyone was eagerly anticipating the uing match.

    The same was true when Harry¡¯s Firebolt first appeared. Whenever the Firebolt was seen, there was a burst of cheers, but the significance of the Starcatcher was extraordinary. Jordan even said that this was an epoch-making product that could rece the Firebolt.

    And more importantly, a crucial point was that the Starcatcher was made by Hogwarts in-school students, which was the biggest selling point.

    Five minutester, amid bursts of cheers, whistles and songs, the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams appeared!

    ¡°Captains shake hands,¡± ordered the umpire, Madam Hooch, as Angelina and Montague reached each other.

    It was obvious that Montague was trying to crush Angelina¡¯s fingers, though she did not wince.

    ¡°Alright ¡­ mount your brooms!¡± Madam Hooch ced her whistle in her mouth and blew hard.

    When the kickoff started, fourteen yers shot upward, and Ron rode the Starcatcher straight toward the goal hoops.

    The performance of the broom was indeed very good. Ron ascended rapidly, leaving a trail in the sky, and confidently stationed himself in front of the hoop.

    ¡°Not bad at all, don¡¯t you think?¡± Hermione anxiously watched Ron. ¡°I hope he performs well.¡±

    ¡°Okay, everyone, the game has begun!¡± Jordan startedmentating. ¡°Let¡¯s watch for Gryffindor¡¯s performance with the Starcatcher. And it¡¯s Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a yer that girl is. This has nothing to do with the broom. It¡¯s entirely her personal skill. I¡¯ve been saying it for years but she still won¡¯t go out with me¡­¡±

    ¡°JORDAN!¡± yelled Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest ¡ª and she¡¯s ducked Warrington, she¡¯s passed Montague, she¡¯s ¡ª ouch ¡ª been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe¡­ Yeah, he doesn¡¯t seem as dumb as he looks, does he?¡± Jordan shouted. ¡°¡­ Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and ¡ª nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that¡¯s a Bludger to the head for Montague; he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell. Warrington tries to stop her. This time it¡¯s Fred ¡­ he actually grabbed the Bludger again and stopped Warrington, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse passes to Alicia Spi¡­¡±

    Lee Jordan¡¯smentary rang through the stadium, and the superior performance of the Starcatcher was quickly demonstrated by Fred and George.

    While Ron didn¡¯t have much to do, Fred and George, with their Starcatchers, had already taken control. Goyle and Crabbe were no match for them in terms of flying skills, batting skills, or cunningness.

    Because of the impact design of the Starcatcher, even their physical advantage hadpletely disappeared.

    Fred and George, with the Cleansweep Seven, could already be considered the best Beaters at Hogwarts. Now, with the Starcatcher, they were even more at home, turning the entire Quidditch field into their stage.

    Below, waves of cheers from the audience continued, and Jordan keptmenting on their spectacr performance.

    However, the Slytherins quicklyunched a counterattack. Montague simply asked Goyle and Crabbe to give up on the Bludger, as they couldn¡¯t grab it anyway. Instead, they fully focused on snatching the Quaffle. With their strong bodies, a few hard hits didn¡¯t matter to them. They aimed to attack, forcing the Gryffindor team to defend.

    In the stands, the Slytherins also began to sing, drowning out the noise on the field.

    ¡°Listen to that sound, what¡¯s that they¡¯re singing?¡± Jordan said in surprise.

    And as Lee paused to listen, the song rose loud and clear from the sea of green and silver in the Slytherin section of the stands:

    Weasley cannot save a thing,

    He cannot block a single ring,

    That¡¯s why Slytherins all sing:

    Weasley is our King.

    Weasley was born in a bin,

    He always lets the Quaffle in,

    Weasley will make sure we win,

    Weasley is our King.

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 Chapter 998: Win the game

    Chapter 998: Win the game

    Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, had saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Warrington who sped off with it, zigzagging in between Alicia and Katie; the singing from below grew louder and louder as he drew nearer and nearer Ron ¡ª <i>Weasley is our king</i>.

    There were bursts of high-pitched screams and louder and louder singing, and the atmosphere reached its peak.

    <i>Weasley is our King,</i>

    <i>He always lets the Quaffle in,</i>

    <i>Weasley is our King.</i>

    At this moment, everyone stopped, even Harry and Malfoy.

    Abandoning their search for the Snitch, they turned to look at Ron, where everyone was looking.

    At the far end of the pitch, a lone figure was hovering before the three goal hoops while the massive Warrington pelted toward him¡­

    ¡°¡ª and it¡¯s Warrington with the Quaffle, Warrington heading for goal, he¡¯s out of Bludger range with just the Keeper ahead¡­¡± Jordan shouted loudly, speaking very fast, ¡°Without teamwork, it won¡¯t seed, but he seems to be going all-in. This is their only chance, and Slytherin can¡¯t even intercept the Bludger now!¡±A great swell of song rose from the Slytherin stands below:

    <i>Weasley cannot save a thing,</i>

    <i>He cannot block a single ring¡­</i>

    ¡°¡ª so it¡¯s the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, the younger brother of Gryffindor¡¯s legendary captain Charlie Weasley and Beaters Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team, inheriting a fine Quidditch tradition. Come on, Ron, stop him!¡±

    But a few secondster, the scream of delight came from the Slytherin end: Ron had dived wildly, his arms wide, and the Quaffle had soared between them, straight through Ron¡¯s central hoop.

    ¡°Slytherin score!¡± came Lee¡¯s voice amid the cheering and booing from the crowds below. ¡°So that¡¯s ten-nil to Slytherin. Ron¡¯s reaction speed is pretty good, but ¡­ bad luck, Ron.¡±

    The Slytherins sang even louder:

    <i>WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN,</i>

    <i>HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN¡­</i>

    The singing was now deafening, drowning out all other sounds on the pitch.

    Gryffindor also wanted to respond, but they didn¡¯t have a unified slogan, and it was toote for the current organization!

    <i>Weasley will make sure we win,</i>

    <i>Weasley is our King.</i>

    The singing gradually resounded throughout the audience, and even many people from Hufflepuff and Ravenw started singing along.

    It had to be admitted that this song was quite catchy, especially the part: <i>Weasley is our king</i>.

    Slytherin fought more bravely; they abandoned the Bludgers and devoted themselves entirely to snatching the Quaffle, grabbing it at all costs.

    Angelina, infuriated, screamed loudly across the entire field, urging the team to defend, but in doing so, they lost their bnce and fell into Slytherin¡¯s rhythm.

    Fred¡¯s Bludger hit Warrington hard, and he swayed but did not let go of the Quaffle in his hand.

    Just like before, he went straight to Gryffindor¡¯s goal, the same position, the same actions, and even the surrender of the Quaffle was the same.

    Ron stood there staggering, seemingly startled by the opponent, and dodged back.

    The next second, there was a terrible groan from the Gryffindor end, coupled with fresh screams and apuse from the Slytherins.

    Slytherin scored, twenty-nil.

    Next, Slytherin¡¯s captain, Montague, got hold of the Quaffle, followed by Pucey.

    Thirty-nil! Forty-nil!

    Their tactics now were ridiculously simple, abandoning control and maneuverability; everyone crowded in front of their own hoops, pouncing forward when they got the Quaffle.

    Then fly to Ron, throw the Quaffle, score!

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Hermione said painfully, and Ron seemed to have given up resistance or waspletely bewildered.

    Now, as long as someone from Slytherin came over with a Quaffle, he could easily score.

    There was an edge of panic in Harry¡¯s desire to find the Snitch now. He just hoped he could just get it soon and finish the game quickly.

    <i>WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN,</i>

    <i>HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN,</i>

    <i>WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN,</i>

    <i>WEASLEY IS OUR KING.</i>

    Harry zoomed around the end of the stadium. He dared not look at Ron, only hearing the continuous cheers from the Slytherins below. He also saw the pug-faced Pansy Parkinson conducting the Slytherin supporters who were roaring.

    Then, fifty-nil, sixty-nil!

    It was really bad. Gryffindor had never been beaten like this before.

    Harry suddenly felt that maybe sending Ginny to y would be better than Ron¡¯s performance.

    He reassured himself continuously, it was just a lead of sixty points, not too much, and there was still a chance.

    He had to seize the time; it was up to him now to end this painful game, otherwise they would lose miserably. Harry thought this, and then he finally saw it: The tiny fluttering Golden Snitch was hovering feet from the ground at the Slytherin end of the pitch.

    He dived and in a matter of seconds, Malfoy was streaking out of the sky on Harry¡¯s left, a green-and-silver blur lying t on his broom¡­

    The Snitch skirted the foot of one of the goal hoops and scooted off toward the other side of the stands; its change of direction suited Malfoy, who was nearer.

    Harry pulled his Firebolt around, he and Malfoy were now neck and neck¡­

    Feet from the ground, Harry lifted his right hand from his broom, stretching toward the Snitch ¡­ to his right, Malfoy¡¯s arm extended too, reaching, groping¡­

    Both of them had a chance, and it was over in two breathless, desperate, windswept seconds¡­

    Harry¡¯s fingers closed around the tiny, struggling ball ¡ª Malfoy¡¯s fingernails scrabbled the back of Harry¡¯s hand hopelessly ¡ª Harry pulled his broom upward, holding the struggling ball in his hand and the Gryffindor spectators finally cheered loudly.

    This was the first time they cheered in this game. Fortunately, Harry was there and they won the game.

    Harry was also relieved; they were saved!

    It did not matter that Ron had let in those goals, nobody would remember as long as Gryffindor had won¡­

    <i>WHAM!</i>

    A Bludger hit Harry in the small of the back and he flew forward off his broom; luckily he was only five or six feet above the ground.

    Crabbe also got his second Bludger of the game. He and Goyle had beenpletely suppressed by Fred and George throughout the game, feeling frustrated. However, that didn¡¯t matter because they had the lead; but Harry catching the Snitch ended it all.

    Gryffindor won, and this result made the Slytherins feel even more aggrieved. They clearly had an overall advantage.

    ¡°How could he do that? The game is over!¡± Hermione shouted angrily, waving her fist at Crabbe.

    ¡°Thank goodness, it didn¡¯t hit a vital spot; and Madam Hooch has passed!¡± Evan said angrily as well.

    Just as angry as them were all the Gryffindors, and Lee Jordan had already begun to swear!

    Harry fell from the sky. He heard Madam Hooch¡¯s shrill whistle, an uproar in the standspounded of catcalls, angry yells and jeering, a thud, then Angelina¡¯s frantic voice.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Of course I am,¡± said Harry grimly, taking her hand and allowing her to pull him to his feet.

    ¡°It was that thug, Crabbe,¡± said Angelina angrily. ¡°He whacked the Bludger at you the moment he saw you¡¯d got the Snitch ¡ª but we won, Harry, we won! Thanks to you, otherwise, I don¡¯t know what we would have done!¡±

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 Chapter 999: Give her a few kicks

    Chapter 999: Give her a few kicks

    Just at that moment, Harry heard a snort from behind him and turned around, still holding the Snitch tightly in his hand.

    Draco Malfoy hadnded close by; white-faced with fury, he was still managing to sneer.

    Because of his father¡¯s advice, since the beginning of this term, he had been very restrained and low-keypared to before, trying not to bother Evan and Harry, but now he didn¡¯t care. Harry catching the Snitch right in front of him infuriated him.

    ¡°Saved Weasley¡¯s neck, haven¡¯t you?¡± he said to Harry. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a worse Keeper ¡­ but then he was born in a bin¡­ Did you like my lyrics, Potter?¡±

    Harry did not answer; he turned away to meet the rest of the team who were nownding one by one, yelling and punching the air in triumph, all except Ron, who had dismounted from his broom over by the goalposts and was making his way slowly back to the changing rooms alone.

    ¡°We wanted to write another couple of verses!¡± Malfoy called persistently, as Katie and Alicia hugged Harry. ¡°But we couldn¡¯t find rhymes for fat and ugly ¡ª we wanted to sing about his mother, see l¡­¡±

    ¡°Ignore him, just being sour,¡± said Angelina, casting Malfoy a disgusted look. ¡°Talk about sour grapes!¡±

    ¡°¡ª we couldn¡¯t fit in useless loser either ¡ª for his father, you know¡­ ¡°

    Just then, Fred and George, who had justnded, realized what Malfoy was talking about.Halfway through shaking Harry¡¯s hand they stiffened, looking around at Malfoy.

    ¡°Leave it,¡± said Angelina at once, taking Fred by the arm. She knew Fred too well and was afraid that he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he¡¯s just sore he lost, the jumped-up little¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ª but you like the Weasleys, don¡¯t you, Potter?¡± Malfoy continued, sneering, as if he wanted to spew out all the insults he had been holding back the entire semester. ¡°Spend holidays there and everything, don¡¯t you? Can¡¯t see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you¡¯ve been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys¡¯ hovel smells okay!¡±

    Harry grabbed hold of George; meanwhile it was taking thebined efforts of Angelina, Alicia, and Katie to stop Fred leaping on Malfoy, who wasughing openly.

    Harry looked around for Madam Hooch, but she was still berating Crabbe for his illegal Bludger attack.

    In the stands, everyone was cheering, and no one paid attention to the conflict that was about to break out here, and Evan and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Or perhaps,¡± said Malfoy, leering as he backed away, ¡°you can remember what your mother¡¯s house stank like, Potter, and Weasley¡¯s pigsty reminds you of it¡­¡±

    Harry was not aware of releasing George; all he knew was that a secondter both of them were sprinting at Malfoy.

    He hadpletely forgotten the fact that they were still on the Quidditch pitch. All the students in the school were there and all the teachers were watching. All he wanted to do was cause Malfoy as much pain as possible, let him remember this lesson, and make him pay for what he said.

    With no time to draw out his wand, Harry merely drew back the fist clutching the Snitch and sank it as hard as he could into Malfoy¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Harry! HARRY! GEORGE! NO!¡±

    Harry could hear girls¡¯ voices screaming, Malfoy yelling, George swearing, a whistle blowing, and the bellowing of the crowd around him, but he did not care.

    Someone cast Impedimenta and they were separated, but Harry immediately pounced again.

    Immediately, people from the Slytherin team rushed forward, and the entire Quidditch field turned chaotic.

    ¡°Oh my God, they¡¯re fighting!¡± Hermione said in horror, looking at everything in front of her in disbelief.

    ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go there!¡± said Evan immediately.

    They had juste down from the stands and saw the chaos on the field.

    Madam Hooch tried to intervene, but it was futile. Harry, Fred, and George seemed to have gone mad. Malfoy was curled up on the ground, whimpering and moaning, as they ruthlessly attacked and trampled him, leaving him covered in blood and bruises.

    After a brief moment of consternation, the Slytherins immediately joined the fight without any hesitation.

    Immediately, Harry was roughly pushed down, George was sporting a swollen lip, and Fred was being wrestled by three Chasers, while Crabbe was cackling in the background.

    None of them had wands, and the other Gryffindor yers were all girls, putting them at a disadvantage.

    Fred and George wielded the Starcatchers as a weapon and fought back hard.

    The advantage of the big and thick handle of the Starcatcher was fully reflected, and it was particrly painful when it hit someone, but the two brooms were also seriously damaged.

    Even so, they were no match for those sturdy Slytherins, and the situation was reversed. No one cared about Madam Hooch anymore. If they waited for the professors on the stands to arrive, Harry, Fred and George would definitely be beaten as badly as Malfoy. At this moment, Evan ran to the edge of the field.

    A ray of red light knocked Crabbe, who was chasing Harry, away.

    Then, Evan waved his wand sharply, turning it half a circle in the air, pointing at the Slytherin yers on the field.

    Following his movements, they suddenly turned into rabbits that had shrunk many times, looking around nkly on the grass.

    Malfoy was the only one who remained unchanged, and Harry pinned him down again.

    ¡°Well done, Evan!¡± Fred kicked the rabbit transformed from Goyle harshly.

    He fled away in terror, but his speed was very slow and his movements were ridiculously funny.

    ¡°I want Malfoy to learn a lesson and know what not to say.¡±

    ¡°What are you hesitating for? Hit him hard!¡±

    ¡°Stop, stop, you disgusting fools!¡± The professors in the stands rushed over. Unexpectedly, the first one to arrive was Umbridge. Holding the very short wand in her hand, she ran over panting, ¡°How dare you do this? Who used the magic, and who transfigured them? This is¡­¡±

    Evan¡¯s wand pointed directly at her¡ªshe was just too annoying! With her status, she dared to enter such a chaotic situation directly; it was almost as if she didn¡¯t value her life.

    With a bang, Umbridge¡¯s body turned into a toad and hopped forward twice.

    Evan kicked her hard and sent her flying, keeping her away from him.

    The toad was ced at George¡¯s feet, and he followed Evan¡¯s lead, forcefully kicking her away, a smug smirk on his face.

    Fred came next, and he too gave her a solid stomp.

    Umbridge dodged desperately, jumping up and down, panicking, far less confident than she used to be.

    Even Hermione followed up and kicked her, it was so satisfying!

    The only one who was indifferent to her was Harry. Although he hated Umbridge as well, his main focus now was on Malfoy.

    It was truly regrettable; after all, opportunities to step on Umbridge were rare¡­

    Evan was hesitating, should he ask Harry to take a break and join in to give Umbridge a few kicks?!

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 Chapter 1000: Umbridgeâ€™s Punishment

    Chapter 1000: Umbridge¡¯s Punishment

    They didn¡¯t feelcent for long. Soon, Professor McGonagall and Snape rushed over.

    Professor McGonagall merely waved her wand and undid Evan¡¯s Transfiguration, but perhaps intentionally, she didn¡¯t lift the spell on Umbridge. Instead, like the others, she went up and stomped hard on Umbridge¡¯s foot, and Dolores hurriedly retreated.

    Then, with Hermione¡¯s reminder, and looking as though surprised, she changed her back.

    ¡°Dolores, I didn¡¯t realize it was you!¡± Professor McGonagall said with pursed lips. ¡°I thought it was just a toad.¡±

    Umbridge¡¯s body was in a very messy state, covered with dirt and dust, and her face was green. The tweed cloak was full of footprints, and the whole person¡¯s mental state was not very good. After all, she¡¯d been turned into a toad and was trampled and kicked around under the feet of so many people.

    Her body was shaking uncontrobly. No matter who it was, no one could ept such a nightmarish experience.

    This was simply humiliating. The Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic had probably never dreamed of such an experience in her life.

    She panted violently, her chest heaving up and down, and she red at Evan with resentment.

    ¡°Evan Mason, how dare you do this?!¡±¡°Sorry, Professor, I just wanted to stop them from fighting, you know, it was a mistake. You happened to run in, and I hadn¡¯t fully mastered this magic. This Transfiguration is too difficult, not something a fourth-year student can handle.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is a level that only NEWTs students can master,¡± Professor McGonagall agreed. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for Evan to achieve this now, although it¡¯s untimely, I have to give Gryffindor ten points for his performance. As the Transfiguration Professor, I am proud to see lower-level students mastering this magic.¡±

    ¡°Minerva, He did it on purpose!¡± Umbridge said angrily.

    ¡°No, youpletely misunderstood me, Professor. I just wanted to change you back, but you know, you kept jumping around, and the target was so small, it wasn¡¯t easy to aim. I tried several times and didn¡¯t seed.¡±

    If Umbridge hadn¡¯t been hopping around just now, she might have been trampled to death by them!

    Despite this, she was still almost trampled to death. Apart from Malfoy, she was the most seriously injured on the scene.

    ¡°Absurd, he should be expelled¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone punished for stopping a fight. Expulsion is absurd,¡± Professor McGonagall retorted, then muttered in a low voice, ¡°Who can be med for recklessly rushing in?!¡±

    Umbridge was furious and was about to say something when Snape interrupted.

    ¡°Now is not the time to worry about Mason¡¯s magic level,¡± he reminded. ¡°This bad fight¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Professor McGonagall ignored Umbridge; she turned and looked at Harry, Fred and George and said seriously, ¡°I have never seen behavior like it. Three onto one, it is really a disgraceful exhibition.¡±

    ¡°Malfoy provoked us,¡± said Harry stiffly.

    Malfoy, lying on the ground, tried to respond but only managed a few grunts.

    Snape forcefully waved his wand, conjuring a stretcher for the Slytherin students to lift Malfoy onto.

    ¡°I look forward to your handling of this matter, Minerva!¡± he said, ncing at Umbridge and then turned, taking Malfoy and some more seriously injured students back to the castle, not waiting for the resolution of the incident.

    Because Umbridge was involved, Snape had no intention of engaging in internal conflicts at the moment.

    Of course, he had his own ways; one could imagine Harry¡¯s uing grades in Potions¡­

    ¡°Disappointing, Potter! He¡¯d just lost, hadn¡¯t he, of course he wanted to provoke you! Don¡¯t you even understand that? But what on earth he can have said to make you three decide to showcase Muggle-style brawling¡­¡±

    ¡°He insulted my parents,¡± snarled George. ¡°And Harry¡¯s mother.¡±

    People around expressed agreement; and many had gathered to figure out what had happened.

    Professor McGonagall needed to handle this quickly; she had to give them detention and deduct points.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ve got a rough idea of what happened. You three had better listen closely. I do not care what provocation Malfoy offered you, I do not care if he insulted every family member you possess, your behavior was disgusting and I am giving each of you a week¡¯s worth of detention! Do not look at me like that, Potter, you deserve it! And if either of you ever¡­¡±

    ¡°<i>Hem, hem</i>!¡±

    After a brief loss ofposure, Umbridge¡¯s face bore a sinister smile again.

    ¡°This punishment is too light, Minerva, I think we need a little extra authority now!¡± she said in her most poisonously sweet voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry; I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Blood rushed into Professor McGonagall¡¯s face.

    ¡°I mean, they deserve rather more than detentions,¡± said Umbridge.

    Professor McGonagall¡¯s eyes flew open. ¡°But unfortunately,¡± she said, with an attempt at a reciprocal smile that made her look as though she had lockjaw, ¡°it is what I think that counts, as they are in my House, Dolores!¡±

    ¡°But ording to the ¡®Educational Decree Number Twenty-five,¡¯ I have the authority to modify your punishment suggestions and have the final decision-making power, so what I think does count,¡± Umbridge said with a smile and nced at Evan. ¡°I really think I will have to ban these three from ying Quidditch ever again. This sport is not suitable for them.¡±

    ¡°Ban us?¡± Harry was momentarily stunned, and his voice sounded strangely distant. ¡°From ying Quidditch ever again?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Potter, I think a lifelong ban ought to do the trick,¡± said Umbridge, her smile widening still further. ¡°For the safety of other yers, you really shouldn¡¯t be ying Quidditch. In the meantime, I will want your broomsticks confiscated, of course; I shall keep them safely in my office, to make sure there is no infringement of my ban. I heard that these two ck broomsticks were made by Mr. Mason, and I rmend banning students from using such privately and illegally assembled brooms because they haven¡¯t been certified by the Ministry of Magic, undoubtedly posing a significant danger. So, you should hand them all over to me, including the ones in your hands.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°I can, this is the authority given to me by the Ministry of Magic,¡± she turned around and said to Professor McGonagall, who was now standing as still as though carved from ice, staring at her. ¡°The rest of the team can continue ying; I saw no signs of violence from any of them. But Mr. Mason undoubtedly possesses too much magic, much of which far exceeds what he should have learned at his current age, easily leading to idents, as we just witnessed. While I don¡¯t mind, I think he should surrender his wand until he can learn to control his power.¡±

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 Chapter 1001: Taking the OWLs exam

    Chapter 1001: Taking the OWLs exam

    ¡°You want to confiscate Evan¡¯s wand? You can¡¯t do that!¡± Everyone present was shocked, including Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°This is the authority given to me by the Ministry of Magic. I have the right to do this while he is at Hogwarts, and I must do so,¡± said Umbridge, smiling happily. ¡°I know you need some time to ept this ¡­ difficult punishment, but please trust me; it is necessary, both for your personal well-being and the well-being of those around you. Therefore, I hope to see the wand and broomsticks by seven o¡¯clock this evening. Don¡¯t think about giving me fakes; I will have them verified. Well, that¡¯s it; I wish you all a pleasant day!¡±

    And though limping, Umbridge left with a look of the utmost satisfaction, leaving a horrified silence in her wake.

    Nearly a hundred Gryffindor students looked at Professor McGonagall at the same time, hoping she could say something.

    ¡°Do as she said!¡± Professor McGonagall almost squeezed out these words and quickly walked away.

    Looking at Professor McGonagall¡¯s back, no one spoke, and a sense of panic spread among the Gryffindor students present.

    It was the same for students from the other Houses. Everyone was shocked, even the Slytherins who witnessed everything. The malicious satisfaction they had deliberately disyed hadn¡¯t faded yet, but now it was clearly mixed with a hint of panic.

    Everyone exchanged nces quietly. It was only just now that they seemed to truly realize what the position of High Inquisitor from the Ministry of Magic meant¡ªHogwarts was truly changing!

    Before, when she removed Evan from the position of Head Boy, no one felt much.But a ban, especially confiscating a student¡¯s wand¡ªeven the Headmaster couldn¡¯t do that, but Umbridge could.

    Because she was not only a professor at Hogwarts but she also represented the Ministry of Magic, which granted her such authority.

    ¡°All my fault ¡­ I dragged you into this, giving her an excuse to confiscate your wand,¡± said Harry regretfully to Evan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. She would have done this sooner orter. I dare say she¡¯s nned it for a long time,¡± said Evan. ¡°Besides, it was me who willingly turned her into a toad. It¡¯s not your fault. And Harry, you don¡¯t really think I would give her my wand, do you?¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Harry looked at him confused.

    ¡°I have other wands here. Just find one that looks simr to my original wand for her,¡± said Evan. In his previous adventures, he had retrieved many wands from other wizards and had Sirius help him prepare them for emergencies.

    But even Evan himself had not expected that he would use these wands for the first time in such a situation.

    ¡°But she said she would have them verified?¡±

    ¡°If they can verify what the core of my wand is, then I really have to thank her,¡± said Evan, thinking of the record he¡¯d left at the Ministry of Magic. The traces were all undetectable substances and could not bepared at all. ¡°So, this punishment is nothing to me. The only trouble is that I can¡¯t take out my wand openly in school anymore!¡±

    However, Evan felt it was a good opportunity to practice Wandless magic and see if he could cast other spells other than the usual shy ones. Dumbledore could do a lot of things without a wand; the key was control over his magical power.

    That afternoon, Evan sent the wand and the Starcatchers to Professor McGonagall and asked her to deliver them to Umbridge.

    Professor McGonagall told him that she went to find Dumbledore, but still failed.

    Umbridge insisted on taking Evan¡¯s wand, perhaps for retaliation or to make her feel safer.

    After all, it had happened twice in a row. If Evan could continue using magic, Umbridge might not even have a sense of security.

    Under Dumbledore¡¯s efforts, Umbridge also made certain concessions.

    She said that she would find experts to evaluate Evan¡¯s magical abilities. Once they deemed that he could control his power, she would return the wand to him. These experts were the examiners for this year¡¯s O.W.L.s exams, all of them aplished wizards.

    In other words, Evan¡¯s previous request had been approved and he would take part in this year¡¯s O.W.L.s exams.

    Professor McGonagall believed this was not favorable for Evan. Although his magical abilities were fine, there were many theoretical knowledge points he had not covered yet. Fortunately, it was only early November now, and there was still time. As long as he studied hard, there should be no problem.

    She warned Evan to study hard and not to research those misceneous things anymore.

    Compared to Evan¡¯s situation, Harry, Fred, and George were even more miserable.

    ¡°Banned,¡± said Angelina in a hollow voice,te that evening in themon room. Although she had beenining the whole afternoon, she still couldn¡¯t ept this punishment. ¡°Banned. No Seeker and no Beaters ¡­ What on earth are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°We still have substitutes.¡±

    ¡°Humph, the three of them are immature. Besides, no one can act as a Beater,¡± said Angelina. ¡°We¡¯ve lost our best Seeker and Beaters; and having the Firebolt and the Starcatchers confiscated, all our advantages are gone in an instant!¡±

    It did not feel as though they had won the match at all. Everywhere there were disconste and angry faces.

    The team themselves were slumped around the fire, all apart from Ron, who had not been seen since the end of the match. The other students were mostly the same. Everyone left hurriedly, whispering, afraid of disturbing something.

    ¡°It¡¯s just so unfair,¡± said Alicia numbly. ¡°How could she do this? Take away Evan¡¯s wand, broomsticks, and banning. I mean, what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned him?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Ginny miserably. ¡°He just got lines, I heard Montagueughing about it at dinner.¡±

    ¡°The only thing I regret now is not stomping her to death back then,¡± said Fred.

    He was answered with silence, and Harry stared miserably at the dark window. Snow was falling.

    The Snitch he had caught earlier was now zooming around and around themon room; people were watching its progress as though hypnotized and Crookshanks was leaping from chair to chair, trying to catch it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± said Angelina, getting slowly to her feet. ¡°Maybe this will all turn out to have been a bad dream¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll wake up tomorrow and find we haven¡¯t yed yet¡­ maybe I¡¯ll find none of this happened¡­¡±

    Soon, the others also left in dismay, leaving only Evan, Harry and Hermione beside the fire.

    They were going to wait for Ron and discuss Evan¡¯s taking the O.W.L.s exam.

    _______________________________________________________

    <i>Hello everyone, I trust you¡¯re all doing fantastic.</i>

    <i>Just yesterday, I released chapter 1000, and I¡¯m still grappling with the reality of it! The milestone felt distant for the longest period, but now that we¡¯re here, I owe it all to you. Your continuous support, both past and present, was what allowed me to reach this point, and for that, I¡¯m very grateful.</i>

    <i>The trantion of this novel has been an exhrating journey. Not only did it challenge myprehension of the beloved HP novels, but it also led me into uncharted territories. I delved into the history, lore, and mythology of various cultures: Roman, Greek, Celtic, African, Egyptian, and now Norse.</i>

    <i>With each new expedition that Evan undertook, I found myselfpelled to explore and understand more about these fascinating subjects to uphold the quality of my trantion. As time-consuming as it proved to be, it was immensely gratifying, and once again, it was made possible by your unwavering support, so thank you.</i>

    <i>I hope you¡¯ve been having fun reading, and I hope your fun continues as we proceed on this journey together. Here¡¯s to many more chapters ahead <3</i>

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1226 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1002: N.E.W.T.s Class

    Chapter 1002: N.E.W.T.s ss

    ¡°What she¡¯s doing to you is really unfair. You¡¯re not even a fifth-year student, and you can¡¯t hear the content the professors cover for the O.W.L. exams in ss. How does she expect you to review?¡± said Hermione. ¡°Besides, you don¡¯t even have a wand at the moment, and there are many subjects you can¡¯t revise without it. She¡¯s doing this on purpose.¡±

    From this perspective, Umbridge was indeed very vicious. Confiscating Evan¡¯s wand and then giving him a chance to participate in an exam that required a wand and was crucial for a student¡¯s future¡ªit was clear that she was setting Evan up for failure.

    If it were another person, he would probably have copsed by now!

    ¡°But in fact, I didn¡¯t hand over my wand, and most of the knowledge can be found in books. Professor McGonagall also promised to help me contact other professors to persuade them to give me extra lessons. She also allowed me to attend fifth-year sses as an observer,¡± said Evan nonchntly. ¡°This is not a bad thing, Hermione. I¡¯ve learned what I needed to, and I want to take the exam to prove myself. If everything goes well, I can join your sses next year.¡±

    After the O.W.L. exams, Hogwarts students were no longer sorted by year but were ced into N.E.W.T. sses based on their exam results.

    This was thest and most significant sorting before graduation, as professors had different requirements for N.E.W.T. sses, and students would study separately.

    For example, Snape only epted students with outstanding O.W.L. results and taught them to obtain N.E.W.T. certificates.

    Students who did not meet his requirements could only give up the Potions ss, or enter another professor¡¯s Potions ss to continue studying.

    Although students usually interacted with the Heads of their respective Houses, Hogwarts had arge staff of over a hundred teachers.So, if everything went well, Evan would be in the same ss as Hermione next year.

    ¡°But what if something unexpected happens? I mean, what if you can¡¯t get an Outstanding in every subject?¡±

    For most people, passing and getting an O.W.L. certificate was already a relief, but Hermione was considering the possibility that Evan might not excel in all subjects. For him, it would undoubtedly be unfair and a significant loss¡­

    ¡°Well, with you here, can I not get an Outstanding?¡± Evan retorted.

    He actually didn¡¯t care about his grades anymore, but Hermione did take the matter very seriously.

    Evan couldn¡¯t tell her that getting Outstanding in O.W.Ls didn¡¯t matter much to him.

    ¡°Okay, starting today, you¡¯ll study with me. We have less than seven months,¡± said Hermione seriously, handing Evan a schedule and a bunch of parchment from her bag. ¡°These are my ss notes and the essays given by the professors. You have toplete them with me, and I¡¯ll help you submit them.¡±

    She seemed to have made up her mind to supervise Evan¡¯s studies and help him achieve satisfactory results.

    By that time, they could be in the same ss.

    Next to them, Harry had been staring nkly at the fire, as though the end of the world had arrived.

    After a while, he asked softly, ¡°Has anyone seen Ron?¡±

    ¡°No, Lavender was looking for him too, but no one saw him after the game,¡± said Hermione, temporarily putting aside her efforts to help Evan catch up on the fifth-year coursework. ¡°I think he¡¯s avoiding us, maybe he¡¯ll be in¡­¡±

    But at that precise moment, there was a creaking sound behind them as the Fat Lady swung forward and Ron came mbering through the portrait hole.

    He was very pale indeed and there was snow in his hair.

    When he saw that Evan, Harry and Hermione were still there, he stopped dead in his tracks.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± said Hermione anxiously, springing up.

    ¡°Walking,¡± Ron mumbled. He was still wearing his Quidditch things.

    He walked to the fireside and sank into the chair farthest from Harry¡¯s, not daring to look at them. The stolen Snitch zoomed over their heads.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ron mumbled, looking at his feet.

    ¡°What for?¡± said Harry.

    ¡°For thinking I can y Quidditch,¡± said Ron. ¡°But I can¡¯t. I¡¯m terrible. I¡¯d rather let Ginny or Coote y. I¡¯m going to resign first thing tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°If you resign,¡± said Harry testily, ¡°there¡¯ll only be three yers left on the team.¡± And when Ron looked puzzled, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been given a lifetime ban. So have Fred and George. Angelina can¡¯t find substitutes. And then, the Starcatchers and Evan¡¯s wand have also been confiscated, and Evan has to take the O.W.Ls exam in advance and undergo what kind of evaluation¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ron yelped, and the others told him the full story.

    Harry didn¡¯t say a word; he couldn¡¯t bear to tell it again.

    When Evan and Hermione had finished, Ron looked more anguished than ever.

    ¡°This is all my fault¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault!¡±

    ¡°If I wasn¡¯t so lousy at Quidditch¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s got nothing to do with that!¡±

    ¡°It was that song that wound me up¡­¡±

    ¡°It would¡¯ve wound anyone up. The lyrics they came up with were terrible!¡±

    Harry and Ron argued back and forth like this, and Evan and Hermione exchanged nces, not getting involved.

    ¡°Look, drop it, will you?¡± Harry finally burst out. ¡°It¡¯s bad enough without you ming yourself for everything.¡±

    Ron said nothing but sat gazing miserably at the damp hem of his robes. After a while he said in a dull voice, ¡°This is the worst I¡¯ve ever felt in my life.¡±

    ¡°Join the club,¡± Harry sighed. ¡°You have to perform well; the Gryffindor team can only rely on you. We¡­¡±

    At that moment, he suddenly stopped and stared wide-eyed as Sirius¡¯s untidy dark head appeared in the fire.

    ¡°Hi,¡± he said, grinning, seeming to have sensed something. ¡°Did Ie at a bad time? The atmosphere seems a bit off?¡±

    ¡°Hello, Sirius,¡± they chorused, all four kneeling down upon the hearthrug in front of the firece.

    Crookshanks came running from the side, purring loudly, and approached the fire, trying to nuzzle Sirius¡¯s face despite the heat.

    Hermione hurriedly pulled Crookshanks back to stop him singeing his whiskers.

    ¡°How are things going recently? What happened?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°Not great!¡± said Harry, recounting the events of the day and arguing again with Ron about whose fault it was.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s really bad!¡± said Sirius. ¡°That woman is really annoying, isn¡¯t she? How is your Defense Against the Dark Arts group going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We gave it a name: D.A., which stands for Dumbledore¡¯s Army!¡±

    ¡°Good name. Things are getting more and moreplicated, so you must seize the time to learn more magic.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Evan asked. ¡°Has something happened in Norway?¡±

    He still remembered that not long ago, on the day of the first D.A. meeting, Harry¡¯s scar hurt. Harry even felt Voldemort¡¯s anger at the moment.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1226 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1003: The Old Dominators

    Chapter 1003: The Old Dominators

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t know these things,¡± said Sirius. ¡°However, judging by the looks of the four of you, if I don¡¯t say anything, you won¡¯t agree and will end up specting here. So, I¡¯ll just say a bit. We had another confrontation here with Death Eaters and vampires ¡­ destroyed their magical altar used for sacrifices. Dumbledore said it was used to collect blood and flesh, identical to the ancient altar set up by fallen Centaurs in the Albanian forest.¡±

    ¡°You mean ¡­?¡± Evan had a bad premonition in his heart, and the bad news that he had spected for a long time was finally confirmed.

    ¡°Yes, now it¡¯s almost certain that what the vampires guard is rted to the so-called evil gods. We¡¯ve checked a lot of information. Historically, the term evil gods refers to evil beings from the endless void. Ancient sorcerers called them the Old Dominators, distinct from the gods,posed of unknown substances far beyond the mortal realm.¡±

    Titans, Old Dominators, gods ¨C this world seemed to be far moreplex and chaotic than imagined.

    ¡°From the information we¡¯ve received so far, Voldemort is nning to do something with the statue of the evil god in his hand!¡± Sirius continued. ¡°And this matter is also rted to vampires. Remember what I said before? Now it¡¯s finally clear. Szar Slytherin seems to have left something rted to the evil gods. Well, anyway ¡­Voldemort probably thought that the thing from his ancestors was very helpful to him.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ still investigating. The good news is that even within the vampire ranks, things are starting to be unstable,¡± said Sirius. ¡°We were able to locate and destroy the altar this time, thanks to a tip from within the vampiremunity. However, we still can¡¯t confirm who it was.¡±

    Evan stared at Sirius, paying attention to the expression on his face. Could the person who tipped off the information be ine? Or, was it her uncle Caresius?

    They themselves did not believe in Voldemort, but they had to cooperate with him because of matters within their own n.¡°What¡¯s Voldemort nning to do?¡± Evan asked as he thought. ¡°Is he summoning the evil god toe?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but what he¡¯s doing now will undoubtedly restore some power to the evil god represented by that statue.¡± Sirius sighed, taking a breath. ¡°This undoubtedly makes things very bad and extremely dangerous. ording to the information we found, if the terrifying creature called the evil god reallyes, it won¡¯t be something the current wizards can deal with. Don¡¯t get excited, Harry. This is something you and your friends can¡¯t help with, and don¡¯t get involved. Moreover, where you are¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with where we are?¡± Harry asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Sirius seemed to realize he had said too much, stopped discussing, and said sternly, ¡°Anyway, you need to know that Voldemort¡¯s main focus is still within the country. The situation in Norway is not a priority for you. Don¡¯t interfere; you can¡¯t. Your main task now is to learn more magic. I came here tonight just to check on your progress. If you need anything, let me know as soon as possible, and I¡¯ll help you get it. I heard the Ministry of Magic has fully monitored allmunication channels inside and outside Hogwarts. Fortunately, they haven¡¯t paid attention to this firece. In the future, we can¡­¡±

    He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, rmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the firece.

    ¡°Sirius?¡± said Harry anxiously.

    But he had vanished. Harry gaped at the mes for a moment, then turned to look at Evan, Ron and Hermione.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong!¡± said Evan, leaping to his feet and pulling Hermione up.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    The next second, Hermione gave a horrified gasp, still staring at the fire.

    A hand had appeared amongst the mes, groping as though to catch hold of something; a stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings.

    The four of them ran for it; at the door of the dormitory they looked back. Umbridge¡¯s hand was still making snatching movements amongst the mes, as though she knew exactly where Sirius¡¯s hair had been moments before and was determined to seize it.

    Early the next morning, they still had lingering fears.

    ¡°Sirius is right,munication channels inside and outside Hogwarts arepletely monitored!¡± Hermione analyzed. ¡°First Hedwig was almost caught, and now this with Sirius. We can¡¯t contact the outside casually!¡±

    ¡°Using Dobby to pass messages should be fine; he¡¯ll help us keep it secret,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°House-elves are not owls, we should treat them better,¡± said Hermione, dissatisfied.

    Looking at her, it seemed like she wanted Evan to pay Dobby extra wages, as he always made him run around.

    In any case, this undoubtedly added another piece of bad news among many.

    Whether it was the Hogwartsmunicationwork being monitored by the Ministry of Magic, or what Sirius said about the evil god and Voldemort.

    The four of them got together and discussed it over and over again, but still didn¡¯t make much progress.

    Evan wanted to find books rted to evil gods and Old Dominators, but he couldn¡¯t find any after rummaging through the entire library.

    This could only mean that the information was indeed top-secret. Evan only had the <i>Book of Abraham</i> rted to this, but he couldn¡¯t see what the second and third parts on it said. He had deciphered most of the first part, which was entirely about Alchemy.

    Corresponding to the information obtained from the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>, Evan¡¯s Alchemy level increased by leaps and bounds.

    This knowledge seemed somehow connected to the ancient magic he found in the silent temple in the swamp.

    But the information was not enough. Evan still needed time to research, a lot of time.

    He thought he should speed up and get a Time-Turner!

    Apart from that, the only thing that could be considered good news recently was that Draco Malfoy was seriously injured. He had been lying in the school hospital for a long time, while Umbridge left Hogwarts for treatment at St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    It wasn¡¯t until the Wednesday after the Quidditch match that she seemed to realize how seriously she was injured.

    Remember, everyone had given her a good beating at that time.

    Her waist was not broken or fractured, and the fact that she could resist for so long only showed that her physical fitness was really good, rather than that the people had been too gentle.

    But Fred and George always regretted not hitting her harder at the time.

    After Sirius¡¯s reminder, Harry became more focused onbat training, and he had nowhere else to go!

    The weather was getting colder, and just as D.A. meetings were bing more frequent, the Gryffindor team¡¯s training continued.

    Angelina asked Ginny to be the new Seeker, and the new Beaters were Demelza and Vicky Frobisher.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1233 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1004: Continued Probation

    Chapter 1004: Continued Probation

    No one knew how Angelina did it, but she finally convinced that little girl to temporarily abandon the Charm Club and join Quidditch training. Perhaps she felt that it was time to do something for Gryffindor.

    As a result, all members of the Gryffindor team except Ron were girls, which was unprecedented in Hogwarts! Fortunately, amidst the misfortune, the girls¡¯ performance was quite good. (TN/ Vicky Frobisher had been introduced as a boy in former chapters; and now as a girl, which is her true gender in the original Harry Potter.)

    Although not as good as Harry, Fred and George, they still had hoped of winning the Cup.

    In Angelina¡¯s words, they were stronger than those wooden heads.

    Moreover, there was no need to worry about them rushing into fights or showing violent tendencies, and being banned by Umbridge.

    As the training progressed, Ron recovered somewhat and no longer med himself as much as before.

    Harry was right, now the Gryffindor team could only rely on him. As the only male in the team, he should perform better.

    He couldn¡¯t afford any more mistakes, even though he didn¡¯t have much confidence in himself!

    Two weeks after the Gryffindor-Slytherin match, the Hufflepuff-Ravenw match also began!Before the game, no one had high expectations for the Hufflepuff team. After all, they had lost their excellent captain, and morale had plummeted. The Ravenw team, on the other hand, consisted of experienced yers who had been honing their skills for many years. There was no reason for them to lose to Hufflepuff.

    But the final result was really surprising. Hufflepuff actually won the game by a huge margin.

    Hufflepuff staged a textbook defensive counter-attack. They yed very cooperatively and had a good sense of teamwork.

    From the initial difficult struggle, even being behind, toter overtaking the opponent, they yed remarkably well.

    Their seeker caught the snitch in front of Cho. Maybe it was luck, but they undoubtedly won beautifully.

    Cho cried bitterly when she fell from her broom.

    After the D.A. meeting ended that evening, Harry stayed alone with her.

    It was unknown whether the incident brought any progress between them.

    Likewise, Ginny was busyforting Michael.

    The entire Ravenw team had low morale, but there had been no physical altercation between the two teams.

    In contrast, Hufflepuff celebrated as if it were a festival. After the evening¡¯s event, they even invited Evan to join a celebration party in the Hufflepuffmon room,memorating their unexpected victory.

    It was indeed unexpected, because the best performer on the Hufflepuff team turned out to be Alecia Esther.

    She was a very shy little girl, a first-year.

    Beforeing to Hogwarts, she had never even touched a Quidditch Quaffle.

    She also joined Dumbledore¡¯s Army, but blushed easily every time she spoke to Evan.

    The feeling was exactly the same as when Ginny saw Harry a few years ago.

    It was such a neer who drove the rhythm of the entire game. She was Hufflepuff¡¯s Chaser. She scored almost ny percent of the points alone, reaching a terrifying one hundred and twenty points.

    It was not that the Ravenw team was too bad. Although they initially underestimated their opponents, theyter took it seriously, using their full strength and quickly devising tactics. However, Alecia¡¯s flying sense and throwing skills were simply exceptional!

    Her broom was an old-fashioned Cleansweep Ten, a model from three years ago. It was very slow, but her reactions were quick, and she was excellent at coordinating with teammates. She consistently found loopholes in Ravenw¡¯s defense, skillfully carried the Quaffle, and scored points with agility.

    Evan had noticed her talent in flying and Quidditch when Alecia tried out for the Starcatcher earlier. Like Harry in his early years, she performed astonishingly well, leading Professor Sprout to approve her inclusion in the team.

    But now it seemed her talent surpassed even Harry¡¯s.

    If this development continued, Hogwarts might produce a student who would be a world-ss Quidditch star, simr to Krum. The glory, especially being associated with Hufflepuff, was particrly rare and valuable for them.

    But this was not good news for Ron. A skilled Chaser meant increased pressure for him!

    They were both neers, but the difference between him and Alecia was undeniable.

    No one required him to perform beyond his abilities; he just needed to show his normal skills.

    Meanwhile, Hagrid¡¯s inspection results also came out, on the same morning Umbridge went to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries.

    This malicious woman, even while receiving treatment, didn¡¯t forget to inform Hagrid of the inspection results.

    Not surprisingly, it was continued probation.

    They saw Hagrid in the Great Hall that morning. He was standing beside the doors into the entrance hall, waiting for a crowd of Ravenws to pass. He was still as heavily bruised as he had been on the day he hade back from his mission to the giants and there was a new cut right across the bridge of his nose. It was a tough job to take care of Grawp.

    ¡°All righ¡¯, there?¡± he said, trying to muster a smile but managing only a kind of pained grimace.

    ¡°Are you okay, Hagrid?¡± asked Harry, following him as he lumbered after the Ravenws.

    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± said Hagrid with a feeble assumption of airiness; he waved a hand and narrowly missed concussing a frightened-looking Professor Vector, who was passing. ¡°Jus¡¯ busy, yeh know, usual stuff ¡­ heard ¡®bout you. What a pity. I was there, nnin¡¯ ter help, but the students blocked my way ¡­ an¡¯ I¡¯m on probation.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on probation?¡± said Ron very loudly; his eyes wide-open, so that many students passing looked around curiously. ¡°Sorry ¡ª I mean ¡ª you¡¯re on probation?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hagrid. ¡° ¡¯S¡¯no more¡¯n I expected, ter tell yeh the truth. Yeh migh¡¯ not¡¯ve picked up on it, bu¡¯ that inspection didn¡¯ go too well, yeh know ¡­ I asked others and they said I should have acted more naturally. But¡­well, forget it, See yeh ¡®roun¡¯!¡±

    He trudged away, out the front doors and down the stone steps into the damp grounds.

    They watched him go, wondering how much more bad news they could stand.

    The fact that Hagrid was now on probation becamemon knowledge within the school over the next few days. Not everyone appeared to be upset about it. Some, especially Slytherin students, seemed positively gleeful. The tension between Gryffindor and Slytherin had reached its peak.

    In short, in such an atmosphere, time quickly moved into December.

    December brought with it more snow and a positive avnche of homework for the fifth years.

    Because of the uing exams, Evan was requested by Hermione to study together. One night, neither of them even returned to the dormitory.

    It was indeed a crazy night. Evan had never imagined he would be doing such things with Hermione. He had also never thought he woulde to enjoy studying so much¡­

    And as Christmas approached, Ron and Hermione¡¯s prefect duties also became more and more onerous.

    They were called upon to supervise the decoration of the castle, to watch over first and second years spending their break times inside because of the bitter cold, and to patrol the corridors in shifts with Argus Filch, who suspected that the holiday spirit might show itself in an outbreak of wizard duels.

    Evan was d that his role as Head Boy had been revoked; otherwise, these tasks would have fallen on him.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1233 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1005: Professor Hermione

    Chapter 1005: Professor Hermione

    These things were very cumbersome, and Ron keptining.

    For example, when they were supervising the decoration of the castle or putting up tinsel, he said Peeves had got the other end and was trying to strangle him.

    When watching over first and second years, he wouldin that they were cheeky little snotrags, and he was definitely not that rude when he was in first year.

    While patrolling with Filch, Ron¡¯s evaluation of him was that the guy had dung for brains, and was dedicated to having trouble with students.

    Hermione didn¡¯tin, but was equally annoyed because she didn¡¯t have time to free the poor house-elves!

    She had high hopes for this, although so far there had been no sess.

    Christmas was approaching, and D.A. meetings would have to stop over the holidays, as nearly everybody in the D.A. would be spending the time with their families.

    This made Harry unhappy because he had nowhere to go and for the first time he very much wanted to spend the holidays away from Hogwarts.

    Somehow, Hermione¡¯s parents decided to take her skiing this year, and they also invited Evan.In fact, it wasn¡¯t just Evan, they also invited his parents.

    It was only then that he discovered that since thest meeting, both parents had been in private contact very frequently.

    So under the decision of both parents, they were going to spend the Christmas holiday skiing in a secluded town in Austria.

    It was undoubtedly inappropriate to do such a thing at this time, but Evan had no way to refuse.

    It was a joint family activity, and there was no option for Evan to decline.

    Ron, meanwhile, was going home to the Burrow. Harry endured several days of jealousy before Ron said, in response to Harry asking how Ron was going to get home for Christmas, ¡°But you¡¯reing too! Didn¡¯t I say? Mum wrote and told me to invite you weeks ago!¡±

    Harry¡¯s spirits soared: The thought of Christmas at the Burrow was truly wonderful, better than being alone at Hogwarts or Number Twelve Grimmauld ce, although he actually wanted to be with Sirius, the Burrow wasn¡¯t bad, and he hadn¡¯t spent Christmas at the wizards¡¯ house yet.

    On thest night before the holidays, Hermione was happily flipping through the travel guide to an Austrian ski town that the Grangers had sent her.

    After leaving Hogwarts tomorrow, they would gather at Evan¡¯s house and then take a flight to Austria.

    Surprisingly, Hermione did not bring up studying; instead, she focused on discussing the snowy mountain scenery and skiing with Evan.

    She didn¡¯t know how to ski, and neither did Evan, but Evan thought it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult if they secretly used magic.

    Next to him, Harry was talking to Ron, Colin, and Neville about Cho.

    He didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but not long ago, before thest D.A. meeting, when he was alone with Cho in the Room of Requirement, they were identally discovered by these three. They witnessed the embarrassing scene of Cho crying uncontrobly on his shoulder.

    It was really awkward; Harry swore he didn¡¯t say or do anything.

    Cho had been crying recently and was very emotionally unstable since the game with Hufflepuff ended.

    ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Ron asked with interest. ¡°Scared her to tears?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Harry said wearily, then hesitated a bit. ¡°It might be because of me.¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Hermione said casually, without raising her head, still looking at the travel brochure in her hand.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± said Ron in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Because Cho spends half her time crying these days,¡± said Hermione vaguely. ¡°She does it after ss, at mealtimes, in the loos, all over the ce. Don¡¯t you understand how Cho¡¯s feeling at the moment?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t understand,¡± said Harry and Ron together.

    Evan shook his head too. In his impression, Cho was a girl who loved to smile, always full of joy. He still remembered the first meeting with her in Hogsmeade.

    Of course, it was also because of Cho that Evan and Hermione entered Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop for the first time.

    Such expensive tea and cakes, but the two of them did nothing at that time. What a pity!

    Now thinking about it, that ce had a nice atmosphere; they might consider going there again.

    ¡°Well, obviously, she¡¯s feeling very sad, because of what happened to Cedric,¡± Hermione sighed andid down the brochure, preparing to exin to these emotionally clueless guys. ¡°Then I expect she¡¯s feeling confused because she liked Cedric and now she likes Harry, and she can¡¯t work out who she likes best.¡±

    ¡°You say she might like me?¡± Harry said in surprise.

    ¡°Yeah, as long as you¡¯re not blind, you can see that you two have been getting closertely. She¡¯s trying to ept you and has good feelings for you,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Otherwise, why do you think you ran into Cho alone before the D.A. meeting? There aren¡¯t so many coincidences; she definitely asked about your whereabouts.¡±

    ¡°Cho was actually waiting for me?¡± Harry asked uncertainly.

    ¡°Of course she was. But it seems like you missed that chance!¡± Hermione said.

    There was one thing she didn¡¯t say. In fact, Cho had some feelings for Evan as well; but probably only to that extent.

    There had been no substantial progress between the two, and Cho almost gave up after the rtionship between Evan and Hermione was made public.

    After that, she seemed to want to ept Harry, but was still hesitant.

    ¡°Besides confusion, she¡¯ll be worrying about what everyone else might say about her if she starts going out with Harry. And she probably can¡¯t work out what her feelings toward Harry are anyway, because he was the one who was with Cedric when Cedric disappeared,¡± said Hermione. ¡°So that¡¯s all very mixed up and painful. Oh, and she¡¯s afraid she¡¯s going to be thrown off the Ravenw Quidditch team because she¡¯s been flying so badly. You all saw the match between Ravenw and Hufflepuff; the Golden Snitch was right under her nose, and she couldn¡¯t catch it.¡±

    Hermione¡¯s words seemed to stun all the boys present, especially Harry, who couldn¡¯t articte what he was thinking.

    Then, Ron suddenly said, ¡°One person can¡¯t feel all that at once, they¡¯d explode.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯ve got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn¡¯t mean we all have,¡± said Hermione nastily, picking up her skiing brochure again.

    ¡°What should I do now?¡± Harry hesitated and decided to humbly ask Hermione for advice.

    After all, she seemed to know a lot and was more reliable than Evan, Ron, Colin, and Nevillebined.

    ¡°The answer is obvious. You should take the initiative now and ask her out on a date,¡± said Hermione indifferently, buried in her brochure. ¡°Go to the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade vige, ate-night ssroom, or even inside a cauldron. Spend a few hours alone with her and seize the opportunity. After all that has happened just now, she will naturally expect you to ask her out. You¡¯ll have plenty of opportunities; whether you can seize them depends on you! ¡°

    ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t want to ask her?¡± said Ron, who had been watching Harry with an unusually shrewd expression on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± said Hermione vaguely, ¡°Harry¡¯s liked her for ages, haven¡¯t you, Harry?¡±

    Harry did not answer. Yes, he had liked Cho for ages, but he had no idea how to face the sobbing Cho.

    He was used to Cho¡¯s smiling face, but had no experience dealing with her when she was upset.

    Maybe he should ask Hermione for more advice.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1233 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1006: Real Dream

    Chapter 1006: Real Dream

    But Hermione didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. What happened next was entirely based on her own practical observations and conclusions.

    Anyway, as long as Harry could ask Cho out, he would figure out what to do!

    Evan didn¡¯t know anything at first, but he soon became proficient. This was a skill that could be learned by oneself without a teacher.

    Right now, all she could think about was how to have fun with Evan in the snowy mountains and skiing, not wanting to talk about Cho anymore.

    If even kissing required someone else¡¯s guidance, Harry might as well not ask girls out anymore! But in fact, Harry did need someone to teach him how to kiss a girl¡­

    ¡°Anyway, ask her out first!¡± Evan finally concluded, encouraging Harry to take the first step.

    ¡°Find a ce where no one is around,¡± said Ron, beginning to share his and Lavender¡¯s experiences.

    ¡°For example, in the woods, in Hogsmeade, in a ssroomte at night, or inside a cauldron,¡± Evan also spoke of his own experience.

    ¡°Yeah, these ces are all good. When the timees, Harry, just muster up the courage to kiss her, and she¡¯ll respond willingly. It¡¯s not that difficult,¡± Ron continued with a knowledgeable tone. ¡°If she agrees to go out with you, she¡¯ll be ready to kiss you, and then¡­¡±Neville and Colin sat there and listened, feeling that these things were so far away from them.

    Hermione did not interrupt, and the three boys discussed for a while. Harry felt that what they said was not feasible; it just made him more confused.

    Twenty minutester, they all went back to sleep.

    Harry, Ron and Neville pulled off their robes and put on pajamas in silence; Dean and Seamus were already asleep.

    Harry put his sses on his bedside table and got into bed but did not pull the hangings closed around his four-poster; instead he stared at the patch of starry sky visible through the window next to Neville¡¯s bed.

    He was still thinking about Cho and what Hermione had said to him.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡± grunted Ron, from somewhere to his right.

    ¡°Good night,¡± said Harry. Maybe next time ¡­ if there was a next time ¡­ he should ask her out.

    She had probably been expecting him to speak up and was now really angry with him ¡­ or she was lying in bed, crying about Cedric.

    He did not know what to think. Hermione¡¯s exnation had made it all seem moreplicated rather than easier to understand.

    Thinking about it, what could they do in a deserted grove, in a ssroomte at night, or in a cauldron?!

    Neither Evan nor Hermione went into details, and Harry couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    Ron said a lot, but it was obviously not feasible. Cho didn¡¯t seem to be as open-minded as Lavender.

    That¡¯s what they should teach us here, he thought, turning over onto his side, how girls¡¯ brains work ¡­ it¡¯d be more useful than Divination anyway¡­

    Neville soon fell into a deep sleep, snuffling in his sleep. An owl hooted somewhere out in the night.

    Harry dreamed he was back in the D.A. room. It waste at night, and he and Cho were the only two people in the room.

    Cho was using him of luring her there under false pretenses; she said that he had promised her a hundred and fifty Chocte Frog cards if she showed up.

    Harry protested, saying he didn¡¯t.

    Cho shouted, ¡°Cedric gave me loads of Chocte Frog cards, look!¡± And she pulled out fistfuls of cards from inside her robes and threw them into the air, and then turned into Hermione, who said, ¡°You did promise her, you know, Harry¡­ I think you¡¯d better give her something else instead¡­ How about your Firebolt?¡±

    Harry was protesting that he could not give Cho his Firebolt because Umbridge had it, and anyway the whole thing was ridiculous, he¡¯d onlye to the D.A. room to put up some Christmas baubles shaped like Dobby¡¯s head¡­

    Then, the dream changed!

    He had expected it to be that dark corridor and that door again, and he was starting to get tired of this dream, but no.

    This time, he felt as if he had be Dobby¡¯s head ¡­ no ¡­ a hard spherical statue ¡­ or something simr.

    He was ced on a dark, cold, sloping and curved stone. The stone was a rare dark golden color, with a hazy starry sky diagonally above it.

    A full moon could be seen in the sky. The moon was obscured by dark clouds and the light was dim.

    Harry heard the sound of waves and smelled a very fishy smell. He originally thought it was the smell of sea water, but it wasn¡¯t.

    Harry quickly realized it was the smell of blood.

    He looked down, and through the dim moonlight, he vaguely saw many flesh and blood corpses ced around him, including those of house-elves, magical creatures, dragons, and many humans. Theyy there lifelessly, staring nkly ahead.

    Themon characteristic of these corpses was that they were fresh, as if they had just been killed.

    They were piled together, heaped in front of Harry, as if they were being offered as a sacrifice to him.

    He felt that his blood suddenly became cold. He didn¡¯t understand why there were so many corpses here. What was going on in this dream?

    He wanted to shout, but couldn¡¯t make a sound. Everything around him became extremely real.

    In the sky, dark clouds drifted slowly, and the bright moonlight spilled down.

    Harry could see clearly this time. Not far away from him, Voldemort was sitting there. He originally thought it was part of the many corpses.

    Voldemort had a ck hood on his head and his face couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but Harry recognized him at a nce, just like looking at himself in the mirror.

    It was so disgustingly familiar that Harry didn¡¯t know why he felt this way.

    Just as he looked at the motionless Voldemort, the scar on his forehead began to hurt, and the pain became more and more painful. This was an ominous sign¡­

    He forced his eyes to look away. The other corpses in the room were also particrly clear under the moonlight.

    They had been tortured before death, and the expressions on their faces were extremely distorted, with traces of pain. This was simply a scene straight out of hell.

    There was a loud noise, but Voldemort still didn¡¯t move. Harry quickly raised his head.

    In the sky, a shadow suddenly appeared below the moon.

    Harry swore that he looked at it for three seconds before he was sure what it was. It was a strange ship, with a dragon head statue on the bow as a symbol, a slender hull, a huge mast erected in the middle, and square type sails.

    Not far from the ship, a beautiful golden gate appeared in the sky. The door was engraved withplex patterns, and it emerged from the gate.

    This dream was getting weirder and weirder. What was going on?!

    Soon, the moon was covered by dark clouds again, and everything around darkened.

    Harry didn¡¯t understand, he was transformed into a statue, with Voldemort sitting next to him, surrounded by corpses that had been tortured to death.

    There was also the strange big ship that suddenly appeared in the sky, giving an eerie and terrifying feeling.

    Uneasy doubts were growing, and Harry tried to force himself to wake up, but failed.

    In an instant, he began to clearly feel his breathing ¡­ heavy breathing. This was really strange, how could the statue breathe?!

    As he breathed, something in the surrounding flesh and blood was slowly drawn towards him, like a Dementor sucking the soul.

    The blood was boiling, and Harry could clearly feel that he or the thing he had be was absorbing the essence from the flesh and blood.

    His strength seemed to have increased; he was stronger than before and no longer so weak.

    Voldemort moved slightly, and a green light began to appear around his body.

    Harry¡¯s body also began to glow with a reddish light, and the green and red lights gradually merged, and Harry sensed the awakening of a terrifying creature.

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 Chapter 1007: New Horcrux

    Chapter 1007: New Horcrux

    The green and red lights wanted to merge. At least Voldemort wanted to do so, Harry could clearly feel it.

    But the statue he now embodied, or the monster hidden inside the statue, was in a confrontation with Voldemort and Harry.

    It had its own will and did not want to be fused with Voldemort.

    This resistance wouldn¡¯tst long, as it was too weak, as if it had suffered a severe blow and had not recovered.

    It possessed powerful strength, but it wasn¡¯t in this space, and it was bound by an inexplicable force, unable toe.

    What could reach this world was just a trace of its will, nothing more.

    Fusion was a matter of time, and Harry could clearly feel its reluctance and impending victory.

    Harry didn¡¯t know why Voldemort wanted to fuse him with this statue. What was the purpose of doing so?

    But there was no doubt that this was an evil magic that made him feel extremely ufortable.Just then, a man walked out of the shadows and came to Harry.

    Harry spotted him immediately because he actually smelled the other person¡¯s scent.

    It was strange, but it was true. He discovered the person ahead of time by relying on his nose rather than his eyes.

    ¡°The smell of food!¡± a strange voice sounded in Harry¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind, give him to me, and the thing rted to him, we will cooperate, and I will help you get the power you need to achieve immortality.¡±

    It was not him speaking, but the weird statue he had turned into, and Voldemort agreed!

    In the blink of an eye, Harry felt that he and the statue werepletely integrated. He became a part of the statue. The monster disappeared but did not leave.

    The moon once again emerged from the thick dark clouds. Through the moonlight, Harry saw that this was a man wearing elegant ck wizard robes and a stern face.

    It was the vampire, the guy named Caresius.

    Absolutely ¡­ Harry had seen his picture in the newspapers many times, and he was still wanted by the Ministry of Magic.

    Evan had said that this vampire was not a bad person, or at least not as bad as the rumors said.

    Caresius held a wand in his hand and looked at the statues that Voldemort and Harry had turned into with a cautious expression.

    He seemed to be hesitating, but his eyes became more and more determined.

    Caresius said something that Harry didn¡¯t hear clearly, but Voldemort didn¡¯t move.

    After a few seconds, Caresius seemed to have made up his mind about what he was going to do, but no matter what, Harry hoped he wouldn¡¯te any closer.

    Because he felt that the dormant beast in his body had awakened. After theplete fusion, Harry had umted some strength. It was looking forward to the other party¡¯s approach. It regarded this vampire as food. The first food after the fusion was far more attractive than the ordinary hollow flesh on the surrounding ground.

    As long as he got closer, just a little closer, then it could devour him, making itself stronger.

    Caresius walked over, carefully avoiding Voldemort, the tip of his wand shing a dark red glow.

    The umted magic power became stronger and stronger. He raised his wand high and swept it through the air.

    The wand tip shook gently, making aplex and profound movement, and a magic rune appeared.

    From the magic rune, a powerful and terrifying power surged out, a power that was enough to destroy everything.

    The next second, he brought the wand down onto Harry, onto the statue. A dark light shed¡­

    A sky-high light shed, and Harry¡¯s forehead hurt terribly¡­ It was aching fit to burst! He didn¡¯t know what was happening, and he didn¡¯t see clearly.

    As the light shed, he only saw Caresius being thrown backward, with a look of disbelief on his face. The right hand holding the wand still maintained the same position as before.

    The vampire¡¯s body was bleeding, and the essence of magic and life flowed out with the blood and was absorbed by this terrible monster.

    He struggled to get up, but the blood-red light immediately enveloped Caresius. He could not break free, and his life was gradually fading.

    He must be helped, but Harry couldn¡¯t do anything. The scar on his forehead was getting more painful!

    Blood slowly flowed away, and this vampire was being devoured by him, by the demon he had turned into. Everything was about to end¡­

    ¡°Harry! <i>Harry</i>!¡±

    He opened his eyes. Every inch of his body was covered in icy sweat; his bedcovers were twisted all around him like a straitjacket¡­

    He felt as though a white-hot poker was being applied to his forehead, unbearable.

    ¡°<i>Harry</i>!¡±

    Ron was standing over him looking extremely frightened. There were more figures at the foot of Harry¡¯s bed.

    Harry couldn¡¯t distinguish who they were. He clutched his head in his hands; the pain was blinding him¡­ He rolled right over and vomited over the edge of the mattress.

    ¡°He¡¯s really ill,¡± said a scared voice. ¡°Should we call someone?¡±

    ¡°<i>Harry</i>! <i>Harry</i>!¡±

    ¡°Go and call Evan, hurry up!¡± Harry took great gulps of air and pushed himself up in bed, willing himself not to throw up again, the pain half-blinding him. ¡°Something happened. I can see it. Voldemort and that vampire ¡­ he¡¯s being eaten alive, he¡¯s dying!¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ron didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Go find Evan and Dumbledore, hurry up, if it¡¯s a littleter, he¡¯ll die!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going for help,¡± said the same scared voice, and Harry heard footsteps running out of the dormitory.

    ¡°Harry, mate,¡± said Ron uncertainly, ¡°you ¡­ you were just dreaming. There is no You-Know-Who, no vampire, and no one is going to die.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± said Harry furiously. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream ¡­ not an ordinary dream¡­ I saw it, I was there, my scar hurt, do you understand?! I saw Voldemort cast an evil spell, I saw thepletion of that spell, and the life of that vampire slowly fading away¡­ it was me ¡­ I did it.¡±

    Harry could hear Seamus and Dean muttering but did not care. He had to hurry up and do something.

    Evan had said that Caresius and his vampire n were very important; he couldn¡¯t let him die like this. And Evan had also told him that if he saw anything, he must inform him immediately, because of the connection between him and Voldemort, these absurd dreams were likely to be true.

    Of course, it was possible that it was fake and Voldemort showed it to him on purpose, but Harry didn¡¯t think it was.

    The only strange part was why he ended up turning into a statue. What was Voldemort nning to do?

    And that devilishly cold voice, whom was it? Where did it end up? It needed to obtain something rted to Caresius, but what was it?

    And the final magic ¡­ it could actually defeat a powerful vampire in one fell swoop, absorbing his life force to strengthen itself.

    Harry thought of the scene he¡¯d seenst term, in that house in the mountains, in that ck room without any light. The terrifying statue ced in the middle of the room, twisted like roots, emanating a red glow that seemed to choose its prey.

    It was the statue of the evil god that Voldemort had obtained from the fallen Centaurs in the Albanian forest.

    Harry had a feeling that he had just turned into this statue, fully fused with it, and be a new Horcrux.

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 Chapter 1008: Harrys Information

    Chapter 1008: Harry''s Information

    ¡°New Horcrux?!¡± Harry shook his head vigorously to get rid of this terrible thought.

    Intense fear filled his body, surpassing even the scares he had experienced in the past year, even exceeding the return of Voldemort.

    He tried to get out of bed but Ron pushed him back into it; Dean and Seamus were still whispering somewhere nearby.

    Whether one minute passed or ten, Harry did not know; he simply sat there shaking, feeling the pain recede very slowly from his scar.

    Finally, there were hurried footstepsing up the stairs, and he heard the long-missed voice of Evan.

    ¡°Harry, what did you dream about?¡± said Evan eagerly. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, take your time.¡±

    Since thest time Harry felt Voldemort¡¯s anger, Evan estimated the time, probably very recently, and Harry would clearly see some vivid images. Perhaps Voldemort deliberately showed him these images to test the connection between him and Harry.

    But it never happened. He thought that after he killed the giant snake, the matter would be over!

    After all, Voldemort couldn¡¯te to the Ministry of Magic in person, he couldn¡¯t let others see him, and he wouldn¡¯t just find a snake to make a Horcrux.Without a connection between their souls, Harry couldn¡¯t see what the other was doing, and he even reminded Mr. Weasley to be careful when working the night shift.

    However, Evan didn¡¯t expect that this would happen today, on Christmas Eve. Was it Mr. Weasley again?

    ¡°It¡¯s that vampire, Caresius!¡± said Harry, sitting up again. ¡°He was injured by a monster and was controlled there. He was bleeding, the injury was very serious, and his life was slowly draining away. I saw it. Voldemort was also there, using some evil magic, and many people died.¡±

    ¡°Voldemort and Caresius?!¡± Evan was stunned for a moment. It was not Mr. Weasley and the Ministry of Magic. ¡°Where?!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know ¡­ um ¡­ I saw the outline of a ship in the air, a very strange ship, with a scary dragon head statue at the bow, and a golden door with many reliefs,¡± said Harry, d that Evan believed him. ¡°That room seemed to be very deep underground, and by the moonlight, I saw that it was filled with corpses¡­¡±

    Caresius ¡­ a strange ship ¡­ corpses and blood¡­ What on earth was going on?

    ¡°How did you see all this?¡± Evan asked hurriedly.

    ¡°I was asleep, and then I was there, like in a dream¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I mean from what perspective did you see this? Was it Voldemort¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Not Voldemort¡¯s. In the dream, I seemed to be a statue, probably the statue of the evil god,¡± Harry hesitated, moved closer to Evan, and added in a low voice, ¡°I can¡¯t tell why, but I feel like it¡¯s a Horcrux. The images I saw were very simr to the methods you described for making a Horcrux.¡±

    Evan was stunned for a moment. He hadn¡¯t expected Harry to appear at that ce from the perspective of the statue of the evil god, nor did he expect that Voldemort would actually turn the statue of the evil god into a Horcrux, so those corpses were used by him to split his soul. This was crazier than anyone could imagine, and the severity of the situation exceeded expectations.

    Voldemort had gone mad. How could he use the statue of the evil god as his Horcrux?! And, from what Harry said, it seemed like he seeded!

    So what was that statue now, and what agreement did Voldemort and the evil god make?

    As Evan delved into the matter, he dared not think further. Anything was possible, and he just felt a chill running down his spine.

    ¡°Harry ¡­ what you¡¯re talking about might just be a dream¡­¡± Ron said hesitantly, not realizing the seriousness of the situation.

    ¡°<i>No</i>!¡± Harry said irritably, ¡°This is definitely <i>not</i> a dream. I was having a dream at first about somethingpletely different, something stupid ¡­ and then this interrupted it. We have to do something, otherwise the vampire will die. Time is running out!¡±

    ¡°You mean to rescue him from You-Know-Who?¡± Ron seemed really frightened.

    ¡°Voldemort is very weak now. That magic consumed a lot of his power. He can¡¯t even move. I can sense it. We still have a chance.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± said Evan decisively. ¡°Put on some clothes, Harry, quickly. We¡¯re going to see Dumbledore.¡±

    He was no longer able to make the decision on this matter, and he had to inform the headmaster as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t know what had changed between Caresius and Voldemort, what foolish things that guy had done, risking even his own life now. But Evan knew he couldn¡¯t let Caresius die like this.

    They still didn¡¯t know the secrets left by Slytherin, and what information did Voldemort know from him. In this confusing situation, this was very important information.

    Harry pulled on his dressing gown as quickly as possible, and walked out of the dormitory with Evan, followed by Ron.

    Although he was confused, not sure what had happened, he still chose to trust Evan and Harry and apany them to find Dumbledore.

    But in Ron¡¯s opinion, the most appropriate ce for Harry to go now was the Hospital Wing.

    Dean and Seamus didn¡¯t follow. They stayed where they were, looking at the three of them in confusion and panic.

    ¡°I asked Neville and Colin to notify Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore respectively!¡± said Evan. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they can find them. We¡¯re going to the headmaster¡¯s office now; we should run into them.¡±

    They went down the spiral stairs into themon room, through the portrait hole, and off along the Fat Lady¡¯s moonlit corridor.

    There was no one in the corridor, the portraits on the walls were empty, and there was only oppressive silence.

    Harry felt as though the panic inside him might spill over at any moment, and he followed Evan to run towards the headmaster¡¯s office.

    Harry couldn¡¯t exin why, but he felt a sense of panic despite having no real connection with the vampire. Perhaps it was because he had wounded him and was about to consume him. He struggled not to sumb to the feeling of drawing strength from that pile of flesh, the terrifying sensation that he himself was bing a monster.

    The three of them passed Mrs. Norris, who turned hermplike eyes upon them and hissed faintly.

    No one paid attention to her, Evan kicked her aside, and Mrs. Norris slunk away into the shadows.

    Before Filch or Umbridge found them, the three met Professor McGonagall in her tartan dressing gown and the panting Neville and Colin.

    They met at the junction of Gryffindor Tower and the main castle building; and Professor McGonagall scrutinized the three who rushed over from the corridor.

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 Chapter 1009: Opportunity

    Chapter 1009: Opportunity

    ¡°Mason, Potter, Weasley, seriously, what¡¯s going on with you?¡± said Professor McGonagall, her sses perched lopsidedly on the bridge of her bony nose, scanning over Evan, Ron, and then finallynding on Harry. ¡°Potter, I heard from Longbottom that you¡¯re in excruciating pain, rolling around in bed. Where does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s the vampire Caresius. He¡¯s dying!¡± said Harry hastily, noticing the change in the expression on Professor McGonagall¡¯s face.

    In fact, he found it a bit absurd to be talking about the elusive vampire at Hogwarts, about a guy he¡¯d never even met.

    Regardless of how absurd it seemed, it had indeed happened!

    What if Professor McGonagall didn¡¯t believe it?

    ¡°Something happened, professor, we need to see the Headmaster.¡± As soon as Harry finished speaking, Evan followed. ¡°It¡¯s a matter on the Norwegian side.¡±

    Because the castle corridors had ears, confidentiality was poor; he couldn¡¯t mention sensitive words such as Voldemort, Horcruxes, or evil gods.

    Evan believed that Professor McGonagall would understand. She must be aware of the activities of the Order of the Phoenix in Norway.

    Sirius¡¯s previous intelligence could already exin a lot of things,bined with what Harry had seen. Voldemort killed many lives and split his soul, and made the statue of the evil god into a Horcrux. There were major changes in Norway and the vampires. These things needed to be made known to Dumbledore as soon as possible.Evan wasn¡¯t too concerned about Caresius¡¯s life, but he saw it as an opportunity, a chance for a major breakthrough.

    Seizing this opportunity could not only thwart Voldemort¡¯s plot to gain power but also unravel the secrets left by Slytherin, especially now that Voldemort likely had made the statue of the evil god into his final Horcrux.

    Of course, the premise was that they were fast enough and Caresius had not been killed by Voldemort and the evil god, so the rescue would be meaningful.

    Voldemort must have known through the soul connection that Harry had seen it all.

    But as Harry said, the weakness after the split soul could not be recovered for a while.

    Voldemort couldn¡¯t leave that room or even move for a short period of time, and this was their chance.

    The only question now was where that ce was, and hopefully Dumbledore could figure it out from Harry¡¯s description.

    If the Order of the Phoenix had been operating in Norway for so long but didn¡¯t even have this vital information, then they could only stay in Hogwarts and watch.

    Missing this chance would put them at aplete disadvantage, facing the dual threat of Voldemort and the evil god.

    And more importantly, if Caresius died like this, Evan was worried that the clues to the treasure key left by Slytherin would be interrupted.

    The hint he gave: The shrewd Slytherin came from that swamp! He only believed in wizards with the purest blood, and Mudbloods couldn¡¯t get anything from him! The key to the treasure was a powerful one, kept deep underground by his cunning servants.

    Evan originally spected that Slytherin¡¯s insidious and cunning servants might be the goblins, and the deepest underground was Gringotts.

    Now it seemed that this was not the case at all. After all, goblins had no connection with pure-bloods. Now it seemed to refer to the vampires.

    The uniqueness of vampires also maintained the purity of their bloodline, and there was no possibility of it being tainted.

    And that extremely powerful force, the treasure key he left behind, had also been guarded by vampires for generations.

    If the clues were interrupted, Evan didn¡¯t know what to do. He might have to go back a thousand years and ask Slytherin himself, who wasn¡¯t very easy to get along with.

    ¡°Follow me!¡± said Professor McGonagall crisply. She only hesitated for a moment before choosing to believe them.

    The group of people crossed thest few stairs in twos and three steps at a time, and came to the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    ¡°<i>Fizzing Whizbee,</i>¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    The gargoyle sprang to life and leapt aside; the wall behind it split in two to reveal a stone staircase that was moving continuously upward like a spiral esctor.

    They stepped onto the moving stairs; the wall closed behind them with a thud, and they were moving upward in tight circles until they reached the highly polished oak door with the brass knocker shaped like a griffin.

    Though it was now well past midnight, there were voicesing from inside the room, a positive babble of them. It sounded as though Dumbledore was entertaining at least a dozen people.

    Professor McGonagall rapped three times with the griffin knocker, and the voices ceased abruptly as though someone had switched them all off.

    The door opened of its own ord, and they walked in. The room was in half darkness; the strange silver instruments standing on tables were silent and still rather than whirring and emitting puffs of smoke as they usually did. The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses covering the walls were all snoozing in their frames.

    Behind the door, a magnificent red-and-gold bird the size of a swan dozed on its perch with its head under its wing.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Professor McGonagall ¡­ and ¡­ ah!¡±

    Dumbledore was sitting in a high-backed chair behind his desk; he leaned forward into the pool of candlelight illuminating the papersid out before him.

    He was wearing a magnificently embroidered purple-and-gold dressing gown over a snowy-white nightshirt, but seemed wide awake, his prating light-blue eyes fixed intently upon Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore, Potter has had a ¡­ well, a nightmare,¡± said Professor McGonagall. ¡°He and Mason say¡­¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a nightmare,¡± said Harry quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s something about vampires,¡± Evan also said. ¡°Voldemort used a spell. He may have split his soul again. Caresius is currently in a state of death. Things in Norway have undergone major changes. We must act immediately to rescue Caresius, Professor, this is an opportunity.¡±

    Evan nudged Harry, indicating for him to exin the details. In this setting, there was no need to worry about being overheard.

    ¡°I ¡­ well, I was asleep¡­¡± said Harry and even in his terror and his desperation to make Dumbledore understand he felt slightly irritated that the headmaster was not looking at him, but examining his own interlocked fingers. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t an ordinary dream ¡­ it was real¡­ I saw it happen¡­ The vampire named Caresius, the one who had dueled with Evan at the Quidditch World Cup, suddenly appeared in a room filled with corpses and flesh. He wanted to destroy that statue, maybe it was the statue of the evil god, but Voldemort hadpleted the magic and fused with the statue a few minutes ago. He had reached an agreement with the monster inside, as long as he handed over Caresius and something to it, that monster was willing to help him gain strength and achieve immortality. I don¡¯t know what this means, but Caresius was injured by the statue in the blink of an eye. The monster inside the statue wanted to devour him. He¡¯s seriously injured and bleeding, sustaining himself with magic, but it won¡¯tst long, I can feel it¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1010: Viking Warship

    Chapter 1010: Viking Warship

    Harry felt that he was a little incoherent. He didn¡¯t know if the other party could understand him. After all, these things were difficult to describe.

    The words seemed to reverberate in the air after he had said them, slightly ridiculous, evenic.

    Dumbledore leaned back and stared meditatively at the ceiling, Evan watching him.

    Next to them, Ron, Neville, and Colin looked from Harry, to Evan, and then to Dumbledore, white-faced and shocked.

    They could understand some of what Harry said, but some words werepletely iprehensible.

    ¡°How did you see this?¡± Dumbledore asked quietly, asking the same question as Evan, still not looking at Harry.

    ¡°He saw it from the perspective of the statue ¡­ he was the statue.¡± Evan answered for Harry.

    He knew what Dumbledore needed, and it was difficult for Harry to say it clearly.

    ¡°I understand,¡± said Dumbledore, still in the same calm tone. ¡°Professor McGonagall, could you please take Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, and Mr. Creevey back? I have a few things I¡¯d like to discuss privately with Mason and Potter.¡±¡°Of course,¡± said Professor McGonagall, leading Ron, Neville, and Colin out of Dumbledore¡¯s office.

    ¡°Professor, Voldemort may have used the statue of the evil god to make a new Horcrux and reached an agreement with the evil god!¡± After McGonagall, Ron, Neville, and Colin left the office, Evan immediately said. ¡°The situation is moreplicated than we thought. We must go to Norway immediately.¡±

    ¡°Take a seat first, some things need to be confirmed before we can act,¡± said Dumbledore, pulling out his wand and conjuring two chairs.

    He quickly walked up to Phoenix and stroked Fawkes¡¯s plumed golden head with one finger.

    The phoenix awoke immediately. He stretched his beautiful head high and observed Dumbledore through bright, dark eyes.

    ¡°We will need,¡± said Dumbledore very quietly to the bird, ¡°a warning.¡±

    There was a sh of fire and the phoenix had gone.

    Immediately afterwards, Dumbledore walked quickly to the pile of fragile silver instruments.

    Evan didn¡¯t see clearly what he did, but one of the silver instruments emitted a slight vibration, and the spherical object on top began rolling along an elliptical trajectory.

    Then, under the watchful eyes of Evan and Harry, Dumbledore carried the other instrument to his desk.

    He sat down again facing them, and tapped it gently with the tip of his wand.

    The instrument tinkled into life at once with rhythmic clinking noises. Tiny puffs of pale green smoke issued from the minuscule silver tube at the top.

    The smoke gathered and swirled in the air, and Dumbledore watched the light smoke, his brow furrowed.

    Evan was also observing the smoke; it was indeed quite strange.

    He finally understood why the headmaster stayed in his office every day; it allowed him to know every move Harry made!

    This precious alchemy instrument could obviously directly observe the state of a person¡¯s soul. Although Dumbledore didn¡¯t ask anything, he knew everything.

    After a few seconds, the tiny puffs became a steady stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air¡­

    A serpent¡¯s head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide.

    Harry stared at the smoke, too, wondering whether the instrument was confirming his story: He looked eagerly at Dumbledore for a sign that he was right, but the Headmaster did not look up.

    ¡°Naturally, naturally,¡± murmured Dumbledore apparently to himself, still observing the stream of smoke without the slightest sign of surprise. ¡°But in essence divided?¡±

    ¡°Obviously!¡± Evan replied.

    Harry could make neither head nor tail of their conversation.

    But as soon as Evan finished speaking, the smoke serpent split itself instantly into two snakes, both coiling and undting in the dark air.

    With a look of grim satisfaction Dumbledore gave the instrument another gentle tap with his wand: The clinking noise slowed and died, and the smoke serpents grew faint, became a formless haze, and vanished.

    ¡°Very good,¡± he said with satisfaction and reced the instrument upon its spindly little table.

    As he moved, Harry saw many of the old headmasters in the portraits follow him with their eyes, then, realizing that Harry was watching them, hastily pretend to be sleeping again, as they always did.

    During the day, they could be seen everywhere in the school, even in ces like the Ministry of Magic, the International Confederation of Wizards, St. Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, and the homes of pure-blood wizarding families where their portraits were hung. Butte at night, they all gathered here.

    The previous headmasters of Hogwarts were famous and had high status during their lifetimes, and their portraits were everywhere that Dumbledore needed to pay attention to.

    ording to an ancient agreement, the portrait subjects had to obey the current headmaster¡¯smands. Therefore, Dumbledore could obtain a lot of information he wanted through this inconspicuous means. The past headmasters could provide Dumbledore with information and insights, retaining memories of the past, and many of them were among the most brilliant minds in the wizarding world at their respective times.

    ¡°I need to confirm, where exactly did you see that?¡± Dumbledore asked softly, still not looking at Harry, as if speaking to the air.

    Harry judged from his tone that he was asking himself, this was really ufortable, couldn¡¯t Dumbledore just look at him?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I can¡¯t pinpoint the location. I¡¯ve never been there. It seemed to be arge building, with walls and floors made of rare dark gold. The top was open, and I saw the moon. There was also the outline of a strange,rge ship, apanied by a loud noise. It suddenly appeared, docking beneath the moon, and in front of the ship was a magnificent gate. Oh, and I heard the sound of seawater, but I didn¡¯t see the sea, probably outside the building,¡± said Harry.

    He described the appearance of the ship and the golden gate in detail. This was probably their only lead at the moment.

    Dumbledore listened carefully, then he raised his wand again, and a faint blue light mist emerged from the wand¡¯s tip.

    The mist of light changed, and finally formed the appearance of a boat in front of the two of them.

    ¡°A Viking warship!¡± Evan recognized it at a nce. This ship was so distinctive that there was no room for error.

    It had an upward-curving prow with arge, menacing dragon head statue on top.

    The entire ship seemed to be carefully carved from a single piece of wood, tapering sharply at both ends, and the middle sail was quiterge.

    ¡°It¡¯s this ship, docked on something, right under the moon at this time!¡± Harry immediately said.

    ¡°I understand. If I take you to the location of this ship, can you find the specific position where you saw it?¡± Dumbledore asked calmly. He waved his wand horizontally, and all the blue light disappeared. ¡°That¡¯s the specific location of the moon, the warship, and the corresponding gate.¡±

    ¡°Should be able to,¡± Harry replied.

    At this moment, there was a sh of me in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.

    ¡°It is Fawkes¡¯s warning,¡± said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell. ¡°Professor Umbridge must know that you¡¯re out of your beds. We must act quickly, take advantage of the moon¡¯s position before it changes. Prepare yourselves, we leave now!¡±

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 Chapter 1011: The Land Where the Gods Fell

    Chapter 1011: The Land Where the Gods Fell

    Harry wanted to ask how to get there, but Dumbledore simply went on.

    ¡°This is a Portkey that can take us to where we want to go,¡± Dumbledore indicated the old kettle lying innocently on his desk, then raised his head and looked at Evan seriously. ¡°Evan, Harry, you both must promise to obey my orderspletely, or I can¡¯t take you there.¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± said Evan, and Harry nodded. They followed his example and put their hands onto the ckened kettle.

    ¡°Good, the Order of the Phoenix has an operation in Norway tonight, but this matter is more important. I have just informed stor and Sirius to meet us!¡± Dumbledore nodded and said, ¡°On the count of three then ¡­ one ¡­ two ¡­¡±

    It happened in a fraction of a second: In the infinitesimal pause before Dumbledore said ¡°three,¡± Harry looked up at him.

    They were very close together ¡ª and Dumbledore¡¯s clear blue gaze moved from the Portkey to Harry¡¯s face.

    At once, Harry¡¯s scar burned white-hot, as though the old wound had burst open again, and unbidden, unwanted, but terrifyingly strong, there rose within Harry a hatred so powerful he felt, for that instant, that he would like nothing better than to strike ¡ª to attack the man before him ¡ª to kill him in the way he could ¡ª at any cost.

    Then he felt a powerful jerk behind his navel, the ground vanished from beneath his feet, his hand was glued to the kettle; he was banging into Evan as they sped forward in a swirl of colors and a rush of wind.

    This time, the rotationsted a long time; the ce they were going to must be far away.The kettle kept pulling them, and they spun rapidly.

    Then, Harry¡¯s feet hit the ground so hard that his knees buckled, and the kettle ttered to the ground.

    ¡°Wee,¡± Harry heard Sirius¡¯s voice. ¡°Wee, both of you, to Norway.¡±

    This was Norway. Evan looked up and saw Sirius and Mad-Eye Moody standing in front of them.

    Before he could say anything, a shiver ran down his spine, and the icy air rushed in.

    At this moment, Evan¡¯s first reaction was that it was really cold in Norway!

    The temperature dropped rapidly, from the warm castle to the icy tundra.

    He was still wearing a thin dressing gown. In this temperature, it was no different than having no clothes on.

    With each breath, bursts of white mist exhaled from his nostrils.

    Next to him, Harry was shivering with cold, his teeth chattering slightly uncontrobly.

    But they were all happy to see Sirius, their excitement temporarily blowing away the cold.

    ¡°Sirius,¡± said Harry happily. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°Norway ¡­ Trondheim to be precise; thend where the gods fell,¡± said Sirius.

    He was wearing clothes that hadn¡¯t been changed for a long time, and he hadn¡¯t shaved, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

    ¡°Thend where the gods fell?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the Wizarding world¡¯s name for this region,¡± said Sirius. ¡°We¡¯re currently on a small ind in this area. The locals call it Treasure Ind because legend has it that the Vikings buried a lot of treasures here a thousand years ago. Now, both of you take out your wands; it¡¯s not safe around here.¡±

    ¡°Why is it not safe?¡± Evan asked, looking around.

    Soon, he knew the reason. Under the moonlight, he actually saw a Norwegian Ridgeback flying overhead.

    This fire dragon resembled the Hungarian Horntail, though instead of tail spikes it sported particrly prominent jet-ck ridges along its back.

    It stared fiercely at the five people below and hovered in the air for a while before reluctantly leaving.

    ¡°A dragon?!¡± Harry gulped, seeing a wild dragon right after arriving.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite normal around here; the ecological environment in this area is quite primitive,¡± said Sirius. He didn¡¯t put down his wand until the Norwegian Ridgebackpletely left. ¡°Dragons aren¡¯t the most troublesome; there are many more dangerous creatures.¡±

    ¡°M-hm ¡­ why is the Order of the Phoenix gathering on this ind?¡± Evan asked, also putting down his wand. ¡°Dumbledore said you have an operation tonight?¡±

    He only had time to look around and found that they were standing on the ruins of an ancient building, surrounded by a mysterious atmosphere.

    Not far away, Moody and Dumbledore were arguing about something, seemingly discussing the tendencies of the vampires.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Before that, you two had better put on more clothes,¡± Sirius looked back at Dumbledore and Moody who were arguing, and said a little anxiously, ¡°Otherwise, before we encounter Death Eaters, vampires, or whatever monsters, you might freeze!¡±

    He pointed his wand at Evan and Harry, and a warm flow entered their bodies from the wand tip.

    ¡°Evan, do you have any clothes with you?¡± Sirius asked, knowing that Evan often carried these things with him.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evan replied, starting to take out the clothes he had prepared earlier from his bag, and handed Harry a set.

    For better disguise and hiding their figures, he carried various styles and sizes of clothes, all selected by Hermione.

    Now, they came in handy. These were all winter robes.

    In the sky, a mass of dark clouds dispersed in the cold wind, and silver moonlight spilled down, making Sirius¡¯s face clearer.

    Through the moonlight, Evan could see the surrounding scenery better.

    Around them were the ruins of massive stone walls, ancient and mottled. The walls, pirs, roofs, and even every rock had been carved with images of ancient emperors, sages, flowers, birds, fish, insects, and unknown creatures.

    But without exception, these once glorious buildings had now been destroyed and turned into meaningless stone fragments.

    What would probably make people feel ufortable was that these stones were visibly stained with blood. Although it had dried and solidified into a deep dark red, and had been cleaned, one could still imagine what had been ced here before.

    Even the air carried a faint smell of blood that couldn¡¯t dissipate, blending with the surrounding darkness and mystery.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on with you two?¡± Sirius asked after they got dressed. ¡°Why are you here with Dumbledore? Did something happen? And you, Harry, are you okay? You don¡¯t look good.¡±

    ¡°I had a dream!¡± Harry recounted the story again, although it was difficult.

    He did not say that he was the statue of the evil god; he described everything as if he were just a bystander.

    Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Sirius said, ¡°Harry, this is not something you should have seen!¡±

    ¡°I know, but I¡¯ve already seen it,¡± said Harry impatiently. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±

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 Chapter 1012: Grindelwalds Magic

    Chapter 1012: Grindelwald''s Magic

    ¡°Probably looking for the ce you mentioned. Dumbledore should know where it is,¡± said Sirius uncertainly. ¡°We were just keeping an eye on the vampires, as they seem to be up to something. Most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix are concentrated nearby, on guard. Only Moody and I received Dumbledore¡¯s notification toe over. I didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. Caresius really is foolish; he actually wanted to deal with Voldemort and the statue of the evil god alone.¡±

    ¡°Is the vampires¡¯ir nearby?¡± Evan asked.

    He was more concerned about what ine said about their family¡¯s troubles and the secrets left by Slytherin himself.

    After rescuing Caresius, this matter should be put on the agenda!

    ¡°It¡¯s not too far away. Those guys¡¯ base camp is much more impressive than this poor ce. This ce¡­¡± Sirius said, and looked around. ¡°Remember what I told you a few days ago? The altar we destroyed¡­¡±

    ¡°The ce used to collect blood and flesh offered to the evil god?¡± Evan followed, and the scenery and memory in front of him gradually merged. ¡°Indeed, the nearbyyout is a bit like the one in the chamber deep underground in the temple of the fallen Centaurs.¡±

    The statues of unknown creatures on the ruins seemed to be the terrifying creations of the evil god.

    After being sealed by Evanst time, the power of the evil god was greatly damaged. Voldemort needed to collect some flesh and blood to restore his strength so that he couldmunicate with him, obtain what he needed, and make the statue into a new Horcrux¡­

    ¡°This used to be a monastery, and then it was used by Voldemort and vampires to make flesh and blood sacrifices. Now it¡¯s our stronghold on this ind!¡± Sirius exined. ¡°Dumbledore believes that since they are making blood sacrifices here, the evil god statue might not be too far away. Those things need to be fresh to be useful, but we haven¡¯t found it yet. They¡¯ve hidden it well. Now it seems we¡¯ve overlooked it; that guy is more cunning than we thought. Damn it, the vampire should have told us about this instead of trying to destroy the statue on his own, right in front of Voldemort, that self-righteous fool.¡±He cursed Caresius again; his actions tonight were indeed too reckless.

    It was evident that Sirius had been harboring resentment against Caresius for a long time.

    Something must have happened between the two of them during this time.

    ¡°You two must be careful. Thisnd is called Trondheim by the Norse, thend where the gods fell. It¡¯s not just a casual name; every inch of thisnd is full of mystery, far beyond the imagination of the world,¡± Sirius continued, seeming a bit uneasy. ¡°Remember what I told you before? This is the traditional sphere of influence of Durmstrang. The mad Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald also used to operate around here, leaving behind a lot of dangerous magic.¡±

    A brief silence followed, and the level of trouble in the situation seemed to exceed expectations.

    Dumbledore ¡­ Grindelwald ¡­ Voldemort ¡­ the three most powerful wizards in the world, meeting here.

    Deep underground, another force was recovering¡ªthe evil god.

    The name of this area was Trondheim, thend where the gods fell. Could there still be fallen gods here?

    There was another sh of me in the air, and a golden feather floated gently to the floor ¡­ Fawkes¡¯s feather.

    This phoenix had just been in the castle, warning them about Umbridge, indicating they had been discovered. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in the frozen soil of Norway. Truly magical; he certainly hadn¡¯t used the Portkey with them.

    Evan just noticed that, besides the ability for eternal rebirth, phoenixes seemed to have the power to traverse space.

    This was not mentioned in the books. After all, this kind of creature was so rare that it was only possible to find them in the Far East.

    Phoenix feathers used by wandmakers to create wands werepletely different from the living phoenix.

    Apart from Dumbledore, no wizard had sessfully raised a phoenix as a pet.

    ¡°Very good, it looks like Fawkes has found the trace of that Viking warship nearby. Harry¡¯s information wasn¡¯t wrong,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, as if everything was under his control. We¡¯ll set off now. Come, I will lead you four to Apparition.¡±

    They joined hands in a circle, Evan holding Dumbledore¡¯s right hand, and on his left was Harry.

    Facing him, Evan noticed Moody¡¯s magical eye spinning rapidly in its socket, a familiar look of vignce on his face.

    From Sirius¡¯s information earlier, there were other members of the Order of the Phoenix in Norway; but Dumbledore didn¡¯t summon them. He seemed to believe that not too many people should know about tonight¡¯s operation, as it involved Horcruxes and the evil god¡ªsecrets that even some of the Order of the Phoenix members shouldn¡¯t know.

    A slight explosion sounded above the ruins of the monastery, and Dumbledore led them to Apparition.

    The scene in front of them changed and they came to a very strange ce.

    Evan quickly noticed the unusual aspect of this ce. Compared to the monastery just now, this was entirely and thoroughly frozen tundra.

    The ground seemed to be frozen seawater, with a faint light blue color covered by ayer of frost, hiding something underneath.

    Right in front of them was a Viking warship carved from rock, incredibly realistic.

    It was surrounded by many huge stone pirs, standing there, stacked together like stone gates.

    Evan felt the aura of magical fluctuations, but it was very messy and unclear.

    ¡°Yes, this is the ship I saw in my dream,¡± Harry said perplexedly. ¡°But this ce¡­¡±

    In his dream, he¡¯d seen this Viking warship suddenly appear in the sky, passing through a golden gate and finally standing under the moon.

    Harry had also heard the sound of waves, not this endless wilderness.

    The disparity was just too vast, beyond his imagination.

    ¡°Eyes are unreliable, boy!¡± Moody said gruffly, and walked over. His normal eyes looked at Evan and Harry, while his magical eye remained fixed on the Viking warship made of stone. ¡°This is powerful magic¡ªmeticulous, profound, andplex. The caster is very strong. I have only seen it from one person before.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I should have recognized it. After all, the traces of magic are so familiar. This was left here by Gellert,¡± said Dumbledore cheerfully.

    He seemed to be admiring a work of art and getting great satisfaction from it. He gently touched the dragon head on the bow of the ship.

    As he did so, a faint blue mist emanated from the carved ship, creating a dreamlike aura.

    The next second, the surrounding stone pirs began to glow with light, and the missingponents were gradually revealed, restoring their former appearance.

    Ancient arches appeared one after another, densely arranged together, which was very spectacr.

    There were exquisite curtains hanging on them, and Evan could even hear the enchanting music behind the door.

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 Chapter 1013: Fifty-fourth Choice

    Chapter 1013: Fifty-fourth Choice

    Sirius had just mentioned that there was a lot of magic left by Grindelwald in thisnd and asked them to be careful.

    Ten secondster, they met one. It seemed that Grindelwald had really been active in this area in the past and left many traces.

    But what was the purpose of this magic in front of them? Why was there a Viking warship and so many arches? What was the significance of all this?

    Looking at the haze in front of him and recalling what Harry had just said, Evan spected an answer.

    He felt that there might be one gate among them that could allow them to ride the warship through, entering that special building.

    It might have once been Grindelwald¡¯s secret base, but now it was spotted by Voldemort because of its confidentiality and security. It was used as a ce for him to split his soul and make new Horcruxes. The dying Caresius was inside, currently waiting for rescue.

    Things seemed simple, enter the right arch, defeat Voldemort and the statue of the evil god, and rescue Caresius.

    But there were too many arches, and Evan couldn¡¯t see any difference between them.

    Choosing the right arch was really difficult, almost impossible!¡°Yes, yes ¡­ the Gates of Valha!¡± Dumbledore showed a more interested expression on his face, looking at these arches carefully, his blue eyes shining brightly, ¡°We have to choose carefully; only one gate leads to our destination.¡±

    ¡°What happens if we enter the wrong gate?¡±

    ¡°The other gates lead to the other side, stor, where we will face death and reach the realm of the dead,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, as if talking about an insignificant matter. ¡°Only one gate will lead to thend of glory, the choice of life or death, the chance is only fifty-fourth.¡±

    ¡°Fifty-fourth?!¡± Harry, Sirius and Moody all looked at Dumbledore in surprise.

    They silently counted and indeed found a total of fifty-four arches.

    ¡°This magic is notplete. The difficulty has been reduced. The real Gates of Valha have five hundred and forty arches,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that he would leave such an interesting magic here. It¡¯s very In line with the ancient traditions of this area, he gave us the opportunity to choose, and now the decision is in our hands!¡±

    ¡°Sounds pretty good,¡± said Moody in a disdainful tone. ¡°Typical of that guy.¡±

    What Dumbledore said matched Evan¡¯s spection. Grindelwald had left this magic in this remote ce. By choosing the right gate, they would reach the building Harry had seen and continue the rescue. However, if they chose incorrectly, they would die instantly, with only a fifty-fourth chance.

    And ording to Dumbledore, this was still a reduced difficulty version, only one-tenth of theplete magic.

    Voldemort could have had victims try one by one until he cracked the magic, but they couldn¡¯t afford that.

    There were not so many victims, and Caresius was seriously injured, leaving no time for them to break the magic.

    Even if a vampire¡¯s life span was far beyond that of ordinary people and it was difficult for them to die, it still depended on who his opponent was.

    Harry made it clear that Voldemort¡¯s new Horcrux, the terrifying evil god in the statue, wanted to actively consume him.

    Could it be that so many flesh and blood sacrifices didn¡¯t suit his taste and he desired to start consuming living beings?!

    ¡°Harry, do you still remember the position of the Viking warship when you saw it?¡± Dumbledore asked softly. ¡°It¡¯s the corresponding position of the warship, the moon, and the golden gate. I think they are in constant correspondence.¡±

    It had been less than ten minutes since Harry woke up from his dream and they arrived here, and the position of the moon had not changed much.

    But there was a premise here, that was, the building had to be present here, or there would be no point of reference.

    Dumbledore obviously thought so. Evan sensed some traces in the magical energy around him.

    In other words, the building Harry saw was superimposed on the space in front of him, and the magic was beyond imagination¡­

    It was like the Undetectable Extension Charm, which was the simplest application of space magic, but it was already a very difficult magic.

    Using the Undetectable Extension Charm, a fixed space could be expanded countless times without any visible changes. Therefore, Evan¡¯s bag could hold so many things, and Mr. Weasley¡¯s modified car could also amodate so many people.

    This was the simplest space magic. Creating a perfectly oveid space in real space was much more challenging than using the Undetectable Extension Charm on a fixed object. It was almost impossible to aplish. Just based on the information presented here, one could deduce how powerful Grindelwald was.

    Dumbledore still didn¡¯t look at Harry, continuing to gaze at the archesposed of light mist in front of him.

    After their brief eye contact earlier, Harry was a bit hesitant to look at him now.

    He was afraid that he might lose control and attack the headmaster, as the hatred within him was too terrifying.

    ¡°It seems to be this position!¡± After much hesitation, Harry looked up at the moon, then at the Viking warship, before uncertainly pointing in a direction corresponding to a particr area. He quickly added, ¡°But I can¡¯t be sure; I only saw the outline of the ship from a distance.

    Although not much time had passed since the end of that terrible nightmare, Harry felt his memory rapidly fading.

    He was not sure at all, and couldn¡¯t make such a hasty decision. This was almost a life-or-death choice.

    Although he felt disgusted, he forced himself to remember hard. But no matter how hard he tried, he could only recall some vague pictures.

    After all, in the dream, he was just a statue, ced in an inconvenient position with limited visibility.

    Not to mention, there was no light at all in that room except for the dim moonlight.

    And it didn¡¯t make much sense. There were just too many arches formed by the blue mist, dazzling him.

    ¡°Too risky, Dumbledore ¡­ too risky, we can¡¯t go in,¡± said Moody immediately. ¡°We can¡¯t determine which gate is the right one. It could be any of them, and if this is a plot by Voldemort, we might all end up buried here without him even lifting a finger.¡±

    Mad-Eye¡¯s worry was indeed very reasonable; it could very well be a trap.

    Voldemort deliberately lured them here using Harry, taking advantage of the magic left by Grindelwald to kill them.

    Dumbledore said nothing. He looked carefully at the area Harry was pointing at, as if discerning the options.

    The full moon in the sky was once again shrouded in dark clouds, the voices gradually subsided, and the fear gradually increased in the silence.

    Evan, Harry, Sirius, and Moody all looked at Dumbledore, waiting for his decision.

    Tension and unease shrouded everyone¡¯s mind. Once they entered the wrong gate, they would die immediately. Everyone was thinking about this.

    No one here was afraid of death, but that didn¡¯t mean they were willing to die in such an unclear and meaningless way.

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 Chapter 1014: Lost Elaine

    Chapter 1014: Lost ine

    This ce was very close to the Arctic Circle. Even though thick clothing separated him from the frigid cold of the wilderness, the bone-chilling cold still prated Evan¡¯s marrow.

    Evan didn¡¯t like this ce. Whether it was the moon in the sky that had been obscured by dark clouds, the light blue cier-like ground, or the life-and-death choice in front of him, it all gave him an unpleasant feeling.

    He didn¡¯t know how the Vikings in the past survived in such an environment, and why Durmstrang chose the school in such a ce. He could feel the evil and violent magic in the darkness. There were forces on thisnd that they didn¡¯t understand, unfriendly forces.

    Even if they choose the right gate, what awaited them might not be easy. One Dark Lord was enough to cause a headache, not to mention the Dark wizard Grindelwald who might be even more powerful than him, the evil god hiding in the darkness and gradually recovering, and the unfamiliar, mysterious, powerful forces buried beneath thisnd.

    It was hard to imagine that a few hours ago; they were discussing matters about a girl in the warm and safe castle.

    Evan silently reviewed the entire situation and began to doubt whether Voldemort would show Harry something so important.

    This matter involved the statue of the evil god, which was now his new Horcrux, Voldemort¡¯s most crucial secret. The attack on Mr. Weasley could not beparable to this.

    ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because he ¡®s just made the Horcrux and his soul is not yet stable, ¡­¡¯ Evan spected, ¡®¡­ allowing Harry to see something he shouldn¡¯t have seen.¡¯

    But it was also possible, as Mad-Eye said, that they had been intentionally lured to this ce to be killed using the magic left by Grindelwald.Dumbledore was still observing every arch in the area Harry had pointed out, hoping to find something unusual among these gates so that he could make the right choice. Evan knew that the key to thisy in the changes in magical energy.

    But he didn¡¯t know what the specific differences were. He moved closer to prepare to learn this technique from Dumbledore.

    Evan didn¡¯t dare to disturb Dumbledore. He walked to the other side and experienced the differences between each gate.

    The blue light mist spread around with the boulders as the main body, and strange magic power emanated from it.

    This was a very powerful magic that involved a considerable degree of space theory.

    Suddenly, Evan heard a rustling sound, and something was hidden in the crevice between two rocks not far away.

    He hurriedly raised his wand, hesitated, and then approached cautiously. The dragon that had flown by left a deep impression on Evan. There were many dangerous creatures nearby, and there might be something dangerous in there.

    The space between the rocks was notrge, so it was unlikely to be anyrge animal.

    If the environment here wasn¡¯t so harsh, there might be a lost kitten inside.

    Evan walked over, and then, under the light of the wand, he saw a pair of eyes peering cautiously from the crevice in the rocks; burgundy eyes, pure, bright, and lively, with an unmistakable hint of panic and unease.

    Their eyes met, and a familiar feeling emerged from the bottom of Evan¡¯s heart. He had only seen one person with such eyes.

    The next second, a red magical light shot out from the crack in the rocks.

    Evan¡¯s wand quickly flicked upward, colliding with the red light. A brilliant spark shed, then immediately returned to calm.

    ¡°ine, is that you?¡± Evan asked hurriedly, both the eyes and the magic were familiar to him.

    This girl really hadn¡¯t made any progress, and she was still using the same tricks she¡¯d used two years ago to deal with him.

    Back then, Evan had been easily subdued by ine, but now this magic was nothing to him.

    ¡°Evan!¡± A weak, slightly hoarse girl¡¯s voice came from within the rocks.

    A few pieces of rubble were pushed aside by her, and Evan saw ine hiding in a small space between the rocks.

    She wore a pink straw hat on her head and her body was shaking slightly.

    Just like that Christmas night two years ago, he saw the girl huddled in the dark doorway, humming a slow-paced, beautiful song in a low voice alone. At this moment, ine was curled up in the crevice between the rocks like a small animal.

    She had grown a bit taller, but she was still slender and thin, giving no impression of malnutrition. With her exquisite doll-like face and burgundy eyes, she looked pleasing and enchanting.

    She was wearing loose ck robes, with the cuffs rolled up severalyers to prevent them from falling off.

    There were still many bloodstains on her chest, all from identally dripping blood. It seemed that she still ate badly.

    She was frozen, and her bloodless face was abnormally pale. She held the wand in both hands and ced it in front of her.

    Seeing Evan who suddenly appeared, tears uncontrobly streamed down her face.

    Indeed, she was like a lost kitten, stranded here, waiting for rescue.

    ¡°Evan, you¡­¡± ine¡¯s voice was very low, and she was interrupted before she finished speaking.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Harry, Sirius, and Moody heard the noise and all rushed over.

    Only Dumbledore remained unmoved, still standing in ce and carefully observing the arches.

    He seemed to have noticed ine¡¯s presence long ago and was not surprised.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this girl?¡± Moody said cautiously, his magical eye rotating rapidly and scanning the rocks. ¡°Why is she here?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my friend, ine Slytherin!¡± Evan exined, ¡°Caresius¡¯s niece.¡±

    He also didn¡¯t know why ine was here and hiding among the rocks.

    Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t she be in the vampire¡¯sir?

    ine pushed aside the rubble in front of her but did not crawl out from the crevice in the rocks. She just looked at Evan, tears uncontrobly streaming down her face.

    Her eyes shone with both unease and joy, twopletely different emotions mixed together.

    ine moved, as if she had no strength to stand up. Soon, Evan knew that she was frozen and unable to move easily.

    He sighed; she really was a person with zero survival skills. Couldn¡¯t she even perform a Warming Charm?!

    He waved his wand to separate the rocks and took ine out.

    Evan had often carried Hermione and gained a considerable amount of experience, bing more skilled. Unlike Harry, who still got nervous when touching a girl.

    Compared with Hermione, ine seemed to have no weight, and there was not even a temperature on her body.

    Hanging on Evan, he felt like she habitually nced at the veins on his neck¡­

    In fact, this girl had always wanted to bite Evan¡¯s neck and suck some of his blood. She had never forgotten about it.

    Of course, in her words, this was the First Embrace, and it was also a good thing for Evan to be a vampire.

    And this was ine¡¯s first time biting someone, and she couldn¡¯t wait to taste Evan¡¯s blood!

    The girl wholeheartedly wanted to give Evan her first time, but this matter left a shadow in Evan¡¯s heart.

    As soon as he saw ine now, he felt like she was going to bite him.

    Of course, ine was very cute and beautiful, and it was her first time, but Evan didn¡¯t want to be bitten and have a blood exchange¡­

    Mainly because he didn¡¯t want to bleed; it was too barbaric. If it were some other form of interaction without bloodshed on his part, he wouldn¡¯t object.

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 Chapter 1015: Elaineâ€™s Information

    Chapter 1015: ine¡¯s Information

    The sudden appearance of ine was an unexpected gain.

    Mad-Eye and Sirius had many things they wanted to ask her, but their looks seemed to frighten her.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, just buried her head in Evan¡¯s chest.

    In the end, only Evan could ask questions because only he could get a response from ine.

    ¡°What were you doing, hiding in the rocks?¡± Evan started looking for clothes for ine; this girl wore too small sizes!

    ¡°I heard a noise and knew someone wasing, so I hurriedly climbed in ¡­ never thought it would be you,¡± said ine aggrievedly, putting down the wand. ¡°Evan, if I knew it was you, I wouldn¡¯t have hidden. You¡¯re here to help me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± at this mindless question, Evan could only nod. ¡°What on earth is going on?¡±

    Harry, Sirius, and Mad-Eye Moody also looked at her, waiting for her exnation and more information.

    Everything tonight happened too suddenly, and things were confusing. Besides the dream Harry saw, they knew nothing else.ine¡¯s appearance might help them answer relevant questions.

    ¡°I sneaked out and followed my uncle here. He¡¯s been acting really strangelytely, which made me feel uneasy. Tonight, he unexpectedly gave me the wand left by our ancestor Szar Slytherin. He said it would protect me from being affected by that thing. He asked me to leave with everyone and nevere back again ¡­ either to the United States or to Ennd to find you. He asked me to choose,¡± said ine, her face revealing weakness, sadness, and exhaustion that were hard to conceal. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but I could feel it. The entire family has gone mad, or is falling into madness. Panic and unease have spread within the family these days, affecting them, making them gradually abnormal. Many people have also disappeared, never to return. My uncle says it¡¯s their fate.¡±

    ¡°That thing?¡± Evan looked at her hesitantly. ine¡¯s words revealed a lot of information.

    It seemed that, for some reason, the vampire society had begun to copse internally. Many people disappeared, and here, ¡°disappeared¡± was not simply leaving or escaping. Since Caresius mentioned fate, it was almost certain that they had already died. But why?!

    And he gave ine the wand left by Slytherin and said it would protect her.

    Evan saw ine take out a white wand from her arm, about ten inches long, with many subtle red lines on it. The end was engraved with the Slytherin family emblem, a capital S letter like a snake. It was the wand of Szar himself.

    As soon as he got the wand, Evan felt his magic power be active.

    There was no doubt that this wand possessed great power and could release powerful magic just like the Elder Wand. Evan had no doubt about this, but Caresius said it could protect ine from being affected by that thing ¡­ this sentence was very strange.

    ¡°ine, what is that thing that you said will affect you all?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. No one told me. No matter how I asked, they wouldn¡¯t say. Because of my uncle¡¯s protection, I haven¡¯t felt it, but others heard a voice talking to them. The n never dared to discuss that thing. They said it could hear them. If they had to mention it, they only used ¡®it¡¯ instead.¡±

    ¡°All right ¡­ this thing, is it the trouble, as you told me before, your family is facing?¡± Evan asked in a different direction.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s it,¡± ine nodded vigorously and added, ¡°everyone in the family knows about its existence, knows that it was left by our ancestor Szar Slytherin, and knows that it has strong power. But no one knows what it is, only my uncle and a few elders know, and only they have seen that thing¡­¡±

    They all looked at each other; things seemed to be getting weirder.

    A trouble left by Szar Slytherin, but most vampires didn¡¯t know what this trouble was. They didn¡¯t even dare to mention it. That thing seemed to be alive and very powerful, could affect vampires and speak to them. What on earth was that thing?

    No matter how it sounded, it was scary. Could it be a part of the body of the evil god that Szar had taken away back then?!

    ¡°We¡¯ve noticed the vampire¡¯s abnormal behavior, what are you going to do?¡± Moody suddenly asked. It¡¯s been a long time since he reported it to Dumbledore.

    Sirius also said that most of the members of the Order of the Phoenix were now guarding there because they were worried about what Voldemort and the vampires were up to.

    ine didn¡¯t answer immediately. She looked at Mad-Eye in fear and shrank back into Evan¡¯s arms. Whether it was the scarred face, the broken nose, or the constantly rotating magical eye, they all made her feel scared. She raised her head and looked at Evan, and only told what she knew after he motioned her to speak out.

    ¡°Uncle told them to escape to the United States because our efforts to seal it failed. There was no point in staying here! There is ancient magic in the United States that may protect them from harm. People in the n are saying this is thest chance. If they stay here, once that thinges, they won¡¯t be able to escape!¡±

    ¡°Escape?!¡± Evan was stunned for a moment. ¡°A few months ago, you decided to seek Voldemort¡¯s help to solve it. I also told your uncle that if you need my help, just let me know. Why has it turned into this situation now and you have to run away? You can seal it¡­¡±

    ¡°It failed. They didn¡¯t tell me what happened; they kept it from me. I deduced it myself, but it¡¯s almost certain.¡± When this topic came up, ine¡¯s tears flowed uncontrobly again. ¡°Voldemort didn¡¯t help us. The efforts to seal it again failed. I told my uncle we shoulde to you, but he didn¡¯t agree. He said the power of that thing is increasing, and the strongest seal left by Szar himself is about to break. No matter whoes, there¡¯s nothing he can do¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore, I¡¯m here for everything!¡± Evan wiped away her tears. ¡°Tell me everything you know.¡±

    ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ine nodded, using Evan¡¯s clothes to wipe away her tears as well. ¡°Uncle said that for a thousand years, our n has been guarding here, fulfilling the will of our ancestors and protecting ourselves. Because once it breaks free from the seal and is unrestricted by blood ties, everyone in our n will die. Starting from a few years ago, the sealing power left by Szar has been weakening, and the n has been trying to strengthen the seal again, but without sess. Many people say that only the person mentioned in the prophecy can help us, but we chose the wrong person. Voldemort is not that person, and everything went to waste.¡±

    Evan already knew about that prophecy; it seemed that the vampires ultimately chose Voldemort, and it had ended in failure.

    Besides the trouble of that impending breakthrough from the seal, what happened in the ruins during this process was the most crucial.

    Voldemort seemed to have gained a lot. He even dared to make the statue of the evil god into his own Horcrux, and reached an agreement with the evil god.

    If he didn¡¯t know anything, Evan wouldn¡¯t believe Voldemort would dare to do this.

    However, what ine knew was limited, and more information had to be obtained from Caresius.

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 Chapter 1016: A Shocking Ending

    Chapter 1016: A Shocking Ending

    ine unraveled some mysteries but brought forth even more questions, and all of them were crucial.

    ¡°Uncle said that there¡¯s something that must be done before leaving. Because of his mistake, Voldemort knew some secrets he should not know. He must solve this trouble; otherwise things will get even more chaotic,¡± ine continued. ¡°I have a bad feeling because he gave me Szar¡¯s wand, which has been kept by the patriarch. So I sneaked out tonight and followed my uncle here. But I couldn¡¯t break the magic here. He¡¯s been inside for more than ten minutes!¡±

    ¡°I know a little bit about this matter, and that¡¯s why we¡¯re here tonight,¡± said Evan.

    Under the circumstances, it was really hard to exin to ine about her uncle¡¯s situation. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid it; the concealment wouldn¡¯tst long. So he told her about Harry¡¯s vision.

    Regarding the injury of Caresius, Evan tried to be as vague as possible, just saying that he was injured, and did not tell ine that he was actually badly hurt.

    ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying a prophecy?¡± ine asked.

    ¡°Not a prophecy, but a connection between Harry and Voldemort, but it¡¯s definitely urate,¡± said Evan simply.

    ine looked up at Harry, whose expression seemed somewhat unnatural. He avoided ine¡¯s gaze, turned his head to look at Dumbledore, pretending not to have heard their conversation.

    ¡°Your uncle is not seriously injured. Trust me, we¡¯ll rescue him and everything will be fine!¡±¡°I believe you!¡± ine nodded puzzled, trying to dry the tears on her face. From Caresius¡¯s attitude tonight, the surrounding atmosphere and Evan¡¯s expression, she seemed to have noticed something, but in the end she didn¡¯t say anything, but chose to believe Evan.

    Perhaps, she feared speaking out the oue, afraid that her worries would be reality.

    Considering that even Szar¡¯s wand had been entrusted to ine, allowing her to choose to go to the United States with everyone or seek refuge in Britain with Evan and nevere back, it seemed like exining the funeral arrangements. Maybe because she was mentally prepared, or because Evan was here, ine didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Fortunately, Evan was here. If she were alone, she would probably copse when she finally knew the bad news.

    ine just asked to go in with Evan and the others, no matter how dangerous it was, she didn¡¯t care. Not to mention the fifty-fourth choice, even one in five hundred and forty, she would go in.

    Aside from Moody¡¯s lingering suspicions, this wasn¡¯t much of a problem. Evan wouldn¡¯t leave her behind, and there was no apparent reason to prevent her from going to find Caresius. The sole current issue was that they didn¡¯t know how to enter the building where Voldemort and Caresius were.

    Things were back to square one, with a difficult choice to be made in front of the fifty-four arches.

    Time gradually passed, and five minutes had passed since Evan discovered ine. Dumbledore stood still, and Evan carefully observed each archway. Harry and ine also followed, although they couldn¡¯t discern any differences between these gates, while Sirius and Moody were talking in hushed tones.

    They discussed the information ine had just mentioned,bined with the situation they had learned so far.

    From any perspective, the situation was extremely dire, and perhaps only by rescuing Caresius could they make up for it.

    ¡°Worth a try,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°It should be confirmed now. Just to be safe, not all of us should go in. I will go alone.¡±

    ¡°Albus, you are the most important,¡± affirmed Mad Eye Without hesitation. ¡°Since you¡¯ve decided, let me do it.¡±

    ¡°Let me do it!¡± Sirius also spoke urgently, volunteering to go in instead of Dumbledore.

    What was the use of them arguing like this, as if they could solve Voldemort and the evil statue by going there?

    From the perspective of kinship, the one who should be admitted here was ine.

    Voldemort was inside, and only Dumbledore could deal with him.

    As for the evil god, Evan felt he should be allowed to go. After all, he had the trump card: <i>The Book of Abraham</i>. Since he had once sealed that entity in an illusion, he could do it again. Evan was prepared;pared to the Albanian forest incident, his strength had greatly increased.

    He was confident he would defeat the evil god in one fell swoop, and this was also a good opportunity to unlock the second secret of <i>The Book of Abraham</i>.

    ¡°Professor, we all believe in you. Since you¡¯ve made your choice, we¡¯ll all follow you in,¡± said Harry.

    ¡°If you want to destroy the statue of the evil god, I think I can be of some help,¡± said Evan.

    ine remained silent, gazing at Dumbledore, and followed Evan silently.

    Everyone believed in Dumbledore. Since he said it was certain, it should not be wrong, even if it meant facing death.

    Everyone present had a reason to follow suit. No one wanted to be left behind in this kind of adventure.

    Of course, if Dumbledore made the wrong choice, then the six of them could say goodbye to this world directly!

    As the main leaders in the fight against the evil god and Voldemort, if Evan and Dumbledore died at this time, the world would probably bepletely enveloped in darkness.

    This might also be considered a shocking and memorable ending, right?

    Anyway, it was a resolution, not an abrupt ending without reason!

    Dumbledore turned to look at Evan; his blue eyes seemed to be able to see through his soul.

    ¡°All right, you cane in with me,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°Growth onlyes through trials, but I hope you won¡¯t act impulsively. If I engage in a battle with him, don¡¯t get involved easily. stor ¡­ Sirius, you¡¯re responsible for taking care of these three.¡±

    He shook his wand vigorously, and a Viking warship made entirely of light mist appeared before them.

    Dumbledore stepped up, and the same light mist appeared on his body, as if he were about to transform, gradually fading.

    He raised his wand and pointed it at Harry, ine, Sirius and Moody in turn, and their bodies also changed ordingly.

    Evan was thest one. Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, thought about it, and did not cast a spell on him directly.

    ¡°Evan, you can try this technique,¡± he said. ¡°I think you should be able to do it, just do as I say, concentrate ¡­ control your magic, and let them slowly flow out of your body. Rx a little, um ¡­ that¡¯s right, rx a little more, let these magic powers cover your whole body, and then recite this spell¡­¡±

    Following Dumbledore¡¯s guidance, Evan¡¯s body, like his, gradually faded away and left this world.

    Although it was his first time to use this magic, he seeded on the first try! Because this feeling was familiar to Evan; it was the same sensation he experienced when he used the pendant to turn into a disembodied owl.

    He disembodied and turned into light and shadow. Following Dumbledore¡¯s lead, Evan boarded the Viking warship entirelyposed of magic.

    It felt just like a real ship, only with a slightly less tangible sensation. This was really a wonderful feeling, like entering another world.

    Dumbledore waved his wand downwards, and the warship turned in a direction and moved forward slowly, getting faster and faster.

    Evan nervously gazed ahead, with ine and Harry beside him, equally tense.

    Sirius and Moody were as nervous as they were. After all, this was a one in fifty-four choice, and their chances of sess were very low.

    As if sailing on the sea, the warship aimed at the gate Harry had indicated and went through with a whoosh.

    With a bright sh of light, the six of them disappeared from the real world.

    At the same time, Evan felt a sudden darkness before him, as if he had made the wrong choice!

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 Chapter 1017: Hall of Valor

    Chapter 1017: Hall of Valor

    But the darkness onlysted for a moment. In the blink of an eye, the light in front of Evan returned to normal.

    They had chosen the right archway, and behind the door was not the afterlife, but a huge, imposing building.

    The Viking warship carried the six of them, gliding slowly out from a magnificent golden gate, with the moon right beside them.

    It was hard to believe, with odds of one in fifty-four, Dumbledore had actually chosen correctly¡ªit was almost like a miracle.

    Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and they didn¡¯t even have time to react. Even their heartbeats didn¡¯t change.

    ¡°This is it. This is the building I saw at that time,¡± Evan heard Harry shout. ¡°Professor, how did you do it?¡±

    His voice sounded strange, as if it wasn¡¯t resonating in reality. After all, they were not physical entities now but rather a y of light and shadow on the warship.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually not that difficult. There is a special magical mark on that gate,¡± said Dumbledore, his voice sounding equally weird.

    ¡°How can you be sure that the mark was left to guide us and not a trap?¡±¡°Oh, that involves a little tacit understanding,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°As I mentioned earlier, it¡¯s a habit of my old friend when setting up such magic. Unlike Voldemort, he values power rather than death.¡±

    ¡°Power?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Dumbledore nodded. ¡°Therefore, Voldemort¡¯s Magic always finds ways to kill people, just like what we saw before in the cave where he kept his Horcrux, consuming the intruder¡¯s blood and life force, theke full of Inferi, and the poison that had to be drunk. There may be other traps on the things he needs to protect, but Gellert is not like that. Although he was once called the Dark Lord, what he values more is power. If the visitor has enough skills to gain his recognition, he always gives them a chance. That guy likes to make friends with powerful people. This has never changed from beginning to end. He is always so aloof and paranoid, but he is not willing to put people to death.¡±

    Evan heard Moody snort heavily, obviously disdainful of Dumbledore¡¯s evaluation.

    It was well known that Grindelwald had been defeated by Dumbledore, but few people knew that their rtionship was not as simple as a mere confrontation. Love, hatred, andplicated emotions were intertwined. In any case, it wasplex. Listening to Dumbledore¡¯s unreserved praise and recognition in his words, it didn¡¯t sound like an assessment of an enemy at all.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s view, Voldemort was a murderous madman, but Grindelwald was not.

    In fact, for most wizards, both were pretty much the same.

    Because they definitely did not have the strength recognized by Grindelwald, the result when they faced him was the same as when they faced Voldemort: death.

    Considering theplex rtionship between the Headmaster and Grindelwald, Evan felt it was best not toment.

    Since being defeated by Dumbledore, Grindelwald had been imprisoned in the highest tower of Nurmengard.

    In theory, only Dumbledore could enter that tower, and no one knew where the Headmaster spent his summer vacations.

    Imprisoned in the high tower, drinking together to reminisce about the past, ying binding games, and so on¡ªanything was possible during such a long time¡­

    The Viking warship slowly moved forward, and in front of them, close to the wall, there was a protruding tform fixed at the highest point of the building.

    That was their destination, where the ship would eventually dock.

    ine gripped Evan¡¯s sleeve tightly, seemingly startled by the scene before her.

    It was a huge building. The color of the bricks was mainly dark gold and covered with dust. The most eye-catching thing was that the middle part seemed to have been damaged by something cylindrical from top to bottom. The dome was broken, revealing the moon outside.

    The central area was open, and everything inside the building was destroyed.

    Judging from the surrounding ruins, the interior decorations seemed to have been exquisite and multyered, but everything had been destroyed by a powerful force.

    It felt as if a stick from the mountain had pierced through, destroying everything in its path.

    Of course, looking at the traces of destruction around, the stick that caused all this seemed infinitely thick, infinitelyrge, and infinitely long¡ªbeyond imagination.

    Evan was more inclined to think that it had been destroyed by a powerful energy rather than a physical object.

    In short, there was nothing under the gap in the dome, but a bottomless abyss.

    As far as the eye could see, there was no end in sight.

    The Viking warship sailed quietly over the abyss, and beneath their feet, a sound resembling waves came from the huge pit.

    This was the sound that Harry heard, not the waves, but the howling of the wind blowing across the rocks, where they met to form a huge vortex of air that would suck everyone into it, sucking them into the deepest depths of hell. These sounds were the weing voices from the underworld.

    Not to mention going down into this terrifying abyss, just standing here made Evan feel intense dizziness.

    The position they were in now was very dangerous. In the darkness, abyss, ruins, and full moon, the human figures seemed so small and insignificant, not to mention the tall and realistic reliefs on the undamaged surrounding walls.

    They were all statues of ancient Viking warriors with ferocious faces, holding weapons in their hands.

    Statue after statue, from top to bottom, densely covered the entire wall.

    Evan couldn¡¯t exin why, but he had a feeling that these statues seemed to be alive¡­

    Besides, he still had strong questions in his mind. What exactly was this huge building? And how had it been damaged? Looking at the extent of the destruction around, how much power did it take to do this?!

    ¡°Professor, did Grindelwald create this space?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He should have discovered this ce and rearranged some magic. This building should have been built by ancient spellcasters. This Viking warship beneath our feet, the five hundred and forty gates of Valha and the surrounding statues¡­¡± A white haze of light emitted from the tip of Dumbledore¡¯s wand blocked the cold wind blowing from below. He looked at the Viking warrior statues on the surrounding walls and fell into deep thought. ¡°This reminds me of an interesting ce.¡±

    ¡°What ce?¡± Sirius asked.

    ¡°The Hall of Valor,¡± said Dumbledore gently. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you have heard of it.¡±

    ¡°Hall of Valor?!¡± After hearing Dumbledore¡¯s hint, Evan also remembered it.

    No wonder he had a familiar feeling just now. The warship, the five hundred and forty doors, the enormous dark golden building, and the Viking warriors in front of them¡ªall these pieces of information from Norse mythologybined to lead to one conclusion.

    This was the legendary Hall of Valor. They had truly arrived at an extraordinary ce.

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 Chapter 1018: Voldemort and Valkyrie

    Chapter 1018: Voldemort and Valkyrie

    The Hall of Valor was the pce in Norse mythology where the main god Odin received the souls of the dead.

    In the legends, all the warriors who died in battle, under the guidance of Valkyries ¨C the ¡°choosers of the in ¡± ¨C came from the mortal world to this magnificent building and became the army of the Lord God Odin, fighting side by side with God in the twilight of the gods against the evil of the world.

    They fought endlessly here during the day, honing their skills until they died in battle, and were resurrected by Valkyries after sunset.

    Of course, these were all stories in myths and legends, and Evan had not actually seen a Valkyrie.

    But he soon saw, as the Viking warship moved forward, in the center of the abyss, a particrly huge statue standing at the center of the building.

    It was a beautiful female figure, akin to an angel, with huge wings, wearing armor. The statue had a solemn expression, with hands sped around the chest, cradling an unknown spherical object emitting magical energy¡ªmagic unfamiliar to Evan.

    Like the surrounding walls, the statue was entirely dark golden, seemingly crafted from gold.

    There were also many colorful murals carved on the statue, all depicting angelic women riding horses and patrolling with ghosts, or turning into swans and flying to the battlefield, resurrecting warriors and leading their souls into the exquisite building. These were the images of Valkyries in mythology.

    ¡°Valkyrie, search for the heroes in Valha!¡± said Dumbledore softly.If there were any doubts moments ago, the painted murals on the statue were enough to rify many issues.

    This was probably not a coincidence. This building might indeed be the legendary Hall of Valor, or at least rted to it.

    It was really interesting. They were supposed to rescue Caresius, but they ended up in such a legendary ce.

    The warship continued to move forward, and the statue was hidden in the darkness again. Evan¡¯s mind quickly recalled the information rted to the Hall of Valor and the Valkyries.

    He didn¡¯t know much about the Norse mythology system, but what he knew so far was shocking enough.

    It was said that Valkyries could bring the dead back to the mortal realm, in other words, resurrect them.

    Since ancient times, spellcasters and wizards had been relentlessly pursuing immortality and using all means to conquer death.

    Resurrection after death was apletely different concept but equally attractive¡ªa way to defeat the Grim Reaper.

    Although the nature of the creatures resurrected by the Valkyries using magical power was questionable, it was possible that they were simply the living dead, the undead.

    But it was still enticing, wasn¡¯t it?!

    Besides having no heartbeat, what was the difference between a resurrected being with intelligence, emotions, a body, and senses and a living person?!

    This was especially true for certain people, such as Dumbledore. He definitely wanted to resurrect his sister, which was the pain and regret of his life.

    If such an opportunity were presented to him, would he give up? Or would he continue exploring the secrets of this building for the sake of his sister, seeking the power that could bring her back to life?

    But looking at the state of this building, something tragic must have happened in its history.

    Considering that both Grindelwald and Voldemort had explored this ce, Evan doubted that there would be anything left.

    But since Grindelwald had been here, he might have discovered something, or maybe he¡¯de here to help Dumbledore resurrect his sister.

    Everything was possible because the building¡¯s implications, involving eternal life and resurrection, were too sensitive.

    ¡°Voldemort and the statue are right there¡­¡± Harry pointed to a spot at the center of the abyss, ¡°and Caresius¡­¡±

    Everyone looked there, and ine became anxious, yet they could see nothing but darkness.

    ¡°Yes, indeed, the pleasant visiting time is over!¡± Dumbledore said suddenly, seemingly having discovered something. He raised his wand high, ¡°stor, Sirius, take care of the three of them. And remember; don¡¯t get close to those statues on the walls!¡±

    Suddenly, a green light came from the darkness, very fast, like a sharp arrow.

    But Dumbledore was already prepared. He waved the wand in his hand lightly, and the light surrounding them suddenly intensified. A silvery shield appeared out of thin air, blocking the spell. The spell hit the shield, producing a deep gong-like oddly chilling sound.

    ¡°Still no progress, Tom,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, as ifmenting on a student¡¯s performance. His voice echoed throughout the hall, stronger than the sound of the wind like waves. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s quite disappointing. You seem to have be even more sinister than before!¡±

    ¡°I have conquered death, Dumbledore!¡± Voldemort¡¯s voice also sounded, cold, heartless, and without warmth.

    In the dark abyss, Evan seemed to see a tall, thin man wearing a ck mask, pale and haggard, with a terrifying snake-like face, and dark scarlet eyes with cat-like slits for pupils staring at them.

    Beside him, Harry, ine, Sirius, and Moody were all leaning over the ship¡¯s edge, peering into the abyss below.

    Voldemort was down there and he had spotted them.

    ¡°Yes, I have no doubt about it!¡± Dumbledore still said calmly. ¡°But you have also lost a lot. For something unimportant, you have sacrificed everything. I can sense the change in your aura. I can¡¯t even be sure if you¡¯re still human. It¡¯s truly a shame!¡±

    He took a step forward, left the Viking warship gliding forward, and his body fell rapidly from the air.

    As soon as he left the Viking ship, his body resumed its entity and became real.

    The silvery shield kept spinning rapidly around the warship, protecting them from harm.

    ¡°There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!¡± snarled Voldemort in a cold voice. ¡°Conquer death and you gain everything!¡±

    One after another, curses shot up from below, and the entire dark abyss shimmered with green light.

    But it was futile; Dumbledore¡¯s body twisted again and disappeared from the air.

    Immediately afterwards, Evan heard a loud explosion. Dumbledore and Voldemort had engaged in a fight!

    It was too far to see clearly what was going on below, and Evan was considering whether he should Apparate down.

    At this moment, Harry screamed, and Evan turned around and saw ine, who had been tugging on his sleeve, jumping down too.

    This girl was really crazy. Didn¡¯t she see Dumbledore and Voldemort fighting below?!

    The reason she didn¡¯t act earlier was probably that she wasn¡¯t sure how to unlock the magic on her body. Dumbledore¡¯s actions gave her inspiration, and she didn¡¯t hesitate.

    Evan reached out to grab her, but failed to catch her. He only saw ine¡¯s body falling rapidly, getting further and further away from him.

    He knew that she was worried about Caresius in her heart, but if she continued like this, she was simply seeking death.

    Without further thought, Evan also jumped from the Viking warship, and his body recovered from the light and shadow.

    A red magic rune appeared at the tip of his wand, greatly increasing his descent speed, and he caught ine.

    ¡°Fool!¡± said Evan, seeing ine in his arms looking at him in surprise.

    The next second, he Disapparated with her and disappeared from the air¡­

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 Chapter 1019: Dumbledore VS Voldemort

    Chapter 1019: Dumbledore VS Voldemort

    Evan and ine appeared at the bottom of the abyss, but they did not see Caresius and the statue of the Evil God.

    Because this ce was filled with flesh and blood corpses that had been tortured to death, it was like hell, a true abyssal hell.

    On the ground and on the statues that adorned the surrounding walls, everything within sight was covered in blood.

    The blood had not dried up; it flowed gushingly from the wounds, eyes, nose, mouth, and other openings of the corpses.

    These corpses, whether they were human or not, had twisted and painful expressions on their faces; unrelieved in death.

    ine hugged Evan tightly, not daring to look. The scene in front of her was too shocking, far beyond her imagination.

    In order to further split the few remaining souls, Voldemort used cruel methods to kill many lives.

    At the bottom of the abyss, he was having a fierce battle with Dumbledore.

    ¡°Dumbledore, you are as hypocritical and foolish as ever!¡± Voldemort screamed, ¡°You think you can kill me like this. Do you think your magic can work on me? Ridiculous! The moment I perish is the moment you are doomed as well!¡±He had just split his soul, but he was not as weak as Harry said and seemed not to be affected.

    He swung his wand widely, casting the Killing Curse at Dumbledore.

    Dumbledore moved very quickly, and the spell missed, hitting the unupied ground and igniting a ball of fire.

    By the light of the rising mes, Evan finally saw the statue of the evil god in the corner and Caresius lying on the ground uncertain about his life or death.

    ine also saw him, and she wanted to go over, but Voldemort¡¯s magic stopped the two of them.

    He was controlling the mes, using Fiendfyre, much more powerful than the one Evan had used. The golden mes that could burn everything were raging in the space.

    They obeyed Voldemort¡¯smand, whirled and rolled in the sky, and surrounded Dumbledore tightly.

    ¡°Die, Dumbledore!¡± Voldemort shouted in a cold voice. ¡°And you, Evan Mason, ine Slytherin and Harry Potter, you fools have no idea what¡¯s here. You don¡¯t know my power at all, and you dare toe here. You will all die and be sacrifices for me to achieve immortality.¡±

    Along with the scorching mes, a powerful oppressive force approached, and Evan shielded ine behind him.

    He waved his wand, and an orange-red magic barrier appeared in front of them, blocking the iing mes.

    ¡°No one will die, Tom, except you!¡± Dumbledore said calmly.

    In the blink of an eye, all the Fiendfyre around him dissipated. Blue mes flickered in his eyes, a spell formed at the tip of his wand. The entire space trembled; the power of the spell Dumbledore was conjuring made Evan feel suffocated, even the roots of his hair stood on end.

    Voldemort halted; he was preparing his own protective magic. A shield appeared from the thin air, just like Dumbledore¡¯s.

    But he would not seed. Evan¡¯s wand moved forward quickly, casting three consecutive spells. The space around Voldemort changed rapidly. His magic was interrupted by Evan, and he could not Apparate. Stones and mud flew around as if they hade to life, dancing in the air.

    Under Evan¡¯s control, they quickly transformed into chains, tightly binding Voldemort.

    The next second, Dumbledore¡¯s magic hit him, making a terrifying collision sound, and he flew backwards.

    It was over, Voldemort did consume his power when splitting his soul, and he couldn¡¯t face both Dumbledore and Evan at the same time.

    It would be great if Voldemort and the Evil God statue could be dealt with here.

    Because of the Horcrux, Voldemort would definitely not die, but as long as he was left here¡­

    Evan watched Voldemort closely on the ground to prevent him from escaping, but there was something wrong with the magic in the air.

    ¡°Be careful, Evan!¡± Dumbledore said. ¡°Maintain your protective magic; don¡¯t let your guard down!¡±

    He appeared in front of Evan and ine, and the white barrier appeared again.

    On the opposite side, Voldemort¡¯s body gradually disappeared, turning ck, blending with everything around.

    At the bottom of the abyss, the darkness became even deeper. The endless darkness pressed toward the three people like a mist, and the mist contained terrifying power.

    ¡°That magic has no effect on him!¡± said Dumbledore, somewhat surprised. ¡°We need to try a different approach!¡±

    <i>Crack, crack</i>!

    Suddenly, the Viking warrior statues on the surrounding walls moved. They jumped down from the walls.

    One ¡­ two ¡­ three, the number of statues increased, gaining life whenever touched by Voldemort.

    These ancient Viking warriors had ferocious and terrifying faces and wore thick armors. The shortest ones were as tall as five or six Evans.

    They held sharp weapons made of rock, such as axes, spears, giant swords, and more.

    The statues moved stiffly, but their speed increased, wielding weapons and rushing towards them.

    Evan had no doubt that if he were hit; he would be seriously injured if not killed.

    ¡°You can¡¯t kill me, Dumbledore!¡± Voldemort shouted, his figure re-condensed in the air, bing translucent, the snake¡¯s face became even paler, and the scarlet eyes were narrowed tightly. ¡°Is there anything worse than this?¡±

    ¡°We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom,¡± Dumbledore said calmly. ¡°Though I know you¡¯ve undergone transformations, I never thought you would end up like this. You can¡¯t truly be called human now. Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit¡­¡±

    He waved his wand, and a lightning bolt shot out from the tip of his wand.

    With a deafening roar, the huge destructive force shattered all the nearly a hundred Viking warrior statues that rushed towards them.

    Evan also attacked. Although these statues of ancient Viking warriors looked scary, they were very weak.

    However, for some reason, Evan always felt something was not right. There were strange magic fluctuations on these statues.

    That was not Voldemort¡¯s magic, and Evan couldn¡¯t even tell what they were used for.

    Soon, the ground was covered with broken pieces of the statues, everywhere.

    ¡°Hypocrisy!¡± Voldemort roared, and his body gradually recovered. ¡°I will kill you!¡±

    ¡°This is your tragic w, Tom,¡± Dumbledore was speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks. He left Evan and ine and walked towards Voldemort undefended. ¡°Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness¡­¡±

    Voldemort didn¡¯t reply. He backed away, seeming afraid of Dumbledore, afraid of him getting closer.

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 Chapter 1020: Evan VS the Evil God

    Chapter 1020: Evan VS the Evil God

    Voldemort narrowed his eyes, while retreating, and another jet of green light flew towards Dumbledore.

    Dumbledore¡¯s wand swept upward from the lower right, and arge piece of broken Viking warrior statue was brought up, took the st and shattered into pieces.

    Before the fragments had even hit the floor, Dumbledore had drawn back his wand and waved it as though brandishing a whip.

    A long thin me flew from the tip of the wand and wrapped itself around Voldemort.

    These mes were stronger than Evan¡¯s previous chains. For a moment, Evan thought Dumbledore had controlled Voldemort, but the fiery rope became a serpent, which relinquished its hold upon Voldemort at once and turned, hissing furiously, to face Dumbledore.

    Voldemort vanished. The snake reared from the floor, ready to strike¡­

    There was a burst of me in midair above Dumbledore just as Voldemort reappeared, with a ferocious smile on his face, his wand emitted a green light toward Dumbledore, and the snake on the ground also seized the opportunity to strike.

    With a bang, the snake was knocked away, and Evan controlled a stone giant to join the fight.

    Ignoring everything, the giant stood in front of Dumbledore, heading straight for the snake.The snake¡¯s fangs bit into the stone giant, sending rocks flying, but it had no effect. Evan controlled the stone giant to smash and trample on it.

    Finally, he brandished his wand, and the snake flew high into the air and vanished in a wisp of dark smoke.

    Meanwhile, Dumbledore continued to advance against Voldemort¡¯s attacks.

    Just as the green light was about to reach him, the phoenix Fawkes swooped down in front of Dumbledore, opened his beak wide, and swallowed the jet of green light whole. He burst into me and fell to the floor, small, wrinkled, and flightless.

    At the same time, Dumbledore waved his wand vigorously.

    Countless mes flew, starting from Dumbledore¡¯s wand, and entwining Voldemortyer byyer, wrapping him tightly.

    Having dealt with the snake, Evan quickly waved his wand and cast several spells around Voldemort.

    This time, Voldemort was controlled, unable to escape and unable to fight back. His figure shimmered, struggling against Dumbledore¡¯s mes.

    But of no use, the power of the mes was getting stronger and stronger, graduallypressing towards the middle.

    ¡°Ridiculous fighting, this is the strength of you humans, bing weaker and feebler as time goes on, like pitiful ants,¡± a cold voice suddenly echoed in the depths of their minds. ¡°In the face of the strange and long time, only fear is eternal. Tremble, fear, and wail, ignorant humans, in the presence of the great existence. Create the fear within your heart, and I will be delighted to devour you!¡±

    It was the evil god!!!

    Evan hurriedly turned his head and saw the statue of the evil god in the corner beginning to glow red.

    As if this was a signal, the entire space of the building trembled.

    A sudden change urred; Voldemort seemed to have gained power from the statue, breaking free from Dumbledore¡¯s restraints.

    Despite the disarray, his scarlet eyes became more and more vicious, ring at Evan and Dumbledore.

    He waved his wand fiercely, and a golden magic rune appeared at his feet.

    In the center, the huge Valkyrie began to emit golden light, and the ancient magic was activated. Like an electric current, one after another dark golden shes traversed the walls and floor of the building, and finally converged on the orb in the hand of the statue.

    Evan heard the sound of music, echoing throughout the building, with horns ring and war drums beating. This was an ancient Viking war song.

    Along with the war song, strange creatures appeared out of nowhere one after another.

    They were all crystal-clear young women, shimmering like ghosts, with angelic wings on their backs, dressed in armor¡ªValkyries.

    They flew through the sky andnded in front of the shattered statues of Viking warriors.

    A soft light shed, and the fragmented statues quickly restored, swiftly piecing together and standing up again.

    Answering the Valkyries¡¯ call, these ancient warriors were ready for battle.

    They seemed to be stronger and more fearless, taking up weapons and approaching Evan and Dumbledore again.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gellert¡¯s magic. Stay here and don¡¯t move, Evan!¡± said Dumbledore, his face suddenly changed, ¡°Not good!¡±

    He vanished, and Voldemort disappeared as well!

    Without Voldemort¡¯s control, the newly awakened Viking warriors all stood there and turned into statues again.

    The ghostly Valkyries were flying in the air, but Voldemort did not seem to think that relying on them alone could defeat Dumbledore.

    He had other ns, and the abyss below returned to calmness, with only the tiny baby Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor.

    On the top tform of the building, a new battle started again.

    Harry could only see shes of light below, feeling anxious to go down and see what was happening.

    But Sirius and Mad-Eye Moody refused to let him go down. At this moment, without any warning, Harry¡¯s scar suddenly burst open.

    He saw Sirius and Moody falling back, as if struck back by some force, and shouting.

    He couldn¡¯t hear them; all he knew was that he was about to die. It was pain beyond imagination, pain past endurance.

    Voldemort disappeared from the depths of the abyss, vanished from Evan and Dumbledore¡¯s front. It wasn¡¯t Apparition, but a strange magic on the soul. Harry was firmly locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know where his body ended and the creature¡¯s began. They were fused together, bound by pain, and there was no escape.

    And when the creature spoke, it used Harry¡¯s mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move.

    ¡°Kill me now, Dumbledore¡­ ¡°

    Harry was blinded and dying, every part of him screaming for release.

    ¡°Show me, Dumbledore. If death is nothing, kill this boy¡­¡±

    Let the pain stop, thought Harry. Let him kill us¡­ End it, Dumbledore¡­.

    He felt his feet leave the tform, and his body began to fall rapidly¡­

    At the bottom of the abyss, Evan did not follow. He knew Voldemort was starting to use Harry again, but Dumbledore would handle it.

    He had bigger trouble here; ine had pounced on Caresius.

    Evan could feel the connection between Caresius and the statue of the evil god.

    This vampire had very little vitality left, and with every loss, the power on the evil god¡¯s statue became stronger.

    Although the statue hadn¡¯t changed since the voice earlier, and it seemed to have exhausted all its umted power, Evan knew it was still there, waiting for an opportunity. If he didn¡¯t cut off the connection between it and Caresius soon, Caresius was undoubtedly doomed.

    In that case, the next step was his battleground for the fight!

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 Chapter 1021: The Real and Unknown World

    Chapter 1021: The Real and Unknown World

    ¡°Evan, what should we do?¡± ine asked in panic. ¡°My uncle¡­¡±

    She also noticed Caresius¡¯s abnormality and felt that he was being controlled by a strange and powerful force emanating from the nearby statue of the evil god. It emitted an eerie red glow, bing increasingly menacing and selective in its targets.

    ine didn¡¯t know what to do; this was not a type of power she understood.

    ¡°Leave it to me!¡± said Evan, raising his wand. The statue of the evil god showed no response, but he did not approach rashly.

    He could feel that the terrible evil god was deliberately trying to lure him closer; it was part of his n.

    The little strength the evil god had just regained was not enough to attack Evan directly. He could only expect Evan to attack him first, just like Caresius had done before.

    Only then would he have a chance, and Evan was not about to fall for that. He already had a lot of experience in fighting evil gods!

    It was unwise to directly confront the evil god¡¯s terrifying and unknown power. Before the main body of the evil god came to the real world, the more important thing was a battle at the spiritual and soul level to fight against the most negative emotions evoked by the evil god.

    Therefore, he needed positive power rather than strong destructive power. The Patronus Charm was the best choice.¡°<i>Expecto Patronum</i>!¡± Evan shouted, summoning his own Patronus.

    Previous experiences had made it clear to Evan that the Patronus, who exuded positive energy and could resist all negative emotions, was very effective in dealing with evil gods, their creations and other evil shadow monsters from the endless void.

    Following his call, a silver-glowing animal formed from the air, swiftly circling around him.

    It was a ck feline creature shimmering with silver light, but not a ck cat.

    It wasrger, more powerful, and more agile than a cat. It appeared from thin air, spinning rapidly around Evan.

    Since thest time he summoned his Patronus at the lighthouse on the ind of Sicily, Evan had noticed changes in it.

    After going back and studying it carefully, he discovered that his Patronus had changed from a ck cat to a ck panther.

    It was a mysterious urrence, but it had indeed happened. Evan¡¯s Patronus had undergone a change!

    As known, each Patronus was unique, symbolizing the inner self, expressing the deepest thoughts within a person. Everyone¡¯s personality and inner world were different, and the emotions expressed varied, changing with shifts in the subconscious.

    The most typical example was Snape, whose motivation for summoning his Patronus was to do happy things with Harry¡¯s mother Lily.

    Therefore, after Lily¡¯s death, his Patronus became the doe, which had been Lily¡¯s Patronus and his vindication.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what his former Patronus was. But after Lily died, Snape¡¯s Patronus was always a doe.

    And Tonks, after falling in love with Lupin and bing pregnant with his child, her Patronus changed to a wolf!

    Her Patronus also changed, because her motivation for summoning her Patronus changed from other positive emotions of happiness and protection to doing happy things with Lupin. Therefore, her Patronus became a wolf like Lupin¡¯s.

    One thing to note was that since the Patronus was a force for good, it could only be summoned by positive emotions. Unlike the connection between Death Eaters and the Dark Mark through which Dark wizards were linked, so Death Eaters did not have Patronuses.

    Like Snape and Tonks, Evan¡¯s Patronus had also changed, from a ck cat to a ck panther.

    He didn¡¯t engage in happy things with anyone. Although the memories with Hermione were also very happy, Evan primarily used the will of protection. Therefore, his Patronus underwent a change, or more urately, an evolution, likely indicating Evan¡¯s growth.

    In addition to having the same symbolism and magical essence, the ck Panther was more powerful than the ck Cat, and his strength and protective will had also be stronger.

    After circling around Evan once, the Patronus flew towards Caresius and ine.

    A milky-white energy shield appeared out of thin air, breaking the evil god¡¯s control over Caresius.

    There was a sound of ss breaking, and the light red light that had been shrouding Caresius¡¯s body gradually faded, and the evil god was shrinking.

    Caresius was still unconscious, but his breathing gradually stabilized, and the painful expression on his face gradually faded away. As long as they promptly administered treatment, everything would be fine.

    ¡°Humble resistance, you don¡¯t know what you are doing!¡± The evil god¡¯s deep voice reappeared in Evan¡¯s mind; faint but exceptionally clear. ¡°Hope is a meaningless fantasy, in the powerful and unknown fear. You have already lost yourself before the powerful and unknown fear. Face up to your heart, lostmb. Hand over the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the Book of Seals on you, and I will forgive your sins, allowing you to serve me as a messenger spreading fear across the realms¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Evan said, knowing there was no way tomunicate with the evil god.

    It was turning over and over just to entice and lure Evan to fall. The possibility of the evil god¡¯s promise was basically zero, and those things had little meaning to him.

    ¡°Weak and ignorant humans, you do not understand the existence you are facing. What you see is only a part of me, not even a billionth of my power,¡± the evil god did not give up. ¡°Your ancestors, those Humans who were countless times more powerful than you tried to conquer me, but all they got in the end was destruction. I haven¡¯t destroyed you immediately, which is already the most merciful thing in the world.¡±

    After giving up on Caresius, he began to try to influence and control Evan.

    The Patronus rushed over, bringing a white mist of light, and the positive energy began to block the mental intrusion of the evil god.

    Evan increased his magic output to protect himself and ine. The evil god¡¯s voice started distorting, bing fainter and weaker.

    He stared at the statue, wondering how to destroy this entity.

    <i>The Book of Abraham</i> was undoubtedly effective, but Evan didn¡¯t know how to use the magic on it.

    Every time he encountered danger, it was this book that acted on its own. But it didn¡¯t react this time. Apparently it thought this danger was nothing to Evan.

    Moreover, what exactly was this statue now? It served as Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux and had the ability to connect with the evil god.

    Regardless of how he thought about it, it was all too terrifying.

    ¡°Mypanions and Ie from the darkest corners of the world, where the tendrils of humanity have only just touched. The scenes witnessed there are truly shocking,¡± the evil god continued. ¡°That is the present of our world, and the future of your world. Your resistance has no meaning, just useless struggling. You will understand. One day, you will decide to serve me, and I, the benevolent one, decided to show all this to you so that you can understand what you are about to get.¡±

    As soon as the words were spoken, the statue of the evil god glowing with red light slowly floated up from the ground¡­

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 Chapter 1022: Magic Silence

    Chapter 1022: Magic Silence

    Floating alongside it were the fleshy corpses on the ground, swiftly dposing under the influence of the evil god.

    The flesh and blood turned into fine particles, densely packed together, and quickly converged towards the statue of the evil god.

    The red light around the statue was getting stronger and stronger, but it was not enough. These powers could not break through the protection of Evan¡¯s Patronus, but the power of the evil god was rapidly increasing.

    In a mysterious manner, even the Valkyries flying in the sky began to be absorbed by it, turning into dust particles.

    A huge vortex formed at the bottom of the abyss, and countless particles rolled and roared like a sandstorm, turning into a terrifying skeleton.

    In the creepy sound, the evil god¡¯s power umted, and it could soon rival that of Evan.

    Amidst the wailing sound, the skull opened its mouth wide and swallowed Evan. The scene in front of him changed and he came to a strange world.

    It was not the previous soul world with ck and white as the main tone, but a real world that could actually be felt.

    In this world, despairing darkness was the main tone. There was heavy blood-red rain falling from the sky, the ground was riddled with holes, and green pus slowly emerged from huge ravines. Evan watched for three seconds. Only then did he realize that it was the evil god¡¯s true form, corroding this world.Evan saw the constantly surging tentacles and the gigantic,-sized body.

    This huge body wasrger than what Evan had seen twice before, and it was even more shocking.

    It was expanding outward at a visible speed, endlessly, as if it would fill the entire world.

    The evil god stared at Evan, his terrifying aura reaching straight into his soul, arousing the fear hidden in the deepest part of his heart.

    He breathed, swallowing up hope and releasing despair, breathing in courage and breathing out fear.

    Evan was lost in the shocking and terrifying sight before him, feeling like his eyes couldn¡¯t take it all in, or that his mind could not hold it all.

    He wanted to defend, but he didn¡¯t know what to do. The power of the Patronus was nothingpared to the evil god in front of him.

    He just floated there quietly, watching the evil god corrode and devour everything in front of him, over and over again, endlessly.

    Evan couldn¡¯t even distinguish whether all of this was an illusion or a real existence.

    Watching him devouring all essence, he suddenly had a ridiculous thought¡ª <i>what does this world taste like? Is it delicious? Because ¡­ he looks so happy ¡­ so greedy ¡­ eagerly devouring and consuming everything</i>.

    ¡°Human, do you want to be such an immortal existence like me?¡± The evil god¡¯s voice sounded again, cold and tinged with a hint of arrogance. ¡°Serve me, and I can help you, just like I helped the wizard who just fought with you. Help you transform from a weak ant to the master of this universe. Under my guidance, you will be mypanion. The world you are in will be destroyed by you. In the process of destruction, you will feel the power of fear and experience indescribable satisfaction. You will be immersed in it and fall in love with this feeling, and together, we shall conquer other worlds. Now, tell me your choice, give me the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the <i>Book of Seals</i>¡­¡±

    Evan took out the thick <i>Book of Abraham</i>, which he had never felt so heavy before.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. Open it and summon me. I wille to your world and give you glory.¡±

    The evil god continued to bewitch, and Evan let go of the <i>Book of Abraham</i>, which slowly floated in front of his chest.

    The book opened automatically without him having to flip through it.

    As the pages turned, they arrived at the page where Evan had recorded thetter half of the third section of the ¡®Silence¡¯ magic.

    He¡¯d got this magic from the depths of the swamp next to Hogwarts and had been researching it for the past two years. However, because it was tooplicated, too profound, and the amount of magic required was so huge, Evan once thought that this magic was impossible to cast.

    He could only cast this magic by splitting it, but the effect was still astonishing.

    Now, the <i>Book of Abraham</i> guided Evan to use this magic. Ancient and unfamiliar words, along with intricate magical runes, appeared in his mind automatically.

    He didn¡¯t recognize them, yet he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone also flew out of Slytherin¡¯s Locket, surrounding Evan like a golden-red satellite.

    Following the memories that suddenly appeared in his mind, Evan¡¯s right hand holding the wand moved.

    He began to chant a spell, and the wand in his hand drewplex and profound magic runes one after another.

    ¡°Human, how do you know this magic? Who told you?¡± The evil god screamed, with panic in his voice.

    This was thest sound Evan heard. As he moved, golden-red mists flew out from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone around his body, bringing light and color to this dark world. The expansion speed of the evil god slowed down, and the tentacles stopped shaking, even the whispers disappeared.

    These soft mists seemed to be doing great harm to him, and the world Evan was in began to copse rapidly.

    He wanted to stop his own magic, to sever the connection with Evan.

    Eight hundred years ago, the Centaur warrior had found the statue of the evil god in that sunken temple.

    The ¡°Silence¡± Philosopher¡¯s Stone was specifically left there by ancient spellcasters to restrain this evil god.

    Only because of time, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, once the source of magical power, had lost all its magic power, enabling the evil god to break free and escape.

    To put it simply, ¡°Silence¡± was a spell specifically designed to restrain him. It could be seen from the reaction of the evil god that he feared it.

    The world was copsing, and the golden-red mist began to construct ¡°Silence¡± magic. It did not attack the huge evil god, which was simply impossible.

    The pages of the <i>Book of Abraham</i> began to turn again, reaching the beginning of the third section, the page with the portrait of the evil god.

    The shadow of the evil god emerged from the page, and a miniature version of the evil god appeared in front of Evan.

    ¡°Silence¡± magic began to appear around his shadow, and a golden-red mist surrounded him.

    The evil god seemed to have received rare damage. He shook faster. The world was copsing at an elerating rate. All illusions disappeared. Evan returned to the real world, back at the bottom of the abyss, but the shadow of the evil god in front of him did not disappear. It was under control, drifting toward the statue of the evil god.

    It was over, Evan had a feeling.

    He felt that the magic power in his body was about to reach its limit, and now he waspletely supported by the magic power within the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    As before, he was still just a transit point. Powerful magic was cast through his body, and he controlled everything.

    The evil god had also been confirmed to be at hisst gasp, with the aura on the statuepletely vanishing, turning it into an ordinary wooden statue.

    But it wasn¡¯t enough. As long as this shadow of the evil god, bound by the ¡°Silence¡± magic, entered the statue, the evil god would be sealed once again, unable to return. This magic could even inflict harm on his true form¡­

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 Chapter 1023: Returning to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place

    Chapter 1023: Returning to Number Twelve Grimmauld ce

    Countless tiny golden-red lights flickered in the space, converging on Evan and condensing into powerful magic.

    At this moment, Evan had such formidable power, a force so fearsome that even the evil god sensed it. The entire world trembled beneath his feet.

    The evil god retreated, and used all his power to cut off his connection with Evan and the world.

    It was unclear why weak humans mastered such powerful magic. This was not a power they should have.

    Thousands of years ago, he had been sealed by human spellcasters with this magic and imprisoned in an endless void cage.

    Now, it would happen again!

    He was not willing to wait another thousand years to rebuild his connection to this world¡¯s coordinates.

    He was not sure whether some stupid Centaur would find him this time; the possibility was minimal.

    At the bottom of the abyss, Evan¡¯s body was surrounded by magic runes. The evil god recalled the eternal time, and he felt even the power of fear and ancient existence, recalling the brutal battle he carried out countless ages ago.He suddenly understood that this was the magic of those beings, they had not vanished, and the war was still going on.

    They had been fighting since the birth of the universe.

    This battle did not end with time, nor did the existence of one side determine the result. Even if both parties in the previous battle had perished, the will they left behind would continue to fight until the victor was decided and one of them waspletely destroyed.

    It was a war between hope and despair, creation and destruction, and now, Evan had the upper hand.

    He oppressed the evil god, not without difficulty, but victory was in sight. He exerted all his effort toplete the ¡°Silence¡± magic.

    Under the oppressive magic, a small crack appeared on the evil god¡¯s statue, growingrger and spreading to all sides.

    In the magic center that was forming, Evan endured the pain.

    The huge magic power was raging and ravaging in his body, impacting every blood vessel, every nerve, and every cell in him. He was enduring unprecedented pain.

    Evan had the illusion that he was being transformed, losing his life, and turning into a creature made entirely of magic.

    But he didn¡¯t care, or couldn¡¯t give up, so he could only grit his teeth and persist.

    He only had one thought now, which was to use his magic power as quickly as possible, to feel some relief.

    Sometimes, too much power was a burden, and Evan felt like he was about to be torn apart and ruptured by the violent unruly magic.

    It was almost done, he told himself to hold on, just one more second.

    Evan stared at the cracks on the statue of the evil god, starting from being as thick as a hair and gradually getting bigger.

    That was his goal and his belief. As long as the ¡°Silence¡± magic waspleted and the bound shadow of the evil god was moved into the statue, this tiny fissure would widen further until the statue of the evil god was destroyed.

    This had extraordinary significance. It could not only disrupt the coordinates of the evil god in this world, but also destroy Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux.

    The difficulty andplexity of ¡°Silence¡± magic were far beyond Evan¡¯s imagination. If he were asked to do it again, he was not sure whether he could still perform it, and he might not necessarily have the courage, because the pain caused by the runaway magic was really too big.

    Evan¡¯s wand drew another rune in the air, and he was about to start the next one, but suddenly stopped.

    It was not that he couldn¡¯t hold on, but that the supply of magic power was insufficient, and the brightness on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was getting weaker and weaker.

    ¡°Silence¡± magic required too much magic power, and a single Philosopher¡¯s Stone could not provide so much magic power.

    The way it looked now was like a light bulb about to go out.

    Evan¡¯s heart sank suddenly. His own magic power had long been used up. Without the support of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡¯s magic power, it was impossible toplete this magic.

    Even if his magic power was not entirely exhausted, it was useless. Compared with the huge demand, it was a drop in the bucket.

    Moreover, it was not only a matter of magic power, but Evan himself was almost unable to hold on.

    He only needed one reason now, one reason to give up.

    He didn¡¯t want to hold on anymore, he felt that life was leaving him.

    Perhaps the statue of the evil god could be destroyed, but Evan would also pay the price with his life.

    ¡°<i>Evan</i>!¡±

    ¡°Careful, Evan!¡±

    Evan heard Dumbledore¡¯s voice and ine¡¯s scream, and these sounds suddenly flooded into his ears.

    It was really strange. Just a moment ago, he couldn¡¯t feel anything, but now all his senses were back at once!

    He knew that he was at the end of his strength, andplete ¡°Silence¡± was not a magic he could aplish now.

    The relevant information about the ¡°Silence¡± magic in his mind began to disappear quickly. He knew it was almost over and there was no point in continuing.

    With the recovery of his senses, Evan transformed from an omnipotent god into a mortal again.

    The battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort also came to a conclusion, and Voldemort decided to escape!

    He controlled Harry through his soul connection and asked Dumbledore to kill him. He already knew the result. Dumbledore would not give up the child. Harry¡¯s body fell into the abyss, and while Dumbledore rescued him, Voldemort Disapparated.

    Evan saw Voldemort¡¯s figure suddenly appear in front of him, a burst of fire, and those unforgettable blood-red eyes within the mes.

    He was staring at Evan fiercely, as if he was being targeted by a venomous snake.

    Darkness enveloped everything again, except for the red eyes that did not disappear¡­

    Evan fainted, and what happened next had nothing to do with him. He believed that Dumbledore would handle everything.

    In the darkness, Evan used ¡°Silence¡± magic over and over again, building, dissipating, building again, and dissipating again.

    He kept repeating the parts he hadpleted before, letting the memory of these parts be engraved into his body and be an instinct.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how long had passed, but he only felt something soft and cool touching him.

    ¡®What¡¯s this? Is Hermione secretly kissing me?¡¯

    Evan thought like this. He discreetly opened his eyes, and then he saw ine.

    Her small hand was holding a towel, clumsily helping him wipe. She had obviously never done such a thing before.

    A few secondster, ine noticed that Evan had woken up. She said happily, ¡°You¡¯re awake!¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep. I saw your body was too dirty, so I wanted to help you wipe it!¡± ine replied, shaking the towel in her hand. ¡°I got some water and a towel from a house-elf. I feel like this is the only thing I can do!¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and Evan didn¡¯t react.

    ¡°Oh, by the way,¡± ine continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dumbledore said you¡¯re not injured, you just ran out of magic power. Just need some rest in bed.¡±

    ¡°How long have I been unconscious?¡± Evan asked. ¡°And ¡­ what happened after I passed out?¡±

    He looked up and saw Harry on the bed next to him. This seemed to be Number Twelve Grimmauld ce.

    They were back and it was finally over.

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 Chapter 1024: First Night and Enrollment

    Chapter 1024: First Night and Enrollment

    ¡°Not long, just a few hours,¡± said ine, raising her head to look at the grayish window. ¡°After you passed out, Voldemort Apparated with that statue, and he didn¡¯t even have time to attack you. Then, we returned here.¡±

    As expected, Voldemort was bent on escaping at that time, and naturally he was not willing to waste time on Evan.

    But what could be certain was that he must hate Evan desperately now.

    ¡°How¡¯s your uncle?¡± Evan felt the emptiness of the magic power in his body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; he¡¯s receiving treatment,¡± said ine in a low voice, lowering her head again, ¡°Dumbledore told me they will heal him. He asked me to stay here and not go anywhere. In fact, I don¡¯t know where to go.¡±

    She shook her head slightly, with a touch of sadness, seemingly a bit lost and unsure of what to do.

    Thinking about it, too many things happened tonight, and it was an unprecedented change for ine.

    Where the futurey and what should be done were really too profound questions for her.

    No wonder she couldn¡¯t sleep, and would rather do whatever she could, like helping Evan wash his body, to ease her own mind.Caresius was severely injured and his life and death were uncertain. It was uncertain when he would wake up. The remaining vampires had all left Norway for the United States, avoiding the impact of the awakening monster breaking the seal in their family. ine was left alone here.

    Voldemort somehow obtained something from them and managed to strike a deal with with the evil god. Although he lost to Dumbledore this time, and Evan inflicted severe damage to the statue of the evil god, their overall strength remained unaffected.

    The Order of the Phoenix currently had the advantage, but the overall tone of things had not changed and it had be more troublesome than before.

    Evan thought about this matter for a while, but still had no clue. ine sat quietly next to him.

    It was not the right time to think about this matter. It didn¡¯t make much sense and could only make ine more worried.

    ¡°Alright, stop thinking about it. With me here, everything will be fine,¡± said Evan. ¡°Get some sleep first.¡±

    He smiled at ine, and ine smiled back at him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep alone. Whenever I close my eyes, I think of those terrible things and the image of my uncle lying there¡­¡± ine paused and continued, ¡°Evan, can I sleep with you?¡±

    Evan blinked and stared at ine, not expecting that she would make such a request.

    Although the current situation was special, and although ine was undoubtedly beautiful, was it not good to sleep with her directly?!

    What ine wanted to express was very clear. Frightened little girls are often like this. She hoped that Evan would sleep with her, on the same bed, covered with the same quilt, hugging each other tightly, and wrapping their legs around, as if hugging a huge teddy bear¡­

    But Evan was not a child anymore, and he feared that ine might impulsively bite him. What would he do then?

    ¡°Well, ine, I just woke up and don¡¯t feel very sleepy. You go ahead and get some rest, and I¡¯ll stay here with you,¡± said Evan, getting up from the bed and gesturing for ine to lie down on his bed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave!¡±

    iney down obediently, holding the quilt tightly with both hands, but her burgundy eyes were still staring at Evan.

    In the dim candlelight, her eyes sparkled with many emotions.

    ¡°Evan, I have thought about meeting you again countless times, but I never thought that our first night would be like this. I¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean by ¡®first night¡¯?¡± Evan looked at her in surprise.

    ¡°I read it in a book. It¡¯s the first night two people spend together.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t read this kind of book again. Also, don¡¯t say anything now and just go to sleep!¡± Evan sighed, wondering what kind of ideas this girl usually exposed herself to! And now, he hadn¡¯t anticipated that the first night would turn out like this.

    ine closed her eyes, but did not sleep. After a while, she secretly opened them and looked at Evan.

    ¡°What is it now?¡± Evan asked. ¡°I will definitely not leave. As long as I¡¯m here, nothing will happen.¡±

    ¡°I want some sweets, the kind you treated me to before. I¡¯ve been looking for it for a long time but couldn¡¯t find it.¡±

    She was talking about Blood-voured lollipops, a new product from Honeydukes Sweet Shop two years ago, an impulsive and unsessful product.

    They made a lot of it at the time, but sold very few, had a lot of inventory, and only a vampire like ine would appreciate that unusual taste.

    ¡°Wait for tomorrow, I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡± said Evan. ¡°Go to sleep now!¡±

    Evan and ine¡¯s ¡°first night¡± ended like this, and nothing happened.

    The next morning, the meeting held overnight by the Order of the Phoenix finally came to an end, and most people had a preliminary understanding of the current situation.

    Overall, their current situation wasn¡¯t too bad, but everything would have to wait for Caresius to wake up.

    Only after he woke up could they know the necessary information and take the next step, these were Dumbledore¡¯s exact words.

    Under the current situation, it was indeed difficult for them to act rashly, and it was a blessing to rescue Caresius.

    Snape would brew a potion for Caresius to heal his injuries.

    Besides, he had a new task, which was to teach Harry lumency. This was also the most urgent matter at the moment to prevent Harry from being in contact with Voldemort.

    Of course, Snape didn¡¯t know this yet, having not attendedst night¡¯s meeting.

    This was what Sirius told them, and he said he wanted to talk to Snape about it.

    Things in Norway came to an end for the time being. After sending Evan and the others back, Dumbledore went alone to the vampires¡¯ fortress and confirmed the seal there. The final conclusion was that there would be no problem for the time being, and only special magic could be used to enter it.

    This magic was unique to vampires. Only Caresius could master it, and Voldemort could not break it.

    It seemed that Dumbledore hadn¡¯t been inactive. Going alone to destroy the statue of the evil god, he had simply misjudged the situation, thinking he had that kind of power.

    In this case, Sirius and the others did not have to return to Norway, and Caresius and ine were allowed to stay here.

    Those vampires who escaped had been contacted by the Order of the Phoenix, but they might note back.

    They were all afraid that the seal left by Szar had been destroyed. If they continued to stay here, only destruction awaited them. Only by going to the United States, where mysterious powers could protect them, would they be safe.

    Although Evan and the others didn¡¯t know why, all vampires believed in this so firmly.

    Apart from these matters, there was another issue. Since ine wanted to stay, it was fine during the Christmas holidays when everyone was at Number Twelve Grimmauld ce, but after the holidays ended, she couldn¡¯t stay alone in this old house.

    Dumbledore said that the main reason why Caresius was unconscious, in addition to his own injuries, was mainly because of the magic at work in his body. This was the magic that belonged to the Hall of Valor, left there by Grindelwald.

    Therefore, Dumbledore nned to take Caresius to see Grindelwald after his injuries improved.

    As for ine, he decided to let her go to Hogwarts as an exchange student from Beauxbatons¡­

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 Chapter 1025: Another Christmas

    Chapter 1025: Another Christmas

    Madame Maxime was willing to help them with this favor. Student Exchange had always been a tradition between wizarding schools.

    As long as her identity was kept secret, no one would know who ine was, and it would be easier to look after her at school.

    Her current identity was the same as Harry¡¯s, and she needed to be protected by the Order of the Phoenix. What ce was safer than Hogwarts?!

    Of course, this matter still needed the approval of the Ministry of Magic, and Dumbledore would find a way.

    Compared to ine, Harry had been in a low mood after waking up. He was thinking about the connection between himself and Voldemort.

    When it was all over, this feeling became even clearer, the scene he saw in the dream, the horrible statue he turned into, the situation when he was finally controlled by Voldemort, and Dumbledore not saying anything to him, not even willing to look at him.

    All of this bothered Harry.

    He had experienced a lot in these twelve hours, but Dumbledore still refused to talk to him, or even show himself.

    Harry was wondering if Dumbledore was worried that he would see Voldemort in his eyes, that his green eyes would suddenly turn blood red with a slit like a cat¡¯s eye, and that he would turn into Voldemort, just like in that final moment.Voldemort entered his body, and at that moment, he was Voldemort, and Voldemort was him, indistinguishable.

    Harry had seen Voldemort¡¯s snake-like face emerging from the back of Professor Quirrell¡¯s head in the past. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he would be like this someday because of the connection between him and Voldemort, turning into a monster.

    No, he was probably a monster now!

    Evan and Sirius had both talked to Harry separately, but it had little effect, because none of them could exin or maybe they had not to exin what exactly the connection between Harry and Voldemort was. Dumbledore thought it was not yet time to tell him.

    The most important thing now was for Harry to master lumency to prevent something like this from happening again.

    In short, the incident ended like this, and everything was developing ording to its inherent trajectory.

    Returning to his ancestral home, Grimmauld ce, Sirius showed quite a bit of enthusiasm.

    Perhaps recalling his childhood, or perhaps trying to find a way to make Harry happy, he actually proposed to put up Christmas decorations, took the initiative to sing Christmas carols, and asked Evan, Harry, and ine what they wanted as gifts.

    Yes, Christmas was approaching, the most important holiday of the year.

    Both Voldemort and the evil god should make concessions for this.

    For this Christmas, Evan originally nned to go skiing with his parents and Hermione¡¯s family, but now it seemed that he couldn¡¯t go. This was really a pity. Evan wrote a letter to his parents and exined the reasons, stating that he was studying at school. He was staying at Hogwarts this Christmas because he was preparing for exams, and this was a reason they could understand and ept.

    Hermione and the rest of the Weasley family arrived at Number Twelve Grimmauld ce at ten o¡¯clock that morning. Evan was writing arge order for Blood-voured lollipops and simr vors, which somewhat improved ine¡¯s mood.

    ¡°Oh, Evan, Harry, are you both all right?¡± Hermione¡¯s voice came from the hallway, very fast; she must have run over. ¡°I heard from Ron that Harry¡¯s scar hurt. It¡¯s Voldemort. Where did you and the Headmaster go afterward?¡±

    ¡°Norway,¡± said Evan, standing up and hugging Hermione. ¡°How did you get here?¡±

    ¡°I came on the Knight Bus. Mrs. Weasley came to pick us up,¡± said Hermione, pulling off her jacket and curiously looking at ine behind Evan, giving her a friendly smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Hermione Granger, you must be ine, right? I heard Evan talk about you.¡±

    ¡°Hello!¡± ine said, she pulled Evan¡¯s sleeve and hid behind him, cautiously looking at everyone.

    Evan didn¡¯t know that she was so afraid of strangers or so shy. She had never been like this with him before, and she was obviously much bolder.

    He briefly exined what happened to Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, and introduced ine to them. Everyone already knew her identity.

    Mrs. Weasley must have warned them not to ask anything, and everyone remained polite and curious as they should be.

    This was the first time they had seen a vampire at such a close distance, but they found that ine was a very beautiful girl who was very afraid of strangers, very polite, and seemed very timid. Other than that, she was not scary at all, not what a vampire should look like as rumored: white-faced fangs, evil and sinister, and bloodthirsty.

    ¡°Dumbledore told us early this morning, and asked us toe here,¡± said Hermione. ¡°But we had to wait for term to end officially before setting off. Well, you two disappeared right under Umbridge¡¯s nose. She went crazy searching for you two in the castle, waking up half the castle. You really should have seen it¡­¡±

    ¡°Angry toad!¡± said Ron, also inspecting ine.

    Then, as if he remembered something, he hurriedly turned to look at Harry. ¡°Harry, how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Harry stiffly, without looking at them.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t lie, Harry,¡± said Hermione. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine at all!¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Harry red at Hermione. He actually wanted to say that no one else would feel better being controlled by Voldemort.

    But seeing the worried and concerned looks on everyone¡¯s faces, he didn¡¯t say that in the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Harry, the connection between you and him is just a function of magic, because he once tried to use the killing curse on you, and it backfired, leaving a mark on you. Once you learn lumency, these won¡¯t be issues anymore,¡± said Evan hurriedly, thinking it was best not to talk about this topic, otherwise it would be endless and not pleasant. ¡°By the way, Hermione, we can¡¯t go skiing this time, your parents¡­¡±

    This time it was the Grangers who took the initiative to invite Evan¡¯s family. It would be rude to refuse like this now, and it was also something Evan was worried about.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve told them that everyone who¡¯s serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. You and I both want to stay. They hope that both of us will do well in the exams, so they¡¯ll understand, although they may be a bit disappointed,¡± Hermione paused and continued, ¡°To tell the truth, I don¡¯t like skiing. It¡¯s not really my thing, so I¡¯vee for Christmas. Well, I¡¯m happy to do it.¡±

    ¡°You just told me how great skiing was on the Knight Bus!¡± Ron yelled.

    ¡°Yeah, because you alwaysugh at me and say something like strapping narrow strips of wood to my feet,¡± Hermione replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s skiing?¡± ine asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a Muggle sport. Skis are mounted on the soles of boots to perform speed, jumping and sliding on the snow,¡± said Hermione, happy to finally find amon topic with ine. ¡°What sports do you usually like, Quidditch?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve yed it a few times,¡± said ine, bing interested. ¡°I have a Nimbus 2002, a gift from my unclest year. It¡¯s the best broom. I¡¯m usually used to being a Beater. Although I¡¯m thin, I actually have a lot of strength.¡±

    That was pretty good, but there was a small mistake in what she said, Nimbus 2002 was not the best broom.

    Evan felt it was necessary to let ine see the Starcatcher when he returned to his roomter. His erged, thicker and longer ck gold broom would definitely satisfy little ine.

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 Chapter 1026: Provide for a Vampire

    Chapter 1026: Provide for a Vampire

    After returning to the room, Evan recounted the entire incident in detail to Hermione and was pleased to entrust ine¡¯s care to her.

    ine, having limited exposure to normal society,ckedmon sense and often made suggestions like sleeping together with Evan, biting each other to taste the vor, licking for a numbing effect, or even leaving her first night to Evan. It was all very headache-inducing.

    The key point was that she was still serious and didn¡¯t realize that she said something wrong. Instead, it made Evan wonder if he had made a mistake somewhere and felt embarrassed.

    Take the licking part, for example. Evan couldn¡¯t confirm if vampire saliva had any anesthetic substance, and what if it did?

    But doing this was not a good idea after all¡­

    Exining to ine was also not an option, as it often led to moreplicated questions.

    Consider exining that, in normal society, people generally didn¡¯t bite or lick each other. But this wouldn¡¯t work because ine might say she didn¡¯t usually bite others, only Evan, because it was good for him.

    Once she said that, there would be no way to argue.

    Then, he would have to change tactics and tell her what the normal way of handling such situations was. Tell ine in a subtle way at the appropriate time that what she did was not wrong, but too intimate, and should only be done between men and women on special asions, such as on the bed, in empty rooms and ssrooms, or in cauldrons, or ces with privacy.ine was quite easy to embarrass. When she understood what Evan meant, she would stop talking, just stare at him with her big, smart burgundy eyes, with the word ¡°pervert¡± clearly written in them.

    Although Evan didn¡¯t mean anything else, he would be misunderstood!

    The key was that she was sinister enough to remember the things that offended her firmly, never forget them, ready to tell Hermione, or even talk about it in front of everyone¡­

    There was no way to exin it even if you wanted to; imagine trying to justify why you were talking about these things with a girl!

    In short, it was very troublesome!

    Hermione had enough patience and was suitable for exining these basicmon sense concepts to ine, so this kind of work should be left to her.

    Let her handle all the licking and sleeping together stuff.

    Taking care of and educating ine was just not Evan¡¯s cup of tea.

    Another thing worth mentioning was ine¡¯s food preferences. Her taste was actually the same as everyone else¡¯s.

    In other words, she was simr to Ginny in that she liked sweets and meat and didn¡¯t like vegetables, but there were obvious differences in the specific details. ine¡¯s favorite sweet was Blood-voured lollipops, while Ginny liked orange-vored candies. ine liked her beef medium-rare or raw, while Ginny preferred it well-done¡­

    Unlike what Evan had thought before, ine could eat all kinds of food. There hadn¡¯t been any urrences of vampires vomiting when they consumed regr food, as rumored. However, if she didn¡¯t consume blood, she couldn¡¯t satisfy her hunger and was unable to draw strength from blood, which made her weak.

    Once in that state, she seemed to have the urge to bite Evan, to engage in some kind of initial embrace with him¡­

    Therefore, Evan specifically ordered a variety of vors of dragon blood, spending a lot of Galleons, with Sirius sponsoring him some.

    It was worth noting that this dragon blood wasn¡¯t cheap, and Evan was purchasing them inrge quantities.

    Providing for a vampire was not easy, especially a high-level vampire like ine who only drank dragon blood.

    His purchasing behavior directly led to the shortage of dragon blood in Diagon Alley, and the prices skyrocketed in a short period of time. Others bought it as precious potions or alchemy materials, and asionally used a drop or two, but Evan bought it as a food for three meals a day.

    Even if ine ate very little, over time, it added up to a terrifying number.

    ine probably had money, or rather, her uncle Caresius and the family were wealthy, but she didn¡¯t have any on her.

    Moreover, she didn¡¯t have much concept of money and didn¡¯t pay attention to this matter at all.

    Anyway, if there was dragon blood, she would drink it; if not, she would drink Evan¡¯s. She was not picky, that was probably her mindset.

    Caresius was still unconscious, lying in the room on the second floor. Evan had gone in to check on him several times.

    In this state, naturally, Evan couldn¡¯t ask him for money. As for the other vampires, they had all disappeared without a trace, and Evan had no idea where they had fled.

    Even if Evan wanted to ask them for money, he couldn¡¯t find them; he could only spend his own money to support ine.

    Now, after every meal, ine would go back to the room with Evan to drink blood.

    She could urately identify the taste of different types of dragon blood, which ones tasted good and which ones didn¡¯t.

    This impressed Evan a lot. In his opinion, all these dragon bloods were just fishy!

    Of course, it was not that Evan got nothing in return. ine had something to offer as well.

    She had many ways to repay Evan, which could be regarded as paying for the meals, and these were very precious things.

    No matter how to look at it, it was Evan who took advantage.

    For example, in the dead of night, he would ask ine to cast or write down the unique vampire magic she knew for Evan to study.

    These were very valuable spells, not avable to the outside world.

    For another example, Szar Slytherin¡¯s wand was now with Evan.

    Evan had studied it for a long time. He wasn¡¯t a wandmaker, and his knowledge of wands came from books.

    But it was certain that this wand was not simple.

    Even as a novice, he could feel that, regardless of its special historical significance, the power of the wand itself was beyond imagination.

    For example, he initially wanted to conjure a me to light a candle and input weak magic power, but using this wand, he could conjure a fireball with the same amount of magic.

    Evan had never used Dumbledore¡¯s Elder Wand, but he felt that Slytherin¡¯s wand should be simr to the Elder Wand.

    In any case, it was a legendary magic item.

    Not to mention, the red lines on this wand were the same as Slytherin¡¯s Locket. From this, Evan spected that Slytherin must have left some message, which was engraved on his wand and Locket. The information on the Locket, ring and double snake scepter must be rted to the evil god.

    Thinking about it, the evil god originally didn¡¯t want to cooperate with Voldemort, but as soon as Caresius appeared, he changed his stance.

    Harry said that he wanted something Caresius owned, something that could make the evil god feel emotional. What exactly was it?

    Considering the items on Evan that interested the evil god, it should be an item of the same level as the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and <i>The Book of Abraham</i>. Could it be this wand?!

    In addition, there was a power inside Slytherin¡¯s wand that Evan did not understand, which hindered his further exploration and made it impossible for him to know what the core was without destroying the wand. Perhaps only an expert like Mr. Ollivander could figure it out.

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 Chapter 1027: Christmas Presents

    Chapter 1027: Christmas Presents

    Before Christmas arrived, the atmosphere within Number Twelve Grimmauld ce became livelier with each passing day.

    After Voldemort escaped, there was no bad news and everything was moving in the positive direction.

    ine had also be familiar with everyone. Putting aside her identity as a vampire and her tendency to bite Evan at every turn, she was very easy-going and easy to get along with.

    Her mood was getting better, Caresius¡¯s injuries gradually stabilized, and Dumbledore said that he was out of danger.

    This took away ine¡¯s biggest worry, plus she was about to go to Hogwarts!

    Imagine the feelings of those first-year students who had received their admission letter and were about to attend Hogwarts.

    ine was feeling the same way now, perhaps even more excited.

    She had only stayed in a Muggle school when she was in elementary school, and then returned to her family¡¯s castle, where her uncle taught her how to use magic. She rarely had contact with outsiders, and being able to enter a Wizarding school and study with everyone had always been her dream.

    More importantly, in her family, there were many stories about her ancestor Szar Slytherin.One vivid part of these tales was Slytherin co-founding Hogwarts with the other three founders.

    ine had long wanted to visit. As Slytherin¡¯s descendant, she had every reason to go to Hogwarts.

    The only regret was that she wasn¡¯t entering through regr procedures but as an exchange student.

    In order to facilitate care, she couldn¡¯t go to Slytherin House, but to Gryffindor where Evan was.

    Although everyone told her how bad Slytherin House was, ine had a unique affection for it.

    From the perspective of pure bloodline, ine was the student most qualified to enter Slytherin.

    In terms of inheritance rtionship, Slytherin House belonged to their family.

    She was probably also the most orthodox among the descendants of the Four Founders of Hogwarts, still retaining her own surname.

    Evan wasn¡¯t worried that she would be bullied by other Slytherins because the longer he got to know her, the more he realized she was quite cunning. Cute and absent-minded were just appearances; apart from not having great ambitions, she met all the criteria for Slytherin House students. She truly lived up to being Szar¡¯s descendant.

    Now, ine spent her days around Evan, Hermione, or Ginny, asking them about anything rted to Hogwarts.

    Perhaps because of thest incident, she didn¡¯t dare to get close to Harry.

    Ron didn¡¯t know what to say to her. Whenever he saw ine, he was nervous and speechless. This was his habitual reaction when he saw a beautiful girl.

    As for Fred and George, they were still indulging in their prank research, which was a sense of humor that ine didn¡¯t quite understand.

    Like ine, there was another person in a happy mood in this old house, and that was Sirius.

    Moreover, Sirius¡¯s joy was infectious.

    He had never spent Christmas with anyone since he came back from Azkaban.

    Therefore, this Christmas had an extra special meaning.

    This seemed to bring Sirius great satisfaction and happiness, and he was determined that everyone should enjoy themselves as much, if not more, than they would have done at Hogwarts.

    He worked tirelessly to prepare for the holidays, cleaning and decorating the house with everyone¡¯s help.

    Last summer, everyone cleaned under the guidance of Mrs. Weasley, butpared to Sirius¡¯s ongoing cleaning, that was nothing. This time, he threw away everything he found unsightly and reced it with new items.

    And the things he couldn¡¯t bear to see included almost all the items in this house.

    Now, Kreacher was crying every day and sneaking things from the trash bags to his quarters, cursing Sirius as a shameful prodigal. He also came to Evan, Harry and Hermione, begging them to persuade Sirius not to tear down this ce.

    Hermione was willing to help him, she would not give up any opportunity to help the house-elves, and Kreacher¡¯s request was not unreasonable.

    Finally, with Hermione and Kreacher working together to stop Sirius, Sirius restrained himself.

    Even so, by the time they all went to bed on Christmas Eve the house was barely recognizable.

    The tarnished chandeliers were no longer hung with cobwebs but with gands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in heaps over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree, obtained by Mundungus and decorated with live fairies, blocked Sirius¡¯s family tree from view; and even the stuffed elf heads on the hall wall wore Father Christmas hats and beards.

    Evan awoke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents at the foot of his bed, as did Harry and Ron.

    Ron, who had always slept in, woke up early and was already halfway through opening his own pile.

    ¡°Good haul this year,¡± said Ron through a cloud of wrapping paper, after noticing that Evan had woken up. ¡°Harry gave me a Broom Compass, it¡¯s excellent, beats Hermione¡¯s ¡ª she¡¯s got me a homework nner ¡ªand yours, Evan, I¡¯m opening it, thank you for ¡­ um, a quill?!¡±

    ¡°It can automatically correct errors,¡± said Evan, stretching with a yawn. He also found Hermione¡¯s Christmas present. ¡°Hermione thought both you and Harry needed one. There are too many errors in your homework vocabry, so she decided for you on my behalf. You know, this kind of quill is not cheap.¡±

    ¡°All right, thank her for me,¡± Ron sighed. ¡°She¡¯s right. I do need one.¡±

    Next to him, Harry got up and found a present with Hermione¡¯s handwriting on it.

    She had given him a book that resembled a diary, except that it said things like ¡°Do it today orter you¡¯ll pay!¡± every time he opened a page.

    Because they were taking O.W.Ls exams this year, Hermione thought they all needed such a nner to help them review.

    Indeed, after the Christmas holidays, the time until the exams was very close.

    The same was true for the present Evan received from Hermione. It was a little different, maybe a little special, chosen with extra care by Hermione.

    At the same time, she also suggested that Evan should give Harry and Ron a self-correcting quill each.

    Evan knew all this without expecting much. What he looked forward to was the time alone with Hermione in the evening.

    Maybe the one present he could receive from Hermione this Christmas was Hermione herself.

    After looking at the homework nner from Hermione, Evan began to open the Christmas present ine had got him.

    ine had no money. Besides the dragon blood she consumed daily, Evan paid for her textbooks, clothes, and other necessities for studying at Hogwarts. Evan told her not to be modest and to choose expensive things, and she indeed didn¡¯t show any hesitation. She had no concept of money.

    But it didn¡¯t make sense to use Evan¡¯s money to buy a Christmas present and then give it back to Evan.

    Even though ine had no concept of money, she knew she couldn¡¯t do that. So, she said she wanted to prepare it herself.

    Evan was skeptical; would she also give herself to him as a present?

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 Chapter 1028: Kreacherâ€™s Nest

    Chapter 1028: Kreacher¡¯s Nest

    But no, she gave Evan a picture album. It was filled with drawings she had done herself, documenting the things between her and Evan.

    Only then did Evan realize that ine¡¯s painting was so good, it waspletely professional level.

    There were many pages in the picture album, with various contents and very detailed paintings.

    The first page depicted the night two years ago when she and Evan first met.

    Flipping through, there was also what happened between them when she went to Evan¡¯s room during the Quidditch World Cup finals.

    Evan suddenly stopped, staring at the painting blushing. Wasn¡¯t this painting too realistic? Didn¡¯t this girl know how to be more subtle?

    He raised his head and cautiously nced around. Harry and Ron were busy opening their presents and didn¡¯t pay attention to him.

    Evan immediately closed the album and put it in his pocket. Such amemorative album should be handled with care and not taken out casually.

    He decided to store this picture album and the items ine had left at his ce in the deepest part, for permanent safekeeping.There was no way to deal with it anyway, let alone show it off, so it was better to hide it.

    Dobby also sent Evan a dreadful painting, which only he and Harry received.

    Evan watched it for a long time, but he didn¡¯t guess what this guy wanted to express. It was too abstract, like a gibbon with a distorted face.

    In the end, Evan found his own name on the back of the drawing and realized Dobby had drawn his portrait¡­

    In addition, there were presents from Gabrielle, some French baubles and a greeting card.

    This girl actually said that she might alsoe to Hogwarts next year for exchange and study, because Madame Maxime said that there was such a connection between the schools.

    With the current danger in Britain, why were these girlsing over one by one?

    With a loud crack, Fred and George Apparated at the foot of his bed.

    ¡°Merry Christmas,¡± said George happily. ¡°Don¡¯t go downstairs for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Ron asked, looking with satisfaction at the luxury broomstick maintenance set that Sirius gave him.

    Sirius had collected everyone¡¯s wishes in advance and figured out what everyone wanted most. As always, he showed that he was very rich, fulfilled all their wishes, and bought the most expensive ones. Therefore, the Christmas presents he gave this year were the most precious and satisfying.

    ¡°Mum¡¯s crying again,¡± said Fred heavily. ¡°Percy sent back his Christmas jumper.¡±

    ¡°Without a note,¡± added George. ¡°How heartless!¡±

    ¡°We wanted tofort her,¡± said Fred, walking over to look at Harry¡¯s portrait given to him by Dobby. ¡°Told her Percy¡¯s nothing more than a humongous pile of rat droppings ¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ª didn¡¯t work,¡± said George, helping himself to a Chocte Frog. ¡°So Dad took over. Best let him cheer her up before we go down for breakfast, I reckon.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to be anyway?¡± asked Fred, squinting at Dobby¡¯s painting. ¡°Looks like a gibbon with two ck eyes.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Harry!¡± said George, pointing at the back of the picture. ¡°Says so on the back.¡±

    ¡°Good likeness,¡± said Fred, grinning.

    Harry threw his new homework diary at him; it hit the wall opposite and fell to the floor where it said happily, ¡°If you¡¯ve dotted the i¡¯s and crossed the t¡¯s then you may do whatever you please!¡±

    A few minutester, they got up, dressed. On their way downstairs they met Hermione.

    ¡°Ginny¡¯s inside writing back to Michael, and ine went to see her uncle,¡± she exined, with a smile. ¡°Thanks for the quill, Evan, that¡¯s just what I needed. Harry, Your book <i>New Theory of Numerology</i> is great. I¡¯ve been wanting it since I saw it in the library! And that perfume is really unusual, Ron.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± said Ron grumpily. ¡°Thanks for the homework nner and for suggesting Evan give me the quill.¡±

    He gave perfume to Hermione, Ginny, and ine this year, and Evan suspected it was Lavender¡¯s suggestion.

    He must have consulted her on what girls would like.

    Unfortunately, Hermione, Ginny, and ine didn¡¯t really use such things, and only Lavender put on some perfume every day.

    ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡± Harry asked.

    ¡°Christmas present!¡± said Hermione, holding a neatly wrapped present in her hand.

    ¡°Who¡¯s it for?¡±

    ¡°Kreacher!¡±

    ¡°It had better not be clothes!¡± said Ron warningly. ¡°Even though his attitude has improved recently, you know what Sirius said, Kreacher knows too much, we can¡¯t set him free!¡±

    Hermione had tried to persuade Sirius to release Kreacher before, and this was the answer she got from him.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t clothes,¡± said Hermione, ¡°although if I had my way I¡¯d certainly give him something to wear other than that filthy old rag, I really don¡¯t understand that you call it clothes. No, it¡¯s a patchwork quilt; I thought it would brighten up his bedroom.¡±

    ¡°What bedroom?¡± Everyone looked at her, and then they realized that they didn¡¯t know where Kreacher lived.

    ¡°Oh, I asked the night before yesterday. Sirius says it¡¯s not so much a bedroom, more a kind of ¡ª den,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Apparently he sleeps under the boiler in that cupboard off the kitchen.¡±

    Mr. Weasley had gone to work, and Mrs. Weasley was the only person in the basement.

    She was standing at the stove and sounded as though she had a bad head cold when she wished them Merry Christmas.

    What happened with Percy must have saddened her a lot, and they all averted their eyes.

    Continuing down the basement stairs, they came to a dingy door in the corner opposite the pantry.

    ¡°So, this is Kreacher¡¯s bedroom?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Hermione, now sounding a little nervous. ¡°Er ¡­ I think we¡¯d better knock ¡­ be polite.¡±

    She rapped the door with her knuckles but there was no reply.

    ¡°He must be sneaking around upstairs,¡± Ron said, and without further ado pulled open the door.

    Most of the cupboard was taken up with a veryrge and old-fashioned boiler, but in the foot¡¯s space underneath the pipes Kreacher had made himself something that looked like a nest. A jumble of assorted rags and smelly old nkets were piled on the floor and the small dent in the middle of it showed where Kreacher curled up to sleep every night.

    At the entrance was some leftover food for him to eat; Kreacher hadn¡¯t thrown them away and picked them up himself. In a far corner glinted small objects and coins, which he had saved, magpielike, from Sirius¡¯s purge of the house, things he believed should not be thrown away.

    Evan noticed that there was even a photo of Narcissa Malfoy and Betrix Lestrange.

    It was a family photograph, with a much younger Mrs. ck, Tonks¡¯s mother Andromeda Tonks, and Sirius and his brother Regulus, both young but already showing distinctly different traits.

    The most eye-catching one was probably Betrix, the eldest daughter of the ck family.

    She was about fourteen or fifteen years old at the time. She wore a prefect badge on her chest and looked haughtily up at them. (T.N/ Betrix had never been a prefect in the original.)

    Next to this photograph was a picture of Betrix alone.

    She was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight at that time, and she waspletely different from the previous photo, more like what Evan had seen in Dumbledore¡¯s Pensieve.

    With shining dark hair and long eyshes, the arrogance on her face hadpletely turned into madness.

    No one knew what she had gone through in the past ten years, from a proud little girl to the most evil Death Eater.

    It seemed she was Kreacher¡¯s favorite photograph; he had ced it to the fore of all the others and had mended the broken ss clumsily with Spellotape.

    This made Evan feel ufortable; because of Regulus, Kreacher now obeyed them and started resisting Voldemort.

    But emotionally, he still preferred Narcissa and Betrix.

    In his mind, they were his real mistresses, or so they were.

    He couldn¡¯t tell the difference between resisting Voldemort and obeying Betrix. To him, they were two different things.

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 Chapter 1029: Plan

    Chapter 1029: n

    It was hard to change the mindset of house-elves, much like the inherent servitude ingrained in their bones.

    Looking at the grinning Betrix in the photo, Evan felt a strong sense of uneasiness. This Christmas holiday was too quiet, just like the moment of tranquility before the storm. The depression was gradually increasing, and something terrible was about to happen.

    To be on the safe side, he felt the need to instruct Kreacher not to tell anything about what was going on here, especially not to Narcissa and Betrix.

    This had nothing to do with trust; it was the nature of house-elves.

    Or maybe, he could take a different approach, and use this matter for something¡­

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll just leave his present here,¡± said Hermione,ying the package neatly in the middle of the depression in the rags and nkets and closing the door quietly. ¡°He¡¯ll find itter, that¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Sirius, emerging from the pantry carrying arge turkey.

    ¡°Doing what you should do, give Kreacher a Christmas present,¡± said Hermione, dissatisfied. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll look for himter. He shoulde to help. There are a lot of peopleing tonight, and we need to prepare more food,¡± said Sirius. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for circumstances, I¡¯d even like to have a carnival party. Come on, Hermione, Kreacher doesn¡¯t need a Christmas present. You won¡¯t give him clothes, will you?¡±Hermione didn¡¯t answer. She was very dissatisfied with Sirius¡¯s attitude towards Kreacher.

    When everyone went upstairs for breakfast, Evan found an opportunity to talk to Sirius alone, expressing his concerns and reminding him to pay attention to Kreacher.

    They had had this kind of conversation many times since their return from Norway.

    Sirius was also worried, not only about Norway and the situation here, but also about Harry himself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on Kreacher, but you have to know, Evan, things are not over. In addition to the troubles with the evil god and the vampires, Voldemort also wants to get something, and that thing is in London,¡± Sirius hesitated for a moment, considering whether to tell Evan about this, as it involved confidential matters of the Order of the Phoenix. He looked around, and then lowered his voice and said, ¡°Alright, listen, but don¡¯t spread it around. That thing is a prophecy orb, kept in¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic, I know,¡± said Evan.¡±The prophecy orb stored there can only be taken off the shelf by the subjects of the individual prophecy. That prophecy involves Harry and Voldemort. Of course Voldemort is not willing to go to the Ministry of Magic with the risk of being exposed, so he hopes to lure Harry there.¡±

    ¡°How do you know this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done some investigation!¡± Evan simply said.

    ¡°Well, you know more than I thought. I thought this was an Order of the Phoenix secret,¡± said Sirius seriously. ¡°Since you know, I¡¯ll be straightforward. I hope you keep an eye on Harry at school. No matter what happens, don¡¯t let him leave Hogwarts. Simr to this incident, Dumbledore believes that Voldemort might show him some visions through their connection to lure him out of the school and go to the Ministry to get that prophecy orb.¡±

    ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the Order of the Phoenix currently doing?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Certainly, it goes without saying. We have someone keeping an eye on that ce,¡± said Sirius. ¡°We can¡¯t let Voldemort get hold of that prophecy orb. The incident in Norway angered him, and he won¡¯t willingly ept failure. He might resort to any means next.¡±

    ¡°If so, why don¡¯t we take the initiative?!¡± Evan noticed Sirius¡¯s gaze and continued to exin, ¡°I mean ¡­ why do we have to passively wait for Voldemort to go to the Ministry of Magic to take away the prophecy orb, instead of setting things up in advance?!¡±

    ¡°Only Harry and Voldemort can touch that prophecy orb¡­¡±

    ¡°I know ¡­ the situation is that Voldemort needs the prophecy orb, but he himself doesn¡¯t want to go, he just wants Harry to bring it to him,¡± said Evan. ¡°So he hopes to lure Harry over, but this is also an opportunity for us. We can turn the tables, set a trap there, severely weaken Voldemort, and change the current situation.¡±

    ¡°Voldemort won¡¯t be fooled so easily.¡±

    ¡°Of course, but we can provide him with some false information, using Kreacher, for example,¡± said Evan, looking at Kreacher¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°I just saw photos of Narcissa and Betrix in his room. He seems to admire your two cousins ??very much.¡±

    ¡°Humph, he would kneel down and kiss their robes if he could. In the eyes of the house-elf, he probably thinks that the two of them are the real heirs of the ck family, and I am just a traitor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not surprising. He¡¯s been taught this way for decades, loyal to the ancient and noble ck family. But now he opposes Voldemort and follows your orders; that¡¯s a good change,¡± said Evan. ¡°But we all know he still can¡¯t forget Narcissa and Betrix. Theirmands still have an effect on him, and he can¡¯t even distinguish the impact of what he¡¯s doing. What I mean is, we can use this to our advantage, feed him some false information, then lead him to Malfoy, have Kreacher identally leak the information, making Voldemort believe there¡¯s an opportunity to lure Harry to the Ministry. In reality, all the members of the Order of the Phoenix will be lying in wait there¡­¡±

    ¡°A crazy idea,¡± said Sirius, gradually understanding Evan¡¯s n. ¡°And dangerous!¡±

    ¡°But we can take the initiative to break the current stalemate,¡± Evan continued. ¡°Think about it, Sirius, it¡¯s simply unrealistic to have no danger at all. Just like this time, we cannot control the connection between Voldemort and Harry. , but we can turn passivity into initiative. Defense is never the best way to solve a problem.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll talk to Dumbledore, and I¡¯ll inform you immediately if there are any results,¡± Sirius looked at Evan, ultimately conceding. ¡°I personally agree with your suggestion, but before that, you have to watch over Harry. He¡¯s been too abnormaltely, and I¡¯m afraid he might do something foolish.¡±

    Having Voldemort drilling around in his head and merging with the evil God, not acting unusually would be abnormal.

    Eventually, Sirius found Kreacher in the attic. He was covered in dust, no doubt looking for more relics of the ck family to hide in his cupboard.

    The joyful times always passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the Christmas holidays wereing to an end.

    Evan still hadn¡¯t seen Dumbledore and didn¡¯t know if Sirius had told him about his n.

    He didn¡¯t even have time to be alone with Hermione. Evan was fully expecting something to happen with Hermione during this Christmas holiday, but nothing urred.

    It was mainly because of ine, who became more and more looking forward to it as the days of school at Hogwarts approached.

    Now she was either following Evan or Hermione, asking this and that. Evan had no chance at all.

    Even at night or when Evan transformed into a cat, it didn¡¯t work. Sometimes ine would sleep with Hermione, and her nose was sharp enough to smell the scent of Evan¡¯s blood. This meant that no matter what animal Evan transformed into, ine could immediately recognize him. It was probably a racial talent of vampires.

    Although Evan didn¡¯t mind ine watching when something happy happened between him and Hermione, Hermione minded a lot.

    Therefore, Evan finally had no chance to do something with Hermione. It had to be said that this was his biggest regret this Christmas.

    Hermione, on the other hand, took the initiative to kiss Evan, as he had been well-behaved recently.

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 Chapter 1030: Sirius and Snapeâ€™s Conversation

    Chapter 1030: Sirius and Snape¡¯s Conversation

    Unlike ine, who had been looking forward to going to Hogwarts, Harry now hadpletely opposite thoughts.

    He was still immersed in the events in Norway, and for the first time in his life, he was not looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. Going back to school would mean cing himself once again under the tyranny of Dolores Umbridge, who had no doubt managed to force through another dozen decrees in their absence, or she might ask him and Evan where they went this vacation. Then there was no Quidditch to look forward to.

    As the exams drew even nearer, there was every likelihood that their burden of homework would increase.

    In fact, if it had not been for the D.A. and Cho supporting him, Harry felt he might have gone to Sirius and begged him to let him leave Hogwarts and remain in Grimmauld ce.

    He should go back, Cho was still waiting for him, this time, he must seize the opportunity to ask her out, and then¡­

    Harry encouraged himself, but on the veryst day of the holidays, something happened that made him positively dread his return to school.

    This matter had something to do with Snape and his intention to teach him lumency.

    ¡°Harry dear,¡± said Mrs. Weasley, poking her head into their bedroom. Harry was ying wizard chess with Ron watched by Evan, Hermione, Ginny, ine and Crookshanks, ¡°could youe down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would like a word with you.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Harry didn¡¯t react for a moment.One of his castles was engaged in a violent tussle with a pawn of Ron¡¯s, and he was egging it on enthusiastically.

    ¡°Professor Snape, dear. In the kitchen. He¡¯d like a word.¡± Mrs. Weasley repeated.

    ¡°It must be about lumency. Go, Harry!¡± Evan said.

    Harry stood up hesitantly, ine had taken his ce. Crookshanks, whom Hermione had been restraining with difficulty for the past quarter of an hour, leapt gleefully upon the board and set the pieces running for cover, squealing at the top of their voices.

    ¡°Snape?¡±

    ¡°Professor Snape, dear,¡± said Mrs. Weasley reprovingly. ¡°Nowe on, quickly, he says he can¡¯t stay long.¡±

    Harry looked back at everyone, and then followed Mrs. Weasley out as if heading to the gallows.

    He knew about it but hadn¡¯t been ready for it until now.

    Dumbledore had said that the connection between Voldemort and Harry was harmful to his soul. He might not have insisted on this if it weren¡¯t for that.

    But to be on the safe side, Harry must learn lumency topletely eliminate this hidden danger.

    This was a very obscure branch of magic, and even with Evan¡¯s deliberate study over the years, he had only just scratched the surface, enough to protect himself from Dumbledore¡¯s prying.

    Snape was the master of this spell; he couldpletely close his brain and heart.

    Neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort would know any secrets he wanted to conceal from them.

    Therefore, in theory, having Snape teach Harry lumency was the best option.

    Sirius also said that he would talk to Snape and ask him to teach Harry with dedication.

    A minute or twoter, Harry pushed open the kitchen door to find Sirius and Snape both seated at the long kitchen table, ring in opposite directions.

    The silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike and it was clear that they were having a failed conversation.

    ¡°Er,¡± said Harry to announce his presence.

    Snape looked around at him, his face framed between curtains of greasy ck hair.

    ¡°Sit down, Potter.¡±

    ¡°You know,¡± said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, ¡°I think I¡¯d prefer it if you didn¡¯t give orders here, Snape. It¡¯s my house, you see.¡±

    Snape did not retort, and an ugly flush suffused his pallid face.

    Harry sat down next to Sirius and looked at Snape across the table evasively.

    ¡°I was supposed to see you alone, Potter,¡± said Snape, the familiar sneer curling his mouth, ¡°but ck¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m his godfather,¡± said Sirius, louder than ever. ¡°I want to discuss with you the matter of teaching Harry.¡±

    ¡°Keep your voice down, ck. I¡¯m here on Dumbledore¡¯s orders, having to ept this unpleasant task,¡± said Snape, whose voice, by contrast, was bing more and more quietly waspish as he looked at Harry maliciously. ¡°Not for your sake; but by all means stay, ck, I know you like to feel ¡­ involved.¡±

    Sirius stared at him fiercely, but Snape acted as if he didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°The headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study lumency this term.¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ve worked with Evan before¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems that Mr. Know-It-All did not teach you how to close your mind, or else this situation wouldn¡¯t have urred, would it?¡± Snape disdainfully remarked. ¡°You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Mason. You understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Harry hesitated before reluctantly replying.

    ¡°Very good!¡± Snape got to his feet and continued to ignore Sirius. He seemed unwilling to stay for a moment longer. ¡°I will expect you at six o¡¯clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking Remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my sses could deny you need them.¡±

    He turned to leave, his ck traveling cloak billowing behind him.

    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± said Sirius, sitting up straighter in his chair.

    Snape turned back to face him, sneering.

    ¡°I am in rather a hurry, ck!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point, then,¡± said Sirius, standing up. He was rather taller than Snape who, Harry noticed, had balled his fist in the pocket of his cloak over what Harry was sure was the handle of his wand. ¡°You understand, Snape, if I hear you¡¯re using these lumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you¡¯ll have me to answer to.¡±

    ¡°How touching,¡± Snape sneered. ¡°But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± said Sirius proudly.

    ¡°Well then, you¡¯ll know he¡¯s so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him,¡± Snape said sleekly.

    Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table toward Snape, pulling out his wand as he went; Snape whipped out his own.

    They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape calcting, his eyes darting from Sirius¡¯s wand tip to his face.

    The two had fought many times at Hogwarts before, especially during the half-year when Sirius took over Lupin¡¯s teaching duties.

    Therefore, they knew each other very well. Overall, Snape¡¯s skills were superior to Sirius¡¯s.

    In the more than ten years since Sirius¡¯s decline in strength, Snape¡¯s abilities had skyrocketed.

    But considering Sirius¡¯sbat style, especially in such a small space, Snape wouldn¡¯t be able to take much advantage once a fight broke out.

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 Chapter 1031: Its Really Hard to Pretend to Be Fierce

    Chapter 1031: It''s Really Hard to Pretend to Be Fierce

    ¡°Sirius!¡± said Harry loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you, Snivellus,¡± said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape¡¯s, ¡°I don¡¯t care if Dumbledore thinks you¡¯ve reformed, I know better. In my opinion, you¡¯re just Lucius Malfoy¡¯spdog¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, but why don¡¯t you tell him so?¡± whispered Snape. ¡°Or are you afraid he might not take your advice very seriously.¡±

    ¡°Humph, you can try!¡± Sirius raised his wand. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you take my words seriously.¡±

    ¡°<i>NO</i>!¡± Harry yelled, but it was toote; they had already started!

    Spells were flying, and by the time Evan and the others rushed down upon hearing the noise, the kitchen was a mess.

    Sirius¡¯s arm was bleeding, and Harry stood in ce gripping his wand. He was under the influence of a spell.

    As for Snape, Sirius must havended a few solid punches on his face; he looked quite battered.

    ¡°Oh my goodness, Sirius, Severus, what are you two doing?!¡± screamed Mrs. Weasley.They both ignored her and looked at each other with utmost contempt on their faces.

    Then, Snape pocketed his wand and swept back across the kitchen, ignoring everyone. At the door he looked back.

    ¡°Six o¡¯clock Monday evening, Potter.¡±

    He was gone. Sirius red after him, his wand at his side.

    ¡°What¡¯s been going on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, just a failed little chat between two old school friends,¡± said Sirius apologetically. ¡°Sorry, Harry, I didn¡¯t want to fight him, I just wanted things to be better, but I couldn¡¯t help it. If he treats you badly or gives you a hard time, be sure to tell me. I¡¯ll make him pay.¡±

    Sirius was telling the truth. He really couldn¡¯t control his desire to beat up Snape.

    This habit probably started from his school days. No matter what happened or what the situation was, he would give Snape a good beating first.

    Evan couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Harry¡¯s dad would have been the same if he were still alive.

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Harry, not nning to tell Sirius.

    He didn¡¯t want Sirius to be fighting with Snape, no matter how foully Snape treated him in their forting lumency sses.

    Anyway, this was how the Christmas holidays ended this year.

    The following day, they prepared to take the Knight Bus back to Hogwarts, escorted by Sirius, Tonks and Lupin.

    After a hurried breakfast they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning, ready to leave.

    ine had been looking forward to the Hogwarts Express and tform Nine and Three Quarters, but the Knight Bus was also nice.

    Anyway, no matter what it was, it was new to her.

    Evan had told her to stay close to him or Hermione at school, not to wander around, and certainly not to do anything dangerous.

    This girl was really unsettling. She actually said she wanted to visit the Slytherin Common Room.

    In addition, she also wanted to check out the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets; Evan wondered if she knew Parseltongue.

    Although she was a descendant of Slytherin, ine seemed to have never shown any talent in this area.

    The group of people boarded the bus, and ine let out a burst of exmation.

    Evan had seen the Knight Bus at night before and its three decks had been full of brass bedsteads,pletely different from what he saw before him.

    Now, the bus was crammed with an assortment of mismatched chairs grouped haphazardly around windows.

    Some of these appeared to have fallen over when the bus stopped abruptly in Grimmauld ce; a few witches and wizards were still getting to their feet, grumbling, and somebody¡¯s shopping bag had slid the length of the bus; an unpleasant mixture of frog spawn, cockroaches, and custard creams was scattered all over the floor.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to split up,¡± said Tonks briskly, looking around for empty chairs. ¡°Fred, George, and Ginny, if you just take those seats at the back ¡­ Remus can stay with you¡­¡±

    She, Sirius, Evan, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and ine proceeded up to the very top deck, where there were many empty chairs. Evan, Hermione, and ine went to the backmost chairs, with Tonks in the row in front of them, and Sirius apanied Harry and Ron to sit in the empty chairs at the front.

    Evan noticed that many people were staring at them, but when they sat down, those heads quickly turned away.

    In school, they might not feel it, but in reality, Harry, Evan, and Sirius were very famous in the Wizarding world.

    ine sat at the end, and she noticeably spoke less. It was obviously the first time she saw so many wizards.

    She was very afraid of strangers, and in the education she received in the past, staying away from wizards was the top priority.

    Now she was surrounded by so many wizards, and she was a little confused.

    In addition, she seemed to be a bit afraid of light, with the hood of her cloak pressed down low on her head.

    ¡°Do all human wizards travel this way?¡± ine asked, looking out the window at Grimmauld ce rapidly retreating.

    ¡°This is just one of them, as a supplement for those who can¡¯t use Apparition and the Floo Network,¡± said Evan. ¡°The bus was introduced from Muggles¡­ Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said ine, her face bing even paler. ¡°Just a bit scared!¡±

    Looking at the wizards around her, she suddenly wondered if she was too reckless to go to Hogwarts like this.

    Everything seemed different from what she had imagined. What if her identity was discovered?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re here!¡± said Evan, seeing Tonks turning her head to participate in their conversation.

    ¡°ine, you can¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s easy to be bullied at school,¡± said Tonks with interest. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you a trick. You have to look fierce. Do as I say. That¡¯s right, show your teeth ¡­ widen your eyes ¡­ um ¡­ look fierce ¡­ fiercer ¡­ knit your eyebrows together.¡±

    ine did as she was told, but no matter how you looked at it, it was just cute, not fierce at all.

    Seeing this, Tonks couldn¡¯t helpughing out loud, and her hair changed from purple to a cute candy pink.

    ¡°It¡¯s really hard to pretend to be fierce!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± said Hermione. ¡°At Hogwarts, everyone is very friendly and no one will bully you. No matter what happens, there¡¯ll be Evan and me with you.¡±

    ¡°Hermione is a prefect, and I used to be the Head Boy, and the boys all listened to me.¡±

    ¡°Why used to be?¡± ine asked.

    ¡°Oh ¡­ long story. I got removed from my position as Head Boy because of an annoying woman.¡±

    ¡°An annoying woman?!¡± ine was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted. ¡°It¡¯s the toad that Ron keeps talking about, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. She is indeed the only person in the school who might bully you,¡± Hermione nodded seriously.

    Evan and Hermione told ine about Umbridge and reminded her to be prepared.

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 Chapter 1032: Elaines perspective

    Chapter 1032: ine''s perspective

    ¡°That woman has gone too far, how could she do that?¡± said ine angrily.

    After listening to Hermione¡¯s ount of what Umbridge had done at school, she wrinkled her nose and showed two fangs.

    ine seemed like she wanted to bite someone; when someone upset her, it was her habitual reaction.

    Like other girls, this action of hers was adorable, making people tempted to go and ¡°bite¡± her.

    The difference was that ine was not just pretending, she could really bite people, and her bites were very urate and very lethal.

    ¡°That woman is really hateful. She made Remus unable to find a job,¡± Tonks nodded in agreement. ¡°She has a bad reputation within the Ministry, but it¡¯s not helpful. Everyone knows she¡¯s Fudge¡¯s person, and he believes in her. She handles many things he doesn¡¯t want to be seen doing, and she holds a high position within the Ministry.¡±

    ¡°Are we just going to do nothing and let her do as she pleases at school?¡± ine asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. We¡¯ve formed abat training group, D.A. for short,¡± said Hermione in a hushed tone. ¡°Externally, it¡¯s promoted as a Defense Association, but in reality, it¡¯s Dumbledore¡¯s Army, a secret force against Voldemort. It¡¯s led by Evan, who¡¯s teaching us magic at school, and we practicebat. This is something the Ministry of Magic doesn¡¯t want us to do. ine, you can also join. How skilled are you?¡±

    ¡°Uncle says I am still far behind. I could beat Evan two years ago, but now I can¡¯t at all,¡± said ine, nodding, and then immediately she shook her head. ¡°Besides setting up abat group, what have you done to that woman?¡±¡°Oh, yes. Evan has dealt with her twice. Once, he scratched her face, and the other time, he turned her into a toad.¡±

    Obviously, these things only made Umbridge fear and hate Evan, but they did not make her restrain herself, or they could only have the opposite effect, making Umbridge cause even more trouble in school, venting her hatred for Evan on others.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ine asked with some dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all. You have to understand, she¡¯s sent by the Ministry,¡± said Hermione.

    She briefly exined the powerful rtionship to ine, not sure if she couldprehend.

    ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand the wizarding society, but if this person were in our world, she¡¯d disappear immediately,¡± said ine, revealing her two sharp teeth again. ¡°Hateful people should be seen only once, and they won¡¯t have the chance to see the sun tomorrow¡­¡±

    With a bang, Evan tapped her on the head. This child¡¯s head was full of messy and dangerous thoughts.

    What she meant by ¡®disappear¡¯ was undoubtedly amon practice among vampires: killing Umbridge and possibly draining her blood.

    Anyway, in the eyes of vampires, she was just a particrly annoying food, much like many people didn¡¯t like eating green peppers.

    But if ine dared to do such a thing, in the Wizarding World, she¡¯d be arrested and sent to Azkaban in minutes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily about killing her; you can make sure she never gets up again. I know many spells for that,¡± said ine, advancing towards Evan in a ¡°fangs and ws¡± manner, protesting his recent tap on her head. ¡°Do you need my help?¡±

    This child really said terrible things as if it was nothing, and seemed to really intend to do so.

    ¡°Well, I also know a few particrly effective curses!¡± Tonks added, as if eager to stir up some chaos.

    ¡°I know even more,¡± said Evan, ncing at Tonks with a headache, and then turning to look at ine. ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, don¡¯t attack Umbridge, and don¡¯t go around saying these things. Hermione and I can tolerate it, but just us, so be cautious.¡±

    Evan wasn¡¯t worried that it would reach Umbridge¡¯s ears, but ine¡¯s tendency to bite others and the vampire perspective of making people disappear would definitelybel her as a dangerous Dark wizard or creature if others found out.

    No matter how to look at it, these weren¡¯t the thoughts a normal fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl should have.

    From this point of view, it was really a long way to go to educate ine to establish a correct outlook on life, values ??and world view!

    ¡°Remember the identity you need to disguise, ine, don¡¯t reveal your secret. You are a fourth-year student from Beauxbatons. Like me, you are a student of Nics mel, sent to Hogwarts for an exchange ording to his orders, currently living in my house.¡±

    ¡°Of course I remember, you and Hermione have said it many times, my memory is not that bad!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I need to emphasize that you are now a <i>normal</i> human girl,¡± said Evan, putting emphasis on the word ¡®normal.¡¯ ¡°So, you should think about things ording to the normal wizard¡¯s perspective. No making people disappear or preventing them from getting out of bed. Also, no biting me or licking me. Normal people don¡¯t do that. You promised me; you¡¯ll listen to Hermione and me at Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be obedient,¡± said ine, sniffing slightly with a hint of aggrievement. She quickly moved away from Evan and hugged Hermione. ¡°But what if that woman actively provokes me? I¡¯ve heard both of you talking about what she¡¯s done, and it seems like a strong possibility.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it if it happens. Before that, don¡¯t provoke Umbridge,¡± said Evan.

    He felt that this possibility was very high, and if it did happen, Evan wouldn¡¯t be able to stop Umbridge from walking into her own demise.

    As they talked, the Knight Bus swayed back and forth, asionally weaving on and off the pavement.

    Then there was another tremendous BANG, and they were all flung forward. Evan hurriedly grabbed Hermione and ine, so that they did not fall.

    Ron¡¯s chair, at the front toppled right over and Pigwidgeon, who had been on hisp, burst out of his cage and flew twittering wildly up to the back of the bus where he fluttered down upon Hermione¡¯s shoulder instead.

    Harry, who had narrowly avoided falling by seizing Sirius, looked out of the window: they were now speeding down what appeared to be a motorway.

    ¡°Just outside Birmingham,¡± said Stan happily, answering Harry¡¯s unasked question as Ron struggled up from the floor. ¡°You keepin¡¯ well, then, ck, ¡¯Arry? I seen your and Evan¡¯s names in the paper loads over the summer, but it weren¡¯t never nuffink very nice¡­ I said to Ern, I said, ¡®¡¯e didn¡¯t seem like a nutter when we met ¡¯im, just goes to show, dunnit?¡±

    He handed over their tickets and continued to gaze, enthralled, at Harry; apparently Stan did not care how nutty somebody was if they were famous enough to be in the paper.

    Therefore, after seeing Evan, Harry, and Sirius getting in the bus, he was extremely thrilled!

    In all of this, he was acquainted with Harry.

    The year Harry ran away from home, he happened to take the Knight Bus. At that time, Evan was in his cat form, so Stan didn¡¯t recognize him.

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 Chapter 1033: Visit

    Chapter 1033: Visit

    The Knight Bus swayed rmingly, overtaking a line of cars on the inside.

    Sirius waved his hand and drove away the chattering Stan.

    He wanted to have a few words alone with Harry tomunicate his feelings.

    Speaking of which, he was really ipetent as a godfather. Even if he had been imprisoned in Azkaban before, now that he was back, he had been following Evan all over the world or going on missions for the Order of the Phoenix. He had not spent much time with Harry.

    He and Harry talked quietly, and the Knight Bus continued forward.

    <i>BANG</i>.

    Chairs slid backward again as the Knight Bus jumped from the Birmingham motorway to a quiet countryne full of hairpin bends.

    Hedgerows on either side of the road were leaping out of their way as they mounted the verges.

    From here they moved to a main street in the middle of a busy town, then to a viaduct surrounded by tall hills, then to a windswept road between high-rise ts, each time with a loud BANG.¡°I never want to ride on here again,¡± muttered Ron, picking himself up from the floor for the sixth time.

    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s ¡¯Ogwarts stop after this,¡± said Stan brightly, swaying toward them. ¡°That bossy woman at the back ¡¯oo got on with you, she¡¯s given us a little tip to move you up the queue. We¡¯re just gonna let Madam Marsh off first, though ¡ª¡± There was more retching from downstairs, followed by a horrible spattering sound. ¡°She¡¯s not feeling ¡¯er best.¡±

    A few minutester, the Knight Bus screeched to a halt outside a small pub, which squeezed itself out of the way to avoid a collision.

    They could hear Stan ushering the unfortunate Madam Marsh out of the bus and the relieved murmurings of her fellow passengers on the second deck.

    The bus moved on again, gathering speed, until ¡ª

    <i>BANG</i>.

    They were rolling through a snowy Hogsmeade.

    Evan gave ine a brief introduction to Hogsmeade, and they saw the Three Broomsticks Inn and a shop selling potions ingredients.

    There was also the Hog¡¯s Head down its side street, its severed boar¡¯s head sign creaking in the wintry wind.

    Flecks of snow hit therge window at the front of the bus, blurring the sight.

    But ine still looked at Honeydukes persistently, and Evan felt that she only remembered that ce.

    Atst they rolled to a halt outside the gates to Hogwarts.

    Sirius, Lupin and Tonks helped them off the bus with their luggage and then got off to say good-bye.

    On the three decks of the Knight Bus, all the passengers were staring down at them, noses t against the windows.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be safe once you¡¯re in the grounds,¡± said Tonks, casting a careful eye around at the deserted road. ¡°Have a good term, okay?¡±

    ¡°Remember to keep in touch,¡± said Sirius, shaking hands with Evan, and then walked to Harry¡¯s side. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I just told you, Harry. Listen to Evan and Hermione in your studies, don¡¯t be impulsive, and don¡¯t act alone. If Snape bullies you, remember to tell me!¡±

    ¡°I know!¡± Harry nodded and looked at Sirius.

    He had a lot to say but didn¡¯t know where to start; he really wanted to stay at Grimmauld ce with Sirius.

    ¡°Harry, I know you don¡¯t like Snape, but he is a superb lumens ¡­¡± Lupin came over and said, ¡°and we all ¡ª Sirius included ¡ª want you to learn to protect yourself, so work hard, all right?

    Sirius remained silent, turning his head, clearly unwilling to hear these words.

    But whether he wanted to admit it or not, he did hope that Harry would learn lumency from Snape.

    Therefore, this warning could onlye from Lupin; Sirius couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it.

    ¡°Yeah, all right,¡± said Harry heavily, looking up into Lupin¡¯s prematurely lined face, and then at Sirius who walked up to Fred and George, and waved vigorously, ¡°See you, then ¡­¡±

    The six of them struggled up the slippery drive toward the castle dragging their trunks. ine remained in awe the whole time.

    Her little mouth could hardly close, and she felt like her eyes were not big enough. This was Hogwarts.

    She had only heard of this ce in stories, and had imagined Hogwarts countless times. Now that she was here, the castle looked so enchanting.

    This was once the castle of the Slytherin family, in other words, it was ine¡¯s family¡¯s castle. ¡­

    ¡°Professor McGonagall said she wants you to report to her office,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Evan and I can apany you.¡±

    Under Dumbledore¡¯s arrangement, ine was in the same year as Evan and could be with him during the day.

    As for returning to the girls¡¯ dormitory at night, Hermione and Ginny would take care of her.

    After Professor McGonagall met ine, she offered some encouraging words and reminders. She then arranged a separate bedroom for ine. Considering ine¡¯s special situation, Hermione also moved in to live with her, making things convenient.

    After settling their luggage, Evan and Hermione began guiding ine around the castle.

    They introduced her to everyone they met, and everyone was surprised by ine¡¯s identity as a Beauxbatons exchange student.

    It was true that Hogwarts hadn¡¯t had exchange students for many years, especially not such a beautiful girl. After simply walking around the castle, ine gained a lot of poprity.

    All Hogwarts students¡¯ impressions of Beauxbatons were from the previous year, knowing that Beauxbatons had many beautiful girls in blue silk uniforms. The senior boys liked Fleur, and younger ones generally favored Gabrielle. No one expected there to be a girl like ine.

    ine and the Dcour sisters had different styles, but they were equally cute.

    With a delicately exquisite face resembling that of a porcin doll, paired with rare wine-red eyes, she had a unique and enticing allure.

    Everyone was interested in ine, especially during dinner. Many students eagerly nced toward the Gryffindor long table, excitedly discussing things about ine, specting about her background. Daily life at Hogwarts was often monotonous, and this was the best wee diversion.

    The news about ine seemed to have wings and spread throughout the castle as quickly as possible.

    Everyone knew there was an exchange student at the school who always apanied Evan and Hermione.

    Among them, the Slytherins were probably the most impressed. Because ine was very curious about the Slytherinmon room, Evan and Hermione took her to see it. Originally they just wanted to observe from a distance, but they coincidentally met a second-year student on his way back, and naturally followed him inside.

    One could easily imagine the scene; within seconds, the Slytherins had rushed out and surrounded them.

    Everyone¡¯s faces showed a mix of shock, disbelief, doubt, curiosity, anger, etc. They raised their wands and pointed them at Evan, Hermione and ine.

    The scene was like three adventurers being surrounded by a cannibal tribe.

    The Slytherins had no idea what the three of them were doing, wondering if they had gone mad. How could Gryffindors just waltz into the Slytherinmon room like this?

    If looks could kill, Evan would have died many times!

    In this situation, there was naturally no way to continue the visit. ine, who had always wanted toe here, was also surprised by the unfriendliness of the Slytherins.

    Seeing ine showing her two pointed teeth again, Evan hurriedly pulled her away. He was afraid that if he continued to stay, this girl would not be able to help but attack them.

    The result of this incident was that the Slytherins became the first to know that there was a new addition to the school.

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 Chapter 1034: No Comment

    Chapter 1034: No Comment

    In short, all the students in Hogwarts learned quickly about ine¡¯s presence, and she gained a lot of poprity.

    Almost everyone, including the Slytherins who were hostile to Gryffindor, had a favorable impression of ine.

    This was the advantage of being beautiful. There were not many girls with ine¡¯s charm at Hogwarts, and her status as an exchange student also helped her gain some extra points.

    There were always peopleing to say hello to ine, many of them even Evan didn¡¯t know.

    ine didn¡¯t expect that she would be so popr, but she wasn¡¯t good at dealing with it yet.

    If someone mentioned Beauxbatons to her, she would have no idea what to say because she had never been there.

    Most of the time, she would hide behind Evan or Hermione, giving the impression of being timid, shy, and cute, which seemed quite appealing.

    If those guys deceived by her appearance knew ine¡¯s identity, who knows how they would feel.

    Especially those boys who had ulterior motives, nning to ask ine out, they might not be prepared for a bite on the artery.¡°I don¡¯t like those people!¡± That was what ine said about the students who gathered around her.

    As she said this, she revealed two sharp vampire fangs.

    If it weren¡¯t for Evan holding her back, she would probably use themon vampire methods to deal with those students!

    ine gave the same evaluation to Umbridge.

    The next morning in Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, they met Umbridge.

    She still looked the same as before, wearing a pink suit, staring with scary toad-like eyes and with a disturbing smile on her lips.

    ¡°Really looks like a toad!¡± ine whispered to Evan, sticking out her tongue.

    ¡°Be careful, she¡¯s looking at you,¡± said Evan, noticing Umbridge¡¯s gaze.

    After telling everyone to continue reading, Umbridge walked over to them.

    She said nothing about Evan¡¯s sudden disappearance before the Christmas vacation, as if it didn¡¯t happen.

    She was obviously interested in the neer ine and asked a lot of questions.

    ¡°I heard from the headmaster that a foreign exchange student came to the school, it must be you,¡± said Umbridge, maintaining a gentle smile. ¡°Dear, could you tell me why you suddenly applied to Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°Cannot,¡± ine replied in a slightly hoarse voice, without looking at her.

    The professor suddenly became quiet, making no sound at all. Everyone turned their heads and looked at her in surprise.

    They had never seen a student speak to Umbridge like this since she came to school.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear, I didn¡¯t hear you clearly,¡± said Umbridge in a sickly sweet voice.

    ¡°I said cannot,¡± said ine. ¡°This is my private matter and has nothing to do with the content of this ss.¡±

    ¡°I hope you understand that this is not a request, but an order!¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s an order, I refuse toply,¡± said ine. ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you my private affairs, I don¡¯t want to talk to you, and besides the reason foring to Hogwarts to study, you might ask about Beauxbatons, my family situation, and other questions. To avoid trouble, I¡¯m letting you know in advance that I have noment about all of these, because you really seem annoying, that¡¯s it. So please don¡¯t ask again!¡±

    She provocatively stared at Umbridge, that expression practically challenging her: ¡®Don¡¯t agree? Come bite me.¡¯

    Anyway,pared to biting, ine had never been afraid of anyone!

    Evan helplessly closed his eyes, imagining the scene at that moment in the ssroom with Umbridge standing in front of ine, maintaining a stiff smile. Everyone else was staring at them, with mouths wide enough to fit an egg.

    ine, this girl, really had no reservations. She directly tore into Umbridge without giving her any face.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Umbridge stiffly. ¡°I will talk to Dumbledore and the headmistress of your school about this.¡±

    She looked at ine for a while, then turned and returned to her desk.

    She didn¡¯t say anything until the end of that ss; she just maliciously red at ine and Evan next to her.

    The feud between Umbridge and ine was thus forged, but she could not do anything to ine because she was not a student of Hogwarts.

    All the point deductions, detentions, and expulsions did not apply to her, and the only thing Umbridge could do was to suggest that the Headmaster terminate ine¡¯s exchange qualifications. Or, write a bad review about ine to Beauxbatons, but who cared?

    Maybe someone would care, but certainly not ine.

    This incident that happened in the fourth-year Defense Against the Dark Arts ss spread throughout the castle immediately. ine suddenly became a hero in the minds of many people, daring to confront the cruel and vicious Umbridge and making her suffer.

    That was a great feat that many students wanted to do but didn¡¯t dare to. ine¡¯s poprity in the school had be even higher!

    Some things just happened this way. ine clearly didn¡¯t want to attract attention, but she unknowingly became the center of discussion at Hogwarts, the hottest focus, even recing Harry and Evan. All thements about her were positive.

    The story of her refusal of Umbridge¡¯s demand became more and more exaggerated, and in the end, some even said that ine gave Umbridge a severe beating in the ssroom.

    Of course, that was indeed her original thought, yet it was not to beat her up, but to be more direct and make Umbridge disappear.

    Not just Umbridge, ording to this girl¡¯s ¡®philosophy¡¯, most of the people in the castle should disappear.

    Because she thought they were all annoying, hanging around her all day long¡­

    The road to nurturing ine was really long and arduous, and Evan felt it was necessary to teach her to be low-key.

    ine just looked timid and seemed to be easy to bully, but in fact this was not the case at all.

    Compared to ine, Harry was really scared. He spent most of Monday dreading the evening.

    His morning Potions lesson did nothing to dispel his trepidation, as Snape was as unpleasant as ever.

    And the way others looked at him when they knew he was going to Snape¡¯s Remedial Potions in the evening¡­

    Snape had never tutored any student, and for the majority, such tutoring seemed more like a form of punishment.

    But it was not without good news. That evening, Evan and the others learned about Harry and Cho from Ron.

    It happened when Harry and Ron went to Divination ss, parting ways at the entrance to the Great Hall.

    Hermione went to her Arithmancy ss, while Evan led Colin, Ginny and ine to their History of Magic ss.

    ¡°ine is really amazing, daring to speak to that old toad like that,¡± said Ron. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect her to seem so delicate, but her personality is even stronger than Hermione¡¯s. Directly confronting Umbridge, considering her background, it¡¯s not that surprising, is it? I heard¡­¡±

    Ron stopped, and Harry wasn¡¯t in the mood to listen to what he had to say. They saw Choing out from around the corner.

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 Chapter 1035: Harrys Individual Tutoring

    Chapter 1035: Harry''s Individual Tutoring

    ¡°Harry ¡­ had a good Christmas?¡± asked Cho.

    ¡°Yeah, not bad; what about you?¡± said Harry as his stomach leapt ufortably.

    Ron, on the side, watched the two of them. He felt that Cho¡¯s appearance here was too coincidental, as if she was specifically waiting here.

    If Hermione were here, she would have directly pulled him away, giving Harry and Cho some space. However, Ron didn¡¯t have that kind of self-awareness.

    On the contrary, he found this matter very interesting and wanted to help Harry with suggestions.

    ¡°Mine was pretty quiet, didn¡¯t go anywhere,¡± said Cho. For some reason, she was looking rather embarrassed. ¡°Erm ¡­ there¡¯s another Hogsmeade trip next month, did you see the notice?¡±

    ¡°What? Oh no, I haven¡¯t checked the notice board since I got back¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s on Valentine¡¯s Day¡­¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Harry, wondering why she was telling him this. ¡°Well, I suppose you want to¡­¡±¡°Only if you do,¡± she said eagerly.

    Harry stared. He had been about to say ¡°I suppose you want to know when the next D.A. meeting is?¡±

    They had just been discussing it, and Evan had mentioned the need to speed up their learning.

    But Cho¡¯s response did not seem to fit. She didn¡¯t seem to be asking about this.

    ¡°I¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t,¡± she said, looking mortified. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I-I¡¯ll see you around.¡±

    She walked away. Harry stood staring after her, his brain working frantically.

    ¡°Buddy, it seems like she wants to ask you out,¡± said Ron. He was still somewhat useful staying here.

    Harry suddenly woke up. Wasn¡¯t this what he had been thinking about?!

    He ran after Cho, catching her halfway up the marble staircase.

    ¡°Er ¡ª do you want toe into Hogsmeade with me on Valentine¡¯s Day?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, yes!¡± she said, blushing crimson and beaming at him. She looked at Harry expectantly. ¡°Do you want to go with me?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, I¡¯ve been dreaming about it ¡­ that¡¯s settled then,¡± said Harry, feeling that the day was not going to be aplete loss after all.

    Snape¡¯s private Remedial Potions in the evening suddenly didn¡¯t seem so unbearable.

    Regarding Harry¡¯s performance, Hermione¡¯s assessment could be summed up in just two words: <i>an idiot</i>!

    Evan didn¡¯t say anything, because his performance in chasing Hermione was not much better than Harry¡¯s.

    They were both novices when it came to how to pursue a girl, and they needed the girl to take the initiative a bit.

    But now it didn¡¯t matter; those were things of the past. Now Evan had been tested for a long time and was very skilled.

    He knew what to do whenever he was alone with Hermione, and before the Christmas holidays this year it was easy and the opportunities were plentiful.

    But now there was a small problem ¡ª getting rid of ine.

    Was the next trip to Hogsmeade on Valentine¡¯s Day? Maybe he could revisit the old haunts of Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop with Hermione.

    Evan tapped his knuckles lightly on the edge of the table as he considered the matter.

    At the same time, Harry was standing outside the door of Snape¡¯s office, having ominous feelings.

    He paused outside the door when he reached it, wishing he were almost anywhere else, then, taking a deep breath, knocked, and entered.

    It was a shadowy room lined with shelves bearing hundreds of ss jars in which floated slimy bits of animals and nts, suspended in variously colored potions.

    In a corner stood the cupboard full of all kinds of precious ingredients, all of which were now in Evan¡¯s pockets.

    Harry looked around and his attention was quickly drawn to the desk where a shallow stone basin engraved with runes and symbolsy in a pool of candlelight. Harry recognized it at once ¡ª Dumbledore¡¯s Pensieve.

    Wondering what on earth it was doing here, he jumped when Snape¡¯s cold voice came out of the corner.

    ¡°Shut the door behind you, Potter.¡±

    Harry did as he was told with the horrible feeling that he was imprisoning himself as he did so.

    When he turned back to face the room Snape had moved into the light and was pointing silently at the chair opposite his desk.

    Harry sat down and so did Snape, his cold ck eyes fixed unblinkingly upon Harry, dislike etched in every line of his face.

    ¡°Well, you know why you are here,¡± he said coldly. ¡°The headmaster has asked me to teach you lumency. I can only hope that you prove more adept at it than Potions.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± said Harry tersely.

    ¡°This may not be an ordinary ss, Potter,¡± said Snape, his eyes narrowed malevolently, ¡°but I am still your teacher and you will therefore call me ¡®sir¡¯ or ¡®Professor¡¯ at all times. This is the most basic respect.¡±

    ¡°Yes ¡­ Professor!¡±

    ¡°Very well, lumency. You have learned it from Mason before, so you should know that this branch of magic seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence. You need to learn it because the Headmaster is concerned about the Dark Lord extracting feelings and memories from your mind¡­¡±

    ¡°Why can he do that to me?¡± Harry asked immediately.

    This was the answer he¡¯d always wanted to know, and it would be great if Snape could answer it.

    ¡°There are many possibilities. The mostmonly used spell is Legilimency,¡± said Snape. ¡°It is also the simplest.¡±

    ¡°Is it mind reading?¡±

    ¡°You have no subtlety, Potter,¡± said Snape, his dark eyes glittering. ¡°You do not understand fine distinctions. It is one of the shorings that makes you such amentable potion-maker. Of course, this has nothing to do with me.¡±

    Snape paused for a moment, apparently to savor the pleasure of insulting Harry.

    ¡°Only Muggles talk of ¡®mind reading.¡¯ The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is aplex and manyyered thing, Potter ¡­ or at least, most minds are¡­¡± he smirked. ¡°I hope you remember what I said. This is what Mr. Know-It-All will not teach you. The Dark Lord is able to delve into others¡¯ minds and to interpret his findings correctly. This is the power of magic, and he is highly proficient in this magic. For instance, he almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at lumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so utter falsehoods in his presence without detection.¡±

    ¡°But why is it always me?¡± Harry summoned the courage to ask.

    ¡°Because of the scar on your head, the connection between you and him is particrly strong,¡± said Snape, ¡°Also, you need to call me ¡®Professor¡¯!¡±

    ¡°So he could know what we¡¯re thinking right now? Professor?¡±

    ¡°The Dark Lord is at a considerable distance and the walls and grounds of Hogwarts are guarded by many ancient spells and charms to ensure the bodily and mental safety of those who dwell within them,¡± said Snape. ¡°Time and space matter in magic, Potter. Eye contact is often essential to Legilimency.¡±

    ¡°Well then, why do I have to learn lumency?¡±

    Snape eyed Harry, tracing his mouth with one long, thin finger as he did so.

    ¡°The usual rules do not seem to apply with you, Potter. The curse that failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of connection between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, when your mind is most rxed and vulnerable ¡ª when you are asleep, for instance ¡ª you are sharing the Dark Lord¡¯s thoughts and emotions. Just likest time, you witnessed what happened in Norway, and the headmaster thinks it inadvisable for this to continue. He wishes me to teach you how to close your mind to the Dark Lord.¡±

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 Chapter 1036: Legilimency and Memories

    Chapter 1036: Legilimency and Memories

    Harry¡¯s heart was pumping fast. Snape¡¯s exnation was simr to what Evan had been telling him.

    But he always felt that something was not right, and there were some things that he couldn¡¯t exin.

    ¡°But why does Professor Dumbledore want to stop it?¡± he asked abruptly. ¡°I don¡¯t like it much, but it¡¯s been useful, hasn¡¯t it? I mean ¡­ I saw Voldemort split his soul, use the statue of the evil god to make a Horcrux, and I saved Caresius, didn¡¯t I? Professor?¡±

    Snape visibly flinched when he heard the sensitive words such as Voldemort, split soul, and the statue of the evil god.

    He stared at Harry, still tracing his mouth with his finger. When he spoke again, it was slowly and deliberately, as though he weighed every word.

    ¡°It appears that the Dark Lord has been unaware of the connection between you and himself until very recently. Up till now it seems that you have been experiencing his emotions and sharing his thoughts without his being any the wiser. But now the situation ispletely different. That dream of yours was so serious. After the powerful incursion upon his thoughts and seeing something so important, do you think he would do nothing?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s Voldemort going to do?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say his name, Potter!¡±

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore says his name,¡± said Harry quietly.¡°Dumbledore is an extremely powerful wizard. While he may feel secure enough to use the name ¡­ the rest of us ¡­¡± said Snape gloomily. ¡°It is just a sign of stupidity for you to directly call the Dark Lord by his name. Fearlessness stems from ignorance.¡±

    He rubbed his left forearm, apparently unconsciously, on the spot where Harry knew the Dark Mark was burned into his skin.

    ¡°Then what is he going to do now that he knows the connection between me and him, Professor?¡± Harry tried his best to keep his tone polite. ¡°Manipte me in return?¡±

    He disagreed with what Snape was saying, but he didn¡¯te here to argue with Snape.

    Harry had more things to worry about. At the end of the duel in Norway, he seemed to be controlled by Voldemort!

    He still remembered the scene at that time. He could only see a pair of blood-red eyes, losing control of his own body. Voldemort was talking through his mouth, forcing his body to move, and he fell directly from the tform into the endless abyss.

    ¡°He might,¡± said Snape, sounding cold and unconcerned. ¡°You need to understand, our concern now is not him controlling you, but the reverse ¨C sensing your thoughts and feelings, learning the secrets he¡¯s interested in from you. That¡¯s what he excels at ¨C knowing too much of what you shouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Snape¡¯s words made Harry feel uneasy; he had apparently be the source of leaks.

    Was it true? Was that why Dumbledore had refused to tell him anything, leaving him alone with the Dursleys?

    Snape pulled out his wand from an inside pocket of his robes and Harry tensed, but Snape merely raised the wand to his temple and ced its tip into the greasy roots of his hair.

    When he withdrew his wand, some silvery substance came away, stretching from temple to wand like a thick gossamer strand, which broke as he pulled the wand away from it and fell gracefully into the Pensieve, where it swirled silvery white, neither gas nor liquid.

    Twice more Snape raised the wand to his temple and deposited the silvery substance into the stone basin, then, without offering any exnation of his behavior, he picked up the Pensieve carefully, removed it to a shelf out of their way and returned to face Harry with his wand held at the ready.

    ¡°Stand up and take out your wand, Potter.¡±

    Harry got to his feet feeling nervous. They faced each other with the desk between them.

    ¡°You¡¯ve learned lumency with Mason before, so you should know some basics. Now you                          may use it, or you may use your wand to disarm me, or defend yourself in any other way you can think of,¡± said Snape. ¡°Any way will do!¡±

    ¡°And what are you going to do?¡± Harry asked, eyeing Snape¡¯s wand apprehensively.

    ¡°Break into your mind,¡± said Snape softly. ¡°We are going to see how well you resist. Brace yourself, now¡­ <i>Legilimens</i>!¡±

    Harry had never seen Evan do this before. Snape had struck before Harry had even begun to summon any force of resistance.

    The office swam in front of his eyes and vanished, image after image was racing through his mind like a flickering film so vivid it blinded him to his surroundings.

    He was five, watching Dudley riding a new red bicycle, and his heart was bursting with jealousy¡­

    He was nine, and Ripper the bulldog was chasing him up a tree and the Dursleys wereughing below on thewn. He was lonely and helpless¡­

    He was sitting under the Sorting Hat, and it was telling him he would do well in Slytherin¡­

    In his first year, he was facing Professor Quirrell alone, who was controlled by Voldemort¡­

    He and Evan were catching the Basilisk, running around in the school pipes¡­

    A hundred Dementors were closing in on him and Hermione on the dark field¡­

    Sirius was fainting beside him, and he was seeing two silver Patronuses flying towards them from a distance¡­

    Cho Chang was going on a date with him to Hogsmeade, and he was going to¡­

    No, said a voice in Harry¡¯s head, you¡¯re not watching that, you¡¯re not watching it, it¡¯s private.

    He felt a sharp pain in his knee. Snape¡¯s office hade back into view and he realized that he had fallen to the floor; one of his knees had collided painfully with the leg of Snape¡¯s desk.

    He looked up at Snape, who had lowered his wand and was rubbing his wrist. There was an angry weal there, like a scorch mark.

    ¡°Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex?¡± asked Snape coolly.

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry bitterly, getting up from the floor.

    ¡°I thought not,¡± said Snape contemptuously. ¡°You let me get in too far. You lost control.¡±

    ¡°Did you see everything I saw?¡± Harry asked, unsure whether he wanted to hear the answer.

    ¡°shes of it,¡± said Snape, his lip curling. ¡°To whom did the dog belong?¡±

    ¡°My Aunt Marge,¡± Harry muttered, hating Snape in his heart.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad. You should have reacted faster,¡± said Snape, raising his wand once more. ¡°You wasted time and energy shouting and making useless resistance. You must remain focused. Repel me with your brain and you will not need to resort to your wand.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying,¡± said Harry angrily, ¡°but you¡¯re not telling me how!¡±

    ¡°Manners, Potter,¡± said Snape dangerously. ¡°I thought you knew, as you told me you learned lumency before. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ignorant of even these basics. Disappointing¡­ Now, I want you to close your eyes.¡±

    Harry threw him a filthy look before reluctantly doing as he was told.

    He did not like the idea of standing there with his eyes shut while Snape faced him, carrying a wand.

    ¡°Clear your mind, Potter,¡± said Snape¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Let go of all emotion¡­¡±

    Harry tried hard to do so, but his anger at Snape continued to pound through his veins like venom.

    Let go of his anger? He could as easily detach his legs¡­

    Evan had told him before to clear his mind and think about nothing, but did not say to let go of all emotion.

    ¡°You¡¯re not doing it, Potter¡­ You will need more discipline than this¡­ Focus, now¡­¡±

    Harry tried to empty his mind, tried not to think, or remember, or feel¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s go again ¡­ on the count of three ¡­ one ¡ª two ¡ª three ¡ª <i>Legilimens</i>!¡±

    The office disappeared again, and Harry saw his father and mother waving at him out of an enchanted mirror¡­

    Then, he saw Voldemort¡¯s resurrection, with countless Death Eaters watching them from under their hoods¡­

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 Chapter 1037: Creating Opportunities

    ¡°NOOOOOOO!¡±

    Harry was on his knees again, his face buried in his hands, his brain aching as though someone had been trying to pull it from his skull.

    ¡°Get up!¡± said Snape sharply. ¡°Get up! You are not trying, you are making no effort!¡±

    Harry stood up again, his heart thumping wildly.

    Across from him, Snape looked paler than usual, and angrier, though not nearly as angry as Harry was.

    ¡°I ¡ª am ¡ª making ¡ª an ¡ª effort,¡± he said through clenched teeth.

    ¡°No, you are not, I told you to empty yourself of emotion!¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Well, I¡¯m finding that hard at the moment,¡± Harry snarled.

    ¡°Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord,¡± said Snape savagely. ¡°Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily ¡ª weak people, in other words ¡ª they stand no chance against his powers! He will prate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!¡± ¡°¡°I am not weak,¡± said Harry in a low voice, fury now pumping through him so that he thought he might attack Snape in a moment.

    ¡°Then prove it! Master yourself!¡± spat Snape. ¡°Control your anger, discipline your mind! We shall try again! Get ready, now! <i>Legilimens</i>!¡±

    He was watching Uncle Vernon hammering the letter box shut¡­

    A hundred Dementors were drifting toward him from the opposite side¡­

    Then he came to the windowless passage he had dreamed of many times before.

    But this time it was not a dream, Harry returned to the day when he and Evan went to the Ministry of Magic for trial, August 12th.

    Mr. Weasley was running with him and Evan to the underground courtroom, where they passed the same ce.

    Harry tried to go in, but Mr. Weasley led him and Evan off to the left, down a flight of stone steps¡­

    ¡°I KNOW! I KNOW!¡±

    He was on all fours again on Snape¡¯s office floor, his scar was prickling unpleasantly.

    He pushed himself up again to find Snape staring at him, his wand raised. It looked as though, this time, Snape had lifted the spell before Harry had even tried to fight back.

    ¡°What happened then, Potter?¡± he asked, eyeing Harry intently.

    ¡°I saw ¡ª I remembered,¡± Harry panted. ¡°I¡¯ve just realized¡­¡±

    ¡°Realized what?¡± asked Snape sharply.

    Harry did not answer at once; he was still savoring the moment of blinding realization as he rubbed his forehead¡­

    He had been dreaming about a windowless corridor ending in a locked door for months, without once realizing that it was a real ce.

    Now, seeing the memory again, he knew that all along he had been dreaming about the corridor down which he had run with Evan and Mr. Weasley as they hurried to the courtrooms in the Ministry. It was the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries, and Voldemort wanted to enter.

    ¡°What¡¯s in the Department of Mysteries?¡± He looked up at Snape.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Snape asked quietly and Harry saw, with deep satisfaction, that Snape was unnerved.

    ¡°I said, what¡¯s in the Department of Mysteries, Professor?¡±

    ¡°And why,¡± said Snape slowly, ¡°would you ask such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Because,¡± said Harry, watching Snape closely for a reaction, ¡°that corridor I¡¯ve just seen ¡ª I¡¯ve been dreaming about it for months ¡ª I¡¯ve just recognized it ¡ª it leads to the Department of Mysteries ¡­ and I think Voldemort wants something from ¡ª ¡°

    <i>¡°I have told you not to say the Dark Lord¡¯s name!</i>¡°

    They red at each other. Harry¡¯s scar seared again, but he did not care.

    Snape looked agitated. When he spoke again he sounded as though he was trying to appear cool and unconcerned.

    ¡°There are many things in the Department of Mysteries, Potter, much, much more than you can imagine, but few of which you would understand and none of which concern you, do I make myself in?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Harry said, still rubbing his prickling scar, which was bing more painful.

    ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll stop here for today. I want you back here same time on Wednesday, and we will continue work then.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Harry. He was desperate to get out of Snape¡¯s office and find Evan, Ron and Hermione.

    ¡°You are to rid your mind of all emotion every night before sleep ¡ª empty it, make it nk and calm, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Harry, who was barely listening.

    ¡°And be warned, Potter ¡­ I shall know if you have not practiced ¡­¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± Harry mumbled. He picked up his schoolbag, swung it over his shoulder, and hurried toward the office door.

    As he opened it he nced back at Snape, who had his back to Harry and was scooping his own thoughts out of the Pensieve with the tip of his wand and recing them carefully inside his own head.

    Harry closed the door carefully behind him, his scar still throbbing painfully.

    Finally, Harry found Evan, Hermione, ine and Ron in the library.

    ine was flipping through a book about the history of vampire origins, while Evan, Hermione, and Ron were doing homework.

    Other students, nearly all of them fifth years, were also there for the O.W.L.s exam.

    They sat atmp-lit tables nearby, noses close to books, quills scratching feverishly, while the sky outside the mullioned windows grew steadily cker.

    The only other sound was the slight squeaking of one of Madam Pince¡¯s shoes as the librarian prowled the aisles menacingly, breathing down the necks of those touching her precious books.

    Harry felt shivery; his scar was still aching, he felt almost feverish.

    ¡°Blimey, you look bad, Harry,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°What happened? What did he do to you?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Are you all right, Harry?¡± Hermione whispered, looking concerned.

    From the look of Harry, Snape¡¯s private tutoring was really bad. What happened between them?

    ine put down her book and looked up at Harry.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Harry impatiently, wincing in pain. ¡°Listen ¡­ I¡¯ve just realized something¡­¡±

    He looked around and told them what he had just seen and deduced.

    Evan also frowned. Harry finally knew about this. What would Dumbledore do?!

    Would he adopt Evan¡¯s suggestion? He should take Caresius to seek treatment from Grindelwald now. Once the vampire-rted matter was resolved, it would be time to deal with the Prophecy Orb at the Ministry of Magic, which was something Voldemort was determined to obtain.

    But to be honest, from the current situation, Voldemort¡¯s side was a bit weak.

    His army had not yet been formed, and the Death Eaters who were most devoted to him were still imprisoned in Azkaban.

    He was about the same strength as Dumbledore, but Harry could counter him. His wand was ineffective against Harry.

    The statue of the evil god was consumedpletely by Evan. Engaging in a decisive battle now; Voldemort had little chance of winning.

    The only thing he could rely on now was the Horcruxes. He was immortal until the Horcruxes werepletely destroyed.

    In particr, he had made the evil god statue into a Horcrux, which was very troublesome because it was difficult to destroy, given the protective powers of the evil god and the strength added by the Horcrux.

    Evan felt that he should find a way to get an unparalleled weapon.

    Of course, this was just aparison of strength on the surface. The true horror of the evil god had not yet been revealed, nor had the horror of Voldemort. No one could guarantee what kind of monster Voldemort would be under the guidance of the evil god, an evil being willing to sacrifice even his own body for immortality and world domination.

    Therefore, the sooner the final battle was held, the better for them. If Voldemort didn¡¯t provide an opportunity, then they would create one themselves.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1270 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1038: The Legend of the Headless Horseman

    Because of Evan¡¯s joining, the fragile bnce between the two parties had been broken, and the situation was developing in a direction that was not conducive to Voldemort.

    Suppressing the opponent and not giving Voldemort a chance to breathe was what Evan was thinking now.

    But Voldemort was not a fool and would not give them a chance easily.

    Especially after the incident in Norway, the statue of the evil god was damaged and he escaped with injuries, and now he was even more reluctant to expose himself.

    Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix needed time to prepare for the final battle, and Evan was not in a hurry. He also needed to find out the trump cards of Voldemort and the Evil God. Thest time he forcibly used ¡°Silence¡± magic to cause damage to the Evil God¡¯s statue, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor had also been seriously consumed.

    There were cracks on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, and its brightness had obviously faded. It would maybe not be able to support him for too long.

    This was not good news for Evan, whose top priority was to collect the treasure keys left by the other Founders.

    But it would be great if they could force Voldemort out for another fight, which would give them an even greater advantage.

    And they just had such a thing to lure Voldemort out. The Prophecy orb was irresistible to Voldemort¡¯s temptation.As long as they nned carefully, making him think he had a chance, they could lure him out.

    The most ideal oue then would be to defeat Voldemort. If that didn¡¯t work, revealing the fact of his resurrection could further restrain him. Whether it was the pursuit of the Elder Wand¡¯s secret or thepletion of the evil god¡¯s conspiracy, he would be hindered and restricted.

    Not to mention, Evan had to go there to get the Time-Turner, which was a crucial prop.

    Therefore, Harry knowing about the Department of Mysteries was in line with Evan¡¯s n, and he felt that it was necessary to give it another push.

    Of course, these things still had to be hidden from Harry, as Voldemort could easily learn the secrets from his mind. If identally leaked, the n would fail!

    While Evan was thinking about the whole thing, Hermione and the others were also discussing the information brought by Harry.

    ¡°Harry, so ¡­ so, are you saying ¡­¡± whispered Ron, as Madam Pince swept past, squeaking slightly, ¡°that the weapon ¡ª the thing You-Know-Who¡¯s after ¡ª is in the Ministry of Magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s got to be there,¡± Harry whispered. ¡°It¡¯s definitely that door. I¡¯ve been having that damn dream for more than a month. There¡¯s no mistaking it. I should have thought of it earlier. When I went to the courtroom with your father, I¡¯ve seen that door. Remember, Evan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Evan nodded. ¡°I remember that ce!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Hermione said disapprovingly.

    ¡°Of course what?¡± Ron asked impatiently.

    ¡°Think about it¡­ Sturgis Podmore was trying to get through a door at the Ministry of Magic¡­ It must have been that one; it¡¯s too much of a coincidence!¡± Hermione said slowly. ¡°But it¡¯s a bit odd. Howe Sturgis was trying to break in when he¡¯s on our side?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Harry shook his head.

    ¡°He might have been under the Imperius Curse, or he could have defected to Voldemort; both are possible,¡± said Evan quickly. ¡°But no matter what, there¡¯s something crucial in the Department of Mysteries, and Voldemort wants to get it.¡±

    ¡°I heard my uncle talk about that ce!¡± ine also interjected. ¡°He said that it is a ce where the Ministry of Magic specializes in collecting ancient magic items and legendary magic items, possessing unimaginable power. But most of those things have lost their magic power, or have very harsh conditions and cannot be used by current spellcasters, so they¡¯re kept there.¡±

    ¡°Could it be rted to the evil god?¡± Hermione suddenly asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s hard to say. The Ministry might be secretly developing something there.¡±

    ¡°Do you think Umbridge knows? She¡¯s the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic!¡± Ron thought of this possibility.

    ¡°Even if she knows something, she won¡¯t say it. It would be good if she doesn¡¯t cause any trouble for us!¡±

    ¡°I know the Imperius Curse and Legilimency. Do you need me to use them on her?¡± said ine, revealing her two sharp fangs. ¡°I¡¯m already very proficient in these two magic. I can make her tell everything she knows. Leave it all to me!¡±

    THUMP!

    Evan knocked her on the head again. This was not the kind of magic a student should be using.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cause trouble. Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mess with Umbridge?¡±

    ¡°But she offended me. You forgot about this morning¡¯s ss? I had to strike first before she caused trouble for me.¡±

    ine was really ustomed to violence; her mind was full of dangerous thoughts. It seemed like she needed to be kept under control, or she might cause some serious trouble.

    But considering the environment in which she grew up, it was not surprising that she thought this way.

    This was already a weakened version of a vampire. If Caresius were here, her thoughts might be even more perilous.

    Evan did not need to use the Imperius Curse on Umbridge, because he already knew everything he needed to know. It just wasn¡¯t the right time to reveal it.

    He wanted to use Harry and the Prophecy orb to lure Voldemort to the Ministry of Magic. Only in this way could he enter legally and trap Voldemort in the process.

    ¡°Harry, are you sure you¡¯re all right?¡± Hermione looked at Harry worriedly, he didn¡¯t look good.

    Harry had just run both his hands hard over his forehead as though trying to iron it, with a very painful expression.

    ¡°Yeah ¡­ fine ¡­¡± he said, lowering his hands, which were trembling. ¡°I just feel a bit ¡­ how should I put it ¡­ I don¡¯t like lumency much ¡­ and I don¡¯t like the way Snape taught me. It¡¯s too rough, forcibly thrusting into my mind ¡­ It seems like he fears something inside me.¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, what he did is actually effective,¡± said Evan. ¡°But training with such high intensity for the first time is indeed a bit too hasty. It cannot be ruled out that he wants to figure out what you¡¯re thinking through this method.¡±

    ¡°I expect anyone would feel shaky if they¡¯d had their mind attacked over and over again,¡± said Hermione sympathetically. ¡°Look, let¡¯s get back to themon room; we¡¯ll be a bit morefortable there¡­¡±

    But themon room was packed and full of shrieks ofughter and excitement; Fred and George were demonstrating theirtest bit of joke shop merchandise.

    ¡°Headless Hats!¡± shouted George, as Fred waved a pointed hat decorated with a fluffy pink feather at the watching students. ¡°Two Galleons each ¡ª watch Fred, now!¡±

    Fred swept the hat onto his head, beaming. For a second he merely looked rather stupid, then both hat and head vanished.

    Several girls screamed, but everyone else was roaring withughter.

    ¡°And off again!¡± shouted George, and Fred¡¯s hand groped for a moment in what seemed to be thin air over his shoulder; then his head reappeared as he swept the pink-feathered hat from it again.

    ¡°Wow ¡­ how did he do that?!¡± Ron looked at the hat in surprise.

    ¡°It seems very interesting, losing your own head,¡± said ine, looking at the pink hat in Fred¡¯s hand, ¡°I heard this story. There was a knight who lost his head, and he¡¯s been searching for it. If he finds someone with a good-looking head, he cuts it off and takes it home.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a legend!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a legend, because there really was a headless horseman who visited my house,¡± said ine seriously, her burgundy eyes sweeping over Evan, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, ¡°I have seen it with my own eyes. It was a knight in ck armor, covered with blood, shrouded in ck smoke, his right hand held a head at his waist. The exposed skin looked like moldy cheese. He had arge mouth and hugepound eyes like flies. He kept searching for a next target¡­¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t be true, right?¡± Ron stopped smiling and looked at ine fearfully.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. If you meet him, be careful with your head,¡± said ine. ¡°He¡¯s looking for a substitute!¡±

    When Ron turned around in panic, Evan knocked ine on the head again.

    ¡°There¡¯s no Headless Horseman. Stop scaring people!¡± he whispered.

    ¡°How do you know what I said is false?!¡± said ine simply, looking at Evan yfully.

    ¡°Because I saw you smirking!¡± Evan curled his lips; this girl indeed had a wicked sense of humor!

    From time to time, she came up with some dangerous ideas, just like biting or licking Evan. Bluffing to scare people seemed to be also one of her interests.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1270 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ? <ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1039: Death Eaters Prison Break

    The more familiar Evan became with ine, the more clearly he could sense these traits in her.

    Unlike Fred and George¡¯s pranks, ine was used to telling lies with a serious face, as if they were true.

    She didn¡¯t have any malicious intentions; she just thought it was fun. This girl had no resistance to fun and interesting things.

    However, as ine was too familiar to Evan, and Hermione was intelligent, capable of discerning the truth, they seldom fell for ine¡¯s tricks.

    After ine failed several times with the two of them, she began to shift her goals to Ron.

    Speaking of which, Ron was a bit too gullible. Anyone who heard this absurd headless horseman legend knew it was false.

    ¡°Well, their invention is quite impressive!¡± Hermione looked at the hats in Fred and George¡¯s hands with interest. ¡°It must be some kind of Invisibility Spell, but it¡¯s rather clever to have extended the field of invisibility beyond the boundaries of the charmed object. I¡¯m not sure how they did it.¡±

    ¡°They used the method of making an invisibility cloak as a reference,¡± said Evan. ¡°They found information from the ck family¡¯s collection of books.¡±

    The library contained numerous advanced magic texts, including the magic research notes of the ck family ancestors.After Fred and George proposed the idea, Evan rmended a magic book and rted materials to them, and it seemed to have worked well.

    Harry did not participate in their conversation. He was still ufortable, holding his textbook and staring at the fire in a daze.

    He felt really ufortable, after being probed by Snape, his body only felt a kind of emptiness, just like that night when he dreamed of the evil god.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to have to do this tomorrow,¡± he muttered, pushing the books he had just taken out of his bag back inside it.

    ¡°Well, write it in your homework nner then!¡± said Hermione encouragingly. ¡°So you don¡¯t forget!¡±

    Harry did as Hermione asked. He reached into his bag, withdrew the nner and opened it tentatively.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave it tillter, you big second-rater!¡± chided the book as Harry scribbled down Potions and Divination homework. Hermione beamed at it.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go to bed,¡± said Harry, stuffing the homework nner back into his bag and making a mental note to drop it in the fire the first opportunity he got.

    He stood up, then stopped immediately. In front of him, the bright mes were dancing.

    Harry stared at the mes absentmindedly, feeling increasingly uneasy. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he was about to make contact with Voldemort again.

    Not long ago, Sirius clearly told him that Voldemort would not easily contact him now.

    But the scene in front of him was getting blurry. What was it this time?

    In a daze, Harry didn¡¯t know where he was, whether he was standing or lying down, he did not even know his own name¡­

    He didn¡¯t see anything, but maniacalughter was ringing in his ears¡­ He was happier than he had been in a very long time¡­ Jubnt, ecstatic, triumphant ¡­ A wonderful, wonderful thing had happened¡­

    Harry wanted to feel more clearly what it was, but the other party seemed to be on guard against him.

    ¡°Harry? HARRY!¡±

    Someone had hit him around the face. The insaneughter was punctuated with a cry of pain. The happiness was draining out of him, but theughter continued¡­

    Harry opened his eyes and as he did so, he became aware that the wildughter wasing out of his own mouth.

    The moment he realized this, it died away.

    Everyone in themon room looked at him in fear.

    Beside him, Evan had just awakened him up, with a cautious look on his face.

    Hermione was holding the homework nner in her hand, as if she had been hit by a Body Freezing Spell, while Ron¡¯s gaze was strangely ambiguous.

    The same was true for ine, who didn¡¯t even notice that the Blood-voured lollipop had fallen from her hand.

    Harryy panting on the sofa, staring up at the ceiling, the scar on his forehead throbbing horribly.

    ¡°What happened? What did Voldemort let you see?¡± Evan asked, pulling Harry into the corner.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything, he cut off contact with me, but he¡¯s happy, something good¡¯s happened!¡± Harry muttered, panting, very ufortable, as if he might faint at any moment. ¡°Something he¡¯s been hoping for.¡±

    ¡°Harry, you shouldn¡¯t have seen these things,¡± said Ron worriedly.

    ¡°I know,¡± said Harry irritably, ¡°lumency didn¡¯t work, but weakened my resistance.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, your defenses will be low at the moment, after Snape¡¯s been fiddling around with your mind,¡± said Hermione. ¡°The connection between you and him has strengthened, but it¡¯s really strange, why is he happy? Is there anything good that makes him ecstatic?¡± ¡°

    ¡°Could it be something in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, the Order of the Phoenix sent people to watch over there!¡± Evan thought for a moment and continued, ¡°If there¡¯s no progress with the evil god, then it should be those Death Eaters breaking out. His power has increased.¡±

    He had already considered the current situation. The Dementors¡¯ rebellion and the Death Eaters¡¯ escape from prison were bound to happen.

    There was nothing they could do to stop it, Fudge and the Ministry of Magic didn¡¯t want to believe them, and the Order didn¡¯t have the ability to guard Azkaban.

    As bad as it was, it was within his expectations and within the scope of the n.

    If he wanted to lure Voldemort out again, he needed to make him feel that his strength had increased, otherwise he would keep hiding.

    From this perspective, the Death Eaters¡¯ escape from prison was not entirely a bad thing.

    There were a few troublesome guys among them, though.

    ¡°Oh goodness, Evan, you said those Death Eaters¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they escaped from prison,¡± said Evan in a low voice, noticing that the others were looking at them.

    ¡°If this is really the case, we should notify Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°The headmaster has known for a long time. This was bound to happen sooner orter. I¡¯ve discussed it with Sirius, and the Order of the Phoenix made some preparations,¡± said Evan. ¡°Wait for tomorrow morning¡¯s newspaper; there should be detailed information.¡±

    ¡°But ¡­ I mean ¡­ what should we do? Just sit here?¡± said Ron anxiously.

    ¡°You can also seize the time to learn more magic to prepare for future battles,¡± said Evan. ¡°But I suggest you and Harry go back to sleep. His current state is too bad. Well, Harry, try to clear your mind and continue practicing lumency, but nothing else should happen tonight.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and both Harry and Ron looked at Evan in shock.

    A vicious event like Death Eaters¡¯ escape from prison urred, and Evan actually suggested they go back to sleep¡­

    But thinking about it carefully, there wasn¡¯t much they could do; they could only wait and see.

    Evan buried his head in the Herbology textbook again. What happened was a major turning point, and his peaceful life was over!

    Sure enough, they saw the report in the following day¡¯s newspaper.

    As usual, when Hermione¡¯s copy of the <i>Daily Prophet </i>arrived, she smoothed it out, gazed for a moment at the front page first, and then she suddenly mmed the newspaper down on the table, causing the milk cups to rattle.

    ¡°Look!¡± She pointed at thirty small ck-and-white photographs that filled the whole of the front page, twenty-nine showing wizards¡¯ faces and the thirtieth, a witch¡¯s.

    Some of the people in the photographs were silently jeering; others were tapping their fingers on the frame of their pictures, looking insolent. Each picture was captioned with a name and the crime for which the person had been sent to Azkaban.

    <i>Antonin Dolohov</i>, read the legend beneath a wizard with a long, pale, twisted face who was sneering up at them, <i>convicted of the brutal murders of Gideon and Fabian Prewett</i>, Mrs. Weasley¡¯s brothers, and Ron and Ginny¡¯s uncles.

    <i>Augustus Rookwood</i>, said the caption beneath a pockmarked man with greasy hair who was leaning against the edge of his picture, looking bored, <i>convicted of leaking Ministry of Magic Secrets to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named</i>.

    He used to work in the Department of Mysteries, and with his help, Voldemort¡¯s progress would elerate.

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1270 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

 Chapter 1040: Fudgeâ€™s Accusation

    Evan nced through the newspaper quickly, but there was no photo of Peter Pettigrew.

    Poor guy, he was now the most heavily guarded prisoner in Azkaban and considered the most dangerous Death Eater, but Voldemort didn¡¯t even look at him.

    Thirty Death Eaters had escaped, and the fact that Peter Pettigrew was not among them already spoke volumes.

    While Evan was browsing the photos, Harry¡¯s eyes were drawn to the picture of the witch. Her face had leapt out at him the moment he had seen the page.

    The only female Death Eater in the newspaper, Betrix Lestrange.

    She had long, dark hair that looked unkempt and straggly in the picture,pletely different from the sleek, thick, and shining hair he had seen in Kreacher¡¯s ce.

    She red up at everyone through heavily lidded eyes, an arrogant, disdainful smile ying around her thin mouth.

    Like Sirius before, she retained vestiges of great good looks, but something ¡ª perhaps Azkaban ¡ª had taken most of her beauty.

    Like the others, there was a caption beneath her photo.<i>convicted of the torture and permanent incapacitation of Frank and Alice Longbottom</i>.

    But Evan knew that her crimes were much more than what was reported, and the same was probably true for other Death Eaters.

    ¡°The Ministry of Magic announcedtest night that there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban,¡± read Hermione. ¡°Speaking to reporters in his private office, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, confirmed that thirty high-security prisoners escaped in the early hours of yesterday evening, and that he has already informed the Muggle Prime Minister of the dangerous nature of these individuals.¡±

    <i>¡°We find ourselves, most unfortunately, in the same position we were two and a half years ago when Sirius ck escaped,¡± said Fudgest night. ¡°Nor do we think the two breakouts are unrted. We have summoned ck to inquire about the situation. There is currently no evidence directly pointing to him as the culprit, but we must consider the possibility of outside help in an escape of this magnitude, and we must remember that ck, as the first person ever to break out of Azkaban, would be ideally ced to help others follow in his footsteps, or leak his experience and methods of escaping. We have to suspect this, especially since among the fugitives is ck¡¯s cousin Betrix Lestrange.¡±</i>

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this,¡± snarled Harry, ¡°Fudge is ming the breakout on <i>Sirius</i>?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly unbelievable!¡± said Evan.

    ¡°What other options does he have?¡± said Hermione bitterly. ¡°He can hardly say, ¡®Sorry everyone, Dumbledore warned me this might happen, the Azkaban guards have joined Lord Voldemort¡¯. He¡¯s spent a year telling everyone you and Dumbledore are liars, hasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°But Sirius has been proven innocent,¡± said Harry in disbelief.

    ¡°Fudge doesn¡¯t think so. He thinks Sirius maymit a new crime at any time!¡±

    ¡°How can a criminal stay at home and wait for the Ministry of Magic to catch him?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, everyone knows what¡¯s going on. But Fudge needs a scapegoat; he can¡¯t admit Voldemort¡¯s return, so he¡¯s pushing all the me onto others,¡± said Evan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Harry, Sirius will be fine.¡±

    ¡°He has more than enough evidence to prove he didn¡¯t do it. If needed, we can vouch for him. Fudge can¡¯t frame him ¡ª stop <i>whimpering</i>, Ron ¡ª there¡¯s more behind this,¡± said Hermione, lowering her head to continue reading the newspaper. ¡°ine, he mentioned your uncle. Besides using Sirius, Fudge believes that the escape of the Death Eaters is rted to vampires, and you nned the whole event. He says those Death Eaters see your uncle as their leader.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± said ine disapprovingly. ¡°Not surprising at all. Human wizards always me various things on us. In the list of bad deeds attributed to vampires, about half have nothing to do with us.¡±

    ¡°What else did that idiot say?¡± Harry asked angrily.

    ¡°He says ¡®<i>We are, however, doing all we can to round up the criminals and beg the magicalmunity to remain alert and cautious. On no ount should any of these individuals be approached.¡¯</i> That¡¯s the end!¡± Hermione read thest paragraph on the newspaper, discontentedly flipping through it. ¡°They should have provided more details.¡±

    ¡°Wait for the <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>,¡± said Evan. ¡°Lupin should have more detailed information about what happened. Since this incident is ssified as a prison break, it means that the Dementors have not betrayed on the surface¡­¡±

    Voldemort was very careful. He did need the help of elite Death Eaters, but he still didn¡¯t want to leak the news of his return.

    That¡¯s why arge-scale prison break had urred, and Fudge would not admit that there was a problem with the Dementors. Because admitting that there was a problem with the Dementors was equivalent to indirectly acknowledging Voldemort¡¯s return.

    Voldemort was very good at ying with people¡¯s minds, and he had a strong hold on Fudge¡¯s.

    But this was in vain, for without acknowledging the Dementors¡¯ betrayal, magic could not provide a satisfactory exnation for the escape.

    Anyone with a non-negative IQ would see the clues in this. Evan felt it was necessary to publish the article Rita Skeeter wrote for them during the summer vacation to tell everyone the truth, revealing what was exactly going on in the Wizarding world.

    Meanwhile, Harry looked around the Great Hall, wondering why his fellow students were not looking scared or at least discussing the terrible piece of news on the front page, but very few of them took the newspaper every day like Hermione.

    There they all were, talking about homework and Quidditch and who knew what other rubbish, and outside these walls thirty more Death Eaters had swollen Voldemort¡¯s ranks¡­

    He nced up at the staff table and it was a different story here: Dumbledore still did not appear. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were deep in a quiet conversation, both looking extremely grave. Professor Sprout had the <i>Daily Prophet</i> propped against a bottle of ketchup and was reading the front page with such concentration that she was not noticing the gentle drip of egg yolk falling into herp from her stationary spoon.

    Meanwhile, at the far end of the table, Professor Umbridge was tucking into a bowl of porridge.

    For once her pouchy toad¡¯s eyes were not sweeping the Great Hall looking for misbehaving students. She scowled as she gulped down her food and every now and then she shot a malevolent nce up the table to Dumbledore¡¯s vacant seat.

    In addition to this news, the <i>Daily Prophet</i> also published an obituary for a man named Broderick Bode. He had been injured in a workce ident some weeks ago and sent to St Mungo¡¯s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries. His health was improving steadily, but coincidentally, someone sent him a Devil¡¯s Snare disguised as a harmless Flitterbloom, and when the convalescent Mr. Bode touched it, it throttled him instantly!

    St Mungo¡¯s Hospital had not yet been able to exin how the nt appeared in the ward, and was hoping anyone with knowledge of the situation could provide clues.

    On the day Evan, Harry and Mr. Weasley went to the Ministry of Magic for trial, they had met Mr. Bode in the lift.

    He worked for the Department of Mysteries, so what appeared to be an ident was a murder, a clever murder.

    As long as no name was left, there was no way to find out who had sent the nt.

    It seemed that after the events in Norway, Voldemort had begun to elerate his acquisition of the Prophecy orb.

    After a while, <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> was also delivered, providing a detailed ount of the Death Eaters¡¯ escape. It was much more detailed than the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, but there wasn¡¯t much valuable content.

    However, the <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> had brought about a noticeable change. It was worth noting that the number of students in the school currently subscribing to the <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> far exceeded that of the <i>Daily Prophet</i>. They weren¡¯t interested in the reports but rather in the product promotion lists and post-homework analysis sections in the newspaper.

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 Chapter 1041: The Beginning of Chaos

    The impact of the arrival of <i>Hogwarts Wizarding News</i> was immediate. The originally noisy Great Hall suddenly became quiet, as if someone had turned off the sound, and then immediately became boiling. The newspaper circted at the fastest speed in everyone¡¯s hands.

    What Umbridge was most worried about had happened. She stood up in panic, not to mention how ugly her face was.

    At this moment, she probably didn¡¯t realize that this was the beginning ofplete chaos at Hogwarts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Evan. He didn¡¯t want to stay here and be questioned.

    For the following period, an inexplicable atmosphere enveloped the entire Hogwarts.

    It was a weird emotion mixed with panic, shock and indescribable excitement. Everyone was talking about the Death Eaters breakout, and rumors were flying.

    No matter where you went, you could hear discussions about this event, and students had no interest in studying.

    Some said that some of the convicts had been spotted in Hogsmeade, that they were supposed to be hiding out in the Shrieking Shack and that they were going to break into Hogwarts, just as Sirius ck had done. Those Death Eaters escaped primarily to kill Harry and seek revenge for Voldemort, and various rumors spread quickly, with new ones constantly emerging.

    Those who came from Wizarding families had grown up hearing the names of these Death Eaters spoken with almost as much fear as Voldemort¡¯s; the crimes they hadmitted during the days of Voldemort¡¯s reign of terror were legendary.There were rtives of their victims among the Hogwarts students, who now found themselves the unwilling objects of a gruesome sort of reflected fame as they walked the corridors: Susan Bones, who had an uncle, aunt, and cousins who had all died at the hands of one of the thirty, said miserably during Herbology that she now had a good idea what it felt like to be Harry.

    ¡°And I don¡¯t know how you stand it, it¡¯s horrible,¡± she told Harry bluntly.

    Like these students, Evan, Harry, Hermione, their group, and even the neer ine were the subjects of much muttering and pointing. There was a slight difference in the tone of the whisperers¡¯ voices though.

    They sounded curious rather than hostile now, and anyone who was not a fool understood that things were getting very bad.

    Thirty extremely dangerous Death Eaters had managed to break out of Azkaban fortress. They were the elite of Voldemort¡¯s army. Each of them was the most evil Dark wizard in the world, and they hadmitted countless crimes under their hands, but the Ministry of Magic and the <i>Daily Prophet</i> could not exin why they escaped, and there were no follow-up reports.

    They were still ming Dumbledore and the poor education at Hogwarts, but who cared about that now?!

    In their confusion and fear, these doubters now seemed to be turning to the only other exnation avable to them, the one that Evan, Harry and Dumbledore had been expounding since the previous year, and the sales of <i>Hogwarts Magic </i>had increased dramatically.

    Since the beginning of the summer vacation, when Harry was attacked by a Dementor, <i>Hogwarts Magic </i>began to remind the Ministry of Magic and people to pay attention to Dementors. Rita¡¯s series of articles even further emphasized the dangers and harmfulness of the Dementors, analyzing all possibilities of loss of control.

    Now, what they said hade true. Although the Ministry of Magic repeatedly emphasized that the Dementors were not out of control, no one with a right mind would believe them. If the Dementors were not out of control, then how did thirty Death Eaters escape?

    As the only newspaper that dared to tell the truth, <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> immediately became a hero in people¡¯s minds.

    But that was not all. A deeper analysis of the situation would uncover even more terrifying truths.

    Voldemort was the mastermind behind this prison break. This was the truth behind why the Dementors were out of control and the Death Eaters escaped from prison.

    This was an obvious thing, but most people were still reluctant to think in that direction.

    Because it was too terrifying to admit that Voldemort was resurrected and returned, far more than the Dementors losing control and therge-scale Death Eaters escaping from prison.

    However, this did not prevent them from increasing their recognition of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>.

    In order to allow time for public opinion to ferment, Rita¡¯s exclusive interview with Evan and Harry was not rushed to be published.

    They were waiting for the best time to discuss the details and rted matters of this report, and they made an appointment to meet in Hogsmeade.

    In short, everything was as Evan expected, and the Death Eaters¡¯ escape greatly changed the current situation.

    The Ministry of Magic and the <i>Daily Prophet </i>continued to promote the same things as in the past and tried their best to maintain stability, but fewer and fewer people believed them.

    As time went by, the voices of doubt grew louder.

    It was not only the students¡¯ mood that had changed. It was now quitemon toe across teachers conversing in low, urgent whispers in the corridors, breaking off their conversations the moment they saw students approaching.

    ¡°They obviously can¡¯t talk freely in the staffroom anymore. Not with Umbridge there,¡± said Hermione in a low voice, as she, Harry, and Ron passed Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout huddled together outside the Charms ssroom one day.

    Under this circumstance, Umbridge quickly issued a new Educational Decree. The morning after news of the Azkaban breakout, a new notice was posted on the house notice boards:

    ¡ª BY ORDER OF ¡ª

    THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

    Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly rted to the subjects they are paid to teach.

    The above is in ordance with

    Educational Decree Number Twenty-six.

    Signed:

    Dolores Jane Umbridge

    HIGH INQUISITOR

    Some people might have naively thought that the breakout from Azkaban might have humbled Umbridge a little, that she might have been abashed at the catastrophe that had urred right under her beloved Fudge¡¯s nose. It seemed, however, to have only intensified her furious desire to bring every aspect of life at Hogwarts under her personal control. She seemed determined at the very least to achieve a sacking before long, and the only question was whether it would be Professor Trwney or Hagrid who went first.

    Every single Divination and Care of Magical Creatures lesson was now conducted in the presence of Umbridge and her clipboard.

    She lurked by the fire in the heavily perfumed tower room, interrupting Professor Trwney¡¯s increasingly hysterical talks with difficult questions about Ornithomancy and Heptomology, insisting that she predict students¡¯ answers before they gave them and demanding that she demonstrate her skill at the crystal ball, the tea leaves, and the rune stones in turn¡­

    Professor Trwney was about to crack under the strain; several times students passed her in the corridors ¨C in itself a very unusual urrence as she generally remained in her tower room-, muttering wildly to herself, wringing her hands, and shooting terrified nces over her shoulder, all the time giving off a powerful smell of cooking sherry.

    Even ine, who was very interested in Divination, couldn¡¯t stand Professor Trwney. She didn¡¯te to Divination sses at all now.

    After bing familiar with Hogwarts, she did not follow Evan or Hermione like before, but began to wander around the castle with great interest, daring to go almost anywhere. She had a way of concealing herself, ensuring she wouldn¡¯t be discovered, and had enough self-defense capabilities.

    Evan was originally a bit worried about whether she would do something to other people. But thinking about itter, this was actually quite good. This meant he and Hermione had more time alone together¡­

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 Chapter 1042: Valentines Day

    Evan¡¯s idea was quite irresponsible, allowing a vampire who couldn¡¯t control herself to wander around the school.

    But he really didn¡¯t have that much time, and ine didn¡¯t like staying in the library all the time.

    Moreover, when she wandered around the school, what needed to be cautious about was not her but the other creatures she might encounter.

    Others here included not only the students of Hogwarts, but also the various pets they raised and the creatures in the Forbidden Forest.

    Although ine, with her picky taste, only drank dragon blood and Evan¡¯s blood, this did not prevent her from thinking about things from a vampire¡¯s perspective.

    She always said that all creatures she didn¡¯t like should disappear altogether. This child was unimaginably dangerous and extremely destructive.

    If Voldemort wanted to govern the world, then ine, with such power, might destroy the world instead.

    Evan was truly afraid that she might bite someone without warning. Fortunately, this hadn¡¯t happened so far.

    Normally, whenever they had time, Evan and Hermione tried to teach her how to think like a normal human.These efforts had had some effect, or perhaps Evan¡¯s restrictions on ine¡¯s snacks and candies had worked; she hadn¡¯t caused trouble.

    Compared with ine, Umbridge was currently the one causing the most trouble in Hogwarts.

    She was determined to get rid of a teacher, and after driving Professor Trwney to the point of copse, she set her sights on Hagrid.

    Hagrid was no better than Professor Trwney. Though he seemed to be following Hermione¡¯s advice and had shown them nothing more frightening than a crup, a creature indistinguishable from a Jack Russell terrier except for its forked tail, since before Christmas, he also seemed to have lost his nerve. He was oddly distracted and jumpy in lessons, losing the thread of what he was saying while talking to the ss, answering questions wrongly.

    He kept ncing anxiously at Umbridge, hoping to see what she was writing on the clipboard.

    Under this situation, Hagrid was also more distant with Evan, Harry, Ron, and Hermione than he had ever been before, expressly forbidding them to visit him after dark.

    ¡°Don¡¯te see me, if she catches yeh, it¡¯ll be all of our necks on the line,¡± he told them tly.

    Considering Grawp was hiding in the Forbidden Forest, he had bigger troubles, something that couldn¡¯t be discovered by Umbridge.

    With no desire to do anything that jeopardized his job further, Evan, Harry, and the others abstained from walking down to his hut in the evenings.

    ine was very interested in the giant and wanted to see him.

    To be honest, Hermione couldn¡¯t help wanting to go either. She told Evan that she knew it was crazy, but visiting the giant was a very rare opportunity and she was not willing to miss it.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on with girls these days. They were actually interested in giants. Was bigger really better?!

    If necessary, he could use the Engorgement Charm on himself to make them see, ensuring both safety and hygiene, and avoiding any risk of Umbridge discovering and implicating Hagrid.

    But it was obvious that they wanted to see a natural giant, not one made bigger by magic.

    There was no other way; Evan could only promise the two of them that he would definitely take them to see the giant when he had the opportunity¡­

    But not now, there were more important things waiting for them to do.

    In a strange atmosphere, Valentine¡¯s Day, February 14th, had arrived in the blink of an eye. This day was very important.

    Lupin, Sirius, and the Order of the Phoenix hoped to publish Rita Skeeter¡¯s interview with Harry and Evan as soon as possible. Dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Magic and Fudge had been brewing in the Wizarding World, and protests were bing a daily urrence at the Ministry, Diagon Alley, and other ces, even spilling over into Muggle streets.

    They asked the Ministry of Magic to exin why so many Death Eaters escaped from prison and to capture them as soon as possible.

    The Wizarding World was in turmoil, the entire Ministry of Magic was working around the clock, and Aurors were being called back from all around the world to investigate this matter in the UK.

    Even so, they still made no progress. The Death Eaters disappeared from their sight, as if they had never existed at all.

    Correspondingly, there were increasing calls for the Ministry of Magic to tell the truth and for Fudge to step down.

    It was time to reveal the truth to the public. Before that, Rita still had some details to ask Evan and Harry.

    Lupin also wanted to talk to Evan. Using the house-elf Dobby to send letters back and forth had been inconvenient. They agreed to meet at Hogsmeade.

    Apart from this matter, after two years, Evan also wanted to invite Hermione to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop.

    He was looking forward to it. Thinking about it carefully, the atmosphere in that ce was actually quite good.

    ine was also looking forward to February 14th. After consuming so many blood-voured lollipops, she had long wanted to visit Honeydukes Sweet shop.

    She was even prepared to suggest that Honeydukes develop new products based on her taste.

    Like them, Harry was looking forward to his second visit to Hogsmeade this school year.

    He had had very little time to spare on conversations with Cho since they had agreed to visit the vige together, but suddenly found himself facing a Valentine¡¯s Day spent entirely in herpany.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget the time, Harry!¡± Evan reminded before setting off early in the morning. ¡°Come to the Three Broomsticks Inn at noon.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Harry nervously.

    ¡°What are you and Cho going to do?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°I dunno, we never said what we were going to do,¡± Harry shook his head.

    ¡°If you can bring her along, that¡¯s fine too!¡±

    ¡°I really envy you guys going to Hogsmeade. I can¡¯t go at all. Angelina wants full day¡¯s training. Like it¡¯s going to help,¡± said Ron in frustration, looking at them with envy. ¡°To be honest, we¡¯re the worst team I¡¯ve ever seen, way too bad. I dunno why Angelina won¡¯t just let me resign¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re good when you¡¯re on form, that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t win. Hufflepuff is so good this year, and their new Chaser is a genius.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such depressing words,¡± said Harry irritably.

    He found it very hard to be sympathetic to Ron¡¯s plight when he himself would have given almost anything to be ying in the forting match against Hufflepuff.

    Ron seemed to notice Harry¡¯s tone, he didn¡¯t mention Quidditch again, and his attitude was a bit cold.

    He quickly finished his breakfast, got up and walked to the Quidditch pitch.

    ¡°You know, I think Angelina should consider ine,¡± said Evan, looking at Ron¡¯s leaving figure, a sh of insight in his mind, saying with some anticipation, ¡°ine, I remember you saying that you fly very well and are good at ying Quidditch. Maybe you can save the Gryffindor team.¡±

    ¡°I fly very well, but I can¡¯t go to training today,¡± said ine, rubbing her nose, her big burgundy eyes staring at Evan. ¡°I want to go to Honeydukes. This is very important. You promised to take me there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± said Evan, looking at her with a bit of a headache.

    He hadn¡¯t figured out how to get rid of this little trouble yet. He couldn¡¯t possibly bring ine with him to meet Hermione.

    He didn¡¯t need much time, just half an hour to an hour would be enough. He could resolve it quickly¡­

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 Chapter 1043: Failed Date

    Chapter 1043: Failed Date

    It was obvious that ine would not give him this opportunity easily.

    However, she agreed to stay in the Honeydukes Candy Shop if it satisfied her.

    In this way, Evan and Hermione would have time to do their private things.

    This girl was smart and knew almost everything.

    But she was almostpletely nk when it came to rtionships and getting along with others, even more so than Evan.

    Just like her survival skills, which were almost zero.

    She had a liking for Evan and always wanted to bite him, giving him the First Embrace, turning him into a vampire, and then it was over.

    ine had no idea what Valentine¡¯s Day meant and had no other thoughts.

    Evan felt that if he were really bitten by ine, he would indeed be in big trouble!Speaking of which, he knew a lot of beautiful girls, but how could they all have such weird personalities? None of them were normal.

    As for Hermione, she didn¡¯t need much mention. She was considered rtively normal, except for being overly studious and a bit serious at times, she didn¡¯t have any other shorings.

    On the contrary, she had many strengths, and as time went by, Evan could always discover new virtues in her.

    Then there was Luna, this girl was the typical abnormal human being. This was true whether measured by Muggle or wizard standards.

    Her temperament was very ethereal, but there were always some messy thoughts in her head. She would actually be pretty good if she could connect to reality, but that was almost impossible.

    As for Ginny, she was the most beautiful among all the girls Evan knew¡ªlively, attractive, and adorable. Her personality was also very good, and she could be quite outgoing. However, she had a slight sense of inferiority. She used to have a crush on Harry for a long time, but since her desperation, she had started dating other boys.

    Evan was not sure if her actions involved a sense of self-abandonment.

    All he could say was that anyone who was not blind could see that she still liked Harry. Of course, except for Harry, he couldn¡¯t see this at all.

    Like Evan, he only regarded Ginny as his sister, and he liked Cho now.

    As a typical oriental girl, Cho looked really gentle. In Evan¡¯s impression, she was always smiling, but Cedric¡¯s incident had had a great impact on her. From that term onwards, her mood and personality had changed. She became very unstable and kept crying. Hermione said this was a normal reaction, but Evan expressed doubts about this.

    To be honest, he thought Cho wasn¡¯t right for Harry, and maybe after graduation, she should go to America to find Cedric.

    Compared with Cho, Fleur, who was also a senior, was just disappointing!

    Thinking about it, Fleur, who had rich emotional experience and the bonus of Ve blood, few men could resist her temptation.

    But she always teased Evan deliberately, full of tricks. In the end, she directly and tantly seduced him.

    Her younger sister Gabrielle was not as mischievous but was cute. She was too young though.

    She was eight years oldst year and only nine years old this year. Gabrielle did have a crush on Evan, but it was just that and nothing more.

    Evan felt that even if he slept with her in his arms every day, there wouldn¡¯t be any reaction. He had done it before, but she was still a child. He thought it was better to let her grow up for a few more years before considering anything else.

    The same was true for ine. He didn¡¯t know how her uncle Caresius, that obnoxious, had taught her. This child was full of dangerous thoughts and didn¡¯t know a lot of basicmon sense. She needed some training bit by bit from Evan. It was really tiring. ¡­

    At the dining table, listening to the argument between Evan and ine, Harry was not in the mood to eat.

    After attempting to tten his hair while staring at his reflection in the back of a teaspoon, he proceeded alone to the entrance hall to meet Cho, feeling very apprehensive and wondering what on earth they were going to talk about.

    Twenty minutes after Harry left, Evan, Hermione and ine also set off.

    Evan originally nned to call Colin up. When he and Hermione would go to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, Colin could spend time with ine in Honeydukes.

    That was his n, it was better than leaving her alone.

    Colin originally agreed, but he told Evanst night that he had other important things.

    A third-year Hufflepuff girl was willing to go out with him, so he couldn¡¯t apany Evan.

    As expected of Valentine¡¯s Day, everyone was in love.

    Evan wished him good luck on the date and he woulde up with a solution on his own.

    That was like that; things were far from going as smoothly as nned.

    If it was really not possible, he could only bring ine along and let her watch from the side.

    Hermione already knew about Evan¡¯s n, but refused toment or intervene to help, and just watched from the side.

    Anyway, in her opinion, boys could be quite cute when they acted silly sometimes.

    The sky was drizzling, cold, heavy drops of water kept hitting everyone¡¯s faces and the back of their necks, but it still did not dampen everyone¡¯s enthusiasm.

    The streets of Hogsmeade were full of students ambling up and down, peering into the shop windows and messing about together on the pavements.

    ine was very excited and looked at every store she passed.

    Evan and Hermione focused on the huge poster stuck up in the windows of these shops and on street corners. It was a wanted notice.

    Above were photos of the escaped Death Eaters. The poster offered a thousand-Galleon reward to any witch or wizard with information rting to the recapture of any of the convicts pictured.

    ¡°How ironic, isn¡¯t it?!¡± said Hermione, looking at the poster with disdain.

    ¡°It is really ironic!¡±

    ¡°When Sirius escaped from prison, there were Dementors all over Hogsmeade looking for him, but now there are only a few pieces of paper!¡±

    ¡°The Ministry of Magic is probably beginning to suspect the Dementors are out of control,¡± said Evan. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to trust each other as much as they im in their external propaganda. Of course, it could also be that the Dementors are unwilling to obey the Ministry¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°I think thetter is very likely,¡± said Hermione. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to expose the truth.¡±

    This was today¡¯s serious matter, but there was no rush. They had nned to meet with Lupin, Sirius, and Rita at noon.

    Before that, they would proceed ording to the n. It was a rare day out, and it was such a memorable day.

    That was what Evan thought. However, as soon as they arrived at Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, before Evan could say anything; they saw Cho running out choked up.

    Without even looking at the three of them, she ran in the rain and quickly disappeared around the corner of the street.

    Secondster, Harry chased after her.

    There were confetti on his head, and he looked at Evan, Hermione and ine awkwardly with a confused look on his face.

    ¡°Harry, what happened?¡± Hermione looked at him in surprise. ¡°You just dated for forty minutes?¡±

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Harry muttered in frustration. ¡°I have no idea what¡¯s going on!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t forcefully kiss her, did you?¡± Evan analyzed, and Hermione poked him hard.

    ¡°No,¡± said Harry. ¡°Everything was going fine, but she suddenly mentioned Cedric. I really don¡¯t understand ¡­ why does she always want to drag up a subject that makes her act like a human hosepipe?¡±

    He detailed the sequence of events for them. Everything was going smoothly before they entered Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop.

    The two of them had chatted about recent D.A. activities and this year¡¯s Quidditch League, and told each other which teams they supported.

    Then it started to rain and Cho suggesteding here.

    Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop was very popr among couples. Generally, going to this ce meant having some physical contact and interaction.

    This was a good development, and many people were eager to do it!

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 Chapter 1044: Teacher Hermione started class again

    But it was too fast for Harry, just like when Evan came here for the first time.

    Entering Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, Harry was bewildered upon seeing couples around him kissing each other.

    He wasn¡¯t sure whether to do the same with Cho, or how to do it.

    Perhaps noticing Harry¡¯s hesitation, Cho brought up Roger Davies at the nearby table.

    He was the Ravenw Quidditch Captain, and he was with a beautiful blonde girl, kissing each other passionately¡­

    Cho said that Roger had asked her out before, but she¡¯d turned him down. Harry could not think why she was telling him this.

    If she wished she were sitting at the table next door being heartily kissed by Roger Davies, why had she agreed toe out with him?

    All in all, this topic was too embarrassing.

    To change the topic, Harry told Cho that he was going to meet Evan, Hermione, and ine at noon.Hearing the names of Hermione and ine, before he even could exin why and invite Cho to join them, her attitude suddenly turned cold and asked a lot of inexplicable questions that Harry couldn¡¯t answer.

    After a moment of silence, Cho took the initiative to mention Cedric again. After asking some questions, she burst into tears.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Harry,¡± she said dramatically. Immediately afterwards, Cho ran out crying, and that was what Evan and the others had witnessed.

    ¡°Women! I really don¡¯t understand what they think,¡± Harry put his hands in his pockets angrily. ¡°If she didn¡¯t want to date me, she shouldn¡¯t have agreed toe to Hogsmeade with me, but now it¡¯s turned out like this!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Harry,¡± said Hermione sadly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry, but you were a bit tactless.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Evan also agreed with Hermione¡¯s assessment, and ine next to him also nodded.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, Harry should have just kissed her without saying anything at that time.

    He was still thinking about how to invite Hermione to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, but when Harry went in, he made the girl cry?!

    At that point, why worry so much? Just go for it!

    If making her cry was due to being too forceful, it would still be much better than crying like this.

    Evan could be sure that if Harry had kissed Cho directly without giving her a chance to speak, or done something else directly, none of these things would have happened, and Cho wouldn¡¯t be upset. Everyone would be satisfied¡­

    ¡°Me, tactless?¡± said Harry, outraged. ¡°One minute we were getting on fine, next minute she was telling me that Roger Davies asked her out, and how she used to go and snog Cedric in that stupid tea shop ¡ª how was I supposed to feel about that?¡±

    ¡°Well, you see,¡± said Hermione, with the patient air of one exining that one plus one equals two to an overemotional toddler, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have told her that you wanted to meet me, Evan and ine halfway through your date, especially you shouldn¡¯t have mentioned ine and me.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± Harry eximed urgently, ¡°we agreed to meet at twelve, and I wanted to bring her along, how was I supposed to do that without telling her ¡ª?¡±

    ¡°You should have told her differently,¡± said Hermione, still with that maddeningly patient air. ¡°You should have said it was really annoying, but we¡¯d made you promise toe along to the Three Broomsticks, and you really didn¡¯t want to go, you¡¯d much rather spend the whole day with her, but unfortunately you thought you really ought to meet us and would she please, pleasee along with you, and hopefully you¡¯d be able to get away more quickly? And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am too.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ugly,¡± said Harry, bemused.

    Hermioneughed, genuinely happy.

    ¡°Thank you, Harry, but you really shouldn¡¯t have said it like that,¡± she said. ¡°Look ¡ª you upset Cho when you said you were going to meet us, especially since you didn¡¯t make a move and you brought up other girls¡¯ names, so she tried to make you jealous. It was her way of trying to find out how much you liked her.¡±

    ¡°Is that what she was doing?¡± Harry asked. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t it have been easier if she¡¯d just asked me whether I liked her better than you?¡±

    ¡°Girls don¡¯t often ask questions like that,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Well, they should!¡± said Harry forcefully. ¡°Then I could¡¯ve just told her I fancy her, and she wouldn¡¯t have had to get herself all worked up again about Cedric!¡±

    ine wrinkled her nose, clearly not pleased with Harry¡¯s words.

    ¡°Diggory should consider himself lucky; my uncle saved him; otherwise, he could have died at that time,¡± said ine. ¡°You should be happy for him. ording to my standards, he wouldn¡¯t even be eligible for the First Embrace.¡±

    Although ine said this, most people would not be happy to be a vampire.

    ¡°Alright, why do the four of us have to stand in the rain discussing this?¡± said Evan.

    The four of them walked towards Honeydukes sweet shop, Harry and Hermionegging behind, still discussing the matter.

    ¡°Harry, I¡¯m not saying what she did was sensible,¡± said Hermione. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time.¡±

    ¡°Is it the same between you and Evan?¡± Harry asked despondently. .

    ¡°Yes, I also say things to test Evan¡¯s sincerity. All girls do!¡± said Hermione without any embarrassment, which made Harry very impressed. ¡°But our situation is different from yours. Honestly, Evan¡¯s performance was worse than yours at the beginning, really terrible, but one thing is, I know that he likes me, because he¡¯s proven it through actions. So, I¡¯ll show more patience than Cho did.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve been through so much together; of course, it¡¯s different!¡±

    Evan and Hermione had experienced many life-and-death challenges together, and they didn¡¯t need words to prove anything. No matter how awkward Evan was, Hermione was willing to wait and be tolerant, knowing Evan¡¯s sincerity and the kind of person he was. She wouldn¡¯t suspect him just because Evan was with other girls.

    It had to be admitted, a novice in rtionships and an intelligent girlfriend actually made a good match.

    Harry sighed. He suddenly wished that he and Cho had a werewolf in all this¡­

    That way, he could prove everything through actions!

    Or maybe have a girlfriend like Hermione, which would save a lot of trouble.

    ¡°Honestly, Hermione, you should write a book,¡± said Harry, sighing, ¡°tranting mad things girls do so boys can understand them. I¡¯ll be the first to buy it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll consider it!¡±

    Unlike what Evan had expected, the four of them did not stay in Honeydukes for too long.

    Except for blood-voured lollipops, ine didn¡¯t like any of the remaining candy vours.

    And as usual, the store was full of people, with no ce to even stand, which ine disliked.

    Not to mention, after they entered, everyone kept pointing and whispering about the four of them.

    After a brief look around, they left and decided to go to the Three Broomsticks.

    Because it was too early, Sirius, Lupin and Rita hadn¡¯t arrived.

    They entered the inn and saw Hagrid sitting alone in a corner, looking morose.

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 Chapter 1045: Excited Hagrid

    ¡°Hagrid!¡± The four of them squeezed through the crammed tables. ¡°Why are you here alone?¡±

    ¡°Oh my ¡­ how much have you drunk!¡± Hermione eximed, sniffing the air filled with a pungent alcohol odor.

    ine directly covered her nose and looked curiously at therge tankard in front of Hagrid.

    Hagrid jumped and looked down at them, as though he barely recognized them.

    It could be clearly seen that he had two fresh cuts on his face and several new bruises.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. You all righ¡¯?¡± said Hagrid.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine, but you look bad!¡±

    Harry¡¯s failed date, Evan not starting a date yet, and ine¡¯s disappointment in the candy store were nothingpared to this battered and mournful-looking Hagrid. Next to Hagrid, they felt they did not have much toin about.

    ¡°Me?¡± said Hagrid. ¡°No, Hermione, I¡¯m grand, really grand!¡±He gazed into the depths of his pewter tankard, which was the size of arge bucket, sighed, and drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.

    ¡°Hagrid, is that the giant again?¡± Hermione asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Did Grawp hit you again?¡± Evan looked at the scars on his face.

    ¡°Hit me? No, no, tha¡¯s jus¡¯ normal bumps an¡¯ bruises. You know, I got a rough job,¡± said Hagrid gloomily. ¡°This is family. After all, blood¡¯s important. He¡¯s my brother. I have an obligation to take good care of him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not okay to continue like this, you can easily be beaten to death by him¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I told you, I bumped into him identally,¡± said Hagrid. ¡°Grawp¡¯s gettin¡¯ better, loads better!¡±

    No one would believe Hagrid¡¯s words. If there had been an improvement, he wouldn¡¯t be drinking here alone with scars on his face.

    ¡°Well, anyway, he¡¯s still my brother¡­¡± Hagrid waved his hand, signaling them to stop talking.

    Now that he had brought him back, Hagrid would not give up on Grawp.

    Decisions made, no matter how difficult, must be upheld until the end, not to mention the blood connection.

    ¡°Hagrid, can I go see the giant?¡± ine asked, casually taking a seat beside Hagrid. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Evan talk about him; I¡¯m interested in giants. Maybe we can be friends with him.¡±

    ¡°What do yah mean, you wan¡¯ to make friends with little Grawp?!¡± Hagrid seemed to sober up a bit and stared at ine.

    He was not familiar with ine, and he did not know her identity as a vampire. He only knew that she had been with Evan and Hermione, and there was no doubt about her reliability.

    But at this moment, ine was undoubtedly the cutest in his eyes.

    ¡°Yes!¡± ine nodded. It was not sure if she really understood the significance of giants, and she continued, ¡°It¡¯s not just me; Hermione also said that she wanted to see the giant. We¡¯re all interested in him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I said so, giants are not easy to see, are they?!¡± Noticing Hagrid¡¯s eyes moving to her, Hermione said hurriedly, ¡°I mean ¡­ we¡¯ve learned about giants in textbooks, but I¡¯ve never actually seen one. We want to go see Grawp, Hagrid, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯ mind, not at all; anytime yeh can go!¡± Hagrid choked up, tears of emotion filling his eyes.¡±Oh, Grawpy¡®s finally going to make friends, yeh can talk to him, he¡¯s very bored bein¡¯ there alone. Evan, Harry, Hermione, and you, ine, you¡¯re the best people I know. Really, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Hagrid,¡± Evan patted him on the shoulder. ¡°We all want to see Grawp, so it¡¯s settled, but not now, you know, we have other things to do today, and we have made an appointment with Sirius and Lupin to meet here.¡±

    Evan was sure Hermione was just curious; among everyone present, only ine wanted to be friends with Grawp.

    And he doubted that she just said that for the moment and would definitely change her mind after seeing Grawp.

    After all, she was a young girl who hadn¡¯t experienced much, full of curiosity, always thinking bigger is better, without considering what giants really meant¡­

    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll go back and tell Grawpy the good news!¡± Hagrid said, wiping his eyes forcefully.

    He lumbered out of the pub, looking much better than before.

    After Hagrid left, Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ine continued to discuss Hagrid and the giant.

    They booked a room and waited for more than half an hour before Sirius, Lupin and Rita arrived at the Three Broomsticks pub.

    After returning to work, Rita began to return to the way Evan and the others first saw her.

    It must be said that her curiosity was too strong and she wanted to know everything.

    This woman was also a difficult character not to be taken lightly. Although they were currently in a cooperative rtionship, it was best not to let her know too many secrets. She was not one of them at all, and it was very likely that she would turn around and sell them at a good price.

    After finalizing the specific details of the report, she left first, while Sirius and Lupin stayed.

    They brought up the current situation. Because of the Death Eaters¡¯ breakout, the situation in the Wizarding World was extremely tense!

    Fudge used Sirius of helping the Death Eaters escape from prison and threatened to put him on trial. This waspletely nonsense, but he believed it so firmly that he even sent people to follow Sirius and monitor the ces where he frequented.

    Moreover, the Ministry of Magic had resumed the search and capture of vampires.

    Sirius told them that Fudge had even sent Aurors to France and Norway to investigate, asking them to be careful.

    Especially ine, her identity was very sensitive and might already be under suspicion¡­

    As for ine¡¯s uncle Caresius, with the help of Dumbledore, it was said that he had awakened and would soon recover.

    There wasn¡¯t much to worry about in that regard. What needed concern were the thirty escaped Death Eaters. Sirius and Lupin provided detailed ounts of the Death Eaters¡¯ past experiences, much more detailed than what was in the newspaper. There were also many personal grudges between them and those Death Eaters.

    Five hourster, they returned to Hogwarts with heavy hearts.

    Dealing with the ruthless Death Eaters and recounting the events to Rita was far from easy.

    Simrly distressed were Ron, Ginny, and other Gryffindor team members.

    It wasn¡¯t until after six o¡¯clock in the evening that Ron came stumping into the Great Hall sttered with mud and looking grumpy.

    Next came Ginny, just as muddy as Ron and looking equally disgruntled.

    ¡°How did the date go?¡± Ron asked in a sad voice, sitting down next to Harry.

    ¡°Forget it, it was a mess!¡± Harry shook his head and pulled over a te of treacle tart.

    This topic was really heavy, and Evan hadn¡¯t even started yet.

    He saw Colin walking in alone, and the expression on his face clearly showed that his progress today was not going well.

    By the way, was today really Valentine¡¯s Day?

    Shouldn¡¯t such a special day be filled with happiness? Why did everyone he knew seem to be single and miserable?

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 Chapter 1046: A Desperate Game

    As expected, Colin told Evan about his experience today, and it was also a terrible mess.

    Everyone¡¯s first time would not be so perfect. Evanforted Colin, suggesting it might be best not to discuss the topic.

    ¡°So, how was Quidditch practice?¡±

    ¡°It was a nightmare,¡± said Ron in a surly voice, without looking up, as if he wanted to drown himself in the soup.

    ¡°Ohe on,¡± said Hermione, looking at Ginny, ¡°I¡¯m sure it wasn¡¯t that¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was,¡± said Ginny. ¡°It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it.¡±

    Ron and Ginny went off for baths after dinner; Colin went to find his brother, and Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ine returned to the busy Gryffindormon room.

    ine continued to read the book introducing vampires, and Hermione urged Evan and Harry to do the endless homework.

    Evan now worked with fifth years on essays, and the professors agreed.They all knew he was taking the exams this year, and if Umbridge hadn¡¯t denied it, they would have wanted Evan to attend the fifth year sses.

    Just as Evan and Harry stared nkly at theplex new star chart for Astronomy, Fred and George turned up.

    ¡°Ron and Ginny not here?¡± asked Fred, looking around as he pulled up a chair and then whispered, ¡°Good. We were watching their practice. They¡¯re going to be ughtered. They¡¯replete rubbish without us.¡±

    ¡°Actually, Ginny¡¯s not bad; if she knew what cooperation meant, she¡¯d be great too,¡± said George fairly.

    ¡°Has Ron saved a goal yet?¡±

    ¡°Well, he can do it if he doesn¡¯t think anyone¡¯s watching him,¡± said Fred, rolling his eyes. ¡°So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end. This way, he¡¯ll catch the Quaffle.¡±

    He got up again and moved restlessly to the window, staring out across the dark grounds.

    ¡°You know, Quidditch was about the only thing in this ce worth staying for.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Hermione cast him a stern look. ¡°You¡¯ve got examsing!¡±

    ¡°Told you already, we¡¯re not fussed about N.E.W.T.s. That¡¯s not important at all. The Snackboxes are ready to roll, and other joke products are also ready. With Evan¡¯s help, we even have experience in mass production.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I never thought we could outsource some of the work to Muggle factories,¡± said George. ¡°It¡¯s amazing, no magic used, they call it assembly line operation, greatly shortening our time, and it costs very little.¡±

    That was not surprising, after all. The Muggle poption was muchrger than wizards, and manualbor costs were also low.

    If possible, finding East Asian countries for outsourcing would make the cost even more negligible; this was called global cooperation.

    ¡°Hogwarts is too small. We can¡¯t wait to go to arger space. The sky there belongs to us. We¡¯ll be very sessful.¡± George yawned widely and looked out disconstely at the cloudy night sky. ¡°I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself.¡±

    ¡°Kill him, more like,¡± said Fred firmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s the trouble with Quidditch,¡± said Hermione absentmindedly, disapproving of Fred and George¡¯s words, and once again bent over her Rune trantion, ¡°it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the Houses.¡±

    She looked up to find her copy of <i>Spellman¡¯s Sybary </i>and caught Fred, George, and Harry looking at her with expressions of mingled disgust and incredulity on their faces.

    ¡°Well, it does!¡± she said impatiently. ¡°It¡¯s only a game, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Hermione,¡± said Harry, shaking his head, ¡°you¡¯re good on feelings and stuff, but you just don¡¯t understand about Quidditch.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± she said darkly, returning to her trantion again, ¡°but at least my happiness doesn¡¯t depend on Ron¡¯s goalkeeping ability.¡±

    Harry, Fred and George were silent; they didn¡¯t want to admit that Hermione was right.

    ¡°Seriously, why don¡¯t you consider ine?¡± said Evan, pushing the innocent-looking ine forward. ¡°You said you were a great flyer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± ine nodded. ¡°I said so, and it¡¯s actually true.¡±

    Harry, Fred and George led ine to find Angelina; they didn¡¯t want to miss any opportunity.

    Evan and Hermione continued to stay among the pile of books, this time undisturbed.

    He felt the need to say something. As a couple, it was a bit unreasonable for the two of them to do nothing today.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what Hermione would think, but he was a bit disappointed anyway.

    ¡°You know, Hermione, today¡¯s Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± Evan tried his best to say in a rxed and nonchnt tone, looking at Hermione who was immersed in <i>Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms</i>, ¡°I was nning to invite you to Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop, just the two of us¡­¡±

    ¡°I know, your intention is too obvious,¡± said Hermione without looking up. ¡°Do you really want to take me to that kind of ce?¡±

    ¡°I mean ¡­ I had something more romantic in mind,¡± said Evan quickly. He did want to admit that he wanted to kiss Hermione directly.

    ¡°Today is romantic enough, as long as we¡¯re together!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, remember what I told Harry? Girls use many ways to test how much boys like them,¡± said Hermione, looking up at Evan with a gradually reddening face. ¡°But we don¡¯t need this between us, because I¡¯ve already tested and know where your heart belongs. I¡¯ll always believe in you. So, spending today like this is good enough. Don¡¯t worry too much about Valentine¡¯s Day, and we don¡¯t need to prove anything. If you¡¯re willing, every day can be Valentine¡¯s Day for us¡­¡±

    She leaned forward behind a pile of books, kissed Evan passionately, and boldly looked at him.

    ¡°This is what you wanted, no need to go to some Madam Puddifoot¡¯s Tea Shop; anywhere else is fine,¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t like that ce.¡±

    To be honest, Hermione could be very shy at times, but at other times, she could be extremely bold.

    In themon room, in front of so many people, she actually dared toe directly and kiss Evan.

    It had to be admitted that having such a smart girlfriend was such a worry-free experience!

    Without hesitation, Evan kissed back, and the two of them were stuck together.

    Perhaps because they exerted too much force, the pile of books surrounding them toppled over.

    Hermione hurriedly separated from Evan. She was almost out of breath, and her face was as crimson as a ripe apple.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower!¡± she said, turning and leaving.

    Watching Hermione¡¯s departure, Evan was momentarily stunned, then he quickly followed¡­

    Although he was surrounded by failed singles, regardless of their feelings, today was actually a good day, wasn¡¯t it?!

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 Chapter 1047: Bad Practice

    Rita¡¯s report would have to wait until next Monday; the next day was the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match.

    Harry, Fred, and George took ine to find Angelina. As the Gryffindor team¡¯sst hope, they tested ine¡¯s ability overnight, and she proved to be excellent. No one expected her to fly so well and with such strength, easily filling the position of a Beater.

    They went to Professor McGonagall, hoping to have ine y the next day.

    In the past, this would have been no problem, but after the Educational Decree Number Twenty-four, this right belonged to Umbridge.

    Any team recruiting new members had to pass her inspection, and unsurprisingly, Umbridge refused! Harry and his friends were used to disappointment, but Umbridge¡¯s actions angered ine thoroughly.

    This little girl was full of dangerous thoughts, had a serious revenge mentality, and was extremely bellicose. She threatened to take revenge on Umbridge.

    Although Evan warned her not to attack Umbridge, the look on her face showed that she didn¡¯t listen.

    Evan had no choice but to consider not getting caught while attacking Umbridge.

    Directly attacking her within the castle was not an option. Besides students, the castle was filled with ubiquitous portraits, ghosts, and various magical creatures.If they attacked Umbridge, there was a high chance of being discovered, so they had to make her leave the castle.

    At eight o¡¯clock the next morning, the Quidditch match started on time. The very best about the match was that it was short.

    The Gryffindor spectators had to endure only twenty-two minutes of agony. It was hard to say what the worst thing was. Ron missed the Quaffle twenty-two times.

    Hufflepuff¡¯s Chaser Alecia Esther was outstanding, and no one could stop her. The miracle was that Gryffindor only lost by thirty points: Ginny managed to snatch the Snitch from right under Hufflepuff Seeker Summerby¡¯s nose, so that the final score was two hundred and sixty versus two hundred and thirty.

    ¡°Good catch,¡± Harry told Ginny back in themon room, where the atmosphere closely resembled that of a particrly dismal funeral.

    ¡°I was lucky,¡± she shrugged. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a very fast Snitch and Summerby¡¯s got a cold, he sneezed and closed his eyes at exactly the wrong moment. Anyway, once you¡¯re back on the team¡­¡±

    ¡°Ginny, I¡¯ve got a lifelong ban.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re banned as long as Umbridge is in the school,¡± Ginny corrected him. ¡°There¡¯s a difference. Anyway, once you¡¯re back, I think I¡¯ll try out for Chaser. Angelina and Alicia are both leaving next year and I prefer goal-scoring to Seeking anyway.¡±

    As for Ron, he was hunched in a corner, staring at his knees, a bottle of butterbeer clutched in his hand.

    ¡°Angelina still won¡¯t let him resign,¡± Ginny said. ¡°She says she knows he¡¯s got it in him.¡±

    At this point, Angelina¡¯s confidence in Ron had turned into a kind of cruelty.

    Ron had left the pitch to another booming chorus of ¡°Weasley Is Our King¡± sung with great gusto by the Slytherins, who were now favorites to win the Quidditch Cup.

    Hufflepuff¡¯s Chaser was great, but she was alone, and the other yers rarely cooperated with her. This was reflected in the second half of the game. As long as she couldn¡¯t touch the Quaffle, she couldn¡¯t perform. In any case, that girl couldn¡¯t possibly be a match for the Slytherin team.

    Not to mention, the Slytherin team had many despicable ways to deal with her, such as attacks¡­

    As long as they could win the game, they didn¡¯t care how dishonorable the methods were.

    If this trend continued, Slytherin would win this year¡¯s Cup.

    This news was depressing, but it wasn¡¯t nearly as much as everyone hated Umbridge.

    Hogwarts students¡¯ attention to this match didn¡¯tst for too long, only until that afternoon.

    At five o¡¯clock on Sunday evening, as usual, Harry came to Snape¡¯s office for private tutoring.

    There was really no good news. He broke up with Cho yesterday. The Gryffindor team just lost the game this morning. Now he had to go to Snape¡¯s office to learn lumency. This magic only made him feel pain, and Snape¡¯s repeated intrusion left his body exhausted.

    In recent times, Harry and Voldemort had been in contact more and more frequently.

    He saw too many things that he shouldn¡¯t have seen or heard, and he thought it was because Snape tortured him even more to fatigue.

    In those damn dreams, Harry knew that Voldemort had obtained new information from Rookwood, important information about the Department of Mysteries.

    After all, he had worked there before, and from him, Voldemort knew how to get that thing.

    In addition, Harry also knew the cause of Bode¡¯s death.

    Lucius Malfoy had cast the Imperius Curse on him, hoping that he would get the Prophecy Orb.

    But it was impossible for him to take it away, because under the protection of ancient magic, only Harry and Voldemort could touch the Prophecy Orb.

    To prevent Bode from revealing the secret, Lucius Malfoy ultimately killed him.

    Voldemort finally knew how to obtain the Prophecy Orb, and everything was ready. Now he just had to lure Harry to get it.

    Evan was very satisfied with Harry¡¯s information, but Snape was not satisfied at all and was very unhappy.

    ¡°Get up, Potter,¡± Snape said.

    Harry was kneeling on the floor of Snape¡¯s office, trying to clear his head.

    He had just been forced, yet again, to relive a stream of very early memories he had not even realized he still had, most of them concerning humiliations Dudley and his gang had inflicted upon him in primary school.

    ¡°Thatst memory,¡± said Snape. ¡°What was it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Harry, getting wearily to his feet. He was finding it increasingly difficult to disentangle separate memories from the rush of images and sound that Snape kept calling forth. ¡°You mean the one where my cousin tried to make me stand in the toilet?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Snape softly. ¡°I mean the one concerning a man kneeling in the middle of a darkened room¡­¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Harry quickly.

    Snape¡¯s dark eyes bored into Harry¡¯s. Remembering that eye contact was crucial to Legilimency, Harry blinked and looked away.

    ¡°How do that man and that roome to be inside your head, Potter?¡± said Snape.

    ¡°It ¡ª¡± said Harry, looking everywhere but at Snape, ¡°it was ¡ª just a dream I had.¡±

    ¡°A dream,¡± repeated Snape.

    There was a pause during which Harry stared fixedly at arge dead frog suspended in a purple liquid in its jar.

    ¡°You do know why we are here, don¡¯t you, Potter?¡± said Snape in a low, dangerous voice. ¡°You do know why I am giving up my evenings to this tedious job?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Harry stiffly.

    ¡°Remind me why we are here, Potter.¡±

    ¡°So I can learn lumency,¡± said Harry, now ring at a dead eel.

    ¡°Correct, Potter. And dim though you may be, I would have thought that after such a long course, you might have made some progress, but you just told me that you had a dream about the Dark Lord. How many other dreams have you had?¡±

    Harry looked back at Snape, hating him. ¡°Just that one,¡± he lied.

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 Chapter 1048: Professor Trelawney Sacked

    Chapter 1048: Professor Trwney Sacked

    ¡°Just that one?!¡± said Snape doubtfully, his dark, cold eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Perhaps you actually enjoy having these visions and dreams, Potter. Maybe they make you feel special, um, important?¡±

    ¡°No, they don¡¯t,¡± said Harry, his jaw set and his fingers clenched tightly around the handle of his wand.

    ¡°That is just as well, Potter,¡± said Snape coldly, ¡°because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is doing.¡±

    ¡°No ¡ª that¡¯s your job, isn¡¯t it?¡± Harry shot at him.

    He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far.

    But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Snape¡¯s face when he answered.

    ¡°Yes, Potter,¡± he said, his eyes glinting. ¡°That is my job. Now, if you are ready, we will start again¡­¡±

    He raised his wand, and a light shed.

    Harry turned into that terrifying statue of the evil god, surrounded by corpses and flesh, and his face was twisted with tension.He saw Caresius being knocked away and he wanted to devour him, but at the same time he could also see Snape standing in front of him, his eyes fixed upon Harry¡¯s face, muttering under his breath¡­

    And somehow, Snape was growing clearer, and Dementors were growing fainter¡­

    Harry raised his own wand.

    ¡°<i>Protego</i>!¡±

    Snape staggered; his wand flew upward, away from Harry ¡ª and suddenly Harry¡¯s mind was teeming with memories that were not his ¡ª a hook-nosed man was shouting at a cowering woman, while a small dark-haired boy cried in a corner¡­

    A greasy-haired teenager sat alone in a dark bedroom, pointing his wand at the ceiling, shooting down flies¡­

    A scrawny boy tried to mount a bucking broomstick, and a girl next to him wasughing at him. That girl¡­

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡±

    Harry felt as though he had been pushed hard in the chest; he took several staggering steps backward, hit some of the shelves covering Snape¡¯s walls and heard something crack.

    Snape was shaking slightly, very white in the face.

    The back of Harry¡¯s robes was damp. One of the jars behind him had broken when he fell against it; the pickled slimy thing within was swirling in its draining potion.

    ¡°<i>Reparo</i>!¡± hissed Snape, and the jar sealed itself once more. ¡°Well, Potter ¡­ that was certainly an improvement!¡±

    Panting slightly, Snape straightened the Pensieve in which he had again stored some of his thoughts before starting the lesson, almost as though checking that they were still there.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember telling you to use a Shield Charm ¡­ but there is no doubt that it was effective!¡±

    Harry did not speak; he felt that to say anything might be dangerous.

    He was sure he had just broken into Snape¡¯s memories, that he had just seen scenes from Snape¡¯s childhood, and it was unnerving to think that the crying little boy who had watched his parents shouting was actually standing in front of him with such loathing in his eyes. Snape¡¯s childhood didn¡¯t seem pleasant, but the girl in the final memory¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again, shall we?¡± said Snape, with a very provocative tone. ¡°You can continue to use the Shield Charm.¡±

    Harry felt a thrill of dread: He was about to pay for what had just happened, he was sure of it.

    They moved back into position with the desk between them, Harry feeling he was going to find it much harder to empty his mind this time. He simply couldn¡¯t do it¡­

    ¡°On the count of three, then,¡± said Snape, raising his wand once more. ¡°One ¡ª two ¡ª¡±

    Harry did not have time to gather himself together and attempt to clear his mind, for Snape had already cried ¡°<i>Legilimens</i>!¡±

    He was hurtling along the corridor toward the Department of Mysteries, past the nk stone walls, past the torches on both sides.

    The in ck door was growing everrger; he was moving so fast he was going to collide with it, he was feet from it and he could see that chink of faint blue light again¡­

    The door had flown open! He was through it atst, inside a ck-walled, ck-floored circr room lit with blue-med candles, and there were more doors all around him ¡ª he needed to go on ¡ª but which door ought he to take¡ª?!

    ¡°POTTER!!!¡±

    ¡°I ¡­ dunno what happened,¡± said Harry truthfully, standing up. There was a lump on the back of his head from where he had hit the ground and he felt feverish. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen that before. I mean, I told you, I¡¯ve dreamed about the door ¡­ but it¡¯s never opened before!¡±

    This was very important information. He had gone behind the door, which meant that Voldemort had been inside.

    ¡°You are not working hard enough!¡± For some reason, Snape seemed even angrier than he had done two minutes before, when Harry had seen into his own memories. ¡°You arezy and sloppy, Potter, it is small wonder that the Dark Lord ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me something, Professor?¡± said Harry, firing up again. ¡°Why do you call Voldemort the Dark Lord, I¡¯ve only ever heard Death Eaters call him that!¡±

    Snape opened his mouth in a snarl ¡ª and a woman screamed from somewhere outside the room, her voice much louder than his.

    ¡°What the ¡ª?¡± Snape looked up at the ceiling.

    Harry could hear a muffledmotioning from what he thought might be the entrance hall. Snape looked around at him, frowning.

    ¡°Did you see anything unusual on your way down here, Potter?¡±

    Harry shook his head. Somewhere above them, the woman screamed again.

    Snape strode to his office door, his wand still held at the ready, and swept out of sight. Harry hesitated for a moment, then followed.

    The screams were indeeding from the entrance hall; they grew louder as Harry ran toward the stone steps leading up from the dungeons.

    When he reached the top, he found the entrance hall packed.

    Students hade flooding out of the Great Hall, where dinner was still in progress, to see what was going on. Others had crammed themselves onto the marble staircase.

    Harry pushed forward through a knot of tall Slytherins and saw that the onlookers had formed a great ring, some of them looking shocked, others even frightened, and some kept wiping tears.

    He also saw Professor McGonagall, who looked as though what she was watching made her feel faintly sick.

    Then, he saw Evan, Hermione, Ron, ine, Colin, and Ginny standing opposite, and he hurriedly squeezed through.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s Professor Trwney!¡± said Hermione, with unconceble shock and sadness in her voice. ¡°Just now, during dinner, that woman announced in front of the entire school that she¡¯s been sacked!¡±

    At this moment, Professor Trwney was standing in the middle of the entrance hall with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad.

    Her hair was sticking up on end; her sses were lopsided so that one eye was magnified more than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves were trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she was falling apart at the seams.

    Tworge trunksy on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looked very much as though it had been thrown down the stairs after her.

    ¡°No!¡± she shrieked. ¡°NO! This cannot be happening¡­ It cannot ¡­ I refuse to ept it!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t realize this wasing?¡± said a high girlish voice, sounding callously amused. ¡°Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow¡¯s weather, you must surely have realized that your pitiful performance during my inspections, andck of any improvement, would make it inevitable you would be sacked?¡± ¡°

    ¡°You c-can¡¯t!¡± howled Professor Trwney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses, ¡°you c-can¡¯t sack me! I¡¯ve b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!¡±

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 Chapter 1049: The Trigger and the New Divination Professor

    ¡°It <i>was</i> your home,¡± said Professor Umbridge, the enjoyment stretching her toadlike face as she watched Professor Trwney sink, sobbing uncontrobly, onto one of her trunks, ¡°until an hour ago, when the Minister of Magic countersigned the order for your dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us.¡±

    She stood and watched, with an expression of gloating enjoyment, as Professor Trwney shuddered and moaned, rocking backward and forward on her trunk in paroxysms of grief.

    Professor McGonagall broke away from the crowd, marched straight up to Professor Trwney and patted her firmly on the back while withdrawing arge handkerchief from within her robes.

    In the crowd, many students were silently crying along. Although many didn¡¯t like her ss, what was happening in front of them was too cruel.

    ¡°There, there, Sibyll ¡­ Calm down¡­¡± Professor McGonagall consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s not as bad as you think, now¡­ You are not going to have to leave Hogwarts¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh really, Professor McGonagall?¡± said Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. ¡°And your authority for that statement is ¡­?¡±

    ¡°That would be mine,¡± said a deep voice.

    The oak front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance.

    He had been away from the school to help with Caresius¡¯s recovery and seemed to have hurried back upon hearing the news.There was something impressive about the sight of him framed in the doorway against an oddly misty night.

    Leaving the doors wide behind him, he strode forward through the circle of onlookers toward the ce where Professor Trwney sat, tearstained and trembling, upon her trunk, Professor McGonagall alongside her.

    ¡°Yours, Professor Dumbledore?¡± said Umbridge with a singrly unpleasant littleugh, pulling a parchment scroll from within her robes. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you do not understand the position. I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister of Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, ce upon probation, and sack any teacher she ¡ª that is to say, I ¡ª feel is not performing up to the standard required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trwney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Dumbledore continued to smile. He looked down at Professor Trwney, who was still sobbing and choking on her trunk, and said calmly, ¡°You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid,¡± he went on, with a courteous little bow, ¡°that the power to do that still resides with the headmaster; and it is my wish that Professor Trwney continue to live at Hogwarts.¡±

    At this, Professor Trwney gave a wild littleugh in which a hup was barely hidden.

    ¡°No ¡ª no, I¡¯ll g-go, Dumbledore! I sh-shall l-leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere¡­¡±

    ¡°No, It is my wish that you remain, Sibyll!¡± said Dumbledore sharply, and he turned to Professor McGonagall, ¡°Might I ask you to escort Sibyll back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said McGonagall. ¡°Up you get, Sibyll¡­¡±

    Professor Sprout came hurrying forward out of the crowd and grabbed Professor Trwney¡¯s other arm. Together they guided her past Umbridge and up the marble stairs.

    Professor Flitwick went scurrying after them, his wand held out before him; he squeaked, ¡°Lotor trunks!¡± and Professor Trwney¡¯s luggage rose into the air and proceeded up the staircase after her, Professor Flitwick bringing up the rear.

    Professor Umbridge was standing stock-still, staring at Dumbledore, who continued to smile benignly.

    ¡°And what,¡± she said in a whisper that nevertheless carried all around the entrance hall, ¡°are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that won¡¯t be a problem,¡± said Dumbledore pleasantly. ¡°You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve found ¡ª?¡± said Umbridge shrilly. ¡°You¡¯ve found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Twenty-two ¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ª the Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if ¡ª and only if ¡ª the headmaster is unable to find one,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°And I am happy to say that on this asion I have seeded. May I introduce you?¡±

    He turned to face the open front doors, through which night mist was now drifting. The students heard hooves.

    There was a shocked murmur around the hall and those nearest the doors hastily moved even farther backward, some of them tripping over in their haste to clear a path for the neer.

    Through the mist came a face, white-blond hair and astonishingly blue eyes, the head and torso of a man joined to the palomino body of a horse.

    ¡°This is Firenze,¡± said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge. ¡°I think you¡¯ll find him very suitable.¡±

    Facing him, Umbridge stared in shock at the sudden appearance of the centaur.

    The sudden turn of events caused a sensation within the castle. The expulsion of Professor Trwney reached the peak of hatred from the staff and students towards Umbridge. Many didn¡¯t like Professor Trwney, considering her a fraud, but Umbridge¡¯s actions were too rough and cruel!

    And Professor Trwney¡¯s behavior in the entrance hall that evening was really pitiful.

    Even Hermione, who had always had problems with her, stood by Professor Trwney this time.

    After the incident, Lavender, Parvati, and some other girls visited Professor Trwney.

    They were all the most loyal supporters of the Divination ss and brought back some news.

    ¡°We went up to her office to see her, we took her some daffodils ¡ª not the honking ones that Sprout¡¯s got, nice ones¡­¡± Lavender told them in themon room by the firece.

    ¡°How is she?¡±

    ¡°Not very good, poor thing,¡± said Lavender sympathetically. ¡°She was crying and saying she¡¯d rather leave the castle forever than stay here if Umbridge is still here, and I don¡¯t me her. Umbridge was horrible to her, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling Umbridge has only just started being horrible,¡± said Hermione darkly.

    ¡°Impossible, she can¡¯t get any worse than she¡¯s been already.¡±

    ¡°You mark my words, she¡¯s going to want revenge on Dumbledore for appointing a new teacher without consulting her,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Especially another part-human. You saw the look on her face when she saw Firenze¡­¡±

    Hermione predicted that Umbridge would retaliate, but the students¡¯ patience with her had also reached its limit.

    Evan felt that the outbreak was not far away, and the report that would be published tomorrow morning would be the trigger.

    After Firenze came to the castle, Evan led everyone to visit him that evening.

    He had a good rtionship with the centaurs, and Hermione, ine, Ginny, and others were very interested in Firenze.

    ¡°Wee!¡± Firenze let them into the ssroom, where he would be living from now on. He surveyed everyone unblinkingly through those astonishingly blue eyes but did not smile. ¡°It was foretold that I would be here at Hogwarts.¡±

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 Chapter 1050: Owl Rain Strikes Again

    ssroom eleven, where Firenze resided, was rarely used. It therefore had the slightly neglected feeling of a cupboard or storeroom.

    But at this moment, the ssroom floor had be springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of nting shafts of soft, dappled, green light.

    Firenze let them in, standing in the middle of the room, where there were no trees.

    ¡°Hello, Firenze!¡± said Evan, looking at the Centaur who had not changed much. ¡°How did youe to Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore¡­ ¡°

    ¡°I mean, what do the other Centaurs in your herd think about youing to Hogwarts?¡± said Evan, looking at the shadow of a hoof-shaped bruise on Firenze¡¯s chest. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t agree easily, would they?¡±

    ¡°They have already banished me. They see my behavior as a betrayal of our kind,¡± said Firenze. ¡°This is not surprising at all. You know them, Evan, and you know what they think. I don¡¯t think they made a mistake in banishing me. Simrly, I don¡¯t think I made a mistake ining to Hogwarts. ording to the guidance of the stars, I should be here.¡±

    The Centaurs had been observing the changing trajectory of thes all their lives, believing in the destiny foretold by the stars.

    However, it was quite a stretch for the stars to guide Firenze to Hogwarts as the Divination professor; the stars wouldn¡¯t bother with such matters.It was he who wanted toe here, being an unconventional Centaur interested in human civilization.

    Of course, since he came to the castle, he was ready to pay the corresponding price.

    Firenze, like other Centaurs, knew many secrets, but he never told them directly.

    But overall, he was still rtively reliable among the Centaurs and was willing to help. Although he could not use magic, he had strong melee and archery skills.

    They chatted for a while, and then Firenze told Evan that the Centaurs were losing patience with the giant Grawp.

    He hoped that Evan would persuade Hagrid to abandon it. In his opinion, Hagrid was losing his mind and that kind of effort was useless.

    Evan promised to talk to Hagrid, but Hagrid would definitely not give up. He was as stubborn as the Centaurs on this matter.

    Not to mention, because ine wanted to make friends with Grawp, Hagrid was now in high spirits.

    He¡¯d even revealed Grawp¡¯s location and asked Evan to lead Hermione and ine over to see Grawp when they had time.

    That evening, the topic in the castle quickly shifted from the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff to the ferocious Umbridge, poor Professor Trwney and the new Divination professor Firenze. Only Evan, Harry and Hermione were looking forward to tomorrow morning¡¯s report. ine knew about it but didn¡¯t take it to heart.

    She now wanted to see the giant wholeheartedly. The girl was very interested in big things she had never seen before.

    On Monday morning, Hermione kept staring at the ceiling, eagerly awaiting the arrival of thetest newspaper delivered by owls.

    She wasn¡¯t the only person eagerly awaiting the <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>. Nearly everyone was eager to hear thetest news about the escaped Death Eaters.

    Although many people had reported sightings of them, none had been caught so far.

    Umbridge had prohibited the ordering of <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, but not many people hadplied.

    They found other ways to have it delivered, sandwiched between other items.

    The number of owls every morning was so huge that it was impossible for Umbridge and Filch to check them all.

    They only focused on the owls delivering mail to Evan, Harry and others.

    ¡°Oh, here we go,¡± said Hermione, who had been staring at the ceiling since morning.

    A ck owlnded and brought thetest issue of <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>. The headline on the front page was about the interview with Evan and Harry:

    REVEALING THE TRUTH:

    WE WITNESSED THE RETURN OF HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED

    Below the huge title was a photo of Evan and Harry.

    Then, there were rows of headline summaries:

    The Return of You-Know-Who and Its Impact

    Dumbledore¡¯s Speech at the International Confederation of Wizards

    Harry Potter uses, the Boy Who Lived Names Death Eaters Still Among Us

    The truth about the Azkaban prison breakout

    Facts Concealed by Minister Fudge, Loopholes in Ministry Management

    What to Do in the Face of Danger ¡­

    Today¡¯s <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> was a special edition about Voldemort, and it was substantial.

    It began with an interview with Evan and Harry, and was followed by reports on Voldemort, Death Eaters, and the ipetence of the Ministry of Magic.

    <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> called on all wizards to recognize the truth and stand up to resist.

    ¡°Looks good,¡± said Hermione, flipping through the newspaper quickly. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of heavyweight news in it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really good, but I don¡¯t know how the reaction will be?¡±

    This question was soon answered. Five minutes after receiving <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, the Great Hall experienced another onught of owls. Their number was astonishing, with owls crowded together like a dark cloud; and they kept pouring in.

    All students, whether they had ordered <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> or not, immediately turned their attention to Evan.

    They had seen this phenomenon once before, when the truth about Sirius¡¯s incident was reported.

    At that time, the entire Wizarding World seemed to have gone crazy. People kept writing letters to Evan and Harry until the end of the term.

    But this time the number of owls was far greater than the previous one, and everyone knew that Evan must have done something again.

    Imagine that scene, hundreds of owls rushing in at the same time, with more toe.

    They kept squeezing around, fluttering down and jockeying for position, and each attempting to give Evan and Harry their letters first.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see this scene again. I thought once was enough,¡± said Ron.

    ¡°These are all letters from readers; this report is a great sess,¡± said Hermione excitedly. She picked up an envelope and ripped it open. ¡°Look, this person wants to believe us, he wants to believe that You-Know-Who is back!¡±

    ¡°Not everyone!¡± Harry had also ripped an envelope open and crumpled the letter absentmindedly. ¡°This guy says that Evan and I are off our rocker. He rmends we try a good course of Shock Spells at St. Mungo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s in two minds,¡± said Fred, who had joined in the letter-opening with enthusiasm. ¡°Says you don¡¯te across as a mad person, but he really doesn¡¯t want to believe You-Know-Who¡¯s back so he doesn¡¯t know what to think now¡­ Blimey, what a waste of parchment¡­¡±

    ¡°One of them is mentioning my uncle here,¡± said ine. ¡°He thinks the Ministry of Magic and the <i>Daily Prophet</i> are very unfair, ming vampires for everything, But since the Quidditch World Cup, he hasn¡¯t seen a vampire. Well, what this guy says makes sense, but I have always been here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, stop opening them,¡± said Evan, looking up at the owls that had covered almost the entire ceiling. He hurriedly pulled Hermione up. ¡°There are too many; we can¡¯t open them all. If you don¡¯t want to be surrounded by owls and letters, leave now. I¡¯ll ask Dobby to help handle these letters.¡±

    Evan and the others left, but the Great Hall had already descended into madness, and this was just the beginning. ¡­

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 Chapter 1051: Elaines Binge Eating

    The subsequent Defense Against the Dark Arts ss was aplete mess. The house-elves had been doing their best to help Evan tidy up the letters, but there were still many owls rushing into the ssroom. They seemed to enter from unexpected ces, much like mice.

    As long as there was a hole, the owls could squeeze through; they were truly a powerful magical species.

    Amidst the students¡¯ amazement and the continuously intruding owls, letters fluttered around the ssroom.

    These were all letters from readers to Evan. It had just begun, and the impact of the report was still fermenting; more letters were expected toe.

    ¡°Evan Mason!¡± As expected, Umbridge was absolutely furious.

    Her face turned dark and she ran angrily from the hall, wanting to ask Evan what was going on, but found that her ssroom was also upied by owls.

    Many students gathered around Evan, helping him open the letters and discussing enthusiastically.

    ¡°Enough, these damn owls, everywhere again!¡± screamed Umbridge, waving her wand and casting a red light.

    But she hit nothing, and the owls ducked away, staring disapprovingly at Umbridge with their big yellow eyes.They pped their wings and flew into the air and began to attack her. The owls that flew in from behind also followed suit, and she was surrounded.

    In the dreadful screams, an owl snatched Umbridge¡¯s wand.

    Umbridge jumped and hopped in anger, waving her hands, trying to get her wand back, looking like a clown.

    Her clothes were disheveled, and there were owls pooping on top of her head¡­

    One, two, three, more and more owls joined in. The scene was terrible, and these owls were very vindictive.

    ¡°Enough, Evan Mason, enough; what on earth is going on?!¡± she shouted hysterically, vigorously wiping her face, with brown and yellow liquid sttering towards the departing owls, angrily punching the air, ¡°Why are there so many owls?¡±

    ¡°Delivering letters to me, Professor,¡± said Evan.

    Watching Umbridge¡¯s appearance, ine couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter, earning herself a hateful gaze from Umbridge.

    ¡°<i>Quiet</i>!¡± she yelled, losing herposure. ¡°I mean, why are so many people writing to you?¡±

    ¡°Is it illegal to receive letters at Hogwarts?¡± ine asked.

    ¡°Shut up, I shall have to put you in detention. No matter where youe from, you need to learn some discipline!¡± said Umbridge.

    Although she was talking to ine, her bulging toad¡¯s eyes were always watching Evan.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because Harry and I gave an interview, Professor!¡± Evan pulled ine and motioned her not to talk or do stupid things. ¡°That¡¯s why so many readers are writing to me about what happenedst year.¡±

    Umbridge opened her ugly mouth. She saw thetest issue of <i>Hogwarts Magic News </i>on her desk. She stared at the striking headlines and photos on the cover for a few seconds. She seemed to want to pounce on him, and her pale, doughy face turned an ugly, patchy violet.

    Evan wouldn¡¯t have minded if she did so; then he could haveunched a counterattack in self-defense.

    ¡°When did you do this?¡± she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

    ¡°The earliest time can be traced back to the summer vacation. Harry and I felt it was necessary to tell the truth,¡± said Evan. ¡°Thest time we went to Hogsmeade, we revised the article to make it more in line with the current situation, informing people about what happened.¡±

    Umbridge gasped for breath, looking up at Evan, incandescent with rage, and her whole body was shaking.

    ¡°Detention ¡­ Mr. ¡­ Mason!¡± she said word by word. ¡°A hundred points from Gryffindor; and starting from this evening, in my office for a month¡¯s worth of detentions. There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you. I can¡¯t believe it. How dare you do this? You are spreading rumors and ndering the Ministry of Magic. You¡­¡±

    She red at Evan hard, and another batch of owls flew in, interrupting her words.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, damn owls. Now, get out with these damn owls, Mason; get out of my ssroom, right now, right now!¡± She let out another scream of pain, waving her hands to chase away the owls above her head.

    ¡°Alright, Professor,¡± Evan left the ssroom; he didn¡¯t want to attend Umbridge¡¯s ss anyway.

    Behind Evan, ine followed, and only the screams of Umbridge could be heard from inside the ssroom.

    The two walked in the deserted corridor. Evan pulled out his wand and waved it. The owls that had been following them immediately turned around and flew away, leaving no one behind.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have stopped me; I can¡¯t stand her, that hateful old witch, that stinking toad,¡± said ine, making a slight sneer, revealing two sharp tiger teeth. Her small hand reached out to Evan, ¡°Give me a bottle of dragon blood!¡±

    Evan handed her a bottle of blood. This girl binged when angry.

    He watched as ine drank a bottle of Australian protein eye dragon blood in one go, leaving a trace of blood along the corner of her mouth.

    She stuck out her tongue and licked it. Although she looked cute, there was something inexplicably weird about the scene.

    ¡°You are right, but you can¡¯t attack her in front of so many students,¡± said Evan, wiping the corners of ine¡¯s mouth, ¡°If you do that, she¡¯ll have a reason to punish you, expel you, or even send you to Azkaban.¡±

    ¡°So, do nothing?¡± said ine. ¡°Give me another bottle, I¡¯m really angry!¡±

    ¡°Stop drinking, you overdosed today!¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°We have better ways to deal with such people.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± ine pouted and asked, staring at Evan with blood-like burgundy eyes, moving her eyes from bottom to top to his neck, with a touch of red on her lips, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to be patient. , and don¡¯t mention that fighting group to me. The members there are really weak, utterly useless. Do you really expect them to stand against the anti-magic forces and terrifying evil gods?¡±

    ¡°I just hope they can defend themselves,¡± said Evan. ¡°And don¡¯t underestimate D.A. Although they are individually weak, together they form an undeniable force. No one is born strong.¡±

    ¡°I just want to know what you n to do now,¡± said ine, leaning towards Evan, resting against his chest. ¡°If you say patience again, I¡¯ll climb into your bed at midnight and bite you, umm ¡­ or maybe bite Hermione¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say patience, I just want you to understand that the best way to deal with someone is never through harm or death,¡± said Evan, pushing ine away and tapping her on the head. ¡°And, even without this issue, you¡¯ve climbed into bed with Hermione and me many times! Think about waking up in the morning, seeing a very beautiful girl curled up in your arms like a kitten or hugging you tightly. How would you feel? Wouldn¡¯t you have the urge to do something? Like hitting someone or something¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1052: Impact and Intention

    Regarding Evan¡¯s concept, ine just grumbled a sentence about the principles of an upright wizard.

    She hummed a few words, reinforcing her determination for a nocturnal attack on Evan.

    This was indeed a difficult choice: either deal with Umbridge or wait for ine to climb into bed.

    Compared to dealing with troublesome ine in bed, it was actually easier to kill Umbridge or control her with dark magic.

    To be honest, Evan had a simr idea, and he could do it with just a wave of his wand.

    But he really couldn¡¯t bear the consequences of doing so. Not only was it the pressure from Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, he was not afraid of being expelled or imprisoned in Azkaban. What worried him more was Dumbledore¡¯s stance.

    Although he was not in school, Dumbledore knew everything and certainly wouldn¡¯t approve of ine¡¯s views.

    He would not do that, nor would he let others do that. Too much power was a burden and had to be used with care.

    And Evan didn¡¯t think Umbridge was a threat, just an annoying toad.Of course, it was okay to give her a lesson she would never forget. This was what Evan told Hermione and ine.

    ¡°How are you going to deal with Umbridge?¡± Hermione asked. She quickly learned what happened in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss and the conversation between Evan and ine. ¡°We can¡¯t follow what ine said. Attack her like that!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, Hermione. As long as you are willing to pay the price, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°The price is to be expelled and imprisoned in Azkaban,¡± said Hermione, ¡°and even causing trouble to Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°Things are not that simple; the cost is much greater than one can imagine,¡± Evan didn¡¯t continue analyzing and changed the subject. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione. I have some consideration. I won¡¯t do as ine suggests; that would be too foolish! But I¡¯ll give her a memorable lesson. Well, as long as I¡¯m careful, no one will know it¡¯s us. I won¡¯t attack her in front of others. In fact, even if it¡¯s discovered, it won¡¯t matter. I¡¯m nning to leave Hogwarts for a while.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going this time?¡±

    ¡°You heard what Sirius saidst time; Caresius woke up. I think it¡¯s necessary to go to Norway again to find out the troubles in their family. It¡¯s likely to be rted to the secret treasure left by Slytherin.¡± said Evan. ¡°Besides, we need to know what secrets Voldemort got from them, about the evil god, this is very important.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Hermione thought for a moment and said seriously, ¡°I want to go with you too!¡±

    ¡°No, you stay here, it¡¯s dangerous in Norway, and the exams areing soon¡­¡±

    ¡°Evan, do you think I would just watch you take risks just for the sake of the exam?!¡± said Hermione. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about all the things you did before. But I know this time, and I will go with you no matter what.¡±

    After knowing Evan¡¯s n, Hermione was hard to convince.

    Considering that ine was also going to follow, there was nothing wrong with taking Hermione along.

    Now that the next action was determined, the only thing left was to continue waiting for Caresius¡¯s recovery.

    In the meantime, Evan nned tomunicate with him and Dumbledore, mainly Dumbledore. Evan wasn¡¯t sure how Dumbledore considered his previous suggestion. If action was taken, the n could begin to be implemented; it was an excellent bait.

    If Voldemort thought they were all in Norway and not in Ennd, he would be tempted to go to the Ministry of Magic and get the Prophecy orb.

    There was also the matter of giving Umbridge a lesson before leaving.

    Umbridge was indeed very annoying, and had achieved the effect of causing public outrage, which was actually the case.

    By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on House notice boards, but in the corridors and ssrooms too. They clearly stated:

    ¡ª BY ORDER OF ¡ª

    THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

    Any student found in possession of the <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i> and other newspapers and magazines publishing articles about You-Know-Who¡¯s return will be immediately expelled.

    The above is in ordance with

    Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven.

    Signed:

    Dolores Jane Umbridge

    HIGH INQUISITOR

    For some reason, every time Hermione caught sight of one of these signs she beamed with pleasure.

    ¡°What exactly are you so happy about?¡± Harry asked her.

    ¡°Oh Harry, don¡¯t you see?¡± Hermione breathed. ¡°If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your and Evan¡¯s interview, it was banning it!¡±

    And it seemed that Hermione was quite right. By the end of that day, though they had not seen so much as a corner of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> anywhere in the school, the whole ce seemed to be quoting the interview at each other; students were whispering about it as they queued up outside sses, discussing it over lunch and in the back of lessons.

    Hermione even reported that every upant of the cubicles in the girls¡¯ toilets had been talking about it when she nipped in there before Ancient Runes.

    ¡°And then they spotted me, and obviously they know I know you, so they were bombarding me with questions,¡± Hermione told Evan, her eyes shining, ¡°and I think they believe you, I really do, and the report had an effect. Umbridge must be furious!¡±

    After ss at noon, Professor Umbridge was stalking the school, stopping students at random and demanding that they turn out their books and pockets.

    She was looking for relevant reports in <i>Hogwarts Magic News</i>, but found nothing.

    The students were several steps ahead of her. The reports had been bewitched to resemble extracts from textbooks if anyone but themselves read them, or else wiped magically nk until they wanted to peruse them again. Soon it seemed that every single person in the school had read them.

    The views expressed in <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> had been discussed again and again, and had been recognized by many students.

    At the same time, public opinion in the Wizarding World was still fermenting, owls were still flying towards the school in a steady stream, and the castle was in a mess.

    The teachers were, of course, forbidden from mentioning these articles by Educational decree Number Twenty-six and Educational Decree Number Twenty-seven, but they found ways to express their feelings about it all the same, mainly by awarding points to Evan and Harry.

    Umbridge had deducted a hundred points from Gryffindor, but they were quickly earned back.

    For example, Evan got fifty points for answering a small question correctly in Hagrid¡¯s ss.

    Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor twenty points when Harry passed her a watering can; a beaming Professor Flitwick pressed a box of squeaking sugar mice on him at the end of Charms, said ¡°Shh!¡± and hurried away.

    Professor Trwney was the most thorough. After being expelled, she now hated Umbridge very much.

    She made a rare appearance in the Great Hall and broke into hysterical sobs in front of all the teachers and students in the school.

    She announced to the startled students, and a very disapproving Umbridge, that Harry was not going to suffer an early death after all, but would live to a ripe old age and be Minister of Magic.

    And Evan, too, would live to a hundred years old and have twelve children¡­

    Although he knew she was just ttering and saying nice things on purpose, Evan still felt that Hermione shouldn¡¯t have so many children.

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 Chapter 1053: Drinking Tea

    The impact of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> was gradually unfolding. This was not a single report, but an entire series.

    The Order of the Phoenix also published some irrelevant information in the newspaper, and more and more evidence showed that Voldemort was indeed back.

    Public opinion began to sway in their favor, and the newspaper subscriptions were increasing.

    At the same time, subscriptions to the <i>Daily Prophet</i> continued to decline.

    People were unwilling to subscribe to a lying newspaper, no matter how old it was. When it lost credibility, the newspaper also lost its vitality.

    As public opinion fermented, there were more and more protests against Fudge and the Ministry of Magic, and there was no way to control them.

    Like the Wizarding World, things were getting increasingly chaotic inside Hogwarts Castle.

    Everyone was talking about this matter, and no one cared about Umbridge¡¯s Educational Decrees.

    In this situation, Harry felt much happier.It was one of the few good things that had happened since he was banned from Quidditch and the increasingly painful lumency lessons began.

    As he hurried to his Transfiguration ss, Cho caught up with him.

    Before he knew what had happened her hand was in his and she was breathing in his ear, ¡°I¡¯m really, really sorry. That interview was so brave ¡­ it made me cry.¡±

    Harry was sorry to hear that she had shed even more tears over it, but very d they were on speaking terms again, and even more pleased when she gave him a swift kiss on the cheek and hurried off again.

    And unbelievably, no sooner had he arrived outside Transfiguration than something just as good happened: Seamus stepped out of the queue to face him. This was the first conversation between the two since their argument at the beginning of the term.

    ¡°I just wanted to say,¡± he mumbled, squinting at Harry¡¯s left knee, ¡°I believe you. And I¡¯ve sent a copy of that paper to me mam.¡±

    If anything more was needed toplete Harry¡¯s happiness, it was Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle¡¯s reactions.

    He had named all of their fathers as Death Eaters. In ss, they looked at Harry with hatred and kept turning their heads. Goyle cracked his knuckles threateningly and Malfoy whispered something undoubtedly malevolent to Crabbe.

    But they couldn¡¯t do anything, and their current position was not good.

    They couldn¡¯t even stand up and contradict Evan and Harry because they couldn¡¯t admit they had read the article!

    Umbridge did lose her sense of proportion. On Monday evening, instead of imposing any punishment during detention, she actually invited Evan and ine for tea.

    She separated the two of them and asked Evan toe to her office at five o¡¯clock first, and ine to be there at six o¡¯clock.

    Everyone only had one hour, what on earth did she want to do?!

    Umbridge¡¯s office was the same as usual except for Harry¡¯s Firebolt and the Starcatchers borated by Evan, which were now chained and padlocked to a stout iron peg in the wall behind the desk.

    Evan also saw his wand, his wand in name only, locked by a miniature iron chain.

    Umbridge probably regarded them as trophies and hung them on the wall in a showy way.

    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Mason!¡± When Evan came in, she was busily scribbling upon some of her pink parchment, with her head down. She did not look at Evan, but pointed to a chair and said briefly and curtly, ¡°Sit, we need to talk. We had a conversation at the beginning of the term, but obviously, it was not pleasant. Due to some things, our differences have grown. It¡¯s time to resolve these contradictions; continuing to be at odds benefits no one.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor, I agree with your point of view!¡±

    Evan sat down and looked at Umbridge in surprise. What did she mean? Did she want to reconcile?!

    Because the words in <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> let her know the truth, was she ready to abandon the darkness and turn to the light?!

    There was no way this kind of thing could happen to Umbridge, even if she took the wrong potion.

    Since it was not asking for peace, there must be some conspiracy!

    Evan looked at Umbridge, trying to see what new ns she had.

    She was writing something with her head down, and on the te above her head, several ugly cats were jumping around.

    These cats were not simple, this was surveince magic.

    ¡°Alright, finally done,¡± said Umbridge, putting down her quill. The expression on her face was like a toad about to swallow a juicy fly. ¡°This is a report for the Minister. I believe that special measures should be taken during special times to make the reforms more thorough. It is necessary. By the way, what would you like to drink?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, no need!¡± said Evan, Umbridge¡¯s attitude was so strange!

    ¡°Come on, I really wish you to have a drink with me,¡± said Umbridge with an ugly smile on her face in a tone that was both scary and pleasant. ¡°Tea? Coffee? Orange juice? Pumpkin juice?¡±

    As she named each drink, she gave her short wand a wave, and a cup or ss of it appeared upon her desk.

    Evan suddenly realized that there was something wrong with these drinks. Was she going to poison him?!

    ¡°Fine, Professor ¡­ tea then,¡± he said softly, looking at Umbridge.

    Umbridge got up and made quite a performance of adding milk with her back to him.

    She then bustled around the desk with it, smiling in sinisterly sweet fashion.

    ¡°There,¡± she said, handing the tea to Evan. ¡°Drink it before it gets cold, won¡¯t you? I thought we ought to have a little chat, after so many unfortunate events.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t speak, just stared. There was no discernible content in the teacup in front of him.

    Umbridge settled herself back into her seat and waited. When several long moments had passed in silence, she said gaily, ¡°You¡¯re not drinking up!¡±

    Unless someone¡¯s head was messed up, they wouldn¡¯t drink something they knew was problematic.

    Evan pretended to raise the teacup to his lips, then suddenly put it down again. Umbridge looked at him nervously.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± said Umbridge, who was still watching him. ¡°Do you want sugar?¡±

    ¡°Yes ¡­ a little bit. I like it sweeter. Thank you!¡± said Evan, putting the tea cup on the table.

    Taking advantage of it, as Umbridge stood up, his wand slid down to his right hand, hidden by his sleeve. Evan cast a Confundus Charm.

    Umbridge paused, feeling a momentary dizziness. In that time, Evan swiftly switched the contents of the teacups.

    ¡°How many spoonfuls of sugar do you want?¡± Umbridge asked, not noticing anything.

    ¡°One spoonful is enough,¡± said Evan, watching the white sugar dissolve and disappear into the murky tea.

    He picked it up and took a sip. It was too sweet, not his favorite taste¡­

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 Chapter 1054: Umbridges Strange Thinking

    ¡°Great, let¡¯s get started!¡± After seeing Evan drink the tea, Umbridge leaned forward slightly, ¡°Firstly, I want you to tell me, on the night before the Christmas holiday, where did Dumbledore take you and Harry Potter?¡±

    Evan blinked, wondering why Umbridge was so certain he would answer such a question.

    Then, he realized, it was Veritaserum ¡­ she¡¯d put Veritaserum in the drink.

    ¡°I went home, Professor!¡± said Evan. ¡°You know, ine wanted to go to Hogwarts, she¡¯s a student of Nics mel like me, and Professors Dumbledore and mel hoped I could take care of her at school.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Umbridge was obviously not satisfied with Evan¡¯s answer, ¡°And what about Potter?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Sirius ck probably returned during that time, he¡¯s Harry¡¯s godfather, and he wanted to see Harry,¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°So Dumbledore had you leave Hogwartste at night to meet them?¡± Umbridge was not pleased.

    This reason was too far-fetched; anyone could see that it was impossible.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded and looked at Umbridge calmly.¡°Good, then where has ck been during this time?¡± she asked. ¡°He¡¯s been missing for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Evan. ¡°Maybe he went on vacation.¡±

    ¡°Well, drink up, Mason, drink up,¡± she said, watching Evan drink all the tea in the cup, a smile appeared on her face again. ¡°Alright, Mr. Mason, let us not y childish games. I know that you know what they are doing; you have to consider your own position. What is the benefit of directly confronting the Ministry of Magic?¡±

    ¡°Professor, I did not confront the Ministry,¡± said Evan. ¡°And currently, the Ministry is the one in a precarious situation.¡±

    ¡°Do you think so?! Do you really think that the Ministry has no understanding of the current situation?!¡± said Umbridge. ¡°It seems that I need to remind you that, as far as I know, you and Harry Potter once formed an illegal student organization at school, and you recruited students to join this organization at the Hog¡¯s Head Inn.¡±

    Evan squinted. Umbridge knowing this information was not surprising at all. Hog¡¯s Head Inn was crowded and anyone could snitch.

    But the D.A. members themselves should not have betrayed them, as the magical protections Evan left behind were never triggered.

    Since no one betrayed, that meant Umbridge didn¡¯t have enough evidence.

    Thinking about it, if there was evidence, she would go directly to a showdown with Dumbledore instead of wasting time with him here.

    ¡°Yes, Professor, we have indeed formed such an organization!¡±

    Umbridge showed a satisfied look on her face after hearing Evan¡¯s words.

    ¡°We did have such intentions!¡± Before she could speak, Evan continued, ¡°But that was not illegal at the time. After the Ministry¡¯s Decree banned all student clubs, we terminated the organization and never continued our activities.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Umbridge looked at him suspiciously.

    ¡°Yes, so we didn¡¯t vite any regtions,¡± said Evan. ¡°You should know that.¡±

    ¡°Well, I will take your word for it this time,¡± said Umbridge. ¡°But how do you exin this? Not long ago, it was I who almost caught that despicable ck in the Gryffindor fire. I know perfectly well it was you and Harry Potter he was meeting. Shortly afterwards, you two disappeared from the school. What were your ns?!¡±

    ¡°That was just a coincidence, I just said¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not telling the truth, Mason!¡± Umbridge impatiently interrupted Evan¡¯s answer.

    ¡°Professor, what do you want to know?¡± Evan looked at her and emphasized, ¡°I am telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°I want to know the rtionship between ck and the escaped Death Eaters?¡± Umbridge¡¯s smile disappeared from her face.

    She leaned her body towards Evan, her ugly toad eyes staring fixedly at him.

    So that was it, they hadn¡¯t given up on the stupid idea of ??Sirius helping the Death Eaters breakout.

    They wanted to use Veritaserum to get some evidence from Evan. Fudge and Umbridge¡¯s minds were undoubtedly clouded. Even with so much evidence, they still didn¡¯t want to believe the fact that Voldemort was resurrected. Instead, they were doubting Sirius, or to be more precise, doubting Dumbledore.

    ¡°As far as I know, they don¡¯t seem to have any contact,¡± said Evan. ¡°Sirius is against the Death Eaters. They are enemies. If you¡¯re willing, you can read thetest issue of <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>, you¡¯ll know that the mastermind behind this prison break is Voldemort¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention that name, and don¡¯t mention your rumor-mongering newspaper, it is illegal in Hogwarts,¡± Umbridge shouted, sitting down again. She seemed to think that Evan had taken Veritaserum and could not tell lies. A smile appeared on her lips again. ¡°It seems that you are not as important as I thought, Mr. Mason. They haven¡¯t told you all the important things, have they? Alright, let¡¯s change the topic. The girl beside you¡­¡±

    ¡°You mean ine?¡± Evan¡¯s heart tightened.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s her,¡± said Umbridge. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste time, Mason. I can tell you clearly that we have investigated her identity. The Ministry has sent people to France. There is no such person at Beauxbatons, and Nics mel doesn¡¯t have such a student. Who is she?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± said Evan. ¡°As far as I know, she is Professor Nics mel¡¯s student, studying Alchemy with him. In many ancient wizarding schools, this kind of master-apprentice rtionship is prevalent as a secret inheritance. Therefore, it¡¯s quite normal for the Ministry not to find information about ine at Beauxbatons.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s abnormal too!¡± Umbridge impatiently said, ¡°Mason, the Ministry knows much more than you can imagine. To be honest with you, someone saw that girl in the Norwegian region, and ck was seen there too. That ce is their of vampires. So, we have reason to suspect that ck, together with vampires, plotted this escape of the Death Eaters. We have sent people there, and finding evidence is only a matter of time. You¡¯re a smart person; think about the current situation. Speak out everything you know. Otherwise, when I gather enough evidence, you¡¯ll end up in Azkaban. I assure you, that day won¡¯t be too far away.¡±

    Evan looked at Umbridge. The Ministry wasn¡¯t entirely foolish; they quickly investigated information about ine and Sirius in Norway.

    However, their way of thinking was extremely strange. They actually suspected that Sirius had conspired with vampires to n the escape of the Death Eaters. Listening to Umbridge, it seemed she was doubting Dumbledore, thinking that he had saved those Death Eaters¡­

    These guys weren¡¯t just foolish; they were insane. Power had blinded their eyes, leading them into madness.

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 Chapter 1055: Evanâ€™s Story

    They thought that Dumbledore was resisting the Ministry of Magic, and then concluded that Dumbledore had released the Death Eaters¡­

    Evan no longer knew how to evaluate this idea.

    He felt that it was a pity that Fudge and Umbridge did not write novels. Normal people would not have such whimsical thinking.

    Of course, imagination was one thing; the key was evidence, which was what they urgently needed now.

    The Ministry had no idea what was going on right now, but it was only a matter of time.

    They had their own intelligencework and could find out some things.

    Not to mention, Voldemort and the Death Eaters were helping them behind the scenes, providing them with information that was detrimental to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.

    They had concluded that Dumbledore instructed Sirius to n the prison break with the vampires. What was missing now was the evidence to prove the connection between them. The breakthrough point was ine, although Evan did not think they would find anything valuable in Norway or Beauxbatons.

    Dumbledore had taken care of everything, but it wouldn¡¯t be good to dy things like this. Voldemort was an uncertain variable.Caresius had taken measures, and Voldemort had not met ine, but was certainly aware of her existence.

    He could have provided this clue to the Ministry of Magic, or made up some evidence.

    Now that Umbridge already knew so much, Evan felt that it was better to act ording to the previous n.

    The current situation had changed, and the sooner the problem was resolved, the greater their advantage would be.

    Continuing the stalemate would only make the situation a bit worse, not to mention that after Evan, ine was toe over for detention.

    If Umbridge¡¯s Veritaserum worked, she could know everything from ine.

    Passive defense was no longer enough, it was better to take the initiative to find the opponent¡¯s weaknesses.

    Evan made up his mind to teach Umbridge a lesson before leaving. This was his promise to Hermione and ine.

    Casting a curse or a hex on her would be quite easy, but Evan was sure that he would not be satisfied.

    That would be too lenient on her, he thought of Umbridge¡¯s ending in the original book.

    It was better to hand her over to those rough Centaurs; they would definitely make herfortable.

    A picture of Umbridge surrounded by ferocious Centaurs appeared in Evan¡¯s mind, and he couldn¡¯t help but nod.

    Then, he thought, maybe giving her to Grawp was also a good idea; women always liked giants.

    Grawp also needed apanion. He was too lonely in the Forbidden Forest, but before that, he needed some technical processing.

    Evan looked at the cats running around in the te. No matter what, if he wanted to deal with Umbridge, he had to get her into the Forbidden Forest first.

    ¡°Professor, I don¡¯t know what the connection is between Sirius and the Death Eaters,¡± said Evan in a leisurely pace, ¡°but I know the reason why ine came to Hogwarts. She is Nics mel¡¯s student, proficient in Alchemy; Professor Dumbledore wanted mel¡¯s help in creating something, so¡­¡±

    ¡°So, Nics mel sent her here?¡± Umbridge said, suddenly getting excited.

    She seemed not to have expected to receive such information from Evan.

    Unexpected, but exactly what she needed.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan covered his mouth with his hand, as if he was surprised at what he was saying.

    Seeing Evan¡¯s surprised expression, Umbridge became more and more satisfied. She asked eagerly, ¡°Tell me ¡­ what is he trying to make?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, that thing is big, it¡¯s a weapon, a powerful weapon¡­¡± said Evan, ¡°¡­ a weapon with amazing effects.¡±

    ¡°Weapon? Weapon?¡± Umbridge asked, her eyes seemed to pop out with excitement. ¡°You mean Dumbledore has been developing some method of resistance? A weapon that could be used against the Ministry?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that should be it!¡±

    Umbridge straightened up, looking jubnt, and walked back and forth in front of Evan.

    ¡°Take me to find that weapon,¡± she said. ¡°You know where it is, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± said Evan despondently, as if giving up resistance. ¡°It¡¯s in the Forbidden Forest, but I can¡¯t take you there. I can¡¯t betray Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°Silly boy, you should understand your situation. Even without you to lead the way, we can find that thing in the Forbidden Forest. It¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± said Umbridge in a motherly tone, her mouth opening wide. ¡°Look at the reality, Dumbledore is finished. As long as you are willing to help the Ministry of Magic, I can restore your position as Head Boy, and even help you find a position in the Ministry after graduation.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Evan murmured, seeming to be struggling. ¡°That weapon is very powerful. Dumbledore said it can destroy everything.¡±

    ¡°It is not for you to set conditions,¡± said Umbridge harshly, bing more impatient. ¡°You have no other choice.¡±

    After a brief silence, Evan seemed to be hesitating.

    ¡°If I take you to see that thing, will you reinstate me as Head Boy?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem, Mr. Mason. I can even give you greater authority,¡± said Umbridge. ¡°The Head Boy is nothing.¡±

    ¡°Can you give me my wand back first?¡± Evan pointed to the wand tied to the wall.

    ¡°No,¡± said Umbridge immediately, pulling out her own wand and pointing it at Evan. She was not stupid enough to return the wand to Evan. ¡°I don¡¯t think you need that thing for the time being. What you need to do now is to take me to the Forbidden Forest to find that weapon.¡±

    Perhaps considering that Evan did not have a wand, this made Umbridge feel a lot safer.

    Otherwise, she would definitely not dare to go to the Forbidden Forest alone with him.

    ¡°Should we go now, professor?¡± Evan asked, looking at the sky outside. ¡°It will be dark soon, and the Forbidden Forest in the dark is very unsafe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go now, and set off immediately. I am a fully qualified Ministry official who can deal with any danger,¡± said Umbridge, starting to write on the notes on the desk again. ¡°There is nothing in the Forbidden Forest that can harm us, you don¡¯t have to worry. Well, I will write a letter to the Minister, and he will bring professional Aurors over to seize the weapon. We will seed; there will be no problem at all.¡±

    Evan was very skeptical of this, but as long as he led Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest, he would have the upper hand!

    It was a pity that Hermione and ine were not here to see the scene of Umbridge¡¯s demise.

    They both wanted to see the giant so much, and now they wouldn¡¯t get their wish!

    As Evan thought about this, he and the eager Umbridge had just left her office when they saw Hermione and ine walking towards them.

    They stopped and looked at them in surprise as Umbridge pointed her wand at Evan.

    It was almost six o¡¯clock now, and after Evan it was the time for ine to have detention.

    As for Hermione, she must have intended to bring ine over and check on the situation here.

    ¡°Evan, you¡­¡±

    ¡°I told Professor Umbridge everything,¡± said Evan immediately with a tone of frustration, winking at Hermione and ine. ¡°I told her about the weapon Dumbledore is making in the Forbidden Forest and was about to take her to see it.¡±

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 Chapter 1056: Terrible Weapon

    ¡°Weapon?!¡± ine looked at Evan in confusion, as if she understood something.

    Hermione¡¯s reaction was faster than hers. The tacit understanding between Evan and her came into y. Hermione understood Evan¡¯s meaning almost instantly. She pretended to be surprised and said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Evan, How could you reveal such an important thing?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it¡­¡± said Evan pitifully, sticking out his tongue at the two of them behind Umbridge¡¯s back.

    ¡°Mr. Mason made the right choice,¡± said Umbridge, pointing her wand at Evan and ine. ¡°Now, don¡¯t move, dears. As Hogwarts High Inquisitor, I order you to surrender your wands.¡±

    Hermione and ine did not do as she asked, and the two sides were in a stalemate.

    ¡°Give her the wands, she knows everything, it¡¯s over!¡± said Evan, turning his head to look at Umbridge. ¡°Professor, I hope you don¡¯t hurt them two, I¡¯ll take you to the Forbidden Forest to find that weapon.¡±

    ¡°As long as you do as I say, I won¡¯t hurt anyone, dear,¡± said Umbridge proudly. ¡°I can understand that you¡¯ve all been deceived by Dumbledore. Yes, as long as you help me find that weapon, I will reward you.¡±

    Hermione and ine gritted their teeth and took out the wands and handed them to Umbridge. ine pouted and stared at Evan.

    Hermione was even more exaggerated. She actually scolded Evan a few times, as if she wanted toe over and beat him. It was indeed a performance worthy of a skilled actress.¡°Okay, we have been dyed for too long. You three go ahead of me and lead the way,¡± Umbridge put away Hermione and ine¡¯s wands and pointed her wand at the three of them. ¡°Lead on¡­¡±

    By this time, both Hermione and ine already knew what Evan nned to do.

    Hermione was somewhat nervous. Evan had talked to her before and was ready to teach Umbridge a lesson before leaving Hogwarts.

    But she didn¡¯t expect it to happen so quickly. They had just discussed it at noon, and he started taking action in the evening.

    ine, on the other hand, waspletely excited. This girl had been nning to deal with Umbridge for quite some time.

    As long as they left the castle and entered the quiet forest, there would be no constraints. Vampires attacking enemies didn¡¯t necessarily require wands.

    The four of them slowly moved forward along the deserted corridor and walked down the stairs into the entrance hall.

    It was now a little past six o¡¯clock, and the students were all having dinner in the Great Hall. The din of loud voices and the tter of cutlery on tes echoed from out of the double doors to the Great Hall, but inside the entrance hall, there was still not a single person. It was really ideal not to have other people see them going out with Umbridge.

    Although Evan didn¡¯t intend to keep it a secret, he didn¡¯t have to spend any time exining it. If he met Harry, Ron, or Colin, the secret would probably be revealed.

    The three of them were not as clever as Hermione and ine when it came to this kind of thing.

    If everything went well, they should leave Hogwarts and rush to Norway tonight.

    But Dumbledore must have known, as long as he was still at Hogwarts, nothing could be hidden from him.

    Evan took the lead, followed by Hermione and ine, and Umbridge walked at the rear.

    They walked straight out of the oak front doors and down the stone steps into the balmy evening air.

    The sun was falling toward the tops of the trees in the Forbidden Forest, and Hermione gave Evan a push.

    She deliberately increased her speed and strode across the grass, wanting to say a few words to Evan, but Umbridge didn¡¯t give them a chance, she jogged to keep up.

    Their long dark shadows rippled over the grass behind them like cloaks.

    ¡°What is that weapon?¡± Umbridge couldn¡¯t help but ask ine. ¡°What does it look like?¡±

    In the story Evan told her, ine was sent by Nics mel to assist them in making that weapon.

    She was proficient in Alchemy, but in fact, ine only knew how to drink dragon blood, which was a very precious alchemical material with a total of twelve uses.

    ¡°That weapon is cylindrical,¡± said ine blindly, making random gestures. This girl seemed to be thinking of a giant. ¡°Pure ck, very big, very thick, very hard, very strong, and it can cause huge damage under impact.¡±

    ¡°Is it very powerful?¡± Umbridge asked eagerly.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very powerful, very firm, and very impactful. You¡¯ll love it!¡± ine nodded.

    She revealed her sharp fangs, licking her lips with lingering interest. The Forbidden Forest was getting closer, and she couldn¡¯t help but want to bite!

    ¡°Excellent,¡± said Umbridge with satisfaction, the more powerful and forceful the weapon, the better.

    Anyway, before long, that thing would be hers.

    ¡°It¡¯s hidden in Hagrid¡¯s hut, is it?¡± said Umbridge eagerly.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± before Evan and ine could answer, Hermione said decisively. ¡°Hagrid might have set it off identally, and that thing is very big. It can only be hidden in the Forbidden Forest and exposed when needed.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Umbridge, whose excitement seemed to be mounting. ¡°Yes, Hagrid is indeed untrustworthy. Of course, that great half-breed oaf wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do anything strange. Such an important weapon would need careful preservation.¡±

    She smiled proudly, seemingly imagining what the weapon looked like and what it would be used for after getting it.

    With such a powerful thing, she would definitely try to use it to see if it was as magical as ine said.

    At this moment, Evan really felt that Hermione and ine were very skilled at telling lies.

    Without a word from him, the two of them had alreadypiled this story perfectly, and Umbridge was no match for them.

    Evan even felt that if they joined forces to deal with him, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.

    Girls, indeed, were the most dangerous creatures!

    ¡°Very good! I¡¯m very satisfied with the information you provided. Now, stay ahead of me and don¡¯t say anything!¡± Umbridgeughed for a while before remembering the serious business. ¡°Well, go around Hagrid¡¯s hut. No tricks, I¡¯ll know.¡±

    ¡°Can we have our wands, then, if we¡¯re going first?¡± Hermione asked. ¡°Can you give me my wand back? There are many dangers in the Forbidden Forest¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so, Miss Granger,¡± said Umbridge sweetly, waving her wand, ¡°You don¡¯t need a wand. If anything unexpected happens, I will take measures immediately.¡±

    The unexpected things she was talking about were obviously not attacks they might face, but rather tricks Evan, Hermione, and ine might y.

    To be honest, entering the Forbidden Forest without a wand was a very rash act.

    But Evan was not really without a wand, and with his strength, he was enough to ensure the safety of himself, Hermione, and ine.

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 Chapter 1057: Solution

    Umbridge was socent that she did not realize that the danger had arrived.

    As they reached the cool shade of the first trees, ine had revealed her fangs.

    If Umbridge were standing next to ine now, she would have noticed the strange expression on the child¡¯s face.

    Under her sleeve, Szar Slytherin¡¯s wand was already in her hand, sliding gently with her fingers.

    Evan had originally nned to walk a bit further; they were quite far from where Grawp was.

    But ine didn¡¯t have much patience. Since she was in a hurry, she decided to deal with Umbridge right here.

    ine stopped, Evan and Hermione also stopped, and the three of them turned to look at Umbridge.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, dears; are we there yet?¡± Umbridge asked, pointing her wand at the three of them.

    ¡°No,¡± said Evan. ¡°But for the next part of the journey, you¡¯ll have to go a different way.¡±¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you, stinky toad,¡± said ine, before she could react, and flicked the wand.

    A dark red light shed past, and a chain locked Umbridge.

    Everything happened so fast that Umbridge still hadn¡¯t figured out what was going on.

    ¡°How do you have wands?!¡± She opened her eyes wide and looked at the wands in the hands of Evan and ine with an expression of disbelief.

    Then, she looked down at the chains on her body, and her ugly mouth opened helplessly.

    She didn¡¯t react until ine went up and kicked her hard several times.

    Umbridge kept twisting and struggling, trying to break free from the chains, but the chains were getting tighter.

    ine kicked her hard a few more times, which was very relieving. It felt like all grievances had been avenged!

    Of course, she was not that strong, and she didn¡¯t actually cause any harm to Umbridge, but it was enough to infuriate her.

    This humiliation, pure humiliation! Being trampled underfoot by a girl was more shameful than a direct p in the face

    ¡°Let me go, you three little bastards, do you know what you are doing?¡± Umbridge screamed, her ugly toad eyes widening, ¡°You are finished, I tell you, I will get you three expelled and sent to Azkaban. I am High Inquisitor of Hogwarts and Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too noisy,¡± said Evan, flicking his wand upwards to send her flying.

    Umbridge¡¯s short and fat body flew backwards and hit an oak tree hard, letting out a scream of pain.

    ¡°You are crazy, Mason. I will have you arrested, no manners¡­¡±

    ¡°Quiet, Professor!¡± said Evan, raising the wand in his hand. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll have to knock you out!¡±

    Umbridge shivered and seemed to understand the current situation.

    ¡°Let me go, Mason. I will consider this as a little joke, I will not hold it against you, trust me,¡± said Umbridge in her usual sweet tone. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything to me. Yes, you can only bring yourself into trouble; don¡¯t destroy yourself because of your impulse. The Minister will be at Hogwarts tonight, let me go before it¡¯s toote.¡±

    But the only response she received was ine¡¯s foot forcefully stepping on her, causing Umbridge to let out another scream.

    She started to curse ine so hard that Evan had to make her shut up and make no sound.

    ¡°All right, ine, a few kicks to let off steam is sufficient!¡±

    ¡°Did she just say that Fudge wasing to Hogwarts?¡± Hermione asked.

    She also walked up to Umbridge; not paying attention to her like ine did, but took out her and ine¡¯s wands.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Evan recounted what had happened in her office.

    Umbridge listened quietly at first, but when she heard Evan had deceived her about the weapon in the Forbidden Forest, she began to thrash wildly.

    She must hate Evan now, probably enough to want him dead.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± said Hermione, looking into the surrounding woods.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink her blood,¡± said ine. ¡°How about we just kill her?¡±

    Umbridge stopped suddenly and looked at the three of them in horror.

    Before this, she had never even considered that they might kill her, or rather, she hadn¡¯t thought in that direction.

    It was too insane, but now she realized they were capable of it.

    She shook her head vigorously, motioning them not to, and wanted to beg for mercy, but she couldn¡¯t speak.

    Evan was also sure that Umbridge would not say anything nice or provide any valuable information.

    There was no need to listen; it would just be stupid stuff like she was Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, as if anyone cared.

    He tapped ine on the head. Despite all his efforts to educate her, dangerous thoughts still filled her mind.

    To this day, she couldn¡¯t let go of the idea of killing Umbridge.

    If this weren¡¯t Hogwarts, and it weren¡¯t under Dumbledore¡¯s nose, this would be the best way to handle it.

    But at school, Evan decided to abide by the rules of Hogwarts.

    And there was no need to soil themselves because of Umbridge. It was neither necessary nor valuable¡­

    ¡°I have an idea. Since she wants to find that weapon hidden in the forest, let¡¯s hand her over to Grawp. Let him take care of her for a while,¡± said Evan, noticing Hermione¡¯s expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, I have boundaries. I won¡¯t let her die. It¡¯s just a lesson for her, and she definitely won¡¯t bother us for a short time. Since we¡¯ve taken this step, we have no turning back. Aftering back from Grawp, we¡¯ll go to the headmaster¡¯s office and prepare to leave the school¡­¡±

    Evan waved his wand, and Umbridge, bound by chains, slowly floated up.

    ¡°Leave school and go to Norway?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°Evan, do you want to help my family solve that problem?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go back and talk to your uncle first. I think it¡¯s necessary to go to Norway,¡± said Evan.

    The three of them continued deeper into the Forbidden Forest. The light in the Forbidden Forest became darker, and the road became increasingly difficult to walk.

    Next to them, Umbridge, who was controlled by magic, looked even more miserable.

    Evan didn¡¯t bother to control her, just let her keep up with the three of them.

    As a result, she kept bumping into tree trunks or passing directly through thorny thickets.

    But she couldn¡¯t make a sound yet, so she could only stare at Evan with wide eyes.

    ¡°If Umbridge goes missing, the Ministry of Magic will definitely send people to look for her in the Forbidden Forest,¡± Hermione seemed a little worried.

    ¡°They won¡¯t seed. This is not the Ministry¡¯s forest,¡± said Evan. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Centaurs or Grawp, they¡¯re not something they can handle. Moreover, they have no intelligence, don¡¯t know where Umbridge went, and would have to send people to chase us.¡±

    The only one who could find Umbridge in the Silent Forest was Dumbledore, and the headmaster would not help them.

    The three of them walked forward for fifteen minutes, heading towards the Acromant¡¯sir.

    Hagrid originally tied Grawp with a rope deep in the Forbidden Forest, but after Evan¡¯s suggestion, he ced Grawp in Aragog¡¯s former cave. It was spacious inside, with hot springs, very suitable for Grawp to live in. Because it was once the territory of the Acromants, there were no other creatures nearby.

    At that time, Grawp could do whatever he wanted as long as he hid Umbridge deep in the cave.

    For the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, this would undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience.

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 Chapter 1058: Grawp and Umbridge

    After a long absence, the Acromants¡¯ territory had changed drastically, and the traces left by the giant spiders had gradually disappeared.

    Life had reappeared on thisnd. The corroded gray trees had regained their vitality and had sprouted green shoots. Spider webs were still hanging between the trees, but they were covered with dust. The corpses hanging on the branches were all gone.

    The sinful huge depression where Aragog¡¯sir was located was also filled with green grass.

    After the Acromants left, this ce had recovered pretty well.

    At least, it was like this untilst year before Hagrid returned, but now there was a giant.

    In terms of destructive capabilities, giants were not much worse than Acromants. The only advantage was that giants would not corrode thend.

    From a distance, Evan and his friends saw the mound-like Grawp.

    He was lying at the bottom of the depression, just outside Aragog¡¯sir. Grawp almost simultaneously noticed the three of them.

    Perhaps because he had not seen Evan for a long time and was too excited, Grawp¡¯s way of weing him was to uproot a newly grown tree and shake it vigorously above his head, causing dirt and gravel to fall all over him.Suddenly seeing this scene, Umbridge¡¯s head jerked back, her eyes widened, and she fainted.

    She must have been frightened. She didn¡¯t even have the ability to withstand this, yet she dared toe for some huge weapon.

    Picture this, Grawp roaring, half-kneeling in front of Aragog¡¯s cave.

    He was shaking a tree in his hand, and dirt and gravel kept falling; the giant hand gripping the tree, with dirty knuckles, each as big as a cricket ball.

    His startlingly huge face was close, like a gray full moon swimming in the gloom of the clearing.

    It was as though the features had been hewn onto a great stone ball. The nose was stubby and shapeless, the mouth lopsided and full of misshapen yellow teeth the size of half-bricks. The small eyes were a muddy greenish-brown.

    ¡°Oh my ¡­¡± Evan heard Hermione squeal, terrified, beside him.

    ¡°He¡¯s really big!¡± ine¡¯s face was filled with excitement. Her focus waspletely different from Hermione¡¯s.

    She wasn¡¯t afraid, she just felt it was fun and was not frightened by Grawp¡¯s terrifying appearance.

    Despite her young age, ine had already been through a lot. As a vampire, she had witnessed many things that would be terrifying to ordinary people.

    ¡°Grawp isn¡¯t very big; he¡¯s considered small among the giants,¡± said Evan. ¡°He¡¯s too short, only sixteen feet tall. Because of this, he had always been bullied by other giants, and Hagrid had to bring him back.¡±

    ¡°Only sixteen feet, so short!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Hagrid really made a crazy decision.¡±

    ¡°Are there any giants bigger than him?¡± ine asked.

    ¡°Well, there are many. When I get the chance, I¡¯ll take you to the giant tribe in Sicily,¡± said Evan. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go there.¡±

    They walked towards Grawp, and the giant was getting bigger, getting closer. Only then did they notice that he¡¯d been tied to the rocks behind by several ropes as thick as saplings. This was Hagrid¡¯s protective measure to prevent Grawp from running around in the forest.

    But it proved ineffective, as Grawp was dragging the rocks towards them.

    Hearing the rumbling behind him, he turned to look at the rocks and quickly stopped. Hagrid must have instructed that these rocks were not allowed to be moved.

    ¡°Grawp, are you okay?¡± Evan shouted and waved.

    ¡°Evan!¡± Grawp obviously still remembered him, and he looked very happy, but also a bit scared at the same time.

    What Evan did in the giant territory had been deeply imprinted in the minds of all giants and had be a nightmare of fear.

    In their simple thinking, only a god could cause volcanic eruptions and destroy mountains.

    Especially the faint presence of the Cyclops¡¯s scent in the air could make the giant obey instinctively.

    Evan still had a lot of energy extracted from the Cyclops. Although he didn¡¯t know how to use it, Grawp could feel it.

    Therefore, Grawp was very polite to Evan, but he was definitely not like this to others, including Hagrid.

    ¡°See ¡­ he¡¯s actually quite good, not as scary as the legends say. Let me introduce you,¡± Evan told Hermione and ine. He looked up at Grawp, ¡°I¡¯ve brought some friends to meet you!¡±

    Grawp looked confused for a moment, and his right hand holding the tree dropped, obviously not understanding what his friend meant.

    ¡°Companions, you fool,¡± said Evan, holding Hermione¡¯s hand and asking her to take a step forward, ¡°This is Hermione, and next to her is ine. They both know your name. Okay, now you¡¯re friends!¡±

    Grawp stared at them for a while, then quickly stretched out a hand towards Hermione, who dodged backward.

    ¡°I think there should be no problem, it¡¯s just a way for him to express friendship,¡± said Evan.

    He held Hermione with one hand and ine with the other, jumping into Grawp¡¯s palm.

    They began to rise slowly, higher and higher, and Grawp¡¯s big face became clearer and clearer.

    He put his hand across his chest, and here, they could even feel Grawp¡¯s breath, like the wind.

    Seeing thendscape from the giant¡¯s palm was entirely different from usual. They were now parallel to the towering trees, able to see the scenes above them.

    In the distance, the setting sun gradually disappeared from the horizon, and hundreds of birds came down to roost.

    It was really a beautiful image, ignoring the tform they were on.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Evan noticed that ine was not looking at the sunset, but was staring at Grawp in a daze.

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering what the giant¡¯s blood tastes like,¡± she said. ¡°Will I grow bigger if I drink it?¡±

    ¡°Definitely not!¡±

    The night fell quickly, and by the time they were set down, there was barely any light below.

    The three of them illuminated their wands, dispelling the darkness.

    ¡°All right, Grawp, we¡¯re leaving,¡± said Evan, waving his wand lightly, and Umbridge flew over. ¡°By the way, this is for you; you can keep her in the cave!¡±

    Grawp looked at Umbridge and picked her up.

    The night wind blew, and Umbridge woke up. Seeing the giant so close, she fainted again.

    Seemingly unhappy with this, Grawp roared loudly at Umbridge and woke her up again.

    ¡°No, she¡¯s not food. Can you help me take care of her for a while? Don¡¯t let her die, but also, don¡¯t let her escape or be found by others. Can you do that?¡± Evan asked, not sure if Grawp could understand what he was saying.

    Although Hagrid had been teaching Grawp English, no one knew how much progress had been made.

    But logically speaking, giants could understand theirnguage.

    Grawp looked at Evan, then at Umbridge in his hand, and nodded slowly.

    ¡°Great, she¡¯s yours now,¡± said Evan happily, not expectingmunication to be so simple.

    ¡°Are we going to hand Umbridge over to him like this?¡± Hermione asked, looking at Umbridge dangling in Grawp¡¯s hand.

    ine also asked almost at the same time, ¡°Are we really giving her to the giant like this?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Hermione, she won¡¯t die. Giants have the habit of keeping humans in captivity for food storage. Not to mention, they treat women well. Women have a high status in the giant tribe. This is a bit like the matriarchal ns in the Stone Age, because women bear the important task of reproducing offspring and are very precious,¡± said Evan. ¡°ine, rest assured. Under the giant¡¯s care, she won¡¯t have an easy time. Trust me; this is already a significant punishment for her!¡±

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 Chapter 1059: The Centaurs and Umbridge

    ¡°Think about what she has done, hasn¡¯t she been discriminating against other creatures? This is the punishment she deserves,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Just for a few days, Hermione, teach her a lesson and let her go when wee back.¡±

    Evan removed the magic from Umbridge and handed her over to Grawp.

    Watching Grawp ce Umbridge inside the cave, Hermione wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing.

    Evan was right, this was a punishment for her and she deserved it. When they came back, they could let her go.

    By then, Evan would use magic to make her forget this painful memory.

    Theing days would test Umbridge¡¯s patience.

    Being in thepany of a giant would definitely be an unimaginable torture, and Grawp didn¡¯t have that much patience.Umbridge also needed to learn how to get along with giants. The old methods wouldn¡¯t work.

    Grawp wouldn¡¯t care about her identity, and the Ministry of Magic and Educational Decrees had no effect on restraining the giant.

    Thinking about it this way, this was actually a good thing for her.

    There was a saying that suffering was the most precious wealth in life¡­

    She needed to learn how to treat the giant well, please Grawp, and get food from his hands.

    Evan, Hermione, and ine said goodbye to Grawp and returned to school. When they entered the castle, they saw Professor McGonagall with a serious face appearing in front of them, followed by Harry who had not yet figured out the situation.

    ¡°Where is Umbridge?¡± Professor McGonagall asked.

    ¡°In the forest, she asked us toe back first. She wanted to stay there alone for a while,¡± said Evan directly.

    ¡°Forbidden Forest?! Well,e with me, the headmaster wants to see you,¡± said Professor McGonagall, looking a little nervous. She added, ¡°Remember, don¡¯t talk nonsense, and don¡¯t say that you have met Umbridge. The Minister of Magic is there.¡±

    Fudge had acted quickly; it seemed he intended to confront Dumbledore tonight.

    The impact of that report was beyond imagination, which put huge pressure on him and made him unwilling to wait any longer.

    Even without Umbridge¡¯s so-called major breakthrough, the Ministry of Magic still had enough information.

    Of all the people, Harry was the only one who still hadn¡¯t figured out the situation.

    Now was not the time to exin to him, and they didn¡¯t know how to tell him. Could they say that they threw Umbridge to the giant?!

    ording to Professor McGonagall, they had to pretend not to know where Umbridge had gone.

    A few minutester, they had reached the stone gargoyle.

    ¡°<i>Fizzing Whizbee,</i>¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    The stone gargoyle jumped aside, the wall behind split open, and they ascended the moving stone staircase and came to the polished door.

    She knocked gently on the door and led them inside.

    At this moment, Dumbledore¡¯s office was full of people.

    Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, the tips of his long fingers together.

    Cornelius Fudge was rocking backward and forward on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation.

    Not only did Umbridge¡¯s mentioned breakthrough contribute, but the Ministry of Magic also had obtained crucial information.

    Kingsley Shacklebolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short, wiry hair were positioned on either side of the door like guards.

    The freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall without even looking at Evan and the others, a quill and a heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

    On the walls, the portraits of old headmasters and mistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were watching what was happening below, alert and serious, and talking quietly.

    Fudge¡¯s conversation with Dumbledore just now made them realize that the current situation was not good.

    ¡°Headmaster, I¡¯ve brought them here,¡± said Professor McGonagall.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dolores?¡± Fudge asked, looking at Evan, Harry, Hermione and ine angrily.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Evan, noticing that Fudge¡¯s eyes finally fell on him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Mason. There is magic in Umbridge¡¯s office. We know you left her office with her an hour ago. I also got a letter from her that said you told her everything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Mr. Minister, and then we went our separate ways,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Where have you been during this time?¡±

    ¡°I was with the two of them,¡± said Evan, pointing to Hermione and ine.

    ¡°What were you doing?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, enjoying ourselves,¡± Evan replied briefly.

    ¡°Enjoying yourselves?¡± Fudge paused, looked at Evan, and then shifted his gaze to Hermione and ine behind him.

    ¡°Yes, we were studying in an empty ssroom. Studying makes me happy!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense,¡± said Fudge, his tone now full of anger. ¡°What did you tell Dolores?¡±

    ¡°She asked me where they were in the Forbidden Forest, and I told her. It¡¯s that simple,¡± Evan paused, looked at the angry Fudge, and added nonchntly, ¡°I suppose Professor Umbridge must have gone there on her own.¡±

    ¡°Aha, that¡¯s it; she must have gone to confirm it herself!¡± Fudge waved his fist and looked at Dumbledore. ¡°Dumbledore, how do you exin this? You heard what he said about that weapon¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cornelius, Evan didn¡¯t say anything about weapons just now,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°At least I didn¡¯t hear it. Anything could be found in the Forbidden Forest; perhaps it¡¯s just a rock or some animal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Centaurs, Professor,¡± said Evan quickly. ¡°As you know, there¡¯s a group of Centaurs living in the Forbidden Forest, and I have a good rtionship with them. Professor Umbridge wanted to know about the Centaurs, so she called me over. I told her the location of the Centaurs¡¯ tribe. She seemed very angry and kept emphasizing that Centaurs were not allowed to live in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. She seemed to think they¡¯re dangerous andpared them to a threatening weapon. As the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic and Hogwarts High Inquisitor, she wanted to inform the Centaurs to leave this ce, to vacate thisnd.¡±

    ¡°Centaurs?!¡± Fudge was furious. ¡°Dolores will not go into the woods because of Centaurs.¡±

    ¡°But you just said it yourself, that¡¯s what happened,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I believe this is entirely possible. Professor Umbridge must see those Centaurs as a threat. Considering her past experiences, she has a strong hatred for these non-human magical creatures. She might have impulsively run into the Forbidden Forest. However, honestly speaking, I don¡¯t wish for her to do so. The temperament of those Centaurs isn¡¯t good; they won¡¯tmunicate well with her, and they won¡¯t care about the Ministry of Magic¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1060: This Situation

    ¡°No one would disregard the Ministry of Magic. All magical creatures are under the control of the Ministry,¡± Fudge shouted dissatisfied, his blood pressure rose, and his face turned red. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, Dumbledore, everyone, every institution, must obey the orders of the Ministry of Magic, including Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, that¡¯s the case. Everyone at Hogwarts follows the management of the Ministry of Magic,¡± said Dumbledore humbly.

    ¡°But these kids have not. They have vited too many school rules and Ministry decrees,¡± Fudge turned around, forcefully gesturing towards Evan, Harry, Hermione, and ine with his right hand. ¡°For the past few months, I have been listening to Dolores¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Minister, please allow me to interrupt,¡± said Evan, not interested in listening to Fudge continue to reprimand. ¡°I¡¯m not quite clear on what specific incidents you¡¯re referring to as breaking school rules and Ministry of Magic decrees?¡±

    ¡°Humph, think about how you lost your position as Head Boy!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that was just an ident, I didn¡¯t control my magic. Professor Umbridge has already punished me. Besides being relieved of my position as Head Boy, she also confiscated my wand,¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°Yes, Mason has been punished,¡± said Professor McGonagall fairly. ¡°We cannot always dwell on one person¡¯s small mistake forever. Everyone makes mistakes, and that incident was just an ident.¡±

    ¡°ident?!¡± said Fudge in a sarcastic tone. ¡°He did more than that.¡±

    ¡°Cornelius, I need to remind you that we have discussed what Harry and Evan did before many times,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I don¡¯t see the need to bring it up again.¡±¡°I¡¯m not talking about those things, Dumbledore, not those things. These children set up an illegal fighting organization,¡± said Fudge angrily. ¡°I heard Dolores specifically report on this. She has been investigating the matter for the past few months.¡±

    ¡°What we need now is evidence, Minister,¡± Professor McGonagall reminded. ¡°Otherwise it¡¯s just a waste of time.¡±

    ¡°Evidence?!¡±

    ¡°Of course, are there any testimonial usations from members of this team?¡± said Professor McGonagall impatiently. ¡°Or other evidence that there is such an organization, anything but vague rumors and gossip.¡±

    Fudge was stuck, Umbridge had always been in charge of this matter, and he really couldn¡¯t produce any evidence now.

    ¡°Minister, we have testimony from Willy Widdershins here. They first had a meeting at the Hog¡¯s Head in Hogsmeade, and he happened to be there,¡± said Percy, finding a piece of parchment and handing it to Fudge. ¡°There are detailed records on it.¡±

    ¡°Well done, Weasley, this is the evidence you need!¡± Fudge shook the parchment in his hand proudly.

    Next to Evan, Hermione looked at Percy in disbelief, not believing that he would do this, and Harry was even more filled with anger.

    Although it had been said many times before, Percy¡¯s betrayal was truly thorough.

    His current appearance was that of apdog, Fudge¡¯sckey.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why he wasn¡¯t prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!¡± said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. ¡°What an interesting insight into our justice system!¡±

    ¡°tant corruption!¡± roared the portrait of the corpulent, red-nosed wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore¡¯s desk. ¡°The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Fortescue, that will do,¡± said Dumbledore softly.

    ¡°But the evidence ispletely valid, proving that they did establish such an organization,¡± said Fudge with a slight embarrassment.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ll find you¡¯re wrong there, Cornelius,¡± said Dumbledore softly, peering at Fudge over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.

    ¡°Oho!¡± said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. ¡°Yes, do let¡¯s hear thetest cock-and-bull story designed to pull Mason and Potter out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on ¡ª Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it Mason¡¯s and Potter¡¯s identical twins in the Hog¡¯s Head that day? Or is there the usual simple exnation involving a reversal of time, a dead maning back to life, and a couple of invisible Dementors?¡±

    ¡°Oh, very good, Minister, very good!¡± Percy Weasley let out a heartyugh, ying the sycophant role perfectly.

    ¡°Cornelius, I do not deny ¡ª and nor, I am sure, do Evan and Harry ¡ª that they were in the Hog¡¯s Head that day, nor that they were trying to recruit students to a Defense Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that your evidence is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until after their Hogsmeade meeting, so they were not breaking any rules in the Hog¡¯s Head at all.¡±

    Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open.

    ¡°Yes, just two hours ago, I exined this matter to Professor Umbridge specifically,¡± Evan continued. ¡°I agree with Professor Dumbledore¡¯s viewpoint. I told her everything. At the beginning of this term, to cope with the current situation, we did intend to establish this organization, but it was not illegal at that time. Later, the Ministry of Magic issued the Educational Decree, and we ceased our activities. Professor Umbridge believed my exnation. Well, it seems she used Veritaserum in my tea, because I said a lot of things I didn¡¯t originally intend to say¡­¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Fudge muttered angrily. He refused to believe such words, or, more urately, chose to selectively ignore them, not willing to get involved in such matters. All he needed was the oue.

    ¡°Dirty, obscene!¡± Fortescue yelled again. ¡°The corruption of the Ministry of Magic, only Dark wizards would do this!¡±

    This time, even the portraits of other former headmasters echoed, stating that using Veritaserum on students was an illegal act.

    Fudge¡¯s face became increasingly ugly. Evan felt like he had seen this scene before somewhere.

    This was very simr to the scene during Harry¡¯s trial. Fudge was being led by Dumbledore, and without other favorable evidence, he was in trouble this time.

    To be honest, Evan didn¡¯t want this oue, he wanted to leave Hogwarts.

    If Fudge failed, they would have to stay, and Dumbledore would likely bring Umbridge back¡­

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 Chapter 1061: Evidence

    ¡°This kid is lying, Dumbledore, you don¡¯t really think Dolores used Veritaserum on him, do you?¡± Fudge¡¯s expression was quite dramatic. ¡°A senior official of the Ministry of Magic treating a fifteen-year-old boy using Veritaserum?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re seeking my opinion, Cornelius, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s entirely impossible,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°As a precaution, I believe it is necessary to investigate Umbridge¡¯s use of Veritaserum on students¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dumbledore! I don¡¯t need you to teach me how to do it!¡± Fudge shouted. ¡°Dolores is a trained Ministry official; her character is as recognized as her ability. She will not use Veritaserum, let alone use it on a child. This is as ridiculous as every lie he¡¯s told.¡±

    Evan felt Fudge was getting too entangled in the Veritaserum issue, and continuing would lead to endless discussions on the topic. Not only was it a waste of time and energy, but it also wouldn¡¯t drive Dumbledore away.

    If this continued, Evan felt the need to voluntarily disclose the Dumbledore¡¯s Army situation. Regardless of whether there were any activities, just the name had a powerful impact, something Fudge feared the most.

    He feared that Dumbledore was building an army against the Ministry of Magic, plotting to overthrow him.

    ¡°I will say it again, Dolores will not use Veritaserum. This is a very cheap nder,¡± said Fudge gruffly. ¡°And she has no reason to know anything from Mason; the Ministry has already investigated everything.¡±

    No one spoke; everyone in the office was watching him.

    ¡°This girl,¡± Fudge pointed at ine behind Evan. ¡°She¡¯s not even a student of Nics mel.¡±ine shrank behind Evan and showed two sharp fangs to Fudge.

    ¡°What an interesting usation!¡± said Dumbledore quietly.

    ¡°Ever since you told me during the Christmas vacation that an exchange student from Beauxbatons wasing to Hogwarts, I¡¯ve been suspicious, Dumbledore!¡± said Fudge, gradually regaining hisposure. ¡°Why would there be a studenting to Hogwarts for no reason? This exchange program hasn¡¯t been carried out for many years. So, I sent someone to investigate in France, and there¡¯s no such girl at Beauxbatons. No one has seen her; it¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?!¡±

    ¡°Normal suspicion,¡± said Dumbledore, crossing his hands again. ¡°But you certainly haven¡¯t spoken to Nics himself. ine has been taught by him, and she hasn¡¯t been to Beauxbatons before. She just borrowed the name.¡±

    Evan nodded; it seemed Dumbledore was also skilled at making up stories.

    ¡°Starting to make up stories again, Dumbledore, things are not as simple as you said. Just this morning, I got an interesting piece of information from dear Lucius¡­¡±

    ¡°Mr. Malfoy has always been concerned about Hogwarts,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Hmm ¡­ an unusually high level of concern.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Minister, I think you have read this morning¡¯s <i>Hogwarts Magic</i>. Harry and I have used Lucius Malfoy; he was also present on the day Voldemort returned. He is a Death Eater,¡± said Evan. ¡°This matter is not as simple as it may seem. You wouldn¡¯t believe the words of a Death Eater, would you?¡±

    ¡°Foolishness! The Minister of Magic actually believes a Death Eater¡¯s words,¡± the portraits of the headmasters began toment.

    ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace to the Ministry of Magic!¡±

    ¡°Has the Ministry of Magic fallen to this level now?!¡±

    ¡°Coborating with a Dark wizard ¡­ In our time, such fools were usually hanged to save the food they wasted by staying alive.¡±

    ¡°Definitely bribed, how much gold did that Malfoy scion slip into your pockets?!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Fudge became irritable again and shouted impatiently. ¡°Lucius is not a Death Eater. This kid is talking nonsense, and that newspaper is spreading rumors. I don¡¯t have time to read the stories you made up. You-Know-Who has nevere back, <i>never</i>!¡±

    ¡°He is back, Cornelius, or how else can you exin the Death Eaters¡¯ breakout?¡± said Dumbledore calmly.

    ¡°I was just about to mention that. It was nned by those vampires, and Sirius ck was also involved,¡± said Fudge. ¡°They nned the breakout together and rescued those Death Eaters. They want to rebel against the Ministry, conspiring to overthrow me!¡±

    ¡°Sirius would never do such a thing!¡± Harry angrily eximed.

    ¡°This is an insult to the ck family. If I were still alive, just based on that statement, I would make sure you regret it!¡± Phineas shouted with a louder voice. ¡°I willin to the council and the Wizengamot about you. I will¡­¡±

    Dumbledore¡¯s office began to be chaotic again, and Fudge¡¯s face became increasingly ugly.

    Hogwarts¡¯ former headmasters were highly esteemed wizards in their lifetime. In terms of lineage, Fudge couldn¡¯t argue with them, especially considering these headmasters were portraits. They couldn¡¯t engage in rebuttal, and if word got out, it might spark a major conflict between the Minister of Magic and the portraits, with unpredictable consequences.

    ¡°Minister, serious matters are more pressing!¡± Percy hastily reminded, urging Fudge not to pay attention to what the portraits were saying.

    ¡°Yes, Weasley, you are right!¡± said Fudge with a breath, shaking his cloak. ¡°Where was I? Those vampires nned the escape of the Death Eaters. We all know vampires are the puppet masters behind the scenes. Then I received information from Lucius that this girl had appeared in Norway¡­¡±

    Umbridge had told Evan about this before. The Ministry of Magic was not all idiots; they could investigate such information.

    What concerned Evan was that whatever Fudge had learned from Malfoy was definitely not that simple.

    If ine¡¯s identity was exposed, they would really have to run!

    ¡°Norway is the home of vampires. A girl once appeared next to the vampire leader, and it was her!¡± Fudge said proudly, pointing at ine again.

    ine hurriedly hid behind Evan, and Hermione hurriedly held her hand to tell her not to worry.

    ¡°A very nice story, Cornelius, but as before, we need evidence,¡± said Dumbledore softly.

    Evan knew that Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix had certainly erased all evidence, making it unlikely for them to find anything.

    ¡°We have evidence,¡± said Fudge, taking out a photo of ine when she was a child, which was the same photo that Evan had seen in the Auror office of the Ministry of Magic before. ¡°Durmstrang once worked in the Nordic region and fought those vampires. They had investigated vampires before, and this photo was taken at that time.¡±

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 Chapter 1062: Discovered

    The girl in the photo appeared to be around eight or nine years old. She was dressed in a deep blue Muggle primary school uniform, with a cute chubby face resembling a porcin doll. However, herplexion was slightly pale, likely due to ack of sunlight exposure over an extended period.

    Facing the camera, she revealed two sharp fangs, giving her aical appearance.

    ¡°This is the evidence. The girl in this photo is a core member of the vampire n,¡± said Fudge.

    ¡°It is true that it is very simr, but just based on one photo, it¡­¡±

    ¡°Not just a photo, we also found traces of Sirius ck in Norway. He is connected to those vampires and Death Eaters. One of the Death Eaters who escaped from prison this time was his cousin,¡± Fudge continued arrogantly, without giving others a chance to exin. ¡°It is already very clear that ck and the vampires nned the Death Eaters¡¯ breakout, and now this girl appears here, giving me reason to suspect others are involved as well.¡±

    Fudge was clearly pointing fingers at Dumbledore, as he handled all of ine¡¯s enrollment procedures.

    In simpler terms, he was now using Dumbledore of conspiring to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and nning the Death Eaters breakout.

    ¡°Great reasoning! I never thought you had such a strong imagination. This is probably a story Mr. Malfoy came up with,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°If I understand correctly, you¡¯re using me of saving those Death Eaters and nning the Azkaban escape?¡±

    ¡°No, no, of course not; I never thought of it that way.¡±Under Dumbledore¡¯s piercing blue gaze, Fudge¡¯s face turned red again. He seemed either intimidated by Dumbledore¡¯s authority or frightened by the dreadful conclusion he¡¯d just made.

    In any case, he continued shaking his head, retreating several steps,pletely losing his momentum.

    ¡°Minister, we can conduct a physical examination on this girl to determine whether she is a vampire!¡± Percy hurriedly stopped recording and walked over to support Fudge. ¡°Professor Dumbledore may have been deceived. Maybe ck and the vampires have deceived him together.¡±

    ¡°You are right, Weasley!¡± Fudge nodded vigorously. ¡°As long as we can confirm the identity of this girl¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, Percy!¡± Evan warned him, seeing Percy¡¯s eager expression.

    ine didn¡¯t hide behind Evan either. She had already taken out her wand and looked at Percy fiercely¡­

    Harry and Hermione also approached Evan and took out their respective wands.

    Professor McGonagall pursed her lips tighter, exchanging anxious nces with Kingsley not far away.

    ¡°It Looks like the secret is exposed, doesn¡¯t it?!¡± said Dumbledore cheerfully, looking at the scene in front of him with interest.

    ¡°Dumbledore, what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I mean you seem to have discovered Miss Slytherin¡¯s identity,¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°What?!¡± Fudge was stunned for a moment, then said ecstatically, ¡°You mean, she is really a vampire!¡±

    ¡°I believe so. Allow me to formally introduce her. She is ine Slytherin, a direct descendant of Szar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts!¡± said Dumbledore, as if stating a trivial matter.

    The portraits on the wall erupted into another round of discussions, especially some of the early headmasters who appeared particrly excited.

    ¡°She ¡­ she is a descendant of Slytherin, no ¡­ I mean ¡­ she really is a vampire!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Dumbledore nodded.

    Evan grabbed ine and motioned her not to be impulsive and wait until Dumbledore finished speaking.

    ¡°Oh my ¡­since she¡¯s a vampire, and she¡¯s here, it means you did n the Death Eaters escape,¡± Fudge looked at ine, then quickly turned his head to nce at Dumbledore. His chest was heaving rapidly, his breath getting more and more agitated.

    ¡°I suppose not, but that doesn¡¯t matter, does it?¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°It indeed doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Fudge shouted excitedly, vigorously waving his fists. ¡°These things are enough to exin everything. I never thought, Dumbledore, that you¡¯re really connected to vampires. They are all wanted by the Ministry, proving that you are indeed conspiring against me, nning to overthrow the Ministry.¡±

    ¡°Cornelius, to be honest, your thoughts are trulyughable. I have always opposed only one person, and it¡¯s certainly not you,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°If needed, I can tirelessly reiterate my position!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dumbledore!¡± Fudge shouted excitedly. ¡°Drop the act; I don¡¯t want to hear your nonsense. I¡¯ve already figured everything out. Lucius was right; I came here tonight¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you came to arrest me, didn¡¯t you?¡± said Dumbledore gently.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± said Fudge, who was now trembling with joy. ¡°Dumbledore, I¡¯m arresting you. You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charged and then sent to Azkaban to await trial. A lifetime imprisonment awaits you.¡±

    ¡°Well, that sounds quite promising!¡± said Dumbledore lightly.

    ¡°Dumbledore, you can say whatever you want at Azkaban. You can exin to the Wizengamot why you housed a vampire at Hogwarts. You can exin to the Dementors how you helped those Death Eaters escape. Weasley, have you written it all down?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir, I think so, sir!¡± said Percy eagerly, whose nose was sttered with ink from the speed of his note-taking.

    ¡°Well, I thought we might hit that little snag before that,¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°Snag?¡± said Fudge, his voice still vibrating with joy. ¡°I see no snag, Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± said Dumbledore apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I do.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    ¡°Well, before we discuss the viability of your ridiculous usations, it¡¯s just that you seem to beboring under the delusion that I am going to ¡ª what is the phrase? ¡®Come quietly.¡¯ I am afraid I am not going toe quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course ¡­ nor do I wish to undergo Wizengamot¡¯s trial, though I am innocent. It would be a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing.¡±

    Fudge stared at Dumbledore, with a very silly expression on his face, as though he had just been stunned by a sudden blow and could not quite believe it had happened.

    He made a small choking noise and then turned to look at Percy, who was simrly dumbfounded, as well as Kingsley and the man with short gray hair standing by the door, an Auror!

    Dawlish gave Fudge a reassuring nod and moved forward a little, away from the wall, one of his hands casually drifting toward his pocket.

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 Chapter 1063: They Left Just Like That

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Dawlish,¡± said Dumbledore kindly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are an excellent Auror, I seem to remember that you achieved ¡®Outstanding¡¯ in all your N.E.W.T.s, but if you attempt to ¡ª er ¡ª ¡®bring me in¡¯ by force, I will have to hurt you, I really don¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    Dawlish blinked, looking rather foolish, he looked at Dumbledore, who remained calm with not even a wand drawn, then he looked toward Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

    ¡°So,¡± sneered Fudge, recovering himself, ¡°you intend to resist. You intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Weasley, and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?

    ¡°Merlin¡¯s beard, no,¡± said Dumbledore, smiling. ¡°Not unless you are foolish enough to force me to.¡±

    ¡°He will not be single-handed!¡± said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes.

    ¡°Right, we believe in Professor Dumbledore too!¡± Harry drew his wand.

    For a moment, everyone in the office pulled out their wands, and the atmosphere was thick with tension.

    Evan thought for a while and didn¡¯t move. They didn¡¯t need to take action, as the headmaster would handle everything.

    ¡°Oh yes he will, Minerva!¡± said Dumbledore sharply. ¡°Hogwarts needs you, and you, and especially you, Harry, don¡¯t be stupid.¡±¡°Enough of this rubbish!¡± said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. ¡°Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!¡±

    The next second, a streak of silver light shed around the room. There was a bang like a gunshot, and the floor trembled.

    Evan hurriedly hugged Hermione and ine andy down, and Professor McGonagall also moved to shield them as a second silver sh went off ¡ª several of the portraits yelled, Fawkes screeched, and a cloud of dust filled the air.

    Through the thick dust, Evan saw Dumbledore jumping out from behind the desk. In the haze, Fudge fell to the ground with a crash. There was a shriek and a thud; then the sound of breaking ss, frantically scuffling footsteps, a groan ¡ª and silence.

    Evan climbed up, and under him were Hermione and ine, struggling to rise.

    Harry was protected by Professor McGonagall, and dust was still floating gently down through the air onto them.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all over!¡±

    A very tall figure was moving toward them in the dust.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Evan, Harry, Hermione and ine with her.

    The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore¡¯s desk had been overturned; all of the spindly tables had been knocked to the floor, their silver instruments in pieces. Fudge, Kingsley and Dawlishy motionless on the floor, making no sound at all.

    Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious,¡± said Dumbledore in a low voice. ¡°Now, we need to hurry up, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time tomunicate ¡ª you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Where will you go, Dumbledore?¡± whispered Professor McGonagall. ¡°Grimmauld ce?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet there first,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Then, we still have some things to deal with in Norway. ine, if possible, I hope you can leave with me. Your uncle¡¯s injuries have healed. We need to solve a little trouble left by your family and find out some secrets.¡±

    ¡°Professor, we should go too,¡± said Evan. ¡°We¡¯ve just attacked Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest and handed her over to Hagrid¡¯s brother, Grawp. If Fudge asks, we won¡¯t be able to exin it. And there¡¯s the n I had Sirius tell you about¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°You cane with me, Evan; you¡¯ll be of help this time.¡±

    ¡°And Hermione,¡± Evan added, ¡°she¡¯s been involved in the attack on Umbridge, she can¡¯t stay here either!¡±

    ¡°And me!¡± Harry quickly interjected.

    ¡°No, Harry, you stay!¡± said Dumbledore urgently, still not looking into Harry¡¯s eyes. ¡°Listen to me, the most important thing right now is lumency. You must study it as hard as you can, do you understand me? Master it, do everything Professor Snape tells you and practice it particrly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams. You must promise me!¡±

    ¡°Professor, I¡­¡±

    The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°Remember ¡ª close your mind ¡ª¡±

    But as Dumbledore¡¯s fingers closed over Harry¡¯s skin, a pain shot through the scar on his forehead, and he felt again that terrible longing to strike Dumbledore.

    ¡°You will understand,¡± whispered Dumbledore. ¡°Come on, you three, grab onto me!¡±

    Fawkes circled the office and swooped low over Dumbledore.

    Evan hurriedly took hold of Dumbledore¡¯s outstretched left hand, while Hermione and ine grabbed him.

    Dumbledore raised one hand and grasped the phoenix¡¯s long golden tail. There was a sh of fire and the five of them had gone.

    Only Professor McGonagall and poor Harry were left in the office, and he looked helplessly at what was happening in front of him.

    The hatred for Dumbledore deep in his heart had not disappeared, and he was not sure if it was even stronger!

    ¡°Quick, get down, Potter!¡± Professor McGonagall whispered.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± yelled Fudge a few secondster, pushing himself up from the ground. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet. ¡°He took those three children away!¡±

    ¡°He Disapparated!¡±

    ¡°No, he can¡¯t have Disapparated! You can¡¯t inside this school!¡±

    ¡°The stairs!¡± cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the door, wrenched it open, and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Percy. Fudge hesitated, then got to his feet slowly, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

    ¡°Well, Minerva,¡± said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirtsleeve, ¡°I¡¯m afraid this is the end of your friend Dumbledore.¡±

    ¡°You think so, do you?¡± said Professor McGonagall scornfully.

    Fudge seemed not to hear her. He was looking around at the wrecked office.

    A few of the portraits hissed at him; one or two even made rude hand gestures.

    ¡°You¡¯d better get Potter off to bed,¡± said Fudge, looking back at Professor McGonagall with a dismissive nod toward Harry. ¡°I will wait here for their return. And where did Dolores go? I need her to take full control of this school as soon as possible. It¡¯s all over; the Ministry has won.¡±

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 Chapter 1064: Plan

    What the Ministry of Magic ushered in was not victory, but the beginning of aprehensive defeat.

    Fudge¡¯s n was destined to be impossible to realize. He simply could not find Umbridge who was imprisoned in the giant¡¯s cave.

    And he would soon discover that Hogwarts was going to be a mess after driving Dumbledore away.

    An unstable Hogwarts was going to be a big problem for the Ministry of Magic, as Fudge would soon find out.

    Looking at Fudge who was smug, Professor McGonagall said nothing but marched Harry to the door. As it swung closed behind them, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus¡¯s voice

    ¡°You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts ¡­ but you cannot deny he¡¯s got style!¡±

    Meanwhile, Evan only felt a sh of golden fire in front of his eyes, and they came to Grimmauld ce¡­

    It was not a Portkey, nor Apparition. This time, he could be sure that the Phoenix had the power to transcend space.

    With Fawkes¡¯s help, they traveled across space from Hogwarts to Number Twelve Grimmauld ce.This kind of spatial crossing was a unique magical power, which felt much better than Apparition and Portkeys.

    Not to mention, this kind of magic was not part of anti-Apparition enchantments surrounding Hogwarts.

    This meant that Dumbledore coulde and go anywhere as long as Fawkes was around, ignoring the protective magic.

    From this point of view, the phoenix was ??really a practical pet, much better than a cat that could do nothing except act cute and lick.

    ¡°Unbelievable, we actually left Hogwarts like that!¡± said Hermione breathlessly, looking around.

    They were standing in the dim kitchen of the ck family¡¯s ancestral home. In front of them was a long wooden dining table with chairs scattered around.

    Not far away, the fire in the firece had extinguished!

    There was only a little light in the house, eerily quiet, with no sound; Sirius and Kreacher were nowhere to be found.

    Fawkes screeched and flew to the snake-shaped chandelier. The chandelier swayed and made a creaking sound.

    ¡°Professor, what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°Well, where¡¯s my uncle?¡± ine also asked. ¡°You just said that his injuries have healed!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I need to go get him,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°This house is safe. You stay here and don¡¯t go anywhere. Sirius will be back soon, and Fudge and the Ministry of Magic will definitely be looking for us frantically.¡±

    There was no doubt about this, in just a few hours; they would be the Ministry¡¯s most wanted criminals.

    Tomorrow morning, people would know from the newspapers that Dumbledore teamed up with the vampires to n the Death Eaters¡¯ escape and defected from Hogwarts.

    He also took away three students. ine would definitely be wanted, and Evan and Hermione might end up as wanted criminals too.

    For most people, this was probably the most unbelievable thing, just like the sun rising from the west.

    As the greatest white wizard in the world and currently the most powerful wizard, Dumbledore suddenly became an evil Dark wizard, contacting vampires and rescuing Death Eaters. Except for idiots like Fudge, there was probably no one in the entire Wizarding World who would believe it, nor would anyone be pleased to uncover Dumbledore¡¯s true face.

    On the contrary, it would be the beginning of chaos, bringing panic to the Ministry of Magic.

    Anyone with a functioning intellect would know that the truth of the matter couldn¡¯t possibly be this.

    In the past few decades, if Dumbledore wanted to rule the Wizarding World, he had had so many opportunities. He didn¡¯t have to wait until now, and no one could stop him.

    This kind of news was as hard to believe as Voldemort¡¯s resurrection and return, and even more difficult to ept emotionally.

    Fudge would soon realize that what he¡¯d brought upon himself was not victory in struggle, but endless trouble.

    All in all, on the face of it, the current situation looked dire.

    But apart from forcing Dumbledore away from Hogwarts, they actually hadn¡¯t suffered any losses.

    Instead, they could turn this setback into an advantage, lull Voldemort, and then proceed with the next n.

    Again, Fudge would regret it soon.

    Hogwarts and even the entire Wizarding World without Dumbledore would be a problem for him.

    ¡°Professor, are we just staying here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, at least for now!¡± Dumbledore nodded.

    He waved his wand, and mes burst up in the firece.

    The mes dispersed the darkness and cold, and they no longer had to sit in the dark kitchen with pale faces.

    ¡°I still have a few things to deal with, some preparations to make. After Caresiuses back, we will set off to Norway. Well, the situation there also needs to be dealt with urgently. From this point of view, Fudge helped us; otherwise, I would have to find another way to leave Hogwarts.¡±

    Leaving Hogwarts was not only Evan¡¯s need, but also Dumbledore¡¯s recent n.

    Of course, ine, who was the cause of this incident, had no sense of guilt.

    Although Hogwarts was interesting, it didn¡¯t give her much of a sense of belonging.

    From the moment Umbridge offended her, she¡¯d been eager to give her a good lesson, even if it meant leaving Hogwarts.

    The only one who was a bit anxious and innocent was Hermione. She¡¯d been involved purely because of Evan. She didn¡¯t actually need to take the risk in Norway.

    Hermione was willing to sacrifice for Evan, and she did so willingly.

    Evan held Hermione¡¯s left hand tightly, saying nothing; everything was understood without words.

    Dumbledore didn¡¯t ask about Umbridge and seemed to already know everything.

    He briefly talked about the recent arrangements and told Evan and Hermione not to worry about their parents.

    He thought Fudge might think they were going back home, or have their homes under surveince, and he would send someone to deal with it.

    ¡°Professor, what about what I said earlier?¡± After Dumbledore finished speaking, Evan asked, ¡°About the n to lure Voldemort to the Ministry of Magic?¡±

    ¡°Your n is good, but you have to understand that this is a battle of endurance. After splitting his soul so many times, I don¡¯t believe he will have the patience to endure for too long,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Time will slowly drive him insane, as time passes, he will gradually lose his sanity and eventually be mad¡­¡±

    In this way, Dumbledore disagreed with Evan¡¯s suggestion, maybe because he thought his n was too risky.

    After all, there was a problem here, Harry needed to be used as bait, and Dumbledore still did not want to do that.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Harry to learn lumency, Professor!¡± said Evan, looking into Dumbledore¡¯s eyes. ¡°His scar fundamentally prevents him from closing his mind to Voldemort. It¡¯s not just a mental connection like Legilimency; it¡¯s on a soul level. lumency simply can¡¯t prevent Harry from further exposing his thoughts to Voldemort, especially since it¡¯s Snape teaching him. We need to take the initiative, rather than relying on Harry¡¯s defense.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s <i>Professor</i> Snape, Evan!¡± said Dumbledore simply. He stared at the burning fire and seemed to be thinking, ¡°Maybe you are right. Old men are prone to mistakes, too conservative! We should be more proactive, especially since our current enemy is not just Voldemort¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1065: Night Talk

    Judging from the current situation, this was their best way to break the deadlock and force Voldemort to show up.

    They couldn¡¯t hide endlessly as wanted criminals. After settling the trouble in Norway, they had toe back andpletely deal with Voldemort and the evil god. Whichever way you looked at it, the British Wizarding World and Hogwarts were the main battlefields.

    In a sense, Harry going to the Ministry of Magic was not an event they hadn¡¯t expected to happen.

    Voldemort would definitely try his best to lure Harry to get the prophecy orb, but then things would be passive.

    Instead of that, it was better to, as Evan had suggested, take the initiative and devise a n to trick Voldemort out.

    It was easy. The prophecy orb had infinite temptation for him. He needed to know theplete prophecy.

    As long as he thought Dumbledore was not in Britain, he would be easy to hook.

    ¡°You know what, Evan? The prophecy orb is not the most important thing. What I am worried about now is that Voldemort enters Harry¡¯s mind, controls and misleads his thoughts. I believe that after thest encounter in Norway, he will definitely have such thoughts; he has already discovered how simple it is to control Harry. What is even more frightening is that I am afraid that he knows the rtionship between Harry and me. In a way, our rtionship has always been much closer than that of a headmaster and a student. If he notices this, he will seize this opportunity and use Harry to spy on me,¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°I¡¯m worried he¡¯ll exploit Harry, worried he¡¯ll find a way to control him.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor, what¡¯s worse is that he discovers the secret hidden in Harry¡¯s body,¡± said Evan seriously.The secret was that Harry himself was a Horcrux. Until now, Voldemort had not realized this. Like everyone else, he attributed the connection between him and Harry to his past failed Avada Kedavra.

    Hermione and ine didn¡¯t understand what Evan said, but they didn¡¯t interrupt.

    In the flickering light, Evan looked into Dumbledore¡¯s eyes and could be sure that Dumbledore blinked and avoided his gaze for a moment.

    ¡°Yes, this is also what I am afraid of,¡± said Dumbledore softly, not wanting to continue talking about the Horcruxes. ¡°But what I am most worried about is that Voldemort will destroy Harry, just likest time, he controlled Harry to jump off the highest tform. He is very likely to destroy Harry in this way. In my few meetings with Harry, I think I¡¯ve seen Voldemort¡¯s shadow flickering behind his eyes. Once he controls Harry, everything will be unimaginable.¡±

    ¡°So we must act decisively and stop this from happening, Professor!¡± said Evan. ¡°ording to my n, even if we can¡¯t solve Voldemort, we can severely weaken him, making him dare not recklessly enter Harry¡¯s mind.¡±

    ¡°Solve Voldemort?!¡± Dumbledore began to ponder again, seemingly not hearing what Evan was saying afterward. He said slowly, ¡°To thoroughly defeat Voldemort, we still have some issues that need to be rified. As far as I know, an old friend of mine knows this information. Yes, you are right, Evan, we need to be more proactive. I will tell Sirius and the Order of the Phoenix about this, and we¡¯ll quickly develop abat n.¡±

    The old friend he was talking about must be Horace Slughorn. When Voldemort was young, he obtained the information about making Horcruxes from Slughorn.

    After mentioning Slughorn, Dumbledore seemed determined and stood back up.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time. You three should go to bed now,¡± he said. ¡°Anything else can wait until tomorrow.¡±

    Evan looked at Dumbledore by the firece. At this moment, he looked like an ordinary old man.

    For the first time, weariness appeared on his face, deep wrinkles dancing in the firelight. He was no longer the great wizard in control of everything.

    Unless death was conquered by magic, even the most powerful wizard would eventually age.

    Dumbledore had reached the end of his life, and Evan had a feeling that the unfortunate day was approaching¡­

    ¡°Professor, are you staying here tonight?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I have other things to do,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°The three of you will stay in this house tonight. Sirius will probablye back tomorrow morning. During this time, I hope you will not think too much and will not leave here.¡±

    He waved his hand, and Fawkes the phoenix flew up again, golden light shed, and Dumbledore disappeared.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go upstairs to bed!¡± said Evan, forcing a smile, not wanting Hermione and ine to worry.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Hermione nodded.

    The three of them walked up the stairs in the dark; no one spoke, only the sound of footsteps echoed in the house.

    This old house had never seemed so scary. Darkness and fear had taken over the ce.

    Evan was thinking about the current situation. Hermione was also thinking about the conversation between Evan and Dumbledore just now. It was unknown what ine was thinking about. She seemed to be interested in the house-elf heads hanging on the wall, staring at them for a long time.

    ¡°Hermione, don¡¯t you have anything to ask me?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help but say as they reached the third-floornding.

    ¡°A lot, but I¡¯m not sure if these things need to be kept secret.¡± In the darkness, Hermione¡¯s voice sounded beside Evan, trembling, ¡°If it is a secret between you and Dumbledore, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hermione, there are no secrets between you and me,¡± said Evan.

    Hearing these words, Hermione¡¯s face suddenly turned red. Fortunately, the surroundings were so dark.

    When a girl was extremely worried and afraid about the future, it was also the most vulnerable time for her heart.

    Although Hermione usually appeared very strong, she was still no exception. What she needed most now was Evan¡¯s embrace.

    But there was a technical issue here, could ine stop staring at them all the time!

    With such a curious baby-like appearance, how could Evan continue tofort and soothe Hermione¡¯s heart?!

    ¡°Come on, Hermione, I¡¯ll talk to you alone about these things and the current situation. Well, you cane to my room,¡± said Evan. Hermione didn¡¯t say anything, obviously acquiescing. He then turned to ine, ¡°By the way, ine, are you interested in these matters?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± said ine. She had never cared much about the Order of the Phoenix.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Evan knew it would be like this. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re tired, you can go back to sleep first. Tonight, it¡¯s just the three of us here. Hermione and I are next door to you. If anything happens, just shout, I¡¯ll definitely hear it.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m not sleepy either. I might as welle and listen,¡± said ine slowly. ¡°Besides, there¡¯s something I want to talk to you about¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1066: Sleepless Night

    ¡°Do you want to join too?¡± Evan blinked and looked at ine uncertainly.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± ine nodded vigorously and said in a slightly excited voice, ¡°I also have a lot of things to tell you. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect to leave Hogwarts like this. It was quite unexpected, wasn¡¯t it?! I thought that after returning to the castle, someone would want to catch us, have a big fight and then leave, but I didn¡¯t expect the headmaster to be so reasonable. The Minister of Magic is quite hateful. He mes everything on vampires. He is as hateful as Umbridge. Also, isn¡¯t our punishment too light for her? We just handed her over to the giant. What do you think Grawp will do to her?¡±

    Evan sighed. ine was simply not on the same wavelength as the two of them.

    Unlike Hermione, this girl was not at all panicked or worried about escaping Hogwarts, but excited. To be more precise, she was even a little disappointed because the scene was not big enough.

    In her opinion, they should have made a big scene, blown up half of the castle and then left.

    If possible, she wouldn¡¯t have minded destroying the entire Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic.

    And regarding Umbridge, ine was very concerned about what Grawp would do to her.

    She had probably already pictured in her little head the scene of Umbridge fighting the giant.

    ¡°Grawp can do a lot to her,¡± said Evan, looking at Hermione and ine. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯d better go to your room and tell you the current situation in detail. I won¡¯t leave until you two fall asleep!¡±Just like that, in the dark bedroom, the three of them chatted for a long time.

    The night was long, and Evan was not sure if they should talk about this now, instead of using the time to do something else.

    In a strange atmosphere, the topic was focused on this matter. He started from what happened in Umbridge¡¯s office tonight during the detention, and then talked about Grawp, Fudge and the Ministry¡¯s ns, Voldemort¡¯s conspiracy, the prophecy hidden in the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic, and so on.

    Hermione listened and asked questions from time to time. After the part about the giant, ine drifted off to sleep. Hermione and Evan continued to chat, their voices getting lower and lower, and the topic began to turn to other aspects.

    After one topic was over, Hermione suddenly said, ¡°ine seems to have fallen asleep!¡±

    It was hard to exin why, but Evan could feel Hermione¡¯s anticipation, a strange feeling rising in the darkness, as if they had been waiting for this moment, and it finally came.

    ¡°Well, Hermione, it¡¯s time for you to go to bed,¡± said Evan, standing up from his chair. It was alreadyte.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Hermione responded, still feeling uneasy.

    Attacking a professor and leaving Hogwarts might be the craziest thing she had done. And the things that Evan had just told her, the evil god, the prophecy, and their n to lure Voldemort out, also made her think about it. But the more she thought about it, the more confused she felt. The uncertainty factor was too great.

    She left Hogwarts tonight mainly because of Evan, she wanted to be with him.

    In such a state of loneliness and loss, her need for Evan was greater than she could have imagined. She wanted his breath and embrace, and the hollow deep in her heart, corroded by fear and emptiness, had a strong feeling that needed to be filled by Evan.

    This was what Hermione thought, but she was a little hesitant and didn¡¯t know how to start.

    Even though she talked very logically to Harry, theory was one thing, and practice was another; she still needed to gain experience.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it!¡± Evan walked to Hermione¡¯s bedside. He could vaguely see her sitting there looking at him. ¡°You should learn from ine and not take this kind of thing to heart. No matter what happens, I¡¯m here for you.¡±

    ¡°I know, I believe you,¡± Hermione whispered. ¡°Good night, Evan!¡±

    ¡°Good night!¡± said Evan, bending down to touch Hermione gently.

    ine rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed.

    It waste at night! Why hadn¡¯t Evan left yet?

    ¡°Um, what are you doing?¡± She yawned and said in a daze.

    ¡°Nothing, I couldn¡¯t sleep. Talking to Evan makes me feel at ease,¡± Hermione said truthfully.

    ¡°I¡¯mforting Hermione. You don¡¯t have to worry about us. Just go to sleep!¡± Evan followed.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep either. I just had a nightmare. I dreamed that a terrifying monster was talking to me again. It was the one sealed by our family. His power has be stronger. He said to me¡­¡± ine suddenly trembled. She shook her head vigorously, as if to shake out this terrible memory. ¡°I want to sleep with Hermione!¡±

    Without waiting for permission, she jumped from her own bed and tightly hugged Hermione.

    For many people, tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.

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 Chapter 1067: Wanted

    ine, who had been awakened by the nightmare, was already half asleep, but after hugging Evan, she quickly fell asleep again!

    Evan looked at her with a wry smile, withdrew his arm, and tucked a pillow into ine¡¯s arms without her even noticing.

    He sighed, turned his head and looked at Hermione pitifully, and Hermione gave him a fierce expression.

    Imitating ine¡¯s usual demeanor, she showed her two fangs as if to bite Evan and stuck out her tongue.

    For Evan, who was ustomed to Hermione¡¯s seriousness, her yful demeanor had a different kind of allure.

    ¡°Ignore her, let¡¯s continue!¡± Evan whispered, hugging Hermione¡¯s waist from below, and resting his chin on her shoulder.

    The feelings inside him surged once again, the touch of their skins against each other, and the scent of Hermione¡¯s body.

    It all felt like a little cat scratching incessantly inside him, itching terribly, and stopping now was out of the question.

    Seeing Hermione, she wasn¡¯t any stronger than Evan, and she didn¡¯t have much resistance at all.In this situation, it didn¡¯t matter even if ine was watching!

    If she dared to disturb them again, on impulse, Evan would have an even more wicked idea¡­

    ¡°What do you mean, continue?¡± said Hermione coyly, pushing Evan away. ¡°You go to the bed next to us, I¡¯ll sleep with ine.¡±

    She crawled away from Evan, hugged ine, and kicked him with her right leg.

    In the dim moonlight, Evan saw two adorable girls in their scanty underwear embracing tightly¡­

    Despite the underwear being minimal, he felt so hot. Was it really still February?!

    Maybe Hermione felt that Evan was looking at her pitifully, and she seemed to feel a little bad.

    ¡°Tonight is definitely a no-go. Um, you turn into a cat, and I¡¯ll hold you!¡± she whispered. Her face, already flushed, turned even redder. She couldn¡¯t believe she was saying this; it was all because of Evan¡¯s fault.

    Evan¡¯s body quickly transformed, a small ck cat appearing on the bed, crawling up between Hermione¡¯s legs.

    He felt damp; it must be sweat. It was really hot for three people sleeping squeezed together!

    Hermione trembled a bit, and Evan stuck out his tongue and licked. It tasted salty.

    While Evan was entangled with Hermione and ine on the bed, the first thing Fudge did after taking over Hogwarts was to organize Ministry personnel to search for Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest at night. With no guidance, they struggled to make progress.

    After learning that Dumbledore was forced to leave, Hagrid was extremely angry and refused to cooperate or provide help.

    If Professor McGonagall hadn¡¯t been there to dissuade him, he would have even fought with Fudge and the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic.

    Hagrid had made up his mind to leave Hogwarts after arranging Grawp¡¯s affairs.

    And so, the personnel hastily assembled by Fudge grumbled as they started searching in the dangerous Forbidden Forest.

    They struggled throughout the night and lost three people. Finally, deep in the Forbidden Forest, they encountered the Centaurs.

    They asked the Centaurs about Umbridge¡¯s whereabouts. After some failedmunication, a fierce conflict broke out and even started a fight. Due to insufficient manpower and insufficient preparation, the Ministry of Magic fell into a disadvantage and had to retreat from the forest.

    This infuriated Fudge, but there was nothing he could do. The Centaurs had long ignored the Ministry¡¯s attempts atmunication!

    He stormed back to the castle in a rage, intending to gather more personnel, only to find that he couldn¡¯t enter the headmaster¡¯s office anymore.

    The stone gargoyle at the door was closed, and no matter what method he used, he could not get past it.

    Now, even if Dumbledore was inside, there was nothing Fudge could do.

    It had to be said that the first night he thought he was victorious was such a failure, and bigger troubles were still waiting for him.

    Under the same moonlight, Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Hogwarts High Inquisitor, was also having a very bad life.

    She was trapped in a side passage of the Acromant¡¯s cave, unable to go anywhere, enduring Grawp¡¯s insults.

    The only progress she made was that she finally stopped fainting just because she saw the giant.

    But what Grawp did was an indescribable humiliation for her, and her mind and body suffered immense strain.

    This kind of harm was unparalleled, even more terrifying than being killed directly.

    In the giant tribe before, Grawp had seen other high-level giants keep human women in captivity. When his mother was in a good mood, she would also talk to him about this matter, so he knew what to do and wouldn¡¯t easily devour Umbridge; giants weren¡¯t trolls.

    In the giant tribe, female captives were very valuable assets, which could breed offspring and maintain the continuation of the n.

    It was a pity that Grawp had no experience and patience, and Umbridge was even less cooperative. They needed time to slowly adjust.

    It was destined to be a sleepless night. Dumbledore leaving Hogwarts was like throwing a boulder into a calmke.

    Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix, the anti-Voldemort movement, and the Death Eaters all quickly sprang into action, and a huge storm was brewing.

    Early the next morning, Evan woke up.

    He was still in his Animagus form, raised his head, and saw Hermione in front of him, reading thetest issue of the <i>Daily Prophet</i>.

    At this time, the two of them were no longer in the room. She had already carried him to the kitchen and ced him on the table.

    Waves of aroma came from not far away, and the house-elf Kreacher was bringing tes of food here.

    At the other end of the table, Sirius sat, watching Evan who had just awakened with a somewhat amused expression.

    ¡°Good morning, Evan,¡± he said happily. ¡°Looks like you had a good timest night?¡±

    He winked at Evan and made an expression that all men would understand.

    Evan changed back, and found with some embarrassment that he was only wearing a pair of underwear, and hurriedly found a set of robes on the bed.

    ¡°Well, I never thought Animagus could be used like this!¡± Sirius muttered, rubbing his chin.

    Behind the newspaper, Hermione¡¯s little face began to turn red and feverish again, trying hard to pretend that she didn¡¯t see Evan here.

    But her clenched fists betrayed her true thoughts. Could Evan handle this? Letting Sirius see this embarrassing scene¡­

    The worst part was that there was no way to exin it. Looking at his expression, it was clear that he was misunderstood!

    ¡°Sirius, do you know the current situation?¡± said Evan, ignoring his embarrassment just now.

    Boys sometimes had to be thick-skinned, and now was not the time to dwell on such things.

    ¡°I¡¯ve met Dumbledore, and Hermione just told me what happened at Hogwarts,¡± said Sirius. ¡°In fact, except Hermione, we¡¯re all wanted by Fudge, including you, ine, me and Caresius, along with Dumbledore. If you ask me, he¡¯s definitely gone mad!¡±

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 Chapter 1068: Important Memory

    ¡°He must be crazy. Who in his right mind would believe that Dumbledore saved the Death Eaters? It¡¯s utterly absurd,¡± said Hermione, spreading out the <i>Daily Prophet</i> on the dining table in front of her. ¡°Look at this article. It¡¯s full of nonsense.¡±

    On the front page of the <i>Daily Prophet</i>, Evan saw his own photo, and below was a brief introduction.

    As usual, they portrayed Evan as a crazed lunatic, a supporter of Dumbledore, and extremely dangerous.

    ¡°Well, at least the Ministry hasn¡¯t issued a warrant for you,¡± said Evan to Hermione, continuing to read the article. ¡°Oh, here, look at this, ¡®The deranged Evan Mason fled after kidnapping a girl named Hermione Granger¡­¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re ignoring me, thinking I¡¯m not important,¡± said Hermione, annoyed. ¡°That¡¯s why they haven¡¯t issued a warrant for me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, let¡¯s do something big together and make the Ministry raise your bounty,¡± Evan joked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Hermione red at him and looked down at the report on the second page. ¡°Hmm, besides the warrant, Fudge also announced the removal of Dumbledore from his position as headmaster. They probably haven¡¯t found Umbridge yet. The new Educational Decree mentions the Ministry establishing a special reform group to be stationed at Hogwarts. What¡¯s this about? Hmm, it says here that the special reform group members include Ministry officials, Hogwarts Board of Governors members, and representatives of student parents, primarily to exercise the powers of the Hogwarts headmaster and High Inquisitor until a new headmaster is appointed, to manage the school.¡±

    ¡°I bet Lucius Malfoy¡¯s involved; this bogus group is probably in his pocket,¡± Sirius scoffed. ¡°He¡¯s feeling smug this time, being able to carry out so-called reforms at Hogwarts, promoting those worthless pure-blood ideals.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t seed; he doesn¡¯t have enough time, and besides, no professor would cooperate with him,¡± said Evan.¡°That Snivellus git isn¡¯t easy to deal with; he¡¯s just apdog raised by Lucius Malfoy,¡± said Sirius bitterly. ¡°How¡¯s he doing teaching Harry lumency? Is he taking advantage of him?¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, Snape should have told him everything; there were many tricks I didn¡¯t know about before, which he had researched himself,¡± said Evan fairly. ¡°He¡¯s sincere in teaching Harry this time, but the results aren¡¯t very good.¡±

    After each tutoring session, Harry recounted everything Snape taught him to Evan; and he knew all the circumstances.

    Although Harry alwaysined that Snape¡¯s intrusion into his mind over and over again left him exhausted and physically drained, weakening his resistance to Voldemort, in reality, Snape¡¯s methods were indeed the best.

    Unfortunately, Harry¡¯s problem could not be solved by lumency at all.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to read further, there¡¯s no valuable information!¡± Hermione tossed the <i>Daily Prophet </i>aside and looked at Evan and Sirius. ¡°So, what¡¯s our n now?¡±

    ¡°We wait!¡± said Sirius. ¡°Dumbledore still has some matters to deal with. Once Caresius returns, we¡¯ll set off to Norway to solve the trouble with the vampires. By the way, Evan, Dumbledore agrees with your n!¡±

    ¡°He told mest night!¡±

    ¡°So I called Kreacher back!¡± Sirius nced at the elf in the distance and lowered his voice and said, ¡°I want to give him some orders, such as leaving here, leave this house so he¡¯ll have a chance to pass on the news we need them to know.¡±

    ¡°Is it safe to do that?¡± Hermione asked cautiously.

    ¡°No problem, you know, Kreacher is a bit confused,¡± said Sirius, noticing Hermione¡¯s expression. ¡°Come on, Hermione, he won¡¯t be in danger.¡±

    ¡°Kreacher is just one thing. Voldemort should have vampire supporters,¡± said Evan. ¡°It would be better if we can confuse them and make him think that we are really all in Norway and are in big trouble and can¡¯t get out of it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Dumbledore will get all things arranged,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get into action!¡±

    That day, they stayed at Number Twelve Grimmauld ce, and members of the Order of the Phoenix arrived one after another.

    They brought thetest information, some stayed, others left in a hurry, and everyone seemed busy.

    Tonks, for instance, came and went in a hurry. Sheined that Fudge had sent everyone into the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts to prepare for a meaningless and unwinnable jungle war with the Centaurs, instead of chasing down escaped Death Eaters and vampires.

    This was the height of stupidity, but Fudge needed Umbridge, and he thought she was in the hands of the Centaurs.

    They hadn¡¯t discovered that Umbridge was actually in Grawp¡¯s cave, and they didn¡¯t know what happened to her?!

    And then there was Mad-Eye Moody, he had already begun contacting people to prepare for a big battle at the Ministry of Magic with the Death Eaters.

    Evan didn¡¯t see Lupin, who seemed to have finally made a breakthrough with the werewolves justst night.

    After learning that Dumbledore had left Hogwarts, those werewolves and other dark creatures began to stir.

    Now <i>Hogwarts Magic</i> was mainly run by the personnel recruited some time ago, and Fudge hadn¡¯t done anything to them.

    Freedom of speech was the most basic guarantee. Thest time he closed down a newspaper, he suffered a huge loss.

    He wouldn¡¯t do that now without beingpletely sure, and that wasn¡¯t his focus anyway.

    Dumbledore came back at about four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, which was unusual. He wanted Evan to apany him for something.

    Evan didn¡¯t know what was going on, but Dumbledore was actually willing to take him with him.

    ¡°Professor, where are we going?¡± Evan asked. He and Dumbledore were alone in the living room on the third floor.

    ¡°We are going to find something,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I need you toe with me to a ce, Evan, where there is something we need. From the information I currently have, it will be helpful in resolving the trouble in Norway.¡±

    Evan was puzzled. What kind of magic could solve the problem with the vampires?!

    ¡°It will be easier for us to move after dark. Before that, you need to see something,¡± said Dumbledore, sensing Evan¡¯s confusion. ¡°After you¡¯ve seen it, you will know what we are going to look for and what we might encounter!¡±

    He waved his wand, and the Pensieve, which had been ced in his office cab, appeared out of thin air.

    Dumbledore must have gone back to get it; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have brought the Pensieve here.

    Poor Fudge ¡­ looking for Dumbledore everywhere.

    He probably didn¡¯t expect Dumbledore to be in his office. This was really aplete irony.

    ¡°Professor, what do you want me to see?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°A few very important memories will help us find that thing. First, we need to go for a trip down Bob Ogden¡¯s memoryne,¡± said Dumbledore, pulling from his pocket a crystal bottle containing a swirling silvery-white substance.

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 Chapter 1069: The Old House of the Gaunt Family

    Chapter 1069: The Old House of the Gaunt Family

    ¡°A memory?¡± Evan raised his head and looked at Dumbledore. ¡°Don¡¯t you know where that thing is?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, it¡¯s only spection. So please pay close attentionter, Evan. This is a very important memory,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I need you to firmly imprint what you see in your mind. It will provide you with the greatest help when needed.¡±

    ¡°Alright ¡­ Well, who was Bob Ogden?¡±

    ¡°He was employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement,¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°He died some time ago, but not before I had tracked him down and persuaded him to confide these recollections to me. We are about to apany him on a visit he made in the course of his duties. Again, remember what you are going to see¡­¡±

    Dumbledore pulled out the stopper of the crystal bottle and tipped its silvery contents into the Pensieve, where they swirled and shimmered, neither liquid nor gas.

    ¡°After you,¡± said Dumbledore, gesturing toward the bowl.

    Evan bent forward, took a deep breath, and plunged his face into the silvery substance.

    He felt his feet leave the dimly lit living room floor; he was falling, falling through whirling darkness and then, quite suddenly, he was blinking in dazzling sunlight. Before his eyes had adjusted, Dumbledorended beside him.

    They were standing in a typical British countryne, full of nostalgic rural atmosphere, bordered by high, tangled hedgerows, beneath a summer sky as bright and blue as a forget-me-not.Some ten feet in front of them stood a short, plump man wearing enormously thick sses that reduced his eyes to molelike specks.

    At this moment, he was reading a wooden signpost that was sticking out of the brambles on the left-hand side of the road.

    Needless to say, this must be Ogden! A typical wizard, who had only learned Muggle knowledge in school, strictly adhering to the rules butcking flexibility. He was also wearing the strange assortment of clothes so often chosen by inexperienced wizards trying to look like Muggles: in this case, a frock coat and spats over a striped one-piece bathing costume, with shoe covers on his feet, looking extremely odd.

    Evan looked at Ogden. Although he didn¡¯t have much impression of this name, by now, he had guessed that this important memory was rted to Voldemort. Or more urately, it should be rted to Horcruxes.

    Since Dumbledore brought it out at this moment and said they would need it in Norway,bined with everything else, it was enough to indicate that the Horcrux that would appear in this memory should be Slytherin¡¯s ring, another protective item.

    So, they were going to the old house of the Gaunt family, an ancient and conservative pure-blood wizard family.

    As Evan pondered, Ogden set off at a brisk walk down thene, and they hurriedly followed.

    As they passed the wooden sign, Evan looked up at its two arms. The one pointing back the way they hade read: GREAT HANGLETON, 5 MILES. The arm pointing after Ogden said LITTLE HANGLETON, 1 MILE.

    It was indeed here, Evan knew it in his heart.

    After Sirius¡¯s prison break came to an end, he had once asked Lupin to investigate Voldemort¡¯s father¡¯s ancestral home.

    The original n was to destroy the materials needed for Voldemort¡¯s resurrection, his father¡¯s bone, and the old house in Little Hangleton.

    Unfortunately, they had arrived a step toote.

    Voldemort had already been prepared. As early as when he encountered vampires in Albania, he sent people back to take away the bone.

    Evan and Dumbledore followed Ogden for a while, seeing nothing around them but the hedgerows, the wide blue sky overhead and the swishing, frock-coated figure ahead.

    Then thene curved to the left and fell away, sloping steeply down a hillside, so that they had a sudden, unexpected view of a whole valleyid out in front of them.

    A vige appeared in front of them, undoubtedly Little Hangleton, nestled between two steep hills, its church and graveyard clearly visible.

    Across the valley, set on the opposite hillside, was a handsome manor house surrounded by a wide expanse of velvety greenwn.

    Needless to say, this manor was Riddle House, but it was not in ruins at all; on the contrary, it looked very beautiful.

    Under the sunlight, it sparkled and looked very luxurious, clearly a house only wealthy people could afford.

    Ogden had broken into a reluctant trot due to the steep downward slope. Dumbledore lengthened his stride, and Evan hurried to keep up.

    Since Riddle House, the ancestral home of Voldemort¡¯s father, was right in front of him, where was the old home of the Gaunt family? Evan originally thought they were going to the Little Hangleton vige ahead, but they didn¡¯t. Thene curved to the right and when they rounded the corner, it was to see the very edge of Ogden¡¯s frock coat vanishing through a gap in the hedge.

    Dumbledore and Evan followed him onto a narrow dirt track bordered by higher and wilder hedgerows than those they had left behind. The path was crooked, rocky, and potholed, sloping downhill like thest one, and it seemed to be heading for a patch of dark trees a little below them.

    They hadn¡¯t gone far before the track opened up at the copse.

    Dumbledore and Evan came to a halt behind Ogden, who had stopped and drawn his wand.

    Despite the cloudless sky, the old trees ahead cast deep, dark, cool shadows, and it was a few seconds before Evan discerned the building half-hidden amongst the tangle of trunks.

    He had to say that it was a very strange location to choose for a house, or perhaps it was more in line with the unique taste of the Gaunt family.

    Those big trees grew beside the house, blocking all light and the view of the valley below.

    Even when the sun was at its strongest at noon, there was no trace of light inside, a true Slytherin style.

    Neither he nor his descendants: the Gaunt family and the vampire branch, liked the sun.

    The walls of the house were mossy and so many tiles had fallen of the roof that the rafters were visible in ces.

    Nettles grew thickly all around the house, their tips reaching the windows, which were tiny and thick with grime.

    Suddenly, one of the windows was thrown open with a tter, and a thin trickle of steam or smoke issued from it, as though somebody was cooking!

    Ogden moved forward quietly, his movements very cautious.

    As the dark shadows of the trees slid over him, he stopped again, staring at the front door, to which somebody had nailed a dead snake.

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 Chapter 1070: The Beginning of All Evil

    Then there was a rustle and a crack, and a man in rags dropped from the nearest tree,nding on his feet right in front of Ogden.

    Ogden was startled and leapt backward so fast he stood on the tails of his frock coat and stumbled.

    ¡°Hiss!¡± The man standing before them made a strange, menacing sound.

    He had thick hair so matted with dirt it could have been any color.

    Several of his teeth were missing, and his eyes were small and dark and stared in opposite directions.

    He might have lookedical, but he did not.

    The effect was frightening, very frightening; prompting Ogden to back away several more paces before he spoke.

    ¡°Er ? good morning, I¡¯m from the Ministry of Magic¡­¡±

    ¡°Hiss, hiss!¡± he shouted, brandishing a wand in one hand and a short bloody knife in the other.¡°Er ? I¡¯m sorry ? I don¡¯t understand you,¡± said Ogden nervously.

    Evan initially thought the man was making meaningless sounds, but now it seemed that this was not the case.

    It was Parseltongue!

    This guy was Voldemort¡¯s uncle Morfin Gaunt, a guy who only spoke Parseltongue.

    This had once been a talent that Szar Slytherin had been proud of, but Evan knew from ine that no one among the vampires could speak Parseltongue.

    Perhaps, when they became vampires, they had abandoned the snake part of their blood.

    Therefore, there were only a few people in the world who could speak Parseltongue. This was a kind of blood inheritance.

    Only the Slytherin bloodline was so powerful, or rather, only the Gaunt family, so conservative in their insistence on inbreeding, could pass down blood magic after a thousand years.

    As for other families iming pure bloodlines, like the Malfoys, they were now just a name.

    The bloodline inheritance of the Ravenw family was to abandon one¡¯s own emotions for the highest wisdom, so what was theplete bloodline inheritance of the more famous Slytherin family?! It was definitely more than just Parseltongue, but no matter how powerful it was, no one knew it now.

    ¡°You should have understood, Evan?¡± Dumbledore asked softly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor, this is Parseltongue,¡± said Evan. ¡°What is he talking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I suppose it¡¯s something about Ogden being unwee. This family is notorious for being restless and hot-tempered, they don¡¯t wee outsiders.¡±

    ¡°The family of Voldemort¡¯s mother, the Gaunts¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve done a lot of research!¡± Dumbledore wasn¡¯t surprised at all, but rather pleased. ¡°Now please continue to watch. This will be helpful for our journey ahead. If you have anything to say, we can talk about it when we go out.¡±

    At this moment, Morfin, who was dressed in rags, was advancing on Ogden, knife in one hand, wand in the other.

    ¡°Now look ¡­¡± Ogden began, but toote: There was a bang, and Ogden was on the ground, clutching his nose, while a nasty yellowish goo squirted from between his fingers

    ¡°Morfin!¡± said a loud voice.

    An elderly man hade hurrying out of the cottage, banging the door behind him so that the dead snake swung pathetically.

    This man was slightly shorter than Morfin, and oddly proportioned. His shoulders were very broad and his arms overlong, which, with his bright brown eyes, short scrubby hair, and wrinkled face, gave him the look of a powerful, aged monkey.

    He came to a halt beside Morfin, who was now cackling withughter at the sight of Ogden on the ground.

    ¡°Ministry, is it?¡± said the older man, looking down at Ogden.

    ¡°Correct!¡± said Ogden angrily, dabbing his face. ¡°And you, I take it, are Mr. Gaunt?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Gaunt. ¡°Got you in the face, did he?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he did!¡± snapped Ogden.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s his fault. Should¡¯ve made your presence known, shouldn¡¯t you?¡± said Gaunt aggressively. ¡°This is private property. Can¡¯t just walk in here and not expect my son to defend himself.¡±

    ¡°Defend himself against what, man?¡± said Ogden, mbering back to his feet. ¡°I had no intention of harming him.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just you; we always have some nosy people here; busybodies, intruders, Muggles and filth.¡±

    Ogden pointed his wand at his own nose, which was still issuingrge amounts of what looked like yellow pus, and the flow stopped at once.

    Mr. Gaunt spoke out of the corner of his mouth to Morfin, still in Parseltongue, which Evan couldn¡¯t understand.

    But Morfin understood what his father meant, though he seemed reluctant and wanted to argue.

    But when his father cast him a threatening look he changed his mind, lumbering away to the cottage with an odd rolling gait and mming the front door behind him, so that the snake swung sadly again.

    ¡°It¡¯s your son I¡¯m here to see, Mr. Gaunt,¡± said Ogden, as he mopped thest of the pus from the front of his coat. ¡°That was Morfin, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That was Morfin,¡± said the old man indifferently. ¡°Are you pure-blood?¡± he asked, suddenly aggressive.

    ¡°Yes, on both sides,¡± said Ogden coldly. ¡°But my family doesn¡¯t adhere to that.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Mr. Gaunt squinted into Ogden¡¯s face and muttered, in what was clearly supposed to be an offensive tone, ¡°Now Ie to think about it, I¡¯ve seen noses like yours down in the vige.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt it, if your son¡¯s been let loose on them,¡± said Ogden. ¡°Perhaps we could continue this discussion inside?¡±

    ¡°Inside?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gaunt, I¡¯ve already told you. I¡¯m here about Morfin. We sent an owl¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve no use for owls,¡± said Gaunt. ¡°I don¡¯t open letters.¡±

    ¡°Then you can hardlyin that you get no warning of visitors,¡± said Ogden tartly. ¡°I am here following a serious breach of Wizardingw, which urred here in the early hours of this morning¡­¡±

    ¡°All right, all right, all right!¡± bellowed Gaunt. ¡°Come in the bleeding house, then, and much good it¡¯ll do you!¡±

    The house seemed to contain three tiny rooms. Two doors led off the main room, which served as kitchen and living roombined.

    Morfin was sitting in a filthy armchair beside the smoking fire, twisting a live adder between his thick fingers and crooning softly at it in Parseltongue. Evan didn¡¯t understand what it meant, but he could imagine the lyrics were not pleasant.

    After they walked in, they heard slow footsteps in the corner beside the open window.

    A girl came out. Her ragged gray dress was the exact color of the dirty stone wall behind her. She nced at the strange visitor cautiously, standing beside a steaming pot on a grimy ck stove, and fiddling around with the shelf of squalid-looking pots and pans above it.

    Her hair wasnk and dull and she had a in, pale, rather heavy face. Her eyes, like her brother¡¯s, stared in opposite directions. She looked a little cleaner than the two men, but equally listless!

    There was no need to say more; she was Voldemort¡¯s mother, the beginning of all evil.

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 Chapter 1071: Ring

    Though that might be true, ming everything on such a poor girl was evidently unfair.

    Her father had kept her locked up at home, not allowing her to interact with outsiders, not even to go to Hogwarts.

    Her only fate was to be abused, and then wait to marry her own brother, continuing this ancient, conservative, sinful pure-blood family.

    No matter who it was, growing up in such an environment would twist the soul.

    If it were Evan, he might have left this family long ago.

    It was a pity that she didn¡¯t even have the ability to run away from home.

    Only after her father and brother were imprisoned in Azkaban did she usher in a life of her own.

    Unfortunately, it was just an even scarier nightmare and tragedy.

    ¡°My daughter, Merope,¡± said Gaunt grudgingly, as Ogden looked inquiringly toward her.¡°Good morning,¡± said Ogden.

    Merope did not answer, but with a frightened nce at her father turned her back on the room and continued shifting the pots on the shelf behind her.

    ¡°Well, Mr. Gaunt,¡± said Ogden, withdrawing his gaze. ¡°To get straight to the point, we have reason to believe that your son, Morfin, performed magic in front of a Muggletest night.¡±

    There was a deafening ng. Merope had dropped one of the pots.

    ¡°Pick it up!¡± Gaunt bellowed at her, watching his daughter pick up the pot with dissatisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s it, grub on the floor like some filthy Muggle, what¡¯s your wand for, you useless sack of muck?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gaunt, please don¡¯t speak like that!¡± said Ogden in a shocked voice, as Merope, who had already picked up the pot, flushed blotchily scarlet, lost her grip on the pot again, and, following her father¡¯s order, drew her wand shakily from her pocket, pointed it at the pot, and muttered a hasty, inaudible spell that caused the pot to shoot across the floor away from her, hit the opposite wall, and crack in two.

    Seeing this scene, Morfin let out a mad cackle ofughter.

    Gaunt screamed, ¡°Mend it, you pointless lump, mend it! Right now!¡±

    Merope stumbled across the room, but before she had time to raise her wand, Ogden had lifted his own and said firmly, ¡°Reparo.¡± The pot mended itself instantly.

    Gaunt looked for a moment as though he was going to shout at Ogden, but seemed to think better of it: Instead, he jeered at his daughter, ¡°Lucky the nice man from the Ministry¡¯s here, isn¡¯t it? Perhaps he¡¯ll take you off my hands; perhaps he doesn¡¯t mind dirty Squibs¡­¡±

    Without looking at anybody or thanking Ogden, Merope picked up the pot and returned it, hands trembling, to its shelf. She then stood quite still, her back against the wall between the filthy window and the stove, as though she wished for nothing more than to sink into the stone and vanish.

    ¡°Mr. Gaunt,¡± Ogden began again, ¡°as I¡¯ve said: the reason for my visit¡­¡±

    ¡°I heard you the first time!¡± snapped Gaunt, assuming an air of entitlement. ¡°And so what? Morfin gave a Muggle a bit of what wasing to him ? what about it then? What do you want to do to him?¡±

    ¡°Morfin has broken Wizardingw,¡± said Ogden sternly.

    ¡°¡¯Morfin has broken Wizardingw.¡¯¡± Gaunt imitated Ogden¡¯s voice, making it pompous and singsong.

    Morfin cackled again, making an unpleasant sound.

    ¡°In this decadent era, he did the right thing and taught a filthy Muggle a lesson, that¡¯s illegal now, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ogden. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is. This is a serious breach.¡±

    He pulled from an inside pocket a small scroll of parchment and unrolled it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that, then, his sentence?¡± said Gaunt, his voice rising angrily.

    ¡°It is a summons to the Ministry of Magic for a hearing¡­¡±

    ¡°Summons! <i>Summons</i>! Summons?! Who do you think you are, summoning my son anywhere?¡± Gaunt asked loudly.

    ¡°I¡¯m Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad,¡± said Ogden.

    ¡°And you think we¡¯re scum, do you?¡± Gaunt screamed, advancing on Ogden now, with a dirty yellow-nailed finger pointing at his chest. ¡°Scum who¡¯lle running when the Ministry tells them to? Do you think the Ministry has that much power? Do you know who you¡¯re talking to, you filthy boy, do you?¡±

    ¡°I was under the impression that I was speaking to Mr. Gaunt,¡± said Ogden, looking wary, but standing his ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± roared Gaunt. ¡°You¡¯re talking to me, but you obviously don¡¯t know who I am yet!¡±

    He raised his hand and showed Ogden the ugly, ck-stoned ring he was wearing on his middle finger.

    Evan¡¯s eyes also focused on the ring, which was the goal of their trip.

    This ring was priceless, not to mention that the ck gemstone on it was the legendary Resurrection Stone.

    Mr. Gaunt could change their current plight simply by selling this ring.

    Of course, he wouldn¡¯t do that.

    This was probably the only remaining proof of their identity as a family, representing the glory of the past.

    Obviously, Gaunt thought so too, as he proudly waved the ring in front of Ogden.

    ¡°Look carefully, Evan!¡± Dumbledore reminded. ¡°This is what we will set out to findter.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°See this? See this? Know what it is? Know where it came from? Centuries it¡¯s been in our family, that¡¯s how far back we go, and pure-blood all the way! Know how much I¡¯ve been offered for this, with the Peverell coat of arms engraved on the stone?¡±

    Yes, indeed, the Peverells ¡­ an ancient wizarding family only appearing in legends.

    The three most famous brothers in their family made a deal with Death and left behind the Three Deathly Hallows that could conquer death.

    ¡°I¡¯ve really no idea,¡± said Ogden, blinking as the ring sailed within an inch of his nose, ¡°and it¡¯s quite beside the point, Mr. Gaunt. Your son hasmitted ¡­¡±

    With a howl of rage, Gaunt ran toward his daughter, and his hand flew to her throat.

    He seemed as if he was going to throttle her, then he dragged her toward Ogden by a gold chain around her neck.

    ¡°See this?¡± he bellowed at Ogden, shaking a heavy gold locket at him, while Merope spluttered and gasped for breath.

    ¡°I see it, I see it!¡± said Ogden hastily.

    ¡°<i>Slytherin¡¯s</i>!¡± yelled Gaunt at the top of his voice. ¡°Szar Slytherin¡¯s! Stupid boy, you don¡¯t even know who he is, do you? Tell you, we¡¯re hisst living descendants, the only ones, what do you say to that, eh?¡±

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 Chapter 1072: The End of Ogdens Memory

    The locket was now around Evan¡¯s neck. Compared with the one around Merope¡¯s neck, it had a little less gold.

    Of course, this still did not affect its own value. What was truly valuable about it was that it could absorb excess magic power and feed it back.

    This thing was not as simple as an ornament for proving identity. Slytherin had left extraordinary magic on it.

    His unfortunate descendants did not discover this, nor could they.

    ¡°Mr. Gaunt, your daughter!¡± said Ogden in rm, but Gaunt had already released Merope.

    She staggered away from him, back to her corner, massaging her neck and gulping for air.

    ¡°So!¡± said Gaunt triumphantly, as though he had just proved aplicated point beyond all possible dispute. ¡°Don¡¯t you go talking to us as if we¡¯re dirt on your shoes! Don¡¯t think of summoning us to the Ministry casually like those Mudbloods and scum. Generations of purebloods, wizards all ¡­ more than you can say, I don¡¯t doubt!¡±

    And he spat on the floor at Ogden¡¯s feet. Morfin cackled again.

    Merope, huddled beside the window, her head bowed and her face hidden by hernk hair, said nothing.¡°Mr. Gaunt,¡± said Ogden doggedly, trying not to look into Gaunt¡¯s eyes, ¡°I am afraid that neither your ancestors nor mine have anything to do with the matter in hand. I am here because of Morfin, Morfin and the Muggle he ostedtest night. Our information is that Morfin performed a jinx or hex on the said Muggle, causing him to erupt in highly painful hives.¡±

    Morfin giggled, proud of what he had done.

    It was a miracle that this family could survive to this day. It could only be said that the Ministry was too lenient on them back then.

    ¡°Be quiet boy,¡± snarled Gaunt in Parseltongue, and Morfin immediately fell silent.

    ¡°And so what if he did, then?¡± Gaunt said defiantly to Ogden. ¡°I expect you¡¯ve wiped the Muggle¡¯s filthy face clean for him, and his memory to boot¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s hardly the point, is it, Mr. Gaunt?¡± said Ogden. ¡°This was an unprovoked attack on a defenseless¡­¡±

    ¡°Ar, I had you marked out as a Muggle-lover the moment I saw you,¡± sneered Gaunt, and he spat on the floor again.

    ¡°This discussion is getting us nowhere,¡± said Ogden firmly. ¡°It is clear from your son¡¯s attitude that he feels no remorse for his actions. I officially inform you that Morfin will attend a hearing on the fourteenth of September to answer the charges of using magic in front of a Muggle and causing harm and distress to that same Mugg¡­¡±

    Ogden broke off. The jingling, clopping sounds of horses and loud,ughing voices were drifting in through the open window.

    Apparently the windingne to the vige passed very close to the copse where the house stood.

    Gaunt froze, listening, his eyes wide with disbelief. Morfin hissed and turned his face toward the sounds, his expression hungry. Merope raised her head, her face was starkly white.

    ¡°My God, what an eyesore!¡± rang out a girl¡¯s voice, as clearly audible through the open window as if she had stood in the room beside them. ¡°Couldn¡¯t your father have that hovel cleared away, Tom? It¡¯s ruining the scenery here!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ours,¡± said a young man¡¯s voice. ¡°Everything on the other side of the valley belongs to us, but that cottage belongs to an old tramp called Gaunt, and his children. It¡¯s been passed down through their family. The son is quite mad, you should hear some of the stories they tell in the vige¡­¡±

    The girlughed. The jingling, clopping noises were growing louder and louder. Morfin made to get out of his armchair.

    ¡°Keep your seat,¡± said his father warningly, in Parseltongue.

    ¡°Tom,¡± said the girl¡¯s voice again, now so close they were clearly right beside the house, ¡°I might be wrong ¡­ but has somebody nailed a snake to that door?¡±

    ¡°Good lord, you¡¯re right!¡± said the man¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯ll be the son of the Gaunt family. I told you he¡¯s not right in his head. Don¡¯t look at it, Cecilia, darling.¡±

    The jingling and clopping sounds were now growing fainter again.

    ¡°¡¯Darling,¡¯¡± whispered Morfin in Parseltongue, looking at his sister. ¡°¡¯Darling,¡¯ he called her. So he wouldn¡¯t have you anyway. That filthy Muggle¡¯s dumped you!¡±

    Merope¡¯s face went deathly white; she was shaking, on the verge of fainting.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Gaunt sharply, also in Parseltongue, looking from his son to his daughter. ¡°What did you say, Morfin?¡±

    ¡°She likes looking at that Muggle,¡± said Morfin, a vicious expression on his face as he stared at his sister, who now looked terrified. ¡°Always in the garden when he passes, peering through the hedge at him, isn¡¯t she? Andst night¡­¡±

    Merope shook her head jerkily, imploringly, but Morfin went on ruthlessly, ¡°Hanging out of the window waiting for him to ride home, wasn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Hanging out of the window to look at a Muggle?¡± said Gaunt quietly, his eyes widening a little more.

    All three of the Gaunts seemed to have forgotten Ogden, who was looking bewildered and irritated at this renewed outbreak of iprehensible hissing and rasping. Evan was equally puzzled.

    But he could probably guess the content of the conversation. It must be rted to Voldemort¡¯s parents. Merope¡¯s love for Riddle had been discovered!

    ¡°Is it true?¡± said Gaunt in a deadly voice, advancing a step or two toward the terrified Merope. ¡°My daughter ¡­ pure-blooded descendant of Szar Slytherin ¡­ hankering after a filthy, dirt-veined Muggle?¡±

    Merope shook her head imploringly, shrinking forcefully into the corner.

    ¡°You disgusting little squib, you filthy little blood traitor!¡± roared Gaunt, losing control, and his hands closed around his daughter¡¯s throat.

    Merope shook her head frantically, pressing herself into the corner, obviously unable to say a word.

    She was about to be strangled to death. She was going to die here, being strangled to death by her father.

    ¡°No!¡± Ogden yelled, raised his wand, and cried, ¡°Rshio!¡±

    Gaunt was thrown backward, away from his daughter; he tripped over a chair and fell t on his back.

    With a roar of rage, Morfin leapt out of his chair and ran at Ogden, brandishing his bloody knife and firing hexes indiscriminately from his wand.

    Merope¡¯s screams echoed in his ears, and Ogden ran for his life.

    Dumbledore indicated that they ought to follow and Evan obeyed.

    Ogden hurtled up the path and erupted onto the mainne, his arms over his head, where he collided with the glossy chestnut horse ridden by a very handsome, dark-haired young man. Both he and the pretty girl riding beside him on a gray horse roared withughter at the sight of Ogden, finding him ridiculous.

    Ogden bounced off the horse¡¯s nk and set off again, his frock coat flying, covered from head to foot in dust, running pell-mell up thene.

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 Chapter 1073: Dumbledoreâ€™s Information

    Evan nced at Tom Riddle Senior on the horse. He was dressed in upper-ss clothes, polite and very handsome. No wonder Merope was fascinated by him.

    Growing up in such an environment, Riddle was no different from Prince Charming in fairy tales to her.

    Unfortunately, she was neither a princess nor a Cindere, but a witch herself.

    In the eyes of Muggles, the evil witch, and what she had der, were the same, and could be described as evil.

    You could get a person¡¯s body with love potion, but you would never get the true love, it was just a continuation of pain.

    Voldemort was the product of a nightmare of deception, pain and distortion, a child cursed at birth.

    In this process, Dumbledore, who was about to prepare for a decisive battle with Grindelwald, did not y a good role.

    During that period, under the influence of Grindelwald, he was very afraid of the emergence of another Dark Lord, so he used some restrictive measures.

    These measures might work for wizards with mediocre qualifications.But for Voldemort, it could only have the opposite effect, making him go further and further down the dark path.

    After that, Dumbledore, who had learned his lesson, changed his thoughts, and the current headmaster, the greatest white wizard in the world, appeared.

    At the same time, the most dangerous dark wizard in history, Lord Voldemort, also emerged.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Evan!¡± said Dumbledore.

    He took Evan by the elbow and tugged. In the blink of an eye, they were both soaring weightlessly through darkness, until theynded squarely on their feet in the dim room on the third floor of Number Twelve Grimmauld ce. Inside, everything was the same as it had been before they left.

    ¡°You know why I had you see this memory, don¡¯t you?¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°For that ring?!¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s just part of it,¡± said Dumbledore gently. ¡°The main thing is the memory itself.¡±

    ¡°I know, this is a matter between Voldemort¡¯s parents, his uncle, and his grandfather,¡± said Evan thoughtfully.

    ¡°Exactly; to defeat Voldemort, you need to understand him, including his upbringing and background, which is a very important part. I have collected some memories like this, and there are still some to find. In the next term, I n to give you and Harry special tutoring to help you understand this period of history.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Evan nodded. ¡°What happened next? After Ogden left¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, he Apparated back to the Ministry and returned with reinforcements within fifteen minutes,¡± Dumbledore carefully stored the memory from the Pensieve into the crystal bottle. ¡°As expected, Morfin and his father attempted to fight, but both were overpowered, removed from the cottage, and subsequently convicted by the Wizengamot. Morfin, who already had a record of Muggle attacks, was sentenced to three years in Azkaban. Marvolo, who had injured several Ministry employees in addition to Ogden, received six months.¡±

    ¡°Then they died there?¡±

    ¡°No, but Azkaban clearly wrecked their bodies,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Isn¡¯t it ironic? There are rumors that Azkaban was once part of the Slytherin family¡¯s domain, but that is all history. The Gaunt family, as descendants of the Slytherin family, was a very ancient wizarding family, noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins. Lack of sense coupled with a great liking for grandeur meant that the family gold was squandered several generations before Marvolo was born. He, as you saw, was left in squalor and poverty, with a very nasty temper, a fantastic amount of arrogance and pride, and a couple of family heirlooms that he treasured just as much as his son, and rather more than his daughter. Both of these things are what we need to find, and one of them is already with you!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Evan sighed. ¡°ine is also a descendant of Slytherin, but she¡¯s not like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is another interesting topic,¡± said Dumbledore with interest. ¡°Through my research during this period, I found that this vampire n is not actually the direct descendant of Slytherin. The most direct proof is that they cannot speak Parseltongue, but their ancestors clearly had some connection with Szar Slytherin. This requires investigation in Norway. All evidence indicates that it was Szar¡¯sst whereabouts during his lifetime and where he left that thing.¡±

    It was indeed shocking: Caresius and ine were not direct descendants of Slytherin.

    They just had thisst name, but upon closer examination, this could exin a lot of things!

    Of course, even without a blood connection, they were certainly rted to Slytherin in some way!

    ¡°What is that thing? Is it the evil god I found underground with the Acromants, Professor?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Only a part, Evan,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°As you know, Szar split that unknown creature into parts, namely the eyeball, the brain and the body. There is only a part of it in Norway, probably the body. In fact there are bigger secrets behind this creature.¡±

    ¡°What are they?¡±

    ¡°We cannot be sure; we stillck enough information!¡± Dumbledore shook his head, speaking seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why our main purpose in going to Norway is to uncover these secrets. I believe Voldemort got what he needed from there, and so can we. This information from Szar Slytherin can help us understand the creature you call the evil god, and figure out what we need to face it, and defeat it.¡±

    ¡°But, can the evil god really be defeated?¡± said Evan, without much confidence; he thought that sealing it might be the best oue.

    ¡°Perhaps, what we need to defeat is merely their manifestation in this world, not their true form in the void,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°It¡¯s not without precedent. Szar Slytherin himself had done it before. He was indeed a powerful wizard!¡±

    After a moment of silence, Evan agreed with Dumbledore¡¯s assessment that Szar was a powerful wizard.

    A man who could defeat the evil god and dissect his body was a strong and perverted guy no matter from any angle.

    Then, he thought of another question, how did such a powerful wizard die?!

    From what he knew, it seemed that Szar Slytherin would not willingly ept the end of his life.

    ¡°Alright, Evan, let¡¯s turn the topic back to the memory we just saw,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I think you noticed we also had a glimpse of Voldemort¡¯s father, the man on the horse.¡±

    ¡°I saw him ¡­ Tom Riddle Senior!¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. He was a handsome Muggle who used to go riding past the Gaunt cottage and for whom Merope Gaunt cherished a secret, burning passion,¡± said Dumbledore simply. ¡°They ended up togetherter!¡±

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 Chapter 1074: Voldemorts Secret

    ¡°I know ¡­ it should be a love potion!¡± said Evan, already clear about this. ¡°They seemed to be twopletely unrted people. Without the help of magic, they wouldn¡¯t fall in love, let alone end up together.¡±

    ¡°This is also a very important part of history. Unfortunately, we can¡¯t ess the memories of the parties involved,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°But it¡¯s not difficult to specte that, as you said, Merope used the power of magic. Her magical powers did not appear to their best advantage when she was being terrorized by her father. Once Marvolo and Morfin were safely in Azkaban, once she was alone and free for the first time in her life, then she was able to give full rein to her abilities and to plot her escape from the desperate life she had led for eighteen years. Yes, she was not a Squib, but a wizard capable of casting spells.¡±

    As he said that, Dumbledore put the crystal bottle containing the memory aside and took out another one.

    In a way, Merope was so simr to his sister.

    But that was another sad story!

    ¡°Your reasoning just now was excellent, Evan. Personally, I am also inclined to think that she used a love potion,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°I am sure it would have seemed more romantic to her, and I do not think it would have been very difficult, some hot day, when Riddle was riding alone, to persuade him to take a drink of water. In any case, within a few months of the scene we have just witnessed, the vige of Little Hangleton enjoyed a tremendous scandal. You can imagine the gossip it caused when the squire¡¯s son ran off with the tramp¡¯s daughter, Merope.

    ¡°But believe me, the vigers¡¯ shock was nothing to Marvolo¡¯s. Six monthster, he returned from Azkaban, expecting to find his daughter dutifully awaiting his return with a hot meal ready on the table. Instead, he found a clear inch of dust and her note of farewell, exining what she had done.

    ¡°From all that I have been able to discover, he never mentioned her name or existence from that time forth. The shock of her desertion may have contributed to his early death ¡­ or perhaps he had simply never learned to feed himself. In any case, he did not live to see Morfin return to the cottage.¡±

    Dumbledore told what happened next in one breath. These things had nothing to do with Slytherin¡¯s ring, but they were also very critical and important. Voldemort did not want others to know about his past.It seemed that Evan¡¯s wordsst night when he persuaded Dumbledore to eliminate Voldemort worked.

    He had already begun to deal with these matters and began to sort out these memories rted to Voldemort¡¯s past.

    It was really terrifying. Voldemort himself probably thought that these things had be history! But Dumbledore dug them out. He knew everything about Voldemort, even better than Voldemort himself.

    Early on, when he perceived Voldemort as a threat, he began collecting this information.

    This was Dumbledore; he would never be just the Headmaster of Hogwarts on the tform.

    If one thought, like Fudge had done, that defeating Dumbledore was a simple matter, then they were just as foolish as he was.

    That said, aside from some written experiences and increasingly blurred memories; Evan knew nothing about Dumbledore¡¯s past. How did he acquire such powerful abilities? How did he get Fawkes, the phoenix? And what exactly happened between him and Grindelwald?

    Dumbledore once told Evan that they had traveled around the world in order to gain power.

    What was certain was that they had been to the Charybdis Whirlpool, the ce where the Time Titan fell. Ravenw and Gryffindor had also been there. Dumbledore and Grindelwald were definitely not there for sightseeing, what did they find?

    Beyond that, where else had they been?

    It was said that the phoenix could only be found in the mysterious East, where water and fire merged, where life cycled¡­

    ¡°You have to know that within a few months of Voldemort¡¯s parents¡¯ runaway marriage, Tom Riddle Senior reappeared at the manor house in Little Hangleton without his wife.¡± Apparently unaware of Evan¡¯s distraction, Dumbledore continued, ¡°The rumor flew around the neighborhood that he was talking of being ¡®hoodwinked¡¯ and ¡®taken in.¡¯ What he meant, I am sure, is that he had been under an enchantment that had now lifted, though I daresay he did not dare use those precise words for fear of being thought insane. When they heard what he was saying, however, the vigers guessed that Merope had lied to Tom Riddle, pretending that she was going to have his baby, and that he had married her for this reason.¡±

    ¡°Well, but she did have his baby,¡± said Evan instinctively.

    ¡°Yes, but not until a year after they were married. Tom Riddle left her while she was still pregnant,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I believe that Merope, who was deeply in love with her husband, could not bear to continue enving him by magical means. I believe that she made the choice to stop giving him the love potion. Perhaps, besotted as she was, she had convinced herself that he would by now have fallen in love with her in return. Perhaps she thought he would stay for the baby¡¯s sake. If so, she was wrong on both counts. Riddle left her, never saw her again, and never troubled to discover what became of his son.¡±

    ¡°How heartless!¡±

    ¡°Heartless, perhaps, but I am more inclined to call it human nature,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Are you ready, Evan? I hope to see another memory before we leave, one about Voldemort¡¯s secrets.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    ¡°I hope you understand how fortunate I am to have collected this memory; it is the most precious one in all my collection,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°And it is precisely this one that can help us find the ring Voldemort set out to acquire.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± said Evan. ¡°Your luck is Voldemort¡¯s misfortune.¡±

    As before, Voldemort probably didn¡¯t expect Dumbledore to delve so deeply into his understanding.

    ¡°Very good, let¡¯s do it,¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°And feel free to speak up if you have anything to say!¡±

    Evan entered the Pensieve; he felt the familiar sensation of falling through nothingness and thennded upon a dirty stone floor in almost total darkness.

    It took him several seconds to recognize the ce. This was the old house of the Gaunts.

    Compared with the dpidated house he had seen before, the Gaunts¡¯ house was now indescribably filthy.

    The ceiling was thick with cobwebs, the floor coated in grime; moldy and rotting foody upon the table amidst a mass of crusted pots.

    The only light came from a single guttering candle ced at the feet of a man with hair and beard so overgrown that they covered his eyes and mouth. For a moment, Evan even wondered whether he was dead. But then there came a loud knock on the door and the man jerked awake, raising a wand in his right hand and a short knife in his left.

    This familiar action evoked Evan¡¯s memory. He was Voldemort¡¯s uncle Morfin.

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 Chapter 1075: Terrifying Voldemort

    ¡°The next conversation ispleted in Parseltongue,¡± said Dumbledore, snapping his fingers, and ayer of white ripples quickly spread. ¡°Iter found a way to understand what they were saying. Everything you hear next isnguage I¡¯ve tranted.¡±

    Evan did not speak, but was just thinking; could extracted memories be modified as well?

    Even though this memory was not Dumbledore¡¯s, there didn¡¯t seem to be much of a problem.

    The Headmaster¡¯s power was truly astonishing. You might think you¡¯ve seen through him, to soon realize it was just a fraction.

    Just like a blind man touching an elephant, he could never tell theplete outline.

    Dumbledore knew a lot of magic he didn¡¯t use, not that he couldn¡¯t but he didn¡¯t bother to use them.

    In this regard, Voldemort was not as good as him, and Evan was even further behind.

    In front of them, the door creaked open. There on the threshold, holding an old-fashionedmp, stood a boy: tall, dark-haired, pale, and handsome, he was the teenage Voldemort, fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle!

    It was truly ironic how someone who could easily coast through life on looks chose to turn himself into a monster.Voldemort¡¯s eyes moved slowly around the hovel and then found Morfin in the armchair.

    For a few seconds they looked at each other, then Morfin staggered upright, the many bottles at his feet ttering and tinkling across the floor.

    ¡°YOU!¡± he bellowed ¡°YOU!¡±

    And he hurtled drunkenly at Riddle, wand and knife held aloft.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Riddle spoke in Parseltongue.

    Morfin skidded into the table, sending moldy pots crashing to the floor.

    He stared at Riddle. There was a long silence while they contemted each other. Morfin broke it.

    ¡°You speak it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I speak it,¡± said Riddle. He moved forward into the room, allowing the door to swing shut behind him.

    There was no fear that a normal person should have, and his face merely expressed disgust and, perhaps, disappointment.

    ¡°Where is Marvolo?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Dead,¡± said the other, and his voice was a little strange. ¡°Died years ago, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Who are you, then?¡± Riddle frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m Morfin!¡±

    ¡°Marvolo¡¯s son?¡±

    ¡°¡¯Course I am, then¡­¡± Morfin pushed the hair out of his dirty face, the better to see Riddle.

    Although the light was dim, Evan immediately saw that he wore Marvolo¡¯s ck-stoned ring on his right hand.

    It seemed that before his old father died, he had inherited this family heirloom.

    Riddle obviously noticed this, and his eyes moved to Morfin¡¯s right hand.

    ¡°I thought you was that Muggle,¡± whispered Morfin. ¡°You look mighty like that Muggle.¡±

    ¡°What Muggle?¡± said Riddle sharply.

    ¡°That Muggle what my sister took a fancy to, that Muggle what lives in the big house over the way,¡± said Morfin, and he spat unexpectedly upon the floor between them. ¡°You look right like him. Riddle. But he¡¯s older now, isn¡¯t he? Been so long, he¡¯s older than you, now I think on it, everything is as clear as yesterday¡­¡±

    Morfin looked slightly dazed and swayed a little, still clutching the edge of the table for support.

    ¡°Hee back, see,¡± He added stupidly.

    Voldemort was gazing at Morfin as though appraising his possibilities.

    Then, he moved a little closer and said, ¡°Riddle came back?¡±

    ¡°Ar, he left her, and serve her right, marrying filth!¡± said Morfin, spitting on the floor again. ¡°Didn¡¯t know where she died in the end. Robbed us, mind, before she ran off! Where¡¯s the locket, eh, where¡¯s Slytherin¡¯s locket?¡±

    He seemed to be asking Voldemort, but Voldemort did not answer. Morfin was working himself into a rage again.

    ¡°Dishonored us, she did, that little slut! And who¡¯re you,ing here and asking questions about that all? It¡¯s over, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s over¡­¡± he shouted, brandishing his knife.

    He looked away, staggering slightly, and Voldemort moved forward. As he did so, an unnatural darkness fell, extinguishing Voldemort¡¯smp and Morfin¡¯s candle, extinguishing everything¡­

    Evan blinked, and through the darkness, he seemed to see Voldemort perform some king of magic.

    Dumbledore¡¯s fingers closed tightly around Evan¡¯s arm and they were soaring back into the present again.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Yes, Morfin could not remember anything from that point onward,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°What we do know is that when he awoke next morning, he was lying on the floor, quite alone. Marvolo¡¯s ring had gone; the very ring we¡¯re searching for.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t interrupt, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

    ¡°Meanwhile, that morning in the vige of Little Hangleton, a maid was running along the High Street, screaming that there were three bodies lying in the drawing room of the big house: Tom Riddle Senior and his mother and father. The Muggle authorities were perplexed. As far as I am aware, they do not know to this day how the Riddles died, for the Avada Kedavra curse does not usually leave any sign of damage,¡± Dumbledore added. ¡°The Ministry, on the other hand, knew at once that this was a wizard¡¯s murder. They also knew that a convicted Muggle-hater lived across the valley from the Riddle house, a Muggle-hater who had already been imprisoned once for attacking one of the murdered people.

    ¡°So the Ministry called upon Morfin. They did not need to question him, to use Veritaserum or Legilimency. He admitted to the murder on the spot, giving details only the murderer could know. He was proud, he said, to have killed the Muggles, had been awaiting his chance all these years. He handed over his wand, which was proved at once to have been used to kill the Riddles. And he permitted himself to be led to Azkaban without a fight. All that disturbed him was the fact that his father¡¯s ring had disappeared. ¡®He¡¯ll kill me for losing it,¡¯ he told his captors over and over again. ¡®He¡¯ll kill me for losing his ring.¡¯ And that apparently, was all he ever said again. He lived out the remainder of his life in Azkaban,menting the loss of Marvolo¡¯sst heirloom, and is buried beside the prison, alongside the other poor souls who have expired within its walls.¡±

    ¡°So Voldemort killed his father and his grandparents?¡± said Evan, ¡°With Morfin¡¯s wand?¡±

    Though already aware of this, saying it out loud still sent shivers down his spine.

    Many people had told Evan that he was as talented as Voldemort in his youth and was an outstanding wizard.

    But from the scene he had just seen, this was the second time Evan saw Tom Riddle after the diary.

    It was not a soul fragment, it was much more real andplete than thest time, and it included the things he had done.

    Taken together, Evan could be sure that he was not as good as Voldemort.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 1076: Not Comparable

    What Voldemort could do easily, it was simply impossible for Evan to do it.

    Just thinking about it, a fifteen-year-old boy killed his father and grandparents with his own hands and med his uncle. How much hatred did that require?

    Even if Evan was given immense power, he could never be the third Dark Lord. Perhaps he could be a Dark wizard, but he wouldn¡¯t be as evil as Voldemort.

    Grindelwald, the first Dark Lord in modern times, was no better than Voldemort. Evan didn¡¯t know much about him, but his research on Dark Arts was intolerable even for Durmstrang, a school allowing students to learn Dark Arts, leading to his expulsion. You could imagine how evil he was.

    It was not easy to turn evil. Maybe that was why Dumbledore trusted Evan¡­

    ¡°Yes!¡± said Dumbledore, sighing softly. ¡°We have no memories to show us this, but I think we can be fairly sure what happened that night. Voldemort Stupefied his uncle, took the ancient ring and his wand, and proceeded across the valley to ¡®the big house over the way.¡¯ There he murdered the Muggle man who had abandoned his witch mother, and, for good measure, his Muggle grandparents, thus obliterating thest of the unworthy Riddle line and revenging himself upon the father who never wanted him. Then he returned to the Gaunt hovel, performed theplex bit of magic that would imnt a false memory in his uncle¡¯s mind,id Morfin¡¯s wand beside its unconscious owner, and departed.¡±

    ¡°And Morfin never realized he hadn¡¯t done it?¡±

    ¡°Never; he gave a full and boastful confession. He had long wanted to do this, but he justcked the courage.¡±

    ¡°But he had this real memory in him all the time!¡±¡°He had kept it, but it took a great deal of skilled Legilimency to coax it out of him; and why should anybody delve further into Morfin¡¯s mind when he had already confessed to the crime? However, I was able to secure a visit to Morfin in thest weeks of his life, by which time I was attempting to discover as much as I could about Voldemort¡¯s past. I extracted this memory with difficulty. When I saw what it contained, I attempted to use it to secure Morfin¡¯s release from Azkaban. Before the Ministry reached their decision, however, Morfin had died, on the grounds of their once ancestral home.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± Evan wanted to say something, but in the end he shook his head. Morfin did die unjustly, but this was what he needed. He thought he had killed the man who had tarnished his family¡¯s honor. ¡°What about the ring? Was that its final appearance?¡±

    ¡°No, I believe he carried the ring with him for a while and others saw it,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°But I didn¡¯t get that memory. It is in the hands of my old friend. I think you and Harry might be able to get it, he always liked to associate with famous and talented people.¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t speak, it was that old friend again, definitely Horace Slughorn.

    He was once a colleague of Dumbledore, the previous Head of Slytherin House, and had personally taught Voldemort.

    As Dumbledore said, he had very important memories there, about Voldemort¡¯s past at school, how he rose step by step, methods of making Horcruxes, and some extremely crucial details. It seemed that Dumbledore had already nned to go, looking for him!

    With Evan¡¯s involvement, Dumbledore brought out these memories earlier than nned for next term.

    Their main purpose was to find Slytherin¡¯s ring, and secondly to help Evan gain a deeper understanding of Voldemort.

    Thinking of this, Evan looked up and asked, ¡°Professor, where is the ring now?¡±

    ¡°There is no direct information, so we need to deduce. That¡¯s also the main reason I showed you these two memories,¡± said Dumbledore seriously. ¡°Since he once made Slytherin¡¯s locket into a Horcrux, we have reason to believe that he also made the ring into one. He seems to have a soft spot for things left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts. From what I know of him, while murdering his father and grandparents, he must have taken the opportunity to split his soul.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Evan nodded, which was not surprising at all. Voldemort did have that habit.

    Although there were no specific requirements for items to be made into Horcruxes, Voldemort¡¯s pride and dignity made him try to find items with special historical significance to make Horcruxes. He had always been interested in things belonging to the Four Founders of Hogwarts.

    With the exception of Gryffindor¡¯s belongings, items left by the other three Founders had been found.

    ¡°After making the ring into a Horcrux, he must have hidden it,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°From what I know of him, he wouldn¡¯t entrust it to others for safekeeping. The diary was an exception; not many Death Eaters were honored with such trust. Although he had many loyal friends and followers, he never really trusted them. I say this because there¡¯s no better word to describe it; well, undoubtedly, he had no affection for them.¡±

    ¡°Professor, do you think he might have hidden that ring in the Gaunt hovel?¡± Evan asked directly.

    He didn¡¯t remember this very clearly. He only remembered that the memory had caused Dumbledore a lot of trouble in the original work.

    Dumbledore was injured by the curse left by Voldemort on the ring. With Snape¡¯s help, he barely managed to seal the power of the curse into his hand, which eventually led to his deathter on, of course, something he hoped would happen.

    Evan was not worried that Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t find the ring. If he could find it the first time, he could certainly find it again.

    But now that circumstances had changed so dramatically, he didn¡¯t want Dumbledore to die again.

    ¡°Undoubtedly, that ce has special meaning to him. That¡¯s why we need to collect and understand these memories, but trust me, Evan, specting where he hid the Horcrux is only one of the main reasons. You will discover more as we go along,¡± said Dumbledore, without directly answering Evan¡¯s question. ¡°In fact, the main experience of Voldemort¡¯s life can be simply divided into five parts. The first part is his childhood in the orphanage before he went to Hogwarts. The second part is his time at Hogwarts, when he found this ring. The third part is after he left Hogwarts until he re-emerged as Voldemort, transforming from Tom Riddle into Voldemort. The fourth part is his rise to power until his downfall, and the final part is the present Voldemort.

    ¡°Next year, I will guide you and Harry to understand some of them,¡± said Dumbledore slowly. ¡°But I just said, about the crucial second part, which is his experience in school, I do not know much about it. He took special precautions against me. All I know is that during his years at school, he gained basic power, deceived many people, and began making Horcruxes. He attracted the first group of followers around him, forming a dark force in the castle. They were a motley collection; a mixture of the weak seeking protection, the ambitious seeking some shared glory, and the thuggish gravitating toward a leader who could show them more refined forms of cruelty. In other words, they were the forerunners of the Death Eaters, and indeed some of them became the first Death Eaters after leaving Hogwarts.¡±

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 Chapter 1077: Departure

    ¡°When he summoned these people, did it happen under your eyes, professor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, right under my eyes!¡±

    Evan sighed again. Tom Riddle during his student days was truly terrifying. Forming the D.A. (Dumbledore¡¯s Army) was already not easy for him and his friends, but look at what they had been doing when they were students. Under Dumbledore¡¯s eyes, a dark force formed, recruiting Death Eaters to build a real army.

    From this perspective, Evan couldn¡¯tpare to him.

    In fact, strictly speaking, without Riddle¡¯s diary, Evan would not be as strong as he was now.

    Most of the initial magical knowledge was taught to him by Lord Voldemort during his student days.

    There were many things that Evan was using now¡­

    It could be said that without Voldemort, there wouldn¡¯t be the Evan of today.

    If he had relied on himself to learn and master those profound knowledge, he would probably still be struggling with those magic books.Whether he couldprehend and summarize it all was another matter.

    Of course, without Voldemort, Evan would have been happy and rxed, spending the past few years at Hogwarts peacefully, dealing with sswork like Colin, Ron, and Neville, and going on dates with Hermione every day¡­

    Thinking about it, this kind of world without Voldemort seemed actually quite nice, didn¡¯t it?

    ¡°I just said that he was very guarded with me, which was wise. He did not try to deceive me as much as he did with many of my colleagues. He once told me he was determined to start anew and I chose to give him this opportunity,¡± said Dumbledore, seemingly sensing what Evan was thinking. ¡°I have to admit, there was a time when he truly deceived me. Riddle gathered many followers in the school, but he controlled them rigidly. They were never detected in open wrongdoing, although their seven years at Hogwarts were marked by a number of nasty incidents to which they were never satisfactorily linked, the most serious of which was, of course, the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, which resulted in the death of a girl. As you know, Hagrid was wrongly used of that crime.

    ¡°So, unfortunately, although he was once my student, I have not been able to find many memories of Riddle at Hogwarts, not many useful ones,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Few who knew him then are prepared to talk about him; they are too terrified. What I know, I found out after he had left Hogwarts, after much painstaking effort, after tracing those few who could be tricked into speaking, after searching old records and questioning Muggle and wizard witnesses alike.¡±

    The terrifying aspect of Voldemorty not in his power but in his ability to manipte and deceive even Dumbledore¡¯s intelligence.

    When he gave up on these pursuits and instead pursued pure power, he became less frightening!

    At the very least, he had the possibility of being defeated. Although he was powerful and immortal, he had a fatal weakness.

    ¡°Those whom I could persuade to talk told me that Riddle was obsessed with his parentage. This is understandable, of course; he had grown up in an orphanage and naturally wished to know how he came to be there. It seems that he searched in vain for some trace of Tom Riddle senior on the shields in the trophy room, on the lists of prefects in the old school records, even in the books of Wizarding history. Finally he was forced to ept that his father had never set foot in Hogwarts. I believe that it was then that he dropped the name forever, assumed the identity of Lord Voldemort, and began his investigations into his previously despised mother¡¯s family. Regarding this memory, we won¡¯t delve into it for now, but I can tell you with certainty that he believed that the woman could not be a witch if she had sumbed to the shameful human weakness of death.

    ¡°All he had to go upon was the single name ¡®Marvolo,¡¯ which he knew from those who ran the orphanage had been his mother¡¯s father name. Finally, after painstaking research through old books of Wizarding families, he discovered the existence of Slytherin¡¯s surviving line. In the summer of his fifteenth year, he left the orphanage to which he returned annually and set off to find his Gaunt rtives. As I just said, that ce had special significance for him. It was once the ce of his dreams, and it was also the ce where the dreams were broken.¡±

    ¡°So, he hid the ring in that house?¡± Evan asked again.

    ¡°Yes, at least I think so!¡± Dumbledore replied affirmatively. ¡°That¡¯s also my destination.¡±

    He waved his wand, and the Pensieve on the table and the two crystal bottles containing memories vanished from the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time; we have to set off after dark. I think since the Ministry of Magic is looking for us, we¡¯d better act like we are wanted,¡± said Dumbledore, pausing for a moment. ¡°Oh, by the way, since that ring is now a Horcrux, I think it¡¯s best if we bring a weapon.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sh of golden light, and Fawkes the phoenix appeared above the living room, carrying the tattered Sorting Hat.

    He hovered and threw the Sorting Hat into Evan¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Oh, Fawkes brought it over!¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Please take it, Evan, we are leaving now.¡±

    The true Gryffindor could get Gryffindor¡¯s sword from the Sorting Hat, which was their weapon.

    Evan hurriedly stuffed the Sorting Hat into his arms and held Dumbledore¡¯s outstretched left hand with his right hand.

    Dumbledore grabbed Fawkes with his right hand, and another burst of golden light shed, and they disappeared from the living room!

    A few secondster, the two of them appeared out of thin air on a countryne.

    Fawkes chirped lowly, flew into the distance, sprinkled with golden light, and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    The night wind blew slowly, and the thick clouds in the sky covered the stars. In front of them was Little Hangleton.

    It was somewhat simr to the scene Ogden had seen in his memory, but many houses in the vige had been renovated and theyout had also changed.

    Only Riddle House stood quietly on the hillside in the distance, just like before.

    The ce was now in ruins, seemingly uninhabited for a long time. Several windows of the house were boarded up, the tiles on the roof were iplete, and the ivy was crawling all over the house. It looked damp and deste, just like the lost Riddle family, like a scary haunted house.

    ¡°No one in the vige dares to go near there. The murder case half a century ago left a deep impression on them,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go to the Gaunt hovel. Be vignt, Evan. I don¡¯t think Voldemort would leave everything to chance; he might have left the ring there.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± Evan nodded and added, ¡°You be careful too, Professor!¡±

    He wasn¡¯t worried about himself, but rather feared that Dumbledore might sumb to temptation if he came across the Resurrection Stone¡­

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 Chapter 1078: Four Items

    Along the dirtne that they had once walked in Ogden¡¯s memory, Evan and Dumbledore walked towards the trees next to the valley.

    Different from the newly renovated main road, the dirtne was still winding, full of potholes and rocks, and the hedgerows on both sides had be taller and denser.

    They grew irregrly, filling up everything around them, and even covering the originalne.

    Nearly half a hundred years had passed, but there was still not much change here. Time seemed to have stood still in this ce.

    After passing the dense old trees, Evan once again saw the old house of the Gaunts.

    Now, this hovel should be more appropriately called a ruin.

    The moss-covered walls still stood, tenaciously supporting the main body of the old house, but they were covered in nts. All the tiles on the roof had fallen off, the exposed rafters had begun to rot, and the doors and windows had disappeared, leaving dark openings.

    The sound of insects crawling was heard from inside the house, and densetles had taken over the ce.

    Voldemort had hidden the ring here, and Evan didn¡¯t know whether to call it just an unobtrusive good idea or a bold and crazy one.This dpidated hovel offered no protection against any intruder.

    But likewise, no one would be interested in this ramshackle hovel; it was worthless.

    From this perspective, the Gaunt family was definitely the most miserable pure-blood wizarding family in history. However, it held a special significance for him.

    ¡°This is it!¡± said Dumbledore, taking two steps forward and then stopping. ¡°Do you feel anything?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± said Evan in surprise, looking at the dpidated house in front of him.

    ¡°Magic, this ce has experienced magic,¡± said Dumbledore softly, as if there was something like a spell spreading in the air. ¡°Evan, I told you before, feel it with your heart, don¡¯t trust your eyes, they¡¯re unreliable.¡±

    He slowly turned in ce, apparently focusing on something invisible to the eyes.

    It was much harder than usual to feel the magic. Evan closed his eyes, and the magic around seemed to distort in the house in front of him.

    To use an analogy, it was like light, originallying in a certain direction but suddenly deviating.

    ¡°In the right corner,¡± said Evan slowly, looking for the area of ??magic change.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve felt it too, it¡¯s right there, let¡¯s go in and have a look!¡± said Dumbledore, striding forward.

    ¡°Professor, what kind of magic is this? Is it the same as theyout in the cave by the seaside?¡±

    Evan still remembered that magic. Only blood could be used to break it and enter it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, but it should be equally evil,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°If you want to get that thing, you have to pay a price. Advanced dark magic is always like this. This is also in line with Voldemort¡¯s expectations, but I think it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult this time. He was only fifteen years old when he got the ring, about the same age as you. He didn¡¯t master as much forbidden magic as he didter. Maybe his soul wasn¡¯t so corrupted. After all, it was his first Horcrux; he had never killed anyone before.¡±

    Evan followed him forward. Did Dumbledore mean that Riddle wasn¡¯t that evil back then?

    ¡°Hogwarts doesn¡¯t have that much evil ck magic for him to learn about, although I can confirm that he had read every magic book he could find in the Restricted Section of the library,¡± said Dumbledore, leading Evan into the dark hovel. ¡°But those magic books had been screened, and some truly dangerous things had been isted.¡±

    As soon as they entered, a deeper darkness swallowed them up, and the air became thinner.

    With the light at the tip of the wand, all Evan could see was dust, everywhere pitch ck and indiscernible.

    Thick cobwebs hung from the ceiling, the interior walls of the house had copsed, and weeds grew between the rocks.

    One end of a rafter had fallen, leaning on the ground, while the other end supported the weight of the entire house.

    Evan followed Dumbledore carefully as he walked inside, not daring to touch anything.

    Everything here gave him a feeling, as if with just a light touch, the house wouldpletely copse and bury them alive here.

    ¡°At the age of fifteen, he obtained that ring, carried it for a short time, and soon realized it was too ostentatious, although he was eager to tell others about his long and noble lineage, he didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention, especially mine,¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice echoed ahead of Evan as they entered the room to the right. ¡°Because he couldn¡¯t exin to me how he got this invaluable ring. You see, he had almost nothing beforeing to Hogwarts. Moreover, that ring is also a Horcrux, his first one. It wasn¡¯t wise to carry it around. I believe shortly after Morfin was arrested, he returned here, probably during the Christmas holiday that year, and hid the ring. It must have been like that, so he didn¡¯t have enough time to check it.¡±

    ¡°Professor, what¡¯s the power on that ring?¡± Evan asked, he had always wanted to figure this out. ¡°Why do you say it can solve the troubles with the vampires, that is, those evil gods ¡­¡±

    ¡°There are many possibilities. I am more inclined to think that Szar Slytherin left some kind of magic on it, a type of magic that we do not yet understand but undoubtedly can help us. It¡¯s an essential item,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Do you remember the wall you saw deep in the Acromant¡¯sir? There were four Slytherin items carved on it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been there to see it too?¡±

    ¡°No, that ce has been destroyed, and I had no way to get in. But not long ago, I saw the same wall in the vampire territory, with the four magic items carved on it,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°The reason why I believe that the ring will help us is that it seems that only by collecting all four items can wepletely unlock the secrets left by Slytherin.¡±

    Evan had originally nned to ask where the caduceus was. But Dumbledore probably didn¡¯t know either.

    If he knew, he would have definitely told him or gone to retrieve it directly, just like he was here looking for the ring now.

    It was better to ask Caresius about such matters, that guy must know something.

    The two of them trudged forward among the ruins of the hovel, and Dumbledore waved his wand to clear away debris and rubble from the ground.

    They came to the corner on the right side of the house, and in front of them was arge ck wardrobe. This was probably the only remaining piece of furniture from the Gaunts.

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 Chapter 1079: The Last Trace of Love

    This wardrobe had stood the test of time and had not turned into dust like other items in the house.

    But it was in very bad condition. The cab door on the left was open, the one on the right waspletely missing, and the internalpartments were filled with thick dust.

    On the dust were some shards of ss and a lot of what looked like some kind of animal bones.

    It should be snake bones; that was what Evan thought, they were dark and arranged in a certain pattern.

    A slender spine and pairs of ribs, the long body hovering, giving an unpleasant sight!

    Perhaps Morfin had killed the snake and hid it here, and there was no skull on the bones.

    This kind of bone was difficult to weather and corrode. The snake might have had its head chopped off before it died, or it might have been taken away by subsequent intruders who found it interesting.

    But these did not affect the overall situation; the magic power was changing around here.

    ¡°This is it, Professor,¡± said Evan.¡°Yes, this is it!¡± Dumbledore replied softly, carefully examining the wardrobe, seeming a bit disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s too low-level. Riddle is the most outstanding student I have ever taught. I thought his performance at sixteen would be different from all the others. After all, he was not so evil then. I thought he would give us a little surprise, but some things seem to be destined.¡±

    His tone was full of contempt and obvious disappointment.

    The next second, Dumbledore tapped the edge of the cab hard with his wand.

    With a thumping sound, a ck drawer appeared below.

    The drawer was entirely ck, matching the color of the cab.

    Only where the lock was originally located at the front, a snake-like head bone sculpture appeared instead. It was the snake head they had not seen just now.

    Its upper and lower jaws were opened exaggeratedly, almost to one hundred and eighty degrees, with two sharp teeth on top and a row of fine teeth below.

    Following the open mouth, there was a circr hole inside the snake¡¯s body, extending into the drawer.

    ¡°It seems we have to pay a price again!¡± Evan sighed and looked at the cab and the snake head that had appeared.

    Voldemort¡¯s magic design was indeed straightforward and brutal, crystal clear.

    He obviously hoped that the enemy would put his hand in and let the fangs of the bone snake bite him hard, causing some blood or even losing a finger.

    Just the thought of that scene was painful, and what was even worse was that it was probably poisonous.

    Evan was not sure if there was anything else in this drawer besides the ring. What if they put their fingers in and something inside did something to them¡­ ?

    Voldemort used this fear to make people feel scared, lose courage, and lose their lives in painful torment.

    Compared to Voldemort decadester, the fifteen-year-old Riddle left behind much less powerful magic, but it was equally lethal.

    And Evan knew that the more dreadful trick was actually in the ring itself; this was just an appetizer.

    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless. He firmly believed in that philosophy, trying to weaken the opponent as much as possible. From the beginning to the end, he failed to understand that there are many things much more terrible than physical harm,¡± said Dumbledore disappointedly, pulling up the sleeves of his robes. He shook his head and showed his left hand.

    ¡°Professor, is there no other way to break this magic?¡± Evan said hurriedly. ¡°Or let me do it!¡±

    Although Dumbledore said it was meaningless, he could not deny its harmful power.

    ¡°Sometimes, sacrifices are unavoidable, Evan!¡± Dumbledore smiled, putting his index finger of his left hand into the open mouth of the bone snake. ¡°As I said before, you are more valuable than me, so let me handle this.¡±

    Evan nervously watched Dumbledore¡¯s left hand. For a moment, it seemed like nothing happened.

    But in the blink of an eye, the jaws of the bone snake viciously snapped shut, biting down on Dumbledore¡¯s index finger.

    Dark red blood gushed out from the wound, sliding down the fingertip and into the drawer.

    Tick, tick, maybe it was an illusion, Evan even heard the sound of the bone snake swallowing blood.

    Dumbledore¡¯s body was trembling slightly, and after three seconds, he withdrew his hand.

    Evan could see the blood on it and the deep wound, especially the two circr punctures at the top.

    The fangs of this bone snake seemed to have directly bitten through his finger bone, and the scene looked shocking.

    The wand slid gently, but the wound had not healed and was still bleeding.

    Dumbledore muttered something in his mouth and waved his wand again. The deep wound slowly healed, and the color was obviously different from the surrounding skin.

    ¡°Are you alright, professor?¡± Evan looked at him worriedly.

    Obviously, Voldemort had left behind other spells, making Dumbledore¡¯s first healing spell ineffective.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will recover,¡± said Dumbledore, his expression unchanged as if he hadn¡¯t been the one bitten. ¡°We are lucky, because over time, the magic left by Voldemort on this has weakened; or rather the effect is not that strong and will not be fatal. This is usually the case with potions. Left out in the open, they gradually evaporate or dissipate until they arepletely ineffective. Well, let us see what is inside this drawer now!¡±

    He opened the drawer, but there was no magical glow, unremarkable as if he had simply opened an ordinary old drawer.

    All the blood that Dumbledore had just shed disappeared, and Evan saw the ring inside the drawer.

    On the ring was a huge ck gemstone, the very thing they hade to find, along with a yellowed old photograph.

    This photo had been once torn into pieces, but was taped back together bit by bit, and it was wrinkled and creased. Not a magic fix, just in old duct tape.

    It was a photo of Voldemort¡¯s father, Tom Riddle Sr., and his mother, Merope, together. The two of them were in a humble little house, wearing very shabby clothes, but Merope had a happy smile on her face.

    It was hard to believe that such a smile could appear on the face of this girl filled with suffering.

    Although their life was still very difficult, Merope¡¯s smile was full of happiness and hope.

    She clung to her husband, Tom Riddle Sr., like a wife. Riddle still looked handsome, but there was no smile on his face.

    His expression waspletely different from Merope¡¯s, as if two people from different worlds and situations were forcibly pieced together into one photo.

    A crack tore across his face horizontally. Evan was not sure if it had been done by Voldemort. Then the fragments were carelessly stuck together with tape. The folds between the gaps made his face distorted, looking ghastly, sinister and scary.

    As far as Evan knew, this was probably the only photo of Tom Riddle and Merope that had been handed down.

    It was no wonder they had such a hard time.

    By leaving it here, Voldemort must havepletely given up thest trace of love for his parents in his heart.

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 Chapter 1080: Voldemorts Tears

    In addition to the torn marks on the photo, you could clearly see that there were also some tear stains on it.

    You could imagine the scene when the young Riddle first found this photo of his parents.

    He looked at it, filled with sadness, and after shedding hisst tear, filled with nothing but hatred, he ruthlessly tore the photo into pieces.

    He vowed to sever ties with his irresponsible parents, but he couldn¡¯t resist piecing the photo back together.

    These were Evan¡¯s imaginings, sounding somewhat like something an abandoned little boy might do.

    He wasn¡¯t certain if Voldemort was capable of such emotions, or more urately, if he ever had them; it was not something expected of him.

    Strange, what was going on here?! It was highly unusual; he had always considered his mother a disgrace, believing he couldn¡¯t possibly be a wizard.

    Because she sumbed to death, after knowing the truth, he did not hesitate to kill his father¡¯s family.

    And the Gaunts would never make him feel satisfied. There was no doubt that he needed the honor passed down by this family for a thousand years to prove the nobility of his bloodline and prove that he was unique, but the current situation of the Gaunts undoubtedly embarrassed him; it was another humiliation.Therefore, whether it was his father or mother, Voldemort was full of hatred from beginning to end.

    Yes, he hated them, and if his mother was still alive, Voldemort would have killed her himself.

    Killing his parents would only make him feel glorious andplete a kind of transformation and sublimation on the spiritual level.

    Hepleted his own redemption and essence through this act, and from then on, he would be as great as his ancestor Szar Slytherin.

    Evan could be certain of this, there could be no love; Voldemort simply did not know what love was!

    But how could this torn and restored photo be exined? And what about the abnormal teardrops on it?

    If Voldemort hadn¡¯t done it, how could it have been carefully ced here, alongside his Horcrux?

    ¡°Professor, you¡¯ve seen this photo, why would Voldemort¡­¡± Evan said, stopping suddenly.

    He turned to look at Dumbledore, noticing that something was not quite right about him.

    Dumbledore ignored Evan. He seemed fascinated by the ring and kept staring at it.

    His expression was both focused and sorrowful, and his blue eyes were no longer full of wisdom, but full of sorrow.

    He didn¡¯t blink, his gaze fixed on the ck gemstone on the ring, the Resurrection Stone.

    ¡°Professor?!¡± Evan shouted, raising his voice to alert Dumbledore.

    But Dumbledore didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t hear Evan¡¯s voice, and he seemed to be in a different world from Evan.

    His body swayed and he took a step forward, as if someone else was talking to him, as if he heard some kind of calling.

    ¡°Ariana,¡± he said softly, his voice trembling.

    ¡°What?¡± Evan was startled for a moment, and hurriedly grabbed Dumbledore¡¯s arm. ¡°Wake up, Professor!¡±

    ¡°Ariana, is that you?¡± said Dumbledore, tears wetting his eyes.

    It was simply unbelievable; everything happened so suddenly, Dumbledore actually cried in front of Evan.

    If this were to be revealed, everyone would think Evan had gone mad!

    The greatest wizard in the world crying, how could that be possible?!

    ¡°Professor, wake up, there¡¯s only us here!¡± Evan shook him violently. ¡°There¡¯s no Ariana.¡±

    ¡°I should not have done that, I was blinded by power, it was not Gellert, Aberforth was right, I did not take good care of you, and I killed you,¡± said Dumbledore sadly. ¡°It is all my fault, yes, everything is my fault. I knew your health was failing, yet I still went with Gellert, agreed to his invitation to travel the world¡­¡± §²?

    He still ignored Evan and was immersed in his own memories.

    Damn it, this ring was affecting him!

    Evan had known for a long time that there would be something wrong with this ring; he had thought Dumbledore would hesitate for a while, resisting the temptation of the Resurrection Stone, before reaching for the ring, so he could stop him then. But he hadn¡¯t expected Dumbledore to be affected so deeply.

    No one could be so deeply immersed in their own memories, regardless of the situation around them.

    This was not a temptation at all, but a strange magic. Voldemort¡¯s Horcrux was affecting Dumbledore.

    There was a crimson sh, and Evan saw that all the blood Dumbledore had just shed fell onto the ring.

    The surroundings were so dark that he didn¡¯t see clearly just now and thought that all the blood had vanished.

    No, they were vanishing; the ring and the Resurrection Stone on it were absorbing Dumbledore¡¯s blood.

    A terrible dark magic was affecting Dumbledore through this connection, tempting him to touch the ring.

    Evan shook Dumbledore violently, but it had no effect at all. This magic would not be interrupted by this external force.

    ¡°Ariana, are you back?¡± said Dumbledore sadly. ¡°Promise me not to leave again, will you?¡±

    Listening to his words, Evan felt anxious. He seemed to see his sister Ariana.

    But apart from the two of them, there was no third person here.

    What Dumbledore saw was not the real Ariana, but a ghost, a ghost summoned back by the Resurrection Stone.

    Evan thought about the characteristics of the Resurrection Stone. This stone came from Death and was itself a stone that could bring people back from the dead.

    But only the soul was summoned, and those who used the Resurrection Stone would only have pessimistic thoughts.

    It could mentally torment people because they could not get the real thing, the person they wanted to resurrect.

    Therefore, the Resurrection Stone was also one of the weapons. Putting the Resurrection Stone in the hands of the enemy was equivalent to giving them a knife tomit suicide.

    This was not a Resurrection Stone. It was essentially a stone cursed by Death.

    Voldemort didn¡¯t fully grasp the Resurrection Stone; he discovered its function, being able to see the souls of his closest deceased ones, but he didn¡¯t know it was one of the Deathly Hallows. He saw his parents through the Resurrection Stone.

    It made him feel sad, so he cried and left the photo here.

    This was also why Evan saw tear stains on the photo. They were indeed Voldemort¡¯s tears.

    Of course, this was not his true feelings, but rather the magical power of the Resurrection Stone itself.

    Soon, Voldemort, having regained hisposure, became enraged. He used the properties of the Resurrection Stone to set up a spell.

    By drawing blood from the intruder through the bone snake outside the drawer, letting it fall onto the Resurrection Stone, and causing the intruder to be lost in it.

    Just like Dumbledore, affected by magic and the power of the Resurrection Stone, he became sad and irrational.

    A better situation was to die directly from grief or poison. Due to the blood, the body would be controlled by the Horcrux in the ring.

    A wizard as powerful as Dumbledore would also be tempted to touch the ring little by little.

    There was Voldemort¡¯s curse on it, and direct contact meant certain death, even Dumbledore was no exception.

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 Chapter 1081: Fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle

    Like the dreadful Resurrection Stone, Voldemort¡¯s tears were nothing but crocodile tears, falsepassion!

    This is an old proverb; well known that crocodiles possess both a fierce and brutal aspect as well as a cunning and deceitful one.

    When they spy their prey, be it humans, animals, or fish, they often shed tears, pretending to be sympathetic, lulling you into a false sense of security, making you lose vignce against their sudden attack, and thus getting devoured ferociously when you are defenseless.

    They greedily feast while hypocritically shedding tears without end.

    Horcruxes had consciousness. Evan could confirm that the fragment of soul inside this ring must be ecstatic now.

    Because it had discovered that its prey was none other than Dumbledore, the person it had longed to kill.

    It was even possible that this magic was specifically arranged for Dumbledore, which was why this ring was left here.

    Voldemort must have calcted correctly that after the war began, Dumbledore would explore the secrets of the Horcruxes and find this ce.

    Based on his experience with Dumbledore, he took advantage of human nature and arranged a magic for Dumbledore that he could not resist at all.Everyone had a weakness, and Ariana was Dumbledore¡¯s weakness.

    In Voldemort¡¯s n, when Dumbledore put his hand deep into the mouth of the bone snake, he would definitely die.

    It was terrifying; this was a ploy by a fifteen-year -old boy who didn¡¯t need that much strength to kill Dumbledore.

    Fortunately, Voldemort had now lost his greatest weapon due to the splitting of his soul.

    If he were still as cunning as he was when he was a student, no one, not even Dumbledore, could defeat him.

    ¡°Hold on, Professor!¡± Evan shouted.

    This time, Dumbledore seemed to hear Evan¡¯s voice.

    He stopped, turned his head and nced at Evan confusedly, but only for a moment.

    He still seemed unable to see Evan, and immediately turned back to stare at the Resurrection Stone, looking at Ariana who did not exist, talking to her, and reaching out to the ring.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Evan took out the tattered Sorting Hat from his arm as quickly as possible.

    It was his turn to take action. He could not let Dumbledore touch the ring. He had to destroy it.

    With this in mind, Evan reached into the hat, and immediately, he felt the grip of Gryffindor¡¯s sword.

    He took it out, and the ruby ??on the hilt shimmered in the fluorescent light.

    Evan wanted to break the ring into pieces and destroy this Horcrux before it was toote.

    As if aware of his thoughts, the next second, the ring protruded and let out a terrible wailing sound.

    The darkness became deeper and deeper, and in an instant, all of Dumbledore¡¯s blood that fell on the ring was absorbed.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work. He is immersed in his own sorrow and will not be awakened by you!¡± A voice said to Evan.

    Evan saw a vague outline appear in front of him, disappearing and reappearing, and gradually became clear through the repetition. This was a tall boy with ck hair, pale face, but very handsome, as if looking at him through a foggy window, sometimes near, sometimes far, very unstable. ?

    ¡°Tom Riddle!¡± Evan took a deep breath. He actually came out of the ring!

    It was too bad, he was absorbing Dumbledore¡¯s powers, and it was the blood that made him corporeal!

    Evan had already destroyed so many Horcruxes but had only encountered him in Riddle¡¯s diary.

    Because he got power from Ron at that time, he had nevermunicated with Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes again. But Dumbledore was obviously a much more powerful wizard than Ron, and just some blood could have this effect.

    ¡°Oh, you know me,¡± said Tom Riddle in an interested tone, and then looked back at Dumbledore. ¡°This is not surprising, since you came here with Professor Dumbledore. You should know something.¡±

    ¡°I know far more than you think,¡± said Evan. ¡°Shut up now, I will destroy you!¡±

    Although Riddle¡¯s shadow came out, he couldn¡¯t do anything. The power of those few drops of blood was not enough to restore his strength to use magic.

    There was no Basilisk for him to control here. He could only watch Evan destroy this Horcrux.

    ¡°So, how many Horcruxes have been destroyed, then?¡± Tom Riddle said calmly, but a hint of panic shed across his face as he saw Evan unmoved, determined to use Gryffindor¡¯s sword. ¡°Listen, kid, I think we shouldy down our weapons and have a proper talk instead of rushing to destroy me. I don¡¯t know what happened, but obviously, our original arrangement has been discovered by you! I¡¯ve told him before, splitting the soul into pieces and tossing them around like trash is a stupid idea. The main soul just discards us like garbage, and then we¡¯re destroyed one by one¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s good about talking to the devil!¡± said Evan, walking to the ring and raising his sword high.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Tom Riddle screamed, shing in front of Evan, he said quickly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to disappear, I can help you, no matter what you ask for, I can promise you, whatever you need, wealth, power or authority?!¡±

    ¡°How unoriginal!¡± said Evan, bringing down Gryffindor¡¯s sword forcefully.

    In fact, he had already obtained everything he needed from another incarnation of Tom Riddle¡¯s.

    Because it was Voldemort¡¯s first Horcrux, the Riddle in front of him was younger than the one in the diary and looked more immature.

    But the danger was the same, and Evan never doubted this.

    ¡°Stop, I want to talk to Professor Dumbledore!¡±

    ¡°You want to talk to Professor Dumbledore?¡± Evan finally paused at his scream.

    The shadow became more unstable and seemed likely to disappear at any moment.

    ¡°Yes, and keep that damn sword of yours away from the ring,¡± he said angrily. ¡°No matter which one I am, I don¡¯t want to be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Fine, then release the magic on Professor Dumbledore now, no tricks,¡± said Evan cautiously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t do it, and don¡¯t make me touch that ring. Otherwise, I¡¯ll show you how much I¡¯ve progressed since four years ago.¡±

    ¡°You fool; I¡¯m just a memory, a soul without substance. Do you even understand what that means? You¡¯re not doing anything, how do you expect me to lift the magic on him, just by thought?¡± Tom Riddle said angrily, far from his initialposure.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I¡¯m sorry!¡± said Evan, raising Gryffindor¡¯s sword again. ¡°When the professor recovers, I will talk to him about you. By the way, what should I call you, young Voldemort or fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle?¡±

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 Chapter 1082: Preliminary Communication

    ¡°Stop, stop, STOP!¡± Tom Riddle shouted, waving his hands vigorously, looking at Evan angrily. ¡°Damn it, you kid, can¡¯t you put down that stupid Sword of Gryffindor, would you like to have a few words with me?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see any point inmunicating with the most dangerous Dark Wizard in history,¡± said Evan cautiously.

    ¡°Oh, is that how the Wizarding world sees me now?¡± Riddle shrugged it off, with a hint of self-satisfaction. ¡°So, I eventually became a powerful Dark Wizard? Are people afraid of me? Do they dare not mention my name?¡±

    It could be seen that fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle was very interested in these, this was probably his dream.

    Madly worshiping purebloods and terrifying everyone.

    It was a bit strange that he didn¡¯t seem to know that Voldemort had aplished this perfectly and be the Dark Lord that everyone feared. Or perhaps he had anticipated it, just hoping to hear it confirmed from Evan¡¯s mouth in the end.

    Evan didn¡¯t answer Riddle¡¯s question, nor did he want to.

    If he hadn¡¯t said that he wanted to talk to Dumbledore, Evan would have destroyed him long ago. That was the destination he deserved.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds. If you can¡¯t end the magic on Professor Dumbledore, then I will do it!¡± said Evan, shaking Gryffindor¡¯s sword in his hand.¡°As you can see, I can¡¯t do anything in my current state, but you can use that sword to destroy the gem on the ring,¡± said Riddle. ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. It¡¯s the stone that¡¯s doing it. It has extremely special magic that lets people see their closest dead, immersed in their own sad memories, although I¡¯m not quite sure why, but it¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? Destroy that stone, and Dumbledore will wake up. But be careful not to touch the ring.¡±

    ¡°Is that your idea?¡± said Evan skeptically. ¡°I would rather destroy you than destroy the Resurrection Stone!¡±

    ¡°Oh, this stone is the Resurrection Stone. I must have heard this name somewhere,¡± said Tom Riddle, somewhat surprised, staring at the ck stone in deep thought, and then suddenly opened his eyes wide. ¡°Stop it, stop waving that stupid sword around! The power on this stone is limited. We can wait for Dumbledore to recover. I estimate it will take about five minutes. During this time, you just need to stop him from touching the ring. That¡¯s it.¡±

    Evan hesitated for a moment, then lowered Gryffindor¡¯s sword and stood in front of Dumbledore.

    As he said, Riddle was just a shadow now and had no physical attack ability.

    As long as he wasn¡¯t bewitched by him or touched the ring, there would be no danger.

    In that case, Evan could wait with him for five minutes.

    ¡°We can take this time to talk,¡± Riddle smiled slightly andplimented subtly. ¡°What¡¯s your name? Are you a student at Hogwarts? You have very strong power, almostparable to mine. Are all young wizards this powerful now?¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t answer, he didn¡¯t seem to care.

    ¡°You see, this used to be my mother¡¯s home!¡± He looked around with interest. ¡°The old house of the Gaunts should be hundreds of years old, but it is now in ruins, which shows that time has indeed passed. It has been a long time ago. What is the Wizarding world like now? Why did Dumbledore bring you here? Ah, this is a stupid question. You must havee to destroy me. Since you just said you have seen me before, does this mean you have seen other Horcruxes? Which one am I?¡±

    As the first Horcrux, he had been ced in this cab when Voldemort was fifteen years old, and he knew nothing about what had happened afterwards.

    He seemed to have a lot of questions he wanted answers to, but he got no response from Evan.

    Evan had no obligation to give him answers, and he also believed that the less Riddle knew, the better.

    But then again, the state of this Horcrux seemed a bit strange.

    Evan and Dumbledore were indeed here to destroy him, but he seemed confident that he could convince Dumbledore not to do so.

    Why he had such confidence was very unreasonable.

    Looking at the handsome young man in front of him, Evan recalled the information he had about the fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle. The information he had just obtained from the Pensieve and Dumbledore¡¯s ount was the most specific, along with some of Evan¡¯s own knowledge and experiences with Horcruxes.

    From this information, it was clear that Tom Riddle during his school days was on the surface a very polite, handsome, and academically excellent student, beloved by professors, with many supporters. He was a student leader. But in reality, his character was eerie, arrogant, and he yed with human nature as if it were a toy.

    Dumbledore had been deceived by him before, and did not find much abnormality in him during this period.

    He might not have been that evil back then, but the current Riddle already had his own life goal and was progressing step by step towards it.

    Eventually, he became the perverted Voldemort everyone talked about with fear.

    Evan had been in contact with the fragment of soul in the diary for almost half a year and had some understanding of him.

    Everything clearly showed that sixteen-year-old Tom Riddle was already quite dangerous and his mind was twisted to the extreme.

    The one before him, though a year younger than the soul fragment in the diary, was no better.

    Think about it, he could kill his father and grandparents without hesitation, which was something a normal person could never do.

    But there were still a few things that were a bit strange, and Evan would like to confirm them if possible.

    ¡°You are a bit different from the Horcruxes I¡¯vee into contact with before,¡± he said, looking at the mist-like Riddle in front of him.

    ¡°How much do you know about the magic of Horcruxes?¡± Riddle asked. ¡°Like me at the time, you probably only learned about this term from books, right? Are you also fascinated by this magic? After all, it can conquer death. If you need it, I can help you. In fact, we can cooperate and work together¡­¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll repeat it again, I know more than you think, and stop trying to bewitch me,¡± said Evan coldly, waving Gryffindor¡¯s sword in his hand again. ¡°And don¡¯t ask me questions. You have to understand the current situation. I am the one asking questions here, and you need to answer me unconditionally. If you don¡¯t answer or if I find your answer unsatisfactory and think you¡¯re deceiving me, you know the consequences¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, you have the final say here!¡± Riddle¡¯s face quickly returned to a humble smile. ¡°What questions do you have?¡±

    ¡°Well, are you Voldemort¡¯s first Horcrux?¡± Evan asked, deciding to start from scratch. ¡°How did he make you, killing his father and grandparents, and using it to split his soul?¡±

    ¡°Evil deeds can split the soul, murder is a good method,¡± said Riddle in a casual tone. ¡°Of course, when I was split, I didn¡¯t know this, nor did I know the correct spell to split the soul. It¡¯s hard to find a book at Hogwarts that details Horcruxes, and Professor Dumbledore next to you made sure of that. I learned all thister from Professor Slughorn. By the way, you know Professor Slughorn, don¡¯t you?¡±

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 Chapter 1083: The World of Death

    Tom Riddle¡¯s milky white body swayed; and the doubts in Evan¡¯s heart became stronger.

    He actually said that when he was created, he didn¡¯t know the specific method of making a Horcrux or how to split a soul. So how did hee out?

    But one thing was certain, this Horcrux was weird.

    ¡°Professor Slughorn liked me very much, he gave me a lot of privileges and help, but¡­ well, let¡¯s talk about the Horcrux,¡± said Riddle, cautiously avoiding Gryffindor¡¯s sword aimed at him, slowly moving towards the ring inside the cab. ¡°My appearance was an ident, strictly speaking, I am not a Horcrux, or rather, I am a special Horcrux because my appearance was not within the original n and was not made ording to the normal method.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°As you know, I was looking for ways to make Horcruxes at that time. I still had several key issues unresolved, including how to split my soul, although I had some guesses about it,¡± said Riddle. ¡°But I didn¡¯t want to start making the first Horcrux so soon. First, I hadn¡¯t found the right tools; second, I didn¡¯t want to do it under Dumbledore¡¯s watchful eyes, that would be too foolish, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Evan responded with silence, but he agreed with Riddle¡¯s idea.

    Although Dumbledore was not the headmaster at the time, he was already recognized as the strongest wizard.

    ying some tricks under his gaze, forming one¡¯s own power base, perhaps that could be done, after all, it was a Slytherin tradition.But engaging in such evil magic research, making Horcruxes, that was really too risky, in case one¡¯s true intentions were revealed, it would be disastrous.

    Having said that, Evan knew that Riddle seeded in the end!

    Both the ring and the diary were made when he was a student, when he was only fifteen or sixteen years old.

    Of course, he stopped after that because he had aroused Dumbledore¡¯s suspicions.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have so many ideas at the time. It might be ridiculous to say it, but I just wanted to stay in Hogwarts. After all, it was the first ce I could call home.¡± Riddle paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°It was in my fifth year that I got some information, Professor Merrythought, the teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts, was about to retire, she had been in that position for fifty years. If possible, I hoped to take over her position.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re off topic again,¡± Evan reminded. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your dreams.¡±

    Whether what Riddle said was true or not, those were his thoughts when he was fifteen, knowing this didn¡¯t hold any significance.

    Their real trouble now was Voldemort, whose soul had been split and had joined forces with the evil god, not Tom Riddle, a fifteen-year-old boy who was full of ideals and ambitions and was ready to do something big, and his ideas were undoubtedly absurd.

    History had proven that he did not seed in getting the position and Dumbledore turned him down.

    ¡°Do you know why I hatemunicating with brats like you?¡± said Riddle contemptuously, ¡°Impatient¡­¡±

    ¡°You are not much older than me,¡± Evan retorted.

    ¡°My actual age is more than enough to be your grandparent. Don¡¯t think of me as a brat like you.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, if you include the more than half a century that you have been locked in a drawer, then it is true, you¡¯re much older than me, really a rich and colorful life experience,¡± said Evan, pointing Gryffindor¡¯s sword at him. ¡°I must remind you again, and for thest time, the little brat you¡¯re talking about can decide whether you need to exist. I really don¡¯t have much patience. Please don¡¯t challenge it unless you want to try whether Gryffindor¡¯s sword is as sharp as the legend says.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Riddle¡¯s face darkened again.

    ¡°Continue to talk about your identity, that is, the specific process of making this Horcrux,¡± said Evan, pointing at the ring in the cab with his sword. ¡°Since you did not master the specific method of splitting the soul and making the Horcrux at the time, then how were you made?¡±

    ¡°I just said, evil deeds can cause the soul to split, maybe I was too evil,¡± Riddle suddenly let out a strangeugh, seeming to be amused by his own answer. ¡°That¡¯s right, surely. Killing my father with my own hands, ending that filthy Muggle who was rted to me by blood, is there anything more evil than this? Maybe because of this, I split from the body.¡±

    Evan frowned, was that the specific process? The act of killing his father caused his soul to automatically split?

    This behavior was indeed very evil, and it did sound like it could be the case, but it was a bit strange.

    If it were that simple, Horcruxes would probably be everywhere!

    The most obvious example was Barty Crouch Jr., who worshiped Voldemort almost to the point of madness.

    Therefore, he also killed his father with his own hands, which made him feel that he and Voldemort had something inmon, but his soul did not split.

    Did that mean he was not as evil as fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle? Was his hatred towards his father not as strong as Riddle¡¯s?

    This simply didn¡¯t hold up, Barty Crouch Jr. was a pure psychopath.

    Just in terms of evilness, although there was no way topare, he was definitely not weaker than the fifteen-year-old Riddle.

    ¡°You¡¯re not telling the truth,¡± said Evan, looking into Riddle¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t understand anything.¡±

    Very rarely, Tom Riddle avoided Evan¡¯s gaze, which was not like him at all.

    ¡°You are much more difficult to deal with than I thought!¡± His voice quickly regained its calmness. ¡°I originally nned to use these things as bargaining chips with Dumbledore, but now it seems I have to say, it¡¯s the gem on the ring, the Resurrection Stone as you call, it has a special power, a very special power¡­¡±

    ¡°The Resurrection Stone will not split people¡¯s souls!¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t, but it can make you see Death.¡±

    ¡°Death?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what he called himself. This Resurrection Stone and the ringbine to form a strange magic, not a magic I can understand,¡± said Riddle. ¡°That night, it brought me to the realm of the dead, where I saw many people, including my father, my mother, my grandfather, and Death. When I came back, a part of my soul was left there forever and could never return to my body, that is what you are looking at now.¡±

    Evan looked at him, raising his eyebrows, this sounded as absurd as the most whimsical novel.

    He had never heard or thought the Resurrection Stone could have such power; at least it didn¡¯t appear in the original work.

    ¡°Incredible, isn¡¯t it? But I¡¯m telling the truth this time. There is magic on the ring that I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Even if what you say is true, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t studied¡­¡±

    ¡°Studied?¡± A sneer appeared on Riddle¡¯s face and he asked, ¡°Studied what? Death, or my mother? Ridiculous, I have no interest in either. What I want to do is escape death, not approach it. You don¡¯t understand at all what I saw at that time, the World of Death, something you can never imagine¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1084: I am Voldemort

    Beside the two of them, Dumbledorepletely calmed down, no longer as sorrowful as before.

    His eyes were closed, but he seemed to have recovered and might wake up at any moment.

    Perhaps he had already recovered and was listening to the conversation between the two people.

    Evan looked at Dumbledore and then at Tom Riddle. After a moment of silence, he sighed softly.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t understand the World of Death, but I know that you still didn¡¯t tell the truth,¡± said Evan, raising Gryffindor¡¯s sword again. ¡°It¡¯s regrettable. I gave you a chance, but you kept pushing my limits. Perhaps you thought you could use this to bargain for Dumbledore¡¯s mercy, but you¡¯ve got it wrong, Riddle. From beginning to end, you never had the right to negotiate. All you need to do is tell us everything you know, and then we¡¯ll decide whether to spare you based on our mood.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I was telling the truth!¡± Riddle shouted hurriedly, blocking Evan¡¯s path.

    But he was just a shadow now, and Evan went straight through him and came to the front of the cab.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I admit I left out a part of it earlier,¡± said Riddle. ¡°It¡¯s just me. I don¡¯t organize my soul to arrive in that world. It¡¯s just me. After splitting from the main body, I can never go back!¡±

    Evan was unmoved and raised Gryffindor¡¯s sword high.¡°Stop, stop it!¡± His voice became sharp. ¡°I admit, I cried at the time, it was embarrassing¡­¡±

    ¡°There is nothing to be embarrassed about, Tom!¡± said Dumbledore calmly, slowly opening his eyes and looking at Tom Riddle in front of him. ¡°Crying is not a sin, it is just a normal way of expressing feelings. It is not easy to admit your weakness. Sometimes, it is also a kind of courage.¡±

    ¡°Professor!¡± Evan shouted.

    Tom Riddle didn¡¯t speak. He turned his head to the side, seemingly unwilling to look at Dumbledore.

    ¡°You did well, Evan,¡± said Dumbledore, ¡°protecting me when I was lost. Now put the sword down. Tom is right. I think I really need to talk to him about the ring and the Resurrection Stone. Hello, Tom, I must admit, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, in this form, before tonight!¡±

    Evan lowered the sword and stepped aside. Since Dumbledore had awakened, things were about to end!

    Dumbledore¡¯s tone was very casual, as if he was greeting an old friend he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time.

    It was hard to imagine that not long ago; he had had a life-and-death duel with Voldemort.

    ¡°Hello, Professor,¡± said Riddle in a dry tone, turning his head back and staring coldly at Dumbledore, as if weighing him up. ¡°To be honest, I did expect this day toe. If anyone could find their way here, it would be you. However, I didn¡¯t expect it to take so long. You look much older than before!¡±

    ¡°No matter how powerful one is, no one can conquer time,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°We are all mortals.¡±

    ¡°But I have conquered death, I have achieved it,¡± said Riddle bluntly. ¡°I am immortal!¡±

    ¡°No one is immortal. Death is not the most terrifying thing, Tom. That is just the beginning of another great journey. I thought you would change after experiencing the World of Death, but it seems not,¡± said Dumbledore with disappointment. ¡°You value these meaningless things too much and have lost yourself in the end!¡±

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed at all,¡± said Riddle disgustedly. ¡°Put away your rhetoric, my dear professor. You know those things are of no use to me. I think you probably won¡¯t be deceived by me a second time!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about deception, it¡¯s about whether you choose to forgive and believe. Maybe, I will believe you again tonight,¡± said Dumbledore, his deep blue eyes fixed on Riddle. ¡°I can feel that you are different from Voldemort. You are not that evil, but more like the boy I saw in the orphanage who made mistakes!¡±

    ¡°I am Voldemort!¡± Riddle shouted, suddenly bing fierce and intimidating.

    Evan looked at him warily. He opened his eyes wide and stared hard at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore did not respond.

    Instead, a genial smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°No, you are not him,¡± said Dumbledore firmly. ¡°You are fundamentally different from him.¡±

    ¡°Enough, you are still as annoying as before!¡± said Riddle unnaturally, clearly bing more alert. ¡°Stop being pretentious, Professor. We both know what kind of people we are. Let¡¯s be honest. I can tell you everything I know, everything you want to know, with one condition: don¡¯t destroy me!¡±

    ¡°Tom, in my eyes, you will always be my student!¡± Dumbledore said patiently. ¡°As I have said, I might be willing to trust you again. And, I must say I am sorry. I was the one who guided you into Hogwarts, but I did not fulfill my due obligation to teach you. If I had¡­¡±

    ¡°Hypocritical,¡± said Riddle, taking a step back. ¡°Everything was done ording to my <i>own</i> will. If anything, I can only tell you that having you around made things more enjoyable for me. Did you think I would gratefully ept your advice and silently remain just a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts? Or follow Professor Slughorn¡¯s idea of ??entering the Ministry of Magic topete for that ridiculous ministerial position? No, I am Voldemort; I am the descendant of Szar Slytherin. In my veins flows the blood of Szar Slytherin himself. I was born to let the whole world remember me, to make them tremble at the sound of my name, to make them crawl on the ground in fear. I will restore the honor of the Slytherin family. I will change the oue of the Wizarding World. I will lead the revolution¡­¡±

    ¡°It is a great dream, but your method is wrong,¡± said Dumbledore calmly.

    ¡°I have seeded!¡± Riddle¡¯s voice trembled slightly.

    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± Dumbledore asked. ¡°I just heard the conversation between you and Evan. You seem to have anticipated the current situation. The more times your soul splits, the more chaotic it bes. You lose all reason and be a terrifying monster. Horace surely did not tell you this, or perhaps you misunderstood him.¡±

    Riddle stopped talking, obviously having no way to refute, and just stared at Dumbledore coldly.

    ¡°I am Voldemort,¡± he said slowly after a long pause. ¡°¡±When I learned about my lineage, I gave myself this name and abandoned my filthy Muggle father¡¯s name. I knew that one day, when I be the greatest wizard in the world, wizards everywhere would dare not utter this name lightly. They would only chant it silently in their hearts with awe and fear. Professor, do you believe you will triumph? Do you really think you have the power to destroy me?¡±

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 Chapter 1085: Love

    Just like Voldemort, Tom Riddle in front of him firmly believed that he would not fail and that he was invincible.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how to evaluate this kind of mysterious confidence. It could only be said to be a manifestation of arrogance and conceit.

    Voldemort failed in the end and had nothing. He couldn¡¯t match Dumbledore at all.

    History had proven this point countless times, but he himself had never been willing to admit it.

    ¡°Professor, you do not understand any of this!¡± Riddle continued. ¡°You just wish to maintain the existing order¡­¡±

    ¡°Having immense power, realizing cruel dreams, forcing Muggles into submission, wizards triumphing, bing a young leader, the unconquerable conqueror of death,¡± said Dumbledore softly. ¡°Tom, I must admit, I once had such thoughts like you, although the methods were different, but these are obviously absurd.¡±

    His gaze calmly passed through Riddle, looking at the Resurrection Stone inside the cab, with an expression of mncholy and sadness, evidently thinking of his sister and parents.

    ¡°I have paid a heavy price for this. I regret not being able to tell you this back then¡­¡±

    ¡°This is not absurd at all. I seeded, and you did not!¡± Riddle repeated it again.¡°Shut up, Riddle,¡± said Evan impatiently. ¡°You have not seeded, never have. All you have done is make the world more chaotic, just like yourself, bing a terrible monster. Now, all you need to do is tell us what you know, and then wait for us to decide your fate.¡±

    Tom Riddle gave him a look full of hatred, but it might be because of Gryffindor¡¯s sword in Evan¡¯s hand, he didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Evan is right, now is really not a good time to reminisce and argue,¡± Dumbledore took a breath and looked directly into Riddle¡¯s eyes again. ¡°Tom, please tell me how you were split in the first ce. I am very curious about this as well. The Horcruxes you and I seem to know are different.¡±

    ¡°Different?¡± Riddle sneered. ¡°But I am still a Horcrux. Since you want to know, let me tell you. As I said just now, my appearance was an ident, an early one. Since entering Hogwarts, I have begun to search for my own origins. Although different from the orphanage, surrounded by wizards with magic, I knew I was different from them. I firmly believed I was unique.

    ¡°Over the past five years, I searched through all the books I could find, but I didn¡¯t find my father¡¯s name. I thought he would be a wizard, not my mother, who died so casually, which is really ridiculous,¡± he said with disdain. ¡°But what¡¯s even more ridiculous is that she was indeed a witch. I eventually found her family name in a history book, the Gaunt family, thest descendant of Slytherin, a noble pure-blood wizarding family.¡±

    ¡°So you came here, when you were fifteen years old that summer, and met Morfin Gaunt.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Professor, have you met my dear uncle?¡± Riddle squinted; his mood gradually calmed down, and he said in a glib tone, ¡°I thought he was imprisoned in Azkaban after our meeting!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I saw him before he died and found out some important information from him,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°What happened after that night? After you took Morfin¡¯s wand and ring?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? I went to see that man, right there in the big house on the other side of the valley. I wanted to see the man who abandoned me and my mother, the man I have been looking for for fifteen years. I wanted to go over and see what he looked like,¡± said Riddle, a cruel and cold smile ying at his lips. ¡°Of course, I went there with hatred. If I had the chance, I would not hesitate to make him pay for what he had done in the past.¡±

    ¡°You killed him?¡±

    ¡°I nned to, but strictly speaking, I didn¡¯t enjoy that pleasure,¡± Riddle answered, his gaze passing over Evan and Dumbledore¡¯s faces in turn, finally settling on the photo inside the cab, and staring at it intently. ¡°Before that, I had already split up. In that man¡¯s room, I found this photo, left by my mother for him. He didn¡¯t notice it, but I saw this picture in his memories. I controlled him, using a simple spell to learn everything between him and my mother, many things he had forgotten.¡±

    Dumbledore listened very seriously; this was slightly different from the reasoning he had told Evan earlier.

    This slight difference might change the nature of the whole thing.

    Evan felt this, too. He felt they could do something with this particr Horcrux.

    At least they could learn from him all the secrets about Voldemort before he turned fifteen, but if they wanted to kill Voldemort, they must eventually destroy it.

    He didn¡¯t know what Dumbledore was thinking, but there should be no doubt about it.

    There was another small detail. Tom Riddle was only fifteen years old at the time, but he was already able to use magic outside of school without worrying about being tracked by the Ministry of Magic. ?

    It seemed that the Ministry¡¯s monitoring was really useless.

    ¡°After knowing these things, you cried out of sadness?¡± Dumbledore asked softly.

    Riddle didn¡¯t answer, but Dumbledore still looked at him, and there was an invisible oppression in the air.

    ¡°I told you before; it is not something to be ashamed of. Everyone has moments of weakness, feeling sad for lost loved ones. If you ask me, I can tell you, it is love.¡±

    ¡°I knew you would say that, Professor!¡± Riddle¡¯s tone was full of mockery. ¡°Love again? I never had such a ridiculous emotion, never, and I am not that weak.¡±

    ¡°I always thought you didn¡¯t understand. But I have to take back my words now. You once had it, at least when you were fifteen years old, you were not corrupted,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°It is just that it was hidden very deep, so deep that¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dumbledore, if you continue on this boring topic, spreading your ideology, trying to make me admit to some ridiculous love I once had, then just destroy me, I don¡¯t care!¡± he raised his voice again.

    ¡°But you cried when you learned about your father and mother¡¯s past,¡± Evan reminded him. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I think it is because I knew the truth, I knew my mother was so foolish, a noble pure-blood witch actually gave her life for a filthy Muggle, and she never regretted it until she died, I have never seen such a stupid woman,¡± he said harshly. ¡°I felt sad for what she did at that time.¡±

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 Chapter 1086: Deaths Reward

    ¡°Did you feel sadness for your mother?¡± Evan asked, looking at him in surprise. Was this still the Voldemort he knew?

    ¡°No, it was just her foolishness that made me sad.¡±

    Even though he said that, Riddle had cried after learning about his parents¡¯ past, which in itself said a lot.

    He felt sad for Merope¡¯s experience. That might be the human part of him, the only soft ce in his heart.

    After being abandoned by Tom Riddle Senior, Merope traveled to London alone.

    She was pregnant and could not return to the old house of the Gaunt family. There was no one and no ce to seek refuge.

    She was so poor that in order to survive, she had to sell her priceless locket to Borgin and Burkes.

    She only got ten Gold Galleons, and she relied on ten Gold Galleons to survive for nearly a year.

    Suffering, grief, sadness and chronic malnutrition ultimately killed her.Then, on a snowy New Year¡¯s Eve, she copsed on the front steps of a Muggle orphanage.

    There, she gave birth to Lord Voldemort, and less than an hourter, she died, leaving behind a newborn baby named Tom Marvolo Riddle, the wish that the child would be like his father, love for the child and his father, and a shame that could not be erased.

    Undoubtedly, this incident was a great shame for Voldemort.

    At least until he was fifteen years old, he had always been worried about this.

    He thought his mother was like one of those pathetic Muggle girls, shamelessly abandoned after being used.

    Finally, she died.

    Like many miserable Muggles, she died in obscurity, with no one even knowing her name.

    But in fact this was a fight against fate, a failed fight.

    Theplexity of the matter was far beyond imagination, and Merope was much stronger than Riddle originally imagined.

    When the fifteen-year-old Riddle learned about these things for the first time, it would definitely have had a certain impact on him.

    This could be proved from the photo that was torn into pieces and then glued back together. His inner feelings at that time were extremelyplex.

    For a fifteen-year-old boy, even though his life experience was full of darkness, it was impossible for him to have no feelings for his mother.

    He must have fantasized about it countless times, and this feeling was called love!

    It was very small, but it definitely existed in Voldemort¡¯s heart, buried deep in the heart of the fifteen-year-old boy.

    ¡°The basis ofmunication is sincerity!¡± Evan reminded.

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want to know, I admit, I did feel sadness, but absolutely no love!¡± Riddle insisted.

    ¡°But you cried?¡±

    ¡°I cried because I couldn¡¯t control those stupid tears from flowing out,¡± he shouted loudly, and the shadowy body shook violently. ¡°I regretted it. I was like this at that time. Emotions or some actions must have identally touched the magic left on this ring. In a sway of distance, I saw my mother suddenly appear next to me. Yes, I had never seen her before, but she was exactly the same as in the photo.¡±

    ¡°This stone can bring back the dead,¡± said Dumbledore softly, motioning to Evan not to ask further questions on this issue. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem to be the way I imagined, or perhaps our method of use is incorrect. Tom, what happened after you saw your mother?¡±

    From his school days, Dumbledore wanted to get all the Deathly Hallows, especially the Resurrection Stone, which was particrly important to him.

    He had once wanted to use it to resurrect his parents so that he wouldn¡¯t have to take care of his sister Ariana.

    Now, he wanted it too.

    He wanted to resurrect his sister and tell her personally how much he regretted¡­

    But the experience just now might have made Dumbledore understand that the Resurrection Stone would not really resurrect the dead.

    It could only bring back the soul, or something more real than the soul, but it was certainly not a true resurrection.

    But from Dumbledore¡¯s tone, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t sure yet, or that he hadn¡¯t given up yet.

    ¡°That woman said a lot of stupid things to me. It was a kind of magic power that I didn¡¯t understand. She guided me forward, leaving the mansion anding to an illusory world, the world of death,¡± said Riddle slowly. He closed his eyes, seeming to recall that terrible experience.

    Evan took a quick look at the ring and the ck gemstone on it. The way to use the Resurrection Stone was to rotate it three times in your hand.

    But neither Riddle nor Dumbledore had done so; however they still triggered the magic on the Resurrection Stone.

    Dumbledore¡¯s recent experience could be exined, as his blood dripped onto the Resurrection Stone, activating Voldemort¡¯s magic.

    But Riddle definitely didn¡¯t use the Resurrection Stone in the correct way back then. What was going on?

    Also, the Resurrection Stone did not have the function of leading the living to the world of the dead.

    Evan wasn¡¯t sure about this because he remembered Harry using the Resurrection Stone in the original novel.

    After Harry was killed by Voldemort, he entered the world of the dead. He saw the deceased Dumbledore and received his final guidance.

    This thing itself was very abnormal. Normally destroying the soul in the body would definitely not have such an effect.

    Maybe as Riddle said, the Resurrection Stone and this ring had magic that they did not understand yet, bringing the living to the world of the dead.

    Look at the other things left by Slytherin. Which one was really simple? That guy liked to hide secrets.

    Perhaps because Riddle was his descendant and met certain conditions, the magic he left behind was triggered.

    ¡°Tom, what did the world you saw look like?¡± Dumbledore asked.

    ¡°A realm of illusion, everything presented in ck and white like I am now, maybe more real than fog, but still full of depressing feelings. My mother and I left the mansion, and she said she would take me home, we walked through the canyon and came here¡­¡±

    ¡°Here?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s ridiculous. She actually called this rundown house ¡®home,''¡± Riddle said disdainfully. ¡°In the photo I saw, this house hadn¡¯t be a ruin yet; it still looked like when people lived here. I saw my grandfather, Marvolo Gaunt, here. He told me his name and spoke to me. Although I wanted tomunicate with him, the situation was too abnormal. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to believe the nonsense of a magically conjured dead person.¡±

    ¡°What did you do then?¡± Dumbledore asked with interest.

    ¡°I drew my wand and cast a spell on him. He dodged and his body shape changed again. He was not Marvolo Gaunt at all, but Death in disguise, an old man with a hood. I hated that guy,¡± Riddle snapped. ¡°He made me feel ufortable, so I used Avada Kedavra on him.¡±

    ¡°Very interesting,¡± said Dumbledore softly, seeming to ponder the truth of what Riddle said.

    ¡°That God of Death, he was hit by my magic. He was about to die. I killed the God of Death! Before he died, he said that I could get a reward from him as a prize for defeating him,¡± said Riddle. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s what I thought at the time. No matter whether he was the real God of Death or not, I would conquer him. I was invincible. I would eventually be the most powerful wizard. I told him these words.¡±

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 Chapter 1087: The Tale of the Three Brothers

    Chapter 1087: The Tale of the Three Brothers

    Speaking of this, Riddle suddenly paused.

    He seemed hesitant, unsure whether to reveal what happened next, as it involved his biggest secret. But the situation before him clearly told him that he had no other choice.

    ¡°Then, he asked for my name,¡± Riddle continued after a few seconds. ¡°The guy who imed himself to be Death, he knew that I was nning to make Horcruxes. I never mentioned it to him, but he seemed to read my mind, and he told me that he would fulfill my wish¡­¡±

    ¡°So your soul split?¡± Evan looked at him in surprise, it was really incredible.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, when I woke up; I had split from my soul, left on this ring,¡± said Riddle. ¡°Believe me, you cursed little brat, my reaction was as surprised as yours, or even more. I was shocked. I didn¡¯t do anything, and I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I obviously became a Horcrux. Death fulfilled my wish.¡±

    ¡°A Horcrux made by Death!¡± Dumbledore looked at Riddle.

    ¡°Yes, Professor, do you know what this is about?¡± Riddle asked, returning to his humble and polite manner.

    ¡°Not exactly, but I have some spection,¡± Dumbledore seemed unwilling to exin further.

    Looking at him, a look of annoyance and anger quickly shed across Riddle¡¯s face, and he did not continue to ask.Since Dumbledore wasn¡¯t going to say it, no one could find out about it from him!

    But Evan continued to think. ¡®What could Dumbledore¡¯s spection be?¡¯

    Death granted Tom Riddle¡¯s wish, which sounded very much like that tale, <i>The Tale of the Three Brothers</i>.

    Evan looked at the ring in the cab. Due to the light and angle, the emblem of the ¡°Peverell¡± family on the ring could not be seen.

    But it was definitely there, proving in silentnguage that this legendary story had really happened.

    As early as three years ago, Evan had found <i>The Tales of Beedle the Bar</i>, which included <i>The Tale of the Three Brothers</i>.

    That was the only information he could find on the Deathly Hallows, and he remembered the story clearly.

    ¡®There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight.

    In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across.

    However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water.

    They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.

    It was Death, and Death spoke to them.

    He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river.

    The three brothers had cheated fate, luckily avoiding Death.

    But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratte the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

    So the oldest brother, who was abative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!

    So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

    Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and he asked for the power to recall others from Death.

    So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

    And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death.

    So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that ce without being followed by Death.

    And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.

    Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death¡¯s gifts.

    In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.

    The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant vige, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel.

    Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible.

    That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as hey, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand and, for good measure, slit the oldest brother¡¯s throat.

    And so Death took the first brother for his own.

    Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand.

    To his amazement and delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him.

    Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil.

    Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered.

    Finally, the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as truly to join her.

    And so Death took the second brother for his own.

    But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him.

    It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son.

    And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him dly, and, equals, they departed this life.¡¯

    The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility, these three items were the Deathly Hallows.

    Rumor had it that whoever seeded in uniting all three of the Hallows would be the Master of Death.

    There was no doubt that Death was cunning.

    In his original n, the three brothers were supposed to drown in the river and be victims to him.

    After the three brothers escaped the fate of death, he was unwilling to lose the three victims, so he appeared in front of them, saying that he wanted to give each of them a reward, but in fact he wanted to restore their destinies back to death.

    The Deathly Hallows ¨C three legendary magic items ¨C were originally three baits created by Death.

    In the end, only the wisest third brother had escaped the pursuit of Death and safely reached the end of his life.

    In the story of fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, he had also seen Death and escaped from him.

    Death decided to give him a reward, help him make a Horcrux, and help him conquer death¡­

    If this Death was the same as the one in <i>The Tale of the Three Brothers</i>, he would definitely not have such kind intentions.

    Evan was almost certain that Voldemort had been cursed from the moment this Horcrux had been made!

    He chose power, and so, death will be his final destination.

    Of course, the so-called Death did not actually exist, let alone appear in this ring.

    Considering that the ring had been in the hands of Szar Slytherin for a long time, Evan was more inclined to think that the legendary wizard had left behind some kind of magic¡­

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 Chapter 1088: Special Horcrux

    ¡°Is it the magic left by Szar Slytherin?¡±

    An idea shed in Evan¡¯s mind, and clues appeared quickly.

    Undoubtedly, Szar Slytherin had once possessed the ring and the Resurrection Stone.

    He was also very proficient in the method of making Horcruxes, a magic created by Herpo the Foul.

    Considering Slytherin¡¯s experience, it could be said that no one in the world understood this magic better than Herpo himself.

    Because of Evan, Szar Slytherin already knew about Voldemort¡¯s existence.

    At the same time, he also learned about his descendants, the possibility that thest of them might eventually be an evil Dark Wizard and create Horcruxes.

    When these factors came together, things were no longer that simple.

    With Slytherin¡¯s personality, it was hard to imagine that he would do nothing and leave it all to Evan and Dumbledore.Just like the other three Founders, he left a secret treasure to Evan.

    Especially since Evan was not a pure-blood, this was what he disliked the most¡­

    Slytherin might have anticipated that Voldemort would find the ring, so he used the properties of the Resurrection Stone to leave a magic in it to split Riddle¡¯s soul, to help him make a special Horcrux¡­

    This idea suddenly appeared in Evan¡¯s mind. The more he thought about it, the more usible it seemed, but it was also a bit unbelievable.

    The biggest issue here was the difficulty of doing this. For a normal wizard, this was just like a fantasy and impossible to do.

    But considering Szar Slytherin¡¯s abilities, this was hardly a problem.

    For him, there was no such thing as impossible; the key was whether he wanted to do it!

    Although there was no direct evidence, Evan could be sure that Slytherin would not miss such an opportunity.

    Following this line of thought, he could assume that this magic was left by him. He used the properties of the ring, Resurrection Stone and Horcrux to split the soul of Riddle or, more urately, the descendant who met the various conditions he left behind, to help this descendant make a Horcrux.

    This was very likely. The question now was; what was his purpose in doing so?

    Slytherin couldn¡¯t simply be helping his own descendant create Horcruxes to make him more corrupt and evil; he must have had his own agenda.

    In other words, the Horcrux before him, made by fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, was unusual.

    Evan couldn¡¯t tell what was so unusual about this guy. In his eyes, Riddle was a young man with a bad personality, and very dangerous. He was good at disguising and seducing others. He was no different from the one he hade into contact with in the diary.

    Maybe the only difference was that he was not that evil yet, because he hadn¡¯t killed anyone¡­ perhaps, he didn¡¯t do it not because he didn¡¯t want to do it, but because he didn¡¯t have the chance.

    Before killing his father with his own hands, he had already been split.

    In a sense, Szar Slytherin did indeed save him.

    Before fate took its course, did Slytherin¡¯s intention involve saving his own descendant?

    After a brief silence, Dumbledore asked calmly, ¡°Tom, what happened after you became a Horcrux?¡±

    Evan had just thought about all this; he didn¡¯t know if he had considered it or if there were thoughts closer to the truth.

    ¡°You already know that, don¡¯t you?¡± said Riddle, with a smile on his face again. ¡°After I split off, he woke up again, and then ording to the n, he killed that man with the wand without hesitation, putting the me on¡­¡± ?

    ¡°No, I mean his thoughts at the time, what was he thinking?¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°Thoughts?!¡± Riddle paused, his eyes widening slightly, as if Dumbledore¡¯s question was strange.

    ¡°Yes, was it pain, sorrow, or excitement?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Riddle honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he was thinking.¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, there is a connection between the Horcrux and the main soul,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°You can definitely feel his emotions.¡±

    ¡°I have never felt that way,¡± said Riddle, a look of recollection on his face, and he shook his head slightly. ¡°There is nothing to hide. I wish I could sever my rtionship with him now so that you can let me go. In short, after splitting from the main soul, I never felt his emotions or thoughts again. You could say that although we¡¯re the same person, we have twopletely independent souls; I have nothing to do with him in this regard, which is also what makes me different from other Horcruxes. There must be something wrong with the magic of Death; it is not the normal way to make a Horcrux¡­¡±

    Evan frowned, this was indeed strange, and it was one of the unusual things about this guy.

    ording to his research on Horcruxes, the soul fragments in Horcruxes were split from the main soul, possessed all the memories, emotions, and thoughts of the main soul, acted ording to a specific trajectory, and were connected to the main soul. They could feel each other.

    Because of this, Harry could use the soul fragment in his head to know what Voldemort was thinking.

    Because Voldemort had split his soul too many times, his main soul had be extremely chaotic. Unless under certain circumstances, he no longer had the ability to contact other Horcruxes. However, as the number of Horcruxes decreased, he would find out sooner orter.

    It could be said that both the main soul and the soul fragments were the same entity, with only a distinction between main and subordinate.

    But the Riddle in front of him and Voldemort werepletely different entities, which was very abnormal.

    Without this connection, would he still be a Horcrux?!

    The only way to verify this was to eliminate all Horcruxes and Voldemort except him.

    If he still existed by then, it would really prove that he waspletely independent from the main soul and had nothing to do with Voldemort.

    It was too difficult, dangerous and uncertain to do this. From Evan¡¯s perspective, it might be better to just eliminate him directly.

    It would stick to the original n of defeating Voldemort without such unexpectedplications.

    He looked at Dumbledore, who was looking attentive, and sighed.

    It was certain that the headmaster decided not to do so.

    As long as there was a one in ten thousand chance, he would try to save this Tom Riddle and find out the truth.

    Of course, this would be while everything was still under control. If things were out of control, he would definitely destroy the Horcrux right away without hesitation.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange. What were your thoughts at the time ¡­¡± Dumbledore continued, ¡°after meeting your mother, and when you saw him killing your father with your own eyes?¡±

    ¡°No special thoughts, I was eager to do it, that man brought it upon himself.¡±

    ¡°Very well!¡± Dumbledore seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted and did not continue to ask.

    He nodded slowly, as if thinking about something.

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 Chapter 1089: Fostering Again

    Dumbledore seemed to be satisfied with Riddle¡¯s answer, which was really strange. What could there possibly be to be satisfied about?!

    Although there might be other reasons behind it, wasn¡¯t the idea of wanting to kill one¡¯s own father with one¡¯s own hands very dangerous?

    Even if Riddle in front of him didn¡¯t do anything in the end, just having such a thought made him very dangerous and evil.

    Evan was a bit puzzled, and so was Riddle.

    Although still expressionless, he became obviously more alert, looking at Dumbledore cautiously.

    ¡°Professor, do you have any other questions?¡± he asked in a very polite tone.

    He was still wearing his Hogwarts robes, and his tone was just right, not at all abrupt, not causing any displeasure.

    In a way, this version of Riddle was really quite endearing.

    He looked like an excellent student who was asking Dumbledore questions humbly, rather than the evil and terrifying Dark Lord.Fifteen-year-old Riddle was like this. He deceived everyone with this guise!

    ¡°One more question,¡± said Dumbledore gently. ¡°You just told Evan that you disapproved of him making multiple Horcruxes. So, you know that he is nning to make many Horcruxes? How many do you think he¡¯ll end up making?¡±

    ¡°This is what he ns to do. He believes that the more times the soul is split and the more thorough it is, the stronger he will be. There is no evidence to prove this, but there are countless facts that prove that splitting will make the soul be unstable,¡± said Riddle. ¡°So I disapproved of him doing this, but it was of no use. My suggestions were not adopted by him. In fact, after I was split, he seemed to be more evil. Now, more pure evil, moreplete evil, many things that he could only think about before, he can now do without any scruples.¡±

    Evan frowned, Riddle seemed to be hinting to them that after he was split from Voldemort, he became even more evil, bing the true Voldemort.

    In other words, he might have taken away all the positive thoughts from Voldemort¡¯s soul.

    This guy really did everything he could to get Dumbledore to let him go.

    Evan wasn¡¯t sure whether he was telling the truth, but it was enough to make him and Dumbledore hesitate!

    When they were preparing to destroy him again, they couldn¡¯t help but think, maybe this was a good Voldemort, a fifteen-year-old boy with positive emotions, maybe even a boy with love that Dumbledore valued¡­

    It was really scary. As long as they had such a slight hesitation, Riddle¡¯s goal would be achieved!

    A very clever hint, direct, effective, and difficult to distinguish between true and false; this guy really understood human nature.

    ¡°You just need to answer the question honestly,¡± said Evan disdainfully. ¡°Stop talking nonsense all the time.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Riddle politely. ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about the number of Horcruxes he will ultimately choose, I think seven is a very good number. Likewise, this number holds the most magical power, if he remains as I know him¡­¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± said Dumbledore with satisfaction.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ve said everything, Professor,¡± said Riddle humbly, still using that perfectly measured tone. ¡°I wonder how you feel! Will you forgive me? Give your student another chance?¡±

    ¡°Professor,¡± Evan suggested, ¡°I think it¡¯s better to destroy it directly!¡±

    Although this Horcrux provided them with a lot of valuable information tonight, and it was very surprising; he was still Tom Riddle after all, the young Voldemort. It was too dangerous to let him go like this!

    And Evan had an intuition that the guy in front of him was even more dangerous than the current Voldemort.

    Although he was only a part of the soul, he maintained his rationality and waspletely independent.

    Voldemort¡¯s greatest strength was not his magical power, but his intelligence and ability to confuse people.

    Although the contact time was not long, Evan obviously felt this in this guy.

    ¡°I have no power at all now. If you don¡¯t provide me with magic power, I can¡¯t even maintain this fragile form,¡± said Riddle pitifully. ¡°I ampletely under your mercy; would you be afraid of someone like me?¡±

    ¡°Even facing the strongest you, we won¡¯t be afraid,¡± said Evan disdainfully. ¡°But you¡¯re a Horcrux!¡±

    ¡°A special Horcrux, Evan. I just heard the professor call you that. This should be your name. Do you mind if I call you that?¡± Before Evan could answer, Riddle continued, ¡°You have also heard my previous narrative. I am nowpletely independent from the main soul. There is no connection between us.¡±

    ¡°I understand the magic of Horcruxes. As long as you continue to exist, Voldemort cannot be killed.¡±

    ¡°I have no connection with him, the connection here includes a connection in life,¡± Riddle continued. ¡°Of course, I know what you want to do. If you give me a chance, I will prove that there is indeed no connection between me and the main soul. Whether you destroy me or not, it doesn¡¯t affect your n. Just give me time and I will prove it to you.¡±

    ¡°But your existence itself is evil,¡± said Evan stubbornly.

    ¡°Evil?!¡± Riddle said, his body getting lighter, as if he might disappear at any moment. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what is evil about me? Evil deeds can split the soul, but I was not created that way. I didn¡¯t do anything; I was inexplicably split from the main soul by some mysterious Death, then locked in a cupboard for half a century. Then you suddenly show up now, saying that I am evil and saying that you want to destroy me. It¡¯s really ridiculous. No matter how you look at it, I am the victim¡­¡±

    If everything he said was true, the Tom Riddle in front of them was indeed very wronged.

    This was another essential difference between him and other Horcruxes. He had not been made through murder.

    From this point of view, he was really a special Horcrux, not as inherently evil as the others.

    In addition, he was independent of Voldemort¡¯s main soul, so they really had no reason to destroy him.

    It felt like unjustly killing a fifteen-year-old boy for no reason, but this boy happened to be the young Voldemort.

    If they chose to spare him, who knew what he would beter, would he turn into Voldemort again?!

    That was hard to say, Evan didn¡¯t have a specific answer.

    If he had to answer, he could only say that Dumbledore had changed a lotpared to half a century ago.

    If given a chance to nurture Tom Riddle again, perhaps everything would truly change¡­ or perhaps¡­

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 Chapter 1090: The Dream of the Desperate

    ¡°The power of those few drops of blood is about to be exhausted, Professor, I am waiting for your decision,¡± said Riddle confidently, seeming to have determined what Dumbledore would do. ¡°Oh, by the way, I hope that when you take the ring, you can take the photo of my parents with you. It is the only one left and is verymemorative.¡±

    He bowed to Dumbledore, his body like mist. It shook again and then vanished from the air.

    ¡°Quite impressive, isn¡¯t he?¡± Dumbledore murmured, walking to the cab. ¡°This is the fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, just as I remember him. He was the most intelligent student I have ever seen, adept at understanding people¡¯s minds. He knew how to please you just right, never making you feel bored, and he was very clear about what you needed, skillfully satisfying your desires to get what he needed in return.¡±

    ¡°Yet, also very dangerous,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Yes, also very dangerous. Overly powerful power requires a stronger mind to control it,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Unfortunately, Riddle¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t as strong as his power; he had many things he didn¡¯t understand and was disdainful of. He was greedy and cruel, sinking deeper into the quagmire of Dark magic. Part of this is our fault; for a long time, Hogwarts only taught students how to use magic, neglecting other aspects of education.¡±

    ¡°Professor, do you believe what he said?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think he deceived us. These things are very beneficial to him. There is no need for him to risk telling lies.¡±

    ¡°So he is a special Horcrux, a Horcrux that is independent and has no connection with Voldemort?¡± Evan paused and continued to ask, ¡°Is that still a Horcrux? What is the difference between this and a new soul?¡±

    ¡°If everything is as he said, there is no difference,¡± said Dumbledore simply, generously looking at the photo with interest. ¡°He is just Tom Riddle, fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, an ambitious, thoughtful, and powerful Slytherin student, not the Voldemort we know!¡±¡°But they¡¯re the same person; Voldemort is his future!¡± Evan argued.

    ¡°Apletely split and independent soul means he won¡¯t be influenced by the main soul, able to make decisions autonomously. His future has many uncertainties; he could grow into anything, Voldemort is just one possibility,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Of course, there are still many things for us to verify. Fortunately, we still have the chance, and we also have enough time. The situation hasn¡¯t deteriorated to the point where we must make an immediate decision.¡±

    Evan blinked, not knowing what to say. Dumbledore seemed to have decided to trust the other person again.

    What impact would a new Tom Riddle have on the world?

    In a sense, this incident was no less than the emergence of the evil god, and might even have a greater impact on the future of the Wizarding world.

    If there was enough energy support, Riddle could emerge from the ring, be corporeal, indistinguishable from a normal person.

    ¡°Look at this photo. It is full of tears. It was torn up and then glued back together. This is probably his contradiction. It is a psychological manifestation,¡± said Dumbledore, picking up the photo from the drawer. ¡°Like an ordinary little boy, he tried to hide his feelings for his mother and hide that he cried. Perhaps he felt embarrassed about it, but this is precisely a manifestation of his independent soul. Voldemort will not have this kind of contradiction.¡±

    ¡°Embarrassed?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we know that Riddle¡¯s true character is different. He is twisted and extreme. He hates his name, hates his father, and at the same time, hates his fate,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°But the paradox is that he has a crazy worship of his own blood and thinks he is lucky. He does not have that strong hatred for his mother Merope, and even thinks that she was great. Yes, he thinks the things she did were foolish but also great. Quite contradictory, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Evan nodded, acknowledging the contradiction.

    ¡°Believe me; Voldemort will never have such feelings. He will express his greed, ignorance and anger without any scruples, instead of trying to conceal them. He does not understand what love is, and he has never valued it, let alone cry,¡± said Dumbledore, gently running his fingers over the tear stains on the photo. ¡°Even if he faces his mother, he would have no scruples, but Riddle is different, or rather, The Riddle who just appeared in front of us is different. He has notpletely lost his humanity.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Professor, so we won¡¯t destroy this ring for now?¡±

    ¡°Well, he might bring us a surprise ¡­ something unexpected; and there is also a ce in Norway where he is needed. The magic left by Slytherin can only be activated by his descendants,¡± said Dumbledore, turning his eyes to the ring, aplex expression shing on his face. ¡°I must thank you again, Evan. If you hadn¡¯t stopped me just now, I would be dead. There is a strong curse on it that can take a person¡¯s life in an instant, and there is no way to break it.¡±

    He took out his wand, tapped the ring lightly, murmuring an incantation, and a green light shed. Then, he picked up the ring; the curse on it had been lifted!

    ¡°I heard you talking to him about the Resurrection Stone just now. You know much more than I expected!¡±

    ¡°I read about the description of the Deathly Hallows in the ck family¡¯s library. There¡¯s also the emblem of the Peverell family on the ring, so¡­¡± Evan exined.

    ¡°Everyone has their secrets, no need to tell me everything. In fact, the tale about the Deathly Hallows has been circting for centuries, and many people have tried to find them,¡± said Dumbledore nonchntly. ¡°Yes, indeed, this is the Resurrection Stone, a dream of the desperate. This stone is extremely dangerous, a lure for fools, and I am such a fool.¡±

    ¡°Professor, did you just see your sister?¡± Evan said. ¡°I heard you calling out the name Ariana.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw her, in some form, awakened from the world of the dead by the power of the Resurrection Stone,¡± he said, taking a deep breath. ¡°Ariana died because of me, and I have always med myself deeply for this¡­

    ¡°I must admit, for a moment there, I thought she had returned. I thought I finally had the chance to make amends to her, to repent for my sins,¡± said Dumbledore, his eyes clouding over again, his voice choked with emotion. ¡°But the Resurrection Stone didn¡¯t truly bring her back. It is only now that I realize it was just a dream for the desperate!¡±

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 Chapter 1091: Terrifying Time Magic

    The Resurrection Stone had the magical power to summon the dead back to this world. But the resurrected were not in the form of souls, nor memories, nor were they truly resurrected beings.

    They took on a unique form, capable of awakening the deepest sorrow in the soul of the person using the Resurrection Stone.

    Unable to make contact with the dead, this grief would eventually lead the person tomit suicide.

    Therefore, since ancient times, the Resurrection Stone had been a terrible weapon and a temptation of Death.

    As long as there was a memory of the deceased in the heart, there was no way to resist the influence of the power of the Resurrection Stone.

    Voldemort was made to cry by it, and Dumbledore was addicted to it and couldn¡¯t extricate himself. It was really scary¡­

    Looking at Dumbledore¡¯s nostalgic and sad look, Evan thought it was best not to ask about his sister or the Resurrection Stone in detail.

    Especially since this stone also involved the secret of the Deathly Hallows and Grindelwald, it was very sensitive.

    If Dumbledore thought Evan should know these things, he would divulge them.However, Evan felt that there was no problem in asking about Tom Riddle¡¯s encounter with Death.

    He had never known that the Resurrection Stone could split a person¡¯s soul into a Horcrux. No matter how he thought about it, it was incredible.

    ¡°Professor, Riddle just said that he entered the world of Death through the Resurrection Stone?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°Oh, yes, he entered that strange world and saw the spirit of Death!¡± Dumbledore pondered, slowly speaking. ¡°It sounds amazing, doesn¡¯t it? We must admit, the timing of Death¡¯s appearance was perfect. Although it split Tom¡¯s soul, it actually saved him, at least a part of his soul. This was the main reason why he was confident that I could spare him, from the perspective of the soul, he is Voldemort before his fall¡­¡±

    ¡°But why would Death do that? Who is he?¡± said Evan. ¡°I mean, this ring has been passed down for so long, from the Peverell family to the Slytherin family, and then to the Gaunt family, with thousands of years of history, countless owners, yet besides Riddle, no one has encountered such an anomaly. Just as he acquired the ring, his soul was split, which sounds highly unusual.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is very abnormal; you have hit the crux of the matter, Evan,¡± said Dumbledore calmly, carefully examining the ring in his hand. ¡°This is the most inexplicable part of his story. Unless he¡¯s lying, I lean toward the idea that the magic formed by the ring and the Resurrection Stone was specifically prepared for Tom. Death was waiting for him, so when he appeared, the magic was activated, splitting his soul¡ªentrapping the part that entered the ring due to his love and sorrow for his mother, preserved in a special way, as a Horcrux¡­¡±

    ¡°This sounds like a deliberate protection for Riddle, seemingly harmful but actually a special safeguard,¡± said Evan, feeling more certain about his previous guess. ¡°The only wizard I know who has such incredible power and is willing to protect Riddle is Szar Slytherin, he once knew the story of hisst descendant from me. With that guy¡¯s character, he wouldn¡¯t just stand by and let his bloodline vanish.¡±

    ¡°Proud Slytherin!¡± Dumbledore agreed, his piercing blue eyes turning to Evan. ¡°In fact, since you went back to a thousand years ago and met the Four Founders, time and history have been altered! I dare say, in these past two years, I have found more magic and relics left by ancient wizards than in the past few decadesbined. That¡¯s the power of time magic.¡±

    ¡°It sounds terrifying!¡± Evan couldn¡¯t help but say, not at all surprised by altering history.

    He remembered what the Titan Cronos had said to him, that time magic was the most mysterious field of magic, with infinite possibilities and uncertainties.

    Time in this world was like a tangled web, and those within could not tell where the starting point was and where the ending point was.

    Countless timelines were intertwined with everything, independent of each other but influencing each other, and jointly shaping the entire world.

    Each historical event was like a link point on the web. Different results would lead history in different directions.

    Using a Time-Turner to go back and forth in time would change these key link points, redirecting history onto new trajectories.

    But at the same time, time had unique characteristics: different timelines were independent of each other.

    Because of the existence of these link points, different timelines ovepped and even influenced each other at specific time nodes.

    What happened in the past might be your future, and simrly, what happened in the future could be your past.

    Being too entangled and trying to figure out all the clues on the timeline would end up getting lost in time¡­

    For now, because Evan had only used the Time-Turner once, things were not thatplicated yet.

    In the normal timeline where Evan didn¡¯t exist, Slytherin also wouldn¡¯t know about Voldemort¡¯s affairs and naturally wouldn¡¯t leave any magic behind.

    So, fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle took the ring from Morfin and went to the Riddle Mansion not far away to kill his father and grandparents.

    He put the me on Morfin and returned to Hogwarts to continue his studies and find the secret of making Horcruxes.

    Before he killed his father with his own hands, he could only be described as a young man with a dark personality and extreme ideas.

    That was not surprising, considering the environment in which he had grown up.

    But after killing his father with his own hands andpleting the first murder in his life, hepletely degenerated.

    Regardless of whether there was love or other positive spirits in his soul, they vanished in theplete fall.

    Eventually, he became the terrifying Voldemort.

    And half a centuryter, Dumbledore came here toplete the redemption of his sins, paying the price with his life.

    But in the current time, Evan appeared and went back to Hogwarts a thousand years ago to meet the Four Founders. Many things on the timeline had changed and history had been altered.

    Thinking about it, as the four most outstanding wizards in history, after knowing the current situation of the Wizarding World from Evan, it was impossible for Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenw, and Hufflepuff to only leave tests and secret treasures and doing nothing else.

    They had their own ideas, their will and beliefs that needed to be maintained, and they also had the ability and power to change history.

    Put yourself in their shoes. If Evan had this opportunity, he would certainly do something as well.

    Of course, as an insignificant part of the timework, he now only felt the dread¡­

    Dreadful time magic, no wonder the Ministry of Magic was strict in regtion, prohibiting all wizards from researching it.

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 Chapter 1092: Nurmengard

    In the current timeline, Evan returned to Hogwarts a thousand years ago in the first year and met Slytherin.

    But by then, it had been over half a century since Tom Riddle acquired the ring in this small shack and killed his father.

    Before Evan returned to a thousand years ago, Slytherin did not know about Voldemort¡¯s appearance, so naturally he would not leave any magic behind.

    Therefore, a part of Tom Riddle¡¯s soul would not be split and saved. This was past history. But after Evan returned, everything changed drastically.

    Slytherin left behind magic, and this Horcrux became what it was today, which was the future to Evan of that time.

    That was how time magic worked, making it impossible to tell where the beginning and the end were.

    Past history could be changed into a new future, continuing to influence further, more distant futures.

    And this was just the simplest change. If Evan were to get that Time-Turner and constantly travel back and forth in different timelines, with no difference in time between leaving and returning, it would probably bepletely indistinguishable.

    There would be no way to say which one was the current Evan, which one was the past, and which one was the future. But undoubtedly, every change would have an impact on the timeline.He was not a Time Titan, so in the end, his existence might even be affected, or he might get lost in the flow of time. Evan dared not think about it further¡­

    He decided that even if he got the Time-Turner, he would use it cautiously, intervening in Time as little as possible.

    ¡°It is indeed terrifying, so we should use magic with reverence, especially when wielding powerful forces. We must not lose sight of our original intentions,¡± said Dumbledore, putting the ring back on his right hand. ¡°Well, Evan, we¡¯ve been dyed here for quite a while, it¡¯s time to set off to meet Caresius!¡±

    Because of Tom Riddle, it was better for Dumbledore to keep the ring for now.

    He knew how to deal with the Resurrection Stone and Riddle. He wouldn¡¯t be easily tempted by Riddle, but instead, he could investigate the truth thoroughly.

    Riddle said he would prove that he and Voldemort¡¯s souls were not connected. Evan also wanted to see how he would prove it.

    Putting aside the ring for now, it seemed that the only Voldemort¡¯s Horcruxes left were Harry, the statue of the evil god and Hufflepuff¡¯s Golden Cup.

    Among them, the easiest to deal with was Hufflepuff¡¯s Cup.

    It was kept in Betrix¡¯s vault in Gringotts. It was almost impossible for her to take out the Golden Cup on her own initiative. It seemed that they would have to make a trip to Gringotts. Although Gringotts was heavily defended, it was nothing for Dumbledore or Evan with their current strength.

    The Golden Cup was the easiest; the remaining pieces were very troublesome.

    Especially the statue of the evil god; it was not only a Horcrux, but also a huge factor of instability.

    So, the most important thing at the moment was still to quickly find the clues left by the Four Founders and resolve the trouble of the evil god.

    The top priority was the remnants left by Slytherin in the vampire family, especially where Voldemort obtained the secret of the evil god.

    ¡°Well, professor, you said before that Caresius was receiving treatment from Grindelwald?¡± Evan looked up and asked.

    ¡°Vampires are very powerful creatures. Most of their injuries can be recovered by supplementing blood intake, but there is a mysterious magic power in Caresius¡¯s body that affects him. It is a kind of curse rted to Death¡­¡± said Dumbledore, waving his wand, seemingly signaling, and Fawkes appeared above them. ¡°That curse does not belong to Voldemort, nor does it belong to the evil god. It was left by Gellert in the building of the Hall of Valor.¡±

    ¡°Voldemort got the power left by Grindelwald?¡±

    ¡°No, he merely used the residual power left by him. The flying Valkyries in the hall were part of it,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°It is a kind of miraculous power, rted to Death¡­¡±

    This was the second time Dumbledore had said this. The Hall of Valor and the Valkyries themselves were rted to Death, souls, and resurrection.

    These words were all very sensitive, making people¡¯s minds wander.

    But since it was rted to Death, Dumbledore had never thought of asking Grindelwald to resurrect his sister.

    If there was such a possibility, he would definitely not give up. So, this was enough to show that these powers rted to Death were not like the Horcruxes made by Voldemort or the Resurrection Stone, which conquered Death or brought Resurrection, but rather used the power of Death to kill the opponent.

    ¡°What are these powers rted to Death?¡± Evan asked, hoping that Dumbledore could make it clearer.

    ¡°It is a weapon,¡± said Dumbledore seriously. ¡°I told you before in Norway that Gellert is not afraid of death like Voldemort, trying to conquer it or escape it. He is not interested in it, or looks down upon it. What he values more is power, strong power. Every research he did was to make himself stronger. He also wanted to obtain the Resurrection Stone, yet not really to resurrect anyone; but to use it to create arge number of Inferi. The same is true for the power we saw in the Hall of Valor. He tried to use those Valkyries to create a powerful army of the dead¡­¡±

    So, it was this kind of power rted to Death, just hearing about it was quite unpleasant.

    In order to conquer Death, Voldemort finally turned himself into a greedy monster.

    As the Dark Lord, Grindelwald was also a madman, or morepletely mad.

    He only regarded Death as a weapon to make himself even more powerful, and he hoped to use the power of Death to conquer the world.

    Of course, Grindelwald was much easier to deal with than Voldemort.

    His mindset required him to ensure he was the strongest. When a wizard stronger than him appeared, like Dumbledore, Grindelwald quickly lost everything, was defeated, and imprisoned, unlike Voldemort, who still had chances to return.

    Therefore, in terms of madness and evil, Voldemort and Grindelwald were indistinguishable from each other.

    But when it came to being difficult to deal with, Voldemort was far more challenging than his predecessor!

    ¡°That was the Gellert of the past. During the years he was imprisoned, he must have repented for his past actions. That¡¯s why he agreed to help me treat Caresius this time,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Well, Evan, hold on tight. We are going to Nurmengard, which is quite a distance from here¡­¡±

    Nurmengard, founded by Grindelwald, was once his base camp, a dark fortress to imprison his opponents.

    After Dumbledore defeated him, it was taken over by the German Ministry of Magic and became a wizarding prison as famous as Azkaban.

    Although it was not established for a long time, many extremely vicious prisoners were detained there.

    Moreover, the most terrifying thing was the guards of Nurmengard¡­

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 Chapter 1093: For the Greater Good

    Like Azkaban, there was very little information about Nurmengard in the Wizarding World, and some were only rumors.

    Among these rumors, the most frightening and at the same time the most mythical was that of the guards of Nurmengard.

    Some people said that those guards, like the Dementors in Azkaban, were nightmare monsters from the deepest depths of hell, and no one could resist them.

    Others said that Nurmengard¡¯s guards were dreadful curses, incarnations of Death himself.

    No matter what the rumors themselves were and what the truth behind them was, one thing could not be denied, that was, all the prisoners who tried to escape Nurmengard eventually died, disappeared from the world, and never appeared again.

    But no one knew what Nurmengard actually looked like and what kind of creatures its guards were.

    Only those who had been there personally knew the specific conditions there and how terrifying it was, and it was a topic of fascination among ordinary wizards.

    Whether it was its past or present, the imprisonment of criminals or the legendary tales hidden within its walls, Nurmengard remained shrouded in mystery.

    Evan originally thought he would see a chilling and terrifying building like Azkaban, with fearsome jailers wandering the ruins, sucking away all joy and vitality from thend, leaving behind only fear and despair.But no, he and Dumbledore Apparated, and what appeared in front of them was a deste town.

    Though in disarray, there were still traces of human activity, but it was just not that pleasant.

    Speaking of which, this ce was a bit like Knockturn Alley.

    In the darkness of night, filthy alleys extended in all directions, with nothing but darkness visible at their ends.

    The ground was littered with debris resembling g, and the shops and houses lining the streets were all constructed from ck rocks, haphazardly and irregrly, resembling grotesque monsters with their whimsical, rule-defying shapes, each seeming to bear teeth and ws.

    As for the shops themselves, they were all Dark Magic shops.

    In the storefront window closest to Evan, shrunken heads were disyed, arranged in rows, with faces painted with different oil paints, awaiting customers¡¯ selections.

    There was a corpse hanging outside the house next to the shop. The corpse was covered with wounds and the skin had been cruelly peeled off.

    Evan stared for a while but couldn¡¯t discern what kind of creature it was.

    It looked a bit like a human being, a dismembered corpse, but there were two big horns on its head.

    Dark red blood and unknown mucus slowly flowed downwards along the corpse andnded on the ground, making a dripping sound.

    This was the only sound Evan heard. Apart from that, there was no sound at all in this terrible town.

    Even though it waste at night, this was still unusual.

    The surroundings were deathly silent, even the sound of the wind stopped here.

    At the end of the alley, figures swayed, and several hooded wizards hurried past, proving that there were still living people here.

    But no one dared to speak, even holding their breath for fear of waking up some terrible monster.

    ¡°Professor, is this Nurmengard?¡± Evan whispered. ¡°It looks like a gathering ce for Dark Wizards.¡±

    ¡°This is a small town outside Nurmengard, called Gadeburg,¡± said Dumbledore, leading Evan down a narrow alley. ¡°When Gellert was at the height of his power, he built Nurmengard as a symbol of his evil rule, the strongest fortress of dark forces. Many Dark wizards and greedy individuals flocked here. Most of them did not have the strength or qualifications to join Gellert¡¯s army, but he did not drive them away. Instead, he allowed them to stay on the outskirts of Nurmengard. Eventually, it developed into the town you see before us. After Gellert¡¯s failure, this town was not abolished. Instead, it became thergest gathering point of Dark Wizards in Germany.¡± ?¨¤

    ¡°The German Ministry of Magic doesn¡¯t intervene?¡± said Evan in surprise. ¡°They allow Dark Wizards to gather here?¡±

    ¡°Existence is rational, Evan. We abhor Dark Magic, oppose the use of those evil spells, but that does not mean everyone does, and it is impossible to erase a category of magic that has been passed down for thousands of years,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°In a way, it is like Knockturn Alley and the Underworld in Ennd, you have been there, the Ministry of Magic allows them to exist, but they cannot cross certain lines.¡±

    Indeed, that was the case. The Wizarding World wasn¡¯t simply ck and white, nor was it as straightforward as Hogwarts, with clear rules forbidding students from studying Dark Magic, unanimously regarded as undesirable and resisted, not openly discussed.

    In the real Wizarding society, the lines between good and evil were blurred.

    Light and darkness intertwined, coexisting.

    It was unrealistic and impossible to eliminate all Dark Wizards and Dark Magic.

    As long as they didn¡¯t engage in illegal and evil activities, the Ministry of Magic had no reason to arrest them.

    But if it was not evil, was it still Dark Magic?

    Moving forward down the alley, after passing a shop, Evan saw a towering building appearing in front of him.

    This building looked like a pce with many tall towers; the most eye-catching was the main tower in the center.

    The main tower stood tall and extended to the clouds, with no end in sight, inspiring awe.

    A mysterious atmosphere shrouded it, which seemed to be a kind of power. People who stared at it quickly shifted their gaze.

    To be honest, this building was nothing short of a marvel, a miracle built by Grindelwald.

    Nurmengard was located on an ind in the middle of ake, surrounded by a huge pool of ck water, calm and deep.

    Other Dark wizards in the town seemed to be afraid of thiske and dare not approach it easily.

    They hid in the dark doorways, and when they saw Dumbledore and Evan walking straight there, they all showed uncontroble panic expressions.

    What could be hidden in this calm ck water that made these Dark wizards so scared?

    ¡°That is the true Wizarding prison, Nurmengard,¡± said Dumbledore simply.

    Following his gaze, Evan looked at the pitch-ck main tower, where Grindelwald himself was imprisoned, repenting for his sins at the top.

    It could be seen from the fact that he treated Caresius that he had a certain degree of freedom.

    As a powerful Dark wizard, it was almost impossible topletely control him.

    So, Grindelwald being imprisoned here, confined in the fortress he built himself, was entirely voluntary.

    But Evan still didn¡¯t quite understand; not everyone was like Grindelwald, willing to be imprisoned in this Wizarding prison.

    This prison was so close to the gathering ce of Dark wizards. What protective measures did Nurmengard have to ensure that no one escaped from prison?

    Facing the main tower, the main building also extended forward on the ground, forming a symmetrical L shape between them.

    The main structure of Nurmengard was stretched out, spanning most of theke, built all the way to where they stood, which was also the location of Nurmengard¡¯s entrance.

    As soon as Evan walked over, he saw a striking sentence carved on it: ¡°For the Greater Good!¡±

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 Chapter 1094: Dumbledores Past

    ¡®<i>For the Greater Good</i>!¡¯

    This sentence seemed very reasonable and profound, but what exactly was the <i>Greater Good</i>?!

    No one could answer that; for different people, at different times, the greater good meant different things.

    For Dumbledore in his early years, the greater good was to prove his talents; exalting the glory of the Wizarding World.

    For the present Dumbledore, the greater good was to maintain the peace of the Wizarding World and repent for his past actions.

    For Voldemort, the greater good was immortality and conquest.

    For Minister Fudge, the greater good was the power in his hands.

    For Snape, the greater good was his love for Harry¡¯s mother Lily.

    For Barty Crouch Jr. and Betrix, the greater good was their master¡¯s trust.For a pure-blood Wizarding family like the Malfoys, the greater good was their family¡¯s power and pure-blood supremacy.

    For Evan, the greater good was to protect the ones he loved.

    Different people had different goals and needs, of course. But whenpared overall, one could argue that most of them ultimately boiled down to personal selfish desires.

    Putting aside whether these ¡®goods¡¯ were really great, after setting the goal, what needed to be done next?

    There was no doubt that for the sake of the greater good, everything else could be sacrificed, could be abandoned.

    But was this too extreme? How many people could really do it?

    ¡°For the Greater Good,¡± said Dumbledore softly, looking at the letters on the mottled stone wall.

    He looked nostalgic, and the deep wrinkles on his face made him look older than usual.

    ¡°Grindelwald carved it here and regarded it as truth. He gave a beautiful excuse for his actions and despicable behavior, hoping to prove to the world that his ideas and practices were correct.¡± Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°But this phrase is actually wrong. It is just an arrogant slogan of a young and energetic fool, used to deceive and blind his own conscience so that he can fall on the path of depravity, walking further and further, and ultimately pay a painful price for it¡­¡±

    Evan was not sure how to answer; he knew that this phrase had been originally proposed by Dumbledore himself.

    And the young and energetic fool he just mentioned referred to himself.

    Unlike the usually wise headmaster, Dumbledore¡¯s current appearance was too abnormal.

    Many things tonight had touched the deepest secrets hidden deep in his heart, awakening long-buried memories.

    At this moment, he looked extremely old, with severe mood swings.

    The Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows, Ariana who was summoned, Nurmengard where Grindelwald was imprisoned, and the slogan he raised when he was young, representing his dreams and regrets, were all the weakest points in Dumbledore¡¯s heart.

    When they all came together, one could imagine Dumbledore¡¯s current state of mind¡­

    Especially with the appearance of one of the Deathly Hallows, the Resurrection Stone, Dumbledore¡¯s dream for many years waspletely extinguished.

    His wish to resurrect his sister was in vain, and the summoned dead only made him sadder.

    Not surprisingly, Dumbledore would be tempted to use the Resurrection Stone again after returning.

    Once someone experienced the separation of life and death, no one could resist that temptation; it was human nature.

    In each cycle, he would be even sadder, and finally end himself and fall into the arms of death.

    Looking at the old headmaster, Evan suddenly felt the need to remind Dumbledore of this, and it was best to put the Resurrection Stone with him for safekeeping.

    He had no dead to remember, and the stone had no use for him¡­

    Though Dumbledore didn¡¯t borate on his own story, Evan felt it necessary to talk about it.

    ¡°Shall we go in, professor?¡± said Evan, looking at the tightly closed gate.

    ¡°No, Nurmengard is a Wizarding prison, and we have no permission to enter,¡± Dumbledore exined. ¡°Wait here, he wille out in a moment.¡±

    ¡°Professor, can you tell me, what kind of person is Grindelwald?¡± Evan nodded, finding the right point to start the conversation.

    ¡°A radical revolutionary, but it is undeniable that he was also a notorious Dark wizard, an extremely evil and dangerous person.¡±

    ¡°But he seems different from Voldemort?¡± Evan continued, pointing to the words on the door, ¡°¡¯For the Greater Good,¡¯ Voldemort would never say such a thing, even if it is an excuse. He wouldn¡¯t seek excuses for his actions.¡±

    ¡°Compared to Voldemort, he has indeed not lost his humanity or fallen into purer evil,¡± said Dumbledore with a sigh, looking at the top of the highest tower. ¡°I heard that he showed remorse when he was alone in a cell in Nurmengard in hister years. I hope this is true. Really, I hope he can realize the horror and shame of what he once did, I hope he can atone in repentance¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, haven¡¯t you seen him?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Dumbledore shook his head. ¡°We have never met since he was imprisoned. I am afraid of meeting him. Even during the duel between me and him, we never talked to each other.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid of Grindelwald?¡± Evan blinked; this was indeed unexpected.

    ¡°Yes, people say he is afraid of me, but I think I am more afraid of him,¡± Dumbledore replied. ¡°It sounds incredible, doesn¡¯t it? I am not afraid of death, nor his use of magic against me, but afraid of the truth?¡±

    ¡°The truth?¡±

    ¡°This involves my past with him. If you are willing to listen, we can talk about it. There is nothing to hide, although I rarely talk about this past with others,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°You know, Evan, my sister Ariana was frail and sickly, not by birth, but due to an ident. When she was using magic when she was a child, she was attacked by three Muggle boys who did terrible things to her. Since then, she lost control over magic, and it drove her insane. My father Percival was imprisoned in Azkaban for seeking revenge, and eventually died tragically there. My mother also gave up her own life to care for Ariana¡­¡±

    Although Dumbledore said it simply, the truth was much more brutal and far from glorious.

    His father killed the three Muggle boys with his own hands in order to avenge Ariana.

    Tortured mad, Ariana became an Obscurial, unable to control the magical power within her body.

    In the end, she killed her mother by herself due to an ident.

    At this point, with both parents dead, the family¡¯s reputation plummeted, and the task and responsibility of taking care of Ariana fell upon Dumbledore.

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 Chapter 1095: The Only Weakness

    Such a tragic experience was enough to crush anyone.

    Especially for a gifted wizard like Dumbledore, his childhood was not much happier than that of Tom Riddle.

    He had plenty of reasons to hate Muggles, and at the same time, he had enough power, conditions, and potential to be an evil Dark wizard.

    Not to mention, he was surrounded by many opportunists.

    These people advocated for pure-blood, believing that the glory of bloodline and Wizarding glory needed to be established on the oppression and conquest of Muggles.

    Because of the pure blood, the family¡¯s reputation, and what happened to Dumbledore¡¯s father and sister, they took it for granted that Dumbledore was also a Muggle-hater, and even praised his father¡¯s actions with relish. They wanted Dumbledore to be their leader.

    Just like Voldemort did, be the leader chosen by these people and lead them to regain their former glory.

    In fact, for a time, Dumbledore did have this tendency.

    Fortunately, he was Dumbledore, and he woke up at the critical moment. This was one of his great qualities.Perhaps, character was really innate. Regardless of fate and environment, some people were naturally inclined towards the light, while others would onlyin about the unfairness of fate, sinking step by step, and doing evil things as a matter of course.

    They chanted loud slogans and feltfortable harming others for the Greater Good.

    Just like Voldemort, his so-called pure-blood theory just turned him into a monster that everyone was afraid of.

    But Dumbledore was not such a person. He knew what love was, and he firmly believed that some interests were far more important than others.

    ¡°I do not want to portray myself as great, Evan, nor do I want to make excuses for my father¡¯s crime,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°But I must admit that at the time I resented all this, and I thought fate was unfair.¡±

    Dumbledore stated it baldly, coldly. At this moment, his eyes passed over Evan¡¯s head, still looking at the top of the tower.

    A narrow window opened at the highest point of the tower, and Evan didn¡¯t know if Grindelwald was there.

    Did he notice Dumbledore¡¯s arrival? Was he looking at his old friend there?

    They hadn¡¯t seen each other again for so many years since the battle of the century.

    But it was certain that they cared about each other because they had once sharedmon ideals; or rather, something beyond ideals, more pure emotions.

    ¡°At that time, I resented the injustice of fate. I was gifted, I was brilliant, I wanted to escape, escape from my responsibilities. I wanted to shine, I wanted glory,¡± Dumbledore continued, and pain crossed his face so that he looked very old again. ¡°But do not misunderstand me, Evan. I loved them, I loved my parents, I loved my brother and my sister, but I was selfish, far more selfish than the world could possibly imagine. ?

    ¡°ording to the tradition at that time, after graduating from Hogwarts, young wizards would travel around the world, visit and observe wizards abroad, visit famous wizards and learn from them, and then pursue their respective careers,¡± said Dumbledore in a sad tone., ¡°But I had no way to start. On the day I graduated, my mother died. From then on, I was left the responsibility of a damaged sister and a wayward brother. I returned to my vige in anger and bitterness. Trapped and wasted, I thought! And then, of course, he came¡­¡±

    ¡°Was it Grindelwald, Professor?¡± Evan asked softly.

    ¡°Yes, Grindelwald, you cannot imagine how his ideas caught me, inmed me. We were attracted to each other, and I must admit that he was the one destined for me. We shared the same ideals, lofty dreams, and everything he hadplemented my shorings perfectly.

    ¡°For the Greater Good,¡± Dumbledore repeated. ¡°This phrase was what I proposed at the time, perhaps slightly different from what you imagine. I initially assuaged my ridiculous conscience with these empty words. It would be all for the greater good, and any harm done would be repaid a hundredfold in benefits for wizards. To be honest, did I know, in my heart of hearts, what Gellert Grindelwald was? I think I did, but I closed my eyes. If the ns we were making came to fruition; all my dreams woulde true.

    ¡°As you may already know, we had many schemes, but the most central one was the Deathly Hallows! How they fascinated him, how they fascinated both of us! The unbeatable wand, the weapon that would lead us to power! The Resurrection Stone ¡ª to him, though I pretended not to Know it, it meant an army of Inferi! To me, I confess, it meant the return of my parents, and the lifting of all responsibility from my shoulders.¡±

    ¡°And the Invisibility Cloak¡­¡± Evan reminded.

    ¡°Yes, and the Invisibility Cloak, but somehow we never discussed the Cloak much. Both of us were powerful wizards and could conceal ourselves well enough without the Cloak,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°The Cloak would not offer us significant help, and we overlooked the most intelligent of the three Deathly Hallows. The true magic of the Cloak, of course, is that it can be used to protect and shield others as well as its owner. I thought at the time that, if we ever found it, it might be useful in hiding Ariana, but our interest in the Cloak was mainly that itpleted the trio, for the legend said that the man who united all three objects would then be truly master of death, which we took to mean ¡¯invincible.¡¯

    ¡°Invincible masters of death, Grindelwald and Dumbledore! I was so fascinated that I traveled around the world with Grindelwald to find information, filled with cruel dreams, neglecting the only two members of my family left to me.

    ¡°And then¡­¡± Dumbledore shook, and Evan hurriedly grabbed his arm. ¡°And then, reality returned in the form of my rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother. I did not want to hear the truths he shouted at me. I did not want to hear that I could not set forth to seek Hallows with a fragile and unstable sister in tow.

    ¡°The argument became a fight. Grindelwald lost control. That which I had always sensed in him, though I pretended not to, now sprang into terrible being,¡± said Dumbledore simply, tears once again dampening his eyes. ¡°And Ariana ¡­ after all my mother¡¯s care and caution ¡­y dead upon the floor.¡±

    Evan held Dumbledore tightly; he knew this was the truth Dumbledore feared to acknowledge.

    After facing so much, this had be the only weakness in his soul.

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 Chapter 1096: Dumbledore and Grindelwald

    Chapter 1096: Dumbledore and Grindelwald

    ¡°That was the most painful day for me. After Ariana fell to the ground, the three of us stopped and looked at everything in disbelief,¡± said Dumbledore in a sad tone. ¡°Later, Grindelwald fled, without hesitation, as anyone but I could have predicted. He vanished, with his ns for seizing power, and his schemes for Muggle torture, and his dreams for the Deathly Hallows, dreams in which I had encouraged him and helped him. Ultimately, I was left to bury my sister, and learn to live with my guilt and my terrible grief, the price of my shame.¡±

    Knowing Dumbledore¡¯s feelings for Ariana, the reason why Grindelwald ran away might be because of guilt, or because he was afraid of taking responsibility for the murder, but in short, he walked away and let things develop in the worst direction.

    If he had stayed at that time, thendscape of the Wizarding World would have undergone earth-shaking changes¡­

    ¡°Earth-shaking changes!¡± Evan repeated.

    Speaking of which, the wizarding world did need reform, but it should not be driven by careerists like Grindelwald.

    And certainly not by terrorists like Voldemort, whose horribly backward concept of pure-blood glory should have been eliminated long ago.

    Dumbledore was originally the most suitable person, but he had no intention of doing so. He was afraid of power and that he would make mistakes in the future. Moreover, he was too old and had spent too much energy on maintaining peace and stability in the Wizarding World.

    After Ariana¡¯s death, the two wizards who had once fought for the same goal took twopletely different paths.

    Dumbledore had lost his sister, paid a heavy price, and finally understood the meaning of love. At the same time, he also voluntarily gave up the pursuit of power and the idea of ??reform, and instead maintained and improved the existing order.Grindelwald continued to move forward ording to the original concept, bringing terrible disasters and endless pain to the world.

    ¡°Years passed,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°There were rumors about him. They said that he had procured a wand of immense power. I, meanwhile, was offered the post of Minister of Magic, not once, but several times. Naturally, I refused. I had learned that I was not to be trusted with power; I had proven, as a young and vigorous man, that power was my weakness and my temptation. If I were allowed to having power, it would lead to great folly.¡±

    ¡°Professor, you¡¯d have been far better than Fudge. If you were to be Minister for Magic, perhaps you could lead the Wizarding World through reform,¡± Evan paused for a moment, adding, ¡°Well, in apletely new way, not through war or the current methods¡­¡±

    Evan still had the same point of view just now. There was no doubt that with the rapid development of Muggles, the Wizarding World did need changes.

    Society was evolving, times were progressing. Maintaining the status quo would lead the Wizarding World to decline. However, the ambitions of individuals like Grindelwald and Voldemort, who sought to conquer the world, mixed with their personal viewpoints, were destined to fail. Using mild means to change traditional Wizarding concepts, discard backward traditions, and ultimately achieve integration with the Muggle World was the right direction.

    ¡°I am not so sure, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it, because only in this way will they not be lost in power,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Evan, you and Harry are both such people. If possible, I believe you could do even better.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Evan shook his head hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in power. If you ask me, Hermione is the most suitable candidate.¡±

    She was very smart, not greedy for power, not lost, and knew what she needed.

    Just like the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare she led, this was a joke to many people, but liberating house-elves, improving their rights, setting up an organization, and putting it into action was not something anyone could do.

    If Hermione were to be Minister of Magic, she would definitely bring new and good changes to the Wizarding World.

    Evan firmly believed in this, and he could also help Hermione.

    ¡°Miss Granger is indeed outstanding, but she still has a long way to go before taking on a leadership role,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°However, she also fits the criterion I mentioned¡ªnever seeking power. Only such people are best suited to wield it. As for someone like me, better stay away from the centers of power. I was safer at Hogwarts. I think I was a good teacher¡­¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t speak; Dumbledore was indeed the best teacher and the best headmaster.

    But it was undeniable that his desire to control power was still strong.

    Even after such a long time, he still hadn¡¯t gotten rid of his weaknesses. He was still a Machiavellian at heart.

    This was Evan¡¯s evaluation of the headmaster when he was in first year, and it remained true to this day.

    Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t tolerate anyone, anything, or any factor that transcended his control. He would do everything possible to understand everything.

    Under his gaze, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t do anything directly harmful to you, but it felt unsettling.

    And history had proven that for a wizard like Tom Riddle, this kind of attention was actually ineffective, or could have the opposite effect. There was no way to prevent him from falling step by step into darkness.

    ¡°Anyway, while I busied myself with the training of young wizards, Grindelwald was raising an army,¡± Dumbledore looked at Evan. ¡°This brings us back to the previous topic. People said he feared me, but less, I think, than I feared him.

    ¡°Not his magic, nor his power. I knew that we were evenly matched, perhaps that I was a shade more skillful. It was the truth I feared. You see, Evan, I never knew which of us, in thatst, horrific fight, had actually cast the curse that killed my sister. You may call me cowardly: You would be right. I dreaded beyond all things the knowledge that it had been I who brought about her death, not merely through my arrogance and stupidity, but that I actually struck the blow that snuffed out her life.¡±

    ¡°But ¡­¡± said Evan. ¡°it might have been Grindelwald, so he ran away!¡±

    ¡°I think the reason why he ran away was because of me. He knew what frightened me. He understood me and didn¡¯t want me to know the truth. He kept the secret in his heart forever and didn¡¯t tell it until the end,¡± said Dumbledore, wiping tears with his sleeves. ¡°And I, like a coward, dyed meeting him until finally, it would have been too shameful to resist any longer. People were dying miserably, and he seemed unstoppable, and I had to do what I could. At that time, I was the only one who could stop him¡­¡±

    Evan was silent, he thought a lot, but never knew the truth would be like this.

    Was Dumbledore¡¯s theory true? Grindelwald ran away because he was afraid of letting him know the truth?

    Thinking about it carefully, these two people really¡­

    Evan couldn¡¯t find the words to describe them. He could only say that they really understood each other and were willing to consider each other¡¯s feelings.

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 Chapter 1097: The Secret of the Vampires

    Dumbledore and Grindelwald, two people who were destined to be together, ended up turning against each other.

    But they were still friends, they still cared about each other, and they were still the one who understood the other best.

    Although they might not have seen each other or spoken to each other for nearly a hundred years, this special rtionship had never changed.

    Because of the encounter when they were young, the iprehensible rtionship started and had continued ever since.

    Whether it was Dumbledore or Grindelwald, their lives were full of legends, both being the greatest wizards.

    For the Greater Good, they both acted upon this statement with practical actions!

    Although none of their original ideas came true, they changed the world through their own efforts.

    ¡°You know what happened next, Evan. I won the duel, and I locked him up with my own hands.¡±

    There was another silence, Evan opened his mouth, and in the end he didn¡¯t ask whether Dumbledore had ever found out who struck Ariana dead.Dumbledore should already know the answer, but Evan didn¡¯t want him to say more.

    The two stood silently in front of the gate of Nurmengard, lost in their thoughts, until Caresius came out.

    He had a stern face and was wearing a set of pure ck robes. His face looked paler than usual and bloodless.

    Although he had just recovered, he was still the king of vampires, and his breath was colder than when Evan had seen him before.

    ¡°Caresius, have you recovered?¡± Evan asked hurriedly and walked over.

    Through the crack in the gate, he saw a pair of blood-red eyes appear in the darkness, devoid of any emotion, silently staring at him, seeming to evoke the deepest fear in one¡¯s heart, then with a snap, the gate of Nurmengard closed.

    The owner of those eyes was the guard of Nurmengard, a dark creature as terrifying as the Dementors.

    ording to rumors, they were monsters created by Grindelwald to conquer the world.

    Their exact appearance was not known as they remained hidden in the darkness, only their eyes visible.

    ¡°The magic has been undone, and the remaining injuries will gradually heal,¡± said Caresius, nodding respectfully at Dumbledore, and then looking down at Evan. ¡°Evan, I learned everything from Dumbledore. I must thank you for defeating the statue of the evil god that night. I was a fool to think I could destroy it, thanks to you¡­¡± ?

    ¡°It was actually Harry, if he hadn¡¯t seen you being attacked, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to arrive in time,¡± said Evan modestly.

    ¡°I will thank him. That boy, like you, has won the friendship of vampires!¡± said Caresius. ¡°By the way, how is ine doing recently? I heard that she went to Hogwarts with you, that has always been her dream.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her. We left Hogwarts early because of a little incident, along with Hermione,¡± said Evan. ¡°They¡¯re both at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, you¡¯ll see her soon. But let¡¯s talk about Norway, Caresius. What¡¯s the trouble with your family?¡±

    He must have talked about it with Dumbledore, but Evan didn¡¯t know the details.

    He hadn¡¯t had time to ask Dumbledore yet, but hearing it from Caresius might even be better.

    ¡°It is a seal, a seal left by Szar Slytherin. My family is the guard of this seal, and for centuries, we have been maintaining it with the power of blood,¡± said Caresius, sighing. ¡°It is our family¡¯s responsibility, and ine¡¯s parents gave their lives to maintain the seal.¡±

    ¡°Gave their lives?!¡± Evan didn¡¯t know this point. Did ine¡¯s parents die because of this?!

    Dumbledore did not participate in the conversation between the two. He kept looking at the highest point of Nurmengard¡¯s main tower.

    ¡°Yes, you know, the power of a vampirees from blood. If you want to be a vampire, you must go through the first embrace and reach a blood covenant. In simpler terms, the original blood of the first embraced is reced by the blood of a vampire,¡± said Caresius. ¡°This magic is usually performed by powerful vampires, but our n is a little different. When we reintroduce the blood back into the body of the first embraced, a little special blood will be added¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Special blood? What is that?¡± Evan looked at him in surprise. ¡°Where does this bloode from?¡±

    Evan was no stranger to the first embrace. After all, ine had always been obsessed with it, wanting to turn him into a vampire.

    But this was the first time he knew about special blood, which was not mentioned in any of the relevant magic books he¡¯d read.

    ¡°It is right there with the seal, this special blood is left by Szar Slytherin just like the seal. It is the proof of our n, our strong foundation,¡± Caresius exined. ¡°The magical power contained in this blood far exceeds the imagination of ordinary people. During the Embrace, we extract a drop and merge it into the body of the Embraced. The higher the fusion rate with this drop of blood, the greater the power and potential gained¡­¡±

    ¡°A rare kind of ck magic,¡± Dumbledore¡¯s voice sounded, and he looked away from the main tower. ¡°The transformation of the body requires the original magic power, and the transformed person needs to pay a considerable price, but there is no doubt that he will gain immense power. Voldemort has undergone this kind of transformation to be what he is now, but he did it more thoroughly. He was not satisfied with obtaining just a drop of blood, he took the whole body. If you ask me, this way of obtaining power is actually a curse.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is a curse,¡± said Caresius. ¡°In this way, my people and I have gained powers far beyond those of ordinary wizards and other vampires, but we also bear the responsibility of maintaining the seal and enduring the curse of fate upon us.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± Evan asked, still somewhat puzzled.

    ¡°This has something to do with the monster Slytherin left in the seal. It is a powerful creature. When we first embraced him and became vampires, we established a connection with him. Whenever the power of the seal weakens, we hear him speak to us,manding us to be his servants,¡± said Caresius. ¡°ording to legend, if the seal is opened and the terrible monster is revealed, all of our n will be his servants or be swallowed directly by him. All my people are afraid of him.¡±

    Evan looked at Caresius. If his understanding was correct, then the special blood actually came from what Caresius called a terrifying monster.

    That was the evil god, so there was that special connection between them.

    In other words, Caresius and his people used the blood of the evil god to be vampires.

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 Chapter 1098: The Body of the Evil God

    The night grew deeper, and the boundless darkness shrouded everything.

    Evan, Dumbledore, and Caresius stood in front of the gate of Nurmengard to discuss the matter at hand. What Caresius said sounded somewhat absurd and unbelievable, and the level of legend was no less than that of the tale of the Deathly Hallows.

    ¡°That monster¡­¡± said Caresius in a deep voice. ¡°ording to the records passed down in our family, his body is huge and twisted, difficult to describe. He seems to be spliced ??together from the corpses of countless creatures. His existence itself represents despair.¡±

    ¡°Made up of the corpses of countless creatures¡­¡± Evan remembered something.

    ¡°It is certain that it is a part of the evil god that Szar took away back then,¡± said Dumbledore softly.

    ¡°But that evil god was divided into a brain, eyes, and a body¡­¡±

    ¡°It is the body,¡± said Dumbledore firmly. ¡°A body made of flesh and blood, so it can provide blood.¡±

    There was a moment of silence. Evan felt they were getting closer to the truth!

    A thousand years ago, Szar Slytherin brought the body of the divided evil god to Norway. He sealed the eyeball in Hogwarts and also processed the brain, leaving the body being as the final part.Eventually, Szar sealed it there, deep in the frozen soil of Norway.

    Because this part of the body was too powerful, in addition to leaving a seal as usual, Szar also selected some wizards to guard the seal, that is, Caresius and his vampire n. Their power came from the blood of the evil god.

    It was the source of their power, the foundation of their strength, but it was also a curse that exined why they had to guard that seal.

    After all, once the seal was opened, the evil god inside would be out of control.

    This meant that the vampires who used the blood of the evil god for their initiation would be killed by the evil god, or be his servants. There was no way to escape, as this was a bond of blood.

    The evil god could sense the traces of the vampires who used his blood toplete their first embrace through the magic in the blood.

    Therefore, in order to save their lives, they had only one option, which was to maintain the power of the seal.

    The vampires should have a special secret method to strengthen and maintain the seal, allowing the magic to operate for a thousand years, unlike the eyeball monster, which had long lost its effect.

    But as time went by, even the most powerful seal would lose its effect one day.

    Next was the prophecy that ine had told Evan. The vampires firmly believed that someone would help them strengthen the seal.

    ine believed it was Evan, while Caresius and the other vampires chose Voldemort.

    After all, the person mentioned in the prophecy would carry Szar¡¯s items to prove himself, and both Evan and Voldemort met the criteria.

    What happened next was clear, and this was the main reason why Caresius wanted to help Voldemort.

    Of course, Voldemort was not the person mentioned in the prophecy. Instead of helping the vampires strengthen the seal, he just made things worse.

    Things were roughly pieced together now. If time magic was added, it would also exin why there were no vampires in the original story. Because Evan did not go back to a thousand years ago to meet Slytherin, he must have used other methods to deal with the evil god.

    In other words, all these things were tests left by Slytherin, rted to the key to his secret treasure.

    That was why the sealsted exactly a thousand years, and only began topletely copse just now¡­

    Things were now very clear, but there were still some details that needed to be rified, starting with the appearance and strength of the evil god¡¯s body.

    Evan asked his question, and Caresius exined, ¡°I have seen that monster before. To be more precise, it should be a memory left by my ancestors.¡±

    ¡°Where is that memory?¡±

    ¡°I gave it to Voldemort. If you want to see it, I can extract the images I saw,¡± said Caresius, sighing again. ¡°By the way, Evan, you have seen it too. Remember the time I used the Imperius Curse and Legilimency on you in ss? You resisted my spells and entered my mind, and that was the monster you saw.¡±

    ¡°Is it that guy?¡± Evan remembered very clearly because he was extremely surprised at the time, the impression was deep.

    He still remembered that in the memory of Caresius, he saw an endless abyss. The surrounding stones were all ck, jagged and closely stacked together, extending outward. At the highest point was a glimpse of endless darkness.

    As his eyes grew ustomed to the darkness, he realized there was something there.

    It was a huge alien creature, like a hybrid of the most terrifying creatures in the world.

    Its flesh was dark purple, made up of piles of rotten flesh.

    In the center was a humanoid figure, vaguely discernible, covered with barnacle-like structures, irregr holes one after another, making it look creepy.

    A little further up was brightly colored orange-red fur, like the patterns on a poisonous spider.

    A gloomy white bone-like spine extended downward, and from this center, a twisted and grotesque torso extended to all sides.

    Evan also remembered that he¡¯d seen many features of familiar magical creatures within it, but they were all distorted and surreal.

    It felt as if someone had mixed and chopped the carcasses of hundreds of magical creatures, and then haphazardly assembled the pieces of meat together.

    It could be said that this was definitely the worst creation in history, a terrifying nightmare monster that could give people nightmares with just one nce.

    For example, the stretch closest to the upper middle was a body that looked like a basilisk. It wandered downwards with no end in sight. Vaguely visible behind it was something like the head of a desated fire dragon looming in the darkness.

    The basilisk¡¯s body was no longer covered with beautiful dark green scales, but instead had purple wrinkled muscle textures.

    Every few feet, there were trembling, squirming tumors in blue or yellow, seemingly on the verge of bursting open at any moment, as if something was eager to break out from within¡­

    This was definitely not a pleasant memory. As Caresius said, this evil god¡¯s body represented despair and fear.

    ¡°It is made up of the corpses of countless creatures¡­¡±

    Evan¡¯s thoughts went further. He remembered being in the cave below their of Aragog, the king of the Acromants, where the eyeball monster was. He also saw a damaged mural depicting the terrifying Dark magic that turned mortals into evil gods.

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 Chapter 1099: Slytherinâ€™s Test

    Just like the First Embrace, this Dark magic also involved transforming the body to gain immense power. However, it was not as simple as changing blood to be a vampire or acquiring magic; it was about turning the entire body of the dark wizard into that of an evil god, transforming ordinary people into void monsters¡­

    It was truly terrifying, just the thought of it sent shivers down one¡¯s spine. How could such horrific magic exist in the world?

    Evan became more and more certain that the earlier murals he¡¯d seen were rted to this. The first step to bing an evil god was to collect the corpses of arge number of creatures, kill these creatures, collect their souls, and then put these corpses spliced ??together to form a terrifying flesh-and-blood monster¡­

    That was why Evan saw parts of humans, basilisks, fire dragons and other creatures on the body of the monster in Caresius¡¯s memory.

    That was the body of the evil god, and it was born in this way.

    So that was how this hodgepodge of flesh and blood came about, an evil god crafted by humans.

    The Dark magic on the wall was left by Slytherin. Together with the evil god and the basilisk, it was the harvest of his adventure in Greece.

    In other words, this magic was created by Herpo the Foul.

    Judging from the current situation, if nothing unexpected happened, Herpo the Foul had used this magic to be an evil god, the one that Slytherin disassembled.The most terrifying Dark wizard in history, after researching countless curses, basilisks and Horcruxes, achieved his immortality through this wicked means.

    Not only did he conquer death, but he also became even more powerful, ready to conquer the entire world.

    Compared with bing an evil god, making Horcruxes was nothing¡­

    Of course, Herpo the Foul might have split his soul to make a Horcrux before. Therefore, even Szar Slytherin didn¡¯t destroy it when he became an evil god; he could only dissect and seal it into three parts, each sealed in a different location.

    Although there was no direct evidence to prove this, Evan felt that it was very likely.

    All the events and deductions perfectly coincided and corroborated each other.

    A thousand years had passed, and the Horcrux of Herpo the Foul was identally damaged!

    He was no longer indestructible, which was why Evan was able to destroy a part of the eyeball monsterst time with the help of the magic left by Slytherin.

    Slytherin must have anticipated that such a day woulde and left the corresponding magic behind.

    So, it was likely that there were corresponding arrangements in Norway as well, and it was not impossible to destroy the body of the evil god.

    This was good news, but there was also bad news.

    Because the murals in the cave were severely damaged, Evan did not see the entire process of thisplex magic at that time.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if there was one in Norway, and Caresius didn¡¯t know either. He had never seen a mural depicting this terrifying Dark magic.

    ¡°My people and I cannot enter the core of the seal. The magic left by Slytherin is very powerful. Only his true descendants can enter,¡± said Caresius, hesitating for a moment, looking even more frustrated. ¡°Voldemort has been in there, I don¡¯t know what he got.¡± ?

    This news was really terrible. If the arrangement was the same, Slytherin must have left this terrible Dark magic in Norway as well.

    In other words, Voldemort was very likely to have obtained this magic and knew how to turn himself into an evil god.

    If he knew this magic, given his character, there was no reason for him not to use it.

    Not to mention, he still had the statue of the evil god in his hand, his new Horcrux. The evil god inside the statue would definitely help him, providing him with necessary guidance.

    The current situation was that Voldemort could potentially transform himself into a new evil god at any moment¡­

    Following this line of thought, more and more evidence proved this point.

    For example, that night in the Hall of Valor Evan heard what the evil god said to him.

    At the time, he thought the evil god was talking nonsense, but now he thought it was not the case. He told him at the time, ¡°As long as you join me, hand over the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and the <i>Book of Abraham</i>, I will help you be an immortal existence like me, just like I helped mypanion.¡±

    Thepanion here was definitely Voldemort. This was the agreement reached between Voldemort and the evil god.

    The evil god in the statue was helping him be his own kind, and he summoned him to this world¡­

    By then, they would join forces to conquer this world in an unimaginably cruel and evil manner.

    Things like his predecessor, Grindelwald obtaining the Deathly Hallows, and the Horcruxes he made himself, were all nothing inparison. If Voldemort transformed himself into an evil god, his level of evil would surpass imagination, and the degree of disaster would be beyond imagination.

    Evan was frightened by this terrifying spection, and he hoped that this would not happen.

    But then again, since Szar Slytherin had left behind such a dreadful magic, he must have made corresponding preparations.

    Otherwise, he would have left a way to break it. Perhaps this was also part of his so-called test.

    Troublesome Slytherin, he left behind the strongest Dark magic, along with this temptation and test.

    What level of strength did he really hope his students at the school reach to satisfy his requirements and hand over the key to the treasure¡­

    Under the current circumstances, it was necessary to go to Norway for an on-site inspection!

    Caresius just said that before the sealing magicpletely lost its power, only direct descendants of Slytherin could enter the core location.

    In other words, only Voldemort could enter it, and no one else could.

    Of course, they now had fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle!

    If the validation there was based on Parseltongue or soul, Riddle could also enter.

    Evan raised his head and nced at Dumbledore. Was that what he meant by preparation?

    So that was why he didn¡¯t destroy that ring.

    The body of the evil god, Slytherin, the seal, the ring, the Deathly Hallows, the peculiar Horcruxes¡­ Everything was too coincidental, so much so that Evan felt scared, as if he was falling into a design left by Szar Slytherin himself.

    All these coincidences pieced together gradually unveiled a shocking grand scheme.

    A n that started a thousand years ago; and all of them were just part of this n, just pawns.

    The terrifying Szar Slytherin, Evan previously thought that the test left by Ravenw was the mostplex, but now it seemed not. What Slytherin nned was truly shocking, and he didn¡¯t even have the help of a Time-Turner.

    From this point of view, Gryffindor was really a good person, so considerate of Evan, a junior in his own House.

    So he readily handed over the key to his treasure instead of designing oneplex test after another¡­

    Evan now hoped that the test of Hufflepuff, known for her kindness and benevolence, would not be so difficult, otherwise he would really be not sure whether he would have the time or ability to obtain those cookbooks she¡¯d left for him¡­

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 Chapter 1100: Getting the Resurrection Stone

    To rify these secrets and obtain Slytherin¡¯s Secret Treasure key, he had to go to Norway.

    Go to Norway, find the lost secrets, and destroy the evil god¡¯s body.

    If Evan¡¯s reasoning was correct, then Herpo the Foul would no longer be invincible.

    Losing the protection of the Horcrux and bing an evil god, he was still immortal and far away from death, but could be destroyed by powerful forces.

    By inference, did this mean that the evil god within the statue could also be destroyed?!

    Evan had visited Azkaban before and saw a horrific scene there. In the endless abyss under the ind where Azkaban was located, there was the corpse of a terrible monster, the corpse of an evil god.

    There was also the Whirlpool of Charybdis, the ce where the Time Titan fell, and the supreme god in charge of time would also disappear.

    From this point of view, nothing was truly immortal, even gods would perish¡­

    In the face of time, what was truly eternal?Dark wizards like Voldemort who tried to conquer Death were just a manifestation of ignorance and arrogance!

    ¡°Evan, I don¡¯t know the magic you are talking about, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, Caresius, we can discuss whatever you wantter. Believe me, discussing these matters in front of a heavily guarded wizarding prison is neither pleasant nor appropriate,¡± said Dumbledore.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°The Order of the Phoenix headquarters; ine is there. You know the address and you can Apparate there yourself,¡± said Dumbledore casually. ¡°You can stay there tonight, but I hope you can set off to Norway tomorrow to control the situation there as the patriarch of the Slytherin family and make some preparations to break the seal. I will tell you the details tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Caresius replied, then Disapparated with a crack.

    ¡°Well, Evan, tonight¡¯s adventure is over. Let me guide you back with Apparition.¡±

    He waved his wand, and Fawkes the phoenix appeared above the two of them with a low cry.

    Evan grasped Dumbledore¡¯s outstretched right hand, and before leaving, he looked up at the narrow window at the top of the tower not far away.

    In the next second, he was sure that a figure appeared there. Could it be Grindelwald?

    Before Evan could see clearly, a golden light shed and they returned to the small living room on the third floor of Number Twelve Grimmauld ce.

    Everything was exactly the same as when they left, with no changes whatsoever.

    Before setting off, Evan never thought that he and Dumbledore would experience so much tonight.

    The appearance of fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, Dumbledore¡¯s past, the secret of the vampires and the body of the evil god, the things that had been troubling him gradually became clear. Although still severe and arduous, the direction for resolution reappeared before Evan. ?

    ¡°Caresius and Sirius should be downstairs. You can go down find them in a moment,¡± said Dumbledore gently. ¡°Evan, I hope to use thisst moment to talk to you about what happened tonight. Things were far beyond what I expected, so first of all, I hope you can keep this secret, especially about Riddle.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Evan nodded.

    Needless to say, the matter of the Horcrux and the fifteen-year-old Riddle was highly confidential.

    But from the look of Dumbledore, although he didn¡¯t mention it, he seemed to hope that his past would not be told.

    It was obvious that Dumbledore, recovering from his grief, didn¡¯t want anyone else to know.

    The reason why he said it to Evan at that time was because he was too sad.

    Perhaps, he intended to let Evan understand something about the Deathly Hallows.

    But it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want others to know about his thoughts when he was young, what happened between him and Grindelwald, and the dark history of the Dumbledore family. He probably nned to take these past events to his grave.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Dumbledore with a smile. ¡°As for the second thing, it concerns the Resurrection Stone¡­¡±

    He stroked his right hand with his left hand, and the Resurrection Stone was taken off the ring and handed to Evan.

    ¡°Professor, what are you¡­¡±

    ¡°You are right, Evan, I am not qualified to possess this sacred object. It has only brought me despair and pain. Past history has proven this,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I hope you can keep it for me. You are the most qualified to own it.¡±

    Evan took the Resurrection Stone. He had been thinking about how to get it from Dumbledore.

    Unexpectedly, Dumbledore had already noticed this. Theoretically speaking, it would indeed be safer with him.

    In Dumbledore¡¯s hands, it would only make him sadder, and eventually, he would put an end to his life to be with his parents and sister.

    ¡°The Resurrection Stone cannot really resurrect the dead, but it is very useful in helping us understand the meaning of death,¡± Dumbledore continued. ¡°Evan, if therees a day when I am no longer here, I hope¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, you don¡¯t intend to do anything dangerous, do you?¡± Evan looked up at him in surprise.

    ¡°Do not worry too much. I do not n to sacrifice myself,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°But you have to understand that everyone will die. This is a thing that is in line with thews of nature and cannot be vited. Death is not the end, but the beginning of a greater adventure. We must wee the arrival of death equally.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I was just making a hypothetical statement. If therees a day when I am no longer here, I hope you can help Harry understand the meaning of death,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°You know what I am talking about. Yes, that is right. I originally nned to do this myself, to teach him what death is and what life is, but if I am not here¡­¡±

    Evan did not respond. Was Dumbledore asking him to help Harry understand how to face death calmly?

    He couldn¡¯t run to Harry and say, ¡°You must let Voldemort kill you so that he can destroy the fragment of his soul inside you. Oh, don¡¯t worry; you won¡¯t actually die because Voldemort used your blood for his resurrection. So, under the blood protection left by your mother, Voldemort can only destroy the Horcrux inside you, destroying his own soul.¡±

    Just thinking about having such a conversation was absurd. Evan couldn¡¯t do it; only Dumbledore had that ability.

    What on earth was Dumbledore nning to do, to entrust him with such an important task?!

    Although he said that he did not intend to sacrifice, many things were beyond his control, and this was not a good sign.

    Or was it just a coincidence that the Resurrection Stone and the matter with Grindelwald made him so sentimental?!

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 Chapter 1101: Brief Calm

    <i>¡®Sentimental? I hope it¡¯s so!¡¯</i> Perhaps after seeing Ariana¡¯s soul that was summoned back, Dumbledore had the idea to meet her, and he wanted to confess to her in person, repent of his mistakes and stay with her forever¡­

    This was very likely. The power of the Resurrection Stone itself was the temptation of sadness and death, leading the user to choose to end his or her life because of the nostalgia and sadness for the lost loved ones.

    Evan hoped Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t do this. There were still many things that had not been resolved! Besides, Hogwarts could not prosper without Dumbledore, he was the best headmaster.

    Apart from this, upon careful consideration, after Evan intervened to solve the ident of the Resurrection Stone and the Ring, Dumbledore really had no reason to die. Even Voldemort had no way to defeat him, and there was no situation that required Dumbledore¡¯s sacrifice¡­

    Even though he was very old, it was not a problem to continue for several more decades.

    The lifespan of powerful wizards was far longer than that of ordinary people. If willing, Dumbledore could even live on like Nics mel.

    And if Dumbledore was gone, he would surely have everything arranged.

    Evan could be sure of this, and then they would just continue moving in the direction nned by Dumbledore!

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it, Evan. What I just said was merely a hypothesis,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°I am sorry if it made you feel uneasy, but you have to understand, I just hope you can grow up quickly.¡±¡°I understand!¡±

    ¡°That is good,¡± said Dumbledore cheerfully. ¡°You, Hermione and ine will stay here during this period. Do not¡­¡±

    ¡°Professor, I want to go to Norway,¡± said Evan. Dumbledore wouldn¡¯t want to solve the evil god¡¯s body by himself, would he?! Based on what he¡¯d just said, could he know something and n to do something dangerous in Norway?!

    ¡°Once I can enter the core area of the seal, I wille back to take the three of you there. Until then, you should stay here and not go out; the Ministry is searching for you,¡± said Dumbledore seriously. ¡°Alright, Evan, everything that needs to be said has been said. There are some things I do not need to worry about; you have always been much more outstanding than I imagined. I believe in you.¡±

    He waved to Evan and vanished from the air again.

    Looking at the dimly lit living room, Evan calmed down. He put away the Resurrection Stone before walking out.

    After a night of silence, Caresius¡¯s return made ine very happy, and her mood quickly improved.

    Seeing Evan, Hermione, who was a little nervous, also breathed a sigh of relief.

    That evening, the atmosphere at Number Twelve, Grimmauld ce was undoubtedly pleasant.

    But as Evan expected, that night he slept alone, not likest night, when he slept with Hermione and ine on the same bed¡­

    The things left unfinished fromst night couldn¡¯t be continued tonight; he would have to find another opportunityter. Evan found himself alone, quietly contemting the events of the evening and taking the chance to study the Resurrection Stone.

    He took out the Resurrection Stone and tried to use it.

    There was no dead person that Evan wanted to see. There should be no reaction at all, but unexpectedly, Shukrya¡¯s slender figure appeared in front of Evan. She was the girl he¡¯d seen at the Owl Fortress before, the witch doctor shaman.

    She had been dead for hundreds of years and escaped the curse of the devil because of Evan¡¯s help.

    In the end, she left her tribe¡¯s sacred artifact to Evan, a magic item of great use that could help Evan feel the power of nature and transform into an owl in soul form, which helped him a lot in hister adventures.

    Perhaps out of sympathy for her experience, the Resurrection Stone seized the gap in Evan¡¯s heart to create sadness.

    It summoned Shukrya¡¯s soul back, silently floating next to Evan¡­

    Though it served him no practical purpose, it still made him feel ufortable.

    In a way, there was a faint sense of sadness filling the heart.

    This was the magic of the Resurrection Stone, one of the Deathly Hallows, and it was indeed powerful enough.

    As long as there were dead rtives, lovers, or friends, there was no way to resist its temptation.

    Early the next morning, Caresius left for Norway, and Sirius left soon after.

    Only Evan, Hermione, and ine were left in this old house. They spent the morning reading newspapers, and then went to the ck family library to find some books to read. In the evening, Sirius woulde back and stay with them.

    This went on for five days. asionally, other members of the Order would visit and bring them thetest news.

    Tonks came here almost every day. It was unbelievable that the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic were still looking for Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest and engaging in small-scale battles with the Centaurs. They were looking in the wrong direction and naturally could not find Grawp hiding in the cave.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Especially with Hagrid protecting him, the Aurors might not find Umbridge in the Forbidden Forest for the rest of their lives.

    In addition, unexpectedly, Evan also saw Fleur. She eventually found a job at Gringotts headquarters in London and was now being mentored by Bill.

    Her English was much better than before, but she was still so enthusiastic. As soon as they met, she kissed Evan hard¡­

    The dull but fulfilling days passed quickly. During the day, they discussed the current situation in the Wizarding World and Hogwarts. In the evenings, Hermione or ine woulde to Evan¡¯s room to have heart-to-heart talks with him. asionally, there were also nocturnal visits, sneaking into his bed.

    However, there had been no information from Norway, and they didn¡¯t know how far the cracking of the seal had progressed.

    But thinking about it carefully, Evan was really not in a hurry to go there. The current situation in Norway was veryplex, and going there wouldn¡¯t be of much use if the seal wasn¡¯t broken. They were still wanted by the Ministry of Magic, so staying at Number Twelve Grimmauld ce would be safer.

    Dumbledore had assured them that they would be involved once they entered the core area of the seal.

    To destroy the body of the evil god, they needed to activate the magic left by Slytherin. The Locket in Evan¡¯s hand, the wand in ine¡¯s hand, and the ring containing Riddle¡¯s soul were all key items. <i>The Book of Abraham</i> was also essential.

    Unfortunately, there was still no clue as to the whereabouts of the caduceus.

    As for Dumbledore himself, he never showed up after that night.

    Evan knew from Sirius that Dumbledore had not gone to Norway and there were still many things waiting for him to do in London.

    For example, deploying the Order of the Phoenix¡¯s recent operations, arranging things at Hogwarts, investigating Tom Riddle in the ring, and devising ns to lure Voldemort to show up and have a decisive battle in the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry of Magic, among other things.

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 Chapter 1102: Harry in the Fireplace

    Unlike the brief peace of Number Twelve Grimmauld ce, the atmosphere in the Wizarding World had been unusually eerietely.

    Since the announcement of Dumbledore¡¯s defection from Hogwarts, there had been notest news about him from the Ministry of Magic and the <i>Daily Prophet</i>.

    Fudge seemed to have lost his sense of purpose all at once and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    There hadn¡¯t been any decisive victories as anticipated, and the dire situation remained unchanged, with nothing but trouble left.

    Umbridge was missing, Hogwarts education reform was at aplete standstill, the escaped Death Eaters were still atrge, protests urred daily, the voices of distrust and dissatisfaction were getting louder, and many controlled Dark creatures were starting to make moves.

    Werewolves were bing more and more active. Not long ago, on a full moon night, they appeared and attacked a small vige.

    Many people swore they had seen vampires near their homes, even iming to have been bitten by them while sleeping.

    There were also Dementors; these dreadful creatures no longer seemed to be fully confined to Azkaban.

    Some people even said that they had seen dragons and giants near the coast¡­In short, it was a mess, and the Wizarding World seemed to have suddenly returned to the chaotic and dark Middle Ages.

    Of course, none of thisbined made people feel as ridiculous and unbelievable as the fact that the Ministry of Magic wanted to go to war with the Centaurs.

    When Rita Skeeter reported this news, people became outraged.

    They couldn¡¯t believe that with so many troubles unresolved, Fudge actually wanted to fight the Centaurs!

    Was he out of his mind?

    In such an atmosphere, Number Twelve Grimmauld ce weed an unexpected visitor.

    That night, Evan and Hermione were sitting around the kitchen table reading as usual, and Harry¡¯s head suddenly appeared in green mes.

    ¡°Thank goodness you two are here,¡± said Harry, visibly relieved.

    He was looking up out of the kitchen firece at the long, wooden table outside and saw Evan and Hermione sitting together.

    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione stood up from the chair immediately, looking very surprised. ¡°Is everything alright? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! How are you?¡± said Harry, but he didn¡¯t look too good. ¡°I just wondered ¡ª I mean, I just fancied a ¡ª a chat with Sirius¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s upstairs, with Kreacher!¡± said Evan, looking at Harry again. ¡°I¡¯ll call him down.¡±

    Evan left the kitchen and Hermione knelt down in front of the fire.

    ¡°Well, where¡¯s ine?¡± Harry asked in a deliberately rxed tone. ¡°I don¡¯t see her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping upstairs,¡± said Hermione.

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯ve been here since you left school?¡± said Harry, looking around.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    He felt rather sick, using the Floo Network in this way, and after the world was spinning, it was as though he was wearing an exceptionally hot muffler around his head.

    Moreover, his knees were already objecting painfully to their prolonged contact with the hard stone floor.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been staying here these past few days, haven¡¯t gone anywhere!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Harry, how¡¯s the school beentely?¡±

    ¡°Not good. After you two left, Hogwarts turned into a mess. The only good news is that Fudge can¡¯t find Umbridge, but he¡¯s set up a Special Reform Group to station in the school,¡± said Harry. ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t believe¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve read the newspapers,¡± Hermione quickly interjected. ¡°We know about this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you probably wouldn¡¯t expect Malfoy¡¯s dad to be in this group too. He showed up in Hogwarts Great Hall yesterday morning,¡± said Harry sarcastically. ¡°You and Evan should really have seen Malfoy¡¯s expression, he was so proud!¡±

    ¡°In this case, you should abide by the school rules,¡± said Hermione. ¡°Don¡¯t give them a reason to trouble you.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, Hermione, even if I don¡¯t do anything, they¡¯ll stille after me,¡± said Harry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay at Hogwarts. Since Dumbledore and you left, Fudge and the Ministry have started to go all out and interfere in the teaching and management of the school, you have no idea how many special Educational Decrees the Special Reform Group issued in a day. They¡¯re not much better than Umbridge, and they even asked Slytherin students to maintain order in the school and gave them a name: The Inquisitorial Squad.¡±

    ¡°The Inquisitorial Squad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s said to be an idea left by Umbridge. She mentioned this in her letter to Fudge. This Inquisitorial Squad is a select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic. The group is supposed to ensure order among students and even has the power to dock points from prefects. ¡°

    ¡°This is ridiculous. The prefect system¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ is practically nonexistent now. This is the current state of Hogwarts. Everything is in chaos,¡± said Harry with an eager expression on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stay here. If I go over now, I can¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Harry!¡± Hermione interrupted him hastily. ¡°You can¡¯t leave Hogwarts.¡±

    ¡°Harry, I can understand how you feel right now, but you need to stay there,¡± Sirius followed Evan quickly into the kitchen, and when he heard this, he also knelt down like Hermione in front of the firece, and said in a soothing tone, ¡°I know it¡¯s hard, I¡¯m not telling you to blindly follow the rules, but you must learn to be patient.¡±

    ¡°Patient?!¡± Harry¡¯s tone was a little strange, as if he was on the verge of breaking out. ¡°How long do I have to endure?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost over,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°You all left Hogwarts to join the Order of the Phoenix, leaving me here alone¡­¡± Harry raised his voice.

    ¡°We had no choice but to leave. Besides, we didn¡¯t leave you alone, there¡¯s still Ron.¡±

    ¡°I had a row with himst night,¡± said Harry, and then fell silent.

    ¡°Why?¡± Hermione looked at him worriedly.

    ¡°Because of the D.A. activities, after you two left, I wanted to reorganize it,¡± Harry sighed. ¡°But the current situation is that some people are willing to continue, and some want to quit. The Ministry¡¯s evidence against Dumbledore includes the formation of an army, and everyone is worried¡­¡±

    ¡°Ron wants to quit?¡± said Hermione in surprise. ¡°He won¡¯t do that!

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say that explicitly, but it was almost the same. Lavender¡¯s very worried, don¡¯t know what she said to him, so he came over and told me that we¡¯d better not do any activities recently. He didn¡¯te to the meeting the night before yesterday,¡± said Harry. ¡°There¡¯s also Cho¡¯s friend, that girl named Marietta. She seems terrified. If it weren¡¯t for the fear of the magic left by Evan, she would definitely have snitched. When Cho saw me this time, she kept talking about her. All in all, nothing goes well.¡±

    ¡°Are there still people going to the D.A. meetings?¡±

    ¡°Fred, George, Jordan, the Creevey brothers, Neville, Ginny, they¡¯re all still in, as well as Angelina and a few others. But those who are close to Lavender didn¡¯t show up, and all the lower-year students and those whose family members work at the Ministry have all quit,¡± Harry sighed again. ¡°From Ravenw, there¡¯s still Luna, and Ginny¡¯s boyfriend, who was probably forced toe here by her, and that first-year girl from Hufflepuff, the one who¡¯s really good at Quidditch¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1103: Snapes Memory

    Chapter 1103: Snape''s Memory

    ¡°There are still a lot of people left!¡± Hermioneforted him.

    ¡°Yeah, there are a lot of people left,¡± said Harry, his mood didn¡¯t seem to have improved much. What he really cared about was that Ron and Cho didn¡¯t go. ¡°During the meetingst evening, we practiced the spells that Evan had taught before. Everyone did pretty well.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, and anyone could tell that Harry¡¯s mood was not very high.

    ¡°Sirius, I came here today because I wanted to talk to you¡­¡±

    Boom, a violent vibration came from the firece.

    ¡°What¡¯s this sound?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Fred and George. I asked them to help me buy some time for this meeting,¡± said Harry nonchntly. ¡°¡¯I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re nning to do, probably setting off custom fireworks and firecrackers. They think since Dumbledore isn¡¯t at school, they don¡¯t need to follow the rules, so starting four days ago, Hogwarts has been filled with Weasley¡¯s Wizard Wheezes magic fireworks, running rampant everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Oh my ¡­, don¡¯t the professors do anything?¡±

    ¡°The Heads of Houses haven¡¯t intervened, and no one can catch them. I don¡¯t know how they did it, but these fireworks are hard to dispel and only seem to be multiplying. ¡°¡°They¡¯ve cast a lot of counter-curses on the fireworks. For example, if they¡¯re hit by Stupefy, they¡¯ll explode directly; if Evanesco is used, the fireworks will increase tenfold,¡± said Evan with interest. ¡°Fred and George have great ideas, and the prank fireworks they created are amazing. Of course, using some advanced spells will still solve them¡­¡±

    Hermione red at him. It was not something to be proud of.

    ¡°Harry, you just said you wanted Fred and George to buy time for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I need them to cause a diversion so that I can smoothly enter Umbridge¡¯s office and use her firece. Oh, this is now the headquarters for the Inquisitorial Squad. As you know, all the other fireces in the school are monitored by the Ministry of Magic and cannot be used, except for Umbridge¡¯s,¡± said Harry. ¡°She left herself a backdoor to her office.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t do that,¡± said Hermione immediately.¡±You¡¯ll get into big trouble.¡±

    Harry ignored her, still looking at Sirius. ¡°Sirius, I want to talk to you about my dad.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Sirius looked at him, having remained silent until now.

    ¡°Last night, I went to Snape¡¯s office for tutoring. Malfoy suddenly burst in and called him away. They seemed to have found the missing Montague jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor. It was done by Fred and George,¡± said Harry quickly, his breathing gradually getting faster. ¡°After Snape left, I couldn¡¯t help but look at the Pensieve he left behind. Before teaching me lumency, he always keeps some memories in there¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you see something about James?¡± Sirius looked at him. ¡°In Snape¡¯s memory.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Harry nodded, his expression bing increasingly mncholic. ¡°Listen to me, Sirius!¡±

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­

    At this moment, Harry was the only one left in Snape¡¯s office, and the silver-white substance was ebbing and swirling in the Pensieve not far away.

    Harry knew those were Snape¡¯s thoughts, things that Snape didn¡¯t want him to see if he identally broke through his defenses.

    Harry gazed at the Pensieve, curiosity welling inside him¡­ What was it that Snape was so keen to hide from Harry?

    He took two steps toward the desk, thinking hard.

    Could it possibly be information about the Department of Mysteries that Snape was determined to keep from him?

    Or was it rted to Voldemort?

    Look at what he did in the school after the headmaster, Evan and the others left, colluding with Lucius Malfoy.

    The more he thought about it, the more Harry felt that there was a possibility that maybe he would discover some great secret.

    He looked over his shoulder, his heart now pumping harder and faster than ever.

    How long would it take Snape to release Montague from the toilet? Would hee straight back to his office afterward, or apany Montague to the hospital wing? Surely thetter ¡­ Montague was Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team; Snape would want to make sure he was all right¡­

    Harry walked the remaining few feet to the Pensieve and stood over it, gazing into its depths. He hesitated, listening, then pulled out his wand again. The office and the corridor beyond werepletely silent. He gave the contents of the Pensieve a small prod with the end of his wand.

    The silvery stuff within began to swirl very fast. Harry leaned forward over it and saw that it had be transparent.

    He was, once again, looking down into a room as though through a circr window in the ceiling; he was looking down upon the Great Hall¡­

    The Great Hall? It was different from what he initially expected. What was going on?

    For a moment, Harry felt torn. Reason told him not to continue. Snape could be back at any moment ¡­ but Harry thought of Evan and Hermione¡¯s departure, of his anger towards Ron, of Cho¡¯s iprehension, and ¡­ of Malfoy¡¯s jeering face.

    The next moment a reckless daring seized him.

    He took a great gulp of breath and plunged his face into the surface of Snape¡¯s thoughts. At once, the floor of the office lurched, tipping Harry headfirst into the Pensieve¡­

    He was falling through cold ckness, spinning furiously as he went, and then ¡­ he was standing in the middle of the Great Hall.

    But the four House tables were gone. Instead there were more than a hundred smaller tables, all facing the same way, at each of which sat a student, head bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment.

    The only sound was the scratching of quills and the asional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment.

    Doubts arose deep within Harry, it was clearly exam time.

    Sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light.

    Harry looked around carefully. Snape had to be here somewhere¡­ This was his memory.

    And there he was, at a table right behind Harry.

    Harry stared. Snape-the-teenager had a stringy, pallid look about him, like a nt kept in the dark. His hair wasnk and greasy and was flopping onto the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled.

    Harry moved around behind Snape and read the heading of the examination paper:

    DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS ¡ªn/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL

    So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Harry¡¯s own age. His hand was flying across the parchment.

    The questions didn¡¯t seem to trouble him; he wrote quickly, without hesitation. He had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.

    It seemed that young Snape, like Hermione, was the type to excel academically, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was a subject he was good at.

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 Chapter 1104: Past and Everyday Life

    The Ordinary Wizarding Level Exam, why did Snape hide this memory?

    Harry¡¯s curiosity grew stronger as he nced around, feeling an inexplicable sense of anticipation and longing deep within.

    Snape and his father were in the same year. If this were the site of the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examinations that year¡­

    ¡°Five more minutes!¡± The voice made Harry jump.

    He turned and saw the top of Professor Flitwick¡¯s head moving between the desks a short distance away.

    Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy ck hair ¡­ very untidy ck hair¡­

    Harry¡¯s heart raced. He moved so quickly that, had he been solid, he would have knocked desks flying.

    Instead he seemed to slide, dreamlike, across two aisles and up a third.

    The back of the ck-haired boy¡¯s head drew nearer and nearer¡­ He was straightening up now, putting down his quill, pulling his roll of parchment toward him so as to reread what he had written¡­Harry stopped in front of the desk and gazed down at his fifteen-year-old father.

    Excitement exploded in the pit of his stomach: It was as though he was looking at himself but with deliberate mistakes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    James¡¯s eyes were hazel, his nose was slightly longer than Harry¡¯s, and there was no scar on his forehead, but they had the same thin face, same mouth, same eyebrows. James¡¯s hair stuck up at the back exactly as Harry¡¯s did, his hands could have been Harry¡¯s, and Harry could tell that when James stood up, they would be within an inch of each other¡¯s heights.

    ¡°This is my dad!¡± Harry looked at him.

    James yawned hugely and rumpled up his hair, making it even messier than it had been.

    Then, with a nce toward Professor Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at a boy sitting four seats behind him.

    With another shock of excitement, Harry saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up.

    Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs.

    He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James¡¯s nor Harry¡¯s could ever have achieved.

    Sirius exuded a charisma Harry had only seen in Evan before, but Sirius¡¯s was obviously stronger.

    A girl sitting behind Sirius was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn¡¯t seem to have noticed.

    Like this girl, several others kept stealing nces in Sirius¡¯s direction.

    He was certainly popr with girls, even during exams¡­

    Two seats along from this girl ¡ª Harry¡¯s stomach gave another pleasurable squirm ¡ª was Remus Lupin.

    He looked rather pale and peaky and was absorbed in the exam: As he reread his answers he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.

    So that meant Wormtail had to be around here somewhere too ¡­ and sure enough, Harry spotted him within seconds: a small, mousy-haired boy with a pointed nose.

    Wormtail looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at his paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he nced hopefully at his neighbor¡¯s paper.

    Harry stared at Wormtail for a moment, then back at James, who was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. He had drawn a Snitch and was now tracing the letters L. E. What did they stand for?

    ¡°Quills down, please!¡± squeaked Professor Flitwick. ¡°That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! <i>io</i>!¡±

    More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick¡¯s outstretched arms, knocking him backward off his feet.

    Several peopleughed, and the Great Hall echoed withughter.

    A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows, and lifted him onto his feet again.

    ¡°Thank you ¡­ thank you,¡± panted Professor Flitwick. ¡°Very well, everybody, you¡¯re free to go!¡±

    Harry looked down at his father, who had hastily crossed out the L. E. he had been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam question paper into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.

    Snape was a short way away, moving between the tables toward the doors into the entrance hall, still absorbed in his own examination paper. Round-shouldered yet angr, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, his oily hair swinging about his face.

    A gang of chattering girls separated Snape from James, Sirius and Lupin, and by nting himself in the midst of this group, Harry managed to keep Snape in sight while straining his ears to catch the voices of James and his friends.

    ¡°Did you like question ten, Moony?¡± asked Sirius as they emerged into the entrance hall.

    ¡°Loved it,¡± said Lupin briskly. ¡°¡®Give five signs that identify the werewolf.¡¯ Excellent question.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you managed to get all the signs?¡± said James in tones of mock concern.

    ¡°Think I did,¡± said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. ¡°One: He¡¯s sitting on my chair. Two: He¡¯s wearing my clothes. Three: His name¡¯s Remus Lupin ¡­¡±

    There was a burst ofughter, but Wormtail was the only one who didn¡¯tugh.

    ¡°I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail,¡± he said anxiously, ¡°but I couldn¡¯t think what else ¡ª¡±

    ¡°How thick are you, Wormtail?¡± said James impatiently. ¡°You run round with a werewolf once a month, but you can¡¯t even¡ª¡±

    ¡°James, keep your voice down,¡± implored Lupin.

    This was the daily banter among his father¡¯s foursome, a glimpse into their past.

    Harry looked anxiously behind him again. Snape remained close by, still buried in his examination questions; but this was Snape¡¯s memory, and Harry was sure that if Snape chose to wander off in a different direction once outside in the grounds, he, Harry, would not be able to follow James any farther.

    To his intense relief, however, when James and his three friends strode off down thewn toward theke, Snape followed, still poring over the paper and apparently with no fixed idea of where he was going.

    By jogging a little ahead of him, Harry managed to maintain a close watch on James and the others.

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 Chapter 1105: The Foursome

    Harry took a few steps forward, getting closer to James and his group, and could hear their conversation again!N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake,¡± he heard Sirius say. ¡°I¡¯ll be surprised if I don¡¯t get Outstanding on it at least.¡±

    ¡°Me too, the questions were too easy,¡± said James.

    He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

    ¡°Where did you get that?¡±

    ¡°Nicked it,¡± said James casually.

    He started ying with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away and seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Harry had never seen anyone better than him.

    Beside James, Wormtail watched him in awe.

    A few minutester, they stopped in the shade of the beech tree on the edge of theke.Harry looked over his shoulder yet again and saw, to his delight, that Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadows of a clump of bushes. He was as deeply immersed in the O.W.L. paper as ever, which left Harry free to sit down on the grass between the beech and the bushes and watch the foursome under the tree.

    The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of theke, on the bank of which the group ofughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting with shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

    Lupin had pulled out a book and was reading.

    Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so.

    James was still ying with the Snitch, letting it zoom farther and farther away, almost escaping but always grabbed at thest second.

    Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particrly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and apuded.

    After five minutes of this, Harry wondered why James didn¡¯t tell Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but James seemed to be enjoying the attention.

    Harry noticed his father had a habit of rumpling up his hair as though to make sure it did not get too tidy, and also that he kept looking over at the girls by the water¡¯s edge.

    This made him feel uneasy; it was a bit different from what he had imagined.

    ¡°Put that away, will you?¡± said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. ¡°Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement.¡±

    Wormtail turned slightly pink but James grinned.

    ¡°If it bothers you,¡± he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. Harry had the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.

    ¡°I¡¯m bored,¡± said Sirius. ¡°Wish it was full moon.¡±

    ¡°You might,¡± said Lupin darkly from behind his book. ¡°We¡¯ve still got Transfiguration; if you¡¯re bored you could test me¡­ Here.¡± He held out his book.

    But Sirius snorted and did not take the book. ¡°I don¡¯t need to look at this rubbish, I know it all.¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll liven you up, Padfoot,¡± said James quietly. ¡°Look who it is!¡±

    Sirius¡¯s head turned. He had be very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

    ¡°Excellent,¡± he said softly. ¡°Snivellus.¡±

    Harry turned to see what Sirius was looking at.

    Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing the O.W.L. paper in his bag. As he emerged from the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up.

    Harry had a bad feeling in his heart. What were they up to?!

    Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

    ¡°All right, Snivellus?¡± said James loudly.

    Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, ¡°<i>Expelliarmus</i>!¡±

    Snape¡¯s wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark ofughter.

    ¡°<i>Impedimenta</i>!¡± he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.

    Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained, but no one stopped them.

    Snapey panting on the ground, biting his lip tightly.

    James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James ncing over his shoulder at the girls at the water¡¯s edge as he went.

    Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, Snivelly,¡± said James. ¡°We just wanted to ask, how did the exam do?¡±

    ¡°I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment,¡± said Sirius viciously. ¡°There¡¯ll be great grease marks all over it; they won¡¯t be able to read a word.¡±

    Several people watchingughed; Snape was clearly unpopr. Wormtail sniggered shrilly, and Lupin frowned at them.

    Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

    ¡°You ¡ª wait,¡± he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. ¡°You

    ¡°Wait for what?¡± said Sirius coolly. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?¡±

    Amidst theughter, Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened.

    ¡°That¡¯s really bad, wash out your mouth,¡± said James coldly. ¡°<i>Scourgify</i>!¡±

    Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape¡¯s mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him ¡ª

    Watching all this, Harry felt awful; even Malfoy wouldn¡¯t do something like this.

    ¡°Leave him ALONE!¡± James and Sirius looked around. James¡¯s free hand jumped to his hair again.

    It was one of the girls from theke edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes ¡ª Harry¡¯s eyes!

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 Chapter 1106: What Kind of Person?

    Harry looked at Sirius, Evan, and Hermione with aplicated gaze and told what he saw. He did not talk about what happened after being caught by Snape, and he did not say that he could no longer go to Snape for lumency lessons. He only talked about the memories he saw in the Pensieve.

    This was the main reason for his recent bad mood, and also why he argued with Ron because he didn¡¯t participate in the D.A.

    He couldn¡¯t believe that his father was actually such a person.

    After that day, Harry had been feeling so unhappy and horrified, not because Snape yelled at him or threw jars at him, but because he knew how it felt to be humiliated in the middle of a circle of onlookers.

    He knew exactly how Snape had felt as his father had taunted him, and that judging from what he had just seen in the Pensieve, his father had been every bit as arrogant as Snape had always told him.

    The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt. He felt as though the memory from the Pensieve was eating him from inside.

    He had been so sure that his parents had been wonderful people that he never had the slightest difficulty in disbelieving Snape¡¯s aspersions on his father¡¯s character.

    He thought Snape was lying. Hadn¡¯t people like Hagrid and Sirius told Harry how wonderful his father had been?

    But look what Sirius was like himself. He was disdainful of rules, impulsive, arrogant, and reckless.Harry should have known a long time ago. Since his father could be best friends with Sirius, it was obvious what kind of person James was. He had once overheard Professor McGonagall saying that his father and Sirius had been troublemakers at school, but she had described them as forerunners of the Weasley twins.

    But Harry could not imagine Fred and George dangling someone upside down for the fun of it ¡­ not unless they really loathed them ¡­ Perhaps Malfoy, or somebody who really deserved it ¡­.

    Harry tried to make a case for Snape having deserved what he had suffered at James¡¯s hands ¡ª but hadn¡¯t Lily asked, ¡°What¡¯s he done to you?¡± And hadn¡¯t James replied, ¡°It¡¯s more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean?¡±

    Hadn¡¯t James started it all simply because Sirius said he was bored?

    When Ron and Hermione became prefects, Harry remembered Lupin saying back in Grimmauld ce that Dumbledore had made him prefect in the hope that he would be able to exercise some control over James and Sirius¡­ But in the Pensieve, he had sat there and let it all happen¡­

    Harry reminded himself that Lily had intervened; his mother had been decent, yet the memory of the look on her face as she had shouted at James disturbed him quite as much as anything else.

    She had clearly loathed James and Harry simply could not understand how they could have ended up married.

    At that moment, he even wondered whether James had forced her into it, using magic or other despicable means¡­

    For nearly five years the thought of his father had been a source offort, of inspiration. Whenever someone had told him he was like James he had glowed with pride inside. And now ¡­ now he felt cold and miserable at the thought of him.

    That was why Harry urgently needed to talk to Sirius, otherwise he felt like he was going to be driven crazy.

    Listening to Harry talking about this memory, Evan was also thinking.

    It seemed that Harry¡¯s parents didn¡¯t have a very good rtionship until the end of fifth grade.

    At least, that was how it seemed on the surface. James wanted to go out on a date with Lily, but it had never worked out.

    They were more like enemies than lovers, James was more like a worse version of Malfoy, and then he took a fancy to a pretty, smart Muggle girl in school, simr to Hermione, and used this childish method to attract her attention.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    This metaphor was quite frightening to think about.

    As for Snape, this guy was extremely pitiful when he was a student.

    He must have be a Death Eater by then, but that didn¡¯t help him learn how to interact with girls.

    In Evan¡¯s opinion, Snape was really out of his mind when he called Lily a ¡®<i>filthy little Mudblood</i>¡¯ when he was angry.

    Before that, Lily obviously still had feelings for him, but because of that sentence, the two proud and arrogant people went onpletely different paths in life. ?

    Snape must have regretted it a lot; that was why he hid this memory away.

    Of course, what James and Sirius did also made him feel humiliated, being stripped of his underwear in front of everyone¡­

    Regardless of who it was, they would have psychological shadows.

    It was a miracle that Snape hadn¡¯t killed everyone present.

    After so many years, he could still look at the child of his enemy so calmly, the child of his enemy and his most beloved woman¡­

    Evan had no way of understanding thisplex and twisted feeling. Just thinking about it made him very tangled.

    Like Harry, Hermione was also shocked, covering her mouth in disbelief.

    Sirius said nothing and listened to Harry silently, with a look of nostalgia on his face.

    Then he noticed Harry looking at him excitedly.

    ¡°Look, Harry, I wouldn¡¯t like you to judge your father on what you saw from Snape,¡± he said in a soothing tone. ¡°You know, this kind of judgment is very one-sided and iplete. It¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°What doesplete look like? You won¡¯t tell me anything about my parents,¡± said Harry sadly.

    ¡°This is my fault. As your godfather, I should tell you these thingspletely. I have this responsibility. I promise, Harry, I¡¯ll tell you everythingpletely during this summer vacation,¡± said Sirius in a sad tone. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t think too much now. You need to know that James was only fifteen at the time¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fifteen!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but you have to understand this,¡± said Sirius patiently, ¡°James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can¡¯t you? I think James was everything Snape wanted to be ¡ª he was popr; he was good at Quidditch, good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eyes in the Dark Arts and James ¡ª whatever else he may have appeared to you, Harry ¡ª always hated the Dark Arts.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he hated the Dark Arts and wouldn¡¯t use it,¡± said Harry. ¡°But this does not mean he was a good person, just like Mr. Barty Crouch, he also hated the Dark Arts, but he did so many terrible things¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1107: Apologize to Snape

    ¡°Harry!¡± Hermione shouted uneasily, his metaphor was inappropriate.

    Upon careful consideration, judging a person¡¯s goodness or badness indeed could not be based on whether they resisted the Dark Arts.

    Magic itself didn¡¯t have a division between good and evil, and it should not be used as a criterion for categorizing people.

    Take Szar Slytherin, for example. He was proficient in the Dark Arts, but undoubtedly he was the most feared enemy of all Dark wizards.

    It had nothing to do with what kind of magic was used. The key was a person¡¯s heart and character. Although Snape knew a lot of dark magic and was never intended to be a good person, he did many truly great things. He silently protected and dedicated himself in the darkness. In a sense, he was much greater than James.

    He did not sacrifice his life to resist Voldemort, but living was far more difficult than dying.

    Living meant bearing more responsibilities and pain¡­

    Of course, it was simply impossible for Sirius to admit that Snape was a good person and that he was better than James. His feelings did not allow this. Yes, his dislike of Snape had risen to an instinctive level.

    To be fair, Harry¡¯s father James and Snape both had their own shorings, but they were actually very good.One could not generalize, nor could one be as biased as Sirius.

    If possible, Evan would like to persuade Harry to apologize to Snape on behalf of his father.

    If James and Lily knew what Snape had done, they would definitely do the same.

    ¡°Hermione, that¡¯s not what I meant, you understand,¡± said Harry, still staring at Sirius. ¡°But he just attacked Snape for no good reason, just because ¡ª well, just because you said you were bored.¡±

    ¡°I have to admit,¡± said Sirius, ¡°that¡¯s not surprising, because we were fifteen and prone to doing meaningless and foolish things. If Remus were here, he would tell you howcking in self-control James and I were at the time, which was why the professors hoped he could keep an eye on both of us.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± said Harry in a pained voice, ¡°besides that, he kept messing up his hair.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, I¡¯d forgotten he used to do that,¡± said Sirius affectionately, his face filled with nostalgia for the past and his old friend. ¡°Was he ying with the Snitch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Harry, watching uprehendingly as Sirius beamed reminiscently. ¡°Well ¡­ I thought he was a bit of an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Of course he was a bit of an idiot!¡± said Sirius bracingly. ¡°We were all idiots! Maybe this is youth.¡±

    Sirius attributed all of this to age, but Harry didn¡¯t think so.

    ¡°And,¡± said Harry doggedly, determined to say everything that was on his mind now he was here, ¡°he kept looking over at the girls by theke, hoping they were watching him!¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around,¡± said Sirius, shrugging. ¡°He couldn¡¯t stop himself showing off whenever he got near her.¡±

    ¡°Howe she married him?¡± Harry asked miserably. ¡°She hated him!¡±

    ¡°Nah, she didn¡¯t,¡± said Sirius immediately. ¡°She started going out with James once he had deted his head a bit and stopped hexing people just for the fun of it. He even volunteered to teach that guy Peter some Quidditch skills, which he had always wanted to learn. Harry, your parents actually admired each other. Like I said, fifteen-year-old James had so many ws, was a bit of an idiot, but everyone was like that. He matured a lotter¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Harry. ¡°These changes you mentioned, did they include Snape?¡±N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Snivellus was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James, so you couldn¡¯t really expect James to take that lying down, could you?¡± Sirius replied. ¡°And to be honest, he was really annoying. I never thought he¡¯d change for the better. Believe me, I was more surprised when I found out he was teaching at Hogwarts two years ago than when I found out Peter was alive.¡±

    ¡°Professor Snape is trustworthy. He¡¯s a good person,¡± Evan interrupted and reminded, ¡°He¡¯s still a member of the Order of the Phoenix.¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore¡¯s view, he thinks everyone is good, willing to give them a chance,¡± said Sirius disdainfully.

    ¡°Sirius, what my father did to Snape, my mum was okay with that?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t know too much about it, to tell you the truth,¡± said Sirius. ¡°I mean, James didn¡¯t take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?¡±

    Sirius frowned at Harry, who was still looking unconvinced.

    ¡°Look,¡± he said, ¡°your father was the best friend I ever had, and believe me, he was a good person, and like I¡¯ve always said, a lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen, He grew out of it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± said Harry heavily. ¡°I just never thought I¡¯d feel sorry for Snape.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Harry!¡± said Evan, looking at Sirius critically. ¡°In my opinion, Sirius and your father went too far back then, far beyond what¡¯s usual. By the way, did you guys actually take off his underwear in the end?¡±

    ¡°No one was interested in that kind of thing, we just wanted to scare him a bit,¡± said Sirius somewhat awkwardly, as Evan looked at him disbelievingly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s been so many years, there¡¯s nothing to hide, I was the one who did it¡­¡±

    You could imagine the scene. In front of so many students, Snape was hung upside down, with his thighs and underwear exposed.

    He was ridiculed wantonly, and then his underwear was taken off in public.

    ¡°As far as this matter is concerned, we did go a little too far, but I swear it only happened once,¡± said Sirius. ¡°James was very, very angry because of what he said to Lily. It never happened again!¡±

    Sirius looked around and saw Evan, Harry, and Hermione all looking at him.

    He exined with a wry smile, ¡°As you know, Lily was friends with Snape at first. They came from the same ce, and it was said that they knew each other before going to school. But after that day, they broke up. As far as I know, they never spoke again, at least not in public. After all, Snape had already joined the Death Eaters at that time and became a scary little monster. There was nothing to say between him and Lily. All the feelings of the past had been consumed¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1108: Progress

    ¡°Since Snape wouldn¡¯t be bothering Lily anymore, James naturally wouldn¡¯t do anything excessive to him,¡± Sirius continued. ¡°But there were still attacks between them. Like I said, you couldn¡¯t expect James not to retaliate when Snape attacked first.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I think I understand,¡± said Harry slowly, still looking quite upset.

    ¡°Listen, Harry, we sometimes got a bit carried away, but we were only fifteen years old at the time. I¡¯m not making excuses for myself, but fifteen is indeed an age where it¡¯s easy to be idiot,¡± said Sirius. ¡°And you can¡¯t judge what kind of person your father was based solely on Snape¡¯s memory. If you¡¯re willing, I can tell you everything I know this summer. We can borrow the Pensieve from Dumbledore¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡± said Harry eagerly; knowing the past of his parents was something he dreamed of.

    He felt better, and Sirius was right, he should know everything in detail before making any judgments.

    His father might have made mistakes, but he was also great, that was for sure.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    ¡°Let me tell you, Harry, if you still feel sad about this matter,¡± said Evan, ¡°I suggest you go and apologize to Snape.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Sirius shouted. ¡°Evan, you want Harry to apologize to Snape?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suggest Harry do so on behalf of his father. From the current situation, both of you did cause serious harm to Snape in the past, for some stupid reasons,¡± said Evan. ¡°Besides, in all these years when you both disappeared, Snape has been protecting Harry¡­¡±¡°He¡¯s not as great as you¡¯re making him out to be,¡± said Sirius disdainfully. ¡°He¡¯s just afraid of getting into trouble.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, but Snape has indeed saved Harry many times in the past few years. Regardless of his intentions, that cannot be denied,¡± said Evan. ¡°So, I think apologizing to him is the right thing to do. It¡¯s not that hard. He¡¯s still teaching Harry lumency, and Harry saw his memory without permission.¡±

    ¡°I may not be able to do it, Evan. You didn¡¯t see how he was when I came out of the Pensieve,¡± said Harry, frustrated, almost choked by the firece ashes. ¡°It was terrible. Forget about apologizing, he kicked me out. He said he doesn¡¯t want to see me in his office ever again¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, Harry, he kicked you out, what about your lumency?¡± Sirius asked with a frown.

    ¡°He told me he¡¯d never teach me lumency again,¡± said Harry indifferently, ¡°like that¡¯s a big disappoint ¡ª¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t do that, I¡¯ming up there to have a word with Snape!¡± said Sirius forcefully, standing up immediately.

    It seemed like he was nning to Floo to Hogwarts to find Snape. Evan and Hermione hurriedly stopped him.

    Whether in the past or the present, Sirius was still reckless, and this had nothing to do with his age.

    ¡°We should talk to Dumbledore about this,¡± said Evan. ¡°And I think, Harry, as long as you go over and apologize to him, Snape will definitely forgive you, and then you can tell him that on no ount is he to¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Harry said distractedly, not wanting Sirius to just show up at Hogwarts to find Snape. ¡°You¡¯re right, Evan, I¡¯ll think about it. Well, I have to go back; I think I heard some noise. It¡¯s better not to dy too long.¡±

    In the blink of an eye, Harry disappeared from the firece, and the mes returned to their normal color.

    ¡°You¡¯re too impulsive, Sirius,¡± said Hermione seriously, letting go of him. ¡°By appearing at Hogwarts now, you¡¯re undoubtedly telling Filch that Harry is still in contact with us, giving him an excuse to catch him.¡±

    ¡°Snape is deliberately taking revenge. He¡¯s deliberately bullying Harry because of what happened back then!¡± said Sirius angrily. ¡°Evan, it was a stupid idea for you to ask Harry to apologize to Snape. Neither I nor James need him to do that. None of us owe Snape anything. He used to¡­¡±

    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t have to, but it doesn¡¯t mean you know whether James and Lily would have this idea.¡±

    ¡°I do. I know James better than anyone else; he¡¯s my best friend,¡± Sirius shouted. ¡°Don

    ¡°Yes, yes, but Snape did save Harry¡¯s life after all. It wouldn¡¯t be excessive for him to go apologize or at least say thank you,¡± said Evan, getting a headache, not wanting to continue discussing this with Sirius. ¡°And don¡¯t forget our n.¡±

    In silence, Sirius stared at Evan for a moment, then he snorted.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking Kreacher out, you three, be careful.¡±

    With that said, he left without looking back, leaving Evan and Hermione staring at each other.

    Perhaps only when all the truth was revealed would Sirius choose to believe Snape.

    But maybe, their mutual hatred remained instinctual.

    If he knew that Snape had leaked the prophecy to Voldemort, he might hate him even more.

    Once the seeds of hatred took root and germinated in the heart, they were difficult to uproot.

    The following days returned to the previous calm. From that day on, Sirius and Kreacher never appeared again, nor did they see Dumbledore. There were only Evan, Hermione and ine in this empty old house.

    It was indeed nice to be in the same room with girls all day long, but it had to be admitted that this tranquility was somewhat stifling.

    There was no need to worry about meals every day; Evan had originally nned to call Dobby over for help.

    But Mrs. Weasley took good care of the three of them. She didn¡¯t stay the night because there were other things that bothered her even more.

    As expected, Fred and George ran away from Hogwarts.

    It wasn¡¯t the day they helped Harry create a diversion, but it didn¡¯t take long either.

    At first, the Ministry sent their Inquisitorial Squad to deal with them, but they were clueless.

    They were dealing with the troubles left by Fred and George all over the castle. They were being fooled around, but they couldn¡¯t even see the shadow of Fred and George.

    However, Fred and George¡¯s prank activities went too far. They missed no opportunity and used almost all the inventory they had umted. They used the entire Hogwarts as a testing ground for Weasley¡¯s prank products. The school was turned upside down.

    The Inquisitorial Squad and Filch were not fools, especially since they had already identified their target.

    Within the school, besides the Weasley twins, no one would orchestrate such borate pranks.

    After a school-wide manhunt, they finally caught Fred and George¡­

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 Chapter 1109: Vampire Castle

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Fred and George actually left Hogwarts,¡± said Hermione, waving the letter she had just received. ¡°They¡¯ve opened a joke shop in Diagon Alley, selling those dangerous things. Mrs. Weasley will be so upset!¡±

    ¡°Why should she be upset? The prank products they make are quite amusing,¡± said ine, also reading Fred and George¡¯s letter.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about whether it¡¯s amusing or not, but¡­¡± Hermione said, ¡°the two of them should graduate from Hogwarts before theye out to do what they want to do.¡±

    ¡°Well, Hermione, they don¡¯t need a diploma to prove anything, they¡¯re doing great now,¡± said Evan. ¡°It¡¯s just a waste of time for them to stay in school; it¡¯s meaningless. It¡¯s better toe out early and do something valuable!¡±

    Simr to his current situation, he wouldn¡¯t learn much useful knowledge if he continued to stay in school. Evan¡¯s main reason for not leaving Hogwarts was that there were secrets left by the Four Founders that hadn¡¯t been unraveled yet, but Fred and George didn¡¯t have this concern.

    In any case, the story of their flight to freedom had been retold countless times, and had be part of Hogwarts legend.

    In this letter, the two detailed the whole incident.

    It was said that they were preparing to cause trouble outside Umbridge¡¯s office, the headquarters of the Inquisitorial Squad.

    The entire Hogwarts castle was now littered with traces of Fred and George¡¯s mischief, except for that ce which was tightly guarded.Filch was sure that Fred and George would definitely go there, so he and a group of Slytherin students ambushed there in advance.

    Needless to say, for the honor and dignity of pranks, they predictably showed up at that location.

    Even knowing there was an ambush, they went ahead without hesitation.

    Perhaps, Fred and George had nned to leave Hogwarts and wanted to create a big scene before leaving.

    After a chase and fight, they were caught, but were not ready to surrender.

    Fred and George raised their wands high, and the fireworks they had prepared inside the castle exploded simultaneously.

    Amidst the violent shaking and chaos, the two used ¡®<i>io Brooms</i>¡¯ in front of all the students in the school.

    In the blink of an eye, the Starcatchers, which had been fastened to the wall of Umbridge¡¯s office, flew in front of them.

    Fred and George got on their broomsticks and performed wonderful flying skills amidst the fireworks and the tumultuous apuse from the students.

    Finally, the two quickly sped out of the castle into the glorious sunset outside.

    The most legendary part of the whole story was the final conversation between Fred and Peeves.

    ¡°Give them hell from us, Peeves.¡±

    It was certain that for centuries, Peeves had never taken order from a student, but Peeves suddenly swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute to Fred and George, giving the twin brothers the highest respect.

    The departure of Fred and George was not the end of the Hogwarts mischief, but the beginning of the climax.

    There wasplete chaos in the castle, with a great number of students now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemakers-in-Chief.

    All kinds of prank traps and mischievous magical creatures could be seen everywhere. Dungbombs and Stinkpellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh clean air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads. ??

    Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them that he did not know which way to turn.

    The Ministry of Magic¡¯s Inquisitorial Squad and Slytherin students were attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to them.

    Hexes, traps and attacks against them were rampant. In the end, the members of the Inquisitorial Squad did not dare to leave the office alone, and the Slytherin students did not even dare to leave themon room. They were all frightened!

    As for Peeves, he seemed to have taken Fred¡¯s parting words deeply to heart.

    Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending tables, bursting out of ckboards, and toppling statues and vases.

    On several asions, he shut Mrs. Norris inside suits of armor, from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker.

    Peeves smashednterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows, flooded the second floor when he pulled off all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarants in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast.

    The other professors in the school were also unwilling to help with management, and they turned a blind eye to what was happening in front of them.

    After failing to find Umbridge¡¯s whereabouts, the Ministry of Magic and Fudge were now plunged into a new trouble and choice.

    They wanted to send Aurors to Hogwarts to maintain order, but they were worried about public reaction.

    But without sending Aurors, all reform activities woulde to a standstill.

    Whether they were willing to admit it or not, Hogwarts was out of control, just like the current situation in the Wizarding World.

    After leaving Hogwarts, Fred and George did not go home, but flew directly to Diagon Alley to start running their own joke shop.

    They had already rented the shop, and by the way, they also helped Evan manage it.

    As Hermione expected, Mrs. Weasley was very sad and angry at Fred and George¡¯s behavior.

    She had always hoped that the two of them could work in the Ministry of Magic, or at least sessfullyplete their studies. However, with Percy¡¯s example and the precedent set by Evan, Hermione, and ine¡¯s escape, she gradually epted the situation and med it all on Fudge.

    Things had reached a fever pitch, and Fudge and the Ministry of Magic werepletely passive.

    Under such circumstances, Evan, Hermione, and ine finally got to Caresius and set off for Norway.

    The castle of the vampire Slytherin family was located in the deepest part of the tundra in. Evan could never forget the first time he saw this castle.

    Against the backdrop of the biting cold wind and a huge full moon, the colossal structure stood on the steep cliff, like an eagle perched on a huge rock: tall, ancient, perhaps glorious in the past, but now full of destion.

    Under the pale moonlight, the castle was silent, and there was a mysterious atmosphere in the air.

    In the distance, the roar of pine trees mingled with asional cries of wild beasts, enhancing the destion.

    In such a ce, time and space seemed to have stopped, making people wonder whether they were at the end of the world.

    Along the steep cliff, Evan looked down. The empty valley was pitch ck and bottomless.

    If one wanted to hide something like the body of an evil god, this ce was indeed the ideal location.

    Isted from the world, devoid of human presence, no matter what kind of evil it was, it would gradually be forgotten by the world¡­

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 Chapter 1110: Curse or Blessing

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve never liked this castle,¡± said ine to Evan and Hermione.

    Her burgundy eyes slowly moved along the cliff to the terrifying bat statue with exposed fangs on the castle wall.

    ¡°But this is your family¡¯s castle¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I haven¡¯t lived here since my parents died,¡± said ine, her voice low. ¡°Unlike Hogwarts, in my memory, there was never anyughter or joy here. The light was cold and dim. Everyone tried to make no noise no matter what they did, for fear of disturbing the terrible creature below.¡±

    Imagine this scene, in such an eerie building, lifeless silence was the main theme.

    Neither the owner of this castle nor whatever was sealed deep underground brought any sense of joy.

    Evan noticed that this vampire castle had no gates, roads, or ess from the outside.

    In other words, to reach here, besides flying, one could only use a Portkey like they did.

    Or, climb up along the bottomless cliff, using the ropedder dropped from above¡­¡°This castle has many legends, but none of them bring joy,¡± ine sighed softly. ¡°My uncle has always told me that this is the responsibility of our family, a heavy burden. There is no way to escape but to bear it.¡±

    ¡°After we deal with that terrible evil god, you won¡¯t have to bear this responsibility anymore,¡± said Evan.

    ¡°Well, I know!¡± said ine, looking at Evan and trying to force a smile.

    Evan smiled at her and Hermione, and then turned to look at Caresius, whose face was so gloomy that he almost blended in with the surrounding environment. He had an indescribable strange feeling.

    He had been thinking about this question. Unlike ordinary vampires, the power of the Slytherin family came from the blood of the evil god within them. If they really destroyed the evil god, what would happen to the vampires who would lose their source of power?

    Would it be liberation, or a deeper depravity?

    Undoubtedly, if they lost their source of magic power, they would be weak, their magic would lose its effect, their bodies would begin to age, and they would lose vitality¡­

    For vampires who once had great power, the pain of losing everything might drive them insane.

    Hopefully, this wouldn¡¯t happen. Caresius might have considered this point, which was why he dispersed all the members of the n and didn¡¯t allow them to return here. Not all vampires supported the idea of destroying the evil god.

    This responsibility and power was a curse to them, but it was also a blessing¡­

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Hermione, do you want to see inside my room?¡± said ine, seemingly forgetting her earlier distress.

    Evan nced at the two of them again and quickened his pace to catch up with Caresius in front.

    ¡°Thank you, Evan,¡± said Caresius, ¡°for taking care of ine during this time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Evan felt that he should talk to him about what he had just been thinking about.

    In the previous n, they had put all their attention on the evil god and overlooked the vampires who served as guardians of the n.

    ¡°Ever since her parents died, I have not wanted her toe back here. This cursed responsibility is too heavy for ine, she is only a child,¡± said Caresius. ¡°The internal instability within the family has been ongoing. Many people have different ideas. You know how it is; strong power can make people get lost. Many in the n hope to cooperate with the terrible evil god. ¡° ?

    ¡°Not everyone can resist the temptation of power.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, if it weren¡¯t for the inability to ess the core area of the seal, I believe we would have released the evil god long ago,¡± Caresius snorted disdainfully. ¡°As for maintaining the seal, it¡¯s merely the choice of the remaining weaklings!¡±

    Although he said so, in the absence of aplete solution, maintaining the status quo was indeed the best option.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Caresius, has the seal been unlocked?¡± Evan asked.

    ¡°The seal on the core area has been unlocked. We can go in now. Dumbledore brought a strange boy,¡± said Caresius, frowning. ¡°The boy is a descendant of Slytherin, apparently¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah , Fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle, Voldemort in his youth, I know,¡± Evan paused and continued to ask, ¡°Now that you can go in, what did you see in the core area of ??the seal?¡±

    ¡°A lot of things; the evil god, the records left by Slytherin, the secret of the source of our family¡¯s power, and the way to destroy the evil god¡­¡± Caresius paused and continued, ¡°There are also ways to be stronger and more depraved.¡±

    ¡°Is there really theplete magic to be an evil god there?¡± said Evan hurriedly. ¡°So, Voldemort knows about it?¡±

    ¡°He probably does. Since he went in, there is no reason he would not know,¡± Caresius sighed. ¡°Evan, only after I saw these things again did I realize what kind of mistake I had made, and how bad the consequences of this mistake are.¡±

    It was indeed very bad. Voldemort, who could be an evil god at any moment, meant his power would increase exponentially.

    As for doing so, it would lead to bing even more evil, perhaps transcending human abnormality, and evolving into a twisted shadowy monster.

    For Voldemort, who had split his soul seven times, these were not issues at all.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t worry too much for now. Dumbledore said that magic is difficult. ording to the current level of the Wizarding World, it is impossible to cast it. Moreover, he stillcks the necessary magic items¡­¡±

    Even so, but things were not safe enough to be reassuring.

    Voldemort also had the help of an evil god beside him, and he knew much more information than they did.

    In addition, Evan also remembered the prophecy made by Professor Trwney.

    There was a chosen person who would help Voldemort gain power beyond imagination. Perhaps this power was what would help him be an evil god. But who was that person?

    He even had a dreadful thought: Could it be him?

    Along the narrow corridor, the four of them shuttled through the silent castle. About ten minutester, they arrived at a spacious rotunda.

    Ancient portraits hang on the walls, forming a circle, all of them vampire ancestors.

    The hall had no windows; the chilly moonlight seeped in through the cracks at the top, casting dim light within the room, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

    Under each portrait, there was a ck coffin with a huge cross carved on it. Although vampires in the Wizarding World were not the same as vampires in Muggle legends, to a certain extent, they still had the same customs, such as sleeping in coffins¡­N?v(el)B\\jnn

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 Chapter 1111: Cage

    Why did vampires sleep in narrow coffins? This ancient and iprehensible custom was beyond investigation.

    But there was no doubt that seeing rows of coffins in such a gloomy room couldn¡¯t help but send shivers down the back.

    Especially upon closer inspection, many coffins were sprinkled with dark red blood clots, silently narrating the dark history of the past.

    From the distribution of blood clots, it looked like some kind of living thing, such as a human being, was pressed down on the coffin and then bit into it¡­

    Furthermore, these coffins were tall andrge, with huge stones pressed on top of their lids, as if fearing something inside might escape.

    On the surrounding walls, the gloomy, evil-looking portraits of vampires also made people shudder. They were different from themon portraits in the Wizarding World. They were more like Muggle portraits without magic, but their eyes seemed to move, staring fixedly at you.

    The ancient legends of vampires, the eerie atmosphere, rows of coffins, and terrifying portraits¡ªall these elements piled together made this ce feel like the final scene in a horror movie. But what made Evan most ufortable was the chaotic magic within the room.

    He could be sure that countless powerful magic had been set up here, and even a slight mistake, touching something one shouldn¡¯t, would trigger these magic.

    Even the most heavily guarded vault in Gringotts could notpare to this ce.¡°This is the Council Chamber,¡± said ine, her voice echoing through the room.

    This hall was specially designed to amplify even the slightest sound, making it linger for a long time.

    ¡°It¡¯s guarded all year round. I rarelye here because disturbing the souls of our ancestors is forbidden. When I was young, my mother told me that powerful ancestors are buried here, waiting to awaken from their slumber.¡±

    ¡°Awaken from slumber, you mean they don¡¯t die?¡± Evan looked at the coffin closest to him, wondering if it truly contained the body of a vampire, or more urately, the body of an immortal creature, because they would wake up.

    ¡°This sounds very much like the ancient Egyptian tradition. The pharaohs and wizards of ancient Egypt believed that life is reincarnation, and they will eventually return to this world after death,¡± said Hermione, carefully examining the intricate patterns on the coffins. ¡°That¡¯s why they mummified their bodies. Last summer, when Evan and I traveled to Egypt, we saw simr relics, especially the inscription left by Osiris, the god of death, inside the Great Pyramid. : ¡®Awake from slumber, for your sight can ovee all that harms you¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, but that text has no magic power,¡± said Evan. ¡°It won¡¯t awaken the dead pharaoh from his slumber.¡±

    In the study of life-prolonging spells, the three foremost Egyptian ssics were the <i>Golden Book of Amun Ra</i>, the <i>Book of the Dead</i>, and the <i>Emerald Tablet</i>. Among them, the <i>Emerald Tablet</i> recorded the secrets of Alchemy. Without the decryption of the <i>Book of Abraham</i> it was difficult to know the real secrets hidden within.

    Even if known, one could not sessfully create the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    As for the remaining two ssics, they had all been lost in the long river of history with the fall of Pharaoh Ramses II.

    Without the help of magic, even those once powerful spellcasters could not return to this world.

    ¡°It¡¯s not immortality, but special magic can allow powerful vampire warriors to survive in another form,¡± said Caresius, walking to the coffin in the center. ¡°Of course, besides respect for our ancestors, the main reason the Council Chamber is generally off-limits is because it leads to the seal. Many dangerous magic are set up inside.¡±

    He lightly tapped the side of the coffin with his wand three times. The coffin slowly moved to the left, revealing an underground passage.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. Be careful not to step on the steps with special marks.¡±

    Caresius walked down the exposed stairs, marking them from time to time, turning the ones that shouldn¡¯t be stepped on green.

    Hermione, ine, and Evan walked into the secret passage one after another, everyone paying attention and being careful.

    The vampire¡¯s defense measures were indeed very strict; after all, it was rted to the terrifying evil god in the seal.

    Without knowing the correct method, even a wizard as powerful as Voldemort would find it difficult to reach the location of the seal beneath the castle.

    To be more precise, this should be a cage ¡­ a cage left by Szar Slytherin.

    Now, they were about to enter this cage.

    After about ten minutes of walking down the gloomy secret passage, ine suddenly stopped and her face turned pale.

    ¡°I hear that voice, a cold voice, without warmth or emotion,¡± she said slowly, her body and voice trembling. ¡°It mentioned fate, the fate thates from blood. Only by surrendering to him can we get salvation in the darkness¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the voice of the evil god¡¯s body, and it¡¯s getting stronger and stronger!¡± Caresius¡¯s expression was equally grim.

    His breathing gradually became heavier, and he seemed unable to resist, allowing the evil god to whisper in his ear.

    Evan and Hermione looked at each other, but neither of them heard anything.

    Because of the obstruction of the seal¡¯s power, the whispers of the evil god¡¯s body could only be heard by vampires with blood ties to him.

    Moreover, due to the power in their blood, they had no way to resist. They could only endure and tremble in the darkness.

    ¡°<i>Expecto Patronum</i>!¡± Evan waved his wand upward to summon his Patronus.

    Beside him, Hermione also summoned her Patronus.

    The silver light fell, and the positive power dispelled the darkness and the whispers of the evil god, gradually improving Caresius and ine¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Let me handle this, Hermione,¡± said Evan. ¡°My magic can sustain the operation of the Patronus.¡±

    Hermione nodded and dispersed her magic, while Evan controlled his Patronus to settle on ine¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°What a lovely kitten!¡± said ine, looking at the Patronus on her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s the same as your Animagus form.¡±

    After evolving, Evan¡¯s Patronus had indeed turned into a leopard, but ine couldn¡¯t tell the difference between a leopard and a cat.

    ¡°That voice, it disappeared,¡± said ine, closing her eyes. ¡°But I can feel he¡¯s still around here.¡±

    ¡°The further down we go, the weaker the remaining power of the seal, and the stronger his influence. Once we reach the core, you¡¯ll also hear his whispers,¡± said Caresius with concern. ¡°Hermione, ine, you can wait for us above¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m staying!¡± ine hurriedly shook her head. ¡°With Evan¡¯s Patronus here, I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡±

    ¡°I can summon my Patronus to protect myself,¡± said Hermione, not nning to leave.

    ¡°I believe they¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll protect them as well,¡± said Evan, ncing at Hermione¡¯s determined gaze and ine¡¯s tightly clenched fists. ¡°By the way, Caresius, don¡¯t you have the ability to use the Patronus Charm?¡±

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 Chapter 1112: Underneath the Abyss

    Evan had never seen ine use the Patronus Charm, and she was also unfamiliar with this magic.

    Now thinking about it, it was not that inecked happy memories; it was probably because of the influence of the evil god¡­

    ¡°The price of gaining part of the power requires giving up another part of it. The power in our bloodline prevents us from using this obviously harmful magic,¡± said Caresius. ¡°Facing him, there are only two choices, submission or death. Obviously, these two choices have the same end point, which is destruction. This is the fate of our people.¡±

    ¡°You can resist!¡± In Evan¡¯s opinion, Caresius¡¯s view was too negative.

    ¡°Destiny should be in your own hands. Although you may not seed, you will not regret it as long as you strive,¡± Hermione followed.

    ¡°I believe in Evan and Hermione,¡± said ine with some fear. ¡°We will defeat him. Evan is the one mentioned in the prophecy.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you three! I now also believe that Evan is the one mentioned in the prophecy. That¡¯s why we came to resist the shackles of fate,¡± Caresius smiled, rubbed ine¡¯s head, and said with relief, ¡°We will seed; we will destroy that monster¡­¡±

    ¡°Caresius, I was just thinking about this issue. What would happen to you if you eliminated the monster below?¡±

    ¡°Then we will be free from this damn fate,¡± said Caresius simply.He began to move forward, marking the dangerous stairs with green fluorescent lights.

    ¡°But you told me before,¡± said Evan across Hermione and ine. ¡°You used the blood of the evil god toplete the First Embrace and be vampires. Your poweres from that. If it ceases to exist, these powers will also disappear¡­¡±

    ¡°Losing power is better than losing life and freedom,¡± Caresius paused, and his voice sounded intermittently in the secret passage. ¡°Of course, some of our people may long for the current power, but for me personally, I prefer to be an ordinary person, whether it is for ine or the future of the family.¡±

    If every vampire could think like Caresius, that would naturally not be a problem.

    Otherwise, the thirst for strong power and magic in their blood would drive them crazy and push them deeper into depravity.

    After getting used to power, not everyone could willingly ept ordinariness.

    The secret passage spiraled downwards, getting deeper and deeper, and seemed to be a passage cut out of the rock wall.

    The interior was not rock, but a dark hollow, a bit like the huge abyssal cave deep in Aragog¡¯sir.

    In other words, the vampire castle on the ground was built on top of the entire abyss.

    At first, the group could still speak, but then they gradually fell silent, seemingly lost in endless darkness.

    Suddenly, the sound of ethereal and mysterious music came from nowhere, and a golden light shed past.

    In the mes, a crimson bird suddenly fell from the sky. It was the phoenix, Fawkes.

    He spread his wings and flew ahead, dispersing the deepening darkness with mes, his song uplifting.

    ¡°It¡¯s Fawkes, Dumbledore must be nearby.¡±

    They quickened their pace, and before them, the scene suddenly cleared, revealing the bottom of the abyss.

    At the bottom was a wide circr underground hall with walls made of rough stone.

    Unknown nts grew on them, glowing with a faint green light, and the walls were carved with exquisite patterns and the emblem of the Slytherin family.

    Directly in front was a huge and majestic stone door.

    ¡°Here we are, moving forward is the core of the seal,¡± said Caresius. ¡°ording to the information revealed in the family records, only true descendants of Slytherin can enter it. It is now opened because¡­ ¡°

    Before he finished speaking, Evan saw fifteen-year-old Riddle standing in front of the door with a smile on his face.

    Somehow, Dumbledore had managed it again; he had regained his physical form, hisplexion healthy, as if he possessed life.

    Simply looking at him from the surface, it was impossible to tell that he was just a memory projected by a Horcrux.

    He appeared as a handsome fifteen-year-old boy, wearing Hogwarts robes, a good student with both excellent character and academic performance.

    ¡°Wee, wee,¡± said Riddle softly, bowing slightly, and he walked towards Evan and the others. ¡°This must be Miss Granger; I¡¯ve heard your name from the professor. He said you¡¯re the most outstanding student Hogwarts has seen in years. And this must be ine, the young descendant of the vampire Slytherin family. Oh, this Patronus, the influence of that creature inside must be significant on you. Just endure a little longer, believe me, this process won¡¯tst too long.¡±

    His demeanor was impable, coupled with that smile, it evoked immediate fondness.

    If one didn¡¯t know his true nature, they might easily be deceived.

    ¡°So, Dumbledore trusts you again?¡± said Evan, watching him shake hands with Hermione and ine.

    Hermione hesitated for a moment before gently shaking his hand.

    ine, on the other hand, had been staring at the Patronus on her shoulder the whole time,pletely ignoring Riddle, who didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    ¡°Obviously, Dumbledore is willing to give me another chance to prove myself,¡± Riddle replied, extending his hand to Evan. ¡°These past few days have been quite extraordinary for me. I feel like I¡¯ve been reborn in some way.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Evan touched his right hand gently, it was so cold¡­

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dumbledore?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s inside studying the magic left by Szar, which is very fascinating,¡± said Riddle. ¡°This way¡­ we all agree that before startingprehensive research on the legacy left by my great ancestor, we should first deal with the troubles he left behind.¡±

    ¡°Evan, who¡¯s he?¡± said Hermione suspiciously, looking at Riddle¡¯s back. ¡°Why¡¯s he wearing Hogwarts robes?

    ¡°Fifteen-year-old Tom Riddle¡­¡±

    Hermione blinked, seeming a little surprised by Evan¡¯s answer, and then reacted and opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°He¡¯s the young Voldemort?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, more precisely, he¡¯s a Horcrux, just like the diary back then, but capable of moving independently after gaining energy,¡± said Evan, gripping Hermione¡¯s left hand. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the detailster. This guy is trouble because he¡¯s the young Voldemort. Be cautious no matter what he says!¡±

    Because of Dumbledore¡¯s request, Evan did not tell Hermione what had happened that night.

    Who would have thought that in just a few days, Dumbledore would help Riddle regain his physical form, apparently trusting him greatly?

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 Chapter 1113: Go and Destroy Him

    Chapter 1113: Go and Destroy Him

    Like a venomous snake, Tom Riddle was adept at disguise.

    Before revealing his true colors, he was a handsome, academically excellent student, very polite.

    There might never have been a student as perfect as him, with all the virtues you could imagine and envy.

    He was so outstanding in every aspect that you could only envy him but couldn¡¯t be jealous, a true prodigy.

    Who wouldn¡¯t like such a guy?

    After winning a good impression, it would be natural to give him the utmost trust, along with corresponding convenience and care.

    This was human nature, and it was also what Riddle wanted to achieve, to charm people¡¯s hearts.

    But sometimes, being too perfect itself was the biggest problem. A normal person would not be so perfect.

    Especially since he was only a teenager and immature, he should be at an age where he should have various shorings and make mistakes.As Sirius said, ¡®<i>at fifteen we are all idiots</i>¡¯.

    It was easy to make mistakes out of impulsiveness or for some inexplicable reasons. This was normal and forgivable.

    But having no ws at all was truly terrifying, simply abnormal.

    No matter how the thoughts of those blinded by Riddle were, they would feel chilled to the bone after knowing his true colors.

    He was arrogant, conceited, with a past full of bad deeds. His gorgeous appearance hid his true and sinister side.

    The darkness and mncholy in his heart kept umting until the most terrifying demon was born.

    This was Voldemort¡¯s growth trajectory. How would the fifteen-year-old Horcrux in front of them be different?

    One thing was certain, it was almost impossible for him to deceive Dumbledore. Even before Riddle became Voldemort, Dumbledore was already paying great attention to him, let alone after so many things had happened.

    Now that he had restored Riddle¡¯s physical form, it meant there was no problem with him, at least not yet.

    Entering the gate, the space ahead became brighter.

    In the dim light, a majestic and huge statue appeared in front of everyone, the statue of Szar Slytherin.

    Evan had seen this statue in Aragog¡¯sir before, and it was left by Szar himself. However, that statue was heavily damaged, full of traces of destruction by Acromants. The statue before them now was very well preserved, showing its original appearance.

    This was Slytherin in his middle age, calm andposed, more mature, seeming to have everything under control.

    Compared with the sharpness of his youth and the indifference of his old age, the middle-aged Slytherin at this time appeared more restrained and mature.

    With a faint smile on his face, he held his wand forward, exuding an unparalleled aura in mystery.

    Unstoppable; that was the feeling Evan got from just a statue.

    Although the edge was restrained, Evan had no doubts about how powerful magic that little wand could cast.

    The most eye-catching thing about the statue was the locket hanging from Slytherin¡¯s chest, crafted from a massive emerald.

    The emblem of the Slytherin family on it glowed faintly in the dim light, also carrying a strong magical aura.

    ¡°My great ancestor,¡± said Riddle softly, raising his head and looking at the statue in reverence. ¡°I had only seen his greatness in books or heard other people talk about it before. It¡¯s only here that I truly understand his greatness and what it signifies.¡±

    Whether it was Voldemort or Riddle, being a descendant of Slytherin should be the proudest thing in his life.

    The theory of pure blood was that one was born noble, superior to everyone else, and everyone else should bow down to him.

    Evan must admit that this idea still made sense if applied to pets such as cats or dogs.

    Pure-blood could prove the value of a pet, but when applied to humans, it was pure nonsense.

    ¡°Slytherin himself would not want his descendants to be Dark wizards,¡± said Evan, looking at Riddle. ¡°If there is really information left by him in this ce, you should be able to see his disgust for the Dark Arts, especially Horcruxes.¡±

    There was a tense silence, and Riddle lowered his head and looked at Evan.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Evan,¡± he said with a perfectly measured tone, as if he epted Evan¡¯s statement humbly. ¡°I was just too obsessed with exploring the true meaning of death, and then chose the wrong path. If I had found this ce earlier, I would never have researched Horcruxes. But that¡¯s all in the past now. As for that twisted main soul, you can go ahead and destroy him.¡±

    ¡°¡±You want us to destroy Voldemort?¡± Hermione looked at him in astonishment.

    ¡°As you said, he is evil, isn¡¯t he?¡± Riddle replied with a smile. ¡°And he has done so many terrible things; he should pay the price for it. I think destruction is the best thing for him. Believe me, from what I know about him, he¡¯s beyond redemption, the splitting of his soul has long turned him into a monster.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Miss Granger, you are kind. Don¡¯t care about how I feel,¡± said Riddle.

    Although he was smiling, these were really heartless and terrible words.

    One part of a soul asking to destroy the other parts, no matter how to think about it, seemed very eerie.

    ¡°If we have the chance, we¡¯ll do it,¡± said Evan. ¡°We might even need your help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to help,¡± said Riddle calmly, with a strange light shining in his eyes. ¡°Well then, back to business. You must have noticed that this statue is not that simple, right?¡±

    ¡°It has a very strong magic power¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it. To be precise, it is the seal itself left here by my great ancestors,¡± said Riddle. ¡°The inside of this statue is filled withplex magic patterns and runes, which gather all the surrounding magic here. Each of these magic powers is very small, but together they form a powerful force. Once activated, we have the chance to destroy the monster inside. Very simple, isn¡¯t it? There are noplicated spells, just the overwhelming force of power.¡±

    So it was; and what Evan had seen in the Acromant¡¯sir should be simr.

    Now thinking about it; that nkton floating in the air should be a form of magic.

    Because the seal was destroyed by the Acromant, the magical power inside dissipated into the air and wandered there.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    When Evan touched the seal, these magic powers came together again to destroy the eyeball monster.

    As Riddle said, it was not magic, but the crushing and destructive power of the most fundamental force¡­

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 Chapter 1114: Complete Dark Magic

    ¡°Very powerful magic, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Riddle softly. ¡°Slytherin has prepared everything, we just need to follow his arrangements. That¡¯s it; the key to activating this magic is his locket.¡±

    Evan took out Slytherin¡¯s locket, and the capital S on it also glowed faintly.

    This locket had helped him many times, and it was also the reason why Evan¡¯s magic power increased rapidly for the first time, far beyond that of his peers.

    Apart from natural growth, it was difficult for a wizard¡¯s magic power to increase. This was not a problem that could be easily solved by reading many magic books or practicing magic many times.

    Learning and practicing would allow a wizard to master more spells, be more powerful in a sense, and give full y to the power he already possessed, but fundamentally nothing would change, because there was still only so much magic in the body.

    To be fundamentally stronger, one must increase their magic power.

    Theck of a clear upgrade system for magic power had always been a source of inconvenience for Evan.

    He had no way to improve his magic power through his own efforts and practice; at least not with the methods he knew of.

    One could only passively wait for their magic power to increase with age, as was the case with other wizards.It was like a container receiving water, slowly umting.

    Generally, depending on the size of the container; the older the wizard, the stronger their magic power, reaching its peak between the ages of thirty and forty.

    After a certain age, the magic power would gradually dissipate with the decline of the body¡¯s functions.

    There was no way to quickly fill the container or make itrger other than passively waiting.

    During the changes in history, wizarding cultivation methods had also been lost, which had kept the overall strength of today¡¯s wizards at a low level. They did not have the power to destroy everything, but they could use a lot of magic beyond imagination.

    Otherwise, Voldemort would not have carried out dangerous magical transformation in order to make himself stronger.

    Slytherin¡¯s locket could help Evan increase his magic power in a less dangerous way, not to mention that the locket had saved him many times. The magic left on it by Szar Slytherin ensured this, which was the most rare and precious aspect.

    ¡°Obviously, the main soul once found this locket, but did not see the magic on it. The magic left by Slytherin is beyond the scope of our understanding. He must have thought that the patterns were just useless decorations,¡± said Riddle. ¡°He only cared about the significance represented by this locket, so he made it a Horcrux.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have a soft spot for the things left by the Four Founders of Hogwarts?¡±

    ¡°That history is fascinating, isn¡¯t it?¡± said Riddle with a smile, pointing to what seemed to be an altar in front of the statue. ¡°Come on, Evan, Dumbledore ordered that as long as you put the locket here, we can activate the magic to destroy the evil existence here.¡±

    There was a groove on the altar, the same size as the locket, and the groove was also engraved with simr patterns.

    It looked like it could perfectly correspond to the patterns in the middle of the locket.

    ¡°Where is he?¡± Evan hadn¡¯t seen Dumbledore.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s down there observing the monster up close. If you want to go over and take a look, I don¡¯t object, but trust me, it¡¯s definitely not a pleasant experience,¡± said Riddle, ¡°especially for vampires.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s right, I do not want to go down and face that monster again,¡± said Caresius. ¡°Because of the connection in the blood, it affects us more than you can imagine. ine, you stay here too.¡±

    ¡°I want to go see,¡± said ine. Although she was afraid, she was still curious about that monster.

    If you want to defeat what you fear most in your heart, you must first face it bravely. Holding back would only make things worse.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Seeing the determination in ine¡¯s eyes, Caresius agreed. ¡°You can go and take a look and see the fate and responsibility our family has borne for a thousand years, but you cannot leave the protection range of Evan¡¯s Patronus¡­¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± said Evan, and the light of the Patronus became stronger.

    ¡°If she loses control for a while, I think knocking her unconscious is the easiest way to deal with it,¡± said Riddle in a smooth tone, pointing in the direction indicated by the end of the Slytherin statue. ¡°Since the three of you want to go over, just follow this passage straight ahead until the end, where the creature¡¯s room is.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re noting with us?¡±

    ¡°No, besides having a special effect on vampires, it also has a great impact on the soul. It¡¯s better for me to stay away from it,¡± said Riddle with a smile. ¡°You know, it wasn¡¯t easy for me to regain my freedom, and there¡¯s a lot I want to do. I don¡¯t want to disappear without a trace like that.¡±

    Evan stared at Riddle for a moment, then looked at Caresius.

    ¡°Alright, the three of us will continue to find Professor Dumbledore,¡± said Evan. ¡°Hermione, summon your Patronus.¡±

    Hermione nodded nervously, pointed her wand forward and shouted, ¡°<i>Expecto Patronum</i>!¡±

    Her Patronus appeared, and the barrierposed of white light almost became material.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in the frontter, and you two follow behind me,¡± said Evan. ¡°No matter what he tells you, don¡¯t believe him¡­¡±

    Malfoy had been controlled by the eyeball monster before, but after he fell unconscious, he no longer kept getting hurt.

    If they really couldn¡¯t resist, knocking them out directly wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea.

    The five of them separated, with the gloomy-faced Caresius and the smiling Riddle forming a contrasting pair.

    The phoenix Fawkes who had just been with them here, had disappeared somewhere. Evan, Hermione, and ine followed the direction indicated by Slytherin¡¯s wand. After leaving the hall, they passed through a rtively small stone door, carved with exquisite patterns and seemingly meaningless words, which were Parseltongue.

    The specific contents were unknown, perhaps recording methods of opening the stone door and Slytherin¡¯s warnings toter generations.

    Riddle had apparently deciphered it, so the door was opened when it should normally be closed.

    In the ruins under Aragog¡¯sir, Evan had followed his descendants, a group of small spiders passing through the gaps in the rock wall.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    In the center of the stone door were carved two intertwined snakes, their eyes iid withrge, shining emeralds.

    Not far above the snakes, there was a bat engraved, which was a feature that distinguished Slytherin¡¯s previous relics.

    The bat¡¯s eyes were rubies, perhaps symbolizing ine¡¯s ancestors¡­

    ¡°Cooperation between snakes and bats?¡±

    Behind the stone door, a long and narrow corridor extended forward into the darkness with no end in sight. Torches hang on the walls on both sides, seemingly recently reced. By the light of the torches, they could see murals on the walls, depicting evil dark magic.

    The ancient murals were abstract and eerie, but the magic on them was intact¡­

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 Chapter 1115: The Outer World and the Inner World

    In the mural, a pyramid-like building rose from the ground.

    It was not the big triangle-shaped pyramid in Egypt, but a t-topped pyramid simr to the Mayan style.

    The pyramid was carved withplex decorations, which could even be said to be gorgeous, entirely blood-red in color, with tiers of steps and stairs piled one upon another. At the entrance was a giant stone statue and a pit for offerings.

    Evan had seen these murals before, but seeing this pyramid again, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

    It was certain that he had seen simr structures somewhere, but it was definitely not on the murals under the Acromant¡¯sir.

    Those murals, ravaged by the destruction of the Acromants and weathered by time, barely showed their original appearance, far less clear than what was in front of them now.

    ¡°Evan, this building¡­¡± said Hermione thoughtfully, looking at the pyramid in the mural, ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve seen it somewhere.¡±

    ¡°Hey, you feel the same way?¡± Evan turned his head and looked at her.

    ¡°Well, I must have seen this pyramid, but I can¡¯t say where. Was it in a book?¡± said Hermione, staring at the mural and shaking her head. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen it. What¡¯s familiar to me is the feeling of this structure.¡±¡°Feeling?¡± Evan suddenly remembered. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the building on the stone b.¡±

    He pulled out the b, which he had found in front of Slytherin¡¯s statue in Aragog¡¯sir.

    At that time, they had concluded it was a map, pointing to their of Herpo the Foul.

    On the stone b, mountains, oceans, and canyons were sketched with simple strokes.

    In the middle was a temple altar, with a terrifying monster hovering at the top of the altar. The disproportionately huge red eyes and head covered with tentacles in the clouds were the most eye-catching. It was devouring the souls of the terrified humans below¡­

    The shape of this building was different from the pyramid on the mural in front of them, but the feeling it gave was very simr.

    Evan ced the b in front of the mural,paring them.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± said Hermione. ¡°Strange, they¡¯re different in shape, but they give off the same feeling.¡±

    ¡°I do feel that way!¡± ine nodded.

    ¡°They are the same building, Herpo the Foul¡¯sir,¡± said Evan. ¡°Same as our previous reasoning, the ck magic that turned the wizard into evil was left by him, and hepleted this magic inside hisir.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s the same building, why is there such a big difference in appearance?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Evan shook his head. Could two buildings with such drastic differences still be the same one?

    Indeed, this was a structure, not a living being, so it could have the same essence, the same soul, but appear in different forms¡­

    But whether it was him, Hermione, or ine, who saw the murals and the b for the first time, they all agreed that these twopletely different buildings were the same. They gave off such a simr feeling, an indescribable sense of familiarity.

    It was really strange. What was the mystery here?!

    If one were to continue following in Slytherin¡¯s footsteps, would there be a chance to reach the location of this building depicted on the b?!

    ¡°Remember, Evan, we investigated this stone b and searched carefully on the map,¡± said Hermione. ¡°But in the end, we had no results. If the information was not wrong, then the building on this stone b might be not in the real world.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Herpo the Foul might have hidden hisir!¡± This was the conclusion they came to at that time.

    ¡°I mean, the pyramid on the mural is not what this building looks like in reality,¡± Hermione expressed her spection. ¡°And what¡¯s on the stone b is the shape it took after entering the void. I heard you say there¡¯s such magic.¡±

    There was indeed such magic, and the evil gods themselves existed in the void.

    Born in the void, existing in the void, it was their world.

    By analogy, Herpo the Foul had also to enter the void after turning himself into an evil god.

    Therefore, he created a space, a space in which he lived after bing a god¡­

    Just like the real surface world and the illusory inner world, the buildings might have different appearances, but their inner essence was the same.

    ¡°So this map was useless because it wasn¡¯t originally meant to mark the real world,¡± Hermione concluded.

    ¡°That¡¯s possible,¡± said Evan. It was incredible to think about it carefully, but so far, he had witnessed too many incredible things. ¡°But we have too little information at the moment to make guesses. I still haven¡¯t figured out the purpose of the badge I got from defeating the Eyeball monster, but it should be rted to this building¡­¡±

    Even though he said this, it did not prevent him from continuing to reason along this line of thinking.

    The young Slytherin discovered this void world after his adventure to Herpo the Foul¡¯sir in Greece. He brought back Herpo the Foul who had turned into evil as his trophy.

    In other words, he had mastered the method of entering that space.

    Given his personality, he probably would have considered that ce the most suitable location to keep the key to his secret treasure.

    Only after collecting the other four items left behind, solving Herpo the Foul, and proving one¡¯s strength could one enter that ce, gain his approval, and thus obtain the key to the secret treasure.

    Evan felt that things were bing clearer and clearer, and all that was missing now was the evidence to prove it all.

    In all likelihood, this was the content of the test left by Slytherin.

    The three of them discussed as they continued forward.

    Evan couldn¡¯t understand why Szar Slytherin would leave behind such a terrifying dark magic.

    Moreover, the records were so detailed, almost as if temptingter generations to use it.

    On the murals on either side, Herpo the Foul, wearing a ck hood that obscured his face, stood at the top of the pyramid, raising his wand high, guiding the magic. On the side, there were annotations detailing the spells and precautions to be taken during casting.

    The pit used for sacrifice in front of the pyramid was densely filled with innocent lives.

    The first step of this magic required human beings, or to be precise, human souls.

    Extremely evil things could split one¡¯s own soul, and painful torture could separate the souls of other beings. Herpo the Foul had discovered this. He tortured these people to death cruelly with magic and collected their souls.

    In the pit, these innocent peopley in agony, some pleading and praying in despair.

    They gazed towards the sky, as if ethereal lines were appearing above their heads¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

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 Chapter 1116: Complete Magic

    These dotted lines represented the process of separation of the soul from the body.

    In evil ck magic, human souls could be sacrificed or offered as offerings to demons.

    Alternatively, the soul could be split and made into Horcruxes, which already exceeded more than half of the evilness in its significance.

    But Herpo the Foul was obviously not satisfied with this. His main purpose of collecting souls was to use them as energy.

    Using souls as energy, he transformed himself into an evil god.

    This was the first step. After collecting all the souls, the next step was to begin the transformation of the body, for which preparation and materials were needed. These materials were the corpses of various creatures, including powerful fire dragons, unicorns, and chimaeras, as well as goblins, house-elves, centaurs, and many extinct ancient species.

    From weak to strong, any species you could think of or see in books were included.

    Every creature had its most perfect parts, and Herpo the Foul intended tobine them together¡­ such as the heart of the fire dragon, the blood of the unicorn, the ws of the Chimaera, and so on.

    The feeling of removing the most perfectly developed and evolved parts of each creature and putting them on one¡¯s own body¡­ Imagine that scene, countless corpses being dposed and reassembled.The body pieced together like this was definitely a terrifying monster, but its perfection and power were unquestionable.

    Next, the mural began to detail how to handle the corpses of different creatures, and how to dissect and dismantle the required parts with the most appropriate means. Only through countless dissections of corpses could one gain this cruel knowledge and experience.

    Many people could kill a creature, but a true Dark wizard could obtain the required materials from the corpse.

    These murals were too cruel. After just a few glimpses, ine closed her eyes and did not dare to look at them anymore.

    She held Evan¡¯s right arm tightly, following him cautiously.

    Hermione also held Evan¡¯s left hand. Although she didn¡¯t close her eyes, her palms were full of sweat.

    Faced with these terrifying murals, not to mention young wizards like them, even evil Dark wizardsing here would panic and marvel at how a person or magic could be so evil to this extent.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Evan. ¡°There¡¯s no need to read on, we¡¯re not nning to use this magic.¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm,¡± Hermione nodded, feeling the heaviness of her breath. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such dark magic before. No, I haven¡¯t even thought about it. How could this Herpo the Foul be so crazy and evil to invent this magic?¡±

    ¡°After all, he¡¯s the most powerful and influential dark wizard known to date, thest ancient warlock, the founder of the modern Dark Arts,¡± said Evan, noticing Hermione¡¯s expression. ¡°Well, if you ask me, his mind must be abnormal. Look at the other two things we know he¡¯d invented. How would a normal person think of splitting his soul to make a Horcrux, or use a magic chicken egg and hatch it beneath a toad to create the Basilisk?¡±

    Not to mention normal people, even mentally unstable wizards probably couldn¡¯te up with such absurd ideas.

    To be a dark wizard like Voldemort, just cruelty and enough power were needed. But to be a dark wizard like Herpo the Foul, in addition to being powerful, you also needed to have enough imagination.

    At least in Evan¡¯s opinion, this incredible ck magic was difficult to create.

    The mural wasing to an end, and this was a part that Evan had not seen before.

    The pyramid appeared again, and Herpo the Foul stood at the top of the altar, holding something like a scepter high above, and the collected human souls rotating slowly in mid-air, forming a circr vortex, shimmering with silver light.

    When Evan¡¯s eyes moved there, the vortex seemed to really spin, getting faster and faster.

    In the vortex, the souls were wailing, roaring, twisting, and screaming¡­

    You could feel their pain and resentment, but it was futile. Under the control of Herpo the Foul, the souls were slowly focused in front of the altar into a circr object, which seemed to be a chrysalis, with countless souls rotating around it.

    <i>Thump, thump,</i> the chrysalis began to pulsate, like a heartbeat thumping.

    In the final scene, Herpo was gone, leaving only the chrysalis at the top of the pyramid altar.

    Next to it, there was a row of small characters:

    <i>Between reality and illusion, the immortal being is about to be born.</i>

    <i>The sun will eventually set, the holy light will go out, only darkness and slumber willst forever.</i>

    <i>Only by giving up your life can you enter slumber and learn the serene secrets amidst the illusions.</i>

    <i>In your slumber, tormented souls scream silently as they surround you and hold you tightly.</i>

    <i>You feel cold and lonely, despair and madness linger and spread, and you will all be alone in the end.</i>

    <i>That great being is standing behind you, do not move, do not breathe.</i>

    <i>Embrace it with open arms, devote your soul to it, and in the end, you will be equally immortal.</i>

    ¡°What do these words mean?¡± Hermione looked at the words on thest mural. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a spell.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a reminder toplete thest step of this magic¡± said Evan thoughtfully. ¡°It seems that before bing a terrifying evil god, you have to abandon life, dedicate your soul to enter a strange space, and then be immortal.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, but that¡¯s what Voldemort needs to worry about. What we need to consider is how to destroy him,¡± said Evan.

    Only by giving up your life and dedicating your soul could youplete the final fusion.

    If thest recorded spell was effective, it could help souls like Riddle¡¯s obtain entities.

    The three people quickened their pace. After the murals ended, the corridor extended into a room. The walls of this room were also covered with colorful murals, but this time the protagonist was Szar Slytherin himself.

    On the mural, Slytherin was fighting the terrible evil god, using a lot of wonderful magic.

    Seeing this familiar scene, Evan¡¯s first reaction was to look up.

    The eyeball monster had been entrenched on the ceiling before, attacking Evan mentally; leaving him with lingering fear. Fortunately, the eyeball monster had no physical attack power.

    Evan raised his head and breathed a heavy sigh of relief, there was nothing above.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hermione looked at him strangely.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Evan shook his head and calmed his breathing. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, we¡­¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, ine suddenly fell down beside him.

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 Chapter 1117: Below the Chasm

    ¡°ine, are you okay?¡± Evan hurriedly supported her, and the power of his Patronus became stronger.

    ¡°You heard that voice again?¡±

    ¡°No, but I feel very tired, very fatigued, really want to sleep¡­¡± said ine, swaying.

    She leaned on Evan, looking like she could faint at any moment.

    ¡°Strange, the Patronus isn¡¯t working.¡±

    The light of Evan¡¯s Patronus was almost materializing, but ine still didn¡¯t get better.

    Hermione also recited <i>Expecto Patronum</i> twice. Their two Patronuses emitted white light, almost dispelling all the darkness in the room, but ine still did not get better and was still in a drowsy state.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, do you have any specific feelings?¡± Evan asked with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m very tired, I¡¯ve no strength, and even my magic power has stopped,¡± said ine, her voice getting weaker. ¡°I really want to sleep, but my mind is very clear. I feel like my body doesn¡¯t belong to me, I¡¯ve lost control over it¡­¡±¡°Your mind is not affected?¡±

    ¡°No, I seem to be trapped in this body. It¡¯s a strange metaphor, but it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no problem with the spirit and soul, it¡¯s a physical issue¡­¡± said Evan thoughtfully.

    ¡°Evan, have you figured something out?¡± Hermione asked.

    ¡°Just a guess. I¡¯ve seen descriptions of this situation in some books before,¡± said Evan. ¡°Simr magic is very popr in Africa and East Asia. Using special drugs and magic can cut off a person¡¯s control of the body; this feeling is just like <i>Petrificus Totalus</i>, losing control and mobility.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s not that kind of magic, ine hasn¡¯t been cursed. It should be the evil god¡¯s blood in her body. It¡¯s influencing her, that¡¯s why the Patronus isn¡¯t working,¡± said Evan. ¡°The Patronus is mainly to defend against negative emotions and spiritual forces, and cannot cut off this blood connection.¡±

    ¡°The evil god is trying to control ine?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but I¡¯d say it¡¯s more like a passive weakening,¡± said Evan. ¡°No matter how powerful the vampire is, as long as blood exists, once they get close to the evil god, their power will be reduced and they will lose control over their body.¡±

    ¡°But Caresius didn¡¯t mention this just now?¡±

    ¡°This kind of suppression may not have much impact on him. The main pressure he endureses from the attack on the mental level, which is the most deadly attack by the evil god,¡± said Evan. ¡°But ine is different. Her strength is too weak. The same suppression makes her lose control over her body. Moreover, haven¡¯t you noticed the magic in the air bing more restless?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Hermione shook her head.

    ¡°The power of the evil god is increasing. He¡¯s breaking free from the control of the seal. He¡¯s much stronger than before we came in,¡± said Evan. ¡°You¡¯d better support ine back first, I¡¯ll continue to go in to find Dumbledore. By then¡­¡±

    Before he could finish speaking, there was a loud rumble and the whole space shook violently.

    Arge rock wall not far behind the three of them fell down, blocking the way they came in from, and countless dust filled the air.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom</i>¡­

    This seemed to be a signal. Cracks began to appear on the walls and continued to expand, making a terrible sound.

    After a while, the shaking stopped, but the cracks on the walls looked frightening.

    ¡°I can¡¯t go back now even if I want to,¡± said Hermione worriedly. ¡°What was that shaking just now?¡±

    ¡°It should be something the evil god did. We¡¯d better hurry and meet Dumbledore,¡± said Evan, lifting ine onto his back.

    Since they couldn¡¯t go back, they had no choice but to go forward to find Dumbledore.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    With Evan carrying ine and Hermione beside him, the two hurried forward.

    They paid no attention to the murals on the walls around them, hastily passing by. On the walls, it seemed Slytherin had defeated the evil god, splitting him into three parts and imprisoning them separately in three locations. Each of those three ces had its own characteristics¡­

    But many murals behind were destroyed, magically demolished, their original features unrecognizable.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wait!¡± Evan and Hermione stopped before they reached the end of the room.

    Because of the previous shaking, a huge chasm appeared on the ground ahead, blocking the way.

    But what surprised them was not the chasm itself, but the horrific sight they saw below.

    As the light from their wands and the silver light of their Patronuses dispersed the darkness, Evan saw something resembling a dried-up, dark purple dragon¡¯s head in the darkness below, violently swaying with terrifying momentum. It protruded from the chasm below, shaking violently and constantly colliding with the surrounding walls and ground. Large chunks of debris fell as it did so, and the intense shaking just now seemed to be caused by it breaking through the ground.

    Looking down, they could see the colossal figure below the chasm: the body of Herpo the Foul after bing the evil god.

    Just like what Evan had seen in Caresius¡¯s memory, it was a mixture of countless creatures, the worst creation in history.

    The strangebination of unknown creatures gave an inexplicable sense of weirdness.

    On the dark purple skin, every few feet, there would be a blue or yellow trembling, squirming tumor that seemed to be ready to burst open and explode at any time. There seemed to be something hidden inside, and it couldn¡¯t wait to rush out¡­

    His location was directly below this room, and his huge body was twisting in the distance.

    Around his body, red magic runes shed from time to time, that was the seal.

    Unlike the eyeball monster Evan had seen before, this guy¡¯s attacks were aimless. He didn¡¯t concentrate his strength to destroy weak points in the seal. Many times, he just made the terrifying monsters¡¯ heads sway in the air without touching anything.

    But his body was too huge, with unimaginable strength.

    Such aimless and inefficient attacks were enough to destroy everything, and it was only a matter of time before the seal was destroyed.

    ¡°Evan, look, Professor Dumbledore is there,¡± said Hermione.

    Along the leftmost edge of the huge chasm, through the long darkness, they could see a cluster of silver light.

    Dumbledore stood firmly in front of the evil god, and all attacks in his direction were blocked by the seal.

    He seemed to be channeling some magic. From time to time, a string of red, blue, and green shes of light shot out from his wand, quickly shing past and hitting the evil god¡¯s body.

    These attacks didn¡¯t seem to cause any harm to the evil god, but they made him even more irritable¡­

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 Chapter 1118: Magic Experiment

    Hit by Dumbledore¡¯s curse, the evil god¡¯s body dposed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    This spell was very damaging, far more powerful than normal, but it seemed to have little effect on the evil god.

    Soon, countless flesh and blood gathered together at a visible speed, and reassembled the destroyed parts.

    Enraged by Dumbledore¡¯s actions, the evil god¡¯s purple torso and tentacles kept shaking, letting out a roar.

    The sound was so weird that Evan couldn¡¯t describe it specifically. It sounded like some amplified wail of agony.

    It pierced directly through eardrums, reaching the soul, impacting the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of the mind.

    With the roar of the evil god, many fine cracks appeared on the white barrier of the Patronuses.

    The Patronuses could block the negative spiritual intrusion and contamination of the evil god, but they could not prevent the transmission of sound.

    This terrible sound echoed within the soul, relentless, stirring up the deepest fears.Just like encountering a Dementor, Evan began to think of many bad memories, with terrifying images appearing before his eyes.

    These memories and images gradually ovepped, ultimately converging into the form of the evil god before him, manifesting as this dreadful nightmare.

    At this moment, this twisted and ugly monster in front of him had be a manifestation of all the dark and negative emotions in his heart.

    It was what he feared and dreaded the most, and there was no way to avoid it¡­

    Evan, Hermione, and ine looked at the evil god nkly, tasting the bitterness of fear, and the despair in their hearts was rapidly increasing.

    Below the abyss, Dumbledore seemed unaffected, and the white light around his body showed no ripples.

    He was still channeling magic and looking for a way to defeat the evil god.

    Another spell waspleted, and countless green textures appeared on the body of the evil god, causing obvious damage to it.

    But it was still of no use, its regenerative power was simply too formidable.

    Dumbledore could destroy a portion or even the entirety of the evil god, but the remaining flesh quickly regenerated.

    This was the terrifying aspect of the evil god¡¯s body. It did not have that kind of spiritual attack, but it had powerful regeneration capabilities.

    Suddenly, the pressure intensified all around, everything bing heavy, even the air seemed to gain weight.

    Countless attacks came forth, the terrifying monster exuding an intimidating aura; each part of his body,posed of different creatures, served different purposes, emitting various attacks, whether physically or using magic.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    There was a mess below, light shed, and various parts of the evil god¡¯s body shook more violently.

    Everything in front of them was shaking, and the evil god had unimaginable power.

    Colliding with it, the surrounding hard rocks were easily crushed like tofu.

    The huge roaring sounds kept echoing from the deepest part of the ground, reverberating throughout the entire space.

    Evan, Hermione, and ine hurriedly retreated. The ground was copsing and crumbling, and the ravines were getting wider and wider.

    Amidst the thunderous roar, this ck abyss began to devour everything.

    <i>Puff</i> ¡­ <i>Puff¡­</i>

    The blue and yellow, trembling, squirming tumors on the evil god¡¯s body burst open.

    Many indescribable small evil creatures were born from them, rushing towards Dumbledore from all directions.

    The bodies of these creations had different shapes, and they were covered with fangs and swaying dark purple tentacles.

    They were unaffected by the seal, and Dumbledore was surrounded and had no ce to retreat.

    He waved his wand forward horizontally, and the surrounding white barrier moved outward.

    Dumbledore sped his hands together, golden light appeared, and Fawkes the Phoenix appeared above him.

    The next second, his body appeared next to Evan.

    The evil god who lost his target became even more violent, and now only the power of the seal blocked him.

    He shook violently, and the rock where Dumbledore was just now was crushed and became part of the endless abyss.

    Evan noticed that this evil god was not climbing up from the abyss, but was constantly expanding and growing.

    It was like someone was using the Ergement Charm on him. Every time the power of the seal weakened, his body grewrger.

    At the bottom, there was deep darkness, and it was impossible to see the true face of his body. Complex magic runes kept appearing, and finally came together, like a huge power grid that shed red light quickly.

    <i>Zap, zap, zap</i>¡­ The gathering of magic made a sound like sparks burning rapidly in the air.

    ¡°Professor!¡±

    ¡°Hurry, the remaining seal¡¯s power won¡¯tst long,¡± said Dumbledore calmly. ¡°Hold onto me tightly.¡±

    With one hand supporting the grieving ine and the other gripping Dumbledore¡¯s arm, Hermione also grabbed onto Dumbledore at his side.

    There was another golden light, and the four of them appeared back in the initial circr hall.

    Although they were far away, they could still hear distant sounds, and the air and rock walls were trembling.

    ¡°You are back!¡± Caresius hurriedly came over to take ine from Evan. ¡°Is she alright?¡±

    ¡°No problem, away from the evil god, she¡¯ll gradually get better.¡±

    ¡°Her physique is too weak. Neither her magic power nor her body can withstand the pressure of that monster,¡± said Riddle. ¡°If you ask me, giving her some Restorative Draughts or anti-fatigue potions should be effective¡­ ¡°

    Evan found a bottle of potion and asked Hermione to help ine drink it. These potions were used when staying upte studying.

    After ine drank a little, her spirits seemed to improve considerably.

    While ine was taking the potion, Evan turned and looked at Dumbledore, and Riddle looked at the two of them.

    ¡°Professor, that monster¡­¡± he paused, ¡°I saw you using magic to attack the evil god?¡±

    ¡°I deciphered a few spells from some ancient texts and information left by Slytherin,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°I targeted the evil god with these spells as an experiment. Although they could harm the evil god, they proved ineffective. As you saw, I managed to provoke him, but I cannot ascertain whether it is because my magic power is insufficient or due to some other reason.¡±

    If even Dumbledore¡¯s magic wasn¡¯t enough to support those spells, it was unthinkable for others.

    At present, the only spells that could defeat the evil god, apart from Slytherin¡¯s magic, were those described in <i>The Book of Abraham</i> mastered by Evan.

    Although these two methods were very powerful, they were very restrictive and unstable.

    Dumbledore must have been hoping to find new ways to defeat the evil god, so he experimented with those spells.

    However, judging from the situation just now, there was really no way to cause fatal damage to the evil god.

    ¡°That creature is immortal,¡± Riddle said slowly. ¡°Professor, regarding this, I reminded you that mortals cannot defeat him. The only person who can defeat him is my great ancestor Szar Slytherin, and simrly immortal beings¡­¡±

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 Chapter 1119: Guided Magic

    Chapter 1119: Guided Magic

    Whether it was Herpo the Foul or Szar Slytherin, they were both wizards beyond the ordinary sense.

    Herpo the Foul had used ultimate dark magic to turn himself into an evil god, achieve immortality and be a legendary existence.

    Slytherin was only human, to be sure.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    But if he could defeat and dpose the monster that Herpo the Foul turned into, how close could he himself be to immortality?

    In the eyes of most wizards, both of them were monsters¡­

    They had superhuman intelligence, magic and power beyond the imagination of the world, and everyone could only look up to them.

    Even powerful wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort were nothingpared to these ancient spellcasters.

    No, it was not just looking up to.

    It could only be looking up when you could still see; when the other was far ahead of you, then you could only look up in awe and sigh!Now, this was what Dumbledore, Riddle, Evan, Hermione, Caresius, and ine were doing, feeling the magic left by Slytherin and Herpo the Foul¡¯s transformation into an evil god, sighing in extreme shock¡­

    ¡°Mortals can never defeat immortal beings,¡± Riddle said.

    ¡°Maybe, only immortals can fight against immortals. The power controlled by mortals is limited after all,¡± Dumbledore replied softly. ¡°Alright, Tom, after breaking the seal, the evil god wille immediately. How prepared are you here?¡±

    ¡°Everything is ready; we just need the locket to activate,¡± said Riddle, turning to look at Evan. ¡°Of course, we stillck someone to guide this magic. Professor, are you going to let him try or do it yourself?¡±

    ¡°I trust Evan,¡± said Dumbledore simply. ¡°Let him do it!¡±

    ¡°You want <i>me</i> to guide this magic?¡± Evan originally thought that Dumbledore or Riddle would do it.

    Although he had activated the magic left by Slytherin before, it was passive after all.

    At that time, he had almost been swallowed by that terrifying eyeball monster, but by chance, he triggered the magic and defeated the opponent.

    In fact, Evan had no experience at all and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    This magic was obviously not as simple as Riddle said, just cing the locket on the groove.

    ¡°You are lucky!¡± Riddle said in an envious tone. ¡°Originally, I was the most suitable person to guide this magic, but unfortunately I have no physical form. If I had discovered this magic fifty years ago, I would have be unimaginably powerful.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?!¡± Riddle repeated. ¡°Just as I thought, you know nothing.¡±

    ¡°You can choose not to say it,¡± said Evan bluntly.

    Perhaps because he realized that there was no way to deceive and mislead Evan, Riddle¡¯s attitude towards him had always been lukewarm.

    Of course, this might also be rted to the fact that Evan had almost destroyed him at the time.

    No matter how much magic knowledge fifteen-year-old Riddle had or what conspiracies he might devise, his true essence was just that ring.

    If necessary, Evan could destroy him at any time by using the Fiendfyre Curse.

    ¡°Alright, alright, since you want to know, then I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Riddle narrowed his eyes and said in a smooth tone, ¡°This is a test left by my ancestor, and also a gift. It involves magic and energy conversion¡­¡±

    ¡°Magic conversion?¡± Evan had seen this term in many ancient texts.

    This was a quite old magic theory that was needed in somerge-scale magic. Nowadays, few wizards studied magic conversion.

    ¡°You should have discovered that the monster inside has super strong regeneration ability. No matter what kind of damage is caused to him, it will have no effect. Therefore, to destroy him requires pure energy crushing, not what kind of magic,¡± said Riddle, looking at the statue of Slytherin. ¡°This statue serves that purpose. The magic left by Slytherin makes it an energy collector, which gathers the surrounding magic, collects it, and stores it, to be released when needed.

    ¡°Only by releasing the huge magic power that has been umted for a thousand years can we defeat that monster,¡± Riddle continued. ¡°Slytherin¡¯s locket is the hub and core of the entire magic. It is a vital converter that converts energy into the purest magic power. After defeating the monster inside, the remaining magic power will¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­enter my body and help me enhance my power,¡± Evan finished for him.

    ¡°You are not as ignorant as I thought,¡± said Riddle. ¡°Yes, indeed, it will help you improve your strength. You should understand now how rare this opportunity is. The magic power umted for a thousand years can only be used once.¡±

    Evan was very familiar with this process. He was able to have the current strength mainly because of the magic power infused by this locket.

    In the underground ruins of the Acromant, the same magic, that had been umted for a thousand years as if it were real¡­

    He used this magic power to defeat the eyeball monster, and at the same time improved his own strength, possessing magic power far beyond that of an adult wizard.

    ¡°Evan, you asked me before why this is,¡± Dumbledore followed, ¡°I had no idea at the time. After getting the information left by Slytherin, I was able to confirm that the locket had this effect.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I know you have a lot of questions, but we¡¯d better hurry,¡± said Dumbledore. ¡°Solving him here is the least harmful option. If we let him break the seal, we will need to be prepared to deal with other wizards.¡±

    Evan wanted to say something more. If the strength could really be enhanced, it should be Dumbledore who would do it. Not because he was so selfless, but if Dumbledore¡¯s strength further increased, they could defeat Voldemort and solve all the troubles in one fell swoop.

    At that time, there would be no need to worry about the risk of the evil statue and Voldemort turning into an evil god.

    ¡°Professor¡­¡±

    ¡°The enhancement in magic power wouldn¡¯t be of much help to me, and it doesn¡¯t mean much,¡± said Dumbledore gently, seeming to see what Evan was thinking. ¡°And this is not just an improvement in magic power, It is also a difficult test. The magic here requires strong willpower. I believe you can do it.¡±

    ¡°Excessive modesty is hypocrisy, boy!¡± said Riddle, taking the locket from Evan. ¡°Apart from Dumbledore, you are the only person here who can guide this magic topletion. If I were you, I would not refuse.¡±

    He ced the locket into the groove of the altar in front of the statue, dark gold and green magic lines shed out.

    It was like a key unlocking the power stored in the statue for a thousand years.

    The next second, countless silvery nkton-like substances poured out from the altar. This was substantial magic power.

    They converged, forming a ribbon of light that dispersed throughout the circr hall.

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 Chapter 1120: Squeezed to Bursting

    Chapter 1120: Squeezed to Bursting

    In an instant, the scenery before their eyes was like a dream, incredibly beautiful.

    Countless magic particles weaved and intersected together, emitting dots of light like gems.

    They floated in the air, casting a hazy hue on everything around them.

    With each breath, magic entered the body, moisturizing it from the inside out, filling it with energy.

    This feeling was like no matter how much magic was used, there was no need to worry about running out of it, as it would replenish itself at any time.

    ¡°Stand here and put your hand on the locket,¡± Riddle said, motioning for Evan to stand in front of the altar.

    ¡°Come on, Evan!¡± ine whispered softly, lying on the ground and watching Evan with wide eyes.

    ¡°We believe in you!¡± Hermione hugged Evan hard.

    Dumbledore and Caresius did not speak, but they both looked at Evan and watched him walk to the top of the altar.Evan put his right hand on the locket. A strange feeling poured into his body from his right hand, and he was instantly filled with magic power.

    Undoubtedly, the feeling of bing powerful in an instant was initially wonderful.

    The endless magic power was at hismand, and he seemed to be in control of everything.

    But as more and more magic power poured in; the pressure increased, giving Evan a sense of swelling.

    ¡°What should I do next?¡± he looked at Riddle beside him.

    ¡°Chant the spell with me!¡± Riddle said, opening his mouth and making a hissing sound.

    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± Evan interrupted. ¡°Does this spell have to be in Parseltongue?¡±

    ¡°I believe using Parseltongue is the least respect we can show to Slytherin,¡± said Riddle. ¡°If you really can¡¯t pronounce it, speaking normally is fine too. In this magic, the spell is not the most crucial thing. The important thing is to let his statue feel your intention.¡±

    ¡°Intention?¡±

    ¡°Slytherin left a part of his will in the statue, which can sense what you¡¯re thinking through the locket,¡± said Riddle impatiently. ¡°Just let him know that you want to destroy the evil god inside, and the magic he left behind will be activated.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just talk properly,¡± Evan said.

    ¡°Humph, now start praising Slytherin with me. He is the greatest wizard of all time. He is¡­¡±

    ¡°Is this also what must be done?¡± Evan interrupted him again. ¡°You just said, as long as the statue senses my intention to destroy the evil god inside, the magic will be activated. What¡¯s the point of praising Slytherin?!¡±

    ¡°This is respect for the great wizard,¡± said Evan. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to do it, then do it your way.¡±

    He stopped talking and looked at Evan with a sneer.

    Evan blinked, trying hard to focus on wanting to destroy the evil god.

    This gave him a strange feeling of entering a religious ce such as a church to pray for divine blessings.

    More than ten seconds passed without any response. Obviously, this ¡°Slytherin god¡± did not hear his prayer.

    Perhaps the ¡°god¡± sensed that he wasn¡¯t as devout, or perhaps it was because he did not praise him like Riddle did.

    Seeing this situation, Riddle, standing in front of Evan, became obviously smug.

    Evan ignored the guy. He had triggered this magic with the eyeball monster before. ording to Riddle, as long as the remaining will of Slytherin could feel his thoughts, he would know that he wanted to destroy that terrible monster.

    He struggled to recall the feeling from back then, the terrifying eyeball monster incessantly talking to him, wanting to devour him¡­

    The ground was shaking, arge number of cracks appeared on the rock walls, the sky seemed to copse and the surrounding murals shattered and fell off.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    A thunderous roar echoed from the deepest depths of the earth, the elongated pupils split, and a huge eyeball split open in the middle.

    Like the most ferocious monster, it exuded a terrifying aura, with two huge eyeballs between which rows of long, sharp fangs grew from the split, followed by a dense array of spikes, and then inward, dark purple folds, mucous membranes, and endless darkness.

    There was no end to the deep darkness, and one could only get lost in it eventually.

    The eyeballs swayed, detaching from the ceiling¡¯s rocky walls and falling down.

    They floated in mid-air, opened their bloody mouths, and flew towards Evan, who had lost all resistance.

    Evan tried hard to recall this feeling and further associate it with the terrifying evil god¡¯s body he had just seen.

    That twisted and massive body, a conglomerate of the most fearsome monster corpses piled up, approached him with unimaginable strength.

    In front of the terrifying evil god¡¯s body, human beings were undoubtedly insignificant, and no matter how powerful they were, it would be useless.

    Evan didn¡¯t know how to resist. Faced with this monstrous being beyond understanding andmon sense, any spell was futile.

    Closing his eyes and awaiting death might be the only choice, but he was unwilling to do so. He wanted to resist.

    <i>Resist</i>!

    To approach whatever he could to defeat the opponent, for the sake of protecting everything he held dear.

    Suddenly, magic power poured out from Evan¡¯s entire body, flowing up from his right hand to the locket.

    The emerald embedded in Slytherin¡¯s locket gave off a strong light, and the surrounding inscriptions began to glow with a faint golden hue.

    Against such a color, the emblem of the Slytherin family looked like a snake that hade to life.

    It detached from the locket, slowly floated up, and hovered in front of Evan¡¯s chest.

    ¡°It worked!¡± said Riddle almost ecstatically. ¡°The great Szar Slytherin!¡±

    The statue shook slightly and gradually glowed with a white halo.

    The magic particles floating in the air quickly gathered and were reabsorbed by the magic within the statue.

    They were like schools of fish migrating in the deep blue sea, rapidly swirling downward, drawing in all the magic energy in the space.

    Silvery white, light green and golden red light orbs gathered around Slytherin¡¯s statue and Evan, and merged with the green light mist emitted by the locket. They gradually converged and formed Szar Slytherin¡¯s own shadow in front of Evan.

    The outline of the shadow was not clear, and the light was distorted, making his features indistinguishable.

    Evan had no intention of seeing Slytherin now. He felt like he was about to burst from the overwhelming magic!

    Just a moment ago, the influx of magic had filled him to the brim, with an unusually intense sensation of collision; now, with more and more magic inside and around his body, this sensation grew even stronger, reaching the limit of what Evan¡¯s body could handle.

    Just a little more, and Evan would be squeezed to bursting by the magic power, like a balloon.

    But the magic power umted for a thousand years was still flowing in continuously, far beyond imagination and control.

    With a loud bang, Evan heard a sound simr to a balloon explosioning from within his body¡­

    Something seemed to have burst open, and Evan was not sure if it was his body.

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 Chapter 1121: The Power of Destruction

    Chapter 1121: The Power of Destruction

    After hearing the sound of cracking, Evan looked around and found that he was in a strange state.

    In other words, he was getting farther and farther away from his body¡­

    This description was strange, but he did see himself floating out of his body before his eyes.

    The soul left the body and floated in the air.

    Without the restraints of his body, Evan felt an unprecedented sense of rxation, as if he was squeezing out of a very narrow rubber tube like an Apparition and entering arge, boundless pool.

    Gravity lost its effect, and the surroundings were filled with magic power, lifting him up.

    Under the influence of this indescribable buoyancy, he floated in the air, a foot away from his body.

    In this state, he could hear many faint sounds that he could not normally hear.

    It was the sound of magic power running and colliding. It was very subtle but very clear. These could not be heard under normal conditions.At the same time, the scene he saw in front of him also became different.

    Everything seemed to have lost its entity and was insteadposed of different colors of magical light.

    The tiny magic particles in the air formed a silver band of light, hundreds of feet wide, just like the Milky Way on a summer night.

    They converged towards Slytherin¡¯s statue and Evan¡¯s position, flowing continuously.

    Countless magic powers had no interruption, no pause, and no end.

    When instances of magic collided with each other, an electric sound was emitted.

    Brilliant golden and silver brilliance shed out, spread out like fireworks, and then quickly dissipated.

    The soul-stirring beauty contained equally astonishing and huge energy.

    Evan lowered his head and saw that his body standing on the altar was also glowing bright white. It was a sign filled with countless magic powers. The light was pure and even a little dazzling. Among the white light pirs, a dark blue line was particrly obvious. That was the color of his original magic.

    Apart from Evan¡¯s body filled with magic, Dumbledore¡¯s body emitted the strongest light, dazzling golden.

    Beside him, Caresius¡¯s body glowed blood red, but it was much darker and not as dense as Dumbledore¡¯s.

    Simrly red, ine¡¯s color was even dimmer than Caresius¡¯s, with scattered crimson dots and uneven distribution.

    Hermione¡¯s magic was light blue, much stronger than ine¡¯s, but far weaker than Dumbledore¡¯s and Caresius¡¯s.

    Among all the people present, the weakest one was Riddle, with only a faint hint of silver-green.

    It could be seen that there was still a beam of light connecting him to Dumbledore.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Just when Evan was about to take a closer look, the green, snake-like emblem of the Slytherin family suddenly entered his body.

    This seemed to be a signal, countless magic powers poured in crazily, and Evan saw that he was getting closer and closer to Slytherin¡¯s shadow.

    In an instant, he became one with it.

    For a moment, he thought he was Slytherin, and this was the will he left behind.

    But Evan still had his own thoughts, and he didn¡¯t hear Slytherin talking to him either.

    He could distinctly feel the shadow merged into his body bing a part of him, countless microscopic magical particles attaching themselves, with the Slytherin family emblem as the core. He was being shaped by magic into a new body.

    Evan grew bigger and bigger, and in a breath, he was as tall as the statue.

    He looked down at his body, Riddle beside him, and Dumbledore, Caresius, Hermione and ine below the altar.

    The next second, Evan started to move, his new body moving under the drive of magic.

    He moved forward, and the scene before him quickly receded.

    In the state of light and shadow, Evan entered the corridor filled with evil magic, and rushed to the back room in the blink of an eye. The rocks and walls blocking the road did not pose any obstacles to him, as if they did not exist, and he passed through easily.

    He came to the body of the terrifying evil god and looked at the ugly, constantly writhing monster in the abyss.

    His body had now be veryrge, increasingly hideous and terrifying.

    The power of the seal had minimal impact on him. A white barrier appeared looming above him, but it could no longer clearly restrict the evil god. It was like a thin stic sheet that could be torn through at any moment.

    The seal that had been operating for a thousand years under the careful care of vampires would eventuallyplete its mission ande to an end.

    The evil god in the abyss would give it the final blow and break free from its bonds and shackles.

    But he did not act. When he noticed Evan¡¯s arrival, the evil god that was shaking violently stopped. All heads looked at Evan, and the strange voice that reached into the soul sounded again. He was talking to Evan, and Evan couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.

    It was likely expressing the same resentment and hatred towards Slytherin for sealing him for a thousand years, much like the eyeball monster.

    The body, which was a mixture of piles of rotten flesh and the corpses of thousands of magical creatures, spread out in all directions, exposing the part carefully protected at the center. It was a human-shaped creature, and his skin was densely covered with barnacle-like things.

    Irregrly sized holes appeared one after another, making one¡¯s scalp tingle.

    A little further up were brightly colored orange-red hairs, resembling the patterns on a venomous spider¡¯s body.

    It could be seen that three holes were dug out in this part, forming a triangle, where the brain and eyes had once been.

    Supported by a dense white bone-like spine, the newly appeared humanoid creature leaned up and looked at Evan.

    It made a strange sound that sounded more like human speech.

    Evan didn¡¯t bother to discern what he was talking about. Under the control of inexplicable consciousness, his right hand was raised high.

    All magic powers obeyed Evan¡¯smand, and he could control them as he wished without using spells.

    As his thoughts rose, a small spherical ball of light appeared in the palm of his hand.

    This was an energy sphere formed by thepression and concentration of countless magic forces. It carried a heart-stopping power, the power to destroy everything, forming in the palm of Evan¡¯s hand.

    The energy sphere was getting bigger and bigger, and the magic particles were extremelypressed.

    They quickly rotated and collided together, emitting colorful rays of light.

    In the blink of an eye, this small energy sphere grew in size and slowly floated in the palm of his hand as if it had no weight.

    It looked like a giant bubble that refracted colorful halos under the sunlight.

    It seemed harmless to humans and animals, but this energy massposed of the purestpressed magic power was enough to frighten the evil god below.

    Countless terrifying torsos were shaking, and the humanoid creature in the center was also lifted high.

    He spoke to Evan in a muffled tone, making strange sounds.

    The next second, without any warning, the monster suddenly moved¡­

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 Chapter of the Vampires

    <i>Boom</i>!!!

    The tentacles on the body of the evil god,posed of countless twisted monster corpses, attacked Evan with astonishing speed and strength.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Countless purple shadows shook and shed before his eyes.

    The sealing light suddenly became stronger, but it did not stop him at all. It was as easily shattered as ss, losing its effectiveness.

    Evan watched as the bodyposed of piles of corpses came closer and closer to him, and then passed straight through his body.

    There was no pain, no harm; his current body itself wasposed of countless magic particles.

    Pure physical or magical attacks could not have an effect on him.

    Evan blinked his eyes; his body disappeared from where it was, reappearing as magic particles.

    The next second, he appeared directly in front of the evil god, dragging his right hand, which held an energy ball, pressing it against the evil god.The force was very light, but it contained energy beyond imagination.

    Aplex and profound magic rune appeared at the point of collision, emitting a green light.

    At this moment, time seemed to stand still and everything in the world became quiet.

    Evan could even see the muscle texture and skin on the evil god¡¯s body. His right hand gently pressed on it, and the two maintained this posture.

    Countless magic powers converged here, and with his right hand as the center, the rune rapidly erged.

    The airflow and magic power spun andpressed rapidly, and a huge energy wave appeared from it.

    The energy wave moved forward with an unimaginable impact, emitting a dazzling light.

    That was the power and light generated by the collision and explosion of magic. Under the action of magic runes, the magic burst out with unimaginable impact. The magic umted for a thousand years erupted,unching a powerful attack with tearing and destructive force towards the evil god.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom</i>, the sound caused by the impact kept echoing¡­

    The body of the evil god was shrouded in magic light and was destroyed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

    He roared and shook violently, but the recovery speed of his flesh and blood obviously could not keep up with the speed of destruction.

    Under the crushing and tearing of magic power, his body was destroyed bit by bit until it disappeared, leaving behind a deep darkness.

    It was over, everything was calm again.

    Only Evan was still floating in the air, with his right hand maintaining the same position as before.

    The whining sound of the dark wind came from the ground, and the evil god with an immortal body fell and disappeared from this world.

    Under the impact of the huge shock wave, nothing was left of it, and it was as if the terrifying evil god had never existed.

    The surrounding area gradually quieted down, but Evan¡¯s mood could not be calmed.

    He guided the magic topletion, but it was actually a war between Slytherin and the terrifying evil god.

    He was just a tiny participant, or more urately, he was just a bystander, observing this battle from the perspective of Slytherin.

    There was no gorgeous showdown, noplicated magic, just a collision of pure power.

    Once the power reached a certain level of strength, it became sufficient to overlook all techniques and crush them.

    The magic power that also returned to calm spilled out, and a dark red que slowly fell into Evan¡¯s hand.

    It was the same as the previous piece, with a strange emblem with the evil god as the main body carved on it.

    Above the que, he floated quietly in mid-air, the terrifying body looking even more horrible and twisted than the real one.

    Below him were a few strokes of human figures with painful expressions, their souls being ripped out of their bodies.

    Along the looming dotted line, the souls were poured into the body of the evil god¡­

    ¡°<i>This is the second piece</i>!¡±

    Whenever a part of the evil god was destroyed, such a que would drop.

    Evan didn¡¯t know its specific use, and Dumbledore, who had taken it for research at the time, seemed to have drawn no conclusions.

    They now knew that the monster on the que was Herpo the Foul transformed into an evil god. This was the only information they currently had.

    Questions abounded, and many secrets remained to be unearthed.

    Every time a part of the evil god¡¯s body was destroyed, he would get such a que. What was its meaning and use?

    It seemed that each part of the evil god corresponded to a que. Was this a coincidence?

    It should be noted that it was Slytherin who divided Herpo the Foul into three parts. So, did he leave behind these ques? Or did he dpose the evil god into three parts ¨C the brain, the eyeball, and the body ¨C ording to the distribution of the ques?

    The ques made of unknown materials seemed not simple.

    But there wasn¡¯t much time for Evan to think about these issues. With the surge of magic, he returned to the circr hall where Slytherin¡¯s statue was, and saw Dumbledore, Caresius, Riddle, Hermione, and ine all looking at him happily.

    The huge shock wave just now had a huge impact, and the entire space was shaking, even here.

    They all knew that Evan had seeded and eliminated the evil god.

    Evan saw Hermione waving to him, and ine beside her also smiled.

    At this moment, her face looked paler than ever before, and the red magic power in her body disappeared.

    After the evil god was destroyed, her power also disappeared.

    Evan looked at Caresius. He was better off than ine, but the red light that was originally second only to Dumbledore now only had a very faint brilliance, almost as dim as Riddle standing on the altar.

    This was the most direct effect after the evil god was eliminated. The vampires lost their power and magic and became ordinary humans.

    For vampires, this was a price that must be paid, and it was also a kind of liberation.

    Without power, there was no responsibility. There was no need to worry about being controlled by evil gods¡­

    For those who were single-mindedly pursuing great power, this was undoubtedly a disaster, but for ine, it was undoubtedly a good thing.

    From now on, she was no different from an ordinary girl.

    She could appear openly in public without worrying about others discovering her identity.

    A few secondster, the remaining magic power began to flow into Slytherin¡¯s locket held by Evan¡¯s right hand. Even Evan¡¯s current body was no exception. After all, he was currently constructed of countless magic particles, being a part of magical essence.

    As if being pushed and flowed by water in a pipe, Evan was sucked into Slytherin¡¯s locket.

    He seemed to see something in the locket, but he didn¡¯t see it clearly. He immediately pressed the right hand on the locket and returned to his body, regaining control of it.

    ustomed to the lightness of his body made of magic, he now felt that his original body was unusually heavy.

    It was like having a tightly sealed flesh suit wrapped around his soul, firmly binding him inside.

    During the adaptation process, Evan could feel the magic transforming him.

    With the transformation of magic, his own magic power level increased rapidly again.

    But overall, it was not as big an improvement as the first time.

    Still using the container as an example, Evan¡¯s body could only hold a limited amount of magic power, and did not have such arge capacity¡­

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 Chapter 1123: Charging

    Based on Evan¡¯s current state, the magic would cease once it reached a certain level of enhancement.

    Szar Slytherin¡¯s purpose was to help those who inherited his will improve their strength, not to be invincible.

    Indeed, even though arge portion of it was consumed in destroying the evil god, the umted magic of a thousand years was still not something a single person¡¯s body could bear. The body constructed entirely from magic had only utilized a negligible fraction of it.

    After raising Evan¡¯s current magic power to the limit, the remaining magic power would dissipate.

    They were extracted from nature and would eventually return to nature.

    Evan¡¯s soul had fully merged with his body; he was now brimming with power, feeling no difort.

    Less and less magic was returned from Slytherin¡¯s Locket, and he knew that this process was about to end.

    Perhaps due to recently being embodied in magic, Evan hadn¡¯t lost control over this magic.N?v(el)B\\jnn

    Ending it like this would be such a waste¡­At that moment, he heard Riddle say softly, ¡°Evan, give the remaining magic to me!¡±

    ¡°To you?¡± Evan found that he could speak!

    ¡°Yes, give it to me,¡± said Riddle, with undisguised greed and desire in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let go, don¡¯t release control, let the remaining magic pour into the ring on Dumbledore¡¯s right hand. You see that ring, don¡¯t you? With the help of this pure magic, I will gain a physical form, even a true body.¡±

    ¡°Can you absorb these magic powers?¡±

    ¡°This is the purest magic, the Power of Origin. It can be absorbed by both the body and the soul without any rejection, but the absorption process is slow; we need a container to store them,¡± said Riddle. ¡°That ring is a good container, besides the fragment of my soul inside, there¡¯s still plenty of space. Under the nourishment of magic, I¡­¡±

    Evan didn¡¯t listen to him finish. He turned his head and saw Hermione looking at him with concern under the altar.

    And there were Caresius and ine, both weakened by the loss of magic.

    If anyone could absorb this magic, it would be better to give it to them instead of helping Riddle get a real body.

    ¡°They can¡¯t!¡± said Riddle immediately, seeming to have guessed what Evan was about to do. ¡°To enhance one¡¯s strength by absorbing this magic into the body, you must hold onto this locket like you¡¯re doing now. Once you let go, the magic will cease. And right now, the altar is still protected by magic. They can¡¯t get here. It¡¯s just you and me.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Evan nodded. That was indeed true.

    ¡°Do you understand what I am saying, Evan? Right now, you can only give this magic to me, otherwise, the remaining magic will all go to waste, and it won¡¯t benefit you either,¡± said Riddle. ¡°I¡¯ve discussed this with Professor Dumbledore, and he agreed!¡±

    ¡°Dumbledore agreed to give these magic powers to you?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t explicitly say so, but it¡¯s pretty much implied,¡± said Riddle urgently. ¡°He said that as long as I can prove myself and provide assistance, he will help me gain a true body. This is an excellent opportunity.¡±

    Evan looked at Dumbledore again, who looked back calmly, his blue eyes silently meeting Evan¡¯s.

    As Riddle said, due to the fluctuations of magic around the altar, he could note over.

    Did he understand what Evan meant and what he wanted to ask?

    Dumbledore didn¡¯t react, but for a moment, Evan felt he¡¯d gotten the answer he wanted.

    ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s the case, but there¡¯s a small problem here¡­¡± He thought for a while and said, tilting his head and looking at Riddle.

    ¡°What problem?¡±

    ¡°What you said was yourmunication with Dumbledore, not involving me,¡± said Evan. ¡°Well, you get what I mean, don¡¯t you? Regardless of any agreements between you two, I¡¯m not obligated toply.¡±

    ¡°You¡­¡± Riddle¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Actually, I feel you¡¯re in a pretty good state right now. There¡¯s no need to go any further,¡± Evan said.

    ¡°How could you do this?! How dare you disobey Dumbledore¡¯s orders?!¡± said Riddle in disbelief.

    The smile on his face gradually faded, and his expression became ferocious.

    ¡°First of all, I haven¡¯t heard Dumbledore¡¯s orders. And you¡¯re mistaken about one thing, that is, in this matter; the headmaster has no authority tomand me. This locket now belongs to me, and this magic is under my control, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re saying?!¡± said Riddle angrily. ¡°Look at the magic around here; it¡¯s been umted for a thousand years. There is no way the locket can store so much. As soon as you interrupt the magic, all these magic powers will dissipate.¡±

    ¡°I have my ways, I don¡¯t need your concern,¡± said Evan. He had no shortage of items that could store magic power.

    Speaking of magic storage, what could be more suitable than the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?

    With a thought from Evan, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone left by Gryffindor appeared in front of him, emitting a faint red glow.

    This Philosopher¡¯s Stone was the key to the secret treasure left by Gryffindor. It had been kept by the Centaur tribe in the school¡¯s Forbidden Forest for two hundred years. It was then used as a source of energy to summon the evil god. After the Centaur civil war, it was split in half.

    Half of it became sacred to the centaurs, and the other half was taken away by the fallen Centaurs to continue to power evil magic.

    When Evan merged them into one, there was not much power left in the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    In thest battle with the evil god, he used ¡°Silence¡± magic, which caused obvious damage to the Stone.

    At this moment, the red Stone was covered with tiny cracks, and its light was very dim.

    This was a sign that the magic power was about to be exhausted. When all the magic power was consumed, it would be an ordinary stone.

    Just like the piece Evan had seen in the silent temple, it would turn into powder with a gentle touch.

    As an important magic item and an indispensable key, Evan naturally did not want this to happen.

    He had checked a lot of information and found that if the magic power around him was the Power of Origin, then he could repair the Philosopher¡¯s Stone and help it replenish its magic power.

    Just like Muggle electrical appliances needed to be recharged, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone also needed to be recharged.

    Ignoring Riddle, under Evan¡¯s control, all the magic in the air turned around and gathered towards the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    The magic power was easily absorbed, and they were stored inside the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, bing part of it.

    The radiance from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone was getting stronger and stronger, the cracks were repaired, and it would soon look like the way Evan first saw it.

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 Chapter 1124: The New War

    The Philosopher¡¯s Stone floating quietly in front of Evan glowed with bright red soft light, like the purest ruby.

    With it as the center, a huge magic vortex gradually formed in the air.

    With an astonishing momentum, all the magic particles began to spin rapidly and gathered in the center of the vortex.

    In the blink of an eye, the magic power gathered around was poured into the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, leaving nothing behind.

    With the influx of magic power, the red color of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone became purer and purer, and the glow became softer and softer.

    The ck impurities and stone texture inside it quickly disappeared, and it now looked like an energy crystalposed entirely of magic power.

    Evan had never seen the Philosopher¡¯s Stone in its most perfect state, but this one should be close.

    Without needing to concentrate or feel with the heart, one could sense the substantial pressure of magic emanating from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.

    After thest trace of magic power was poured into it, all the light dissipated.With a snap, the Philosopher¡¯s Stone fell into Evan¡¯s hand, and he picked up Slytherin¡¯s locket and put it back in ce.

    After hanging the locket around his neck again, Evan breathed a sigh of relief.

    This action was like a seal, everything was over, and no magic power could be felt in the entire underground ruins.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

    Starting from the altar in front of him, huge cracks spread towards Slytherin¡¯s statue¡­

    It wouldn¡¯t be long before this statue and its ancient magic would disappear.

    ¡°The Philosopher¡¯s Stone!¡± Riddle said in disbelief, looking at Evan excitedly. ¡°You actually have this thing!¡±

    Evan ignored him. After not getting the magic power, this guy would definitely have designs on the Philosopher¡¯s Stone again.

    Riddle was an extremely unstable factor. Although he knew a lot and was very capable, he would never be a reassuring ally. However, as long as he was controlled well, he couldn¡¯t do anything in his current state.

    But if he were to regain his physical form or break free from the control of the ring, then it would be a different story.

    ¡°Evan, how do you feel?¡± As soon as Evan stepped off the altar, Hermione rushed over.

    She hugged Evan tightly, so tightly that they could hear each other¡¯s heartbeat.

    Although they didn¡¯t intuitively see the shocking scene of Evan destroying the evil god¡¯s body, the amount of energy gathered in the air was enough to be awe-inspiring.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡± Evan hugged Hermione tightly and patted her head.

    At this moment, both in his body and in his heart, he felt unprecedented warmth and calm.

    Perhaps the more experiences one had, the more important it became to cherish the loved ones around.

    Only with Hermione could Evan truly calm down and not think about those powerful enemies and dreadful magic.

    It was said that two people would get tired of being together for a long time, especially those like Evan and Hermione who didn¡¯t know much about romance and managing rtionships.

    But for some reason, Evan felt he was getting fonder of Hermione!

    A simple gesture was enough to deeply intoxicate him.

    ¡°Professor Dumbledore told me that the power represented by the gathering of these magic powers is beyond imagination. Although I knew you were fine, I still couldn¡¯t help but think that if you lost control, you might be crushed by the magic power in an instant, ¡°Hermione tried her best to smile, but her heavy breathing and eyes revealed her excitement and worry at this time. ¡°Yeah, I know this thought is silly, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Evan. He knew this was Hermione caring about him, and the more she cared, the more she thought.

    Especially in the recent situation, watching from the sidelines was even more overwhelming than being directly involved.

    What Evan felt was the immense power he held, while what Hermione saw was indeed him being surrounded by that powerful force, as well as the terrifying evil god. No matter how to look at it, it wasn¡¯t something human strength could ovee, so she couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°By the way, how are you feeling now?¡± said Hermione. ¡°I remember when you gained magic before; you were unconscious in bed for many days. Do you feel ufortable anywhere, should I tell Dumbledore¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Hermione, I just want to hold you, always hold you and never let go!¡± Evan whispered in her ear.

    It could be clearly seen that Hermione¡¯s ears were obviously red, but she didn¡¯t say anything and let Evan hold her.

    ine looked at the two of them on the side, and she also reached out to hug them¡­

    But her body was very weak now, and her arms fell down just as they were raised halfway.

    ¡°Okay, hug me when no one¡¯s around,¡± said Hermione softly, pushing Evan away. ¡°Go check on ine and Caresius. They¡¯ve lost their strength now. Dumbledore said it¡¯s because the part of power from the evil god in their blood has disappeared, and it will take a long time for them to recover.¡±

    ¡°Caresius, ine, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I have never felt better than now,¡± said Caresius casually.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine too,¡± said ine, sniffing forcefully. ¡°The voice in my head has gone. I just don¡¯t have any strength. Come over and hug me. No, I¡¯ll bite you hard; you made me and Hermione worry so much just now.¡±

    Evan, who had already walked to ine, suddenly froze. This girl hadn¡¯t changed at all.

    Ready to bite people at every turn, she was still the familiar ine. Even after losing her strength, she was still the little vampire who liked to bite people¡­

    Evan hugged ine, but she didn¡¯t bite him, she was just teasing him.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve lost your magic¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve only lost the cursed magic. We can learn new magic from scratch,¡± said Caresius. ¡°Evan, on behalf of the entire n, I want to thank you. You saved us and freed us from our fate.¡±

    ¡°This is nothing. It was originally a test left by Slytherin,¡± said Evan. ¡°So what do you n to do next?¡±

    ¡°I n to summon back the willing members of our n to assist Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix in battling Voldemort. He may be stronger, and that¡¯s my fault, which needs to be rectified,¡± said Caresius. ¡°Of course, we might not be of much use in the short term; we need time to familiarize ourselves with our new bodies and learn new magic. I intend to let ine continue to go to Hogwarts toplete her studies there and learn how to be a qualified witch.¡±

    ¡°For kind-hearted and excellent young witches, Hogwarts always extends a warm wee,¡± said Dumbledore gently, looking at Caresius. ¡°You can stay here temporarily to recuperate. If needed, the Order of the Phoenix can provide assistance to your n.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Caresius.

    ¡°Evan, your performance just now was very good, far beyond my imagination,¡± Dumbledore lowered his head and looked at Evan. ¡°I know you have many questions to ask me, but we must go back to London now. Your n was sessful, and a new war is about to begin.¡±

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 Chapter 1125: Harry Kidnapped

    Chapter 1125: Harry Kidnapped

    In the darkness, Harry came to the windowless corridor again, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

    ¡°That sted dream again!¡± he muttered, trying in vain to follow the steps of lumency to seal his mind.

    Since apologizing to Snape on Evan¡¯s advice, Harry had resumed his lumency lessons.

    At that time, the atmosphere in the office was absolutely tense and awkward.

    For a few seconds, Harry thought Snape wanted to pounce on him and kill him.

    But in the end, he didn¡¯t say anything and just informed Harry of the new ss time.

    This seemed to mean forgiveness, Harry thought so naively, and he also nned to tell Sirius, Evan and Hermione about it.

    But Harry immediately regretted it, and what Snape did next was definitely revenge.

    He would not choose to forgive because of Harry¡¯s apology. He asked Harry to return to the course perhaps to torture and humiliate him even more.Absolutely, Snape wanted revenge on Harry for what Harry¡¯s father, James, had done to him in the past.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use!¡± Harry gave up trying to close his mind and walked into the door in front of him.

    Behind the door was a ck-walled, ck-floored circr room lit with blue-med candles, and there were several doors all around him.

    To be precise, there were twelve doors.

    ¡°Which one should I choose?¡± Harry stared at the doors in front of him, trying to decide which one he should enter.

    With a loud rumbling sound, the candles began to move sideways and the circr wall started rotating.

    This dream became more and more real, and Harry knew that he was digging deep into his mind, and maybe he could know his true purpose tonight¡­

    This was a good opportunity, and Harry didn¡¯t want to give it up.

    Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the rumble died away and all was quiet again.

    Blue lights flickered in Harry¡¯s eyes; apart from that, he couldn¡¯t see anything.

    The blue light was spinning, spinning fast, and he was being driven out, waking up again.

    At the very least, he should have been able to see what was behind the next door, but it was no use; his vision grew increasingly blurry.

    Harry woke up from his slumber, breathing hard to get air into his lungs.

    Strangely, he was not lying on the familiar andfortable four-poster bed, but sitting on the cold ground.

    ¡°Ron?¡± Harry tried to shout, trying to figure out what was going on.

    There was no response. Could it be that Ron went out with Lavender again? But what was this echoing sound?

    Harry became more and more confused. He felt that the ground was smooth, not the rough rocks and floors of Hogwarts.

    He tried to stand up, but failed. He was tied to a pir by a rope¡­

    ¡°Huff, huff!¡± Harry blinked hard so that he could see clearly.

    The next second, he shook vigorously, hardly believing what he was seeing¡ªa golden hall in front of him.

    He¡¯d been here before; this was the Ministry of Magic!

    ¡°The Ministry of Magic, why am I in the Ministry?!¡± He suddenly became sober.

    At this moment, except for him, the spacious Atrium on the ground floor of the Ministry of Magic was empty.

    The light was darker than during the day, and the firece embedded in the wall was unlit, giving an eerie and deste feel.

    Fear and confusion, these were the main feelings Harry felt now, upying his heart.

    His memories were still stuck at Hogwarts, before he fell unconscious.

    During dinner, Harry had received a notice that members of the Special Reform Group wanted to talk to him.

    They wanted him toe to the office ¡ª formerly Umbridge¡¯s office ¡ª at eight o¡¯clock in the evening.

    In the weeks since Dumbledore left, this kind of conversation had been held many times, especially after Fred and George ran from Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic¡¯s Special Reform Group became even more unruly and frequently met with students for questioning.

    Whenever they suspected something was wrong with anyone, they would have a conversation and try to find some clues.

    As a key target, Harry had been interviewed many times, usually by two particrly old Ministry officials.

    Although he imed to know nothing, there was no doubt that they were suspicious of him.

    Fudge and the Ministry believed he must know something, and they saw Harry as a breakthrough direction to solve the current troubles.

    Harry couldn¡¯t see the point of doing so; it was just a waste of time.

    No matter how many times they talked, he would never be foolish enough to reveal the current whereabouts of Evan and Hermione or the D.A. affairs.

    Harry had thought that this would be the case tonight, but when he walked into the office, he saw no other Ministry officials. Only Lucius Malfoy was there. He was also a member of the Special Reform Group, and the one he detested the most.

    Before he could say anything, his vision went ck and he fainted¡­

    Yes, Harry remembered now, he had been attacked by Malfoy, but why was he at the Ministry of Magic?

    And being tied up here¡ªwhat was going on? It was all too strange!

    Harry had many questions. The next second, a loud conversation sounded from somewhere near the statues, and he hurriedly closed his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, we need that boy!¡±

    ¡°Then bring him over and press his hand onto that damned shelf!¡± came a slightly hoarse woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Lucius, you said you brought him here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, following the Dark Lord¡¯s orders,¡± Lucius¡¯s smooth voice sounded, and Harry¡¯s heart tightened.

    ¡°We must hurry up; they will find out that Potter is missing soon!¡±

    ¡°Useless coward, are you afraid?¡± the woman mocked.

    ¡°Facing Dumbledore, no one wouldn¡¯t be afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°ording to our information, Dumbledore is not currently in Britain. In fact, the main forces of the Order of the Phoenix are also away, so we do need to hurry. Rookwood, can Potter retrieve that thing just by being there?¡± said Malfoy slowly. ¡°Or does he need to do it willingly?¡±

    ¡°No need for resources; anyone involved can retrieve it from the shelf, without suffering pain or obstruction.¡±n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Harry had heard this voice. He was Augustus Rookwood, the Death Eater who¡¯d escaped from Azkaban.

    All the blood in his body turned icy cold; things were bing clear. He had been kidnapped from the school by Malfoy and a group of Death Eaters. In the office, Malfoy used his authority to summon him over, then knocked him out.

    Through the uncontrolled firece, they could easily reach the Ministry of Magic.

    From their conversation, it seemed these Death Eaters had tied him here primarily to force him to retrieve something from a shelf.

    Yes, that thing was behind that door, and it was something Voldemort needed urgently.

    What was it? Could it be some dreadful weapon?

    Hey there! Tranting_Wizard here! Chapter 1353 just dropped on Patreon! If you''ve enjoyed reading and want to read more, I''d greatly appreciate your support ?<ul><li></li></ul>

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